Porous warp sizing apparatus

Apparatus for use in preparing a loom beam on a slasher which includes apparatus for applying a sizing material to individual warp yarns arranged side by side in a warp yarn sheet prior to being wound upon said loom beam comprising:

• a frame;
• a pressure roll carried by said frame:
• an application roll having a hollow interior carried by said frame in contact with said pressure roll to define a nip through which said warp yarn sheet passes;
• a continuous cylindrical porous application surface formed on said application roll having an extent at least as great as the width of said warp yarn sheet passing between said nip of said rolls;
• drive means for rotating said application roll in response to the operation of said slasher;
• a continuous cylindrical porous distribution layer included in said application roll next adjacent said application surface for distributing said sizing material onto said application surface;
• a continuous porous flow control membrane formed adjacent a boundary region of said continuous cylindrical distribution layer in fluid communication with said hollow interior of said application roll;
• said cylindrical porous distribution layer consisting of a first number of pores of a first predetermined pore size;
• said porous flow control membrane consisting of a second number of pores having a second predetermined pore size no greater than said first predetermined pore size so that the flow of said sizing material distributed through said distribution layer is controlled by said membrane to meter a desired amount of sizing material onto said application surface;
• actuator means for moving said application roll to an application position wherein said application roll contacts said pressure roll and warp yarn for pressing said predetermined amount of sizing material into said warp yarns passing therebetween, and for moving said application roll to an idle position wherein it is out of contact with said warp yarn sheet and said pressure roll;
• surface conditioning means for maintaining said application surface of said application roll in a moist condition when moved to said idle position so that said sizing material does not dry in said pores while said application roll is in said idle position:
• delivery means for delivering a pressurized sizing material to said hollow interior of said application roll in fluid flow contact with said flow control membrane in response to said warp yarns passing through the nip of said rolls, and for terminating said delivery of pressurized sizing material to said hollow interior of said application roll when said application roll is in said idle position so that said sizing material is not delivered onto said application surface during cessation of warp yarn passage.