Apparatus for vacuum spinning

Abstract

Vacuum spun yarn is produced that has strength property approaching that of ring spun yarn, and significantly greater than air jet spun yarn, and may be produced at speeds greatly in excess of production speeds for ring spun yarn. An elongated hollow shaft has a through-extending passageway from a first end to a second end thereof, with a portion of the shaft adjacent the first end being perforated (e.g. four equally spaced perforations). The perforations shaft in the direction of the second end from the through-extending passageway, and a generally spherical vacuum reservoir is formed in the shaft in communication with the passageway and perforations. The portion of the passageway between the shaft first end and the vacuum reservoir is significantly larger in cross-sectional dimension than the portion of the passageway from the vacuum reservoir to the second end of the shaft. A diffuser, in the form of a collar having elongated slots corresponding to the perforations, surrounds the shaft, and an annular opening is provided between the interior of the diffuser collar and the exterior of the shaft. The shaft is rotated about an axis at a constant high speed, and a vacuum is applied to the exterior of the shaft so that at least some of the fibers or free ends of fibers passing through the shaft will draw toward the shaft perforations, and will be caused to rotate with the shaft as fibers move generally linearly along the axis of rotation of the shaft. Formed yarn, having the desired properties, is withdrawn from the second end of the shaft.