Patent GB-1050079-A (GB)
IPC: D06C29/00
Abstract: 1,050,079. Finishing fabrics. E.I. DUPONT DE NEMOURS & CO. July 13, 1965, No. 29650/65. Heading D1S. A flannel fabric having a weave entirely obscured by good surface and bottom cover, is made by (a) preparing a fabric from synthetic organic fibres containing fibres having at least two different residual shrinkage levels, 50-70% of the fibres having a residual shrinkage below 5% and the remainder having a residual shrinkage of 10-50%, preferably 15-25%, (b) calendering the fabric by passing the dry fabric, at a speed of at least 20 yards (18 metres) per minute, through confining rolls including a Schreiner roll at a temperature of 100‹-456‹ F. (38‹-232‹C.), preferably 100‹- 300‹F., and at a pressure applied by the rolls of 833-1666 lbs. per linear inch (149-298 hg. per cm.), preferably 1250-1666 lbs. per inch, of roll width, and (c) subjecting the calendered fabric to compressional working in at least the presence of moisture and a lubricant, i.e. fulling, at a temperature of 200‹-212‹F. (93- 100‹C.). By the term "residual shrinkage" is meant the linear contraction that occurs when the fibres are allowed to relax without tension in boiling water. The fibres are blended, the yarns are spun and the fabric is woven by known procedures with two conditions. First, the yarn should not be twist-set, since exposure to moisture may cause premature shrinkage of the high-shrinkage component of the yarns and, second, minimum temperatures should be used in slashing for the same reason. The finishing sequence may comprise napping. shearing. hotdry Schreiner calendering, tacking, i.e. forming the fabric into an endless tube, hot fulling. scouring in a dolly washer, dyeing in a beck. applying antistat, detaching, stretching to width on a tenter, napping, shearing, steaming, pressing and semi-decating. Preferably the fabric is calendered twice, once on each face, at a rate of 20-100 yards per minute. The Schreiner roll has a surface made of alloy steel, plastic material, ceramic material or coated metal, such as chromium or nickel plated steel and is preferably rust resistance. The engraved lines of this roll may be parallel to the warp threads of the fabric, i.e. perpendicular to the roll axis, or at an angle thereto. A Schreiner roll having 200-300 lines per inch orientated at an angle of 20 degrees - 40 degrees from the warp yarn is specified. The second calender roll is made of a compressible material, e.g. cotton, paper, wool or corn husk, and has a resilient unpatterned surface. The fabric may be loaded dry into the fulling mill and conventional lubricants, e.g. green soap or sodium oleate, are added thereto or the lubricant may be padded onto the fabric before it is placed in the mill. Live steam is admitted to the mill at a rate such that the maximum equilibrium temperature is reached in about 15 minutes. Fulling is continued for at least a further 15 minutes. Alternatively, the fabric may be wet out with cold water, placed in the fulling mill, lubricant added and fulling conducted as described in U.S.A. Specification 2,972,177. A blend of polyester and acrylic fibres is specified in one Example. Other specified fibres are cellulose and cellulose derivatives, polyamides, modacrylics, polyolefins, polyvinyl chloride and polyvinyl alcohol.