Wrap yarns having crimped textured binder strands and pile fabrics formed therefrom and attendant processes

A pile fabric comprising interengaging ground yarns and cut pile tufts formed from wrap yarns and extending from the ground yarns and forming the face of the fabric, each of said wrap yarns comprising a body strand of untwisted staple fibers and a multifilament binder strand helically wrapped around said body strand, each binder strand being formed of a heat shrinkable crimped textured thermoplastic material that shrinks and retracts when subjected to a predetermined temperature, said ground yarns and said body strand being formed of fibers unaffected by said predetermined temperature so that the integrity of said ground yarns and staple fibers is not impaired thereby, said binder strands having been heated to said predetermined temperature so as to cause the binder strands to be retracted inwardly away from the cut face of the pile fabric so as to be hidden among the pile tufts and not to be visible.

A pile fabric comprising interengaging ground yarns and cut pile tufts formed of wrap yarns extending therefrom and forming the face of the fabric, a backcoating overlying the backside of the interengaging ground yarns and the lower bights of the pile tufts to aid in securing the pile tufts in the pile fabric, each of said wrap yarns comprising a body strand of untwisted staple fibers and a crimped textured binder strand having extensible and retractable properties, said binder strand being helically wrapped around said body strand and wherein said binder strands are retractably positioned inwardly away from the cut face of the pile fabric so as to be hidden among the pile tufts and not to be visible.

A wrap yarn adapted to be used for forming pile in a cut pile fabric and comprising a body strand formed of untwisted staple fibers and a crimped textured binder strand having extensible and retractable properties, said binder strand being helically wrapped around said body strand in a tensioned condition so as to be axially extended and reduced in bulk compared to the condition the binder strand would assume when relaxed.

A wrap yarn adapted to be used for forming various types of fabric including pile in a cut pile fabric and comprising a body strand formed of untwisted staple fibers and a textured multifilament binder strand helically wrapped around said body strand.

A method of making a pile fabric, comprising:

• (a) forming an uncut pile fabric utilizing wrap yarns for the pile thereof, and wherein each of the wrap yarns comprises a body strand of untwisted staple fibers and a crimped textured binder strand having extensible and retractable properties, said binder strand being helically wrapped around said body strand in a tensioned condition so as to be axially extended and reduced in bulk compared to the condition the textured binder strand would assume when relaxed;
• and
• (b) cutting the pile yarns so as to form pile tufts on the face of the fabric, said cutting of the pile yarns relaxing the tensioned condition of said crimped textured binder strands, thereby causing the binder strands to retract to a position inwardly from the cut face of the pile fabric.

A method of improving the hand and/or appearance of the face of a cut pile fabric in which the pile tufts are formed of wrap yarns, and wherein each wrap yarn comprises a body strand formed of untwisted staple fibers and a crimped textured binder strand having extensible and retractable properties, and being helically wrapped around the body strand, said method comprising:

• applying heat to the pile fabric so as to cause the binder strands of the pile tufts to retract inwardly in a direction away from the face of the pile fabric so as to permit upper portions of the body strands to expand and enhance the uniformity of the face of the pile fabric.

A method of making a woven pile fabric, comprising:

• (a) forming upper and lower woven ground fabrics while utilizing pile wrap yarns extending between and interconnecting the upper and lower ground fabrics and wherein each of the wrap yarns comprises a body strand of untwisted staple fibers and a crimped textured binder strand having extensible and retractable properties, the binder strand being helically wrapped around the body strand in a tensioned condition so as to be axially extended and reduced in bulk compared to the condition the crimped textured binder strand would assume when relaxed;
• and
• (b) separating the upper and lower ground fabrics from one another by cutting the interconnecting pile yarns between the upper and lower ground fabrics so as to form pile tufts on the face of each of the separated pile fabrics, said cutting of the pile yarns relaxing the tensioned condition of the crimped textured binder strands, thereby causing the binder strands to retract to a position inwardly from the cut face of the pile fabric.