US2563756A - Staple fiber preparation - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 7, 1951 c. E. SWALLOW STAPLE FIBER PREPARATION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 12, 1946 C. E. SWALLOW STAPLE FIBER PREPARATION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 12, 1946 INVENTOR. (head/er aha/4 0w A TTORNEYS Patented Aug. 7, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STAPLE FIBER PREPARATION Chandler E. Swallow, Pawtucket, It. 1. Application June 12, 1946, Serial No. 676,259 16 Claims. 19-l) This invention is a continuation in part of my copending application Ser. No. 515,097, filed December 21, 1943, now abandoned.

This invention relates to the formation of a staple fiber yarn by the treatment of filaments in a form frequently referred to as tow, each of which filaments is usually in a form which is commonly called a continuous length, although this is not a necessary condition so far as this invention is concerned.

For convenience in this description I will call the large number or groups of continuous filaments tow. The filaments, which are thusreferred to, are either natural such as silk or artificial which at the present time are often referred to as synthetic filaments, such for example as rayon, cellulose acetate, cuprammonium rayon, or any others which may hereafter be developed. When a group of filaments are cut from tow the mass of filaments stick together and it is somewhat difficult to handle filaments of this character when matted together.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a means of separating filaments which have been cut from tow or any rope form so that they may be manipulated and rearranged as desired.

Another object of this invention is to separate the filaments by the use of machinery which is already in existence.

Another object of this invention more specific than objects heretofore mentioned is to use drafting rolls for the separation of the fibers by feeding the fibers to the drafting rolls so that their length will be parallel to the axis of the roll and the draft of the group will serve to pull the fibers apart although maintaining them in their parallel relation and without changing the end to end relation of one fiber with reference to another.

Another object of this invention is to provide rolls arranged in such a way that the nip on the work of one pair of rolls may be placed close to the nip of the next pair of rolls.

Another object of this invention after the fibers are separated is to turn the fibers so that they will assume an echelon relation Or a relation where one fiber will have its and extending beyond another fiber forwardly of the direction of travel while its trailing end will also be advanced with reference to the same fiber, thus arranging the fibers in a drafting relation and a relation where twist may be applied to unite the fibers one with reference to the other.

A more specific object of this invention is to engage the fibers as fed or slid along a path of travel so that the ends of the fibers will be retarded in their movement in their path of travel at one end while permitting their other end to advance so that the fibers are effectively turned through substantially ninety degrees and in so turning to dispose the fibers in an echelon relation.

Another object of the invention is alternatively to provide the equivalent of the echelon relation of the fibers by so laying the fibers that one will overlie a part of the fiber ahead of it and so on so that when twisted the fibers will be bound together.

A further object of the invention is, under severe conditions, to combine the drafting and turning of the fibers.

Another object of the invention is to mechanically arrange the tow to be worked so that it may be cut into staple fiber and fed to the mechanism to separate it.

Another object of the invention is to mechanically handle the tow from a ball or top to the twisted and drawn staple fiber yarn in one apparatus.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view illustrating a package of tow as being fed to severing means and then being deposited upon a conveyor belt that the groups of cut fibers may be advanced to drafting rolls for separation and thereafter turned and slightly twisted to provide a sliver form;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view illustrating a modified arrangement beyond the drafting rolls from that shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the modified arrangement in Fig. 3;

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate alternative arrangements for receiving the fibers directly from the collecting belt of Fig. 4 for twisting the fibers together;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a modification with reference to Figs. 1 and 3 and shows drafting rolls for receiving the fibers from the belt and the fibers delivered by a sweep arm onto a travelling belt;

Figs. 8 and 9 are elevations similar to Fig. 7 but illustrating modifications in that the rolls which receive the fibers are at a right angular relation and in Fig. 8 a tubular sweep arm is provided while in Fig. 9 the belt oscillates for deposit of the fibers thereon;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a modification and is alternative with the showing of Fig. 1, where the fibers are shown as being turned through ninety degrees by engagement with a series of pins arranged in staggered relation between the rolls which draft and advance the fibers;

Fig. 11 is a plan view illustrating other fibers.

Fig. 13 is a front view showing a fragment of a machine such as shown in Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is an end view of a different modified arrangement of the rolls;

Fig. 15 is a top plan view thereof.

In proceeding with this invention, I cut from filaments arranged as a tow or from cotton sliver a group of filaments of the desired staple fiber length to form the yarn which is to be produced. I then feed this group of filaments which is frequently matted and somewhat packed together to a set of drafting rolls, which may be either as usual or overlapped to bring the hips of two pair close together. The filaments are fed not end on into the rolls as usual, but sidewise with the length of the filaments parallel to the axis of the rolls and I find that the faster running advanced pairs of rolls serve to separate or spread out the fiber while still maintaining them in a substantially parallel relation. In fact they may be separated into a very thin sheet. The fibers as delivered are traveling broadside or advancing sidewise and I next provide an arrangement to turn these fibers so that they will be disposed in an echelon relation or one overlapping the other which may be done either by turning the fibers or laying them successively over fibers which have advanced endwise slightly and thus provide an arrangement so that when twistin takes place the fibers will be bound in together and yet will be such that further drafting may attenuate the yarn or sliver thus produced. From this point on the yarn or sliver would be handled in the usual way.

with reference to the drawings, l5 designates a ball of tow comprising filaments of continuous length. It will be understood, however, that the usual cotton sliver may also be used. The ball is suitably supported so as to turn about its center axis and permit the tow It to be drawn therefrom, such for instance as by means of a pair of rolls I! which cooperate with another pair of rolls ill for performance of a cutting operation. Between these rolls l1 and I8 some suitable shearing mechanism I9 is provided. such for instance as a reciprocating cutter to cut through the tow and provide a group of staple fiber length. The reciprocation of the knife is sufficiently frequent, as feed occurs, so as to cause the length of staple desired.

These groups 28 of filaments, somewhat matted together, are fed by the rolls 18 to be deposited in side by side relation, as shown in Fig. 1, upon a traveling belt 21 so that the staple fibers are all in parallel relation with their ends in substantial alignment. The belt 2| delivers staple fiber tofthe draft rolls designated generally 22 and which as here shown consist of four sets comprising a feeding set 23, a delivery set 24, and intermediate sets 25 and 26. Each set of draft rolls has a surface speed greater than the speed of the previous set so that the successive pairs progressively increase. The parallel fibers which are fed into this set of draft rolls 22 with their length substantially parallel to the axis of the rolls emerge from the sets pulled apart with the fibers in a thinned out sheet and somewhat in spaced relation. The fibers in their separated form are designated 21 and are delivered onto an inclined shute 28 having highly polished surface which is inclined at such an angle that the fibers will slide along this surface by gravity. A side wall 29 is provided along this shute which is arranged at such an angle that one end of the fibers will engage this angular wall and be retarded in its movement while the other end of the fiber is free to move and will slide along said surface turning or advancing faster which causes the fiber to turn through substantially ninety degrees. The length of sliding is sufiicient so that this turning action may be accomplished and then the fibers advancing endwise are passed into a condenser or funnel 30 where they are brought together in overlapping relation. The amount of endwise overlap of the fibers will depend upon the amount of lateral separation caused by the draft rolls 22. The fibers then pass endwise through a pair of feeding rolls 3| and through a guide plate 32 which is rotating so as to lay the sliver into a can or collecting device 33 which is also revolving whereby to place sufficient twist in the sliver or yarn as thus formed for withdrawal therefrom for further processing if desired.

Instead of turning the fibers 21 as shown in Fig. 1, in some cases the delivery rolls 22 may deliver the separated fibers 21 onto a traveling belt 35, as shown in Fig. 3, which is running in a direction parallel to the axes of the rolls 22. The delivery of the fibers 21 will be in an overlapping relation as indicated at 36 in Fig. 4. As this conveyor 35 advances the fibers will be delivered therefrom in this overlapping relation that they may be twisted slightly so as to bind them together and provide a sliver deposited in a can 33.

In Fig. 7 the draft rolls 22 are shown as delivering the separated fibers to a belt carrier 5|! while plate 5| is illustrated as hinged to swing about a pivot 52 for oscillation through the are indicated in dotted lines 53 so as to deposit the fibers in a web form in a spread out relation on the belt 50 both in an echelon relation horizontally and also in an overlapped relation as some will be deposited on top of others. Thus, in this figure it will be. appreciated that the two relationships heretofore provided for the delivery of the fibers from the draft rolls is accomplished on the belt 50.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I have illustrated the belt or carrier 2| as delivering the fibers to a drafting mechanism which is designated 22 and which is vertically arranged. The fibers which are delivered from this vertical drafting mechanism in Fig. 8 enter a tubular oscillating device 54 which will be of a length sufiicient to accommodate the length of the fibers which are cut to staple length. This tube will be oscillated through an are shown in dotted line 55 so as to deposit the fibers upon a conveyor belt '56 in a spread out echelon and overlapped relation as explained in connection with Fig. 7. A similar arrangement is shown in Fig. 9 as that shown in Fig. 8 except the conveyor belt 56' is mounted in an oscillating yoke 51 which is traversed laterally by means of the crank arm 58 between the guides 59, which crank arm is carried by the disk 60. By reason of the belt oscillating laterally the fibers are laid on the carrier belt in substantially the same relation as they would be laid in Figs. '1 and 8 heretofore described. The driving roll for the carrier belt II is operated by means of a gear 02 being driven by the gear 08.

In Fig. 10 I have illustrated the carrier belt 2| as delivering fibers '20 to a set of draft'rolls 22". In this case some turning means is disposed between the draft rolls. A post or pin 65 is positioned between the feed rolls 28' and the intermediate rolls 25' so as to engage the fibers near one end and retard their travel while permitting the other end of the fiber to feed forward and turn the fiber to some extent. A second pin 88 is located between the set of rolls 25' and 26 which serves to engage the same ends of the fibers and further turn them, it'being also found that the rolls 2! assist in this turning by reason of their grip on one end of the fiber prior to gripping the other end. A third pin 61 is provided between the set of rollsli' and the delivery rolls 24' which completes the turning of the fiber. It will also be apparent that as the fibers are turned and separated widthwise some lengthwise draft in this arrangement also occurs. The fibers are then delivered to the condenser funnel 30 or in any one of the various ways herein described.

The rolls 22" with the turning means 05, 68,

and 81 may be used in conjunction with a set of draft rolls 22 by successively following the rolls 22 whereby the rolls 22 provide separation and the rolls 22" in effect turn and draft. In this illustration in some cases the rotation of the rolls 22" will be such that no drafting will take place but only a turning in this manner.

In Fig. 11 an arrangement similar to the arrangement shown in Fig. 7 is provided wherein the oscillating plate spreads the fibers upon a belt carrier but in this case the carrier 50' carries fibers which have been previously laid thereon and are designated I0 which are fed by the rolls 'II and are of a character different than the fibers which are being separated by the rolls 22. for instance rayon maybe blended with wool, or with cotton. The wool or cotton is illustrated at while the rayon fibers designated 21 are distributed on top of the fibers of different material so as to blend therewith in the formation of a sliver or yarn.

Instead of packaging in a can, in Fig. 5 I have illustrated the-fibers as being delivered from the conveyor 35, (or '50, 50', 56, 56') in an overlapping relation with some twist now designated 31 in"Fig. 5, which arrangement is such that they deliver directly to a flyer 38 which twists and packages the yarn as at 39 winding it as at 40 upon the package 4|.

In some cases as shown in Fig. 6 twist is placed in the yarn by a spindle and ring traveler mechanism designated 42 for packaging the yarn 43 through the plgtail guide 44 and traveler 45, moving about ring 40 to form package 41.

In other cases the yarn instead of being delivered to a can, fiyer or spindle, may be delivered to draft rolls for a drafting operation or handling as sliver is usually handled.

In Fig. 12, I have illustrated a hopper I5 in which tow I6 from a ball at some remote location is laid by a conveyor mechanism 11. This conveyor consists of a guide I8 to direct the tow into the hopper I5 and which guide is movable by means of wheels I9 running on tracks 80 back and forth above the hopper by means of a chain II which causes the desired travel back and forth. This will cause the tow I6 toybe laid in the hopper as at -82. Below this hopper there are a plurality of belts, each belt 88 traveling over a pulley 84 s of pairs of opposed sections I00 and also traveling over a pulley 86 and around pulley 81 for picking up the staple fiber between belt 88 and pulley 86 and conveying it to the draft rolls designated generally 88. It will be noted that alternate belts deliver work to the left hand side or to rolls 88 while between the belts 83 there are the belts 83' arranged over similar pulleys but in such relation that they deliver work to the rolls 88'. These belts are in staggered arrangement as will be plain from Fig. 13.

In order that the tow fiber lengths, cutters each with a, sharp razor edge are positioned between each of the belts 88, 83', 88 and each is mounted on an arm 8| pivoted as at 82 and reciprocated by means of an eccentric or cam 93 having an end 84 to engage and follow the cam by reason of the coil spring 05. This cutter or razor will reciprocate very fast and cut the tow into staple lengths such as between two knives 80 as shown in Fig. 13 as the same is drawn'taut by the belts. sothat the required lengths of staple fiber may be had. The weight of the staple fiber in the hopper will cause it to settle onto the knives which will cut it during their movement. One line of staple fiber which comes from the tow so cut will be delivered on one side of the machine to rolls 88 while the next line of staple fiber so cut will be delivered on the other side of the machine such as to the rolls 88 as shown in the drawings.

The rolls 88 and 88' are formed of a plurality as in one set. IOI as in another set, I02 as a further set, and I03 as in a still further set. These sections of one pair are staggered with relation to and will overlap the sections of the next pair so that the sections I00 will overlap thesections IOI thus bringing the point of nip I05 of one set of rolls closer to the point of nip I06 of the next set of rolls and so on so that each is closer to the nip I01 of the next set and I08 of the next set as clearly shown in Fig. 12. Thus, as the fibers which are parallel to the axes of these rolls are delivered to them they are drawn apart inasmuch as the sections IOI travel faster than the section I00 and section I03 faster than the section I02. In this way, the fibers are pulled apart while passing through these rolls and the axes of the rolls are muchcloser together than were these rolls continuous as heretofore described above and the nips are accordingly closer together.

In some cases instead of the rolls being in sections there may be a pair of rolls H0, H0 and III, III to grip the ends of the fiber II2 while a pair of rolls H3, 3' may grip the fiber intermediate its ends and pull the fibers apart. The rolls H3, H3 are large enough so that their axes will lie outside the rolls I I0, 0'. The centers of the roll pairs make possible the positioning of the nips H4 and H5 close together. The rolls H3, H3 travel at a greater surface speed than the rolls which grip the ends in order that separation may be accomplished.

While I have illustrated the provision of a group of staple fibers formed :by cutting whereby equal lengths are provided any means of arranging staple fibers in parallel relation as a group may serve for the purposes of this invention. Further, the staple need not be of equal lengths. By reason of the overlapping rolls in the arrangements shown in Sheet 2 of the drawings, the

fibers cannot pass outwardly as they move through the sets of rolls.

may be cut into staple parallel to the axes of the rolls and with the successive pairs 01 rolls increasing in surrace speed. 1

3. The step in the process of producing staple fiber yarn from a group of generally parallel fibers which comprises separating a group of fibers by feeding them generally sideways as distinguished from lengthwise to successive pairs of driven rolls with the successive pairs of rolls increasing in surface speed and at the same time turning the fibers relative to their direction of travel. 7

4. The step in the process of producing staple fiber yarn from a group of generally parallel fibers which comprises separating a group of. fibers by feeding them generally sideways as distinguished from lengthwise to successive pairs fiber yarn from filaments or long length which comprise cutting the filaments to staple length fibers, moving the fibers away from the position of cutting, positioning the fibers substantially parallel with their ends in a line extending generally at right angles to the length of the fibers,

- advancing the fibers in a path at right angles of driven rolls with the. successive pairs of rolls ing the amount of sideways draft given to the fibers to be, overlapped.

5. The stepsin the process of producing staple 'fibe'r yarn from filaments which comprise cutting the filaments to staple length-fibers, moving 'the fibers away from the position of cutting, P sitionin'gthe fibers substantially parallel with their ends in a line extending generally at right .angles to the length of the fibers, advancing the fibers in a path at right angles to their length while in said parallel position, bodily turning the fibers in the path in which they are advancing .to dispose them in an echelon relation.

6. The steps in the process of producing staple .fiber yarn from filaments which comprise cutting the filaments to staple length fibers, moving the fibers away from the position of cutting, positioning the fibers substantially parallel with their ends in a line extending generally at right angles to the length of the fibers, advancing the fibers in a path at right angles to their length while in said parallel position, bodily turning the fibers in the pathin which they are advancing through approximately 90 to dispose them in an echelon relation.

7. The steps in the process of producing staple fiber parn from filaments which'comprise cutting the filaments to staple length fibers, moving the fibers away from the position of cutting, po-

sitioning the fibers substantially parallel with their ends in a line extending generally at right angles to the length of the fibers, advancing the fibers in a path at right angles to their length .while in said parallel position, bodily turning the fibers by relatively retardin one end while advancing the other in the path in which they are advancing through approximately 90 to dispose them in an echelon relation and then condensing the fibers.

, 8. The steps in the process of producing staple to their length while in said parallel position, bodily turning the fibers by relatively retarding one end while advancing the other in the path in which they are advancing to dispose them in an echelon relation and then condensing and twisting the fibers together. 9. The steps in the process of producing staple fiber ya'rn from filaments of long length which comprise cutting the filaments to staple length fibers, moving the fibers away from the position of cutting, positioning the fibers substantially parallel with their ends in a line extending generally at right angles to the length of the fibers, advancing the fibers in a path at right angles to their length while in said parallel position, Fbodily turning the fibers by relatively retarding one end while advancing the other in the path in which they are advancing through approximately 90 to dispose them in an echelon relation, then condensing and twisting the fibers together.

10. The process of producing staple fiber yarn from filaments which comprises cutting thefilaments into groups-of the desired staple length, feeding said groups to a set of drafting rolls in a direction laterally of the fibers so that the length of the fibers will be generally parallel to the axes .of the rolls whereby to laterally separate the fibers one from the other, rearranging the separated fibers to place them in generally parallel relation with the position of some fibers extending partially beyond yet overlapping other fibers and then proceeding to treat the yarn with the fibers so arranged in a usual manner.

11. The process of producing staple fiber yarn from filaments which comprises cutting th filaments into groups of the desired staple length, feeding said groups to a set of drafting rolls in a direction so that the length of the fibers will be generally parallel to the axes of the rolls where- 12. The process of producing staple fiber yarn from filaments of long length which comprises cutting the filaments into groups of the desired staple length, feeding said groups to a set of drafting rolls in a direction laterally of the fibers so that the length of the fibers will be generally parallel to the. axes of the rolls whereby to laterally separate the fibers one from the other, turning the separated fibers to place them in generally parallel relation with the position ofsome fibers extending partially beyond yet overlapping other fibers and then proceeding to treat the yarn with the fibers so arranged in a usual manner.

13. The process of producing staple fiber yarn from filaments of long length which comprises cutting the filaments into groups of the desired staple length, feeding said groups to a set of drafting rolls in a direction so that the length of the fibers will be generally parallel to the axes of the rolls whereby to separate thefibers one from the other, depositing the separated fibers in generally parallel relation with some fibers extending Partially beyond yet overlapping other fibers in the direction of their length and then proceeding to treat the yarn with the fibers so arranged in a usual manner.

14. The steps in the process of producing staple fiber yarn from filaments which comprise assembling lengths of multiple filaments in side by side contiguous relation to provide a generally sheet form and moving knives across said sheet of filaments at a plurality of points spaced the length of the staple desired to cut the filaments into staple lengths.

15. The steps in the process of producing staple fiber yarn from filaments which comprise assembling lengths of multiple filaments in side by side contiguous relation to provide a generally sheet form and moving knives across said sheet of filaments at a plurality of points spaced the length of the staple desired to cut the filaments into staple lengths and alternating the cut strips of staple fiber in the path of travel to one side and the other of the cuttin apparatus.

16. The steps in the process of producing staple fiber yarn from filaments which comprise assembling lengths of multiple filaments in side by side REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,433,529 Butler Oct. 31, 1922 2,079,094 Whitehead et al May 4, 1937 2,231,497 Gajewski et al Feb. 11, 1941 2,259,697 Jehle et al. Oct. 21, 1941 2,323,300 Abbott July 6, 1943 2,384,032 Jackson Sept/4, 1945

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