Top cloth for articles of clothing as well as a manufacturing process and transfer unit for it

The invention concerns a top cloth, especially a top cloth cut for clothes, which top cloth or cut is coated on one side with a patterned coating serving to stabilize it. Inventively this coating comprises a lower adhesive layer (2) of patterned heat-sealable plastics elements which are not interconnected and which adhere to the back of said top cloth or cut (1), and an upper covering layer (3) of non-hot sealable or substantially non-hot sealable material. The covering layer can extend substantially or fairly continuously, i.e. pattern-free, over the lower patterned adhesive layer and optionally beyond it and can in its areas between the pattern points of the lower layer not adhere to the top cloth or only slightly adhere thereto, while being easily wiped off. But it can also be directly patterned and congruent with the adhesive pattern beneath it. The invention concerns a process for the manufacture of such a top cloth and a transfer unit for implementing said process.

The invention concerns a top cloth, especially top cloth cut, for articles 
of clothing with a one-sided patterned coating for its stabilization. Such 
stabilized top cloths or top cloth cuts are used for smoothing or keeping 
smooth certain parts of articles of clothing, such as frontal areas, 
sleeves, collars, plates and the like. 
For smoothing or keeping smooth clothes, today the socalled fixing linings 
are used almost exclusively. They consist of a fabric, a fleece, knitwear 
or woven textile and are coated with hot-sealable adhesives in patterend 
form. The fixing linings are affixed using fixing presses on the cuttings 
of the top cloth. Due to the lining, the article of clothing is given a 
smooth pleasing appearance which also remains to a large extent under 
different climatic conditions. The article seldom needs to be ironed to 
look good, shapely and smooth. 
Since recently ever-increasing optimal softness has been demanded from the 
article, but without losing the effect of smoothness, ever lighter linings 
are being processed which have scarcely any handle. The patterned adhesive 
coating of especially light and thin lining materials, in view of the 
demand for the attainment of adequate connection with the top cloth, tends 
to penetrate through the lining. During fixing in the fixing press the 
linings remain hanging together with the affixed top shell on the top 
cloth of the press.In the case of the widely practised sandwich fixing in 
which two identical top cloth cuts are fixed in one working process with 
interposed linings in common, there is a so-called refastening process 
between the rear sides of the lining materials, i.e. the two linings tend 
to stick on their superimposed rear sides. Other problems also arise such 
as for example the agglutination of the backing materials with the back of 
the lining during the ironing of the article in the final processing 
stage. It is true that these defects can be largely eliminated by reducing 
the amount of adhesive; but then in many cases the adhesion is no longer 
sufficient. 
To reduce the reaction tendency an adhesive coating on linings has become 
known in which the patterned arrangement of the adhesives has a 
double-layered composition. The lower layer resting directly on the lining 
has a lower thermoplastic flow than the actual adhesive layer placed upon 
it(DE-AS-25 36 911). Using such a double coating the reaction tendency and 
the refastening are reduced, but are not eliminated in full. 
At all events however the affixing of fixing linings produces not only a 
smoothing effect but also a clear tautening of the handle of the article 
in the fixed area, a phenomenon which in the fashion trends today is 
increasingly undesirable. To do justice to the trend of fashion, recently 
there has been a return to the classical lining processing, in which the 
linings are no longer ironed on, but are sewn in as in the past. However 
this means accepting higher labour costs, since the old classical sewing 
of the linings is considerably more costly for the production of an 
article of clothing which looks as smooth as a front-fused article. 
Recently processes have become known in which both the classical as well as 
the front fused linings are replaced by patterned plastic substances. In 
this working technology, the top cloth cuts during the curing process tend 
to undergo yellowing and changes in color tones as well as shrinkage 
thereby reducing the volume of the top cloth, and the use of this printing 
technique is substantially limited solely to voluminous top cloths. 
Equally known is a process in which extruded adhesive meshes are ironed on 
to the top cloth, having a double-layered design. On the side facing the 
top cloth the meshes become adhesively active under the influence of 
pressure and heat, but not on the other side. Here too there is a strong 
tautening of the handle and its use is also limited voluminous top cloths. 
When using less voluminous top cloths, it has been found that the mesh 
structure is discernible on the top cloth side. 
To be able to process even thin top cloths without loss of volume using a 
printing technology and to achieve a more textile handle, it is known from 
DE-A1-30 14 656 that on the rear side of top cloth cuts, thermosetting, 
high-viscosity dispersion pastes can be applied in pattern form which 
substantially only adhere on the top cloth rear side and do not penetrate 
into the top cloth. The patterned imprint serves as the bonding substance 
for flocks which are electrostatically injected. With this flocking 
process, after a two-stage curing a composite of top cloth and flock 
layers is obtained which are soft, supple and full-bodied and 
simultaneously cause the desired smoothing. However it is not possible to 
completely eliminate the tautening of the handle. In addition, the two 
named printing technologies require high investment costs, and demand from 
the garment maker, knowledge of working techniques which are not part of 
his profession. 
In this specification the terms "patterned coating" or "patterned elements" 
are used to mean a plurality of substantially coplanar elements arranged 
in a pattern, such as a raster-form. 
My invention is therefore based on the object of forming a top cloth or top 
cloth cut with patterned coating so that when using it, clothes are 
produced which, without the use of specially inserted stiffening linings 
in certain areas, have the desired smoothness of an article with lining, 
yet in the handle (the feeling of softness and the full-bodied quality 
when touched with the hand) have about the same softness as an article 
with the classically inserted lining. The invention is further based on 
the object of creating a process for the production of such a top cloth 
and the necessary aids to this end. 
The first named object is inventively achieved by the coating of the top 
cloth being provided with a patterened hot-sealable plastic-containing 
lower adhesive layer that is adhered to the top cloth which layer is not 
interconnected in the plane and a top layer adhering to said lower layer, 
which top layer is of non-hot sealable or substantially non-hot sealable 
material. By a hot sealable substance a substance is defined here which in 
conditions such as those during ironing or affixing of such a substance on 
a substrate, e.g. a top cloth, and also under the given pressure and 
temperature conditions (pressures from 50 to 500 p/cm.sup.2 =cN/cm.sup.2, 
preferably 200 to 400 p/cm.sup.2 and temperatures from 100.degree. to 
180.degree. C., preferably 120.degree. to 170.degree. C.) become 
adhesively active, i.e. in these conditions it can adhere to the objects 
or materials pressed upon it, and wherein this adhesive activity can again 
be obtained in such conditions, and thus full chemical curing of the 
adhesives does not occur during ironing or fixing. 
By non-hot sealable or substantially non-hot sealable materials, we mean 
all materials or raw materials which under ironing or fixing conditions 
are not or do not become adhesively active, and thus in these conditions 
are not hot-sealable. 
A special advantage is the fact that the inventive top cloth also remains 
stable in dimensions even under changing climatic conditions, whereas 
uncoated cuttings often show a tendency to extend, especially on suspended 
articles of clothing. For articles with top cloths as in the invention, in 
which stiffening linings have been inserted in the classical way, this 
leads to the fact that the top cloth does not undulate at the seams and 
thus the article maintains its smooth state, which with articles of a 
non-inventive top cloth and with stiffeners classically inserted is seldom 
the case. 
The invention top cloth can be used for keeping smooth or stabilizing not 
only frontal areas but also seams, collars, lapels, tabs or the like of 
outerwear, where the article is to have a smooth fit and yet nevertheless 
a soft handle. It can also be used universally for blouses regardless of 
the color design of the top cloth. 
Expediently with the invention top cloth the top layer extends in the same 
pattern as the lower adhesive layer, while both layers are placed with 
their patterns precisely matching. Such a top cloth is distinguished by 
its special softness and air permeability, so that when using it a 
good-breathing article is obtained. 
A further embodiment of the invention top cloth may also by expedient in 
which the covering layer extends continuously without pattern over the 
lower patterned adhesive layer below it and extends beyond the latter. The 
covering layer may not abut the top cloth substantially or may only adhere 
to it slightly in its areas between the pattern points of the adhesive 
layer. The release of the covering layer from the top cloth should be made 
possible in the intermediate areas by mechanical influences, such as 
beating, brushing, wiping or the like. 
The patterned adhesive layer may consist of hot melt adhesive (hot 
sealable) material, e.g. on the basis of copolyamides, copolyesters, 
and/or low pressure polyethylenes or the like which are applied as powder 
or as paste and can be formed therefrom, whereas the top covering layer 
acting as the barrier agianst reactivation of the lower adhesive layer 
consists of material which is substantially non-adhesive up to 180.degree. 
C. and may e.g. be formed from an aqueous pasty substance which can 
contain finely dispersed plastics, mineral fillers or mixtures thereof. 
The invention further concerns a process for the production of the 
inventive top cloth. In this process firstly on a flat substrate the two 
layers with which the top cloth is to be coated are moved to each other in 
the reverse position, i.e. the non-hot sealable covering layer on the 
support layer and above the latter the hot sealable adhesive layer, 
whereupon the layer carrier (normally a flat substrate) is placed as a 
transfer unit with its patterned adhesive layer downwards on the top 
cloth, and the adhesive layer is made to adhere firmly by using pressure 
and heat on the top cloth. The continuous layer 6 after being transferred 
to the top cloth is brekable and detachable in area 7, where it is not 
located over the rasters of the adhesive layer. The carrier is now removed 
from the transferred coating. The basic layer now forming the covering 
layer on the top cloth can be made to drop off the top cloth by mechanical 
means such as wiping, beating, brushing or the like in its areas adhering 
on the pattern of the adhesive layer. To facilitate the removal of the 
carrier layer from the basic layer after its application on said top 
cloth, before the application of the basic layer on the carrier layer, an 
anti-adhesive agent may expediently be applied on said carrier layer. But 
it is also possible to coordinate the adhesion of the basic layer on the 
carrier and on the adhesive layer so well that the basic layer only 
detaches itself from the layer carrier in its areas sitting on said 
patterned adhesive layer and that otherwise it is removed with the layer 
carrier in the residual areas between the pattern of the adhesive layer. 
In this case the beating, wiping and the brushing can be omitted. 
The invention also concerns the above transfer unit for effecting the named 
process, consisting of a layer carrier, a unilaterally applied non-hot 
sealable or substantially non-hot sealable base layer applied on said 
layer carrier, while the basic layer extends continuously, i.e. 
unpatterned, over the support, having on said basic layer a patterned 
hot-sealable adhesive layer. It is an advantage if the baselayer forming 
the later covering layer on the carrier layer, when being removed from the 
layer carrier after the application of the two layers on the top cloth, is 
partly withdrawn, i.e. with the areas between the pattern, in so far as it 
is ensured that the patterns of the adhesive layer remain fully covered by 
the residual portion of the basic layer, to avoid any agglutination of the 
coated top cloth and/or cutting with the other fabric areas or with other 
substances.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the top cloth cut 1 is covered with a 
hot-sealable adhesive layer 2 on a plastic basis in polka dot pattern. The 
pattern dots of this layer are covered by superimposed dots of a covering 
layer 3 made of non-hot sealable material. On the dots 2 placed on the top 
cloth 1 there is a congruent layer 3. The dot pattern may have rod form. 
By use of pressure and heat the dots of the lower adhesive layer 2 are 
made to adhere on the top cloth cut 1 and on the dots of the superimposed 
covering layer 3. 
FIG. 2 shows a transfer unit for the application of the two adjacent layers 
2 and 3 on the top cloth 1. This transfer unit consists of a layer oarrier 
or substrate 4 in the form of a cutting made of sulfate paper or the like 
on which an anti-adhesive layer 5 is applied. On this anti-adhesive layer 
there is a continuously extending, i.e. non-patterend, base layer 6 
stretching over the substrate 4, and made of non-heat sealable or 
substantially non-heat sealable material. To be able to obtain this flat 
base layer in the identical layer thickness, it can for example be printed 
on as paste or powder using a patterned film screen and then be coated 
smooth with a flat rubber lip, a steel blade or a rotary or fixed 
smoothing roller. The closed fabric base layer thus produced is then dried 
to form a slightly porous and rough film, which owing to its nature and 
its flatness adheres well enough on the substrate 4 and/or on the 
anti-adhesive layer 5 applied thereon. 
On this flat base layer 6 the hot sealable adhesive layer 2 is applied in 
polka dot pattern. It can also be printed on as paste or powder, e.g. 
using a film screen of e.g. 25 mesh or of a similar mesh. 
The transfer unit shown in FIG. 2 of the embodiment can be turned through 
180.degree. and placed with its punctiform adhesive layer 2 downwards on 
the top cloth cut 1 which is to be coated, after which, by the use of 
pressure and heat, the dots of the adhesive layer are made to adhere on 
the top cloth cut 1. Then the substrate 4 with its anti-adhesive layer 5 
can be removed from the base layer 6 forming the covering layer on the top 
cloth cut, so that now the dots of the adhesive layer 2 and above them the 
still fairly continuous unpatterned base layer 6 forming the covering 
layer are disposed on the top cloth cut (see FIG. 3). The base layer 6 
consisting of substantially non-hot sealable material is made so that it 
can be caused to drop off the top cloth 1 in its areas 7 between the dots 
of adhesive layer 2, e.g. by mechanical influences such as wiping, 
beating, brushing or the like, so that it remains on the subordinated dots 
of the adhesive layer 2 only in the form of the punctiform covering layer 
shown in FIG. 1. Then the treatment in the processing of the top cloth in 
the usual course of garment production suffices to effect a thorough 
removal of the non-anchored intermediate areas of the covering and/or base 
layer. But it is also possible to adjust the adhesion of the base layer 
directly so that it is detached from the carrier only in its areas which 
rest in patterned form on the adhesive layer while the intermediate areas 
remain suspended on said carrier (see FIG. 4). 
The base layer 6 forming the covering layer 3 can consist of material which 
is substantially non-adhesive at temperatures up to 180.degree. C., and 
which is applied as powder or as a paste, e.g. a pasty substance of finely 
dispersed plastic filler which is dispersable in water and is non-adhesive 
up to 180.degree. C., made of mineral fillers, mixtures thereof or the 
like. The plastic can be a PVC powder, and can be applied in aqueous 
dispersion in combination with a thickener and a fatty acid or its salt. 
Advantageously the dispersion contains further silicons which should 
preferably be cross-linkable. As the thickener, a thickener on the basis 
of polymer acrylic acids or their salts can be used. But the dispersion 
can also contain instead or additionally starch, carboxymethylcellulose, 
hydroxyethycellulose, gelatine or mixtures thereof as the thickener. 
If the covering or base layer consists of or contains mineral fillers, 
pulverized silicic acid, talcum powder, calcium carbonate powder or the 
like can be used as the fillers. Lastly pastes can also be used whose 
volatile parts contain solvents. Thus e.g. cross-linkable polyurethane 
dissolved in a solvent or cross-linkable polyacrylate dispersed in water 
mixed with mineral fillers or fillers on a plastic basis as well as fatty 
acids or their salts and cross-linkable silicons can be used. 
As the layer carrier or substrate for the transfer coating, primarily use 
is made of sulfate paper with an anti-adhesive coat (silicon paper). But 
instead of silicon paper, sheets, for example viscose foil sheets are 
usable when thin, which may also have an anti-adhesive layer of silicon. 
Flocking materials such as those described in DE-OS No. 3014 656 are not 
considered for the formation of the non- or substantially non-hot sealable 
covering or base layer, or are only considered under certain conditions. 
EXAMPLE 
Sulfate paper siliconized on one side, of 50 g/m.sup.2 in weight, is 
printed with paste using an 11 mesh film screen in patterned form. This 
paste has the following composition in parts by weight(PW): 
20 PW suspension PVC(K value under DIN 53726 about 65) grain size less than 
60 microns more than 97% 
6 PW behenic acid 
10 PW ammoniacal alkaline aqueous solution of 10% polyacrylic acid(pH=11) 
30 PW aqueous polymethacrylic acid dispersion 30% 
7.2 PW silicon finish VP 1419 E from Wacker-Chemie GmbH. Munich(FRG) 
2.8 silicon cross-linker VP 1420 from Wacker-Chemie GmbH, Munich(FRG) 
84 PW water 
The pasty applied printing is smoothly applied over the entire width of the 
paper by a rotating and a fixed smoothing roller to form a flat base 
layer. Then the paper sheet passes via a dryer, where the base layer is 
dried at about 150.degree. C. and is cross-linked. The dry coating weight 
of the base layer is between 15 and 20 g/m.sup.2. 
In a second run the paper sheet is coated in 25 dot pattern with a paste 
which has the following composition in parts by weight(PW): 
36 PW copolyamide powder 0-80 microns 
6 PW stearin 
14 PW suspension PVC (K value under DIN 53726 about 65) grain size less 
than 60 microns above 97% 
14 PW ammoniacal alkaline solution of 10% polyacrylic acid in water 
9 PW acronal 160 D(from BASF AG, FRG)(=40% aqueous dispersion on the basis 
of a non-cross-linked acrylic acid ester-acryl nitrile copolymerizate with 
high oil stability, hard film formation and good thermal stability up to 
about 60.degree. C. 
72 PW water. 
The patterned coating (adhesive layer) is also dried and then sintered. The 
dryer setting is 140.degree. C. The applied weight of the adhesive coating 
is 15 g dry weight/m.sup.2. 
Cuttings are cut out of the paper sheet thus coated. The cuts are placed 
with the adhesive coat first on the back of the top cloth cuts. In a 
fixing press the coating is affixed at 165.degree. C. top plate 
temperature, 100.degree. C. lower plate temperature, 15 seconds fixing 
time and 300 p/m.sup.2 on the top cloth cut. After opening the fixing 
press and cooling the ironed composite, the siliconized sulfate paper is 
removed. The top cloth now allows the base layer forming the covering 
layer on it in the areas adhering on the pattern of the adhesive layer to 
be easily wiped from the top cloth by using a cloth or a clothes brush. 
There remains an exact patterned double coating on the back of the top 
cloth, which shows no more adhesion when a lining material is ironed onto 
the top cloth. Even in the case of ironing folds in which the coated sides 
come to rest on each other, no more adhesion is found between the sides. 
The folded part opens by itself after ironing. 
To avoid the necessity to wipe off the areas of the base layer between the 
patterned dots of the adhesive layer after the removal of the carrier from 
the top cloth, a paste can be applied which forms a base layer, whose 
removal is done as in FIG. 4. The paste composition is as follows: 
20 PW suspension PVC (K value under DIN 53726 about 65), grain size less 
than 60 microns above 97% 
3 PW magnesium stearate powder most finely dispersed 
10.4 PW rohagit S from Rohm GmbH, Darmstadt FRG(=carboxyl group-containing 
extremely low viscosity acryl resin(acidic number 410 to 430 mg KOH/g, 
viscosity about 70 mPa.s(milli.Pascale.s) in a 3% aqueous solution 
adjusted to pH 9 using ammonia). 
4 PW concentrated ammonia 
30 PW aqueous polymethylacrylic acid dispersion 30% 
5 PW silicon finish 1419 E from Wacker-Chemie, Munich FRG 
1.6 PW silicon cross-linker VP 1420 from Wacker-Chemie GmbH, Munich FRG. 
84 PW water 
The cuts of the top cloth thus treated pass through the make-up in the 
conventional way and are processed into finished articles. For example the 
top cloth cut can be wholly provided with the inventive pattern coating 
and the insertion of a fixing lining in the garment is then unnnecessary. 
But it is also possible to provide the inventive coating only on the seam, 
revers, collar or lapel areas of a garment to achieve the desired 
stabilization, without having to accept any clear hardening of the handle. 
For example if the front of a jacket is provided in the button hole area 
with this inventive coating, in addition a conventional lining not 
equipped with hot seal adhesive can be sewn in, without having to fear an 
undulating deformed formation of the buttonhole edge. In this way the old 
and conventional modus operandi can be revived without any need for the 
high labour costs to remove the undulations.