Textiles: weaving – Fabrics – Drier felts
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-16
2001-09-04
Falik, Andy (Department: 3765)
Textiles: weaving
Fabrics
Drier felts
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283167
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to webbing and, more specifically, to webbing belts with simulated stitching and to techniques for making webbing belts with simulated stitching using an automatic loom.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Many conventional fabric belts are made using a multilayer construction that includes a core material which is encased by a separate fabric shell. Typically, the fabric shell is selected to provide a desired outward appearance such as a texture and/or an aesthetically appealing pattern. Additionally, the fabric shell may be selected to provide desired surface durability characteristics such as abrasion resistance, tear resistance, color fastness, etc. The core material, on the other hand, is typically selected to provide a desired shape, body, stiffness, weight, etc. to the fabric shell to suit a particular application. While the core material and the fabric shell may be individually selected to achieve the above-noted aesthetic qualities and other surface and/or feel qualities, it is the combination of the core material and the fabric shell and the interaction between the core material and the shell material which determines the overall characteristics of the completed belt.
Fabrication of the above-described conventional belts typically involves wrapping the fabric shell material around lengths of the core material. The core material is typically pre-cut to a width, which is approximately the desired width of the completed belt. The fabric shell is then cut to a width that is somewhat greater than twice the width of the core material so that the fabric shell material can be wrapped around the core material and so that the cut edges of the fabric shell can be folded under and lapped together to form final exposed edges along the length of the belt that will resist fraying. Typically, multiple rows of longitudinal chain stitching is used to bind the cut edges of the fabric shell together and to firmly bind the core material to the fabric shell.
One particularly popular fabric belt that is made using the above-described conventional techniques is commonly referred to as a karate belt. Karate belts use a synthetic polypropylene webbing as a core material and use a separate fabric shell which may be made of a woven cotton material or any other material which provides a canvas like feel. As is widely known, karate belts are fabricated using the above described process of attaching a separate fabric shell to the webbing core. Traditionally, karate belts include several rows of chain stitching that run along the length of the belt and are made to be tied or knotted many times over and washed as any other item of apparel. The chain stitching is visible on both surfaces of the belt, and creates an appearance which is generally accepted and expected by the karate belt-buying public.
While conventional karate belts have been used for some time, such conventional belts have several disadvantages. First, conventional karate belts are relatively expensive to manufacture because the core material and the fabric shell are sewn together by manually feeding the core and the shell into a sewing machine. This manual sewing process results in high labor costs per unit and necessarily introduces a relatively high variability in the quality of the finished product due to variability in workmanship, defects, etc. Further, the chain stitching used to bind the shell to the core is exposed on the surface of the belt and can easily become snagged or worm. When even a portion of a chain stitch fails, the entire row of chain stitching can be easily pulled out, which allows the fabric shell and the core to become separated along that row of stitching. Still further, the exposed edges formed by the lapped edges of the fabric shell are susceptible to being caught or snagged and pulled apart. Thus, conventional karate belts are relatively expensive to manufacture and may be susceptible to failure (i.e., separation of the core and the casing) because the stitching which binds the casing and the core together is exposed on the surface of the belt.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A webbing with simulated chain stitching and a method of operating an automatic loom to produce webbing with simulated chain stitching is provided to provide a lower cost, higher durability fabric belt, which may be used as an improved karate belt or more generally as a low cost, high quality webbing for backpacks, cargo straps, apparel, etc. Generally speaking, the webbing with simulated stitching and method of making the same reduces manufacturing costs by eliminating the need to manually sew a core and casing. In addition, the webbing is more durable since the simulated chain stitching is more difficult to pull out.
In accordance with certain aspects of the present invention, a woven belt is provided comprising a woven outer webbing defining a length, the outer webbing having a top layer and a bottom. A plurality of binder yarns are woven into the outer webbing to secure together the top and bottom layers, the binder yarns aligned substantially parallel to one another and to the length. A plurality of stuffer yarns extend through the top and bottom layers of the outer webbing and between adjacent binder yarns. A plurality of simulated chain stitch yarns are woven into the outer webbing, the simulated chain stitch yarns being aligned substantially parallel to one another and to the length.
In accordance with additional aspects of the present invention, a method for weaving a belt is provided comprising weaving an outer webbing having top and bottom layers, the outer webbing defining a length. Weaving a plurality of binder yarns into the outer webbing to secure the top layer to the bottom, the binder yarns being aligned substantially parallel to one another and to the length to define a plurality of longitudinal pockets between the top layer, bottom layer, and adjacent binder yarns. Inserting stuffer yarns into the plurality of longitudinal pockets, and weaving a simulated chain stitch yarn into outer webbing.
Other features and advantages are inherent in the apparatus claimed and disclosed or will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and its accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3926227 (1975-12-01), Takada et al.
patent: 4421352 (1983-12-01), Raue et al.
patent: 4800929 (1989-01-01), Watanabe
patent: 5436044 (1995-07-01), Pinkos
patent: WO 92/03603 (1991-08-01), None
Chang Eun Seong
Chang Jae Chul
Falik Andy
Marshall O'Toole Gerstein Murray & Borun
Ribbon Webbing Corporation
LandOfFree
Webbing with simulated stitching does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Webbing with simulated stitching, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Webbing with simulated stitching will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2472048