US2796724A - Apparatus for gathering glass filaments - Google Patents

Description

June 25, 1957 F. P. JAROS APPARATUS FOR GATHERING GLASS FILAMENTS Original Filed March 4, 1948 INVENTOR. Hawk P Jheos 4 TTOPNE) United States Patent 2,796,724 Patented June 25, 1957 APPARATUS FOR GATHERING GLASS FILAIVIENTS Frank P. Jaros, Hollis, N. Y., assignor to General Textile Mills, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Continuation of application Serial No. 12,953, March 4, %g2i81.43This application August 16, 1951, Serial No.

8 Claims. (Cl. 5734.5)

My invention relates to an apparatus for gathering glass filaments and more particularly to an apparatus for gathering filaments at high speed while twisting them into glass yarn.

This application is a continuation of my copending application, Serial No. 12,953, filed March 4, 1948, now abandoned.

In my copending application I have shown an attenuator used in connection with the 'gatherer to which this invention is directed. The glass filaments are formed by pulling them at a uniform speed from an orifice plate to which molten glass is fed. The pulling is done at a uniform rate to attenuate the filaments uniformly. The filaments are collected into a sliver and the sliver is gathered in a spinning pot or the like to form glass yarn. When used in connection with finely attenuated filaments a gathering mechanism must be able to operate at high speed. It will be appreciated that if the attenuation is carried on to produce individual filaments of six microns or less in diameter the attenuator must of necessity operate at an exceptionally high rate of speed requiring the use of a high-speed gathering mechanism. Great difiiculty is present in inserting a high-speed sliver into a spinning pot and accumulating the sliver prior to its insertion. For continuous operation the insertion mechanism may be used, as will be clear to those skilled in the art, to transfer the sliver from pot to pot.

One object of this invention is to provide a high-speed gathering apparatus capable of collecting increased lengths of glass yarn and thus reducing manufacturing costs.

Another object of this invention is to provide a highspeed gathering mechanism having a loop starting device for inserting a high-speed sliver into the spinning pot.

Another object of this invention is to provide a braking and releasing means for controlling the loop device for transferring the sliver either from a pneumatic type of waste collector and tensioning device for accumulating the sliver while correct speeds are being developed or from one spinning pot to another spinning pot.

A further object of this invention is to provide a highspeed apparatus for gathering filaments having a loop starting device for inserting the high-speed sliver into a spinning pot in which the sliver is automatically cut when being transferred into the spinning pot from a tensioning device theretofore in use.

- Other and further objects of this invention will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings which form part vof the instant specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicatelike parts in the various views:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the complete apparatus with parts in section.

Figure 2 is a view with parts in section of the attenuator showing the attenuator chambers.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a portion of the attenuator, drawn on an enlarged scale, with parts broken'a'way. I .1

More particularly referring now to the drawings, a glass fiber spinning furnace of any suitable design has a lower portion 10 provided with an inner melting chamber 11 at the bottom of which 1 position an electrically heated spinning plate 12 formed with a multiplicity of fine orifices 13. At operating temperatures the molten glass flows through the orifices 13 forming a globule at the lower tip of each orifice from which the filaments 14 are drawn. Positioned below the spinning plate I provide a cooling gas blower system 15 which serves to harden the viscous filaments after they have been drawn to the desired diameter. Below the blower 15 I provide a wetting or lubricating chamber 16 formed with apertures 17 through which a fine mist containing a wetting or lubricating agent of a suitable character is expelled into the central filament passage. Excess mist is collected in the trough 19.

The filaments 14 are drawn from the molten globules by the attenuating apparatus indicated generally by the reference numeral 20. While I have shown two attenuators 21 and 22 in series in order to permit the sliver 23 formed of the filaments 14 to be transmitted to a vertically positioned spinning pot 24, the desired attenuator functions can be obtained by the use of a single attenuating wheel.

The attenuator 22 is shown in cross section in Figure 2 and comprises a rotor 25 mounted on a shaft 26. An internal concentrically positioned stator 27 having pneumatic chambers 23 and 29 is positioned within each of the attenuator rotors. The stator is open around its periphery and communicates with the rotor. The rotor is provided with a circumferentially extending V-shaped seat 30 formed with radially positioned apertures 31 at the bottom of the seat, which apertures provide communication with the pneumatic chambers 28 and 29.

The rotor of attenuator 22 has the same diameter as the rotor of attenuator 21 and is driven by the same shaft, thus insuring identical peripheral speeds.

The chamber 29 of the stator 27 is connected by pipe 32 to an exhaust apparatus of any suitable design (not shown) to provide a reduced pressure at the openings 31 communicating with the chamber 29. Similarly, the chamber 28 is connected by pipe 33 to a pressure pump (not shown) adapted to supply air to the chamber 28 for expulsion through openings 31 which communicate with the chamber 28.

The stator may be divided into chambers by partitions 34, 35 and 35, as can be seen by reference to Figure 1. Instead of partitions, solid walls as shown in Figure 3 may be employed, thus providing a blank area between transition from vacuum to pressure. The holes 31 in the seat of the rotor may be .027 of an inch in diameter and angularly spaced 1 apart. The position of the partitions is determined by the limit points for suction and pressure, as the case may be.

Means are provided for adjustably rotating the stator by means of bracket 37, which is secured to the supporting panel 39 by means of a slot 443 and a locking pin 38. In this manner the limit points for suction and pressure may be varied. The attenuator 21 is of similar construction to attenuator 22 and is provided with a suction chamber 41 and a pressure chamber 42.

As the filaments 14 approach the \--shaped seat 43 of the rotor of attenuator 21, which is similar to seat 30 of the rotor of attenuator 22, the filaments are cammed together by the sides of V-shaped seat 43 to form a sliver 23 in an area subject to reduced pressure since it communicates with the suction chamber 41 through the openings 31 adjacent thereto. As the rotor reaches the intervening wall 44 carrying the sliver with it, the reduced pressure area-is left and the pressure area is entered, since the openings 31 will now communicate with chamber 42, which is supplied, with super-atmospheric air pressure.

Thus the sliver is urged from its seat and any broken filaments are blown free of the rotor. This insures against broken filaments winding about the rotor and interfering with the attenuation.

The spinningipot, indicated generally by the reference numeral 2.4, is of a construction known to the art and similar to those employed in the rayon industry. It is provided, however, with a high-speed motor 53 driving the spinning pot through shaft 52. A funnel 53 positioned at the upper portion of the pot is supported upon a reciprocating arm 54 which alternately lowers arid raises the funnel guide tip 55 from which the sliver is being fed to the pot walls.

The end of the sliver is inserted into the mouth of the funnel. In the rayon industry a stream of water is supplied through the funnel to stream the rayon into the pot. With glass filaments, however, the high rate of rotation required renders this method unfeasible.

I have devised a gathering mechanism which forms the instant invention. It comprises a tensioning apparatus for establishing the sliver in proper position prior to its injection into the pot while operating at the necessary high speeds. My tensioning mechanism removes all slack from the rapidly moving sliver and yet permits retraction from the tensioning means to enable the sliver to be rapidly shifted from the tensioning mechanism to the pot without losing tension on the sliver.

For starting, the sliver is fed into a waste collector 62. A tube 61 is positioned tangentially to the attenuator 22 and leads to the waste collector pot 62. provided at the bottom of the pot for retaining the waste sliver in the collector. A stream of high velocity air from any suitable source passes down the tube 61 due to connecting the bottom of the waste pot 62 to a high-speed vacuum pump 65. Any suitable means for causing move" ment of the air in the direction of the arrow from the waste collector 62 may be employed.

In order to shift the sliver which is going to the tensioning mechanism to the spinning pot 51 I provide a loop mechanism indicated generally by the reference numeral 70. A loop 71 of strong, flexible thread of sufficient diameter to prevent it from cutting the sliver or from being cut duringthe shifting operation is provided. The bight of the loop is encircled around the moving sliver and placed about a roller 75 normally immobilized by a brake 76'. The two standing parts of the bight are placed upon guides 73 and the ends of the loop 72 are threaded through the funnel 53 and allowed to contact the side of the spinning pot 24. Sufiicient length is provided for the ends so that they will be thrown out by centrifugal force by the spinning pot and thus held against the sides of the pot. The rotation of the pot thus will tend to pull the loop downwardly while twisting it at the same time.

When it is desired to shift the sliver from the tensioning apparatus to the pot the pot is rotated at high speed, causing the ends 72 of the loop 71 to be pulled into the pot. As the loop is pulled, the brake 76 is released allowing the roller 75 to rotate, thus unwinding the bight of the loop and permitting it to pull the sliver 23 into the pot against the action of the tension created'by the tensioning apparatus. It will be appreciated that roller 75 and brake 76' provide means for releasably securing the bight 74 from engaging the glass filaments going to the tensioning apparatus 60. a

At the point where the end of'the sliver takes the position of the broken line 76 it will contact a switch 81 of an automatic mechanism indicated generally by the reference numeral 80. The switch is attached to a pressuresensitive lever 82 and, when closed, establishes a circuit through conductors 83, energizing a solenoid 84 through any appropriate current source 85. The energization of the solenoid trips a cut-off knife 86, which is biased by spring 87 and permits the knife to cutthe retracted sliver in the position of the broken line 76 through the knife edge 88. In order to prevent the rapid flow of air through tube -161 from re-establishing the passage of the sliver-into A screen 63 is of tube 61.

the waste collector pot 62 a cover 89 is attached to the knife .so that the cover will be carried along with the knife during the cutting operation to close the opening In this manner the sliver moves at high speed from the tensioning apparatus 60 to the spinning pot. It will be appreciated that in practice the sliver may be shifted from one pot 24 to an adjacent pot 24, the pot 24 in use acting as a tensioning device.

As soon as the pot 24 has charge of the sliver the loop mechanism is made readly with its end in a fresh pot 24'. The second pot 24', however, is not started until the first pot 24 is almost filled. The empty pot 24' is then started, the brake 76 released, and the cut-off mechanism operates as before, it being understood that the cut-01f mechanism is mounted adjacent the first pot in any suitable manner,

as, for example, on the panel 39. It will be understood that the bight 74 of a new loop 71 must be placed on roller before a new transfer, since the old loop 71 has been drawn into the first pot during the preceding transfer operation.

In operating from pot to pot the pot receiving the sliver is in the position of the tensioning apparatus 60 and the pot to which the sliver is to be transferred is as shown by pot 51 in the drawing. In order to maintain the proper position of pots during a continuous operation they may be mounted on a movable base and shifted to tensioning position just prior tocut-off.

The inner peripheral speed of the pot is higher than the speed of the sliver. This produces a twist in the glass sliver as it is being gathered. The greater the difference in the peripheral speed of the pot with respect to the speed of the sliver the greater will be the twist. The twist is an important feature since it facilitates the unwinding and eliminates the hazards of handling parallel-positioned filaments.

It will be seen that I have accomplished the objects of my invention. Ihave provided an apparatus for gathering glass filaments at speed into slivers and giving the slivers a desirable initial-twist to form yarn. I have provided a tensioning mechanism to maintain'a tension in the sliver while switching it to an adjacent spinning pot or from one spinning pot to an empty spinning pot while maintaining a high-speed movement of the sliver. I have provided a switching device comprising a loop together with an automatic cut-off for redirecting the sliver from pot to pot and severing the starting end theretofore passing to a tensioning device which may be another spinning pot in the process of being filled.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations areof utility and may be employed without ref.- erence to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claims withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention. It is therefore to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim'is:

1. Apparatusfor gathering glass filaments including in combination an attenuator rotor, a spinning pot positioned adjacent the locus of a tangent to the rotor, means for receiving and yieldably tensioning glass filaments from the attenuator rotor, the tensioning means being positioned along the locus of another tangent to the rotor, a flexible loop having a bight and ends, the glass filaments going to the tensioning means being adapted to be dis posed within the bightof the loop, the ends of the loop being positioned in the spinning pot, means for releasably securing the bight from engaging the glass filaments going to the tensioning means and means responsive to movement of the bight after release thereof forsevering the glass filaments wher by the bight'and :the glass filaments will be directed into the spinning pot.

2. Apparatus-as in claim 1 including means for-rotating the spinning pot at a peripheral speed greater than the peripheral speed of the attenuator rotor.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the tensioning means comprises a waste pot and means for maintaining a subatmospheric pressure in the waste pot.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the tensioning means comprises a second spinning pot.

5. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the means for releasably' securing the bight comprises a roller around which a portion of the bight is wound and readily releasable means for immobilizing the roller.

6. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the severing means comprises a knife, means for movably mounting the knife adjacent the glass filaments, means for biasing the knife to move to cutting position, means for holding the knife in cocked position against the action of the biasing means and means for rendering the holding means inoperative.

7. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the severing means comprises a knife, means for movably mounting the knife adjacent the glass filaments, means for biasing the knife to move to cutting position, means for holding the knife in cocked position against the action of the biasing means and means responsive to the deflection of the loop for rendering the holding means inoperative.

8. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the severing means comprises a knife, means for movably mounting the knife adjacent the glass filaments, means for biasing the knife to move to cutting position, means for holding the knife in cocked position against the action of the biasing means and means for rendering the tensioning means inoperative simultaneously with the movement of said knife to cutting position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,822,018 Deile Sept. 8, 1931 2,412,403 Jackson et al. Dec. 10, 1946 2,522,250 Bechtler Sept. 12, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 359,627 Great Britain Oct. 29, 1931 649,489 Germany Aug. 12, 1937 692,783 France Mar. 26, 1930

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