Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Pile or nap type surface or component – Composition of pile or adhesive
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-14
2002-12-24
Morris, Terrel (Department: 1771)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Pile or nap type surface or component
Composition of pile or adhesive
C428S085000, C428S096000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06497936
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for dyeing yarn and treating the dyed yarn. The present invention further relates to a textile substrate containing dyed and treated fibers.
Various methods and machines have been developed for dyeing yarn. Machines for applying multiple dyes to a yarn strand are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,491,858 and 5,557,953 to Massotte et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,201 to Enderlin et al., which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties. Each of these patents provides a method of dyeing yarn strands with different dye colors during a single process wherein the yarn strand does not need to be wound and unwound between different dyeing steps. The yarns obtained by treatment according to the methods and apparatus described in the aforementioned patents have conventionally been wound onto a spool, core, mandrel, or the like. If the yarn is to be subsequently treated, the yarn is unwound and either treated by a treatment apparatus, or formed into a textile product which can then be treated.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,968 to Haselwander et al. relates to a method and apparatus for dyeing yarn to obtain substantially random variations of dye along the length of yarn strands, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The patent further relates to a method and apparatus for applying dyes of different colors to moving yarn strands while varying the amount of each dye color applied to the yarn so that the length of each dye color or dye spot on the yarn and the location of the dye spot on the yarn may be varied, preferably in a practically random pattern of practically unlimited pattern length or repeat.
Yarns produced according to the methods and apparatus described in the patent are known as space dyed yarns and find utility in certain carpets designed for a multi-color effect. Multi-colored carpets having no visible color patterns are desirable for certain carpet stylings. When yarns made according to the methods of U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,968 and other types of dyed yarns are formed into a carpet, the resulting carpet is often treated with a bleach-resistant composition. Unfortunately, a long lasting and complete bleach-resistant treatment is difficult to achieve on carpets due to the inability of the treatment composition to penetrate deeply and protect the entire carpet pile. Also, many carpets use dyed yarns in combination with solution dyed fibers to form various patterns. Some carpets can contain from 50% to 99% solution dyed fibers. However, while solution dyed fibers are bleach-resistant, dyed yarns are not and need to be treated. Thus, even if a carpet contains a small amount of dyed yarn, the entire carpet will be treated with chemicals even though only a portion of the carpet only really needs to be treated. Thus, a lot of treatment is unnecessary and wasteful. Accordingly, it would be desirable to treat yarns with bleach-resistant or other chemical treatments prior to forming the yarns into a finished product, such as a carpet.
It would be also desirable to provide a method of treating dyed yarns which provides a treatment step in-line with a dyeing step such that a yarn can be dyed and subsequently treated in a single operation without the need to collect the yarn between the dyeing and treating processes.
It would be also desirable to provide an apparatus for carrying out a method of dyeing and treating a yarn strand in a single continuous operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for chemically treating a dyed yarn at substantially the same time the yarn is dyed. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for space dyeing and substantially simultaneously treating a yarn strand by utilizing an apparatus having a treatment station located substantially adjacent, and preferably immediately downstream from a yarn dyeing station so that yarn can be treated, for example, for bleach-resistance, immediately before or after the yarn is dyed. According to the present method, there is no need to wind and then unwind a dyed yarn after dyeing in order to treat the yarn with a treatment composition, such as, but not limited to, a bleach-resistant composition, a stain-resistant composition, a microbicidal composition, a hydrophobic repellent composition, or the like.
The present invention also relates to a method of treating yarn for bleach-resistance by contacting the yarn with a polyphenolic derivative bleach-resistant composition. More particular, the present invention relates to a method of treating a continuous strand of yarn with a polyphenolic derivative bleach-resistant composition immediately before or after dyeing or space dyeing the continuous strand.
The present invention also relates to an apparatus for dyeing and chemically treating yarn. The apparatus has a yarn supplying device, a treated yarn collection device, at least one yarn dyeing station located between the yarn supplying device and the yarn collection device, and at least one yarn treatment station located between the yarn supplying station and the yarn collection device, either upstream or downstream, but preferably immediately adjacent, the yarn dyeing station. Yarn which is dyed and chemically treated by the apparatus of the present invention is passed from an upstream location at the yarn supplying device to a downstream location at the yarn collection device. According to a preferred embodiment, yarn passes in-line from the yarn supplying device downstream to at least one yarn dyeing station, and further downstream from the at least one yarn dyeing station to the at least one yarn treatment station. Yarn treated in the at least one yarn treatment station passes downstream to the yarn collection device. The yarn dyeing station(s) and yarn treatment station(s) respectively dye and chemically treat one or more strands of yarn as it travels from the yarn supplying device to the yarn collection device at preferably a continuous rate of travel, preferably at a rate of about 1000 feet per minute (fpm) or greater. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the yarn treatment station chemically coats or otherwise chemically treats the dyed yarn with, a treatment composition substantially immediately after the yarn has been dyed with one or more dyes at the yarn dyeing station(s).
The present invention further relates to a textile substrate comprising a primary backing with textile fibers extending upwardly from the backing and forming a surface and a secondary backing fastened to the opposite side of the primary backing. The textile fibers comprise dyed and chemically treated fibers as well as textile fibers which have not been chemically treated.
The present invention, in addition, relates to a textile substrate comprising a primary backing with textile fibers extending upwardly from the backing and forming a surface and a secondary backing fastened to the opposite side of the primary backing, wherein at least a portion of the textile fibers are individually dyed and chemically treated such that these individual fibers are uniformly and completely chemically treated.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present invention. The objectives and other advantages of the present invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the written description including the appended claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are intended to provide further explanation of the present invention, as claimed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention relates to methods of dyeing and chemically treating textile fibers individually and further relates to textile substrates which contain these text
Desai Peter
Lovelady Jeffrey
Befumo Jenna-Leigh
Kilyk & Bowersox P.L.L.C.
Mannington Mills Inc.
Morris Terrel
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