Cleaning cloth

Details Cleaning cloth Cleaning cloth

1999-06-04

2001-10-23

Calvert, John J. (Department: 3765)

Textiles: weaving

Fabrics

Pile

C139S392000, C139S398000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06305431

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cleaning cloth. More particularly this invention concerns a pile fabric usable as a cleaning cloth.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pile cloth comprises a ground fabric, typically plain, rib, twill, or satin weave, from one face of which projects tufts forming the pile. The other face is smooth and clearly reveals the weave.
Such pile cloth is typically made by weaving two fabrics at the same time, each of a respective set of warp and weft yarns. An extra set of warp yarns is strung between the two fabrics and a certain number of the weft filaments for each fabric are in fact woven around these weft yarns. When the two fabrics are cut apart and the extra set of warp yarns is discarded, there is left a pair of fabrics each having one face bearing a pile formed by the cut ends of the weft filaments that were looped around the extra warp yarns.
For use as a wash cloth, it is desired to have pile on both sides. Thus the above-described pile fabrics are sewed together, back to back, so that both outer faces have pile. This labor- and material-intensive production unnecessarily elevates the cost of this mundane item. In addition the space between the two single-face pile fabrics can hold dirt and bacteria.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved cleaning cloth.
Another object is the provision of such an improved cleaning cloth which overcomes the above-given disadvantages, that is which is inexpensive to manufacture and that does not provide a trap for bacteria and dirt.
A further object is the provision of an improved method of making the fabric for the cleaning cloth.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A cleaning cloth according to the invention is comprised of a ground fabric having two opposite faces each covered with pile formed of filaments laced into the ground fabric. Thus only a single ground fabric is needed, greatly reducing the cost to make the cleaning cloth according to the invention.
The pile in accordance with the invention is formed by tufts laced into the ground fabric. More specifically the filaments forming the pile are V-shaped for most economical use of materials or W-shaped for better hold.
To increase the absorbency of the cleaning cloth, the filaments forming the pile have raveled ends, that is their filaments are separated.
Different filaments can form the pile according to the inventions For instance the pile on one side can be formed by the ends of relatively stiff monofilaments for a good scrubbing action while the pile on the other side can be formed by softer natural-fiber filaments for polishing purposes.
The pile-forming filaments form different patterns on the faces.
Thus a fabric has according to the invention an array of parallel warp filaments and an array of ground weft filaments crossing and interwoven with the warp filaments and forming therewith a ground fabric of simple weave. A first group of tuft-forming weft filaments is interwoven with the warp filaments and has ends exposed and forming pile on a face of the fabric. A second group of tuft-forming weft filaments is interwoven with the warp filaments and has ends exposed and forming pile on an opposite face of the fabric.
A double-faced pile fabric is made according to the invention by forming two generally planar and spaced arrays of parallel ground warp filaments with each array having an inner side turned toward and spaced from the other array and an outer side turned away from the other array. A respective generally planar array of parallel extra warp filaments is arrayed at a spacing outward from each of the outer sides. The extra warp filaments are parallel to the ground warp filaments. Subsequently respective pluralities of ground weft filaments are woven between the ground warp filaments wholly out of contact with the extra warp filaments to form with each of the arrays of ground warp filaments a respective stable ground fabric. At the same time a plurality of pile weft filaments are woven between the ground warp filaments and between the extra warp filaments with the pile weft filaments crossing between the ground fabrics. Thereafter the extra warp filaments are cut between the ground fabrics to separate the ground fabrics and create pile-forming loose ends on the inner sides. Finally some of the loose ends are pulled through to the outer sides to form pile on the outer sides.
Each array of parallel ground warp filaments in accordance with the invention is formed by a plurality of groups of an odd number of adjacent ground filaments. The extra warp filaments are arrayed in pairs between the groups of ground warp filaments.
The cut ends of the tuft-forming weft filaments are pulled through after pulling out the extra warp filaments. This leaves free ends that are easily moved through the ground fabric to the other side.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1846245 (1932-02-01), Bishop
patent: 2391835 (1945-12-01), Kavanagh
patent: 3865678 (1975-02-01), Okamoto et al.
patent: 4756340 (1988-07-01), Janssen
patent: 5655573 (1997-08-01), Gheyson et al.
patent: 5801274 (1998-09-01), Nordin
patent: 6092562 (2000-07-01), Debaes
patent: 298 10 240 (1998-11-01), None
patent: 0806505 (1997-11-01), None

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