US2780245A - Pile fabric - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 5, 1957 P. MILLER ETAL 2,780,245

PILE FABRIC Filed Oct. 5, 1954 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l I fl ll i n as 38 40 VENTORS Pam/P m4 5? 1905097 A BAEDJ'Y w ORNEY Feb. 5, 1957 MILLER ETAL 2,780,245

FILE FABRIC 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 5, 1954 m m \V J w w E 2E mm mm .F

United States Patent PILE FABRIC Philip Miller and Robert F.Bardsley, Yonkers, N. Y., assignors to Alexander Smith, Incorporated, White Plains, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 5, 1954, Serial No. 460,348 6 Claims. (Cl. 139-403) This invention relates to a woven pile fabric of the velvet type in which the pile is formed over pile wires inserted in the pile warp shed during the weaving operation, and has for an object to provide a pile fabric of the above type having novel and improved characteristics.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending application Serial No. 144,882 filed February 18, 1950, now Patent No. 2,695,634 which claims the method and apparatus for making said fabric.

More specifically the invention utilizes pile wires having spring-mounted members at their trailing ends adapted to produce different effects depending upon Whether the spring tips are elevated or depressed. A cam surface is disposed above the pile loops and is arranged to cause the spring tips to be selectively raised or depressed.

In one embodiment cut and uncut pile which may be of the same or of different heights are made ina fillerwise row formed over a single wire. The invention also provides for making pile of three or more different heights in the same row. In a combination of tufts and loops of different heights the highest loop is slightly lower than the lowest tuft. 1

The features of the invention will be better'understoo'd by referring to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which certain specific embodiments thereof are set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the cam roller and the woven fabric showing the pile wires in place;

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the trailing end of a pile wire adapted to produce cut and uncut pile of the same height in the same row, showing the spring tip depressed for forming uncut pile loops;

Fig. 3 is a similar detail view showing the spring tip raised for cutting the loops to form cut pile tufts;

Fig. 4 is a fillerwise section through a fabric produced by the Wire of Figs. 2 and.3;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the trailing end of a pile wire for forming fabric having tufts and loops of different elevations showing the spring tip depressed for forming uncut loops;

Fig. 6 is a similar detail view showing the spring tip elevated for forming cut tufts;

Fig. 7 is a fillerwise section through a fabric made by use of the wire of Figs. 5 and 6; and

Fig. 8 is a warpwise section through the same fabric illustrating different combinations of tuft and loop heights that can be made by this invention.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, Fig. 1 illustrates a fabric 10 having squares 11 of cut pile tufts and squares 12 of uncut pile loops produced in accordance with the present invention. The fabric is of the velvet floor covering construction and is produced by pile wires 15 to be described, which are bound in the pile warp shed. A cam roller 16 is mounted above the wires 15 in a position to be engaged by the leading wire as it is pulled from the fabric. The roller 16 is shown as 2,780,245 Patented Feb. 5, .1957

mounted on a shaft 17 and driven through gears 18 by a motor 19, to cause the roller to rotate at the required speed for producing the pattern. The roller is shown as provided with flat cam surfaces 20 and depressed cam surfaces 21 joined by inclined surfaces 22, the surfaces being disposed in accordance with the desired pattern.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3 the pile wire 15 is of conventional construction except for the trailing ends and comprises a body portion 25 having a surface 26 over which the pile loops are formed and having at its trailing end a spring arm 27 having at its tip a finger 28 provided with a cam follower surface 29 adapted to follow the surface of the cam roller 16 as the wire is withdrawn, and having a cutting blade 30 mounted adjacent said finger 28.

When wire 15 is inserted in the shed in weaving position the finger 28 and blade 30 project beyond the fabric so that a fillerwise row of loops of uniform height are formed over the loop-forming surface 26 of the wire. When the wire 16 is Withdrawn the cam follower surface 29 rides under the cam roller 16 and follows the contour of the surfaces 20, 21 and 22.

When the follower 29 engages a flat surface 20 as in Fig. 2, the blade 30 is depressed below the loops which have been formed over the wire and leaves these loops uncut as indicated by loops 35 in Fig. 4. When however the surface 29 engages a depressed surface 21 of the cam roller as in Fig. 3 the blade 30 is brought into a position to cut the previously formed loops and form cut tufts 36 (Fig. 4) which are of the same height as the loops 35 except for the difference in elevation produced by the cut legs of the loop straightening out and untwisting.

The fabric shown in Fig. 4 is of the two-shot velvet type having upper filler shots 37 under which the loops 35 and tufts 36 are bound, lower filler shots 38, straight stuffer warps 39, and double chain warps 40 and 41. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is applicable to any standard type of backing and permits the combination of cut and uncut pile to be formed in a single fillerwise row from loops which were initially formed over a single pile wire. The cut and uncut areas are of course selected in accordance with a desired pattern which may be varied by changing the cam roller 16.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is generally similar to that above described except that the cam roller 45 of Figs. 5 and 6 is formed with a fiat surface 46, a first inclined surface 47, a second inclined surface 48 of lesser pitch, an intermediate flat surface 49, a third inclined surface 50, and a depressed flat surface 51. The pile wire 52 is shown as formed with a body 53 having a surface 54 of uniform height over which the pile loops are initially formed, and having at its trailing end a spring arm 57 having an extended surface 58 adapted to enlarge the loops as the Wire is withdrawn, and having at its trailing end a tip 59 having a cam follower surface 60 and carrying a cutting knife 61.

The arrangement of this embodiment is such that when the tip 59 passes along the depressed cam surface 51 the loops are pulled up to their maximum height by sliding along the inclined surface 58. The high loops are then cut by the knife 61 to form high tufts 67. As the tip 59 rides along the inclined surface 50 the loops 66 which have been pulled up to varying heights are cut by the knife 61 to form a series of pile tufts 63 which are of corresponding heights. When the tip 59 rides along the intermediate fiat surface 49 the loops are pulled up to an intermediate height and cut to form a series of pile tufts 69 of intermediate height. When the tip 59 rides along the inclined surface 48 a further series of tufts 70 of progressively lesser heights are formed. When the tip 59 passes the inclined surface 47 and engages the fiat surface 46 the. knife 61 passesbeneath the loops leaving uncut loops 65. It is thus seen that by suitable arrangement of the various cam surfaces 48 to 51, a series of tufts may be formed of varying heights, the lowest. of which is slightly higher than the loops 65 and the highest of which is of a height determined by the depression of the cam surface 5!. The distribution of the tufts of ditferent heights is determined in accordance with the selected pattern.

The backing of the fabric of Fig. 7 is shown as similar to that of Fig. 4 and has been given the same reference numerals. Any standard type of velvet backing may be used.

Since the enlargement of a loop in any fillerwise row is accompanied by withdrawal of yarn from the loop or tuft in the previous row which was made from the same warp, various combinations of high and low tufts and loops in successive rows may be made as is illustrated irr Fig. 8 which shows from right to left a series of loops and tufts made successively from a single pile warp.

Referring to Fig. 8 a loop 75 corresponds to the loop 65 of Fig. 7 and represents a loop of the height initially formed over the wire surface 54 and which has not been enlarged or reduced in height. The tuft leg 76 represents the height of a cut pile tuftmade by forming a loop in the second fillerwise row of the same height as the loop 75 and cutting the same without enlargement of the loop as in Fig. 4. The tuft leg 77 of the third row is a high tuft corresponding to the tuft 67 of Fig. 7 which has been made by enlarging the previously formed third loop to its maximum height thereby pulling down the cut leg 78 of the tuft in the previous row from its original height which was equal to that of the leg '76. Since the leg 77 has been enlarged to its maximum height the preceding leg 78 is reduced to the lowest height. When the third loop is cut a pair of legs 77 and 79 are formed which are initially of the same height.

It is now assumed that a loop is formed in the fourth row which is raised to an intermediate height corresponding to that of the tuft 69 of Fig. 7, thereby forming a pair of cut legs 80 and 81. The enlargement of the fourth loop however results in lowering the preceding cut leg 79 below the height of the leg 77 by an amount which is double the amount that the fourth loop is raised.

It is now assumed that a loop 82 is formed in the fifth row which is initially of the same height as the loop 75. A loop is then formed in the sixth row and is raised to the height of the tufts 8i and 81 and cut to form tuft legs 83 and 84 which are of the same height. The enlargement of this sixth loop results in pulling down the fifth loop 82 so that the loop 82 is lower than the loop 75 by an amount equal to that by which the sixth loop has been raised. A loop in the seventh row is formed which is raised to an intermediate height and cut to form a pair of tuft legs 85 and 36, the raising of this loop resulting in pulling down the preceding leg 84. A loop 87 is formed in the eighth row and remains unaltered, thereby leaving the legs 86 and 85 of the same height. A similar loop is formed in the ninth row to form legs 88 and 89 which are the same height as the loop 87, except for the difference in elevation produced by the straightening and untwisting of the fibers. A loop 90 is formed in the tenth row and remains unaltered, thereby leaving the tuft legs 88 and 89 the same height. A loop 91 is formed in the eleventh warpwise row and is initially of the same height as the loop 90. A loop in the twelfth row is raised and cut to form high tuft legs 92 and 93. The raising of this loop results in the pulling down of the loop 91 to a lower level. A loop 94 in the next row, which remains unaltered, leaves the legs 92 and 93 of the same elevation.

From the above it is to be noted that in a warpwise direction the highest tuft is always preceded by the lowest loop or by the lowest leg of a cut pile tuft. A tuft of intermediate height is preceded by a loop of intermediate height or by a cut tuft leg of intermediate height. A loop of normal height is preceded by a pair of tuft legs of equal height or by a loop of normal height and a pair of tuft legs of normal height are preceded by a loop of normal height or by another pair of tuft legs of equal height. Any desired combination may be selected according to the pattern requirements.

Nhat is claimed is:

1. A pile fabric comprising a woven backing having fillerwise and warpwise yarn and having a fillerwise row of pile elements bound under a single fillerwise yarn in said backing, certain pile elements of said fillerwise row comprising cut tufts and other pile elements of said fillerwise row comprising loops, said tufts being of three or more heights, the lowest tuft being at least as high as said loops. 2. A pile fabric comprising a woven backing having fillerwise and warpwise' yarn and having a fillerwise row of pile elements bound under a single fillerwise yarn in said backing, certain pile elements of said fillerwise row comprising cut tufts and other pile elements of said fillerwise row comprising loops, said tufts being of three or more different heights, and said loops being of three or more different heights with the lowest tuft being at least as high as the highest loop.

3. A pile fabric comprising a woven backing having successive fillerwise rows of pile elements bound therein, each row being bound under a single filler yarn the pile elements of each row comprising pile loops and cut pile tufts of various heights, the lowest tuft being at least as high asthe highest loop, the highest tuft being preceded in the previous fillerwise row by a tuft of the same pile yarn having legs of unequal height.

4. A pile fabric comprising a woven backing having successive fillerwise rows of pile elements bound therein, each row being bound under a single pi le yarn the pile elements of each row comprising pile loops and cut pile tufts of various heights, the lowest tuft being at least as high as the highest loop, the highest tuft being preceded in the previous fillerwise row by a low loop of the same file yarn.

5. A 'pile fabric comprising a woven backing having successive fillerwise rows of pile elements bound therein, each row being bound under a single filler yarn the pile elements of each row comprising cut tufts of low, intermediate and maximum heights, andloops of low, intermediate and maximum heights, the lowest tuft being at least as high as the highest loop, an intermediate height tuft being preceded in the previous fillerwise row by a loop of intermediate height of the same pile yarn.

6. A pile fabric comprising a woven backing having successive fillerwise rows of pile elements bound therein, each row being bound under. a single filler yarn the pile elements of each row comprising cut tufts of low, intermediate and maximum heights, and loops of low and maximum heights, the lowest tuft being at least as high as the highest loop, an intermediate height tuft being preceded in the previous fillerwise row by a tuft of the same pile yarn having legs of unequal height.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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