Pile articles and their production

Claim 1

A pile article comprising a cloth-like fibrous structure provided with piles having a length of more than 10 mm, each pile being composed of a non-attenuated portion (i) whose fineness does not vary substantially along its length, an attenuated portion (ii) whose fineness gradually reduces toward the top end; and (iii) a fine top end, characterized in that (a) the non-attenuated portion (i) is composed of a core-sheath composite fibre having a flatness ratio of 1.5-5 and a fineness of 8.8-55 dtex (8-50 d), and having 1-4 wing-shaped projections as viewed in cross-section; (b) the top end portion (iii) is formed of an exposed core (2) of the composite fibre and has a substantially . uniform fineness of an average diameter of 5-25 µm and a length of 0.3-5 mm; and ' (c) the attenuated portion (ii) has a length of 1-15 mm.

Claim 8

A method of producing a pile article comprising rotating a cloth-like fibrous structure provided with cut piles having a length of more than 10 mm (which piles are composed of sheath-core composite fibres, each consisting of a sheath of a fibre-forming polyester and a core of a thermoplastic polymer having a decomposition rate in an aqueous solution of NaOH of less than one half that of the polyester, and having 1-4 wing-shaped projections, a flatness ratio of 1.5-5, an average core diameter of 5-25 µm and a fineness of 8.8-55 dtex (8-50 d), fixed to a rotation body; contacting the piles with an aqueous solution of an alkali while varying the contacted length by applying a centrifugal force in a direction to which the piles are raised, to gradually attenuate the piles towards the top end, and completely decomposing and removing the sheath polymer at the top end portion.

Claim 9

A method of producing a pile article comprising rotating a cloth-like fibrous structure provided with cut piles having a length of more than 10 mm (which piles are composed of sheath-core composite fibres, each consisting of a sheath of a fibre-forming polyester and a core of a thermoplastic polymer having a decomposition rate in an aqueous solution of NaOH of less than one half that of the polyester, and having 1-4 wing-shaped projections, a flatness ratio of 1.5-5, an average core diameter of 5-25 µm and a fineness of 8.8-55 dtex (8-50 d), fixed to a rotation body; contacting the piles with an aqueous solution of an alkali while varying the contacted length by applying a centrifugal force in a direction to which the piles are raised, to gradually attenuate the piles towards the top end, and completely decomposing and removing the sheath polymer at the top end portion.