Process for producing crimped fibers by continuous wet heat setting and apparatus therefor

Claim 2

In a process for producing crimped fibers by continuous stuffing crimper to provide crimps on the fibers, the crimped fiber from the crimper is wrapped with at least one cloth belt, the wrapped fiber is introduced to a zone maintained at an elevated temperature under the pressure of saturated steam, and the treated wrapped fiber is withdrawn from the zone into the open air, the improvement which comprises: a. wrapping the crimped fiber cake, while maintaining the width thereof substantially the same as that of the cake as it is removed from the stuffing crimper and the height thereof nearly the same as, but not less than that of the cake as it is thus removed, with at least one cloth belt moving under tension at a speed at least substantially equal to, and up to slightly in excess of, the exit speed of the cake from the crimper; b. introducing the wrapped crimped fiber cake into a pressuresealed straight elongated pressure zone maintained at a predetermined elevated temperature; c. guiding the wrapped cake in a substantially straight line along the full length of the center of the zone to subject the cake to the action of the saturated steam while maintaining the moving cloth belt enveloping the cake under tension and maintaining the width of the cake substantially the same as that of the cake removed from the crimper; d. withdrawing the wrapped fiber from said pressurized zone into the open air while compressing the wrapped fiber cake to maintain its width; and e. immediately after withdrawing, taking up the fibers at a speed at least sufficient to straighten the folds of the drimped fiber formed in the cake, and simultaneously peeling off the cloth belt and returning the belt to the inlet side for reuse.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1, wherein the wrapped cake moving through the rearward part of the pressure zone is pressed so as to give acute crimp bends.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1, wherein the wrapped fiber cake, while being introduced and withdrawn from the pressure-sealed zone, is positively protected against expansion in a lateral direction, thus maintaining the width of the cake, and also against escaping steam from the pressure chamber.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1, wherein parallel fibers, which have been padded with dyeing solution, are introduced to the pressure-sealed zone.

Claim 6

The process of claim 4, wherein the parallel fibers are fibers in form of filament tow.

Claim 7

The process of claim 4, wherein the parallel fibers are a plurality of slivers.

Claim 8

The process of claim 4, wherein the parallel fibers are a large number of filament yarns regularly arranged in parallel.

Claim 9

The process of claim 7, wherein the crimped fiber cake, composed of a large number of filament yarns regularly arranged in parallel, is taken up at a speed sufficient to straighten all of the crimps of the yarns, and, just after withdrawal, is divided into separate filament yarns in the final processing step.

Claim 10

In an apparatus for producing crimped fibers by continuous wet heat setting of parallel fibers, which comprises a serial arrangement of a stuffing crimper, wrapping means for crimped fiber, pinching means positioned adjacent said wrapping means, a pressure chamber for treating the fibers at high temperature under the pressure of saturated steam, said chamber being provided with inlet side and outlet side pressure sealing means, withdrawing means for the treated wrapped crimped fiber, and means for removing the wrapper, the improvement which comprises: a. a rEctangular guide conduit attached to and conforming with a rectangular stuffing crimper exit opening and associated with wrapping means for crimped fiber cake, said conduit having the same inside width as that of the crimper exit opening and a height nearly the same as, but not less than that of the said exit opening; b. wrapping means for the crimped fiber cake having at least one cloth belt traveling under tension; c. a first open-top rectangular guide conduit of the same inside width as the width of the wrapped fiber cake and having a movable upper cover to adjust the thickness of the wrapped fiber cake inside the conduit along the full length thereof; d. feed side pinching means adjusted for nipping to an extent substantially equal to the width of the wrapped crimped fiber cake and provided with devices for preventing the wrapped cake from being forced out laterally beyond the said nipping width at the time of nipping, said pinching means being capable of pulling wrapped cake at a speed at least substantially the same as, up to a speed slightly higher than that of the cake pushed out of the crimper; e. a second open-top guide conduit of substantially the same structure as that of the first, but having a movable upper cover wall extending along the whole length thereof and being capable of pressing the wrapped cake; f. a straight elongated pressure chamber provided equipped with pressure sealing means capable of receiving and discharging the wrapped cake while keeping the width thereof substantially intact at both the inlet and outlet ends of the chamber; g. a third elongated straight open-top steam permeable rectangular guide conduit positioned within and along the center line of the chamber; h. a fourth guide conduit of substantially the same structure as that of the second, said conduit being positioned on the exterior of said chamber adjacent its outlet end; i. withdrawing pinching means of substantially the same structure as that of the feed side pinching means and capable of withdrawing wrapped fiber cake at a rate slightly faster than the feeding speed thereof; serially positioned elements (d) through (i) being arranged to maintain the least possible space between adjoining elements during the processing operation so as to form a substantially straight passage for the wrapped cake, said passage having a substantially constant inside width; and j. separating means for removing the cake from the wrapping cloth belt, positioned next to the withdrawing means, said separating means being capable of taking up the treated fibers at a speed at least sufficient to straighten the folds of the crimped fibers formed in the cake.

Claim 11

In an apparatus for producing crimped fibers by continuous wet heat setting of parallel fibers, which comprises a serial arrangement of a stuffing crimper, wrapping means for crimped fiber, pinching means positioned adjacent said wrapping means, a pressure chamber for treating the fibers at high temperature under the pressure of saturated steam, said chamber being provided with inlet side and outlet side pressure sealing means, withdrawing means for the treated wrapped crimped fiber, and means for removing the wrapper, the improvement which comprises: a. a rEctangular guide conduit attached to and conforming with a rectangular stuffing crimper exit opening and associated with wrapping means for crimped fiber cake, said conduit having the same inside width as that of the crimper exit opening and a height nearly the same as, but not less than that of the said exit opening; b. wrapping means for the crimped fiber cake having at least one cloth belt traveling under tension; c. a first open-top rectangular guide conduit of the same inside width as the width of the wrapped fiber cake and having a movable upper cover to adjust the thickness of the wrapped fiber cake inside the conduit along the full length thereof; d. feed side pinching means adjusted for nipping to an extent substantially equal to the width of the wrapped crimped fiber cake and provided with devices for preventing the wrapped cake from being forced out laterally beyond the said nipping width at the time of nipping, said pinching means being capable of pulling wrapped cake at a speed at least substantially the same as, up to a speed slightly higher than that of the cake pushed out of the crimper; e. a second open-top guide conduit of substantially the same structure as that of the first, but having a movable upper cover wall extending along the whole length thereof and being capable of pressing the wrapped cake; f. a straight elongated pressure chamber provided equipped with pressure sealing means capable of receiving and discharging the wrapped cake while keeping the width thereof substantially intact at both the inlet and outlet ends of the chamber; g. a third elongated straight open-top steam permeable rectangular guide conduit positioned within and along the center line of the chamber; h. a fourth guide conduit of substantially the same structure as that of the second, said conduit being positioned on the exterior of said chamber adjacent its outlet end; i. withdrawing pinching means of substantially the same structure as that of the feed side pinching means and capable of withdrawing wrapped fiber cake at a rate slightly faster than the feeding speed thereof; serially positioned elements (d) through (i) being arranged to maintain the least possible space between adjoining elements during the processing operation so as to form a substantially straight passage for the wrapped cake, said passage having a substantially constant inside width; and j. separating means for removing the cake from the wrapping cloth belt, positioned next to the withdrawing means, said separating means being capable of taking up the treated fibers at a speed at least sufficient to straighten the folds of the crimped fibers formed in the cake.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 9 including at least one ironing cylinder on the return path of the wrapping means.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the third elongated straight open-top rectangular guide conduit has a readily steam permeable movable wall covering the rearward part thereof and is capable of pressing the wrapped cake.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the third elongated conduit has a readily steam permeable fixed rearward wall which is tapered to decrease gradually the distance between the said wall and the bottom of the conduit in the area of the exit side of the conduit.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a substantial portion of third elongated conduit is replaced by a plurality of pairs of upper and lower rollers, all having the same nipping width as the width of the wrapped cake, said rollers being provided with devices for preventing the wrapped cake from being forced out laterally beyond the nipping area and being arranged to form a substantially straight passage for the wrapped cake.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the inlet and outlet pressure sealing means each comprise a flat thin walled tube of an effective length having upper and lower flat walls of substantially the same width as the wrapped cake and curved walls on both sides; two pinching platEs capable of pinching the tube from the top and bottom to regulate the cross-sectional opening area of the tube, and packing material inserted along the inner walls of both sides of the tube to the extent required to keep the width of the passage for the wrapped cake substantially the same as that of the wrapped cake in the course of processing.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 9 which is designed for producing a large number of crimped filament yarns including: a. means for arranging a large number of filament yarns in parallel; and b. separating means comprising means for withdrawing the treated yarns at a speed sufficient to strengthen substantially all of the folds and bends of the yarns, means for removing the wrapping cloth, means for dividing the straightened yarns into separate yarns and means for winding the processed filament yarns.