US3804569A

US3804569A - Spinneret wiper

Info

Publication number: US3804569A
Application number: US00287488A
Authority: US
Inventors: C Walker
Original assignee: EI Du Pont de Nemours and Co
Current assignee: EIDP Inc
Priority date: 1972-09-08
Filing date: 1972-09-08
Publication date: 1974-04-16
Anticipated expiration: 1991-04-16

Abstract

An apparatus for wipe cleaning the extrusion face of a spinneret that includes a post mounted in the center of the spinneret normal to its extrusion face with a bushing mounted to the post for movement toward and away from the extrusion face and for rotary movement about the post. An arm is attached to the bushing and extends outwardly from the bushing toward the orifices. A blade is attached to the arm and the blade has an edge parallel to the extrusion face of the spinneret of sufficient width to encompass the spinneret orifice area in one revolution of the blade around the post.

Description

United States Patent [191 1 $804,569

1,177,148 3/1916 Steiner Walker 7 Apr. 16, 1974 [54] SPINNERET WIPER 904,421 1 H1908 Griffin 425/31 1 [75] Inventor: Calvin Brooks walker Wilmington 3,608,192 9/1971 Hansel 30/310 N.C. FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS llsssigneet E. I. du Pont de Nemours d, 1,186,605 Germany 13 Com y Wilmington Del. 945,215 7/1956 Germany 30/310 p 649,814 10/1962 Canada 425/313 [22] Filed: Sept. 8, 1972 [21] Appl No 287 488 7 Primary Examiner-Daniel Blum 57 ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl 425/225, 425/464, 15/246, 1 e

30/310 .An apparatus for wlpe cleanmg the extrusion face of a [51] CL 1 Bosh 13/00 1329f 3/04 spmneret that Includes a post mounted m the center of [58] i H 15/104 R 2565 the spinneret normal to its extrusion face with a bush- 30/3O0, 311; 241/166; 425/225 226, 232, ing mounted to the post for movement toward and 311 313 464 away from the extruslon face and for rotary movement about the post. An arm is attached to the bushing and s extends outwardly from the bushing toward the ori- [56] References C'ted fice's. A blade is attached to the am and the blade has UNITED STATES PATENTS an edge parallel to the extrusion face'of the'spinn'eret 1,205,710 11/1916 Cavagnaro 425/311 of sufficient width to encompass the pinneret'orifice 241/166 area in one revolution of the blade around the post. 241/166 X I 1,084,854 l/19l4 Ganzorn.....

' 2,277,123 3/1942 Majestic 241/166:X :2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures SPINNERET WIPER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a device forcleaning the extrusion face of a spinneret.

In the conventional melt spinning of synthetic fibers from thermoplastic polymers, the polymeric materials after being heated to a plastic, flowable state are forced under pressure through minute holes formed in the face of a spinneret plate to form filamentary structures which after suitable treatment such as cooling and stretching are wound onto packages or formed into tows for further processing into filaments or yarns suitable for use in various textile articles. During the extrusion process, deposits of decomposed polymeric materials and/or various polymeric ingredients form around the extrusion orifices in the spinneret. Periodically, this accumulation of deposits is removed by wiping or scraping the face of the spinneret plate with a tool gen erally referred to as a wipe stick. In the course of such wiping, the spinneret orifices are subject to damage from the ends of the wipe stick blade. Variations in wiping technique among operating personnel also lead to differences in the uniformity and completeness of the wiping operation. Subsequent spinning performance is affected to .a large degree depending on the skill of the particular operator to wipe cleanly and without damaging theiorifices. Conventional apparatus for wiping spinnerets is a hand held wipe stick operated freehand. 1

U ARY oF THE INVENTION a blade attached to said arm, said blade having an edge 1 parallel to said extrusion face, the movement of said bushing toward said extrusion face being sufficient to permit said edge to engage said extrusion face. The

edge of said blade has sufficient width to encompass the spinneret orifice area in one revolution of said blade around said post.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side view partly in section of the novel spinneret wiper shown in association with a spinneret.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the wiper in use during a wipe ,cycle, and

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing another wipepath that may be madewith the invention.

DETAILED "DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT.

In FIG. 1, there is shown apart of a standard melt spinning spinneret which is normally a steel plateof sufficient thickness to withstand the extrusion pressures associated with melt spinning of syntheticfilaments. Molten polymer is forced under pressure by means not shown through the spinneret orifices 16. The spinneret is bolted by suitable means such as mounting bolts 12 to the spinneret block of a melt spinning machine not shown. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, when the spinneret is to be wiped, the center mounting bolt of the spinneret is removed after the flow of molten polymer is stopped and the hex head bolt 13 is screwed into the center threaded section of the pack cavity vacated by the mounting bolt. The shoulder 15 of the hex head bolt 13 is turned up tight to the bottom surface or extrusion face of the spinneret 10. The wiper assembly comprising rotatable bushing slipped onto center post 18 and carrying horizontal arm 22 and wiper blade in handle 28 is then fixed to the spinneret by screwing the center post into the threaded head section of the hex head bolt 13. The position of the wiper blade 30 fixed to handle 28 which is slidably mounted in collar 27, may be adjusted then looked in the desired location by means of the set screw 26 in the collar. The length selected in the design of horizontal arm 22 is determined by the location of the holes in the spinneret face. The width of the wiping edge 31 of blade 30 is selected to extend the edge beyond the innermost and outermost rowof holes in the circular hole pattern and the blade face is mounted es- I sentiallyon a radial line from the center of the mounting post 18. The assembly maintains the blade edge parallel to the spinneret face and. permits guiding the blade in a circular pattern such that the blade ends are always outside of the spinneret orifice area.

Inoperation, after attachment of the wiper. to the spinneret, wiping is accomplished as shown in FIG. 2 by the operator who grasps handle 28 and slides the rotatable bushing 20 up center post 18 so that the blade contacts the spinneret face, and then in a circular mo tion whose path is determined by the assembly, completes the circuit of the blade in contact with the face a minimum of once around the spinneret, ending with contact smoothly released andthe blade away from the spinneret face. The bushing 20, preferably a' ball bushing, permits both vertical movement toward and away from the extrusion face of the spinneret 10 and rotary movement around post 18 of the wiper. Vertical movement is necessary to permit endingthe wipe with the blade off the spinneret surface. In its rotary movement,- the blade is guided in a fixed circle matched to the spinneret hole pattern by the length of the horizontal arm The wiper may be used to wipe any spinneret that permits location of a pivot point. FIG. Sillustrates the wipe path of a blade rotated about a pivot point 34 located outside the periphery 36 of the hole pattern area of a spinneret face. In this embodimennthe center post may be mounted with a hex head bolt 13fitted to a part of the spinning machine (not shown), or by replace ment of a mounting bolt 12. supporting the spinneret periphery by the hex head bolt 13. Blade width and sweep are are selected so that the wiping .areaof the blade encompasses the hole areaof thespinneret as illustrated. Starting and finishing posi-tions of blade 30 and the outline (broken lines) of its arcuate path during awipe are shown. I I

The mechanical wiper of this invention, eliminates damage: to the orifices from scratches caused by the ends of the wiper blade.These scratches are common with hand guided wiping. The repair of orifices damaged by these scratches entails considerable labor by skilled operators. lf damage is severe, the spinnerets must .be discarded. Spinneret wiping with the mechanical wiper of this invention, prolongs spinneret operating time before a spinning pack change is necessary. In addition, improved spinning continuity and product yield are realized when the wiping means of this invention is used because more even contact pressure may be maintained and more uniform and complete wiping is achieved.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for wipe cleaning the extrusion face of a spinneret attached to a spinning pack assembly by a plurality of bolts including one center mounting bolt, said spinneret having a plurality of spinning orifices arranged around said center mounting bolt, said apparatus comprising: a post for mounting in place of said center mounting bolt; a rotatable bushing slidably mounted on said post for movement toward and away around said post.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wipe cleaning the extrusion face of a spinneret attached to a spinning pack assembly by a plurality of bolts including one center mounting bolt, said spinneret having a plurality of spinning orifices arranged around said center mounting bolt, said apparatus comprising: a post for mounting in place of said center mounting bolt; a rotatable bushing slidably mounted on said post for movement toward and away from said extrusion face and for rotating movement around said post; an arm attached to and extending outwardly from said bushing toward said orifices; and a blade attached to said arm, said blade having an edge parallel to said extrusion face, the movement of said bushing toward said extrusion face being sufficient to permit said edge to engage said extrusion face.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, the edge of said blade having sufficient width to encompass the spinneret orifice area in one revoltion of said blade around said post.