Patent ID: 8425821

Claim:
A method of melt spinning an elastomeric fiber comprising the steps of: (I) Supplying a fluid thermoplastic material to a spin pack assembly; wherein the spin pack assembly is operative to receive said fluid thermoplastic material wherein said material is generally free of lumps therein, and to output a single fiber of the material, wherein the material reacts to form lumps therein generally within a reaction time after the material is received within the spin pack assembly, the assembly including: a cylindrical body, the cylindrical body extending along a central axis, and wherein the body includes a first axial end and a second axial portion axially disposed from the first axial end; an inlet adjacent the second axial portion, wherein the inlet is operative to receive the material at elevated pressure; a spinneret plate adjacent the first axial end, wherein the spinneret plate includes one axially positioned fiber opening, wherein the opening is operative to output the single fiber; a cavity area within the body, wherein the cavity area is fluidly intermediate of the inlet and the fiber opening; a breaker plate, wherein the breaker plate extends in the cavity area, and wherein the breaker plate includes a plurality of apertures therethrough, wherein each of the apertures is operative to provide material flow therethrough, and wherein said breaker plate includes one axially aligned central aperture, and wherein the plurality of apertures are arranged in a plurality of concentric circular patterns about the axis, and wherein each of plurality of apertures in a first concentric circular pattern closest to the axis, is disposed radially from the central aperture a first radial distance, and wherein the plurality of apertures in a second concentric circular pattern disposed radially outward and immediately adjacent the apertures in the first concentric circular pattern, are disposed radially outward from the apertures in the first concentric circular pattern a second radial distance, wherein the first radial distance is greater than the second radial distance and wherein the apertures are positioned to provide a first-in/first-out material flow through the cavity area such that a residence time that material is within the cavity area is less than the reaction time generally throughout the entire cavity area.