Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D03—WEAVING
  • D03D—WOVEN FABRICS; METHODS OF WEAVING; LOOMS
  • D03D23/00—General weaving methods not special to the production of any particular woven fabric or the use of any particular loom; Weaves not provided for in any other single group
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D03—WEAVING
  • D03D—WOVEN FABRICS; METHODS OF WEAVING; LOOMS
  • D03D1/00—Woven fabrics designed to make specified articles
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D10—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES
  • D10B—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES
  • D10B2503/00—Domestic or personal
  • D10B2503/04—Floor or wall coverings; Carpets

Definitions

• the present invention relates to methods for weaving floor coverings.
• One aspect of the invention provides a method of producing a floor covering that includes the steps of providing a first set of yams, providing a second set of yams, and machine weaving the first set of yams in a wa ⁇ direction with the second set of yams in a weft direction, wherein the second set of yams forms at least a substantial portion of the visible part of the floor covering.
• Another aspect of the invention provides a method of producing a floor covering that includes the steps of providing a first set of yarns, providing a second set of yams, and machine weaving the first set of yarns in a warp direction with the second set of yams in a weft direction, wherein the second set of yarns forms more of the visible part of the floor covering than is formed by the first set of yarns.
• Another aspect of the invention provides a method of producing a floor covering that includes the steps of providing a first set of yarns, providing a second set of yams, and machine weaving the first set of yams in a wa ⁇ direction with the second set of yarns in a weft direction, wherein the second set of yams forms substantially more of the visible part of the floor covering than is formed by the first set of yams.
• Another aspect of the invention provides a method of producing a floor covering that includes the steps of providing a first set of yams, providing a second set of yams, and machine weaving the first set of yams in a wa ⁇ direction with the second set of yams in a weft direction, wherein the second set of yams forms substantially all of the visible part of the floor covering.
• Another aspect of the invention provides a method of producing a floor covering that includes the steps of providing a first set of yams, providing a second set of yarns, and machine weaving the first set of yams in a wa ⁇ direction with the second set of yams in a weft direction, wherein the second set of yams forms at least a substantial portion of the visible part of the floor covering, and wherein the yams of the second set have a weight of between about 288 and about 1,760 yards per pound or, more narrowly, between about 576 and about 832 yards per pound.
• Another aspect of the invention provides a method of producing a floor covering that includes the steps of providing a first set of yams, providing a second set of yams, and machine weaving the first set of yams in a wa ⁇ direction with the second set of yams in a weft direction, wherein the second set of yams forms at least a substantial portion of the visible part of the floor covering, and wherein the second set of yams makes up between about 85 percent and about 95 percent of the total weight of the floor covering or, more narrowly, about 92 percent of the total weight of the floor covering.
• Another aspect of the invention provides a method of producing a floor covering that includes the steps of providing a first set of yams, providing a second set of yarns, and machine weaving the first set of yarns in a wa ⁇ direction with the second set of yarns in a weft direction, wherein the second set of yarns forms at least a substantial portion of the visible part of the floor covering, and wherein the first and second sets of yarns are woven at a density of between about 75 and about 100 ends per inch or, more narrowly, at a density of about 85 ends per inch.
• Another aspect of the invention provides a method of producing a floor covering that includes the steps of providing a first set of yams, providing a second set of yams, and machine weaving the first set of yarns in a wa ⁇ direction with the second set of yams in a weft direction, wherein the second set of yams forms at least a substantial portion of the visible part of the floor covering, and wherein the first and second sets of yams are woven at a density of between about 25 and about 65 picks per inch or, more narrowly, at a density of between about 40 and about 50 picks per inch.
• Another aspect of the invention provides a method of producing a floor covering that includes the steps of providing a first set of yams, providing a second set of yams, and machine weaving the first set of yams in a wa ⁇ direction with the second set of yarns in a weft direction, wherein the second set of yams forms at least a substantial portion of the visible part of the floor covering, and wherein the first and second sets of yams are woven at a rate of between about 75 and about 250 picks per minute.
• Another aspect of the invention provides a method of producing a floor covering that includes the steps of providing a first set of yarns, providing a second set of yams, and machine weaving the first set of yams in a wa ⁇ direction with the second set of yams in a weft direction, wherein the second set of yarns forms at least a substantial portion of the visible part of the floor covering, and wherein the floor covering has a weight of between about 1.65 pounds per square yard and about 3.0 pounds per square yard or, more narrowly, about 2.25 pounds per square yard.
• Another aspect of the invention provides a method of producing a floor covering that includes the steps of providing a first set of yams, providing a second set of yarns, and machine weaving the first set of yarns in a warp direction with the second set of yarns in a weft direction, wherein the second set of yarns forms at least a substantial portion of the visible part of the floor covering, and wherein the yams of the first set have a cotton count between 20/2 and 80/2 or, more narrowly, where the cotton count is 40/2.
• Another aspect of the invention provides a method of producing a floor covering that includes the steps of providing a first set of yarns, providing a second set of yarns, machine weaving the first set of yams in a warp direction with the second set of yams in a weft direction, and applying a border to at least one edge of the floor covering, wherein the second set of yarns forms at least a substantial portion of the visible part of the floor covering.
• Another aspect of the invention provides a method of producing a floor covering that includes the steps of providing a first set of yams, providing a second set of yams, machine weaving the first set of yams in a wa ⁇ direction with the second set of yams in a weft direction, and applying a backing to at least one face of the floor covering, wherein the second set of yarns forms at least a substantial portion of the visible part of the floor covering.
• Yet another aspect of the invention provides a method of producing floor coverings that includes the steps of providing a set of warp yams, providing a first set of weft yams, machine weaving the wa ⁇ yams and the first set of weft yams to form a first floor covering or floor covering segment, replacing at least one of the weft yams to form a second set of weft yams, and machine weaving the warp yarns and the second set of weft yams to form a second floor covering or floor covering segment.
• Another aspect of the invention provides a method for producing a floor covering.
• the method includes the steps of providing two segments of floor covering, each including a set of warp yams woven with a set of weft yarns and each having a selvage edge.
• the respective selvedge edges are cut to form respective top halves and bottom halves.
• the respective bottom halves are then removed and the respective top halves are joined by hand stitching.
• a further aspect of the invention provides a floor covering.
• the floor covering comprises a set of wa ⁇ yams suitable for use in a floor covering and a set of weft yams suitable for use in a floor covering, where the weft yams are woven in a direction pe ⁇ endicular to the warp yarns and form at least a substantial portion of the visible part of the floor covering.
• FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a method of producing a floor covering in accordance with an aspect of the present invention
• Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of one embodiment of a floor covering manufactured in accordance with an aspect of the present invention
• Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the floor covering of Fig. 2;
• Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a second embodiment of a floor covering manufactured in accordance with an aspect of the present invention
• Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the floor covering of Fig. 4;
• Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a third embodiment of a floor covering manufactured in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.
• Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the floor covering of Fig. 6;
• Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a fourth embodiment of a floor covering manufactured in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.
• Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of the floor covering of Fig. 8; and Fig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating another embodiment of a method of producing a floor covering in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.
• the present invention relates to improved methods for weaving colored or patterned floor coverings.
• the yarns that form the color or pattern of the floor covering are woven in the weft direction.
• Such a method is opposite the traditional method of machine weaving, in which the yarns that make up the color or pattern are woven from the wa ⁇ direction.
• the advantages of weaving a floor covering with the color or pattern yarns on the weft is that the colors and/or pattern may be changed much more easily than in methods where the yarns that make up the pattern run in the wa ⁇ direction.
• the fact that the colors may be changed easily and inexpensively as compared to conventional methods may allow a manufacturer to make available a wider range of floor coverings than has been feasible in the past.
• the other advantages of such embodiments is that, by facilitating quick and efficient production of large and small batches of floor coverings with different colors or patterns, they may also reduce the need to stock large quantities of floor coverings and may therefore result in substantial savings in the form of reduced inventory costs.
• the present invention also relates to methods for joining segments of colored or patterned floor coverings.
• One embodiment of the invention provides a method for weaving a colored or patterned floor covering.
• This method 50 illustrated in steps 52-56 of Fig. 1, comprises weaving a first set of yarns in a wa ⁇ direction with a second set of yams in a substantially pe ⁇ endicular weft direction, such that the weft yams form at least a substantial portion of the color or pattern of the floor covering.
• steps 52-60 of Fig. 1 this embodiment allows the colors or pattern to be changed by simply changing one or more of the relatively small number of yarns that make up the weft.
• the wa ⁇ yams do not need to be reconfigured.
• the weft yams may form more of the visible part of the floor covering than is formed by the wa ⁇ yams, may form substantially more of the visible part of the floor covering than is formed by the wa ⁇ yams, or may form substantially all of the visible part of the floor covering.
• "Visible part” means that portion of the floor covering that can be seen when the floor covering is placed on a floor or other flat surface, uncovered by furniture or any other objects, as if for normal use. Ordinarily, the visible part will be the floor covering's top face, exclusive of portions covered by edging or the like.
• the weft yarns may make up at least about 15%, 25%, 50%o, 75%), or 95%o of the visible part the floor covering, such percentages to be measured by selecting a fixed area of the visible part and determining, by visual, optical, mechanical, digital, or other means, the percentage of the fixed area that is occupied by weft yarns. It has been found that increasing the proportion of the visible part that is comprised of weft yarns allows the appearance of the floor covering to be changed more easily.
• the set of weft yarns may be one or more colors and, as described above, may comprise varying portions of the color or pattern of the floor covering.
• the weft yarns may include yams that form the color or pattern of the floor covering, as well as yarns that have a principal purpose of tying other yams or portions of the floor covering together.
• the set of wa ⁇ yams may comprise binder yams, which may operate to tie the various yarns and layers together, and stuffer yams, which may provide thickness, durability, and weight.
• the binder yarns at least a portion of which may be visible in the finished product, may in some embodiments be of a color that is neutral in value, such as an off-white or a light brown. In other embodiments, the binder yams may not be neural in value.
• the color of the binder yarns may contribute to the overall appearance of the floor covering, their contribution is generally less than that of the weft yarns.
• the color of the stuffer yams may be less important because they are generally not visible in the finished product.
• composition of the wa ⁇ and weft yams is not critical to the invention, and any of the below described embodiments may be constructed of any suitable type of yam, including, for example, natural fibers such as woolens and cottons, synthetic materials such as rayon, nylon, acrylic, and polyester, and/or any other suitable material or combination of materials.
• the yams may have any suitable or desired colors, textures, or other aesthetic characteristics or combination of characteristics.
• Floor coverings according to the invention may be woven on industrial fabric looms, such as those manufactured by Lindauer Domier GmbH of Lindau, Germany.
• the invention is not limited to any particular brand, type, or model of loom, however, and any suitable loom may be used, as would be appreciated by one of skill in the art.
• the colored yams are generally thicker than the other yams, in part because they are intended to provide the material with its appearance.
• the colored yams would be expected to cause problems if machine woven in the weft direction in a conventional manner because their thickness would create a large amount of tension on the warp and/or weft yams as a result of the beat up. In some cases, the amount of tension could be sufficient to prevent the wa ⁇ yams from being fully hidden and/or could cause failure of one or more warp yams.
• one solution to the problem of increased tension is to lower the speed at which the inventive floor covering is woven.
• the looms on which the inventive floor covering may be woven may conventionally be run at a rate of about 400 picks per minute with the color on the warp
• floor coverings of some embodiments of the present invention may be woven on these same looms, but with the color on the weft, at a rate of between about 75 and about 250 picks per minute.
• lowering the speed of the loom may mean that manufacture takes longer than for than conventional materials woven on these looms, the advantages described above, namely the flexibility in changing the colors and/or pattern, can outweigh any additional manufacturing time.
• the floor covering is woven such that relatively thin binder and stuffer wa ⁇ yams are woven with weft yarns that are thicker than a traditional weft material.
• the binder yams that are visible on the face of the material are generally uniform in color.
• the result is a floor covering that has the appearance of being composed of a grid of small squares or rectangles, not unlike a traditional "needlepoint" material.
• the stuffer yams may be of varying thickness and densities, so as to provide the appropriate thickness, durability, and/or weight to the floor covering.
• Fig. 2 shows a portion of a cross-section of an illustrative "needlepoint"-type floor covering according to the invention.
• the cross-section of Fig. 2 is taken in the weft direction and shows the weft yams in profile and the warp yams in cross-section.
• Fig. 2 depicts the main body 102 of the floor covering, including top face 104 and bottom face 106, as well as the seam selvedge area 108.
• the floor covering of Fig. 2 employs three types of wa ⁇ yams, primary binders 170a- c, secondary binders 180a-c, and stuffers 190, and six weft, or "pick," yams.
• picks 110 and 140 lie principally on the top face 104 of the floor covering
• picks 120 and 150 lie principally on the bottom face 106 of the floor covering.
• the remaining picks 130 and 160 are binder wefts that operate, as shown, to tie the wa ⁇ yams together.
• the weft yams may be each be a different color, allowing the floor covering of this embodiment to have as many as six different colors on the weft.
• the wa ⁇ yams, while commonly neutral, may also be colored. As noted, by providing the color on the weft, as opposed to on the wa ⁇ , some or all of the colors of the pattern may easily be changed, as may the pattern itself.
• Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the top face of the floor covering of Fig. 2 in which the spacing between the yams has been enlarged for pu ⁇ oses of clarity. From this view, it can be seen that primary binders 170a-c lie largely on the top face of the floor covering and, in combination with secondary binders 180a-c, impart a needlepoint-like appearance to the material. It should be noted that, in this and the other illustrated embodiments, primary and secondary binders 170, 180 may be fed from a different beam than the stuffers 190.
• Fig. 3 also illustrates variable interlacement, such as may be used to impart a particular pattern or design to the floor covering.
• a first warpwise portion defined by picks 110a- 160a has picks 110a and 140a that lie entirely on the face of the floor covering except where they pass under primary binders 170a-c, and picks 120a and 150a that lie entirely under the face of the floor covering, except where they pass over secondary binders 180a-b.
• picks 110b and 140b lie entirely under the face of the floor covering, except where they pass over secondary binders 180a or 180b, while picks 120b and 150b lie on the face of the floor covering, except where they pass under primary binders 170a-c.
• This variable interlacement pattern is merely illustrative, however, and it should be understood that the invention contemplates any number of other patterns, variable or constant, as would be appreciated by one of skill in the art.
• Fig. 4 illustrates a portion of another "needlepoint" embodiment that uses eight weft yams in conjunction with primary binders 270a-c, secondary binders 280a-c, and stuffers 290.
• the floor covering of this embodiment may thus have as many as eight colors on the weft.
• picks 210 and 240 lie principally on the top face 104 of the floor covering, and picks 220 and 250, as well as picks 264 and 268, lie principally on the bottom face 106 of the floor covering.
• the remaining picks 230 and 260 are binder wefts that operate to tie the neutral wa ⁇ yams together.
• Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the face of the floor covering of Fig. 4 in which the spacing between the yarns has been enlarged for clarity. From this view it can be seen that, similar to the floor covering of Fig. 2, primary binders 270a-c lie largely on the face of the fabric and, in combination with secondary binders 280a-c, impart a needlepoint-like appearance to the floor covering. Fig. 5 also illustrates a variable interlacement pattern.
• picks 210a and 240a lie entirely on the face of the floor covering except where they pass under primary binders 270a-c, while picks 220a, 264a, 250a, and 268a lie entirely under the face of the floor covering, except where they pass over secondary binders 280a-c.
• picks 210b- 268b lie entirely under the face of the floor covering, except where they pass' over secondary binders 280a-b
• picks 220b and 250b lie on the face of the floor covering, except where they pass under primary binders 270a-c.
• This variable interlacement pattern is also only illustrative, however, as the invention includes any number of other variable or non-variable patterns.
• the floor covering of Fig. 6 is a third exemplar "needlepoint" construction that employs ten weft yarns in conjunction with primary binders 370a-c, secondary binders 380a-c, and stuffers 390.
• the floor covering of this embodiment may thus have as many as ten colors on the weft.
• picks 310 and 340 lie principally on the top face 104 of the floor covering
• picks 320, 364, 366, 350, 368, and 367 lie principally on the bottom face 106 of the floor covering.
• the remaining picks 330 and 360 are binder wefts that operate to tie the neutral wa ⁇ yarns together.
• Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the face of the floor covering of Fig. 6 in which the spacing between the yams has been enlarged for clarity. From this view it can be seen that, similar to the floor covering of Figs. 2 and 4, primary binders 370a-c lie largely on the face of the fabric and, in combination with secondary binders 380a-c, impart a needlepoint- like appearance to the floor covering.
• Fig. 7, like Figs 3 and 5, also shows an exemplar variable interlacement pattern.
• picks 310a and 340a lie entirely on the face of the floor covering except where they pass under primary binders 370a-c, while the remaining picks lie entirely under the face of the floor covering, except where they pass over primary binders 370a-c, in the case of picks 330 and 360, or over secondary binders 380a-c, in the case of the remaining picks.
• pick 310a lies principally on the face of the floor covering between primary binders 370a and 370c
• pick 340b lies principally on the face between primary binders 370a and 370b, but both are largely buried otherwise.
• the weft yams of the "needlepoint" embodiment may be one or more colors and may have any desired uniform or non-uniform size, weight, texture or appearance. In one embodiment, for example, weft yarns of varying thicknesses may be used to achieve different aesthetic effects.
• Some embodiments of the "needlepoint" construction may use weft yams with a Philadelphia or Bradford count in the range of 3/18 to 1/110 (worsted 3/1.54 to 1/3.1; approximately 288 to 1,760 yards per pound), or 4/32 to 2/65 (worsted 4/3.6 to 2/3.71; approximately 512 to 1,040 yards per pound), or 3/36 to 2/55 (worsted 3/3.09 to 2/3.14; approximately 576 to 832 yards per pound).
• the Philadelphia or Bradford count is 3/42 (worsted 3/3.6; approximately 672 yard per pound).
• the weft yarns may be Nm700 (worsted 1/.62; 348 yards per pound), Tex 2000 (worsted 1/.44; approximately 249 yards per pound), and/or 4/4 cc (worsted 4/6.0; approximately 840 yards per pound).
• Yams in these ranges and/or of these types are generally thick enough to impart the desired aesthetic effects, while at the same time being sufficiently thin to be machine woven from the weft direction without causing excessive tension in the loom.
• the warp yams of the "needlepoint" embodiment also may have any suitable uniform or non-uniform texture or appearance, although it is preferred to employ warp yams that are generally uniform in color, such that they provide the appearance of a uniform grid.
• warp yams that are generally uniform in color, such that they provide the appearance of a uniform grid.
• the face wa ⁇ yarns of the inventive floor covering may be thin, so as to be seen as little as possible and/or to provide the appearance of a uniform grid.
• some needlepoint embodiments may use warp yams with a cotton count in the range of 20/2 to 80/2 (approximately 8,400 to 33,600 yards per pound), or, more narrowly, 30/2 to 60/2 (approximately 12,600 to 25,200 yards per pound).
• the wa ⁇ yams may have a cotton count of 40/2, or approximately 16,800 yards per pound.
• the number of warp ends per inch in the finished needlepoint floor covering may be in the range of about 65 to about 110, or, more narrowly, in the range of about 75 to about 100 ends per inch.
• the floor covering is woven at about 85 ends per inch.
• the floor covering is woven such that relatively thin binder wa ⁇ yarns are combined with thicker stuffer warp yarns and woven with relatively thick weft yarns in such a way as to result in a "grosse pointe" construction, characterized by pronounced warpwise rows or ridges.
• Fig. 8 depicts a portion of an embodiment of a "grosse pointe" floor covering according to another embodiment of the invention.
• the floor covering of Fig. 8 employs six weft yams and thus may have as many as six colors on the weft.
• This embodiment includes three types of warps, including face yams 470a-c, backbinder yarns 480a-c, and stuffer yams 490.
• this floor covering has the same number of colored weft yams as the floor covering of Fig. 2, it has a very different appearance.
• the binder wefts 430 and 460 both pass over adjacent face yarns (e.g., 470a, 470b) and under an intervening backbinder (e.g., 480a), creating pockets (e.g., 485a) that, when filled with stuffer yams 490, create pronounced ridges running in the warp direction.
• the size of the ridges may be controlled by the use of lighter or heavier stuffer yarns 490.
• Light colored face wa ⁇ s 470 may be used in some embodiments to provide a contrast with darker face weft yarns and enhance the visual effect of the rows.
• FIG. 9 A portion of the floor covering of Fig. 8 can be seen in perspective in Fig. 9, which also shows that the face of this exemplar embodiment is dominated by the weft yams 410a and 440a in a lower portion defined by weft yams 410a-460a, while a different pattern of interlacing brings yams 420b and 450b to the face in a second portion defined by weft yams 410b through 460b.
• face wa ⁇ yams of different colors may be used to provide different effects.
• the wa ⁇ s yams of the "grosse pointe" embodiment may be of varying sizes, textures, appearances, and/or colors, and wa ⁇ yams of varying characteristics and/or appearances may be used to achieve different aesthetic or physical effects.
• Some embodiments of the "grosse pointe" construction may use weft yams with a Philadelphia or Bradford count in the range of 3/18 to 1/110 (worsted 3/1.54 to 1/3.1 ; approximately 288 to 1,760 yards per pound), or 4/32 to 2/65 (worsted 4/3.6 to 2/3.71; approximately 512 to 1,040 yards per pound), or 3/36 to 2/55 (worsted 3/3.09 to 2/3.14; approximately 576 to 832 yards per pound).
• the Philadelphia or Bradford count is 3/42 (worsted 3/3.6; approximately 672 yard per pound).
• the weft yams may be Nm700 (worsted 1/.62; 348 yards per pound), Tex 2000 (worsted 1/.44; approximately 249 yards per pound), and/or 4/4 cc (worsted 4/6.0; approximately 840 yards per pound).
• Yarns of these types and/or in these ranges are generally thick enough to impart the desired aesthetic effects, while and the same time being sufficiently thin to be machine woven from the weft direction without causing excessive tension in the loom.
• the face wa ⁇ yams employed in the grosse point construction may be thin, so as to be seen as little as possible.
• the wa ⁇ yams may have a cotton count in the range of 4/4 to 10/2 (approximately 840 to 4,200 yards per pound), or, more narrowly, 3/2 to 8/2 (approximately 1,260 to 3,360 yards per pound).
• the wa ⁇ yarns may have a cotton count of 8/4, or approximately 1,680 yards per pound.
• the finished "grosse pointe" floor covering may have in the range of about 20 to about 40 ends per inch and, in one particular embodiment, may be have about 28 ends per inch.
• the heavy weft yarns of some embodiments may result in a floor covering that has fewer weft picks per inch than in conventional materials woven on the same loom.
• the needlepoint and grosse point embodiments for example, may be woven at between about 25 and about 65 picks per inch, and preferably between about 40 and about 50 picks per inch.
• floor coverings according to the invention are also heavier that other materials woven on the same type of looms.
• a floor covering woven according to the present invention weighs between about 2 and about 3 pounds per square yard and, in one particular embodiment, the floor covering weighs about 2.4 pounds per square yard.
• the types of materials typically woven on these types of looms generally weigh in the range of less than 2 pounds per square yard.
• floor coverings produced according to the invention also have a larger proportion of their total weight made up of yarns from the weft. In one embodiment, for example, the weft makes up between about 85 and about 95 percent of the total weight of the material and, in one preferred embodiment, the weft makes up about 92 percent of the total weight of the material.
• a backing may be positioned adjacent at least one side of the floor covering.
• Advantages of a backing include extra strength and durability conferred to the floor covering, especially where it is intended for an application in which it will be subjected to many mechanical stresses.
• the backing may be comprised of any suitable natural or synthetic material.
• the backing may be a type of plastic.
• the backing may be applied in any conventional manner, as would readily be appreciated by one of skill in the art.
• the inventive floor covering, with or without a backing may also be cut to any desired dimension or shape.
• the floor covering may be woven on a wide loom, allowing the production of a wide, continuous sheet of a fabric.
• the sheet of material produced by the loom may be cut into any number of desired shapes having any desired dimensions.
• the use of such a process may speed up production of floor coverings and/or may facilitate the production of a large number of orders for floor coverings of the same pattern but different sizes.
• a border may be positioned along all or a portion of one or more edges of the floor covering to further strengthen the edges and reduce the possibility of fraying.
• a border which may be adhered to the floor covering by stitching, adhesive, or any other suitable means, may cover the ends of some or all of the wa ⁇ and/or weft yams to prevent fraying and may comprise any suitable material or materials, including cloth, paper, plastic, or leather, among others. If the floor covering is circular, the border can be applied along the circumference.
• Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for joining segments of a woven floor covering. Such segments would be employed, for example, where it is desired to produce a floor covering wider than the operative width of the loom, such as in the case of a wall-to-wall ca ⁇ eting.
• At least two segments of floor covering material are provided, each comprising a first set of yarns that are woven in a warp direction, and a second set of yarns that are woven in a weft direction.
• Each segment of floor covering will have a selvedge edge running along at least one warpwise side as a by-product of the weaving process.
• the two segments are aligned such that their warp yams are parallel and the respective selvedge edges of the sides to be joined are adjacent to each other.
• the adjacent selvedge edges are sliced along their outside edges, resulting in an upper selvedge portion 109a and lower selvedge portion 109b, such as can be seen in, for example, Fig. 2.
• the respective lower selvedge portions 109b are then either folded back under the main bodies 104 of the floor covering segments or simply cut away, and the upper selvedge portions 109a are then stitched together in a conventional manner to join the two segments.
• the inventive floor coverings may be used in situations that call for floor coverings that are larger than the operative width of the loom, and the advantages associated with the inventive method of weaving with the color on the weft, as discussed above, can be extended to a wider variety of applications, such as wall-to-wall carpeting.
• the combination of weaving with the color on the weft and the above-described joinery method may therefore allow a wide variety of large colored and patterned floor coverings, such as wall-to-wall ca ⁇ ets, to be produced and sold without the expense associated with changing thousands of creels and without the expense of maintaining a large inventory.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
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• Auxiliary Weaving Apparatuses, Weavers' Tools, And Shuttles (AREA)
• Carpets (AREA)

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• 2003
  • 2003-01-07 US US10/338,819 patent/US20040129333A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2004
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  • 2004-01-07 JP JP2006500822A patent/JP2006518423A/ja active Pending
  • 2004-01-07 EP EP04700614A patent/EP1581678A2/en not_active Withdrawn

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