US1565850A - Yarn cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 15, 1925. 1,565,850

L. B. HAsBRoUcK YARN CLEANER FiledAug. 17. 1922 aumento@ Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS B. HASBROUCK, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ECLIPSE TEXTILE DE- VICES, INC., OF ELMIRA HEIGHTS, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

YARN CLEANER.

Application led August 17, 1922. Serial No. 582,384.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS B. I-IAsBRoUcK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elmira, in the county of Chemung and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Yarn Cleaners, fully described and represented in the following specification, and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to yarn cleaners for eliminating from yarn impurities such as parts of seeds, parts of stems, specks, and other particles, as well as slubs and knots.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple device capable of removing impurities from yarn and of continuously discharging the impurities, as well as any fibrous matter removed from the yarn with them, without the use of any mechanically driven parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a yarn cleaner which may automatically adjust itself to yarns of different di a-meters.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a yarn cleaner which serves, also, as a tension device, so that no tension device need be used with it.

Other objects and advantages of the invention are hereinafter explained.

A. yarn cleaner embodying the invention in the form which I now consider best is provided with a series of inclined blades having cleaning edges lying in a common plane and with a plate which has a fiat surface opposed to the cleaning edges of the blades and is gently urged toward the blades, either by gravity or by means of a spring. The yarn is drawn between the cleaning edges of the blades and the flat surface of the plate in a direction transverse to the cleaning edges.

In order that the invention may clearly be understood, I will describe in detail a yarn cleaner embodying the invention which is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view ofthe cleaner with the cover plates in operative position;

F ig'. 2 is a plan view of a cleaner showing the cover plates thrown back to expose the cleaning blades;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the cleaner sectioned on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 1 is an enlarged transverse section of the cleaner taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the cleaning blades.

Ihe cleaner shown in the drawings is adapted to operate upon a traveling yarn which is being drawn from a bobbin or other supply into a winding or spooling or other machine. The cleaner may be conveniently secured to a portion of the frame of any such machine, and for this purpose there may be secured to the supporting bar 10 of the cleaner a stud 11 containing a hole and provided with a set screw 12. It will be understood, however, that the cleaner may be mounted in any desired manner and will operate upon any traveling yarn, regardless of the nature of the machine into which the yarn is being drawn.

The frame of the cleaner on which its operative parts are supported consists, in the form illustrated, of a straight supporting bar 10. This bar may conveniently be made rectangular in cross-section, as shown in the drawings. As hereinafter explained, a traveling yarn is, in the operation of the cleaner, drawn through the cleaner in a direction substantially parallel to the bar 10. As the form and arrangement of the operative parts are, to a certain extent, dependent upon the direction in which the yarn is drawn through the cleaner, I shall for convenience refer to the end 14 of the bar 10 as its front end, since this end of the bar is at the end of the cleaner from which the yarn enters the cleaner. In like manner, I shall use the word front to define parts, `or surfaces, which are located near, or which face toward, the end of the cleaner at which the yarn enters the cleaner.

A plurality of cleaning blades 20 project outwardly from one side 16 of the bar 10. These blades are provided with cleaning edges 21 which lie in a common plane. In the form illustrated, this common plane is the plane of the upper side 17 of the bar 10.

Each blade has a narrow edge surface 22 which lies in this plane. The blades 20 lie in parallel planes which are oblique to the side surface 16 of the bar from which the blades project, and oblique to the common plane of their cleaning edges. The inclination of the blades to the side surface 16 of the bar is such that the inner end of the cleaning edge 2l of each blade is in front of the outer end of said edge. The inclination of the blades to the common plane in which their cleaning edges 2l lie is such that the front surfaces 23 of the blades lie at oblique angles to this plane, while their rear surfaces 24 lie at acute angles to the plane. It will be noted that in consequence of this inclination of the blades, the front surface 23 and the edge surface 22 of each blade intersect at an acute angle to form the cleaning edge 2l of the blade.

In order that the exact inclination of the blades may be understood, I wish to note that, throughout this application, when reference is made to the angle between the surface of an element and a surface which is not a part of this element, it is to be understood that the angle is measured through space outside the element, while, when reference is made to the angle between two surfaces of the same element, it is to be understood that the angle is measured through the element.

The blades 2O may be secured to the bar il() in any desired manner. In the form illustrated, each blade is provided at its inner end with a flange 26, which is secured against the side surface 16 of the bar by means of a screw 27.

Means are provided for guiding a traveling yarn across the cleaning edges 21 of the blades 20 in a direction substantially paralel to the bar l0, and, in consequence, oblique to the cleaning edges. These means include a front guide 30 secured to the bar l0 near its front end 14, and a rear guide 3l secured at the rear end l5 of the bar 10. rIhe front vguide 30 is mounted on a bracket 32 which is secured to the bar 10 by a screw The guide itself extends approximately horizontally. It contains a tapering entrance slot 34, through which the yarn is drawn from below. The inner end of this slot is in the same plane as the cleaning edges of the blades, while the portion of the guide 30 inside the end of the slot 34 is slightly below this plane. The rear guide 3l provides a substantially horizontal surface 35 lying in the plane of the cleaning edges of the blades and an upward projection 36 at the outer end of this horizontal surface.

In addition to the front and rear guides, it is usually desirable to provide intermediate guides. The number of such guides which is necessary depends upon the length of the bar l0 and the number of cleaning blades. In .the form illustrated in the drawings, there are two intermediate guides, which have the form of pins 36 projecting upwardly from supporting arms 37 which project laterally from the bar l0 between certain of the cleaning blades. The upper surfaces of the bars 37 are preferably located below the plane of the cleaning edges of the blades, so that the yarn does not come into Contact with them.

The yarn cleaner is provided with one or more plates providing, when in operative position, smooth flat surfaces opposed to the cleaning edges 2l and the edge surfaces 22 of the blades 20. In the form illustrated, these plates serve as covers for the cleaner and comprise a front cover plate 40 and a rear cover plate 4l, each of which has a smooth flat surface 42.

The plates are mounted so that their smooth, flat surfaces 42 are free to move towards or away from the cleaning edges of the blades. In the form illustrated, this result is .secured by providing each of the plates 40, 4l, with an arm 45, which is secured by means of a pivot pin 46 to the outer end of one of the supporting arms 37. The pivot pins 46 are parallel to the bar lO and are most desirably positioned beyond the outer ends of the blades 2O and substantially in the plane of the cleaning edges 2l of the blades. rIhe plates 40, 4l are each provided with a hole 47 which fits over one of the pins 86 when the plates are in their operative position. In order to permit free movement of the plates toward or away from the blades, the plates are allowed to iloat on the yarn by making the holes 48 in the arms slightly larger than the pivot pins 46, and the holes 47 of sufficient size to fit loosely over the pins 36.

It should be noted that although the plates are free to move toward or away from the blades, the plates are, nevertheless, restrained against movement longitudinally of the yarn or across the cleaning edges of the blades. Such movement is prevented both by the heads of the pivot pins 46 and by the enw gageme-nt of the holes 47 with the pins 36. In consequence there is substantially no relative movement between the plates and the blades during the operation of the cleaner.

Means are provided for yieldably urging the smooth, fiat surfaces 42 of the plates towards the edges 2l of the blades. In the form illustrated, such means is the mass of the plates which is drawn toward the blades by the force of gravity. It is apparent, however, that other means may be used for pressing the plates towards the blades. and that if mechanical means are used for this purpose, the cleaner need not be placed so that the plates are on top. It is desirable to regulate the force with which the smooth surfaces 42 of the plates are urged toward the edges 21 of the blades, and for this purpose the plates 40, 41 may each be provided with an upwardly projecting pin 43, about which any desired number of perforated weight-disks 44 may be placed.

In order to facilitate the insertion of the yarn under the plates, so that the cleaner may be threaded without opening the plates, the edges of these plates which lie nearest the inner ends of the blades are provided with undercut, beveled surfaces '49.

The yarn cleaner illustrated includes means for preventing large slubs or knots from being drawn into it. For this purpose, there is provided at the front end of the bar a blade 50 which is, in general, similar to cleaning blades 20, except that it is inclined so that its acute edge 51 extends nearly perpendicularly from the bar 10. The front surface 52 of the blade 50 is inclined in the same direction as the front surfaces of the blades but to a less extent. The front plate is provided with a beveled surface 54, which intersects the flat surface 42 of the blade in an acute edge 55 which is opposed to, and parallel to, the edge 51 of the blade 50, when the plate 40 is in its operative position.

The use and operation of the cleaner which has been described is as follows:

The plates 40, 41 are usually kept closed, so that before the cleaner is threaded these plates rest upon the edge surfaces 22 of the cleaning blades or upon the upper side surface 17 of the bar 10. The cleaner is threaded by inserting a yarn A in the slot 34 of the front guide 80, passing the yarn around the cleaner and over the stud 11, and drawing it into the corner` between the horizontal surface 35` and the projection 36 of the rear guide 31. The yarn is thus brought into contact with the beveled edges 49 of the plates 40, 4l, and raises the plates suiiiciently to pass under their fiat surfaces 42. As the yarn is drawn tight, it extends substantially in a straight line across the cleaning edges 21 and edge surfaces 22 of the blades 20. This position of the yarn is best illustrated by the full lines A in Fig. 2, although it is to be understood, of course, that the plates are closed as in Fig. 1 when the yarn is drawn into this position. The yarn is gently pushed against the blades and retained under tension by the pressure of the plates 40, 41.

After the cleaner has been threaded, the yarn is drawn through the cleaner by a winding or other machine not shown in the drawings.' Specks and other impurities projecting from the yarn are turned downwardly by a twisting of the yarn caused by the contact of the flat surfaces 42 of the plates with the yarn. The specks and other r particles are detached from the yarn by the scraping action of the cleaning edges 21 of the blades. The scraping action of the cleaning edges is increased by a lateral movement of` the yarn which results from drawing the specks against these edges. Thus, when the cleaner is in operation, the path of travel of the yarn through it is continually changing between the straight line A (F ig. 2) and the curved lines A (Fig. 2). The pins 36 serve to prevent the yarn from being drawn over the outer ends of the blades when large ,specks come in contact with the blades.

Some of the detached particles are directed downwardly and out of the cleaner by the inclined front surfaces 23 of the blades, while the majority of the particles, as well as the fibrous matter removed from the yarn with them, travel outwardly along the cleaning edges 21 of the blades and are continuously discharged at the outer ends of the blades.

Any large slubs or knots on the yarn are caught by the opposed edges 51, of the blade 5() and the front plate. The beveled edge 54 of this plate prevents slubs or knots from raising this plate. If a slub is loosely attached to the yarn, it is detached by the edges 51 and 55. When, however, a

firmly attached slub or a knot is drawn against these edges, the yarn is broken, so that the operator has notice of the presence of the slub or knot and may break it out and re-tie the yarn.

The yarn cleaner which has been described possesses a number of advantages in addition to Iits simplicity of construction which is apparent from the drawings and which makes it possible to manufacture the cleaner at small cost. Thus, for example, the cleaner automatically adjusts itself to yarns of differing diameters as the plates 40, 41 close upon the yarn and urge it against the blades, regardless of its dianietfr. Furthermore, the plates retain the yarn under sufficient tension to enable it to be wound properly, so that no tension device need be used in connection with the cleaner. Any desired tension may be obtained by increasing or decreasing the number of weight-disks 44 placed on the plates.

Vhile I wish it clearly understood that my invention is by no means limited to the particular form and arrangement of parts which I have described, I will, nevertheless, point out a number of special advantages which are obtained through the use of various features of the embodiment illustrated which of themselves constitute a part of my invention.

Drawing the yarn between a cleaning edge and a smooth surface opposed thereto. that is to say, a smooth surface which lies opposite to said edge and extends an appreciable distance at each side of said edge,

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not only effectively removes impurities from the yarn, but also facilitates; the discharge of these particles from the cleaner. This seems to be because the smooth surface prevents the fibrous material, which is inevitably removed with the specks, from forming a ring around the yarn in front of the cleaning edge. I have thus altogether eliminated one of the principal difficulties to the discharge of the material removed from the yarn which has been encountered in cleaners in which the yarn is drawn between two opposed edges.

Positioning the cleaning edges of the blades obliquely to the line of travel of the yarn not only assists ,in discharging' the removed particles from the cleaner', but also causes a slight sidewise movement of the yarn in its passage through the cleaner, which increases the scraping action of the edges and prevents the grooving of the edges by the yarn.

The fact that the plates are retained against motion longitudinal of the yarn, so that the yarn is drawn along their flat surfaces, has been found to cause a twisting of the yarn which turns the particles downwardly in position to be scraped off by the cleaning edges of the blades.

The hinging of the plates prevents them from becoming detached from the frame of the cleaner, while, at the same time, facilitating access to the cleaning blades. Furthermore, the slight tipping of the r' plates, when the yarn is drawn under them,

which results from such hinging, and which may alternatively be caused by weighting the plates so that their centre of gravity yis outside the line of travel of the yarn, has been found to facilitate the discharge of the particles removed from the yarn.

I shall, however, not attempt to catalogue all the advantages obtained by the use of my invention.

lVhat is claimed is:

l. A yarn cleaner comprising a member providing a plurality of cleaning edges located at one side of the yarn, and a member having a smooth surface opposite said edges at the other side of the yarn, said members being held against relative movement during the operation of the cleaner and positioned so close to each other that the edges contact with one side of the yarn and scrape impurities therefrom while the smooth surface contacts with the other side of the yarn and prevents fibrous matter scraped from the yarn by the edges from entwining about the yarn.

2. In a yarn cleaner for removing impurities from a traveling yarn, the combination of a member providing an edge transverse to the yarn and in contact with one side of the yarn, rigid means restraining said edge against movement in the direction of travel of the yarn, and a member providing' a substantially flat smooth surface in contact with the opposite side of the yarn, lying opposite said edge, extending in front of said edge and parallel to and in contact with the yarn for a distance as great as several times the diameter of the yarn, and restrained against movement across said edge.

3. In a yarn cleaner, a member providing an edge, a member providing a smooth surface opposed to said edge and extending in front of said edge a distance as great as several times the diameter of the yarn, a connection between said members permitting relative approaching and separating movements between said surface and said edge and preventing movement of said surface across said edge, means for guiding a traveling yarn between said smooth surface and said edge in a direction transvers to said edge, and means for yieldably urging said surface toward said edge. i

4. In a yarn cleaner, a member viding a smooth surface, viding an edge opposed to said smooth surface, a. connection between said members permitting relative approaching and separating movements between said surface and said edge and preventing all other movement between them, means for guiding a traveling yarn between said smooth surface and said edge in a direction oblique to the edge, and means for yieldably urging said surface toward said edge. Y

5. A yarn cleaner, comprising a cleaning blade having a narrow edge surface and a front surface intersecting said edge surface so as to form an acute cleaning edge, a plate having a smooth surface opposed to the edge surface of said blade and extending in front of the cleaning edge thereof, and a connection between said blade and said plate permitting relative approaching and separating movements between said edge surface and said smooth surface and preventing all other relative imivement between said surfaces, means for yieldably urging said smooth surface toward said edge surface, and means for guiding a traveling yarn between said smooth surface and said blade in a direction transverse to said cleaning edge.

G. A yarn cleaner, comprising a member providing a smooth surface, a member providing an edge opposed to said smooth surface, said members being mounted so as to permit relative approaching and separating movements of said smooth surface and said edge about an axis transverse to said edge, means for yieldably urging said smooth surface toward said edge, and means for proa member proguiding a traveling yarn between said surface and said edge to said edge.

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7. A yarn cleaner, comprising a member providing a smooth surface, a member providing an edge opposed to said smooth surface, a connection between said members permitting a relative movement between said smooth surface and said edge about an axis oblique to said edge, means for yieldably urging said members together, and means for guiding a traveling yarn between said surface and said edgel in a direction sub stantially parallel to the axis of said turning movement. h

8. A yarn cleaner, comprising a plurality of cleaning members having cleaning edges lying in a common plane, means for guiding` a traveling yarn across the edges of said members, a member having a flat surface substantially parallel to the common plane of said cleaning edges, means for yieldably urging said flat surface toward said edges, and means for restraining said cleaning members and said flat surface against relative movement in the plane of said flat surface.

9. A yarn cleaner, comprising means providing a plurality of cleaning edges located at one side of the yarn and each extending transversely to the yarn, and a member having a smooth surface opposite said edges at the other side of the yarn, said member being held against movement across said cleaning edges and positioned so close to said edges that the edges contact with one side of the yarn and scrape im purities therefrom while the flat surface contacts with the other side of the yarn and prevents fibrous matter scraped from the yarn by the edges from entwining about the yarn.

10. A yarn cleaner, comprising a plurality of transverse blades having cleaning edges lying in a common plane, means for guiding a traveling yarn across the edges of said blades, and a member having a flat surface substantially parallel to the common plane of said edges, lo iated at the opposite side of the yarn and so close to said edges that one side of the yarn is in contact with said edges while the opposite side thereof is in contact with said flat surface, and held against movement in the plane of its flat surface.

11. A yarn cleaner, comprising a plurality of cleaning blades having cleaning edges lying in a common horizontal plane and front surfaces inclined at an obtuse angle to said plane, means for guiding a traveling yarn transversely across the cleaning edges of said blades, a plate having a flat lower surface resting on the yarn, and means for restraining said plate against movement across the edges of the cleaning blades.

12. In a yarn cleaner, the combination of two members located at opposite sides of the yarn, yieldably held against separating movement, and having aligned front edges in contact with the yarn, and front surfaces extending at an obtuse angle to the yarn.

13. A yarn cleaner, comprising a support, a plurality of cleaning blades extending from one side of said support and having cleaning edges lying in a common plane, a plate having a fiat surface opposed to said cleaning edges, means for yieldably urging said flat surface toward said cleaning edges, means for varying the force by which said surface is urged toward said edges and means for preventing movement of said flat surface across said cleaning edges.

14. A yarn cleaner, comprising a supporting bar, a plurality of cleaning blades projecting from one side of said supporting bar and having cleaning edges lying in a coinmon plane, said blades being inclined so that they lie in parallel planes oblique both to said common plane and to the side of the bar from which they project, a plate having a fiat surface opposed to the cleaning edges of the blades, and means for yieldably urging said surface toward said cleaning edges.

15. A yarn cleaner, comprising a support, a plurality of cleaning blades projecting from said support and having cleaning edges lying in a common plane, and a plate having a flat surface opposed to the cleaning edges of the blades and mounted so that it is free to turn about an axis lying in said common plane and located further from said support than the outer ends of the blades.

16. A yarn cleaner, comprising a supporting bar, a plurality of cleaning blades projecting from one side of the bar and having cleaning edges lying in a common plane, and a plate having a flat surface opposed to said cleaning edges and mounted so that it is free to turn about an axis lying in said common plane and parallel to said bar.

17. A yarn cleaner, comprising a supporting bar, a plurality of cleaning blades extending outwardly from the one side of the bar having cleaning edges lying in a common plane and oblique to said bar, a projection extending outwardly from said side of the bar beyond the outer ends of said cleaning blades, and a plate hinged to said projection. V

1.8. A yarn cleaner, comprising a support- .ing bar, a plurality of cleaning blades extending outwardly from one side of said bar and having cleaning edges lying in a common plane, and a plate resting on the cleaning edges of said blades and having at one edge an inwardly inclined surface to facilitate drawing a yarn between the plate and the cleaning edges of the blades.

19. A yarn cleaner, comprising a plurality of cleaning blades having cleaning edges lying in a common plane, a member Viding un edge opposed to said smooth surface, and guiding members positioned to guide a traveling yarn between said l'lat surface and said edge in a direction oblique to said edge, said guiding members being spaced apart from each other so as to permit lateral movement of the portion of the yarn between them.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 20 my hand.

LOUIS B. HASBROUCK.

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