Texturing device

Abstract

A device for texturing a thread-like plastic material in order to form a crimped textile yarn, comprising a texturing unit having at least two texturing channels for forming respective yarn plugs, wherein the texturing channels extend in the texturing unit along respective axes which converge in the direction of the discharge openings. The device preferably also comprises a discharge channel in order to guide the yarn plugs from the texturing channels to a moving conveying surface in a converging manner.

Claims

1. Device for texturing filaments of plastic material in order to form a crimped textile yarn, comprising a texturing unit having at least two texturing channels extending along respective axes which converge in the direction of discharge openings, each of the texturing channels being configured to displace a filament of plastic material in the respective texturing channel to a corresponding one of the discharge openings and to transform the filament of plastic material into a yarn plug in the respective texturing channel.

2. Device for texturing filaments of plastic material according to claim 1, characterized in that the texturing unit comprises at least three texturing channels.

3. Device for texturing filaments of plastic material according to claim 1, characterized in that each texturing channel is of the same length as each other texturing channel.

4. Device for texturing filaments of plastic material according to claim 1, characterized in that the device comprises a movable conveying surface and is configured to place the yarn plugs leaving the texturing channels onto the moving conveying surface, and that the device comprises a discharge channel which is provided to lead the yarn plugs from the texturing channels towards the conveying surface in a converging manner.

5. Device for texturing filaments of plastic material according to claim 4, characterized in that the conveying surface comprises openings and that the device comprises means for creating a stream of air through these openings.

6. Device for texturing filaments of plastic material according to claim 4, characterized in that the device comprises a rotatable cooling drum, and that the conveying surface is a cylindrical lateral surface of the cooling drum.

7. Device for texturing filaments of plastic material according to claim 6, characterized in that the cylindrical lateral surface comprises a smooth and uninterrupted surface so that the converging yarn plugs can be placed on the lateral surface so that they rest against each other and are not separated from each other.

8. Device for texturing filaments of plastic material according to claim 6, characterized in that the device is configured to lead the converging yarn plugs away from the cylindrical lateral surface after the converging yarn plugs have completed at least one entire revolution on the lateral surface.

9. Device for texturing filaments of plastic material according to claim 8, characterized in that the device comprises a guide to place the converging parts of yarn plugs of successive revolutions next to each other on the lateral surface.

10. Device for texturing filaments of plastic material according to claim 4, characterized in that the discharge channel comprises an end section which comprises a guiding surface, the guiding surface being situated above the conveying surface and laterally delimited by at least one channel wall which protrudes above the guiding surface.

11. Device for texturing filaments of plastic material according to claim 9, characterized in that a channel wall of the discharge channel has a side which faces the lateral surface and is provided to guide, at the start of a second revolution, the converging yarn plugs onto the lateral surface next to the parts of the converging yarn plugs which are performing a first revolution.

12. Device for texturing filaments of plastic material according to claim 9, characterized in that the guide comprises a guide element which is situated above the lateral surface, in that the guide element comprises a guide wall which extends obliquely from a location in the vicinity of one side edge of the lateral surface in the direction of another side edge in order to guide, at the start of a second revolution, the converging yarn plugs onto the lateral surface next to the parts of the converging yarn plugs which are performing a first revolution.

13. Device for texturing filaments of plastic material according to claim 1, characterized in that the texturing channels extend along axes between which an angle () is formed of at least 1.

14. Device for texturing filaments of plastic material according to claim 8, characterized in that the device is configured to lead the converging yarn plugs away from the cylindrical lateral surface after the converging yarn plugs have completed at least 1.3 revolutions on the lateral surface.

15. Device for texturing filaments of plastic material according to claim 1, characterized in that the texturing channels extend along axes between which an angle () is formed of at least 4.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In order to further explain the features of the invention a detailed description of a possible embodiment of a texturing device according to the present invention is given below. It will be clear that this is only an example of the many embodiments which are possible within the scope of the invention and that this description can by no means be seen as a limitation of the scope of protection. Reference numerals are used in this detailed description to the attached figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of a part of a texturing device according to the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an enlarged diagrammatic representation of the texturing unit and a part of the adjoining discharge unit from FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the discharge unit, the guide element and a part of the cooling drum on which three converging yarn plugs perform more than one revolution;

(5) FIG. 4 shows another perspective view of the discharge unit, the guide element and the cooling drum with yarn plugs from FIG. 3, with a covering part of the discharge unit removed;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the discharge unit without the covering part and the guide element, together with a part of the lateral surface of a differently designed cooling drum located underneath, in which the yarn plugs are not shown; and

(7) FIG. 6 shows a top view of the parts of the texturing device illustrated in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(8) The texturing device illustrated in the figures comprises a texturing unit (100) comprising three rectilinear texturing channels (1),(2),(3) with respective longitudinal axes (a),(b),(c) which converge in a fictitious convergence point (P). The angle () between the axis (b) of the central texturing channel (2) and each of the axes (a),(c) of the left-hand (1) and right-hand texturing channel (3) is approximately 4 (see FIG. 2).

(9) The texturing channels (1),(2),(3) are formed inside the texturing unit (100), with the texturing unit (100) consisting of two identical parts (100a),(100b) which each comprise a surface in which three converging semi-cylindrical open channels are formed. For the sake of simplicity, these half-channels are denoted by the same reference numerals (1),(2),(3) as the fully closed texturing channels. By placing these two parts (100a),(100b) against each other by said surfaces in a fitted manner, a unit (100) is produced in which three closed cylindrical texturing channels (1),(2),(3) are formed. These texturing channels (1),(2),(3) may also have a non-round cross section, such as for example a square cross section.

(10) FIGS. 1 and 2 show only one of these two parts of the texturing unit so that the surface with the semi-cylindrical open channels (1),(2),(3) is visible.

(11) At one end, each texturing channel (1),(2),(3) comprises an inlet opening (1a),(2a),(3a) via which the respective multifilament yarns (21),(22),(23) are introduced into the texturing channels (1),(2),(3). These yarns (21),(22),(23) come from a heated feed roller (102). At the other end, each texturing duct (1),(2),(3) also comprises a discharge opening (1b),(2b),(3b). In the vicinity of the inlet opening (1a),(2a),(3a), each channel (1),(2),(3) comprises a respective air intake (1c),(2c),(3c) consisting of two inlet channels which are connected at opposite sides of the texturing channel (1),(2),(3) in a V shape and are provided to blow hot air at high speed into the texturing channel. This stream of air takes the yarn to the temperature which is required to be able to deform the plastic material and carries the yarn further in the texturing channels (1),(2),(3).

(12) In a first typical application, the yarn to be produced is a polyamide-6 yarn, with a yarn titre of 1200 dtex, of 68 filaments. The speed of the yarn at the inlet channel may be 3500 meters per minute. The speed of the yarn plug is then typically approximately 50 meters per minute. Associated values for the compressed air pressure at the inlet of the inlet channels are then approximately 7.2 bar and for the temperature approximately 175 C.

(13) In a second application, the yarn to be produced is a polypropylene yarn, with a yarn titre of 1100 dtex, of 144 filaments. The speed of the yarn at the inlet channel may be 3800 meters per minute. The speed of the yarn plug is then typically approximately 55 meters per minute. Associated values for the compressed air pressure at the inlet of the inlet channels are then approximately 8.3 bar and for the temperature approximately 153 C.

(14) In a third application, the yarn to be produced is a polypropylene yarn, with a yarn titre of 3000 dtex, of 144 filaments. The speed of the yarn at the inlet channel may be 2440 meters per minute. The speed of the yarn plug is then typically approximately 77 meters per minute. Associated values for the pressurized air pressure at the inlet of the inlet channels are then approximately 8 bar and for the temperature approximately 153 C.

(15) Further downstream, each texturing duct (1),(2),(3) has a widened section resulting in a kind of chamber (1d),(2d),(3d) being formed which is generally referred to by the English term stuffer box. The walls of these chambers (1d),(2d),(3d) are provided with discharge openings (1e),(2e),(3e) via which some of the hot air which has been introduced can escape. As a result thereof, a sudden drop in air pressure occurs in these chambers, resulting in the air speed and the speed of the multifilament yarn which is carried along by the former suddenly decreasing and the yarn being compressed to form a yarn plug (11),(12),(13), as a result of which the filaments are subjected to deformations. These deformations cause an increase in volume which will ultimately produce a crimped textile yarn.

(16) On the supply side, there is a relatively large intermediate distance (T.sub.1) between the axes (a),(b),(c) of the converging texturing channels (see FIG. 2), because there has to be sufficient space between every two adjacent texturing channels for the inlet channels of their respective air inlets (1c),(2c),(3c). On the discharge side, the intermediate distance (T.sub.2) between the axes (a),(b),(c) is much smaller. The ratio (T.sub.2/T.sub.1) between this intermediate distance (T.sub.2) on the discharge side and this intermediate distance (T.sub.1) on the supply side is approximately 0.5.

(17) The length of the texturing channels between the inlet channels of the air inlets (1c),(2c),(3c) and the discharge openings (1b),(2b),(3b) is identical for the various texturing channels (1),(2),(3). The channel length between these air inlets and the abovementioned discharge openings (1e),(2e),(3e) is also identical in the various texturing channels (1),(2),(3).

(18) The textured yarns leave the texturing channels (1),(2),(3) as yarn plugs (11),(12),(13) via the discharge openings (1b),(2b),(3b). The yarn plugs are only illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

(19) A discharge unit (101) provided with three converging discharge channels (4),(5),(6) is attached to the underside of the texturing unit (100). Each discharge channel is connected to a respective texturing channel (1),(2),(3) and extends in line with it along the same axes (a),(b),(c). In an end section of the discharge unit (101), the three discharge channels (4),(5),(6) end in one common discharge channel (7).

(20) The discharge unit (101) consists of a section (101a) comprising a surface on which the partition walls between the discharge channels (4),(5),(6) are formed, thus forming converging open channels with a substantially U-shaped profile thereon, and a section (101b) having a flat surface. By joining both parts (101a),(101b) together, in which case the surface comprising the open channels of the one part (101a) and the flat surface of the other part (101b) are joined together, the channels are closed and a unit (101) comprising internal closed discharge channels (4),(5),(6) is produced. FIGS. 1 and 2 only show the part (101a) comprising the open channels (4),(5),(6). FIGS. 4 and 5 only show the part (101b) with the flat surface. For the sake of simplicity, the open channels on the one part (101a) are denoted by the same reference numerals as the closed texturing channels (4),(5),(6) in FIGS. 1 and 2. These discharge channels are, for example, designed to have a square or rectangular cross section, but obviously other shapes are also possible.

(21) The common discharge channel (7) comprises a curved guiding surface (70) which extends in a substantially vertical direction at the top and curves further down so as to form an end section at the bottom which extends in a direction which more or less corresponds to the direction in which the lateral surface (50), situated underneath, of the cooling drum (5) runs, as can best be seen in FIG. 5. This direction is also the direction (V) in which the lateral surface (50) of the rotating cooling drum (5) is displaced.

(22) The bottom end section of this guiding surface (70) is delimited on both sides by upright channel walls (71),(72) which protrude above the guiding surface (70). In this case, the one channel wall (71) is situated in the vertical plane in which the side edge (51) of the lateral surface (50) is situated. The inner side of the other channel wall (72) faces the side of the guiding surface (70) and the outer side faces the lateral surface (50) and which, as will be explained below, acts as a guide wall to guide the yarn plugs (11),(12),(13) which are starting the second revolution next to the parts which are performing the first revolution.

(23) Via the converging discharge channels (4),(5),(6), the three yarn plugs (11),(12),(13) are moved to the common discharge channel (7) and, from there, they are moved over the guiding surface (70) while bearing against each other until they reach the cylindrical lateral surface (50), situated underneath, of the rotating cooling drum (5) (see FIG. 4) to cool down, thus causing the deformations to set.

(24) In FIG. 3, the two parts (101a),(101b) of the discharge unit (101) are combined and the three yarn plugs (11),(12),(13) are shown which have completed one revolution on the lateral surface (50) of the cooling drum (5) and have already started the second revolution. The converging parts of the three yarn plugs (11),(12),(13) which are performing the second revolution are situated next to their converging parts which are performing the first revolution. During each revolution, the yarn plugs (11),(12),(13) are situated next to one another in the same order. All adjacent parts of yarn plugs bear against each other and substantially contact one another.

(25) As has already been mentioned above, the cooling drum (5) is rotated at a speed at which the speed of movement of the lateral surface (50) corresponds to the speed at which the yarn plugs (11),(12),(13) leave the common discharge channel (7). The curved guiding surface (70) is positioned above the lateral surface (50) in such a way that the yarn plugs (11),(12),(13) end up on a zone of the lateral surface (50) which adjoins a side.

(26) The cooling drum (5) illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 comprises a lateral surface (50) which is delimited on both sides by lateral edges (51), (52) which protrude above the lateral surface. Here, the yarn plugs of the first revolution are laid on the lateral surface (50) in such a way that they adjoin one of these edges (51),(52). In the figures, this is the left-hand edge (51), viewed in the direction of movement (V) of the yarn plugs (11),(12),(13) below the discharge channel (7). The yarn plugs (11),(12),(13) are lead away from this left-hand edge (51) at the start of the second revolution by a guide element (6) described below.

(27) In FIGS. 5 and 6, the cooling drum (5) is carried out differently from FIGS. 3 and 4. Here, the lateral surface (50) is not laterally delimited, but continues to the two lateral end edges (50a),(50b) of the lateral surface (50). Here, the yarn plugs (11),(12),(13) will run along the left-hand end edge (50a) of the lateral surface (50) during the first revolution.

(28) The lateral guidance of the yarn plugs (11),(12),(13) starting the second revolution (see FIG. 3) is effected evenly by means of a guide element (6) which is connected to the rear side (the side via which the yarn plugs leave the discharge unit is the front side) of the discharge unit (101), and which has a substantially triangular shape in top view (see FIG. 6) with a substantially vertical guide wall (60) which forms the oblique side of the triangle in the top view.

(29) The guide wall (60) extends obliquely from a location in the vicinity of the left-hand end edge (50a) of the lateral surface (50), viewed in the direction of movement (V) of the yarn plugs (11),(12),(13), and runs obliquely in the direction of movement (V) to the right-hand end edge (50b) and for the rest adjoins the upright channel wall (72) which delimits the guiding surface (70) of the discharge channel (7) on the right-hand side. The angle () which the oblique guide wall (60) makes with respect to a plane which runs parallel to the planes in which the lateral end edges (50a), (50b) of the lateral surface (50) are situated (see FIG. 6) is approximately 8.

(30) The yarn plugs (11),(12),(13) which move in the direction of movement (V) are placed close to the left-hand end edge (50a) on the lateral surface (50) during the first revolution and will gradually be moved to the right by the fixedly positioned oblique guide wall (60) during their displacement at the end of the first revolution and run along the outer side of the right-hand channel wall (72), so that the three converging yarn plugs (11),(12),(13) are brought to a distance (d) from the left-hand end edge (50a). This distance (d) corresponds to the width which the converging yarn plugs (11),(12),(13) occupied during the first revolution from said end edge (50a). Thus, the converging yarn plugs (11),(12),(13) in the second revolution end up in a position in which they run next to their converging parts of the first revolution and substantially contact them.

(31) The lateral surface of the cooling drum (5) contains perforations (50c) provided for allowing ambient air through which is drawn in by suction means which are not shown in the drawings and are provided in the space below the lateral surface. These perforations (50c) are evenly distributed across the entire lateral surface (50). In the FIGS. 5 and 6, these perforations (50c) are only shown in a very limited portion of this lateral surface (50).