Device for singeing threads
United States Patent n91 Aschwanden et al.  
 [ Apr. 1,1975  
 i 1 DEVICE FOR SINGEING THREADS [75] Inventors: Paul Aschwanden, Arth; Konrad Wick, Goldau, both of Switzerland [73] Assignee: Aktiengesellschaft Fr. Mettlers Sohne Maschinenl&#39;abrik, Arth. Switzerland [22] Filed: Apr. 24. 1973 [2H Appl. No.: 354,081  
 [52] US. Cl. 28/63 [Sl] Int. Cl. D02j 3/16 [58] Field of Search 28/63. 72 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,4l0.l)72 l l/l968 Nintz ct al. 28/63 3.704.493 l2/l972 Coats ct al 28/63 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 529.253 9/l92l France 38/63 Primary Examiner-Louis K. Rimrodt Attorney, Agent, or Firm-McGlew and Tuttle [57] ABSTRACT A device for singeing threads comprises a housing having a thread passage therethrough along which a thread to be singed is moved. The passage includes an intermediate portion spaced from each end having a plurality of inwardly directed burner nozzles which are arranged around the passage for directing small singeing flames inwardly toward the thread which is moved through the passage. The nozzles are advantageously radially arranged and are supplied from an annular outer conduit which communicates with a supply conduit for a gas and air mixture. In addition to the burner nozzles. the housing includes means for supplying a treatment fluid to the thread passage adjacent the burner nozzles in order to control the singeing of the thread. In the preferred arrangement a treatment fluid such as control air is supplied through radially directed nozzles located both at the discharge end and the entrance end of the passage for the thread.  
 6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures mgmggm 1 1915 3. 874. 046  
 Fig.1  
 DEVICE FOR SINGEING THREADS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates in general to devices for treating fibrous material and. in particular. to a new and useful device for singeing threads. which includes a housing having a passage for the thread which carries a plurality of radially arranged nozzles oriented to direct singeing flames inwardly toward a thread moved through the passage and which also includes at least one additional means for directing a treatment fluid such as control air into the passage immediately adjacent the burner nozzles.  
 2. Description of the Prior Art As it is known. the purpose of the singeing or gassing is to burn off the fibrils projecting from the surface of a thread. Known devices of the type mentioned have the disadvantage of being well suited only for certain natural or synthetic fibers, because the combustion residucs for the various materials have very different properties. A singeing device with a very broad range of application uses pins directed transversely to the thread and serving to strip the residues away. but a further im provement of the adaptability of the singeing device to the nature of the fibrous material is desirable. A particularly desirable object of all efforts in this respect has been the possibility of selectively varying the singeing conditions directly in the singeing zone without thereby making the device complicated in manufacture and expensive.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to permit a control of the singeing process by a selective variation of the burning conditions. the present invention provides a device with a thread passage thercthrough in which a plurality of circularly arranged and radially convergent bores is directed toward at middle or singeing part of the passage through which the thread to be treated is advanced. These bores communicate through a common distribution channel with an outer conduit for supplying a t&#39;ucl-gas/air mixture so that at the orifices of the bores facing the thread, small flames can be produced to carry out the singeing process. Additional groups of bores are provided which are also circularly arranged around and radially converging toward the thread but located in the zone or zones preceding and/or following the singeing zone in the direction of the thread motion. Each group of the additional bores communicates with an outer conduit for supplying another gas or gas mixture serving to modify the singeing conditions.  
  In a further development of the invention. the thread passage comprises a stepped central bore of an individual housing formed by a conical insert or piece inserted into a casing. The circularly arranged bores are provided in this insert so as to lead. at their outer ends, into common annular distribution channels formed as a recess on the periphery of the insert. The channels are closed by the wall of the surrounding housing and further bores are provided in the latter which are adapted to receive the conduits of the fuel-gas/air mixture or of the additional gas or gas mixture. The radially converging inner bores are arranged in groups or sets one above the other in the respective zones or steps of the enclosed space. In the middle or singeing zone there are preferably three superposed groups of bores.  
  Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a device for singeing threads. comprising a housing having a thread passage through which the thread to be treated is advanced. with a middle or singeing part where the thread is actually treated by small flames. a plurality of passages for the used l&#39;uel-gas/air mixture arranged circularly around this part so as to radially converge toward the thread and communicating with an outer conduit for supplying the gas mixture. and a plurality of additional passages similarly arranged around a part or parts of the enclosed space preceding and/or following the singeing part in the direction of the thread motion and communicating with outer conduits for supplying another gas or gas mixture serving to modify the singeing conditions.  
  A further object ofthe invention is to provide the device in the form of an insert seated in a through hole of a casing and the enclosed space in the form of an axial bore. preferably stepped. and having a plurality of passages in the form of groups of radial bores provided in the insert and leading. at their outside. into common annular distribution channels recessed on the periphery of the insert. closed by the wall of the casing. and communicating with the outside through bores provided in the casing and receiving the respective conduit of gas or gas mixture.  
  According to another feature of the invention. in each zone of the gas admission into the enclosed space. the radially extending bores are arranged in groups or belts comprising at least one circular row. in the middle or singeing part preferably three such rows situated one above the other.  
  A further object of the invention is to provide a thread singeing device which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.  
  For an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference is made to the following description of a typical embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the Drawing:  
  FIG. I is an axial cross-sectional view of a singeing device according to the invention, taken along the i inc II of FIG. 22 and FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the same device.  
 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing in particular, the invention embodied therein comprises a housing or casing 1 which is mounted on the frame of a singeing machine (not shown). The casing l is provided with a tapered through hole 2 in which a correspondingly tapered insert or housing piece 3 is seated. On the periphery of the insert 3, whose outer surface applies against the wall bounding the hole 2, there are provided three vertically spaced substantially annular grooves which, along with the wall bounding the hole surface 2. enclose three chambers 4. S and 6. The middle chamber 5 communicates through a radial bore 7 provided in the casing I with a supply conduit 8 for a fucl-gas/air mixture and through three vertically spaced sets of radial bores 9. provided in the insert 3. with a middle section [0 of an axial through bore I I of the insert 3. The bore II includes outer larger diameter sections I2 and I3 in addition to the middle section 10 which has a smaller diameter than the other two sections [2 and 13. The outer sections [2 and I3 communicate with the chambers 4 and 6 respectively each through a set of radial bores 14 and IS.  
  The insert 3 has a through slot 16 extending in a radial plane. which is aligned with a corresponding slot [7 provided in the casing l. the latter slot 17 diverging outwardly to form an inlet section 18. The annular chambers 4 to 6 are interrupted by a radially extending slot 16 shown in FIG. 2.  
  .A thread 19 which is to be singed may easily be introduced from the outside through the slots [7 and I6 and into the geometrical axis of the bore II where it is exposed to radially directed small flames 20 produced at the orifices of bores 9 by ignition of the fuel-gas/air mixture entering through a conduit 8 into chamber 5 and there distributed to the bores.  
  Chambers 4 and 6 communicate through radial bores 2| and 22 provided in the casing l with outer conduits 23 and 24 through which a treatment fluid such as air is supplied. for example. The thread I) is advanced through the bore II in the direction ofarrow 25 ot&#39;FlG. l. and the air distributed in the chamber 4 to the individual bores l4 and passes to the inlet section [2 of bore H and causes an oxygen enrichment around the thread I) whereby a good combustion of the fibrils which project from the surface of the thread and are to be singed is assured. The air entering into the oulet sec tion 13 of bore 1 I through the bore 1 l ensures an afterburning of any combustion residues which may subsist at the end of the middle section 10 and thereupon cools down the thread I9.  
  In using the singeing device in accordance with the invention. the singeing process can be adapted to the nature of the fibrous materials forming the thread not only by controlling the fuel-gas/air mixture supply as in the known singeing devices. but also by controlling the air supplied to the thread 19 on the inlet and outlet sides. i.e. before and after the singeing zone. It is also possible to supply other gases or gas mixtures through the conduits 23 and 24. for example oxygen through the conduit 23. Owing to its very large adaptability. the described singeing device may be used for all known fibrous materials. particularly if provided in addition. with stripping pins.  
  A somewhat reduced adaptability which. however. is still considerably superior to that of the usual singeing devices. can be obtained by providing a supply of another gas or gas mixture only into the section preceding or following the singeing zonev While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application ofthe principles ofthe invention. it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.  
 What is claimed is:  
  l. A device for singeing threads comprising an outer cylindrical housing. a tubular insert arranged within said housing and having a bore therethrough defining a thread passage with a central narrow diameter portion and a widened end portion at each end. said tubular insert having an exterior wall with an intermediate annular groove defining a communication passage for a combustible fuel with said cylindrical housing. a plu rality of radially extending passages extending from said communicating chamber to the interior of said bore and defining burner nozzles which are oriented around the thread passage for directing small combustion flames toward said thread passing therethrough. a combustion fuel supply pipe connected into said communicating passage through the wall of cylindrical housing. said insert and said housing defining at least one annular treatment fluid communication chamber thercbetween having a plurality of radially extending passages extending from said treatment chamber into said passage at a location adjacent said burners. and means for supplying a treatment fluid to said at least one treatment fluid communications chamber.  
  2. A device according to claim I. wherein said at least one treatment fluid communications chamber comprises a separate treatment fluid communications chamber defined adjacent each end of said housing between said housing and said insert and each having a plurality of radially extending passages extending inwardly into said thread passage for directing the treatment fluid against the thread moving through the passage.  
  3. A device according to claim 2. wherein said housing and said insert include aligned radially extending slot extending along the length thereof to permit the thread to be treated to be positioned within the slot and into the thread passage.  
  4. A device according to claim I. wherein there are three vertically spaced rows of radially extending combustion fuel passages forming burner nozzles each discharging into said intermediate portion of said thread passage and including a separate annular passage defined between said insert and said housing located before said burner nozzles and after said burner nozzles in respect to the direction of thread movement through said thread passage and each having communicating passages extending into said thread passage for directing a treatment fluid against the thread moving therethrough.  
  5. A device for singeing threads comprising a housing having a thread passage thercthrough including an intermediate portion spaced from each end ofsaid thread passage with a plurality of inwardly directed burner nozzles arranged around said passage for directing small singeing flames inwardly toward the thread moving through the passage. a supply conduit connected to said burner nozzles for supplying combustible fuel thereto. and treatment fluid supply means on said hous ing for supplying a treatment fluid to said thread passage adjacent said burner nozzles for controlling the singeing of said thread. said treatment fluid supply means comprising a first plurality of treatment fluid supply nozzles adjacent one end of said passage for directing the treatment fluid into association with the thread moving therethrough and a second plurality of treatment fluid supply nozzles adjacent the opposite end of said thread passage for directing a treatment fluid into the passage into association with the thread moving therethrough.  
  6. A device for singeing threads comprising a housing having a thread passage therethrough including an intermediate portion spaced from each end of said thread passage with a plurality of inwardly directed burner nozzles arranged around said passage for directing small singeing flames inwardly toward the thread moving through the passage. a supply conduit connected to said burner nozzles for supplying combustible fuel thereto. and treatment fluid supply means on said hous&#39; ing for supplying a treatment fluid to said thread passage adjacent said burner nozzles for controlling the singeing of said thread. said housing comprising an outer cylindrical part and an inner tubular insert arranged within said outer cylindrical part. said tubular insert having a bore defining said thread passage and 5 having an outer wall with an annular groove located in