US2509148A

US2509148A - Conditioning fibers

Info

Publication number: US2509148A
Application number: US650920A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hurst Edward
Original assignee: BF Perkins and Son Inc
Current assignee: BF Perkins and Son Inc
Priority date: 1946-02-28
Filing date: 1946-02-28
Publication date: 1950-05-23
Anticipated expiration: 1967-05-23

Description

May 23, 1950 I u s 2,509,148

CONDITIONING FIBERS Filed Feb. 28, 1946 IN V EN TOR.

Patented May 23, 1950 CONDITIONING'FIBERS Edward "Hurst, :West Newton, eMass, assignorito B. iF...Perkins;i&Son, InaeHnlyeke;Massecurporation :of -Massachusetts ApplicationFebruary:28, 1946, Sei'iaLlNo.650920 11 :Elaim. 1

This invention relates to improvemei'its intextile fiber conditioning and this application-is a continuation in part of an application, Serial No. 35473749, filed' February'15, 1 946; pertainin-g' to apparatus "f or and methods (ifconditioning textile fibers.

The principal objects 'of the invention'iare directed to the provision "of a' novelmethodofconditioning 1 fibers by removingforeign substances therefrom and treating said-fibers with a liquid *all to the end that the fibers are free fromaun- Wantedforeign matter iand'rin condition for the utmost :efiicieney :and economy in subsequent :processingoperations.

' The invention is adaptedforbroadap plication :but will :be described 'for purposes-of disclosure in connection with wool fiber. "Such-fiber usually containsconsiderable foreign' matter: and requires the application of'a liquid usually-of =an-=oi=1y nature for subsequent processingthereo'f.

The invention may :be employed at various stages in the processing of the fibers as between the first andnsecondacardingoperations or otherwise as may be: desired.

:Itis well known thatwool fibers contain foreign matter .or :bodieswhich *must be "removed 'nrv'separated 'therefrom for" the desired 'resii.l.li' s/in subsequent processing of the fibers.

asuch foreign-substances may take many forms such as "vegetable :particles consisting "of a'burs, .seeds,-leaves, stalks, small twigs, and 'pieces of -Wod,\'manure, 'dirtand'the like which 'are usual-- a lyeelongated bodies. The "bodies are considerably =.larger in size than thefibers whichrare ordinarily the neighborhoodoi one thousandthof an inch fin diameter and have an inherent' tendency to cling". to the 2sca-les:'or=- serrations 'ofthe fibers are usually disposed in:opposition :to= the fibers, "an'd are-entangledtherewith to large extent.

It has been known to pass a thin web of fiber through the bite'o'f smooth 'coacting pressure rolls an attempt to remove: foreign substanoes. or to facilitate the removal thereof but the results, however, have not been satisfactory for many reasons. More particularly the *forign particles are crushed and fiattened-outiby these I'QHSQSO'L'QJS to tend toadhere more securelyto the fibers: and rmake'removal difficult if not.-.i1npossible iwhile:the fibers-themselves are broken and otherwise-injured: by. the pressure employed.

.-According to the novel features of thedinven- *-ti0n,; as will hereinafter .morexfuilly appean the fibers and foreign bodies are .so relatively disposed that sa'id'bodies arereadily reduced by comminuting or pulverizingsin-to very small'rpar- .ti 'cles without injuryrtoithe; fihSITSESO as 'toibe rednovedfromethe. fibers. subsequent to whichssaid fibers are treated by or subjected to the action of a. liquid. In the practice of the inventiom the foreign bodies are acted upontwithout.injuryzto tl*1e;fibe1=s. '-The fibers, "for the apractice of the invention, still been some suoh'iorm .as *a Sliver withthe f0reignibodies-idispersed therein;m.'haphazard ias hion r and intermingled wwith ttheifibers .as' -they :ordinarilyvare r in all forms ofiifiber.

'l in .ith'eiqdrawings the Ifigune :isaa diagrammatic sectional elevational :vieiv tthrough .anzzapparatus a daptediforthepraetice of the 'invention.

lReferring: now toc theidrawings more .inaietai i, the 5 invention will be fully :described.

Drawing rollszifiiare arranged-inpairssipflsaml 5 1 and the :sliver is apassed "into -;and--.-through"the pairs: of wells; successively.

:EBy;:passingztheisliver throughxthe drawingfirolls it :is :progressively flattened and attenuated -50! .idrawnxoutdosiorm;a':re1atiyely.thin web. L'By'the drawing, action theifibersaare elongatedjfrom their 'natunalrmore lOf-IGISSLklDkGd condition-and ;brought into.iparailelism'zwhich taction tendsrto ibring the partielescor bodies .of' foreign --matter which are usually. eiongateclzinto parallelism withstheifibers. iThat sis, the foreign substances which xare ordinarilyielongated bodies are displacedafrom' their haphazard positions ainto.lsubstantialparallelism relativettoithe fibers 'iorathecaction -'of1-mea-nsijfor commimiting; or; reducing: the; foreign bodies.-

Theiwebiasiti leavestherolls: 6 is very thinzand praeticall ygossamer-like and isireceivedsioetween Fan extender to imnsisting :of coacting rolls l2 :which mare Jmaintamed 1 in iayielding engagement forayieiding pressure.

These extender rolls 51ZsilliflfigfihfiilEi-WWRW ain? :proi/iided withesurfaees .iozfmed 1 with axially or .iengitudmally aextending very small coasting-sal- ;ternateateeth and tgroovestarranged Zandvadapted :for 2a.:r'0lli-ng andzslidingqantion, iAs-the thin meb therehetween ithe teeth sact son the foreign afbodies :in'zsaeh J3, away; gas :to divide a'them intoi shorteriiengthsirby-.=.a' tensioningand sliding zaietion. lT-hezsa-idzteeth:arearrangediandaadanted -toi mteontthei foreign bodies. with the SHdiHgZTfi-Rd smiling aaetion s so ithat.-.-said =hodieis ':are :not :only divided butLtli-ere may. be isomerpulverizing action well; all ithontzinjuryitotthe"fibers. Thisris ito: be :iiistinguished :from the action :of coacting smooth fi-SlLlffaGed pressure rolls swliich pressmn the QifQiIfiigIl-i bodies a to .ernsh z and :zfia-tten: them zas well asgpress 10H thezz bersatotinjure-thern.

.if romlithesexterider I102 the TW.6b,TWithTth8iiS b iii-visions efizhe foreignrhodies: in parallelismw th :thei'fibers,iisareceivedrbyeand passes hetweenra second. sextencler Hi 2 formed by zcoaxitiriggrrolls .1115 are. yildi-ngly: maintainedain operative-zen easement:for exerting r yieldin pressure.

' These rollsifixhave surfaces termed withilongituuinall-yispaeed circumierentiaily:extendingzialternate coacting teeth and grooves. The thin web of fibers including the shorter lengths of foreign bodies passes between these extender rolls the teeth of which are adapted to act on the foreign bodies with a sliding or splitting action for a lengthwise splitting or separation thereof without injury to the fibers.

By subjecting the fibers to the drawing action so as to align the foreign bodies with the fibers and then subjecting the bodies to the first and Second extenders the said bodie are first separated longitudinally into relatively shorter lengths which are split lengthwise. The operations referred to result in a very great reduction in the size of the foreign bodies so that the particles are easily and readily released by the fibers.

From the extender M the web of fibers is received on and transported by a foraminou cylinder or screen is rotatable in one direction relative to a stationary hollow tube '20 which is provided with a slot 2!, then onto a similar screen 22 rotatable in an opposite direction relative to a stationary hollow tube 24 which is also provided with a slot 25. The web is delivered from the screen 22 onto a delivery device which may be a belt 28 propelled by a roll 30.

As the Web leaves the screen 22 the web moves past a device 32 for applying moisture thereto. Said device may have as many discharge orifices or discharge ports as may be desired.

The hollow tubes or cylinders 20 and 22 will be connected to a suitable source of suction so that there will be a suction action at the slots thereof and through the screens. The liquid delivery member 32 will be connected to a supply of liquid to be applied to the fibers of the web.

The screens I8 and 22 and the cylinders 20 and 24 will be subjected to a vibrating or a shaking action similar to the vibrations imparted to the wire of a Fourdrinier paper making machine by a shake mechanism or may in some other well known manner be vibrated at relatively high frequency and small amplitude.

The various rolls, screens and rotatable elements will be operatively connected in timed relation for the desired relative speeds so as to "obtain the desired drafting of the fibers. There may be drafting between the pair of rolls 6 and the extender I and extender I4 should the same be desirable and the web will leave extender M at a considerable lineal speed.

As the web of fibers leaves the extender I4 and is received on the screen 18 it is transported circularly in one direction at high lineal speed and being vibrated the foreign particles fall from and are thrown from the web and as the web passes over the slot 21 of cylinder 20 it is subjected at one side to suction to further remove particles. Then as the web is received on and transported by the screen 22 in an opposite direction the vibrating action eliminates particles while as the web passes over slot 25 it is subjected on its opposite side to suction. Thus by transporting the web so that opposite sides are disposed outermost and at the same time vibratil'lg the web in conjunction with subjecting opposite Sides of the web to suction the foreign particles are eliminated so that clean fibers are moved past the liquid applying means onto the discharge means. The foreign particles may be received in hoppers 34 and 36 and otherwise are drawn from the cylinders 20 and '24 by suction.

The liquid to be applied to the very thin web may take various forms one common form of which is an oily substance, or an emulsion including a suitable oily constituent. The liquid will preferably be atomized or sprayed onto the fibers of the web in a direction agreeing with the direction of movement of the web which is moving at a high rate of speed. It is desired that the fibers or the formation of the web be not disturbed and is accomplished by directing the liquid as described and discharging it so that it strikes the web at a velocity agreeing with that of the web or at a slightly greater speed.

It is desired that the sliver be free from oil prior to the action of the rolls. When oil is applied to fibers containing foreign substances it not only tends to cause foreign substances to adhere to the fibers but applied to such fiber it is not distributed uniformly so as to unfavorably affect yarn sizes, dyeing operations and the like.

When applied after the removal of the foreign particles according to this invention, a minimum of oil will be used and the desired uniform distribution obtained all to the end that the fibers are conditioned economically and efficiently for subsequent processing thereof.

Altogether a novel method of conditioning fibers is provided wherein related steps are performed in sequence and cooperate with one another for the desired results.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claim are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A continuous method of removing foreign bodies from a sliver of fibers which consists in, drawing said sliver into the form of a gossamer like web to bring the fibers into substantial parallelism and position the foreign bodies in substantial parallelism therewith, subjecting the web to the action of first means to divide the foreign bodies transversely into shorter lengths, subjecting the Web to the action of second means to split the lengths of foreign bodies lengthwise into particles disposed in substantial parallelism with the fibers, and in subjecting said web to centrifugal force, vibrations and suction to remove the particles therefrom.

EDWARD HURST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 44,951 Harwood Nov. 8, 1864 662,887 Swenson Nov. 27, 1900 701,183 Ellis May 27, 1902 2,323,167 Varga June 29, 1943 2,420,033 Fairbairn May 6, 1947 2,420,035 Fairbairn May 6, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 3,713 Great Britain 1887 251,936 Great Britain Dec. 2, 1926