Abstract: A melt spinning apparatus for spinning continuous polymeric filaments including a first stage gas inlet chamber adapted to be located below a spinneret and optionally a second stage gas inlet chamber located below the first stage gas inlet chamber. The gas inlet chambers supply gas to the filaments to control the temperature of the filaments. The melt spinning apparatus also includes a tube located below the second stage gas inlet chamber for surrounding the filaments as they cool. The tube may include an interior wall having a converging section, optionally followed by a diverging section.

Abstract: Yarns of melt-spun polymeric filaments are rapidly quenched, whereby the filaments are cooled by quenching gas that is accelerated along the threadline by being passed through a tube of reduced dimensions with the filaments before they emerge. In particular, a yarn is produced which has an elongation to break of about 100% or more. The yarn is comprised of filaments numbering from 25 to 150. The filaments are less than 4 denier per filament and makeup yarns having low denier spread.

Abstract: An improvement is provided in the rapid quenching of melt-spun polymeric filaments, whereby the filaments are cooled by quenching gas that is accelerated along the threadline by being passed through a tube of smaller dimensions with the filaments before they emerge.