US3507250A - Liquid applicator - Google Patents

Description

April 21, 1970 w. F. DEW, JR

LIQUID APPLICATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 22, 196'? INVENTOR. WILLIAM F. DEW, JR.

ATTORNEY April 21, 1970 w. F. DE'W, JR LIQUID APPLICA'fOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 22, 1967 TW M United States Patent 3,507,250 LIQUID APPLICATOR William F. Dew, Jr., Decatur, Ala., assignor to Monsanto Company, St. Louis, M0,, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 22, 1967, Ser. No. 685,017

Int. Cl. Bc N00 US. Cl. 118-234 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention This invention relates to an improved apparatus for the treatment of strands and like materials. More particularly the invention relates to a new and improved apparatus for treating strands with a liquid medium.

Strand, as used throughout this specification and the appended claims, is intended to include all types of strands, threads, yarns, filaments, fibers, fibrous bundles, bundles of filaments or filamentary material, ribbons, bands, extruded wire, and the like. This invention is applicable to the treatment of strands made from various types of materials, such as cotton, wool, flax, hemp, etc., regenerated cellulose, such as that produced from viscous, cupra-ammonium cellulose, and the like, cellulose ethers and esters, such as methyl cellulose hydroXyethyl cellulose, ethylcellulose, etc., cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, cellulose proproniate, cellulose butrate, mixed cellulose ethers and esters, vinyl resins, such as polyacrylonitrile, copolymers of acrylonitrile, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, coplymers of vinylchloride with vinylacetate or acrylonitrile, and condensation polymers such as polyamides, polyesters, and the like.

At various stages in the processing of strands and like materials, whether of synthetic or natural origin, it is desirable to apply thereto a liquid. Except for dipping of the strand itself which is often neither practical nor economical, the simplest form of such an application is by means of passing the strand across a rotating cylinder, a portion of which is immersed in the liquid as it turns. This cylinder may be covered with a skirt or wick which absorbs the liquid, thereafter applying the same to the strand.

The use of the rotating cylinder as a means for applying a liquid to a continuous strand is especially advantageous for continuous high speed applications where an excess of the liquid is not desired. The strand may be relatively slack or it may be under tension. Particularly where the strand is under tension, it has been found that certain types of strands, as for example polyester threads, containing titanium dioxide have a tendency to cause excessive wear to the cloth skirt surrounding the cylinder, and particularly during high speed applications, to wear grooves in the rolls. It has also been found that finite adjustments of the amount of the application can not be made with an application by means of the ordinary rotating cylinder.

Summary of the invention It is therefore an object of this invention to provide in conjunction with a wet roll type cylinder a portion of 3,507,250 Patented Apr. 21, 1970 which dips into a liquid, means for continuous removal of varying amounts of the liquid from the periphery of the cylinder, and means in conjunction therewith for the application of these limited amounts of the liquid to continuous moving strands.

It is another object of this invention to provide in conjunction with a rotating cylinder, a small inexpensive and easily removable applicator surface for the application of a liquid to a plurality of continuously moving strands.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent from the description of the drawing and of the preferred embodiment.

Brief description of the drawing FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view, in section of the preferred embodiment of this invention, and

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment.

FIGURE 3 is a schematic perspective view of the scraper of the preferred embodiment showing a permissible variation of its upper surface.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now in detail to the figures, continuous strands 1 pass rapidly over rotating thread guide 2 across applicator bar 3, and between rotating thread guides 4.

Applicator bar 3 is mounted on scraper 5 the upper surface of which is substantially tangential to roll 6 and in a downwardly sloping position with respect to its sharp cutting edge 7. This downwardly sloping upper surface of the scraper may be provided with flow control veins or channels 19 to channel the flow of the liquid to the point of contact of the strand and to distribute to various strands an equal amount of the liquid, as shown in FIGURE 3. Scraper 5 is adjustably mounted on frame 8, stationary with respect to cylinder 6 and so adjusted that cutting edge 7 will remove the desired amount of liquid 9 from the peripheral surface of cylinder 6 as it passes in close relationship thereto. Scraper 5 may be shaped so that its surface adjacent to cylinder 6 is substantially concave in conformance with the peripheral surface of cylinder 6. This provides for easier adjustment of cutting edge 7 and avoids incorrect adjustment of scraper 5 so as to cut into and damage cylinder 6. A permissible variation of the fixed mounting of scraper 5 is a slide mountwhereby substantially vertical freedom of movement of scraper 5 is permitted so that its lower surface rides against the turning peripheral surface of cylinder 6. One or more bearings may be mounted on the lower surface of said scraper to minimize friction.

Cylinder 6 rotates about shaft 10 dipping into liquid 9 which is contained in container 11.

Although the scraper itself may be used. as the actual applicator surface, it has been found that a removably separate application means is more practical and economical.

Applicator bar 3, in this preferred embodiment, is cylindrical in shape, is constructed of any hard corrosion resistant material as, for example a ceramic material, and is easily replaceable by loosening set screws 12 in frames 13 .which hold applicator bar 3 against scraper bar 5. Wherever desirable to combine the applicator bar with a means for grounding static electricity, a convenient method is afforded in accordance with this invention by using a metallic bar which is properly grounded. Applicator bar 3 is preferably maintained in a recess toward the lower end of the upper surface of scraper 5. Applicator bar 5 may be stationary with respect to the scraper and adjustably rotating as in this preferred embodiment, or it may be freely mounted on the scraper so as to turn when in contact with the strand. A rotating applicator bar would, of course be less aifected by abrasive wear. Ap-

plicator assembly 14 comprising scraper 5, applicator bar 3 and frames 13, are held in position by securing same to mounting brackets 16 by bolts and wing nuts 17'. By loosening wing nuts.17, one end of scraper 5 may be raised or lowered within brackets 16. Brackets 16 are also adjustably or slidably secured to frame 8 by screws 18.

The outer surface of cylinder 6, as in most conventional liquid applicators, is preferably of a hard noncorrosive material.

It would thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceeding description, are efficiently obtained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for the application of liquid to continuous running strands comprising:

(a) a container of said liquid,

(b) a cylinder rotating about its axis and so disposed as to dip into said container,

(c) a substanially vertical frame mounted in stationary relationship to said cylinder having elements astride said cylinder,

(d) a substantially wedge-shaped scraper having a cutting edge stator-mounted in juxtaposition with the peripheral surface of said cylinder and so disposed that its upper surface is generally tangential to the peripheral surface of said cylinder and in a downwardly sloping position away from said cylinder,

(e) mounting means for said scraper including slope adjustment means,

(f) adjustable means for attachment of said mounting means to said frame on said astride elements,

(g) a substantially cylindrical applicator bar removably mounted across the downwardly sloping upper surface of said scraper having an exposed surface nearly contiguous with the upper surface of said scraper,

(h) means for causing continuous strands to cross the exposed surface of said applicator bar in contact therewith,

whereby a liquid contained in said container is transported along the surface of said cylinder, is removed from said cylinder by said scraper, flows along the upper surface of said scaper to said applicator bar, and is deposited along said continuous running strand as said strand is drawn across said applicator bar.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lower surface of said scraper is concave generally conforming with the peripheral surface of said cylinder.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said scraper is fioatably mounted and so disposed that its lower surface rides against the turning peripheral surface of said cylinder.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said applicator bar is rotatably mounted across the upper surface of said scraper.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said scraper has channeling means on its upper surface whereby said liquid is evenly distributed to each of said running strands.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said applicator bar is a grounded conductor, whereby static electricity is removed from said continuous strands.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 596,905 1/1898 McCoy 118-325 X 1,932,727 10/ 1933 Faulkner 118-407 2,030,572 2/1936 Donnini 118-407 X 2,493,359 1/1950 Painter 57-35 2,565,319 8/1951 Newman.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner J. P. MCINTOSH, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 1l8258, 420

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