US2660763A - Method and apparatus for applying liquids to fibers - Google Patents

Description

` DCC l 1953 R. D. ROBINSON ETAL 2,660,763

METHOD AND' APPARATUS FOR APPLYING I .IQUIDS TO FIBERS Filed Oct. 20. 1949 lll 9 Fatented Dec, l, 1953 attrs @HCE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR APLPLYING LIQUIDE T0 FIBERS Robert D. Robinson, Uxbridge, Mass.,

and

chusetts Application ctober 20, 1949, Serial No. 122,398

(Ci. iii- 66) '7 Claims.

This invention relates to the application of liquids to bers of a wide variety of kinds, and particularly to fibrous ropes, slivers and the like.

It is a common textile practice to add a low viscosity oil to fibers in web or sliver form as an aid to subsequent textile operations. Also textile practice often calls for straining such webs or slivers with fugitive or easily removable dyes for purposes of identification. The prior art method and apparatus for so doing is unsatisfactory since the liquid is not satisfactorily contained and controlled and is applied unevenly and at such spaced intervals that, in the case of fugi tive dyes, concentrations must be used which are diicult to wash out. Thus, rfor example, one present practice is to apply such oils or dyes by means of transfer from a paddle-wheel device. The points of transfer of liquid are where the paddle-wheel touches the textile web or sliver. When using dyes or stains it is necessary, when using paddle-wheels, to use concentrated solutions for this purpose, resulting` in wetted fibers from which the identifying dye cannot be easily removed. l

It is an object of this invention to apply liquids to iiber surfaces without substantially wetting the ber interior.

Another object of this invention is to apply liquids uniformly to a surface of a length or sliver of moving bers,

Another object of this invention is to apply liquids to the surface of bers without splattering the applying device or nearby workmen.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

rihe invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements. arrangements of parts, and in the several steps and relation and order of each of said steps to one or more of the others thereof, all as will be pointed out in the following description, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

The invention will best be understood if the following description is read in connection with the drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a view of an embodiment of the invention largely in vertical cross section, taken on line --l of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a View of the front or inlet end of the device, taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view partly in horizontal cross section, taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view looking in the direction of the arrows iwi as indicated in Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

As shown in the drawings, a continuous length or sliver of fibers F is advanced continuously by means not shown into and through the interior of chamber it prior to which it is flattened and widened by being passed over and around the curved surface of contact member Il which is mounted for oscillation between arms i Ia and I lb, the ends of which are pivotally mounted by pivots p to the ears i Ic and I ld ofv U-shaped bracket Il@ which projects from the upper surface of mem ber Il.

Chamber lc is illustrated herein as a rectangular chamber including, a base portion i @a including laterally extending portions b1 and b2 which are shown provided with screw holes s to facilitate attachment of the assembly to a machine or other support surface front wall 10b in which slot l2 is provided; the rear wall l0 which includes a rearwardly projecting portion through v which extends the outlet passage lli leading from the chamber lll; and theside walls ltd andA me respectively which 'are inclined rearwardly toward "f said discharge passage and which serve to turn inwardly the edges of the thin web-like sliver which is passed through the chamber and the width of which corresponds substantially with the length of entrance slot i2. Extending into the chamber i0 is a liquid conduit i3 adapted for conveying lubricating oil, fugitive dye, emulsions andthe like, said conduit preferably having a spray head lilau positioned to direct a spray of liquid on the web-like sliver as it passes through chamber It. Means of known kind may be provided for controlling the flow of liquid in conduit lil so that the flow is cut olf except when sliver F is in motion.

The chamber outlet passage comprises a rst portion which is of substantially less width than the interior of chamber i6 and as shown herein 'isl defined by the'ring insert i5, the front or entrance 'edge ita of the ring being curved inwardly to receive and contact the i'lber web with a minimum of friction. v

Behind annular ring l5 the discharge passage is constricted laterally forming a space which is of greater dimension at right angles to slot I2 and the width of the web F in passing through the chamber it than in a direction parallel with the web or sliver F. Within this space the action of turning in the edges of E', begun by the side walls it and ite of the chamber it, and furthered by passage of the web through the first portion, l5, of the discharge outlet, is developed into a folding action folding the two halves of the web upwardly from its longitudinal median line into substantially parallel planes. As shown herein the folding action is accomplished by a ring insert, I6, positioned just behind and in abutting relation to ring I5, and dening a space the width of which is less tthan its height and less than the width of the space defined by ring I5 but the height of which is substantially the same or only slightly less than the diameter of ring l5. The forward edge |61- of ring I6 is desirably curved inwardly.

In order that rings similar to ring I6 but with different sized apertures may be readily substituted within the said passage the rearward extention of wall .10 of the chamber is desirably bored to receive a set screw I8 by which ring I6, or other similar rings with different sizes of apertures may be secured in place within the discharge passage.

The portion of the discharge passage to the rear of ring Iii is of the vcross section desired for the wetted sliver and is shown herein as substantially circular. To Yfacilitate the production of slivers of different diameter this portion of the passage, as shown herein is den'ed by a removable annular ring 2B and the rearwardly extending portion of chamber wall I0C is bored to receive a set screw 22 by means of which ring 2B, or a. substitute ring, may be held in place in abutting relation to ring I6.

For aiding in the removal of any excess liquid from the surface of the sliver as it leaves the discharge passage, and for coh'st'ricting 'the 'fibers so that they will balloon out upon discharge "from the passage, a cross pin 24 is provided extending across the interior of the orice deiined by ring zfand as shown Yin the drawing is positioned at the top of the or'iiice. Pin 2li serves the purpose of a flange on the interior of ring 20 and is preferred because it 'is easier and less expensive to manufacture;

Upon leaving the discharge passage, a large portion of the fibers comprising the sliver are wetted lightly and evenly with the liquid introduced into chamber Iii, and because the liquid is introduced preferably as a inist, and because of the folding and constriction of the sliver after leaving the interior of chamber lil, it is markedly free from excess liquid and the applied liquid is retained within the sliver without substantial loss. It will be understood that the volume of the liquid sprayed onto the sliver in 'chamber IIJ should be adjusted to the size and nature of the fibrous sliver, and that the moving sliver will tend to taire up any liquid accumulating within the chamber and also serve to prevent escape of liquid through the entrance slot or the discharge orifice by lling said slot and said oriiicei The method and the applicator apparatus disclosed herein may be applied as an aid in the manufacture of various textile products and at various stages of manufacture. As one example, it may be usefully applied in the manufacture of woolen and worsted. fabrics to wet the web or sliver coming from a textile machine, such for example as a pin drafter, and in advance of the ceiling of the sliver.

The applicator described herein has the advantage of applying liquid to the fibers of a sliver so that a large proportion of the bers are lightly and evenly wetted, thereby facilitating the working of the fibers in the case of a lubricant, and making it possible, iii the case of the applica'- tion of a fugitive dye to the bers, to use a low concentration of the dye for identification and to thereafter readily remove the dye, at the same time conserving the liquid and eliminating the splashing characteristic of many of the prior art processes, and producing slivers of desired size and cross sectional shape.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention a method and apparatus in which the various objects hereinabove set forth together with many thoroughly practical advantages are successfully achieved. As varin ous possible embodiments might be made of the mechanical eatures of the above invention and as the art herein described might be varied in various parts, all without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all 'matter hereinbefoi'e set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

l. Apparatus for applying liquids to fibrous Webs and the like comprising a chamber having an inlet slot and an `extendei'i. outlet passage, means extending' into the chamber for discharging a spray oi liquid on a web oi fibers moving through said chamber, and a member removably mounted in said outlet passage and de'liriing an outlet port having its greater dimension in a plane substantially right angles to the plane of said entrance slot.

2. The method of handling bers while applying liquid to them which comprises initially airanging the lib-ers in 'a thin web disposed in a 'ist plane, folding the length of fibers into a substantially rectangular web disposed in. a se.- Ohd plane, and spraying liquid onto the surface of said web While it is being folded into said substantially rectangular web, changing the cross section 'of 'the web from rectangular to circular, and simultaneously scraping the .resulting sliver and constricting it so that the iibers comprising the sliver will balloon out when released from the Vconstricting force.

Y3. The method of applying liquid to fibers which comprises' passing a length of iibers into a closure as a thin web disposed in a iirst plane, folding the length of bers within the closure into a web of substantially rectangular cross sec tion disposed in a second plane substantially at right angles to said rst plane, and spraying liquid lonto the surface of said web while it is being folded, changing the cross section of the web from rectangular to circular and discharging it from said closure.

4. An apparatus for applying liquids to fibers comprising a housing defining a closure having an entrance slot and a discharge passage terminating in a substantially circular discharge orifice, means for spraying liquid on the surface of the web of fibers `passing through said closure, and means intermediate said slot and said orifice for folding said web and converting it from a thin web to a sliver of substantially rectangular cross section, said means comprising a slot having its greatest dimension substantially at right angles to the plane of said entrance slot.

5. Apparatus for applying liquids to bers comprising a closed chamber having an entrance slot in one wall for the admission of a thin web of fibers and having a discharge passage in another wall for the discharge of bers from said chamber in a sliver of substantially circular cross section, said discharge passage comprising a second slot disposed at right angles to said entrance slot and a portion of circular cross section, positoned to receive the sliver after it has passed through said second slot, said chamber being partly defined by a Wall portion tapering in the direction of said discharge passage, and means for introducing a spray of liquid into said chamber between said slots.

6. An apparatus for applying liquids to bers comprising a closed chamber having an entrance port and an outlet portion, means for passing a length of fibers into and out of said chamber through said port and passages respectively, means for introducing a spray of liquid into said chamber, said outlet passage comprising a constricted portion forming a slot therein at right angles to the path of said length of bers through said chamber, and means for initiating turning up the edges of said length of fibers to initiate folding action of the length of fibers which is completed by passage of the length through said slot.

7. An apparatus for applying liquids to fibers comprising a closed chamber having an entrance port and an outlet passage, means for passing a length of fibers into and out of said chamber through said port and passage respectively, means for introducing a spray of liquid into said chamber, said outlet passage comprising a constrcted portion forming a slot extending at right angles to the path of said length of bers through said chamber, means for initiating turning up the edges of said length of fibers to initiate folding action of the length of fibers which is completed by passage of the length through said slot, and a cross member positioned in said outlet passage for removing excess liquid from the overlapped discontinuous lateral edges of said length of fibers.

ROBERT D. ROBINSON.

RAYNALDO P. JACQUES.

References Cited n the lle 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,542,180 Selden et al June 16, 1925 1,597,115 Selden et al. Aug. 24, 1926 1,956,450 McGinnis Apr. 24, 1934 2,115,218 Siever Apr. 26, 1938 2,187,830 Jones Jan. 23, 1940 2,203,423 Walsh et al. June 4, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,429 Great Britain of 1863 682,512 Germany Oct. 16, 1939

Images