GB2095299A

GB2095299A - A device for removing excess surface fibres from the face fabrics

Info

Publication number: GB2095299A
Application number: GB8115725A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-05-21
Filing date: 1981-05-21
Publication date: 1982-09-29

Abstract

A device to remove a predetermined amount of the excess surface fibres from the surface of various kinds of structured (i.e. knitted, woven etc.) fabrics, comprises a fine slotted cutting head with internal multi-doubleheaded cutting blades: one blade D cuts on the internal base of the cutting head and the other c on the inner side of the cutting head. Surrounding the cutting head (or heads) is a suctional air-flow which is used to raise the longer excess surface fibres off the fabric (and frictionally formed fibre balls if present) up from the fabric face and hold them in a position that will lead them into the slots A in the outer shell of the cutter and be severed by the side cutting blades C. A second and separate suctional airflow inside the cutter itself raises the short excess surface fibres from the surface face and holds them in position for severance by the base cutting blades D. As the device moves over the fabric face the cutter and the suctional airflows will remove the excess surface fibres (and frictionally formed fibre balls if present). By varying the thickness of the base of the outer shell of the cutter, a predetermined amount of excess surface fibres can be left on the face of the fabric. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A device for removing excess surface fibres from the face of various types of fabrics Many structured fabrics made from natural or synthetic fibres (or a combination of both) either on a worsted or monofilament basis, tend, by surface frictional action (e.g. rubbing, wearing in contact with another garment, brushing, washing etc.), to generate a surface fluff made up of excess surface fibres. This excess surface fluff, with additional frictional action, will tend to form itself into small balls of fibres but still attached to the fabric surface by filaments of the yarn.

This effect is known by such names as "Pilling", "Fuzzing", "Balling" in the textile industry.

These balls of fibre show up as surface blemishes on the fabric and give the appearance of mis-use or prolonged wear. On self-coloured fabrics these balls of fibre are unsightly, but on patterned and multi-coloured fabrics the pattern can become blurred due to the intermingling of fibres of different colours.

Methods have been evolved to comb out these unsightly balls of fibre using a variety of "comb" type products which are drawn over the fabric surface. As the fibre balls are caught in the "comb" and pulled away from the surface the excess surface fibres are stretched (as they are attached at one end to the yarn of the fabric and at the other to the fabric ball) and eventually are broken. It will be seen that these broken fibres will remain on the fabric surface and frictional action will tend to reform these fibres into balls.

Therefore the problem has not been fully solved.

If the excess surface fibres are cut at the position they come out of the yarn on the surface of the fabric, then the balls can be removed easily as they no longer would be attached to the fabric surface by any of the excess surface fibres. This cutting operation, if done over the whole fabric surface, would not only clear the fibre balls but also the excess surface fibres and therefore tend to prevent the reformation of surface fluff and subsequent pilling.

The surface face of newly manufactured fabrics would usually only have excess surface fibres as the surface has not been exposed to frictional wear. In this case, if the excess surface fibres are removed at the position they come out of the yarn, then the generation of fibre balls through frictional action has been severely retarded and therefore the processed fabric has become pillresistant.

This cutting action is accomplished using a circular cutting head combined with suctional air flows.

The cutting head, Diagram 1, has slots cut in faces A and B as shown. The width of these slots is designed to allow only the filaments of the excess surface fibres to reach the cutting blades at C and D and not the yarn from which the fabric is made.

Diagrams 2 and 2A shown the position of the air flow, with relation to the cutting head.

Suctional air flow E is positioned round the outside circumference of the cutting head and sufficient vacuum pressure is applied so that the fibre balls are raised up from the fabric surface (see Diagram 2). The filaments which attach the fibre balls (see Diagram 2) to the fabric surface will now be under tension and will tend to enter the cutting head slots at Face A (see Diagram 1) and be severed by cutting blades C or D (see Diagram 1). If all the filaments which hold the fibre balls to the surface are severed, the fibre balls will then be removed by the suctional air flow E.

With a newly made fabric normally no fibre balls are present on the surface and in this case the air flow E would raise the excess surface fibres and hold them in position for cutting by blades C or D.

Suctional air flow F (Diagram 2) has three purposes. The first purpose is to raise the short ends of the filaments of the excess surface fibres so that they will enter into the cutting head slots in Face B (Diagram 1), and be severed by cutting blade D (Diagram 1). The second purpose is to remove the finely cut excess surface fibres from the cutting head to prevent clogging. The third purpose is to remove any heat built up by the friction of the cutting action at Faces A and B by the cutting blades (see Diagram 1).

The device can be made up of one of more of such circular cutters either in line as in Diagram 3, or in other configurations as for example in Diagram 4. The suctional air flow A on the outside edge of the cutters may in these cases be only round part of the outside circumference of the cutters.

If the thickness (t) of the wall of the cutting device (see Diagram 1) is varied, then a predetermined length of surface fibre can be left on the fabric surface.

Claims

1. That while other methods comb out the excess surface fibres and physically remove the surface fibre balls, this device will remove such a significant amount of the excess surface fibres and their associated fibre balls that the resultant fabric surface will show a clear definition of its original structure.

2. That the resultant fabric surface, after removal of excess surface fibres and their associated fabric balls, will in the future be less prone to pilling.

3. That when this process is applied to certain new fabric surfaces the resultant fabric surface will have a high resistance to frictional pilling.

4. That a predetermined length of surface fibre can be left on the fabric surface face if required.

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION A device for removing excess surface fibres from the face of various types of fabrics Many structured fabrics made from natural or synthetic fibres (or a combination of both) either on a worsted or monofilament basis, tend, by surface frictional action (e.g. rubbing, wearing in contact with another garment, brushing, washing etc.), to generate a surface fluff made up of excess surface fibres. This excess surface fluff, with additional frictional action, will tend to form itself into small balls of fibres but still attached to the fabric surface by filaments of the yarn. This effect is known by such names as "Pilling", "Fuzzing", "Balling" in the textile industry. These balls of fibre show up as surface blemishes on the fabric and give the appearance of mis-use or prolonged wear. On self-coloured fabrics these balls of fibre are unsightly, but on patterned and multi-coloured fabrics the pattern can become blurred due to the intermingling of fibres of different colours. Methods have been evolved to comb out these unsightly balls of fibre using a variety of "comb" type products which are drawn over the fabric surface. As the fibre balls are caught in the "comb" and pulled away from the surface the excess surface fibres are stretched (as they are attached at one end to the yarn of the fabric and at the other to the fabric ball) and eventually are broken. It will be seen that these broken fibres will remain on the fabric surface and frictional action will tend to reform these fibres into balls. Therefore the problem has not been fully solved. If the excess surface fibres are cut at the position they come out of the yarn on the surface of the fabric, then the balls can be removed easily as they no longer would be attached to the fabric surface by any of the excess surface fibres. This cutting operation, if done over the whole fabric surface, would not only clear the fibre balls but also the excess surface fibres and therefore tend to prevent the reformation of surface fluff and subsequent pilling. The surface face of newly manufactured fabrics would usually only have excess surface fibres as the surface has not been exposed to frictional wear. In this case, if the excess surface fibres are removed at the position they come out of the yarn, then the generation of fibre balls through frictional action has been severely retarded and therefore the processed fabric has become pillresistant. This cutting action is accomplished using a circular cutting head combined with suctional air flows. The cutting head, Diagram 1, has slots cut in faces A and B as shown. The width of these slots is designed to allow only the filaments of the excess surface fibres to reach the cutting blades at C and D and not the yarn from which the fabric is made. Diagrams 2 and 2A shown the position of the air flow, with relation to the cutting head. Suctional air flow E is positioned round the outside circumference of the cutting head and sufficient vacuum pressure is applied so that the fibre balls are raised up from the fabric surface (see Diagram 2). The filaments which attach the fibre balls (see Diagram 2) to the fabric surface will now be under tension and will tend to enter the cutting head slots at Face A (see Diagram 1) and be severed by cutting blades C or D (see Diagram 1). If all the filaments which hold the fibre balls to the surface are severed, the fibre balls will then be removed by the suctional air flow E. With a newly made fabric normally no fibre balls are present on the surface and in this case the air flow E would raise the excess surface fibres and hold them in position for cutting by blades C or D. Suctional air flow F (Diagram 2) has three purposes. The first purpose is to raise the short ends of the filaments of the excess surface fibres so that they will enter into the cutting head slots in Face B (Diagram 1), and be severed by cutting blade D (Diagram 1). The second purpose is to remove the finely cut excess surface fibres from the cutting head to prevent clogging. The third purpose is to remove any heat built up by the friction of the cutting action at Faces A and B by the cutting blades (see Diagram 1). The device can be made up of one of more of such circular cutters either in line as in Diagram 3, or in other configurations as for example in Diagram 4. The suctional air flow A on the outside edge of the cutters may in these cases be only round part of the outside circumference of the cutters. If the thickness (t) of the wall of the cutting device (see Diagram 1) is varied, then a predetermined length of surface fibre can be left on the fabric surface. Claims