A curl straightening method applied upon printing on a spread medium in a printing step, the method being provided with a first spreading step of spreading the medium fed out from a medium roll between a feeding step of feeding the medium from the medium roll in which the medium made of a textile fabric and having a predetermined width is wound on a roll core, and the printing step of printing on the medium fed out from the medium roll, and in the first spreading step, spreading of the medium is performed in a state where the medium fed out from the medium roll is stretched on an outer circumference of a first spreader roller rotating about a pivotal axis parallel to a pivotal axis of the medium roll, and the medium has its surface side with a curl stretched on the outer circumference of the first spreader roller.

A nonwoven fabric comprises a first surface, a second surface, and a visually discernible pattern on at least one of the first and second surfaces. The visually discernible pattern has a regular, repeating pattern of three-dimensional features. Each of the three-dimensional features define a microzone comprising a first region and a second region. The first and second regions having a difference in values for an intensive property. The first surface has a TS7 value in the range of about 1 dB V.sup.2 rms to about 15 dB V.sup.2 rms. The second surface has a TS7 value in the range of about 1 dB V.sup.2 rms to about 15 dB V.sup.2 rms. A ratio of the TS7 value of the first surface to the TS7 value of the second surface is in the range of about 1 to about 3.

A nonwoven fabric comprises a first surface, a second surface, and a visually discernible pattern on at least one of the first and second surfaces. The visually discernible pattern has a regular, repeating pattern of three-dimensional features. Each of the three-dimensional features define a microzone comprising a first region and a second region. The first and second regions having a difference in values for an intensive property. The first surface has a TS7 value in the range of about 1 dB V.sup.2 rms to about 15 dB V.sup.2 rms. The second surface has a TS7 value in the range of about 1 dB V.sup.2 rms to about 15 dB V.sup.2 rms. A ratio of the TS7 value of the first surface to the TS7 value of the second surface is in the range of about 1 to about 3.

The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a process for producing stretch nonwoven fabric having excellent stretchability. This production process has the following configuration. The process for producing stretch nonwoven fabric comprises: a step in which nonwoven fabric to be treated which comprises stretchable fibers and extensible fibers is unevenly stretched, while being conveyed, so that nonwoven fabric having both higher stretched regions and lower stretched regions is formed; and a step in which the nonwoven fabric having both higher stretched regions and lower stretched regions is heated for 0.1-10 seconds at a temperature which is 40 C. or higher but is lower than the melting point of the stretchable fibers. The production process is characterized in that in the nonwoven fabric having both higher stretched regions and lower stretched regions, the higher stretched regions and the lower stretched regions are parallel to the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and are present alternately in the conveying direction.

The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a process for producing stretch nonwoven fabric having excellent stretchability. This production process has the following configuration. The process for producing stretch nonwoven fabric comprises: a step in which nonwoven fabric to be treated which comprises stretchable fibers and extensible fibers is unevenly stretched, while being conveyed, so that nonwoven fabric having both higher stretched regions and lower stretched regions is formed; and a step in which the nonwoven fabric having both higher stretched regions and lower stretched regions is heated for 0.1-10 seconds at a temperature which is 40 C. or higher but is lower than the melting point of the stretchable fibers. The production process is characterized in that in the nonwoven fabric having both higher stretched regions and lower stretched regions, the higher stretched regions and the lower stretched regions are parallel to the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and are present alternately in the conveying direction.

An end cap sleeve stretch sub-assembly for holding the ends of the sleeve portion of a spreader roller assembly being rotatable on a stationary shaft, including a pivot arm assembly for adjusting the angular displacement of the end cap assembly with respect to an axis of the shaft in order to expand and contract sections of the roller assembly resilient sleeve, an outer bearing ring and bearing assembly including a slide ring which is adapted for slidable adjustment parallel to an axis of the shaft on the outer bearing ring in order to preload the end cap sub-assembly by adjusting the tension on the sleeve, and a clamping assembly for securely attaching the sleeve portion to the outer slide ring.

An end cap sleeve stretch sub-assembly for holding the ends of the sleeve portion of a spreader roller assembly being rotatable on a stationary shaft, including a pivot arm assembly for adjusting the angular displacement of the end cap assembly with respect to an axis of the shaft in order to expand and contract sections of the roller assembly resilient sleeve, an outer bearing ring and bearing assembly including a slide ring which is adapted for slidable adjustment parallel to an axis of the shaft on the outer bearing ring in order to preload the end cap sub-assembly by adjusting the tension on the sleeve, and a clamping assembly for securely attaching the sleeve portion to the outer slide ring.

A method for spreading a textile sheet where the sheet is caused to run between at least two rotary rollers, the axes of which extend parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the running direction of sheet. The sheet under pressure is caused to pass between at least one pressure generator of the rollers driven into axial oscillation and in phase opposition. At least one pressure generator of the rollers has adjustable pressure values along the generator in order to spread the sheet with a low thickness variability.

A method for spreading a textile sheet where the sheet is caused to run between at least two rotary rollers, the axes of which extend parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the running direction of sheet. The sheet under pressure is caused to pass between at least one pressure generator of the rollers driven into axial oscillation and in phase opposition. At least one pressure generator of the rollers has adjustable pressure values along the generator in order to spread the sheet with a low thickness variability.

An apparatus for producing a stretchable sheet includes a pair of gear rolls each having a plurality of teeth arranged on a circumference thereof. The apparatus is configured to draw a raw sheet by passing the raw sheet through a gap between the pair of gear rolls. The raw sheet contains a plurality of types of fibers, and has a plurality of recessed sections formed by pressing. The recessed sections are formed collinearly at least along the drawing direction at a predetermined formation pitch in the drawing direction. An arrangement pitch of the teeth in the drawing direction is greater than the formation pitch and smaller than twice the formation pitch.