Process of drawing yarn using an oscillating draw assist element

In a process in which polyamide yarn having a lubricating finish is drawn while being spirally advanced in frictional contact with the outer surface of a yarn draw assist element, said outer surface of said draw assist element moving at a speed at least 100 times slower than the speed at which the yarn is advanced, and said yarn directly advancing from said yarn draw assist element to a roll initial contact location on a pair of spaced-apart heated rolls and spirally advancing on said rolls through at least one wrap in contact with the outwardly-facing surfaces of said heated rolls, the distance that the yarn spirally advances longitudinally in said wrap defining the wrap advance on said rolls, the improvement comprising oscillating said roll initial contact location of said rolls by moving said outer surface of said draw assist element in relation to said pair of heated rolls to oscillate said wrap on said rolls a distance which is at least equal to said wrap advance, said draw assist element having a cylindrical outer surface and said oscillating of said roll initial contact location being performed by oscillating said yarn draw assist element transversely with respect to said heated rolls, said oscillating of said cylindrical yarn draw assist element transversely being performed by oscillating said element by pivoting said element about a pivot axis.

In a process in which polyamide yarn having a lubricating finish is drawn while being spirally advanced in frictional contact with the outer surface of a yarn draw assist element, said outer surface of said draw assist element moving at a speed at least 100 times slower than the speed at which the yarn is advanced, and said yarn directly advancing from said yarn draw assist element to a roll initial contact location on a pair of spaced-apart heated rolls and spirally advancing on said rolls through at least one wrap in contact with the outwardly-facing surfaces of said heated rolls, the distance that the yarn spirally advances longitudinally in said wrap defining the wrap advance on said rolls, the improvement comprising oscillating said roll initial contact location of said rolls by moving said outer surface of said draw assist element in relation to said pair of heated rolls to oscillate said wrap on said rolls a distance which is at least equal to said wrap advance, said draw assist element comprising a cylindrical tube supported for rotation on mounting means, said mounting means providing an axis of rotation for said cylindrical tube which is sufficiently different from the centerline axis of said cylindrical tube that said cylindrical tube moves eccentrically to oscillate said wrap on said rolls a distance which is at least equal to said wrap advance.