Ozite Corporation

Reese R Thomas

Robert C Pickens, Jr

Patricia R Kirchherr

Ronald Somerville

A novel cut pile fabric (10) and a method of making same is disclosed. The cut pile fabric (10) includes a needled non-woven batt (14) of staple fibers (12) that is processed on a texturizing needle loom (17) from one surface (20) (called a back surface) thereof to form texturized loops (18) on the other surface (22) (called a face surface) of said batt (14). The non-textured back surface (20) of the batt (14) has a backing (24) applied thereto which may be of latex, or the like, with the texturized loops (18) being tigered by a tigering roll (28) to cut, break or fracture a high percentage of the loops. The tigered pile is polished by a polishing roll (34) to remove the crimps in the fibers and to orient the fibers in a direction transverse to the batt (14) prior to being sheared in a shear (36). A dense, plush cut pile fabric is produced.

Cut pile fabric with texturized loops

A novel cut pile fabric (110) and a method of making same is disclosed. The cut pile fabric (110) includes a needled non-woven batt (14) of staple fibers (12) that has a carrier member (60) which may be a separate sheet of material carried by a face surface (22) of the batt. A texturized surface is formed using a texturizing needle loom (17) which punches through the batt (14) from the one surface (20) (called the back surface) of the batt (14) so that texturized loops (70) project from the carrier (60) on the other face surface (22) of the batt. The one non-texturized back surface (20) of the batt (14) has a backing (24) applied thereto as by latexing, fusing, or the like, with the texturized loops (70) being tigered to break, fracture or cut a high percentage of the loops (70). The tigered pile is polished by a polishing roll (34) to remove the crimps in the fibers and to orient the fibers in a direction substantially perpendicular to the batt prior to being sheared in a shear (36). A denser, plusher cut pile fabric is produced having increased stability and strength.

Cut pile fabric with carrier and texturized loops

A novel cut pile fabric (210) and a method of making same is disclosed. The cut pile fabric (210) includes a needled non-woven batt (14) of staple fibers (12) that has an integral carrier member (74) formed by fusing a face surface (22) of the needled batt. A texturized surface is formed on the batt (14) using a texturized needle loom (17) which punches through the batt (14) from the one surface (20) (called the back surface) of the batt so that texturized loops (76) project from the carrier member (74). The non-texturized back surface (20) of the batt (14) has a backing (24) applied as by latexing, fusing, or the like, with the texturized loops (76) being tigered by a tigering roll (28) to break, fracture or cut a high percentage of the loops (76). The tigered pile is polished by a polishing roll (34) to remove the crimps in the fibers and to orient the fibers in a direction transverse to the plane of the batt (14) prior to being sheared in a shear (36). A denser, plusher, lighter weight cut pile fabric is produced having increased stability and strength.

Cut pile fabric with fused carrier and method of making same

A fabric (10), for a wall covering or the like, is provided which has a needled non-woven batt (16) of staple fibers (12), to a front surface or one face (18) of which a cloth or film of woven, knitted fabric or extruded film (22) is attached, as by needle punching fibers (12) from the batt, or the like. Groups of staple fibers are punched from the batt through the cloth or film (22) to produce a distinctive pattern of clustered loops (34) of non-woven fibers having a visual background of cloth or film (22). The back surface (20) of the non-woven batt may optionally be backed (40) as by fusing, latexing, or the like. A novel method of making a fabric is provided and comprises needling (15) the non-woven batt, attaching the cloth or film (22) to the batt, needling clustered loops (34,35) from the non-woven fibers of the batt through the cloth or film (22) to define a pattern of loops with the cloth or film ( 22) visible between the clustered loops, and optionally backing the non-woven batt. The fabric (10) has sound and heat insulating characteristics.

Wall covering fabric with texturized loops

A floor covering is provided which has a woven fabric needle punched to a face surface of a non-woven batt of staple fibers. The woven fabric has either warps of polypropylene ribbons and fillings of continuous filaments, ribbon yarns, or spun staple fibers or vice versa. The needle punching forms a covering layer of fibers on the facing surface of the woven fabric. In one form of the invention, the needled batt and woven fabric is texturized from the batt side of the woven fabric which forms loops outwardly of the plane of the woven fabric which loops include fibers from the non-woven batt and varying amounts of filaments, ribbon yarns, or spun staple fibers from the woven fabric. A back is affixed to the batt as by fusing, latexing, foaming, needling, or the like. In another form of the invention, the needled batt and woven fabric are texturized from the woven fabric side of the batt which forms loops outwardly of the plane of the batt. The loops contain fibers from the batt and from the filaments, ribbon yarns, or spun fibers. In this form of the invention, the woven fabric serves also as a woven backing for the floor covering. A novel method of making a floor covering is disclosed and comprises needling the non-woven batt, attaching the woven fabric which has either warps or fillings, containing bundles of continuous filaments, ribbon yarns, or spun staple fibers to the batt to provide a covering layer to the batt, texturizing loops from the non-woven fibers of the batt and from the continuous filaments, ribbon yarns, or spun staple fibers of the woven fabric to define rows of loops on the floor covering which has a random pattern of individual loops or clusters of loops of a color contrasting with the color of the batt. The floor covering has an appropriate backing formed thereon or attached thereto.

Growing community of inventors

Libertyville, IL, United States of America

Reese R Thomas