Apparatus for the production of crimped or bulk yarn

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CRIMPED OR BULKED YARN FROM TEXTILE FIBRES IN THE FORM OF A STRAND COMPRISING A PAIR OF FEED ROLLERS ARRANGED TO GRIP THE STRAND THEREBETWEEN AND IMPART A LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT THERETO, THE BIGHT ON THE DELIVERY SIDE OF THE SAID FEED ROLLERS DEFINING ONE END OF A CRIMPING CHAMBER, A ROTATABLE MEMBER IN THE PATH OF LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID STRAND MOUNTED ON AN UNYIELDING AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSITE THE LINE OF ENTRY OF THE STRAND THROUGH THE BIGHT OF THE FEED ROLLERS AND COOPERATIVE WITH SAID BIGHT TO FORM WALLS OF SAID CRIMPING CHAMBER, SAID MEMBER INCLUDING AN IRREGULAR SURFACE PERIPHERAL PORTION FOR POSITIVELY ENGAGING THE MASS OF CRIMPED YARN WITHIN SAID CHAMBER, ROTATABLE DRIVE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID MEMBER FOR ROTATING SAID MEMBER AT A PERIPHERAL SPEED IN THE ORDER OF 1/40 OR LESS THAN THE PERIPHERAL SPEED OF SAID FEED ROLLERS TO THEREBY POSITIVELY REMOVE THE MASS OF CRIMPED YARN FROM SAID CRIMPING CHAMBER AT A UNIFORM CONTROLLED RATE WITHOUT RELATIVE MOTION BETWEEN THE MASS OF CRIMPED YARN AND THE ROTATABLE MEMBER SO THAT THE EFFECTIVE BACK PRESSURE AT THE BIGHT OF THE FEED ROLLERS, WHERE CRIMPING OCCURS, IS ESTABLISHED PRIMARILY BY THE PERIPHERAL SPEED OF THE ROTATABLE MEMBER.