US2416758A - Yarn substitute for knitting or crocheting activities and the method of making the same - Google Patents

Description

E. B. KNOWLES R K March 4, 1947.

2,416,758 YARN SUBSTITUTE F0 NITTING OR CROCHETING ACTIVITIES AND THE METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed NOV. 9, 1945 3mm, Mow/.56

Patented Mar. 4, 1947 1" YARN SUBSTITUTE FOR" KNITTING 0R CROCHETING ACTIVITIES AND THE METHOD or MAKING THE SAME Eileen B. KnowlespFor bestown, Calif. Application November 9, 1945 Serial No. 627,556

6 Claims. (Cl. 66202) This invention relates to yarn substitutes for knitting or crocheting activities, and the method of making the same, and has particular relation to a string or strand laden with soft and fine fur fibers of animal source for use as a substitute for yarn in the fashioning of articles by knitting or Crocheting, together with the method of producing such strand or string.

The principal object of the invention is the production of a strand or string of this type which,

when; used in fashioning the article as by knitting or Crocheting, is used similar to and as a substitute for the yarn generally employed, and which article, when thus fashioned, will present an exposed face of fluffy appearance with the face simulating a blanket of fur of an especially soft and. fiuify type (in practice both of the opposite faces of the article fabric present such appearance), with the article presenting characteristics of warmth, washability, and long life, the invention comprising a strand or string of this type, the method of producing the same, and a fabric made therefrom.

To these and other ends, the nature of which will be readily understood as the. invention is hereinafter set forth, said invention consists in a strand or string of this type and the method of producing the same, all as hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts in each of the views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a length.

of the completed strand Or string.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one form of crocheting stitch usable in producing the strand or string, the View showing a short length of the base thread of the strand or string crocheted with the several formations in very loose form-the view being .purposed to illustrate one form of crochet stitch which may be employed, the View simply illustrating one form of stitch development.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the stitch of Figure 2 in'the tight formwhich is used in producing the strand or string-the view omits the fur content which is incorporated during the production of the stitch.

Figure 4 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a fabric section produced by knitting or crocheting the strand or string of Figure 1, and illustrating some of the characteristics present in a fashioned article.

The strand or string which constitutes the present inventionindicated at l0is formed from a threadcoarse or fin'e -H, and increments; of, soft and fine fur fibers indicated, at 12. The thread l0 may be of silk, cotton, rayon, or other fibrous material which is more or less inelastic; nylon thread may also be used where the article .to be produced is never subjected to a strain or stress sufficient to develop the inherent stretch characteristic present .in this material; wool thread is unsuitable due to its shrinking possibilities which would prevent washingof the article. 1

The fur fibers content is the soft and fine fibers secured from the pelts of certain animals-rabbit doesare a preferred 'source-the fibers being removed from the skin of the pelt. Coarse and stiff fiber is unsuitable due to its inability to produce the desired fiufiy blanket-like appearance, the latter presenting the softness of down but is actually of animal fiber; to illustrate somewhat of the animal selection, the hair of the Angora species is more or less objectionable due to its having some of the characteristicsof wool. The length. of the fur fibers is not great-too*short base by'crocheting, the latterserving to provide certain loop effects through which small increments of fur'fibers are passed after which the loops are tightened about the mid-zone of the fiber length, to retain the fibers in place Within the string or strand or the article which may be formed from the latter; hence, no adhesive of any kind is used in the production of the strand or string, the firm binding'of the mid-zone of the fiber increments, coupled with the freedom of the end zones of the fibers to move laterally, serving to maintain the fibers in position.

In crocheting the thread, the selected stitch used in forming the loops should be such as to provide somewhat of a locking action-an illustrative stitch is shown in a loose formationin ,ened after the stitch has left the crocheting needle,- but when tightened by the needle activities produces the appearance of Figure 3 if thefiber increments are not introduced. 7 55., The locking feature of the stitch is more cr less essential to prevent change in the dimensions of the loop-if the dimensions of the latter are increased in service, the fur fibers can readily escape from the loop, and if the dimensions are made smaller '(as by shrinkage of the thread the undesirability of the use of wool or of fur fir bers having characteristics of wool-shrinking of the cross-sectional dimensions of. the-fur fibers could produce a looseness of the bound libertin crements and thus set up copious shedding; possibilities. i

As is apparent the length bers is not uniform, when taken from the pelts, and this condition is not changed when located Within the strand; each, increment is made upof a promiscuous group or the varied length fibers, so 'thatthe projected ends of: thesfibers setup a non-uniform appearance ofzthe ends of the: fiber increments, as indicated in: Figure 1.; while. the

strand or string: presents this effect, this condi-- tion becomes unnoticeable when the string. or strand is knitted or crocheted into the: article; so far as the exposed faces of the article. are. concerned, since the soft and fine. fibers fold over promiscuously' and produce the blanket-like surfaces of th'e. article. Since; the increments are formed of'small quantities of the individual iibers, the thickness of: the blanket-like surfaceoi the article is not great, but the many fibers used in the aggregate, andwhich are uniformly distributedtby the crocheting of the: strand'pr strin makes it: apparent that the. article surface will present? the appearance of asolid fur'surface: of very soft characteristic-the. down effect-and th'e'unevenness. of. the fringeof fibers at the edges ofithearticle: will not be. detrimental since they will. give visible'evidence. of the nature of the fur surface, the latter being very fluffy in appear.- ance'.

*The: loop: must be: sufficiently large as; to. readi'ly receive the. fiber increment; but to retain the increment in" its desired position: the loop must be tigl'rl'faboutthe increment; hence the increment should be inserted during the fashioning oi the'loop" which is. to receive. it. If'a loos'echain were provided the increments. then inserted, and

theloopsthen tightened by drawing onthechain, the product would be unstable. since the chain loops'co-uld be drawn out. into the: loose form and release the fibierr increments. Hence the stitch used in developing the strand or string should.

include; a locking characteristic which prevents material" change in the dimensions of the loop after-the loop has been completed'and leaves the needle, since" the latter must provide the tight-. eningc action,

Hence, the fiber increments are fed, in' suitable-manner, into the embryo loop during its "formationf. This can be a hand-or a machine operation-as can be the Crocheting of the strand or string; in hand crocheting; the fibers may be placed convenient and so arranged as to permit rapid. pick-up of the desired increment,v fed-into the: embryo loop' and the loop tightenedit is possible that the. needle hook can. be employed to pick-up and feed the increment into the em bryci loopan'd the latter then be completed about the positioned increment.- Because of the varied possibilities as tothe f'or-rn" of the stitch and the ways of feeding the increments no particular showing'in thisrespect is being made in thedrawof the individual is fed into the embryo loop formation and the latter is then tightened about the positioned increment, the increment being held therein by the locking? characteristic of the stitch which preventszthe loop-from being loosened.

Since the chain stitches usable for developing the string or strand generally provide for more than a single loop within the stitch, it is possible to provide variations in the form of the strand or string by limiting the inserted increment to but a single loop of the stitch or by utilizing' all-oi the loop; the latter will provide a deeper'blanket efiect than the former due to the increase in the number of fibers presentybut the number ofloops of the stitch used must be suificient to provide a definite blanketing appearance to the surface of the completed article.

The strand or string thus'formed is then used similar to yarn in thefashioning of. the article, as lay-knitting or crocheting, the strand or string thus serving as a substitute for yarn; in other Words, thestrand or string is treated asthough it were a single thread or cord and the knitting or crocheting of the article is carried out on this basis, so that, the completed article would have some of. the characteristics such as would be produced by' the knitting or crocheting of cord or yarn, but differing as to other characteristics.

For instance, the surfacesv of. theiarticle have asoft, fluiiy, blanketed form and appearance which practically tends to conceal the textile crocheted thread base, and. giving the appearcharacteristic .that'the fabric produced thereby is of aporous type; thus permitting breathing through the fabric Without destroying the Warmth characteristic.

.The article is Washableandreadily dried, with out shrinkage or stretching to-any material extent-while the strand" or string is itself practically inelastic, the article has the ability to adaptitselfto the form of the wearer due to the knitting or crccheting activities used in producing. the article, doing this Without affecting the normal inelasticity of the strand or string used in the fashioning of the article. Flexibility of the article is thus apparent.

Since the practically inflexible strand or string retains its holding characteristics on the fibers Within the loops-thus tending to anchor the increments-and thewashing'of the article tends to maintain the vitality of the fiber content through the addition of moisture thereto, the article is of long-wearing characteristic; since the fluffy surface is due tothe soft and line fiber content, there is no need of' combing the blanket to preserve the fluffy, down-like effect,

since the strand or string is itself inelastic and non-shrinking, it is apparent that the life of the article will not be affected by shrinkage although the article may be subjected to frequent washings.

While I have herein shown and described a strand or string of a preferred type, as well as varied ways for producing the same together with a fabric produced therefrom, it is evident that changes or modifications thereof may be found desirable or essential in meeting the various exigencies of useand the desires of individual users, and I therefore reserve the right to make any and all such changes therein as may be found desirable or essential, insofar as the same may fall within the scope of the accompanying claims, when broadly construed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A yarn substitute in the form of a strand or string comprising a thread base chocheted to provide a succession of loops, and increments of soft and fine fur fibers extending through and anchored by tightened loops of the crocheted chain.

2. A yarn substitute in the form of a strand or string comprising a thread base crocheted to provide a succession of loops, and increments of soft and fine fur fibers extending through and anchored by tightened loops of the crocheted chain with the anchoring provided within the mid zone of the length of the increment to thereby provide lengths of individual fibers projecting freely from opposite sides of the crocheted base.

3. A yarn substitute in the form of a strand or string comprising a thread base crocheted to provide a succession of loops, and increments of soft and fine fur fibers extending through and anchored by tightened loops of the crocheted chain with the anchoring provided within the mid zone of the length of the increment to thereby provide lengths of individual fibers projecting freely from opposite sides of the crocheted base the increment fiber content presenting fibers differing as to length with each increment including a promiscuous number of the varied length fibers.

4. In the production of a knitted or crocheted fabric, wherein a yarn substitute is adapted for fashioning such fabrics by knitting or crocheting operations in similitude to the use of yarn thread for such purpose, and wherein the yarn substitute is in the form of a fur-laden strand or string, the method of producing such strand or string which consists in crocheting a textile thread into a strand or string formation in which the formation includes one or more loops within each crocheted stitch, feeding a small increment of soft and fine fur fibers of animal source into a loop during the formation of the stitch to present the increment ends as projecting beyond and on opposite sides of the loop, and tightening the loop about the positioned increment to thereby anchor the increment with such projected increment ends exposed and with the ends of the fibers individual and free.

5. A method as in claim 4 characterized in that the crocheting stitch is formed with embryo increment-receiving loops in relativeloose formation to permit ready insertion of the increment and thereafter tightened in completing the stitch to tighten the loop into a locked anchoring relation about a mid-zone of the positioned increment. I

6. A fabric having its opposite faces presenting a soft and fiuffy appearance and feel, said fabric being formed by knitting a fur-laden strand or string, such strand or string comprising a thread base crocheted to provide a succession of loops in chain form and having increments of soft and fine fur fibers of animal origin extending through and anchored by tightened loops of the crocheted chain and with the anchoring provided within the mid-zone of the length of the increment to thereby provide lengths of individual fibers projecting freely from opposite sides of the crocheted base. I

EILEEN B. KNOWLES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,119,120 Salzberger Dec. 1, 1914 1,769,970 Silverman July 8, 1930 2,213,720 Seim Sept. 3, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 25,821 British 1901

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