Method of producing non-woven textile fiber products having a relief-like structure

Claim 1

A method of producing non-woven, textile fiber fabrics with boucle-type knobs or ridges on the fabric surface from at least two kinds of fibers of unequal retractability, comprising the steps of: superposing in a multi-layer batt at least two distinct layers of fibers, the fibers of one outside layer exhibiting a considerably higher longitudinal retraction than the other fibers of the batt, when all are subjected to the same retraction-inducing treatment; pattern-needling the multi-layer batt from the side of the highly retractable fiber layer with punching needles which are aligned to produce a repetitive line pattern so that, in the line-regions of needling, length portions of the fibers of the highly retractable fiber layer are punched transversely through the remainder of the batt and protrude from the other side thereof as bristles or loops; folding the protruding bristles or loops against the batt side from which they protrude; needling the entire surface of the batt from the side of the protruding fibers so as to needle-punch the protruding portions of the highly retractable fibers back into the composite batt to form hooks having a shape similar to clinched staples; and subjecting the composite batt to a retraction treatment, whereby the longitudinal retraction of the retractable fibers not only causes the clinched, twice-needled, staple-shaped fibers to shorten and close upon themselves into tighter hooks, thereby compacting the less retractable fibers in the line regions of pattern needling, but also causes an overall area shrinkage of the needled batt, resulting in a lateral compression and an elevation of the less retractable fibers in the batt areas between the line regions of pattern needling so as to give the fabric the desired boucle-type, three-dimensional surface.

Claim 2

A method of producing non-woven, textile fiber fabrics with boucle-type knobs or ridges on the fabric surface from at least two kinds of fibers of unequal retractability, comprising the steps of: superposing in a multi-layer batt at least two distinct layers of fibers, the fibers of one outside layer exhibiting a considerably higher longitudinal retraction than the other fibers of the batt, when all are subjected to the same retraction-inducing treatment; pattern-needling the multi-layer batt from the side of the highly retractable fiber layer with punching needles which are aligned to produce a repetitive line pattern so that, in the line-regions of needling, length portions of the fibers of the highly retractable fiber layer are punched transversely through the remainder of the batt and protrude from the other side thereof as bristles or loops; folding the protruding bristles or loops against the batt side from which they protrude; needling the entire surface of the batt from the side of the protruding fibers so as to needle-punch the protruding portions of the highly retractable fibers back into the composite batt to form hooks having a shape similar to clinched staples; and subjecting the composite batt to a retraction treatment, whereby the longitudinal retraction of the retractable fibers not only causes the clinched, twice-needled, staple-shaped fibers to shorten and close upon themselves into tighter hooks, thereby compacting the less retractable fibers in the line regions of pattern needling, but also causes an overall area shrinkage of the needled batt, resulting in a lateral compression and an elevation of the less retractable fibers in the batt areas between the line regions of pattern needling so as to give the fabric the desired boucle-type, three-dimensional surface.