US2281406A - Apparatus for treating thread or the like - Google Patents

Description

April 1942? R. F. BERGMANN I 2,281,406

APPARATUS FOR TREATINQ THREAD OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 28, 1939 s 's heets-sheet'l nventor RICHARD H BERGMA N Bu g; g

p 1942- R. F. BERGMANN 2,281,406

APPARATUS FOR TREATING THREAD OR THE LIKE Fi led Sept. 28, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I F1 G 4 I 3nvmtor RICHARD E BERGMANN 1 4 5 /7 I l/ I);

I attorney April 28, 1942- Q R. F. BERGMANN APPARATUS FOR TREATING THREAD 611 THIE LIKE Filed Sept. 28, 1959 s Sheets-Sheet s M N H. m N m n rm 1 B Q F v RV. Q .N m Q Q a Q MR 5 l i g a Q. \\\w\. n M. R. 5% 1|! Wm m. 3 3 m Q v mm l mmwwnvfim -%-&i m a \Qf w N v Q k 1% a w 8 a I. J I. 4 .a N NR F Mg f a .R a g \S Q w a k. 2 2. M 8 N v 3 3 'PatentedlApr. 28, 1942 v ltichardF. Bergmann, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to Industrial Rayon Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application September as, 1929, Serial No. 296,937

. Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for treating strip, material such as thread or the like, hereinafter referred to as thread," while -it is being continuously but temporarily stored in a plurality' of advancing, generally helical turns.

. More particularly, the invention relates toa thread-advancing thread store device capable of storing the thread in a plurality of generally helical turns having associated therewith means for supplying a treating medium, such as a temperature-changing fluid, to the interior of the device. In the preferred embodiments of the invention, such a-thread-advancing thread store device takes the form of a, thread-advancing reel. o For the purposes of illustration but in, no sense of limitation, the invention will be described in connection with a thread-advancing reel operating on the principle of that shown, described and claimed in Knebusch Patent- 2,21'0,914. Although any, 'type of temperature-changing medium may be employed, the embodiment of r of the machine. In said cup member 5 fits a the invention hereinafter described will be one adapted to be heated, forthepu'rpose of drying thread or the likestored thereon, by means of a liquid heating medium circulated through the interior of the device.. Further for purposes of illustration, such apparatus will be described inconnection with a machine for the continuous processing of multiple 'filament viscose artificial silk thread of the type shown, claimedand described in Knebusch and Burkhlolder Patent 2,225,642.

Themore important advantages of the invention will be brought out hereinafter in' connection with the following description: In the accompanylng drawings, Figure 1 is'a sectional elevation of a portion of a machine for continuously processing thread in which is employed. the apparatus of the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan on an-enlarged scale of a thread-advancing' reel comprising the preferred embodi-- 'ment of the invention. Figure'3 is a side eleation thereof on the same scale as Figure 2. Figure 4 is a corresponding end elevation on'the samescale. Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the thread-advancing reel on. a still larger scale on line 5-5 of Figure 4. In the drawings, like reference characters refer to like parts throughout.- 1

In the machine shown in Figure 1, thread A supplied from a suitable-source, such as'aspinneret, passes in sequence to each of a series of thread-advancing reels of which four are shown,

bearingreference characters 1 to 4, inclusive.

a descending series with the unsupported ends of. all reels extending in the same direction; 3

i. e., toward the operating face of the apparatus. The unsupported or discharge end of each preceding reel' is disposed in apposite relation to the supported or receiving end of each succeeding reel, an arrangement which provides numerous advantages from the standpoints of ac: cessibility and visibility to the' operators. Any

'number of such descending series may be disposed lengthwise of the apparatus. The means shown as employed forsupporting each of the reels l to 4, inclusive, include a cup member 5 mounted on the supportingiframe 6- fianged member 1 which forms part of or is suitably flxed to the frame member on which .the reel is rotatably mounted. Flanged member I :is held in place in cup member 5 by one or more set screws 8. Each 'of thereels I to 4, inclusive, is driven by a gear ll mounted on drive shaft 9 or ii), as the case may be. Eachgear ll meshes with a gear [2 mounted on an inclined drive shaft l3. .Each inclined'drive shaft l3 serves to drive all of the reels in the'same descending series.

to the horizontal in order. that the liquid appliedv thereto may travel lengthwise of the reel toward the supported end thereof, thus subjecting all of the thread on the reel to theaction of the liquid. Reagent distributor l4 communicates with a supply conduit I 5 shown as forming an integral part of a trough l6 disposed beneath the pre-- ceding reel.

One of said troughs I5 is shown as disposed bene'ath each of the. reels to which liquid is applied or which serves to advance wet thread. Each of said troughs l8 extends lengthwise of the apparatus in a manner permitting it to serve'a num- 'ber of corresponding reels in adjacent descending series, wherefore conduits l5 likewise extend along v the apparatus and serve the reagent distributors for a number of reels disposed in corresponding positions lengthwise of the apparatus.

In Figure 1, the thread on reel- I is being subjected to the action of a processing liquid supplied from distributor It. The reel l is inclined Troughs I 6 communicate through openings H with piping leading to a sewer or, if desired, to recirculation and make-up means.

In the illustrated apparatus, reel, 2 represents the reel with which the present invention is more immediately concerned. It is shown as adapted I to be heated by hot water, steam or other fluid circulated therethrough by means hereinafter to be described. The reel may conveniently be tapered, as shown, to provide for shrinkage of the thread during the drying operation. A small stream of rewetting liquid is applied from reagent distributor I8 to the last few turns of thread on the reel, said distributor being supplied from conduit l forming part of the trough disposed below reel l. The thread passes from the unsupported end of reel 2 to reel 3, on which no processing medium is applied to the thread but on which the excess liquid is permitted to drip therefrom.

Reel 3 is similar to reel l and any preceding reels on which processing liquids have been applied to the thread; however, inasmuch as no processing liquid is applied to the thread'on reel 3, it requires no reagent distributor such as reagent distributor it of reel 5. By the time it reaches the end of reel 3, the thread has had its moisture content reduced, by dripping, to a predetermined amount, thus facilitating subsequent drying of the thread. From reel 3 the thread passes to reel 5, on which it is given its second and, in the illustrated apparatus, final drying.

Reel 4, which is tapered to provide for the shrinkage of the thread, is enclosed in a housing l9 provided with a door 20 which permits access to the reel. The thread passes out of said housing l9 to a collecting device such as a cap-twister (not shown). The drive shaft 9 of reel 4 is hollow to permit the circulation through the reel of heated fluid supplied by means of conduit 2i and removed by means of conduit 22. Tubes 23 and 26 serve to connect supply and discharge conduits 2i and 22 to a suitable fitting 25 so constructed as to keep the entering and leavin streams of fluid segregated from each other.

The process of drying the thread a plurality of times, with a rewetting step between drying operations, forms no part of the present invention, being shown, described and claimed in copending application Serial No. 297,074, filed September 29, r 1939. However, the reel 2 with which the present invention is concerned is very important in carry ing out this process, since it makes it possible to employ a reel which is of little,,if any, greater overall length than the preceding processing reels, such, for example, as reel I. This makes itpracticable to substitute the reel of the present invention for various other reels in the apparatus, including all of the liquid processing reels, without making any changes whatsoever in the apparatus as a whole.

Like reels I 3 and 4, reel 2 operates on the principle of the reel disclosed in Knebusch Patent 2,210,914. It comprises two wholly rigid reel members, each having a periphery of substantially circular cross section made up of a plurality of longitudinally extending bar members which interleave with the bar members of the other reel member. The reel members rotate about axes displaced from and inclined to each other in such manneras to continuously advance the thread in a large number of closely spaced, generally helical turns. The construction of reel 2 is shown to best advantage in Figures 2 to 5, inclusive.

, As is apparent from these figures, the reel 2 .able supporting member 65, as by bolts ifij comprises two wholly rigid reel members 26 and 21. Member 26, which may be termed the concentric member, is mounted concentrically upon and for rotation with drive shaft l0, having its periphery made up of a series of spaced, longitudinally extending bar members 29. Member 21, which may be termed the eccentric member, is rotatably mounted with its axis inclined to but in a plane slightly offset from the axis of rotation of reel member 26, having a periphery including aseries of spaced, longitudinally extending bar members 3| alternately disposed with respect to bar members 29 of reel member 26.

Concentric reel member 26 may conveniently be fabricated as shown withbar members 29 formed integrally with a hollow body portion 32. Front and rear closure members 33 and 34, respectively, form fluid-tight junctions with the interior surface of hollow body portion 32, being pressed, welded, or otherwise held in place. Cooperating annular sealing members 35 and 36 of wedgeshaped cross section are disposed in recesses 31 in members 33 and 34 to prevent the escape of .fluid past shaft l0. It has been found desirable to make the outer annular sealing member 35 of metal and the inner annular sealing member 36 which bears against the shaft of some flexible material such as rubber or possibly of one of the synthetic materials capable of withstanding heat A bolt 33 holding a washer 39 against the outer sealing member at the unsupported end of the reel is threaded into a plug 40 which is welded in the unsupported end of hollow drive shaft 10. A washer 4| located on shaft H], as by snap ring 42 disposed in a groove 43 in the outer surface of drive shaft I 0, bears against the outer annular sealing member 35 at the inner end of concentric reel member 26, serving thereby to locate reel member 26 endwise on shaft [0. As bolt 38 is tightened, it forces the wedge-shaped annular members 35 and 36 together at each end of reel member 26, thus effectively sealing it against the escape of fluid past the shaft 10.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings,

eccentric member 21 is formed of a rigid cagelilre member 44 concentrically mounted upon a rotat- Member 44 embodies bar members 3| fixed at their supported ends to an external annular rib portion 52 of frame member 49. Boss portion 52 has an external generally cylindrical surface the axis of which is disposed in the desired offset and inclined relation to the axis of rotation of drive shaft In, which isalso the axis-of rotation of concentric reel member 28. Snap rings .50 are provided to locate the outer races of the bearings 5| in the bore of supporting member 45;

thereby aiding in locating eccentric reel member 21 lengthwise of the frame member 49.

Supporting member 45 is formed so that the projecting boss 52 of frame member 49 is disposed within the limits of the reel proper. The rear closure member 34 of concentric reel member26 is within the hollow body'portion 32 at a substantial distance from the inner end of concentric reel member 26; consequently, boss 52 may be means are associated with frame member 49,

the overall length of the reel and itssupporting member is only slightly, if any, greater than that of the liquid processlngreels.

As mentioned above, reel 2 is similar to the other reels shown in Figure 1 in that its frame member 49 is provided with a flanged portion .1

. adapted to fit closely in and be held, as'by set screws 6, in a cup member fixed to the frame 6 of the machine as a whole. Drive shaft ill onwhich concentric member 26 is rigidly and concentrically mounted passes through frame member 49,, being journalled therein by spaced bearings 55 and 56. Driving gear I l is rigidly mounted on the projecting end of said drive shaft, as by set screw 51. Consequently, reel 2 'may, if necessary, be interchanged with any of the reels of the machine other than reel &.

In the reel illustrated in Figures -2 to 5, inclusive, an annular internally toothed member 58 mounted in the portion of hollow body portion 32 surrounding bearings 5| meshes with vextemal teeth 59 formed on the sleeve-like portion 56 of supporting, member 45. Pins 6i are employed to prevent rotation of gear 58 in body portion 32. Thus means are provided for driving the eccentric member from the concentric member at the same speed without contact of the bar members of the two reel members.

If desired, annular gear 58 may be made of material which, in conjunction with metal teeth 59, provides good wearing qualities. Thus supporting member 45, and hence teeth 59, may be formed of iron or steel, while annular gear 58 may be formed of Bakelite-impregnated fabric or the like. Such a combination gives extraordinarily good wearing qualities even in the complete absence of lubrication. If some such 'hieans' are employed, contact of the bar members of the reel members can be entirely avoided, which is advantageous in view of the fact that the bar members of the reel members are preferably made of metalhaving good heat conductivity,

such as aluminum, which would otherwise wear readily. V

As indicated above, reel 2 is heated internally by the circulation of suitable heating fluid through the hollow body portion 32 of concentric reel member 26. As is apparent from Figure '5,

frame member 49 is hollow, being built up of two' hollow parts 62 and 63 separated by a member 64 which in effect forms a partitiomso that the frame member 49 includes two compartments 65 and 66 through which the drive shaft I6, passes. Suitable sealingmeans 68 are provided to precompartments past the drive shaft, either from one compartment into the other-or from the ends of/frame member 49.- v i "The sealing means shown individually comprise a smooth-faced stationary portion 69 against which bears a rotatable member H which is urged .thereagainst by a spring 12. Member Il may be formed of carbon 6r some material such as synthetic rubber. 'Spring I2 is compressed ent the escape offluid from the interior of said. ,4 05' 3 support It rigidly fixed to the drive shaft III, as by a set screw 15. Each of said supports 'ld'is provided with one or more slots 16 in which are disposed projections 11 formed on rotatable bear- 7 ing members ll so that said rotatable members are rotated by said supports 14. Sealing member 13 encloses drive shaft lit-thereby preventing the escape of .fluid between drive shaft l0 and bearing member 1 I, while the tight contact between the rotating bearing member Ii and stationary member 69 prevents the escape of fluid at this point.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 5, support N in compartment serves two sealing means 68, one of which prevents the escape of fluid from the end of the frame member 49 and the other of which prevents the escape of fluid into the other compartment 66. The

support it in compartment 66 similarly'serves the single sealing means 68 therein. Openings 18 may be provided in the vicinityiof bearings 55 and 56 to provide a drain for any liquid which might seep past the sealing means. As a result of the expansive action of the springs 12, said sealing means aid in properly locating drive shaft l6 and concentric member 26. If desired, compartment. 66 maybe made the larger and contain two sealing means while compartment 65 may contain a single'sealing means; alternatively, both compartments may contain two sealing means. Compartment 65 is provided with an opening I 19 through which heating fluid is supplied from a tube 80 connected to frame member 49. The

heating fluid passes. through a port 82 in said drive shaft I0 and thence longitudinally through said drive shaft to-a port 83 through which it passes into .the interior of the hollow bodypor tion 32 of concentric reel member 26. The heating fluid passes out of said hollow body portion 32 through opening 86 in said drive shaft in. The latter opening communicates with the interior of an inner tube 85 rigidly fixed in said drive shaft. The fluid leaving irmer tube 85 passes out through port 88 into the rear compartment 66, which it leaves through opening 89 connected to discharge tube 6i. Since openings l9 and 69 in the embodiment of Figure'5 are located in the far walls of compartments 65 and 66, they are shown in dotted lines.

1 The plug 50 atthe unsupported end of drive shaft I0 serves to separate the inner tube 55 and.

the drive shaft l0. It also operates to prevent fluid from passing directly from the drive shaft the opening 62 through which the fluid enters said drive shaft' and the opening 86 through which the fluidleaves said drive shaft prevents intermixing of the entering and discharging fluid.

to the tube and vice vers'a. A similar plugtl' at the rear portion of said drive shaft i0 between The end of hollow drive shaft lll remote from the reel is closed by plug 52 threaded therein.

Thus the heating fluid enters the hollow body portion 320! the concentric reel member 26 near the end ,of the reel at which the thread starts thereon, passing out..'of the reel near the unsupported end thereof.' The reel is therefore heated most at the end thereof where the-thread is wettest, which is often advantageous. However,

.theheating fluid may be caused. to enter the hollow body. portion near theuns'upported end thereof and leave at the other end. Asshown in Figure l, the supply tube 80 is connected to a supply conduit 93 which extends 'between the edge of a flexible annular sealing I member l3 bearing against said member II and a lengthwise of the apparatus and serves a plurality of reels 2 disposed in adjacent series length-f I fl I v I r wise of the machine. Similarly, discharge tube 9| communicates with a discharge conduit 94 extending lengthwise of the apparatus and serving a plurality of corresponding reels 2. Regulating valves 95 may be provided as shown to control the flow of heating fluid through each reel 2. The heating fluid may be hot water, steam, or other suitable liquid or vapor which may be heated by any suitable means (notshown) and point intermediate the ends of the drive shaft and the frame member on which the reel is supported. Consequently, .a thread-advancing reel embodying the present invention may be employed in place of other thread-advancing reels on a machine for the continuous processing of thread without changing the construction of the machine or thelike. As hasalready been explained, this is advantageous in the repetitive drying of thread in a continuous process.

It is apparent that various modifications may be made in the thread-advancing thread store device illustrated in the drawings and that thread-advancing thread store devices embodying the invention may be employed for uses other than that described, all without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, while the thread-advancing thread store device of the invention'is described herein as heated for the drying of thread, it is apparent that the fluid passed therethrough need not serve to heat the device, but may be employed to cool it. Likewise, the invention is not restricted to the winding of thread per se, but is capable of employment with various kinds of strip material. The term thread in the appended claims is intended to include such materials.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims. whatever features of patentable novelty reside in the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A thread-advancing thread store device comprising a frame member; a first set of spaced, longitudinally extending bar members; means supporting saidflrst set of bar members in rotatable relation to said frame member; a second set of spaced, longitudinally extending bar members alternating with the bar members of said rounding a portion of said frame members; supporting means characterized by a concave web portion extending inward of the device as a whole' V of bar members from said frame member.

2. Apparatus of the character described in claim 1 in which said bearing means comprise spaced antifriction bearings disposed at a substantial distance from each end of said second set of bar members, the inner and outer races of said antifriction bearings being respectively mounted on said frame member and in said supporting means.

3. Apparatus for treating thread comprising a frame member; a rotatable hollow shaft passing through said frame member; means disposed at one end of said frame member for rotating said hollow shaft; a thread-advancing thread store device rotatably mounted at the other end of said frame member for rotation by said hollow shaft, said thread-advancing thread store device having a closed hollow interior communicating with the interior of said hollow shaft; means associated with said hollow shaft for circulating fluid through said interior, of said thread-advancing thread store device by the supply and removal of fluid through the interior of said hollow shaft; and means associated with said frame member between said thread-advancing thread store device and said means for rotating said hollow shaft for supplying fluid to and removing it from the interior of said hollow shaft.

4. Apparatus for treating thread comprising a frame member; means for supporting said frame member from one end only thereof a rotatable hollow shaft passing through said frame member and projecting from the supported end of said frame member; means disposed at the projecting end of said hollow shaft for rotating said hollow shaft; a thread-advancing thread store device rotatably mounted at the other end of said frame member for rotation by said hollow shaft, said thread-advancing thread store device having a closed hollow interior communicating with the interior of said hollow shaft; means associated with said hollow shaft for circulating fluid through said interior of said thread-advancing thread store device by the supply and removal of fluid through the interior of said hollow shaft; and means associated with said frame member between said supporting means .and said thread-advancing thread store device 5. Apparatus for treating thread comprising a hollow frame member which includes two compartments disposed longitudinally thereof; a hollow drive shaft journalled in and projecting from both ends of said frame member, said hollow drive shaft having openings therein communieating with said compartments; 2. thread-advancing thread store device including a hollow member rigidly mounted on one of the projecting ends of said hollow drive shaft, said threadadvancing thread store device communicating with the interior of said hollow drive shaft; a tubular member disposed in said hollow drive shaft in spaced relation thereto, said tubular member communicating through an opening in said hollow drive shaft with the interior of said hollow member and communicating with another opening in said hollow drive shaft with the compartment farthest removed from said threadadvancing thread store device; conduit means connected to said compartments intermediate the ends of said frame member for conducting fluid to and removing it from said compartments, wherebysaid fluid is circulated through said thread-advancing thread store device; and, mounted on the projecting end of said drive shaft remote from said thread-advancing thread store device, means for rotating said drive shaft.

6. Apparatus of the character described in members.

claim including means for mounting said frame member from one end thereof only, -said conduit means being" disposed between said mounting means and said thread-advancing thread store device.

7. A thread-advancing thread store device comprising a frame member; a first set of spaced, longitudinally extending bar members; means supporting said first set of bar members in rotatable relation to said frame member; a second set of spaced, longitudinally extending bar members alternating with the bar members of said first set but mounted for rotation about an axis in inclined relation to the axis of rotation of said first set, said second setof bar members surrounding a portion of said frame member; supporting means connected to said second set of bar mem- I bers characterized by an annular portion surrounding said frame member extending inward of said second set of bar members; bearing means supporting said annular portion of said supporting member from said frame member; external teeth associated with the annular portion of said supporting member, said teeth being disposed within the periphery defined by said sets of bar members; and, engaging said external 'teeth, internal teeth associated with said first set of bar thread store device while others connect the other of said compartments with the interior of said thread-advancing thread 'store device through the bore of said tubular member; saling means for preventing escape of fluid past said shaft disposed at the ends and between the compartments of said frame member; and conduit means connected to each of said compartments'at a point intermediate the ends of said frame member, one of said conduit means serving to supply and the other to remove fluid from the interior-of said thread-advancing thread store device.

10. Apparatus for treating thread comprising a hollow frame member which includes two com- 8. A thread-advancing thread store device comprising a frame member having a projecting end; a first set ofspaced, longitudinally extending bar members; means for supporting said first set of bar members in rotatable relation to said frame'member in such manner that one of the ends of said first set of bar members is unobstructed by supporting means; a second set of spaced, longitudinally extending bar members alternating with the bar members of said first set but-mountedfor rotation about an axis in inclined relation to the axis of rotation of said first set, said second set of bar members sur rounding a portion of said frame member; hearing means mounted upon said framexmemberat partments disposed longitudinally thereof; a fluid conduit communicating with each of said compartments intermediate the ends of said frame.

member; a j hollow shaft journalled in and projecting from the ends of said frame member, said shaft embracing a rigidly disposed tubular member extending longitudinally thereof means disposed at the ends of the space between said shaft-and said tubular member forming a fluid-tight seal preventing intercommunication,

between said spaceand-the bore of said tubular member; a first thread-advancing member disposed about the projecting end of said shaft, said thread-advancing member including a closed hollow body portion rigidly mounted on and sura substantial distance, from the ends of the device as a whole; and, mounted upon said bearf ing means, supporting means characterized by a concave web portion extending inward of said second set of bar members, said supporting means being onnected to said second set of bar members at one end only thereof. r

9. Apparatus for treating thread comprising ahollow'frame member which includes two compartments disposed. longitudinally thereof; a

rounding the end of said shaft; a plurality of openings in said shaft certain of which provide communication through saidspace between one of the compartments in said frame member and the hollow interior of-said first thread-advancing member while others connect the othen of said compartments with the interior of said first thread-advancing member through the bore of said tubular member; a second thread-advancing. member surrounding said frame member in oper-. ative relation to said first thread-advancing member, said second thread-advancing member including a supporting member extending inward-,- ly of and rotatably supporting said second threadadvancing member on said frame member at a point a substantial distance from each of the ends of said sedond thread-advancing member: and, disposed at the other end of said shaft, means for rotating said drive shaft.

RICHARD F. RGMANN.

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