Process of making regenerated cellulose balloon fabric comprising shrinking with strong alkali and steam blasting and product produced thereby

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF MAKING AN IMPROVED FABRIC CHARACTERIZED BY IMPROVED FLEX LIFE AND HAVING IMPROVED AIR PERMEABILITY COMPRISING THE STEPS OF (1) IMMERSING A FABRIC MADE FROM REGENERATED CELLULOSE FOR A PERIOD OF ABOUT 2 TO 10 MINUTES AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 60*F. TO 80*F. IN A CAUSTIC BATH CONTAINING ABOUT 2% TO ABOUT 12% BY WEIGHT OF A STRONG BASE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM HYDROXIDE AND POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE WHILE THE FABRIC IS UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY NO TENSION AND THERAFTER REMOVING THE EXCESS BASE, (2) SATURATING THE REGENERATED CELLULOSE YARNS WHICH COMPRISE THE FABRIC WITH AN INERT VOLATILIZABLE LIQUID WHICH HAS A BOILING POINT LOWER THAN THE DEGRADATION TEMPERATURE OF THE FILAMENTS WHICH COMPRISE THE YARNS, AND (3) PASSING THE SATURATED FABRIC BETWEEN HEATED SPACED-APART CYLINDER ROLLS, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID HEATED CYLINDER ROLLS BEING CONSTRUCTED WITH A CONDUCTIVE METAL SURFACE, SAID ROLLS BEING ADJUSTED TO A PREDETERMINED OPENING WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE ORIGINAL GAUGE OF THE FABRIC TO BE PASSED THEREBETWEEN AND ADAPTED TO READILY HEAT THE SATURATED FABRIC TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO INSTANTANEOUSLY VOLATILIZE THE LIQUID FABRIC SATURANT SO THAT THE INSTANTANEOUS CONVERSION OF THE LIQUID TO A VAPOR EXERTS A FORCE WHICH IS CONCENTRATED IN THE LONGITUDINAL AND TRANSVERSE DIMENSIONS OF THE FABRIC TO CAUSE THE YARNS WHICH COMPRISES THE FABRIC TO BE REARRANGED AND FLATTERED TO BRING ABOUT A REDUCTION IN THE GAUGE OF THE FABRIC OF FROM 60 TO 80% OF THE ORIGINAL GAUGE AND A SUBSTANTIAL CLOSING OF THE INTERSTICES OF THE FABRIC.