US2660546A - Monofilament thread and method of making same - Google Patents

Description

24, 1953' F. .1. M CARTHY 2,660,546

MONOFILAMENT THREAD AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed July 17, 1952 Patented Nov. 24, 1953 MONOFILAMENT THREAD, AND. METHOD OF" MAKING SAME Frank J. McCarthy, Freeport, N. Y., assignor to Holland Mfg. Go. ,-..Inc.,. Ncw;:Ynrk, Nil-Y2, a; 0.0132.- poration of New Jersey Application July 17, 1952, Serlal No. 299,437

Claims. 1

Thisinvention relatesto amethod and composition for makinga monofilamentthread from,

a plurality of subfilamentthreads. In the sewing of textile material by conventional threads. having-a twist thereina great amount of friction is generated by the twist thread passing through the eye of the needle with the result that the temperatureof the needle is elevated sometimes to the point of being etxremely hot, thereby necessitating stopping the sewing operation or decreasing sewing speed.

It is an object of this invention to provide a monofilament thread composed of a plurality of subfilament threads, said monofilament thread having no or substantially no twist therein.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a thread which may *be passed through the eye of a needle without raising the temperature of the needle to an undesirable degree during normal sewing speed.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a monofilament thread whereby sewing speeds may be increased over those used in normal operation without deleteriously effecting the temperature of the needle during the sewing operation.

It is a further object of this invention to bond a plurality of subfilament threads to produce a monofilament with a minimum amount of twist, thereby yielding a thread of increased strength permitting the use of smaller needle sizes and smaller thread sizes for given purposes than are commonly used.

This invention is described in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is an elevation view broken away in part to show the manner of submerging a thread into a liquid bath;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing a plurality of spools being processed, and

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the monofilament taken at the line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings a thread I having substantially no twist or a minimum of twist and composed of a plurality of subfilaments is unwound from a spool 2 positioned on a substantially upright support 3. The thread I is drawn through a bath by a driven reel (not shown) over a rod 4 located above the bath 5. The thread is then conducted beneath a guide roller 6 having circumferential recesses therein for receiving the thread, said guide roller being journaled on shaft 1 and submerged beneath the surface of a liquid composition 8 disposed within the bath 5. The thread upon passing through the composition bath 8 underneath guide roller 6 is then conducted to a. guide button. 9-. V The guide button Q-"is preferably; of porcelain and has an aperturei therein for receiving the treated thread: A plu rality of guide buttons 0 may be disposed in. a, support. IE3; saidzsupport,lir'being ataan elevas tion preferably. above that of. rod Land/ adapted; so.,tha;tany liquid will? fall. back. from. said: guide.

buttons. 9-into. thabath. 5. As;.'shoWn1-.in Fig. 1'. bath dis: preferably :made of; two: wallsrformingr a v shaped. troughafoiznsupporting the; compost-.5 tion of this invention. The thread after passing;

through guide button 9 is conducted into an oven II where an elevated temperature is maintained to drive off any solvent on the thread and to produce a monofilament wherein the plurality of subfilaments are merged so as to lose their prior individual identities.

The bath composition of this invention is an important feature thereof. When plastic filaments are used, for example, nylon filaments, they may be bonded together by using a composition comprising from 1-32 parts by weight of phenol and from 1-12 parts by weight of nylon. The nylon used to form the bath composition is preferably that known as superpolyamide nylon and is preferably prepared from a composition, for example, 264 parts of hexamethylene diamine and 332 parts of adipic acid and 600 parts of xylenol mixture, composed of three different isomeric xylenols. The term nylon as used herein is defined generically as the reaction product of a polyamine and a dibasic acid.

A specific formula used for the bath composition is:

32 parts by weight of phenol 12 parts nylon 1 part of pure acetic acid 16 parts of 37% solution of formaldehyde 16 parts of xylene In preparing the composition bath, the nylon is dissolved in the phenol and brought to a slow boil. Then the formaldehyde solution is added. Next the acetic acid is added and the boiling is continued until a desired viscosity is obtained. Such a viscosity is about 1400 centipoises at F. Next the vessel is removed from the means used to heat the vessel and xylene is added with constant stirring while the mixture is still hot. Thereupon the reaction mass is allowed to cool. Before using the above prepared reaction mass or resin it is preferably diluted in the ratio of 1 part methanol to 3 parts resin.

The methanol thinned resin is poured into the bath 5 and the thread I is run there-through at a speed suitable to thoroughly wet the plurality 3 of subfilaments so that upon drying in oven ll fusion of the subfilaments into a common monofilament takes place.

In lieu of 37% solution of formaldehyde the para formaldehyde form may be used. Also any anhydrous aldehyde equivalent to formaldehyde is operable in this invention. Furthermore, in lieu of phenol, any aromatic phenol such as the cresols and the like may be used.

The composition of this invention may be modified by the addition of a soluble dye, whereupon the monofilament formed will be uniformly dyed to yield an evenly formed dyed monofilament thread.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. The method of fusing a plurality of substantially untwisted textile filaments to produce a monofilament sewing thread having substantially no twist comprising treating said plurality of filaments with a resin composition comprising the reaction product of nylon, a phenol, and an alde hyde.

2. The method of fusing a, plurality of substantially untwisted nylon filaments to produce a monofilament sewing thread having substantially no twist comprising treating said plurality of filaments with a resin composition comprising the reaction product of nylon, a phenol, and an aldehyde.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the phenol is phenol and the aldehyde is formaldehyde.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the treating step consists of dipping the plurality of filaments in a solution of said resin composition followed by drying the dipped filaments at an elevated temperature sufliciently high to induce fusion of the filaments to produce a monofilament.

5. A sewing thread comprising a plurality of nylon subfilaments fused together with a nylon phenol formaldehyde composition to produce a unitary monofilament.

FRANK J. McCARTHY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,591,705 Guay July 6, 1926 2,243,917 Owens June 3, 1941 2,277,602 Novak Mar. 24, 1942 2,292,442 Hanford Aug. 11, 1942 2,514,197 Groten et al. July 4, 1950 2,522,526 Manning Sept. 19, 1950 2,574,221 Modigliani Nov. 6, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 560,535 Great Britain Apr. 7, 1944

Claims (2)

1. THE METHOD OF FUSING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNTWISTED TEXTILE FILAMENTS TO PRODUCE A MONOFILAMENT SEWING THREAD HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY NOT TWIST COMPRISING TREATING SAID PLURALITY OF FILAMENTS WITH A RESIN COMPOSITION COMPRISING THE REACTION PRODUCT OF NYLON, A PHENOL, AND AN ALDEHYDE.

5. A SEWING THREAD COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF NYLON SUBFILAMENTS FUSED TOGETHER WITH A NYLON PHENOL FORMALDEHYDE COMPOSITION TO PRODUCE A UNITARY MONOFILAMENT.

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