Abstract Non-woven articles, including garments and porous sheet materials, are made from continuous filaments by ejecting continuous yarn or filaments into turbulent air and contacting them with binder in a high density fog while still suspended in air, so that the binder dries sufficiently to become nonmigrating before the yarn is deposited on the screen or mold on which the fibers are brought into contact with each other and bonding takes place. This method is particularly suitable for making garments of elastomeric fibers, not easily handled in ordinary production machinery. Another generally applicable advantage is that the resultant products are exceptionally flexible and that the articles produced do not split into stratified binder-rich and-poor areas, but are uniformly bonded throughout.
The process of claim 1, in which the particles of said fog have a viscosity in excess of 103 centipoise, and below 105 centipoise.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
49 words
The process of claim 1, in which the particles of said fog comprise 10-50 percent of solid, 5-15 percent of a liquid solvent therefore which has a boiling range substantially between 75*C and 120*C, and 75-55 percent of a solvent having a boiling range substantially between 37*C and 48*C.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of projecting further comprises the step of suspending the filaments in the gaseous ambient.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the gaseous ambient is a highly turbulent moving gaseous medium.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 5, in which the said binder is spread over the said fibers as a uniform kinetically stable film.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 5, wherein said binder is distributed over said filament as discrete droplets.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 5, wherein the solvent of the binder droplets on said filaments is substantially removed by evaporation leaving a residue being highly resistant to capillary forces.