Microfibres, Inc.

Other

James P Casey

Kent Byron

David I Walsh

William F Laird

George E Corneau

Bottle

Container

Method and apparatus for making a splinter-flocked fabric from a multifilament tow. The tow is formed into a wide, flat ribbon, the tow is impregnated with a size liquid in order to adhere the filaments to each other, and the tow is cut into flock fibre lengths while in the form of a wide, flat ribbon, thus producing flock fibre bands. The bands are broken up into a multiplicity of splinters of controlled denier, the splinters are electrostatically flocked on a substrate, and the size is then removed as by washing with warm water, to produce a splinter-flocked fabric.

Method of making a splinter-flocked fabric from a multifilament tow

A pattern is printed with adhesive as a design on certain selected areas of a shrinkable substrate and the adhesive is dried. Flock is preferably applied to the selected design prior to drying. Supplemental adhesive is then applied to other areas ('background' areas) of the substrate, and is dried. Preferably such supplemental adhesive is applied over the surface of the entire substrate and over the adhering flock that has already been applied, and the entire substrate plus existing flock is covered with additional flock, followed by drying of the adhesive. The entire substrate thus prepared is then subjected to shrinkage, causing differential shrinkage of the design areas and the background areas, and producing a fabric having a novel three-dimensional pattern or design. The fabric product preferably has a plurality of upstanding flock fibres and the substrate is shrunken more tightly in some areas than in others.

Method of making a differentially shrunk flocked fabric, and flocked

A continuous in-line flock cutting process is disclosed, for making flock from tow which contains a lubricant which is detrimental to the flock and must be removed. The tow is continuously fed, heat treated and immersed in an aqueous scouring liquid, and is continuously wet-processed. The excess scouring liquid is squeezed out, the tow is rinsed with water, rinse water is squeezed out, and a finish is applied to the tow and partially squeezed out in an in-line continuous process to remove a portion of the applied finish. Thus processed, the still-wet tow is continuously cut into wet flock, the wet flock is then dried and beaten to open up and separate the individual flock particles, and screened.

In-line flock cutting process

A synthetic suede is disclosed comprising a flexible backing having a multiplicity of upstanding flock fibers adhered to the base, and a fatty acid radical cationic softener substantially uniformly distributed over at least portions of the fibers at or near their ends. Typical cationic softeners include the fatty acid quaternary ammonium softeners.

Growing community of inventors

Seekonk, MA, United States of America

James P Casey