A device that attaches to a standard fabric compactor and allows narrow collar material to be processed through the standard fabric compactor. The device includes a pair of air openers. Each air opener includes an air inlet assembly and an air outlet assembly. The air inlet assembly of each air opener pulls air therein to form pulled air and pressurizes the pulled air to form pressurized air. The air outlet assembly of each air opener fluidly communicates with the air inlet assembly of an associated air opener, receives the narrow collar material therethrough, receives the pressurized air from the air inlet assembly of the associated air opener, and directs the pressurized air onto the narrow collar material, simultaneously from above and below, and in doing so, suspends the narrow collar material allowing the narrow collar material to be processed through the standard fabric compactor.

A device that attaches to a standard fabric compactor and allows narrow collar material to be processed through the standard fabric compactor. The device includes a pair of air openers. Each air opener includes an air inlet assembly and an air outlet assembly. The air inlet assembly of each air opener pulls air therein to form pulled air and pressurizes the pulled air to form pressurized air. The air outlet assembly of each air opener fluidly communicates with the air inlet assembly of an associated air opener, receives the narrow collar material therethrough, receives the pressurized air from the air inlet assembly of the associated air opener, and directs the pressurized air onto the narrow collar material, simultaneously from above and below, and in doing so, suspends the narrow collar material allowing the narrow collar material to be processed through the standard fabric compactor.

A method for making assembled textile products including the following steps: arranging open piece of fabric, made by producing tubular knitted fabric by means of circular knitting machine for hosiery or for knitwear, by pulling tubular fabric over support so as to stretch tubular fabric, by applying heat adhesive material onto at least first portion of an outer surface of tubular fabric pulled over support letting heat adhesive material firmly adhere under heat onto tubular fabric, and by cutting tubular fabric onto which heat adhesive material has been applied, so as to obtain open piece of fabric; cutting open piece of fabric according to predefined cutting lines for making one or more parts of textile product to be assembled, and assembling plurality of parts obtained from open piece of fabric or from plurality of pieces of fabric for obtaining assembled textile product.

A method for making assembled textile products including the following steps: arranging open piece of fabric, made by producing tubular knitted fabric by means of circular knitting machine for hosiery or for knitwear, by pulling tubular fabric over support so as to stretch tubular fabric, by applying heat adhesive material onto at least first portion of an outer surface of tubular fabric pulled over support letting heat adhesive material firmly adhere under heat onto tubular fabric, and by cutting tubular fabric onto which heat adhesive material has been applied, so as to obtain open piece of fabric; cutting open piece of fabric according to predefined cutting lines for making one or more parts of textile product to be assembled, and assembling plurality of parts obtained from open piece of fabric or from plurality of pieces of fabric for obtaining assembled textile product.

An assembled textile product includes a plurality of parts of fabric cut from one or more open pieces of fabric. At least one of the plurality of parts of fabric is cut from a tubular knitted fabric having a rest configuration and a stretched configuration. The tubular knitted fabric includes a heat adhesive material applied on at least a portion of a surface of the tubular knitted fabric in the stretched configuration so as to stabilize the first portion of the tubular knitted fabric by reducing its elasticity or deformability.

An assembled textile product includes a plurality of parts of fabric cut from one or more open pieces of fabric. At least one of the plurality of parts of fabric is cut from a tubular knitted fabric having a rest configuration and a stretched configuration. The tubular knitted fabric includes a heat adhesive material applied on at least a portion of a surface of the tubular knitted fabric in the stretched configuration so as to stabilize the first portion of the tubular knitted fabric by reducing its elasticity or deformability.

An apparatus and method for pre-shrinking a wet fabric prior to drying. The apparatus includes, among other components, a balloon extractor station and a hydro-sizer compression station. The balloon extractor station removes some water from the wet fabric. The hydro-sizer compression station is operatively connected to, and disposed downstream of, the balloon extractor station, and compresses the wet fabric in a lengthwise direction, and in so doing, pre-shrinks the wet fabric prior to drying. The method includes, among other steps, extracting some water from the wet fabric so as to faun a hydro-extracted and wet fabric, compressing lengthwise the hydro-extracted and wet fabric so as to form a compacted and wet fabric that is now pre-shrunk prior to drying, and drying the compacted and wet fabric so as to form a compacted and dry fabric.

A device that attaches to a standard fabric compactor and allows narrow collar material to be processed through the standard fabric compactor. The device includes a pair of air openers. Each air opener includes an air inlet assembly and an air outlet assembly. The air inlet assembly of each air opener pulls air therein to form pulled air and pressurizes the pulled air to form pressurized air. The air outlet assembly of each air opener fluidly communicates with the air inlet assembly of an associated air opener, receives the narrow collar material therethrough, receives the pressurized air from the air inlet assembly of the associated air opener, and directs the pressurized air onto the narrow collar material, simultaneously from above and below, and in doing so, suspends the narrow collar material allowing the narrow collar material to be processed through the standard fabric compactor.

A device that attaches to a standard fabric compactor and allows narrow collar material to be processed through the standard fabric compactor. The device includes a pair of air openers. Each air opener includes an air inlet assembly and an air outlet assembly. The air inlet assembly of each air opener pulls air therein to form pulled air and pressurizes the pulled air to form pressurized air. The air outlet assembly of each air opener fluidly communicates with the air inlet assembly of an associated air opener, receives the narrow collar material therethrough, receives the pressurized air from the air inlet assembly of the associated air opener, and directs the pressurized air onto the narrow collar material, simultaneously from above and below, and in doing so, suspends the narrow collar material allowing the narrow collar material to be processed through the standard fabric compactor.

Methods, systems, and devices for changing cross-sectional sizes and/or shapes of flat braided sutures and the resulting constructs are disclosed. The flat braided sutures can have a textile first cross-sectional shape that can be changed to a textile second cross-sectional shape. The systems can have a heater and a die. The flat braided sutures can be movable through the heater and the die. When the flat braided sutures are in the heater, the flat braided sutures can be heatable from a textile first temperature to a textile second temperature greater than the textile first temperature. When the flat braided sutures are at the textile second temperature, the textile first cross-sectional shape can be changeable to the textile second cross-sectional shape.