Abstract: There are disclosed a nonwoven reinforcement for a printed wiring base board which nonwoven reinforcement contains a wet system nonwoven fabric constituted of thermotropic cystalline polyester fiber having a melting point of 290° C. or higher (component A) and a thermotropic cystalline polyester binder which has a melting point of 290° C. or higher and is in the form of a film having holes including at least 5 holes/mm2 each with an area of opening of 400 to 1000 &mgr;m2 (component B), the component A being fixed by the component B; a process for producing the above nonwoven reinforcement; a printed wiring base board produced from the above nonwoven reinforcement; and a printed wiring board produced from the above printed wiring base board. The nonwoven reinforcement and the printed wiring (base) board are excellent in various performances such as uniformity, dimensional stability, heat resistance and electrical characteristics such as dielectric constasnt and dielectric loss tangent.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously cutting fibers to a predetermined length to provide staple fibers comprising at least one rotatably supported disc having a peripheral surface formed with a circumferential row of engagement projections radially outwardly protruding therefrom and spaced at intervals of a predetermined pitch and at least one cutting blade, the disc being rotatable sequentially past a delivery station and then past a cutting station during one complete rotation thereof. The fibers are at the delivery station delivered successively onto the disc so as to cause the fibers to be substantially traversed in a zig-zag fashion while extending alternately outwardly and inwardly around the engagement projections, and then partially pressed against such every other engagement projections by means of an endless belt drivingly trained around the disc.

Abstract: Knitted fabrics in which at least yarns therein are composed mainly of polyester spun yarns made from staple fiber having an intrinsic viscosity of 0.36 dl/g or lower and subjected to hydrophilic finishing, whose weight is in the range from 120 to 460 g/m.sup.2, whose lateral stretchability is 100% or larger, whose contact coldness is 1.2.times.10.sup.-2 cal/cm.sup.2 /sec or lower, whose warmth retention ratio for unit thickness of 105 or higher, and whose wicking rate measured by the water dropping test is less than one second are very suitable for underwear use because of the following characteristics:(1) Favorable feel of warmth upon contact with the skin.(2) Adaptable to the skin and easy to wear because of high stretchability.(3) Sustained feel of warmth during wear.(4) Rendered hydrophilic to minimize stuffy feeling during wear, said hydrophilic nature being durable to laundering and giving no feel of coldness.(5) Little tendency of forming pills.(6) Soft in hand and mild to the skin.

Abstract: This invention relates to filling material composed of crimped fibers joined together at one end with a high density, and having crimps located in mutually deviating phases, while the other ends of the fibers stay free, and a process for manufacturing such filling material. The filling material exhibits superior bulkiness and thermal insulation, since the recovery force or resiliency of the crimps located in mutually deviating phases causes the fibers to spread sufficiently to contain a large quantity of air among themselves.