US2061705A - Decorative covering and process of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Description

Patented Nov. 24, 1936 PATENT OFFICE- DECORATIVE COVERING AND PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING THE SAIWE James .l. Jackson, Woodbury, N. 1., assignor to Paulsboro Manufacturing Company, a corporation of New Jersey No Drawing.

Application March 2, 1933,

Serial No. 659,435 7 18 Claims. 1 (Cl. 9168) This invention relates to decorative sheet material and to processes of manufacturing the same.

The product is an improvement in soft surfaced sheet material to be employed as covering for floors or walls or the like. The product may be used satisfactorily for all of the purposes for which linoleum, or painted coverings have been used. It is an improvement on sheet goods having textile or felt backings, whether used for floors or walls.

This new development pertains particularly to the impregnation and saturation of the fibrous sheet and one object of the present invention is to provide efiicient and speedy procedure for treating fibrous sheet material to increase the speed of penetration of decorative or saturant materials applied thereto.

A further object is to provide a method by which a decorative sheet of remarkable tough- .ness and flexibility may be obtained.

In the manufacture of floor coverings, wall paper, or other decorative sheet materials, particularly sheet materials in which color decora- 5 tions extend from the surface into the body of the sheet either part of the way or all the way through, it is important that the various materials that are applied to obtain the desired efiects, shall penetrate rapidly and also that the 30 sheet material be tough to withstand wear and tear. The finished sheet material must also be flexible and must not crack when put up inrolls or otherwise handled. Besides, it must be waterproof, alkali and acid proof. -These and other 35 qualities are combined to a high degree in the product of the present invention.

The present invention includes treating a porous, fibrous sheetwith a toughening medium including oil, or latex, or lacquer. This treatment 40 is used to especial advantage on sheets which have been first decorated--with such coloring ma-' terials as inks, dyes or paints. The treatment is so controlled that the voids in the sheet are only partly filled. Also, if the decorations have been applied to a sheet and extend either part grand after applying oil, or latex, or lacquer and I ening agent to insure wear.

allowing the latter to dry, the voids are filled to the extent of from about 30% to 40%.

By applying oil, or latex, or lacquer, or the like to a fibrous sheet to which decorative material has been applied, the sheet is toughened and the 5 decorative material sealed. By not completely filling the-voids, a much softer and more pliable sheet is 'obtained. Prior to this invention fibrous sheets have been decorated throughout their thickness and saturated throughout withatough- 10 It has now been found that peculiarly fine and desirable effects can be obtained by thus incompletely filling the sheet with saturant.

For certain purposes, a sheet as prepared in 15 the manner described above may be considered a finished product. However, if oil or latex are employed as toughening and sealing media, it is preferable to further treat the dried sheet with lacquer. After the latter is applied and dried, 20 the voids are filled to the extent of about 50%. The lacquer film is found to adhere firmly to a previously applied oil or latex film. The sheet is further strengthened thereby; is made more resistant to the effects of water, easier to clean, and is practically stainproof. Ordinary writing inks, for example, may be readily removed by rubbing the surface with'fa cloth dampened with water. A noteworthy feature of advantage may be. observed from the fact that the sheet is so treated that, .after the various steps, it remains "soft in appearance and flexible although tough and durable. Thus it is apparent that the present invention pi'ovides for the preparation of a decorative, tough and durable sheet by a sequence of penetrating treatments no one of which, or the combination of them all, in the completed product, results in com'plete filling of the voids between the fibers. r

By way of example, a preferred form of the 40 present invention is thefollowing:

A fibrous sheet is printed or decorated by any desired methodor means so as to have the coloring matter throughout but not filling the space between the fibers, and permittedto dry. The decorated sheet is then treated in a bath containing about by volume of a drying oil suchv as linseed oil or tung oil, and about 50% by volume of naphtha or benzol. The sheet is treated so that after it is dry the voids are only partly filled. Then the sheet istreated with lacquer containing about 25% to 30% solids and 75% to'70% solvents. The lacquer is preferably a nitrocellulose lacquer. The lacquer is applied so that after drying, the voids in the sheet are still only partly filled.

The above process may be somewhat modified by first treating a fibrous sheet with a toughening medium, then decorating and finally applying the lacquer.

The amount of material applied to a sheet to only partially fill the voids, may be controlled in various ways. For example, the proportion of volatile solvent may be varied, or an excess of oil, latex, or lacquer may be applied and the surplus squeezed out by passing the sheet through squeeze rolls. In the latter case the amount may be varied by adjusting the distance between the rolls. By such procedure the material introduced to effect toughening is partially removed, the first method in which a volatile solvent is used resulting in evaporation in the course of drying, and the second method involving the squeezing to remove the surplus above that amount necessary to coat the fibers. By both methods the pores or voids between the fibers are left somewhat open.

Volatile solvents are generally preferred when employing heavy, oxidized oil, in order to have it flow freely around the fibers of a sheet. However the oil can be thinned by heat so that solvent may be omitted.

As referred to above, the amount of solvents used'depends on the amount of oil that is to be left on the fibers. If 25% of solvents is used in an oil, latex, or lacquer bath a heavier film is left on the fibers than if 75% of solvents are used. With the latter proportion a relatively light film is left. As a part of the present invention, it has been found that moistening of a fibrous sheet with a solution containing preferably about one part by volume of heavy boiled linseed oil to about five parts by volume of naphtha or benzol, before decoration, results in certain advantages. By applying such a moistening solution, the decorating material, particularly paint, need not be quite as thin as usual. By using a more viscous decorating material, the quantity on the print blocks of a print machine is more easily controlled. The decorating material passes into the voids of a sheet much faster and penetrates to a greater depth than if directly applied to a dry sheet. For this reason it is possible to use sheets of greater thickness. The foregoing applies to the proportions of solvents in all materials used, whether intended for the moistening solution, or the decorative medium, or the saturant toughening agent.

The decorative material is applied as soon as possible after using the moistening material. Ar. efficient means of accomplishing this is to pass the sheet goods through a print machine and deposit the moistening material thereon by means of the first print block. The moistening agent penetrates the sheet goods very rapidly and reaches the entire depth of the sheet before passing to the succeeding blocks with which coloring matter is applied. If desired, the moistening material may be applied by a separate machine just before the sheet is passed into a print machine. A lapse of eight or ten seconds between the time moistening material is applied and the time print paint is applied, has given satisfactory results.

If desired, a backing material including oil, lacquer, dyes, glue, latex, casein or gum may be applied to one side of a fibrous sheet before coloring or moistening. The backing material is applied in an amount which is sufficient to penetrate only part of the way through the sheet as disclosed in my Patent 2,028,781, issued January 28, 1936. As stated in the said patent, the backing material may penetrate a predetermined distance through the sheet or all the way through the sheet. larly to replace the step of moistening the face of the goods which is recommended as a step to condition the goods for the reception of the decorative medium.

The moistening material and also the backing material should preferably be compatible with the decorating material. For example, when printing with 'water dyes or inks it is preferable to use aqueous materials, including water dyes or inks, for backing or moistening rather than oily materials.

Various types of cellulose fiber sheets may be employed in the present invention. Unexpected and remarkable effects in appearance and wearing quality are particularly obtainable by using a new type of felt sheet peculiar in that it has what may be defined as curled or kinky cellulose fibers such as Wood pulp. One such product now available is known as Krafelt and is identified and described in patents of R. G. J ackson, 1,998,779 and 1,998,780.

One characteristic appearance of the floor coverings made by this invention from the curly fiber type of sheet is the obtainable velvety texture of the surface which has an actual nap surface when the sheet is treated as prescribed herein. As pointed out above the voids in the sheet are only partly filled as distinguished from substantially completely filled as set forth in my Patent 2,028,782, issued January 28, 1936. It is found that the more completely the pores are filled the smoother the surface of the sheet becomes, and the less the nap although the latter may at any time be raised mechanically.

Certain additional peculiar advantages are obtained as a result of using the type of absorbent felt base described and in treating in the manner explained herein. Due to the fact that the fibers in Krafelt are swollen, they make a more open felt than previously known; also paints and dyes penetrate better than they do in providing similar treatment to other sheets, and also due to the fact that the fibers are curled, hooked, and intertwined together and extend in all directions, the coloring materials, although they may follow the fiber, do not spread out laterally so far as they would on fibrous material heretofore known and in which the fibers are matted and extend laterally. For this reason, more definite lines may be formed in the resultant product by printing or otherwise applying decorations. The printed or colored lines are smoother on the edges due to the fact that the fibers are kinked and curled and extend as far into the sheet as they extend laterally.

In employing the above type of fibrous sheet it is also found that there is practically no lateral spread of the coloring medium either within the body of the sheet or at the surface, so that uniformity of outline of designs is obtained throughout the thickness of the sheet. This results in a manufacturing factor in which the penetration of the decorative material in this new type of fibrous sheet is as great and as uniform as the surface spread. This is quite in contrast to What The latter is done particuwould result in surface application of coloring fiuids to previously known papers or felts, inasmuch that in the latter the surface spread is very much greater than the penetration and the surface markings much more irregular than in the case of this new sheet.

What I claim is:

1. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porous fibrous absorbent sheet materials, which process comprises applying coloring material to a porous fibrous absorbent sheet and treating the sheet penetratingly with the said coloring material to tint the fibers well down in the body of the sheet while yet maintaining the spaces between the fibers sufficiently open for the introduction of further impregnating material, subjecting the sheet thus decorated to penetration with a liquid medium containing a toughening agent to thus providea coating of toughening material on the fibers in the sheet, and removing a portion of said toughening agent from said sheetto thus provide a sheet having incompletely filled spaces between the fib'ers.

2. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porous fibrous absorbent sheet materials, which process comprises applying coloring material to a porous fibrous absorbent sheet and treating the sheet penetratingly with the said coloring material to tint the fibers well down in the body of the sheet while yet maintaining the spaces between the fibers sufiiciently open for the introduction of further impregnating material, subjecting the sheet thus decorated to penetration with a liquid medium containing a toughening agent to thus provide a coating of toughening material on the fibers in the sheet so that the sheet contains toughening material in the spaces between the fibers, and removing a portion of said liquid medium from said sheet by pressing the sheet to squeeze out a portion of the liquid to thus provide a sheet having the spaces between the fibers incompletely filled with toughening material. I

3. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porous fibrous absorbent sheet materials, which process comprises moistening a porous fibrous absorbent sheet with a diluent solution of drying oil substantially through the thickness of the sheet, immediately thereafter applying coloring material penetratingly to tint the fibers well down into the body of the sheet while yet maintaining the spaces'between the fibers suficiently 'openso that further impregnating agents can be introduced, subjecting the sheet thus decorated to penetration with a liquid medium containing a toughening agent to thus I provide a coating of toughening materialon the fibers in the sheet, and removing a portion of said toughening agent from said sheet to thus provide a sheet having incompletely filled spaces between the fibers.

4. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porous fibrous absorbent sheet materials, which process comprises moistening a porous fibrous absorbent sheet with a diluent solution of drying oilsubstantially through the thickness of the sheet, immediately thereafter fibers sufficiently open so that further impreg-' nating agents can be. introduced, subjecting the sheet thus decorated to penetration with a liquid medium containing a toughening agent to thus provide a coating of toughening material on the fibers in the sheet, and removing by evaporation a portion of said liquid medium from said sheet to thus provide a sheet having incompletely filled pores between the fibers. I

5. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porous fibrous absorbent sheet materials, which process comprises moistening a porous fibrous absorbent sheet with a diluent solution of drying oil substantially through the thickness of the sheet, immediately thereafter applying coloring material penetratingly to tint the fibers well down into the body of the sheet while yet maintaining the spaces between the fibers sufiiciently open-so that further impregnating agents can be introduced, subjecting the sheet thus decorated to penetration with a liquid medium containing a toughening agent to thus provide a coating of toughening material on the fibers in the sheet, and removing a portion of said toughening agent from said sheet by pressing the sheet to squeeze out a portion of the toughening agent to thus provide a sheet having incompletely filled spaces between the fibers.

6. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porous fibrous absorbent sheet materials, which process comprises applying coloring material to a porous fibrous absorbent sheet and treating the sheet penetratingly with the said coloring material to tint the fibers well down in the body of the sheet while yet maintaining the spaces between the fibers sufiiciently open for the introduction of further impregnating material, subjecting the sheet thus decorated to penetration with a liquid medium containing a toughening agent to thus provide a coating of toughening material on the fibers in the sheet, removing a portion of said toughening agent from said sheet to thus provide a sheet having incompletely filled pores between the'fibers, drying the resultant product, and applying to the sheet a mixture including lacquer and a volatile solvent penetratingly' to enter the spaces between the fibers from which the portion of the toughening agent has been removed and drying the lacquer thus applied to eliminate the volatile content thereof and permimhe spaces to be incompletely filled.

7. A decorative sheet consisting of a fibrous web having decorative coloring of paint extending from one facejthereof deep down into the web, and a substantially transparent toughening agent selected from a group consisting of drying 'oil, latex, and lacquer extending substantially through the thickness of the web, the spaces between the fibers of said web being only partially filled with the paint and toughening agent.

8. A decorative sheet consisting of a fibrous web formed of curly cellulose fibers having deco-1 rative coloring of paint extending from one face thereof deep down into the web, and a toughening agent selected fiom a group consisting of drying oil, latex, and lacquer extending substantially through the thickness of the web, the spaces between the fibers of said web being only partially filled with the paint and toughening agent.

9. A decorative sheet consisting of a fibrous web having decorative coloring extending from one face'thereof deep down into the web, and a toughening agent coating the fibers substantially through the thickness of the web, said sheet including an impregnated saturant of lacquer introduced subsequently to said toughening agent and superimposed over the latter, the product being soft bodied and the spaces between thefibers being incompletely filled with toughening agent and lacquer.

10. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porous fibrous sheet materials, which process comprises moistening a porous fibrous sheet with a material selected from either a drying oil, latex or lacquer, in dilute condition, substantially through the thickness of the sheet, immediately thereafter applying coloring material penetratingly to tint the fibers well down into the body of the sheet while yet maintaining the spaces between the fibers sufliciently open so that further impregnating agents can be intro duced, subjecting the sheet thus decorated to penetration with a toughening agent selected from either a drying oil, latex or lacquer to thus provide a coating of toughening material on the fibers in the sheet, and removing a portion of said toughening agent from said sheet to thus provide a sheet having incompletely filled pores between the fibers.

11. A process of manufacturing decorative sheet material, which process comprises applying a toughening agent in dilute condition and containing a drying oil to a porous fibrous sheet and coating the fibers in the body of the sheet therewith but not filling the interstices between the fibers, applying to the sheet thus treated coloring material to efiect penetration and coloring of fibers well down into the thickness of the sheet without filling the interstices between the fibers, applying to the decorated sheet a saturant in fluid form to coat the fibers within the sheet and so that the saturant is in the interstices between the fibers, and compressing the sheet to squeeze out some of the saturant so that the interstices are incompletely filled.

12. A process of manufacturing decorative sheet material, which process comprises applying coloring matter to a porous fibrous felt sheet and decorating the sheet therewith so as to penetrate well down into the thickness thereof but avoiding filling of the spaces between the fibers, applying penetratingly to the decorated sheet a toughening agent containing drying oil so that the sheet contains saturant in the voids beween the fibers, and while that agent is still in the fluid state compressing the sheet and thereby squeezing out a portion of the toughening agent so that voids between the fibers are incompletely filled and the resultant sheet is porous and softer than if -the entire amount of the toughening agent had been permitted to remain in the sheet.

'13. A process of manufacturing decorative sheet material, which process comprises applying a toughening agent in diluent condition and containing a drying oil penetratingly to a porous fibrous felt sheet and coating the fibers in the body of the sheet therewith but not filling the interstices between the fibers, applying to thesheet thus treated coloring material to effect penetration and coloring of fibers well down into the thickness of the sheet without filling the voids between the fibers, applying to the decorated sheet a saturant in liquid condition and thereby coating the fibers within the sheet, and while the saturant still is in liquid condition compressing the sheet to thus squeeze out a portion of the saturant while yet permitting some saturant to remain in the voids between the fibers, whereby the sheet is more porous and softer than if the entire amount of saturant had remained in the sheet.

14. A process of manufacturing decorative sheet material, which process comprises applying coloring matter to a porous fibrous sheet and decorating and penetrating the sheet therewith without filling the voids between the fibers, applying to the decorated sheet a saturant toughening agent containing drying oil penetratingly and coating the fibers in the body of the sheet therewith so that the saturant toughening agent is in the voids between the fibers but not filling them,

drying the resulting product, impregnating the sheet with a saturant toughening agent in liquid condition to further coat the fibers within the sheet, and while the saturant is still in liquid condition compressing the treated sheet to thus squeeze out a portion of the saturant so that the resultant sheet is porous and softer than if the entire amount of the toughening agent had been retained in the sheet.

15. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porous fibrous sheet materials, which process comprises moistening a porous fibrous sheet with a conditioning agent applied penetratingly to the sheet while leaving the spaces between the fibers relatively open, and before the conditioning agent is dry, applying penetratingly to the sheet coloring material in a liquid medium compatible with said conditioning agent while leaving the spaces between the fibers sufficently open for the reception of further material, subjecting the sheet thus decorated to penetration with a liquid medium comprising a toughening agent to thus provide a tough, wearable material within the body of the sheet, and removing a portion of said liquid medium from between the fibers to thus provide a decorated and toughened sheet having incompletely filled spaces between the fibers.

16. The ,process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porous fibrous sheet materials, which process comprises moistening a porous fibrous sheet with a conditioning agent comprising drying oil applied penetratingly to the sheet while leaving the spaces between the fibers relatively open, and before the conditioning agent is dry, applying penetratingly to the sheet coloring material in a liquid medium compatible with said conditioning agent while leaving the spaces between the fibers sutficiently open for the reception of further material, subjecting the sheet thus decorated to penetration with a liquid medium comprising a toughening agent to thus provide a tough, wearable material within the body of the sheet, and removing a portion of said liquid medium from between the fibers to thus provide a dec rated and toughened sheet having incompletely filled spaces between the fibers.

1'7. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porous fibrous sheet materials, which process comprises moistening a porous fibrous sheet with a conditioning agent comprising latex applied penetratingly to the sheet while leaving the spaces between the fibers relatively open, and before the conditioning agent is dry, applying penetratingly to the sheet coloring material in a liquid medium compatible with said conditioning agent while leaving the spaces between the fibers suificiently open for the reception of further material, subjecting the sheet thus decorated to penetration with a liquid medium comprising a toughening agent to thus provide a tough, wearable material within the body of the sheet, and removing a portion of said liquid medium from between the fibers to thus provide a decorated and toughened sheet having incompletely filled spaces between the fibers.

18. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porous fibrous sheet materials, which process comprises moistening a porous fibrous sheet with a. conditioning agent comprising lacquer applied penetratingly to the sheet while leaving the spaces between the fibers relatively open, and before the conditioning agent is dry, applying penetratingly to the sheet coloring material in a liquid medium compatible with said conditioning agent while leaving the spaces be- 10 tween the fibers sumciently open for the reception of further material, subjecting the sheet thus decorated to penetration with a liquid medium comprising a toughening agent to thus provide a tough, wearable material within the body of the sheet, and removing a portion of said liquid medium from between the fibers to thus provide a decorated and toughened sheet having incompletely filled spaces between the fibers.

JAMES J. JACKSON.