US2964067A

US2964067A - Floor covering and method of making same

Info

Publication number: US2964067A
Application number: US727405A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph V Yana
Original assignee: WAITE CARPET Co
Current assignee: WAITE CARPET Co
Priority date: 1958-04-09
Filing date: 1958-04-09
Publication date: 1960-12-13
Anticipated expiration: 1977-12-13

Description

Dec. 13, 1960 J. v. YANA FLOOR OOMFRING ANO METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed April 9, 195e 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 13, 1960 J. v. YANA FLOOR COVERING AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME 4Filed April 9. 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FLOQR COVERING AND IVM'EHOD 0F MAKING SAME Joseph V. Yana, Ushkosh, Wis., assigner to Waite Qarpet Company, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Apr. 9, 1958, Ser. No. 727,405

7 Claims. (Cl. 139-416) This invention relates to a floor covering utilizing warp strands of rag material and has for a general object the provision of a new and improved iloor covering of the type described.

Another object is to provide a new and improved iloor covering including rag warp strands spaced across the width of the covering and comprising rags of random lengths and colors joined end to end and rolled or folded into strands which give the covering a striped and variegated hit-and-miss effect.

A more specific object is to provide a new and 11nproved floor covering including rag warp strands of the type described, yarn warp strands between adjacent rag warp strands, and twisted fiber weft strands, the weft strands and yarn warp strands being of selected color or colors which give the `covering a controllable background color cast, the yarn warp strands crowding or blocking the rag warp strands so that each pass of a rag warp strand over a weft strand forms a bunlike protrusion exposing the rag color, and the fiber weft strands contributing a stiffness and durability so that the covering lies flat during use and while being vacuumed or swept.

Another object is to provide a new and improved method of weaving a floor covering of the type described in the preceding paragraphs.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan View at an exaggerated scale of a oor covering embodying the principles of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken at about the line 2 2. of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken at about the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view, partly broken away, of a rag warp strand utilized in a tloor covering made according to the present invention;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken at about the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan view similar to that of Fig. 1, illustrating a preferred method of making the oor covering;

Fig. 7 is a plan view at a reduced scale illustrating separate rag strips employed according to the preferred method;

Fig. 8 is a plan view illustrating the separate rag strips joined end to end in a single strip utilized in forming a rag warp strand according to the preferred method;

Figs. 9 and l0 are enlarged sectional views taken at about lines 9-9 and 10--10 of Fig. 8;

Fig. ll is a plan view approximately to scale illustrating a rag warp strand made according to the preferred method; and

Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view taken at about the line 12-12 of Fig. ll.

While an illustrative embodiment of the invention is 2,964,067 Patented Dec., 13, 1960` shown in the drawings and will be described in detail herein, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in. many different forms, and it should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 708,193, iiled January l0, 1958, now abandoned.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, in a preferred embodiment, a floor covering constructed according to the principles of the present invention includes rag warp strands 10, yarn warp strands 11, and fiber weft strands 12 are all tightly interwoven into a at iloor covering material. In Figs. l, 2 and 3, the covering is shown at about twice its actual scale.

Preferably, the weft strands 12 are comprised of twisted paper commonly referred to as twisted carpet ber, and occur at the rate of about four per inch. As illustrated, the various separate weft strands 12 consist of a single continuous strand which is reversed at opposite sides of the covering.V In the preferred arrangement shown, the weft strands are slightly less coarse than the yarn warp strands 11, though this relationship is not necessary. Y

The yarn warp strands 11 are each preferably of multiple ply yarn twisted into a single strand. As illustrated, each strand comprises four separate yarns designated 11a., 11b, llc, and 11d, though the number of separate yarns may vary, and only one yarn may be utilized if desired. When each yarn strand includes four separate yarns, each yarn warp strand is abouthalf the size of a rag warp strand, having a height about equal that of the rag warp andy a width about half the Width of the rag warp. The yarn utilized is commonly described as spun yarn and may comprise cotton or wool, or worsted or synthetic materials. Alternatively, the yarn may comprise a continuous iilament of any animal; vegetable or synthetic material that lends itself to spinning. In the preferred embodiment chosen for illustration, the covering includes two yarn strands 11 between. adjacent rag warp strands 10, and the yarn warp strands occur at the rate of about six every two inches, though the number yarn strands between adjacent rag strands may be more or fewer than the two illustrated.

The weft strands 12 and the yarn warp strands 11 are of selected color or colors which give the floor covering a controllable background color cast which may be Varied from licor covering to floor covering by utilizing different colors in the weft and yarn warp strands. Preferably, the weft strands are all of a single color which in a preferred embodiment may be a sand or beige color, though the invention is not limited to use ofV a single color in all weft strands. The yarn warp strands are preferably made multicolored by the use of yarns of different colors similar to or blending with the color or colors of the weft strands. For example, in a covering utilizing sand color weft strands the yarn warp strands may include yarns predominantly of white and beige, and occasional yarns of yellow, tan and dark brown, so .that the yarn warp strands are predominantly a beige color similar to the color of the weft strands. The covering thereby has an overall background color cast of beige. Other colors and combinations of colors may be selected for use in the weft and yarn warp strands so as to give `the covering a background color cast of rose, blue or turquoise, or a predominantly dark cast of black and white, for example.

The rag warp strands 10 have a generally rectangularly cross sectional configuration, as best seen in Fig. 3, with -a width about twice the width of a yarn Warp strand and a height about equal the height of a yarn warp. In the preferred embodiment, illustrated, Vthe rag warp `strands occur at .the rateof about six every four inches widthwise of the covering. The rag warp strands pass successively over and then under successive adjacent weft strands, while the yarn warp strands adjacent the rag warp pass successively under and then over successive weft strands, as will be understood from the drawings.

Preferably, substantially all of therag warp strands each comprise separate pieces of ragmaterial of random lengths and colors. The separate rags are joined end to end and rolled or folded into a strand so that each warp strand maybe comprised of various materials and colors. An occasional rag warp strand may comprise only a single piece of rag. The separate rags utilized usually and preferably comprise virgin rag material, that is, scrap material from cuttings which has not otherwise been used. The rags may comprise woven or knitted materials each of uniform color or of many colors either yarn dyed or piece dyed.

The length of the separate rags in the rag warp strands of a particular covering depends to some extent on the length of the particular covering, but generally speaking, the rags may vary from 3 to 40 inches in length, with an occasional rag longer than 40 inches, with many of the separate rags having lengths in an intermediate range and with relatively few in the range of 3 to 10 inches and with relatively few in the range of 30 to 40 inches.

The separate rags utilized in a single rag warp strand are preferably rolled or folded into substantially the desired shape before being joined together, after which they are preferably connected as by stitching, though they could first be joined by stitching and then rolled or folded into the desired shape. As best illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, in the preferred embodiment one rag 15 is first folded into the desired shape, after which a second rag 16 is folded with one end thereof overlapping and wrapped about one end of the rag 15, whereupon the two rag strand portions are stitched together by stitching in any suitable pattern indicated generally at 17. Similar joints in rag warp strands are illustrated in Fig. 1 at 17a and 17b. As best seen in Fig. 5,V the rag strand portion 15 is preferably first doubled or folded upon itself as at 15a with edges approximately even as at 15b, after which the rag is then doubled upon itself again as at 15e. The rag strand portion 16 is preferably first doubled or folded upon itself as at 16a, after which it is again doubled or folded upon itself with one end overlapping and wrapped about one end portion of the folded rag 15, and the two rag strand portions are then sewed together as at 17. The rolling or folding of the separate rags causes the rag strand to assume a generally rectangular cross sectional configuration, which in some cases may approach a square. Normally, however, the tension in the strand as it passes over and under the relatively unyielding liber weft strands causes the rag strand to iiatten out to a width somewhat greater than the thickness, but the rag strand is crowded or blocked at thek sides by the yarn warp strands so that spreading of the rag strand is limited to a certain extent.

Due to the fact that many of the separate rags utilized in the rag warp strands may comprise substantial lengths, the rag warp strands give the oor covering a striped eifect, and because of the varied colors that may occur in the various rags, the rag strands give the covering a variegated appearance. The overall result is a hit-andrniss effect due in part to the Afact that some of the rag colors are predominantly darker or predominantly lighter than the background color cast, depending on whether the weft and yarn warp strands are dark or light. Each pass of a rag warp strand over a weft strand produces a small upward bunlike protrusion which is rectangular in plan view land which is crowded or blocked by adjacent yarn warp strands exposing the side portions of the bun and the rag color or colors.

Because of the coarseness of the yarn warp strands and 4the rag warp strands and particularly because of the stiffness of the fiber weft strands, the floor covering is relatively stiif and extremely durable, so that it lies flat during use and during vacuuming. The covering may be rolled lengthwise, that is, about an axis parallel to the weft strands, but will not easily roll about an axis parallel to warp strands. A covering made according to the principles outlined will nd Wide utility rang-Y ing from use as throw rugs to use as carpeting for covering the entire floor area in a room.

Figs. 6-12 illustrate a preferred method of making the improved floor covering. According to the preferred method, rags of suitable colors and materials are preformed into separate strips, such as those illustrated at 20, 21 and 22, of random length and of suitable width, about 2 to 4 inches wide, for example, in a covering of preferred weight. Rag stripsrthus formed are first arranged end to end with adjacent ends such as 20a and 2lb overlapping sufficiently to permit a joining of the strip ends. The overlapped ends are preferably folded laterally to double the end of each rag upon itself, with one rag end embracing the other, as illustrated by the joints shown at 24 and 25 in Figs. 8, 9 and l0. The opposite ends of each strip may be folded in the same direction or they may be foldedV in opposite directions at opposite ends of the rag, the latter being illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and l0. After folding, the overlapped ends are joined as by a line of laterally extending stitching illustrated at 27 and 28 in Fig. 8. The folding over of overlapped ends before sewing them together reduces the length of the laterally extending stitch line necessary to securely join the rag ends. After the ends of separate rags are joined as described, the folded form is retained at the sewed joints, but the midportions of separate strips usually tend to are or open out as seen in Fig. 8 due to the inherent tendency of most materials to flatten out.

The stitching as at 27 and 28 is preferably formed on a machine commonly described as a Reece sewing machine which utilizes only one cone of thread, as compared to machines such as the Singer or Union Special which require both a top thread and a bobbin thread, the Reece machine requiring no bobbin thread. The latter machine produces a zig-zag stitching substantially as illustrated at 27 and 28 in Fig. 8. The use of the preferred machine has the advantage of enabling a high speed of operation and providing a stitch of sufficient strength so that only one stitch line is required and the length of overlap at the rag ends is reduced to a minimum while still obtaining sufficient strength at the joint to securely hold separate rags together under strenuous tension imposed on the rag strands during weaving.

After the rags are joined end to end into a single continuous strip of indefinite length the strip is processed, preferably in a machine which may be described as a spinner, through a spinning operation which serves to roll the strip laterally upon itself into a strand as at 30 of somewhat circular cross sectional configuration, as seen in Fig. l2, although the cross section varies considerably and is in fact rather irregular. The rolling operation may in fact comprise steps of folding as well as rolling. For example, as seen in Fig. l2, the strip may be first folded upon itself as 31, after which it is then rolled into a strand.

During the rolling operation the rolled strand is also wrapped by the machine with a spirally wound thread, such as that illustrated at 32, drawn rather tightly to hold the strand in shape, and of most importance, to confine the raw edges of the rag material which tend to unravel easily, to thereby prevent unravelling of the rag edges during weaving. Without the spirally Ywound thread, loose or exposed threads at the raw edges of the rag`material' are free and in passing through the loom the loose threads separate from the rags and build up particularly at the heddle eye orA the harness or the reed to such an extent that the rag warp vstrands will not ilow freely through the loom, as a consequence of which a high degree of breakage of warp strands is experienced. Thus, it will be appreciated readily that the spirally wound thread is an important adjunct to a successful weaving of the lioor covering on a power loom.

After the above described operation is completed the rolled and wrapped strand of indenite length may be wound in rolls or on spools for storage or subsequent use. Subsequently, a plurality of the strands thus formed may be used in weaving a door covering of the type described. When the rag strand is interwoven with weft strands and adjacently disposed warp strands of yarn at opposite sides of each rag strand, the latter crowd and block the rag strand into a somewhat rectangular cross sectional configuration similar to that illustrated at in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 illustrates in plan view a portion of a floor covering made according to the preferred method, including rag warp strands 30 having spirally wound wrapping threads 32, twisted multiply yarn Warp strands as at 34, and fweft strands 36 of twisted carpet fiber.

I claim:

1. A hat, tightly woven floor covering of interwoven warp and weft strands comprising, twisted liber weft strands, multi-ply yarn warp strands, and rag warp strands evenly spaced across the width of the covering one after each pair of yarn warp strands, the weft strands and yarn warp strands being of selected color to give the covering a background color cast, each rag warp strand comprising rags of random lengths and colors joined end to end and folded into a strand so that the covering has a striped and variegated appearance, the rag warp* strands being of generally rectangular cross sectional configuration having a width greater than the width of yarn warp strands and passing successively over and then under successive adjacent weft strands, the yarn warp strands adjacent each weft stand passing successively under and then over successive adjacent weft strands and crowding the rag warp strands so that each pass of a rag warp over a weft strand forms a bunlike protrusion exposing the rag color and providing a coarse texture and rugged appearance, the fiber weft strands contributing a stiffness so that the covering will lie flat on a floor during use and during vacuuming.

2. A floor covering comprising interwoven warp and weft strands including rag Warp strands, yarn warp strands intermediate the rag warp strands, and fiber weft strands, the weft strands and yarn warp strands being of selected colors to give the covering a controllable background color cast, the rag warp strands each comprising rags of random materials, colors and lengths joined end to end and folded into a strand thereby giving the covering a striped and variegated appearance, the yarn warp strands being crowded against the rag warp strands so that each pass of =a rag warp over a weft forms a bunlike pron'usion exposing the rag color and providing a coarse texture and rugged appearance.

3. A floor covering comprising interwoven warp and weft strands, including rag warp strands and other warp strands intermediate the rag Warp strands, said weft strands and said other warp strands being of selected color to give the covering a controllable color background, and the rag warp strands each comprising rolled rags of random lengths .and colors giving the covering a variegated appearance.

4. A flat Woven floor covering comprising interwoven warp and weft strands including rag warp strands spaced across the width of the covering each comprising rags of random lengths and cotzfrs joined end to end and folded into a strand of bulky cross section having a generally rectangular configuration, thereby providing a coarse texture and a rugged variegated appearance, and said weft strands being of selected color.

5. A ilat woven oor covering of interwoven warp and weft strands comprising, twisted liber weft strands, multiply yarn warp strands, and rag warp strands evenly spaced across the width of the covering one after each pair of yarn warp strands, the weft strands and yarn warp strands being of selected `color to give the covering a background color cast, each rag warp strand comprising rags of random materials, lengths and colors joined end to end and rolled into a strand passing successively over and then under successive adjacent weft strands, so that the covering has a. striped and variegated appearance, the yarn warp strands adjacent each weft strand passing successively under and then over successive adjacent weft strands and crowding the rag warp strands so that each of the latter have a generally rectangular cross sectional configuration having a width greater than the width of yarn warp strands and each pass of a rag warp over a. weft strand forms a bunlike protrusion exposing the rag color at the sides of the protrusion, each rag warp strand having a roving thread spirally wound thereabout to conne the raw edges of rag material and prevent unravelling, the ber weft strands contributing a stiffness so that the covering will lie flat on a iioor during use and during vacuuming.

6. In a method of making a floor covering having interwoven weft strands and warp strands of rag material, the steps comprising, `collecting separate elongate rag strips of random lengths and colors, joining the separate strips end to end into a single strip, rolling the single strip laterally upon itself into a strand, wrapping the rolled strand with a spirally wound thread to confine the raw edges of rag materia-l to prevent unravelling during weaving, and interweaving rag strands thus formed with weft strands of selected color on a power operated loom to produce a floor covering.

7. The method of making a iioor covering having interwoven weft strands, warp strands of rag material, and other Warp strands intermediate the rag warp strands, comprising the steps of collecting separate rag strips of random lengths, colors and materials, arranging the separate strips end to end with adjacent ends of adjacent strips overlapping, folding the overlapped ends laterally over to double the end of each rag upon itself with one rag end embracing the other, sewing the overlapped and folded ends together transversely to join separate strips into a single strip, rolling the single strip .laterally into a strand suitable for weaving, wrapping the rolled strand with a spirally wound thread to hold the strand in shape and to coniine the raw edges of rag material to prevent unravelling, and interweaving rag strands thus formed and intermediate warp strands with wett strands into a lloor covering.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 106,158 Troy Sept. 21, 1937 2,552,210 Parker May 8, 1951 2,590,995 Merrill Apr. 1, 1952 2,689,813 Lawrence Sept. 21, 1954 2,807,132 Nadel Sept. 24, 1957