Method and means for the manufacture of fibres of thermoplastic material

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING FIBERS OF THEMOPLASTIC MATERIAL COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING MOLTEN THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL IN THE FORM OF A FLUID STREAM AGAINST THE SMALLER END OF AN INTERNALLY FACING FRUSTO-CONCIAL SURFACE IN THE FORM OF A FUNNEL, ROTATING SAID SURFACE ABOUT A SUBSTNATIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS AND CAUSING SAID FLUID MATERIAL TO FLATTEN OUT AGAINST SAID SURFACE, FORCING SAID MATERIAL OUTWARDLY ALONG SAID SURFACE AND FORMING THE SAME INTO A HOMOGENEOUS LAYER TO BE DISCHARGED FROM SAID OUTER EDGE, EFFECTIN SAID ROTTION AT A SPEED TO DISCHARGE SAID MATERIAL FROM SAID OUTER EDGE AND TO TRANSFORM SAID DISCHARGED MATERIAL INTO FIBRES DURING THE PROGESS OF FREE RADIAL FLIGHT FROM SAID EDGE, COOLING THE EXTERNAL SURFACE OF SAID FUNNEL BY MEANS OF A COOLING FLUID AND CAUSING A CONTROLLED ANNULAR GAS FLOW CONCENTRIC WITH SAID AXIS BUT SPACED FROM SAID DISCHARGING EDGE A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE TO ALLOW SAID FIBERS TO FORM TO CARRY AWAY THE FINISHED COMPLETELY SOLIFIFIED FIBERS WHILE TURNING THE SAME INTO A PATH EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION APPROXIMATELY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID FUNNEL.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING FIBERS OF THEMOPLASTIC MATERIAL COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING MOLTEN THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL IN THE FORM OF A FLUID STREAM AGAINST THE SMALLER END OF AN INTERNALLY FACING FRUSTO-CONCIAL SURFACE IN THE FORM OF A FUNNEL, ROTATING SAID SURFACE ABOUT A SUBSTNATIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS AND CAUSING SAID FLUID MATERIAL TO FLATTEN OUT AGAINST SAID SURFACE, FORCING SAID MATERIAL OUTWARDLY ALONG SAID SURFACE AND FORMING THE SAME INTO A HOMOGENEOUS LAYER TO BE DISCHARGED FROM SAID OUTER EDGE, EFFECTIN SAID ROTTION AT A SPEED TO DISCHARGE SAID MATERIAL FROM SAID OUTER EDGE AND TO TRANSFORM SAID DISCHARGED MATERIAL INTO FIBRES DURING THE PROGESS OF FREE RADIAL FLIGHT FROM SAID EDGE, COOLING THE EXTERNAL SURFACE OF SAID FUNNEL BY MEANS OF A COOLING FLUID AND CAUSING A CONTROLLED ANNULAR GAS FLOW CONCENTRIC WITH SAID AXIS BUT SPACED FROM SAID DISCHARGING EDGE A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE TO ALLOW SAID FIBERS TO FORM TO CARRY AWAY THE FINISHED COMPLETELY SOLIFIFIED FIBERS WHILE TURNING THE SAME INTO A PATH EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION APPROXIMATELY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID FUNNEL.

Claim 3

AN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FIBERS OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL FROM MOLTEN THERMOPLASTIC MATERIL, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A FUNNEL IN THE FORM OF A FRUSTUM OF A CONE, BEARING MEANS CARRYING SAID FUNNEL AT ITS NARROW END SO AS TO BE ROTATABLE ABOUT AN APPROXIMATELY HORIZONTAL AXIS, MEANS FOR IMPARTING TO SAID FUNNEL A ROTARY MOVEMENT AT A VELOCITY CORRESPONDING TO A PERIPHERAL SPEED AT THE EDGE OF THE WIDE END OF SAID FUNNEL OF AT LEAST ABOUT 60 METERS PER SECOND, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING MOLTEN THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL TO THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID FUNNEL ADJACENT THE NARROW END OF SAID FUNNEL, SAID EDGE OF SAID WIDE END SERVING FOR DISCHARGING THE THERMOPLASTIC MOLTEN MATERIAL FROM SAID FUNNEL TO TRANSFORM SAID MOLTEN THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL INTO FIBRES DURING THE PROGRESS OF FREE RADIAL FLIGHT, MEANS ARRANGED AROUND AND IN SUBSTANTIALLY SPACED RELATION WITH RESPCET TO SAID DISCHARGING EDGE FOR GENERATING AN ANNULAR GAS FLOW FOR CARRYING AWAY FIBRES EJECTED FROM SAID DISCHARGING EDGE, AND MEANS IN THE FORM OF A GRAVITY GUTTER COOPERATING WITH THE MOLTEN THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL SUPPLY MEANS IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO RECEIVE THE FLUID STREAM AND DELIVER SUCH TO THE INTERNAL FACE OF THE FUNNEL OPENING INTO THE NARROW END OF SAID FUNNEL AND HAVING AN INLINATION APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE INCLINATION OF THE ROTATIONAL AXIS OF SAID FUNNEL, AND MEANS FOR DISPLACING SAID GRAVITY GUTTER FOR ADJUSTING THE POINT OF THE FUNNEL WHERE THE MOLTEN MATERIAL IS SUPPLIED.

Claim 4

AN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FIBERS OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL FROM MOLTEN THERMOPLASTIC MATERIL, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A FUNNEL IN THE FORM OF A FRUSTUM OF A CONE, BEARING MEANS CARRYING SAID FUNNEL AT ITS NARROW END SO AS TO BE ROTATABLE ABOUT AN APPROXIMATELY HORIZONTAL AXIS, MEANS FOR IMPARTING TO SAID FUNNEL A ROTARY MOVEMENT AT A VELOCITY CORRESPONDING TO A PERIPHERAL SPEED AT THE EDGE OF THE WIDE END OF SAID FUNNEL OF AT LEAST ABOUT 60 METERS PER SECOND, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING MOLTEN THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL TO THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID FUNNEL ADJACENT THE NARROW END OF SAID FUNNEL, SAID EDGE OF SAID WIDE END SERVING FOR DISCHARGING THE THERMOPLASTIC MOLTEN MATERIAL FROM SAID FUNNEL TO TRANSFORM SAID MOLTEN THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL INTO FIBRES DURING THE PROGRESS OF FREE RADIAL FLIGHT, MEANS ARRANGED AROUND AND IN SUBSTANTIALLY SPACED RELATION WITH RESPCET TO SAID DISCHARGING EDGE FOR GENERATING AN ANNULAR GAS FLOW FOR CARRYING AWAY FIBRES EJECTED FROM SAID DISCHARGING EDGE, AND MEANS IN THE FORM OF A GRAVITY GUTTER COOPERATING WITH THE MOLTEN THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL SUPPLY MEANS IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO RECEIVE THE FLUID STREAM AND DELIVER SUCH TO THE INTERNAL FACE OF THE FUNNEL OPENING INTO THE NARROW END OF SAID FUNNEL AND HAVING AN INLINATION APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE INCLINATION OF THE ROTATIONAL AXIS OF SAID FUNNEL, AND MEANS FOR DISPLACING SAID GRAVITY GUTTER FOR ADJUSTING THE POINT OF THE FUNNEL WHERE THE MOLTEN MATERIAL IS SUPPLIED.