Pattern dyeing of textile materials such as carpet

[54] PATTERN DYEING OF TEXTILE MATERIALS SUCH AS CARPET

[75] Inventors: Billy J. Otting; Alfred Clifford, both of LaFayette, Ga.

[73] Assignee: Otting Machine Company,

Incorporated, LaFayette, Ga.

[21] Appl. No.: 387,291

[22] Filed: Jun. 10, 1982

Related U.S. Application Data

[63] Continuation of Ser. No. 156,624, Jun. 5, 1980, abandoned.

[51] Int. CI/ D06B 1/06

[52] U.S. CI 8/151; 68/205 R

[58] Field of Search 8/149, 151; 68/200,

68/205 R; 251/5-7; 239/551, 562, 567;

118/324, 325, 684

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

1,427,455 8/1922 Gates 251/7 X

1,677,453 7/1928 Jones 251/7 X

2,218,811 10/1940 Chaussabel 68/205 R X

3,443,878 5/1969 Weber et al 68/183 X

3,570,275 3/1971 Weber et al 68/205 R

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3,739,605 6/1973 Baker 68/205 R X

3,785,179 1/1974 Davis et al 68/205 R X

3,793,785 2/1974 Austin 251/7 X

3,800,568 4/1974 Takriti et al 68/205 R

3,801,275 4/1974 Stankard et al 8/149

3,903,715 9/1975 Plotz 68/205 R

3,921,670 11/1975 Clippard, Jr. et al 251/129 X

3,937,044 2/1976 Balmforth 68/205 R

3,964,860 6/1976 Leifeld 68/205 R X

3,969,779 7/1976 Stewart, Jr 8/149

3,985,006 10/1976 Klein 68/205 R

4.033.153 7/1977 Ahrweiler et al 68/205 R

4.033.154 7/1977 Johnson 68/205 R

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4,127,014 11/1978 Miller et al 68/205 R X

4,157,652 6/1979 Mathes et al 68/205 R X

4,170,958 10/1979 Moser 68/205 R X

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

1288681 9/1972 United Kingdom 68/205 R

1296725 11/1972 United Kingdom 68/205 R

Primary Examiner—Philip R. Coe

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Kerkam, Stowell, Kondracki

& Clarke

[57] ABSTRACT

A versatile carpet dyeing applicator capable of producing novel and visually pleasing multicolor pattern effects ranging from apparently completely random to fairly well-defined. An inclined distributing plate such as a conventional doctor blade extends across the width of the carpet web, transverse to the direction of web travel, with a lower edge of the distributing plate positioned so that dye flowing off falls on the carpet web. Means, such as a conventional dye pickup roller rotating in a dye supply trough, introduces liquid of a base color onto the distributing plate at an upper edge thereof to form a base color dye film initially flowing substantially uniformly downwardly over the distributing plate. At least one plurality of delivery tubes has outlet ends spaced along the distributing plate with the outlet ends positioned above and directed towards the distributing plate for adding dye or chemical of at least one additional color or other characteristic to the base color dye film in selected areas of the distributing plate. Thus, mixing and spreading occurs on the surface of the distributing plate. The dye delivery tube outlet ends are spaced on approximately two-inch centers, and are carried by a moving nozzle bar extending across the width of the carpet web. A controlled valving arrangement selectively provides the dye or chemical of the at least one additional color or characteristic to individual ones of the dye delivery tubes under pattern control. For supplying additional dye colors to the doctor blade, it is preferred that there are a plurality, for example three, of independently reciprocating nozzle bars, with separate colors or other characteristics.

21 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures