US2509487A - Wet cake creeling process - Google Patents

Description

May 30, 1950 E. DAVIS, JR

WET CAKE CREELING PROCESS 1 w R m mm. mm m a a, M t I w M h s J I- my B 1 u 9 l 5 l i r A MW m :|/'|||\|\|\\.\\.0

ATTORNEY y 1950 E. L. DAVIS, JR 2,509,487

WET CAKE CREELING PROCESS Filed April 5, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR gzggenellasliefiavzlgh ATTORNEY y 1950 E. L. DAVIS, JR 2,509,487

WET CAKE CREELING PROCESS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR E'zyeneLcsZicDauLgJR, I By ATTORNEY Patented May 30, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WET CAKE CREELING PROCESS Eugene Leslie Davis, Jr., Ashland, Va., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Wilmmp ton, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application April 5, 1947, Serial No. 739,529

' 4 Claims. (Cl. 242-131) This invention relates to slashing of yarns of regenerated cellulose and more particularly to the provision of a process and apparatus for run-' ning regenerated cellulose yarns directly from wet spin cakes to the slasher.

Heretofore, in the general practice of the rayon industry, dried regenerated cellulose yarns have been run on to beams from single end packages by placing the packages, such as spools, bobbins, cones or cakes on a creel and drawing the yarn off from the outside of the package, the innermost yarn being removed last. Drying of the yarn packages prior to slashing or warp processing generally results in yarn non-uniformities which are not removed by reswelling the yarn and redrying. It is desirable, therefore, to slash or warp process the yarn in its initial wetstate to avoid troublesomeyarn non-uniformities and to eliminate one drying step. Serious difliculties, however, are encountered in attempting to creel wet, heavy denier yarn. Due to the weight of the yarn and the high speeds commonly used, a very large balloon forms and a complicated baiile system is required for control purposes. Even with a complete baille system, wide spacing of packages on the creel is essential and considerable tension variation in the yarn occurs. The innermost yarn of the package is frequently tan- These objects are accomplished by the followgled and the tendency of the filaments to cling to the package cores results in frequent breakage and failure of the yarn to transfer automatically to a new package. The solution of such diificulties and the provision of a satisfactory method and apparatus for creeling and slashing yarn directly from wet bucket cakes rather than from cones and the like are highly desirable since there would be gained advantages such as the e1imina- ,tion of drying and coming steps, improvement in the yarn uniformity and reduction of breakage,

the number of yarn knots and production costs.

This invention has as an object the' provision of a means for supporting a wet cake on a creel. A further object is the automatic transfer of yarn creeling from one wet cake to'another in a continuous manner without excessive breakage of the filaments. A still further object is the provision of apparatus which provides support for the last few revolutions of yarn comprising the outside of the cake remaining when the center portion has been removed. A still further object is the provision of equipment, the use of which controls balloon formation so that the yarn on the inside of the cake is not loosened by the balloon, thereby diminishing entanglement.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

from the inside of the cake in a bucket or container having a taper similar to that of the yarn cake and which is lined with a material having l a resilient pile. The container then has the shape of an inverted frustum derived from a cone. The

yarn cake fits snugly into the bucket which is fitted with a clamp device so thata slightsteady pressure is exerted on the entire outer area of the cake during unwinding. The lining is composed of a material resistant to moisture and other liquids and vapors associated with the yarn.

It, then, at all times presents a large number of fingers which prevent the collapsing of the last few loops ofthe yarns. The pile supports the yarn cake, the support being enhanced by the steady pressure exerted by the clamp device.

One half of the bucket is hingedly connected to the other, the latter being referred to as the stationary shell. The hinged half can be lowered out of the way when charging the bucket. Thus, the bucket is designed so that the cake may be conveniently inserted or removed. The hinge strap on the hinged half of the bucket has an elliptical pivot hole which, with the spring clip, makesthe'bucket salt-adjusting to conform to variations in cake diameter. The lid has a circular opening which serves to guide the yarn and to protect the shoulders of the cake from the balloon; lrovision is made for a radial slot extending from .the circular opening in the bucket lid to permit the tying 0f the outside tall or yarn end of the cake being unwound to the inside tail of the cake in the adjacent bucket. The transfer so formed is held in place by a transfer device and by a. clip. When the last of the yarn in the cake being unwound is pulled out, the transfer slips out from under the clip and from the transfer device and the yarn in the adjacent bucket begins to unwind. The process and equipment can be, thus, operated in a continuous manner.

This invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the attached figures in which like numbers refer to like parts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the bucket showing it in closed (dotted lines) and open (solid lines) positions as provided for by its construction,

Figure 21s a more detailed sectional on the line H of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a plan view illustrating the lid construction,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the buckets as set on the creel showing the string-up in detail,

view taken Figure 5 is a side elevation of Figure 4, and

Figure 6 shows side, plan and end elevations of the transfer device.

In Figure 1, the bucket I can be composed of any material which will resist moisture, carbon disulfide, slightly acidic, aqueous mixtures and the like. Thus, it can be constructed of plastic materials, wood or metal. Generally, the bucket and its various parts, including screws and rivets, are constructed of a metal such as stainless steel, nickel late, aluminum or brass. All edges and corners are rounded so that snags are avoided. As is shown, the bucket is tapered following the outline of the bucket cake 2. The dimensions of the bucket depend on the cake size and, accordingly, are not fixed. The size of the bucket is critical and care must be taken to construct a bucket in which the cake fits snugly but is not excessively gripped by pressure exerted by the clamp device or by the pile.

One half of the bucket is pivotally connected to the other half by hinge 3 so that the hinged half may be lowered as shown in Figure 1 to facilitate insertion of the cake. Other construction is possible, but this hinged construction is preferred because it permits ready insertion of the cake so that it fits snugly and because uniform, steady pressure may be exerted against the cake by means of a clamp or a spring clip 4 and thefioating action of the hinged half of the bucket as permitted by the elliptical hole 22 in the hinge strap. The strap, clamp or clip 4 is attached by means of rivets or screws to the lid 5 which is lowered from its open position after the cake has been inserted and the hinged half of the bucket has been raised. The positions of the lid are shown in Figure 1. The clamp 4 serves also as a locking device, holding the bucket and lid in closed position. The clamp is so designed as to apply pressure to the center of the hinged half of the bucket so that pressure of the bucket is exerted uniformly over the cake. Either half of the bucket may be hinged so that buckets opening to the right and buckets opening to the left may be employed. Further, the stationary shell and movable shell need not necessarily be of the same width. It is possible, for example,

to construct the stationary shell so that its width approximates the width of the cake. Such construction allows for greater support of the cake during loading and hence less damage to the cake.

The stationary shell of the bucket is provided with two arms or lugs 6 by which means the bucket may be anchored to the creel. The bucket may be locked into any convenient position on the frame I by any convenient means, as for example, by a collar having a screw fastening 8, this being shown in Figures 4 and 5. These arms, as are all the hinges and other parts, are attached to the bucket I by means of screws or rivets 9.

Each shell of the bucket is lined with a pile fabric II) which retains its resilience and stiffness under operating conditions. This material may be selected from carpet materials, wire card cloth, brush bristles and the like. Any material having a fuzzy surface or pile may be used. The pile should be reasonably stiff and resistant to moisture or other chemicals carried in the cake and preferably should be composed of individual fibers rather than thread sections since greater support of the last remaining layers of yarn is obtained, the stifl fibers serving as flexible fingers that grip and hold threads of the cake among them.

The bucket lid 5 is shown in Figure 3. n has a circular opening H which serves as a guide tangling and breaking of filaments. The lid may be constructed so that it completely covers the bucket except for the central opening. Generally, this is not necessary since the opening provided is so designed to protect the cake adequately. It is preferred to leave openings 12 at the sides, thereby permitting the operator to inspect the cake readily. The lid is hingedly connected to the bucket at point l3 using a, stainless steel strap. A radial slot I4, about inch wide, depending upon the cake size and other dimensions, extends from the circular opening outward almost to the edge of the lid. This serves as a transfer medium. The outside tail of the yarn IS in the cake being unwound is tied to the inside tail of the yarn in the adjacent bucket at any point l6, such as is shown in Figure 4. At the end of the transfer slot 14 is a transfer device I! which is a part of the lid and around which the transfer tail runs. The transfer device supports the transfer tail so that it does not interfere with the balloon of the running yarn.

This transfer device may be in the form of a horn or hook, or it may be, as is shown in the figures, in the form of a smooth surfaced rod which is flattened at both ends and riveted to the lid at such ends, the center portion being raised from the lid surface. In any of these, the yarn tall from the outside of the cake comes out of the radial slot 14, passes the long way around the transfer device l1 and then goes to the tail clip l8. It is preferred to use the looped rod as the transfer device since the riveted ends are at a remote point and there are no corners or bends in which the yarn might be snagged as there are in the hook or horn type of device. This string-up detail is shown in Figure 4. The construction of the transfer device may be seen in Figure 3 and in more detail in Figure 6. A tall clip I8 is located on the side of the bucket as shown in Figure 4 and this is used to keep the transfers on the transfer device after the tails are tied. The yarn slips under the clip where it is held until the cake being unwound runs out. At that time, the yarn is pulled out from under the clip, it leaves the transfer device and the yarn in the adjacent cake begins to unwind.

The design of the lid of this invention permits the rapid unwinding of the yarn without formation of loops. If the slot or hole through which the yarn passes on its way out is too narrow, the yarn is confined to a relatively small space. Twist is added in the unwinding and this, along with the confining of the yarn, leads to the formation of loops. Using a lid with a larger opening of the right dimension and equipped with the radial slot to accommodate the transfer tail, the yarn has more space in which to move and the added twist is spent as the yarn runs out in the form of coils. Loop formation is thus practically eliminated. Too large an opening results in inadequate protection of the cake from the balloon. Accordingly, the lid is constructed to fit the needs of the in mind.

In the center of the bucket, a rod I .may be attached. This rod has a diameter of about 1; of an inch and extends beyond the lid of the closed bucket for a distance of about 6 inches. This rod is inserted so that it is in the center of the cake. Its function is to help in preventing formation of loops and knots. The yarn l slides on the rod out of the bucket and through the opening in the lid as depicted in Figure 4. This rod may or may not be needed. For many operations, it has been found that balloon formation is not serious when using the apparatus of this invention. Consequently, construction is such that the rod can be readily removed, as by unscrewing. When the rod is used, it is normally thrust in through the base of the bucket after the cake has been put in place and the chuck has been closed.

The yarn l 5 runs out of the bucket, on the rod I9 if the rod is being used, then through two slotted plates 20, one of which is generally directly behind the other and about 6 inches from it. The hole in the plate nearest the cake should be approximately 6 inches long by 2 inches high with rounded ends while the hole in the other plate should be about 4 inches long by 1 inches high. These holes represent sections through a flattened funnel. Other dimensions may be used. Running the yarn through these plates results in a shaking of the yarn and a consequent removal of any tangles remaining in it. These slotted plates serve as anti-balloon eyelets and should be located as required for best results, depending on the speed and the size of the yarn. Generally, they are placed about 2 inches in front of each pair of working buckets, as is shown in Figure 5. They may be conveniently held in place by any conventional type of bracket. From the plates Ill the filaments pass to a stop motion device 2| any of the well known devices designed to stop operation in the event of breakage or entanglement of the yarn. From such device, the yarn passes to any appropriate wind-up. Normally, a plurality of yarn ends is being simultaneously processed and these are passed directly to the slasher and from there to the beam.

It is also possible and frequently desirable in this creeling system, prior to passing the yarn ends to the slasher, to subject them to additional processing or conditioning. For example, the yarn, while it is still in the gel and swollen state, may be subjected to a predetermined tension that is maintained at a constant value. The yarn is then dried under conditions of constant length and wound up on a suitable take-up device, either with or without simultaneous twisting of the yarn. Further, the amount of elongation in this uniform yarn can be changed by additionally" stretching or shrinking it a constant amount, while maintaining the same relative uniformity.

The bucket may be used in any position. It has been found that when the buckets are used in a vertical position, a creel considerably higher than the usual creel is required. Upper positions on a creel of such height are difficult to charge and, accordingly, it is preferred to use operation with these points the bucket in a horizontal position. When the buckets are used in the horizontal position, it is frequently advantageous to elevate or tilt them. Such elevation prevents loops of thread from falling forward from the horizontal position.

, Inclination of the center line at an angle of 10 a row may be inclined at an angle of 20". The

which may be i greater angle of inclination of the lower row makes for readier stripping of the interior of the cakes in the lower row. However, better overall results are obtained when all the buckets are placed at a 10 inclination. This arrangement at the same angle of inclination, namely 10, has the further advantage that it permits, the mounting of the bucket within the space provided for by the creels now in use. A plurality of buckets may be used simultaneously and may be arranged on the creel in any convenient way. By using a large number of buckets, this continuous process may be applied commercailly to handle a large poundage of yarn.

The yarn to be creeled is generally high denier yarn such as 1,650 or2,200 denier yarn. It may be washed and purified, or it may be merely Washed and undesulfured. Any of the well known washing treatments and aging treatments may be employed. The moisture content of the yarn in the cakes generally does not need to be critically adjusted. However, if the yarn becomes too dry on the inside or on the outside of the cake, satisfactory running on the creel is not obtained and excessive breakage occurs. The lag time accordingly is normally not allowed to run in excess of forty-eight hours. Longer lags in properly conditioned atmosphere are possible by storing the cakes in high humidity atmospheres.

Care is taken in handling cakes so that the yarn is not loosened on the ends of the cake or on the outside or inside shoulders of the cake. The loosening of yarn on the outside causes failure to transfer and loosening of turns on the inside causes sloughs. Prior to placing the cake in the bucket, the protective sleeves, if used in wrapping the cakes, must be removed. These are removed carefully and without harm to the cake by an experienced operator. All loose yarn is stripped from the inside of the cake. .After placing the cake in the bucket, both yarn ends are passed through the lid. This is best done by drawing the yarn out of the cake with a sideward pull. If the yarn is drawn out directly upward, several winds of yarn are loosened. These loose winds become tangled and looped. By drawing the yarn off sideways, the diiliculty is avoided. After the bucket is closed, the necessary transfer ties are made at point l6. Faulty cakes such as those which have been dropped or bruised in any way are eliminated and dried for coning.

The speeds at which the yarn is drawn off may vary. Speeds as great as 200 yards per minute may be used.

. The following examples are given to illustrate the efliciency of the operation and are in no way to be taken as limitative.

A run involving the creeling of 600 wet, gel cakes was completed with the occurrence of only two bad transfers, twenty-two sloughs and twenty-seven breaks, including slasher and wa'rper breaks. This corresponded to sixteen breaks: per beam. In another similar run of 98 cakes, there were no bad transfers, no sloughs and no breaks. In still another creeling, wet, gel cakes were unwound and run directly to the slasher with only one bad transfer, four sloughs and twenty breaks per beam, including slasher and warper breaks. Although the treatment of the cakes varied for each of the above runs, satisfactory creeling was obtained. This illustrates the adaptability of the apparatus of this invention. For a large number of cakes over a period of time, breaks amounted to an average of about ten breaks per beam of 1,000 pounds. Transfer efficiency using the apparatus of this invention is about 98%. Further, waste is low, averaging about 1.22%. Accordingly, the apparatus of this invention provides for an efficient use of transfer means by which wet, undesulfured or wet, purified large bucket spin cakes of high denier tire cord yarn or similar yarn can be successfully run directly from creel to slasher without excessive breakage and with high slasher efficiency. The use of the apparatus of this invention eliminates the drying and coning steps and provides an advantageous means for reducing production costs. Further, yarn of improved quality is produced since non-uniformities resulting from drying yarn in package form are avoided and since extra yarn wear and tear such as occurs, for example, in coning is materially reduced.

Any departure from the above description which conforms to the present invention is intended to be included within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for unwinding yarn from a spin cake which comprises a container having a stationary and a movable shell hingedly connected to each other, theinterior of said shells being lined with a pile material; a cover structure providing means for guiding the said yarn out of the said container and for controlling loop and slough formation; and cover locking means for locking the said container in a closed position and for exerting a steady pressure on the said spin cake.

2. Apparatus for unwinding yarn from a spin cake which comprises a container having a stationary and a movable shell hingedly connected to each other, the interior of said shells being lined with a. pile material; a cover structure providing means for guiding the said yarn out of the said container and for controlling loop and slough formation and providing means for connecting the yarn tail of the said spin cake to the yarn tail of a second spin cake located in an adjacent container, forming thereby a transfer; a transfer device and clip providing means for holding the said transfer in place until the said second cake is to be unwound; and cover locking device providing means for locking the said container in a closed position and for exerting a steady pressure on, the said spin cake.

3. Apparatus for unwinding yarn from a spin cake which comprises a container having a stationary and a movable shell hingedly connected to each other, the interior of said shells being lined with a pile material; a cover structure providing means for guiding the said yarn out of the said container and for controlling loop and slough formation and providing means for connecting the yarn tail of the said spin cake to the yarn tail of a second spin cake located in an adjacent container, forming thereby a transfer; a transfer device and clip providing means for holding the transfer in place until the said second cake is to be ,unwound; a cover locking device providing means for locking the said container in a closed position and for exerting a steady pressure on the said spin cake; and means for mounting the said container on a frame.

4. Apparatus for unwindin yarn from a spin cake which comprises a container having a stationary and a movable shell hingedly connected to each other, the interior of said shells being lined with a pile material; a cover structure providing means for guiding the said yarn out of the said container and for controlling loop and slough formation and providing means for connecting the yarn tail of the said spin cake to the yarn tail of a second spin cake located in an adjacent container, forming thereby a transfer; a transfer device and clip providing means for holding the said transfer in place until the said second cake is to'be unwound; a coverlocking device providing means for locking the said container in a closed position and for exerting a steady pressure on the said spin cakes; a center rod extending out from the bucket upon which the said yarn travels during unwinding and means for mounting the said container on a frame.

EUGENE LESLIE DAVIS, JR.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 290,658 Appleby Dec. 25, 1883 441,454 Vileyn Nov. 25, 1890 750,574 Bicket Jan. 26, 1904 1,168,393 Haas Jan. 18, 1916 1,889,011 Baumhuter Nov. 29, 1932 1,976,037 Rawlings Oct. 9, 1934 1,997,426 Morse et a1. Apr. 9, 1935 2,158,262 Vanden Bergh May 16, 1939 2,432,916 Markwood Dec. 16, 1947

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