US 7,454,816 B2
	Stretch break method, apparatus and product
Peter Popper, Wilmington, Del. (US); Joseph Anthony Perrotto, Landenberg, Pa. (US); Glen E. Simmonds, Hampstead, N.C. (US); Albert S. Tam, Hockessin, Del. (US); William Charles Walker, Wilmington, Del. (US); Joseph Leonda Jones, New Castle, Del. (US); Peter Artzt, Denkendorf (Germany); Heinz Mueller, Denkendorf (Germany); and David Carlton Visser, Wilmington, Del. (US)
Assigned to E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del. (US)
Filed on Jan. 12, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/34,296.
Application 11/034296 is a continuation of application No. 09/979808, granted, now 7,100,246, previously published as PCT/US00/16231, filed on Jun. 13, 2000.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/139096, filed on Jun. 14, 1999.
Prior Publication US 2006/0150372 A1, Jul. 13, 2006
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. D01G 1/00 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 19—0.35

10 Claims

1. An apparatus for stretch breaking a fiber comprising continuous filaments, discontinuous filaments or a combination thereof, wherein the apparatus comprises (a) a first break zone and a second break zone, wherein the first break zone has a length L1, the second break zone has a length L2, and 0.6 L1≧L2≧0.2 L1; (b) a first roll set that imparts to the fiber a speed D1 in the first break zone, and a second roll set that imparts to the fiber a speed D2 in the second break zone, wherein (D2−1)/(D1·1)≧0.15; and (c) and a consolidation zone.