Patent Grant
7621228
The present application is for a hand stitching tool suitable for use with stranded material such as yarn. The tool is multi-functional and can be used for a variety of stitching applications such as knitting, crochet, hooking stitches, needlepointing of canvas, as well as forming hooked rugs. The application also teaches multiple methods for use of the hand stitching tool with stranded materials so as to produce craft items such as needlepointed canvases, or novel hooked rugs.
Over the years, there have been a variety of hand stitching tools, including darning needles, knitting needles, crochet hooks, and rug hooks for hooking rugs to work with yarns, cording, or threads. More recently, some of these tools have been used to create stitched patterns with metal strands. Each of these tools has had particular applications, and required different degrees of attention and skill to be effectively used.
Suturing needles with rectangular handles have been available, such as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 385,586 for a surgical application, where a skin-piercing needle is curved for use to suture an incision in a patient. The curved needle attaches to a rectangular handle that has a rectangular cross-section, and the handle provides a storage region for additional needles and a bobbin, in addition to providing a grip.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,235 provides another curved needle having a sharp point, which is used for stitching. The needle has a rectangular handle for gripping and a side-mounted guide for directing thread to the curved needle. The needle assembly is designed to assist the sewer in developing a chain stitch to form a seam between two pieces of material.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,212 teaches a knitting needle that has a blunt point with an eye therebehind and a substantially cylindrical spacer attached thereto. The needle is mounted to a basically cylindrical handle that, in one embodiment, has a front end with a flattened section where the flattened surfaces are at a 45° angle to the eye to facilitate control of the thread during knitting and enable faster working. This needle is designed for practicing a method for hand knitting which employs a single needle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,678,712 teaches a combination crochet hook and “looping needle”. It appears that the looping needle is used as an accessory when crocheting. Again, a spacer can be placed on the needle, and allows adjustment of loop size.
A variety of special tools have been developed for making rugs. These have classically employed one of two types of needles for hand crafting rugs, either a latch hook or a punch tool. The latch hook tool has a blunt hook with a latch which serves as a needle for threading precut strands through a needlepoint canvas and knotting them thereto. One such device is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,541,980. While this technique allows one to create a shag type rug with a design therein, the fabrication is labor intensive, since individual strands must be threaded through, and requires providing precut lengths of the yarn employed. Tools which attempt to overcome the deficiencies of the traditional latch hook tool are taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,860,155 and 4,413,847.
The alternative technique for creating home crafted rugs is to employ a rug punch tool which employs a sharp needle to pierce a tightly woven fabric carrying a continuous strand of yarn therethrough; when pulled back, friction of the fabric keeps the yarn from following the needle, thereby creating a loop. U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,510 discloses one such tool.
A further limitation of the tools that are currently used for the making of craft rugs, whether hooked or punched, is that they are not suitable for finishing the edges of the rug. Thus, it is necessary to employ additional binding equipment to bind the edges. Furthermore, existing rug-making tools are not designed so that they can be effectively used without other paraphernalia. The use of punch tools requires supporting the material in a frame while working on the rug, while the use of a latch hook tool requires a large number of individual lengths of yarn, which are difficult to keep organized when transported. In fact, various supplemental equipment has been designed to help organization of the yarn strands, such as taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,541,980; 4,229,864; and 4,413,847.
Additionally, most traditional needle crafts require considerable manipulation of the needle by the fingers of the user, making these crafts difficult and/or uncomfortable for users suffering from arthritis or similar ailments.
Thus, there is a need for a universal stitching tool that is simple to use and can be used for various craft tasks. Furthermore, there is a need for the development of a technique for using such a tool, or even an existing tool such as the needle taught in the '212 patent, to provide a hooked-type crafted material which is less labor intensive and which requires less attention to the mechanics of the operation by the tool's user, thereby reducing the level of concentration required by the user. There is also a need for a tool which reduces the amount of finger and/or wrist manipulation required by the user.
The present invention provides a hand-held stitching tool for manipulating yarn to provide various finished materials with various appearances such as knitted, crocheted, or the appearance of an open-looped crafted rug rather than the hooked appearance typically obtained in crafted rugs made using latch hooks or punch hooks. The present invention also discloses a method of fabricating hand-crafted stitched craft items for rugs or decorative materials. These craft items result from employing a collection of stitches that, when appropriately used, can provide a rug having a knotted open loop rug pattern with stabilized loops. The present invention also provides a method of forming a chain stitch which is integrated with a mesh, which is well suited for binding the edges of the mesh or fill areas of the mesh with yarn.
The hand-held stitching tool has a stitching needle and an elongated handle attached thereto. The elongated handle has suitable dimensions to be comfortably held by the user's hand. The elongated handle terminates in a first end region, to which the stitching needle is affixed, and a second end region.
In one preferred embodiment, the elongated handle is a plate-like structure having a top surface and a bottom surface. The plate preferably has a thickness t between about ⅛ to ⅜ inches. Preferably, this plate is substantially rectangular in overall shape, having a minimum length of about 2½ inches and more preferably about 3½ inches. The upper limit is chosen to be the approximate length of the average person's index finger so that, when the handle is so configured and is held between the thumb and the index finger with the index finger resting along the top surface of the handle, the handle can be comfortably accommodated in the hand of the user. The stitching tool in this position almost feels like an extension of the user's hand and naturally falls under the direction of the index finger. Having the handle formed as a rectangular plate also allows the handle to be readily grasped between the thumb and the index finger. When sufficient width is provided, this configuration allows the third finger of the hand to be supported by the handle. Being able to accommodate the third finger next to the index finger allows the yarn to run between the index finger and third finger so that the user can control tension as needed by clamping the yarn with the third finger, either against the handle or against the index finger. To support two fingers, it is preferred that the handle have a breadth B of at least about ¾ inch; a maximum breadth B is about 1½ inches to allow the handle to be held comfortably.
It is further preferred that the first end region of the elongated handle be substantially trapezoidal to reduce obstruction of the user's view of the stitching needle and to minimize interference between the handle and the mesh of a canvas material as the needle is passed through the canvas.
The stitching needle of the present tool is substantially cylindrical, and has a proximal end region and a distal end region. The proximal end region attaches to the first end region of the elongated handle, and typically is embedded therein. The distal end region forms a flattened region of the needle bounded by flattened surfaces that are preferably substantially parallel to the top surface and the bottom surface of the handle. The flattening of the distal end region results in an expanded cross section. The distal end region has an eye passage therethrough, and terminates in a blunt terminal surface so that the stitching needle passes through a fabric by sliding between the fibers rather than passing through the fibers. The blunt terminal surface also serves to prevent accidental puncture injuries to the user.
In one preferred embodiment of the stitching needle, the distal end region is configured similarly to the thread-engaging end region of a darning needle, which facilities threading of the stitching needle with yarn. The eye passage preferably has a substantially rectangular cross section to aid in threading the needle. It is also preferred that the sides of the eye passage diverge as they approach the flattened surfaces of the distal end region to assist in threading the yarn therethrough. It is also preferred that the eye passage have a minimum width of about 1/16 of an inch to facilitate threading of the needle with the normal range of yarns used for rug fabrication and knitting. If more robust yarns are needed, the minimum width can be increased. However, it is preferred for the eye passage to be limited to about ⅛ inch wide when the tool is to be used for rug making, so that the distal end region can be readily inserted between the mesh elements in the canvas meshes typically used in craft and hobby type rugs.
It is also preferred that the eye passage have an axis or quasi-axis that is substantially normal to the upper and lower surfaces of the handle. Having the eye passage so oriented will provide a constant referencing of the eye passage with respect to the hand so that the yarn threaded through the needle can be effectively manipulated.
It is generally preferred to maintain the extension of the needle beyond the handle to less than about 1½ inches, which will allow easy control of its position by with the hand as well as limit the length of the loops formed. When using the needle to form loops, is necessary to extend the needle the same distance beyond the element that serves to secure the loop in order to maintain a consistent loop length. When the loops are formed according to the method of the present invention discussed below, the securing element is a loop of the yarn which has been passed through a mesh material on which the loops are being formed. For full-length loops, standardizing the length of the loops can be readily accomplished by passing the full length of the needle through the securing element such that the first end of the elongated handle is brought into contact with the securing element before the stitching needle is withdrawn.
If shorter loops are desired, one or more spacers can be fitted to the stitching needle and positioned such that the spacer is used as an index for the length of the needle that passes beyond the securing element. Since the maximum pass-through of the stitching needle will be less, the resulting loop will be shorter. The spacers are preferably made of an elastomer and sized to grippably engage the cylindrical section of the stitching needle. Having the spacer formed of an elastomer will allow the spacer to slide over the expanded distal end region of the stitching needle and thus be placed on the stitching needle as needed.
It is preferred that means for guiding the yarn be provided and that this means be associated with the second end region of the elongated handle. A guide passage sized to accept the yarn passing therethrough in the second end region of the elongated handle can serve this function. Having the guide passage so positioned will carry the yarn along a path that passes by the elongated handle so that the yarn can be readily manipulated by the hand of the user while the hand grasps the handle.
In one preferred embodiment, the means for guiding the yarn is an extension that protrudes from the second end region of the elongated handle and has a configuration similar to that of the stitching needle. In this embodiment, the passage in the extension serves as the guide passage through which the yarn passes. Providing such an extension with a guide passage also facilitates threading of the means for guiding the yarn.
In a further preferred embodiment, a second extension is provided to allow two yarns to be employed. The second extension allows the use of two yarns to form an extra thick pile in a rug and/or the blending of two yarns of different character to provide different textures. When dual extensions are employed, it preferred for the handle to be at least 1 inch in breadth.
Forming the tool such that the means for guiding the yarn are similar in configuration to the stitching needle has multiple benefits beyond the ease of threading. First, it provides a place for storing unused spacers and thus maintains them in a location where they are available at all times and can be readily retrieved. Second, having the length of the yarn guide extend about the same distance as the preferred needle length allows the guides to be maintained in close proximity to the hand of the user in operation, thus shielding the guides from engaging objects in the vicinity of the hand when in use to reduce the risk of entanglement of the yarn passing therethrough.
The tool of the present invention has been found to be convenient for practicing the method of stitching of the present invention, which provides stitches that employ a series of basic steps for providing raised patterns on a open mesh canvas. These steps serve as the basis for variations which allow forming different raised patterns.
The basic steps start with selecting a starting point and securing the yarn at this position on the mesh with the aid of a needle. For the purpose of describing the method, the side of the fabric on which the stitching will predominantly reside is defined as the finished side. The yarn is secured to a predetermined cross member of the mesh at the location where the user desired to begin stitching. In most cases, the yarn is secured so as to form an initial loop that resides above the finished side of the canvas or, when the predetermined location is at the edge of the mesh canvas, extends beyond the edge.
The threaded needle is then passed from the finished side of a canvas under a cross member of the canvas which is adjacent to the cross member to which the yarn is secured, and thereafter is returned to the finished side of the canvas; this can be done by passing through another mesh opening or passing beyond the edge of the mesh. In the following description, stitching that extends beyond the edge of the canvas is considered to be equivalent to residing on the finished side of the mesh canvas.
The needle is then extended a predetermined distance beyond the cross member. When the needle is so extended, the yarn which has passed through the needle and under the cross member and thereafter returned above the canvas creates a base loop which has a base loop standing portion and a base loop running portion. The base loop standing portion, consisting of the yarn which has already passed through the eye of the needle, resides on the side of the needle where the yarn ultimately is fixed to the mesh, while the base loop running portion resides on the side of the needle where the yarn ultimately forms a yarn ball or skein.
The yarn is grasped on the base loop standing portion, between appendages of the other hand that is not holding the tool of which the needle is a part; preferably, the base loop standing portion is grasped between the index finger and the thumb of the other hand. Thereafter, the needle is withdrawn, leaving the base loop on the finished side of the canvas and the needle again residing above the canvas on the finished side of the canvas.
The needle is thereafter passed above the canvas through the base loop to form a finish loop which is now grasped with the second hand after releasing the grip on the base loop. The needle is then withdrawn from the base loop while the user maintains a grasp on a finish loop standing portion of the finish loop.
These steps can be reproduced to generate a decorative stitch when, after each cycle, the needle is advanced to an adjacent mesh opening and the steps recited above are reproduced from the new location to form a desired pattern of yarn on the mesh canvas.
While this basic stitch will generate a loop stitch, the density of coverage of the mesh will be relatively low and the loops will be subject to snagging and extending until secured by tensioning the loops at the expense of the size of adjacent loops.
One preferred variation of this stitch is an open loop stitch which is not subject to snagging and has better density of coverage. This variation results in loops of open yarn extending from the finished side of the mesh canvas to form a high pile surface where the individual loops are each secured to the mesh canvas.
Another preferred variation is to provide interlocking loops which interlock with each other and the mesh to provide a low profile plush chain stitch which lies in close proximity to the canvas. The latter is particularly useful for binding off the edges of the canvas or to provide fill between regions of a canvas finished with the loop stitch, thus providing greater freedom in the pattern of textures in the resulting material.
The open loop stitch is generated by a variation of the basic stitch which includes an additional step to secure the finish loop to the cross member to leave the finish loop remaining as an open loop on the finished side of the canvas. In this variation, the open finish loop is secured by introducing the additional step where, while the finish loop is still gripped in the other hand, pressure is applied to the yarn positioned between the handle and the fingers gripping the handle, and the thumb and the handle are further withdrawn from the canvas so as to constrict the base loop and tighten the yarn about the cross member to secure the finish loop thereto. It should be appreciated that the same effect is achieved if the needle is maintained stationary and the loop and mesh are pulled away, or if a combination of these two actions is done. Thereafter, the above described steps are repeated on adjacent cross members to form additional open loops. In this variation of the method, it is preferred for the yarn to be initially secured to the predetermined cross member by following the steps described above so as to secure the yarn by forming a finish loop that is tied to the predetermined cross member by a tightened base loop; the secured finish loop so formed can be considered to form an initial loop.
The interlocking loop low profile plush chain stitch is generated by another variation of the basic stitch. This variation requires that an initial loop be formed when the yarn is secured to the predetermined cross member. Thereafter, when the base loop standing portion is grasped, the initial loop is also grasped and the two loops are held together. The needle is then withdrawn, leaving a base loop on the finished side of the canvas and in side-by-side relationship with the initial loop. Thus, when the needle is withdrawn, the initial loop and the base loop are held together on the finished side of the canvas and the needle again resides above the canvas (on the finished side of the canvas). The needle is thereafter passed above the canvas through the initial loop and the base loop, passing first through the base loop. The pair of loops are released and the yarn fed through the paired loops is grabbed by the other hand and the needle is withdrawn from the pair of loops, generating a finish loop which is held by the second hand. These steps are reproduced using adjacent cross members and using the finish loop previously formed as the initial loop for forming the succeeding stitch to generate a low profile plush chain stitch either on the edge of the canvas or residing on the finished side. Since each finish loop serves as the initial loop for the subsequent stitch, the finish loops are held close to the canvas to provide a pattern having a lower profile than is provided by the open loop stitch discussed above.
The low profile plush chain stitch serves as an excellent binding off stitch to bind the exposed edges of the canvas material. When the canvas is fabricated from a material that is subject to fraying, it is frequently preferred that the needle be inserted one mesh opening away from the edge of the canvas and that the needle be brought above the canvas after it passes beyond the edge. This will eliminate the stress on the outermost fiber which is subject to fraying.
When yarn is employed to execute the above stitches on a mesh fabricated from durable woven material coated with an elastomer, the resulting looped fabric material is very flexible. The resulting material has multiple uses. It can be employed to make trim for garments, pillows, and other applications where a traditional mesh canvas material would be too stiff. In a preferred embodiment of the material, the flexible mesh material is formed with a mesh commercially available for use as a pad for placement under throw rugs to prevent slipping.
To further stabilize the handle 102 in the hand of the user, it is preferred that the breadth B of the elongated handle 102 be sufficiently great as to accommodate at least a substantial portion of a third finger of the hand which holds the stitching tool 100. Preferably, this breadth B is in the neighborhood of ¾ to 1½ inches. The thickness t of the handle 102 is preferably in the neighborhood of ⅛ to ⅜ of an inch. The minimum thickness will assure sufficient rigidity when subject to bending moments and the maximum thickness will still comfortably fit between the finger and the thumb.
The stitching needle 104 is a substantially cylindrical and has a proximal end region 114 and a distal end region 116. The proximal end region 114 attaches to the first end region 106 of the elongated handle 102. When the stitching needle 104 is metal and embedded in the handle 102, it is preferred for an embedded portion 118 of the stitching needle 104 to extend about ½ to ¾ inches into the handle 102. As shown in
The distal end region 116 provides an expanded section 122 of the stitching needle 104. The expanded section 122 of the distal end region 116 is flattened and has flattened surfaces 124 (labeled in
In the present embodiment, the eye passage 128 is substantially rectangular and similar to the eye of a darning needle. The eye passage 128 has a passage width w that is sufficient to pass thread or yarn therethrough. For typical yarns, a minimum width of about 1/16 inch will suffice. To accommodate more robust yarns, the passage width w can be increased to about ⅛ inch without increasing the width W of the expanded section 122 to a size which makes it difficult to pass through the mesh of a typical embroidering or rug canvas.
It is preferred that the length of the stitching needle 104 be limited so that the eye passage 128 is separated from the first end region 106 of the handle 102 by about 1½ inches. This will allow easy control of the stitching needle 104. It will also provide a maximum loop length which is reasonable when the stitching tool 100 is employed to produce hooked rugs by the method of the present invention.
To allow forming smaller loops, it is preferred for one or more spacers 132 to be provided, which are fabricated from an elastomer so as to be slipped over the expanded section 122 of the stitching needle 104, as shown in
The handle 102 of this embodiment is provided with a yarn passage 136 sized to accommodate a yarn or thread that passes through the eye passage 128 of the needle 104; the yarn passage 136 provides means for guiding yarn to direct it along the elongated handle 102. Having the yarn passage 136 in the second end region 108 of the handle 102 allows thread or yarn passed therethrough, and thereafter through the eye passage 128 of the stitching needle 104, to traverse a substantial portion of the top surface 110 of the handle 102 so that the yarn can be readily controlled by the fingers of the hand that grips the handle 102. Pressing the finger against the handle 102 with the thread or yarn clamped therebetween allows one to tension the thread or yarn as the stitching tool 100 moves away from a work surface, allowing the user to place the yarn in tension as the stitching is done without requiring a release or change in the position of the hand of the user on the handle 102. Similarly, the user could tension the yarn by clamping it between the fingers that grip the handle 102.
For fabricating hooked rugs, being able to tension the yarn with the hand used to hold the stitching tool 100 without changing the grip on the elongated handle 102 is most helpful, since it expedites the stitching process. With the yarn traversing the handle 102 as discussed above, the thread or yarn can be readily manipulated by the index finger and the third finger of the user without changing the grip on the handle 102.
The elongated handle 202 terminates in a first end region 204 and a second end region 206. In this embodiment, the first end region 204 is substantially trapezoidal to reduce the footprint of the first end region 204 and thereby reduce the region obscured to the user's vision by the first end region 204 when the stitching tool 200 is used to stitch onto a canvas.
In this embodiment, each of the means for guiding the yarns has an extension 208 having a proximal end region 210 and a distal end region 212, which terminates in an expanded region 214 with a guide passage 216. The proximal end region 210 of each of the extensions 208 attaches to the second end region 206 of the elongated handle 202. Having the extensions 208 configured similarly to a stitching needle 220 facilitates storing one or more spacers 222 when not being employed on the stitching needle 220 to regulate the length of the loops. Having the extensions 208 so configured places the guide passages 216 of the extensions 208 a distance from the elongated handle 202 and, with the guide passages 216 residing in the expanded region 214, allows the guide passages 216 to be large enough to readily thread yarn therethrough. Also, when the extensions 208 are so positioned, lines 224 joining the passages 216 and an eye passage 226 in the needle 220 traverse an upper surface 228 of the elongated handle 202 so that the control of the tension in the yarn can be readily controlled by the fingers of the hand of the user. Furthermore, maintaining the length of the extensions 208 at about 1½ inches will assure that the extensions 208 reside in close proximity to the hand of the user, and thus are shielded by the hand against catching on other objects as the stitching tool 200 is manipulated.
When the dual extensions 208 are employed, the breadth B of the elongated handle 202 should be maintained at a minimum of about 1 inch so as to accommodate a separation S between the extensions 208 sufficient that the guide passages 216 of the expanded regions 214 can be conveniently threaded with yarn or other stranded material.
To aid the user in properly positioning the thumb, both the upper surface 228 and the lower surface (not shown) are preferably provided with a recessed region 230.
The above described hand stitching tools can be used for a variety of classic stitching applications and have particular utility for forming the following stitches that have been developed for making crafted rugs and other decorative materials.
The methods describe below were developed with the stitching tools described above; however, these methods can be practiced with a variety of stitching tools to develop patterns on an open canvas mesh 300 that is formed by loosely woven fiber cross members 302 to provide an open matrix of substantially rectangular holes 304. Employing stitching tools such as illustrated in
The method begins by securing the yarn to the canvas 300 at a desired location so as to form an initial loop. In the present method, the yarn 310 is secured by the same steps as are employed to form subsequent loops. Thus, while the description below is illustrated as forming an initial loop, the same steps are employed to form the additional open loops.
As shown in
Once the stitching needle 306 has been positioned as illustrated in
The user then inserts the stitching needle 306 over the active cross member 302′ and through the base loop 322 and above the mesh 300, as shown in
To complete the finish loop 328, the user releases the base loop 322, if such has not already been done, and grasps the finish loop standing portion 330 with the second hand. The user then pulls the stitching needle 306 out of the base loop 322, as is illustrated in
In this variation of the basic method, the finish loop 328 is secured to the active cross member 302′ by the additional step of tightening the base loop 322 to form a knot. While the finish loop 328 is grasped (and pulled away from the mesh 300) by the finger and thumb of the second hand as illustrated in
With the finish loop 328 thus formed (and serving as an initial loop in the illustrated example), the user may continue to pass the stitching needle 306 under the adjacent cross member 302″, as shown in
When the above method employs the stitching tool of the present invention, the configuration of the stitching tool keeps the wrist stable and the hand aligned with the tool, so that the action of the tool becomes a push-pull movement as the tool is inserted back and forth in and out of the canvas. The motion is controlled by the elbow more than by the wrist and fingers, so that practicing the method using the stitching tool of the present invention should be easier and more comfortable for those with arthritis and other ailments, as it requires very little effort and strain on the joints.
The open canvas mesh 400 employed is again formed by loosely woven fibers 404 that form an open matrix of substantially rectangular holes 406 bounded by cross members of the fibers 404. As with the loop stitch shown in
The chain stitch again employs the basic steps of the method as are employed in the loop stitch described above. The chain stitch requires an initial loop 422 to be formed when securing the yarn 412 to a predetermined one of the cross members 404 of the mesh canvas 400. In the example illustrated in
As shown in
The needle 408 is then extended a predetermined distance beyond the active cross member 404″. The length of yarn 412 passed under the active cross member 404″ and extending therebeyond, residing above the mesh 400, forms a base loop 424 having two portions. The portion of the yarn 412 that has been passed through the eye passage 410 of the stitching needle 408 is defined as a base loop standing portion 426, while the remaining portion which has not yet passed through the eye passage 410 is defined as a base loop running portion 428.
Once the stitching needle 408 has been positioned as shown in
While grasping the base loop standing portion 426 and the initial loop 422 with the second hand, the user withdraws the stitching needle 408 from the mesh 400, as is illustrated in
The user then inserts the stitching needle 408 over the active cross member 404″ and through the base loop 424. In this variation of the basic method, the stitching needle 408 is also inserted through the initial loop 422, as shown in
The user then releases the base loop 424 and the initial loop 422 and grasps the finish loop standing portion 432 with the second hand, as shown in
To continue the chain stitch, the user passes the stitching needle 408 under the next cross member 404′″, as shown in
Once the desired chain stitches have been made, the chain stitches are then secured to the canvas 400 to prevent them from being pulled out. Such can be done readily by making two to three stitches following the above steps, but making each stitch on the same cross member 404 of the canvas 400. Alternatively, the yarn 412 could be secured by tying the yarn 412 to the canvas 400 or by forming a loop stitch according to the steps discussed above in the description of
While the above description employs a loop stitch such as shown in
Also, while the steps shown for the chain stitch have been illustrated with respect to the binding of the edge 402 which is formed by the outermost fiber 404 of the mesh 400, the same steps could have been practiced on an inner fiber 404 and in this way create a fill consisting of plush, low profile loops.
In this variation of the method, the stitches are connected to both the outer fiber 502 and to an inner fiber 504 that is adjacent and parallel to the outer fiber 502; the outer fiber 502 defines an edge 506 of the canvas mesh 500. An initial loop 508 is formed on an initial inner cross member 510 that forms a section of the inner fiber 504. A needle 512 is then passed under an adjacent inner cross member 514, which is adjacent to the initial inner cross member 510 on the inner fiber 504. In this method, the needle 512 is additionally passed under an outer cross member 516, which is the section of the outer fiber 502 that is parallel to the adjacent inner cross member 514, when forming a base loop 518. The needle 512 is then withdrawn while the base loop 518 and the initial loop 508 are held. Then, while the base loop 518 and the initial loop 508 are held together, the needle 512 is passed over the inner cross member 514 and the outer cross member 516 when inserting the needle 512 through the base loop 518 and the initial loop 508 to form a finish loop 520. Forming the stitch connected to both the fibers (502, 504) helps secure the outer fiber 502 to prevent it from fraying.
A looped overlayer 704 is formed on the mesh 702, and resides predominately above the finished side of the mesh 702. This looped overlayer 704 is formed and attached to the mesh by stitching yarn onto the mesh 702 using the methods illustrated in
For the fabric 700 illustrated in
While the novel features of the present invention have been described in terms of particular embodiments and preferred applications, it should be appreciated by one skilled in the art that substitution of materials and modification of details obviously can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20060225632 A1 | Oct 2006 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60620858 | Oct 2004 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11256129 | Oct 2005 | US |
| Child | 11426607 | US |
