Abstract A dye printing system for multi-color patterning or pile face sheet materials, such as tufted carpet, includes a stencil, in which the pattern elements are formed by divider walls extending perpendicularly to the plane of the sheet material. The stencil is lowered into contact with the pile face of the sheet material and its divider walls penetrate between the face pilings and rest on the base of the material, and isolate neighboring areas of pile face material from one another, so that print paste can be applied to the pilings within a pattern element without bleeding into neighboring pattern elements. Mechanical means raise and lower the stencil on to the pile face sheet material, and a dye liquor drip catching canopy is passed between the sheet material and the stencil whenever the stencil is raised to protect the sheet material from possible drip contamination. The sheet material is loaded on a rack-mounted platform, moved with the platform to the printing position beneath the stencil, and after the printing step, moved with the platform to an unloading position. A flybridge is suspended over the stencil, so that operators can position themselves conveniently and quickly at any position over the stencil to apply the dye liquor.
A stencil, for use in dye printing pile fabric wherein said stencil is placed against said fabric and at least two different dyes are applied through said stencil to dye said pile fabric, said stencil including a generally rigid frame disposable beyond the area to be printed, a plurality of divider walls within the confines of said frame for separating the pile of said pile fabric, each divider wall of said plurality of divider walls being disposable perpendicularly to said pile fabric and having a lower edge for engaging the backing of said pile fabric, means for supporting said divider walls comprising a first plurality of wires fixed to said frame and extending across said frame in a first direction generally parallel to the plane of said pile fabric, a second plurality of wires fixed to said frame and extending across said frame in a second direction generally parallel to the plane of said pile fabric, said second direction being angularly related to said first direction, each divider wall of said plurality of divider walls being fixed to at least some of said first plurality of wires and said second plurality of wires, and further including a third plurality of wires fixed to said frame and extending parallel to said first plurality of wires, each wire of said third plurality of wires being above one wire of said first plurality of wires, said second direction being generally perpendicular to said first direction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
242 words
A stencil, for use in dye printing pile fabric wherein said stencil is placed against said fabric and at least two different dyes are applied through said stencil to dye said pile fabric, said stencil including a generally rigid frame disposable beyond the area to be printed, a plurality of divider walls within the confines of said frame for separating the pile of said pile fabric, each divider wall of said plurality of divider walls being disposable perpendicularly to said pile fabric and having a lower edge for engaging the backing of said pile fabric, means for supporting said divider walls comprising a first plurality of wires fixed to said frame and extending across said frame in a first direction generally parallel to the plane of said pile fabric, a second plurality of wires fixed to said frame and extending across said frame in a second direction generally parallel to the plane of said pile fabric, said second direction being angularly related to said first direction, each divider wall of said plurality of divider walls being fixed to at least some of said first plurality of wires and said second plurality of wires, and further including a third plurality of wires fixed to said frame and extending parallel to said first plurality of wires, each wire of said third plurality of wires being above one wire of said first plurality of wires, said second direction being generally perpendicular to said first direction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
A stencil as claimed in claim 1, each divider wall of said plurality of divider walls having sufficient height to extend above the pile of said pile fabric for separating pattern areas of said pile fabric.