US3090268A - Apparatus for severing fed strands and subsequent handling thereof - Google Patents

Description

May 21, 1963 13.. w. EDWARDS APPARATUS FOR SEVERING FED STRANDS AND SUBSEQUENT HANDLING THEREOF 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1v

Filed July 17,. 1959 May 21, 1963 D. w. EDWARDS 3,0 6

APPARATUS FOR SEVERING FED STRANDS AND SUBSEQUENT HANDLING THEREOF 2 SheetsSheet 2 Filed July 17, 1959 United States Patent 3,090,268 APPARATUS FOR SEVERING FED STRANDS AND SUBSEQUENT HANDLING THEREOF Donald W. Edwards, Wilmington, Del., assignor to E. I.

du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del.,

a corporation of Delaware Filed July 17, 1959, Ser. No. 827,901 6 Claims. (Cl. 83-400) This invention relates to the handling of strands and, more particularly, to the processing of a plurality of strands advancing away from a continuously operating source.

The term strand, as used herein, is intended to include either a single filament, a gathered plurality of such filaments, or the threads, yarns, narrow webs, and the like produced from filaments or from staple fibers.

It is well known in the textile industry that a spinning process, wherein filament-forming material is extruded from a spinneret, is normally not stopped when a defective conditions arises during the handling steps which follow extrusion. Such defects are usually encountered in the form of roll wraps, breaks, or similar defects which appear in the downstream handling of the strands. Rather than interrupt the spinning process, the practice is for the operator to cut down all the strands and then introduce them to a fluid actuated aspirator of the type shown by Miller in US. Patent 2,667,964. Since it is also customary in the art to have a single operator patrol a multiplicity of spinning positions, it is obvious that a defective condition may go unnoticed for a considerable period of time with resultant damage to the process equipment and a consequent interference with orderly operating procedures. An alternative practice has been to employ sensing devices which function to detect the various defects and to actuate cut-down or stop-motion equipment thereby interrupting the downstream delivery from a given source. The extruded material is then permitted to accumulate on the floor beneath the spinning position until the operator has had a chance to remedy the sensed defect and restore the position to a normal operating condition. In such equipment, it is customary to provide a separate cutting device for each of the advancing strands.

The most important object of the present invention is to provide an improved process and apparatus for cutting down and disposing of all the strands advancing from a spinning position upon occurrence of a defect in one or more of the strands.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus in which but a single cut-down device and aspirator are required for the plurality of strands advancing from a spinning position.

A further object of this invention is to provide a process and apparatus in which the cut-down device and aspirator are actuated directly and automatically in response to an undesirable operating condition.

With these and other objects in view, the apparatus of the present invention comprises generally the provision of a support situated adjacent the path of travel of the strands, severing means positioned at one side of the advancing strands, a gathering hook positioned at the other side of the strands, an actuator for moving the hook across the strand path of travel toward the severing means, an aspirator positioned adjacent the severing means for withdrawing the severed strands by suction, and a condition responsive element for initiating move ment of the actuator and withdrawal of the cut strands by the aspirator. The process of this invention involves the steps of gathering the strands into a bundle, moving the bundle laterally to a severing zone, severing the 3,690,268 Patented May 21, 1963 2 bundle and removing the severed, continuously advancing strands from the zone by suction.

Further advantages of the process and apparatus of the invention will become apparent in the follow description wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the apparatus of the present invention shown in conjunction with a plurality of advancing strands; and

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, parts having been broken away and shown in section to reveal details of construction.

In the drawings, a cut-down apparatus has been illustrated which apparatus comprises generally asupport 10, strand-severing means 12, a strand-gathering hook 14, anactuator 16 for moving the hook toward the severing means, anaspirator 18 for withdrawing severed strands and a conditionresponsive solenoid valve 20 by means of which actuator movement is initiated.

A pair of leads 22couple solenoid valve 20 to a sensing device (not shown) in which an electrical circuit is closed upon the detection of an abnormal operating condition. Valve 2i) admits air under pressure into one of theconduits 24, 26. Conduit 24 discharges into theactuator 16, which has been illustrated as a double-acting piston-cylinder assembly, through aflow control valve 28.Conduit 24 simultaneously feedsaspirator 18, which may be of the type disclosed by Miller, throughbranch conduit 30. Conduit 26 discharges into the other end of theassembly 16. Hook 14 is attached to thepiston rod 32 by an irregularlyshaped arm 34.Arm 34 is apertured to receive apin 36 which extends through a coil intermediate the ends of hook 114 and througharm 34 into threaded engagement with astud 38. Hook 14, which is of a suitable spring metal, has one end anchored in an opening 4b inarm 34. A plurality of strands, indicated by thenumeral 42, is restrained by one or morefixed guides 44, so thatstrands 42 pass axially through the area swept bybook 24 in its translatory movement towards severingmeans 12.

Thesevering means 12 chosen 'for illustration is a plate type kni-fe which includes afixed plate 46 and apivoted knife blade 48. Blade 43 is attached toplate 46 by apin 50 and a nut 52 which acts on aspring washer 54. The pivotedblade 48 is biased to the open position by acoil spring 56 which has one end 58 anchored toblade 48 and its other end 60 in engagement with apin 62 onplate 46. Blade 48 has anabutment 64 which is within hte path of travel ofstud 38 upon translatory movement of thearm 34 so that blade 48' is closed against the bias ofspring 56 when a bundle of strands is delivered thereto by book 14. For best results, the blades should be of tool steel and the cutting edges should be ground.

After the strands have been severed byblade 48, they are picked up by and aspirated through atube 66 ofaspirator 18 to a suitable waste collection point.

In operation, therefore, energizat-ion ofsolenoid valve 20 by the sensing device admits air under pressure toactuator 16 and theaspirator 18 throughconduit 24. All of thestrands 42, including those in which no defect has occurred, are gathered by hook 14 and delivered as a bundle to the severing zone from which the cut strands are withdrawn byaspirator 18. When the source of the defective strand condition has been remedied, the operator inactivates the sensing device by throwing a laming switch (not shown) which functions to hold valve 2% in the deenergized position. After string-up and the like, the spinning position is placed in automatic operation by moving the laming switch to a position in which the sensing device is in a ready condition.

The apparatus disclosed herein has utility in conjunction with any processing apparatus wherein one or more strands pass axially between two process points. It may be employed, for example, in the cold drawing process disclosed by Sharp in US. Patent No. 2,851,732, in which instance the cut-down apparatus is installed at a location where the bundle has been subdivided into smaller bundles.

It is apparent that many changes and modifications may be made in the disclosed cut-down apparatus without departing from the spirit of the present invention which is accordingly intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

-I claim: a

1. In an apparatus for processing at least one continuously advancing strand: a support situated adjacent the path of travel of the strand; strand-severing means including a plate fixed on the support at one side of said path of travel and a blade pivotally mounted on the plate for swinging movement to and from a closed, str-and-. severing position; a hook normally positioned on the opposite side of said path from said severing means, said hook being mounted on said support for movement across said path to the vicinity of said severing means and including a part engageable'with said blade for swinging the latter to said closed position; an actuator connected to said hook to facilitate its movement; and strand removal means situated adjacent said blade for picking up and disposing of the severed, continuously advancing strand.

2. In an apparatus for processing a plurality of continuously advancing strands: a support situated adjacent the path of travel of the strands; strand-severing means on the support at one sideot said path; a strand-gathering element normally positioned on the opposite side of said path, said element being mounted on said support for movement across said path toward said severing means and including a part engageable with said severing means for its actuation; a fluid actuator connected to said element for moving it across said path; a suction device having an inlet positioned adjacent said severing means for picking up and disposing of gathered and severed continuously advancing strands; and condition responsive valve means coupled with the actuator and said suction device for the delivery of fluid thereto.

3. The apparatus or" claim 2 wherein said strandsevering means comprises first and second knife blades respectively fixed to and pivoted on said support, and spring means biasing said second blade to an open position for receiving said strands, there being an abutment on said second blade within the path of travel of saidpart for pivoting said second blade to a closed position.

4. In an apparatus for processing a plurality of continuously advancing strands: a support; strand-severing means including a plate fixed on the support at one side of the path of travel of the strands and a blade pivotally mounted on the plate; spring means biasing the blade to a strand-receiving position; a fluid actuated piston-cylinder assembly on the support; a strand gathering hook; means attaching the hook to the piston of said assembly for movement of the hook across said path toward said blade, the latter having an abutment thereon, said attaching means including a stud aligned With the abutment for pivoting the blade against the bias of said spring means, thereby actuating said severing means; an aspirator positioned adjacent said knife blade 'for picking up and disposing of gathered and cut continuously advancing strands; and a condition responsive valve coupled with the assembly and said aspire-tor for the simultaneous delviery of fiuid thereto.

5. In an apparatus for processing at least one continuously advancing strand: a sup-port situated adjacent the path of travel of the strand; strand-severing means mounted on the support at 'one side of said path of travel, said severing means including a fixed plate and a pivotally mounted knife blade; spring means normally biasing the blade to an open, strand-receiving position; a hook normally positioned on the opposite side of said path from said severing means, said hook being mounted on said support for movement across said path to the vicinity of said severing means and including a part engageable with said blade for pivoting the latter to a closed position against the bias of said spring means; an actuator connected to said hook for moving it across said path; and an aspirator having a tube terminating adjacent said severing means for picking up and disposing of the severed, continuously advancing strand.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said actuator is a double-acting piston-cylinder assembly and wherein a condition responsive valve is provided for simultaneously feeding fluid under pressure to said assembly and said aspirator.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,605,816 Dietrich Nov. 2, 1926 1,963,902 Hires June 19, 1934 1,969,770 Taylor Aug. 1.4, 1934 2,384,031 Hudson Sept. 4, 1945 2,563,986 Bauer Aug. 14, 1951 2,58 ,467 Bailiff Jan. 8, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 769,937 France June 18, 1934 543,093 Italy May 14, 956

Claims (1)

1. 5. IN AN APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING AT LEAST ONE CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCING STRAND: A SUPPORT SITUATED ADJACENT THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE STRAND; STRAND-SERVERING MEANS MOUNTED ON THE SUPPORT AT ONE SIDE OF SAID PATH OF TRAVEL, SAID SEVERING MEANS INCLUDING A FIXED PLATE AND A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED KNIFE BLADE; SPRING MEANS NORMALLY BIASING THE BLADE TO AN OPEN, STRAND-RECEIVING POSITION; A HOOK NORMALLY POSITIONED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID PATH FROM SAID SEVERING MEANS, SAID HOOK BEING MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR MOVEMENT ACROSS SAID PATH TO THE VICINITY OF SAID SEVERING MEANS AND INCLUDING A PART ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID BLADE FOR PIVOTING THE LATTER TO A CLOSED POSITION AGAINST THE BIAS OF SAID SPRING MEANS; AN ACTUATOR CONNECTED TO SAID HOOK FOR MOVING IT ACROSS SAID PATH; AND AN ASPIRATOR HAVING A TUBE TERMINATING ADJACENT SAID SEVERING MEANS FOR PICKING UP AND DISPOSING OF THE SEVERED, CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCING STRAND.

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