Patent GB-742664-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for the wet spinning of artificial filaments
IPC: D01D5/06
Filed: 1953-03-04
Abstract: An apparatus for the wet-spinning of artificial filaments comprises a housing, a substantially horizontal tube having an open end positioned within the housing and an aperture outside the housing for the passage of a strand <PICT:0742664/IV(a)/1> <PICT:0742664/IV(a)/2> <PICT:0742664/IV(a)/3> <PICT:0742664/IV(a)/4> <PICT:0742664/IV(a)/5> <PICT:0742664/IV(a)/6> from the tube, the housing having an opening spaced from the open end, a spinneret, means for supporting the spinneret, the supporting means being movable along a predetermined path to carry the spinneret into and out of the opening, a closure for the opening fixedly associated with the supporting means and spaced therealong from the spinneret to position the spinneret adjacent to, and facing into, the open end of the tube when the closure is seated over the opening, duct means associated with the supporting means and extending through the closure for supplying a filamentforming liquid to the spinneret, and means for supplying a coagulating liquid to the interior of the housing. As shown in Fig. 1, a spinning unit 8 comprises a housing 9 for supporting a spinneret 11 and a rounder 12, and a tube 14 extending through and secured within a wall or projection of the housing.  The tube 14 is coaxial with the spinneret 11 when the latter is in the normal operating position.  The interior of the housing 9 communicates by means of a duct 16 with a large header 17 which extends along the bottom of the elongated tank 5. Mounted within the housing 9 above the junction of the duct 16 and the housing are a pair of orifice members 18, 19 apertured to obtain evenness in the flow of liquid upwardly through the housing towards the spinneret 11 and to prevent substantial reduction of pressure in the header 17 when the housing 8 is opened by raising the arm 10.  A baffle member 21 held in the desired position by means of a split ring spring portion 22 has an inclined baffle portion 23 to direct the liquid passing upwardly within the housing away from the spinneret towards the inlet to the vertical tube 61, through which any bubbles of air or other gas may escape and thus not enter the yarn delivery tube 14.  The housing 9 comprises an elongated vertical chamber 24 and a horizontal chamber 25 provided with a sleeve 26 having a central passageway 27 which is tapered at the end nearest the spinneret and carries the tube 14 which is held in place by the exteriorly threaded ferrule 29 in such a manner that the tube 14 can be quickly replaced within the portion 25 of the housing.  The horizontal extension 25 of the housing has extending from its upper surface a pair of projections 34, 35 (Figs. 1 and 3) which, with a hollow shaft 36, constitute parts of the pivot joint for supporting the arm 10.  The latter comprises an arched portion 49 extending between the pivot axis of the arm and a closure portion 50 thereof, and an extension 51 of the arm which projects into the housing 9 when the arm is in the spinning position.  The closure 50 has a tapered annular section which seats within the upper circular edge of the housing and is grooved to accommodate a sealing ring 52. The arm 10 has a duct 48 which extends therethrough from a lateral surface of the portion 49 through a threaded projection 54 of the arm and then into communication with the spinneret 11.  The rounder 12 is connected in communication with the other terminus of the passageway 48 by a coupling 57. The arm 10 and the rounder 11 may be swung into the position shown in dotted outline.  The strand 65 discharged from the spinning tube en route to the godets 71, 72, passes over the liquid stripping device 66 comprising a series of parallel blades 67 having upper rounded edges which engage the strand.  The length of the rounder 12 is such that with the bath in the tank 5 at about 60 DEG  C. the viscose is heated to about 50 DEG  C.  When the arm 10 and rounder 12 are swung into the inoperative position, any viscose extruded from the spinneret discharges into a receptacle 70 which fits loosely within a pocket formed above a horizontal section 25 of the housing 9.  In Fig. 3, which is a cross-section taken along the pivot axis of the arm 10, an assembly is illustrated which turns with the arm 10 and comprises a tube 80 forming part of the duct system conducting viscose from the supply tube 44 to the rounder 12 and a fixture 76 having a rounded end-surface 78 which, together with the recessed non-rotatable element 87 and the spring-loaded pressure pin 81, constitutes a thrust bearing or gland.  Also turning with the arm is the generally tubular member 36 having a bearing surface 81 extending through a bush 82 of the housing projection 34, a section 83 of hexagon cross-section which fits a complementary passageway extending through the pivotable end-portion of the arm 10, and a bearing 84 extending through a bush 85 of the housing projection 35. The member 36 has a generally cylindrical housing portion 86 hollowed out to accommodate the pivotable connection of the fixture 76 with the nonrotatable element 87 secured to the end of the duct 44.  The cap portion 92 of the member 36 has a hexagon surface 92b to which a socket wrench may be attached to swing the arm 10 and its fitting into or out of spinning position.  The member 36 is prevented from moving in an axial direction with respect to the housing projections 34, 35 by means of a shoulder surface 94, an end surface 95 and a nut 96, and leakage of acid solution through the tank wall 6 is prevented by means of resilient washers 99, 102.  The arm 10 is held in any desired position by means of a brake mechanism comprising a drum surface 105 on the tubular member 36 (Figs. 3 and 4) and a pair of brake shoes 106, 107 urged towards each other in engagement with the surface 105 by compression springs 109-112 supported on a pair of tap bolts 114, 115 which extend slidably through the shoe 107 and into threaded relationship with the shoe 106.  The shoes 106, 107 are held from turning with the engaged surface 105 by a T-shaped member 117 and a stop assembly 118 comprising a bifurcate bracket 119 attached to the spinning machine by a bolt 120 and provided with set-screws 121, 122 extending into slidable contact with the shank portion of the T-member 117.  The bolts 114, 115 extend slidably through apertures in the cross-arm of the T-member 117.  As shown in Fig. 7 the upper portion of the housing 9a is provided with a shoulder 125 and an annular rotatable liquid retainer 126 having an upturned flange which is slotted at 127.  When the closure 50a is removed from its seat at the top of the housing, liquid fed into the housing is discharged through the slot 127.  The tube 14a is supported concentrically within a piston 129 which may move within a complementary cylindrical surface 130 of the horizontal portion 25a of the housing 8a.  The outer surface of the piston has a circular groove 131 in which is held a sealing ring 132.  The piston and the tube 14a are traversed length-wise of the surface 130 by operation of a gear train comprising circular teeth 134 extending entirely around the piston, teeth 136 formed on the hub 137 of the arm 10a, and a gear-wheel 138 which meshes with teeth 134, 136.  This arrangement prevents the spinneret 11a and/or the coupling 55a from fouling the flared end of the tube 14a as the spinneret is being swung out of the operating position, even when the tube 14a in the operating position overlaps the spinneret. Thus the raising of the arm 10a to withdraw the spinneret from the housing 9a rotates the gear wheel 138 and causes the piston 129 carrying the tube 14a to move to the right. Inserted within, and supported by, the surface 130 beyond the range of travel of the piston 139 is a baffle member 140 of generally cylindrical contour which deflects the coagulating liquid entering the bottom of the housing to the upper part of the housing before it enters the region surrounding the spinneret.  Any air or other gas carried by the liquid is thus prevented from contacting the extruded filaments and may be discharged from the top of the housing through a small groove 145 or through an elbow 146 and a collar 147 which has a seat for a non-spherical ball 148 which does not fit the seat precisely.  A pressure reading of the coagulant passing through the housing may be obtained by inserting into the bore of the collar 147 the lower end of a glass gauge tube 151 carrying a resilient plug 152 until the dished undersurface 153 of this plug engages the upper surface of the collar 147.  The slotted lower end 154 of the tube 151 then forces the ball 148 away from its seat in the collar 147 and enables the coagulating liquid from the housing 9a to rise within the tube 151 to a height indicating the pressure in the housing.  A similar device for measuring this pressure, has in place of the ball 148 a hollow drum-shaped float slidably located within a chamber so that it can rise and fall within a limited range of movement and is normally seated against an annular flange surrounding a vertical passage at the top of the chamber.  The insertion of the lower end of a gauge tube into this passage in the manner described for the gauge tube 151 forces the float off its seating and enables the coagulant to rise freely in the gauge tube.  The embodiment shown in Figs. 9 and 10 comprises a primary support member 160 having a pair of parallel bosses 161, 162 between which an arm 163 is pivotably held by a setscrew 164 extending in threaded relationship through the projection 162 and a hollow boss 165.  The member 160 also has a cylindrical chamber 166 surrounding the flared-end portion 167 of a tube 169 and a spinneret 170 when the latter is positioned for operation.  The clearance between the tapered tube portion 167 and the spinneret 170 may be adjusted by rotating the threaded ferrule 174 secured to the tube 169.  When the spinneret