US3570339A

US3570339A - Yarn handling method and apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3570339A
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry A Vandersip
Original assignee: Leesona Corp
Current assignee: Leesona Corp
Priority date: 1969-02-06
Filing date: 1969-02-06
Publication date: 1971-03-16
Anticipated expiration: 1988-03-16
Also published as: FR2033986A5; CH508549A; GB1299702A; DE2001920A1; NL7000388A; JPS4840575B1

Abstract

An improved aspirator-shear unit for rapidly moving strand of yarn in which an aspirator nozzle is arranged with its axis in closely proximate more or less parallel relation to the yarn path, a fixed shear blade is situated laterally between the nozzle opening and the yarn, and a movable snubnosed shear blade is projected from an inoperative position on the opposite side of the yarn path from the aspirator nozzle and fixed blade across the yarn path into shearing relating with said fixed blade and finally to a deflecting position with its leading edge generally aligned with the nozzle opening. Preferably the aspirator nozzle axis is inclined at a small angle with respect to the yarn path to reduce the clearance from the yarn path required to physically accommodate the nozzle.

Description

United States Patent Warwick, R.l.

[21] Appl. No. [22] Filed [45] Patented [73] Assignee [54] YARN HANDLING METHOD AND APPARATUS 14 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs. [52] US. Cl 83/24, 83/100, 226/97 [51] Int. Cl B65h 29/24 [50] Field ofSearch 83/27, 100,

3,090,268 5/ 1963 Edwards 83/ 100 3,191,553] 6/1965 Bunting, Jr. et al 83/lO0X 3,452,910 7/1969 Richter 226/91 Primary Examiner-James M. Meister Attorneys-Albert P. Davis and Burnett W. Norton ABSTRACT: An improved aspirator-shear unit for rapidly moving strand of yarn in which an aspirator nozzle is arranged with its axis in closely proximate more or less parallel relation to the yarn path, a fixed shear blade is situated laterally between the nozzle opening and the yarn, and a movable snub-v nosed shear blade is projected from an inoperative position on the opposite side of the yarn path from the aspirator nozzle and fixed blade across the yarn path into shearing relating with said fixed blade and finally to a deflecting position with its leading edge generally aligned with the nozzle opening. Preferably the aspirator nozzle axis is inclined at a small angle with respect to the yarn path to reduce the clearance from the yarn path required to physically accommodate the nozzle.

Patented March 16, 1971 3,570,339

I 2 Sheets-$heet 2 a m. I FIG. 4

F I 6 INVENTOR.

HENRY A. VANDERSiP ATTORNEYS BW/ .M

YARN HANDLING METHOD AND APPARATUS This invention relates to an apparatus for cutting and handling a rapidly moving strand of yarn without slowing the movement of the strand.

, ln commonly assigned copending application Ser. Nof 653,767,f1led Jul. 17, 1967, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,452,9l0,and

entitled Yarn Handling Apparatus, of which this invention is an improvement, there is disclosed and claimed a cutteraspirator device for yarn winding machines and the like in which an aspirator or suction nozzle having a flared mouth is arranged with its axis generally perpendicular to the strand path and its mouth in close proximity to that path, for cooperation with a plungcrlike pressure deflector nozzle disposed on the other side of the strand path in coaxial relation with the suction nozzle. The deflector nozzle is capable of bodily axial reciprocating motion toward and away from the suction nozzle mouth and the head of the pressure nozzle is tapered to loosely fit within the flared mouth of the suction nozzle when the deflector nozzle is reciprocated toward the suction nozzle. Just downstream of the locus of the nozzles is a strand cutter which is operated to shear the strand of yarn coincidentally with the plunger action of the deflector nozzle. When the yarn is to be cut, suction is established in the aspirator nozzle and air pressure delivered to the deflector nozzle causing the latter to project across the yarn path, deflecting the yarn into the suction nozzle mouth by the action of an air jet emitted by deflector nozzle as well as by the physical entry of the deflector nozzle head into the suction nozzle mouth. Simultaneously, the yarn is cut bythe cutter just a short distance below the nozzles, releasing a free end ofthe yarn for engagement by the suction nozzle. The suction nozzle continues to withdraw the advancing yarn and to deliver the same to a collection chamber until the yarn is removed from the nozzle for rethreading into a winding operation.

The device of the earlier application performs in a very satisfactory manner for most purposes but under certain unusually demanding conditions, it has been found to be a source of difficulty. Thus, when drawing and winding the output of a filament extrusion system in which the yarn is stretched by means of Godet rolls while in a relatively soft, hot state and then collected in a package, the operation of the earlier device occasionally results in the yarn becoming stuck to one of the Godet rolls and winding thereon instead of feeding onto the machine. Inasmuch as this conditioncan be removed only by halting the entire extrusion system, cleaning the Godet rolls, and then restarting the operation of that system, a task which consumes an hour or longer, even an occasional occurrence of this kind is a series defect. Accordingly, the cause of the difiiculty has been carefully investigated.

it has been discovered that as the running thread is initially cut and drawn into the mouth of the suction nozzle, a slight loss in tension in the strand occurs which leads to the introduction of a small amount of slack in the strand. Under the influence of the high inertial forces created by the tremendous speed of the strand, this slack manifests itself in the formation of a small bight or loop in the strand which sticks to the surface of a Godet roll due to the soft, almost tacky state of the yarn. it has been found that the loss in tension in question is traceable to the time required in bending the yarn substantially 90 on entering the nozzle mouth. Thus, it follows that if this bend could be eliminated, the tendency of the strand to hang on the Godet roll during cutting would be greatly reduced.

The object of the invention is, therefore, to provide an improved aspirator-shear unit for high speed strand winding machines in which the strand enters the aspirator in a path conforming substantially to the path of advance of the yarn during its winding on said machine.

A further object of this invention is to provide an aspirator shear unit of the type described wherein the aspirator is oriented with its axis in closely-spaced more or less parallel relation to a portion of the yarn path and a shear blade severs the yarn adjacent the plane of the nozzle mouth and positively deflects the cut end from the normal yarn path into the mouth opening.

Another object is an aspirator-shear unit of the type described having the mouth of the aspirator positioned in closer proximity to the yarn path by inclining the axis of the aspirator at a slight angle to the normal yarn path.

These and other objects will be explained in detail by the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged view, partially in section, of the improved aspirator-shear unit of the invention shown in conjunction with a supply package and takeup package to symbolically represent a conventional strand takeup machine;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view looking down on the unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial vertical cross section view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, showing the shear blade in inoperative position;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 but with the shear blade projected to its operative position in which the yarn is severed and deflected into the mouth of the aspirator;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view looking down substantially along line5-5 of FIG. 1 showing the mounting of the aspirator nozzle on the supporting platform; and

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the stationary blade of the shear showing the preferred configuration of that blade.

The details of the winding machine with which the unit of the invention is adapted to be associated appear in the aboveidentified application Ser. No. 653,767, to which reference may be had, and are not repeated here. For purposes of this description, there is shown only a supply package S to represent a strand supply and a takeup package T to represent a takeup means, with the strand Y moving along a predetermined path therebetween. Preferably this inclined slightly from the vertical. It will be appreciated that the type and construction of the winding machine are not critical to this invention; rather, the invention in its broadest sense is adapted for use with any winding machine which requires during its operation that the yarn be severed and continuously advanced, or even held more or less stationary, pending further manipulation of the yarn, e.g. in threading up a fresh takeup package.

To support the components of the present device, a platform 12 is supported from any convenient part of the winding machine (not shown) by means of a bracket 14, only a fragment of which is seen in FIGS. 1. and 2. In order to provide clearance for the moving strand, Y, platform 12 is deeply cut out as at 15 in one side somewhat closer to its outboard end, the walls of the cutout being designated 16 and 18 (see H08. 2 and 5). Within this cutout is disposed the slightly flared mouth 20 of an aspirator nozzle 22, the inner walls of the eutout 15 being formed with shoulder surfaces 24 and 26 (FIGS. 1 and 5) to engage an external neck 28 on the aspirator mouth. The aspirator can be permanently mounted on the platform or arranged for detachment therefrom as desired, depending upon the further'manipulation to be given to the yarn.

The design of the aspirator nozzle itself is of no material importance to the invention, provided that a reasonably strong suction is created at the mouth thereof, and the details of the aspirator, therefore, have been omitted. It will be sufficient to note that pressurized air is admitted through the conduit 30 to the interior of the aspirator and exhausted through the hose 32, carrying with it any advancing yarn, and in passing through the nozzle creates a suction in the mouth 20 through bore 34. The discharged yarn may be collected in the manner indicated in the earlier application.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the strand Y passes through the cutout 15 in the platform along a path generally adjacent the aspirator nozzle, and this path can extend parallel to the axis of the nozzle, if desired. However, the nozzle necessarily has some physical bulk, and it has been found that the aspirator nozzle and yarn path can be brought into closer proximity while still maintaining an essentially parallel relation if the aspirator axis and the yarn path converge at a slight angle of about l020 as appears in FIG. 1.

Interposed between the aspirator nozzle mouth 20 and the adjacent stretch of the yarn path is the fixed blade of the yarn shear or cutter. Preferably, this blade takes the form of a more or less rectangular block 36 of hardened steel or like durable material mounted on the top surface of a short shelf 37 projecting into the platform cutout and carrying the shoulder surface 26 for supporting the side of the nozzle neck 28 adjacent the yarn path (see FIGS. 1 and 5). In its optimum configuration, the cutting block 36 has its top face 38 chamfered at a very slight angle, say about 5, downwardly from its outside to its inside edge, i.e., nearest the nozzle mouth, and its side face 39 adjacent the yarn path chamfered inwardly at a similar slight angle from its top to its bottom edges, all as appears in FIG. 6. The edge of intersection of the chamfered faces, designated 40, serves as the cutting edge. Preferably, the lowest side of the chamfered top face 38 is aligned in substantially coplanar relation to the end of the mouth of the aspirator.

The upper surface of the platform 12 supports the movable blade of the shear, which is generally indicated by the numeral 42, and in order that the movement of that blade be held strictly within a predetermined path,

side rails

44 and 46 are affixed by bolts 48 along opposite sides of platform 12, except that side rail 46 is interrupted to leave the platform cutout 15 unobstructed. The side rails are undercut on their mutually adjacent faces, as at 50, 52, and it will be appreciated that these rails define a fixed track precluding any movement other than reciprocation along a precisely determined path. The upper face of the platform may be grooved, as at 54, for further guiding effect, if desired.

The movable shear blade 42 is formed with a rather complex configuration. Its main component is a solid cutting head 60 having the shape in cross section of a trapezoid, the front face 62 thereof adjacent the yarn path being parallel to the yarn path and thus inclined from the vertical. Along the lower edge of front face 62 is a notch 64 which defines an edge 65 lying parallel with and cooperating with the cutting edge 40 of fixed shear blade 36 to sever the yarn when the movable head 60 is passed adjacent the top face 38 of the block. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, edge 65 is aligned with the front face 62 of head 60. The side of the front face of the cutting head remote from the opening of the platform cutout 15 is formed with an integral extension 66 which defines with the remainder of that face a notch through which the yarn path passes, the top face of the extension at its remote end sloping sharply downward, as at 68, and connecting at its termination with an integral flat guiding shoe 70. Shoe 70 has the form of a shallow rectangular block, with its inner face 71 adjacent the yarn path preferably sloping parallel to the face 62. The sides of guide shoe 70 as well as of cutting head 60 are rabbeted to provide

lateral flanges

72, 74 for engagement with the undercut faces of the guide rails 44, 46 on the platform. Thus, the entirety of the movable shear blade is firmly confined on the platform for movement along an exact linear path, being held against skewing in its track by the composite length of the head and guide shoe, and is therefore capable of reliable jam-free operation.

To protect the cutting head 60 from wear by the yarn, a recess shaped in plan as approximately three quadrants of a circle, is cut in the top surfaces of head 60 and extension 66 in the margins thereof adjacent the notch defined thereby, and a correspondingly-shaped wear-resistant ceramic insert 76 (see FIG. 2) is affixed within the recess, the exposed edges of insert 76 projecting slightly forwardly of the limits of the head and extension and thus receiving the contact of the yarn.

In order to actuate the movable shear blade 42, one end of a threaded connecting rod 80 is seated in a tapped aperture drilled in the face of head 60 opposite face 62, and the head is secured in any relative position along the rod by a locking bolt 82. The other end of rod 80 is the piston ofpneumatic cylinder 84 held by an angle bracket 86 on the inboard portion of the platform. Air is supplied to cylinder 84 via an air line 88 under the control of a manually or electrically operated valve, not shown. The piston 80 may be spring biased to return to starting position if desired.

The operation of the aforegoing device will be self-evident: actuation of the air cylinder 84 projects the entire movable shear blade 42 along its track on platform 12, the lower surface of cutting head 60 passing closely adjacent the top face 38 of the fixed shear blade block 36, severing the yarn with edge 40, and the blunt front face 62 of head 60 positively deflects the cut end of the yarn from its normal path to a position over the mouth 20 of the aspirator nozzle. Since cutting edge 65 is aligned with front face 62 of head 60, the yarn advancing from supply package S is deflected toward mouth 20 of aspirator 22 by face 62 substantially simultaneously with severing of the yarn. In view of the fact that the angle of deflection of the yarn is extremely slight the yarn is introduced to mouth 20 of aspirator 22 practically instantaneously upon shearing. Further, by virtue of the fact that the cutting edges 40 and 65 are parallel with each other the severing action of the yarn is virtually instantaneous. These factors coupled with the fact that the relief provided by the chamfer on face 38 affords clearance for the cut advancing strand, the strand of yarn dives, that is, thrusts itself into the mouth 20 of the aspirator under its linear momentum. Once the yarn is in mouth 20 the suction existing in said mouth attracts the yarn end into the aspirator which then discharges the yarn through hose 32 as fast as it is delivered. From the foregoing it will be seen that the linear momentum of the advancing yarn is conserved during shearing thereof, and that this momentum is utilized advantageously to introduce the yarn into aspirator 20.

Preferably the maximum projected position (see FIG. 4) of the blade 42 has the corner defined by the intersection of the front face 62 and the corresponding surface of extension 66 in registration with the nozzle axis. This position could, of course, be adjusted, provided the nozzle mouth was not obstructed and the yarn end is delivered to the influence of the nozzle suction.

Reference was previously made to the chamfering of top face 38 of the fixed cutting block at a slight angle. In addition to creating a sharper edge at 40, this measure is beneficial in relieving the severed yarn end from sliding contact with the top face 38 on the way to the nozzle mouth, but it is not essential to the invention.

The orientation of the unit and the yarn path can be rearranged to meet the needs of any given type of takeup machine and where words of orientation have been employed, they are to be understood as relative terms.

The embodiment described above is merely illustrative of the practice of the invention, and variations and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention except as set forth in the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. Apparatus for handling an advancing strand associated a predetermined path comprising, strand receiving means arranged in closely spaced relationship to the strand path, said strand receiving means including an opening for reception of the strand, said opening being disposed essentially parallel to said strand path; operative means for severing said strand and deflecting the advancing strand toward said strand receiving means for reception thereby, and means for creating a zone of negative pressure at said opening to attract said strand therein.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said operative means includes shear means for severing the strand.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said operative means further includes strand pusher means for deflecting the strand toward said strand receiving means.

4. Apparatus for handling an advancing strand moving along a predetermined path, comprising an aspirator having a mouth and an outlet arranged with its axis extending in generally parallel closely spaced relation to the strand path, and strand shearing means including a fixed blade disposed intermediate said aspirator mouth and the strand path substantially at the level of said mouth, a movable blade adapted to be reciprocated along a straight line generally transverse to the noule axis from an inoperative position on the opposite side of the strand path from the fixed blade, past the fixed blade to sever the strand, to an operative position with the blade end in nonobstructing adjacent relation to the nozzle mouth, the severed strand end thus being positively deflected by the movable blade into the nozzle mouth, and actuating means for reciprocating said movable blade.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said aspirator is oriented with its axis converging with the strand path at an angle not greater than about 6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said movable shear blade comprises a solid block having its end face adjacent the strand path substantially parallel with that path, one edge of said end face cooperating with said fixed blade to sever the strand upon movement of the blade.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said fixed blade has a top surface adjacent the path of the movable blade which terminates in a cutting edge adjacent the strand path, said surface being inclined downwardly at a slight angle from said cutting edge to reduce the friction encountered by the severed strand end in moving from the cutting edge to the nozzle mouth.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said fixed blade has a front surface adjacent the strand path, said front surface also being inclined at a slight angle from said cutting edge away from the strand path.

9. The apparatus as in claim 6 wherein the solid shear block moves along a fixed track defined by spaced parallel rails.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said rails restrain the solid shear block against movement in any direction other than along said reciprocating path.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said block is rigidly connected to a spaced guide shoe also moving along said fixed track and restrained by said rails, said shoe preventing said block from skewing and binding between the rails.

12. A method of handling an advancing strand moving along a predetermined path from a supply source comprising the steps of, providing strand receiving means having an opening therein for the reception of said strand, arranging said strand receiving means closely adjacent to said strand path with the opening essentially parallel to said strand path, severing the advancing strand to provide a free strand end from said supply while deflecting the strand end into substantial alignment with said opening to thus permit the linear momentum in the advancing strand to thrust the strand end into said opening, and simultaneously attracting the strand into said opening.

13. The method according to claim 12 including the step of a zone of negative pressure at said opening for attracting the strand.

14. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said opening is disposed at an angle not exceeding 20 relative to said strand path.

Claims

4. Apparatus for handling an advancing strand moving along a predetermined path, comprising an aspirator having a mouth and an outlet arranged with its axis extending in generally parallel closely spaced relation to the strand path, and strand shearing means including a fixed blade disposed intermediate said aspirator mouth and the strand path substantially at the level of said mouth, a movable blade adapted to be reciprocated along a straight line generally transverse to the nozzle axis from an inoperative position on the opposite side of the strand path from the fixed blade, past the fixed blade to sever the strand, to an operative position with the blade end in nonobstructing adjacent relation to the nozzle mouth, the severed strand end thus being positively deflected by the movable blade into the nozzle mouth, and actuating means for reciprocating said movable blade.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said aspirator is oriented with its axis converging with the strand path at an angle not greater than about 20*.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said movable shear blade comprises a solid block having its end face adjacent the strand path substantially parallel with that path, one edge of said end face cooperating with said fixed blade to sever the strand upon movement of the blade.

14. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said opening is disposed at an angle not exceeding 20* relative to said strand path.