Burlington Industries, Inc.

Edward W Teague

Max H Hance

Ellis Davis, Jr

Jarvis L Clark

James E McFarland

Carl R Neal

Julius R Schnegg

Bobby L McConnell

Louis A Graham

Charles F Bino

Ben M Croker

James E MacFarland

Denim fabric and articles of clothing having a &ldquo;washed&rdquo; or heather look/effect are produced in a manner that retains color intensity and substantially avoids the waste of chemicals and/or water inherent in conventional washing processes. A first coarse feeder yarn of cotton and/or other natural fiber by ring or open end spinning, and then is continuously dyed (such as by indigo rope dyeing, slasher dyeing, or sheet dyeing). The dyed yarn is dried and then cut up into lengths of about four inches long or less (and opened if necessary) into individual fibers. The fibers are blended with other fibers (e.g. about 10-90% greige fibers) to produce a blended composite. The blended composite is then carded, spun into yarn, and woven into denim fabric having a washed look, or a heather effect, which then can be made into any suitable article. A second coarse yarn made similar to the first coarse yarn may be added to the blending station.

Production of color blended yarn for denim construction

Open end spun cotton yarns are ring dyed with a thickened dyebath to limit dye penetration to the outer circumference of the yarn leaving a substantial undyed core. Stonewashed indigo dyed denim fabrics and garments are prepared.

Reduced indigo dye penetration

A method for producing a dyed cotton fabric having an improved characteristic salt-and-pepper look and the product thereof. The process includes forming a plurality of individual cotton yarns having a twist multiple value of at least 4.6 and, preferably, subjecting the twisted cotton yarn to exposure to a caustic solution under tension. The yarn then is dyed under tension by exposure to a dye liquor. The treated yarn is used to produce a woven fabric, which after being abraded, has a lighter portion dispersed throughout a darker portion. In the preferred embodiment the twist multiple value of the cotton yarn threads varies within the range of between 4.6 and 10.5.

Salt-and-pepper denim

Cotton denim fabrics are treated to enhance abrasion and shade reduction thereby reducing stonewashing time and expense by embrittling the fibers with an acid, heat-activated finish.

Fabric finishing procedure

The invention concerns an improved stretch denim fabric dyed with hot indigo dye and strengthened by incorporating a filament filling yarn without obtaining whitening or crease wear problems. The invention also concerns a novel hot indigo dyeing process as well as an improved finishing process for this fabric.

Brushed stretch denim fabric and process therefor

Dyes are fixed in an indigo-dyed cellulosic fabric, such as denim, in order to improve its washfastness, by applying an aqueous solution of a fixative compound then drying and curing the thus treated fabric in the disclosed process. Suitable fixatives include colorless and colored dihalo-s-triazine reactive dyes. Cellulosic fabrics thus treated retain their original indigo color even after repeated launderings.

Growing community of inventors

Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Edward W Teague