Apparatus for making yarn from polymer film

• US 3,927,957 A
• Filed: 02/11/1974
• Issued: 12/23/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carl S. Weisner, Gordon B. Johnson, Leonard Chill
• Original Assignee: Carl S. Weisner, Gordon B. Johnson, Leonard Chill
• Inventors: Chill, Leonard, Johnson, Gordon B., Weisner, Carl S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Annear, R. Spencer
• Application Number:
  US05/441,700
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 425/131,315,316,445,455,131.1 264/147,DIG.47
• US Class Current: 425/131.1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/08 flexible, e.g. films
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/19 the layers being joined at their edges
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 55/065 in several stretching steps
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/426 by cutting films

Abstract

A process and apparatus is disclosed for preparing Moresque (multicolored) yarn from thermoplastic polymers. An elongated flat die is utilized to extrude parallel streams of molten polymers of alternating colors onto a casting roll to form a thermoplastic polymer film. Desired color combinations can be obtained by preselecting the colors of the molten polymer streams. The congealed film is oriented in the longitudinal direction to increase the longitudinal strength. The stretched film is cut in strips of uniform width by means of a cutting tool with a series of cutting heads. In order to obtain a random color distribution on the edges of individual strips, the film is oscillated across the direction of the longitudinal axis prior to cutting. These strips are fibrillated to produce a fibrous network which upon twisting simulates natural yarns suitable for indoor-outdoor carpets or general commercial textile use.

Claims

1. APPARATUS FOR FORMING YARN FROM THERMOPLASTIC POLYMERS COMPRISING DIE MEANS FOR EXTRUDING A CONTINUOUS SHEET OF MULTICOLORED FILM FROM THERMOPLASTIC POLYMER STOCK, ORIENTATION MEANS FOR ORIENTING SAID CONTINUOUS SHEET OF MULTICOLORED FILM IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION, CUTTING MEANS FOR CUTTING SAID CONTINUOUS SHEET OF MULTICOLORED FILM ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION TO FORM STRIPS OF FILM OF FIXED WIDTHS, OSCILLATING MEANS FOR OSCILLATING SAID CONTINUOUS SHEET OF MULTICOLORED FILM TRANSVERSE TO THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION UPSTREAM OF SAID CUTTING MEANS, MEANS FOR FIBRILLATING SAID STRIPS OF FILM, MEANS FOR TWISTING SAID FIBRILLATED STRIPS OF FILM TO FORM YARN AND MEANS FOR COLLECTING SAID YARN.

2. Apparatus for forming yarn from thermoplastic polymers comprising:

die means for extruding a continuous sheet of multicolored film from thermoplastic polymer stock, said die means being constructed and arranged to extrude a said sheet of film having a plurality of longitudinally extending stripes of respectively different colored polymers bonded together in edge-to-edge relationship, orientatIon means for orienting said continuous sheet of multicolored film in the longitudinal direction, oscillating means for oscillating said sheet transversely to said longitudinal direction, cutting means for cutting the oscillating said continuous sheet along the longitudinal direction to form strips of film of a width containing film portions of at least two of said respectively different colored polymers bonded together in edge-to-edge relationship, means for fibrillating said strips of film, means for twisting said fibrillated strips of film to form yarn, and means for collecting said yarn.