US3336743A

US3336743A - Composite yarn and process therefor

Info

Publication number: US3336743A
Application number: US511625A
Authority: US
Inventors: Preston F Marshall
Original assignee: Kendall Co
Current assignee: Kendall Co
Priority date: 1965-12-06
Filing date: 1965-12-06
Publication date: 1967-08-22
Anticipated expiration: 1984-08-22

Description

Aug. 22, 1967, P. FA MARSHALL 3,336,743

` COMPOSITE YARN'AND PROCESS THEREFOH Filed Deo. 6, 1965 United States Patent Ofiice 3,336,743 Patented Aug. 22, 1967 Filed Dec. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 511,625 6 Claims. (Cl. 57-144) This invention relates to a composite yarn comprising a plurality of vstrands held together without subjecting them to a cementing or twisting operation. More particularly it relates to a process whereby lamentary loops deriving from the fbody of one of the strands are wrapped around said strand and around at least one other strand, thereby binding the strands together.

Plied yarns are conventionally made by bringing together two or more strands and combining them by a twisting operation. Mechanical limitations on the speed of twisting devices has made this an expensive operation in comparison with most yarn-processing operations. Additionally, when soft or bulky yarns are being plied, there is an inevitable loss in softness and loft in conventional twisting operations.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a composite yarn in which two or more strands are held together without being twisted one around the other.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a composite yarn wherein lamentary loops deriving from at least one lamentary strand are wrapped around said strand and around at least one other strand, whereby Said strands are held in juxtaposition.

The invention Will be more clearly understood from the following description and drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 represents a wrapped yarn useful in the process of this invention.

FIGURE 2 represents, in simplified form, the yarn of FIGURE 1 combined with a second strand, according to this invention.

FIGURE 3 represents two yarns both similar to the yarn of FIGURE l, combined with each other according to this invention.

FIGURE 4 represents, in cross-section, an apparatus suitable for producing the yarns of this invention.

In general, the process comprises:

(l) Forming a wrapped yarn comprising at least one core strand, with at least one wrapping strand -disposed around the core strand in the form of doubled-back loops, the loops overlapping the core for a plurality of turns, and the wrapping strand possessing no net true twist around the core strand. The process for making such a wrapped yarn is set forth in my U.S. Patent 3,041,812, wherein the looped wrappings are explained as in part extending radially from the yarn axis.

(2) Passing at least one such wrapped yarn, together with at least one additional strand of similar or different nature, through the apparatus of FIGURE 4 while subjecting both yarn and strand to the action of a whirling cylindrical body of fluid introduced into the apparatus of FIGURE 4, whereby the loops extending radially from the body of the wrapped yarn are further wrapped about the yarn and strand to form a composite yarn.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a wrapping strand 12 is shown as disposed in the form of doubled-back loops 13 around a core strand to form a wrapped yarn 14. Such yarns are described, for example, in U.S. Patent 3,076,307. The core strand may be a multiiilament strand, or a monoilament such as a wire, its chief functions being as a scaifold around which to dispose the looped wrapping strand and as a load-bearing member in the final structure.

The wrapping strand in the yarn of FIGURE l is preferably a continuous multilament strand, and may be of viscose, acetate, nylon, or other multifilamentary material as desired. Apparatus suitable for conducting a wrapping process of this nature is set forth in U.S. Patents 3,082,591 and 3,041,812.

FIGURE 4 represents the combining of the wrapped yarn 14 of FIGURE 1 with another strand 16, of any desired nature, in an apparatus which is the same as the apparatus used to form yarn 14. As shown, it comprises a cylindrical vortex tube 18 consisting of walls 20, entrance and exit openings 22 and 24, air inlets 28, and an axiallydisposed downwardly-extending control tube 26. This apparatus is illustrated and fully described in said U.S. Patent 3,082,591, an-d reference is hereby made thereto for an understanding of the various components and their function.

The wrapped yarn 14 and the second strand 16 are supplied to the vortex tube 18 from conventional packages, not shown, their feed rates being governed by letoif rolls, star wheels, or other conventional speed-governing mechanisms, also not shown. As air under pressure's fed into the vortex tube 18 through either of the air inlets 28, a whirling cylindrical body of air is established inside the tube, as shown. This causes a .sort of crankshaft motion in the wrapped yarn and the second strand, tending to draw them together with a twisting motion upstream of the center of the tube, as at 30'. At this point the two strands appear to be plied. This is a false twist or false plying, however, and the twist imparted upstream nal product one strand may in places appear to be wrapped around the other with several turns of true twist, in the process of this invention there is no true relative motion of strand 16 around the wrapped yarn 14: hence there can be no true net twist of one strand around the other, and if a section of the product appears to exhibit a true ply, another section will be found to exhibit an equal number of ply turns in the opposite direction.

In FIGURE 2, the composite false-plied yarn 32 is shown as consisting ofthe strand 16 bound to the wrapped yarn 14 of FIGURE 1 by the process just set forth. The wrapping strand 12 of the wrapped yarn 14 is now united to the second strand 16 by means of doubled-back loops of wrapping strand, as at 15. This is a second wrapping operation, in the sense that the wrapping 15 derives from the elongated loops 13 present in the original Wrapped yarn 14 of FIGURE 1.

In FIGURE 3 there is shown the result of passing two wrapped yarns, each of the nature of FIGURE l, through the apparatus of FIGURE 4. The upper yarn consists of a core strand 10 with a wrapping strand 12 disposed around it in looped form, as previously described. The essentially similar lower yarn 16 consists of a core strand 11 with Wrapping strand 17 similarly disposed. After passing both yarns through the process of FIGURE 4, the two yarns will be mutually bound together by wrappings 15 `derived from the elongated and radially-extending loops of the upper yarn and by similar wrappings 19 derived from similar loops originally present in the lower yarn.

Although the various wrappings shown in FIGURE 2 and 3 are represented, for the sake of clarity, as being like a doubled loop of a single Wrapping strand, when a low-twist multifilamentary strand is used for wrapping, the process illustrated in FIGURE 4 will to at least some extent separate sorne of the filaments of the wrapping strand into smaller groups of filaments, so that the nal yarn has a very soft, fuzzy and appealing hand. By using wrapping strands and core strands of different colors, a variety of interesting heather and speckled effects can be realized, in which the colors alternate in a haphazard and random fashion. Textured effects can be produced from the combination of a wrapped yarn of FIGURE 1 with a slub or nub yarn as the second strand, such slubbed strands being I 3 described, for example, in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 374,743, tiled June 12, 1964, now U.S. Patent No. 3,280,- 546.

Previous attempts to develop a plied yarn effect without carrying out a plying operation have included processes such as described in U.S. Patent 2,895,285, to Hilbert, wherein larnentary loops are formed on the surfaces of multifilament yarns and the loops of one yarn are entangled with the loops of the other yarn. Such a surface engagement, however, does not develop as strong a yarnto-yarn union as the wrapping process in the yarns of the present invention, which are remarkable in their ability to withstand such processes as coning and knitting without separation.

The process of the invention will be illustrated by the following examples.

Example 1 Using the apparatus of FIGURE 4, two wrapped yarns similar to the yarns of FIGURE 1 were prepared by the general procedure described in U.S. Patent 3,082,591. Each wrapped yarn consisted of a nylon wrapping strand, 70 denier 34 filament, on a 140 denier 68 filament nylon core. The cores were white in both cases, while one wrapping strand was white and one black. Approximately 6.9 yards of wrapping strand in each case was disposed around one yard of core strand in the form of doubled-back loops which at intervals extended radially at a distance from the core strand as at 13. The control tube 26 extended downwardly into the vortex chamber 18 so that its lower end was about parallel with the air inlets 28.

For combining these two wrapped yarns to give the product of FIGURE 3, the control tube 26 of FIGURE 4 was adjusted upward until it was flush with the upper inside wall of the chamber. The control tube 26 seems to have an effect on the configuration and power of the whirling mass of air within the vortex tube, and its Withdrawal seems to promote the wrapping of the loops of each strand (13 of FIGURE 1) around both strands when they are brought together in the chamber.

The two strands, 14 and 16 of FIGURE 4, were fed to the vortex chamber at a rate of 350 feet per minute, with a 90 p.s.i.g. air pressure delivered to one of the air-inlets 28. The result was a falsely-plied yarn, represented by FIGURE 3.

Example 2 A nubbed yarn was produced according to Example 1 of U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 374,743, filed June 12, 1964, now U.S. Patent No. 3,280,546, using the apparatus described therein. Then, using the combining or false plying operation set forth in Example 1, is Was passed together with a wrapped yarn of the type set for-th in Example 1 through the apparatus of FIGURE 4 under the conditions set forth in Example 1.

The result was a textured and falsely-plied yarn with a nubbed effect at irregular intervals, the two yarns being held together by filamentary loops from each yarn being wrapped at intervals around both yarns.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A composite yarn comprising a wrapped yarn formed from at least one wrapping strand and at least one core strand,

said wrapping strand being associated with said core strand in the form of doubled-back loops wound around said core strand for a multiplicity of turns,

together with a falsely-plied strand secured to said wrapped yarn at periodic intervals by a secondary wrapping,

said secondary wrapping comprising loops derived from the wrapping strand of the wrapped yarn being disposed around said falsely-plied strand and around said Wrapped strand,

said wrapped strand and said falsely-plied strand possessing no net true twist around one another.

2. The product according to claim 1 in which the falsely-plied strand is a textured yarn characterized by alternating thick and thin areas.

3. A composite yarn formed from at least two wrapped yarns,

each wrapped yarn comprising a core strand and a wrapping strand associated therewith,

the wrapping strand in both yarns being disposed around its core strand in the form of doubled-back loops wound for a multiplicity of turns around said core strand,

each wrapping strand at periodic intervals also being disposed around both elements of the composite yarn in the form of doubled-back loops wound about both elements for a multiplicity of turns,

the two wrapped yarns forming the composite yarn possessing no net true twist around one another.

4. The method of producing a falsely-plied yarn which comprises passing at least one wrapping strand and at least one core strand through a generally cylindrical body of uid whirling about a central axis,

the wrapping strand being fed at a rate faster than the core strand,

disposing the wrapping strand around the core strand in the form of doubled-back loops wound for a multiplicity of turns around said core strand,

a portion of said loops at intervals extending radially outward from the axis of said core strand;

bringing the thus-formed wrapped yarn into justaposition with a second strand,

passing the combined yarn and second strand through a generally cylindrical body of fluid whirling about a central axis,

wrapping at least some of the radially-disposed loops of the wrapped yarn around both the second strand and around the wrapped yarn,

and removing the thus-formed falsely-plied yarn from the whirling body of fluid.

5. The process according to claim 4 wherein the second strand is another wrapped yarn and the radially-extending loops of each yarn are wrapped about both yarns.

6. The process according to claim 4 wherein the second strand is a textured yarn possessing alternating -thick and thin areas.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,041,812 7/1962 Marshall 57-6 3,078,653 2/1963 Marshall 57-144 X 3,082,591 3/1963 Marshall 57-6 3,280,546 10/1966 Spicer et al 57-144 FRANK I. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

I. PETRAKES, Assistant Examiner'.

Claims

1. A COMPOSITE YARN COMPRISING A WRAPPED YARN FORMED FROM AT LEAST ONE WRAPPING STRAND AND AT LEAST ONE CORE STRAND, SAID WRAPPING STRAND BEING ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CORE STRAND IN THE FORM OF DOUBLED-BACK LOOPS WOUND AROUND SAID CORE STRAND FOR A MULTIPLICITY OF TURNS, TOGETHER WITH A FALSELY-PLIED STRAND SECURED TO SAID WRAPPED YRAN AT PERIODIC INTERVALS BY A SECONDARY WRAPPING, SAID SECONDARY WRAPPING COMPRISING LOOPS DERIVED FROM THE WRAPPING STRAND OF THE WRAPPED YARN BEING DISPOSED AROUND SAID FALSELY-PLIED STRAND AND AROUND SAID WRAPPED STRAND, SAID WRAPPED STRAND AND SAID FALSELY-PLIED STRAND POSSESSING NO NET TRUE TWIST AROUND ONE ANOTHER.

4. THE METHOD OF PRODUCING A FALSELY-PLIED YARN WHICH COMPRISES PASSING AT LEAST ONE WRAPPING STRAND AND AT LEAST ONE CORE STRAND THROUGH A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL BODY OF FLUID WHIRLING ABOUT A CENTRAL AXIS, THE WRAPPING STRAND BEING FED AT A RATE FASTER THAN THE CORE STRAND, DISPOSING THE WRAPPING STRAND AROUND THE CORE STRAND IN THE FORM OF DOUBLED-BACK LOOPS WOUND FOR A MULTIPLICITY OF TURNS AROUND SAID CORE STRAND, A PORTION OF SAID LOOPS AT INTERVALS EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARD FROM THE AXIS OF SAID CORE STRAND; BRINGING THE THUS-FORMED WRAPPED YARN INTO JUSTAPOSITION WITH A SECOND STRAND, PASSING THE COMBINED YARN AND SECOND STRAND THROUGH A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL BODY OF FLUID WHIRLING ABOUT A CENTRAL AXIS, WRAPPING AT LEAST SOME OF THE RADIALLY-DISPOSED LOOPS OF THE WRAPPED YARN AROUND BOTH THE SECOND STRAND AND AROUND THE WRAPPED YARN, AND REMOVING THE THUS-FORMED FALSELY-PLIED FROM THE WHIRLING BODY OF FLUID.