US1947508A - Fabric - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 20, 1934.

F. J. ZIMMERER FABRIC e, lsl

Filed Feb.

SQ NN S SS: @Q bum TOR NNSW @m S @Smm W/////////. NBNNQMW, N\\ S @@BR@ m Nmmbmw, .NQ\\.\ www: E@ .Nvwd

Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE FABRIC icut Application February 6, 1931. Serial N0. 513,903

6Claims.

This invention relates to fabrics and is concerned more particularly with a novel fabric or tape having an enlarged portion extending lengthwise thereof and forming an edge bead or a central rib', depending upon its location. 'I'he new fabric may be used for numerous purposes and is particularly useful as a mounting for socalled hookless fasteners. A form of the fabric suitable for that purpose wil accordingly be described in detail for purposes of illustration, though it is to beunderstood that the utility of the invention is not limited to that particular use.

Hookless fasteners consists of a plurality of cooperating fastener elements arranged in rows on a pair of tapes which are secured to an object along opposite sides of an opening therein. Mounted on these tapes is a slider which may be moved along the tapes to spread apart adjacent elements in the rows so that the elements of one row may be interengaged with or released from those of the other row. The fastener elements are of metal and each one has a pair of legs which straddle one edge of the tape, the tape being provided with an edge bead which is gripped by the elements.. During engagement and release of the elements by movement of the slider, each tape is bent transversely in its plane, and may also be bent along a longitudinal axis, depending on how it is attached to the object. In any event, the tapes are subjected to frequent flexing during use and wear due to the movement of the slider which has portions contacting with the tapes.

In the tape 'constructions heretofore employed for the purpose, it has been common practice to provide the tape with the edge bead by weaving a solid cord in the tape along one edge thereof. This arrangement is open to serious objection because if the cord is soft, there is a likelihood of its creeping during the securing of the metal fasteners tothe tape, while if the cord is sufficiently hard to resist this creeping tendency, it is likely to break or crack when sharply bent during the movement of the slider.

The present invention is accordingly directed to the provision of a fabric or tape which may be used for the purpose described and for other purposes and which is provided with a bead of no'vel construction and so formed that it is sufficiently 50 hard to permit proper placing of the metal fastener elements, and at the same time flexible so that it does not crack or break when the fabric is bent.

In one form of the new fabric, there is a portion 55 of ordinary weave which may be provided along one edge with a riding cord which serves to take the wear of the slider. 'Ihe riding cord may be connected if desired to the portion of ordinary weave by a flexible connection produced during the weaving operation. Along the free edge of the riding cordV is formed a bag or tube, the fabric being of two-ply weave and the bag being formed in the ordinary manner. 'I'his bag, however, is

not filledl with a solid cord as in the prior practice but is sub-divided by binder elements which in the form illustrated are arranged in two groups. Each group of elements is made up of a pair of warp ends which pass loosely from front to back of the fabric alternately at intervals of several picks, the elements thus providing joints or hinges at the points where they pass from front to back of the bag or vice versa. The bag also contains gutting cord occupying' the spaces in the bag on either side of'the binders and the combination of the gutting and the loose binder elements, crossed in the manner described, provides an edge bead for the fabric which has suilicient stiffness and body for proper attachment of the fastening elements and at the same time is exible at the joints, so that the bead can be bent as desired without danger of breakage.

The flexible hinge connection between the main body of the tape and the bag permits the tape to be bent freely along a longitudinal axis and this hinge is particularly useful when the tapes are secured to parts which lie parallel to each other, as, for example, the two sides of a tobacco pouch.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a diagram illustrating the actual weave of the fabric;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the fabric illustrating the mounting of fastener elements thereon;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the fabric with the fastener elements in place;

Fig. 4 is a legend explanatory of Fig. 1;

Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse sectional views through the fabric on the lines 5-5 and 6-6 respectively of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

In the diagram, Fig. 1, the weaving of the fabric is illustrated in the conventional fashion, each square in the diagram representing the crossing of a warp and a filling thread. Where a square is shaded, the warpthread has been lifted over the lling, while the blank squares represent points where the warp thread passes beneath the filling. In order to clarify the illustration, face -picks and back picks are shown side by side, although in the actual fabric the back picks lie directly beneath the face picks. Also, certain sections of the fabric have been shown side by side although in the cloth, these sections are superimposed. The actual positions of these sections will be explained later. In order that the diagram may be properly interpreted, I have identified the back and face picks at the left and have provided a legend in which the different shadings used for the different threads are identified.

The fabric is illustrated a's including a main portion designated Flat Section, a riding cord along one edge thereof, and a bag along the fr ee edge of the riding cord, but it is to be understood that the riding cord may be omitted if desired. The fabric shown is of t'wo-ply weave in the flat section and bag, while the riding cord is singleply, but with the warp threads therein passing alternately over and under pairs of face and back picks so that the riding cord is in effect a single fabric. The fiat section may also be a single fabric if desired, although a double-ply flat section is preferred. The riding cord is somewhat harder than the fiat section and the bag and it forms a wear strip extending lengthwise of the tape from one end to the other. Where the yarn employed in weaving the new fabric is of good quality, the riding cord may be omitted. If desired, fiexibility lengthwise of the tape may be provided by inserting a wire in the loom to be woven into the flat section, for example, at the point K. This wire remains in place in the fabric temporarily and it spreads the warp ends apart so that the fabric is somewhat of a looser weave along a line in alignment with the wire.

Referring now to the flat section designated I-J, it will be seen that this section is of standard two-ply weave, the plies being stitched together at every fifth thread by binder threads, one of which is designated 10. The binder threads -pass over every face pick and'under every back over each back pick and alternately over and Anated 12, pass under each face pick and alternately over and under the back picks. 'Ihe face and back picks are shown side by side for purposes of illustration but in the actual fabric, the face picks lie directly above the back picks.

The section H--I is the riding cord and here each warp end, one of which is designated 13, passes alternately over and under pairs of adjacent back and face picks.

The section A-H constitutes the bag. Cn the drawing, the bag is divided into sections A-B, B-D, D-E, E--F, and F-H. 'I'hese sections are shown lying side by side, but in the actual fabric, the section B-D lies within the bag and thus beneath the face threads and over the back threads in section A-B. Also section E-F, shown as at the side of section F-I-I, lies within that part of the bag and beneath the face threads and over the back threads of section F-H.

In sections A-B and F-H, the face warp ends. one of which is designated 14, pass over each back pick and alternately over and under each face pick. Similarly, the back warp ends, one of which is designated I5, pass under each face pick and alternately' over and under each back pick.

There are no binder threads in the bag section similar to the threads 10 in the flat section and consequently, the two plies of the fabric, each complete in itself, lie separated, thus defining the bag.

The section E-F illustrates gutting strands in that portion of the bag defined by the section F-H and in the weave illustrated, there are six gutting' strands within the section F-H. Eacli gutting cord 16 lies free of the two plies so that 3 it is illustrated in the diagram as passing over each back pick and under each face pick. This portion of the diagram indicates that the gutting strands lie free in the bag section F--H and are not interwoven with the plies of the fabric at either side of the bag.

The section D-E of the fabric includes the binder elements. There are two groups of such elements and each group in the weave shown is made up of six ends 17. These binder elements pass alternately from front to back of the two plies constituting the bag and have a long takeup as, for example, the binder threads in 6" of fabric may measure 8%" in length. Tracing the course of one element 17, it will be seen that the element passes over a group of three pairs of face and back picks and then under a similar group of three pairs of face and back picks. The binders in the other group, one of which is designated 18, are interlaced in the same way, the two binder elements alternating in coming to opposite surfaces of the fabric. Each binder element group comprises a plurality of strands and in the construction illustrated there are six strands in each group of elements. In that form of the fabric illustrated the groups of binder elements sub-divide the bag lengthwise and since each group of these elements contains a considerable number of strands, the elements give body to the fabric, and since they have a long take-up and pass alternately from front to back of the fabric, flexibility is afforded at the points where they cross, such as that designated 19.

In the bag or tube section A-B, there is gutting represented by section B--D. In the fabric shown, the gutting contains two strands only and it lies loose in the back section.

The cloth diagram illustrates merely one example of a fabric which embodies my invention and it is to be understood, for example, that the fiat section need not be a two-ply fabric of the weave shown, and the riding cord may be dispensed with if desired. In any fabric embodying my invention, the bag, instead of being filled with a gutting cord as in prior constructions, is sub-divided by binder elements and when these elements are arranged in groups each group is made up of a sufficient number of strands so that it and such gutting as may be employed in the sub-divisions of the bag provide the fabric with the desired rib or edge bead. The size and stiffness of this bead is sufficient to permit the attachment of fastener elements thereto but since the binder elements are interlaced with a long take-up and they cross at intervals, the fabric is very flexible by reason of the joints or hinges which are provided at the points of crossing of the elements. The new fabric has accordingly been found to be highly satisfactory when employed as a tape for hookless fastener elements, since the bead or edge cord has sufficient rigidity to permit proper application of the elements andI yet is sufficiently exible so that it will not break when sharply bent.

In Fig. 2, I have conventionally illustrated the tape with the fastener elements attached thereto. The yflat section is shown at 20, the riding cord at 21 and the bead at 22. Each fastener element 23 .has legs 24 which straddle the bead and are crimped inwardly so as to hold the elements irmly in position. A portion of a. completed tape is shown in plan View in Fig. 3.

In manipulating a fastener of this type, a slider element not illustrated is moved along the tapes and causes each tape to be bent transversely in its plane. This forces apart the free ends of the elements in each row, so that the elements of one row can be interengaged with or released from the elements of the other row. The flexing of the tape produced by the action of the slider has no harmful effect on the new tape because of the flexibility imparted to the bead by the binder elements woven therein in the manner described. Also, in some fasteners used, for example, in tobacco pouches or purses, the nat sections of the two tapes lie in parallel planes and, when the elements are interengaged, each tape is bent along a longitudinal axis. The presence of the hinge in the new fabric provides a flexible connection which permits easy bending of the tape for the purpose described.

While I have described the new fabric as having an enlarged bead or rib along one edge, it will be apparent that the bag may be formed at any point in the fabric, thus providing a lengthwise rib at either edge or at some central point between the edges. In the diagram, the binder elements are illustrated as being arranged in groups of six strands but it will be apparent that other arrangements may be used as desired. I have found the use of groups of six strands satisfactory for fastener tapes, but contemplate that for this and other purposes, fewer or more strands may also be employed to advantage and that other groupings or arrangements may also be used. Also, the fabric illustrated includes a pair of binder elements, and the rib is relatively narrow. For some purposes, it may be desirable to provide a wider bead or rib, in which event the fabric will be woven with a wider bag and additional binder elements used.

I claim:

1. A fabric comprising a flat section, a bag extending lengthwise of the fabric, and a plurality of binder elements sub-dividing the bag lengthwise, each binder element comprising a plurality of Warp threads and said elements lying side by side .without intervening warp threads, the

greater part of each element lying outside said bag with the element passing through the bag at intervals of a plurality of picks and exposed alternately on opposite faces of the fabric.

2. A fabric comprising a flat section, a bag extending lengthwise of the fabric, a plurality of binder elements sub-dividing the bag lengthwise, each binder element comprising a plurality of warp threads and said elements lying side by side without intervening warp threads, the greater part of each element lying outside the bag with said elements passing through the bag at intervals to be exposed alternately at opposite faces of the fabric, and gutting within the bag.

3. A fabric comprising a flat section, a bag extending lengthwise of the fabric, and a pair of binder elements sub-dividing the bag lengthwise, each element being made up of a plurality of warp threads and said elements lying side by side without intervening warp threads, the greater part of the length of each element lying outside the bag with both elements passing successively through the bag to be exposed alternately and in staggered relation on opposite faces of the fabric.

4. A fabric comprising a flat section, a riding portion along one edge of the flat section and of tighter weave than the flat section, a bag connected to the flat section by the riding portion, and binder elements sub-dividing the bag lengthwise, each element comprising warp threads and @05 said elements lying side by side without intervening warp threads, each element lying outside the bag except for passing therethrough at intervals to be exposed alternately on opposite faces of the fabric.

5. A fabric comprising an integral at section, a bag, and groups of warp threads lying side by side without other warp threads intervening between the groups, said groups sub-dividing the bag and lying outside it except that each group passes through the bag at intervals to be exposed alternately on opposite faces thereof.

6. A fabric comprising a at section, a bag connected thereto, binder elements sub-dividing the bag into lengthwise sections, each element 120 comprising a plurality of threads lying outside the bag except for passing through it at intervals to be exposed on opposite faces thereof, and gutting in the said sections of the bag, the elel ments having a greater bulk than the gutting 125 and said elements lying side by side without intervening warp threads.

FREDERICK J. ZIMMERER.

Images