US1491755A - Seamless stocking and method oe making same - Google Patents

Description

SEAMLESS STOCKING AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Fil ed Oct. SY 1922 2 Sheets-5heet 1 Big. 6.

lwvewior: Rzyzus 500 37 April 22, 1924. 1,491,755

R. W. SCOTT SEAMLESS STOCKING AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Oct. 6, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheei Z Invenbr Rufus W500 i743.

Patented Apr. 22, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

RUFUS W. SCOTT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T HEMPHILL COMPANY, OF GEIN- TRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

SEAMLESS STOCKING AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

Application filed Detober 6, 192-2.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, RUFUS V. SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Seamless Stockings and Methods of Making Same, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings rep-- resenting like parts.

This invention relates to seamless stockings and to the method of making the same. In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, I have disclosed a single embodiment of the stocking of my invention in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a seamless stocking embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an outside rear view of a portion of the said stocking;

Fig. 3 is a similar but inside view thereof;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged and somewhat (i121: grammatic detail showing the manner of forming a part of the back of a stocking;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged and somewhat diagrainmatic detail showing a mod1fied form of stripe and mock seam; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail vlew of still another modified form of mock seam.

The stocking of my invention is a so-called circular or seamless stocking knitted upon a circular machine having means for forming the heel and toe pockets, such as narrowing and widening pickers. While any suitable mechanism may be employed in the production of the stocking, the machine should be equipped with means for introducing the main knitting yarn, and for introducing a reinforcing yarn or yarns at the desired point or points, and desirably with means for changing the stitch length as the kniting progresses.

My invention pertains more particularly to a structural variation in the knitting of the stocking in combination with a two part stripe, which features are so coordinated as to simulate certain full fashioned stockii'igs, notably those wherein the selvaged edges of the leg portion are reinforced.

While the principle of my invention involving the co-ordination of a structural va riation in the character of the knitting so as to form a mock seam during the knitting op- Serial N0. 592,676.

eration, and the adjacent two part stripe produced by an auxiliary or reinfor ing thread, may be applied at any desired partof the stocking or other fabric, it is obvious that the simulation referred to can be best achieved by forming the same at the back of the leg of the stocking, and accordingly such embodiment of the invention is herein disclosed and will be sufficiently described without limiting the invention strictly thereto. The structural variation to produce a mock seam during the formation of the stocking is desirably a tuck stitch formation, though other structural stitch changes may be employed, such, for example, as draw stitches. I preferably employ tuck stitches and in order to emphasize the effect thereof, I desirably form two vertical rows of tuck stitches which may be separated by 'a single line of regular stitches, as hereinafter more fully disclosed.

The stripe which preferably extends upon both sides of the line of tuck stitches so as to form a two-part stripe is desirably formed by introducing an auxiliary or so called reinforcing thread in any known manner, beginning at or near the upper end of the stocking and for any suitable width, as, for example, from six to ten wales upon each side of the line or lines of tuck stitches, but desirably without incorporation into the tuck stitches themselves. This latter result I best accomplish by floating the auxiliary yarn from the inner edge of one portion of the two part stripe across or past the tuck stitches and then incorporating them into the knitted fabric at the other side of the tuck stitches in the same course, the auxiliary thread being floated from the outer edge of one part of the two part stripe to the outer edge of the other part of said two part stripe. Thus, the auxiliary or reinforcing thread passes or extends across the tuck stitches at the inside or rear thereof, and the effect of a single unbroken stripe is substantially preserved and at the same time said stripe is structurally distinct from the mock seam of tuck stitches.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the stocking is indicated generally at 1, it having desirably a seamless heel 2 and so-called seamless toe 3, a high splice t of any suitable shape being provided in the knitting operation by introducing a reinforcing yarn, which may be the same yarn as that employed for knitting the longitudinal two part stripe, or a' substitute yarn.

The stocking may be knitted from any suitable material, as, for example, silk, and beginning at or near the upper end of the stocking, as, for example, at the bottom of the so-called welt portion, I introduce an auxiliary yarn which may be fed to the needles in any well known manner, as, for example, by a special yarn finger at some point where the needles are divided by a special cam, so that the needles which are not to take the auxiliary yarn are either elevated or depressed, and the auxiliary yarn is delivered to the other needles which may be of any desired number, as, for example, from six to ten at each side of the back median line of the stocking.

In Fig. l, I have represented the main yarn at 5 and the auxiliary yarn at 6, and for convenience of illustration merely have represented the two yarns as incorporated into the knitting for three wales only at each side of the median back line of the stocking. The knitted loops whereinto the auxiliary yarn 6 is introduced are desirably plain loops such as are formed in regular knitting, but at the back median line of the stocking I form during the knitting opera tion a mock seam by some suitable structural variation in the fabric, such, for example, as two lines or wales of tuck stitches indicated at 7 8, between which is a line of plain stitches 9. My invention is not limited to the employment of a plurality of lines or wales of tuck stitches, as in certain cases a single line or wale may be sufficient and the structural variation may beof any other suitable character that will constitute ,a mock seam, as, for example, draw stitches. I may in some cases form the mockseam by introducing during the knitting still another thread in any well known manner so as desirably to give a zigzag appearance, but I prefer to employ a tuck stitch formation for the purpose stated.

Viewing Fig. 4:, it willbe observed that the auxiliary thread .is not incorporated into the tuck stitches, but is floated across the same, as indicated at 10,-at the inside or back of the fabric, the said auxiliary thread being reintroduced to the needles at the opposite side of the line or lines of tuck stitches so as to provide what may be termed a two part longitudinal splice of suitable width, indicated at 11 in Figs. 2 and 3.

Desirably at one outer edge of the two part stripe 11, the auxiliary yarn is floated back to the opposite outer edge as indicated at 12 in Fig. 4, so that the floated portions of the auxiliary yarn lie against the inside of the fabric and being of short length with relation to the entire circumferenceof the stocking, they are not removed, but, be-

ing permitted to remain, they enhance or consolidate the stripe appearance and give a backing to the line or lines of tuck stitches or other structural variation constituting the mock seam.

It will be evident that the line or double line of tuck stitches simulates the actual seam at the back of the leg of a full fashioned stocking, and that the two part stripe, the floated portions of which extend at the inside of the stocking across the line or lines of tuck stitches, simulates the reinforced selvage edges characteristic of many full fashioned stocking legs.

Where the structural variations which simulate the mock seam are composed of two rows of tuck stitches or other distinguishing loops it is obvious that these two rows of stitches need not be separated by a row or rows of regular loops as shown in Fig. i but they may be placed close together in the manner indicated in Fig. 5 wherein the two rows of tuck stitches are shown at 7 and 8, the floating strands at 10, the regular and auxiliary yarns 5 and 6 remaining substantially as in Fig. 1.

Furthermore I wish it to be understood that, within the scope and purpose of the invention, oneof said rows of tuck stitches may be omitted and a single row of tuck or other distinguishing stitches be employed to simulate the mock seam which separates the two parts of the stripe and in Fig. 6 I have shown an example of this form wherein 13 and 14: represent the two parts of the stripe at the back of the stocking and 15 represents a single row of tuck stitches separating said stripes 13 and 14.

If, as is preferable, the stocking be knitted of silk, and the reinforcing yarn be of cotton, the stitches forming the structural variations between the two parts of the stripe are knitted wholly of silk yarn and not of silk and cotton yarns, as the reinforcing yarn does not enter into the formation of the mock seam. The silk yarn presents a pleasing contrast to the silk and cotton yarns of the adjacent reinforced stripes or two part stripe and removes the objection resulting from the use of both silk and cotton yarns, namely that the cotton yarn tends to work to the face of the fabric and thus partially or wholly obscure the silk yarn. Within the scope of my invention, however, any other suitable kinds of yarn may be employed. Furthermore from experience it has been found that such silk yarn take-s dye much better than yarns of silk and cotton. It is, however, to be under stood that the invention is not limited to the character of the yarn referred to.

While I have referred to. a two part stripe, it will be observed that the stocking of my invention is in substance provided with two narrow stripes which are respectively at each side of the mock seam, said two stripes being structurally separate and distinct excepting that the floating yarns extend from one stripe to the other. Such floating yarns, however, do not enter into the structure of the mock seam and are not employed to strengthen the same or to reinforce the fabric at the mock seam.

Obviously my invention may be en'iployed at any suitable part of the stocking or other fabric and may extend throu h any suitable part thereof. For example, it may extend fromthe top of the heel a part way only toward the top of the stocking as for example, through the high splice.

Inasmuch as the floating threads are not sewed down between the two parts of the composite stripe, and are not otherwise secured to the fabric between the said two parts, the transverse elasticity of the knitted portion of the fabric between said two parts is in no way impaired and the float threads occupy such a relatively small part of the circumference of the stocking or other fabric, that they do not impair its transverse elasticity. By employing a mock seam of tuck stitches, or other structural variation I do not impair the longitudinal elasticity of the stocking as in the case where a mock seam of sewing machine stitches is employed.

It is clearly to be understood that my invention may be incorporated in knitted fabrics other than stockings and hose.

1 do not herein disclose the subject matter disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application Serial Number 594,524, filed October 24, 1922namely, a seamless stocking having a high splice itself composed of two very narrow stripes with a mock seam between said stripes and extending longitudinally thereof.

Having thus described certain specific em bodimentsi of my invention and the best modes known to me for producing the same I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for the purpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims:

1. A so-called seamless stocking having at the back of the leg a longitudinally extending line .of tuck stitches constituting a mock seam and a stripe substantially paralleling said line of tuck stitches at each side thereof and composed of that portion of the main yarn and an auxiliary yarn knitted in at each side of the line of tuck stitches but floated across the same at the inside of the stocking, thereby producing a simulation of the seamed reinforced sclvage of a full fashioned stocking.

2. A so-called seamless stocking having at the back of the leg a longitudinally extending duplex line of tuck stitches constituting a mock seam and at each side there of and in close proximity thereto a stripe constituting together a two part stripe and composed of that portion of the main yarn and an auxiliary yarn knitted in with the main yarn at each side of the lines of tuck stitches but floated across said tuck stitches at the inside of the stocking from both the inner and the outer edges respectively of the two part stripe,-thereby producing a simulation of the seamed reinforced selvage of a full-fashioned stocking.

3. That method of knitting a so called seamless stocking including a leg portion having a simulated seamed reinforced selvage, including knitting a mock sam coincidently with the knitting of the leg portion, and coincidently introducing an auxiliary yarn at both sides of said mock seam throughout areas substantially paralleling said mock seam and floating the auxiliary yarn past said mock seam.

4. That method of knitting a so-called seamless stocking including a leg portion having a simulated seamed reinforced selvage, including knitting a mock seam at the back of the leg of a stocking coincidently with the knitting of the leg, and introducing an auxiliary yarn at both sides of said mock seam from substantially the upper end of the stocking to the heel portion throughout a width corr sponding to the reinforced selvaged parts of a full fashioned stocking leg and floating the auxiliary yarn in each course past the mock seam.

5. That method of knitting a socalled seamless stocking including a leg portion having a simulated, seamed-reinforced sel vage, including knitting the leg portion with a line of tuck stitches down the back of the leg and during the knitting introducing an auxiliary thread with the main thread at each side of the line of tuck stitches from substantially the upper end of the stocking to the heel portion throughout a relatively narrow area to correspond to the reinforced selvaged portions of a full fashioned stocking leg and floating the auxiliary thread back and forth in each course past the tuck stitch of that course at the inside of the stocking leg.

6. A knitted fabric having a main thread of which the main portion of said fabric is knitted; a reinforcing thread of different character from the main thread and interknitted with the said main thread to form a pair of adjacent but spaced reinforced areas connected by floated portions of said reinforcing thread, the knitted portions of said fabric between said reinforced areas containing a structural variation of the knitted fabric of the main thread, said structural variation being composed of the said main thread, whereby said structural variation is made more pronounced, with respect to the said adjacent reinforcsd areas.

7. A knitted fabric having a main thread of which the main portion of said fabric is knitted; a reinforcing thread of different character from the main thread and interknitted with the said main thread to form a pair of adjacent but spaced reinforced areas connected by floated portions of said reinforcing thread, the knitted portion of said fabric between said reinforced areas containing a line of tuck stitches composed of the said main yarn, whereby said line of tuck stitches is made more pronounced, with repect to the said adjacent reinforced areas.

8. A knitted fabric having a main thread of which the main portion of said fabric is knitted; a reinforcing thread of different character from the main thread and interknitted with the said main thread to form a pair of adjacent but spaced reinforced areas connected by floated portions of said reinforcing thread, the knitted portion of said fabric between said reinforced areas containinga line. of tuck stitches composed of said main yarn, said line of tuck stitches contrasting in material and structural variation with the said adjacent reinforced areas.

9. A. knitted fabric having a main silk thread of which the main portion of said fabric is knitted; a reinforcing non-silk thread interknitted with said main silk thread to form a pair of adjacent but spaced reinforced areas connected by floated portions of said non-silk yarn, the knitted portion of said fabric between said reinforced areas containing a structural variation of the knitted fabric of said main portion, said structural variation being composed of said silk yarn, whereby said structural variation contrasts with the adjacent reinforced areas.

10. A seamless knitted stocking having two narrow reinforced stripes at the back thereof and respectively at the sides of the back median line, said stocking being composed of the main thread and the reinforced stripes being composed of said main yarn and yarn of different character from the main yarn but interknitted with said main yarn throughout said stripes, said stripes being slightly spaced apart but connected by floated portions of yarn and the knitted portion of the stocking between said stripes being composed wholly of said main yarn and therefore differentiated in character from the combined knitted materials of the said stripes.

11. A seamless: knitted stocking composed of a main yarn and having two relatively narrow slightly spaced reinforced stripes at the back connected by floated portions of the reinforced yarn extending substantially from the heel to the stocking top and composed of a main yarn and a knitted in reinforcing yarn of different character, the knitted portion of the stocking between said reinforced areas being composed wholly of said main yarn but containing a structural variation of the knitted fabric of the main portion, whereby said structural variation, being composed of said main yarn, is rendered more pronounced with respect to the adjacent reinforced areas.

12. A knitted fabric composed of a main yarn and having two reinforced adjacent areas composed of the main yarn and a reinforcing yarn interknitted therewith, the reinforcing yarn being floated free and unattached between said reinforced areas and connecting them, whereby the transverse elasticity of the knitted portion of the fabric between said adjacent areas is unimpaired, there being a line of structural knitted stitch variation of the main thread between said adjacent areas.

13. A knitted fabric composed of a main yarn and hawing two reinforced adjacent areas into which a reinforcing thread is intcrknitted, the reinforcing thread being floated free and unattached between said areas and connecting them at their inner or adjacent edges and also at their outer or more remote edges, whereby the trans erse elasticity of the knitted portion of the fabric between said adjacent areas is unimpaired, there being a line of structural knitted stitch variation of the main thread between said adjacent areas.

14. A knitted fabric having a main yarn of which the main portion of the fabric is knitted and two reinforced adjacent areas into which a reinforcing yarn is also interknitted, said reinforcing yarn being floated free and unattached between said areas and connecting them, whereby the transverse elasticity of the knitted portion of the fabric between said adjacent areas is unimpaired, the fabric between said reinforced areas containing a longitudinal structural variation, whereby the lengthwise elasticity of the fabric is unimpaired.

In testimony whereof, I have signed'my name to this specification.

RUFUS W. SCOTT.

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