Patents by Inventor Frank W. Teaster

Frank W. Teaster has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20030051298
    Abstract: The present invention provides a sculptured pile fabric having both a printed pattern and a sculpted surface of various pile, heights. The fabric of the present invention has improved aesthetic qualities as compared with sculptured products of the prior art. This improved sculptured fabric is the result of a chemical sculpting method, in which the height of the pile surface is selectively reduced in a pattern configuration, and that is followed by an overall “dilute” dyeing process. This “dilute” dyeing process is similar to that used to “tea stain” textile products, wherein an overall hue is imparted to a textile by the use of a relatively dilute (low concentration) dyestuff. The resulting sculptured product has an appearance that emphasizes the sculptured areas, making the sculptured areas appear to have greater depth, especially when viewed at a distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventors: Mary T. Child, Frank W. Teaster, Ronald Magee
  • Patent number: 6494925
    Abstract: The present invention provides a sculptured pile fabric having both a printed pattern and a sculpted surface of various pile heights. The fabric of the present invention has improved aesthetic qualities as compared with sculptured products of the prior art. This improved sculptured fabric is the result of a chemical sculpting method, in which the height of the pile surface is selectively reduced in a pattern configuration, and that is followed by an overall “dilute” dyeing process. This “dilute” dyeing process is similar to that used to “tea stain” textile products, wherein an overall hue is imparted to a textile by the use of a relatively dilute (low concentration) dyestuff. The resulting sculptured product has an appearance that emphasizes the sculptured areas, making the sculptured areas appear to have greater depth, especially when viewed at a distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Mary T. Child, Frank W. Teaster, Ronald Magee
  • Patent number: 6120560
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for pattern dyeing of textile substrates in which the dyeing is done in two stages. In the first stage, a dye is uniformly applied in a manner that allows the dye to fix on contact. The uniformly dyed substrate is then moved under a series of spaced arrays, each array being associated with a separate color and being comprised of a plurality of individually controlled liquid dye applicators. Liquid dye of a given color is selectively applied through one or more dye applicators as the substrate passes under the array associated with that color. The applied dye remains unfixed until the substrate passes under all the arrays and the patterning is complete, whereupon all dye applied by the dye applicators is fixed by steaming or other appropriate application of energy to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Scott C. Miller, Frank W. Teaster, Matthew R. Walker