US2110118A - Fabric and method of and apparatus for treating the same - Google Patents

Description

1b. ROBERTSON ET AL 2,110,118- FABRIC AND METHOD OF AND- APPARATUS FOR TREATING THE SAME March 1, 1938.

Filed Sept. 14, 1936 2 Sheets-sheaf 1 March 1, 1938. J. D. ROBERTSON El AL 2,110,118

I ABRIC AND METHOD OF AND APPARATUS REATI Filed Sept. 14, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 z I A fioiiwfiolglasfloberfison, l5 Wa'ZZz'aan 8413311522206,

Patented Me}. 1, .1938 2,110,118

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FABRIC AND METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING THE SAME John Douglas Robertson and William G. Staples,

Dighton, Mass, asslgnors to Mount Hope Finishing Company, Dighton, Masa, a corporation spots on a plain fabric ground, such, for ex- In connection with such fabrics, where the 5 ample, as dottedmarquisettes. Such spots are rovings are incorporated in the fabric ground formed by interweaving yarns, picks or rovings when and as woven, one object of the present inwith a plurality ofthreads of the warp or filling ventlon is to produce a fabric of this type in a constituting the fabric ground. when and as the finally finished form with the roving ends prelatter is woven, the rovings being subsequently senting a finely fluifed or puffed up full appear- 10 sheared or clipped, leaving free, loose, exposed ance, anda soft, downy condition extending over portions which lie-fiatwise on one face of th substantially the entire area covered by the dot fabric. Such clipped spots may be in various or spot and over and above the interwoven roving patterns but are often in the form of so-called strands, as contrasted with a flattened, irregular,

l5 dots, on marquisettes, Swiss, lawn or other fabrics, unsightly and more or less shapeless appearance where the weave of the ground fabric is more and a hard, matted condition, which has heretoor less open. fore characterized finished marquisettes and It is one characteristic of an open mesh fabric, other fabrics of this kind.

suchas dotted marquisette, that the rovings being Another object of the present invention is to interwoven with a plurality of threads and havprovide a highly eflic n and Simple me h 0! ing a sinuous path, the ends of the rovings when and apparatus for treating fabrics, including the *cut tend to lie fiat against the open mesh face flum'ng up of the loose fibers thereon and in, of the fabric ground, whereas in the ordinary art ar l se r vin nds n fa s pr s closelywoven pile fabric, where the pile threads g S ch C pe spots as have been hereinbei'ole have a single loop only about one or more threads, referred 25 the pile threads when cut tend to assume a more These and other objects of the invention will nearly erect position. be best understood by reference tonthe accom- When such fabrics leave the loom, the interpanying illustration of one specific embodiment woven rovlngs appear as separate strands, orthereof when taken in connection with the acso dinarily parallel, with loose ends closely bunched compan ns d c p wh e its scope w b and lying flatwise against the fabric ground. more particularly Pointed Out in e pp S nce they form a component, interwoven part a ms, of the fabric ground, they must be subjected, n t e d a under the practice heretofore prevailing, to all Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a device embo ythe finishing operations to which the fabric itone form of the invention employing compressed 35 self is subjected; These, comprising, as they orair for the purpose of fiufllng up the rovin fi e dinarily have, the usual steps of bleaching, can on fabrics, and particularly the fibers of clipped drying, sizing, batching, etc., are such as militate spots such as have been referred to; against the development of any flufied up, soft Fig. 2 is a partial front elevation-of the device 10 condition or shapely appearance of the roving S wn in 40 ends. In the process of finishing these fabrics, Fig. 3 is a more or less dia e illustraas for example dotted marquisettes, as heretotion showing the general course of the fabric subfore carried out, it has been the common practice jected to the action of the device Shown in F before delivering them to the tenter frame to not 1 and 2, followed y the applieatienof Sizing a d 15 only subject the fabric to such treatment as its passage through the tenter e;

- flattens and distorts the roving ends, but also to Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional elevation of the depass the fabric with the dots through starch or vice shown in Figs. 1 and 2. on t e i i other sizing mangles for the purpose of impart- Fig. 2, and additionally showing the path of the ing the required body to the fabric ground, The fabric immediately before and after being sub- ;0 result has been that in the finished fabric the iected to the action of the compressed ir;

loose, roving ends become flattened. with the ab- Fig. 5 is an enlarge fr m n y r senee of any soft, fluify'appearance, and the dots tlonal view showing the details of the plates which as well as the fabric become permeated with size. form the air discharge Slot d t e DP On leaving the tenter frame when dried, the dots pera ufi Seating member between are "flat, hard and irregular, the ends of the inwhich the cloth passes; 56

of Massachusetts Application September 14, 1936, Serial No. 100,604 15 Claims. (01. 26-29) This invention relates to a new type of finished fabric and to methods of and apparatus for preparing the same, and particularly those fabrics presenting isolated or spaced groups of raised dividual rovings are compacted and bunched leaving the interwoven strands more or less visible, and-the dots present a shapeless and unsightly appearance in the finished fabric.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view, similar to Fig. 4, showing the application of the device to an ordinary napped fabric;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged plan showing a portion of a fiufllng action. I

Referring to the drawings and first to the embodiment of the invention intended 'more particularly for the finishing of fabric haviiig clipped spots, as, for example, marquisette, the fabric which is represented at H (Fig. 3), and before being subjected to the dot flufdng device represented generally at I3, is withdrawn from a box truck and subjected to the action of some of the usual finishing devices. It may, for example, be passed over a tension rack, thence through a drying mangle, thence over a series of drying cans, over compensating rolls, and through an intervening weft straightener. This is a common method of treating such fabrics, except that in the treatment here contemplated the usual application of sizing to the fabric is omitted, or rather withheld, until after the dots have been processed, as hereinafter described. This method of handling the fabric and the devices therefor being well understood, no attempt is made inFig. 3 to show the treatment of the fabric just prior to reaching the dot raising device I3.

In the pre-treatment of the fabric, and par- 40 ticularly in its passage over the drying cans, the dots Ilbcome very much flattened and present a more or less matted and unsymmetrical appearance, which may be approximately represented in Figs. '1 and 8. To puff up the fibers of the dots and bring the latter into some such con-.- dition as is represented in Figs. 9 and 10, the fabric is first caused to pass over the guide roll l1 (Fig. 4), with the dotted side on which the loose roving ends lie (herein termed the face of the fabric in distinction from the reverse side) in contact with the roll, and thence over the corner or edge of a bar l9 which extends beneath the fabric for the full width thereof, and is supported at each opposite end by a yoke 2| carried by an upright bar 23. The corner of the bar l9 acts as a straight-edge, intending to separate more or less and loosen the packed down .fibers of the dots prior to the action. of the air thereon and to prepare them therefor. A somewhatsimilar added effect is produced by the drag of the fabric face (Fig. 4) over 'the corner 25 f the plate 21, the fiat top of which lies along the line of travel of .the fabric close to the face or underside thereof.

The fabric passing over the top of plate 21 is then subjected to the action of compressed air delivered against the face of the fabric through a narrow slot 29 formed between the opposite separated beveled edges of the plate 21 and the plate 3!, the face of the latter being inclined to the face of the plate 21 and diverging from the path ofthe fabric ll. a F

The plates 21 and 3| (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) are bolted to a grooved casting 33 and with the latter form theair chamber 35, to either or both ends of the dots after having been subjected to such of which (Fig. 2) compressed air at a substantial pressure, such, for example, as from 20 to 30 pounds to the square inch, is delivered through the pipe 31 from any suitable source, the air being thence delivered upwardly through "the narrow slot 29 between the edges of the separated plates 21 and 3! and against the face of the fabric II as it passes over the mouth of the slot. The slot 29 (shown in Figs. 1, 4 and is preferably inclined forwardly at a somewhat acute angle "in the direction of the travel of the fabric, so that the compressed air strikes the face of the fabric at a slight angle to the perpendicular, as, for example, 25. l

At the mouth of the slot,the slot forming side of the plate 21 extends to the top face thereof and forms an acute angle therewith, leaving a corner or edge 39 presented immediately to the face or under side of the fabric. The slot forming side of the plate 3|, however, terminates short of the corner 39 (Fig. 5) by a slight amount (as, forexample, of an inch), and the wall of the slot is thence beveled back tothe face of the plate, forming a shoulder ll further spaced from the plane of travel of the fabric than the edge 39. This forms an open relief space just beyond the corner 39 where the air impinges on the face of the fabric and on the free fibers of the dots and avoids confining the fibers of the dots when and after subjected to the compressed air, as well as providing the desired turbulence of the air acting on the loose fibers.

The structure comprising the plates 21 and 3| and the casting 33 (of which one end only is shown in Fig. 3), extends transversely across and 35 beneath the entire width of the fabric so that the face of the latter for its entire width issubjected to, the blast of air delivered through the narrow slot .29. The slot 29 is preferably narrow in width so as to deliver from its mouth a thin sheet of compressed air against the face of the fabric, a width of the order of approximately .014 of an inch, withan air pressure of from 20 to 30 pounds being found to give eifective results. I,

Immediately above the plate 21, separated from the plate by an appreciable space (as, for example, of an inch) and extending forwardly and beyond the mouth of the slot by an appreciable distance (as, for example, of an inch) is located a member 43, herein in the form of a'bar of substantially square cross-section, the bottom of which, and particularly the overlapping forward edge thereof, presents a surface functioning both as a seat for the back of the fabric when and if forced upwardly by the air and to direct the escaped air through the most eifective course.

The bar 43 is supported at each end (Figs. 1 and 2), beyond the ends of the plates 21 and 3|, by adjusting screws in a U-shaped plate 45, the legs of which are secured to a transverse plate 41, fastened in turn by adjusting screws in spaced relation to a bracket resting on the pipe 31, the bracket being clamped to the pipe by a U- shaped band 5i which embraces the under side of the pipe. The bar therefore extends entirely across and above the back of the fabric, slightly spaced from the mouth of the air slot 29, and in the relation thereto heretofore described.

Beyond the bar 43 and the mouth ,of the air slot, above the fabric as it passes beyond the slot, there is provided a member 53 consisting of a sheet metal plate fastened to the bar and having a wall inclined forwardly. and downwardly from the top of the bar nearly to the plane of fabric travel. This plate extends across the entire width 75 of the fabric, covering the space back of the fabric just beyond the mouth of the slot. plate confines the air escaping through the fabric and also serves to deflect it again downwardly through v the fabric from the back thereof, and the forward lower edge of the plate 53 serves to seat or hold down the fabric if the latter tends to lift under the action of the air.

The best results have been found to follow an adjustment of the bar 43 and deflector 53, such that the seat or surface formed by the bottom of the bar is inclined downwardly and forwardly towards the plate 21 at a slight angle (as, for example, 2) as is indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, thus providing slightly converging walls with a slightly contracting space for the passage of the fabric between them.

The dimensional figures herein'suggested are not to be taken in any restrictive sense but as illustrative only, and merely as exemplifying those utilized in the preferred embodiment of the invention applied to the processing of fabrics, such as small dotted marquisettes. These dimensions may be varied widely and variations may be requiredto adapt the deviceto fabrics of other types.

The process of treating the. described fabric is as follows:

After the earlier described pre-treatment of the fabric, and on leaving the roll H, the face of the fabric ll encounters the comer of the bar l9 and subsequently the corner 25 of the plate 21 which act to loosen and separate the loose fibers of the dots and to comb them backward. The fabric then passes over and above the face of the plate 21 and as it emerges from above the corner 39, any area of the face of the fabric occupied by a dot is subjected to the action of the compressed air delivered against the dot at a forward inclination to the face of the fabric through the mouth of the narrow inclined slot 29. This,

through cooperation with the overlapping seat on the bar 43, causes the fibers of the dot to be puffed or fiufied up into the underlying relief space provided by the spaced beveled shoulder M on the plate 3|. This puihng or fiufiing appears to be increased by the reaction of the air as the dot passes beneath the space covered by the deflecting plate 53.

The position assumed by the fabric passing over the plates 21 and slot 29 and beneath the bar 43 and deflector 53 is indicated in Fig. 4. Under these conditions the relationship of the overlapping seat of the bar to the mouth of the slot and to the recess formed by the beveled shoulder 4|, particularly in conjunction with the deflector 53, creates a highly desirable turbulence in the air at the point where it strikes the dot, causing the air to impinge thereagainst at varying angles, raising and fiufiing upthe roving fibers overthe entire area of the dot and avoiding the flattening or distortion of any portion thereof, such as might be caused by impingement directly of the thin sheet of compressed air against the dot without the creation of such turbulence.

The action of the impinging air not only imparts a' puffed or fluffed up appearance over the entire area of the dot, but, serves to partially dry tially dried state.

The fabric then passes to the tenter frame 55 (Fig. 3), butbefore entering the frame is subjected to a sizing action, the size, however, being applied to the back of the fabric so as not to reach the raised fibers of the dots or affect the fiuffed up appearance thereof. The size may be applied in any wellknown manner, but herein a transverse series of size delivery nozzles 51 is employed to apply starch or other suitable size fed from any desired source, each nozzle being arranged in conjunction with .an immediately adjacent aspirating air delivery nozzle 59, supplied with compressed air from any suitablesource, to deliver againstv the back of the fabric a finely atomized spray of sizing. I

The sized fabric then passes into and through the tenter frame 55 which serves to restore its width, and on the tenter frame enters and passes through the heating chamber 6| which thoroughly dries the fabric, while leaving the fiuify condition of the dots unimpaired. From the tenter frame the fabric passes over the conveyor 63 to any suitable plaiting or hooker device 55, by which it is laid in plaits or folds in the box 61 so as to leave the dots without impairment of their fiuffed up condition.

The finally finished fabric is characterized by a plain, sized, fabric ground with a more or less open weave, with the rovings initially interwoven with threads of the fabric ground and with the loose, unsized, roving ends fluifed upin a soft, downycondition spreading substantially over all the area occupied by the spot, including the interwoven portions of the roving, and giving the intended shape (herein circular) to the dot or spot.

In Fig. 6 there is shown the application of one form of the invention for the treatment of the nap or pile of other fabrics. such as shoe ducks, where the nap extends continuously over the face of the fabric, or of other fabrics having a napped surface of any kind.

In this device, the roll I! is raised slightly so that the plane of travel of the fabric 69 is slightly above the face of the plate 21, the bar l9 being omitted. The bar 43 is also raised very slightly, as compared with its position in Fig. 4. to allow for the passage of large seams. The functioning of the air in turbulent fiow and the parts associated with the air slot, however, is substantially the same as in the case of the device shown in Fig. 4.

This process and apparatus have been found not only efiective in flufling up the nap on fabrics where the nap hasbecome matted and pressed down by the usual preceding finishing treatment. but'also to materially-improve the brilliancy of color in dyed piled or napped fabrics where the color has been dulled by loose particles of fiber or lint previously deposited by the napping While there is herein shown and described for the purposes of illustration one specific embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that extensive deviations and changes may be made in the form, dimensions and relative arrange ment of parts, all without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for treating the nap, on pile ing a narrow air discharge slot, means for causing travel of the fabric across and in' front of the mouth of the slot with its napped face presented thereto, means for supplying compressed.

air at an acute angle to the direction of travel of the fabric, the side of the structure forming the mouth of the slot on the advance side'of or sheared fabrics, comprising a structure havthe fabric being farther spaced from the path of travel of the fabric than the side of the structure forming the opposite side thereof, a member on the opposite side of the fabric from the slot in close proximity to the slot and presenting a surface extending across and beyond the area. of

the fabric aligned with the slot, and air deflecting means beyond said member also on the opposite side of the fabric from said slot.

' 2. An apparatus for treating the nap on pile or sheared fabrics, comprising a structure having a narrow air delivery slot, means for causing travel of the fabric across and infront of the mouth of the slot' with its napped face presented thereto, means for supplying compressed air at an acute angle to the direction of travel of the fabric, the side of the structure forming the mouth of the slot on the advance side of the i fabric being farther spaced from the path of travel of the fabric than the side of the structure forming the'opposite side thereof, and a member on the opposite side of the fabric from the slot in close proximity to the back of the fabric and presenting a surface extending across and beyond the area of the fabric aligned with v prising the said ground, causing the continuous the slot.

3. An apparatus for treating the nap on pile or sheared fabrics, comprising'a structure having a narrow air discharge slot, means for causing the travel of the fabric across'and in front of the mouth of the slot with its napped face presented thereto, and means for supplying compressed air for delivery through the slot, said slot being inclined at an acute angle in the direction of travel of the fabric and the side of the structure forming the mouth of the slot on the advance side of the fabric being farther spaced from the path of travel of the fabric than the side of the structure forming the opposite side thereof. 1

4. An apparatus for treating the nap on pile or sheared fabrics, comprising astructure for discharging compressed air and having a narrow air discharge slot, a member presenting a surface one edge of which forms one side of the mouth of said slot, means for causing the travel of the fabric across said member and the mouth of said slot withits napped 'face presented thereto, means for supplying compressed air for discharge from said slot toward said fabric, and a member I on the opposite side of said fabric presenting a causing the continuous travelof the fabric, a

structure positioned adjacent the path of fabric travel having a narrow discharge slot extending substantially the full width of the fabric, means for discharging compressed gas through said slot toward and against the napped face of the traveling fabric to create a turbulent gas condition thereat at points. where said nap is otherwise undisturbed and free to fluff upvunder the action of the gas, a backing member on the opposite .7 side of the fabric from said slot in close approximation to the fabric and restraining the fabric against the action of the gas, said backing mem berterminating shortly beyond the region of the adjacent the'back of the fabric for reversely defiecting the gas. 7

6. An apparatus for treating the nap on,,pile or other sheared fabrics, comprising means for causing the continuous travel of the fabric, a structure positioned adjacent the path of fabric travel having a narrow discharge slot extending substantially the full width of the fabric, means for discharging compressed gas through said slot toward and against the napped face of the traveling fabric to create a, turbulent gas condition travel of such fabric in partly finished but-unsized condition, acting frictionaliy on the matted fibers of the loose roving ends to separate the same, creating a turbulent air condition by directing compressed air forcibly against the face of the fabric to fiuif up said roving ends, applying size to the back only of said fabric, and drying the fabric without impairing the fiuffed up condition of said roving ends. 8. The method of finishing fabrics, which con sistsin providing a fabric having a plain fabric ground with raised spots formed on the face thereof by rovings interwoven with threads comprising the said ground, causing the continuous travel of such fabric in partly finished but unsized condition, creating a turbulent air condition. by directing compressed air forcibly against the face of the fabric to fluff up the looseroving ends, thereafter applying size to the back only of said fabric, leaving theroving ends unsized and in their air fiufied up condition, and thereafter drying. the fabric without impairing the air flufled up condition of said roving ends.

9. The method of finishing fabrics, which consists in providing a fabric having a plain fabric ground with raised spots formed on the face thereof by rovings interwoven with threads comprising the said ground, causing the continuous travel of the fabric in partly finished condi-. tion, directing compressed gas forcibly against the face of the fabric to create a turbulent gas condition about said roving ends at points where the latter are otherwise undisturbed, to flufl up said roving ends under the action of the gas, applying size to the back only of said fabric leaving the roving ends unsized'and .in their -fluifed up condition, and completing the finishing of the traveling fabric without impairment of the. fiufied up condition of said roving ends.

10. An apparatus for fiufiing up the loose roving ends on fabrics presenting raised spots on the face thereof, comprising means for causing the continuous travel of the fabric in partly finished 'form', a structure positioned adjacent the path of the fabric travel, means on said structure for discharging compressed gas toward and against that face of the traveling fabric presenting said spots for substantially the full width thereof, said gasbelng so directed ing ends on fabrics presenting raised spots on the face thereof, comprising means for causfinished but unsized condition, means frictionally engaging the matted fibers of the loose ends of the roving forming said spots to separate the fibers thereof, means at a relatively advanced point in the travel of the fabric for thereafter flufling up the roving ends by directing gas under pressure toward and against the face of the fabric bearing said spots where the fibers thereof are otherwise undisturbed and free to flufi up under'the action of the gas, means at a still further advanced point in the travel of the fabric for sizing the back of the fabric only, leaving the gas fiuifed up condition of the spots ,uniinpaired, and means thereafter, while the fabric is still traveling, for stretching and drying the latter without impairment of the gas fiufied up condition of the roving ends.

12. The method of finishing fabrics having a plain open mesh woven fabric ground with a plurality of spaced spots formed on one facethereof by rovings of textile material interwoven with a plurality of threads comprising said fabric ground as and when the fabric is initially woven and presenting a plurality of loose ends of said rovings on said fabric face,

which consists in separating and flufiing up the roving fibers of a plurality of spots over substantially the entire area of each spot, as by the turbulent action of an air blast-directed against the face of said spots, so that said roving fibers of said plurality of spaced spots are fluffed up and given an unflattened and generally upstanding, unmatted attitude above said fabric ground, and sizing the fabric ground while leaving the roving ends unsized.

13. A method of finishing fabrics, which consists in takinga fabric of the marquisette type having a plain open mesh fabric ground with raised, spaced spots formed on the face thereof by rovings interwoven each with a plurality of 55 threads comprising said fabric ground as and when said fabric is initially woven and having the loose ends of said rovings lying flatwise and matted against the ground, subjecting said fabric to partial finishing operations, causing the continuous travel of such fabric, forcibly acting on the fibers of the rovings from both the face and reverse sides of the fabric without damage through such action to the fabric ground adjacent said spots, to separate and raise the fiattened and matted roving, fibers and impart to said roving ends a fiufied-up soft condition extending over the area of each spot so that the loose roving fibers of said spaced spots arefiuffed up and given an unfiattened and generally upstanding, unmatted attitude above said fabric ground, finishing the fabric while leaving the loose roving ends unsized and without impairment to the fluffed-up condition thereof.

14. As a new article of manufacture, a finished-woven textile fabric having a plain open mesh fabric ground with rovings of a textile material interwoven each with a plurality of threads comprised in said ground as and when said fabric is initially woven, said rovings forming raised spots over spaced areas on the face of the fabric ground and so arranged that the loose ends of said rovings are exposed on said face, said roving ends being in fluffed up soft condition over substantially the entire area of each spot with the fibers constituting said roving ends in substantial separation from each other and unmatted and having an unfiattened and generally upstanding attitude .above said fabric ground, the fabricground being sized and the fluffedup roving-ends being unsized. 15.-As a new article of manufacture, a finished woven textile marquisette fabric having a plain open mesh fabric ground with rovings of a textile material interwoven each with a plurality of threads comprised in said ground as and when said fabric is initially woven,said

rovings forming raised spots over spaced areas on the face of the fabric ground and so arranged that the loose ends of said rovings are exposed on said face, said roving ends being in fluifed up soft condition-over substantially the entire area of each spot with the fibers con-.- stituting said roving ends in substantial separation fromeach other and unmatted and hav- 7 ing an unflattened and generally upstanding attitude above said fabric ground, the fabric ground being sized and the fluifed up roving ends being unsized.

JOHN DOUGLAS ROBERTSON.

WILLIAM G. STAPLES.

DlSCLAlMER 2,110,118.-Joim Douglas Robertson and William G. Staples, Dighton, Mass. FABRIC AND METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING THE SAME. Patent dated March 1, 1938. Disclaimer filed September 3, 1943, by the assignee, Mount Hope Finishing Company. Hereby enters this disclaimer to claims 7 through 15 inclusive, of said patent.

[Ofiicial Gazette September 28, 1943.]

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