Abstract: A process for producing a laminate by coating a continuous first layer of a film forming material onto a release sheet, distributing flock fibers uniformly onto the first layer, drying the first layer to form a film and secure the flock fibers thereto in a substantially upstanding position, coating the tips of the flock fibers with a flock adhesive, marrying the flocked film to a substrate backing layer such that the coated tips contact the said substrate layer, permanently setting the flock adhesive, and then removing the release sheet. Laminates obtained by such method are also described.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for moving a pair of elongated members to engage and fold a length of flexible material into a series of loops. The apparatus includes moving means for moving both elongated members simultaneously on each side of the flexible material along first predetermined paths and translating means for translating the movement of the portion of each elongated member that engages the flexible material from its first predetermined path to a second predetermined path so that the elongated members will alternately engage the flexible material and urge it back and forth to form the series of loops.

Abstract: A pile weatherstripping has a continuous length of a resin anchorage base with even lengths of filaments secured to opposite sides of the base along the length of the base and extending away from the base in the same general direction on each side of the base. The filaments are long enough and dense enough to form insulating pile rows extending out of a retainer slot in which the anchorage base has an interference fit. A sheet resin fin preferably extends continuously outward from the base between the filaments on the opposite sides of the base, and such a weatherstripping is preferably made by wrapping a multifilament yarn around a plurality of bases, securing the yarn to opposite sides of the bases, and then slitting to separate each individual weatherstrip.

Abstract: The yarn folding mechanism includes a pair of wires extended across a plurality of strands of yarn between two opposing surfaces, the wires being connected at each end to a rotationally movable member capable of moving the wires along separate, concentric, orbital paths. The orbital movement at the ends of the wires is translated into linear movement where the wires engage and fold the yarn by a cam surface that engages and guides the wires along their separate linear paths. The wires are connected at their ends to a coil spring so that the length of the wire between the members can vary, all the time maintaining a minimum tension in the wires. Each member is rotated by a reversible stepping motor that is programmed to move its wire along a predetermined orbital path.

Abstract: To produce a pile fabric, particularly a pile carpet, a fibrous batt, in which the fibres are transversely oriented, is cut into longitudinal strips which are then turned through an angle of 90.degree. about their longitudinal axes by means of pairs of conveying wires, which run in paths from oppositely located guiding grooves of a pair of input rollers to guiding grooves located side by side in the surface of a depositing roller by means of which the fibres, which are now standing on end, are applied to an adhesive backing.

Abstract: A moldable tufted carpet automobile mat, the molded mat and the process of preparing the mat, the moldable automobile mat comprising in combination: a tufted carpet having a tufted face surface and a back surface; a thin layer of a stiff, heat-moldable thermoplastic urethane resin having a thickness of up to about one-eighth of an inch, the layer bonded to the back surface of the carpet to secure the tufts to the carpet; and a thick layer of a flexible, cross-linked, thermoset, elastomeric, urethane resin secured to the stiff thermoplastic urethane resin layer, the elastomeric layer having a thickness from about one-eighth of an inch to about three-eighths of an inch.

Abstract: The back side of a tufted carpet is treated with an agent which will substantially lower the breaking strength of the yarn at points on the backstitch of the yarn. The face yarns or tufts of the carpet are unaffected by the agent. The back of the carpet is covered by a conventional latex coating to bind the carpet yarns in position to the carpet backing. A force engaging an individual tuft and pulling it from the body of the carpet will pull out individual tufts rather than unravel a strand of yarn from the carpet backing.

Abstract: Volatile, organic solvent is removed from textile articles that are provided with thermosensitive fibers capable of visually indicating predetermined maximum temperatures. Textile articles, such as tufted carpet, are heated under conditions effective to evaporate the volatile organic solvent under prevailing pressure conditions, as indicated by the thermosensitive fibers which are woven or tufted directly into and form a part of the textile articles, to remove the solvent from the textile articles.

Abstract: A method for producing carpeting of a type having pile yarns adhesively bonded to a backing which comprises providing a thin flexible core member having longitudinal and transverse axes, winding a continuous yarn around the core member in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis so as to form a plurality of elongated loops conforming to the cross-sectional configuration of the core member, positioning the core member having the yarn wound thereon on a backing sheet so that the longitudinal axis is parallel to the sheet and the transverse axis is perpendicular to the sheet and so that one end of each of the loops contacts the backing sheet, adhering the end of the loops contacting the backing sheet to the backing sheet, cutting the other ends of the loops, and removing the core member. Carpeting characterized by good register between different colors and different heights with a high degree of flexibility in the design pattern is obtained by this method.

Abstract: A flame-retardant pile carpet having a relatively pliable primary backing and a tufted surface, said surface being comprised of fibers selected from the group consisting of polyester and polyamide fibers having incorporated therein from 0.05 to 15 percent by weight of a compound selected from the group consisting of antimony oxide and zinc borate, said fibers being bonded to said backing with a bonding substance comprising a latex material and a hydrate material, said latex material being selected from the group consisting of polymers and copolymers of vinyl chloride and vinylidene chloride, and said hydrate material being selected from the group consisting of aluminum hydroxide and hydrated aluminum oxide, the ratio by weight of said latex material to said hydrate material being within the range 1:2 to 1:4.5.

Abstract: Wet steam or hot water treatment of a secondary backing just before application to an aqueous adhesive coated back of a carpet or rug such as a tufted carpet containing a primary backing provides on drying and curing of the laminate an increase in many instances in the dry and wet strength of the secondary backing to the primary backing and some reduction in the time of drying or curing of the adhesive to bond the laminate together.

Abstract: Method and apparatus to produce a bonded loop pile carpet. The carpet machine is of the rotary type which uses cooperating notched blade members to form the yarn loops for bonding to a backing sheet. One set of the blade members is reciprocably mounted in the rotor of the machine.

Abstract: A process is provided for manufacturing a product which has a fibrous surface and is formed by the conversion of a non-fibrous polymer, which process comprises placing a polymer between drawing surfaces which adjoin the polymer and adhere thereto and separating the surfaces. At least one of the surfaces is formed by a carrier for the polymer and for the fibers, through which carrier a fluid is blown such as to flow around the fibers in statu nascendi and orient and stabilize them as their viscosity increases. An apparatus for carrying out said process is also provided.

Abstract: A napped fabric is treated to bond the nap fibers together while leaving the nap structure largely open and porous.The surface of the bonded nap is then subjected to a series of spaced short cuts to form spaced clumps of bonded fibers which clumps have free ends projecting from the bonded nap so that they can be brushed from stable upright positions to bent-over positions, giving an attractive rough appearance resembling a split suede leather.

Abstract: A dust control mat having a pile fabric upper surface and a bottom calendered rubber stock sheet which employs an anti-tear strip located perpendicular to the grain or calendered direction of the rubber stock sheet between the rubber sheet and a latex backing on the pile fabric. A novel method is employed to produce the mat in which the reinforcing tear strip is located in position prior to vulcanizing the rubber stock sheet in an autoclave.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for making pile fabrics wherein a sheet of longitudinally striated thermoplastic film formed into loops is fusion bonded to a thermoplastic backing sheet by sonic energy to bond the film to the backing sheet at the lines of contact without loss of orientation in either the striated film or the backing sheet and then subsequently the bonded striated film is fibrillated to separate the loops into individual filaments thereby forming a pile fabric.

Abstract: Production of pile fabric with repetitive cutting of incremental lengths of fiber with a moveable cutter. The increments are sequentially packed onto a guide, such as a shaft conveyor, and then delivered to and implanted on an adhesive coated carrier or backing moving on a carrier conveyor. To prevent disordering of the fibers, the fiber is caused to retract from the cutter upon retraction of the cutter.

Abstract: A composite scouring pad is prepared comprising a non-woven layer and a flexible foam layer in juxtaposition to each other, the flexible foam being needled to the nonwoven layer by fibers from the non-woven layer which pass through the foam layer and emerge from its opposite side. The opposite side of the foam layer is coated with a resinous layer which anchors the emergent fibers thereon, the fibers providing a desired roughness to said side, making said side suitable as a scouring surface. The non-woven layer is impregnated with a resin and, in the preferred embodiment, with abrasive particles to provide a second scouring surface.

Abstract: A pile-surfaced product is made by feeding a synthetic polymeric material and a backing web to a surface with the synthetic polymeric material between the backing web and the surface under conditions where the polymeric material is filament forming and the polymeric material adheres to the surface and bonds to the backing web, then withdrawing the backing web from that surface so that as the backing web is so withdrawn the synthetic polymeric material adheres thereto and is drawn into fibrils due to its adhesion to the surface but the fibrils remain integral with the remainder of the polymeric material which is laminated to the backing web, rendering the polymeric material non-filament forming, separating the fibrils from the surface and subsequently separating the pilous synthetic polymeric layer from the backing web.

Abstract: A machine for making carpeting in which rows of lengths of yarn are bonded to an adhesive surface of a backing web has a gripper station at which yarn ends are presented in a row and are drawn out a predetermined distance, the drawn length of yarn being engaged to support them and then cut off. The cut lengths are then transferred to an assembly station where they are placed on the adhesive surface of the backing. The yarn lengths are pressed against the adhesive surface by a bladed member. The means engaging the drawn yarn lengths to support them comprises, in a preferred version, a bar extending along one side of the row of yarn ends and provided with a multiplicity of pins for impaling the yarn lengths, and a bar on the other side of the row with holes corresponding to the pins for pressing the yarn lengths on to the pins.

Abstract: In apparatus for making a pile article by applying a backing to free ends of an assembly of pile fibers, the combination of means for forming pile units each comprising a laterally compressed and substantially radially symmetrical array of pile fibers, means for supporting assembled pile fibers, means for distributing a plurality of the pile units transversely across the supporting means and releasing the fibers thereof from lateral compression, and means for advancing the released pile units longitudinally of the supporting means while applying a force for promoting lateral expansion of the released units into a continuous assembly of fibers, prior to application of the backing.

Abstract: A method of making pile fabrics in which a compacted block of strands of pile forming material is incrementally discharged from an open end of a container in successive increments of an amount equal to the desired length of pile and, following each discharge of the block from the container, a pile slice is severed from the block while being deposited directly onto and secured to an advancing layer of adhesive carried by a release surface to form a pile fabric of cut pile tufts secured to an adhesive substrate which is then removed from the release surface.

Abstract: Method and apparatus to produce a bonded loop pile carpet. The carpet machine is of the rotary type which uses cooperating blade members to form the yarn loops for bonding to a backing sheet. One of the blade members is reciprocably mounted in the machine and moves in a downward curved angular path to contact the yarn.

Abstract: A dust control mat having a pile fabric upper surface and a bottom calendered rubber stock sheet which employs an anti-tear strip located perpendicular to the grain or calendered direction of the rubber stock sheet between the rubber sheet and a latex backing on the pile fabric. A novel method is employed to produce the mat in which the reinforcing tear strip is located in position prior to vulcanizing the rubber stock sheet in an autoclave.

Abstract: An oriented thermoplastic sheet is pleated and an adhesive and backing is applied to one face thereof. The other face is then pleat fibrillated to a desired depth. Both faces may have adhesive and backing applied thereto with the structure being centrally cut parallel to the faces. The extending edges of the sheets on the two structures are then fibrillated to a desired depth.

Abstract: A method for producing carpeting of type having pile yarns adhesively bonded to a backing which comprises providing a thin flexible core member having longitudinal and transverse axes, winding a continuous yarn around the core member in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis so as to form a plurality of elongated loops conforming to the cross-sectional configuration of the core member, positioning the core member having the yarn wound thereon on a backing sheet so that the longitudinal axis is parallel to the sheet and the transverse axis is perpendicular to the sheet and so that one end of each of the loops contacts the backing sheet, adhering the end of the loops contacting the backing sheet to the backing sheet, cutting the other ends of the loops, and removing the core member.

Abstract: A web formed of a multiplicity of general parallel fibers or filaments is fed downwardly and incrementally toward a platen forming a lower element of a generally horizontal guide. A shear periodically moves across the path of the web so as to shear from the end thereof a section having a length slightly greater than the height of the guide. The lower edge of the upper element of the guide constitutes one of the shear elements so that as each section is cut off it is pressed into the end of the guide. Simultaneously with each cutting operation the stack formed in the guide is moved incrementally toward the downstream end thereof. As the stack emerges from the downstream end the sections are pressed end-wise into an adhesive layer on a substrate.

Abstract: A process for field preparation of a fibrous turf on a surface by steps including: (a) inserting fibers into a backing to obtain a backing with inserted fibers; (b) laying a receiving matrix on the surface; (c) bringing a portion of the backing with inserted fibers into connection with the receiving matrix so as to immerse the inserted fibers in the matrix; and (d) maintaining said portion of the backing stationary for a sufficient period of time so that the fibers will stay in the matrix upon removing the backing from the fibers.Preferably the receiving matrix is a thermoplastic substance comprising sulfur, especially plasticized sulfur.

Abstract: Method and apparatus to produce a bonded loop pile carpet. The carpet machine is of the rotary type which uses cooperating blade members to form the yarn loops for bonding to a backing sheet. One set of the blade members is reciprocably mounted in the rotor of the machine. The other blade member is controlled to produce high and low loops.

Abstract: A cut pile fabric is produced using a grass-like fiber and, optionally, a crimped or crimpable fiber of lower denier than said grass-like fiber plied therewith. The pile fabric made from such fibers has improved aesthetics (e.g., appearance) and mechanical (e.g., frictional) properties, and closely simulates natural turf.

Abstract: Improved process for preparing ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer based hot-melt adhesive backsized tufted carpet wherein polyethylene, polypropylene or ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer film is used as the secondary backing. Such carpets have unexpectedly and significantly improved tuft pull strength.

Abstract: A tufting machine having multi-color selection capability for each tufting cycle which utilizes pneumatic pressure, either positive or negative, or a combination of the two, to transfer the yarn or other tufting material to tufting elements. The system comprises yarn guide passageways having abutting sections which are relatively movable to create an opening through which a yarn severing means severs the yarn into selectively-sized bit lengths. The relative positions of the yarn severing means and the abutting sections of the passageways are adjustable to provide yarn bit lengths of selectable varying lengths. A combination bit applying element and clamp means is utilized to apply the yarn to an adhesive bit gripping surface on the backing layer. In the preferred embodiment, this application occurs before the yarn is severed and thus the yarn is effectively clamped at the time of severance.

Abstract: A three dimensional, decorative material is disclosed and claimed herein, having good dimensional definition and capable of virtually unlimited design. A process for producing the three dimensional composite is also disclosed and claimed herein. The process originates with the manufacture of a master mold which can be produced with virtually any design, and preferably is made into a continuous belt. An elastomeric foam composition is then cast into the cavities of the master mold and fused in situ, whereby a three dimensional material is produced. Thereafter, a suitable adhesive is applied to the design side of the material and flock fibers or some other decorative substances are deposited thereon. After curing of the adhesive, any excess fibers are removed, and the material may be cut into suitable lengths, provided with a contact adhesive on the reverse side or the like.

Abstract: A method of making pile weatherstripping of the type having a strip of velvet-like pile material reinforced by one or more longitudinally-extending walls of plastic imbedded in or alongside the pile material, by forming such walls of the base sheeting which supports and retains the pile material. The pile material is applied in spaced parallel strips on the base sheeting, which is then cut between the strips and bare portions of the sheeting, and folded and adhered together to form the reinforcing walls, which also add to the weathersealing effectiveness of the assembly.