Process and apparatus for producing yarn and gland packing

1. A process of producing a yarn formed by filling an interior of a tubular member configured by knitting or braiding a fibrous material with expanded graphite, process comprises the steps of:

a fine cutting step of cutting an expanded graphite sheet which is continuously supplied in a state where the sheet has a predetermined width, to a small width along a width direction of the sheet; and

guiding and supplying a strip-like expanded graphite material which is produced by said fine cutting step, into the tubular member to be filled into the tubular member.

2. The process of producing a yarn according to claim 1 , wherein, in said fine cutting step, a cutting blade which extends in the width direction is reciprocally moved in a vertical direction with respect to a sheet surface of the expanded graphite sheet, thereby continuously cutting the expanded graphite sheet to produce the strip-like expanded graphite material.

3. The process of producing a yarn according to claim 1 , wherein:

in said guiding and supplying step, the strip-like expanded graphite material which is supplied through said fine cutting step is droppingly guided and supplied into the tubular member by using a funnel.

4. The process of producing a yarn according to claim 1 , wherein:

in said guiding and supplying step, said expanded graphite material which is supplied through fine cutting step is droppingly guided and supplied into the tubular member in a sequence of supply, whereby a plurality of the expanded graphite materials are supplied into the tubular member in a state where end positions of the materials are shifted from one another by a predetermined distance in a longitudinal direction of the tubular member.

5. The process of producing a yarn according to claim 4 , wherein:

at least one of: a speed of guiding and supplying the expanded graphite sheet to said fine cutting step, and a waiting time from an operation of cutting the expanded graphite sheet to a next cutting operation is variably adjusted, whereby at least one of the width of the expanded graphite material and the shifting distance of the end positions is variably adjusted.

6. A gland packing having a plurality of yarns which are produced by the process according to the process of yarn production according to claim 1 , said plurality of yarns being bundled and twisted or braided to configure said gland packing into a string-like shape.

7. An apparatus for producing a yarn formed by filling an interior of a tubular member configured by knitting or braiding a fibrous material with expanded graphite,

the apparatus comprising:

an expanded graphite supplying mechanism which can continuously supply an expanded graphite sheet having a predetermined width;

a conveying mechanism which conveys said expanded graphite sheet supplied from said expanded graphite supplying mechanism toward a fine cutting mechanism, said fine cutting mechanism cuts said expanded graphite sheet conveyed by said conveying mechanism, into small width portions along a width direction of said sheet; and

a guiding and supplying mechanism which guides and supplies said strip-like expanded graphite material produced by said fine cutting mechanism, into said tubular member.

8. The apparatus for producing a yarn according to claim 7 , wherein:

said expanded graphite supplying mechanism is configured by a structure where a reel around which a strip-like expanded graphite sheet is wound is rotatably supported in a direction along which said expanded graphite sheet wound around said reel is unwoundable.

9. The apparatus for producing a yarn according to claim 7 , wherein:

said conveying mechanism is configured by a structure where said expanded graphite sheet supplied from said expanded graphite supplying mechanism is clamped by a pair of rollers, and at least one of said rollers is driven to rotate.

10. The apparatus for producing a yarn according to claim 7 , wherein:

said fine cutting mechanism is configured by a structure where a cutting blade which extends in the width direction is reciprocally moved in a vertical direction with respect to a sheet surface of said expanded graphite sheet.

11. The apparatus for producing a yarn according to claim 7 , wherein:

said guiding and supplying mechanism is configured by a structure where a funnel in which a large-diameter upper end opening is placed in an end portion of said fine cutting mechanism, and a small-diameter lower end opening is placed in an upper end portion of said tubular member that is placed in a vertically directed posture is disposed.

12. The apparatus for producing a yarn according to claim 7 , wherein:

said guiding and supplying mechanism is configured so that said expanded graphite material produced by said fine cutting mechanism is guided and supplied into said tubular member in a sequence of cutting; and

a plurality of said expanded graphite materials are supplied into said tubular member in a state where end positions of said materials are shifted from one an-other by a predetermined distance in a longitudinal direction of said tubular member.

13. The apparatus for producing a yarn according to claim 12 , further comprising:

adjusting and setting means for variably adjusting and setting the width of said expanded graphite material and/or the shifting distance of the end positions, by variably adjusting a speed of conveying said expanded graphite sheet by said conveying mechanism, and/or a waiting time from an cutting operation in said fine cutting mechanism to a next cutting operation.

14. A gland packing having a plurality of yarns which are produced by the process according to claim 1 and the yarn producing apparatus comprising: an expanded graphite supplying mechanism which can continuously supply an expanded graphite sheet having a predetermined width; a conveying mechanism which conveys said expanded graphite sheet supplied from said expanded graphite supplying mechanism toward a fine cutting mechanism, said fine cutting mechanism cuts said expanded graphite sheet conveyed by said conveying mechanism, into small width portions along a width direction of said sheet; and a guiding and supplying mechanism which guides and supplies said strip-like expanded graphite material produced by said fine cutting mechanism, into said tubular member, said plurality of yarns being bundled and twisted or braided to configure said gland packing into a string-like shape.