US2058421A - Textile material - Google Patents

Description

Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TEXTILE MATERIAL No Drawing. Application April 2, 1931, Serial No.

'Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of textile fabrics exhibiting crepe effects.

Textile fabrics exhibiting crpe effects have long been obtained by employing'in their con- 5. struction highly twisted yarns, hereinafter referred to as crepe yarns or crepe threads, made of natural silk in the gummed state, the crepe effects appearing when the gum is subsequently removed by scouring-or like treatment. The production of crepe effects by the employment of highly twisted crepe threads made of cellulose acetate or other organic derivatives of cellulose has however been accomplished with considerable difiiculty.

We have now found that crpeeffects may be produced upon fabrics containing highly twisted crepe threads by processes comprising the application of concentrated solutions of organic or inorganic salts. We have found for example that 20 a fabric containing highly twisted crepe threads of cellulose acetate filaments may be caused to exhibit crepe effects by treatment with a concentrated solution of calcium chloride followed by a scouring or like aqueous treatment.

2 The invention is of special value in the production of crepe efiects upon fabrics containing highly twisted crepe threads made with filaments of cellulose acetate or other organic derivatives of cellulose and will therefore be de- 30 scribed more particularly. .with reference to such fabrics. q

Either organic or inorganic salts capable of yielding concentrated solutions in water or other liquids may be employed for the purposes of the present invention. As examples of such salts may be mentioned the halide salts of alkaline earth metals or of lithium or. zinc, for example the chlorides of lithium or zinc, in addition to calcium chloride mentioned above. Other wholly inorganic salts which may be used are the acid alkali-metal salts of dior polybasic acids, for example sodium hydrogen sulphate or sodium dihydrogen phosphate. As example of salts of inorganic bases with organic acids may be instanced the alkali metal salts of acetic acid or other aliphatic acids, for example sodium or potassium acetate. Further salts of organic amine hydrochloride.

50 Especially good results may be obtained with the aid of concentrated solutions of salts which are deliquescent or hygroscopic or have a marked aflinityfor water,.for example calcium chloride.

zinc chloride, or sodium or potassium acetate.

65 The solutions, preferably aqueous, may be of In Great Britain May'7, 1930 such high concentration as to be capable of taking up water readily, for example from theatmosphere or from the materials under treatment.

It appears that the concentrated salt solutions do exert a dehydrating action on the material of the crepe threads which when allowed to absorb water again, tend to diminish in length and give rise to the desired crepe effects.

Indeed it has further been found that the concentrated salt solutions may be replaced for the purposes of the present invention by other agents or treatments having a dehydrating action on the material of the crepe thread filaments. For example the fabrics may be treated with ethyl or methyl alcohol, either absolute or containing a small proportion of water, the alcohol removed by drying in the absence of moisture, and the fabrics finally treated with water.

Again the fabrics may be dehydrated by boiling with benzene or other suitable liquid, in order to remove water as an azeotropic mixture therewith. v

The fabrics containing highly twisted crepe threads made of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose may, after subjection to treatment with a concentrated solution of a salt or to another dehydrating treatment as already indiair or other gas laden with water vapour, for such time as may be necessary to secure maximum development of the desired crepe eflect. Again the materials may be sprayed with water in quantity no greater than is necessary to effect production of the crepe effects for example in quantity of from 10 to 40 per cent. of the weight of the materials. After spraying with the requisite proportion of water or other aqueous liquid,

the materials may be allowed to stand to permit the water to exert its effect, e. g. the material may be rolled up and left for a time.

The concentrated salt solutions may be applied to the fabrics containing highly twisted crepe threads in any convenient manner and either uniformly or otherwise as desired. For example in the case of uniform application the materials may be passed through the concentrated salt solutions, or more conveniently, they may be padded with the solutions, e. g. by means of a padding mangle. If desired, the concentrated salt solutions may be applied locally to the materials, for instance by printing or stencilling, whereby brocade or like effects may be produced. Salt solutions to be applied locally or by padding may be suitably thickened if desired or requisite.

The concentrated salt solutions may be permitted to remain in contact with the materials for a substantial time depending on the nature of the salts used, the concentration and temperature of the solutions, and the nature of the materials under treatment. To this end the materials may be allowed to remain for a time in the baths when these are employed, or when the salt solutions have been applied by padding the materials may be batched, that is to say they maybe rolled or otherwise parcelled up and allowed to stand until the salt solutions have acted on the materials for a suflicient time.

It will be appreciated that the nature, temperature, and time of action of the salt solutions or other dehydrating agents should not be such as to causedamage to the materials.

According to a modification of the invention the crepe threads may be subjected to the action of concentrated salt solutions or a dehydrating treatment prior to weaving or even prior -to the application of the requisite high degree of twist.

The yarns to serve as crepe threads may for instance bepassed through the concentrated salt solutions in transit to a twisting device for the application of the requisite twist. The highly twisted yarn may then be incorporated in fabrics and the latter subjected to an aqueous treatment.

The degree of twist imparted to the yarns or threads of cellulose acetate or other organicderivatives of cellulose serving to give the crepe effects may be similar to that commonly employed in the production of crpe threads from natural silk, for example the threads may have imparted thereto a twist of from -75 turns per inch. Any other suitable degree of twist may however be employed according to the effects it is desired to produce. If desired, two or more highly twisted threads of the same or different direction or degree of twist may be doubled together to form the crepe threads. By suitable variation of the component threads, degree of twist, 'etc. a wide variety of effects may be produced.

The highly twistedcrpe threads may be incorporated in the fabrics in any suitable manner, for example the weft alone may be-wholly or partially composed of such threads or the warp may also contain them; In the former case on treatment in accordance with the invention, the

fabrics exhibit chiefly shrinkagein the direction of the weft. It is found most convenient in-general to employ threads of relatively low twist in the warp and to. employ in the weft both crepe threads having a left-hand twist and crepe threads having a right-hand twist. Threads having leftand right-hand twist respectively may be disposed in the fabric in any convenient manner. For example pairs of threads of left-hand twist may alternate with I be made of or contain filaments of any desired organic derivatives of cellulose, for example cellulose esters, e. g. cellulose actate, formate, propionate or butyrate, or cellulose ethers, e. g. ethyl, 1 methyl or benzyl cellulose, or the analogous condensation products derived from cellulose and glycols or other poly'hydric alcohols. The fabrics may be composed wholly of yarns made of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose, or they may comprise also yarns of other filaments or fibres whether natural or artificial. As examples of other fibres-may be mentioned arti ficial silk of the regenerated cellulose type and also cotton, wool or silk or other natural fibre. Though the invention has been described more particularly with reference to the manufacture of crepe fabrics containing crepe threads made with filaments of cellulose acetate or other oranic derivatives .of cellulose the invention is not limited to the use of such crepe threads. As previously indicated crepe threads'made with filaments of other materials, for example degummed silk, regenerated cellulose, or other natural or artificial materials may likewise be utilized.

Crepe threads may also be employed composed of filaments of two or more different kinds, whether in respect of material or 'size or both. Thus there may be used threads containing both filaments of cellulose esters or ethers and filaments of regenerated cellulose or natural silk, or threads containing cellulose ester or ether filaments of two or more different deniers.

Further, the crepe threads, whether made from filaments of organic derivatives of cellulose or natural or artificial filaments or fibres-of other materials, may be sized prior to twisting and/or weaving. In such case the treatment with concentrated solutions of salts and/or the washing; scouring, or other subsequent treatment may be adapted to swell the sizing materials thereon. Where the production of the crepe effects is dependent, wholly or in 'part, upon a swelling of a sizing material, the latter may be selected and applied so that the size may be caused to swell by the treatment with the salt solutions and/or other treatment without becoming unduly soft or yielding. Further it is advisable that the filaments of the crepe threads be coated individually. with size. In order that this may be the case the crepe threads may be sized prior to twisting or at least prior to the application of a high degree of twist, or if desired the filaments may be sized singly or in comparatively small groups, prior to their being brought together to form a thread of the required thickness.

The invention is illustratedbut not limited by the following examples:-

' Example 1 A fabric comprising a warp of cellulose acetate yarns of low twist and a weft of cellulose acetate yarns twisted to 65 turns per inch is padded with a 30% to 40% solution of calcium chloride. After standing for a time say V -2 hours, the material Example 2 A fabric composed of cellulose acetate yarns of the kind described in Example 1 is treated for half an hour with warm absolute ethyl alcohol and is then freedfrom alcohol and carefully 7 dried in the absence of moisture. The fabric is A cellulose acetate fabric of the kind referred to in Example 1 is treated locally with a saturated solution of calcium chloride, the latter being applied by spraying through stencils. After standing for a short time the material is rapidly washed in a large volume of warm water and dried.

Example 4 A fabric made entirely from cellulose acetate yam of '75 denier and turns per inch in which two threads of left-hand twist yarn alternate with two threads of right-hand twist yarn in both warp and weft, is immersed in a saturated solution of sodium hydrogen sulphate. The fabric is then rinsed, scoured and dyed and finally dried without tension.

Example 5 Cellulose acetate yarn of denier and of low twist is passed through a strong solution of calcium chloride at ordinary temperature. The yarn is then twisted to 55 turns per inch and woven into a cotton warp, two picks of yarn of lefthand twist alternating with two picks of yarn of right-hand twist. The resulting fabric is thereafter scoured and finally dried without tension.

What we claim and desire to secure by letters Patent is:-'- I I 1. In a production of textile fabrics exhibiting crepe effects in which yarns are twisted to a high degree and incorporated in fabrics and the latter subjected to an aqueous treatment, the step of subjecting the yarns to the action of a dehydrating reagent prior to the incorporation of the yarns in the fabrics.

2. In a production of textile fabrics exhibiting crepe effects in which yarns containing filaments of organic derivatives of cellulose are twisted to a high degree and incorporated in fabrics and the 'latter subjected to an aqueous treatment, the step of subjecting the yarns to the action of a dehydrating reagent prior to the incorporation of the yarns in the fabrics. I

3. Ina production of teiktile fabrics exhibiting crepe effects in which yarns containing filaments of cellulose acetate are twisted to a high degree and incorporated in fabrics and the latter subjected to a'naqueous treatment, the step of subjecting the yarns to the action of a dehydrat- 'of cellulose with concentrated solutions of salts having good aflinity for and high solubility in water, imparting a crepe twist to the yarn, incorporating the yarn in fabrics and subjecting the fabrics to an aqueous treatment.

6. Process for the production of fabrics exhibiting .crepe effects which comprises treating yarn containing cellulose acetate filaments with concentrated solutions of salts having good afflnity for and high solubility in water, imparting a crepe twist to the yarn, incorporating the yarn in fabrics and subjecting the fabrics to an aqueous treatment.

7. Process for the production of crepe effects upon fabrics containing crepe twisted yarns offilaments of organic derivatives of cellulose, which comprises subjecting the yarns to the action of a concentrated solution of an alkali'metal acetate, and thereafter incorporating said yarns into fabrics and subjecting the fabrics to an aqueous treatment.

8. Process for the production of fabrics exhibiting crepe efiects which comprises subjecting yarns of low twist to the action'of a dehydrating reagent, applying a. crepe twist thereto, incorporating the crepe-twisted yarns in fabrics, and subjecting the fabrics to an aqueous treatment.

9. Process'for the production of fabrics exhibiting crepe effects which comprises subjecting yarns of low twist containing filaments of organic derivatives of cellulose to the action of a dehydrating reagent, applying crepe twist thereto, in-

corporating the yarns in fabrics and subjecting the fabrics to an aqueous treatment.

10. Process for the production of fabrics exhibiting crepe effects which comprises subjecting