US3548511A - Humidifying apparatus for yarns - Google Patents

Description

D 1970 A F. H. HOWORTH 48,511

HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS FOR YARNS Filed Oct. 4, 1968 INVENTOR.

FREDERICK H. HOWORIH BY United States Patent F 3,548,511 HUMIDHFYIN G APPARATUS FOR YARNS Frederick H. Howorth, Withnall, Chorley, England, as-

signor to James Howorth & Company Limited, Botton, England, a body corporate of Great Britain Filed Oct. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 765,136 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Oct. 7, 1967, 45,984/ 67 Int. Cl. F26b 3/00 U.S. Cl. 34-22 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A humidifying unit for supplying humidified air to yarn passing from a creel to a carpet tufting machine in which the unit is divided into two compartments separated by a porous sheet or sheets for removing surplus moisture, the humidified air passing from the second compartment to a pattern box and being delivered therefrom With yarn along tubes to the knitting positions.

This invention relates to improvements in humidifying apparatus for yarns, and more particularly to apparatus for supplying humidified air to the tufted or pile yarns of carpet tufting machines.

In the production of tufted carpets, particularly for broadloom tufting machines, the tufted or pile yarns are drawn from bobbins through tubes and through tensioning rollers in a tensioning or pattern box, from which they pass through further tubes to a needle plate and bar by which they are knitted into a ground fabric.

It has been found that variations in atmospheric humidity may adversely affect the yarn, causing end breakages of the tufted or pile yarns, both in the tensioning or pattern box and at the knitting position, and the object of the present invention is to stabilise and control the humidity of the yarns during their passage to the tufting machine.

According to the invention, air is suppliedto a tensioning or pattern box of a carpet tufting machine from a chamber into which the air is drawn and humidified by a water spray, the humidified air being passed through one or more sheets of porous material such as foamed plastics material to remove surplus moisture and to provide a controlled humidified atmosphere in the box, the humidified air escaping from the box through tubes by which the yarns are guided to the knitting positions.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the passage of yarn from a creel through the humidifying apparatus to a tufted carpet loom;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the humidifier.

Yarn is drawn from bobbins on a creel A through a pattern box B under a platform C to the knitting section c of a tufted carpet loom, the carpet being wound into a roll 0.

A humidifier unit D is provided to supply air to the pattern box B. Air is drawn into the unit D which is divided into two compartments d, d by a porous sheet or sheets d preferably two in succession, of a wood wool or a foamed plastics material such as polyvinyl chloride, preferably arranged at an inclination to the vertical.

The air is drawn into the first compartment d and humidified by water spray d the humidified air then passing through the foamed sheet or sheets d into the second compartment d the porous sheet or sheets a! extracting any surplus moisture from the air, with any moisture 3,548,511 Patented Dec. 22, 1970 extracted flowing down the inclined sheet or sheets to a drain d The humidified air from the second chamber d is supplied to the yarn tensioning or pattern box B through a humidity duct situated under the pattern box and exhausted from the box B with the yarns along tubes b to the knitting position c A curved transparent deflector d may be mounted transversely of the machine at the exit end of the tubes b to direct the air to the knitting positions.

The air may be drawn into the chamber d by a fan d therein. Water may be supplied around the eye of the fan through a perforated spinner or to spray d by a pump d supplied from a reservoir d the level of the water therein being controlled by a ball float valve d The temperature of the humidified air in the chamber may be raised by steam or a hot water coil in the reservoir or by the employment of an electric or other heater d The supply of water delivered by the pump may be controlled by a humidistat and solenoid operated valve.

The surplus water draining off the sheets at is returned to the reservoir d.

The apparatus hereinbefore described provides humidified and temperature controlled air in the tension or pattern box B and at the knitting positions c to maintain the yarns 1 in a predetermined condition for tufting. The temperature and relative humidity may be varied to suit the various fibres and types of yarns used in the manufacture of carpets.

The humidifying apparatus may be housed in a unit situated below the tensioning or pattern box.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for supplying humidified air to yarn during passage of the yarn between a creel and a carpet tufting machine wherein said yarn passes through a pattern box and thence through tube means to a knitting section of said machine, characterized by means defining a humidifying chamber connected to discharge humidified air into said pattern box and through said tube means, and means comprising a deflector plate at the discharge end of said tube means for directing said air from the tube means to said knitting section.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said deflector late is transparent.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said deflector plate is an arcuate air deflecting member that is concave facing said knitting section.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said humidifying chamber contains inclined porous sheet means dividing the chamber into first and second compartments, a fan for supplying air under pressure to said first compartment, a water spray in said first compartment to humidify said air which passes through said porous sheet means into said second compartment, and a conduit for delivering humidified air from said second compartment to said pattern box.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,992,753 2/1935 Karlson 34-24 2,060,430 11/1936 Sponner 3423 2,682,116 6/1954 Dungler 3423 2,718,065 9/1955 Conti 3423 2,884,706 9/1959 Svavar 3423 3,088,224 5/1963 Cohn 3423 3,320,676 5/1967 Speers 3423 WILLIAM J. WYE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 3423

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