US3831232A

US3831232A - Method of producing patterned blocks of pile yarns in making patterned pile fabrics

Info

Publication number: US3831232A
Application number: US00316740A
Authority: US
Inventors: E Bondi
Original assignee: Fieldcrest Mills Inc
Current assignee: FIELD CREST CANNON Inc
Priority date: 1969-05-10
Filing date: 1972-12-20
Publication date: 1974-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 1991-08-27
Also published as: JPS5020190B1; GB1306461A; DE2022263B2; ZA702864B; FR2044778B1; CH697270A4; CA941146A; BE750174A; NL152614B; DE2022263A1; NL7006710A; CH580943B5; AT321241B; SE364318B; FR2044778A1

Abstract

A method of producing blocks of pile yarns in making patterned pile fabrics, such as carpets, rugs and the like, whose patterns may be of many different colors or kinds of pile yarns and of simple or highly intricate configurations. According to the method, a fabric is woven from pile yarns of relatively different appearance; e.g., color, texture, etc., which serve as the wefts of the fabric and are selectively arranged in a predetermined patterned order and bound together by sparsely spaced binder warp yarns. Identifying weft yarns are positioned at substantially equally spaced locations in the fabric for determining successive fabric sections thereof, and the fabric is moved back and forth while being folded along the identifying weft yarns to form a compact stack of superposed fabric layers. The stack is positioned in an open-ended container with the ends of the pile yarns exposed so that they may be severed to form successive slices of patterned pile tufts therefrom which may be secured to a suitable substrate to form a pile fabric therefrom.

Description

United States Patent [191 Bondi 11] 3,831,232 Aug. 27, 1974 METHOD OF PRODUCING PATI'ERNED BLOCKS OF PILE YARNS IN MAKING PATTERNED PILE FABRICS Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 34,756, May 5,

1970, abandoned.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 10, 1969 Italy 16675/69 [52] US. Cl. 28/72 R, 139/122 W, 156/72, 156/148 [51] Int. Cl D04h 11/00 [58] Field of Search 156/72, 148, 254; 28/72 R, 28/72 CS [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,491,258 12/1949 Fuhrhop et a1, 156/72 2,516,559 7/1950 Fuhrhop et a1. 156/72 2,788,835 4/1957 Brookes et a1 156/72 3,325,324 6/1967 Schmidt et a1 156/72 3,359,147 12/1967 Miller 156/72 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,047,382 11/1966 Great Britain 156/72 496,165 6/1950 Belgium 156/72 332,070 8/1903 France 156/254 1,040,286 8/1966 Great Britain 156/72 140,288 5/1953 Sweden 156/72 Primary Examiner-Robert R. Mackey Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Parrot, Bell, Seltzer, Park & Gibson [57] TRACT A method of producing blocks of pile yarns in making patterned pile fabrics, such as carpets, rugs and the like, whose patterns may be of many different colors or kinds of pile yarns and of simple or highly intricate configurations. According to the method, a fabric is Woven from pile yarns of relatively different appearance; e.g., color, texture, etc., which serve as the wefts of the fabric and are selectively arranged in a predetermined patterned order and bound together by sparsely spaced binder warp yarns. Identifying weft yarns are positioned at substantially equally spaced locations in the fabric for determining successive fabric sections thereof, and the fabric is moved back and forth while being folded along the identifying weft yarns to form a compact stack of superposed fabric layers. The stack is positioned in an' open-ended container with the ends of the pile yarns exposed so that they may be severed to form successive slices of patterned pile tufts therefrom which may be secured to a suitable substrate to form a pile fabric therefrom.

13 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures WEAVE A FABRlC, OF SELECTED WEFTWlEPI LE YARNS (FIGURES ZANIQD) LAYER FABRIC. 1N E UALWARD Lemme WITH THE- Emss or- WEFT YARNS FORMING A PlLE PATTERN (Fic-tulzes 4,6ANB8) ENCUJSE LAYE 1212s FAEE |c 1N CQNTA] N 122 To FORM BLOCK OF DILE YARNS WITH ENDS OP PILE YARNS Ex oses CFiGLlEE 5) 5EVER LENGTH 0F 1 11.12 YAENs FROM B1004 ANB heposir ONTO A $uesn2ArE (FIGURES 10mm) PAIENIEBmamu WW i ENCLOSE We REE FABR ac Plug YARNS EXPOSEB FIGURE ES) SEVER, LENGTH OF P: LE: YARNS FRQM Bm mm hEPoaT ONTO A @ussm ATE (FIGURE-5 10mm) mmRo A M s m Em M E E rwmpm El .bow

"Da u m mwaw CYNQQREW Eh TA R NvmT o BDEQDA; R 4 AE WHWEB R T HH E EAH U W E mm ME WW /W C awn B D E & F N

EWQ 5 AL E E R E TY VSF U @FE m w w pAT T ERN CONTROL m MEANS METHOD OF PRODUCING PATTERNED BLOCKS OF PILE YARNS IN MAKING PATTERNED PILE FABRICS This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 34,756, filed May 5, 1970 and entitled A PROCESS FOR THE MANUFAC- TURE OF GLUED PILE CARPETS, PARTICU- LARLY WITH COLOURED IMAGES, now abandoned.

Various methods have been proposed heretofore for producing patterned blocks of pile yarns suitable for use in making patterned pile fabrics. However, difficulties have been encountered in the preparation of yarn blocks heretofore, especially yarn blocks which were to serve for obtaining pile fabrics with intricate variegated images or designs. For example, Millers US. Pat. No. 3,359,147 discloses a method of producing variegated patterned pile yarn blocks in which prearranged running lengths of pile yarns are held in the desired relationship by moistening the pile yarns and then freezing the same to'form a solidified block from which slabs of frozen pile materials are severed.

Another proposed method of producing pile yarn blocks is disclosed in the US. Pat. No. 2,491,258 of Furhrhop et al. in which pile yarns of different colors are prearranged on spools of the type used in the Axminster loom and are taken from such spools and impregnated and coated with a consolidating medium as they are formed into layers to form a consolidated block of yarns. Such consolidated block of yarns is cut into sections or slabs for forming a pile fabric there from, after which the consolidated medium is removed.

It is apparent that such prior methods present problems in handling and arranging the pile yarns. Also, obvious problems are presented in cutting pile yarns frozen or consolidated as described above.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved method of producing patterned blocks of pile yarns wherein the patterned selecting of the pile yarns and the maintaining of definition of the patterned areas are simplified, and the blocks of pile yarn are substantially more efficiently produced than those produced by the aforementioned and other known prior art methods.

It is another more specific object of this invention to provide a method of producing pattern blocks of pile yarns in which the selection and arranging of different colors and/or kinds of pile yarns is effected according to a predetermined pattern in a simple and efficient manner by weaving a fabric of selected weftwise pile yarns while the pile yarns are bound together by sparsely spaced binder warp yarns so as to maintain the patterned relationship of the pile yarns during subsequent handling of the woven fabric. The thus woven fabric then is moved back and forth while being folded along predetermined weftwise fold lines to form a compact cake or stack of superposed fabric layers of substantially equal warpwise length and so that the ends of the weftwise pile yarns in the stack collectively reflect a composite pattern embodying the design to be produced in the pile fabric. Thereafter, the stack is enclosed in an open-ended container to form a confined block of pile yarns with the ends of the pile yarns exposed and forming the composite pattern at an open end of the container so that the block of pile yarns may be incrementally advanced from the container and slices of patterned pile tufts severed therefrom in forming a patterned pile fabric.

The method according to this invention has many important advantages over methods proposed heretofore, such as high productivity, and thereproduction of images and designs which may be highly complex and may be composed of a practically unlimited number of colors'and of any desired type or combination of natural, artificial or synthetic threads or yarns of staple fibers, filaments or mixtures thereof. Furthermore, pile yarn blocks formed according to this invention permit the forming of pile fabrics having pile tufts of very high density, with or without relief effects, and without limitations in the height of the pile tufts. Also, in addition to carpets, rugs and the like, patterned pile fabrics may be obtained which are similar to velvet, tapestry fabric and the like, all at a cost of production which is considerably lower than that of corresponding products obtained by the usual methods of weaving or needle punching.

Some of the objects and advantages of the invention having been stated, others will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a block diagram briefly setting forth steps according to the method of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a loom for weaving a fabric of selected weftwise pile yarns bound together by binder warp yarns;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic persepctive view of suitable pattern controlled weft selecting means for selectively presenting different weft yarns to the weft inserting means of the loom of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view, with portions broken away, showing a preferred form of fabric layering apparatus for carrying out the method steps of folding the woven fabric along predetermined weftwise fold lines and compacting the same to form a cake or stack of superposed fabric layers of substantially equal length;

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a completed patterned block of pile yarns produced according to this invention and wherein the layered stack of weftwise pile yarns is positioned in an open-neded container with corresponding ends of pile yarns exposed so that they may be severed from the: stack to form slices of patterned pile tufts therefrom;

FIG. 6 is a schematic partially exploded view of an upper portion of the stack of superposed fabric layers shown in FIG. 4, for the purpose of illustrating various bands of contrasting or different colors or kinds of weftwise pile yarns in the fabric and also illustrating how the fabric layers may be impaled on restraining pins to insure proper alignment of the successive layers in the stack being formed;

FIG. 7 is a greatly enlarged view of a portion of one of the layers of fabric, such as that portion identified at 7 in FIG. 6, and particularly illustrating some identifying weft yarns and identifying warp yarns in the fabric;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view substantially through the central longitudinally plane of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 and showing the position of a supporting worktable when starting the formation of a stack of superposed fabric layers on the worktable;

FIG 9 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating suitable mechanism for imparting reciprocatory motion to the roll of fabric in the upper portion of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a schematic fragmentary elevation showing how exposed ends of the pile yarns in the container may be severed from the stack to form a slice of pile tuft therefrom incident to the production of a length of pile fabric; v

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view-showingmore in detail how a slice of pile tufts may be severed from the block of pile yarns and deposited on a substrate to form the pile fabric therefrom;

Referring more specifically to the drawings, as illustrated in the block diagram of FIG. 1 the essential steps involved in making pile fabrics in accordance with the present invention comprise weaving a fabric of selected weftwise pile yarns, then layering the woven fabric in layers of substantially equal warpwise length to form a compact stack of fabric layers with the ends of the weft yarns therein forming a preliminary pile pattern, and then enclosing the thus formed stack of layered fabric in an open-ended container to form a confined block of pile yarns with the ends of the pile yarns exposed. The pile yarns then may be severed from the stack to form slices of patterned pile tufts therefrom which, in turn, may be adhesively or otherwise secured on a substrate.

Accordingly, it will be observed in FIG. 2 that the fabric, generally designated at 12, is woven on a suitable loom which may be of any desired conventional or other type and is preferably in the form of a shuttleless loom equipped with conventional or other suitable means for controlling the harnesses or heddles 13 thereof and also equipped with a suitable weft selector means 14. Weft selector means 14 is pattern controlled for selectively introducing predetermined pile yarns 15, one at a time, to weft inserting means 16 (FIG. 3) to be inserted in the warp shed prior to each beat-up of the reed R of the loom.

The weft selector means 14 may be of conventional or other construction. By way of example, the weft selector means 14 may be of the general type disclosed in US. Pat. Nos. 2,429,394; 2,814,315; 3,315,708; 3,467,148 and 3,593,754. As representative of the weft selector means 14, it will be observed in FIG. 2 that the pile weft yarns 15, as well as a separate identifying weft yarn 15a to be later described, are taken from respective separate yarn supply packages or sources 15b. From the packages 15b, the

weft yarns

15, 15a pass through suitable tension means 14a and then through respective movable weft yarn feed fingers 14b. Fingers 14b are normally inactive and are selectively lowered into an active position, one at a time, for guiding the respective weft yarns into the path or hook of the weft inserting means 16.

As shown in FIG. 3, weft inserting means 16 is of a type which passes into and through the warp shed and in front of reed R, then catches and draws the respective selected weft yarn through the shed as the weft inserting means 16 is being withdrawn from the warp shed. As the weft inserting means reaches about midshed position, a clamp and cutter means 14c operates in a well-known manner to release a cut end of the weft yarn, then moves rearwardly, clamps the end of weft yarn extending from the respective feed finger 14b, and then returns to the forward position shown. The next succeeding selected end of weft yarn then is positioned,

in the manner described, to be engaged by the weft inserting means 16 to insert a succeeding weft yarn in the warp shed following beat-up of the last inserted pile yarn 15 by reed R. v

The yarn feed fingers 14b are pivoted on a shaft 14d and are selectively lowered from their normal, inactive, positions by respective solenoids 14e electrically connected to suitable respective pattern-reading switches 14f. A pattern control means in the form of an endless pattern strip or programming strip 14g is suitably driven, as by an electric motor 14h, so as to advance one step during each successive pick of the loom. The pattern strip 14g is provided with a pattern represented by a longitudinal row of dot indicia or performations 141' therein corresponding to each pattern-reading switch 14f and its respective solenoid 142. Thus, a dot or perforation 141 registers with one or another of the switches 14f each time that the weft inserting means 16 approaches the feed fingers 14b so that one or another of them is active each time weft inserting means 16 is operated; i.e., during each pick of the loom. Switches 14f may be in the form of feeler switches of photocells, as desired. Since switches used with pattern strips are well known, a more detailed description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

The pattern strip 14g also may be in the form of Jacquard pattern cards, dobby chains or in any other desired form for electrically, penumatically, mechanically or otherwise operating the feed fingers 14b to select pile yarns of relatively different color or other appearance and to present them to the weft inserting means of the loom which thus arranges the pile yarns in parallel juxtaposition according to a predetermined pattern during weaving of the fabric 12.

The warps of which the warp sheds are formed are largely composed of sparsely spaced, binder warp yarns 17 (FIG. 7) which are quite small or fine relative to pile yarns 15 and preferably are formed from a material which is barely visible, such as continuous monofilament nylon strands of about 15 to 20 denier, with the harnesses 13 being so controlled as to effect a shed change following each beat-up of the reed R.

In its preferred embodiment, the fabric 12 may be woven any convenient width, e.g., about 8 feet to 12 feet wide, in accordance with the number of lengths of pile fabric to be produced from the subsequently layered fabric 12. It is preferred that, in such a fabric, the relatively fine binder warp yarns 17 are spaced approximately one-fourth inch to one-half inch apart from each other across the width of the fabric. It has been determined that the warp yarns need not be removed from the fabric 12, since the warp yarns may be fine and practically invisible and they are mutilated when slices of pile tufts are severed from the patterned block of pile yarns, to be described, formed from the woven fabric. In fact, the warp yarns are retained in the fabric 12 to maintain the patterned relationship of the weftwise pile yarns 15 during formation of the patterned block of pile yarns.

At least one visually distinct side edge identifying warp yarn 17a, which is of contrasting appearance, such as size, color or the like relative to the weftwise pile yarns 15 and binder warp yarns 17, is interwoven with the weft yarns adjacent each longitudinal side edge of the fabric. Additionally, similar intermediate identifying warp yarns 17b are spaced weftwise of the fabric throughout the width thereof at locations about 5 to 6 inches apart for purposes to be later described.

It is important to note that, in order to enhance the visibility of the identifying warp yarns 17a, 17b they are formed largely as floats (FIGS. 6 and 7) and thereby form a float weave throughout the length of the fabric 12. All of the identifying warp yarns 17a, 17b pass through the fabric 12 from one side to the other, and vice versa, at acommon respective

weftwise pile yarn

15 or 15a in each instance. The floats formed of the identifying warp yarns 17, 17a may be of any desired length which is readily visible to operators during the forming of the fabric into layers as will be later explained. For example, each identifying warp yarn 17a, 17b may be floated over 7 or 8 weftwise pile yarns 15 and then may be floated beneath 7 or 8 pile yarns 15, this procedure being repeated throughout the length of the fabric as illustrated, for example, in FIG. 7.

For the purposes of this disclosure it may be assumed that all of the pile yarns 15 shown in FIG. 2 are of different colors relative to each other. The identifying weft yarn 15a also may be a pile yarn similar to pile yarns 15, but the identifying weft yarn 15a should be a different color than weftwise pile yarns 15 or it should be otherwise visually distinct from pile yarns 15.

' Since it is desirable, according to the invention, that all the layers L (FIG. 6) of the woven fabric 12 employed in forming a given block of patterned pile yarns are in predetermined alignment with each other so as to provide a clear definition of the design areas in the pile pattern to be formed, it is preferred that all of the fabric layers are of substantially the same warpwise length. Accordingly, during the weaving of the fabric on the loom shown in FIG. 2, the fabric is formed into successive warpwise interconnected sections of substantially uniform length by inserting at each of a plurality of substantially uniformly spaced locations in the fabric 12, at least one, or a group of, the identifying weft yarns 15a. It will be observed in FIGS. 6 and 7 that the woven fabric 12 has weftwise identifying yarns 15a at spaced locations along its length with the identifying weft yarns 15a being arranged in groups of three in this instance. The center of each group of three identifying weft yarns 15a is positioned a substantially uniform distance from the center of the next adjacent group of identifying weft yarns 15a, and they define therebetween a corresponding fabric section which constitutes a layer L of the fabric when it is folded and stacked following the weaving of the fabric 12 on the loom.

In this regard, the fabric 12 may be wound onto an arbor or roll to form a roll 12a of the woven fabric 12 preparatory to folding the fabric into a compact cake or stack 12b of successive superposed layers. It will be observed in FIG. 6 that, as the fabric 12 is woven, it is provided with weftwise or transverse bands of pile yarns 15 of different colors which are arranged in predetermined patterned order. For example, the particular exploded upper layers L of the fabric in FIG. 6 include weftwise hands a g successively arranged along the length of each such layer. Each of the bands a, c, e, and g may be formed from brown colored pile yarns, with each of the bands b, d, f being formed from red colored pile yarns as indicated by comparing the identified colors of the exemplary composite pattern shown in FIG. 5 with the portions of the pattern shown in FIG. 6.

It is apparent that, if individual design portions of the composite pattern formed of multiple layers L of the fabric, are of varying shape, size or disposition relative to a given transverse plane through all of the fabric layers L in the stack 12b, then the warpwise dimensions of certain weftwise bands, such as bands a-g, will vary from layer to layer L, the number of such bands will vary in different layers and/or some or all of the bands might be omitted in certain layers; i.e., all of the weftwise pile yams 15 in certain layers may be of the same appearance with exception of the weftwise fold-line identifying yarns 15a. I

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the groups of identifying weft yarns 15a define fold lines extending parallel with the weftwise pile yarns and along which the fabric 12 is folded as it is moved back and forth to form the stack 12b of superposed layers L of the respective sections of the fabric and with the ends of the pile yarns in the layers L collectively forming a composite pattern of pile yarns 15 of relatively different color or other appearance.

While there may be various ways in which the folding of the fabric may be effected and alignment of the successive layers L may be effectively obtained, it is preferred that a layering apparatus substantially of the type illustrated in FIGS. 4, 8 and 9 is employed in accordance with the method of this invention, especially in instances where the fabric layers L are quite large. For example, the fabric 12 may be: woven about 3 to 12 feet wide and each warpwise layer L thereof, defined between adjacent groups of identifying weft yarns 150, may be about 9 to 12 feet long. The latter warpwise dimension determines the width of the carpet or other pile fabric to be formed from the stack 12b.

It will be observed in FIGS. 4 and 8 that the layering apparatus generally comprises an operators elevated platform 30 provided with a relatively large substantially centrally located opening 31 therethrough to accommodate a vertically movable worktable 40. Table 40 preferably is rectangular in plan and somewhat larger than the width and length of each fabric layer L. The worktable 40 may be in the form of a rectangular open frame, if desired, provided that it is of such size as to properly support thereupon a supporting platen or panel 42 which may be about the same width as the weft of each fabric layer, but which should be of slightly greater length than the warpwise length of each fabric layer, since the panel 42 later serves as one sidewall of a container designated at 60 (FIG. 5), as will be later described.

worktable 40 is suitably supported on a plurality of vertically movable posts shown in the form of upright screws 43 in FIGS. 4 and 8. ()ne of the upright screws 43 is disposed adjacent each outside corner of the substantially rectangular worktable 40. Each upright screw threadedly penetrates a suitable gear 44 within a gear box 45 which also contains other gearing, not shown, connecting the corresponding gear 44 to a substantially horizontally disposed shaft 46, there being two such shafts 46 shown in FIG. 4. Corresponding ends of the shafts 46 are connected by suitable gearing, not shown, in respective gear boxes, to opposite ends of a drive shaft 47. Drive shaft 47 is connected, by suitable sprocket and chain connections 50, to a hand-crank 51 conveniently mounted on one of the guard rail posts of the platforrn 30 so as to be within easy reach of a workman standing on platform 30. From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the level of worktable 40 relative to platform 30 may be varied by suitable manipulation of the hand-crank 51 of FIG. 4 so that the table 40 and any layers of fabric thereon may be positioned on a level convenient to workmen on the platform 30 and may be adjusted from time to time during the layering of the fabric.

To faciliate moving the woven fabric 12 back and forth on platen 42 to fold the fabric 12 and form the cake or stack 12b (FIG. 4) of superposed layers L of the fabric 12, the roll 12a of woven fabric 12 is removed from the loom of FIG. 2 and mounted on a suitable reciprocable overhead carriage 70 (FIGS. 4, 8 and 9) movable along a pair of laterally spaced tracks 71. Tracks 71 are spaced a substantial distance above the workman s platform 30 and may be supported, as shown, upon the same framework which supports platform 30.

Carriage 70 includes opposite end plates 72 having respective rollers 73 on their upper portions. The arbor or roll 25, on which the fabric roll 12a is wound, is supported on rollers 73. The lower portions of end plates 72 have opposite ends of a pair of parallel guide rolls or nip rolls 74 journaled therein which are connected, by respective sprocket and chain units 75 (FIG. 9), to corresponding drive shafts 75a. Drive shafts 75a are connected, by means of respective one-way clutches 75b, to respective pinoins 75c. Shafts 75a are suitably journaled in the end plates 72 and their respective pinions 75c engage a toothed rack 75d carried by the respective track 71. Each end plate 72 also has a pair of trolley rollers 76 journaled thereon which rest upon the corresponding track 71 and thereby support carriage 70 for reciprocatory movement on tracks 71.

The one-way clutches 75b are so arranged that the left-hand guide roll 74 in FIGS. 8 and 9 will be driven in a clockwise direction whenever carriage 70 moves from left to right, while the right-hand guide roll 74 idles, for drawing the fabric 12 from the roll 12a between the guide rolls 74 and directing the fabric toward wortable 40 to deposit a corresponding layer of the fabric onto the platen 42. Conversely, the clutches 75b are so arranged that the other or right-hand guide roll 74 I will be driven in a counterclockwise direction for feeding the fabric 12 to the worktable 40, as the left-hand guide roll 74 idles, during movement of the carriage 70 from right to left in FIG. 7.

Any suitable means may be provided for imparting reciprocatory movement to carriage 70. In this instance, opposite end plates 72 are attached to the lower run of a respective endless chain 77 (FIG. 8) mounted on a pair of longitudinally spaced sprocket wheels 77a, 77b carried by each respective track 71. Each sprocket wheel 77a may be driven by a reversible electric motor 77c arranged to be manually controlled by a workman on platform 30. Accordingly, electric motor 770 may be controlled by a suitable manually operable reversing switch 77d (FIG. 8) interposed in an electrical circuit to motor 77c and positioned within convenient reach of a workman on platform 30.

It is important that successive layers L of the fabric 12 are positioned in alignment or registration with each other to insure that the patterned bands such as a-g (FIG. 6) are in proper alignment to reflect the desired composite pattern at corresponding ends of the weftwise pile yarns l and throughout the weftwise dimension of the stack 12b as shown, by way of example, in

8 FIGS. 4, 5, and 6. Accordingly, four substantially horizontal rows of perimetrical or outer substantially upright retaining rods or pins 80 83 are associated with worktable 40. The longitudinal or warpwise rows of

pins

80, 81 are spaced apart from each other a distance slightly less than the width of the woven fabric 12 and a distance about equal to the distance between the side edge identifying warp yarns 17a in FIGS. 6 and 7. The transverse or weftwise rows of retaining rods 82, 83 extend between the opposite ends of the

rows

80, 81 and may be spaced apart from each other a distance slightly less than the distance between the identifying weft yarns 15a, which define opposing fold lines along which each successive layer of the fabric 12 is to be folded.

One or more intermediate transverse or weftwise rows of substantially upright retaining rods or pins are provided which extend parallel to the outer end rows of pins 82, 83 and are disposed between the outer

longitudinal rows

80, 81. By way of example, two intermediate rows of retaining rods or pins 84, 85 are shown in FIG. 6. The intermediate transverse rows of retaining

pins

84, 85 are provided to aid in maintaining corresponding intermediate weftwise pile yarns 15 of each fabric layer in a substantially straight condition during the layering operations, as will be later explained, and thereby to aid in preventing the occurrence of skew or bow in the woven fabric layers. The lower ends of pins 80-85 are secured in a suitable supporting frame 86 positioned on the workroom floor.

For the convenience of the workmen, it is preferred that the pins 80 85 are of substantially the same length or height and project upwardly about 25 to 35 inches above the level of the elevated platform 30 so that a workman standing on platform 30 may reach well over the upper ends of the pins 80 85 for manually impaling the fabric layers thereon. It is also desirable that platform 30 is spaced sufficiently above the level of the supporting floor of the workroom to accommodate a substantial number of layers L of the fabric within the opening 31 and below the level of the workmens platform 30 so that the height of the completed stack 12b of fabric layers may be the same as the total length of a standard large rug, if desired. For example, if successive rugs or pile pattern repeats of a carpet to be produced from the stack of pile yarns 12b are to be of high density and about 12 feet long, the stack 12b then may be about 12 feet high when compacted and before removing the stack 12b from worktable 40. As will be later explained, however, since the pile yarns are arranged to form tufts on a substrate, then by advancing the substrate relative to the stack 12b during production of the carpet, the density of the carpet pile may be less than that of the pile yarns in the compact stack 12b. In the latter instance, it follows that a pattern repeat in the pile tufts on the carpet would be of a greater dimension in the direction of advancement of the substrate than would the related dimension of the pattern or pattern repeat reflected on the ends of the pile yarns in the stack 12b.

Therefore, since it may be necessary to form the stack 6 to 12 feet high to accommodate a single repeat, it follows that the retaining pins should be of comparable height. However, the pins should be of relatively small diameter; e.g., about one-fourth to one-half inch in diameter. Accordingly, it is preferred that a suitable guide means is provided for stabilizing the medial portions of the upright retaining rods or pins 80 85. To

this end, a substantially rectangular stabilizing frame 87 (FIG. 8) is suspended, as by pliable members 90, from worktable 40. Also, the worktable as well as the supporting panel 42 thereon and the stabilizing frame 87 are provided with suitable holes therethrough which are spaced according to the spacing of the various pins 80 85 and are loosely penetrated by the pins 80 85.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that a workman causes the carriage 70 to move in one direction or in the opposite direction, as the case may be, to deposit each successive layer L of the fabric 12 on the supporting panel 42 then resting on table 40. Following each pass of carriage 70 over worktable 40, the operator or workman insures that the fold is formed at the corresponding group of identifying weft yarns a (FIG. 6) and then the layer of fabric is impaled on the rows of retaining pins 80 85. The retaining pins in each row 80 85 may be spaced any desired distance apart although it is preferred that they are spaced about 6 to 12 inches apart from each other.

However, it may be desirable for the pins in transverse rows 82 85 to be spaced apart from each other a distance corresponding to the distance between the several identifying warp yarns 17a, 17b so that the operator may use the identifying warp yarns 17a, 17b as a visual reference in determining the point at which the pins in rows 80 85 are to penetrate each successive layer of the fabric 12 deposited thereon. Additionally, the two intermediate transverse rows of

pins

84, 85 should be spaced such distance from the endmost transverse rows of pins 82, 83 that the successive layers L of the fabric 12 will be in proper alignment with each other when the pins in

rows

84, 85 penetrate the fabric layers along weftwise pile yarns adjacent the points at which identifying warp yarns 17a, 17b penetrate through the fabric between adjacent weftwise pile yarns 15. It is apparent that the corresponding weftwise pile yarns 15 then will be properly aligned with the intermediate transverse rows of

pins

84, 85 to thereby insure that the corresponding pile yarns are not skewed or bowed with respect to warpwise and weftwise planes of the fabric layers.

From time to time during the building of the stack or cake 12b of superposed layers L of fabric 12, it is desirable to apply a compressive force to the accumulated layers of fabric 12 in order that the ultimate stack or cake 12b being formed will be of substantially uniform density throughout its height as viewed in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. Accordingly, it will be observed in FIGS. 4 and 8 that a pressure platen 100, suitably perforated at 100a to accommodate the several rows of retaining rods or pins 80 85, is suitably suspended from a carriage 101 provided with suitable rollers 102 thereon for engaging and riding along tracks 71 heretofore described.

The pressure platen 100 may be supported and oper ated in various ways which will become apparent to an ordinary mechanic as the description proceeds. By way of example, therefore, platen 100 is shown suspended from the lower end of a piston rod 103 having a piston 104 on its upper end mounted for vertical sliding movement in a double acting cylinder 105 carried by carriage 101. Opposite ends of cylinder 105 are connected, by suitable conduits 106 and manually operable valve means 107, to a suitable driven fluid pressure pump means 110 mounted on carriage 101.

Whenever the operator wishes to compress the layers L of fabric 12 on the panel 42 then resting upon table 40, the operator may control motors 77C so as to move carriage to the right, out of the way of the carriage 101 in FIG. 8. Thereafter, carriage 101 may be moved manually or by any suitable means, not shown, to position the same above and in vertical alignment with worktable 40.

The operator than controls valve means 107 (FIG. 4) to cause platen 100 to move downwardly into pressure engagement with the upper surface of the then uppermost layer L of fabric 12 in the cake or stack 12b while, at the same time, moving the openings 100a in the platen 100 into alignment with the rows of retaining pins 85. The layers of fabric 12 then on the supporting panel 42 resting on worktable 40 will be compressed without disturbing the-alignment between the successive fabric layers. Thereafter, the operator again operates valve107 to return platen to the raised position, and then moves platen 100 out of the way of the carriage 70 so that additional layers of fabric 12 may be positioned upon the layers previously deposited on the panel 42 then resting upon worktable 40.

Upon the desired number of layers of fabric 12 being accumulated and compacted in the matter heretofore described and to complete the corresponding compact cake or stack 12b of fabric layers, the last layer of fabric may be severed from the roll 12a, whereupon the completed compact stack 12b is positioned in container 60. As a convenience in forming container 60, it will be noted in the illustrated embodiment (FIG. 5) that supporting panel 42 serves as the bottom wall of container 60. Before removing the stack 12b of fabric layers from worktable 40,

opposite end panels

61, 62 are positioned against opposing sides of the stack 12b at the sides thereof defined by the fold lines or boundaries of the successive layers of fabric 12.

Thereafter, a top wall or panel 63, provided with rows of perforations 63a- 63f therethrough corresponding to the rows of pins 80-85, is positioned upon the uppermost layer of the fabric 12 forming the com- .pleted cake or stack 12b. The upper panel 63 is preferably about the same size and shape as the lower panel 42, and the panels 42, 63 are secured against the lower and upper surfaces of the stack of pile yarns by any suitable fastening means, such as turnbuckles 64, which firmly secure the lower and upper panels 42, 63 to the

opposing end panels

61, 62 of container 60, to thus complete the formation of the patterned block of pile yarns.

It is preferred that the inner surfaces of the panels or

walls

42, 61, 62 and 63 are provided with a smooth polished finish so that the entire cake or stack 12b of pile yarns may be incrementally forced outwardly from one end of container 60. It is to be noted that the container 60 is open-ended so that at least corresponding ends of the weftwise pile yarns in the cake or stack 12b are exposed and so that a slice of pile yarn tufts may be severed from the cake 12b following each incremental movement thereof outwardly from container 60. For example, it will be observed in FIG. 11 that the opposing panels 42, 63 of container 60 are provided with smooth plastic sheets 66 on the proximal faces thereof and, of course, it is apparent that similar plastic sheets are provided on the proximal surfaces of the end panels or

walls

61, 62.

After the patterned block of pile yarns has been formed by positioning container 60 around the cake or stack 12b of the pile yarns, any suitable hoisting means, not shown, may be used for lifting the confined block and container 60 off of worktable 40 while withdrawing the same from the rows of retaining pins 80 85. A succeeding patterned block of pile yarns then may be formed in the manner heretofore described.

There are various ways in which the confined patterned block of pile yarns, including container 60 and layered stack 1212, may be used for making pile fabrics. Essentially, however, the container 60 is turned over on its side so that corresponding ends of the pile yarns therein having the composite pattern thereon will face downwardly. Thereafter, successive slices of the pile yarns are severed from the stack as the pile yarns are incrementally advanced downwardly relative to the walls of container 60. By way of example, it will be observed in FIGS. and II that container 60 was removed from the worktable 40 and is positioned in a suitable carriage 120 having spaced rollers I21 on opposite sides thereof guided for horizontal movement on suitable tracks 122, only one of which is shown in FIG. 10. Carriage I20 and associated structure shown in FIGS. 10 and Il may be similar to that disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 54,751, filed July 14, 1970 and entitled METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FOR PRODUCING CARPETS WITH WELDED OR GLUED PILE, AND CARPET THEREBY PRO- DUCED, now abandoned.

It should be noted that container 60 is arranged in carriage 120 so that one open end of container 60 faces downwardly with the pile yarns I5 projecting a relatively short distance below the lower edges of the walls of container 60, only the

walls

42, 61 and 63 being shown in FIG. 10. A suitably supported endless chain or belt 124 is connected to carriage I20 and driven by suitable connections with an electric motor I26 which may be manually controlled for imparting substantial horizontal reciprocatory movement to carriage I20 and to the patterned block of pile yarns carried thereby.

Carriage 120 also has a pair of upstanding arms 130 to which the upper end of a fluid pressure cylinder 131 may be suitably secured. Cylinder I3I may be of the double-acting type, similar to the cylinder 105 of FIGS. 4 and 8, and has a suitable piston therein, not shown, to which the upper end of a piston rod 133 is secured. The lower end of piston rod 133 has a pressure plate or platen I34 attached thereto which is of such size and shape as to fit loosely within the confines of the walls 42 and 6I.63 of container 60 and to rest upon the upper ends of the now vertically extending weftwise pile yarns within container 60.

Successive slices of pile tufts may be severed from the lower portion of the stack or cake 12b of pile yarns in container 60 by any suitable means such as a driven endless cutting blade 140 having its upper run or reach extending transversely of the apparatus in FIGS. 10 and 11 with respect to the direction in which the carriage 120 is reciprocated. In this instance, a slice of tufts 120 is shown partially severed from the lower portion of the stack 12!) in FIG. ll, slice 12c having been deposited upon a suitable substrate 142 to which a suitable adhesive may have been previously applied. As shown in FIGS. 10 and II, substrate I42 is moved from left to right on a suitable carrier or conveyor 143 which passes over a roller 144 disposed a short distance below the level of the upper run of cutting blade 140 so that, as pile tufts are severed from the compact stack of pile yarns 12!), they are deposited directly upon the upper surface of substrate 142 as it is being moved from left to right in the same direction as and at about the same speed as the compact stack or cake of pile yarns 12b. Conveniently, as the pile yarns are severed, the slice 12c thereof moves downwardly at an angle away from the cut lower surface of the stack 12b and may pass beneath the lower reach of a hold-down or pressure con veyor 147 to aid in holding the slice 12c of cut pile tufts against the upper surface of substrate I42 during the setting or curing of the adhesive thereon.

At the end of each forward stroke of carriage 120, during which the stack of yarns 12b moves from left to right in FIGS. 10 and II, conveyor 143 for substrate 142 may be stopped and the carriage is moved from right to left in FIG. It) to move the same rearwardly of or immediately to the left of cutting blade 140. Thereupon the stack of yarns I2b is moved downwardly by platen 134 and a succeeding length of the carpet may be formed as the patterned block of pile yarns again moves from left to right in FIGS. 10 and 11 along with conveyor I43 and the substrate 142 thereon. It is to be noted that, in the event that it is desired to decrease the density of the tufts in each slice I26 as it is deposited upon substrate 142, it is simply necessary to either increase the rate of forward movement of the substrate 142 or decrease the rate of forward movement of the carriage 120 relative to each other.

It is thus seen that I have provided an improved method of producing patterned blocks of pile yarns and making patterned pile fabrics therefrom, especially carpets, rugs and the like, whose patterns may be of many different colors or kinds of pile yarns and whose patterns may be of simple or highly intricate configurations according to a desired pattern. It is seen further that I have provided a method of producing patterned blocks of pile yarns wherein a fabric is woven on a loom and is woven from pile yarns serving as the wefts thereof. Such pile yarns are of relatively different appearance, such as color, texture and the like, and are selectively arranged according to a desired pattern and bound together by relatively small, sparsely spaced, binder warp yarns, whereupon the fabric is removed from the loom and folded into layers L of substantially equal warpwise length to form a compact stack 12b of superposed fabric layers therefrom. The stack then is positioned in container 60 and with the ends of the pile yarns exposed so that slices of tufts may be severed from the patterned pile yarns and deposited upon a substrate or other suitable supporting surface for forming a pile fabric therefrom.

Although particular forms of equipment have been described herein for carrying out the method of this invention it is to be understood that various other forms of apparatus may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

That which is claimed is:

l. A method of making a patterned block of pile yarns from which successive slices of pile tufts may be severed for forming pile fabrics therefrom, said method comprising the steps of forming successive interconnected sections of woven fabric utilizing pile yarns for the wefts thereof by selectively interweaving with a plurality of binder warp yarns a plurality of weftwise pile yarns of different colors in a predetermined patterned order, and by inserting visually distinct identifying weft yarns at substantially uniformly spaced locations in the fabric to define the junctures of adjacent fabric sections, forming a compact stack of layers of the woven fabric by moving the fabric back and forth while folding the same along the identifying weft yarns to form the successive fabric sections into a stack of superposed fabric layers while aligning the successive layers with each other so that the ends of the pile yarns therein collectively form a composite pattern, and enclosing the compact stack of folded fabric in an openended container to form a confined block of the pile yarns with the ends of the pile yarns exposed and forming the composite pattern at an open end of the container so that the block of pile yarns may be incrementally advanced from the container and slices of patterned pile tufts severed therefrom in forming a patterned pile fabric.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising periodically applying a compressive force to the fabric layers during the formation of the compact stack.

3. A method according to claim 1, which includes impaling successive fabric layers on a plurality of substantially upright retaining pins to aid in aligning successive fabric layers with each other during the formation of the stack thereof.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the en closing of the stack of folded fabric in the open-ended container is effected while the fabric layers are impaled on the upright retaining pins.

5. A method according to claim 4, which includes withdrawing the stack of folded fabric and the container from the retaining pins after the stack has been enclosed in the open-ended container.

6. A method according to claim 1, which includes impaling each successive layer of the fabric adjacent the edges thereof on a plurality of substantially upright retaining pins to aid in aligning successive fabric layers with each other during the formation of the stack thereof.

7. A method according to claim 6, which further includes impaling medial portions of the successive layers on a plurality of additional substantially upright retaining pins during the formation of the stack of fabric layers.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the interweaving includes utilizing binder warp yarns which are relatively small with respect to the weftwise pile yarns, and sparsely arranging the binder warp yarns across the fabric being woven.

9. A method according to claim 1, in which the forming of the fabric further comprises interweaving, with the weftwise pile yarns, spaced apart identifying warp yarns of a visually distinct character.

10. A method according to claim 9, in which the interweaving of the identifying warp yarns includes fomiing a float weave of the spaced apart identifying warp yarns by extending them through the fabric at a common weftwise pile yarn at each of a plurality of spaced locations along each successive fabric section, and said method further comprising impaling each successive layer of the fabric during the formation of the stack of fabric layers on weftwise rows of upright retaining pins arranged adjacent certain ones of the aforementioned common weftwise pile yarns.

11. A method according to claim 9, in which the interweaving of the identifying warp yarns includes forming a float weave of the identifying warp yarns by extending them through the fabric at a common weftwise pile yarn at each of a plurality of spaced locations along each successive fabric section, and the forming of the compact stack of fabric layers further comprising impaling each successive layer of the fabric adjacent the identifying weftwise yarns and the opposing warpwise edges of the fabric on a plurality of substantially upright retaining pins during formation of the stack of the fabric, and also impaling each successive layer of the r fabric on at least one weftwise row of intermediate up right retaining pins arranged along a respective one of the aforementioned common weftwise pile yarns to aid in maintaining alignment of the successive fabric layers, and applying a compressive force to the superposed fabric layers from time to time for compacting the same during the formation of the stack thereof.

12. A method of making a patterned block of pile yarns from which successive slices of pile tufts may be severed for forming pile fabrics therefrom, said method comprising the steps of forming successive interconnected sections of woven fabric utilizing pile yarns for the wefts thereof by selectively interweaving with a plurality of sparsely spaced binder warp yarns a plurality of weftwise pile yarns of different appearance in a predetermined patterned order with the binder warp yarns being substantially smaller than the pile yarns, and by inserting visually distinct identifying weft yarns at substantially uniformly spaced locations in the fabric to define the junctures of adjacent fabric sections, forming a compact stack of layers of the woven fabric by moving the fabric back and forth while folding the same along the identifying weft yarns to form the successive fabric sections into a stack of superposed fabric layers while impaling the layers on a plurality of spaced substantially upright retaining pins to aid in aligning successive layers with each other so that the ends of the pile yarns in the stack collectively form a composite pattern, periodically applying a compressive force to the impaled superposed fabric layers to compact the stack, and enclosing the compact stack of folded fabric in an open-ended container to form a confined block of pile yarns with the ends of the pile yarns exposed and forming the composite pattern at an open end of the container so that the block of pile yarns may be incrementally advanced from the container and slices of patterned pile tufts severed therefrom in forming a patterned pile fabric.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the step of forming a compact stack of layers of the fabric further comprises forming the stack of layers upon a supporting panel, and wherein the step of enclosing the stack in an open-ended container includes positioning a pair of container sidewalls against opposite sides of the stack of fabric defined by the folds along the identifying weft yarns, positioning an upper wall on top of the stack of fabric layers, and attaching the container sidewalls to the supporting panel and the upper wall so that the supporting panel also serves as one of the walls of the open-ended container.

=l *k k

Claims

1. A method of making a patterned block of pile yarns from which successive slices of pile tufts may be severed for forming pile fabrics therefrom, said method comprising the steps of forming successive interconnected sections of woven fabric utilizing pile yarns for the wefts thereof by selectively interweaving with a plurality of binder warp yarns a plurality of weftwise pile yarns of different colors in a predetermined patterned order, and by inserting visually distinct identifying weft yarns at substantially uniformly spaced locations in the fabric to define the junctures of adjacent fabric sections, forming a compact stack of layers of the woven fabric by moving the fabric back and forth while folding the same along the identifying weft yarns to form the successive fabric sections into a stack of superposed fabric layers while aligning the successive layers with each other so that the ends of the pile yarns therein collectively form a composite pattern, and enclosing the compact stack of folded fabric in an open-ended container to form a confined block of the pile yarns with the ends of the pile yarns exposed and forming the composite pattern at an open end of the container so that the block of pile yarns may be incrementally advanced from the container and slices of patterned pile tufts severed therefrom in forming a patterned pile fabric.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the enclosing of the stack of folded fabric in the open-ended container is effected while the fabric layers are impaled on the upright retaining pins.

10. A method according to claim 9, in which the interweaving of the identifying warp yarns includes forming a float weave of the spaced apart identifying warp yarns by extending them through the fabric at a common weftwise pile yarn at each of a plurality of spaced locations along each successive fabric section, and said method further comprising impaling each successive layer of the fabric during the formation of the stack of fabric layers on weftwise rows of upright retaining pins arranged adjacent certain ones of the aforementioned common weftwise pile yarns.

11. A method according to claim 9, in which the interweaving of the identifying warp yarns Includes forming a float weave of the identifying warp yarns by extending them through the fabric at a common weftwise pile yarn at each of a plurality of spaced locations along each successive fabric section, and the forming of the compact stack of fabric layers further comprising impaling each successive layer of the fabric adjacent the identifying weftwise yarns and the opposing warpwise edges of the fabric on a plurality of substantially upright retaining pins during formation of the stack of the fabric, and also impaling each successive layer of the fabric on at least one weftwise row of intermediate upright retaining pins arranged along a respective one of the aforementioned common weftwise pile yarns to aid in maintaining alignment of the successive fabric layers, and applying a compressive force to the superposed fabric layers from time to time for compacting the same during the formation of the stack thereof.