Provided is a short rubber reinforcement fiber for short fiber-containing rubber compositions that are used for transmission belts for which friction transmission behavior has been stabilized and travel service life has been further improved. The present invention is a short fiber, which is the product of cutting an adhesive-treated synthetic long fiber multifilament yarn and is used by dispersing in a rubber composition, the short fiber being characterized in that the percentage of the number of non-adhesive-treated single yarns is 0-5%; and a method for manufacturing said short fibers, the method comprising a step for immersing a sudare-woven product in which the synthetic long fiber multifilament yarns have been sudare-woven in an adhesive treatment solution and then pressing at a nip pressure of 1.2-5.0 MPa using nip rolls, and a step for cutting the sudare-woven product bundles obtained to a specified length.

A system for debundling fiber tow into chopped fibers is provided that has one or more reels of fiber tow, a cutting element configured to receive the fiber tow to form chopped fiber, and a tube with introduced gas flow configured to receive the chopped fiber. A moving belt is positioned under the tube to collect the chopped fiber. A dispenser is positioned along the moving belt for applying a binder or additive. A treatment chamber receives the treated chopped fiber. A process for debundling fiber tow into chopped fibers is provided that supplies one or more reels of fiber tow to a cutting system, drops the chopped fiber into a tube with introduced gas flow to debundle the chopped fiber with a vortex, collects the chopped fiber exiting the tube onto a moving belt, chemically treats the chopped fiber, and provides the chemically treated chopped to a treatment chamber.

A system for debundling fiber tow into chopped fibers is provided that has one or more reels of fiber tow, a cutting element configured to receive the fiber tow to form chopped fiber, and a tube with introduced gas flow configured to receive the chopped fiber. A moving belt is positioned under the tube to collect the chopped fiber. A dispenser is positioned along the moving belt for applying a binder or additive. A treatment chamber receives the treated chopped fiber. A process for debundling fiber tow into chopped fibers is provided that supplies one or more reels of fiber tow to a cutting system, drops the chopped fiber into a tube with introduced gas flow to debundle the chopped fiber with a vortex, collects the chopped fiber exiting the tube onto a moving belt, chemically treats the chopped fiber, and provides the chemically treated chopped to a treatment chamber.

A fiber cutting device is disclosed having a cutting head with one or more blades disposed across a surface of the cutting head and disposed to rotate about a cutting head axis. An anvil roller is disposed and driven to rotate about an anvil axis and has a surface in momentary contact with each the one or more blades of the cutting head. Fibers are delivered to the device across a feeder. A feed control toggle may be moved to a stop position, where a first end of the feed control toggle presses the plurality of fibers against the feeder to stop motion of the fibers and prevent cutting. Contact with the anvil roller to draw the fibers between the cutting head and the anvil may also be controlled by the feed control toggle. A flap for sliding contact between the fibers and the anvil may also be used.

A fiber cutting device is disclosed having a cutting head with one or more blades disposed across a surface of the cutting head and disposed to rotate about a cutting head axis. An anvil roller is disposed and driven to rotate about an anvil axis and has a surface in momentary contact with each the one or more blades of the cutting head. Fibers are delivered to the device across a feeder. A feed control toggle may be moved to a stop position, where a first end of the feed control toggle presses the plurality of fibers against the feeder to stop motion of the fibers and prevent cutting. Contact with the anvil roller to draw the fibers between the cutting head and the anvil may also be controlled by the feed control toggle. A flap for sliding contact between the fibers and the anvil may also be used.

An assembly for chopping glass fibers including a cutter wheel having a plurality of radially extending blades and a cot wheel adjacent the cutter wheel. The cot wheel including an inner hub, an elastomeric ring mounted onto the inner hub for rotation therewith; and a retaining device fixably attached to the hub and engaging the elastomeric ring to resist separation of the elastomeric ring from the hub during rotation of the cot wheel.

An assembly for chopping glass fibers including a cutter wheel having a plurality of radially extending blades and a cot wheel adjacent the cutter wheel. The cot wheel including an inner hub, an elastomeric ring mounted onto the inner hub for rotation therewith; and a retaining device fixably attached to the hub and engaging the elastomeric ring to resist separation of the elastomeric ring from the hub during rotation of the cot wheel.

The present invention is directed to an undrawn multifilament including 30 or more individual filaments. In the undrawn multifilament, the individual filaments contain a poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) resin and a nucleating agent, the mean of the finenesses of the individual filaments is 30 dtex or less, and the coefficient of variation of the finenesses of the individual filaments is 33% or less.

The present invention is directed to an undrawn multifilament including 30 or more individual filaments. In the undrawn multifilament, the individual filaments contain a poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) resin and a nucleating agent, the mean of the finenesses of the individual filaments is 30 dtex or less, and the coefficient of variation of the finenesses of the individual filaments is 33% or less.

An assembly for chopping glass fibers including a cutter wheel having radially extending blades and a cot wheel adjacent the cutter wheel. The cot wheel may include an inner hub and an elastomeric ring mounted onto the inner hub for rotation therewith. The elastomeric ring may include an inner portion having a first hardness and an outer portion having a second hardness that is less than the first hardness. The outer portion being positioned to contact the cutter blades during operation of the system.