US3672147A

US3672147A - Method for manufacturing yarn consisting of fibers and filaments

Info

Publication number: US3672147A
Application number: US65006A
Authority: US
Inventors: Michele Callieri; Giorgio Faraci; Mario Paracchini
Original assignee: Bemberg SpA
Current assignee: Bemberg SpA
Priority date: 1969-08-30
Filing date: 1970-08-19
Publication date: 1972-06-27
Anticipated expiration: 1989-06-27

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for producing a yarn composed by a bundle of filaments with which fibers or staples are interlaced which are blown in the desired quantity by means of a jet of air or gas by a metering device and thereafter are conveyed by the jet on the bundle of filaments in an interlacing device. Preferably a part of the jet of air or gas is guided through the metering device and cooperates with the same, and this part of the jet is combined with another part of the jet passing outside the metering device before the interlacing device or within the same. The jet of air or gas guided through the metering device may be intermittent and also the feeding of staples or fibers to the jet of air or gas by the metering device may be intermittent.

Description

United States Patent Callieri et al.

[4 June 27, 1972 54] METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING 3,439,491 4/1969 Scruggs ..57/6 x YARN CONSISTING OF FIBERS AND FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS FILAMENTS 1,263,217 11/1958 Germany ..28/1.4 [72] inventors: Michele Callieri; Giorgio Faraci, both of 60223110; Mario Pal'acchllli, Primary ExaminerLouis K. Rimrodt g m n all of ly Attorney-Diner, Brown, Ramik & Holt [73] Assignee: Bemberg S.p.A., Milan, Italy ABSTRACT [22] Fned: 1970 A method and an apparatus for producing a yarn composed by [2]] A N 65,006 a bundle of filaments with which fibers or staples are interlaced which are blown in the desired quantity by means of a jet of air or gas by a metering device and thereafter are conveyed Application Dam by the jet on the bundle of filaments in an interlacing device. Preferably a part of the jet of air or gas is guided through the Aug. 30, 1969 Italy ..21470 A/69 metering device and cooperates with the Same, and this pan of the jet is combined with another part of the jet passing outside [52] U.S. CI ..57/l57 F the metering device before [he interlacing device or within the [51] Int. Cl Same. The j f air or g g i through the metering device [58] Field of Search 24/1 .4, 72. l 2; 57/5, 6, 157 F, may be intermittent and also the feeding 0f staples or fibers to 57/10 B, 34 B the jet of air or gas by the metering device may be intermittent. [56] References Cited 7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS i 3,043,087 7/1962 Breen et a1. .....5 7/1 7 F H 21 ll P4 i l 1 i 19 Y I I i 12\ l' v 1 L L:\\\ T 2 I 1 I I I I i 1 1 I l 14 10 PATENTEDJUHN 1972 SHEET 2 0F 2 MICHELE CQLUERL &\1 NPR) PHRQCCH|N\ BY amnem PRRHCI NVENTORS/ I J M A OIZNEYS METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING YARN CONSISTING F FIBERS AND FILAMENTS The invention relates to a process for the manufacture of a yarn consisting of a bundle of filaments and fibers, according to which the fibers are blown on to the filament bundle by a gas or air stream and are interlaced by this gas or air stream with thefilament bundle in an interlacing device. The invention also comprises an apparatus for carrying out this process, as well as a yarn built up from fibers and filaments with the aid of the process.

Such a process is known. In this known process fibers are blown by an air stream on to the filament bundle and interlaced with it by the action of the air stream on the filaments. It is also known to provide the interlacing device with a hopper, from which fibers are fed to the interlacing device, the fibers then having to be interlaced with the filament bundle by a separate air stream.

It is essential that the yarns made in such a way should have a regular appearance. This regularity may consist in. that a constant amount of fibers interlaced with the filaments is present over the length of the yarn; however, it is also possible that the amount of fibers varies regularly between specific values. The latter yarn then has an unevenness characterized by regularity. The yarns prepared by the known method do not yet come up sufficiently to this requirement of regularity, because the distribution of the fibers over the length is not yet fully under control. The result is that in a thick-thin yarn the accumulations of fibers over the length are unequal and that in a yarn that must have a uniform thickness there still occur thick-thin differences.

The invention has for its object to provide a process of the type mentioned, in which the above drawbacks have been obviated.

The invention consists in that the gas or air stream cooperates with a metering device for incorporating the desired amount of fibers into the gas or air stream. In this way the metering of the fibers to the filament bundle can be accurately controlled, so that a yarn can be obtained with either a very regular distribution of fibers over the length or a regular distribution of fiber accumulations over the length.

lt should be added that the invention is not restricted to the application of a gas or air stream, but that a stream of any fluid, for instance a vapor, by which fibers can be interlaced with a filament bundle, may be used for performing the process according to the invention.

A favorable embodiment of the process according to the invention is obtained if it is characterized in that the gas or air stream is guided through the fiber metering device. In this way the fibers are carried along directly by the air stream as soon as they have been released by the metering device. Another favorable embodiment of the process according to the invention is obtained if it is characterized in that part of the gas or air stream is guided through a fiber metering device or cooperates with it, and before or in the interlacing device is combined with the gas or air stream which has passed outside the fiber metering device.

An effective embodiment of the process is characterized in that the gas or air stream guided through or co-operating with the fiber metering device is intermittent or fluctuating, and intermittently obtains a pressure higher than that of the gas or air stream passing outside the fiber metering device. By this process a yarn with an uneven surface can be obtained, because a varying amount of fibers are interlaced with the filaments over the length of the yarn, while it is yet possible in this way to effect this unevenness at regular distances.

An efi'ective embodiment of the process according to the invention is also obtained if it is characterized in that the metering device supplies the fibers to the air stream in an intermittent manner. The air stream guided through or co-operating with the fiber metering device then preferably is intermittent and the frequency of this intermittent air stream is equal to the frequency with which the fibers are supplied to the air stream by the fiber metering device. Thus a yarn is obtained which has a very regular distribution of fibers over the length and a very attractive voluminous character.

An efiective embodiment of the invention is obtained if it is characterized in that the fibers are formed by the cutting action exerted by a knife, which moves, preferably rotates, in the metering device, on a sliver or filament bundle which is supplied to the metering device via supply members. The sliver or filament bundle can very suitably be supplied by mechanical means, for instance with the aid of pinch rollersor clamping strips, or by pneumatic means. In the latter case an air jet directed along the sliver or bundle carries the sliver or bundle to the cutting point in the metering device.

A favorable embodiment of an apparatus for carrying out said process, which apparatus is equipped with an interlacing v device containing a chamber with a supply and a discharge opening for the yarn and an interlacing air inlet towhich an air supply channel is connected, is characterized in that a fiber metering device is present which opens into the air supply channel.

A favorable embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention is also obtained if the fiber metering device opens into a second air supply channel, which is connected, between the fiber metering device and the interlacing device, to the first air supply channel, which is connected to the interlacing air opening of the interlacing device.

A very compact embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention is attained if the fiber metering device is constructed as a cutting device containing a knife rotatable in a housing, said housing near its circumference being provided withtwo openings, facing each other, to which the air supply channel is connected, the cutting device also containing one or more pinch rollers for supplying the thread to the cutting point. After cutting, the rotating knife transports the fibers from the cutting point to before the openings, so that the constant or intermittent air stream in the air supply channel can carry off the fibers and blow them on to the filaments in the interlacing device. 7

A very effective embodiment according to the invention is obtained if the apparatus is characterized in that a valve member formed by a rotatable air valve is fitted in the second air supply channel, in that the knife, the pinch rollers and the air valve are operated by one drive, and in that the latter is constructed in such a way that the transmission ratios of the drive of the knife, the pinch rollers and the air valve are adjustable. With the rotatable air valve the air pulses can be supplied very accurately, and with the adjustable drive the fiber lengths and the fiber distribution over the length of the yarn can be set very accurately to the desired values.

The yarns made by the method and apparatus have an appearance that makes them suitable for many uses. it is possible to combine filaments and fibers of the same type of fiber or diflerent; in the latter case, there is, we can say, no limitation to the choice of filaments and fibers to combine.

By the method according to the invention, the fibers, consisting of a bundle of short fibers, blown against the filaments bundle by the air or gas stream, are strongly interlaced with the filaments bundle, which filaments are then interlaced together. The resulting yarn has a very close appearance, with many fiber ends emerging free in the points where the fibers have been blown and interlaced.

Method and apparatus can be used combined with other processes of yarn production. For instance, it has been stated particularly favorable, the combination of method and apparatus according to the invention with the draw-twisting process of synthetic fibers, as polyamides and polyesters. In that specific case the filaments bundle is formed by the synthetic yarn coming from the drawing path and the apparatus according to the invention is placed immediately after the drawing path and before the twist spindle The frequence of interlaced fibers on the filaments bundle, in the method according to the invention, is conveniently adjustable according to the desired effect: at this aim, can be appropriately varied the running speed of the filaments bundle and the feeding speed of the fibers blown by the air or gas stream.

The length of the fibers can be varied within certain limits. This length is pref. 2-5 mm.

The pressure of the air feeded through the channel passing outside the metering device is adjustable according to the speed of the filaments bundle that goes through the apparatus according to the invention; pref. this pressure is within 2-4 atm. The pressure of the air or the gas that goes through the fibers metering device, will change correspondently between 3 and atrn.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the schematic drawing.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the process according to the invention.

FIG. 2 gives an-other embodiment of the process according to the invention.

FIG. 3 shows yet another embodiment of the process according to the invention.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention partly in longitudinal view and partly in crosssection.

FIG. 5 is a cross'section of FIG. 4 along V-V.

FIG. 6 is a cross-section of FIG. 4 along VI-VI.

In FIGS. 1-6 corresponding parts are indicated by the same numerals.

In FIGS. 1-6 the numeral 1 indicates the filament bundle which is guided through the yarn supply opening 3 in the interlacing device and which, with the fibers tangled on to it, leaves the interlacing device at the discharge opening 4. The fiber metering device is indicated by 7. The fibers are supplied through channel 9. Compressed air is supplied through channel 8, which is connected to the interlacing air supply opening 5 of the interlacing device 2.

v In FIGS. 2-6, 10 indicates the second air supply channel into which opens the fiber metering device 7. The air stream in channel 10 has enough pressure. to transport the fibers to within channel 8 after they have been incorporated into the stream.

In FIGS. 3-6, 11 indicates the sliver on the filament bundle which is supplied to the fiber metering device 7. A knife rotatable in the fiber metering device is indicated by 12.

The pinch rollers supplying the thread 11 to the fiber metering device are indicated by 13. The housing 14 accommodating the rotatable knife 12 contains the

openings

15 and 16, facing each other, to which is connected the second air supply channel 10.

In the air supply channel 10 the rotatable air valve 17 is fitted.

The knife 12 has a driving shaft 18. The pinch rollers l3 have a commong driving shaft 19. The rotatable air valve 17 has a driving shaft 20.

On

shafts

19, 20 the pulleys 21 are mounted which are together driven by the belt 22. The transmission ratios on

shafts

19, 20 can be adjusted by mounting pulleys of other diameters. A common belt drive 23 drives the

gears

24 and 25, mounted respectively on

shafts

18 and 20. These gears, being equal, guarantee the rotation synchronisme of shafts l8 and 20.

A production machine will include a certain number of production units as described. All these units will be driven therefore by the belt 23.

What is claimed is:

l. A process for the manufacture of a yarn comprising a bundle of filaments and fibers according to which the fibers are blown on to the filament bundle by a gaseous stream and are interlaced by this gaseous stream with the filament bundle in an interlacing device, characterized in that the gaseous.

stream cooperates with a fiber metering device for incorporating the desired amount of fibers into the gaseous stream.

2. A process according to claim 1, characterized in that the gaseous stream is guided through the fiber metering device.

3. A process according to claim 1, characterized in that flow of part of the gaseous stream is a selected one of being guided through the fiber metering device and cooperating with it, and is combined with the gaseous stream which has passed outside the fiber metering device selectively between before and in the interlacing device.

4. A process according to claim 3, characterized in that said flow of part of the gaseous stream is a selected one of being intermittent and fluctuating, and intermittently obtains a pressure higher than that of the gaseous stream passing outside the fiber metering device.

5. A process according to one of the claim 3, characterized in that the metering device supplies the fibers to the air stream in an intermittent manner.

6. A process according to claim 5, characterized in that said flow of part of the gaseous stream is intermittent and in that the frequency of the intermittent gaseous stream is equal to the frequency with which the fibers are supplied to the gaseous streamby the fiber metering device.

7. A process according to claim 6, characterized in that the fibers are formed by the cutting action exerted by a knife, which operates, in the metering device, on a filament which is supplied to the metering device via supply members.

Data as Aug. 30, 1969 g g gg UNITED STATES'PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 672,, 7 Dated June 27 1972 Inventor(s) MICHELE CALLIERI GIORGIO FARACI. and MARIO PARACCHINI It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the abstract page, read the Foreign Application Priority- Italy 21478 A/69 Signed and sealed this 17th day of Ootober 1972.

(SEAL) Attest: I

' EDWARD' M.FLETCHEIR,.J'R-. a ROBERT GO'I'TSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

Claims

1. A process for the manufacture of a yarn comprising a bundle of filaments and fibers according to which the fibers are blown on to the filament bundle by a gaseous stream and are interlaced by this gaseous stream with the filament bundle in an interlacing device, characterized in that the gaseous stream co-operates with a fiber metering device for incorporating the desired amount of fibers into the gaseous stream.

6. A process according to claim 5, characterized in that said flow of part of the gaseous stream is intermittent and in that the frequency of the intermittent gaseous stream is equal to the frequency with which the fibers are supplied to the gaseous stream by the fiber metering device.