US3510917A

US3510917A - Pneumatic cleaner

Info

Publication number: US3510917A
Application number: US342924A
Authority: US
Inventors: Russell B Newton
Original assignee: Milliken Research Corp
Current assignee: Deering Milliken Research Corp; Milliken Research Corp
Priority date: 1964-02-06
Filing date: 1964-02-06
Publication date: 1970-05-12
Anticipated expiration: 1987-05-12
Also published as: BE654282A; GB1088093A; ES304384A1; NL6410630A; DE1510603A1; LU47088A1

Description

May 12, 1970 R. B. NEWTON PNEUMATIC CLEANER Filed Feb. e, 1964 INVENTOR.

TTORNEY United States Patent O 3,510,917 PNEUMATIC CLEANER Russell B. Newton, Spartanburg, S.C., assignor to Deering Milliken Research Corporation, Spartanburg, S.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 342,924 The portion of the term of the patent subsequent to May 17, 1983, has been disclaimed Int. Cl. D01h /66' U.S. Cl. 19-263 2 Claims This inventon relates generally to textile handling apparatus employing drafting rolls and more particularly to vacuum clearing apparatus for clearing of lint and fiber from textile rolls such as those associated with spinning frames, roving frarnes, and the like.

This inventon relates generally to the handling of any textile ;fibers but in particular is exceptionally useful in the spinning of dyed worsted fibers. Such dyed 'worsted fibers are diflicult to spin due to the repeated chemical processing of the fibers prior to spinning. In prior art textile drafting apparatus the top rolls frequently become coated with residues of the dyestuffs causing the fibers to wrap completely around the roll and mat thereon. Such phenomena is called a lap up and has paritally been corrected in the past by the use of a clearer in contact with the roll. Such clearers are normally equipped with felted pads, sheep skin, etc., and are of either the revolving type or the stationary flat type. Such clearers perform well for a while but tend to allow fiber to accumulate behind the elearer which, if not cleared by the operator, will eventually be dragged into the roll and cause one or more ends down.

It is therefore an object of the inventon to provide a top roll vacuum clearer for a drafting system which eiciently cleans the top roll and does not require constant cleaning by the operator.

Another object of the inventon is to provide a top roll vacuum clearer which will pick up fibers which tend to wrap around the top roll in case of an end down and which also will prevent accumulation of short fibers or foreign matter coming through with the fibre being drafted.

A third object of the inventon is to provide an eflicient and economical top roll vacuum clearer which will maintain the top drafting roll in clean condition without constant surveillance of an operator.

A still further object of the inventon is to provide a close fitting vacuum type top roll clearer for the top front roll of a drafting system which performs the dual function of physically wiping the peripheral surface of the top roll and by the employment of a vacuum system, removes the lint and debris dislodged by the wiping action, to a point of collection before such material can damage the fibers being drafted.

Another object of the inventon is to provide a vacuum clearing device adjacent the front rolls of a drafting system which will efliciently clear the rolls and does not require constant attention by an operator.

Other objects and advantages of my inventon will be clearly apparent as the specification proceeds to describe the inventon with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective schematic view of the new and improved vacuum clearer as applied to a conventional drafting arrangement;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a blown up perspective view of the clearer element.

Looking at the drawings, especially FIGURE 1 the new and improved top roll vacuum clearer 32 is shown, for the purpose of illustration, on a conventional draft- 'ice ng arrangement 10 to which a linear mass of staple fibers in the form of roving 12 is fed from a supply source (not shown) to the drafting arrangement '10. The drafting arrangement is schematically illustrated for purposes of simplicity of explanation and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that conventional refinements may be added thereto, if desired.

In the illustrated drafting arrangement 10' as shown three sets of drafting rolls are provided, namely

back rolls

14 and 16,

middle rolls

18 and 20, and

front rolls

22 and 24. As in conventional practice, at least one of each of these sets of rolls is driven, and each succeeding set of rolls is as usual driven at a faster rate than the preceding rolls in order to give the desired degree of drafting of the fibers in the zones between the respective pairs of rolls. As is well known in the art,

drafting aprons

26 and 28 are employed in conjunction with

middle rolls

18 and 20, respectively, to control the fiow of fibers to the

front rolls

22 and 24. The fiber mass is twisted as it leaves the nip N of the front pair of

rolls

22 and 24 by the twisting action of a twisting and take-up device, which in the illustrative form of the inventon takes the form of a conventional ring and traveler twister 30 onto 'which the drafted and twisted fiber mass is then taken up as yarn Y on the bobbin B.

In the preferred form of the inventon roving 12 is dyed worsted fibers which are tender due to repeated chemical processing of the fibers and to the many drafting -operations prior to spinning. These fibers therefore tend to deposit residues of the dyestulfs on the front top drafting roll 22. Such residue is extremely hard to remove and normally requires periodic clearing by the operator. To alleviate this situation and to prevent ends down and laps up due to accumulation of short fibers and foreign matter in the worsted, a new and improved top roll vacuum clearer 32 is employed in combination with a convention suction manifold 34. It is within the scope of this inventon to 'employ a rectangular manifold and a bottom roll clearer of any desired type.

Suction manifold 34, connected to a source of negative pressure, not shown, has a plurality of slots 36 theren beneath each of the lower front rolls 24 to .gather the fiy and lint adjacent the lower front rolls 24. Further, if the fiber should break between the

rolls

22 and 24 and the twister take-up device 30, the worsted fiber being processed thereafter and prior to the repair of the break will be directed to the collection zone (not shown) through the slots 36 in the suction manifold 34. This eliminates the generation of a lot of lint and fly in the surrounding area which will not only aifect the yarn produced by the particular set of rolls but also which can have a deleterious effect on the yarn being produced in adjacent areas by other drafting arrangements.

Looking now in particular at the top roll vacuum clearer 32, shown in cross-section in FIG. 2, it can be seen that it consists basically of an oval shaped hollow shoe member 38 which engages the top front roll 22, a collar member 40 which communicates with an opening 42 in an elongated suction manifold 44, and tubular members 46 and '48 which provide communication between

suction manifolds

34 and 44. Preferably, shoe member 38 and collar member 40' are molded from a plastic like material such as Delrin but it is within the scope of the inventon to use any suitable low friction or wear resistant material.

For the purpose of

illustration suction manifolds

34 and 44 are interconnected so that a single vacuum source can be employed but obviously

suction manifolds

34 and 44 can each be separately attached to a suction source. Also,

suction manifolds

34 and 44 are shown extending across a plurality of drafting positions. Again, if desired, in-

dividual suction conduits can be used at each spindle position. These individual conduits can be interconnected or separately connected to a vacuum source.

Looking at PIG. 3, the oval shaped hollow shoe member 38 is provided With a rectangular fianged portion 50 which has a curved surface 52 having a radius of curvature which substantively conforms to the radius of curvature of the top front roll 22. A notch 54 is cut into one of the elongated sides of the flange member 52 for the reason hereinafter set forth. The outer dimension of the shoe member is so selected that it will fit snugly into the collar member to prevent leakage of air but at the same time can readily slide up and down to conform to variations in movement of the top front roll 22.

In operation, the

drafting rolls

14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 rotate in the direction denoted by the arrows. If an end should come down any fiber which tends to lap around the top roll 22 will be drawn into the notch 54 and be directed to the collection zone through shoe member 38, collar 40, suction manifold 44,

tubular conduits

46 and 48 and suction manifold 34, thereby preventing 'what is known in the trade as a top roll lap.

In normal operation, any accumulation of short fibers or foreign matter coming through with the fiber being processed and clinging to the top roll will be wiped or scraped oif the periphery of the roll 22 by the elongated edge 56 on the inside of the shoe member 38 and directed to the collection zone (not shown). The proximity of the notch 54 to the fiber being drafted will tend to collect any loose fibers, lint, and fly which are separated from the fiber as it enters the nip N of the

drafting rolls

22 and 24.

In the preferred form of the invention disclosed the vacuum clearer is employed on the top front roll 22 only but it is within the scope of the invention to use the herein disclosed vacuum clearer on the bottom front fluted roll 24, if desired. If a bottom clearer is employed it can be employed either alone or in combination with a top roll clearer of the type described.

The herein disclosed top roll vacuum clearer has many obvious advantages. Clearer 32 is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, and is easily installed as original equipment or as an addition to existing frames. Clearer 32 not only prevents top roll lap up when an end comes down but serves to prevent or lessen the number of ends down by keeping the top roll clear of any fiber or trash which tends to cause an excessive number of ends down. Furthermore, the new and novel clearer is substantially automatic greatly lessening the amount of time and attention required by an operator to clean and piece up ends on prior art drafting systems.

Although I have described in detail the preferred embodiment of my invention, I contemplate that many changes may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of my invention, and I desire to be limited only by the claims.

That which is claimed is:

1. Textile drafting apparatus comprising a plurality of drafting rolls and including a pair of rolls in peripheral nip-forrning engagement with each other, means supplying fiber to be drafted between said pair of rolls, suction conduit means in frictional engagement with one roll of said pair of rolls, said suction conduit means being a low friction resistant substantially rigid plastic-like material to prevent excessive wear on said one roll and said suction UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,7l9,333 10/1955 Buchanan 19-263 X 2,934,797 5/1960 Whitehurst et al. 19-263 X 3,074,12l 1/1963 Barr et al. 19-263 3,25l,101 5/1966 Ingham.

FOREIGN PATENTS 872,939 7/1961 Great Britain.

DORSEY NEWTON, Primary Examiner

Claims

1. TEXTILE DRAFTING APPARATUS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF DRAFTIN ROLLS AND INCLUDING A PAIR OF ROLLS IN PERIPHERAL NIP-FORMING ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER, MEANS SUPPLYING FIBER TO BE DRAFTED BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF ROLLS, SUCTION CONDUIT MEANS IN FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE ROLL OF SAID PAIR OF ROLLS, SAID SUCTION CONDUIT MEANS BEING A LOW FRICTION RESISTANT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID PLASTI-LIKE MATERIAL TO PREVENT EXCESSIVE WEAR ON SAID ONE ROLL AND SAID SUCTION CONDUIT MEANS, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID CONDUIT MEANS TO A SOURCE OF NEGATIVE PRESSURE, AND MEANS PROVIDING FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID ONE ROLL AND SAID SUCTIN CONDUIT MEANS TO APPLY SUCTION PRESSURE TO SAID ONE ROLL TO REMOVE LINT SCRAPED FROM SAID ONE ROLL BY SAID SUCTION CONDUIT MEANS.