Abstract:
This invention relates to a silver compression method and device. By using the compression method of this invention, the loaded sliver is reduced without requiring the use of spindles and thus allow for easier handling in the next process.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to the art of sliver compression methods and devices. It allows sliver to be freely loaded onto a plate without having restrictions around the entire circumference of the sliver that is loaded onto the plate where the sliver will then be compressed. This invention relates to the compression method of sliver and how it is loaded on the plate-like sliver tray without restrictions on the entire circumference of the loaded sliver. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The common industrial method currently in use is to take sliver spun out of the drawing frame and to place it on a tube-like spindle with a bottom. This patent applicant has previously applied for patents by developing the accommodation method which allows for accommodating the spun out sliver onto a plate-like sliver tray instead of using spindles (Japanese Patent Application 11-54930 and Japanese Patent Application 11-99550). When using the conventional spindle method, the accommodated sliver will be compressed to reduce the entire volume because the external circumference of accommodated sliver is in contact with the internal circumference of the spindle with a designated pressure. 
     The previously applied for patent methods occurred without using a spindle and created a non-restricting condition on the entire external circumference. The previously applied for new methods did not help prevent the sliver (which consists of fibers) from reversing back to their original shape as shown in FIG.  8  and FIG.  9 . The loaded sliver S 1  which was spun out onto the square plate-like tray T 1  in FIG. 8 was accumulated in a truncated quadrangular shape, and the sliver S 2  in FIG. 9 was then accumulated into the shape of a truncated cone. As a result, S 1  and S 2 , each then accumulated on T 1  and T 2 , both had a low density and a high volume and without adequate control both were unstable. These factors can cause various troubles including the possibility of collapse while transporting the loaded sliver to the next process. In addition, the previous methods required a large storage space in which to store the spindles. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention presents a new method and device of compressing loaded sliver onto a plate-like sliver tray after being accommodated by the non-spindle method to reduce the volume for easier handling in preparation for the next process. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of the sliver compression device. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-section of a loaded sliver on a sliver tray resting on a compression panel. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates loaded sliver S 1  being transferred into compression box B. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates loaded sliver S 1  having been transferred into compression box B. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates chamber  14  inside compression box B being vacuumed. 
     FIG. 6 illustrates the loaded sliver in compression box B being compressed while the steam is also being blown onto it. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates loaded sliver S 1  being compressed, formed, and carried out of the chamber. 
     FIG. 8 is an oblique drawing of the loaded sliver S 1 . 
     FIG. 9 is an oblique drawing of the loaded sliver S 1 . 
    
    
     Explanations of symbols used in the figures of drawing: 
     B: Compression box 
     S 1 , S 2 : Loaded sliver 
     T 1 , T 2 : Sliver tray 
     7: Bottom plate of the compression box 
     8: Compression panel 
     12: Exhaust pipe 
     13: Vacuum pump 
     14: Chamber of compression box 
     17: Steam holes (sliver tray) 
     18: Steam holes (bottom panel of compression box) 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     This sliver compression method has a special characteristic of having two types of processes. One process is the compressing process which occurs by pressing the loaded sliver from above while vacuuming the air out of the compression box in which the loaded sliver is accommodated, and the second process is the steaming process which is accomplished by blowing the steam onto the loaded sliver after the sliver has been compressed. 
     The sliver compression device compresses the sliver loaded freely without restrictions on the plate-like sliver tray. This device consists of a compression box to store the above mentioned loaded sliver, a pressing mechanism to compress the loaded sliver from above, and a steam blower to blow steam onto the loaded sliver while retaining the loaded sliver&#39;s stable and compressed condition. 
     This device is equipped with steam holes on the sliver tray and has a special characteristic that allows steam to be blown onto the loaded sliver from the bottom panel through the aforementioned steam holes. 
     This invention has the following characteristic(s): Compressing loaded sliver accommodated (in a non-restricted condition) on the entire external circumference to solve the above mentioned problem. It has two processes; the compression process from above occurs while at the same time vacuuming the compression box in which the sliver is accommodated, and second the steaming process which blows steam onto the loaded sliver while retaining the compression. 
     When vacuuming the compression box in which the loaded sliver is accommodated, the air in the fiber of the loaded sliver and the air inside the chamber of the compression box will be extracted. By this process, extracting the air inside the loaded sliver, the sliver&#39;s overall volume will be reduced. While this vacuuming of air occurs, the inside of the compression box remains close to airtight, and the loaded sliver will be compressed from above to reduce its volume. Then steam will be blown onto the loaded sliver. 
     Once the loaded sliver is compressed and shaped to reduce the volume inside the airtight box, then high temperature steam will be blown onto the loaded sliver. The steam will reach every fiber of the sliver and the moisture will penetrate the fibers enabling the fibers to retain the shape of the compressed sliver. This process will provide both the necessary moisture needed for the next process and also maintain a high density in the sliver. 
     The following is a detailed description of the invention by showing the attached examples. First, the structure of sliver compression device of this invention, and then each individual process of compressing sliver S 1  on the sliver tray T 2  using this device will be explained. FIG. 1 is a front view of the sliver compression device. Compression box B in FIG. 1 is airtight and has both an entrance  3  (see FIG. 3) and an exit  4  (see FIG. 7) with side panels designated as side panel  1  and side panel  2 . There are two doors which move upward and downward, they are designated as door  5  and door  6 , and these doors are located outside of each side panel. A bottom panel  7  is installed at the bottom of the box B for the loaded sliver S 1  to be transferred onto. 
     A compressing board  8  is installed to both lift and/or lower the inside of the box B so that the loaded sliver S 1 , which was transferred to the bottom panel  7  as mentioned above, will be compressed from upward by the action of the cylinder  9 . An exhaust air pipe  12  is connected to the top panel  11  of the box B to let the air inside of box B out and an exhaust air pipe  12  is connected to the vacuum pump  13 . Between the exhaust air pipe  12  and the chamber  14  inside of the box B, a shutter  16  is installed to maintain the vacuum condition inside the chamber  14 . 
     Also, as shown in FIG. 2, a square plate-like sliver tray T 1  is below and located beneath the entire sliver area except for its outer edges, and steam holes  17 . The bottom panel  7  of the box B, where the sliver tray T 1  will be loaded, also has a number of steam holes  18  from the top to the bottom. The steam  21  coming out of steam source  19  will go through a steam pipe  22  and will be supplied to the steam holes  18 . Number  23  in FIG. 1 shows an opening/closing valve on the steam pipe  22 . 
     A conveyor  24  brings in the sliver and another conveyor  25  carries out the sliver and these conveyers are installed at both the entrance and the exit of the compression box B. Both conveyors  24  and  25  are roller conveyors and the height of the rollers is approximately the same height as the bottom panel  7  of the compression box B so that the loaded sliver S 1  can be easily brought into and carried out of the aforementioned compression box B. 
     Each process of how the loaded sliver S 1  is compressed by the above mentioned device A can be explained as follows. As shown in FIG. 3, while the door  5  is raised to keep the entrance  3  to the chamber  14  open, the loaded sliver S 1  will be transferred to the chamber  14  from the conveyor  24 . After this transfer is complete, the door  5  will be lowered to close the entrance  3 .(See FIG. 4.) 
     Next, the shutter  16 , which closes the exhaust pipe  15 , will be opened so that the chamber  14  in the compression box B will have a clear path to let the air out by means of the operation of the vacuum pump  13 . At the same time, the cylinder  9  will lower the compressor board  8  gradually to compress the loaded sliver S 1  from above. (See FIG. 5.) During this procedure, because part of the air held inside the loaded sliver S 1  will be released into the chamber  14  and because the air inside of the chamber  14  in box B will be vacuumed, the chamber  14  will become close to a vacuum condition. 
     After the above mentioned procedures have occurred, the shutter  16  above the compression box B will close the exhaust pipe  15  and maintain the chamber  14  at close-to-vacuum condition (See FIG.  6 .). By maintaining the chamber  14  at close to vacuum condition, and by opening the opening/closing valve  23  for the steamer (steam source)  19 , and allowing the steam from the steamer  19  to go through the steam pipe  22  to reach the steam holes  18  on the bottom panel  7  of the compression box B, steam will then go through the steam holes  17  on the sliver tray T 1  and will be blown inside the compression box onto the loaded sliver S 1 . (See FIG. 6.) 
     Each fiber of the accumulated sliver SI, which is compressed to keep the volume down in the close-to-vacuum condition inside the compression box B, will be thoroughly exposed directly to high temperature steam. The steam moisture will penetrate through the sliver fiber and the compulsory form made by the aforementioned compression will retain its shape by steam heat setting effect. The steam will be used to set and compress the sliver into a fixed stable form. This is the same mechanism by which the steam will further stabilize the strand(s) of yam. The effect of this steam stabilization is the same effect as if ironing the fabric flat. Due to close-to-vacuum condition inside of the chamber  14  the steam blown into the chamber from the bottom of the loaded sliver S 1  will penetrate the sliver S 1 , and forcibly shape the entire loaded sliver S 1  into a smaller compressed shape. 
     Raise the compression board  8  and raise the shutter  6  on the exit side of compression box B at the same time to let the formed and compressed loaded sliver S 1  out of chamber  14  and onto the conveyor  25 . (See FIG. 7.) By repeating each process mentioned above, the loaded sliver on the sliver tray sitting freely without restrictions on its entire circumference will be continuously compressed and formed. Also, the loaded sliver in the conical truncated shape on the sliver tray T 2  will be compressed and formed in the same manner. 
     This invention allows sliver, loaded and sitting freely without restrictions around it on the sliver tray, to be compressed in the vacuum compression box, and then to be shaped by blowing steam inside onto the sliver to achieve a steam setting on the fibers (which the sliver consists of). A low density sliver pile that contains high amounts of air will be reduced by vacuuming and will be turned into a high density sliver pile and the part of the moisture included in the steam will penetrate through the entire high density sliver pile. 
     This will result in the loaded sliver not only eliminating a risk of collapsing during the transportation to the next process, but also preventing various other problems from occurring. It should reduce the required space needed to store the loaded sliver. It would also supply a part of the moisture in the sliver fiber required for the next process. 
     Here is an example. There is a 3-storied factory with the spinning room on the 1 st  floor and the sliver rooms on 2 nd  and 3 rd  floors. The sliver in the upper floored sliver room is supplied through the resin tube to the spinning machine installed in the spinning room on the 1 st  floor. This system does not require roving and has an advantage of having a capability of air conditioning each room separately. In the past the sliver usually requires a designated time to be humidified in the humidifying silver room, A manufacturer by employing this invention can reduce the processing time required because the moisture in the steam will be supplied to the sliver during the process when the steam is being blown onto the sliver. 
     The invention as disclosed herein is subject to various modifications and variations as will be seen by those of ordinary skill in the art. The invention is therefore not limited solely to the method and apparatus specifically described, but is intended to have the scope as set forth in the following claims.