US1392265A - Cotton fabric - Google Patents

Description

application, Ser. No.,

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE,

GEORGES nnnnannm, or WATTWIL, swrrzmm.

COTTON FABRIC.

Ho Drawing.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patentedsept, 27,1921;

, Application filed March 18, 1921. Serial No. 453,489.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. L, 1313.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonens HEBERLEIN, a citizen of the Swiss Republic, and a resident of WVattwil, Canton of St. Gall, Switzerland, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Cotton Fabrics, (which improvements are described in the following filed applications-i. e., German application, Ser. No. H. 64,376, filed Nov.. 20, 1913, Patent No. 280,134, granted Nov. 4, 1914; French application, Ser. No. 67,013, filed Feb. 19, 1914, Patent No. 468,642,

ranted Apr. 29, 1914; French application,

er. No. 8,962, filed Nov. 30, 1915, patent of addition No. 20,149, granted July 22, 1916;

British application, Ser. No. 13,129 of 1914,

filed May 28, 1914, Patent No. 13,129 of 1914, granted as of Nov. 20, 1913; Italian (have none,) filed June 9, 1914, Patent No. 143,796, granted Jan. 11, 1915; Italian application filed Feb.

10, 1916, patent of addition No. 152,764,

granted Feb. 28, 1921; Bel ian application, Ser. No. 219,478, filed une 19, 1914, Patent No. 268,537, granted June 30, 1914; Austrian application, filed May 29, 1914, Patent No. 70,004, granted June 21, 1915; German application, Ser. No. H. 68,470, filed Ma 19, 1915, Patent No. 295,816, ranted ec. 18, 1916; French application,

er. No. 83,050, filed Apr. 21, 1916, Patent No. 481,561, granted Sept. 23, 1916; British application, Ser. No. 6,218 of 1916, filed May 1, 1916, Patent No. 100,483, granted as of May 19, 1915; Belgian application,

Ser. No. 225,208, filed June 24, 1919, Patent No. 280,937, not yet issued; Italian plication, filed May 4, 1916, Patent 0. 154,095, granted June 5, 1916; Austrian application, filed Apr. 29, 1916, Patent No. 81,367, granted Sep. 25, 1920,) of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to cotton fabrics, and the object of the invention is the provision of new fabrics of pleasing and novel appearance or effects.

tion will be more particularly pointed out I in the appended claims.

Since the fabric that isthe subject of thls invention is produced by chemically processing-or treating cotton fabric so as to chemically structurally change the same in such manner as to produce these novel effects, it may facilitate a better understandmg of the invention if I first describe my process by which the fabric may be made, and also the previously known or suggested chemical treatment of cotton fabric to chemically and structurally change its fibers.

A method of producing pattern effects upon cotton fabric is known (in the sense that it has been suggested) wherein concentrated sulfuric acid of from 45 to B. (which, as is known, serves to impart a parchmentizing action upon cellulose) is printed upon the fabric, which, after this action has taken place for a few seconds, is washed with water, or in which a resist is printed upon the fabric, after'which the latter is passed for a few seconds through sulfuric acid, and finally washed. By this means those parts where the sulfuric acid acts upon the fibers, that is to say, those parts at which the archmentizing process takes place, become t inner, and more transparent, while those parts which have not been acted upon by the sulfuric acid or have been reserved, stand out as a pattern by reason of their less transparent quality generally understood, nor in the sense that fabric is rendered transparent according to my proceses to be hereinafter described, nor in the sensethat that term is used in connection with the fabric herein claimed. It is also well known that when ordinary cotton fabric is treated as heretofore suggested the fibers do not become bright giving to the fabric a smooth, finished appearance or sheen, but on the contrary the fibers are only so altered as to give simply a dull, hard, translucent appearance to the fabric, which is rough and of an unfinished appearance. in short, the effect or appearance of the fabric made according to the previously suggested process is not a pleasing one and the fabric is too crushable to be useful for the purposes for which cotton goods of pleasing appearance are utilized.

Now i have discovered that much more distinctive efiects which are ornamental can be obtained by utilizing this previously suggested process on mercerized cotton abric, or fabric made of mercerized' cotton, and by using sulfuric acid of above 50% B. g. e., not substantially less than/51 B.).

y mercerizing the fibers and also treatin them with sulfuric acid of above 504, Be.

I obtain a novel fabric having enhanced effects heretofore unknown. This is to be explained by the fact that the chemical altera-tion which cotton fibers undergo on being mercerized makes them more adaptable or susceptible to reaction, in consequence whereof a greater transparency is obtained in those parts of the fabric treated with sulfuric acid of over 50% B, than is the case with cotton fabric not mercerized.

It is a curious fact that in the treatment of mercerized cotton fabrics with sulfuric acid, the so-called parchmentizing action (but which in reality in the case of my herein recited processes produces a true transparent effect) only results when the concen tration of the acid is in excess of 50-} B.

As the so-called parchmentized parts of the mercerized cotton fabric possess an exceedingly great affinity for many dyes, and upon being dyed color much darker than the remainin portions of the fabric, the effect produce on the fabric by the processes can be considerably heightened by the subsequent dyeing of the fabric.

It is a characteristic of cotton fabric treated according to my above described process, that it is really quite transparent, giving the effect or appearance of a bi h grade transparent organdie, and that t e fibers are bright and clean, and 've to the fabric a bright or sheen effect, an a smooth, finished a pearance in contrast to the dull, rough, un nished truly parchmentized effect which is characteristic of cotton fabrics produced by simply treating the ordina cotton fabric with sulfuric acid, as ha been known prior to my above set forth process. It is also a characteristic of fabrics treated according to my above described process,

nscascs invention and the other parts remain as unaltered mercerized fabric, so as to produce pattern effects, of course the mercerized parts remaining untreated retain the physical characteristics of mercerized cotton 2. e., are soft, glossy and opaque, and show up in striking manner in contrast to the transparent portions. r

I have also found that a still more en hanced transparency of the cotton fabric can be obtained by an improved rocess, according to which sulfuric acid 0' over 50% B. and concentrated caustic alkali are caused to act upon cotton fabric several times alternately, the sulfuric acid bein always allowed to act only for a few secon s.

In order to obtain this greater or enhanced transparency as compared with that ohtaine by my first mentioned process, it is necessary that one of the two agencies be applied-at least twice with an intermediate treatment of the other, as for example, caustic soda-sulfuric acidcaustic soda, or vice versa. In between the reactions the goods must be well washed, and subsequently dried.

If cotton fabric treated with concentrated caustic soda is subjected for the second time to the same treatment no further change takes place in the same. That is, the second caustic treatment remains without effect on the fabric. Cotton fabric behaves in similar manner toward repeated treatments with concentrated sulfuric acid. If, however, the cotton fabric that has been mercerized has been subsequently exposed'to the action'of of concentrated sulfuric acid, and then to caustic soda, the caustic soda reacts anew upon the fabric and efiects a further change, The same is true if the first treatment is with the concentrated sulfuric acid, and then the next treatment with caustic soda and another treatment with sulfuric acid. In each such alternate treatment the acid or alkali, as the case ma be, will again worlr or be effective upon t e fibers of the fabric to further alter them. The alternate treat ment with acid and alkali can be several times repeated.

It is evident that varied degrees of transparency are obtained according to the number of manipulations or alternate treatments. Modifications in the quality of the fabric can also be obtained by either stretching the same more or less during the treatment, or by having the same more or less shrunk in the lon itudinal and cross directions.

Final y transparent pattern effects may be obtained by printing the alkali or the acid at one or more of the operations only upon articular portions of the fabric, or by printing on particular portions of the fabric a resist (for instance gum thickening) either at the commencement of the treatment or between the first and the second or between two successive operations, the said resist preventing a further reaction of the alkali or the acid. For example it will be obvious from the above that if the aforesaid pattern efiectof glossy mercerized portions and of transparent portions is to be produced, the fabric can be treated with alkali all over, then a resist of the design put on and then the background is treated with acid and then with alkali.

The fabric herein claimed may be made by either of the above processes, and it is a characteristic of the fabric made by either process that the effects produced are permanent, 2'. 6., will withstand repeated laundry-' in llaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A cottonfabric having pattern effects, a. e., background portions and design portions, and in which one has the physical characteristic of mercerized fabric, i. e., soft and glossy, and the other has the physical characteristic of organdie, the contrast between said portions being such as to clearly define the desired pattern.

2. A fabric having pattern effects, 6., background portions and design portions extending through its thickness so as to appearidentically and in register on both surfaces, and in which the portions of one have the physical characteristic of mercerized fabric, 2'. 0., soft and glossy, and the portions of the other have the physical characteristic of being stifier but flexible and more transand in which the other has markedly different physical characteristics and has had its fibers undergo a different chemical change 2'. e., background portions and design porcotton fabric having pattern efiects, Y I

tions, and in which one has certain physical characteristics due to its fibers having undergone a chemical change from ordinary cotton, and in which the other has markedly different physical characteristics due to its fibers having undergone a different chemical change resulting in its being rendered harsher and more transparent than said first mentioned portions, the difierences in characteristics between said portions being such as to clearly define the pattern, and being permanent, i. e., capable of withstanding repeated laundrying without materially al-. tering said contrasts.

5. A cotton fabric, having pattern efiects, i. (2., background portions and design portions, and in which one has the physical characteristics of mercerized fabric, 5. e., soft and glossy, and the other has the physical characteristic of being more transparent, the contrast between said portions being such as to clearly define the desired pattern.

6. A mercerized fabric having pattern effects, '5. 6., back round portions and design portions, an in which one has the physical characteristics of mercerized fabric, i. e., soft and glossy, and the other has the physical characteristic of being harsher and more transparent, the contrast between said portions being such as to clearly define the desired pattern, such contrasts being due to the structural differences in the fibers of the respective portions, which differences 'arepermanent, z. 6., will not be eliminated by repeated laundrying.

7. cotton fabric fibers of which have been chemically altered from ordinary cotton, characterized by the fact that it is substantially transparent and resilient, as distinguished from a dull translucent or truly parchmentized fabric.

8. A cotton been chemically altered from ordinary cotton, characterized by the fact that it is substantially transparent with bright fibers giving a sheen or brightness to the fabric, as distinguished from a translucent or truly parchmentized fabric with dull fibers .giving a rough unfinished appearance.

9. A cotton fabric fibers of which have fabric fibers of which have been chemically altered to render the fabric'thinner, finer and more transparent than would be possible by chemical treatment with acid only or by alkali only, and which transparency is permanent, z'. e., will not be eliminated by repeated laundrying.

10. A cotton fabric fibers of which have been chemically altered to produce a permanent organdie effect, 23. e., an or andie which will withstand repeated laun r ing without material alteration as to sti ness and transparency, and in which the trans- 5 parency is materially greater than can be produced by treatment with an acid only or with an alkali only.

11. A. mercerized fabric fibers of which have been chemically altered to render the it fabric thinner and more transparent.

12. A mercerized fabric in which its fibers have been altered to produce a permanent organdie effect, 5. e.-, an organdie which will withstand repeated laundrying without material alteration as to stiffness and trans- 15 parency.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGES HEBERLEIN.