WO1992013790A1

WO1992013790A1 - Method and device for connecting the ends of two yarn assemblies

Info

Publication number: WO1992013790A1
Application number: PCT/FR1992/000097
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean Belloy; Pierre Jonville; Guido Valente
Original assignee: Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin - Michelin & Cie
Priority date: 1991-02-06
Filing date: 1992-02-04
Publication date: 1992-08-20
Also published as: DE69210587D1; FR2672278A1; EP0570477B1; EP0570477A1; CA2099784A1; DE69210587T2; JPH06505222A; BR9205590A; JP3241377B2; CA2099784C; ES2087526T3; FR2672278B1

Abstract

Method and device (100) for connecting the ends of two assemblies (1A, 1B) of yarns (10A, 10B). The ends of the assemblies (1A, 1B) are untwisted to separate the yarns (10A1, 10B1) at these ends from each other. As many junction pairs (C) as there are yarns (10A1, 10B1) are formed in each of the assemblies (1A, 1B). The filaments of the yarns (10A1, 10B1) in the pairs (C) are untwisted and the untwisted parts in each pair (C) are placed side by side to give a junction zone (15). The filaments of the two yarns (10A1, 10B1) in each zone (15) are assembled together by entangling in air. All yarns (10A, 10B) thus joined are assembled together by twisting. Joined assemblies thus obtained and items such as tyre casings reinforced with these assemblies are also disclosed.

Description

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONNECTING THE END OF TWO WIRE ASSEMBLIES

The invention relates to methods and devices making it possible to join several pairs of ends of yarns of textile assemblies simultaneously, the yarns of these assemblies being ultifilaments.

By way of example, an assembly of threads is called "twisted" when it is made up of several threads joined together by a single twisting operation.

Such assemblies are used, for example, to reinforce articles made of plastics and / or rubber, such articles being, for example, belts, hoses, tire casings.

The invention relates in particular to the methods and devices which make it possible to connect two plies by abutting the two pairs of ends of threads of these plies.

There are essentially two types of conventional joining process for textile assemblies:

- The first type is made up of mechanical abutments using various methods such as making knots or splices;

These methods have the disadvantage of causing an increase in the diameter of the zone where the butting was carried out, they also give free ends, these two consequences being detrimental during the subsequent use of these assemblies, for example in envelopes tires; - the second type consists of techniques by air jamming, commonly called "splicing"? these techniques give excellent results on multifilaments devoid of torsion; on the other hand, it is difficult to arrive at a good quality abutment on plies, because the threads of these plies are multifilaments which have undergone a twist.

The object of the invention is to remedy these drawbacks.

Consequently, the present invention relates to a method for connecting the ends of two assemblies of wires, the assemblies each consisting of at least two wires twisted together in the same direction, each wire being a multifilament, the assemblies having the same number of son, the process being characterized by the following points:

a) the ends of the assemblies are subjected to a twisting operation in order to separate the wires from these ends from one another so as to thus obtain free ends of wires;

b) as many junction pairs are formed as there are wires in each of the assemblies, each couple comprising a free end of a wire of each assembly;

c) causing the untwisting of the filaments in at least part of each of the wires, in the junction pairs;

d) the untwisted parts are placed side by side, so as to obtain a junction zone, the junction zones being offset axially between them;

e) the filaments of the two wires are assembled together by air scrambling in each of these zones of junction;

f) all the wires thus joined together are twisted together, in the direction of twist of the assemblies.

The present invention also relates to a device for connecting the ends of two assemblies of wires, the assemblies each consisting of at least two wires twisted together in the same direction, each wire being a multifilament, the assemblies having the same number of wires, the device comprising the following means:

a) means, called separation means, making it possible to subject the ends of the assemblies to a twisting operation in order to separate the wires from these ends from one another so as to thus obtain free ends of wires;

b) means, called coupling means, making it possible to constitute as many junction couples as there are wires in each of the assemblies, each couple comprising a free end of a wire of each assembly;

c) means, known as untwisting means, making it possible to untwist the filaments in at least part of each of the threads, in the junction couples;

d) means, called placement, making it possible to place the untwisted parts side by side, in each junction pair so as to obtain a junction zone, these means being arranged so that the junction zones are offset axially between them;

e) air scrambling means, making it possible to assemble the filaments of the two wires together, in each of these junction zones; f) means, called assembly, making it possible to assemble together by twisting all the wires thus united, in the direction of twist of the assemblies.

The invention also relates to the joint assemblies obtained according to the method or with the device in accordance with the invention, as well as to the articles, for example tire casings, reinforced with these assemblies.

The invention will be easily understood with the aid of the following examples and all schematic figures relating to these examples.

On the drawing :

- Figure 1 shows, seen from above, a device according to the invention;

- Figure 2 shows, seen in profile, an apparatus used in the device shown in Figure 1;

- Figures 3 to 8 each show a step in the process according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows, seen from above, a device 100 according to the invention, for implementing the method according to the invention. This device 100 makes it possible to connect by their ends two assemblies 1A, IB which face each other, their axes being practically coincident with the axis xx ', for example horizontal. By way of example, each assembly 1A, IB is a twist comprising two threads 10A for the twist 1A and two threads 10B for the twist IB, these threads 10A or 10B being twisted together in the same direction for the two twists, for example the direction S, each wire 10A, 10B being a multifilamen. The device 100 comprises two rotating clamps 2A, 2B, each of these clamps comprising a groove 3, and two spacers 4A, 4B. These clamps and these spacers are known per se and are not described here for the purpose of simplification.

The twist 1A is blocked in the groove 3 of the clamp 2A and the twist 1A is opened to locally separate the wires 10A from one another on the spacer 4A. The same is done with the plied IB and its wires 10B using the clamp 2B and the spacer 4B. The clips 2A and 2B are then rotated in the direction of the arrows F2 and this causes partial twisting of the plies 1A and IB, which gives the free parts 10A1 of wires 10A, and the free parts 10B1 of wires 10B, these parts being shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.

The free parts 10A1, 10B1 thus play the role of free ends intended to be connected.

The spacer 4B is disposed between the clamp 2A and the spacer 4A, and, similarly, the spacer 4A is disposed between the clamp 2B and the spacer 4B, following the axis xx '.

Two devices 5 of the device 100 are then used to connect the free parts 10A1 and 10B1 to each other, according to a procedure which will be detailed below. These two devices 5 are identical, one of them is shown in profile in FIG. 2. The device 5 comprises a housing 6 with a cover 7. The housing 6 comprises an upper plate 8 with a gutter 9.

The apparatuses 5 are brought into contact with the free parts 10A1, 10B1. These devices 5 are provided with guides 20 which move the parts 10A1, 10B1 so that they are arranged in the gutters 9, and practically parallel to the axis xx ', in the devices 5. This gives two pairs C of wires, each of these pairs consisting of a part 10A1 and a part 10B1, these parts being shown in solid lines in FIG. 1, the wires 10A1, 10B1 of each of these pairs C thus being arranged in the gutter 9 of an apparatus 5 whose cover 7 is open, these wires then being practically parallel to the axis xx '. The cover 7 is then closed. The device 5 comprises two pairs of scissors 11 situated at the ends of the gutter 9. These pairs of scissors 11 each allow a free part of an end 10A1, 10B1 to be cut. These cuts are shown diagrammatically by the arrows Fil in FIG. 1. Air is then supplied under pressure into each of the two pipes 12 which are each located in the vicinity of a pair of scissors 11, near one end of the gutter 9. The filaments of the wire 10A1, 10B1 which has been cut are thus untwisted. This twisting removes the twist of the filaments between them produced in each part 10A1, 10B1 by the rotation of the clips 2A, 2B. We then penetrate the cut and untwisted part of each wire 10A1, 10B1, along the gutter 9, towards the central part of this gutter 9, thanks to the action of a lug 13 which can rotate around its axis 14 , by moving the corresponding wire 10A1, 10B1 away from the other wire 10B1, 10A1, this lug being located at the opposite end of the gutter 9, relative to the cut part of which it causes the displacement. The action of the pins 13 is shown diagrammatically by the arrows F13 in FIG. 1. For the purpose of simplification, the guides 20 have only been shown in FIG. 1.

These movements F13 are such that at the end of the movement of the pins 13, there is in each apparatus 5 a untwisted portion of a wire 10A1 placed side by side with a untwisted portion of a wire 10B1, so as to form a zone junction 15 shown diagrammatically by two dotted lines in FIG. 1. In each apparatus 5, the filaments of the wire 10A1 and the filaments of the wire 10B1, in the junction zones 15. This scrambling operation is obtained by passing air through the openings 16 of the plate 8, the cover 7 still being closed. In FIG. 2, the wires 10A1, 10B1 have been assumed to be removed in the central region of the plate 8, so that the holes 16 are visible, and there has been shown only a pair 11 of scissors, only a tube 12 , and that a lug 13, for the purpose of simplification. The holes 16 are arranged so that they can cause on demand, in known manner, either a non-vortex movement of the air, or a vortex movement of the air during jamming.

At the end of the jamming, the wires 10A1, 10B1 are then joined together, in each apparatus 5. Then these apparatuses are removed 5, the cut ends of the wires 10A1, 10B1 are removed and the clamps 2A, 2B are turned in the opposite direction arrows F2, so as to twist the wires 10A1 and 10B1 attached together, to obtain a final twist 17, this final twist eliminating the twists which appeared in the wires 10A1, 10B1 during the rotation of the pliers 2A, 2B in the direction of arrows F2.

Such a final ply 17 is shown in FIG. 8, the abutment zones, where the junction zones 15 are located, being referenced 18. In this ply 17, each wire 10A is thus connected to a wire 10B, as previously described .

During the operations described above, the devices 5 are offset, parallel to the axis xx ', so that the junction zones 15 are offset axially along the axis xx', and therefore following the wires 10A1, 10B1 . These zones 15 therefore do not overlap in the final twist. A final ply 17 is thus obtained which has only very little variation in cross-section at the butting zones, with a significant breaking strength in the butting zone, this force representing at least 70% of that of each of the initial plies 1A, IB.

The devices 5 can be brought close to or away from the wires 10A1, 10B1 by mechanical means capable, for example, of giving them vertical movements. These means are known per se, and, like the means known per se for introducing air into the pipes 12 and the holes 16, they are not shown in the drawing for the purpose of simplification.

When making the final twist 17, the clamps 2A, 2B are subjected to the following four displacements:

1st movement - During the rotation of the clamps 2A, 2B in the direction of the arrows F2 to cause the untwisting of the twists 1A, IB, each of the clamps 2A, 2B moves relative to the corresponding spacer 4A, 4B. These movements are generally reflected by a separation of the clamps 2A, 2B, from one another, these movements are shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 by the arrow (F2A) 1 for the clamp 2A and by the arrow (F2B) 1 for the clamp 2B.

2nd movement - When the couples C are formed by the action of the devices 5 with their guides 20, the clamps 2A, 2B approach each other, these movements are shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 by the arrow (F2A ) 2 for the clamp 2A and by the arrow (F2B) 2 for the clamp 2B.

3rd movement - When the wires 10A1, 10B1 are attached together, before the final twist, the devices 5, with their guides 20, are removed, and the clamps 2A, 2B again move away from each other to resume practically the position they had just after the untwisting. These movements are shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 by the arrow (F2A) 3 for the clamp 2A and by the arrow (F2B) 3 for the clamp 2B. 4th movement - During the final twisting of the attached wires 10A1, 10B1, to obtain the plied 17, the pliers 2A, 2B, which then rotate in the opposite direction to the arrows F2, come closer to one another. These movements are shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 by the arrow (F2A) 4 for the clamp 2A and by the arrow (F2B) 4 for the clamp 2B.

All these movements of the clamps 2A, 2B described above take place for example practically along the axis xx ', each of the clamps 2A, 2B being mounted on an articulated support which pivots for example around an axis substantially perpendicular to a vertical plane passing through the axis xx '. On the other hand, the spacers 4A, 4B are fixed.

All these displacements are obtained with means making it possible to obtain an identical tension for the wires 10A1, 10B1, these means are known to those skilled in the art and they comprise, for example springs and / or cams, these means n 'not being shown in the drawing for the purpose of simplification.

The various stages of the process are shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 3 to 8.

Figure 3 shows the plies 1A, IB to abut.

FIG. 4 represents the two pairs C of wires 10A1, 10B1 before having carried out the untwisting operation.

FIG. 5 represents the two pairs C of wires 10A1, 10B1 with for each pair C the junction zone 15 formed by the untwisted part of these wires.

FIG. 6 represents the two pairs C of wires 10A1, 10B1 after scrambling the zones 15, in order to join these wires together, the filaments of these wires being tangled together without any swirling movement of the air.

FIG. 7 represents another variant of the step represented in FIG. 6, in which the scrambling is carried out with swirling movements of the air from so as to have, for each zone 15, a helical structure, with an S-winding and a Z-winding. FIG. 8 represents the final ply 17.

Example of realization

The device 100 is used to butt the ends of two identical plies in rayon, each ply having the following characteristics:

- Number of wires: 2; each wire has a titer of 184 tex and a twist of 360 turns / meter;

- Strength of breaking strength: 180 N.

After jointing, the strength of resistance to rupture in the jointing zone is 130 N (i.e. 72% of the initial force, the reduction in this force therefore being only 28%), and the increase in section in the jointing area is 50% compared to the initial section of each ply.

By way of comparison, the conventional abutment techniques practically cause the section to be doubled, and a reduction in the tensile strength of breakage of approximately 60%, in the abutment zone.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments previously described. Thus, for example, the invention applies to cases where the joining of assemblies other than plied and / or comprising more than two wires is carried out.

Claims

CLAIM

1. Method for connecting the ends of two assemblies of wires, the assemblies each consisting of at least two wires twisted together in the same direction, each wire being a multifilament, the assemblies having the same number of wires, the method being characterized with the following points:

e) the filaments of the two wires are assembled together, by air scrambling, in each of these junction zones;

2. Method according to claim 1 wherein two twists are connected.

3. Device for connecting the ends of two assemblies of wires, the assemblies each consisting of at least two wires twisted together in the same direction, each wire being a multifilament, the assemblies having the same number of wires, the device comprising the following means:

e) air scrambling means, making it possible to assemble the filaments of the two wires together, in each of these junction zones;

f) means, called assembly, making it possible to assemble together by twisting all the wires thus united, in the direction of twist of the assemblies.

4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the separation means and / or the assembly means comprise two rotating clamps, one for each assembly.

5. Device according to any one of claims 3 or

4, characterized in that the separation means comprise two spacers, one for each assembly.

6. Device according to any one of claims 3 to

5, characterized in that the coupling means comprise two gutters, one for each couple.

7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the untwisting means are arranged at the ends of the gutter, for each junction couple.

8. Device according to any one of claims 6 or

7, characterized in that it further comprises means making it possible to cut the free ends of the wires before untwisting, these means being arranged at the ends of the gutter, for each junction couple.

9. Device according to any one of claims 6 to

8, characterized in that the placement means are arranged at the ends of the gutter, for each junction couple.

10. Device according to any one of claims 3 to

9, characterized in that the coupling means, the untwisting means, the placement means, the jamming means form, for each junction couple, an assembly, the device comprising means making it possible to move this assembly to place it in contact of the couple's sons, or to distance them from these sons.

11. Device according to any one of claims 3 to

10, characterized in that the untwisting means are means using air.

12. Device according to any one of claims 3 to

11, characterized in that the separation means and the assembly means comprise two rotating clamps, one for each assembly, each capable of being rotated in one direction for the separation of the wires, and in the opposite direction for the twist wire assembly.

13. Assembly comprising two assemblies which have been joined according to the method according to any one of claims 1 or 2.

14. Assembly comprising two assemblies which have been joined with the device according to any one of claims 3 to 12.