GB1562550A

GB1562550A - Apparatus for making tufted constructions

Info

Publication number: GB1562550A
Application number: GB53998/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: TUCEL INDUSTRIES
Current assignee: TUCEL INDUSTRIES
Priority date: 1977-01-07
Filing date: 1977-12-28
Publication date: 1980-03-12
Also published as: DE2800146B2; DE2800146C3; ZA774341B; DE2800146A1; CA1075287A

Description

(54) APPARATUS FOR MAKING TUFTED CONSTRUCTIONS (71) We, TUCEL INDUSTRIES, INC., a corporation organised and existing under the laws of the State of Vermont, United States of America, of P O Box 627, Maple Street, Middlebury, Vermont 05753, United States of America, 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 apparatus for making tufted constructions.

According to the invention, apparatus for making tufted constructions comprises a stock box for supporting parallel cut-to-length synthetic filaments, means for picking a plurality of the filaments from the stock box to a form a plurality of tufts thereof, means for fusing together the filaments in each of the tufts at first ends of the tufts, means for supporting the tufts in a mutually spaced relationship while the first ends of the tufts are individually and simultaneously fused, and means for subsequently orienting the tufts so that at least two of the tufts converge whereby the oriented tufts may be mounted simultaneously on a synthetic support to form a tufted construction wherein the second ends of said at least two tufts diverge.

Brush making machinery embodying this invention and described in detail hereinbelow can be used for continuously fabricating synthetic filament constructions.

The machinery is, in particular, capable of forming a wide variety of filament constructions wherein the ends of the filaments are fused and supported before they cool, so that the cooled, prefused ends only connect the filament unit and the support, or hold the filament unit onto the support in non-parallel attitude whereby at least two separate tufts extend from the support at acute angles thereto.

The brush industry and the brushmaking art during the past fifty years have remained, for the most part, unchanged.

Major changes have come about in raw materials employed, i.e. synthetic filaments replacing vegetable fibres, moulded thermoplastic handles replacing wooden handles, and the like, but little or no change has taken place in forming tufts and/or tufting multi-tufted constructions.

With the economic changes taking place during the 1970's and the dependence on oil and oil derivatives, i.e. plastics resins used for syntethic filaments and moulded brush blocks, coupled with increasing costs for energy and these raw materials, there comes a need to find new ways to construct tufted synthetic brushes and filament contructions so (1) raw material can be conserved and (2) fabrication of less raw material utilising less energy.

Picking devices for fabricating tufted constructions from synthetic filaments are described, for example, in U.S. Patent No.

3,471,202 (now US Patent No. Re. 27,455), corresponding to UK Patent No. 1,181,726 and in US Patent No. 3,799,616. However, embodiments of the present invention, wihile similar in construction, have the additional capability of allowing one to pick and trim angled (flared) tufts and construction wherein filament conservation and utility are achieved.

For example, conventional tufted brushes comprise at least three parts: one, a handle: two, filaments with a length more than twice the finished tuft length out of the handle; and three, a wire staple. Handle thicknesses of at least 3.6 inches must be employed to accommodate drilled holes in order that the stapled tuft (held by wire staples) can be supported in the handle. A brush construction that can be fabricated by apparatus embodying this invention, in contrast, comprises only a handle with a thickness in the region of 0.040 inches with filaments attached thereto, both constructed preferably from polypropylene.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that a wide variety of different filament constructions. in addition to ordinary household brushes, may be made utilising machinery embodying this invention to be hereinafter described. For example, the machinery may also be used to form tufted constructions wherein the prefused tuft end is mounted on a heat-softened depression on a sheet or handle of the filamentary material.

Additional tufted construction may also be formed wherein the prefused tuft end is mounted on a small diameter rod, or on woven and nonwoven mesh. The rod or mesh may be wire, cellulose or plastics material, and is embedded in the prefused tuft end before the end cools.

Finally, the tuft may be picked by or inserted into a sheet support exposing both the second (working) and first (nonworking) ends of the tuft. The non-working end may then be heat-sealed to retain the tuft in the support.

Related articles and methods of construction are described and claimed in US Patent Specifications Nos. 3,774,782, 3,633,974, Re. 27,455, 3,604,043, 3,799,616, 3,798,699, 3,910,637 and 4,009,910, and in UK Patent Specification Nos. 1,276,760, 1,281,760, 1,447,213 and 1,544,138. The disclosures of the aforesaid patent specifications are hereby incorporated by reference.

Brush making machinery embodying the invention can be used in forming multiple fibre tufts, complete brush or tufted components simultaneously formed, and continuous modular brush or tufted constructions. The machinery will simultaneously pick fibre tufts, assemble the tufts in a predetermined pattern, impart a flare, and form an integral fibre tuft support modular tufted construction. A picking unit of the machinery comprises movable picking tube supports including means for changing the attitude of the picking supports during tufting. The machinery includes means for heat-sealing the fibre tufts integral with a support, each of the tufts having a prefused end for mounting and a working end which does not require trimming.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a tuft forming picker of apparatus embodying this invention; Figure 2 is a front sectional view of the tuft forming picker taken along line A-A of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the tuft forming picker taken along line B-B of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a side view of the tuft forming picker of Figure 1 at an angled attitude prior to forming an angled tuft-construction; Figure 5 is a longitudinal view of the tuft forming picker of Figure 1 prior to indexing into a filament stock box; Figure 6 is a longitudinal view of the tuft forming picker indexed into the filament stock box;; Figure 7 is a longitudinal view of the tuft forming picker withdrawn from the filament stock box with the picking tube support and trim ends in a closed attitude and filament ends fused against a melter block; Figure 8 is a longitudinal view of the tuft forming picker as shown in Figure 7 in the angled fusing attitude; Figure 9 is a side view of a tufted article made by apparatus as described with reference to Figures 1 to 8; Figure 10 is a longitudinal view in partial section of a picking means of another apparatus embodying the invention for tufting an entire brush; Figure 11 is a frontal view with portions broken away of the picking means taken along line CQ of Figure 10; Figure 12 is a longitudinal view of the picking means of Figure 10 with picked filament ends melted, and fused to a brush body;; Figure 13 is a longitudinal view in partial section of a tufted flared counter duster brush made by apparatus as described with reference to Figures 10 to 12; and Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of Figure 13.

In order to describe this invention more fully, reference is now made to specific embodiments illustrated in the drawings.

The embodiments of the invention are designed for the manufacture of houseware brush articles and the like wherein tufted synthetic filaments are attached directly to a substrate at different angles employing a tuft-forming picker in such a manner that tufts are simultaneously picked in parallel attitudes, simultaneously heat-sealed for mounting, simultaneously angled and mounted onto a support thus forming a complete angle-tufted construction in the same time required by a conventional brush machine to pick and staple-set one fibre tuft. This method of picking angled filament tufts is achieved by employing a longitudinal, generally tubular picker having a preselected cross-sectional configuration, and in a preferred embodiment, a series of picker tubes mounted to more than one movable picker tube support means. The tuft forming picker of a first embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 1.

The tuft forming picker of Figure 1 includes picker tubes 16, 16' shaped as circular pickers in cross-section. Alternative cross-sectional shapes, e.g. oval, square, rectangular, triangular and the like. are all possible, and are within the scope of this invention.

The picker tubes 16 and 16' of the tuft forming picker of Figure 1 are mounted within separate movable picker tube supports 13 and 13'. In each picker tube 16 and 16' there are contained slidable trim end elements 17, which act as pistons to index cut-to-length filaments contained in the picker tubes 16 and 16', thus trimming and allowing an extending filament tuft end to fuse when contact is made with a melting means. Each movable picker tube support 13 and 13' is attached to a plate 12 and 12', respectively, by means of springs 15 and mounting pins 14. In turn, each plate 12 and 12' is attached to a hinge 11 and one portion of the hinge 11 is attached permanently to a picker means mount 10.A cam follower 18 is attached to the plate 12 by means of a pin 18' and serves to index the lower picker plate 12 upwardly, thus changing the parallel relationship of pickers 16 and 16' to an angular attitude. Figure 2 is a front view of Figure 1 taken along line A-A of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-section taken along line B-B of Figure 2 and shows the hinge 11 as being attached to the mount 10 by a screw attachment 11'.

Figure 4 illustrates closing of the tube supports 13 and 13' by indexing the picker means mount 10 into a cam closure means 19 in the direction of an arrow H, causing the end of the picker tube 16' to converge on the end of the tube 16 in the direction of an arrow 1.

The way in which the above-described apparatus is used in picking and tufting angular (flared) tufts will now be described.

The picker, as illustrated in Figure 5, is indexed in the direction of an arrow J causing the picker tubes 16 and 16' to pass through a stock box front 46 and a filament retaining gasket 47 and engage parallel cut-to-length synthetic filaments 48 in a stock box. As this sequence takes place, the tube supports 13, 13' and plates 12, 12' remain open by virtue of the spring 15 so that the sliding trim end elements 17 may be displaced toward the hinge 11 and plates 12, 12'. The parallel relationship of the picker tubes 16 and 16' is maintained during picking. In Figure 6, the trim end elements 17 are shown pushed back into the plates 12, 12' allowing filaments 48 to fill the picker tubes 16 and 16' whereby the filament is contained entirely within the picker tubes and abuts trim end elements 17.Af,ter picking is complete, the filled picker is indexed in the direction of the arrow K, withdrawing the tubes from the stock box.

In order to allow ends of the filaments 48 to become fused, the picking device as shown in Figure 7 is indexed in the direction of an arrow L and closed in the direction of an arrow M. The picker tube supports 13 and 13', with the picker tubes 16 and 16', then contact the plates 12 and 12', causing filament ends 48' to emerge from the picker tubes 16 and 16' and contact a surface of a melter block 49. The block 49 is heated by cartridge heaters 50. During the fusing of the filament ends 48', the parallel relationship of the picker tubes 16 and 16' is maintained.

After fusing, the picking device is withdrawn from the fusing or melter block 49, and indexed in the direction of an arrow N. While indexing in the direction N, the picker tube supports 13 and 13' are allowed to change attitude by moving the hinge 11, thus causing the picker tubes 16 and 16' to come together, and the fused filament ends 48'' to meet. As the picker tubes 16 and 16' close toward each in the direction of an arrow 0, the fused portion is contacted with a tuft support 51 causing the filaments to be attached to the tuft support 51 by the fused portions 48''.

Figure 9 illustrates the tufted support 51 with tufts 52 attached to the support 51 by the fused portions 48'', whereby an angle P exists between two non-parallel tufts.

A preferred embodiment of the invention for making a specific tufted counter duster brush will now be described by way of example with reference to Figures 1S14.

A picker device 60 shown in Figures 10 and 11 is mounted on a mount 60' having five rows of picking tubes 63, 63', 63", 63"' and 63"", all attached to fixed supports, 62, 62'., 62", 62"' and 62' ' ' ' . The picking tubes in this embodiment each have a stationary trim end pin 64 located at the base of each tube for trimming the filament 80, and automatically allowing a given amount of filament 80' to extend from the picker tube.

Tube supports 62 are attached to each other by means of a hinge 65 and screw 66. Onlv the picker tube support 62'' is attached to the stationary picker mount 60' by means of a bar 61 and a screw 67. A fastening screw 68 holds the bar 61 to the picker mount 60'.

Cam followers 71 are attached to the picker supports 62 and 62'''' by pins 72, and the picking tube supports are held in parallel alignment by springs 69 attached between the pins 72 and pins 70 located on the mount 60'.

With reference to Figure 12, after picking filament 80, and fusing the ends 80' of the filament 80 into fused ends 80'' as above described, the picking device 60 is indexed in the direction of an arrow Q into cam closing means 73, wherebv the cam followers 71 cause the picker tube supports 62, 62', 62''', and 62'''' to change attitude whereby the distal portions of the tubes 63, 63',63'' and 63' ' ' ' converge in a direction R-R' for fusing the filament ends 80'' to a brush body 81 held in a handle holder 74 and having a handle 82.

When the picking device 60 is indexed away from the brush body 81 in the holder 74 in the direction opposite to the arrow Q, a completely angletufted counter duster brush 82 with angled tufts 83 results as shown in Figure 13.

Figure 14 illustrates the flare imparted to the tufts 83. The tufts 83 are angled as shown at S, S', S'' and S' " and are secured by the fused portion 80' to the handle 81.

The distance Y across the base of the tufts is significantly different than the distance X across the working end of each tuft 83'.

The angle-tuft-forming pickers described hereinabove can be constructed from any conventional metal elements or thermo plastic materials such as polypropylene polyacetal, polyamide and the like. The angle-tuft-forming pickers are not limited to any given size, internal diameter or dimension, or internal cross-sectional configurations. Picking devices of all angular configurations can be fabricated within the scope of this invention.

It has been found that the angle-tuft-forming pickers will pick tufts from assembled parallel cut-to-length synthetic filaments having any cross sectional configuration, such as circular, X-shaped, star-shaped, hollow and the like.

The diameter of the filaments picked ranges from .005 inches to at least 0.250 inches.

The length of the cut-to-length filaments can range from about 0.5 up to 30 inches. The composition of the synthetic filaments picked and assembled into filament tufts is not limited, and thermoplastic filaments whether oriented or unoriented can be used to form tufts in apparatus embodying this invention. Polymers such as polyamide, polypropylene, polyethylene, copolymers of propylene and ethylene, polyfluoride, and the like may be employed.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Apparatus for making tufted constructions, comprising a stock box for supporting parallel cut-to-length synthetic filaments, means for picking a plurality of the filaments from the stock box to form a plurality of tufts thereof, means for fusing together the filaments in each of the tufts at first ends of the tufts, means for supporting the tufts in a mutually spaced relationship while the first ends of the tufts are individually and simultaneously fused, and means for subsequently orienting the tufts so that at least two of the tufts converge whereby the oriented tufts may be mounted simultaneously on a synthetic support to form a tufted construction wherein the second ends of said at least two tufts diverge.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supporting means is operative to support the tufts in a parallel, - mutually spaced relationship while the first ends are fused.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the means for orienting the tufts comprises means for orienting said tufts in converging rows of parallel, spaced tufts about a central row of tufts.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the means for orienting the tufts comprises cam means and follower means for orienting rows of tufts as the follower means is displaced relative to the cam in a first direction.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the means for picking comprises hollow cylindrical pickers, the means for supporting the tufts is operative normally to support the pickers in parallel, mutually spaced rows, and the supporting means also mounts the follower means.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the supporting means comprises a plurality of segmented supports, each segment mounting a row of pickers, and the tuft orienting means comprises hinge means interconnecting adjacent segments for rotating the segments and the pickers supported thereon into a converging orientation responsive to displacement of the follower means relative to the cam means in said first direction.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the supporting means comprises bias means connecting each of said segments and the apparatus for normally urging the segments and the pickers supported thereon into a parallel orientation responsive to displacement of the follower means relative to the cam means in a direction opposite to said first direction.

8. Apparatus for making tufted constructions, the apparatus being substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 8 or 10 to 12 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A tufted construction formed by apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims.

10. A tufted construction according to claim 9, substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 9 or Figures 13 and 14 of the accompanying drawings.

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

Claims

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

When the picking device 60 is indexed away from the brush body 81 in the holder

74 in the direction opposite to the arrow Q, a completely angletufted counter duster brush 82 with angled tufts 83 results as shown in Figure 13.

Figure 14 illustrates the flare imparted to the tufts 83. The tufts 83 are angled as shown at S, S', S'' and S' " and are secured by the fused portion 80' to the handle 81.

The distance Y across the base of the tufts is significantly different than the distance X across the working end of each tuft 83'.

The angle-tuft-forming pickers described hereinabove can be constructed from any conventional metal elements or thermo plastic materials such as polypropylene polyacetal, polyamide and the like. The angle-tuft-forming pickers are not limited to any given size, internal diameter or dimension, or internal cross-sectional configurations. Picking devices of all angular configurations can be fabricated within the scope of this invention.

It has been found that the angle-tuft-forming pickers will pick tufts from assembled parallel cut-to-length synthetic filaments having any cross sectional configuration, such as circular, X-shaped, star-shaped, hollow and the like.

The diameter of the filaments picked ranges from .005 inches to at least 0.250 inches.

The length of the cut-to-length filaments can range from about 0.5 up to 30 inches. The composition of the synthetic filaments picked and assembled into filament tufts is not limited, and thermoplastic filaments whether oriented or unoriented can be used to form tufts in apparatus embodying this invention. Polymers such as polyamide, polypropylene, polyethylene, copolymers of propylene and ethylene, polyfluoride, and the like may be employed.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Apparatus for making tufted constructions, comprising a stock box for supporting parallel cut-to-length synthetic filaments, means for picking a plurality of the filaments from the stock box to form a plurality of tufts thereof, means for fusing together the filaments in each of the tufts at first ends of the tufts, means for supporting the tufts in a mutually spaced relationship while the first ends of the tufts are individually and simultaneously fused, and means for subsequently orienting the tufts so that at least two of the tufts converge whereby the oriented tufts may be mounted simultaneously on a synthetic support to form a tufted construction wherein the second ends of said at least two tufts diverge.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supporting means is operative to support the tufts in a parallel, - mutually spaced relationship while the first ends are fused.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the means for orienting the tufts comprises means for orienting said tufts in converging rows of parallel, spaced tufts about a central row of tufts.
4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the means for orienting the tufts comprises cam means and follower means for orienting rows of tufts as the follower means is displaced relative to the cam in a first direction.
5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the means for picking comprises hollow cylindrical pickers, the means for supporting the tufts is operative normally to support the pickers in parallel, mutually spaced rows, and the supporting means also mounts the follower means.
6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the supporting means comprises a plurality of segmented supports, each segment mounting a row of pickers, and the tuft orienting means comprises hinge means interconnecting adjacent segments for rotating the segments and the pickers supported thereon into a converging orientation responsive to displacement of the follower means relative to the cam means in said first direction.
7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the supporting means comprises bias means connecting each of said segments and the apparatus for normally urging the segments and the pickers supported thereon into a parallel orientation responsive to displacement of the follower means relative to the cam means in a direction opposite to said first direction.
8. Apparatus for making tufted constructions, the apparatus being substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 8 or 10 to 12 of the accompanying drawings.
9. A tufted construction formed by apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims.
10. A tufted construction according to claim 9, substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 9 or Figures 13 and 14 of the accompanying drawings.