Abstract:
A hand-held pneumatic yarn splicing device has a splicing chamber into which a pair of yarn ends to be spliced together may be placed, the chamber having at least one air inlet extending into the chamber for directing air from a high pressure source external of the device into the chamber. The chamber is interchangeable with other chambers and has a pair of projections extending from the wall of the chamber to break up the twist of highly twisted and heat set yarns which are to be spliced together by the action of the high pressure air. The chamber is cylindrical and has a center axial bore and the projections extend radially from the inner wall of the chamber.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a splicer which uses air to intertwine, twist or entangle yarn ends together to form a continuous strand of yarn, and more particularly to a hand-held splicer having a splicing chamber which may accommodate and splice yarns of varying sizes and twists. 
     In order to join one yarn end to another so that a continuous length of yarn may be fed to various textile machines, such as a tufting machine that uses the yarn to form pile in a backing material in a carpet manufacturing process, the art has developed various yarn splicers. Air entanglement yarn splicers are known in the art wherein a pair of yarn ends are inserted into a chamber into which air under pressure is directed radially or tangentially to separate the end of each yarn into the various fibers and entangle the yarn ends together. All yarn, both those formed from natural fibers and those formed from man-made fibers, are formed from a multiplicity of strands of filament which are arranged in various forms by spinning, cabling or twisting. However, those that are highly twisted heat set yarns are difficult to splice since the yarn strands cannot be broken up or separated into a plurality of fibers, i.e., untangled, readily to permit entangling of the strands by the splicer. In the known prior art pneumatic yarn splicers, air alone has been inadequate to untangle quickly tightly twisted and heat set twisted yarns. 
     Examples of prior art air twisters are disclosed in Moreland U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,740 which discloses a hand-held splicer of the type under consideration. The Czelusniak, et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,825,630 and 4,833,872 discussed in Moreland and the Crouch, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,814 also discussed therein, disclose similar splicers. Other splicers of this general type includes Matsui, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,407, and Irwin U.S. Pat. No. 3,572,025. Other patents disclosing similar splicers are Lucchetta U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,646; Clayton U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,676; Waters U.S. Pat. No. 5,809,761; Irmen U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,260; and Horak, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,900. Cottenceau, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,673 discloses an unraveling or untwisting device. 
     As aforesaid, the prior art twisters have difficulties when twisting tightly twisted and heat set yarns. Since a noninsubstantial amount of yarn is of this type, the desirability of providing a pneumatic yarn twister which splices yarn of this type in addition to the various other yarns in the textile industry is desirable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Consequently, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a pneumatic yarn splicer operating by an entanglement which may readily twist all types of yarn. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a hand-held pneumatic yarn splicer that effectively splices tightly twisted and heat set yarn. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hand-held pneumatic yarn splicer having a removable splicing chamber which is interchangeable for use with yarn of different sizes, and includes at least one projection extending into the chamber to break up the twist of highly twisted and heat set yarn as the swirling of induced air rotates the yarn ends against the projection. 
     Accordingly, the present invention provides a hand-held pneumatic yarn splicing device having a splicing chamber into which a pair of yarn ends to be spliced together may be placed, the chamber having at least one air inlet extending into the chamber for directing air from a high pressure source to break up the yarn fibers and intertwine and twist the fibers together to connect the two yarn ends, the chamber being interchangeable with other chambers and having at least one projection extending into the chamber to break up the twist of highly twisted and heat set yarns so as to permit the yarn fibers to be more readily available for intertwining and twisting, thereby permitting the yarns to be readily spliced together. 
     The chamber is cylindrical and has a central axial bore and the projection extends from the inner wall of the chamber and break up the twist as the controlled swirling of induced air rotates the yarn ends against the projection. Preferably there may be two projections extending from the wall of the chamber. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The particular features and advantages of the invention as well as other objects will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hand held pneumatic yarn splicer incorporating the principles of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a replaceable cylindrical splicing chamber incorporated in the device illustrated in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the chamber illustrated in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line  4 - 4  of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 taken substantially along line  5 - 5  of FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 6 is one end view of the cylinder illustrated in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 7 is the other end view of the cylinder illustrated in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but with the cylinder rotated 45°; and 
     FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the cylinder rotated approximately 45° in the other direction from FIG.  8 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, a pneumatic yarn splicer  10  is illustrated, the splicer incorporating features comprising the principles of the present invention. As illustrated, the splicer comprises a body  12  of finite width or thickness having a configuration adapted to readily fit within the hand of an operator and having an interior air passageway  14  which may open onto a larger passageway  16  connecting with a nipple or other connector threaded into the passageway  16 . A connecting member  18  having a reduced portion  20  is connected in flow communication with a high pressure air line  22  receiving air from an air compressor (not illustrated) within the mill in which the splicer is to be used. A trigger  24  pivotally mounted at the top of the body at the front controls a valve (not illustrated) within one of the passageways  14 ,  16  so that when the trigger is depressed by squeezing, air may flow from the line  22  through and into the passageway  14 . 
     In the rear portion of the body of the splicer  10  is a transversely extending opening  26  extending from one side of the body to the other and opening at the top of the body. The opening is substantially cylindrical in configuration except where it opens at the top. 
     Removably disposed within the opening  26  is a yarn chamber  28  constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, the yarn chamber being a barrel or body of substantially cylindrical form with a first bore  30  extending therethrough from a first end  32  as illustrated in FIG.  7  and opening into a second and larger bore  34  a short distance from the end, the bore  34  continuing to the second end  36  as illustrated in FIG.  6 . Opening into both bores  30 ,  34  is a transversely extending slot  38  extending at the periphery from the first end  32  to the second end  36  and having inclined surfaces  40 ,  42  extending from the edges of the outer periphery of the yarn chamber and inwardly toward the bores  30 ,  34  a short distance into the main portion of the slot  38 . As will hereinafter be clear, the inclined surfaces act as guides for directing a pair of yarn ends into the slot and thus into the central cavity defined by the larger bore  34 . 
     The second end  36  of the yarn chamber  28  has a recess or slightly undercut step portion  44  at a location below the axis of the bores  30  and  34 , and when the chamber  28  is positioned within the body of the splicer, a cutting blade  46  is located within the recess with the cutting edge extending into the plane of the bore  34 . A bridging member  48  connected to the body  12  below the axis of the bores  30 ,  34  acts to clamp the blade in place, the bridging member being recessed slightly intermediate its ends to provide a clearance for the knife edge. A similar bridging member (not illustrated) may be clamped adjacent the first end  30  of the chamber and secured to the body  12  adjacent thereto to fasten the chamber within the body  12 . This arrangement also permits reversal of the blade to the opposite end of the body and reversal of the chamber for use by a left handed person. 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 2 through 9, the chamber  28  has a peripheral recess  50  extending about the central portion axially inwardly from the ends  32 ,  36  a small distance, the recess  50  extending a small distance from one of the inclined surfaces  40  to a small distance from the other of the inclined surfaces  42 . Extending from the surface  40  to the surface  42  adjacent to recess  50  and each end  32 ,  36  is a respective groove within which a seal  52 ,  54  is received, the seals each being in the form of a large sector of an “O” ring. Extending from the surface of the recess  50  into the bore  34  is at least one and preferably three small bores  56 ,  58 ,  60  best illustrated in FIG. 5, the spacing between adjacent bores being approximately 120° apart at the interior or wall of the bore  34 . 
     It should thus be clear that the air entering the passageway  14  flows around the recess  50  between the seals  52 ,  54 , enters the bores  56 ,  58 ,  60  and is directed into the large bore  34  where it swirls about in a turbulent spiral course. As it does this, with a pair of yarn ends in the bore  34 , the ends of the yarn will normally break up into strands permitting the yarn to be spliced together as the strands of the first yarn end are intertwined with and twisted together with the strands of the other yarn end. However, in regard to certain yarns such as those which are tightly twisted and heat set, this process is inefficient and generally has been found inadequate. 
     Accordingly, the present invention provides a means of readily permitting such tightly twisted and heat set yarns to be spliced together using the action of the pressurized air only, apparently by untangling the yarn ends of such yarns prior to the splicing of the ends. To this end the present invention provides at least one, and preferably two, projections  62  which extend from the wall  64  of the bore  34  of chamber  28 . Although one such projection aids the splicing process, two projections function very successfully. Additionally, it is not clear whether more than two projections will improve performance. The two projections  62  may be spaced apart by varying amounts, but it has been found that a spacing of approximately 120° to 135° about the wall  64  of the bore  34  is successful. Moreover, the spacial relationship between the projections  62  and the air entrance bores  56 ,  58 ,  60  does not appear critical, but in prototype apparatus each projection is spaced intermediate the adjacent pairs of bores and substantially therebetween. The length that the projections extend into the bore  34  appears to be approximately 12% to 20% of the diameter of the bore, and in a chamber having the bore  34  in the order of 0.375 inch (⅜ inch) the projections  62  extend approximately 0.0625 inch ({fraction (1/16)} inch) and thus the projections extend approximately 16.7% of the chamber in diameter. Additionally, the projections may extend radially from, i.e. perpendicular to, the wall of the bore  34  as illustrated, but this does not appear to be critical. 
     The projections  62  may be small screws threaded through the wall  64  from the peripheral recess  50 , the screws having small heads in the recess  50 . However, alternatively, the projections may be formed from small steel pins or the like pressed into bores made through the wall  64  from the recess  50 , the pins and these bores preferably being tapered. 
     Use of the yarn splicer is identical to that heretofore described. The splicer is held in one hand with the thumb placed lightly on the trigger  24 . The yarns to be spliced are held in the other hand parallel to each other and located into the entry slot  38 . The index finger closes off and seals the bore  30  and holds the two yarns, while the other hand holds the yarn against the cutting blade  46  to sever the yarn ends. The trigger  24  is then depressed for a few seconds and after release, the yarns are spliced together. 
     Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to the preferred embodiment of the invention which is for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation of the invention. All such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.