Patent GB-658416-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in method of and apparatus for manufacture of synthetic filaments
IPC: D01D10/04
Filed: 1948-03-22
Abstract: <PICT:0658416/IV (a)/1> <PICT:0658416/IV (a)/2> <PICT:0658416/IV (a)/3> <PICT:0658416/IV (a)/4> <PICT:0658416/IV (a)/5> <PICT:0658416/IV (a)/6> A storing and advancing device for synthetic filaments includes a plurality of rolls rotatable about their individual longitudinal axes and disposed about a central axis common to said rolls, the rolls having bearings in a pair of spaced supports rotatable relative to each other about an axis common to said supports to skew the longitudinal axes of the rolls relative to said central axis.  As shown, rotatable rolls 7 ... 14 are disposed in the form of a circle about a fixed roll 15, the ends of the rolls being mounted in anti-friction bearings provided in end-plates 16 and 18. Plate 16 is mounted on the machine support 1, which carries gear trains for the rotation of the individual rolls.  Plate 18 is rotatable about the central roll 15, and abuts an outer end-plate 19 secured to roll 15.  The axes of the rotatable rolls may be skewed to cause a filament 5 to advance from one end to the other. To effect this a member is journalled in the outer plate 19 and has an eccentric 21 received in a radial slot formed in the rotatable plate 18.  The member is provided with a handle 22. When the handle is in the solid line position (Fig. 2) the axes of the rolls are parallel to that of the fixed roll 15, and when in the chain line position they are skewed.  Stops 25 are provided to prevent the filament entering between the ends of the rolls.  If desired, an elongated spacing element such as a comb 27 may be placed adjacent one of the rolls and rotated into a position in which the teeth guide the helices of the filament by a handle 28. For treating the filament on the rolls a pipe 29 is provided to supply water to the zones 30-32, and other pipes 33-36 are provided for supplying different solutions to zones 37-40.  The filament is dried before leaving the device by warm air from pipe 41.  During its passage over the rolls, the filament may be subjected to high-frequency electrostatic heating over the entire length or a limited zone of the rolls.  An electrode 43 is disposed outside the thread-advancing device enclosing as much of it as is desired, and another electrode 44 formed with radially extending T-shaped extensions is disposed round the fixed roll 15. The rolls 7-15 should preferably be made of a material of low dielectric loss characteristic such as methyl methacrylate.  The filament in the drying zone should not be subjected to high-frequency heating, to avoid overheating.  The washing liquid and solutions applied to the filament may be removed from the rolls by suction. The rolls 7-14 are provided with central bores into each of which fits a non-rotatable tube 47 formed with a central slot 48.  The rolls are provided with spaced holes 49 extending radially to the central bore.  These holes may be at the limits of the various treating zones, or may be spirally arranged round the roll as at 54. The outer ends of the tubes 47 lead to a manifold 50 connected by a pipe 52 to a suction pump 53.  If it is desired to segregate the various liquids so that they can be re-claimed for further use, rolls 55-59 (Figs. 10 and 11) are used.  Roll 55 is provided with groups of holes 60-62 registering with the zones 30-32 to which wash water is supplied.  Rolls 56-59 (which are shown fragmentarily in Fig. 11) each have groups of holes 63-66 registering with the zones 37-40 to which different chemicals are applied.  All the rolls of type 55 communicate with the same pump, whereas each of 56-59 has its own separate pipe and pump.  Fig. 14 shows another way of removing the liquids and wash water.  The central roll 15 is formed as a hollow shell 74 internally divided by partitions 75 into compartments 76-82 corresponding with treating zones 30-32 and 37-40.  The filament-supporting rolls have no radial holes or central bores. The shell 74 is formed with ridges 91 which have their outer surface located close to the surface of the rolls.  Some ridges (particularly that near the roll on which liquids are applied) are provided with slots 92, the other ridges with spaced pairs of holes 93 at the limits of the various zones.  Compartments 76, 78 and 82 which correspond to the washing zones 30-32 are connected by a pipe 94 to a single source of suction, and the remaining compartments, which correspond to the chemical treating zones 37-40, are connected by pipes 95-98 to separate sources of suction.