US2249712A - Apparatus for processing thread - Google Patents

Description

W. F. KNEB'USCH Em 2,249,712

APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING THREAD Filed oct. 24,1958

July l5, 1941.

5 Sheets-Sheet l Snventors WALTER E KNEBUSCH AND ALDEN H. BURKHOLDER l n` By Lt' s A Gttorneg July 15, 194.. w. F. KNEBUscH ETAL 2,249,712

APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING THREAD l `Filed Oct. 24, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 all! f egg 1/ J BY l 4 /f' (Ittomeg Juy 15, 194i. w. F. KNEBUscH ETAL 2,249,712 l APPARATUS RoR PROCESSING THREAD lFiled oct. 24, 195s 5 sheets-sheet s Inventors WALTER E' KNEBUSCH AND ALBEN H. BURKHOLDER July 15, 194. w. F. KNEBUscH ErAL 2,249,712

APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING THREAD Filed Oct. 24, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented July 15, 1941 unimo states ,pasteur ,ori-ice APrARArUs Fon PRooassINGmHREAD tilalter` F. Knebusch, Rocky "River, and Alden H. Burkholder, Cleveland, ;0hio, assignors to `Industrial yRayon Corporation, Cleveland, rohio, a corporation of-Delaware Application. October 24, 1938, Serial No. 236,722

6 Glaims.

which must be employed and the comparatively high cost of the treating liquids. lEven theJc-ost of the Water used inthe manufacture of multiple filament viscose artificial silk thread is an importanti-actor, not only ,because of the large vquantities used for the several washingtreatments but because it is often necessary to-treat the water in order to ,obtain Ythe requisitefpur'ity and softness. Indeed, the cost of the vWater alone may in large measure determinethe commercial successor failure of a given plant.

In the ordinary discontinuous.systemsoffmanufacturing multiple, lfilament viscose rartificialisilk thread; i. e., the pot-spinning ,and spoolspinning systems, .the thread is subjected to the action of the processing liquids While it is woundinthe originalspin cake or Ispool package. That is, the A.thread is treated ,withzliquids ,while Wound ina compact package containingthousan'ds ;of yards of thread Wound layerupon layer. Qi a given -amount ofl liquid applied to thethread packagavmost serves to process'the threadybut lit is known that, due to difficulties of penetration of the processing liquid, all portionsof .thread in the package are not uniformly processed.

In continuous processing operations,.,on,the other hand, the thread is continuously but .temporarily stored on one or more thread-advancing, thread-storage devices, beingsubjected tothe action of processing liquids vWhile inthe form of a helix made up of a large numberof closely spaced turns.

uAs compared with discontinuous systems, the advantages yof manufacturing multiple filament-viscose artificial silk threadiby a system involving the continuous processing of the threadare so great as to have served in the pastas an incentive for numerousattempts to devise asuecessful continuous processing system. It has long been recognized that a continuous system .of manufacturing multiple filament-viscoseartificial Asilk thread would possess `advantages over discontinuous systems in making possiblegreat savings in time and' labor, thisfor the-reason thatA the numerous processingtreatmentswhich yessing wessing liquids tends .to occur.

rmusi-loeapplied tothethread maylbeperfolmed `continuously on asingle machine. A..QOntinuous manufacturing system vwould p ossess great ;'ad vant-ages asf regards ythoroughness anduniformity of, pr'ocessing because the thread Yis,subjectedto .the .processing -treatmentwhile `woundingI singlelayer and isnot processed, as in thegdiscontinuous Y processes, while Wound. in package form.

lanas, however, b eenfound that, systems in- ,.volving the ,continuous :processing of the` thread ;are often .less, economical, in; theiruse oLprocess- `ing liquids Y. than discontinuous systems. arises in part from Ithe ,fact ,that` in, continuous systems the .thread is processed ,while wound ,This

ina singlelayer. Allpf theliquid, applied v,to the thread is notnsedin `theactual processing .of thethread; instead, partofthe 'liquidfruns olf the thread-advancing, threadfstorage device and .part ,passes vbetween 'the turnspf thread Other disadvantages have vbeen Vfound Ato A arise from the fact -that in some continuousprocsystems intermixing .of the proc- .The present invention, by. eliminating.- difficultems.'

While continuous processing systems make-.pos-

Y,silolemore uniform processing of the thread-than `do-discontinuous processing systems becauseA the thread is` processed while vstored in a single layer, it is extremely important that predetermined constant amounts of. processing medium besupvplied over long periods of vtime tothe thread stored on each thread-advancing, thread-storage device; also, that if a large number ofV threads v`are processed, Y all corresponding thread-advancing, thread-storage -devices'be supplied 4withuproeessing medium-at identical rates in order to pre- Yeht the @occurrence of --thread-to-thread yvaria- ,tions in processing. The importance of such uniformity in the rateof supply of lprocessing media jis emphasized Vloy the fact that the thread is -usually subjected'to the processing mediaffor a matter of secon-ds, at themost a minute or. two,

and hence any change in the rate of supply of the processing media to the thread will .bere- ;ected as a change inA thephysical orphysico- :chemical characteristics of the vfinished 1 thread. V4That .is, in continuous processing operations, because-of the necessity of rapidly processing the thread, there is no such factor of safety as in the discontinuo-us process, wherein the thread is subjected to cach processing liquid for a period of several hours.

The present invention provides a cir-culation system which makes it possible accurately to supply a predetermined amount of processing liquid at a constant rate of iiow to a single thread-advancing, thread-storage device or to a plurality of thread-advancing, thread-storage devices. In the latter case, the invention makes it possible to supply all of the thread-advancing, .thread-storage devices with identical amounts of processing liquid at an equal rate of flow. According to the invention, moreover, intermingling of the various processing liquids is prevented, whereby the possibility of contamination of the liquid is obviated.

For the purposes of illustration, the invention will be described hereinafter in connection with the manufacture by a ycontinuous system of mulf 'tiple filament viscose artificial silk thread on apparatus generally similar to that shown, de-

scribed, and claimed in copending -application Serial No. 7,114, filed February i18, 1935, by Walter F. Knebus-ch and Alden H. Burkholder (Patent 2,225,642). It should, however, be understood vthat the present invention is not limited thereto,

but that in certain aspects it may be employed in the continuous processing of thread produced by other methods as, for example, from casein,cel-

` lulose acetate, cuprammonium cellulose solutions,

processing medium to the thread on the threadadvancing, thread-storage device being omitted and other parts being broken away for the sake of clearness. Figure 2 is an end elevation c'orresponding generally to Figure 1, lbut on a larger scale, of a portion of the machine with parts broken away more clearly to show the mechanism. Figure 3 is an elevation on the same scale as Figure 2 of one operating face of the machine, corresponding generally to the operating face on the right of Figure 1, parts being broken away for the sake of clearness.

Figure 4 is an elevation of the apparatus on the same scale as Figure 3 4and line 4-4 thereof showing processing liquid circulation apparatus embodying the present invention. Figure 5 is -a detail sectional elevation from line 5-5 of Figures 3, 6 and '7 through a thread-advancing reel typical of the thread-advancing, thread-storage devices employed in the illustrated apparatus. Figure 6 is an end elevation of the reel of Figure 5 on the same scale and from the left end 1 thereof. Figure 7 is a detail plan on a slightly smaller scale than Figures 5 and 6 illustrating several of the thread-advancing reels and associated apparatus shown in Figure 5, the covering of the gear housing being omitted.

Figure 8 is a somewhat diagrammatic representation of the circulation apparatus illustrated in the above figures, said figure including one reel of a horizontal series of corresponding reels and sired processing treatments.

amat/i2 its associated processing liquid circulating apparatus as viewed from the front of the continuous processing apparatus, parts being broken away for the sake of clearness. Figure 9 corresponds to a sectional elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 8. Figure 10 is a somewhat diagrammatic representation, generally similar to Figure 8,illustrating a modified type of circulating system embodying the present invention. Figure 11 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 10, parts being broken away.

In the drawings, like reference characters refer to like parts throughout.

In the apparatus shown in Figures l to 4, inclusive, the thread l is formed by extrusion of the viscoseinto the coagulating bath 2 through a suitable spinneret 3, passing therefrom through a guide 4 to a thread-advancing reel of cantilever form, designated 5, from which it passes to any suitable number of other like reels 5a to 5i upon whichare performed any desired processing steps. The cantilever construction of one of the reels is shown in detail in Figure 4 and will be described more in detail hereinafter. VThe thread is led from the last reel 5i through a suitable guide 6 to a collecting device such as cap-twister l.

The production of each multiple filament thread requires a complete series of such threadadvancing reels in numbers sufficient to enable the desired processing steps to be performed on the thread. However, a given machine may be built toprovide for the simultaneous production of a multiplicity of such threads. Thus each machine may include a plurality of series arranged in such manner as to enable the parts thereof to be conveniently accessible for inspection, manipulation or control, as well as to enable the plurality of such series to be driven from the same power source.

In the illustrated machine, the reels are shown as arranged in a plurality of descending series on each of which the thread is subjected to the de- Since the reels are of cantilever form; i. e., supported and driven from one end only, and since the thread is, by

Y- the action of the reels, advanced axially thereof toward the free end thereof, they may be positioned, as shown, in stepped arrangement with the receiving end of each reel immediately below the discharge end ofY the next preceding reel.

The open ends of the reels,'constituting the discharge ends, are presented to the operator. This arrangement provides advantages in construction of the processing apparatus as Well as advantages in permitting access to the reels for manipulation of the thread, inspection, repairs,

Furthermore, it has been found desirable to position the reels in adjacent series so that corresponding reels are in corresponding positions. Thus the reels are in effect disposed in a plurality of horizontal series extending longitudinally of the machine. This disposition of the reels in what .may be vregarded as a plurality of longitudinal series results in simplification of the construction of the processing medium supply and removal systems as well as advantages in driving the thread-storage reels, as Will be hereinafter explained more in detail.

Furthermore, the machinemay, as shown in l YFigure 1, be double-sided, h'aving a plurality of thread-storage devices disposed in an inclined "bank on each` side ofthe machine.

upper platforms 8 and 9V carried by cross beams t and I lsupported bly corner posts l2,the platforms 8; land 8 being connected bydiagonal uprights I3' and I4; The drive mechanismforthe reels may have as a source of power a drive motor l-iwhich may be mounted at one end of the machine, as shown in Figure 3. The shaft of such motor actuates a suitable speed reducing device |9- operating a cross shaft 20 provided at its opposite ends with bevel gears 2l which mesh with bevel gears 22 on diagonal shaf-ts 23', of which one may be provided on the left side and one on the rightsideiof' the machine as shown in Figure 1.

Diagonal shafts 23 are in the illustrated) embodiment of the invention provided aty various levels with take-off drives for the reels 5a. Iand 5i, inclusive. The driving connections tothe several reels may, if desired, include any suitable form of change speed mechanism. For convenience, the shafts 23 and the drive connections therefrom to the severalreels may be located at one end of the machine, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

As the drive connection from the primary drive shaft 23 to each of the reels 5a to 5i is the same, description of one will suffice forall; Thus, for the drive to each of the reels 5a.y and 5i, drive shaft 2-3 drives short shaft 62- (Figures 2 and 3) through suitable gears contained in the housing 62a. f Shaft 62 drives shaft 6l through suitable change speed mechanism indicated generally as 6,6, said shaft Sl'extending horizontally and longitudinally along the operating face of the machine and being provided with suitable driving means for the corresponding horizontal or longitudinal series of reels disposed along the shaft.

The means for driving each reel from said shaft 6l isshown to better advantage in Figures 5 and '7'. As shown, the driving means may be enclosed in a longitudinally extending housing 'I6 which may also serve as alubricant reservoir for the parts therein and which may be provided with a removable cover 'Il'. Drive shaft 61 extends longitudinally of the housing, its outwardly projectinglends being connected by couplings l5 (Figure 3) to like ends ofv neighboring shaft sections. The shafts 'l2 for the reels are journalled in opposite walls of said housing, crossing said drive shaft 61';

In the apparatus shown, each reel in the horizontal series isk mounted on one face of the housing 'it' and is driven from secondary drive shaft 6l by a spiral gear 'lllengaging a spiral gear 'H rotatably mounted on reel drive shaft '12.V Spiral gear 'H is provided with a clutch member '13a cooperating with a slidable clutch member 13b splined to the shaft 12 actuated by a controlling bell crank lever 14. members in engagement, so that the reel shaft 12 may be rotated. Each reel may thus be pro,- vided with its individual clutch and the levers 14 for alllreels may be individually operated; however, forconvenience the levers 1 4 for reels 511I to' 5i, of a vertical series may be connected together so that all of the reels in one vertical series may be startedV and stopped simultaneously.

The f thread-advancing, thread-storage devices of the instant apparatus take the form of a reel of the type shown in Figures 5 and 6, which is of the same general formand'operates in the same manner as the reel shown, described, and claimed in a prior application entitled Winding reel for spinning machine, Serial No. 652,089, filed J anuary 16; 1933, by Walter F. Knebusch (Patent 2,210,914). The reel shown is, however, of'canti- Figure 5 shows the clutch lfro leverform in the sense` that the supports for said reel areeonnected to it at one 'endl only, leaving the thread-supporting bars free and open at the other# end ofthe reel. Therefore, by rotating the reel in vthe proper direction toA cause the`v turns of thread to travel from its driven end to its 'free end, thetaskof transferring thethread from reel to reelA is materially simplified due to theabsence of a shaft extension and consequent ease of rnani-pulationr ofthe thread bythe operator.

The typical .form of reel shown-inthese figures includes tworigid, generally cylindrical: members-` respectively designated 8U and 8|. Member Si! maybetermed the concentric member because it` is concentric with, xed to, and rotates with thereel shaft 112; Member" 8l) includes a body portion of generally cylindrical form with its periphery slottedv'toform a series-'of alternating` bars 82- and recesses 83, the body portion being mounted upon al sleeve 84- keyedto the shaft l2- and held in placev thereon by a nut 85 threaded upon the end ofv saidshaft. The other member 81: of the reel may becalledthe eccentric member, because whil'eit is generally of cylindrical form it is mounted with its axis laterally offset slightly fromand disposed askew or inclinedtothe axis ofthe shaft l2, The members I as shown, comprises ahead formed of inner and outerring-stil` and $8-, the former ofwhich has peripheral slots to receivev the bars 89. The barsare-clampedbetween the rings 8l# and 881, which are held# together by screws 81a. Inner ring 8-1 is mounted on-a sleeve 90 journalled to rotate upon. a` supporting member 9|- which surrounds shaft' 'HlA and isspaced therefrom. Means are provided forsupportingV meinber- 9|- wi-thitsy axis slightly` offset laterally from. and inclined with relationU tothe axis of shaftv 12.

RotationV of theV drive shaft- 12 causes concentric member Biirxed thereto lto rotate, whereupon contact offbarmembers 8-2 of" concentric member with bar mem-bers 89 of eccentricy member 8-'i causes said eccentric member to rotate. The thread is thuscausedtowind on the reel, the degree of the inclination ofl the reelmembers with respect to each other determining the lead or pitchof the turns of'y thread woundv in generally helical-form upon the reel and progressively` advancedl along it. With a reeli ofthis general type, any desired lengthv of thread- Within reasonable limits may thus be continuously but temporarily stored in a plurality of advancing turns.

' Reels ofthe form shown in-Figures and 6 may be employedjfor each of the reels 5A to-5h, inclusive, Figure 1, since itf may be desirable to lapply Wety processing treatments to the thread while storedr on these reels. However, it-may be desired to dry the thread onv the reel 5i before it is collected, as by cap-twister 1", in which ycase the reel 5i, while ofthe same generalL type and operating in the same general manner asy the others, may beY adapted' to supplyu dryingmedium` to the thread stored on the reelV from the interior of the reel. Such a reel isdescribed in detailvin saidpror application Serial No. 7,114.

Each descendingV series of reels is identified with one ofthe capftwisters 'l shown as-the collecting means in the illustratedA apparatus. A plurality of said cap-twisters 1 is driven by the same power source. The illustrated apparatus is provided with a long drum H9 vconnected by belts |20 to the whirlsl supporting'the bobbins ofthe twisters, belts L20 being providedwith belttighteners I2Ua. Drum H9 is driven by a belt |21| actuated from the drive shaft of the speed reduc.' ing mechanism I9which is driven by motor I8.

For reciprocating the twister bobbins, a speed reducing device |22 is provided driven by a belt |23 from 4a pulley on shaft 2,0. The shaft |24 of said `speed reducing device is provided with a cam |25 actuating a lever |26 pivoted on the frame Yat the point |21 and connected by tension members |28 to lifting rods |29 slidable vertically in frame guides |30 and connected by beams |3| rotatably carrying the bobbins, the vertically moving parts ,being at least partly counterbalanced by ,weights |32. The function of drums ||9 and cams |25v is to rapidly rotate and vertically reciprocate the bobbins of the several captwisters, so that thethread is twistedand Wound in the desired form thereon.

Means are provided forsubjecting the thread on one or more of the reels a to 5h to suitable wet lprocessing operations; to wit, means disposed above each of said reels for supplying to said reel processing liquid in the form of a spray or one or more small streams, a trough disposed beneath each of said reels for collecting the processing liquid as it drains from the reel, and apparatus for recirulating the liquid. By reference to Figures 2, 3 and 7, it can be seen that each of said troughs |08 may be suitably formed to collect the liquid and prevent splashing thereof and may be provided with a re-entrant portion II8 below each reel to allow travel of the thread from an upper reel to a lower reel. Becauseof the arrangement of the reels in a plurality of horizontal or longitudinally extending series, it is possible to have each trough I serve several corresponding reels in adjacent processing series.

Likewise, the liquid distributing system may serve corresponding reels in adjacent series. In the illustrated embodiment, a suitable reagent distributor ||5 is positioned above each reel on which processing liquid is applied to the thread, the reagent distributor ||5 being supplied from a lcommon supply conduit ||3 extending longitudinally of the machine and serving the reagent distributors for the corresponding reels in a horizontal series. n

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 3, 4, 8 and 9, each horizontal series of corresponding reels on whichA processing liquid is to be applied to the thread is supplied with processing liquid through a supply conduit |31. The latter communicates with a constant head supply box |38 associated with said series. A valve |39 may be provided in said supply conduit |31 to control the amount of liquid passing to the supply box |38. Supply box |38 communicates with the horizontally extending conduit I I3 which supplies the reagent distributors I I5 for said horizontal series of reels from tubes II4.

The level of processing liquid in the supply box |38 is maintained at a predetermined height above above the orices from which the liquid discharges to the reels from said conduit |I3 by suitable overflow means associated with said supply box. In the illustrated apparatus, supply box |38 is provided with an extendedportion |4| having connected thereto an overflow pipe |42. Processing liquid which is supplied to said constant head supply box |38 in excess of the amount which passes to the reagent distributors supplied from said supply box |38 overflows through said overflow pipe |42, thus maintaining a constant level of liquid in said supply box.

The oriiicesl in tubes ||4 through which the processing liquid leaves the conduit I|3 to pass ,shutting down of the apparatus.

to the reels of the horizontal series are preferrably allof the same size and disposed substantially on the same level, so that all reels in said horizontal lseries are supplied with substantially identical amounts of processing liquid. Due to the relatively low rate of flow of the processing liquid through the conduit ||3 and the relatively large diameter of the supply conduit ||3 as compared with the size of said orices, very little, if any, loss of pressure results from one end of conduit- ||3 to the other. Y

The collecting troughs |98 for each horizontal series of reels extend, as has been explained, under a plurality of reels in said horizontal series, adjacent troughs being connected together. Therefore, all of the liquid which has been supplied from the conduit ||3 to a horizontal series of reels may be collected in the troughs |08 below the reels and passed through the corresponding conduit |43 which communicates withthe overiiow conduit |42. The combined liquid may then pass, as diagrammaticallyshown in Figure 8, to one or more supply tanks |44. From said supply tanks the processing liquid may be pumped, as by pumps |45, back up to the constant head supply box |38 through conduit |31.

It is desirable to provide a plurality of said supply tanks and pumps, as shown, so that factors causing one of said supply tanks or pumps to be taken out of commission will not cause In ordinary operation, indeed, it is desirable to use at least one of said supply tanksand pumps as a standby unit. Suitable valves |46 and |41 may be provided to put in or take out certain tanks from the system. Similarly, valves |48 may be provided to make it possible to cut out each of the pumps or to control the amount of liquid iiowing therethrough. A direct connection |49 to the sewer from each tank |44 may also be provided, as that controlled by valve |50 in the apparatus shown, to make possible flushing of the tanks |44 or discharging of the spent liquid therefrom to the sewer.

Preferably the amount of processing liquid supplied to constant head supply box |38 is lonly slightly greater than the amount which passes therefrom to the reagent distributors through conduit II3. Only a small amount of overflowing takes place; in fact, only sufficient to maintain the level of liquid in the constant head supply box |38 constant. The amount of liquid flowing into container |38 may be controlled by valve |39.

The pumps |45 are preferably of the impositive delivery type, so that controlling of the amount .of liquid owing therethrough by adjustment of the valve |39 will not cause diiiiculties due to excessive pressures. Desired make-up additions may be made from time to time or continuously to tanks |44, in 'which tanks tests may also be made from time to time to determine the strength of the solution. In the apparatus of Figures 8 and 9, inlet pipe |5I, controlled by valve |52, is provided for making possible the addition of liquid to the system. Preferably, tanks |44 and pumps |45 are located below the floor on which the machine isr mounted. For this reason, the conduits |31 and |42 in Figures 3 and 4 are shown as extending only to the floor.

In the modification shown in Figures 10 and 1l, processing liquid is supplied from tanks |44a by means of pumps |450, and conduit |31a. Valve |39a is provided in said conduit to control the quantity of liquid flowing therethrough. As

in the preceding embodiment' of the invention;4

conduite |3'Ia is connected toa container |38a; However, conduit I3'Ia is also connectedtolongitudinally extending conduit 3 from which the reels are supplied,- :as 'through conduit I 53. Thus part ofztherliquid.supplied through conduit |3Ia passes into-container |38aand part into conduit |.|-31; The.- Vl connection between conduit |53l and conduit |31 isnot absolutelynecessary, but isdesirable in providing'. for a smoother flow of liquid;

Fromcontainer |38a'theliquid overflows from extended lportion I4 I ofi said-.container into' conduit'` |42a,. being. combined with thevliquid co1- lected in trough |08-\,. which. collected liquid *passes through conduit III3a.A to conduit |42a.-

The`combinedliquid thenrpasses back to tanks I'Ma. Valves Mafand Mila, may be provided,- as

shown; Atomakeit'possible to cut out any of tanks I 44a; .while valves HI8-a: may` be provided to make it' possible'torcutoutsoneor more of the pumps I-45af or to*` controlr the liquid` flow therethrough.

Similarly',v a connection HQ60-controlled by valve I'5U`a; may-be suppliedfto provide for discharging liquid'from any: of-` thetanks IMIa; to the sewer,

while -pipe Ilaandvalve I'2a maybe provided.

tbmake 'possiblef the addition of liquid.

In"` the.` operationi of the" apparatus4 shown inY Figures-'10 andrll; liquid is suppliedthroughl conduit-.ISFIafinan amount inexcessr` of the amount which iiowsY throughI conduit II3` to. theY reagent by the level of liquidin container I 38; from whichA conduit |I3 thel processing liquid' isf discharged ontothe reels;

Preferably, as yin'- the preceding embodiment4 of the' inventiomthe" oric'esfalong the-length of' conduit I'I3 are: ottlie'samesize and substantially on' the.' same-level, .soz that all corresponding reels irrthe` horizontal serie'sassociatedwith the' con-r tainer.V |38 fmay be.V supplied with substantially; if.' notwh'olly, identical quantitiesA of liquidiiowing'at' constant rates; If, for; instance', a' momentarily greaterl quantity of' liquidn should beV supplied through conduitflla; such excessamount passes into container |38. andr down through overflow conduit I'li'Za; ratherthaniinto conduit I3; A constant pressure -is thus maintainedon the processing liquid' distributors'. in this embodiment of vthe invention; i

Inl thev emb'odimentof the: invention shown in Figures 3, 4l; Band" 9, the constantheadsupply boxes aand 'pipingfth'erefor for: the various processing liquids are disposed at one end'only offthe apparatus. As shown, they are mounted at the end of the apparatus-opposite the drive end, since advantages in construction are thereby provided, The constant head supply boxes are disposed in stepped arrangement corresponding generally to the stepped arrangement of the reels with which they are associated and are mounted on an inclined beam |54 which is spaced from and connected to the frame of the apparatus. However, in the illustrated apparatus, each bank of reels on the apparatus is provided with its own circulating system, a space being lett between the piping for the opposite banks.' This space'per-` mits accesstotheinterior of the apparatus from the liquidsupplyendfofv-theapparatus;

It iS. apparent that circulation apparatus embodyingY the arrangement of Figuresv 10 and 11 canV be readily constructed with itscontainersr |38.- and y processing liquid supplyA and drain. con-- duits |3-Ia and |4211 in an arrangement gener-- ally'- similarfto-thatof the constant headsupply boxes ISS-and conduits |31'and |152 ofthe other embodiment of: the invention.

Each of the forms or apparatus illustrated as embodyingy the inventionf thus makes it possible to-maintain a constant predetermined pressure onY the processingI liquid distributing system of each horizontal. series ofreels on which liquid isT applied .tothe thread. Identical constant pressuresmay thusvbe mainta-inedy on all `discharge orifices from which' processing liquid' is supplied to allfreelsfinaI horizontal series; so that identical amounts of processing liquid may besupplied to such reels` at constant rates/of ow. Extremely uniform processing of the thread isv therefore made possible because the constant rate ofow of each-processing liquidinsures that all portions civ the same"v thread are subjected toidentical treatments and because all threads may 'besub-y jectedf to. identical quantities of each processingliquid.`

Constant pressure ismaintained in' each oft-he illustrated embodiments bymaintaining af constant level'` of liquid at-afpredeterminedlieight, overow-'meansbeing employed toinsure that the level of4 liquid is' constant;

applied-to the reels and' collectedis-combined and recirculated backto'process more threadl- 'Il'hus excellentv economyfin the consumption of process'-v ing liquids is provided by the present invention; since the liquids may be re-used several times. Moreover7 since the variousprocessing liquidsvare appliedto Athe thread on-difer'entreelsand since each processing liquid may circulatethrough anindividua-Lsystem, intermingling; and'hence contamination, of the" diierent processing liquids may be prevented;4

It A is apparent that various modications may be 'made' in` the" illustrated embodimentand that theinvention'may'be `applied to other uses than `that in connection Withl which ithas lbeen described above without'- departing from thespirit of vention. cover;` by suitable expression in' the appended' claims; Whateverffeatures ofz patentable noveltythe: invention: In the appended claims the termthreadfis' intended'tov mean, besides per se, all

other materials capable' of being' handledv and processedf by; meansv embodying the` present in- It` is intended that the patent shall reside inir the invention. What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus i'orf the continuous processing of thread 'comprising a plurality of series of threadstorage devices-each of which `series processes a single thread; means for applying processing liquid associated with' each thread-storage devicevon which processingfliquid is to be applied to' In each case; theV overiiowing liquid and the liquid whichl has been a predetermined height above said processing liquid applying means over which surface the excess processing liquid iiows, the amount of liquid ilowing thereover being independent of the presence of thread on said thread-storage device; means for collecting the processing liquid which has been applied to said set of corresponding thread-storage devices; and means for combining said collected processing liquid with the processing liquid which overflows said surface and passing said combined processing liquid to the inst-mentioned conduit for one of said sets of corresponding thread-storage devices.

2. Apparatus for the continuous processing of thread comprising a thread-advancing, threadstorage device which continuously but temporarily stores the thread in a plurality of spaced, generally helical turns; means for applying processing liquid to the thread while it is stored on said thread-advancing, thread-storage device; a

conduit connected to said processing liquid ap plying means adapted to direct upward an amount of processing liquid in excess of the amount which passes to said processing liquid applying means; a second conduit connected to said first-mentioned conduit conducting processing liquid to a surface portioned at a predetermined height above said processing liquid applying means over which surface the excess processing liquid iiows, the amount of liquid flowing thereover being independent of the presence of thread on said thread-advancing, thread-storage device; means for collecting the processing liquid which is applied to said thread-advancing, thread-storage device; and means for combining said collected processing liquid and the processing liquid which overflows said surface and passing the combined processing liquid to said rstmentioned conduit.

3. Apparatus for the continuous processing of thread comprising a plurality of descending series of thread-advancing, thread-storage devices each of which series processes a single thread, said series being disposed adjacent each other in the form of a longitudinally extending bank; means for applying processing liquid associated with each of a plurality of thread-advancing, thread-storage devices in each series; supply means disposed in stacked relation at one end of said bank for supplying processing liquid at a constant pressure to the processing liquid applying means for each set of corresponding thread-advancing, thread-storage devices of a plurality of series, each of said supply'means including means directing upward an amount of processing liquid in excess of the amount which passes to said processing liquid applying means and a surface positioned at a predetermined height above said processing liquid applying means and associated with said processing liquid directing means over which surface the excess processing liquid flows; means for collecting the processing liquid which has been applied to said corresponding thread-advancing, thread-storage devices; means for combining said collected processing liquid with the processing liquid which overflows said surface; and means ior recirculating the combined processing liquid to said supply means.

4. Apparatus for the continuous processing of thread comprising a plurality of descending series of thread-advancing, thread-storage devices each of which series processes a single thread, said series being disposed in the form of a longitudinally extending bank; a container from which processing liquid is supplied to each set of corresponding thread-advancing, threadstorage devices in said plurality of series, said container being provided with overflow means for maintaining a predetermined levell of processing liquid in said container; means for supplying processing liquid to said container in excess of the amount which is Asupplied to said thread-advancing, thread-storage device, said supply means communicating with said container below the surface of the liquid in said container; means for mounting said containers and supply means at one end of said bank, the containersl being disposed in stacked relation; means for collecting the processing liquid which is supplied to each set of said thread-advancing, threadstorage devices; means for combining said collected processing liquid and the processing liquid which overflows from the corresponding container; and means for passing said combined processing liquid to the container for one of said sets of corresponding thread-advancing, threadstorage devices.

5. Apparatus of the character described in claim 4 in which said last-mentioned means passes the combined processing liquid to the container in which it originated.

6. Apparatus for the continuous processing of thread comprising a bank of thread-advancing, thread-storage devices which includes at least one descending series of such devices adapted to process at least one thread; means for applying processing liquid to the thread stored thereon associated with each of a plurality of threadadvancing, thread-storage devices in said series; supply means disposed in stacked relation at one end of the bank for supplying processing liquid at aconstant pressure to each of said processing liquid applying means, each of said supply means including means directing upward `an amount of processing liquid in excess of the amount which passes to said processing liquid applying means and a surface positioned at a predetermined height above said processingv liquid applying means and associated with said processing liquid directing means over which surface the excess processing liquid flows; means for collecting the processing liquid which has been applied to each thread-advancing, thread-storage device; means for combining the collected processing liquid with the processing liquid which overflows said surface; and means for passing the combined processing liquid to one of said processing liquid supplying means.

WALTER F. KNEBUSCH. ALDEN H. BURKHOLDER.

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