Improvements in the Manufacture of Unshrinkable Knitted, or Netted Fabrics or Underclothing.
Year: 1898

page_text: [The Amendments are shown in erased and italic type.]
Date of Application, 14th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 7th Jan.., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in the Manufacture of Unshrinkable Knitted, or
Netted Fabrics or Underclothing.
I, GOTTLIEB BENGER, of 70, Böblingerstrasse, Stuttgart, in the Empire of Germany,
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:-
The knitted, or netted fabrics and underclothing hitherto worn, more particularly
those made of wool, have, as is well known, in addition to a number of advantageous
properties, the great drawback that when being worn and washed they shrink greatly
and in time become felted. If it be attempted to avoid this drawback by using
strongly twisted yarns a fabric so twisted askew elosely formed and impermeable-to
air is produced, that it cannot be used. For this reason only slightly soft twisted
yarns have been hitherto employed for knitted and netted goods, i.e. so called hosiery
stocking yarns with which the great shrinkage during wear and washing has to be
accepted as inevitable allowed for in purchasing.
The improved process which forms the object of the present invention renders
possible the use of strongly twisted yarns without affecting the elasticity or the pro-
duction of a straight running fabric and with the advantage that shrinking or felting
of the fabric when being washed is considerably reduced.
The process essentially consists
(a) In the case of single thread fabrics in the employment of yarns twisted alter-
nately to the right and to the left for successive rows of meshes or stitches through
which the lateral strain of one row of meshes or stitches is counteracted by the strain
acting in the opposite direction to the next one. By this means strongly twisted
yarns may be employed without danger of producing a shrunk fabric drown to one
side or twisted askew the shrinkage which considerably reduces the taking up or felting
of the fabric when worn and washed is considerably reduced and yet yields a fabric
capable of being stretched in all directions is produced.
Owing to the strain acting on opposite sides in these rows of meshes or stitches
after washing, the latter assume an opposed position to one another, that is to say a
zigzag shaped diagram of mesh or stitch is produced, and this fabric is even more
elastic than those previously made in a longitudinal direction.
Instead of changing the different twisted yarns in each successive row of meshes,
two or more rows of meshes may be made with yarn of a similar twist, and then an
equal number of successive rows of meshes or stitches with yarns twisted in the
opposite direction; or between two rows formed of differently twisted yarns, one or
more rows of neutral meshes or stitches made with a slightly twisted yarn (hosiery
stocking yarn) may be inserted separately or in series.
(b) In multiple thread fabrics the process may be applied in a similar manner as

page_text: in single thread fabrics, whereby in this case also as in the preceding one, after the
washing, a zigzag shaped but not drawn askew shrunk pattern of fabric is produced.
If it be desired to obtain an ordinary form of mesh or stitches, yarns of different
twists, for instance a left hand and a right hand twisted yarn alternately are placed
on the same needle so that the lateral pull of the threads is inutually counterbalanced
in each mesh, and thus a straight running non-shrinking fabric is produced which
shrinks only takes-up very little in wear and the stockinet material mesh has an
exactly straight line direction of mesh or stitch.
In place of differently twisted threads, several threads of different directions of
twist may of course also be employed, or for instance three threads may be employed,
one of them twisted to the left, a second to the right, and the third only slightly
twisted (hosiery stocking yarn).
(c) Instead of employing yarns alternately twisted to right and left in the rows of
meshes, or yarns of different twist on the same needle, thread spun yarn may be
employed formed of yarns threads having a different twist so that the various twisting
tendencies in the thread arн itself are counterbalanced. In general, care must be
taken especially that the sum of the left and right hand twist of the separate threads
according to the more or less strong twist of the threads is pretty well equal so that
the sum of the lateral right and left hand pull exerted by the yarns having a right
and left hand twist is also equal, so that any drawing askew of the material shrinking
even where very strongly twisted strong yarns are employed is avoided.
By this means a fabric may be obtained that cannot twist askew, that shrinks.or
becomes feltel very little when worn and washed, does-not-become-felted and has a
greater elasticity than the knitted fabrics hitherto made.
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 :-
1. The process of manufacturing an elastic knitted, or netted material or under-
clothing in which shrinking and felting is reduced, and twisting askew prevented only
takes-up-very little when worn and washed and-does-not-become-felted-and-does-not
shrink, characterized by: either,
(a) Fabrics or the like formed of single or multiple threads being made with a
single or a series of rows of meshes of yarn threads twisted alternately to the
right left and to the left, right one or more rows of meshes of neutral
thread (hosiery stocking yarn) being if desired inserted between them;
Or
(b). By fabrics made of two or more several threads on the same needle being
formed with threads of different twist, a neutral thread (hosiery stocking
yarn) being added if necessary; or
(c) By the use of thread spun yarn formed of yarns threads twisted to the left
and right, neutral threads if desired being also added in such a way that
the mutually opposed twist tendency of the threads is approximately
equalized or counterbalanced so that even where very strongly twisted yarn
is used the lateral strain of the threads twisted in one direction is obviated,
by the counter-strain of the threads twisted in the other direction, and thus
any twisting askew shrinkage of the fabric is avoided and shrinkage
Punning-up and felting when worn and washed is considerably reduced;
substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
2. Knitted, or netted fabrics, or underclothing made according to the process
hereinbefore described.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.