A
ABSORPTION - Capillary,
osmotic, or chemical action by which fibres, yarns or fabrics
become intermixed with liquids or gases.
ADSORPTION - Physical
or chemical attachment of thin layers of molecules onto the
surface of liquids or solids with which they are in contact.
An example is the initial adsorption of dyestuff molecules
from the dissolved phase onto the fibre surface, which comprises
the first step in the dyeing process.
ACRYLICS - Acrylic and
modacrylic carpet fibres. Acrylic fibre contains at least
850/o by weight of acrylonitrile units. Modacrylic fibre contains
between 35 and 850/o by weight of acrylonitrile. Acrylic fibres
are available only as staple. The spun yarns have the closest
resemblance to wool of any synthetic.
AFFINITY - Attractive
force between substances or particles causing them to combine
chemically. An example is the affinity of acid dyes for nylon
fibre.
AMERICAN ORIENTAL - Woven
American carpets of Axminster or Wilton weave in Oriental
colors and patterns.
ANTISTATIC - Ability of
carpet to dissipate electro- static charge thus reducing build
up of static electricity.
ATTACHED CUSHION - Cushion
permanently bonded to the back of carpets and rugs by the
manufacturer.
AVERAGE STIFFNESS - Force
required to stretch fibres one percent in length, expressed
in grams per denier. Related to Young's Modulus.
AXMINSTER - A carpet weave.
Pile tufts are individually inserted from coloured yarns arranged
on spools making possible an enormous variety of colors and
patterns.
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B
BCF - Bulked continuous
filament. Continuous strands of synthetic fibre formed into
yarn bundles of a given number of filaments and texturized
to increase bulk and cover. Texturizing changes the straight
filaments into kinked or curled configurations.
BACKING - Materials (fabrics
or yarns) comprising the back of the carpet as opposed to
the carpet pile or face.
(1) Primary back-in tufting, a woven or nonwoven fabric in
which the pile yarn is inserted by the tufting needles. Usually
woven or nonwoven polypropylene or woven jute for carpet and
often cotton duck for scatter rugs.
(2) Secondary back-Fabric laminated to the back of carpet
to reinforce and increase dimensional stability. Usually woven
jute or woven or non- woven polypropylene.
(3) Backings of woven carpets are the "construction yarns"
comprising chain warp, stuffer warp, and shot or fill which
are interwoven with the face yarn during carpet fabric formation.
BACK SEAMS - installation
seams made with the carpet turned over or face down. Opposite
of "face seams" made with the carpet face up. Both
of course are on the back of the carpet.
BALUSTER (BANISTER) -
One of a set of small pillars that support a handrail (or
balustrade) on a stairway.
BASEBOARD - A board skirting
the lower edge of a wall.
BEAM - Large, horizontal
cylinders or spools. Warp yarns are wound on beams and located
on line in back of the weaving operation.
BEARDING - Long fibre
fuzz on fabrics. Caused by fibre snagging and inadequate anchorage.
BENT NEEDLES - 1. Needles
in the tufting machine permanently pushed out of place causing
a streak or grinning, running lengthwise because of off-standard
tuft spacing across the width. 2. A needle in the Jacquard
that is out of alignment with punched holes in pattern cards.
BINDING - A strip sewed
over a carpet edge for protection against unravelling.
BIRDCAGE - Colloquial
name for the end of a stair rail where the banisters are curved
in a spiral to form a newel post.
BLEEDING - Removal of
colour from carpet or other fabrics by a liquid, usually water,
and subsequent staining of areas adjacent to the wet area,
or of other materials in contact with the wet area.
BLEND - A mixture of two
or more fibres or yarns.
BOBBIN - A spool-like
device made of various materials, shapes, and constructions
with a head at one or both ends and a hole through its length
or barrel for placement on a spindle or skewer. It is used
to hold yarn for spinning, weaving, or sewing.
BODY - The solid, firm
or full feel of a fabric.
BONDED URETHANE CUSHION
- A carpet cushion made from urethane trim, generated from
urethane foam product manufacture, which has been granulated
and bonded to form a porous foam material and fabricated into
foam sheets.
BRAIDED - Reversible oval
or round rugs produced from braided strips of new or used
material.
BREAKING STRENGTH - Maximum
stretching force that can be applied to fabric, yarn, carpet
or other material before it breaks. Sometimes expressed as
pounds force to break a standard sized test specimen in the
ASTM Grab Test.
BROADLOOM - A term used
to denote carpet produced in widths wider than six feet. Was
at one time used to identify "high quality."
BRUSSELS - A term formerly,
but now rarely used to describe a loop pile or round-wire
carpet woven on the Wilton loom.
BRUSSELS PITCH - 252 or
256 dents per 27 inches in width.
BUCKLING - (Also Puckers)
A carpet that does not lay flat on the floor and contains
ridges. Can be caused by uneven beam tension, dimensional
instability, and putting together mismatched carpet. Failure
to stretch wall-to-wall installations sufficiently will also
contribute buckles.
BULLNOSE - Colloquial
name for Step Return.
BURLING - A hand tailoring
operation to remove any knots and loose ends, insert missing
tufts of surface yarns, and otherwise check the condition
of the fabric. Also a repair operation on worn or damaged
carpet is reburling.
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C
CAM LOOM - A loom in which the shedding is per-
formed by means of cams. A velvet loom.
CARPET - The general designation
for fabric used as a floor covering.
CARPET CUSHION - A term
used to describe any kind of material placed under carpet
to provide softness when it is walked on, Not only does carpet
cushion pro- vide a softer feel underfoot, it usually provides
added acoustical benefits and longer wear life for the carpet.
In some cases the carpet cushion is attached to the carpet
when it is manufactured. Also referred to as "lining," "padding"
or "underlay," although "carpet cushion" is the preferred
term.
CARPET SQUARES (Tiles)
- Loose laid or self adhesive backed squares of carpet.
CELLULOSE - A carbohydrate
of complex molecular structure which forms the basic framework
of plant cells and walls. Used as a basic raw material in
making rayon.
CHAIN - 1. The binder
warp yarn that works over and under the filling shots of the
carpet. 2. Axminster loom-refers to the endless chain that
carries the tube frames.3. Dobby loom-refers to the endless
chain of pattern selector bars.
CHAIN BINDERS - Yarns
running warp wise (length- wise) in the back of a woven carpet,
binding construction yarns together in a woven construction.
CHENILLE - A pile fabric
woven by the insertion of a prepared weft row of surface yarn
tufts in a "fur" or I 4caterpillar" form through very fine
but strong cotton "catcher" warp yarns, and over a heavy woollen
backing yarn.
COCKLING - A curliness
or crimpiness appearing in the cut face pile as a result of
a yarn condition.
COMBINATION - A term which
refers to yarns or fabrics: 1. A combination yarn is composed
of two or more yarns having the same or different fibres or
twists; e.g., one yarn may have a high twist; the other, little
or no twist. 2. A combination fabric is one which uses the
above yarns.
COMMERCIAL MATCHING -
Matching of colors within acceptable tolerances, or with a
colour variation that is barely detectable to the naked eye.
CONSTRUCTION - Carpet
construction is defined by stating the manufacturing method
(tufted, woven, etc.), and the final arrangement of materials
achieved by following specifications.
CONTINUOUS FILAMENT -
Continuous strand of synthetic fibre extruded in yarn form,
without the need for spinning which all natural fibres require.
COTTON - A soft, white,
fibrous substance composed of the hairs clothing the seeds
of an erect, freely branching tropical plant (cotton plant).
COUNT - 1. A number identifying
yarn size or weight per unit length or vice versa depending
on the particular system being used. 2. Count of fabric is
indicated by the number of warp ends and filling ends per
inch.
COVER - Descriptive of
how the underlying structure is concealed by the face yarn.
CRAB - A hand device usually
used for stretching carpet in a small area where a power stretcher
or knee kicker cannot be used.
CREEL - The rack located
adjacent to a tufting machine which holds the cones of pile
yarn which sup- ply yarn to the needles of a tufting machine.
CREELING - The process
of mounting yarn packages on the yarn package holder in the
creel.
CRIMP - in fibre, a non-linear
configuration, such as a saw tooth, zigzag or random curl
relative to the fibre axis. In woven fabrics, non-linear yarn
configurations caused by three-dimensional displacements such
as the zigzagging of warp yarn over fill yarn. Most synthetic
fibres, both staple and filament, used in carpets is crimped.
Fiber crimp increases bulk and cover and facilitates interlocking
of staple fibres in spun yarns.
CROCKING - Term used to
describe excess colour rubbing off as the result of improper
dye penetration, fixation, or selection.
CROPPING - The passage
of carpet under a revolving cylinder fitted with cutting blades
to obtain a level surface and a uniform height of pile.
CROSS DYED - Multicoloured
effects produced in a fabric with fibres of different dye
affinities.
CROSS SEAMS - Seams made
by joining the ends of carpet together.
CUSHION-BACK CARPET -
A carpet having a cushioning lining, padding or underlay material
as an integral part of its backing.
CUSTOM TUFTED - Carpet
or rugs in which pile yarns are manually tufted with hand
machines or by narrow width tufting machines.
CUT - A length of fabric,
such as carpet.
CUT PILE - A fabric, the
face of which is composed of cut ends of pile yarn.
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D
DEAD- (Pile yarn) - The pile yarn in a Wilton carpet
which remains hidden in the backing structure when not forming
a pile tuft.
DEEP DYE - Modified synthetic
fibres with increased dye affinity relative to regular dye
fibres. By combining deep dye fibres with regular dye fibres,
a two colour effect can be achieved within one dye bath.
DEFLECTED NEEDLE - Needles
in the tufting machine that are pushed aside by a warp end
in the backing cloth causing a streak or "grinning" running
lengthwise because of off-standard tuft spacing across the
width. The real mechanism of most so-called needle deflection
is the pushing aside of backing fabric warp yarns by tufting
needles during tuft insertion. When the needles withdraw,
warp yarns move back to their original positions, thus pushing
tuft rows off gauge and creating wide gaps between them.
DELUSTERED FIBERS - Synthetic
fibres in which brightness or reflectivity is reduced, usually
by incorporation of a fraction of a percent of white pigment
such as titanium dioxide. Fiber producers' designations include
dull, semi dull and semi bright, whereas bright fibres are
nondelustered.
DENIER - A yarn count
unit. It is the weight in grams of 9000 meters. Denier is
a direct yarn numbering system; the higher the denier, the
larger the yarn.
DENSITY - The weight of
pile yarn in a unit volume of carpet. U.S. government FHA
density (D), expressed in ounces per cubic yard, is given
by the formula
D = W x 36 /T
in which D is density, W is pile yarn weight in ounces per
square yard, and T is pile thickness or height in inches.
DENT - 1. The space between
wires of reed or heddles or harness through which the warp
ends at,,,,; drawn. 2. The space between two chains in a fabric.
DIFFERENTIAL DYEING FIBERS
- (dye-variant fibres) - Fibres, natural or man-made, so treated
or modified in composition that their affinity for dyes becomes
changed; i.e., to be reserved, dye lighter or dye darker than
normal fibres, dependent upon the particular dyes and methods
of application employed.
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY
- Tendency of a fabric to retain its size and shape; may be
brought about by chemical treatment or mechanical means; e.g.,
a secondary backing adds dimensional stability to carpet.
DOBBY - A 'carpet loom
device that selects the rotation in which one or more of a
group of harnesses are raised over a filling shot. Can float
an end over as many filling shots as desired. Produces geometric
patterns in woven carpet.
DOMESTIC - Describes carpet
made in the United States.
DOPE DYED - (See also
Solution Dyed and Spun Dyed) - Synthetic fibres coloured by
addition of pigments to polymer melts or solutions prior to
extrusion by the fibre producer.
DOUBLE BACK - (See also
Secondary Backing) - Woven or nonwoven fabric laminated to
the back of carpet with latex or other adhesive. Double-backed
carpets have enhanced dimensional stability and strength.
DRAW - The manner and
rotation in which the warp ends are placed in the loom heddles
and reeds.
DRAWING-IN or DRAWING-UP
- The process of placing the warp ends through the heddles
and reeds of the loom.
DROP MATCH - A pattern
in printed, high-low, cut- loop, or figured woven carpet which
repeats diagonally. Each corresponding pattern element drops
down a certain distance, usually a half pattern repeat in
length, instead of simply repeating horizontally across the
width as in set match.
DRY FOAM - A detergent
solution containing only a small amount of water is mechanically
worked into the surface of the carpet and the loose soil is
removed by a vacuum.
DRY ROT - A condition
caused by attack by micro- organisms on fibres, textiles,
carpets or other materials, characterized by less of strength
and integrity. Attack on carpet backings permits carpet to
break and tear easily. Cellulosics such as jute are susceptible
whereas polypropylene and most other synthetics are virtually
immune.
DUTCHMAN - installer's
term for a narrow strip seamed onto standard width carpet
to fit oddly dimensioned areas. Proper planning will minimize
the need for this practice.
DYEING - Colouring fibres,
yarns, fabrics, carpets or other materials by addition or
incorporation of small amounts (usually one percent or less)
of highly coloured materials known as dyes and pigments. Chapter
13 explains the various methods of colouring carpets, including
piece dyeing, continuous dyeing, space dyeing, skein dyeing,
stock dyeing, printing, and solution dyeing.
DYE BECK - A large vat
for piece dyeing carpet by immersion in aqueous solutions
of dyes and chemicals. Fitted with a reel for circulating
carpet in and out of the dye liquor, inlets for steam and
water, drains, and temperature controls.
DYESTUFF - (or Dye )-
A highly coloured substance capable of permanent physical
or chemical attachment to textile fibres; coloration of fibres
occurs upon attachment of small quantities. Most dyes are
applied from water solutions or dispersions.
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E
ELECTROSTATIC FLOCKING
- A method used for producing flocked fabrics, including flocked
carpet. Flocking consists of attaching short lengths of fibres
to fabric substrates with adhesives. In electrostatic flocking,
precision cut fibres are aligned in an electro- static field
perpendicular to the substrate, thus creating a plush-like
surface.
END - 1. An individual
warp yarn in woven fabric. 2. An individual pile yarn in tufted
carpet. 3. A roll end, or short length of carpet; or a remnant.
EXTENDED LENGTH - The
length of pile yarn in one running inch of one tuft row in
tufted carpet. Sometimes called take-up.
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F
FACE SEAMS - Sewed or
cemented seams made without turning the carpet over or face-down.
They are used during installations when back seaming is impossible.
FADEOMETER - Device for
determining the effects of light on the properties of yarns,
fibres, fabrics, carpets, plastic, and other materials. It
uses a standard light source such as a xenon arc lamp to simulate
approximately the spectrum of sunlight. Generally used for
measuring fade resistance of carpet colors which are rated
according to the number of hours of fadeometer exposure required
to produce visible loss of colour.
FADING - Loss of colour.
Caused by actinic radiation such as sunlight or artificial
light, atmospheric gases including ozone, nitric oxide, and
hydrogen sulphide, cleaning and bleaching chemicals such as
sodium hypo chlorite, and other household and industrial products,
chlorine chemicals or swimming pools, and other factors. Commercial
installations in areas where such exposures occur require
extreme care in selection of colourfast carpet.
FASTNESS - Retention of
colour by carpets or other materials, usually with reference
to specific exposures, e.g., light fastness and wash fastness.
Dyestuff, fibre type, and dyeing method all influence the
ability of coloured carpets and fabrics to withstand the effects
of colour destroying agents.
FELTING - A nonwoven fabric
formation process comprising entanglement of fibres by mechanical
or other means. The product is called felt. Felts made by
needle entanglement of solution dyed fibres such as polypropylene
are used as outdoor carpet. Unlike weaving and tufting, felting
does not employ yarns but converts fibre directly to fabric.
FIBERS - Natural or man-made
objects having very high aspect ratios, that is, having lengths
hundreds to thousands of times greater than their widths.
Useful textile fibres have high tensile strengths, flexibility,
and resistance to heat, light, chemicals, and abrasives.
FIBER CUSHION - Separate
carpet underpad consisting of needle-felted animal hair, jute,
other fibres, or fibre blends. Hair and jute blends are common.
Some padding felts are rubberised and may have one or two
rubber faces.
FILAMENT - A single continuous
strand of natural or synthetic fibre.
FILLER - A low cost material
used for extending rubber, plastic, or other polymers. Fillers
are generally powders of very small particle size. Carpet
latex laminating compounds and foams contain large amounts
of fillers. The most common filler in carpet latex is finely
powdered calcium carbonate, often called whiting, produced
by grinding limestone.
FILLING YARN - in weaving,
any yarn running across the width of the fabric perpendicular
to the warp yarns. In woven carpet, filling yarns are part
of the group of construction yarns which also include chain
and stuffer warp and form the backing. Woven carpet fill and
chain warp yarns interface to secure the pile yarns. Filling
and other construction yarns usually are fibrillated polypropylene,
jute, kraftcord, or similar materials.
FILM YARN - Yarn produced
by slitting extruded films into narrow strips. Slit film polypropylene
yarns are woven into fabrics used as primary backings in tufted
carpets.
FINISHING - A collective
term denoting processing of carpets and textiles subsequent
to tufting, weaving, and dyeing. Carpet finishing processes
include shearing, brushing, application of secondary backing,
application of attached foam cushion, application of soil
retardant and antistatic chemicals, back beating, steaming,
and others.
FLOCKING - Short, chopped
fibre or flock is adhered, usually by electrostatic processes,
to a base fabric, resulting in a short pile material with
a velvety texture.
FLUFFING - Appearance
on carpet surface of loose fibre fragments left during manufacture;
not a defect but a characteristic which disappears after carpet
use and vacuuming. Sometimes called fuzzing or shedding.
FRAMES - Racks at back
of the Wilton loom holding spools from which yarns are fed
into the loom, each frame holding separate colors; thus a
3-frame Wilton has three colors in the design.
FREE FORM - A floor area
bounded by walls and of nonrectangular shape. Sometimes called
"form-fit area."
FRIEZE - (Pronounced "free-zay")
- A tightly twisted yarn that gives a rough, nubby appearance
to carpet pile, and carpet having this characteristic.
FULL ROLL - A length of
carpet, roll goods usually approximately 100 feet long. Also
called a shipping roll by carpet manufacturers. Shipping roll
standards vary and may be as short as 30 feet depending upon
carpet thickness and manufacturers' quality criteria. In the
United States almost all roll goods are twelve or fifteen
feet wide, with twelve-foot predominant.
FUZZING - Hairy effect
on fabric surface caused by wild fibres or slack yarn twist,
by fibres slipping out of yarn in either service or wet cleaning.
It is corrected by shearing in manufacturing and by the professional
cleaner. Carpet of continuous filament yarn is fuzzed by filament
snagging and breaking.
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G
GAGE OR GAUGE - The distance
between two needle points expressed in fraction of an inch.
Applies to both knitting and tufting.
GAUGE/PITCH - The number
of ends of surface yarn counting across the width of carpet.
In woven carpet, pitch is the number of ends of yarn in 27
inches of width; e.g., 216 divided by 27 = 8 ends per inch.
In tufted carpet, gauge also means the number of ends of surface
yarn per inch counting across the carpet; e.g., 118 gauge
= 8 ends per inch. To convert gauge to pitch, multiply ends
per inch by 27; e.g., 1/10 gauge is equivalent to 270 pitch,
or 10 ends per inch x 27. One-eighth gauge is 8 ends of yarn
per inch x 27 216 pitch.
GAUGE WIRE - A standing
wire used with an extra filling yarn to control the height
of the pile on a carpet weaving loom.
GREIGE GOODS - (Pronounced
"gray goods") - Un-dyed carpet or other textile materials.
GRINNING - Visibility
of carpet backing through the face, often between two adjoining
tuft rows. May be caused by low pile yarn weight, off-gauge
tufting machine parts, tuft row deflection, inadequate blooming
of pile yarn, or installation over sharp curves such as stair
nosings.
GROUND COLOR - The background colour against which
the top colors create the pattern of figure in the design.
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H
HAIR - Animal fibre other
than wool or silk.
HAND - The tactile esthetic
qualities of carpets and textiles. Factors determining how
carpets feel to the hand include weight, stiffness, fibre
type and denier, density, backing and latex.
HARNESS - Part of a weaving
loom comprising frames holding the heddles through which the
warp yarns pass, and used to raise and lower them to form
the shed in which the shuttles moves to insert fill yarn.
HEATHER - A multicolour
effect provided by blending fibres of different colors prior
to spinning carpet yarn.
HEAT SETTING - Process
for stabilization of carpet yarns by exposure to heat. Conventional
autoclave heat-setting treats yarns in relaxed skein configuration
with pressurized stearn, usually at temperatures in the 240
- 30011 F range, often 27011 F for nylon. Some continuous
heat-setting machines employ dry heat. The principal benefits
are twist retention in plied yarns in cut-pile carpet and
general stabilization of yarn configuration.
HEDDLE - Part of a weaving
loom comprising one of the sets of parallel wires, blades,
or cords (often with eyelets in their centers through which
warp yarns pass) that with their mounting compose the harness
used to guide warp threads and raise and lower them in weaving.
HEDDLE FRAME - Part of
a weaving loom in which the heddles are mounted.
HESSIAN - Plain woven
jute fabric with approximately equal numbers of warp and fill
yarns per unit dimension.
HIGH DENSITY - A term
for materials or structures having above average weight per
unit volume.
HIGH DENSITY FOAM - Attached
carpet cushion made from compounded natural and/or synthetic
latex foam having a minimum density of 17 pounds per cubic
foot and a minimum weight of 38 ounces per square yard.
HIGH LOW - Multilevel
carpet style comprising high and low loop pile areas or high
cut-pile and low loop areas. The latter is also called a cut
and loop style.
HOT MELT - Adhesive material
sometimes used for laminating secondary backing to tufted
carpet; also used as the adhesive component of carpet seaming
tape. Hot melt adhesives are compounded from thermoplastic
polymers and plastics. They may be melted and solidified repeatedly
by application of heat.
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I
INDOOR/OUTDOOR CARPET
- A term synonymous with outdoor carpet.
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J
JACQUARD - An apparatus
on a carpet weaving loom that produces patterns from coloured
yarns. The pattern information is contained on perforated
cards. The holes in the cards activate the mechanism that
selects the colour to be raised to the pile surface. Wilton
looms have jacquard pattern devices.
JAMB - The side of a door
frame, doorway, or window; usually the side on which the opening
for the lock is placed.
JERKER BAR - Part of a
tufting machine comprising a movable guide or eye board through
which the pile yarns are threaded. It controls tension on
the pile yarns on their path to the tufting needles, removing
slack on the upstroke of the needle bar and contributing to
yarn feed control.
JUTE - A natural cellulosic
fibre made from certain plants of the linden family which
grow in warm climates such as found in India and Bangladesh.
Jute yarns are used for woven carpet construction (backing)
yarns and twine. Woven jute fabrics are used in tufted carpet
as primary and secondary carpet backing. The latter are similar
to burlap fabrics commonly used for carpet wrap and sewn burlap
bags.
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K
KNEE KICKER - A carpet
installation tool consisting of a pinned plate connected to
a short section of metal tubing. The end opposite to the plate
has a padded cushion which the installer strikes with his
knee to stretch carpet which is gripped by the pinned plate.
Knee kickers should be used only in areas which are so small
that power stretchers cannot be used. In general, adequate
stretching of carpet installations cannot be achieved with
knee kickers.
KNITTING - A fabric formation
process comprising interlacing yarns in a series of connected
loops with needles. Some carpet is produced by knitting, but
is a very small fraction of total carpet. In carpet knitting,
as in weaving, pile and backing are produced simultaneously.
Multiple sets of needles interlace pile, backing, and stitching
yarns in one operation.
KRAFTCORD - A yarn made
from twisted kraft paper. Kraftcord is used as a construction
(backing) yarn in woven carpets.
KUSTERS DYEING - Continuous
dyeing using the kusters dye applicator and range. This is
described in more detail in the text-under continuous dyeing.
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L
LATEX - A water emulsion
of synthetic rubber,. natural rubber, or other polymer. In
carpet, latex is used for laminating secondary backings to
tufted carpet, back- coating carpet and rugs, and for manufacturing
foamed cushion. Almost all carpet latex consists of styrene-butadiene
synthetic rubber (SBR) compounded with large quantities of
powdered fillers. The latter are most often whiting, which
is calcium carbonate.
LATEXING - A term used
to describe the application of a natural or synthetic latex
compound to the back of carpet.
LENO WEAVE - A woven fabric
construction in which paired. warp yarns twist around one
another between fill yarn picks. It is similar to woven gauze
bandage construction. Leno construction renders the yarns
relatively immobile within the fabric, making possible very
open weaves which are relatively stable. Woven polypropylene
secondary backings for tufted carpets are generally of leno
weave construction.
LEVEL LOOP - A carpet
style having all tufts in a loop form and of identical height.
May be woven or tufted.
LINING - Same as Carpet
Cushion
LOOM - Machine which produces
woven fabrics. In weaving, lengthwise yarns (warp) are interlaced
with yarns (fill) inserted at right angles to them by the
shuttle (or other device such as gripper or rapier).
LOOP PILE - Carpet style
having a pile surface consisting of uncut loops. May be woven
or tufted. Also called "round wire" in woven carpet terminology.
LOOPER - A tufting machine
part used in tufted carpet production. It is a thin flat metal
hook that removes pile yarn from the tufting needle at the
bottom of the down stroke.
LOW ROWS - A quality defect
sometimes found in woven carpet comprising rows of tufts having
pile heights below specification. This condition occurs in
Axminster weaving when the face yarn spools are almost empty.
LUSTER - Brightness or
reflectivity of fibres, yarns, carpets or fabrics. Synthetic
fibres are produced in various lustre classifications including
bright, semi- bright, semi dull, and dull. Bright fibres usually
are clear (have no white pigment) whereas the duller designations
have small amounts of white pigments such as titanium dioxide.
Lustre of finished carpet also depends upon yarn heat-setting
methods, dyeing, and finishing. In high traffic commercial
areas duller carpets are often preferred for soil hiding ability.
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M
MARKERS - Coloured yarns
woven into the backs of woven carpets to aid installers in
achieving correct pattern match and pile direction.
MATCH, SET OR DROP - Pattern
match designates the arrangement and dimensions of the repeating
units comprising the design of patterned carpet, including
woven patterns, prints, tufted high lows, and others. A typical
pattern repeat might be 36 inches wide by 24 inches long.
In set match, this rectangular pattern unit is arranged in
parallel rows across the carpet width. In a half drop pattern,
the start of each pattern repeat unit is transposed to the
midpoint of the side of the adjacent unit. In the example,
each adjacent unit starts 12 inches down the side of the neighbouring
one. In quarter drop match, each unit in the example would
start six inches past the neighbouring pattern unit's starting
point. Thus, pattern repeat units in drop match repeat diagonally
across the width, and in set match they repeat straight across
the width perpendicularly to the length. Pattern repeat dimensions
and match are significant to specifiers and purchasing agents
because they influence the amount of excess carpet (over measured
area) needed in multiple width installations.
MATTING - Severe pile
crush combined with entanglement of fibres and tufts.
MENDING - Hand repair
of carpet after tufting and weaving to replace missing tufts,
remove knots and loose ends, etc.
METALLIC FIBER - Synthetic
fibre made of metal, metal coated plastic, or plastic coated
metal some- times used in small amounts in carpet to dissipate
static electricity, thus preventing shock.
MILL END - A shoot piece
of carpet roll goods having a length less than that of a full
shipping roll or short roll but greater than a remnant. Quality
standards differ among mills, but a mill end length specification
of nine to twenty feet is typical. MIL-A unit of length equal
to 0.001 inch. Often used for specifying the thickness and/or
width of filaments, ribbons, films and foils.
MITER JOINT - A junction
of two pieces of carpet (or other material) at an angle. Most
miter joints involve pieces at right angles to one another
with their ends out at 45 degrees to form the joint.
MODACRYLIC FIBERS - See
Acrylics.
MOLDING - A wooden or
plastic strip attached to the bottom of a baseboard or wall
to cover the joint between wall and floor.
MONOFILAMENT - A yarn
composed of a single continuous strand of synthetic polymer.
MORESQUE - A multicolour
carpet made from Moresque yarns. Moresque yarns are produced
by ply. twisting two or more singles yarns of different colour
or shades. Moresque yarns thus have a "barber pole' appearance.
Moresque carpets in suitable colors are good soil hiders in
high traffic areas.
MULTIFILAMENT - Synthetic
yarns composed of a multiplicity of continuous fibrous strands
extruded together, usually from the multiple holes of a single
spinneret. Multifilament carpet yarns are texturized to increase
bulk and cover, and are called "bulked continuous filament"
yarns or simply BCF yarns.
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N
NAP - Carpet or rug pile
surface.
NARROW CARPET - Woven
carpet 27 or 36 inches wide.
NATURAL GRAY YARN - Unbleached
and undyed yarn spun from a blend of black, brown, or gray
wools.
NEEDLE - 1. Tufting-An
eyed needle which inserts yarns into primary backing to form
tufts. 2. Needlepunching-Barbed felting needles which entangle
and compress fibrous fleeces into needled felts such as those
used for outdoor carpet. 3. Knitting-Hooked needles that form
the loops of knitted fabric.
NEEDLE BAR - Tufting machine
part that holds the needles and carries them up and down.
Also, that part of a knitting machine on which needles are
mounted.
NEEDLE BOARD - Part of
a needle loom or fibre locker in which a multiplicity of downward
pointing barbed felting needles is mounted. It is attached
to a beam that moves up and down. On the down stroke, felting
needles penetrate a fibre batt or fleece, compressing it into
a felted fabric.
NEEDLE LOOM - A machine
for producing needled felt fabrics, also called needle-punched
fabrics, which are sometimes used as outdoor carpet. The needle
loom converts fibre directly to fabric by entangling and com-
pressing fleece with barbed felting needles. Additional explanation
is found under Needle, Needle Board, and Needle-Punching.
(NOTE: "Needle Loom" also denotes certain narrow
weaving looms used in tape production having a needle instead
of a shuttle as the fill insertion device. These have no application
to carpet.)
NEEDLE-PUNCHING - A method
for manufacturing felt fabrics in which fibre batts or fleeces
are compressed by the entangling action of barbed needles.
Needle- punched carpet made from solution-dyed polypropylene
is often used as outdoor carpet. Needle- punched nylon carpet
is often printed and foam backed for indoor use.
NOIL - Short fibre removed
during combing of wool or other natural fibre, particularly
during worsted yarn production. It may subsequently be separately
spun in- to yarn using the woollen system or other method
capable of handling short fibre.
NONWOVEN - Any fabric
manufactured by a method other than weaving but particularly
those fabrics com- posed of fibres held together by chemical,
mechanical, adhesive, or fusion means. In popular usage knitted
fabrics are not considered to be nonwovens.
NOSING - The front dividing
line of a step, where the top of a riser joins the front of
a tread.
NYLON - Synthetic thermoplastic
of the polyamide family. It may be melt extruded into filaments
useful for carpet yarn. Nylon is by far the dominant fibre
in tufted carpet pile yarns. Two chemical types, nylon-6,6
and nylon-6, are used in carpet. Nylon-6,6 is poly (hex- amethyleneadipamide)
and nylon-6 is polycaprolactam.
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O
OILY YARN - Yarn containing
excessive oil on its surface, usually from excessive oiling
of rings on spinning and twisting machines. Although not visible
during carpet production, it may appear as soiled or dark
lines of yarn when the carpet is in service. The problem is
insignificant in piece-dyed carpet which is washed during
the dye cycle, but appears in carpet made from stock-dyed
or solution dyed yarn which is not subjected to wet processing
after weaving or tufting.
OLEFINS - Any long chain
synthetic polymer com- posed of at least 85% by weight of
ethylene, propylene or other olefin units. Polypropylene yarns
are used in carpets.
ORIENTAL RUGS - Handwoven rugs made in the Middle
East and the Orient.
OUTDOOR CARPET - Carpet
which may be used outdoors without rapid fading or deterioration.
The principal requirements are resistance to sunlight and
water. Most outdoor carpet pile yarns are solution dyed polypropylene
containing ultraviolet stabilization additives. Coatings and
backing materials are synthetics that are water and rot resistant.
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P
PACKAGE DYED - Yarn dyed
while wound on perforated tubes or wire forms. The package
dye machine forces dye liquor through the yarn on the dye
package. (Discussed further in Chapter 13)
PADDING - Same as Carpet
Cushion.
PATTERN - Artistic decorative
design on the surface of carpet. It may be printed, woven
with coloured yarns, or sculptured in multiple pile heights.
PATTERN STREAKS - Visually
apparent streaking in patterned carpet resulting from linear
juxtaposition of pattern elements in one direction. It is
usually most visible in the length direction. It is not a
carpet defect, but is inherent in certain designs. Contract
specifiers should view rolls of carpet laid out on a floor
to evaluate geometric or other busy patterns for this characteristic
which may be objectionable in long corridors and other large
areas but not visible in small rooms.
PICKS PER INCH - in woven
carpet and fabric the number of fill yarns per inch of length.
PIECE DYED - Carpet dyed by immersion into an aqueous
dye bath. (Discussed further in Chapter 13)
PIGMENT - Highly coloured
insoluble powdered substance used to impart colour to other
materials. White pigments, e.g., titanium dioxide, are dispersed
in fibre forming polymers to produce delustered (semi dull
and dull) fibres.
PIGMENTED YARNS - Same
as solution dyed or dope dyed yarns.
PILF - The visible wear
surface of carpet, consisting of yarn tufts in loop and/or
cut configuration. Some- times called the face or nap.
PILE CRUSH - Loss of pile
thickness by compression and bending of tufts caused by traffic
and heavy furniture. The tufts collapse into the air space
between them. It may be irreversible if the yarn has inadequate
resilience and/or the pile has insufficient density for the
traffic load.
PILE DENSITY - See Density.
PILE HEIGHT - The length
of the extended tufts measured from the primary backing top
surface to their tips. Pile tufts should be gently extended
but not stretched during this measurement. This specification
is usually expressed in fractions or decimal fractions of
an inch in the U.S. and sometimes in millimetres elsewhere.
PILE SETTING - Carpet
cleaners' term for the pro- cess of erecting the damp and
dishevelled pile after shampooing by means of a pile brush
or pile lifting machine.
PILE WIRE - Part of a carpet weaving loom consisting
of a metal strip or rod on which the pile tufts are formed.
PILE YARN - The yarn which
forms the tufts of the carpet. Also called "Face Yarn."
PILL TEST - Carpet flammability
test described in federal regulations CPSC 1-70 and CPSC 2-70.
It measures flammability as a function of the size of burn
produced by timed burning tablet (Methenamine). Also used
on the back of carpet. All carpet sold in the United States
must pass the CPSC 1-70 flammability test.
PILLING - A condition
of the carpet face (which may occur from heavy traffic) in
which fibres from different tufts become entangled with one
another forming hard masses of fibres and tangled tufts. Pills
may be cut off with scissors.
PITCH - See Gauge.
PLUSH FINISH - A smooth carpet surface texture
in which individual tufts are only minimally visible and the
overall visual effect is that of a single level of fibre ends.
This finish is normally achieved only on cut-pile carpet produced
from non-heat-set singles spun yarns by brushing and shearing.
PLY - A single end component
in a plied yarn, or the number which tells how many single
ends have been ply-twisted together to form a plied yarn,
e.g., 2-ply or 3-ply.
PLIED YARN - A yarn composed
of two or more single yarns twisted together. Many 2-ply yarns
are used in carpet. In cut-pile carpet (e.g. saxony) plied
yarns must be heat-set to prevent untwisting under traffic.
Multiple continuous filament yarns made by fibre producers
are sometimes air-entangled rather than twisted together.
POLYESTER - A fibre-forming
thermoplastic synthetic polymer used in some carpet fibre.
Essentially all polyester carpet fibre is staple and the yarns
are spun yarns. Polyester for carpet is made from terephthalic
acid and ethylene glycol and is known chemically as poly (ethylene
terephthalate).
POLYMERS - High molecular
weight chemical com- pounds formed by repeated linking of
smaller chemical units called monomers. Polymers from which
fibres are made are long chain molecules in which the monomers
are linked end to end linearly. Synthetic polymers used for
carpet fibre include nylon-6, 6 and nylon-6 (polyamides),
polyester, polypropylene, and polyacrylonitrile (acrylics).
In popular terminology, polymers are also called plastics
or resins.
POLYPROPYLENE - Synthetic
thermoplastic polymer used for molded items, sheets, films,
and fibres. FTC (U.S. Government) classification is Olefin.
The polymer is made by stereo specific polymerization of propylene.
Most polypropylene carpet fibre is solution dyed and sometimes
contains ultraviolet stabilizers for outdoor use. Printable
modifications are available but not extensively used. The
carpet fibre is available as both bulked continuous filament
yarns and staple for spun yarn production.
POWDER - A carpet cleaning
preparation consisting of absorbent granules impregnated with
dry cleaning fluids, detergents, and other cleaners. The dry
powder is sprinkled on the carpet, worked into the pile with
a brush, left to absorb soil for a short time, and finally
removed with the absorbed soil by vacuuming.
POWER STRETCHER - A carpet
installation tool used to stretch carpet in overpad tackless
strip installations. It consists of a pinned plate which grips
carpet, tubular extensions, a padded end which in use bears
against an opposing wall or other structure, and a lever system
which multiplies the installer's applied stretching force.
All contract installations should be power stretched unless
the area is so small that this is impossible. If (and only
if) power stretching is impossible, knee- kickers may be used.
PRIME URETHANE CUSHION
- Separate carpet underpad made from virgin polyurethane foam.
The sheet of foam is cut from large "loaves." As opposed to
prime cushion, rebonded polyurethane is made from recovered
scrap.
PRIMARY BACKING - A component
of tufted carpet consisting of woven or nonwoven fabric into
which pile yarn tufts are inserted by the tufting needles.
It is the carrier fabric for the pile yarn and should not
be con- fused with secondary backing which is a reinforcing
fabric laminated to the back of tufted carpet subsequent to
the tufting process. Most primary backing is either woven
or nonwoven polypropylene, although woven jute is still sometimes
used. Some synthetic primary backings have nylon fibre attached
to their upper surfaces to make them union dyeable with nylon
pile yarns.
PRINTED CARPET - Carpet
having coloured patterns applied by methods analogous to those
used for printing flat textiles and paper. These include flatbed
screen printing employing woven fabric screens, rotary screen
printing with perforated sheet steel screens, Stalwart printing
employing sponge rubber pattern elements on wooden rollers,
and modern computer programmed jet printing. (See Chapter
14)
PUCKERING - An installation
defect in carpet seams in which one side is longer than the
adjoining carpet edge. The excess carpet gathers into wrinkles
or pleats at the seam.
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Q
QUARTER - A woven carpet
term that designates the width of narrow carpet. It is one
quarter of a yard, or nine inches. At one time most woven
carpet was made on narrow looms. Widths such as 27 inches
and 36 inches were commonly called three-quarter and four-
quarter carpet, respectively.
QUARTER DROP-MATCH - See
Match.
OUARTER-ROUND - Wooden
or plastic molding having a cross-section comprising a 90
degree arc of a circle. It is used at joints between walls
and floors, or between larger moldings and floors.
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R
RANDOM SHEARED - A carpet
texture created by shearing either level loop or high-low
loop carpet lightly so that only the higher loops are sheared.
The sheared areas are less reflective than the unsheared loops
which appear brighter and lighter in colour. Random shearing
of high-low loop carpet produces a texture somewhat similar
to cut and loop.
REED - Part of a carpet
weaving loom consisting of thin strips of metal with spaces
between them through which warp yarns pass. The motion of
the reed pushes fill yarn tightly into the fabric.
REED MARKS - Woven fabric
(or woven carpet) defects consisting of lengthwise streaks
caused by rubbing of reed elements against warp yarns.
REMNANT - A short piece
of carpet roll goods usually less than nine feet long.
REPEAT - The dimensions
of the basic pattern unit in any type of patterned carpet
including printed, woven, high-low tufted loop, cut and loop,
etc. See Match for further discussion.
RESILIENCE - Ability of
carpet pile or cushion to recover original thickness after
being subjected to compressive forces or crushing under traffic.
RESIST PRINTING - A technique
for producing coloured patterns wherein carpet is first printed
with colourless chemicals which alter the dye affinity of
the printed areas. The printed areas in nylon carpet, for
example, may be altered to be light dyeing and/or cationic
dyeable relative to the untreated regular acid dyeable nylon.
Subsequent piece dyeing in a dye beck with appropriate selected
dyestuff s produces a coloured pattern. In this fashion numerous
colour ways may be produced from a single print run.
RESTRETCH - A carpet installation
term used to de- scribe carpet stretching performed subsequent
to original installation to remove wrinkles, bubbles, or loose
fit. Most restretching is caused by failure of the installer
to adequately stretch the carpet during original installation.
Restretching should be performed with power stretchers and
not with knee kickers. This is true of all stretching operations
in overpad tackless strip installations.
RISER - The vertical or
front surface of a step, rising from the back of a tread.
ROTARY BRUSHING - A carpet
cleaning technique in which a detergent solution is worked
into the pile by a motor-driven rotating brush. Loosened soil
and spent solution is often subsequently removed by vacuum.
ROUND WIRE OR LOOPED PILE
- A Wilton or velvet carpet woven with the pile yarn uncut.
ROVING - An intermediate
stage in the production of spun yarns consisting of a loose
assembly of staple fibres with little or no twist. Roving
is smaller than sliver but larger than yarn.
ROWS OR WIRES - In woven
carpet this is the number of pile yarn tufts per running inch
lengthwise. Called rows in Axminster and wires in Wilton and
velvet carpet. Analogous to "stitches per inch" in tufted
carpet.
RUBBER - A term sometimes
applied to carpet cushion made from foam or sponge, and to
both separate and attached cushion.
RUG - Carpet cut into
room or area dimensions and loose laid.
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S
SAXONY - A cut-pile carpet
texture consisting of heat- set plied yarns in a relatively
dense, erect configuration, with well defined individual tuft
tips. Saxonies are denser and have more erect tufts than shags.
Their tip definition is more pronounced than in singles plush,
which is another dense cut-pile carpet style. Saxonies have
generally displaced singles plush styles from the market place,
and many dealers call their smoother finished saxonies "plushes."
SCALE DRAWING - A drawing,
such as a building blueprint, having its measurements in fixed
proportion to the actual dimensions of the room, floor, or
building depicted. A typical scale might be "one quarter inch
to the foot." On such a drawing, each quarter inch of linear
dimension represents one foot of linear dimension in the actual
structure.
SCRIBING - An installation
term for the method of transferring the exact irregularities
of a wall, floor, or, other surface onto a piece of carpet
by a tracing technique. The carpet is then cut to fit exactly.
SCULPTURED - Any carpet
pattern formed from high and low pile areas, such as high-low
loop or cut-and- loop.
SEAMS - See Back Seams;
Face Seams; Cross Seams; Side Seams.
SECONDARY BACKING - Woven
or nonwoven fabric reinforcement laminated to the back of
tufted carpet, usually with latex adhesive, to enhance dimensional
stability, strength, stretch resistance, lay-flat stiffness,
and hand. Most secondary backings are woven jute, woven polypropylene,
or nonwoven polypropylene. The term is sometimes used in a
broader sense to include attached cushion and other polymeric
back coatings. Because secondary backing is visible, whereas
primary backing is concealed under the pile yarn in finished
carpet, most dealers and installers refer to the secondary
backing simply as "backing."
SECONDS - Off-quality,
defective, or substandard carpet normally marketed at substantial
price discounts as "seconds" or "imperfects" by manufacturers.
If manufacturers' first quality standards are high, seconds
may represent excellent values.
SELF-TONE - A pattern
of two or more shades of the same colour. When two shades
are used in a pattern or design, it is called "two-tone."
SELVAGES - Carpet edges
at @ides of rolls.
SERGING - A method of
finishing edges of area rugs cut from roll goods by use by
heavy coloured yarn sewn around the edges in a close overcast
stitch.
SET or DROP-MATCH - See
Match.
SETTING - The process
of preparing a pattern for the Axminster loom by winding the
specified coloured yarns on a spool in the sequence required
for weaving.
SEWING POLE - Any piece
of wood or other material, more or less rounded, over which
carpet may be laid in order to facilitate sewing and other
related operations. Most installers prefer a wooden pole about
4 inches in diameter that has been slightly flattened on one
side.
SHADING - Apparent colour
difference between areas of the same carpet caused by normal
wear and the resulting random difference in pile lay direction.
It is a characteristic of all cut-pile carpet and is most
pronounced in singles plush. It is not a manufacturing defect.
The physical cause is the difference between cut end, lustre
and side lustre of fibres. The sides of fibres reflect more
light and appear brighter and lighter in colour than the ends
which absorb more light and appear to be duller and darker
in colour.
SHAG - A carpet texture
characterized by long pile tufts laid over in random directions
in such a manner that the sides of the yarn form the traffic
surface. Modern shags are made from plied heat-set yarns and
are either cut-pile or cut-and-loop styles.
SHEARING - Carpet manufacturing
process for producing a smooth carpet face, removing fuzz,
or creating random sheared textures. Carpet shears have many
steel blades mounted on rotating cylinders which cut fibres
on carpet surfaces in a manner analogous to a lawn mower cutting
grass. Depth of shearing may be indicated by a modifying word,
e.g., defuzz and tip- shear suggest a shallow cut of the shear,
whereas a full shear would imply a deep cut as, used for producing
mirror-finished plush.
SHED - A weaving term
describing the space between warp yarns (created by alternate
raising and lowering of the loom harness) in which the fill
yarn is carried by the shuttle or other fill insertion device.
SHOOTING or SPROUTING
- Emergence of long pile tufts above the normal pile surface.
The condition is often correctable by cutting the sprouted
tufts even with the pile with a scissors or knife before or
after installation.
SHORT ROLL - A length
of carpet roll goods shorter than a full shipping roll and
longer than a remnant.
Depending on carpet mill quality standards, it may be from
20 to 40 feet long. Shorts are usually sold by carpet mills
at substantial discount from first quality full roll mill
prices, but higher than second quality prices.
SHOT - A weaving term
for fill yarn, the yarn inserted at right angles to the warp
across the fabric width. In woven carpet, it is the number
of picks of fill yarn per row of pile tufts.
SHUTTLE - Part of a weaving
loom which carries fill yarn back and forth across the fabric
width. In conventional looms it contains a spool of fill yarn
called a bobbin.
SIDE SEAMS - Seams running
the length of the carpet. Sometimes called length seams.
SKEIN DYED YARN - Pile
yarn dyed while in the form of large loosely wound skeins.
(See Chapter 13)
SLIVER - An intermediate
stage in the production of spun yarns from staple fibre. It
is a large, soft, untwisted strand or rope of fibres produced
by carding or pin drafting.
SOIL RETARDANT - A chemical
finish applied to fibres or carpet and fabric surfaces which
inhibits attachment of soil to fibre.
SOLUTION DYED - Fiber coloured by pigments dispersed
in the polymer melt or solution prior to extrusion into synthetic
fibre. (See Chapter 13, also see Dope Dyed and Spun Dyed.)
SPACE DYED - Yarn dyed two or more colors which
alternate along the length. See Chapter 13 "Dyeing" for variations,
methods, and applications of space dyed yarns in contract
carpet.
SPECIFIC GRAVITY - Ratio
of the density (weight per unit volume) of a material to the
density of water under standard conditions. Arithmetically,
densities and specific gravities expressed in metric units
are approximately equal. Carpet fibre specific gravities range
from 0.91 for polypropylene (lighter than water) to 1.38 for
polyester (about 38 percent denser than water).
SPIKE ROLL - Part of a tufting machine that pulls
the primary backing and tufted carpet through the working
area of the machine. It consists of a pinned driven roll that
grips the cloth. The relationship of spike roll rotational
speed and strokes per minute of the needle bar determines
the number of stitches per inch in the tufted product.
SPINNING - A term for
yarn or fibre production. To the fibre manufacturer, spinning
is synonymous with extrusion of polymer through the small
holes of the spinneret into synthetic fibre. To the conventional
textile yarn mill, spinning is the conversion of staple fibre
into spun yarn. See Chapter 11 "Pile Fibres and Yarns" for
further details.
SPLUSH - A tufted carpet
style, no longer popular, combining characteristics of both
shag and plush textures. Most splushes were made from non-heat-set
singles yarns (similar to yarns used in plush) but were constructed
with long pile length on wide gauge machines at relatively
low stitch rates (similar to shag construction). The combination
of singles yarns and low density tuft placement resulted in
matting, pilling, and generally poor wear performance. It
is definitely not a contract style.
SPONGE CUSHION - Rubber
foam material which is chemically blown to form a cushion
product.
SPROUTING - Protrusion
of individual tuft or yarn ends above pile surface. May be
clipped with scissors. See Shooting.
SPUN DYED - Same as Solution
Dyed and Dope Dyed. See Chapter 13 "Dyeing" for further discussion.
STAIN - Foreign material
(soil, liquids, etc.) on carpet that is not removable by standard
cleaning methods. See section on "Carpet Maintenance".
STAPLE FIBER - Short lengths
of fibre which may be converted into spun yarns by textile
yarn spinning processes. Also simply called staple. Staple
may also be converted directly into nonwoven fabrics such
as needle-punched carpet. For carpet yarns spun on the common
modified worsted systems, most staples are six to eight inches
long. See Chapter I 1 "Pile Fibres and Yarns."
STATIC SHOCK - Discharge
of electrostatic potential from carpet to person to conductive
ground, e.g., a doorknob. Shoe friction against carpet fibre
causes production of electrostatic charge. Various static
control systems and finishes are used in contract carpet to
dissipate static charge before it builds to the human sensitivity
threshold. See Chapter 6 "Static Control."
STAY TACKING - A carpet
installation term for temporary nailing or tacking to hold
the stretch until the entire installation is stretched over
and fastened onto the tackless strip. An important technique
in large con- tract installations which are too large to stretch
in one step.
STEP RETURN - A term for that part of a staircase
tread which extends over the riser. Also known as a bullnose
or extended nosing.
STIFFNESS - Resistance
of materials, such as carpet, to bending.
STITCHES - Stitches per
inch. Number of yarn tufts per running inch of a single tuft
row in tufted carpet.
STITCH LENGTH - Total
length of yarn from which a tuft is made. It is numerically
equal to twice the pile height plus the associated back-stitch
behind the primary backing.
STOCK DYED YARN - Coloured
spun yarn produced from fibres dyed in staple form. The term
does not include yarns spun from solution dyed staple. See
Chapter 13 "Dyeing".
STOP MARKS - Width wise
mechanical pile imperfections in tufted carpet. Usually caused
by improper stop and start techniques by the machine operator.
STREAK - Any lengthwise
narrow visual defect in carpet. Dye streaks may be caused
by a single pile end having different dye affinity from the
others. Other streaks may be yarn defects such as tight twist,
stretched yarn or yarns larger or smaller than the others.
STRETCH - A carpet installation
term for the amount of elongation of carpet when it is stretched
over cushion onto tackless strip. Generally one to two percent.
STUFFER - A backing yarn
in woven carpet. Stuffers are normally large warp yarns (lengthwise
yarns) which increase weight, strength, hand and stiffness.
SWATCH - A small carpet
sample. Carpet specifiers should retain swatches to verify
colour, texture, weight and other quality factors when carpet
is delivered.
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T
TAK DYEING - A continuous
dyeing process for producing random multicolour patterns which
are usually less sharply defined than printed patterns. Colour
dye liquor is applied to the carpet in a controlled pattern
(of droplets. (See Chapter 13)
TEMPLATE - A paper or
cardboard pattern used by installers as a guide for cutting
carpet for areas having complicated or unusual shapes.
TENSILE STRENGTH - The
greatest stretching forces a yarn, fabric, or carpet can bear
without breaking.
TEXTURE - Visual and tactile
surface characteristics of carpet pile including such esthetical
and structural elements as high-low or cut-and-loop patterning,
yarn twist, pile erectness or lay-over, harshness or softness
to the touch, lustre, and yarn dimensions.
TEXTURIZING - See Bulking.
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY -
Ability of a material to transmit heat. It is the reciprocal
of resistivity. Good insulators, including some carpets, have
high resistivity (R-value) and low thermal conductivity.
THREE-QUARTER CARPET -
A woven carpet term for narrow goods 27 inches wide.
THRESHOLD - The raised
board beneath a door. Also known as sill or saddle.
TIMING - Operational sequence
of the moving parts of looms and tufting machines.
TIP SHEARING - Light,
shallow shearing to add surface interest to carpet texture
or simply to clean up and defuzz during carpet finishing.
TONE ON TONE - A carpet
pattern made by using two or more shades of the same hue.
TOP COLORS - in printed
or woven coloured patterns, top colors are the ones forming
the pattern elements, as distinguished from background or
ground colors.
TOTAL WEIGHT - Weight
per square yard of the total carpet pile, yarn, primary and
secondary backings and coatings.
TRAFFIC - The passing
to-and-fro of persons with special reference to carpet wear
resulting therefrom.
TREAD - The horizontal
part of a step on which the foot treads.
TUFT BIND - Force required
to pull a tuft from the carpet (usually measured in ounces).
TUFTED CARPET - Carpet
manufactured by the tufting process, which comprises insertion
of pile tufts by a row of eyed needles which penetrate a primary
backing fabric, thus forming tufts from the yarn threaded
through the eyes of the tufting needles. More than ninety
percent of all carpet sold in the United States is tufted.
TUFTS - The cut or uncut
loops of a pile fabric.
TWIST - A yarn term describing
the number of turns per inch and direction of twist of either
the singles or plies around their axes. Twist direction is
either right or left handed, also called Z or S-twist. Carpet
yarns usually have rather low-twists, in the 2.5 to 6.0 turns
per inch (TPI) range, with the majority in the 3.5 to 5.0
TPI range.
TWIST CARPET - Pile texture
created with tightly twisted yarns in which the ply twist
is substantially greater than the singles twist, causing the
yarn to curl. Most twist styles are cut-pile, and the unbalanced
hard twist causes a nubby texture (See Frieze.)
TWO-TONES - A design or
pattern obtained by using two shades of the same colors.
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U
UNDERLAY - See Carpet
Cushion.
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V
VELVET CARPET - Woven
carpet made on a loom similar to a Wilton loom but lacking
the Jacquard motion. Velvet carpets are generally level loop
or plush in solid or tweed colors.
VELVET FINISH - A smooth
surface texture on dense plush carpet.
VINYL - Colloquial term
for the synthetic polymer poly (vinyl chloride). Also called
PVC. PVC is used as a carpet back-coating for marine and outdoor
use, vinyl foams have been used as attached cushion. Many
walk-off mats have solid sheet vinyl backings.
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W
WARP - A weaving term
for yarns in woven fabrics and carpets which run lengthwise.
Warp yarns are usually delivered to the loom from a beam,
a large spool with hundreds of ends wound on it, mounted behind
the loom. Woven carpets usually have three sets of warp yarns,
which may be wound on three loom beams. These include stuffer
warp for lengthwise strength and stiffness, pile warp which
forms the carpet surface tufts, and chain warp which interfaces
with fill yarn to lock the structure together.
WARP PILE - In carpet
weaving, the warp yarns forming the pile. See Warp.
WEAVING - A fabric formation
process, used for manufacturing carpet, in which yarns are
interlaced to form cloth. The weaving loom interfaces lengthwise
(warp) and width wise (filling) yarns. Carpet weaves are complex,
often involving several sets of warp and filling yarns. (See
Axminster, Wilton and Velvet.)
WEFT OR WOOF - Yarns which
run width wise in woven cloth or carpet, interlacing with
the various warp yarns. See Filling Yarn.
WILTON - A type of woven
carpet and the loom used to manufacture it. Wilton looms have
Jacquard pattern mechanisms which use punched cards to select
pile height and yarn colour. The carpets are often patterned
or have multilevel surfaces.
WIRES - Parts of carpet
weaving looms composed of thin metal rods or blades on which
the pile tufts are formed. Round wires produce loop pile carpet,
and flat wires with sharp edges produce cut-pile (plush) textures.
WIRE HEIGHT - It is the
height of the pile tufts in woven carpet.
WOOLEN YARN - Spun yarn,
composed of any natural or synthetic fibre, manufactured by
the woollen system spinning process. Compared to worsted system
or parallel spun yarns which are common to most tufted carpets,
woollen yarns are soft, bulky, and hairy. Staple for woollen
spinning is short, in the 3.5 to 5.5 inch range.
WORSTED YARN - Spun yarn,
composed of any natural or synthetic fibre, manufactured by
the worsted or parallel spinning process. Most yarns for tufted
carpet are parallel spun. Staple for worsted spinning is long,
often in the 6 to 8 inch range. In worsted yarns, the fibres
are relatively parallel, and the yarns are relatively smooth
and compact in structure.
WOVEN BACKING - A tufted
carpet term for primary or secondary backing manufactured
by the weaving process. Secondary backings are usually woven
jute or woven polypropylene. Primary backings are usually
woven (or nonwoven) polypropylene.
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Y
YARN - A continuous strand
composed of fibres or filaments and used in tufting, weaving,
and knitting to form carpet and other fabrics. Carpet yarn
is often plied and may be either spun or continuous filament.
See Chapter 11 "Pile Fibres and Yarns" for more detail.
YARN DYEING - Dyeing yarn
before tufting or weaving it into carpet.
YARN PLY - The number
of singles yarns ply-twisted together to form a pli6d yarn.
YARN SIZE - Same as yarn
count. See Count. See Chapter 11 for a discussion of yarn
count systems.
YARN WEIGHT - Same as
yarn count. See Count. See Chapter 11 for a discussion of
yarn count systems.
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