U.S. patent number 3,887,968 [Application Number 05/369,962] was granted by the patent office on 1975-06-10 for composite elastic band for use with a garment.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Automatic Braiding Co. (Nottingham) Ltd.. Invention is credited to John Edward Lynam.
United States Patent |
3,887,968 |
Lynam |
June 10, 1975 |
Composite elastic band for use with a garment
Abstract
A composite elastic band capable of being stretched elastically
from a relaxed condition, comprises a core consisting of two
elastic ribbons enclosed in a textile cover, preferably a non-woven
fabric, with a tie cord extending freely lengthwise of the band
between the two ribbons. Such a band is secured in a hem in a
wearer encircling portion of a fabric garment by folding a marginal
part of the fabric completely around the band, and stitching the
band into the hem. A loop of the tie cord is subsequently extracted
through a hole in the fabric by piercing the cover, then cutting
the loop to leave two loose ends; one loose end may be extracted
through another hole in the fabric by piercing the cover. The loose
ends are intended to be tied together by the wearer to tighten the
wearer encircling portion around the trunk or a limb of the wearer.
The wearer encircling portion may be a waist band, cuff band, or
ankle band. The band is enclosed in a hem tunnel formed in a length
of garment fabric by apparatus comprising a pair of metering
rollers, at least one of which is driven, for forwarding the band
at a predetermined linear speed to region at which a first face of
the band is brought into contact with a first face of the fabric
along a zone of the latter spaced inwards from an edge of the
fabric so that a marginal strip of the fabric protrudes beyond an
edge of the band, a pair of rollers, at least one of which is
driven, for forwarding the band and fabric in face contact to a
fabric-folding region through which they are traversed, a
fabric-folding device at said folding region for forming the fabric
into a hem tunnel by folding said marginal strip around said edge
of the band to overlay the second face of the band and folding the
fabric about the other edge of the band to present said second face
of the band, and the marginal strip, to the first face of the
fabric along a zone of the fabric spaced inwards of the first said
zone, and a sewing mechanism for withdrawing the band and fabric
from said folding device and for securing the band in the hem
tunnel by stitching penetrating through the band and the fabric of
the tunnel, including the marginal strip, with said zones.
Inventors: |
Lynam; John Edward (Melton
Mowbray, EN) |
Assignee: |
Automatic Braiding Co. (Nottingham)
Ltd. (Mowbray, EN)
|
Family
ID: |
26252485 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/369,962 |
Filed: |
June 14, 1973 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Jun 21, 1972 [GB] |
|
|
28932/72 |
Apr 10, 1973 [GB] |
|
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17115/73 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
24/712; 428/101;
428/365; 2/237; 156/70; 428/188 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41F
9/025 (20130101); D04D 9/04 (20130101); Y10T
428/24744 (20150115); Y10T 428/24025 (20150115); Y10T
428/2915 (20150115); Y10T 24/37 (20150115); A41D
2300/33 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A41F
9/00 (20060101); A41F 9/02 (20060101); D04D
9/00 (20060101); B32b 003/04 (); B32b 003/24 ();
A41f 009/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;161/89,100,101
;2/236-237 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Dier; Philip
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Marmorek; Ernest F.
Parent Case Text
Reference is had to co-pending application Ser. No. 321,834 filed
Jan. 8, 1973.
Claims
I claim:
1. A prefabricated composite elastic band for use in connection
with a garment and capable of being stretched elastically from a
relaxed condition and of recovery to said condition, comprising a
core having two faces including two substantially co-planar elastic
ribbons spaced apart from each other with a gap between adjacent
edges, a cover composed of a flexible material connected to the
core and extending over and covering both faces of the core and
covering the gap, and a tie-cord extending freely, within the gap,
lengthwise of the band, said tie-cord being puckered when said band
is in said relaxed condition.
2. The band as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover is a single
strip of flexible material folded around said core
3. A band according to claim 1, further comprising adhesive means
operable to connect said core to said cover.
4. A band according to claim 1, wherein the cover consists of two
strips of flexible material, one of said strips being disposed on
one face of the core and the other of said strips being disposed on
the other face of the core.
5. A band according to claim 1, wherein the cover is a non-woven
fabric.
Description
This invention relates to composite elastic bands, primarily of
pre-fabricated form for subsequent attachment to a garment or to a
length of fabric for forming at least a part of such a garment.
The invention provides a composite elastic band capable of being
stretched elastically from a relaxed condition, and primarily a
band in or for a garment, comprising a core of elastic ribbon
material and a cover of flexible material covering at least one
face of the core and secured to the latter and a tie-cord or
draw-cord (hereinafter referred to as a tie-cord) extending
lengthwise within the band. It will be appreciated that such a
tie-cord should not be so attached to the band as appreciably to
restrict the extension of the latter within the limits required in
use on the garment.
Preferably the core comprises two spaced ribbons with the tie-cord
extending lengthwise of the band between them. The core is
preferably made of rubber (natural or synthetic). It is preferably
secured to the cover by adhesive. It may be so secured by adhesive
extending over substantially the whole of at least one face of the
core, or it may have stripes or strips of adhesive closely spaced
along the length of the band, or longitudinal stripes or strips of
adhesive closely spaced widthwise of the band, or by spaced areas
of adhesive (for example as dots of adhesive).
Preferably the cover extends at least partly over the other face of
the core. It may consist of two strips of flexible material applied
one to each face of the core. Alternatively, it may comprise a
single strip of flexible material which covers one face of the core
and is folded around at least one edge of the latter to overlap and
cover, wholly or in part, the other face of the core.
The cover may be formed of knitted fabric such for an example as
interlock fabric, with the wales extending widthwise of lengthwise
of the band.
The cover is preferably a non-woven fabric. The term "non-woven
fabric" means a web or mat of fibres held together by bonding such
as may be effected by an adhesive or other bonding agent, by the
application of chemical action or heat, or by a mechanical action
which interlocks the fibres together. Specifically the band may be
according to British Pat. No. 1279743 but with the aforesaid
tie-cord.
The cover is secured to the band while the core is in an extended
condition. If the cover is of inextensible material, such as woven
or non-woven fabric, this results in the cover being puckered or
crinkled when the band is permitted to relax, due to the lengthwise
contraction of the core. If the cover is made of extensible
material, such as knitted fabric (e.g., interlock fabric the degree
of puckering depends on the extent (if any) to which the covering
is stretched while it is being attached to the stretched core.
The invention also provides in the manufacture of a garment having
a wearer-encircling portion incorporating the elastic band, the
steps of securing a length of the elastic band to fabric of the
garment, securing the ends of the elastic band together, and
extracting end portions of the tie-cord for subsequent use in
constricting said wearer-encircling portion. The wearer-encircling
portion may be a waist band, a cuff band, or an ankle band.
Garments to which the present invention is applicable include pants
or similar underwear, sports shorts, swimming or other trunks,
pyjamas, trousers, slacks, pullovers, jumpers, and the like.
The bandlength may be first be secured to the length of garment
fabric and the ends of the fabric length fastened together and the
ends of the band length fastened together.
The ends of the length of garment fabric may be fastened together
before the length of band is secured to the garment fabric.
Alternatively the ends of the length of garment fabric may be
fastened together, and the ends of the band length fastened
together to form an endless band, and the latter subsequently
attached to the garment.
Preferably however the method comprises the sequential steps of
securing the bandlength to the length of the garment fabric, and
securing the ends of the fabric length together and the ends of the
band length together.
The ends of the tie-cord when extracted can be releasably tied
together to constrict the wearer-encircling portion of the garment.
An advantage of employing a non-woven fabric for the cover is that
this readily permits the cover to be pierced so as to draw out
portions of the tie-cord which can then be cut to provide free ends
which can subsequently be tied together.
The band may be wholly or partially enclosed in a knitted fabric
outer cover.
The band may be enclosed within the hem by a method which comprises
the sequential steps of:
a. bringing one face of the band into contact with one face of the
fabric along a zone of the latter spaced inwards from an edge of
the fabric, with an extreme margin of the fabric protruding beyond
an edge of the band,
b. folding the fabric around the band to form the hem by passing
the band and fabric, with said faces in contact, through a
fabricfolding region at which said margin is folded over said edge
to overlay the other face of the band and the fabric is further
folded to present said other face of the band, and the overlay, to
said face of the fabric at a second zone inwards of the first said
zone, and
c. thereafter advancing the band and fabric from said region, with
the band in the hem, and securing the band in the hem by stitching
penetrating through the band and hem within said zones and within
the overlay.
This invention also includes a garment having a wearer-encircling
portion incorporating the aforesaid elastic band.
The invention also includes apparatus for securing and enclosing an
extensible elastic band within a hem tunnel formed in a length of
garment fabric, comprising a pair of metering rollers, at least one
of which is driven for forwarding the band at a predetermined
linear speed to a region at which a first face of the band is
brought into contact with a first face of the fabric along a zone
of the latter spaced inwards from an edge of the fabric so that a
marginal strip of the fabric protrudes beyond an edge of the band,
a pair of rollers, at least one of which is driven, for forwarding
the band and fabric in face contact to a fabric-folding region
through which they are traversed, a fabric-folding device at said
folding region for forming the fabric into a hem tunnel by folding
said marginal strip around said edge of the band to overlay the
second face of the band and folding the fabric about the other edge
of the band to present said second face of the band, and the
marginal strip, to the first face of the fabric along a zone of the
fabric spaced inwards of the first said zone, and a sewing
mechanism for withdrawing the band and fabric from said folding
device and for securing the band in the hem tunnel by stitching
penetrating through the band and the fabric of the tunnel,
including the marginal strip, with said zones.
The folding device may comprise apparatus for securing and
enclosing an extensible elastic band within a hem tunnel formed in
a length of garment fabric, comprising a pair of metering rollers,
at least one of which is driven, for forwarding the band at a
predetermined linear speed to a region at which a first face of the
band is brought into contact with a first face of the fabric along
a zone of the latter spaced inwards from an edge of the fabric so
that a marginal strip of the fabric protrudes beyond an edge of the
band, a pair of rollers, at least one of which is driven, for
forwarding the band and fabric in face contact to a fabric-folding
region through which they are traversed, a fabric-folding device at
said folding region for forming the fabric into a hem tunnel by
folding said marginal strip around said edge of the band to overlay
the second face of the band and folding the fabric about the other
edge of the band to present said second face of the band, and the
marginal strip, to the first face of the fabric along a zone of the
fabric spaced inwards of the first said zone, and a sewing
mechanism for withdrawing the band and fabric from said folding
device and for securing the band in the hem tunnel by stitching
penetrating through the band and the fabric of the tunnel,
including the marginal strip, with said zones. The folding device
may comprise two parallel members affording between them a gap
along which the band and fabric travel in face contact, which
members twist their length through 180.degree. and one of which has
a turned-over marginal portion for folding the marginal strip of
the fabric around the edge of the band.
Alternatively, the folding device may comprise a single member
affording a surface along which the fabric travels, which member
twists in its length through 180.degree. and has a turned-over
marginal portion for folding the marginal strip of the fabric
around the edge of the band.
In order that the invention may be better understood reference will
now be made to the accompanying drawings which are largely
diagrammatic. In these drawings:
FIG. 1 is a sectional view through one form of composite band
according to this invention.
FIG. 2 illustrates a length of garment fabric to which a band
according to this invention is to be applied.
FIGS. 3 to 5 illustrate successive stages in the enclosure of this
band within a hem tunnel formed in the garment fabric at a
wearer-encircling portion thereof.
FIGS. 6 to 9 illustrate successive stages in the manufacture of the
garment while
FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate modified constructions of the
garment.
FIG. 12 is a prespective view of the apparatus which may be
employed to attach the band;
FIGS. 13 to 17 illustrate successive stages in the enclosure of the
band in a hem tunnel.
FIG. 18 is a perspective view of another form of the apparatus
while
FIGS. 19 to 23 illustrate successive stages in the functioning of
the fabric-folding device shown in FIG. 18, during traverse of the
garment fabric and band along the device.
Referring firstly to FIG. 1, this illustrates a composite elastic
band 4 according to this invention comprising two co-planar strips
9 of elastic ribbon material forming a core sandwiched between and
adhered to the inner-faces of two cover strips 8 of non-woven
material. Within the gap between the inner margins of the two
rubber ribbons 9 there is located a round or flat tie-cord 10 which
either freely lengthwise within the band or is not attached thereto
in such a manner that it limits the lengthwise extensibility of the
band.
The elastic ribbons 9 are stuck to the inner face of the covering
strips 8 while in the longitudinally stretched condition and the
tie-cord 10 is simultaneously or previously laid in between the
ribbons. As a result when the band is permitted to relax the strips
8 and 9 become puckered or crinkled and so does the tie-cord
10.
The puckering of the tie-cord 10 in the relaxed band is illustrated
in the lower part of FIG. 12. Since the tie-cord has this
disposition in the relaxed band, it does not inhibit the band from
being stretched and provides a surplus length of cord permitting
free ends of the latter to be drawn out a hereinafter described
with reference to FIGS. 7-11.
Other suitable sectional configurations for the band, permitting of
the insertion of a tie cord, are shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 7, 8, 9 and
11 of British Pat. No. 1279743.
Instead of the cover being stuck to the ribbons forming the core it
may be sewn to them by extensible or non-extensible stitching
depending on the extensibility or otherwise of the covering
material stitching.
It is intended that the band 4 shall be enclosed within and secured
to a hem tunnel formed by folding the fabric of a garment. FIG. 2
shows a length of garment fabric 14, constituted by a plurality of
fabric panels sewn together, and in this example by two panels 14a,
14b having edges sewn together at 15. Each panel is provided with a
hole 16a, or 16b near one edge thereof for the purpose hereinafter
described. The edges of the holes are suitably finished off and the
holes may be spaced equally to either side of the seam 15.
The band 4 in an extended condition is brought into face contact
with fabric 14 along a zone spaced inwards from a longitudinal edge
of the latter so that an extreme margin 14c of the fabric protrudes
beyond an edge of the band (see FIG. 3). Thereafter as shown in
FIG. 4, this protruding margin is folded over said edge of the band
and the fabric is further folded, as shown in FIG. 5, over the
other edge of the band so that the band is wholly enclosed in a hem
tunnel 17.
While in the hem tunnel the band is secured in position by lines of
stitching disposed at opposite sides of the tie cord 10. The
stitching penetrates both the ribbons 9 and completely through the
covering and hem tunnel. Some of the stitches penetrate the
folded-over margin 14c. It may here be mentioned that matters are
so arranged that the tie-cord 10 extends in register with the holes
16a, 16b, in the fabric.
After the band 4 has been secured in the hem tunnel its ends are
trimmed off substantially level with the ends of the tunnel. The
relaxed girth of the body encircling portion 19 (hereinafter
referred to) is determined by the degree of extension applied to
the band at the time of stitching.
The ends of the length of garment fabric 14, are brought together
and secured by a seam 18 so as to form an annular waist band 19 or
other body-encircling portion of the garment 20. The ends of the
length of the band and of the tie-cord 10 are stitched together and
locked inside the hem tunnel in same operation. If desired a piece
of fabric 21, such for example as a brand label, may be sewn across
the joint to strengthen the waist and to further secure the ends of
the tie-cord.
The next stage is to extract a loop 10a of the tie-cord 10 through
one of the holes 16a, 16b, by bursting through the covering
material 8 of the band 4, (see FIG. 7). The next step, FIG. 8, is
to cut this loop 10a, off centre so as to leave two protruding
loose ends 10b, 10c of the tie-cord.
Loose end 10b, is then extracted through the other hole 16a. Due to
the fact that the loop 10a is cut off-centre the protruding ends
10b, 10c of the tie-cord shown in FIG. 9 are substantially of equal
length. The extremities may be finished off by tagging or
knotting.
Whether the ends 10b, 10c are presented at the inside or the
outside of the wearer-encircling portion 19, depends on two factors
viz. whether the hem tunnel is presented inside or outside portion
19 and/or the distance of the holes from the edge. They may be
presented at the opposite face of the hem tunnel to that shown in
FIG. 5, so that as shown in FIG. 10 the ends 10b, 10c are presented
at the outside of portion 19.
A single hole such as 16a FIG. 11 may be provided instead of the
two holes 16a, 16b and the loop 10a of tie-cord extracted through
this hole so the two ends 10b, 10c protrude through the latter,
either at the inside of the garment as shown or at the outside.
FIGS. 6-6 - show the wearer-encircling portion in a relaxed and
puckered condition. The extent of the puckering, if any, depends on
the extent to which the fabric of the hem tunnel 17 is stretched,
lengthwise of the band, while the band is stitched within it. Thus,
if the fabric 14 is knitted fabric, the hem tunnel may be held in a
stretched or partly stretched condition while the band is sewn to
it: thus eliminating or partly eliminating puckering of portion 19
when the latter is permitted to relax but not preventing elastic
extension of said portion.
Referring now to FIG. 12, the composite elastic band 4 is drawn in
relaxed condition from a supply thereof and forwarded positively by
metering feed rolls 23a, 23b at a predetermined linear speed.
From the metering rolls, at least one of which is positively
driven, the band 4 is forwarded under some degree of extension and
tension to nip rollers 24a, 24b, one or both of which may be
driven. It is fed over the upper periphery of roller 24b and is
thereby forwarded to the fabric-folding device indicated generally
at 26. As it passes between rollers 24a, 24b, the upper or first
face of the band 4 is brought into contact with the underface (or
first face) of a length of garment materials 14 along a zone spaced
inwards from a side edge of the garment fabric so that the extreme
margin 14c of the latter protrudes beyond an edge of the band, the
edge of the fabric being guided by an edge 25. The garment fabric
and band, in face to face contact, pass through a folding device 26
and thence to a sewing machine indicated at 27 being pulled away
from the device by the feed means 28 of the machine. The sewing
machine is a known type incorporating a plurality of needles 29, by
which the band is sewn within a hem of the garment fabric. The
parts marked 30a, 30b form the supports for the entry of the device
26.
The band 4 is forwarded by the metering rollers 23a, 23b at a
linear speed less than that at which the band 4 and fabric 14 are
forwarded by the rollers 24a, 24b and the latter rollers forward
the band and fabric at the same or substantially the same linear
speed as that at which they are drawn from the device 26 by the
sewing machine 27. For this purpose, the driven one of rollers 23a,
23b, the driven one of rollers 24a, 24b, and the feed means 28 of
the sewing machine are connected together by any suitable mechanism
(not shown) to rotate at the appropriate peripheral speeds: for
example being driven from a common power source such as the power
source or driving motor of the sewing machine.
Turning now to FIGS. 13 to 17, FIG. 13 is a sectional view showing
that the device 26 consists of two plate members 31, 32 which at
the entry end lie in parallel horizontal planes. They commence to
twist while still occupying parallel planes as shown in FIG. 14 so
that the fabric 14 is bent. FIG. 15 shows that at a later stage
they twist still further and that the plate 31 then has a turnover
portion 33 which commences to fold the extreme margin 14c of the
fabric around one edge of band 4. The device 26 twists still
further as shown in FIG. 16, so that the part 33 causes the fabric
margin 14c to be folded over said one edge of the band 4 to overlie
a second or opposite face of the latter and the outer face of the
member 32. Finally as shown in FIG. 17, the device 26 completes its
twist through 180.degree..
On being pulled out of the device 26 subsequent to the stage
illustrated in FIG. 17, the band 4 lies within the hem tunnel 17
with one face in contact with the fabric at the zone hereinbefore
referred to and with the marginal part 14c folded round an edge of
the band to overlie the other or second face of the band and with
the latter and said overlay portion presented against the first
face of the fabric 14 at a second zone spaced inwards of the first
zone. This is illustrated in FIG. 5. It is in this condition and
with the band at least partially extended (and with the band fabric
under tension) that the band, in the tunnel, is pulled past the
needles 29 of the sewing machine 27 which operates to fasten the
band within the hem tunnel by stitches which penetrate completely
through the hem tunnel and through the band, some of said stitching
desirably penetrating the overlay 14c. An appropriate length of the
band is cut off and the two ends of the garment fabric and the two
ends of the band are then stitched to one another, the band being
enclosed in the tunnel 17. The fabric tunnel will be puckered
allowing the waist band or other region at which the tunnel is
provided to be circumferentially expanded to accommodate a part of
the body of the garment wearer.
The degree of puckering of the tunnel will depend at least in part
on the nature of fabric 14. If that fabric is substantially
inextensible there will be considerable degree of puckering. If the
fabric has some capacity for extension, the degree of puckering
will depend on the extension imparted to the fabric on leaving the
device 26 and while passing the needles 29. For example, were the
fabric and band to be extended to the same degree, the tunnel would
not be puckered but would still be capable of being expanded
circumferentially.
It will be appreciated that if the elastic band 4 is stretched
during manufacture to an extent greater than that to which it is
stretched during incorporation into the garment there will be a
surplus length of the tie cord forming loose or free ends, in the
resultant garment, which will not pull back into the band even when
the wearer-encircling portion of the garment has been stretched
circumferentially to its limit. In the relaxed condition of the
band, the draw-cord or the cord 10 lies in puckered or crimped form
within it (as illustrated in the lower part of FIGS. 12 and 18) as
not to inhibit the band from being stretched and to provide a
surplus for the free ends of the cord. For this purpose, the cord
is interposed between the two ribbons 9 while the latter are
stretched, the covering layers 8 being then stuck to the stretched
ribbons.
Referring now to FIGS. 18 to 23, the folding device 36 shown
therein comprises a single plate member 37 along a surface of which
the fabric 14 (with the band 4) travels from the rollers 24a, 24b
to the sewing machine 27. This member 37 twists, in its length
through 180.degree. and has a turned-over marginal portion 38. The
extent to which this portion 38 is turned over develops, as
depicted at successive stages in FIGS. 20 to 23. It will be seen
that the device 36 operates in a manner similar to the device 26 of
FIGS. 12 to 17 from its entry end shown in FIG. 19 to its exit end
shown in FIG. 23, the eventual result being that the fabric is
folded round the band 4 to enclose the latter a hem tunnel 17.
* * * * *