US1868690A - Elastic thread and fabric made therefrom - Google Patents

Description

July 26, 1932. F. L. BRIGHAM ELASTIC THREAD AND FABRIC MADE THEREFROM Filed Deo. 16, 1930 Patented 'July 26, 1932 UNITED STATES FREDERICK L. BBIGHAM, Ol' UPPER HONTCLAIB, NEW JERSEY ELASTIC THREAD .AND FABBI MADE THEREFROM Application led December 16, 1930. Serial No. 502,647.

l ries as will be understood non-elastic knitting threads are passed about the elastic thread and interlaced with each other, the elastic thread extending lengthwise of the fabric and imparting to the fabric the desired elasticity. In the knitting operation, as above pointed out, the knitting threads are passed about the elastic thread and interlaced with each other, these elastic threads heretoforev consisting o f a rubber core thread covered with one or more helically applied coverings or wraps of silk or other suitable fibrous material wrapped about the same. Consequently in a finished elastic fabric it will be appreciated that the core of the elastic thread simply lies in channels provided by the coverings of the core thread and that the entire thread in turn simply lies 'in channels provided by the knitting threads.

It has been found in knitted elastic fabrics, therefore, as heretofore constructed that the elastic thread soon v pulls. back through the fabric when the fabric is put to use thereby impairing the elasticity and strength of the fabric. the elastic thread imparting the entire resiliency or elasticity to the fabric.

It has been found also that when the elastic fabric is stitched or sewn to a piece of other material care must be exercised that the needle does not cut the core threads of the elastic threads, thereby permitting the core thread to pull out of its covering, thus, as will be appreciated, impairing the strengh and elasticity of the fabric. The pulling back of the elasticthreads through the channels provided by the knitting threads also strips the coverings from the elastic thread, exposing the core thread to view and thereby effecting the appearance of the fabric.

Another point that must 'be considered in 55 connection with this prior practice is that in order that the elastic threads may not be cut through when attaching a piece of elastic fabric to a non-elastic, for instance, an attempt is made to skip the elastic threads and 00 this means that fairly long or coarse stitches must be used resulting in a Weak j oint.` y

The objections above enumerated are all overcome by the present invention, my invention providing a construction in elastic 65 threads whereby when the thread is incor orated in a knitted elastic fabric in which knitting threads are passed about the elastic thread and interlaced with' each other the elastic fabric maybe at- 70 tached to a iece of non-elastic, for instance, by sewlng not only through the knitting threads as done heretofore but through the elastic thread as well. This, it will be apparent, enables a strong and neat join to 75 be made between the elastic fabric and nonelastic, insures that the elastic thread will remain in place throughout the life of the fabric and that there can be no pulling back of the elastic thread through B0 the channels of the knitting threads to destroy the elasticity of the fabric nor to strip the covering from the core thread of the elastic thread, thereby exposing the core thread to view and destroying the appear- 8 ance-of the fabric as a wole.

In view of the fact that I am able by the use of my improved thread to stitch the elastic threads in place it will be appreciated as 9 above pointed out that the join between a piece of my fabric and a piece of non-elastic, forinstance, will be of maximum strength.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a thread 95 constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in plan on an enlarged scale of a knitted elastic fabric embodying my invention; l

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; 100

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Fig. t is a view similar to Fig. l of a modified form of my invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail and first of all to Fig. 1, my improved thread comprises one or more elastic core threads A which may be the same type of material heretofore employed in elastic thread. `With this elastic extended to any desired degree, depending upon the vdegree of elasticity desired in a fabric employing my thread, l apply to the elastic or rubber A a covering B of fibrous material such as sillr, cotton or other suitable material. This covering is wrapped helically about the elastic A. in a fairly long pitch (somewhat exaggerated in the drawing) so as to leave an appreciable space between the adjacent leads thereof.

lt next braid an outer covering E about the thread. 'llhis may be done in a continuous operation, or at any convenient time after the application of covering B, it being underu stood, however, that when braiding the covering lll in place the elastic .tt is under tension, so that the leads of the covering B will be spaced appreciably as above mentioned.

l find that in applying the covering E the wraps or leads of the inner covering B impart somewhat of a corrugated surface to the otherwise smooth exterior of the elastic thread A to prevent slipping of the braided covering with respect to theinner covering B; l find also that the leads of the inner covering B as the outer covering is applied become pressed intothe surface of the rubber or elastic A and that the covering E is pinched between the leads of the covering B when the tension in the core thread is released, so that not only is the braided covering held against slipping with respect to the inner covering B but the inner covering is held against slipping with ,respect to the elasticl d., and the elastic held against slip'- ping with respect to the covering B.

lin other words, instead of merely two tubes or channels about the elastic, as would be the case if two covers were merely Y wrapped about the elastic A, `as under present practice, f have in ehect produced a structure the various elements of which are so bound to each other as to be considered a onepiece thread. As a matter of fact, this result is so pronounced that removal of the cover y, ings B and E from the elastic or the withdrawal of the elastic is very difficult-even when deliberately attempted.

llt will be appreciated from all of the foregoing that when a piece of my improved fab ric is to be sewn to a nonelastic fabric, for instance, thejoin can be made with much hner stitches than heretofore employed inasmuch as by reason of the improved coverings applied to the core of my improved thread the rubber threadsl may be sewn through without danger of the core thread slipping back through the fabric or through its covering.

llt will be appreciated also that by reason of this fact and by reason of the fact that the rubber core threads are stitched in place the elastic thread cannot slip back through the fabric so that the full strength of the fabric is maintained throughout the life thereof. Not only, therefore, is knitted elastic fabric constructed in accordance with this invention stronger than knitted elastic fabrics as heretofore made, but a join made by using my improved fabric will present a much neat/er appearance than heretofore possible and the original elasticity of the fabric be available throughout the life of the fabric, as distinguished from prior structures where, as above noted, the elastic threads pull back through the fabric and hence impair its elasticity and itsusefulness.

ln Figs. 2 and 3 l show my elastic fabric which l have designated G sewn to a nonelastic fabric designated ll, the stitches employed vin the join being designated d. The knitting threads of these figures of the drawing are designated F and as will be appreciated are passed about the elastic thread of the fabric and interlaced with each other.

While the foregoing description points out the advantages of my improved thread when used in lmitted elastic fabrics it is to be understood that the thread also is useful as a warp thread in the woven fabric field as well, where trouble has been experienced with the rubbers of the threads working out of their coverings, a possibility which has been reduced to a minimum by my improved construction.

While l' have shown my improved thread as provided with a single covering B immediately about the rubber A, it is to be understood that more than one covering may be employed, if desired, so longe-,s the leads of the coverings are maintained suciently spaced to produce the effect above described in connection with maintaining the braided covering in place. a

ln lfig. l the elastic or rubber Af is provided with two coverings B of fibrous material such as silk, cotton or other suitable material, these coverings being wrapped helically in opposite directions about the elastic A. in a fairly long pitch. As in the case of l'ig. l ll then braid an outer covering E about the thread so prepared.

l. As an article of manufacture a thread comprising an extensible core, a helical covering about said core throughout its entire length, and an outer covering braided over the said core and helical covering.

2. As an article of manufacture a thread comprising an extensible core, a helical fibrous covering for said core so applied as to preserve the elasticity of said core the till llt

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leads of said covering being disposed in spaced relation,'and a covering braided over4 the helical covering and core.

3. As an article of manufacture a thread 5, comprising an extensible core, a fibrous helical covering about the core throughout 'the length thereof, and a braided covering immediately about the helical covering and engaging both the core and helical covering.

w 4. A knitted elastic fabric comprising knitting threads passed about extensible threads' and interlaced with each other, the extensible threads comprising an elastic core, a brous covering helically applied immediately about the core throughout its length and a braided covering immediately about the helical covering and engaged by the Imitting threads.

5. In the making of extensible thread, the

methodwhich comprises helically wrapping a covering of fibrous material about an elastic core thread throughout its. length while the core thread is extended, the said wrapping being so applied as to space the leads thereof from. each other and thereafter braiding a covering about the Yfirst mentioned covering and the core thread with the core thread extended.

6. As an article of manufacture a thread comprising an elastic core, a helical fibrous covering so applied thereto as to preserve the elasticity of said core, and a fibrous covering braided directly about the first mentioned covering, the first covering being sc applied as to space the adjacent leads, some of the material of the second covering being gripped between such leads to maintain the braided covering in place.

This specification signed this 15th day of December, 1930.

FREDERICK L. BRIGHAM.

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