Abstract: Yarn is unwound from a reel by means of unwinding rollers. Simultaneously the yarn is untwisted partially to free constituent fibers by means of a rotating arm guiding the yarn through an eye. Nip rollers prevent slack in the untwisted yarn. Drafting rollers draft the untwisted yarn to break bonding among the fibers. A pair of endless belts moving in opposing relation hold the drafted fibers together in a bundle. The fibers are sucked from the bundle via a conduit into a foraminous container from which the fibers can individually be reclaimed for testing.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of and a device for reducing pucker between layers of sheet material during a sewing process wherein an upper layer and a lower layer of material are fed to a stitch formation zone by means of a reciprocating lower feed-dog which engages the lower layer of the material and a first presser foot which overlies the feed-dog and urges the layers of material towards the feed-dog; comprises the steps of tensioning the lower layer of material relative to the upper layer of material in the zone which precedes the stitch formation zone.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for making tubes from flexible textile sheets by which a sheet is helically wound around two or more non-rotatable support bars. Feed rollers contacting two or more helical convolutions wind the sheet so that adjacent helical convolutions overlap and also maintain the tube upstream of the feed rollers in tension to progress the tube axially along the support bars. As the sheet is wound into helical form, successive helical convolutions are sewn together to form a continuous tube.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of testing yarn comprising periodically feeding a length of yarn by means of a fluid stream along a pathway so that it extends between a pair of spaced clamps, clamping the length of yarn towards the ends thereof by means of the clamps and causing one or both clamps to move relative to the other progressively to tension the yarn until breakage. Tension and elongation of the yarn is measured.