AU656916B2 - Process for the development of a textural effect on products - Google Patents

Description

OPI DATE 17/03/92 AOJP DATE 30/04/92 APPLN. ID 84986 91 PCT NUMBER PCT/GB91/01437 INTERNATIt .EATY (PCT) (51) International Patent Classification 5 (11) International Publication Number: WO 92/03607 D06Q 1/06, D06C 17/00 Al (43) International Publication Date: 5 March 1992 (05.03.92) (21) International Application Number: (22) International Filing Date: Prioritv data: PCT/GB91/01437 27 August 1991 (27.08.91) 235061 27 August 1990 (27.08.90) NZ 1t")(72) Applicant- nd Inventor: WATSON, Julian, Mark [GB/ NZ]; 129 High Street, Leeston, Canterbury (NZ).

(72) Inventors; and Inventors/Applicants (for US only) McFARLANE, Ian, Duncan [GB/NZ]; 129 High Street, Leeston, Canterbury RADFORD, Edward, Charles [GB/NZ]; Tosswill Road, R D 4, Prebbleton, Christchurch (NZ).

za,\ ,c c i- (74) Agent: WHARTON, Peter, Robert; Urquhar. Dykes Lord, Alliance House, 29/31 Kirkgate, Bradford BDI IQB (GB).

(81) Designated States: AT (European patent), AU, BE (European patent), CH (European patent), DE (European patent), DK (European patent), ES (European patent), FR (European patent), GB (European patent), GR (European patent), IT (European patent), JP, LU (European patent), NL (European patent), SE (European patent),

US.

Published With international search report.

Before the expiration of the time limit for amending the claims and to be republished in the event of the receipt of amendments.

656916 (54)Title: A PROCESS FOR THE DEVELOI TEXTURAL EFFECT ON PRODUCTS (57) Abstract A process for treating regions of a textile product to limit fibre movement and thereby control the amount of felting so that an aqueous or solvent tumbling treatment of the product in a rotary drum machine under controlled conditions felts groups of tufts on the product in some regions, while leaving other regions not felted or less felted, to thereby produce differing textured and patterned effects. The aqueous or solvent tumbling treatment can be in a rotary drum machine and is referred to as "PEBBLEMILLTM processing". The process is suitable for application to any tufted or woven textile substrate intended for use as a floor covering or the like that undergoes a significant texture change in the PEBBLEMILLTM processing caused by a fe.;ng process. The treatment of the regions of the textile product can be effected by Patterning in inclined drum washing using dissimilar yarns in a tufting or weaving machine, part of 4m x 25m sample process used to produce the textile product. Alternatively the treatment of the textile product can be effected by using a combination of loop pile and cut pile produced by a cut/loop tufting machine, or otherwise, for example, by tip shearing a high/low loop pile tufted substrate to produce regions which when treated with the tumbling treattent produce a textured pattern in which the PEBBLEMILLTM processing has little effect on the loop pile areas while creating the raised pebble effect on the cut pile areas, resulting in a relief pattern effec, The treatment of the textile product can also be effected by applying durable latex to areas of the backside or reverse of a cut-pile substrate, the latex holding the fibres in the yarn tufts of the su.trate and thereby greatly reducing their ability to felt during the PEBBLEMILLTM processing to thereby produce patterned areas of cut-pile carpet in amongst a pebble effect.

-1- A PROCESS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TEXTURAL EFFECT ON PRODUCTS The invention relates to a process for the development of a textural patterning effect on textile products such as carpet squares, wall-to-wall carpets and wall hangings.

The textural effect utilises the unique felting characteristics of some natural fibres such as wool to produce a patterning effect having the appearance and make up of felted "pebbles". The textile products are suitable for use as floor coverings and the like. The effect and the S: processing route(s) for producing the effect are called PEBBLEMILLTM by the applicants.

15 An object of the present invention is to utilise felting to create a floor covering or the like that has a patterned surface texture.

0 -According to the present invention there is provided a textile 20 product tezturing and patterning process which comprises the steps of providing a textile product with regions of limited fibre movement compared to the fibre movement in other regions and subjecting the textile product to an aqueous or solvent tumbling process in which the fibres in said other regions are felted and the fibres in said regions of limited fibre movement are not felted or are felted to a lesser degree so as to produce a different textured and patterned effect between said regions of limited fibre movement and said other regions.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a textile product when textured and patterned by a process substantially as described in the immediately preceding paragraph.

The aqueous or solvent tumbling treatment can be in a rotary drum machine and this is preferred in the PEBBLEMILLTM 94083,p\ perpb1.,84986-91.241,1 -2process.

The invention is suitable for application to any tufted or woven textile substrate intended for use as a floor covering or the like that undergoes a significant texture change during the aqueous or solvent tumbling process, due to a felting process.

The regions of the textile product of limited fibre movement can be defined by using dissimilar yarn to said other regions in a tufting or weaving process used to produce the textile product. The yarns felt at different rates to produce the different textured patterns during the aqueous or solvent tumbling process. The dissimilar ya:x can be a prefelted 15 yarn, a high twist set yarn or some other yarn different to the main substrate yarn in said other regions. Fibres in the main substrate yarn migrate and felt during the aqueous or solvent cumbling process at a faster rate than in the *I dissimilar yarn to create a relief pattern effect in which the main substrate yarn is raised higher than the dissimilar yarn a because of the faster fibre migration. The result, known generally as "PEBBLEMILLTM resist patterning" is an attractive textured patterning effect, where the resist-patterned areas may be sunk down in relief from the PEBBLEMILLTM textured areas.

Alternatively the step of providing the textile product may comprise producing a combination of loop p? Ie and cut pile in the textile product by a cut/loop tLul-;'g machine or otherwise, for example by tip shearing a high/low loop pile tufted substrate, whereby the loop pile or low loop pile defines said regions of limited fibre movement. Again, the aqueous or solvent tumbling process will create a raised pebble effect on the cut pile areas, resulting in a relief pattern effect.

The step of providing the textile product can also be effected -940830,p:\oper\phh,84986-91.241,2 V aX I i/1I

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-3by applying a durable latex to areas of the backside or reverse of a cut-pile substrate, whereby the latex holds the fibres in the yarn tufts of those areas of the substrate to define the regions of limited fibre movement. This greatly reduces their ability to felt during the aqueous or solvent tumbling process to thereby produce patterned areas of cutpile carpet in amongst a pebble effect.

The latex can be formulated to wick into the yarn tufts, and lock the fibres within the yarn tufts together at the tuft base. It is this fibre-locking that stops fibre migration and hence felting. The fibre migrati.on and felting that occurs in the unlatexed areas during the aqueous or solvent tumbling process creates a pebble effect. The pebbles may be raised higher than the latex-treated areas because of the fibre migration. The result is a relief pattern effect.

Further preferred aspects of the present invention which should be considered in all its novel aspects will become apparent from the following descriptions which are given by way of example only.

940830,p: Aper\pbh,8498691.241,3 f1 ANNEX TO THE INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL PATENT APPLICATION NO. GB 9101437 A rf t WO 92/03607 PCr/GB91/01437 -4- Examples of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show

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examples of the effect produced by the process according to the present invention and in which: Figure 1 is a photograph of part of a 4 m x 25 m sample of substrate showing the pattern produced after applying a latex on the backing and subjecting the treated substrate to an aqueous tumbling treatment process according to the invention; Figure 2 is a photograph of part of a sample showing the pattern produced on a cut/loop substrate after subjecting the sample to an aqueous tumbling treatment process according to the invention; Figure 3 is a photograph of part of a sample showing the patterning produced according to the invention using yarns with differing characteristics applied into a substrate; Figure 4 is a photograph of a carpet square showing ,the pattern produced after applying a latex to a reverse side of a substrate and then applying a solvent, processing treatment according to the invention; and Figure 5 is a photograph of part of a carpet square showing the pattern produced after applying a latex on a backing and then applying a solvent processing treatment according to the invention.

The 'MBM t" process relies on the unique felting nature of wools aid some other natural fibres. Felting occurs when the fibres are wet and are then moved relative to SUBSTITUTE SHEET WO 92/03607 PCT/GB91/01437 5 each other. The movement forces the wet fibres to lock into each other, forming a dense body of entangled fibres. The process is essentially irreversible, and the felted wool ocr e4:aoth w Gr "-e exhibits great durability. In the), LELLEM1 process felting of an unbacked cut-pile substrate occurs when the substrate is immersed in water, and given vigorous mechanical action. This can take place in a horizontal tumbling machine. By controlling critical parameters such as tumbling speed, weight of substrate, volume and temperature of bath water, and process time, the felting can be controlled to create a required texture. When using a solvent tumbling machine, the same principles remain, bat instead of a bath containing 100% water, it is made up of only a small fraction of water, the remainder being a solvent. The small amount of water wets out the wool fibres, allowing felting to occur.

Examples of this texture can be seen in the non resistpatterned areas of Figures The felted texture that is generated in the 'niPMT process only occurs because wool fibres within each yarn are able to move relative to each other through the carpet substrates primary backing.

This fact can be exploited to stop the formation of the rD s surface texture duringI PREBLMT processing.

This is called by the applicant PEBBLEMILL T M resist patterning. There are at least three quite different methods of achieving this.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET r -6- By using conventional patterning facilities of a cut-pile tufter the applicants can incorporate resist patterning into the substrate which is developed during the tumbling processing. This can be done by the use of dissimilar yarns, e.g. a prefelted yarn, a high twist set yarn or some other yarn having a lower felting propensity than that of the main substrate yarn. Such a resist yarn felts at a slower rate than the main substrate yarn because the fibres within the yarn are held more tightly together and so their movement through the primary backing is limited. After the tumbling processing the resist yarns look essentially the same as prior a: to processing, while the main substrate areas form the texture. Because of the fibre migration during processing the "pebbles" are raised above the resist yarns, and so a relief 15 pattern effect is created.

aAn alternative is to use a combination of loop-pile and cutpile. This can be done by tip shearing a high/low loop tufted substrate, or directly by using a cut/loop tufting or weaving machine. This method has the capability of producing larger a scale textured patterns than the method mentioned above. The tumbling processing has little effect on the loop pile areas while it creates the textured effect in the cut-pile areas.

Similarly tc the previous method, the "pebble" areas are raised above the loop pile areas, creating a relief effect.

The third alternative is to apply a washable latex on the underside of the cut-pile carpet substrate to areas where 940830,p:\oper\ph,8498691.241,6 WO 92/03607 PCT/GB91/01437 7 a resist effect is desired. The latex effectively holds the fibres in the yarn structure resisting movement through the backing and greatly reducing their ability to felt.

Similarly again, the "pebble" areas are raised above the cutpile (resist) areas, creating a relief effect.

This method of resist patterning differs from methods that have been used for patterning fabrics, knitwear and the like in that such methods have used chemical applications on a micro-scale to coat entire individual fibres with a shrinkresistant resin, whereas the aplication of latex in this invention is on a macro-scale,\solidly filling in all of the yarns cross-section, and coating the individual fibres at one point only: where they protrude through the primary backing.

The applicants have found that the type of yarn used has a large effect on whether or not good differentiation between the standard "pebble" areas and the resist areas is obtained.

The applicants recommend an unset woollen spun singles yarn of 700-1000 g/km, (tex), with a twist factor of 3000- 3300. (Twist factor) (Number of turns per metre) x (tex).

Any one of the above mentioned methods, or combinations of them, can be used to create an enormous range of uniquely textured and patterned floor coverings or the like.

Thus by this -nventon there is provided an approved method for producing resist patterning effects on textile products like carpets, rugs or wall hangings that undergo a felting process d6ring manufacture that significantly changes Stheir texture.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET -t.

WO 92/03607 PCr/GB91/01437 -8- Particular examples of the invention have been described by way of example and it is envisaged that improvements and modifications can take place without departing from the scope thereof.

SUBSTITU') L

Claims (11)

1. A textile product texturing and patterning process which comprises the steps of providing a textile product with regions of limited fibre movement compared to the fibre movement in other regions and subjecting the textile product to an aqueous or solvent tumbling process in which the fibres in said other regions are felted and the fibres in said regions of limited fibre movement are not felted or are felted to a lesser degree so as to produce a different textured and patterned effect between said regions of limited fibre movement and said other regions.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the aqueous or solvent tumbling process is carried out in a rotary drum machine.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the textile product is any tufted or woven textile substrate intended for use as a floor covering or wall hanging that undergoes a significant texture change during the aquecus or Ssolvent tumbling process. 4 4

4. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 tc 3 wherein said regions of limited fibre movement are defined by using dissimilar yarn to said other regions in a tufting or weaving process used to produce the textile product.

A process as claimed in claim 4 wherein the dissimilar yarn is a prefelted yarn, a high twist set yarn or some other yarn different to the main substrate yarn in said other regions in which fibres in the main substrate yarn migrate and felt during the aqueous or solvent tumbling process at a faster rate than in the dissimilar yarn to create a relief pattern effect in which the main substrate yarn is raised higher than the dissimilar yarn. 940830,p\oper\phh,84986-91241 4 9

6. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the step of providing the textile product comprises using a cut/loop tufting machine to produce a combination of loop pile and cut pile in the textile product, said loop pile defining said regions of limited fibre movement and said cut pile defining said other regions.

7. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the step of providing the textile product comprises tip shearing a high/low loop pile tufted substrate whereby said low loop pile defines said regions of limited fibre movement.

8. A process as clai-d in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the step of providing the textile product is effected by applying a durable latex to areas of the backside or reverse of a cut- pile substrate whereby the latex holds the fibres in the yarn tufts of those areas of the substrate to define said regions of limited fibre movement.

9. A process as claimed in claim 8 wherein the latex is formulated to wick into the yarn tufts and lock the fibres within the yarn tufts together at the tuft base to limit fibre movement.

10. A textile product 'texturing and patterning process as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described.

11. A textile product when textured and patterned by a process in accordance with any one of the preceding claims. DATED this 30th day of August, 1994. WOOL RESEARCH ORGANISATION OF NEW ZEALAND (INC.) By its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE 940830,p:\operphh,84986-91.241,1