Method and apparatus for the liquid treating of fiber tow bundles

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR TREATING A TOW BUNDLE OF A PLURALITY OF CONTINUOUS FILAMENT FIBRES WHICH COMPRISES, ON A CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING BASIS, INTRODUCING SAID MULTIPLE CONTINTUOUS FILAMENT TOW BUNDLE INTO A CONTERCURRENTLY FLOWING TREATING LIQUID IN A FIRST LIQUID TREATING STAGE AT ONE END OF A BATH OF SAID TREATING LIQUID THAT CONSISTS OF A PLURALITY OF AT LEAST TWO PHYSICALLY SEPARATED STAGES EACH SEQUENTIALLY INTERCOMMUNICATING THROUGH AN OPENING AT THE POINT OF PHYSICAL SEPERATION BETWEEN EACH STAGE WHICH OPENING IS ADAPTED TO FIT CLOSELY ABOUT AND PERMIT THE SUBSTANTIALLY SQUEEZELESS PASSAGE THERETHROUGH OF SAID TOW BUNDLE WHILE PERMITTING LIQUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ADJACENT STAGES THROUGH SAID OPERATINGS AND THE TOW BUNDLE THEREIN; PASSING SAID TOW BUNDLE IN A SEQUENTIAL FASION THROUGH EACH OF SAID OPENINGS AND THROUGH SAID COUNTERCURRENTLY FLOWING TREATING LIQUID IN EACH OF SAID STAGE TO THAT SAID TOW BUNDLE, WITHOUT BEING SUBSTNTIALLY STAGES THEREIN, FILLS EACH OPENING THROUGH WHICH SEQUENTIAL STAGES INTERCOMMUNICATE AT EACH POINT OF PHYSICAL SEPERATION BETWEEN STAGES; WITHDRAWING THE LIQUID TREATED TOW BUNDLE FROM SAID TREATING LIQUID IN THE LAST OF SAID STAGE AT THE OPOSITE END OF SAID BATH; ADMITTING AT LEAST A PORTION OF FRESH TREATING LIQUID IN THE LEAST OF SAID STAGES; WITHDRAWING AT LEAST A PORTIION OF THE USED TREATINGG LIQUID FROM THE FIRST OF SAID STAGES; AND PASSING SAID TREATING LIQUID FROM THE LAST OF SAID STAGES TO THE FIRST THEREOF THROUGH EACH OF SAID STAGES, COUNTERCURRENT TO SAID TOW BUNDLE, IN SUCH A MANNER THAT AT EACH POINT OF PHYSICAL SEPARATION BETWEEN EACH OF SAID STAGES, ALL OF SAID COUNTERCURRENTLY FLOWING TREATING LIQUID FLOWING THROUGH THE OPENING FROM STAGE TO STAGE IS CAUSED TO PASS AND FLOW THROUGH AND BETWEEN THE INTEGRANT FILAMENTS IN SAID TOW BUNDLE, AS AFORESAID, FILLING SAID OPENING IN A SUBSTANTIALLY SQUEEZELESS MANNER WHILE SAID TOW BUNDLE IS TRANSVERSING SAID POINT OF SEPARATION.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR TREATING A TOW BUNDLE OF A PLURALITY OF CONTINUOUS FILAMENT FIBRES WHICH COMPRISES, ON A CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING BASIS, INTRODUCING SAID MULTIPLE CONTINTUOUS FILAMENT TOW BUNDLE INTO A CONTERCURRENTLY FLOWING TREATING LIQUID IN A FIRST LIQUID TREATING STAGE AT ONE END OF A BATH OF SAID TREATING LIQUID THAT CONSISTS OF A PLURALITY OF AT LEAST TWO PHYSICALLY SEPARATED STAGES EACH SEQUENTIALLY INTERCOMMUNICATING THROUGH AN OPENING AT THE POINT OF PHYSICAL SEPERATION BETWEEN EACH STAGE WHICH OPENING IS ADAPTED TO FIT CLOSELY ABOUT AND PERMIT THE SUBSTANTIALLY SQUEEZELESS PASSAGE THERETHROUGH OF SAID TOW BUNDLE WHILE PERMITTING LIQUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ADJACENT STAGES THROUGH SAID OPERATINGS AND THE TOW BUNDLE THEREIN; PASSING SAID TOW BUNDLE IN A SEQUENTIAL FASION THROUGH EACH OF SAID OPENINGS AND THROUGH SAID COUNTERCURRENTLY FLOWING TREATING LIQUID IN EACH OF SAID STAGE TO THAT SAID TOW BUNDLE, WITHOUT BEING SUBSTNTIALLY STAGES THEREIN, FILLS EACH OPENING THROUGH WHICH SEQUENTIAL STAGES INTERCOMMUNICATE AT EACH POINT OF PHYSICAL SEPERATION BETWEEN STAGES; WITHDRAWING THE LIQUID TREATED TOW BUNDLE FROM SAID TREATING LIQUID IN THE LAST OF SAID STAGE AT THE OPOSITE END OF SAID BATH; ADMITTING AT LEAST A PORTION OF FRESH TREATING LIQUID IN THE LEAST OF SAID STAGES; WITHDRAWING AT LEAST A PORTIION OF THE USED TREATINGG LIQUID FROM THE FIRST OF SAID STAGES; AND PASSING SAID TREATING LIQUID FROM THE LAST OF SAID STAGES TO THE FIRST THEREOF THROUGH EACH OF SAID STAGES, COUNTERCURRENT TO SAID TOW BUNDLE, IN SUCH A MANNER THAT AT EACH POINT OF PHYSICAL SEPARATION BETWEEN EACH OF SAID STAGES, ALL OF SAID COUNTERCURRENTLY FLOWING TREATING LIQUID FLOWING THROUGH THE OPENING FROM STAGE TO STAGE IS CAUSED TO PASS AND FLOW THROUGH AND BETWEEN THE INTEGRANT FILAMENTS IN SAID TOW BUNDLE, AS AFORESAID, FILLING SAID OPENING IN A SUBSTANTIALLY SQUEEZELESS MANNER WHILE SAID TOW BUNDLE IS TRANSVERSING SAID POINT OF SEPARATION.