US2267983A - Manufacture of cross-wound thread packages - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 30, i941. L. E. LovETT MANUFACTURE OF CROSS-WOUND THREAD PACKAGES 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May i4, 1938 maentor vI QLJIS E. LovE'TT Gttoxneg D. 3o, 1941. E, LOVETT 2,267,983

MANUFACTURE OF CROSS-WOUND THREAD PACKAGES nventor Louis E. LOVETT Gtforneg Dec. 3o, 1941.

MANUFACTURE` 0F CROSS-YWOUND THREAD PACKAGES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 14, 1938 Flu NWN

N NNNNNNNN dttorneg lPatented Dec. 30, 1941 2,267,983 MANUFAC'UUM:v oF cnoss-wo-UND' THREAD PACKAGES Louis E. Lovett, cleveland Heights, ohio, assignor to Industrial Rayon Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application May I4, 1938, Serial No. 208,064

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the winding of arti- 'ficial silk thread upon a bobbin, spool or other similar collecting device in such manner as to form a novel thread package characterized |by a high degree of porosity.

In conventional practice as employed'up to the present time, the manner in which the traverse mechanism of the spinning machine directs the thread to the collectingdevice gives rise to an extremely dense thread package which in many respects is very difficult to handle. Due to the density of the package, a' considerable length of time is required to insure thorough treatment of the thread during the subsequent processing treatments. The processing liquids do not readily penetrate the package, as a result of which a lesser degree of uniformity of the thread may be expected to result by reason of the fact that some portions of the thread package are more thoroughly treated than others.

The difculty of obtaining adequate liquid penetration leads indirectly to other difiicultiesv affecting the later step of renoving the thread from the package. Due to the extent of time required for processing the thread package,` a greater amount of thread displacement is experienced than would' otherwise occur. One or more threads are caused by the processing liquids to wash out of place, obstructing other threads in the package so that in the unwinding operation entangling and breakage of the thread results. This is particularly likely to occur at the'ends of the conventionally formed package heretofore employed.

In contrast to the conventional package, the novel thread package of the present invention facilitates the action of the various processing liquids by its unusually high degree of porosity. This porosity results from the precision winding method employed in building up the package,

which method will be explained in detail hereinafter. By virtue of the fact that it is precision wound, the package is distinguished from the conventional package by the presence in radial alignment of diamond-shaped openings which extend through the entire thickness of the package to present an open pattern which permits ready entrance of processing liquids.

By promoting the free ow of the processing liquid through the package, a great reduction is effected in the length of time required to accomplish the various processing operations; For example, where a period of ive hours is necessary in the washing step to remove the acid from the conventional package; the novel package of the present invention makes possible a reduction to approximately two hours. I f, as is the case in certain processes, the saving in time is not an importantifactor, the washing operation may be accomplished by means oi the novel package of the present invention without the use of added chemical reagents in the same'amount of time as that required with theaid of chemicals for the washing of the conventional package.

Besides being capable of winding the novel l package of the present invention, the apparatus later to be described is capable of being employed to form over the entire surface of the completed package a protective layer of thread which, although not strictly necessary with vthe novel package of the invention, may, if desired, be provided to insure maintenance of the component threads in position in the package, thereby preventing possible damage resulting from careless handling of the spools by the operators.

As a result of these and other features, -the packy age contemplated by the Vpresent invention is much less susceptible to thread displacement difliculties of the kind originating in the manner above described. It has been found, furthermore, that the thread package', whether or not the added protection afforded by the protective web be employed, may be unwound without thread breakage with much greater ease than the conventional package.

For illustrative purposes, the invention will be described in connection with the viscose processV of manufacturing artificial silk thread, although it is to be understood that the invention may be employed to advantage in other processes; e. g., the cuprammonium, cellulose acetate and nitrocellulose processes. 'Ihe advantages of the thread package of the invention are particularly important in the viscose process in which viscose is extruded through a spinneret into an acid coagscribed tend to occur. which will form the' One form of appara novel thread package o the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, nwhich Figure 1 is a side elevation of oney section of a spinning machine adapted to form such athread package. Figure 2 is a corresponding plan; Figure 3 is an elevation from the line 3-3of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a section along the line 4 4 of Figure 1, parts being broken away. Figure 5 is a plan of Figure 1 with parts omitted showing the relation of partsat the completion of the winding operation. Figure 6 isan elevation of Figure 5. Figure 'I is an elevation on an enlarged scale o f a portion of Figure 6 showing theparts in lposition for vforming the protective web.

through gears 29 and 30 by line shaft Figure 8 is a side elevation of the novel thread package of the invention. Figure 9 is a similar elevation showing the protective web. Figure 10 is a slightly exaggerated representation of a fragmentary transverse section taken inter- 5 mediate the ends of` the package of Figure 8. .Figure 11 represents a longitudinally extending section of the package of Figure 8 broken away to the extent necessary to show the path traced by the openings therethrough. Figure 12 is an exaggerated enlargement; of a portion of the thread package to show the pattern obtained.

The spools I0 upon which is collected thread I I from the spinnerets (not shown) are mounted upon opposite ends of a transverse shaft I2. `This 15 shaft is mounted in a gear box I3 and is rotated by means of gears I4 and I5, the latter of which is carried upon a line shaft I6 extending longitudinally of the machine. Shaft I6 supported upon frame bearings |1 at opposite ends of each 20 section lof the machine is rotated by power from motor I8 transmitted through chain drive |9, a Variable drive which includes pulleys 20, 2l and chain drive 22. Pulley is carried upon a shaft 23 rotatably mounted in bearings carriedby the 25 frame of the machine.

To carry the thread back and forth across the face of the collecting spool I0, it is passed through a guide eye 25 at the lower end of an arm 26 depending from rocker shaft 21. Rocker shaft 21, carried by bearings 24, is actuated by means of a cam contained within cam` box 28 rotated I6. Through the operation of the'cam, a lug 3| upon the exterior of the cam box 28 is caused to re- 35 ciprocate back and forth, as shown by full and dotted lines in Figure 2. Pivotally connected to this lug 3| is a lever 32 fulcrumed at pin 33. At its outer end, lever 32 is pivotally connected by pin to a cross bar 34 reciprocating through guide plates 40. Pin33 and pin 35 engage longitudinal slots in lever 32. y Centrally of the cross bar 34 is fastened a block 36 to which are pivotally connected links 31 the outer ends of which are forked. Within the forked end of link 31 is received arm 38 fastened to rocker shaft 31 by means of which rocker shaft 21 is oscillated. Link 31 passes through slots 39 of guide plates 48 to permit up and down movement of link 31'due to the swinging movement of arm 38. The arm 38l is of less thickness. than the distance between the prongs of the forked end of lever 31 in order to permit a limited amount of transverse movement of the .arm 38 along pin 4|.

The fulcrum pin 33 for lever- 32 is carried by a bracket 42 secured to bar 43. Bar 43 is squared and is carried within squared bearings 44 which permit the bar to have endwise but not rotary movement. At one end of bar 43 are formed screw threads 45 which are used in causing an axial mcvementof the bar 43 for the purpose of shifting the fulcrum pin 33 during the operation of the machine. Carried upon the screw threads 45 is a nut 46 which is positioned between bracket Varms 48 of the frame to prevent its endwise 46 and slidable endwise therealong. By means of lever the element 84 may be engaged with the clutch teeth on the inner side of sprocket 82 so that the sprocket will rotate the nut, or element 84 may be disengaged therefrom making rotation of nut 46 independent of said sprocket and dependent upon the manual operation of handwheel 83. The lever 85 may be held in either of its two positions by catching it in either of the two notches 86 and 81.

Sprocket 82 is rotated in timed relation to the spools by motor 4| 8 through a power take-off. Gear 59 secured to shaft 23 actuated by motor I8 through chain |9 drives gear 5| upon a shaft 52 which is journalled in cross pieces 53 of gear supports 54. Worm55 on shaft 52 drives worm wheel 51 mounted on shaft 56 which carries gear 458 which ln turn impels gear 59. To gear 59 is secured an eccentric pin 69 upon which is pivoted a link 6| pivoted at its upper end to a pawl arm 62. Oscillation of pawl arm 62 drives ratchet wheel 63, carried upon a shaft 64, in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3. Movement of shaft 64 in the opposite direction' is prevented by detent means 65. Gear 66 secured to shaft 64 drives sprocket 61 through a gear train generally indicated by reference character 68. Sprocket 61,' through chain 69, drives the sprocketl 82 upon nut 46.

- Through operation of the structural arrangement thus far described a package of thread.

will be collected on each spool. I0 the ends of which package will be conically shaped as shown in Figure 8.

These conical ends are formed by progressive movement of fulcrum pin 33 under the influence of shaft 43. As the machine operates, and the fulcrum pin is urged away from driving 1ug3l, the lever arm determined by the distance between pins 33 and 35 is shortened with the result that cross bar 34, links 31, arm 38 and consequently guide eye 25 have a constantly decreasing extent of movement. Through the speed-reducing action of pawl 62, ratchet wheel v63, and its associated driving connections, the extremities of travel of guide eye 25 are brought slightly closer together as each new layer of thread is deposited on the spool.

The traverse arm,26 is oscillated in such relation to the rotation of spools I0 that successive turns of thread will be almost superimposed.

This is accomplished if the spool, for each complete oscillation of the traverse arm, rotates a whole number of revolutions and a fractional portion of a revolution which fraction has an odd number as its denominator. For example,

the spool may rotate 8%.-, revolutions for each However, with the use of the apparatus thush far described, each new turn of thread will not be disposed exactly radially outward of the next inner turn. The reason for this condition resides in the fact that the thread passing from the guide eye to the package will assume a different angular relation as the package increases in thickness.

Since the point of contact of the thread with the package will tend to shift around v52 and ratchet 63 for this purpose.`

.means .are provided for causing a recessional -movement of the guide eye as the package 89 increases in thickness. To achieve best results, it is desirable that the guide eye 25, when starting to build the package, be positioned initially ditraverse movement along the entire vface of the package.

rectly below the outside of the collecting spool, so I that the'thread passes vertically to the spool as shown in Figure 1. The recessional movement of the guide eye carries the guide eye laterally away from the spool in a direction perpendicular to the length of thread between the guide eye and the spool. By moving the guide eye away from the spool at the rate at which the packageA increases in thickness, the thread will always pass vertically to thepackage and will contact with the package in the same manner.

This recession movement is eiected by a screw shaft 'l0 in axial alignment with rocker shaft 21 connected to the latter by a coupling member ll which permits their relative rotation. Screw.

shaft l has a squared portion '|12 which passes through frame upright 13 thus preventing turning movement of -the screw shaft. Positioned upon the screw shaft between upright frame members 'M is a nu't 'l5 having upon its exterior a sprocket 16. A chain l1 connects sprocket 16 which actuates screw shaft 10 and an identical sprocket 'l5' which impels a similar mechanism on the opposite side of the machine with sprocket 18 upon shaft 64. In this manner nut 15 is ro tated at the desired slow speed, utilizing pawl A handwheel 19 is keyed to sprocket 16 to make possible manual operation of the screw shaft.

During operation of the machine, as the packt age ofthread increases in thickness, the rocker shaft 2l will be caused to move axially as it is rotated. Such axial movement while the rocker shaft'is being rotated is permitted by sliding movement of arm 38 along pin 4I. As shown in Figure 6, at ,the completion of the winding operation, arm 38 is at the opposite end of pin Si from its position in Figure 2. At thispoint the spool ordinarily would be removed from the machine, but the package may now, if desired, be entirely covered from end to .end with a protective layer of thread Sli, which as previously explained, may provide added protection for the ends of the" package against mutilation or washing over of 'the thread turns. This protective web is merely an added precaution as with reasonably careful handling such added protec tion is unnecessary.

. In order to form the protective web, clutch element 84 is withdrawn from sprocket 82 so that they are disengaged and handwheel 83 is en'- gaged. The handwheel is then rotated in the opposite direction from which the nut was driven by chainv 69. Such rotation of the handwheel carries with it nut I6 and thereby restores bar 43 to its initial-position against stop 80. The relation of parts due to this manipulation is illustrated in Figure 7. Since bar 12 is not disturbed by the restoring movement of bar 43, guide eyes 25 will-remain in their iinalpositions vertically below the withdrawn layer upon the spool pack? age. Fulcrum $3V is, however, moved toward pin Il so that guide eyes 25 will have their complete thereon which it assumes at the end of its reces-l sional motion, inasmuch as in this manner it is assured that the extreme ends of the package will be covered with the protective web. That this is important can be seen from the fact that if the guide eye 25 were restored to its 'original position along with the restoration of fulcrum pin 33 to its original position, the thread passing from guide eye 25 to the spool would not pass vertically upward, but on the contrary would assume a slanting relation. Such a vslanting relation` not only would prevent they threads from the protective web from reaching the extreme ends of the spool but would prevent the threads of the protective web 90 from overlaying exactly the turns of thread forming the major portion of the spool package.

After the machine has continued in operation for several minutes so that there is formed a protective web extending from end to end of the package and similar to that illustrated in Figure 9, the spool may be removed from the machine. To restore the parts to their initial posi-- tion so that a new package may be wound, pawls 52 and 65 are lifted from ratchet wheel 63-and handwheel 19 is rotated backward. Inasmuch as b ar 43 has remained in its restored position' during the formation of the protective web 90, this bar, as well as its associated parts, is in posi-l tion to wind a new spool package 89.

It is obvious that numerous changes may be made without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention. It is valso obvious that although the apparatus hereinabove disclosed has been described as applied to the manufacture of articial silk thread by the viscose process, its usefulnesslis not in fact limited-thereto. AIt is intended that the patent shall cover,

by suitable expression in the appended claims'. whatever features of patentable novelty reside in.

l being more widely spaced in an axial direction in-'the innermost layers than in the outermost layers of the package, whereby the package pos-.- sesses a greater degree of porosity at the interior than'at the exterior thereof.

2. 'A self-supporting thread package of the character described in claim 1 wound upon a4 core extending longitudinally of the package.

.3. A self-supporting thread package of the character described in claim 1 upon which a protective web is wound in such manner as to overlay said'package throughout its entire length, including said conical-ends.- I 1 LOUISE. LovE'r'r.

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