A continuous process heat set tunnel for exerting a sealing force against a top sealing roll, a yarn-transporting conveyor and a bottom sealing roll. At least first and second top pneumatic lamella sealing cylinders are mounted on the sealing roll frame for exerting against the top lamella a sealing force against the roll surface of the top sealing roll, and at least first and second bottom pneumatic lamella sealing cylinders are mounted on the sealing roll frame for exerting against the bottom lamella a sealing force against the roll surface of the bottom sealing roll.

An article of manufacture, comprising, an artifact formed from at least a portion of at least one continuous artifact fiber, the artifact fiber dyed by a first digitally controlled dyeing process to exhibit a visible first color section and a visible color gradient section transitioning from and visibly distinguishable from the first color section; and, a textile portion, comprising at least one dyed fiber that has been dyed by a second digitally controlled dyeing process; wherein said artifact fiber is dyed by the first dyeing process applying metadata, said metadata relating to at least said first color, and wherein said textile portion fiber is dyed at least said first color by the second dyeing process applying said metadata.

A contact nozzle for simultaneously coating a plurality of elastic strands moving in a machine direction with an adhesive is described. The contact nozzle includes a single fluid inlet for receiving the adhesive from a fluid module, a first inverted V-shaped notch, a second inverted V-shaped notch, a third inverted V-shaped notch, and a mounting surface configured to abut the fluid module when the contact nozzle is coupled to the fluid module. Each inverted V-shaped notch extends along the contact nozzle in the machine direction, has an open bottom end, a circular closed top end. Each inverted V-shaped notch includes an adhesive orifice in fluid communication with the single fluid inlet for receiving the adhesive for directing the adhesive into contact with an upper surface of an elastic strand.

A welding process may be configured to convert a substrate comprised of short staple fibers into a welded substrate having significantly increased strength as compared to the raw substrate. When applied to a one-dimensional substrate, such as a yarn, the welding process may also reduce the diameter of the welded substrate compared to that of the raw substrate. Additionally, the welding process may be configured to impart superior color properties to the welded substrate compared to the color properties of the raw substrate, which superior color properties may be very pronounced when performing a welding process on a raw substrate comprised of colored and/or dyed recycled fibers.

A device for coating one or more yarns by a vapor deposition method, the device including a treatment chamber extending along a longitudinal axis and having a treatment zone between an internal and an external circumferential wall, and within which at least one yarn is to be coated by performing a vapor deposition method; a conveyor system to transport the at least one yarn through the treatment zone; an injector device to inject a treatment gas phase into the treatment zone through an inlet orifice present in the internal or external circumferential wall; and a removal device to remove the residual gas phase from the treatment zone through an outlet orifice present in the internal or external circumferential wall, the inlet and the outlet orifice being situated in a common plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the chamber and being offset around the circumferential direction of the chamber.

This process for manufacturing a carbon-fiber precursor acrylic fiber bundle and this steam drawing apparatus are characterized in that the drawing of an acrylic fiber bundle with a pressured-steam drawing apparatus is conducted by: opening an acrylic fiber bundle by blowing a fluid thereto; supplying humidifying steam to the opened acrylic fiber bundle at a fiber temperature of 80 to 130 C. to adjust the water content of the fiber bundle to 3 to 7%; and thereafter drawing the resulting acrylic fiber bundle in a pressurized-steam atmosphere. Thus, the present invention can prevent the breaking of a single fiber, the fluffing of the fiber bundle, and the breaking of the whole of the fiber bundle, though such defects are susceptible to occurring in a case where an acrylic fiber bundle is drawn by steam drawing at a high draw ratio, at a higher speed, or into a fiber having a small denier.

A device for coating one or more yarns by a vapor deposition method, the device including a treatment chamber defining a first and a second treatment zone in which at least one yarn is to be coated by performing a vapor deposition method, the first and second zones being separated by a wall and the first zone surrounding the second zone, or being superposed on the second zone; a conveyor system to transport the at least one yarn through the first and second zones; a first injector device to inject a first treatment gas phase into the first zone and a first removal device configured to remove the residual first gas phase from the first zone; and a second injector device configured to inject a second treatment gas phase into the second zone, and a second removal device configured to remove the residual second gas phase from the second zone.

A dyeing and welding process may be configured to convert a substrate into a welded substrate having at least some color imparted thereto via a dye and/or coloring agent by applying a process solvent having a dye and/or coloring agent therein to the substrate, wherein the process solvent interrupts one or more intermolecular force between one or more component in the substrate. The substrate may be configured as a natural fiber, such as cellulose, hemicelluloses, and silk. The process solvent may include a binder, such as dissolved biopolymer (e.g., cellulose). After application of a process solvent comprised of a dye and/or coloring agent, the substrate may be exposed to a second application of a process solvent comprised of a binder, which second application may occur before or after a process temperature/pressure zone, process solvent recovery zone, and/or drying zone.

A welding process may be configured to convert a substrate into a welded substrate by applying a process solvent to the substrate, wherein the process solvent interrupts one or more intermolecular force between one or more component in the substrate. The substrate may be configured as a natural fiber, such as cellulose, hemicelluloses, and silk. The process solvent may be configured as an ionic-liquid based solvent and the welded substrate may be a congealed network after the process solvent has been adequately swollen and/or mobilized the substrate. A welding process may be configured such that individual fibers of a substrate are not fully dissolved such that material in the fiber core may be left in the native state by controlling process variables. The welding process fibers may have a tenacity 10% or 20% greater or a diameter 25% less than that of a cellulosic-based yarn substrate.

Particular techniques involve a device for wetting multiple threads with a fluid, and a dosing pump which is connected to the wetting means by multiple conveying lines. The dosing pump has multiple conveying means for generating multiple dosing flows of the fluid and has multiple pump outlets, to which the delivery lines are connected. The conveying means are formed by at least one planetary gear set arranged between housing plates. To achieve, as far as possible, a uniform throughflow without a significant dead space volume, multiple planet gears of the planetary gear set are guided freely by a centering plate between adjacent housing plates. The planet gears of the planetary gear set have in each case one passage opening, which are connected by a channel system to a central pump inlet. It is thus possible to realize close fits and flushing of gaps.