A method for producing environmentally friendly fabric and textile products without use of chemicals comprises a finishing process including the steps of: singeing, enzyme desizing; water washing, peaching, stentering, and sanforizing. The steps of the finishing process are purely physical and preferably uses only water, water vapor (steam), and enzymes, and not chemicals including chemical agents. As such, the finishing process is believed to be environmentally friendly.

An improved compactor shoe of the type having a gull-wing shape formed by a first wing and a second wing that meet at a critical lower edge, and a top surface. The first wing has a first radius of curvature and the second wing has a second radius of curvature, and both depend concavingly from the top surface to the critical lower edge. The first radius of curvature of the first wing is less than the second radius of curvature of the second wing. The improvement includes a through bore extending axially through the shoe, which carries a coolant to avoid heat deformation of the critical lower edge.

An improved compactor shoe of the type having a gull-wing shape formed by a first wing and a second wing that meet at a critical lower edge, and a top surface. The first wing has a first radius of curvature and the second wing has a second radius of curvature, and both depend concavingly from the top surface to the critical lower edge. The first radius of curvature of the first wing is less than the second radius of curvature of the second wing. The improvement includes a through bore extending axially through the shoe, which carries a coolant to avoid heat deformation of the critical lower edge.

A compactor for lengthwise compressive shrinkage of fabrics including an infeed roller and an outfeed roller that are fixed positioned parallel to one another as to define a compaction zone, a pressure roller that is movable and positioned above the compaction zone as to be self-centering between the infeed roller and the outfeed roller and as to define an infeed nip-point between the infeed roller and the pressure roller and an outfeed nip-point between the outfeed roller and the pressure roller, and a saddle assembly positioned within the compaction zone, the saddle assembly including a bed liner having an upper surface facing the pressure roller and a lower surface opposite the upper surface.

A compactor for lengthwise compressive shrinkage of fabrics including an infeed roller and an outfeed roller that are fixed positioned parallel to one another as to define a compaction zone, a pressure roller that is movable and positioned above the compaction zone as to be self-centering between the infeed roller and the outfeed roller and as to define an infeed nip-point between the infeed roller and the pressure roller and an outfeed nip-point between the outfeed roller and the pressure roller, and a saddle assembly positioned within the compaction zone, the saddle assembly including a bed liner having an upper surface facing the pressure roller and a lower surface opposite the upper surface.

The present invention relates to a transparency-enhanced fabric using a polyester-ether block copolymer yarn, and a manufacturing method therefor and, more specifically, the method comprises the steps of: manufacturing a polyester-ether block copolymer yarn; manufacturing a textile by using the yarn; and manufacturing a transparency-enhanced fabric by thermally contracting the textile. According to a transparency-enhanced fabric using a polyester-ether block copolymer yarn and a manufacturing method therefor, of the present invention, a polyester-ether block copolymer mono-yarn is used such that the present invention has enhanced transparency allowing a see-through effect and, simultaneously, has excellent stretchability, air permeability, and wear strength.

Disclosed herein is a method for producing an elastically stretchable artificial leather, which includes the steps of forming microfiberizable fibers into a web, entangling the obtained web to produce an entangled nonwoven fabric, converting the microfiberizable fibers in the nonwoven fabric to microfine fibers thereby producing a substrate for artificial leather, producing an artificial leather from the obtained substrate for artificial leather, bringing the obtained artificial leather into close contact with an elastomer sheet stretched in a machine direction by 5 to 40%, shrinking the artificial leather in the machine direction simultaneously with the elastomer sheet by relaxing elongation of the elastomer sheet to obtain an artificial leather in shrunk state, heat treating the artificial leather in shrunk state, and then peeling the heat treated artificial leather off from the elastomer sheet.

Disclosed herein is a method for producing an elastically stretchable artificial leather, which includes the steps of forming microfiberizable fibers into a web, entangling the obtained web to produce an entangled nonwoven fabric, converting the microfiberizable fibers in the nonwoven fabric to microfine fibers thereby producing a substrate for artificial leather, producing an artificial leather from the obtained substrate for artificial leather, bringing the obtained artificial leather into close contact with an elastomer sheet stretched in a machine direction by 5 to 40%, shrinking the artificial leather in the machine direction simultaneously with the elastomer sheet by relaxing elongation of the elastomer sheet to obtain an artificial leather in shrunk state, heat treating the artificial leather in shrunk state, and then peeling the heat treated artificial leather off from the elastomer sheet.

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 form 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.

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 form 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.