GB2214938A

GB2214938A - Textile material

Info

Publication number: GB2214938A
Application number: GB8803378A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Colin William Frizell; Jane Laidlaw Suzuki
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-02-13
Filing date: 1988-02-13
Publication date: 1989-09-13
Anticipated expiration: 2008-02-13
Also published as: GB2214938B; GB8803378D0

Abstract

A textile material manufacturing method comprises assembling a mass of threads 27 drawn from bobbins 25 onto a sheet 20 of soluble material so as to form a wholly random mass or to form differently orientated layers of parallel thread, laying a second sheet of soluble material 28 over the first sheet with the mass of threads therebetween, performing a machine stitching operation at 31 either at random or in an orderly fashion through the two sheets and the mass of threads 13 and washing the stiched product in water at 32 to dissolve the sheets 20 and 28. The sheets may be of rice paper or polyvinyl alcohol. <IMAGE>

Description

TEXTILE MATERIALS This invention relates to a method for making a textile material, and also to a textile material whenever made by a method of this invention.

There are relatively few basic manufacturing methods for textile materials from threads, yarns or other like filamentary materials (all of which are hereinafter referred to as 'yarn'), most of which methods have been practised for a great number of years.

Such changes as have occurred to the known manufacturing methods have generally been by way of improvements to the established techniques, though as a result of the introduction of various synthetic or man-made fibres and yarns, it has been necessary specifically to adapt these known manufacturing methods to suit the new starting materials.

The two most basic methods for the manufacture of a textile material from yarns are weaving and knitting.

In both of these well-known methods, an orderly procedure is followed so as to produce a textile material which has uniformity and consistency throughout the whole of the textile material under manufacture, though of course a repeating pattern or other form may be incorporated in the textile material, as required.

The finished textile materials resulting from these methods have a substantially uniform weight per unit area, as well as a regular appearance.

In order to introduce variety into such textile materials, it is known to vary the colours of the yarns being employed, or to vary the thickness of those yarns.

Also, of course, the textile material may be printed as required when completed, to give a non-uniform appearance. However, the underlying textile material still has a substantially uniform and regular form.

The present invention aims at providing both a novel method for the manufacture of a textile material, and a new form of textile material, when produced by such methods. The textile material of this invention may have an irregular appearance and non-constant form, which in itself may give the fabric a most attractive and aesthetically-pleasing appearance.

Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a textile material from yarn (as defined hereinbefore), which method comprises assembling a mass of yarn between two sheets of a soluble material, stitching through the two sheets of soluble material with a stitching density sufficient to integrate said mass of yarn assembled between the sheets, and then dissolving away the two sheets of soluble material so as to leave a stable textile material.

In performing the method of this invention, it is important that the mass of a yarn assembled between the two sheets of soluble material contains a sufficient quantity of yarn over the required area so that when the stitching has been performed and the two sheets of soluble material have been dissolved away, there is a resultant piece of a textile material. Typically, therefore, a plurality of a relatively long lengths of a relatively large number of individual yarns are amassed on one of the sheets, over the area thereof which is to be stitched through, until there is a sufficient mass of several yarns thick over substantially all of that entire area. For example, the yarns may be drawn from spools and then allowed to spill on to the area, until the mass has been built up.Whilst localised areas having a relatively few number of yarns would not be sufficient to prevent production of a finished piece of textile material as a whole, nevertheless the step of assembling the yarns should aim at achieving a substantially uniform coverage of the entire area with such yarns.

When manufacturing a textile material according to the invention, the assembly of the mass of yarns may be performed in such a way so as to give the finished textile material more or less of a uniform appearance.

For example, a relatively large number of yarns may be employed of a variety of different colours and thicknesses, steps being taken to ensure that the yarns have a most random orientation when assembled On the other hand, the mass of yarns may be assembled from a single style of yarn, all of the same colour. Moreover, steps may be taken to ensure that the mass of yarn, when assembled, is not wholly randomly oriented. For instance, a plurality of yarns may be laid in a substantially parallel manner, in a number of layers intersecting at predetermined angles, so as thereby to build up the overall mass of yarn.This process will then permit the production of a finished textile material having a considerably less random appearance than would be the case if different styles and colours of yarns were used to assemble the mass of yarns, or if the mass of yarns were assembled in an essentially random manner.

The sheets of soluble material employed in performing the method of this invention may be formed from any substance which may be dissolved away from the stitched textile material without harming that material itself. For example, sheets of rice paper (starch-based paper-like material) may conveniently be employed, which sheets may easily be dissolved away by an ordinary washing process, in water, following completion of the stitching. Synthetic plastics materials also may be employed, such as sheets of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), which sheets are also soluble in water.

The stitching operation may be performed either in a random manner or in an orderly manner, but in either case the stitching should be performed substantially over the whole of the area of the sheets between which is assembled the mass of yarn, so as properly to integrate that mass of yarn. For an industrial process, it would be preferred for there to be a number of stitching machines, arranged to stitch in a number of rows over the mass of yarn, the stitching heads making a number of traverses at angles to one another, so as wholly to integrate the mass of yarn, into a selfsupporting textile material. The yarn employed for this stitching operation may be the same as or may be dissimilar from that employed for assembling the mass of yarn.Equally, the colour may be selected to contrast with that of the yarn assembled between the sheets, for a case where a single colour of yarn is employed between those sheets. However, it is envisaged that usually the yarns used for this stitching process will generally be similar to those assembled between the sheets, such that the stitching blends into the mass of yarn, when the soluble sheets have been dissolved away.

The method of this invention may be employed on a relatively small scale, producing small pieces of textile material ready for stitching together so as to produce a larger piece of fabric. Conversely, the manufacturing method may be conducted on a relatively large scale or even on a substantially continuous basis, if required. In an industrial process, a mass of yarn may be assembled in a substantially continuous manner on the upper surface of a web of soluble sheet material, as that web is slowly advanced along a production path, whereafter a second web of the soluble sheet material is placed on top of that mass of assembled yarn. As the two sheets with the mass of yarn therebetween are advanced, the webs may pass beneath a stitching machine which stitches through the two webs and so also through the mass of yarn, so as to integrate that mass of yarn.

Such a stitching machine may have a number of stitching heads each of which performs a complex motion over the webs, whilst the webs are advanced therebeneath, so as to ensure that the stitching density over the webs is sufficiently high. The stitched webs may then be passed through an automatic washing machine to dissolve away the webs of soluble sheet material, so leaving a web of the finished textile material, ready for rolling into a coil or for further treatments, as required, before the fabric is for example made up into garments.

This invention extends to a textile material whenever manufactured by a method according to the invention, as described above.

By way of example only, two specific embodiments of textile material manufacturing methods of this invention will now be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first stage of a manufacturing process for a single relatively small piece of a textile material of this invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second stage of that process; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic side view of a continuous production process for a textile material of this invention; Figure 4 is an end view on the apparatus of Figure 3; and Figures 5A and 5B are photographs of two finished pieces of textile materials of this invention.

Referring initially to Figure 1, there is shown the first stage of a production process for the manufacture of a piece of textile material of this invention, when producing a single relatively small square (typically 50 mm x 50 mm) of the material. A 50 mm x 50 mm square of soluble rice paper 10 (starch-based paper) is laid on a flat surface and then a number of bobbins 11 of thread is suspended over that paper 10.

Typically, ten such bobbins 11 are utilised, these bobbins each containing a similar kind of thread, but of different colours. Threads 12 are then drawn from the bobbins 11 and allowed to spill on to the sheet 10, so as to form a wholly random mass 13 of thread on that sheet 10. Sufficient thread is drawn from the bobbins 11 until the sheet 10 is substantially wholly covered by that mass, typically to a depth of at least five threads over the greater part of the area of the sheet 10. Of course, in view of the random orientation of the threads as they are drawn from the bobbins 11, the actual thread density and thickness over any given small area will be considerably variable, but the aim should be to achieve a relatively uniform mass, over the greater part of the area of the sheet 10.

When a satisfactory mass of threads has been assembled on the sheet 10, the threads 12 are cut and the bobbins 11 removed. A second sheet 14 of a similar soluble rice paper, also of 50 mm x 50 mm size, is laid over the first sheet, such that the mass of threads is located between the two sheets 10 and 14. Then, a machine stitching operation is performed through the two sheets 10 and 14, and thus also through the mass of threads 13, as illustrated in Figure 2. Here, a number of closely spaced lines of stitching are shown extending parallel to one of the edges of the sheets. After completion of the stitching shown in Figure 2, further closely spaced parallel lines of stitching may be provided generally at right angles to those. already shown on Figure 2. Such stitching should be continued until the mass of threads 13 is wholly united and integrated by the stitching.

As an alternative to the ordered lines of stitching as illustrated in Figure 2, random stitching may be employed generally over the area of the sheets 10 and 14, until sufficient stitching has been performed to integrate the mass of threads 13, located between the sheets 10 and 14. Such stitching preferably is performed with threads similar to those employed for assembling the mass 13 between the two sheets.

Following completion of the stitching step, the stitched square is washed in water for a period sufficient to ensure complete dissolving of the sheets 10 and 14. Then, the textile material is rinsed so as to remove all starch from the sheets so leaving a finished square of textile material.

Figures 5A and 5B are photographs of two such squares, showing the random orientation of threads employed, the square of Figure 5A having random stitching, and the square of Figure 5B having regular grid-like stitching. Despite the relatively loose structure of the fabric, nevertheless it may have a stable structure and form, so rendering the textile material suitable for stitching to further squares, to permit the production for example of a garment.

Figures 3 and 4 show diagrammatically a possible form of continuous production apparatus for manufacturing a web of textile material, according to the invention. This continuous production process is performed in a manner similar to that described above, for manufacturing a single square of material.

A web 20 of a soluble sheet, such as of polyvinylalcohol, is drawn from roll 21 suitably supported by a frame 22. A carrier 23 supports a plurality of nozzles 24 in a transverse line across the web 20, each nozzle 24 having associated therewith a spool 25 of a yarn.

Means (not shown) are provided to draw yarns 26 from all the spools 25, the yarns being directed on to the upper surface of the web 20 by the respective associated nozzle 24. During this operation, the carrier 23 for the nozzles 24 is reciprocated transversely of the web 20, such that a mass of yarn 27 is built up on the web 20 as the-web advances in the direction of arrow A.

A second web 28 of soluble sheet is drawn from a second roll 29 and is guided to overlie the mass of yarn 27 assembled on the web 20. The two webs with the mass of yarn therebetween are then passed beneath a stitching machine 30, having a plurality of stitching needles 31 arranged to stitch transversely across the web 20. Each stitching needle 31 may perform a complex motion (such as a zig-zag pattern) as the web 20 advances in the direction of A, so that a sufficiently high stitching density is provided to integrate the mass of yarn 27.

The stitched webs are then passed into a washing, rinsing and drying machine 32, where the two webs 20 and 28 are dissolved away from the stitched mass of yarn 27, which mass of yarn is then rinsed and dried, so producing a continuous web 33 of textile material. The finished textile material 33 is wound into a roll 34, for further processing as required.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a textile material which method comprises assembling a mass of yarn (as hereinbefore defined) between two sheets of soluble material, stitching through the two sheets of soluble material with a stitching density sufficient to integrate said mass of yarn assembled between the sheets, and then dissolving away the two sheets of soluble material so as to leave a stable textile material.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which the assembled yarns cover substantially uniformly the entire area of the sheet which is to be stitched therethrough.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which a single style and colour of yarn is assembled to form the mass of yarns so as to give the finished textile material a substantially uniform appearance.

4. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which a number of styles and/or colours of yarn are assembled to form the mass of yarns in such a way that the mass of yarns has a random appearance.

5. A method according-to any of cla-ims 1 to 4, in which the yarns are laid in a substantially parallel manner in a number of layers intersecting at predetermined angles, thereby to build up a mass of yarn.

6. A method according to any of claims 1 to 5, in which each sheet of soluble material is of a starch-based paper-like material or of polyvinyl alcohol.

7. A method according to any of claims 1 to 6, in which the stitching operation is performed in a random manner over the whole of the area of the sheets between which is assembled a mass of yarn, so as to integrate said mass of yarn.

8. A method according to any of claims 1 to 6, in which the stitching operation is performed in an orderly manner over the whole of the area of the sheets between which is assembled a mass of yarns, so as to integrate said mass of yarn.

9. A method according to any of the preceding claims, in which a mass of yarn is assembled in a substantially continuous manner on the upper surface of an elongate web of soluble sheet material, and a second web of soluble sheet material is thereafter laid on the assembled mass of yarn.

10. A method according to claim 9, in which the two webs with the mass of assembled yarn therebetween are advanced to pass through a stitching machine which stitches through the two webs and so also through the mass of yarn.

11. A method according to claim 9 or claim 10, in which the stitched webs are passed through an automatic washing machine to dissolve away the webs of soluble sheet material.

12. A method of manufacturing a textile material as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 of the accompany drawings.

14. A textile material whenever produced by a method according to any of the preceding claims.