Continuous heat set machine and sealing head for a continuous heat set machine

A sealing head for sealing an end of a heat set tunnel against loss of steam and pressure, comprising:

• (a) a sealing roll frame for being mounted in heat-sealing relation adjacent the end opening;
• (b) a bottom sealing roll mounted for rotation in the sealing roll frame;
• (c) a top sealing roll mounted for rotation in the sealing roll frame and above the bottom sealing roll in roll surface contact with the bottom sealing roll along respective laterally-extending roll widths and defining a nip between which a yarn-transporting conveyor is adapted to pass;
• (d) the top sealing roll and the bottom sealing roll interconnected in a respective driving and driven configuration relative to each other;
• (e) a prime mover assembly adapted to provide rotation to the driving one of the top sealing roll and the bottom sealing roll for passing the conveyor through the nip;
• (f) a top lamella engaging the top sealing roll along its width to prevent escape of steam and pressure from the heat set line past the top sealing roll and a bottom lamella engaging the bottom sealing roll along its width to prevent the escape of steam and pressure from the heat set line past the bottom sealing roll;
• (g) first and second laterally-spaced pneumatic sealing roll cylinders carried by the sealing roll frame for exerting a sealing force against the top sealing roll, the conveyor and the bottom sealing roll;
• (h) at least first and second top pneumatic lamella sealing cylinders mounted on the sealing roll frame for exerting against the top lamella a sealing force against the roll surface of the top sealing roll;
• and
• (i) at least first and second bottom pneumatic lamella sealing cylinders mounted on the sealing roll frame for exerting against the bottom lamella a sealing force against the roll surface of the bottom sealing roll.

A sealing head for sealing an end of a heat set tunnel against loss of steam and pressure, comprising:

• (a) a sealing roll frame for being mounted in heat-sealing relation adjacent the end opening;
• (b) a bottom sealing roll mounted for rotation in the sealing roll frame;
• (c) a top sealing roll mounted for rotation in the sealing roll frame and above the bottom sealing roll in roll surface contact with the bottom sealing roll along respective laterally-extending roll widths and defining a nip between which a yarn-transporting conveyor is adapted to pass;
• (d) the top sealing roll and the bottom sealing roll interconnected in a respective driving and driven configuration relative to each other;
• (e) a motor and a connected gear train for driving one of the top sealing roll and the bottom sealing roll and for passing the conveyor through the nip;
• (f) a top lamella engaging the top sealing roll along its width to prevent escape of steam and pressure from the heat set line past the top sealing roll and a bottom lamella engaging the bottom sealing roll along its width to prevent the escape of steam and pressure from the heat set line past the bottom sealing roll;
• (g) first and second laterally-spaced pneumatic sealing roll cylinders carried by the sealing roll frame for exerting a sealing force against the top sealing roll, the conveyor and the bottom sealing roll;
• (h) three pneumatic lamella sealing cylinders mounted on the sealing roll frame between and in lateral alignment with the first and second laterally-spaced pneumatic sealing roll cylinders for exerting against the top lamella a sealing force against the roll surface of the top sealing roll;
• (i) three pneumatic lamella sealing cylinders mounted on the sealing roll frame for exerting against the bottom lamella a sealing force against the roll surface of the bottom sealing roll;
• and
• (j) four side pneumatic cylinders mounted on the sealing roll frame for exerting a sealing force against opposing ends of the top sealing roll and the bottom sealing roll in a direction perpendicular to the force applied by the first and second laterally-spaced pneumatic sealing roll cylinders.