The present invention relates to neck ties and processes for the manufacture thereof.

Conventionally, neck ties all have the same generally tubular tapering form, formed by accurate cutting, folding and stitching of the fabric to form the tie. This process is not adapted to forming ties of an unconventional form.

In its broadest sense, the present invention provides a neck tie having an irregularly shaped outline.

In one aspect, a neck tie in accordance with the present invention is obtainable by a process comprising printing a design onto a fabric and cutting the design of the tie from the excess fabric. Alternati ely, the fabric may be cut first and the design printed onto the cut fabric. Typically the printed and cut fabric is then incorporated into a clip- on tie fitting or other neck fitting such as a fabric strip provided with a fastening, such as Velcro (registered trade mark). Alternatively, the printed design can be provided with the same general blade-like form as a conventional tie such that when the design is cut-out, the tie can be tied in the same manner as a conventional tie.

In a further aspect of the present invention there is

provided a process for the manufacture of a neck tie, which process comprises the steps of printing a design for a tie on a fabric and removing excess fabric from around the printed design. The design can be provided in a generally blade like form such that the printed and trimmed design forms a completed tie - that is, the knot and blade are printed together. Alternatively, the printed design may form only the front apron of the tie and the trimmed design can be incorporated into a clip-on tie fitting or by other means fastenable around the neck of the wearer, for example by use of a fabric band with a fastening such as Velcro.

The printing can be carried out by any conventional means. Silk screen printing and lithographic processes are preferred methods, particularly for large-scale production. Photographic thermal dye transfer methods are alternatives which are particularly well adapted for producing a single tie from a design. The photographic thermal dye transfer method comprises the steps of obtaining an image to form the design on the front apron of the tie, xerographical 1 y producing a reverse image of the design in heat transferable dyes on to a transfer sheet, and heat transferring the reverse image from the transfer sheet to a fabric from which the tie will be produced.

Woven or non-woven fabrics including paper or card are equally suitable. Indeed any printable material is suitable,

although particularly suitable are linen, cotton or felt.

The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be illustrated by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which

Figs. 1 to 6 each show an embodiment of a tie produced in accordance with the process of the present invention.

One preferred process for the manufacture of the neck tie in accordance with the present invention includes the following steps. Initially, a photographic image is taken of the object it is desired to make the subject of the tie. The process is highly versatile in the designs which can be made the subject of a tie. Examples are shown in the figures and include a wine or champagne bottle (Fig. 1), an arrangement of fruit such as strawberries (Fig. 2) , foliage (Fig. 3), a cricket bat (Fig. 4), an arrangement of pool or snooker balls (Fig. 5), a tennis racket, hearts (Fig. 6) and so on.

Once a photographic image of the subject matter has been formed it can be xerographical 1y reproduced using a conventional colour photocopier as a reverse image in heat transferable dyes on a transfer sheet. The reverse image is transferred onto a sheet fabric in a conventional manner per se. The excess fabric from around the transferred image is then removed, for example by cutting around the design or by

die cutting. The trimmed design (10) can then be incorporated into a conventional clip-on tie fitting (11), as shown in Figures 1 and 4 to 6 or affixed to a fabric band (20), as shown in Figure 2, which can be worn around the neck, in which case, an adjustable fastening (21 ) such as Velcro (registered trade mark) may be used or band (20) can be a continuous band of an elasticated material. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the tie is formed with the chosen design on the front apron (30) with an otherwise conventional rear apron (31) and neck end (32) such that the tie is tied and worn in a conventional manner.

Clearly, by producing the reverse image in heat transferable dyes using a conventional photocopier, substantially any design whether originally photographed or otherwise can be reproduced as the tie. Alternatively, the reverse image could be printed directly onto the transfer sheets.

For large scale production, conventional screen printing or lithography may be preferable for obtaining the printed design.

Once printed, the fabric may be laminated with, for example, a sheet plastics material.

In addition to the fabrics already mentioned above, ties in accordance with the present invention can be provided on

other sheet material such as paper (particularly suitable for disposable novelty ties), plastics materials or nylon. By way of example, the invention can be used to provide novelty ties, or manufacturers may use the front apron of such ties for promotional material to advertise their products.