Lock and seal for dyeing spindle

A spindle nut remains attached to a dye spindle for repeated dye operations and includes radially projecting cam surfaces for successively guiding and locking a lock ring against outward movement relative to the spindle nut at the beginning of successive dye operations. A pressure plate engages the outermost yarn package on the dye spindle and a tube is fixed to the pressure plate and extends outwardly about the spindle toward the lock ring at the beginning of each dye operation, terminating in spaced relation from the lock ring. The pressure obtained during each successive dye operation moves the pressure plate outwardly until the tube engages the lock ring to hold the yarn packages on the spindle during dyeing. At the end of each dyeing operation, the pressure plate and yarn packages are removed from the spindle after rotating the lock ring a partial revolution to disengage it from a locking cam surface on the spindle nut and position the lock ring for easy removal from the spindle nut by lifting it axially from the spindle nut.