Patent GB-898072-A (GB)
Title: Textile fabrics comprising bonded films and methods of making the same
IPC: D04H1/66
Filed: 1959-04-17
Abstract: 898,072. Agglutinated fibrous material; embossed paper. BARNARD, K. H. April 17, 1959 [April 18, 1958], No. 13224/59. Classes 96 and 140. An embossed bonded fibrous textile fabric comprises fibres bonded in a predetermined pattern of spaced binder areas extending across the fabric at an angle to the long axis thereof in bonding relationship with the fibres passing therethrough, said binder areas covering less than 35% of the surface of the textile fabric and being separated by unbonded fabric areas which are distended and possess resilience, whereby a durable embossed appearance is created in the textile fabric. Specified fibres are cotton, wool, silk, viscose rayon, cuprammonium rayon, saponified cellulose ester fibres, cellulose acetate, cellulose triacetate, nylon, acrylic fibres, polyester fibres, vinyl fibres, protein fibres and fluorocarbon fibres; also wood pulp fibres and asbestos fibres. Specified binders are viscose, regenerated cellulose, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl acrylate, polyethyl acrylate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinyl butyral, cellulose acetate, ethyl cellulose. Bonding may also be effected by means of solvents, heat and/or pressure. Figs. 1 and 2 show a type of non-woven fabric suitable for use as the starting material for carrying out the process of the present invention, Fig. 1 being a plan view and Fig. 2 a cross-section. In this fabric, fibres 26 are bonded by binder applied in lines 21 and 22 intersecting at points 24 forming a diamond pattern with unbonded fabric areas 23. The fibres may be originally deposited by fluid deposition as in a paper-making process or by air deposition. As shown in Fig. 10 a non- woven fabric 100 from a source of supply (not shown) passes through steaming or moistening device 102, around guide roll 104 and thence to the periphery of prepleating roll 106 comprising (as shown in detail in Fig. 11) rotatable discs 108 mounted in arcuate shaft 110. Fabric 100 first contacts the entering peripheral side 112 of roll 106. As the discs 108 rotate and fabric 100 advances the spaces between discs 108 become narrower and the fabric becomes pinched and thereby pleated between the discs until it reaches the discharge side 114 of roll 106. The prepleated fabric advances over guide roll 120 having circumferential grooves adapted to continue the pleating action on the fabric, and thence between pleating rolls 132 and 134 similarly having circumferential grooves. The fabric then passes to pressure roll 160, having peripheral pleating grooves, passes under propressing roll 161, also having peripheral pleating grooves which latter fit with those of roll 160 and press the fabric therein. As the fabric advances further it passes under pressure plate 170 having lengthwise comb-like teeth 174, on its under surface 172, which fit into the grooves on roll 160, whereby a dragging action is imposed on the fabric. Upon discharge from the trailing end of shoe 170 the fabric comes in contact with peripherally grooved compacting roll 180 travelling at a substantially lesser peripheral speed than that of roll 160 whereby the fabric tends to be overfed and to become pinched and pleated. The resulting fabric 190 is shown magnified at 192. Fig. 7 shows a fabric after processing in accordance with the invention. Fig. 8 shows a cross-section on the line 8-8, and Fig. 8A a cross-section on line 8A- 8A in Fig. 7, wherein 73 indicates unbonded areas, 71 and 72 lines of binder, 74 binder intersections. The unbonded areas are puffed or distended to form resilient peaks 75. Specifications 468,529, 630,666, 744,839, 745,065, 836,396 and 836,397 are referred to.