GB2069557A - Ornamental yarns - Google Patents

Abstract

A multi-ply yarn useful in the production or ornamental fabric, especially cut pile fabric, is constructed of two or more piles of spun singles yarn each of which has regularly or randomly alternating thick and thin sections along its length and each of which is uniformly dyed or pigmented or may be uniformly dyed a color which is different from that of each other singles yarn in the multi- ply yarn. The yarn shows an "antique" effect with variable contrast between colors along the length of the yarn. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ornamental yarns This invention relates to a multi-ply yarn made of primarily uniform staple fibers and constructed so as to be useful in ornamental fabrics. More particularly, the invention relates to a yarn which provides an "antique" effect, which results from the variable contrast between different colours along the length of the yarn and imparts an pleasing appearance in upholstery, carpeting or other cut pile fabric made from the yarn.

Heretofore, such an effect has been satisfactorily achieved only in a yarn made from dyeable staple fibers which has been variably dyed along its length.

Lohrke U.S. Patent 3,205,648 discloses textile yarn which exhibits random unevenness and interestirig color effects along its length. The Lohrke yarn consists of two components of contrasting color. One component consists of staple fibers which are uniformly distributed along the length of the yarn. The second component consists of staple fibers which are unevenly distributed and which result in random thick and thin sections along the yarn. The fibers of the two sections are either pre-dyed or have different dye receptivity and are cross-dyed in a dyeing operation afterthe spinning of the yarn.

U.S. Patent 2,271,184 to Dreyfus discloses a yarn in which artificial staple fibers of substantially different physical characteristics are combined in order to facilitate spinning. Dreyfus envisions staple fibers of irregular length and uniform denier combined with staple fibers having thick and thin portions along their length, although a yarn in which both classes of staple fiber vary in thickness is also described. These staple fibers may contain suitable effect materials, such as pigments, dyes, or the like, but Dreyfus does not suggest the use of more than one color, and is nowhere concerned with the effect of contrasting colon U.S. Patent 4,155,214 to Mirhej relates to a twist-free texturing feed yarn and is composed of drawn thermoplastic filaments of approximately equal denier.Two groups of filaments of contrasting coloration or dye receptivity and slightly different melting points are combined in the yarn which is then textured on a false-twist texturing machine. The resulting yarn is useful in providing a fabric with a high contrast heather effect having very low or no directionality.

The apparatus and method described in U.S.

Patent 3,110,059 to Tails et al provides an artificial filament yarn in which periodic sections, called slubs, are introduced into the extrusion process of a first filament. Tallis teaches that these slubs, which are typically of greater denier, may be created from material dyed a different color, giving the finished yarn both an irregular denier and intermittent color change.

U.S. Patents 3,425,206 to Holton, 4,026,098 to Bosley, and 4,084,622 to Nakagawa et al each disclose artificial filament yarns which show a color variation, but in each case the variation is in lighter and darker sections of one basic color.

The present invention is a multi-ply ornamental yarn constructed of two or more plies of spun singles yarn each of which has regularly or randomly alternating thick and thin sections along its length and each of which is uniformly dyed or pigmented or uniformly dyeable a color which is different from that of each other singles yarn in the multi-ply yarn.

The ornamentsl yarn of the present invention makes it possible to produce fabrics with an "antique" color effect using uniformly colored or dyeable staple fibers. This color effect typically involves a random three-ton effect caused by variations in two contrasting colors in the yarn, which results in an especially pleasing effect when velvet or velour upholstery, shag or plush cut carpeting and other cut pile fabrics are made from the yarn.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a yarn useful for this purpose from uniformly colored or dyeable staple fibers, which has not been possible heretofore.

Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 represent greatly enlarged sections of two spun singles yarns of the present invention showing the alternating thick and thin sections along their respective lengths.

Fig. 3 represents a greatly enlarged section of the multi-ply ornamental yarn of the present invention resulting from plying the yarns of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.

Fig. 4a-d each represent cross sections of the yarn of Fig. 3 taken at the points marked A through D respectively and show the variations in relative thicknesses of each ply along the length of the ornamental yarn of the present invention.

Fig. 5 represents a roving frame back drafting roll, showing the modification desired to produce the alternately thick and thin sections in thernving.

The multi-ply yarn according to the invention, having a varying color effect along its length, is prepared by plying together at least two different singles yarns, each of which has regularly or randomly alternating thick and thin sections along its length and each of which in the final plied yarn is uniformly a different color than the other. Such difference in color is achieved either by plying two or more singles yarns that have each been precoloured by pigmenfation or stock-dyeing, a color different from each other, or by plying two or more uncolored singles yarns each of which has a different degree of dye receptivity than any other and then dyeing the plied yarn before or after making fabric from the yarn. When such multi-ply yarns are used in making fabrics, the fabrics possess an effect which is most pleasing to the eye.The ornamental effect of the yarn of the present invention is believed to be the most effective when comprised of two singles yarns of contrasting colors, creating the three-tone "antique" effect. However, the present invention is not meant to be limited to the plying of only two singles yarns and a larger number of such yarns of different colors could be employed if a different effect is desired.

Each of the singles yarns in the finished ornamental yarn of the present invention is comprised of uniformly pigmented or dyed staple fibers of natural or synthetic origin. These fibers are textile processed through drawing in the manner well known to the art. At roving the sliver resulting from the staple fiber is drafted into roving. In normal textile processing this roving is of uniform thickness, however, in this case a variation in the thickness of the roving is introduced. One method by which this may be accomplished is by a slight modification of the drafting element, as by the cutting ot one or more partial grooves or notches in the back roll of the drafting element. This will alternatively engage and disengage the breaker draft.In operation this will produce an alternately thick and thin roving which when textile spun into a singles yarn results in a predetermined variation in the thickness of the singles yarn. A change in the size of the grooves and their radial position on the backroll of the drafting element will change the relative proportions of the thick and thin portions of the yarn. Other methods might be used to periodically disengage the breaker draft. For example, clutches or cams could be introduced on the breaker drafting element. A clutch could be used to introduce variations in thickness of a random nature. However, these methods require additional mechanical operation, and the grooved roller is believed to be the preferred method of producing the yarn of the present invention.

In the breaker drafting element of Fig. 5, two grooves are shown, which allow the breaker draft to disengage. These grooves are cut into the drafting roller in a manner similar to that known to the art. It should be clear that any other geometry may be used for the drafting roller, including an increased number of grooves on the element, and these changes will affect the lengths of the relative thick and thin portions of the roving.

Singles yarns which have been prepared in the above manner but which differ in color or dye affinity are ply twisted together by conventional methods well known to the art to produce the ornamental yarn of the present invention.

The invention will be further illustrated by the following examples.

Example 1 A sliver of 63 grains/yard average weight was prepared from pigmented Brown 638 Hercules Herculon (RI Type 136 polypropylene fiber, 2.5 denier per filament in size and 1-7/8 inches long, and drafted on a G 10 Whittin moving frame, the back roll of the drafting element operating at 11.5 feet/minute, the middle roll at 20.15 feet/minute and the front roll at 91.7 feet/minute. Two grooves were cut in the back roll of the drafting element so that in the two 0.75 inch x 0.75 inch sections over the total 4.31 8 inch circumference of the roll, full drafting pressure was not exerted on the sliver. In this manner the total draft was kept at 8.0X while the sliver was in pressure contact with the feed roll, but was reduced to 4.55X when the sliver was not in pressure contact.The sliver as thus drawn had an average size of 0.9 H.R. (Hank Roving) (756 yards/pound) with approximately 65% of the length comprising thin sections of 1.05 H.R. (882 yards/pound) and 35% of the length comprising thick sections of 0.6 H.R. (509 yards/pound). These sections repeat in the roving following the pattern of a thin section of approximately 13.2 inches and a thick section of approximately 4.0 inches.

This yarn was further drawn and twisted on a Roberts Arrow SM-1 ring twister to incorporate 1 7 turns per inch Z twist while drawing the yarn down to an average size of 20/1 cotton count.

A similar yarn was prepared in the same way from pigmented Beige 606 Hercules Herculon 1R) Type 1 36 polypropylene fiber of the same size.

The two yarns were plied using a ring twister to incorporate 8.0 turns per inch S twist. The resulting yarn had an attractive appearance, varying in color intensity over 370 inch lengths from predominantly brown to predominantly beige.

The plied yarn was then woven to prepare a cut pile velvet upholstery fabric with a pile yarn weight of 5.75 ounce per square yard. The fabric was woven on a conventional double plush velvet loom with a W.I.R. (width in reed) of 58 inches, a total number of pile ends of 1200, and an 8.0:1 pile overfeed ratio. Fabric construction was 42 ends per inch backing warp, 21 ends per inch pile and 30 piles per inch. The resulting fabric demonstrated the desired "antique" effect.

Example 2 A yarn varying in size from 13.9/2 cotton count to 22.5/2 cotton count over a 370 inch length was prepared by the method described in Example 1, using nylon fibers of 3 denier per filament and 1 7/8 inches length for one singles yarn and the Beige 606 Hercules Herculon (RI Type 136 pigmented polypropylene fibers described in Example 1 for the other singles yarn. After twisting, the yarn was woven into a velvet upholstery fabric in a manner similar to that described in Example 1. This fabric was then dyed with conventional acid dyestuffs to convert the nylon yarn to a celery green color. The resulting fabric successfully demonstrated the desired "antique" effect.

Example 3 A nylon yarn was prepared from nylon fibers of 3 denier per filament and 1-7/8 inches length by the method described in Example 1. In the same manner, an acrylic yarn was prepared from staple of 3 denier per filament and 1-7/8 inches length.

The nylon and acrylic yarns were plied and woven into a velvet upholstery fabric in the manner described in Example 1. The fabric was then dyed in a combination of conventional acid and the basic dyes in a standard cross-dye procedure known to the art. In this manner, the nylon yarn was dyed a dark red and the acrylic yarn was dyed black. The resulting fabric successfully demonstrated the desired "antique" effect.

Claims (5)

1. A multi-ply yarn comprising two or more plies of spun singles yarns, each of which is uniformly dyed or pigmented or is uniformly dyeable a colour different from that of each other singles yarn in the multi-ply yarn wherein each of the two or more plies of singles yarns individually has regularly or randomly alternating thick and thin sections along its length.

2. A yarn as claimed in Claim 1 wherein each spun singles yarn is uniformly dyed or pigmented a color different from that of each other singles yarn in the multi-ply yarn.

3. A yarn as claimed in Claim 1 wherein each spun singles yarn is uniformly dyeable a color different from that of each other singles yarn in the multi-ply yarn.

4. A yarn as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying Drawings or to any of Examples 1 to 3.

5. A fabric produced from a yarn as claimed in any of the preceding Claims.