US3793679A - Pneumatic drafting of fibrous strands - Google Patents

Pneumatic drafting of fibrous strands Download PDF

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Publication number
US3793679A
US3793679A US00159229A US3793679DA US3793679A US 3793679 A US3793679 A US 3793679A US 00159229 A US00159229 A US 00159229A US 3793679D A US3793679D A US 3793679DA US 3793679 A US3793679 A US 3793679A
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Prior art keywords
strand
fibers
stream
length
velocity
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US00159229A
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English (en)
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P Marshall
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Fiber Technology Corp
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Kendall Co
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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
    • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
    • D04H1/70—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres
    • D04H1/72—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres the fibres being randomly arranged

Definitions

  • a twist-free strand of textile length fibers is pneumati cally drafted at its leading end into a high velocity fibrous stream which may be decelerated and difiused in a plenum chamber from which it is removed as a fibrous web.
  • This invention relates to a process for the pneumatic drafting of individual textile-length fibers from a twistfree strand comprising a multiplicity of such fibers, and to a process for depositing the resulting air-borne fibers in the form of a fleece or web. More particularly it relates to a process for exposing a twist-free tip-draftable strand such as a top or sliver of textile-length fibers to the action of a fluid jet stream of high velocity, creating a fluid stream of individualized fibers, and decelerating and diffusing said fluid stream in a plenum chamber.
  • the twist-free strand is fed to a delivery tube by a pair of feed rolls situated at a point which is removed from the exit end of the guide tube by a distance which is greater than the staple any appreciable extent in shattering restrained fibers,
  • This stream of fibers is then decelerated by diffusion into a plenum chamber and drawn therefrom in the form of a fibrous web or fleece.
  • the process of this invention therefore makes possible the use of a webforming device that is less expensive, smaller, lighter, and less demanding of maintenance than conventional web-forming devices. It is also capable of forming webs of fibers which because of usually low denier, or because of lack of crimp, or finish, are not usually processable by conventional devices. Additionally, since the process of this invention results in an air-borne fiber dispersion in which substantially all fibers are separated from one another, the resulting fibrous webs display a uniformity of density and freedom from mottled or blotchy appearance which cannot be realized with conventional webforming techniques.
  • FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a tip-draftable sliver of textile-length fibers being aspirated through and attenuated by a jet stream of fluid.
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view, partly broken away, of the throat section of the nozzle of FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a plenum chamber suitable for the deceleration and diffusion of the air-borne stream of fibers of FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the plenum chamber of FIG. 3.
  • a tip-draftable strand of textilelength fibers 13 is fed at a rate controlled by the metering rolls l7, 17 to an aspirator nozzle 10.
  • tip-draftable strand is meant a twist-free sliver or top of textile length fibers, commonly one inch to 6 or 8 inches in length, assembled together into a coil or strand wherein the fibers are generally parallelized and are so free of frictional engagement by entanglement, twist, or crimp that aerodynamic drafting exerted on the tip of the strand draws off individual fibers, not clumps or clusters of fibers.
  • the strand in compressed and restrained form is fed through the tapered opening 18 into the guide tube 16, located substantially along the central axis of the nozzle.
  • the nozzle 10 comprises a cylindrical chamber 15 with wall portion 12 capped at one end by an inlet cap 20 containing a tapered inlet 18 for the introduction of a tip-draftable strand, to which is affixed the guide tube 16.
  • the other end of the chamber 15 is capped by an exit cap 24, which restrains the straight exit section 22 and the convergent-divergent nozzle section 23 of the device.
  • sections 22 and 23 are separate pieces, fitting in sliding relationship in the chamber 15. In operation they are held against lateral displacement toward the inlet tube by the air pressure in the chamber 15.
  • Air under pressure is fed to the chamber by means of the air connection 14.
  • the distance to which the guide tube 16 projects past the nozzle portion 23 of the device is adjustable by means of the threaded cap 20.
  • air under pressure is fed to the air inlet 14, and is converted to a convergent stream of air in the convergent section 21 of the nozzle, whence it diverges in the divergent section 25 (in the form of a concentric fluid stream.)
  • the strand of textile-length fibers 19 remains substantially constant in cross-sectional population during its traverse through the guide tube until it is attenuated by the fluid stream in a zone situated at or near the exit end of the guide tube 16. There is thus formed a high velocity, low pupulation density fibrous stream 27, which is expelled together with the air stream through the nozzle orifice 26 in the cap 24.
  • the attenuation of fiber density is apparently initiated in a zone at or near the tip 28 of the guide tube 16, where the draftable fibrous strand comes under the influence of the concentric air stream in the divergent portion 25 of the nozzle. Attenuation is one of extreme degree.
  • a rayon top of 191, 317 denier, 34,785 filaments, with a filament length of 6 inches was fed at a rate of 11.7 feet per minute to a nozzle of the type shown in FIG. 1, operating at 85 P516 air pressure at the air inlet 14.
  • the estimated velocity of the fibers in the divergent portion of the nozzle was 60,000 feet per minute, meaning that the number of fibers in an average crosssection of the air stream was 6.78, compared to the 34,785 fibers in an average cross-section of the undrafted strand.
  • Such attenuation factors of over 5,000 times, are characteristic of the process of this invention.
  • the dimensions and relative proportions of a suitable nozzle will of course vary with the denier of the tipdraftable strand used as a source of fibers, and with the output poundage at which it is desired to operate the process.
  • the device of FIG. 1 may, for example, be formed from a 10 inch length of brass pipe 2 inches I.D., with a similar piece of pipe 14 silver-soldered thereto.
  • the nozzle may be powered by steam or other gaseous fluids.
  • FIG. 3 there is shown a suitable plenum chamber with the side panel removed.
  • a tip-draftable strand, 13, is fed at a controlled rate by the feed rolls 17, 17, to the nozzle 10 containing the jet which creates an air stream of high velocity.
  • the resulting high speed fibrous stream as it issues from the jet device 10, diffuses a stream of individually separated short fibers into the upper chamber 30.
  • various types of plenum chamber may be used, for convenience and economy of space the device as shown is divided into an upper, middle, and lower chamber 30, 32, and 34 respectively, separated by the plates 42, 44, and 46 which extend the full width of the chamber.
  • Plates 42 and 44 do not extend the full length of the chamber, however, so that the path of the decelerating fibers is a serpentine one, as shown by the dotted line.
  • the rear and front partitions, 36 and 38 act as baffles, deflecting the air stream, so that a constant and substantially uniform flow of fibers, at a manageable velocity, emerges from the plenum chamber exit 48 to impinge on the upper surface of the screen conveyor belt 50.
  • a conventional vacuum box 52 may be mounted on the under side of the porous conveyor to bleed off the last traces of air and assure proper deposition of the fibrous web 54 on the conveyor.
  • the web is to be subjected to subsequent treatment such as lamination with another substrate
  • a layer of permeable supportive material such as gauze, cellulose tissue, porous nonwoven fabric, or the like.
  • Such expedients are well-known in the art, and are not shown.
  • manageable velocity means a stream velocity at which the fibers can be deposited continuously onto a moving porous belt with substantial absence of fiber clumping or deflection of the stream.
  • the purpose of the plenum chamber or diffusor therefore, is to spread the high speed jet stream over a large cross section, so that the kinetic energy of the stream is transferred to pressure, by diffusion. This pressure forces the air through the porous conveyor, which filters out the fibers in web or fleece form.
  • a convenient range of exit velocity that is, the air velocity at which the decelerated fibrous stream impinges on the porous conveyor belt has been found to be 3 to 30 feet per second.
  • the air stream is at high velocity. Throttling this velocity down to a manageable exit velocity is a function of the parameters of the plenum chamber, which can be calculated from a consideration of the volume of air be handled.
  • the invention will be illustrated by the following ex.- amples.
  • the draftable strand was fed to the jet at a rate controlled by the feed rolls 17, 17 and a three-section plenum chamber was used as in FIGS. 3 and 4.
  • the upper chamber 30 was 20 inches square in cross-section, with a circular opening 40 of 16 inch diameter.
  • the middle chamber 32 was 30 inches wide and 6 inches deep, while the bottom chamber 40 inches wide and 4.5 inches deep.
  • the length of the plenum chamber was 40 inches.
  • Example l Using the same apparatus and feed strand as in Example l, the air pressure was increased to 125 PSIG. The input rate of the strand was increased to 4.31 feet per minute, or 3.72 pounds per hour.
  • the resulting 40 inch web weighed 13.06 grams per square yard and was produced at a rate of 5 .78 feet per minute, as in Example 1.
  • web weights can be varied from 6 to over 400 grams per square yard, at
  • twistless strands of from 30,000 to 500,000
  • twist-free strand is a strand of viscose rayon fibers.
  • plenum chamber in the form of a fibrous web.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Nonwoven Fabrics (AREA)
  • Preliminary Treatment Of Fibers (AREA)
  • Spinning Methods And Devices For Manufacturing Artificial Fibers (AREA)
US00159229A 1971-07-02 1971-07-02 Pneumatic drafting of fibrous strands Expired - Lifetime US3793679A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US15922971A 1971-07-02 1971-07-02

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US3793679A true US3793679A (en) 1974-02-26

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US00159229A Expired - Lifetime US3793679A (en) 1971-07-02 1971-07-02 Pneumatic drafting of fibrous strands

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US (1) US3793679A (cs)
JP (1) JPS5618701B1 (cs)
AR (1) AR202888A1 (cs)
AU (1) AU459544B2 (cs)
BE (1) BE785755A (cs)
BR (1) BR7204316D0 (cs)
CA (1) CA948821A (cs)
CH (1) CH554441A (cs)
DE (1) DE2232417C3 (cs)
DK (1) DK137932B (cs)
FI (1) FI52598C (cs)
FR (1) FR2144733B1 (cs)
GB (1) GB1341932A (cs)
IT (1) IT958525B (cs)
NL (1) NL7209060A (cs)
ZA (1) ZA724246B (cs)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4369549A (en) * 1980-05-16 1983-01-25 Badische Corporation Blending method using a roving disintegrator-dispenser
US4383349A (en) * 1980-08-04 1983-05-17 The Kendall Company Opening bonded glass fiber bundles
US4535512A (en) * 1983-09-26 1985-08-20 Platt Saco Lowell Corporation Method and means for providing assemblages of opened fibers for intimate blends
US20030033699A1 (en) * 1999-10-12 2003-02-20 Frank Ficker Process and apparatus for the stretching textile fibers
CN113502550A (zh) * 2021-07-16 2021-10-15 吉祥三宝高科纺织有限公司 一种保暖绒料生产用喉管式气流牵伸器

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3001242A (en) * 1956-05-03 1961-09-26 American Viscose Corp Fibrous web manufacture
US3523300A (en) * 1966-08-18 1970-08-04 Toray Industries Spinning method and apparatus for manufacturing yarn from textile fibers
US3604194A (en) * 1968-01-30 1971-09-14 Toray Industries Fiber supply method and apparatus in an open-end spinning system utilizing airflow and centrifugal force

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DD82801A (cs) *
FR1478366A (fr) * 1965-10-15 1967-04-28 Bernard Rudloff Procédé d'ouvraison et de défibrage pneumatiques de textiles en bourres et sa mise en oeuvre, plus particulièrement, pour la fabrication en continu classique de feutres ou de voiles textiles non tissés
US3341394A (en) * 1966-12-21 1967-09-12 Du Pont Sheets of randomly distributed continuous filaments

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3001242A (en) * 1956-05-03 1961-09-26 American Viscose Corp Fibrous web manufacture
US3523300A (en) * 1966-08-18 1970-08-04 Toray Industries Spinning method and apparatus for manufacturing yarn from textile fibers
US3604194A (en) * 1968-01-30 1971-09-14 Toray Industries Fiber supply method and apparatus in an open-end spinning system utilizing airflow and centrifugal force

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4369549A (en) * 1980-05-16 1983-01-25 Badische Corporation Blending method using a roving disintegrator-dispenser
US4383349A (en) * 1980-08-04 1983-05-17 The Kendall Company Opening bonded glass fiber bundles
US4535512A (en) * 1983-09-26 1985-08-20 Platt Saco Lowell Corporation Method and means for providing assemblages of opened fibers for intimate blends
US20030033699A1 (en) * 1999-10-12 2003-02-20 Frank Ficker Process and apparatus for the stretching textile fibers
CN113502550A (zh) * 2021-07-16 2021-10-15 吉祥三宝高科纺织有限公司 一种保暖绒料生产用喉管式气流牵伸器

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DK137932B (da) 1978-06-05
CA948821A (en) 1974-06-11
DE2232417B2 (de) 1980-07-03
NL7209060A (cs) 1973-01-04
CH554441A (de) 1974-09-30
IT958525B (it) 1973-10-30
AR202888A1 (es) 1975-07-31
AU4383772A (en) 1974-01-03
BE785755A (fr) 1972-10-16
GB1341932A (en) 1973-12-25
BR7204316D0 (pt) 1973-06-12
DE2232417A1 (de) 1973-01-11
FI52598C (fi) 1977-10-10
DE2232417C3 (de) 1981-05-27
DK137932C (cs) 1978-11-06
ZA724246B (en) 1973-03-28
FI52598B (cs) 1977-06-30
AU459544B2 (en) 1975-03-27
FR2144733B1 (cs) 1976-01-16
JPS5618701B1 (cs) 1981-05-01
FR2144733A1 (cs) 1973-02-16

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