Patent GB-998953-A (GB)
Title: Process and apparatus for treating textile filaments
IPC: D02J13/00
Filed: 1961-08-04
Abstract: 998,953. Treating filaments. EASTMAN KODAK CO. Aug. 4, 1961 [Aug. 9, 1960], No. 28389/61. Heading B5B. [Also in Division D1] In a process of treating a tow of filaments, which process includes a drafting step, the drafted tow is passed around a plurality of perforated drums rotating in an atmosphere of a circulating heated gas whereby the gas circulates over the tow filaments and into the interior of the drums through the perforations thereby uniformly and rapidly heating the tow. In one embodiment, the filaments are passed around a plurality of rolls in series, the filaments are heated, and the heated filaments are passed around a plurality of further rolls rotating at higher surface speed so that the filaments are drafted, the filaments contacting at least onethird the circumference of the rolls in each set, the drafted filaments, after passing around the perforated drums, are withdrawn from the last drum of the series, and, after application of a treating agent, are crimped. Apparatus for the process includes a flexible creel 2 (Fig. 1) from which a plurality of filaments are drawn, feed rolls 4-9, heating means 11, draw rolls 13-18, heat-setting means 21 comprising perforated rolls, treating means 24, and crimping means 25. One form of heating means (Figs. 3 and 4) comprises upper and lower housings 51, 52 positioned slightly apart to form slot 53 through which the filament tow passes. The slot is closable at the side by hinged flap 54. The tow is contacted by steam fed in at slightly above atmospheric pressure via inlets 58, 59. This steam is itself heated by heating elements 56, 57 (68, 69 in Fig. 4) containing high-pressure steam. Double baffle chambers 61, 61<SP>1</SP> permit inlet of air, which flows through slots 63, 63<SP>1</SP> and into steam exhaust chambers 60, 60<SP>1</SP>. This maintains yarn slot 53 under suction and prevents the yarn drawing in cold air. The heat-setting means 21 may comprise a plurality of drums 76-81 enclosed in a housing 93 and having perforations 83, 84 around their entire periphery. A heating chamber 97 (Fig. 7) located behind the drums contains a heating device, e.g. steam radiator 100. A heated gaseous atmosphere, e.g. air or nitrogen, is made to circulate by fan 104 and baffles 105, into the interior of housing 93, where it enters the drums via the perforations therein, and is withdrawn from the interior of the drums, back into the heating chamber, by outlets 107. Baffles 86, 87, 88, provided inside the drums, close those perforations not covered by the band of tow. The drums may be rotated at the same speed, or may be rotated independently at different speeds. The treating means 24 may be a spray lubricator device (Fig. 8) in which the tow 100 is sprayed by atomizer 114 fed from reservoir 112, excess treating liquid being filtered at 119 and recycled to another atomizer 123. The treating liquid may be a mixture of mineral oil, diethylcyclohexylamine lauryl sulphate, and oleyl alcohol. The treated tow is then crimped, and packaged or cut into staple fibre. The flexible creel, from which the filaments to be processed are fed, may comprise a stack of individual stands 31, 32, 33 &c. (Fig. 2) each containing several packages of yarn 36, 37, 38. The filaments from a selected number of packages pass through spring guides 40, 41, and eye boards 43, 44. Specification 818,157 is referred to.