Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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S2606~ MULTIPLE STITCH-THROI~(:;H FABRICS
DESCRIPTION
Technical Field
This invention relates to fabrics which are
produced on stitch-through type machines such as a Malimo
machine. More particularly, it relates t~ a novel im-
proved Malimo-type fabric made by an apparatus and method
provided with a special filling yarn carriage whereby
heretof~re unattainable Malimo fabric designs can be
achieved.
Background Art
. .
Malimo fabrics typically comprise a flexible
substrate such as a layer of substantially parallel
selv~ge-to-selvaye te-xtile filling elements or ends which
are joined together into an integrated structure by means
of relatively fine knitting threads~ In the case where
the flexible substrate is a layer o~ textile filling yarn
elements, a more or less open mesh fabric can be obtained
by contrvlling the spacing between the individual yarn
elements. This and other "stitch-through" type non-w~ven
fabric structures can be obtained on machines of the
"Malimo" type, using methods and equipment described
in U. S. Pat. Nos. 2,890,~79; 3,030,786; 3t2;53,426;
3,274,B06; 3,279,221i 3,309,900; 3,389,5B3; 3,392,078;
3,440,840; 3,~52,561; 3,4~7,738; 3,460,599; 3,54~,23~;
3,541,812; 3,567,565; 3,592,025; 3,67~,187; 3,677,034;
4,144,727; and U. S. Re. Pat. No. 25,749.
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The ability to readily mass prod~ce a basic
fabric in a variety of patterns is extremely important to
the commercial success of the fabric. While non-woven
fabrics can be produced on t'Malimo"-type machines at
relatively high speeds compa~ed to the production of woven
fabrics, much attention has been given to augmen~in~ this
desirable feature with design flexibility, not only with
respect to the density, gage, and color combinations of
the textile components, the spacing between them, and the
purposeful omission of one or more of such components, but
also with respect to the spatial configuration of the
textile components in the fabric. In particular, there is
a need for Malimo fabrics of still greater design flexi-
bility, particularly with respect to the creation of
unusual visual effects. The present invention makes
possible an enhanced variety of patterns in which multiple
layers of filling elements are disposed in the general
width-wise or transverse direction of the fabric obliquely
and in different angles with respect to the length-wise or
longitudinal direction. Heretofore, there has been no
; means or method by which such an effect coul~ be achieved
on Malimo machines at commerical production speeds.
.
Accordingly, it is an object o~ the present
invention to provide fabrics such as are produced on
stitch-through type machines having enhanced design
flexibility in the filling component. ~ -
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These and other objects of the invention as well
as a fuller understanding of the advantages thereof can
be had by reference to the following detailed description,
drawings and claims.
Disclosure of Invention
The foregoing objects are achieved according
to the present invention in the form of novel stitch-
bonded fabrics such as Malimo-type fabrics of unique and
heretofore ~nattainable design and aesthetic appearance
and which are produced by an apparatus and method wherein
the flexible substrate component is laid down during
fabric formation in the form o two or more layers of
parallel textile filling elements in predetermined widths
obli~uely across the width of the fabric and in super-
imposed relation to each other. Such variation in the
configuration of the flexible substrate cannot be achieved
using conventional Malimo-type machines whose design
inherently restricts the fabrics produced thereon to
constructions in which the flexible substrate is laid down
in the for~ of a single layer in adjacent or sequential
bands of a single width and at a fixed angle (generally
slig~tly off-perpendicular to the direction of feed to the
stitching elements).
In particular, fabrics made on stitch-through
type machines according to the present in~ention comprise
two or more superimposed filling layers of the same or
3Q different widths each consisting of one or more parallel
continuous textile elements or ends extending obliquely
across the width of the fabric (i.e., from selvage to sel-
vage), and in which the elements of one filling layer can
be more or less non-parallel to the elements of another
filling layer. Each fabric also includes a single system
of knitting thread wales extending along the length of the
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fabric, each wale comprising a multiplicity of looped
stitch courses which engage and secure the superimposed
filling layers against relative displacement by loops of
knitting thread on the rear surface of the fabric and~ by
the laps of the knitting thread courses on the ~ront
surface of the fabric to bind the superimposed filling
layers into an integrated textile fabric structure having
two or more times the filling thickness of conventional
stitch-bonded fabrics. The knitting thread pierces the
individual obliquely disposed textile filling elements at
a substantial number of random points to further secure
the fabric components against relative displacement.
In one of its embodiments the fabric of the
invention contains two superi~posed filling layers,
and desirably in which at least one of the filling layers
contains a plurality of textile yarn elements disposed,
e.g., in a rearward position on the fabric in relation
to the other filling layer, wherein the rearward or bottom
filling layer becomes the "ground layer". Preferably, the
fabric contains three or more superimposed filling layers
of textile yarn elements, e.g., wherein at least one of
the filling layers contains a plurality of textile yarn
elements and which is preferably disposed in a rearward
position on the fabric in relation to the other filling
layers. In the case of fabrics having the open-mesh "home
spun" appearance characteristic of casement or drapery
fabrics, the parallel textile elements constituting each
of the filling layers can be more or less spaced apart
from one another to achieve such effect. In addition, the
invention ~akes possible a variety of colored and/or
textured filling layer design patterns undiluted on a
filling base or ground layer. For example, the present
invention makes possible putting a layer of one or more
textile filling elements on top of, rather than mixed in
with and diluted by, the tex~ile filling elements of an
underlying ground layer.
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In addition to the'aforemention plurality o~
superimposed filling layers, the flexible substrate can
incl~de optionally a pre-knitted or pre-woven fabric, an
elasto~eric foam sheet, fibrous batting (e.g., non-woven
spun bonded fibrous batting) or any other continuous sheet-
ing or flexible structure capable of being st~tched through
by knitting thread and secured thereb~ to the other fabric
components without substantial loss of strength according to
procedures described in the references mentioned hereinabove
and now familiar to thos~ skilled in the art of stitch-
through fabric formation.
Broadly, the apparatus for making the fabric is an
improvement over and departure from prior stitch-through
type machines which typically comprise mechanical stitch-
ing elements conventionally employed on stitch-through
type machines. These elements and their mode of operation
are well-known to those skilled in the art and include a
comb-like sinker bar and a comb-like retainer pin bar
2~ which together define an e'longated space or work zone for
the for~ation of fabric between them, means for delivering
a flexible substrate to the aforesaid work z~ne, and a row
of sharp-pointed, bearded (i.e.,'pronged~ needles and
corresponding closing wires the combination of which
together with a row of sewing or knitting thread guides
co-act in such a way that the needles pierce the substrate
by moving in reciprocating fashion back-and-forth across
' ' ~he fabric formation space between the sinker bar and
retainer pin bar. This action causes the thread to'form a
single system of longitudinal (i.e, machine-wise) knitting
thread wales each comprisi-ng a multiplicity of looped
stitch courses along the length of the fabric, e.g., in a
chain stitch or half-tricot stitch ~onfiguration. In
particular, thç improvement of the ,invention resides in
the nature of ~he delivery ~eans for conveying the flex-
' ible substrate to ~he work zone of th machine for fabric
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formation, which means comprises two or more and prefer-
ably three or more comb-like or reed-like carriages of the
same or different widths, preferably from 4 to 18 inches,
each adapted for reciprocating movement in synchronization
~iith the other carriage(s) whereby a filling layer of
predetermined width and consisting of a group of one or
more parallel continuous textile elements is independently
conveyed back and forth between and across two parallel
endless rows of hooked leaded units (so-called "filling
hooks~) in a direction substantially transverse to the
direction of movement of the filling hooks ~i.e., trans-
verse to the direction of delivery of the filling layers
to the fabric formation zone). Whereas prior Malimo-type
- machines were capable of merely simulating a double
filling laydown (by running the machine slowly and the
filling carriage rapidly), the present invention makes
possible a true multiple filling laydown with novel
decorative fabric effects by virtue of the present inde-
pendently driven multi-carriage apparatus.
In cases where it is desired to produce fabrics
having a layer of warp elements superimposed on the multi-
layer flexible substrate, the machine can be equipped with
any desired warp element delivery means for feeding con-
jointly with and in superimposed relation to the flexiblesub-strate one or more warp elements in a generally length-
wise direction. The warp.elements are then united with
the substrate by the aforementioned system of knitting
th.ead wales in the fabric formation zone of the machine.
Exemplary of such warp element delivery techniques are
those described in U.S..Pat. ~os. 3,672,187; 3,677,034
and 4,l4g,727~ -It is understood that the presence or
absence of warp elements or other textile components as
well as their distribution or configuration on the fabric
do not constitute the critical features of the present
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invention,~~hich resides in the nature of the flexible
substrate component of the fabric and the means for
appying it as described and claimed herein.
In the methodfor making the fabric, the multiple
filling layers of the flexib~e substrate are disposed for
delivery to the elongated fabric formation space or work
zone by the plurality of comb-like filling carriages each
of which independently reciprocates back and forth between
and across the parallel rows of filling hooks thereby
conveying a separate layer of filling elements to the
moving rows of hooked leaded units in a direction substan-
tially transverse to the direction of delivery of the
substrate to the work zone. At the same time, the leaded
units move in the direction of delivery of the substrate
to the work zone. Preferably, the comb-like carriages are
timed by means of appropriate gearing to move in synchro-
nous relation to one another, thereby achieving any one of
a number of lay-down patterns in the flexible substrate.
The filling layer which is laid upon the moving filling
h~oks first ~i.e., farthest "upstream" from the stitching
elements of the fabric forming work zone) will become the
rearward or ground filling layer. The fillir.g layer(s)
which are laid on the filling hooks subsequently or
downstream will become superimposed on the previously
applied filling layers. As an application ~f this con-
cept, one can put down, say, one or more textile filling
elements of a given-texture and/or color using a down~
stream filling carriase, so as to lay it on top of and not
mixed in with (i.e., not diluted by) a ground or base
- layer of textile elements having a different color and/or
texture and which is laid down by an upstream filling
carriage. Furthermore, whereas the upstream filling
carriage can be made to reciprocate between the rows of
filling hooks at a given speed coupled with the linear
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speed of the filling hooks so as to achieve a "solid"
or uniform density ground layer effect, the second or
downstream filling carriage can be made to traverse the
distance between the filling hoo~ rows at any other
desired speed independently of the first or upstream
carriage. In this way, the textile filling element(s) of
the top filling layer can be disposed across the width of
the fabric substantially non-parallel to the textile
elements of the ground filling layer. Thus, as a result
of the perpendicular (transverse) reciprocating movement
of each filling carriage relative to the direction of
movement of the filling hooks, the resulting fabric of the
invention is characterized by a plurality of superimposed
layers of substantially parallel continuous textile
elements extending obliquely across the width of the
fabric. Depending on khe synchronization of the filling
carriages, the elements of one filling la~er can be
disposed on the resulting fabric more or less non-parallel
to the elements of at least one other layer.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Further details of the present invention and
its preferred embodiments can be had by reference to the
accompanying drawings, wherein corresponding elements
are denoted by the same reference numeral:
FIG. l is a top plan view of a fabric according
to the invention comprising two superimposed layers of
textile filling elements.
~ IG. 2 is a top plan view of a fabric accordiny
to the invention comprisin~ three superimposed layers of
textile filling elements;
g
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of portion 3-3 of the
fabric of FIG. l; and
FIG. 4 is a partially schematic view of a
stitch-through machine employing a multiple filling
carriage apparatus in accordance with the invention.
Best ~ode For Carrying Out The Invention
Referring to FIG. l, there is depicted a selvage-
to-selvage portion of fabric 1 co~prising a continuous
"ground" filling layer 2 and upper or design filling layer
4. As sho~n in FIG. 3, filling layers 2 and 4 are super-
imposed and bound together into an integrated unitary
fabric construction by a single knitting thread network 5
of looped stitch wales extending along the length of
fabric 1. Each wale consists of a ~ultiplicity of looped
stitch courses which engage and secure the superimposed
filling layers 2 and 4 against relative displacement. The
configuration of knitting thread network 5 can be in the
form of the well-known chain-stitch or half-tricot stitch,
the latter being preferred when the fabric contains
additionally longitudinal warp elements. Such warp
elements are not a feature of the fabric depicted in the
drawings, except that a few such elements 6 car. be incor-
porated into the fabric near the edges 7 for added
strength along the selvage. Filling layer-2 is composed
of a plurality of continuous parallel textile yarn ends 8
extending back and forth across the width of fabric 1 in a
slightly diagonal or oblique direction ~i.e., non-perpen~
dicular to the longitudinal axis of the fabric). Similar-
ly, filling layer 4 is composed of a different plurality
of continuous parallel textile yarn ends 9 extending back
and forth across the width of fabric 1 in a more sharply
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diagonal or obl1'que direction than elements 8 of filling
layer 2. The number of and spacing between adjacent ends 8
of ,illing layer 2 which are laid do~n with each traverse
of their correspondinq upstream filling carriage is
coordinated with the traversal frequency of the filliny
carriage and the velocity of the filling hooks toward the
fabric-forming work zone of the stitch-through machine in
order that such filling is laid down so as to simu~ate the
appearance of a solid or continuous background upon which
1~ the relatively narrow bands of f.illin~ layer 4 are laid,
thereby achieving an attractive zig-zag pattern effect in
filling layer 4 which is set off against contrasting
ground filling layer 2. It is in this sense that the
traversal frequency of the upstream carria~e for filling
elements 8 is dependent on the movement of the filling
hooks and stitching elements of the stitch-through
machine while the traversal fre~uency of the downstream
carriage for filling elements 9 is independent of such
movement.
Referring to FIG. 2, there is depicted a selvage-
to-selvage portion of fabric 10 comprising continuous
ground fillin~ layer ll, intermediate design filling layer
12, and topmost desiyn filling layer 13. Filling layers
ll, 12, and 13 are superimposed on one another and are
bound together into an integrated unitary fabric construc-
tion by a single knitting thread network of a type
described hereinabove which engages and secures the
superimposed filling layers against relative displacement.
Filling layer ll is composed of a plurality of continuous
parallel yarn ends and which in general respects corre-
sponds to the previously described ground filling layer 2
of ~IG. l so as to simulate the appearance of a solid or
continuous background upon which the relatively narrow
bands of filling layers 12 and 13 are laid ~o achieve the
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desired diamond-shaped design ensemble effect as shown.
Filling layers 12 and 13 are composed of the same or
differing pluralities of contin~ous textile yarn ends
having the same or different colors and/or textures
extending back and forth across the width o~ fabric 10,
each in a more sharply diagonal or oblique direction that
the yarn elements of ground filling layer ll and either in
the same or different angles relative to each other. In
this way the traversal frequencies of the carriages for
filling layers 12 and 13 are respectively independent of
the traversal frequency of the carriage for ground filling
layer ll, and may or may not be made independent of each
other, the latter relationship depending on the figure
pattern desired to be achieved in the two design filling
layers 12 and l3.
Referring to-FIG. 4, stitch-through machine 20
comprises a stitch-through fabric-forming station 21, and
substrate delivery means 22 for carrying a flexible
substrate, such as a plurality of continuous textile
filling yarn elements 23, supplied by a creel (not sho~n),
to the fabric-forming station. Typically, the substrate
delivery means 22 comprises a pair of parallel endless
rows of hooked leaded units or filling hooks familiar to
those skilled in the art. An optional warp yarn element
delivery means (not shown) can, if desired, be provided
for feeding conjointly with the substrate and in super-
imposed relation thereto, a plurality of gene~ally lon-
gitudinal warp elements to be united with the substrate
in fabric-forming station 21.
~ he fabric-forming station 21 typically com-
prises a comb-like sinker bar and a comb-like retainer pin
bar for defining between them an elongated space or work
zone across the width of the machine for fabric formation.
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A row of "bearded" or barbed sharp-pointed needles each
having an affiliated closing wire is provided for pene-
tratinq the substrate filllng 23 and optional warp ele-
ments in coaction with a row of guides for sewing threads
24 for stitching a plurality of warp-wise loop chains
which unite and hold the fabric components together into a
unitary non-woven textile structure 25.
The apparatus of the invention comprises, in the
embodiment of FIG. 4, three comb-like filling carriages
26, 27 and 28 for receiving filling yarns 23 from an
eyeboard 29 and delivering the yarns to opposite filling
hook rows 22 by moving back and forth between the rows in
a direction substantially transverse or perpendicular to
the direction in which the rows feed the substrate to the
fabric-forming station 21. The filling carriages 26, 27
and 28, which are the downstream, midstream and u~stream
filling carriages, respectively, each contains a comb-like
reed 51 which serves to maintain a plurality of input
filling yarns in separate, spaced relation for application
to the filling hooks in rows 22. For this purpose, a pair
of presser feet are advantageously disposed on either side
of each carriage for pressing filling 23 yarns into
engagement with the hook rows 11. The presser feet are
coupled with end path detection means, e.g., bumper
elements, so as to raise the presser foot adjacent the
hook row ~hile lowering the foot opposite the row as the
carriage presses the yarns over the hooks. This coupling
can be conveniently effected by rack-and-pinion gear
trains. An adjustable end bumper can be provided for
adjusting the precise position of presser foot activation.
In accordance with the invention, filling
carriages 26, 27 and 28 are independently controllable for
delivering the filling yarns in three separate layers
5~ 7
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LO the filling hoo~; rows ll. The carriages 26, 27
and 28 can be conveniently driven back and forth by timing
belts (not shown) and guided by rollers 30 on guide rods
31 attached to support members, e.g., 32. The timin~
belts are driven and guided by sprocket wheels rotatably
mounted near support mernbers 32. Each drive sprocket i5
conveniently driven by a drive chain, the motion of
which can be controlled by means familiar to those skilled
in the art having the benefit of the present disclosure
be~ore them. For instance, a suitable drive assembly for
driving each filling carriage in reciprocating motion
comprises in substance, a cam arm attached to a bull gear
for a vertically reciprocating horizontal bar whose
movement is coupled to a rotatable shaft through chains
and sprockets, not shown. The shaft is alternately rotated
clockwise and counterclockwise as the bar is moved down
and up, respectively. The alternate turning of the shaft
in turn drives the chain by means of ~he aforementioned
sprockets. By proper choice o gear ratios, each carriage
can be driven synchronously with the machine and/or
with the other carriages or at any desired fraction or
multiple o~ the speed thereof. In this way, by using
filling yarn of one type in carriage 28 and yarns of
other types in carriages 26 and 27, a wlde variety of
novel fabric structures and desi~ns can be achieved.
s
While the invention has been described in
connection with a small number of specific embodiments,
it is to be understood that these are merely illustrative
of the many other specific embodiments which can also
utili7e the principles of the invention. Thus, nurnerous
and varied devices and fabrics can be made by those
skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the
present invention as deined in the following claims.
