IE980389A1 - Knitted garment manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

An associated set of garment panels are knitted, the panels comprising a front panel (10), a rear panel (11) and sleeve panels (12). When knitting the front panel (10) and rear panel (11), a number of sleeve registration marks (25) are integrally knitted with the panels (10, 11). The sleeve registration marks (25) are located at side edges (15, 16) of the panels (10, 11) spacedapart downwardly a preset distance from the top edge (17) of the panel (10, 11). At an assembly station, the panels (10, 11, 12) are correctly aligned by means of the registration marks (25) and sewn together to form a garment.

Description

Knitted Garment Manufacture This invention relates to knitted garment manufacture.

The invention is particularly concerned with the manufacture of sleeved knitted garments such as jumpers and cardigans. Such knitted garments are generally prepared in a number of knitted panels, typically a front panel, rear panel and sleeve panels. These knitted panels are then subsequently joined at an assembly station by being sewn together.

It is essential to correctly align and join the front and 10 rear panels along their edges leaving appropriate openings for attachment for sleeves at each side. Prior to joining the front and rear panels together a worker measures down from a top of each side of the panels a preset distance which is marked on the panels with chalk or the like to define the sleeve openings to be left when the front and rear panels are joined for subsequent attachment of the sleeves to the front and rear panels. This is relatively time consuming and laborious task which is a significant production cost. Also, because of the inherent stretch in the knitted panels the chalk marks may not be made in the correct position so that upon subsequent sewing of the front and rear panels together the front and rear panels may be mis-aligned and/or the openings left for the sleeves can be either too big or too small. Thus, the panels of the garment are distorted when joined and these faults may result in rejection of the clothing piece.

The present invention is directed towards overcoming this problem.

INTCL OPEN TO PUBLIC INSPECTION ; UNDER SECTION 28 AND RUO -OF - 2 It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method for knitted garment manufacture in an efficient and trouble-free manner.

According to the invention there is provided a method for manufacturing a knitted woollen garment comprising the steps; knitting a front panel, a rear panel and associated sleeve panels in a desired pattern or design, integrally knitting a number of sleeve registration marks on the front panel and the rear panel at side edges of the panels intermediate a top and a bottom of the side edges of the panels, each registration mark being a knot or stitch which contrasts with and stands out from the pattern or design of the panel, delivering the knitted panels to an assembly station, aligning the front panel and the rear panel by bringing associated joined edges of the panels together and aligning complementary sleeve registration marks on the front panel and the rear panel, sewing the edges of the front panel and the rear panel together along top shoulder edges of the panels, aligning an inner shoulder edge of each sleeve panel with the front panel and rear panel, the inner shoulder edge extending between the associated sleeve registration marks on the front panel and the rear panel, sewing the inner shoulder edge of the sleeve panel to the front panel and the rear panel, - 3 bringing free side edges of each sleeve panel together, and sewing along the sleeve panel to join the side edges and sewing adjoining side edges of the front panel and the rear panel.

Advantageously, the integral knitting of the registration marks facilitates easy and accurate alignment of the sleeve panel with the body panels. The registration marks will always be at exactly the right distance down from the top edge of each of the panels so the panels will be correctly joined together leaving an accurate sized opening for attachment of the sleeves. Also, conveniently the time-consuming and laborious task of measuring and marking the panels with chalk is now made redundant greatly speeding up the production process.

In another embodiment of the invention an opening is provided in the front panel, the opening being closable by a pair of overlapping flaps, a number of button location marks being integrally knitted with one of the flaps in alignment with associated button holes formed on the other flap. These integrally knitted button location marks again speed up the production process and ensure that buttons are accurately attached to the garment in alignment with the associated button holes.

In a further embodiment the method further includes the step of integrally knitting a knitter identifier at an end of at least one panel of the garment. This advantageously provides traceability during manufacture in that the person that is responsible for knitting a particular garment can be readily easily identified. As the knitters - 4 thus take responsibility for each garment they produce this helps in minimising faults.

Conveniently the knitter identifier is a colour coded length of yarn which is knitted into an end seam of the panel. Different coloured yarn is associated with different knitters.

In another embodiment the method includes the step of knitting a preset number of rows at a start of each panel with waste yarn. Normally the first number of rows in any panel which are associated with setting up the knitting machine would be discarded. By using waste yarn for correctly setting up the machine this minimises the loss involved as instead of good quality yarn it is waste yarn that is discarded.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Fig. 1 is a plan view of a set of garment panels; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of another set of garment panels.

According to the method of the invention a number of garment panels are knitted, namely a front panel 10, a rear panel 11 and sleeve panels 12. These panels 10,11,12 are knitted in any desired pattern or design.

The front panel 10 is generally rectangular in shape and has a bottom edge 14, side edges 15,16 and a top edge 17 comprising a central scalloped neck portion 18 and outer shoulder portions 19,20. The rear panel 11 is of similar - 5 construction to the front panel 10 and like parts are assigned to the same reference numerals.

When knitting the front panel 10 and rear panel 11 a number of sleeve registration marks 25 are integrally knitted with the front panel 10 and rear panel 11. These sleeve registration marks 25 are located at the side edges 15,16 of the panels 10,11 spaced-apart downwardly a preset distance from the top edge 17 of the panel 10,11. The registration marks 25 are formed by a knot or stitch which contrasts with and stands out from the pattern or design of the panel 10,11.

The panels 10,11,12 are delivered to an assembly station. At the assembly station the front panel 10 is aligned with the rear panel 11. The top edges 17 of the front panel 10 and rear panel 11 are then sewn together along the shoulder portions 19,20 of the top edges 17. Shoulder ends 22 of the sleeve panels 12 are then attached to the front and rear panels 10,11 between the sleeve registration marks 25. The inner shoulder ends 22 are aligned with the front and rear panels 10, 11, the edge 22 extending between the associated sleeve registration marks 25 on the front and rear panels 10, 11. The inner shoulder ends 22 are then sewn onto the front and rear panels 10, 11. Next, free side edges 27, 28 of each sleeve panel 12 are brought together and sewn together starting at a cuff end and upon reaching an inner shoulder end of the sleeve panel 12, the sewing continues downwardly along the front and rear panels 10, 11 to join the side edges 15, 16 of the front and rear panels 10, 11.

Referring now to Fig. 2 there is illustrated another set of garment panels which is generally similar to the set of garment panels in Fig. 1 and like parts are assigned to the same reference numerals. In this case a front panel - 6 40 has a central opening 41 closable by a pair of overlapping flaps 42,43. A number of button location marks 45 are integrally knitted with one of the flaps 43 in alignment with associated button holes 46 formed on the other flap 42. In this case the provision of the button location marks 45 ensures that buttons can be readily easily and accurately attached to the front panel 40 in alignment with the associated button holes 46.

It will be appreciated that the provision of the integral 10 registration marks greatly facilitates the rapid and accurate alignment and joining of the panels and where appropriate the attachment of buttons to the panels.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail.

Claims (7)

1. A method for manufacturing a knitted garment comprising the steps :knitting a front panel, a rear panel and associated sleeve panels in a desired pattern or design, integrally knitting a number of sleeve registration marks on the front panel and on the rear panel at side edges of the panels, each registration mark being a knot or stitch which contrasts with and stands out from the pattern or design of the panel, aligning the front panel and the rear panel by bringing associated joint edges of the panels together and aligning complementary sleeve registration marks on the front panel and the rear panel, sewing the edges of the front panel and the rear panel together along a top of the panels, aligning an inner shoulder edge of each sleeve panel with the front panel and the rear panel, the inner shoulder edge extending between the associated sleeve registration marks on the front panel and the rear panel, sewing the inner shoulder edge of the sleeve panel to the front panel and the rear panel, - 8 bringing free side edges of each sleeve panel together, and sewing along the sleeve panel to join the side edges and sewing adjoining side edges of the front panel and the rear panel.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein an opening is provided in the front panel, the opening being closable by a pair of overlapping flaps, a number of button location marks being integrally knitted with one of the flaps in alignment with associated button holes formed on the other flap.

3. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the method further includes the step of integrally knitting a knitter identifier at an end of at least one panel of the garment.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the knitter identifier is a colour coded length of yarn which is knitted into an end seam of the panel.

5. A method as claimed in any preceding claim including the step of knitting a preset number of rows at a start of each panel with waste yarn.

6. A method for manufacturing a knitted garment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A knitted garment whenever produced according to the method as claimed in any preceding claim.