US2090910A

US2090910A - Rib knitted fabric having controllable longitudinal stretch

Info

Publication number: US2090910A
Application number: US64212A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles E Drumheller
Original assignee: William Carter Co
Current assignee: William Carter Co
Priority date: 1936-02-17
Filing date: 1936-02-17
Publication date: 1937-08-24
Anticipated expiration: 1954-08-24

Description

Aug. 24, 1937'. c. E. DRUMHELLER 2,090,910

RIB KNITTED FABRIC HAVING CONTROLLABLE LONGI'IUDINAL STRETCH Filed Feb. 17, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet .1

r Invenifo 2".- LfiarZes El) rwmheziezz 7- c. E. DRUMHELLER 2,090,910

RIB KNITTED FABRIC HAVING CONTROLLA'BLE-LONGITUDINALI STRETCH Filed Feb. 17, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invenior: flhaz iesEllz'umfiefierz Aug. 24, 1937. Q E DRUMHELLER 2,090,910

RIB KNITTED FABRIC'HAVING CONTROLLABLE LQNGITUDINAL STRETCH Filed Feb. 17, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet s daw- ' 7- (3. E. DRUMHELLER 2,090,910-

. RIB KN I TTED FABRIC HAVING CONTROLLABLE LONGITUDINAL STRETCH Fi led Feb. 17,1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 t ;9- cy z l wz. q z ami @(Z q g. qyzagzmz lnvenio 2 Qaries Eflk'umfie Z1497;-

Patented Aug. 24, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RIB KNITTED FABRIC HAVING CONTROL- LABLE LONGITUDINAL STRETCH Application February 11, 1936, Serial No. 64,212

8 Claims.

This invention relates to highly expansible, rib knitted fabrics having a controllable longitudinal stretch.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, I have in the accompanying drawings disclosed one embodiment only of the said fabric, and have indicated more or less diagrammatically the best mode known to me for producing the said fabric.

In said drawings,-

Fig. 1 is a view, somewhat diagrammatic and in part perspective, of the action occurring at.

the first feed of the knitting machine, which preferably has four feeds or a multiple thereof;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are similar views of the actions occurring at the second, third and fourth feeds of the machine respectively;

Fig. 5 is a very much enlarged view of a small portion of the front or outside of the fabric;

Fig. 6 is a similar view of-the back or inside of the fabric;

Figs. '7 and 8 are merely diagrammatic representations showing respectively the said front or outside of the fabric and said back or inside of the fabric.

The fabric herein disclosed and claimed may I be knitted upon any suitable knitting machine, whether straight or circular, but desirably is knitted upon a circular machine provided with a dial, the said machine having desirably four feeds, or, if a greater number of feeds be employed, preferably some multiple of four feeds.

The invention, however, is not limited to the employment of any particular number of feeds. 35 I may, if desired, knit the fabric upon a socalled Wildman circular knitting machine of the ribber type employing independent latch needles. If, as herein indicated, I employ four feeds, I introduce at the first feed to one set of 40 needles only (and preferably to the dial needles) some suitable rubber-like strand, which may be and desirably is the so-called Lastex, consisting of a core of unvulcanized material such, for example, as rubber juice suitably coagulated in 45 water and then wrapped with a very fine covering of silk or other suitable material. The composite strand is desirably of very -fine diameter. Coarser diameters of the composite strand may, however, be employed, this depending largely on the cut or gauge of the machine. I may, however, use out rubber or any other type or character of elastic strand.

At the second feed, the knitting yarn or yarns is or are taken only by one set of needles, being 55 desirably the cylinder needles, since the rubberlike strand was taken by the dial needles. Desirably at said feed, I introduce two knitting yarns in plating relation.

At the third feed, I desirably knit on both the cylinder and the dial needles, there introducing 5 one knitting yarn or if desired two ends which are knitted in as a single yarn; they are not knitted in a plating relation.

At the fourth feed, I also knit in a single yarn or if desired two ends which are knitted as a 10 single yarn but without plating. Said yarns are knitted upon both the cylinder and dial needles at said feed.

Having thus briefly set forth the nature of the fabric, I will now describe the same in detail.

. The fabric of my invention is one which not only is highly expansible transversely of the needle wales, but is one also having a very pronounced but entirely controllable stretch length- 20 wise the needle wales. I attribute the two-way stretch of the fabric very largely to the manner -in which the rubber-like strand is, introduced to one set of needlespreferably the dial needles. The fabric has incorporated therein a rubber- 25 like strand in such manner as very greatly to enhance the expansibility ofthe fabric. Said I rubber-like strand may be of any suitable character, whether it be provided with a rubber-like core with some suitable wrapping, or whether it be a cut rubber strand or some other form or, type of rubber-like strand, said latter term being broadly and comprehensively employed.

, The rubber-like strand is, as it were, embryonically or temporarily or preliminarily knitted into the fabric by one set of needles (preferably the dial needles), from which, however, and as hereinafter explained, said strand is discharged or cast 011, during the knitting of the fabric, and due to the fact that said strand is of a rubberlike character and is under tension, said strand when so cast off or discharged from the dial needles, assumes a straight unknitted condition, as if it had been incorporated without knitting.

In the completed fabric said rubber-like strand has no knitted loops. Said strand is incorporated into the fabric at all times under tension, which tension is variable or controlled in such a way as to permit and to result in the shaping or tapering of the fabric. Thus, if the fabric is knitted in tubular form, the same may be of uniform diameter throughout or may be gradually tapering in one directionor .the other or it may be of a varied shape. Such tension upon or control of the rubber-like strand may be provided by any suitable means, as, for example, that disclosed in or referred to in my copending applications, bSer. Nos. 707,260 and 707,261 now patents,

and one rib (that is, two cylinder needles, then a dial needle, then two cylinder needles, another dial needle, etc.), I prefer to tuck on every other cylinder needle, and in a succeeding course I may tuck on every other dial needle only, but not on cylinder needles. Assuming that the rubber-like strand is laid on, and a temporary or embryonic loop or kink is made therein by, the dial needles only, at the first feed as illustrated in Fig. 1, and that no non-rubber thread or yarn is knitted in (introduced) at the first feed, I introduce and knit a non-rubber yarn at the second feed, introducing said yarn to the cylinder needles only and desirably in such a way as to tuck on every other cylinder needle in such course, namely, the course next after that in which the rubber-like thread is laid in. In the next following course, the tucking occurs desirably on every other dial needle only, but not upon the cylinder needles. Knitting, however, occurs on both cylinder and dial needles in this course.

At the fourth course, I preferably tuck on alternate dial needles, namely, on the short-butt dial needles. I

My invention, however, is not limited to the employment of a stitch variation nor to any particular type of stitch variation excepting as set forth in the claims. Although I do employ a stitch variation, the rubber-like strand is incorporated into the fabric in an essentially straight, as contrasted with a wavy or kinky, condition.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

I have in Fig. 1 indicated at i certain of the needles of the cylinder of a circular knitting machine and at 2 certain of the dial needles thereof. As there shown, there are twice as many cylinder needles as dial needles, the dial needles being interposed after every two cylinder needles. As shown, the needles are of the latch needle type, but spring beard needles may be employed instead. The rubber-like strand of any suitable character is indicated at 3, the same being introduced through a suitable guide 4. The said rubber-like strand is suitably and, if desired, variably tensioned by a tensioning mechanism diagrammatically indicated at 5, and which may be of the same character as that shown in my said two applications, now patents.

As clearly shown in said Fig. 1, the knitting yarn from the fourth feed is still upon the needles. The rubber-like strand is at said first feed fed to all the dial needles, and merely temporary or embryonic kinks or loops are formed therein, as illustrated in Fig. 2, at all the dial needles, and as illustrated in Fig. 3 at all the dial needles. All the cylinder needles are down at the said first feed, and hence do not receive the rubber-like strand.

In Fig. 2, the rubber-like strand 3 is represented as still carried by the dial needles, it having been introduced thereto at the first feed. The knitting yarn is at the second feed taken only by the cylinder needles, being taken by all the cylinder needles, but not by any of the dial needles. At the said second feed, I preferably, by a suitable feeding device or means indicated diagrammatically at 6, introduce two knitting yarns in a plating relation, the same being shown at 1 and 8. These two plating yarns may be of any suitable character or nature, as, for example, silk and rayon. silk and mercerized cotton, etc.

At the third feed, as shown at Fig. 3, the knit ting yam, here shown as two ends 9, i0, is introduced to both the cylinder needles and the dial needles, but not in a plating relation. It should be stated that the cylinder needles have respectively long and short butts, but the dial needles are alternately low-butt regular latch and highbutt long latch.

At the said third feed, the rubber-like strand is cast off as at H on the short or regular latch needles only; this being done, as shown at H in Fig. 3, without creating a permanent knitted loop therein, the temporary or embryonic loop being straightened out by the elastic nature of the yarn; that is to say, I tuck on alternate dial needles, by reason of the employment of differentiated alternating dial needles.

At the fourth feed, as indicated in Fig. 4, the yarn of preferably two ends l2, l3, introduced as a single yarn and without plating relation, is fed to both the cylinder and the dial needles, and in so doing I tuck on alternate dial needles, whereasat the third feed the tucking needles are the long latch dial needles. At the fourth feed the tucking needles, if tucking is resorted to, are the short-butt dial needles, and, as shown "in Fig. 4, the temporary or embryonic loops are cast off or discharged without creating permanently knitted loops therein, the remaining temporary or embryonic loops being in their turn cast off or discharged without creating any permanent knitted loops in said elastic or rubberlike yarn, so that said elastic or rubber-like yarn lies in the completed fabric without any knitted loops therein.

For the sake of cleamess, the knitting yarns l and 8 are not shown in Fig. 3, nor are the knitting yarns 9 and I0 shown in Fig. 4.

The tucking or other form of stitch variation may be used, otherwise than in the precise courses indicated and at the precise intervals circumferentially of the fabric that are herein indicated. Furthermore, in knitting a. fabric that is intended to be used as a garment in its seamless tubular condition, as, for example, a. foundation garment of womans apparel, I desirably knit an end or border portion, as, for example, what would be the upper end of the garment. If the fabric is made as a continuous length (to be transversely severed into garment portions), as is my preferred way of knitting the same, the fabric would be composed of a series of sections or areas constituting the main portions of the garments, and alternating with other areas constituting the top or border portions of said garments. In such border or upper portion of the fabric I desirably omit the tuck stitches or stitch variations in each fourth course. In the knitting operation, in going from the stitches of the body portion to the stitches of the border, all the dial needles at each third feed are in the tucking position, the cylinder needles remaining the same as for the body stitch and making plain knitting. At each fourth feed of such border portion, all the dial needles are drawn out for plain knitting, the cylinder needles also remaining the same as for the body stitch on said fourth feed, also for plain knitting.

The fabric is somewhat diagrammatically indicated in Figs. 5 and 6, Fig. 5 representing the front or outside of the fabric, and Fig. 6 the back or inside thereof. I have above said figures indicated the cylinder and the dial needle wales 5 by the notation Cyl and Dial. I have in both of said figures indicated four courses several times repeated, namely, course No. l at which the rubber-like strand is introduced and which in rubber-like strand is incorporated into the fabric I lie wholly at one side of the said rubber-like strand; and it will be observed in Fig. 6 that said non-rubber threads at the dial needle wales lie at both sides of said rubber-like strand. That is, viewing the front of the fabric, the knitted or 5 non-rubber threads at the cylinder needle wales lie in front of the rubber-like strand and at the dial needle wales lie both at the front and back thereof. Thus, the courses of rubber strand are incorporated into the substance of the fabric and 30 are wholly covered at both faces of the fabric by the knitting yarns.

I have stated that during the introduction of the rubber-like strand the tension thereof is controlled or varied so that the resulting fabric 35 may either be of a uniform diameter (if knitted as a tubular fabric, although it may be a flat fabric), or the fabric may be shaped. If it is desired to provide a contracted portion or a, portion of less diameter in the tubular fabric, the

40 tension upon the rubber-like strand is increased.

- Instead, however, of shaping the'fabric, I may either with or without a shaping operation, control the longitudinal expansibility of the fabric by controlling or varying the tension upon the 45 rubber-like strand as the same is introduced.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of the article of my invention and the best mode known to me for making the same, it is to be understood that although specific terms 50 are employed, they are used sin a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

I claim: 55 1. A rib knit fabric having non-rubber knitted threads and a rubber-like strand "without knitted loops and being more flexible in directions transverse to the wales than a. knitted fabric devoid of rubber-like strands, a substantial proportion of 60 the needle wales of the fabric having stitch variations occurring persistently therein throughout the fabric, the needle wales having normal loops between such stitch variations as occur in the respective wales; said fabric having one or 5 more of said rubber-like strands positioned course-wise thereof and entirely incorporated in an unkinked condition without knitted loops into.

the substance of the fabric so that at no wale does the said rubber-like strand protrude from 70 the face of the fabric, but at each wale extends transversely straight across said wale; the said hon-rubber knitted threads at the plain needle wales where the rubber-like strands are so incorporated into the fabric, lying wholly at one 75 side of said rubber-like strands, and at the rib needle wales lying at both sides of said rubber-' like strands.

2. A rib knit fabric having non-rubber knitted threads and a rubber-like strand without knitted loops and being more flexible in directions transverse to the wales than a knitted fabric devoid of rubber-like strands, a substantial proportion of the plain needle wales of the fabric having stitch variations occurring persistently therein through the fabric, the needle wales having normal loops between such stitch variations as occur in the respective wales; said fabric having one or more of said rubber-like strands positioned course-wise thereof and entirely incorporated in an unkinked condition without knitted loops into the substance of the fabric so that at no wale does the said rubber-like strand protrude from the face of the fabric, but at each wale extends transversely straight across said wale; the

said. non-rubber knitted threads atthe plain needle wales where the rubber-like strands are so incorporated into the fabric, lying wholly at out the fabric; the needle wales having normal 'loops between such stitch variations as occur in the respectivewales'; said fabric having one or more of said rubber-like strands positioned course-wise thereof and entirely incorporated in an unkinked condition without knitted loops into the substance-of the fabric so that at no wale does the said rubber-like strand protrude from the face of the fabric, but at each wale extends transversely. straight across said wale; the said non-rubber knitted threads at the plain needle wales where the rubber-like strands are so incorporated into the fabric, lying wholly at one side of said rubber-like strands, and at the rib needle wales lying at both sides of said rubber-' like strands. k

4. A rib knit fabric having non-rubber knitted threads and a rubber-like strand without knitted loops and being more flexible in directions transverse to the wales than a knitted fabric devoid of rubber-like strands, a substantial proportion of both the plain needle wales and the rib needle wales of the fabric having stitch variations occurring persistently therein throughout the fabric, the needle wales having normal loops between such stitch variations as occur in the respective wales; said fabric having one or more of said rubber-like strands positioned course-wise thereof and entirely incorporated in an unkinked condition without knitted loops into the substance of the fabric so that atno wale does the said rubber-like strand protrude from the face of the fabric, but at each wale extends transversely straight cross said wale; the said non-rubber knitted threads at the plain needle wales where the rubber-like strands are so incorporated into the fabric, lying wholly at one side of said rubber-like strands, and at the rib needle wales lying at both sides of said rubber-like strands.

5. A rib knit fabric having non-rubber knitted threads and a rubber-like strand without knitted loops and being more flexible in directions transverse to the wales than a knitted fabric devoid of rubber-like strands, substantially every alternate plain needle wale of the fabric having stitch variations occurring persistently therein throughout the fabric, the needle wales having normal loops between such stitch variations as occur in the respective wales; said. fabric having one or more of said rubber-like strands positioned course-wise thereof and entirely incorporated in an unkinked condition without knitted loops into the substance of the fabric so that at no wale does the said rubber-like strand protrude from the face of the fabric, but at each wale extends transversely straight across said wale; the said non-rubber knitted threads at the plain needle wales where the rubber-like strands are so incorporated into the fabric, lying wholly at one side of said rubber-like strands, and at the rib needle wales lying at both sides of said rubber.- like strands.

6. A rib knit fabric having non-rubber knitted threads and a rubber-like strand without knitted loops and being more flexible in directions transverse to the Wales than a knitted fabric devoid of rubber-like strands, substantially every alternate rib-needle wale of the fabric having stitch variations occurring persistently therein through the fabric, the needle wales having normal loops between such stitch variations as occur in the respective wales; said fabric having one or more of said rubber-like strands positioned coursewise thereof and entirely incorporated in an unkinked condition without knittedloops into the substance of the fabric so that at no wale does the said rubber-like strand protrude from the face of the fabric, but at each wale extends transversely straight across said wale; the said nonrubber knitted threads at the plain needle wales whereby the rubber-like strands are so incorporated into the fabric, lying wholly at one side 40 of said rubber-like strands, and at the rib needle wales lying at both sides of said rubber-like strands.

I. A rib knit fabric having non-rubber knitted threads and a rubber-like strand without knitted loops and being more flexible in directions transverse to, the wales than a knitted fabric devoid of rubber-like strands, certain of said non-rubber knitted threads being threads knitted into the fabric in a plating relation, the needle wales having normal loops between such stitch variations as occur in the respective wales; said fabric having one or more of said rubber-like strands positioned .course-wise thereof and entirely incort the rib needle wales lying at both sides of said rubber-like strands.

8. A rib knit fabric having non-rubber knitted threads and a rubber-like strand without knitted loops and being more flexible in directions transverse to the wales than a knitted fabric devoid of rubber-like strands, certain of said non-rubber knitted threads being threads knitted into the fabric in a plating relation, a substantial proportion of the needle wales of the fabric having stitch variations occurring persistently therein throughout the fabric, the needle wales having normal loops between such stitch variations as occur in the respective wales; said fabric having one or more of said rubber-like strands positioned course-wise thereof and entirely incorporated in an unkinked condition without knitted loops into the substance of the fabric so that at no wale does the said rubber-like strand protrude from the face of the fabric, but at each wale extends transversely straight across said wale; the said non-rubber knitted threads at the plain needle wales where the rubber-like strands are so incorporated into the fabric, lying wholly at one side of said rubber-like strands, and at the rib needle wales lying at both sides of said rubberlike strands.

CHARLES E. DRUMHELLER.