Improved methods and apparatus for preparing elasticized thermoplastic yarns

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING A RUNNING LENGTH OF YARN COMPRISING A YARN SUPPLY MEANS, A FIRST YARN ADVANCING MEANS TO POSITIVELY ADVANCE TO AN END OF YARN FROM SAID SUPPLY MEANS ALONG A LINEAR PATH AT A FIRST SELECTED LINEAR RATE, A SECOND YARN ADVANCING MEANS TO THEREAFTER POSITIVELY ADVANCE SAID END OF YARN ALONG SAID PATH AT A SECOND LINEAR RATE WHICH IS IN EXCESS OF SAID FIRST LINEAR RATE SO THAT SAID YARN IS STRETCHED, HEATER MEANS TO HEAT SAID YARN IN A PORTION OF THE YARN PATH BETWEEN SAID FIRST YARN ADVANCING MEANS AND A POINT IN THE YARN WHERE THE YARN IS POSITIVELY ADVANCED BY SAID SECOND YARN ADVANCING MEANS SO THAT THE STRETCHING OF SAID YARN OCCURS IN A HEATED SEGMENT THEREOF, A BLADE MEANS, MEANS INCLUDING CONTACT HEATER MEANS PROXIMATE TO BUT SPATIALLY SEPARATE FROM SAID BLADE MEANS TO HEAT SAID YARN IN A PORTION OF THE YARN PATH IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING SAID BLADE MEANS TO GUIDE SAID YARN ABOUT AN EDGE OF SAID BLADE MEANS IN AN ANGULAR PATH WITH SAID EDGE POSITIONED AT THE APEX OF THE ANGLE IN THE YARN PATH, A YARN ADVANCING MEANS TO RECEIVE SAID YARN FOLLOWING ITS CONTACT WITH SAID EDGE AND TO POSITIVELY ADVANCE THE SAME ALONG THE YARN PATH AT A THIRD SELECTED LINEAR RATE, AND MEANS TO THEREAFTER COLLECT SAID YARN.