Abstract: A tube of flexible strands, closed at one end, is bunched up over a hollow mandrel. A sheet of sorbent material is slit into a plurality of strips before being forced through the mandrel into the tube by pull rollers.The plurality of strips become folded in accordion pleats resembling ribbon candy having a large surface area as they are forced into the tube. As the tube becomes filled with strips it is forced off the mandrel. When full, the second end of the tube is closed. The finished, filled tube is useful as a sorbent for oil, especially oil on the surface of water. The buoyancy of the finished tube is varied by the inclusion of a buoyant strip.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for stacking in precise alignment relatively large, flat, lightweight and flexible objects such as low density felted, fiber pads are disclosed. The disclosed method comprises the steps of feeding the pads towards the stack, rotating the leading edge of a pad to be stacked approximately 180.degree. to place the leading edge of the pad at the top of the stack in a position reversed top-bottom due to the rotation, and causing the remaining portion of the pad to follow in the position reversal along the top of the stack.

Abstract: A device for winding and slitting rollable materials is disclosed. The device both winds and cuts the material simultaneously whereby evenly cut rolled material is obtained.

Abstract: A method for attaching plastic nets to non-woven blankets without use of adhesives is disclosed. The net is positioned adjacent the non-woven blanket and then the strands of the netting are vibrated causing surface fibers of the blanket to surround the strands and hold the net to the blanket without the use of adhesives.