Abstract: A multiaxial nonwoven fabric is disclosed which is comprised of a selected warp material and a multiplicity of selected continuous yarns assembled in a specified lay pattern and bonded on to the warp material. Each of the yarns is oriented in a scalene or right-angled triangle shape, and the resulting yarn assembly is built of intersections at least in warp, weft and oblique axes, whereby structural strength and dimensional stability are greatly improved. A method and an apparatus are also disclosed for producing the fabric.

Abstract: A multiaxial nonwoven fabric is disclosed which is comprised of a selected warp material and a multiplicity of selected continuous yarns assembled in a specified lay pattern and bonded on to the warp material. Each of the yarns is oriented in a scalene or right-angled triangle shape, and the resulting yarn assembly is built of intersections at least in warp, weft and oblique axes, whereby structural strength and dimensional stability are greatly improved. A method and an apparatus are also disclosed for producing the fabric.

Abstract: In a method of and an apparatus for heat-setting a non-woven fabric in which a warp web and a weft web is cross-laminated, the fabric is gripped at least at its opposite side edges by and between an outer peripheral surface of a hot cylinder and an endless belt normally tensioned against that outer peripheral surface. Widthwise shrinkage is fully prevented during travel of the fabric around the hot cylinder, and firm bonding of the warp and weft webs is attained.

Abstract: A non-woven fabric having a strength which is comparable to the strength of woven fabric and a method of making such non-woven fabric are disclosed. The non-woven fabric has a laminated structure composed of a warp web of random-laid non-woven fabric stretched lengthwise and hence having a greater strength in the lengthwise direction than in the transverse direction, and a weft web of random-laid non-woven fabric stretched transversely and hence having a greater strength in the transverse direction than in the lengthwise direction. Filaments constituting each of the warp and weft webs are substantially free from molecular orientation and extendible at least two times the original length before the web is stretched. Upon stretching of the web, the un-oriented filaments are substantially stretched to thereby cause molecular orientation therein.

Abstract: A bundle of fibers fed from a stuffer box longitudinally in a corrugated form is wrapped with a breathable heat resistant fabric to form a continuous belt-like shape and then introduced into and drawn out of a thermal treatment region by the aid of inlet and outlet ducts and guide channel in a heat-treatment chamber into which is supplied a heating medium comprising one of non-condensable gas, superheated steam, and a mixture of said non-condensable gas and said superheated steam. The chamber includes a high-pressure portion and a low-pressure portion disposed on opposite sides of the guide channel. The heating medium flows longitudinally along the inlet and outlet ducts in opposite directions towards outsides and transversely from the high-pressure portion to the low-pressure portion across the guide channel, whereby the fibers wrapped with the breathable heat resistant fabric is thermally treated.

Abstract: A film or fibrous web which has been stretched by moving at least two laterally spaced first longitudinal portions gripped by a first gripping means along at least two arcuate divergent paths formed jointly by at least two radially disposed first pulleys and endless belt means trained arcuately therearound, is further stretched by moving at least two laterally spaced second longitudinal portions adjacent to the first longitudinal portions gripped by a second gripping means along at least two arcuate divergent paths contiguous to the first arcuate divergent paths, respectively, formed jointly by at least two second pulleys, respectively, disposed downstream of and close to the first pulleys in coplanar relation thereto and second endless belt means trained arcuately therearound. The film while being stretched is heated to a temperature suitable for stretching with heated air and the like, or is softened by immersing in a bath of solvent or plasticizer.

Abstract: A process for broadening the width of a bundle of parallel filaments having a band form is provided, which comprises, during the running course of the bundle in the lengthwise direction, holding the bundle under press by a direction-turning bar or bars arranged obliquely to the advancing direction of the bundle along its surface; while preventing the bundle approaching the resulting oblique holding line from varying in its approach angle and also shifting to its widthwise direction, turning the direction of the bundle leaving the bar or bars to a direction having an optional angle against the oblique holding line; and taking up the resulting bundle having a required width.

Abstract: A method of slitting a continuous thermoplastic film comprises advancing the film longitudinally at a first speed along a peripheral surface of a roll rotating at a peripheral speed equal to or slightly greater than that of the film, and slitting the film while being advanced by pressing cutting edges of a rotating cutter against the peripheral surface of the roll. In order to prevent the cutting edges from being worn out and to form slits of uniform size and shape, the peripheral surface comprises an elastic layer of polymeric material, the cutting edges are heated above a temperature at which the film starts melting, the film and the elastic surface layer are cooled along their contacting surfaces with a cooling liquid, and the cutting edges are rotated at substantially the same peripheral speed as the roll. The invention also includes an apparatus for carrying out the method.

Abstract: A process for collecting continuous polymer filaments centrifugally ejected from the spinning nozzles of a spinning head rotating at a high velocity is provided wherein the ejected filaments are caught by the surface of an annular form, flowing down liquid or by an annular wall surface wetted by a liquid flowing down thereon, spaced apart from and surrounding the spinning head and concentrically opposed to the head; then moved downwards from the location where the filaments are caught, by the flowing down liquid and if necessary, together with two or more guides; and dropped on a belt moving below the spinning head in the lateral direction and taken up in the form of multifilaments or dropped on the belt in the form of an ellipse long in the width direction of the belt and after adhering selvage materials to both the side end parts of the filaments, taken up in the form of a weft web of the ejected filaments.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for stretching a thermoplastic polymer film in which the opposite selvages of the film are gripped by gripping means and are stretched transversely during heating by moving the selvages along two divergent arcuate paths lying in the same plane and extending over a predetermined circumferential range from a quater to a half of the full circumference of the circle containing the arcuate paths. In order to avoid drawbacks in the existing equipment such as irregular molecular orientation in and rupture of the film, the longitudinal travel of the film while being stretched is controlled by controlling means so that the central web portion is advanced by substantially the same distance as the gripped film selvages, whereby the amound of longitudinal movement of the film is held always constant throughout the width of the film.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for transversely stretching a fibrous or film-like material. The material is subjected to a monoaxial transverse stretch which progresses divergently along an arcuate track. An apparatus to implement this method is also disclosed, which essentially comprises a pair of pulleys and a pair of V-belts cooperating in releasably gripping therebetween opposite selvages of a given material, the pulleys being rotative in the same plane in opposite directions so that the material is stretched along a progressively diverging arcuate track.

Abstract: A reticular web of thermoplastic resin composed of split or slit fibers is longitudinally fed around a system of nip rollers as it is transversely spread along its selvages which then longitudinally shorten into contact with small-diameter end portions of one of the nip rollers. At least one dimensionally stable thread is attached to and along each of the web selvages to reinforce the latter. The web thus laterally spread is caused to heat-shrink at its middle portion on a heated drum until the middle portion is of substantially the same length as that of the selvages. Each of the selvages including the thread has a basis weight which is substantially the same as or smaller than that of the middle portion. The selvages of the reticular web thus treated are rendered dimensionally stable for guidance of the web in a manner to keep the latter constant widthwise while the web is wound around or reeled out from a take-up roll.

Abstract: Longitudinal and transverse stretching of a tubular film is effected by gripping opposite selvages of the tubular film between a pair of substantially coplanar pulleys and a pair of endless belt means trained arcuately around the pulleys, respectively, and by rotating the pulleys at a peripheral speed greater than a speed of feed of the tubular film. As the film selvages progress along a pair of arcuate divergent paths, respectively, around the pulleys, the film is heated, reversed in direction of travel, and cut along the selvages into a pair of biaxially stretched sheets. Before stretching of the film, live steam is introduced into the tubular film for heating the same.

Abstract: A novel product wherein cut webs for wefts (which are abbreviated as weft webs) are successively connected in the warp direction by selvedges adhered onto both the margins of the weft webs, is provided by circulating two right and left heated belts having thereon a hot-melt type adhesive in a tacky state and spaced by the length of each of weft webs of a large width mentioned below; adhering onto each of the belts, selvedge materials which constitute the selvedges of final product and are hereinafter abbreviated merely as selvedges; suddenly dropping the two belts having the selvedges adhered thereonto, on the lower side circulating route of the belts, down onto one of weft webs loaded successively and at a given gap on a conveyer circulating below the belts perpendicularly thereto, over the length corresponding to the width of the weft webs, when both the ends of one of the weft webs and the corresponding belts overlap each other, thereby to adhere both the ends of the weft web onto the corresponding selvedg

Abstract: An improved method for effecting cross-lamination of wide warp and weft webs is provided, wherein a continuous row of cut weft webs having a length corresponding to the width of the warp web to be cross-laminated thereto and arranged in side by side relationship is temporarily prepared on a warp material which is (1) a belt means from which said row of weft webs is transferred onto a warp web in order to be fixed thereto for effecting cross-lamination, (2) a warp web backed up by a belt means from which said row is peeled off in the state loaded on the warp web in order to be fixed thereto for effecting cross-lamination, or (3) a warp web itself to which said row is fixed for effecting cross-lamination, so that the warp material travelling crosswise over the cut weft web at a vertical distance apart therefrom and having been wetted with a liquid having adhesion property to the surface thereof facing said cut weft webs is subjected to successive reciprocating vertical motions so as to touch and pick up the cut

Abstract: A stabilized laterally spread reticular web of split fibers is produced by feeding a web of split fibers onto a plurality of belts in side-by-side arrangement on the inlet side thereof, the belts circulating between an inlet-side roller and an outlet-side roller, the advancing route of the belts being planely diverging and the returning route of the belts being planely converging, making the surfaces of at least the belts among the plurality of belts, on which both the side edge parts of the web are placed, wet with a liquid, preferably water containing a small amount of a surfactant, laterally spreading the web on the advancing route of the belts to a given lateral spreading ratio, while temporarily fixing both the side edge parts of the web onto the belts by the surface tension of the liquid, withdrawing the web onto a rotating hot drum through a guide rod, applying suctions to both the side edge parts of the web on the drum, in order to laterally spread slacking side edge parts of the web outwards by the s