Method and apparatus for making monofilament twines

Abstract

A method of producing twine composed of a plurality of thermoplastic mono filaments in a bundle which comprises, passing a bundle of thermoplastic monofilaments continuously along a path, imparting a false twist of 3 to 30 turns per linear foot to said bundle, applying a compatible molten thermoplastic spiral band to said twisted bundle as a spiral band to fuse said spiral band to the outer monofilaments, and recovering a twine having a portion of said false twist captured therein by fusion of the spiral band thereon. The apparatus for obtaining this twine consists of a path along which a bundle of thermoplastic synthetic monofilaments having a false twist therein can be continuously moved, means to direct a molten compatible thermoplastic on to said twisted bundle to form one or more spiral bands on said bundle and to fuse the outer monofilaments of the bundle to the spiral band, and means for imparting a false twist to said bundle at a point prior to said directing means. By this process and apparatus, some of the false twist may be captured by the fusion of the spiral band on to the twisted monofilament bundle, producing a better overall twine for use in automatic hay balers compared to twine made without twisting.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.