Warp sizing apparatus

Abstract

A warp sizing apparatus includes: a first roll; a second roll; and a sizing liquid supply device. The sizing liquid supply device includes: a sizing liquid supply pipe having supply holes; and nozzle units attachable to the sizing liquid supply pipe. The sizing liquid supply pipe includes attachment portions. The nozzle units are attachable to the attachment portions. Each of the nozzle units includes: a nozzle part having a jetting port at a tip; a base part, to which the nozzle part is attachable and which is attachable to the sizing liquid supply pipe; and an attachment / detachment structure configured to enable the nozzle part to be attached to and to be manually detached from the base part.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a warp sizing apparatus including a first roll on which a warp sheet can be wound, a second roll circumscribed around the first roll such that a path of the warp sheet is sandwiched between the first and the second rolls, and a size liquid supply device configured to supply a size liquid to a circumscribed position between the first and the second rolls.BACKGROUND

[0002] For example, JP2013-2029A discloses a warp sizing apparatus as described above. The warp sizing apparatus disclosed in Patent Literature 1 includes a drive roll (first roll) on which a warp sheet is wound, a first support roll (second roll) circumscribed around the first roll such that a path of the warp sheet is sandwiched between the first and the second rolls, and a size liquid supply device configured to supply a size liquid to a circumscribed position between the first and the second rolls. The size liquid supply device includes a supply nozzle for supplying the size liquid to the circumscribed position. Note that, although not clearly disclosed in Patent Literature 1, it can be considered that a plurality of supply nozzles is provided at intervals in an axis direction (width direction) of the first roll in terms of a technical point of warp sizing apparatus. Document US 4 862 713 Al discloses an apparatus for supplying liquid to an elongated liquid reservoir in a uniform manner over the length of reservoir comprises a through, extending transversely over the width of a continuous fabric web, into which a liquid is poured from above, and a feed pipe extending longitudinally along the through. In particular, document US4 862 713 discloses an apparatus for treating a warp comprising a first roll on which a warp sheet can be wound; a second roll forming a nip with the first roll such that a path of the warp sheet can be sandwiched between the first roll and the second roll; and a liquid supply device configured to supply a liquid into the nip, wherein the liquid supply device includes a liquid supply pipe extending along an axis direction of the first roll and having a plurality of supply holes formed at intervals in the axis direction; and a plurality of nozzle units, each of which is provided for corresponding to one of said supply holes and is attachable to the liquid supply pipe, wherein the liquid supply pipe includes a plurality of attachment portions, each of which is provided for corresponding one of the supply holes and each of the nozzle units is attachable to a corresponding attachment portion, and whereby each of the nozzle units includes a nozzle part having a jetting port at its tip.

[0003] Document US 4 441 341 A discloses a method and apparatus for treating textile materials, such as carpet, that employs an applicator station having a number of spray jets for causing a plurality of streams of fluid to be fanned out into a corresponding plurality of fan shape sheets of spray directed to the surface of a roller. Document US 4 587 813 A discloses an apparatus for applying a foamed treatment material such as size to a textile material such as threads as the latter passes between a pair of drive rollers that includes a frame which forms a pocket for the size above the rollers with the rollers forming the bottom of the pocket.

[0004] In the warp sizing apparatus configured in this way, the size liquid is supplied to the circumscribed position from the supply nozzles of the size liquid supply device, and the warp sheet passes between the first and the second rolls. Therefore, the warp sheet is sized, and the extra size liquid is squeezed from the warp sheet.

[0005] In general, a size liquid supplied in that way has high viscosity. For this reason, in a supply nozzle, the size liquid supplied from a nozzle tip can accumulate and solidify gradually to be a lump of size around the tip. In addition, if the size liquid is continued to be supplied thereafter, the lump can get larger and larger and can be peeled off from the nozzle tip onto the warp sheet, which can degrade the sizing. Therefore, it is necessary to clean warp sizing apparatus regularly to remove the lump accumulating around the nozzle tip.

[0006] During the cleaning, however, a cleaner has to stay away from components such as rollers and piping. In particular, a supply nozzle around the center of supply nozzles arranged abreast in a width direction is not easily accessible, which makes the cleaning difficult. Further, since the vicinity of the circumscribed position is to be cleaned, the cleaner may remove the lump from the nozzle tip onto the circumscribed position.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a warp sizing apparatus whose size liquid supply device is easily cleanable.SUMMARY

[0008] The present invention presupposes the above-described warp sizing apparatus. The size liquid supply device includes: a size liquid supply pipe that extends along an axis direction of the first roll and has a plurality of supply holes formed at intervals in the axis direction; and a plurality of nozzle units, each of which is provided for corresponding one of the supply holes and is attachable to the size liquid supply pipe. The size liquid supply pipe includes a plurality of attachment portions, each of which is provided for corresponding one of the supply holes, each of the nozzle units is attachable to corresponding one of the attachment portions. Each of the nozzle units includes: a nozzle part having a jetting port at a tip; a base part, to which the nozzle part is attachable and which is attachable to the size liquid supply pipe; and an attachment / detachment structure configured to enable the nozzle part to be attached to and to be detached from the base part without a tool.

[0009] According to the warp sizing apparatus of the present invention, the size liquid supply device of the warp sizing apparatus is configured such that the nozzle unit provided for each of the supply holes of the size liquid supply pipe has the fluid coupler configured to enable the nozzle part, which has the jetting port at the tip, to be attached to and to be detached from the size liquid supply pipe without a tool. Said fluid coupler includes a coupler socket as a female member and a coupler plug as a male member, so that when one end of the coupler plug is pushed into an insertion hole of the coupler socket, a plurality of balls arranged in said insertion hole are engaged with a groove formed on an outer periphery of the coupler plug, and the coupler socket is provided with a manually releasable lock mechanism configured to lock said balls to said groove in order to connect the coupler plug to the coupler socket. Since the nozzle part, which needs cleaning, can be detached from the size liquid supply pipe, it becomes possible to clean the nozzle part considerably easily. In addition, since the nozzle part can be attached to and detached from the size liquid supply pipe without a tool during the cleaning, operability is improved.

[0010] Further, since the cleaning can be done apart from the circumscribed position (outside the warp sizing apparatus), it becomes possible to reliably eliminate a possibility that the lump of size removed from the tip of the nozzle part will drop onto the circumscribed position.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein: FIG. 1 is a side view of a warp sizing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a front view of the warp sizing apparatus; and FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial view of a size liquid supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0012] In the following, a warp sizing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0013] A warp sizing apparatus 1 includes a sizing tank 3 in which a size liquid S is stored, a sizing roll 11 on which a warp sheet T can be wound and that is immersed in the size liquid S, and a first squeeze roll 13 and a second squeeze roll 15 that are circumscribed around the sizing roll 11. The warp sizing apparatus 1 further includes a size liquid supply device 20 configured to supply the size liquid S from above to a circumscribed position between the sizing roll 11 and the first squeeze roll 13. Note that, in the present embodiment, the sizing roll 11 corresponds to the first roll, and the first squeeze roll 13 corresponds to the second roll.

[0014] The sizing roll 11 is a roll on which the warp sheet T can be wound and is rotatably supported on a frame (not shown) of the warp sizing apparatus 1 by support shafts 12 attached to both ends of the sizing roll 11. Lower part of the sizing roll 11 is immersed in the size liquid S stored in the sizing tank 3.

[0015] Note that, the warp sizing apparatus 1 includes a drive mechanism (not shown) configured to rotationally drive the sizing roll 11. Therefore, the sizing roll 11 is rotationally driven actively to advance the warp sheet T. The warp sheet T is immersed in and is impregnated with the size liquid S with the warp sheet T being wound on and being guided by the sizing roll 11.

[0016] The second squeeze roll 15 is a roll configured to squeeze the size liquid S from the warp sheet T impregnated therewith and is installed in front of the sizing roll 11. In addition, the second squeeze roll 15 is rotatably supported on the frame by support shafts 16 attached to both ends of the second squeeze roll 15 such that an axis direction of the second squeeze roll 15 coincides with that of the sizing roll 11 (width direction of the warp sizing apparatus 1). Note that, the second squeeze roll 15 is supported on the frame by the intermediacy of a pressing mechanism (not shown) and is pressed against and is circumscribed around the sizing roll 11. Therefore, the second squeeze roll 15 passively rotates as the sizing roll 11 actively rotates.

[0017] The warp sheet T wound on the sizing roll 11 passes between the sizing roll 11 and the second squeeze roll 15 and is then pulled out. When passing between the sizing roll 11 and the second squeeze roll 15, the size liquid S extra is squeezed from the warp sheet T impregnated with the size liquid S.

[0018] The first squeeze roll 13 is installed behind the sizing roll 11. The first squeeze roll 13 is rotatably supported on the frame by support shafts 14 attached to both ends of the first squeeze roll 13 such that an axis direction of the first squeeze roll 13 coincides with the width direction. The first squeeze roll 13 is rotatably supported on the frame by the intermediacy of the pressing mechanism and is pressed against and is circumscribed around the sizing roll 11. Therefore, the first squeeze roll 13 passively rotates as the sizing roll 11 actively rotates.

[0019] Note that, since the first squeeze roll 13 is circumscribed around the sizing roll 11 as described above, a wedge-shaped region, or a wedge-shaped gap, is formed between the sizing roll 11 and the first squeeze roll 13 (above the circumscribed position). Further, the size liquid supply device 20 is installed above the wedge-shaped region in order to supply the size liquid S toward the wedge-shaped region. When the size liquid S is supplied to the wedge-shaped region from the size liquid supply device 20, a size liquid pool 18 in which the size liquid S is retained is formed in the wedge-shaped region.

[0020] The warp sheet T is wound on and is guided by the first squeeze roll 13, passes between the sizing roll 11 and the first squeeze roll 13, and is then wound onto the sizing roll 11. Then, the warp sheet T passes through the size liquid pool 18 formed between the first squeeze roll 13 and the sizing roll 11, and the size liquid S is impregnated in the warp sheet T. When the warp sheet T that has been impregnated with the size liquid S passes between the sizing roll 11 and the first squeeze roll 13, the size liquid S extra is squeezed from the warp sheet T.

[0021] In the warp sizing apparatus 1 according to the present invention, the size liquid supply device includes a size liquid supply pipe that extends along the axis direction of the first roll and has a plurality of supply holes formed at intervals in the axis direction, and nozzle units, each of which is provided for corresponding one of the supply holes and is attached to the size liquid supply pipe. Each of the nozzle units of the size liquid supply device includes a nozzle part having a jetting port at a tip and a base part to which the nozzle is attached and that is attached to the size liquid supply pipe. The nozzle part is attachable to and detachable from the base part without a tool. In the present embodiment, the above-described attachment / detachment structure is provided between the base part and the nozzle part. The warp sizing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail in the following.

[0022] A size liquid supply pipe 30 has a tubular shape, and its length is slightly longer than the width of the sizing roll 11. The size liquid supply pipe 30 is installed above the wedge-shaped region such that its axis direction is parallel to the width direction. That is, the size liquid supply pipe extends along the axis direction of the sizing roll 11. Note that, as for a front-rear direction of the warp sizing apparatus 1, the size liquid supply pipe 30 is installed in a position slightly closer to the first squeeze roll 13 than to the circumscribed position as seen from the width direction. In addition, as for the width direction, the size liquid supply pipe 30 is installed such that its center substantially coincides with that of the sizing roll 11. Therefore, the size liquid supply pipe 30 extends over the sizing roll 11 in the width direction.

[0023] In addition, the size liquid supply pipe 30 has a plurality of supply holes 31 that penetrate through a peripheral wall of the size liquid supply pipe 30 and are formed at intervals in the width direction. Further, the size liquid supply pipe 30 has cylindrical attachment portions 32, each of which protrudes radially from an outer peripheral surface around corresponding one of the supply holes 31. The inside of the size liquid supply pipe 30 and that of attachment portions 32 are connected by the supply holes 31.

[0024] The size liquid supply pipe 30 is installed in the warp sizing apparatus 1 such that the attachment portions 32 and the supply holes 31 face in the front direction (direction from the first squeeze roll 13 to the sizing roll 11). Note that, the size liquid supply pipe 30 is attached by brackets or the like (not shown). A supply pipe 7 is connected to one end of the size liquid supply pipe 30, and the size liquid S is supplied from a supply source 5 via the supply pipe 7.

[0025] Each of the nozzle units 40 is attached to corresponding one of the attachment portions 32 of the size liquid supply pipe 30. Each of the nozzle units 40 includes an elbow 41 attached to the attachment portion 32, a fluid coupler 43 providing the attachment / detachment structure, a nozzle 44 including a jetting port for the size liquid S, and a ball valve 42 inserted between the elbow 41 and the fluid coupler 43. The components of each of the nozzle units 40 will be described in detail in the following.

[0026] The elbow 41 is a tubular member whose center bends at a substantially right angle. The elbow 41 is attached to the attachment portion 32 by screwing the elbow 41 into the attachment portion 32. One end of the elbow 41 is formed with an internal thread, and one end of the attaching portion 32 is formed with an external thread corresponding to the internal thread.

[0027] The fluid coupler 43 includes a coupler socket 43a as a female member and a coupler plug 43b as a male member. Detailed description of the fluid coupler will be omitted since structure thereof is well-known. When one end of the coupler plug 43b is pushed into an insertion hole of the coupler socket 43a, a plurality of balls (not shown) arranged in the insertion hole are engaged with a groove formed on an outer periphery of the coupler plug 43b. In addition, the coupler socket 43a is provided with a lock mechanism (not shown) configured to fix (lock) the balls to the groove in order to fix (connect) the coupler plug 43b to the coupler socket 43a.

[0028] The lock mechanism of the coupler socket 43a of the fluid coupler 43 is configured such that the lock can be released manually (without using a tool). Specifically, the balls fixed can be released by sliding the lock mechanism manually to release the coupler plug 43b from the coupler socket 43a. In this manner, the fluid coupler 43 is configured such that the coupler plug 43b is attachable to and detachable from (connectable to and disconnectable from) the coupler socket 43a without a tool.

[0029] The nozzle unit 40 of the present embodiment has the ball valve 42 to change the state of a jet of the size liquid S supplied from the size liquid supply pipe 30 (to adjust the amount of the jet and to switch the jet between on and off). The ball valve 42 is inserted between the elbow 41 and the coupler socket 43a of the fluid coupler 43. In other words, one end of the ball valve 42 is connected to and is fixed to one end of the elbow 41 (an end opposite to that attached to the attachment portion 32 of the size liquid supply pipe 30), and the other end of the ball valve is connected to and fixed to the coupler socket 43a of the fluid coupler 43.

[0030] The nozzle unit 40 is provided with the nozzle 44 to jet the size liquid S, and the nozzle 44 is attached to a tip of the fluid coupler 43 (coupler plug 43b). The nozzle 44 is a cylindrical member hollow inside and is attached to the coupler plug 43b with the nozzle 44 covering the tip of the coupler plug 43b. The hollow in the nozzle 44 is formed such that an inner diameter of one end 44a, which is a jetting port for the size liquid S, is smaller than an inner diameter of the other end portion, which covers the tip of the coupler plug 43b.

[0031] The elbow 41 of the nozzle unit 40, which includes the elbow 41, the ball valve 42, the fluid coupler 43, and the nozzle 44, is attached to the attachment portion 32 of the size liquid supply pipe 30 such that the jetting port 44a of the nozzle 44 faces downward. In addition, each of the nozzle units 40 is installed in the warp sizing apparatus 1 above the wedge-shaped region. Note that, in the nozzle unit 40, the nozzle 44 and the coupler plug 43b correspond to the nozzle part, and the elbow 41, the ball valve 42, and the coupler socket 43a correspond to the base part. The fluid coupler 43 (coupler socket 43a and coupler plug 43b), which enables the nozzle part 52 to be attached to and to be detached from the base part 50, corresponds to the attachment / detachment structure.

[0032] In the warp sizing apparatus 1, the size liquid S is supplied from the size liquid supply pipe 30 and is jetted from the jetting port 44a of the nozzle 44 to the wedge-shaped region, thereby forming the size liquid pool 18 in which the size liquid S is retained in the wedge-shaped region.

[0033] According to the warp sizing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, by releasing the connection between the coupler plug 43b and the coupler socket 43a of the fluid coupler 43, the nozzle part 52, which includes the nozzle 44, can be detached from the base part 50 attached to the size liquid supply pipe 30. Since the nozzle 44 (nozzle part 52), which needs cleaning, can be detached from the size liquid supply pipe 30, it becomes possible to clean the nozzle 44 considerably easily. In addition, since the cleaning can be done apart from the circumscribed position (outside the warp sizing apparatus), it becomes possible to reliably eliminate a possibility that a lump of size removed from the tip of the nozzle 44 will drop onto the circumscribed position. Furthermore, since the nozzle 44 can be attached to and detached from the base part 50 without a tool, the attachment / detachment can be very easy.

[0034] Note that, in the nozzle unit 40 of the present embodiment, as shown in an enlarged view of FIG. 3, the entire periphery of an inner periphery edge 44a1 of the tip of the jetting port 44a is rounded. Since the size liquid S is not easily stay in the tip of the jetting port 44a of the nozzle 44, the cleaning does not have to be done frequently.

[0035] In the above, the warp sizing apparatus according to an embodiment (hereinafter, referred to as the "above embodiment") has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and other embodiments (modified embodiments) to be described in the following can be conceivable. (1) As for nozzle unit, in the above embodiment, the nozzle unit 40 includes the elbow 41, the ball valve 42, the fluid coupler 43, and the nozzle 44, and the base part of the nozzle unit 40 includes the elbow 41 attached to the size liquid supply pipe 30, the coupler socket 43a of the fluid coupler 43, and the ball valve 42 inserted between the elbow 41 and the coupler socket 43a. In the present invention, however, the base part, to which the nozzle part is detachably attached and which is attached to the size liquid supply pipe, is not limited to one including a plurality of members as in the above embodiment and may consist of a single member.

[0036] For example, the coupler socket of the fluid coupler of the above embodiment may be attached to the size liquid supply pipe (attachment portion), and the coupler socket may be the base part consisting of a single member. In this case, the nozzle part attached to the base part is configured such that the nozzle is attached to the coupler plug connected to the coupler socket by the intermediacy of piping or the like as appropriate. and the nozzle unit is configured such that the connecting (attaching / detaching) point of the nozzle part is in the immediate vicinity of the size liquid supply pipe.

[0037] As for the nozzle part, in the above embodiment, the nozzle part includes the coupler plug 43b of the fluid coupler 43 and the nozzle 44. In the present invention, however, the nozzle part is not limited to one including a plurality of members as in the above embodiment and may consist of a single member. Specifically, the nozzle part may be a single member integrating the coupler plug and the nozzle.

[0038] Further, in the above embodiment, the entire periphery of an inner periphery edge 44a1 of the tip of the jetting port 44a is rounded. In the present invention, however, the shape of the tip (particularly, inner periphery edge) of the jetting port is not limited thereto. For example, the inner periphery edge of the tip may be but does not have to be chamfered.

[0039] (2) As for the attachment / detachment structure in the nozzle unit, in the above embodiment, the attachment / detachment structure corresponds to the fluid coupler. In the present invention, however, the attachment / detachment structure is not limited thereto. For example, a ferrule j oint, in which a flange formed at a joint and a flange formed at another joint are fixed by a clamp in a fastening manner, may be the attachment / detachment structure. Any structure can be the attachment / detachment structure as long as it enables attachment and detachment between pipes manually without a tool.

[0040] (3) As for the size liquid supply device, in the above embodiment, the size liquid supply pipe 30 of the size liquid supply device 20 is installed such that the attachment portions 32 face in the front direction and is placed in a position slightly closer to the first squeeze roll 13 than to the circumscribed position as seen in the width direction, and the jetting port 44a of the nozzle part is above the wedge-shaped region when the nozzle units 40 are attached to the size liquid supply pipe 30. The position of the jetting port of the nozzle part depends not only on the configuration of the nozzle unit itself (for example, dimensions of the base part attached to the size liquid supply pipe) but also on the position of the size liquid supply pipe, to which the nozzle unit is attached, in the front-rear direction and on the direction of the attachment portion.

[0041] Accordingly, in the present invention, the configuration of nozzle unit or the position or the direction of the size liquid supply pipe in the front-rear direction may be designed arbitrarily as long as the jetting port of the nozzle part is above the wedge-shaped region in the front-rear direction.

[0042] (4) As for the warp sizing apparatus presupposed, in the above embodiment, the warp sizing apparatus 1 is configured such that the sizing roll 11 is immersed in the size liquid S stored in the sizing tank 3 and the first squeeze roll 13 and the second squeeze roll 15 are circumscribed around the sizing roll 11 to sandwich the path of the warp sheet T between the sizing roll 11 and the first squeeze roll 13 and between the sizing roll 11 and the second squeeze roll 15. However, the warp sizing apparatus according to the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0043] For example, the warp sizing apparatus may also be configured such that the second squeeze roll is immersed in the size liquid S stored in the sizing tank similarly to the sizing roll. In this case, the sizing tank should be larger to accommodate the sizing roll and the second squeeze roll in the front-rear direction. In addition, the warp sizing apparatus may also be configured such that only the second squeeze roll is immersed in the size liquid S stored in the sizing tank.

Claims

1. A warp sizing apparatus (1) comprising: a first roll (11) on which a warp sheet (T) can be wound; a second roll (13) circumscribed around the first roll (11) such that a path of the warp sheet (T) is sandwiched between the first roll (11) and the second roll (13); and a size liquid supply device (20) configured to supply a size liquid (S) to a circumscribed position between the first roll (11) and the second roll (13), wherein the size liquid supply device (20) includes: a size liquid supply pipe (30) that extends along an axis direction of the first roll (11) and has a plurality of supply holes (31) formed at intervals in the axis direction; and a plurality of nozzle units (40), each of which is provided for corresponding one of the supply holes (31) and is attachable to the size liquid supply pipe (30), the size liquid supply pipe (30) includes a plurality of attachment portions (32), each of which is provided for corresponding one of the supply holes (31), each of the nozzle units (40) is attachable to corresponding one of the attachment portions (32), and each of the nozzle units (40) includes: a nozzle part (52; 44, 43b) having a jetting port (44a) at a tip; a base part (50; 41, 42, 43a), to which the nozzle part (52; 44, 43b) is attachable and which is attachable to the size liquid supply pipe (30); and a fluid coupler (43) configured to enable the nozzle part (52; 44, 43b) to be attached to and to be detached from the base part (50; 41, 42, 43a) without a tool, wherein said fluid coupler (43) includes a coupler socket (43a) as a female member and a coupler plug (43b) as a male member, so that when one end of the coupler plug (43b) is pushed into an insertion hole of the coupler socket (43a), a plurality of balls arranged in said insertion hole are engaged with a groove formed on an outer periphery of the coupler plug (43b), and wherein the coupler socket (43a) is provided with a manually releasable lock mechanism configured to lock said balls to said groove in order to connect the coupler plug (43b) to the coupler socket (43a).

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