A New or Improved Woven Fabric for Personal Under-wear.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1892-Accepted, 3rd Sept.. 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Woven Fabric for Personal Under-wear.
I, JOSEF RAAB, of Ludwigshafen a/ Rhein in the German Empire, Doctor of
Medicine, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
or
This invention relates to new or improved textile fabric for personal under-wear
which is intended to be free from the objections and drawbacks which are inherent
to the woollen cotton and linen fabrics such as are at present manufactured for
under-vests, shirts, and other garments worn next to the skin. The new
improved fabric acts upon the skin in a similar manner to the well known looped
pile fabrics such as are commonly used for flesh gloves, bath towels and the like,
from which however it differs in having a smooth back, the looped pile surface
being limited to that side of the fabric which will be next to the skin in wear and
which is manufactured as hereinafter described.
The fabric is woven according to these improvements with a warp consisting of
doubled and single yarns, whilst the weft consists of single yarn only. The back
of the fabric, which will be outside in use, is plain and woven moderately close,
and the face is divided into squares polygons rhombs or other plain ornamental or
irregular figures or stripes, of looped fabric on a plain ground.
The method of weaving such fabrics is well known and need not therefore be
described here.
The closeness of the loops may be varied to suit the tastes of the wearers and the
season of the year; for example, for winter wear the loops pile may be close and
cover a larger total area of the fabric than for summer wear, the intermediate
ground spaces being of comparatively small diameter.
The great advantage of the use of looped fabrics in the manner described, is
that it contains a considerable quantity of air which acts as a non-conductor and
prevents radiation. At the same time, it prevents the fabric itself from resting
closely upon the skin.
The looped face is particularly well adapted to absorb the exhalations from the
skin, and promotes the evaporation of the perspiration in the highest degree.
Further, at every movement of the body, the loops cause a slight irritation or
excitement of the skin, which being of a very niild character, strengthens the
external muscles and increases the elasticity of the skin.
As compared with knitted fabrics, which come nearest to my new or improved
fabric, the latter has the advantage that by the combination of the looped parts,
with the firm ground fabric, there is a larger heat insulating layer of air around
the body, which extends over the whole area of the garment.
There is an
additional advantage in the fact that the separate threads of the loops do not
harden or adhere together by perspiration.
The fabrics may be woven of cotton or linen as may be desired, and plain white
or grey, or in colours.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
A textile fabric for underwear, having a moderately close woven ground and a
looned surface on the side which is to be next the skin, this surface being arranged

page_text: in such a manner that the ground is divided into suitable larger or smaller figures
or designs, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 2nd day of March A.D. 1892.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.