Method and apparatus for treating a tow of filaments or threads in a limited space

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR TREATING IN A NON-TENSIONED CONDITION WITHOUT TANGLING A CONTINUOUS TOW OF ARTIFICIAL PROTEIN FILAMENT WHICH COMPRISES A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED TUBULAR TREATING CHAMBER, SAID CHAMBER HAVING A MOUTH PORTION AT THE UPPER END OF ONE LEG THEREOF, MEANS FOR DELIVERING A FILAMENT TOW TO SAID MOUTH PORTION FOR PASSAGE FROM SAID MOUTH PORTION THROUGH SAID U-SHAPED CHAMBER, MEANS FOR DELIVERING A TREATING LIQUID TO SAID MOUTH PORTION, THE LEG OF SAID U-SHAPED CHAMBER HAVING SAID MOUTH PORTION AT THE UPPER END THEREOF BEING OF RELATIVELY SMALL CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA FROM THE POINT OF ENTRANCE OF SAID TOW TO THE LOWER BASE PORTION OF SAID CHAMBER AT WHICH POINT THE BASE PORTION OF SAID CHAMBER BECOMES OF INCREASED CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA, SAID BASE PORTION BEING INCLINED DOWNWARDLY AWAY FROM SAID FIRST NAMED LEG, MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING SAID TOW FORM THE OTHER LEG OF SAID U-SHAPED CHAMBER, SAID OTHER LEG HAVING LIQUID DISCHARGE MEANS POSITIONED BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID MOUTH PORTION.