Textiles: spinning – twisting – and twining – Apparatus and processes – Unitary multiple twist devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-03
2001-10-09
Calvert, John J. (Department: 3741)
Textiles: spinning, twisting, and twining
Apparatus and processes
Unitary multiple twist devices
C057S058520, C057S058610, C057S058760, C057S058830, C057S058840, C057S081000, C057S088000, C057S100000, C057S263000, C057S264000, C057S312000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298648
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF APPLICATION
This invention concerns a multiple twist spindle as set forth in the main claim.
The multiple twist spindle according to the invention is used to impart two+two (four) twisting actions, for each revolution of each of the rotary parts, in the thread or threads whether consisting of continuous filaments or discontinuous fibres; the spindle according to the invention is correctly applied in the field of the preparation of textile yarns which are employed mainly in the clothing and furnishing industries.
STATE OF THE ART
The twisting of several threads or tail ends, or of a thread consisting of filaments, whether they be continuous or discontinuous, was traditionally carried out—and is still carried out—either with ring twisters or up-twisters.
At the beginning of the 60s the two-for-one twisting procedure was introduced, initially for discontinuous threads and later for continuous threads and filaments; this method was characterised by the fact that for each revolution of the rotary part two twists are applied to the thread.
After this innovation, a large number of innovative processes were introduced onto the market in the field of the production of thread, both continuous and discontinuous; in the field of twisting, on the contrary, there was no innovation, despite the high cost of the process.
It was only at the beginning of 1990 that a process to impart a triple twist to the thread was put on the market.
This process is similar to that of the two-for-one twist process, wherein the feed bobbin, instead of remaining stationary, is made to rotate in the appropriate manner.
However, this method has considerable limits in its application due to the high absorption of power by the rotary parts which consist of two containers.
Twisting systems with four twists have also been proposed; however, these have not found any industrial application, at least in textile threads for the clothing and furnishing industry, as they present a plurality of disadvantages.
For example, DE-A-2.005.223, FR-A-2.235.217 and EP-A-231.807 describe four-twist twisting devices for cords, which include extremely complex and cumbersome systems to command the rotary parts, which give very low operating speeds, involve high tensions on the thread and very high absorption of energy; consequently, it is impossible to use them in an industrial application for textile threads.
Moreover, the command systems they use necessarily require a substantially horizontal arrangement which makes it complex to install them on the machines and extremely difficult to load and thread.
EP-A-611.841, JP-A-72 68732, JP-A-47 33246, JP-A47 40100 and JP-A-50 135347 describe four-twist twisting devices with a vertical working axis, which differ from each other in the system to command the inner part of the spindle.
The devices described in these patents have a first limitation to their industrial application in that the thread exits from the bottom, which makes them complex to use on the machines.
Furthermore, there is an intermediate container between the inner balloon and the outer balloon, which drastically limits their use for continuous-filament, chemical-fibre yarns, where there can be no contact or friction between the inner balloon and the container.
This problem can be overcome by suitably increasing the size of the container, but in this way the outer balloon is obliged to assume very large dimensions, which is not acceptable due to the excessive tensions which are generated on the thread.
Due to this arrangement, with the path of the thread exiting from the bottom and with the consequent inversions in its direction, the tensions on the thread are such that they make it impossible to increase actual production, except perhaps a small increase, compared with a normal two-for-one twist spindle such as the spindle might be considered without the return path of the thread.
In fact, the path described in these documents involves three changes of direction; a first when the thread enters inside the support of the bobbin of the first spindle, a second when it exits from the first spindle in order to form the inner balloon, and a third between the inner balloon and the outer balloon. Finally, there is a further diversion of 90° due to the axial exit of the thread from the bottom.
In order to overcome the problems posed by systems using multiple twists such as are known to the state of the art, achieving a spindle which is quite similar to a two-for-one twist spindle in design, arrangement, measurements, weights fed, and all the operations performed by the worker, increasing production while at the same time reducing the consumption of energy and the overall costs of twisting and also to obtain further advantages as shown hereinafter, the present Applicants have designed and tested this invention.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The invention is set forth and characterised in the main claim, while the dependent claims describe variants of the idea of the main embodiment.
The purpose of the invention is to achieve a multiple twist spindle (two+two) similar to a two-for-one twister spindle in its design, arrangement, measurements, weights fed, and all the operations performed by the worker, which will increase production (or rather the twists per minute) by 1.5÷2 times compared with the two-for-one spindle mentioned above, reducing by the same ratio the space occupied and the times needed to prepare and deliver a batch of textile threads, and also reducing energy consumption by 20÷35%.
The invention provides to use substantially the concept which inspired the two-for-one twist spindle; that is to say, a feed bobbin or bobbins placed on the axis of the spindle on a spindle support and held stationary by means of magnetic systems.
The spindle according to the invention differs from a two-for-one spindle in that the thread which unwinds upwards from the bobbin, instead of descending inside the bobbin support, exits from the upper inversion element of the spindle, which normally consists of a ceramic ring, so as to follow a first path which descends on the outside of the container inside which there is the bobbin; then, the thread inverts direction at a position below the spindle and substantially in axis therewith, and then goes up again on an ascending return path as in a two-for-one twist spindle.
Consequently, the number of times the thread inverts direction is limited to two, as in a normal two-for-one twist spindle.
According to the invention, the bobbin is located inside a substantially closed container which extends as far as the uppermost point where the path of the thread is inverted, as defined by the ceramic element placed above the container itself; this container is supported by the spindle support.
The container may include a cover at the upper part, or it may be possible to partly open and/or remove the container itself, in order to allow the bobbin to be loaded.
The thread, under working conditions, forms two counter-rotating balloons, respectively an inner balloon and an outer balloon which is expanded outwards; the two balloons are not separated by separating elements, they are arranged very close together and properly controlled so that there is no contact or interference.
The first balloon, or inner balloon, is defined between the outlet from the ceramic element located above the container and a system to invert the direction of the thread, for example a roller, located inside the main rotary part and below the bobbin itself; the second balloon, or outer balloon, is defined between the inversion-of-direction system and the thread loop located outside and above the spindle.
For each of these paths, the thread receives two twists for each revolution of the relative rotary part.
The inner balloon, by using the appropriate tensions and speeds, is taken to assume a collapsed or at least partly collapsed path; it develops in a very sloping spiral, and consequently it is always maintained very near the outer wall of the container inside which the bobbin is located.
To be more exact, at t
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld L.L.P.
Calvert John J.
Hurley Shaun R
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