Fiber treatment for application of protective film

Carpet masking film is reliably and removably applied to used carpet of unknown condition. In a pretreatment, the carpet is cleaned by physical separation of visible debris, followed by chemical or solvent cleaning of grease and soluble factors, restoring the carpet to a clean appearance. A primer layer is applied over the clean carpet fiber in quantity sufficient to establish a barrier and separation layer on top of the carpet fiber. Subsequently, a sprayed adhesive layer is applied over the primer layer. A carpet masking film is applied over the surface of the sprayed adhesive. The masking film may carry its own adhesive layer, which is applied to the sprayed adhesive to create a bonded sandwich structure that is removable as a unit with the masking film.

TECHNICAL FIELD
 The application relates to stock material and especially to treating and
 applying of protective sheeting to stock material. More specifically, the
 invention relates to method and apparatus for treating a textile stock
 material having a synthetic pile or nap type surface. The invention is
 especially applicable to a coating, impregnation, or bond for carpeting.
 BACKGROUND ART
 As a method of protecting stock materials such as textiles, it is known to
 apply a layer of protective plastic sheeting, often called carpet masking.
 In the automobile industry, this technique is used with new automobiles.
 Sheets of flexible plastic are applied to new automobile carpeting at the
 factory in order to protect the carpeting and maintain its new appearance
 until the dealer is ready to deliver the car to a purchaser. At that time,
 the dealer removes factory-applied protective materials, including the
 plastic carpet masking film on the carpeting.
 The art of applying protective plastic film is technically sophisticated
 and requires individual analysis of each type of carpeting. As a general
 practice, each manufacturer must individually adapt the process to each of
 his specific carpet offerings; and each model year may involve enough
 variation in the offered carpets that the individual analysis must be
 repeated and the results modified. The challenging aspect is found in the
 need to adhere the plastic to the carpeting so that it serves its purpose
 until time for removal, while at the same time the adhesive must allow the
 plastic to be removed from the carpeting without leaving residue or
 causing any damage or discoloration to the carpeting. The types of
 adhesive that performs adequately is individualized to specific
 characteristics of the carpeting. Thus, for example, an adhesive
 formulation may have to be changed to conform to the percentage of
 specific fibers in the pile, pile length, and density. The choice of
 plastic sheeting type also may require reformulation.
 Only new carpeting has been adequately diagnosed to allow the use of
 removably adhered plastic sheeting. Used carpeting includes many unknown
 variables that have prevented use of carpet masking film. One such
 variable is the composition of the carpet fiber, which tends to be unknown
 by the time a car enters the used market. Although it would appear
 possible to research what carpet fiber was supplied in each model of used
 car, obtaining such information would be pointless. The film and adhesive
 specifically formulated for the carpet in a used car is unlikely to be in
 production anymore. Even if the film could be obtained, it likely would
 not adhere properly, due to the used and unrecoverable condition of the
 carpet. Consequently, a major problem in adapting carpet masking film to
 used carpet is that the film and adhesive that once worked when the car
 was new will not work in the car's later life.
 In the used car market, it cannot be reliably predicted that an adhesive
 will work with even a professionally cleaned, shampooed carpet. Automobile
 carpet tends to be contaminated with a wide variety of unknown impurities,
 the full scope of which is limitless. Some of the more commonly
 anticipated contaminants are sand, dirt and dust of any variety in the
 pile; waxes, oils, and grease from new or old shoe prints; residual soap,
 cleaning byproducts and chemicals; food and drink spillage; and salt,
 fertilizer, and other chemicals used on roads, sidewalks, lawns, and
 gardens. With the added complication that different fiber compositions and
 pile characteristics require special adhesives even in the new car market,
 it is clear that a new technology is needed if refurbished used cars are
 to reliably benefit from adhered but removable plastic sheeting on their
 carpets.
 Some chemicals or their derivatives that are useful in the present
 invention have been employed in cleaning products, although the method of
 use, concentration, or associated preparatory steps apparently have been
 insufficient to produce the desired result. For example, U.S. Pat. No.
 4,203,859 to Kirn et al. teaches a modifier for carpet shampoo that
 contains acrylic copolymer that may include methacrylic acids and methyl
 methacrylate. U.S. Pat. No. 5,952,409 to Boardman teaches a stain blocking
 composition containing methacrylic polymers, which are useful for treating
 nylon carpet. While these compositions and treatments employing them may
 be useful in protecting or cleaning carpet, no previously known technique
 has overcome the specific problems of reliably adhering protective,
 removable plastic sheets to used carpet.
 It would be desirable to have a technology that places used carpeting into
 a predictable condition so that a single satisfactory process and
 composition can be used to apply removable, protective plastic sheeting.
 To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the
 purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described
 herein, the method of applying protective plastic sheeting of this
 invention may comprise the following.
 DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
 Against the described background, it is therefore a general object of the
 invention to provide an improved method of treating used carpeting that
 reliably allows adhering protective plastic sheeting, while also allowing
 the clean removal of such sheeting, when desired.
 Another object is to provide a system of treating compositions that place
 used carpeting into a predictable condition such that a preselected
 plastic sheeting can be removably adhered to the napped surface of the
 carpeting.
 Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention shall be
 set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become
 apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or
 may be learned by the practice of the invention.
 According to the invention, carpet masking film is reliably and removably
 applied to used carpeting by, first, applying a primer layer in quantity
 sufficient to establish a barrier and separation layer on top of the
 carpet fiber. Second, a sprayed adhesive layer is applied over the primer
 layer. Third, carpet masking film is applied over the sprayed adhesive
 layer.
 The removable carpet masking film may be of a type having a film adhesive
 layer carried on one side of the carpet masking film. The step of applying
 carpet masking film is done by applying the film adhesive layer against
 the sprayed adhesive layer.
 The step of applying a primer is done by applying a methacrylate copolymer.
 A preferred methacrylate copolymer is
 octylacrylamide/acrylates/butylaminoethyl methacrylate copolymer. A hair
 spray containing this copolymer can be applied.
 Prior to priming, the carpet can be cleaned by the steps of physically
 removing from the carpet visually perceivable dirt and solvent cleaning
 the carpet.
 The accompanying drawing, which is incorporated in and forms a part of the
 specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention,
 and together with the description, serves to explain the principles of the
 invention. In the drawings:

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
 The invention provides a method of reliably applying a removable carpet
 masking film to used substantially any automobile carpeting, regardless of
 its fiber composition. More specifically, the invention provides a
 treatment for used carpeting, especially carpeting of used cars while
 still installed in the used car, that reliably permits the adhesive
 application of protective plastic sheeting, while still allowing such
 plastic sheeting to be removed without causing damage to the carpeting or
 leaving behind observable residues. In particular, the invention achieves
 a plurality of material relationships that produce the desired results.
 First, the appropriate preliminary cleaning of the carpet prepares the
 carpet to receive a primer. Second, a suitable primer material is selected
 for its effectiveness in the environment of used carpeting, to contribute
 to the holding of a plastic film while allowing its release under suitable
 tension. Third, the primer must leave no observable residue on the carpet
 upon removal of the plastic. Fourth, the application of primer must be in
 an effective manner to permit the primer to carry out its various
 functions. Fifth, the primer must receive a covering coating of adhesive
 and support the adhesive, while not being degraded or allowing the
 adhesive to bond into the carpet fiber. Sixth, the sprayed adhesive
 coating must receive a carpet masking plastic film that may carry its own
 adhesive coating. The two adhesives must combine in a strong, sandwich
 bond, such that both layers of adhesive and the plastic film are removable
 as a unit. These steps and relationships are explained in detail, below.
 With general reference to FIG. 1, the steps in the treatment process allow
 preliminary and on-going carpet cleaning and restoration by techniques
 found effective on used carpet, performed in a suitable sequence, which
 may be varied as required for the specific requirements of each used car.
 One stage of the preliminary treatment removes loose dirt and debris,
 while another stage involves cleaning the carpet with selected chemical
 solvents to remove grease, oils, and other dirt requiring solvent for
 proper extraction. For purposes of adhering the plastic sheeting, a
 penetrating treatment primes the carpet to receive adhesive. Thereafter,
 adhesive is sprayed onto the carpet, and plastic sheeting having an
 adhesive side is applied over the sprayed adhesive.
 The preliminary cleaning is variable in its scope and requirement. The
 initial step typically may be an evaluation 10 of the condition of the
 carpet, which dictates how much cleaning will be required to return the
 carpeting to visually presentable condition. In substantially every case,
 the cleaning will involve physical removal 12, such as by vacuuming, of
 loose dirt and debris. Depending upon the findings of the initial
 evaluation 14, additional wet cleaning or shampoo steps 16 may precede the
 vacuuming to remove spills and stains. When wet cleaning steps 16 are
 performed, it is best to allow the carpet to dry 18 before proceeding to
 the next steps, which involve other solvents.
 The carpet pile is further cleaned by applying a degreaser 20, such as by
 scrubbing with a terry cloth rag wetted with Clean-All brand degreaser,
 available from Professional Auto Detail Supply, Inc., Denver, Colo. The
 preferred quantity of scrubbing will continue until no further dirt
 visibly transfers to the rag from any portion of the carpet. Use of white
 rags is recommended to aid in the determination of when the carpet is
 adequately clean. When the carpet is adequately clean, it is allowed to
 dry 22 by evaporation of the degreaser, such as for 30 minutes at
 70.degree. F.
 Next, solvent cleaning is continued by application of a lacquer thinner 24,
 using a similar technique and white terry cloth rags. One such lacquer
 thinner is known as product no. 1013, available from Paint and Lacquer
 Co., Englewood, Colo. The components include light aliphatic solvent
 naphtha, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, n-butyl acetate, acetone,
 n-butanol, and isopropanol. Sufficient lacquer thinner is used to
 penetrate the pile to the carpet backing. Scrubbing is continued until no
 further dirt transfer to the rag is observed. The carpet then is allowed
 to thoroughly dry 26, such as for one hour.
 After treatment with lacquer thinner, it is suitable evaluate the need for
 repairs 28, such as by performing additional conventional cosmetic and
 repair steps 30 as may be desired. These include repairing holes, dying
 stains, and applying clear coat to any uncured pigment. Such steps are not
 critical to the invention but are optional.
 Once the carpet is sufficiently clean, as would be achieved by the cleaning
 steps mentioned above, a primer is applied 32 to the carpet in order to
 enable the desired subsequent adhesion and removability. The primer is
 required to perform several functions. First, it must provide a barrier
 layer so that subsequently applied adhesive does not substantially bond
 into the carpet fibers. Second, it must provide a separation layer between
 the carpet fiber and the adhesive, so that when removal is desired the
 plastic can be pulled off the carpet without damage to the carpet. Third,
 the primer must not be visible or, upon removal of the plastic, must not
 leave behind visible residue. In addition, the primer should be acceptable
 as a residue on the carpet, since some may remain after the carpet masking
 film is removed. Yet, sufficient primer must be applied to perform the
 first two functions. Thus, the selection and application of a suitable
 primer and a suitable vehicle for delivery of the primer are important to
 the overall success of this method.
 It has been found that various components used in known commercial products
 have the newly discovered ability to serve as primer for adhesive on used
 carpet, prior to application of adhesive and carpet masking film. A
 surprising commercial source for the primer is a formulation generally
 known as hair spray. Two brands that have been found especially effective
 are Paul Mitchell brand and Aqua Net brand. The ingredients of the Paul
 Mitchell brand are as follow:
 PAUL MITCHELL FREEZE AND SHINE SUPER SPRAY: SD alcohol 40 (SDA-CA-2877),
 deionized water, octylacrylamide/acrylates/butylaminoethyl methacrylate
 copolymer, aminomethyl propanol, panthenol, benzophenone-3, cocamidopropyl
 betaine, dimethicone copolyol, triethyl citrate, fragrance.
 Of these ingredients, it is believed the solvents and carriers, such as
 water and alcohol, are useful to deliver the remaining ingredients.
 Fragrance is believed to be of no importance to this method. The
 octylacrylamide/acrylates/butylaminoethyl methacrylate copolymer and the
 like have been tested and found adequate to provide the effective priming
 function of this invention.
 The method of application and quantity applied of hair spray-based primer
 is believed to be a significant aspect of the method. The method may be
 practiced with a one quart air pressure sprayer filled with four ounces of
 hair spray at 90 psi. The entire carpet is coated liberally, forming a
 residue barrier between the carpet fiber and the subsequently applied
 adhesive. The quantity of spray applied should no be so great that the
 spray is observed to run down the carpet fibers; however, the carpet
 should appear wet and completely coated. A useful guide is to fan the
 spray nozzle so that the spray pattern is about six inches wide at one
 foot from the tip. When the spraying step is complete, the carpet is
 allowed to dry 34, such as for 20 to 30 minutes.
 After the primer layer has dried, the primed areas of carpet that are to be
 covered by plastic sheeting are sprayed with a light coat of adhesive 36.
 The adhesive provides a complimentary base for receiving the carpet
 masking film. Although the film, itself, may carry an adhesive layer, the
 presence of the sprayed adhesive layer on the carpet provides a
 predictable reception surface. The sprayed adhesive forms a predictable
 bond with the primer layer. The bond is known to have necessary durability
 while being separable when subjected to an acceptable tension. In
 addition, the spray adhesive is selected for its cohesion and body, so
 that the primer will separate from the carpet before the cohesion of the
 adhesive layer fails. Thus, the adhesive layer should be cleanly removed
 from the carpet when the carpet masking film is removed. Suitable selected
 adhesives are Bostik brand or Zynolyte Hold It! brand clear adhesive.
 These adhesive sprays are available in aerosol containers, which are used
 to apply the spray. The ingredients of the adhesives with CAS number are
 as follows:
 ZYNOLYTE HOLD IT! INGREDIENTS: Petroleum gases, liquified, sweetened
 (68476-86-8), resin acids and rosin acids, polymerized esters with
 glycerol (68475-37-6), ligroine (8032-324), heptane (142-82-5), benzene,
 1,3-diethenyl-polymer with 1,3-butadiene and ethenylbenzene (2647145-4),
 benzene, methyl-(108-88-3).
 BOSTIK SUPERTAK MIST ADHESIVE: Acetone (67-64-1), Cyclohexane (110-82-7),
 hexane (110-54-3), benzene 1-chloro-4 (trifluoromethyl) (98-566),
 isobutane (75-28-5), propane (74-98-6), dimethyl ether (115-10-6).
 The coating is sufficiently light as to be non-visible to normal
 observation. A useful guide is to hold the can about eight inches from the
 carpet and broadcast the adhesive in a wispy motion, applying only one
 coat A brief but limited drying step 38, lasting from three to ten minutes
 is allowed.
 Plastic film or sheeting known as carpet masking is available from the Ivex
 Company. The preferred film is flexible, water resistant, adhesive coated,
 pressure sensitive, and has high elongation or stretch. The film is
 prepared for application by pre-cutting into a preselected, convenient
 size. The type of plastic sheeting typically used for this purpose is
 manufactured with adhesive on one surface and sold in long rolls with 25
 inch width. A preferred cut panel size is 25.times.25 inches, which well
 suited for applying one sheet to the carpet of each seating location, such
 that two sheets normally are applied to the right and left front seating
 areas, and if desired, two more sheets are applied to the right and left
 rear seating areas.
 The plastic film is efficiently handled in the following steps 40. In order
 to pre-cut the plastic into panels for application, the desired length is
 unrolled, placed over a wood surface with adhesive side down, and cut at
 the preselected dimension. A cleaning towel, as described above, is rolled
 into an elongated, snake-like shape and placed across the center of the
 cut panel as a weight. The panel is loosely folded in half with the towel
 positioned in the fold by bringing one edge over the towel to meet the
 opposite edge, matching comers of the two edges. The panel is picked-up by
 the matched pairs of corners and placed with the weighted fold in a
 resting position on the carpet. The weighted fold serves as a positioning
 guide along the transverse centerline of the carpet. One side of the panel
 is flipped forward, i.e., toward the pedals; and the other side is flipped
 backwards, i.e., toward the seat The weighting rag is removed and, while
 each corner is held, the plastic is smoothed from the center to the
 corner. The plastic is firmly pressed 42 both out and down with a flat
 hand to promote adhesion to the carpet pile.
 The adhesive layer on the plastic film, which may be referred to as the
 film adhesive, has been found to adhere to the carpeting of used cars when
 applied over the primer with adhesive over-coating. The film adhesive is
 well suited to adhere to the film, itself. Its ability to adhere to other
 surfaces may be of varying quality, depending upon the characteristics of
 such other surfaces. However, the bond between the film adhesive and the
 sprayed adhesive on the carpet is a firmly united sandwich structure. The
 two adhesives bond to each other with powerful adhesion. The firmness of
 the bond ensures that the film, the film adhesive, and the sprayed
 adhesive will be removed substantially entirely as a unit with the film.
 The film is adequately attached for normal handling, including test
 driving the used car. Yet, the sheeting is removable by pulling it free of
 the carpeting. Upon removal, the film leaves behind no normally observable
 adhesive or other residue on the carpeting. The customer receives the used
 car with the carpeting appearing substantially as clean and in as good
 shape as when the preliminary cleaning steps were completed.
 The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the
 invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily
 occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the
 invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and
 accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be regarded as
 falling within the scope of the invention.