US2853103A

US2853103A - Method of making pile fabric

Info

Publication number: US2853103A
Application number: US463484A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clarence C Mincher; Paul A Endriss
Original assignee: Hardwick & Magee Co
Current assignee: Hardwick & Magee Co
Priority date: 1954-10-20
Filing date: 1954-10-20
Publication date: 1958-09-23
Anticipated expiration: 1975-09-23

Description

sept. 23, 195s Filed OGl'.. 20. 1954 C.. C. MINCHER ETAL METHOD OF MAKING PILE FABRIC 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept 23, 1958 c. c. MINCHER ET AL 2,853,103

METHOD oF MAKING PILE FABRIC 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 20, 1954 Sept. 23, 1958 Filed 001;. 20. 1954 c. c. MlNcHER ETAL 2,853,103

METHOD OF' MAKING PILE FABRIC 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept 23, 1958 c. MINCHER ET A1. 2,853,103

METHOD OF' MAKING PILE FABRIC 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 20. 1954 United States Patent METHOD OF MAKING PILE FABRIC Clarence C. Mincher, Philadelphia, and Paul A. Endriss,

Norwood, Pa., assignors to Hardwick & Magee Cornpany, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 20, 1954, Serial No. 463,484

7 Claims. (Cl. 139-39) This application is a continuation-impart of our copending application, Serial Number 248,572, filed September 27, 1951, now abandoned, for improvements in a Pile Fabric.

The present invention relates to pile fabrics of the type commonly employed in the manufacture of carpet and rugs and to a novel method for making such fabrics.

The weave of the present invention is of the same general type as the old and well-known Wilton weave, which is fully disclosed in United States Patents Numbers 760,985 and 760,986. In the Wilton weave a stutter, which is included as a part of the warp, is located between the upper and lower layers of the filling which comprises the weft. The warp also includes the binders which are woven in with thefilling and the pile yarns which provide the short pile loops and the long pile loops.` Generally speaking, the long pile loops assume a raised position relative to lthe ground, and provide a desired decorative pattern. One feature which characterizes the old Wilton weave is that the short pile loops are bound in under every pick of the upper lilling layer. This means that there is an open space above the picks of the upper lling layer, except for those portions which are covered by the long pile loops.

With the foregoing in mind, the present invention has in view as its foremost objective the provision of a pile fabric weave of the type indicated wherein the normally open spaces above the upper lling layer are covered. To accomplish this, two or more sets of warp yarns are used which are selectively raised to pass over one or more pile wires for producing ground pile loops and raised extended pile loops, respectively, and are floated above the picks of the upper filling layer so as to leave no open spaces, The present disclosure will be described in terms of three sets of warp yarns; however, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to such an embodiment. j

More specifically, in the present invention, two of the warp yarns are selectively raised so as to alternately pass over alternate single pile wires and picks of the upper filling layer and are bound in under adjacent picks of said upper layer providing the ground pile loops of the fabric. The third warp yarn is selectively raised to pass over two or more pile wires so as to provide a pile loop of greater extent, the said third warp being floated beneath the picks of the upper filling layer when not selected. Ordinarily, when the two warp yarns forming the ground pile loops are not selected, they are floated beneath the picks of the upper filling layer or are bound in to the back of the fabric, providing undesirable open spaces on the face of the fabric. tion, the raising and lowering of these yarns is controlled s o` that each of the two warp yarns when not selected is floated over alternate picks of the upper filling layer and bound in or floated underneath adjacent picks of the upper layer. In this manner, the open spaces in the face of the pile fabric 'are covered at all times notwith- By the present inven-l ice 2 standing the fact that the two warp yarns have not been selected for forming ground pile loops.

It is to be noted that the selection of the individual warp yarns for forming the pile loops is carried out by the conventional jacquard mechanism, although the controlling of the raising and lowering of the warp yarns so as to float over the picks of the upper filling layer lies within the purview of the present invention.

The invention therefore comprises a pile fabric fabricated in a novel manner so as to provide a weave consisting of a weft made up of two layers of picks constituting an upper filling layer and a lower filling layer, and a warp comprising a stuifer interposed between the filling layers with binders passing over alternate picksof the upper and lower layers, a pair of ground pile warps forming ground pile loops and floats over the picks of the upper filling layer, and a third pile warp providing extended pile loops.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description and accompanying drawings wherein similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a View, largely diagrammatic, taken as a longitudinal section through a pile fabric that is Woven in accordance with the precepts of this invention, showing the wires in position and the various yarns distended.

Figure 2 is another diagrammatic view taken as a section through the fabric on the loom where the reed is located, and bringing out one step of the weaving opera-l relative position of the elements after the reed has beat up the shot of Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the formation of the shed for shooting the next pick of the lower lling layer.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic View showing the shot of,

Fig. 7 beaten up.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the forma` tion of the shed for shooting a wire and the next pick of the upper filling layer. It is this shot which is represented as being beaten up in Fig. 2.

Figure 10 is a longitudinal section through a fabric made in accordance with the method of the present invention, illustrating a composite portion of the fabric having ground pile loops, raised extended pile loops, and floats over the picks of the upper filling layer eliminating open spaces in the face of the fabric.

Figure ll is aschematic diagram showing a conventional jacquard mechanism for producing a fabric of the Wilton weave type, and illustrating the arrangement of the hooks and heddles and the threading of the yarn ends therethrough for carrying out the present method.

Figure l2 is a schematic diagram similar to Fig. 11, but showing the jacquard as selecting the hook and heddle for producing a pile loop over a pile wire.

' Figure 13 is a schematic diagram similar to Fig. l2, but showing the jacquard as selecting the hook and heddle for producing floats over the picks of the upper lling layer.

Figure 14 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the relative positions of the lash and grate of the jacquard, the

Patented Sept. 23, 1958 piif't bf indexing by the present method, and the heights to which the y'arn ends are raised for producing pile loops and oats above the picks of the upper filling layer.

Referring now to the drawings, and first more particularly to Fig. 10, the weave embodied in the pile fabric made by the method of the present invention is illustrated 'as consisting of a warp and a weft. The weft is mad'e up of a lower layer of filling represented by the picks and an upper layer of filling represented by the picks 11. Between these two layers of lling there is interposed a stuffer 12, which is a part of the warp.

Interwoven with the upper and lower layers of the filling are

binders

13 and 14. It will be noted that the binder 1-3 passes 'on the outside of

alternate picks

10 and 11, and this is also true of the binder 14, with the latter passing on the outer side of those picks between those which are encompassed by the binder 13.

The warp also includes a pair of ground pile warps represented at 15 and 16, respectively. Each of these ground pile warps provides short ground pile loops and floats over the upper filling layer to cover the open spaces between picks, the ground pile warp 15 being bound in under alternate picks 11 of the upper filling layer with the ground pile warp 16 being bound in under the remaining alternate picks 11. With this arrangement there is a loop of either one of the ground pile warps 15 and 16 over every pick 11 of the upper filling layer so as to eliminate any open spaces in the face of the fabric; and when the said warps have not been selected by the jacquard for loops, the fioating thereof over the picks 11 further eliminates open spaces in the face of the fabric.

A third pile warp 17 provides the long extended pile loops 18. Each of these extended pile loops 18 is selectively controlled by the jacquard to pass over two or more wires 19, as illustrated in Fig. l, presenting a raised pattern effect when the wires are removed. Actually, the loops 18 stand higher than the

ground pile loops

15 and 16 due to the greater length of yarn in the loop between the picks 11 that bind it in, as compared with the

loops

15 and 16.

Referring now to Figs. 2 to 9, inclusive, a complete cycle of operation in the weaving of the pile fabric described above is shown. In these figures, the table of the loom is represented at and the reed at 21. Figure 2 shows the relative positions of the several yarns after the reed 21 has beat up the pick. 11, of the upper filling layer, and the wire 19 under the ground pile warp 16 and extended pile warp 17.

In the next phase of the operation, shown in Fig. 3, the binder warp 13 is lowered so as to form a lower shed for receiving the shot of the pick 10 in the lower filling layer. It will be noted that the lower side of the shed is formed by the binder 13 alone, while the upper side is formed by the stuffer 12, ground pile warp 15, binder warp 14, ground pile warp 16, and extended pile warp 17.

With the binder warp 13 thus lowered, the pick 10 is shot in the lower shed formed thereby, whereupon the reed 21 beats up the said pick so as to lie below the pick 11 of the upper filling layer, as shown in Fig. 4.

Next, the ground pile warp 15 and extended pile warp 17 are selectively raised by the jacquard in readiness for insertion of the pile wire 19 therebeneath, the ground pile warp 16, binder warp 14, and stuffer 12 being lowered to form a lower shed for receiving the shot of pick 11 of the upper filling layer, as shown in Fig. 5. The pile wire 19 and pick 11 are inserted almost simultaneously and are beat up by the reed 21, as shown in Fig. 6, the ground pile warp 15 passing over a single wire 19 and the extended pile yarn 17 passing over a second consecutive wire so as to form a long extended loop 1S.

The reed 21 is next retracted and the binder warp 14 lowered to form a lower shed for receiving the shot of pick 10 of the lower filling layer, as shown in Fig. 7,

whereupon the reed again beats up the pick 10 so as to lie below the pick 11 as in Fig. 8.

In the next phase of the operation, shown in Fig. 9, the extended pile yarn 17 which has formed a long pile loop 18 is floated beneath the picks 11 of the upper filling layer. To accomplish this, the pile yarn 17 is lowered, together with the ground pile warp 15, binder warp 13, and stuffer 12, forming a lower shed for receiving the shot of pick 11; and the ground pile warp 16 is selectively raised to form an upper shed for receiving the wire 19. Thus, when the reed 21 beats up the shot of pick 11 and the wire 19, the pile yarn 17 will float beneath the pick 11 and will remain in such position until again selectively raised by the jacquard.

With the pile yarn 17 thus floated beneath the picks 11 of the upper filling layer, it may be desirable to eliminate some of the ground pile loops of the ground pile warps 15 and 16 to produce a decorative pattern. At the same time it is desirable to float these

warps

15 and 16 above the picks 11 of the upper filling layer, at locations spaced from the showing of Fig. 10, so as to eliminate open spaces in the face of the fabric. This is accomplished by a selective raising of the yarns to a controlled height above the table 20 of the loom, so as to pass above the picks 11 but under the wires 19. The means by which a given yarn end may be made to form a pile loop or to float above the picks of the upper filling layer is depicted schematically in Figs. l1 to 14, inclusive.

Referring to Fig- 11, a conventional jacquard is shown schematically therein as including a cylinder 22', index cards 23, needles 24, griff elements 25, pile hooks 26, pile heddles 27, oat hooks 28, and float heddles 29. Each of the

heddles

27 and 29 has an eye 30 and an elongated loop 31. The griff elements 25 are those parts of the jacquard which engage the hooks to raise the griff. A yarn end 32 is shown as being threaded through the eye 30 of the heddle 27 and through the loop 31 of the heddle 29. In Fig. 11, the

hooks

26 and 28 are shown in position over the griff elements 25 prior to selection by the index card and cylinder 22. It will be noted that the cylinder 22 is out of engagement with the card 23. A portion of fabric F is shown with the yarn end 32 passing over pile wires 33 and under picks 34 of the upper filling layer.

In forming a pile loop, the cylinder 22 moves transversely in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 12 so as to contact the index card 23 and move said card transversely also. To select

hooks

26 and 28 for forming pile loops, the card 23 is provided with apertures which permit the needles 24 which control the said hooks to pass therethrough so as to be unaffected by the transverse movement of the cylinder and index card. The hooks 26 and 2S thus remain seated upon the griff elements 25. As the griff elements rise, the hook 26 and heddle 27, and the hook 28 and heddle 29, will be lifted as shown in Fig. l2. It will be noted that the eye 30 of the heddle 27 through which the yarn 32 is threaded is effective in raising the said yarn to a position to permit the passage of a wire 33 therebeneath for forming a pile loop. The elongated loop 31 of the raised float heddle 29, meanwhile, has no effect on the yarn end 32 since the said yarn end merely slides freely within said loop, as shown. After a pile wire 33 is inserted beneath the thus-raised yarn end 32, the griff elements 25 are lowered and the cylinder 22 moved out of engagement with the index card 23 in readiness for receiving the next card for forming a pile loop or float over the upper filling layer, as the case may be.

In forming these floats, the index card now selects the float hooks 28, as shown in Fig. 13, exerting a pressure against the needle 24 attached to the pile hook 26 so as to unseat said hook from above the griff element 25.

Then, as the griff elements 25 rise, the float hook 28 and heddle 29 will be lifted with it, raising the yarn end 32 in its upward travel, while the pile hook 26 and heddle 27 will drop downwardly. But it will be noted from Fig. 13,

thatthe yarn end 32 does not rise to as great a height as it did when lifted by the pile hook 26 and heddle 27. This is because the said yarn end passes through the large elongated opening of the loop 31 of said heddle, so that the yarn does not begin to risc until the bottom of the loop 31 contacts the yarn. Thus, since the length of this loop is equivalent to a substantial portion of the total vertical travel of the griff element 25, the yarn end 32 is raised only a portion of the total vertical travel of the heddle 29. But, it will be noted, the yarn end 32 has been raised sufficiently for a pick 34 of the upper filling layer to pass therebeneath with the wire 33 passing over the yarn. Thus, the yarn end 32 is said to fioat over the pick of the upper lling layer so as to avoid any open spaces in the face of the fabric. Then when the griff elements 25 move downwardly again and the cylinder 22 moves away from the index card, the springs 35 act on the needles 24 so as to place the hooks 26 over the griff element in readiness for the next weaving operation.

As an important feature of the present invention, the operations shown in Figs. 11-13 can be carried out in only one indexing per cycle of the jacquard mechanism. Ordinarily, two indexings are required per cycle of operation to produce both pile loops and fioats above the upper filling layer, which, of course, requires twice as many index cards and consumes more time. By the present invention, the

hooks

26 and 28 of the jacquard for forming the pile loops and floats above the upper filling layer are controlled so as to operate simultaneously at the same indexing, the index cards being cut accordingly for this purpose. To accomplish this, the griff and the grate 45 of the conventional jacquard mechanism are separately controlled so as to move independently toward each other from their uppermost and lowermost positions, respectively, and the yarns carried thereby meet for indexing at the level of the table of the loom, whereupon the jacquard is indexed in contrast to the usual method of moving downwardly together and indexing at the lowermost position of the griff and grate below the table 20 of the loom. Thus, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 14, the griff yarn 36 and grate yarn 37 are controlled in their vertical movement so as to approach each other simultaneously, whereby the yarns thereof meet for indexing at the table T, and then separating and returning to their respective upward and downward positions so that wires and picks may be inserted. The

hooks

26 and 28 selected by the index card for forming pile loops travel upwardly with the griff on its return, carrying the

heddles

27 and 29 and yarn ends 32upwardly, as shown in Fig. 12 and as described above. At the same time, all the float hooks 28 selected by the index card for producing floats above'theupper filling layer likewise travel upwardly with the griff on its return, carrying the float heddle 29 and yarn ends 32 with them, but the yarn ends 32 controlled by said hooks will not rise to the same height as the yarn for the pile loops due to the manner in which it is threaded through the elongated loop 31 of the heddle, as described above. The position of the floated yarn end is indicated at 38 in Fig. 14, a wire 33 being shown thereabove and a pick 34 therebeneath.

Thus, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13, each yarn end 32 is controlled by two sets of hooks and heddles so that either set may be selected for forming pile loops or floats, as desired. Each

heddle

27 and 29 has a hook 46 which cooperates with the grate 4S.

All hooks that are not selected for producing pile loops or iioats over the upper filling layer pass downwardly with the grate in the conventional manner, so that the yarn controlled thereby is tied in beneath the picks of the upper filling layer; that is, between the picks of the upper filling layer and those of the lower filling layer along with the stuffer warp.

By the method for controlling the yarn ends described above, index cards may be cut so that a given yarn end may be made to produce pile loops or floats above the Cil *d upper filling layer, so as to leave no open spaces in the face of the fabric.

It is to be noted that if the indexing were carried out at the lowermost level of the grate, as is customarily done, it would be impossible to produce both pile loops and floats above the upper filling layer in one indexing per cycle using conventional index cards, hooks, and heddles, as contemplated by the present invention, because the float hooks would raise the yarn only to a level below the table T of the loom, as shown at 39 in Fig. 14, which would result in the yarn being bound in beneath pick 34 ot' the upper filling layer, leaving the undesirable open spaces which the present invention is designed to overcome. Thus, two indexings would be required per cycle, one indexing to produce the pile loops and one indexing to produce the desiredlioats. require twice the number of index cards as required by the present invention, and would consume more operating time.

It is to be emphasized at this point, therefore, that it is only by separately land independently controlling the jacquard griff and grate so as to index at the table of the loom, in accordance with the teaching of the present invention, that the lsimultaneous provision of pile loops and floats above the upper filling layer may be accomplished with the conventional jacquard using conventional hooks and heddles.

As stated earlier in the specification, the present method can be carried ont with two or more warp yarns, selectively raising yarn ends to form pile loops and selectively oating the yarn ends so as to pass over the picks of the upper filling layer, eliminating open spaces in the face of thefabric. Thus, by selectively raising the yarn ends to pass over one or more pile wires and by selectively floating the yarn ends as desired, a pattern effect may be achieved. And by the present method, this may be accomplished simply, with the existing jacquard mechanism and with only one indexing per cycle, by the simple expedient of independently controlling the movement of the jacquard griff and grate so as to index at the level of the table of the loom.

Reference is made in the foregoing specification to the grifIr and grate meeting at the level of the table. What is meant by this is that the yarn of the griff and the yarn of the grate meet at the level of the table rather than these loom elements themselves.

Although the present discussion has been limited to the above-described preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that variations thereof are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is not intended, therefore, that this invention be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but only to the inventive concept as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In the weaving of pile fabric by means of a loom having a jacquard, the method for producing pile loops -and floats above the upper filling layer with only one indexing per cycle of operation of the jacquard which comprises indexing at the table of the loom so as to select yarn ends for producing pile loops and fioats above the upper filling layer, raising the selected yarn ends to different heights above the table of the loom for producing pile loops and floats above the upper filling layer, inserting pile wires beneath the higher yarn ends but above the lower yarn ends, and inserting upper picks beneath the lower yarn ends.

2. In the weaving of pile fabric by means of a loom having a jacquard, the method for producing pile loops and fioats above the upper filling layer with only one indexing per cycle of operation of the jacquard which comprises lowering the griff and raising the grate simultaneously so as to meet at the table of the loom, indexing at the table of the loom so as to select yarn ends for producing pile loops and floats above the upper filling layer, raising the griff and lowering the grate, the said Needless to say, this would l griff -raising lthe selected yarn ends to different heights for producing the pile loops and floats above the upper filling layer, inserting pile wires beneath the higher yarn ends but above the lower yarn ends, and inserting upper picks beneath the lower yarn ends.

3. In the weaving of pile fabric by means of a loom having a jacquard, the method for producing pile loops and floats above the upper filling layer with only one indexing per cycle of operation of the jacquard which comprises independently lowering the griff and independently raising the grate so as to meet at the table of the loom, indexing at the table of the loom so as to select yarn ends for producing pile loops and oats above the upper filling layer, raising the griff and lowering the grate, the said griff raising the selected yarn ends to different heights above the table of the loom for producing pile loops and floats above the upper filling layer, inserting pile wires beneath the higher yarn 'ends but above the lower yarn ends, and inserting upper picks beneath the lower yarn ends.

4. In the weaving of pile fabric by means of a loom having a jacquard, the method for producing pile loops and floats above the upper filling layer with only one indexing per cycle of operation of the jacquard which comprises, threading each yarn end through both a pile heddle and a float heddle, indexing at 'the table lof the loom so as to select pile heddlesvand oat heddles for producing pile loops and floats above the upper filling layer, raising the selected heddles to different heights above the table of the loom, the float heddles lying below the pile heddles, inserting pile wires beneath the higher yarn ends but above the lower yarn ends, and inserting upperpicks beneath the lower yarn ends.

5. In the Weaving of pile fabric by means of a loom having a jacquard, the method for producing pile lloops and floats above the upper filling layer with only one indexingper cycle of operation of the jacquard which comprises, suspending pile heddles and float Yheddles from the griff of the jacquard, threading yarn ends through both 'a pile heddle and afloat heddle, lowering the griff and raising the grate of the .jacquard simultaneously, indexing as the griff and grate meet at the table of the loom so as to select pile heddles and float heddles for producing `pile loops and o'ats above the upper filling layer, raising the griff so as to raise the selected heddles and yarn ends while lowering the grate at the same time, the pile heddles raising the yarn ends to a greater height than the oat heddles, inserting pile wires beneath the higher yarn ends but above the lower yarn ends, and inserting upper picks beneath the -lower yarn ends.

6. In the weaving of pile fabric by means of a loom having a jacquard, the method for producing pile loops and floats above the upper filling layer with only one indexing per cycle of operation of the jacquard which comprises, suspending pile heddles and float heddles from the griff of the jacquard, threading yarn ends through the eye of the pile heddle and through the elongated loop of the float heddle, lowering the griff `and raising the grate of the jacquard simultaneously, indexing as the griff and grate meet at the table of the loom so as to select pile heddles and float heddles for producing pile loops and oats above the upper filling layer, raising the griff so as to raise the selected heddles and yarn ends above the table of the loom while lowering the grate at the same time, the pile heddles raising the yarn ends to a greater height than the float heddles, inserting pile wires beneath the higher yarn ends but above the lower yarn ends, and inserting upper picks beneath the lower yarn ends.

7. In the weaving of pile fabric by means of a loom having a jacquard, the method for producing pile loops and floats above the upper filling layer with only one indexing per cycle of operation of the jacquard which comprises, indexing at the table of the loom so as to select yarn ends for producing pile loops and floats above the upper filling layer, raising the selected yarn ends to different heights above the table of the loom, inserting a pile wire and an upper pick beneath the higher yarn ends, beating up the said pile wire and `upper pick into the fabric body, inserting a lower pick beneath the same higher yarn ends, beating up said lower pick, inserting an upper pick beneath the lower yarn ends, beating up said upper pick, inserting a lower pick beneath said lower yarn ends, and beating up said lower pick into the fabric body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 498,912 Evans June 6, 1893 760,985 Hardwick May 24, 1904 760,986 Hardwick May 24, 1904 2,553,303 Crawford May 15, 1951 2,681,083 Dacey June 15, 1954 2,685,894 Parlin Aug. 10, .1954 2,750,964 Hoeselbarth June 19, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 469,013 Great Britain July 14, 1937 814,846 France June 30, 1937 916,349 France Dec. 3, 1946 OTHER REFERENCES Woolen and Worsted Cam Looms, etc., Scranton, Pa.: International Library of Technology, 1906.

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