Patent ID: 6883193

Claim:
In a process for fabricating an elastic cover for objects of different cross-sectional dimensions, the process including the steps of forming a top panel, forming a stretchable skirt having an elastic upper edge in which are incorporated elastic yarns extending parallel to the periphery of the top panel and attaching the elastic upper edge of the stretchable skirt to the periphery of the top panel, the improvement comprising, forming the top panel with latent elastic contraction, attaching the upper edge of the skirt to the panel while the top panel is in a latently elastic condition and is held in a substantially non-tensioned condition and the upper edge of the skirt is held under sufficient tension to assure that the edge will contract enough to match the contraction of the top panel when the latent elastic contraction is activated, and activating the latent contraction after attaching the upper edge of the skirt to the top panel to form a cover that is elastically stretchable by at least 25% in at least one linear dimension.