US2492051A

US2492051A - Woven fabric with locked selvage

Info

Publication number: US2492051A
Application number: US22336A
Authority: US
Inventors: Carl F Libby
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-04-21
Filing date: 1948-04-21
Publication date: 1949-12-20
Anticipated expiration: 1966-12-20

Description

Dec. 20, 1949 c. F. LIBBY- 2,492,051

WOVEN FABRIC WITH LOCKED SELVAGE Filed April 21', 1.948

Patented Dec. 20, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE wovEN FABRIC WITH Looks]: SEWAGE Carl F. Libby, Stoughton, Mass.

Application April 21, 1948, Serial No. 22,336

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a woven fabric in which the selvages are securely locked against raveling. The invention relates more particularly to narrow fabrics such as belts, elastic bands and the like, which are woven on shuttleless looms. In looms Of this description, the weft thread or threads are inserted into the shed in loops. In a single thread fabric these loops extend from one of the sides to the other side of the warp, the ends of the loops being successively knitted together. Where two weft threads are used, the loops are projected through the warp shed alternately from the two sides of the warp, the loop ends at each side of the fabric being successively knitted to form a selvage. Fabrics of this description are frequently made of rayon weft threads, which are relatively smooth and slippery, so that they ravel easily whenever a break occurs. It is an object of the present invention to lock the selvages securely so as to avoid raveling in case a weft yarn breaks. For this pur pose an extensible elastic selvage thread is knitted into each selvage together with the weft thread loops which are knitted into such selvage. The selvage threads are knitted when stretched to a state of considerable extension so that when the tension is released in the finished fabric, these selvage threads contract and tightly bind the weft thread or threads knitted therewith.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description thereof and to the drawing, of which the figure is a conventionalized showing of a fabric in the process of being woven.

The fabric illustrated on the drawing is similar in thread arrangement to a fabric shown in my copending application, Serial No. 738,447, filed March 31, 1947, pursuant to which Patent No. 2,471,758 was granted March 31, 1949. This fabric comprises a suitable number of warp threads II], which are guided through heddles, not shown, so as to form a shed which changes after each loop of weft thread has been projected therethrough. Two fingers l2 and M are provided to project the weft threads IE and I8 across the warp in successive loops which are projected alternately from the two sides of the warp, the loops of the thread l5 being projected from the left side of the warp, the loops of the thread is being projected from the right side. In addition to the weft threads l6 and I8,

selvage threads

20 and 22 are provided, suitable guides 24 and 2% being provided for these threads. According to the invention the

selvage threads

20 and 22 are extensible and elastic. For this purpose, a very fine rubber thread, preferably covered with cotton or rayon, is employed. These threads are capable of a relatively high degree of extension and are substantially stretched during the weaving operation. As each loop of weft thread is projected across the warp, the end of the loop is caught on a knitting

needle

30 or 32, which is supported in such a manner as to reciprocate alongside of one of the selvages, a needle being provided for each selvage. The needle thereupon catches the other weft thread and the selvage thread which is on the same side with it. These three threads are then knitted together as a triple loop through the previously formed triple loop of the same threads. When the tension on the selvage thread or threads is relieved, these thread loops contract, thereby pinching and twisting the other threads in the selvages and thus effectively locking the selvages against raveling in case of breakage of any of the threads.

The drawing shows a fabric having knitted selvages along both side edges thereof, the loops in each selvage being composed of three threads, an extensible elastic selvage thread being supplied on each side of the fabric to be knitted with the weft threads into the selvages. It is not always necessary to employ two selva/ge threads nor to employ two weft threads. For example, the selvage thread 20 may be omitted in making a fabric, the other threads being woven and knitted as shown; or the selvage thread 20 and the weft thread l8 may be omitted, in which case the finger l4 and the needle 30 would be idle. In both of these examples, the selvage thread 22 would be substantially stretched when being knitted and would firmly bind the selvage loops of weft threads when the stretching tension was relieved.

I claim:

1. A woven fabric having a warp, a weft thread extending across the warp in successive loops, the ends of said loops being successively knitted to form a selvage, and an extensible elastic selvage thread knitted with each said loop end of weft thread in said selvage, whereby each knitted loop in the selvage is composed of at least two threads.

2. A woven fabric having a warp, two weft threads extending in loops across the warp alternately from opposite sides of the warp. ends of successive loops on each side of the warp being successively knitted to form selvages, and an extensible elastic selvage thread on each side of the warp knitted in with the weft thread p ends on the same side of the warp, whereby each knitted loop in both selvages is composed of at least two threads.

3. A woven fabric having a warp, two weft threads extending in loops across the warp alternately from opposite sides of the warp, and a selvage thread at each side of the warp, said fabric having along each side edge thereof a selvage composed of three-thread knitted loops each of which includes the end of a loop of weft thread from the far side of the warp together with the weft thread and selvage thread on the near side.

4. A woven fabric having a warp, two weft threads extending in loops across the warp alternately from opposite sides of the warp, and an extensible elastic selvage thread at each side of the warp, said fabric having along each side edge 5 thread on the near side.

CARL F. LIBBY.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Clutsom Jan. 24, 1939 Number