US1729833A - Floor covering - Google Patents

Description

Patented Oct. 1, 1929 sesam-:D

UNITED STATES PATENTQ'OFFICE RALPE Gr. JACKSON, OF WOODBURY, NEW JERSEY FLOOR COVER/ING Application filed May 26,

This invention relates to floor coverings and to a process lof makin-g the same.

The floor covering provided by the present invention is of that general type known as smooth surface coverings, such as linoleum and felt base fioorcoverings having decorative paint coats, and the invention is an improvement over such materials known as bitumen impregnated felt base coverings, linoleums, oil clothl and the like.

One purpose of the present invention is to1 provide a decorative floor covering of the smooth surface type in which the decorative effects, patterns, and designs are applied directly to the material of the base andI penetratethe base part or all the way through the thickness thereof from top to bottom. One

feature of the invention is that the covering possesses tensile strength to a pronounced degree, and may be handled similarly to the usual-smooth surface floor covering.

One advantageous feature of the product of this invention is the provision in a single continuous ply or layer of floor .covering of decorative effects similar in appearance to those used in linoleums and felt base goods, but having superior wearing quality due to the fact that the design extends into the' base. This latter quality is `in contrast to decorative effects which are merely painted l on the surface or printed with paint on the surface. The product possesses the appearance of linoleum and is susceptible to treatment to produce much finer and more delicate designs than is possible in the manufacture of linoleum type goods. Unlike linoleum, the entire decorative portion possesses strength and wearing qualities as a sheet and f does n ot yrequire a supporting base of fabric,

such as the known burlap base used with linoleum. Another advantage in the product resides in the fact that the covering has tensile strength, even greater than the bitinnen impregnated felt base covering, and in contrast to such latter, the present product has its decorative eHects extending into the thickness instead'of being applied by paintiifg" or printing and remaining on the surface, as is common in 'felt base goods.

Another feature ofthe invention resides in 1926. Serial No. 111,769.

the steps of the process, in accordance with which the covering is prepared. By the procedure specified, time is saved as compared to the time required for preparing a linoleum or bitumen felt base covering. Tedious drying operations are substituted byl quickly conducted steps, and consequently drying apparatus and space is conserved. The number of steps is reduced to al minimum, and consists chiefiy of first, decorating the absorbent base, such as dry floor covering felt, and preferably preventing the coloring material from spreading from the zone undergoing decoration tothe next zone which latter may be given a different color at the same time or at some subsequent period of treatment, secondly, drying the sheet thus decorated, thirdly, saturating the decorated sheet throughout with a transparent saturant, such as a cellulose ester solution, or the like; and fourthly, drying' the saturated base. lThe first phase of this treatment may be accomplished in several ways, as for example, by first applying all of one color of the design and definitely outlining the decorative figure thereof with either the same color of which the figure is to be made, or with a different color, and then after one color has been applied proceeding to apply all of another color belonging to the design and permitting the other design colors to extend up to this outline which has already bcenfirst laidout. Another method of control can be invoked by using for the printing block or type means what are known as felt blocks as known in wall paper prmting and by which equipment the pattern figure is formed in a felt surface to .be carried by a printing machine and for each marginal edge of every color and figure of the deslgn there is an outline or narrow Wall of rlgid brass embracing the felt blocks, so that when pressure is applied yon the floor covering by means of the felt blocks carrying the color medium the brass outline wall compresses the floor covering base or goods lto some extent, and the ink or -dye is .transferred from the felt blocks to the fioor covering recelving surface and penetrates into the floor covering and spreads laterally tothe line of the impression formed by the brass outlme'and there it stops within the confinesof the outlined figure. .Another method of controlling the. application of the color or decorative medium may be effected by using a solution of different consistency on blocks or figures that join each other. Still another method may be followed by using water color on one block and an oil color on another block, which ren orated with relatively fine' lines sults in printed colorsthe materials of-which do not mix.v

The above and additional advantages and details are described and claimed in the following specification and claim and the structure is illustrated in the accompanying draw-ry ing, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a section of floor covering showing a portion which is dec- Figure 2 is an edge view of the floor covering shown in Figure 1 illustrating the decorating lines extending downward through the material of the base;

Figure 3 is a view similar to thatshown in Figure 1 but showing a modification of the vso coloring scheme, displaying solid colors arranged i n squares; l

Figure 4 is an edge view of the covering illustrated in Figure 3, showing an example wherein the colors extend into the body of but not completely through the base; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged view of a portion l of Figure 4.

cated in Figures 1 and 2, or it may be ap-;

plied in solid colors, as indicated by the Figures 3 and 4, in .which the parts 21 represent red and the parts 2b represent blue,-

thus simulating Va tile eect. This coloring effect may be worked out as desired, as for instance, in alternate, squares of black. and

white. 3 indicates an outer transparent wear coat such as may be provided by a coating of a solution of a cellulose ester. In lieu of the cellulose ester coating, any transparent coating of any other material may be added as desired, as for instance a transparent varnish. In lieu of the geometrical figures illustrated in the drawing, the decorations may be of any shape or, style. In fact, one of the advantages of this invention is the almost unlimited degree of variation with which decorating effects may be used. v It is fully as extensive in its lpossibilities as are wall paper decorations.

The material of the colors and decorative eects may extend completely through the thickness of the articleas indicated in Fig. 2, or it may extend merely well down into the goods and' not quite through the thickness thereof, as represented in Figs. 4 and 5. The degree of penetration, impregnation, depends on the density and absorbability of the material of the base when in its original dry porous fibrous condition. Penetration depends also on the thickness ofA the base and -on the pressure usedl when the dye is applied,

and also -on the amount of and the degree of fluidity of the dye. These factors are within the knowledge of the operator and his control of the procedure may be modified according to conditions. It suffices to emphai size the result that a very considerable thickness ofl goods is colored or decorated by a penetrating or dye type of color after which the color is sealed in and the material made tough and wear resistant by the saturating filler. Fig. 5 shows a very much enlarged view of a fibrous base in which the color does` not extend completely through but in which the wearable depth is vastly greater than A* mere surface decorated material. The saturant filler preferably treats the whole base and not merely the colored portion.

In preparing the floor covering of this invention, the untreated and saturated sheet, such as paper felt, is decorated with the desired designs which are so applied with materials in such a state of fluidity that the decorated medium permeates partially or entirely through the thickness ofthe sheet, impregnating the sheet within the zone to which that particular color or shade isl applied. Under some conditions, it may be desirable at times to have the colors blend together, and have one color laid partly over or exactly over another color. Reference has been made hereinbefore to the use of suitable mechanism, not

illustrated, which may be used for compressing the sheet and thus to outline the outer margins of the decorated portion, and under such conditions the decorative medium willl not spread beyond the specified limits of the zone to be decorated. Where solid colors are applied, a lesser degree of care need be eXercised to prevent spreading of the coloring material, and where the designs are delicate and the sheet is relatively thick, then corresponding care must be used in applying the decorative fluid.

The decorative fluid may be made up from paints having the necessary fluidity, but preferably the medium is a dye which is capable 4of carrying the desired color through the thickness of the sheet without any tendency toward accumulating a filtrate or relatively dense accumulation of pigment on one surface of the sheet.

- materialand capable of drying by evaporation as contrasted to oxidation. Such a saturant solution may .be made up from a Cellulose ester, such as nitrocellulose or acetyl cellulose.

One satisfactory solution for the material of the saturant may be made by using 20 parts by weight of dry-pyroXylin in a solventlmixture composed of parts by weight ofeither or both butyl alcohol or amyl acetate plus 30 parts by weight of anhydrous denatured ethyl alcohol. Preferably a drying oil is added and resins and softeners may be incorporated as desired, as, for example, as softeners, tricresyl phosphate or diethyl or dibutyl thalate.

In lieu of the cellulose ester, a vegetabe resin or gum may be made the base of the saturant when incorporated with dibutyl thalate or the like.

Other proportions and other materials may be used without departing from'the scope of the present invention. It is important, however, that the material of the solvent of the saturant does not act to dissolve the color of the decorative effects before the saturant material dries and loses its liquid and solvent properties. Any tendency toward a dissolving of the color'medium may be counteracted by eX- pediting the speed of the saturating action.

In applying the saturant to the dyed material, no particular attention is paid to the nature of` the dye, so long as there is a quick drying action. Various combinations of dyes and saturants have been found satisfactory. When either acid or basic water or oil soluble dyes are used, an oil varnish or a cellulose lacquer may be used. A varnish comprising two parts oil and one part of resins or a lacquer comprising equal parts of nitro-cellulose and castor oil thinned down with a solution comprising butyl acetate 5%, ethyl acetate 40% and ethyl alcohol 55 may be used. Another satisfactory lacquer' is one comprising equal parts of cellulose and castor oil thinned down with a solventcomprising ethyl alcohol 85%, ethyl acetate 9%, and toluol 6%.

At no time in this process is there required any long period of drying. The decorated base may be dried quickly and the base after saturation naturally dries according to the volatility of the solvents used for the cellulose ester, gums or resins as contrasted tothe timerequired to oXidize su'ch materials as linseed oil. All of this drying action is relatively speedy as compared to the drying of felt base goods of the bitumen variet which have been decorated with oil paint. fir drying bitumen goods, it is not .feasible to use high tempera.`

tures for fear of causing the bitumen to bleed and thus to discolor the product, whereas no such trouble is encountered with the use of high temperatures in drying the present product in any stage of its manufacture.

After the saturated sheet has been sufiiciently dried, it may be further coated, if desired, with an upper transparent coating or wear coat, as indicated at 3, but this coating formsno part of the 'present invention. It is important, however, because a transparentcoating of a cellulose ester material will tend to adhere readily and thus unite with the saturant of the sheet if the latter has been treated with acellulose ester in solution. A back surfacing of a suitable coating or paint may be applied to the back or under side, as maybe desired.

The saturant material renders the floor covering relatively tough, flexible and waterproof as well as resistant to the action of soaps and other detergents. There is no porf tion of the product which will tend to soften and rot as does the supporting base of linoleum.

"The 4term color is used to describe the material of the decoration whether it be ink dye or paint and regardless as to whether it be a true ,color or white or black. It is an essential of the invention that the decorative medium be such that its color extends l.uniformly throughout the depth which it penetrates inethe saturated sheet, and thus the invention would not be satisfied by the use of a paint which acted to deposit a layer of pigment and did not send its color into the depth 'of the absorbent base. y No claim is made to the broad idea 'of saturating floor covering materials with a saturant such as transparent cellulose ester saturating solutions, but it is new to decorate a fioor covering sheet with a penetrating decorative medium whether in lines or in solid co1- ors, and thereafter to seal the colors and render the base tough and resistant to the wear accorded floor coverings by saturating with a 4transparent medium capable of drying quickly by evaporation, as claimed. The present invention provides an article adapted to lie directly on the floor and the invention constitutes an improvement over the floor covering describedand claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 46,189, iled July 25, 1925, in which a decorated sheet is supported on a base, and which decorated sheet is treated after much the same Vprocess applied to the present sturdier single unitary article. I v j A floor covering of the smooth surface Waterproof type comprising a sheet of fibrous material having decorative coloring visible on at least one face thereof and extending well down into the body of the sheet-and tinting thebers but not filling the voids between `the fibers, and a Waterproof transparent saturant filling'm vby evaporation ibres and aterial which has been dried filling the voids between the substantially throughout the thickness of the sheet and providing a smooth tough Wear surfce.

mony whereof I iix my signature.

RALrH G. JACKSON.

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