A FW apparatus includes a bobbin driving unit, a winding device, and a tension applying device. A FW method using the FW apparatus includes a temporary suspending step of temporarily suspending operation of the winding device in the middle of winding the fed-out fiber portion around the workpiece. In the temporary suspending step, the length of the feeding path is increased by moving the pressing member while causing the pressing member to press against the fed-out fiber portion in a state of continuing to feed out the fed-out fiber portion from the fiber roll portion.

A fiber optic enclosure assembly for housing optical fiber connections includes: a housing portion; a bearing mount portion disposed within the housing portion; and a cable reel portion disposed within the housing portion. The cable reel portion is configured to be engaged with the bearing mount portion such that the cable reel portion selectively rotates; the cable reel portion is configured to be selectively rotatable in only a counterclockwise direction or only in a clockwise direction depending on the position of a latch portion; and the position of the latch portion is configured to permit the cable reel portion to rotate in only a selected one of the counterclockwise direction and the clockwise direction such that a cable can be paid out from the cable reel portion or wrapped onto the cable reel portion and the cable is prevented from unwinding in a direction opposite to the selected direction.

A guiding device for a material to be wound for a winding machine includes at least one blade guiding unit comprising two fiber guiding blades, which are rotationally drivable in opposite directions and are configured for feeding a material to be wound to a carrier of material to be wound of the winding machine, and the at least one blade guiding unit is configured for conveying a material to be wound which is implemented of inorganic fibers.

The blade guiding unit comprises at least one fiber guiding blade tip, which has an at least semi-oval exterior geometry, and the blade guiding unit comprises at least one fiber directing element, which is implemented at least partly of an inorganic-fiber compatible material and comprises at least one rounded fiber guiding edge.

A winding tube for glass fiber yarn has an inner cylinder and an outer polyester fabric covering. The inner cylinder is made of a composite having at least two sheets of polypropylene film bonded together, with each sheet having a plurality of parallel fiberglass filaments embedded within the film of that sheet, and with the filaments of one sheet being at an angle with the filaments of the other sheet. The fabric has a spiral stitching. The tube maintains a cylindrical shape when not subject to deforming forces yet has sufficient flexibility that after a desired amount of glass fiber yarn is wound on the winding tube, the winding tube can be radially collapsed sufficiently to permit the winding tube to be withdrawn from within the yarn package. The winding tube is dimensionally stable at the elevated temperatures to which is likely to be exposed.

There is provide a process for unwinding material from a spool (2) wherein the angle (Θ) of take off at the first contact point (4) for the unwind is always in the range 0±20°, and wherein the first contact point (4) for the unwind is no more than 600 mm from the axis (3) of rotation of the spool (2). There is also provided an apparatus for the unwinding of material from a spool (2) comprising an axis (3) upon which a spool (2) may be rotatably mounted and a static first contact point (4) for the unwound material positioned no more than 600 mm from the centre of the axis (3), wherein the angle (Θ) of take off at the first contact point (4) for the unwind is always in the range 0±20°.

A method for splicing two bundles (1, 2) of multifilament textile fibers comprises: inserting an end portion of a first bundle (1) into a first end of a heat-shrinkable sheath (10) and an end portion of a second bundle (2) into a second end of the sheath, axially opposite the first end, until the ends of the end portions of the two bundles are facing each other; inserting a curable organic material inside the sheath (10) in a space separating the end portions of the bundles (1, 2); heating a portion of the heat-shrinkable sheath (10) surrounding a joining portion (9) to a predetermined temperature; curing the curable organic material; and removing the sheath (10).

A method of spreading fibres, the method comprises providing a continuous fibre bundle having an initial width W.sub.a and causing the fibre bundle to run, in a running direction, through tensioning means and past or through fluid flow means, the tensioning means intermittently varying the tension in the fibre bundle and the fluid flow means producing a fluid flow through the fibre bundle as the tension varies in the fibre bundle, whereby the width of the fibre bundle increases to a spread width W.sub.b. Apparatus (1) is also disclosed, which apparatus (1) comprises a tensioning means (3) to intermittently vary the tension in the fibre bundle (2) and a fluid flow means (4) for producing a flow of fluid through the bundle (2).

Addressed is the object of improving an unwinding performance of a glass direct roving at an end surface. A method of manufacturing a glass direct roving includes winding a glass strand into a cylindrical shape while traversing the glass strand. In the winding, the glass strand is wound traversing the glass strand under the conditions that a wind order of the crosswindng is or greater, and an interval parameter, which is the smaller value among “b” and “A−b”, is from “(A/2)*−(A/4)*” to “(A/2)*−1”, where “A” is the wind order, “(A/2)*” is a maximum integer no greater than ½ the wind order, “(A/4)*” is a maximum integer no greater than ¼ the wind order, and a mixed fraction “a+(b/A)” is used to express a cyclewind of the crosswindng.

A fiber guide that guides fibers in a fiber processing system. The fiber guide has a surface having apertures through which fibers can pass in a direction from an upstream side of the surface to a downstream side of the surface. The apertures include at least one pair of apertures adjacent to and spaced from one another. The inlet of the first aperture is offset from the inlet of the second aperture. The offset is in the direction in which the fibers pass from the upstream side of the surface to the downstream side of the surface. A distance (d1) between the inlet of the first aperture and the inlet of the second aperture is larger than a distance (d2) between the first aperture and the second aperture measured transverse to the direction in which the fibers can pass.

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a fiber reinforced resin material, the method including an opening step of opening an elongated fiber bundle to be widened in a width direction thereof to be put into a flat state; and a heat setting step of heat-setting the opened fiber bundle in the flat state by heating. In addition, the present invention provides an apparatus for manufacturing a fiber reinforced resin material containing a plurality of fiber bundles and a resin, the apparatus including an opening section that opens an elongated fiber bundle to be widened in a width direction thereof to be put into a flat state; and a heat setting section that heat-sets the opened fiber bundle in the flat state by heating.