GB2147923A - A pair of tights and a method of constructing same - Google Patents

Abstract

A pair of tights includes a pair of tubular pieces joined together to define a body portion and a pair of depending leg portions, each tubular piece including a longitudinally extending opening 22 which is defined by a pair of selvedges 23a. The tubular pieces may be knitted as flat blanks and may be knitted successively in a string. The opening 22 may be formed by knitting separate strips F1, F2 with respective yarn feeders, the feeders overlapping to produce a reinforced area 40. The tights may have a crotch insert. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A pair of tights and a method of constructing same The present invention relates to a pair of tights and a method of constructing same.

Tights are commonly made by sewing together two tubular pieces to define a body portion with two depending leg portions. The normal practice is to knit the tubular pieces and to slit the fabric of the tube to provide edges which are subsequently seamed with similar edges of another tube to join the tubes together. It is well known that slitting of the fabric creates open yarn ends which can result in the collapse of the knitted structure which is normally evidenced by runs or ladders in the fabric. The problems caused by open ends is particularly acute of the region of termination of the slit since during the joining process the slit is opened out and so that fabric at the end of the slit is stretched.

The normal practice for preventing ladders in the fabric is to sew the fabric together using an overlock stitch structure which has more stitches per inch than the fabric and which penetrates the fabric sufficiently far enough from the raw edge of the slit to ensure that the stitching needle penetrates through complete knitted loops.

Unfortunately it has been found that this technique is not suitable for constructing tights which in use are subjected to excessive stretching since the seam construction is not reliable in preventing ladders occurring from the terminal region of the slit.

It is a general aim of the present invention to provide a pair of tights including a pair of tubular pieces joined together and which eliminates or substantially reduces the occurrance of ladders referred to above.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a pair of tights including a pair of tubular pieces joined together to define a body portion and a pair of depending leg portions, each tubular piece including a longitudinally extending opening which is defined by a pair of selvedges.

Various aspects of the present invention are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the upper portion of a pair of tights according to the present invention: Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the upper portion of a tubular piece; and Figure 3 is a schematic representation of part of a string of blanks for making up the tubular portion of Fig. 2.

Referring initially to Fig. 1 there is shown a pair of tights which include a pair of tubular pieces 11, 1 2 joined together to define a body portion 1 4 with depending leg portions 15, 1 6. The leg portions 15, 1 6 are closed in a conventional manner and are preferably shaped to define a foot portion (not shown).

Preferably a gusset insert 1 8 is provided in the crotch region. The tubular pieces 11, 1 2 and gusset insert 1 8 are secured together by a sewn seam designated generally by 20.

In order to adapt the tubular pieces 11, 1 2 so as to be capable of being joined together as described above it is necessary for each tubular piece to be provided with a longitudinally extending opening 22 (Fig. 2). In accordance with the present invention the edges 23a, 23b defining the longitudinal opening are selvedges which are created during knitting of the tubular piece. Accordingly there are no free yarn ends to create a ladder, this being particularly so at the terminal end 24 of the opening. It is therefore possible to seam together corresponding edges 23a, 23b of a pair of tubular pieces with the use of a sewing machine producing a simple oversew seam. In this way a seam 20 is produced which is less bulky and neater than seams associated with conventional tights.

As will be appreciated from Fig. 1, during the seaming operation, the opening for each tubular piece is opened out so that the edges 23a, 23b are brought substantially into linear alignment for insertion of the gusset insert 1 8.

It will be appreciated that this stretches the fabric in the region of the terminal end 24 of the opening in the coursewise direction and places the yarn in that area under tension.

The yarn in this area is the most vunerable to breakage during seaming and also during subsequent use of the tights.

Accordingly, it is presently preferred to reinforce this area by knitting the fabric in this area with double the quantity of yarns. A convenient way of doing this is illustrated in Fig. 3 which illustrates knitting of a blank 30 for making up a tubular piece. The blank 30 is illustrated as being knitted on a flat bed knitting machine wherein during a selected number of courses designated A a pair of yarn feeders are traversed over a selected number of needles to produce two strips of fabric F1, F2 having selvedges 23a, 23b, 34 and 35 and thereby define the longitudinal opening 22. After knitting, selevedges 34, 35 are seamed together to define a tubular piece 11 or 1 2. The selvedges 23a, 23b are preferably created on adjacent needles so that during knitting the width of opening 22 is one needle spacing.It will be appreciated however that this width may be more than one needle spacing. Additionally, it is envisaged that this spacing may either remain constant during knitting of courses A or may be varied in order to fashion the shape of the opening 22.

After completion of the last course of courses A the yarn feeders are traversed over a greater number of needles for a desired number of courses designated B. During knitt ing of courses B, the yarn feeders overlap at their innermost regions of travel to both supply yarn to a selected group of needles, say 4 needles on both sides of the opening 22. The effect of this is to knit a region of fabric 40 which is of the same stitch structure as the remainder of the fabric but which has double the quantity of yarn. After completion of courses B, only one yarn feeder is used to knit a selected number of courses Cto produce the remainder of the blank. The reinforced region of fabric 40 serves to strengthen the fabric structure at the terminal end of the opening so as to reduce the likelihood of yarn breakage (and consequential laddering) during make up and wear of the garment.

Preferably the blanks 30 are knitted on the knitting machine in succession wherein successive blanks emerging from the machine are joined together to define a string of blanks.

This is illustrated in Fig. 3 wherein the lower portion 50 of a preceding blank is illustrated which is connected to the next blank 30 by means of a narrow toe tab 51 and band of fabric 52.

At the termination of knitting courses C the toe tab has been created and on the next course a full course is knitted to begin knitting of the the fabric band 52. The string of blanks 30 is preferably knitted on a fully fashioned straight bar knitting machine and a welt 53 is created by laying in yarn across all needles and then drawing the needles down to their pre-fashioning clearance dip position, raising the needles and laying in yarn across all needles and drawing the needles down again to their pre-fashioning clearance dip position and then raising the needles and commencing to knit normally a selected number of courses to create band 52. In this way it is possible to move immediately from knitting a narrow tab 51 to knitting full width without using conventional fashioning techniques which would take longer and use more yarn.

Preferably the gusset insert is a knitted piece of fabric which is ladder resistant and which preferably has less stretch than the fabric making up the remainder of the tights.

In this way the gusset insert tends to accommodate stretching forces created in the crotch region during wear and so tends to protect the terminal end of the opening from excessive stretching forces.

Additionally, in order to provide added security to the seam in the crotch region it is envisaged that in the region of the terminal end of the opening that the seam is oversewn a second time.

The above described method of constructing a pair of tights provides a garment which is unlikely to ladder from the crotch region due to excessive stretching during wear and so provides a garment which is ideal for use in sports such as ballet dancing.

Claims (11)

1. A pair of tights including a pair of tubular pieces joined together to define a body portion and a pair of depending leg portions, each tubular piece including a longitudinally extending opening which is defined by a pair of selvedges.

2. A pair of tights according to Claim 1 wherein the fabric of each tubular piece is reinforced adjacent to the terminal crotch end of the longitudinally extending opening.

3. A pair of tights according to Claim 1 or 2 including a crotch insert.

4. A pair of tights according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the tubular pieces are joined together by an oversew seam.

5. A pair of tights substantially as described and illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A method of producing a pair of tights comprising knitting a pair of individual tubular pieces, each tubular piece being knitted so as to have a first portion for forming a tubular leg portion and a second portion for forming a body portion, during knitting of said second portion creating a longitudinally extending opening by knitting a pair of selvedges.

7. A method according to Claim 6 wherein each tubular piece is knitted on a flat bed knitting machine, preferably a fully fashion straight bar knitting machine.

8. A method according to Claim 7 wherein the first portion is knitted using a single reciprocating yarn feeder and the second portion is knitted using two reciprocating yarn feeders.

9. A method according to Claim 8 wherein a reinforcement area is created adjacent to the terminal crotch end of the longitudinally extending opening by overlapping the reciprocating paths of travel of both yarn feeders.

1 0. A method according to Claim 7, 8 or 9 wherein successive tubular pieces are knitted on the knitting machine so as to form a continuous string of pieces.

11. A method of producing a pair of tights substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.