WO2017221042A1

WO2017221042A1 - Method for finishing a fabric and a felted fabric obtained by this method

Info

Publication number: WO2017221042A1
Application number: PCT/IB2016/000875
Authority: WO
Inventors: Uberto CIATTI
Original assignee: Inseta Srl
Current assignee: Inseta Srl
Priority date: 2016-06-22
Filing date: 2016-06-22
Publication date: 2017-12-28
Anticipated expiration: 2018-12-22

Abstract

An innovative process to obtain felted fabrics featuring special tridimensional effects produced by fulling previously cut or abraded pieces, for instance by way of punching, laser processing, or burnout printing, following the special arrangement described in the present patent application.

Description

DESCRIPTION

METHOD FOR FINISHING A FABRIC AND A FELTED FABRIC OBTAINED BY THIS METHOD

Technical Field

The present invention concerns the sector of the fabric finishing treatments and, specifically, those which comprise piece fulling. The finished felted fabric obtained according to the teachings of the present patent application exhibit tridimensional effects.

Present status of the art

Fulling is an operation known for many decades and is typically used in finishing wool fabrics to impart a felted appearance thereto.

Fulling basically consists of submitting wet fabrics of wool, be it natural or mixed with cotton, nylon, polyester, or other fibres, to continual temperature and/or pressure stresses, both along the weft and along the warp.

Generally, in fulling machines the fabric is picked-up from a tank containing a solution of a treatment liquid, which comprises surfactants, in order for it to be subsequently pushed into a compression zone.

For instance, the European patent EP0617155 (Bi) illustrates a fulling machine, and specifically one for treating a fabric in "cord form", whereas in the machine described in GB2325009 (A) both fulling and a subsequent rinsing take place; rinsing is used because the dirt and the residual natural products of wool tend to emulsify under the action of surfactants.

Fulling induces a certain shrink in the fabric, which result in compacting it and increasing its thickness; in this way, an improvement in its strength is obtained.

In the last years the textile sector is particularly concerned by the tactile and aesthetic effects of the fabrics and today, in order to improve the appreciation of felted fabrics, decorations are made thereon, by way of localized cuts or abrasions.

Felted fabrics retain a good strength even after the execution of said cuts or abrasions, but decorations appear to be clean, i.e. their outlines are sharp, and lay in the plane of the fabric itself; for this reason, the final effect is that of an engraved, or abraded, fabric but still a flat fabric.

Therefore, no processes are known that teach to implement a felted fabric that features tridimensional effects, i.e. fabrics whose surface is locally choppy and does not follow the general pattern of the fibres.

In addition, the searches made so far did not allow to set up methods that propose a cut or abrasion of the fabric before fulling, as proposed instead in the present patent application .

Objects and summary of the invention

An object of the present invention is to implement a felted fabric featuring tridimensional effects.

This object of the present patent application and others are achieved by fulling a previously weakened or perforated fabric, by operating on the basis of the special arrangements described below.

In the method according to the present patent application, some areas of a fabric comprising fibres subject to felting, after undergoing the preliminary preparation treatment, if any, are removed and/or abraded and/or eroded and subsequently fulled.

'Therefore, the method according to the present patent application can be applied to fabrics comprising wool fibres or wool blend fabrics, as well as to fabrics comprising valuable animal fibres including cashmere, camel hair, mohair, angora and alpaca or suri alpaca.

The surprising effects obtained basically depend on the different behaviour that intact fibres have, during the fulling operation, as compared to cut or torn fibres.

In a preferred embodiment removals or weakenings originate a predetermined graphical pattern. This pattern too can be realized on a fabric by means of a laser cutting machine, featuring a high operating flexibility. Surprisingly the use of a laser according to the sequence of the present patent application does not cause onto the finished product, not even on the lightest fabrics, the usual undesired effects of yellowed or burnout zones in proximity to the cutting outlines.

A partial weakening might also be obtained according to the burnout technique (also referred to as "devore" printing) ; it is a matter of a special textile printing system whose purpose is to eliminate part of the fabric. Generally, the process is based on the use of printing rollers which press the fabric by way of chemical substances. In order to obtain such a devore effect, the fabric shall be composed of fibres of different types, a part of which is attackable by chemical substances, which will eliminate it from the fabric, whereas the remaining part does not. After this processing, the fabric will be formed, in the treated zone, of the only fibres that have not been attacked by the chemical substances and it will be semi-transparent with respect to the non-treated fabric zone.

If necessary, laser cutting might be replaced by punching or burnout printing. In fact, the three cutting, weakening, or abrasion techniques might be combined with each other in any ways or even with other known techniques.

Fulling shall go on until the different behaviour of the cut or engraved fibres with respect: to that of the intact ones determines the desired visual or tactile effects.

In the case of a carded wool blend fabric, the^: required fulling degree, i.e. the shrink of the fabric to be reached in order to get the desired tridimensional effects, equals at least 10%, the effect is more marked and pleasant with fulling degrees in the range from 20 to 25%, but in some cases a degree of 30% is exceeded.

Usually fulling is followed by rinsing, drying and, if necessary, dyeing, as described below in details.

The method here described originates a fabric that is simultaneously perforated, or weakened, and felted, with waves that impart a tridimensional pattern thereto, so as to render the so treated fabric different and easily distinguishable from a fabric that has been submitted to cutting or engraving after fulling.

Such tridimensional effects are even more marked if using fabrics containing, in addition to wool, elastic fibres too .

Likewise, particularly pronounced effects are achieved by working knitted fabrics, thanks to their reduced compactness as compared to the remaining fabrics and to the elasticity imparted thereto by the knit weave of the threads, whatsoever the yarn is.

The method according to the present patent application is preferably applied to raw fabrics ready for being dyed, but the tridimensionality effects are also obtained on thread- dyed raw fabrics.

Therefore, the method is also applicable to Jacquard fabric, be they raw or thread-dyed.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of the finishing method of a fabric, with fibres subject to felting, according to the present patent application, which comprises the following operating steps:

(d) removing or however weakening said fabric in one or several areas;

(e) fulling the so weakened or perforated fabric.

Figure 2 shows a flowchart of a particularly complete embodiment, which allows the use of traditional colourings or corrodible colourings. As compared to figure 1, this embodiment also comprises the following operating steps:

(b) preliminarily washing the fabric to remove any residuals possibly left by the previous workings;

(c) submitting the washed fabric to raising;

(f) rinsing and then drying the fulled fabric;

(g) applying colourings to the rinsed and dried fabric and then, if necessary, taking out the colour in excess; (h) drying the coloured fabric again.

If corrodible colourings are applied in said . operating step (g) , then the method also includes the following operating step:

(i) corrosion-printing the coloured and dried fabric. Figure 3 is a flowchart of an embodiment which differs from that of the previous figure in that it does not include the raising operating step (c) .

Figure 4 is a flowchart of an embodiment that is particularly suitable for carded wool or carded wool blend fabrics, which comprises the following initial operating step :

(a) submitting the fabric to carbonization.

Figures 5 thru 9 are flowcharts, given for merely explanatory purposes, of further embodiments of the finishing method according to the present patent application, which comprise the operating steps already described in the previous figures.

Detailed description of one embodiment of the invention In the preferred embodiment here described, the finishing method according to the present patent application is realized on a wool or wool blend fabric and comprises the following operating steps:

(b) preliminarily washing said fabric to remove any residuals ;

(d) removing or however weakening said fabric in one or several areas;

(e) fulling the weakened or perforated fabric;

(f) rinsing and then drying the fulled fabric;

(g) applying colourings to the rinsed and dried fabric and then, if necessary, taking out the colour in excess;

(h) drying the coloured fabric again.

According to the teachings of the present patent application it is not necessary to remove the fabric, i.e. to make a through-hole, ,^■ but it is sufficient to weaken part of the fabric subject to felting.

Special aesthetic effects are achieved by submitting the fabric to burnout printing or to laser cutting or abrasion. A tridimensional effect is obtained all the same even by way of punching or other abrasion or cutting techniques capable of damaging or cutting the fibres so as to determine a different behaviour thereof, as compared to the not worked ones, during fulling.

In any case the fabric removal or weakening operating step (d) might even be implemented in any combinations of the just mentioned techniques.

The use a flat-bed laser cutting machine makes it possible to realize the predetermined patterns on the fabric in a specially flexible and fast manner.

Single or multiple . fullers can be used for the fulling operating step (e) , as well as rotary machines that are also capable of heating the treated article. The fulling degree reached shall equal at least 10%, preferably at least 20%, better around 25%. If the process is performed in one single fuller, then the time duration ranges from one hour to three hours, preferably from one hour and half to two hours and half.

Advantageously the method according to the present patent application does not require a "bag" sewing of the fabric because the treatment liquid tends to cross it in those areas where the fabric is weakened or perforated.

In the fulled fabric rinsing operating step (f), drying is preferably made in a basket, however the same results can be obtained by using a stenter, however in this case there is a risk of tearing the fabric.

The colouring application operating step (g) can take place by using both traditional colourings and corrodible colourings. In the latter case the drying operating step

(h) will be followed by the following one:

(i) corrosion-printing the coloured and dried fabric.

The drying operating step (h) preferably takes place in a rotary machine.

Advantageously, in order to prevent undesired tears, cut should not reach the selvages of the piece used for feeding the latter, i.e. they should be located at a distance of at least three or four centimetres therefrom. The latter distance is just an indicative value for a raw wool and nylon blend fabric with a density of around 450 grams per linear meter.

Particularly apparent tridimensional effects are achieved with a fulling degree of at least 20% on a fabric with the hair in the raised position. This condition is achieved by making the following operating step follow the washing operating step (b) :

(c) submitting the washed fabric to raising. In this case the removal operating step (d) will be carried out on the raised fabric.

If one wishes to work a carded wool fabric, or a carded wool blend fabric, then it is necessary to evaluate whether the operating step (c) whereby the piece is submitted to raising is sufficient to remove a substantial part of the vegetal residuals, otherwise the following preliminary operating step would be necessary:

(a) submitting the fabric to carbonization.

Some embodiments of the method according to this patent application are further illustrated in the attached drawings .

Having applied the method according to the present patent application, the fabric surprisingly exhibits a marked tridimensionality in proximity to the cuts or weakenings because the pattern of the fibres involved in the removal operating step (d) is different from that of the fibres submitted to fulling only: as a matter of fact, the damaged fibres are slightly curled or wavy. In other words, after this treatment, the cut fibres do not follow the bidimensional pattern of the intact fibres any longer,, but they rather develop tridimensionally.

The special features of the fabric are obtained more easily if adopting a fulling performed by way of a fulling bath containing the fulling product only.

Claims

1. A method for finishing a fabric comprising fibres subject to felting, characterized in that it comprises the following operating steps:

5 (d) removing or however weakening said fabric in one or several areas;

(e) fulling the weakened or perforated fabric.

2. A method according to the previous claim, characterized in that it also comprises the following

10 operating steps:

(b) preliminarily washing said fabric for removing the residuals ;

(f) after fulling (e) , rinsing and then drying the fabric- IB (g) after rinsing and drying (f), applying colourings to the fabric and then, if necessary, taking the colour in excess out;

(h) after colouring application (g) , drying the fabric again;

20 if corrodible colourings are applied in said colouring application step (g) , the method also comprises the following operating step:

(i) after application (g) and drying (h) , corrosion- printing the fabric.

25 3. A method according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the treated fabric is a wool or wool blend fabric.

4. A method according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that said operating step (d) whereby said

30 washed fabric is removed or however weakened in some areas is implemented by a surface abrasion or burnout printing or any combination of these techniques.

5. A method according to the previous claim 3, characterized in that said operating step (d) whereby said washed fabric is removed or however weakened in some areas is implemented by laser cutting or abrasion, possibly combined with other techniques.

6. A method according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that said fulling features a fulling degree of at least 20%.

7. A method according to the previous claim 6, characterized in that said fulling features a fulling degree of around 25%.

8. A method according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that it comprises, between said washing operating step (b) and removal operating step (d) , the following operating step:

(c) submitting the washed fabric to raising.

9. A method according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that, if the fabric is a carded wool or carded wool blend one, it comprises the following initial operating step:

(a) submitting the fabric to carbonization.

10. A method according to any of the previous claims 2 thru 9, characterized in that in said operating step (f) whereby the fulled fabric is rinsed and dried, drying takes place in a basket.

11. A method according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that said operating step (d) whereby the fabric is removed or however weakened does not concern the selvages or any areas distant less than three centimetres from the side edges of the fabric.

12. A felted fabric characterized in that it comprises a plurality of holes or abrasions or damages around which some fibres are wavy whereas the remaining ones follow the flat pattern of said fabric.

13. A felted fabric obtained by following the method according to any of the previous claims 1 thru 11, characterized in that it comprises elastic fibres.

14. A felted fabric obtained by using the method according to any of the previous claims 1 thru 11, characterized in that it is a knitted fabric.

15. A felted fabric characterized in that it is finished according to the method claimed in the previous claim 5.