EP0740005A1

EP0740005A1 - A pile fabric and a method for producing it

Info

Publication number: EP0740005A1
Application number: EP96830224A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gionata Tempestini
Original assignee: NEWDRESS Srl
Current assignee: NEWDRESS Srl
Priority date: 1995-04-24
Filing date: 1996-04-19
Publication date: 1996-10-30
Also published as: ITFI950081A0; ITFI950081A1; IT1278655B1

Abstract

The fabric comprises a weave of weft knitted fabric in which each alternate stitch of each alternate row includes a loop formed by a tuft of fibres to form a pile fabric, in such a way that the tufts of fibres constituting the pile correspond to stitches staggered in a quincuncial arrangement. Each tuft of fibres in each row is of one of a plurality of different colours or kinds, providing a pattern in the form of simulated fur or similar.

Description

There are known pile fabrics comprising a weave of weft knitted fabric, generally in plain stitch, in which each needle, before picking up the thread of the weave, is loaded with a tuft of fibres so that it knits it in with the thread of the weave, this tuft of fibres being possibly taken selectively from a limited number of strips of fibres differing from each other in the colour or nature of the fibre, to form pile fabrics made with patterns, for example for simulated fur or similar.
One disadvantage of a garment or other article manufactured with this type of fabric is that, in folds in which the pile is on the outside, the pile tends to open along lines parallel to the knitted rows of the fabric weave, producing an effect which is not pleasing to the user, possibly because it reveals the artificial nature of the article. A method of limiting this disadvantage, eliminating it almost completely, has been discovered for non-patterned pile fabrics, and consists in having the pile picked up by alternate needles only, the needles which pick up the pile being changed with each successive feed of the thread of the fabric weave. In this way, in the pile fabric the tufts of fibres are knitted in with stitches of the fabric weave distributed in a quincuncial arrangement, and it has been found that this disposition considerably reduces the tendency of the pile to open along the knitted rows.
The object of the present invention is to provide and to describe a practical method of producing patterned pile fabrics, particularly with tufts of fibres of different colours, which does not have the defect of preferential opening of the pile along the knitted rows of the fabric weave.
In particular, the present invention provides a pile fabric comprising a weft knitted fabric weave in which each alternate stitch of each alternate row includes, together with the thread of the weave, a loop formed by a tuft of fibres to form a pile fabric, in such a way that a row in which these stitches are in even-numbered positions is followed by a row in which these stitches are in odd-numbered positions, and so on, the stitches having the tufts of fibres alternating with each successive row in a quincuncial arrangement. For each row of stitches, these tufts of fibres are of one of a plurality of different colours or kinds, to form a pattern in the form of simulated fur.
The fabric weave is preferably of the plain knitted type.
The invention also provides a method for the production of a pile fabric as described above, comprising the use of a circular knitting machine in which a group of cards is provided between every two adjacent thread drops to form the said weave, each card feeding a strip of fibres whose colour or kind is generally different from those of the other cards in the same group. The needles of the machine are raised selectively to pick up a tuft of fibres at each card, by means of a system of raising cams and a needle selection device forming part of the machine. According to a program of instructions supplied to the selection devices, only alternate needles, for example those in odd-numbered positions, will be raised at the group of cards used for any given feed, while the needles in even-numbered positions will be raised at the group used for the next feed, in the direction of rotation of the machine, and this is continued, the needles picking up the fibres being alternated with each feed.
The invention also provides a circular knitting machine and a program of instructions for the selecting devices of the needles of the machine to apply the method described above.
The drawing shows a possible embodiment of the invention, and in particular the single figure shows a partial schematic development of the path of the needles of a circular knitting machine for producing the fabric according to the invention.
In the figure, the numbers 1 and 2 indicate two successive feeds of thread. The needle cylinder of the machine rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow F, and each needle is progressively raised - by means of cams which are not shown - to pick up, from a thread carrier 1/1, 1/2 disposed next to each feed, a thread 2/1, 2/2 and to knit it in to form a flat knitted fabric to act as the weave of the pile fabric.
A group of two cards B1, N1; B2, N2 of a known type is disposed before each thread feed, each card rotating about one of its horizontal axes X-X and being provided with a peripheral clothing with metal points. Each card is loaded continuously and in a known way with fibres orientated mainly in the direction of rotation of the card. In each group, one card is loaded with fibres of a first colour and the other is loaded with fibres of a second colour. By means of known selection devices which are not shown, the needles can be raised selectively to move along trajectories 3/1, 3/2 or 4/1, 4/2, each disposed next to a card B1, B2 or N1, N2, in such a way that for each feed of thread the beard of each needle, in the area of maximum raising of the said trajectories, passes through the clothing of the corresponding card, and is loaded with a tuft of the first or second colour. By suitably programming the action of the said needle selection devices, the pile tufts can be distributed over the fabric according to a predetermined pattern.
According to the invention, only alternate needles, for example those in odd-numbered positions on the periphery of the machine cylinder, are raised on the paths 3/1, 4/1 of the first group of cards, while the other alternate needles, for example those in even-numbered positions, are raised on the paths 3/2, 4/2 of the second group of cards.
In this way, only half the stitches in each row of the weave fabric will include needle loops which also include tufts of fibres, each tuft having the appropriate colour according to the programmed pattern, and these loops will be disposed in a quincuncial arrangement, eliminating the tendency of the pile to open in the direction of the rows of stitches.

Claims

Pile fabric comprising a weft knitted fabric weave in which each alternate stitch of each alternate row includes, together with the thread of the weave, a loop formed by a tuft of fibres to form a pile fabric, in such a way that a row in which these stitches are in even-numbered positions is followed by a row in which these stitches are in odd-numbered positions, and so on, the stitches having the tufts of fibres alternating with each successive row in such a way that the tufts of fibres correspond to stitches staggered in a quincuncial arrangement, characterized in that each alternate stitch is joined to a tuft of fibres of one of a plurality of different colours or kinds, to form a pattern in the form of simulated fur or similar.
Fabric according to Claim 1, characterized in that the said weave is preferably a flat knitted fabric.
Method for the production of a pile fabric according to Claim 1 or 2, comprising the use of a circular knitting machine in which a group of cards (B1, N1; B2, N2) is provided between one thread drop and the next (1, 2) to form the said weave, each card feeding a strip of fibres of a different colour or kind, the needles of the machine being raised selectively to pick up a tuft of fibres from one card in each of the said groups of cards, characterized in that only alternate needles, for example those in odd-numbered positions, are raised next to the group of cards used for any given feed, while the needles in even-numbered positions will be raised at the group used for the next feed, in the direction of rotation of the machine, and this is continued, the needles picking up the fibres being alternated with each feed.
Circular knitting machine for the application of the method according to Claim 3, comprising between one thread drop and the next (1, 2) a group of cards (B1, N1; B2, N2) next to each of which the needles of the machine can be raised selectively by means of a system of raising cams and a selection device, characterized in that it comprises a program of instructions for the selection devices to produce a pile fabric according to Claim 1.
Pile fabric and method of producing it, the whole as described above and illustrated in the attached drawing.