US2348313A - Method of producing hosiery - Google Patents

Description

May 9, 1944. w. L. SMITH, JR

METHOD OF PRO DUCING HOSIERY Filed Jan. 16, 1942 s Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.Z.

P10. 3. F1014. F1441 May 9, 1944.

W. L. SMITH, JR

METHOD OF PRODUCING HOSIERY Filed Jan. 16, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 X/YI/ENTOE. MMMMLSMMZQ 76 W May 9, 1944. w, 1.. SMITH, JR

METHOD OF PRODUCING HOSIERY Filed Jan. 16, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 MBA/T012. V

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Patented May 9, 1944 UNITED STATES 2,348,313 METHOD OF PRODUCING HOSIERY William L. Smith, Jr.,

to Hemphill Company,

Pawtucket, R. 1., assignor Central Falls, R. L, a

corporation of Massachusetts Application January 16, 1942, Serial No. 426,984

1 Claim.

- Fig. 2 is a section similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a machine according to the present invention; I Fig. 3 is an elevation showing a few needles and sinkers, greatly enlarged, and proportioned according to standard practice at this time in the circular, independent needle knitting art;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing proportions of needles and sinkers according to the invention;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a knitted fabric, to a greatly enlarged scale, and illustrating such fabric as it would come from a present day circular independent needle knitting machine;

Fig. 6 is a similar view but showing fabric as it comes from the machine and knitted by the new method herein described;

Fig. 7 is a similar enlarged view of fabric, this being the fabric of Fig. 5 as it would-actually appear when finished;

Fig. 8 is a similar view of Fig. 6 finished;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a 3 /2" needle cylinder of the present type of circular, independent needle knitting machine;

Fig. 10 is a plan of a 4" needle cylinder as employed in practicing the invention and to attain the same size of fabric as knitted on the 3 /2" cylinder of Fi 9;

Fig. 11 is an elevation of an ordinary half hose, the proportions in this figure being taken from such a half hose knitted on a 3 machine according to the present system;

Fig. 12 is an elevation of a half hose knitted according to the invention of this case;

Fig. 13 is a similar view showing the actual proportions of a men's half hose and as the same would be finished from either the fabric of Fig. 11 or that of Fig 12; and

Fig. 14 is an elevation of part of a needle showing to a greatly enlarged scale how the hook has been reformed.

The invention of this case is a result of attempts at producing circular independent needle, seamless type fabric of better character, appearance and uniformity along with simplification of the knitting machine upon which it is knitted.

but showing the fabric According to the present practice and the practice for many years, such fabric has been knitted by employing needles and sinkers of such gage and dimensions as to draw both the needle loops and the sinker loops of the same .size or very close to the same size; Sometimes this fabric has been referred to as having a square stitch. By that term which does not appear to be particularly descriptive, it is merely to be under- 1 stood that the size and shape of the needle loop is not different from that of the sinker loop, and in fact, even under a fairly powerful microscope, it is diflicult to distinguish between the size and shape of the respective loops in needle 15 and sinker wales.

In knitting mens half hose which commonly boarded to a width closely approximating 4", a 3 knitting machine is the common size employed, at least, in the more common gages and for ordinarily employed counts of yarn such as go into the majority of these half hose. The term width as usedhere means the lateral measurement of knitted tube when collapsed or flattened. In 3 /2" needle cylinders, and in fact, in practically all needle cylinders used on machines of this type, the size of needle employed has been kept down to a minimum, that is, a minimum when considered from the point of view of taking the particular yarn or yarns to be knitted within the needle hook.

According to the present invention, the principle of knitting has been changed so that instead of knitting the so-called "square stitch, needlesare to be employed which are of a much as coarser gage for the particular yarn to be knitted than would be used according to the present .method and also said needles are of a relatively coarse gage compared to the sinkers used with them. The number of needles is kept at about the number which is now employed but the size of needle cylinder is increased considerably, so that the machine is designed about an appreciably larger needle cylinder in which are operatively controlled needles of much coarser gage with sinkers which would, according to previous practice, have been considered entirely too fine for the gage of the needles.

The stitch cams are so proportioned and adjusted as to draw needles down to a lesser extent to than needles of that particular gage would be drawn according to the present practice.

The fabric knitted in such a machine and by the herein described method will be characterized by large needle loops and small sinker loops. That is, as the fabric comes from the machine the sinker wales will be comprised oi relatively tight and narrow sinker loops while the needle loops will be coarser as compared to the said sinker loops. In finishing the fabric which incidentally comes from the machine much wider than would be a fabric coming from the machine now employed, it is boarded down to a desired width and, of course, elongates correspondingly whereupon there occurs a redistribution of yarn in the needle and sinker stitches. That redistribution can be controlled throughout a considerable extent during the finishing process, but the appearance and character, especially the uniformity of the fabric, are not lost so long as the redistribution is kept within reasonable limits.

As circular, independent needle, seamless fabric comes from the machine at present, there is no apparent distinction between needle and sinker wales. According to the system of this invention there is a marked distinction in the appearance of the fabric. It is characterized by outstanding narrow sinker wales at its outer face with grooves or channels between them. This appearance is retained even after the finishing operation although the grooves or channels between sinker wales are narrowed down and, in fact, the sinker wales themselves or the stitches therein are individually elongated upon the attendant elongation of the entire fabric as it is finished.

The amount of yarn entering into the construction of a half hose, or for that matter, any type of hosiery, is practically the same by either method. In fact, for knitting a men's half hose, the chain controlling the machine will be prac tically a duplicate of the chain used in the presout day machine. However, the fabric will come from the machine much wider and will have to be finished, as above stated, by narrowing it down and lengthening it to standard dimensions acceptable for such hosiery.

Now referring to the figures of drawing, the invention has been illustrated by comparative showings of what constitutes the common practice at the present time and the practice according to this invention. In Fig. l a fragment of a needle cylinder i is shown having needle walls 2 and the slots 3 in which needles would be movable. While a needle cylinder would of course have a definite curvature such that the walls 2 would be radially disposed, to simplify the illustration, that curvature and radial disposal are not shown here.

In Fig. 2 a similar cylinder 4 has walls 5 which are, as can be seen. thinner than the walls 2 so that the slots 8 are considerably wider than slots 3. The distance between needles is also greater due to inclusion of the same number of needles in a cylinder of greater diameter. Thus the slots are wider for two reasons. These Figs. 1 and 2 are drawn ten times actual size and the walls and slots in Fig. 1 correspond to those which characterize a 3 needle cylinder adapted to accommodate 48 gage needles. Such needles are .024" thick at their shanks but are swaged down to a hook diameter of .016" at their yarn engaging portions. Fig. 2 shows to the same scale a 4" needle cylinder adapted to accommodate 220 needles of 24 gage, and having a thickness of .034" at the shank and a diameter of .022" for the wire at the yarn engaging portion ofthe hook.

Figs. 3 and 4 are also to a scale ten times actual size, Fig. 3 shows needles 1 adapted to operate in the slots 3 of the ordinary 3 /2" needle cylinder with sinkers 8 of .007" thickness, the now accepted thickness and size of sinkers ordinarily used with the said 48 gage needles 1. With needles 1 and sinkers 8 installed in the 3 /2" needle cylinder I and a sinker head (not shown) adapted to be used therewith, fabric could be knitted having the so-called "square stitch," that is, the fabric produced with that combination would show no appreciable distinction between the size of a sinker loop and a needle loop as it comes from the machine, and of course, it is not practicable to finish any wale distinction into the fabric, since Just the opposite is the eflect of the finishing operation.

Now referring to Fig. 4, needles 3 are of 24 gage and have a shank thickness of .034" thus being adapted to operate in the slots 8 of the 4" needle cylinder, Fig. 2. sinkers I0 are of the same thickness and size as the sinkers 8, Fig. 3. It can be seen that these needles are of much coarser gage than those commonly employed at the present time with sinkers of such size as sinkers 8 or I 0.

In most instances the hook portion of a needle is of circular cross section and is of a lesser thickness or diameter than the thickness of the needle shank. This is not absolutely necessary, but is generally practiced and it is the cross sectional dimension of the needle hook at that part of the same where the yarns are drawn with which we are concerned. In the 4 8 gage needles, Fig. 3, that dimension is .016" and in the 24 gage needles, Fig. 4, the diameter of the wire as it is reduced at the hook is .022". The actual space left at the sides of sinkers, between them and adjacent needles, is less than it would normally be in present practice.

When drawing stitches, needles are not drawn down to the extent which they might be if fabric were to be knitted according to the method now I practiced and of a yarn such as normally would be fed to needles of that case. It is to be understood that the cylinder, needle and sinker combination of Figs. 2 and 4 will knit the same yarns as will that combination of Figs. 1 and 3. In addition to knitting the same yarns, it is found that the combination of Figs. 2 and 4 employed according to the invention herein described will knit yarns of a greater range or sizes and types than will that of Figs. 1 and 3. However, the

- needles 8 are not employed to draw yarn of a size such as that gage needles would be employed to draw if used with sinkers and according to the method of knitting now used.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, fabric is shown as it comes from the machine. In Fig. 5 needle wales II have stitches of practically the same size and shape as sinker wales l2. In Fig. 6 needle wales, such as the wale l3, are much larger than the cooperating sinker wales l4. The coarser needles 8 draw the larger needle stitches while, due to the shorter distance to which the needles are drawn and the comparative size of the sinkers, sinker stitches are smaller and tighter. It is also true that a corresponding number of courses according to the new method, Fig. 6, extends a comparatively shorter" distance than that number of courses by the method as now practiced, Fig. 5. The amount of yarn in a combined needle and sinker loop according to either method is, however, practically the same. While the fabric of Fig. 6 does not accumulate or come from the machine as fast in a lengthwise direction, it does come ofl! the machine much wider since the machine has a greater diameter.

Now in Figs. '1 and s the fabrics of Figs. and

6, respectively, have been illustrated as they would be finished. The fabric of Fig. 5 remains substantially the same-in its general apthe finishing operation and is also elongated a great deal beyond the original length in which it comes from the machine. In that finishing process there is a redistribution of yarn in each individual loop so that part of each needle loop flows into the adjacent sinker loops which are elongated slightly as the fabric is drawn out lengthwise during The degree to which this readjustment in the finishing takes place is governable by the finishing process it self. The width and length of the fabric of Fig. 8 corresponds to that of Fig. '7 so that the fabric of Fig. 6 finishes to practically the same size as the fabric of Fig. 5.

While there has been no appreciable distinction nor individual characterization of a sinker wale as compared to a needle wale in either Figs. 5 or '7, the same is not true of Figs. 6 and 8. As the fabric comes from the machine, Fig. 6, one of the most noticeable features is the tight sinker loops which make up very prominent vertical sinker wales separated by the cross bars I5 of the needle loops. This gives to the fabric a distinctly ridged appearance very similar to the appearance of fabric knitted on the typical full fashioned type machine. That appearance is still existent in the finished fabric, Fig. 8, needle wales I3 still being appreciably wider than sinker wales I4 and the said sinker loops still being the smaller of the two. The'cross bars I5 of the needle loops have shortened up considerably as the sinker loops elongate. However, the sinker loop and likewise the sinker wales are mainly changed in their form by their lengthwise elongation rather than by any coursewise spreading so that as long as the finishing is not carried to a point so that both needle and sinker loops appear of equal size, the characteristic narrow sinker wales separated by grooves or channels resulting from the appreciably wider needle wales still prevail.

In Figs. 9 and 10 a needle cylinder of 3 diameter is shown at I6, Fig. 9, and a 4 cylinder at IT, Fig. 10. These views show the proportionate increase in size of needle cylinder for carrying out the invention, and while 3 and 4" apply to machines for knitting ordinary types of mens half hose, the same proportion, or approximately that, is to be observed and followed in knitting other types of hosiery or other fabrics. Of course childrens wear is made on machines having cylinders of much smaller diameter than the 3 cylinder and likewise some heavy sport socks are made on cylinders larger than 3 according to the method now practiced but the proportions herein set up, is followed along with proportionately larger needle size, will allow the same advantages tobe realized in knitting fabric of all types and sizes. The increase of cylinder size here is slightly over 14%. The invention may be practiced with increase in cylinder size of 10% to 20% v the size cylinder used according to the method now in use.

In Figs. 11, 12 and 13, the comparative proportions of unfinished stockings coming from the old machine, the new machine and the stocking finished from both are shown. In Fig. 11, to a reduced scale, the exact proportions of a stocking appear as it comes from a 3 machine adapted to produce mens half hose. The top [8 is of any desirable type such as a transferred; true rib top or an elastic self-supporting top. The leg I9 and foot 29 would be constituted of fabric such as illustrated in Fig. 5. The heel 2| and toe 22 are knitted by reciprocatory work as is the usual practice.

Upon finishing the fabric, the top is not changed materially. This is merely designated at 23, Fig. 13, but the leg 24 and foot 25 of the finished stocking, Fig. 13, have been narrowed down to very close to 4" with a corresponding increase in length. Naturally the heel and toe assume more nearly their theoretically correct shapes and the toe has been looped to produce a finished article. If the finished stocking of Fig. 13 coming from the blank of Fig. 11 were to be viewed through a microscope, the actual stitch structure would appear very much like that of Fig. '7.

Now reverting to Fig. 12, the top of the stocking blank 26 is likewise of any desired type, but the remainder of the fabric knitted according to the new method and upon a machine as herein described having a 4" cylinder and correspondingly proportioned needles and sinkers for practicing the invention, has a much wider leg 21 and foot 28 although these are correspondingly shorter so that the blank as it comes off the machine has a distinctly different shape. The heel 29 and toe 30 are also larger, but finish down in the finishing process as do the leg and foot.

Proper finishing for this stocking blank of Fig. 12 will bring it to practically the same shape and size as has been illustrated in Fig. 13, in other words, a standard mens half, hose.

In Fig. 14 one of the needles 9 is shown ten times actual size and as seen in side elevation, the book of a needle of 24 gage would normally be as indicated at 3|, dot and dash lines. In practicing the instant invention, this hook is squeezed together as at 32 so that actually the wire of the hook is that of a 24 gage needle but the curvature of the hook is changed so that the yarn space within the hook is considerably less and as a loop is cast off, the cross-sectional area of the latch spoon and the hook is lessened thereby streamlining the needle to an extent. This gives the advantage of drawing a large needle loop, but does not strain the loops when they are cast off as might be the case if the original type of needle hook were employed for the particular gage needle being considered. Here the distance from back of hook to face of the bill of the hook is .069" so that dimension compared to the wire diameter bears a ratio of about 3:1.

The fabric structure of the leg and foot of the stocking blank of Fig. 12 will appear like that illustrated in Fig. 6, but upon finishing, the appearance of Fig. 8 is obtained.

Of course, boarding is the final step in finishing and follows wetting as by boiling or dyeing. In the wetting out of the fabric the same draws together laterally to a great extent, at least enough so that it will have to be drawn on the board and stretched laterally to some degree. It also lengthens out in the wetting process. Now as an actual matter of fact, the stocking as knitted in Fig. 12 will be drawn on a board easier than that of Fig. 11. It is not necessary to extend the fabric laterally so much although'it is probably necessary to draw it out lengthwise a little more. would be boarded more easily and with less tendency toward destruction or possible injury of any part of the stocking at that time.

The heel and toe of a. stocking knitted according to the known practice do not have the same characteristic appearance the circularly knit fabric of the leg or foot normally has. In fact, the appearance will be not far different from that of Figs. 5 and '7 except that there will be an inclination of the stitches in adjacent courses, one course in one direction and the next in the other. That results from drawing loops to incline in opposite directions in accordance with the reciprocation of the needle cylinder. Finishing changes the fabric of Fig. 5 very little, also changes the heel or toe fabric very little, so that this uneven effect is most always visible in a finished stocking according to the present systern."

Now if knitted by the method herein disclosed, there is the same uniformity of appearance in the reciprocatorlly knitted fabric as in that knitted in non-reciprocatory work, and then, redistribution of the material in each stitch as illustrated. in Figs. 6 and 8, brings about an improvement which practically eliminates any tendency toward wash board effect.

As before stated, the needles are drawn down to a lesser extent according to the new method than needles would be drawn to knit correspondingly sized yarns according to the old method. The actual distance or extent to which needles are drawn, in accordance with the new method is very close to 50% of the actual needle movement below the stitch drawing edge of the sinker or web holder in a machine of the present type. That is, in a machine having sinkers and needies of size such as described with respect to Fig. 3, needles would be drawn down approximately of an inch, but in the new machine as in Fig. 4, the larger needles are drawn down only about 3 2- of an inch below the stitch drawing edge of the sinker or web holder.

In drawing stitches by the system now employed, considerable robbing of yarn between loops occurs as the formation of the fabric progresses. Now since needles which are considerably larger are used and since those needles are spaced farther apart (from to 20%) and are not drawn down more than about half the distance they would be drawn according to the present practice, less robbing results and greater uniformity is maintained. Also, the sinker loops are drawn much smaller and tighter than they normally would be and since that is a fact, robbing is not appreciable according to this new method and the yarn drawn has to come from the source of supply. These factors all help in maintaining uniformity of appearance and betterquality.

The fabric finished as has been described according to Fig. 8, has fully as much lateral extensibility as fabric knitted and finished accordthe fabric of Fig. 8 for size, etc. In a length- However, the net result is that it wise direction the extensibility is greater thanat present provided. This extensibility is realized without any loss of elasticity. The fabric finished down to 4" as for men's half hose may be extended widthwise to a limit of about 8%", but when released, displays very good elasticity and returns practically to the original dimension.

The larger sized cylinder not only enters into the machine combination and is essential to the practice of the invention from a viewpoint of 0btaining the desirable fabric characteristics, but is a most desirable feature when considered in its association with the rest of the machine. Naturally, there will be more room within the cylinder itself, but also, elements about the cylinder are not so crowded and thus close points may be avoided in the machine design and more satisfactory manipulation of cams, selecting mechanism, etc., realized. Since the stitch drawing movement of needles is much less than now practiced, and since the circumferential space about the cylinderwithin which any cam controlled movement is made can be increased considerably, the angle of stitch or other cams need not be so steep. This allows more latitude in the design and shape of cam surfaces and results in smoother operation with less breakage of butts and less tendency toward violent or excessively rapid cam action.

larger needles which naturally have butts of greater size, also larger jacks used therewith make it very unlikely that butts should break under action. In fact, the speed of the machine may be increased considerably and need not be limited, as has sometimes been the case, due to frailty of needle or jack butts.

.ioot knitting the uniformity of the fabric makes it unnecessary to attempt to board out the wellknown "wash board effect or to eliminate the same by rather closely adjusted and complicated machine attachments.

In knitting float work such as patterns by the floating and plating method, there has always been a tendency toward tightness of the fabric since the floats restrict extensibility in a lateral direction. With that thought in mind, such patterns have been made avoiding too many floats. Here the fabric coming rorn a larger cylinder and being finished down to a dimension comparable to that of fabric knitted on a smaller cylinder avoids some, at least, of this tendency toward tightness. The float pattern has much more latitude and many more floats can be allowed sincethe additional length of the floats due to increase in cylinder size always allows that much more extensibility. This results since the greater original diameter of the knitted tube provides slackness in the floats after the fabric is finished.

Tuck patterns appear slightly different from tuck patterns knitted on the conventional machine since in finishing the fabric down, the tuck stitches which are needle loops do not appear to contract or to give up their yarn to elon-.

, elastic in any of its forms.

The description has been made with reference to modified 24 gage needles employed with sinkers of .007" width. It is to be understood that this proportion has been found quite satisfactory, vbut slight variation from it is of course possible while still getting perfectly usable results. Another combination of needle and sinkers which may be used is that of 18 gage needles with a hook wire diameter of .028" when used with sinkers of either .007" or .010" thickness. These specific examples have been given since the dimensions are to some extent standard thickness of sinker steel and needle wire, although, of course, the particular combination is in no sense standard at the present time. Expressing it in another way, the needle hook diameter when compared to the thickness of the working or stitch drawing edge of a sinker may 'range from 2.8 to 4 times the latter dimension.

The invention has been described by giving one specific example as to the'manner in which it is practiced. It is to be understood that variations are contemplated within thelimits herein set up as being critical and the invention is defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

A method of producing hosiery including the steps of measuring and drawing needle and sinker loops in a circular, independent needle knitting machine equipedwith latch needles and drawing the needle loops much larger than sinker loops and thereafter finishing the fabric by substantially reducing its lateral dimension and increasing the longitudinal, thereby elongating sinker wales while reducing the width of needle wales, but still leaving needle wales substantially wider than sinker wales.

WILLIAM L. SMITH, JR.

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