Knit fabric

B. G. LESLEY

KNIT;FABRIC

Jan. 5, 1971

Filed April 14, 1969

3,552,154

Sheets-Sheet 1

<img file="US3552154A_D0001.tif" />

FIG. -/INVENTOR.

BASCUM G. LESLEY

<img file="US3552154A_D0002.tif" />

B. G. LESLEY

KNIT.FABRIC

Jan. 5, 1971

Filed April 14, 1969

3,552,154

Sheets-Sheet 2

<img file="US3552154A_D0003.tif" />

FIG. -2INVENTOR.

BASCUM G.LESLEY

<img file="US3552154A_D0004.tif" />

United States Patent Office

3,552,154

Patented Jan. 5, 1971

3,552,154 KNIT FABRIC Bascum G. Lesley, Pickens, S.C., assignor to Deering Milliken Research Corporation, Spartanburg, S.C., a corporation of South Carolina

Filed Apr. 14,1969, Ser. No. 815,572 Int. Cl. D04b 23/06

U.S. Cl. 66—192 5 Claims

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

An elastic warp knit fabric comprising a ground construction composed of inelastic threads knitted in a plu- 15 rality of courses and wales of single thread stitches, and elastic threads inlaid between the wales and extending generally parallel thereto.

This invention relates to a novel textile knit fabric and, more particularly, to a warp knit fabric construction employed in the production of elastic fabrics composed of elastic and inelastic thread components. 25

Textile warp knit elastic fabrics composed of elastic and inelastic thread components are widely used in the manufacture of support garments such as girdles, corsets, bras, and the like, as well as outer garments which are designed to closely conform to the body of a wearer. 30 Quite common of such elastic fabrics are the so-called “powemet” type, i.e., an open mesh or net fabric wherein the inelastic threads are knitted into a ground support construction and the elastic threads are inlaid or formed in stitches therewith to provide an open knit elastic fabric 35 having high stretch recovery in one or more directions, depending upon the disposition of the elastic threads in the fabric. Although such powernet fabrics are widely employed in the production of support garments, they possess certain drawbacks in that their open mesh con- ⁴⁽¹struction makes them quite transparent, such that portions of the body or undergarments beneath the elastic garments made therefrom are readily visible therethrough.

To avoid undesirable “see-through” in such garments made from elastic powernet fabrics, it has been a recent ⁴⁵practice to provide an elastic knit fabric of solid or opaque construction. These fabrics generally have been formed by knitting in both the elastic and inelastic threads into the fabric construction, with the inelastic threads knitted in a double thread stitch arrangement to facilitate ⁵⁰cover and obtain the desired opaqueness necessary to avoid “see-through” in garments made therefrom. In such a construction, it can be appreciated that a much greater amount of yarn must be employed than in the powernet types, and this greatly increases the cost of the fabrics. The in- ⁵⁵creased costs are particularly noticeable in the solid knit elastic fabrics in which the elastic threads are knitted into the fabric, rather than being inlaid therein, since elastic yams are appreciably more expensive than most of the inelastic yarn components employed therein. Such opaque elastic fabric constructions are also of much heavier weight than the powernet type fabrics due to the double thread stitch arrangement used to provide cover in the fabric.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a solid, opaque, warp knitted elastic fabric containing elastic and inelastic threads which is of light weight construction and is more economical to produce than such elastic knit fabrics of the prior art.

The above as well as other objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing a warp knitted elastic fabric having, in combination, a ground construction composed of a plurality of pairs of inelastic threads, one set of warp threads of the pairs forming stitches in alternate courses and adjacent wales, and the other set forming stitches in alternate courses and non-adjacent wales to produce single-thread stitches throughout the construction, and elastic threads laid in the ground construction generally parallel to and between the wales of the fabric and covered by lap portions of certain of the inelastic threads to effectively hide the elastic threads and prevent undesirable “grin-through” of the threads in the fabric. The resulting opaque elastic fabric has high stretch recovery And is appreciably more economical to produce than the solid elastic knit fabrics of the prior art, due to the ability to employ much less yarn in the fabrics both by laying in the elastic yarns in a generally straight line arrangement and utilizing relatively heavy, inexpensive inelastic threads in a single thread stitch disposition to cover and contain the elastic yarns throughout the fabric.

The inelastic ground construction of the warp knitted elastic fabrics of the present invention preferably are knitted by employing separate guide bars for the two inelastic thread sets composing the plurality of pairs of inelastic threads, with each set being fed into the knitting needles from the guide bars so that the thread sets alternate in the formation of stitches in courses to provide single thread stitches throughout the fabric. In addition, one guide bar may be shogged over at least one wale between the formation of stitches during the knitting operation to produce unknitted thread floats tying non-adjacent wales of the fabric together, as well as providing additional cover in the fabric. By connecting non-adjacent wales in this manner, if a thread breaks in the ground construction, the fabric may run but will not readily split apart, as would be the case if such a single-thread stitch ground construction was knit employing a single guide bar. This fact is especially important and desirable in the production of elastic fabrics for support garments since stresses are constantly exerted on the fabric construction which would part the garment if knit in conventional manner.

By maintaining the elastic threads of the fabric between the wales of the fabric and inlaying the same by wrapping the lap portions of the stitches formed by one thread set of the thread pairs about the elastic yarns, the inlaid elastic yarns can be effectively covered by the ground construction with an absence of an undesirable “grin-through” or showing of the elastic yarns, while still maintaining high stitch recovery with minimum cost.

FIG. 1 illustrates in a stitch loop diagram the fabric of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates the fabric of FIG. 1 in a point diagram.

Details of the fabric construction of the present invention will be better explained and more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, FIG. 1 of which shows a loop diagram of a portion of a solid warp knit fabric employing novel features of the present invention, the stitches thereof being opened, in an exaggerated manner, to better show the details of the fabric construction. The actual fabric appearance would be of highly compact, closely knit nature with the inlaid elastic

3,552,154 threads being substantially fully hidden from view by the solid, opaque inelastic knitted ground construction of the fabric. The drawing depicts the technical face of a warpknitted fabric 10 which is composed of a plurality of pairs of relatively inelastic threads knitted in a plurality of wales, three of which I, II, and III, are shown, and courses E, F, G, etc., to form a relatively solid, or opaque, ground construction composed of single thread stitches.

One of the threads of each pair of inelastic threads is designated by the letter A and the other by the letter B, with subnumerals indicating more specifically the wale in which they are shown to originate.

Disposed between the wales and extending generally parallel thereto are a plurality of elastic threads, two of which C, and C₂ are shown, which are inlaid in the ground construction and provide high stretch recovery in the fabric. The thread sets A, B, and C are preferably knitted from separate guide bars and, as shown, thread set A is knitted on the front guide bar, B on the middle bar, and C inlaid from the back bar of a warp knitting machine, such as a Raschel type.

To more clearly understand the fabric construction, the paths of one pair of inelastic threads A,, B₂ will be described in detail as illustrative of the paths of other corresponding threads of the respective sets A and B in forming the ground construction. Following thread Ai, which is shown in the drawing to originate in wale I, the thread forms a generally vertically disposed stitch 30 in course F, shogs or floats across the underside, or technical back, of the fabric across wale II and forms a vertical stitch 32 in wale III and course H. Thread A! then floats back across wale II and forms another stitch 34 in wale I, and further proceeds to form single thread stitches in alternate courses and non-adjacent wales throughout the fabric, as shown.

Thread B₂ forms a generally horizontal, or inclined, stitch 40 in wale II and course E. The unknitted or lap portion 42 of the stitch 40 wraps about the elastic thread Ci, and the thread B₂ thereafter forms a stitch 44 in adjacent wale I and course G. The unknitted, or lap, portion 46 of stitch 44 wraps about the elastic thread Ct and thereafter the thread B₂ passes back to form a stitch 48 in adjacent wale II and course I. Thread B₂ thereafter continues throughout the fabric alternately forming inclined single thread stitches in adjacent wales I, II and in alternate courses K, M, O, etc., while the unknitted lap portions of the stitches are wrapped about the elastic thread Ci to substantially cover and inlay the same between the wales.

The remaining inelastic threads of sets A and B form corresponding thread paths to form single thread stitches throughout the ground construction and provide a fabric having exceptional cover or opacity with minimum yarn consumption. It can be seen that by wrapping lap portions of one thread of each pair of inelastic threads about the elastic threads between the wales, the elastic threads, which are preferably composed of bare spandex or rubber yarns for economy and maximum stretch recovery, are substantially fully covered by the ground construction so that they are hidden from view to provide a smoother, more aesthetically attractive fabric.

The relatively inelastic threads forming the ground construction of the present invention may be composed of any man-made or natural continuous filament or spun yarns of relatively inelastic nature, while the elastic threads may be composed of rubber, spandex, or other man-made yarns having a high modulus of elasticity or stretch recovery. Typical of the yarns which may be formed into fabrics in accordance with the present invention are the quite popular nylon and Lycra yarns presently widely used in the production of elastic fabrics for support garments, such as girdles and bras, as well as outer wear garments closely conforming to the body of the wearer.

As previously stated, the fabric construction of the pres ent invention is preferably knitted on a warp knitting machine having at least three guide bars so that the two inelastic thread sets of the ground construction may be knitted on separate guide bars to permit floating or shogging of one thread set across an intermediate wale between the formation of stitches and thereby prevent splitting of the fabric in event of a thread break in the construction, while the elastic threads may be inlaid between and generally parallel to the wales of the fabric from a third guide bar to substantially hide the elastic threads from view and provide a relatively smooth surfaced fabric product.

FIG. 2 illustrates one manner of forming the fabric of FIG. 1 and shows in a point diagram the movement of the thread guide bars about the knitting needles of a warp knitting machine. The individual movements of the front, middle, and back bars of the knitting machine are shown on the left hand side of the diagram by the movement lines 11, 12, and 13, respectively, while their combined movement is shown by like line movements 11', 12', 13' on the right hand side of the point diagram.

In forming the fabric of the drawings, the following bar movement patterns are employed:

Bar 1 (front bar) 4-4, 4-6, 4-4, 2-0 Bar 2 (middle bar) 2-0, 2-2, 2-4, 2-2 Bar 3 (back bar) 0-0, 2-2, 4-4, 2-2

The above patterns are Raschel designations and can be readily converted to Tricot designations by those familar with the art.

From the foregoing detailed discussion and description, it can be seen that the fabrics of the present invention may be employed in the production of elastic garments having exceptional opacity and stretch recovery, with a minimum consumption of both elastic and inelastic yarns in the fabric to provide a highly economical product.

The foregoing drawing and specification have set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms have been employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being limited only by the extent of the following claims.