Anchor tapes

Claim 1

In a stretchable anchor tape comprising a strip of elastic fabric having substantial stretch and recovery in at least the longitudinal direction, said elastic fabric comprising elastomeric yarns having a core of stretchable elastomeric material and a covering of fibrous textile material upon said core, said strip being constructed with a zone of fabric extending throughout its length which is stretchable in the longitudinal direction and substantially inextensible in the transverse direction, and gripping means disposed along said strip, the improvement wherein said gripping means comprises at least one longitudinal air-impermeable bead of a foamed elastomeric material having stretch and recovery at least as great as the stretch and recovery of said strip, said material comprising a latex and a thickener formulated to produce no more than two parts of thickener per one hundred parts of dry latex, said formulation in the wet foamed state having a viscosity to avoid penetration through the body of the elastic fabric, and having both drying and curing temperatures in the range between room temperatures and the degradation temperature of said fabric, said bead being physically bonded to the fibrous material at one surface of said strip in said transversely inextensible zone by being dried and cured in situ upon said strip to provide an exposed smooth air-impermeable skin thereon, the fabric strip beneath and on either side of said being air-permeable to permit breathing of said tape, said bead being relaxed and unconstricted along its length when said strip is substantially relaxed.

Claim 9

A method of fabricating a stretchable anchor tape comprising the steps of employing elastomeric yarns having a core of elastomeric material and a covering of fibrous textile material on said core to fabricate a strip of air-permeable elastic fabric having a predetermined stretch and recovery in at least one of the longitudinal and transverse directions, depositing in a fluid state a foamed elastomeric material in at least one bead extending longitudinally upon one surface of said strip, said material comprising a latex and a thickener in a ratio to produce when dried and cured no greater than two parts of thickener to 100 parts of dry latex, and selecting the quantity of thickener to control the viscosity of the fluid material relative to the openness of the fabric construction of the strip and the tension condition of the strip to insure physical bonding of the elastomeric material to the fibrous material on one surface of the strip without substantially penetrating into the body of said strip to maintain air permeability of the fabric beneath and on either side of said bead, drying said material to dry said material into self-sustaining air impermeable form while the fabric strip is substantially relaxed, and thereafter curing said dried material to provide an exposed smooth air-impermeable skin thereon and an elongation and recovery therein at least as great as said predetermined stretch and recovery.

Claim 10

A method of fabricating a stretchable anchor tape comprising the steps of employing elastomeric yarns having a core of elastomeric material and a covering of fibrous textile material on said core to fabricate a strip of air-permeable elastic fabric having a predetermined stretch and recovery in at least one of the longitudinal and transverse directions, depositing in a fluid state a foamed elastomeric material in at least one bead extending longitudinally upon one surface of said strip, said material comprising a latex and a thickener in a ratio to produce when dried and cured no greater than two parts of thickener to 100 parts of dry latex, and selecting the quantity of thickener to control the viscosity of the fluid material relative to the openness of the fabric construction of the strip and the tension condition of the strip to insure physical bonding of the elastomeric material to the fibrous material on one surface of the strip without substantially penetrating into the body of said strip to maintain air permeability of the fabric beneath and on either side of said bead, drying said material to dry said material into self-sustaining air impermeable form while the fabric strip is substantially relaxed, and thereafter curing said dried material to provide an exposed smooth air-impermeable skin thereon and an elongation and recovery therein at least as great as said predetermined stretch and recovery.