US3111677A - Method of manufacturing hooded garments - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 26, 1963 w. w. ARTZT 3,111,577

7 METHOD OF MANUFACTURING HOODED GARMENTS Filed June 19, 1961 5 3 IN V EN TOR.

7;; fla m 4M WALTER AF mg. 10. & WM

3,111,677 METHOD OF MANUFACTURING HQQDED GARMENTS William Walter Artzt, 116 E. 68th St, New York, N-Y. Filed June 19, 1961, fier. No. 117,833 2 Claims. (Cl. 2--84) This invention relates generally to textile articles and methods of manufacturing the same.

It is an object of this invention to provide one-piece textile articles having double-thicknesses or layers of a knitted fabric consisting of a stretch Nylon base and uneven loops of cotton or other absorbent yarn projecting from its face to present a shaggy appearance and effective moisture absorbing characteristics.

Another object is to provide one-piece textile articles of the described character useable as a bath towel, particularly for infants, or as a cape, mattress cover or laundry bag.

Still another object is to provide a method of producing one-piece, multi-use textile article-s of the described character from a flattened tube of textile fabric in a manner to avoid any waste whatsoever of the fabric.

A further object is to provide a hooded bath towel formed of double thicknesses or layers of a pile or terry cloth fabric of the described character, and wherein the stitched or sewed seams of the article, particularly in the portion thereof forming the hood, are hidden or disposed between the layers of fabric so as to avoid the appearance of rough edges that might cause irritation when the hooded bath towel is used on infants.

In accordance with an aspect of this invention, hooded bath towels, capes, or sleeping bags, or the like are formed from blanks cut from a flattened tube of a knitted looped pile or terry cloth fabric having a base of stretch Nylon yarn appearing at the inside of the tube and cotton or other absorbent loops extending from the base at the outer surface of the tube. Each blank consists of a generally rectangular body portion in which the double thicknesses or layers of fabric are joined together along the opposite side edges, and a hood defining portion extending centrally from one end of the body portion. The hood is formed by diagonally fol-ding over and sewing together corner areas of the hood defining portion, while the remaining free edges of the two layers of fabric in the hood defining portion and along the adjacent end of the body defining portion are also sewed together. As the flattened tube comes from the knitting machine, the Nylon yarn is on the inside and the pile fabric is on the outside of the tube. After a blank is cut from the tube, it is inverted or turned inside out and sewed as above mentioned and is then again inverted so that the sewed seams and the Nylon base of the fabric layers are at the inside, that is, between the two layers of fabric, and the cotton or other absorbent loops appear at the outer faces or surfaces of both layers of fabric.

The blanks for forming hooded bath towels, capes or the like in accordance with the invention may be cut from a flattened tube of fabric with the hood defining portions of the several blanks extending in the same direction. In that case, the material of the flattened tube at the opposite sides of each hood defining portion of a blank may be conveniently formed into a wash cloth and a bib, respectively, intended for sale, as a set, with the hooded bath towel, thereby to avoid any waste whatsoever of the material of the flattened tube.

However, in accordance with a preferred method embodying this invention, the blanks are derived from the flattened tube of fabric by cutting the latter along first and second, alternately arranged lines extending thereacross, with each first line being substantially straight and each second line having an offset central portion,

391 E 17%?7 Patented Nov. 26, 1963 so that the portion of the cut tube between each second line and an adjacent straight first line consists of a generally rectangular body defining portion having a hood defining portion extending centrally from one end thereof, while the portion of the tube between said second line and the other adjacent first line consists of a generally rectangular body defining portion and two hood defining portions extending from an end edge of the body defining portion at the opposite sides of the latter and adapted to occupy those spaces on the flattened tube at the opposite sides of the central hood defining portion of the first mentioned portion of the cut tube. Thus, all of the material of the flattened tube is included in said out portions thereof, and each portion having two hood defining portions, when opened and refolded along the longitudinal medial line of the body defining portions of the two layers of fabric thereof is identical with each portion originally having a single hood defining portion located centrally at one end.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent in the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a flattened tube of fabric and illustrating the manner in which the same is cut to provide blanks for forming hooded bath towels, capes or the like in accordance with a preferred method embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one of the blanks provided by cutting the flattened tube as indicated in FIG. 1

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2, but showing the article after a further stage in the manufacture thereof;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a completed textile article formed from the blank of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a flattened tube of textile "fabric, similar to that in FIG. 1, but illustrating another pattern of lines along which such flattened tube can be cut to provide blanks for producing the textile article of FIG. 4;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are plan views of additional textile articles formed from the material of the flattened tube in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a flattened tube of textile fabric and illustrating the manner in which the same may be cut to provide blanks similar to that in 'FIG. 2, but with each rblank having a modified configuration;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3, but showing the corresponding inter-mediate stage of manufacture of a cape-like garment from the blank cut in accordance with FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a plan view similar to that of FIG. 4, but showing a cape-like garment or article produced from the folded and sewed blank of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the cape-like garment or article of FIG. 10 as the same appears when worn; and

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along the line 1212 on FIG. 4 and showing the pile or terry cloth fabric of the type from which textile articles are to be formed in accordance with this invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail and initially to FIG. 2 thereof, it will be seen that a blank 10' for forming a textile article in accordance with the present invention includes two superposed layers 12 and 14 of textile fabric integrally joined together along the opposite side or longitudinal edges 16 of a generally rectangular body defining portion 18. A relatively smaller, also generally rectangular hood defining portion 20 extends centrally from one end edge of body defining portion 18. The width w of hood defining portion 20 is preferably approximately one-half the width W of body defining portion 18 for rea sons that will appear hereinafter.

The two superposed layers 12 and 14 of blank 10 are free of each other along the opposite end edges 28 and 3b of body defining port-ion =18 and along the end edge 24 and side edges 26 of hood defining portion 29. In manufacturing an article from the blank if corner areas of hood defining portion 20 are folded along fold lines 22 (FIG. 2) which diverge from the center of end edge 24, each at approximately 45 degrees to end edge 24 so that the two halves of end edge 24 meet along the center of the hood defining portion, as at 24a on FIG. 3, while side edges 26 of hood defining portion 20- are brought into laterally extending aligned relationship, as at 26a on FIG. 3. The blank is. then inverted or turned inside out and halves of the end edge 24 of the hood defining portion meeting at 24a are stitched together, and the two superposed layers of fabric are also stitched together at the free edges 26a thereof extending along the hood defining portion 20a of the folded blank and also along the contiguous end edge 28:: of the body defining portion 13a, preferably with an overcast or blind stitch, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Finally, the folded and sewed blank 10a of FIG. 3 is inverted or turned inside out to provide the textile article 1% of FIG. 4 in which the stitches forming the central seam 24b of the hood Ztlb and the stitches joining together the two layers 12]) and 14b of fabric along the edges 26b of the hood and along the end edge 28b of the body 18b are all disposed internally, that is, between layers 12b and 14b so as to avoid the presence of any rough or bulky edges at the outside of the textile article 10b.

When the textile article 1012 is to be used as a bath towel or sleeping bag, particularly for infants, the fabric layers thereof are formed of a pile or terry cloth fabric, preferably of the type disclosed in my co-pending application for the United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 16,810, filed March 22, 1960. As described in detail in that application, such fabric is knitted in tubular form on a standard knitting machine set, in the conventional manner, for the knitting of a looped pile or terry cloth fabric, and is knitted with a base of stretch Nylon yarn so as to be capable of stretching in both the transverse and longitudinal directions, and with uneven loops of cotton or other absorbent yarn extending from the base to present a shaggy appearance and to ensure highly effective absorption of water or other moisture. The described tubular knit looped pile or terry cloth fabric is received from the knitting machine with the Nylon base at the inside of the tube, and with the loops of cotton or other absorbent yarn extending from the outer surface of the tube. Thus, when such a tube of knitted looped pile or terry cloth fabric is flattened and the blank 10 of FIG. 2 is cut therefrom, the absorbent loops of the fabric extend from the outer surfaces of the superposed layers 12 and 14. However, to provide blind stitching or seams, the blank is turned inside out and then sewed as above mentioned. The blank is then folded right side out i.e. with the loop-ed pile or terry cloth L on the outside to provide the article lilb of FIG. 4 with the absorbent loops L of the fabric at the outer or exposed surfaces of the two superposed layer-s 12b and 14b, while the relatively flat Nylon bases B of the layers are at the confronting surfaces thereof (FIG. 12).

When the textile article 1% is to be employed exclusively as a bath towel or sleeping bag, particularly for infants, the edges of the layers 12b and 14b along the end 38b of body portion 1812 can be permanently secured together preferably by overstitching (not shown). When used as a bath towel or sleeping bag, the infant is placed on body 181) of the article it? with the head of the infant in hood 20b, and the sides of body 18b are wrapped around the infants body while the bottom of body 1312 is folded upwardly over the infants feet.

By reason of the highly absorbent character of the looped pile or terry cloth fabric preferably employed in manufacturing the described bath towel or article 10b the infant wrapped in the latter can be dried merely by a patting action, thereby avoiding irritation of the infants tender skin. However, if it is desired to dry by a rubbing action, the double thicknesses or two layers 12b and 14b of the article 13b makes it possible for the pile face of the layer 12b in contact with the infants body to remain relatively stationary while the Nylon inner or confronting faces of layers 12b and 14b move relative to each other to expedite the drying action. The air space between layers 12b and 14b also aids in drying, particularly by reason of the fact that the Nylon yarn forming the base of each of the layers 12b and 14b retains heat.

If desired, the opposite longitudinal or side edges 16b of the body 13b of a bath towel or article 10b may have interengageable or complementary fastening members 32, for example, Snappers or buttons and button holes, provided at spaced apart locations therealong so that the body 18b can be held in its closed or wrapped condition around the infants body.

Further, if the layers 12b and 14b are not permanently secured together along the end 3841), the article 1% can then have alternative use as a mattress cover or laundry bag. When such alternative use is desired, the edges of layers 12b and 14b along end 39b are bound, as at 34, and provided with Snappers or other complementary fasteners 35 by which end 3% can be releasably closed. Thus, a mattress can be inserted between layers 12b and 14b of the article 19b and retained in the body portion 1.811 by closing of the fasteners 36. In this case, the hood Ztlb is folded under the mattress at the bottom end of the crib. Alternatively, the article ldb can be employed as a laundry bag for diapers or the like, with the hood Zttb disposed at the lower end of such bag.

in accordance with a preferred method embodying the invention, a number of blanks identical to that illustrated in FIG. 2 are obtained by cutting a flattened tube 38 of the described tubular knit fabric in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1. More specifically, the double thicknesses or layers of fabric of the flattened tube 38, which are integrally joined together at the folded longitudinal or side edges 4%, are out along a number of spaced apart, alternately arranged straight lines 42 and contoured lines 44- extending across the flattened tube. Each line 44 disposed bet-ween two lines 42 includes opposite end parts 46, each extending from a side edge 40 approximately one-quarter of the distance across the folded tube, and a central part 43 offset relative to the end part 46 and extending across approximately one-half the width of the folded tube with its ends being joined to the inner ends of par-ts 46 by intermediate parts 5i extending in the longitudinal direction of the tube. Further, the successive lines 42 and 4-4 are spaced apart so that the distance L from the central part 48 of each contoured line 44 to one of the adjacent straight lines 42 is substantially equal to the distance L from the end parts 46 of the same line 44 to the other adjacent straight line 4 2.

It Will be apparent that each portion 52 of flattened tube 38 between a contoured line 44 and the adjacent straight line 42 which is furthest removed from the central part 43 of line 4 has a configuration similar to that of the blank 19 described previously in connection with PEG. 2, while the portion 54 of the flattened tube 3 3 at the other side of the line 44, that is, between the latter and the adjacent straight line 42 which is relatively close to the central part 48 of line at, has a body defining portion 56 and two hood defining portions 58 each confined by parts 46 and 5d of the line 44 and by the adjacent folded side edge 4%] of the flattened tube.

After flattened tube 38 has been out along the alternately arranged lines 42. and 44, as indicated in FIG. 1, each of the portions 54 thus derived from the flattened tube 33 is opened and refolded about the longitudinal medial lines 6% of the two layers of the tube. The longitudinal medial lines of of each refolded tube portion 54 form the folded side edges of the refolded blank, as at 16 on FIG. 2, while the hood defining portions 58 are then superposed on each other in the refolded blank to correspond to the hood defining portion 261 of FIG. 2. Thus, the tube 38, when out along the lines indicated on FIG. 1, yields a plurality of portions 52 immediately corresponding to the blank of FIG. 2 and also a plurality of portions 54 which can be refolded so as to be also identical with the blank it It is of importance to note that the blanks formed from portions 52 and 54 cut from the flattened tube 38 in the manner indicated above are constituted by all the material of the flattened tube, thereby to avoid any waste whatsoever. Accordingly, the preferred method embodying the invention provides the most efficient and economical utilization of the knitted starting material.

Referring now to FIG. 5, it will be seen that a plurality of blanks having the configuration shown in FIG. 2 may also be obtained from a flattened tube 62 of the described knitted fabric by cutting the tube 62 along a plurality of spaced apart straight lines 64 extending laterally across the tube, and further cutting the tube along short lines 66 parallel to each line 64 and extending from the folded side or longitudinal edges of the flattened tube 62 approximately one-quarter across the width thereof and along lines 68 extending in the longitudinal direction of the tube from the inner ends of the lines 66 to the adjacent line 64.

Cutting of the flattened tube 62 along the above described lines produces a plurality of blanks 7!) each corresponding to the blank 1t} illustrated in FIG. 2 and having a body defining portion 72 and a hood defining portion '74. The material of the flattened tube 62 remaining at the opposite sides of the hood defining portion 74 of each blank 755, as at '76 and 7 8, respectively, can be unfolded to provide a wash cloth 76a (FIG. 6) with bound edges 8%), and a bib 18a (FIG. 7) having three bound edges 82 and a tape 84 sewed along the remaining edge. Thus, each hooded bath towel or article It?!) (FIG. 4) formed from a blank 70 cut from flattened tube 62 in the manner indicated in FIG. 5 can be sold, as a set, with a wash cloth 76a and a bib 78a so that, in this case also, all of the material of the flattened tube is usefully employed.

Although the blank 10 of FIG. 2 has a hood defining portion 2% of rectangular configuration defined by the central part 43 and the intermediate parts 50 extending at right angles to each other in the contoured line 44 along which the tube 38 is cut in FIG. 1, it is to be noted that the configuration of the contoured lines along which the tube is cut can be modified. Thus, as shown in FIG. 8, each contoured line 44a corresponding to the line 44 of FIG. 1 includes end parts 46a which are curved, and an oppositely curved central part 48:: having its ends connected to the inner ends of the end parts 46a by intermediate parts 56a extending generally in the longitudinal direction of the tube 38a but converging slightly in the direction toward the central part 48a. The various parts of each line 44a are shaped and dimensioned so that the zones or areas 58a defined between the end parts 46a and intermediate parts 56a and the adjacent folded side edges of the flattened tube are each equal to one-half of the area or zone defined between the central part 48a and the intermediate parts 59a connected to the opposite ends thereof, whereby the section 54a cut from the flattened tube 38a, when opened and refolded about the original longitudinal medial lines 6011, will correspond exactly to the section 52a cut from the tube.

Each section 52a cut from the flattened tube 38a, and each section 54a, when refolded, as described above, constitutes a blank 110 (FIG. 9) generally similar to the blank It) of FIG. 2, with the exception of the shape of the hood forming portion thereof, indicated in broken lines at 120. The blank 110 includes two superposed layers 112 and 114 integrally joined along the opposite side 6 edges 116 of its body defining portion 118, and the hood defining portion 12% extending centrally from one end of portion 118.

As previously described in connection with FIG. 3 of the drawings, the blank of FIG. 9 may be formed into a cape-like garment by folding both layers of its hood defining portion 120 so as to bring together the halves of its end edge 1.24, as at 124a on FIG. 9, whereupon such meeting halves of the edge 124 are sewed together, as are the free edges of the two layers of fabric along the remaining edges 126a of the hood defining portion and the contiguous end edge 128a of the body defining portion 118. After the described folding and sewing of the blank 110, the latter is inverted or turned inside out so that the stitches at 124a, 126a and 123a are disposed internally to provide a neat and smooth appearance to the hood 1243b and to the body 118b of the garment 11% (FIG. 10). The garment 11Gb is completed by a relatively narrow binding 130 secured along one longitudinal edge of the body 118b, a relatively wider binding 132 secured along the opposite longitudinal or side edge of the body, and cooperating fastening means 134-, for example, buttons and button-holes, as shown, or snap fasteners, provided on the bindings 130 and 132 which are intended to overlap at the front of the garment, as in FIG. 11.

In order to provide the desired outwardly flaring configuration to the cape-like garment 110b, the latter is preferably formed of a stretch material, for example, the described textile fabric having a base of stretch Nylon yarn and a face of cotton yarn loops, and a binding 136 of relatively non-stretchable fabric is sewed along the bottom edge of the body 1181) of the garment while such bottom edge is laterally stretched as illustrated in FIG. 10.

It will be apparent that cape-like garments when produced from blanks cut from a flattened tube, as in FIG. 8, fully utilize the material of the flattened tube without any waste whatsoever.

Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein with referenec to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of producing hooded textile articles comprising flattening a tube of textile fabric to provide two superposed layers of fabric joined together at the opposite folded side edges of the flattened tube, cutting both of said layers along a plurality of spaced apart, alternately arranged straight and contoured lines extending across the flattened tube, each of said contoured lines including end parts extending from said folded side edges and a central part offset relative to said end parts and joined to the latter 'by parts extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of said tube, the distance between said central part of each contoured line and one of the adjacent straight lines being substantially equal to the distance between said end parts of the contoured line and the other of said adjacent straight lines so that the portion of the flattened tube between said contoured line and said one adjacent straight line forms a first blank having a body defining portion and a hood defining portion extending centrally from one end thereof, opening the portion of the flattened tube between said contoured line and said other adjacent straight line, refolding the opened portion of the flattened tube about the longitudinal medial lines of said layers of the latter to form a second blank substantially the same as said first blank, folding over corner areas of said hood defining portion of each blank to bring halves of the end edge of the latter into abutment with each other, and sewing together the abutting halves of said end edge and said layers along 6 the remaining edges of said hood defining portion and. the adjacent end edge of said body defining portion to form from each blank a hooded article of two layers of said fabric which are permanently joined together at least along the edges of the hood, the adjacent end of the body portion and the sides of the latter.

2. A method as in claim 1; wherein said textile fabric is a knitted terry cloth having a base forming one surface of said tube and looped pile at the other surface of said tube; and further comprising the step of turning inside out the sewed blank so that the sewed seams are disposed. in the interior between said layers of fabric and said looped pile appears at the outer surfaces of said layers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 752,033 Clewley Feb. 16, 1904 McDonald July 24,

Norman Oct. 16, Rosenberg Aug. 6,

Perl May 4,

Bonanno Mar. 10,

Barr June 20, Benarny May 18, Breitbart Sept. 21, Nye et al. Nov. 10, Landsberger et a1. May 15,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Nov. 23,

Claims (1)

1. A METHOD OF PRODUCING HOODED TEXTILE ARTICLES COMPRISING FLATTENING A TUBE OF TEXTILE FABRIC TO PROVIDE TWO SUPERPOSED LAYERS OF FABRIC JOINED TOGETHER AT THE OPPOSITE FOLDED SIDE EDGES OF THE FLATTENED TUBE, CUTTING BOTH OF SAID LAYERS ALONG A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART, ALTERNATELY ARRANGED STRAIGHT AND CONTOURED LINES EXTENDING ACROSS THE FLATTENED TUBE, EACH OF SAID CONTOURED LINES INCLUDING END PARTS EXTENDING FROM SAID FOLDED SIDE EDGES AND A CENTRAL PART OFFSET RELATIVE TO SAID END PARTS AND JOINED TO THE LATTER BY PARTS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF SAID TUBE, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID CENTRAL PART OF EACH CONTOURED LINE AND ONE OF THE ADJACENT STRAIGHT LINES BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID END PARTS OF THE CONTOURED LINE AND THE OTHER OF SAID ADJACENT STRAIGHT LINES SO THAT THE PORTION OF THE FLATTENED TUBE BETWEEN SAID CONTOURED LINE AND SAID ONE ADJACENT STRAIGHT LINE FORMS A FIRST BLANK HAVING A BODY DEFINING PORTION AND A HOOD DEFINING PORTION EXTENDING CENTRALLY FROM ONE END THEREOF, OPENING THE PORTION OF THE FLATTENED TUBE BETWEEN SAID CONTOURED LINE AND SAID OTHER ADJACENT STRAIGHT LINE, REFOLDING THE OPENED PORTION OF THE FLATTENED TUBE ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL MEDIAL LINES OF SAID LAYERS OF THE LATTER TO FORM A SECOND BLANK SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS SAID FIRST BLANK, FOLDING OVER CORNER AREAS OF SAID HOOD DEFINING PORTION OF EACH BLANK TO BRING HALVES OF THE END EDGE OF THE LATTER INTO ABUTMENT WITH EACH OTHER, AND SEWING TOGETHER THE ABUTTING HALVES OF SAID END EDGE AND SAID LAYERS ALONG THE REMAINING EDGES OF SAID HOOD DEFINING PORTION AND THE ADJACENT END EDGE OF SAID BODY DEFINING PORTION TO FORM FROM EACH BLANK A HOODED ARTICLE OF TWO LAYERS OF SAID FABRIC WHICH ARE PERMANENTLY JOINED TOGETHER AT LEAST ALONG THE EDGES OF THE HOOD, THE ADJACENT END OF THE BODY PORTION AND THE SIDES OF THE LATTER.

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