Appeal No. 2000-0698
Application No. 08/960,694
Regenstein describes an improved elastic yarn supply
package in the form of a double-face, two-thread system, warp-
knit tape from which the elastic yarns may be unraveled.
(Column 2, lines 6-9.) Regenstein teaches the use of a two
needle-bar machine having at least two fully threaded guide bars
which are controlled to form basic stitch patterns of no more
than two needle spaces wide and which preferably repeat within
no more than every two courses. (Column 2, lines 24-31.) As a
preferred embodiment, Regenstein teaches that at least one of
the guide bars is threaded with two or more low denier spandex1
strands. At column 4, lines 18-35, Regenstein discloses:
It is preferred that two or more elastic strands
be threaded in each guide of at least one of the guide
bars. Preferably all of the guides of both guide bars
are so threaded. The use of a plurality of elastic
strands in each guide bar has the advantage of
producing at higher rates and at lower costs a more
compact fabric with more ends for feeding to the next
operation. A further advantage from such threading is
obtained especially when fine elastic strands (e.g.,
22 dtex to 310 dtex) are used. The fine strands can
be combined to correspond to a much thicker yarn
(e.g., 1800 dtex) and consequently the same ease of
unravelling and good splittability of the supply
packages of the invention made with heavier elastic
monofilaments are obtained with the fine thread. In
addition, the unravelled fine threads are readily
separable into individual strands which can be readily
supplied to the subsequent fabric-making operations.
[Emphasis added.]
1 The examiner determined (answer, p. 3), and the
appellants do not dispute, that "spandex" is an "elastane."
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