Method and apparatus for producing a fabric

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR WEFT-KNITTING A FABRIC COMPRISING, A SOURCE OF FLAT SHEET MATERIAL HAVING A PREDTERMINED WIDTH, A CUTTER, MEANS DELIVERING SHEET MATERIAL FROM SAID SOURCE TO SAID CUTTER, SAID CUTTER HAVING MEANS FOR CUTTING SAID FLAT SHEET MATERIAL INTO A PLURALITY OF FLAT STRIP ELEMENTS OF PRESELECTED WIDTHS WIHTOUT REGARD TO THE TOTAL WIDTH OF THE SOURCE OF FLAT SHEET MATERIAL, SIAD ELEMENTS REMAINING CONNECTED TO SAID SOURCE OF SHEET MATERIAL, A WEFT-KNITTING HAVING KNITTING NEEDLES, AND MEANS DELIVERING SAID FLAT STRIP ELEMENTS FROM SAID CUTTER TO SAID KNITTING MACHINE WHEREBY SAID ELEMENTS ARE ENGAGED BY SAID KNITTING NEEDLES AND KNIT INTO A FABRIC ON SAID KNITTING MACHINE, THE WIDTH OF EACH FLAT STRIP BEING RELATED TO THE KNITTING NEEDLE WHICH ENGAGES THE SAME TO ASSURE THAT THE OPERATION OF THE KNITTING MACHINE WILL PERFORM AN EFFICIENT KNITTING OPERATION.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING A KNITTED FABRIC FROM A FEED STOCK SUPPLY CONSISTING OF UNKNITTED, UNWOVEN FLAT SHEET MATERIAL COMPRISING, WITHDRAWING SAID MATERIAL FROM SAID FEED STOCK SUPPLY, CUTTING SAID WITHDRAWN MATERIAL INTO A PLURALITY OF FLAT STRIP ELEMENTS, EACH ELEMENT BEING CUT TO ANY INDIVIDUALLY PREDETERMINED WIDTH, WHILE THE ELEMENTS REMAIN ATTACHED TO THE FEED STOCK SUPPLY, DELIVERING THE FLAT STRIP ELEMENTS TO THE KNITTING NEEDLES OF A KNITTING MACHINE, THE WIDTH OF EACH FLAT STIRP ELEMENT BEING PRESELECTED IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE SIZE OF THE KNITTING NEEDLE TO WHICH THE STRIP IS DELIVERED TO ASSURE EFFICIENT KNITTING OF ALL OF SAID ELEMENTS INTO A FABRIC, AND KNITTING PORTIONS OF SAID FLAT STRIP ELEMENTS INTO A FABRICWHILE THE UNKNITTED PORTION OF SAID ELEMENTS REMAIN CONNECTED TO SAID FEED STOCK SUPPLY.