US3259954A - Apparatus for jet processing multifilaments - Google Patents

Description

y 2, 1966 R. F. DYER ET AL 3,259,954

APPARATUS FOR JET PROCESSING MULTIFILAMENTS Filed Jan. 25, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 YARN TAK YARN SUPPLY /'/3 H000 FOR DRAW/N6 STEAM JAMES F. CA/NES' RICHARD F. DYE/P INV NTOR.

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ATTORNEYS July 12, 1966 R. F. DYER ET AL 3, 9,954

APPARATUS FOR JET PROCESSING MULTIFILAMENTS Filed Jan. 25. 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2.

JAMES F. CAM/5 RICHARD F. arm INVENTOR.

ATTORNFYS y 1966 R. F. DYER ET AL 3,259,954

APPARATUS FOR JET PROCESSING MULTIFILAMENTS Filed Jan. 25. 196 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 JA MES F: GA/NES RICHARD F 075/? INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS July 12, 1966 R. F. DYER ET AL 3,259,954

APPARATUS FOR JET PROCESSING MULTIFILAMENTS Filed Jan. 25, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 5.

JAMES F. CAI/V55 RICHARD F. DYER INVENTOR.

WWW %%%M ATTORNEYS July 12, 1966 R. F. DYER ET AL 3,259,954

APPARATUS FOR JET PROCESSING MULTIFILAMENTS Filed Jan. 25, 1965 'e Sheets-Sheet a JAMES F. GA/NES RICHARD F. DYER INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,259,954 APPARATUS FOR JET PROCESSING MULTIFILAMENTS Richard F. Dyer and James F. Caines, Kingsport, Tenn., assignors to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Jan. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 427,669

. 4 Claims. (Cl. 28-1) This application is a continuation-in-part of our abandoned application Serial No. 591,906, filed June 18, 1956, and our application Serial No. 219,610, filed August 27, 1962, and our application Serial No. 278,210, filed May 6, 1963, now US. Patent 3,188,713 of June 15, 1966.

This invention concerns apparatus for processing multifilament yarn and tow to obtain novel staple fiber products having properties rendering them especially useful for a number of purposes. More particularly, this invention concerns an apparatus which is useful on multifilament yarns and tows especially wherein the filaments making up the yarn are of a cross-section different from the conventional round or cloverleaf configurations usually employed for polymeric filaments.

In our earlier applications aforementioned, we have described several procedures whereby multifilament yarns may be processed to produce volumizing effects thereon. Generally these methods have comprised passing such multifilament yarn through a jet wherein the yarn is contacted with a gaseous fluid whereby the blown yarn is crimped, entangled or otherwise altered or volumized. In many instances the processing of the yarn would be carried beyond internal entangling and to obtain external crimp or other volumizing of the yarn for softness, increased cover and wool-like appearance as well as ultimate improvement in hand of fabrics made therefrom.

In our earlier applications aforementioned it has been further explained that in some instances although the yarn has been improved by volumizing treatments or the like that woven products therefrom have not been of as high quality as desired because of streaks and similar defects. Therefore, in our earlier application information has been set forth concerning the improvement of such processed yarns by features pertaining to the handling of the yarn or tow whereby the quality of the crimp of the jet processed yarn or tow is at least maintained approximately equivalent to that possessed by the jet treated yarn as it exits from the jet. This crimp retention is also desirable when the jet crimped yarn is cut into staple fiber lengths.

It is sufiicient for the present apparatus invention to point out that further advances for the obtaining of high quality jet-treated yarn of a versatile nature represents a highly desirable result. From extended work in connection with the process and appearance of the yarn of our earlier applications, we have discovered several apparatus improvements which facilitate the production of staple fiber from jet processed multifilament yarn or tows of the kind under consideration herein.

This invention has for one object to provide new apparatus for the crimping or entangling the individual filaments in a fiber bundle of continuous filament yarn, or both or otherwise to provide increased volume or other change in the resultant staple fiber product and obtain yarn products which may be made up into fabrics with desirable bulk and without noticeable defects therein. Another object is to provide apparatus which includes means for subjecting multifilament yarns, wherein the filaments of the yarn have certain special cross-sections, to a jet type treatment whereby such combination gives different and unusual crimped staple yarn products. A particular object is to provide a yarn blowing apparatus of the class indicated wherein the blown yarn product, when "ice cut into staple fiber and processed into battings or yarns on conventional woolen, worsted or cotton yarn manufacturing equipment, has utility for pillow, upholstery, rug and apparel manufacture and other purposes for which staple fiber or yarn is normally used. Another particular object is to provide apparatus of the class indicated wherein there is provision for the exhausting of the gaseous treating fluid away from the processed yarns and tows and handling them in a relaxed, substantially tensionless state in a manner such that the transformation imparted to the yarn in its processing is not materially altered. Other objects will appear hereinafter.

In the broader aspects of our invention we have found when an unheat-set multifilament polymeric yarn is simultaneously subjected to certain high temperatures and conditions which induce rapid changes in the magnitude and direction of the forces applied to the individual filaments that the filaments are individually deformed into a randomly distorted configuration. If these filaments are then heat-set at a temperature close to the melting point of the filamentary material, these random configurations will be permanently set into the fiber when it is cooled to room temperature and cut into staple fiber. Moreover, in the case of many polymeric materials the heat-set operation induces filament shrinkage which further enhances the random distortions of the individual filaments thus adding to the bulk, softness, and covering power of a staple yarn comprised of a plurality of staple length filaments treated in the aforesaid manner.

In another aspect of our invention it has been found with filamentary materials particularly those which are solvent spun, such as cellulose acetate, that there are residual stresses in the yarn due to the extrusion and curing process which can be released by exposure to a high temperature atmosphere such as superheated steam under conditions such that the filaments are alternately stressed and relaxed at a high frequency. This elfect is particularly enhanced by the use of novel cross-section yarns spun in the manner disclosed by Hickey US. Patent 2,373,892, A. S. Smith US. Patents 2,825,120 and 2,838,364 and Raynolds et al. US. Patent 2,829,027. In particular it has been found that C and U shaped crosssection fibers have a high degree of residual internal stress which when released by a superheated steam jet treatment cause a high degree of distortion and resultant crimping of the individual filaments. It is though that the diflerential curing and shrinkage of the cross-sectional shape of these novel cross-section fibers as described in the aforesaid patents is a source of the aforementioned residual stresses.

When similar novel cross-section filaments are melt spun and subsequently drafted using high polymeric materials such as polyolefins, polyesters, polyamides and copolymers of these materials similar residual stresses are also noted due not only to the different cooling rates of one portion of the cross-section relative to another por-. tion but also due to the uneven manner in which the drafting forces are distributed across the area of an odd shaped (non-circular) cross-section.

In the broader aspects pertaining to the apparatus arrangement of the present invention we have found the following: A gaseous jet of the type described in Dyer Patent 2,924,868 in association with suitable yarn feeding, yarn heat treating, and withdrawal means, heat setting means and cutting means is suitable for inducing the aforementioned distortions of a filamentary material and converting it into a staple fiber. Such apparatus has the added advantage of promoting a sufficient degree of interfilament entanglement or interweaving, if desired, as to improve the handling property of the yarn or tow prior to cutting into staple lengths.

In a further aspect the staple filaments processed in our apparatus has been found to have the random distorted shapes of treated filaments which more closely resemble the distribution found in such natural staple fibers as wool and cotton than does the sharply angular crimp produced in most man-made fibers by known stutter box crimping methods. Thus, by collecting a plurality of distorted continuous filaments made by the process of this invention into a tow and cutting them into short staple lengths it has been found possible to produce man-made staple fibers which more closely resemble the characteristics of such natural fibers as wool and cotton. Although in uncut form the yarn treated in the apparatus of the present invention can be used in continuous filament form as described in parent application Serial No. 219,610.

For assistance in a further understanding of our invention reference is made to the attached drawings form ing a part of this application.

FIGURE 1 is a generic, schematic side elevation view of a steam jet and yarn control apparatus which may be used in carrying out yarn crimping processes of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of one jet construction such as may be used.

FIGURES 3 and 3a are enlarged partial views showing two variations of the jet of FIGURE 2 wherein certain of the parts are relocated.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing further variations of the jet of FIGURE 2 wherein the yarn tube and tip are modified.

FIGURE 5 is a schematic side elevation view of another apparatus arrangement particularly suitable for high polymeric yarn materials.

FIGURE 6 is a schematic side elevation view of an apparatus arrangement for producing a staple fiber product without an intermediate Winding step.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the yarn which may be either twisted or zero twist is drawn from the supply package 1 by the input roll 2 and then proceeds through the steam jet 3 to the output roll 4. The weighted idler rolls 5 and 6 ride on the yarn and prevent slippage of the yarn on rolls 2 and 4. A suitable windup is generally indicated at 7. A particularly useful and novel windup which we prefer to use is described in application Serial No. 278,210, now US. Patent No. 3,188,713.. This apparatus is especially suitable for processing C cross-section multifilament cellulose acetate yarn. After Winding on packages the packaged yarn is then withdrawn and cut into staple lengths.

FIGURE 2 concerns the details of a steam jet construction similar to that of US. Patent 2,924,868 which may be useful in the above apparatus combinations for crimping and/or entangling the filaments of the yarn. The yarn tube 21, which terminates in nozzle 24, is held in the jet body 23 by the threaded retaining ring 22. Close by adjacent to the nozzle and concentric with it is located an orifice plate 25 shaped as shown. Directly adjacent to the orifice plate is a venturi tube 26 held in the jet body by the threaded retaining ring 27. The venturi tube has a convergent entrance section 28, a short cylindrical throat 29 about the diameter of the orifice plate opening, and a long divergent exit section 30 with a tapjer of about 10 included angle.

Steam under a pressure which may be 5 p.s.i.g. to 200 p.s.i.g. is admitted through the inlet tube 31 to the annular chamber 32 in the body, whereupon it passes with very high velocity through the orifice place opening. The steam loses some velocity in the venturi entrance section, but in the venturi throat the velocity is regained and may become even higher in the small portion of the divergent exit sections. At some point in the divergent section the steam velocity begins to decrease. and the presence of the yarn filaments tends to cause turbulent flow. The yarn 20 enters the yarn tube 21 and is mixed with the steam at the orifice plate, and

mixing continues until the yarn reaches the exit taper of the venturi. At this point the divergence. of the steam flow expands the yarn bundle and tends to separate the individual filaments allowing the steam to come in intimate contact with each filament. As the steam velocity decreases and as the filaments begin to crimp the tension is relaxed on the yarn, the filaments begin to become en-v tangled.

After the steam passes through the area bounded by the orifice hole in orifice plate 25 and nozzle .24, a portion of the steam may be allowed to escape from chamber 28 by passing countercurrent to the yarn flow back through yarn tube 21. This reverse flow offers a V y length of chamber 32 which serves to prevent heat from escaping from the yarn tube 21. Under some circumstances, cartridge heaters maybe inserted in the walls 7 of body part 23 in order to control and augment the steam temperature and superheat. Alternately, if desired, holes 34 may be drilled in the wall of tube 21 as shown in FIGURE 2 to introduce a portion of the steam into the interior of tube 21 from chamber 32 directly so as to preheat the yarn.

In the jet form of FIGURE 4 a divider flange and sealing O ring 135 may be used to divide the chamber 132 into a lower portion 136 for the admission of the t'exturing steam flow and an upper chamber 132 for the admission of a separate preheating steam of difierent pressure and temperature. The other parts 122, 123,

129,-etc., correspond in generalto the parts 22, 23, 29, etc., of FIGURES 2, 3, and 3a, hence further descrip tion is unnecessary.

In the prior art arrangements the yam was treated as a tow or yarn bundle and crimping was impeded because each filament was not in intimate contact with the steam. With the apparatus of the present invention, the heat and moisture furnished by the steam sets the crimp in the filaments before the yarn is withdrawn from the end of the venturi. The path of the yarn may be turned about at the venturi exit to prevent the escaping steam from causing too much tension in the yarn during the aforesaid crimping and entangling or to separate the steam from the yarn. Also as shown in FIGURE 1 an exhaust hood is provided for removing the exhaust steam (heat) away from the yarn so that it will set. This hood is a useful and desirable feature of our apparatus.

FIGURE 3 shows a partial section through another jet which may be used for crimping and entangling the filaments of a continuous filament yarn. This jet differs from that illustrated in FIGURE 2 in that the orifice plate 25 is eccentrically located in respect to nozzle 24.

This arangement permits high velocity steam to act in an unbalanced manner on the untreated yarn emerging from the yarn tube 21; that is, the forces due to the steam acting on the yarn are unevenly distributed around the yarn bundle. The mixing of steam and yarn tends to soften the yarn and the yarn under the eccentric impulse of the steam flow is sharply bent away from a straight path and then still under the influence of the steam flow trying to recover its direction to flow through the throat of the venturi is again sharply reversed in direction three times. These four violent changes in direction of the plastic hot filaments reacting in a random manner to the violent changes in direct-ion of the steam flow produce randomdistortion or crimping of the yarn filaments. The crimped yarn is carried from the chamber by the escaping steam while still in a semi-plastic state and is reduced in temperature along with the high velocity steam as expansion of the steam takes place in the diverging section 30 of the venturi tube 26, thus fixing the crimped configuration into the yarn structure. As expansion occurs, turbulence in the stream increases. This coupled with For extensive preheating the. length of the jet may be increased so as to increase the r a reduction in yarn tension produces an interfiber working in the crimped yarn and at some point in the divergent section of the venturi tube as further expansion takes place the crimped yarn filaments are reassembled into a yarn in an entangled condition.

FIGURE 3a shows an arrangement of the nozzle tip 21 and the orifice plate 25 wherein the nozzle tip is concentric with and fits tightly against the mating tapered surface entrance of the orifice plate. A small milled slot 33 of suitable size is provided on one side of the nozzle tip 21 to admit the stream of treating fluid and direct it in an unbalanced manner onto the yarn issuing from the nozzle tip 21. It will be recognized that by suitable selection of the angles and shape of the introduction of the hot fluid into the venturi entrance 28 that a longitudinal sine wave like deflection or vibration can be imparted to the yarn filaments to cause them to be stressed in a random non-uniform manner at a high frequency rate.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional drawing of an improved jet found useful for the processing of continuous filament yarns. This jet differs from that depicted in FIGURE 2 in that the flow of the hot fluid is confined by a groove 133 in the yarn nozzle 121 acting in cooperation with orifice in orifice plate 125 so as to cause a more concentrated application of the steam in an unbalanced manner on the yarn filaments.

While it is not desired to be bound by any particular theory of operation, it appears that the violent, rapid and repeated reversal of the direction of movement of the yarn filaments in the region of the venturi entrance 128 is a major factor in bending the filaments in a random manner into a crimped state. It is also probable that some of the filaments on the side of the yarn away from the point of impingement of the main steam flow stream are bent and drawn sharply over the knife edge of the orifice plate 125 which would also cause a curling of the filaments to take place. It is also possible that some of the filaments may move directly from the outlet of yarn tube 121 at such a velocity that they strike and crumple against the surface of the Venturi entrance 128. A further mechanism may occur because some of the filaments adjacent the main steam flow are tensioned and elongated more in their softened hot state than other filaments in the yarn bundle on the side away from the main steam flow. These fibers will react diiferently in any subsequent heat treatment causing crimps and curls to develop.

The foregoing modes of crimp formation are in addition to those induced by the relief of internal stresses in the spun fiber when it is heated by the hot jet gas.

Referring again to FIGURE 1 the steam supply system, consists of superheater 9, a pressure reducing valve 10, pressure gage 11 and a thermocouple or thermometer well 12. High pressure steam enters the system at 8 and proceeds to the superheater where the steam is adjusted to the desired state before it enters the pressure reducing valve. After functioning in the jet 3 the exhaust steam is withdrawn through hood 13. Satisfactory results have been obtained with steam initially at 115 psig. and containing 1 to 2 percent moisture. The state of the steam upon entering the jet 3 preferably is such that condensation does not occur in the jet, since the process seems to be poorly operative when droplets of water are present in the jet. The steam temperature preferably is low enough to prevent damage .to the yarn. In general the inlet pressure does not greatly affect the flow rate and average velocity in the jet. When the pressure is increased, the spacing between the orifice plate and yarn nozzle may be reduced to cause a suction in the yarn tube. This adjustment reduces the area of flow and thus oflsets the effect of the increased pressure.

FIGURE 5 shows an apparatus particularly suitable for the treatment of polypropylene, polyester, polyamide and the like melt spun multifilament yarns. The yarn 20 :is extruded and cooled in cabinet 50 and removed from the cabinet by roll 51. It is continuously drawn between rolls 51 and 52 to improve its properties and client the molecules. Draw roll 52 has associated with it a pinch roll not shown or an advancing roller 53 so as to develop the required drafting tensions. The yarn is then passed to a treatment jet of the type shown in greater detail in FIGURE 2. After treatment the yarn 55 falls .or is deflected by a deflector (not shown) in a tensionless random manner onto a conveyor 56. Here, while in .a relaxed state, it is subjected to C. or higher temperature by heat sources 57 or by a blast of hot air. Cooling may be applied at 61. As it leaves the conveyor it .passes under an idler roll 58 over a tension compensating guide 59 and thence to a tube windup machine 60. A preferred windup apparatus is described in application Serial No. 278,210, now US. Patent 3,188,- 713.

If desired, chilling air can be directed on the yarn just prior to roll 58 to insure that the crimp is frozen into the fiber before it is withdrawn for winding. The cold yarn is subsequently withdrawn from the package and cut into staple lengths.

FIGURE 6 shows a preferred apparatus arrangement for producing staple fiber using a rearranged apparatus in a continuous process. A high polymer material such as polypropylene, polyester or polyamide is melt spun from a plurality of cabinets, drafted and introduced to a plurality of treating jets. The plurality of treated yarns are then puddled into the heat setting conveyor and heat-set. The plurality of yarns are then removed from the conveyor as one large yarn bundle or tow and passed to a staple cutter 62 where the continuous filaments are cut into short staple lengths of /2 to 6 as desired and packaged in boxes or bales 64. If desired, chilling air at 61 can be directed on the yarn just prior to roll 58 to insure that the crimp is frozen into the fiber before it is withdrawn for cutting.

The amount of crimp or the like volumizing put in the yarn will be determined by the relation of the roll speeds and similar factors. That is, this may be determined by the size of the sprocket gear or sheave (not shown) driving the second feed roll in relation to the sprocket gear or sheave (not shown) driving the first feed roll. Unless the second rolls (take-up rolls), assuming they are the same size as the feed rolls, are run at a slower speed than the feed rolls, there would be little volumizing. By running the second rolls slower, there is greater volumizing since more contraction in the yarn is thereby permitted. However, the second rolls should not be operated at too slow a speed to avoid excessive filament entanglement that would interfere with proper opening of the staple fiber in carding.

A further understanding of our invention will be had from a consideration of the following examples which are set forth to illustrate certain preferred embodiments of operation.

Example I A 2200 denier acetate carpet yarn was produced in accordance with the invention under the followingconditions on the apparatus of FIGURE 1:

Untreated yarnl900/l6 d./f. with .6Z twist U crosssection filaments.

Steam inlet pressure-20 p.s.i.g.

Steam inlet temperature275 F.

Steam flow rate-0.47 lbs./ min.

Input yarn speed'50 y.p.m.

Output yarn speed37.5 y.p.m.

Yarn nozzle diameter0.l54".

Orifice diameter0. 177".

Venturi throat diameter-0.189".

Windnp condition-parallel package, as in our parent application Serial No. 591,906, with no twist added.

The resultant yarn may then be passed through a staple fiber cutter and cut into 4" lengths. The cut fibers show a random distorted or crimped configuration including 7 random blunt angular crimps, as well as arcuate crimps and torsional left and right hand twisting along the length of the individual staple filaments. In crimp appearance they much resemble the appearance of natural fibers such as wool and cotton.

Example 2 A continuous filament polypropylene yarn identified as sample Xl433-111 was processed as shown in FIGURE 6 using a jet as shown in FIGURE 4. The conditions were as follows:

Yarn supply3000 denier, 480/ f. Y cross-section. Spinning s peed250 y.p.m. at roll 51. Drafting ratio4:l.

Draft output speed1000 y.p.m. at roll 52. Cutter speed-550 y.p.m.

Jet steam pressure115 p.s.i.g.

Yarn outlet diameter- Steam set 33 size x rectangular. Heat set temperature-145 C.

Heat set time3 minutes.

Staple length cut4".

The resultant staple fiber had good crimp and processed well into a web on a Davis and Furber sample woolen card.

Example 3 A drawn 560 denier 31 filament lZ twist nylon filament yarn made by Allied Chemical Division, National Aniline Division, was treated in the process of FIGURE 5 using a jet similar to that of FIGURE 5. The yarn identified as sample X6115-97 was fed to the jet at 150 grams tension at 302 feet per minute and removed at 12 grams tension at 160 feet per minute. The jet was operated at a temperature of 344 F. using heated -l12 p.s.i.g. steam. The yarn was preheated to 275 F. in the yarn entrance tube of the jet. The yarn when cut into 4" staple lengths had a good random crimp configuration and processed Well on a Davis and Furber sample woolen card.

Example 4 A drawn 1100 denier 12 d./f. drawn polyester yarn identified as sample X6115-11-3 known in the trade as Kodel was processed according to the general process of FIGURE 5 and at conditions similar to those of Example 3 except that a higher jet temperature of 500 F. was required to obtain a good crimp configuration.

In general the high polymeric fibers having higher melting points require higher jet temperatures to achieve good crimping of the filaments, and higher heat-set temperatures to obtain good crimp retention and resilience. Higher yarn speeds through the jet also require higher temperatures, as demonstrated by the foregoing examples.

While our apparatus will work on conventional or regular round yarn, we have discovered that enhanced results can be obtained utilizing yarns having filaments therein of a configuration which we term in this application as cross-section yarns. Although in the above examples we have illustrated the processing of U, Y, or C type cross-sections, our invention is not limited thereto or to the yarn being composed of a particular polymer. For example, X, L, I and other cross-sections of acetate, modacrylic, polyester or other polymeric compositions may be processed in a manner similar to the examples already set forth. Also, mixtures of the various crosssections may be used.

The exact manner of preparing the cross-section yarn utilizable in accordance with the present process is not a limitation on the present invention. may be made by the process of Raynolds et a1. US. Patent No. 2,829,027 or by companion pending US. application Serial Nos. 635,607 and 808,435, now abandoned, respectively.

It is believed apparent from the foregoing that we have provided a novel but relatively simple apparatus particularly useful for processing polymeric cross-section yarns 1 whereby new staple fiber yarn products may be produced, which products have increased covering power, enhanced appearance and other desirable properties. yarns are useful in rug manufacture and for several other purposes and are considered as having more utility than conventional yarns for such purposes, either such conventional yarns as produced or as air jet blown or otherwise processed by prior art methods. 7

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinabove, and as defined in the appended claims. 7

We claim:

1. An apparatus for jet processing multifilament, multilobal cross-section yarn including a plurality of jets, means for feeding said cross-section yarn to the jets, which jets include a venturi section and being positioned between the feeding means and a yarn take-up means, means for. supplying a heated fluid to the jet associated therewith and means positioned above the jet for exhausting the hot fluid from the jet away from the exit of the jet, the apparatus being further characterized at the yarn take-up means by a conveyor belt adapted to receive the yarn after. the entangling and crimping treatment in the jet, a high temperature heating means capable of maintaining at least 1 C.in a zone surrounding said conveyor belt for heat.- setting and relaxing said yarns, and roll means for removing said yarns from the conveyor belt and feeding them to a cutting means for cutting the entangled crimped filaments into short staple lengths.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means positioned above and clearing the exit of each jet are hoods,

adapted for taking up hot steam exhaust associated with the exit of each jet.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein cooling'means for directing a cooling blast of air onto the heat-set yarns is provided prior to and adjacent to a roll means for re-.

moving said yarns from said heat-setting conveyor belts.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the jet feeding means is comprised in series of an extruder, a plurality of spinnerettes, a cooling means, a godet roll, and a drafting zone between said godet roll and said jet means comprised of roll means for stretching and orienting the yarns and feeding them into the jet means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Millhiser 281 DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

L. K. RIMRODT, Assistant Examiner.

Such type yarns Such type

Claims (1)

1. AN APPARATUS FOR JET PROCESSING MULTIFILAMENT, MULTILOBAL CROSS-SECTION YARN INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF JETS, MEANS FOR FEEDING SAID CROSS-SECTION YARN TO THE JETS, WHICH JETS INCLUDE A VENTURI SECTION AND BEING POSITIONED BETWEEN THE FEEDING MEANS AND A YARN TAKE-UP MEANS, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A HEATED FLUID TO THE JET ASSOCIATED THEREWITH AND MEANS POSITIONED ABOVE THE JET FOR EXHAUSTING THE HOT FLUID FROM THE JET AWAY FROM THE EXIT OF THE JET, THE APPARATUS BEING FURTHER CHARACTERIZED AT THE YARN TAKE-UP MEANS BY A CONVEYOR BELT ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE YARN AFTER THE ENTANGLING AND CRIMPING TREATMENT IN THE JET, A HIGH TEMPERATURE HEATING MEANS CAPABLE OF MAINTAINING AT LEAST 140*C. IN A ZONE SURROUNDING SAID CONVEYOR BELT FOR HEATSETTING AND RELAXING SAID YARNS, AND ROLL MEANS FOR REMOVING SAID YARNS FROM THE CONVEYOR BELT AND FEEDING THEM TO A CUTTING MEANS FOR CUTTING THE ENTANGLED CRIMPED FILAMENTS INTO SHORT STAPLE LENGTHS.

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