Flocking

Claim 2

A flocking apparatus for applying flock fibers to an article travelling therethrough in a preselected pattern, said pattern including areas covered with flock and other areas not covered with flock, and said apparatus comprising: an article support; a flock distributor comprising a rotary drum having peripheral apertures arranged in a predetermined pattern dependent upon the areas of said preselected pattern covered with flock, mounted above said article support for rotation about an axis parallel to said article support and transverse to the path of travel of said article, said drum spaced from said article support by a distance greater than the thickness of said article; a flock supply arranged to supply flock fibers to the interior of said drum; means for rotating said drum at a selected peripheral speed related to the linear speed of said article past said drum, and in a direction such that the part of the drum adjacent said article support is moving in the same direction as said article beneath; and, means for establishing an electrostatic field between said flock distributor and said article and causing flock fibers from said drum to be deposited on the portions of said article corresponding to said areas of said preselected pattern covered with flock and not on portions of said article corresponding to said other areas of said pattern.

Claim 3

A flocking apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said flock distributor includes an axially extending stationary feed trough, sized to distribute flock over a predetermined arc of said drum, and mounted within said drum adjacent the interior surface of the lowermost peripheral portion of said drum.

Claim 4

A flocking apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said feed trough includes opposed side walls spaced from one another adjacent said drum to provide a feed channel extending axially of said drum and defining said predetermined arc of said drum.

Claim 5

A flocking apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said flock supply is arranged to supply flock to one end of said feed trough and including means for spreading flock along said trough.

Claim 6

A flocking apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said spreading means comprises a rotary spiral brush mounted within said drum and arranged to communicate with the said interior drum surface through said feed channel.

Claim 7

A flocking apparatus according to claim 5 including structure for collecting excess flock at the opposite end of said trough.

Claim 8

A flocking apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said flock distributor has an electroconductive portion connected to ground potential, and said apparatus includes an electrically conductive member located beneath said article and maintained at a higher electrical potential than said electroconductive flock distributor portion.

Claim 9

A flocking apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said drum is driven at a peripheral speed equal to the linear speed of said article past said drum, and said preselect ed pattern is a repeat Of the pattern of said apertures.

Claim 10

In combination with the flocking apparatus of claim 1, at least one additional flock distributor in communication with a flock supply and comprising an additional rotary drum perforated in a predetermined pattern complementary to the pattern of the said rotary drum of said flocking apparatus, said additional flock distributor being mounted above an additional article support which supports said article to be flocked while the article travels past said drum for rotation about an axis parallel to said additional article support and transverse to the path of travel of said article with the lowermost peripheral portion of said additional drum spaced from said additional article support by a distance greater than the thickness of said article, means for rotating said additional drum at a selected peripheral speed related to the linear speed of said article past said additional drum, and in a direction such that the part of said additional drum adjacent said additional article support is moving in the same horizontal direction as said article beneath, and means for establishing an electrostatic field between said additional flock distributor and said article and causing flock fibers from said additional drum to be deposited from said additional drum onto previously unflocked portions of said article and not on previously flocked portions of said article.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 9 wherein each drum is driven at a peripheral speed equal to the linear speed of said article past said each drum.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 10 wherein each drum is driven at a peripheral speed equal to the linear speed of said article past said drum.

Claim 13

The flocking apparatus of claim 1 wherein said flock distributor permits flock fibers to be discharged from said drum through respective ones of said apertures during the portion of the rotation of said drum when the respective one aperture is closely adjacent said article support and prevents discharge of flock fibers through respective ones of said apertures during other portions of the rotation of said drum.