High Speed Carrier With Deckled Underply

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in high speed carriers, for example textile tubes and paper mill cores. More particularly, it is a primary intention of the invention to provide a high speed carrier constructed in a manner so as to avoid the frequent tendency for such tubes to disintegrate or "explode", and at the same time provide a surface which is free or any irregularities such as would tend to produce a bumping or bouncing of the tube or carrier during winding operations.

A significant problem encountered in present day high speed winding arises from a tendency for the carriers to peel or disintegrate when there is a fortuitous coincidence of adhesion fault and damage on wind start-up. Basically, after a yarn tube or the like is placed on the winding spindle, it is struck violently by a rotating start-up drum which instantly causes the tube to reach its maximum running speed. This speed can amount to a surface speed of 12,000 feet per minute or higher. The violent action at start-up applies stresses to the surface of the tube. Experimental work has determined that the most vulnerable part of the tube surface is the pointed "dog-ear" on the end of the tube as it is struck by the start-up drum. If this "dog-ear" is not completely stuck or if the paper in this area does not have very good internal bond, there is a tendency for this pointed edge to peel upward causing an initiation of the tube explosion. This in turn causes scrap paper to be thrown about the machine and, in addition to creating losses from the yarn that had been wound on the tube, is of course very disconcerting to the machine operators.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to avoid this problem of "exploding" tubes. This is effected principally by the provision of a "seamless" ply immediately beneath the surface parchment whereby exposure of the pointed "dog-ear" is avoided. Such a "seamless" ply is formed by utilizing overlying deckle edges on the spirally wound ply immediately under the surface parchment ply. Actual experimental trials have proven that tubes made in this manner are unquestionably more resistant to explosions than the conventional tubes wherein butted edges are relied on.

In connection with the above, provision also must be made to avoid the bumping or bouncing of the tube or carrier during winding operations. As such, the surface of the tube must be smooth, that is without any projections as would occur in a normal edge overlap situation. Thus, when the "seamless" tube proposed herein is manufactured, there theoretically must be a perfect overlap of the deckle edges. This in turn would require precise grinding of the deckle edges and a precise constant width of the ply or strip of paper. For example, using normal manufacturing procedures, a nominal 2 inch ID tube with a 0.150 inch wall would require a ply width of 4-5/8 inches and a deckle width of 1/2 inch. This would produce a theoretical perfect overlap. However, due to manufacturing variances in ply width, deckle width, and weaving on the spiral machine, it is extremely difficult to consistently overlap the ply deckle edges to give a smooth outside surface on the tube. Consequently, some portions of the tube could be expected to have surface ridges or high places due to too much overlap. This in turn will cause bumping or bouncing of the tube against the drive roll in yarn winding operations. By the same token, the uneven surface causes high noise levels and some possible unevenness in the wound material.

Thus, another significant object of the invention is to provide a system whereby a tube strengthening ply overlap can be provided without a corresponding bump or projection in the tube surface. This is done by trimming the overlap ply narrower than usual or as suggested when utilizing plies with butt edges. For example, in the nominal 2 inch ID tube supra, a preferred ply width of 4-17/32 inches would be used. In this manner, when the ply is wound perfectly, the deckle overlap would be 3/32 inch short and a small depression or sink would be evident on the surface of the tube. Due to this overlap shortage, it is extremely unlikely that the ply will have a bump in the surface due to any manufacturing variations in weaving, deckle width or ply width. Accordingly, the tube surface will be smoother and will not produce the bumping or bouncing which is objectionable in the winding operation. A small depression or sink is not felt by the winding drum and therefore will not present problems during the winding operation. While the making of the overlap plies 3/32 inch narrower than usual appears to be satisfactory, it may be possible or desirable to change this width either more or less. Such of course would be determined during production operations.

These together with additional objects and advantages will become more apparent from the following description of the details of construction and operation. Reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a high speed carrier or tube constructed in accordance with the present invention with a portion of the surface parchment broken away for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged end view of the carrier;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional detail through the carrier illustrating the deckle edge overlap;

FIG. 4 is a perspective detail of a prior art carrier illustrated in association with a start-up drum;

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the improved carrier of the present invention illustrated in conjunction with a start-up drum; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view through the deckle edge ply prior to a spiral winding thereof on the carrier.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 10 is used to generally designate a high speed carrier or tube constructed in accordance with the present invention. This tube 10, the cross-section of which has been greatly exaggerated in FIG. 3 for purposes of illustration, includes a base 12 conventionally defined by multiple spirally wound plies normally on the order of from 0.015 inch to 0.025 inch in thickness. In one typical example, six such plies will define the base 12 with the spiral edges of each of these plies being spaced slightly and rotationally offset from the edges of the remaining plies.

The final structural ply 14 of the tube 10 is spirally wound about the base 12 and is provided immediately beneath the surface ply 16 so as to define in effect an underply. This ply 14, when utilized in conjunction with the aforedescribed plies of the base 12, will be on the order of 0.015 inch. The ply 14 will differ from the remaining plies by the specific provision of opposed longitudinal deckle edges 18 thereon. The deckle edges 18, when dealing with a ply width of approximately 4-5/8 inches will normally be on the order of 1/2 inch with the deckle edges being so defined whereby a perfect overlap, that is an overlap equal in width to the individual deckle width, will produce a perfectly smooth surface. However, inasmuch as a perfect overlap is, as a practical matter, extremely difficult to consistently achieve due to manufacturing variances, the deckle edges 18 are specifically underlapped, as detailed in the exaggerated cross-section of FIG. 3, so as to define a slight depression or sink 20 along the seam formed. This slight spiral depression 20 produces no bump and no noise such as would occur were the deckle edges 18 excessively overlapped, resulting in a slight ridge. The desired underlapping of the edges 18 will normally be effected utilizing conventional spiral winding equipment by making the ply 14 slightly narrower than what would be considered the normal width for this ply so as to ensure that the deckle edge overlap at no time exceeds a "perfect" overlap.

The tube construction is completed by the outer parchment ply 16 which is extremely thin, on the order of 27 lb. white parchment when utilized in conjunction with structural plies as heretofore described. Such parchment is conventionally utilized so as to provide specific surface characteristics to the tube with the extreme thinness thereof, exaggerated for purposes of illustration in FIG. 3, actually providing no discernible bump or ridge, notwithstanding the overlapping of the edges thereof utilized so as to ensure surface coverage.

The particularly significant advantage achieved by the utilization of the deckle edge strengthening ply is the avoidance of any tendency for the tube to disintegrate or "explode" as is a significant problem with conventionally formed tubes. In connection therewith, attention is directed to FIG. 4 wherein a tube 22, constructed in accordance with prior practices and utilizing butted or bump forming overlapped edges 24 in the outer structural ply, has been illustrated in conjunction with an overlying start-up drum 26. The most vulnerable part of the outer structural ply, herein designated by reference numeral 28, is the "dog-ear" 30 on the end of the tube. If this "dog-ear" is not completely stuck or if the paper in this area does not have a very good internal bond, the substantial stresses applied thereto as the tube is engaged by the start-up drum will result in an upward peeling of the edge of the ply 28 and the initiation of the tube disintegration.

This problem of "exploding" tubes is avoided by utilization of the deckle overlap in the manner proposed herein. In this regard, attention is directed to FIG. 5 which illustrates a conventional start-up drum 26 in operative association with the tube 10 of the present invention. In this instance, it will be noted that the "dog-ear" portion 32 of the outermost deckle edged structural ply 14 is well protected and in fact covered by the overlapping edge. Thus, any tendency for the "dog-ear" 32 to start to peel is completely avoided notwithstanding any possible adhesive deficiency or defect in the paper. It will of course be appreciated that the slight depression or sink 20 also tends to protect the particularly vulnerable "dog-ear" area.

From the foregoing, it is to be appreciated that significant improvements have been achieved in the construction of yarn carriers or tubes and the like. The resultant tube, in addition to avoiding the particular problem of tube disintegration, also achieves what might be called a "no-bump" and a "no-noise" tube. In other words, by the utilization of a deckle edged outer strengthening ply, with the deckle edges specifically underlapped and at no time lapped beyond the width of the deckle edge, no ridge or projection is provided on the surface of the tube such as would produce undesirable bumping or bouncing of the tube during the winding operation and an accompanying disagreeable noise, both of which are frequently experienced in conventionally constructed tubes.

The foregoing is considered illustrative of the principles of the invention. As additional features may occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.