US3175224A

US3175224A - Napping machine

Info

Publication number: US3175224A
Application number: US259853A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bertrand Charles
Original assignee: Beacon Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Beacon Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1963-02-20
Filing date: 1963-02-20
Publication date: 1965-03-23
Anticipated expiration: 1982-03-23

Description

Mardi 23, 1965 c. BERTRAND 3,175,224

NAPPING MACHINE Filed Feb. 20, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 41- INVENTOR ////////////////`///l c//ARL/s BEER/WD March 23, 1965 c. BERTRAND 3,175,224

MAPPING MACHINE Filed Feb. 20, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. CHARLES BERWND A77' ORNE YS Mgrch 23, 1965v c. BERTRAND 3,175,224

NAPPING MACHINE Filed Feb. 20, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR CHARLES 5mm@ March 23, 1965 c. BERTRAND NAPPING MACHINE Filed Feb. 20, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 mi 432 3'/ al l ATTORNEYS United States Patent() 3,175,224 NAPPING MAQHWE Charles Bertrand, Verviers, Belgium, assignor to Beacon Manufacturing Company, a corporation of' Delawarel Filed Feb. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 259,853 1 Claim. (Cl. 26-33) This invention relates to napped fabrics, particularly blankets, and to improved methods and means for producing same. This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 193,213, filed May 8, 1962.

In accordance with this invention the nap produced on the blanket or the like, is markedly higher and the bers opened up and made more receptive to chemical treatment to prevent shedding and the like.

The markedly improved napped product of the present invention has a nap height that is 50% to 100% greater than that obtainable when using conventional napping methods and means.

The napping operation of this invention has the additional advantages of reducing damage to the base fabric `resulting from the napping treatment, minimizing waste and breakage of threads, and reducing the time required for the napping operation as much as 50%. A characterizing aspect of this operation is the positioning of the outgoing or exit roller for the napped cloth, at approximately the top midpoint of the napping cylinder, so that the fabric being napped remains in contact with the napping rollers for only about one-half of the circumference of the napping cylinder. This is in contrast to the conventional napping machine operation in which the fabric being napped extends aroundpractically the entire circumference of the napping cylinder and accordingly requires twice the napping time of the present invention.

A characterizing feature of the napping rolls of this invention is that two different types of napping or carding clothing are used on two different types of napping rolls. On one type of napping roll namely, the roll that effects the primary raising of the nap and is commonly called the pile roll, the numerous wires or pins thereon have hook shaped ends. This construction provides very eiiicient napping of the fabric. The hooked pins draw through the surface of the fabric, such as blanket cloth, to produce the markedly high nap.

The other napping roll used in the napping machine of this invention is commonly known as the counterpile roll. It is larger than the pile roll and usually operates at a faster speed. Normally, the napping wire or clothing used on the counterpile roll has straight points at the ends of the pins. In contrast thereto the wires or pins used in the counterpile rolls of this invention have fiattened, knife-like or chisel-like ends. These specially shaped wires function to tuck or smooth the wild or teasled fibers resulting from the action of the hook shaped wires on the pile rolls. This tucking function of the special clothing on the counterpile rolls gives the high nap product a smoother, and more uniform nap with a better interlocking of the napped libers.

The relative speeds of rotation of the pile rolls and counterpile rolls and the napping machine cylinder are important, and in conjunction, with the above described functions of the pile and counterpile rolls and the midpoint location of the outgoing roll, produce a substantially higher nap than is obtainable by the prior methods and means and render the nap more receptive to subsequent chemical treatment.

The foregoing and other novel features of the method and means and resulting product will be more fully understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional View of a pile roll and a counterpile roll as mounted on a napping machine ICC cylinder and using the two special napping clothings of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side View of a short section of the special pile roll clothing using the hook shaped pins; FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevational view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2, of one of the specialhook shaped' 4 pins shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side View of a short section of the special counterpile roll clothing using the chisel shaped pins; g

FIG. 5 is an enlarged elevational view taken along `lines 5-5 of FIG. 4 of one of the chisel shaped pins shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an edge view of a fragment of conventionally napped blanket fabric prior to the napping operation of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an edge view of a fragment of napped blanket fabric produced inV accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of a napping cylinder with pile and counterpile rolls mounted thereon and associated equipment for feeding and guiding the cloth around a portion of the napping rolls and taking oif of the napped cloth; p ,p

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of a napping machine adapted to nap cloth in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a rear elevational View of the napping machine shown in FIG. 9.

Referring now to FIG. l, the fabric web 10 which has been previously napped to the maximum extent possible with conventional prior methods and means, is fed in the direction of the arrow 11 and is napped first by the pile roll 12 and then by the counterpile roll 13. It cornes first into operative contact with the hook shaped pin clothing 14 which covers the surface of the pile roll 12 and then into contact with the chisel shaped pin clothing l 15 that covers the counterpile roll 13. The rolls 12 and 13 are mounted on

supports

16 and 17 which are carried on the cylinder 18. These rolls rotate in the same direction, as indicated by the arrows.

The hook shaped pins 19 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, are mounted in a fabric base 20 and are angled as shown at 21. The fabric contacting ends of these pins have a hook like shape 22. In a typical example, these pins are made from 30 gauge Wire and there are approximately 144 pins per square inch of the clothing.

The chisel shaped pins 23 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are mounted in a fabric base 24, are angled, as shown at 2S, and have iiat, chisel or knife-like ends 26. In a typical example, these pins, are made from 30 gauge wire and there are approximately 144 pins per square inch of the clothing.

The general characteristics of a conventionally napped blanket cloth are diagrammatically indicated in the fragmentary showing in FIG. 6. The limited height of the nap is shown at 27 and the attened disposition of the fibers at 2S. These characteristics are representative of blanket cloth before it is napped by the novel method and means of the present invention.

In marked contrast to the low nap fabric shown in FIG. 6, the high nap fabric of the present invention is indicated at 42 in FIG. 7 and the upright position of the supernapped bers is indicated at 29. The exceedingly high nap with upstanding opened up fibers illustrated in FIG. 7 is characteristic of the end product of the present invention.

The product of the present invention may be obtained from fabrics composed entirely of synthetic fibers, such as nylon or acrylic bers, or from cellulosic fibers, such as for example cotton and rayon, or any desired mixture of synthetic and natural fibers. The base fabric which is napped to provide the product of this invention may be s of any Woven, tufted, or knitted pattern which is adapted to withstand the napping operation.

The method ofoperation and general arrangement of the napping machine illustrated iny FIG. 8, comprises bringing the previously napped blanket cloth or the like 30 into oeprative Contact with the alternately arranged pile rolls 31 and counterpile rolls 32, mounted on a napping cylinder 33. These rolls 31 and 32 raise and tuck the nap respectively, in the manner described hereinabove. The cloth 30 is fed to this napping operation in any suitable manner through a system of guide and tensioning rolls indicated at 34, 35, 36, and 37. It is important to subject the cloth 30 to the working or napping of the bers by the

rolls

31 and 32 for the length of time that will provide maximum height of the nap and proper disposition of the bers while minimizing deterioration of the fabric and the waste that normally occurs in a napping operation. It has been found in accordance with this invention that optimum results are obtained, as indicated in FIG. 8, when the cloth is maintained in napping contact around approximately one-half of the circumference of the cylinder 33.

The best results with different Weights and types of blanket cloth or the like can be determined by varying the position of the outgoing roller 39. The position of the outgoing roller 39 with respect to the circumference of the cylinder 33 and the distance from this cylinder may be made adjustable by suitable means such as described in my above prior application Serial No. 193,213. For napping 72" x 90 blankets having a weight of about 2 to 3 lbs., location of the outgoing roller at approximately the position shown in FIG. 8, gives good results. It has been found that if the outgoing roller 39 is positioned substantially farther around the circumference of the cylindeer 33, for example, at the bottom of the cylinder approximately in line with the lead-in roll 38, this will cause excessive working or napping of the cloth with resultant damage to the base fabric and to the nap.

The napping machine shown in FIG, 9 is a commercial embodiment of the napping apparatus diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 8 and described above. Corresponding parts in the two gures are identified by the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 9, the napping machine comprises a frame 40, which is braced by a tie rod 41. In operation, the cloth (not shown in FIG. 9) is fed rst through the tension device 34, then under idler roll 35, around tension roll 36, then around stationary drum 37, next around tension roll 38 (shown in FIG. 8 but not visible in FIG. 9) and then into napping contact with the pile and counterpile rolls 31 and 32 et seq., and inally around outgoing roll 39.

For completeness ot illustration and understanding, there is shown in FIG. 10, the opposite or back side of they napping machine, which is viewed from the front side in FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 10, the opposite side of the machine is substantially the same as the front side and comprises the frame 40, a brace or tie rod 43 and a continuation of the pile and counterpile rolls 31 and 32, et seq. alternately mounted on the cylinder 33. As already described above, the Supernapping operation of the present yinvention is completed by the time the cloth reaches the outgoing roll 39 and it is led away from the machine around that roll.

I claim:

A machine for the napping of fabric, particularly blanket cloth, comprising a napping cylinder having mounted thereon a plurality of pile and counterpile rolls in alternating arrangement and means for rotating said pile and counterpile rolls at different relative speeds, said pile rolls being covered with a napping clothing comprising angled pins having hook shaped ends to eiect raising of a relatively very high nap and opening up of the bers of said fabric, said counterpile rolls being covered with a napping clothing comprising angled pins having chisel shaped ends which are adapted to tuck and dispose uniformly in upstanding opened position, the raised fibers produced by said pile `rolls, and an outgoing roll adjustably mounted about the circumference of the cylinder so as to subject the fabric to the desired degree of napping and tucking action of the pile and counterpile rolls disposed around the napping cylinder.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 640,520 l/00 Bailey 26-37 787,095 4/05 Greene 26-33 810,273 1/06 Greene 26-33 992,175 5/11 Dexter 26-31 1,468,403 9/ 23 Ross 26-31 1,622,893 3 27 Walker 26-31 1,874,270 8/32 Flynn 26-31 2,117,079 5/ 38 Bulford 26-29 2,129,707 9/ 3 8 Runton 26-29 2,129,877 9/ 38 Runton 26-29 2,749,593 6/56 Hadley 26-29 3,034,193 5/62 Parker et al. 26-2 3,034,194 5/62 Priester et al. 161-64 3,037,262 6/62 Spencer 161-164 FOREIGN PATENTS 408,824 2/ 10 France.

2,711 of 1877 Great Britain. 11,830 of 1897 Great Britain. 19,875 of 1894 Great Britain.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTIGN Patent No. 3,175,224

March 23, 194 Charles Bertrand It is hereby certified that error appears in the above ent requiring correction numbered patand that the said Letters corrected below.

Patent should read as In the` grant, line I8 for "this twenty-third day of February" read this twenty-third line 6, for "oeprative" read llne 35, for "cylndeer" read cylinder (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents