Apparatus and method for raising a fluffy surface on cloth

Apparatus for raising cloth fibers at a surface of a cloth, comprising:

• a working rotary member which is rotatably supported so as to rotate around an axis of rotation, said rotary member comprising one of either a cylindrical grindstone or a cylindrical supporting member having a peripheral surface coated with sand cloth;
• a pressure-contact member having a circular arc-shaped concave surface with which a part of the peripheral surface of said working rotary member cooperates to engage the cloth, said pressure-contact member being disposed such that said circular arc-shaped concave surface thereof faces closely to a part of the peripheral surface of said working rotary member, wherein an internal part of said pressure-contact member includes a water tank part and a water outflow opening is provided in said circular arc-shaped concave surface to communicate with said water tank part;
• cloth conveying means for conveying a length of the cloth to be treated by passing the cloth between said part of the peripheral surface of said working rotary member and said circular arc-shaped concave surface of the pressure-contact member;
• driving means for rotating said working rotary member;
• and
• hydraulic pressure application means for supplying water to said water tank part of the pressure-contact member and causing water to flow out through said water outflow opening of the circular arc-shaped concave to apply hydraulic pressure to the cloth, thereby pressing the cloth on the peripheral surface of said working rotary member.

A multistage apparatus, comprising:

• a plurality of serial stages each used for raising cloth fibers at a surface of a cloth, wherein each of said stages comprises a working rotary member which is rotatably supported so as to rotate around a respective axis of rotation, said rotary member comprising one of either a cylindrical grindstone or a cylindrical supporting member having a peripheral surface coated with sand cloth;
• and
• a pressure-contact member having a circular arc-shaped concave surface portion with which a part of the peripheral surface of said working rotary member cooperates to engage the cloth, said pressure-contact member being disposed such that said circular arc-shaped concave surface portion thereof faces closely to a part of the peripheral surface of said working rotary member, wherein an internal part of said pressure-contact member includes a water tank part with a water outflow opening provided in said circular arc-shaped concave surface portion to communicate with said water tank part;
• cloth conveying means for serially conveying a length of the cloth to be treated by passing the cloth between said part of the peripheral surface of said working rotary member and said circular arc-shaped concave surface portion of the contact member of each of said stages;
• driving means for rotating each of said working rotary members of said stages;
• and
• hydraulic pressure application means for supplying water to said water tank part of each of the pressure-contact members and for causing water to flow out through each of said water outflow openings of corresponding concave surface portions to apply hydraulic pressure to the cloth in each of said stages, thereby serially pressing the cloth on the peripheral surfaces of said working rotary members.