HK1061007B - Winder for elastomeric fibers - Google Patents

Description

Winding machine for elastic fibers

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a winder for winding elastic fibers into bobbins and, in particular, to a winder of a particular geometry in which the fibers pass through a substantially constant distance between two rollers before being wound onto a bobbin.

Background

U.S. Pat. No. 3165274 and world patent application WO99/18024 disclose winders for elastomeric fibers, but winding these fibers at high speed with such winders can result in high package slack.

Us 4052019 discloses a device for rewinding a previously wound bobbin onto a spool, but this device is not suitable for high speed, cross-direction winding of bobbins.

Japanese patent JP02-628969-B2 discloses a winder with a crimping roller and a driving roller, wherein fiber slack is generated on the bobbin during winding. After the crimp roller, the fiber was passed through a twill braider and then wound onto a bobbin at a speed of more than 1.1 times the winding speed by overfeeding the bobbin using a drive roller. The speed of the crimping roller is greater than or equal to the winding speed. The geometry of the winder is increased as the bobbin of the wound fiber is increased, and the length of the single fiber between the crimping roller and the bobbin is reduced, so that the ply width and the helix angle are increased during winding, and the package shape is poor. Further, in order to prevent the increased package yarn from contacting the crimping roller, the filament length between the crimping roller and the package must be large initially, so that retention of a useful transverse pattern is very difficult, and defects may also be caused by a large transverse distance from the crimping roller. On the basis of similar considerations, the winder disclosed in us patent 3861607 requires an extremely precise fit of the two traversing devices, and the complex winder disclosed in european patent application EP0927694 is not satisfactory.

There remains a need for improved winders for elastomeric fibers.

Description of the invention

The invention relates to a winder for winding at least one elastic fiber at the outlet of a spinning device, comprising:

(A) a traversing device for reciprocating the fiber;

(B) a driven pull-out roller for receiving the reciprocating fibers from the traversing means;

(C) a contact roller for receiving the fiber on the draw-off roller, the contact roller having a wrap angle of about 45-210 °; wherein there is a substantially constant free fibre length between the draw-off roller and the contact roller for the passage of the fibres; and

(D) at least one chuck means in contact with the contact roller for holding the die.

Drawings

Fig. 1, 2 and 3 schematically illustrate three possible geometries of the winding machine according to the invention.

Fig. 1A shows a detailed view of fig. 1.

Fig. 4 schematically illustrates the geometry of the traverse roller, the pull-out roller, and the contact roller provided on the swing arm.

Detailed description of the invention

"elastic fiber" means a single fiber having an elongation at break of more than 100% regardless of any crimp and which rapidly and forcibly retracts to substantially its original length when stretched, relaxed. Such fibers include rubber fibers, spandex (polyurethane), polyetherester fibers, and elastoester (elastester). By "free fiber length" is meant the fiber travel between the point where the fiber first contacts the surface of the contact roller and the point where it is off the surface of the pull-out roller. By "constant free fiber length" is meant that the free fiber length is substantially constant throughout the winding of the package. The "wrap angle" around the roller is the angle between two intersecting imaginary lines drawn from the point where the center of the roller is common and where the fiber passes through the first contact point with the surface of the roller and the point where the fiber departs from the surface of the roller. The "package relaxation rate" of an elastic fiber wound on a supply package can be calculated as the difference between the elongation of the fiber on the package and the relaxed length after it has been removed from the package divided by the stretched length.

It has been found that by using a winder where the pull-out roller can be located close to the traverse and close to the contact roller in a specific relationship, a stable winding pattern, good package shape and low package relaxation rate can be obtained. The latter is arranged so that the fibre passes at least part of the turn around the contact roller before the fibre is wound onto the package drum. Since the free fiber length is independent of the size of the fiber package and the position of the two rollers can be fixed relative to each other and very close together, the free fiber length between the draw-off roller and the contact roller can be kept substantially constant (i.e., in the range of about ± 5%); the transverse pattern is thus also kept constant. Of course, the amount of variation may be deliberately chosen in advance, as explained below.

The precise transfer of the desired traversing pattern between the traversing guide, the draw-off roller, the contact roller and the package is improved by bringing the traversing member in close proximity to the surface of the draw-off roller (e.g., 1.0-3.0 cm, typically about 1.8 cm). The accurate transfer of the transverse pattern is also improved in that the fibre is in contact with the contact roller before it contacts the package, and the contact roller can be fixed to the draw-off roller and arranged very close to it, so that the free fibre length (between the draw-off roller and the contact roller) can be very short and remains substantially constant. (the free fiber lengths may be slightly different, up to about + -5%, and each traverse is reversed in reverse, but not as a result of package build-up.) thus, well-defined inversions are maintained at the end of the traverse pattern, and the desired helix angle and ply width can be achieved on the package throughout the entire package winding process.

The wrap angle of the take-off and contact rollers is preferably small to minimize the size of the winder and the possibility of an undesirable package of the spools, however, the fiber must also have sufficient roller contact time and therefore a sufficiently large roller wrap angle to achieve roller speed. In the present invention, the wrap angles of the fiber take-up roller and the touch roller are generally 45 to 210 °, more preferably about 60 to 150 °, and most preferably about 60 to 100 °, respectively. The lower limit of the free fibre length is mainly determined by the diameter of the draw-off roller and the contact roller and the distance between the two rollers. Thus, for a pull-out and contact roller diameter of about 2 inches (5.1 cm) spaced about 0.05 cm apart, the lower limit of the free fiber length is about 0.3 inches (0.7 cm). To achieve this lower limit, the pull-out roller and the contact roller must rotate relative to each other. When it is desired to relax the fiber to reduce the package relaxation rate, e.g., about 5-50%, prior to winding the fiber, the free length is long enough to provide the relaxation rate and depends in part on the fiber speed. In addition, at least some slack can also be created while the fiber is still on the draw rolls. The fiber relaxes fast enough that the free fiber length is not strictly limited and the pull-out rollers run faster than the contact rollers typically cause the desired fiber relaxation. The upper limit of the free fiber length is about 1 inch (2.5 cm), typically about 0.4 inch (1.0 cm).

Any suitable traversing device may be used in the present invention, including, for example, a cam driven traversing guide (e.g., as disclosed in US 3675863) or a rotating blade; a preselected winding pattern can be imparted by adjusting the speed, helix angle and traverse width of the traverse device; once selected, the pattern can be maintained by the winder and method of the present invention. Optionally, the transverse pattern may be deliberately varied during winding according to preselected variables to shape, for example, a roll shoulder. Whether the transverse pattern is constant or intentionally varied, the transverse pattern can be transferred precisely to the package without complicated adjustments with the inventive winder. This is in contrast to prior art winders which must make adjustments to accommodate increases in package drum size.

Typically, neither the contact roller nor the pull-out roller has a slot. Each or both rollers may be matt in a band centered around the circumference of the roller to reduce roll wrap; outside this central band, the circumferential surface can be highly polished to keep the fibers still on the roller laterally inverted. The pull-out roller is a drive roller, although the contact roller may be driven or undriven. The chuck means on which the tube core is disposed (on which the fiber is wound) may be driven or undriven, and the first and second chuck means may be disposed on a rotary turret for facilitating transfer of the fiber from the package drum to a new, empty tube core.

Various geometries of the winders can be used within the scope of the invention, depending on the desired size of the winder and the space required for using the winder. Referring first to figure 1, for example, the draw-off roller 2 is arranged adjacent to the traversing guides 3, the traversing guides 3 being arranged between the slides 4 and being driven by a slot in the cam 5, the cam 5 being arranged in the cam box 6. The contact roller 7 is arranged below the draw-off roller 2 and adjacent to the draw-off roller 2, so that the free fibre length 8 can be less than about 2.5 cm. For greater clarity, FIG. 1A enlarges the area of free fiber length 8 of FIG. 1. The chuck means 9 is arranged adjacent to the contact roller 7 so that the core 10 is in contact with the contact roller. A rotary turret (not shown) supports the chuck assembly and optionally a second chuck assembly (also not shown). Three possible positions A, B, C for the chucking device 9 and the die 10 are shown, each of which is within the scope of the present invention. The package 11 has the same angular position as the empty core 10C and the package 11 is revealed shortly before the fibre is transferred and doffed. The roller and package drum rotate in the direction of the arrows shown.

Similarly, FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate other possible angular relationships among the components of the inventive winder.

The increased package size during winding can be accommodated by vertical or horizontal sliding boxes supporting the traversing means, the pull-out rollers and the contact rollers, or by a drooping swing arm supporting the traversing means, the pull-out and contact rollers, or by turret rotation during winding. When a vertically sliding box is used, the chuck means and the package can be located substantially below the contact rollers, e.g. 9A/10A and 9B/10B in FIG. 1. When a swing arm is used, the chuck and the take-up drum may be located at the side of the contact roller, as shown at 9C/10C in FIG. 1, 9A/10A and 9B/10B in FIG. 2, and 9A/10A in FIG. 3. Other relationships within the scope of the invention may be used, depending on the desired geometry.

Fig. 4 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the pull-out roller 2, the cam box 6 (in which the cam 5 is arranged, in turn, the cam box 6 supports the traversing thread guide 3 with the slide 4), and the contact roller 7 are arranged on the oscillating arm 12. The rotating turret 13 supports two chuck assemblies (not shown) on which the dies 10D and 10E are disposed; the package 11 is ready for doffing. The rollers, the cone pulley and the tube core rotate in the direction of the arrow in the figure. When the turret wheel is rotated counterclockwise, as shown in fig. 4, the fiber can be transferred from a full drum to a new empty tube with the fiber running in the same direction as the surface of the empty tube ("downstream"). If the turret wheel is rotated in the opposite direction (clockwise) to that shown in FIG. 4, a "reverse flow" yarn transfer is accomplished by brushing (snagging) the fibers in the grooves of a tube or other known brushing member.

Referring again to fig. 1, in operation, a fibre 1 is spun from a spinning apparatus (not shown), drawn from a feed roller (also not shown) by a draw-off roller 2 through a traversing guide 3, which traversing guide 3 reciprocates the fibre to produce a traversing pattern. If desired, the peripheral speed of the draw-off roller is at least about 5% higher, typically 5-15% higher, than the peripheral speed of any of the feed rollers, so that the fibers are under a certain tension. This tension is useful to maintain strand stability to minimize feed roll wrap, position control of the fibers above the cd guides is desirable, and the cd pattern formed by the cd guides movement is maintained as the fibers contact the draw off roll. The fibre 1 passes through the wrap angle of the take-up roller 2, which is typically about 45-210 °, more preferably about 60-150 °, and most preferably about 60-100 °. The fibre 1 then passes through the free fibre length 8 and the wrap angle on the contact roller 7, which wrap angle on the contact roller 7 may also typically be about 45-210 °, more preferably about 60-150 °, most preferably about 60-100 °. The free fiber length may be about 0.7 to 2.5 cm, preferably 0.7 to 1.0 cm.

The peripheral speed of the draw-off roller is about 5-50% higher than the peripheral speed of the contact roller.

If it is not desired to reduce the package relaxation rate, the draw-off roller can be operated at a peripheral speed which is the same as or lower than the peripheral speed of the contact roller without adversely affecting the stability of the winding pattern.

Regardless of the relative speed of the draw-off roller and the contact roller, the inventive winder can be operated without the use of, and without having to include, a feed roller. Without the feed rollers, the spinning apparatus used to spin the fibers is more compact and less expensive, while retaining the advantages of the process of the present invention. In addition, even without the feed roller, the winder can independently adjust the spinning speed and the winding speed, which is usually achieved only by using the feed roller.

The fiber 1 is then wound onto the tube core 10. The process of the invention preserves the desired cd pattern between the cd guides and the package bobbin with minimum skew winding.

Claims (10)

1. A winder for winding at least one elastomeric fiber at the outlet of a spinning device, comprising:

(A) a traversing device for reciprocating the fiber;

(B) a driven pull-out roller for receiving the reciprocating fibers from the traversing means;

(C) a contact roller for receiving the fibers from the draw roller, the contact roller having a wrap angle of about 45-210 °; wherein there is a substantially constant free fiber length between the draw-off roller and the contact roller through which the fiber passes; and

(D) at least one chuck means for mounting the die in contact with the contact roller.

2. The winder of claim 1 wherein the pull out roller has a wrap angle of about 45-210 °.

3. The winder of claim 1 wherein the draw-off roller and the contact roller rotate relative to each other, the free fiber length is about 0.7-2.5 cm and the draw-off roller has a wrap angle of about 60-150 °.

4. The winder of claim 2 wherein the draw-off roller and the contact roller rotate relative to each other, the free fibre length is about 0.7-1.0 cm and the draw-off roller has a wrap angle of about 60-150 °.

5. The winder of claim 3 wherein the contact roller wrap angle is about 60-100 °.

6. The winder of claim 5 wherein the pull-out roller wrap angle is about 60-100 ° and the distance from the pull-out roller to the traverse is about 1.0-3.0 cm.

7. A method of winding an elastic fiber comprising the steps of:

(A) spinning elastic fibers and conveying the fibers around a feed roller;

(B) conveying the fiber around the draw-off roller and through a substantially constant free fiber length;

(C) conveying the fibers around the contact rollers through a wrap angle of about 45-210 °; and

(D) and (5) winding the fiber.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the wrap angle around the draw-off roller is about 45-210 °, the draw-off roller and the contact roller rotate relative to each other, and the free fiber length is about 0.7-2.5 cm.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the peripheral speed of the draw-off roller is at least about 5% higher than the peripheral speed of the feed roller, the wrap angles of the draw-off roller and the contact roller are each about 60-150 °, and the peripheral speed of the draw-off roller is about 5-50% higher than the peripheral speed of the contact roller

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the free-fiber length is about 0.7 cm to about 1.0 cm.