US3695962A

US3695962A - Method of making pile fabrics

Info

Publication number: US3695962A
Application number: US18271A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lin-Luc J S Oosterlynck
Original assignee: Cotexma N V SA
Current assignee: Cotexma N V SA
Priority date: 1969-03-10
Filing date: 1970-03-10
Publication date: 1972-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 1989-10-03
Also published as: FR2034780A1; BE747113A; DE2011335A1; FR2034780B1; GB1277471A; NL7003402A; CA948389A

Abstract

A METHOD OF PRODUCING A PILE FABRIC BY NEEDLING A STRUCTURE COMPRISED OF A LAYER OF FIBROUS MATERIAL, A FOUNDATION LAYER AND A STRIPPABLE LAYER, BONDING THE NEEDLED FIBERS IN THE STRUCTURE, AND REMOVING THE STRIPPABLE LAYER.

Description

0.2L 1972 LIN'LUC J. s. OOSTERLYNCK 3,695,962

METHOD OF MAKING FILE FABRICS Filed March 10, 1970 IN VENTOR LIN-[0611469055 55mm flaarfeLr/vck 14 TTOE'NEYS United States Patent 01 hoe 3,695,962 Patented Oct. 3, 1972 US. Cl. 156-148 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLQSURE A method of producing a pile fabric by needling a structure comprised of a layer of fibrous material, a foundation layer and a strippable layer, bonding the needled fibers in the structure, and removing the strippable layer.

The present invention relates to novel pile fabrics and to a method for the production thereof.

Within the last few years there have been numerous proposals concerned with the manufacture of non-woven pile fabrics, particularly using needling operations. For ex ample, a pile fabric has been proposed in which fibre tufts are affixed to a fibrous layer and extend normally, therefrom. The fibrous layer may, if desired, have a rubber backing layer, particular if it is to be used as a carpet material. However, in these pile fabrics the fibre tufts do not in general provide a suificiently dense pile to ensure that the fibres are suitably resistant to wear. Consequently, as a result of repeated wear the fibre tufts will be flattened and the fabric will loose its pile effect.

According to a further prior proposal, a fibrous layer is needled through a support fabric whereby the needled fibres form tufts extending from the support fabric. The fibre tufts are then fixed in a position substantially normal to the support fabric which is then stripped away from the fibrous layer. The fixing of the fibre tufts may be accomplished by a heat treatment or by a suitable chemical treatment. However, this method of suffers from the disadvantage that the fibres are often of varying lengths and are often not fixed sufficiently strongly. Moreover, when the pile fabric is used as a carpet material the fibre tufts will be liable to be deformed and torn from the fabric during use.

In a still further prior proposal a composition comprising fibrous layers located up and between two woven fabrics is needled using a barbed needle, and one of the said woven fabrics is subsequently stripped away.

It has also been proposed to prepare pile fabrics by needling a fibrous material through a wax or plastic sheet and subsequently heating the sheet to bond the resulting fibre tufts together.

The present invention is based upon the discovery that novel pile fabrics having good wearing qualities can be produced by a needling process in which a strippable layer of, for example a felt is used to ensure that the fibres constituting the pile of the resulting fabric are located substantially perpendicular to the fibrous layer thereof, and the fibres in the pile fabric produced are securely fixed in a foundation layer.

According to one feature of the present invention, there is provided a pile fabric comprising a layer of fibrous material and a foundation layer bonded thereto, wherein fibres from the said layer of fibrous material are needled through the foundation layer and extend substantially perpendicularly from the surface of the foundation layer remote from the layer of fibrous material thereby forming a pile.

According to a further feature of the present invention,

there is provided a method of producing pile fabrics which comprises (1) needling a structure comprising (a) a layer of fibrous material: (b) a foundation layer; and (c) a strippable layer adjacent to the said foundation layer whereby fibres from the said layer of fibrous material are needled into the said foundation and strippable layers with a substantially number of the needled fibres penetrating the said strippable layer; (2) subjecting the needled structure to a treatment serving to set the needled fibres in the foundation layer and bond the said layer of fibrous material to the foundation layer; and (3) separating the strippable layer from the foundation layer to form a pile fabric in which the needled fibres extend substantially perpendicular from the surface of the foundation layer.

The layer of fibrous material may be composed of any desired natural or synthetic fibres such as polyamides or acrylic or polypropylene fibres, which may, if desired, be crimped and/or dyed.

It should be noted that while step (1) of the method according to the invention is always the initial step of the method, steps (2) and (3) are inter-changeable in sequence, although in general it is preferred to carry out step (2) before step (3).

However, if desired, setting of the needled fibres may be effected in the absence of any layer. For example the strippable layer may be provided by brushes mounted on a cylinder e.g. the floating bedplate of a needling loom, the floating bedplate being in the form of a cylinder (which is generally of a high density and made of metal), the peripheral surface of which carries a plurality of brushes substantially covering the said surface. The height of the brush pile is generally rather more than the depth to which the needles penetrate during the needling operation.

The said foundation and strippable layers are advantageously composed of a felt material which may, if desired, be reinforced by a cloth or other woven material composed for example of synthetic fibres or ribbons such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The cloth or other woven material referred to above may, if desired, be used as the foundation layer in place of the felt material, particularly when a pile fabric in the form of a velvetlike material is desired. The cloth or similar woven material used in the foundation layer preferably has a relatively close weave to avoid the spacing of the needled fibres into rows.

Alternatively, the foundation layer employed in the method according to the invention may comprise a loosewoven cloth which has been needled prior to contacting with the layer of fibrous material.

In order to facilitate removal of the strippable layer from the foundation layer in the method according to the invention, the strippable layer is preferably in the form of a pile-like material, particularly a durable close-tufted material, and is advantageously composed of relatively smooth fibres such as polyolefin fibres. Alternatively, the surface of the strippable layer adjacent to the foundation layer may be impregnated with a suitable lubricant, e.g. a soap emulsion or dilute detergent, to aid the separation of this surface from the foundation layer.

The cloth or similar woven material used in the foundation and/or strippable layer(s) may, if desired, be replaced by a layer of synthetic plastic or foam material.

The felt materials used as strippable and/or foundation layer(s) in the method according to the invention may be extensively impregnated, or coated on one or both sides, thereof, with natural or synthetic latices or other binding materials. The said felt materials may be the same or different and may differ in their physical and/or chemical nature. Similarly, the foundation layer and the fibrous layer may be of the same or different colour to provide a pattern on the final pile fabric.

The cloth or similar woven material reinforcing the foundation layer is preferably located at or near the surface of the said layer adjacent to the fibrous layer. However, the cloth or similar woven material reinforcing the strippable layer is preferably located at or near the surface of the said layer remote from the foundation layer, to avoid undue damage to the reinforcing cloth during the needling operation in the method according to the invention.

According to the method of the invention, the laminated composition is subjected to a treatment after needling to set the needled fibres in the foundation layer. This treatment may be effected in any conventional manner, for example by applying an adhesive, or potentially adhesive, backing layer to the fibrous layer. This backing layer may be applied, for example, by means of a doctor blade or spreader roller or by spraying the backing composition on to the fibrous layer. Binding agents or adhesives which may be used in the backing layer include charge natural or synthetic rubber latex and thermoplastic synthetic resins such as soft polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl chloride plastisols etc. and other binders which are conventionally used in the finishing of textiles. The binding agent may, if desired, be applied in conjunction with a Wetting agent.

After application of the backing layer, the resulting composition may be passed, for example, through a pair of squeeze-roller to aid the penetration of the adhesive component of the backing layer into the composition to ensure a firm setting of the needled fibres of the composition. The needled fibres may be finally set, for example, by heat-treatment of the composition including the backing layer. This heat-treatment may be carried out by pass ing the composition through a drying oven, the drying being effected, for example, by infra-red radiation.

In order to provide pile fabric having a sufficiently dense pile, the needling operation in the method according to the invention may, if desired, be repeated until a pile of the desired density is obtained.

In this case, the initially needled laminated composition is preferably arranged in a closed circuit such that it may periodically be subjected to a needling operation, the laminated composition conveniently passing around the bedplate of the loom used for the needling operation. These repeated needling operations are generally carried out on the laminated composition before the needled composition is treated to set the fibres, but, if desired, the needled composition may be set temporarily or permanently after each needling operation. After the final needling operation the resultant composition is finally set and the strippable layer removed. For example, it may be stripped olf from the composition, and the deep needled side of the felt at the base may then be coated or sprayed with a binder used in finishing the textile.

When more than one needling operation is carried out, a fresh layer of fibrous material is generally applied to the existing layer or layers of fibrous material prior to each needling operation. The fibrous layers may be the same or different. For example, consecutive layers of fibrous material of different colours and/or fibres may be used to produce a design on the resulting pile fabrics.

The needle-board pattern for each needling operation is advantageously adjusted to ensure that needle patterns are not visible in the pile of the fabrics of the invention. This may be effected by suitably adjusting the rate of advance per stroke for each needling operation.

The height of pile in the fabrics produced according to the invention is generally at least of the order of 4-12 mm. Relief effects on the resulting pile fabrics may be obtained by varying the barb penetration of the fibrous layer into the strippable layer.

With regard to the needling operation, the term barb penetration is used herein to indicate the depth of the first barb of the needles, measured under the surface of the bedplate of the needle loom. The barb penetration in the method according to the invention preferably does not exceed the combined thickness of the strippable and foundation layers, in order to avoid difficulties in separating the former layer.

The bedplate in the needling loom employed in the method according to the invention may conveniently be a grooved bedplate containing rows of grooves, as used for example in the burr tufting process. The positioning of the needles in the needleboard of the loom will depend upon the location of the rows of grooves in the bedplate.

The strippable layer, which is removed, e.g. stripped off, from the needled composition in the method according to the invention, may generally be used again in a subsequent operation as the provisional or foundation layer, for example in a continuous process wherein the provisional layer is run in a closed loop, and is thereby used in a plurality of needling operations. After removal of the provisional layer, the pile fabric produced may be cut and trimmed, and wound on a roller for storage etc.

According to a further feature of the present invention there is provided a modification of the method according to the invention which comprises (1) needling a structure comprising (a) a layer of pre-needled felt or a loose- Woven cloth and (b) a strippable layer, whereby fibres from the felt or loose-woven cloth are needled into the strippable layer; (2) subjecting the needled composition to a treatment serving to set the needled fibres in the firstmentioned layer; and (3) separating the strippable layer from the first-mentioned layer to form a pile fabric.

Alternatively, according to a further modification of the method according to the invention, the said fibrous layer and foundation layer may be replaced by a conventional layer of a threaded material, and the method according to the invention carried out using the resulting composition. The threads of the threaded material are needled or tufted through a foundation felt or cloth and into the strippable layer, and then coated, the strippable layer being subsequently removed, to give a loop-surfaced cloth.

When the pile fabrics according to the invention are intended for use as carpet materials they are preferably provided with one or more further wear layers of a relatively heavy backing material, e.g. rubber, to provide a firm and robust base for the material.

In general, the pile fabrics according to the invention may be used as carpet materials or as wall covering, upholstery or furnishing fabrics. These fabrics have a soft resilient pile and yet are reasonably resistant to wear. When materials of relatively low density are used, the re sulting pile fabric will resemble a velvet-like material.

For a better understanding of the invention, certain preferred embodiments of the method according to the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 4 to 6 illustrate preferred embodiments of the method according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is an elevation of a pile fabric according to the invention, and

FIG. 3 is an elevation of a deep needled felt used in the method illustrated in FIG. 4.

With regard to the method illustrated in FIG. 1, a foundation layer 2. reinforced by a cloth 4, and a strippable layer 1 reinforced by a cloth 3, are provided with a layer of fibrous material 5. The laminated composition is needle in a needle loom 6, and a back coating 7 subsequently applied to the fibrous layer of the needled composition. The back coating is then dried by passing the composition through a drying oven 8 to fix the needled fibres, and the provisional layer is stripped off, and wound on a reel 9, while the resulting pile fabric 11 is wound on a separate reel 10 for storage. FIG. 2 illustrated an elevation of the pile fabric obtained. With regard to FIG. 4, a deep needled felt 12 is first prepared as illustrated in FIG. 3 by needling a fibrous layer 13 having a reinforcing cloth 14, and is then brought into contact with a strippable layer 15 and the laminated composition needled in a needle loom 16. The method is then carried out as illustrated in FIG. 1.

With regard to FIG. 5, a layer of cloth 18 and a fine felt strippable layer 19 are provided with a layer of fibrous material 17 and the laminated composition needled in a needle loom. The needled composition is then coated, by means of a spray 20, with a back coating, and passed through two squeeze-rollers 21. The method is subsequently carried out as illustrated in FIG. 1.

With regard to FIG. 6, the method illustrated in FIG. 1 may be-carried out using a continuous length of felt 23 as the strippable layer.

The following examples illustrate the invention.

EXAMPLE 1 A fibrous layer composed of 22-dtex 60-mm. crimped fibres of 100-g./m. dyed virgin polyamide 66- is deposited, by means of a carding apparatus and then a Camel Back folder, upon an endless apron upon which lie two needled felts composed of 17-dtex ca.-80 mm. crimped fibres of 300-g./m. reclaimed nylon; these felts, which may be dyed to the same or a slightly different colour to firstmentioned layer, are reinforced with pre-stabilised 80-g./ m? polypropylene cloth, and bonded with 710% of a self cross-linking resilient acrylic latex. The felt layer adjacent to the apron is hereinafter referred to as the strippable felt layer while the felt layer adjacent to the fibrous layer is referred to as the foundation felt layer. The strippable felt layer is deposited on the apron with its reinforcing cloth adjacent to the apron, while the foundation felt layer is deposited upon the said strippable layer with its reinforcing cloth upwards.

This layer composition is subjected to a needling operation in a classical needle loom, with a barb penetration of 2 mm., with 32 normal gauge close barb-needles and containing 2,400 needles per metre, the advance being 3.3 mm., whereby the composition receives 72 punches per cm.

The needled laminated compoistion is subjected to second and third needling operations after the application of second and third fibrous layers, respectively, onto the first mentioned fibrous layer.

The three fibrous layers totalling 300 g./m. contain fibres projecting through the foundation layer and into the strippable felt layer, and orientated substantially perpendicular to the fibrous layers. The reinforced laminated composition is coated, on the outer fibrous layer, with a clay-loaded vulcanised natural latex on a doctor-blade coating machine to form a back coating having a dry weight of 750 g./m. Penetration of the latex into the compoistion during coating is controlled, to ensure that the latex penetrates as far as the reinforcing cloth of the foundation felt layer and, if desired, slightly in excess thereof. The coating is dried and vulcanised to ensure a firm bonding of the base of all the fibre tufts, an improved bonding of the foundation felt layer to its reinforcing cloth and to maintain the needled fibres substantially perpendicular to the reinforcing cloth of the foundation felt layer.

If desired, a foamed natural latex composition is applied in a quantity of 600 g./m. on the back coating and engraved as a walfel, this finishing imparting an anti-slip effect to the carpet.

To ensure easy removal of the strippable felt layer after applying the back coating, a soap solution is spread uniformly upon the surface of the strippable felt layer.

After leaving for 2-3 min. the strippable felt layer is readily removed, between two rollers, from the foundation felt layer leaving a dense material resembling Wilton carpet. While the strippable layer is wound on a reel, the

6 carpet material is trimmed and wound on a reel. This carpet material has a total weight of 2030 g./m. comprising 300 g./m. of fibrous tufts 6 mm. in height, a foundation layer of 380 g./m.-"', 3 mm. in depth, and a backing weighing 1350- g./m.

EXAMPLE 2 A deep needled felt 12 shown in FIG. 3, composed of a layer, weighing 400 g./m. of dyed reclaimed slightly crimped acrylic fibres of 15 denieri mm. is needled with a 32 gauge normal regular barb needle board on to a polypropylene cloth 14 of 80 g./m. with a barb-penetration of 9 mm. The needled compoistion is then reversed on a strippable felt layer 15 as described in Example 1 and subjected to a needling operation 16 with the same setting as described in Example 1 except that the advance per stroke is reduced to 2 mm. The laminated composition obtained is coated with a pure acrylic emulsion in a quantity corresponding to 200 g./m. After drying, and removal of the provisional felt layer, the edges of the acrylic pile fabric obtained are trimmed. This pile fabric is soft and light (680 g./m. and may for example be used as a chair-furnishing material. The strippable felt layer may be used again for the same purpose in a subsequent operation.

EXAMPLE 3 The procedure described in Example 2 is repeated, except that a layer of dyed garnetted slightly crimped polyamide 6 fibres of l7-dtex, nearly 80 mm. in length, is used in place of the layer of acrylic fibres. After the first needling operation a further a layer of 2.00 g./m. of the same fibres is deposited upon the composition obtained, and needled in a similar manner to that described in Example 2.. A back coating of loaded butadienestyrene latex weighing 1200 g./m. when dry is applied on to the last-needled layer followed by the application of a jute cloth weighing 255 g./m. to impart dimensional stability to the pile fabric.

The strippable felt layer is then stripped and wound on a reel to be used again if necessary. The carpet material is then trimmed. If the garnetted fibres used are not of regular length, the pile fabric can advantageously be sheared.

EXAMPLE 4 A web 17 shown in FIG. 5, composed of IO-dtex dyed acrylic staple fibres, 40 mm. in length, and weighing 80 g./m. produced by an airlaid dofling card, is applied on to a dyed twisted cotton cloth 18 of 80 g./m. resting on a strippable acrylic-bonded felt layer 19 composed of multi-coloured IZ-denier polypropylene crimped fibres, 80 mm. in length and weighing 300 g./m. needled upon a polyethylene sheet of 0.07 mm. thickness. The composition is then needled with 36-gauge normal close barb needles with an advance of 4 mm. and a barb penetration of 1 mm. The needled surface of the composition is then sprayed with a soft cross-linking acrylic binder (in an amount corresponding to 30 g./m. containing a wetting agent, and the sprayed composition is passed between two squeeze-rolls 21 and then dried by infra-red heating. A further web of the same fibre is deposited on the coated surface of the composition and needled again with the same setting but with a different advance to avoid needleboard patterns.

A further spraying treatment with the same quantity of the spraying composition is applied, dried and cured as described above. The strippable felt layer 19 is stripped off and, if desired, re-used for the same purpose in a subsequent operation. The pile fabric obtained is trimmed and is in the form of a velvet-like material which may be used as a wall covering, furnishing or upholstery material.

7 I claim: 1. A method of producing pile fabrics which comprises the steps of:

needling a composite structure comprising (a) a layer of fibrous material and (b) a strippable layer of felt whereby fibers from the layer of fibrous material are needled into the strippable layer which serves to locate the needled fibers in positions substantially perpendicular to the plane of the layer of fibrous material; the said layer of fibrous material being selected from a layer of fibrous material supported on a foundation layer situated between the layer of fibrous material and the strippable layer, and, a layer of material selected from the group consisting of a pre-needled felt and a loose-woven cloth, said material being sufiiciently self-supporting for needling; and the said strippable layer having a thickness such that during needling the barb penetration of the needles does not exceed the thickness of the composite structure; bonding the needled fibers in the structure; and separating the strippable layer from the structure to provide a pile fabric wherein the pile is formed by the needled fibers extending perpendicularly to the plane of the layer of fibrous material. 2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the strippable layer comprises a felt which is reinforced by a woven material located adjacent to the surface of the strippable layer remote from the layer of fibrous material. 3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the strip pable layer is provided by needled felt.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the layer of fibrous material is supported on a foundation layer.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the composite structure includes a foundation layer composed of a felt material.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the felt 8 material is reinforced by a woven material located adjacent to the layer of fibrous material.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the foundation layer is composed of a woven material.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the bonding of the needled fibers is effected by applying an adhesive backing layer to the layer of fibrous material.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein after said needling step but before said step of separating said strippable layer, the structure is subjected to at least one additional needling operation, each such additional operation comprising contacting the side of the structure remote from the pile with a further layer of fibrous material and needling the resulting structure to increase the density of the pile.

I10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the additional needling operation is effected after said needling step but before said bonding step.

'11. A method according to claim '9 wherein the additional needling step is effected after bonding the needled fibers from said first needling step.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the height of the pile in the resultant pile fibric is 4-12 mm.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,010,180 11/1961 Hofiiman 156-148 X 3,348,993 10/1967 Sissons 156-148 X 3,230,134 1/1966 Studer a 156-435 X 3,347,736 10/ 1967 Sissons 156-148 X 2,831,525 4/1958 Cole 156-435 X CARL D. QUARFORTH, Primary Examiner G. G. SOLYST, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.