Warp knitted elastic fabric

Abstract

This invention relates to a warp knitted elastic fabric composed of alternating non-elastic courses formed from non-elastic yarns and intervening elastic courses formed primarily with elastic thread having a knitted ground construction composed of a plurality of non-elastic threads arranged in one or two systems of warp threads formed into a plurality of wales and courses of single thread stitches. The threads of said system or systems form stitches in adjacent wales in a course and in alternate courses to form the alternating non-elastic course. A plurality of elastic threads arranged in one system of warp threads form a plurality of wales and alternate elastic courses of double elastic thread stitches. Each elastic thread forming a part of two stitches in adjacent wales in a course knitting in the intervening courses when at least half of the non-elastic threads are not knitting. The elastic courses in particular and the base fabric construction are dependent on the elastic threads being formed into knitted stitches to hold the knitted structure together, to prevent the knit structure from raveling. The warp knitted elastic fabrics of this invention are opaque, have a soft hand, a smooth uniform surface free of streaks and a long comfort-type stretch in one direction and control-type stretch in the other direction at right angles to the said first direction. These objectives are achieved with more economical usage of elastic yarn than is possible in conventional fabrics with knitted in elastic yarn.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.