GB2268197A

GB2268197A - A fleece material

Info

Publication number: GB2268197A
Application number: GB9312760A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Horst Heilmann; Gottfried Roth; Erika Stein; Wolfgang Vogel; Peter Zeisberg
Original assignee: Malimo Maschinenbau GmbH
Current assignee: Malimo Maschinenbau GmbH
Priority date: 1992-06-23
Filing date: 1993-06-21
Publication date: 1994-01-05
Also published as: DE4244904C2; DE4220338C2; ITMI931339A0; GB9312760D0; FR2692602A1; IT1264868B1; ITMI931339A1; DE4220338A1

Abstract

A bulky non-woven fleece material (11) is composed predominately of longitudinal fibres and has on both sides stabilised fleece surfaces with the fibres meanderingly disposed between the fleece surfaces. With the object of rendering the fleece material entirely suitable for recycling while at the same time permitting of rational production the apices (112, 113) of closely adjacent meander loops at the two fleece surfaces are connected to one another by fibre loops (12) drawn from the fibres of the apices and extending substantially parallel to both surfaces. The fibre loops may be in the form of stitches formed by sliding-latch needles (21, 31) which also serve to produce the meandering configuration. Alternatively the fibre loops may be formed by felting needles acting in a direction parallel to the respective sides of the fleece. <IMAGE>

Description

2268197 A fleece material and a method of and an apparatus for producing

such a material The invention relates to a bulky non-woven or fleece material having fibres disposed in meandering fashion between the fleece surfaces and with fleece surfaces stabilised on both sides.

The invention also relates to a method of and an apparatus for producing the fleece material.

Various methods and fleece materials of the type mentioned at the outset are known. In practice, the fleeces are to a great extent stabilised by the so-called working of bulk layers of fleece with needles. Where this process is concerned, a large number of what are referred to as felting needles are used for deflecting a large number of fibres transversely through the fleece where they are irregularly looped with the fibres of the fleece.

In order to achieve a smooth surface on both sides, the needle working is carried out simultaneously or one after the other in respect of the two sides. The number of needle insertions per unit of surface area determines the density and evenness of the surface. If the surface is intended to be smooth then a large number of needle insertions must be assured per unit of surface area. As a result, the fleece is indeed quite stable but it is also very firm and dense over its entire cross-section.

For padding or upholstery purposes as well as also for filters or insulating purposes, however, it is a good idea for the interior of the fleece material to be of minimal density while the outer layer is of stable and smooth construction.

For this purpose, the practice in the past was to have a plurality of preneedled fleeces of different density connected to one another by a socalled sprayrolling process.

These layered fleeces produced in this manne.r offer only minimal elasticity crosswise to their surface. By the application of binders, they become relatively rigid and there are many purposes for which they cannot be used. If the individual layers are combined by needle working, then automatically also the inner looser fleece layer is compressed and the fleece material has substantially the same undesirable properties as a thick fleece which has been worked on by needles from both sides.

By virtue of their substantial density, such fleece materials require considerable material; they are heavy and stiff and cannot for example be used even as supporting materials for upholstery coverings in motor vehicles nor as soundproofing bodywork linings with a designable surface.

Therefore, for such purposes, the practice in the past has been for fleece textures to be provided on their reverse side with high-quality patterned surfacing material, often with a plush surface. By reason of their smaller cross-sections, these fleece textures have an inadequate padding effect. For this reason, a layer of foamed material has been joined on under the fleece texture or even instead of this latter. On its reverse side, it was then necessary to attach a thin coarse-mesh thread grid..by means of a binder in order to ensure the necessary slip capacity. While ensuring the necessary quality parameters, the padding or upholstery material becomes very expensive as a result of this arrangement.

Furthermore, the foam material used cannot be recycled. For other purposes, already so-called fleece-pile products have become known which are commercially available under the names Voltex and Kunit.

Where these products are concerned, they are fleece materials in which the fibres of a fleece are pulled by sliding needles through a base layer and are joined on the right side of the material to form a bond of fibre stitches. On the reverse side of the material there remains a thick pile layer of non-stitched fleece parts. After the loose fleece parts have been brushed out, it is possible by fixing and steaming processes to stabilise this pile layer in a bulky state. Created in this way, however, this surface is not suitable either as a sliding surface for upholstery materials or as a surface intended to receive a designable wearresistant top material.

Where the technology described as "Kunit" is concerned (DD 258 829 and DD 282 585), a multi-layered predominantly longitudinally orientated fleece is provided in meandering fashion and is stabilised on one side by meshing of the curved portions of the meandering pattern by passing through a basic layer or by the formation of fibre stitches in a knitted formation. Such unilaterally stabilised fleece materials can only be used for very restricted applications.

Brushing out the loose fleece constituents and returning them to the process on the fleece-producing machine cannot be carried out with the desired effect because the recycled fibres have lost their longitudinal orientation which can only be regained by a carding process.

Known from EP-PS 0 350 627 is an apparatus for producing a bulk fibre layer in which a predominantly longitudinally orientated fibre fleece is compressed in meandering fashion by a folding element and is fed in this form to a hot air plant for fixing purposes.

It is true that this apparatus produces a material of minimal density and which is flexible; however, in this form, this material is entirely unsuited to upholstery purposes.

The surfaces have no slip properties and are rigid. To create these properties, it is necessary to apply additional stable surface structures. This is when the disadvantages mentioned at the outset come into effect. The advantages achieved in terms of elasticity are nullif ied. Consequently, the application of such products is limited to those areas where it is possible also to use loose fleeces.

An object of the invention is to provide a fleece material of the type mentioned at the outset and which, for the minimum production costs, offers sufficiently high transverse elasticity, permits of minimal usage of material and can be recycled without problem.

In one aspect the invention provides a bulky nonwoven or fleece material with fibres disposed predominantly in a longitudinal direction and meandering between stabilised fleece surfaces wherein apices of mutually adjacently disposed meander arcs of the fibres on the fleece surfaces are connected to one another by fibre loops consisting of fibres from the apices and the f ibre loops are aligned crosswise to the meander arcs close to and substantially parallel with both surfaces.

The fleece material, while avoiding adhesive substances and/or jointing Drocesses directed crosswise to the surface of the fleece material, is provided on both sides surfaces which are stable and which have a slip capacity, while the interior zones of the fleece cross section are intended also in the end product to have mainly transversely orientated fibres in a loose bonded composition. The density and thickness of the loose flexible middle layer is intended to be variable. The use of threads for the fleece material should be excluded or at least reduced to the absolute minimum.

The fibres of the consolidated fleece are directed mainly crosswise to the basic fleece area and at the same time also form the fleece surfaces which are stable and have slip properties. Maximum solidity of the fleece surface with considerable elasticity of the inner fleece layers can be achieved by consolidating the surfaces by means of fibre stitches connecting the fibre loops.

The working of the fleece surface with needles parallel with or at an acute angle to the fleece surface can achieve a high level of stability in the surface without any loss of elasticity crosswise to the basic area. Tranv'erse strength is improved -if additional surface structures are added to the surfaces of the 6 fleece material by loops of fibres.

It is possible to use as a surf ace structure a thin chemically solidified spun fleece, a lattice type of surface structure or any other textile surface structure with a coarse and flat texture. The use of tangled fleeces or spun fleeces is preferred since they make it possible to avoid cost-intensive thread formation, surface formation being possible with minimal expenditure and high productivity.

For manufacturing highly stable lightweight shaped parts, the fleece material according to the invention can be deep-drawn, impregnated with synthetic plastics material in the region of the dense surface layers and then hardened out in a mould. Therefore, this fleece material is also suitable for the manufacture of bodywork parts.

In another aspect the invention provides a method of _producing a fleece material comprising moving a predominately longitudinally orientated layered fleece along a defined path, deflecting the layered fleece in a meandering fashion with at least one folding means adapted to move transversally to the feeding direction and stabilising the fibres of loop apices at a first surface of the fleece parallel with the meander arcs by elements which pass crosswise to the surface whereby fibres of the apices of the loops are connected with the fibres of at least one of the directly adjacent apices.

The essence of this method resides in that the stabilisation of the two surfaces of the fleece is carried out in two working stages which are separated from each other bv time and location. The dearee of time and location separation is immaterial. The method of the invention make it possible to group together a plurality of working stages. The interaction of a continuously rotating roller with periodically oscillating sliding needles makes it possible simultaneously to fold the advancing fleece in meandering fashion, fix an apex and connect two adjacent apices by looped together fibre stitches. To preserve the loose inner structure of the fleece material the fleece is not compressed by the point of the needle in a second stitchforming station and by the stitch sliding on the shank of the needle. For this purpose, the positive clearing of the stitch close to the knocking-over edge of the second stitch-forming stations and the operative guidance of the first stabilized fleece surface are of vital importance. The feeding of a predominately transversely orientated fleece to at least one of the stitch-forming stations between the ar)ices of the arcs of the meander and the knocking-over plane improves on the one hand the efficacy of the clearing means and also- enhances the strength of the fleece material in a transverse direction.

The ieece material produced in this way is highly suitable for deepdrawing processes without it losing the structure acquired in accordance with the invention.

It is also possible to use such f leece materials, as already stated, as a supporting structure for bodywork parts made from plastics materials. Bv reason of the high density in the region of the surfaces of the fleece material, it is possible under certain conditions to keep the inner layers of the plastic free.

High strength is achieved, with low mass. The damping properties of these bodywork parts are very good. In some situations it is possible to dispense with additional insulating mats.

In another aspect the invention provides a method of producing a fleece material wherein a layered longitudinally orientated fleece is moved in meandering fashion by means of a pair of oscillating conveyor rollers and is fixed and stabilised by oscillating grippers in a guide channel and the fleece is guided in a guide channel in arcuate form in two opposite direction, one after the other and in the region of whichever is the outer arc, at an acute angle to a surf ace of the f leece in the insertion area the f leece is treated by f elting needle groups, strippers and counter holders.

Where this method is concerned, the apices of the arcs of the meander are stabilised by felting needles which push and loop individual or a plurality of f ibres transversely through the apices of adjacent meander arcs Darallel with or at an acute angle to the fleece surface.

This method can above all be used where no very exacting demands are made of the slip potential of the fleece surface. Also with this method, the core of the fleece material remains loose while retaining its high level of elasticity. Consequently, this method is particularly suitable for soundproofing mats or for floor coverings in motor vehicles.

In a further aspect the invention provides an apparatus for producing a fleece material in the form of a warp knitting machine with at least one first stitchforming station composed of a needle bar, a knocking-over bar and at least one feed means for feeding fleece material through the station, a pleater disposed above the first stitch-forming station composed of needles directed towards an unstabilised surface of the meander fleece, and a guide bar with sinkers for the stabilised first side of the fleece of which the guide surface above the needle plane is parallel with this latter with the needle plane orientated in the direction of pull-off.

Apparatus for manufacturing the fleece material can thus consist of a per se known warp knitting machine which is modified to serve as a fleece knitting machine. Associated with the stitch-forming station customary on such a machine and which comprises at least one row of sliding or pusher needles and knocking-over sinkers is a second stitch-forming station at which the fleece meander arcs of the second surface of the meander fleece are stitched together. The second stitch-forming station is moreover equipped with means which make possible a positionally precise feeding of the meandering fleece to safeguard the clearing function when the two fleece surfaces are stitched together. In a preferred arrangement there is associated with at least one of the stitch-forming stations, there is a web holder for oscillating movement crosswise to the plane of the sliding needles and of which the web holding or clearing elements are orientated close to and parallel with the knocking-over edge.. By altering the distance between the clearing elements and the knitting surface on the one hand and from the means of guiding the first stabilised surface on the other, the fleece thickness can be adjustable. Instead of a separate clearing element, also the knocking-over comb can be provided with a per se known clearing hook. In this case, however, an oscillating movement crosswise to the needle plane has to be imparted to the knocking- over bar.. The feeding of a predominantly transversely orientated fleece in the knocking-over plane assists the clearing function. For cases where no warp knitting machine with a second stitch-forming zone is available, the surface structure which is stabilised on one side can also be fed to a second warp knitting machine of which the stitch-forming zone has been modified with fleece guiding means and clearing means. The-warp knitting machine can also be equipped wi.th felting needles instead of the sliding needles. According to the manner in which these needles work, howver, the guiding of the fleece has to be assured upstream of these needles, parallel with or at an acute angle to them. Modified web holders with their drives can be used as counter-holders.

The invention will be explained in greater detail hereinafter with reference to an embodiment shown in the attached drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a stabilised fleece material with surfaces stabilised by fleece stitches, Fig. 2 shows a stabilised fleece material with needle-worked fleece surfaces, Fig. 3 shows a stabilised fleece material in which the surfaces have been glued to a textile surface structure, Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the making of a stabilised fleece as shown in Fig. 1 with stitch-forming stations disposed at intervals from one another, Fig. 5 shows an apparatus for producing a fleece material according to Fig. 1 with closely adjacently disposed stitch-forming stations in which the fixing of the already stabilised side of the fleece is performed in the region of the second stitch-forming station by the clearing elements at the first stitch-forming station, Fig. 6 shows an apparatus for producing a stabilised fleece in which, in the direction of take-up, the second stitch-forming station is situated below the first stitch-forming station, Fig. 7 shows an arrangement according to Fig. 6 in which the first stitch- forming station is equipped with vertically movable sliding needles, Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus for producing a stabilised fleece according to Fig. 2 and Fig. 9 shows an apparatus according to Fig. 8 mounted on warp knitting machines with horizontal needle bars and vertically movable clearing or counter-holding means.

A fleece from a card or carding engine is layered by doubling a plurality of fleeces or by laying them in zigzag fashion lengthwise of the direction of conveyance and they are as a rule compressed by rollers in such a way that the resulting multi-layer fleece is suitable for further processing.

Its fibres are orientated substantially lengthwise, although it is not entirely out of the question that there may be some which are transversely orientated.

-113- The average staple lengths of this fleece are between 40 and 70 mm. It is also expedient to include longer fibres. Initially, this fleece is layered in a meandering fashion. The meander arcs are of a length which is somewhat greater than the thickness of the fleece material to be produced. The resulting fleece will be referred to as meander fleece 11. For the purpose of consolidating the surfaces of the meander fleece 11, the apices 112 and 113 of the laterally adjacent meander arcs are connected to one another.

In the case of the alternative shown in Fig. 1, this connection takes place by fibre stitches 12, 12' made from the fibres of the apices of the meander arcs. In Fig. 2, this connection is brought about by fibres 13 which are picked up at an arc in the meander, pushed transversely through the apices 112, 113 of several meander arcs and there looped together with one another by multiple insertion of felting needles. The fleece material shown in Fig. 3 displays a form in which the apices 112, 113 are connected by a prefabricated surface structure 151, 152 which is mostly applied to the meander fleece 11 by binders.

If fibres or other constituent parts having a low melting point' are used, then the connection between the apices and the additional surface structure can also be created by heating.

In Fig. 4, the meandering way in which the fleece 1 is knocked-over is performed by a continuously rotating roller 25 with a serrated surface in conjunction with, disposed tangentially to it, an oscillatingly driven sliding needle bar 21, 211. The hooks of the row 21 of sliding needles pick up the fleece 1 under the roller 25, pull it horizontally until it reaches the knocking-over position. During this time, the roller 25 conveys the - IL- fleece 1 onwards and determines the length for the subsequent meander arc 111. Upon the subsequent outward movement, the sliding needles 21 pick up the end of this length and draw it again to the knocking-over edge 232. In this way and without using additional pleaters which -would require an additional drive, it becomes possible to lay the fleece in a meandering pattern which will meet requirements. This apparatus, known per se from DD-Patent 268 829, works with a high degree of reliability. The row of sliding needles 21 in conjunction with the closing wire 22 and the fixed cast-off cam 23 are the reason why the fibres taken up by the sliding needles 21 become joined to one another parallel with the knocking-over edge by knocking-over, applying and clearing the fibre loops, incorporating them into a bonded structure of fleece stitches.

The meander fleece 11 is already stabilised and tied off on one side by the fibre stitches 12 which are looped to one another. In this form, it is fed to a second stitch-forming station 3 directly or via an interim storage means.

This second stitch-forming station 3 has at a clearly defined distance from the knock-over edge 332 a guide 36 for 'the already stabilised side of the meander fleece 11.

The stabilised side of the meander fleece 11 is frictionally held on this guide 36. This is assured by the force resulting from the feeding and take-up tension in the meander fleece 11. It is expedient for this meander fleece 11 which is stabilised on one side to be brought to this guide close to and parallel with the needle plane and to deflect it into the take-up direction in the needle plane. The sliding needle 21 which has penetrated the meander fleece 11 from the unstabilised -Is- side cannot be lifted off the guide 36 during the return stroke and while it is drawing a fibre loop out of this meander fleece 11. The sliding needle 31 sinks this loop together with the knocking-over edge 332 out and to the rear.

Upon the next outward needle stroke, this loop is fitted onto the shank of the sliding needle 31 and is widened out again. During this process, to prevent the meander fleece being compressed by this stitch which has to be fitted onto the shank, a web holder 34 parallel with the knocking- over edge 332 and with needle-like clearing elements is moved into the needle gaps to below the needle plane. In this way, the bonded stitches are reliably held on the knocking-over edge and the loose structure of the fleece is not altered.

The process of fibre stitch-forming takes place in the usual and wellknown fashion.

In order to increase the strength of the meander in the transverse direction, a predominantly transverselyorientated fleece 14 can be incorporated between the knocking-over plane and the meander fleece 11.

Advantageously, this fleece 14 can be fed separately between the knockingover edge 332 and the web holder 24. It is however also conceivable for such a fleece 14, which can be very thin, to be laid loosely on the meander fleece and moved together with it to the stitch-forming station 3. The fibres of this transversely orientated fleece 14 assist the clearing process in that where they are engaged by the holding down sinkers they replace the missing sinker stitch.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show different arrangements of the second stitch-forming station 3 on a warp knitting machine which is already fitted with a stitch-forming station 2 or 3. Fig. 5 shows an alternative embodiment in which the fixing of the first stabilised side of the fleece is ensured by the web-holder 24 at the first stitch-forming station 2.

The second stitch-forming station 3 is therefore very close to and beneath the first stitch-forming station 2. By reason of the lack of space for an additional web-holder 24, the knocking-over sinker 23 of the second stitch-forming station 3 has a clearing hook which is normally found on warp knitting machines and is adapted for vertical oscillating movement.

Fig. 6 shows an apparatus in which the already stabilised side of the meander fleece 11 is positionally fixed in frictional manner by being deflected rearwardly. For this purpose, guide sinkers 36 are mounted on the underside of the knocking-over bar 231. The sliding needles 31 of the second stitch-forming station 3 are at right-angles to the underneath of the sinkers 36, with upwardly directed points and forwardly directed hooks. The other working elements of the second stitch-forming station 3 are disposed in the conventional manner and work in the already described fashion.

In Fig. 7, the stitch-forming station already provided on warp knitting machines is used as a second stitch-forming station 3. It is preceded by a first stitch-forming station 2 which is equipped with perpendicularly oscillating sliding needles 21 and with stitch-forming elements aligned on them. In this case, the existing fleece feed for transversely orientated fibre fleeces 14 can be used for stabi lising the second side of the meander fleece 11.

1- - Another apparatus is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Both these apparatuses are in principle identical. Each has an oscillating pleater 4 with a pair of conveyor rollers 42. Two oscillating grippers 43, 44 secure the meandering deposition of the fleece 1 in a guide channel 45 and ensure its stepwise transport within this guide channe.] 45.

The guide channel 45 is bent at an obtuse angle at closely adjacent places and in opposite directions. In this way, before and after the bend, the felting needles 51, 61 penetrate the surface of the meander fleece 11 at an acute angle and move therein parallel with the surface of the meander fleece.

The felting needles 51, 61 deflect and loop together a plurality of fibres 13 crosswise through the apices 112, 113 of the arcuate portions of the meander. As an abutment, in cadence with the needle movements, counter holders 52, 62 oscillating crosswise to them can be introduced into the fleece. During the return stroke of the felting needles 51, 61, the fibres 13 are stripped off through the walls of the guide passage in the stripping zone 531. The arrangement according to Fig. 9 is chosen if it is desired to use the horizontal mounting of the needle bar and its drive on warp knitting machines, particularly sewing-knitting machines, for guiding and driving the felting needles 51.

In all cases, the stabilised fleece material is drawn off and fed to a take-up means, not shown, or to a folder for intermediate storage.

-Is- List of reference numerals 1 Fleece, layered, longitudinally orientated 11 Meander fleece ill Arcuate portions of the meander 112 Apex 113 Apex 12,12' Fibre stitches 13 Fibres, deflected 14 Fleece, transversely orientated 151 Lattice 152 Tangled fleece 2 First stitch-forming station 21 Sliding needle 211 Bar 22 Closing wire 221 Bar 23 Cast-off cam 231 Knocking-over bar 232 Knocking-over edge 24 Web holder Roller 3 Second stitch-forming station 31 Sliding needle 311 Bar 32 Closing wire 321 Bar 33 Cast-off cam 331 Knocking-over bar 332 Knocking-over edge 34 Web holder 36 Sinker 361 Guide bar - Ici - (37) Tensioner not described (371) Tensioning bar not described 4 Pleater 41 Frame 42 Pair of conveyor rollers 43 Gripper 44 Gripper Guide channel First needle zone 51 Felting needle 511 Bar 52 Counter holder 521 Bar 53 Guide surface 531 Stripping zone 6 Second needle zone 61 Felting needle 611 Bar 62 Counter holder 621 Bar 63 Guide surface 631 Stripping zone cgn -

Claims

1 A bulky non-woven or fleece material with f ibres disposed predominantly in a longitudinal direction and meandering between stabilised fleece surfaces wherein apices of mutually adjacently disposed meander arcs of the fibres on the fleece surfaces are connected to one another by fibre loops consisting of fibres from the aDices and the fibre loops are aligned crosswise to the meander arcs close to and substantially parallel with both surfaces.

2. A fleece material according to claim 1, wherein the fibre loops of the meander arcs are connected to one another in stitch fashion.

3. A fleece material according to claims 1 or 2, wherein a prefabricated surface structure is applied to each of the surfaces which are formed by the apices of the meander arcs of the fibres and each surface structure is held by the fibre loops on the apices.

4. A fleece material according to claim 3, wherein the fibre loops engage through the associated prefabricated surface structure and are looped into one another in stitch fashion outside the surface structure.

5. A fleece material according to claims 3 or 4, wherein at least one of the surface structures is composed of fibres with a low melting point.

6. A fleece material according to claims 3,4 or 5 wherein at least one of the surface structures is of lattice form and consists of material which can be recycled.

7. A fleece material according to claims 3,4 or 5 wherein at least one of the surface structures is a prestabilised thin tangle fleece.

8. A f leece material according to claim 3, 4 or 5 wherein at least one of the surface structures is a prestabilised spun fleece.

9. A fleece material according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein at least one of the stabilised surface layers is impregnated with plastics material and hardened out in a mould.

10. A fleece material according to any one of claims 1 to 9 with a predominately longitudinal orientation with extended length fibres.

11. Fleece material substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1, 2 or 3 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of producing a fleece material comprising moving a predominately longitudinally orientated layered fleece along a defined path, deflecting the layered fleece in a meandering fashion with at least one folding means adapted to move transversally to the feeding direction and stabilising the fibres of loop apices at a first surface of the fleece parallel with the meander arcs by elements which pass crosswise to the surface whereby fibres of the apices of the loops are connected with the fibres of at least one of the directly adjacent apices.

13. A method according to claim 12 and further comprising fixing the fibres of oppositely disposed apices by looping the fibres into one another.

14. A method according to claim 12 or 13 wherein the fixing of the apices and the looping of the fibres of the apices is effected by means of a sliding needle bar whereby one after the other on both surfaces of the fleece, the sliding needles draw loops of fibre out of the apices of the meander arcs, apply the fibre loops to the shank of the sliding needles and, at a knocking-over edge, cast them off onto the next drawn out fibre loop.

15. A method according to claim 12 or 13 wherein the fleece is fed continuously by a roller with a covering, the fleece is, from a generatrix of this roller, engaged by hooks of a row of sliding needles of a first.stitch-forming zone which are adapted for oscillating movement tangentially in relation to the roller, the fleece is pulled off against the direction of rotation of the roller and sunk against a knocking-edge and to form fibre stitches the aDices of the free arcuate portions of the meander of the second surf ace are f ed to a second stitch-forming zone with sliding needles and a knocking- - &3_ over bar closely in front of and parallel with a knocking-over edge on the hook side.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein bonding consisting of fibre stitches on both surfaces of the fleece is additionally fixed close to, in front of and parallel with the knocking-over edges by oscillating a movable positive clearing means.

17. A method according to claim 15 or 16 wherein at least one stitch forming station a transversely orientated fleece is fed between the apices of the fleece and the respective knocking-over edges.

18. A method of producing a fleece material wherein a layered longitudinally orientated fleece is moved in meandering fashion by means of a pair of oscillating conveyor rollers and is fixed and stabilised by oscillating grippers in a guide channel, the fleece is guided in a guide channel in arcuate form in two opposite direction, one after the other and in the region of whichever is the outer arc, at an acute angle to a surface of the fleece in the insertion area and the fleece is treated by felting needle groups, strippers and counter holders.

19. A method of producing a fleece material substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in any one or more of the Figures of the accompanying drawings.

20. An apparatus for producing a fleece material in ALL the f orm of a warp knitting machine with at least one first stitch- forming station composed of a needle bar, a knocking-over bar and at least one feed means for feeding fleece material through the station, a pleater disposed above the first stitch-forming station composed of needles directed towards an unstabilised surface of the fleece and a guide bar with sinkers for the stabilised first side of the fleece of which the guide surface above the needle plane is parallel with this latter with the needle plane orientated in the direction of pull-off.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein associated with at least one of the stitch-forming stations, there is a web holder for oscillating movement crosswise to the plane of the sliding needles and of which the web holding or clearing elements are orientated close to and Darallel with the knocking-over edge.

22. An apparatus according to claim 20 or 21 wherein knocking-over sinkers of the guide bars have a clearing hook and are adapted for oscillating movement at rightangles to the plane of the respective sliding needles.

23. An apparatus according to any one of claims 20 to 22 and further comprising means for feeding a predominately transversely orientated fleece between the fleece and the knocking-over edge material.

24. An apparatus according to any one of claims 20 to 23 wherein the second stitch-forming station is associated with a second warp knitting machine.

- &,5-

25. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the needles are sliding needles or felting needles and the guide upstream of the needles forms an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the needles and counter holders can be introduced in transversely oscillating fashion into the fleece material.

26. Apparatus for producing fleece material substantially as described with reference to, and as illustrated in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 of the accompanying drawings.