Knit-woven fabric
United States Patent Mohelnicky et al.  
 KN lT-WOVEN FABRIC Inventors: Josef Mohelnicky. Prague; Josef Zmatlik; Miloslav Jisa, both of Liberec. all of Czechoslovakia Asslgncc:  
 Statni Vyzkumny Ustav Textilni,  
 Liherec. Czechoslovakia Filed:  
 Feb. 6. 1973 Appl. No: 330.045  
 Related L28. Application Data Continuation-iirpart oi Scr. No. 246.239. April ll.  
 i972, Pat, No 3.74h.ll5l.  
 [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 23. I971 C&#39;zcchoslmakia .r Z98l-7l Jana I4. 1973 Czechoslovakia 251-72 .lanv l). 1972 Czechoslovakia 343-72 Feb. 8. 1972 Czechoslovakia 776-72 [52] U.S. Cl. 139/383 [51] Int. Cl .l D03d 25/00 [58] Field of Search 139/383. 384. ll. I24 A; 66/192, 190  
 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 556J65 l/l97l Zmatlik ct al. l39/383 3.728.876 4/l973 Richard ct all 6o/l92 Primary ExaminerHenry S. Jaudon Armrnvy. Agent or FirmMichael S. Striker [57] ABSTRACT A machine for making a knit-woven atlas or sateen fabric with connected reverse stitches alternating with tuck loops in the wales between fabric stripes woven of warps and weft loops. has a system of oscillating lapping guides with eyelet for supplied weft threads ending in the wales, cooperating with a system of latch needles which are reciprocated with the hooks and latches moving on a curved endless path. The path of each needle hook is located below a section of the respective supplied weft thread. Each knitting needle has an operating position located in an open warp shed and the operating position is selected relative to the extreme position of the correlated oscillating lapping guide so that the respective weft thread section passes over the shank of the respective correlated knitting needle behind the open latch thereof.  
 l Claim. 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPRZQIHIS 3,880.202  
 sum ear 5 KNIT-WOVEN FABRIC BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present application is a continuation in part application of our copending application Ser. No. 246.239. filed Apr. 2l. 1972. now U.S. Pat. No. 3.746.05 l. A related application entitled Knit-Woven Fabric. and a Machine for Making the Fabric is being filed under the names Zmatlik et all by the same group of inventors.  
  The present invention relates to a knit-woven fabric comprising a warp knitted structure formed by weft loops and stitch wales alternating with groups of warp threads interlaced with stitch-connecting loops to form a woven structure.  
  The term knit-woven fabric&#34; defines a partly woven and partly knitted h brid fabric made on a weaving machine or loom specifically modified for this purpose.  
  The invention also relates to a weaving machine for manufacturing the knit-woven fabric provided with a knitting mechanism for forming a warp knitted structure from weft threads taken from a stationary supply. with means for beating up stitch-connecting loops into the fell of the fabric. The knitting mechanism comprises a system of oscillatory lapping guide elements with lapping arms adapted to oscillate in an open shed from an intermediate starting position to one of two extreme positions and back again. and in the next open shed into same or opposite extreme lapping position. and back again. The lapping guide elements penetrate in the closed shed position the warp shed. and in the open shed position. the warp threads of at least one shed plane. A system of knitting needles with closable hooks and latches is disposed across the fabric to be formed. and is reciprocable for engaging the lapped weft threads and to form stitch wales therefrom. The knitting needles reciprocate from a foremost position in front of the fell of the fabric to an operating position in the open shed. and back again.  
  The copending patent application. Ser. No. 246.239. now U.S. Pat. No. 3.746.051. discloses a weaving machine for manufacturing a knit-woven fabric having as basis a cloth warp knitted structure. An essential feature of this type of fabric are stitch wales alternating with groups of warp threads interlaced with stitchconnecting loops to form a woven structure.  
  When the cloth warp knitted structure is used. the stitch wales form an open-mesh stripe which does not substantially project from the surface of the fabric. Therefore. such fabrics are particularly suitable for making garments requiring high air permeability. such as light summer shirtings and fabrics for underwear.  
  The weaving machine disclosed in the aforementioned copending U.S. patent application. is provided with means for forming a shed of warp threads, and includes a knitting mechanism for forming a warp knitted structure of weft threads taken from a stationary supply. Means for beating up the stitch-connecting loops into the fell of the fabric are provided.  
  The knitting mechanism comprises a system of oscillatory guide elements adapted to penetrate in the closed shed position the warp shed, and in the open shed position the warp threads of at least one shed plane. The lapping guide elements cooperate with a system of latch needles located across the fabric which is to be made. and engaging the lapped weft threads to form stitch wales therefrom. The lapping arms of the lapping guide elements terminate each in a weft thread guiding eyelet. and are oscillatable in an open shed from an intermediate starting position in which a perpendicular projection of the lapping arms onto the plane of the warp sheet in the closed shed position is parallel to the warp threads to one of the two extreme lapping positions. and back again. and thereupon in the next open shed into the same or opposite extreme position. and back again.  
  The system of knitting needles is reciprocable from a starting position in front of the beat-up plane to the operating position in the open shed. and back again. The lapping guide elements are arranged directly opposite the rcspective correlated knitting needles, and register therewith.  
  The motion of the knitting needles relative to the lapping guide elcments is timed so as to cause the knitting needles to start their movement into the shed prior to the start of the lapping guide elements from the intermediate starting position.  
  The path covered by each knitting needle while moving from the foremost starting position to an operating position, extends above a weft thread section between a stitch wale formed by the adjacent knitting needle and the weft thread guiding eyelet of the lapping arm so that the above-mentioned weft thread section runs below the knitting needle shank in the region behind the open latch.  
  It is an object ofthe present invention to broaden the range of knit-woven fabrics which can be produced on a weaving machine of the type disclosed in the U.S. patent application. Ser. No. 246.239. now U.S. Pat. No. 3,746.05 l. without substantially affecting the performance of the machine.  
  With this object in view. the present invention provides a knit-woven fabric comprising a warp knitted structure formed by weft loops. and stitch wales alternating with groups of warp threads interlaced with stitch-connecting loops to form a woven structure. In accordance with the invention. the warp knitted structure is a two-course atlas or sateen structure having reverse stitches formed by the end bights of weft loops. and a tack loop is always provided between the reverse stitches.  
  The knit-woven fabric of the invention can also be described to comprise groups of warp threads interlaced with stitch-connecting loops to form woven stripes; and stitch wales alternating with the stripes. Each stitch wale has a series of reverse stitches formed by the the end bights of the weft loops. and tuck loops formed by the weft loops and located between successive reverse stitches so that a warp knitted two-course atlas or sateen structure is formed. The reverse stitches and the tuck stitches are alternately formed in weft loops formed by the same weft thread.  
  The weaving maching according to the invention is similar to the weaving machine disclosed in the copending application. Ser. No. 246.239. now U.S. Pat. No. 3.746.05 l but is characterized in that the path of the knitting needle runs below a weft thread section extending from the stitch wale formed by the adjacent knitting needle. to a weft thread guiding eyelet of the lapping guide element. In accordance with the invention. the relative position of the knitting needles in the operating position and of the lapping guide elements in the extreme lapping position are selected to cause the weft thread section to pass over the shank of the knitting needle in the region behind the open latch thereof.  
  The use of a two-course atlas or sateen binding as a warp knitted structure between the reverse stitches of which a tuck loop is provided, causes the stitchconnecting loops to participate partly by the tuck loop in the formation of the wale of reverse stitches. Due to this structure. the fabric is, within the wale stripe areas. more air permeable than a knit-woven fabric produced in the cloth warp binding structure. However, the stitch wale still does not produce a visible relief effect. The fabric. however. is more elastic in the transverse direction than in the longitudinal direction, so that it is particularly suitable as material for dresses. under garments, furniture covering and the like.  
  The actual modification of the weaving machine disclosed in the copending application, Ser. No. 246,239, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,746,051, for making the fabric of the invention is very easy. It is only necessary to make an appropriate vertical adjustment of the operating edge of the supporting bar over which the fabric is taken off. and which controls the knitting needles.  
  The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however. both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a fabric structure according to the invention on an enlarged scale;  
  FIG. 2 is a fragmentary schematic elevation illustrating the operating parts of the weaving machine for making the fabric of FIG. 1; and  
  FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the operating parts of the weaving machine.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. I shows an example of a knit-woven fabric according to the invention. A system of weft threads 1 forms a warp knitting structure, the so-called twocourse closed atlas or sateen binding whose closed reverse stitches 2 are formed by the end bights of hairpinshaped weft loops 3. Pairs of stitch connecting loops 4 are disposed side by side or in end to end relationship, across the fabric. and form a sectional or loop weft 5. The fabric comprises wales 6 of said closed reverse stitches 2 made in the warp knitting structure. Between said wales 6 there are located longitudinal woven stripes 8 formed by warp threads 7 interlaced with said connecting loops 4 to form a plain weave.  
  The connecting loops 4 pass from one longitudinal woven stripe 8 to the adjacent one in the form ofa tuck loop 9 in the wale 6 of closed reverse stitches 2.  
  As apparent from FIG. I, the wale 6 is formed by the closed reverse stitches 2 of the weft loops 3, extending alternately from the adjacent longitudinal woven stripes 8, respectively.  
  The connecting loop 4 passes from one longitudinal woven stripe 8 into the adjacent one around the closed reverse stitch 2.  
  The fabric has a selvedge at the left of the fabric, the opposite selvedge on the right, not shown, being a mirror image of the left selvedge.  
  The outer stitches of the marginal longitudinal woven stripe 8, which stitches are not interlaced to form wales and which lie on the level of the sectional or loop weft 5. are indicated as loops 2&#39;.  
  Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the operational parts of a weaving machine for manufacturing the abovedescribed fabric are shown. The machine is described and illustrated in greater detail in the copending U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 246,329. now U.S. Pat. No. 3,746.05 l.  
  A cross bar 10 is fixedly secured to the side walls. not shown, of the machine below the sheet of the warp threads 7. Cross bar 10 oscillatable supports lapping guide elements 13 which are arranged side by side upstream of the shed forming heald shafts or heddle frames 11, 12.  
  Each lapping guide element 13 has a stem 14 with an intermediate portion forming a projecting lapping arm 15 terminating in a guiding eyelet 16 into which a weft thread, taken from a stationary supply package, not shown. is threaded.  
  A simultaneous oscillating movement of the lapping guide elements 13 is derived from a rack bar 17 which is reciprocated by drive means, not shown.  
  The weaving machine further comprises a sley 18 with a reed 19. In each open shed interval. when sley 18 is in the rearmost dwell position, the lapping guide elements 13 are simultaneously moved from the intermediate starting position to one of the two extreme lapping positions, and back again, and within the following open shed interval, again from the intermediate starting position into the opposite extreme lapping position, and back again.  
  Opposite each lapping guide element 13, a latch needle 20 is located, whose longitudinal axis points, in the intermediate starting position of the respective correlated lapping guide element 13, toward the guiding eyelet 16 of the latter.  
  The shanks 30 of the knitting needles 20 are fixed in the movable needle bed 21 secured to a sleeve 22 surrounding an eccentric circular cam 23 mounted on shaft 24 which is driven in a transmission ratio of 1:l from the crank shaft, not shown, of the weaving machine.  
  During each single revolution of the machine crank shaft, the books 25 of the knitting needles 20 follow a curved closed endless path 26 from the foremost start ing position in the direction of the arrow 27 to the re tracted operating position. The direction of rotation of the eccentric cam 23 is indicated by the arrow 28, and the hook 25 can be closed by the latch 29 of the knitting needle 20.  
  The shanks 30 of knitting needle 20 are guided by an operating edge 31 of a supporting bar 32 during movement from the foremost starting position to the retracted operating position. Bar 32 is adjustable in vertical direction by conventional adjusting means, not shown.  
  Between the dents of the reed 19 into which the warp threads 7 are threaded, there are provided special wider spaces. not shown. for the passage of lapping guide elements 13 and knitting needles 20. In the intermediate starting position of lapping guide elements 13, the guiding eyelets l6 point toward the apex of the shed being formed.  
  The newly formed fabric T, controlled by the operating edge 31 of the supporting bar 32, is taken off by means of a breast beam, not shown, by a takeup reel, not shown.  
  The movement of the knitting needles may be phase shifted so that they enter the shed prior to the start of the movement of the lapping guide elements 13 from the intermediate starting position.  
  The supporting bar 32 is vertically adjusted so as to control with the operating edge 31 the knitting needles moving from the foremost starting position into an open shed below the weft threads 1 which extend from the fell of the fabric T to the guiding eyelet 16 of the lapping guide elements 13.  
  According to the present invention, the weaving machine operates as follows:  
  When the sley 18 moves from the front dead center position shown in broken lines to the rear dead center position shown in solid lines, the hooks of the knitting needles 20 situated in front of the beat-up plane of the fabric, pass through the dent spaces of the reed 19 and enter the opening shed, distributing simultaneously the warp threads 7 into the corresponding positions in the respective longitudinal stripes 8. As soon as the sley 18 has reached its rear dead center position or dwell position, the lapping guide elements 13 swing from the intermediate starting position to one of the two extreme lapping positions, for example, to the left lapping position.  
  THe knitting needles 20 are controlled by the operat ing edge 31 in such a manner that the path of their movement runs below the sections of the weft threads 1 extending from the wales 6 to the guiding eyelets 16 of the lapping guide elements 13. Before the lapping guide elements have ended their movement, the knitting needles 20 move from below to the operating positions, and underlap their open hooks 25 under the taut weft threads 1 which extend from the newly formed fabric T in the region of the wales 6 above the shanks of the knitting needles 20, above the open latch 29. In this manner, the first parallel legs of the stitchconnecting loops 4 are formed of the weft threads 1. While the sley 18 is still in the dwell position, the lapping guide elements 13 return to the intermediate starting positions whereby the second legs of the stitchconnecting loops 4 are formed.  
  Simultaneously with the movement of sley 18 from the rear dead center position to the beat-up position, the knitting needles 20 are returned back to the starting position together with the stitches of weft thread I caught in the hooks 25, and place the first legs of the stitch-connecting loops 4 onto the level of the beat-up plane of the fabric T.  
  After the return of the lapping guide elements 13 to the intermediate starting position, the reed l9 beats-up the simultaneously formed second legs of the stitchconnecting loops 4 into the fell of the fabric T, while the shed changes simultaneously. During the return movement of the knitting needles 20, the weft thread 1 lapped over the shank 30 ofthe knitting needle 20 behind the open latch 29, slips together with the old stitch over the closed hook 24 which holds the new stitch, and forms with the new stitch the tuck loop 9 so that the wales 6 are formed. The structure is such that each leg of the connecting loops passes from one longitudinal woven stripe to an adjacent one and participates in the wale formation by passing beneath a reverse stitch and over the associated connecting loop, thereby forming the tuck loop 9.  
  During the next shed interval, the above-described cycle is repeated, except that the lapping guide elements are now displaced to the other extreme lapping position.  
  As is apparent from FIG. 3, each weft thread 1 extends through a respective guiding eyelet 16 of the lapping guide element 13, above the needle shanks 30 in the region of the open latch 29 and to the wale 6. For the sake of clarity, the weft threads 1 in this region are shown in heavy lines.  
  in the preferred embodiment of the fabric of the invention, the stitch-connecting loops 4 are interlaced with the warp threads 7 in a plain weave. However, it is possible to form the woven stripes of the fabric in another binding, such as for example, a satin, twill, or any dobby or Jacquard weave.  
  The number of warp threads in the space between two adjacent wales is selected in accordance with the desired fabric structure.  
  it will be understood that each of the elements de scribed above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of machines for making knit-woven fabrics differing from the types described above.  
  While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a knit-woven fabric whose wales are formed in an atlas binding of reverse stitches and tuck loops, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.  
  Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can be applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.  
  What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.  
 We claim:  
  I. A knit-woven fabric, comprising a warp-knitted structure having wales of closed reverse stitches formed from a system of weft threads, longitudinal woven stripes disposed between said wales of closed reverse stitches and being formed from warp threads interlaced with connecting loops of said closed reverse stitches each leg of said connecting loops passing from one longitudinal woven stripe to an adjacent one and participating in the wale formation by passing beneath a reverse stitch and over the associated connecting loop, thereby forming a tuck loop in the wale of closed reverse stitches.