GB2183264A

GB2183264A - Knitting sleeved garments

Info

Publication number: GB2183264A
Application number: GB08627801A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Azpiroz Jose Maria Picaza
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-11-25
Filing date: 1986-11-20
Publication date: 1987-06-03
Also published as: ES549230A0; ES2044794A6; GB8627801D0; GB2183264B; ES8700343A1

Abstract

A seamless sleeved garment is produced on a flat knitting machine by knitting the sleeves 5, 6 and the body part 7 up to the armholes simultaneously, making transfers between two needle beds of the machine to juxtapose and link at 8, 9 the sleeves and body, and then knitting the rest of the body to complete the garment. So as to effect the transfers, the process has a complementary empty knitting needle on one bed for each stitch- carrying needle of the other bed and racking of a bed takes place. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Knitting garments The present invention relates to a process for knitting a garment without seams on flat knitting machines.

The known knitting process consists of a first stage of knitting the sleeves and body separately and a second stage of producing the seams joining the sleeves to the body. In this case, it is necessary to stop the process in order to produce the seams.

It would be desirable to be able to complete the garment in a continuous manner and without seams. In order to carry out the process of the invention, it is necessary that all the needles working on stitch formation have available their complementary needle, which makes it possible, at any moment, freely to transfer one, some or all of the stitches from one knitting head to the other, or vice versa.

The procees for knitting a garment without seams on flat knitting machines which is the subject of the invention is characterized in that it consists in carrying out in a continuous manner a first stage of simultaneously knitting the sleeves and the first part of the body up to the armholes, a second stage of linking the sleeves to the first part of the body already knitted, and a third stage of knitting the second part of the body until the garment is completed.

The linking stage consists in successive transfers between the two knitting heads, from a needle with a stitch to the complementary empty needle to the opposite knitting head, with varying opposition, until juxtaposition is reached.

For a better understanding of the above, the attached drawings illustrate, diagrammatically and only by way of non-limiting example, a practical embodiment.

In said drawings, Figures. 1 and 2 represent two textile garments with different shapes which can be produced with the knitting process which is the subject of the invention; Figures. 3, 4 and 5 represent three consecutive stages of a knitting process of the invention; Figure. 6 diagrammatically shows the arrangement of the needles; Figure. 7 shows two successive courses for obtaining a fabric with a plain stitch structure in the form of a tube; Figure. 8 show the different courses for obtaining a garment without seams; Figure. 9 represents a finished garment in which the different stages of the process are indicated; and Figure. 10 represents diagrammatically the part of the process in which the sleeves are linked to the body of the garment without seams.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the textile garments with can be produced with the process of the invention may be of different types in knitted fabric. In both drawings it is possible to see the hems -1- and the cuffs -2- which can be produced, for example, in ribbing 1 x 1, 2x2, etc., with selvages. The sleeves -3and the body -4- may be cylindrical (Fig. 1) or conical (Fig. 2).

The process of the invention consists in producing in a continuous manner a first stage (Fig. 3) of knitting the sleeves -5- and -6and the first part of the body -7-, a second stage of linking (Fig. 4) the sleeves -5- and -6- to the first part of the body -7- already knitted, at the points -8- and -9-, and a third stage of knitting (Fig. 5) the second part of the body -10- until the garment is completed.

Below are further detail of how it is possible to carry out the process.

First, it should be noted that the basic fabric of the garment may be produced with stitch structures, in plain stitch with all its variants (open work, tuck stitches, single-stitch jacquard, etc.), or alternatively with double-stitch fabric structures, any of these being knitted, necessarily, in the form of a tube, in order to eliminate the seams.

In order to achieve the shapes and measurements of each garment, it will have to be possibe to exert an effect on the width of each component, increasing or decreasing the width of the parts of the garment, according to the requirements of the pattern.

The process of knitting the garment without seams will be feasible in any of the knitting structures, provided that each needle which is forming a stitch on either of the two knitting heads always has available another complementary needle which is free (or empty) of stitches.

In Fig. 6 there is a technical diagram of the arrangement of the first ten needles of each of the two knitting heads of the knitting machine in the "0" variant position.

If, for example, needle -11- of the front knitting head is used to form a stitch, its complementary rear meedle -12- will be empty of stitches.

If, for example, rear needle -13- is used to form a stitch, its complementary needle, at this moment, will be front needle -14-.

The reason why each needle which forms a stitch must have another complementary empty needle is due to the fact that during the knitting process it is necessary that all the needles working on stitch formation have their complementary needle which makes it possible, at any moment, freely to transfer one, some or all of the stiches from one knitting head to the other or vice versa.

By way of example, in the diagrams of fabrics illustrated, Fig. 7 shows the production of a fabric with a plain stitch structure, in the form of a tube, knitting successively courses -15- and -16-, and all the needles which are forming stitches always having complementary needles available.

In Fig. 8, if after courses -17- and -18-, in order to make course -19-, some stitches from the front are first of all transferred onto their complementary needles with the first movement, with the second knitting is carried out with the front and rear selection indicated, and with the third the stitches knitted behind this course are transferred onto their complementary front needles, the result -20- will be a tube-shaped fabric with the part knitted behind in plain stitch and that from the front with a fabric structure of right side stitches and reverse side stitches, that is to say from two knitting heads, the whole fabric returning to the shape of a tube which is necessary for producing the garment with no seams.

In the example of said Figure, it has been assumed that the machine has available latches of three sets which allow the three operation on the same pass of the carriage, according to one of the various designs of flat knitting machines availabe on the market.

However, if the knitting machine which is producing this garmerit does not have these construction characteristics, it will suffice for it to allow the transfer of stitches in both directions and, of course, the individual selection of needles in order to be able to carry out the same work on two or more passes of the carriage, following the same order of work of the needles.

The knitting process of the embodiment comprises the following stages: Stage l-Separation-Se!vages-Ribbing-In- creases.

This corresponds to the production of the sleeves and the first part of the body as shown in Fig. 3.

According to the pattern of the garment to be knitted, the sleeves and the body have measurements of width and length according to sizes as is indicated by letters A, B, C (for the body), E and F (for the sleeves) in Fig. 9, for the width, and with the numerals -20-, -21- and -22- (for the body), -23- and -24- (for the sleeves) for the length, in the same Figure.

With the length and width densities of the fabric with which the garment will be produced, the following values will be obtained: -The number of needles working at the beginning and at the end of each part of the garment.

-The number of courses of stitches to be carried out to achieve the desired length.

As has been indicated above, -this first stage will have to be knitted in three separate pieces, corresponding to the two sleeves and the body, and therefore each of the three pieces will be produced with a yarn guide positioned in its stroke to its respective field.

In order that the guides can operate without difficulties, it will be disirable to leave a space between each of the sleeves and the body which will be able to vary according to the gauge of the knitting machine.

The number or needles which will be put into operation to begin the process will be the sum of: needles for knitting "F" +empty spacer needles+needles for knitting "B"+empty spacer needles+needles for knitting "F".

The sleeves will be begun with the needles necessary for the width "E", and increases in working widths until the measurement "F" is obtained will be distributed regularly and irregularly according to the case, putting into operation alternately a needle from one knitting head and another from the opposite knitting head form the empty spacers, with the frequency which is determined by the number of courses to be carried out and the number of needles to be added.

When the knitting has reached the lengths -21- and -24-, the first stage will have been completed. The lengths -21- and -24- may be different. If one of them is shorter than the other, knitting of the shorter zone or zones will cease, whilst knitting of the other zone or zones continues in order to make up the difference in courses.

Fig. 10 diagrammatically illustrates the end of the first stage, corresponding to courses -47- and -48-.

In the diagram, the symbols used represent:

-A needle which is not in operation.

-Stitch formation on the needle of the rear knitting head.

-Stitch formation on the needle of the front knitting head.

-Transfer of stitch from rear to front.

-Transfer of stitch from front to rear.

t -Variator position "0".

I.. . -Variator position 2 steps towards the right.

-Variator position 3 steps towards the left.

The diagrammatic plan is given by way of indication and example. It allows all variations in fabric structures, and even in work routines.

These may be modified in order to obtain the same result. The essential thing is always to comply with the contition that each needle with a stitch can have available another complementary empty needle on the opposite knitting head.

In order to make the drawing simpler, the courses of the first stage have not been illustrated. The first courses serve to ensure that all the needles take up the the fabric correctly; the following courses serve to prepare and separate the selvages or borders or the garment components; next, on another course, the spaces between sleeves and body are freed of stitches; next, the courses which follow produce the selvages and the reinforcement for the selvages; next, the ribbings are produced, the courses being repeated up to the desired length; next, the ribbing is changed to plain stitch to begin the plain knitting of the garment.

The sleeves will require their width to be increased from the end of the cuff to the level of the armhole. With the total number of needles which will have to added and with the necessary courses for stitches, the frequency of increases will be established. This frequency will be repeated each time that a needle is added from one of the knitting heads with of the courses of the frequency, and using the other half to courses the needle from the other knitting head will be added.

Courses -47- and -48- shown in Fig. 10 represent the end of the first stage and will allow the final measurement up to the armhole to be adjusted. Normally, a cycle will be established with these two courses.

Stage 2-Linking left sleeve-Body-Right sleeve.

This corresponds to the production of the link between the sleeves and the body illustrated in Fig. 4.

Before carrying out course -49-, the guides will have to be withdrawn from the field of active needles, only one guide being maintained from now on, in this case the one used on the left sleeve.

In this case, courses -49- to -53- form the juxtaposition of sleeves and body at the armhole.

On completing the first stage, the number of needles of the spaces established will determine whether the courses with transfers and variants are greater or lesser in number. The process consists in successive transfers between the two knitting heads, with varying oppositions, until juxtaposition is reached, and with further transfers it will also be possible to overlap some stitches of the internal edges of each element in order to make the linking more secure.

In this programme, only the edges of the three components have been joined, use subsequently being made of the technique of knitting the two courses which follow, without knitting on the needles picked out in bold type in order thereafter to follow the third part of the programme.

Stage 3-A rmholes-Shoulders-Completion.

This corresponds to the production of the second part of the body illustrated in Fig. 5.

This stage consists of progressing from the width "B+F+F" of Fig. 9, at which the second stage ended, to the width "C", the courses of stitches to be knitted being those determined by the length "22 minus 21".

As in the previous stage the nucessary stitches and the needles which will have to remain in operation at the final width "C" will have been calculated.

There are infinite possibilities for producing the reductions. They could be made in a raglan form, marking the lines of the raglan both on the front and on the back or by a straight marker at the armholes or by a double marker two decreases are made on the same course, etc., or dividing with successive decreases on the same course, with the system used on typical "Shetland" jerseys with a jacquard yoke, knitted by hand.

In each case, in each decreasing routine on both sides of the fabric and both external edges, a needle from each external edge of each knitting head is subtracted and the transfer movement of stitches toward the centre of the fabric can always be carried out with any number of consecutive stitches. Everything will depend, therefore, on choosing, at each decrease and independently at each of the four movements of the fabric towards the inside, haw many needles will be moved, which will be determined by the inner needle of each decrease on which the marker for double stitches (two superposed stitches) will be observed, the last external needle each time remaining out of operation without a stitch.

Whatever form is chosen to carry out the decreases, with the required courses and their corresponding intermediate decreases, the garment will have been finished upon reaching the width "C".

As a precautionary measure, with a thread that may be discarded, several more courses of the same width will be knitted before commencing once again the entire process of producing a new garment.

Owing to the appiication of electronics, the selection of needles on knitting machines currently has practically unlimited possibilities.

Similarly, the application of electronics to the control of the mechanisms and the application of other techniques, such as the stitch press or stitch retaining plates, the variable positioning of the strokes of the yarn guides, accuracy in controlling the fabric stretcher, etc., enable results to be obtained which are not possible on knitting machines with exclusively mechanical systems.

The process of the invention for producing seamless garments will therefore be influenced to a greater or lesser degree, as regards production times and reliability of work, according to the grade of equipment on the flat knitting machine which is used.

In particular, the number of courses neces sary for the process may increase or decrease in order to obtain the same results according to the design and construction characteristics of the latches.

For this reason, the process has be described without taking into account the characteristics of and particular design of machine.

In practice, it will be necessary to accommodate the process to each particular design, in terms of the number of effective stitch-transfer and empty courses.

Likewise, the process has been given by way of example without taking into account a size or a particular model. The fields of needles, the frequency and the number of repetitions of the routines will vary, clearly, for each particular case.

Therefore, the equipment or machines used to implement the procedure described and, in general, all the possible further details which may occur will be independent of the subject of the invention, provided that they do not alter, change or modify its essential character.

Claims

1. Process for knitting a garment without seams on flat knitting machines, characterized in that it consists in producing in a continuous manner in any type of fabric a first stage of simultaneously knitting the sleeves and the first part of the body up to the armholes, a second stage of linking the sleeves to the first part of the body already knitted, and a third stage of knitting the second part of the body until the garment is completed.

2. Process for knitting a garment without seams on flat knitting machines, according to Claim 1, characterized in that the linking stage consists in successive transfers between the two knitting heads, from a needle with a stitch to the complementary empty needle of the opposite knitting head, with varying oppositions, until juxtaposition is reached.

3. Process for knitting a garment without seams on flat knitting machines.

4. Process for knitting a garment substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.