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US4192160A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Fabric and apparatus and method for making same

Assignee: Polylok Corp
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Filing: 1978-09-11
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Granted: 1980-03-11
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Expires: 1998-09-11
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Abstract

Abstract A fabric is produced in a stitch-through type machine such as a Malimo maching using the apparatus and method of the invention which has at least two warp yarn design elements laid on a flexible substrate (e.g., a layer of textile filling elements) along rectilinear or non-rectilinear paths and on which a plurality of adjacent design elements are twisted (e.g., symmetrically at 180° per twist) in an aesthetically pleasing configuration at spaced intervals along the warp direction. The design elements are bound to the substrate by knitting thread which forms a multiplicity of warpwise loop chains (e.g., a half-tricot stitch) to secure the substrate and design elements against relative displacement and to form thereby an integrated fabric structure. The apparatus for guiding the warp yarn design elements onto the flexible substrate in a twisted and aesthetically pleasing configuration at spaced intervals along the warp direction includes at least one shaft rotatable about its longitudinal axis to which is joined a guide bar having a number of spaced-apart warp yarn guides. The apparatus is adapted to be mounted on the machine for rotation of the shaft about its axis in synchronization with reciprocal linear movement of the shaft along said axis. In the present method of producing the fabric, a plurality of adjacent design elements are twisted at spaced time intervals by means of the herein disclosed apparatus at a location upstream from the point at which the substrate and design elements are joined by the knitting thread.

Inventors

  • 👤 Daniel Duhl
  • 👤 Denton B. Wall

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 08:29
CPC Classifications
D; D04; D04B; D04B23/00; D04B23/14; D04B21/00; D04B21/14; D04B21/16; D04B21/165; D04B27/00; D04B27/10; D04H; D04H1/00; D04H1/40; D04H1/44; D04H1/52; D10; D10B; D10B2403/00; D10B2403/02; D10B2403/024; D10B2403/0243

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim 107 words
An apparatus for guiding a plurality of warp yarn design elements onto a flexible substrate in a twisted and aesthetically pelasing configuration at spaced intervals along the warp direction in a stitch-through type machine such as a Malimo machine, comprising: a shaft rotatable about its longitudinal axis and linearly movable in the direction of said axis; and a guide bar having a plurality of spaced-apart warp yarn design element guides joined to the shaft at an angle and rotatable with the shaft about the axis, said apparatus being adapted to be mounted on the machine and rotatably disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 107 words
An apparatus for guiding a plurality of warp yarn design elements onto a flexible substrate in a twisted and aesthetically pelasing configuration at spaced intervals along the warp direction in a stitch-through type machine such as a Malimo machine, comprising: a shaft rotatable about its longitudinal axis and linearly movable in the direction of said axis; and a guide bar having a plurality of spaced-apart warp yarn design element guides joined to the shaft at an angle and rotatable with the shaft about the axis, said apparatus being adapted to be mounted on the machine and rotatably disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 22 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the guide bar is centered on and joined to the shaft at a right angle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 31 words
An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the spaced guides are orifices in the guide bar, each orifice being adapted to permit the passage therethrough of a warp yarn design element.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 37 words
An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the spaced guides are looped protuberances extending from the guide bar, each protuberance being adapted to permit the passage through its loop of a yarn design element in warp direction.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 28 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of shafts, each with a guide bar joined thereto, are adapted to be synchronously rotatably mounted on the machine.
Claim 7
Independent Claim 182 words
A method for forming a stitch bonded type fabric on a stitch-through type machine such as a Malimo machine having a comb-like sinker bar, a comb-like retainer pin bar, the sinker bar and the retainer pin bar defining an elongated work zone for fabric formation between them, a row of pronged needles reciprocatingly movable through said zone and a row of knitting thread guides co-acting with the needles for forming a multiplicity of warpwise knitting thread loop chains, comprising the steps of: (a) delivering a flexible substrate to the elongated work zone; (b) delivering conjointly with and in superimposed relation to the substrate at least two yarn design elements to the work zone in the warp direction; (c) twisting a plurality of adjacent design elements at spaced time intervals at a location upstream in the warp direction from the work zone; and (d) forming a series of warpwise knitting thread loop chains to bind together the substrate and design elements at the work zone into an integrated structure having an aesthetically pleasing appearance corresponding to the twisted configuration of said design elements.
Claim 8
Independent Claim 182 words
A method for forming a stitch bonded type fabric on a stitch-through type machine such as a Malimo machine having a comb-like sinker bar, a comb-like retainer pin bar, the sinker bar and the retainer pin bar defining an elongated work zone for fabric formation between them, a row of pronged needles reciprocatingly movable through said zone and a row of knitting thread guides co-acting with the needles for forming a multiplicity of warpwise knitting thread loop chains, comprising the steps of: (a) delivering a flexible substrate to the elongated work zone; (b) delivering conjointly with and in superimposed relation to the substrate at least two yarn design elements to the work zone in the warp direction; (c) twisting a plurality of adjacent design elements at spaced time intervals at a location upstream in the warp direction from the work zone; and (d) forming a series of warpwise knitting thread loop chains to bind together the substrate and design elements at the work zone into an integrated structure having an aesthetically pleasing appearance corresponding to the twisted configuration of said design elements.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 27 words
A method according to claim 6 wherein the design elements are substantially spaced apart and are symmetrically twisted at 180° at each twist interval in step (c).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 32 words
A method according to claim 7 wherein alternate loops in each chain are formed in step (d) with a different knitting thread, and each thread forms a series of warpwise loop chains.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 41 words
A method according to claim 8 wherein the knitting thread pierces the flexible substrate and pierces the individual design elements in step (d) at a substantial number of random points to further secure the substrate and design elements against relative displacement.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 19 words
The method according to claim 9 wherein the knitting thread is applied in step (d) as a half-tricot stitch.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method according to claim 6 wherein the flexible substrate is a knitted fabric.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method according to claim 6 wherein the flexible substrate is a woven fabric.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 27 words
The method according to claim 6 wherein the flexible substrate is a continuous sheeting material selected from the group consisting of elastomeric foam sheet and fibrous batting.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 19 words
The method according to claim 6 wherein the flexible substrate is at least one layer of textile filling elements.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 19 words
The method according to claim 9 wherein the flexible substrate is at least one layer of textile filling elements.
Claim 18
Independent Claim 228 words
A method for forming a stitch bonded type fabric on a stitch-through type machine such as a Malimo machine having a comb-like sinker bar, a comb-like retainer pin bar, the sinker bar and the retainer pin bar defining an elongated work zone for fabric formation between them, a row of needles reciprocatingly movable through said zone and a row of knitting thread guides co-acting with the needles for forming a multiplicity of warpwise knitting thread loop chains, comprising the steps of: (a) delivering a flexible substrate to the elongated work zone; (b) delivering conjointly with and in superimposed relation to the substrate at least two yarn design elements to the work zone in the warp direction; (c) twisting a plurality of adjacent design elements at spaced time intervals at a location upstream in the warp direction from the work zone, while guiding the design elements back and forth substantially parallel to the row of needles to cause each design element to move within the elongated work zone back and forth past a plurality of needles; and (d) forming a series of warpwise knitting thread loop chains to bind together the substrate and design elements at the work zone into an integrated structure having an aesthetically pleasing appearance corresponding to the twisted configuration of said design elements in combination with the non-rectilinear disposition of the warp yarn design elements.
Claim 19
Independent Claim 228 words
A method for forming a stitch bonded type fabric on a stitch-through type machine such as a Malimo machine having a comb-like sinker bar, a comb-like retainer pin bar, the sinker bar and the retainer pin bar defining an elongated work zone for fabric formation between them, a row of needles reciprocatingly movable through said zone and a row of knitting thread guides co-acting with the needles for forming a multiplicity of warpwise knitting thread loop chains, comprising the steps of: (a) delivering a flexible substrate to the elongated work zone; (b) delivering conjointly with and in superimposed relation to the substrate at least two yarn design elements to the work zone in the warp direction; (c) twisting a plurality of adjacent design elements at spaced time intervals at a location upstream in the warp direction from the work zone, while guiding the design elements back and forth substantially parallel to the row of needles to cause each design element to move within the elongated work zone back and forth past a plurality of needles; and (d) forming a series of warpwise knitting thread loop chains to bind together the substrate and design elements at the work zone into an integrated structure having an aesthetically pleasing appearance corresponding to the twisted configuration of said design elements in combination with the non-rectilinear disposition of the warp yarn design elements.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 26 words
A method according to claim 16 wherein the design elements are substantially spaced apart and are summetrically twisted 180° at each time interval in step (c).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 66 words
A method according to claim 17 wherein: alternate loops in each chain are formed in step (d) with a different knitting thread, each thread forming a series of warpwise loop chains; and the knitting thread pierces the flexible substrate and pierces the individual design elements in step (d) at a substantial number of random points to further secure the substrate and design elements against relative displacement.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 19 words
A method according to claim 18 wherein the knitting thread is applied in step (d) as a tricot stitch.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 31 words
A method according to claim 18 wherein the flexible substrate is selected from the group consisting of knitted fabric, woven fabric, elastomeric foam sheet and a layer of textile filling elements.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 51 words
A method according to claim 20 wherein the design elements are guided back and forth in reciprocating motion at constant velocity in step (c), thereby forming a pattern of design elements on the fabric in which substantial lengths of each element extend diagonally, relative to the warp direction, along straight lines.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 46 words
A method according to claim 20 wherein the design elements are guided back and forth in reciprocating motion at a varying velocity in step (c), thereby forming a pattern of design elements on the fabric in which substantial lengths of each design element are uniformly curved.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 60 words
A method according to claim 20 wherein two groups of design elements are delivered to the elongated work zone in step (b) and are guided back and forth in step (c) in corresponding phased relation to each other, thereby forming a pattern of design elements on the fabric in which the two groups of design elements form substantially identical patterns.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 53 words
A method according to claim 20 wherein two groups of design elements are delivered to the elongated work zone in step (b) and are guided back and forth independently of each other, thereby forming a pattern of design elements on the fabric in which the two groups of design elements form different patterns.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 32 words
A method according to claim 24 wherein one group of design elements is guided back and forth in step (c) in opposed and phased relation to the other group of design elements.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3279221A Cited
US3672187A Cited
US3567565A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1983-03-11 1983-09-10 1984-03-11 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1987-03-11 1987-09-10 1988-03-11 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1991-03-11 1991-09-10 1992-03-11 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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