Method of making pile fabrics from a block of pile material

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MAKING PILE FABRICS, SUCH AS CARPETS, RUGS AND THE LIKE WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING A PILE STRAND BLOCK OF ROWS OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL STRANDS OF PILE FORMING MATERIAL IN AN OPEN-ENDED CONTAINER WITH THE BLOCK HAVING DIVIDERS OF SHEET MATERIAL THEREIN SEPARATING ADJACENT ROWS OF THE STRANDS, INCREMENTALLY FEEDING FROM THE CONTAINER THE PILE STRAND BLOCK PARALLEL TO THE AXES OF THE PILE STRANDS IN SUCCESSIVE INCREMENTS OF AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE DESIRED LENGHT OF PILE, TREATING THE ENDS OF THE DIVIDERS IN THE BLOCK TO CAUSE THEM TO FORESHORTEN RELATIVE TO THE ADJACENT ENDS OF THE PILE STRANDS SO THAT RELATIVELY SHORT LENGTHS OF THE PILE STRANDS ARE EXPOSED AND PROJECT BEYOND THE ADJACENT ENDS OF THE DIVIDERS, AND SEVERING EACH FED INCREMENT OF PILE STRANDS AND THE FORESHORTENED DIVIDERS TRANSVERESLY OF THE PILE STRAND AXES WHILE BRING THE PROJECTING ENDS OF THE SEVERED PILE STRANDS INTO CONTACT WITH A LAYER OF ADHESIVE FOR SECUREMENTS THERETO AND TO FORM SPACED ROWS OF CUT PILE TUFTS THEREON.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF MAKING PILE FABRICS, SUCH AS CARPETS, RUGS AND THE LIKE WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING A PILE STRAND BLOCK OF ROWS OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL STRANDS OF PILE FORMING MATERIAL IN AN OPEN-ENDED CONTAINER WITH THE BLOCK HAVING DIVIDERS OF SHEET MATERIAL THEREIN SEPARATING ADJACENT ROWS OF THE STRANDS, INCREMENTALLY FEEDING FROM THE CONTAINER THE PILE STRAND BLOCK PARALLEL TO THE AXES OF THE PILE STRANDS IN SUCCESSIVE INCREMENTS OF AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE DESIRED LENGHT OF PILE, TREATING THE ENDS OF THE DIVIDERS IN THE BLOCK TO CAUSE THEM TO FORESHORTEN RELATIVE TO THE ADJACENT ENDS OF THE PILE STRANDS SO THAT RELATIVELY SHORT LENGTHS OF THE PILE STRANDS ARE EXPOSED AND PROJECT BEYOND THE ADJACENT ENDS OF THE DIVIDERS, AND SEVERING EACH FED INCREMENT OF PILE STRANDS AND THE FORESHORTENED DIVIDERS TRANSVERESLY OF THE PILE STRAND AXES WHILE BRING THE PROJECTING ENDS OF THE SEVERED PILE STRANDS INTO CONTACT WITH A LAYER OF ADHESIVE FOR SECUREMENTS THERETO AND TO FORM SPACED ROWS OF CUT PILE TUFTS THEREON.

Claim 12

A method of making pile fabrics, such as carpets, rugs and the like which comprises providing a pile strand block of rows of substantially parallel strands of pile forming material in an open-ended container with the block having dividers of sheet material therein separating adjacent rows of the strands, incrementally feeding from the container the pile strand block parallel to the axes of the pile strands in successive increments of an amount equal to the desired length of pile, treating the ends of the dividers in the block to cause them to foreshorten relative to the adjacent ends of the pile strands so that relatively short lengths of the pile strands are exposed and project beyond the adjacent ends of the dividers, applyinG an adhesive coating to the exposed projecting ends of the pile strands, and severing each fed increment of pile strands and the foreshortened dividers transversely of the pile strand axes while bringing the adhesive-coated projecting ends of the severed pile strands into contact with a backing for adhesive securement thereto to form rows of cut pile tufts on the backing.

Claim 13

A method of making pile fabrics, such as carpets, rugs and the like which comprises providing a pile strand block of rows of substantially parallel strands of pile forming material in an open-ended container with the block having dividers of sheet material therein separating adjacent rows of the strands, incrementally feeding from the container the pile strand block parallel to the axes of the pile strands in successive increments of an amount equal to the desired length of pile, treating the ends of the dividers in the block to cause them to foreshorten relative to the adjacent ends of the pile strands so that relatively short lengths of the pile strands are exposed and project beyond the adjacent ends of the dividers, applyinG an adhesive coating to the exposed projecting ends of the pile strands, and severing each fed increment of pile strands and the foreshortened dividers transversely of the pile strand axes while bringing the adhesive-coated projecting ends of the severed pile strands into contact with a backing for adhesive securement thereto to form rows of cut pile tufts on the backing.

Claim 14

A method of making pile fabrics, such as carpets, rugs and the like which comprises providing a pile strand block of rows of substantially parallel strands of pile forming material in an open-ended container with the block having dividers of heat shrinkable sheet material therein separating adjacent rows of the strands, incrementally feeding from the container the pile strand block parallel to the axes of the pile strands in successive increments of an amount equal to the desired length of pile, heating the ends of the dividers in the block to cause them to shrink and recede relative to the adjacent ends of the pile strands so that relatively short lengths of the pile strands are exposed and project beyond the adjacent ends of the dividers, and severing each fed increment of pile strands and the shrunken dividers transversely of the pile strand axes while bringing the projecting ends of the severed pile strands into contact with a layer of adhesive for securement thereto and to form spaced rows of cut pile tufts thereon.

Claim 15

A method of making pile fabrics, such as carpets, rugs and the like which comprises providing a pile strand block of rows of substantially parallel strands of pile forming material in an open-ended container with the block having dividers of heat shrinkable sheet material therein separating adjacent rows of the strands, incrementally feeding from the container the pile strand block parallel to the axes of the pile strands in successive increments of an amount equal to the desired length of pile, heating the ends of the dividers in the block to cause them to shrink and recede relative to the adjacent ends of the pile strands so that relatively short lengths of the pile strands are exposed and project beyond the adjacent ends of the dividers, and severing each fed increment of pile strands and the shrunken dividers transversely of the pile strand axes while bringing the projecting ends of the severed pile strands into contact with a layer of adhesive for securement thereto and to form spaced rows of cut pile tufts thereon.

Claim 17

A method of making pile fabrics, such as carpets, rugs and the like which comprises providing a pile strand block of rows of substantially parallel strands of pile forming material in an open-ended container with the block having dividers of heat shrinkable sheet material therein separating adjacent rows of the strands, incrementally feeding from the container the pile strand block parallel to the axes of the pile strands in successive increments of an amount equal to the desired length of pile, heating the ends of the dividers in the block to cause them to shrink and recede relative to the adjacent ends of the pile strands so that relatively short lengths of the pile strands are exposed and project beyond the adjacent ends of the dividers, and severing each fed increment of pile strands and the shrunken dividers transversely of the pile strand axes while bringing the projecting ends of the severed pile strands into contact with an adhesive-coated backing for adhesive securement thereto to form rows of cut pile tufts on the backing.

Claim 18

A method of making pile fabrics, such as carpets, rugs and the like which comprises providing a pile strand block of rows of substantially parallel strands of pile forming material in an open-ended container with the block having dividers of heat shrinkable sheet material therein separating adjacent rows of the strands, incrementally feeding from the container the pile strand block parallel to the axes of the pile strands in successive increments of an amount equal to the desired length of pile, heating the ends of the dividers in the block to cause them to shrink and recede relative to the adjacent ends of the pile strands so that relatively short lengths of the pile strands are exposed and project beyond the adjacent ends of the dividers, and severing each fed increment of pile strands and the shrunken dividers transversely of the pile strand axes while bringing the projecting ends of the severed pile strands into contact with an adhesive-coated backing for adhesive securement thereto to form rows of cut pile tufts on the backing.

Claim 26

A method of making pile fabrics, such as carpets, rugs and the like which comprises providing a pile strand block of rows of substantially parallel strands of pile forming material in an open-ended container with the block having dividers of heat shrinkable sheet material therein separating adjacent rows of the strands, incrementally feeding from the container the pile strand block parallel to the axes of the pile strands in successive increments of an amount equal to the desired length of pile, heating the ends of the dividers in the block to cause them to shrink and recede relative to the adjacent ends of the pile strands so that relatively short lengths of the pile strands are exposed and project beyond the adjacent ends of the dividers, applying an adhesive coating to the exposed projecting ends of the pile strands, and severing each fed increment of pile strands and the shrunken dividers transversely of the pile strand axes while bringing the adhesive-coated projecting ends of the severed pile strands into contact with a backing for securement thereto to form rows of cut pile tufts on the backing.

Claim 27

A method of making pile fabrics, such as carpets, rugs and the like which comprises providing a pile strand block of rows of substantially parallel strands of pile forming material in an open-ended container with the block having dividers of heat shrinkable sheet material therein separating adjacent rows of the strands, incrementally feeding from the container the pile strand block parallel to the axes of the pile strands in successive increments of an amount equal to the desired length of pile, heating the ends of the dividers in the block to cause them to shrink and recede relative to the adjacent ends of the pile strands so that relatively short lengths of the pile strands are exposed and project beyond the adjacent ends of the dividers, applying an adhesive coating to the exposed projecting ends of the pile strands, and severing each fed increment of pile strands and the shrunken dividers transversely of the pile strand axes while bringing the adhesive-coated projecting ends of the severed pile strands into contact with a backing for securement thereto to form rows of cut pile tufts on the backing.

Claim 28

A method of making pile fabrics, such as carpets, rugs and the like which comprises providing a pile strand block of rows of substantially parallel strands of pile forming material in an open-ended container with the block having dividers of heat shrinkable sheet material therein separating adjacent rows of the pile strands, incrementally feeding from the container the pile strand block parallel to the axes of the pile strands in successive increments of an amount equal to the desired length of pile, heating the ends of the dividers in the block to cause them to shrink and recede relative to the adjacent ends of the pile strands so that relatively short lengths of the pile strands are exposed and project beyond the adjacent ends of the dividers, successively severing each fed increment of pile strands and the shrunken dividers transversely of the pile strand axes by advancing the block past a stationarily mounted severing means, while advancing an adhesive-coated backing and the pile strand block in the same general direction closely adjacent each other, and while also progressively depositing the projecting ends of the severed pile strands onto the adhesive-coated backing for securement thereto to successively form rows of cut pile tufts on the backing.

Claim 29

A method of making pile fabrics, such as carpets, rugs and the like which comprises providing a pile strand block of rows of substantially parallel strands of pile forming material in an open-ended container with the block having dividers of heat shrinkable sheet material therein separating adjacent rows of the pile strands, incrementally feeding from the container the pile strand block parallel to the axes of the pile strands in successive increments of an amount equal to the desired length of pile, heating the ends of the dividers in the block to cause them to shrink and recede relative to the adjacent ends of the pile strands so that relatively short lengths of the pile strands are exposed and project beyond the adjacent ends of the dividers, successively severing each fed increment of pile strands and the shrunken dividers transversely of the pile strand axes by advancing the block past a stationarily mounted severing means, while advancing an adhesive-coated backing and the pile strand block in the same general direction closely adjacent each other, and while also progressively depositing the projecting ends of the severed pile strands onto the adhesive-coated backing for securement thereto to successively form rows of cut pile tufts on the backing.

Claim 31

A method of making pile fabrics, such as carpets, rugs and the like which comprises providing a pile strand block of rows of substantially parallel strands of thermoplastic pile forming material in an open-ended container with the block having dividers of sheet material therein separating adjacent rows of the strands, incrementally feeding from the container the pile strand block parallel to the axes of the pile strands in successive increments of an amount equal to the desired length of pile, treating the ends of the dividers in the block to cause them to foreshorten relative to the adjacent ends of the pile strands so that relatively short lengths of the pile strands are exposed and project beyond the adjacent ends of the dividers, applying heat to the exposed projecting ends of the pile strands to effect melting thereof, and severing each fed increment of pile strands and The foreshortened dividers transversely of the pile strand axes while bringing the projecting melted ends of the severed pile strands into contact with a backing for fusible securement thereto to form spaced rows of cut pile tufts on the backing.

Claim 32

A method of making pile fabrics, such as carpets, rugs and the like which comprises providing a pile strand block of rows of substantially parallel strands of thermoplastic pile forming material in an open-ended container with the block having dividers of sheet material therein separating adjacent rows of the strands, incrementally feeding from the container the pile strand block parallel to the axes of the pile strands in successive increments of an amount equal to the desired length of pile, treating the ends of the dividers in the block to cause them to foreshorten relative to the adjacent ends of the pile strands so that relatively short lengths of the pile strands are exposed and project beyond the adjacent ends of the dividers, applying heat to the exposed projecting ends of the pile strands to effect melting thereof, and severing each fed increment of pile strands and The foreshortened dividers transversely of the pile strand axes while bringing the projecting melted ends of the severed pile strands into contact with a backing for fusible securement thereto to form spaced rows of cut pile tufts on the backing.

Claim 33

A method of making pile fabrics, such as carpets, rugs and the like which comprises providing a pile strand block of rows of substantially parallel strands of thermoplastic pile forming material in an open-ended container with the block having dividers of heat shrinkable sheet material therein separating adjacent rows of the strands, incrementally feeding from the container the pile strand block parallel to the axes of the pile strands in successive increments of an amount equal to the desired length of pile, applying heat to the end of the pile strand block to cause the dividers therein to shrink and recede relative to the adjacent ends of the pile strands so that relatively short lengths of the pile strands are exposed and project beyond the adjacent ends of the dividers while also causing the adjacent ends of the pile strands to melt, and severing each fed increment of pile strands and the shrunken dividers transversely of the pile strand axes while bringing the projecting melted ends of the severed pile strands into contact with a backing for fusible securement thereto to form spaced rows of cut pile tufts on the backing.

Claim 34

A method of making pile fabrics, such as carpets, rugs and the like which comprises providing a pile strand block of rows of substantially parallel strands of thermoplastic pile forming material in an open-ended container with the block having dividers of heat shrinkable sheet material therein separating adjacent rows of the strands, incrementally feeding from the container the pile strand block parallel to the axes of the pile strands in successive increments of an amount equal to the desired length of pile, applying heat to the end of the pile strand block to cause the dividers therein to shrink and recede relative to the adjacent ends of the pile strands so that relatively short lengths of the pile strands are exposed and project beyond the adjacent ends of the dividers while also causing the adjacent ends of the pile strands to melt, and severing each fed increment of pile strands and the shrunken dividers transversely of the pile strand axes while bringing the projecting melted ends of the severed pile strands into contact with a backing for fusible securement thereto to form spaced rows of cut pile tufts on the backing.