GB2188953A - Producing box-pleated fabrics - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of producing a decorated, box-pleated fabric 12 includes the successive steps of: making a pair of pleat-forming card patterns 34,36 for forming a desired configuration of box pleats 14 in a planar fabric 12, durably pleating a length of, for example, woven fabric in said patterns, marking on the pleated fabric the positions at which the decorative areas are to be positioned, flattening the pleated fabric and measuring the decorative area positions marked thereon, making up from measurements so obtained a decoration applying means for applying the desired decoration at the measured positions, causing the decoration applying means to apply the desired decoration at the desired positions on successive lengths of fabric, and subsequently pleating each successive decorated length of fabric in the pleat-forming patterns. The pleats may be double box pleats. Silk screen printing, spray printing or transfer printing means may be used as decoration applying means. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Producing box-pleated fabrics Technical Field This invention relates to a method of producing box-pleated fabrics (especially woven fabrics) for use in making up garments, and to such fabrics when produced by such a method, and to garments embodying such fabrics.

Background Art The application of decorative matter to the parts of the box pleats that are normally enclosed and. hidden (wholly or partially) by the over-lying 'outer' parts of the pleats results in a fabric which has one appearance when the fabric is hanging and stationary with the pleats vertical, and another appearance when on movement of the fabric the pleats open, partially or fully, and reveal the normally-hidden decorative matter. Such decorative matter may be referred to as 'latent decorative matter'.

Whilst a length of a fabric for making up into such a decorated, box-pleated fabric may be machine-printed with decorative matter arranged in strips at regular intervals, problems arise when seeking to subsequently form the box pleats in such a machine-printed fabric.

The dimensionally unstable nature of the fabric renders it difficult to ensure proper co-incidence of the box pleats and the associated decorated strip areas of the machine-printed fabric, with the result that whilst proper coincidence may be achieved at some parts of the fabric, a considerable lack of coincidence is revealed at other parts of the fabric when the box pleats there open up.

Furthermore, the use of machine-printed fabrics for use in producing decorated, boxpleated fabrics is restricted to the production of such fabrics in which all of the pleats lie parallel with one another.

The present invention seeks to provide a method of producing such decorated, boxpleated fabrics, which method is not so restricted to the production of parallel box pleats, and which method will provide better alignment of the decorated strip areas and the box pleats in which such decorated strip areas are to lie hidden.

Disclosure of the Invention According to the present invention, a method of producing from a length of fabric (in planar, web or sheet form) such a decorated, box-pleated fabric comprises the following steps: (a) determining from a predetermined fabric design the various dimensions which define the transverse configuration of and the respective spatial positions of a series of box pleats which are to be formed in a said fabric length so as to produce therefrom a desired decorated, box pleated fabric in accordance with that fabric design; (b) determining from the said fabric design the respective positions on the said boxpleated fabric length of the areas at which the decorative matter is to appear in accordance with said design and to lie hidden (wholly or partially) from view by the overlying parts of the respective box pleats;; (c) with the aid of the dimensions determined in the preceding step (b), producing from a suitable pattern-making card or other material a pair of inter-engaging, complementary, pleat-forming patterns which, when fitted together with a said fabric length disposed therebetween, cause that fabric length to assume the configuration and shape of the said desired box-pleated fabric; (d) enclosing a said fabric length progressively between said pleat-forming patterns so as to progressively inter-engage it with said patterns; (e) causing said opposed patterns to compress and so form pleat-creases in said fabric length; (f) subjecting said fabric length whilst so constrained by the opposed patterns to a pleat-setting treatment (preferably, a heat treatment) so as to cause said fabric length to assume 'permanently' the box-pleated shape imposed on it by the opposed patterns;; (g) removing the box-pleated fabric length from between the opposed patterns; (h) with the aid of the dimensions determined in the step (b) above, marking on that box-pleated fabric length the said respective positions determined in the step (b) above at which the said decorative matter is to appear; (i) opening up that box-pleated fabric length so as to cause it to assume once again its former planar shape; Q with the aid of the marks applied in the step (h) above, determining on said planar fabric length the respective dimensions defining the respective marked positions at which the decorative matter is to appear on such a planar fabric length;; (k) with the aid of the dimensions determined in the step (j) above, preparing a decoration-applying means for enabling said decorative matter to be applied to such a planar length of said fabric at the respective positions determined in the step (j) above; (I) causing said decoration-applying means to apply said decorative matter in turn to each of a succession of said planar lengths of said fabric; and (m) subjecting in turn each of said decorated planar lengths of said fabric to the steps (d) to (g) set out above, so as to cause each said decorated length of fabric to assume permanently the shape imposed upon it by the opposed pleat-forming patterns, with said decorative matter hidden (wholly or partially as desired) by the over-lying parts of said box pleats.

The method disclosed above may be used to produce decorated, box-pleated fabric having any desired configuration of box pleats, including pleats that lie parallel with one another, and pleats that converge with one another. Moreover, that method may be used to produce box-pleated fabrics having other forms of box pleats, e.g. double box pleats (i.e. box pleats in each of which there is formed a further, inverted box pleat).

Any suitable means for applying said decorative matter may be used, for example, a silk screen, a spray or a transfer printing means.

The present invention also extends to cover in addition (a) decorated, box-pleated fabrics produced by the above-disclosed novel method, and (b) garments made up from such decorated, box-pleated fabrics.

Other features of the present invention will appear from the description that follows hereafter, and from the claims appended at the end of that description.

One method according to the present invention of producing a decorated, box-pleated fabric will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 shows a plan view of a portion of a decorated, box-pleated fabric produced by the said method, which fabric is shown lying on a planar surface, with its 'in-use' outer side facing upwards; Figure 2 shows an edge view looking at the fabric of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrow II shown in the Fig. 1; Figure 3 shows to an enlarged scale a small part of the edge view of Fig. 2, which part is that enclosed within the envelope referenced Ill in the Fig. 2, and which part shows the fabric disposed between opposed, inter-engaging, pleat-forming patterns; and Figure 4 shows, in a view similar to that of the Fig. 3, a modified form of the pleat shown in the Figs. 2 and 3 (i.e. a double box pleat), again with the fabric disposed between opposed, inter-engaging, pleat-forming patterns.

Best Mode of carrying out the Invention Referring now to the Figs. 1 and 2, a finished textile product 10 there shown comprises a length of a self-coloured, woven fabric 12 in which is formed a series of similar, regularly-spaced but convergent box pleats 14.

Each such box pleat is formed by a series of four spaced, parallel, creased folds 16 to 22 of the fabric, the fabric being directed back upon itself successively in opposite directions at the respective folds.

In each box pleat, the abutting folds 16 and 22 overlie and cover almost completely an inner strip 24 of the fabric which lies on the 'inuse' inner side of the textile product 10, that is, the wearer side when the textile product is made up into a garment. The outwardly facing surface 26 of that enclosed strip 24 bears decorative matter 28, applied thereto by a screen printing process. Substantially the whole of that decorative matter is invisible to an observer looking at the 'in-use' outer side of the textile product 10 when that product is hanging naturally on a wearer, with the pleats closed as shown in the Figs. 1 and 2.

However, when movement of the fabric occurs (caused for example by movement of the wearer of a garment made up from the fabric) the pleats open up and reveal the decorative matter on the normally enclosed, outwardly facing surfaces 26 of the respective pleats.

The textile product 10 is produced from the requisite woven fabric 12 by a method of which the successive steps will now be described with reference to the Fig. 3: (a) from design sketches provided by the designer of the textile product 10, the various dimensions, which define the transverse configuration of and the respective spatial positions of the respective box pleats which are to be formed, are determined and noted; (b) likewise, from the said design sketches the various dimensions, which define and position the respective areas on that finished textile product 10 which are to bear decorative matter, are determined and noted;; (c) using the dimensions noted in the step (a) above, complementary, upper and lower, pleat-forming patterns 30, 32 are produced by folding in appropriate directions two appropriately-sized sheets of a suitable card (or other suitable pattern-making) material, at successive positions which are appropriately spaced apart along their respective lengths. The two cooperating patterns so produced have at each of a plurality of spaced positions inter-engaging, complementary, pleat-forming parts 34, 36 which are sized to receive between them and so shape the fabric 12 which is to be boxpleated. Fig. 3 shows an end view of a small part only of the two patterns 30, 32 when laid up together with a length of said fabric 12 laid between them. That Figure shows only those inter-engaging parts of the two patterns that are intended to form but a single one of the several box pleats; (d) a predetermined length of the fabric 12 is laid between the two patterns 30, 32, and those patterns are then manipulated progressively from one end thereof so as to progressively inter-engage the respective sets of pleat-forming portions (e.g. 34, 36) of the two patterns with the fabric sandwiched between them. By that means, the fabric 12 acquires and is held in the desired box-pleated shape; (e) the two patterns, with the fabric trapped therebetween, are then subjected to a transverse pressure whereby to form good, sharp creases in the fabric 12 at the desired pleat-fold positions 16-22.Such pressure is applied either in a press of suitable size, or alternatively, by tightly rolling up from one or both ends thereof the inter-engaged patterns and fabric, and then securing them in that rolled condition; (f) whilst the fabric is held trapped under pressure between the two patterns, it is subjected to a steam heating treatment whereby to cause the creases established in the fabric 12 by the pressurised patterns to become 'permanently' set (so far as is possible in practice).For example, the patterns and fabric trapped and pressurised therebetween are bathed in steam at a suitable pressure and temperature; (g) after completion of the heat treatment, the permanently creased fabric 12 is separated from the patterns; (h) using the dimensions noted in the step (b) above, the respective positions of the respective areas at which the decoration is to appear are marked on the box-pleated fabric so produced; (i) that box-pleated fabric is opened up and treated (for example, by ironing) so as to cause it to resume, without any substantial stretching or shrinkage, its former planar condition; (j) the respective dimensions which define and position on that now planar fabric the said areas, marked in step (h) above, which are to carry decorative matter, are determined and noted;; (k) a silk screen (not shown) for applying said decorative matter is now produced using the dimensions noted in the step (j) above to define and position the areas of the screen through which the decorative matter is to be applied to a said length of fabric 12 when in planar form; (I) an appropriate length of untreated fabric 12 is decorated using the silk screen prepared in the step (k) above; and (m) that decorated length of fabric 12 is then subjected to steps the same as those set out at the steps (d) to (g) above whereby to box-pleat the decorated planar fabric.

The steps (I) and (m) are repeated to produce as many as desired lengths of decorated, box-pleated fabric.

In carrying out the above process, good, co-related registration of the planar fabric with the silk screen and with the box-pleating patterns should be ensured so as to secure the best results.

If desired, the silk screen printing process may be replaced by any other suitable form of decoration applying process. For example, a transfer printing process or a spray printing process may be used instead.

Furthermore, in each of the box pleats, the decorative matter may extend if desired on to the inwardly-facing surfaces which adjoin the surface 26 and which are likewise normally hidden by the overlying parts of the box pleat.

Fig. 4 shows in a view similar to that of the Fig. 3, a modified form of box pleat, which may be produced by the process just described above. That modified box pleat (namely, a double box pleat) comprises a box pleat 38 which is similar to that of the Figs. 2 and 3, but which incorporates within it an inverted pleat 40. Fig. 4 shows also a pair of opposed, inter-engaging, pleat-making patterns 42, 44 which hold between them a piece of said fabric 12.

In that double box pleat, the decorative matter may be applied simply to the outwardly facing surface 46 of the inverted pleat, or it may be continued, with or without break, on to the adjoining inwardly facing surfaces 48, and if desired, even on to the adjoining outwardly facing surfaces 50.

Claims (11)

1. A method of producing from a length of fabric a decorated, box-pleated fabric in which decorated areas are normally hidden (wholly or partially) from view by overlying parts of the respective pleats, which method comprises the steps of: (a) determining from a predetermined fabric design the various dimensions which define the transverse configuration of and the respective spatial positions of a series of box pleats which are to be formed in a said fabric length so as to produce therefrom a desired decorated, box pleated fabric in accordance with that fabric design; (b) determining from the said fabric design the respective positions on the said boxpleated fabric length of the areas at which the decorative matter is to appear in accordance with said design and to lie hidden (wholly or partially) from view by the overlying parts of the respective box pleats;; (c) with the aid of the dimensions determined in the step (a) above, producing from a suitable pattern-making card or other material a pair of inter-engaging, complementary, pleatforming patterns which, when fitted together with a said fabric length disposed therebetween, cause that fabric length to assume the configuration and shape of the said desired box-pleated fabric; (d) enclosing a said fabric length progressively between said pleat-forming patterns so as to progressively inter-engage it with said patterns; (e) causing said opposed patterns to compress and so form pleat-creases in said fabric length; (f) subjecting said fabric length whilst so constrained by the opposed patterns to a pleat-setting treatment so as to cause said fabric length to durably retain the box-pleated shape imposed on it by the opposed patterns;; (g) removing the box-pleated fabric length from between the opposed patterns; (h) with the aid of the dimensions deter mined in the step (b) above, marking on that box-pleated fabric length the said respective positions determined in the step (b) above at which the said decorative matter is to appear; (i) opening up that box-pleated fabric length so as to cause it to assume once again its former planar shape; (j) with the aid of the marks applied in the step (h) above, determining on said planar fabric length the respective dimensions defining the respective marked positions at which the decorative matter is to appear on such a planar fabric length;; (k) with the aid of the dimensions determined in the step (j) above, preparing a decoration-applying means for enabling said decorative matter to be applied to such a planar length of said fabric at the respective positions determined in the step (j) above; (I) causing said decoration-applying means to apply said decorative matter in turn to each of a succession of said planar lengths of said fabric; and (m) subjecting in turn each of said decorated planar lengths of said fabric to the steps (d) to (g) set out above, so as to cause each said decorated length of fabric to durably retain the shape imposed upon it by the opposed pleat-forming patterns, with said decorative matter hidden (wholly or partially as desired) by the over-lying parts of said box pleats.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said fabric comprises a woven material.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said fabric comprises a non-woven sheet material.

4. A method according to any preceding claim. wherein said pleat-setting treatment comprises a heat treatment.

5. A method according to any preceding claim. wherein said decoration-applying means comprises a silk screen printing means, or a spray printing means, or a transfer printing means.

6. A method according to any preceding claim. wherein said pleats lie parallel with one another.

7. A method according to any preceding claim. wherein said pleats converge with one another.

8. A method according to any preceding claim. wherein said pleats comprise double box pleats.

9. A method according to any preceding claim, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by any single figure or group of associated figures of the accompanying diagrammatic drawing.

10. A decorated, box pleated fabric produced by a method according to any preceding claim.

11. A garment comprising a fabric according to claim 10.