Extended Length and Higher Density Packages of Bulky Yarns and Methods of Making the Same

Abstract

A method of winding bulked continuous filament yarn is disclosed, which enables superior yarn package formation, including higher density packages with excellent shape and yarn takeoff characteristics. The method uses unique helix angles and winding profiles in a non-adjacent and adjacent yarn pattern, achieved by a unique winding control strategy that constantly monitors spindle speed, desired wind ratio, traverse cam speed, and surface speed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of making a package of bulked continuous filament yarn wound on a tube core having an axis comprising:
 (a) rotating said tube upon its axis;   (b) winding said yarn on said tube using at least one non-adjacent wind ratio or a non-adjacent random winding pattern until said package diameter is from about 130 mm to about 180 mm; and   (c) winding said yarn on said tube using at least one precision adjacent wind ratio.   
     
     
         2 . A method o making a package of bulked continuous filament yarn wound on a tube core having an axis comprising:
 (a) rotating said tube upon its axis;   (b) winding said yarn on said tube using a non-adjacent random winding pattern until said package diameter is from about 130 mm to about 180 mm; and   (c) winding said yarn on said tube using at least one precision adjacent wind ratio.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein said package diameter is from about 150 mm to about 180 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein said package diameter is from about 160 mm to about 180 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising at least one precision integral adjacent wind ratio. 
     
     
         6 . A method of making a package of bulked continuous filament yarn wound on a tube core having an axis comprising:
 (a) setting a first non-adjacent set point with a first non-adjacent wind ratio and a first helix angle;   (b) winding said yarn on said tube at said first set point;   (c) step increasing to additional non-adjacent set points until said package diameter is from about 130 mm to about 180 mm, wherein said additional non-adjacent set points have non-adjacent wind ratios and helix angles greater than said first helix angle; and   (d) step increasing to at least one adjacent set point with at least one precision adjacent wind ratio and at least one helix angle greater than said first helix angle.   
     
     
         7 . A method of making a package of bulked continuous filament yarn wound on a tube core having an axis comprising:
 (a) setting a first non-adjacent set point with a first non-adjacent wind ratio and a first helix angle;   (b) randomly winding said yarn on said tube core while step increasing to additional set points until said package diameter is from about 130 mm to about 180 mm, wherein said yarn is laid down on said tube core in a non-adjacent pattern; and   (c) step increasing to at least one adjacent set point with at least one precision adjacent wind ratio and at least one helix angle greater than said first helix angle.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  or  7 , further comprising at least one precision integral adjacent wind ratio. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6  or  7 , wherein said package diameter is from about 150 mm to about 180 mm. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6  or  7 , wherein said package diameter is from about 160 mm to about 180 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6  or  7 , further comprising step increasing to a final set point with a non-adjacent wind ratio and a helix angle greater than said first helix angle. 
     
     
         12 . A package of bulked continuous yarn made according to the method of any one of  claims 1 - 11 . 
     
     
         13 . A package of bulked continuous filament yarn having a final diameter comprising a packing density of from about 0.4 grams per cm 3  to about 0.6 grams per cm 3 , wherein said package further comprises a non-adjacent winding pattern ending at a package diameter from about 47% to about 65% of said final diameter, and a precision adjacent winding pattern starting at a package diameter of from about 47% to about 65% of said final diameter. 
     
     
         14 . The package of bulked continuous filament yarn of  claim 13 , wherein said non-adjacent winding pattern comprises random winding. 
     
     
         15 . The package of bulked continuous filament yarn of  claim 13 , wherein said packing density is from about 0.5 grams per cm 3  to about 0.55 grams per cm 3 . 
     
     
         16 . The package of bulked continuous filament yarn of  claim 13 , further comprising a packing density increase of from about 7% to about 17% over a randomly wound package of said yarn. 
     
     
         17 . The package of bulked continuous filament yarn of  claim 13 , wherein said yarn is Nylon 6,6. 
     
     
         18 . A method of making a package of bulked continuous filament yarn wound on a tube core, the tube core having an axis, an inner diameter about said axis, an outer diameter about said axis, an outer circumference and a length; the package having an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of the tube core, an outer diameter, a circumference, a width less than the length of the tube core and having approximately flat sides on planes normal to the axis of the tube core and separated by said width, the method comprising:
 (a) rotating the tube core about its axis;   (b) placing a continuous length of bulked continuous filament yarn in contact with the outer circumference of the tube core at an initial location along the length of the tube core;   (c) winding said yarn around the outer circumference of the tube core such that the yarn is taken up by the tube core and the yarn contact location moves around the tube core;   (d) causing the yarn contact location to move in a reciprocating motion along the length of the tube core as the tube core rotates, so that the yarn contact location becomes a moving point on circumference of the package as the package rotates and the package outer diameter increases, and so that the contact location traverses the entire width of the package from side to side on each traverse stroke, forming a package surface at the package outer diameter;   (e) selecting a desired contact location traverse speed in relation to the rotational speed of the rotating package,   (f) setting a desired contact location traverse speed control point in relation to the rotational speed of the rotating package;   (g) detecting the actual contact location traverse speed;   (h) adjusting the setting for the contact location traverse speed control point so that the actual speed of traverse converges with the desired speed;   (i) selecting a new desired package rotational speed and a new contact location traverse speed after a specific time interval;   (j) setting the new package rotational speed and yarn contact location traverse speed control point at selected time intervals;   (k) detecting the new actual contact location traverse speeds;   (l) adjusting the settings for the new contact location traverse speeds control points so that the actual speeds of traverse converge with the new desired speeds; and   (m) repeating steps (i) through (l) until the package outer diameter reaches a desired value.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising selecting a first contact location traverse speed so that the number of package rotations per traverse cycle results in a non-adjacent winding pattern; and selecting additional contact location traverse speeds so that the number of package rotations per traverse cycle is not adjacent until the package outer diameter is from about 130 mm to about 180 mm. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising selecting the first contact location traverse speed so that the number of package rotations per traverse cycle is random; and selecting additional contact location traverse speeds so that the number of package rotations per traverse cycle is not adjacent until the package outer diameter is from about 150 mm to about 180 mm. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising selecting the first contact location traverse speed so that the number of package rotations per traverse cycle results in a non-adjacent winding pattern; and selecting additional contact location traverse speeds so that the number of package rotations per traverse cycle is not adjacent until the package outer diameter is from about 130 mm to about 180 mm. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising selecting the contact location traverse speed so that the number of package rotations per traverse cycle is adjacent but less than an integer or half integer after the package outer diameter is from about 150 mm to about 180 mm. 
     
     
         23 . A package of bulked continuous filament yarn wound according to the method of any one of  claims 18 - 22 , said package comprising a packing density increase of from about 7% to about 17% over a randomly wound package of said yarn. 
     
     
         24 . A method of making a package of bulked continuous filament yarn wound on a tube core having an axis and a final package diameter comprising:
 (a) rotating said tube upon its axis;   (b) winding said yarn on said tube using at least one non-adjacent wind ratio until said package diameter is from about 47% to about 65% of said final package diameter; and   (c) winding said yarn one said tube using at least one precision adjacent wind ratio.   
     
     
         25 . A method of making a package of bulked continuous filament yarn wound on a tube core having an axis and a final package diameter comprising:
 (a) rotating said tube upon its axis;   (b) winding said yarn on said tube using at least one non-adjacent wind ratio until said package diameter to tube core diameter of from about 1.6:1 to about 2.3:1 is achieved; and   (c) winding said yarn one said tube using at least one precision adjacent wind ratio.   
     
     
         26 . A method of making a package of bulked continuous filament yarn wound on a tube core having an axis and a final package diameter comprising:
 (a) rotating said tube upon its axis;   (b) winding said yarn on said tube using a non-adjacent random winding pattern until said package diameter is from about 47% to about 65% of said final package diameter; and   (c) winding said yarn one said tube using at least one precision adjacent wind ratio.   
     
     
         27 . A method of making a package of bulked continuous filament yarn wound on a tube core having an axis and a final package diameter comprising:
 (a) rotating said tube upon its axis;   (b) winding said yarn on said tube using a non-adjacent wind ratio until said package diameter to tube core diameter of from about 1.6:1 to about 2.3:1 is achieved; and   (c) winding said yarn one said tube using at least one precision adjacent wind ratio.   
     
     
         28 . A package of bulked continuous filament yarn having a final diameter comprising a packing density of from about 0.4 grams per cm 3  to about 0.6 grams per cm 3 , wherein said package further comprises a non-adjacent winding pattern ending at a package diameter to tube core diameter ratio from about 1.6:1 to about 2.3:1, and a precision adjacent winding pattern starting at a package diameter to tube core diameter ratio from about 1.6:1 to about 2.3:1. 
     
     
         29 . A method of making a package of bulked continuous filament yarn wound on a tube core having an axis comprising:
 (a) setting a first set point with a first wind ratio and a first helix angle;   (b) winding said yarn on said tube at said first set point, wherein said first helix angle gradually decreases with increasing package diameter; and   (c) step increasing to additional set points having wind ratios and helix angles greater than said first helix angle, wherein said first helix angle is about 9 degrees and said additional helix angles range from about 9 degrees to about 15 degrees, further wherein said first wind ratio is non-adjacent and said additional wind ratios are non-adjacent from about 50% to about 75% of said additional set points and adjacent for the remaining about 25% to about 50% of said additional set points.   
     
     
         30 . A package of bulked continuous filament yarn having a ratio of packing density (measured in grams per cm 3 ) to final package diameter (measured in cm) greater than 0.018:1. 
     
     
         31 . The package of bulked continuous filament yarn of  claim 30 , wherein said ratio is between 0.18:1 to about 0.022:1. 
     
     
         32 . The package of bulked continuous filament yarn of  claim 30 , wherein said ratio is between 0.19:1 to about 0.022:1. 
     
     
         33 . The package of bulked continuous filament yarn of  claim 30 , wherein said ratio is between 0.20:1 to about 0.022:1. 
     
     
         34 . The package of bulked continuous filament yarn of  claim 30 , wherein said ratio is between 0.21:1 to about 0.022:1. 
     
     
         35 . A package of bulked continuous filament yarn having a package density increase between 7% to about 17% compared to the package density of a randomly wound package. 
     
     
         36 . The package of bulked continuous filament yarn of  claim 35 , wherein said package density increase is between about 7% to about 11% compared to the package density of a randomly wound package containing said yarn.