Method for manufacturing carpet samples

Abstract

Standard yarns are tufted into a non-woven backing and the backing is rolled and stored. Upon receiving an order for a sample carpet, a length of the tufted substrate is cut as a function of the length of the required sample. The yarn ends of the tufted substrate are tied into a tufting machine and the machine tufts the yarns pulled from the substrate into a backing material. The tufted backing material is then further processed to form the sample.

1 . A method of forming a textile sample comprising the steps of:
 a) tufting yarns into a non-woven backing;   b) tying ends of the yarns tufted into the non-woven backing into a tufting machine; and   c) tufting the yarns tufted into the non-woven backing into a primary backing to form the sample.   
   
   
       2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein step (b) includes pulling the tufted yarns from the substrate. 
   
   
       3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein step (c) includes separating the tufted yarns from the tufted non-woven backing as the yarns are tufted to form the sample. 
   
   
       4 . A method according to  claim 1 , including providing the non-woven substrate with tufted yarns in a pre-determined length as a function of the length of the sample. 
   
   
       5 . A method according to  claim 1 , including performing steps (a)-(c) in sequence and, after step (a) and prior to step (b), storing the tufted backing containing the tufted yarn. 
   
   
       6 . A method according to  claim 1 , including performing steps (a)-(c) in sequence and, after step (a) and before step (b), rolling the tufted backing to form a roll of backing containing the tufted yarns. 
   
   
       7 . A method according to  claim 2 , including tying the pulled yarns into the tufting machine. 
   
   
       8 . A method according to  claim 1 , including separating the tufted yarns and the tufted non-woven backing from one another. 
   
   
       9 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the non-woven backing comprises 100% polypropylene, 100% polyester, 100% nylon, or combinations thereof. 
   
   
       10 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the non-woven backing has a weight range of about 70 grams per square meter up to about 140 grams per square meter. 
   
   
       11 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the non-woven backing has a nominal weight of about 120 grams per square meter. 
   
   
       12 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the tufted non-woven backing has a loop construction. 
   
   
       13 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the tufted non-woven backing has a pile height in the range from about 4/32 to about 20/32. 
   
   
       14 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the tufted non-woven backing has a nominal pile height of about 13/32. 
   
   
       15 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the tufted non-woven backing has a stitches per inch in the range from about 5 stitches per inch to about 20 stitches per inch. 
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the tufted non-woven backing has a nominal stitches per inch of about 15. 
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the tufted non-woven backing has a yarn denier in the range from about 600 denier to about 5000 denier. 
   
   
       18 . A textile sample made by the method of  claim 1 . 
   
   
       19 . A textile sample made by the method of  claim 1  and having a pile height in the range from about 4/32 to about 20/32. 
   
   
       20 . A textile sample made by the method of  claim 1  and having a nominal pile height of about 13/32. 
   
   
       21 . A textile sample made by the method of  claim 1  and having a stitches per inch in the range from about 5 stitches per inch to about 20 stitches per inch. 
   
   
       22 . A textile sample made by the method of  claim 1  and having a nominal stitches per inch of about 15. 
   
   
       23 . A textile sample made by the method of  claim 1  and having a yarn denier in the range from about 600 denier to about 5000 denier.