Apparatus for and method of producing relaxed packages of textured yarn

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A RELAXED PACKAGE OF TEXTURED YARN FROM A SUPPLY PACKAGE OF THERMOPLASTIC YARN, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF (A) FIRST DRIVEN FEED ROLL MEANS ENGAGING THE YARN AND BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN INACTIVE AND ACTIVE POSITIONS, SAID FIRST FEED ROLL MEANS BEING FREELY ROTATABLE BY THE YARN WHEN IN SAID INACTIVE POSITION AND BEING DRIVINGLY ROTATED WHEN IN SAID ACTIVE POSITION TO WITHDRAW THE YARN FROM THE SUPPLY PACKAGE AT A PREDETERMINED SPEED. (B) SECOND DRIVEN FEED ROLL MEANS ENGAGING THE YARN IN SPACED RELATION FROM SAID FIRST FEED ROLL MEANS AND BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN INACTIVE AND ACTIVE POSITIONS, SAID SECOND FEED ROLL MEANS BEING FREELY ROTATABLE BY THE YARN WHEN IN SAID INACTIVE POSITION AND BEING DRIVINGLY ROTATED WHEN IN SAID ACTIVE POSITION AT A PREDETERMINED SPEED CORRESPONDING WITH THE SPEED OF SAID FIRST FEED ROLL MEANS TO MAINTAIN UNIFORM TENSION IN THE YARN BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND FEED ROLL MEANS, (C) TEXTURING MEANS ENGAGING THE YARN BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND FEED ROLL MEANS AND IMPARTING LATENT CRIMPING CHARACTERISTICS THERETO, (D) A YARN TAKE-UP TUBE SUPPORTED FOR ROTATION AND ON WHICH THE TEXTURED YARN IS NORMALLY WOUND, (E) DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID TAKE-UP TUBE TO TAKE UP THE TEXTURED YARN AT A SLOWER RATE THAN IT IS FED THERETO BY SAID SECOND FEED ROLL MEANS WHEN IN ACTIVE POSITION, (F) MAIN YARN GUIDE MEANS ADJACENT SAID TAKE-UP TUBE FOR EVENLY DISTRIBUTING THE YARN THEREON DURING NORMAL WINDING THEREOF, (G) AN ENLARGED YARN TAKE-UP COLLAR MOUNTED ON ONE END OF SAID TAKE-UP TUBE FOR ROTATION THEREWITH AND HAVING A PERIPHERAL GROOVE THEREIN FOR RECEPTION OF SEVERAL INITIAL WINDINGS OF THE YARN THEREON FOR DRAWING THE YARN FROM THE SUPPLY PACKAGE AND THROUGH SAID TEXTURING MEANS UPON ROTATION OF SAID TAKE-UP COLLAR AND BEFORE SAID FIRST AND SECOND FEED ROLL MEANS ARE MOVED TO ACTIVE POSITION, AND (H) AUXILIARY YARN GUIDE MEANS POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID ENLARGED TAKE-UP COLLAR FOR INITIALLY GUIDING SAID YARN INTO THE PERIPHERAL GROOVE THEREOF FOR SEVERAL REVOLUTIONS OF THE TAKE-UP COLLAR AND FOR THEN MOVING THE YARN INTO POSITION TO BE RECEIVED BY SAID MAIN YARN GUIDE MEANS FOR NORMAL WINDING THEREOF ON SAID TAKE-UP TUBE.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A RELAXED PACKAGE OF TEXTURED YARN FROM A SUPPLY PACKAGE OF THERMOPLASTIC YARN, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF (A) FIRST DRIVEN FEED ROLL MEANS ENGAGING THE YARN AND BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN INACTIVE AND ACTIVE POSITIONS, SAID FIRST FEED ROLL MEANS BEING FREELY ROTATABLE BY THE YARN WHEN IN SAID INACTIVE POSITION AND BEING DRIVINGLY ROTATED WHEN IN SAID ACTIVE POSITION TO WITHDRAW THE YARN FROM THE SUPPLY PACKAGE AT A PREDETERMINED SPEED. (B) SECOND DRIVEN FEED ROLL MEANS ENGAGING THE YARN IN SPACED RELATION FROM SAID FIRST FEED ROLL MEANS AND BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN INACTIVE AND ACTIVE POSITIONS, SAID SECOND FEED ROLL MEANS BEING FREELY ROTATABLE BY THE YARN WHEN IN SAID INACTIVE POSITION AND BEING DRIVINGLY ROTATED WHEN IN SAID ACTIVE POSITION AT A PREDETERMINED SPEED CORRESPONDING WITH THE SPEED OF SAID FIRST FEED ROLL MEANS TO MAINTAIN UNIFORM TENSION IN THE YARN BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND FEED ROLL MEANS, (C) TEXTURING MEANS ENGAGING THE YARN BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND FEED ROLL MEANS AND IMPARTING LATENT CRIMPING CHARACTERISTICS THERETO, (D) A YARN TAKE-UP TUBE SUPPORTED FOR ROTATION AND ON WHICH THE TEXTURED YARN IS NORMALLY WOUND, (E) DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID TAKE-UP TUBE TO TAKE UP THE TEXTURED YARN AT A SLOWER RATE THAN IT IS FED THERETO BY SAID SECOND FEED ROLL MEANS WHEN IN ACTIVE POSITION, (F) MAIN YARN GUIDE MEANS ADJACENT SAID TAKE-UP TUBE FOR EVENLY DISTRIBUTING THE YARN THEREON DURING NORMAL WINDING THEREOF, (G) AN ENLARGED YARN TAKE-UP COLLAR MOUNTED ON ONE END OF SAID TAKE-UP TUBE FOR ROTATION THEREWITH AND HAVING A PERIPHERAL GROOVE THEREIN FOR RECEPTION OF SEVERAL INITIAL WINDINGS OF THE YARN THEREON FOR DRAWING THE YARN FROM THE SUPPLY PACKAGE AND THROUGH SAID TEXTURING MEANS UPON ROTATION OF SAID TAKE-UP COLLAR AND BEFORE SAID FIRST AND SECOND FEED ROLL MEANS ARE MOVED TO ACTIVE POSITION, AND (H) AUXILIARY YARN GUIDE MEANS POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID ENLARGED TAKE-UP COLLAR FOR INITIALLY GUIDING SAID YARN INTO THE PERIPHERAL GROOVE THEREOF FOR SEVERAL REVOLUTIONS OF THE TAKE-UP COLLAR AND FOR THEN MOVING THE YARN INTO POSITION TO BE RECEIVED BY SAID MAIN YARN GUIDE MEANS FOR NORMAL WINDING THEREOF ON SAID TAKE-UP TUBE.