US 4,010,709 AGranted

Apparatus for randomly coloring carpet or other pile fabric

AssigneeShaw Industries Ltd.

InventorsRobert W. Sayman, John S. Quarles, Howard J. Hamilton

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Abstract

Following conventional pretreatment and background dyeing and washing of a carpet web, an applicator means applies a thick viscous gum coating to the pile face of the web, forming a temporary barrier thereon. Conveyor means is provided to transport the coated carpet web horizontally through a liquid dye dripping or splattering station where multiple interrupted syrupy dye streams fall on the temporary barrier and form thereon dye pools and rivulets of irregular shape, size and spacing. The conveyor means continues to transport the carpet web with the barrier coating and dye thereon horizontally into a steamer where the barrier layer dissolves and settles into the carpet pile with the dye to establish a random irregular color pattern. Fixing of the dye also takes place in the steamer. The apparatus has final washing and drying means of a conventional character beyond the steamer. Pin driving rolls for the carpet web are electrically coordinated to maintain a regulated tension on the web at all times.

Claims11

Dependent claims

An apparatus for randomly coloring a pile carpet web or the like comprising means for supporting and conveying a carpet web on a substantially horizontal path of movement with the pile face of the carpet web upwardly, means substantially aligned horizontally with said supporting and conveying means and near the upstream end of the horizontal path of movement of the carpet web for applying a relatively thick viscous coating layer to the pile face of the carpet web during movement thereof, means downstream from the applicator means for said viscous coating for delivering liquid dye drippings randomly on top of said viscous coating layer from an overhead dye source whereby said dye drippings may pool and run in irregular rivulets on said viscous coating layer without immediately penetrating into the carpet pile face, and elevated temperature means downstream from said dye delivery means and being substantially aligned horizontally with said supporting and conveying means and receiving the moving carpet web with the viscous coating layer and the dye drippings thereon and causing the viscous coating layer to disintegrate and settle into the carpet pile face with said dye drippings to thereby form a permanent random color pattern in the carpet pile face and to fix the dye.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.