Melt spinning apparatus

Claim 1

A melt-spinning apparatus comprising: means for feeding a molten polymer composition from at least one extruder to a multiplicity of spinning orifices for producing a multiplicity of discrete continuous extrudates emerging from said orifices in at least one annular array and in a generally downward direction; quenching means for cooling said extrudates and for solidifying them to form a multiplicity of discrete continuous filaments; said quenching means including means for directing at least one stream of a cooling gas having a quenching temperature onto a portion, at least, of said extrudates; wherein said quenching means further comprises an elongated chamber in an essentially coaxial position relative to said at least one annular array and having at least one essentially tubular inner chamber wall member positioned radially within said annular array; and at least one outer chamber wall member positioned radially outside of said array; wherein said inner chamber wall member is connected to a source of cooling gas and has at least one wall portion that is permeable to said cooling gas while said outer chamber wall member is connected to an outlet duct for said cooling gas and is substantially impermeable thereto; and wherein said inner chamber wall member includes at least two essentially coaxial ducts having openings through which cooling gas is simultaneously introduced or removed at different axial levels of said elongated chamber means; and take-up and stretching means provided downstream from said orifices for contacting and stretching said filaments; wherein a portion, at least, of said orifices is arranged to form an annular array and wherein a portion, at least, of said quenching means is provided to direct said at least one stream of said cooling gas in an essentially radial manner onto said extrudates that emerge from said spinning orifices in said annular array.