Patents by Inventor Michael Starbuck

Michael Starbuck has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8006520
    Abstract: A sueded knitted fabric is provided, comprising a technical face, a technical back, and a knitted body extending between the technical face and the technical back. The technical face, technical back, and knitted body comprise sueded yarns throughout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: HBI Branded Apparel Enterprises, LLC
    Inventor: Michael Starbuck
  • Patent number: 7854151
    Abstract: A knitting needle for knitted sueded fabric is provided. The needle includes a shank, a hook, a latch, and an abrasive surface. The abrasive surface is defined on at least one of the shank, the hook, and the latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: HBI Branded Apparel Enterprises, LLC
    Inventor: Michael Starbuck
  • Patent number: 7757515
    Abstract: A knit fabric may be formed by providing a plurality of cylinder needles and a plurality of cutting needles having a cutting surface. A first yarn may be fed to the plurality of cylinder and the plurality of cutting needles to form loops during a knitting cycle. A second yarn may be fed to the plurality of cylinder needles during the knitting cycle so that the first yarn and the second yarn having a plated relationship on the plurality of cylinder needles. A pile may be formed on the knit fabric by cutting the loops on the cutting needles with the cutting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: HBI Branded Apparel Enterprises, LLC
    Inventor: Michael Starbuck
  • Patent number: 7757516
    Abstract: A fabric can be formed by a process comprising providing a knitting needle and providing a sinker. The sinker can include a first end and a nib. The first end and the nib can form a groove for receiving a yarn. The first end in or near the groove can have a first abrasive surface for abrading the yarn during knitting. A knitting needle can have a shank with a first edge and a hook. The knitting needle can have a latch having an outer region. At least a portion of the first edge and at least a portion of the outer region can have a second abrasive surface for abrading a yarn during knitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: HBI Branded Apparel Enterprises, LLC
    Inventor: Michael Starbuck
  • Publication number: 20100116000
    Abstract: A knitting needle for knitted sueded fabric is provided. The needle includes a shank, a hook, a latch, and an abrasive surface. The abrasive surface is defined on at least one of the shank, the hook, and the latch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Inventor: Michael Starbuck
  • Publication number: 20100116001
    Abstract: A sueded knitted fabric is provided, comprising a technical face, a technical back, and a knitted body extending between the technical face and the technical back. The technical face, technical back, and knitted body comprise sueded yarns throughout.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Inventor: Michael Starbuck
  • Patent number: 7634922
    Abstract: A knitting needle for knitted sueded fabric is provided. The needle includes a shank, a hook, a latch, and an abrasive surface. The abrasive surface is defined on the shank, the hook, the latch, and any combinations thereof. A method of knitting a sueded fabric is also provided. The method includes forming an abrasive surface on a knitting needle, moving the knitting needle through a knitting cycle, and moving a yarn across the abrasive surface to form fibrils on the yarn as the knitting needle is moving through the knitting cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: HBI Branded Apparel Enterprises, LLC
    Inventor: Michael Starbuck
  • Publication number: 20080011021
    Abstract: A fabric is provided that includes a knit structure having a geometric shape imparting an auxetic property to the fabric due to rotation of one or more portions of the knit structure. In some aspects, the fabric includes a knit structure having a triangular lattice shape that imparts an auxetic property to the fabric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Inventors: Michael Starbuck, Subhash Chander Anand, Naveen Ravirala, Kim Lesley Alderson, Andrew Alderson
  • Publication number: 20070238392
    Abstract: A fabric having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface and an intermediate surface between the first surface and the second surface is provided. At least one of the first surface and the second surface is knitted with at least one elasticized yarn at at least one predetermined zone to provide a selected zone of elasticity to at least one of the first surface or the second surface of the fabric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2007
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Inventors: Michael Starbuck, Joanne Kaye
  • Publication number: 20070113591
    Abstract: A knitting needle for knitted sueded fabric is provided. The needle includes a shank, a hook, a latch, and an abrasive surface. The abrasive surface is defined on the shank, the hook, the latch, and any combinations thereof. A method of knitting a sueded fabric is also provided. The method includes forming an abrasive surface on a knitting needle, moving the knitting needle through a knitting cycle, and moving a yarn across the abrasive surface to form fibrils on the yarn as the knitting needle is moving through the knitting cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Publication date: May 24, 2007
    Inventor: Michael Starbuck
  • Publication number: 20050277352
    Abstract: A knitted blank in the form of a tubular body for forming a brassiere, the tubular body being formed of a body fabric comprising a plurality of courses of ground yarn extending circumferentially about the tubular body and having a pair of circumferentially spaced regions for defining breast accommodating pockets, the tubular body including discrete band-like regions of reinforcement defined by reinforcement yarns which are incorporated into the body fabric, each band-like region following the lower contour of an associated breast accommodating pocket to define an elongate breast pocket support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Publication date: December 15, 2005
    Inventors: Michel Bonnin, Michael Starbuck, Fernando Fonseca
  • Patent number: 6912876
    Abstract: A shaped blank has a body with a knitted section yarns disposed in a knitted direction. The body has an opening in the knitted section. The shaped blank has a fringe between the knitted section and the opening with the fringe being defined by each yarn of the yarns extending into the opening predetermined distance along the knitted direction. The predetermined distance is less than about two centimeters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Sara Lee Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Wallis, Michael Starbuck
  • Publication number: 20050115282
    Abstract: A garment having a body and one or more garment elements joined to the body is provided. The body has a first portion integrally knit to a second portion. The first portion has a first knit construction and the second portion has a second knit construction. The first knit construction include knits that have one stitch formed on each needle all of the time so that an intermeshing of stitches are formed in the same direction on the technical face of the fabric and a series of loops are formed on the technical back of the fabric. The second knit construction includes knits that use any combination of a plain knitted loop, a held loop with no stitch, and a tuck loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2004
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Inventor: Michael Starbuck
  • Publication number: 20050109067
    Abstract: A blank has a body with a knitted section and a number of first yarns disposed in a knit direction. The body has an opening and an edge. The edge is between the knitted section and the opening. The edge has a number of second yarns that are elastic. The number of second yarns provide a tension at the edge when worn on a human body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Publication date: May 26, 2005
    Inventors: Michael Starbuck, Russell Bromley
  • Publication number: 20050109068
    Abstract: A shaped blank has a body with a knitted section and yarns disposed in a knitted direction. The body has an opening in the knitted section. The shaped blank has a fringe between the knitted section and the opening with the fringe being defined by each yarn of the yarns extending into the opening a predetermined distance along the knitted direction. The predetermined distance is less than about two centimeters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Publication date: May 26, 2005
    Inventors: Steven Wallis, Michael Starbuck
  • Patent number: 6871515
    Abstract: A garment provides a weft knitted fabric having an open fabric effect that is sufficiently stable against run-back to enable the fabric to be used as a garment fabric. Also, the garment provides a weft knitted fabric that is stable against run-back and may be knit from lightweight yarns to produce a fabric having a lace-like characteristics, such as visually looking like lace and having a similar weight per unit area as lace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Sara Lee Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Starbuck, John Smedley
  • Patent number: 6588237
    Abstract: A knitted fabric comprising a plurality of knitted stitches which are interconnected to define a plurality of courses and wales, the knitted stitches being formed from a heat fusible yarn, with at least some of said stitches being formed from said heat fusible yarn plated with a ground yarn, the heat fusible yarn being fused together at adjacent points of contact on stitches in order to give the fabric a desired dimensional stability and shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Sara Lee Corporation
    Inventors: Claire Cole, Michael Starbuck, Phillip Sharrocks, Andrew Ratcliffe
  • Publication number: 20020148258
    Abstract: A knitted fabric comprising a plurality of knitted stitches which are interconnected to define a plurality of courses and wales, the knitted stitches being formed from a heat fusible yarn, with at least some of said stitches being formed from said heat fusible yarn plated with a ground yarn, the heat fusible yarn being fused together at adjacent points of contact on stitches in order to give the fabric a desired dimensional stability and shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Applicant: Sara Lee Corporation
    Inventors: Claire Cole, Michael Starbuck, Phillip Sharrocks, Andrew Ratcliffe
  • Publication number: 20020132542
    Abstract: A method of producing a reinforced fabric including producing by a knitting or weaving process a ground fabric using ground yarns and incorporating into the ground fabric during the knitting or weaving process reinforcement yarns in a predetermined pattern to form predetermined areas of reinforcement, the reinforcement yarn being a stretch resistive yarn coated with a weldable material, and subsequently exposing the fabric to a weldable condition in order to cause said weldable material to weld to itself and to ground yarns with which it is in contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Applicant: Sara Lee Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew Ratcliffe, Phillip Sharrocks, Nigel Dawes, Jane Young, Michael Starbuck