Apparatus and method for vibrating filamentous materials

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR TREATING LENGTHS OF THREAD OR YARN WITH LIQUID AGENT AND FOR CONTROLLING THE AMOUNT OF AGENT ADDED TO SAID LENGTHS, A VESSEL FOR HOLDING A BATH OF SAID AGENT HAVING WALLS EXTENDING ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE BATH, A PLURALITY OF VIBRATABLE MEMBERS EXTENDING INTO THE VESSEL AND SPACED FROM SAID BATH, GUIDE MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A PLURALITY OF SPACED INDIVIDUAL LENGTHS INTO SAID BATH TO TREAT THE SAME, MEANS IN SAID VESSEL ADAPTED TO BE SUBMERGED IN THE BATH FOR ASSISTING IN PASSING EACH LENGTH OUT OF THE BATH AND THEN UPWARDLY AND IN CONTACT WITH ONE OF SAID VIBRATABLE MEMBERS, A SUPPORT ABOVE EACH VIBRATABLE MEMBER FOR RECEIVING THE LENGTH THEREFROM, A COMMON HANDLE TO WHICH SAID MEMBERS ARE ATTACHED EXTENDING TO ONE SIDE OF SAID VESSEL, A VIBRATION TRANSMITTING MEMBER TO WHICH SAID HANDLE IS CONNECTED, VIBRATING MEANS FOR VIBRATING SAID TRANSMITTING MEMBER AND THUS SAID HANDLE AND VIBRATABLE MEMBERS, ADJUSTABLE CONNECTING MEANS ADAPTED TO HOLD THE HANDLE TO SAID TRANSMITTING MEMBER AND TO ENABLE THE LENGTH OF THE HANDLE TO BE VARIED, THEREBY ENABLING THE LATTER TO VIBRATE AT VARIOUS FREQUENCIES AND THROUGH VARIOUS AMPLITUDES, SAID HANDLE AND VIBRATABLE MEMBERS HAVING THE RESONANT FREQUENCY OF SAID VIBRATING MEANS.

Claim 3

A METHOD FOR TREATING A LENGTH OF THREAD OR YARN WITH A TREATING AGENT AND FOR CLOSELY CONTROLLING THE AMOUNT OF SUCH AGENT ADDED ON TO SAID LENGTH WHICH COMPRISES PASSING THE LENGTH INTO CONTACT WITH SAID TREATING AGENT, THEN PASSING THE LENGTH TO A SPACED POINT, VIBRATING THE TREATED LENGTH AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE SAID CONTACT STEP AND SAID SPACED POINT, THUS AIDING THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE AGENT ON THE LENGTH AND REMOVING EXCESS AGENT, COINCIDENTLY SUPPORTING SAID LENGTH AT SAID INTERMEDIATE POINT WHILE VIBRATING THE SAME, VIBRATING SAID LENGTH AT A FREQUENCY AND AMPLITUDE SO AS TO PREVENT AGENT CARRY-OVER FROM COLLECTING AT SAID SPACED POINT, AND HOLDING SAID LENGTH UNDER SUFFICIENT TENSION TO AID IN SUPPORTING THE LENGTH AT SAID INTERMEDIATE POINT DURING VIBRATION, SAID TENSION NOT AMOUNTING TO MORE THAN A SMALL FRACTION OF THAT NECESSARY TO BREAK THE LENGTH.

Claim 4

A METHOD FOR TREATING A LENGTH OF THREAD OR YARN WITH A TREATING AGENT AND FOR CLOSELY CONTROLLING THE AMOUNT OF SUCH AGENT ADDED ON TO SAID LENGTH WHICH COMPRISES PASSING THE LENGTH INTO CONTACT WITH SAID TREATING AGENT, THEN PASSING THE LENGTH TO A SPACED POINT, VIBRATING THE TREATED LENGTH AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE SAID CONTACT STEP AND SAID SPACED POINT, THUS AIDING THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE AGENT ON THE LENGTH AND REMOVING EXCESS AGENT, COINCIDENTLY SUPPORTING SAID LENGTH AT SAID INTERMEDIATE POINT WHILE VIBRATING THE SAME, VIBRATING SAID LENGTH AT A FREQUENCY AND AMPLITUDE SO AS TO PREVENT AGENT CARRY-OVER FROM COLLECTING AT SAID SPACED POINT, AND HOLDING SAID LENGTH UNDER SUFFICIENT TENSION TO AID IN SUPPORTING THE LENGTH AT SAID INTERMEDIATE POINT DURING VIBRATION, SAID TENSION NOT AMOUNTING TO MORE THAN A SMALL FRACTION OF THAT NECESSARY TO BREAK THE LENGTH.