Method of and apparatus for producing hollow-cylindrically shaped fibrous articles

A process for producing a hollow-cylindrically shaped fibrous articles stabilized by hot melt adhesion which comprises passing a web of gathered fiber layer having a fixed width, carried on a conveyer belt through a heating zone, heating said web of gathered fiber layer in such a way that a lower-melting component of composite fiber contained in the lower part of said web contacting the conveyer belt is in the state close to its melting point but not in the molten state and a lower-melting component contained in the upper part of said web is in the molten state, while separating said web from the conveyer belt, winding up said web on a take-up rod in such a way that the upper surface thereof occupies the inner side of the winding, further heating, during the course of winding, the lower part of the web having been contacted with the surface of the conveyer belt which is exposed to the air after the separation, adjusting the vacant space proportion during the course of the above-mentioned steps or after completion of winding, cooling the wound up article after the adjustment of the vacant space proportion of final winding, and drawing out the take-up rod from the shaped product, said web of gathered fiber layer containing at least 10% hot-melt-adhesive composite fiber consisting of a lower-melting component, and a higher-melting component.