Apparatus for crimping tow including stuffer box, crimping rollers and molding rollers

An apparatus for crimping a continuous tow of textile fibrous materials comprising

• a) a pair of parallel, rotatable driven molding rollers and a pair of side plates combined to define a molding space therebetween defining a nip and cooperating in exerting pressure on said textile fibrous materials at said nip passing through said molding space to mold said tow according to the configuration of the molding space;
• b) a pair of parallel, rotatable crimping rollers, and a pair of side plates combined to define a crimping space therebetween and located downstream of said pair of molding rollers;
• c) a means to rotate at least one of said pairs of molding rollers and at least one of said pair of crimping rollers;
• and
• d) a stuffer box chamber for producing a crimp in said tow having an inlet positioned downstream adjacent said crimping roller and an outlet for conducting the crimped tow therethrough.

A method of crimping a tow of continuous filaments having a substantial uniform cross-section configuration for the purposes of improving the processability of the tow material and obtaining a uniform crimp, comprising the steps of:

• a) passing said tow of continuous filaments through a means to mold said tow having a defined space through which the tow passe and is molded to the configuration of said defined space;
• b) continuously directing said molded tow to pass from said means to mold the tow into a crimping means having a defined space substantially similar to said defined space of said molding means wherein said crimping means exerts pressure on the tow to maintain the configuration of the molded tow;
• c) continuously feeding said molded tow into a stuffer box and maintaining the molded tow therein for a time sufficient to impart a crimp therein;
• and
• d) removing the crimped tow from said stuffer box.