US2429073A - Dyed composite felt and method of making same - Google Patents

Description

Patented Oct. 14, 1947 SAME George M. Rickus, Stanley G. 'Hofl'man, and Bernard H. Archer, Norwalk, Conn., assignors to Eat Corporation ofv America, Nor-walk, Conn., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application August 5, 1944, Serial No. 548,320

11 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to improvements in dyed felt fabrics or hats embodying nonanimal fibers therein and particularly to the treatment and use of nonanimal fibers in mixtures with animal fibers, which nonanimal fibers are center-seeking and receptive of acid dyes. The

term nonanimal fibers is used herein to describe vegetable fibers such as cotton, jute or the like and synthetic fibers such as viscose and acetate rayon or the like.

The present invention is an improvement on the invention disclosed in application Serial No. 433,622, filed March 6, 1942, now Patent N0. 2,355,598, granted August 8, 1944, wherein the treatment of cotton and other nonanimal fibers to render them center-seeking is disclosed and claimed.

In the priorv process, diificulty was encountered due to the fact that cotton or other nonanimal fibers did not readily take the acid dye required to dye animal fibers. Thus, in places on hats or the like where the animal fiber on the outer surface is thin, the poorly dyed cotton beneath showed through and presented a mottled appearance.

, To overcome this, center-seeking fibers were dyed, before mixing with fur, with a fast color to the exact shade of the finished hat in which it was to be used so that it would not be noticeable through the thin fur.

Since the center-seeking fiber could only be used in hats of the particular color for which it had been dyed, it required a vast inventory of differently colored fibers to take care of theshades of hats normally manufactured in the course of the season.

The present invention overcomes these difiiculties by providinga treated nonanimal fiber which has an afiinity for acid dye and which may be mixed with animal fibers and dyed therewith. This is accomplished by providing the nonanimal fibers with a coating of melamine-formaldehyde resin which is insoluble in water or acid at tem- 'peratures up to 212 F. Fibers so treated may 2 e Other features and advantages will hereinafte app a The invention will be described as applied to the manufacture of fur felt hats and cotton will be used as the nonanimal fiber. It is to be understood, however, that this is by way of example only and that other animal and nonanimal fibers may be used as required.

In the manufacture of fur felt hats, the mixture of fibers is deposited on a cone and then subjected to hot water and pressure, the temperatures of the water being substantially at boiling point to cause fibers in the bat to felt and produce the hat body.

Furthermore in dyeing the hat body, it must be boiled in an acid dye suitable for dyeing fur for a period of one-half hour to an hour and onehalf. Hence, in order to find a composition for treating the nonanimal fibers to render them receptive to acid dyes, the usual materials for assisting the dye afiinity of the cotton fibers could not be used for these were either soluble in water at high temperatures, soluble in. acidat high temperatures, or lost their aflinity for dye when dried and set at high temperatures.

According to the present invention the cotton fibers are rendered receptive to acid dye by ime pregnating them with an aqueous solution of melamine, formaldehyde, a softener such as Ciba Finish 603 Powder (aliphaticaminoethylamide) and an accelerator such as hydrochloric acid and properly aged. The aging of the solution is essential in order to obtain a coating which will be insoluble in water and acid as required.

After a thorough treatment with this composition, the fibers have a melamine-formaldehyde resinous coating thereon. The fibers are dried at high temperatures of between l-200 F. to set the coating on the fibers, after which the coating is insoluble in water and acid at temperatures up to 212 F.

The impregnating solution may contain 2-10% by weight of melamine, 4-9% by weight of hydrochloric acid (32%), 440% by weight of formaldehyde (35-40%), .52% by weight of Ciba Finish 603 Powder, and the balance water. The solution must be properly aged before the cotton is impregnated.

It is believed that one example of the use of the foregoing composition will be suflicient to make the invention clear. Combed cotton fibers are prepared for treatment by thoroughly cleaning and/or scouring them to remove all surface dirt and oil, grease and cotton wax. If the cotton is to be used with white fur, it is now ready for treatment. On the other hand, if it is to be used with gray fur or tan hares fur, it is dyed gray or tan to match the natural color of the fur with fast colors, such as vat dyes, sulfur dyes and the like. It will be seen then that only a few colors of cotton will be necessary for all colors of hats made in a season. Under some conditions, the treated white cotton can be blended with any of the above furs to producea satisfactory hat.

The cotton fibers are then treated with a solution comprising 5% melamine, 6% hydrochloric acid (32%). 8% formaldehyde (35-40%), 1% Ciba Fini h 603 Powder. and the balance water, which we have found to be particularly effective. It is essential that this solution is aged for at least twelve hours before being applied to the fibers. If more hydrochloric acid is used, the reaction is accelerated and the aging period is substantially lessened and if less is used the aging period is extended. The cotton fibers are thoroughly impregnated with the solution and have a melamine-formaldehyde resin coating thereon. They are then dried at a temperature of 195 F. to set the coating which becomes insoluble in water or acid at temperatures up to 212 F.

As the cotton fibers are treated with the solution. the hydrochloric acid in the solution as an accelerator for the melamine and formaldehyde acts on the cotton and simultaneously renders it center-seeking when mixed with fur as described in said copending application.

The treated fibers are cut to short lengths and are thoroughly mixed with fur fibers in the proportion of 60% fur fibers and 40% cotton fibers (this proportion may vary as required). The mixed fibers are deposited on the forming cone and subjected to hot water at approximately boiling point and pressure to form a felted hat body in which the fur fibers are on the exterior of the felt and the cotton fibers on the interior of the felt.

The hat body is put in the dye and brought up to a boil from 120 F. and boiled one-half hour. To drive the dye from the liquor,- five per cent of acetic acid (56%) is added to the dye solution and the hat bodies'boiled from to minutes more, then five per cent of formic acid (85%) is added to the solution and a further boiling of 10 to 20 minutes takes place. In dark hats, three per cent of sulphuric acid may be added and the bodies boiled an additional 10 to 20 minutes. The hats are then finished in the usual manner.

The resin coating on the cotton fibers is not washed off by the use of the hot water during the working up of the hat body or by the boiling in the acids. Its afilnity for acid dye is not impaired by the high temperatures necessary during the felting and dyeing so that in the hat body resulting from this process the fur on the exterior of the felt and the center-seeking cotton in the interior of the felt are both uniformly dyed the same color. These hats present the highly desirable appearance and feel of an all-fur felt hat.

While we have described the making of a hat, it is to be understood that the present invention is applicable to any felt product embodying animal and nonanimal fibers which is to be dyed.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

We claim:

1. In the method of making a dyed felt hat, the steps of conditioning fur fibers for felting; dyeing, with fast colors unaffected by a subsequent treatment, combed cotton flb$ $9 9. 99 9i of the fur with which it is to be used; subjecting the cotton fibers to a single chemical treatment with a solution of 2%10% melamine, 4%-9% hydrochloric acid (32%), 4%-10% formaldehyde, .5%-2% of a softener and the balance water, to simultaneously impart center-seeking characteristics thereto and to provide a coating on said fibers receptiveof .acid dye; mixing said fur and cotton fibers; forming the mixed fibers into a hat body having the fur fibers on the exterior and the cotton fibers in the center of the felt; and dyeing the hat body with an acid dye to color said furfibers and the coating on said cotton fibers.

2. In the method of making a dyed fabric, the steps of conditioning animal fibers for felting; treating nonanimal fibers with a solution of 2%- 10% melamine, 4%-9% hydrochloric acid (32%), 4%-l0% formaldehyde, .5 %2% of a softener and the balance water, to impart center-seeking characteristics thereto and to provide a surface on said fibers receptive of acid dye; drying the fibers at between 190195 F.; mixing said fur and treated nonanimal fibers; felting the mixed fibers into a composite fabric having the animal fibers on the exterior and the nonanimal fibers in the center of the felt; and dyeing the composite felt with an acid dye at temperatures up to 212 F.

3. In the method of making a dyed hat, the steps of conditioning fur fibers for felting; thoroughiy cleaning the surface of combed cotton fibers to remove surface deposits therefrom; treating the cotton fibers with a solution of 2%- 10% melamine, 4%-9% hydrochloric acid (32%), 4%-10% formaldehyde, .5%2% of a. softener and the balance water, to impart center-seeking characteristics thereto and to provide a surface on said fibers receptive of acid fur dye; drying the fibers at between 190-195 F.; mixing said fur and treated cotton fibers; forming the mixed fibers, into a bat; subjecting the bat to hot water and pressure to felt it into a hat body having the fur fibers on the exterior and the cotton fibers in the center of the felt; and dyeing the composite felt with an acid fur dye at temperatures between 200-212 F.

4. In the method of making a dyed hat, the steps of conditioning fur fibers for felting; treating cotton fibers with an aged solution of 2%10% -melamine, 4%-9% hydrochloric acid (32%), 4%-

l0% formaldehyde (35-40%), .5-2% of a softener and the balance water to impart center-seeking characteristics thereto and to provide a surface on said fibers receptive of acid fur dye; drying the fibers at between 190195 F.; mixing said fur and treated cotton fibers; forming the mixed fibers into a hat body having the fur fibers on the exterior and the cotton fibers in the center of the felt; and dyeing the composite felt with an acid fur dye at temperatures up to 212 F.

5. In the method of making a dyed hat, the

7 steps of conditioning fur fibers for felting; treating cotton fibers with an aged solution of 5% rmelamine, 6% hydrochloric acid (32%), 8%

formaldehyde (35-40%), 1% of a softener and the balance water to impart center-seeking 'characteristics thereto and to provide a surface on said fibers receptive of acid fur dye; drying the fibers at between -195 F.; mixing said fur and treated cotton fibers; forming the mixed fibers into a hat body having the fur fibers on the exterior and the cotton fibers in the center "of the felt; and dyeing the composite felt with an acid fur dye at temperatures up to 212 F.

' amine, 4%9% 6. A felt hat body having inner and outer sur face sections of fur fibers, and an intermediate section of cotton fibers between said surface sections, said cotton fibers having a surface derived from an aged, aqueous solution of 2%-10% melamine, 4%-9% hydrochloric acid, 4%10% formaldehyde and .5%-2% of a softener, said fibers having interior-seeking characteristics when mixed with the fur fibers and being receptive of acid dye, some of the fur and cotton fibers at the contacting faces of adjacent sections being intermingled and interfelted to provide a composite inseparable felt, the composite felt being dyed with acid dye.

'7. A felt hat body having inner and outer surface sections of fur fibers, and an intermediate section of rayon fibers between said surface sections, said rayon fibers having a surface derived from an aged, aqueous solution of 2% melamine, 4%-9% hydrochloric acid, 4%-10% formaldehyde and .5%2% of a softener, said fibers having interior-seeking characteristics when mixed with the fur fibers and being receptive of acid dye, some of the fur and rayon fibers at the contacting faces of adjacent sections being intermingled and interfelted to provide a composite inseparable felt, the composite felt being dyed with acid dye.

8. A felt hat body having inner and outer surface sections of animal fibers, and an intermediate section of nonanimal fibers between said surface sections, said nonanimal fibers having a surface derived from a solution of 2%-10% melhydrochloric acid (32%), 4%-10% formaldehyde, .5%-2% of a softener and the balance water, said fibers having interiorseeking characteristics when mixed with the animal fibers and being receptive of acid dye, some of the animal and nonanimal fibers at the contacting faces of adjacent sections being intermingled and interfelted to provide a composite inseparable felt, the composite felt being dyed with acid dye.

9. A felt fabric body having inner and outer surface sections of animal fibers, and an intermediate section of nonanimal fibers between said surface sections, said nonanimal fibers having a 6 surface derived from an aged aqueous solution of 2%-10% melamine, 4%-9% hydrochloric acid, 4%-10% formaldehyde, and .5%-2% of a softener, the nonanimal fibers having interior-seeking characteristics when mixed with the animal fibers and being receptive of acid dye, some of the animal and nonanimal fibers at the contacting faces of adjacent sections being intermingled and interfelted to 'provide a composite inseparable felt, the composite felt being dyed with acid dye.

10. A feltable fiber for use with animal fibers in dyed felt comprising chemically treated nonanimal fibers having a resinous coating thereon derived from a, solution of 2%10% melamine, 4%-9% hydrochloric acid (32%) 4%10% formaldehyde, .5%-2% .of a softener and the balance water, with a strong affinity for acid dye, said coating being insoluble in water or acid at temperatures up to 212 F. g

11. A feltable fiber for use with animal fibers in dyed felt comprising cotton fiber having a surface thereon derived from an aqueous solution of 4%9% hydrochloric acid, 2%10% melamine, 4%-10 formaldehyde (35%-40%) and .5%-2% of a softener, said fiber having center seeking characteristics when mixed with animal fiber and an affinity for acid dye.

GEORGE M. RICKUS. STANLEY G. HOFFMAN. BERNARD H. ARCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the