Abstract: A floor covering such as a nap mat or carpet of washable type comprises a rubber or plastic back, wherein the nap or tufts is/are fastened in the back material. The floor covering has means for increasing the drain of liquid from the nap when the floor covering is subjected to the influence of a force, such as a pressing force, a centrifugal force, and/or a pressure difference between the front and rear side of the floor covering. This means may be a normally closed perforation of the back material and/or an intermediate tissue via which the nap is secured to the back material. Preferably the intermediate tissue is a non-woven material, mainly consisting of synthetic fibres having a weight of 100-300, preferably 250 g per m.sup.2, a fibre thickness of 5-30, preferably 8 decitex, and a tissue thickness of 1-5, preferably 2 mm. Thereby a nap mat or carpet is achieved having a short drying time and/or provides a small drying energy consumption after washing.

Abstract: A machine and method to operate the machine to provide a plurality of valve-like perforations in the rubber-like backing of a nap mat or carpet by delivering the nap mat or carpet to and under a spiked roll. The machine includes a sensing device to ensure the leading and trailing edges of the nap mat are not perforated by the spiked roll.

Abstract: Method and apparatus to automatically dispense aromatic vapor to a desired area by causing the vapor to be evenly dispensed to the selected area over a pre-determined length of time. The vapor is circulated from the dispenser by a device to which the curent thereto is gradually increased as the vapor producing substance in the dispenser is dissipated.

Abstract: A machine and method to operate the machine to provide a plurality of valve-like perforations in the rubber-like backing of a nap mat or carpet by delivering the nap map or carpet to and under a spiked roll. The machine includes a back up roll with grooves therein which prevents grooving of the conveyor belt by the pins or spikes on the spiked roll.

Abstract: A machine and method to operate the machine to provide a plurality of valve-like perforations in the rubber-like backing of a nap mat or carpet by delivering the nap mat or carpet to and under a spiked roll. The machine includes a sensing device to ensure the leading and trailing edges of the nap mat are not perforated by the spiked roll.

Abstract: A vulcanizing press for vulcanizing flat articles having locking pawls for locking the pressing plates of the press at a certain distance from each other in the closed vulcanizing position of the press. By letting one of the pressing plates being without heating elements and carrying an inflatable member such as a membrane driven by a pressure fluid which membrane in the closed position of the press is positioned and adapted to supply a uniform pressure substantially over the whole flat side of the vulcanizing article positioned between the pressing plates is obtained an even surface pressure all over the textile side of the vulcanizing article substantially independent of the thickness of the article and without use of toggle mechanisms or high power hydraulic cylinders.

Abstract: Floor mats of the washable, dirt adsorbing type, so-called "service mats", consist of a rubber backing and a nap top layer vulcanized to the top side of the backing such that the outer edge portion of the backing constitutes a frame portion about the nap layer. The mats are produced either as strong "utility mats" based on a black rubber backing or as "appearance mats" based on a backing of colored rubber. According to the invention a "utility mat" is provided which is additionally an "appearance mat", the said frame portion of the black rubber backing being constituted or covered by a layer of colored rubber. The two types of rubber are vulcanized together. The colored rubber and even the black rubber may be reinforced by admixture with synthetic fibres.

Abstract: A method and a washing machine for cleaning of rugs or mats having a nap or pile side, whereby the rugs or mats are successively conveyed along a conveying path and are exposed to cleaning operations, at least one of which is a pulsating operation, during which each mat or rug is also exposed to a relatively abrupt change of direction of conveyance in order to open an area of pile at the pile side of the mat or rug. The change of direction preferably has a radius of curvature in a range between 1.5 cm and 15 cm during an angular change of direction of approximately 180 degrees. The cleaning fluid used in one operation is for saving of energy preferably used also in another earlier cleaning operation on the mats or rugs, possibly after having been conditioned for this earlier operation.