US2679195A - Apparatus for forming tubular articles - Google Patents

Description

y 1954 G. G. WHYTLAW APPARATUS FOR FORMING TUBULAR ARTICLES Original Filed July 18, 1944 INVENTOR.

Patented May 25, 1 954 APPARATUS FOR FORMING TUBULAR ARTICLES Graeme G. Whytlaw, Swarthmore, Pa., assignor 'to American Viscose Corporation, Wilmington,

Del., a corporation of Delaware Original application July 18, 1944, Serial No. 545,504. Divided and thisapplication'July 13,

1950, Serial No. 173,565

This invention relates to the production of a continuous tubular article from a fiat sheet.- It is' particularly concerned with the production of tubes of paper for wrapping wound packages oftextile materials; such as rayon cakes, cones,-or the like, preparatory to liquid treatment of such wound packages. However, it is applicable as well' to the formation of tubes from a sheet or web of paper, textile fabrics, metal foils, or other flexible materials for any use or purpose whatsoever. This application is a division of 'copending application Serial No. 545,504, filed July 18, "1944, now Patent N. 2,631,509, patented Marchl'l, 1953.

In accordance with the present invention, a sheet of a flexible material is guided so that one of its lateral edges is lappedover the opposite lateral edge to form a hollow tube and a narrow strip or thread of a 'thermosensitive material is directed between the overlapped portions of the material and these portions are then subjected to heat and pressure to cement the lapped joint. The invention is of special advantage when specifically modified for the continuous production of tubular articles. I

In the drawing which is illustrative of the invention- A I.

Figure 1 is a planview of a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-section on'line 11-11 of Figure 4; V I

Figure 3is a side elevation; and A A Figure 4 is a bottom viewof one ofthe guiding elements of Figure 1. f A

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the apparatus comprises asupply roll 2 for a continuous sheet of the flexiblematerial tobe formed into a tube, which, in the specific instance herein described, happens to be paper. From the supply roll, the paper- 3 'ma'y" pass between slitting mechanism which may comprise tworolls 4 and 5, one or both of which is provided with suitably arranged knives '6.'to slit the paper longitudinally with parallel rows'of'slits' I, 'so' that those in any one roware offset from'thos'e in thejnext adjacent row. The rolls '4 and 5 maybe driven by means (not shown) suitably synchronized with the take-up. r v

.Azfter the'paper sheet has been slitted as describedabovait-is fedcontinuously over a guide or inner circular sleeve -8 and simultaneously through a-forming guide or outer circular sleeve 9 into which the-sleeve 8 preferably extends. The outer periphery of inner sleeve 8 is radially spaced from the internal surface a of the guide or outer' sleeve *9 to form -an'annular path-for 8 Claims. (01. 93--82) the flexed sheet. Sleeve 9 is mounted on bracket [8 and is-substantially circular in shape through out its length except that it is desirably flared at its forward end to enhance forming and guiding of the sheet. Inner sleeve 8 is entirely mounted on a bracket l I which is located preferably in advance of'the forward edge of sleeve 9 and in a cut away or truncated area- 30; of the sleeve. In order to facilitate proper overlapping of the edges of the sheet anarea or tongue i2 of inner sleeve 8 extends around a part of the corresponding area I3 of the sleeve andis held in radial spaced relation thereto to form a spaced overlapping guide for the sheet. The area i2 is cut back at M so that it does not thereafter overlap the opposite edge of the sleeve and in the preferred form the trailing edge of the sleeve is cut away at l5 to provide an opening or aperture for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

The outer sleeve 9 is cut away at 16 in alignment with the cut away portion l5 of sleeve 8 to permit a heated drum or roll I! mounted outside-the sleeves to cooperate with a pressure roll I 8 mounted inside the inner sleeve '8 in alignment with notches I5 and [6. Pressure roll 18 is supported on an arm l9 which extends through the bore of sleeve 8 and may be mounted in ad.- vance of the sleeve in any suitable manner such as on member ll. tween the roll I1 and the pressure roll I8 is supplied by means of an extension spring 28 likewise positioned in advance of sleeve 9.

A thread ornarrow strip 2| of thermosensitive material passes through a tension device 22 and a guiding pulley 23 and between the overlapped edge portions of the flexible sheet as shown in Figure 3, until it finally passes between therolls I! and I8 where the heat and pressure render it adhesive to bond the overlapped edges of the sheet 3, thereby forming thetube 3A which proceeds under a bail or rod 24 and to the take-up 25 which may be rotated by any suitable means (not shown).

While the. apparatus as shown includes the slitting devices 4, 5, this may be omitted entirely, orfit maybe arranged between the discharge side of the guides 8 and 9 and the take-up 25. For certain purposes it may be desired to replace such means with a perforating means.

The thread orstrip 2| may be composed of any material, thermoplastic or even thermosetting' 'acrylonitrile, after-chlorinated vinyl polymers or Suitable sealing pressure be- 506,526, filed October copolymers, polyvinylidene chloride; also acrylic Q and methacrylic acid ester resins, such as polymerized methyl methacrylate; nylons; cellulose derivatives, such as ethyl cellulose and so onf The present invention has numerous advantages in that the messiness that accompanies the application of liquid adhesives is entirely" avoided. Thestrip 2! is readily controlled reliably, so that it cannot escape-from its rela-- tionship between the overlapped edge of the" sheet to be bonded before itsactivation to an adhesive condition. In addition,-, the useof a. narrow continuous thread or strip provides" a simple way of controlling the amount of adhesive and the width of bondinglayer' in the product, which makes it possible to limit the change in liquid permeability of the bonded areas of the sheet to a minimum, or to control it to provide any predetermined change in permeability, depending upon the: ultimate use to which the product is intended to be put;

The inventionis of special advantage when applied to the production of liquid-permeable paper wrappers for woundcakes of rayon resulting from the collection of freshly spun filaments'in centrifugal buckets: Such wrappers and their use is disclosedand claimed in the copending applicationfor United States Letters,

Patent of Decker and Spangler, Serial No. 16, 1943 now Patent 2,382,400. Afterthe tubular wrapper is collected on-the take-up 25,-;it needs merely to be cut to the desired length-to provide the final wrapper of sleeve-likeiiorm;

It is to be; understood :that changes and variationsmay, be made without departing .irom the! spirit and scoperof-the invention as defined by the appended claims; In the claims, the term strip is intended in a generic sense to comprehend monofilament or multifilament threads as well as ribbons or bands of slight or considerable width. Similarly, tubular and. tube isnot to be restricted to a-hollow cylindrical article, but may include-anhollow article of any crosssection.

I claim.

1. Apparatus for producing-a tubular element from a flexible sheetcomprising means for draw-- ingthe sheet continuously;through a path,'means along the path .forslittingthe sheet, guide means along the pathiionformingthe sheet intotubular shape-andv arrangecllto. lap one-yedgenof 'thesheet over the opposite edge-thereof, means in: advanceof the guide: means: for directing; a strip. of thermosensitivematerial between the overlapped edges, means. for tensio'ning the strip, means adjacentthe..discharge side of the guide means and in substantial alignment withlthestrip-di rectingn means for. subjecting. the overlapped edges with :the strip; there'oetween, .tojheat and pressure, and-. means -for winding the" tubular article in flattened form.

2; Apparatus for producingfaitubular element from: aflexible sheetv comprising. means for drawing thesheet continuously. through a path; guide means along the path: for 'forming'xthe sheet into tubular shape L and arranged i tot/lap one edge of thesheet'lover the. opposite. edge thereof, said guide -means. comprising: two generally concentric: members: having. an approxi-- mately annular passagetherebetween, said inside member having-ga substantially circular hollow trailing edge andhaving a split truncated hollow leading. edge, a tongue forming one 1 terminus of said leading: edge. and overlapping in radially v spaced relation the opposite terminus of the leading edge, means in advance of the guide means for directing a strip of thermosensitive material betweenithe overlapped'edges, means for tensionmg thestrip, andr'oll means adj acent the discharge side of the guide means and in substantial alignment with the strip-directing means for subjecting the overlapped edges with thestrip'therebetween to heat and pressure, said rol-l'means comprising a pair of adjacent rolls betweenwhich the overlapped edges pass and meansior-- heating one of the rolls.

3; A" fOIl'l'lZlIIgigllld assembly for producing a tubular element from a sheet travelling continuouslythrougliapath comprising a first outer circular. slevetl'i-rough which the sheet passes, a member for'rigidl'y' supporting said first sleeve insaid path, a second inner circular sleeve over which the sheet passes said second sleeve extending; into the bore a of v the first sleeve, means for rig-idly. supporting; the second sleeve in said pathin-advance of saidfirstsleeve-to form afixed annular passage-for the-sheet between-the first and second sleeves, and. means along said path in advance of saidisleevesfor slitting the. sheet.

4. A forming. guide assemblye inaccordance with claim 3 havingeasealing.member extending, through the second inner-sleeve-toea point-adjacent. the rear terminusthereof.

5a A: forming guide: assembly in accordance with claim 3' inwhich the' inner-sleeve extends in advance of the: outersleeve :toform a -trun-- cated'forward shellto guidethesheetwver the inner sleeve support.

6. A forming. guide assembly. in accordance with claim 5 having a sealing member extending through the second innersleeveto. a point ad-- jacent the rear terminus-thereof, a sealinghead on said member and a-su-pportv-forsaidflmember in front of theoutersleeve and-below-the truncated. portionof the-inner sleeve.

7. A forminge guide-assembly: in accordance with claim 3 having a pressuresealingemember:

extending through the inner; sleevewto apoint adjacent the rear terminus of the inner-sleeve a sealing headecarried byvsaid member adjacent the terminus of said outer sleeve, ansecond seal in'g head cooperatingw-ith :saictfirst sealing; head positioned outside the tubular element, and

means associated. with-said: sealing. member for applying? sealin pressure-to the tubular element between the sealing heads. I

8-. A forming guide-assembly iii-accordance with claim- 3' in ewhich the slitting means com prises a roller having apluralityeof'axiallyispaced staggered knives around its periphery:

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