Abstract: Foil stretching plant comprising a plurality of zones, more particularly a heating zone I, a stretching zone II, a stabilizing zone III and a cooling zone IV. The individual zones I, II, III and IV are designed as modules which can be installed and removed individually. Of these, at least the module designed as a stretching zone II can be installed upside down and can succeed in upside down position a first stretching zone II. In that arrangement the second stretching module can replace a stabilizing zone III.

Abstract: A device for aligning wefts of textile belts comprises four arched cylinders which are positioned so that they define a regular or irregular quadrilateral. The orientations of the axes and angular positions of the cylinders are adjustable. In other words, the cylinders are tiltably and rotatably mounted. The cylinder positions are adjusted so as to ensure that the textile belt to be aligned is able to contact only that part of the circumferential surface of the cylinders which has a predominantly widening effect on the textile belt. The mechanism of orienting the four arched cylinders includes two servomotors for driving gears and transmission chains in a manner which is effective for selectively tilting and/or rotating the cylinders so as to correct textile belts having arch-like and/or skewed wefts.

Abstract: A process of decorating fabric includes the step of imparting wrinkles to the fabric oblique to the warp and weft directions and heat setting the wrinkles into the fabric. The wrinkle imparting step may include moving the fabric longitudinally and simultaneously moving portions of the fabric from side to side by frictionally engaging the fabric to an oscillating means such as an elastomeric pad or interleaved fingers and oscillating the pad or fingers from side to side. Heat setting of the fabric includes exposing the wrinkled fabric to heat at a sufficient temperature and for a sufficient duration to set the wrinkles in the fabric. Desirably, the wrinkled fabric is in contact with a transfer print paper while the fabric passes through the heat setting step to set the wrinkles and fix color on the fabric. The longitudinal movement is desirably coordinated with the side to side movement to obtain aesthetically pleasing results. The invention also includes apparatus and the product.

Abstract: A process in which a stitchbonded fabric is stretched and then allowed to recover from the stretch decreases the stiffness of the fabric while greatly increasing its thickness and bulk.

Abstract: A fabric, useful as a primary carpet backing, woven in both the warp and weft directions from filmy elements in the form of longitudinally-oriented, splittable ribbons formed from a blend of a major amount of polyester and a minor amount of a polyolefin. The ribbons split longitudinally when punctured by a tufting needle, thus providing for a more secure grip on the tufted carpet yarn than that given by conventional polyester backings. The use of polyester as a principal component overcomes certain drawbacks of polypropylene backings. Alternative processes for making these fabrics, each involving a heat-treating step at a temperature of at least 150.degree. F. (66.degree. C.) for a sufficient period of time to render the ribbons splittable, are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system stretches and severs a strip-like resin sheet unwound from a sheet roll to produce a product of a prescribed shape, the system having a stretching device having forming members for stretching the strip-like resin sheet into a fan-shaped resin sheet. The system includes a device disposed downstream of the stretching device for severing the fan-shaped resin sheet on cutting edges, and a feeding device disposed downstream of the severing device for feeding the product to a prescribed area.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing orthopedic sleeping support without utilizing traditional box-spring or spring-in-mattress devices. A specially prepared (by prescription) fabric is stretched between rigid frame support members beyond moduli conventionally employed in the bedmaking industry, but short of the Young's Modulus for the particular composite fibres.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for removing real or false twist from a moving fabric in rope form. Freely rotatable, diagonally opposite elements are located on opposite sides of an fabric path of travel. Each element has a helically wound fabric contact member therearound with the helix direction of the diagonally opposite elements being the same. Fabric passing between the elements and engaging the contact members of the elements imparts rotation to the elements while the contact members impart rotation to the fabric for twist removal. A twist direction detector is located downstream of the elements to detect any remaining twist in the fabric, and a twist measurement sensor is located downstream of the twist detector to determine the amount of any remaining twist.

Abstract: Programmable apparatus for cutting woven fabric wound on a supply roll includes a fabric spreader which pays-off fabric from the supply roll and onto a cutting table as the spreader moves relative to the table. A vibrating member carried by the fabric spreader and over which the payed-off fabric is constrained to pass imparts vibration to a portion of the fabric which extends across the entire width of the fabric to relieve residual stresses within the fabric as it is spread onto the table surface. The spread fabric is immediately cut by a rotary cutting wheel which moves in cutting engagement with the fabric in response to command signals received from a programmable controller.

Abstract: Differentially stretched plastic with a dyed border along one side suitable for shaded interlayers of laminated windshields moves in an arcuate path away from a frustoconical roll of a continuously operating differential web stretcher toward an intermittently operated web cutting machine, which tends to veer the web transversely every time it starts to pull a length of web into the cutting machine. The present invention realigns the arcuately shaped web between cutting operations when necessary to compensate for lateral veering of the arcuate plastic web from the arcuate path it takes so as to cause the web to enter the web cutting machine at a proper angle and orientation for cutting.

Abstract: Lightweight nonwoven sheets of polyethylene plexifilamentary film-fibril strands are made by a stretching-and-bonding operation in which the unit weight of the sheet is decreased in stages while at a temperature within 3.degree. to 8.degree. C. of the melting point of the polyethylene. The resultant sheet has a novel combination opacity, X-ray scattering and physical characteristics and is particularly suited for sterile packaging, lightweight envelopes and surgical drapes.

Abstract: A method for making a perfluoroolefin polymer filament belt is disclosed. The belt is substantially free of stretching under typical conditions of use including application of heat and force to the belt. This characteristic is produced by the process which includes the steps of weaving a belt and thermally fixing the woven belt by heating to the filaments to their white point while applying a force to the load bearing filaments.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing an endless web includes means for supporting the endless web at a first location and a roll for supporting the endless web at a second location. The roll has first and second ends. First and second carriages are engaged to first and second substantially parallel tracks respectively for rotatably supporting the first and second ends of the roll respectively in a normal operating position and for moving the roll relative to the support means along the tracks. A bridge connects the first and second carriages. Means are mounted to the bridge for lifting the roll at a location between the first and second ends, whereby the roll is supported by the lifting means and the first carriage, whereby the endless web may be inserted or removed over the second end of the roll.The lifting means includes a cradle for supporting the roll, means for moving the cradle into and out of a position underneath the roll and means for elevating the cradle while the cradle is in the position under the roll.

Abstract: A control system is provided for maintaining a constant predetermined transverse width in a continuous elastic or extensible web while the web is traveling longitudinally and while simultaneously transversely aligning the longitudinally moving web in register with a transversely extending work station which transversely extends across the web path at a preset location. The invention further provides contoured electrifier apparatus which is adapted for use in the polishing of three dimensional deep pile surface contoured fabrics and the like. In addition, the invention provides ways of adapting the control system for use with a plurality of transversely extending processing units, each one of which can have transversely varying process conditions such as required in a contour shearing device or contoured electrifier.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for stretching and tensioning an endless web, such as a blanket or felt for papermaking machines. The apparatus includes a trackway having at least one movable stretch roll mounted thereon and movable relative to a work station for supporting and stretching the endless web or blanket. The movable roll is supported on a movable carriage arrangement at each end of the roll, with the carriage arrangement at one end including a first carriage section and a separable second carriage section. The first carriage section includes a device for lifting one end of the movable roll, and the second carriage section is connected to a saddle support which is pivoted into position to support the movable roll in the lifted position. The first carriage section is then disconnected from the second carriage section and is rolled away from its position under the movable roll. In this manner, the endless web can then be removed from the lifted end of the roll and replaced with another web.

Abstract: Continuous unseamed lengths of embroidered fabric are produced by a special process and apparatus therefor. Fabric to be embroidered upon is pulled off a vertical bolt and engaged at its upper edge by pins on an endless belt which is actuated to advance the fabric across the face of an embroidery apparatus. Then the lower edge of the fabric is tensioned transversely. Embroidery proceeds and then the embroidery yarns are cut. A release member disengages the lower edge of the fabric, the belt is actuated to advance the fabric, disengage its upper edge from its pins, to move the embroidered fabric onto a collection bolt and to position a new section of the fabric in the embroidery area. The upstream rear end of the embroidered section of fabric is registered so the new embroidery will be continuous with that just completed, and the operation is repeated.

Abstract: The product of the present invention is a fabric woven from oriented polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) strands, in which the strands of the weave are interconnected by a multiplicity of fine PTFE fibrils. To produce this fabric, consisting entirely of PTFE, a woven PTFE fabric is heated substantially unrestrained to a temperature above the crystalline melt point of PTFE and stretched. Alternatively, a woven PTFE fabric may be impregnated with other fluorocarbon polymers, heated substantially unrestrained to a temperature above the crystalline melt point of PTFE, and subsequently stretched, thereby generating a multiplicity of fine fibrils interconnecting the weave.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming articles by making a base of stretchable fabric, holding the base in stretched condition at opposed ends, rotating the base and coating the base with a curable plastic material.

Abstract: An improved circular knitting machine which provides for semi-automatic doffing of large diameter rolls of knit fabric. The doffing of the fabric can be accomplished by a woman operator without strain. Further, the improved circular knitting machine provides an oxbow rod to prevent pattern skewing and a control means to coordinate the fabric take-down speed with the fabric take-up speed. The semi-automatic doffing apparatus includes a doffing handle, the inside of which is grooved to accommodate the take-up roll shaft, so that the full roll of fabric can be easily removed from the knitting machine.

Abstract: In apparatus for making a pile article by applying a backing to free ends of an assembly of pile fibers, the combination of means for forming pile units each comprising a laterally compressed and substantially radially symmetrical array of pile fibers, means for supporting assembled pile fibers, means for distributing a plurality of the pile units transversely across the supporting means and releasing the fibers thereof from lateral compression, and means for advancing the released pile units longitudinally of the supporting means while applying a force for promoting lateral expansion of the released units into a continuous assembly of fibers, prior to application of the backing.