US3890924A

US3890924A - Apparatus for waxing a thread

Info

Publication number: US3890924A
Application number: US364537A
Authority: US
Inventors: Aloys Horstmann
Original assignee: Hamel Zwirnmaschinen GmbH
Current assignee: Hamel Zwirnmaschinen GmbH
Priority date: 1972-05-30
Filing date: 1973-05-29
Publication date: 1975-06-24
Anticipated expiration: 1992-06-24
Also published as: GB1381440A; DE2226311A1; FR2186556B1; DE2226311B2; CH552082A; FR2186556A1

Abstract

A thread issuing from a spinning apparatus passes around a drive roller on a rotatable spindle, then over a guide on an adjacent shaft. Thereafter the thread passes from the guide to a wax body carried on the spindle and rides over an axial end of this body. The spindle has an abutment defining a plane on rotation of the spindle and means is provided for urging the end of the body against this plane. The guide is set to the same side of the plane as the body so that the thread lies at an angle to this plane and rubs against the wax body. This guide may be a drum formed with a plurality of grooves, some lying in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the drum, and some at an angle thereto. The inclined grooves serve for an intermittent or nonuniform (periodic) waxing of the thread.

Description

D United States Patent 1 1 1 3,890,924 Horstmann June 24, 1975 APPARATUS FOR WAXING A THREAD [75] lnventor: Aloys Horstmann, Greven, Primary Bummer-Maw Stem Westphalia! Germany Assistant Exammerl )ouglas Salser Attorney, Agent, or FzrmKarl F. Ross; Herbert [73] Assignee: Hamel G.m.b.H, Zwirnmaschinen, D b

44 Munster, Westphalia, Germany 22 Filed: May 29, 1973 5 1 d f M T t rea issuing mm a spmmng apparatus passes [2]] Appl- 364,537 around a drive roller on a rotatable spindle, then over a guide on an adjacent shaft. Thereafter the thread [30] Foreign A li ti p p passes from the guide to a wax body carried on the Ma 30 972 German 22263 spindle and rides over an axial end of this body. The y y spindle has an abutment defining a plane on rotation of the spindle and means is provided for urging the U.S. Cl. 1l8/78li0258c/7l30I:5 end of the y against this plane The guide is Set to the same side of the plane as the body so that the [58] Field of Search 118/78, 28/75 R thread has at an angle to this plane and rubs against 1 561 T333513? giffvii lifii l 'ifi i "2212735353? UNITED STATES PATENTS dicular to the rotation axis of the drum, and some at Coleman et al l an angle thereto The inclined grooves sc a for an in- 3,358.641 12/1967 Gfelle 8/78 termittent or nonuniform (periodic) waxing of the 3,373,718 3/1968 Brouwer et a1. 118/78 thread 3,479,988 11/1969 Trost et al. ll3/78 3.802.382 4/1974 Koller .1 1 18/78 13 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures l q 14 5/ 1.: I 70 5 56' iv 57 5 9/ Z 4 '5 64 C 3 lea. I I 72a,

35 i P 72b 40 L 42 4 //Zt' 2 24 APPARATUS FOR WAXING A THREAD FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for waxing a thread and, more particularly, to an apparatus for waxing a thread between a thread plying and spinning (twisting) device and a takeup bobbin.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Waxing a multiple thread greatly improves its strength and handling characteristics. This operation is usually carried out immediately downstream of a thread spinner-plyer as described in the commonly assigned copending patent application Ser. No. 349,990 filed Apr. 1 1, 1973 by Aloys Greive and Theodor Tiemann and entitled SPINNING APPARATUS.

In known devices for waxing a thread, an annular body or paraffin in transfixed by a spindle and urged against a plate carried on the spindle. The thread is passed between the plate and the spindle in a path tangent to the spindle and lying in a plane defined by the flat surface of the end of the wax body and the plate it abuts.

In such an arrangement the wax is quickly used up, as the thread being waxed literally cuts into the wax body and frequently excises small pieces of wax which hang temporarily on the thread, thereafter falling off into the mechanism of the apparatus or rubbing off on the abutment. In addition the rubbing of the wax body on the plate makes this plate very messy so that it needs periodic cleaning.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved thread waxing apparatus and method.

More specifically it is an object of this invention to provide an improved thread-waxing apparatus which is clean in operation and easy to service.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These objects are attained according to the present invention in a thread waxing apparatus wherein the thread is guided by a pair of guides through a path which extends between the intersection of the thread and the wax body on one side and a thread guide on the other at an angle to a plane defined by an abutment on the spindle against which the wax body is urged.

According to a further feature of the invention each thread guide is mounted on a respective shaft parallel to the spindle. These shafts are each arranged to one side of the spindle and each carries a rotatable sheavelike wheel which is rotatable and serves as a thread guide. The one guide is located above the plane of the abutment and the other in this plane.

in accordance with yet another feature of the present invention the spindle is provided with a drive pulley which is engaged by the thread to rotate this spindle and the wax body. The spindle is of noncircular cross section in the region of the wax body and the hole through the body is similarly formed to prevent rotation of this wax body relative to its spindle.

According to a further feature of my present invention the guide body which is offset to the abutment plane is formed with a continuous or endless circumferential groove which at one region lies to one side of the plane and at another region lies to the other side of the plane. Such an arrangement allows the thread to be waxed intermittently and periodically.

The apparatus according to the present invention waxes the thread to a degree dependent on the angle the thread assumes with respect to the above-defined plane, means being provided according to another feature of this invention to vary this angle. The wax body does not rub against any moving parts of the device except the thread and the spindle; this spindle is removable so as to permit easy replacement of the wax body.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view ofa thread spinning, waxing, and winding apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the thread waxing part of the device of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the mounting spindle for the wax body of the device.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION As shown in FIG. I a two-ply filament coming from a spinning apparatus 10 as described in the above-cited copending patent application, or as described in the related copending commonly assigned application Ser. No. 364,552 filed May 28, 1973 by Aloys Grieve and entitled SPINNING APPARATUS FOR GLASS- FIBER YARN passes through a guide eye 12 in line with the rotation axis of the apparatus 10. Thereafter the thread 24 is fed to a waxing apparatus 14 described below after which it passes around a lead roller 16 and thence through a reciprocal distributor 18 onto a bobbin 22. A drum 20 driven by a motor 19 and the bobbin 22 is carried on an arm 21 pivoted about a horizontal axis so that this bobbin bears with its weight on the drum 20 and is rotated thereby. The roller 16, drum 20, and apparatus 14 are all carried on a fixed support 17.

The waxing device 14, shown more fully in FIGS. 2 and 3, comprises a support plate 48 secured to the support 17 and provided with tow bosses and 71 each formed with a hole carrying a

respective shaft

68 and 69 which can be secured in the hole by a respective screw 73 and "74. The rod 68 has an eccentric lower portion 66 on which is rotatably mounted a drum 28 formed with three guide grooves 72a, 72b, and 72c. The shaft 69 rotatably carries a small wheel 34 having a circumferential guide groove 35. The rotation of shaft 68, because of the eccentric 66, pennits adjustment of the position of the axis of the drum or body 28 with respect to the plane of the rod 68 and the axis of roller 34, so that the tangential condition is maintained for threads of different thickness.

The support plate 48 is also formed with a boss 49 formed in turn with a hole 51 in which a pair of roller bearings 46 are secured by means of snap rings 47 and a spacer 45. A shaft 44 defining an axis A is secured to the inner races of the bearings 46 and is held in place by a plate 55 secured by a knurled screw 53 in the upper end of the rod 44.

The lower end of the rod 44, as seen in FIG. 2 since in reality this rod 44 extends horizontally, is snugly received in a hole 33 extending axially in a stepped rod 32 shown in more detail in FIG. 3. This rod 32 has a region 36 of square section separated from a region 30 of a diameter equal to the diagonal dimension of the square region 36 by four shoulders 42. The corners of the square region 36 run into the round region 30. Beyond this round region 30 is another round region 29 to which another pully-like wheel 26 formed with a cir cumferential groove 26 is fixed by means of a screw 25.

An annular body 38 of wax formed with a central hole of prismatic section matching the region 36 is car ried on the rod 32. This body 38 has one end 40 bearing against the shoulders 42 and defining with these shoulders 42 on rotation of the rods 44 and 32 a plane P orthogonal to the axis A. The other axial end 64 of the body 38 is engaged axially by a circular disk 62 of the same diameter of the body 38 and pressed by a frustoconical compression spring 60 against the body 38 to urge it against these shoulders 42. The other end of the spring 60 is braced against a plate 58 carried on the rod 44, and the extreme end of this spring 60 is engaged in a hole 59 in this plate 58 so as to link the spring rota tionally thereto.

The rod 44 is provided with a transverse pin 52 whose ends extend radially from the rod and engage in bayonet slots 54 of a bayonet coupling 50 securing the rod 32 to the rod 44. This allows the wax 38 to be changed readily.

in use the filament or thread is first wound clockwise, as shown in FIG, 1, around the pulley 26 rotationally linked to the wax body 38, thence counterclockwise around the drum 28 in one of the grooves 72ac. The thread 24 is thence fed across the wax body 38 to the second guide roller 34. Between the first guide 28 and the body 38 the thread is fed at an angle a of about 30 to the plane P, and thence passes in the plane P to the roller 34. Of course as the wax body 38 wears, this angle a will become more flat, but the thread 24 will always define an angle with the plane P as it comes from guide groove 72a. As the wax body is worn away it is pushed down by the spring 60. The thread 24 passes along the side of the spindle 32 that is rotating in a direction opposing the direction of advance or feed of the thread, shown by arrowheads on the thread line. Thus the thread 24 is pulled tangentially against the spindle 32 so that the wax 38 is worn down evenly right in to the center.

In the apparatus according to the present invention the only element engaged by the wax body 38 which is not moving with it is the thread 24. This is the only element which is supposed to be coated with wax, so that the device is very neat,

Should the angle a need to be changed, in order to apply more or less wax to the thread 24, this can be done by either rotating the spindle 68 about its axis as shown by arrow 65, thereby displacing the drum 28 laterally slightly, or by displacing it axially as shown by arrow 67. Loosening of the screw 73 is necessary in both cases to allow such adjustment.

When the thread needs intermittent waxing, that is when the thread is not to be waxed continuously or uniformly along its whole length, it is fed from one of the grooves 72b or 73c of the drum 28 to the body 38. These grooves are both helical on the drum, the groove 72b having a wider variation, and both grooves are continuous. Thus the groove 720, for exampie, can be ar ranged so that it is bisected by the plane P, in which case the thread 24 is only waxed periodically. Alternativeiy the groove could be arranged entirely above the plane P, so that the thread will be fed to body 38 at a constantly changing angle (1. thereby giving it a nonuni form but periodically varying coating of wax I claim: 1. An apparatus for waxing a thread being Fed be tween two locations, said apparatus comprising:

a support, a spindle on said support having and rotatable about a longitudinal axis and provided with an abutment defining on rotation a plane perpendicular to said axis; an annular body ofwax transfixed by said spindle and lying to one side of said plane, said body having one axial end at said plane bearing against said abutment, said thread passing over said one end;

means on and rotatable with said spindle for biasing said one end against said abutment, said abutment and said means constituting the sole elements axially limiting said body; and

a pair of thread guides on said support and defining with said spindle a path for said thread, at least one of said guides lying to said one side of plane with said path lying to said one side of said plane and forming an angle therewith between said one guide and the intersection of said thread and said body.

2. The apparatus defined in claim I, further comprising means for displacing said one guide parallel to said axisv 3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said means for biasing includes a second abutment to said one side of said plane on said spindle and a compression spring between said second abutment and the other axial end of said body.

4. An apparatus for waxing a thread being fed between two locations, said apparatus comprising:

a support;

a spindle on said support having and rotatable about a longitudinal axis and provided with an abutment defining on rotation a plane perpendicular to said axis;

an annular body of wax transfixed by said spindle and lying to one side of said plane, said body having one axial end at said plane bearing against said abutment, said thread passing over said one end; means for biasing said one end against said abutment;

a pair of thread guides on said support and defining with said spindle a path for said thread, at least one of said guides lying to said one side of plane with said path lying to said one side of said plane and forming an angle therewith between said one guide and the intersection of said thread and said body; and

a drive roller rotationally fixed on said spindle to one side of said plane, and means rotationally coupling said body to said spindle, said thread drivingly engaging said drive roller to rotate said spindle as it is led between said locations.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein said means rotationally coupling said body to said spindle is a region of noncircular cross section on said spindle within said body and a similarly shaped hole in said body.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein said region in section is a polygon whose corners lie on a circle.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said spindle also has a region of circular section, said regions being separated axially from each other at said plane, said circular section having a diameter equal to the diameter of said circle.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 7 wherein said regions are separated by a plurality of shoulders constituting said abutment.

9. An apparatus for waxing a thread being fed be tween two locations, said apparatus comprising:

a support;

a spindle on said support having and rotatable about a longitudinal axis and provided with an abutment defining on rotation a plane perpendicular to said axis; an annular body of wax transfixed by said spindle and lying to one side of said plane, said body having one axial end at said plane bearing against said abutment, said thread passing over said one end;

means for biasing said one end against said abutment;

and a pair of thread guides on said support and defining with said spindle a path for said thread, at least one of said guides lying to said one side of plane with said path lying to said one side of said pplane and forming an angle therewith between said one guide and the intersection of said thread and said body,

said one guide being a drum rotatable about a drum axis parallel to the spindle axis, said drum being formed with a plurality of axially spaced guided grooves,

10. An apparatus for waxing a thread being fed between two locations, said apparatus comprising:

a support;

a pair of thread guides on said support and defining with said spindle a path for said thread, at least one of said guides lying to said one side of plane with said path lying to said one side of said plane and forming an angle therewith between said one guide and the intersection of said thread and said body, and

said one guide being rotatable about a guide axis parallel to the spindle axis and being formed with a circumferential endless groove lying to either side of and extending across a plane perpendicular to said guide axis.

11. An apparatus for waxing a thread being fed between two locations, said apparatus comprising:

a support;

an annular body of wax transfixed by said spindle and lying to one side of said plane, said body having one axial end at said plane bearing against said abut merit, said thread passing over said one end; means for biasing said one end against said abutment;

a pair of thread guides on said support and defining with said spindle a path for said thread, at least one of said guides lying to said one side of plane with said path lying to said one side of said plane and forming an angle therewith between said one guide and the intersection of said thread and said body, said spindle including a pair of mating rod sections and means for securing said sections together, one of said sections fitting within the other section, said means for securing being a bayonet coupling between said sections.

l2. An apparatus for waxing a thread comprising:

means defining a path between two spaced apart locations and for advancing the thread therebetween;

a rotatable spindle having an axis generally transverse to said path and formed with an abutment on one side thereof, said thread lying generally tan gential to said spindle against said abutment;

a block of wax rotatably entrained with said spindle and lying along the opposite side of said path;

means for urging an end of said block axially against the thread lying tangential to said spindle and in the direction of said abutment;

means for rotating said spindle and said block and abutment thereon, said means for advancing said thread including a rotatable guide body formed with a groove receiving said thread and rotatable about an axis parallel to said spindle at one side thereof, a rotatable guide roller formed with a groove receiving said thread and rotatable about an axis parallel to said spindle at the opposite side thereof, one of said grooves lying in a plane perpendicular to said axes and common to said end of said block of wax, the other of said grooves being set back from said plane away from said plane in the direction opposite that in which said block is urged axially, and means for adjusting the position of at least one of said axes in a direction perpendicular to the plane thereof;

a shaft journaled on said support for rotation about an axis parallel to the axes of said guide body and guide roller;

a spring seat on said shaft and rotatable therewith;

and

a bayonet coupling for removably attaching said spindle to said shaft, said means for axially urging said block including a coil spring braced against said seat and bearing axially upon said block while sur rounding said shaft and said spindle in the regions of said bayonet coupling, and a disk interposed between said spring and said block, said means for rotating said shaft including a grooved pulley receiving said thread and mounted on said spindle.

13. The apparatus defined in claim [2 wherein said body is provided with a plurality of axially spaced grooves adapted to different angles of the thread with said plane perpendicular to said axes, and means for shifting said body axially to bring into play a respective groove therein.

Claims

1. An apparatus for waxing a thread being fed between two locations, said apparatus comprising: a support, a spindle on said support having and rotatable about a longitudinal axis and provided with an abutment defining on rotation a plane perpendicular to said axis; an annular body of wax transfixed by said spindle and lying to one side of said plane, said body having one axial end at said plane bearing against said abutment, saId thread passing over said one end; means on and rotatable with said spindle for biasing said one end against said abutment, said abutment and said means constituting the sole elements axially limiting said body; and a pair of thread guides on said support and defining with said spindle a path for said thread, at least one of said guides lying to said one side of plane with said path lying to said one side of said plane and forming an angle therewith between said one guide and the intersection of said thread and said body.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, further comprising means for displacing said one guide parallel to said axis.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said means for biasing includes a second abutment to said one side of said plane on said spindle and a compression spring between said second abutment and the other axial end of said body.

4. An apparatus for waxing a thread being fed between two locations, said apparatus comprising: a support; a spindle on said support having and rotatable about a longitudinal axis and provided with an abutment defining on rotation a plane perpendicular to said axis; an annular body of wax transfixed by said spindle and lying to one side of said plane, said body having one axial end at said plane bearing against said abutment, said thread passing over said one end; means for biasing said one end against said abutment; a pair of thread guides on said support and defining with said spindle a path for said thread, at least one of said guides lying to said one side of plane with said path lying to said one side of said plane and forming an angle therewith between said one guide and the intersection of said thread and said body; and a drive roller rotationally fixed on said spindle to one side of said plane, and means rotationally coupling said body to said spindle, said thread drivingly engaging said drive roller to rotate said spindle as it is fed between said locations.

9. An apparatus for waxing a thread being fed between two locations, said apparatus comprising: a support; a spindle on said support having and rotatable about a longitudinal axis and provided with an abutment defining on rotation a plane perpendicular to said axis; an annular body of wax transfixed by said spindle and lying to one side of said plane, said body having one axial end at said plane bearing against said abutment, said thread passing over said one end; means for biasing said one end against said abutment; and a pair of thread guides on said support and defining with said spindle a path for said thread, at least one of said guides lying to said one side of plane with said path lying to said one side of said pplane and forming an angle therewith between said one guide and the intersection of said thread and said body, said one guide being a drum rotatable about a drum axis parallel to the spindle axis, said drum being formed with a plurality of axially spaced guided grooves.

10. An apparatus for waxing a thread being fed between two locations, said apparatus comprising: a support; a spindle on said support having and rotatable about a longitudinal axis and provided with an abutment defining on rotation a plane perpendicular to said axis; aN annular body of wax transfixed by said spindle and lying to one side of said plane, said body having one axial end at said plane bearing against said abutment, said thread passing over said one end; means for biasing said one end against said abutment; a pair of thread guides on said support and defining with said spindle a path for said thread, at least one of said guides lying to said one side of plane with said path lying to said one side of said plane and forming an angle therewith between said one guide and the intersection of said thread and said body, and said one guide being rotatable about a guide axis parallel to the spindle axis and being formed with a circumferential endless groove lying to either side of and extending across a plane perpendicular to said guide axis.

11. An apparatus for waxing a thread being fed between two locations, said apparatus comprising: a support; a spindle on said support having and rotatable about a longitudinal axis and provided with an abutment defining on rotation a plane perpendicular to said axis; an annular body of wax transfixed by said spindle and lying to one side of said plane, said body having one axial end at said plane bearing against said abutment, said thread passing over said one end; means for biasing said one end against said abutment; a pair of thread guides on said support and defining with said spindle a path for said thread, at least one of said guides lying to said one side of plane with said path lying to said one side of said plane and forming an angle therewith between said one guide and the intersection of said thread and said body, said spindle including a pair of mating rod sections and means for securing said sections together, one of said sections fitting within the other section, said means for securing being a bayonet coupling between said sections.

12. An apparatus for waxing a thread comprising: means defining a path between two spaced apart locations and for advancing the thread therebetween; a rotatable spindle having an axis generally transverse to said path and formed with an abutment on one side thereof, said thread lying generally tangential to said spindle against said abutment; a block of wax rotatably entrained with said spindle and lying along the opposite side of said path; means for urging an end of said block axially against the thread lying tangential to said spindle and in the direction of said abutment; means for rotating said spindle and said block and abutment thereon, said means for advancing said thread including a rotatable guide body formed with a groove receiving said thread and rotatable about an axis parallel to said spindle at one side thereof, a rotatable guide roller formed with a groove receiving said thread and rotatable about an axis parallel to said spindle at the opposite side thereof, one of said grooves lying in a plane perpendicular to said axes and common to said end of said block of wax, the other of said grooves being set back from said plane away from said plane in the direction opposite that in which said block is urged axially, and means for adjusting the position of at least one of said axes in a direction perpendicular to the plane thereof; a shaft journaled on said support for rotation about an axis parallel to the axes of said guide body and guide roller; a spring seat on said shaft and rotatable therewith; and a bayonet coupling for removably attaching said spindle to said shaft, said means for axially urging said block including a coil spring braced against said seat and bearing axially upon said block while surrounding said shaft and said spindle in the regions of said bayonet coupling, and a disk interposed between said spring and said block, said means for rotating said shaft including a grooved pulley receiving said thread and mounted on said spindle.

13. The apparatus defined in claim 12 wherein said body is provided with a plurality of axially spaced gRooves adapted to different angles of the thread with said plane perpendicular to said axes, and means for shifting said body axially to bring into play a respective groove therein.