Apparatus for treating textile filaments

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A LIQUID FINISH TO A MOVING DENSE FILAMENTARY TOW OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS AND HAVING TWO ESSENTIALLY SMOOTH OPPOSED MAJOR SURFACES, SAID APPARATUS IN COMBINATION A RIGID ESSENTIALLY AIRTIGHT HOUSING HAVING AN ELONGATED INLET FOR RECEIVING SAID TWO AND AN ELONGATED OUTLET FOR DISCHARGING SAID TOW FROM SAID HOUSING, A PLURALITY OF SUPPORTING MEMBERS MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING FOR GUIDING SAID TOW THERETHROUGH, SAID INLET AND SAID OUTLET EACH BEING FORMED BY TWO SUPPORTING MEMBERS, THE FIRST OF SAID TWO MEMBERS BEING FIXEDLY ATTACHED TO SAID HOUSING AND THE OTHER BEING HINGEABLY MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID FIRST MEMBER TO SUBSTANTIALLY SEAL SAID HOUSING AS SAID TOW MOVES THEREBETWEEN, TWO NOZZLES EACH HAVING A PAIR OF LIPS DEFINING AN ELONGATED DISCHARGE ORIFICE FOR DIRECTING A SHEET OF FLUID ONTO SAID TOW AT A LOCALIZED POSITION MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TOW, EACH NOZZLE BEING SPACED FROM ONE OF SAID MAJOR SURFACES OF SAID TOW WITH SAID DISCHARGE ORIFICE EXTENDING ACROSS SAID TOW AT A RIGHT ANGLE TO ITS DIRECTION OF TRAVEL, AND EXHAUST MEANS OPPOSITE EACH NOZZLE FOR APPLYING A NEGATIVE PRESSURE TO SAID TOW IN A ZONE OPPOSITE SAID LOCALIZED POSITION.