US2622307A

US2622307A - Soil-resistant pile fabric

Info

Publication number: US2622307A
Application number: US214526A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward J Cogovan; Edwin D Friderici
Original assignee: Mohawk Carpet Mills Inc
Current assignee: Mohawk Carpet Mills Inc
Priority date: 1951-03-08
Filing date: 1951-03-08
Publication date: 1952-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 1969-12-23

Description

Patented Dec. 23, 1952 SOIL-RESISTANT PILE FABRIC Edward J. Cogovan and Edwin D. Frideri'ci, Am-

sterdam, N. Y., assignors to Mohawk Carpet M1115, Inc., Amsterdam, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 8, 1951, Serial No. 214,526

14 Claims.

1 This invention relates to pile fabrics, such as carpets and rugs, and also velvets and plushes used as dress, upholstery, and drapery materials.

More particularly, the invention is concerned with a novel pile fabric of the kinds referred to, in which the pile, although made of yarns containing a substantial proportion of vegetable or synthetic fibers or both, has a reduced tendency to become permanently soiled in use. The invention further comprehends a method, by which fabrics havinga pile made of the yarns mentioned may be easily treated to inhibit their becoming permanently soiled and discolored. While the principles of the invention may be utilized with benefit in the production of all types of pile fabric containing the specified pile yarns, it offers special advantages in connection with floor covering fabrics and its application to that field of use will, accordingly, be set forth in detail for purposes of explanation.

Until quite recently, it has been the common practice in the manufacture of carpeting to make the pile of all-wool yarns, since a pile made of such yarns is of attractive appearance, does not crush readily in use, and has excellent wearing qualities. In addition, a pile made of wool yarns resists permanent soiling and, when the pile collects dirt, the dirt may be readily removed by sweeping, beating, vacuum cleaning, shampooing, etc. As a result, a pile made of such yarns is unlikely to become permanently discolored, except after long periods of use under extremely heavy and dirty traffic conditions. Pile yarns made of other animal fibers, such as mohair, also resist permanent soiling and, although the reason why animal fiber yarns have this characteristic is not known, it is a well recognized phenomenon. Accordingly, the yarns used for the pile in carpeting, upholstery materials for car seats, for example, and for other uses, in which the material becomes dirty and must be cleaned from time to time, have regularly been made in the past of animal fibers.

In the last few years, the great increases in the price of wool and the short supply of that fiber, particularly of the grade suitable for use in carpets and rugs, have led to the employment of other fibers in the spinning of pile yarns for carpets. Thus, carpets have been produced both experimentally and for commercial sale, in which the pile yarns have contained various vegetable and synthetic "fibers, either alone or in blends with or without wool. Example of vegetable and. synthetic materials so employed in the spininng of pile yarns for carpet use include staple fibers of viscose rayon, acetate rayon, nylon, the fiber known commercially as saran (polymerized vinyl idene chloride), jute, cotton, e'tc., and mixtures thereof. Other pile yarns have been spun entirely from staple rayon of the two types or cotton. Such pile yarns spun from blends of wool and vegetable or synthetic fibers or both and also made wholly of synthetic or vegetable fibers or mixtures thereof have been found to produce a pile satisfactory in appearance and durability. However, all pile yarns, which contain a substantial quantity, for example, in excess of 20%, of vegetable fibers or synthetic fibers, or both, have been found to produce a pile which soils rapidly in use and cannot be readily cleaned, by

the usual methods, so that it becomes permanently discolored.

The present invention is, accordingly, directed to the provision of a novel pile fabric, in which the pile is made of yarns containing a substantial proportion of vegetable or synthetic fibers or both and resists permanent soiling much better than the pile of prior fabrics made of the same pile yarns. The new fabrics have the stated characteristic by reason of having been treated in accordance with the new method.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view on an enlarged scale and in perspective of one form of the new fabric suitable for use'as a floor covering; and

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig, 1 of another form of the fabric.

The fabric shown in Fig. l is of conventional velvet carpet construction and it includes a backing made up of stuffer warps l0, binder warps or fine chains H in two sets, and weft yarns l2, l3 lying, respectively, above and below the stulfer warps and bound in place by the binder warps. The pile of the fabric is made up of heavy pile yarns 14, each of which has a portion 14a bound beneath a weft yarn l2 and another portion Mb projecting upwardly in the form of a pair of tuft legs. In the weaving of the fabric, the pile yarns are raised as loops over pile wires provided with knives and, upon withdrawal of each wire, the loops of pile yarn thereover are cut. This permits the yarns forming the tuft legs to untwist and expand somewhat and the cut ends [40 of the yarns are sheared in finishing operations, so that these ends lie substantially in a plane and together form the major part of the visible part of the surface of the pile.

The fabric shown in Fig. 2 is of conventional tapestry carpet weave and it includes stuffer warps l5, binder warps or fine chains 16 in two sets, and weft yarns ll, l8 lying, respectively, above and below the stuifer warps and bound in place by the binder warps. The pile of the fabric is formed by heavy pile yarns 19, which have portions [9a anchored in the backing by being passed beneath weft yarns ll. During the weaving, each pile yarn is raised over a non-cutting pile wire to form a loop 20 between each two adjacent weft yarns IT and, upon removal of the wires, the tuft yarns remain as loops. The tops and the sides of the loops adjacent the tops then form the visible part of the surface of the pile.

When the pile yarns employed for forming the.

cut or loop pile shown, respectively, in Figs. 1 and 2, are made wholly of wool or other animal fibers or include with such fibers only a relatively small proportion of vegetable or synthetic fibers or both, the pile has little tendency to become permanently soiled in use and, when dirt collects in and on the pile, the dirt can be removed by' any of the usual methods. However, if the pile yarns contain a substantial proportion of vegetable or synthetic fibers or both, the pile is subject to permanent soiling and discoloration, since, when it becomes dirty, it cannot be restored to its original condition by ordinary cleaning. Thus, a pile made of yarns spun from a blend of 50% wool and the remainder made up of viscose rayon, acetate rayon, nylon, the commercial fiber known as Saran, or other synthetic fibers soon becomes permanently discolored in use. Similarly, if the pile is made up wholly of synthetic fibers, either alone or in mixture, it does not resist permanent soiling. The presence of vegetable fibers, such as cotton, jute, ramie, etc. in the pile yarns likewise makes the pile susceptible to permanent soiling and, in general, it may be said that the presence in pile yarn of vegetable fibers or synthetic fibers, or both, in substantial amounts in excess of 20% causes a pile made therefrom to be subject to permanent soiling, with this tendency increasing as the proportion of the vegetable and synthetic fibers in the pile yarns is increased. On the contrary, a pile made of yarns containing only animal fibers, such as wool, mohair, etc., or various blends of such animal fibers, does not discolor permanently, except after long periods of use, and can be readily freed from dirt.

The fabric of the invention comprises a pile made of yarns, which include a substantial proportion of vegetable or synthetic fibers or both, but the tendency of such a pile to become permanently discolored in use is greatly reduced in the fabric by applying to the visible portions of the pile a coating of extremely fine colloidal particles of silica, either alone or in combination with a minor proportion of similar particles of other light colored inorganic substances, which are substantially insoluble in water and are apparently inert in effect. It is important that the particles in such a coating have a size such that colloidal dispersions may be readily made therefrom. Such particles normally range in size from about 0.025 micron toabout 10 microns, and the coating should have a weight ranging from about 0.15 oz. to about 0.5 oz. per square yard of pile surface. Particles of not to exceed 6 microns are preferred.

The coating materials giving best results are colloidal solutions of silica, and there are a number of such colloidal solutions of silica available commercially. Colloidal solutions of certain clays, such as that known commercially as Atta Clay SF, give fair results in the practice of the practice of the invention. Atta Clay SF is a complex hydrated aluminum magnesium silicate containing in its commercial form about 67% SiOz, and the remainder, which is made up of 12.5% A1203, about 11.5% MgO, and minor amounts of FezOs, CaO, and other compounds, is inert. In this clay, the particles have a size ranging from about 0.4-0.6 micron.

In applying the coating, the colloidal solution is diluted, until the solids present have a dry weight of about 5%, and the solution may be applied to the pile by spraying, brushing, or other well known methods. After the application of the solution to form a coating having a weight per square yard of pile surface within the range specified, the pile is dried, as by passing the fabric through the usual drying equipment.

The coating is preferably confined to the visible portion of the pile and, in the case of a cut pile-fabric of the type shown in Fig. l, the particles of the coating material, indicated'at 2|,

cover the cut ends I40 of the tuft legs and some of the particles may also adhere to the fibers within the yarn adjacent the ends of the fibers. In the case of a loop pile fabric, as shown in Fig. 2, the particles 23 of coating material coat the portions of the loops exposed at the surface of the pile and such portions include the tops of the pile loops and parts of the sides of the loops adjacent the tops.

The application of the coating material -to produce a coatinghaving a weight. less than about 0.15 oz. per square yard of pile surface imparts to the pile some tendency to resist soiling, but not enough to be generally useful. Preferably, the coating material is app-lied to produce a coating weighing not less than about 0.25 oz. per square yard of pile surface. It is not particularly objectionable to make-the coating somewhat heavier than 0.5 oz. per square yard of ile surface, but any excess of the coating over a weight of about 0.5 oz. per square yard of pile surface appears to dust oil in use and thus be lost. Also, if an excessive amount of the light colored coating material is applied to the pile, it imparts a light cast thereto, which may be objectionable.

The application of the coating material to a pile made of dyed yarn tends to lighten the color and this may be corrected in various ways. One method of overcoming any objectionable color change resulting from the application of the coating material involves dyeing the pile yarn a slightly darker shade than that ultimately desired, the coating then lightening the pile to the desired shade. Another method, which may be employed in some instances, involves adding a minute amount, such as a small fractional percentage, of carbon black to the coating material to darken it slightly before its application. Also, coloring material may be added to the coating material before it is applied to give it a color closely approximating that of the pile, on which it is to be used.

The lightening of the color of the pile by the application of a coating of a weight near the upper end of the range specified is useful in connection with white pile yarns, since, when the coating is to be applied, the yarns, in some instances, need not be bleached. Also, the coating tends to give the yarns a truer white color and, because of the soil resistance imparted to the yarns by the coating, the whiteness is retained in the use of the carpet.

While resistance to p ranentso ling m b imparted to; a p le made of; p le-yarn con n substantial. proportion of vegetable fibers or synt icfib rs or b th: by app1y s-th i c to; the yarns beforethey are woven into the fabric, this procedure is expensive, becaus'ethe coating is applied toportions of the yarn, which are. not visible in thepile'andthus-do not require the coating; Also, if; the yarns are coated before being woven, into the fabric, the passage of the yarns through the heddles and reed ofthe loom is likely to removea substantial proportion of the coating.

It is preferable to apply the coati to the completed fabrics at; the millbefore they are shipped out, but the coating-can be applied to a fabric already installed. Before. the application of the coating. to a fabric, which has been in use, the dirt should be removed: tothe extent possible before the coating is applied; and the coating may then, be conveniently applied by spraying. If the fabric already installed is to be cleaned by shampooing with, any ofthe usual foaming detergent compositions commonly employed for the purpose, the coatingmaterial may be added to the, shampooing compound. After the shampooing has been completed, the foam may be, removed. by a vacuum cleaner and the coating then remains on the fibers. The application of the coating during the shampooing may be employed either to produce aninitial coating or to restore the original coating on a pile, which requires cleaning by shampooing. The particles of the coating material in a coating having a weight per square yard within the ranges specified appear to adhere to the fibers for indefiniteperiods, although, it may be desirable to renew the coating. from time to time in the manner described.

The application of the coating to a pile made of yarns spun from a blend of wool and vegetable fibers or synthetic fibers or both; does not impair and, on the contrary, appears to enhance the resistance of the wool to permanent soiling.

We claim:

1.. A fabric having a pile resistant to permanent soiling, which comprises a. backing and pile yarns having portions anchored; in the backing and other portions projecting; above the backing toprovide the pile, the pile yarns including a substantial proportion in excess of 20% of, fibers of'the class consisting of vegetable. and synthetic fibers, and a coating of colloidal particles of inorganic, water insoluble substances containing a major proportion! of silica on the router or exposed portions only of the pile yarns forming the visible part of the pile, the coating having a weight ranging from about 0.15 oz. to about 0.5 oz. per square yard of pile surface.

2. A fabric having a pile resistant to permanent soiling, which comprises a backing and pile yarns having portions anchored in the backing and other portions projecting above the backing as tufts forming the pile, the ends of the tufts lying in the upper surface of the pile, the pile yarns including a substantial proportion in excess of 20% of fibers of the class consisting of vegetable and synthetic fibers, and a coating of colloidal particles of inorganic, water insoluble substances containing a major proportion of silica on the outer or exposed portions only of the yarns forming the visible part of the pile and including the ends of the tufts, the coating having a weight ranging from about 0.15 oz. to about 0.5 oz, per square yard of pile surface.

3, A, fabric having a pile resistant: topfirmasnent soiling,- which comprisesa backingand pile yarns having portions anchored in the, backing and other portions projecting above the backing to-provide the pile, the pile yarns containing a blend of fibers including wool and a substantial proportion in excess of 20% of at least. one fiber from the class consisting of vegetable and synthetic fibers, and a coating of colloidal particles of inorganic, water insoluble substances containing a major proportion of silica on theouter or exposed portionsponly of the pile yarns forming the visible part of the pile, the coating having a weight ranging from about 0.15 oz. to about 0. oz. per square yard of pile surface.

4;. A fabric having a pile resistant to permanent soiling, which comprises a backing and pile yarns having portions anchored in the backing and other portions projecting above the backs ing toprovide the pile, the pile yarns including a, substantial proportion in excess of 20% of fibers of the class consisting ofvegetable and synthetic fibers, and a coating of colloidal parti:-. cles of inorganic, water insoluble substances (30 11? taining a major proportion of silica on the outer or exposed portions only of the pile yarnsforming. the visible part of the pile, the coating con.- taining a minute quantity of carbon black par-.- ticles, distributed therein, thecoating having a weight ranging from about 0.15 oz. to about 0.5 oz. per square yard of pile surface.

5. A fabric having a pile resistant to perma: nent soiling, which comprises a backing and dyed pile yarns having portions anchored in the backing and other portions projecting above the backing to provide the pile, the pile yarns including-a substantial proportion in excess of 20% of fibers of'theclass consisting of vegetable and synthetic fibers, and a coating of colloidal particles of in.- organic, water insoluble substances containing a major proportion of silica on the outer or ex. posed portions only of the pile yarns forming the visible part of the pile, the coating containing coloring matter giving it substantially the same color as the pile yarns and the coating having a weight ranging from about 0.15 oz. to about 0.5 oz. per square yard of pile surface.

6. A method of imparting resistance to permanent soiling to the pile of a fabric, in which the pile is made of pile yarns including a substantial proportion in excess of 29% of fibers of the class consisting of vegetable and synthetic fibers, which comprises applying tothe outer or exposed portions of the pile only a dilute colloidal water solution of inorganic substances containing a major proportion of silica, to form a coating of the particles of a weight in solids ranging from about 0.15 oz. to about 0.5 oz. per square yard of pile surface, and drying the treated pile.

'7. A method of imparting resistance to permanent soiling to the pile of a fabric, in which the pile is made of pile yarns including a substantial proportion in excess of 20% of fibers of the class consisting of vegetable and synthetic fibers, which comprises spraying the outer or exposed surface only of the pile with a dilute colloidal water solution of inorganic substances containing a major proportion of silica, to form a coating of the particles of a weight in solids ranging from about 0.15 oz. to about 0.5 oz. per square yard of pile surface, and drying the treated pile.

8. A method of imparting resistance to permanent soiling to the pile of a fabric, in which the pile is made of pile yarns including a substantial proportion in excess of 20% of fibers of the class consisting of vegetable and synthetic fibers, which comprises applying to the outer or exposed portions of the pile only a dilute colloidal water so lution of inorganic substances containing a major proportion of silica, the colloidal solution containing about 5% of the dry weight of the solids, to form a coating of the particles of a weight in solids ranging from about 0.15 oz. to about 0.5 oz. per square yard of pile surface, and drying the pile.

9. A method of imparting resistance to permanent soiling to the pile of a fabric, in which the pile is made of pile yarns including, a substantial proportion in excess of 20% of fibers of the class consisting of vegetable and synthetic fibers, which comprises shampooing the pile with a foaming shampoo solution, to which has been added a dilute colloidal water solution of particles of inorganic substances containing a major proportion of silica, the particles forming a coating on the pile of a weight in solids ranging from about 0.15 oz. to about 0.5 oz. per square yard of pile surface, removing the foam from the pile, and drying the pile.

10. A fabric having a pile resistant to permanent soiling, which comprises a backing and pile yarns having portions anchored in the backing and other portions projecting above the backing to provide the pile, the pile yarns including a substantial proportion in excess of 20% of fibers of the class consisting of vegetable and synthetic fibers, and a coating of colloidal particles of silica on the portions of the pile yarns forming the visible part only of the pile, the coating having a weight ranging from about 0.15 oz. to about 0.5

oz. per square yard of pile surface.

11. A fabric having a cut pile resistant to permanent soiling, which comprises backing and pile yarns having portions anchored in the backing and other portions projecting above the backing as tufts forming the pile, the ends of the tufts lying in the top surface of the pile and the pile yarns including a substantial proportion in excess of 20% of fibers of the class consisting of vegetable and synthetic fibers, and a coating of colloidal particles of silica on the top surface portion only of the pile, the coating having a Weight of about 0.15 oz. to about 0.5 oz. per square yard of pile surface.

12. A method of imparting resistance to permanent soiling to the pile of a fabric, in which the pile is made of pile yarns including a substantial proportion in excess of 20% of fibers of the class consisting of vegetable and synthetic fibers which comprises applying to the outer or exposed portion of the pile only a colloidal water solution of silica particles, to form a coating of the particles of a weight in solids ranging from about 0.15 oz. to about 0.5 oz. per square yard of pile surface, and drying the treated pile.

13. A pile fabric for floor covering purposes which comprises a backing including stuffer and binder warp yarns, weft yarns held against the stulfer warp yarns of the binder warp yarns, and pile yarns having portions anchored beneath Weft yarns and other portions extending upwardly out of the backing to form the elements of a pile, the pile yarns including a substantial proportion in excess of 20% of fibers of the class consisting of vegetable and synthetic fibers, and a coating of colloidal particles of silica on the outer or exposed portions only of the pile elements, the coating having a weight of about 0.15 oz. to about 0.5 oz. per square yard of pile surface.

14. A pile fabric for floor covering purposes which comprises a backing including stufier and binder warp yarns, weft yarns held against the stuffer warp yarns by the binder warp yarns, and and pile yarns having portions anchored beneath weft yarns and other portions extending upwardly out of the backing to form pile tufts, the pile yarns including a substantial proportion in excess of 20% of fibers of the class consisting of vegetable and synthetic fibers, and a coating of colloidal particles of silica, on the outer or exposed ends only of the tufts, the coating having a weight of about 0.15 to about 0.5 oz. per square yard of pile surface.

EDWARD J. GOGOVAN. EDWIN D. FRIDERICI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,608,418 Payne Nov. 23, 1926 1,629,241 Ubbelohde May 17, 1927 1,943,519 Denning Jan. 16, 1934 2,362,299 Nutter Nov. 7, 1944 2,443,512 Powers et al June 15, 1948 2,526,684 Powers et a1 Oct. 24, 1950 2,527,329 Powers et a1 Oct. 24, 1950 2,570,750 Bauer Oct. 9, 1951