US3358432A

US3358432A - Spinning apparatus and method utilizing miniature carding rolls

Info

Publication number: US3358432A
Application number: US561186A
Authority: US
Inventors: William B Croxton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-06-28
Filing date: 1966-06-28
Publication date: 1967-12-19
Anticipated expiration: 1984-12-19

Description

Dec. 19, 1967 w. B. CROXTON SPINNING APPARATUS AND METHOD UTILIZING MINIATURE CARDING ROLLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28, 1966 WILLIAM B. CROXTON BYWMM%A%M ATTORNEYS W. B. CROXTON SPINNING APPARATUS AND METHOD UTILIZING Dec. 19, 1967 MINIATURE CARDING ROLLS Filed June 28, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v E W WILLIAM B. CROXTON wg fih lw ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,358,432 SPINNING APPARATUS AND METHOD UTILIZ- ING MlNIATURE CARDING ROLLS William B. Croxton, 2617 Edgewood Ave., Burlington, N.C. 27215 Filed June 28, 1966, Ser. No. 561,186

11 Claims. (CI. 57-50) This invention relates to the processing of textile fibers, in strand form, into packages of yarn, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for spinning fibrous strand textile material which utilizes miniature carding rolls to draft the strands.

Conventional ring spinning systems employ a plurality of serially arranged nip rolls through which strands of textile material, in the form of roving, pass in side-by-side relationship. By controlling the relative peripheral speeds of the rolls, draft is imparted to the strands, after which they are twisted and wound onto bobbins to form packages of yarn. In the production of textile yarns by the cotton or worsted process, strands of textile fibers are subjected to a drawing and roving operation after carding and before spinning of the fibers into the yarn product.

The relative speeds of and the distances between the drafting rolls are critical and must be varied, depending on the particular type fiber and fiber length being processed. Unless the speeds and distances between the rolls are maintained within certain critical limits, the strands are drawn irregularly or broken during spinning. Experience has proved that it is impossible to produce an even yarn with conventional roll drafting when the blend of fibers contains a low percent of long fibers and a high percent of very short fibers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel ring spinning frame which utilizes a plurality of miniature card-clothing-covered rotating rolls to permit spinning of fibrous strand material into yarn packages directly after the carding operation without subjecting the fibers to the aforementioned drawing and roving operations necessary to cotton and worsted yarn systems.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel ring spinning frame utilizing miniature carding rolls which permits the spinning of various lengths and types of fibrous strand material, or blends thereof, into yarn packages without substantial modification of the spinning frame.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel ring spinning frame which permits the spinning of blends of fibers having variations in fiber length and characteristics which have heretofore been impractical for drafting on conventional spinning frames.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel ring spinning system which permits the spinning of yarns with higher drafts than conventional spinning systems.

It is also a object of the present invention to provide a method of spinning textile fibrous strand material wherein drafting of the strands is accomplished by subjecting them to a plurality of serially arranged miniature card-clothing-covered rolls defining a curvilinear path of travel for the strands of less than about two feet.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel method of spinning fibers into yarns having different physical appearance and characteristics, such as the woolen, worsted, and cotton type yarns.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURE 1 is a side View, with parts broken away, of a ring spinning frame incorporating the features of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of the spinning frame seen in FIGURE 1 and taken along line 2-2 thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic presentation showing the configuration and arrangement of the miniature carding rolls in the spinning system of the present invention; and

FIGURE 4 is a schematic view showing a modified form of the carding rolls seen in FIGURE 3.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows a ring spinning frame 11 which has been modified to include the elements and features of the present invention. Located at one end of the frame is a housing 12 containing conventional drive and control components of the spinning frame. A drive motor 13, variable speed unit 14, and gear unit 15 (shown schematically) are located within the housing and are connected in a conventional manner to operate the various components of the frame.

As seen in FIGURE 2, the spinning frame 11 has two identical sides or rows of processing equipment driven from a common drive means. For convenience, reference will be made to only the left side thereof in the drawings, but it is to be understood that the operation of both sides of the frame are identical.

A row of ring spinning spindles 16 are mounted on a longitudinal spindle rail 17 and individually driven by belts 18 connected to a central longitudinal drive cylinder 19 (FIGURE 2). Located directly above the row of spindles 16 are a pair of

nip rolls

21 and 22 which are positively driven and serve to tension the yarn strands passing from the drafting area of the spinning frame to the ring spinning spindles 16, as will be explained.

Suitably supported at the top of the spinning frame are a row of condensing trumpets 23 which receive individual strands of the yarn passing to the frame. Beneath each condensing trumpet and suitably journaled in end bearings (not shown) of the spinning frame 11 are a pair of positively driven nip rolls 24. Beneath the nip rolls 24 and in close proximity thereto are a pair of serially arranged, miniature card-clothing-covered

rolls

25 and 26, which are supported for rotation by shafts 27 and 28 (FIGURE 1) journaled (not shown) in the ends of the spinning frame. Located below the card roll 26 and above the

tensioning rolls

21 and 22 are a pair of positively driven nip rolls 29 which serve as dofiing means to remove textile strand material from the peripheral surface of carding roll 26, as will be explained. Adjustably supported between the nip rolls 27 and tension rolls 22 are a plurality of condensing trumpets 30.

Textile strand material S, after being carded, and without being subjected to a drawing or roving operation, is fed from a plurality of sliver cans 31, by way of freely rotatable

overhead guide rolls

32, 33, to the upper portion of the spinning frame 11. The strands S, in side-by-side relationship, pass through respective trumpets 23 where they are condensed and are then fed by nip rolls 24 onto the peripheral surface of the first carding roll 25. Roll 25 is programmed to rotate at a greater peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of nip rollers 24 to impart draft to the individual strands contacting the clothing on the surface of the roll.

The strands are carried by roll 25 through a curvilinear path defined by substantially one-half of the rolls peripheral surface and are then transferred onto the peripheral surface of the scond carding roll 26 where additional draft may be imparted to the strands, if desired. The strands are dotted from roll 26 by nip rolls 29, pass downwardly through condensing trumpets 30,

tensioning rolls

21 and 22, and are twisted during take-up on the respective ring spinning spindles 16. By positioning the nip rolls and miniature card rolls of the spinning frame in substantially vertical alignment, an additional advantage is obtained, namely the weight of the fibrous strand material, due to 3 the influence of gravity at the transfer points between the rolls, can be used to aid in the transfer and produce a more uniform yarn.

The details of construction of the carding rolls may best be explained by reference to FIGURES 2 and 3. The peripheral surfaces of rolls 2-5 and 2-6 are covered with conventional mechanical clothing 34 and the rolls are psitioned in strand transferring relationship. Although the number and size of the card rolls may be varied, it is desirable that they be of sufiiciently small size as to be incorporated into the spinning frame 11. Preferably, they should define a combined curvilinear path of travel for the strands of no more than about two feet.

When it is desired to process the strand material into yarns similar to the worsted or combed cotton type, the points 34 of the mechanical clothing on the rolls are arranged to extend in the direction of rotation of the respective rolls (FIGURE 3) and the peripheral speeds of the rolls are programmed at serially increasing rates to impart draft to the strands at the transfer point between the nip rolls 24 and the first card roll 25 and between the first card rolls 25 and the second card roll 26.

The carding rolls of the present invention may be modified to produce yarns having a bulked or wool-like appearance by reversing the direction of the clothing points 31 on the card roll 26 sothat they extend in a direction opposite to rotation of the roll (FIGURE 4). By rotating the card roll 26 at a slower peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of card roll 25, the strands, which are drafted during transfer from the nip rolls to card roll 25, are bulked during transfer between the card roll 25 and card roll 26. By overfeeding the strand material against the inclined points of the slower rotating roll 26, a shingling or bunching effect is produced in the fibers and a bulked appearance is created. The respective peripheral speeds of the rolls may be varied to achieve the exact results desired. The yarn strands are then doifed from card roll 26 in the same manner as in processing yarns of the worsted or comb cotton type.

By providing card-clothing-covered roll surfaces on which textile strand material may be supported during spinning, greater draft can be imparted to the strands than can be accomplished in conventional spinning frames. Additionally greater variation in staple length, fiber type, and yarn characteristics can be spun on a frame incorporating the card-clothingcovered rolls of the present invention. The additional support provided the strands by the carding rolls also permits textile material to be spun into yarns closely approaching the conventional cotton and worsted yarns without subjecting it to conventional drawing and roving operations.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of processing textile fibrous strand material to form packages of yarn therefrom comprising continuously feeding a bank of textile strands in sliver form and in side-by-side spaced relation through a curvilinear path of travel of less than two feet in successive surface engagement with serially arranged card-clothing-covered rotating rolls While imparting draft to the strands, removing the drafted strands from the last roll in the series, condensing the drafted strands to compact the same, and imparting a predetermined amount of twist to the compact strands while winding the strands onto respective bobbins to form packages of yarn therefrom.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the strands, after drafting, and while still in said curvilinear path of travel, are bulked by engagement with the surface .of one of the serially arranged rotating rolls.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the strands are bulked by engagement with the surface of the last roll in the series.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the strands throughout their processing, pass substantially vertically downward to the point of package formation.

5. A method of processing a textile fibrous strand of material to form a package of yarn therefrom, comprising the steps of passing said strand between a pair of rotating nip rolls, directing said strand from said nip rolls onto the peripheral surface of a card-clothingcovered roll rotating at a greater peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said nip rolls and having the points of its clothing extending in the direction of rotation of said roll to impart draft to the strand thereon, transferring the strand from said first card-clothingcovered roll to a second card-clothing-covered roll rotating at a faster peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said first roll and having points of its clothing extending in the direction of rotation of said second roll to impart additional draft to the strand during transfer between said first and second rolls, passing said strand through a pair of rotating nip rolls to doff the strand from the second roll, directing the strand through a restricted orifice to condense the strand, and then directing the strand onto a rotating yarn-carrier through a ring spinning device to twist and wind the strand into a package of yarn.

6. A method of processing a textile fibrous strand of material to form a package of yarn therefrom, comprising the steps of passing said strand between a pair of rotating nip rolls, directing said strand from said nip rolls onto the peripheral surface of a card-clothing-covered roll rotating at a greater peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said nip rolls and having the points of said clothing extending in the direction of rotation of said roll to impart draft to the strand, transferring the strand from said first card-clothing-covered roll to a second card-clothing-covered roll rotating at a slower peripheral speed than said first roll and having points of said clothing extending in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said second roll to bulk the strand during transfer between said first and second rolls, passing said bulked strand through a pair of rotating nip rolls to doff the strand from the second roll, directing the strand through a restricted orifice to condense the strand, and then directing the strand onto a rotating yarn carrier through a ring spinning device to twist and wind the strand into a package of yarn.

7. An apparatus for continuously processing strands of textile material in sliver form to form packages of yarn therefrom comprising a series of card-clothingcovered rotatable rolls for successively engaging and imparting draft to strands of material fed therethrough, said rolls being of relatively small size and being positioned so that their peripheral surfaces collectively define a curvilinear path of travel of no more than about two feet in length for strand material fed therethrough,

means for feeding a plurality of strands in side-by-side spaced apart relation to the first of the rolls in said series, rotatable dofiing means for removing the drafted strands from the last roll in said series, means positioned adjacent said dofling means for condensing each strand after dofiing to compact the same, and means operatively associated with said dofiing means for twisting and Winding the compact strands into respective packages.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said means 7 for feeding the strands in side-by-side spaced apart rela tion to the first of the rolls in the series includes a first pair of nip rolls, said rotatable dofiing means includes a second pair of nip rolls, said means positioned adjacent said dofiing means for condensing each strand includes a plurality of side-by-side condensing trumpets, and said means operatively associated with said dofiing means for twisting and winding the strands into packages includes a plurality of rotatable spinning spindles.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 including additional condensing means positioned before said first pair of nip rolls to condense the strands prior to their introduction to said series of rolls, and wherein said first roll of said series is adapted to be driven at a greater peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said first pair of nip rolls to impart draft to the strand material.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said series of card-clothing-covered rotating rolls comprises a pair of rolls disposed in strand-transferring relationship and adapted to be rotated in opposite direction with the points of their clothing extending in the direction of rotation of their peripheral surfaces, and wherein said apparatus includes means for rotating the rolls, the first of said rolls being adapted to rotate at a slower peripheral speed than the second of said rolls to impart draft to the plurality of strands during their passage from the first of said rolls to the second of said rolls.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said series of card-clothing-covered rotating rolls comprises a pair of rolls disposed in strand-transferring relationship and adapted to be rotated in opposite directions, the points of the clothing of the first of said pair of rolls extending in the direction of rotation of its peripheral surface and the points of the clothing of the second of said pair of rolls extending in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of its peripheral surface, and wherein said apparatus includes means for rotating the rolls, the first of said pair of rolls being adapted to rotate at a faster pe ripheral speed than the second of said pair to impart bulk to the plurality of strands during their passage from the first of said pair of rolls to the second of said pair of rolls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,038,293 6/1962 Pavek 5750 XR 3,210,923 10/ 1965 Schlosser 5750 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 8,796 1841 Great Britain. 11,393 1846 Great Britain.

19,180 Germany.

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

W. H. SCHROEDER, Assistant Examiner.