US3659439A

US3659439A - Yarn treatment apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3659439A
Application number: US89991A
Authority: US
Inventors: John Raymond Tindall
Original assignee: Courtaulds PLC
Current assignee: Akzo Nobel UK PLC
Priority date: 1969-11-19
Filing date: 1970-11-16
Publication date: 1972-05-02
Anticipated expiration: 1989-05-02
Also published as: FR2069690A5; GB1322505A

Abstract

Apparatus for treating a textile yarn comprises an endless flexible support member mounted for movement around a closed path, means for laying a textile yarn onto a surface of said support member, a treatment vessel to engage with and completely enclose successive yarn-receiving portions of said surface, means for moving said portions stepwise into and out of said treatment vessel, and a yarn take-off apparatus operable to withdraw treated yarn from said portions. The endless flexible support member may be mounted for intermittent stepwise movement or for continuous movement around a closed path.

Description

United States Patent Tindali 51 May2,1972

[22] Filed:

[54] YARN TREATMENT APPARATUS [72] Inventor: John Raymond Tindall; Guiseley, England [73] Assignee: Courtauids Limited, London, England Nov. 16, 1970 21 Appl. N63 89,991

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 19, [969 Great Britain ..56,628/69 [52] US. Cl. ..68/5 D [5 l] Int. Cl. ..D06c 1/06 [58] Field of Search ..68/5 D, 5 E, DlG. 5, 20

[56] References Cited l UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,503,23l 3/1970 Fleissner et al ..68/5 E Pn'mary Examiner-William i. Price Attorney-Davis, Hoxie, Faithful! & Hapgood [5 7] ABSTRACT Apparatus for treating a textile yam comprises an endless flexible support member mounted for movement around a closed path, means for laying a textile yarn onto a surface of said support member, a treatment vessel to engage with and completely enclose successive yam-receiving portions of said surface, means for moving said portions stepwise into and out of said treatment vessel, and a yarn take-off apparatus operable to withdraw treated yarn from said portions. The endless flexible support member may be mounted for intermittent stepwise movement or for continuous movement around a closed path.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures YARN TREATMENT APPARATUS This invention relates to an apparatus for applying a relaxation treatment to a textile yarn.

Yarns which are wholly or partially of man-made fiber yarn are often given a bulking treatment to impart to the yarn a soft, bulky handle, similar to that exhibited by woollen yarns. A typical bulking treatment comprises heating the yarn to the softening point of at least some of its constituent fibers, deforming the heated yarn mechanically and then cooling to set the deformation in place. In order to achieve a maximum amount of bulking it may be necessary to give the yarn an aftertreatment in which it is allowed to relax under low tension. For example, the yarn may be treated with hot water or steam while in loose hank form, or a continuous yarn may be passed through a hot water bath. in both cases, the object of the treatment is to allow the yarn to contract longitudinally in a favorable environment so that the deformation, usually termed crimp, develops to its fullest extent.

However, certain yarns which consist wholly or partially of so-called latent crimp fibers do not respond satisfactorily to such simple relaxation treatments. Latent crimp fibers have an inherent tendency to crimp which may depend on either their chemical composition or on some treatment applied during the fiber-forming process. For example, bi-component filaments may be formed by simultaneously extruding through a single spinneret two polymeric components having different physical properties, so that the resultant filaments comprise two components with different capabilities of relaxation, and therefore have an inherent tendency to curl when allowed to relax under suitable conditions.

In order to realize the full crimping potential of latent crimp yarns it is generally necessary to apply a more drastic relaxation treatment cycle, for example comprising a vacuum treatment followed by a treatment with low pressure saturated steam. Several such treatment cycles may be employed if necessary.

In order to apply this kind of treatment it has hitherto been necessary to wind the yarn into a suitable package, such as a loose hank, and to then enclose it in a pressure vessel. Although many yarn packages can be so treated at once, it is necessarily a discontinuous, batch process and is not readily applicable to continuous lengths of yarn.

An alternative method of applying a relaxation treatment which has been proposed comprises passing a latent crimp yarn strand continuously over an open steam bath, but this precludes the application of both pressure and near-vacuum conditions and so is not very satisfactory.

According to this invention an apparatus for treating a textile yarn comprises an endless flexible support member mounted for movement around a closed path, means for laying a textile yarn onto a surface of said support member, a treatment vessel to engage with and completely enclose successive yarn-receiving portions of said surface, means for moving said portions stepwise into and out of said treatment vessel, and a yarn take-off apparatus operable to withdraw treated yarn from said portions.

The endless support member may be a belt or a flexible lattice conveyor; for example, it may be a woven wire belt or an open steel lattice. In the latter case the surface of the lattice may be covered with a fabric layer of nylon netting or a similar openwork material.

The endless flexible support member may be mounted for intermittent stepwise movement around the whole of its closed path, or it may be arranged to be driven at a substantially constant speed while the apparatus is in use, means provided for converting the constant speed motion to an intermittent stepwise motion only in the vicinity of the treatment vessel.

Conveniently the means for laying yarn onto a surface of the endless flexible support member is a coiling head of the type used to pile card sliver into cylindrical cans, mounted on guide arms arranged to traverse the coiling head in a zig-zag path over the support member while laying the yarn in regular coils.

Alternatively several such coiling heads may be located in side-by-side relation transversely of the support member so as to produce parallel rows of coils extending lengthwise in the direction of movement of the support member.

If the support member is arranged to be driven at a constant speed, the yarn-laying means need not be traversed over the support member because the continuous movement of the latter can be arranged to provide the required yarn-laying action. Moreover, the yarn-laying means in this case may operate continuously.

The coiling head may be arranged to draw yarns from a large number of yarn packages and lay them together as a rope-like strand. Where several heads are employed, each head may be supplied with only a relatively small number of yarns, in order to minimize the risk of tangling after processing.

The treatment vessel preferably comprises two parts, one of which is mounted in running contact with the opposite side of the support member to that on which yarn is laid. The other part is then arranged to be movable towards the surface of the support member so that when it is urged against the latter its margins both surround the yarn-receiving portion and cooperate with the fixed part of the vessel so as to form a substantially sealed chamber.

The apparatus may also include a yarn cooling device comprising for example a suction head arranged to draw air through the yam-receiving portion of the support member as the latter is advanced from the treatment vessel towards the point at which the treated yarn is withdrawn by the yarn takeoff apparatus.

When a number of yarns are laid together as a single ropelike strand, the yarn take-off apparatus preferably comprises a set of individual winding stations, one for each yam. These winding stations may be of any suitable kind depending on the type of yarn package required for a particular end-use.

Where the endless support member is driven at a-.constant speed, the yarn laying and take-off apparatus may operate continuously, yarn being withdrawn from the surface of the support member at substantially the same linear speed as that at which it is laid by the yarn-laying means.

The apparatus may also include control means for operating the several parts of the apparatus in timed relation to one another. A typical operating sequence when the support member is moved intermittently could be as follows: Firstly, a portion of the surface of the endless support member precisely equal to the length of, and immediately in advance of the treatment vessel is at least partly covered with a yarn or yarns by the yarn-laying means which is then stopped. The support member is moved forwardly a distance precisely equal to the length of the treatment vessel so that the laid yarn is advanced to the treatment vessel which closes around it and the treatment cycle commences. During the treatment cycle the yarnlaying means covers a further portion of the surface of the endless support member of the same precise length, and when the treatment cycle is completed and the treatment vessel disengaged from the support member, the support member is again moved forwardly the same precise distance so that the yarn on this further portion of the surface is advanced for treatment, while the now-treated yarn is forwarded over the yarn cooling device (if fitted) to the yarn take-off apparatus which withdraws it from the surface of the support member.

A similar operating sequence would apply to an arrangement in which the endless support member moves continuously at a constant speed, with the exceptions that the yarnlaying and yarn take-ofi' operations would be carried out continuously, the speed of laying being such that the same precise length of the support member is covered during each complete treatment cycle.

Thus the apparatus can be arranged to apply a relaxation treatment automatically to a continuous yarn or yarns and although small lengths of yarn connecting the yarn on successive yam-receiving portions of the endless support member do in fact escape treatment because they are trapped by the margins of the treatment vessel, these latter can be made relatively thin, so that this is of no practical significance.

This slight disadvantage may be overcome to some extent at least, by arranging that the length of the treatment vessel and the length of each successive yarn-covered portion of the support member are not exactly equal, the former length being made slightly longer than the latter length. In this way substantially all of the yarn is treated inside the vessel at least once.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a diagrammatic side elevation of an apparatus for 1 applying a relaxationtreatment to a yarn,

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic plan illustrating the passage of yarn through the apparatus of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation of part of another apparatus for applying a relaxation treatment to a yarn.

In FIG. 1 a stainless steel lattice l is driven and supported by four rollers 2, which in use guide it around a closed path with an intermittent stepwise motion in the direction of the arrow A. For clarity, the mounting and driving arrangements, which are conventional, are not shown in detail.

A coiling head 3 is supported above the upper run 4 of the lattice 1 by a pair of

guide arms

5, 6 connected by a pivot at their junction 7. The arm is pivotally mounted at 8, on the machine framework (not shown) and the drive for the coiling head is supplied by endless belts 9 and pulleys 10, through a shaft 11 which passes through the hollow pivot 8. The coiling head 3 can be traversed over the surface of the lattice by a system of levers (not shown) acting on the

guide arms

5, 6. The coiling head 3 is supplied with a yarn 12 from a package 13 via yarn guides 14.

A treatment vessel comprising a lower part 16 mounted in running contact with the underside of the upper run 4 of the lattice 1 and an upper part 17 movable normal to the surface of the lattice as indicated by the arrows B, is connected by pipes 18 to a steam supply or to a vacuum reservoir, rieither of which is shown.

A suction head 19, also connected to a vacuum reservoir (not shown), is mounted in running contact with the underside of the lattice so that in use air may be drawn through the lattice.

A yarn take-off apparatus is provided, comprising a spool 21, driven by surface contact with a roller 22. The yarn takeoff apparatus is conventional and is not shown or described in any further detail.

In FIG. 2 only the upper run 4 of the lattice I is shown, divided by dashed lines into three regions F, G and H, of equal length, each of which represents an area of the lattice surface which is enclosable by the treatment vessel. The yarn laid in each region is joined to that in the adjacent regions by short yarn lengths 23.

In operation, starting with the lattice empty and stationary the coiling head 3 traverses the region F of FIG. 2 (from 24 to 25 in FIG. 2) laying the yarn 12 in small coils in a zig-zag manner. When the region F has received yarn the lattice is advanced a distance exactly equal to the length of the regions to move that portion of the lattice under the treatment vessel (which corresponds to the region G in FIG. 2). At the same time the coiling head is advanced to its original starting point (24 in FIG. 2). The upper part 17 of the treatment vessel is urged against the lattice surface enclosing the yarn of region G. While treatment proceeds, the coiling head traverses the next part of the lattice,.laying yarn onto it exactly as before. When the treatment cycle is completed, the treatment vessel is disengaged from the lattice which is then advanced a further distance exactly equal to the length of the regions to bring the next yarn-receiving portion under the treatment vessel, thereby moving the now-treated yarn to region l-I. Again the coiling head advances and commences laying further yarn and the upper part of the treatment vessel is urged against the lattice surface to treat the already-laid yarn at region G. The relaxed yarn in region H is cooled by drawing air through it by means of the suction head 19 (FIG. '1). Starting at the point where the coiling head originally commenced laying the yarn (now at 26 in FIG. 2), the yarn take-

off apparatus

21, 22 of FIG. 1, withdraws the cooled yam from the lattice winding it onto the spool 21. This step-wise operation is repeated so that the coiling head can deliver an unbroken length of yarn onto the lattice and the yarn take-off apparatus can receive the treated yarn as an unbroken length.

In FIG. 3 an arrangement is shown in which the endless support member moves at a constant speed while the apparatus is in use. For simplicity the output end of the apparatus, which corresponds to that of FIG. 1, is not shown in FIG. 3. The same reference numerals are for convenience applied to like parts in FIGS. 1 and 3.

Thus in FIG. 3, a stainless steel lattice l is supported for movement around a closed path by rollers 2. A stationary coiling head 3 delivers a yarn 12 from a package 13 via yarn guides 14 onto the upper run 4 of the lattice which is driven at a constant speed in the direction indicated by the arrows A.

Fron the coiling head 3 the lattice l advances towards a

treatment vessel

16, 17, which corresponds to that already described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Intermediate the coiling head 3 and the

treatment vessel

16, 17 is a first storage device comprising a pair of freely rotatable rollers 30, mounted with their axes parallel, and an endless belt loop 31. The loop 31 is supported by a pair of freely rotatable rollers 32 which are parallel and mounted in spacedapart relation by two frame members 33, only one of which can be seen in FIG. 3. The frame members are slidably mounted so that the belt loop 31 can move in a direction normal to the plane of the lattice between the rollers 30, deflecting the lattice into a U-shaped loop.

A second storage device generally similar to that just described is provided intermediate the

treatment vessel

16, 17 and the remainder of the apparatus (shown only in FIG. l)v This second storage device comprises a pair of

parallel rollers

40, 41 and an endless belt loop 42 supported by rollers 43 and two frame members 44, the latter being slidably mounted to allow the belt loop 42 to deflect the lattice into a second U- shaped loop, between the

rollers

40, 41. The roller 41 is freely rotatably mounted, but the roller 40 is drivable by a motor M through a chain 45 and

sprockets

46, 47. The drive from the motor M to the sprocket 46 is taken through an electricallyoperated combined clutch/brake unit, (not shown) whereby the roller 40 may be driven, or braked, or may simply be allowed to rotate freely.

Proximity switches 5,, S detect the position of the endless belt loop 31 at the upper and lower limits of its movement respectively.

The operation of the apparatus of FIG. 3 is briefly as follows:

With the treatment vessel disengaged from the lattice, the latter is free to move in the direction of the arrows A provided that the roller 40 is either driven or is allowed to rotate freely. Under these conditions the

endless belt loops

31 and 42 would adopt a position of equilibrium with the sizes of the U-shaped loops into which the lattice is deformed being approximately equal. However, by using the motor M to drive the lattice forward from the vicinity of the treatment vessel at a greater speed than that of the overall speed of advance of the lattice, the endless belt loop 42 can be made to descend relative to the

rollers

40, 41 while the belt loop 31 rises relative to its associated rollers 32, with a corresponding increase and decrease respectively, in the sizes of the two U-shaped loops.

While the lattice is advancing, the coiling head 3 is depositing yarn onto the lattice surface 4. When the yarn-covered portion of the lattice reaches the first storage device where it is deflected by the endless belt loop 31 into the first U-shaped loop, the coils of yarn are trapped between the lattice surface 4 and the belt loop 31, so that the disposition of the coils is substantially unafiected.

By controlling the speed of the motor M in relation to the overall speed of the lattice around its closed path, the arrival of the yam-covered portion at the treatment vessel can be arranged to coincide with the descent of the belt loop 42 to its maximum possible extent, and with the ascent of the belt loop 31 to its highest position. In other words, the lattice is deflected into a relatively large U-shaped loop after the treatment vessel and into a relatively small U-shaped loop before it. Conveniently, this condition is signalled by the proximity switch 8 which causes the motor M to stop and the brake to be applied to the roller 40. That portion of the lattice between the roller 40 and the roller 32 is therefore now stationary, the treatment vessel can be engaged with it and the yarn portion within the vessel treated, as described earlier.

During the treatment step, the lattice is still moving in the direction of the arrows A, both towards the first storage device, and away from the second storage device. The belt loop 3! therefore descends, storing the still-advancing yamcovered lattice as a loop of steadily increasing size, while the belt loop 42 ascends, paying out the lattice from its previously stored loop which therefore steadily decreases in size.

The size of the U-shaped loops and the length of the treatment vessel are so chosen in relation to the duration of the treatment to be applied to each successive yarn-covered portion, and in relation to the overall speed of advance of the lattice that at the end of a treatment step the belt loop 31 has just descended to its lowermost extent and actuates the proximity switch 5,, causing the treatment vessel to be disengaged from the lattice and the roller 40 to be driven by the motor M, the belt loop 42 having now risen to its maximum extent.

At this point, the first storage device is full and the second storage device is empty.

The motor M is now operated to restore the two U-shaped loops to the relative sizes which they originally had immediately prior to the treatment step. This is accomplished by advancing the treated yarn-covered portion away from the treatment vessel at a speed considerably greater than the overall speed of advance of the lattice. When the loops are restored to their original sizes, a new yarn-covered portion of the lattice is under the treatment vessel and the proximity switch S, can initiate a further treatment step, as just described.

As in the case of the first storage device the coils of treated yarn are trapped between the lattice and the belt loop 42 and are therefore retained in their original disposition despite the deflection of the lattice at the second storage device.

The remainder of the apparatus functions as previously described with reference to F 168. l and 2, with the exception that the lattice advances continuously and that therefore the yarn take-off apparatus also operates continuously.

Thus the apparatus just described operates in exactly the same way as the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2, in so far as a continuous length of yarn is treated as a succession of connected portions.

If the spacing between the treatment vessel and the second storgae device is sufficient the yarn cooling apparatus of H0. 1 may be omitted, provided that treated yarn is not still hot and plastic when it is trapped between the lattice surface 4 and the belt loop 42.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for treating a textile yarn, comprising an endless flexible support member mounted for movement around a closed path, means for laying a textile yarn onto a surface of said support member, a treatment vessel to engage with and completely enclose successive yam-receiving portions of said surface, means for moving said portions stepwise into and out of said treatment vessel, and a yarn take-off apparatus operable to withdraw treated yarn from said portions.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, including means operable to cool said treated yarn prior to withdrawal by the yarn take-off apparatus.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said means comprises a suction device arranged to draw air through the treated yarn.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the endless flexible support member is mounted for intermittent stepwise movement around a closed path.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the endless flexible support member is mounted for continuous movement around a closed path, the apparatus including a first storage means operable to store a portion of the support member advancing towards the treatment vessel during engagement by the treatment vessel with another portion of the support member, and a second storage means operable to pay-out a previously-stored portion of the support member during said treatment.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each storage means comprises a first pair of rollers, rotatably mounted in parallel, spaced-apart relation and in running contact with one surface of the support member, and an endless belt loop supported by a second pair of rollers, freely rotatably mounted in parallel, spaced-apart relation on a frame member with the plane of the endless belt loop being substantially normal to the plane of the support member, and the frame member being freely slidably mounted so that the endless belt loop engages the yam-receiving other surface of the support member between the first pair of rollers, whereby the support member is deflected into a U-shaped loop.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, including drive means operable to empty said first storage means and to flll said second storage means while the treatment vessel is disengaged from the support member.

8. Apparatus according to claim 4, including means operable to traverse the yam-laying means over a portion of the surface of the endless flexible support member, while said support member is stationary between stepwise movements thereof.

Claims

1. An apparatus for treating a textile yarn, comprising an endless flexible support member mounted for movement around a closed path, means for laying a textile yarn onto a surface of said support member, a treatment vessel to engage with and completely enclose successive yarn-receiving portions of said surface, means for moving said portions stepwise into and out of said treatment vessel, and a yarn take-off apparatus operable to withdraw treated yarn from said portions.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each storage means comprises a first pair of rollers, rotatably mounted in parallel, spaced-apart relation and in running contact with one surface of the support member, and an endless belt loop supported by a second pair of rollers, freely rotatably mounted in parallel, spaced-apart relation on a frame member with the plane of the endless belt loop being substantially normal to the plane of the support member, and the frame member being freely slidably mounted so that the endless belt loop engages the yarn-receiving other surface of the support member between the first pair of rollers, whereby the support member is deflected into a U-shaped loop.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, including drive means operable to empty said first storage means and to fill said second storage means while the treatment vessel is disengaged from the support member.

8. Apparatus according to claim 4, including means operable to traverse the yarn-laying means over a portion of the surface of the endless flexible support member, while said support member is stationary between stepwise movements thereof.