Celanese Acetate Limited

Fiberweb Corovin Gmbh

Dow Global Technolgoies LLC

Fitesa Germany Gmbh

Jean-Claude Abed

Jared A Austin

Steven P Webb

Edward J Powers

Todd Ames

Ricky Lee Kenley

Bobby R Lomax

William T Wygand

Denis G Fallon

William West

Manfred Wittner

Henning Roettger

The invention provides a roll assembly including a pair of cylindrical rolls that are positioned in an opposing cooperating relation for receiving a sheet material therebetween. A plurality of projections on at least one of the rolls extending radially outward from a surface thereof and a plurality of corresponding recesses is provided on the other roll. The projections and corresponding recesses are positioned and arranged on the rolls for contacting and engaging a sheet passing between the pair of rolls. The projections each include an outermost surface portion that is positioned for contacting a discrete portion of the sheet and for entering a corresponding recess on the opposite roll. When rolls rotate about their axes, the projections engage the discrete portion of the sheet material which results in the discrete portion entering the recesses with the projections so as to stretch the sheet in multiple directions.

Apparatus and method for stretching an extensible sheet material

The invention is directed to a nonwoven material made of a bicomponent fiber in which the first polymer is a cellulose ester polymer, preferably cellulose acetate, and the second polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyesters, polyamides and polyimides. The bicomponent fiber can be either a side-by-side or a core-and-sheath fibers. When core-and-sheath, the cellulose acetate is the sheath polymer. The nonwoven material of the invention can be used to prepare grips, materials for use in absorbent products such as diapers and personal hygiene products, disposable towels and other products. The nonwoven of the invention has particular utility for disposable diaper products due to the superior fluid acquisition, retention and distribution properties of the cellulose ester, yet avoids the high cost of all cellulose acetate fibers by use of a much less expensive second polymer to form part the bicomponent fiber.

Nonwoven absorbent materials made with cellulose ester containing bicomponent fibers

The invention provides an air opening jet for use in a process for making a rectangular structure made from a tow of fibers, such air opening jet including a housing, an air jet for moving the tow through the housing and opening the tow, and an accumulating chamber that includes at least one, and preferably two, perforated plates located in the path of the moving tow, and an air control arrangement for controlling the flow of air so that the moving tow is urged into engagement with the perforated plates to retard movement of the tow and cause it to properly accumulate in the accumulation chamber. The invention also includes methods for using the air opening jet apparatus to produce multi-tow band products, and products produced by such methods.

Apparatus, method and system for air opening of textile tow and opened textile tow web produced thereby

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Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Jean-Claude Abed