Method and apparatus for fiberizing attenuable materials and product thereof

Claim 2

A process for converting attenuable material into a fiber comprising generating a gaseous blast and a gaseous jet, the direction and the kinetic energy per unit of volume of the jet being such that the jet penetrates into the blast, thereby forming a zone of interaction in proximity of the path of penetration of the carrier jet into the blast, and delivering a stream of the attenuable material to the boundary of the blast so as to enter the zone of interaction, the source of the carrier jet being spaced from the blast and the said stream of material being first introduced into currents of ambient gas induced by the carrier jet to subject the stream to an initial or partial attenuation and form a continuous filament before reaching the boundary of the blast, the partially attenuated stream being thereafter drawn into a fiber by a second attenuation in the zone of interaction.

Claim 3

A process as defined in claim 1 in which the carrier jet is located in a position which with respect to the direction of flow of the blast is upstream of the stream of attenuable material.

Claim 4

A process as defined in claim 2 in which the carrier jet is directed at an angle to the vertical so as to intercept the path of the stream of attenuable material at a point above the upper boundary of the blast.

Claim 5

A process as defined in claim 1 in which the stream of attenuable material is fed by gravity from a point spaced appreciably above the elevation at which the stream is delivered to the carrier jet.

Claim 6

Process according to claim 4 characterized in that the angle of the direction of the carrier jet with respect to the stream of attenuable material is 3° to 45°.

Claim 7

Process according to claim 4 characterized in that the stream of attenuable material is delivered from a point spaced above the zone of introduction of the stream into the currents of ambient gas induced by the jet, and in which the flow of the stream from said point to said zone of interaction results in reduction in diameter of the stream before it reaches said zone of interaction.

Claim 8

A process for converting attenuable material into a fiber comprising establishing a stream of the attenuable material, subjecting the stream to a two-stage attenuation operation of which the first stage is effected by delivering the stream of the material to an isolated gaseous carrier jet to be carried thereby and thus partially attenuated in the form of a continuous filament, the approach of the stream to the carrier jet being effected by induction effects of the jet, the second stage being effected by establishing a gaseous blast which is directed in a path transverse to and intercepting the carrier jet downstream of the point of delivery of the stream of material to the carrier jet, the transverse dimensions of the principal current being greater than those of the carrier jet and the carrier jet having greater kinetic energy per unit of volume than the blast, thereby providing for establishing a zone of interaction of the carrier jet and blast by penetration of the blast by the jet and for carrying of said filament to the zone of interaction and thereby completing the conversion of the stream into fiber.

Claim 9

A process for converting attenuable material into a fiber comprising establishing a stream of the attenuable material, subjecting the stream to a two-stage attenuation operation of which the first stage is effected by delivering the stream of the material to an isolated gaseous carrier jet to be carried thereby and thus partially attenuated in the form of a continuous filament, the approach of the stream to the carrier jet being effected by induction effects of the jet, the second stage being effected by establishing a gaseous blast which is directed in a path transverse to and intercepting the carrier jet downstream of the point of delivery of the stream of material to the carrier jet, the transverse dimensions of the principal current being greater than those of the carrier jet and the carrier jet having greater kinetic energy per unit of volume than the blast, thereby providing for establishing a zone of interaction of the carrier jet and blast by penetration of the blast by the jet and for carrying of said filament to the zone of interaction and thereby completing the conversion of the stream into fiber.

Claim 10

A process according to claim 7 in which the cross section of the stream of attenuable material is smaller than the cross section of the carrier jet in the region where the stream meets the carrier jet.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 7 in which the stream of attenuable material is a stream of molten thermoplastic mineral material.

Claim 12

Apparatus for converting attenuable material into a fiber comprising means for producing a gaseous blast and means for producing a gaseous jet, the direction and the kinetic energy per unit of volume of the jet being such that the jet penetrates into the blast, thereby establishing a zone of interaction in proximity of the path of penetration of the carrier jet into the blast, and means for bringing a stream of the attenuable material to the boundary of the principal current so as to enter into the zone of interaction, the means for producing the carrier jet being spaced from the blast, and the means for introducing the stream of attenuable material being arranged to first introduce the stream into currents of air induced by the carrier jet so that the stream is subjected to an initial or partial attenuation to form a continuous filament and thereafter deliver the filament to the boundary of the blast where the filament enters the blast and is drawn into a fiber by a second attenuation in said zone of interaction.

Claim 13

Apparatus for converting attenuable material into a fiber comprising means for producing a gaseous blast and means for producing a gaseous jet, the direction and the kinetic energy per unit of volume of the jet being such that the jet penetrates into the blast, thereby establishing a zone of interaction in proximity of the path of penetration of the carrier jet into the blast, and means for bringing a stream of the attenuable material to the boundary of the principal current so as to enter into the zone of interaction, the means for producing the carrier jet being spaced from the blast, and the means for introducing the stream of attenuable material being arranged to first introduce the stream into currents of air induced by the carrier jet so that the stream is subjected to an initial or partial attenuation to form a continuous filament and thereafter deliver the filament to the boundary of the blast where the filament enters the blast and is drawn into a fiber by a second attenuation in said zone of interaction.

Claim 14

Apparatus for making fibers from attenuable material comprising supply means for said material having a delivery orifice positioned for downward delivery of a stream of said material, means having a discharge outlet for establishing a gaseous blast spaced below the material delivery orifice and directed transverse to the said stream, and means for establishing a gaseous carrier jet including a jet discharge orifice directing the jet downwardly toward and penetrating the blast, the blast having a transverse dimension in the direction of the path of penetration by the carrier jet, which dimension is appreciably greater than the transverse dimension of the carrier jet to thereby establish a zone of interaction between the blast and the carrier jet, the carrier jet orifice and the material delivery orifice being relatively positioned to provide for impingement of the stream of attenuable material on the carrier jet at a point spaced from the blast and thus provide for travel of the stream of attenuable material with the carrier jet to the zone of interaction of the jet with the current.

Claim 15

Apparatus for making fibers from attenuable material comprising supply means for said material having a delivery orifice positioned for downward delivery of a stream of said material, means having a discharge outlet for establishing a gaseous blast spaced below the material delivery orifice and directed transverse to the said stream, and means for establishing a gaseous carrier jet including a jet discharge orifice directing the jet downwardly toward and penetrating the blast, the blast having a transverse dimension in the direction of the path of penetration by the carrier jet, which dimension is appreciably greater than the transverse dimension of the carrier jet to thereby establish a zone of interaction between the blast and the carrier jet, the carrier jet orifice and the material delivery orifice being relatively positioned to provide for impingement of the stream of attenuable material on the carrier jet at a point spaced from the blast and thus provide for travel of the stream of attenuable material with the carrier jet to the zone of interaction of the jet with the current.

Claim 16

Apparatus as defined in claim 11 in which the means for establishing the gaseous carrier jet, is located in a position which, with relation to the direction of flow of the blast, is upstream of the stream of attenuable material.

Claim 17

Apparatus as defined in claim 12 in which the means for establishing the gaseous carrier jet is angularly positioned to cause the jet to penetrate the blast in a zone horizontally offset from the glass orifice.

Claim 18

Apparatus as defined in claim 12 in which the means for establishing the carrier jet is positioned to direct the jet in a path at an angle to the general direction of flow of the blast which angle is from about 45° to about 87°.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 11 in which the means for producing the carrier jet is spaced from the blast from 30 to 60 mm.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 11 in which a jet orifice is used having a diameter of 0.3 to 3 mm.

Claim 21

Apparatus according to claim 11 including means for delivering a stream of attenuable material, which means is located, with reference to the direction of flow of the stream, at a distance of from 0 to 150 mm, from the orifice of the means for producing the carrier jet.

Claim 22

Apparatus according to claim 11 in which the means for delivering the stream of attenuable material comprises a metering orifice having a diameter of from 1 to 10 mm.

Claim 23

Apparatus according to claim 11 and having a carrier jet orifice and an orifice for the attenuable material spaced from each other in the direction of flow of the blast by a distance of from 1 to 15 mm.

Claim 24

Apparatus according to claim 11 in which the means for producing the blast includes a gas discharge orifice having a dimension in the direction from which the stream of attenuable material approaches the principal current, which dimension is from 10 to 50 mm.

Claim 25

Apparatus according to claim 11 in which the blast outlet and the center line of the material delivery orifice are positioned in spaced relation to each other in a direction transverse to the flow of the stream of attenuable material, such spacing being from 0 to 30 mm.

Claim 26

Apparatus according to claim 11 in which a plurality of fiberizing centers are provided each including supply means for attenuable material and each including means for producing a carrier jet associated with the supply means, and blast producing means cooperating with said jets to provide zones of interaction for each jet.

Claim 27

Apparatus according to claim 22 in which the blast producing means comprises common blast producing means associated with a plurality of said fiberizing centers.

Claim 28

Process according to claim 4 characterized in that the angle of the direction of the carrier jet with respect to the stream of attenuable material is approximately 10°.

Claim 29

Apparatus according to claim 11 in which the means for producing the carrier jet is spaced from the blast in the neighborhood of 45 mm.

Claim 30

Apparatus according to claim 11 in which a jet orifice is used having a diameter in the neighborhood of 1 mm.

Claim 31

Apparatus according to claim 11 including means for delivering a stream of attenuable material, which means is located, with reference to the direction of flow of the stream, at a distance of about 85 mm from the orifice of the means for producing the carrier jet.

Claim 32

Apparatus according to claim 11 in which the means for delivering the stream of attenuable material comprises a metering orifice having a diameter in the neighborhood of 4 mm.

Claim 33

Apparatus according to claim 11 and having a carrier jet orifice and an orifice for the attenuable material spaced from each other in the direction of flow of the blast by a distance in the neighborhood of 5 mm.

Claim 34

Apparatus according to claim 11 in which the means for producing the blast includes a gas discharge orifice having a dimension in the direction from which the stream of attenuable material approaches the principal current, which dimension is in the neighborhood of 25 mm.

Claim 35

Apparatus according to claim 11 in which the blast outlet and the center line of the material delivery orifice are positioned in spaced relation to each other in a direction transverse to the flow of the stream of attenuable material, such spacing being in the neighborhood of 5 mm.