US2398808A - Apparatus for forming fibrous strands - Google Patents

Description

API'il 23, 1946- G; sLAY'rER TAL A2,393,808

APPARATUS FOR FORMING FIBROUS ySTRADS Game.; Jacq/cer w .'lel'cher Patented Apr. 23, 1946 APPARATUS FOR FORMING FIBROUS STRANDS Games slayter ma Ea michel, Newark, 01110,. assignors to Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation oi Deia-- Ware vApplication December 9, 1942, Serial No. 468,444

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improved apparatus for manufacturing fibrous material. It relates particularly tothe process of making strands of fibrous material from glass and other thermoplastic or hardena-ble substances -by attenuating the material into fibers while in aplastic state and collecting the iibersA in a hollow body on a rotating support and drawing the body of! the support in the direction along the axis of rotation of the support. As the body of iibers moves past the end of the support it is lengthened out and drawn down into the form of a strand of intermingled fibers.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide improved means for `continuously attenu-A ating moiten glass to form a continuous glass fiber and to wind the fiber about a rotatable attenuating support, Vand to feed the body of fibers lengthwise of the support off one end of the latter at a deiinite controllable rate.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for feeding the body of fibers lengthwise of the support that includes only yrotating elements compactly arranged. thereby permitting high speed operation `of the apparatus.

Still another object of this invention is to Drovide means to feed the body of iib'ers lengthwise of the rotatable support so arranged that the surface of the attenuating member upon which the body of fibers is collected closely1 approximates a true cylinder. This assures the application of a substantially uniform tension to the streams oi' glass `beim; attenuated as the attenuating me1n.

ber rotates. Y

Broadly. the invention provides a rotating' substantially tubular support for a body of fibers having spaced openings in its cylindrical wall, and a member within the tubular slipDOrt having a helical groove in its outer surface exposed through the openings in the support to enable portions of i the body of fibers on the support to b'e engaged by the helical groove. The construction is such that relative rotation between the support and member feeds the iibers oil' one end of the support.

A still further feature of this invention' is to control the rate of feeding of the fibers oi one end of the support by imparting a rotative movement at selected speed to the vhelically grooved member in the direction of rotation of the outer member. In this way the rate of feeding` oi' the fibers off one end of the support may be accomplished at a relatively slowrate without restricting the speed of rotation of the support. As a result. the support may be rotated at very high speeds to attenuate streams of thermoplastic materials to form the fibers.

'I'he foregoing, as well as other obiects, will be made'more apparent as this description proceeds,

especially` when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: A l

Figure 1 is a diagrammaticview of suitable apparatus for carrying out the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional View taken on the 4line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of a slightly modiiied form of construction.

It will be understood as this description proceeds that the present invention may be advantageously used in the processing of natural bers.

such as cotton. silk and wool or with the various cellulose compounds commonly known as artificial silk. For the purpose of illustration, however,

`the invention is shown in connection with the processing of fine filaments of thermoplastic materials such as glass.

Briefly, a body of thermoplastic material such as glass is melted and divided into a plurality of fine streams. :The streams are attenuated to form illamentsor fibers by the application of a traction or drawing force to the fibers and pneumatic or mechanical means may be provided for this purpose. Regardless of the specific attenuating means employed, the bers are collected on a rotating body and are subsequently drawn off one endof the body. The Newman and Romig Re` issue Patent No. 22,078, dated April 21, 1942, discloses and claims. broadly, such a process. The present invention provides 'an improved apparatus foxcarrying out this and similar processes.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the fibers are wound on a rotatable-body and successive convolutions of the nbers are fedlengthwise of the body in response to rotation of the body relative to a member within the body. The member is formed with a helical groove in the outer surface thereof and the wall of the body is slotted to enable portions of the. fiber convolutions to lie.

in the groove. As a result, rotation of the body re1- atlve to the helically groored member imparts a movementto the body of fibers in the general direction of the axis oi' rotation of the' body and at a rate dependent upon the speed of relativel rotation between the body and member. As the fibers move oli the end of the body, they are drawn inwardly and axially away iom the body to form a strand by either a blower or a rotatable packaging spool. In either case, relative rotation is maintained between the strand and body so that the bers are twisted. This is especially desirable when packaging the bers on a spool because the fibers are held in a compact strand during the packaging operation, and subsequent ease in unwinding of the strand is assured.

In the present instance, the helically grooved member is rotated independently of the outer body in orderto control the rate of feeding of the ilbers lengthwise of the body. This arrangement also enables the body to be rotated at a high rate of speed without placing any limitations on the minimum rate of feeding of the fibers and, as a result, the body may be employed to attenuate the streams of thermoplastic, material atany speed found desirable.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the reference character I3 indicates a container or melter adapted to contain a supply of molten glass. A bushing Il is suitably supported at the bottom of the container in communication with the supply of molten glass and comprises a plurality of nipples having relatively small orices through which the glass flows in theiorm of streams I2.

The container or melter III and the bushing II diagrammatically shown in the drawings may be of any suitable construction and no claim is made to the mechanical details of these structures except in combination with the novel liber handling mechanism to be presently described." Regardless of the specific construction of the container or melter I and bushing II, the arrangement is such that molten glass nows in vthe form of a stream from each of the bushing orices in response to the action of suitable attenuating means. In the present instance, the streams are mechanically attenuated to form continuous flbers by means of a cage I3 rotatably supported directly beneath the bushing II in a, position to enable the bers to be wrapped around the same.

Upon reference to Figure 2 of the drawings, it will be noted that the cage is rotatably supported on a spindle Il having a portion at one end journaled at axially spaced points in bearings I5 on a suitable base I3. The base I6 is located to position thev free end of the spindle I3 directly beneath the bushing Il and the cage I3 is rotatably supported on the free end oi the spindle by bearings I1 and I3.

In detail, the cage I3 is closed at one end by an integral hub portion I@ and is closed at the opposite end by a removable head 23. The. hub I9 is formed with a centrally arranged inwardly opening recess 2l to receive the bearing Il on the free end of the spindle I3 and the head 23 is formed with an axially aligned recess 22 to receive the bearing I3 on the spindle I3. The head 20 is detachably secured to the adjacent end of the cage I3 by means of fastener elements 23 and, as a result, the cage is eiectively rotatably supported on the spindle IB. v Y' The head 20 has an axial bore freely' receiving the spindle III and is formed with an annular groove 23 intermediate its ends to receive an ordinary driving belt 23 driven by a prime mover of any suitable type such as the electric motor 2l.

In the present instance, the cage i3 is driven at a'speed suitable for atten'. ating the streams i3 to form continuous fibers and the latter are wound around the outer surface of the cage to form a cylindrical body of ber convolutions. The main features of the invention are also applicable to Vthe case where the streams are attenuated by a tion, the body of be'rs is mechanically fed lengthwise of the cage by a cylindrical member 3| keyed to the spindle I3 Within the cage I3. lThe outside diameter of the member 3I is slightly less than ,the internal diameter of the cage I3 and helical' grooves 32 are formed on the exterior surface of the member 3l. The helical grooves 32 simulate multiplescrew threads and are exposed through a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially elongated slots 33 formed in the wall of the cage. The slots 33are so related that the bars 34 formed by the portions of the cage wall between the slots are of suicient width to provide an ample bearing for the fibers. At the same time, the spacing between adjacentA bars or. in other words, the width of the slots 33 is such that the portions of the body of fibers extending between the bars lie in the helical'grooves 32 formed on the member 3| in the manner.shown in Figure 3.

Rotation of the cage I3 relative to the member 3| feeds the body of ilbers in the direction of the axis of rotation of the cage toward the hub I3 land finally moves the fibers yoir of the latter end of the cage. This action is facilitated by having A the exterior surface of the cage gradually taperby usual speed change mechanism 38.

ing inwardly fromv the head 20 to the hub I3 at an angle of from 3 to 10 degrees more or less depending upon the types of fibers and the particular material being processed.

Since the body of fibers on the cage moves endwise at a rate dependent upon the pitch of the grooves 32 and the speed of rotation of the cage relative to the member 3|, the speed of rotation of the cage and subsequently the speed of attenuation of the fibers would be restricted by the rate at which the body of nbers is to be fed endwise. For vvery high speeds of rotation of the cage it would be necessary to use a very small pitch for the grooves 32, which has not been found feasible in practice. This diiilculty is Aovercome in the present invention by imparting a rotative movement to the feeding member 3E in the same'direction as the direction of rotation of the cage I3. The member 3i is rotated independently of the' cage I3 by means of a driving pulley 33 secured to the spindle I3 between the head 23 and the base I3. The pulley 33 operatively connects the spindle I4 by means of a belt 3l to a suitable source of power represented In the present instance, where the cage I3 is rotated at .a very highspeed in order to attenuate the streams i2 at an emcient rate, the member 3i is rotated in the same direction as the cage but at a speed sumciently slower than the speed of rotation of the cage to obtain the desired rate of movement of the fibers o of the end of the cage.

As the fibers move past the end of the cage, they are drawn axially outwardly and inwardly to form a strand lil. As shown in Figure l, the body ci bers from the cage is drawn out by winding the strand di around a packaging spool 32 supported in any suitable manner for rotation at' the desired winding'speed. A suitable traversing mechanism 33, for' instance, a Reece-type roll, is prounwinding of the `surrounding the passage wall and about which above that rotation of the cage .i3 relative to the spool twists the strand of fibers and produces twist is false for in effect a yarn. Although this the continuous and unbroken fibers in the strand, it is highly advantageous because it tends to hold the fibers together in the strand duringv the winding operation and thereby facilitates subsequent integrity.

The body of fibers moving past the end of the be drawn out by a blower desig- 4 by the reference character 46. The blower has a central circular passageor eye 41 through which the strand of fibers passes and is provided with an annular gas discharge orifice l 41 to direct an annular blast of gaslengthwse the strand to draw out the body of fibers. This blower may be used independently of or in com-- bination with a winding spool of the kind shown i at 42 in Figure 1. In cases where the blower 46 is used in combination with a winding spool 42, the action of the blower relieves the'tension on the strand as it is wound around the spool. This construction is advantageous because it provides a relatively loose package which lends itself more readily to the subsequent unwinding operation.

Also, by use of the blower the strand may be deposited on a conveyor or in a can or other container where can-packaging is to be practiced.

In most cases, it is desirable to impregnate or treat the strand with a suitable lubricating andA to winding the same on binding material prior the spool 42. This may be accomplished with the construction shown in Figure 4 by employing .the the desired material v*to the strand. In the absence of the blower, a spray head may be located adjacent th'e cage I3 to direct treating material onto the fibers as they are Wound on the cage or as the body of fibers is pulledoifthe end of the cage and drawn down into a strand. It is also possible to pass the fibers over a pad as they travel toward the cage and thereby apply the binding and lubricating matethey are wound onto the rial to the fibers before cage.

Various modifications may be made within t'h'e spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

l. In combination. a hollow rotatable support having circumferentially spaced openings in its fibers are adapted to be wound, means for rotating the support, and means responsive to rotation of the support to feed the fibers wound thereon' lengthwise of the support including a cylindrical member received within said hollow support with its outer surface spanning the spaces in th'e wall of said rotatable support and having a spiralled groove in said outer surface in engagement with the vfibers on'said support.

2. In combination, a hollow supportl about which a fiber is a'dapted to be wound, a member located within the support in concentric relation thereto and having a cylindrical outer surface provided with a helical groove exposed through openings in the support for receiving the fiber, and means for relatively rotating the support and member to feed the fiber lengthwise of the suport.

3. In combination, a rotatable cage about which a continuous fiber is adapted to be wound strand while maintaining its` of the strand and onto.

and having circumferentially spaced bars extending axially of the cage, and a cylindrical member extending intothe cage 'in concentric relation thereto and having a helical groove in surface thereof for receiving the ,portions of the uber convolutions extending between the bars of said cage.

4. In combination, a rotatable cage about which a continuous fiber is adapted to be wound and having circumferentially spaced bars extending axially of the cage, a

cylindrical member extending" into the cage y thereto and having a helical groove in the 'outer surface thereof for receiving the portions ofthe fiber convolutions extending between the barsof for'rotating the dependently of the cage to control the rate of feeding of the fiber by the groove in said member.

5. In glass fiber-forming apparatus including, a container for molten glass provided vwith a multiplicity of glass flows in the form of continuous streams, means for attenuatng the streams to form fibers including a rotatable cagehaving circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending bars about which the fibers are wound, a member extending into the cage in concentric relation thereto and having'ahelical groove in the outer surface thereof for receiving portions of the fibers extending with portions of the fiber extendingbetween the 'bars and responsive to rotation Vof the cage to feed the fiber lengthwise of the cage in the direction of inclination of the bars.

a 7. In combination,` a rotatable hollow support about which a body of fibers is adapted to be wound 'and having circumferentially spaced i openings in the wall thereof, and means extending concentrically into the support and having on its outer surface means engageable with por# tions of the b'ody of fibers extending across the openings in the support to lengthwise of the support.

8. In combination, a rotatable cage about which a continuous fiber is adapted to be wound andy having circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending bars inclined relative to the axis of rotation of the cage, a member within the cage in concentric relation thereto and having a hellcal groove in the outer surface thereof for receiving the portions of tween the cage bars, said groove being arranged to feed the fibers on the cage in' the direction of inclination of the bars when the cage is rotated relative to said member, and means for independently rotating the member to control the rate of' movement of the iiberslengthwise of the cage.

9. In glass fiber-forming apparatus including feed the body of nbers meansfor flowing, streams of molten glass, means i lferentially spaced bars extending the outer in concentric relation member in- I outlet openings through which i'ibers by the helicall the fibers extending beformed of circumcylindrical member. within said cage having a. spiral groovein its outer surface, said cage and member being'so arranged that the spiral groove l for rotating said cage and said member at diierent speeds, and means for drawing out the body of bers as it is moved oi' the end of the cage by the relative rotation between said member and GAMES SLAYTER. ED FLETCHER.

5 cage.

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