Printing and dyeing of pile material

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING COLORING MATERIAL TO PILE ELEMENTS ON A FACE OF A PILE FABRIC SUCH AS CARPETING WHEREIN A PRESSURE APPLYING MEMBER ENGAGES WITH A BACK FACE OF THE FABRIC AND FORCES THE FACE OF THE FABRIC WITH THE PILE ELEMENTS THEREON INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH UPSTANDING WALLS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF RECEPTACLES CONTAINING COLORING MATERIAL ON A PRINTING FORM UNDER PRESSURE EXERTED ON THE BACK FACE OF THE PILE FABRIC, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES; (A) A PRINTING FORM HAVING AN EXPOSED PRINTING SURFACE, AND (B) STRIPS CARRIED ON SAID PRINTING SURFACE AND FORMING UPSTANDING WALLS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF ADJOINING RECEPTACLES THEREON FOR CONTAINING COLORING MATERIAL, (C) SAID ADJOINING RECEPTACLES DEFINING CONTIGUOUS AREAS CORRESPONDING TO AREAS OF THE FABRIC TO BE COLORED, (D) SAID WALLS HAVING UPPER EDGES POSITIONED TO ENTER THE PILE ELEMENTS ON THE FACE OF THE FABRIC IN AN ENDWISE DIRECTION UPON MOVEMENT OF THE PILE FABRIC TOWARD THE PRINTING FORM AND HAVING A HEIGHT LESS THAN THE HEIGHT OF SAID PILE ELEMENTS, (E) SAID UPPER EDGES OF THE RECEPTACLE WALLS ENTERING INTO SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FACE OF THE PILE FABRIC WITH CONTIFUOUS AREAS OF THE PILE ELEMENTS BEING CONFINED WITHIN THE RESPECTIVE RECEPTACLES AND SIMULTANEOUSLY BEING COMPRESSED AGAINST THE BOTTOMS OF THE RECEPTACLES AND IN THE COLORING MATERIAL CONTAINED THEREIN WHEN THE FACE OF THE PILE FABRIC IS BROUGHT INTO SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID WALLS.