GB1558669A - Woven fabrics - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO WOVEN FABRICS (71) We, SYNTHENC FABRICS (SCOT LAND) LIMITED, a British Company, of Victoria Works, Don Street, Forfar, Angus, Scotland, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to woven fabrics and is a modification of the invention described and claimed in the Complete Specification of our co-pending cognate Patent Applications Nos. 16342/76, 45528/76 and 45527/76 hereinafter called "the Parent Specification". The present Application is divided from co-pending Patent Application No. (Serial No. 1 558 668) 45727/76.

In the Parent Specification there is disclosed and claimed a woven fabric having warp and weft of synethic resinous material, both the warp and weft having been fibrillated in situ in the woven fabric such that the surface of each warp and weft has a decreased reflective power as compared with untreated warp and weft, and the surface of the woven fabric being substantially free of surface hairiness. In the treated woven fabric described in the Parent Specification the warp and weft each comprise a flat bundle of fibrils, substantially all the fibrils in each warp and weft being joined together in the form of a random network.

The Parent Specification further dicloses and claims a method of manufacturing a woven material which includes the step, after weaving a woven fabric having warp and weft tapes of synthetic resinous material, of fibrillating the warp and weft tapes such that the warp and weft tapes are each broken down into a multiplicity of fibrils which are joined together in the form of a random network, each warp and weft having a relatively matt surface as compared with untreated warp and weft tapes, and the surface of the woven fabric being substantially free of surface hairiness. The Parent Specification further discloses that the method of fibrillation advantageously involves the subjection of the woven fabric to at least 1,800 needle penetrations per square centimetre.

According to the present invention there is provided a modification of a woven fabric according to any one of Claims 1 to 10 and 12 of the Parent Specification, in which either the warp or the weft has been fibrillated in situ in the woven fabric, the other of the warp and the weft having been comprised of yarns of fibrous structure before weaving of the woven fabric.

In a woven fabric to be treated in accordance with the present invention either the warp or the weft components may be comprised by yarns made from spun staple fibres or continuous filament fibres. The fibres of which the yarns are comprised may be natural fibres or man-made fibres.

Also in accordance with the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a woven material which includes the step, after weaving a woven fabric having either warp or weft components comprised by tapes of synthetic resinous material and the other components comprised by yarns of fibrous structure, of fibrillating the synthetic resinous tape components such that the tapes are each broken down into a multiplicity of fibrils which are joined together in the form of a random network, the surface of the woven material including the fibrillated tape components being substantially free of surface hairiness.

In one example in accordance with the present invention a woven fabric is formed in which all the warp components of the woven fabric are comprised by yarns of fibrous structure and all the weft components are comprised by tapes of synthetic resinous material such as polypropylene.

This woven fabric is then subjected to a treatment using a fibrillating apparatus essentially as described in the Parent Specification. At the conclusion of this treatment the appearance of the weft tape components of the fabric is changed with the result that these components assume a fibrous appearance, while the warp components of the woven fabric are not the subject of any such change in appearance.

A woven fabric in accordance with the present invention is capable of a variety of uses, for example as a carpet backing, as an industrial fabric, as a furnishing fabric, as a wall fabric, as an awning and as one element of a laminate. However, the woven fabric in accordance with the present invention has a particular application as a secondary carpet backing in the production of tufted carpets.

The advantages of the woven fabric in accordance with the present invention when used as a secondary carpet backing are the increased ability to adhere to the primary tufted fabric, and the substantial reduction in lustre, both of which features derive substantially from the conversion of the synthetic resinous tape components to flat bundles of fibrils.

WHAT WE CLAIM TS: 1. A modification of a woven fabric according to any one of Claims 1 to 10 and 12 of the Parent Specification, in which either the warp or the weft has been fibrillated in situ in the woven fabric, the other of the warp and the weft having been comprised of yarns of fibrous structure before weaving of the woven fabric.

2. A method of manufacturing a woven material which includes the step, after weaving a woven fabric having either warp or weft components comprised by tapes of synthetic resinous material and the other components comprised by yarns of fibrous structure, of fibrillating the synthetic resinous tape components such that the tapes are each broken down into a multiplicity of fibrils which are joined together in the form of a random network, the surface of the woven material including the fibrillated tape components being substantially free of surface hairiness.

3. A method according to Claim 2 in which, the woven fabric after weaving and before the fibrillating step, all the weft components are comprised by polypropylene tapes, and all the warp components are comprised by yarns of fibrous structure.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (3)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. This woven fabric is then subjected to a treatment using a fibrillating apparatus essentially as described in the Parent Specification. At the conclusion of this treatment the appearance of the weft tape components of the fabric is changed with the result that these components assume a fibrous appearance, while the warp components of the woven fabric are not the subject of any such change in appearance. A woven fabric in accordance with the present invention is capable of a variety of uses, for example as a carpet backing, as an industrial fabric, as a furnishing fabric, as a wall fabric, as an awning and as one element of a laminate. However, the woven fabric in accordance with the present invention has a particular application as a secondary carpet backing in the production of tufted carpets. The advantages of the woven fabric in accordance with the present invention when used as a secondary carpet backing are the increased ability to adhere to the primary tufted fabric, and the substantial reduction in lustre, both of which features derive substantially from the conversion of the synthetic resinous tape components to flat bundles of fibrils. WHAT WE CLAIM TS:

1. A modification of a woven fabric according to any one of Claims 1 to 10 and 12 of the Parent Specification, in which either the warp or the weft has been fibrillated in situ in the woven fabric, the other of the warp and the weft having been comprised of yarns of fibrous structure before weaving of the woven fabric.

2. A method of manufacturing a woven material which includes the step, after weaving a woven fabric having either warp or weft components comprised by tapes of synthetic resinous material and the other components comprised by yarns of fibrous structure, of fibrillating the synthetic resinous tape components such that the tapes are each broken down into a multiplicity of fibrils which are joined together in the form of a random network, the surface of the woven material including the fibrillated tape components being substantially free of surface hairiness.

3. A method according to Claim 2 in which, the woven fabric after weaving and before the fibrillating step, all the weft components are comprised by polypropylene tapes, and all the warp components are comprised by yarns of fibrous structure.