Patent attributes
A process makes stitchbonded fabric having a regionally segmented discontinuous base layer of webs of substrate material extending in the machine direction which webs are laterally separated by a region devoid of substrate material. The region devoid of substrate is formed prior to stitching by either (a) slitting the substrate and folding the material adjacent the slits outwardly in contact with substrate material outboard of the slit, or (b) slitting the substrate while applying tension in the machine direction that moves adjacent lips of the slit material away from each other. Once the discontinuous base layer is formed, threads are stitched through the laterally separated webs of substrate material and the intermediate region devoid of substrate material.
