The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

Carpets And Rugs

If a thread of wool, such as is employed in a tuft, is held firmly at one point and bent over as shown in Figure 85, the individual fibers must slide on one another. Wool fibers are covered with tiny scales; therefore, they offer great resistance to sliding. Consequently, when a thread is bent as here shown the sliding of one fiber on another is opposed with great resistance and the weaker fibers are sure to be pulled apart, after which it is only a matter of time before they become detached from the rug.

Consider again Figure 85 and assume the tuft of wool fibers is to be bent from one side to the other, as is the case when a carpet sweeper is run over a carpet. This again produces a considerable amount of friction as all the fibers are forced to slide back and forth over each other. Anyone can demonstrate this action for himself, by placing his two hands together and bending the two first in one direction and then in the other. He will find that they slide over one another in exactly the same way as the fibers in a tuft of wool that is being bent first in one direction and then in another.

It is immediately apparent that flexibility of support will go a long way toward eliminating the bending and consequent sliding upon one another of the tufts, because when flexibly supported the whole tuft is permitted to roll. In Figure 86 several of the best known carpet types are considered in the order of their flexibility. The cheap Axminster is the worst, and the Chenille the best from the standpoint of flexibility of the connection between the main structure of the carpet and the pile. Therefore, other things being equal, there will be less wear due to bending in a Chenille rug then in others.