US2314844A - Fabric - Google Patents

Description

Marh 1943. R. G. KNOWLAND ETAL ,3 4

FABRI C Filed Jul 24, 1940 ATTORNEY Y sive wear.

' pletely the cushion layer.

Patented 23, 1943 FABRIC I Richard G. Knowlanil, llelham, and James M.

Donnelly, Amsterdam, N. Y.,

assignors to Bigelow-Sanford Carpet ,Co. Inc., Thompsonville, Conn, a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 24, 1940, Serial No. 347,222 1 Claim. (Cl. 28-79) This invention has for its object the production of a fabric which may be made at low cost andwhich has the combinedproperties of resiliency, asoft feel and high resistance to abra- Our fabric has proven to be well adapted for use as floor coverings, automobile body paneling and the like where such properties are particularly required and have herefigures may, of course, be varied. The denier of the rayonrnay also vary, but we prefer deniers ranging from 4 to 25 and wehave successfully used in practice a 5 /2 denier high grade viscose rayon of which Cisalpha is an example. The rayon fibers should be of minimum stiffness and brittleness. Taking the elongation at break as a tofore been obtained only in expensive woven pile fabrics.

The fabric of our invention is formed preferably of three layers, a backing layer such as a way, preferably by needling, that the properties of cushioning resilience and of high resistance to wear are obtained.

A preferred embodiment of our invention is illustrated in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the fabric broken away to show the several layers of which it is composed, and Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionthrough the fabric on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. i

In making our fabric a layer of resilient cushioning material 2, preferably a blended mixture of such material as jute strings,- felt cuttings, dark virgin jute, reworked gunny sacking, or the like, shredded by a arnet, is'deburlap. In practice, we have used successfully approximately two ounces per square foot, or

about twelve pounds'for a fabric nine by twelve feet. The material is secured to' the backing by needling, as indicated at 8.

tions to secure it to the backing.

On the layer 2 we deposit from a garnet a' surface layer 6 of extruded filaments, preferably mating 3 /2 inches. The length may vary depending upon the thickness of the fabric bein made, but it should be at least twice the thickness of the finished fabric and preferably greater. For a finished fabric which is approxiposited on the backing 4, which may be a woven 2, we insure preservation of the The resiliency of the layer 2 may require two needling opera-'- rayon, cut into staple length, preferably approxi-- wear.

-- operation so that the rayon fabric.

to abrasive wear and yields an exceptionallycriterion of these qualities, such elongation should exceed 8%.

The rayon layer 6 is needled through both the intermediate layer 2 and the backing fabric 4, as indicated at ill. Usually a single needling operation will suffice.

We have foundin practice that the cushioning layer 2 forms an excellent binding medium for the rayon staple and is conducive to an effective needling of the rayon despite the inherent slipperiness, flexibility and softness of.

the latter, all of which properties, however, contribute to the desired qualities of the finished The finished fabric is highly resistant small amount-of fiufi to a vacuum cleaner.

Where the finished product is to be used as a fioor covering, we prefer to coat the back with an adhesive material,'preferably adapted to penetrate only .into the backing and not into the cushioning layer 2. Such adhesive may desirably consist'of a rubber size consisting of a dispersion in water of 40% dry solids, having by weight one part reclaimed rubber and one part clay. .The size securely bonds the fibers with which it contacts, namely, that portion of the fibers of the layers 2 and 8 which have been needled' through'to protrude on the under surface of the backing 4. By using an adhesive which does, not penetrate into the cushion layer of the cushion layer.

The fabricmay be readily printed on its tread surface 6 and we have found it to be excellently adapted for bright and clear printing. with dyes of an inexpensive grade.

The fabric thus produced has a soft, cushiony feel adapting it for use as floor coverings, automobile door panelings, and the like, and has an exceptionally high resistance to abrasive The specified. 'suppleness and high tensile strength ofthe rayon permit it to yield and bend without breaking during the needling substantially intact.

It is a feature of our invention that the cushion layer 2 not only contributes greatly to the 55. desired resiliency, but so binds the needled rayon desired resiliency fibers are preserved staple, as to. obviate the need for impregnating the entire fabric with adhesive and it thereby avoids any diminution of its cushiony feel and any imparting of a dull appearance to the top surface which would impair the clarity of printing. The compactness of the cushion layer resulting from the needling and maintained by the confining rayon fibers contributes to the ability of the cushion layer to grasp the rayon soy bean and the like, maybe used, provided they have the characteristics of elasticity, tensile strength, 'slipperiness, etc., inherent in a good grade of rayon. The fibers of the cushion layer, on the contrary, should not be an extruded filament, but should be of a lofty material considerably less slippery than rayon and compacted into a tangled mass with which the extruded filament fibers which penetrate it from above can combine in the manner described.

We claim:

As an article of manufacture, a needled fabric having a prefabricated backing, a layer of lofty shredded material deposited on the backing, a

tread layer of non felting extruded fibers com- C-posed substantially entirely of rayon capable of an elongation at break exceeding 8%, said shredded material being needled through the backing to present fibers of the shredded mate rial on the exposed surface-of the backing, the I extruded filament being needled through both the shredded material and the backing to 'present fibers-of extruded filament on the exposed surface of the backing, and a coatingof'adhesive on the under surface of the backing securingthe fibers of the shredded material and the rayon which are thus presented on the external surface of the backing, the said layer of shredded material being substantially free of said adhesive material.

RICHARD G. KNOWLAND. JAMES M. DONNELLY.

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