Felting loom system and method for producing felted woven fibre art textile shapes

Abstract

The invention disclosed, is a felting loom system and method, for producing felted woven, fibre art textile shapes. The handcrafting apparatus kit comprises, multi-shaped and sized, interlocking loom blocks and method auxiliary tools. Employed individually, or as assembled loom frameworks, the loom blocks, provide supportive structural foundations, to carry out the inventive method's, multi-functional procedures. Utilized conjointly, the texturized surfaces of the loom block structures and the roller tool components, further generate friction, for the method's practical processing requirements. The variety of loom block construction, configurations and utility functional purposes, enables creative flexibility for fibre artisans to produce wide ranges of felted textile shapes, sizes and constructed fibre art compositions. Felted woollen fibrous layers, with the addition of imported and encapsulated, hand woven constituent properties and manufactured, in accordance with the system's method process, result in the production of artistic, novel textile structural shapes, with multi-functional applications.

Description

US PATENT DOCUMENTS RESEARCHED[0001]US428296May 1890Ashworth139 / 42.U.S. Pat. No. 3,287,786November 1966Stansfiew Gey28 / 107, 28 / 110.U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,372December 1974Daoust28 / 152.U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,145November 1981Goldman442 / 30.U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,659September 1992Spriggs II / Brack-Kaiser28 / 152, 139 / 29, 139 / 34.U.S. Pat. No. 0,183,253 AIAugust 2005Newman Hope28 / 103.NON-PATENT TEXT BOOKS RESEARCHED and REFERENCED[0002]“Fibre to Fabric Australian Edition”, by GRIFFITH, POTTER and CORBMAN. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Sydney, 1970.[0003]Referring to Chapter 7, “Minor Fabric Constructions” and Felt, Pages 104 to 109.[0004]Referring to Chapter 5, “Weaving”, Pages 58 to 81.[0005]“Textiles for Modern Living”, Third Edition, by E. P. G. GOHL and L. D. VILENSKY. Longman Cheshire Pty Ltd, Melbourne Australia, 1983.[0006]Referring to Chapter 33, “Non-Wovens: -Felts, Pages 263 to 264.[0007]Referring to Chapter 32, “Weaving”, Pages 234 to 250.NON-PATENT WEBSITES RESEARCHED and REFERENCED[0008]“en....

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0159]The advantages, benefits, usefulness and the qualities of the finished felted, woven fibre art textile shapes, textile lengths and / or made-up products, over other known wet felt-making, loom weaving, or other time consuming loom handcrafting techniques, apart from the structural construction and possible textural material compositional varieties and time saving advantages, for fibre artisans, are that the products may have the potential to stimulate strong consumer desire, due to their appealing tactile, visual and multi-functional properties and multi-end usage applications.

Problems solved by technology

Unless topically applying readymade fabric lengths, with a wet felting technique, as in nuno felting, handmade wet-felted fabric, is normally characterized, by a thick and stiff handle, with a poor and unattractive drape.

The electrical products can expedite the felting process, but the mechanical rolling devices especially, are not widely accessible, or available and they would generally be, an expensive outlay for most non-professional craft

Finding a location to store and utilize such devices, might also be problematic for many craft and felt-making artisans.

There are limitations to the use of felted fabrics, for general apparel applications, because felted woollen fabrics are generally stiff, inelastic, thick or lumpy and often lack qualities attributed to conventionally woven textiles, such as drape, flexibility, wearable comfort or strength.

The processes of pattern making, cutting out and making up garments, usually takes much more time after the actual felting process is completed, often leaving many left over scrap pieces.

The looms often require fastidious, tedious and time consuming preparation, called “dressing the loom”, before the actual weaving process might begin.

Even the simplest of hand-looms can take quite awhile to prepare for use.

In a craft context, the actual process of hand weaving on conventional hand-looms, can generally be an extremely time consuming activity, and there is a vast array of looms available, to choose from, to work on.

Although fibre artists and weavers may achieve very fine and attractive results with the many hand weaving patterns and techniques, the preparation of the yarns and setting up the loom frames, in readiness for the hand weaving operations, can become prohibitively labour intensive and time consuming activities, which may even deter many artisans from actually attempting the hand weaving craft.“Fibre to Fabric Australian Edition”, by GRIFFITH, POTTER and CORBMAN.

The overall results are very pleasing but, the activities may also become very time consuming and repetitive, especially with the added joining, finishing and sewing activities.

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