US2545015A - Method and apparatus for loading thread advancing rolls - Google Patents

Description

March 13, 1951 s. w. BARKER ,0

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING THREAD ADVANCING ROLLS Filed Dec. 8, 1947 Inventor Svnun WARREN BARKER 'R-BQW A llorney Patented Mar. 13, 1951 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING THREAD ADVANCING ROLLS Sydney Warren Barker, Colne, England, assignor to Lustrafil Limited, Nelson, England Application December 8, 1947, Serial No. 790,286 In Great Britain December 17, 1946 7 Claims. (01. 28-715) This invention relates to the continuous processes for the spinning and treatment of artificial threads, and in particular to such processes in which the thread issuing from the spinneret traverses a pair of inclined rollers for storing and advancing the thread in the form of helical loops, during which traverse the thread may undergo coagulation, washing, desulphurisation, hardening, drying and the like treatments.

The rollers in such processes are mounted on shafts set at or adjustable to the desired inclination to each other, and at least one of the pair of rollers is rotated by a positive drive. In some apparatus the shafts are supported atone end only, but even in those cases, it is found advisable to connect the free ends with a rigid (sometimes adjustable) distance piece to prevent disturbance of the even running of the thread by changes in the inclination of the shafts to each other. It is much preferred to have the shafts supported at both ends, but this involves added difliculties in starting up at the beginning of the process or after a break in the thread.

Whether the shafts are supported at one end or at both ends, every starting upvinvolves leading the free end of the thread by hand over the guides and rollers to the collecting device; all parts of the machine must therefore be readily accessible for manual adjustment of the thread, and much space is thus wasted.

I have now found that these difficulties may largely be eliminated and considerable economy of space effected by providing a circumferential groove or flange at the initial or thread-receiving end of one or preferably of both of the pair of rollers, which serves to maintain permanently in position an endless belt, rope or loop of flexible material adapted to serve as a thread starting means in a manner which will now be described.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic showing of one embodiment of applicants invention; and

Fig. 2, in which only an end of one of the pair of rollers is shown, illustrates diagrammatically another form of the invention.

In Fig. 1 a pair of thread-storing, thread-advancing rollers l, 2, are shown mutually inclined to each other at a somewhat exaggerated angle for clarity. A thread 3, which is undergoing processing, is disposed in a helical path about rollers l and 2 to which it has been carried, as will be explained hereinafter. An endless belt or loop 4 of flexible material tautly encircles the thread-receiving ends of rollers l and 2, at which point it is permanently maintained b engagement with circumferential grooves 5, 6, provided in rollers l and 2, respectively. As here illustrated, advancing thread 3 is shown in the process of being carried along the pair of rollers by wrap 7, whereby it assumes its normal helical path about said rollers. This wrap consists of superimposed loops of the thread which are allowed to accumulate, initially, on top of belt 4 in grooves 5 and 6, and the wrap is subsequently released by rolling it out of these grooves onto the plain surfaces of the rollers. Wrap 1 then begins its traverse, due to the inclination of the rollers, to the opposite end of the rollers as illustrated.

Instead of groove 5, a circumferential flange 8 may be provided on roller l as illustrated in Fig. 2, in which roller 2 is not shown but may be flanged in like manner. In this case, belt 4 is maintained at the thread-receiving ends of the rollers by the flange, and the thread wrap (not shown) is initially formed on the belt as before. The wrap is then permitted to traverse the rollers by lifting it over the flange 8.

On starting up, the clot of coagulated material accumulating near the spinneret in the coagulating bath, for example, is passed over the guide hooks to the first roller, where it is tucked under or round the flexible belt between the latter and the surface of the roller, the clot being preferably wrapped round the belt so as to secure some adhesion between them. The belt carries the thread round and round the pairs of rollers without advancing along them, being kept in position by the groove or by the flange. In this way a wrap comprising a plurality of loops of the thread is built up on or adjacent the belt or loop, and owing to the plastic condition of the thread at this stage the several loops are consolidated into a wrap which may be of any desired degree of substantiality. When the wrap has reached an appropriate strength it is pushed or rolled out of the groove, or over the flange, on to the plain part of the rollers, and being detached from the belt, it at once begins its traverse of the pair of rollers, carrying with it the on-coming thread from the coagulating bath, the belt of flexible material remaining in position in the groove or behind the flange. At the end of the traverse the wrap is easily broken and removed from the rollers at or near the thread discharging end, and the thread which has been carried with it'is passed to a collecting device or to further rollers or guides as desired.

For belt 4 I may use rubber or other elastic material, or any flexible material, e. g., wet string,

not affected by the treatment liquid. It may be round or flat in cross-section.

The method of the invention is particularly useful in the continuous spinning of artificial threads by the wet process, but it is also applicable to all manufactures in which a thread is made to traverse in helical loops a pair of rollers whose working surfaces are mutually inclined to provide storing and advancing means for the thread undergoing treatment. Where an already coagulated thread is being subjected to treatments on such a pair of rollers, I find it convenient to tie the thread to the belt of flexible material, and in that case when the wrap formed of a plurality of loops of thread is pushed or rolled out of the groove, the attachment to the belt must be broken or untied.

The belt of flexible material is positioned sufficiently near to the initial ends of the pair of rollers as not to interfere with the feed of thread to the rollers after starting up.

The inclined rollers maybe cylindrical, conical, stepped or of any desired contour. Similarly, it will also be apparent that in place of the circumferential grooves or flanges on the rollers, other suitable guide means, operatively associated with at least one of the rollers, may be employed to permanently position the belt at the thread-receiving ends of the rollers.

I claim:

1. In a processfor the continuous manufacture of thread, the method of conducting the thread initially along a pair of rotating rollers whose working surfaces are mutually inclined for storing and advancing the thread in a helical path about said rollers, which comprises attaching the on-coming thread toan endless belt of flexible material maintained permanently in position adjacent the thread-receiving ends of said rollers, allowing the oil-coming thread to build up a wrap comprising a plurality of loops of said thread on said belt, moving said wrap oiT said belt onto said rollers andidetaching it from said belt, allowing the wrap to traverse the length of said rollers carrying with it the on-coming thread, and at the end of the traverse severing the wrap and removing it fromsaid rollers.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1,-in which said belt is maintained permanently in position by means of a circumferential groove in at least one of the rollers of said pair, and said Wrap is lifted out of said groove when the former has reached a sufliciently substantial thickness.

3; The method as claimed in claim 1, in which said belt is maintained permanently in position by means of a circumferential flange on at least one of the rollers of said pair, and said wrap is lifted over said flange when the former has reached a sufficiently substantial thickness.

4. Apparatus for the continuous manufacture of thread comprising a pair of rotating rollers whose working surfaces are mutually inclined to provide means for storing and advancing said thread in a helical path about said rollers, an .endless belt of flexible material tautly embracing said rollers at a position adjacent the threadreceiving ends thereof, and guide means operativel associated with at least one of said rollers for maintaining said belt permanently in said position.

5. Apparatus as defined'in claim 4, in which at least one of said rollers is provided with a circumferential groove adjacent its thread-receiving end for engaging said belt and maintaining it adjacent that end of said rollers.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which at least one of said rollers is provided with a circumferential flange adjacent its thread-receiving end for engaging said belt and maintaining it adjacent that end of saidrollers.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which the flexible materialof which said belt is formed is elastic and unaffected by the treatment liquid to which the thread is subjected.

SYDNEY WARREN BARKER.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 894,593 Callan July 28, 1908 2,136,556 'Lovett Nov. 15, 1938 2,350,182 Nefi -r May 30, 1944

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