Abstract: The invention provides a melt-blown non-woven fabric obtained by melt-blowing an ethylene-.alpha.-olefin copolymer having a density of smaller than 0.900 g/cm.sup.3 and a crystallinity of from 5 to 40% or by melt-blowing a resin composition which chiefly comprises said copolymer, a laminated non-woven fabric obtained by laminating as a unitary structure a dry-type non-woven fabric on the melt-blown fabric that is obtained by melt-blowing said copolymer or the resin composition which chiefly comprises said copolymer, and a cataplasm which comprises the non-woven fabric obtained by melt-blowing said copolymer or said resin composition which chiefly comprises said copolymer, a dry-type non-woven fabric laminated on said melt-blown non-woven fabric, and a medicine layer applied onto said dry-type non-woven fabric. The non-woven fabric or the laminated non-woven fabric has excellent elastic property, i.e.

Abstract: A fiber bundle comprising a plurality of composite fibers spun out of a spinneret is blown against a working net conveyor by a drawing force of a high-speed air stream while the air stream is sucked and removed from below the net conveyor to deposit the fiber bundle on the net conveyor to form a web, and the web is then heat-treated to develop crimps and the fibers thermally adhere together at their points of contact, thereby obtaining a nonwoven fabric, wherein the air stream is blown against the web from below the net conveyor for a time before the heat-treatment, with an intensity sufficient to make the web to float in such a manner that the bottom face of the web rise above the net conveyor by 0.2 to 30 mm.

Abstract: A method of forming a nonwoven web having delayed antimicrobial activity, in that the web does not exhibit antimicrobial activity upon its formation but develops such activity within from about three hours to about 30 days thereafter without any post-formation treatment, which method involves the steps of (1) melting a mixture consisting of a thermoplastic polyolefin, an additive, and a retardant coadditive; (2) forming fibers by extruding the resulting melt through under defined conditions of shear and throughput; (3) drawing the fibers; and (4) collecting the fibers on a moving foraminous surface as a web of entangled fibers. The additive is a defined siloxane quaternary ammonium salt having a weight average molecular weight of from about 800 to about 2,000 and a polydispersity of up to about 3.0. The additive is present in an amount of from about 0.5 to about 2.0 percent by weight, based on the amount of thermoplastic polyolefin.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for forming a nonwoven fabric web, such as a spunbond web. The apparatus comprises a spinneret for downwardly extruding a curtain of filaments, and an underlying air drawing unit for drawing and attenuating the filaments as they move downwardly therethrough. A conveyor belt receives the drawn filaments and forms the filaments into a nonwoven fabric web. In the drawing unit, the filaments pass downwardly through a slot, and a pair of air nozzles are positioned in the slot, with one nozzle being positioned adjacent each side wall of the slot. The nozzle outlets are oriented so as to introduce each of the air streams into the slot in a direction which is parallel to the side walls of the slot, and the introduced air streams act to draw additional air into the open upper end of the slot.

Abstract: A process for producing a nonwoven fabric having the steps of: bonding polypropylene long-fibers constituting main fibers of the web to one another to produce a raw nonwoven fabric; and uniaxially drawing the raw nonwoven fabric at certain draw temperatures and draw magnifications to produce a final nonwoven fabric.

Abstract: A process for the manufacture of a hot-melt, pressure-sensitive adhesive substance with surfces that are not sticky or self-adhesive, which includes casting such a substance in a mold that has been previously coated with a protective web created by spinning a hot-melt, non-pressure-sensitive adhesive and of protecting the surface of the casting with a similar web. For this purpose, fiberization nozzles are advantageously employed. These protective webs are very resistant and, since they participate in the solidity of the block, they make possible the flexible packaging of adhesives with a low mass mechanical strength.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for continuously producing a pitch-based carbon fiber felt which comprises the steps of spinning a pitch by melt blow spinning system; accumulating the spun fibers as a pitch fiber web composed of the aggregate of short fibers; continuously cross lapping the web; subsequently stabilizing the cross lapped web; carbonizing and/or activating the stabilized web; and then felting the resultant web. The above-mentioned process is capable of efficiently producing a pitch-based carbon fiber felt having uniform unit weight and excellent physical properties and well suited for use in high-performance thermal insulator, cushioning thermal insulator, filter media and adsorbent for water purification and solvent recovery, etc.

Abstract: An imitation leather laminate material comprises a base sheet consisting of 50 to 90% by weight of a microfiber felt wherein said microfibers are polyethylene terephthalate or polyamide 6 or polyamide 6--6 of from 0.05 to 0.4 denier, and 50 to 10% by weight of a polyurethane-polyurea polymer having an average molecular weight corresponding to a polymer solution viscosity within the range from 10,000 to 50,000 centipoise (cps) when the solution is 25% by weight in dimethylformamide at a temperature of 20.degree. C.; the resulting base sheet has final weight within 140 to 450 g/m.sup.2 and density within 0.20 to 0.40 g/cm.sup.3 and is backed with one or more functional substrates adhered thereto.

Abstract: There is disclosed a nonwoven web for use as a barrier layer in an SMS fabric laminate. The web is formed at commercially acceptable polymer melt throughputs (greater than 3 PIH) by using a reactor granule polyolefin, preferably polypropylene, that has been modified by the addition of peroxide in amounts ranging from up to 3000 ppm to reduce the molecular weight distribution from an initial molecular weight distribution of from 4.0 to 4.5 Mw/Mn to a range of from 2.2 to 3.5 Mw/Mn. Also the addition of peroxide increases the melt flow rate (lowers viscosity) to a range between 800 up to 5000 gms/10 min at 230.degree. C. The resulting web has an average fiber size of from 1 to 3 microns and pore sizes distributed predominantly in the range from 7 to 12 microns, with a lesser amount of pores from 12 to 25 microns, with virtually no pores greater than 25 microns, and with the peak of the pore size distribution less than 10 microns.

Abstract: A hotmelt-adhesive fiber sheet having a superior adhesion and sheet-form retainability is provided, which sheet is composed of substantially unstretched fibers of an average fiber diameter of 10 .mu.m or less composed of an olefinic copolymer or terpolymer composed mainly of propylene, the fiber contact points of the fiber sheet being hotmelt-adhered.

Abstract: A process and device for manufacturing ultrafine fibers and ultrafine-fibre mats from thermoplastic polymers with mean fibre diameters of 0,2-15 .mu.m, preferably 0,5-10 .mu.m, by a melt blowing technique. The polymer melt (12) flows through at least one bore (15) in a melt blowing nozzle (18). Immediately on emerging from the bore, gas is blown against the extrusion from both sides of the bore exit (15), thus breaking up the melt to form fibers. To this end, the gas is accelerated to supersonic speed in Laval nozzles (25, 26; 31, 32), disposed in mirror symmetry round the bore exits (15), and decelerated to just below the speed of sound in channels (27) with constant cross-section, or a cross-section which decreases in the direction of flow, fitted downstream of the Laval nozzles, and the melt (12) fed into the gas stream emerging from the channels (27).

Abstract: A nonwoven polyolefin sheet useful as a primary carpet backing in making a moldable, tufted automotive carpet. The polyolefin sheet, preferably polypropylene, is prepared by melt spinning filaments from a plurality of spinnerets and then drawing the spun filaments to a draw ratio of less than 2.0 to maintain high filament elongation as the filaments move from high to low elongation as the draw increases. The drawn filaments are deposited in both the machine and cross-machine directions on a moving collection belt to form a nonwoven sheet having a unit weight of 100 to 150 g/m.sup.2. The resulting sheet is lightly bonded using a steam bonder and then debonded such that sheet thickness increases by between 2.5 and 3.5 times. The tufted sheet has an elongation of at least 40%.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel method and apparatus for producing nonwoven fabrics. Generally, in production of nonwoven fabrics, in order to obtain a nonwoven fabric with a wide width, it has been impossible to obtain a uniform nonwoven fabric unless a large number of spinnerets ejecting fibers are installed in the width direction of the nonwoven fabric. The present invention relates to a novel method and apparatus for producing nonwoven fabrics capable of easily increasing the width of the fabric even when only few spinnerets are used.

Abstract: A method of forming substantially continuous filaments which involves the steps of (1) extending a molten thermoplastic polymer through a die having a plurality of orifices to give a plurality of substantially continuous filaments; (2) quenching the filaments by contacting them with a quenching fluid having a temperature less than that of the filaments and a zero to high imposed velocity which, if other than zero, has a component which is in a direction other than parallel with the movement of filaments; (3) entraining and drawing the filaments in a nozzle with an attenuating liquid having a linear speed of at least about 400 feet/minute; and (4) collecting the drawn filaments. The filaments have an average diameter in the range of from about 5 to about 75 micrometers and a high variability of filament diameter from filament to filament and along the length of any given filament. In addition, at least some of such filaments are present as filament bundles.

Abstract: This invention provides a bulky nonwoven fabric made of thermoplastic resin filaments, which is soft and highly permeable to water and gas and effectively absorbs moisture as well as shocks.A nonwoven fabric according to the invention is made of fiber-like filaments of a thermoplastic resin material and comprises a base cloth layer made having densely distributed holes and a large number of cylindrical projections, each standing from the peripheral edge of one of the holes and made of fiber-like filaments similar to those of the base cloth layer and soft, its height being at least twice as large as the thickness of the base cloth layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a fiber glass blanket encapsulated within an air-permeable sheet on one major face and a non-porous film extending over the other major face and the two side edges. The film is applied by being wrapped around the edges of the backed blanket and preferably being heat sealed to the backing sheet. The air-permeable sheet is preferably applied to the blanket before curing of the binder in the blanket, and in a preferred method the glass fibers are deposited directly on the sheet while the sheet is supported on a collection chain.

Abstract: A highly conformable and deformable nonwoven web comprising melt-blown microfibers having multiple layers of a relatively low modulus material and a high modulus material.

Abstract: A heat-stable melt-blown web of multi-layer microfibers comprising at least two layers of a heat-stable melt-blowable material and at least one included layer of a second material.

Abstract: The invention is directed to composite nonwoven fabrics comprising a hydrophobic nonwoven web, a nonwoven web of thermoplastic meltblown microfibers and a hydrophilic nonwoven web comprising staple fibers. The nonwoven web of thermoplastic meltblown fibers is sandwiched between the hydrophobic nonwoven web and the hydrophilic nonwoven web and all of the layers are thermally bonded together via discontinuous thermal bonds distributed substantially throughout the composite nonwoven fabric.

Abstract: A precision cartridge filter having an average filter diameter of 10 .mu.m or less is produced by preparing a web composed of conjugate microfine fibers by a conjugate melt-blowing process, wherein the conjugate microfine fibers have a lower melting point component, a higher melting point component, and a melting point difference between the lower melting point component and higher melting point component of 20.degree. C. or more; followed by heating and molding the web at a temperature greater than or equal to the melting point of said lower melting point component, but less than the melting point of said higher melting point component.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing uniformly distributed filaments from a spun filament bundle and a process for forming spunbonded fabric having superior uniformity and a favorable ratio between machine and cross direction tensile strengths. The apparatus includes a fiber transfer tube and a pair of adjustable deflector plates. The deflector plates form a channel having a tapering width for transporting the filaments in a stream of high velocity air. The apparatus may also include an electrostatic charging means for applying an electrostatic charge to each individual filament after it exits the channel. The method for providing uniformly distributed filaments includes a first stage of separating the filament bundle by the high velocity stream of air and may also include a second stage of electrostatically charging the filaments to achieve a uniform filament separation.

Abstract: A low cost, high web integrity fabric that can be economically produced and tailored to provide a variety of different combinations of characteristics and properties for different end uses. It is a fabric wherein the strength in any direction can be predetermined and also wherein the elasticity in any direction can be varied in a predetermined fashion. It is also a fabric that combines continuous filaments, ranging from elastomeric to non-elastic but elongatable to at least a minimum extent, for strength and elasticity with the predetermined indepth intermingling of fibrous melt blown webs for interlocking of the said continuous filaments in the formation of the integrated, fibrous and continuous filament matrix.

Abstract: There is disclosed a nonwoven web for use as a barrier layer in an SMS fabric laminate. The web is formed at commercially acceptable polymer melt throughputs (greater than 3 PIH) by using a reactor granule polyolefin, preferably polypropylene, that has been modified by the addition of peroxide in amounts ranging from up to 3000 ppm to reduce the molecular weight distribution from an initial molecular weight distribution of from 4.0 to 4.5 Mw/Mn to a range of from 2.2 to 3.5 Mw/Mn. Also the addition of peroxide increases the melt flow rate (lowers viscosity) to a range between 800 up to 5000 gms/10 min at 230.degree. C. The resulting web has an average fiber size of from 1 to 3 microns and pore sizes distributed predominantly in the range from 7 to 12 microns, with a lesser amount of pores from 12 to 25 microns, with virtually no pores greater than 25 microns, and with the peak of the pore size distribution less than 10 microns.

Abstract: A generally hydrophobic polyolefin article is provided with a modified surface by contacting said generally hydrophobic polyolefin with a copolymeric material while said polyolefin is at a temperature above its glass transition temperature. The copolymeric composition includes a generally hydrophobic moiety and a modifying moiety. Also disclosed is a method for imparting the modified surface to a generally hydrophobic polyolefin which method involves contacting a generally hydrophobic polyolefin with a copolymeric material while said generally hydrophobic polyolefin is at a temperature above its glass transition temperature. In one preferred embodiment, the generally hydrophobic polyolefin is contacted with said copolymeric composition immediately after said polyolefin has been extruded and while said polyolefin is undergoing die swell.

Abstract: An extensible transparent film is provided having a continuous phase of a low modulus or elastomeric material and an included array of entangled microfibers. The film turns opaque and increases moisture vapor transmission when stretched.

Abstract: A transmission type screen having a screen body constituted by at least one plastic sheet formed of a multiplicity of transparent plastic strands arranged in the shape of a sheet, each the strands being welded together at outer surfaces thereof. Each of the transparent strand may have a main portion and another portion different from the main portion in terms of optical effects. This transmission type screen is manufactured by spinning off the transparent strands from a spinning nozzle while aligning the strands; welding each adjacent over of the strands to form a sheet; and forming a screen body from at least one sheet obtained in this manner.

Abstract: Disclosed is a melt-blowing process for producing a fiber of an extrudable polyurethane having a large amount of hard segment, which comprises supplying a polyurethane comprising the reaction product of:(a) an organic polyisocyanate;(b) an isocyanate-reactive material having an average functionality of at least 1.9, a glass transition temperature (Tg) of less than 20.degree.C., and a molecular weight in the range of 500 to 20,000; and(c) at least one chain extender having a functionality from 2 to 3 and a molecular weight from 50 to 400;which reaction product has up to 25 percent by weight of soft segment derived from the organic polyisocyanate (a) and the isocyanate-reactive material (b) and at least 75 percent by weight of hard segment derived from the organic polyisocyanate (a) and the chain extender (c), in a molten form from at least one orifice of a nozzle into a gas stream supplied to an area adjacent to the orifice which attenuates the molten polymer into fibers.

Abstract: A plastic contact material is disclosed for the treatment of a liquid, comprising a plurality of strips made of a plastic material and wherein each of the strips has at least one tension element. A process is also disclosed for manufacturing a biological water treatment contact material made of a plurality of strips of a plastics material, which process comprises providing at least one strand at an elevated temperature, and applying the strand to a strip of plastic material while the strand is still at said elevated temperature.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus of the type for forming a nonwoven web from a fiber forming thermoplastic polymer resin which includes a reservoir for supplying a quantity of melted fiber forming thermoplastic resin, a pump for pumping the molten resin to a fiber forming die, and a die for forming a discrete resin stream to flow therefrom. The die includes a first fluid passageway for forming a stream of fluid, such as air, in contact with and substantially surrounding the formed flow of resin for a predetermined distance within the die and a fluid interrupt system for selectively cycling the flow of resin on and off and clearing the resin from the fiber forming die. A receiving belt collects the fibers formed from the resin flow beyond the first fluid passageway spaced at a predetermined distance from the die.

Abstract: Nonwoven fabrics are disclosed, which are produced by molding a material containing as a main component a styrene-based polymer with mainly syndiotactic configuration, in such a manner that a difference between the absolute value of heat of fusion .vertline..DELTA.Hf.vertline. and the absolute value of crystallizing enthalpy on heating .vertline..DELTA.Htcc.vertline. of the molded polymer is at least 1 cal/g. These nonwoven fabrics are excellent in heat-resistant and chemical-resistant characteristics, and are suitable for use as medical fabrics, industrial filters, battery separators and so forth.

Abstract: A method for producing a melt-blown non-woven mat wherein a fiber-forming thermoplastic polymer resin is extruded in molten form through a row of nozzles into a stream of hot gas which attenuates the molten resin into fibers that form a fiber stream. The fibers are collected on a receiver in the path of the fiber stream to form the non-woven mat. At least two spaced rows of nozzles are provided to produce first and second fiber streams spaced from each other. The spaced fiber streams are collected on the receiver to form a first non-woven mat portion and a second non-woven mat portion and with the first non-woven mat portion overlaying the second non-woven mat portion. At a position intermediate the first and second fiber streams, material different than the fiber-forming resin is injected to have the different material captured between the first and second fiber streams and thereby form a collected structure of the first and second mat portions sandwiching the different material.

Abstract: A melt-blowing process for producing a fiber preferably a microfiber of a syndiotactic vinyl aromatic polymer, which comprises supplying a vinyl aromatic polymer having a high degree of syndiotacticity in a molten form from at least one orifice of a nozzle into a gas stream which attenuates the molten polymer into microfibers. Such microfibers are particularly useful in the field of high temperature filtration, coalescing and insulation.

Abstract: A method for preparing melt-blown microfibers comprising extruding fiber-forming material through the orifices of a die into a high-velocity gaseous stream where the extruded material is rapidly attenuated into fibers, directing the attenuated fibers into a first open end of a tubular chamber disposed near the die and extending in a direction parallel to the path of the attenuated fibers as they leave the die, introducing air into the tubular chamber at a velocity sufficient to maintain the fibers under tension during travel through the chamber, and collecting the fibers after they leave the tubular chamber.

Abstract: There is described a support web for roofing membranes which comprises a spunbonded made of polyester filaments. The spunbonded has a basis weight of from 50 to 100 g/m.sup.2 coupled with a filament denier of from 1 to 8 dtex and has been consolidated with a fusible binder. This produces a high tear propagation resistance and nail pullout strength and also good dimensional stability at high temperatures. The spunbonded support web is therefore particularly suitable for bitumenized roofing membranes.

Abstract: An improvement is disclosed for reducing or even preventing interferences or interactions between adjacent, closely-spaced laydown jets utilized in a fibrous sheet laydown process. The improvement comprises positioning an inverted "V-shaped" baffle between adjacent, closely-spaced laydown jets so that the turbulent gas streams produced by each laydown jet are diverted and vented away from the area of sheet laydown on a moving collection belt. The baffle vents the fountain of gas produced by the collision of adjacent laydown jets in a cross-direction to that of the direction of belt movement.

Abstract: Epoxy-based nonwoven webs are provided. The webs are formed by meltblowing a blend of an epoxy resin and a polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer. Whereas epoxy resins by themselves produce nonwoven webs which are brittle and glassy, epoxy/PCL blends have been found to produce webs which have good flexibility and elongation and are not glassy. If desired, once formed, the epoxy/PCL webs can be cured with, for example, an epoxy crosslinking agent to produce webs having enhanced solvent resistance properties.

Abstract: Polypropylene articles are provided. The polypropylene articles include non-crystalline mesomorphous polypropylene having olefinic unsaturation-containing monomers graft-polymerized thereon by ionizing radiation in a dosage sufficient to degrade crystalline polypropylene. The irradiated polypropylene articles retain useful tensile properties after storage periods of as long as at least about four months.

Abstract: A meltblowing die is provided with means for discharging crossflow air onto meltblown filaments to disrupt their shape and flow pattern between the die and the collector. The disruption enhances drag forces imparted by the primary meltblowing air and results in smaller diameter filaments.

Abstract: A porous, filamentary mat has a plurality of layers that are in intimate face-to-face relation and that have portions of the confronting faces thereof bonded together to enable those layers to constitute a unitary, porous, filamentary mat. Each of the layers has a plurality of elongated filaments of thermoplastic material; and each of those filaments is arranged in an essentially horizontal attitude and is longer than the mat. Each of those filaments has a number of bends therein which cause portions of each filament to cross and to engage other portions of that filament; and those bends also cause portions of each filament to cross and to engage portions of one or more adjacent filaments.

Abstract: The subject matter of this invention relates to a method and apparpatus for making mats of continuous glass fiber strands in which a heated calendering roll and continuous belt are used to compact the mat, expel excess noisture, melt, and/or cure resin previously distributed throughout the glass strand. The resin may be deposited in the mat in the form of a powdered resin or as continuous thread of material that is combined with the remaining strands that form the mat as the glass strands are projected onto the surface of a moving conveyor to form the mat.

Abstract: A package of food containing a substantial amount of water and solidified grease that can be cooked within the package in a microwave oven. A pad adjacent the food comprises microwave radiation transparent generally hydrophobic liquid grease absorbing materials that are capable of holding the amount of grease in the food when it is melted; and a vapor tight microwave radiation transparent enclosure surrounding the pad and food includes means for venting steam from the enclosure as the food is cooked. Preferably, the pad is produced from microfibers constructed of a composition comprising a blend containing substantially equal parts by weight of propylene and poly 4-methylpentene-1.

Abstract: An article of manufacture comprises a pultruded thermoplastic composite body having at least two integral sections of different cross-sectional shapes. This is produced by a method and/or in an apparatus wherein an elongated body of reinforced thermoplastic material is pulled through a plurality of dies and the plurality of dies are operated independently of each other so that any combination of the dies can be selected to operate on the elongated body for imparting to at least a portion of the body the cross-sectional shape of the selected one or ones of the dies.

Abstract: Electrostatic spinning method for producing tubular fibrous structures from fiberizable material wherein the fiberizable material is collected on an electrostatically charged mandrel wherein the fiberizable material takes different paths from the source to the mandrel to produce a structure of smaller diameter fibers randomly oriented, larger diameter fibers and/or bundles of fibers circumferentially oriented and elongated voids circumferentially oriented.

Abstract: A thermoplastic impregnated fiberglass pipe or tube and the process for making such pipe are disclosed. The pipe or tube is made of thermoplastic impregnated fibrous roving which consists of a plurality of glass filaments, at least a portion of the filaments' surfaces being in contact with the residue produced by evaporating water from an aqueous size composition consisting of an organosilane coupling agent, a polyethylene oxide binder material, and a polypropylene thermoplastic polymer resin, wherein the composition is applied to the glass fiber during the fiber forming process. The pipe forming process includes filament winding the rovings around a spindle and thereafter heating the wound rovings to fuse the thermoplastic polymer resin.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing a nonwoven fabric from continuous filaments, which are drawn off at a high speed in the form of a tow, under the influence of a gaseous propellant, from spinnerets of spinning plates of a spinning beam and after passing through a filament draw-off apparatus are laid down by means of a delivery apparatus, embodied as a spreader, on a delivery belt moving in the production direction. In the production direction, two spinning beams are disposed spaced apart from one another, and at least one spinning beam is rotatable, together with the delivery and spreading apparatus, in a plane extending parallel to the delivery belt. A varied pattern of laying down of the nonwoven fabric, or a new nonwoven product, can thus be produced during ongoing operation.

Abstract: For the production of spunbonded fabrics there is given a process consisting in that monocomponent or bicomponent fibers are spun from multiline longitudinal spinning nozzles mounted in rows on double spinning beams in such a way that the emerging filament rows overlap over the entire production width, that, before depositing, the filament rows are cooled by transverse blowing from one side and by sucking-off on their other side freed from spinning vapors, mechanically and/or aerodynamically stretched and deposited to the web.The apparatus described comprises double spinning beams with a length of 800 to 8,000 mm which carry multiline longitudinal spinning nozzles staggered to one another with high hole numbers, with lengths of the individual nozzles from 500 to 700 mm.

Abstract: Blends of high molecular weight linear polyethylene and low molecular weight linear polyethylene provide improved fiber-forming capabilities over that found with either polymer taken alone. Preferably at least one of the polymers used in the blend is a linear low density polyethylene, LLDPE, which is a linear polyethylene comprising ethylene copolymerized with an amount of a higher alpha-olefin which causes the density of the copolymer to be less than that of a homopolymer made using the same process and catalyst. The higher alpha-olefin can be at least one in the C.sub.3 -C.sub.12 range, preferably in the C.sub.4 -C.sub.8 range.

Abstract: A sheet-shaped photoconductor composed of a plurality of optical fibers is prepared by melt-spinning a spinning dope into optical fibers and, before the as-spun fibers are completely solidified, bonding the fibers to one another along the entire length thereof. The melt-spinning is carried out using a nozzle having a plurality of annularly arranged orifices. The as-spun fibers are arranged linearly in parallel to but not in contact with one another by using a grooved guide, and then the optical fibers are brought into contact with and fusion-bonded to one another by using a fusion bonding guide having a concave curved face in the central portion thereof, and the thus-formed sheet-shaped photoconductor is taken up.

Abstract: A method and means for superimposing a secondary, higher frequency, lower amplitude oscillation of the angle of the trajectory of a glass fiber relative to a forming surface upon a primary, lower frequency, higher amplitude oscillation of the release mechanism.

Abstract: In this mat consisting of filament loop aggregations, irregular form loops are formed in the upright direction by respectively winding to be coil-like many filaments coarse in the arranging intervals and made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin and are fused in the intersecting parts and the other loops are formed in the laterally fallen direction and are fused in the overlapping parts.