US1979233A - Rib fabric and method of making the same - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 30, 1934. w L, sum- JR I 1,979,233

RIB FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Oct. 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l [ZS/VENTflR:

I WLLf/IM L.SMITHTIE By 2? ATTy.

stocking or half hose.

Patented Oct. 30, 1934- umreo STATES PATENT OFFICE William L. Smith, Jr., Pawtucket, R. L, assignor to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. I., a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 14, 1931, Serial No. 568,759

16 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved knitted stocking or half hose having, preferably, a one and one or other rib knitted leg as well as a one and one rib knitted instep, the sole portion of the stocking being knitted plain although reinforced by means of an additional thread knitted in the said sole portion. only, that is, not being knitted in the rib instep; the invention also including a method or methods of knitting the rib Furthermore, while in the following description reference will be made to a stocking or half hose, nevertheless the invention, in its broader aspects is applicable to the knitting of fabric other than stockings or half hose.

In the drawings: 3

Fig. 1 is a conventional View of a stocking or half hose;

Fig. 2 is a view in section of a tubular fabric knitted in accordance with the present invention and showing one-half, more or less, of the wales knitted plain, i. e., without rib stitches, and the otherhalf, more or less, of the wales being knitted of one and one rib stitches the stitches being laid fiat more clearly to show the construction of the fabric;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the disposition of rib and plain needles, preferably dial and cylinder needles, to effectthe'knitting of the fabric disclosed inthe other "figures, the dial and cylinder needles'being shown in'substantially the same plane insteadof right angles to each other more clearly toshow the relation of the said dial and cylinder needles; and

Figs. 6 and 6a are more or less diagrammatic *views showing how some "of the plain needles which are between rib needles drawtheir stitches over adjacent sin'kers and'the" shanks of adjacent dial needles.

The'stocking or half hose, which ispreferably,

though not necessarily, knitted from the toe-to the top, is indicatedgenera-lly bythe numeral 1 :andincliides an all ribbed leg 2 composed of one and 'oneribbed stitches, a one and one or other ribbed instep 3, a high splice 4 and a double sole 5, as well as-any desired-form of'heel Band. toe .7.

When knitting fabric such as seamless stockings having rib insteps and reinforced high splices and double soles, the reinforcing thread or yarn knitted by the high splice and double sole needles, frequently is also knitted into the fabric by a few of the adjacent rib needles especially on the side of the stocking where the double sole and high splice thread is withdrawn from feeding relation with respect to the needles, at which places, some of the rib needles may engage and knit the high splice and double sole thread intothe fabric before the thread guide which feeds such thread to the needles has been completelywithdrawn from such feeding relation. In order to overcome this ob fiection, the dial needles are specially manipulated in a manner more specifically to be described hereinafter.

The stocking or half hose herein shown is composed of at least one body thread 8 which body thread is preferably knitted by substantially all of the needles, including the rib and plain needles, and one or more reinforcing threads or yarns such as 9 which latter thread is knitted into the fabric by the double sole and high splice plain needles only excepting that a single rib needle at each side of the double sole and high splice areas also knits such reinforcing thread, the wales which are knitted by such single dial needles being shown at 10 and 11.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the method of knitting the stocking or half hose shown in Fig. 1 has been disclosed in a more or less diagrammatic manner, and wherein are shown a long float 12 and a short float 13 of the reinforcing thread, such floats during the knitting of a previous course having extended straight across the needle circle and then having been severed by any suitable thread cutting mechanism not of itself a necessary part of the present invention; thereafter during the knitting cycle some means, such as a brush, engaged the long float l2, and caused such float to be brushed against the inner face of the high splice or double sole portion of the fabric as shown in Fig. 2. In said Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, there is also shown a reinforcing thread guide 14 which presents the reinforcing thread to the needles and withdraws the same therefrom, the said guide 14 moving to and from feeding relation with respect to the needles during each course of double sole and high splice knitting. In Fig. 2 the guide 14-. is shown as just having been moved to an idle, non-feeding position within 'the circle of needles which circle is defined by the fabric loops shown in the said The needles and fabric rotate in the direction of the arrows, Figs. 2 and 3, and the dial needle which knits the wale 11 engages the reinforcing thread 9 in its hook where it remains until the next course of knitting when such dial needle knits the said reinforcing thread into the fabric in the usual manner. As will be noted by inspection of Fig. 2 the dial needle, which would knit a rib Wale between the wale 11 and a wale 15, is maintained in an idle position and does not knit, the idling of such dial needle permitting the thread guide 14 to be completely withdrawn to the position shown in Fig. 2 before the dial needle, which corresponds to the wale 15, can engage such reinforcing thread and knit the same into the fabric. tation of the needles brings the fabric to the position shown in Fig. 3 and at such time the thread guide 14 is moved to the feeding position shown in said figure, the reinforcing thread having been moved to feeding position between a plain wale 16 and the next adjacent plain wale 17, the needle which knits the wale 17 as well as the needles which knit the following plain wales, i. e.,

- the high splice and double sole needles, thereafter engaging and knitting the reinforcing thread throughout the high splice and double sole area.

In order properly to tension the reinforcing thread and permit the plain plating needles to knit the same, the end of a float 12 is temporarily held by means of a clamp as indicated in Fig. 3 and thereafter as knitting is continued the float is engaged within the hook of the needle which knits the wale 10, such float being knitted into the fabric during the following course of knitting, the float 12 finally being positioned immediately above the previously described float l2. Itis noted here that it is not essential that the said reinforcing thread be knitted into the fabric at the wale 10, but in orderto have the wales ad-.

jacent to the instep appear the same at the two sides of the stocking it is desirable to have the reinforcing thread knittedinto the fabric at the wale 10.

It will be noted that the short ends 13 of the high'splice and double sole floats lie between adjacent plain wales, one of which is indicated at 18, and adjacent rib wales; and that the long 4 floats 12 of the reinforcing thread lie between the rib-wale 10 and an adjacent plain wale 19.

short butt rib needles being for the purpose of knitting the stocking shown in Fig. 1 as will be presently described. Some of the plain needles 21 are provided with long upper ,butts 24 andothers of the said plain needles'areprovided with short upper butts 25, the short butt cylinder needles being adapted to knit the heels and toes of stockings in the usual manner while the long butt cylinder needles 21 are in an elevated, in-

active position. In addition to the upper butts on all of the plain needles some of the said plain needles have lower butts 26"While others of the said plain needles have lower 'halfebutts 27, and by half-butts is meant butts about half the depth (lengthwise of the needles) as compared with the depths of the butts 26. The others of Continued rothe plain needles have no lower butts. The relative arrangement of the needles having the differentiated lower butts is variable depending upon the character of fabric to be knitted and upon other conditions such as the gauge of the machine.-

Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 5 wherein the direction of rotation of movement of the needles and fabric is indicated by the arrows in the respective figures: the wales 28 and 29 correspond to the needles 28 and 29' respectively, said needles having short upper butts and other, lower butts 26. These needles knit the high splice portion 4 and double sole portion 5 of each stocking and furthermore knit the heels and toes of each stocking. The next adjacent wales 30 and 31 are knitted by plain needles 30 and 31 the said needles having long upper butts 24 and lower butts 26, the said needles being two of the needles between the point of the heel and the wale 11. The Wale 32 is the last plain wale adjacent to the first rib wale 11, said wale 32 being knitted by the plain needle 32 which plain needle is provided with a long upper butt 24 and, if desired, with a lower half-butt 2'7. On the other side of the first rib wale 11 are two plain wales 33 and 18 which wales are knitted by means of needles 33' and 18' respectively, the needle 33 being provided with a long upper butt 24 and a lower, half-butt 2'7, the adjacent needle 18 having a long upper butt 24 but not having a lower butt.

Following the knitting of the wale 18 one and one rib fabric is knitted until the opposite side of the stocking reaches the knitting point. At such side of the stocking double sole and high splice yarn or thread is knitted into the fabric together with the main yarn with all of the cylinder needles knitting, the dial needles being held in withdrawn, non-knitting position. Adjacent to the wale where the high splice and double sole thread is first knitted into the fabric, plain wales 34 and 35 are knitted by means of plain needles 34, 35 respectively the first of which has a long, upper butt 24, but does not have a lower butt while needle 35', has, in addition to the upper butt 24, a lower half-butt 27. The wales 36, 19 adjacent to the last rib wale 10 are knitted by means of plain needles 36', 19' which have long, upper butts 24, the latter only having a lower, half-butt 27. The wales following the wale 19 are the wales 37 and 38 which are knitted by plain needles 37', 38 respectively which needles each have long, upper butts 24 and lower butts 26, the said needles being the ones that knit the plain wales between the rib wale 10 and the point of the heel of a stocking; in other words while the needles 3'7, 38' are double sole needles, they are raised up out of action prior to the knitting of the heel. The wale 39 and following wales are knitted by means of needles such as 39' which needles have short upper butts 25 and lowerbutts 26, the'said needles knitting the double sole and high splice as well as the-heel and toe of a stocking.

Throughout the double sole or high splice portion of a stocking, such as that shown in Fig. 1, the plain needles draw their stitches over sinkers, while throughout the knitting of the one and one rib instep of a stocking or half hose, the plain needles draw their stitches over the shanks of adjacent dial needles which shanks are above dill one rib in conjunction with the dial needles. And it is for the purpose ofproviding for such extra movement of the double sole or high splice plain needles that the butts 26, 27 are provided, the greater portion of the double sole or high splice needleshaving butts 26 while a few (four herein shown) have half-butts 27. Throughout the knittin of the high splice and greater portion of the plain sole, nearly all of the plain needles are not adjacent to'any dial needles. and for that reason their stitches are completelydrawn over the upper edges of adjacent sinkers, but the needles 33 and 35' having dial needles adjacent thereto on one side only, draw their stitchesa over sinkers atone level and also over the shanks of dial needles at a higher level. For that reason it is necessary to provide those needles with half-butts 27 so that a cam (not shown) may engage the said butts 27 and pull the said needles down a short, additional distance, although it is not necessary that such needles be drawn so far down as the needles having the butts 26 are drawn. The needles 19 and 32' knitting the wales l9 and 32 respectively, preferably, but not necessarily, are provided with half-butts 27.

Although as hereinbefore disclosed, the dial wale between the wales 35 and 36 as well as the dial wales between wales 18 and 33 are omitted, nevertheless the dial wale between the wales 35 and 36 may be knitted if desired.

As herein disclosed the double sole and high splice are knitted with the double sole or high splice yarn, preferably, on the inside of the stocking; and when knitting plated work in the double sole and high splice, the double sole yarn may be on the inside of the stocking or between the body and plating yarns, while throughout one and one rib courses of the fabric the plating yarn shows on'the outer face thereof unless clocking or other effects are knitted into the fabric by reverse plating.

Although hereinbefore disclosed as being applied to a circular knitting machine having independently movable needles, the invention may be practiced on other-types of knitting machines, it not being the intention to limit the invention otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A circular, knitted fabric some of the adjacent wales of which are knitted plain and others rib, the rib and adjacent plain wales being adjacent to one another, the adjacent plain wales having knitted therein a reinforcing thread, at least one rib wale being omitted adjacent to one side of the fabric where the reinforced plain wales adjoin the rib wales.

2. A circular, knitted fabric consisting of a plurality of adjacent plain wales and a plurality of one and one rib wales adjoining the adjacent plain wales, an additional thread being knitted into the adjacent plain wales, one rib wale being omitted adjacent to one side of the fabric where the plain and rib wales adjoin one another.

3. A circular, knitted fabric consisting of a plurality of adjacent plain wales and a plurality of rib wales, said rib and adjacent plain wales adjoining one another, the adjacent plain wales having knitted therein an additional thread, a

rib wale immediately adjacent to one end rib-wale being omitted.

4. A knitted fabric consisting of a plurality of adjacent plain and a plurality of one and one rib wales, the rib wales being non-reinforced excepting adjacent at least one end thereof where the end rib wale is reinforced and at least one rib wale is omitted, the adjacent plain wales being reinforced.

5. A method of knitting consisting in causing a plurality ofadjacent plain needles to knit a plurality of threads, and causing interspersed plain and rib needles to knit one and one rib fabric while maintaining at least one rib needle in an inactive position, whereby the adjacent plain needles knit the plurality of threads while the one and one rib and plain needles knit a single thread only.

6. A knitted fabric, a plurality of adjacent wales of which are knitted one and one rib and a plurality of other adjacent wales of which are knitted plain but with a thread which is not knitted in the one and one portion of the fabric, at least one rib wale other than the one and one rib wales being knitted into the fabric, a plurality of plain wales being on each side of said one rib wale.

7. A method of knitting partly rib and partly plain fabric consisting in knitting at least one thread into the rib portion of the fabric and said thread and one additional thread into the plain portion thereof, and knitting the plain portion of the fabric by drawing the threads at a certain level and the plain wales of the rib fabric by drawing the thread at a higher level, and drawing a plain wale, which is between two rib wales, partly at one of said levels and partly at the other of said levels.

8. A stocking or half hose consisting of a rib leg, a one and one rib instep and reinforced plated fabric in the portion of the stocking opposite the rib instep, one rib wale adjacent to one end rib wale at one side of the rib instep b ing omitted.

9. A stocking or half hose having an all one and one rib leg, a one and one rib instep, a portion of the stocking opposite the ribbed instep being reinforced, one rib wale being omitted between the rib instep and reinforced wales.

10. A method of knitting consisting in causing interspersed plain and rib needles to knit one and one rib fabric, thereafter causing a plurality of adjacent plain needles to knit a plurality of threads and causing interspersed plain and rib needles to knit one and one rib fabric while maintaining at least one rib needle in an inactive position, whereby the adjacent plain needles knit the plurality of threads while the one and one rib and plain needles knit a single thread only.

11. A method of knitting partly plain and partly one and one rib fabric consisting in feeding a thread to the one and one rib needles and a second thread to a series of adjacent plain needles with which one or more end rib needles cooperate during the knitting of a plurality of courses, said end rib needle or needles being the last needle or needles to knit the thread second mentioned, the thread thereafter being withdrawn to an inactive position where it is not knitted by the following interspersed plain and rib needles.

12. A circularly knitted fabric consisting of adjacent plain Wales and one and one rib wales, the one and one rib wales being knitted with a thread and the adjacent plain wales being knitted with one other thread, the first rib wale in the a led direction of knitting having knitted therein the second mentioned thread, a rib wale adjacent thereto being omitted.

13. A circularly knitted fabric partly plain and partly rib, the plain portion of the fabric consisting of a plurality of adjacent plain wales and the rib portion thereof consisting of one and one wales, the one and one rib wales being knitted with one thread and the plain fabric being knitted with one other thread, the first rib wale inthe direction of knitting having knitted therein the second mentioned thread, the two wales next adjacent thereto in the direction of knitting being plain wales.

14. A circularly knitted stocking or half hose consisting of a one and one all rib leg and a ribbed instep and reinforced, plain sole, the ribbed instep consisting of one and one rib fabric and the reinforced, plain sole consisting of plain wales, one rib wale being adjacent to one side of the stocking or half hose and two plain wales being between such rib wale and the one and one ribbed instep.

15. A method of knitting partly rib and partly plain fabric consisting in knitting at least one thread into the rib portion thereof and said thread and at least one additional thread into the plain portion and knitting the plain portion of the fabric by drawing the threads over instrumentalities at, a certain level, and the plain wales of the rib fabric by drawing the thread over instrumentalities at a higher level and knitting a plain Wale, which is between two rib wales, partly over one of the instrumentalities at the level first mentioned and partly over one of the instrumentalities at the level second mentioned.

16. A circularly knitted fabric consisting of a series of adjacent plain wales and rib wales, the adjacent plain waleshaving knitted therein a reinforcing thread which is knitted into the fabric by the first rib needle (in the direction of knitting) but which reinforcing thread is not knitted into the immediately following (in the direction of knitting) rib wales.

' WILLIAM L. SMITH, JR.

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