Abstract: A needle bar of modular construction for use in a tufting machine wherein each of the modular units has a mounting bracket with a plurality of uniformly spaced apart tubes soldered thereto and each tube receives the shank of a tufting needle therein with fastener means penetrating the tubes for engaging and securing the tufting needles within the tubes.

Abstract: An electrical heating apparatus protected against an overheating condition and a temperature sensitive electrical sensor for the use therewith are disclosed. The electrical heating apparatus includes an electrical heater for generating heat in proportion to the amount of electricity flowing through it, and it provides essentially all the heat for the apparatus. An electrical sensor is disposed in a thermally responsive relationship to the electrical heater. The electrical sensor includes a coextruded pair of spaced flexible plastic conductors and a coextruded flexible temperature sensitive electrical impedance material having predetermined temperature coefficient impedance characteristics along its entire length. The temperature sensitive material is in electrical contact with the flexible conductors and controls the flow of electricity between them.

Abstract: A decorative matelasse woven fabric of multi-ply construction having predetermined outwardly bulging fabric pattern areas, some of which pattern areas are colored to present an ombre effect of shaded color areas of varying intensity of color, creating a custom look of hand painting, and a method for producing the same.

Abstract: A pile fabric such as a woven terry pile fabric having diagonal grooves of cut pile formed therein on at least one face of the fabric and extending generally widthwise of the fabric with the cut pile within the grooves being of variable height imparting a sculptured pattern appearance to the fabric. Woven terry towels made in accordance with the invention may have one side of the towel sheared to form a cut pile face with or without the diagonal grooves of cut pile present therein. The other side of the towel may be loop terry pile with or without diagonal grooves of cut pile formed therein. Further variations may include jacquard patterns formed in the pile fabric with the diagonal grooves of cut pile intersecting or extending across the jacquard pattern to impart a sculptured pattern appearance superimposed on the jacquard pattern. Still further variations may include segmental grooves and intersecting grooves to present unusual pattern effects.

Abstract: An electrical heating apparatus protected against an overheating condition is disclosed. It includes an electrical heater and an elongate heat sensor disposed in a thermally responsive relationship. The heat sensor consists of a single conductor having positive temperature coefficient electrical impedance characteristics continuously along its entire length. The electricity flowing through the electrical heater is controlled in response to a signal from the heat sensitive conductor.

Abstract: A modular construction of needle bars wherein each of the modular units thereof comprises a mounting bracket having a first flange portion and a second flange portion arranged at right angles to each other and wherein a plurality of tufting needles each having a shank portion and an opposing tapered end having a transversely arranged yarn receiving eye therein are secured to the first flange by the shank portions of the needles being soldered thereto so that the needles are in uniformly spaced apart parallel relation with the eyes of the needles in alignment with each other.

Abstract: The carpet loom has pile wires extending warpwise with associated pile yarn transfer hooks for positioning preselected pile yarns over the pile wires for forming pile loops. The pile wires are pivotally mounted so as to be restingly positioned on the base fabric being woven to assure obtaining the desired pile height loop and to avoid undue tensions and stresses in the fabric being woven to assure smooth efficient loom operation. The transfer hooks extend rearwardly with their hook portions positioned substantially in a horizontal plane and inclined downwardly at an acute angle from the horizontal plane. This positional arrangement of the transfer hooks and the associated mechanism for imparting a reciprocatory movement to the transfer hooks permits an uninterrupted reciprocation of the reed to take place as well as the changing of the pile yarn and ground warp shed. This results in a high speed of loom operation of about twice the rate of prior carpet looms.

Abstract: A pillow sham formed from sheet material includes lengthwise-extending elastic strips at the sides for lending an overall gathered appearance to the sham.

Abstract: A pillow sham includes a front panel and an endless skirt attached to the perimeter of the panel. The skirt is gathered throughout to provide a decorative effect and defines a pillow-receiving pocket suited to accommodate a range of pillow sizes.

Abstract: An electrical heating apparatus, and particularly a bedcover preferably in the form of a blanket, protected against an overheating condition and in which electrical current flow through a heating element is controlled by a pair of gate controlled bidirectional semiconductor switches electrically connected to one another in series and in back-to-back orientation. The gates of the semiconductor switches are connected through a temperature sensitive capacitor which triggers the semiconductor switches from a conductive to a nonconductive state in response to the sensing of an overheating condition.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for weaving pile fabrics of the type whose pile tufts are formed by shogging pile yarns weftwise over warpwise extending pile wires. Two sets of pile yarns are employed extending through respective sets of pile yarn guides arranged in weftwise rows on a loom, and the pile yarn guides, with the pile yarns extending therethrough are pattern controlled in such a manner that, in the forming of warpwise extending rows of pile tufts on the fabric, pile tufts are, at times, formed in each row from one set of pile yarns and at other times pile tufts are formed in each row from the other set of pile yarns, and the pile yarn set which is not forming pile tufts is forming floats between the warpwise extending rows of pile tufts.

Abstract: Tufted pile fabrics formed from two sets of pile yarns and groups of ground warp yarns wherein the number of pile yarns forming the face of the fabric remains constant throughout the fabric so as to normally provide a uniform pile density. Each of the sets of pile yarns is at times forming pile tufts and at other times is hidden from view by being floated and woven with the base. Further, one warp-wise extending row of pile tufts formed from pile yarns of both sets is provided for each group of ground warp yarns.

Abstract: The tufting machine has a pair of elongate needle bars with respective rows of tufting needles thereon extending transversely of the machine and normally forming a single row of aligned needles for serving as one needle bar during each turfting operation, with the needles in one row arranged in alternation with the needles in the other row. The needle bars and needles are so constructed and arranged that the needles in one row are shiftable laterally out of and laterally back into alignment with the needles in the other row. While the needles in one row are out of alignment with the needles in the other row, either or both rows of needles are shiftable longitudinally for changing the order of the needles when the needles are again shifted back into alignment with each other.

Abstract: The simulated grass pile fabric of this invention is of the woven or warp knit type and is characterized by having a dense pile surface defining a playing surface on which a playing ball will roll substantially equally free in all directions and will bounce substantially equally true in all directions, and the pile surface is formed of textured multifilament pile yarns of a yarn size greater than 4500 denier interlaced with a base of synthetic warp and filling yarns, wherein the warp yarns are of a yarn size in the range of about 1300 to 2200 denier and the filling yarns are fibrillated monofilament yarns of a yarn size in the range of about 2200 to 4400 denier.

Abstract: A woven sheeting fabric is provided with a variety of unusual and visually appealing decorative patterned effects by forming in the fabric open, shear areas of various size and shape having an appearance contrasting with adjacent, substantially heavier areas. The fabric comprises warp and weft yarns of corespun construction interwoven with one another to form a substantially uniform woven fabric construction. Each of the corespun warp and weft yarns has a continuous multifilament core portion and a sheath portion formed of staple fibers helically wrapped about the core portion to substantially surround and encase the same.

Abstract: A textile pile carpet tile having a pile body predominantly of loop pile extending from one end to the opposing end of the tile and a pair of opposing side marginal areas of predominantly cut pile extending along opposite sides of the pile body from said one end to the opposing end of the tile, and of an appearance contrasting with that of the pile body.

Abstract: An electrical heating apparatus, and particularly a bedcover preferably in the form of a blanket, protected against an overheating condition and in which electrical current flow through a heating element is controlled by a pair of gate controlled bidirectional semiconductor switches electrically connected to one another in series and in front-to-front orientation. The gates of the semiconductor switches are connected through a temperature sensitive capacitor which triggers the semiconductor switches from a conductive to a nonconductive state in response to the sensing of an overheating condition.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a longitudinal hem along one edge of a fabric using a hot melt adhesive for securement of the hem. The fabric is advanced along a predetermined path of travel while one longitudinal edge portion of the fabric is directed through an elongate heating chamber and heated to an elevated temperature. The heated edge portion of the fabric then passes through a folding station and the fabric is folded to form a hem. A stream of molten hot melt adhesive is deposited between the overlying fabric layers which define the longitudinal hem and pressure is applied to the hem to cause the molten adhesive to spread and penetrate into the fabric layers and to also prevent relative movement between the fabric layers until the adhesive has sufficiently cooled to secure the hem together.

Abstract: A napped bedding blanket having an enhanced hand and a more uniform surface appearance and which substantially avoids the problem of shedding and pilling without chemical treatment or mechanical locking and thereby is able to substantially maintain its initial surface appearance during normal usage and after laundering. The blanket has a nap of uniformly distributed raised fibers on at least one side of a fibrous substrate, with the fibers extending generally outwardly from the substrate a uniform distance to provide a planar surface on the nap. The blanket is produced by subjecting a nappable substrate to a napping operation to raise fibers from the substrate and form a nap, and thereafter shearing the nap to a level such that substantially all of the raised fibers are sheared.