US2539582A - Stocking and method of making the same - Google Patents

Description

Jam 30, 1951 N. s. ILLGES ET AL 2,539,582

STOCKING AND METHOD 0F MAKING THE SAME /V., S. /LLGES J 4E. STOLTZ Jam 30, 1951 N. s. ILLGEs ET A1.

INVENTO /V. f. fge? J E. JZQZ iz BY "fix/,U j

ATTORNEY` Patented Jan. 30, 19,51

STOCKING AND METHOD 0F MAKING THE SAME Norman Shannon Illges and Joseph Edward Stoltz, Columbus, Ga., assignors to Shannon Hosiery Mills, Incorporated, Columbus, Ga.

Application December 23, 1946, Serial No. 717,826

7 Claims.

l This invention relates to full fashioned stockings and methods for producing them, and has reference more particularly to full fashionedstockings knit in a single operation as distinguished from those made on separate leggers, footers, loopers, etc. The invention is directed primarily to an improved heel construction in stockings of this type.

Stockings made by the usual process of utilizing several machines fail to accurately t the foot. The usual processes provide heel tabs which have to be looped to the foot portion to form the heel pocket. These heel tabs are substantially straight sided, and subsequent looping and seaming form a more or less square heel, or a bunching of excess material in the seam if an attempt is made to round the heel. In any event the completed stocking fails to fit, being too tight across the instep and too full at the ankle. Numerous attempts have been made to produce a full fashioned stocking by a single operation eliminating the delicate transfer operation and the necessity for looping the heel. These attempts have met with varying degrees of success but none have produced a stocking which would provide accurate heel fit and at the same time require a single scaming operation to close up the blank.

The object of the present invention is to provide a full fashioned stocking and method for g producing it in a single knitting operation, wherein the completed stocking has a heel pocket of increased elasticity to insure a more perfect fit. The single knittingy operation will dispense with the necessity for looping the heel and thereby eliminate the potential weak spots in the finished product which occur in any looping operation.

Another object of the invention is to produce such a stocking having a cleaner selvage, thus facilitating the single seaming operation and eliminating excess heel fabric. This provides` improved wearing qualities and a more comfortable stocking, particularly when pressure is applied to the heel.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a method which can be carried out on Yexisting full fashioned knitting machines with known attachments, precluding the necessity for special equipment. Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention taken in conjunction with the drawing which accompaniesy and forms a part of this specification.

needle outward, or toward the selvage.

In the drawing:

Figure l'is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a full fashioned stocking blank, only the heel and adjacent portions being shown;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a completed heel portion of a full fashioned stocking showing the actual arrangement of wales in the reinforced heel area and the contour of the heel; and,

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of the heel fabric showing for a few courses above and below the line ll of Figure 1 those wales at the left of Figure l.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in the method employed in making the contemplated stocking, the welt (not shown), leg l, and high splicing 2 are knit in the usual manner down through a course denoted by the dot and dash line 3 3. After the loops of the next course have been formed, narrowing fingers on the knitting machine engage these loops from the points 5 and outward, and transfer them one At the same time the selvage carrier moves outward the space of one needle. On the next throw of the thread carrier a loop is formed on the needle left vacant by the transfer operation thus beginning a new wale. This operation is repeated during successive courses until the line 4 4 is reached which widens the material to start the formation of the heel. The fabric in this area will have its outer section composed of wales 'l which are diagonal to the wales in the leg portion and adjacent portion of the foot. The inclination of the wales l to the leg wales is approximately 45 degrees, and the section is defined by a line of small holes or picots 8 and the angularly disposed selvage 9.

In the next succeeding courses, that area from line 4 4 to line id ll, the one needle outward transfer of the loops of diagonal wales l is continued but the operation of the narrowing ngers is slightly different. In this area the loops of the diagonal wales 'l are transferred outwardly one needle, and after the transfer the narrowing fingers without fabric continuing outward the distance of an additional needle. By this method of operation a line of holes Il is formed as a continuation of, but at an angle to, the line of holes 8. The transferred wales, however, are continuations of, and in alignment with, transferred wales of the area between the lines 3 3 and l-. As the narrowing ngers move a total distance of two needles between successive courses, the holes I! in successive courses will be transversely spaced a diS- tance of two needles. Due to the fact that the narrowing fingers moved outward a second needle after depositing the transfer loops, the innermost transfer finger will move one needle from the innermost transferred loop, and therefore theloopof thatwale will not be transferred in the next succeeding course,` and in thefnvished stocking successive diagonal wales turn at the line of holes li in successive courses and. continue vertically downward. The sharp direction change of these wales causesalllof't-hewales in the lower transferred area to assume an arcuate position as shown in FigurefZ, thusrforming a natural curvature for the. heels pocket, and positioning the wales transversely ofthe; direc,- tion of stretch to provide increased elasticity across the instep.

To provide a continuous finished selvage the selvage mechanism remains stationary during the knitting of the area between linesA-Li and IDs-l0, and coveringknives are'brought into 4operatiomto cause. the` loops of a fewV of the wales adjacent tcthe selvage toremain on the needles and notbe transferred ,with the, loops in the body of '.the fabric inthis area; As the selvage mechanismis stationary, the wales l2 will follow the finished edge I3, thus providinga few wales adjacent to the selvage which are in continuous alignment with the selvage throughout the heel area. Ai line M parallel to the selvage will resultv I where the angularly positioned wales terminate against the untransferred wales l2. This line lil andthe lineof holes Il are at an angle to one another and meetto form a V'into which all of the angularly positioned wales run and either changetheir directionv at the line of holes il, or terminate atfthe line i4.

When the line I'U- is reached the transfer bars carrying the narrowing ingers are racked inwardly to points i5, and a narrowing of the fabric takes place from the'line iii-l to the line [l-i6 to completev the formation of the heel. During the knitting of this area the transfer bars-move inwardly two needies in each course, deposit the-fabric and then move back one needle. At the same time the selvage carrier moves inwardly two needles each course, resulting in a iinishededge la extending at an'angle inwardly from thewidest portion of the heel area to the narrower fabric of the foot. Due to the fact that the transfer bars move backfone needle after a twoneedle loop'tranefer, the wales in the transferred area will be positioned parallel to the selvage liwhile the row of narrowing Vi will convergetoward the selvage, the angular position ofthe narrowing-l 'if with respect to the wales in the body portion of the fabric being equivalent to one needle narrowing. As will be noted from Figure 2, the narrowing operation causes the wales in the regions i9 and 2G to curve in toward the line of narrowing, thus not only shaping the fabric to t the heel but providing increased elasticity in the area adjacent to the line of holes 8 and l l.

lAfter the aboveoperations are completed the balance-of -the foot isfknit in the usual manner. The toe-portion isthen looped and the-stocking closed by aff single searningoperation from toe to welt:

Following the foregoing procedure results in a stocking having al clean selvage shaped to'substantiallythe contour of a heel with a few of the wales adjacent tothe selvage running parallel totheselvage throughout the entire heel and into therfoot'-1. The novel'use of widening and narrow--l ing provides increased fullness and elasticity in the heel pocket to insure a better fit in the heel and across the instep.

While a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention has been described and shown herein, it is understood that changes may be made from the precise disclosure within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a stocking of the full fashioned type which is produced by a continuous knitting operation, an improved heel construction comprising, an areain which the selvage and a plurality of' wales adjacent thereto are transferred outwardly in each of a-plurality of successive courses a distance equal to the spacing between adjacent wales, a subsequentlyk knit area in which the said wales are also transferred outwardly a distance of one wale with the innermost Wale of the transferred group in each succeeding course remaining untransferred andthe selvage and a--relatively few wales adjacent thereto remaining untransferred and parallel to the wales in the lbody portion of the fabric, whereby a line ofv joinder is formed between the transferred wales and the untransferred wales adjacent to the selvage, andv a succeedingl area in 'which narrowing takes place, the line of narrowing in they last mentioned area positioned inwardly from theselvage and moving inwardly a distanceof one wale in-each succeeding course and thel selvage moving inwardly a distance of two wales in eachsucceeding course.

2. In a stocking of the full fashioned type'y which is prcducedby a continuous knitting operation, an improved heel pocket including, anI area adjacent to the apex ofthe heel pocketdefined by a line of holes and a walewise line of double loops, the line of holes and walewise line of doubled loops converging toward one another and the wales within the area ruiming into the said defining lines, the walewise line ofv doubled loops and a plurality of wales adjacent thereto being parallel to the selvage.

3. The method of producing an improvedfheel` the loops one needle, racking the transfer bars inwardly from thev selvages and knitting` a; plu:- rality of courses, the loops being transferreditwoi needles inward eachV course and the transfers-N bar moved back one needle'after ther-two needle;

transfer, and moving the selvage stopsinwardly two needles in each' of the last mentionedjcourses,

4'. In a stockingi ofr the full-fashioned; typewhich` is .ma-de from a.4 blank produced 'oy-fa; corr'.` tinuous knitting operation, an zimproved'heellcorr; struction comprising, an area beneatiizthe ankle; composed of; a plurality ofcourses.in;whichi a plurality of loopsadjacent theselvage are transev ferredA outwardly to produce marginal,groupssofT diagonally positioned; wales` and,Y a; widenedfabric, a second area in continuation;ofthezrst:

composed of a plurality of courses in which the.

selvage and a few wales adjacent thereto are parallel to each other and other wales are trans-1 ferred outwardly to form diagonal wales in continuation of those in the said first area, the outermost diagonal Wales terminating against the innermost of said parallel wales, the innermost loop of said diagonal wales in said second area be-l ing untransferred in at least some of the courses to turn into wales parallel to said selvages and adjacent wales, and a succeeding area composed of a plurality of courses in which a plurality of loops adjacent the selvages are transferred in- Wardly to narrow the fabric.

5. In a stocking of the full-fashioned type which is made from a blank produced by a continuous knitting operation, an improved heel contruction comprising, an area beneath the ankle composed of a plurality of courses in which a plurality of loops adjacent the selvage are transferred outwardly to produce marginal groups of diagonally positioned wales and a widened fabric, a second area in continuation of the iirst composed of a plurality of courses in which the selvage and a few Wales adjacent thereto are parallel to each other and other Wales are transferred outwardly to form diagonal Wales in continuation of those in the said iirst area, the outermost diagonal Wales terminating against the innermost of said parallel Wales, the innermost loop of said diagonal wales in said second area being untransferred in at least some of the courses to turn into wales parallel to said selvages and adjacent Wales, and a succeeding area in which the fabric is narrowed, the lines of narrowing in the last mentioned area being positioned inwardly from the selvages and each moving inwardly a distance of one Wale in each succeeding course and the selvages each moving inwardly a distance of two wales in each succeeding course.

6. In a stocking of the full-fashioned type which is made from a blank produced by a continuous knitting operation, an improved heel construction comprising, an area beneath the ankle composed of a plurality of courses in which a plurality of loops adjacent the selvages are transferred outwardly one Wale to produce marginal groups of diagonally positioned wales and a widened fabric, a second area in continuation of the first composed of a plurality of courses in which the selvages and a few wales adjacent thereto are parallel to each other and other wales are transferred one Wale outwardly to form diagonal wales in continuation of those in the said first area, the outermost diagonal Wales terminating against the innermost of said parallel wales the innermost loops or" said diagonal wales in said second area being untransferred in each course to turn into wales parallel to said selvages and adjacent wales, and a succeeding area in which narrowing takes place, the lines of narrowing in the last-mentioned area being posi-- tioned inwardly from the selvages and each moving inwardly a distance of one Wale in each succeeding course and each selvage moving inward'- ly a distance of two Wales in each succeeding course.

7. The method of producing an improved heel pocket in a full-fashioned stocking formed by a continuous knitting operation comprising, moving the selvage stops outward one needle in each of a plurality of successive courses below the ankle, and transferring a plurality of loops adjacent to the selvages outward one needle in each of said courses, keeping the selvage stops stationary during an additional plurality of courses, bringing covering knives into operation to prevent the transfer of a relatively few loops closely adjacent the selvages and continuing the one needle transfer operation with the transfer bars moving Without fabric and an additional needle outward in each course after transferring the loops one needle, and knitting a plurality of courses in which the fabric is narrowed.

NORMAN S. ILLGES. JOSEPH EDWARD STOLTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,743,347 Hilscher Jan. 14, 1930 1,746,846 Wieland Feb. 11, 1930 2,154,602 Berger Apr. 18, 1939 2,319,224 Garrett May 18, 1943 2,330,445 Patton Sept. 28, 1943 2,330,683 Cobert Sept. 28, 1943 2,347,457 Boedeker Apr. 25, 1944 2,385,672 Woodcock Sept. 25, 1945

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