GB2051153A - Warp-knit Lace Strip and Method of Manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

An entirely warp-knit lace strip having sinuate scallops knit of scallop- forming yarn, the scallops preferably having outwardly protruding U-shaped picots at their edges. The protruding parts are held or attached to soluble yarn portions. As desired, the soluble yarns 5 are dissolved to free the scallops and picots. Several portions of lace texture are made integrally from two kinds of yarn, an insoluble one and a soluble one, which are threaded on the same guide bar. The guide bar serves to knit the insoluble fabric portions I and the soluble portions II in an alternating arrangement along the direction of the needle bar. Simultaneously scallops B are formed on the edge of the insoluble fabric by means of another guide bar and protruding picots 6 are formed on these scallops. When adjacent insoluble fabric portions are connected by insoluble yarn, they are not separated on dissolution. This makes finishing processes, such as drying, easier. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Warp-knit Lace Strip and Method of Manufacture Background of the Invention Warp-knit lace strips are conventionally used as border ornament on women's underwear and outerwear. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, such lace strip 10 is generally provided with sinuate parts called scallops B consisting of repetitive recesses and having protrusions on their edges called picots P. The picots are formed of U-bent yarns and protrude from the scallops B.

Conventional lace fabrics of this type have been knit in the direction shown by the arrow of Figure 1, generally by a raschel knitting machine and a plurality of units of lace strips have been knit into one piece of fabric extending over the full width of the needle-row and have been separated into units 10 in conventional manner.

Figure 8A shows that separation of the fabric piece into unit strips requires cutting of part 11, consisting only of mesh fabric interfaced between two adjacent lace fabrics 10, 10, along the sinuate line of scallops B by means of a cutter 12 operated manually or mechanically. This conventional method also requires the use of a basting yarn 14 to connect picots P, P of adjacent lace fabrics 10, 10 shown in Figure 9. The basting yarn is pre-knit into the fabric and removed after completion of knitting to obtain separate units of lace strip 10.

Prior methods suffer from several disadvantages, i.e., in the separation step. For example, if a manual cutting operation is employed efficiency is low because it is slow.

Accurate cutting along a sinate line is difficult in practical work, and yarn ends 14 as shown in Figure 9, remain at the cut-end of the mesh fabric.

This prevents fine finish of the outer edge of scallops B and clear protrusion of picot P as shown in Figure 8.

When mechanical cutting is employed, the remaining yarn ends at the outer edge of scallops 13 are ragged and this prevents fine finish despite any advantages obtained in increased production.

Accordingly, it can be seen that lace strips obtained by these methods have been extremely low in commercial value as border ornament.

When a basting yarn is employed, separation into units 10 by release of the basting yarn is better than the use of cutters, however, other disadvantages are present in the inferior ornamental properties since the basting yarn 14 is knitted in from sinuate scallops 10 to protruding picots P. Since alignment of protruding ends of P, P of adjacent lace fabrics 10, 10 is required, this causes sinuation of the scallops to be weaker than shown in Figure 8 and nearly straight at the protrusion B' of scallops B', Figure 9, and picots cannot be provided in the recesses of scallops B", as shown in Figure 9.

Summary of the Invention The objects of this invention are as follows: The first object of this invention is to provide an entirely warpknit lace strip by knitting sinuate scallops from scallop forming yarn on the edge of a ground fabric with the scallops having a large number of U-shaped picots protruding from their edges, the protruding portion of picots being knit into soluble fabric portion and being formed in series with and adjacent to the scallop portion.

The second object of this invention is to provide a method of manufacturing warp-knit lace strips, which eliminates disadvantages described above, in which sinuate scallops having picots are formed on the edge of an insoluble fabric portion which is adjacent to a soluble fabric portion, followed by dissolving the soluble fabric portion with water or the like and removing the insoluble fabric portion.

The third object of this invention is to provide a material for manufacturing warp-knit lace, as above described, in which an insoluble fabric portion and a soluble one are alternately arranged along the direction of the needle-row of the warpknitting machine.

The fourth object of this invention is to provide a method of obtaining knit lace strips having scallops and picots in which insoluble fabric portions and soluble ones are knit in an alternating arrangement followed by dissolution of the soluble portions and the insoluble fabric portion is separated into individual units.

The fifth object of this invention is to provide a fabric for manufacture of warp-knit lace strips in which insoluble basting yarns are knitted-in between adjacent insoluble fabric portions to connect the two while knitting the insoluble and soluble portions in alternating arrangement in the direction of the needle-row of the warp-knitting machine.

The sixth object of this invention is to provide a method of manufacturing knit lace strips wherein insoluble fabric portions and soluble ones are knit into one piece in an alternating arrangement in the direction of the needle-row of the warpknitting machine, adjacent insoluble fabric portions are made to be inseparable from each other by knitting insoluble removable basting yarns between these insoluble fabric portions.

Brief Description of the Drawings The foregoing objects and others will be more apparent from the following description of the drawings: Figure 1 is a sketch of a part of a warp-knit lace strip of the invention; Figure 2 is a view of the knit structure of the part shown in Figure 1, enclosed by dotted line Z; Figure 3 is a view of the knit structure of the part shown in Figure 2 after removal of the soluble portion by dissolving; Figure 4 is a view of an example of a modified knit structure with respect to soluble warps shown in Figure 2; Figure 5 is a schematic view of the fabric comprising insoluble portions in an alternating arrangement; Figure 6 is a view of a knit structure showing an embodiment wherein a basting yarn connects two adjacent insoluble portions of the insoluble fabric portions shown in Figure 5;; Figure 7 is a view of the knit structure remaining after the soluble fabric portion shown in Figure 6 has been dissolved; Figure 7A is an example of a modified knit structure with respect to basting yarn; Figure 7B illustrates another example of the knit structure of this invention; Figure 8, for comparison with the prior art, shows a portion of lace strip separated from the original fabric by cutting along the scallops; Figure 8A shows schematically the condition of a piece of fabric consisting of a plurality of knit units after cutting into strips of the lace shown in Figure 8; and Figure 9 is a sketch showing a part of the knit piece separated into units of lace strip by removal of basting yarn.

Detailed Description of the Invention The invention will more fully be described as follows: In Figure 1, reference numeral 10 represents a unit of warp-knit lace strip in accordance with this invention. This strip is knit along the direction of the arrow shown and, in practice, is continuous in both upward and downward directions as shown in the drawing.

Lace fabric 10 consists of a multitude of lines of stitches, formed of a number of warps 1 and 2 for connecting the lines of stitches with each other, thereby turning mesh fabric A into marquisette on which the patterning yarns are knittedin using Jacquard equipment for forming the pattern A'. In lace fabric 10, scallops B in sinuate form are formed from yarns 3 on the right hand portion. Numeral 4 denotes thick hemming yarns knit into scallops B. Reference character P indicates picots provided in large number on the edge of scallops B and formed by knitting suitable yarns into the scallops in a U-shape protruding from the scallops.

A description will now be given of a number of embodiments of the products and methods of this invention. In describing Figures 2 through 7, elements corresponding to those of Figure 1 will be denoted by the same reference character where possible.

Figure 2 is a view corresponding to Z shown in Figure 1 by a dotted line. Character A denotes the ground or foundation fabric, B the scallops, P the positions at which picots are formed and character N shows the position of the needle. The ground fabric is knit of warps 1 and 2 by means of needle N1-N9. Each needle forms chain stitches in every course of warp 1 and another warp, 2, is interlaced between chain stitches adjacent to each other in a transverse direction to form ground fabric A. Describing this structure in greater detail with respect to needles N1 and N2, the warp 2 is inserted through three consecutive courses on the stitch-line formed by the needle N1, transferred to the adjacent needle N2, inserted into three consecutive courses on the stitch-line formed by needle N2 as above, and then returned to the initial needle N1.Repetition of these steps with respect to needles N1-N9 forms a marquisette structure, i.e., ground fabric A. The knitting process herein described is not limited to marquisette. As is apparent from the description of Figure 1, a pattern may be knit into the ground fabric A.

A total of nine ends of scallop yarn denoted as 3 are shifted to correspond with the sinuation of scallops 13 while stitch forming using the nine corresponding needles. More specifically, nine scallop yarn ends are threaded on nine needles, N10-N18, at the first course, (the lowest position in the drawings), overlapped at this needleposition so as to form chain stitches in a line corresponding to the number of courses, then shifted to the left side of the course at the rate of one needle-pitch, i.e., to another nine needles N9-N17 for the next overlap to form chain stitches in line corresponding to the required number of courses, at the position to which they shifted, and then shifted to the left side at course B at the same rate as the previous one, i.e., one needle-pitch onto needles N 8-N16, when these yarns reach the course C after repetition of the above described procedure they are shifted to the right side at the rate of one needle-pitch and the overlapping portions are shifted to the right side step by step. These repetitive steps result in sinuate scallops.

Yarns 4 are hemming yarns used to knit the scallops. Two ends are arranged on the outer edge, i.e., the right side in Figure 1, and one strand is positioned on the inner edge, i.e., left side, in Figure 1 and are inserted into chain stitches in line of the scallops-forming yarns 3 for the formation of a knit structure while curving correspondingly to the sinuation of scallops 13.

Warp yarns 1 and 2, comprising ground fabric A, yarn 3 for scallops B, hemming yarns 4 and picot forming yarns 6, hereinafter described, are all water-insoluble and comprise all of the insoluble fabric portion I.

The portion in which soluble yarns are knit-in is indicated by the letter D. Warp yarns 5 are drawn through a guide bar commonly used for warp 1. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, ends of soluble yarn 5 are threaded through 10 needles, N11-N20, which are positioned over width D ranging from the wale (llj) lying at a pitch of one gauge outside the wale (Ili) that corresponds to the portion of scallops 13 to the wale (ill) lying at a pitch of two gauges outside the wale (llm) that corresponds to the end of scallops B protrusion.

Warps 5 compose the soluble fabric portion II and is made by forming chain stitches in all the wales in the same number as the number of courses.

The scallop-forming yarns 3 are overlapped on soluble warps 5 in some of the knitting.area. The line of chain stitches formed of warp 5 in this overlapping area is not illustrated. As examples, soluble yarn 5 and insoluble yarn 1 may be of vinylon and nylon, respectively.

Yarns 6 are used to form the picots. They are knit into scallops 13, inserted into a line of chain stitches formed of soluble yarns, protruded approximately two gauges from the scallops edge at the required course and returned for repeated insertion into scallops B to produce a multitude of U-shaped protrusions. In this manner, protruding parts of picots are fixed in the soluble fabric portion II.

When the fabric thus obtained is immersed in water, the soluble fabric portion II is dissolved and the edge of insoluble fabric portion I appears as sinuate scallops 13 provided with picots P as shown in Figure 3.

The formation of sinuate scallops 13 from insoluble yarns on the edge of insoluble fabric portion I, formation of picots P of similar insoluble yarn in the shape of protrusions from the scallops and removal of the soluble fabric portion by dissolution after knitting-in of the picots into soluble fabric portions ensures clear appearance of picots and enables easy setting of the lengths of the picot protrusions. Accordingly, it is apparent that tasteful lace strips furnished with scallops and picots of diverse shape can easily be manufactured. The provision of picots is not, however, essential; the invention enabies the production of fabric having scallops with clear edges, and which may be strongly sinuated, with or without picots.

Figure 4 is a view showing an example of a modified knitting mode for soluble yarn 5 wherein the references used correspond to the drawings, a difference from Figure 2 in that the soluble yarns 5 are knit along a sinuate line of scallops B. When thus knit, the width of the part D in which warps are found, namely, soluble fabric il, can be made smaller than that required for knitting the warps 5 in straight line along the direction of wale as shown in Figure 2. For example, as shown in this drawing, threading of five ends of warp yarns 5 respectively on five needles, N19N23, may satisfy. In this manner, it is possible to reduce the soluble yarn consumption which leads to a high level of economy.

The foregoing describes an embodiment in which a unit of lace fabric is manufactured. It is also possible to manufacture a plurality of separate units of insoluble lace fabric 10 at one time. The fabric is knit into a piece comprising insoluble fabric portions I and soluble portions II, in which two different portions are arranged alternately with each other. On immersion of the soluble fabric in water, separate lace fabric units are obtained. Thus separation into units without use of a cutter and formation of clear sinuate scallops and picots on the edge of each separate lace fabric are possible.

Figure 6 shows a modification of the knit structure shown in Figure 5. Insoluble fabric portions I and soluble portions II are knit in an alternating arrangement with each other to form a piece containing a plurality of these portions, and adjacent insoluble portion I, I are connected with each other by insoluble basting yarn 7. Basting yarn 7 is knit in along the sinuate line of the edge portion and connects the tip of the U-shaped protrusions knit from yarn 6 with adjacent insoluble fabric portion I. Though not shown, adjacent insoluble portions I ,l may be connected to each other by two basting yarns, one of which is 7, as described above, and the other is knittedin between 7 and adjacent insoluble fabric portion I. When the fabric is knit this way, insoluble fabric portions II are removed by immersing the whole of the fabric to dissolve the soluble portion.Figure 7 illustrates a fabric from which the soluble yarns have been removed by dissolution in water. After removal from the water, the fabric is dried and separated into units of insoluble fabric portions I by removing basting yarn 7 from the fabric. In this way, insoluble fabric portions can be made inseparable from each other even after the soluble fabric portions I have been dissolved. This makes the drying step easier and ensures the manufacture of a multitude of lace strips at a more rapid production rate. It will be appreciated from Figures 6 and 7 that in this case the basting yarn 7 initially has soluble threads adjacent both its left side and its right side; this makes the later deknitting easier.

Figure 7A shows the invention wherein a basting yarn 7 is knitted-in straight in the direction of wale regardless of the sinuation of the scallop portion 13 and connects the U-bent protrusions of picot-forming yarn 6 at the tip of the scallop portion 1 3 with adjacent lace texture 10. Reference 8 represents insoluble yarns useful to connect wales to each other. In this instance, an arrangement of soluble warp yarns 5 over the area D (corresponding to the area covered by nine needles in the drawing) is satisfactory. After completion of knitting, the fabric can be separated into strips of lace by releasing the basting yarn 7 after removal of soluble warp yarns by dissolution.

In Figure 7B picots P of shorter length than produced in earlier embodiments appear on the edge of each lace strip.

While water soluble yarns have been disclosed, it should be obvious that yarns soluble in other solvents can be used. In manufacture, the completely knit fabric would be immersed in a solvent capable of dissolving the soluble yarn employed.

Claims (14)

Claims

1. A lace strip entirely warp-knit having sinuated scallops knit from scallop-forming yarns into a ground fabric.

2. A lace strip entirely warpknit having sinuate scallops knit from scallop-forming yarns into a ground fabric, the edge of said scallops having picots of U-shape, the base portion of said picots being knit into the edge of said scallops.

3. An entirely warp-knitted fabric for manufacturing lace strips comprising insoluble fabric portions, sinuate scallops on the edge of said insoluble fabric portions and knit of insoluble yarns U-shaped picots protruding outwardly from said scallops, and soluble fabric portions adjacent to said scallops, the protruding parts of said picots being knitted into said soluble fabric portions.

4. An entirely warp-knitted fabric for manufacturing lace strips comprising insoluble fabric portions and soluble ones arranged alternately with each other, sinuate scallops knitted of insoluble yarns and arranged on the edge of said insoluble fabric portions, picots formed of insoluble yarns protruding from said scallops, and knit into said soluble fabric portions.

5. An entirely warp-knitted fabric for manufacturing lace strips as set forth in claim 4 and an insoluble basting yarn that connects said adjacent insoluble fabric portions to each other.

6. An entirely warp-knit fabric for manufacturing lace strips as set forth in claim 4 and an insoluble basting yarn that connects said adjacent insoluble fabric portions to each other, wherein soluble threads are adjacent both sides of the insoluble basting yarn.

7. The lace strip product of claim 2 wherein the picot is free of hanging threads moving over more than two needles and separated by a basting yarn which has soluble threads adjacent thereto holding the latch closed during the knitting process and obtaining lace strip, upon dissolving the soluble threads adjacent to the basting yarn, free of the removed basting yarn.

8. The lace strip product of claim 5 wherein the basting yarn moves over more than two needles so that the U-shaped picots can float in the air free and clear of hanging threads.

9. A method of manufacturing warp-knit lace strips wherein insoluble fabric portions and soluble fabric portions are knit into one piece in an alternating arrangement in the direction of the needle-row on a warp-knitting machine, said insoluble knit portion is knit in the shape of sinuate scallops having picots protruding therefrom and separating the portions into separate strips.

10. The method of claim 9 in which the circular picot moves over more than one needle and forms loops on varying wales in unlimited manner determined only by aesthetics and wherein the scallops can be varied in both directions.

11. The method of claim 9 in which the scallop can be formed in an unlimited length over, up to and including the total repeat in the warp direction of the lace.

12. The method of claim 9 in which the knitted fabric is immersed in water thereby dissolving the soluble portion.

13. The method of claim 9 in which insoluble basting yarns are knit in between adjacent insoluble fabric portions to connect the two simultaneously with the knitting of insoluble fabric portions and soluble fabric portion in an alternating arrangement.

14. A lace strip substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, Figure 4, Figure 5, Figures 6 and 7, Figure 7A or Figure 7B of the accompanying drawings.

1 5. A method of manufacturing a lace strip, substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, Figure 4, Figure 5, Figures 6 and 7, Figure 7A or Figure 7B of the accompanying drawings.