Abstract: The disclosure relates to a finishing treatment for fabrics, either tubular or knitted, having at least some natural fiber content, where the fabrics have been given a compressive shrinkage treatment by an asymmetrical process, sometimes referred to herein as "burnish compacting", in which one side of the fabric is acted upon differently than the other. The process of the invention eliminate or minimize "two sidedness" in the appearance of the fabric, which otherwise can be particularly noticeable with respect to colored fabrics. After passing through an asymmetrical compressive shrinkage process, the fabric is conveyed in a tension free manner through a moisturizing station, in which moisture is sprayed on the opposite surfaces of the fabric in the form of an extremely fine fog or mist, in quantities greater than the natural moisture regain of the fabric after compacting.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to the mechanical compacting of woven gauze bandages, including both method and apparatus features. An improved bandage gauze, having increased crimp and bulk, and a desirable degree of lengthwise stretch, is produced by passing the gauze through a two-roll compactor which, in its generalities, is of a known type, but which is specifically modified and improved to enable the gauze material to be processed effectively. The compactor comprises opposed feeding and retarding rolls, forming a nip. A compacting shoe is associated with the feed roll and the roller nip so as to drive the fabric to be fed toward the nip. At the nip, the gauze is decelerated by the retarding roll, and the material is continuously and progressively gathered and compacted in a short zone between the terminal edge or tip of the shoe and the roller nip.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to the provision of improved and advantageous facilities for the on-line adjustment of the length of the compressive shrinking zone in a so-called two roll compactor. The compactor shoe is supported at each end, by a pair of primary levers arranged to pivot around the axis of a feeding roll. By movement of the primary levers, the tip of the compacting shoe, forming the upstream end of the compressive shrinking zone, is movable toward or away from a roller nip, formed by opposed feeding and retarding rollers and constituting the downstream end of the compressive shrinking zone. A simple, reliable and precise adjustment feature is provided, enabling the operator to easily and quickly effect precision adjustment of the position of the shoe tip, while the equipment is in full speed operation, so that the processing of materials in the compactor may be optimized.