Protective yarns and fabrics made with alternating fibrous blended rovings

Abstract

A method and system for forming protective composite yarns and fabrics having selected performance characteristics including cut resistance and/or fire/heat resistance, while also providing enhanced comfort and aesthetic attributes. The yarn will include fibers of a first type introduced from a first roving to a first set of drafting rollers of a spinning frame, and one or more additional types of fibers introduced from one or more additional rovings additional sets of drafting rollers of the spinning frame in an alternating fashion with the fibers of the first type. The fibers of the first type and the fibers of the additional type are substantially overlapped and successively attached and detached to form the composite yarn having attributes of the first fibers, such as increased comfort, moisture-wicking and an ability to be dyed, colored or printed, combined with technical properties of the fibers of the one or more additional types of fibers, such as cut, abrasion and/or fire/heat resistance, static dissipation, and other performance characteristics, with bands or splashes of color from such fibers incorporated therein. Fashionable or aesthetically appearing performance fabrics can be formed from the composite yarn with the desired performance and comfort characteristics.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of forming a composite yarn, comprising:
 Introducing a series of fibers of a first type from a first roving to a first set of drafting rollers of a spinning frame, the first type of fibers comprising a series of staple fibers;   spinning the fibers of the first type at the spinning frame;   alternately stopping feeding of the fibers of the first type and introducing one or more additional types of fibers selected as having one or more technical properties including at least one of cut resistance, abrasion resistance, heat resistance, fire resistance, static dissipation, and/or increased strength, from at one or more additional rovings to the spinning frame;   spinning and integrating the fibers of the one or more additional types of fibers with the fibers of the first type, wherein feeding of the fibers of the first type is alternated with feeding of the fibers of the one or more additional types of fibers such that the fibers of the first type and the fibers of the one or more additional types of fibers are successively attached and detached at minimized points of intersection to form a composite yarn having discrete lengths of the one or more additional fibers interspersed with the fibers of the first type to provide structural support and incorporate technical properties and bands of color of the one or more additional fibers with additional attributes of the first fibers to form the composite yarn with the technical properties of the selected additional types of fibers and aesthetic features integrated therein.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , whereby spinning and integrating the fibers of the first type and the one or more additional types of fibers further comprises overlapping the fibers of the first type with the fibers of the one or more additional types by less than about 4 cm. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , whereby spinning and integrating the fibers of the first type and the one or more additional types of fibers further comprises overlapping the fibers of the first type with the fibers of the one or more additional types by less than about 10 cm. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein a yarn break strength of the composite yarn at the points of intersection between the fibers of the first type and the fibers of the one or more additional types is greater than approximately 60% of a mean yarn break strength measured along a length of the composite yarn. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a speed of the first set of drafting rollers and a speed of the one or more additional sets of drafting rollers are variable. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fibers of the first type and the fibers of one or more additional types comprise fibers including a material selected from a group comprising: para-aramids, Meta-aramids, modacrylics, oxidized polyacrylonitrile, high density polyethylene (HDPE), Vectran™, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), kynol, polybenzimidazole (PBI), polybenzoxazole (PBO), fire resistant nylon, fire resistant polyester, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), fire resistant rayon, cotton, wool, polyester, acrylic, nylon, and blends thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fibers of the first type comprise cotton, wool, or rayon; and wherein the fibers of the one or more additional types comprise aramids, para-aramids, meta-aramids, modacrylics, oxidized polyacrylonitrile, high density polyethylene, Vectran™, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), kynol, polybenzimidazole (PBI), polybenzoxazole (PBO), fire resistant nylon, fire resistant polyester, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), fire resistant rayon, polyester, acrylic, nylon 6/6.6 and Fr nylon, polyimide fibers, and blends thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising weaving or knitting the composite yarn to form a fabric having a substantially non-homogeneous appearance. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the composite yarn is knitted to form a fabric selected from a group comprising: jersey, rib, purl, fleece, doubt weft, tricot, raschel, warp knit, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the blended yarn is woven to form a fabric including a pattern selected from a group comprising: plain, twill, basket, satin, leno, crepe, dobby, herringbone, Jacquard, pique, warp pile, weave, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aesthetic features of the composite yarn comprise color attributes incorporating colors from alternating and integrating the fibers of the first type with the fibers of the one or more additional types. 
     
     
         12 . A lightweight performance fabric, comprising a series of composite yarns formed by spinning staple fibers selected to provide attributes including at least on of comfort, flexibility, softness, and/or dyeability and fed from a first roving with a series of technical fibers selected as having one or more technical properties including at least one of cut resistance, abrasion resistance, heat resistance, fire resistance, static dissipation, and/or increased strength and fed from a second roving, wherein the feeding of the staple fibers is selectively alternated with the feeding of the technical fibers so as to overlap the staple fibers and the technical fibers at points of intersection between the staple fibers and the technical fibers by less than  10  cm during spinning so as to successively attach and detach the fibers of the first type and the technical fibers to form a spun composite yarn with a substantially non-homogeneous, fashionable appearance incorporating colors and selected technical or protective properties of the technical fibers with the attributes of the staple fibers. 
     
     
         13 . The fabric of  claim 12 , wherein the fibers of the first type are overlapped with the fibers of the one or more additional types by less than 4 cm, and wherein a yarn break strength of the composite yarn at the overlap is greater than approximately 60% of a mean yarn break strength of the blended yarn. 
     
     
         14 . The fabric of  claim 12 , wherein the fibers of the first type overlap with the technical fibers by less than 1 cm, and wherein the yarn break strength of the blended yarn at overlap is greater than approximately 70% of the mean yarn break strength of the blended yarn. 
     
     
         15 . The fabric of  claim 12 , wherein the fibers of the first type comprise staple fibers that are dyeable, printable and the fibers of the one or more additional types comprise fibers of a second material that is not easily dyed. 
     
     
         16 . The fabric of  claim 12 , wherein the fabric and the yarn display streaks of colors obtained by alternating and integrating the fibers of the first type with the fibers of the one or more additional types. 
     
     
         17 . The fabric of  claim 12 , the staple fibers comprise cotton, wool, or rayon; and
 wherein the technical fibers comprise aramids, para-aramids, meta-aramids, modacrylics, oxidized polyacrylonitrile, high density polyethylene, Vectran™, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), kynol, polybenzimidazole (PBI), polybenzoxazole (PBO), fire resistant nylon, fire resistant polyester, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), fire resistant rayon, polyester, acrylic, nylon 6/6.6 and Fr nylon, polyimide fibers, and blends thereof.