Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~336S4
I~he pxesent invention ~enerally relates to protective
gloves and the like and a yarn which includes a metallic,
totally annealed flexible wire strand or strands and an aramid
~iber strand or strands, either spun or filament, as a core
wrapped with two strands or fibers of a spun or filament
aramid fiber capable of being used in conventional glove making
machinery or other machinery employed to make various garments,
fabrics and the like by standard weaving, knitting or other
techniques of associating yarn. A preferred aramid fiber for
the present invention, either spund or filament, is that
marketed by E. I. DuPont of Wilmington, Delaware, under the
trademark "Kevlar".
In U.S. Patent No. 3,883,898 issued May 20, 1975,
the use of aramid fiber, such as "Kevlar", in making protective
gloves, garments and the like is disclosed. U.S. Patent
No. 3,953,893 issued May 4, 1976 relates to a protective apron
constructed from this material.
U.S. Patent No. 4,004~295, issued January 25, 1977
discloses broadly the combination of flexible metal wire
strands and flexible aramid fiber yarn strands, such as
- "Kevlar", in the construction of woven, non-woven or knitted
gloves from these materials. While the "Kevlar" material by
itself or used in combination with flexible wire strands is
successful for many applications, an improved yarn and fabric
are desirable for certain usages.
One aspect of the present invention generally
relates to a yarn for use in making high strength items
comprising a flexible annealed wire core having a diameter
up to a maximum of .0065" and one or more strands of synthetic
fiber wrapped around and completely encasing the core.
Another aspect of the present invention is -
generally defined as a protective glove constructed of yarn
WS/~
1~3~i5~
includin~ a core and a synthetic covering thereon including
at least two strands of aramid fiber wrapped around and
completely encasing the core. The core includes at least
one strand of flexible annealed wire having a diameter of up
to .01".
An object of the invention is to provide a yarn
whose flexibility as well as the dimensional characteristics
and other physical characteristics thereof are maintained
within limits enabling the yarn to be utilized in standard
yarn handling and processing machinery such as glove forming
machinery of machinery for forming various fabrics and garments
as well as other items.
Figure 1 is a plan view of a protective glove con-
structed of the yarn having a flexible core.
Figure 2 is an elevational view, on an enlarged
scale, illustrating the structure of the yarn and the manner
in which the cover fibers are wound on the flexible core.
The drawings illustrate a finished protective glove
10 which is exemplary of a garment or the like constructed
from the yarn 12 in which conventional techniques and glove
making machinery are employed to form a glove having the usual
finger stalls 14, thumb stall 16, front panel 18, rear panel
20 and wrist cuff 22.
The yarn 12 is constructed of a flexible metallic,
annealed wire 24 and a strand 25 of flexible aramid fiber,
such as a spun strand or filament strand, which form a core.
The core is wrapped spiFally with two strands 26
, ~
ws/ o
~3~
and 28 of an aramid fiber, such as "Kevlar", in which one strand is wrapped
clockwise around the core and the other strand is wrapped counter-clockwise
around the core. The aramid fiber filament core strand 25 may have a denier
ranging from 200 to 1500 with the preferred denier range being from 200 to
400 with the aramid fiber strands being in the form of a monofilament and
substantially free of twist. When a spun aramid fiber core strand 25 is used,
it may have a cotton count ranging from 1 to 60 with the preferred range being
15 to 35 and an ideal cotton count of 25. The core wire 24 is in the form of
a flexible wire such as stainless steel, malleable iron, copper, aluminum or
other flexible, malleable, totally annealed metallic wire having a diameter
ranging between .004" and .006" plus or minus .0005" with no minimum and a
maximum of .01". The cover strands 26 and 28 may be either spun aramid fiber
strands or filament aramid fiber strands, with the filament having denier
ranging from 200 to 1500 with the preferred denier being 200 to 400, and
with the spun strands having a cotton count from 1 to 60 with the preferred
range from 15 to 35 and the ideal being 25. However, it is presently
preferred to use spun aramid fiber strands for cover strands 26 and
28.
The yarn 12 may be used with standard needles such as employed in
glove knitting machines and may be used with various types of standard machines
employed in forming fabrics such as by weaving, knitting or the like. Also,
the yarn may be employed for various purposes where long lasting and high
strength characteristics as well as high cut resistance is desired.
It has been found that fabric formed by yarn of the instant invention
exhibits in certain applications a far superior cut resistance and point
penetration resistance than similar material made from aramid fiber,
such as "Kevlar", alone.
The dimensional characteristics of the core strands of the present
invention may vary depending upon the ultimate use of the yarn. The above
dimensions have been found critical when forming protective gloves especially
~3~
adapted for use by persons gripping or handling items having sharp edges or
pointed ends or using sharp or pointed items in various work procedures. For
example, the gloves may be employed in meat processing plants where sharp
knives are used, in glass manufacturing operations where sheet glass or the
like i6 handled, in sheet metal making or forming operations where edges of
sheet metal are handled and in many other uses where high cut resistance is
desired. The yarn may be employed for various other items wherever natural,
synthetic or metallic yarn i9 presently used with the properties of the core
and the aramid fiber covering cooperating to produce a yarn having extremely
high tensile strength and resistance to cutting when formed into a fabric or
the like but yet the yarn can be utilized in standard machines which handle
various natural, synthetic or metallic fibers. The aramid fiber covering
facilitates movement of the yarn when making various items and provides
substantial additional strength. When a small weave fabric is made, more
recistance to penetration of a knife point is provided. The core strand of
aramid fiber cushions the yarn and increases the flexibility thereof.
The advantages of this glove over a conventional wire mesh or wire
ring glove include its increased strength, resistance to breakage, resistance
to absorption of moisture, lack of skin irritation, lightweight characteristics,
flexibility, cleanability and insulation characteristics. The glove is safer
as it will slip off the hand if caught on some moving machine while the mesh
glove cannot since it is buckled in place. The elasticity of the glove enables
better fit and the flexibility provides better feel and more secure gripping of
workpieces, tools and the like. The glove is more comfortable and is used on
either hand whereas metal mesh gloves are either left or right handed. The
glove provides insulation against both cold and heat, has a significant
weight advantage, weighing about 2 oz., compared to about 12 to 14 oz. for a
metal mesh glove. The glove also can be sterilized when used in food handling
and can be readily constructed on existing machines while the metal link
glove i8 usually hand formed from link sheets.
~1.33654
The advantages over the glove disclosed in U.S. patent ~o. 3,883,898
inclu~ee better machine handling of the yarn, increa6ed resistance to point
penetrfltion aince the knitted or woven stitch does not elongate as much when
stressed, and improved cut resistance by preventing excessive stress of the
aramid fibers over the knuckles when a fist is formed.
In heavy duty uses, such a~ in cables or the like, where multiple
yarn strands of the instant invention may be employed, the aramid core strand
25 may be omitted and a single wire core 24 having a diameter up to .01" may
be used.
