Apparatus for producing composite yarn

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING CONTINUOUS COMPOSITE TEXTILE YARN COMPRISES OF A REPEATING PATTERN OF SUCCESSIVE SECTIONS OF FIBERS HAVING DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A FIRST SILVERY OF FIBERS HAVING A FIRST CHARACTERISTIC; MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A SECOND SILVER OF FIBERS HAVING A SECOND CHARACTERISTIC; A DRAFTING STAGE INCLUDING A PAIR OF BACK NIP ROLLS; FIRST AND SECOND COMPLEMENTARY PRESSURE ROLLER GATE MEANS DISPOSED REARWARD OF SAID BACK NIP ROLLS AND FORWARD OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SUPPLY MEANS FOR SUPPLYING PRESSURE SELECTIVELY TO ONE OR THE OTHER OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SILVERS FOR CONTROLLING THE FORWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID SILVERS TOWARD SAID BACK NIP ROLLS; MERGING MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID GATE MEANS AND SAID BACK NIP ROLLS AND INTO WHICH THE OUTPUT OF SAID GATE MEANS IS CONVERGINGLY FED, SAID MERGING MEANS INCLUDING A CONFINING APERTURE SIZED TO MERGE SAID SILVERS; AND INTERMITTENT MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID COMPLEMENTARY PRESSURE ROLLER GATE MEANS AT SELECTED INTERVALS TO CONTROL SELECTIVELY THE FEED OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SILVERS INTO SAID MERGING MEANS; SAID COMPLEMENTARY PRESSURE ROLLS GATE MEANS INCLUDING AN UPPER AND A LOWER ROLLER, THE UPPER ONE HAVING FIRST AND SECOND COAXIAL PORTIONS ADJACENT TO EACH OTHER, EACH OF SAID ADJACENT PORTIONS HAVING A FULL DIAMETER SECTOR AND A REDUCED DIAMETER SECTOR, THE FULL DIAMETER SECTORS OF SAID ADJACENT PORTIONS BEING DISPOSED AT DIFFERENT ANGULAR POSITIONS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER; THE FULL DIAMETER SECTOR OF EACH PORTION BEING OF A DIMENSION TO ENGAGE WITH THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF THE LOWER OF THE PRESSURE GATE ROLLERS.