Apparatus for producing fibers

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FINE FIBERS OF A SYNTHETIC ORANIC POLYMER COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED, SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDIRCAL-SHAPED ENCLOSURE, A CONOID DISC ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN ONE END OF SAID ENCLOSURE, SAID DISC HAVING A CONVEX SURFACE AND A CONCAVE SURFACE, SAID CONCAVE SURFACE FACING INTO SAID ENCLOSURE, MEANS TO ROTATE SAID DISC ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS, AN APERTURE LOCATED CENTRALLY IN SAID DISC, TUBULAR FEEDING MEANS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID CONVEX SURFACE AND ADAPTED TO SUPPLY MOLTEN POLYMER THROUGH SAID APERTURE AND ONTO THE CONCAVE SURFACE OF SAID DISC, PRESSURE MEANS ADAPTED TO APPLY PRESSURE TO THE POLYMER CONTAINED IN SAID FEEDING MEANS, HEATING MEANS ADAPTED TO HEAT SAID CONVEX SURFACE TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF SAID POLYMER, AN ANNULAR OPENING IN SAID ENCLOSURE LOCATED ON THE CONVEX SIDE OF SAID DISC AND SURROUNDING THE PERIPHERY OF SAID DISC, VACUUM MEANS LOCATED AT THE END OF SAID ENCLOSURE OPPOSITE SAID DISC ADAPTED TO ESTABLISH A VACUUM WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE SUFFICIENT TO PULL ATMOSPHERIC AIR THROUGH SAID ANNULAR OPENING AT A RATE OF BETWEEN 1500 AND 6000 FEET PER MINUTE, AND GATHERING MEANS LOCATED IN SAID ENCLOSURE BETWEEN SAID VACUUM MEANS AND SAID DISC AND ADAPTED TO REMOVE FIBERS FROM SAID ZONE, SAID VACUUM MEANS BEING THE SOLE MEANS TO TRANSPORT FIBERS FROM SAID DISC TO SAID GATHERING MEANS.