Method and apparatus producing perturbations while winding glass fibers

Claim 2

A process of making continuous filament glass strand for production of fabrics of uniform appearance irrespective of inherent undesired cyclic filament diameter variations along the lengths of the filaments comprising: supplying a plurality of streams of molten glass; attenuating the streams downwardly to form continuous glass filaments; combining the filaments into an advancing strand; winding the strand into a package; reciprocating the advancing strand axially of the package by a combination of a fast reciprocating motion and a slower reciprocation motion effective to form the wound package into a shape that is larger in diameter in its middle than its end regions, such collection of the strand into the wound package forming the undesired cyclic filament diameter variations along the length of the filaments; introducing filament perturbations effective to modify the diameters of the glass filaments as they are attenuated from the streams, the perturbations being introduced at a frequency of from 1 to 150 cycles per second with a magnitude to substantially conceal contrasts from the cyclic diameter variations otherwise visible in fabric produced from the strand; and collecting the strand.

Claim 3

The process recited in claim 1 where the perturbations are introduced by laterally moving the advancing strand.

Claim 4

The process recited in claim 1 where the perturbations are introduced by laterally moving the filaments immediately prior to combining the filaments into a strand.

Claim 5

The process recited in claim 3 where only some of the filaments are moved to modify their cross sectional areas by such perturbations.

Claim 6

The process of making glass strand comprising: supplying a plurality of streams of molten glass; attenuating the molten glass streams into continuous glass filaments by winding the filaments into a rotation package; combining the filaments into an advancing strand; effecting a reciprocation motion of the strAnd relative to the package in an axial direction thereof by a fast reciprocating motion and a slower reciprocating motion effective to form the package into a shape that is larger in its middle than its end regions, such collection of strand into the wound package forming cyclic diameter variations along the length of the filaments; introducing filament perturbations effective to modify the diameter of the glass filaments by vibrating the filaments at a location spaced from the package winding zone, the filament perturbations being introduced at a frequency of from 1 to 150 cycles per second with a magnitude effecting diameter variations in the filaments at least as large as the cyclic dimension variations to substantially conceal contrasts from the cyclic diameter variations otherwise visible in fabric produced from the strand; and collecting the strand.

Claim 7

The process of making glass strand comprising: supplying a plurality of streams of molten glass; attenuating the molten glass streams into continuous glass filaments by winding the filaments into a rotation package; combining the filaments into an advancing strand; effecting a reciprocation motion of the strAnd relative to the package in an axial direction thereof by a fast reciprocating motion and a slower reciprocating motion effective to form the package into a shape that is larger in its middle than its end regions, such collection of strand into the wound package forming cyclic diameter variations along the length of the filaments; introducing filament perturbations effective to modify the diameter of the glass filaments by vibrating the filaments at a location spaced from the package winding zone, the filament perturbations being introduced at a frequency of from 1 to 150 cycles per second with a magnitude effecting diameter variations in the filaments at least as large as the cyclic dimension variations to substantially conceal contrasts from the cyclic diameter variations otherwise visible in fabric produced from the strand; and collecting the strand.

Claim 8

Apparatus for making continuous filament glass strand for production of fabrics of uniform appearance irrespective of inherent undesired cyclic filament diameter variations along the length of the filaments comprising: means for supplying a plurality of streams of molten glass for attenuation into continuous glass filaments; means for combining the filaments into an advancing strand; a rotatable collector upon which the strand is wound into a package; means for rotating the collector; traversing means for effecting a reciprocating strand motion relative to the package in an axial direction thereof by a fast reciprocating motion and a slower reciprocating motion effective to form the wound package into a shape that is bigger in diameter in its middle than its end regions, such collection of the strand forming cyclic diameter variations along the length of the filaments; means for introducing filament perturbations effective to modify the diameters of the glass filaments as they are attenuated from the streams by vibrating the filaments at a location spaced from the package, the perturbations being introduced at a frequency of from 1 to 150 cycles per second with a magnitude effective to conceal contrasts from the cyclic diameter variations otherwise visible in fabric produced from the strand; and means for collecting the strand.

Claim 9

Apparatus for making continuous filament glass strand for production of fabrics of uniform appearance irrespective of inherent undesired cyclic filament diameter variations along the length of the filaments comprising: means for supplying a plurality of streams of molten glass for attenuation into continuous glass filaments; means for combining the filaments into an advancing strand; a rotatable collector upon which the strand is wound into a package; means for rotating the collector; traversing means for effecting a reciprocating strand motion relative to the package in an axial direction thereof by a fast reciprocating motion and a slower reciprocating motion effective to form the wound package into a shape that is bigger in diameter in its middle than its end regions, such collection of the strand forming cyclic diameter variations along the length of the filaments; means for introducing filament perturbations effective to modify the diameters of the glass filaments as they are attenuated from the streams by vibrating the filaments at a location spaced from the package, the perturbations being introduced at a frequency of from 1 to 150 cycles per second with a magnitude effective to conceal contrasts from the cyclic diameter variations otherwise visible in fabric produced from the strand; and means for collecting the strand.

Claim 10

The apparatus recited in claim 6, where the means for introducing perturbations laterally moves the advancing strand.

Claim 11

The apparatus recited in claim 6, where the means for introducing perturbations laterally move the filaments at a location immediately prior to combining the filaments into a strand.

Claim 12

The apparatus recited in claim 8 where the means for introducing perturbations moves only some of the filaments to modify their cross sectional areas by the perturbations.

Claim 13

Apparatus for making continuous filament glass comprising: means for supplying a plurality of streams of molten glass for attenuation into continuous glass filaments; means for combining the filaments into a strand; a rotatable collection upon which the strand is wound into a package; means for rotating the collector; means for reciprocating the strand axially of the collector to distribute the strand on the package, such means including a strand traversing means for rapidly reciprocating the strand and means for slowly reciprocating the strand traversing means, reciprocation of the strand forming the packaging that is larger in diameter in the middle than its end regions, such collection of the strand forming cyclic diameter variations along the length of the filaments; means for vibrating the filaments at a location spaced from the package to introduce filament perturbations effective to modify the diameter of the glass filaments as they are being attenuated, the perturbations being introduced by such means at a frequency of from 1 to 150 cycles per second with a magnitude causing diameter variations at least as large as the cyclic diameter variations to conceal contrasts from the cyclic diameter variAtions otherwise visible in fabric produced from the strand; and means for collecting the strand.

Claim 14

Apparatus for making continuous filament glass comprising: means for supplying a plurality of streams of molten glass for attenuation into continuous glass filaments; means for combining the filaments into a strand; a rotatable collection upon which the strand is wound into a package; means for rotating the collector; means for reciprocating the strand axially of the collector to distribute the strand on the package, such means including a strand traversing means for rapidly reciprocating the strand and means for slowly reciprocating the strand traversing means, reciprocation of the strand forming the packaging that is larger in diameter in the middle than its end regions, such collection of the strand forming cyclic diameter variations along the length of the filaments; means for vibrating the filaments at a location spaced from the package to introduce filament perturbations effective to modify the diameter of the glass filaments as they are being attenuated, the perturbations being introduced by such means at a frequency of from 1 to 150 cycles per second with a magnitude causing diameter variations at least as large as the cyclic diameter variations to conceal contrasts from the cyclic diameter variAtions otherwise visible in fabric produced from the strand; and means for collecting the strand.