US2135711A - Manufacture of pile fabrics - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 8, 1938. e. s. HIERS MANUFACTURE OF FILE FABRICS Filed March 11, 1935 Patented Nov. 8, I938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,135,111 7 MANUFACTURE or 'rma mimics Glen 8. fliers, Bala-Cynwyd, Pa., asaignor to 001- has a Altman Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware I Application March 11, 19:5, sci-aim. 10,405

2 Claims. (01. 91-68) My invention relates to the manufacture of pile fabrics having V-pile tufts looped over the wefts of a loosely woven backing during the fabrication thereof and securedto such backing by the l solidification therein of a solidifiable constituent .of an aqueous material applied to the backing to form a layer or bed of binder in the backing.

My invention involves the elimination or minimizing of the effect of water-repellent substances contained in or on the yarns of the backing so as to facilitate and render more uniform the'penetration of the aqueous material into the backing and the yarns of which it is composed. to prevent the formation of a skin coating of binder upon II and separable from the backing or the yarns thereof, and to prevent absorption of oil or the like from the textile into the binder layer and thereby avoid the partial swelling of the layer of binder from such absorption. Such swelling 90 tends to deleteriously reduce the tensile strength of the binder layer and to reduce the bond between it and the textile fibres. By my improvements, the tufts and backing yarns are more effectually secured relatively to one another with the use of a minimum amount of solidifiable impregnating material and without detracting from the textile characteristics of the product.

The water-repellent substances normally present in the fibres, and which tend to weaken the tensile strength and bond of a binder layer and to cause the formation of a surface skin, may be the natural waxes, oils, pectins or resins present in both animal and vegetable textile fibres or may be lubricants applied to such fibres in the spinning or processing thereof, and in accordance with my invention such Waxes, oils, resins, pectins, lubricants or other water repellent substances may be removed from the yarns after or before the weaving thereof, and may be extracted or neutralized 40 by solvents, absorbents, detergents, scouring, or

reagents selected for their suitability for removing or rendering harmless the particular waterrepellent substance or substances present in the fibres being treated.

When the water-repellent substances present in the fibres consist primarily of naturally present or applied oils, greases, waxes, pectins or resins, it is preferable to effect their removal, prior to impregnating the fabric, by scouring the yarns or the pile fabric woven therefrom with a detergent solution of soap, ammonia, soda or other alkali, or with suitable oil solvents, which may be of the chlorinated type or emulsified with water to avoid inflammability. During the treatment of the back of the fabric with the detergent or solvent,

or fibres with detergent or solvent substance, and

in such cases the grease, oil and other waterrepellent media may be removed and neutralized by the application to the back of the fabric of fuller's earth, other absorbent clays, or chemically treated silicate having high absorbent power. Such absorbents may be dusted on to the back of the fabric, brushed well into the interstices of the fabric, and then brushed off. Several applications may be made in this manner until a desired diminution of the content of waterrepellent substance has been effected; and where animal and vegetable fibres containing different types of water-repellent substances are incorporated in-the fabric or in the yarn from which it is made, such fabric or yarn may be subjected to such sequential treatments as are necessary to remove, neutralize or unify the effect of the several water-repellent substances contained in the different types of fibres and render more uniform the absorbent or permeable properties of. the fibres.

When the water-repellent substances have been eliminated or reduced in amount to a desired degree from some or all of the yarns composing the fabric or from part of each of the elements of yarn composing the fabric and particularly those portions of the yarns contacting with the embedded binder layer, the fabric may be dried be-, fore impregnation, or may be impregnated while still wet, with an aqueous material containing a solidifiable constituent, such as latex, artificial aqueous dispersions of rubber, or synthetic rubber derived from chloroprene or aqueous dispersions of pyroxylin or other cellulose derivatives;

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically an apparatus suitable for the practice of my invention, and Fig. 2 illustrates a second form of such apparatus. These apparatuses may be used in sequence or separately and both or either may constitute a unit in a range of plush dyeing andfinishing equipment.

2. a,1as,711

Asillustratedinl'ig. 1 ofthedrawing, acontinuous strip of pile fabric A woven from yarns containing water-repellent substances and comprising aloosely woven backing with V-pile tufts looped over: the wefts thereof, is drawn face downward over the rollers l, 2, 3 and 4 and beneath the rotary brush which contacts with a fabric section suspended between the rollers I and 4 and applies to the back surface of such section a powdered or liquid remover or neutralizer for one or more'of the hydrofuge substances contained in the yarn of which the backing and pile tufts are composed. Such remover or neutralizer may be supplied to the brush I at a ll desired rate through valved discharge ports 6. of a supply reservoir I above the brush. The

remover or neutralizer is worked thoroughly into the fibres of the fabric by the rotation of the brush and any surface excess discharged from ii the fabric into a valved receiver 8. The brushed fabric may be then passed between rubber covered nip rolls 9 which apply pressure to the remover or neutralizer and force it into the fabric in intimate contact with the hydrofuge substances.

85 Any free remover or neutralizer remaining after the passage of the fabric between the nip rolls may be removed by the suction extractor Iii.

The fabric may then be passed, if desired, over a second set of rollers 3', 4", under the brush 5',

80 and treated with the same or a different remover or neutralizer supplied from the reservoir 1'. This second remover or neutralizer is brushed into the back of the fabric, the surplus discharged into the receiver 8' and the impregnated or emas bedded remover or neutralizer pressed into intimate contact with the hydrofuge substances by the nip rollers 9'. The free remover or neutralizer remaining after the second treatment is evacuated by the suction extractor i0.

In lieu of or in addition to passage through one or more of the dehydrofuging devices shown in Fig. 1, the back of the fabric may be subjected to the action of scouring apparatus such as shown in Fig. 2. In this apparatus, an endless belt I" is passed through a solvent or detergent emulsion contained in a tank llil provided with guide rolls I02 and nip rolls I03 for translating the belt and squeezing excess liquid therefrom. The belt is guided over rolls I, which may be rectilineally o movable, into contact with a section of the back of the fabric A, which may be held flat or curved by card clothing rolls Hi5 and plain rolls I06.

The wet belt or apron I00 may be moved longitudinally in either direction, and if desired also moved transversely, in contact with the back of the traveling fabric A, which is continuously scoured thereby. The extracted hydrofuge sub stances are gradually accumulated in the tank MI and may be removed therefrom and the solvent or detergent liquid replenished as required.

when the hydrofuge substances have been sufllciently removed from the fabric bythe treatment or treatments thereof as above described,

the fabric may be then passed over the rollers 2' and I and over the surfaces of the steam -heated drums II and II by which any volatile material may be driven off and the fabric dried, either wholly or partially. The passage of the fabric over the drums is controlled by the guides l2, I3, I4 and I5.

After drying, the fabric may have a normal or desired moisture content imparted to the back, in excess of that contained in the pile tufts, by passage of the fabric over guide rollers I 6' and through the steam box It with the pile face upward and over steam lets l'l. Any tufts which have been materially loosened by the treatment for the removal or neutralization of hydrofuge substances are brushed off by the brush II, and slightly loosened'tufts are forced back into posi- 6 tion by the roller l9 and stationary cylinder 20 on opposite sides of the card clothing roller II.

The card clothing rollers 2i and 22 are provided with wire teeth which support the fabric backing without applying pressure to the cut ends-of the 10 pile tufts.

In passing from the card clothing roller II to the card clothing roller 12, the fabric passes beneath a blade 23 to which the bane plate 24 discharges a layer of uniform thickness of a hydroll sol, suchas latex, containing a solidinable constituent, and is discharged to the baille plate through cocks 25 of an adjustable reservoir 20. The hydrosol is forced into the yarns and interstices of the fabric by the action of the blade 28 20 and of the roller 21 so as to leave the bights of .the pile tufts exposed to form a .nodulous surface imparting to the fabric a textile "feel" and handle. The hydrosol permeates into the backing, without passing therethrough to the pile 25 face of the fabric, and is solidified as a layer lying primarilyin the backing by the passage of the fabric through a tenter drier 2| while stretched by the engagement of its selvaga by the pins of tenter chains 29. N

By the steps of removing or neutralizing waterrepellent substances in the yarns, which for brevity in the claims I have called dehydrofuging the yarns, I am enabled to secure an intimate contact between the solidiflable constituent of a hydrosol II and the fibres of the fabric and avoid the forma tion of a surface skin on the yarns or fabric, and to improve the anchorage of the pile tufts to the backing and the backing yarns to one another, with consequent improvement in the durability 40 as well as in the appearance of the fabric, uses less rubber and so economies are effected, better tensiles and elasticities are produced due to absence of oil absorption, and better ageing results.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In the manufacture by a continuous process of an impregnated air permeable pile fabric having pile elements looped about wefts of a loosely woven backing, said pile elements originally containing water repellent bond inhibiting substances, the steps of removing or neutralizing the bond inhibiting substances by local application to the bights of the pile elements and the backing of an inorganic absorbent of such quality that it removes or neutralizes said inhibiting substances, passing the treated pile fabric adjacent to and substantially in contact with an air extractor employing a current of air which current passes through the fabric whereby portions of the bond inhibitor and remover are taken out of the pile fabric and the interstices of the fabric are left open, brushing the fabric to remove loose pile tufts and force slightly loosened pile tufts back into the fabric, depositing a uniform layer of a rubber hydrosol on 65 the back of said fabric, forcing the hydrosol into the fabric, leaving the interstices of the fabric open and the bights of the pile exposed to form a nodulous surface imparting a textile feel and handle to the fabric, the quantity of hydrosol being 70 controlled so that it is substantially confined to the plane of the woven backing, and setting the hydrosol whereby the pile is adhered to the backing.

2. In the manufacture by a continuous process 75 of an impregnated air permeable pile fabric having pile elements looped about wefts of a loosely woven backing, said pile elements originally containing water repellent bond inhibiting substances, the steps of removing or neutralizing the bond inhibiting substances by local application to the bights of the pile elements and the backing of an inorganic absorbent of such quality that it removes or neutralizes said inhibiting substances, passing the treated pile fabric adjacent to and substantially in contact with an air extractor employing a current of air, which current passes through the fabric whereby portions of the bond inhibitor and remover are taken out of the pile fabric and the interstices of the fabric are left open, depositing a uniform layer of a rubber hydrosol on the back of said fabric, forcing the hydrosol into the fabric, leaving the interstices of the fabric open and the bights of the pile exposed to form a nodulous surface imparting a textile feel and handle to the fabric, the quantity of hydrosol being controlled so that it is substantially confined to the plane of the woven backing, and setting the hydrosol whereby the pile is adhered to,the backing.

GLEN SxI-IIERS.

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