US2713359A

US2713359A - Washable absorbent textile fabrics

Info

Publication number: US2713359A
Application number: US312277A
Authority: US
Inventors: Phoenix N Dangel; Knohl Herbert
Original assignee: Kendall Co
Current assignee: Kendall Co
Priority date: 1952-09-30
Filing date: 1952-09-30
Publication date: 1955-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 1972-07-19

Description

July 19, 1955 P. N. DANGEI. l-:T AL 2,713,359

wAsHABLE ABsoRBENT TEXTILE FABRICS Filed Sept. 30, 1952 INVENToRs phoenix /l ngei, dna

wAsnAnrn AnsoRnnNr TEXTILE FABRICS Phoenix N. Dangel, Boston, Mass., and Herbert Knohl,

Downers Grove, lil., assignors to The Kendall Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application September' 30, 1952, Serial No. 312,277

3 Claims. (Ci. 139-383) This invention relates to washable absorbent textile fabrics and more particularly to a fabric adapted for use as an extra-capacity babys diaper.

While a gauze diaper of the type currently available is generally satisfactory in ordinary use, it does not have the capacity required to maintain the average baby reasonably dry throughout the night or over any other relatively long period of time during which it is`inconvenient to change the baby. Some mothers have resorted to the application of two diapers to provide adequate absorbent capacity, but this arrangement is clumsy and makeshift because of the diiculty in pinning more than one diaper on a baby and the discomfort to the baby caused by the excessive bulkiness.

Various other solutions to the problem have been pro posed from time to time, such as the use of heavier yarns or of a greater number of yarns than are present in conventional diaper cloth. Such expedients have met with little success because of the large increment in fabric weight necessary to obtain the desired improvement in absorbency, and the loss of facility in the washing and drying of diapers in these more closely woven constructions.

It is the object of this invention to provide much irnproved multi-layer absorbent textile fabric having extra capacity for body fluids and of such construction as to facilitate efcient laundering and rapid drying for ren use.

It is a specific object of this invention to supply such an extra-capacity diaper which will withstand repeated washing and re-use without substantial fraying, raveling or other deterioration.

Our invention, in its preferred form, consists of a Washable absorbent textile structure comprising three plies of lightweight, relatively open-mesh fabric substantially free and independent from one another except along their selvages and in specially constructed transverse parallel spaced bar portions which define the shape of the individual diaper or other unit, said structure further characterized in that the warp yarns thereof are substantially equal in length. The transverse bar portions of the structure comprise a layer of fabric consisting of an interweave of multiple planes of filling yarns with the warp yarns of the structure to form a single layer of fabric, said layer consisting of at least two planes of filling yarns, the maximum number of planes of said filling yarns being one less than the number of plies in the main body portion of the fabric structure.

Reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred embodiment of our invention, will facilitate an understanding of our contribution to the art.

Figure l is an isometric view of a portion of a continuous length of our novel fabric. Figure 2 represents an individual diaper cut from the fabric of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a broken sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1, showing the detail of the interweave in a bar portion of the fabric. Figure 4 is another sectional nited tates 4latent ice View taken along the line 4 4 of Figure l, illustrating the construction of the common selvage.

The fabric structure shown in the drawings comprises three plies 12, 13, and 14 of open-mesh cotton fabric free and independent of each other in the main body portion 15, of the structure but interwoven at the pinking bars 10 and along the inner edges of the selvages 11. The pinking bars and selvages are common to each of the three plies and serve to unite the plies into a unitary textile structure. In the pinking bars, as shown in detail in Figure 3, the sets of warp yarns, 16, 17, and 18 of each of the three main body fabric layers are inter- Woven with the

iilling yarns

19 and 20 of the pinking bars.

As the fabrics of our invention normally are intended to be severed in selected areas by pinking devices to form individual units, the construction of these selected areas orpinking bars is a matter of considerable importance. The yarns of the pinking bars must be securely interwoven so that the severed edges of the individual fabric unit will resist raveling during repeated laundering and use cycles. Yet a construction in which the yarns are packed close to the point of jamming is impractical because of weaving diiculty and the fact that the resultant edge portion of the individual fabric unit is so inexible, rough, and harsh to the touch as to be unsuited for use as a babys diaper.

ln our novel fabric, the pinking bar consists of filling yarns arranged substantially in two planes and interwoven by warp yarns of substantially equal length from each of the three fabric layers of the main body portion of the fabric, the warp yarns from each body layer weaving together the filling yarns of both planes over a total of approximately one-third of the warpwise distance of the pinking bar and weaving the filling yarns of a single plane over the remainder of the distance. 1n the pinking bar shown in cross-section in Figure 3, the warp yarns 16 of the top body fabric ply shed a pick 19 of the upper plane of filling yarns for each of their first four sheds, then shed a pick 19 with a pick 20 from both upper and lower planes for their next two sheds. The iirst two sheds of the warp yarns 17 of the middle body fabric ply each encompass a pick 2t) from the lower plane of filling yarns; the next two sheds each encompass two picks, one being from each plane, and the last two sheds each encompass one pick 19 from the upper plane. The warp yarns 18 of the bottom body fabric ply complete the interweave pattern by shedding a pick from each plane in each of their first two sheds and a pick 2l) of the bottom plane in each of their next four sheds. The interweave pattern is repeated as often as is necessary to yield a pinking bar of the desired width.

Thus one set of warp yarns is shedding picks from both planes of filling yarns while the other two sets of warp yarns are shedding picks from a single plane. So long as thc total interweaving, or two-plane shedding, performed by each of the three sets of warp yarns is approximately equal, the frequency of change from one to two-plane shedding for any given set of warp yarns is not critical. For optimum resistance to raveling how ever, we prefer an interweave in which any set of warp yarns consecutively sheds filling yarns from both planes for at least two and not more than six sheds.

The interweave feature of our novel fabric has particular importance when the woven plies of the body portion of the structure are of a construction suitable for diaper use, such as 30s and 40s yarns in a 40 x 38 construction, because of the crowding and jamming which would be caused by any conventional interweave such as the single layer, plain Weave customarily used in the interweave of two-layer diaper cloth. In our construction the division of the filling yarns into two planes and the alternation of single and double-plane shedding provide a compact, ravel-resistant yet uncrowded and readily weavable structure. Furthermore, each set of warp yarns travel approximately the same distance in the interweave portion of the fabric. This simplifies the weaving and reduces production costs since all the warp yarns may be wound on a single beam.

The selvages of our multi-layer fabric are preferably of tubular construction, the selvage weave pattern being such that not more than two consecutive warp yarns or two consecutive filling yarns follow the same path-i. e. as in a plain, basket, or 2 X l twill weave. Such a con* struction cooperates with the other features of my invention in that it provides a highly satisfactory selvage while at the same time avoiding the jamming which would occur in many cases if the filling yarns from each of the three fabric plies were woven into the usual single plane of warp selvage yarns. A further advantage of the tubular construction is that it reduces the number of picks to be shedded by the warp selvages yarns so that these yarns travel approximately the saine distance as the body warp yarns and all of the Warp yarns may be wound on a single beam without excessive breakage due to unequal take-up. As appears from Figure 4 of the drawings, the tubular selvage is constructed by interweaving the filling yarns or

picks

22 and 24, of all three main body plies with warp yarns of the selvage 28 and 30, which are in two planes or plies. At the inner margin 32 of the selvage, the picks of at least one of the body plies divide, pick 22 of the top body ply passing into the top ply of the selvage, and next successive pick 24 of the top body ply passing into the lower selvage ply, as seen in Figure 4. The picks from the other body plies may likewise divide, if desired, as shown in Figure 4. All of the picks from all of the body plies pass into and continue around the outer margin 34 of the selvage.

For the sake of simplicity and ease in weaving, the construction of the selvage is preferably the same along the pinking bar portions of our fabric as along the threelayer body portion. Alternatively the selvages of the three-layer portion of the fabric may be tubular and the selvages of the pinking bars of the same construction as the pinking bars.

With respect to the size and count of the yarns our new fabric may be woven in a Wide Variety of constructions, depending on the particular use for which it is intended. In a diapercloth construction, the thread count of each ply may be as low as 32 X 28 or as high as 52 X 48 and the yarns may vary between l8s and 40s, the higher numbers, of course, being used in the fabric plies having the higher thread counts.

We prefer to use boiled and bleached cotton yarns because of their high durability and absorbency, but the yarns or a portion of them may be composed of or contain any other freely water-wettable cellulosic material such as kapok, linen, ramie, and regenerated cellulose. Also fibers, yarns, or filaments of a less hydrophilic nature may be employed in minor proportion with a corresponding decrease in absorbency Without departing from the spirit of our invention.

In connection with the use in the structure of materials other than cotton, it should be noted that yarns or iibers of high absorbency but relatively low wet strength and/or abrasion resistance can be advantageously incorporated in the middle body fabric layer since this layer is protected from direct wear during use.

In a typical commercial product of our invention, designed for diaper use, 25s and 35s bleached cotton yarns are used in the warp and iilling respectively, and the thread count of each ply of the body portion of the fabric is 40 x 40. The construction of the interweave or pinking bar is identical with that shown in Figure 3, the width of the pinking bar being about 11/2 inches and representing l2 repeats of the weave illustrated. The plain weave tubular sclvage shown in Figure 4 is ernployed along the entire length of each edge of the fabric, i6 warp yarns being used in the salvage to provide a width of about 3/Is-inch.

The textile fabrics of this invention possess an unusual combination of properties which suit them ideally for use as eXtra-capacity babys diapers. The three plies of fabric provide a significant improvement in absorbent apacity over the conventional diaper yet the light, relatively open-rnesh construction of the plies and their substantial independence from one another facilitate washing ano rapid. drying. Due to the interweave design of the pinking bars, the severed edges of the individual diapers are highly resistant to raveling yet not so stili or harsh as to chate or irritate a babys delicate skin. Tests have demonstrated convincingly that a diaper manufactured according to our invention is far easier to apply to a baby than a plurality of ordinary diapers and remains in place on the baby with less bunching or bulking.

While our invention has been described with particular reference to a multi-layer woven fabric having three plies in its main body portions and two planes of filling yarns in its pinking bars, useful structures may be woven according to the principles set forth herein in which there four or more body fabric plies and pinking bars having two or more planes of filling yarns but a lesser number of planes than there are body fabric plies.

We claim:

l. A washable, absorbent, ".voven multi-layer textile structure for diapers comprising a body portion consisting of at least three body plies of light-weight open mesh fabric substantially free and independent from one another, selvage portions which are common to all of the three layers of the main body plies serving to unite the multiple plies into a unitary textile structure and spaced apart parallel interwoven substantially ravel resistant transverse bar portions which also serve to unite the plies into a unitary textile structure, said parallel interwoven bar portions being adapted to be severed by pinking means and consisting of an interweave of the warp yarns of each of the main body plies with filling yarns lying in at least two planes, the maximum number of said planes of filling yarns being at least one less than the number of plies in the main body portion, the warp yarns of the structure being substantially of equal length, and the weave shcds formed by the Warp yarns from every main body ply encompassing picks from at least two planes of lling yarns for a minimum of two consecutive sheds.

2. A washable, absorbent, woven textile structure for diapers having at least three free and independent body plies and a two-ply tubular selvagc, successive picks in at least one of said body plies dividing at the inner margin of the selvage, one of said picks passing into one ply of the selvage and the next successive pick in said body ply passing into the other ply of the selvage, all of the picks from all of the body plies passing into and continuing around the outer margin of the salvage.

3. A washable, absorbent, woven multi-layer textile structure for diapers comprising a body portion consisting of at least three body plies of light-weight open mesh fabric substantially free and independent from one another; a two-ply tubular selvage serving to unite all three layers into a unitary textile structure said selvage being formed by successive picks in at least one of said main body plies dividing at the inner margin of the selvage, one of said picks in said body ply passing into one ply of the selvage and thc next successive pick in said body ply passing into the other ply of the selvage, all of the picks from all of the body plies passing into and continuing around thc outer margin of the selvage; and spaced apart parallel interwoven substantially ravel-resistant transverse bar portions which also serve to unite the plies into a unitary structure, said parallel interwoven bar portions being adapted to be severed by pinking means and consisting of an interweave of warp yarns of each of the main body plies with filling yarns lying in at least two planes, the maximum number of said planes of lilling yarns being at least one less than the number of plies in the main body portion, the warp yarns of the structure being substantially of equal length, and the weave sheds formed by the warp yarns from every main body ply encompassing picks from at least two planes of lling yarns for a minimum of two consecutive sheds.

Referenees Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 570,174 Knight Oct. 27, 1896 6 Knibbs Aug. 23, Robitschek Nov,. 29, Jennings Aug. 13, Gaynor Oct. 7, Sayers May 24, Wallin July 4,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Ian. 28,