GB2089861A - Producing textile or non-textile yarn structures - Google Patents

Abstract

In the method, two individual yarns 3 and 4 are continuously interlinked with one another, on the principle of forming a seam on a sewing machine, using two tubular yarn-guiding interlinking instruments 1 and 2 and a pointed supporting plate 6. Each of the instruments 1, 2 has a rectilinear shank portion via which the instrument is connected to a moving part. The shank portion merges into a yarn guiding portion which is bent in the shape of an arc of a circle and which is slotted on the convex side to form a yarn passage aperture 1'. The moving parts serve successively to impart an oscillatory motion to the interlinking instruments 1, 2, the paths of motion of the instruments intersecting one another. The plate 6 is held at one end and converges to a point at the other end. It serves to support the yarn structure 7 on its pointed end portion and is mounted in the zone of intersection of the paths of motion of the interlinking instruments 1, 2. The method may be used to produce a yarn structure comprising only one individual yarn interlinked similarly to a chain stitch on a sewing machine. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method and apparatus for the production of textile or non-textile yarn structure This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the production of textile or nontextile yarn structures intended for further processing in weaving, knitting or in other fields of yarn processing.

Plain and fancy yarn twisting processes are used to produce twisted yarns or yarn structures for further processing in the field stated. It is also known to twist yarns with different twists and different yarn tensions in order to produce yarn structures whose surfaces have special decorative and plastic effects.

These so-called effect, fancy or ornamental ply yarns are produced on effect yarn twisting machines which have two or more feeders and additional effect-producing members (Grosses Textillexikon, Pp. 314 et seq.). One particular disadvantage of such method is that the twisting operation must be carried out in two separate operational stages, namely the preliminary twisting and the actual effect yarn twisting.

Moreover, all twisted products must subsequently be subjected to a steaming process, to eliminate the varying degree of back twist of the yarns which is caused by the method and would be troublesome during further processing.

The production of such yarn structures is therefore extremely costly in time and money, and not very productive as a whole.

For special fields of application is is known to produce a linear textile structure, a number of yarns being sewn around thread clusters, fibre slubbings or some other suitable basic material.

The sewing-round is effected using overstitching (overcasting stitch) machines (German Democratic Republic Patent Specification 97 236). However, due to their relatively coarse structure and texture, these textile structures are used only as technical cords or rope-like products.

It is an object of the invention to provide yarn structures which, while obviating the previous disadvantages, can be produced in a highly economic and versatile manner, have satisfactory properties of workability, and can be substituted for ply yarns or effect ply yarns in all branches of the yarn-processing industry.

The invention aims at developing a method which enables a textile or non-textile yarn structure to be produced from from back twist in a single-stage operational process, and to provide an apparatus which is suitable for the carrying out of a method.

Accordingly, the present invention consists in a method of producing textile or non-textile yarn structures, wherein one or more individual yarns are continuously interlinked respectively with itself or with one another, on the principle by which a sewing machine forms seams, whereafter the interlinked yarns are drawn off and spooled.

By eliminating preceding and following operations the method not only ensures an appreciable saving of energy and high productivity in comparison with conventional ply yarn and effect ply yarn producing methods, but also offers versatile possibilities as regards the manufacture of yarns and the production of patterning effects in the yarn itself. Due to the structure produced by the interlinking, the yarn formations produced by the method according to the invention are particularly light and bulky and have very satisfactory workability when used throughout the yarn-processing industry. The advantages of these yarn structures are shown particularly clearly when they are processed into knitted fabrics, which as a result are free from all oblique warping and have a reduced tendency to selvage roll.The rows of the stitch formation follow an exactly straight course, i.e. no disadvantageous thickening of the wales occurs at the edge of the knitted fabrics such as are generally unavoidable in the processing of conventional yarns.

An apparatus for carrying out the method comprises tubular interlinking instruments each of which has a rectilinear shank portion via which the instrument is connected to a moving part and which merges into a yarn guiding portion which is bent in the shape of an arc of a circle and which is slotted on the convex side to form a yarn passage aperture, said moving parts serving successively to impart an oscillatory motion to the interlinking instruments the paths of motion of which intersect one another, and an elongate plate held at one end and converging to a point at the other end for supporting the yarn structure, said plate being arranged in the zone of intersection of the paths of motion of said instruments.

The apparatus advantageously includes yarn guiding, tensioning and monitoring devices preceding the interlinking instruments and a following drawing-off and spooling device.

Preferably, the apparatus for carrying out the method comprises interlinking instruments which are constituted by the needles and grippers, including their moving parts, of known chain stitch, double chain stitch or overstitching machines, the needles advantageously having rounded ends instead of their points, and all the interlinking instruments containing enlarged yarn passage apertures.

The particular advantage of the invention resides in the elimination of the prior art conventional elements for producing yarn by imparting a twist thereto, thereby getting rid of a machine element in the zone of the yarn guide which is highly susceptible to wear. Another advantage which is achieved at the same time is a low level of noise when the apparatus is operated.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate diagrammatically and by way of example an embodiment thereof, and in which :- Fig. 1 illustrates the interlinking station of the apparatus according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of an interlinking instrument, Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the interlinking instrument, and Fig. 4 illustrates the yarn interlinking in a twoyarn structure.

Yarns and silks, either in identical or different finenesses and kinds, are particularly used in producing a yarn structure by the method of the invention. The yarn material is drawn off conventional feed members (not shown) and guided with appropriate yarn tension to the interlinking station. At the interlinking station the individual yarns are interlinked, in the manner of chain linking in sewing, to form a yarn chain, whereafter the yarn chain is drawn off synchronously with the interlinking speed, and spooled on a pirn conventionally used in afterprocessing operations.

The yarn structure thus produced can be used without any further treatment as a plain or effect yarn, in dependence on the nature of the individual yarns used, on all yarn-processing machines.

Apart from the effects achieved in the yarn structure, if necessary further effects can also be produced by the use of individual yarns of different colours.

The interlinking system illustrated in Fig. 1 is based on a construction which operates with two interlinking instruments 1 and 2. In this case two individual yarns 3 and 4 are fed for interlinking.

The yarn-guiding interlinking instruments 1, 2 are tubular and bent in the shape of an arc of a circle.

The convex side of their front portion is slotted over substantially 2/3rds of the curvature, thus enabling the individual yarns 3, 4 to be introduced easily and without complication into the resulting grooves 1', 2' of the instruments 1, 2. The internal diameter of the tubular interlinking instruments 1, 2 is so generously proportioned that both fine and coarse individual yarns 3, 4 and also any knots, thickened portions or other irregularities contained in the yarn material can be guided by the grooves 1', 2' without problems, i.e. without impeding the run of the yarn.

The interlinking instruments 1, 2 are arranged at an angle of 900 in relative to one another. Each instrument 1,2 has a rectilinear shank portion via which it is attached by means of a clamping plate to its associated moving part 5. Crank gears (not shown) cause the moving part 5 to move through substantially a quadrant of a circle, thus setting the instruments 1, 2 in a successive oscillatory motion in accordance with the radius of their bending. The oscillatory motion of the instruments 1, 2 is such that, by means of an elongate support plate 6 converging at one end to a point in the forward direction and the inner bend of the instruments 1, 2, the individual yarns 3, 4 lying in the grooves 1', 2' and emerging at the front end of the instruments 1, 2 alternately form a yarn shed into which the two instruments 1 and 2 alternately swing their individual yarns 3 and 4 respectively.

The plate 6 is so mounted by its shank in the apparatus that its tip is disposed substantially in the zone of intersection of the paths of motion of the two instruments 1, 2, and that the two individual yarns 3, 4 can be interlinked into a combined yarn on such tip. Fig. 4 shows the interlinking pattern of the resulting yarn structure 7.

Conventional retaining means for the yarn feed members, and also yarn guiding, tensioning and monitoring devices for the individual yarns 3, 4 precede the interlinking station, consisting of the instruments 1 , 2 and the support plate 6. A roller draw-off device following the interlinking station and a device such as is used in the corresponding industrial conditions for spooling the yarn structure 7 (neither device shown) complete the apparatus.

The interlinking system and the interlinking apparatus are constructed similarly to the known chain stitch or overstitching (overcast stitch) machines.

In one derivation of this embodiment, therefore, yarn interlinking may be effected with only one yarn or with more than two individual yarns. In such case the apparatus has a number of yarnguiding interlinking instruments corresponding to the number of the yarns to be interlinked.

Moreover, more than one individual yarn may be fed to one or more interlinking instruments, thus further varying the patterning effect which may be achieved, more particularly when differently coloured yarns are used.

Claims (6)

1. A method of producing textile or non-textile yarn structures, wherein one or more individual yarns are continuously interlinked respectively with itself orwith one another, on the principle by which a sewing machine forms seams, whereafter the interlinked yarn or yarns are drawn off and spooled.

2. An apparatus for carrying out the method claimed in claim 1, comprising tubular interlinking instruments each of which has a rectilinear shank portion via which the instrument is connected to a moving part and which merges into a yarn guiding portion which is bent in the shape of an arc of a circle and which is slotted on the convex side to form a yarn passage aperture, said moving parts serving successively to impart an oscillatory motion to the interlinking instruments the paths of motion of which intersect one another, and an elongate plate held at one end and converging to a point at the other end for supporting the yarn structure, said plate being arranged in the zone of intersection of the paths of motion of said instruments.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the interlinking instruments are preceded by yarn guiding, tensioning and monitoring devices and followed by a drawing-off and spooling device.

4. An apparatus for carrying out the method claimed in claim 1, wherein interlinking instruments are provided which are constituted by the needles and grippers, including their moving parts, of known chain stitch, double chain stitch or overstitching machines, the needles advantageously having rounded ends instead of their points, and all the interlinking instruments containing enlarged yarn passage apertures.

5. An apparatus for producing textile or nontextile yarn structures, substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figs.

1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A yarn structure whenever produced by the method claimed in claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.