US3175774A - Winding of yarns - Google Patents

Description

MalCh 30 1955 T. H. FARRAND ETAL 3,175,774

WINDING 0F YARNS Filed aan. 29, 1962 s .1%4 CSL Hi propylene.

3,l75,774 Patented Mar. 30, 1965 3,175,774 WNDING F YARNS Thomas Henry Farrand and Peter Bernard Checlrland, Harrogate, England, assignors to Imperial Chemical Industries Limited, London, England, a corporation of Great Britain Filed Jan. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 169,554 2 Claims. (Cl. 242-18) This invention relates to cone winding of extensible bulked yarns from a substantially constant speed yarn source.

The winding on to cones of so-called bulked yarns i.e. yarns which contain laments which have been crimped or looped by various crimping processes such as false twist crimping, stuffer b'ox crimping, deforming edge crimping or the method of crimping described in British Patent 808,213 comprising passing the filaments over a narrow surface heated to a temperature above the melting -point followed by heat relaxing, is known per se, The filaments in the yarn are made from synthetic linear polymers such as nylon, polyethylene terephthalate and poly- Such winding 'of yarns on to cones is carried out by supplying the yarn from a variable speed yarn supply source, such as a freely unwinding yarn package.

In this known cone-winding of bulked yarns the yarn is unwound e.g. from another yarn package onto the cone so that variations of take-up speed and tension e.g. between nose and tail of the cone are automatically compensated by the varying rate of unwinding from the first package.

Difculties are experienced, however, when it is desired to wind yarn under a controlled uniform low tension and whilst being fed to the winding package at a constant speed, in other words when the yarn is being fed to the windup device by a positive feed such as a pair of nip rolls.

Another diiculty which is encountered during the winding of bulked yarns under low tension is that packages of such low density are obtained that they are readily deformed by their own weight, the weight of the mandrel and the mandrel arm. Increasing the tension of the yarn gives firmer packages -but in certain circumstances the use of higher tensions leads to reduced bulk in the yarn.

We now provide a process and apparatus for winding cones of bulked yarn when the yarn is supplied at constant speed, for example from a constant speed nip roll or capstan.

The threadline becomes slack when winding at the nose of the cone and tight when winding at the base.

The detrimental effect of the threadline tension changes on the yarn properties can be overcome by control of the distance between the yarn source and the cone-winding mechanism.

In our invention the minimum distance between the source delivering yarn at constant speed and the conewinding mechanism is limited to an extent which allows the intermediate length of bulked yarn to stretch by a safe amount when winding on the base of the cone and to retain adequate tension when winding on the nose of the cone.

According to our invention we provide a process for winding extensible bulked yarns (as hereinbefore defined) made from synthetic linear polymer filaments, comprising unwinding the yarn from a yarn package, feeding the yarn at a constant speed if desired through a processing zone, and winding the yarn on to a cone, which is driven so that the main linear speed of the yarn being wound remains substantially constant.

The factors which must be taken into account when determining the minimum distance are as follows:

(a) The amount of extension which can be applied to the yarn in the process without detrimental effect on its properties. This will depend upon the physical properties, particularly with respect to recovery of original length when tension is relieved, in the type of yarn being wound.

(b) The additional length of yarn which is required to make one traverse of the cone from the smaller end to the larger end of the package above the length which would be required to make a similar traverse on a cylinder of a similar diameter to that at the small end of the package.

The additional length thus defined will be different for each coning machine and is governed by:

(l) The mean diameter of the unladen cone.

(2) The angle of the unladen cone.

(3) The length of the traverse.

(4) The degree of linearity in the traverse.

(5) Any change of cone package angle produced by the build control mechanism.

(6) The traverse speed relative to the rotational speed of the cone.

(7) The method employed to drive the cone.

FIGURE l illustrates a cardboard cone for winding yarn thereon.

DETERMINATION OF MINIMUM DISTANCE BE- TWEEN FEED MACHANISM AND CONE WIND- ING MECHANISM (i) The yarn is fed to the cone at a sped equal to, or slightly less than, the peripheral speed of the cone at the smaller diameter d.

(ii) In 'one traverse from d to D on the cone, a length of yarn x is wound on the cone. The actual length of yarn being controlled by the factor (b) (l) to (7) above.

(iii) In a similar traverse on a cylinder of diameter d a length of yarn y would be wound.

(iv) The amount of additional length 'of yarn required to be delivered in one traverse from d to D on the cone is therefore the length x-y. This is, of course, a maximum value since as the cone builds the ratio of the diameters of the build at tail and nose usually decreases.

(v) The minimum distance, s, between the yarn feed and the cone winding point must be adjusted to provide the length x-y and must be such that the value x-y is less than the distance which a length S of yarn can safely be stretched.

Supposing that a length of yarn L can be stretched a distance l Without detriment to its properties; and that when yarn is wound on Ithe nose end of the package (diameter d) it is `under sufficient tension to cause it to extend e%. The minimum distance S between the yarn feed and the cone Winder is determined by the relationsnip:

rlhe process is particularly suitable for the winding of yarns which have lbeen potentially crimped by a process described in British Patent 808,213 and which must be thenmally treated and relaxed to bring out the full crimp and bulk of the yarn. In any such thermal treatment of crimped or potentially crimped filaments it is essential that the amount of relaxation or extension taking place during the thermal treatment should be uniform and controlled.

Previously it has not been possible to satisfy these conditions and at the same time wind up the yarn on cones, because of the fluctuations of yarn wind up speed, which occur between nose and tail of the cone.

However, we have found that positive vfeed of the yarn into the thermal processing zone, which is desirable for Sv obtaining yarn of good quality, may be satisfactorily combined with conventional surface-driven cone-winding machines by means of a simple device, ie. the introduction of supplementary yarn guides which extend the path ot the yarn between the positive feed means and the wind-up means. Thus by making the yarn path sufficiently long the fluctuations of tension arising `from the ditlerent windup speeds at nose and tail of the cone may be made so small that they have no detectable effect on yarn properties. The more extensible the yarn the shorter is the required extension of the yarn path. One of the supplementary guides, preferably the last, may comprise means for increasing the yarn tension.

A suitable apparatus comprises means for unwind-ing t -e crimped or potentially crimped yarn fro i a yarn package, a cone for winding the yarn thereon with a surface drive and reciprocating traverse means, wherein 'the yarn is unwound by positive feed means such as nipping feed rolls with means for rotating the feed means at a substantially constant speed, suitably positioned means for extending the yarn path between the positive feed means and the cone, such as guides so that any relaxation or extension taking place in the yarn with any liuctuations oi tension arising from the different wind up speeds at nose and tail ot' the cone are so small that they have no detectable effect on yarn properties and means lfor rotating Ithe feed means and the surface drive for the cone at a predetermined adjustable speed ratio. if required, means 1 may be provided for thermally treating the yarn between the posit-ive feed means and the suitably positioned for extending the yarn path.

Because of the low tensions under which the yarn or yarns are required to leave the positive feed means such as the nipping feed rolls dirliculties are sometimes encountered .through lapping of the yarn on the feed rolls. To overcome this diiculty the feed rolls may be arranged so that their axes are in a horizontal plane for feeding the yarn in a vertically downward direction, if desired with means for entraining the yarn in a iluid stream and means for heating the yarn.

The preferred wind-up means comprises a mandrel carrying a cone which is driven by a surface friction device, and a reciprocatory traverse mechanism. ln order to balance the increasing load of the package as it builds up, a device may be attached to the mandrel comprising a cam connected to a eounterpoise arrangement which progressively lifts the load as the yarn is wound on the cone.

The attached drawings and the following example illustrate but does not limit our invention.

FIGURE l illustrates a cardboard cone for winding yarn thereon.

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic front view of an apparatus for heat treating and winding yarn on cones.

Referring to FIGURE l, this shows a cardboard cone 21 suitable for winding yarn thereon having a package width (PW). The smaller diameter near the nose or" the cone which is to be covered with yarn is (d) and the largest diameter of the cone to be covered with yarn is (D). The cone side (L) extending beyond the yarn package width (PW).

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic drawing showing one position of a multiposition apparatus for the winding of bulked yarns onto .cones with means for heat relaxing the yarn during this operation.

Potentially crimped yarn on a supply package 1 1s taken over a guide 2 and unwound over-end by a pair of nipping feed rolls 3 and It which rotate at a constant reguylatable speed `and feed the yarn in a vertically downward direction through a heating zone. Rotation of the rolls 3 and 4 is effected by means of intermeshing gear wheels 6 one of which is carried at the end of each roll and by means of a driven pinion 7 which meshes with one of the gear wheels 6. EN arrow orifices 3 and 9 made from low friction ceramic material are provided at the top and bottom of the zone, 4Ceramic guides 1t) and tensioning by a counterweight i5 via a cam i7 rotatable around a ioint .t9 which is the centre of a wheel 2t), on the surface driven roll i3. The weight 1S is connected by a flexible str-ing 24 or wire laid around wheel Zit; another ilexible string i8 or wire is connected between a non-rotating part of a spindle i6 bearing the cone l2 with the cam i7.

Example Potentially crimped polyethylene terephthalate filament yarn of 120 denier `are wound onto ya yarn package ll as shown in the drawing. The yarn was produced by passing 'the filaments over a narrow surface heated to a `temperature or" 450 C. under a tension `to cause elongation in the laments of less than 10% and with a deviation in the filament path oi less than 5, while passing over the narrow heated surface, to the winding device. The filaments are drawn prior to passage over `the narrow heated surface. The filaments from the yarn package l are unwound as illustrated in the drawing. The nipping feed rolls 3S `and t are forwarding the yarn at a speed of 1G99 it. per minute through a hot processing Zone maintained at a temperature of 20G C. and the yarn is wound directly onto a cone after passing over at least two :Vl-cs, iid and itl which extend the yarn path between ne nipping rolls and the cone `and the lsurface drive to 9 t'. The surface drive is rotating at a surface speed of 78S ft. per minute. A copioosly crimped bullied polyethylene tereplrthalate yarn is obtained and Wound ontoa cone which is uniform and no `sloughing of the yarn occurs, although the package is quite soft and permeable to any treating fluids such as dye liquors. The yarn has an extension of 3.5 under a tension of 22 milligrams per denier.

"fte yarn wound on cones may, if desired, be treated with various treating liuids such as dye liquors or steam at superatm-osphcric temperatures or pressures.

lt will be appreciated that `this invention enables bullied yarn to be produced on cones more conveniently and cheaply than can be done by conventional means, since the separate operatic-n of nnwinding from cyiinderical packages on to cones, is thereby avoided. Furthermore, the yarn may be wound on to the cones alt a very low tension.

What we claim is:

l. A process for winding extensible bullced yedn made from synthetic linear polymer filaments selected from the group consisting ot nylon, polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene wherein the yarn is advanced to` a yarn winding mechanism by a yarn feeding means comprising: feeding the yarn at a constant speed; 'winding the yarn onto a cone at .a substantially constant mean linea speed of the yarn 'being wound; stretching the intermediate length of extensible Ibullied yarn., .betere it is wound on the cone, by an amount which has no detrimental effect on the yarn properties when winding near the base of the cone `and to retain adequate tension when winding near the nose of the cone, said stretching be' 1g accomplished by establishing a minimum distance of the yarn path between feeding means and the co-ne.

2. Apparatus for winding extensible bullied yarn made from .synthetic polymer filament onto a cone comprising: constant speed positive lfeed means for unwinding the yarn `trom a yarn package; a cone; a reciprocatory traverse mechanism for guiding .the yarn from said feed means onto said cone; means for rendering negligible the effect on yarn properties of any tiuctuations of tension arising from the different windup speeds at the nose and the `tail of the'cone, said means including drive means for rotating said cone and means establishing a minimum .nce S between said feed means and said cone 5 such that lthe mean lline-nr speed fof the yarn being Wound 0n said cone remains substantially constant and such that the yarn stretches by a Isafe amount when Winding on the bese of the cene and retains adequate 4tension when Winding en the noise of the cone, said minimum distance S being determined by the relationship:

ele-e1 Where x is the yzic/tual length onf yarn wound on the cone in `one traverse from .the nose to` the hase ef the cone, y is the length `orf yarn Wound in a similar traverse on a cylinder having Ithe same diameter as the nose of the eene, (x-y) is Athe additional length of yam required to be delivered in one traverse on the cone, L s the length erf yan1 capable of being stretched Ia distance l,

and e is the extension `of the yarn at the nose end of the cone in percent.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS DONALD W. EARKER, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH P. STRIZAK, RUSSELL C. MADER,

15 MERVEN STEIN, Examiners.

Claims (1)

1. 2. APPARATUS FOR WINDING EXTENSIBLE BULKED YARN MADE FROM SYNTHETIC POLYMER FILAMENT ONTO A CONE COMPRISING: CONSTANT SPEED POSITIVE FEED MEANS FOR UNWINDING THE YARN FROM A YARN PACKAGE; A CONE; A RECIPROCATORY TRAVERSE MECHANISM FOR GUIDING THE YARN FROM SAID FEED MEANS ONTO SAID CONE; MEANS FOR RENDERING NEGLIGIBLE THE EFFECT ON YARN PROPERTIES OF ANY FIUCTUATIONS OF TENSION ARISING FROM THE DIFFERENT WINDUP SPEEDS AT THE NOSE AND THE TAIL OF THE CONE, SAID MEANS INCLUDING DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID CONE AND MEANS ESTABLISHING A MINIMUM DISTANCE S BETWEEN SAID FEED MEANS AND SAID CONE SUCH THAT THE MEANS LINEAR SPEED OF TH EYARN BEING WOUND ON SAID CONE REMAINS SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT AND SUCH THAT THE YARN STRETCHES BY A SAFE AMOUNT WHEN WINDING ON THE BASE OF THE CONE AND RETAINS ADEQUATE TENSION WHEN

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