Woven cotton-polyester blend fabrics having recoverable stretch characteristics

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR TREATING FABRICS WOVEN ENTIRELY FROM STANDARD YARNS CONSISTING OF A BLEND OF COTTON AND POLYESTERS FIBERS TO IMPART THERETO HIGH STRETCH AND RECOVERY PROPERTIES IN THE FILLING DIRECTION ONLY WHICH COMPRISES THE FOLLOWING STEPS: (A) DESIZING THE FABRIC; (B) SHRINKING THE DESIZED FABRIC IN THE FILLING DIRECTION BY SUBJECTING IT TO THE ACTION OF A MERCERIZING AGENT WHILE MAINTAINING THE FABRIC UNDER TENSION IN THE WRAPWISE DIRECTION AND IN A SUBSTANTIALLY UNTENSIONED CONDITION IN TH FILLING DIRECTION; (C) WASHING THE FABRIC WHILE MAINTAINING IT UNDER TENSION IN THE WARPWISE DIRECTION BUT WITHOUT APPLYING TENSION IN THE FILLING DIRECTION UNTIL SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE MERCERIZING AGENT HAS BEEN REMOVED; (D) DRYING THE WASHED FABRIC WITHOUT STRETCHING IN THE FILLING DIRECTION; (E) IMPREGNATING THE DRIED FABRIC WITH A LIQUID MIXTURE CONTAINING A FLUORESCENT DYE AND A WETTING AGENT; (F) DRYING THE IMPREGNATED FABRIC WHILE RESTRICTING SHRINKAGE THEREOF IN THE FILLING DIRECTION;