US3028884A - Pile fabric with wefts of different sizes - Google Patents

Description

April 10, 1962 J. T. M OISAAC, JR. ETAL PILE FABRIC WITH WEFTS OF DIFFERENT SIZES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 18, 1960 INVENTORS JOHN T. MAclsAbcJla. anJCHAELES BSUMPTERA'Q.

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INVENTORS JOHN T. MAQISAAC.,JR.

and CHARLES B. $UMPTER,JR.

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ATTORNEYS April 10, 1962 J. T. M lSAAC, JR. ETAL 3,028,884

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ATTORNEYS States atent thee 3,028,884 Pill-2E FABRIC WITH WEFTS OF DEFFERENT SIZES John T. Maelsnac, 3n, Spray, and Charles B. Sumpter, .ir., Leahsville, Nil, assignors to Fieldcrest Mills, inc, Spray, N.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 18, B68, Ser. No. 9,610 7 Claims. (Cl. 139-402) This inventon relates to improvements in pile fabrics, such as rugs, carpets and the like, characterized by raised loops and/or tufts formed of warpwise pile yarns looped beneath weft yarns interwoven with ground warps,

In order to provide a woven base or ground fabric which adequately supports and adequately separates pile made from relatively soft, loosely twisted and/or towlike pile yarn, such as wool, cotton, synthetic materials or combinations thereof, it is common practice to weave the base from relteively large wefts such as jute, hard twisted cotton and/or synthetic strands of considerable size and strength as compared to the ground warps. This is also desirable in order to provide the desired bulk and resiliency in the base without utilizing large and unnecessarily expensive ground warps. However, the use of relatively large wefts throughout the base fabric has required that considerable amounts of relatively expensive pile yarn have been buried in and beneath the base and have also extended around the weft yarns in the base, since the pile yarns are necessarily looped beneath wefts and project upwardly at opposite Sides of the respective wefts.

In order to provide a pile fabric suitable for rugs, carpets and the like which may be produced at less cost than prior fabrics without sacrificing the quality of the fabric to any extent and while maintaining the pile of the same height as comparable pile fabric ofeonventional construction, it is an object of this invention to provide a pile fabric comprising a base formed from ground warps interwoven with wefts of at least two different sizes, which wefts may be alternately arranged individually or in groups, and wherein the pile yarn is looped beneath the smaller wefts in every practical instance so that a lesser amount of pile yarn is buried in the base than has heretofore been the case when a given height of pile yarn is exposed above the base.

The principles of the present invention are particularly adaptable to two-shot and three-shot weaves since the pile yarn may be looped beneath the relatively smaller wefts, in each instance, and the larger wefts then serve to space apart the legs of respective loops whose bights are above the base. The principles of the present invention are also applicable to single-shot weaves, but it is apparent that the pile yarn is then looped beneath both the relatively large and small wefts in alternation.

The present invention is shown in association with a single Weft plane pile fabric characterized by pile yarns which are shogged above and across ground warps as loops are formed above the base and over warpwis'e pile wires. Fabrics of this general character are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,655,951 granted to E. F. Clark on October 20, 1953, and US. Patent No. 2,860,669 granted to I. O. Moberg on November 18, 1958, and may readily be woven on a loom of the character disclosed in our copending United States application Serial No. 836,491 entitled High Speed Carpet Loom and Method of Weaving, and filed August 27, 1959.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description pro ceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURE 1 is a somewhat schematic top plan view H invention is shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4 in the form of' of a portion of one form of the improved fabric embodying the wefts of different sizes;

FIGURE 2 is a warpwise or longitudinal sectional view through the fabric of FIGURE 1 taken substantially along line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view of the portion of fabric shown in FIGURE 2 in which the loops have been severed;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the twoshot fabric shown in FIGURE 1, but wherein the fabric has been exploded;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the fabric with high, intermediate and low or groundengaging pile loops;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FiGURE 5 in which the intermediate loops have been severed and the high and ground-engaging loops remain intact;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 in which both the high and intermediate loops have been severed;

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 in which only the high loops have been severed or cut and the intermediate and the ground-engaging loops remain intact;

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FEGURE 1, but showing the fabric in the form of a one-Shot or single-shot weave;

FIGURE 10 is a longitudinal or warpwise vertical sectional view through the fabric taken substantially along line 1tl--ltl in FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 11 is a view similar to FIGURE 10 wherein the loops have been cut to form tufts;

FIGURE 12 is an enlarged view similar to FIGURE 9 in which the warps and wefts are shown in exploded relationship.

To our knowledge, all carpet manufacturers have considered it necessary that all weft yarns in the base of a pile fabric must be made from jute or other relatively. large strands of the same size throughout the length of the fabric, so that the base would have Sufficient strength and body to adequately support the pile yarn and to maintain the legs of the loops or tufts in proper spaced relationship.

To our knowledge, it had never occurred to anyone heretofore that relatively small weft yarns could be used. in alternation with the usual or conventional relatively heavy weft yarns in such a manner as to reduce the amount of pile yarn required for a given length of carpet fabric and, in weaving carpet fabrics whose pile yarns are shogged across and above respective groups of ground warps, different sizes of weft yarns could not be used because the insertion of the weft yarns in the shed was effected by a reciprocating needle. Thus, the yarn could not be changed during operation of the loom.

In said copending application, Serial No. 836,491, we have provided a loom utilizing small projectile-like gripper shuttles for formingdouble-ended wefts and to which two different yarns are directed in alternation, and including pile yarn guides for feeding and shogging pile yarns over and across warpwise pile wires and respective groups of ground warps. At intervals between certain adjacent picks, the pile yarn guides dip downwardly through the shed and through slots in the shuttle race so the next weft is cast above the pile yarn, whereupon the weft is beat up and the guides raise the pile yarns to again shog them over respective pile wires and groups of ground warps. Thus, the present fabric may be woven on a loom of this type by directing jute or other relatively large textile strands to certain spaced or alternate gripper shuttles and directing a relatively fine or small yarn to intervening gripper shuttles. Examples of the improved fabric are shown in the annexed drawings and will now be described in detail.

'lhe first form of carpet fabric embodying the present a two-shot, shogged loop pile carpet fabric. The term shogged loop pile" is used herein to define pile loops which are formed above and across respective ground warps.

The section of fabric shown in FIGURES 1 and 4 is broadly designated at and illustrated in the form of a two-shot weave including groups of ground warps or main ground warps, preferably four in number, indicated at a, b, c and d, each adjacent ground warp being shedded in opposite directions with a single, continuous, warpwise extending, pile yarn 11 being woven into the base or ground fabric with each group of ground warps a through d, with the exception of those groups of ground warps disposed adjacent the selvage of the ground fabric. The ground warps a through d are interwoven with relatively large weft yarns 12 which are arranged in alternation with intervening relatively small weft yarns 13.

Reading from left to right in FIGURE 4, it will be noted that each pile yarn extends beneath a relatively small weft yarn 13 and the extreme left-hand weft yarn i3 is then beat up by the usual reed. The pile yarns 11 are then raised above the ground fabric and are shogged across and above the respective groups of ground warps while also being shogged across and above respective warpwise extending pile wires, not shown herein but being clearly shown in said copending application. There upon, the next succeeeding weft yarn, which is one of the relatively large weft yarns 12, is inserted through the shed formed of the ground warps.

The latter relatively large ground weft yarn is then beat up and the pile yarns are then dipped downwardly through the shed formed of the ground warps and between adjacent groups of ground warps. Another relatively small weft yarn 13 is then inserted and beat up while the pile yarns are positioned through the shed so that the third weft yarn from the left in FIGURE 4 overlies the pile yarns 11 and the pile yarns 11 are, thus, looped beneath the relatively small weft yarns 13. Thereafter, the pile yarns are raised and shogged in the opposite direction over the same respective groups of warps a through d and a succeding relatively large weft yarn 12 is inserted through the shed then formed by the ground warps a through d. The pile yarns 11 are then again dipped downwardly through the shed formed of the ground warps to complete a cycle in the forming of the two-shot fabric 10.

Although the pile yarns 11 are shown looped over each set of ground warps, it is apparent that they may be looped over alternately spaced sets of ground warps, if desired so as to facilitate cutting and seaming along the intervening sets of ground warps during installation of the carpet thus formed.

t will be noted that the weft yarns 12, 13 are each in the form of a single double ended strand. In view of the fact that the weft yarns 12, 13 are in the form of double ended strands, a selvage is formed in order to bind the wefts 12, 13 in proper relationship. To this end, a pair or set of selvage warps e, f is provided adjacent each longitudinal edge of the fabric 10.

Each set of selvage wraps e, f is interwoven with the weft yarns 12, 13 so that each selvage warp 'e passes above each relatively small weft yarn 13 and beneath each relatively large weft yarn 12, while the selvage warp f passes beneath each relatively small weft yarn 13 and above each relatively large weft yarn 12. In addition, in order to lock the selvage warps in engagement with the wefts, the selvage warps e, f cross over and under each other between adjacent weft yarns in the form of a leno weave. In other words, each selvage warp passes from side to side of the other selvage warp in the respective pair as each successive weft yarn is inserted and beat up.

Referring to FIGURE 2, it is apparent that a substantially lesser amount of warp yarn 11 is looped beneath each relatively small weft yarn 13 than would be the case if the pile yarns 11 were looped beneath the relatively large weft yarns 12, thus effecting considerable savings in the amount of yarn required to weave a given length of fabric. The relatively large weft yarns 13 are positioned within the respective loops; i.e., between the legs of the respective loops, so as to space said legs apart and produce a broad loop. If relatively small wefts were used in place of the large wefts, the proximity of the legs of the loops would be such as to require an excessive length of pile yarn for a given length of fabric, and this would defeat the purpose for which the small wefts 13 are provided. Further, since the weft yarns 13 are relatively small as compared to the weft yarns 12, adjacent loops are compacted more closely together to thereby produce a tighter and more compact pile fabric than may be obtained when all the weft yarns are of the same size and of sufficient size to adequately support the pile yarns and to adequately space the legs of each loop.

The portion of fabric shown in FIGURE 3 is identical to that shown in FIGURE 2 and is provided only to illustrate the fabric of FIGURE 2 when the pile has been cut or severed. Accordingly, elements shown in FIG- URE 3 will bear the same reference characters as like elements in FIGURE 2 and a further description thereof will not be given.

The portions of fabric shown in FIGURES 5, 6, 7 and 8 may also be woven in the same manner as that described with respect to FIGURES l, 2, 3 and 4, with the exception that warpwise pile wires having different heights of loop-forming stages are used, such as those shown in said Moberg Patent No. 2,860,669. In this instance, the pile yarns in FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 are respectively broadly designated at 11a, 11b, 11c and 11d. The relatively large alternately spaced weft yarns in FIGURES 5, 6, 7 and 8 are respectively designated at 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d and the relatively small weft yarns in FIGURES 5, 6, 7 and 8 are indicated at 13a, 13b, 13c and 13d, respectively.

By using patterned controlled pile Wires having loop forming stages of different heights, such as are disclosed in said Moberg Patent No. 2,860,669 and in a Moberg Patent No. 2,860,664, relatively high shogged loops H, intermediate shogged loops I and ground-engaging loops G may be formed in any desired sequence to form a fabric 16a, such as is shown in FIGURE 5. It is apparent that the high loops H are formed over relatively high loop-forming stages on respective pile wires, the intermediate loops I are formed over stages of lesser height than the stages over which loops H are formed and the pile wires are completely withdrawn whenever the relatively small loops or ground-engaging loops G are formed.

In FIGURE 6, the fabric 10b is substantially the same as that shown in FIGURE 5, with the exception that the intermediate loops have been severed, thus forming tufts I-b of substantially lesser height than adjacent relatively high loops H-b and of substantially greater height than ground-engaging loops G-b.

The fabric shown in FIGURE 7 is also woven in the same manner as that of FIGURE 5. However, all the intermediate and high loops have been severed so that the fabric of FIGURE 7 includes relatively high or long tufts H-c and relatively short or intermediate tufts I-c, the ground-engaging loops G-c remaining uncut.

The fabric 10d of FIGURE 8 is also woven in the same manner as the fabric of FIGURE 5, but the relatively high loops have been cut so as to form tufts H-d which are of substantially the same or slightly greater height than intermediate loops Id. The intermediate loops I-d and ground-engaging loops G-d remain intact or uncut.

In all other respects, the fabrics 10a, 10b, 10c and 10d shown in FIGURES 5, 6, 7 and 8 are formed in identically the manner described with respect to FIGURES l, 2 and 4 and, therefore, a further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

In FIGURES 9, 10 and 12, another form of fabric embodying the present invention is shown, which fabric is woven in substantially the same manner as the fabric of FIGURES 1, 2 and 4 with the exception that the fabric of FIGURES 9, and 12 is a single-shot fabric so that the pile yarn is looped beneath each successive weft yarn rather than beneath alternate or relatively small weft yarns. Accordingly, the various elements of the fabric shown in FIGURES 9, 10 and 12 will bear the same reference characters as like elements of the fabric 10 shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4 with the prime notation added, in order to avoid repetitive description.

As heretofore stated, the pile yarns 11 are looped beneath each successive weft yarn. It follows therefore, that the raised loops are formed above and across each respective group of ground warps a through d. The pile yarn is raised from within and beneath the shed formed of the ground warps and shogged above and across respective groups of ground warps a through d and above respective warpwise extending pile wires, not shown. Thereafter the pile yarns are again lowered through the shed formed of the ground warps following the insertion of each successive weft yarn through the shed and prior to the insertion of each succeeding weft yarn through the shed. While the saving in pile yarn is not as pronounced in a single shot fabric (FIGURES 9, 10 and 12) as it is in a two-shot or three-shot fabric, it is, nevertheless, more pronounced than in prior art carpet fabrics of which we are aware. Since the single-shot fabric 10 of FIGURES 9, 10 and 12 is otherwise formed in the same manner as the two-shot fabric 10 of FIG- URES 1, 2 and 4, a further detailed description thereof is deemed unnecessary. FIGURE 11 shows the fabric of FIGURE 10 after the loops formed in the manner previously heretofore described have been severed to form tufts. Accordingly, the fabric of FIGURE 11 beats the same reference characters as the fabric of FIGURE 10 and a further description of the fabric shown in FIGURE 11 is deemed unnecessary. Fabric woven in the manner of the fabric 15' in FIGURES 9, 10 and 12 may also embody the various loop and tuft formations shown in FIGURES 5, 6, 7 and 8, for example.

In actual practice, a number four cotton yarn was used to form the relatively small alternately spaced weft yarns such as weft yarns 13 in FIGURE 4. On the other hand, the intervening relatively large weft yarns 12 were made from jute having a diameter approximately twice the diameter of the cotton weft yarns 13. Of course, the sizes of the different yarns may vary to any desired extent and it has been found that the alternately spaced relatively small weft yarns should be approximately one-half the diameter or size of the intervening relatively large weft yarns. Both the relatively large and relatively small weft yarns can be made from any desired textile material such as cotton, nylon or other synthetic material, jute, rayon and the like, or combinations thereof. Of course, the pile yarn 11, of which the loops and tufts of the various forms of the invention illustrated herein are formed, may be of a soft wool, synthetic bulk yarn of any other type of yarn usually used for forming the pile on carpet.

As heretofore indicated, one important reason why a yarn of relatively large diameter serves as the weft yarn beneath each raised loop in the two-shot weave fabric 10 shown in FIGURES l, 2, 3 and 4, is to insure that the legs of the loops or tufts are spaced sufficiently apart from each other so as to avoid defeating the purpose for which the relatively small weft yarns 13 are provided; that is, so that the savings in pile yarn effected by the use of the small weft yarns overlying the looped lower portion between adjacent pile loops will not be absorbed by packing the loops formed above the base fabric too closely together. This, of course, is another advantage in the two-shot or three-shot fabrics as compared to the singleshot fabric 10' shown in FIGURES 9, 10, 11 and 12.

The loops above the ground fabric in a three-shot fabric pass over two weft yarns rather than 'a single weft yarn and their lower looped portions are looped under a single weft yarn, as is well known. Therefore, an illustration and description of a three-shot fabric is deemed unnecessary, it being sufficient to state that the lower looped portions of the pile yarns in each instance, would pass beneath a relatively small weft yarn as compared to the weft yarn appearing beneath the upper portions of the pile yarn.

It is thus seen that we have provided an improved pile fabric particularly adapted for use as carpets, rugs and the like, wherein a savings in the amount of yarn necessary to make a given length of fabric having a pile of predetermined height is realized due to the fact that relatively small and relatively large weft yarns appear in alternation in the base fabric and the looped lower portions of the pile yarn pass beneath the relatively small yarn in each instance in a two-shot or multi-shot fabric and, at least, alternate looped lower portions of the pile yarn pass beneath the relatively fine weft yarns in a single-shot pile fabric, the larger yarns serving to provide the desired strength, thickness and body to the ground fabric and the fine or relatively small weft yarns requiring that only a relatively small amount of pile yarn be looped about the same, due to the fact that the relatively small weft yarns are approximately one-half the diameter of the relatively large weft yarns.

In the drawings and specification there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

We claim:

1. A single weft plane pile fabric constructed to use less pile yarn for any given height of pile or pile density comprising ground warps interwoven with weft yarns and forming a base, said weft yarns including alternately arranged, relatively large conventional size weft 'yarns and intervening relatively small weft yarns positioned between said large weft yarns and being approximately one-half the size of said large weft yarns, and pile yarns looped beneath a single weft yarn in each instance and projecting above the base in the form of pile, those single weft yarns beneath which the pile yarns are looped including at least said small Weft yarns.

2. A single weft plane pile fabric constructed to use less pile yarn for any given height of pile or pile density comprising ground warps interwoven with weft yarns and forming a base, said weftyarns including spaced, relatively large conventional size jute weft yarns and relatively small cotton weft yarns approximately one-half the size of said jute yarns airanged in alternation with said jute yarns, and pile yarns looped beneath a single weft yarn in each instance and projecting above the base in the form of pile, those single weft yarns beneath which the pile yarns are looped including at least said small cotton yarns.

3. A single weft plane pile fabric constructed to use less pile yarn for any given height of pile or pile density comprising ground warps interwoven with weft yarns and forming a base, said weft yarns including spaced, relatively large conventional size weft yarn and relatively small Weft yarns approximately one-half the size of said large weft yarns arranged in alternation with said large weft yarns, and pile yarns looped beneath a single weft yarn in each instance and projecting above and across certain of said ground warps in the form of pile loops, those single weft yarns beneath which the pile yarns are looped including at least said small weft yarns.

4. A single weft plane pile fabric constructed to use less pile yarn for any given height of pile or pile density comprising ground warps interwoven with weft yarns and forming a base, said Weft yarns including spaced, relatively large conventional size jute weft yarns and rela tively small cotton weft yarns approximately one-half the size of said jute yarns arranged in alternation with said jute yarns, and pile yarns looped beneath a single weft yarn in each instance and projecting above and across certain of said ground warps in the form of pile loops, those single weft yarns beneath which the pile yarns are looped including at least said small cotton yarns.

5. A single weft plane pile fabric constructed to use less pile yarn for any given height of pile or pile density comprising ground warps interwoven with weft yarns and forming a base, said weft yarns including spaced, rela tively large conventional size weft yarns and relatively small weft yarns approximately one-half the size of said large weft yarns arranged in alternation with said large weft yarns, and pile yarns each being looped beneath a single small weft yarn, over a group of ground warps, beneath a single large weft yarn and back over the same group of ground warps to complete a cycle of interweaving with the weft yarns and to thereby form pile loops.

6. A single weft plane pile fabric constructed to use less pile yarn for any given height of pile or pile density comprising ground warps interwoven with weft yarns and forming a base, said weft yarns including spaced, relatively large conventional size weft yarns and intervening relatively small weft yarns approximately one-half the size of said large weft yarns arranged in alternation with said large weft yarns, and pile yarns looped beneath only a single small weft yarn in each instance and projecting above and across certain of said ground warps and a single large weft yarn in the form of pile loops.

7. A single weft plane pile fabric constructed to use less pile yarn for any given height of pile or pilo density comprising ground warps interwoven with weft yarns and forming a base, said weft yarns including spaced, relatively large conventional size jute weft yarns and relatively small cotton weft yarns approximately one-half the size of said jute yarns arranged in alternation with said jute yarns, and pile yarns looped beneath a single weft yarn in each instance and projecting above certain of said ground yarns in the form of pile, those single weft yarns beneath which the pile yarns are looped being only the small cotton yarns.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,187,344 Dewas Jan. 16, 1940 2,860,669 Mober-g Nov. 18, 1958 2,903,022 Hoeselbarth Sept. 8, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 497,411 Great Britain 1939

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