Patent ID: 7219516

Claim:
A continuous heat set line for setting yarn, comprising: (a) spaced-apart, elongate, tubular entrance and exit cooling chambers interconnected by an elongate intermediate steam heat-setting chamber communicating therewith, said entrance and exit cooling chambers and said intermediate heat-setting chamber collectively defining a single longitudinally-extending axis along the combined length thereof; (b) a steam injector for injecting steam at a predetermined pressure into the heat-setting chamber; (c) sealing means for sealing the entrance and exit cooling chambers and the intermediate heat-setting chamber to a degree sufficient to maintain a pressurized condition within the heat-setting chamber; (d) a yarn conveyor extending through the entrance and exit cooling chambers and the intermediate heat-setting chamber for conveying the yarn therethrough; (e) a yarn depositing apparatus for depositing yarn in a uniform manner on the yarn conveyor upstream of the entrance sealing means; and (f) a cooling assembly exterior to and communicating with at least the entrance cooling chamber for: (i) circulating cool, dry air through yarn in the entrance cooling chamber; (ii) providing additional space within the entrance cooling chamber for non-cooling assembly components; and (iii) allowing the entrance cooling assembly to be sized for optimum cooling capacity independent of entrance cooling chamber volume, yarn conveyor width and yarn conveyor position within the entrance cooling chamber.