Textiles: manufacturing – Thread finishing – Surface modification of running length
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-07
2001-11-06
Vanatta, Amy B. (Department: 3765)
Textiles: manufacturing
Thread finishing
Surface modification of running length
C028S274000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311376
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to air jets as used in the textile industry for the purpose of intermingling filaments, twisting, texturing and combining textile yarns. Such jets usually have a channel running through the body of the jet through which the yarn or yarns travel to be subjected to the effect of a transversely directed jet of air.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
One of the problems associated with air jets of this type is that of threading the yarn or yarns through the yarn channel in the jet body. The original methods of threading using a needle or weight attached to the yarn were very time consuming and are not acceptable for modem high speed yarn processing machines. There are many jet designs which incorporate a threading slot communicating with the yarn channel over the length of the jet body, but such slots can impair the air flow in the yarn channel, create a tendency for the yarns to migrate into the slot, thereby preventing correct processing of the yarn, or even allow the yarn to escape from the jet. To avoid such problems, various arrangements have been devised for opening the jet to expose the yarn channel for access from the outside of the jet for yarn threading purposes and then for closing the jet to commence yarn processing. In one known type of jet, the yarn channel is in a central part of the jet body which is arranged to slide laterally relative to upper and lower parts, thereby exposing the channel and simultaneously closing the air inlet to the sliding central part to stop the flow of air into the yarn channel. This involves one surface sliding under pressure across a seal, which leads to rapid wear of the seal. Furthermore, the pivoted lever mechanism used to produce the sliding motion puts considerable stresses on the parts and in consequence is also prone to wear. Therefore, such an arrangement leads to high maintenance costs. In addition, this type of jet is very bulky and space for air jets in textile machines is restricted. Another type of opening air jet involves an upper part of the jet rotating relative to the lower part to expose the yarn channel in the lower part and simultaneously stop the flow of air through the lower part to the yarn channel. Such an arrangement has the serious disadvantage that the air inlet must be offset from the yarn channel in order that it can be closed by the rotated upper part when the channel is exposed for threading purposes, and in consequence during yarn processing the path of air from the inlet through the two parts of the jet to the yarn channel involves several changes of direction. This seriously reduces the air flow and its pressure when it reaches the yarn channel, thereby reducing the processing effectiveness of the air jet. Another problem is that exposing the yarn channel before the air is switched off and switching the air on whilst the yarn channel is still exposed can cause the yarn or at least some filaments to be blown out of the channel with the possibility of snagging on adjacent machine parts. In addition, maintaining satisfactory sealing of the resulting tortuous yam path through the two parts of the jet is difficult.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an air jet which avoids, or at least reduces to an appreciable extent, the disadvantages of the known air jets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides an air jet having a base and an operating part, the base having a yarn channel therein and an air inlet communicating with the yarn channel, the operating part being movable relative to the base between an operating position in which the operating part covers the yarn channel and a threading position in which the yarn channel is exposed, comprising a valve member disposed in the air inlet and a connecting part connecting the valve member and the operating part whereby movement of the operating part between the operating position and the threading position causes the valve member to open and close the air inlet.
Preferably the axis of the air inlet intersects the longitudinal axis of the yarn channel. The axis of the air inlet may be inclined to the longitudinal direction of the yarn channel at an angle of between 70° and 90°, preferably substantially 80° in the direction of travel of a yarn through the yarn channel.
The air inlet may comprise a connecting bore and a counterbore having a larger diameter than that of the connecting bore. The connecting bore may communicate with the yarn channel and the counterbore may be adapted to receive an air supply connector. The valve member may comprise a valve head located in the counterbore and adapted to seal the air inlet at the transition from the counterbore to the connecting bore. The valve member may also comprise an arm disposed in the base so as to be movable therein, having the valve head at one end thereof. The connecting part may comprise a pin located in the base to have one end thereof in contact with the arm and the other end in contact with a cam surface provided on the operating part. The cam surface may be positioned whereby the valve member closes the air inlet prior to the operating part moving sufficiently to expose the yarn channel.
The operating part may be mounted on the base to rotate relative thereto, and may rotate about an axis which is offset from and substantially perpendicular to the yarn channel. The valve member may dose the air inlet when the operating part has rotated through 30° from the operating position, and may fully open the air inlet when the operating part has rotated to within 10° of the operating position. A stop arrangement may be provided to limit the rotation of the operating part to substantially 90°. The stop arrangement may comprise an upstanding wall on the base with which the operating part is in contact when the operating part is in the operating or threading position. One of two substantially mutually perpendicular sides of the operating part may be in contact with the wall when the operating part is in the operating or threading position. The operating part may comprise a handle portion. The operating part may be resiliently biased towards the base.
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patent: 5839176 (1998-11-01), Lin
patent: 6148490 (2000-11-01), Bertsch
Hinchliffe Malcolm Geoffrey
Rigg Gordon Stirling
Fiberglass Limited
Schwegman Lundberg Woessner & Kluth P.A.
Vanatta Amy B.
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