Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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WARP KNITTED SELF-LINED FABRICS
WITH WOVEN APPEARANCE
.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the production of decorative fabrics,
particularly fabrics for home furnishings, such as
drapery casements, it is desired to provide self-
lining in order to increase fabric opacity and to
simulate the appearan~e of a separate lining. Also
to allow the application of a foam backing to a type
of fabric which otherwise could not be successfully
foam backed utilizing conventional techniques.
Further, it is desirable to produce such a self-
lined fabric at minimun cost consistent with
providing a desirable appearance, a simulation of a
woven fabric on the face - with or without effect
yarn~.
According to the present invention, a self-
lining decorative fabric is provided that has all of
the advantages associated with self-lined fabrics,
and can be produced in a simple and cost-eEf~ctive
manner while ultimately providing a ver~ aeqthetic
appearance. The ~abric according to the present
invention simulates a woven fabric in appearance and
dimensional stability, provides increased fabric
opacity without stif~ening "handn, and allows appli-
cation of a foam backing utili~ing conventionaL
techniques. The fabric according to the invention
is ideally suited for use as a drapery fabric
because o~ aesthetics, cost and dimensional
stability. It has enough versatility of design to
be utilized for a wide variety of decorative
purposes, particularly in the home furni~hings area.
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The dimensional stability of the compound
fabric constructions make this type of manufacture
important for industrial fabrics. Similarly, an
economic fabric construction achieving opacity
through a substrate and controlling the tensile
strength with minimum warp and filling threads make
attractive for use as print fabric such as for
ticking.
According to one aspect of the present
lo invention, a self-lining decorative fabric is
provided simulating the appearance of a woven
fabric. The fabric includes a substrate fabric
weave having first and second faces with wef~ yarns
disposed on the first face of the substrate, and
extending parallel to each other. Warp yarns are
disposed on the first face of the substrate and
extend in lines substantially parallel to each other
and perpendlcular to the we~t yarns, the warp yarns
laying on top of the weft yarns at all points of
intersectian. Stitching thread holds the warp and
weft yarns in place on the substrate first face, the
~titching thread including stitch portion~ and loops
with the stitch portions operatively engaging the
warp and weft yarns on the substrate first ~ace, and
the loops ~eing disposed in contact with the
substrate second face.
The fabric according to the present
invention may be produced on a commercially
available machina manufactured by Rarl Mayer
Machinery Co. of the Federal Republic of Germany.
~he machine is a warp knitting machine having
pointed (piercing) stitching needles, a substrate
fabric feed, a weft-in~ertion feed that feeds the
weft yarns truly perpendicular to the warp yarns,
and means for introducing decorative warp yarns,
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overlaying the weft yarns, at the stitching needles.
Utilizing such machinery, a self-lin;ng decoratiYe
fabric i~ produced by: ~eeding the substrate in a
first direction to the stitching needle~. Feeding
parallel weft yarns in the first direction, with the
yarns disposed in a second direction perpendicular
to the first direction, to the stitching needles,
with the weft yarns in contact with the substrate
Pirst face at the stitching needles. Feeding warp
yarns, extending in lines parallel to each other and
perpendicular to the weft yarns, to the stitching
needle substantially in the first direction, the
warp yarns being laid on top of the weft yarns at
the stitching needles. And, stitching through the
substrate with the stitching needles to loop
stitching threads stitch portions over warp and weft
yarn3 to hold them ln place on the substrate first
ace, and to form stitch loops on the substrate
second face.
By providing the warp yarn~ extending in
lines perpendicular to the weft yarns a woven
appearance is simulated and the stability of the
fabric con~truction improved. A wide variety of
decorative effects may be obtained by using effect
yarns for the warp and/or weft yarns, and by
providing at least some of the warp yarns in
curvilineae or zig-zag paths while extending in
their lines perpendicular to the weft yarns. The
stitching threads s~itch portions each pass over and
hold the warp and weft yarns, with the warp and weft
yarn~ passing between a stitch portion and the
substrate first face. The stitching thread stitch
portions may be provided in a zig-~ag configuration,
straight line configuration, or the like. For some
purposes, the stitching threads may be provided as
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the same color as the substrate (e.gl, white) while
the majority of the warp and weft yarns are of a
different color than the substrate, simulating a
woven appearance.
When used as an open type self-lining
drapery casement fabric, it may be des;rable to
provide a foam backing to the substrate second face,
the foam encapsulating the stitching thread loops~
Foam backing may be practiced as taught by U.~.
Patent~ 4,072,775 and 3,527,654. In such
situations, the substrate fabric is a very light
non-woven fabric, such as a non-woven produced
according to the teachings of U.S. Patent 3,485,706.
While a non-woven is desirable as the substrate
fabric for most purposes, if desired for a parti-
cular situation a woven or knit substrate film or
foil may be provided.
The substrates mentioned above could be
selected to increase the decorative effect, e.g., by
causing pucker of the face fabric through
differential shrinkage. Also the substrates could
be used for functional qualities such as heat
dissipation o~ lighted cigarette for ticking or
upholstery fabrics, insulation of heat transmission
or heat refle~tion for drapery or appar~l abrics,
or sound insulation for drapery fabrics.
Construction of fabrics for the desired performance
could require one or several substrates inserted in
a sandwich.
It is the primary object of the present
invention to provide a decorative fabric simulating
the appeaanc~ of a woven fabric, and particularly
adapted for use as a drapery casement fabric. This
and other objects of ~he invention will become clear
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from an inspection of the detailed description of
the invention, and from the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRA~INGS
FIGURE 1 is a op plan view showing the
decorative face of an exemplary fabric according to
the present invention
FIGURE 2 is a detailed enlarged schematic
plan view of the fabric of FIGURE l;
FIGURE 3 is an enlarged schematic bottom
lo plan view of the fabric of FIGURE l;
FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional
view of an exemplary fabric according to the
invention corre~ponding generally to the fabric of
FIGURE 1 but also with a foam b~lcking; and
lS FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the decorative
ace of another embodimen~ of exemplary fabric
according to the present invent:Lon.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DR~WI~GS
An exemplary fabric according to the
pre~ent invention is indicated generally by
reference numerals 10, 10', and 10~ in FIG~RES 1-3,
FIGUR~ 4, and FIGURE S, respectively. The fabric
10, 10', and 10~ comprises a self-lined decorative
fabric which~ as an inspection of FIGURES 1 and 5 in
par~icular makes clear, simulate~ the appearance of
a woven fabric, and is eminently suitable for use as
a drapery casement fabric. The fabric 10, 10', and
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10" is desirably produced on a commercially
available warp knitting machine pr~duced by Rarl
Mayer Machinery Co. of the Federal Republic of
Germany, Model No. RS4(6)MSU, such a machine having
a substrate fabric feed, parallel weft insertion,
pointed Qtitch through needles, and decorative warp
yarn introducing means.
As FIGURES 2-4 make clear, the fabric 10,
10', and 10~ according to the present invention
include~ a substrate 12 having a first face 13 (see
FIGURE 2) and a second face 14, opposite the first
face 13. Depending upon the ultimate use of the
fabric 10 and substrate availabilities, the
substrate 12 may be a non-woven, woven, or knit
fabric film or foil. A light non-woven fabric such
a~ that produced according to U.S. Patent 3,485,706,
is preferred for most 31tuations, especially when
the ~abric 10 comprises drapery casement fabric.
Weft yarns 16 are di~posed on tha first
face 13 oE the substrate 12, the weft yarns 16
extending parallel to each othe-r. If desired, the
we~t yarns may be efect yarn~,, the term "effect"
being a generic term to describe all types of yarns
having pronounced variations ~n linear density, such
as knops, loops, slubs, lumps, nubs, and the like.
For instance, weft yarns 16', lSW illustrated in
FIGURE ~ are a slub yarn (having an irreqular, fuzzy
configuration over the entire length ~hereof) and a
nub yarn (having irregular configurations at spaced
pointQ therealong) respectively.
The weft yarns can be introduced singly or
with two or more yarns placed in the same course
simultaneously. This could be for a decorative
effect, economy, or to increase the tensile strength
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with a yarn combination, e.g., fine filament with a
coarse weak spun yarn.
The fabric 10 ~10', lOn~ further comprises
warp yarns 18 disposed on the first face 13 of the
substrate 12 and extending in lines L (see FIGURE 2)
substantially parallel to each other and perpendicu-
lar to the weft yarn 16, and laying on top of the
weft yarns 16 at all points of intersection. While
the warp yarns 18 extend in lines L perpendicular to
~0 the weft yarn 16, they may extend in curvilinear or
zig-zag paths, as clearly illustrated in FIGURES 1,
2, and 5. At least some of the warp yarns 18 also
preferably are effect yarns.
The fabric 10 (10', lOn) also includes
stitching thread holding the warp and weft yarns 18,
16 in place on the substrate first face 13. The
stitching thread is indicated generally by reference
numeral 20, and includes stitch portions 2~' and
loops 20n. The stitch portions 20' each pass over
and hold the warp and weft yarns 18, 16, with the
warp and weft yarn 18, 16 passing between a stitch
portion 20' and the substrate first face 13.
Preferably each stitch portion ;20' holds a weft yarn
16 ~although ~kipped picks may be provlded), and at
2s least some o~ the stitch portiolls 20' hold a warp
yarn 18. In the embodiments illustrated in FIGURES
1, 2, and 5, warp yarns 18 are provided only at
predetermined intervals along the fabric face, there
being no provision ~or one warp yarn for each row of
stitching thread 20. The loops 20' are disposed in
contact with the substrate second face 14,
conventional chain stitching being illustrated in
FIGUR~S 2 and 3. Variations in the exact stitch
configuration o~ the stitching thread 20 may be
provided. For instance, the stitching thread
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portions 20' may be provided in a straight line
configuration as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, or
they may have a zig-zag configuration as illustrated
in FIGUR~ 5. Alternatively, tricot stitche~ may be
provided, or any other type of conventional
stitching achievable utilizing a warp knitting
machine.
In order to obtain proper aesthetic effect,
the stitching thread 20 may be provided having the
same color as the substrate 12 (e.g., white), while
the ma~ority of the warp and weft yarns 18, 16 are
of colors different than ~he substrate 12a
Especially where a white substrate 12 and white
stitching thread 20 is provided with multi-color
warp and weft yarns, an appearance truly simulating
that of a woven fabric is provided at a distance of
more than a few inches.
FIGURE 4 illustrates a fabric 10' according
~o the present invention which Ls identical to the
fabric 10 only it includes a foam backing 25~ An
open-weave fabric normally cannot be successfully
foam-backed utilizing conventional techniques,
however, the sel~-lined fabric according to the
present invention may be successfully foam backed.
The foam backing 25 is applied to the substrate
second face 14, and encapsulates the stitching loops
20'. After production of the fabric 10, it is fed
to a conventional foam backing station, and
conventional foam-backing techniques are utilized to
apply the backing 25. Two conventional types of
foam backing techniques are disclosed in U.S.
Patent~ 3,527,654 and 4,072,775.
As previously indicated, a decorative
fabric 10, lOi, and 10~ according to the present
invention is produced on a commercially available
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warp knitting machine having pointed stitching
needles. The substrate 12 is fed in a first
direction to the stitching needles of the warp
knitting machine, while parallel weft yarns 16 are
fed in the first direction, with yarn 16 being
disposed in a second direction perpendicular to the
first direction. The weft yarns 16 are in contact
with the substrate first face 13 at the stitching
needles. Warp yarns 18 are fed, extending in lines
parallel to each other and perpendicular to the weft
yarns, to the ~titching needles substantially in the
first direction, the warp yarns being laid on top of
the weft yarns 16 at the stitching needles. The
fabric is completed by stitching through the
substrate 12 with the stitching needles to loop
stitching threads stitch portions 20' over the warp
and weft yarns 18, 16 to hold them in place on the
substrate first face 16, and forming ~titch loops
20~ on ~he substrate second face 14. The decorative
warp yarns may be introduced by patterning bars, or
with a straight lay-in bar plu9 patterning bars, and
under some circumstances no decorative warp yarns
need be provided, but rather thle stitching threads
themselves can provide the woven e~fect (in
conjunction with the weft yarns). If foam backing
of the fabric were desired, after formation it would
be passed to a foam backing station and the backing
25 applied to the second face 14 of substrate 12.
It will thus be seen that according to the
present invention an aesthetic, functional fabric
has been provided which has a wide variety of uses,
but is particularly adapted for use as a drapery
casement. While the invention has been herein shown
and described in what is presently conceived to be
the mos~ practical and preferred embodiment thereof,
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it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in
the art that many modifications may be made thereof
within the scope of the invention, which scope i5 to
be accorded the broadest interpretation of the
s appended claims so as to encompass all equivalent
fabrics and constructinns.
