US3889034A

US3889034A - Chenille yarn and method of making same

Info

Publication number: US3889034A
Application number: US434573A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gerhard Lenards; Walter Bahren
Original assignee: Kuhn Vierhaus and Cie AG
Current assignee: FLOCKGARN A OF WEST GERMANY GmbH LLC
Priority date: 1973-01-27
Filing date: 1974-01-18
Publication date: 1975-06-10
Anticipated expiration: 1992-06-10
Also published as: JPS5729569B2; DE2304049A1; JPS49102952A

Abstract

A core filament such as a polyester monofilament is passed longitudinally through an adhesive bath and is thereafter passed through an electrostatically charged mass of flocking fibers, such as nylon. The flocked filament is thereafter passed through a fixing chamber and is then flattened between a pair of heated rollers. Subsequently the flattened and flocked yarn is passed between a pair of polygonal-section rollers which serve to orient the fibers parallel to each other and pointing in two groups in opposite directions away from the core filament.

Description

United States Patent Lenards et al.

[75] Inventors: Gerhard Lenards; Walter Bahren,

both of Rheydt, Germany [73] Assignee: Kuhn Vierhaus & Cie. AG., Rheydt,

Germany [22] Filed: Jan. 18, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 434,573

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 27, 1973 Germany 1. 2304049 [52] US. Cl ..428/372; 117/9; 117/17; 118/308; 427/32; 428/400 [51] Int. Cl D02g 3/42; B44c 1/08 [58] Field of Search 117/17, 33, 9; 161/176, 161/180 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 644,724 3/1900 Richter ll7/33 2,047,525 7/1936 Thode 117/17 2,115,079 4/1938 Lilley et al. 117/33 2,696,445 12/1954 Schwartz et a1. 117/9 3,018,845 1/1962 Powers 117/33 3,081,485 3/1963 Steigerwald.... 117/17 June 10, 1975 3,336,174 8/1967 Dyer et al. 161/180 3,375,124 3/1968 Linneborn 117/17 3,583,890 6/1971 Kolchmann 161/176 3,775,228 11/1973 Leary 161/176 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 881,382 11/1961 United Kingdom 161/176 1,111,449 10/1955 France 117/33 20,505 9/1969 Japan .1 117/33 Primary Examiner-George F. Lesmes Assistant Examiner-J. Cannon Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Karl F. Ross; Herbert Dubno [57] ABSTRACT A core filament such as a polyester monofilament is passed longitudinally through an adhesive bath and is thereafter passed through an electrostatically charged mass of flocking fibers, such as nylon. The flocked filament is thereafter passed through a fixing chamber and is then flattened between a pair of heated rollers. Subsequently the flattened and flocked yarn is passed between a pair of polygonal-section rollers which serve to orient the fibers parallel to each other and pointing in two groups in opposite directions away from the core filament.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures CHENILLE YARN AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a chenille yarn. In addition, this invention concerns a method of making such a yarn.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The oldest known method of making a chenille yarn comprises several steps: First, a thick blanket is formed by weaving together a fine and very strong woolen or worsted yarn serving as a warp and heavy cotton weft threads. This blanket is then cut into strips between the warp threads, each strip constituting a section of chenille yarn which is then joined longitudinally to another such section to form the desired chenille yarn. This type of chenille yarn is used commonly in the manufac ture of rugs and carpets and constitutes an extremely durable, albeit expensive, product. The several steps in the production are time consuming and require a great deal of supervision in order to insure a high-quality product.

In contrast to this woven type of chenille yarn there is also known a spun type of yarn. For this type of yarn a woven worsted is generally blended with other fibers and is then textured to give the desired chenille characteristics. Such a spun-type chenille yarn is relatively easy to produce, and therefore can be made relatively inexpensively. However, such a yarn has by no means the advantageous characteristics of the more expensive type of chenille yarn. The texturing frequently weakens the spun-type chenille yarn so that it is a chenille in appearance only, having none of the long-wearing characteristics of the woven type.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved chenille yarn.

Another object is to provide an improved method of making such a yarn.

A further object is to provide a chenille yarn which can be produced relatively inexpensively and which nonetheless has the long-wearing characteristics of the more expensive type of chenille yarn.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These objects are attained according to the present invention in a chenille yarn formed by coating a core filament with an adhesive and then passing this coated filament through a mass of electrostatically charged flocking fibers so that they adhere thereto. This mass is formed between a pair of electrically charged plates defining a space to which are fed the flocking fibers. On exiting from the flocking station the filament carrying the fibers is passed through a fixing chamber wherein it is heated so as to affix these fibers permanently to the core filament. Thereafter according to the present invention the yarn is flattened and otherwise treated to give it the desired chenille appearance and shape.

It has been surprisingly found that when an adhesivecoated filament is passed through such an electrostatically charged mass of fibers the fibers attach themselves to the filament by their ends so as to project generally radially outward from the core filament. This is evidently due to the fact that the fibers orient themselves perpendicular to the plates creating the electrostatic field at the flocking station because the filament is at a lower potential than the charged plates. The chenille yarn so produced therefore has a rugged core from which extend the many fibers so that an extremely durable yarn is produced while the considerable disadvantages of the woven-type chenille yarn are avoided.

In accordance with another feature of the present invention the core filament is a polyester or polyamide monofilament and the blocking fibers are a polyamide, such as nylon, while the adhesive is a polyamide solvent cement such as discussed on page 6 of WHITTING- TONS DICTIONARY OF PLASTICS (TECHNOMIC: 1968). Such a composite yarn has proven itself to be extremely rugged and to hold its laterally projecting flocks fibers for a very long time.

In accordance with another feature of the present invention after fixing of the fibers to the core filaments the yarn is passed between at least two flattening'rollers. Thereafter according to the present invention it is passed between a pair of polygonal-section orienting rollers which brush up the fibers parallel to one another in two groups pointing in opposite directions away from the core filament. Brushes may also be used at this point.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of the apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view in enlarged scale of a short section of chenille yarn according to the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken along line III-III of FIG. 2.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION As shown in FIG. 1 the core filament 2 is drawn from a supply 1 in the direction shown by the arrow A and passes through a bath 3. A liquid adhesive 4 is held in a vessel 5 constituting this bath 3 and the filament 2 passes under areversing roller 6 below the surface of this liquid 4. Thence the filament 2, now carrying an adhesive coating 26, is pulled up and out of the bath 3 by a pair of rollers 7a and 7b, the latter being partially submerged in the liquid 4 so as to insure a thin and even coating 26 of the adhesive 4 on the filament 2.

The coated filament 2 thereafter passes longitudinally through a flocking station 8 comprising an open ended chamber 17 in which are provided a pair of spaced apart charged

plates

9 and 10 connected to a source 28 of high-voltage electric power. These

plates

9 and 10 are equispaced from and parallel to the filament as it passes through the chamber 17. A pair of idler rollers 12 and 13 in the chamber 1'7 support a dielectric transport band 14 displaced in the direction of arrow A by a driven roller 11. A hopper 15 filled with a supply 16 of nylon flocking fibers 27 adjacent to this roller 11 serves to deposit continuously these fibers 27 onto the upstream portion of this band 14 so that they are introduced between the

plates

9 and 10 on stretch 14' of the band 14 and form a charged mass 29 of these fibers 27 between these two

plates

9 and 10. As the core filament 2 is pulled longitudinally through this mass 29 the fibers 27 attach themselves to it endwise. This filament 2 rotates about its own axis because it is pulled off a spool as shown at 1. On exiting from the chamber 17 the now flocked filament 2 passes through a relatively long heated chamber 18 in which the adhesive 4 is dried so as to fix permanently the fibers 27 to the filament 2.

Downstream of the heat treatment chamber 18 there are provided a pair of

rollers

19 and 20 between the nip of which the filament 2 is pulled. A drive motor is connected to both of these

rollers

19 and 20 and serves to drive them and thereby advance the filament 2 in the direction of arrow A.

Further downstream from the

rollers

19 and 20 are three pinch rollers 21 all driven by a motor 31 and serving to flatten the chenille yarn produced by the upstream devices. A pair of spaced-apart square-section rollers 22 further downstream from the rollers 21 are driven very rapidly by a motor 32 in the direction A and serve to orient the fibers 27 parallel to each other as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and pointing almost perpendicularly to the filament 2. Thence the finished chenille yarn passes over a guide roller 23 and is wound onto a spool 24 driven by a drive roller 25 rotated by a motor 33.

The core filament 2 is a polyester monofilament. The adhesive 4 is a polyamide solvent, and the fibers 27 are of a polyamide, such as nylon. The rollers 21 for such a composite structure are heated to a temperature of approximately 150 to 180C, here to a temperature of 165C.

The chenille yarn so formed can be made very inexpensively and very rapidly. Although only a single supply l and a single filament 2 is here shown it is entirely within the scope of the present invention to provide a plurality of such supplies 1 so that a plurality of yarns can be made simultaneously.

We claim:

1. A chenille yarn comprising:

a core filament;

a layer of adhesive surrounding said filament; and

a multiplicity of flocking fibers projecting from said filament and each having one end imbedded in said layer, said fibers being oriented generally parallel to one another and transverse to said filament from about the point of exit from said adhesive layer.

2. A method of making a chenille yarn comprising the steps of:

coating a core filament with an adhesive layer;

electrostatically charging a mass of flocking fibers;

passing the coated filament through said mass whereby said fibers adhere to and flock said coated filament, said filaments each having one end embedded in said adhesive layer;

flattening and fixing the coated and flocked filament;

and

orienting said fibers generally parallel to one another and transverse to said filament from about the point of exit of said fibers from said adhesive layer.

3. The method defined in claim 2 wherein said fibers are continuously fed to a region between a pair charged electrodes to form a cloud, said filament being continuously passed through said cloud.

4. The method defined in claim 3, further comprising the step of heating the coated and flocked filament to harden said adhesive.

Claims

1. A CHENILLE YARN COMPRISING: A CORE FILAMENT, A LAYER OF ADHESIVE SURROUNDING SAID FILAMENT, AND A MULTIPLICITY OF FLOCKING FIBERS PROJECTING FROM SAID FILAMENT AND EACH HAVING ONE END IMBEDDED IN SAID LAYER, SAID FIBERS BEING ORIENTED GENERALLY PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER AND TRANSVERSE TO SAID FILAMENT FROM ABOUT THE POINT OF EXIT FROM SAID ADHESIVE LAYER A. A METHOD OF MAKING A CHENILLE YARN COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: COATING A CORE FILAMENT WITH AN ADHESIVE LAYER, ELECTROSTATICALLY CHARGING A MASS OF FLOCKING FIBERS, PASSING THE COATED FILAMENT THROUGH SAID MASS WHEREBY SAID FIBERS ADHERE TO AND FLOCK SAID COATED FILAMENT, SAID FILAMENT EACH HAVING ONE END EMBEDDED IN SAID ADHESIVE LAYER, FLATTENING AND FIXING THE COATED AND FLOCKED FILAMENT, AND ORIENTING SAID FIBERS GENERALLY PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER AND TRANSVERSE TO SAID FILAMENT FROM ABOUT THE POINT OF EXIST OF SAID FIBERS FROM SAID ADHESIVE LAYER.