US3905074A

US3905074A - Method and apparatus for the finishing treatment of yarns

Info

Publication number: US3905074A
Application number: US411486A
Authority: US
Inventors: Heinrich Buddecke
Original assignee: Savio SpA
Current assignee: Officine Savio SpA; Savio SpA
Priority date: 1972-11-02
Filing date: 1973-10-31
Publication date: 1975-09-16
Anticipated expiration: 1992-09-16
Also published as: FR2205371A1; DE2253713C3; DE2253713A1; CH565100A5; IT994444B; GB1395668A; DE2253713B2; FR2205371B1; JPS4975891A

Abstract

Method and apparatus for the finishing treatment of a yarn spiral. The yarn is wound onto a spool and has a plurality of longitudinally extending support threads therein and yarn wound around the support threads. As the yarn spiral is unwound from the spool, the support threads are moved apart in an expanding relation so that the yarn wound around the support threads is expanded into a rectangular cross-sectional shape. A drive mechanism is provided for driving the support thread longitudinally to unroll the yarn spiral from the spool.

Description

O United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,905,074 Buddecke Sept. 16, 1975 .'[54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE 3,467,507 9/1969 Andreevskaya et al. 34/153 X FINISHING TREATMENT OF YARNS 3,683,650 8/1972 Hirschburger 28/62 X 75 I H h B dd k G 3,791,132 2/1974 Schutz 28/75 R x t 1 or z' 'g' ec Oppmgen FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,113,650 5/1968 United Kingdom 28/ 2 Asslgnw ofilcme P Pordenone, 1,296,152 5 19 2 France 28 1 R lta y [22] Filed: 31, 1973 Primary ExaminerMervin Stein Attorney, Agent, or FirmWoodhams, Blanchard and 211 App]. NOJ 411,486 Flynn [30] Foreign Application Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT Nov. 2, 1972 Germany 2253713 Method and apparatus for the finishing treatment Of a yarn spiral. The yarn is wound onto a spool and has a 52 11.s.c1 28/1 R; 28/62; 28/72 R plurality Of longitudinally extending Support threads 51 Int. (:1. D02J 1/18 therein and yarn Wound around the pp threads. [58 1 Field of Search 28/1 CL, 1 R, 61, 62, 74 R, AS the yarn Spiral is unwound from the spool, the p- [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,484,552 2/1924 Cohn 26/54 UX 2,882,673 4/1959 Buddecke 2,913,799 11/1959 Rabeux et a]. 28/1 R port threads are moved apart in an expanding relation so that the yarn wound around the support threads is expanded into a rectangular cross-sectional shape. A drive mechanism is provided for driving the support thread longitudinally to unroll the yarn spiral from the spool.

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g O a 3 \T .5 W Ll. /h! j METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE FINISHING TREATMENT OF YARNS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention first relates to a method for the finish- :ing treatment of yarns which exist in the form of a yarn spiral, on the inside of which there are provideddriven, finite conveyor belts or support threads which extend in direction of the spiral axis and function as conveying members and the cross section of which is compressed I for example by winding the spiral up to form a spool or by a squeezing treatment. The winding up of the yarn spiral, which has been created by winding the yarn around the conveyor belts or support threads which are arranged for example in a rectangular shape, to form a disk-shaped spool can among others be useful in order to obtain a yam member which is suitable for storage or similar purposes. If one unwinds such a spool, the flat spiral cross section is usable for squeezing treatments, for example on the padding machine, however, not at an optimum for other treatments like washing, shrinking, drying, steaming and similar ones. Here the treatment means is supposed to have an undisturbed access to the yarn threads from all sides as much as possible.

In order to make this possible, the spiral cross section, according to the invention, is expanded so that the oppositely positioned yarn parts do not contact one another to prepare the yarn spiral for a treatment of the mentioned type. The yarn spiral therewith receives a shape which beyond the suitability for treatment with treatment means mainly permits also the pulling off or doffing of the yarn overhead if certain other conditions exist which will be discussed below.

Furthermore, the invention relates also to an apparatus for carrying out the aforedescribed method. It. is characterized in that it has an expanding member which is arranged inside of theyarn and which is carried by several support members whichare arranged on both sides of the expanding member and outside of the spiral, which support members gripping through the yarn spiral on both sides alternately and intermittently are coupled with respective couplings on the expanding member. The support members, of which on at least one side always two or more are simultaneously coupled' with the expanding member, take over interchangeably the support function and they grip through between adjacent threads of the yarn spiral, while at the points of the at times functionless support members the yarn spiral can pass undisturbed. In some cases, it can be advantageous to arrangein a kinematic reversal of parts the support members which grip through the spiral on the expanding member and to arrange the associated couplings outside of the spiral. In both cases the expanding member which is surrounded all around by the moving yarn spiral, because at all times even if with alternating coupling members a connection to the outside exists, is held fixedly in the room and is prevented from tilting about its two horizontal axes.

In a further construction of the invention, on one side the support members are arranged outside of the spiral and on the other side the couplings on the expanding member (or vice versa) and on chain or belt drives which are driven in such a manner that each one strand of the drives runs synchronously with the conveyor speed of the yarn spiral. This strand has then a conveying function while the conveying parts of the returning strands do not function. In this embodiment of the invention not only a supporting function is introduced from outside into the expanding member inside of the yarn spiral but at the same time also the drive for the chain or belt drives which contain the couplings or support members and for other members which will be discussed later on.

Advantageously according to a further characteristic, the expanding member is locked in running direction of the yarn spiral. Herefor a further captivating connection which is effective in running direction is required between the expanding member inside of the spiral and on the outside, through which the conveying movement of the yarn spiral is not disturbed. This locking consists according to a further characteristic of the invention of each one pair of rollers which is arranged on the outside and inside of the yarn spiral and has parallel axes, whereby the clearance distance of the first roller pair is less than the external dimension of the second pair. The roller pair inside of the spiral is supported rollingly' on the outer roller pair and the yarn spiral can pass between the roller pairs.

The expanding effect of the expanding member is particularly strong and precise, if according to a further characteristic of the invention in the expanding member there is provided for each conveyor belt (support thread) a continuous belt drive which is driven synchronously with the chain or belt drives, onto which belt drive the yarn windings transfer from the conveyor belt. The continuous belt drives are, particularly since they can have a strong lengthwise tension, substantially stiffer than the finite support threads and thus give the yarn windings very exactly the cross section which is I determined by the spacial arrangement of the belt drives.

Should the yarn after treatment be pulled off overhead and thus the yarn spiral be dissolved, then an expanding member is required which equals substantially to the aforedescribed ones but additionally has yet drive winding bobbins for the conveyor belts or support threads. The yarn windings are in the expanding member of this embodiment, after they have been trans ferred from the support threads to the belt drives, transported alone by the belt drives to the rear end of the expanding member and are there pulled off overhead through a doffing ring which is secured on the expanding member, while the support threads run to the winding bobbins and are there wound up. The drive of the winding bobbins is advantageously derived from the chainor'belt drives.

In certain types of yarns, it can be advantageous to leave the dividing of the yarn windings for the passage of the coupling members (support members and couplings) which are constructed for example advanta geously as horizontally movable pins on one side and associated sleeves on the other side of the yarn spiral not to the pins but to associate each support member with a horizontally movable winding divider. Same is moved between the windings prior to operating the coupling members and creates a gap through which the coupling members can pass without yet contacting the yarn windings. Through this it is also avoided that a thread which in not moved to the side by the coupling pin is clamped into the sleeve.

The winding divider which is constructed preferably as a rider which is mounted on the coupling sleeve and is guided on it in two lateral slots can advantageously have a circular cross section with a horizontal axis. Its diameter is larger than the diameter of the coupling pins, preferably even larger than the sleeve diameter. At the end facing the yarn windings there is attached an approximately semispherical point and on the upper side a projecting cutting edge so that a slippery profile is obtained which easily penetrates through the yarn windings and urges them apart laterally. The winding divider is advantageously hollow and can consist of glass or plastic.

To secure the transition of the yarn windings from the finite conveyor belts or threads to the continuous belt drives vertical rollers have been provided which at the transition points abut the belt from outside; they can be driven with at least the conveyor speed of the yarn spiral and their surface can be constructed nonslippingly.

In a further embodiment of the inventive apparatus the upper continuous belt drives are advantageously extended to the upper rollers of the second roller pair of the locking device inside of the yarn spiral. They enclose these rollers and drive them. In order to be able to better regulate the belt tension it can be advantageous to provide for the upper rollers which must be driven a special, short belt drive which is connected to the extended continuous belt through an intermediate shaft.

To support the through-hanging yarns at the upper side of the slowly expanding yarn spiral there is within the same a driven belt drive associated with each of the two upper continuous belt drives, which driven belt drive is guided through advantageously to the upper rollers of the second roller pair of the locking device and is driven by same. Instead of two belt drives it is also possible to use one centrally arranged one.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In as far as the inventively important characteristics have not yet been described in detail above, they result from the exemplary embodiments which are illustrated in the drawings and which are described only in their inventively important characteristics and functions.

In the drawings:

FIG. la is a top view of the left half of a first type of construction,

FIG. 1b is a top view of the right half of a different type of construction,

FIG. 2 is a vertical central cross-sectional view of the machine according to FIG. lb,

FIG. 3 is a modified detail of FIG. 2 in a smaller scale and very much simplified,

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line IVIV of FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the type of construction according to FIG. 1a corresponding to FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of a winding divider, and

FIG. 7 illustrates an end view of the winding divider.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION A yarn spiral 12 is wound onto a spool (mandrel) 10 which is located in front of the machine. The yarn spiral 12 has four driven, finite support threads 14 on the inside thereof which extend in direction of the spiral axis, around which support threads 14 the yarn 16 had been wound spirallike. The spiral 12 lies flatly compressed on the spool 10. On the machine, the compressed spiral is converted to a rectangular cross section in preparation for a finishing treatment or for pulling off of the yarn. One of four endless belt drives 18 to 24 are located in one of the four comers of the cross section of the finite support threads 14. The belt drives consist of belt pulleys 18 to 24 and tensioning devices 26 and are driven by a shaft 32 through a chain drive 28 or intermediate gearing 30 supported in the frame 34 of an expanding member 36.

Double-

strand sprocket wheels

38 and 40 are positioned on the shaft 32, which double-strand sprocket wheels form together with

return sprocket wheels

38 and 40 and double-strand chains 38", 40 two chain drives on both sides of the frame 34. Coupling pins 44 are secured on the chains 38", 40", are equally distributed along said chains (FIGS. 1b and 4) and are guided in sleeves 42 thereon, which coupling pins are moved axially in the sleeves against a spring force by control rails 46 along which the pins are guided. Sleeves 48 are secured in double strand chain drives 50, 52 to 50", 52" opposite the coupling pins 44 within the yarn spiral 12. The sleeves 48 are positioned outside of the spiral. Said chain drives are supported in the machine frame 54, are guided by

rails

56, 58 to prevent twisting and are driven through a transverse shaft 60 (FIG. lb) by a motor 62 at a speed which is synchronous to the speed of the support threads 14.

The driven chains 50", 52" transmit their longitudinal movement from outside the spiral 12 through the pins 44 pass through adjacent yarns and enter into the sleeves 48 on the chains 38", 40" within the spiral 12 and thus drive the inner set of chains and belt drives 18, 20. Rollers 64 are provided on the chains 38", 40", which rollers absorb the weight of the expanding member 36 and transfer it onto the chains 50", 52" in as far as the pins 44 engage the sleeves 48. In order that the expanding member is not moved together with the chains 38", 40" or 50", 52" in longitudinal direction, it is held by rollers 66, 68 (FIG. 2) which are supported on the frame 34 and cooperate with

rollers

70, 70 which are supported on the frame 54. The external dimension of the roller pairs 66, 68 is larger than the clearance distance between the rollers 70, 70'.

As is shown in FIGS. la and 2, the upper belt drives 18 are extended to a shaft 72 in the inlet field of the device and are connected to a short belt drive 74 through the shaft 72, through which belt drive the rollers 66 are driven. At the point where the yarns l6 transfer from the finite support threads 14 onto the continuous belts 18, vertical rollers 76 are provided on both sides and abut the belts 18 from outside. The rollers 76 may be driven and their surface may have a nonsliplike characteristic. The rollers 76 assure a safe transition of the yarn windings from the finite support to the continuous conveyor means.

Furthermore, and according to FIGS. la and 2, a belt drive 78 is provided which extends around the roller 66 and is driven thereby. The belt 78 also engages a return roller 80 and a tensioning device 82. As mentioned in the beginning, the upper, horizontal parts of the yarn spiral 12 are placed onto the belt drive 78, in as far as they hang through between the support threads 14 or the belts 18, 2O. Eyelets 84 serve to guide the support threads 14.

The parts 66 to 84 are only illustrated in FIG. 1a; the

same parts, however, are provided symmetrically to thecenter plane of the device on both halves of the expanding member. This is also true for the embodiment of FIG. lb.

The modification of FIGS. 5 and 1a differs from the .one of FIGS. 4 and 1b in that the coupling pins 44 with their guide sleeves 42' and the control rails 46 are .mounted on the chains 50" outside of the yarn spiral on the machine frame 54, while the sleeves 48' are carried by the chains 38" inside of the spiral. A tilting of the chain 50" in FIG. 4 by the

rails

56, 58 is prevented because the chain 50" is supported by rollers 86 which engage stationary rails 88. Winding dividers 90, which are constructed as riders, are guided into lateral slots provided in the sleeves 48, which winding dividers are moved by the control rails 92 against a spring force from inside through the windings of the yarn spiral in order to create a gap through which the pin 44' can pass. If the yarn windings are supposed to be partially relaxed on the belts, then according to FIG. 3, the belt pulleys 22, 24' are supported in rocking levers 94 which are connected by a linkage 96 so that the belt pulleys and thus the

belts

22, 24 can be lifted and lowered. A

The aforedescribed device in its different embodiments fulfills the purpose of expanding the flatly compressed yarn spiral 12 on the spool to a rectangular cross section, the corners of which are defined by the belts 18 to 24. One can arrange such a device in front of or in a treatment chamber, also several ones spaced from one another separated by treatment chambers,

whereby the expanding members are captivated in longitudinal direction in that the second and the following expanding members are connected to the preceding one each by a simple tension chain which takes the place of the locking device 66 to 70.

The devices according to FIGS. 1a, lb and 2 are in -a further development of the aforedescribed ones -constructed as unwinding devices which are used when the yarn spiral is supposed to be dissolved and the yarn is supposed to be pulled off overhead. For this purpose, winding bobbins 98 for the support threads 14 are provided in the expanding member 36, which areadvantageously through slip clutches connected to the chain drives 38', 40' through a chain drive 100 to keep the support threads under tension. At the rear end of the expanding member at a suitable distance a doffing ring 102 is secured. The yarn windings 16 are tensioned at said doffing point by the tensioned belts 18 to 24 as this is required for a troublefree removal of the individual windings overhead.

The shape of the winding dividers 90 is moreclearly shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 which illustrate. in sections a cross section according to FIG. 5 or a side view'according to FIG. 2. The winding divider is constructed as a rider 90 positioned on the sleeve 48',which rider is guided in two lateral slots 104 of the sleeve by pins. The

' rider 90 has a bent projection extending toward the the spiral, comprising the steps of passing the flattened spiral over and in surrounding relationship to an expander for causing outward expansion of the spiral into an open tubular configuration, maintaining the flexible support elements positioned in engagement with the inside surface of the spiral at least during the initial portion of the expansion operation, then separating the flexible support elements from the spiral so that said support elements are spaced inwardly from the spiral but are still disposed within the tubular configuration thereof, unwinding the yarn from said spiral at a location where the spiral is already separated from the support elements, and winding the support elements after separation thereof from the spiral onto a reel.

2. In an apparatus for unwinding a yarn which is wound in a continuous spiral with a flattened shape and which has on the inside thereof driven, finite conveyor support threads which extend in direction of the spiral axis and function as conveying members, spool means having wound thereon said continuous, flattened spiral of yarn with said supporting threads on the inside thereof, the improvement comprising a plurality of support members, an expanding member arranged inside said spiral and carried by said plurality of support mem bers, said support members being arranged on both sides of said expanding member and outside of said spiral, coupling means, said support members gripping through said spiral on both sides alternately and intermittently and being coupled with said coupling means on said expanding member.

3. The improved apparatus according to claim 2, wherein on one side said support members are arranged outside of said spiral and on the other side said coupling means on said expanding member are arrangedin chain drives which are driven so that one strand each of the chain drive runs synchronously with the conveying speed of said spiral.

'4. The improved apparatus according toclaim 3, wherein said expanding member is secured in running direction of the yarn spiral by securing means.

5. The improved apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said securing means consists of first and second pairs of rollers arranged both on the outside and the inside of said spiral and having axes which extend parallel to one another, the clearance distance of said I first roller pair being less than the external dimension wherein a continuous belt drive is-provided in said ex pandingmember for each support thread, said continuous belt drive beingv driven synchronously with said chain drives. onto which belt drive said yarn windings transfer from said support thread.

' 7. The improved apparatus according to claim 3, in cluding winding bobbins for said support threads, said winding bobbins being driven in said expanding member. Y

8. The improved apparatus according to claim 2, including a horizontally movable Winding divider mounted in association with each support member.

9. The improved apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said support members and the corresponding coupling means consist of sleeves and a plurality of horizontally movable pins which enter into the sleeves.

10. The improved apparatus according to claim 9, wherein for moving the pins, control rails are provided which are formed so that on each side at least two pins simultaneously engage the sleeves.

l l. The improved apparatus according to claim 9, including a horizontally movable winding divider mounted in association with each support member; and

wherein said winding divider is constructed as a rider which is mounted on said sleeve, which is guided on the sleeve in two lateral horizontal slots.

12. The improved apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said winding divider has a circular cross section, the diameter of which is larger than the diameter of said sleeve, a semispherical point facing the yarn spiral and a projecting cutting edge attached to the upper side thereof.

13. The improved apparatus according to claim 6, wherein driven vertical rollers which abut the belt from the outside are provided at the points where the spiral transfers from the finite support threads to said continuous belt drives.

14. The improved apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the upper belt drives are extended to said second roller pair inside of the yarn spiral for driving the rollers.

15. The improved apparatus according to claim 5, wherein inside of the spiral near its upper side a driven belt drive for supporting the through-hanging yarn threads is associated with each continuous belt drive, said driven belt drive being driven by the rollers of said second roller pair.

16. Apparatus, including a supporting framework, for unwinding a yarn which is wound in a continuous spiral with a flattened shape and which has within said spiral supporting elements that extend in the direction of the axis of said spiral, comprising:

spool means having wound thereon said continuous,

flattened spiral of yarn with said supporting elements inside thereof;

expanding means extending away from said spool means in the shape of a wedge diverging away from said spool means, said expanding means comprising conveyor belt means for picking up, longitudinally moving and opening out said flattened spiral of yarn and reel means for recovery of said supporting elements present inside said spiral of yarn; two pairs of rollers having a parallel axes located at the front of and in mutual coordination with the widened end part of said wedge, one pair of said rollers being located inside of said expanding means, the other pair of said rollers being located outside said spiral of yarn, said expanding means being supported by a double pair of lateral chain transmissions with male/female supporting elements which introduce themselves one within the other; and

terminally positioned means for unwinding said yarn.

17. Apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein one transmission in each pair of said lateral chain trans missions is positioned within said spiral of yarn and is supported in a movable manner by said expanding means, the other transmission is positioned outside said spiral of yarn and is supported in a movable manner by supporting framework, said external transmission having its movement supplied by a motor, said inside transmission having its movement supplied by said external transmission, said conveyor belt means and the other rotating members of said expanding means having their movement supplied by said inside, lateral transmission.

18. Apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein the supporting elements for lateral connection of the inside lateral transmission to the external lateral transmission of said pairs of lateral chain transmissions consists of coupling pins which are horizontally movable and which cooperate with sleeves, at least two coupling pins being simultaneously held in two sleeves for each side of the expanding means and of each pair of lateral transmissions and a coil separator for each supporting element that moves in coordination with said coupling pin.

19. Apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein said conveyor belt means and other rotating members of said expanding means are supplied with their motion by the inside lateral transmission of said pairs of lateral chain transmissions, there being for each supporting element inside said spiral of yarn one of said recovery reel means, the peripheral winding speed of a reel means being almost the same as the movement speed of said conveyor belt means.

20. Apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein the clearance gap between the first pair of rollers outside said spiral of yarn is less than the external dimension of the second pair of rollers inside said spiral of yarn, said second pair of rollers being positioned between said first pair of rollers and said expanding member,

Claims

1. A method for unwinding a yarn which is wound in a continuous elongated spiral having a flattened shape and which has a plurality of elongated flexible support threads disposed inside and extending longitudinally of the spiral, comprising the steps of passing the flattened spiral over and in surrounding relationship to an expander for causing outward expansion of the spiral into an open tubular configuration, maintaining the flexible support elements positioned in engagement with the inside surface of the spiral at least during the initial portion of the expansion operation, then separating the flexible support elements from the spiral so that said support elements are spaced inwardly from the spiral but are still disposed within the tubular configuration thereof, unwinding the yarn from said spiral at a location where the spiral is already separated from the support elements, and winding the support elements after separation thereof from the spiral onto a reel.

2. In an apparatus for unwinding a yarn which is wound in a continuous spiral with a flattened shape and which has on the inside thereof driven, finite conveyor support threads which extend in direction of the spiral axis and function as conveying members, spool means having wound thereon said continuous, flattened spiral of yarn with said supporting threads on the inside thereof, the improvement comprising a plurality of support members, an expanding member arranged inside said spiral and carried by said plurality of support members, said support members being arranged on both sides of said expanding member and outside of said spiral, coupling means, said sUpport members gripping through said spiral on both sides alternately and intermittently and being coupled with said coupling means on said expanding member.

3. The improved apparatus according to claim 2, wherein on one side said support members are arranged outside of said spiral and on the other side said coupling means on said expanding member are arranged in chain drives which are driven so that one strand each of the chain drive runs synchronously with the conveying speed of said spiral.

4. The improved apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said expanding member is secured in running direction of the yarn spiral by securing means.

5. The improved apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said securing means consists of first and second pairs of rollers arranged both on the outside and the inside of said spiral and having axes which extend parallel to one another, the clearance distance of said first roller pair being less than the external dimension of said second pair.

6. The improved apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a continuous belt drive is provided in said expanding member for each support thread, said continuous belt drive being driven synchronously with said chain drives onto which belt drive said yarn windings transfer from said support thread.

7. The improved apparatus according to claim 3, including winding bobbins for said support threads, said winding bobbins being driven in said expanding member.

11. The improved apparatus according to claim 9, including a horizontally movable winding divider mounted in association with each support member; and wherein said winding divider is constructed as a rider which is mounted on said sleeve, which is guided on the sleeve in two lateral horizontal slots.

16. Apparatus, including a supporting framework, for unwinding a yarn which is wound in a continuous spiral with a flattened shape and which has within said spiral supporting elements that extend in the direction of the axis of said spiral, comprising: spool means having wound thereon said continuous, flattened spiral of yarn with said supporting elements inside thereof; expanding means extending away from said spool means in the shape of a wedge diverging away from said spool means, said expanding means comprising conveyor belt means for picking up, longitudinally moving and opening out said flattened spiral of yarn and reel means for recovery of said supporting elements present inside said sPiral of yarn; two pairs of rollers having a parallel axes located at the front of and in mutual coordination with the widened end part of said wedge, one pair of said rollers being located inside of said expanding means, the other pair of said rollers being located outside said spiral of yarn, said expanding means being supported by a double pair of lateral chain transmissions with male/female supporting elements which introduce themselves one within the other; and terminally positioned means for unwinding said yarn.

17. Apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein one transmission in each pair of said lateral chain transmissions is positioned within said spiral of yarn and is supported in a movable manner by said expanding means, the other transmission is positioned outside said spiral of yarn and is supported in a movable manner by supporting framework, said external transmission having its movement supplied by a motor, said inside transmission having its movement supplied by said external transmission, said conveyor belt means and the other rotating members of said expanding means having their movement supplied by said inside, lateral transmission.

20. Apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein the clearance gap between the first pair of rollers outside said spiral of yarn is less than the external dimension of the second pair of rollers inside said spiral of yarn, said second pair of rollers being positioned between said first pair of rollers and said expanding member.