Milliken Research Corporation

Milliken + Co

Howard C Willauer

Don M Bylund

James R Reynolds

Francis W Marco

William L McLeod, Jr

Colman Barrett O'Connell

James Ansel Jacobs, Jr

J David Strength

A base textile with a camouflage pattern is subjected to hot fluid streams to create flat regions and puckered or wrinkled regions, enhancing the three dimensional characteristics of the resulting material.

Method of forming a three-dimensional camouflage fabric

A material having a unique, multi-colored appearance is described. More specifically, a material having a multi-colored appearance and a three-dimensional surface is described, along with a method of making such a material. The process involves providing a pile material having an upper portion of the pile yarns of a first color and a lower portion of the pile yarns of a second color that is visually distinct from the first color, then treating the material so as to displace at least some of the pile yarns to a different position with respect to the base web portion of the fabric from other of the pile yarns. In this way, the lower portions of at least some of the pile yarns are exposed, to provide a unique visual appearance as a result of the color differential, and a unique three dimensional appearance as a result of the difference between the position of the treated and untreated portions.

Multi-colored materials and method of making same

An apparatus and method for creation of moire textile fabric. This can be achieved by directing at least one stream of pressurized heated gas at the surface of said first piece of overfed fabric to provide lateral yarn displacement and selectively interrupting and re-establishing contact between said stream and said surface in accordance with pattern information in order to pattern said first piece of fabric. This is followed by combining said patterned first piece of fabric with an unpatterned second piece of fabric in overlapping relationship and applying pressure by means of calender rolls having smooth surfaces to said combination of said first piece of patterned fabric and said second piece of unpatterned fabric. By using high pressure heated gas and shrinking some of the thermoplastic yarns, there is movement of the filling yarns in the fabric.

Moire fabric by utilizing pressurized heated gas

A method and apparatus for simulating an appearance of a moire fabric on a textile fabric having a number of filling yarns per inch utilizing a substantially transparent sheet having a number of lines per inch which substantially corresponds to said number of filling yarns per inch in the textile fabric to be viewed. The lines are aligned substantially parallel to the filling yarns of the textile fabric thereby simulating the appearance of a moire fabric. When the textile fabric has a lateral shifting of the filling yarns, then the lines on the substantially transparent sheet are straight and if the filling yarns of the textile fabric are not yet shifted, then the lines on the substantially transparent sheet are curved in accordance with the proposed filling yarn shift.

Method and apparatus for optically simulating moire fabric

An improved camouflaged product comprising an open mesh, net substrate to which is bonded a sheet material. This sheet is colored in the desired pattern and bonded to a substrate along spaced lines of attachment between adjacent lines of bonding to the net substrate. Separate lobes are formed on each side of the lines of stitching to simulate the appearance of natural objects of the terrain such as leaves or foliage and then are heated to over 400 degrees Fahrenheit to wrinkle and deluster the camouflage lobes thereby significantly enhancing camouflaged properties, such as creating a wrinkled three-dimensional effect and significantly decreasing luster.

Melted and delustered camouflaged fabric

Method and apparatus for developing an improved camouflaged product comprising of an open mesh, net substrate to which is bonded a sheet material. This sheet is colored in the desired pattern and bonded to a substrate along spaced lines of attachment between adjacent lines of bonding to the net substrate. In this formation, indefinite length webs of the net substrate and a continuous sheet may be combined in faced relation and stitch-bonded along spaced parallel continuous lines to form continuous parallel channels or pockets along the length of the composite material. The composite net and sheet material is passed to a cutting machine having a plurality of generally U-shaped guide members that separate and space the net substrate from the sheet. As the composite moves through the guide members, a plurality of spaced heated air cutters to reside and reciprocate slightly above the sheet to cut a generally sinuous path between the lines of the stitches. Separate lobes are formed on each side of the lines of stitching to simulate the appearance of natural objects of the terrain such as leaves or foliage and then are heated to over 400 degrees Fahrenheit to wrinkle and deluster the camouflage lobes thereby significantly enhancing camouflaged properties, such as creating a wrinkled three-dimensional effect and significantly decreasing luster.

Method for producing melted and delustered camouflaged fabric

Method and apparatus to create an improved moire fabric by utilizing

A method and apparatus for treatment of relatively moving substrate materials and the novel products produced thereby created by precise application of high temperature pressurized streams of fluid against the surface of the materials to melt and remove material which imparts a recessed channel to the materials that facilitates separation of the materials. The apparatus includes an elongate manifold for receiving heated pressurized fluid, such as air, disposed across the width of the relatively moving material and having a single slit the full width of the substrate for directing the fluid into the surface of the material. The substrate material is treated with an acrylic resin to eliminate jagged or frayed edges either prior to or after the melting and removal process by means of the high temperature pressurized fluid streams.

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Spartanburg, SC, United States of America

Howard C Willauer