Production of tapes and fibrous materials

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING A FIBROUS MATERIAL FROM A THERMOPLASTIC POLYMER, SAID METHOD CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF THE STEPS OF (1) MELTING SAID POLMER AND EXTRUDING THE SAME AS HOT CONTINUOUS MOLTEN FILM THEREBY DEFINING AN EXTRUSION DIRECTION IN THE FILM, (2) PASSINNG SAID HOT CONTINUOS MOLTEN FILMAS A PREFOMED FILM INT A FILM TREATING ZONE, (3) WITHIN SAID FILM TREAING ZONE APPLING A DRAGGING FORCE AROSS ON SURFACE OF SAID FREE, PREFOMED EXTRUDED FILM, (4) WITHIN SAID FILM TREATING ZONE SIMULTANEOUSLY FORMING LONGITUDINAL SPACED PARALLEL UNINTERRUPTED GROOVES IN AT LEAST ONE SURFACE OF SAID FILM, SAID GROOVES SEPARATED BYLONGITUDINAL RIBS, SAID GROOVES AND RIBS EXTENDIN IN THE DIREECTION OF EXTRUSION, (5) REMOVING THE GROOVED FILM FROM SAID FILM TREAING ZONE AND STRETCHING SAID FILM TO SPLIT INTO TAPES ALONG SAID GROOVES TO FORM FILAMENTS,AND (6) ALLOWING THE STRETCHED FILAMENTS TO RELAX.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING A FIBROUS MATERIAL FROM A THERMOPLASTIC POLYMER, SAID METHOD CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF THE STEPS OF (1) MELTING SAID POLMER AND EXTRUDING THE SAME AS HOT CONTINUOUS MOLTEN FILM THEREBY DEFINING AN EXTRUSION DIRECTION IN THE FILM, (2) PASSINNG SAID HOT CONTINUOS MOLTEN FILMAS A PREFOMED FILM INT A FILM TREATING ZONE, (3) WITHIN SAID FILM TREAING ZONE APPLING A DRAGGING FORCE AROSS ON SURFACE OF SAID FREE, PREFOMED EXTRUDED FILM, (4) WITHIN SAID FILM TREATING ZONE SIMULTANEOUSLY FORMING LONGITUDINAL SPACED PARALLEL UNINTERRUPTED GROOVES IN AT LEAST ONE SURFACE OF SAID FILM, SAID GROOVES SEPARATED BYLONGITUDINAL RIBS, SAID GROOVES AND RIBS EXTENDIN IN THE DIREECTION OF EXTRUSION, (5) REMOVING THE GROOVED FILM FROM SAID FILM TREAING ZONE AND STRETCHING SAID FILM TO SPLIT INTO TAPES ALONG SAID GROOVES TO FORM FILAMENTS,AND (6) ALLOWING THE STRETCHED FILAMENTS TO RELAX.

Claim 3

A method of producing a fibrous material from a thermoplastic polymer, said method consisting essentially of the steps of (1) melting said polymer and extruding the same as a hot continuous film thereby defining an extrusion direction in the film (2) passing the hot molten film as a free, preformed film into a film treatment zone (3) within said film treatment zone applying a drag force across one surface of said free, preformed extruded film which frictionally retards movement of the one surface relative to the other surface, (4) within said film treating zone extracting sufficient heat from said other surface of said free, preformed extruded film to solidify the film (5) within said film treating zone simultaneously forming spaced parallel longitudinally extending uninterrupted grooves in at least one surface of said film, said grooves being separated by longitudinal ribs, said grooves and ribs extending in the direction of extrusion, (6) removing the grooved film from said film treating zone, splitting the film into tapes by stretching and further splitting the tapes into filaments and (7) allowing the stretched filaments to relax.

Claim 4

A method of producing a fibrous material from a thermoplastic polymer, said method consisting essentially of the steps of (1) melting said polymer and extruding the same as a hot continuous film thereby defining an extrusion direction in the film (2) passing the hot molten film as a free, preformed film into a film treatment zone (3) within said film treatment zone applying a drag force across one surface of said free, preformed extruded film which frictionally retards movement of the one surface relative to the other surface, (4) within said film treating zone extracting sufficient heat from said other surface of said free, preformed extruded film to solidify the film (5) within said film treating zone simultaneously forming spaced parallel longitudinally extending uninterrupted grooves in at least one surface of said film, said grooves being separated by longitudinal ribs, said grooves and ribs extending in the direction of extrusion, (6) removing the grooved film from said film treating zone, splitting the film into tapes by stretching and further splitting the tapes into filaments and (7) allowing the stretched filaments to relax.

Claim 12

The method of producing a fibrous material from a thermoplastic polymer, said method consisting essentially of the steps of (1) melting said polymer and extruding the same as a hot continuous molten film thereby defining an extrusion direction in the film (2) passing the hot continuous molten films as a free preformed film into a film treating zone (3) applying a shearing force to the opposed surfaces of the film so as to stress the film between said surfaces in planes parallel to said surfaces (4) within said film treating zone extracting sufficient heat from one surface of said free, preformed extruded film to solidify the film while the shearing stress continues to be applied thereto (5) within said film treating zone simultaneously forming longitudinally extending uninterrupted grooves in at least one surface of said film, the grooves being separated by longitudinally extending ribs, said grooves and ribs extending in the direction of extrusion (6) removing the grooved film from said film treating zone and stretching the film to split it into tapes and to split the tapes into filaments and (7) allowing the stretched filaments to relax.

Claim 13

The method of producing a fibrous material from a thermoplastic polymer, said method consisting essentially of the steps of (1) melting said polymer and extruding the same as a hot continuous molten film thereby defining an extrusion direction in the film (2) passing the hot continuous molten films as a free preformed film into a film treating zone (3) applying a shearing force to the opposed surfaces of the film so as to stress the film between said surfaces in planes parallel to said surfaces (4) within said film treating zone extracting sufficient heat from one surface of said free, preformed extruded film to solidify the film while the shearing stress continues to be applied thereto (5) within said film treating zone simultaneously forming longitudinally extending uninterrupted grooves in at least one surface of said film, the grooves being separated by longitudinally extending ribs, said grooves and ribs extending in the direction of extrusion (6) removing the grooved film from said film treating zone and stretching the film to split it into tapes and to split the tapes into filaments and (7) allowing the stretched filaments to relax.

Claim 14

The method of producing a bulky multifilament yarn containing inherently crimped fibers from a cold drawable thermoplastic polymer, said method consisting essentially of the steps of melting said polymer and extruding the same as a hot continuous molten film thereby defining an extrusion direction in the film, passing the hot continuous molten film as a preformed film into a film treating zone, applying a shearing force to the film parallel to the plane of its opposed surface across the entire width of the film, forming longitudinally extending uninterrupted grooves in at least one surface of the film, said grooves being separated by longitudinal ribs and extending in the direction of extrusion, subjecting one side of the film to a temperature lower than the other to effect cooling to produce a solid sheet in which the shearing stresses are imprisoned in the grooves and ribs in varying degrees in planes parallel to the surfaces, removing the grooved film from said film treatment zone and stretching the film to split it into tapes and to split the tapes into filaments and allowing the stretched filaments to relax.

Claim 15

The method of producing a bulky multifilament yarn containing inherently crimped fibers from a cold drawable thermoplastic polymer, said method consisting essentially of the steps of melting said polymer and extruding the same as a hot continuous molten film thereby defining an extrusion direction in the film, passing the hot continuous molten film as a preformed film into a film treating zone, applying a shearing force to the film parallel to the plane of its opposed surface across the entire width of the film, forming longitudinally extending uninterrupted grooves in at least one surface of the film, said grooves being separated by longitudinal ribs and extending in the direction of extrusion, subjecting one side of the film to a temperature lower than the other to effect cooling to produce a solid sheet in which the shearing stresses are imprisoned in the grooves and ribs in varying degrees in planes parallel to the surfaces, removing the grooved film from said film treatment zone and stretching the film to split it into tapes and to split the tapes into filaments and allowing the stretched filaments to relax.