It is evident that this tubing can be used for the purpose of covering wires and cables which slide inside the fabric. It has more elasticity than woven fabric of similar form and is generally produced in a more simple and direct manner. It should be pointed out, however, that this fabric is susceptible to being torn and if it breaks at any point a little further strain will cause it to unravel in a rapid manner. Thus it is clear that it cannot be used by itself to any great extent in cases where great strain or pull will be applied to it. Made in suitable materials, there is nothing to hinder this tube from serving as lamp wicks.
Introduction of Fancy Stitch
Fig. 2 shows the same fabric with a fancy stitch introduced at one needle on the cylinder of the knitting machine to produce what is known as “tuck” work. In this work the needle in question is made to hold its thread for one course without knocking over its loop, and takes a second thread on the next course so that two threads are knocked over together, giving rise to the effect shown in the middle of the illustration.
This effect is produced by inserting a needle at this point with a latch which is longer than the other needle latches of the machine, with the result that it does not knock over its stitches with the ordinary needles unless it receives a specially deep draw down, which it gets every second course. All the stitches made on this needle are double as compared with the single stitches in the rest of the tube. In a machine with 20 needles in the circumference, one needle would be inserted with this extra long latch to give a tuck stitch right down the tube.
As regards the position of the fabric at which the tuck effect is made to show, this is entirely a matter of arrangement in folding the tube. According to the line of folding the tuck effect can be made to appear in the middle or at the side.
Further examples of this style of narrow fabric are given in Figs. 3 and 4, made on the same diameter of machine. In Fig. 3 the tuck stitch is made both front and back of the tape; that is, a long latch needle is inserted in the cylinder every tenth needle so that there are two in the circumference in place of the single line in Fig. 2. In Fig. 3 the second vertical line of tucking stitches appears on the back of the fabric directly under the line shown on the face, and this has the effect of making the tuck stitch more pronounced.
Fig. 5 Fig. 6
Fig. 7 Fig. 8