Abstract: A method of drawing an optical fiber through a fabric, having opposite first and second sides, comprises the following consecutive steps: advancing the optical fiber by a fiber transport device in a hollow needle to a predetermined extent; pushing the hollow needle, together with the optical fiber, through the fabric from the first side to the second side until a free end of the optical fiber has traversed the fabric to a predetermined extent; withdrawing the needle from the fabric to the first side thereof while maintaining the optical fiber substantially stationary relative to the fabric; gripping the free end of the fiber by a grasping device on the second side; pulling the optical fiber through the fabric until a predetermined pulled-through length of the optical fiber is obtained on the second side; and servering the optical fiber by a cutting device on the first side.

Abstract: Warp knitting machine, in particular stitch-bonding machine, a drive for the operation of a row of knitting needles and at least one row of guide needles. The drive for the row of knitting needles and the drive for the performance of oscillatory motions of the row of guide needles are each connected with a separate drive shaft, and the drive shaft of the drive for the oscillatory motions is located under or behind the working plane of the row of knitting needles and before the finished goods and is furnished with a plurality of units of drive means, distributed over the working width of the machine, for the oscillatory motions.

Abstract: The device comprises a box-shaped element, mounted to a carriage of a flat knitting machine, a plate located above the needle bed of the machine being an integral part of this element.The plate features vertical grooves on one of its sides, within which pins are housed so that they are able to slide along their axes, subject to the action of rockers, which are hinged to the plate and operated by a rod with rack section, located above the plate and moved along their axes in order to raise or respectively lower pins, to the lower ends of which stitch retaining-pressing means are fitted.

Abstract: An improved tufting machine (10) having an individual needle control system. The tufting machine (10) is designed for inserting yarns (26) into stitching in a base fabric (20). The tufting machine comprises a needle bar (28) mounted on a carrier (14) which is reciprocated in a plane which is substantially transverse to the plane of the base fabric (20) into which the yarn (26) is inserted. Insertion of the yarn is accomplished by needles (32 and 34) carried by the needle bar or bars (28). These needles penetrate the fabric (20) as the carrier (14) imparts reciprocating movement to the needles and their operatively associated needle bars. A control system is provided for adjusting the distal position of the individual needles during reciprocating movement such that the needles selectively penetrate the fabric (20) while the carrier (14) and the needle bar (28) are reciprocally operated.

Abstract: The invention involves a baseball glove with a flexible heel construction. The glove comprises a front panel forming the front wall of the glove and a back panel forming the back wall of the glove, the front and back panels being secured together at peripheral margins of the glove to form a glove shell having finger and thumb stalls. A liner having a palm liner panel is disposed on the inside of the shell. The front panel and the palm liner panel of the glove have lower edge margins arranged so that the outside face of the front panel is in opposing face-to-face relation with the outside face of the palm liner panel. The edge margins are stitched together to form a flexible heel seam running across the bottom of the glove with the stitching being substantially concealed from view. A relatively thin flexible heel pad is disposed between the front panel and the palm liner panel above the heel seam.

Abstract: It is described a fabric heating unit 1 comprising a pair of heating elements 7, 8 each of them exhibiting an active surface 10a designed to come in contact with one of the faces of a fabric 3 coming out of a crochet galloon loom. Associated with each heating element is an insulating shield rotatably pivoted according to an axis parallel to the respective heating element. The insulating shields can be simultaneously brought from a rest position in which each of them is disposed close to the respective heating element on the side opposite that facing the fabric, to an operating position in which each shield is interposed between the heating element and the fabric to separate and thermally insulate the latter from the heating element.

Abstract: A method for automatically linking corresponding knitted loops of two knitted fabric pieces, and an apparatus for implementing the method, wherein each knitted loop to be pierced in two knitted fabric pieces is pierced by a piercing needle, respectively, and the knitted loop in one knitted fabric piece held by the piercing needle of one knitted loops selecting and piercing device is transferred to a corresponding piercing needle already holding a corresponding knitted loop of another knitted fabric piece, and the two corresponding knitted loops are sewn by a sewing needle.

Abstract: A weft insertion warp knit fabric having a terry or boucle effect is produced by overfeeding at least some of the wrap yarns to a conventional weft inserted warp knitting machine, such as a Raschel, (e.g.) Liba, or Mayer. Terry loops extend outwardly from the technical back side of the fabric, and the loops may be continuous over the entire fabric face, or discontinuous, i.e. being disposed in an intermittent pattern. A substrate may be provided to which the warp and weft yarns are stitch bonded, or the fabric may be substrate-free. By varying the knitting yarn denier and/or stitch length, the erectness of the terry loops may also be varied. The fabric is especially suitable for draperies and upholstery.

Abstract: A press and in particular a garment press and method of making same are provided wherein such press has a support structure, a first member carried by the support structure and is adapted to support a workpiece, a second member carried by the support structure, an actuator for urging the second member toward the first member and against the workpiece to apply a pressing force thereagainst, and guide means operatively connected between the second member and the support structure for guiding the second member toward and away from the first member with the actuator and guide means cooperating to enable the actuator to apply the pressing force while keeping the support structure free of loads caused by the actuator.

Abstract: A support structure having a pair of semi-circular members with a "C" shaped cross section which house a plurality of tubing which delivers air to a knitting machine to blow the lint therefrom.

Abstract: A knit sock, especially for jogging or other athletic activity, has a foot portion which includes an inner ply having a first inner surface formed to make relatively high frictional contact with the skin of the wearer and a second, outer surface having relatively low frictional characteristics. The inner ply is inserted within and fixed to an outer ply which includes a first inner surface having relatively low frictional characteristics disposed adjacent said second surface of said first ply and a second, outer surface having a relatively high frictional surface adapted to make contact with the interior of a shoe.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for preventing a tie from becoming soiled. The necktie has a front ply and a rear ply with the rear ply defining an opening. A bib is attached to the inside of the necktie and is folded and positioned within the opening between the front ply and the rear ply. The bib defines a slot which enables a portion of the necktie to pass through the slot when the bib is unfolded and removed via the opening from between the front ply and the rear ply. In this manner, the bib will overlie the necktie portion that is passed through the slot.

Abstract: Aesthetic warp-knit, weft-inserted fabrics are produced having multiple substrate layers, warp yarns extending in the warp-wise direction of the fabric, and weft yarns extending in the weft-wise direction of the fabric. The warp and/or weft yarns are interposed between the multiple substrate layers. Warp stitching yarns forming stitch wales spaced-apart along the warp-wise direction of the fabric and stitched through the substrate layers hold the warp and weft yarns in position relative to one another and relative to the substrates. The substrates may also be provided in juxtaposed relationship to one another so as to increase the opacity, esthetics, and dimensional stability of the resulting fabric. Thermoplastic fibers may be incorporated in the fabric such that upon plasticization and subsequent cooling, they assist in binding of the resulting fabric.

Abstract: Warp knit fabrics, especially sewn-knitted fabrics, are produced by a method and apparatus which results in single and multiple layer sloping fabrics having oblique and diagonal endless filling threads with respect to the boundary of the fabrics. Spaced-apart chain conveyors transport a plurality of filling-thread sections, each of which contains a plurality of endless filling threads, to a stitch-forming site. The plurality of filling-thread sections are held between and transported by the conveyors by a plurality of hooks in the conveyors. Filling thread sections are laid onto the hooks by at least one filling laying device having a guide means for laying the filling thread sections onto the hooks.

Abstract: A needle plate member for a multiple needle loop pile tufting machine including double needle bars supporting transverse rows of front and rear needles in which at least one row of needles has a narrow gauge. Finger members or needle plate fingers project rearward from the needle plate and extend rearward beyond the rear needles. The transverse spacing between each pair of needle plate fingers is equal to twice the needle gauge of the needles having the narrow gauge. The wider gauge or transverse spacing of the needle plate fingers permits the fingers to extend rearwardly through both front and rear transverse rows of needles to adequately support the base fabric moving through the machine and penetrated by both sets of needles, as well as guiding the front loops past the rear needles to minimize tagging.

Abstract: The control member herein described comprises an electromagnet 30 which is fixed with respect to a thread guide rail and acts on a swinging arm 37 l pivoted with respect to the electromagnet itself and slidably engaging a lifter 14. Due to the energization of the electromagnet 30 the swinging arm 37, is brought, against the action of a return spring 39, from a rest position in which the lifter is disposed in a disengagement condition, to a working position in which the lifter is in an engagement condition and is engaged by actuator means oscillating in synchronism with the thread guide rail in order to cause the actuation of a threading tube associated with said lifter.

Abstract: A thread carrying needle assembly usable for a variety of craft purposes, the needle assembly having means to adjust the length of the exposed pointed end of the needle. A safety feature is that the needle may be fully retracted within the housing. The needle assembly is adapted to function with a conventional needle element which is easily replaceable.

Abstract: In the procedure for ensuring a precisely positioned introduction of a substitute yarn in a knitting machine by means of a substitute yarn (15) which is attached by a knotter (13) to a running yarn (12), the machine is halted at the desired position for the change of yarn before or after formation of the connecting knot (16) and afterwards the length of yarn located between the knotter (13) and the yarn working position is drawn out past the connecting knot (16) and taken up to one side and the machine is only started up again when the yarn feeder (11) is feeding the substitute yarn.

Abstract: A needle plate support member including a plurality of forward projecting needle plate fingers affixed to the hook bar of a multiple needle cut pile tufting machine so that the needle plate fingers are disposed above the hooks to move simultaneously with the hooks and support the base fabric as the base fabric moves through the tufting machine.

Abstract: A warp-knit tape is disclosed for use in hook-and-loop fasteners, which tape comprises a pile portion and selvage portions on opposite sides thereof, the pile portion including pile-loops arranged to extend longitudinally in a meandering fashion to prevent the same from tilting down flat on the surface of the tape.