Method and apparatus for producing of staple fibre yarn

Claim 3

The method defined in claim 1, and the step of positively drafting the twisted sliverlet before supplying the sliverlet to a bobbin.

Claim 4

The method defined in claim 2, and the step of supplying separated fibres to the sliverlet in the negative drafting zone.

Claim 5

The method defined in claim 1, and the step of bonding the staple fibre sliverlet in the negative drafting zone at locations spaced apart a distance less than the mean staple fibre length.

Claim 6

The method defined in claim 4, in which the bonding is by adhesive, and the step of drying the sliverlet after the bonding step but before the sliverlet leaves the negative drafting zone.

Claim 7

The method defined in claim 1, and the step of doubling the yarn from a plurality of negative drafting zones before supplying the yarn to a bobbin.

Claim 8

The method defined in claim 6, and the step of setting the twist before the yarn is doubled.

Claim 9

The method defined in claim 1, and the further step of again twisting the yarn after negative drafting.

Claim 10

Apparatus for producing staple fibre yarn including means for positively drafting fibre sliver to produce a staple fibre sliverlet, having a drafting zone, means for twisting the sliverlet to produce yarn, and means for winding the yarn on a bobbin, the improvement comprising negative drafting means following the positive drafting means drafting zone in the direction of sliverlet travel and including a pair of draw-off rollers and a pair of supply rollers preceding said draw-off rollers and having a higher peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said draw-off rollers, the means for twisting the sliverlet being arranged between said supply rollers and said draw-off rollers and exerting a continuous twisting operation on the sliverlet in a predetermined direction.

Claim 11

Apparatus for producing staple fibre yarn including means for positively drafting fibre sliver to produce a staple fibre sliverlet, having a drafting zone, means for twisting the sliverlet to produce yarn, and means for winding the yarn on a bobbin, the improvement comprising negative drafting means following the positive drafting means drafting zone in the direction of sliverlet travel and including a pair of draw-off rollers and a pair of supply rollers preceding said draw-off rollers and having a higher peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said draw-off rollers, the means for twisting the sliverlet being arranged between said supply rollers and said draw-off rollers and exerting a continuous twisting operation on the sliverlet in a predetermined direction.

Claim 12

The apparatus defined in claim 9, in which the means for twisting the sliverlet is a pneumatically operated twisting nozzle.

Claim 13

The apparatus defined in claim 10, in which the means for twisting the sliverlet includes a flat sliverlet inlet opening and means for deflecting the sliverlet relative to a line tangent to the nip of the pair of supply rollers as the sliverlet emerges from the nip of the supply rollers.

Claim 14

The apparatus defined in claim 10, in which the means for twisting includes pneumatic fluid supply means for supplying pneumatic fluid for fLow through the pneumatic twisting nozzle in a direction to produce a pressure at the nozzle fibre sliverlet inlet end lower than the pressure at the nozzle outlet end.

Claim 15

The apparatus defined in claim 12, in which the means for twisting the sliverlet includes suction means connected to the pneumatic twisting nozzle.

Claim 16

The apparatus defined in claim 12, in which the means for twisting the sliverlet includes a source of compressed air connected to the pneumatic twisting nozzle.

Claim 17

Apparatus for producting staple fibre yarn including means for positively drafting fibre sliver to produce a staple fibre sliverlet, having a drafting zone, means for twisting the sliverlet to produce yarn, and means for winding the yarn on a bobbin, the improvement comprising negative drafting means following the positive drafting means drafting zone in the direction of sliverlet travel and including a pair of draw-off rollers and a first pair of supply rollers preceding said draw-off rollers and having a higher peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said draw-off rollers, the means for twisting the sliverlet being arranged between said supply rollers and said draw-off rollers, and second positive drafting means following the negative drafting means in the direction of sliverlet travel and including a second pair of supply rollers and a pair of drafting rollers having a higher peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said second pair of supply rollers.

Claim 18

Apparatus for producting staple fibre yarn including means for positively drafting fibre sliver to produce a staple fibre sliverlet, having a drafting zone, means for twisting the sliverlet to produce yarn, and means for winding the yarn on a bobbin, the improvement comprising negative drafting means following the positive drafting means drafting zone in the direction of sliverlet travel and including a pair of draw-off rollers and a first pair of supply rollers preceding said draw-off rollers and having a higher peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said draw-off rollers, the means for twisting the sliverlet being arranged between said supply rollers and said draw-off rollers, and second positive drafting means following the negative drafting means in the direction of sliverlet travel and including a second pair of supply rollers and a pair of drafting rollers having a higher peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said second pair of supply rollers.

Claim 19

The apparatus defined in claim 15, in which the negative drafting means draw-off rollers constitute the second positive drafting means supply rollers.

Claim 20

Apparatus for producing staple fibre yarn including means for positively drafting the fibre sliver to produce a staple fibre sliverlet having a drafting zone, means for twisting the sliverlet to produce yarn, and means for winding the yarn on a bobbin, the improvement comprising negative drafting means following the positive drafting means drafting zone in the direction of sliverlet travel and including a pair of draw-off rollers and a pair of supply rollers preceding said draw-off rollers and having a higher peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said draw-off rollers, the means for twisting the sliverlet being arranged between said supply rollers and said draw-off rollers, and bonding means for joining the fibres of the fibre sliverlet together at locations spaced apart a distance less than the mean staple length.

Claim 21

Apparatus for producing staple fibre yarn including means for positively drafting the fibre sliver to produce a staple fibre sliverlet having a drafting zone, means for twisting the sliverlet to produce yarn, and means for winding the yarn on a bobbin, the improvement comprising negative drafting means following the positive drafting means drafting zone in the direction of sliverlet travel and including a pair of draw-off rollers and a pair of supply rollers preceding said draw-off rollers and having a higher peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said draw-off rollers, the means for twisting the sliverlet being arranged between said supply rollers and said draw-off rollers, and bonding means for joining the fibres of the fibre sliverlet together at locations spaced apart a distance less than the mean staple length.

Claim 22

The apparatus defined in claim 17, in which the bonding means include a pair of rollers arranged between the pair of supply rollers and the pair of draw-off rollers, at least one roller of said pair of bonding means rollers having a plurality of rib means evenly spaced about such roller periphery for cooperating with the other bonding means roller to intermittently pinch the sliverlet and thereby to produce the spaced joined locations.

Claim 23

The apparatus defined in claim 18, in which the bonding means includes conveying means having a portion disposed tangentially of the cylinder defined by the rib means of one bonding roller for intermittent engagement with such rib means.

Claim 24

The apparatus defined in claim 19, in which the bonding means includes means for heating at least one of the bonding rollers.

Claim 25

The apparatus defined in claim 19, in which the bonding means includes a heating zone following the bonding means rollers in the direction of sliverlet travel, and means in the heating zone for heating the bonded fibre material.

Claim 26

Apparatus for producing staple fibre yarn including means for positively drafting fibre sliver to produce a staple fibre sliverlet having a drafting zone, means for twisting the sliverlet to produce yarn, and means for winding the yarn on a bobbin, the improvement comprising negative drafting means following the positive drafting means drafting zone in the direction of sliverlet travel and including a pair of draw-off rollers and a pair of supply rollers preceding said draw-Off rollers and having a higher peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said draw-off rollers, the means for twisting the sliverlet being arranged between said supply rollers and said draw-off rollers, a fibre opening device, and mixing chamber means arranged between said pair of supply rollers and said pair of draw-off rollers into which said fibre opening device is arranged to discharge fibres.

Claim 27

Apparatus for producing staple fibre yarn including means for positively drafting fibre sliver to produce a staple fibre sliverlet having a drafting zone, means for twisting the sliverlet to produce yarn, and means for winding the yarn on a bobbin, the improvement comprising negative drafting means following the positive drafting means drafting zone in the direction of sliverlet travel and including a pair of draw-off rollers and a pair of supply rollers preceding said draw-Off rollers and having a higher peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said draw-off rollers, the means for twisting the sliverlet being arranged between said supply rollers and said draw-off rollers, a fibre opening device, and mixing chamber means arranged between said pair of supply rollers and said pair of draw-off rollers into which said fibre opening device is arranged to discharge fibres.

Claim 28

The apparatus defined in claim 22, in which the mixing chamber means is located between the supply rollers and the means for twisting the sliverlet.

Claim 29

The combination of a plurality of apparatuses for producing staple fibre yarn each including means for positively drafting fibre sliver to produce a staple fibre sliverlet including a drafting zone and means for twisting the sliverlet to produce yarn, the improvement comprising negative drafting means following the positive drafting means drafting zone of each apparatus in the direction of sliverlet travel and including a pair of draw-off rollers and a pair of supply rollers preceding said draw-off rollers and having a higher peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said draw-off rollers, the means for twisting the sliverlet being arranged between said supply rollers and said draw-off rollers, and yarn winding means common to the plurality of pairs of draw-off rollers for collecting together several yarns.

Claim 30

The combination of a plurality of apparatuses for producing staple fibre yarn each including means for positively drafting fibre sliver to produce a staple fibre sliverlet including a drafting zone and means for twisting the sliverlet to produce yarn, the improvement comprising negative drafting means following the positive drafting means drafting zone of each apparatus in the direction of sliverlet travel and including a pair of draw-off rollers and a pair of supply rollers preceding said draw-off rollers and having a higher peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said draw-off rollers, the means for twisting the sliverlet being arranged between said supply rollers and said draw-off rollers, and yarn winding means common to the plurality of pairs of draw-off rollers for collecting together several yarns.

Claim 31

Apparatus for producing staple fibre yarn including means for positively drafting fibre sliver to produce a staple fibre sliverlet having a drafting zone, means for twisting the sliverlet to produce yarn, and means for winding the yarn on a bobbin, the improvement comprising negative drafting means following the positive drafting means drafting zone in the direction of sliverlet travel and including a pair of draw-off rollers and a pair of supply rollers preceding said draw-off rollers and having a higher peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said draw-off rollers, the means for twisting the sliverlet being arranged between said supply rollers and said draw-off rollers, and a twist setting device located before the winding means relative to the direction of sliverlet travel.

Claim 32

Apparatus for producing staple fibre yarn including means for positively drafting fibre sliver to produce a staple fibre sliverlet having a drafting zone, means for twisting the sliverlet to produce yarn, and means for winding the yarn on a bobbin, the improvement comprising negative drafting means following the positive drafting means drafting zone in the direction of sliverlet travel and including a pair of draw-off rollers and a pair of supply rollers preceding said draw-off rollers and having a higher peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said draw-off rollers, the means for twisting the sliverlet being arranged between said supply rollers and said draw-off rollers, and a twist setting device located before the winding means relative to the direction of sliverlet travel.