Process for wet spinning and washing synthetic fibers

Claim 1

METHOD FOR CONTINUOUSLY WET SPINNING AND WASHING SYNTHETIC TEXTILE FIBERS WHICH COMPRISES FORMING A WATERCOAGULABLE SPINNING SOLUTION OF A SYNTHETIC FIBER-FORMING POLYMER IN A WATER MISCIBLE SOLVENT FOR SAID POLYMER EXTRUDING SAID SPINNING SOLUTION THROUGH A FILAMENT SHAPING DEVICE INTO THE SPINNING ZONE OF AN ELONGATE CHAMBER HAVING A SPINNING ZONE AND A WITHDRAWING ZONE AND A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE, INTERCOMMUNICATING LIQUID RECIRCULATING ZONES THEREBETWEEN, MAINTAINING SAID CHAMBER FULL OF AN AQUEOUS LIQUID OF GRADIENT INCREASING CONCENTRATION FROM THAT OF SUBSTANTIALLY PURE WATER IN SAID WITHDRAWING ZONE TO THAT, IN SAID, SPINNING ZONE, OF AN AQUEOUS COAGULATING SOLUTION OF SAID SOLVENT FOR SAID SPINNING SOLUTION, COAGULATING SAID FRESHLY WET SPUN FILAMENTS OF SAID SPINNING SOLUTION IN FILAMENTARY FORM IN SAID COAGULATING SOLUTION PORTION OF SAID LIQUID IN SAID SPINNING ZONE, PASSING SAID FRESHLY WET SPUN AND COAGULATED FILAMENTS FROM SAID SPINNING ZONE THROUGH SAID INTERCOMMUNICATING, LIQUID RECIRCULATING ZONES IN SAID CHAMBER TO SAID WITHDRAWING ZONE, ADMITTING SUBSTANTIALLY PURE WATER IN SAID WITHDRAWING ZONE OF SAID CHAMBER AND PASSING IT COUNTERCURRENT TO SAID FILAMENTS IN SAID CHAMBER AT A RATE THAT IS ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN THE WATER CONCENTRATION IN SAID AQUEOUS COAGULATING SOLUTION IN SAID SPINNING ZONE AT A COAGULATING CONCENTRATION FOR SAID SPINNING SOLUTION, PASSING AQUEOUS LIQUID FROM SAID WITHDRAWING ZONE OF SAID CHAMBER INTERNALLY TO SAID SPINNING ZONE OF THE CHAMBER AT ABOUT THE SAME VOLUMETRIC RATE AS IT IS SUPPLIED THERETO, RECIRCULATING SAID AQUEOUS LIQUID BEING PASSED INTERNALLY IN SAID CHAMBER IN EACH OF SAID RECIRCULATING ZONES SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSELY THROUGH AND ABOUT SAID FRESHLY WET SPUN FILAMENTS PASSING THERETHROUGH, AND WITHDRAWING ZONE IN SAID WASHED FILAMENTS FROM SAID WITHDRAWING ZONE IN SAID CHAMBER.