Abstract: Methods for manufacturing nonwovens and nonwovens obtained by such methods are provided. Particularly, nonwovens are provided with improved tactile and absorbent characteristics, which make them suitable for use in the field of surface cleaning, personal hygiene, or formation of garments. The methods are based on the use of lobed spunbonded filaments which have been treated by a thickening apparatus.

Abstract: A dryer is provided. The dryer may include a main body having an inner space formed therein, a support body arranged in the main body so as to form a frame of the main body, a flexible drum rotatably installed on the support body so as to have a non-circular cross-section as it is rotated, and rotation guides arranged between the support body and the flexible drum so as to guide rotation of the flexible drum. A distance from a center of rotation of an inscribed circle contacting the inner circumferential surface of the flexible drum to one random point on the inner circumferential surface of the flexible drum is greater than a distance from the center of rotation of the inscribed circle to another point on the inscribed circle such that the drum maintains a non-circular cross section.

Abstract: A continuous web as a component of a disposable wearing article is fed in a machine direction and first continuous elastic members are fed via guide elements adapted to oscillate the elastic members in a cross direction. Each of the guide elements has a first servomotor having a rotary shaft adapted to repeat reversal of its rotational direction, a first arm connected directly with the rotary shaft and extending in a direction crossing the rotary shaft so that the first arm swings around the rotary shaft as the rotary shaft rotates, and a first feed member adapted to direct the first continuous elastic members toward the guide element formed on the first arm.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for producing nonwoven, fleece-like fiber products, said apparatus comprising a transfer belt configured to transport an intermediate product on the underside of a transfer belt to a roller arrangement, said roller arrangement comprising four rotatable rollers that are arranged and configured to interact in pairs in constellations that can be selectively modified, wherein each of the four rollers has a rotational axis, and the four rotational axes run at least approximately parallel to each other.

Abstract: A method of compressing fibrous bodies which are held in place on a perforated support by means of negative pressure. Each fibrous body to be compressed is arranged on a first support that includes parts with and without perforations. A first compression of the fibrous body is then brought about over the part without perforations. The partly compressed fibrous body is then transferred to a second support which includes perforations in a part covered by compressed portions of the fibrous body and a part without perforations covered by uncompressed portions of the fibrous body. A second compression of the fibrous body is brought about in those portions of the fibrous body which cover the part without perforations of the second support.

Abstract: A method of producing a porous film comprises subjecting a fibrous material comprised of fibers of a film forming material to conditions of heat and pressure to covert the fibrous material to a porous film. The method allows the production of film material having substantially uniform pore sizes. For example, the pore size distribution of the film may be such as to have a ratio of maximum pore size:mean flow pore of less than 1.2, e.g., less than 1.1.

Abstract: A gastight woven fabric sheet for air bags having no risk of burning a person due to formation of gas-permeable perforations and gas flowing out when the air bag is inflated, a high burst strength due to a reinforcing effect by adhesion, and a satisfactory feel, comprising a woven fabric composed of a plurality of warps and wefts each comprising a polyester multifilament having a yarn thickness of 200 to 550 deniers and a twist multiplier of 3,000 or less, and having a smooth surface formed by a calendering and a non-smoothed opposite surface thereof, the woven fabric having a gas-permeability function (ml/cm.sup.2 /sec) of 7.874 p to 78.74 p (wherein p is a pressure between 0 to 0.03 kg/cm.sup.

Abstract: When joining nonwoven textile fiber webs the fabrics are placed side by side by means of rolls and are commonly transported away. The adjacent webs (7,8) are subjected to a stuffing process (10,36). Thereafter, the stuffed web of larger thickness is slightly stretched by having the successive roll rotate faster than the stuffing roll. In this manner, multiple side by side webs may be joined by fibers near their adjoining edges entangling to interlock and form an integral large-width web.