US2354557A - Method of making stocking tops - Google Patents

Description

July 25, 1944. E. ST. PIRRE TAL 2,554,557

M/ATFEEG'EMLE; 3y M7 @www TTV July 25, Y1944. u E, $11 PIERRE ET AL 2,354,557

METHOD OF MAKING STOOKING TOPS Filed Aug. l, 1942 n 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 25, 1944 UNITED STATE s, PATENT OFFICE mamon oF MAKING srocxmf 'ross Eugene St. 'Pierre and Donat H. Fregeolle, Pawtucket, B.. I., assignors to Hemphill Company, Centralf Falls, R. 1., a corporation of Massachusetts Appueeuen August 1,1942, serial Ne. 453,2 60

(ci. iis-1) 1 Claim.

The subject matter of this case is an inven-v tion relating to knitted hosiery and method of producing the same. More specifically, the invention deals with the physical construction of a hosiery top for purposes of making an anklet and the method of knitting and finishing that y t0n. l

Anklets have been knitted in which the tops have been ef plain knitted type, but those tops have, in practically all instances of which we are aware, been rendered self-sustaining by incorporation of elastic yarn in some manner. The elastic yarn has been incorporated under tension and serves to hold the top of the anklet tightly about the ankle, also retains the anklet itself in position preventing the top from falling down and creating an unsightly and wrinkled appearance. The same has been done with regard to true rib tops although in some instances true rib topped anklets are made without incorporation of elastic yarn. l According to the present invention an anklet top is knitted having no elastic yarn incorporated therein but having enough contraction and tendency to remain in contracted state so that it will fit the ankle of the wearer tightly, also will remain in position if the anklet is mad of appropriate length. l

The construction of an anklet top of this type upon a single bank of needles makes it unnecessary to resort to ribtype machines thus avoiding transfer operations or costly and complicated mechanisms such as automatic type true rib ma chin s ih which a true rib top is first knitted and hen transfer made to cylinder knitting or Vside of the machine and during knitting of the top portion,- 'a so-called main yarn is fed and will be taken and knitted by all needles employed in the production of the stocking top. The resulting'fabric is 'of accordian type and will have a ribbed appearance' since the auxiliary yarn which floats behind intermediate wales draws the 'alternate wales laterally together projecting the said intermediate wales to the face of the fabric.

and sewed onV any satisfactory type sewing machine and by using any of the well-'known stitches` for thepurpose. In sewing it is only essential that` the seam -have 'suilicient elasticity to allow v the top to stretch at that particular point suiiiciently for putting it on over the heel.

'I'he tops are, however, finished before the sewing operation is done. This finishing operation constitutes a drawing out of fabric lengthwise o and forming it to proper diameter and isccomplain knitting for finishing the leg and foot ofr f the stocking. Since knitting is on a single bank i of-needles, it is much easier to knit string work and thereby render the machine operation practically automatic in all respects.

In knitting the fabric of the top itself, two feeding stations are preferably employed, one being designated as the main or usual knitting station of this type of machine and the other being an auxiliary station at which a single yarn may be fed to selected needles. At the said auxiliary station every other or appropriate selected needles are raised and take the auxiliary yarn in their hooks; draw it into a stitch and cast oil vthe previously held loop or loops. This aux iliary yarn may be a yarn finer in diameter than the yarn feeding at the so-called main station at that time, according to the better practice,

plished by the usual wetting, steaming and boarding under heat. After the article sare removed from the board, theymay be sewed at any convenient time. Since the boarding is done while the top is of a' single thickness, finishing ofthe entire stocking is evenly distributed and itis not vfound necessary to employ greater heat at any one point than at another. This obviates any tendency to burn thinner sections as frequently happens if an article isr finished which has lparts ,of single and other parts of' double thickness.

'The other extreme is also avoided. that is, to

avoid burning the thinner sections, it is not neces- 4, eery te discontinue nmsning the top befeie the same is dry' and has been suillciently set. A

Detailed description of the fabric and of one preferred manner in which the saine is knitted will be described by referring to the accompanyso ing iingersof the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of part of a 'stocking knitted iny accordance with the invention:

Fig. 2 is a-conventional AView showing to a greatly enlarged scale the construction of the but that-is not absolutely essential. At the main 55 fabric;

latches cleared.

3 is an isometric view wherein the method of tting is illustrated: and

ll'ig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing two yarn feeding stations and the pathways of needle hooks as they pass thosestations, take yarn and draw that yarn into knitted stitches.

Referring to Fig. 2, the fabric for the stocking top is knitted of two yarns, one yarn indicated by numeral I being the heavier and being fed at the main side of the machine. 'l'he lighter yarn l is fed at the so-called auxiliary feeding point and is sometimes termed the accordion yarn. The fabric as here illustrated is merely a fragment cut from the top and lhas alternate wales .4, I and l and intermediate wales 3, I, 'Iland 9. The yarn 2 is drawn into knitted stitches at the alternate wales only, floating over the intermediate ones. 'I'he yarn Iis drawn into knitted stitches at each wale, but in the intermediate wales it is to be noted that there are onlyA loops of yarn I while lin the alternate wales thereare alternating loops o f first one yarn`r and then the other. A certain amount of stitch robbing takes -place so that the ultimate'length of each of the wales is the same, thus stitches in intermediate wales are much longer than stitches in alternate wales. Depending upon the length of stitch drawn and upon the tension inthe yarns and other features, the fabric winbe dradn together-,laterally so that a ribbed appearance is realized.

While a 1 x l type rib has been shown byV way Y ofexample, spacing such, as 2 x l, and others may be employed. No selvage has been illus-v trated in this fragment of the fabric, but a selvage may be formed as above explained, the fabric may be provided with a small outturned welt at the beginning of each new top, or it may merely be left with a non-selvaged edge as subsequent sewing will lock the fabric against ruiming. However, during the finishing operation itis likely that runs may start so a selvage is preferably provided.

In knitting in string work the articles may be separated by pull courses or by breaking courses and the use of a true selvage makes it easier to separate the individual stockings without damaging the fabric. I

In Fig. l a stocking having a leg Il and a top generally indicated at Il hasthat top Il knitted of such length thatit may be folded inwardly providing an outer thickness I2 and an inner one I3. The edge of the turned part ofthe top is sewed onf any convenient type of sewing machine and the seam Il does not show from the outside of the fabric. The welt thus formed will have a ribbed.

appearance both inside and outside. The seam must be loose or elastic enough so 'that stretching the top as when putting the same on over the heel is not limited by tightness in the seam itself.

In Fig. 3 several needles and' sinkers have been illustrated at and adjacent the auxiliary stitch drawing point. The auxiliary yarn2 is shown feeding through a convenient feeding finger I5 andvalternate needles II-are raised to take that yarn in their hooks while intermediate needles I1 are not so raised. Needles Il only have their Bink'ers are of two types, one lhaving the usual rounded-nibs Il'while the other'group of sinkers has nibs Il with inclinededges over which yarn may be measured. 'Ihe sinkers Il and I9 are alternating as shown in Fig `3, that is, if a 1 x 1 arrangement is desired. The sinkers having nibs Il have short butts 2|- while the regular'sinkers 2 I. As the said sinkers approach the stitch drawing point at this auxiliary side, regular sinkers are drawn outwardly to a greater extent than the in- .clined nibbed sinkers, the latterremaining at yarn elongating them andimparting to the fabric a certain degree of elasticity and extensibility whichit would not otherwise have. l

In certain instances the sinkers with inclined nibs may follow the needles which take the yarn 2 rather than preceding them as illustrated herein. The arrangement illustrated is preferred. In certain types of machines it may be desirable for other reasons to measure the yarn over sink-y ers having nibs of different type, or it may be ,that the yarn will not be measured over nibs of sinkers at all. Special instrumentalities may be employed for the purpose and in that event, all of these arrangements are contemplated as falling within the scope of the invention herein disclosed.

Tension on the yarn 2 is varied in accordance with the length of stitch being drawn and in accordance with other factors such as the weight of the yarn 2, especially as compared to the socalled main yarn I, and depending upon the gage of the machine and the desired width of the top as it comes from the machine.

Now referring to Fig. 4 the auxiliary feed is generally indicated at A and the auxiliary yarn feeding lever IB is shown in position to feed yarn 2. Needle hooks approach ina pathway 22 and those needles which are selected to take the yarn 2 in their hooks will beraised to an elevated pathway 23 in which they will engage that yarn while the intermediate needles continue at elevationA engage that yarn behind the hooks and in back.

of needle shanks.: All needles move down to a stitch drawing point 2| as needle butts are engaged by a suitable stitch drawing cam movable to and from active position as desired. There- .'after all needles are raised so thatthelr hooks nove along at the elevation 22, then'upon approaching the main feeding station M, they will be raisedl until the elevation 2l is reached, that being an elevation at which needle latches will be cleared. Thereafter all'needles take and knit yarn I which is feeding through a suitable yarn `feeding lever or finger 26, that being one of the usual plurality of such fingers at the main mouthpiece of a machine of this stype. In knitting this stitch drawing point 2l and, of course, sinkers l, aremoved out at appropriate times, inwardly for holding down the fabric, and for casting off or those having rounded nibsll, have long lbutts 7s the previously drawn stitches, all as is usually accomplished at a feeding and stitch drawing point in hosiery machines. Thereafter the elevation A22 is reached and the cycle .is repeated.

By knitting a stocking top as herein described a. ribbed appearance is attained and elasticityA and contraction are such that as the fabric is finished and later turned inwardly and weltedl or sewed, the resulting top structure serves very effectively for anklets. 'Ihe length ofthe top Il may be varied as desired for different types of anklets, but preferably it will be of approximately the proportions shown in Fig. 1 and the leg portion Il is to be of such length that theV top Il comes at the smallest portion of the ankle.

'Iv'he fabric is preferably made on a. circular, independent needle typemachineand, of course, may be produced on any other type machine found convenient for the purpose. In Flg. 3 the line of needles and sinkers is shown straight rather than in the arc of a circle as-would normally be the case. That is merely for convenience of illustration. v

After the fabric is taken from the machine, whether knitted in string work or separately as by running on vor dropping ofi individual stockings, it is subjected to a nishing operation such as wetting or steaming and then boarding on a heated form. The top itself is elongatedv on this form and will be narrowed-down as desired. After theboarding operation and when the stockings are thoroughly dry, the tops may be welted or sewed at any convenient time.

By finishing before sewing the boarding operation is more easily and satisfactorily carried out. The sewing may be on any convenient type of sewing machinefor the purpose. Preferably a sewing machine `of Merrow type is used and the seam is generally known as a blind stitch.

1f desired, a p'icot or folding line may be made at the proper place. That will make folding and welting easier and improve the ornamental effect at the edge.

The invention has been described by reference to specific details and disclosure of one particular embodiment of the same. It is to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and refers to a preferred embodiment only and that the inven.

and knitting a second smaller yarn by drawing it into knitted stitches at alternate wales in intermediate courses while floating it over intermep diate wales in such a way that the sinker loops are looser than the corresponding sinker loops of the other yarn and then turning Athe fabric inwardly and sewing the upper edge to the lower'.

edge to form a turned or double weit having a ribbed appearance both on the inside and outside.

EUGENE ST. PIERRE. DONAT H. FREGEOILE.

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