MXPA99000580A - H - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a yarn, a flat weave, a yarn spool, a method for collecting a yarn and a method for inserting a yarn of filler into an oil jet loom.

Description

THREAD DESCRIPTION Background and field of the invention This invention relates to the production of glass fiber yarns, and to the packaging, distribution and weaving of yarn to be used as a reinforcing or decorative material. Mineral fibers are used in a variety of products. The fibers can be used as reinforcements in products such as plastic matrices, reinforced paper and tape and woven products. During the formation and collection process numerous fibers are packaged together like a thread. Several yarns can be gathered to form a wick (glass fiber yarns) used to reinforce a plastic matrix to provide structural support to products such as molded plastic products. The threads can also be woven or woven to form a fabric, or they can be collected in a random pattern as a fabric. The individual threads are formed from a collection of glass fibers, or may be comprised of fibers from other materials such as other mineral materials or organic polymer materials. A Protective coating, or rubber, is applied to the fibers which allows them to move past each other without breaking when the fibers are collected to form a single strand. The protection of the rubber allows the yarn to be manipulated in various manufacturing processes, such as weaving. Where the fibers will be used in an industrial application, the rubber improves the bond between the threads and the plastic matrix. The gum may also include adherent agents that allow the fibers to stick together to form an integral yarn. Typically, continuous fibers, such as glass fibers, are mechanically stretched from a molten glass feeder. The feeder has a bottom plate, or nozzle that has 200 to 10,000 holes on all sides. In the forming process, the yarn is wound around a rotating drum, or mandrel, to form, or build, a spool or spool of yarn. The complete coil consists of a single long thread. It is preferable that the bobbin be wound so as to untangle the yarn easily, or unwind. It has been found that a winding pattern consisting of a series of helical passes placed on the mandrels forms a coil which can be easily unwound. Such helical model prevents adjacent turns or yarn windings from being linked if the yarn It is still wet due to the application of the rubber material. The helical passes are wrapped around the mandrel as the coil begins to build. Successive passes are placed on the outer surface of the coil, the diameter of the coil is continuously increased, until the winding is completed and the coil is removed from the mandrel. A wire reciprocator guides the wire longitudinally from one side to the other through the outer surface of the coil to place each successive pass. A known thread reciprocator is the spiral wire type wire oscillator. It consists of a rotating arrow containing two external wires that approximate a spiral configuration. The spiral wires strike the thread and direct it from one side to the other along the outer surface of the coil. The arrow also moves longitudinally so that the spinning spiral wires move laterally across the surface of the coil to place the yarn on the surface of the coil. While the coil is being constructed, the spiral wire thread oscillator does not touch the surface of the coil. Although the spiral wire wire oscillator produces a coil that can be easily unwound, the coil has no square edges. A coil that has square edges can have a larger diameter than the coils with rounded edges. Also, a coil with square edges can be stacked during shipment. It is desirable to construct cylindrical coils having square edges and larger diameters. A known thread reciprocator which produces cylindrical coils and square edges includes a cam having a helical groove, a cam follower that is disposed within the slot and a wire guide attached to the cam follower. As the cam is rotated, the cam follower and thread guide move the thread longitudinally from one side to the other on the outer surface of the rotating reel to place each successive pass. A rotatable cylindrical member, or roller clamp, touches the outer surface of the coil as it is constructed to hold the thread placed in the last pass in position at the edges of the coil as the thread guide changes direction. The contact between the roller clamp and the surface of the rotating coil causes the roller clamp to rotate and the speed of the surface of the roller clamp to be practically equal to the speed of the surface of the coil. An alternative version uses the thread guide itself to touch the bobbin and hold the thread momentarily at the edge of the bobbin.

To increase productivity, several coils are built simultaneously on a single mandrel. A separate single wire is formed for each coil, and a separate wire reciprocator oscillates each wire to build the coils simultaneously. The thread reciprocators are mounted on an arm which moves the wire reciprocators away from the mandrel as the radius of the bobbin increases while maintaining the roller clamp in contact with the surfaces of the bobbins. The fiber-forming process, including nozzle temperature, is controlled to maintain the constant fiber diameters through the collection process, and to maintain the spool radii of each of the spools increasing in a similar proportion. However, variations occur in the process / producing slight variations in the size of the coil along the mandrel during the collection process. These differences in the relative radii of the coils in the mandrel cause the roller clamps to occasionally leave the surface of a coil. When a roller clamp loses contact with the surface of the coil, the rotation speed of the roller clamp begins to decrease. When the surface of the roller clamp returns to contact with the surface of the coil the rotation speed of the clamp The roller increases until the surface of the roller clamp is traveling at the same speed as the surface of the coil. Due to the friction of the bearing and the inertia of the roller clamp, the roller clamp takes longer to spin at speed. While the roller clamp is spinning again at speed, the difference in speed between the surface of the reel and the roller clamp surface causes the roller clamp to slide against the surface of the reel. Sliding of the roller clamp produces abrasive forces that can break the fibers in the yarn if the inertia is too high. In addition, slippage can occur during startup as the chuck rotation speed increases. Glass fibers that are cut or broken tend to separate from the thread as it is wound on the bobbin and wrapped around the rotating roller clamp and creates a tangle that can spoil the coil.

It would be desirable to produce a yarn having improved properties for packaging, distribution and weaving.

In accordance with this invention, a yarn of individual filaments is provided, the yarn has a primary cross-sectional shape, and periodic flat sites with a flat cross-sectional shape that is longer than the primary cross-sectional shape. The yarn with periodic flat sites provides unique properties useful in the packaging of the yarn to be sent to customers. In addition, the yarn has advantages in subsequent manufacturing processes such as a weaving process.

The primary cross-sectional shape of the filling yarn has a ratio of height to width preferably within the range from about 1: 1 to about 6: 1, and the flat cross-sectional shape has a height-to-width ratio preferably greater than about 6: 1. More preferably, the ratio of the height to the width of the flat cross-sectional shape is greater than about 20: 1. More preferably, the ratio of the height to the width of the flat cross-sectional shape is finds within the range from about 6: 1 to about 50: 1. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the width of the flat sites is preferably within the range of about 5 to about 20 times the width of the primary cross-sectional shape . In a specific embodiment of the invention, the period of the periodic flat sites is within the range of from about 0.2 to about 6. meters, and more preferably the period of the flat sites is within the range from about 0.5 to about 3 meters. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the length of the periodic flat sites lies within the range of from about 0.5 to about 10 cm, and more preferably within the range from about 1 to about 5 cm.

An improved method has now been developed to produce a yarn having periodic flat sites and to control the production process to obtain the desired qualities in the yarn. The method of the invention includes rotating a mandrel to wind the yarn in a spool, laterally moving the end-to-end yarn of the spool so that the yarn is wound in a helical pattern on the spool, touching the spool with a Roller clamp on the edge portions on each end of the bobbin, press the bobbin with the roller clamps with what causes the yarn to be flattened or flattened as it is wound on the edge portions to create a thread that has sites planes that appear periodically, and control the crushing of the wire by controlling the pressure of the roller clamp on the coil. ---_ - In a specific embodiment of the invention, the roller clamps move away from the mandrel during winding of the wire to accommodate the increase in diameter of the coil. The pressure applied to the coil by each of the rolls is preferably in the range of about 0.91 to about 4.5 kg (2 to 10 pounds), and more preferably within the range of about 1.4 to about 2.7 kg (3 to 6 pounds) ). In another embodiment of the invention, the crushing of the yarn is controlled by controlling the speed of lateral movement of the yarn. The control of the speed of lateral movement of the yarn can be used to determine the length of yarn that is wound on the bobbin while the yarn is in the edge portions and with which the length of the flat sites is controlled. The speed of lateral movement of the yarn can be changed during winding to control the period of the flat sites. In a specific embodiment of the invention, the speed of lateral movement of the yarn is controlled by providing a generally constant period between the flat sites. In another embodiment of the invention, the yarn moves laterally by oscillating a mounted wire shuttle to travel along a helical groove in a rotating cam, the helical groove having curved end portions at each end of the cam, where the speed of lateral movement of the yarn is controlled by establishing the shape of the curved end of the helical groove. An improved method for inserting a fill yarn in an air jet loom weaving process has now been developed. The filling yarn is pushed with one or more air jets from the side of the insert to the side of the loom outlet. The yarn comprises a strand of individual filaments, the yarn having a primary cross-sectional shape and having periodic flat sites with a flat cross-sectional shape that is more elongated than the primary cross-sectional shape. The flat sites provide greater drag for the impulse by the air jets. In a specific embodiment of the invention, the period of the flat sites is synchronized with the length of the filling yarn required for the air jet loom. The flat sites can be synchronized so that the flat site passes through the air jet at the beginning of the fill yarn impulse through the jet loom of ai e, thereby making it easier to drive the filling yarn through the loom. This It will allow the loom to operate with a lower overall air blast pressure. A flat weave has now been developed which provides a single appearance having differentiated yarn at various positions along the fabric. The fabric comprises yarn for warp and filling yarn, where the filling yarn is a strand of individual filaments, the yarn having a primary cross-sectional shape and periodic flat sites with a flat cross-sectional shape that is longer than the primary cross-sectional shape. The effect of the flat sites is differentiated fill yarn in the flat weave. In a specific embodiment of the invention, the differentiated filler yarn is lighter in color than the rest of the filler yarn. In another embodiment of the invention, the differentiated filler yarn is more reflective than the rest of the filler yarn. It is expected that the differentiated fill yarn will be wider than the rest of the fill yarn, and preferably have an average width which is within the range from about 125 to about 300 percent of the average width of the rest of the yarn. of filling. More preferably, the differentiated fill yarn has an average width that is within the range from about 125 to approximately 175 percent of the average width of the rest of the fill yarn. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the average length of the differentiated fill yarn is within the range from about 0.5 to about 10 cm and more preferably within the range from about 1 to about 5 cm.

In a specific embodiment of the invention, the differentiated filler yarn is generally separated randomly along the fabric. In another embodiment of the invention, the differentiated fill yarn is generally aligned with specific warp yarn to form a longitudinal pattern along the length of the fabric. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the differentiated fill yarn forms a pattern that is repeated in the fabric. An improved yarn spool has now been developed which exhibits better stability and is able to unwind by removing the yarn without collapsing the spool. The coil is self-supporting and coiled helically. The yarn in the coil comprises a strand of individual filaments, the yarn having a primary cross-sectional shape and periodic flat sites with a flat cross-sectional shape that is longer than the shape in primary cross section. The coil has edge portions axially placed at the ends of the coil, and the flat sites are placed in the portions of the coil edge. The coil is wound, or coiled in helical passes, and a rubber is applied to the yarn. The rubber joins each pass to adjacent passes, the flat positions showing a better bond in the portions of the yarn having the primary cross-sectional shape. The expected average force required to unwind the yarn from the coil is within the range of about 5 to about 100 grams. Preferably, the coil has an axial length in the range from about 8 to about 40 cm and has a diameter in the range from about 20 to about 50 cm.

Brief description of the drawings Figure 1 is a schematic elevation view of the apparatus for forming, collecting and winding fiber strands in accordance with the principles of the invention. Figure 2 is a schematic elevational view of the thread reciprocator shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a schematic cross sectional elevation view of the apparatus of Figure 2, taken along line 3-3. Figure 4 is an elevational end view of a portion of the roller clamp assembly of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a schematic view of one embodiment of the invention in which several reels are being wound simultaneously. Figure 6 is a schematic plan view of the yarn of the invention. Figure 7 is a schematic elevational view of the yarn of the invention. - - Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the yarn taken along line 8-8 of Figure 7. Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the yarn taken along the line 9-9 of Figure 7. Figure 10 is a schematic elevation view of a yarn spool in accordance with the invention. Figure 11 is a schematic elevation view of an air jet loom for use with the method of the invention.

Figure 12 is a more detailed view of the air jet of the loom shown in Figure 11. Figure 13 is a schematic view of a fabric of the invention in which the differentiated fill yarn forms a repeating pattern in the fabric . Figure 14 is a schematic view of another fabric of the invention in which the differentiated fill yarn forms a repeating pattern in the fabric. Figure 15 is a schematic view of a fabric of the invention in which the differentiated fill yarn is virtually aligned with specific warp yarn to form a longitudinal pattern in the fabric. Figure 16 is a schematic view of a fabric of the invention in which the differentiated fill yarn is generally randomly separated along the fabric.

Detailed description of the preferred modalities Figures 1 and 2 show the apparatus for forming, collecting and winding yarns in which fibers 10 are extracted from a plurality of holes 11 in a nozzle 12 and collected in a yarn 14 by means of a harvesting member 16. It can be applied to the fibers a rubber suitable for covering the fibers by any convenient means, such as a rubber applicator 18. The yarn is wound around a rotating mandrel 22 to construct a cylindrical spool 19. The spool is formed from a single long yarn having a radially extexior surface 20 with square edge portions 20a and a central portion 20b therebetween. The square edge portions 20a generally form right angles to the ends of the coil 20c. The outer surface of the cylindrical coil is preferably between about 10 cm to about 40 cm in length, but may be longer or shorter depending on the application. The mandrel is adapted to rotate about an axis of rotation 23 by any convenient means such as a motor 24. Any suitable coil center material such as a cardboard tube 26 can be placed on the mandrel to receive the coil. Figure 2 shows a yarn reciprocator 30 which guides the yarn 14 laterally from one side to the other through the surface of the bobbin 20 to place the yarn in passes 44 on the surface of the bobbin. The thread reciprocator includes a cylindrical cam 32 having a helical groove 34. The cam is mounted to rotate and is preferably made of a hard material, such like stainless steel, but any convenient material can be used. The thread reciprocator further includes a cam follower 36 which is disposed in the slot 34. The cam follower extends outwardly from the cam and a wire guide 38 is attached to the end. The cam follower is preferably made of a plastic or nylon material, but any suitable material can be used. A notch 40 is formed in the thread guide to hold the thread 14. The rotation of the cam causes the cam follower to follow the helical groove and thereby cause the thread guide to move laterally across the surface of the thread. the coil Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, the yarn reciprocator further includes a roller clamp assembly 42 for maintaining yarn passes 44 in position in the edge portions 20a of the surface of the spool 20 as the yarn guide 38 changes direction. - The roller clamp assembly includes a pair of separate rollers, or split rollers 46. The rollers have generally cylindrical edge ends 46a and tapered internal ends 46b. The cylindrical edge ends touch the surface of the coil at the edge portions 20a. The tapered inner ends extend from the edge ends toward the central portion of the coil surface 20b.

The rollers do not touch the surface of the coil in the central portion of the coil 20b. Each of the rollers 46 is independently mounted for rotation by means of brackets 48. One or more bearings (not shown) are located between the roller clamps and the brackets to allow the roller clamp to rotate freely reducing friction. Although the roller clamps are shown as mounted on both the edge ends and the inner ends, the roller clamps can be mounted cantilevered, they can be mounted on only one end. Each roller is made of a hard material, such as stainless steel, but any suitable material can be used. The rollers preferably weigh approximately 50 grams each, but may be heavier or lighter depending on their size and application. The rolls are preferably hollow to minimize weight and inertia, but can be solid. Each roller is preferably approximately 2 cm in length, but may be longer or shorter depending on the application. The split roller clamps are preferably coaxial and contact the surface of the coil along a portion of a line 52 which is generally parallel to the axis of rotation 23 of the coil, although any orientation can be used.

Convenient of the roller clamps. Using 2 c long roller clamps, the contact length between the roller clamps and the typical coil surface will be approximately 10% to 50% of the length of the outer surface of the coil. A longer or shorter contact length can be used between the roller clamp and the surface of the reel depending on the application. The coil rotates during winding as shown by line 53 in Figure 4. As the coil is constructed, radius 54 increases. To accommodate the increasing radius of the coil, the thread reciprocator 30 is mounted on an arm 56. To adjust the increasing radius of the coil, the arm moves away from the mandrel along line 63 to maintain proper contact between the surface of the rollers and the surface of the coil and prevent the yarn passes 44a from moving away from the edge portions 20a of the surface of the coil. Multiple coils can be constructed simultaneously on the mandrel, as shown in Figure 5. Each coil is constructed by extracting separate threads 14 from separate nozzle sections. The threads are wound around a single mandrel 22 to form coils 19. A separate thread reciprocator, which includes a cam 32, a cam follower 36, a wire guide 38 and a roller clamp assembly 42, is used to construct each coil. The bobbins are separated along the mandrel and the thread reciprocators are separated along the arm 56 in a similar manner to be aligned with the bobbins. The winding apparatus operates as follows. The thread reciprocator 30 guides the wire 14 as it is placed on the outer surface of the coil. The yarn is retained by means of a notch 40 in the yarn guide 38 and is wound or wound around the mandrel 22 or a coil core 26 positioned around the mandrel. The cam 32 is oriented near the coil and rotates about an axis 33 generally parallel to the axis of rotation 23 of the coil. The cam follower is positioned within the cam groove 34, but is prevented from rotating with the cam. When the cam rotates, the cam follower moves laterally by means of the helical groove in a direction generally parallel to the axis of rotation 23 of the coil. The helical groove is continuous, having curved ends 34a which cause the cam follower to move towards the end of the coil and subsequently in the reverse direction. The thread guide is fixed to the cam follower and this crosses the outer surface of the coil and oscillates from one end to the other end.

The helical winding pattern of each yarn pass 44 is formed by oscillating the yarn across the surface of the bobbin as the bobbin rotates. As the yarn guide approaches the edge portion of the spool 20a, the yarn is placed on the surface of the spool under the tapered tapered inner edge 46b. The yarn guide continues to move towards the end of the bobbin 20c and the yarn run, shown in dotted line at 44a, moves between the surface of the bobbin and the cylindrical edge end of the roll that is in contact with the bobbin surface. the coil When the cam follower travels through the curved end 34a of the slot 34, the thread guide 38 changes direction and moves away from the edge of the coil and toward the central portion of the coil 20b. The contact between the roller clamp and the surface of the coil keeps the wire passage 44a in position at the edge portions 20a of the surface of the coil, when the thread guide changes direction. By preventing the yarn passes 44a from moving away from the spool edge portions 20a as the yarn guide moves back toward the center of the spool 20b, a cylindrical spool having square edges is constructed. The roller contact between the rollers and the rotating bobbin surface causes the rollers turn. The speed of the roller surface is generally equal to the speed of the surface of the coil and the speed of the thread. When the speeds are equal, there is little abrasive force between the yarn and the roller clamps. In the operation of multiple coils, the forming process is controlled to maintain the construction of all the coils, and the coil radii increase in a similar proportion. However, differences in spool radii occur during winding because the diameters of the yarns are not always the same as spool coils. Fluctuations in nozzle temperatures, and inconsistencies in material properties can change the diameter of the fibers, and therefore the yarns, from coil to coil. Accordingly, one coil radius may vary temporarily from the others until process corrections are made. The injection of current to Teces is used to regulate the temperature of the nozzles in order to control the diameter of the wire. Differences in the spokes of the coils can cause the roller clamps to occasionally leave the surface of a coil. When a roller loses contact with the surface of the coil, the speed of rotation of the roller begins to decrease. Then, as the surface of the roller returns to contact with the surface of the coil, the speed of rotation of the roller increases until the surface of the roller travels at the same speed as the surface of the coil. Due to the low inertia of the split roller clamps, the roller clamps rotate back to speed more quickly than a simple and heavier roll clamp of the state of the art which touches the surface of the coil end to end. Since the split roller clamps have less inertia, they slide less and produce less abrasive forces against the wires, and therefore any of the individual fibers in the wires is less likely to break. Furthermore, when the mandrel is accelerating during start-up, the split-roller clamps produce minor abrasive forces against the yarn while they are accelerating and, consequently, few fibers are broken. Fibers of thread that break tend to separate from the thread when it is wound on the bobbin and wound around the roller clamp that rotates creating a tangle that can spoil the coil. The split rollers provide breaking surfaces that break the tangle, broken fibers. The rollers include cylindrical portions 46a forming contact surfaces which border the edge portions 20a of the coil surface 20, and the tapered portions 46b which do not touch the surface of the coil. The tapered surfaces extend from the contact surfaces towards the central portion of the coil surface 20b. The ends 46c of the tapered surfaces 46b form the breaking surfaces. As the yarn guide moves the yarn away from the roller 46 towards the central portion 20b of the surface of the bobbin 20, all the broken fibers that have started to wind around the roll will separate from the yarn 14. Because the yarn does not is more in contact with a roller on the central portion of the coil, the broken fibers stick to the main body of the thread due to the aforementioned gum and the whole thread is wound around the coil. When the yarn reaches the other roller at the opposite edge of the bobbin, the broken fibers have been integrated into the yarn and the yarn has been wound around the bobbin. The broken fibers are not wrapped around the other roller. Although the tapered surface 46b having an edge 46c is shown, the breaking surface may also include any discontinuity on the roll surface such as a groove or projection. A discontinuity, or abrupt change in the roll surface will not allow the fiber to continue to wind around the roll; the fiber will break as the thread moves through the discontinuity. In addition, a similar edge or protrusion separated from the roller surface can be used as a breaking surface. Although it is preferable that the yarn does not touch the surface of the roller immediately after the tangle of yarn has broken, this is not required. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the yarn or yarn 68 produced by means of the winding apparatus of the invention has flat sites 70 which appear periodically which are created by pressing the rolls 46 on the spool 20. As the yarn is placed on the rotating coil, the yarn is still wet with the rubber coating applied by the rubber applicator 18. After the rubber dries, the pressed portions of the yarn are retained in the flat form as the flat sites shown in FIG. Figures 6 and 17 The yarn, which normally has at least 50 and preferably at least 200 filaments of glass fiber, has a primary cross-sectional shape 72 which is interrupted by the periodic flat sites 70. The primary cross-sectional shape it will depend on several factors, including the amount and adhesiveness of the rubber, the tension of the winding or winding process, and the number, and denier of the filaments in the yarn. Typical fiber diameters are within the range from about 2.5 to about 13 microns in diameter, and the length per unit weight is typically in the range of about 2.7 to about 270 tex (grams / km) (180,000 to 1,800 yards per pound). Under normal operating conditions the winding of the yarn will produce a primary cross-sectional shape of the yarn that is a little flat or elongated, as shown in Figure 8. The primary cross-sectional shape is the shape of the yarn between the flat sites, and preferably the primary cross-sectional shape has a ratio of height to width within the range from about 1: 1 to about 6: 1. The ratio of height to width is the long dimension or length L divided by the short dimension 1 The flat sites are considerably flatter than the areas of primary cross-sectional shape, and preferably have a flat cross-sectional shape with a ratio of height to width greater than about 6: 1, as shown in Figure 9. The ratio of the height to the width of the flat sites is the long dimension or length L 'divided by the short dimension 1'. More preferably, the ratio of the height to the width of the flat cross-sectional shape is greater than about 20: 1. A preferred range of the ratio of the height to the width of the flat cross-sectional shape is from about 6: 1 to about 50: 1. As shown in Figure 6, the width of the flat sites 70 is considerably wider than the width of the primary cross-sectional area. It is expected that the width of the flat sites will be within the range from about 5 to about 20 times the width of the primary cross-sectional shape, although other proportions are possible. The yarn or yarn of the invention, which has the flat sites that appear periodically, provide some unique properties when the yarn is applied to or incorporated into different products or processes. The flat sites are usually evident in some way, such as being visually evident, thereby providing a distinctive character for the flat site when compared to the rest of the yarn. Therefore, the flat sites create a different or differentiated yarn when they appear, thus forming a "differentiated" yarn. For example, the flat yarn sites used to make a flat fabric can stand out because they are more reflective in the fabric than the rest of the filling yarn, and therefore the effect of the flat sites is to create yarns that are differentiated from the rest. The yarn or yarn that has the periodic flat sites can be used for many purposes. A possible Use is as a fill yarn for a flat weave of the type used as a fabric to reinforce printed circuit boards. The yarn of the invention can be used to improve numerous industrial applications, where the greater surface area of the flat sites will show greater union with resin matrices. Industrial tapes will require less adhesive to provide the same adhesion between fiberglass reinforcement and resin. Ulti-axis non-woven cotton fabrics, which rest on the junction of the fibrous layers where they intersect, can be made stronger or with a reduced volume of binder. The yarn of the invention can be used as a feed for a machine for making shredded yarn plush. The yarn can also be used in a warping operation. In short, the crushing of the yarn is potentially valuable wherever a bond between the yarn and another substance is desirable. The length of the period P between centers of the flat sites can be controlled by controlling the length of the wound wire on the central portion 20b of the coil, between the edge portions 20a and 20c. This can be achieved by adjusting the speed of the winding process and the angle of the yarn deposit on the spool. Lower deposit or winding angles they produce many revolutions of the coil - between the ends, and therefore a large period P between the flat sites. In conventional yarn packaging, the winding angle is typically maintained in a range between about 4 to about 9 degrees, although other angles are also possible. The winding angle required for stable coils and good discharge of the bobbin thread will depend on the type and weight of yarn, and the type and amount of rubber in the fibers. Higher or higher angles cause the yarn to travel rapidly from one end to the other, producing a short period between flat sites. The winding angle is also affected by the speed at which the wire guide 38 oscillates end-to-end of the coil. -Therefore, the crushing of the yarn can be controlled by controlling the speed at which the yarn moves laterally. In a specific embodiment of the invention the speed of lateral movement of the yarn is controlled as the bobbin increases in diameter to provide a fixed and constant period P between the flat sites. As the thread is wound around the bobbin, the diameter of the bobbin increases. This will also affect the period P between the flat sites since the distance traveled by the thread around the coil is it would increase with time. Typical speeds for yarn travel are within the range of about 100 to about 1000 meters per minute, although higher speeds are possible. One method to ensure a constant period is to adjust the winding angle as the coil is constructed to compensate for the increased bobbin diameter. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the period of the periodic flat sites lies within the range of from about 0.2 to about 6 meters, and more preferably, the period of the periodic flat sites lies within the range from about 0.5 to about 3 meters. The length D of the flat sites is a little more determined by the amount of residence time during which the yarn is wound on the edge portions 20a and 20c. This can be controlled by choosing longer or shorter contact areas for the cylindrical edge ends 46a of the rollers 46, and providing a longer or shorter curved end path 34a in the groove 34 of the cam 32. - In general , a slower rotation speed for the cam 32 provides a longer residence time for the yarn in the edge portions 20a and 20c. The length of the periodic flat sites is preferably found within the range from about 0.5 to about 10 cm, and more preferably within the range from about 1 to about 5 cm.

The width L 'of the flat sites can be controlled by adjusting the pressure of the rollers 46 on the coil. A greater amount of pressure applied to the end portions 20a and 20c will cause a greater crush. In normal operation the rollers 46 move away from the mandrel 22 to suit the size of the bobbin increased. The amount of pressure exerted on the reel by the rollers can be increased by increasing the initial pressure applied by the rollers and maintaining the pressure throughout the packaging process. Also, the pressure can be increased during packaging by reducing the amount of support by the arm 56 during packaging. It should be understood that various ways can be used to control the pressure of the roller clamps in the coil, including a computer controlled motor to move the support arm 56 according to a predetermined plan. The pressure of the rollers can be controlled to produce the desired amount of crushing for the flat sites. As shown in Figure 10, the coil 19 rests on its end and the periodically crushed yarn 68 is being unwound from the inside of the coil. The coil is free standing, that is, it is capable of supporting itself during the unwinding process without collapsing. The outer surface 20 of the coil is composed of a generally curved central portion 20b and two annular plateaus 74 created in the end portions 20a and 20c by means of the crushing effect of the rollers 46. The plateaus are generally parallel to the longitudinal axis 76. of the coil in contrast to the gently curved slope of the coil in the central portion 20b. The amount of pressure applied by the rollers will affect the width of the plateaus. The pressure applied to the coil by each of the rolls is typically in the range of about 0.91 to about 4.5 kg (2 to 10 pounds), and preferably within the range of about 1.4 to about 2.7 kg (3 to 6 pounds) . The flat sites 70 in the yarn are placed exclusively in the portions 20a and 20c of the coil. The increased surface area of the flat sites affects the construction of the coil by providing an increased adhesive contact or bond between any particular yarn pass and its adjacent yarn passes. The strength of the joint is greater than that of portions of the thread having the primary cross-sectional shape. This Increased bonding ability may require adjustment of the amount of rubber applied to the yarn, or to the adhesive quality of the rubber. If the yarn union is too large, the yarn 68 will not easily unroll from the spool. If the joint is too poor, the thread will unroll very easily and may swell or become entangled in some way. It is expected that a preferred amount of average tension or force required to release or unwind the yarn is within the range of from about 5 to about 100 grams. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the yarn or yarn 68 of the invention can be used to weave a fabric 78 on a loom 80. The loom can be an air jet loom, as shown, or it can be any other type of loom. The loom is provided with warp yarn 84, 86 and the yarn 68 of the invention is inserted into the fabric as the fill yarn or weft. The operation of the looms to make fabric is well known to those experienced in the medium. The air jet 82 picks up or pushes the filling fiber or yarn 68 through the loom, between the shedding of the upper and lower warp yarn 84 and 86. The warp 88 hits or pushes the filling yarn and the warp yarn. together to form the fabric which can be rolled or can be carried away by any means convenient, such as a drum 90. As shown in Figure 12, the air jet can be provided with two fill yarns 68 and with separate air inlet lines 92 so that the fill yarn can be fed alternately from the nozzles. 94. The warp 88 is provided with a series of air jets, not shown, which help transport the fill yarn by the width of the loom. The use in an air jet loom of the yarn of the invention, i.e., a yarn having periodic flat sites, allows the machine to operate more efficiently since the flat location provides improved or enhanced air drag when subjected to the jet of air coming from the air jet nozzle and the air jets in the warp. In a specific embodiment of the invention, the flat sites are synchronized so as to pass through the air jet at the beginning of the momentum of the filling yarn through the loom. It should be understood that this synchronization is optional. Although the fabric and the weaving process illustrate the yarn of the invention used as a fill yarn, the yarn of the invention can also be used as the warp yarn. One of the characteristics of the winding apparatus of the invention is that the contact of the Roller clamps on the coil allow the coil to be made with a relatively large diameter. Also, the ratio of the diameter to the axial length of the coils can be increased. The axial length of the coils can be of any desired length, but is preferably within the range of about 8 to about 40 cm. The diameter is preferably within the range from about 20 to about 50 cm. The increased yarn attachment at the end portions of the spool provides a more stable spool, one that is more capable of being wound with a relatively short axial length and a relatively large diameter. This is advantageous in the yarn manufacturing process because it makes it possible to make multiple spools which nonetheless contain a yarn length per unit of important weight. As shown in Figure 13, the fabric 78 includes warp yarn 84, 86. The fill yarn includes the portions that are flat sites in the yarn, indicated at 96, as yarn that differs from the remainder 98 of the yarn of yarn. filling. The differentiated yarn can be formed in the fabric in the form of a pattern, as shown. The differentiated yarn differs mainly from the rest of the yarn for its visual appearance. For example, the differentiated yarn may be lighter or darker in color than the remaining yarn. The differentiated yarn may be able to reflect more light than the yarn waste. The differentiated yarn may be wider than the remaining yarn, and may have an average width which is within the range of from about 125 to about 300 percent of the average width of the remainder of the fill yarn and preferably within the range of from about 125 to about 175 percent of the average width of the rest of the fill yarn. The average length of the differentiated fill yarn is preferably within the range of from about 0.5 to about 10 cm, and more preferably within the range from about 1 to about 5 cm. As shown in Figure 14, the differentiated yarn can form a decorative pattern in the fabric. Figure 15 illustrates that the differentiated fill yarn can generally be aligned with specific warp yarn 100 to form a longitudinal pattern along the length of the fabric. As shown in Figure 16, the differentiated yarn can generally be randomly spaced along the fabric. The principle and mode of operation of this invention have been described in its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted that this invention can be practiced in another way to the one illustrated specifically and described without departing from its scope.

Industrial application The invention may be useful in the packaging, distribution and weaving of yarn to be used as a reinforcing material.

Claims (100)

1. A strand of individual filaments, characterized in that the yarn has a primary cross-sectional shape and periodic flat sites with a flat cross-sectional shape that is longer than the primary cross-sectional shape.

2. The yarn according to the claim 1, further characterized in that the primary cross-sectional shape has a ratio of height to width within the range from about 1: 1 to about 6: 1 and the flat cross-sectional shape has a ratio of height to width greater than about 6: 1.

3. The thread in accordance with the claim 2, further characterized in that the ratio of the height to the width of the flat cross-sectional shape is greater than about 20: 1.

The yarn according to claim 2, further characterized in that the ratio of the height to the width of the The flat cross-sectional shape is within the range from about 6: 1 to about 50: 1.

The yarn according to claim 1, further characterized by the width of the sites planes is within the range from about 5 to about 20 times the width of the primary cross-sectional shape.

6. The yarn according to claim 1, further characterized in that the period of the periodic flat sites lies within the range of from about 0.2 to about 6 meters.

7. The yarn according to claim 6, further characterized in that the period of the periodic flat sites lies within the range from about 0.5 to about 3 meters.

The yarn according to claim 1, further characterized in that the length of the periodic flat sites lies within the range of from about 0.5 to about 10 cm.

9. The yarn according to claim 8, further characterized in that the length of the periodic flat sites lies within the range from about 1 to about 5 cm.

10. A thread of individual filaments, the yarn has a primary cross-sectional shape and periodic flat sites with a flat cross-sectional shape that is longer than the primary cross-sectional shape, where the period of the periodic flat sites is within the range from about 0.2 up to about 6 meters, the primary cross-sectional shape has a height-to-width ratio within the range from about 1: 1 to about 6: 1, and the flat cross-sectional shape has a ratio of height to width greater than about 6: 1.

The yarn according to claim 10, further characterized in that the ratio of the height to the width of the flat cross-sectional shape "is greater than about 20: 1.

12. The yarn in accordance with claim 10, further characterized in that the ratio of height to width of the flat cross-sectional shape is within the range of about 6: 1 to about 50: 1.

The yarn according to claim 10, further characterized in that the width of the flat sites lies within the range from about 5 to about 20 times the width of the primary cross-sectional shape.

The yarn according to claim 10, further characterized in that the period of the periodic flat sites lies within the range from about 0.5 to about 3 meters.

15. The yarn according to claim 10, further characterized in that the length of the periodic flat sites lies within the range of from about 0.5 to about 10 cm.

16. The thread in accordance with the claim 15, further characterized in that the length of the periodic flat sites is within the range of from about 1 to about 5 cm.

17. A yarn comprising at least 50 filaments of fiberglass, the yarn has a primary cross-sectional shape and periodic flat sites with a flat cross-sectional shape that is longer than the primary cross-sectional shape.

18. The yarn according to claim 17, further characterized in that the primary cross-sectional shape has a ratio of height to width in the range from about 1: 1 to about 6: 1, and the flat cross-sectional shape has a ratio of height to width greater than about 6: 1.

The yarn according to claim 17, further characterized in that the width of the flat sites lies within the range from about 5 to about 20 times the width of the form in primary cross section, and in what the length of the Periodic flat sites are within the range of about 0.5 to about 10 cm.

20. The yarn according to claim 17, further characterized in that the period of the periodic flat sites lies within the range of from about 0.2 to about 6 meters.

21. The method of collecting a yarn characterized in that it comprises rotating a mandrel to wind the yarn in a bobbin, laterally moving the yarn from one end to the other of the bobbin so that the yarn is wound in a helical pattern on the bobbin and touching the bobbin with a roller clamp on the edge portions at each end of the bobbin, pressing the bobbin with the roller clamps, causing the yarn to be crushed as it is wound on the edge portions to create a thread that has flat sites that appear periodically and control the crushing of the wire by controlling the pressure of the roller clamps on the coil.

22. The method according to claim 21, further characterized in that the roller clamps move away from the mandrel during winding of the wire to accommodate the increase in diameter of the coil.

23. The method according to claim 21, further characterized by the pressure applied to the bobbin by each of the rolls is within the range from about 0.91 to about 4.5 kg (2 to 10 pounds).

24. The method according to claim 23, further characterized in that the pressure applied to the coil by each of the rolls is within the range of about 1.4 to about 2.7 kg (3 to 6 pounds).

25. The method for collecting a yarn characterized in that it comprises rotating a mandrel to wind the yarn in a bobbin, laterally moving the yarn from one end to the other of the bobbin so that the yarn is wound in a helical pattern on the bobbin, touching the coil with a roller clamp on the edge portions at each end of the bobbin, press the bobbin with the roller clamps whereby the thread is caused to be crushed as it is wound on the edge portions to create a thread that has flat sites that appear periodically and control the crushing of the yarn by controlling the speed of lateral movement of the yarn.

26. The method according to claim 25, further characterized in that controlling the speed of lateral movement of the yarn determines the length of yarn that is wound on the bobbin while that the thread is in the edge portions, thus controlling the length of the flat sites.

27. The method according to claim 25, further characterized in that the speed of lateral movement of the yarn is changed during winding to control the period of the flat sites.

The method according to claim 25, further characterized in that the speed of lateral movement of the yarn is controlled to provide a generally constant period between the flat sites.

29. The method according to claim 26, further characterized in that the speed of lateral movement of the yarn is changed during winding to control the period of the flat sites.

30. The method according to claim 26, further characterized in that the speed of lateral movement of the yarn is controlled to provide a generally constant period between planar sites.

31. The method according to claim 25, further characterized in that the yarn moves laterally by oscillating a yarn reciprocator mounted to travel along a helical groove in a rotating cam, the helical groove having curved end portions at each end of the cam, where the speed of lateral movement of the yarn is controlled by establishing the shape of the curved end of the yarn. the helical groove.

32. The method according to claim 31, further characterized in that the speed of lateral movement of the yarn is changed during winding to control the period of the flat sites.

33. The method according to claim 31, further characterized in that the speed of lateral movement of the yarn is controlled to provide a generally constant period between the flat sites.

34. The method according to claim 32, further characterized in that the speed of lateral movement of the yarn is controlled to provide a generally constant period between planar sites.

35. The method for collecting a yarn characterized in that it comprises rotating a mandrel to wind the yarn in a bobbin, laterally moving the yarn from one end to the other of the bobbin so that the yarn wind in a helical pattern on the bobbin, touch the bobbin with a roller clamp on the edge portions on each end of the bobbin, press the bobbin with the roller clamp which causes the yarn to be crushed as it is wound in the edge portions to create a yarn having flat sites that appear periodically and control the crushing of the yarn by controlling the pressure of the roller clamps on the spool and controlling the crushing of the yarn by controlling the speed of lateral movement of the yarn.

36. The method according to claim 35, further characterized in that the pressure applied to the coil by each of the rolls is within the range of about 0.91 to about 4.5 kg (2 to 10 pounds).

37. The method according to claim 35, further characterized in that the speed of lateral movement of the yarn is changed during winding to control the period of the flat sites.

38. The method according to claim 36, further characterized in that the speed of lateral movement of the yarn is changed during winding to control the period of the flat sites.

39. The method according to claim 35, further characterized in that the speed of lateral movement of the yarn is controlled to provide a generally constant period between planar sites.

40. The method according to claim 35, further characterized in that the roller clamps move away from the mandrel during the winding of the wire to accommodate the increase in the diameter of the coil.

41. The method of inserting a filling yarn into an air jet loom characterized in that it comprises driving a filling yarn with one or more air jets from the side of the insert to the side of the loom outlet, where the yarn comprises a strand of individual filaments, the yarn having a primary cross-sectional shape and periodic flat sites with a flat cross-sectional shape that is longer than the primary cross-sectional shape, and where the flat sites provide greater drag for the impulse by the jets of air.

42. The method according to claim 41, further characterized in that the period of the flat sites is synchronized with the length of filling yarn required for the air jet loom.

43. The method according to claim 42, further characterized in that the flat sites are synchronized so that a flat site passes through the air jet at the beginning of the impulse of the filling yarn by the air jet loom.

44. The method according to claim 41, further characterized in that the primary cross-sectional shape has a ratio of height to width within the range from about 1: 1 to about 6: 1 and the flat cross-sectional shape has a height to width ratio greater than about 6: 1.

45. The method according to claim 44, further characterized in that the ratio of the height to the width of the flat cross-sectional shape is greater than about 20: 1.

The method according to claim 44, further characterized in that the ratio of the height to the width of the flat cross-sectional shape is within the range from about 6: 1 to about 50: 1.

47. The method of compliance with claim 41, further characterized in that the width of the flat sites are within the range from about 5 to about 20 times the width of the primary cross-sectional shape.

48. The method according to claim 41, further characterized in that the length of the flat sites lies within the range from about 0.5 to about 10 cm.

49. The method according to claim 48, further characterized in that the length of the flat sites lies within the range from about 1 to about 5 cm.

50. The method of conformity --- with claim 41 further characterized in that the period of the flat sites lies within the range from about 0.2 to about 6 meters.

51. The method according to claim 50, further characterized in that the period of the flat sites lies within the range from about 0.5 to about 3 meters.

52. The method for inserting a filling yarn into an air jet loom characterized in that it comprises driving a filling yarn with one or more air jets from the side of the insert to the side of the loom outlet, where the yarn comprises a strand of individual filaments, the thread has a shape in primary cross section having a ratio of height to width within the range from about 1: 1 to about 6: 1, and the wire has periodic flat sites with a flat cross-sectional shape having a height-to-width ratio that approximately 6: 1, and where the flat sites provide a greater drag for the impulse by the air jets.

53. The method according to claim 52, further characterized in that the period of the flat sites is synchronized with the length of the filling yarn required for the air jet loom.

54. The method according to claim 53, further characterized in that the flat sites are synchronized so that a flat site passes through the air jet at the beginning of the impulse of the filling yarn through the air jet loom.

55. The method according to claim 52, further characterized in that the ratio of the height to the width of the flat cross-sectional shape is greater than about 20: 1.

The method according to claim 54, further characterized in that the ratio of the height to the width of the shape in cross section flat is within the range from about 6: 1 to about 50: 1.

57. The method according to claim 52, further characterized in that the width of the flat sites lies within the range from about 5 to about 20 times the width of the primary cross-sectional shape.

58. The method according to claim 52, further characterized in that the length of the flat sites lies within the range from about 0. 5 to about 10 cm.

59. The method according to claim 52, further characterized in that the period of the flat sites lies within the range from about 0.2 to about 6 meters.

60. The method for inserting a filling yarn into an air jet loom characterized in that it comprises driving a filling yarn with one or more air jets from the side of the insert to the side of the loom outlet, where the yarn comprising a strand of individual filaments, the yarn has a primary cross-sectional shape having a height-to-width ratio within the range of from about 1: 1 to about 6: 1, and the yarn has periodic flat sites with a shape in flat cross section that has a ratio of height to width within the range from about 6: 1 to about 50-1, where the width of the flat sites lies within the range of about 5 to about 20 times the width of the primary cross-sectional shape , where the length of the flat sites is within the range of about 0.5 to about 10 cm, where the period of the flat sites lies within the range of about 0.2 to about 6 meters and where the flat sites provide greater drag for the impulse by the jets of air.

61. A flat woven yarn for warp and filling yarn, where the filling yarn comprises a strand of individual filaments, the yarn has a primary cross-sectional shape and periodic flat sites with a flat cross-sectional shape that is longer that the primary cross-sectional shape, where the effect of the flat sites is differentiated fill yarn in the flat weave.

62. The flat fabric according to claim 61, further characterized in that the differentiated filler yarn is lighter in color than the rest of the filler yarn.

63. The flat fabric according to claim 61, further characterized in that the differentiated filler yarn is more reflective than the rest of the filler yarn.

64. The flat weave in accordance with claim 61, characterized in that the differentiated filling yarn is wider than the rest of the filling yarn.

65. The flat fabric according to claim 64, further characterized in that the differentiated fill yarn has an average width which is within the range from about 125 to about 300 percent of the average width of the remainder of the fill yarn.

66. The flat fabric according to claim 65, further characterized in that the differentiated fill yarn has an average width that is within the range from about 125 to about 175 percent of the average width of the remainder of the fill yarn.

67. The flat weave according to claim 61, further characterized in that the average length of the differentiated fill yarn is within the range of from about 0.5 to about 10 cm.

68. The flat fabric according to claim 67, further characterized in that the length of the differentiated fill yarn is within the range of about 1 to about 5 cm.

69. The flat fabric according to claim 61, further characterized in that the differentiated fill yarn is generally separated at random along the fabric.

70. The flat weave according to claim 61, further characterized in that the differentiated fill yarn is generally aligned with the specific warp yarn to form a longitudinal pattern along the length of the yarn.

71. The flat fabric according to claim 61, further characterized in that the differentiated fill yarn forms a repeating pattern in the woven fabric.

72. A flat woven yarn for warp and filling yarn, where the yarn filling comprises a yarn of individual filaments, the yarn having a primary cross-sectional shape and periodic flat sites with a flat cross-sectional shape that is longer that the primary cross-sectional shape, where the effect of the flat sites is differentiated fill yarn in the flat fabric, where the differentiated fill yarn is wider than the rest of the fill yarn and has an average length within the range from about 0.5 to about 10 cm, and where the differentiated fill yarn has an average width within the range from about 125 to about 300 percent of the average width of the rest of the fill yarn.

73. The flat fabric according to claim 72, further characterized in that the differentiated filler yarn is more reflective than the rest of the filler yarn.

74. The flat fabric according to claim 72, further characterized in that the differentiated fill yarn is generally separated at random along the fabric.

75. A flat woven yarn for warp and fill yarn, where the warp yarn comprises a strand of individual filaments, the yarn has a primary cross-sectional shape and periodic flat sites with a flat cross-sectional shape that is longer that the primary cross-sectional shape, where the effect of the flat sites is yarn for differentiated warp in the flat weave.

76. The flat fabric according to claim 75, further characterized in that the differentiated warp yarn is lighter in color than the rest of the warp yarn.

The flat weave in accordance with claim 75, further characterized in that the differentiated warp yarn is more reflective than the rest of the warp yarn.

78. The flat fabric according to claim 75, further characterized in that the differentiated warp yarn has an average width that is within the range from about 125 to about 300 percent of the average width of the rest of the warp yarn.

79. The flat fabric according to claim 75, further characterized in that the average length of the differentiated warp yarn is within the range of about 0.5 to about 10 cm.

80. The flat fabric according to claim 75, further characterized in that the differentiated warp yarn is generally separated at random along the fabric.

81. A coil of self-supported and helically wound yarns suitable to be unwound by removing the yarn without collapse or collapse of the spool, where the yarn comprises a strand of individual filaments, the yarn has a primary cross-sectional shape and periodic flat sites with a flat cross-sectional shape that is longer than the sectional shape primary transverse, where the coil has edge portions placed axially on the ends of the coil, and where the flat sites are placed on the edge portions of the coil.

82. The coil according to claim 81, further characterized in that the coil is wound in helical passes, a rubber is applied to the yarn, and the rubber joins each pass to adjacent passes, where the flat sites show better bonding over portions of the coil. the yarn having the primary cross-sectional shape.

83. The coil according to claim 81, further characterized in that the coil has an axial length within the range from about 8 to about 40 cm.

84. The coil according to claim 81, further characterized in that the coil has a diameter within the range from about 20 to about 50 cm.

85. The coil according to claim 81, further characterized in that the coil has an axial length within the range from about 8 to about 40 cm and has a diameter in the range from about 20 to about 50 cm.

86. The reel according to claim 81, further characterized in that the average force required to unwind the yarn from the reel is within the range from about 5 to about 100 grams.

87. The reel according to claim 81, further characterized in that the yarn has a diameter in the range from about 2.5 to about 13 microns.

88. The coil according to claim 81, further characterized in that the period of the periodic flat sites lies within the range from about 0.2 to about 6 meters.

89. The coil according to claim 88, further characterized in that the period of the periodic flat sites lies within the range from about 0.5 to about 3 meters.

90. The coil according to claim 81, further characterized in that the length of the periodic flat sites is within the range of from about 0.5 to about 10 cm.

91. The coil according to claim 90, further characterized in that the length of the periodic flat sites lies within the range of about 1 to about 5 cm.

92. A coil of self-supported and helically wound yarn suitable for being unwound by removing the yarn without collapse or collapse of the coil, where the yarn comprises a strand of individual filaments, the yarn having a primary cross-sectional shape and periodic flat sites with a flat cross-sectional shape which is longer than the primary cross-sectional shape, where the coil has edge portions axially placed at the ends of the coil, where the flat sites are placed in the edge portions of the coil, where the period of the periodic flat sites is within the range of from about 0.2 to about 6 meters, and where the length of the periodic flat sites lies within the range from about 0.5 to about 10 cm.

93. The coil according to claim 92, further characterized in that the coil is wound in helical passes, a rubber is applied to the yarn, and the rubber joins each pass to adjacent passes, where the flat sites show a greater bond on portions of yarn which have the form - in primary cross section.

94. The coil according to claim 92, further characterized in that the coil has an axial length within the range from about 8 to about 40 cm.

95. The coil according to claim 92, further characterized in that the coil has a diameter in the range from about 20 to about 50 cm.

96. The coil according to claim 81, further characterized in that the coil has an axial length within the range from about 8 to about 40 cm and has a diameter within the range from about 20 to about 50 cm.

97. The coil according to claim 92, further characterized in that the average force required to unwind the yarn from the coil it is within the range from about 5 to about 100 grams.

98. The reel according to claim 81, further characterized in that the yarn has a diameter in the range from about 2.5 to about 13 microns.

99. The coil according to claim 92, further characterized in that the period of the periodic flat sites is within the range from about 0.5 to about 3 meters, and the length of the periodic flat sites is within the range from about 1 to about 5 cm.

100. A coil of self-supported and helically wound yarn suitable to be unwound by removing the yarn without collapse or collapse of the coil, where the yarn comprises a strand of individual filaments, the yarn having a primary cross-sectional shape and periodic flat sites with a flat cross-sectional shape which is longer than the primary cross-sectional shape, where the coil has edge portions axially placed at the ends of the coil, where the flat sites are placed in the edge portions of the coil, where the period of periodic flat sites is within the range from about 0.2 to about 6 meters, where the length of the periodic flat sites lies within the range from about 0.5 to about 10 cm, where the coil has an axial length in the range from about 8 to about 40 cm and has a diameter within the range from about 20 to about 50 cm, and where the average force required to unwind the yarn from the coil is within the range of about 5 to about 100 grams.