(57) Fabric material is formed utilising a basic fabric taken from the loom and comprising
stretchable warp yarns and weft yarns. In accordance with the present invention, the
basic fabric is stretched to stretch the stretchable yarns by as much as twice their
original length and the yarns are set in this stretched condition. The fabric can
be cold or hot drawn, and the stretchable yarns preferably comprise plastics tape
e.g. polypropylene. The weft and warp yarns may be heat bonded at their interstices,
and a further preferred feature is that the weft yarns have longitudinal zones of
weakness which results in the weft yarns splitting into individual strips on warp
stretching. An additional base sheet or film may be employed. The inventive fabrice
material provides considerably increased cover without substantial increase of cost,
and the strength and stability of the fabric will be increased.
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