|
PatentVote.com: Vote on your favourite invention!
|
|
 |
Title: Method and apparatus for cutting textile tow into staple
Claims: What is claimed is: 1. A process for cutting textile tow into staple comprising the steps of: (a) winding a strand of textile tow upon a rotating textile tow support demarcating an interior in a direction generally parallel to the direction of rotation of said support to form an inner layer of tow wrapped on said tow support and one or more outer layers of tow wrapped on top of said inner layer, said tow being under tension to cause an inward pressure to be exerted solely by said tow against said tow support; (b) cutting said strand of textile tow into staple with a plurality of cutting surfaces which face radially outward and which contact the innermost layer of tow, by non-radial movement of each of said cutting surfaces transversely to said direction of winding of said tow upon said support and by an opposite non-radial transverse movement of the next adjacent cutting surface to increase tension on the tow between said adjacent cutting surfaces, thereby to improve cutting and cut the tow into pieces of staple; and (c) removing said staple from the interior of said tow support and away from said cutting surfaces. 2. A process as recited in claim 1 wherein: (a) said pieces of staple are cut by pairs of adjacently disposed cutting surfaces; and (b) one of each said pair of cutting surfaces moves non-radially in a first direction transverse to the direction of winding of said tow on said tow support and the other of the same said pair of cutting surfaces moves in a non-radial direction parallel to and opposite to the direction of motion of said one cutting surface. 3. A process as recited in claim 1, said step of removing said staple comprising aspirating said staple inward toward the center interior of said tow support. 4. A process for cutting textile tow into staple comprising the steps of: (a) winding a strand of textile tow upon a rotating textile tow support demarcating an interior in a direction generally parallel to the direction of rotation of said support to form an inner layer of tow wrapped on said tow support and one or more outer layers of tow wrapped on top of said inner layer, said tow being under tension to cause an inward pressure to be exerted solely by said tow tension against said tow support; (b) cutting said strand of textile tow into staple with a plurality of cutting surfaces which face radially outward and which contact the innermost layer of tow, by non-radial movement of each of said cutting surfaces transversely to said direction of winding of said tow upon said support and by an opposite non-radial transverse movement of the next adjacent cutting surface to increase tension on the tow between said adjacent cutting surfaces, thereby, to improve cutting and cut the tow into pieces of staple; (c) removing said staple from the interior of said tow support and away from said cutting surfaces, said tow support comprising said plurality of cutting surfaces, and said cutting surfaces providing the sole support for the tow wrapped on the support. 5. A process as recited in claim 4 wherein: the transverse non-radial movement of said cutting surfaces is orthogonal to said direction of winding of said tow upon said support. 6. A process as recited in claim 4 wherein: (a) said pieces of staple are cut by pairs of adjacently disposed cutting surfaces; and (b) one of each said pair of cutting surfaces moves non-radially in a first direction transverse to the direction of winding of said tow on said tow support and the other of said pair of cutting surfaces moves non-radially in a direction parallel to and opposite to the direction of motion of said one cutting surface. 7. An apparatus for cutting textile tow into staple comprising: (a) a rotatable tow support demarcating an interior which is adapted to have a strand of tow wound thereon to form an inner layer in surface contact with said tow support and one or more outer layers wrapped on top of said inner layer in a direction generally parallel to the direction of rotation of said support; (b) means for rotating said support about an axis; (c) tow feeding means for feeding a strand of tow to said rotatable support to form said layers under tension to cause said tow to exert solely by said tension an inward pressure against said tow support; (d) said support including a plurality of cutting surfaces facing radially outward, said cutting surfaces being in surface contact with said inner layer of tow wound on said support; (e) means for non-radially moving during rotation of said support one of said cutting surfaces in a direction transverse to the direction of winding of said tow on said support and the adjacent one of said cutting surfaces in a non-radial direction opposite said first direction, said transverse moving means thereby increasing the tension on tow between said adjacent surfaces, whereby cutting action is improved and the tow cut into staple; and (f) means for removing said staple from the interior of said tow support and away from said cutting surfaces. 8. A tow cutting apparatus as recited in claim 7, said means for removing said staple comprising means for aspirating said tow toward the interior of said tow support. 9. A tow cutting apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein said means for non-radially moving said cutting surfaces moves said cutting surfaces orthogonal to the direction of winding said tow on said support. 10. A tow cutting apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein: (a) said plurality of cutting surfaces comprise band knives rotatably mounted around the periphery of said support; and (b) said means for non-radially moving said cutting surfaces comprises first and second band wheels rotatably supporting each of said knife bands, said band wheels being mounted on said support and a gear drive coupled to said band wheels for rotating said band wheels upon rotation of said support. 11. A tow cutting apparatus as recited in claim 10 wherein said support further comprises: (a) a disk coupled to said means for rotating said support; (b) a ring connected to said disk by a plurality of members; and (c) where said bank knives are rotatably supported in said disk by said first band wheels and in said ring by said second band wheels. 12. A tow cutting apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein: (a) said band knives are evenly spaced around the periphery of said support; and (b) the diameter of said band wheels is equal to the space between adjacent band knives. 13. A tow cutting apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein: (a) said first band wheels have at least first and second diameters; (b) said second band wheels also have at least first and second diameters; (c) said first band wheels are disposed in a distribution around the periphery of said disk; and (d) said second band wheels are disposed in a distribution around the periphery of said ring. 14. A tow cutting apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein: (a) said distribution of said first band wheels around the periphery of said disk comprises an alternation of said first band wheel first and second diameters; and (b) said distribution of said second band wheels around the periphery of said ring comprises and alternation of said second band wheel first and second diameters. 15. A tow cutting apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein said band knives are unevenly spaced around the periphery of said support. 16. A tow cutting apparatus as recited in claim 10 wherein said gear drie comprises: (a) a stationary ring gear mounted coaxial with the axis of rotation of said support; and (a) a rotatable gear coupled to each of said first band driving wheels and to said stationary gear. 17. An apparatus for cutting textile tow into staple comprising: (a) a rotatable tow support which demarcates an interior and is adapted to have a strand of tow wound thereon to form an inner layer in surface contact with said tow support and one or more outer layers wrapped on top of said inner layer in a direction generally parallel to the direction of rotation of said support; (b) means for rotating said support about an axis; (c) tow feeding means for feeding a strand of tow to said rotatable support to form said layers under tension to cause said tow to exert solely by paid tension an inward pressure against said tow support; (d) said support including a plurality of cutting surfaces facing radially outward, said cutting surfaces providing the sole support for said layers of tow and being in surface contact with said inner layer of tow wound on said support; (e) means for non-radially moving during rotation of said support each of said cutting surfaces in a direction transverse to the direction of winding of said tow on said support and the adjacent ones of said cutting surfaces in a non-radial direction opposite said first direction, said transverse moving means thereby increasing the tension on tow between said adjacent surfaces, whereby cutting action is improved and the tow cut into staple (f) means for removing said staple from the interior of said tow support and away from said cutting surfaces. 18. A tow cutting apparatus as recited in claim 17 wherein: (a) said tow support comprises a plurality of knives which are slideably mounted, said knives having said cutting surfaces; and (b) said means for non-radially moving said cutting surfaces comprises means for reciprocating said knives during rotation of said tow support. 19. A tow cutting apparatus as recited in claim 18 further comprising: (a) a disk coupled to said means for rotating said support; (b) a ring coupled to said disk by a plurality of members; (c) a slotted cylindrical member secured to each of said knives, each of said members being slideably mounted within said disk and ring to permit transverse movement of said knives. 20. A tow cutting apparatus as recited in claim 18 wherein said reciprocating means comprises: (a) a first cam having a surface coupled to every other one of said slotted members, said cam surface having a lift in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said support to cause said members coupled thereto to move in a first direction transverse to said direction of winding of said tow of said support, and; (b) a second cam having a surface coupled to the remaining slotted members not coupled to said first cam, said second cam having a lift in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said support to cause said members coupled thereto to move in a second direction transverse to said direction of winding of said tow on said support, said second direction being opposite to the direction of motion of the members coupled to said first cam surface. 21. A tow cutting apparatus as recited in claim 20 wherein said knives are evenly spaced from each other. 22. A tow cutting apparatus as recited in claim 20 comprising means to hold said first and second cams stationary when said support is moving. 23. A tow cutting apparatus as recited in claim 20 comprising means to rotate said cams coaxially with the axis of rotation of said support during rotation of said support. 24. A tow cutting apparatus as recited in claim 20 wherein said knives are unevenly spaced from each other. 25. A tow cutting apparatus as recited in claim 20 wherein said knives reciprocate orthogonal to said direction of winding of said tow on said support. Other info: Inventors: Fourne, Franz (D-5300 Bonn, DE, US) Fourne, Ursula (D-5300 Bonn, DE, US) Application Number: 762282 Filing Date: 1977-01-25 Publication_date: 1979-02-27 Assignee: Primary Class(es): 19/.6 83/337, 83/913 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Newton, Dorsey Assistant Examiner: Attorney: Irons and Sears |
|