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US 4,468,922 AGranted
Apparatus for spinning textile fibers
AssigneeBattelle Development Corporation
InventorsPaul E. McCrady, Robert B. Reif
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for electrostatic spinning of textile fibers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a twister electrode and a rapid spinning ground electrode, more particularly, a spinning ground electrode having an insulated tip which is tapered and fluted so as to positively drive or rotate the yarn tail extending from the twister electrode.
Claims11
An electrostatic spinning apparatus for spinning textile fibers comprising:
- a fiber feed means having an exit for discharging textile fibers therefrom;
- a stationary conical member of electrically insulating material having an opening in the base for receiving fibers from the exit of said fiber feed means and an open-ended apex for passage of said fibers therethrough;
- a rotating conical member of electrically insulating material spaced from said stationary conical member but having an open-ended base aligned therewith for receiving fibers passing through said stationary conical member;
- a twister electrode at the apex of said rotating conical member for receiving fibers from said rotating conical member, for twisting said fibers into continuous yarn, but forming a trailing end of fibers into a yarn tail;
- a twisting ground electrode proximate the fiber feed means exit and the base of said stationary conical member for reducing or eliminating reverse twist in said yarn tail extending from said twister electrode;
- an electrical field between said ground electrode and said twister electrode produced by a voltage source so as to produce an electrical charge on fibers entering into said electrical field.
3 more elements
A method of spinning textile fibers comprising the steps of:
- (a) applying a high voltage potential between a twister electrode and a twisting ground electrode;
- (b) delivering by fiber feed means textile fiber into an electrical field between said twister electrode and said twisting ground electrode, said electrodes located on opposite sides of a chamber defined by two or more electrically insulating conical members;
- (c) electrically charging said fibers whereby said charged fibers are aligned toward and propelled in the direction of said twister electrode;
- (d) twisting the fibers with said twister electrode to form a yarn beyond said twister electrode and to form a yarn tail extending from said twister electrode back to said twisting ground electrode said yarn tail becoming a fiber collecting means;
- (e) twisting said yarn tail with said twisting ground electrode so as to reduce or eliminate reverse twist by twisting said ground electrode in the same direction as said twister electrode.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.