US3499195A - Abrasive apparatus - Google Patents

Description

c. A. WETHINGTON W 3,499,195

March 10, 1970 ABRAS IVE APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Filed June 7, 1967 INVENTOR. CHARLES A. WETHINGTON ATTORNEY March 10, 1970 C. A. WETHINGTON ABRASIVE APPARATUS s sheets-sheet 2 Filed June 7, 1967 INVENTOR.

CHARLES A.WETHINGTON- F/G. "2'

gaun- ATTORNEY March 10, 1970 c. WETHlNGTO N ABRASIVE APPARATUS Filed Jun v, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. -3-

I INVENTOR.

CHARLES A.WETH I NGTON ATTORNEY United States Patent ABRASIVE APPARATUS Charles A. Wethington, Spartanburg, S.C., assignor to Deering Milliken Research Corporation, Spartanburg,

S.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 7, 1967, Ser. No. 644,292 Int. Cl. D02j 3/02 US. CI. 28-67 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus to deluster or dull the gloss of both sides of a synthetic ribbon yarn such as polypropylene by running a multiplicity of yarn ends over a series of abrading wheels. The apparatus includes a traverse means to traverse the yarn and a mechanical means to position the abrading wheels for easy thread-up of the yarn.

This invention relates generally to apparatus for abrading synthetic ribbon type yarn and more specifically to apparatus for abrading both sides of a synthetic yarn such as polypropylene.

It has been found for certain uses of synthetic yarn the glossy finish must be dulled for most efficient utility. An example of the use of such yarn would be for sand bags where it is absolutely necessary to have a dull finish so that no light will be reflected therefrom to expose the position of our fortifications to the opposing force. Another example of the use of a dulled finish synthetic yarn would be for the backing of carpets where it is necessary that light not be reflected through the pile in the carpet from the backing.

Many methods have been employed in attempts to achieve an efficient dulling of the surface of a synthetic ribbon type yarn but each has had serious drawbacks. One method utilized was to use non-gloss compounds during extrusion of the yarn. In addition, it is known to add certain additives such as titanium dioxide to the standard product to be extruded and to the above-mentioned non-gloss compound. These two methods dulled the finish somewhat but it was found that after drawing of the yarn the surface of the yarn tended to take on a glossy appearance. Another method is to extrude a mat finish on a woven fabric made from synthetic ribbon yarn. This method produced a satisfactory product but the price of the fabric was so high that it could not be commercially exploited.

Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a machine to dull the finish of a synthetic yarn in an etficient and economical manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine to abrade both the surfaces of a polypropylene ribbon yarn to provide a non-gloss yarn for specialized utility.

Other objects and advantages will be clearly apparent as the specification proceeds to describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective partially cut away of the new and improved yarn abrading apparatus;

I FIGURE 2 is a side view of the apparatus of FIGURE 1 showing the abrading rolls in the thread-up position and FIGURE 3 is a very similar to FIGURE 2 showing the machine in the operative position.

Looking now to the drawings and especially to FIGURE 1 the reference numeral 10 represents the new and improved yarn abrading machine. In the preferred form of the invention the material to be dulled or abraded is ribbon polypropylene yarn since its intended use is for sandbags and has the characteristic of being strong and is not effected by ageing or exposure to water or air for long periods of time.

3,499,195 Patented Mar. 10, 1970 "Ice The operative elements of the abrading machine 10 are mounted on a suitable support structure defined by upright corner members 12, support members 14 extending between corner members 12 and top plate member 16. An additional support plate 18 extends across the width of the machine 10 and is suitably connected to the support members 14 and the bottom of top plate member 16.

An upright support member 20 is welded or otherwise secured to the top plate member 16 and supports channel section 22 to which is secured a plate 24 that supports a small motor 26. Also secured to the channel section 22 'is a pair of plate members 28 (only one of which is shown) which support bearings 30 for the traverse idler roll 32. The idler roll 32 has a plurality of grooves 34 therein to guide the incoming ribbon to the machine. Preferably, one ribbon to be delustered will be located in each groove 34 so that the number of grooves 34 in the traverse idler roll 32 depends upon the number of ribbons of yarn that is desired to be dulled at one time. To distribute the wear on the abrasive paper of the abrasive drums 36 and 38 and to prevent buildup of dust from the yarn being abraded the traverse idler roll is connected through suitable linkage 40 to the eccentric 42 connected to the motor 26 to traverse idler roll 32.

Mounted in suitable bearings 44 on the top plate member 16 is a movable idler roll 46 to hold the incoming yarn in the grooves 34 of the traverse idler roll 32 and to prevent the ribbons from turning over on the abrasive roll 36. The idler roll 46 is supported by short swing arms 48 which are fixed to shaft 50 rotatably supported in the bearings 44. Also fixed to the shaft 50 substantially perpendicular to the swing arms 48 is another swing arm 52 which maintains the idler roll 46 in operative position by the engagement of the corner member 12 with a spring loaded pin member 54 which prevents rotation of the shaft 50 in the counterclockwise direction. When threading the machine up the spring loaded pin member 54 is pulled outwardly against the bias of the left spring 56 and the shaft 50 is then allowed to rotate in a counterclockwise direction to lower the idler roll 46.

In the preferred form of the invention two abrasive rolls 36 and 38 are employed with the roll 36 being in a fixed position and the roll 38 being pivotally supported. Preferably the rolls 36 and 38 are made of steel tubing with emery paper, or other suitable abrasive paper, glued to the steel tubing through the use of a water soluble adhesive which can be readily dissolved when it is necessary to replace the emery paper when it is worn out.

Abrasive roll 36 is mounted in a fixed cantilevered position by vertically oriented support 20 which supports the bearings (not shown) through which the shaft 58 of the roll 36 projects. The shaft 58 projects outwardly of the support plate 20 for the reasons hereinafter explained.

Abrasive roll 38 is pivotally supported relative to the top plate 16 by a shaft 60 rotatably secured in bearings 62 which are screwed or otherwise secured to the top plate 16. Shaft 60 is operatively connected to roll 38 through swing arms 63 and 64 rigidly secured thereto and rotating therewith to rotate the abrasive roll 38. A lever arm 66 rigidly secured to the shaft 60 rotates the shaft 60 and the abrasive roll 38 from the position shown in FIGURE 2 to the position shown in FIGURE 3 when the pneumatically operated piston 68 is supplied air under pressure to raise the piston rod 70 to rotate the lever arm 66. Pneumatically operated piston 68 is mounted in support plate 18 in any suitable manner.

Mounted on each of the swing arms 63 and 64 is a plate member 71 which has a slot 72 therein through which the shaft 74 of idler roll 76 projects and is secured thereto. The outer sleeve of-the idler roll 76 is mounted internally an bearings and rotates with respect to its shaft 74. [dler roll 76 is adjustable in the slot 72 to control the amount of wrap of the ribbons on the abrasive roll 38 ;o that the delustering or dulling effect on the top and Jottom of the ribbon yarn can be equalized.

Preferably the abrasive rolls 36 and 38 rotate in a diection opposite to the direction of travel of the yarn ;hereover. In the specific embodiment the ribbon yarn is :raveling at a linear speed of approximately 500 ft./ min. while the abrasive rolls are traveling at a linear speed of lpproximately 1000 ft./min. in the opposite direction providing a relative linear speed between the abrasive Tolls and the yarn 'being treated of approximately 1500 Ft./min. To drive the abrasive rolls a motor 78 is mounted Jeneath the top plate 16 and through suitable means such is a chain drive and/or gear train drives both the rolls 56 and 38.

Looking now to FIGURES 2 and 3 the operation of the apparatus will be explained. In the preferred form of the nvention at least fifty ends of polypropylene ribbon yarn .s to be delustered or dulled at the same time. FIGURE 2 illustrates the machine in the thread-up position. Pin nember 54 has been released allowing idler roll 46 to drop ut of the yarn path. The air pressure to pneumatically )perated piston 68 has been released and the abrading "011 38 has rotated to a position below the yarn path. It :an readily be seen that a straight line path is provided :hrough the machine to thread up the yarn 80. The op- :rator of the machine takes the predetermined number of 1am ends from the yarn supply (not shown) and, with :he machine 10 at rest, runs these ends through the ma- :hine successively under traverse idler roll 32, over idler .011 46, under abrading roll 36, over abrading roll 38 and hen is supplied to a waste take-up package (not shown). The waste take-up package is then actuated and yarn is :hen pulled through the machine. Then idler roll 46 is 'otated into the operative position shown in FIGURE 3 :ausing the yarn 80 to contact the traverse idler roll 32 1nd the abrading roll 36. After the idler roll 46 has been placed in operative position each of the individual yarn :nds is placed in a separate groove 34 of the traverse dler roll 32. Then the machine 10 is started up and air s supplied to the piston 68 to rotate the abrading roll 38 :o the position shown in FIGURE 3. Then, if necessary, :he roll 76 is adjusted up or down to provide the correct amount of wrap of yarn 80 on the abrading roll 38 to :qualize the abrasion of both sides of the yarn 80. The perator then takes individually the yarn ends off the waste take-up roll (not shown) and supplies them to the iormal take-up rolls (also not shown). The yarn then is :ontinuously abraded and taken up until the operation is :hut down.

The herein disclosed apparatus provides an efiicient and economical method to deluster or dull the surface of a synthetic yarn. The apparatus is simple in'construction,

economical to manufacture and is elficient in operation.

Although I have described in detail the preferred embodiment of my invention, I contemplate that many changes may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of my invention.

That which is claimed is:

1. A machine to deluster the surface of a glossy yarn comprising: means guiding a plurality of ends of yarn through said machine, a first abrading roll means mounted in said machine to abrade one side of said yarn and a second abrading roll means pivotally mount d in said machine to abrade the other side of said yarn and be capable of being moved out of the path of travel of said yarn.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said second abrading roll means includes a means to adjust the amount of wrap of yarn around said roll means.

3. A machine to deluster the surface of a glossy yarn comprising: means guiding a plurality of ends of yarn through said machine, said guiding means including grooved idler roll, each of said grooves in said idler accommodating one end of yarn, a first abrading roll means mounted in said machine to abrade one side of said yarn and a second abrading roll means mounted in said machine to abrade the other side of said yarn.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said guiding means further includes a second idler roll means to maintain said yarn in said grooves in said grooved idler roll.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein means are provided to traverse said grooved idler roll to spread the wear on said abrading rolls by said yarn across the surface thereof.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein means are provided to traverse said grooved idler roll to spread the wear on said abrading rolls by said yarn across the surface thereof.

7. The structure of claim 6 wherein said means to pivot said second abrading roll means is a pneumatically operated piston.

8. The structure of claim 3 wherein means are provided to pivotally mount said second abrading roll means and to pivot said second abrading roll means out of the path of travel of said yarn.

9. The structure of claim 8 wherein said guiding means further includes a second idler roll means to maintain said yarn in said grooves in said grooved idler roll.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1941 Hanse 28---67 X 1/1966 Tlamicha 2867 US. Cl. X.R. 51-80

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