CA1206013A - Method for producing a collant in continuous motion on a double cylinder knitting machine and collants so produced - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT
This invention concerns a procedure for forming a pantyhose product (50) with a continuous processing motion on knitting machines with two needle beds and with at least two feeds, one for each needle bed, said procedure envisaging the for-mation of two knitted tubes (57A-57B), one within the other, on two needle beds, whereby the two tubular fabrics are connected together along a lengthwise connecting zone (52) having a length which corresponds substantially to the panty portion (51) of the product (50), and a lengthwise separating cut is made substantially on the centre line of said con-necting zone (52), and whereby said procedure envisages that, so as to form the zone (52) connecting the two knitted tubes (57A-57B) with at least one feed (56), the yarn (55) is knitted by a given portion of needles (54) selected at sub-stantially regular intervals on one needle bed (A) and also by some needles (154) of the opposed needle bed (B), and whereby said selected needles (54) pass with their own hooks at the same level as the respective sinkers so as not to take the yarn, whereas the corresponding needles (154) of the opposed needle bed which are aligned with said needles (54) are set to work and knit the yarn with the stitch of the tubular fabric processed by said needles (54) and thus form a connecting bridge (59), said selection being performed in such a way that said needles (54) pass in one course at the same level as the sinkers without taking the yarn but take the yarn in the next course and make stitches.
This invention also concerns a machine with opposed needle beds to carry out said procedure and also concerns the pantyhose product thus obtained.

Description

.3 8 This invention ~oncerns a prctcedure for orming a pantyhose 9 produck with continuous processing motion on knitting machines wi~h two needle beds.
11 The invention also concerns pantyhose products made 12 according to said procedure and also knitting machines with 13 two needle beds which employ said procedure and are suitable 14 for making sai~ products.
Procedures ~or the formation of pantyhose products on knitting 16 machines with two needle beds are already known and are espe-17 cially suitable for machines with two cylindexs or machines 18 with a cylinder and dial.
19 Said procedures en~isage the ormation of two knitted tu~es, one within the other, on the two circular needle beds.
21 According,to said procedures the part relating to the legs 22 is obt~ined with independent tubular products.
23 In the tract corresponding to the panty portion said 24 tubular products are connected together along at least one lengthwise line and are separated along a lengthwise line . ~

~2~6~1L3 ;, 1 located intermediately in relation to said line of con-

2 nection.

3 The inner tube is then withdr~wn and turned inside out 50

4 as to obtain an open, symmetrical pantyhose product.
In particular, patent IT 916700 ~US 4,011,738) in the name 6 of Solis S.r.l. describes a procedure for knitting machines 7 with two cylinders which envisages the ~ormation of the panty 8 portion with alternate motion of the cylinders. Said procedure 9 enables 3bO knitted courses to be formed substantially with the passage of the yarn from one needle bed to the other at 11 every inversion of the motion of the cylinders.
12 This leads to the formation of two tubular tracts, one 13 within the other, which are open lengthwise and connected to 14 each other along their lengthwise edges by the txacts of yarn passing rom one needle bed to the other during the proces-16 sing.
17 The two leg portions are formed, one within the other, with 18 smooth stitches and purl stitch~3s respectively, the procPssing 19 being carried out with co~tinuous motion of the cylinders and with an independent feed on the two needle beds.
21 Said procedure entails conside~able limitations as regards 22 the speed of output owing to the inversion of the motion of 23 the cylinders and to the need to limi~ the feeds of yarn.
24 This procedure also involves a poor appearance owing to the presence of a lengthwise portion without stitches which is 26 formed with straight yarns and which corresponds to the line 2~ of the crutch of the panty portion.
23 During processing on the machine this line of the crutch 29 corresponds to said lengthwise edges connecting the outer knitted tube to the inner knitted tube.
31 Said lengthwise portion without stitches is produced by the 32 yarn passing from one needle bed to the other and has a width 33 substantially the same as the distance between the two opposed ~Z~ 9L3 1 cylinders.
2 Owing to ~he constructional requiremen~s of the machine the 3 distance between the two opposed cylinders obviously cannot be 4 lessened and said lengthwise portion without stitches is very evident in the product.
6 Moreover, said lengthwise portion without stitches impairs 7 the strength and stability of the panty portion of the 8 product.
9 Patent IT 992231 (US 3,975,924~, also in the name of Solis Srl, describes a proceduxe for knitting machines with two 11 cylinders which envisages the formation of the panty portion 12 with a continuous rotary motion of the cylinders.
13 Said p:rocedure envisages that the yarn passes from the 14 necdles oE the first cylinder to the needles of the second cyllnder at a position distanced at an angle rom the position 16 at which -the yarn passes from the needles o the second 17 cylinder to the needles of the first cylinder.
18 This enables the tubular fabrics formed by the two cylind-19 ers to be co~nected together at least at said two positions, a lengthwise separating cut being made so as to correspond with 21 the space between said two positions.
22 Said procedure overcomes the limitations regarding the 23 speed of output imposed by the ,earlier patent, but the nature 24 of the connection made between the two knitted tubes remains unchanged.
26 In fact the problems of appearance and strength are made 27 worse by the fact that said lengthwise portion without stit-28 ches lies beside the edges obtained after said lengthwise 29 separating cut, and the quality of the product is rendered wholly unacceptable~
31 Certificate of authorship CS 169.533 (UHLIR) visualises a 32 procedure whereby it is necessary to employ a machine working 33 with needles with a double spring so as to obtain the fabric 6~

1 as envisaged in -the connecting zone.
2 In f~c-t, said connecting zone comprises courses of stitches 3 formed wi~h plain and purl stitches in a varying succession 4 ~nd said stitches can be obLained with the same needle only if the latter has a double spring.
6 Furthermore, CS 169.533 provides a body portion which, 7 given the same gauge of cylinders, is made with half the B number of needles as are used in the invention we are 9 proposing~
Ins-tead, our invention visualises sti-tches which are all of 11 the same kind and the connection between the two fabrics which 12 open out and form the panty portion is made in a different 13 way 14 The solution we are ~ropo~ing not only enables a body (panty) portion to he obtained which is better to wear but 16 also enables a connection to be made between the two edges 17 which is stable in the long term and acceptable rom the point 18 of view of appearance.
19 Certificate of authorship CS 195.758 (JAVOREK) offers a procedure with subs-tantial limi-tations~ Said procedure 21 envisages that the needles of the lower cylinder work offset 22 in relation to those of the upper cylinder and that therefore 23 the panty ~ortion, given the same gauge of cylinders, is 24 obtained with half of the needles used in the procedure of our invention and is therefore less easy to wear.
26 Each of the two edges of fabric which are united with loops 27 consists of stitches made with the same yarn, whereas our in-28 vention envisages that the stitches of the connecting loops 29 are made with the yarn with which the other edge is processed, thereby ensuring greater stability.
31 Besides these substantîal differences there is another 32 aspect which makes U5 doubt the possibility of embodying the 33 procedure of CS 195.758 with an industrial process. If we 1 examine ~eedles such as 11 (Fig.3) intended to make the 2 connection, we shall see that they do not knit the yarn PI
3 inasmuch as they do not make stitches with it in correspond-4 ence with the point of formation of stitches of the upper cyllnder (needle 9) although they do make stitches with the 6 yarn P2 in a position thereafter.
7 To obtain this result, it is necessary to raise the needles 8 such as 11 of the lower cylinder above the abutting surface of 9 the sinkers of the upper cylinder by an amou~at yreater than the distance between their hooks and the enc'as of their latches 11 in their position of maximum opening.
12 The needles of the lower cylinder will therefore have to 13 penetrate into appropriate grooves in the opposite cylinder 14 and we cannot see how they can still take the yarn P2 in such a position.
16 Patent application IT 9S22 A~'80 ~EP 8183014~.6~ in the name 17 of the auth~r of the present invention describes a procedure 18 for knitting machines with two cylinders or with a cylinder 19 and dial whereby it is envisagecl that the panty portion is formed with COrltinUoUs motion o~; the cylinders. This is done 21 by foraming the two tubular parts, connected along a lengthwise 22 zone, where needles of both the needle beds are actuated 23 during the foranation so as to obtain, with one or more feeds, 24 a structure of rib stitches with continuous plain stitches and purl stitches. The produce visualises that a lengthwise 26 separating cut is made.
27 Besides allowing a good speed of output, said procedure 28 ensuxes greater strength and stability in the panty part o~
29 the product but does not overcome the problem of appearance which, given the nature o~ the pro~uc~, is t~ae most important 31 problem.
32 I~ can be understood from the foregoing that the appear 33 ance, s~rength and stability of the panty portion depend on 6~33L3 1 the ~ne of mutual c~nnection of the two knitted tubes.
2 The lack of strength and stability and, above all, the un-3 satisfactory appearance are shortcomings common to all the 4 known procedures even though the problems of strength and stability were partly overcome with the processing procedure 6 described in patent application IT 9522 A/80 submitted by the 7 present author.
8 However, given the nature of the product, a basic problem 9 of the known procedures continues to be the presence, on at least one side of the line connecting the two tubes, of a 11 lengthwise portion without stitches which has a width sub-12 stantially the same as the distance between the two opposed 13 cylinders.
14 The presence of said lengthwise portion without stitches depends on the nature o the connection made between th~ two 16 knitted tubes in the known proc~dures and al~o on the distance 17 between the two opposed needle cylinders.
13 As we said earlier, the distance between the opposed cy-19 lin~ers cannot be lessened owing to constructional requir-ements.
21 The purpose of our invention is to Pmbody a procedure for 22 processing the products which overcomes the aforesaid 23 technical problems ~nd provides a product with-an excellent 24 appearance.
2~ According to the invention a procedure is envisaged for 26 forming a pantyhose product with continuous processing motion 27 on knitting machines with two needle beds and at least two 23 feeds, one for each needle bed, said procedure visualising the 29 formation of two knitted tubes, one within the other, on two needle beds, whereby the two tubular fabrics are joined 31 together along a lengthwise connecting ~one having a length 32 which corresponds to the panty portion of the product, and a 33 lengthwise separating cut is made substantially at the centre ~6~L3 1 line of said connecting zone, and whereby said procedure 2 envisages that, so as to form the zone connecting the two 3 knitted tubes with at least one feed, the yarn is knitted by a 4 given portion of needles selected at substantially regular intervals on one needle ~ed and also by some needles of the 6 opposed needle bed, and whereby said selected needles pass 7 with their own hooks at the same level as the respective 8 sin~ers so as not to take the yarn, while the corresponding 9 needles o-f the opposed needle bed, aligned with said former needles and set to work to knit the yarn with the stitch of 11 the tubular fabric knitted by said formex needles, form a 12 connecting loop, said selection being performed in such a way 13 that said needles in one course pass at the same level as the 14 sinkers without taking the yarn whereas they take the yarn and make a stitch in the next course.
16 This invention also concerns a machine with opposed needle 17 beds to make two concentric tubular fabrics with at least tWG
18 feeds of yarn, on~ for each needle bed, whereby the connection 19 between said fabrics is processed with an arc o~ needles cor-responding to the connecting ~one in width and with at least 21 one of the two feeds of yarn; in said zone the needles of said 22 correspo~ding needle bed ~r~ selected in such a way that one 23 needle in every N needles passes with its own hook at th~ same 24 level as the respective sinker so as not to take the yarn, and in such a way that the corresponding needle of the opposite 26 needle bed, aligned with said former needle, is set to work to 27 knit the yarn with the stitch of the tubular fabric processed 28 by said former needle, thus forming a connecting bridge, said ~9 selection of needles is performed in such a way that said needles which pass at the same level as the sinkers in one 31 course without taking the yarn arP brought to take the yarn in 32 the next course and to knit.
33 This invention i5 also embodied with a pantyhose product - ~3 -1 made with said procedure and with a machine as in the fore-2 going.
3 According to the invention said processing procedure 4 ob~ains an excellent appearance and very good strenqth and stability in the panty portion of the product.
6 We shall give hereinafter, as a non-restrictive example, 7 the description of a preferential embodiment of the invention 8 with the help of the attached tables, wherein:-9 Figs.l 2 and 3 show the ac~uation of the needles according to a preferential embodiment of the proce~uxe of the 11 invention;
12 Figs.4 5 and 6 show the connections obtained between the 13 kni.tted tubes with the selection of needles shown in 14 the first three figures;
Figs.7 show some possible applications with an enlargement of 16 the inkerlacing made at one of the pointsof connect-17 ion between the two knit;ted tubesi 18 Figs.8 g and 10 show diagrammal:ically cross sections of the 19 panty portion of the product made with the selection . ... ~0 of needles given in Figc;.l, 2 and 3 respectively;.
21 Fig.ll gives diagrammatically a front view of the panty 22 portion of the product.
23 It is known that two knitted tubes 53A and 53B, one within 24 the other, are formed so as to embody a pantyhose product 50 and that each knitted tube is processed on a needle bed with 26 at least one feed 56 of yarn 55.
27 It is known that a con~ection between said tubes is made 28 during processing along a tract of the lengthwise development 29 of the two knitted tubes 53A-53B so as to form the body port-ion, or panty portion, 51 o~ the product 50, and that a 31 separating cut.62 is also made substantially on the centre 32 line of the connecting zone 52.
33 After the processing on the machine the inner tube is g 1 withdrawn from the outer one and the product 50 is then turned 2 inside out so as to attain the condition sho-~n in Fig.ll, to 3 which the sections shown in Figs.8, 9 and 10 also correspond.
4 According to said condition of the product 50 the parts 61 of the connecting zone 52 which are nearest to the line of the 6 cut 62 and are like the so-called loose threads at the end of 7 work are inside the panty portion 51 of the product 50.
8 .According to the invention continuous motion is used to 9 form the panty portion 51 of the product 50 and it is envis-aged th~t needles 54 and 154 of both the needle beds A and B
11 are actuated at the same time in the zone 52 of connection of 12 the two knitted tubes 53A-53B.
13 In particular, needles 54 at re~ular intervals are actuated 14 on one needle bed A and some needles 15~ of the opposite needle bed B too are actuated al the same time so as to con-16 nect the two knitted tubes 53A-!;3B together~
17 Such a procedure obtains stitches whlch are all of the same 18 type, and the union of the two :Eabrics con~tituting the two 19 knit.ted tubes S3A-53B which open out and form the panty i5 ~Q obtained ~ith connecting loops between tw~ edges of fabric 21 overlaid on each otner.
22 Said solution not only enables a more wearable body portion 23 (panty) to be obtained but also enables a long-term stable 24 union to be obtained between the two edges.
In the present description let us consider the embodiment 26 of the product 50 on a machine with two cylinders, each of 27 which has a feed cf yarn that supplies the yarn 55 to one of 28 the two ~nitted tubes 53A-53B; but the procedure can be 29 applied equally well to a greater number of feeds for each knitted tube or else to a machine with a cylinder and dial~
31 Aceording to the invention.the .connection is obtained by 32 knitting the yarn 55 on both the needle beds A and B.
33 Moreover, according to the invention at least the last ':

.... . . . . . . . . .. . . .... . . ..... . .. .. . . .. . .. . . . .. ... . . .. . . .

~ 3~ ~ 3 1 needles 154 towards the end of the connecting zone whlch are 2 selec-ted on said opposed needle bed have to be offset in 3 relation to the needles 154 actuated for the previous course 4 and for the next course made with the same feed 56 of yarn 55.
The purpose of this is that each connection~ if it takes 6 place every revclution, will take place on a wale of stitches 7 different from those of the connections made in the previous 8 course of stitches and the next course of stitches.
9 This prevents the knitted loops from not being well enough anchored and also improves still further the good-looking 11 appearance of said connecting zone 52 by giving it a more 12 graduated aspect.
13 Figs.l, 2 and 3 show a preferential embodiment of the pro-14 cedure according to the invention~
The zone 52 connec-ting the knitted tubes 53A-53B is em-16 bodied in this instance within ~ sector corresponding subst-17 antially to thirty-two positions of needles 54-154 and a 18 lengthwise separating cut is performed so as to correspond 19 with position 16.
The needles 54 on the ne~dle bed A are actuated with a 21 selection of one yes, the next not, and so on, whereas only 22 given needles 154 are actuated on the opposed needle bed B.
23 Figs.l, 2 and 3 show the needles 154 respectively selected 24 in the connecting ~one 52 after N successive revolu~ions of the cylinders.
26 The same kind of selection is repeated in the preferential 27 embodiment of the invention every three revolutions of the 28 cylinders or every three courses of stitches) but according to 29 the invention it is possible to repeat a given selection after a number N of courses of stitches other th~n three.
31 In particular, in Fig.l the needles 54 on needle bed A
~2 which correspond to po~itions 1 to 32 are selected alternately 33 one yes, the next no, and so on, whereas on the opposite ~6~3 1 needle bed s the needles 154 corresponding to positions 10, 16 2 and 22 are actuated.
3 In the next revolution the same needles 54 are selected on 4 needle bed A, but needles 154 corresponding to positions 2, 8, 14 and 18 are selected on the opposite needle bed B.
6 Positions such as 10, 16, 22 have to be separated from each 7 other by a number of needles proportioned to the distance 8 between the plane of formation of stitches of the sinkers of 9 the upper cylinder and the plane of formation of stitches of the lower cylinder; in practice it can be seen that a position 11 such as 10, 16, 22 must exist at least every three needles.
12 Smaller distances between these positions would lead to the 13 breakage of the yarn during processing.
1~ In the third revolution shown in Fig.3 the needles 54 selected on needle bed A are still the same, whereas the 16 needles 154 corresponding to positions 12, 20, 26 and 32 are 17 selected on the opposite needle bed B.
18 Said figures bring out the fact that for the connecting 19 zone 52 needles 154 are actuated in di~fering positions on the opposite nee~le bed B for ea~h of sai~ r~volutions and, in any 21 event, are offset in relation to the needles 154 actuated for 22 the previous and successive revolutions, and that the same 23 selection is repeated every N revolutions of the cylinders, N
24 being three revolutions in our example.
However, according to the invention, if we keep to the 26 criteria for actuating the needles 54-154 which characterize 27 the procedure in question, it is possible to vary as wished 28 thè number and position of the needles 54-154 selected for the 29 connecting zone 52.
Figs.4, 5 and 6 respectively show the- c~nnections made 31 between the two knitted tubes 53A-53B after actuation of 32 needles 54-154 comprised in positions 1 to 32 according to the 33 selection shown in Figs.l, 2 and 3.

. ...

~ii60:13 1 Th~ls, the machine with opposed needle beds for making two 2 concentric tubular fabrics 57A-57B by means of at least two 3 feeds 56 of ~ar~, one for each needle bed A-B, is character-4 eri%ed by the fact that the selection of needles is one needle every N needles and is changed in the courses thereafter by 6 being moved by N-x needles, whereby N equals five and N-x 7 equals three advantageously.
8 Said actuation of needles 54-154 at the zone 52 of con~
9 nection of -the two kni-tted tubes 53A-53B ( each o~ which is made with its own feed 56 of y~rns 55) entails the embodiment 11 of two fabrics 57A-57B with smooth stitches, which are res-12 pectively plain and purl.
13 Said fabrics 57A-57B comprise connecting bridges 59, each 1~ of which also bears a specific reference number in the figures, namely 110, 116, 122, 102, 108, 114, 118, 112, 12G, 16 126 and 132, dep~nding on the position where they have been 17 embodied.
18 In our example each of said connecting bridges 59 consists 19 of a loop 60 oE one o the two ~abrics 57A, said loop being extended and knitted into the other f~bric 57~ as shown in 21 Figs. 7 for instance.
22 Saia Figs.7 show a front enlargement of some connecting 23 bridges 59 in two fabrics 57A-57B which have-by-now been 24 opened and turned inside out as in the diagrammatic figures 8, 9 a~d 10.
2~ For clarity of illustration three possible connecting 27 bridges 59 which have been made between said two tubular 28 fabrics 57A 57B axe shown. Said figures show the flexibility 29 of the procedure and the possible variants inasmuch as the 3Q ~election of the ne-edles can be in~erted fro~ one needle bed 31 to the other and moved by one or more wales and repeated after 32 at least one course in which the successive stitch is a smooth 33 stitch, and so on.

1 Thus, Fi~.7a shows the case whereln the connecting bridges 2 59 are made in one revolution but not in the next revolution, 3 and so on, thus ensuring proper fastening of the loops.
4 It can also be seen in Fig~7a how the substitutive fast-ening of the loop missing at the beginning and also the 6 integrating fastening of the auxiliary anchorage loop are 7 made.
8 Fig.7b shows the example of connecting bridges 59 located 9 in each line; in this case the bridges have to be offset by one wale so as to have a proper, stable anchorage of the 11 loops.
12 'Fig.7c instead shows the case of inverted bridges which 13 start now from the fabric 57A and are knit~ed into 57B and 14 then start now from 57B and are knitted into 57A.
These examples, which are obviously limitative, show 16 precisely the great variability of solutions which can be 17 obtained and therefore of aesthetic effects which can be 18 sought.
19 Fig.ll gives a diagrammatica:L front view of the panty portion 51 of a product 50 made with the procedure of the 21 invention; in said product the Ea~rics 57A-57B of the panty 22 portion 51 are fully open and stretched out. The exceptionally 23 good-looking appearance of the connecting zone-like a slide - -24 fastener can be seen clearly.
The edges of said zone can be distinct or gradua~ed and 26 said 20ne can also comprise one or more layers of connecting 27 bridges 59.
28 Said figures 8, 9 and 10 show cross sections of the panty 2g portion 51 of the product turned inside out and opened; said sections correspond respectively to courses of stitches of the 31 product which are made in the connPcting zone with the sel-32 ection of needles as shown in Figs.l, 2 and 3.
33 Said cross sections make evident the fact that said ,,, - 1.4 -1 conn~cting bridges 59 mahe between the two knitted tubes 57A-2 57B vary cycli.cally in position ~nd number along the connect-3 ing zone 52 of the two knitted tubes.
4 sesides elimi~ating the presence of the aforesaid short-coming which appears at the side of the connecting zcne of the 6 panty portion in products made with procedures of the prior 7 art using continuous motion, said criteria of actuation of the 8 needles entail the formation of a connecting zone 52 having an 9 increased thickness and consistency and the further improve-ment of the appearance of the part connecting the two knitted 11 tubes 57A-57B that constitute the product 50.
12 The selection of needles described for making the connect-13 ing zone ';2 with a given feed 56 linked substantially to one 14 needle bed and thus -to the relative knitted tube 57A can lS equally well be repea~ed, inverted on the needle beds, with a 16 possible offsetting also for the feed 56 which supplies the 17 yarn 55 to the other knitted tube 57B.
18 According to one varlant of the invention the connecting 19 courses comprising the connecting bridges 59 are spaced apart from each other, that is to sayj they are not consecutive 21 courses.
22 According to another variant the connecting courses com-23 pxising the connecting bridges 59~are separated`from-~ach 24 other ~y one or more connecting course~ forming one single ri.bbed fabric in the connecting zone 52, said fabric being 26 made by cooperation between the needles of both needle beds 27 A-B in the connectins zone 52~
28 According to a further variant a connecting tract formed of 29 one single ribbed fabric obtained by cooperation between the needles of both the needle beds A-B in the connecting zone 52 31 is comprised in the connecting zone 52 at every two connecting 32 tracts obtained with a number of courses comprising connecting 33 bridges 59, whether separated or not by courses of rib stit-- 3~ -1 ches.
2 We have described here a preferential embodiment of the 3 invention, but many v~riants are possible for a person skilled 4 in this field; for instance, it is possihle to change the number of needles 54-154 which take part in forming the con-6 necting zone 52; it is possible to change the cycle of revol-7 utions of the cylinders after which a given selection of 8 needles 54-154 is repeated; the needles 54 of needle bed A can 9 be selected at wider intervals than the 1:1 selection, or else all the needles 54 of needle bed A can be selected except 11 those located in positions corresponding to the needles 154 12 selected in the opposite needle bed B; it is possible to make 13 the connecting bridges hy forming more than one stitch on the 14 opposite needle bed B; it is possible to perform special interlacings of stitches or to c;uspend the actuation of the 16 needles 54-154 in the lengthwise portions of the connecting 17 zone 52 immediately next to the cutting line; it is possible 18 to apply the procedure to a greater number of feeds for each 19 kn.it~ed tube 53, all the foregoi.ng being possible without departing thereby from the scope~ of the idea of the solution 21 proposed by this invention.

", ....

Claims (10)

- 16 -

1 - Procedure for forming a pantyhose product (50) with continuous processing motion on knitting machines with two needle beds and with at least two feeds, one for each needle bed, said procedure envisaging the formation of two knitted tubes (57A-57B), one within the other, on two needle beds, whereby the two tubular fabrics are joined together along a lengthwise connecting zone (52) having a length which cor-responds substantially to the panty portion (51) of the product (50), and a lengthwise separating cut is made sub-stantially at the centre line of said connecting zone (52), said procedure being characterized by the fact that, so as to form the zone (52) connecting the two knitted tubes (57A-57B) with at least one feed, the yarn (55) is knitted by a given portion of needles (54) selected at substantially regular intervals on one needle bed (A) and also by some needles (154) of the opposed needle bed (B), and whereby said selec-ted needles (54) pass with their own hooks at the same level as the respective sinners so as not to take the yarn, while the corresponding needles (154) of the opposed needle bed (B) which are aligned with said needles (54) and which are set to work to knit the yarn with the stitch of the tubular fabric processed by said needles (54) form a connection bridge (59), said selection being performed in such a way that said need-les (54) which pass at the same level as the sinkers in one course without taking the yarn take the yarn and make a stitch in the next course.

2 - Proredure for forming a pantyhose product (50) with continuous processing motion on knitting machines with two needle beds as in Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the selection of needles performed in one course of stitches is repeated after at least one course of normal stitches in the same wale of stitches.

3 - Procedure for forming a pantyhose product (50) with continuous processing motion on knitting machines with two needle beds as in Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the selection of needles performed in one course of stitches is repeated in the next course but is offset by at least one wale of stitches.

4 - Procedure for forming a pantyhose product (50) with continuous processing motion on knitting machines with two needle beds as in Claim 1 and in one or the other of the Claims thereafter, characterized by the fact that the same selection of needles (154)with at least the interposition of one course of stitches is repeated on one needle bed for the zone (52) which connects the two knitted tubes (57A-57B).

5 - Procedure for forming a pantyhose product (50) with continuous processing motion on knitting machines with two needle beds as in Claim 1 and in one or another of the Claims thereafter, characterized by the fact that not only the position but also the number of needles (154) selected on one needle bed will vary at regular intervals of courses of stitches.

6 - Procedure for forming a pantyhose product (50) with continuous processing motion on knitting machines with two needle beds as in Claim 1 and in one or another of the Claims thereafter, characterized by the fact that the selection of needles (54-154) for the zone (52) connecting the two knitted tubes (57A-57B) as performed for one feed (56) is repeated in an inverted form on the needle beds (B-A) in correspondence with the feed of the opposed needle bed (B).

7 - Procedure for forming a pantyhose product (50) with continuous processing motion on knitting machines with two needle beds as in Claim 1 and in one or another of the Claims thereafter, characterized by the fact that the connecting courses which comprise the connecting bridges (59) are spaced apart.

8 - Machine with opposed needle beds for making two concent-ric, tubular fabrics (57A-57B) by means of at least two feeds (56) of yarn, one for each needle bed (A-B), whereby for the connection of said tubes an arc of needles is employed which has a width corresponding to the connecting zone (52), to-gether with the use of at least one (56) of the two feeds of yarn, said machine being characterized by the facts that in said connecting zone (52) the needles (54) of the corres-ponding needle bed are selected in such a way that one needle in every N needles passes with its own hook at the same level as the respective sinkers so as not to take the yarn, and that the corresponding needle (154) aligned with said needle (54) and positioned in the opposed needle bed is set to work and knits the yarn with the stitch of the tubular fabric processed by said needle (54), thereby forming a connecting bridge (59), said selection being performed in such a way that said needles (54) which pass at the same level as the sinkers without taking the yarn are brought to take the yarn in the next course and to make stitches.

9 - Machine with opposed needle beds for making two concent-ric, tubular fabrics (57A-57B) by means of at least two feeds (56) of yarn, one for each needle bed (A-B), as in Claim 8, characterized by the fact that the selection of needles is performed with one needle in every N needles and is changed in the courses thereafter by being moved by N-x needles, whereby advantageously N equals five and N-x equals three.

10 - Pantyhose product (50) or the like, manufactured accor-ding to said procedure or with said machine.