US2503821A - Spinning funnel - Google Patents

Description

April 11, 1950 c. HATFIELD SPINNING FUNNEL Filed Ju'ne 4, 194e lo w33 Patented Apr. 11, 1950 UNITED PATENT O'FECEy SPINNING FUNNEL Cortland Hatfield, Elizabethton, Tenn., assigner, byv mesne assignments, t'o- .Beaunit' Mills, Inc., New York, Y., aV corporation of Newl York Application .Tune 4,1946, S'eraINo. 674,236

3 Claims.

This invention relates to spinning iunnelsV such as are used in the manufacture of rayon and the like.

l'n4 certain rayon-spinning systems such as that commonly employed in the production of rayon from;` a cuprammoniurn cellulose spinning solution, etc., the solution isl extruded downwardly through. aA spinnerettel or spinnerettes into a chamber containing a coagulating liquid and into a spinning funnel having its larger end disposed near'the upper end ofthe chamber and its smaller end disposed below' the lower end of the chamber.

Through improved structural and functional' design, it has been rendered feasible to employ two or more spinning funnel's in the same cham-` ber, as disclosed, for example, in U. S'. Patent No. 1,682,797' to Otto et al., and thus to multiply the volume of production without increasing the amount of' space occupied by the spinning machines. Such spinning funnels, because of their transparency chemical resistance and hardness characteristics, have been heretofore made of glass; This material, while serving the purpose admirably, is subject to certain limitations, such as its fragility and liability' tov breakage during assembly in the spinning head and in service. Another drawback to the use of glass is the difficulty experiencedin its fabrication into suitable shapes.

With the recent improvements. in plastics, it i has .been iound that certain of them possess the desirable qualities, such as transparency and chemical resistance, though none so far have exhibited the hardness characteristics of glass. They do.. however, possess other attributes, such as. moldability and resistance to breakage, which render them highly satisfactory for the purposes to which glass funnels have heretofore been applied.

The object of the present invention is to employ the attributes of transparent plastic funnels in the manufacture of rayon.

Another object is to facilitate the mounting of a plastic funnel in a spinning head of the type now in common use.

A further object is to enable the spinning of different kinds or denier of thread without changing the spinning funnels or removing them from the spinning heads.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention, which embodies among its features a transparent plastic spinning funnel comprising a pair of tapered tubular members joined together adjacent their upper enlarged ends by a web or partition wall by which 2 the spinning solution extruded into the spinnin chamber is kept in its respective tubular member, a mounting ange encircling the tubular members, removablysecured to a discharge nozzle at the lower smaller end of each-tubular member, each carry-ing awear-resisting insert at its lower end through which the coagulated filaments emerge and a reinforcing and sti'ening bridge joining the tubular members adjacent their lower ends.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a spinning funnel constructed in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a bottom planview of a spinning iunnel constructed in accordance with this invention, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View through the lower endof one of the tubular members and the funnel tip carried thereby.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a spinning head designated generally I0 comprises a head piece II which eno-loses `a multiple spinnerette- I2. As shown, the headpiece II is provided with a depending flange into which the upper end of a glass cylinder I3 is cemented as at I4, Cemented` as at I5 to the lower end of the cylinder I3 is a bottom member IG having at its lower end an annular liquid receiving and distributing passage I'I, the bottom wall I8 of which forms a seat for the funnel encircling flange to be more fully hereinafter described. A coagulating liquid inlet I9 opening into the passage I'I servesl con-' tapering tubular'members 22 and 23 which are joined together adjacent their upper enlarged ends by a web or partition 24. Formed integral with and encircling the tubular members adjacent the lower end oi the web 24 is a ange 25 which seats against the under side of the wall I8 and serves to locate the upper end of the funnel the proper distance below the spinnerette I2. The flange 25 is held against the wall I8 and the joint rendered fluid tight by means of a suitable cement 26. Joining the tubular members 22 and 23 near their lower ends is a reinforcing and stlienlng bridge member 2l.

Formed integral with and spaced a short distance above the lower end of each tubular member 22 and 23 is an outwardly extending annular flange 28, and the portion of each such member which extends below the flange is externally screw-threaded as at 29 to receive a funnel tip designated generally 30.

The funnel tip 30 comprises an internally screwthreaded barrel 3| carrying at its lower end a" hollow inverted frustro-conical portion 3 2 upon the outer surface of which is cast a pair of diametrically spaced wings 33. The funnel tip may be formed of any suitable material, such as a plastic, and has embedded in its lower end a ring 34 of a harder and more wear-resistant material, such as glass, glazed porcelain or the like. In order to secure a duid tight joint between the funnel tip 3B and its respective shoulder 23 it has been found desirable to interpose a gasket 35 between the bottom face of the shoulder and the upper end of the barrel 3|.

In assembling the funnel 2l in the head l0 the upper part of the funnel, i. e that portion projecting above the flange 25 is introduced into the head l0 through the open bottom thereof, it being understood that the external diameter of the upper end of the funnel is of a diameter small enough to enter the opening dened by the walls of the passage ll. The funnel is thrust into the spinning head until the flange seats against the Wall I8 and the cement 26 is then applied. Thus it will be seen that accurate location of the upper end of the funnel 2| with relation to the spinnerette l2 may be obtained without the use of jigs or fixtures of any kind.

I'hus assembled, the unit is ready for use, and the spinning head lll is mounted on the spinning machine in the conventional manner with the inlet I9 connected to the source of supply of the coagulating liquid. The liquid flows into the head in suicient volume to cause it to overflow into the funnel and completely fill the tubular members 22 and 23 and keep them lled against the discharge through the bottom openings in the funnel tips 30. Spinning solution being extruded from the spinnerette I2 enters the coagulating liquid and by reason of the flow of liquid out through the funnel tips 30 the partially coagulated filaments are drawn downwardly and discharged through the rings 34 from whence they are directed to a suitable collect ing device (not shown). By reason of the screwous that such tips are readily exchangeable and replaceable to compensate for wear or facilitate the use of tips having larger or smaller outlet openings. Although it is preferred to use polystyrene and polyvinyl polymers in the manufacture of these funnels, they may be formed from any other organic plastic materials resistant to spin bath chemicals, etc.

What is claimed is:

l. A spinning funnel of organic plastic matetrial comprising a pair of tapering tubular memthreaded connections between the funnel tips 30 55 and their respective tubular members, it is obvibers, a -web joining the tubular members near :their larger ends, a flange encompassing the tubular members near the lower end of the web and a bridge joining the tubular members near their smaller ends.

2. A spinning funnel of organic plastic material comprising a plurality of tapering tubular members integrally molded together, a web joining said members near their larger ends, a ange encompassing said members near the lower end of the web, a bridge joining the tubular members near their smaller ends, shoulders on the tubular members adjacent the bridge, the tubular members between the shoulders and their smaller ends being externally screw-threaded and funnel tips on the screw-threaded ends of the tubular members, each such funnel tip com-i prising a barrel and a hollow inverted frustreconical part.

3. A spinning funnel of organic plastic material comprising a pair of tapering tubular members, a web joining the tubular members near their larger ends, a flange encompassing the tubular members near the lower end ofthe web and integrally molded out. of l thematerialv of said funnel and extending peripherally about and radially from said funnel, and a bridge joining the tubular members near their smaller ends.

CORTLAND HATFIELD.

REFERENCES CITEDA The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES `BATENTS

Images