Method and apparatus for producing chopped strands

The method of producing discrete bundles of filaments comprising:

• providing a plurality of continuous inorganic filaments;
• applying a heat softened, non-aqueous coating material to the continuous filaments, the coating having a tendency to reform toward the immediately preceding solidified shape upon softening if mechanically deformed from the solidified shape;
• gathering the continuous filaments in a bundle;
• solidifying said coated bundle of continuous filaments to fixedly establish a first cross-sectional shape of said coated bundle;
• severing the coated bundle of filaments into discrete segments, the severing step establishing a second cross-sectional shape over at least a portion of such segments;
• and
• softening the coating of the discrete bundle segments sufficient to permit the bundle segment to substantially reform toward the first cross-sectional shape.

Apparatus for producing discrete bundles of filaments comprising:

• a coating applicator including (a) primary applicator means for applying a molten, non-aqueous, hot melt coating material to the continuous filaments during production, (b) interim applicator means for applying an aqueous based coating material to the continuous filaments to facilitate startup, and (c) orienting means for orienting said filaments between a production position wherein said filaments contact said primary applicator means but not said interim applicator means and a startup position wherein said filaments contact said interim applicator means but not said primary applicator means;
• gathering means for gathering the coated continuous filaments into a bundle having a first cross-sectional shape;
• severing means for severing the bundle, at severing regions, to form discrete bundle segments and for deforming the bundle segments such that the bundle segments have a second cross-sectional shape at the severing regions;
• and
• heating means for heating the bundle segments having the second cross-sectional shape sufficient to soften the coating material to permit the bundle segments to substantially return to the first cross-sectional shape.

Apparatus for producing discrete bundles of filaments comprising:

• means for providing a plurality of continuous inorganic filaments;
• a coating applicator including (a) primary applicator means for applying, during production, a heat softened, non-aqueous coating material to the continuous filaments, the coating having a tendency to reform toward the immediately preceding solidified shape upon softening if mechanically deformed from the solidified shape, (b) interim applicator means for applying an aqueous-based material to the filaments during startup, and (c) orienting means for orienting said filaments between a production position wherein said filaments contact said primary applicator means but not said interim applicator means and a startup position wherein said filaments contact said interim applicator means but not said primary applicator means;
• gathering means for gathering the continuous coated filaments into a bundle having a first cross-sectional shape;
• severing means for severing the bundle of coated filaments into discrete segments, said severing means for establishing a second cross-sectional shape over at least a portion of such segments;
• and
• softening means for softening the coating of the discrete bundle segments sufficient to permit the bundle segments to substantially reform toward the first cross-sectional shape.

Apparatus for producing discrete bundles of filaments comprising:

• filament-forming means for forming a plurality of discrete filaments;
• a coating applicator including (a) primary applicator means for applying a production coating to said filaments, (b) interim applicator means for applying a startup coating to said filaments, and (c) orienting means for orienting said filaments between a production position wherein said filaments contact said primary applicator means but not said interim applicator means and a startup position wherein said filaments contact said interim applicator means but not said primary applicator means;
• gathering means for gathering said filaments into a bundle;
• and
• severing means for severing said bundle into discrete segments.