Spinning Head

Abstract

A spinning head for textile yarn spinning apparatus of the electrostatic type having a high voltage electrode for producing, in conjunction with a cooperating electrode, an electrostatic field by which textile fibers are transported from a fiber source to the spinning head and having integral electrical driving means for rotating a spindle and yarn forming gripper carried therein which receive the fibers and twists them into yarn.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an improvement in open-end type spinning frames and more particularly to an integrated spinning head having a self-contained means for rotating a spindle into which textile fibers are fed by an electrostatic field and spun into yarn.

One conventional and well known means for rotating spindles in open-type spinning frames is that of driven belts such as the V-type or flat belts which, as the case may be, are adapted to be in driving engagement with pulleys or rollers mounted on the twisting elements.

This form of drive has to a degree performed its intended function satisfactorily; however, it has left something to be desired relative to the mechanical problems which frequently present themselves and which require what is considered an excessive amount of maintenance time.

With belt driven spindles, the spindles are subjected to a pre-load condition and the life expectancy of the bearings within which such a spindle is journaled are shortened. Additionally, belts are subject to breakage and require frequent inspection as well as adjustment to correct excessive or inadequate contact pressures with the pulleys or rollers with which they cooperate. Excessive contact pressure presents a problem of heat generation with the subsequent problem of premature wear of the various cooperating components of the spinning apparatus.

A further problem experienced with belt drives in electrostatic spinning machines is that of drainage or loss of a portion of the high voltage charge that is picked up by a moving belt and which reduces the strength and stability of the electrostatic field through which fibers are transported. Reliability of spinning fibers by the electrostatic spinning process is dependent upon the strength and stability of the electrostatic field, as is the quality of yarn produced.

The spinning head according to this invention eliminates the aforementioned problems common to belt driven spindles by providing an integrated driving and spinning unit of which the yarn forming spindle forms a part. The spindle is not subjected to a pre-load condition which permits it to be rotated at higher speeds and with longer life expectancy of the bearing elements within which it is journaled. Additionally, a stronger and more stable electrostatic field is provided and maintained by supporting the integral driving unit within a housing of dielectric material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The spinning head of the present invention comprises a self-contained electrical driving motor in which the spindle into which textile fibers are guided and spun into yarn is the motor rotor. The spindle thus serves two functions, one for supporting the fiber gripper and advancing the yarn therethrough as it is formed, and the second, by serving as the driving motor's rotor shaft.

The spindle is journaled adjacent its ends in axially aligned bearing members which are assembled in a motor housing, the latter of which is enclosed in a support housing of dielectric material. The support housing includes electrical terminals to provide for connection to sources of power for the driving motor and for the high voltage electrode that generates the electrostatic field.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a new spinning head for electrostatic spinning machines which is completely self-contained and requires no outside source of mechanical motive power to effect twisting of fiber into yarn.

It is a further object to provide an improved spinning head having a lightweight unloaded spindle which can be rotated quieter, a greater speed and which will have a longer life expectancy than previously existing apparatus of related types.

Another object is that of providing an improved spinning head for electrostatic spinning machines that will provide and maintain a stronger and more stable electrostatic field between the spindle and the source of fibers to be spun into yarn.

These and other objects of the present invention will become more fully apparent by reference to the appended claims and as the following detailed description proceeds in reference to the single FIGURE.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The single FIGURE is a partially schematic longitudinal section of a portion of a spinning head for electrostatic spinning machines according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As the general construction and operation of an electrostatic type open-end spinning apparatus is known and familiar to those conversant in the art, and as the invention is entirely concerned with a spinning head applicable thereto, it is only considered necessary here to illustrate and describe those parts of such an apparatus directly concerned with a preferred form of the present invention.

The apparatus shown in the single FIGURE utilizes a drafting arrangement generally indicated by numeral 10 which includes a pair of feed rollers (not shown), and a pair of intermediate rollers 11 and 12 that are driven in the direction of the indicating arrows.

Endless belts 13 and 14 are driven about nose bars 15 and 16 respectively which position the belts so as to direct the textile fibers being advanced therebetween to a pair of fiber discharge rollers 17 and 18.

Below and spaced from the discharge rollers, the spinning head according to the invention is shown and identified generally by numeral 19. The spinning head includes a support housing 20 which is made of a dielectric material and which can be removably attached to a spinning frame by any suitable means.

A spindle drive motor 21 having a generally circular housing 22 with rounded end portions 23 and 34 is seated within the support housing 20 by means of motor mounts 25 and 26 which are in contact with the outer surface of said end portions 23 and 24 respectively. These motor mounts are in the form of O-ring elements and made of a resilient electrically insulating material such as neoprene or the like and are disposed in grooves 27 and 28 present in the inner surface of inwardly directed webs 29 and 30, respectively, these webs being integrally formed on the inner walls of the support housing 20.

An elongated spindle 31 serves as the rotor shaft for the drive motor 21 and is journaled adjacent each end in anti-friction bearings 32 and 33 that are assembled in the end portions 23 and 24 respectively of the motor housing 22.

Bearing 33, in which the lower portion of the spindle 33 is journaled, is assembled in a counterbored opening 34 provided in the end portion 24 of the motor housing 22. An expansion spring 35 of the coil type is seated in the counterbored opening 34 and exerts biasing force upon the lower side of the bearing 33 for the purpose of maintaining the upper side of the bearing in contact with a shoulder 36 provided on the spindle adjacent its lower end.

The rotor element 37 of the drive motor is secured to elongated spindle 31 intermediate its ends and is disposed so as to be responsive to the electromagnetic field produced by the stator portion 38 of the drive motor. The stator 38 is energized through electrical leads 39 and 40 which extend through an integrally formed apertured boss 41 provided on the support housing 20 for connection to any suitable source of power.

The elongated spindle has an axial bore 42, the lower end of which defines a yarn discharge opening 43 from which a spun yarn (not shown) is drawn.

The upper end of the spindle 31 has an enlarged head portion 44 which is counterbored at 45 for the purpose of receiving a gripping member 46 into which fibers are directed and caused to be twisted into yarn.

The head portion 44 of the spindle is provided with a funnel extension 47 that defines a fiber receiving end for said spindle. This fiber receiving end is made of a dielectric material and is positioned for rotation within a centrally disposed opening 48 provided in the upper end of the support housing 20.

The fiber receiving end of the spindle includes a funneled aperture 49 through which the fibers are caused to pass before being received by the gripper member 46.

The periphery of the funneled aperture 49 is disposed in close proximity to the internal surface of opening 48 to provide a minimum amount of clearance between these two elements. With this closeness of assembly, the surface of the funneled opening 49 extends substantially continuous with the upper and outer exposed surface of the support housing 20 and the possibility of air turbulence created by the rotation of the spindle 31 is reduced to a minimum. Air turbulence in the area of the fiber receiving end of the spindle may increase fiber waste by deflecting fibers from their proper path of travel.

The upper rounded end portion 23 of the motor housing 22 serves as one electrode of the electrostatic system and is disposed so as to encircle the head portion 44 of the elongated spindle 31 immediately below the upper, rounded surface of the support housing 20.

This electrode receives a source of power through a lead line 50 and has a configuration which approximates a small hemisphere for maximum field focusing and strength. Lead line 50 is connected to the motor housing 22 and extends outwardly through the apertured boss 41 along with leads 39 and 40 to a suitable high voltage source.

The schematic configuration of the force field which propels the fibers is represented by dotted lines 51 which extend from the upper rounded dielectric surface of the support housing 20 to the discharge rollers 17 and 18 that provide the electrical ground for the electrostatic field generating system.

The support housing 20 includes a second apertured boss 52 which is integrally formed with and extends from the upper rounded surface of the support housing 20. The aperture in this boss 52 communicates with a circular void 53 formed within the upper end of the support housing 20 and by means of a vacuum line 54 attached to the aperture, a means is provided for preventing the accumulation of stray fibers and foreign matter which might possible enter into void 53. This vacuum arrangement for the improved spinning head forms the subject matter of a separate U. S. Patent application Ser. No. 135,321, filed Apr. 19, 1971 and entitled Open End Electrostatic Spinning Head and assigned to the same assignee as this application.

The improved spinning head according to the invention also includes a means for dissipating the heat generated by the spindle drive motor 21. A third integrally formed apertured boss 55 is disposed on the side of the support housing 22 and the aperture therein communicates with the space 56 formed intermediate the supported ends of the spindle drive motor 21 and the inner central surface of said support housing. An air line 57 is connected to the aperture in boss 55 and through its connection to any suitable source of air pressure, air is forced into the support housing.

An air outlet port 58 permits the air forced into the support housing to escape, and being caused to circulate about the drive motor, the heat generated by the latter is substantially reduced.

In operation the improved spinning head having a self-contained spindle driving motor along with a means for producing an electrostatic field within which fibers are transported, can be quickly and easily assembled to or removed from the frame of a spinning machine.

The spindle which forms the driving motor's rotor shaft carries the gripper member into which fibers are guided after being transported through the electrostatic field to the receiving end of said spindle.

The spindle rotates the gripper member at a speed sufficient to spin the fibers together and form yarn. The yarn as it is formed is advanced through the spindle to its exit end where it is then acted upon by an advancing means, not shown, that is effective in delivering said yarn for wind-up on a storage spool or the like. The heat generated by the rotating spindle of the driving motor is dissipated by directing a flow of air into the support housing in which said driving motor is carried. The flow of air into the support housing is caused to circulate therein and then flow through an outlet port which reduces substantially the amount of heat generated by the driving motor.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. An apparatus for collecting and spinning electrostatically transported textile fibers into yarn comprising:

a. rotatably mounted elongated spindle means including fiber gripping means for receiving fiber from a fiber source,

b. means secured to said spindle means responsive to an electromagnetic field to effect rotation thereof,

c. a conductive housing surrounding said spindle means defining the means within which said spindle is journaled, said housing including:

1. electromagnetic field generating means positioned operably adjacent said spindle means to cooperate with said means secured to said spindle means and effect rotation thereof, and

2. means defining a high voltage electrode forming the end of said conductive housing nearest the inlet end of said spindle; and

d. a dielectric funnel mounted on the inlet end of said spindle at the inlet end thereof to receive fiber from the source, said funnel being located between the source of fiber and the high voltage electrode.

2. An apparatus for collecting and spinning electrostatically transported textile fibers into yarn comprising:

a. rotatably mounted elongated spindle means including fiber gripping means for receiving fiber from a fiber source,

b. means secured to said spindle means responsive to an electromagnetic field to effect rotation thereof,

c. electromagnetic field generating means positioned operably adjacent said spindle means to cooperate with said means secured to said spindle means and provide for rotation of said spindle means,

d. a housing surrounding said spindle means defining the means within which the spindle is journaled and which contains said electromagnetic field generating means, and

e. means connecting said housing member to a high voltage source for establishing an electrostatic field between said fiber source and said spindle means for controlling said fibers during transportation thereof to said spindle means.