A spool unloading device comprising: a spindle; a first bulk spool of material is mounted on the spindle, wherein the spindle is rotatably controlled to dispense the material; a series of pulleys for receiving the unspooled material such that a variable length of the material is stored within the device before exiting the device to an upstream equipment; and a drive mechanism for indexing the unspooled material exiting the spool unloading machine at a controlled rate.

A spool unloading device comprising: a spindle; a first bulk spool of material is mounted on the spindle, wherein the spindle is rotatably controlled to dispense the material; a series of pulleys for receiving the unspooled material such that a variable length of the material is stored within the device before exiting the device to an upstream equipment; and a drive mechanism for indexing the unspooled material exiting the spool unloading machine at a controlled rate.

A jointed strand includes a superposed portion in which a first strand end in which fibers are oriented in one direction and a second strand end in which fibers are oriented in one direction are superposed; and a joint portion in which fibers of the first strand and the second strand are interlaced at the superposed portion, wherein the joint portion has a slit extending in a fiber orientation direction and a joint spot adjacent to the slit at one location or a plurality of locations aligned in a direction orthogonal to the fiber orientation direction, and monofilaments of the first strand and the second strand are interlaced at the joint spot.

A jointed strand includes a superposed portion in which a first strand end in which fibers are oriented in one direction and a second strand end in which fibers are oriented in one direction are superposed; and a joint portion in which fibers of the first strand and the second strand are interlaced at the superposed portion, wherein the joint portion has a slit extending in a fiber orientation direction and a joint spot adjacent to the slit at one location or a plurality of locations aligned in a direction orthogonal to the fiber orientation direction, and monofilaments of the first strand and the second strand are interlaced at the joint spot.

A manufacturing method and an apparatus enable high productivity. A method for manufacturing an oxidized fiber bundle includes joining an upstream precursor fiber bundle and a downstream precursor fiber bundle together with a joining fiber bundle, and oxidizing the joined precursor fiber bundles by feeding the joined precursor fiber bundles through an oxidization furnace. The joining includes applying an oiling agent to a joint area of a joining target precursor fiber bundle before joining the joining target precursor fiber bundle and the joining fiber bundle together. A quantity of the oiling agent adhering to the joint area is 0.15 to 0.85 wt %.

A manufacturing method and an apparatus enable high productivity. A method for manufacturing an oxidized fiber bundle includes joining an upstream precursor fiber bundle and a downstream precursor fiber bundle together with a joining fiber bundle, and oxidizing the joined precursor fiber bundles by feeding the joined precursor fiber bundles through an oxidization furnace. The joining includes applying an oiling agent to a joint area of a joining target precursor fiber bundle before joining the joining target precursor fiber bundle and the joining fiber bundle together. A quantity of the oiling agent adhering to the joint area is 0.15 to 0.85 wt %.

A method improves a winding process of a textile machine and a winding station of a textile machine having a machine controller (11), a yarn sensor (4), a yarn quality monitor, in particular a yarn clearer (5), and a yarn connecting device, in particular a splicing device (3). A yarn (1) is wound onto a bobbin (2). The yarn (1) is analyzed with regard to its length, quality, and/or speed, and is cut if necessary in order to clear a quality defect and two yarn ends are connected to one another by means of the yarn connecting device after the quality defect has been removed. The yarn (1) is analyzed with regard to foreign material, yarn speed, and/or yarn length by means of a capacitive yarn sensor (4), and is analyzed with regard to the yarn body and the yarn characteristic by means of an optical yarn quality monitor. The yarn (1) is subsequently optionally cleared. Data of the capacitive yarn sensor (4) with regard to the foreign material and/or the yarn speed is provided to the yarn quality monitor, in particular the yarn clearer (5), and with regard to the yarn length and/or the yarn speed are provided to the machine controller (11).

A method improves a winding process of a textile machine and a winding station of a textile machine having a machine controller (11), a yarn sensor (4), a yarn quality monitor, in particular a yarn clearer (5), and a yarn connecting device, in particular a splicing device (3). A yarn (1) is wound onto a bobbin (2). The yarn (1) is analyzed with regard to its length, quality, and/or speed, and is cut if necessary in order to clear a quality defect and two yarn ends are connected to one another by means of the yarn connecting device after the quality defect has been removed. The yarn (1) is analyzed with regard to foreign material, yarn speed, and/or yarn length by means of a capacitive yarn sensor (4), and is analyzed with regard to the yarn body and the yarn characteristic by means of an optical yarn quality monitor. The yarn (1) is subsequently optionally cleared. Data of the capacitive yarn sensor (4) with regard to the foreign material and/or the yarn speed is provided to the yarn quality monitor, in particular the yarn clearer (5), and with regard to the yarn length and/or the yarn speed are provided to the machine controller (11).

The invention relates to a method for operating a textile machine (1) with a multiple number of similar work stations (2), whereas, with the assistance of work stations (2) during the normal operation of the same, yarn is produced or is rewound by a delivery coil onto a receiver coil, and whereas normal operation is initiated at the individual work stations (2) after a stop of the textile machine (1), or is interrupted at certain time intervals by a service operation in the form of a spinning-in process, a sleeve changing process or a yarn joining process. In accordance with the invention, it is proposed that

at least one of the specified service operations is divided into several partial sequences, and that a pending partial sequence is carried out independently of the other partial sequences of the corresponding service operation, if the required energy resources for carrying out the pending partial sequence are available. In addition, the invention relates to a textile machine.

A carbon-fiber-precursor acrylic fiber bundle which can smoothly pass through a flame-resistance impartation step and a carbonization step. The carbon-fiber-precursor acrylic fiber bundle has a high-density part as a portion thereof, wherein the high-density part satisfies the following requirements (A) and (B). Requirement A: The high-density part has a maximum fiber density ρ.sub.max of 1.33 g/cm.sup.3 or higher. Requirement B: The portion extending between an intermediate-density point and a maximum-density-region arrival point has an increase in fiber density of 1.3×10.sup.−2 g/cm.sup.3 or less per 10 mm of the fiber bundle length.