Elastomeric cleaner for grooved rotating rolls

Claim 1

Apparatus for applying sizing material to a plurality of textile strands, comprising: an applicator cylinder having a grooved exterior circumferential surface and mounted for rotation about a first axis; means for applying melted sizing material to said cylinder so that size lodges in said grooves thereof; means for rotating said cylinder about said first axis so that size in said grooves is applied to the textile strands each moving past said cylinder and traveling for at least a short distance in a groove; and means for cleaning the grooves in said grooved cylinder by wiping material that collects in said grooves from said grooves, said cleaning means comprising: a cord of elastomeric material elongated in a first dimension; and means for holding said cord into contact with said cylinder so that the cord is forced into the grooves of said cylinder with the cord elongated in a dimension generally parallel to said first axis, the cord deforming into the grooves so as to effect cleaning of sizing material from the grooves, said holding means comprising: a plurality of holding blocks each having a first end thereof and means defining a channel in said first end for receiving said cord, and means for individually adjusting the positions of said blocks with respect to a housing; each of said holding blocks being linearly reciprocally mounted for sliding movement with respect to the housing, and said means for adjusting the position of each of said holding blocks comprising, for each holding block, a cam slide engaging said holding block at a surface thereof opposite said quadrate channel, and including a slanted surface portion, and an adjustment screw operatively engaging said slanted portion.