US2734228A - Crimping apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 14, 1956 w. D. HAY

CRIMPING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 28, 1952 INI LNIOR. 14/444 MM 0. //A Y.

Feb. 14, 1956 w. D. HAY 2,734,228

CRIMPING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 45 INVENTOR. 6 A3 MLL/AM 0. #nx

ATTORNEY CRIMPING APPARATUS William D. Hay, Peekskill, N. Y., assignor to Alexander Smith, Incorporated, White Plains, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 28, 1952, Serial No. 317,238

10 Claims. (Cl. 19--66) This invention relates to an apparatus for crimping continuous filament tow or yarn and particularly tow or yarn made from synthetic thermoplastic materials such as organic derivatives of cellulose, linear polyamides (nylon,

' Orlon), polyesters (Dacron), vinylidene chloride (Saran),

acrylic fibers (Orlon), vinyl acetate-chloride copolymers (Vinyon), and others having similar characteristics. The invention is also useful for crimping other fibers in filament or staple form, for example wool, vegetable fibers, and the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a crimper of the stutter box type which is particularly adapted for use with such small denier tow or yarn.

Another object is to provide a crimping apparatus of the above type having novel and improved heating means for maintaining the tow or yarn at the proper temperature for crimping.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

The nature of this invention will be better understood by referring to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which specific embodiments thereof have been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view, partly in section, of a crimping apparatus embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the block forming the crimping chamber;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail showing a modified form of discharge gate for the crimping chamber; 7

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the mounting of the feed rollers of Fig. l, but on a larger scale;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the feed rollers taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 7; I

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6; and

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are detail views illustrating different forms of discharge gates.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the crimper is shown as comprising a pair offeed rolls 10 and 11 which are adapted to feed a continuous filament tow oryarn 12 into acrimping chamber 13 formed in ablock 14. Thefeed roll 10 is mounted on ashaft 15 carrying adriving gear 16 meshing with adriving pinion 17. Theshaft 15 and thepinion 17 are mounted on abracket 18 projecting from abase 19. Thefeed roll 11 is mounted on ashaft 20 which is journaled inbearings 21 in ahousing 22 carried byarms 23 pivoted to a fixedpin 24 mounted inbrackets 25 which project upwardly from thebase 19. Aspring 26 engages anarm 23 to hold thefeed roll 11 in pressure engagement with thefeed roll 10.Spring 26 is adjusted by means of a threadedpin 27 carried by abracket 28 also supported by thebase 19. Theshaft 20 carries agear 29 meshing with thegear 16 for driving the twofeed rolls 10 and 11 in unison. Thegears 16 and nited States Patent 0 2,734,223 Patented Feb. 14, 1956ice 29 are provided with teeth which are of sufiicient depth to remain in driving engagement throughout the limited range of movement of thearms 23 encountered in normal operation.

Theblock 14 is supported below thefeed rolls 10 and 11 by aclamp 30 attached to thebracket 18. In addition to the centraltapered bore 13 forming the crimping chamber theblock 14 has a pair of bores 33 (Figs. 2 and 3) extending parallel to thebore 13 and carryingheating units 34, such as Calrods, by which the crimping chamber may be heated.

In order to permit the passage of a heating or setting fluid such as hot air through the crimping chamber apair. ofmanifolds 36 and 37 are mounted on opposite sides of theblock 14 and communicate withpassages 38 and 39 respectively passing through the walls of the block .14 into thebore 13. Inlet andoutlet ducts 40 and 41 con nect respectively with themanifolds 36 and 37.Ba'ffies 42 and 43 are shown as provided opposite theducts 40 and 41 fordistributin g thefluid uniformlyin the manifolds.

At its upper end theblock 14 is formed with a saddle comprising apair of channels formed by-side walls-45amarcuate walls 46. The side walls '45 are tangent to the cylindricalsurface of thebore 13 at diametrically opposite sides and thearcuate walls 46 intersect thebore 13 along acurve 47 to form a curved knife edge which extends around the periphery of the bore- 13. The feed rolls 1i) and 1 1 conform in width to the diameter of thebore 13 and the width of the channel and have a close running fit with the =arcuate walls '46 adjacent theknife edges 47. Thewalls 46 are curved to taper away from the periphery of the rolls toward the outer surface of theblock 14 so as to leave a clearance and thus reduce thefriction on the rollsand to facilitate the wearing in of the surfaces by the rolls to provide a close fit at theknife edge 47.Theside walls 45 project along the sides of therolls 10 and 11 so as to confine the tow or yarn against lateral displacement as it is fed by the feed rolls '10 and 11 into the crimping chamber. The smooth curve of theknife edge 47 which merges into theside walls 45 at the entrance end of the crimping chamber avoids the formation of any corners or projections which could interfere with or damage the tow or yarn as it is fed into the crimping chamber byfeedrolls 10 and-11.

Theblock 14 is provided with aflange 50 at the exit end of the crimping chamber formed by 'thebore 13. In the form shown in Fig. 1 a tapered tube "51 is attached to theflange 50 by asleeve 52. The 'tube 51 may be made of glass or other smooth material and tapers toward its discharge end to an opening 53 whichconforrns in general to the size of the tow oryarn 12 which is being treated in the crimping chamber.

The tow or yarn '12 is shown as passing through a longitudinal slot orgroove 55 in a bar'56 which isprovidecl with suitable heating means indicated asCalrods 57 and may havesuitable heat insulation 58 therear'ound. The tow oryarn 12 is preheated in passing through theslot 55 and then feeds around a roller 60 through-'a'tube 61 to the feed rolls 1i) and 11. Thetube '61 is mounted in aclamp 62 attached to thebracket 18, has abore 63 of a size conforming generally to the size of the tow oryarn 12 and is positioned to guide the tow or yarn Foster winder which includes adriving roll 68 driven at a constant speed on which a cone winding 69 rests. Theroll 68 is provided with traversing guide means 70 for guiding the tow or yarn into uniform layers and, due to its constant peripheral speed of rotation, winds the entire package under a substantially constant tension which is controllable by thetension device 66. Although any other standard type of winder may be used it is preferable to use a constant speed winder for the reasons to be described.

In the operation of this device the tow oryarn 12, which may for example be composed of a bundle of fine filaments of synthetic thermoplastic material, is first passed through the preheating device to heat the material to a temperature somewhat below the temperature re quired for crimping, but sufficiently high to provide for substantially instantaneous heating to the required temperature when the tow or yarn reaches the crimping chamber. The preheated tow or yarn is then fed through theguide tube 61 to the feed rolls and 11 and is gripped by the feed rolls and forced into the mass of filaments packed in said chamber, thereby causing the tow or yarn to fold over and form fine crimps, the fineness and frequency of which depends upon the nature of the material and the back pressure which is maintained in the crimping chamber. If the material is preheated to or near the softening temperature the crimps will be finer and of greater frequency than if the material is less highly preheated and is stiffer as it is forced into the crimping chamber.

In order to maintain the crimping chamber at the proper temperature heat is supplied by a heating means shown as Calrods 34 which heat the walls of theblock 14 and thus transfer heat to thebore 13 and the material therein as it passes along the heated walls. This temperature may be controlled by suitable thermostatic means not shown.

In order to remove moisture which may be driven 01f due to the heat maintained in the crimping chamber, a fluid, such as hot air, may be supplied through theinlet duct 40 and thepassages 38 into thechamber 13 and may be removed through thepassages 39 andoutlet duct 41. This fluid may pick up heat from the walls and transfer the heat to the material within the crimping chamber or it may be preheated or if desired may carry a chemical softening or setting agent. Under certain conditions it may be sufficient to heat the material within the crimping chamber by the hot fluid supplied through theduct 40 without heating the walls themselves, in which event the Calrods or the like 34 may be omitted.

The material is caused to remain in the crimping chamher a suflicient length of time for the internal stresses produced by crimping to be relieved so that the tendency for the crimps to be opened up after the material has been removed from the chamber is eliminated. The ma terial immediately cools and becomes permanently set upon removal from the crimping chamber or the chamber may be so designed that the material cools while packed in thetube 51 to a temperature below that at which there is any tendency for plastic flow. Since the stresses have been relieved by maintaining the material in heated condition in the crimping chamber the crimp is permanently set by this heating and cooling operation.

The pressure within the crimping chamber is determined by the rate of removal of the crimped tow or yarn from thetube 51. This in turn is determined by the rate at which thewinder 67 is operated. The speed of thewinder 67 is so adjusted and maintained with respect to the speed of therolls 10 and 11 that selected conditions are maintained within the crimping chamber. Since the tow or yarn is in a straight condition as it is fed by therolls 10 and 11 into the crimping chamber and is in crimped condition as it leaves the chamber, the speed of thewinder 67 is correspondingly less than the speed of therolls 10 and 11. The tension applied to the tow or yarn by thewinder 67 by varying the extension of the spring-like crimps determines the rate at which the tow or yarn is withdrawn from the crimping chamber, which together with the physical characteristics of the material determines the crimp frequency and amplitude. The provision of a controlled rate of discharge as well as a controlled rate of feed establishes a uniform operation and permits the nature of the crimp, the temperature and time within the crimping chamber, and the rate of feed to be regulated with extreme accuracy.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4 thetube 51 at the discharge end of the crimping chamber is shown as replaced by atube 75 which is at tached to theflange 50 and is provided with abore 76 through which the crimped material is discharged. The lower end of thetube 75 is split and a part of the wall at such lower end is formed by a gate member 77 which is pivotally attached by apivot 78 tobrackets 79 so as to swing inwardly for maintaining pressure against the material as it is fed through the bore, but to swing outwardly in response to the pressure of said material so as to allow the material to be released when the pressure reaches a predetermined value. The pressure thus exerted on the material by the gate member 77 is controlled by ablock 80 which is pivoted at 81 to thebracket 79 and is provided with a spring-pressedball 82 hearing against the surface of the gate member 77. The force exerted by theball 82 is adjusted by means of aweight 83 which is attached to arod 84 carried by theblock 80. In this way a fine adjustment may be made of the force exerted by the gate member 77 against the material in thebore 76. The operation of the crimping chamber with this discharge gate is similar to that above described except that the material is discharged due to the pressure produced by therolls 10 and 11 instead of being pulled from the chamber by a winding device.

Fig. 8 shows a modified form of gate including a hinge plate 88 pivoted at 89 to awall 90 of atubular member 91 which is attached to theflange 50. Aweight 92, which may be adjustable, determines the force exerted by the hinge plate 88 against the material within the crimping chamber.

In the form shown in Fig. 9 a discharge gate is shown in the form of aflexible tube 95 which may be made of rubber or the like and is disposed on theflange 50 of Fig. l. Thetube 95 is restricted at its discharge end and the opening may be varied by alever 96 bearing against the wall of thetube 95 and carrying aweight 97.

In the form shown in Fig. 10 acollar 100 is adapted to be attached to theflange 50 by aset screw 101 and carries a set ofspring fingers 102 through which the tow or yarn feeds.

The pressure maintained within the crimping chamber in any of these forms is determined by the force exerted by the movable gate at the discharge end. The embodiments of Figs. 4, 8, 9 and 10 may be used in cases where simplicity is required and where the nature of the material is such that it is not necessary to provide feeding means as in Fig. 1 for withdrawing the material from the crimping chamber.

Although certain embodiments of the invention have been shown and described for purposes of illustration, it is to be understood that the invention may be applied to various uses and that changes and modifications may be made therein as will be apparent to a person skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for crimping tow or yarn, comprising a pair of feed rolls adapted to feed said tow or yarn therebetween, a member having a bore forming a crimping chamber, said member having at one end a saddle conforming to the bight of said rolls and having at the other end a tube having a bore tapering to a small opening at its discharge end.

2. An apparatus for crimping tow or yarn, comprise ing a pair of feed rolls adapted to feed said tow or yarn therebetween, a member having a bore forming a crimping chamber disposed to rective the tow or yarn from said rolls, said chamber being flared for a portion of its length from said rolls and being tapered for the remainder of its length to a restricted opening at the discharge end.

3. An apparatus for crimping tow or yarn, comprising a pair of feed rolls adapted to feed said tow or yarn therebetween, a member having a bore forming a crimping chamber disposed to receive the tow or yarn from said rolls and a guide member having a passage for said tow or yarn disposed in advance of said rolls and having a surface conforming to the bight of said rolls for guiding the tow or yarn as it is gripped by said rolls.

4. An apparatus for crimping tow or yarn, comprising a pair of feed rolls adapted to feed said tow or yarn therebetween, a member having a bore forming a crimping chamber disposed to receive the tow or yarn from said rolls, and a gate disposed at the discharge end of said chamber, said gate comprising a flexible member having a constricted opening for the passage of the tow or yarn therethrough.

5. An apparatus for crimping tow or yarn, comprising a pair of feed rolls adapted to feed said tow or yarn therebetween, a member having a bore forming a crimping chamber disposed to receive the tow or yarn from said rolls, and a gate disposed at the discharge end of said chamber, said gate comprising a tapered flexible tube having a restricted opening for the passage of the tow or yarn therethrough and being expandible due to the force exerted thereon by the tow or yarn.

6. An apparatus for crimping tow or yarn, comprising a pair of feed rolls adapted to feed said tow or yarn therebetween, a member having a bore forming a crimping chamber disposed to receive the tow or yarn from said rolls, and a gate disposed at the discharge end of said chamber, said gate comprising a ring of flexible fingers having a restricted opening for the passage of the tow or yarn therethrough and being expandible due to the force exerted thereon by the tow or yarn.

7. The method of crimping a tow or yarn which comprises feeding said tow or yarn between feed rolls into a stufier crimper chamber containing a mass of such tow or yarn under conditions to cause the tow or yarn to told and crimp as it is forced into said mass, heating the mass in said chamber to a temperature and for a time to re lieve strains produced by crimping, and pulling said crimped tow or yarn from said chamber under tension at a controlled rate.

8. The method of crimping a tow or yarn composed of continuous filament synthetic thermoplastic material which comprises preheating said material to a temperature near its softening point, feeding said preheated tow or yarn between feed rolls into a stufier crimper chamber containing a mass of such filaments under conditions to cause the filaments to fold and crimp as they are forced into said mass of filaments, heating the mass of filaments in said chamber to a temperature and for a time to relieve strains produced by crimping, and pulling said crimped tow or yarn from said chamber under tension at a controlled rate.

9. The method of crimping a tow or yarn composed of continuous filament synthetic thermoplastic material which comprises feeding said tow or yarn between feed rolls into a stuffer cn'mper chamber containing a mass of such tow or yarn under conditions to cause the tow or yarn to fold and crimp as it is forced into said mass, heating the mass of filaments in said chamber to a temperature and for a time to relieve strains produced by crimping and pulling the crimped tow or yarn from said chamber under tension at a controlled rate.

10. An apparatus for crimping tow or yarn, comprising a pair of feed rolls adapted to feed said tow or yarn therebetween, a member having a bore forming a crimping chamber disposed to receive the tow or yarn from said rolls, said chamber having a restricted passage at the discharge end, and means pulling said tow or yarn from said discharge end through said passage under tension.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,311,174 Hitt Feb. 16, 1943 2,514,557 Pfau July 11, 1950 2,575,781 Barach Nov. 20, 1951 2,575,833 Pfau et al. Nov. 20, 1951 2,575,837 Rainard Nov. 20, 1951 2,575,838 Rainard Nov. 20, 1951

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