US3713590A - Apparatus for spreading filaments - Google Patents

Apparatus for spreading filaments Download PDF

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Publication number
US3713590A
US3713590A US00055327A US3713590DA US3713590A US 3713590 A US3713590 A US 3713590A US 00055327 A US00055327 A US 00055327A US 3713590D A US3713590D A US 3713590DA US 3713590 A US3713590 A US 3713590A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
separator
spreaders
filaments
outlet
slot
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00055327A
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English (en)
Inventor
F Carduck
J Janfeld
O Dorsehner
C Storkebaum
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
GEA Group AG
Original Assignee
Metallgesellschaft AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Metallgesellschaft AG filed Critical Metallgesellschaft AG
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3713590A publication Critical patent/US3713590A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
    • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
    • D04H3/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of yarns or like filamentary material of substantial length
    • D04H3/02—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of yarns or like filamentary material of substantial length characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of yarns or filaments
    • D04H3/03—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of yarns or like filamentary material of substantial length characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of yarns or filaments at random

Definitions

  • the filaments are spread in a separator having a generally round inlet in July l7, 1969 Germany ..P I9 36 3543 communication with the outlet of the air g which [52] U S Cl 239/597 239/419 5 progressively changes in shape to a generally slot [51] B05b 6 shaped outlet equal to or up to I0 times larger in size [58] Fie'ld 7 509 than the inlet, the longer sides of the slot being from 2 5 5 6 to 300 times greater in length than the shorter sides of the slot. To obtain further spreading of the filaments, generally parallel laterally extending spreaders are [56] References cued positioned adjacent the ends of the outlet slot of the UNITED STATES PATENTS separator and at right angles thereto.
  • a non-woven web is formed by simultaneously spinning a multiple number of continuous filaments of a synthetic polymer.
  • the spinning is effected in the conventional manner from the melt, with for example the melt of the polymer being extruded through a multiple number of downwardly directed spinning nozzles or spinnerets preferably extending in a row or multiple number of rows.
  • the filaments as they are spun are gathered into a straight row of side-byside, evenly spaced apart, untwisted bundles each containing at least 15 and preferably from 50 to 150 filaments. These filament bundles are simultaneously drawn downwardly at a velocity of at least 3,000 meters per minute, and preferably from 3,500 to 8,000 meters per minute in individually surrounding gas columns Flowing at a supersonic velocity and thus directed to impinge on a substantially horizontal carrier.
  • the gathering of the filaments into the bundles and their drawing and directing to impinge on the carrier is preferably effected by passing the bundles through air guns which surround the filaments with a column or jet of air which is directed downward at supersonic velocity.
  • the air guns are arranged so as to extend in a straight row in a direction extending across the carrier at right angles to its direction of movement, so that the bundles confined in the gas columns as the same strike the moving carrier extend in a line or row at right angles across the carrier.
  • the carrier may be a conventional carrier used in the non-woven art,such as an endless carrier or belt screen or the upper portion of a drum, asfor example a screen drum.
  • the filament bundles containing a number of parallel filaments are laid down on the carrier in a loop-like arrangement with primary loops extending back and forth across the width of a section defined by the impingement of the air column from one air gun on the carrier.
  • the parallel filament bundles Before and as the parallel filament bundles impinge the carrier, they are broken up into sub-bundles containing a lesser number of parallel filaments and forming secondary small loops and swirls which overlap each other and those of adjacent sections to result in substantially complete intermingling with the overlapping portions of adjacent sections.
  • the laid-down filament bundles then form a continuous uniform non-woven web which may be consolidated and stabilized by compacting, heat-sealing, needling or treating with a binder, e.g., latex and other further treatments known in the art.
  • continuous filaments entrained in a stream of air flowing from a high velocity air gun are spread in an apparatus comprising a separator having a generally round inlet in communication with the outlet of the air gun which progressively changes in shape to a generally slot shaped outlet equal to or up to times larger in size than the inlet, the longer sides of the slot being from 2 to 300 times greater in length than the shorter sides of the slot.
  • laterally extending spreaders are positioned adjacent the ends of the outlet slot of the separator at right angles thereto. These spreaders, in generally parallel alignment, in pairs or successive pairs may also be used in place of the separator.
  • FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a separator of the invention shown with preferred spreaders attached.
  • FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 3 is a top view of the separator and spreaders of FIG. 1.
  • FIGS. 4 and 6 are vertical sectional views showing alternate embodiments of the separator of the invention.
  • FIGS. and 7 are vertical sectional views taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4, line 7-7 of FIG. 6, respectively.
  • FIGS. 8, 9, 10 and 11 are perspective views showing alternate embodiments of the spreaders of the invention.
  • FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view showing an alternate embodiment of a separator of the invention.
  • FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 12.
  • FIGS. 14 and 15 are vertical sectional views showing alternate embodiments of spreaders of the invention.
  • FIGS. l-3 show a preferred embodiment of this invention which includes a separator 2 attached to the outlet 1 of an air gun (not shown) such as for example the air gun described in copending application Ser. No. 850,500 discussed above.
  • Attached to separator 2 by means of ribs 7 are a pair of generally parallel, laterally extending spreaders 4. Ribs 7 are preferably thin and are positioned to align with the separator 2 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. In this manner, ribs 7 present little if any interference with air aspirated between separator 2 and spreaders 4.
  • Other means such as multiple ribs can be employed to attach the spreaders to separator 2 and, if desired, the spreaders 4 can be mounted independently of separator 2 and positioned as shown in FIGS. 1-3.
  • separator 2 has a generally round inlet which in this embodiment is formed by the air gun outlet 1.
  • the phrase generally round is intended to include other configurations such as oval, square and the like which are not inconsistent with the purpose and function of the separator 2.
  • the inlet of separator 2 is generally the same size as the outlet 1 of the air gun but can also be larger.
  • the separator 2 progressively changes in shape from its generally round inlet to a generally slot shaped outlet which is preferably curved as shown in FIG. 1 by reference numeral 10.
  • the outlet of separator is equal to or up to 10 times larger in size, preferably 3 times larger, than the size of the inlet.
  • the actual area of each opening is taken as the size.
  • the longer sides of the outlet slot are from 2 to 300, preferably from 5 to 100, times greater in length than the shorter sides of the slot.
  • the radius of curvature is from 0.1 to 20, preferably 0.2 to 10, times the length of the seperator 2, measured along the central axis thereof from the inlet.
  • the interior walls 3, referring to FIGS. 1 .and 2, of the separator 2 may be straight or curved (FIGS. 4 and 5) or straight and curved (FIGS. 6 and 7), and can be any combination of the foregoing.
  • the walls 3 should generally be smooth and may take any suitable shape such as those illustrated which is not inconsistent with the purpose and function of the separator.
  • the side walls 9 connecting walls 3 may taper towards each other (FIGS. 2 and.
  • the configuration and the relative dimensions of the separator of this invention are such that filaments passing therethrough are aerodynamically spread into a fan shaped pattern by the separators of FIGS. 7-7, for example.
  • the spreaders 4 of the invention are shown to be generally parallel, laterally extending members which can be positioned adjacent the outlet of the separator 2 at right angles thereto or they can be positioned adjacent the air gun outlet 1 without a separator.
  • the spreaders 5 shown in FIGS. 1 and 8-11 are symmetrical with respect to the vertical axis of the separator.
  • the spreaders 4 can function to spread filaments from an air gun or further spread filaments from separator 2.
  • the spreaders 4 are positioned such that there is an open space through which air can be aspirated by the air entrained filaments flowing therebetween. This space may be between the air gun and spreaders 4 or between separator 2 and spreaders 4 (FIG. 1).
  • the upper edges 6 preferably extend above the outlet of separator 2.
  • the inner walls 5, beginning at upper edges 6 first converge towards each other and then diverge from a point below the separator 2 (FIGS. 1, 8-10).
  • the walls 8 can also be parallel before divering (FIG. 12).
  • FIG. 8-11 and 14 show some of the many shapes the spreaders 4 can assume.
  • FIG. 14 the use of two pairs of spreaders in succession is shown, the second pair being positioned below and spaced apart from the first pair to permit the entry of aspirated air.
  • FIG. 15 illustrates an alternate embodiment wherein the spreader 4 is annular and is attached to outlet 1 of an air gun by ribs 7. Here air is aspirated through the spreader to produce a bell-shaped pattern of spread filaments.
  • FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 show an alternate embodiment of separator 2 wherein the inlet of the separator is larger than the outlet 1 of the air gun which extends into the separator 2 creating an annular space through which air is aspirated into the separator 2.
  • air has been used herein in describing the invention, it should be understood that any fluid, heated, cooled or at room temperature may be used in the drawing gun in practicing this invention.
  • fluids include steam, water, nitrogen and the like.
  • the polymeric fibers that may be suitably used in the present invention are oriented crystalline or crystallizable fibers made of any thermoplastic polymer capable of forming a melt which can be spun.
  • Illustrative polymers are the polyolefins, e.g., linear polyethylene, isotactic polypropylene, polyisobutylene, polybutadiene, and the like; polyurethanes; polyvinyls; and the like; polyamides such as polyhexamethylene adipamide and polycaproamide; polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate and copolyesters of ethylene glycol with a mixture of terephthalic and isoterephthalic acids; or mixed polymers, copolymers, including condensation copolymers, block graft copolymers, and the like, based on the same monomers as the polymers mentioned above. What is claimed is:
  • Apparatus for spreading continuous filaments entrained in a stream of air flowing from a high velocity air gun which comprises a separator having a generally round inlet in communication with the outlet of said air gun which progressively changes in shape to a generally slot shaped outlet and at least two laterally extending spreaders positioned adjacent the ends of said outlet slot at right angles thereto having interior walls along which a wall-flow effect takes place causing said filaments to spread.
  • Apparatus of claim 1 which includes a second pair of said spreaders positioned below and spaced apart from said first pair.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Spinning Methods And Devices For Manufacturing Artificial Fibers (AREA)
  • Nonwoven Fabrics (AREA)
  • Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)
  • Yarns And Mechanical Finishing Of Yarns Or Ropes (AREA)
US00055327A 1969-07-17 1970-07-16 Apparatus for spreading filaments Expired - Lifetime US3713590A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE1936354A DE1936354C3 (de) 1969-07-17 1969-07-17 Spreizdüse zum Ablegen von Endlosfäden zur Bildung eines Vlieses

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3713590A true US3713590A (en) 1973-01-30

Family

ID=5740082

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00055327A Expired - Lifetime US3713590A (en) 1969-07-17 1970-07-16 Apparatus for spreading filaments

Country Status (15)

Country Link
US (1) US3713590A (no)
AT (1) AT322723B (no)
AU (1) AU1766570A (no)
BE (1) BE753585A (no)
BG (1) BG17821A3 (no)
CH (1) CH532149A (no)
DE (1) DE1936354C3 (no)
ES (2) ES381906A1 (no)
FR (1) FR2051814B1 (no)
GB (1) GB1314588A (no)
IL (1) IL34902A (no)
NL (1) NL7010512A (no)
NO (1) NO128450B (no)
SE (1) SE362099B (no)
ZA (1) ZA704752B (no)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4035870A (en) * 1975-12-24 1977-07-19 Crown Zellerbach Corporation Fiber distribution and depositing apparatus
US4637104A (en) * 1985-02-11 1987-01-20 J. H. Benecke Gmbh Apparatus for spreading out a plurality of filaments
US5225018A (en) * 1989-11-08 1993-07-06 Fiberweb North America, Inc. Method and apparatus for providing uniformly distributed filaments from a spun filament bundle and spunbonded fabric obtained therefrom
US20100025502A1 (en) * 2006-12-14 2010-02-04 Tronox Llc Jet for Use in a Jet Mill Micronizer
US20170268135A1 (en) * 2016-03-21 2017-09-21 Ford Global Technologies, Llc Method of separating fiber tows
EP3587477A1 (en) 2018-06-21 2020-01-01 Tape Weaving Sweden AB Ultra-thin pre-preg sheets and composite materials thereof

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ZA785808B (en) 1977-10-26 1979-09-26 Ici Ltd Laying oriented fibrous webs
DE2838977C3 (de) * 1978-09-07 1984-11-08 J.H. Benecke Gmbh, 3000 Hannover Vorrichtung zur Verhinderung des Umspringens der Filamente in einer Filament-Spinnvlies-Anlage
DE3541127A1 (de) * 1985-11-21 1987-05-27 Benecke Gmbh J Verfahren zur herstellung eines vlieses aus endlosfaeden sowie vorrichtung zur durchfuehrung des verfahrens

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4035870A (en) * 1975-12-24 1977-07-19 Crown Zellerbach Corporation Fiber distribution and depositing apparatus
FR2336506A1 (fr) * 1975-12-24 1977-07-22 Crown Zellerbach Corp Appareil pour distribuer et pour deposer des fibres
US4637104A (en) * 1985-02-11 1987-01-20 J. H. Benecke Gmbh Apparatus for spreading out a plurality of filaments
US5225018A (en) * 1989-11-08 1993-07-06 Fiberweb North America, Inc. Method and apparatus for providing uniformly distributed filaments from a spun filament bundle and spunbonded fabric obtained therefrom
US20100025502A1 (en) * 2006-12-14 2010-02-04 Tronox Llc Jet for Use in a Jet Mill Micronizer
JP2010512992A (ja) * 2006-12-14 2010-04-30 トロノックス エルエルシー ジェットミル微粉化装置で使用される改良ジェット
US8387901B2 (en) * 2006-12-14 2013-03-05 Tronox Llc Jet for use in a jet mill micronizer
US20170268135A1 (en) * 2016-03-21 2017-09-21 Ford Global Technologies, Llc Method of separating fiber tows
EP3587477A1 (en) 2018-06-21 2020-01-01 Tape Weaving Sweden AB Ultra-thin pre-preg sheets and composite materials thereof

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE753585A (fr) 1970-12-31
SE362099B (no) 1973-11-26
ES381907A1 (es) 1972-12-01
CH532149A (de) 1972-12-31
IL34902A0 (en) 1970-09-17
ZA704752B (en) 1971-09-29
NO128450B (no) 1973-11-19
AU1766570A (en) 1972-01-20
DE1936354C3 (de) 1979-04-05
ES381906A1 (es) 1972-12-01
AT322723B (de) 1975-06-10
GB1314588A (en) 1973-04-26
SU386500A3 (no) 1973-06-14
DE1936354A1 (de) 1971-02-04
FR2051814A1 (no) 1971-04-09
BG17821A3 (no) 1973-12-25
FR2051814B1 (no) 1976-05-21
IL34902A (en) 1974-07-31
NL7010512A (no) 1971-01-19

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