PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FILLING FIBRES

Abstract: A process for the blow filling of an article with staple filling fibres comprising the steps in sequence of deregister­ ing the filaments of at least one tow of crimped continuous fibres by passage through a threaded roll module, cutting the deregistered tow into staple fibres, and blowing the cut fibres into the article to be filled.

Description: PROCESS FOR THE MAN ACTURE OF FILLING FIBRES This invention relates to a process for the manufacture of a filling material for articles such as quilts, pillows, and clothing. In recent years, considerable development has been made in the use of man-made fibres as a replacement for natural material, such as feathers and down, as filling material for quilts, pillows, and clothing, and other similar articles. One way in which man-made fibres are used for this purpose is to take the crimped, staple fibres Which are sold by the fibre manufacturers in the form of a compressed bale, and to blow the fibres by means of a stream of compressed air into the article to be filled. For this method to work satisfactorily, it is necessary for the staple fibres on removal fram the bale to be opened by a mechanical means, such as by passing the fibres through a carding machine. Carding machines are rather complex and expensive, and for satisfactory operation require to be run continuously rather than intermittently. We have now found that it is possible to produce staple fibres for blow filling articles by a cheaper and more convenient route using a "threaded roll module". According to the present invention there is provided a process for the blow filling of an article with staple filling fibres, the process comprisinç the steps in sequence of de-registering the filaments of at least one tow of crimped continuous fibres by passage through a threaded roll module, as hereinafter defined, cutting the deregistered tow into staple fibres, and blowing the cut fibres into the article to be filled. By the term "threaded roll module" is meant a machine comprising at least one pair of rolls, the surface of at least one of which is made up of grooves and ridges, the grooves encircling the roll in the form of one or more helices or a large number of parallel and endless grooves, so that when a tow of filaments is passed between a pair of rolls the filaments are only gripped between the rolls at the ridges and little or no grip is applied to the remaining filaments. As the rolls rotate, different filaments are gripped and released, and are caused to undergo lateral movement relative to other filaments. Preferably, a threaded roll module comprises successive pairs of rolls, the periferal speed of a pair of rolls being greater than that of the preceding pair of rolls, but insufficiently fast to put the tow under substantial tension, so that the crime in the filaments is noticeable even between roll pairs while the tow is deflected out of its normal running path with ease. The threaded roll module is described in considerable detail in British Patent Specification No 1 001 813. Tow of crimped fibres suitable for use in the process of the present invention is that supplied by fibre manufacturers specifically for processing through a threaded roll module for the manufacture of filling material cceprising continuous filaments. The deregistered tow of continuous filaments may be cut into staple fibre by passage through any convenient c-ltter, such as that made by Lunmus Industries Inc. The cut fibre may be blown into an article to be filled by any conventional equipmeslt. Advantageously, the three steps of the process of the present invention are operated without a break in which case the threaded roll module, cutter, and blower for the cut fibre are operated sequentially in-line, and consequently by a single operative. In this way, the equipment may be operated intermittently, providing cut staple filling fibres as and When required tar blow filling an article. Alternatively one or two steps of the process may be operated at a different time or even a different location ;°rom the others if necessary. For instance the tow of continuous fibres may be deregistered by passage through a threaded roll module and cut into staple fibres at one location, and transferred to another location Where the cut fibre is blown into an article to be filled. Further advantages of the process of the prevent invention over the conventional process are superior opening of the fibre, higher throughput, and the cavrlbility of satisfactorily processing blends of fibres of different decitex, different cross-section, different crimp levels or formed fron different polymers. The preset invention is further illustrated by the following exawle. EXA!APL 1 A tow of 33 K tex hollow poly(ethylene terephthalate) filaments each of 4.4 decitex was opened by passage through a threaded roll module comprising two pairs of rolls, generally as described in British Patent No 1 001 813. The fibres were then cut into lengths of 26 mn by a conventional staple cutter made by Luinnus Industries Inc, and then blown into a quilt using conventional equipment designed for the blow filling of feathers and down.

Claims: CTNIhIS 1. A process for the blow filling of an article with staple filling fibres comprising the steps in sequence of deregistering the filaments of at least one tow of crimped continuous fibres by passage through a threaded roll module, as herein before defined, cutting the deregistered tow into staple fibres, and blowing the cut fibres into the article to be filled. 2. A process according to claim 1 wherein there is a break between one or nore of the steps.

Inventors: DAVIDSON, ALISTAIR J.
Applicants: IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES PLC
Application year: 1983
Main classification: D01G1
IPC codes: D01G1, B68G7, B68G1, B68G3