Non-woven patterned pile making method and apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY FORMING A NON-WOVEN PILE FABRIC COMPRISING A MOISTENING CHAMBER, MEANS FOR PARALLELIZING RUNNING LENGTHS OF PILE MATERIAL IN PREDETERMINED RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER TO FORM A PREDETERMINDED PATTERN, MEANS IN SAID CHAMBER FOR APPLYING A MATERIAL FREEZABLE UNDER CONDTIONS OF REDUCED TEMPERATURE TO THE PARALLELIZED PILE MATERIAL, MEANS FOR DRAWING PARALLELIZED PILE MATERIAL THROUGH SAID MOISTENING CHAMBER WHILE THE PARALLELIZED PILE MATERIAL IS IN RELATIVELY OPEN CONDITION, MEANS FOR CONDENSING THE ONGITUDINALLY PARALLELIZED MOVING PILE MATERIAL, A MOLD THROUGH WHICH THE PILE MATERIAL IS DRAWN IN CONDENSED PARALLEL FORM, A SOLIDIFYING CHAMBER THROUGH WHICH THE PILE MATERIAL IS PROGRE SIVELY ADVANCED UNDER CONDITIONS OF REDUCED TEMPERATURE, CUTTING MEANS FOR SEVERING SLABS OF FROZEN PILE MATERIAL, A CONVEYOR BELT ONTO WHICH A PLURALITY OF SAID SLABS ARE POSITIONED IN PRE-ARRANGED RELATIONSHIP, MEANS FOR APPLYING A BACKING MATERIAL TO THE UPTURNED FACES OF SAID SLABS WHILE ON THE CONVEYOR BELT, MEANS FOR RAISING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SLABS ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF THE FREEZABLE MATERIAL, AND MEANS FOR DRYING THE PILE MATERIAL AND CURING THE BACKING MATERIAL.