Circular knit two-layer upholstery fabric and method

Claim 2

A circular knit two-layer fabric having stability and limited stretchability in both course wise and walewise directions and being particularly adapted for use as upholstery and the like, said fabric comprising a first layer knit of thermoplastic base yarn and forming stitch loops in wales of successive courses to provide a technical face side of said fabric, and a second layer formed of lay-in yarn extending generally coursewise and in a sinuous manner along the juncture of the stitch loops of certain courses of said first layer and providing a technical back side constituting the exposed wear surface of the fabric, said lay-in yarn alternately forming tuck floats and welt floats extending across pairs of adjacent wales and along the juncture of the stitch loops of successive courses of said first layer, said tuck floats and said welt floats in adjacent pairs of courses being staggered relative to the corresponding tuck floats and welt floats in adjacent pairs of courses, and said lay-in yarn being in the range of two to ten times larger than said base yarn so that said lay-in yarn substantially covers said base yarn and provides the tactile characteristics and hand or said lay-in constituting the exposed wear surface of the fabric.

Claim 3

A circular knit two-layer fabric according to claim 1 wherein said lay-in yarn is two and one-half times larger than said base yarn.

Claim 4

A circular knit two-layer fabric according to claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic base yarn comprises polyester, and wherein said lay-in yarn comprises nylon.

Claim 5

A circular knit two-layer fabric according to claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic base yarn comprises polypropylene.

Claim 6

A circular knit two-layer fabric according to claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic base yarn comprises continuous synthetic filaments and said lay-in yarn comprises natural fibers.

Claim 7

A circular knit two-layer fabric according to claim 1 wherein said base yarn is heat settable at a lower temperature than said lay-in yarn so that said fabric can be heat stabilized and permanently set to limit the stretchability of the fabric while maintaining the characteristics of the lay-in yarn forming said second layer and constituting the exposed wear surface of the fabric.

Claim 8

A circular knit two-layer fabric according to claim 1 whereby said fabric can be heat stablized and permanently set to a maximum shrinkage of five percent in either direction and a maximum gain of two percent in either direction.

Claim 9

A circular knit two-layer fabric having stability and limited stretchability in both coursewise and walewise directions and being particularly adapted for use as upholstery and the like, said fabric comprising a first layer knit of thermoplastic base yarn of a particular size and being heat settable at a predetermined temperature, said base yarn forming stitch loops in wales of successive courses to provide a technical face side of said fabric, and a second layer formed of lay-in yarn of between two to 10 times larger than said base yarn and extending generally coursewise and in a sinuous manner along the juncture of the stitch loops of courses of said first layer, and providing a technical back side constituting the exposed wear surface of the fabric, said lay-in yarn alternately forming tuck floats and welt floats extending across pairs of adjacent wales and along the juncture of the stitch loops of successive courses of said first layer, said tuck floats and said welt floats in adjacent pairs of courses being staggered relative to the corresponding tuck floats and welt floats in adjacent pairs of courses, and said larger lay-in yarn being unaffected in the heat temperature range at which said base yarn is heat settable whereby said fabric is heat stabilized and permanently set to limit the stretchability of said first layer while maintaining the tactile characteristics and hand of said lay-in yarn constituting the exposed wear surface of the fabric.

Claim 10

A circular knit two-layer fabric having stability and limited stretchability in both coursewise and walewise directions and being particularly adapted for use as upholstery and the like, said fabric comprising a first layer knit of thermoplastic base yarn of a particular size and being heat settable at a predetermined temperature, said base yarn forming stitch loops in wales of successive courses to provide a technical face side of said fabric, and a second layer formed of lay-in yarn of between two to 10 times larger than said base yarn and extending generally coursewise and in a sinuous manner along the juncture of the stitch loops of courses of said first layer, and providing a technical back side constituting the exposed wear surface of the fabric, said lay-in yarn alternately forming tuck floats and welt floats extending across pairs of adjacent wales and along the juncture of the stitch loops of successive courses of said first layer, said tuck floats and said welt floats in adjacent pairs of courses being staggered relative to the corresponding tuck floats and welt floats in adjacent pairs of courses, and said larger lay-in yarn being unaffected in the heat temperature range at which said base yarn is heat settable whereby said fabric is heat stabilized and permanently set to limit the stretchability of said first layer while maintaining the tactile characteristics and hand of said lay-in yarn constituting the exposed wear surface of the fabric.

Claim 11

A circular knit two-layer fabric according to claim 8 wherein said thermoplastic base yarn is polyester and heat settable in the 360°/380° F. temperature range.

Claim 12

A circular knit two-layer fabric according to claim 8 wherein said thermoplastic base yarn is polypropylene and heat settable in the 260° /280° F. temperature range.

Claim 13

A circular knit two-layer fabric according to claim 11 wherein said thermoplastic base yarn comprises polyester, and wherein said lay-in yarn comprises nylon.

Claim 14

A circular knit two-layer fabric according to claim 8 wherein said lay-in yarn comprises a natural fiber.

Claim 15

A circular knit two-layer fabric according to claim 8 wherein said thermoplastic base yarn comprises polypropylene.

Claim 18

A method according to claim 14 including the step of forming jersey stitch loops of said base yarn in each wale of successive courses.

Claim 19

A method according to claim 14 including the steps of knitting the first layer of a thermoplastic base yarn heat settable at a predetermined temperature, and forming the second layer of a lay-in yarn heat settable at a higher temperature than the base yarn.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 16 wherein the second layer of lay-in yarn is unaffected by the heat-setting temperature of the thermoplastic base yarn.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 14 including the steps of forming tuck floats of the lay-in yarn extending across alternate pairs of adjacent wales of the first layer, and forming welt floats of the lay-in yarn extending across intervening pairs of adjacent wales of the first layer.