United States Patent 19 (11) 4,395,889 Schnegg 45) Aug
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United States Patent 19 (11) 4,395,889 Schnegg 45) Aug. 2, 1983 54 WOVEN-LIKE WARP KNIT FABRC WITH TENSON CONTROL FOR TOP EFFECT OTHER PUBLICATIONS YARN Paling, “Warp Knitting Technology', 1952, London, p. 75 Inventor: Julius R. Schnegg, Burlington, N.C. 152. (73) Assignee: Burlington Industries, Inc., Primary Examiner-Ronald Feldbaum Greensboro, N.C. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cushman, Darby & Cushman 21 Appl. No.: 97,972 22 Filed: Nov. 28, 1979 57 ABSTRACT 51 Int. Cl’.............................................. D04B 23/08 An improved warp knit fabric that can serve as a base 52) U.S.C. ........................................ 66/193; 66/190; fabric for producing full weight, self-lined drapery ma 661202 terial as well as sheer drapery material and the process 58) Field of Search .................................. 66/190-195, and apparatus therefor. The base fabric is primarily 66/202 comprised of three groups of yarns knit together to 56 References Cited form a sheer fabric that creates the visual effect of being woven. The full weight is formed by incorporating one U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS or more additional groups of yarns into the base fabric. 3,036,448 5/1962 Cundiff............................... 66/195X One group is added to produce a self-lining on the rear 3,084,529 4/1963 Scheibe ... ... 66/193 side of the material while another group can include a 4,197,725 4f 1980 Kohl ...................................... 66,213 “laid-in' top effect yarn. This top effect yarn can be fed FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS with varying tension control so that a relatively wide 430022 8, 1967 Switzerland .......................... 66, 193 variety of effects can be created. 871815 7/1961 United Kingdom .................. 66,210 1165109 971969 United Kingdom .................. 66/213 23 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Aug. 2, 1983 Sheet 1 of 8 4,395,889 U.S. Patent Aug. 2, 1983 Sheet 2 of 8 4 395,889 U.S. Patent Aug. 2, 1983 Sheet 4 of 8 4,395,889 risks: states E. U.S. Patent Aug. 2, 1983 Sheet 5 of 8 4,395,889 88: 3. 8. 88: 3.sts s U.S. Patent Aug. 2, 1983 Sheet 7 of 8 4,395,889 U.S. Patent Aug. 2, 1983 Sheet 8 of 8 4,395,889 O o O O o O o o as 1C J2 24 /6 s o C2. 77 4,395,889 1. 2 fabric is used in each of the other fabrics there is little WOVEN-LIKE WARP KNIT FABRIC WITH down time for the machine when changing fabric styles TENSION CONTROL FOR TOP EFFECT YARN or types. Prior to this present invention it was not possible to BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5 create special effects in a warp knit fabric that exhibited . Warp knitting, as known for many years, constitutes or occurred in an irregular frequency across the width a type of knitting in which the yarns generally run of the fabric. Under normal warp knitting operations lengthwise in the fabric. Yarns are prepared, as warps, such irregular patterning, especially of top effect yarns, on beams with one or more yarns being fed to each was not possible. Accordingly, the present invention needle. Exemplary fabrics made by this type of knitting 10 has extended the range of novelty effects achievable are tricot, milanese and raschel fabrics. Milanese knit fabrics constitute a type of run-resistant warp knit fab with warp knit fabrics and incorporates means for creat rics that exhibit a diagonal rib effect using several sets of ing irregular tensions in a controlled or random manner. yarns to make the fabric. Raschel knit fabrics can be In addition, this tension control can be applied to each made in plain or jacquard patterns with the latter being 15 top effect yarn or only to certain selected ones thereof made to exhibit intricate eyelet and lacy patterns. in order to produce a wide variety of surface effects. Raschel fabrics are generally coarser than other types of Thus, it is possible with the present invention to pro warp knit fabrics and raschel type knitting machines duce a unique novelty yarn effect on warp knit goods have one or two sets of needles and up to 42 sets of without the use of any type of special novelty yarns, and guides. Tricot fabrics are another type of run-resistant 20 to produce an improved warp knit fabric that exhibits warp knit fabric in which either single or multiple sets the appearance of being woven. Further, the present of yarns have been used to produce the fabric. invention increases the amount of yarn bulk that may be It has also been known in the past to lay-in surface knit into a fabric which is especially desirable with effect yarns but the present invention concerns a partic drapery fabrics since heavy weight and dense fabrics ular method of laying-in surface effect yarns in order to 25 are desirable. produce particularly highly styled novelty fabrics Other objects, features and characteristics of the pres which are well designed for use as drapery fabrics. ent invention as well as the methods and operation and SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION function of the related apparatus will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed The present invention comprises a method, the appa 30 ratus for accomplishing the method and several result description and the appended claims with reference to ing novelty effect fabrics formed using standard knitting the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of techniques. The fabrics appear to incorporate special this specification, wherein like reference numerals des ized novelty yarns but in fact do not. The resulting ignate corresponding parts in the various figures. fabrics constitute warp knit, raschel type fabric that 35 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS produce an outward visual appearance of being a woven fabric. Further, specialized tensioning equip In the drawings: ment, used on a creel which supplies the top effect FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the novelty yarn, controls the feeding of that effect yarn in warp knitting machine arrangement used in the present a way that allows tension to be increased or decreased 40 invention together with a diagrammatic showing of a in a random or predetermined manner so that the effect portion of the creel used to support packages containing yarn assumes the appearance of being a slub yarn or the top effect yarn; creates the appearance of having irregular and changing FIG. 2 is a detailed perspective of a portion of the top amounts of yarn secured to the fabric. In particular, the effect yarn tensioning device as mounted on the creel; present invention has found a way to take a standard 45 FIG. 3 is an enlarged front elevational view of one of roving yarn and form that yarn into a ratine like effect the tensioning assemblies shown in FIG. 2 with portions yarn. In fact, the effect yarn is not only made to appear cut away for clarity; as a slub yarn but is also provided with a wavey or FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic showing of the pattern wiggle type of outward appearance. repeat in two courses of the ground yarn used in the The present invention also concerns the production 50 of a combination of novel fabrics each of which begin fabric produced according to the present invention; with and include a base fabric. This base fabric is a sheer FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic showing of two repeats of type material able to be used as sheer drapery material the weave effect yarn used to produce the fabric made and which serves as a substrate for the other fabrics. By according to the present invention; applying backing yarns to the sheer fabric a fuller and 55 FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of two courses of the heavier weight fabric is produced that has a self-lining backing yarn which can be incorporated into the sheer extending across the entire rear face of the fabric. This fabric made according to the present invention; base fabric together with the self-lining applied to the FIG. 7 is a photograph of the sheer base fabric pro rear face also serves as the fabric on which top effect duced according to the present invention which in yarns can be secured thereby producing an attractive 60 cludes the yarns shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 together with and very full and dense fabric that can be used advanta chainstitches; geously as drapery material. FIG. 8 is a photograph of the face of an exemplary The sheer fabric itself includes a plurality of groups full weight fabric made according to the present inven of yarns which are designed so that the resulting fabric tion which includes both the base or ground fabric has the outward appearance of being woven. This ap 65 shown in FIG. 7 together with the backing yarn shown pearance is carried over into the full weight fabrics in FIG. 6 and the top effect yarns shown in FIG. 1; comprised of the base fabric plus either or both of the FIG. 9 is a photograph of the self-lining on the rear backing and top effect yarns. Also, because the base face of the fabric shown in FIG.8; 4,395,889 3 4. FIG.10 is a photograph of the face of another exem mechanism also requires a modification by a factor of plary fabric made according to the present invention; four. Thus: and O becomes 0 FIG.11 is a needle diagram for the weave effect yarn 2 becomes 8 4 becomes 16 shown in FIG.