US2107528A

US2107528A - Renapping process

Info

Publication number: US2107528A
Application number: US673770A
Authority: US
Inventors: Benjamin G Feinberg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1933-05-31
Filing date: 1933-05-31
Publication date: 1938-02-08
Anticipated expiration: 1955-02-08

Description

Patented Feb. 8, 1938 PATENT OFFICE RENAPPING raoonss Benjamin Feinberg, New York, N. Y.

No Drawing. Application May 31, 1%3, Serial No. 673,770

7 Claims.

My present invention relates to processes for re-napping textile fabric that has developed a shine due to wear, and also to treating compositions used in carrying out such processes.

An object of the invention is to provide a process for the above purpose by which worn and shiny fabric can be re-napped without danger of injury to the fabric, either chemically or'rnechanically, in the process of treatment, and by 10 which the residual life of the fabric will not be appreciably shortened as compared with the continued use of the shiny fabric.

Another object is to provide a process of the above character which can be conveniently executed with the use of simple apparatus and without the need for particular skill.

As conducive to a clear understanding of the invention, it is noted that the application of glue, starch, resin or other sizing used to glaze or polish textile and paper, has a stiffening effect upon the fabric and the rubbing of such stiffened or hardened fabric in the endeavor to work. up a nap therein, would result in large measure in Wearing down the fabric substantially as if it were attempted mechanically to work up a nap from the dry un-treated fabric.

According to the present invention, the fabric, prior to mechanical re-napping is treated not with a size, but with the converse of a size, name- 1y, with an emollient solution. The solution has appropriate characteristics such, as not only to soften the fabric, but also to impart to it and to the individual fibres thereof a protective semilubricant coating, affording sufhcient body to the surface fibre, to cause the same to be worked up by the operation of an abrading implement thereon. The abrading element may be a motor driven steel wool head such as shown in my copending application Serial No. 625,187, filed July 27, 1932, of which this is a continuation in part.

Preferably the treating composition includes as the emollient, borax in solution and in addition, includes body giving substances in suspension. In a preferred composition the suspended substaiice may be gritty or flocculent, but it preferably includes both gritty and fiocculent ingredients. Casein is preferred as the suspended gritty substance and aluminum hydroxide gel as the flocculent substance.

A composition of the proper characteristics is produced by mixing in an aqueous carrier, borax, alum (preferably potash alum) and casein. The chemical reaction between borax and alum will produce the fiocculent aluminum hydroxide desired. The alum will react on the casein in the presence of light,,to harden so much of the latter as does not dissolve, into a more or less gritty mass, insoluble in water.

The proportion of alum must not be excessive, as otherwise it would throw too much borax out of solution and the softening or emollient action would be greatly reduced if not entirely destroyed.

There must also not be any great excess of casein since this would settle to the bottom and would also be apt to ferment or become moldy in the absence of preservatives not desirable in a composition for the present purpose.

The borax, alum and casein in the water carrier thus results in a solution of the ingredients in considerable part, a suspension of the flocculent aluminum hydroxide resulting from the reaction of some of the borax with alum and a more or less gritty casein suspension due to the reaction of the alum thereon.

The most satisfactory results are obtained Where one part of potash alum, one part of casein and 4 parts of borax by weight, are mixed in 200 parts of water.

The composition is a somewhat turbid, whitish liquid, which is not particularly viscous and will 2 not stratify under ordinary conditions of storage or use. It is harmless, non-corrosive, odorless and inexpensive.

In carrying out the process, the emollient com position at room temperature is wiped with a sponge over the'surface of the fabric to be renapped, and thereupon the latter is treated with the rotary steel wool head in the manner described in my application above identified. The rotating head is continuously moved over the fabric and acts mechanically to work the emollient into and around the fibres of the fabric, so that the latter becomes quite soft and pliable and the fiocculent and gritty suspension material of aluminum hydroxide and casein builds a semi-lubricant coating on the individual fibers and imparts body to the latter.

In continued operation of the steel wool head, the thoroughly softened fibers at the surface of the fabric are caused to be worked up and by reason of the emollient absorbed therein and the semi-lubricant coating thereon with the suspended material carried thereby, these fibres will have sufficient body to respond to the action of the steel wool tool and to rise from the surface without becoming worn off so that a nap is restored, and the shine completely removed from the fabric. The complete operation of thus restoring the nap to a square foot of fabric is in the order of one or two minutes.

It will be understood that the emollient could first be worked into and about the fibre of the fabric by a soft rubbing tool, and the steel wool then used for remapping, but satisfactory results are obtained as above described by use of the steel wool head to perform both of these steps.

The emollient composition acts. only to a limited degree as a' lubricant coating for the surface and the fibres thereof. This lubricating action is sufficient to preclude Wmechanical wear' of the fabric under the action of the steel wool head, and yet not so great that the fibres with the gritty particles of' casein therein, will not be seized and worked up by the steel wool head. Emollients such as oils or 'soap' which are good lubricants might have the effect of causing thegsteel wool head to slip or slide over the' fabric without any appreciable effect on its nap: After drying the treated fabric, the operation is completed by dry-cleaning or bleaning the fabric in a non-aqueous cleansing fluid, such as carbon tetrachloride, which removes any white spots left on the fabric from the suspension in the emollient compesition.

While bo rax is preferred as the emollient, it will be understood that tri-sodium phosphate, or jother equivalents, might be used in its place and the preferred alum may be replaced by formalin, or the like. Each of these substitutes while embraced within the scope of the broader claims, involves the sacrifice of certain of the particular advantages abo ve pointed out.

The invention has a preferred application to re-napping woolen or cotton outer apparel, such as suits of clothing, dresses or overcoats; The invention, however, has a wider field of application to the treatment of other fabrics such as silks.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application, Serial No. 625,187, filed July 27, 19322 It will thus bejseen that there is herein described almethod'and composition in which the several features of this invention are embodied, 3:

in. the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and; desire ,to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The process of re-napping textile fabric which consists in moistening the fabric with an emollient solution containing casein in suspension, rubbing with an abrasive the surface of the fabric in the presence of the emollient solu-' ion and then cleansing .the fabric in a nonaqueous cleanser '2. The processifof re-napping textile fabric, which consists in moistening the fabric with an emollientisolution including a gritty and a fioccnlent ingredient, then rubbing the surface of the fabric to work the solution into and about the fibre of the fabric, and then rubbing with an abrasive the surface of the fabric in the presence of the solution thus previously worked into and about the fibre. 7

3. The. process of re-napping" textile fabric which consists in moistening the fabric with an emollient solution including flocculent substance in suspension, mechanically working the emollient into and about the surface fibre of the fabric, and mechanically treating the surface 'of the fabric with an abrasive to work up said fibre and then rubbing the surface of the fabric in the presence of the emollient solution.

4. The process of re-napping textile fabric which consists in moistening the fabric with an emollient solution including gritty substance in, suspension, mechanically working the emollient into and about the surface fibre of the fabric, and

; mechanically treating the surface of the fabric 7 to workup said fibre in the presence of the solu- '7. The method of conditioning textile fabric, 0

preparatory tc'f'renapping by abrasion which consists moistening the surface of the fabric with an emollient containing a suspension includin casein and aluminum hydroxide gel.

BENJAMIN G. FEIfNBERG-'