GB2044815A

GB2044815A - A knitted stocking and process for producing it

Info

Publication number: GB2044815A
Application number: GB8007876A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: PSCHORR R
Current assignee: PSCHORR R
Priority date: 1979-03-09
Filing date: 1980-03-07
Publication date: 1980-10-22
Also published as: SE8001845L; DE2909426A1; AU5627080A; JPS55152801A; NL8001374A; FR2450893A1

Abstract

A knitting stocking suitable for use in germ-free rooms such as operating theaters and is made up of a pipe or hose giving a very high elastic stretch in the course direction and a very low elastic stretch in the wale direction. The open end of the stocking has elastic for keeping it up on the leg of the user. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A knitted stocking and a process for producing it The invention relates to a knitted stocking specially, but not exclusively for use in sterile places such as operating theaters and to a process for producing such stocking.

Knitted stockings of the type to which the invention relates are widely used. Seamless stockings and socks of this sort are generally produced on circular knitting machines, that is to say stocking and sock automatic machines, in the form of smooth or ribbed knitted fabric.

The main part of the stocking for covering the foot and leg is made up of the upper, the heel, and the foot with the toe end. The uppers and the feet of the stockings are produced using all needles of the knitting machine with turning motion in one direction, while, on the other hand, the heel and the toe are produced with half of the needles and with a backward and forward (or reciprocating) motion. On knitting the heel and toe after each motion in one direction, that is to say once to the right and then to the left, one needle is pulled upwards till only about a third of the heel or toe needles are being used. In this way, in addition to the pipe-like parts for the upper or leg and the foot a specially formed heel and a specially formed toe are produced.Moreover use is frequently made of special measures such as wrap plating, a reinforced double sole and a high-heel, a clock pattern etc.

Although the knitting of stockings on such automatic knitting machines is quick and makes do with little work done by hand, there is a limit to the decrease in the amount of work which may be effected. This is more specially so because, for the backward and forward motion for producing the wedge heel or the wedge toe, working at a lower speed is necessary, so that the output for each unit of time of the circular knitting machine is decreased with the outcome that, in effect, the goods become higher in price. Furthermore, the stockings may, necessarily, only be made within certain size ranges, which are dependent, more specially, on the distance between the heels and the toes, so that the stockings have to be produced in different sizes with the outcome that there is a lower limit for the price of the stocking, which is so high that the stocking may not be used only once over.

One purpose of the present invention is that of designing a knitted stocking, which may be produced at a very low price in mass production and may, for this reason, be used only once over.

According to the invention there is provided a knitted stocking, a specially but not exclusively for use in sterile places such as operating theaters, with a toe end and a hose-like seamless main part for covering the foot and leg and with elastic which can stretch with the hose-like main part at the end of the main part and which is for keeping it up on the leg characterised in that the hose, forming the main part, stretching from the elastic as far as the toe end includes courses of stitches, which with respect to the mesh size and mesh sort are the same as each other and are placed normal to the length-direction of the hose, the courses having such a sort of stitch as gives a low degree of elastic stretch in the wale direction and, in the course direction, on the other hand, a very high elastic stretch.

Because the main part in the form of a pipe or tube does not have any special measures for the heel, toe, etc., and in fact may be produced as a pipe right from the start, endless production of the pipe or hose on a circular knitting machine with the highest possible knitting output rate is possible. Then the pipe may be cut down to the necessary length, shut at one end and have elastic fixed to its other end, steps which take the form of very simple operations, so that high speed mass production is readily possible.It has surprisingly turned out that such a simple pipe or hose may be readily worn, without any special processing of the heel and toe being necessary, as a stocking without any shortcomings, if in the wale direction the elastic stretch is low, while on the other hand in the course direction to elastic stretch is very high, such properties being readily produced quite simply by using special knitting stitches, so that the stocking automatically takes on the form of the leg of the user and of the foot together with the heel part, while, making use of the decreased elastic stretch in the wale direction, the stocking is pulled up on the leg to make certain of a smooth and fold-free form of the stocking on the leg and foot.

Because such a stocking or sock may be produced at a very low price, it is more specially able to be marketed for single use only, such as operating theaters in hospitals etc. In the case of such uses, stockings have so far been a cause of danger through having germs on them, because, although persons working in the operaing theater made use of special face masks, gloves, caps for the head etc., they come in to the operating theater with normal stockings as worn in the street.

There is no danger of infection with germs however, if the person in question, on coming into the operating theater, puts on a singleuse stocking, if necessary together with special operating theater shoes, which on going out of the operating theater are taken off and never used again.

Further details, measures and useful effects of the invention will be seen from the account now given of one form of the invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein: Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a knitted stocking of the invention; and Figure 2 is a view of the stocking of Fig. 1 in a rolled up condition ready for putting on.

As will be seen more specially from the perspective view of Fig. 1, the knitting stock ing, generally numbered 1, only has four base-parts, that is to say a pipe-like or hose main part 2, a linking seam 4 at the toe end 3, a linking seam 6 at the top open end or the top pipe or hose edge 5 and elastic, numbered 7, near the top edge 5.

The main part 2 is formed by a pipe or hose 8, which is produced endlessly on a circular knitting machine in the normal way.

The knitted structure, which is to be seen on a greater scale by way of example in the circle 9, is, in the present working example of the invention, made in the form of smooth plain fabric, in the case of which the links side, to be seen in the circle 9, is on the outside. In any case, a sort of stitch is to be used which in the way or direction, arrowed 10, is, in comparison, of low elastic stretch.In the case of the smooth knitted fabric used in the working example of the invention, this is made possible by the wide-mesh design, not specially figured in the drawing, in which stitches with long arms are produced by pulling out, something which has, generally speaking, no effect on the elasticity in the wale direction (arrowed 10), but has the effect of making a great elasticity increase in the course direction (arrowed 11), because the pulled-out stitches may be changed in shape to the necessary degree. It is, however, naturally furthermore possible to make use of ribbed fabric or any other normal measures for achieving a special degree of elastic stretch in the course direction as arrowed 11.

The yarn is based on cellulose material, use being made more specially of a mixed yarn with about one third of cotton and two thirds of rayon. Such a mixed yarn is low in price and has the necessary strength and degree of comfort necessary for use.

More especially on using such a yarn with a titer of Nm 20 (metric titer), a stretched out stitch length 1 of about 2 mm gives the desired elastic stretch properties, that is to say that in the course direction (arrowed 1 1 ) a stretch of far greater than 100%, that is to say nearly 200% will be possible, while the stretch in the wale direction (arrowed 10) is at least 3 to 4 times lower than this. The sense of the wording "stitch length" is in this respect to be taken to be that stitch length as comes into being when the fabric is so stretched in the wale direction (arrowed 10) that the stitch arms, very near each other, are generally parallel to each other.

Such a hose or pipe, produced for example by a circular knitting machine, after storing for the time being in the form of roll, is cut to length and then further processed in a lockstitch machine or other linking stitch machine.

This is to make a linking seam 4 at the end 3, for which purpose the pipe, cut beforehand roughly to the desired length, is cut again in the machine to the true length and at the cut edge an imitation safety seam is produced.

The imitation safety seam is a four-threaded overlock linking seam made up of two needle threads and two gripper threads and, unlike a safety seam does not have any double-chain stitch seam as a connection seam, so that the linking seam 4 is only somewhat higher up than the fabric round it. To the two sides of the linking seam 4 the seam threads may go freely out of the parts near to the made-flat ends of the pipe or hose 2 as numbered 12, something which does not make for any shortcoming, makes unnecessary any cutting down any true to size and a decrease in costs and furthermore makes the seam stronger.As a yarn for the linking seam, which even as such is very elastic, it is possible, in order to be even better in line with the highly elastic structure of the hose 2 in the course direction (arrowed 11), to make use of an elastic yarn, so that the linking seam 4 may, generally speaking, take up all stretching in the pipe 2 near its front end 3. Because of this high degree of elastic stretch of the linking stitch seam 4, no changes in form to be in line with the form of the toes of the foot is necessary and in fact the linking seam 4 may be placed parallel to the course direction (arrowed 11), something making manufacture more readily possible, and together with the fabric of the pipe 2 it automatically takes on the form of the toes of the foot, because of the stretch taking place, without producing any pressure points or the like.

At the top edge 5 of the pipe 2, a clean cut is produced as well before making the linking seam 6, which, as well, may be in the form of an imitation safety seam, but, however, is not used for joining the two layers of the put-flat pipe 2 together and in face is used for joining the open edge of the pipe 2 with the elastic 7. The elastic 7 is designed running out from the linking seam 6 on the outside of the pipe 2 towards the end 3 near the toes, so that there is the effect of pressing the knitted fabric of the pipe or hose 2 against the leg in this part of the structure. By making the right selection of the size of the upper or leg part of the pipe 2 on cutting out, it is possible to make certain that the elastic 7 takes up a position at the level of the back of the knee, the true position being unimportant, so that one single stocking size may be used without any shortcomings for all sizes, more specially because the heel in the lower part of the pipe 2 will have the tendency of going into its own right position and the necessary stretch of the knitted fabric in the direction of the courses (arrowed 11) may be produced by it at any desired position.

As elastic it is possible to use, in the working example of the invention, a rubber network 13, which may be made up of very fine rubber threads as used in knitted bandages as such, or may be made up of undulating rubber threads or fibres bonded together at the apices of the undulations. Such a material is know per se for holding cotton wool or dressings on wounds in the medical field. Because furthermore in the present case the linking seam 6 may be made of elastic yarn, there is a good degree of elastic stretch at the elastic 7 and it can follow the significant stretching of the open edge of the base which will take place in use. A stretching out of the softly elastic rubber net or fabric in the length direction of the pipe may be so designed that only a soft pressure is put on the leg while nevertheless making certain of the stocking's being kept in position.

On making the knitted stocking 1, cutting to size may take place at once after the fabric has been guided from the circular knitting machine, although as a rule it is generally better for the material from the knitting machine firstly to be rolled up, because the working speed on further processing is higher than the speed of making of the endless pipe or hose on the knitting machine and furthermore, because of the way in which the knitting machines are placed, it is very frequently not possible for such further processing to take place at the positions at which the fabric is guided from the knitting machines.From such great rolls of endless pipe it is then possible for the pipe to be pulled off, roughly cut to the desired length and then, after further cutting to the true size, either firstly to be given a linking seam 4 for doing up the toe end 3 or with the linking seam 6 for fixing the elastic 7, in which respect the order of these operations is, generally speaking, unimportant. In the case of non-stop run-through machine it may be possible, if necessary, for the endless pipe to be run into the cutting to size and sewing machines, where it is cut to the desired length and, at the same time, is given the front linking seam 4 and the back linking seam 6 together with the elastic 7.

The complete knitted stocking 1 is then rolled up like a ring as will be seen in Fig. 2.

The whole pipe or hoe 2 with the elastic 7 to the inside of the ring then takes the form of the ring, which is only covered over in its middle part by the done up toe end 3 with the linking seam 4. In this position the stocking, if necessary after being sterilized, may readily be packed, in case of need, sterilely.

The user then simply takes the knittes stock ing ~1 from the box, places it against the toes of the foot and rolls the ring along and up the leg, a pull being all that is necessary for getting the desired stretch, more specially at the heel.

As will readily be seen from the figures the knitted stocking 1 is not only able to be used as a stocking in the normal use of the word, but furthermore as a bandage for wounds on the legs or on the arms as well, so that there are many different possible way of using the low-price stocking of the invention.

Claims

1. A knitted stocking especially but not exclusively for use in sterile places such as operating theaters, with a toe end and a hoselike seamless main part for covering the foot and leg and with elastic which can stretch with the hose-like main part at the end of the main part and which is for keeping it up on the leg, characterised in that the hose, forming the main part, stretching from the elastic as far as the toe end includes courses of stitches, which with respect to the mesh size and mesh sort are the same as each other and are placed normal to the length-direction of the hose, the courses having such a sort of stitch as gives a low degree of elastic stretch in the wale direction and, in the course direction, on the other hand, a very high elastic stretch.

2. A knitted stocking as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the elastic stretch in the course direction is at least greater than about 100% and, more especially, 150% or more.

3. A knitted stocking as claimed in claim 1, or claim 2 characterised in that the elastic stretch in the course direction is at least 3 to 4 times the elastic stretch in the wale direction.

4. A knitted stocking as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the hose is made of smooth fabric which is widemeshed and, more especially has a stretched stitch length of about 2 mm.

5. A knitted stocking as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the hose is made of yarn based on viscose rayon.

6. A knitted stocking as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the hose is made of a mixed yarn comprising 1/3 cotton and 2/3 viscose rayon.

7. A knitted stocking as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that yarn has a titer of about Nm 20.

8. A knitted stocking as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that at the toe end there is a linking seam, joining together the two sides of the hose when placed flat.

9. A knitted stocking as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that the linking seam is an overlock imitation safety seam.

1 0. A knitted stocking as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 characterised in that the linking seam is parallel to the course.

11. A knitted stocking as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the elastic is a network of undulating fine rubber threads, which are joined together at the apices of the undulations.

1 2. A knitted stocking as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the elastic is joined by a linking imitation safety seam, with the end of the open hose.

1 3. A knitted stocking as claimed in anyone of claims 9 to 12, characterised in that the or each linking seam is formed with an elastic yarn.

1 4. A knitted stocking as claimed in claim 12, characterised in that the elastic is placed stretching from the linking seam, made at the open edge of the hose, on the outer side of the hose towards the toe end.

15. A knitted stocking as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 14, characterised in that the leg or upper part of the stocking is such as to give the stocking a length of about the same as that of a knee-length stocking.

16. A knitted stocking substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 7. A process for making a stocking as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 16, characterised in that: a) a seamless endless hose is knitted more especially on a circular knitting machine, b) the hose is cut into lengths.

c) the one end of each cut piece of hose is done up by sewing, and d) elastic is placed at the other end of the part of the pipe on the outer side of the hose and is fixed by sewing with it on this part of the hose.

1 8. A process as claimed in claim 17, characterised in that the sewing in the process steps (c) and/or (d) takes place on an overlock machine and is, more especially made in the form of an imitation safety seam.

1 9. A process as claimed in claim 1 7 or 18, characterised in that the endless hose is stored in a rolled-up condition and is cut off in lengths from the roll.

20. A process as claimed in anyone of claims 1 7 to 19, characterised in that the process steps (b) to (d) are undertaking on each part of the hose in the order (b), (c), (d), or (b), (d), (c).

21. A process as claimed in claim 20, characterised in that before the sewing as in the process steps (c) and (d) the edges of the hose cut part are cut again, to a final size.

22. A process as claimed in anyone of claims 1 7 to 21, characterised in that the stocking, after the process steps (a) to (d) is rolled up in a ring and is then more specially packed in a germ-free condition in this form for shipping.

23. A process for making a stocking substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.