Abstract: An article of footwear comprises a sole structure and an upper. The upper is connected to the sole structure to form an enclosure to at least partially receive a foot. The upper comprises a first panel, a second panel, a backing panel and fibers. The first panel and the second panel at least partially form the enclosure. The backing panel is located within the enclosure along surfaces of the first and second panels. The fibers extend from the backing panel and are mechanically embedded in the first and second panels so that at least some of the fibers are partially disposed outside the enclosure.

Abstract: A needle punched carpet for use in a car is disclosed. The needle punched carpet comprises at least a needle punched facing layer defining a top layer and made of staple fibers. The staple fibers comprise hollow fibers having a hollow fiber content that is at least more than 45 weight % of the total staple fibers.

Abstract: A needle punched carpet for use in a car is disclosed. The needle punched carpet comprises at least a needle punched facing layer defining a top layer and made of staple fibers. The staple fibers comprise hollow fibers having a hollow fiber content that is at least more than 45 weight % of the total staple fibers.

Abstract: A hand held felting device includes a body with one or more felting needles and a handle attached thereto for manually felting materials. A motor is provided in the body and is configured to selectively move a shaft reciprocally along the vertical axis upon receipt of power from a power source. The felting needle(s) are mounted to the shaft in the body and thus are configured to move continuously in a reciprocal motion when activated by the motor to felt two or more materials together as a user manually moves the device relative to two or more materials. A safety switch is included with the device in order to selectively activate the motor to move the needle(s). A guard may be operatively associated with the switch to prevent access to the needle(s) and reduce user injury. The needle(s) can be replaced as needed.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for producing textiles, nonwoven substances, spun-bonded fabrics or paper materials (5) with the aid of at least one screen drum (1) having openings (4) for transporting away the fluid (6) which is output from a water bar (7) and having numerous outwardly directed elevations (3) which are situated on the outside of the screen drum (1) for the perforation of the nonwoven (5). The invention is based on the object of providing an apparatus which makes it possible, during the water conversion and at the same time as the perforation, also to make patterns in the nonwoven without influencing the strengthening substantially in the process. The object has been achieved in that one or a plurality of regions (8) on the outer side of the screen drum (1) does/do not have any elevations (3) but only openings (4).

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and apparatus for patterning a nonwoven fabric. The method according to the invention is characterized in that the web is supported in the patterning phase on a perforated cylinder to which a 3-dimensional pattern has been formed substantially without removing material (patterning cylinder) for accomplishing a corresponding 3-dimensional pattern to the nonwoven fabric. The apparatus according to the invention comprises an element supporting the web, a vacuum system and water nozzles in order to hydroentangle the fibre web or combined fibre webs. The apparatus is characterized in that the element supporting the web is of a kind of the said pattern cylinder.

Abstract: A felting machine for producing fiber art has a wide variety of operating arrangements, providing flexibility for the fiber artist.

Abstract: A process is provided for producing a multi-layered flat fibrous structure, especially a floor covering, having a surface or wear layer, a base or carrier layer and optionally further layers. The base or carrier layer is first produced from a multi-layered non-woven fabric in a mechanical non-woven formation device. Elements forming the surface or wear layer are then applied to the base or carrier layer. Before application, a distribution of the elements which differ in terms of their geometrical shape is standardized in such a way that the surface or wear layer is substantially repeat-free. The elements forming the surface or wear layer are then joined at least to the base or carrier layer.

Abstract: An improved leather formed of a leather having an internal matrix and a fiber matrix coupled to the leather matrix, the coupling creating a supplementary fiber matrix in the leather which enhances a characteristic of the leather. The improved leather includes fibers from the fiber matrix which pierce the leather in many locations and interlocking with other fibers both within the internal matrix of the leather and on a first surface of the leather. The improved leather is useful for gloves, shoes, garments, luggage and upholstery.

Abstract: Tuftable primary backings comprise a closed-weave, woven tape fabric to which is affixed a coherent web layer comprising staple fibers with fibers oriented in at least two directions and a plurality of the fibers being fused. The web layer is affixed to the fabric by penetration of fibers from the web into the fabric. The backings have substantial weftline straightness and stability against deformations in the machine, cross and off-axis directions. Improved tufted goods and methods for making the composites and tufted goods are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a method of making nonwoven fabrics, wherein the fabrics are formed from splittable filaments or staple length fibers having a plurality of sub-components which are at least partially separable. The filaments or fibers are at least partially separated into their sub-components attendant to hydroentanglement, which can be effected on a three-dimensional image transfer device. Improved physical properties, including improved tensile strength, elongation, and Taber Abrasion resistance are achieved.

Abstract: Tuftable primary backings comprise a closed-weave, woven tape fabric to which is affixed a coherent web layer comprising staple fibers with fibers oriented in at least two directions and a plurality of the fibers being fused. The web layer is affixed to the fabric by penetration of fibers from the web into the fabric. The backings have substantial weftline straightness and stability against deformations in the machine, cross and off-axis directions. Improved tufted goods and methods for making the composites and tufted goods are also provided.

Abstract: A system for selecting decorative materials is based on large numbers of high-resolution, full color images of decorative materials stored in a compressed format on an inexpensive medium such as a CD-ROM. In creating the ROM, each image is coordinated with additional information such as style of pattern, type of material, and other auxiliary information. Before final compression and storage of the image data color information is added by spectrophotometrically analyzing the decorative material. Color values for a background color and up to four foreground colors are determined. Individual colors are then referenced to a comprehensive color standard system containing a large number of standardized color swatches. Spectrophotometric color referencing allows the data records to be rapidly searched on the basis of color, as well as the other information in the record. Wallpaper patterns, drapery material, floor covering, or paint can then be rapidly selected on the basis of matching color.

Abstract: A non-wet processed tufted carpet (10) includes a plurality of face yarns (12), dyeable to the desired carpet color prior to tufting, which are tufted into and through a primary backing fabric (14) and which are more securedly held in place by a secondary backing fabric (16) without the use of an adhesive binder, the secondary backing fabric locking the face yarn in place upon the application of heat to a non-wet surface of the secondary backing fabric non-adjacent to the primary backing fabric. The tufted carpet (10) does not include any latex or binding adhesives which may cause odors or emit volatile organic chemicals. Moreover, the face yarn (12), primary backing fabric (14), and secondary backing fabric (16) are made of the same type of polymeric material, thereby creating a carpet which is wholly recyclable. The carpet (10) also uses only predyed fibers and yarns as the face yarn, thereby eliminating the need to dye or wet process and dry the carpet during its manufacture.

Abstract: A press fabric incorporating bicomponent material in fiber form or yarn form, the bicomponent material having a core material with a higher melting point surrounded by a covering material with a lower melting point. The bicomponent material will be present in the base fabric in yarn form and/or in the batt material in fiber form in amount ranging from 10-100%. Upon heatsetting the assembled press fabric structure, the lower melting point material of the bicomponent material becomes soft, flowing into the crossing of the batt fibers, if present in the batt material, or into the crossings of the weave pattern, if present in a base fabric, to form a matrix.

Abstract: Tufted carpets which are conformable and stretchable make use of a stretchable carpet backing formed from a composite fabric. The stretchable carpet backing fabric is formed of a stretchable elastic net and at least one nonwoven fibrous layer overlying the stretchable elastic net. The fibers of the fibrous layer extend through said elastic net to mechanically secure the fibrous layer to the elastic net and form a unitary coherent elastic fabric.

Abstract: Multiple filter bags are formed from a layered composite sheet of two, essentially identical fibrous or felt layers by needling a plurality of transverse paths each 0.75 to 1.5 inches wide on the composite sheet, the paths being spaced 4-18 inches apart so as to form a plurality of tubular shaped channels. The needled transverse paths are then slit longitudinally along a central line so as to form separate elongated tubes, which are then cross cut apart transversely to produce segments of any desired length such as 12-36 inches. These segments are each final closed at one end of each segment by needling or stitching to form multiple filter bag structures. The invention also includes the felt filter bags produced by this method of manufacture.

Abstract: Apparatus for tacking a yarn in a predetermined pattern onto a needled fleece, which lies on a support consisting of brushes and which is supported by the free ends of the brush bristles comprising a pressure plate unit which is movable parallely to the support and having a yarn channel extending basically vertically therethrough, yarn supply structure for supplying the yarn along a yarn path from a yarn supply into the yarn channel, a needle having laterally protruberant projections, which are suitable for piercing yarn fibers into the needled fleece, a needle support connected to the pressure plate unit and mounting the needle, and drive structure for moving up and down the needle support in a direction towards and from the pressure plate unit. The device is suitably combined with a needle loom, which pierces the fibers of the yarn tacked to the needled fleece by the device through the needled fleece. (FIG.

Abstract: To make a velour needle felt, an optionally pre-needled staple fiber non-woven web is applied to a revolving brushlike support and is then needled to form a pile on the side which faces the support. To increase the resistance of the velour needle felt to distortion, it is proposed that a layer which has a higher resistance to distortion than the staple fiber non-woven web and consists particularly of a spun-bonded web is applied to the brushlike support before the staple fiber non-woven web is applied thereto and that the pile fibers are pulled in the needling operation through the layer which has the higher resistance to distortion.

Abstract: In the process of the present invention, a plurality of synthetic or natural fibers are arranged by type and color and then lightly needle-punched to form a felted section. One or more of these sections can be cut to appropriate shapes and sizes and then lightly tacked to the base carrier. Thereafter the sections are needle-punched with said base to interlock the fibers, base and carrier.

Abstract: A nonwoven fibrous flexible material includes a needled web having a front outer surface and a non-glazed back surface disposed opposite thereof. The web includes interengaged first fibers and second thermoplastic fibers with the outer surface being substantially free of the second thermoplastic fibers. The web also has a plurality of weld joints between the second thermoplastic fibers and at least a portion of the first fibers proximate the back surface.

Abstract: A method of producing needled, structured and patterned velour textile web of nonwoven fleeces and fibrous textile material, wherein at least one layer of textile fibers, particularly staple fibers, creating a pattern is applied to at least a part of an at least single-ply pre-needled support fleece web by at least one of the characteristics selected from the group comprising color, form, material, degree of fineness and orientation, and, finally, subjecting the web to an additional one-step or, if applicable, multi-step needling for the patterning or structuring, with the fibers applied to the support web being pushed through the web until they become visible on the lower side of the web, with the pile of the fibers coming to rest substantially in the plane of the lower surface of the web and wherein the web lies for processing during all steps on a brush belt with a homogeneous surface formed by the tips of the bristles of the brush belt.

Abstract: A method for producing a nonwoven fibrous, flexible panel having a textured outer surface, including the steps: of providing a needled web comprised of interengaged first fibers and second thermoplastic fibers; needlepunching the web to produce the textured outer surface; and passing a fluid, at a temperature sufficient to melt at least a portion of the second thermoplastic fibers, through the web in a direction from the textured outer surface to produce a plurality of weld joints of the melted second thermoplastic fibers, the textured outer surface thereafter being substantially free of the second thermoplastic fibers. A nonwoven fibrous panel produced by the methods characterized herein is also described.

Abstract: It is desired to provide an apparatus for needling a nonwoven web with a brushlike pierceable support and to provide surface patterns independently of a control of the depth of penetration of the needles. To that end the bristles of the covering of bristles of the pierceable support vary in accordance with a predetermined pattern as regards the bristle spacing and/or the extent to which the bristles protrude toward the nonwoven web.

Abstract: In the present invention, a desired pattern or design, is projected upon a relatively flat or horizontal base fabric. The design, which is projected, may be manually or computer-produced, and will indicate a plurality of areas to be covered. Both the shape of the areas and the colors of the areas may also be generated by the projector. Tufts of fibers or swatches of material corresponding to the colors and shapes generated are then placed upon the base material and lightly "tacked" thereto by pre-needling. Thereafter, the base material with the colored fibers or swatches temporarily secured thereto is passed through a commercial high-speed, high-density needling machine which securely and permanently interlocks the fibers or swaches to the base sheet while simultaneously blending the materials and the colors thereof where any of the fibers or swatches of different colors overlap. The soft, muted blending of the colors has not heretofore been achievable by applique, jig-saw type assembly, or the like.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is set forth to form a flannel-like product. A non-woven web of fibers of two contrasting shades of color are needled twice to form a non-woven fabric with the coloration of woven flannel material. A calendar roll smooths the fabric to remove the appearance of the needling operations and get a non-woven flannel-like product.

Abstract: An apparatus for needling a nonwoven web comprises a needle carrier, which is adapted to be driven, and a bedplate and a stripper for guiding the web between them. In order to impart a pure rotary motion to the needle carrier, the needle carrier consists of a roller and is adapted to rotate about its own axis and to revolve in the opposite sense about an axis of revolution which is parallel to the axis of the roller so that each needle describes a hypocycloidal path.

Abstract: A fabric backing is provided with a plurality of parallel yarns which are adhesively bound to one surface of the fabric backing. The resultant product is then needled with conventional needling apparatus to pierce both the fabric backing and the yarns to provide a plurality of apertures in the fabric backing and the yarn whereby the drape of the fabric is increased and the yarn design is softened.

Abstract: A method for the production of textile sheets with specific surface effects, and the textile sheet as a product, for outer wear, upholstered furniture or car seat covers or decoration, from yarns of yarn strengths typical for carded yarns (for example, ring-spun yarn, OE Yarn, MJS yarn, friction yarn), generally having low hairiness and low wool portion. This is accomplished in that on one or both surfaces of the textile sheet, a wool fleece remnant is present as the original of the wool fiber portions, the portions penetrating the thread system partially through the entire thickness of the sheet, in the stitch direction of a multiple one or two-sided needle device, and projecting in the stitch direction from the surface of the sheet as a nap, together with such fiber material portions, which have their origin in the textile sheets to be finished.

Abstract: A textile sheet made with improved surface effects and from yarns with typical unfavorable characteristics (firm round yarn cross-section, low hairiness), of the rotor OE (open end), MJS (murate-jet), sirospun or friction yarns, which, as the result of a multiple needle process with the effect of already known felting needles, shows improved properties including a higher volume, a softer touch, is warmer, and has increased tenacity and hairiness than before the finishing process.

Abstract: A method for the finishing of textile sheets, in which textile sheets for outer wear, upholstered furniture and car seat covers, as well as for decoration, preferably made of yarns having yarn strengths typical for carded yarns and/or worsted yarns (for example, ring yarns, OE-yarns, MJS yarns, friction yarns), are adjusted in a "custom-made" fashion, according to the sheet forming process. Textile sheet is supplied to a needling process alone, or together with the most varied sheets (for example, fleece, woven materials, foam materials, etc) or warps as well. Because of the needling process, by means of which the fibers are displaced from one layer into another with 50 to 1200 stitches per cm.sup.2 by felting needles, preferably CB notched needles, there is a permanent layering which, however, for the production of sheets with naps, can be cut as well.

Abstract: A textile flat structure is manufactured by needle processing of a pile yarn tufted into a carrier layer so that some pile loops of the pile yarn forming an upper layer are engaged by needles and their height and shape are changed, whereas at least one pile yarn is pulled toward the carrier layer, whereby a texture and/or pattern is produced. The textile flat structure has a carrier layer, a pile yarn tufted into the carrier layer and having pile loops at an upper side of the carrier layer and connecting base loops at a lower side thereof, whereas the pile loops forming an upper layer have at least non-uniform different heights.

Abstract: A fur-like napped fabric and process for manufacturing same are disclosed wherein a fiber layer comprising uncrimped short fibers or short fibers having a number of crimps of not greater than 10 crimps per inch are provided as a fiber layer on a base fabric. The fibers are then implanted into the base fabric by needle punching. Thereafter, the fibers are raised to form a nap. After needle punching, the base fabric and fibers may be bonded to each other by means of a backing treatment or the like which is carefully applied so as not to permeate the raised hair portion extending on the front surface of the fabric. Especially pleasing aesthetic effects are produced when the napped fibers have static frictional coefficients of less than 0.35 and wherein the bending recovery rate of said fibers is higher than 50%.

Abstract: A novel cut pile fabric (110) and a method of making same is disclosed. The cut pile fabric (110) includes a needled non-woven batt (14) of staple fibers (12) that has a carrier member (60) which may be a separate sheet of material carried by a face surface (22) of the batt. A texturized surface is formed using a texturizing needle loom (17) which punches through the batt (14) from the one surface (20) (called the back surface) of the batt (14) so that texturized loops (70) project from the carrier (60) on the other face surface (22) of the batt. The one non-texturized back surface (20) of the batt (14) has a backing (24) applied thereto as by latexing, fusing, or the like, with the texturized loops (70) being tigered to break, fracture or cut a high percentage of the loops (70). The tigered pile is polished by a polishing roll (34) to remove the crimps in the fibers and to orient the fibers in a direction substantially perpendicular to the batt prior to being sheared in a shear (36).

Abstract: A nonwoven textile fabric comprising a batt of nonwoven filaments and having at least a portion of the filaments extending outwardly from one face of the batt to form a raised pile. In one embodiment at least a portion of the filaments are fused together on one side of the batt forming a fused face, and the raised pile extends outwardly from the fused face. In another embodiment, the batt has a fused face on each side thereof and the raised pile extends outwardly from one of these fused faces. In still another embodiment, the batt has a single fused face and the raised pile extends outwardly from the side of the batt opposite the fused face. The textile fabrics are also disclosed with an adhesive and/or a backcoating layer on the side opposite the raised pile. Method and apparatus for the production of the nonwoven textile fabrics are also disclosed which employ needle punching the nonwoven batt with forked needles to provide the raised pile.

Abstract: The disclosure is of a composite papermakers felt made up of a textile base layer, an intermediate layer of polymeric resin foam particles and a covering layer of non-woven staple fibers. The felt is useful in the wet press section of a papermaking machine. The disclosure is also of a method of manufacturing the felt of the invention.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for converting a lockstitch sewing machine to a machine for decorating fabrics with at least one untwisted strand of keratinous fiber applied in a pattern to the fabric. In general, the method consists of removing the throat plate, feed dog, presser foot, bobbin, bobbin case and needle bar from the lockstitch sewing machine and inserting instead a needle block having means for securing a plurality of standard punching needles therein, a throat plate apertured to correspond with the plural punching needles carried by the needle block, a presser foot apertured to correspond with the spacing of the needles in the needle block whether passage of the punching needles therethrough and a presser foot with a guide passage for the fibrous strand and a feeddog with sufficient clearance for the punching needles carried by the needle block.

Abstract: A non-woven fabric is manufactured which utilizes as a primary component material the fringed selvage band resulting as a by-product in the manufacture of certain woven fabrics. Strips of selvage band are laid down on a non-woven backing or web in various configurations, depending upon the ultimate appearance that is desired. The selvage strips are then secured to the backing by punching with an array of forked needles, each of which forces a loop of yarn from the selvage through a hole in the backing.

Abstract: An outer thread layer, which forms a predetermined pattern from a plurality of endless threads, is connected to a carrier by attaching portions of at least some of the threads to the carrier.

Abstract: A method of making a needled and ornamentally patterned fleece material according to which at least one one-color first pre-needled web of fleece material including fibers, is prepared followed by substantially binding together at least partially fibers of the first web in those surface sections thereof which correspond to the areas where the ornamentation is desired. Furthermore, a second pre-needled web of fleece material is prepared which has a color differing from the color of the first pre-needled web of fleece material and being free from surface sections with fibers bound together. Subsequently placing the first pre-needled web of fleece material in dry condition in face-to-face contact with the second pre-needled web of fleece material, and commonly needling the first and second webs of fleece material together from the outer side of the second web of fleece material to form a pile on the outer side of the first web of fleece material.

Abstract: A fashion felt of laminar structure comprising two outer layers at least one of which consists essentially of melt fibres, a layer of synthetic fibres, preferably synthetic fibre waste, positioned between the two outer layers, and a layer of surface batt secured to one of the outer layers. The laminar fashion felt possesses a high degree of plasticity and is given the desired shape in heat and compression treatments and the desired outlines in cutting operations. By varying the thickness of the batt layer and by compressing different parts of the product to a larger or lesser extent, the degree of softness or hardness of the product could be chosen in accordance with the end use thereof. The fashion felt is particularly useful for furniture and car interior upholstery and fittings. The invention also concerns a method of producing the felt.

Abstract: The disclosure is of decorative panels and the method of their manufacture. The decorative panels are laminates of textile materials, having a decorative fabric surface. The panels of the invention are particularly advantageous in that they are economical to manufacture and exhibit a high degree of structural stability, and resistance to delamination.

Abstract: A synthetic furniture or automobile upholstery or wall-covering or the like, is provided using vinyl or similar film as a leather substitute and backing it with a non-woven fabric layer (or layers) which is needle-punched through the film in limited stripe areas of the film to produce a variety of straight, well-defined, uniform stripes of fiber and/or vinyl running parallel to the longitudinal (feed) direction of a film web with distinct stripe edges and good control thereof and further characterized by eliminating sag or loosening in the non-needle-punched areas by provision of a filler foam or a lively fiber material as part of the non-woven fiber, the essential lateral cross section thickness regularity of the product being maintained by compression of such filler in the needle-punched area.

Abstract: The method and product disclosed herein result in a needle-bonded fabric having a tufted fabric visual. This is accomplished by needling an unconsolidated web consisting of layers of two or more different colored fibers with a needle board having a reduced needle density and wherein the needles are arranged in the needle board in a predetermined pattern. The multi-layer web is processed through a fiber locker containing this reduced needle density board at a higher advance rate per stroke than normal production methods so that the space between the needle punches is greatly increased. The web is transported through the fiber locker in a continuous manner and produces the claimed product. One of the layers of the web is a blend of fibers of widely different fiber deniers and color.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for preparing a tufted carpet consisting essentially of feeding simultaneously into a tufting machine a woven or bonded nonwoven sheet of continuous polypropylene filaments and a dyeable, bonded, nonwoven sheet of continuous synthetic organic filaments, said sheets being fed in surface contact with each other, and tufting a pile yarn through both sheets to develop a tufted face having tufts extending above the dyeable, bonded, nonwoven sheet, said pile yarn being selected so as to be dyeable in conjunction with the dyeable, bonded, nonwoven sheet.

Abstract: Pile fabric is produced by needling in an ornamental pattern a pile layer of loose fibers through the back or nonvisible side of a fabric backing web which is intermittently passed with its back side up through a series of needling stations comprising needles disposed in a particular arrangement to form the fibers into the backing web in a predetermined pattern. A feed duct including a discharge port extending across the fabric web transversely of its feed direction is arranged to deliver fibers onto the back side of the web at a point upstream from the needling station. A suction duct located downstream from the needling station draws loose fibers from the back side of the web through an inlet port which extends across the web transversely of the feed direction.