Yarn rebound texturing apparatus and method

Claim 3

A method in accordance with claim 1 in which said foraminous surface is a wire screen at least a portion of whIch is disposed at an acute angle to the direction of yarn advance toward said screen, and including the step of impinging the yarn on the portion of said screen which is disposed at such acute angle.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 2 in which said screen is shaped to a concave configuration, and including the step of impinging the yarn on said screen in the concavity.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 3 in which said concave configuration is conical and the angle of said conical surface to the direction of yarn advance theretoward is between 78* and 82*, and including the step of impinging the yarn on said screen in the concavity at the apex of said conical shape.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 2 including the step of rebounding the yarn from said screen along a path forming a small angle with the path of yarn advance toward said screen, and impinging the rebound yarn on a rebound impeding barrier after said rebound yarn has traveled less than 1 inch from said screen.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 5 in which said screen is shaped to a concave configuration, and including the step of impinging the yarn on said screen in the concavity.

Claim 8

A method according to claim 6 in which said concave configuration is conical and the angle of said conical surface to the direction of yarn advance theretoward is between 78* and 82*, and including the step of impinging the yarn on said screen in the concavity at the apex of said conical shape.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 7 and including the step of collecting said rebound yarn while maintaining it free of substantial longitudinal tension, heating the so-crimped and untensioned yarn to set the same, thereafter cooling said yarn while maintaining it free of substantial longitudinal tension, and thereafter winding said yarn.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 1 including the step of advancing the yarn toward said foraminous surface through a tube centered in an elongated cylindrical chamber by means of strut-like members extending between the exit end of said tube and the inner wall of said chamber, advancing the fluid through the annulus between said tube and said inner wall and past said struts to pick up said yarn as it exits from said tube.

Claim 11

A method in accordance with claim 9 in which said foraminous surface is a wire screen at least a portion of which is disposed at an acute angle to the direction of yarn advance toward said screen, and including the step of impinging the yarn on the portion of said screen which is disposed at such acute angle.

Claim 12

A method according to claim 10 in which said wire screen is shaped to a concave configuration, and including the step of impinging the yarn on said screen in the concavity.

Claim 13

A method according to claim 11 in which said concave configuration is conical and the angle of said conical surface to the direction of yarn advance theretoward is between 78* and 82* and the axis of said conical surface is aligned with the axis of the tube, and including the step of impinging the yarn on said screen in the concavity at the apex of said conical shape.

Claim 14

A method according to claim 9 including the step of rebounding the yarn from said screen along a path forming a small angle with the path of yarn advance toward said screen, and impinging the rebound yarn on a rebound impeding barrier after said rebound yarn has traveled less than 1 inch from said screen.

Claim 15

A method in accordance with claim 13 in which said foraminous surface is a wire screen at least a portion of which is disposed at an acute angle to the direction of yarn advance toward said screen, and including the step of impinging the yarn on the portion of said screen which is disposed at such acute angle.

Claim 16

A method according to claim 14 in which said wire screen is shaped to a concave configuration, and including the step of impinging the yarn on said screen in the concavity.

Claim 17

A method according to claim 15 in which said coNcave configuration is conical and the angle of said conical surface to the direction of yarn advance theretoward is between 78* and 82*, and including the step of impinging the yarn on said screen in the concavity at the apex of said conical shape.

Claim 18

A method according to claim 16 and including the step of collecting said rebound yarn while maintaining it free of substantial longitudinal tension, heating the so-crimped and untensioned yarn to set the same, thereafter cooling said yarn while maintaining it free of substantial longitudinal tension, and thereafter winding said yarn.

Claim 19

A method according to claim 17 wherein said wire is square woven with the wire end count between 40 X 40 and 70 X 70 with between 25 percent and 35 percent open space.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 18 including the step of hurling said yarn at said screen at a speed not less than 1,200 linear feet per minute.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 19 in which said fluid is super-heated steam and said steam is at a pressure between 105 psi gauge and 170 psi gauge when it is introduced to the annular chamber.

Claim 22

Thermoplastic yarn texturizing apparatus which comprises a member defining a yarn passage chamber, a tube through which the yarn to be textured is advanced, said tube being disposed with its exit end in said chamber, said chamber having an end opening aligned with the axis of said tube and spaced a little distance from the yarn exit end of said tube, a member having a foraminous surface covering said end opening, and aligned with the exit end of said tube, said chamber having a yarn exit opening in a sidewall thereof, said yarn exit opening extending from said foraminous surface toward the yarn exit end of said tube a fraction of the distance from said foraminous surface to the exit end of said tube, and means for introducing a heated fluid into said chamber in the space between said tube and the walls of said chamber and for passing said fluid along said tube past its exit end and toward said foraminous surface to hurl the yarn against said foraminous surface and rebound it therefrom and through said yarn exit opening.

Claim 23

Thermoplastic yarn texturizing apparatus which comprises a member defining a yarn passage chamber, a tube through which the yarn to be textured is advanced, said tube being disposed with its exit end in said chamber, said chamber having an end opening aligned with the axis of said tube and spaced a little distance from the yarn exit end of said tube, a member having a foraminous surface covering said end opening, and aligned with the exit end of said tube, said chamber having a yarn exit opening in a sidewall thereof, said yarn exit opening extending from said foraminous surface toward the yarn exit end of said tube a fraction of the distance from said foraminous surface to the exit end of said tube, and means for introducing a heated fluid into said chamber in the space between said tube and the walls of said chamber and for passing said fluid along said tube past its exit end and toward said foraminous surface to hurl the yarn against said foraminous surface and rebound it therefrom and through said yarn exit opening.

Claim 24

Apparatus according to claim 21 in which said member having a foraminous surface is a wire screen at least a portion of which is disposed at an acute angle to the axis of said tube.

Claim 25

Apparatus according to claim 22 wherein the said member defining the yarn passage chamber has a convex configuration at said end opening and said screen has a matching concave configuration where it covers said end opening.

Claim 26

Apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the concave configuration of said screen is conical, the apex of said conical surface is aligned substantially with the axis of said tube so yarn hurled from said tube impinges in said conical concavity, and the angle of said conical surface to the axis extended of the tube is between 78* and 82*.

Claim 27

Apparatus according to claim 24 including a yarn rebound limiting barrier blocking the path of yarn rebound after it passes through said yarn exit opening, said rebound limiting barrier being spaced not more than 1 inch from said screen measured along the path of rebound yarn advance from said screen.

Claim 28

Apparatus according to claim 25 in which said yarn exit opening has a longitudinal dimension measured along the axis of said tube which is not longer than 1/2 the distance between said screen and said rebound limiting barrier, and in which said chamber defining member has a wall thickness in the area between said yarn exit opening and said rebound limiting barrier which is not greater than 1/3 the said longitudinal dimension of said yarn exit opening.

Claim 29

Apparatus according to claim 26 including a tube adapted to receive the crimped yarn after it rebounds from said screen and to direct it to a yarn heating chamber.

Claim 30

Apparatus according to claim 27 including a crimped yarn treating chambeR disposed beneath the exit end of said crimped yarn directing tube and into which said yarn is adapted to fall, means for heating the yarn in said crimped yarn treating chamber, means for subsequently cooling said yarn and means for withdrawing the yarn from said crimped yarn treating chamber.

Claim 31

Apparatus according to claim 28 including a pair of driven nip rolls disposed beneath said crimped yarn directing tube arranged to receive a filament by gravity fall after a portion of such filament becomes imbedded in said screen, said nip rolls being driven in a direction to pull said imbedded filament out of said screen.

Claim 32

Apparatus according to claim 22 wherein said yarn passage chamber is cylindrical and wherein said yarn tube is centered in said cylindrical chamber, and struts extending between the exit end of said yarn tube and the walls defining said cylindrical chamber to hold the tube centered in said chamber, said means for introducing a heated fluid being arranged to introduce said heated fluid to the annular area between said tube and the walls of said cylindrical chamber.

Claim 33

Apparatus according to claim 30 wherein the said member defining the yarn passage chamber has a convex configuration at said end opening and said screen has a matching concave configuration where it covers said end opening.

Claim 34

Apparatus according to claim 31 wherein the concave configuration of said screen is conical, the apex of said conical surface is aligned substantially with the axis of said tube so the yarn hurled from said tube impinges in said conical concavity, and the angle of said conical surface to the axis extended of the tube is between 78* and 82*.

Claim 35

Apparatus according to claim 32 including a yarn rebound limiting barrier blocking the path of yarn rebound after it passes through said yarn exit opening, said rebound limiting barrier being spaced not more than 1 inch from said screen measured along the path of rebound yarn advance from said screen.

Claim 36

Apparatus according to claim 33 in which said yarn exit opening has a longitudinal dimension measured along the axis of said tube which is not longer than 1/2 the distance between said screen and said rebound limiting barrier, and in which said chamber defining member has a wall thickness in the area between said yarn exit opening and said rebound limiting barrier which is not greater than 1/3 the said longitudinal dimension of said yarn exit opening.

Claim 37

Apparatus according to claim 34 including a tube adapted to receive the crimped yarn after it rebounds from said screen and to direct it to a yarn heating chamber.

Claim 38

Apparatus according to claim 35 including a crimped yarn treating chamber disposed beneath the exit end of said crimped yarn directing tube and into which said yarn is adapted to fall, means for heating the yarn in said crimped yarn treating chamber, means for subsequently cooling said yarn and means for withdrawing the yarn from said crimped yarn treating chamber.

Claim 39

Apparatus according to claim 36 including a pair of driven nip rolls disposed beneath said crimped yarn directing tube arranged to receive a filament by gravity fall after a portion of such filament becomes imbedded in said screen, said nip rolls being driven in a direction to pull said imbedded filament out of said screen.

Claim 40

Apparatus according to claim 34 including crimped yarn directing means adapted to receive the crimped yarn after it rebounds from said screen and to direct it to a yarn heating chamber.

Claim 41

Apparatus according to claim 38 including a crimped yarn treating chamber disposed beneath the exit end of said crimped yarn directing means and into which said yarn is adapted to fall, means for heating the yarn in said crimped yarn treating chamber, means for subsequently cooling said yarn and means for withdrawing the yarn from said crimped yarn treating chamber.

Claim 42

Apparatus according to claim 39 including a pair of driven nip rolls disposed beneath said crimped yarn Directing means arranged to receive a filament by gravity fall after a portion of such filament becomes imbedded in said screen, said nip rolls being driven in a direction to pull said imbedded filament out of said screen.