US2349746A - Elastic top stocking - Google Patents

Description

ELASTIC TOP STOCKING Filed Feb. 14, 1936 INVENTORS T a-" K E. MORRIS HOWARD WAGNER BY THEIR ATTORNEYS MMM Patented May 23, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

This invention relates to an elastic top stocking and process of making same, and more particularly to hosiery in which an elastic thread is knitted in a portion thereof for the purpose of holding the stocking in position. The invention will be shown and described embodied in a child's anklet. One of the objects of this invention is to produce an elastic top sock or anklet in a simple manner, which will have an improved appearance.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side view of an anklet embodying the invention Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the appearance of the top of the anklet with the upper edge of the fabric turned in; while Fig. 3 is an extended diagram of the face of the novel fabric, the upper edge being knit last, and showing the interlooping of some of the courses in the top; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary diagram of the face of a. modified construction of the novel fabric.

The novel fabric illustrated in diagram in Fig. 3 of the drawing may form part or all of the top, and the top may either be of the turned welt typ or a single thicknes welt or top type. This top is adapted to be made on a single set or bank of needles but will have the appearance of a coarse ribbed top. Any portion or all of the top which it is desired may be made of the novel fabric shown in Fig. 3.

The top of the stocking consists of alternate groups of courses made of comparatively inelastic threads and groups of courses containing comparatively elastic threads, but it should be understood. that while this is the form shown in the drawing, it is possible to make the sock or anklet with either or both kinds of groups made of single courses. Thus it is possible to make the novel anklet with one course made of inelastic thread alternated with one course containing the elastic thread. The groups of plain thread courses are designated in Fig. 3 by the reference character l, and the groups of elastic thread courses are designated by the reference character 8. It will be observed that the alternate elastic and inelastic courses constructed in the manner which will be set forth produce a contracted fabric (Figs. 1 and 2). The contraction is determined by the tension on the elastic thread due to the use of the usual tension devices and is such as to produce a coarse ribbed effect which is well defined and of pleasing appearance. The construction also has an intaglio effect, as will be set forth later.

Turning now to the manner in which the fabric shown in Fig. 3 is constructed, it will be observedthat each course 1 is made of plain fabric from a comparatively inelastic thread 8. On the other hand, each of the elastic courses 8 is made solely and only of an elastic thread [0. In the courses I made of the inelastic thread 8 there is a stitch or loop in each wale in each course. This is not true however of the courses 8 made of the elastic thread H). In each group of elastic courses interlooped with each other, the elastic thread II is shown knitted into stitches inwales ll which are arranged in groups of 3, and these are separated from each other by wales H which also are three in number. In the wales l2 between the elastic knitted wales H, the elastic thread is floated. This alternation of three wales knit and three wales floated in the courses 8 gives laterally spaced groups of stitches in the wales II with intermediate floats H. There is no inelastic thread in the elastic courses 8 and it therefore follows that there are no stitches in the floated wales H in the elastic courses 8. In the example shown in the drawing there are four courses 8 in each group of elastic wales and four courses I in each group of inelastic wales. The groups of courses 8 of elastic thread tend to contract the fabric in the direction of the courses, whereas the groups of the inelastic courses 'I have no such tendency. It should be noted that where there are no stitches in the float wales II in the elastic courses 8, the loops I3 on the needles when the -last preceding inelastic course was finished rewales l2 tend to assist the elasticity of the rubber to make the loops in the elastic courses 8 small, as shown in Fig. 3, and they tend to contract the courses 8 in the direction of the wales. They also assist in making rib and intaglio effects. It might be pointed out that the diagram in Fig. 3 is made from the face of the fabric and that viewed from this side the elastic thread ID in the courses 8 lies back of the held plain stitches l3 which extend from the last plain course 7 of one group to the first plain course 1 of the adjacent group. The grouping therefore consists of two bands arranged in spaced relation to each other andif desiredalso the top edge. (It will be understood of course that the diagrammatic showing in Fig. 3 does not attempt to illustrate the effect of contraction of the fabric after it leaves the needles.)

After the anklet leaves the machine the top 5 has the appearance shown in Fig. 2. In this figure part of the top is turned in to make a finished edge. The most prominent features of the top are the vertical ribs I5 which are constituted by the wales l2 due to the contraction caused by the elastic floats l4. There is also an intaglio and horizontal rib effect in the wales I l. Thus the stitches of elastic thread ill in the courses 8 and wales H are recessed or sunk between the stitches of inelastic thread in the courses 1 in the same wales ll. These recessed portions are indicated in Fig. 2 by the reference character I5. Due to this intaglio the inelastic stitches in the wales ll give a horizontal rib effect ll between the recessed portions l6 while the vertical ribs l5 stand out beyond the horizontal ribs H and the intaglio portions IS. The elastic thread ID in the finished fabric shows only at the intaglio portions I6.

The construction of the fabric having been set forth, the manipulation of an ordinary seamless hosiery machine to make such fabric will now be explained.- It can also bemade on a flat machine. One of the advantages of the anklet above described is that though it can be made on a seamless machine having only one bank or set of needles, the construction has all the advantages of an anklet knit on two banks. Assuming that the anklet is to be knit from top to toe, the machine can be started up in any of the customary ways for plain fabric and the courses 8 of the elastic thread begun at any point thereafter. At this point the elastic thread is thrown into action and immediately thereafter the inelastic thread is thrown out of action. Simultaneously the needles-either by virtue of length of needle butts or by virtue of jacks, such for instance as shown in the patent to Ivan W. Grothey No. 1,678,385, dated July 24, l928-are separated into alternate groups of threes. Thus if alternate groups are made ever-active the intervening groups of three's will correspond to the wales l2 and will be thrown out of action while making the courses 8 of elastic thread, by being drawn under the knitting cams. The inelastic threadis kept out of action for four courses and then the elastic thread is taken out and the inelastic thread put back and fed to all the needles. In one suitable embodiment of the invention there would be six groups of courses 8 of the elastic thread, each four courses wide, separated by groups of courses of the inelastic thread each four courses wide. After the desired number of these groups of special courses 8 have been inserted, the balance of the fabric can be knit in any conventional manner.

In Fig. 4 the fabric is shown as comprising the alternate courses la of the inelastic thread knit at all wales and the intervening courses 8a of the elastic thread knit at alternate wales only .and floated at the intervening wales. This fabric is knit in the same manner as the fabric of Fig. 3 except that the threads will be changed after each course is knit and in the knitting of the elastic thread alternate needles only are selected to take and knit the elastic thread, the elastic thread-being floated at the intervening needles.

In the foregoing description and in some of the claims, reference has been made to alternate" with respect to wales and courses; by alternate" it is not intended to limit the invention to every other either as applied to wales or courses, as the elastic and inelastic courses may alternate in other than in a one and one relation, e. g., one and two, two and one, and two and two.

The elastic top of the anklet thus produced has a well-defined rib effect and a pleasing appearance, due to the depth of the pattern and the intaglio effect.

Many variations from the example given, which do not depart from the scope of our invention, will occur to those skilled in the art.

What we claim is:

' 1. A stocking knit of comparatively elastic and inelastic threads in which an elastic thread is knit in under tension in some courses but not in all the courses of the top, there being no stitches of comparatively inelastic thread in said courses and the elastic thread in said courses being knit in a plurality of adjacent wales and floated in a plurality of wales in which there are no stitches knitted in the courses containing elastic thread.

2. A stocking knit of comparatively elastic and inelastic threads in which there are groups of courses of inelastic thread separated by groups of courses knit of elastic thread under tension, said elastic thread being knit only in certain wales and floated in others, and the inelastic courses on either side of an elastic course group being connected directly to each other in the wales where the elastic thread is not knit in, thereby causing an intaglio and ribbed effect.

3. A stocking knit of comparatiyely elastic and inelastic threads in which an elastic thread is knit in under tension in certain courses and is not present in others alternately, said elastic thread being knit in in certain wales in those courses where present but not in the other wales in those courses in repeated sequence, there being inelastic loops in the wales where the elastic yarn is not knitted in, each extending 'across the courses containing elastic from one inelastic course to another, whereby an intaglio effect is obtained.

4. A stocking plain weft knit of comparatively elastic and inelastic threads in which an elastic thread only is knit in under tension in certain courses and omitted in others in repeated sequence in the top, the elastic thread in the courses where present being incorporated in a plurality of successive wales and floated-over a plurality of successive wales in repeated-succession, with the result that a vertical rib effect is produced.

5. A stocking plain weft knit of comparatively elastic and inelastic threads in which an elastic thread only is knit in in spaced groups of courses in the top and omitted in others in repeated sequence, the elastic thread in the courses where present being incorporated in aplurallty of successive wales and floated over apluraility of successive wales in repeated succession, whereby a vertical rib effect is produced. I

6. A stocking knit of comparatively elastic and inelastic threads in which an elastic thread is knit in under tension in a plurality of immediately succeeding interlooped courses of stitches, there being no other thread knit in said courses and the elasticthread in said courses being knit in pluralities of adjacent wales and floated in pluralities of wales alternately so as to produce a ribbed effect.

'7. A plain knitted, seamless stocking fabric comprising wales and courses, a relatively inelastic yarn alone knitted in alternate courses only and a relatively elastic yarn knitted in intermediate courses only. the relatively inelastic yarn being knitted at all of the wales in the said alternate courses and the said elastic yarn being knitted at alternate wales only in the said intermediate courses, the said elastic yam being knitted under a light tension and in a suflicient number of courses to cause the intermediate wales to appear as rib wales on the outer face of the fabric.

8. A seamless plain knitted stocking top comprising, throughout the greater portion thereof, alternating courses of elastic and inelastic yarns, said inelastic yarn being knitted at every wale and said elastic yarn being knitted at alternate wales only and floated across intervening wales, said elastic yarn being knitted under light tension and producing a rib effect.

9. A method of knitting a seamless stocking top with one set of independent needles, said method including feeding a relatively inelastic yarn to all the needles in alternate courses and causing the said needles to knit the said yarn,

and feeding an elastic yam only to alternate needles, the said alternate needles knitting the said elastic yarn to constitute courses intervening between the first mentioned courses, and imposing a light tension upon the elastic yarn, all for the purpose of causing alternate wales to appear as face wales in the knitted fabric.

10. In a plain knit seamless stocking, a top portion comprising recurring plain knit courses of inelastic thread and intervening courses knit of an elastic thread only, said elastic thread being knitted at recurring wales and floated at the intervening wales in each course and causing the intervening wales to appear as rib wales at the face of the fabric.

11. In an article of hosiery, a leg portion comprising a body having a top, said top comprising courses of elastic thread only and courses of inelastic thread, the elastic thread being knit in recurring wales and floated at the intervening wales, the elastic thread being present in recurring courses and absent from the intervening courses, the normal length of elastic thread where floated being less than the normal length of the corresponding portion of the inelastic fabric to draw in the inelastic fabric both at and between elastic-carrying courses.

His

FRANK E. X MORRIS.

Mark HOWARD WAGNER. Witnesses to mark:

Jorm N. GOTWALS, Jarmn: E. Moaxrs.

' CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,5h9,7h6. May 25, 191A.

- FRANK E. MORRIS, ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, secand column, line 56, claim 5, for the words "in repeated sequence" read "alternately"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record oi the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this l th day of July, A. D. 19%.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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