Aerodynamic spinning of composite yarn

Claim 2

Method for producing spun yarn which comprises forming an air vortex in a defined chamber, introducing into said chamber staple fibers and permitting said fibers to become helically twisted by said air vortex, consolidating said helically twisted fibers with a tacky substrate to form spun yarn, and linearly winding up said yarn on a collecting roll.

Claim 3

Method according to claim 1, in which said tacky substrate is also introduced into said air vortex chamber and the fibers are helically twisted about said substrate therein and after said fibers have been so twisted about said substrate in said chamber, they are further twisted by a false-twist spindle outside of said chamber to produce yarn with increased twist retention.

Claim 4

Method according to claim 2, wherein together with the tacky substrate and staple fibers, there is introduced into the defined air vortex chamber a ready strand about which the yarn is formed.

Claim 5

Method according to claim 2, wherein the tacky substrate is directly extruded into said defined chamber and the fibers are fed thereinto from each side of the extruded substrate and into the air vortex within said chamber.

Claim 6

Method according to claim 1, comprising forwarding simultaneously and helically twisted fibers from the air vortex chamber and said tacky substrate into and through a groove of a rotatable circumferentially grooved roll and imparting to said fibers and said substrate a strong holding and wrapping action against said groove whereby said fibers and said substrate are condensed and consolidated to form spun yarn.

Claim 7

Method according to claim 5, comprising providing the bottom of said groove of the circumferentially grooved roll with slots and imparting suction to said slots from within the roll, thereby producing the strong holding and wrapping action of said fibers and said substrate against the bottoM of the groove required during formation of said spun yarn.

Claim 8

Method according to claim 5, comprising forming said groove of the circumferentially grooved roll as a general V-shaped groove, providing said groove with circumferential channels over and above its side faces, forming slots at the upper end of said channels and imparting suction through said slots so as to produce a holding action for the fibers within said circumferential channels on the side faces of the V-shaped groove and, when the fibers have thus accumulated within said channels removing said suction to allow said fibers to project from the channels towards the middle of the V-shaped groove of the roll and be condensed and consolidated there with the tacky substrate to form spun yarn.

Claim 9

Method according to claim 7, further comprising, upon removal of said suction, subjecting said fibers within said circumferential channels to an air blowing action to facilitate projecting of the fibers towards the middle of the V-shaped groove.

Claim 10

Method according to claim 5, comprising further twisting said yarn being formed within said groove to produce spun yarn with increased twist.

Claim 11

Apparatus for producing spun yarn which comprises at least one air vortex chamber, means for introducing staple fibers into said vortex chamber, means for imparting vortex forces to said staple fibers within said chamber, a consolidating roll with at least one circumferential groove below said chamber, means for transferring the fibers from the air vortex chamber into the groove to said consolidating roll, means for simultaneously introducing a tacky substrate into the grooves of the roll and means for consolidating said fibers with said substrate within the groove of said roll to produce spun yarn which can subsequently be linearly wound on a collecting roll.

Claim 12

Apparatus for producing spun yarn which comprises at least one air vortex chamber, means for introducing staple fibers into said vortex chamber, means for imparting vortex forces to said staple fibers within said chamber, a consolidating roll with at least one circumferential groove below said chamber, means for transferring the fibers from the air vortex chamber into the groove to said consolidating roll, means for simultaneously introducing a tacky substrate into the grooves of the roll and means for consolidating said fibers with said substrate within the groove of said roll to produce spun yarn which can subsequently be linearly wound on a collecting roll.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said tacky substrate is adapted to pass through said vortex chamber prior to being introduced into said groove of the consolidating roll.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a twist imparting device following said consolidating roll and means to pass the yarn coming out of the consolidating roll through said twist imparting device to impart to said yarn additional twist.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said twist imparting device is a false twist spindle.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the groove of the circumferentially grooved roll is provided with slots at the bottom and air suction means are mounted within said grooved roll to impart suction through said slots and thereby produce a strong holding and wrapping action of the yarn against the bottom of the groove.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the groove of the circumferentially grooved roll is generally V-shaped and is provided with circumferential channels over and above its side faces, said channels having slots at the top, and air suction means are provided outside of the roll to impart suction through said slots and thereby produce a holding action for the fibers within said circumferential channels on the side faces of the V-shaped groove, and means are provided to remove said air suction at a predetermined point and thereby allow the fibers accumulated within the channel to project towards the middle of the V-shaped groove of the roll and be condensed and consolidated there with the tacky substrate.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein at the point where air suction is removed, air blowing means are provided to facilitate projection of the fibers towards the middle of the groove.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising guide means in front of the grooved roll so that staple fibers being blown towards the middle of the groove cannot fly out due to rotational forces of the roll and air blowing.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an extruder above said vortex chamber for extruding the tacky substrate directly into said chamber.

Claim 21

Apparatus according to claim 10, in which said means for introducing staple fibers into said vortex chamber consists of a double position fiber lickerin roll having sharp teeth or needles projecting from its surface and blades mounted in staggered arrangement among said teeth or needles.

Claim 22

Apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising means for introducing a ready made carrier strand into said vortex chamber around which yarn is ultimately formed.