Hbi Branded Apparel Enterprises, LLC Corporation

Sara Lee Corporation

J. E. Morgan Knitting Mills, Inc.

Bastcore, Inc.

Robert A Miller, Iii

Michael D Abbott

Asli Begenir

Roger D Warren

Ruth E May

Gregory V Stagnitta

Joseph M Brucato

Donald R Rummel

Jill B Cravotta

George Banavage

Joseph D Atkins

A method for wet processing of hemp fibers for commercial use is provided. The method includes steps of loading raw hemp fibers with water into a vessel and heating the contents of the vessel. The method also includes the addition of a sequence of certain chemical compounds, which include a scouring agent, a wetting agent, a caustic compound, an acidic compound, a lubricant, and a softening agent. The water may be heated to boiling during the process to aid in opening up the fibers during processing. Peroxide is not utilized in the process. The process produces commercially viable quantities of hemp fibers that are soft, clean, and easily spinnable while maintaining fiber burst strength.

Method for wet processing of hemp fibers

A rinsing station for removing residual materials from a fabric being dyed or bleached. The rinsing station includes a first pair of rinse spray nozzles. One of the first pair directed to spray a rinse fluid downwardly onto incoming dyed fabric. The other of the first pair directed to spray the rinse fluid upwardly onto the incoming dyed fabric. The rinsing station also includes a pair of nip rollers downstream for the first pair of rinse spray nozzles for extracting the rinse fluid.

Rinsing station for spray dyeing system

An apparatus for harvesting bast stalks includes a cutting device and a first moving belt. The cutting device is configured to receive bast stalks includes at least one cutter at a front end of the apparatus, where the cutter is configured to cut bast stalks from bast plants. The first moving belt has a first end for receiving the cut bast stalks from the cutter, a second end, and a top surface configured to move the cut bast stalks between the first end and the second end. The apparatus includes a plurality of spaced tines extending toward the top surface of the first belt to orient a substantial majority of the bast stalks generally parallel to each other and generally along the direction the first moving belt is configured to move.

Overhanging tines for orienting bast stalks

A method for harvesting bast plants that have stalks, husks, and seeds. The method includes cutting the bast stalks from the bast plants and promptly receiving the bast stalks onto a first belt without retting the bast stalks. The method then orients at least a portion of the bast stalks on the first belt, the longitudinal axis of the at least a portion of the bast stalks being generally oriented in the direction the first belt is moving. The husks and seeds may be removed from the bast stalks. The bast stalk may be packaged.

Method for harvesting bast plants

A system and method are provided for dyeing fabric, the system including a dye spray station, a dye fixation station downstream of the dye spray station, and at least one rinse station downstream of the dye fixation station. The process includes opening the fabric with a spreader to maintain the fabric flat and taut, spraying the outer surfaces of the fabric with a dye, and exposing the fabric to atmospheric steam to chemically react and affix the dye to the fabric.

System and method for spray dyeing fabrics

A method for harvesting bast plants that have stalks, husks, and seeds. The method includes cutting the bast stalks from the bast plants and receiving the bast stalks onto a first belt. The method then orients at least a portion of the bast stalks on the first belt by moving a bar back and forth across the first belt in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction the first belt is moving, the bar elevated above the first belt and having spaced tines extending toward the first belt, the longitudinal axis of the at least a portion of the bast stalks being generally oriented in the direction the first belt is moving. The husks and seeds may be removed from the bast stalks. The bast stalks may be packaged.

A process and apparatus for orienting a plurality of bast stalks for decortication includes receiving a plurality of harvested bast stalks onto a moving belt. The belt has a longitudinal axis in the direction the belt is moving. The process and apparatus orients a substantial portion of the plurality of harvested bast stalks on the belt so that the harvested bast stalks are generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the belt. The oriented plurality of bast stalks may be collected for decortication.

Process and apparatus for orienting bast stalks for decortication

Methods of molding a non-woven fabric are provided. The methods include selecting a non-woven fabric having a web of fibers having a uniform fiber orientation in all directions, compressing the non-woven fabric between a top mold and a bottom mold, and maintaining the non-woven fabric between the top and bottom molds for a predetermined dwell time to define a molded depth and a molded diameter in the non-woven fabric.

Molded non-woven fabrics and methods of molding

Methods of molding a non-woven fabric are provided. The methods include selecting a non-woven fabric having a web of randomly disbursed fibers, compressing the non-woven fabric between a top mold and a bottom mold, and maintaining the non-woven fabric between the top and bottom molds for a predetermined dwell time to define a molded depth and a molded diameter in the non-woven fabric. In some embodiments, the method includes exposing the non-woven fabric to mechanical agitation. In other embodiments, the method includes selecting the top and bottom molds to have a depth that is larger than the molded depth by about 30 to about 50 percent and a diameter that us larger than the molded diameter by less than about 10 percent.

A package containing a plurality of articles of textile products, comprising one or more compacted articles and at least one un-compacted article. The un-compacted article is placed so that it is predominantly visible.

System and method for packaging apparel

An article of apparel is provided for determining location information via a global positioning system and transmitting the location information to a remote location. The article of apparel comprises a fabric web having at least one yarn of wire formed within the fabric web. The yarn of wire forms an antenna for receipt and transmission of radio frequency signals. A GPS receiver is interconnected to the antenna, wherein the GPS receiver determines a location of the article of apparel via a global positioning system. A transmitter is provided to transmit the location of the article of apparel determined by the GPS receiver. A power supply is interconnected to the GPS receiver and the transmitter.

Bi-ply fabric construction having a dormant global positioning system formed therewith

A method is provided for conditioning a tubular knitted fabric. The method includes the step of placing on a supported member a tubular knitted fabric formed of yarns, the yarns having fibers of a high cotton content. The layers of the fabric are arranged in overlying layered relation, each layer having an outer surface. The fabric is traversed at a preselected rate while subjecting the outer surfaces of the overlying layers to jets of fluid at pressures of about 40 bar absolute or lower. The fibers forming the overlying layers do not interlock the overlying layers and are separable by subsequent fabric finishing or laundering.

Hydrodynamic treatment of tubular knitted fabrics

A knitted fabric constructed from cotton yarns and synthetic yarns of polyester. The fabric is knitted with courses of cotton yarns, with a polyester yarn knitted with at least every fourth course of cotton yarn.

Cotton jersey fabric construction having improved stretch characteristics

A knitted fabric having moisture management properties. The fabric is formed from filamentary yarns and spun yarns, both the filamentary and spun yarns having substantially the same weight per unit of length. The fabric is knitted with so that the courses alternate between a filamentary yarn and a spun yarn.

Knitted fabric construction with improved moisture management

A panty construction having improved moisture management. The panty construction includes a body portion having a waist opening, a front section and a back section, a crotch section, and a panty liner. The panty liner is formed from a knitted fabric comprising alternating courses of hydrophilic yarns. The yarns are knitted to form a rib knit with parallel ribs, the parallel ribs formed parallel to the alternating courses. The panty liner overlies and is attached to the inner surface of the crotch area so that the parallel ribs are substantially parallel with the major axis of the crotch area.

Growing community of inventors

New Ringgold, PA, United States of America

Robert A Miller, Iii