EP0069629A1 - Method of making and assembling a knitted pull-over, and pull-over obtained by this method - Google Patents

Abstract

This method involves the following phases: 1. a rectangular panel (1) is first knitted without any cutting out or loss of cuttings, 2. reference lines (18, 19, 20) for subsequent cutting out are provided, 3. during the knitting operation, a change of stitch structure is advantageously made, preferably at the locations desired for special shaping, 4. a carefully metered introduction of a heat-shrinkable material is carried out at these same locations, 5. a suitable shaping of the panel (1) is carried out by thermal action, 6. the panel (1) is partially cut out along the reference lines (18, 19, 20), 7. assembly is carried out by stitches along the reference lines limited to the sides, armpits and back termination. The invention is used for making knitted articles. <IMAGE>

Description

We already know how to obtain, by hand knitting, sweaters with narrowing at shoulder and neck level, so as to ensure that the garment is shaped so that it adapts to the shape of the person who is going to to wear it.

In order to obtain higher yields by mass production, it is also known to manufacture pullovers mechanically in order to obtain the same result.

Then executed on a rectilinear machine, a flat rectangular panel according to a desired length and width. We then trace on this panel marks corresponding to the individual profile of the four main elements constituting the sweater, that is to say the front, the back and the two sleeves, using "patterns" laid flat side by side on the panel. We then cut, for example with the press, the four elements of the sweater, and we realize by edge-to-edge seams, the assembly by assembly of the different parts of the sweater: shoulder seams, sides, mar. ches. armholes. The pull-cver is then ready in its appropriate form to receive the collar, the latter being also mounted by stitching.

Unfortunately, it is easily understood that the cutting to the desired profile of the four elements in the knitted panel, entails a significant loss of knitted fabric by rejection of "scraps", this loss can easily amount to about 20% of the total surface of the panel.

In addition, the various operations of drawing, cutting, assembling and assembling by stitching, of the various component elements already taken, taking. a temple which can be estimated at around 15 minutes by a round neck sweater.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks. More precisely, it relates to a process for the manufacture and assembly of knitted sweaters, making it possible to obtain setting quickly and automatically. desired shape, from a rectangular knitted flat panel, without making reference marks for cutting the constituent elements, considerably limiting the number of seams during assembly, without any loss of knitted fabric, and in a time of preparation which may be limited from 50 to 80%. of the normal time of a conventional assembly.

A concrete example of the manufacture of sweaters according to the process of the invention has reduced the manufacturing time to 8 minutes.

The solution of the problem, proposed by the new method according to the invention is not at all obvious a priori, if one brutally poses the conditions and advantages listed in the two preceding paragraphs. This is precisely what highlights all the novelty and originality of this process.

• 1°/ on tricote préalablement un panneau rectangulaire sans découpe ni perte de chutes,
• 2°/ on fait apparaître au tricotage, et non a posteriori, des lignes-repères pour une découpe ultérieure,
• 3°/ on effectue avantageusement pendant l'opération de tricotage et préférentiellement aux endroits voulus pour une mise en conformation spéciale, un changement de structure de mailles,
• 4°/ on effectue en ces mêmes endroits une incorporation judicieusement dosée d'une matière thermiquement rétractable,
• 5°/ on assure une mise en forme convenablement galbée du panneau, par action thermique,
• 6°/ on découpe partiellement le panneau, suivant les lignes repères obtenues par tricotage,
• 7°/ on procède au montage et assemblage par coutures suivant les lignes-repères limitées aux côtés, auxdessous de bras et à la fermeture du dos.

This process includes the following phases:

• 1 ° / knit a rectangular panel beforehand without cutting or loss of falls,
• 2 ° / there are shown by knitting, and not a posteriori, reference lines for a subsequent cutting,
• 3 ° / advantageously carried out during the knitting operation and preferably at the places desired for a special shaping, a change in the mesh structure,
• 4 ° / a judiciously dosed incorporation of a thermally shrinkable material is carried out in these same places,
• 5 ° / ensuring a suitably curved shaping of the panel, by thermal action,
• 6 ° / the panel is partially cut out, along the reference lines obtained by knitting,
• 7 ° / we proceed to the assembly and assembly by seams according to the reference lines limited to the sides, below the arms and to the closure of the back.

According to a particularly advantageous form of implementation of the method, the incorporation of heat shrinkable material is carried out by combined use and localized in determined proportions of another special secondary knitting yarn having the property of shrinking with heat , for example a vinyl thread sold by Dupont de Nemours, under the brand LYCRA.

The incorporation dosage is obtained by experience, depending on the desired conformation and the desired curve, by appropriate use of the "throwers" carrying this special secondary thread.

Furthermore, the recommended change in mesh structure can be obtained, at shoulder and neck height, by the exclusive or preferential use of a knitting yarn of different title (size, diameter) from that used for the obtaining the actual body from the sweater.

According to another particular feature of the process, the knitted panel to which we have "incorporated" this type of special secondary wire shrinkable to heat, is laid flat, piece by piece on a flat "steam table", and brought to temperature by jet of steam for a time of the order of the minute, and the curved shaping is obtained automatically without the need to use a curved press of special conformation, the retractable fabric reacting alone to obtain the desired curvature (usual retraction of about 50%).

According to a variant of the process, knitting is also "incorporated", but possibly also; heat shrinkable wire but in less proportion, at the height of the sweater belt, to obtain narrowing and curves, precisely to the right of the belt.

The implementation of the method will be clearly understood with reference to the appended drawings given by way of nonlimiting examples.

Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the conventional cutting of a knitted panel on a straight machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the sweater obtained by this process.

Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view of a rectangular plane panel obtained on a rectilinear machine for implementing the method according to the invention.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a sweater, seen from the back, obtained by the method according to the invention and comprising the desired narrowing at the desired locations.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, we see in 1 the rectangular panel with ribbed edge 2, on which we have drawn, for later cutting, the sleeve panels 3 and 4, the back 5 and the front 6.

The stitching of the different parts of the sweater involves shoulder seams 7 and 8, side seams 9 and 10, sleeve seams 11 and 12 and armhole seams 13 and 14. The article is then ready for mounting a collar added by sewing along line 15.

In this classic manufacturing method, the loss of knitted fabric during cutting is around 20% and the approximate time for manufacturing a round neck sweater is 13 to 15 minutes.

The manufacture and assembly of a knitted sweater according to the method which has been previously described, involves analogous manufacture of a flat rectangular panel 16 with lower rim 17 along the desired width, with change of mesh structure, as already described, and addition of shrinkable material at the desired locations to obtain the desired shape, thanks to the passage of the panel on a heat press, such as a steam jet table. Advantageously, the cutting is limited to the length of the reference lines 18, 19 and 20, which are obtained by incorporating identification means provided for knitting, which therefore eliminates any subsequent operation of tracing on the panel 16 after its manufacturing. The reference lines 18, 19 and 20 correspond to the slits on the sides of the sweater. The panel 16 was thus cut into four contiguous elements 21, 22, 23 and 24, which correspond respectively and successively to a sleeve, the front, a second sleeve, and the back. The lines 21a and 21b are assembled by sewing to close the sleeve 21, the lines 22a and 24b on the one hand, 22b and 24a on the other hand, sopt assembled to close the sides and assemble the back and the front, the lines 23a and 23b are assembled to close the sleeve 23 and the lines 25 and 26 are assembled to close the back in the extension of the underside of the sleeve 21 to the neck. 27.

It is obvious that in this case, the length of each reference line 18, 19 or 20, added to the length of the reference line 25 or 26, is equal to the total height of the panel.

It is very clear that the retraction effect of the retractable material incorporated in the knitting at the desired locations, makes it possible to obtain the desired narrowing and shaping at the height of the shoulders and at the height of the neck.

Optionally, the same shrinkage can be obtained at the height of the belt.

It is found that, according to the new process, there is absolutely no loss of tissue. Furthermore, experience has shown that the preparation time can be reduced to around 8 minutes, that is to say, in the best circumstances, not far from only 50% of the time required by the conventional manufacturing process.

It goes without saying that one can, without departing from the scope of the present invention, make any modification to the embodiments which have just been described.

In particular, it was specified, in the general definition of the process given in the preamble to this specification, that a heat shrinkable material was incorporated at the desired locations of the sweater.

If in the described mode it was specified that this incorporation was achieved by the localized use of a special secondary knitting yarn, it also falls within the scope of the invention to proceed with the incorporation of the retractable material, either by knitting but by spraying a special product on the knitted threads, having the particularity of causing these threads to shrink by subsequent action of heat. Of course, this incorporation on the yarns, of said pulverized product, can be made by treating the yarn, before or after knitting, on the condition, once the sweater has been obtained, of not running the risk of seeing it dissociate or become dissolve said product, which would make the curve and shrinkage disappear, for example, during cleaning or when going to the dyer.

Claims (8)

1- Method of manufacturing and mounting a knitted sweater, characterized in that it comprises the following phases: 1) a rectangular panel is knitted beforehand without cutting or loss of scraps, 2 °) revealing, by knitting, and not appsteriori, reference lines for subsequent cutting, 3) advantageously carried out during the knitting operation and preferably at the places desired for a special shaping, a change of mesh structure, 4) a judiciously dosed incorporation of a thermally shrinkable material is carried out in these same places, 5 °) ensuring a suitably curved shaping of the panel, by thermal action, 6) partially cutting the panel, along the reference lines obtained by knitting, 7 °) one proceeds to the assembly and assembly by seams according to the reference lines limited to the sides, below the arms and to the closing of the back. 2 - Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the incorporation of heat-shrinkable material is carried out by combined and localized use, in predetermined proportions, of another special secondary knitting yarn having the property of shrinking to heat, for example, a vinyl wire, such as a polyvinyl chloride wire. 3 - Process according to claim 2, characterized in that the dosage of the incorporation is obtained by experience, depending on the desired conformation and the desired curve, by appropriate use of "throwers" carrying this special secondary thread. 4 - Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the recommended change of mesh structure can be obtained, at the height of the shoulders and the neck, by the exclusive or preferential use of a knitting yarn of different title ( size, diameter) of that used to obtain the actual body of the sweater. 5 - Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the knitted panel in which we have "incorporated" this type of special heat-shrinkable secondary thread, is laid flat, piece by piece on a flat "steam table", and heated by steam jet for a period of the order of a minute, and the shaping shape is obtained automatically without the need to use a shaping press of special conformation, the retractable fabric reacting alone to obtain the desired shape (usual shrinkage of about 50% ). 6 - Process according to claim 1, characterized in that "incorporates" also, but optionally, also in knitting, heat shrinkable yarn but in less proportion, at the height of the belt of the sweater, for obtain narrowing and curves, precisely to the right of the belt. 7 - Method according to claim 1, characterized in that incorporates the shrinkable material by spraying a special product on the knitted son, having the distinction of causing a retraction of these son by subsequent action of heat. 8 - Pullover characterized in that it is obtained by one of the methods according to claims 1 to 7.

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