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US3982978A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method and apparatus for making pile fabric

Assignee: Hercules LLC
•
Filing: 1975-06-24
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Granted: 1976-09-28
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Expires: 1995-06-24
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Abstract

Abstract This invention relates to a method and apparatus for making pile fabrics wherein a sheet of longitudinally striated thermoplastic film formed into loops is fusion bonded to a thermoplastic backing sheet by sonic energy to bond the film to the backing sheet at the lines of contact without loss of orientation in either the striated film or the backing sheet and then subsequently the bonded striated film is fibrillated to separate the loops into individual filaments thereby forming a pile fabric.

Inventors

  • 👤 Charles W. Carpenter

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 22:07
CPC Classifications
B; B32; B32B; B32B27/00; B32B27/12; B29; B29C; B29C53/00; B29C53/02; B29C53/04; B29C65/00; B29C65/02; B29C65/08; B29C65/78; B29C65/7858; B29C65/7888; B29C65/7891; B29C66/00; B29C66/69; B29C66/70; B29C66/73; B29C66/739; B29C66/7392; B29C66/73921; B29C66/80; B29C66/82; B29C66/824; B29C66/8242; B29C66/83; B29C66/832; B29C66/8322; B32B27/32; B32B33/00; D; D04; D04H; D04H11/00; D04H11/08; B29K; B29K2711/00; B29L; B29L2031/00; B29L2031/732; B29L2031/7322; B32B2310/00; B32B2310/028; B32B2323/00; B32B2323/10; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/10; Y10T156/1002; Y10T156/1007; Y10T156/1016; Y10T156/1025

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 84 words
A method of making pile fabric comprising: advancing a continuous film of longitudinally striated and oriented thermoplastic material having longitudinal ribs interconnected by webs or reduced thickness; advancing a continuous thermoplastic backing member; forming upstanding transverse loops in said striated film having a portion thereof in contact with said backing member; sonically fusion bonding said contacting portion of said striated film to said backing member; and fibrillating said striated film after bonding to break the webs and separate the longitudinal ribs into individual filaments.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 84 words
A method of making pile fabric comprising: advancing a continuous film of longitudinally striated and oriented thermoplastic material having longitudinal ribs interconnected by webs or reduced thickness; advancing a continuous thermoplastic backing member; forming upstanding transverse loops in said striated film having a portion thereof in contact with said backing member; sonically fusion bonding said contacting portion of said striated film to said backing member; and fibrillating said striated film after bonding to break the webs and separate the longitudinal ribs into individual filaments.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 24 words
A method of making pile fabric as set forth in claim 1, including the step of shearing the tops of the individual looped filaments.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 26 words
A method of making pile fabric as set forth in claim 2 wherein said striated film is fibrillated by engaging one or more rotating beater bars.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 30 words
A method of making pile fabric as set forth in claim 1 wherein two or more layers of striated film are simultaneously advanced, bonded to said backing member and fibrillated.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 81 words
Apparatus for making pile fabric comprising: means for advancing a continuous striated film having longitudinal ribs interconnected by webs of reduced thickness; means for advancing a continuous thermoplastic backing member; means for forming upstanding transverse loops in said film with the bottoms of said loops in contact with said backing member; means for sonically fusion bonding said striated film to said backing member; and means for fibrillating said bonded film to break said webs and separate said ribs into individual filaments.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 81 words
Apparatus for making pile fabric comprising: means for advancing a continuous striated film having longitudinal ribs interconnected by webs of reduced thickness; means for advancing a continuous thermoplastic backing member; means for forming upstanding transverse loops in said film with the bottoms of said loops in contact with said backing member; means for sonically fusion bonding said striated film to said backing member; and means for fibrillating said bonded film to break said webs and separate said ribs into individual filaments.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 22 words
Apparatus for making pile fabric as set forth in claim 5 wherein said fibrillating means comprises a rotating bar having serrated edges.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 28 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said fusion bonding means includes horn and an anvil movable relatively toward each other to define a bond line therebetween.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 71 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said forming means includes a movable loop-forming bar mounted for movement toward and away from said bond line so that said bar slides relative to said striated film when moved away from said bond line and engages and advances said striated film to form a loop therein having a portion thereof in engagement with said bond line when moved toward said bond line.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2639250A Cited
US3549467A Cited
US3520762A Cited
US3494522A Cited
US3640786A Cited
US3736209A Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1979-09-28 1980-03-29 1980-09-28 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1983-09-28 1984-03-29 1984-09-28 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1987-09-28 1988-03-29 1988-09-28 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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