Abstract: A method of making an office chair by stretching a membrane in a stretching machine and retaining the stretched membrane on a loom. The loom, with the retained stretched membrane, is removed from the stretching machine and positioned between molds of a molding machine, wherein the molding machine is used to form a carrier member to hold a portion of the stretched member by injecting a material into a cavity formed between the molds to form a part of the chair.

Abstract: A support assembly for supporting the body of a user in a chair including a frame member having a channel. A prestretched membrane comprising an elastic material is attached to a carrier member, which is inserted in the channel. A method is also provided for manufacturing a chair including a frame member, a membrane and a carrier member.

Abstract: Bonded composite open mesh structural textiles are formed of woven textile. The textile is formed from at least two, and preferably three, components. The first component, or load bearing member, is a high tenacity, high modulus, low elongation mono- or multifilament yarn. The second component is a polymer in yarn or other form which will encapsulate and bond yarns at the junctions to strengthen the junctions. The third component is an optional effect or bulking yarn. In the woven textile, a plurality of warp yarns are woven with a plurality of weft (fill) yarns. The weave preferably includes a half-cross or full-cross leno weave. At least a portion of the warp and weft yarns are first component load bearing yarns. The polymer component is used as required for the bonding properties necessary for the finished product, and especially to provide improved junction or joint strength.

Abstract: A membrane for a seating structure including a plurality of groups of at least two adjacent and parallel strands of multifilament yarn and a plurality of monofilaments arranged in generally perpendicular interlocking relationship with the strands. The monofilaments weave alternatively above and below the adjacent strands in each group. A plurality of pairs of the monofilaments hold the groups of strands in place by having the monofilaments in each pair cross over between each group of strands. In one aspect, the membrane is attached to a frame member such that the plurality of groups of strands are oriented in the longitudinal direction of the frame member and the monofilaments are oriented in the lateral warp direction of the frame member. In another aspect, the seating structure includes the frame member and attached membrane.

Abstract: Bonded composite open mesh structural textiles are formed of woven textile. The textile is formed from at least two, and preferably three, components. The first component, or load bearing member, is a high tenacity, high modulus, low elongation mono- or multifilament yarn. The second component is a polymer in yarn or other form which will encapsulate and bond yarns at the junctions to strengthen the junctions. The third component is an optional effect or bulking yarn. In the woven textile, a plurality of warp yarns are woven with a plurality of weft (fill) yarns. The weave preferably includes a half-cross or full-cross leno weave. At least a portion of the warp and weft yarns are first component load bearing yarns. The polymer component is used as required for the bonding properties necessary for the finished product, and especially to provide improved junction or joint strength.

Abstract: Bonded composite open mesh structural textiles are formed of woven textile. The textile is formed from at least two, and preferably three, components. The first component, or load bearing member, is a high tenacity, high modulus, low elongation mono- or multifilament yarn. The second component is a polymer in yarn or other form which will encapsulate and bond yarns at the junctions to strengthen the junctions. The third component is an optional effect or bulking yarn. In the woven textile, a plurality of warp yarns are woven with a plurality of weft (fill) yarns. The weave preferably includes a half-cross or full-cross leno weave. At least a portion of the warp and weft yarns are first component load bearing yarns. The polymer component is used as required for the bonding properties necessary for the finished product, and especially to provide improved junction or joint strength.

Abstract: Bonded composite knitted structural textiles are formed of knitted polymeric fibers. The textile is formed from at least two, and preferably three or four, polymeric components. The first component, or load bearing member, is a high tenacity, high modulus, low elongation mono- or multifilament yarn. The second component is a fusible polymer in yarn or other form which will encapsulate and bond adjacent load bearing yarns. The third component is an optional effect or bulking yarn. The fourth component is a conventional multifilament warp knit stitch forming yarn to form the ground structure of the knitted textile. Knitted textiles of the present invention may be formed by any conventional knitting technique, i.e., weft insertion warp knitting, warp insertion weft knitting, and warp and weft insertion knitting. At least a portion of the laid-in warp and/or weft yarns are first component load bearing yarns.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the tilt range of a chair and the resistance to tilting of the chair including a torsion spring mounted to an axle, a tilt rate adjustment mechanism, a forward tilt limiter and a rearward tilt limiter. The tilt rate adjustment mechanism includes an outer sleeve member mounted to the spring. An arm extends radially outward from the sleeve and operably engages a block member threadably attached to a screw. A first and second gear member are actuated to rotate the screw so as to move the block member which thereby moves the arm a desired amount to adjust the initial return torque of the spring. The forward tilt limiter includes an arm extending outwardly from the axle. The arm operably engages a pivot member pivotally attached to a tilt control housing. The rearward tilt limiter also includes an arm extending outwardly from the axle. The arm operably engages a cam member pivotally attached to the tilt control housing.

Abstract: A pneumatic tubeless tire is produced in such a way that the tire cord fabric (also known as the tire carcass fabric or ply fabric) has the ends thereof secured during tire building so that separation of the cord fabric ends, and a resulting blemish, does not occur. The carcass fabric is wrapped around a rubber inner lining body with turned up portions of the carcass fabric at a pair of beads on opposite sides of the body, during tire construction. The free ends of the carcass fabric are butted together around the body, to provide a butt seam. The free ends are held together in substantial butting position by placing an open mesh warp knit splicer fabric highly extensible in both the machine and cross-machine directions over the butt seam and affixing the splicer fabric in place using adhesive or the like. Rubber tack may be applied over the splicer fabric. The open mesh fabric appears to have no machine direction or cross-machine direction yarns, but only bias yarns.

Abstract: Weather-resistant fencing products knitted from yarns of synthetic fibers into an open pattern in which from 40 to 80% of the fabric surface is open to the passage of air and particulates. The closed portion resists air and particulates passage causing particulates to be deposited on both the windward and leeward side of the fence. Selection of fence height and degree of openess controls the height and length of the mass of particles accumulated adjacent to the fence. The knit fabric construction is useful as a snow fence.

Abstract: A knit sock, especially for jogging or other athletic activity, has a foot portion consisting of a first inner layer or ply disposed inside a second outer layer or ply. The first ply of the foot portion has an inner surface adapted to contact the skin formed principally of yarns having high frictional characteristics, high thermal conductivity, and low moisture regain (hydrophobic). Its opposed surface is formed principally of yarns having relatively low frictional characteristics. The second ply has an inner surface which has low frictional characteristics and its outer surface is formed of yarns having relatively high frictional characteristics and high moisture regain (hydrophilic). The latter surface may also be formed with terry loops to enhance its shock-absorbing construction as well as to increase its moisture absorbing capacity.

Abstract: A large water and air impervious textile panel suitable for use as a pond liner, tarpaulin, or the like, is constructed from a plurality of smaller panels. Each small panel comprises a weft inserted warp knit fabric having reinforcing substrate strips disposed at the selvedge edges thereof, and the strips spaced from each other along the width of the fabric. The small panels are chemically finished by first applying an adhesive system such as an isocyanate, and then a thermoset or thermoplastic polymer coating. The selvedge edges are prepared for attachment to each other by buffing and then applying an adhesive cement. The buffing does not extend along the width of each small panel any further than the width of the selvedge reinforcing substrate strip. Adjacent selvedge edges of the small panels are overlapped, and then attached to each other with the cement adhesive. Alternatively the overlapped small panel edges may be ultrasonically or thermally bonded to each other.