Device and method for manufacturing crimped textile yarn and cooling drum for such a device

Abstract

A device and a method for manufacturing a synthetic yarn, in which at least two yarn plugs (1), (2), (3) are produced by texturing, are placed in a first zone (A) on the cooling surface (6c) of a rotating cooling drum (6), moved to a second zone (B) and form more than one winding (I),(II), in which the yarn plugs are kept in the second zone (B) by a gas stream (F.sub.B) on the cooling surface (6c), and in which no gas stream or a less powerful gas stream is generated in an intermediate zone (C) in order to prevent the yarn plugs (1), (2), (3) from leaving the second zone (B).

Claims

1. A device for manufacturing crimped textile yarn, comprising: a texturing unit provided to produce at least two yarn plugs from synthetic material, a rotatable cooling drum with a cooling surface for cooling the yarn plugs supplied from the texturing unit, and a gas stream generator provided to generate a gas stream to keep the yarn plugs on the cooling surface, wherein the device is configured: to place the supplied yarn plugs next to each other in a first zone of the cooling surface on the rotating cooling drum, so that they are carried along running alongside each other on the cooling surface, to move the yarn plugs running alongside each other laterally to a second zone of the cooling surface during their first turn on the cooling drum, so that the supplied yarn plugs are placed on the cooling surface at an intermediate distance from the yarn plugs running alongside each other which have been moved to the second zone, and to lead the yarn plugs away from the cooling drum for their further treatment after forming more than one winding of yarn plugs running alongside each other on the cooling drum, wherein the gas stream generator is configured to generate a gas stream in the second zone of the cooling surface, so that the yarn plugs in this second zone are kept on the cooling surface, and either (A) not to generate a gas stream in an intermediate zone of the cooling surface, situated between the first and the second zone, or (B) to generate a gas stream which is less powerful in the intermediate zone than in the second zone, in order to prevent interference between the yarn plugs in the second zone and the yarn plugs in the first zone.

2. The device for manufacturing crimped textile yarn according to claim 1, characterized in that the cooling surface in the second zone is permeable to gas, and in that the gas stream generator is configured to generate a gas stream through the second zone of the cooling surface which is directed towards the cooling surface.

3. The device for manufacturing crimped textile yarn according to claim 1, characterized in that the cooling surface in the first zone is permeable to gas, and in that the gas stream generator is configured to generate a gas stream through the first zone of the cooling surface which is directed towards the cooling surface.

4. The device for manufacturing crimped textile yarn according to claim 2, characterized in that the cooling surface in the intermediate zone is less permeable to gas than in the second zone or is not permeable to gas.

5. The device for manufacturing crimped textile yarn according to claim 4, characterized in that the cooling surface in the intermediate zone is less permeable to gas than in the first zone.

6. The device for manufacturing crimped textile yarn according to claim 1, characterized in that the width of the intermediate zone is at least equal to the intermediate distance.

7. The device for manufacturing crimped textile yarn according to claim 1, characterized in that the first and the second zone of the cooling surface are separated from one another by the intermediate zone over at least part of the circumference of the cooling surface.

8. The device for manufacturing crimped textile yarn according to claim 7, characterized in that the first zone and the second zone of the cooling surface form a respective band which extends over the circumference of the cooling surface and has a width which is at least equal to the width of the yarn plugs running alongside each other.

9. The device for manufacturing crimped textile yarn according to claim 1, characterized in that the cooling surface is a flat and uninterrupted surface.

10. The device for manufacturing crimped textile yarn according to claim 1, characterized in that one or more openings or perforations are provided in the first zone and in the second zone of the cooling surface, whereas the cooling surface in the intermediate zone is substantially closed.

11. The device for manufacturing crimped textile yarn according to claim 2, characterized in that the gas stream generator comprises a drawing-in device in order to create an underpressure under the cooling surface which generates an air stream which is directed from a top side of the cooling surface towards the cooling surface and flows through at least one gas-permeable zone thereof.

12. The device for manufacturing crimped textile yarn according to claim 1, characterized in that the device comprises a guide wall which extends above the cooling surface at an angle in order to guide the yarn plugs running alongside each other to said second zone before they enter the second turn on the cooling surface.

13. The device for manufacturing crimped textile yarn according to claim 9, characterized in that the flat and uninterrupted surface lacks any raised or lowered portions that change a diameter of the flat and uninterrupted surface.

14. A method for manufacturing crimped textile yarn, comprising: producing at least two yarn plugs from synthetic material in a texturing unit, placing the yarn plugs in a first zone on a cooling surface of a rotating cooling drum, so that they are carried along running alongside each other on the cooling surface, moving the yarn plugs running alongside each other laterally to a second zone on the cooling surface during their first turn on the cooling drum, keeping the yarn plugs on the cooling surface by means of a gas stream, and leading the yarn plugs running alongside each other away from the cooling drum for further treatment after having formed more than one winding, wherein the yarn plugs in the second zone are kept on the cooling surface by a gas stream, and either (A) no gas stream is generated in an intermediate zone of the cooling surface, situated between the first and the second zone, or (B) a gas stream is generated which is less powerful in the intermediate zone than in the second zone, in order to prevent interference between the yarn plugs in the second zone and the yarn plugs in the first zone.

15. The method for manufacturing crimped textile yarn according to claim 14, characterized in that the yarn plugs in the second zone are kept on the cooling surface due to the fact that the cooling surface in the second zone is permeable to gas, and a gas stream is generated which is directed towards the cooling surface and flows through the second zone of the cooling surface.

16. The method for manufacturing crimped textile yarn according to claim 14, characterized in that the yarn plugs in the first zone are kept on the cooling surface due to the fact that the cooling surface in the first zone is permeable to gas, and a gas stream is generated which is directed towards the cooling surface and flows through the first zone of the cooling surface.

17. The method for manufacturing crimped textile yarn according to claim 15, characterized in that the cooling surface in the intermediate zone is less permeable to gas than in the second zone.

18. The method for manufacturing crimped textile yarn according to claim 14, characterized in that an underpressure is created under the cooling surface to generate an air stream which is directed from a top side of the cooling surface towards the cooling surface and flows through at least one gas-permeable zone thereof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following description, a method and a device for manufacturing crimped textile yarn according to the present invention are described in detail. The sole aim of this detailed description is to indicate how the invention may be implemented and to illustrate the particular characterizing features of the invention and, if necessary, provide a further explanation thereof. Therefore, this description can by no means be regarded as a limitation of the range of protection of this patent or of the area of application of the invention.

(2) Reference numerals are used in this description to refer to the attached figures, in which:

(3) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cooling drum and the discharge unit of a texturing unit of a device for manufacturing crimped synthetic yarn;

(4) FIGS. 2 and 3 show a top view and a front view of that which is illustrated in FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a top view of a cooling drum, the discharge unit of a texturing unit and a guide piece for moving the yarn plugs on the cooling surface, of a device for manufacturing crimped synthetic yarn;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a diagrammatic cross section of the cooling surface of the cooling drum on which two windings of a group of three yarn plugs running alongside each other are arranged; and

(7) FIG. 6 shows a diagrammatic representation of part of the cooling surface with an indication of a possible arrangement of the perforations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) A preferred embodiment of a device for manufacturing crimped textile yarn comprises a texturing unit with three texturing channels for simultaneously forming three yarn plugs (1), (2), (3) and a cooling drum (6) with two circular flanks (6a), (6b) and a cylindrical sleeve surface which functions as a cooling surface (6c). The yarn plugs leave the texturing unit via a common discharge unit (4) with three channels (4a), (4b), (4c) and are arranged on the cooling surface (6c) of the cooling drum (6) rotating about its axis (L).

(9) The cylindrical cooling surface (6c) extends between two raised edges formed by the flanks (6a), (6b), is flat and uninterrupted and, in other words, is free from grooves, channels or raised edges which interrupt the surface. The cooling surface (6c) has two zones (A), (B) which are provided with perforations (7). These zones (A), (B) are provided symmetrically on either side of the centre of the cooling surface (6c) and extend over the entire circumference of the sleeve surface (6c) and are of essentially equal width (a), (b).

(10) Between these two zones (A), (B), an intermediate zone (C) is provided in which the cooling surface does not have perforations and is provided with a closed surface. The width (c) of the intermediate zone (C) is the same over the entire circumference of the sleeve surface (6c) and is much smaller than the widths (a), (b) of the zones (A), (B) with perforations.

(11) In the two zones (A), (B) comprising perforations, the perforations are distributed over a number of parallel position lines (P.sub.1), (P.sub.2), (P.sub.3), (P.sub.4), (P.sub.5), (P.sub.6) which may be indicated as running on the sleeve surface parallel to the edges of the cylindrical cooling surface (6c). The perpendicular intermediate space (w) between these position lines is much smaller than the width (c) of the intermediate zone (C). Under the cooling surface (6c), there is a drawing-in device (8) which is provided to take in ambient air, so that air streams (F.sub.A), (F.sub.B) are generated which flow from the top side of the cooling surface (6c) through the perforations (7) (see FIG. 5). These air streams directed towards the cooling surface (6c) exert a downward force on the yarn plugs (1), (2), (3) arranged on the cooling surface. Due to the open structure of the yarn plugs, a significant amount of air flows through the yarn plugs.

(12) The three yarn plugs (1), (2), (3) running alongside each other are placed in a continuous supply on the first zone (A) on the cooling surface (6c) of the rotating cooling drum and are carried along by the cooling surface, so that they form, while running alongside each other , a first complete winding (I) and a part of a second winding (II). The yarn plugs running alongside each other in this case have a width (x) which is smaller than or equal to the widths (a), (b) of the first (A) and the second zone (B).

(13) Before the yarn plugs (1), (2), (3) start on the second turn on the cooling surface, they hit an inclined guide wall (10) arranged above the cooling surface and forming part of a guide element (9)—see FIG. 4—as a result of which they are moved to the second zone (B) of the cooling surface. As a result thereof, an intermediate space (T) is formed between the third yarn plug (3) of the first winding (I) and the first yarn plug (1) of the second winding (II). This intermediate space (T) is at least equal to the width (c) of the intermediate zone (C). During their second turn, the yarn plugs (1), (2), (3) are lead away from the cooling surface (6c) at a greater speed than the supply speed of the yarn plugs. As a result thereof, the yarn plugs are transformed into a crimped synthetic yarn.

(14) The diagrammatic cross section of FIG. 5 shows the first (I) and the second winding (II) of the yarn plugs (1), (2), (3) which are situated on the first zone (A) and the second zone (B) of the cooling surface (6c), respectively.

(15) The air stream (F.sub.B) through the perforations (7) in the second zone ensures, on the one hand, that the yarn plugs are securely kept in the second zone. Due to the fact that an air stream is generated in this second zone and not in the intermediate zone, air streams (F.sub.B) having a lateral flow direction in the direction of the second zone (B) are generated in the boundary region of the intermediate zone, in the vicinity of the boundary between the second zone and the intermediate zone (C). As a result thereof, a yarn plug which has a tendency to move from the second zone in the direction of the first zone along the direction (V) indicated in FIG. 5 will come under the influence of said lateral gas streams (F.sub.B) in this boundary region, as a result of which its displacement is counteracted.

(16) As a result thereof, the risk of the first yarn plug (1) of the second winding (II) or the yarn pulled away therefrom moving laterally from the second zone (B) and interfering with the third yarn plug (3) of the first winding (I) situated in the first zone (A) is extremely small. As a result thereof, the risk of interference is much reduced and the risk of internal differences in the yarn quality of simultaneously produced synthetic yarns is greatly reduced.

(17) FIG. 6 diagrammatically shows a possible arrangement of the perforations in the first and the second zone on a section of the cooling surface. The perforations are distributed over six parallel position lines with a mutually perpendicular intermediate space (w). These position lines run parallel with the edges of the cooling surface (6c) and are also at right angles to the axis (L) of the cooling drum (6). The perforations (7) are arranged in successive rows of three, there being, in successive rows, alternately only openings (7) on the first (P.sub.1), the third (P.sub.3) and the fifth position line (P.sub.5) in one row and in the other row only openings (7) on the second (P.sub.2), the fourth (P.sub.4) and the sixth position line (P.sub.6).