US2096816A - Covered elastic strand and fabric - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 26-, 1937.

s. c. LILLEY COVERED ELASTIC STRAND AND FABRIC File d Jan. 27, 1936- Patented Oct. 26, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT oFi-"ica COVERED ELASTIC smANn AND Fannie I Samuel C. Lilley, Hamden, Conn, asslgnor to The American Mills Company, West Haven, Conn.,

a corporation of Connecticut Application January 21, 1936, sci-in No. 60,896

This invention relates to improvement incovered elastic strands and fabrics incorporating the same, and constitutes an improvement upon the elastic strands and fabric disclosed in my co- 6 pending application, filed December 23, 1933,

Serial No. 703,795.

The present invention contemplates an improved elastic strand adapted to be woven, knitted or otherwise incorporated into fabrics, and

comprising an inherently-short-stretch (not more than about 300%) elastic core of rubber or equivalent material and a covering of fibrous flock;

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a superior low-cost and durable covered elastic strand, comprising an inherentlyshort-stretch elastic core and a covering of flock, i.-e.-, amorphically-disposed fibers secured to the surface thereof. e

, A still further object is to provide a superior elastic strand comprising an elastic core of rubberfor equivalent material andv a covering offibrous flock cemented thereto, and in which the elastic core is of the short-stretch character referred' to and which core will minimize the pOssi-' bility of a rupture occurring in the bond between the covering and the core.

Another object is to provide a superior flockcovered elastic strand characterized by the rapid build-up of tension therein when stretched to as little as three hundred per cent.

' Still another object of the present invention is to provide a covered elastic strand which may be woven into a fabric with superior convenience and facility. v p. Still another object is to provide a superior fabric incorporating elastic strands of the character referred to.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the following, considered in coniunctlon, with the accompanying drawing and appended claims, the pres-- ent invention includes all features disclosed therein which are novel over the prior art. In the accompa yin drawing:

Fig.1 is an enlarged-scale elevatlonal view 'of one form which a flocked elastic strand may assume in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on Y the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the strand when. stretched to substantially the limitof its extensibility;

Fig. 4 is 'a schematic view illustrating a fabric incorporating the improved elastic strands; and

Fig.5 is a sectional view taken on the-line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

The elastic strand ofthe present invention in'-- I cludes a strand-like core III of rubber or equiv--' alent elastic'material, which may be of rectangu- 5 lar, roundv or other cross-sectional form, and

which is characterized by a very rapid build-up of its tension inasmuch as ithas an elastic limit not substantially in excess of three hundred per cent (3.00%), that is to say, for imtance, a one- 10 inch length of elastic core which would reach its elastic limit when extended to approximately four inches. a

The elastic core I 0 is provided with a coating I l of elastic adhesive which may be applied in any 15 approved manner, such, for instance, as by passing the strand-like core through a bath of elastic adhesive. a

After the coating ll of elastic adhesive has been applied to the strand and before the said adhesive 20 is dried or completely cured, a coating or skin I! of flock or amorphically-arranged fibers is applied in any approved manner, such, for instance, as by blowing the fibrousfiock against the now tacky or sticky strand. The fibrous material or 25 flock employed may vary widely. in character, de-

tic cement or adhesive II and flock 12,, may now 35 be dried or cured in arrv one of a variety of manners, such, for instance-as by passing the same through aheated chamber.

The above-described process. for producing the improved inherently-short-stretch elastic strands 40 is a preferable one, though it will be obvious that, if desired, the fibrous flock may be applied to the tacky surface of an elastic core prior to its curing or vulcanization and while its surface is still sumciently tackyto receive and hold 45v the fibrous flock-coating. If desired, an elastic core may have its surface rendered tacky by heat or by a light application of solvents prior to j the application of the fibrous flock. Under the modes of manufacture, Just referred to, while 50 no separate coating 'of adhesive material is applied to the short-stretch elastic core, nevertheless the fibrous coating is cemented or secured in place.

Although the elastic core maybe composed of 55 a wide variety of materials, the following compound, after being cured at 260 F. m about forty-five minutes, has been found t'o produce a highly satisfactory elastic core having an elastic limit of about two hundred fifty per cent (250%) and a tensile strength in the neighborhood of forty-two hundred (4200) pounds per square inch of cross-sectional area, the cross-sectional area referred to being based upon therelaxed core:

Symmetrical di-beta-naphthyl-para-phenyl- -enediame 1 By reducing the amount of carbon blackin the above formula, an elastic core may be produced having an elongation of approximately three hundred per cent (300%) before the breaking point or the point of permanent distortion is reached.

By altering the above-given formula so as to include therein 150 parts' by weight of carbon black rather than the 50 parts specified, a ru'bber core may be produced having an elongation of about one hundred per cent (100%) before the breaking point is reached, and having a tensile strength of about three thousand (3,000) pounds. Similarly, by altering the carbon black constituent so that it constitutes 200 parts of the mixture by weight, elastic cores having an elastic limit of about fifty per cent (50%) may be produced with a tensile strength of about two thousand (2,000) pounds per square inch of crosssectional area. Cores of this latter degree of elongation represent about the minimum contemplated.

An almost limitless variety of elastic cores of I the short-stretch character with which this invention is concerned may be produced by suitably compounding the'materials from which the elastic cores are made. Inasmuch as such varieties of short-stretch rubber cores are too numerous to set forth in detail therein, it is suflicient for the present purpose to say that, should it be desired to produce elastic cores having other specific degrees of extensibility than those specifically referred to above, the proportion of carbon black or equivalent material maybe varied accordingly, in a manner as may be readily deduced from the foregoing specific examples. 1

Another compound which may be mentioned as being suitable for the production of elastic cores in accordance with this invention, when cured for about forty-five (45) minutes at approximately 260 F., is as follows:

. Parts by weight Rubber. 100 Sulphur 3% Stearic ar-id 1 Symmetrical di-beta-naphthyl-para-phen-' ylenediame 1 Zinc sulphide 5 Phenylhydrazine V 90% zinc salt of mercaptobenzcthiazole 1 10% di-ortho-tolylguanidine; I Zinc oxide 5 Methylacrylic ester 20 Returning now to the subject. of the adhesives (preferably elastic) forsecuring or adhering the coating or skin -I2 of flock in place to the core,

it has been found that rubber latex, water-dis-.

persed rubber, natural rubber solutions, syn-- thetic rubber solutions, etc., are suitable and may be used with or without vulcanizing material, vulcanizing accelerators, fillers, pigments, coloring matter, etc. By way of example, an elastic adhesive solution which has been found very satisfactory consists of approximately twenty per cent (20%) by weight of rubber, twenty per cent (20%) filler, pigment and vulcanizing materials, and the balance of volatile rubber solvents. J

The strand as now supplied with an anticreep coating or skin l2 of amorphically-arranged fibers, is suitable for incorporation into woven, knitted or other fabrics. Woven, as well as other elastic fabrics into which the flocked elastic strand of the present invention may be incorporated may assume an almost infinite variety of patterns. In the elastic fabric shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a plurality of the flocked elastic strands iii are arranged parallel and spaced from. each other.

Parallel with the elastic strands I3 are a plurality of warp strands l4 formed of cotton, rayon, silk or other suitable textile material.

[3 and H, just described, area crosswise series of weft or filler picks 15. It hasbeen found desirable under some conditions to interweave the high-tension short-stretch flocked elastic strands [3 with the warp strands l4 and the weft picks l5, while the said elastic strands are in a substantially-relaxed condition.

Owing to the very rapid build-up of the tension in the elastic core of my improved elastic strands (the maximum tension being reached at about 300% extensibility), any tendency for a rupture to occur in the bond between the said core and the fibrous flock-coating is so minimized as to be negligible despite the repeated andcontinuous stretching and relaxing of such strands. Furthermore-it has been found that owing to Intermeshed with the strands the rapid build-up in tension, above referred to,

The invention may be carried out in other spe cific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all I changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

' I claim:

1. An inherently-short stretch covered elastic strand characterized by the rapid build-up of its tension when stretched and adapted to be incorporated into fabrics, the said covered elastic strand comprising a short-stretch elastic core of rubber-like material and a protective coating of fibrous flock secured to the surface of the said core around the perimeter thereof, the said shortaoeaam stretch elastic core including sufficient stretch resisting material to cause said core to have its maximum tension when extended to a degree not materialy in excess cf'three hundred percent of strand comprising a short-stretch elastic core of rubber-like material and .a protective coating .of fibrous flock elastically secured to the surface of the said core around the perimeter thereof, the

said short-stretch elastic core including sufficient stretch resisting material to cause said core to have its maximum tension when extended to a degree not materially in excess of three hundred per cent of its normal relaxed length.

3. An inherently-short-stretch covered elastic strand characterized by the rapid build-up of its tension when stretched and-adapted to be incorporated' I into fabrics, the said covered elastic strand comprising a short-stretch elastic core of rubber-like material and a. protective coating of fibrous flock secured to the surface of the said core around the perimeter thereof, the said shortstretch elastic core including sufllcient stretch resisting material to cause said core to'have its maximum tension when extended to a degree not materially in excess of two hundred per centof its normal relaxed length.

4. An inherently-short-stretch covered elastic strand-characterized bythe rapid build-up of its tension when stretched and adapted to be incur-- porated into fabrics, the said covered elastic strand comprising a short-stretch elastic core of rubber-like material and a protective coating of fibrous flock elastically secured to the surface of the said core around the perimeter thereof, the said short-stretch elastic core including sufliclent stretch-resisting material to cause said core to have its maximum tension when extended to a degree not materially in excess of two'hundred per cent of its normal relaxed length.

5. An inherently-short-stretch covered elastic.

strand characterized by the rapid build-up of its tension when stretched andadapted to be incorporated into fabrics, the said covered elastic strand comprising a short-stretch elastic core of rubber-like material and a protective coating of fibrous flock secured to the surface of the said core around the perimeter thereof, the said shortstretch elastic core including suflicient stretch-resisting -material to cause said core to have its maximum tension when extended to a degree not materially in excess of one hundred per cent of its normal relaxed length. A

6. An inherently-short-stretch covered elastic strand characterized by the rapid build-up of its tension when stretched and adapted to be incorporated into fabrics, the said covered elastic strand comprising a short-stretch elastic core of rubber-like material and a protective coating of fibrous flock elastically secured to the surface of the said core around the perimeter thereof, the said short-stretch elastic core including suflicient stretch-resisting material to cause said core to have its maximum tension when extended to a degree not materially in excess of one hundred per cent of its normal relaxed length.

I. An elastic fabric having incorporated therein a plurality of inherently-short-stretch elastic strands, each comprising a short-stretch elastic core of rubber-like material and a coating. of fibrous flock secured to the surface of the said core around the perimeter thereof, the said short-stretch elastic, core including suilicien't stretch-resisting material to cause said core to have an extensibility not materially in excess of three hundred per cent of its normal relaxed length; v I

8. An elastic fabric having incorporated therein a plurality of inherently-sho'rt-stretch elastic strands each comprising a short-stretch elastic core of rubber-like material and acoating of fibrous flock secured to the surface of the said core aroundthe perimeter thereof, the said short-stretch elastic core including sufllcient stretch-resisting material to cause said core tohave an extensibility not materially in excess of two hundred per cent of its normal relaxed length.

9. An elastic fabric having incorporated therein a plurality of inherently-short-stretch elastic strands, each comprising a short-stretch elastic core of rubber-like material and a coating of fibrous flock secured to the surface of the said core around the perimeter thereof, the said shortstretch elastic core including suflicient stretchresisting material to cause said core to have an extensibility not materially in excess of one hundred per cent of its normal relaxed length.

' SAMUEL C. mm.

Images