US2119893A - Tubular woven fabric - Google Patents

Description

June 7, 1938. J, w- STARK 2,119,893

TUBULAR WOVEN FABRIC Filed Feb. 27, 1937 Figuzg,

INVENTR JOSEPH W. THRK, Fl g Z La ATTORNEY Patented June 7, 1938 A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to tubular woven fabrics.

One object of the invention is toA provide a woven tubular fabric which may be composed entirely of textile yarn and yet be elastic in its longitudinal direction. Fabrics of this character, while useful for other purposes, are intended primarily for use as shoulder straps whereby the latter may stretch to a limited extent as may be required in accordance with certain movements of the Wearers body.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a tubular woven fabric constructed in such manner as to prevent what is known as rolling of the fabric, i. e., relative movement of Wall portions of the fabric in a transverse direction. This feature of the invention is of considerable advantage in tubular fabrics such as ribbons used for shoulder straps, as it eliminates twisting or folding of the fabric due to rolling and maintains the ribbon inflat condition. While this feature is particularly advantageous in connection with tubular fabrics which are longitudinally elastic as referred to above, it is also of considerable value generally in tubular fabrics, whether or not such fabrics are elastic.

'Ihe above objects of the invention and other objects which might hereinafter appear will be fully understood from the following description considered with reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part of the present specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a length of tubular fabr ric made in accordance with one form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view on a greatly enlarged scale of a part of the fabric shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan View on an enlarged scale of a strip of tubular fabric made in accordance with another form of this invention;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 'l is a fragmentary plan View on a greatly enlarged scale of a portion of the fabric shown in Fig. 4 for approximately one-half of the width thereof;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan View illustrating more or less diagrammatically the relation between the weft and some of the Warp threads of the fabric for preventing rolling thereof;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-'9 yof Fig. 8.

'I'he tubular woven elastic fabric, made in accordance with the present invention, is preferably so constructed as` to derive its elasticity solely by reason of the Warp threads of the fabric combined with the tubular structure of the latter. More specifically, the Warp threads designed to impart elasticity to the tubular fabric are composed of strands of textile yarn twisted sufhciently to produce a crepe fabric when woven with the weft thereof, as in the manufacture of flat crepe fabric. Flat crepe fabrics, although possessing some longitudinal elasticity, offer substantially no advantage over `ordinary inelastic v fabric for shoulder straps of ribbons and other narrow fabrics because the elasticity is not uniform throughout the fabric width, as the selvage edges of the fabric render the lon-gitudinal marginal edge portions of the fabric substantially inelastic, unless said selvage edges are very loosely woven in which case the fabric is undesirable because of the loose Weave. These objectionable characteristics of flat crepe fabric are eliminated in accordance with the present invention as the tubular crepe fabric embodying the principles of vthis invention being devoid of selvage edges possesses uniform longitudinal elasticity throughout the width thereof.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, the fabric I0 made in accordance with one form of the invention, is woven in tubular form in any well known manner to produce a transversely endless and lon-l gitudinally continuous fabric tube of indefinite length. 'I'he warp threads I2, as heretofore indicated, possess a degree of twist sufficiently high to produce a crepe fabric when woven with the weft thread Il thereof. Thus, as illustrated in Fig. 3, when the fabric is woven and the tension thereon is released, the warp threads I2 extend along zigzag lines in the direction of the length of the fabric. Thepweft thread is preferably about two or three times as thick as each warp thread, and in the form of the invention here illustrated, comprises a continuous thread woven with said warp threads in a simple tubular weave. After the tubular fabric is formed it is preferably flattened so that it has the appearance of a flat ribbon.

In accordance with another form of the invention the tubular crepe fabric is provided with means to prevent relative displacement of Wall portions of the tubular fabric in a transverse direction. The fabric thus constructed is illustrated in Figs. 4 to 7. As here shown, the tubuthe longitudinal center line of the fabric and in spaced relation to the side edges of the fabric. The warp threads 26 are preferably thicker than the warp threads 22 and need-v not be crepe-forming threads. Good Aresults have been obtained in the fabric made in accordance with this form of the invention by` utilizing for the binding warp threads 26, threadsof substantially the same thickness or even slightly thicker than the weft thread 24. When the binding warp threads are utilized in an elastic fabric, such as the tubular woven crepe fabric illustrated, said threads are woven sufficiently loosely to permit stretching of the fabric.

Figs. 6, "i, and 8 illustrate the manner in which the binding warp threads 26 are interwoven with the weft thread 24. As illustrated in these figures of the drawing, a plurality of here shown as two, warp threads 26 float over two transversely extending course of the weft thread and over one of such courses, alternately, on each side of the fabric and at opposite sides of thelongitudinal median line. Thus, while there are/four binding warp threads 26 adjacent each side of the fabric, only two of such warpl threads appear' in any one course on one surface of the fabric adjacent each side. This arrangement of the weft thread 24 and the binding warp threads 26, is illustrated more or less diagrammatically, for the purpose of explanation, in Fig. 8 wherein it will be observed that the weft thread 24 extends transversely of the fabric from one side edge of the fabric, indicated by the dotted line 28 to the other similarly indicated side edge 30, and is interwoven with both sets of said binding threads. Thus, beginning with the end 25 of the weft thread 24 it will be observed that said thread extends from edge 28 to edge 30 on one surface of the fabric, in woven relation with the binding warp threads, as well as with the other warp threads (not shown), is folded at 21 at edge `3D of thefabric and is interwoven with both sets of said warp threads on the other fabric surface extending in overlying relation to the first mentioned side of the fabric where it is folded upon itself, at 29 and offset in a direction longitudinally of the fabric, as indicated at 3l, for engagement with the warp thread in the next course of the fabric in which course the weft thread extends to the side edge 30 and is again doubled upon itself in the manner just described, and so on for the full fabric length.

In view of the present disclosure, it is apparent that the several fabrics herein shown and described are well adapted to accomplish the objects of the present invention. It will be observed that the fabric illustrated in Fig. 4 embodies both the elastic feature and the roll preventing feature of the present invention, but it is to be understood that while a fabric having both of these features is preferred, it is within the scope of the invention as a whole to provide a fabric having but one of these features. For example where an all textile fabric of uniform longitudinally elasticity is desired, the fabric shown in either Fig. 1 or Fig. 4 may be ernployed. Where a fabric having both the elasticity and non-rolling feature is desired, the fabric illustrated in Fig. 4 may be supplied. Further, where a tubular fabric having only the v-nonrolling feature without the elastic feature is desired, the weave illustrated in Figs. 4 to 9 may be utilized with other warp threads substtuted .for the crepe-forming warp threads 22. In other words an ordinary inelastic tubular fab- .ric may be provided with the interwoven binding l warp threads 26 to prevent rolling of the fabric.

Instead of the two sets of binding warp threads at opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the ribbon, only one set of such threads may be used and in that case may be disposed preferably along the longitudinal median line of the fabric, Other changes and modifications may be warp threads woven with said weft thread in tubular formation, said warp threads being highly twisted whereby the fabric possesses substantial elasticity uniformly `of the fabric throughout its extent at the edges of the fabric as well as at its intermediate portion, and additional thicker non-crep-ing warp threads interwoven with and floated over a plurality of weft thread portions of both courses of said weft thread inwardly of each selvedge edge to bind the opposite layers of the tubular fabric together to prevent relative displacement of said layers.

2. A tubularly woven ribbon or similar narrow fabric consisting of a longitudinally continuous fabric tube of indefinite length consisting of a textile weft thread and crepe-forming textile warp threads woven with said weft thread in tubular formation, said warp threads being highly twisted whereby the fabric possesses substantial elasticity uniformly of the fabric throughout its extent at the edges of the fabric as well as at its intermediate portion, and additional noncreping warp threads interwoven with and floated over a pluralityof weft thread portions of both courses of said weft thread inwardly of each selvedge edge to bind the opposite layers of the tubular fabric together to prevent relative displacement of said layers.

JOSEPH W. STARK.

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