US3665567A

US3665567A - Yarn rebound texturing apparatus and method

Info

Publication number: US3665567A
Application number: US31206A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert J Clarkson
Original assignee: Uniroyal Inc
Current assignee: UNIROYAL HOLDING Inc WORLD HEADQUARTERS MIDDLEBURY CONNECTICUT 06749 A CORP OF NEW JERSEY
Priority date: 1970-04-23
Filing date: 1970-04-23
Publication date: 1972-05-30
Anticipated expiration: 1989-05-30
Also published as: GB1377427A; ATA350271A; BE779396A; DE2206907C2; DE2206907A1; CA935980A; NL169907C; NL7201916A; AT336764B; NL169907B

Abstract

A thermoplastic yarn texturing machine and method is disclosed in which a yarn to be textured is hurled longitudinally by a heated fluid jet against a foraminous surface and rebounded therefrom in a continuous strand-like stream. The thus compressed yarn is collected without subjecting it to any substantial longitudinal tension, then heated and subsequently cooled to heat set the crimp in the yarn, and finally it is wound-up.

Description

United States Patent I v s1 Clarkson 51 May 30, 11972 54] YARN REBOUND'TEXTURING 3,217,386 11/1965 Clendening ..28/1.4 x APPARATUS AND METHOD 3,255,508 6/1966 Weiss et a1 ..28/1.4 3,457,611 7/1969 Nechvatal et al. ..28/1.4 [72] invent 3,474,613 10/1969 JOaIdel et a] ..57/34 13 [73] Assignee: Uniroyal, Inc., New York, NY.

. Primary Examiner-Louis K. Rimrodt [22] Flled. Apr. 23, 1970 AttOmey DaVid B- Miller [21] Appl. No.: 31,206

[ ABSTRACT U.S. A thermoplastic yam texturing machine and method is dis. [5 ll'lt- 7 closed in a an to be textured is hurled Ion itudinal] Y g y [58] Field of Search ..28/1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 72.1, 72.11, v by a heated fluid jet against a foraminous surface and 28/7212; 57/34 F rebounded therefrom in a continuous strand-like stream. The thus compressed yarn is collected without subjecting it to any [56] References cued substantial longitudinal tension, then heated and subsequently UNITED STATES PATENTS cooled to heat set the crimp in the yarn, and finally it is wound-up. 3,116,589 1/1964 Edwards et a1. ..57/157 F 3,143,784 8/1964 Scott ..28/72. 12 40 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures ll HIH HI! PATENTEDMMBO I972 3. 665,567

sum 1 or 5 INVENTOR. R/cr/ 6/3 '74 S 0/;

ATTORNEY PATENTEDMMO I972 3. 665 567 sum 2 or s INVENTOR. Podw/ I Av/45 zM/M ATTORNEY PATENTEUMYBO m2 3.665.567

SHEET 30F 5 INVENTOR. i ozcr/ C/ang ATTORNEY PATENTEUMMU mu 3,665,567

SHEET [3F 5 INVENTOR. 71% I C/ari ol? WM/aw ATTORNEY PATENTEDMAY 30 I972 sum 50F 5 INVENTOR. kiler/ I (V ATTORNEY YARN REBOUND TEXTURING APPARATUS AND METHOD This invention relates to a method and apparatus for texturing synthetic thermoplastic continuous filament yarns.

The synthetic textile industry is greatly interested in texturing synthetic thermoplastic continuous filament yams. As produced, these yarns are relatively straight and smooth and have little bulk. It is desired that they be bulked, so the yarns resemble more closely yarns spun from staple fiber.

Customarily, these yarns are bulked by bending or crimping the individual filaments in the yarn and heat setting the yarn while the filaments are bent or crimped.

Fluid impacting jets'have been used extensively to texture synthetic thermoplastic yarns. One such is shown in US. Letters Pat. No. 3,363,041 where a yarn is jetted into the nip of a pair of rolls. When the yarn meets the nip of the rolls and the bank of yarn which has collected therefrom the preceding length of yarn that has been jetted there, it is compressed longitudinally of itself by the impact.

Various types of impacting yarn jets have been employed. Cones and moving belts have been employed as the resistance element in place of the nip rolls. In one, illustrated in US. Pat. No. 3,156,028, the yarn is jetted onto a moving cylindrical deforming screen, thereafter set while held on that screen and subsequently taken up.

This invention relates to a yarn texturing apparatus and method using a heated fluid jet. Conveniently, the jet disclosed in the aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 3,363,041 may be used. But texture is achieved using this jet in combination with new equipment and in new procedures. Instead of jetting the yarn to be textured into a mass or a barrier and subsequently removing the same, in this invention the yarn is hurled by the heated fluid from the jet in a continuous stream-like flow against a foraminous surface on which it impinges and from which it instantaneously rebounds, or bounces, still in a yarn-like stream (although greatly compressed and deformed at this point) while the heated fluid, at least in substantial part, passes through the foraminous surface. The rebound yarn in this condition and without having been subjected to any substantial tension progresses under its own inertia, assisted by gravity in some embodiments, to a collecting station where it is heated and subsequently cooled to heat set the same, and thereafter it is wound up.

For a better understanding of the nature of this invention reference should be had to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation partly broken away of apparatus used in the texturing method invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the texturing jet along the line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the screen and jet housing shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the screen and jet housing, of the screen, and of the housing closure disc of this invention illustrating the assembly of the screen and disc in the housing;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a housing closure disc;

FIG. 6 is a view of the yarn jet tube of this invention; and

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the textured yarn directing tube.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, yarn Y from a supply package (not shown) is led to a first pair of driven godet rolls 11, 12 and thence to a second pair of driven godet rolls l3, l4. Yarn Y is wrapped about each pair of godet rolls in several wraps;

rolls

12 and 14 are heated, and rolls l3 and 14 advance the yarn at a much greater speed than do rolls 1 1 and 12, so that the yarn Y is drawn between the two sets of godet rolls. The drawing of the yarn Y is accomplished in conventional manner and is described in such patents as US. Pat. No. 3,363,041 to which reference may be had for a more detailed description of a specific drawing process.

From roll 13 yarn Y advances first to a texturing jet according to this invention, indicated generally by the reference character 15, and thence to a heating chamber, indicated generally by the reference character 16, where it is heated in a loose mass. After it leaves the heating chamber 16 it passes to the cooling chamber 17 where it is cooled in a loose mass. It is withdrawn from cooling chamber 17 in the form of a strand over idler rolls l8, l9 and 20 by a pair of

godet rolls

21, 22, the former of which is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow. From

godet rolls

21, 22 yarn Y advances over idler roll 23 to a standard take-up where it is wound in a package 24 for shipment.

Referring to FIG. 2 of the drawing, the texturing jet 15 of this invention includes a tube 25 which is sometimes called a needle in this art. Tube 25 passes through a steam plenum chamber 26 which is formed, in the embodiment shown, by the central passage through a plumbing tee (see FIG. 1). Tee 27 is connected through a steam valve 28 with a control lever 29 to a steam pipe 30, so that steam from the pipe 30 may be fed to steam plenum chamber 26, and valve 28 may be used to shut off the steam if desired.

As appears in FIG. 2, the upper end of the tee 27 is closed about the tube 25 by packing 31 and nut 32. Tube 25 passes completely through steam plenum chamber 26 and terminates at the upper end of a yarn passage chamber 33. Steam plenum chamber 26 communicates with yarn passage chamber 33, so that steam from plenum chamber 26 may pass downwardly about tube 25 and into the annular space between tube 25 and the upward continuation of the walls defining the yarn passage chamber 33. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, yarn passage chamber 33 is cylindrical and is formed by the opening in a cylindrical tube 34, which in turn fits in a central cylindrical bore in the top of an adapter housing 35. Tube 34 is sealed to tee 27 through packing 36 and nut 37, so that steam in plenum chamber 26 may only pass downwardly into the annular passage between yarn tube 25 and the upward continuation of the walls defining the yarn passage chamber 33. Tube 25 is held centered at the yarn entrance end of yarn passage chamber 33 by means of struts 38 on the lower end of yarn tube 25.

Steam passes through the annular chamber and past the struts 38 to the yarn exit end of tube 25 where the steam picks up the yarn Y exiting from tube 25 and hurls the yarn Y longitudinally of itself through yarn passage chamber 33. As will be noted, in the embodiment shown yarn passage chamber 33 extends beneath the lower end of tube 34 and is continued as a bore 39 in adapter housing 35. The diameter of this bore 39 is the same as the internal diameter of the opening in tube 34, so that a single diameter cylindrical passage is provided for the yarn from its exit from yarn tube 25 until it reaches the area of the yarn exit opening 40 in the side of the adapter housing 35.

The external lower end of the adapter housing 35 has a convex configuration surrounding the lower end opening of yarn passage chamber 33; in the embodiment shown it is conical. A member 41 having a foraminous surface, conveniently a screen, closes this lower end opening of chamber 33 to the passage of yarn, but steam may pass through the openings in screen 41.

In FIG. 4 the manner of assembling screen 41 in adapted housing 35 is illustrated. A hollow cylindrical sleeve 42 is provided with a recessed shoulder 43 in its upper end which is adapted to receive a metal washer 44. As illustrated best in FIG. 5, the washer 44 has a central semicircular cut-out portion 45 which is the same diameter as the internal diameter of yarn passage chamber 33. This semicircular cut-out portion 45 continues into a wider cut-out slot portion 46 which extends to the edge of the washer 44, so that slot 46 and cut-out portion 45 together form an enlarged opening through washer 44.

As illustrated in the exploded view of FIG. 4, washer 44 is placed on shoulder 43 in sleeve 42 with the slot 45-46 aligned with the yarn exit opening 40 in the adapter housing 35. The

screen thimble 41 is placed over the thus assembled sleeve 42 As sleeve 42 is driven home, screen 41 and washer 44 are defonned as they contact the convex lower end of adapter housing 35 around yarn passage chamber 33. Consequently,

- the screen 41 and washer 44 are bent to a concave configuration, and in the case where the adapter housing 35 has a conical or frusto-conical configuration, screen 41 and washer 42 are bent to a generally conical configuration.

As appears best in FIGS. 2 and 3, the yarn exit opening 40 is wider than the inner diameter of yarn passage chamber 33. In one example where yarn passage chamber 33 is a bore having a diameter 0.104 inches, yam exit opening 40 has a width of 4 inch. In this embodiment yarn exit opening 40 has a semicircular upper end; although the passage for the exit opening through adapter housing 35 has a semicircular lower end also, a consideration of FIG. 3 will make apparent that the effective lower end of yarn exit opening 40 is the concave conical surface of screen 41.

Referring next to FIG. 2, it will be noted that in the area immediately above this yarn exit opening 40, the adapter housing 35 has a relatively thin side wall 47. For some applications, this wall 47 in this area desirably is not thicker than A; the vertical distance from the screen 41 to the top of the exit opening 40. Immediately above this thin wall portion 47, adapter housing 35 has a horizontal surface 48 which, in conjunction with or alternately to the upper surface of tube 49, may serve as a rebound limiting barrier for the travelling yarn as will be described more fully hereinafter. A hollow cylindrical yarn guiding tube 49 is held next to the adapter housing 35 by means of the spring 50 on ears 51, 52 (see FIG. 7) and in communication with the exit opening 40.

As appears from FIG. 2, sleeve 42 is in communication with a steam exhaust pipe 53, so that steam passing through screen 41 will pass into this pipe 53 and may be drawn off by a blower (not shown).

The heretofore described jet textures the thermoplastic yarn by the novel technique of rebound or bounce crimping. The yarn Y advances through yarn tube and is picked up by the steam as it exits from the lower end of that tube. It is then hurled longitudinally of itself with great force by the steam downwardly toward screen 41 at the centralmost point of screen 41 s concavity, but it is thought that yarn Y actually impinges on screen 41 at this point and in a slightly asymmetrical area around it because the exit opening 40 permits the steam at the last moment to deviate slightly from a straight line path. The bulk of the steam passes through screen 41, but the yarn Y rebounds, or bounces, from screen 41 instantaneously in a continuous moving strand-like stream to flow upwardly and to the left as viewed in FIG. 2. As it flows upwardly it contacts a rebound limiting barrier which may be formed by the wall 48 or the upper surface of tube 49 or, occasionally, even by a plug of yarn which has not yet progressed out of tube 49. In the embodiment shown, wall 48 is semicircular in section as best appears in FIG. 3.

The yarn Y is hurled with great velocity against screen 41 by the steam. Desirably, steam at a pressure between 105 and 170 psig is employed, and the yarn Y is advanced through the jet at a linear speed of at least 1,200 linear feet per minute. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the yarn when it impinges upon the screen 41 is compressed longitudinally of itself by the force of the impact, and it has a crumpled cylindrical or sometimes ribbon-like cross-sectional configuration that is several times the diameter or width of the incoming yarn. The force of the rebound is enough to throw the yarn several feet from the screen in the absence ofa limiting barrier.

In the embodiment shown a short tube 49 is provided, and a drop wire 54 is pivoted on the nut 32 so that it falls across the end of tube 49, to limit the lateral movement of the rebound yarn. Wire 54 is urged downwardly by gravity under its own slight weight about its pivot in nut 32, and it may be lifted slightly by the force of the rebound yarn thereagainst so the lateral movement of the rebound yarn is, if necessary, brought to an end by the wire 54, and the yarn then falls under its own weight into heating chamber 16.

Yarn Y is a multi-filament continuous filament thermoplastic yam. As is well-known, such yarn is formed of a multiplicity of very small filaments. Occasionally, one of these filaments may become imbedded in an opening in screen 41. When this occurs the oncoming length of this imbedded filament will be fed out through tube 49 and will hang therebeneath. The length of the hanging loop will increase as the yarn continues to feed. As will be noted in FIG. 7, tube 49 has a slot 55 in its bottom into which this loop of single filament may fall. As appears in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of driven nip rolls 56, 57 are centered beneath this slot 55. As the loop of the imbedded filament becomes long enough, it falls into the nip of rolls 56, 57; rolls 56, 57 are driven by a belt and pulley drive in such a direction as to pull on this filament and eventually pull the imbedded portion out of screen 41, so yarn processing will continue uninterrupted.

Referring next to FIGS. 1 and 3, there is disposed beneath the end of tube 49 the heating chamber 16. As shown in FIG. 1, this chamber consists of an outer sleeve of insulation 58 which surrounds a steam chamber 59 which in turn surrounds an inner cylindrical yam chamber 60. Steam is circulated through chamber 59 to heat the walls of yarn chamber 60, and consequently to heat the yarn contained within chamber 60.

As best shown in this Figure the rebound yarn Y falls into yarn receiving chamber 60. The rebound yarn Y has not been subjected to any substantial longitudinal tension between the time it bounces off screen 41 and the time it falls in a loose mass in chamber 60. This loose mass fills chamber 60, and as the yarn Y is withdraum from the cooling chamber, as will be described hereinafter, the loose mass of yarn in the heating chamber 16 progresses downwardly through the heating chamber. A typical dwell of a piece of yarn in the heating chamber is 9 minutes. At an input speed of 1,600 feet per.

minute of 1,800 denier polypropylene yarn to jet 15, a yarn chamber 60, 5 inches in diameter and with a heating section 30 inches long, gives excellent results.

To further assist in heating the yarn in chamber 60, air is blown through tubes which coil first through steam chamber 58, where the air in the tubes is heated, and thence pass vertically through chamber 60 in the form of

bleed tubes

61, 61. In FIG. 1 two of these bleed tubes are shown although in practice three are used spaced apart around the yarn tube 60. These hot

air bleed tubes

61, 61 are disposed vertically within chamber 60 and they have holes, spaced at 2 /2 inch intervals, through their sides. Air which is passed through the tube coils to be heated in the steam chamber 58 is blown out the holes in bleed tubes 61, 61' into chamber 60 to circulate through the mass of yarn passing through chamber 60 and beat this mass.

Immediately beneath the heating chamber 16, there is disposed a cooling chamber 17 which is the bottom leg of the J-tube formed by the heating chamber 16 and cooling chamber 17 together. The yarn passes through this cooling chamber 17, still in a mass. To assist in cooling, two air bleed tubes 62, only one of which is shown, are disposed inside and at opposite sides of the cooling chamber 17. Air at room temperature is blown through these cooling tubes and out through bleed holes spaced at 2 inch intervals along their length to circulate through the yarn mass and cool the same. Typically, a dwell of 8 minutes in the cooling chamber is adequate to fully cool the yarn to room temperature.

Not until this point, when the yarn has been fully heat set and cooled, is the textured yarn subjected to substantial longitudinal tension. As appears best in FIG. 1, the yarn Y is led out of the mass over baffles 63, 64 and through eyelet 65 which tend to remove gross tangles in the yarn. To further remove any persistent tangles, a series of

tension vanes

66, 66', 66 and 66" are provided. These vanes are simply thin pieces of sheet metal shaped to close the chamber and pivoted at

hinges

67, 67', 67" and 67" respectively, so that they tend to fall by gravity counterclockwise against the opposite wall 68 of the chamber. These vanes, for example see vane 66, each have a small piece of window screening 69 bent around its end. The yarn as it advances upwardly from eyelet 65 is pinched gently by the

vanes

66, 66, etc. in succession to be rubbed by the screen 69 which in turn tends to pull out any persistent tangles in the yarn as it is led from the mass in cooling chamber 17.

The yarn now once again in substantially linear form is then pulled over idler rolls 18, 19 and 20 by pull-out godet rolls 21, 22 and is fed forward to be wound up in a package 24 in a conventional manner.

width (beneath the arc) is V4 inch. The distance from the base of the cone formed by screen 41 to the rebound limiting barrier surface 48 was 0.593 inches. The length of the rebound limiting surface 48, measured radially of housing 35, was 0.375 inches. Tube 49 was 2 A inches long and had an outer diameter of 1 3/16 inches and a wall thickness of 0.049 inches.

The following specific examples of yarn, all textured on the jet of Example I, will further illustrate the invention.

Examples II III IV V A. Foraminous rebounding surface 41:

1. Material Wire screen Wire serecn Wiresermin. Wirescreen.

2. Screen mesh 1 3. Percent open area of screen 3 4. Width of mesh opening 5. Diameter of wire (all stainless steel)... 0.000 6. Angle 0 of surface 41 (as stated in Example I) 10 B. Yarn input speed to jet (linear feet per minute) 1,600. C. Pressure of steam admitted to chamber 26 (psi. 110

gauge) D. Temperature of circulating air in chamber 16 F.) 274 E. Duration of yarn dwell in chamber 16 2 7 minutes.

air at room temperature, approximately 70 F.).

G. Yarn input to jet 15 2,000 denier continuous filament polypropylene (104 fillaments in yarn).

7 minutes. 5 minutes.

5 minutes filaments in yarn). filaments in yarn). filaments in yarn). 5' 2.511 4.011.

2,000 denier contin- I All screens were plain woven; screen mesh means openings per inch" in warp and weft (or shute); see, for example, catalog Jcllifi Wire Cloth (copyright 1007 by C. O. Jcllifi Corporation, Southport, Connecticut) for screen terminology.

9 Yarn dwells E and F are approximate average dwells as in the em- In the embodiment shown, the godet rolls 21, 22 are driven at two selected speeds, so as to control the quantity of yarn in the heating chamber 16 and cooling chamber 17. The yarn should be heated in the heating chamber at least long enough to bring it up to the desired. final heat setting temperature. Similarly, the yarn should dwell in the cooling chamber 17 sufficiently long to be cooled below its heat setting temperature.

A vane 70 hangs inside the upper end of heating chamber 60. This vane is pivoted about a support 71 in such a manner that it is urged by gravity counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 1. Consequently, as the yarn falls into chamber 60 and fills the same, the weight of yarn, when the mass reaches the level of this vane 70, will bear against this vane and urge the vane counterclockwise. Through a linkage 72, vane 70 controls a micro-switch 73 which turns the motor control for roll 21 to either a fast drive or slow drive position. If there is so little yarn in the heating chamber that it does not contact vane 70, gravity permits vane 70 to rotate counterclockwise from the position shown in the drawing and to turn the micro-switch so that yarn is taken out at the slow speed by roll 21. When yarn builds up against vane 70 and holds it in the position shown in the drawing, the micro-switch is turned to the fast speed and roll 21 takes out yarn at the fast speed.

The following specific embodiments will further illustrate this invention.

EXAMPLE I end in chamber 33 a distance equal to 1 5/16 inch from the base of the cone whose surface is screen 41. A cone angle 0 (see FIG. 3) of 10 is provided. Vane 47 is 0.073 inches thick and the vertical dimension of opening 40 measured from the uppermost point of its top arc as viewed in FIG. 3 to the base of the cone formed by screen 41 is A inch, and its maximum liodiment illustrated the pull-out hunts". The dwells stated are in excess of those required to heat the yarn to the heat setting temperature and to Subsequently cool it to near room temperature in the apparatus illustrated.

Various screens may be employed for the screen 41. Of course, the screen should not be so open mesh that the fiber is blown into or made to stick on it in the openings. Desirably, a mesh from about 35 ends and 35 picks per inch up to about ends and 70 picks per inch with an open area between 25 percent and 35 percent gives the best results. The open area should be related to the mesh, so that screens with fewer ends and picks per inch should have wire sizes which leave open areas at the lower end of the range. Balanced weaves, i.e. weaves where the wire has the same number of ends and picks per inch, seem to work best. The roughness of a wire screen seems to contribute materially to the satisfactory working of the invention. As is well-known a screen is made by weaving wires, and the bends induced in the wire in the weaving process give a surface texture or roughness to the screen which is thought advantageous in the process. The angle 6 of the screen is also important. Desirably this angle should be between 8 and 12.

Extremely high processing speeds can be achieved using this invention. Speeds of 2,550 feet per minute have been employed. But lower speeds can be used and still achieve the invention provided the yarn is rebound OK the screen. Speeds in excess of 1,200 feet per minute have been found especially desirable.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A method of texturing a thermoplastic multi-filament yarn which comprises advancing the yarn longitudinally of itself in a stream of heated fluid advancing longitudinally of the yam, hurling the yarn toward a foraminous surface by means of said stream of fluid while passing at least part of said stream of fluid through said surface, impinging said advancing yarn on said foraminous surface with sufficient force to induce a compression crimp in the filaments of said yarn, instantaneously rebounding the yarn from said surface in a continuous strand-like stream and advancing the rebounded yarn away from said surface, and collecting the rebounded yarn.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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 ofsaid conical shape.

5. 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 l inch from said screen.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

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

16. 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.

17. 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 yam to set the same, thereafter cooling said yarn while maintaining it free of substantial longitudinal tension, and thereafter winding said yarn.

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

19. 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.

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

21. 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.

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

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. 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 A 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 /a the said longitudinal dimension ofsaid yarn exit opening.

27. 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.

28. Apparatus according to claim 27 including a crimped yarn treating chamber disposed beneath the exit end of said crimped yam 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.

29. 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 becomesimbedded in said screen, said nip rolls being driven in a direction to pull said imbedded filament out of said screen.

30. Apparatus according to claim 22 wherein said yarn passage chamber is cylindrical and wherein said yam 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.

31. 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.

32. 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.

33. 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.

34. 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 /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 A; the said longitudinal dimension of said yarn exit opening.

35. 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.

36. 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.

37. 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.

38. 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.

39. 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.

40. 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.

Claims

1. A method of texturing a thermoplastic multi-filament yarn which comprises advancing the yarn longitudinally of itself in a stream of heated fluid advancing longitudinally of the yarn, hurling the yarn toward a foraminous surface by means of said stream of fluid while passing at least part of said stream of fluid through said surface, impinging said advancing yarn on said foraminous surface with sufficient force to induce a compression crimp in the filaments of said yarn, instantaneously rebounding the yarn from said surface in a continuous strand-like stream and advancing the rebounded yarn away from said surface, and collecting the rebounded yarn.

4. 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.

5. 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.

7. 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.

12. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

20. 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.

22. 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.

24. 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*.

26. 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.

28. 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.

29. 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.

30. 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.

32. 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*.

34. 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.