Abstract: A process and apparatus for cutting textile tow into staple is disclosed. The textile tow is wound onto a textile tow support which is rotatable at a predetermined angular velocity. A plurality of moveable cutting surfaces are attached integrally to the textile tow support around its periphery to permit the tow to be wrapped in surface contact with the cutting surfaces. The tow is cut into staple by transverse or orthogonal movement of the cutting surfaces with respect to the direction of winding of the textile tow on the textile tow support. In a first embodiment of the invention, the cutting surfaces comprise knife bands which are driven by rotation of the textile tow support. In the second embodiment, the cutting surfaces comprise reciprocating knives which are driven by rotation of the textile tow support.

Abstract: An improvement in the production of chopped fibers is provided. Long fibers, commonly in the form of roving, are fed through a chopper assembly comprising a cutter wheel having a plurality of outwardly-extending blades and a back-up roll having a soft cylindrical surface which the blade edges contact with the fibers therebetween. The chopped fibers then are directed downwardly through a discharge chute to a distribution chute below the chopper where they are directed by air to a point of application, e.g. being mixed with resin and applied to a surface of a mold or mandrel. The chopped fibers have had a tendency to agglomerate into hunks or balls below the chopper assembly and such tendency has heretofore been substantially reduced by the use of static bars located below the chopper assembly. An air system is now provided for directing air downwardly past the chopper assembly to convey the chopper fibers therefrom through the discharge duct and the distribution chute.

Abstract: A removable attachment device for casters has a coaster-like base portion supporting the caster above the floor and a fastening portion retaining the caster roller on the base portion whereby the caster is prevented from rolling. The attachment device is removably fastened to the caster.

Abstract: A copy sheet is fed between a heated fixing roller and a nip roller to fix a toner image to the sheet. An applicator applies an offset preventing liquid to a transfer roller which transfers the liquid to the fixing roller. A spring arrangement presses the applicator against the transfer roller and another spring arrangement presses the transfer roller against the fixing roller in such a manner that the transfer roller is normally held against rotation and is caused to rotate when the liquid thickness on the fixing roller drops below a predetermined value at which the coefficient of friction between the transfer roller and the fixing roller becomes greater than the ratio of the tangential to the normal forces therebetween. The transfer roller through rotation applies the liquid to the fixing roller to increase the liquid thickness thereon.

Abstract: A roller assembly for sliding doors and the like includes a case adapted for mounting on the door and forming a cavity that is open at the end adjacent the sliding edge of the door, a carrier located within the cavity of the case and mounted for reciprocating movement relative to the open end of the cavity, and at least one roller journaled on the carrier adjacent the open end of the cavity and projecting beyond the case. A cam is journalled on the case, and a cam follower is provided on the carrier for adjusting the position of the carrier in response to rotational movement of the cam. The case comprises a unitary molded plastic member with the bearings for the cam being formed by a pair of opposed walls of the case, and the bearings open into a pair of slots extending continuously from the bearings to one end of the case for admitting the cam into the bearings as the carrier is inserted into the case.

Abstract: A non-rotating sleeve type bushing in which an eccentric flange integral with the bushing and projecting radially outwardly therefrom is so formed as to be received in a complementarily contoured flange recess in a bearing housing whereby rotation of the bushing with respect to the bearing housing is precluded by a positive mechanical locking action provided by the shear resistance of the flange member.

Abstract: A cluster of pins, serving to clean the surface of a workpiece, are slidably mounted in bores of a guide plate which is spring-urged against a metallic anvil, with formation of a clearance between the plate and the anvil in which the heads of the pins can move. The anvil is periodically struck by a ram which is freely reciprocable in a tool housing surrounding the anvil and the guide plate, the housing being provided with a pistol grip carrying a trigger that controls admission of compressed air to a chamber at the rear of the housing which is intermittently vented by the advancing ram to a space communicating with the atmosphere via channels in the anvil and perforations of the guide plate, thereby cooling the movable parts of the tool. The guide plate consists of a hard but light-weight resinous material, specifically polyamide 6.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cannister rotation mechanism for use in combination with a fiber carding or drawing frame having a turntable arranged to deliver fiber into the cannister. Reciprocable means are shown for raising and lowering the movable cannister bottom into position to receive the fiber and later to remove the filled cannister and insert a new cannister for filling. Several embodiments of the reciprocable means are shown and described.

Abstract: This invention relates to a carding process for forming a nonwoven fibrous structure including a blend of short fibers under 1/4 inch in length and longer reinforcing fibers. In accordance with the process fibers are separated from a fibrous feed by engaging the feed with projections on the periphery of a main carding drum that is rotating at a surface speed of at least 12,500 feet/minute. The rotating main drum directs the fibers into a working section in which projections on rotating worker and turner satellite rolls cooperate with the projections on the main drum to individualize the fibers and blend them together. The necessary interaction between the projections of the main drum and the projections of the satellite rolls to both individualize and blend the fibers is achieved by pressurizing the working section to a level that minimizes undesirable air flow characteristics about the satellite rolls.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to apparatus for separating card strips, such as fiber neps, fiber adhesions, short fibers, foreign particles, waste fibers and the like from fibrous material during a carding operation in which a rotating carding cylinder has means for carrying fibrous material therewith, a strips roller adjacent the carding cylinder defining therewith a gap through which the fibrous material is carried by the carding machine, and the strips roller including means for forming carding strips from the fibrous material which are subsequently removed therefrom.

Abstract: The invention relates to a slatted blind having vertically arranged slats, in a bottom pocket of which a slat weight is maintained by means of an end piece mounted at each end of the weight.

Abstract: In a duo-card engine, a novel arrangement of crush rolls and toothed roller are used to break up the fibre web into individual fibres and fibre groups to free them from dirt, after which the fibres are reassembled on the surface of a perforated vacuum cage adjacent to and downstream of the toothed roller. This sequence of operations produces a yarn, not only of more regular texture but yarn in which the amount of trash, dust and small fibres can be reduced substantially by one half.

Abstract: Apparatus for textile fiber band or the like composed of staple fibers, wherein the fiber band is guided through a transport tube or duct and there is produced within the transport duct an air flow directed in the same sense as the feed or conveying direction of the fiber band.

Abstract: Processes and apparatus for treating fibrous materials for subsequent processing are described. Such processes and apparatus are able to provide a continuously high throughput, e.g., 400 pounds per hour or more, while achieving an acceptable degree of cleanliness and uniformity with a substantial absence of formation of neps. In a preferred embodiment the fiber treatment unit includes a train of rolls adjacently mounted for rotation about parallel axes. Adjacent rolls rotate in opposite directions and each is provided with a plurality of fiber grabbing, card clothing teeth. A number of additional carding points about the rotating cylinders are provided. Numerous trash removing assemblies adjacent the rotating rolls provide for removal of trash and other dry particles thus preventing escape of such particles into the atmosphere and minimizing health hazards at this and subsequent fiber process stages.

Abstract: An apparatus is illustrated which is especially useful for cleaning the flats of a textile carding machine wherein a rotatable suction conduit has circumferentially spaced slots therein which are successively exposed in cleaning relation to successive flat or carding surfaces by means of a substantially imperforate flexible cover sheet extending about the rotatable suction conduit, being fixed on one end so that the cover extends as a shroud preferably extending in the direction of rotation of the conduit away from the fixed end so as to leave an opening between opposed ends of the shroud. The shroud covers the slots rendering them inactive so that only that slot portion between opposed ends of the shroud actively exert suction. Thus, the suction is concentrated at a specific area, between the ends of the cover, adjacent a limited portion of a flat while permitting rotation of the suction conduit without buildup of excessive lint accumulation as to interfere with the operation of the conduit.

Abstract: Fine opening mechanism for textile fibrous material which comprises a primary opening element such as a spiked beater roll and means for delivering a single undivided mass of textile fibers toward the primary opening element. A plurality of feed elements are located between the primary opening element and the feeding means, each of the feed elements forming a nip through which fibers are fed and presented to the primary opening element so that the mass of fibers are divided into a plurality of fibrous masses.

Abstract: A glide shoe of molded plastic to be employed with major appliances is constructed to be able to provide a liquid bearing of a lubricating liquid beneath the shoe to minimize the danger of damage to irregular floor surfaces, such as sculptured vinyl material as the appliance slides across the floor covering. A method of sliding a major appliance across the uneven surface of a sculptured floor covering while being supported on a liquid bearing of lubricating fluid is characterized by the step of applying a lubricating liquid beneath each shoe to form a liquid bearing therebeneath, in which the lubricating liquid includes liquid detergent.

Abstract: In an apparatus for consolidating textile fibrous webs by rubbing in a condenser, the fibres are first conveyed through a first condenser in a first direction, further conveyed through a second condenser in a direction parallel to the first direction but opposite to it and finally they are conveyed through a third condenser in the first direction and in a plane parallel to it.

Abstract: A caster or dolly for placement under a heavy object that is intended to be moved across a floor or other surface; the dolly including a spring-loaded, telescopic arm which at each opposite end is supported upon a rotatable roller mounted on an axle that can selectively be placed so that both axles are either parallel or else arially aligned in order that the dolly can travel in either of two directions at right angle to each other, and each roller being vertically adjustable between an operative and an inoperative position by means of a rotatable cam resting upon the opposite ends of each axle.

Abstract: A glove having a back piece, a palm piece and a thumb construction where the palm piece has a substantially straight slit therein to form a button-hole like opening. The thumb construction is formed of two similarly shaped panels which are joined together and which extend through the slit with the bottom part of the thumb construction being jointed at the edges of the slit to the inwardly facing side of the palm piece.