Methods and systems for forming multi-filament yarns having improved

Abstract

Individual differently colored or colorable feed filament ends are withdrawn from respective creel-mounted packages and passed through a separation guide. The separation guide serves to 'normalize' the filament end-to-end positions and tensions. That is, the separation guide will cause the individual feed ends to be in specific predetermined positions relative to the other feed ends regardless of the position of the package on the creel. In addition, the separation guide will effectively cause a short length of each feed end to be parallel to, and separated by a substantially uniform distance from, corresponding lengths of the other feed ends. This parallel alignment of individual end lengths and the substantially uniform filament end-to-end positioning thereby imparts substantially uniform tensions on the feed ends while substantially maintaining their respective positions in the combined yarn product relative to one another. The position- and tension-normalized feed ends are thereafter immediately passed from the separation guide to an interlacer. The interlacer serves to positionally lock the combined feed filaments to one another so that substantially no filament end migration will ensue as the combined yarn is further processed (e.g., during downstream draw-texturing operations).