US2127780A - Elastic top hosiery - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 23, 1938. J. MARSHALL ELASTIC TOP HbSIERY Filed July 25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l J lw bi A: 5. allln i 4 INVENTOR. /0fin0 nMarslla/l BY .0

J. L. MARSHALL ELASTIC TOP HOSIERY Aug. 23, 1938.

Filed Ju1y 25, 1956 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVEITIOR. ohnlayn/I/asha Patented Aug. 23, 1938 ELASTIC TOP HOSIERY John Loyn Marshall, Chattanooga, Tenn., assignorto United Hosiery Mills Corporation, Chattanooga, 'l'enn., a corporation of Tennessee Application July 25, 1936, Serial No. 92,542

2 Claim.

This invention has to do with hosiery, and is concerned primarily with that type of hosiery in which the top or cufi portion includes an elastic element to impart garter eilects thereto.

The present invention has in view as its foremost objective the provision of hosiery'of the type above referred to, which is knit in a manner to provide an appearance efiect in accordance with a certain modern trend, to be hereinafter discussed in detail, and at the same time provide a cuff in which an elastic element is incorporated in a. novel manner, to provide improved garter eifects on the part of the cufi.

Largely from the aspect of the appearance of hosiery there is a certain definite modern trend which indicates the desirability of the hosiery having the appearance of the so-called Italian raised stitch, and this invention proposes to follow this trend by availing of acuif in which a plurality of courses of tuck stitches are included therethroughout, and which tuck stitches enclose turns of an elastic element whereby the raised stitchv appearance effect is afiorded.

Aside from the appearance eflect above noted, the invention is also concerned with the garter functions which are to be performed by the elastic tuck ribbed cuif. An important object of the present invention is the provision of hosiery of this type including an elastic tuck ribbed cuii' in which an elastic element is arranged spirally therethroughout, to define a helix of compare tively small pitch, which arrangement permits of the elastic element being laid in under light tension, and the entire cull is rendered eflective to a grip the leg of a wearer over a wide area, to provide the necessary garter eflects under conditions affording the greatest degree of comfort to the wearer.

Prior to this invention there have been proposed certain methods of knitting an elastic ribbed cuiI along the same general lines above indicated, in which a multi-feed knitting machine is employed. However, when a multi-feed knitting machine is availed of for this purpose,-

the elastic inlay is laid in on only one course of the several which are knit by the machine; such an arrangement being common with the use of a multi-feed. machine.

With this arrangement the elastic inlay de- 50 fines a helix of an appreciable pitch, and as a result it is necessary to lay the elastic inlay in under an appreciable degree of tension. This need is entirely obviated by the present invention, which proposes the use of a so-called single feed knitting machine, and in which there is a turn of the elastic inlay for each regular course of stitches, and in addition a turn of the' inlay for each course of the tuck stitches which may be formed on the dial needles of the machine.

With the use of a single feed knitting machine 6 of the type above referred to, which includes cylinder and dial needles, it is possible to form a course of tuck stitches on the dial needles foreach regular course or plurality of regular courses of stitches formed, and the present invention 10 contemplates including a course of tuck stitches for any desired number of regular courses.-

More particularly. the invention has as an object the provision of a course of tuck stitches as every third course in the elastic tuck ribbed cufi", 15

The invention has in view, as a further object, the provision of hosiery including an elastic tuck ribbed cuff of the stitch structure above referred to, and in which an elastic element is laid in spirally behind the plain stitches formed 20 on the cylinder needles, and in front of the rib stitches formed on the dial needles; and in which there is a turn of the elastic inlay for each course of regular stitches, and a turn-for each course of the tuck stitches.

In view of the fact that the leg portion proper of hosiery is ordinarily knit on a single feed machine; the difiiculty of transferring from a multi-feed machine to a single feed machine, which is present when the multi-feed machine is used in the knitting of the cuffs, is entirely obviated by the present invention, in which the single feed ribber may be employed to knit the leg portion proper, in addition to the elastic tuck ribbed cufi. 5

The greater advantages of the invention, however, lie in the provision of hosiery in which the cuff provides the raised stitch appearance efiects, and in which the elastic inlay is under relatively light tension; the permissibility of the latter be- 4 ing attributed directly to the narrow pitch oi the helix which is defined by the elastic inlay.

An important phase of the present invention is the method of knitting an elastic cull on a single feed ribber in accordance with the precepts above noted; -the method being a part of the invention, as is the cuff itself. a

Various other'more detailed objects and advantages such as arise in carrying out the above noted objects in a'practical manner will in part become I apparent, and in part be hereinafter stated, as the description of the invention proceeds.

The invention, therefore, comprises hosiery including an elastic tuck ribbed cuiI which is knit 1 and the regular stitches formed on the cylinder needles.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a piece of hosiery made in accordance with the precepts of this invention. In this view the leg portion prop- I er of the hosiery is shown as being of the rib Figure 2 is an illustration somewhat diagrammatlcal in nature, bringing out the arrangement of stitches which are knit on the machine to define the tuck ribbed cuff. In this view the stitches are shown in an exaggerated distended position,

,Figure 3 is another showing somewhat diagrammatical in nature, bringing out the relative disposition of the stitches formed on the cylinder and dial needles, and the manner in which the turns of the elastic inlay are laid in between. This view is taken as a horizontal plan view, with one of the regular courses ravelled back, the plane of this view being indicated generally by the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed showing in transverse section of a portion of the cuff, bringing out the stitches in an exaggerated distending relationship, and

Figure 51s a view similar to Figure 1, showing -a piece of hosiery in which the leg portion is knit on a plain knitting machine.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference'characters denote corresponding parts, there shown in Figure 1 a piece of hosiery, such as a child's sock, which is referred to by the reference character ll. While the illustration is indicative of the fact that this sock is of the children's type, it is to be understood that the invention is to be in no way limited in this respect, as it may be practiced in connection with any type of hosiery.

The sock I0 is shown as formed with a cult II, which is knit on a circular knitting machine commonly known in the art as a single feed ribber, and which machine includes the usual cylinder and dial needles.

While the leg portion .of the sock It may be knit on any type of knitting machine without materially affecting the present invention, as the latter is concerned primarily with the knitting of the cuff II, in the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 1 the leg portion II will be knit on the same single feed ribber, as is the cuff il.

As shown in Figure 1, after the cult H is knit a transfer is made over to the knitting of the foot portion, the transfer line being indicated at l2.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 2, one course of regular stitches is represented by the plain white band, and is referred to by the reference character X. A course of stitches, including tuck stitches, is shown in full black, and is represented by the reference character Y, while a third course of regular stitches isshown by the plain white band and designated Z.

It is notable that each of the courses of regular stitches X and Z includes rib stitches which are formed on the dial needles, and contain plain stitches which are formed by the cylinder needles. However, in the course Y the tuck stitches are formed on the dial needles only; the cylinder needles holding the regular stitches. As the course is knit a turn of elastic, designated E is laid in behind the cylinder needles, and in front of the dial needles. Likewise, when the course of stitches Y, including the tuck stitches, are knit, the elastic is laid in behind the cylinder needles and in front of the dial needles, and this turn of the elastic is represented at E 4 This same practice is followed in the formation 'of the'regular courses of stitches Z, and the elastic inlay for the course Z is identified as E.

In the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings each third course of stitches takes the form of a course represented at Y, which include the tuck stitches. Obviously the invention is not to be limited in this respect, as a course of tuck stitches may be included for each course of regular stitches, or for any desired number of courses of regular stitches.

Figure 3 develops the condition of the cuff after a course like X has been ravelled back. In this condition it will be noted that both of the elastic turns E and E are free to be withdrawn from the stitches, as this elasticis merely laid in between the stitches formed on the cylinder needles and the stitches formed on the dial needles.

However, a ravelling back of the course Z, which includes the stitches, will not permit of any elastic being withdrawn, both E and E being removed as noted above, as it will be necessary to ravel back the course Y before the elastic turn represented at E could be withdrawn.

It is evident that the pitch of the helix defined by the elastic inlay E is very small, and as a result this elastic is laid in under very light tension, which is followed by improved results in the finished cuff, as the latter will snugly grip the leg of a wearer without any discomfort or marring effects.

Referring now more particularly to Figure '5, the cuff II is shown as applied to a stocking 20, which is not of the rib type, but which has a plain knit fabric leg. In this view the transfer between the cuff and the leg portion proper is indicated While the preferred-embodiment of the invention hereinbefore described involves the formation of the tuck stitches on the dial needles, the

invention also embraces the formation of the.

tuck stitches on the cylinder needles.

When the latter arrangement is carried out in actual practice, there will be a course of stitches including tuck stitches formed on the cylinder needles for one, or a plurality, of courses of regular stitches.

It is evident from the foregoing that the tuck stitches can be formed on either the cylinder and dial needles, as occasion demands, or the tuck stitches can be formed on both the cylinder and dial needles.

While a preferred specific embodiment of the invention is hereinbefore set forth, it is to be clearly understood that I am not to be limited to the exact constructions illustrated and described, because various modifications of these details may be provided in putting the invention into practice within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A circular knit stocking having a rib top and .out said top, the rib stitches inany given course being either all regular or all tuck, and a spiral elastic thread inlaid between the plain and rib wales throughout said top.

2. A circular knit ribbed stocking top comprising rib wales and plain wales; each rib wale comprising regular stitches and tuck stitches in alternation throughout said top, the rib stitches in any given course being either all regular or all tuck, and a continuous elastic thread inlaid between the plain and rib wales throughout said top.

JOHN LOYN MARSHALL.

Images