An Improved Seam for Knitted Elastic Fabrics.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Aug. 1834
omplete Specification Left. 6th May, 1895-Accepted, 8th June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Seam for Knitted Elastic Fabrics.
ROWLAND HUTCHINSON 21 Stewart Place Nottingham Machinist and JOHN
ALFRED WILSON Dakeyne Street Nottingham Hosiery Manufacturer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved seam or method of connecting the edges of
knitted elastic fabrics. Hitherto these edges have been joined by first sewing
together the edges of the fabric and then covering the joint by pieces of tape
placed on one or both sides of the same. These methods are however objectional,
as owing to the very uneven edges of the fabric they cannot be brought together
properly, and the tape when laid upon the same is uneven and full of wrinkles,
the seam thus constructed being a source of constant irritation and objection to the
wearer.
Now according to this invention, which has as its object, the construction of a seam
without the objections to the present methods, each edge of the fabric is first bound
by a tape, after which the centre parts of the tapes are sewn together, and the joint
between them is covered by other tapes which may be on one or both sides of the
same.
U
An Improved Seam for Knitted Elastic Fabrics.
ROWLAND HUTCHINSON 21 Stewart Place Nottingham Machinist and JOHN
ALFRED WILSON Dakeyne Street Nottingham Hosiery Manufacturer 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 :—
This invention relates to an improved seam, or method of connecting the edges of
knitted elastic fabrics used for making surgical hosiery and other purposes.
In the manufacture of knitted elastic fabrics, the elastic thread is not knitted or
looped as the thread is in an ordinary knitted fabric. The elastic thread is
traversed to and fro across the fabric, consequently at the end of each traverse it
has to be bent upon itself for the next traverse or course with a result that the
bends in the elastic thread form a very uneven and irregular selvage which is worse
at the parts where the fabric has been fashioned. Previous to this invention the
two edges of the fabric were first seamed together and the joining covered by tapes
sewn to the fabric, but this seam is objectionable because it is full of wrinkles and
very liable to irritate the wearer.
Now this invention has for its object an improved seam or method of joining the
edges of an elastic fabric by which the objections to the present seam are over-
come, and this object is accomplished by first binding the edges of the fabric, then
seaming the bound edges, and afterwards covering the joint with tapes.

page_text: This improved seam and the reason of the objections to the ordinary seam will be
readily understood by the following detailed description and the annexed drawing,
in which the edge of the fabric is shown at a and the difficulty of obtaining a
smooth joint between two such edges readily understood. This difficulty is however
overcome by binding the edges with tapes b which are sewn to the fabric, and the
two binding tapes are then seamed together as at c. By binding the edges a the
uneveness of the same is covered and two smooth edges obtained, consequently a
seam can be produced without wrinkles. The joint between the seamed edges is
then covered by tapes d on one or both sides of the fabric, these tapes being used
partly to cover the joint and partly to resist the strain put upon the joint by the
stretch of the elastic when the article is worn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
A seam for, or method of, connecting the edges of knitted elastic fabrics by first
binding the edges of the fabric, then seaming the bound edges together, and
afterwards covering the joint with tapes on one or both sides of the fabric
substantially as, and for the purpose specified.
100
W. H. POTTER, F.S.P.A.,
Newcastle Chambers, Nottingham, Patent Agent.
W. H. POTTER, F.S.P.A.,
Newcastle Chambers, Nottingham, Patent Agent.