US2507532A - Knitting - Google Patents

Description

S. C. MACK May 16, 1950 KNITTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 12, 1946 KEY TO PEG. (9,

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Patented May 16, 1950 UNITED STATES PTNT OFFICE KNITTING ration of New York Application September 12, 1946, Serial No. 696,446

10 Claims. 1

My invention is an improved method of narrowing and fashioning knit fabrics and the product thereof, which are particularly suitable for use as blanks for hosiery and leading objects of my invention are to effect a desired degree of narrowing with a minimum number of operations, minimum strain on the yarns, and only a slight visual pucker of the fabric in the narrowed zone.

In practicing my invention, a web composed of loops arranged in regula wales and courses may be knit in any usual manner, and in accordance with my invention is narrowed coursewise by overlapping loops to form triple groups from loops of consecutive trios of wales so as to form a coursewise row of adjoining marks each C0111- posed of three overlapped loops of adjoining courses: the loop of an intermediate Wale being between the loops of wales on either side thereof. Preferably, marks formed of pairs of loops are formed at the ends of the row of marks formed of trios of loops so as to merge the grouped loops gradually into the ungathered loops, The centers of the trios of loops or marks are spaced coursewise from one another substantially the same distance that the centers of individual loops were originally spaced from one another and the loops of each trio are held overlapped and the trios are positioned in proximate, juxtaposed relation to one another by drawing a row of holding loops simultaneously through the trios of gathered loops, thereby reducing the length of the course to approximately a third of its original length with very little puckering of the fabric and the marks forming a line curved slightly forward in the direction of knitting as it progresses inward from the selvage. Knitting may be thereafter continued in any usual manner to form a further web section, such as a foot section, or to provide raveling courses or seaming selvages if the narrowing is required at a terminal of the web, as, for instance, at the terminals of heel tabs or at the point of the toe of a stock! ing blank.

My invention may be conveniently practiced on a conventional full-fashioned knitting machine having a row or bank of en masse movable knit.- ting needles and narrowing combs comprising groups of points movable coursewise into align-- ment with needles and lengthwise of the needles to lift loops therefrom or deposit loops thereon.

In practicing my invention on such a machine, a comb containing a group of narrowing points is shifted coursewise step by step along the bank of knitting needles and in the same direction into alignment with looped knitting needles. As it is preferable to initially form one or more marks each composed of a pair of loops, rather than a trio of loops, the initial coursewise movements of the comb each brings its leading point into alignment with a different looped needle and between each ooursewise movement, the points are dipped and elevated to reciprocate them along the lengths of the needles and lift loops from the needles by one reciprocation and deposit loops on the needles by next reciprocation of the points; the lifting of the loop from each new needle is accompanied :by the simultaneous lifting of the marks formed by the previous overlapping oi loops and all of the lifted loops are simultaneously shifted coursewise one needle and redeposited, so that the single loop on the end point is deposited on a needle already containing a loop and the overlapped loops of the remainin points are deposited on needles which were emptied in the previous loop lifting operation, and the operation is repeated until the desired number of pairs of loops have been assembled.

But a special feature of the present invention resides in forming a series of marks in a course- Wise row and each comprising a trio of loops from adjoining wales and to do this, the steps requisite to the gathering together of pairs of loops are spaced or interrupted by picking up all the loops which have just been deposited by the points, together with an original loop on the needle on which a shiited loop has just been deposited by the leading point, and shifting such original loop and the loop deposited thereon simultaneously over an original loop on the next needle, thereby accumulating a trio of loops thereon. The comb is then operated to gather another pair of loops on a needle, and such pair (together with pres viously formed trios and pairs of loops) is then shifted to a looped needle to form a further trio thereon.

The principles and characteristic features of my invention, and the manner of practicing my improved method, and of making, constructing and using my improved fabric will further appear from the accompanying drawings and the follow? ing description explaining the best mode in which I have contemplated applying such principles.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic elevation of a single unit stocking embodying my invention; Fig. 2 illustrates diagrammatically -the shaping of the heel portion of a single unit hosiery blank by the coursewise narrowing of such blank in accordance with my invention; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary diagrammatic plan view of a foot section of a single unit hosiery blank from which the stocking of Fig. l was made; Fig.

4 is a diagrammatic plan view of the heel tabs and adjacent portion of a leg blank for making a twounit stocking; Fig. 5 is a key to the symbols used in Fig. 6 to indicate the numbers of loops on the respective needles; Fig. 6 illustrates diagrammatically part of a row of knitting needles arranged in a conventionally operable bar and agroup of narrowing points and indicate the lifting, course- Wise shifting, and deposit of yarn loops on such needles in the practice of my invention; Figs. '7 to 13 illustrate diagrammatically the approximate positions the loops of the narrowed course would occupy if the needles were withdrawn from the loops after the various narrowing steps indicated in Fig. 6; and Fig. 14 illustrates diagrammatically the narrowed courses and adjacent courses of the blanks of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

Since my invention is of primary utility in the knitting of hosiery blanks and in connection with the fashioning of heel and toe sections of such blanks, I have illustrated my invention in connection with the making of, and as embodied in, full-fashioned hosiery, which may be knit by the single carrier system or three carrier system and generally in any of the well-known ways for manufacturing hosiery of the single unit type or of the multiple unit type, as modified by the narrowings of my invention.

In Figs. 1-3 of the drawing I have illustrated the embodiment of my invention in a single unit stockin having a fashioned leg section l, a reenforced heel section 2, a reenforced sole section 3, and a reenforced toe section 5, and in F13. 4 I have illustrated the embodiment of my invention in the terminal portions of the heel tabs of a leg blank which is to be topped onto a. footer a machine for making a foot section of a two unit stocking.

The blanks for single unit stockings may be conveniently knitted on conventional full-fashioned knitting machines having attachments for widening out and reenforcing portions 5 of the blank to form a heel pocket, as described, for example, in Letters Patent of the United States Nos. 2,298,302 or 2,402,200. Any other suitable method of widening out the blank to form a heel portion may be employed. When a single unit blank has been widened out to the maximum width desired, at, say, the point 6, Fig. 2, a number of courses of such width are knitted sufiicient to provide the requisite fabric for a heel pocket. Such number of courses required will, of course, Vary widely with the size and type of the stocking.

It has been usual practice to gradually taper inward the widened out heel sections by narrowings forming rows of marks extending walewise of the fabric and parallel with the selvage edges thereof, thereby incorporating in the instep section a series of courses greatly in eXcess of those required by the contour of the human foot and tending to cause wrinkling at the instep when the stocking is worn.

In accordance with my invention, the widened out heel portion is knit its maximum width for a suitable length and is then abruptly narrowed along a somewhat loose terminal course by narrowings forming rows of marks extending coursewise, and along lines extending from the selvage edges on the oppostie sides of the blank inward toward the inner edges of the reenforccd heel area, the lines curving slightly toward the toe as they progress inward and usually imparting sufficient narrowing to the blank without extending all the way across the reenforced positions of the blank.

This abrupt narrowing of the terminal course 25 curves the widened out heel portion from the shape indicated approximately by the full side line of Fig. 2 to the shape indicated approximately by the curved dash line of Fig. 2 and curves the selvage wales sharpl inward and curves the inner wales to a progressively diminishing degree.

When the loose terminal course 25 is sufficient- 1y narrowed, a new course or holding course is interknit therewith and the knitting of the foot continued in th usual manner until the loose terminal course 250. of the toe is reached. This is narrowed in the same manner as the course 25 and finished off by a finishing course or courses 25a and any desired raveling courses or seaming courses.

Two unit stocking knit in any usual manner may have my invention embodied in the toes thereof in the same manner as in single unit stockings and in the terminal courses of the heel tabs as indicated in Fig. 4, wherein 25b indicates narrowed loose courses at the ends of the heel tabs and 28?) indicates holding courses, the courses 25b and 26b being similar to the courses 25 and 26 and effecting a fashioning and curving of the selvages and wales similar to that in the reenforced widened heel section of Fig. 2.

The fashioning of knit fabric in accordance with my invention by narrowing a course, such as 25, 25a or 251), is diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 5 to 14, inclusive.

Asindicated diagrammatically in these figures of the drawings, after a web has been knit by means of an en masse movable bank of needles M, ll, :2, l3, l4, l5, l3, l7, l8, l9, of a full-fashioned knitting machine to a point where narrowing is desired or required, and the loops a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, 2', 7', forming part of the fell row of loops of the fabric, are on the respective needles !0 to It inclusive, as shown in row A of Fig. 6, and the loops are disposed as in Fig. '7, the course is narrowed by means of a series of narrowing points 20, 2|, 22, 23, such as the ordinary narrowing comb of a full-fashioned knitting machine. The comb may be operated manually but is preferably operated by a suitably timed mechanism for imparting to the narrowing points a sequence of movements in a coursewise direction along the needles H) to [9 and a sequence of movements transverse thereto and rectilineally of the length of the needles.

As illustrated in the line A of Fig. 6, the narrowing point 20 has been shifted leftward from beyond the active bank of needles 10 to l9 into alignment with a looped needle H) at or adjacent to a selvage of the fabric being knit. Upon alignment of the point 20 with the needle H) as a result of this coursewise shift, the point 20 is dipped along the needle if! within the fell loop a, and is then raised to lift the loop a clear of the needle in. The comb on which the points are mounted is then shifted leftward coursewise a distance of one needle to bring the point 20, with the loop a thereon, into registration with the needle I! and the point 20 is then dipped to deposit the loop a on the needle I i over the loop b thereon, as indicated in row B of Fig. 8, so that if the needle H were removed, the loops a and I) would be overlapped, as indicated in Fig. 8.

The comb is raised until the point 20 clears the loops b, a of the needle H, and the comb is again shifted coursewise leftward a distance of one needle to bring the point 20 into alignment with the looped needle l2 and to bring an additional point 2| into alignment with the double looped needle H, as shownin line C of Fig. 6; The comb is then dipped to move the point 28 along the length of the needle i2 within the loop and to move the point 2| along the length of the needle within the loops at and b. The comb is then raised to cause the points 28 and 2| to pick up and lift the loops 0, b, a, engaged thereby and clear the needles II and i2. The comb is then again shifted coursewise leftward a distance of one needle to bring points 2t and 2| into alignment with the respective needles i3 and I2, and the comb is dipped to deposit the loop 0 over the loop 03 on the needle l3 and to deposit the loops at and b on the vacant needle It, as shown on line D of Fig. 6, so that if the needles [3' and iii were removed, the overlapped loops 0 and d would form a gathered group in juxtaposition to the previously gathered group formed by the loops a and b, as indicated in Fig. 9.

The comb is again raised but so that the point 20 lifts the loops d, c from the needle l3 and the point 2; lifts the loops b, a from the needle l2. Thus the deposited loops and an additional loop are lifted without any intervening coursewise shift of the comb between the deposit and lifting of the loops. Of course, if desired, the comb could be reciprocated through a complete dip and raise in depositing the loops and then reciprocated through a complete dip and raise in lifting the loops prior to a coursewise shift of the comb. In either event, after the points 2i! and 2| have lifted the loops d, c, and b, a from the needles i3 and E2, the comb is shifted coursewise leftward a distance of one needle to bring the point 25 into alignment with the looped needle It, and to bring the point 2| into alignment with the emptied needle 53. The comb is then dipped to move the points 20 and 2| along the respective needles I l and I3, respectively. The loops (1, c are thereby deposited over the loop 6 on the needle l4 and the loops 1), a are deposited on the needle 13, as indicated in line E of Fig. 6. If the needles l4 and [3 were removed, the overlapped loops e, d, 0 would form a trio of loops and the overlapped loops 1), a, would form a pair of loops, as indicated in Fig. 10.

The comb is then raised to cause the points it and 2| to clear the respective loops on the needles [4 and I3 and is again shifted coursewise leftward without any loops thereon a distance of one we needle to bring the point 29 into alignment with the needle l5, to bring the point 2| into alignment with the needle Id, and to bring a point 22 into action in alignment with the double looped needle it. The comb is then dipped to move the points 2!], 2i and 22 along the needles I4, l5 and i3 within the loops thereon and is then raised to lift the loop 1'' from the needle I5, to lift the trio of loops 9, d and c from the needle M, and to lift the pair of loops b, a from the needle |3, as indicated in line F of Fig. 6.

The comb is again shifted coursewise leftward one needle to bring the point 26 into alignment with the looped needle iii, to bring the point 2| into alignment with the emptied needle i5, and to bring the point 22 into alignment with the emptied needle Hi. The comb is then dipped to move the points 211-22 lengthwise along the lengths of the respective needles 16-14 and deposit the loop i ever the loop 9 on the needle it, todeposit the trio of loops e, d, c on the needle I5 and to deposit the pair of loops b, a on the needle l4, so that if the needles were removed the loops 9, 1 would be gathered as a pair, the loops e, d, 0, would be gathered as a trio, and the loops b, a would be gathered as a pair, as indicated in Fig. 11. Each of the several gatherings is formed of loops of consecutive wales and no loop is stretched further than from one Wale to th next, hence very little strain is imparted to the yarn. The comb is then raised, without coursewise shifting, to cause the points to pick up the respective loops on the needles |6-|4 and lift them clear of these needles. The comb is then again shifted coursewise leftward a distance of one needle to align the points 20*22 with the respective needles l|--I5. The comb is then dipped to move the points 20--'22 along the needles ll-it and deposit the pair of loops g, I from the point 29 over the loop h. on the needle if, to deposit the trio of loops e, d, c from the point it on the vacant needle l6, and to deposit the loops 2), a from the point 22 on the vacant needle is, as indicated in line H of Fig. 6, so that if the needles were removed the fell course would contain consecutive groups of gathered loops no ads and ba, as indicated in Fig. 12.

The comb is then again raised to cause the points IL-22 to clear the loop h and the deposited loops ga and is shifted coursewise leftward free of loops a distance of one needle so as to bring the point 26 into alignment with the looped needle 58, to bring the points 2|-22 into alignment with the triple looped needles I! and it and to bring an additional point 23 into action and into alignment with the double looped needle #5. The comb is dipped to move the needles 26-423 downward along the needles l3--i inclusive within the loops thereon. The comb is then raised to pick up the loop 2' from the needle !8, the loops h, g, from the needle H, the loops e, d, c from the needle i6, and the loops b, a from the needle i5, and lift these loops above the needles. The comb is again shifted coursewise leftward a distance of one needle to bring the points 2li23 into alignment with the respective needles |-l-|6. The comb is dipped to move the points 20-23 downward along the needles is to it and deposit the loop i over the loop 7' on the needle ill, to deposit the loops h, on the needle Hi, to deposit the loops e, d, c on the needle I1, and to deposit the loops b, a. on the needle it, as indicated in line J of Fig. 6, so that if the needles were removed the fell course would contain juxtaposed groups of loops composed respectively of gathered loops ii, hgf, edc and Ba.

Narrowing is continued in the same manner until the course has been sufficiently narrowed to produce a row of narrowing marks extending conrsewise across the wales on a line normal to the wales and curving slightly toward the toe from the selvage of the fabric, thereby fashioning the fabric in a manner resulting in a sharp bend or curvature in the wales adjacent to the selvage and a diminishing degree of curvature the wales progressively remote from the selvage.

Preferably the last narrowing operation is one that leaves a pair of loops at the inner end of the narrowed section of the course so as to provide a gradual transition from the triple gatherings to the ungathered loops along the inner portion of the course.

When the desired narrowing of the fell course has been effected by the coursewise shifting of the loops into a desired number of consecutive trios and pairs, knitting is resumed by laying a yarn along the looped needles and moving the needles en masse to draw the new yarn through the loops and group of loopsonthe needles so as 7 to form a new and narrowed course 26 which holds the gathered loops together and the pairs and trios in juxtaposition to one another with their centers spaced a distance equal to the center-tocenter spacing of the needles.

While I have described in detail the narrowing of the fabric inward from one selvage only, it will be understood that the fabric will usually be narrowed inward in the same manner from both selvages simultaneously. The lines of marks thus formed simulate the topping on lines of two unit stockings but at a somewhat different angle.

Knitting may b continued in any usual manner to any desired extent and a subsequent course, close to or remote from the course 25, may be narrowed in the same manner when additional narrowing and fashioning is desired or required. While I have described the full narrowing as taking place in a single course, and I find this ver desirable, occasions may arise where a repeated series, and at least several, narrowings are formed in one course and a further series, and at least several, narrowin s are formed in a subsequent course parallel to or offset from the first row.

Courses 25 at the end of the heel widening may be narrowed across the major portions of the heel reenforced sections of the blank, and the knitting of the foot continued in the usual manner after the course 26 has been knit until the extremity of the toe is reached. The fell course of loops forming a terminus of the toe section may be then narrowed inward from each selvage in the manner illustrated in Figs. 6 to 13, inclusive, and the narrowed course held in narrowed condition by a course 26 and one or more seaming courses or raveling courses.

In making two unit stockings, terminal courses 25b of heel tabs may be narrowed in the same manner to impart a curve to the bottom of the heel. I he heel tabs ar then topped on a footer and the foot section knit in the usual manner until the extremity of the toe is reached, which ma then be narrowed in the manner described.

Either a single unit blank or a two unit blank :formed as described may be seamed from toe to -welt without the need of looping.

It will, of course, be understood that each of the loops a-j, inclusive, will ordinarily include yarns laid by the main carrier and reenforcing carrier, and that the term loop includes all the yarns laid by the main carrier and reenforcing carrier and initially looped around a needle.

lhis application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 501,595, filed Septemher 9, 1943.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A knit fabric having loops forming wales and courses and including a course containing a multiplicity (and at least several) adjacent groups of overlapped loops, each group including loops of three adjacent wales, and a course interlooped with the last named course and comprising loops holding together the loops of several groups so as to substantially narrow the fabric.

2. A knit fabric stocking blank having loops forming wales and courses and having reenforced heel and sole sections divided from one another b a row of narrowing marks extending coursewise from substantially the selvages toward the inner edges of the reenforced areas, narrowing marks aforesaid each being composed of overlapped loops of three adjacent wales aforesaid.

3. A knit fabric stocking blank having loops forming wales and courses and having heel and sole sections with reenforced areas divided from one another by rows of narrowing marks each composed of loop groups, each of said rows in eluding marks composed of overlapped loops of a pair of adjacent wales and marks composed of overlapped loops of a trio of adjacent wales.

4. A knit fabric hosiery blank having loops forming wales and courses, the loops of certain pairs of adjacent wales being overlapped coursewise on one another and the loops of certain trios of adjacent wales being overlapped coursewise on one another, all of said overlapped loops being in the same course and forming a coursewise row of narrowing marks extending along a slightly curved line.

5. A method of narrowing a knit fabric having a course of loops on needles of an en masse movable bank which comprises shifting a group of loop-engaging points coursewise step by step a distance of one needle along said bank of needles and aligning said points with needles aforesaid, and alternately lifting and shifting coursewise one loop and then two loops by the leading point of said group.

6. A method of narrowing fabric which comprises knitting a web having loops forming wales and courses, gathering a narrowing mark by shifting a loop coursewise over a loop of an adjoining wale to form a pair of loops, shifting the pair of loops coursewise over a loop of an adjoining wale to form a trio of loops. and continuing the gathering of narrowing marks in a similar manner until a coursewise series and at least several marks are so formed, and then drawing a new course of loops simultaneously through the trios of loops forming the narrowing marks to position the same and substantially narrow the fabric.

'7. A method of narrowing fabric which comprises overlapping loops of a pair of adjoining wales, then overlapping loops of a trio of adjoining wales, repeating the overlapping of loops of further trios of adjoining wales, and thereafter overlapping loops of a pair of adjoining wales.

8. A method of narrowing fabric which comprises knitting a web having loops forming wales and courses, lifting a loop of one wale on a coursewise shiftable narrowing point and depositing it over a loop of an adjoining wale, lifting the overlapped loops on said point and depositing it over a loop of a wale adjoining the last named wale, freeing said point of loops and moving it coursewise and into engagement with another loop and simultaneously moving a second point into engagement with the first three loops, shifting the points coursewise and depositing the fourth named loop over a loop of an adjoining course, lifting the fourth and fifth named loops on said first named point and depositing them on a loop of a wale adjoining the fifth named loop, and continuing the same shifting and grouping of loops in threes along the same course until the course is substantially narrowed, and drawing the loops of a new course through the respective trios of loops.

9. A method of narrowing a knit fabric composed of yarn looped on equidistant needles of a row to form a course of loops, which comprises shifting a group of loop-engaging points coursewise uniformly, step-by-step, along said row of needles and aligning said points with needles aforesaid and alternately lifting and shifting coursewise by the leading point of said group the yarn originally looped on one needle and then the yarn originally looped on two needles.

10. In a method of narrowing a knit fabric having a course of loops on a, row of equidistant needles, the steps which co'mprise'shiiting a group of loop-engaging points edursewise in uniiqrm, successive steps along said row, each successive coursewise movement bringing points atore'said into alignment with needles of said row, dipping and raising said points along needles aforesaid efter each coursewise shift, said points being tree 10 of loops during certain steps of their cou rsewise shifts and carrying loops coursewise (luring two successive steps of their coursewise shifts occurring between the loop-free coursewise shifts of,

5 said points.

STERIJNG c. MACK.

No references cited.

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