US1836679A - Varicose stocking - Google Patents

Abstract

293,429. Damon, F. July 6, 1927, [Convention date]. Elastic stockings.-The heel part of the stocking comprises two parts 6 joined by a narrow strip 12 which traverses the opening 5 provided for the heel. The heel part is shown in position on the front part 11 before being sewn laterally thereto. The heel part is double, the two thicknesses having common webs 13. The knitting of the heel part proceeds in the direction of the arrow to the point 9 whereupon the width is gradually decreased to that of the strip 12. When the strip 12 is of sufficient length the part 9 is remounted on the machine and the right-hand part is knitted in connection therewith.

Description

Dec. 15, 1931. A. #OUTHE 1,836,679

vARIcosE sTocKING Original Filed Feb. '7, 1928 c ,3 4e l Patented Dec. l5, 1931 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE `AUGUSTE MOUTHE, OF LYON, FRANCE, .ASSIGNOR T FRANCVISQUE DAlVlON,` 0F

' LYON, FRANCE l 1 VARICOSE STOCKING Original application The present invention relates to varicose stockings of the type knit to grip or hug the leg, which, as is generally known, are made with an opening for the heel in order that the upper part of the stocking may not be for the reason that the stitches constitute weak points in the stocking but also, and above all, because the aforesaid edges l have a tendency to fold back and form ridges during walking, which is extremely uncom-V ortable and sometimes painful.

According to this invention, the heelopening is produced on the knitting machine itself, without whip-stitching, and it is surrounded by a zone or region in which the fabric is doubled, thereby reinforcing the edges of the opening and preventing the formation of ridges. Moreover, this doubled zone or region is restricted to the rear half of the stocking, so that the front part of the latter 'is not given a` peculiar appearance..

In this same double or two-ply zone, it is also possible, on the other hand, to fasten together the two main or elementary fabrics at a plurality of points by means of rows of connected loops; such fastening serving to attach the two elementary fabrics more intimately one to the other, so that they willact exactly like a single fabric of double thick- DESS.

ing in the region of the heel, is a fabric knitted in two thicknesses which are adapted led February 7, 1928, Serial No. 252,575, and. in France April 11, 1927. and this application filed December 1, 1930. Serial No. 499,341.

Divided to be fastened together at definite points by rows of connected loops, asexplained above.

The present case is a division of my prior parent application ilo. 252,575, filed on or about February 7, 1928, Patent No. 1,786,862.

ln the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view, partly `broken away, of a varicose stocking in use;

Fig. 2 is a view of the rear face ing'according to the invention and provided witha heel strap; A

Fig. 3 is a fragmental section on line tgv-3, Fig. 2, showing the'connection between the two elementary fabrics;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the rear face, the knitting being supposedly cut at-C-G and D-D to permit the fabric to be flattened out.

A varicose stocking,asisgenerally known,

of al stockis asort of flexible tube having an opening, V

indicated at 1 in Fig. 1, for the heel 2' of the wearer; this opening having been made, up to the present, by hand and after the stocking has been knit. It may, for instance, be formed by dropping two loops to determine he ends of the opening, unraveling the part between the two holes thus produced, and then whip-stitching the two edges of the opening. These edges, however, tend to roll up and form ridges under the foot which are apt to hurt the wearer, as it has been stated.

The vstocking'of the present invention is produced with a slit or opening 5 (Fig. 2) which is produced directly by the knitting itself and, hence, vwithout whip-stitching or similar binding. Moreover, it is reinforced around this slit by means of a second fabric 6 which lines the first one on the rear half of the stocking for a` distance of a few centi* meters above and below the said slit. As will be apparent from Fig. 1, the reinforcement or lining 6 is restricted to the rear part of the stocking and does not show at the front of the leg, so that it is hardly visible at all; moreover, it avoids the formation of ridges7 thus overcoming a substantial defect. Also, it prolongs the life of the stocking and preserves all its flexibility in the region of the heel.

Knitting proceeds in the direction of the arrow on an ordinary knitting machine until the two On reaching a certain point-for instance,

the point .fl-the opening 5 is formed,rand there is also formed, at the same time, a strap or attachment which divides said opening in two and which is long enough to passaround the heel without, in so doing, pulling down the stockng in an unusual way. For this purpose when reaching this point 9, a series of reductions in width is formed in the rear part of the knitting until a narrow strip 12 is produced; and when this strip has reached a suitable length the workman takes back on the machine needles the loops C, C: that is to say, a certain number of lateral loops on the tapering portion, six for instance on each side. On resuming the knitting operation over the whole width of the face, these loops C, 'C are joined to new loops D. D, and the fabric represented in Fig. 2 is obtained.

Figs. 2 and 4 show a series of lines 13 which represent rows of loops common to the two main or elemental fabrics 6 and 8 that constitute the rear face (Fig. These connections insure a satisfactory attachment of the two fabrics and avoid slipping and folding; and, at the same time` the stocking thus formed tends to adopt the shape of the heel itself which gives it an artistic appearance. The stocking is finished by connecting the edges of the front face with those of the double rear face 6 8, which can readily be done either by hand or by an operation well known in the manufacture of ordinary ribbed stockings.

I claim as my invention 1. A knitted varicose stocking, provided with a heel opening which is formed in the course of the knitting operation; and a strap connecting the two edges of the opening and adapted to extend around the heel.

2. A knitted varicose stocking, embodying a two-ply heel portion provided with a heel opening which is formed in the course of the knitting operation, the two plies of such portion being fastened together by rows of connected loops; and a strap connecting the two edges of the opening and adapted to extend around the heel.

8. In a method of knitting varicose stockings, the steps of separately knitting the rear face of the heel zone while tapering its width gradually; knitting a narrow strap at the end of the tapered part of the rear face; then resuming the knitting for the full width of said rear face; and uniting the first row of loops of the full-width part with a number

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