Method and apparatus for continuously detecting abnormal cross-sectional areas in running tow

Claim 2

Method for monitoring a tow of continuous length multifilaments, and comprising: continuously moving the tow along a path; momentarily compressing the moving tow at a location along the path and forcing the tow at that location into a predetermined minimum cross-sectional area substantially eliminating all voids; and continuously measuring the minimum cross-sectional area of the tow at that location and detecting abnormal cross-sectional areas occurring within the tow that cause an increase or decrease of area in the predetermined mInimum cross-sectional area.

Claim 3

The method as defined in claim 1, and generating a signal upon detecting an abnormal cross-sectional area.

Claim 4

The method as defined in claim 1, and continuously generating a signal representative of the measured said predetermined minimum cross-sectional area and changing the signal generated upon detecting an abnormal cross-sectional area.

Claim 5

Apparatus for monitoring a moving tow of continuous length multi-filaments, and comprising: means for momentarily compressing the tow moving through the apparatus and forcing it into a predetermined minimum cross-sectional area substantially eliminating all voids, the means including: a pair of rotatable rolls between which the tow moves, with one of the rolls being movable toward and away from the other of the roll pair; a pair of side plates each positioned against and extending between the two end faces at either end of the pair of rolls; and means for moving said one roll toward or away from the other roll; a housing for supporting each roll, the two housings defining therebetween an entrance throat and an exit throat for the tow moving into and out of the apparatus, the housing for the movable roll adapted to move with the movable roll; means for continuously measuring the minimum cross-sectional area of the tow and detecting abnormal cross-sectional areas occurring within the tow that cause an increase or decrease of area in the predetermined minimum cross-sectional area, the latter means including (a) a fixed member mounted on one of the housings and defining a bench mark, and (b) means mounted on the other housing that is movably engageable with said fixed member and is adapted to measure the movement of the movable housing and generate a signal representative of such housing movement.

Claim 6

Apparatus for monitoring a moving tow of continuous length multi-filaments, and comprising: means for momentarily compressing the tow moving through the apparatus and forcing it into a predetermined minimum cross-sectional area substantially eliminating all voids, the means including: a pair of rotatable rolls between which the tow moves, with one of the rolls being movable toward and away from the other of the roll pair; a pair of side plates each positioned against and extending between the two end faces at either end of the pair of rolls; and means for moving said one roll toward or away from the other roll; a housing for supporting each roll, the two housings defining therebetween an entrance throat and an exit throat for the tow moving into and out of the apparatus, the housing for the movable roll adapted to move with the movable roll; means for continuously measuring the minimum cross-sectional area of the tow and detecting abnormal cross-sectional areas occurring within the tow that cause an increase or decrease of area in the predetermined minimum cross-sectional area, the latter means including (a) a fixed member mounted on one of the housings and defining a bench mark, and (b) means mounted on the other housing that is movably engageable with said fixed member and is adapted to measure the movement of the movable housing and generate a signal representative of such housing movement.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined in claim 4, and wherein the predetermined minimum cross-sectional area of the tow lies within a plane defined between the pair of rolls taken at their common points of tangency with the tow located between the rolls and between the side plates.