Knitted Narrow Fabrics
By William Davis, M.A.
Branch of the Knitting Industry That Presents Interesting Features—Yarn Testing—Manufacture of Cleaners and Meat Bags, Coverings for Wires and Cables, Fancy Stitch and Colored Effects for Trimmings—Use of Core Thread to Give Strength
Knitting machine builders are remarkable for the new inventions and adaptations they are constantly bringing out on their machines. Several important concerns in this line have recently been active in producing types to deal with the large trade now being done in narrow fabrics for various purposes.
The ordinary circular knitting machine of small diameter has long been recognized as a suitable means of making trials of new yarns to judge how closely they match the original sample, because in knitting there is not the necessity of elaborate warp preparation and loom mounting. The machine generally employed for this purpose is an ordinary type of stocking knitter containing 96 or 112 needles. If the machine is only to be employed as a sampling machine it is by no means necessary to have a full stocking machine, because in this work it is never necessary to use the ribber or dial which is always supplied.
The work of sampling to shade is done in most weaving or spinning factories and a narrow width plain stitch knitting machine is satisfactory for the purpose. It is usually quite suitable to work the machine by hand, owing to the small lengths required and the frequent changes necessary when testing different colors and qualities.
The latch needle machine is much better for this purpose than the bearded needle frame owing to the simplicity of loop formation and also owing to the facility with which small or thick yarns can be made to give good work on the machine with suitable adjustment of the stitch tensions. It is also used as a means of producing samples of color, as the various colors can be introduced rapidly one after the other on this machine.
This type of frame with the needles stationary, and revolving cams and thread guide has from the first been recognized as the best adapted for knitting gas mantles from ramie. The yarn is working in long lengths on a narrow width circular knitting machine using the latch needle and this fabric is afterwards cut into lengths according to the mantles being produced. Mantles of different sizes can be obtained by using different diameters of machines as supplied by machine builders for this purpose.
In most hardware establishments and department stores one sees woven metal material knitted into fabric on such machines, and intended to be used for cleaning pots and pans in household work. The wire has a sharp edge so as to grip the matter to be removed. Knitting the metal material into looped form enables the product to do its work with the greatest efficiency.
Another side line of the knitting industry is the production of what are known as meat bags, with which the carcasses of frozen and ordinary mutton and beef are covered prior to transport. These bags are usually made on circular knitting machines of large diameter using the latch needle, and as the size of the yarn is fine compared to the set of the needles a gauze-like character is obtained which allows free circulation of air as well as affording a clean method of handling the meat and protecting it in the course of transport on ship, train and truck.