US3658023A

US3658023A - Fabric and method for making the fabric

Info

Publication number: US3658023A
Application number: US841903A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alfred G Rossi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-07-15
Filing date: 1969-07-15
Publication date: 1972-04-25
Anticipated expiration: 1989-04-25

Abstract

A fabric and method for making same are described. A destructible material capable of supporting closely spaced stitches is sewn with zigzag stitches of upper threads arranged in rows with overlapping zigzag corners between different rows. Alternate rows of opposite zigzag upper thread stitches are placed on the destructible fabric and interlocked with under threads at the corners to effectively interlock the upper threads. Thereupon, the fabric on which the upper threads were placed is destroyed without affecting the upper and under threads, to leave a loosely knit fabric suitable for garments and the like.

Description

[151 3,653,023 [451 Apr. 25, 1972 United States Patent Rossi 2,332,931 10/1943 Riviere...... ......ll2/4i6 3,315,329 4/1967 Yoshioka...............................28/76T [54] FABRIC AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE FABRIC Primary Examiner-Alfred R. Guest Attorney- Louis H. Reens [72] Inventor: Allred G. Rossi, 322 35th Street, Union` City, NJ. 07087 ABSTRACT [22] Filed: July l5, 1969 2,259,025 lO/l 94| Cosgro PATENTEDAPRQSIQH 3,658,023

24 26 20/ 2O IO 24 |NVENTOR ALFRED GHNO ROSSI BYRKBWMYL mjmvu) FABRIC AND METHOD FGR MAKING THE FABRIC This invention relates to fabrics and a method of making fabrics. More specifically, this invention relates to loose fabrics `such as lace and a method of utilizing an embroidery machine for making a fabric.

The embroidery of materials on a high production basis involves highly sophisticated, complicated machines of generally limited capability. A well known embroidery machine is known as the Schiffli machine.

This invention is directed at the formation of a fabric which can be conveniently and economically manufactured on an embroidery machine.

In the practise of this invention, a material capable of being removed is sewn with rows of closely spaced zigzag upper thread stitches with certain rows displaced from others to align upper thread rows of opposite zigzags with other rows to form overlapping comers of the zigzag stitches. Under threads interlock with upper threads at the zigzag corners to provide the interlock between the rows of upper threads upon removal of the material.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a method of making a loose fabric. It is still further an object of this invention to provide a method of making a fabric with an embroidery machine.

These objects and others may be understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a planar enlarged schematic view of a fabric made in acc'ordance with the invention with the foundation fabric indicated for clarity in phantom fashion.

FIG. 2 is a section view of the fabric of FIG. l taken along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section view of the fabric of FIG. 1 taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. l.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the comer interlocking of a pair of upper threads.

With reference to the FIG. 1, a phantom shown destructible fabric material l0, such as silk, is provided with rows of sewn upper threads. Upper threads 12 through 30 and as many others as desired are sewn to the fabric l in zigzag rows and are interlocked with under threads such as 32 through 48 at the corners of the zigzags of the several upper threads. The upper thread 12, for instance, is sewn to the silk fabric and interlocked with an under thread 32 at the comer 50 and again interlocked with under thread 32 at corner 52. This zigzag sewing of thread 12 is continued for the width of the silk fabric 10. A second upper thread 14 is then sewn to the fabric l0, like upper thread 12, and in fact is placed in parallel adjacency with thread 12. Accordingly, the upper thread 14 interlocks with an under thread 36 at comers such as 54. A third upper thread 16 may be sewn before an upper thread of opposite zigzag is sewn. FIG. 3 illustrates the beginning formation steps in making the fabric of this invention. Upper thread 18 is sewn to the fabric l0 with an opposite zigzag from that of

threads

12 and 14 and is so spaced to provide an overlap of previously sewn upper threads such as 16 and 14. The upper thread 18 interlocks with an under thread 34 at

comers

56, 58 and 60. The corner 56 is so placed that it overlaps the comer 54 of the previously sewn thread 14 and in this manner interlocks upper thread 18 with upper thread 14 of opposite zigzag.

By continuing the sewing of upper threads with alternate opposite zigzag patterns, a continuous interlocked fabric is formed on the silk 10.

The silk fabric l0 is then removed by destroying it in a suitable chemical solution or by charring without affecting the upper and under threads. The remainder then is a fabric of generally loose knit or wide spacings between zigzag comers, but possesses the integrity of a material for garment purposes and the like.

In the sewing of the upper threads to the foundation material 10, the latter may be moved while the needles remain stationary. A Schili embroidery machine may be employed. With such machine, a destructible material such as silk is passed through the machine which is programmed to move the fabric in the direction of arrow 64 with

upper threads

12, 16 and 24 being sewn in the direction of arrow 66. When the fabric l0 is moved in the direction of arrow 66,

upper threads

18, 22 and 26 are sewn in direction of arrow 64. This process of threading may be repeated as many times as desired to cover an area as large as necessary. Care must be taken to assure that upper threads with opposite zigzags each overlap at least one upper thread with an interlocking at the corners of the zigzags.

The sewn upper threads of FIG. 1 are shown wherein each overlap by an upper thread such as 26 encloses or traps two other

upper threads

24 and 20. This may clearly be appreciated from the section view of FIG. 2. This view shows the upper thread 26 above the silk fabric 10 overlapping two other

upper threads

20 and 24 in between

corners

68 and 70. If desired, more upper threads may be overlapped or crossed before the overlapping upper thread is interlocked with an under thread at a zigzag corner. Thernurnber of crossings depends upon the shape of the zigzag; i.e., its sharpness in angle, the length of its legs, and spacing density of parallel threads. These are parameters that may be chosen depending upon the type of effect one desires from the completed fabric. Color of the different threads may be varied.

The ends of the rows of zigzags may be finished in a suitable manner to avoid end fraying.

FIG. 4 perspectively illustrates the comer interlocking effect which holds the fabric together. Note that the under

threads

42 and 44 practically are not visible from above. The under threads merely loop the

upper threads

20 and 26, which, if suitably chosen as to size in relation to that of the under thread, completely obscure the latter. As the upper threads draw taut in opposite directions, their zigzag comers lock and fabric integrity is maintained.

The destruction of the silk fabric l0 may be by suitable chemical agents or by charring. Whatever process is employed to remove the silk, care must be taken to avoid damage of the upper and under threads.

The fabric thus formed has particular utility in the formation of lace. Lace is generally an ornamental open fabric; however, the fabric made in accordance with this invention has much greater utility and is of particular advantage for embroidery machines which by this invention become suitable for making fabric.

lclaim:

l. A method of forming a fabric comprising the steps of sewing first rows of upper threads in parallel adjacency with one another in zigzag fashion across a removable material with comers of the zigzags interlocked with under threads, sewing second rows of upper threads in parzdlel adjacency with one another in zigzag fashion across the removable material with comers of the zigzags interlocked with under threads, said second rows of threads being effectively laterally displaced from the first rows of threads to provide overlap of corners between first row and second row threads, and removing the material to leave an interlocked fabric formed of said rows of upper threads and under threads.

2. The method of making the fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second rows of upper threads are sewn with opposite zigzags from that of first rows of upper threads.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein adjacent rows of upper threads are sewn with opposite zigzags.

4. A loosely held fabric comprising:

first rows of upper threads arranged in zigzag fashion in parallel spaced relationship with one another;

second rows of upper threads arranged in zigzag fashion in parallel spaced relationship with one another, said second rows of upper threads laterally arranged relative to the first rows of upper threads with zigzag comer overlap and under threads interlocking with each of the upper threads at the zigzag comers thereof to form an interlocked fabric.

5. The fabric as claimed in claim 4 wherein the under threads are arranged parallel with upper threads to interlock at corners thereof.

6. The lace fabric as claimed in claim 4 wherein the first and second rows of upper threads are arranged with adjacent rows 5 crossing one another to interlock with further spaced and laterally displaced rows of upper threads.

Claims

1. A method of forming a fabric comprising the steps of sewing first rows of upper threads in parallel adjacency with one another in zigzag fashion across a removable material with corners of the zigzags interlocked with under threads, sewing second rows of upper threads in parallel adjacency with one another in zigzag fashion across the removable material with corners oF the zigzags interlocked with under threads, said second rows of threads being effectively laterally displaced from the first rows of threads to provide overlap of corners between first row and second row threads, and removing the material to leave an interlocked fabric formed of said rows of upper threads and under threads.

4. A loosely held fabric comprising: first rows of upper threads arranged in zigzag fashion in parallel spaced relationship with one another; second rows of upper threads arranged in zigzag fashion in parallel spaced relationship with one another, said second rows of upper threads laterally arranged relative to the first rows of upper threads with zigzag corner overlap and under threads interlocking with each of the upper threads at the zigzag corners thereof to form an interlocked fabric.

6. The lace fabric as claimed in claim 4 wherein the first and second rows of upper threads are arranged with adjacent rows crossing one another to interlock with further spaced and laterally displaced rows of upper threads.