THE PRESENT INVENTION relates to carpeting and to the manufacture of carpeting, and in particular relates to the manufacture of carpet tiles, although it must be appreciated that methods in accordance with the invention may be utilised for manufacturing articles other than carpet tiles.

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At the present time carpet tiles are widely utilised, particularly in areas where carpeting is subject to heavy wear.

It has been proposed to make carpeting, especially in the form of 10 carpet tiles, by forming a body of substantially parallel fibres or strands having a flat end face that is perpendicular to the axes of the fibres or strands, and bonding the fibres or strands ^' exposed at that end face together or to a backing sheet, and subsequently cutting the fibres or strands to form a pile bearing element, with the fibres or strands protruding from the 15 bonded region to a desired height. Two prior proposed methods of this type are disclosed in United Kingdom Patent Specification No. 1 118 031, and in U.S.A. Patent Specification No. 3 673 048.

In these prior proposed processes it is difficult to form the fibrous

20 body v/ith the fibres or strands in the desired parallel orientation, and it is

. also difficult to provide the resultant carpet element with an accurately registered pattern. If fibres or strands_of different colours are used the

K relative positions of the fibres to each other may vary over the length of the body of fibrous material, thus leading to undesired pattern variations in the 25 resultant carpet tiles.

The present invention seeks to provide a process for the manufacture of carpeting v/hich will reduce or eliminate some or all of the above described disadvantages of the currently utilised

According to this invention there is provided a method of ma facturing carpeting, said process comprising the steps of forming a body material from a stock of sheets of non-woven material, said body having least one end face, compressing the body in at least one direction which l in the plane of said end face at least in the region of said end face, a bonding together the .material of the body at said end face.

Preferably the method also comprises the further step of separati the bonded end face and a portion of unbonded material secured to t bonded end face, from the remainder of the body of material.

Conveniently said material has thermoplastic properties, or inc porating a material having thermoplastics properties, said bonding st being effected by heating the said end face.

Alternatively said bonding may be effected by coating the expos face with adhesive and permitting or causing the adhesive to cure.

Preferably the - method comprises the step of applying a backi material to said bonded fibres. Said sheets may comprise polymeric fil which may be pre-trεated to cause them to fibrilate when they are brush or mechanically deformed.

Alternatively said sheets may comprise sheets formed by a pape making technique.

Preferably said sheets are treated or printed or incorporate colour fibres so that the resultant carpeting is patterned and/or textured.

The invention also relates to carpeting whenever manufactured by method as described above.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawin in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a stack of sheets of fibrous material to be utilised in the production of carpet tiles, ^•

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the stack of sheets being 5 compressed in a compressing apparatus,

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view through the com¬ pressed stack of sheets showing a heated piaten applied to one exposed side edge of the stack of sheets, 10

FIGURE 4 is a view corresponding to Figure 3 showing the side edges of the sheets welded or bonded together,

FIGURE 5 is a view corresponding to Figure 4 showing a backing 15 material added to the bonded side edges of the sheets,

FIGURE 6 is a view corresponding to Figure 5 showing a backing scrim being applied to the backing material of Figure 5, and showing the stack of sheets being moved in the compressing apparatus, 20

FIGURE 7 is a view corresponding to Figure 6 showing identifying marks being printed on the backing scrim and also showing a carpet tile severed from the compressed stack of sheets,

25 FIGURE 8 shows the stack of sheets remaining in the compressing apparatus after the process step illustrated in Figure 7,

FIGURE 9 is a si de elevational view of a carpet tile after it is cut from the sheets within the compressing apparatus, and

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FIGURE 10 is a si de elevational view of a finished carpet tile.

In manufacturing a carpet tile by a process in accordance with the invention, initially a body of fibrous material is assembled from a stack of

35 . separate sheets of non-woven fibrous material. The body is compressed in at least one direction. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 the fibrous material is initially supplied in the form of sheets of rectangular shape, and

each sheet 1 has at least a substantial proportion of the fibres ther aligned with the longitudinal axis 2 of this sheet. The sheets may be many possible forms,- as will be described hereinafter in greater deta However, in this embodiment of the invention the sheets are formed of material that has some thermoplastic properties.

, - Illustrated in Figure 2 is a compressing apparatus comprising substantially "U" shaped former 3 and a plunger 4 adapted to be receiv within the former 3. The plunger is provided with means (not shown) f driving -the plunger- downwardly in -the direction illustrated by the arrow

It can be seen that the stack of sheets 1 is located in position within t hollow interior defined by the "U" shaped former 3 and then the plunger 4 driven downwardly, thus providing a stack of sheets compressed in o direction, the stack of sheets having a substantially square exposed e face.

Referring now to Figure 3 a heated platen 5 is applied to the expos end face of the stack of sheets. Since the sheets have, as described abov some thermoplastic properties, the sheets- become fused together, and t fused portion of the material.6 forming the sheets is clearly visible in Figu

4, which shows the situation that exists when the heated platen has be removed. It can be seen that there is a slight recess defined between t fused material 6 and the ends of the former 3 and plunger k._

Turning now to Figure 5 it can be seen that a molten backi material has been inserted into the depression and has been permitted cool. The molten backing material may comprise limestone filled bitume although it is to be appreciated that a filled thermoplastic backing, such a filled plastisol, or filled molten PVC could be utilised. The backi material 7 cools, within the recess, and partially solidifies. The stac together with the cooled backing material is then pushed partially from t recess and plunger by a platen 8 which is illustrated as pushing upwardly Figure 6. At this time a backing scrim 9 may be applied to the partly sol bitumen or thermoplastic backing 7.

During the next stage of operation, as illustrated in Figure 7 a required product identification is printed onto the backing, by printi members 10 although it is to be appreciated that a pre-printed backing she may be utilised if desired. The protruding part of the stack is then cut either by utilising a mechanical cutter, such as, for example, a continuo abrasive belt cutter, or by utilising a high pressure fluid jet cutter or a las cutter. The stack is cut flush with the end faces of the trough 3 and plung 4. The part of the stack that is cut off is, of course, the part of the sta associated with the backing member, and this part of the stack th

10 constitutes a square section of carpet, as shown in Figure 9. The c surface is then brushed to produce a required pile surface, and it is to appreciated that _. fibres and binder removed during the process may be stor for reuse in the manufacture of the sheets 1 utilised as the first step of t process. The finished carpet tile will be checked for quality control and wi l-> then be packed for delivery.

It is to be appreciated that the above described bitumen material wi shrink on cooling, and also the compressed sheets will relax after being c from the rest of the stack, since the stack is under considerable pressur

2" This will ensure that the carpet tile 11, as shown in Figure 10, will have least two opposed outwardly inclined side edges in the region of the pil Thus, when tiles of this type are laid the outwardly inclined edges of the pil will serve to disguised joins between adjacent tiles, and will tend to preve the above described recesses or valleys forming between ^" adjacent tile ^' s whe

^• " the tiles have been laid. It is to be appreciated that the above describe process provides tiles that have primarily two opposed outwardly incline edges. However, if two perpendicular compressional forces are applied t the stack, the tile may have four outwardly inclined side edges. This can b achieved by utilising sheets that are slightly wider than the distanc

30 between the side walls of the "U" shaped former 3, or can be achieved b utilising an "L" shaped former and two plungers.

While the invention has been described above with reference to th manufacture of square carpet tiles, .tiles of any appropriate shape (e.g -" rectangular or hexagonal) may be made by .a method in accordance with th invention.

In a practical embodiment of the above described method, the stac may be inserted in the former 3, and the former can then be located on "carousel" type machine. The stack within the former will then b compressed by the plunger 4 and wil move through sequential work station where the various process steps described above will be performed. At th end of the first circuit, the former, in the condition illustrated in Figure will be returned to the first operational station where the platen 5 i introduced to the exposed ends of the sheets contained within the forme The process will be repeated until the supply of sheets within the former i totally exhausted. ^' A fresh stack of sheets will then be inserted in position.

The sheets 1 may comprise a stack of sheets of polymeric film Some, or all of the polymeric films could be pre-textured to increase th body of the carpet, or alternatively the films could have -different degree of cross linking of the polymer, so that the films would respond differentl to a subsequent heat treatment. Hence texturing could be introduced int certain areas of the resultant carpet tiles. Alternatively the polymer film could have different degrees of cross linking that respond to radiation by high energy electron beam. An electron beam could then be provided t generate patterns in the carpet tiles by "writing" with the beam in predetermined configuration. The polymeric films could be coloured, an precoloured polymeric films could be stacked in a predetermined order t provide a desired design for each carpet tile. Of course, provided that th polymeric films are appropriately printed there will be no problems wit registration.

Alternatively the sheets 1 can be prepared by the use of a techniqu closely relating to a paper-making technique. The fibres would, during th paper making process, be substantially aligned v/ith the longitudinal axis o the sheets, and it v/ill be appreciated that by following this route it would b possible to produce sheets including cellulose fibres, viscose fibres o thermoplastic fibres. It is envisaged that it may be possible to incorporat animal hairs in sheets formed by such a process. Self-coloured fibres coul be utilised when forming the fibrous sheets or the fibrous sheets could, afte being manufactured, be pattern-colour printed. Again, in this way, patter variations can be introduced into tile surface by appropriate stacking o appropriately printed coloured sheets.

It is to be appreciated that sheets made by a paper-making-typ process as described above and polymeric films may both be utilised i forming a stack of sheets to be utilised in a process in accordance with th invention.

It is to be appreciated that in the above described process the heate platen 5 was utilised to fuse the exposed ends of the sheets with the primar function of fusing or bonding the sheets together. Of course, it is possibl to utilise other procedures to achieve the same end result. Thus, fo example, the exposed ends of the sheets (or the exposed end of a compresse fibrous mass) may be fused' by using a flame, or may be coated with a adhesive which may be a heat-curing or a radiation-curing adhesive. In suc cases heat, or radiation, would be applied to the adhesive to cause th adhesive to cure. Of course, any other form of adhesive could be utilised, a may be appropriate.

It is envisaged that the above described embodiment, whilst bein satisfactory for small runs of production, will have the disadvantage that fresh stack, of sheets has to be inserted between the "U" shaped member and the plunger 4 whenever the stack introduced initially has been exhausted. It

^' is envisaged that a ^' process in accordance with the invention may operate on a substantially continuous. basis. It is envisaged that, in such a process, a plurality of reels of -sheet will be provided, and the ends of the reels will be withdrawn and stacked ^" to form a ^" substantially continuous stack corres- ponding to the stack illustrated in Figure 1. The stack will then be introduced to a continuous processing machine, and as the processing machine draws the stack through the machine, so further portions of the respective sheets will unwind from the reels. The .apparatus will include means capable of compressing the stack in at least one direction transverse to the direction of advance of the stack, the means being such that the stack can be advanced under pressure, and the exposed end of the stack can be treated to bond together the elements comprising the stack, to apply a backing material, if desired, and to cut the thus-formed carpet tile from the rest of the stack. In one embodiment a plurality of separate lockable frames may be utilised to engage and advance the stock, a frame advancing to the front face of the stock being removed and replaced at the rear of the stacks. Alternatively tv/o or more compressing endless belts (similar to

01..PI Λy Vv iPO

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conveyor belts, but pressed firmly into contact with the edges of the s to compress and advance the stack) may be used.