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Textile Research Journal
DOI: 10.1177/0040517507082465
2008; 78; 377 Textile Research Journal
Arif Kurbak and Ali Serkan Soydan
1 Purl Fabrics x Model for 1
Basic Studies for Modeling Complex Weft Knitted Fabric Structures Part III: A Geometrical
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Textile Research Journal
Article
Textile Research Journal Vol 78(5): 377381 DOI: 10.1177/0040517507082465 www.trj.sagepub.com 2008 SAGE Publications
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Basic Studies for Modeling Complex Weft Knitted Fabric
Structures Part III: A Geometrical Model for 1 1 Purl Fabrics
Arif Kurbak
1
and Ali Serkan Soydan
Department of Textile Engineering, Dokuz Eyll
University, Izmir, Turkey
.
Purl fabric is a basic fabric knitted on special machines that
have double hooked needles. Knitting is carried out on
such machines by transferring the needles from one needle
bed to the other. Therefore, knitting is difficult and rather
slow, which means a lower production rate. The 1 1 purl
fabric is used in particular for creating pattern effects on
outerwear knitted goods. Investigations into the dimen-
sional properties of knitted structures began with experi-
mental work. Doyle [1], Munden [2], Knapton et al. [3] and
Kurbak [4, 5] gave empirical formulas by conducting exper-
imental work. At the same time, researchers tried to create
some geometrical and physical models for knitted fabric
structures. Previous geometrical models created for plain
knitted fabric include those of Chamberlain [6], Peirce [7],
Leaf and Glaskin [8], Leaf [9], Munden [10], Postle [11],
Demiroz [12] and Kurbak [13, 14]. A survey of the litera-
ture showed that there have been no geometrical models
developed for 1 1 purl fabric. Bearing this in mind, the
work discussed here was conducted in an attempt to
develop a purl fabric model. Although the model created is
based on the plain knitted fabric model of the present
author [14], that model is not given here again, because the
model as well as the main objectives of extending plain
knitted model for complex structures were discussed in
detail elsewhere [14, 15].
Constructing the Geometrical Model
for 1 1 Purl Fabric
The upper and the lower parts of the purl loop are shaped
as in the case of the plain knit model [15], but the upper
and lower parts are taken to be in opposite directions to
each other. The loop arms are also wrapped on three-
dimensional shaped bodies as shown in Figure 1. In other
words, a modified version of the elliptical cylinder used in
the plain knit model is used here, but with the difference
that the minor radius t
1
d/2 of the cross section of this cylin-
der is reduced linearly to become zero at the point C, while
the major radius of this elliptical cross section e
1
d/2 is kept
constant.
1
At point C in Figures 1 and 2, the minor radius of the
cylindrical body on which the yarn arms are wrapped (t
1
d/2)
becomes zero, making the radius of curvature of the yarn
central axis infinite, so that we can change the ABC upper
part curve in the reverse direction of the lower part with-
out any discontinuity in the radius of curvature. The major
radius (e
1
d/2) does not change with c', thus it is the same at
the points B and C.
Let us assume that
(1)
Abstract In this work, a geometrical model for
1 1 purl fabric is created by using Kurbaks
(1998) model of plain knitted fabric. Drawings of
the structure were created by using the graphics
program 3DS-MAX. The loop shape obtained was
a similar shape to what has been obtained experi-
mentally in real fabrics.
Key words geometrical model, purl fabric, Kur-
baks model, computer graphics program
1
Corresponding author: e-mail: arif.kurbak@deu.edu.tr
y 1
2

---
\
]
| |
t
1
d 2 =
by Ershad Khan on October 24, 2008 http://trj.sagepub.com Downloaded from
378 Textile Research Journal 78(5) TRJ TRJ
where
and .
The equations of the yarn central axis at the loop arm of
the right-hand side can now be written as
(2)
(3)
(4)
where S
1
is the wrapped yarn projection in the x'y' plane
and it can be calculated as follows.
The derivative of Equation (4) and differential of Equa-
tions (3) and (2) are
(5)
(6)
(7)
and, thus,
(8)
Integrating this gives
(9)
From Equation (5)
(10)
and
(11)
are obtained. On the other hand, the elementary yarn
length is
(12)
and, hence, by putting the Equations (5) and (11) into
Equation (12),
Figure 1 The present 1 1 purl knitted fabric model.

2
---

2
--- =
x e
1
d
2
--- cos e
1
d
2
--- sin = =
y 1
2

---
\
]
| |
t
1
d
2
--- sin 1
2

---
\
]
| |
t
1
d
2
--- cos = =
z aS
1
2
bS
1
c + + =
dz
dS
1
--------- 2aS
1
b + u tan = = =
dx e
1

d
2
--- d sin =
dy
2

--- t
1
d
2
--- sin 1
2

---
\
]
| |
t
1
d
2
--- cos + d =
Figure 2 The present 1 1 purl knitted fabric model.
dS
1
dx
2
dy
2
+ =
dS
1
e
1

d
2
--- sin
2
2

---t
1
d
2
--- sin +

=
1
2

---
\
]
| |
+ t
1
d
2
--- cos
2
)

1 2
d.
S
1
d
2
--- e
1
2

2
sin 1
2

------
\
| |
t
1

2

---t
1
sin cos
2
+ d
0 =
2

=
2adS
1
du =
dS
1
du
2a
-------- =
dS dz
2
dS
1
2
+
dz
dS
1
---------
\
]
| |
2
1 + dS
1
= =
by Ershad Khan on October 24, 2008 http://trj.sagepub.com Downloaded from
Part III: A Geometrical Model for 1 1 Purl Fabrics A. Kurbak and A. S. Soydan 379 TRJ
(13)
is obtained.
Integrating Equation (13) from u
1
to u
2
, the yarn length
at the half way point of each loop arm is obtained as fol-
lows:
(14)
where , and
1
and
2
are the
helix angles at B and C, respectively.
The course spacing can be found from Figure 2 as
. (15)
In turn, c can be determined as follows. From Equa-
tions (5) and (11)
. (16)
Integrating dz
(17)
is obtained and, thus,
(18)
is found. From Equations (15) and (18)
(19)
the course-spacing equation is found.
If we define S
1
as
(20)
then
(21)
and if , then F
1
= E
1
is written in Equation (21).
At point B, where S
1
= 0,
(22)
holds from Equation (5) and at point C
and
(23)
is obtained. Putting Equation (23) into Equation (19),
(24)
is found. When we transfer the origin of the coordinate to
the middle of the yarn arm,
(25)
is obtained, where E
1
and F
1
are given above in Equation
(21). When we write the loop axis in the coordinate system
x, y, z (where x is in the widthwise direction, z is in the
lengthwise direction and y is in the thickness direction), the
following change of coordinate system is applied:
(26)
(27)
(28)
The rest of the equations required were taken from the
plain knit model and used in x', y' and z' of Equations (26),
(27) and (28).
All of the equations of a loop obtained are listed below:
dS u
2
1 +
du
2a
-------- =
S
BC
1
4a
-------- u
2
1 u
2
2
+ u
1
1 u
1
2
+
u
2
1 u
2
2
+ +
u
1
1 u
1
2
+ +
------------------------------ ln + =
u
1

1
tan = u
2

2
tan =
c c sin =
dz u dS
1
u
du
2a
-------- = =
z
c
2
----
u
2a
-------- u d
u
1
u
2

u
2
2
u
1
2

4a
---------------- = = =
c
u
2
2
u
1
2

2a
---------------- =
c
u
2
2
u
1
2

2a
---------------- sin =
S
1
t
1
2
---F
1
d =
F
1
e
1
t
1
----
\
]
| |
2

2
sin
1
2

------
\
| |
cos
2

--- sin
2
+ d
0 =

=
2 =
b u
1
=
2aE
1
u
1
+ u
2
=
a
u
2
u
1

2E
1
---------------- =
c
t
1
E
1
2
---------- u
2
u
1
+ ( ) sin =
z t
1
u
2
E
1
2
F
1
2

\
| |
u
1
E
1
F
1

\
| |
2
+
4E
1
------------------------------------------------------------------- =
x x =
y y z cos sin =
z y z . sin cos =
0 2
Y1 1 =
x a sin =
y ae
1
cos .Y1 cos =
z
c
2 sin
--------------- ae
1
sin cos + =
y y sin z cos =
by Ershad Khan on October 24, 2008 http://trj.sagepub.com Downloaded from
380 Textile Research Journal 78(5) TRJ TRJ
.
The loop dimensional parameters are listed below:
The purl loop is drawn by using 3DS-MAX as shown in
Figure 3. The parameters used for drawing this figure were
l = 20.2904d, w = 5.8005d, c = 4.11574d, t
1
= 1, e
1
= 1, e =
0.883, a = (w/2+e
1
)/2, b = ae,
1
= 55, = 55, u
1
=
tan(
1
), u
2
= , .
z y cos z sin + =
2
Y1 1 =
x w 4 e
1
2 sin + =
y t
1
2. 2 2 ( ).Y1 cos =
z t
1
u
2
E
1
2
F
1
2

\
| |
u
1
E
1
F
1
( )
2
+
4E
1
------------------------------------------------------------------ =
y y sin z cos =
z y cos z sin + =
3 2
Y1 1 =
x w 4 e
1
2 sin + =
y 1 ( )t
1
2.
2

------ 2
\
]
| |
.Y1 cos =
z t
1
u
2
E
1
2
F
1
2

\
| |
u
1
E
1
F
1
( )
2
+
4E
1
------------------------------------------------------------------ =
y y sin z cos =
z y cos z sin + =
3 2 2
3 =
x w 4 a sin + =
y 1 ( ) ae
1
cos cos ( ).Y1 =
z
c
2 sin
--------------- ae
1
sin cos + =
y y sin z cos =
z y cos z sin + =
c d
t
1
E
1
2
---------- u
2
u
1
+ ( ) sin = =
w d 2e
1
t
1
2
e
2
e
1
2
--------- u
1
2
1 +
\
| |
1 = =
t d 2 p
t
ae
1
cos ( )
c
2 sin
--------------- ae
1
sin +
\
]
| |
cos sin + =
l d 2e
1

2e
1
-------- 1 +
\
]
| |
E
t
1
E
1
u
2
u
1
( )
--------------------- + =
u
2
1 u
2
2
+ u
1
1 u
1
2
+
u
2
1 u
2
2
+ +
u
1
1 u
1
2
+ +
------------------------------ ln +
\
]
]
| |
.
Figure 3 Scaled drawing of the 1 1 purl fabric accord-
ing to the present model by using the 3DS-MAX computer
graphic program. (Please note that a continuous curve
was used to draw the loops. Broken lines are due to the
graphic program which could not visualize the sharp
turns properly).

2c
t
1
E
1
sin
---------------------- u
1

2
u
1
2
tan =
by Ershad Khan on October 24, 2008 http://trj.sagepub.com Downloaded from
Part III: A Geometrical Model for 1 1 Purl Fabrics A. Kurbak and A. S. Soydan 381 TRJ
Conclusion
A general geometrical model for 1 1 purl fabric, based
on Kurbaks plain knitted fabric model, has been discussed
in detail in this paper. The model has then been drawn to
scale by using the computer graphics program 3DS-MAX.
The shape that has been obtained by the model is seen to
be a similar loop shape to that obtained experimentally in
real fabrics.
Literature Cited
1. Doyle, P. J., Fundamental Aspects of the Design of Knitted
Fabrics, J. Textil. Inst., 44, 561578 (1953).
2. Munden, D. L., The Geometry and Dimensional Property of
Plain Knitted Fabrics, J. Textil. Inst., 50, T448T471 (1959).
3. Knapton, J. J. F., Ahrens, F. J., Ingenthorn, W. W., and Fong,
W., Textil. Res. J., 38, 999 (1968).
4. Kurbak, A., Relaxation Lines for Weft Knits, Tekstil ve Mak-
ine, 2(9), 125132 (1988).
5. Kurbak, A., Plain Knitted Fabric Dimensions (Part I), Textil.
Asia, March, 33, 36, (1998).
6. Chamberlain, J., Hosiery Yarns and Fabrics, Vol. II, Leicester
College of Technology and Commerce, Leicester, 1949, p. 107.
7. Peirce, F. T., Geometrical Principles Applicable to the Design
of Functional Fabrics, Textil. Res. J., 17, 123147 (1947).
8. Leaf, G. A. V., and Glaskin, A., Geometry of Plain-Knitted
Loop, J. Textil. Inst., 46, T587T605 (1955).
9. Leaf, G. A. V., Models of Plain Knitted Loop, J. Textil. Inst.,
51, T49T58 (1960).
10. Munden, D. L., The Geometry of a Knitted Fabric in its
Relaxed Condition, Hosiery Times, April, 43 (1961).
11. Postle, R., Structure Shape and Dimensions of Wool Knitted
Fabrics, J. Appl. Polmer Sci. Appl. Polymer Symp., 18, 1419, 1971.
12. Demiroz A, A Study of Graphical Representation of Knitted
Structures, Ph.D. Thesis, UMIST, Manchester, 1998.
13. Kurbak, A., Some Investigations on the Geometric Properties
of Plain Knitted Fabrics, Tekstil ve Makine, 2(11), 238 (1988).
14. Kurbak, A., Plain Knitted Fabric Dimensions (Part II), Textil.
Asia, April, 3644 (1998).
15. Kurbak, A., and Ekmen, O., Basic Studies for Modeling Com-
plex Weft Knitted Fabric Structures Part I: A Geometrical
Model for Widthwise Curlings of Plain Knitted Fabrics, Textil.
Res. J., in press.
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