GB2126079A - Improvements in and relating to quilts and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

A quilt or the like has a cover member (2, 4) formed with channels (12) filled with artificial fibres, the fibres being free to move along the length of the channels (12) in which they are present. The top (2) and bottom (4) of the cover member are connected together through a spacing member (10) such that the fibres may be shaken down along the channels (12) to alter the heat insulation properties of the quilt. Apparatus for introducing the fibres into the channels is also disclosed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to quilts and the like This invention relates to quilts, sleeping bags, duvets, eiderdowns and other like quilted products.

Quilts, sleeping bags, eiderdowns, duvets and the like are normally provided with channels formed by stitching together the top and bottom covers. These channels are desirably filled with natural material such as feathers, which, due to their natural bulk or loft, provide excellent heat insulation properties combined with iightness.

Furthermore, feathers and the like may be bedded down or shaken to one end of the quilt or the like for summer use and shaken up and distributed evenly along the channels to provide additional warmth and insulation for winter use.

Such natural materials however are expensive and it has become the practice to replace natural materials with artificial fibres. These have many advantages but quilts and the like incorporating artificial fibres do suffer from the disadvantage that during manufacture the fibres are formed into thin sheets which are cross-layered to form a batt consisting of say from 5 to 1 5 layers but having the size of the quilt, sleeping bag or the like. The batt has then to be inserted between the top and bottom covers which are not provided with channels and the channels then have to be formed by stitching through the batt to produce the desired quilt or the like.Partly due to the staple length of the fibres which may be 50 to 60 mm and partly due to the method of manufacture, the fibres in the batt are held relatively within the cover by the stitching and are thus prevented, or restricted, from moving freely along the channels within the cover. This prevents the user from being able to alter the heat insulation properties of the quilt by shaking the fibres within the cover.

A quilt or a sleeping bag or the like in accordance with this invention is formed with channels filled with artificial fibres (preferably ones having a staple length of T to -"), the fibres being free to move along the length of the channels in which they are present. The channels are preferably formed by connecting the top and bottom of the cover together through a spacing member which acts to keep the top and bottom of the cover spaced apart. With such an arrangement, the fibres may be shaken down along the channels.

A method of producing a quilt or the like in accordance with the invention comprises passing a mass of fibres of artifical-material (preferably ones having a. staple length of about - to 4311) through one-or more "opening" devices which act to separate the fibres, accumulating batches of a predetermined weight or volume of the fibres while still in their "open" or separated condition and then inserting each batch respectively into a separate pre-formed channel in a cover member.

Preferably, the batches of fibres are fed from a batch weigher into a multi-channel hopper, each channel of the hopper being connected to a channel in the cover so that the cover channels may be filled either simultaneously or sequentially.

Apparatus for producing quilts, sleeping bags or the like in accordance with the invention comprises one or more opening devices for separating artificial fibres without carding, a storage bin connected to the outlet of an opening device and having its outlet connected to a batch weigher or the like, the outlet of the weigher being connected to a multi-channel hopper in such a way that each hopper channel may be filled in turn, each channel of the hopper having means for feeding fibres therefrom into a channel formed between the top and bottom covers of the quilt, sleeping bag or the like.

Preferably, the "opened" fibres are conveyed from the weigher and from the hopper by being blown by air.

The invention will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a section through a conventional quilt filled with artificial fibres; Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, of a quilt in accordance with the invention; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation of apparatus for producing the quilt shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a plan view of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 3, and Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a conventional fibre opening device.

The quilt shown in Figure 1 which is conventional is produced by forming a batt of artificial fibres having a staple length of about 50 to 60 mm. The batt is inserted between the top and bottom cover members 2, 4 and the cover members are then stitched together at 6 through the batt 8 of the fibres. The stitching acts to hold the batt in position and prevents the fibres from moving freely along the lengths of the channels formed between the rows of stitching 6.

In distinction from this, a quilt in accordance with the invention as is illustrated in Figure 2 has its covers 2 and 4 joined together through spacing members 10 prior to introduction of the fibrous material illustrated at 12 into the channels formed between the spacing members 10. The fibres are in a bulked or open condition rather than being in any form of matt and are of staple length of say about 2 to 4311 The fibres are free to move along the length of the channels 12.

The side edges 2 and 4 are stitched together at 14 and are bound or overiocked and the end edges (not shown) are similarly stitched and bound together around the fibres.

Apparatus for producing a quilt such as that illustrated in Figure 2 is shown in Figures 3 and 4 and comprises a standard fibre opening device 1 6 such as that manufactured by the firm of Fearnought and which comprises a number of spiked rollers which act on a matt or mass of fibres having, for example, a staple length of 2 to ", introduced into the opener to in effect "open" or separate the fibres one from another.

The partially separated fibres are then blown through a duct 1 8 by means of a fan 20 to the inlet of a hopper 22 such as that illustrated in Figure 5. The partially "opened" fibres are fed from the base of a hopper up a belt 24 by means of spikes 26 on the belt, beneath a comb 28 to the top of the conveyor where they are acted upon by a spiked stripping roller 30 which acts to further separate the fibres and to bulk them out.

The separated "bulked" out fibres are then conveyed by a conveyor 34 (which in practice may be at the top of the hopper as shown in Figure 3 rather than at the bottom as shown in Figure 5), to a storage bin 36.

The hopper and storage bin units are conventionally used in apparatus for the manufacture of quilts of natural material such as feather but have not hitherto been used for the manufacture of quilts employing artifical fibres.

A batch weighing device 38 is connected to the storage bin 36 through a conveyor 40 and acts to withdraw from the storage bin predetermined batches of fibres or for example, a weight of 8 ozs.

Each batch of fibres is then fed to one of the channels 42 (see Figure 4) of a hopper 46 by means of a movable duct 48 which feeds each channel 42 in turn with an 8 oz batch of fibres.

Each channel 42 is connected to an injection tube 48 through a valved duct 50.

A cover (not shown in Figures 3 and 4) for the quilt, is prepared as illustrated in Figure 2, with a number of preformed channels 1 2 separated by separator members 1 0. This cover is placed on a table 52 and the injection tubes 48 are inserted into each channel 12.

Valves 54 in the ducts 50 are then operated so that a fan 56 blows fibres from the channels 42 of the hopper 46 into the respective channels 1 2 in the cover. Fibres can be blown simultaneously from all the channels 42 or the valves 54 can be opened sequentially so that the channels are also filled sequentially.

The filled cover is then removed from the table and the open end of the channels through which the tubes 48 pass, are sewn and bound or overlapped.

It will be appreciated that once the fibres have been separated or "opened" they are not subsequently allowed to mat or become tangled and are, for example, fed from one part of the apparatus to another by being blown so as to preserve the open nature of the fibres prior to their being inserted into the quilt cover.

This results in a quilt in which the fibres can freely move along the channels so that, for example, the heat insulation quality of the quilt can be adjusted somewhat for summer or winter use.

Claims (12)

1. A quilt, sleeping bag or the like having a cover member formed with channels filled with artificial fibres, the fibres being free to move along the length of the channels in which they are present.

2. A quilt, sleeping bag or the like as claimed in claim 1 wherein the channels are formed by connecting the top and bottom of the cover member together through a spacing member which acts to keep the top and bottom of the cover member spaced apart.

3. A quilt, sleeping bag or the like as claimed in either Claim 1 or 2 wherein the fibres are in a bulked or open condition and are of staple length of between 3 to to ".

4. A method of producing a quilt, sleeping bag or the like comprising passing a mass of fibres of artificial material through one or more "opening" devices which act to separate the fibres, accumulating batches of a predetermined weight or voiume of the fibres while still in their "open" or separated condition and then inserting each batch respectively into a separate pre-formed channel in a cover member.

5. A method as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the batches of fibres are fed from a batch weigher into a multi-channel hopper, each channel of the hopper being connected to a channel in the cover member so that the cover channels are filled either simultaneously or sequentially.

6. A method as claimed in either Claim 4 or 5 wherein the fibres are fed or conveyed by being blown by air.

7. Apparatus for producing quilts, sleeping bags or the like comprising one or more opening devices for separating artificial fibres without carding, a storage bin connected to the outlet of an opening device and having its outlet connected to a batch weigher or the like, the outlet of the weigher being connected to a multi-channel hopper in such a way that each hopper channel may be filled in turn, each channel of the hopper having means for feeding fibres therefrom into a channel formed between the top and bottom covers of the quilt, sleeping bag or the like.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the "opened" fibres are conveyed from the weigher andjor from the hopper by being blown by air.

9. An apparatus as claimed in either Claim 7 or 8 including a table over which extend the feeding means.

10. A quilt substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A method of producing a quilt, sleeping bag or the like substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 2 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

12. An apparatus for producing quilts, sleeping bags or the like substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.