US3579625A - Process for forming trilobal yarns - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION DISCLOSES A SPINNERET FOR PRODUCING A TRILOBAL FILAMENT, AND FILAMENTS PRODUCED USING SUCH SPINNERET. THE SHAPE OF EACH ORIFICE OF THE SPINNERET CAN BE CONSIDERED AS BEING PRODUCED BY A CIRCULAR APERTURE, DIAMETER D INTO WHICH PROJECT AT 120* INTERVALS, THREE IDENTICAL TRIANGULAR PORTIONS, SIDES OF THE TRIANGLES BEING TANGENT TO ONE OR MORE COAXIAL CIRCLES HAVING A DIAMETER BETWEEN 1/6 AND 1/3 OD D, THE ANGLE AT THE APEX OF EACH TRIANGEL BEING BETWEEN 60 AND 100*.

Description

3, 1971 JEAN-LOUIS JACQUINET 3,579,525

PROCESS FOR FORMING TRILOBAL YARNS Filed Sept. 27, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 tlorney,

May 1 1971 JEAN-LOUIS JACQUINET 3,579,525

PROCESS FOR FORMING TRILOBAL YARNS Filed Sept. 2'7, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I nvanlor United States Patent 3,579,625 PROCESS FOR FORMING TRILOBAL YARNS Jean-Louis Jacquinet, Lyon, Rhone, France, assignor to Socit Rhodiaceta Filed Sept. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 670,862 Claims priority, application France, Sept. 29, 1966, 78,186; Aug. 11, 1967, 117,816 Int. Cl. B29f 3/00, 21/54 U.S. Cl. 264-177 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to trilobal filaments, and spinnerets for producing the same.

It is already known in the textile industry to employ spinnerets in which the orifices have non-circular shapes, such as the triangular, square, rectangular or arcuate shapes with a view to obtaining yarns the cross section of which is a special shape differing from the conventional round or substantially round shape of the majority of artificial and synthetic yarns. These yarns may for example have cross sections having the shape of a clover leaf, the letter Y, the letter X, the letter H or the letter C, or they may be substantially fiat or hollow.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a spinneret and a filament produced thereby having a novel and improved cross section.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a spinneret comprising at least one spinning orifice, each spinning orifice being defined by, in combination:

(a) three identical arcuate portions of a first circle, of diameter D, said portions being disposed 120 with respect to one another;

(b) two ends to each said arcuate portion;

(c) three pairs of lines;

((1) a first line of each pair extending inwardly of said circle from one end of one of said arcuate portions;

(e) a second line of each pair extending inwardly of said circle from the other end of the arcuate portion adjacent to said one arcuate portion;

(f) the first lines of the pairs of lines being tangential to one inner circle concentric with said first circle, the second lines of the pairs of lines being tangential to said one or another inner circle concentric with said first circle, the diameter d of said inner circle or circles lying between /6 and /3 of the diameter D of said first circle; and

(g) said first line of each pair intersecting said second line of an adjacent pair at an angle a of between 60 and 100.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a yarn comprising at least one trilobal filament, the cross section of which is substantially that of an equilateral triangular core, and three substantially congruent triangular lobes, one apex of each of the lobes being coincident with a separate one of the apices of the core, and one side of the triangular lobe lying substantially along a side of the triangular core.

3,579,625 Patented May 18, 1971 The polymers utilized in carrying out the invention include cellulose esters such as cellulose acetate or cellulose triacetate, or they may be synthetic polymer such as polyhexamethyleneadipamide which can be melt spun, provided that the extruded filaments are cooled suddenly.

The spinneret of the invention may be utilized with any known device for dry or melt spinning. A spinneret furthermore may have any shape and any desired dimensions being made from any material which is appropriate, having regard to the material which is to be spun. It may for example be plate shaped or cup shaped, and the orifices may be disposed in one or more rings, or in one or more lines.

For use in the manufacture of cellulose ester filaments according to the invention, the temperature of the spinning chamber walls should be between and 130 C., depending on the nature and volatility of the solvent utilised and on the duration of the stay of the filaments in the chamber, i.e. in accordance with the spinning velocity and the length of the chamber.

The special cross sectional shape of the filaments produced according to the invention impart special properties to them, in particular a high degree of resilience, this being a quality which is particularly desirable and appreciated in carpet pile and in other uses which necessitate a fiber of extremely high bulk. The special crosssectional shapes may also be of interest when it is desired to produce an article having a special appearance.

Other features and objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description given merely by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an underneath plan view of one embodiment of spinneret according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic view of one of the orifices of the spinneret of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows, to a considerably enlarged scale, the cross section of a yarn formed from five cellulose ester filaments extruded through a spinneret having five orifices the shape of each of which is as illustrated in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 shows, to a considerably enlarged scale, the cross section through a yarn comprising three synthetic polymer filaments extruded through a spinneret having three orifices the cross section of each of which is as illustrated in FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIG. 1, a spinneret 10, according to the invention, having nine orifices 11 disposed in a circular array concentric to said spinneret.

Each said orifice 11 of the spinneret has the cross section illustrated to an enlarged scale in the schematic FIG. 2. Each orifice is thus essentially a circular orifice 12 into which project three triangular inserts 13, 14 and 15, spaced 120 apart around the circumference of the circle 12, which has a diameter D.

Triangles 13, 14 and 15 are identical or congruent, and each includes two straight sides 13A, 13B; 14A, 14B; and 15A, 15B, respectively. The sides 13A, 14A and 15A are all, as can be seen from the figure tangents to a smaller circle 16, which is concentric to circle 12, and has a diameter d. The diameter of circle 16 lies between Ms and /3 the diameter D, of circle 12. The lines 13B, 14B and 15B are also tangents to the small circle 16, or to another circle (not shown) the diameter of which also lies between /6 and /3 of the diameter, D of circle 12. Each of these pairs of lines join at an angle a, which lies between 60 and The orifice thus formed can thus be considered to be defined by three arcuate portions 17, 18 and 19, of the circle 12, and by the three pairs of lines 13A, 13B; 14A, 14B; and 15A, 15B.

ning chamber, and maintaining the walls of said spinning 3,418,200 chamber at a temperature between 80 and 130 C. 3,419,936

4. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said textile filament is polyhexamethylene adipamide.

925,732 References Cited 2 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,303,379 2,843,449 7/1958 Raynolds 264177Z 1,346,111 3,097,416 7/1963 McKinney 161177X 3,117,362 1/1964 Breen 161177X 3,187,607 6/1965 Knammeck 264177Z 3,303,530 2/1967 Cobb 264177Z 6 12/1968 Tanner 264177Z 1/1969 Sims 264177Z FOREIGN PATENTS 5/1963 Great Britain 264177Z 10/1963 Great Britain 264177Z 11/1965 Canada 264177Z 12/1962 France 264177Z 12/1963 France 264177Z 10 JAY H. WOO, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

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