US2656573A - Condensing sliver - Google Patents

Description

27, 1953 J. G. KERSHAW ET AL 1 CONDENSING SILVER Filed June 2, 1951 2 Sheen's-Sheet 1 f'zc/elzfors (fa/2n Greeczlrs/zaw Harold 1 167037 1953 J. G. KERSHAW ET AL 2,656,573

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frwerzfo Jokrz Green Kemizaw Harald E's/w? @QMM Patented Oct. 27, .1953

CONDENSING SLIVER John Green Kershaw, Oak Bay,

Columbia, and Harold Quebec, Canada assignors to Dominion Textile Company Canada Limited, Montreal,

Victoria, British Fisher, Mount Royal,

Quebec,

Application June '2, 1951, Serial No. 229,587 In Canada June 20, 1942 4 Claims.

This invention relates to condensing sliver and coiling it into a can.

In textile manufacture, at various stages of producing yarn, sliver is condensed and putinto a can in which it is taken to the location of the next operation. After carding, this condensation is usually effected by calendars or press rolls attached to the card and further in a coiler head by which the sliver is inserted into the can. Several slivers coming from the condensing operation after carding are passed through a drawing frame and drafted to form one, condensed further and again put into a can. In each of these condensing operations it is desirable to place as much sliver as possible in the can.

Various types of apparatus have been employed in an endeavour to place large amounts of sliver into a can. However, most of these apparatus have employed attachments to existing equipment and require modification.

The applicants development The applicants have now developed expedients which require only minor modification of existing apparatus and which may conveniently be used in conjunction with the method and apparatus disclosed. in United States Patent 2,385,448 This device is for condensing sliver from the form in which it is received from the large calendar to a more condensed form. The present invention relates to the placing of the condensed sliver into the can by means of a coiler constructed in accordance with the invention.

The coiler includes the conventional features, including the coiler head having a bottom part, a middle part pivoted to the bottom part, and an upper part pivoted to the middle part. The bottom part has an annular horizontal portion adapted to be positioned directly above the can into which the condensing sliver is to be coiled. The device includes a toothed tube gear having an annular portion normally bearing in sliding relationship on the annular portion of the coiler head bottom part. The tube gear is thus supported on the bottom part for rotation in contact with it, and is adapted for limited upward movement by pressure from the coiled sliver in the can beneath. The tube gear also has an upper peripheral margin which is used in accordance with the invention as will be described. I

In accordance with the invention, a plurality of bearing members are attached to the under s de of the coiler head middle part in a position above the peripheral margin of the tube gear. The coiler head middle part, bottom part, and

tube gear are so related that the middle part is supported by the bottom part with the bearing members normally placed, in accordance with the invention, a predetermined distance from the tube gear. The bearing members are adapted to contact the tube gear in sliding relation when the tube gear is moved upwards by sliver building up in the can.

When the tube gear contacts the bearing member it can lift further only by lifting the entire weight of the coiler head middle part and upper part. So, the sliver builds up until such a time as itexerts suflicient pressure to lift the tube gear middle part and upper part. At the point where the tube gear and associated parts start to lift, the operators doffs the can and puts a new can in its place.

According to one form of the invention, the bearing members are adjustable in a vertical direction so that the normal clearance between the tube gear and bearing member can be adjusted.

In one construction, the bearing members each include a base portion of a durable material and a face portion attached to this base portion. The face portion is at least surfaced with a material having a low co-efiicient of friction. A first screw means extends through the middle part of the coiler head to an adjustable threaded engagement with the bearing members. A second screw means extends through the coiler head middle part so as to contact the bearing members and limit their upward movement. Rotation of the first screw means is adapted to draw the bearing members towards or from the coiler head middle part relative to the tube gear. The second screw means is preferably positioned so as to contact the bearing members between the first screw means.

According to another variation of the construction, each bearing member includes a downwardly extending bracket connected to the coiler head middle part. A rubbing shoe is pivotally connected to the bracket and adapted to bear against the upper surface of the annular bearing portion of the tube gear when raised by the coiled sliver.

In the drawings The invention will now be more fully described by reference to the preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawings and in which:

Figure 1 isa diagrammatic general arrange ment 01' a coiler apparatus in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a according to the invention, showing 1e and top parts in raised position. igure 3 is a fragmentary cross section partly in elcv t cn of one form of pressure foot.

.c-igure c is a side elevation of the pressure foot shown in Figure 2.

re 5 is a vertical cross section through the a coiler by which it is coiled and pressed into a The sliver is condensed to a certain extent as it is passed through a trumpet (not shown) between the dofier of the card and the calendars C, then it is taken up through a trumpet H on the coiler head whence it is passed between the coiled calendar rolls as will be explained and is then coiled into the can.

The coiler is made up of a foot 1 carrying a bottom plate 3 which supports the can, and a pillar 9 on which the head is mounted. The head comprises a bottom part 12 fixed to the pillar 9, a middle part [5 pivoted to the bottom part i2 as at lEa and a lid or top part pivoted to the part l5 as at 20a. The cover 20 includes a trumpet l 5 having a tapering mouth 22 through which the sliver is drawn and a depending funnel 23 by which the sliver is guided towards the condensing rolls.

The middle part i5 includes a framework in which are journalled the calendar rolls and 3 i 30 is a fixed roll, 3! is a movable roll being journalled in a supporting arm 33 pivotally mounted by a vertical pen 35 on a bracket 36 extending from the part :5, for inward movement with respect to the roll 30. A leaf spring 31 mounted on the part 15 serves to urge the roll 3| towards the roll 38. This construction is conventional for coiler heads.

The coiler mechanism is driven conventional .1;

1y from a shaft '32 receiving its drive from the card. A bevel gear 85 in the head of this shaft meshes with a bevel gear 63 on the calendar roll 39. The roll 39 is provided with a gear 64 meshing with a gear 65 on the other roll 3 1. tom plate 8 is also driven from the shaft 62 by a train of gears indicated generally as The drive of all these parts is synchronized so as to coil the sliver into the can in the desired manner.

The roll 31 is provided with a groove and the roll it with a tongue mating with the groove. The sliver passes through the groove into which it is pressed by the tongue and thus condensed.

In order to feed the sliver into the tongue and groove, a special condensing unit F is employed as described in U. S. Patent 2,385,448. This structure is adapted to prevent expansion of the sliver from the time of leaving the trumpet H until it is within the groove.

The sliver after passing through the rolls 3!), 3!, is taken up by the coiler tube which is mounted for rotation on a tube wheel or gear 5i journalled in the bottom part 12 and suitably The bOtr.

4 driven from the vertical shaft 62 through a gear 69. This structure is conventional.

On the underside of the part [5 are mounted rubbing pads 10 adapted to engage the surfaces of the tube gear 6| under certain conditions to be described. These pads are made from or at least faced with material having a low 00- eiiicient of friction.

A preferred embodiment of this phase of the invention is best illustrated in detail in Figure '7. The rubbing pads 10 are made up of a steel base 10a and a lignum vitae bearing portion 10b. Screws 1| extend through the base of the middle part [5 and engage in threaded openings in the portion 10b. Adjusting screws 72 also extend through the base of the part 15 and are adapted to bear against the top of the base 10a.

Thus, the pads 10 can be raised or lowered with reference to the middle part 15 so that their clearance of the top of the gear 6! can be ad justed at will. This adjustment is accomplished by either tightening or loosening the screws "H in conjunction with the screws 72 as will be clear ly evident from the drawing. It is usually preferable to adjust the rubbing pads 10 so that they clear the top of the tube gear 5| by about .005 inch, but of course, this clearance can be set at will through the arrangement described.

According to another embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, instead of the rubbing pads 70 on the bottom of the part I5, a pair of downwardly extending brackets are attached to the part 15. The brackets 80 are mounted in spaced apart relationship on the part it in approximately the same location as were the rubbing pads 10. Mounted on each of these brackets for pivotal movement is a downwardly extending shoe or depressor 8! adapted to bear under certain conditions to be described against the edge of the tube gear 6|.

The pivotal connection between the depressor 8H and the bracket 80 is made centrally of the depressor 81 so that any upward movement of the tube gear BI is transmitted directly to the bracket 80 and to the middle part [5. The pivotal mounting of the depressor 81 is to allow for limited pivotal movement so as to take care of any unevenness of the tube gear 6 I. Ihis pivotal movement can only be limited as the depressor 3! is prevented from excess pivotal motion by a wide lower portion 8 lb which bears against the annular rim of the tube gear 6! when the gear is raised by the pressure of the sliver built up in the can.

The structural features above have been de scribed in conjunction with a coiler head used to condense sliver immediately following carding. It will be understood, that this is only one application and that the condensing opera.- tion can also be performed elsewhere in treating the sliver, for instance, following the drawing frame or following the comber. The principle involved is the same and the apparatus quite similar.

The condensing process The process of condensing in the apparatus described is as follows:

The sliver is initially threaded through the trumpet H, through the condensing unit F and into the groove where it is engaged by the tongue and thus drawn through the coiler. Then the sliver proceeds continuously from the card and passes progressively between the calender rolls C, then to the coiler head, through the trumpet H mmp're and through the special condensing unit F by which the sliver *is virtually formed, during its passage therethrough, into 'aribbon and thence C draws the sliver from the trumpetadjacent to the card, and the rotation of the rolls 3!, -31,

draws the sliver into the coiler head from the trumpet M. This treatment "is described in detail in U S. Patent 2,385,448.

Coiling landlaying into a can After leaving the roller head, the sliver is progressively laid into the can E by the rotating action of the tube 50 and the rotation of the can by the bottom plate 3 on the caller foot. The condensed sliver coils pile up to the top of the can until their upward movement is limited by the bottom of the tube gear 6|. For a time, depending on the weight on the coiler head, this results in forcing down the lower coils of sliver but when the upper pressure of the sliver becomes sufficient, it will raise the gear 61 until it contacts the pad it or alternatively, the depressor 8| so as to lift the coiler head. This is an indication that the can is full. -When the optimum capacity of a particular size of can has been determined, a timing device can be arranged in conjunction with the coiling operation so that the latter is halted when the can has been filled to the desired degree.

In some types of coilers the weight on the head is sufficient to exert the requisite pressure on the sliver so as to fill the can to the desired degree. With other types of coilers, it is necessary to weight the head additionally.

Results According to the process described, the sliver is condensed to a considerably greater extent than is the practice in the textile industry at the present time. Also, a considerably greater amount of sliver is laid into the can than is customary.

With sliver condensed according to the process described in U. S. Patent No. 2,385,448, it is possible to put about 14 /2 lbs. in a can about 11%" in internal diameter by about 36" in depth and of normal capacity about lbs. without the sliver lifting the tube gear alone. pads H3 in the coiler of the particular example described are set at about .005" 4 clear of the upper peripheral margin of the tube gear. At about 14 lbs. weight of sliver in the can, the upward pressure commences to lift the tube gear against the rubbing pads. The weight of the coiler top, in the neighborhood of 42 lbs. (the middle part I5 and the lid thus reduces the tendency to lift until about 18 lbs. sliver have been laid in the can.

It is good practice to doff cans before this point is reached, resulting in a well formed can containing, approximately 18 lbs. of American cotton, the equivalent amount of approximately 19 lbs. of Egyptian cotton, or equivalent amounts of other cotton. It is possible to creel this can behind the next machine in the process, without removing any of the sliver from the top because the can bottom plate is so set as to induce friction between the condensed sliver and the sides of the can.

This friction, which is caused by reason of the fact that the sliver has been forced into the can under pressure, reduces the upward surge of the coils of sliver when the can is doffed. The re- The rubbing sultantpressure of the can 'wallagainst-thetightly "coiled sliver retains the latter mainly within the can. There is not the tendencyfor'the sliverto jump ou'tthat there would beifit were notproper ly coiled into the can and compressed. Thus the-sliver is retained so'that'the can is ready'to be used intact at the next operation.

The result of this process is the production of a can of silver holding at least up to about 18lbs. of American cotton or in other words, substantial ly the equivalent of a'5'0 grain sliver about 2520 yards in length by approximately in diameter.

where the can is about 11%" in internal diam- :eter by about 35 deep, oraproportionateamount .for other sized cans.

This is an advance over trade practice where about 10 /2 lbs. is substantially the normalcontent of a can, 'of the size indicated giving about 1470 yards in length of =50 grain sliver of a much greater than *diameter.

It would bepossible to put more than 18 lbs. in a ,canof the size described by the present method, but more than 18 lbs. is not considered practical as it is desirable to keep the sliver length uniform, so as to eliminate piecings in subsequent operations.

Advantages The great advantage of this method is that it makes available to the cotton manufacturer a can of sliver containing a uniformly large amount of American cotton which can be used in the next operation in its entirety. The next operation may be a drawing frame or, as in this case, a lap winder. This winder is fed by 16 card cans and will produce 16 laps of about 18 lbs. each. These laps will be creeled on a lap-back drawing frame which will produce approximately from each lap one drawing can containing 18 lbs. In this way all piecing up to the flier frame will be eliminated.

The quantity of sliver which it is possible to put into a can by this method is much greater than previously believed possible. The sliver has not the tendency to jump out of the can as might be expected. The resultant pressure of the can walls against the coiled and compressed sliver retain it in place within the top of the can so that it may be used intact at the next operation. The quality of this sliver is high since it is not injured in any way during treatment. The quality of the yarn resulting from the sliver made in this Way is also high, as piecing is eliminated to a large degree.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 617,719 /g filed September 21, 1945, now abandoned, which in turn was a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 454,362, filed August 11, 1942, now Patent No. 2,385,448.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for laying sliver into a can, comprising in combination, a, coile including a head having a bottom part, a middle part pivoted to the bottom part, and an upper part pivoted to the middle part, the bottom part having an annular horizontal portion adapted to be positioned directly above a can into which the silver is to be coiled, a tube gear having an annular portion normally bearing in sliding relationship on the annular portion of the bottom part whereby said tube gear is supported on said bottom part for rotation in contact therewith, said tube gear having an upper peripheral margin and being adapted for limited upward movement by pressure from the coiled sliver in the can beneath, a plurality of bearing members on said middle part in a position above the peripheral margin of said tube gear; the middle part, bottom part, and tube gear being so related that the middle part is supported by the bottom part with said bearing members normally placed a predetermined distance from said tube gear, the bearing members being adapted to contact the tube gear in sliding relation on upward movement of the latter whereby the entire weight of the middle and upper part is brought to bear on the tube gear while leaving the tube gear free to rotate.

2. An apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein each bearing member is adjustable in a vertical direction whereby the normal clearance between the tube gear and bearing members can be adjusted.

3. An apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein each of said bearing members includes a base portion of a durable material, and a face portion attached to said base portion, said face portion being of a material with a surface having a low co-eflicient of friction, a first screw means descending through said middle part and having a threaded engagement with said bearing member, second screw means extending through said middle part to contact and limit the upward movement of said bearing member, the first screw means being adapted for drawing the bearing member towards or from the middle part, the second screw means being adapted to be p0sitioned so as to limit the movement of said bearing member towards said middle part.

4. An apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein each bearing member includes a downwardly extending bracket connected to said middle part, and a shoe pivotally connected to said bracket and adapted to bear against the annular bearing portion of said tube gear.

JOHN GREEN KERSHAW. HAROLD FISHER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 185,164 Bullough Dec. 12, 1876 518,675 McDermott Apr. 24, 1894 704,704 Meats et a1 July 15, 1902 1,607,723 Crockett Nov. 23, 1926 2,385,448 Kershaw et a1 Sept. 25, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 8,949 Great Britain 1894 189,354 Great Britain Nov. 30, 1922

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