US2729824A - Stocking - Google Patents

Description

gan. 1o, 1956 1 nou., JR

STOCKING Filed June 10, 1954 nga United States Patent O STOCKING Ludwig Doll, Jr., Heidelsheim-Bruchsal, Germany Application .lune 10, 1954, Serial No. 435,861

Claims priority, application Germany June 17, 1953 5 Claims. (Cl. 2-239) This invention relates to stockings, in particular to ladies stockings manufactured of polyamide silk fabric (nylon, Perlon, and similar fabrics).

When putting on ladies nylons of the customary construction, special care must be taken to have the seam running in a straight line, since a crooked or zig-zagshaped seam of the stocking creates an unbecoming, slovenly appearance. In addition, the customary stockings have the drawback that the position of the seam may change. Such shifting of the seam frequently occurs. It may be caused by the individual stockings of a pair being interchanged. After having been worn for some length of time, the stocking will adjust itself to the shape of the leg, thus creating, when the two stockings are interchanged some tension, though it may be only small, in the texture, especially in the region of the calves, and causing a shifting of the seam of the stockings.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a stocking having means by which it is possible to straighten out the seam of the stocking while the latter is being put on, and which will hold the seam in position while the stocking is worn.

In accordance with this invention, the stocking is characterized in that a preferably knit-in thread guide runs from the toes of the foot to the hem at the top of the stocking and that the thread used for straightening out the stocking consists of a yarn having a smooth or a smoothed surface or of a filament or wire as discharged from the spinning nozzle, preferably of the same material as the stocking. This straightening thread is fastened with one end at the toe-tip of the stocking, the other end being fastened at the upper end of the thread guide of the stocking in such a manner that with the stocking pulled up and clamped to the garter (girdle) the straightening thread is under a somewhat greater stress than the stocking proper.

The expression: smooth yarn is meant to indicate the type of yarn for which the endless threads coming from the spinning nozzle are used. The expression: smoothed yarn indicates yarn which is subsequently coated with a lacquer or a similar material so as to imbed the filament ends and thus prevent that after several washings the yarn becomes coarse, thereby impairing the stocking seam. Instead of such a smooth or smoothed yarn, an ordinary spinning thread or wire of somewhat greater thickness may be used as the straightening thread. The customary yarns, such as linen, silk, polyamide silk, twine threads and cords or similar materials are not suited for the purpose because, after the stocking has been Washed several times such yarns loosen or disintegrate so that they become ragged and rough, and when stretched, meaning, on straightening and in wearing, would damage the stocking seam.

In order to releasably fasten the thread at the upper end of the thread guide, a fastening device may be pro- ICC vided at the upper hem of the stocking in alignment with the thread guide, which can be either constructed so as to be removable, or this device can be sewn to the stocking. With preference, this fastening device may consist of a self-locking clamping device, which is easily releasable and locks itself automatically by means of a tensile stress in the aforesaid thread.

When putting on such a stocking, it will be iirst rolled back in the known fashion, then pulled over the foot, then smoothed over the leg, and thereafter, the upper hem of the stocking is grasped together with the fastening device of the straightening thread and the seam of the stocking at the back of the leg is straightened out. Thereafter, the stocking is fastened to the girdle or the like in the customary manner. By pulling the straightening thread with the aid of a thickening or seal which is provided at its end, this thread may then be put under the light stress necessary for the desired straightening effect in wearing.

Consequently, the main advantage of a stocking in accordance with this invention resides in the fact that with the stocking pulled up, the guiding thread is constantly subject to a light tension, and this is aided by the fact that every thread is inherently somewhat elastic. The stretched thread will now always keep the stocking seam and hence also the stocking in a straight line.

It is also important that the thread be fastened to the toe-tip of the stocking, because this is the only place where it may be fastened properly. The thread guide may either consist of a stocking seam in the form of a tubing, or preferably, it may be a guide which has been woven into the stocking subsequently. Also, this thread guide may be produced in that a zig-zag seam is provided by means of a wide-gauge stitch, the straightening thread gliding below the stitches which are exposed on one side of the stocking, these stitches thus forming the thread guide.

Ordinarily, the straightening threads will be selected in a shade of color corresponding with the color of the stocking. However, owing to trends in fashion, it may be desirable to have the straightening thread manufactured in another shade of color, or even in another color than the stocking, so as to t it with the color of the shoes or the clothing.

In order to prevent the slipping through of the end of the thread through the fastening device, this end will be appropriately provided with a small thickening that may be produced, in a known fashion, by welding, or gluing thereto a small seal of plastic material. ri`his seal may be also fashioned as an ornamental seal, e. g., in the form of a sheet metal stamp with an inlaid plastic plate, tortoise shell, or similar substance. For instance, it is possible to put the initials of the wearer of the stockings on this ornamental seal. Also, the seals of the two stockings of a pair may be made in different colors, and/or provided with the letters L and R, respectively, so that the stocking for the right leg can be easily distinguished from the stocking to be worn on the left leg. This differentiation of the stockings will have the advantage that it can be made sure that the respective stockings will be always worn on the same leg, and that thereby the aforesaid tensions, which tend to shift the stocking seam when its wearer is walking or sitting down, will be avoided. The color of the seal may be also used to designate the quality of the stockings.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l shows the back of the stocking in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of the fastening device pursuant to the invention, with the lid taken off.

Fig. 3 illustrates a cross-section on line III-lII of Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale.

In stocking 1, a straightening thread 5 runs from the toe-tip within a woven-in stocking seam 4 to hem 3 of the stocking, in the thread being a iilarnent of the same material as the stocking, e. g. of polyamide silk (nylon or Perlon). The lower end of the straightening thread is fastened to the toe-tip in some known fashion. At the upper end of this thread a seal or a thickening 6 is provided. After leaving the stocking searn, the thread passes through a fastening device provided at the hem of the stocking and generally designated by reference numeral 7.

This fastening device 7 is illustrated more specifically in Figs. 2 and 3. The fastening device 7 is surrounded by two halves 8 and 9 of a jacket which overlap each other. In each half of this jacket or shell are pressed, opposite each other, two openings 11i, provided for attaching the fastening device, thus forming inwardly projecting edges 11 serving to guide two clamping jaws 12 and 13. The clamping jaws 12 and 13 are provided on the edges that face each other, with teeth 1-iand 15. These teeth 14 and 15, as Fig. 3 shows, are provided with semispherical notches 16 and 17, respectively, through which passes the filament. The remote edges 18 and 1%, respectively, of the clamping jaws 12 and 13 extend at a lip angle to the edges facing each other. The face of the thus provided wedge cooperates with the already mentioned edges 11. The two clamping jaws 12 and 13 are provided with lugs 29 and 21, projecting through an opening in the rims of the two halves 8 and 9 of the shell, and at the same time, this opening also serves to guide the clamping jaws. To make sure that the two clamping jaws always remain in the proper position opposite each other, clamping jaw 13 is provided with a rectangular projection 22, tting into a corresponding rectangular notch 23 of clamping jaw 12. The rectangular projection 22 is slit. The part of the straightening thread 5 projecting from the thread guide lies within the fastening device between the two clamping jaws 12 and 13 in the notches 16 and 17 and in the slot of projection 22. A U-shaped bent spring 25, as seen in Fig. 2, presses the clamping jaws down, while simultaneously the latter are pressed against each other by the two wedge-shaped parallel edges 18 and 19, thereby clamping the straightening thread between each other. This clamping effect is increased by the downwardly directed tensile stress exerted by the straightening thread, while the stocking is worn.

When the stocking is put on, it is first pulled up over 4 the leg; then, the hem of the stocking is held together with the fastening device and the straightening thread, and the stocking seam at the back of the leg is straightened out. Thereafter, the stocking is fastened in the customary manner on the garter, girdle or similar apparel. By pulling up the straightening thread with the aid of the seal or the thickening 6, it can then be put under light tension as required for proper wearing of the stocking. In the event that the straightening thread should prove to be in the beginning too short, or to be somewhat too tightly stretched, a light pressing in of one of the lugs 20 or 21 projecting from the clamping jaws 12 or 13 of the fastening device will release the clamping effect. As soon as the pressure which is exerted unto lug 20 or 21 is removed, the straightening thread will again be automatically locked in the clamping jaws. What l claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent l. A stocking, particularly a ladys nylon stocking, having a thread guide running from the tip of the toe of said stocking to the upper hem thereof along the back of the stocking, a thread fastening .device at said upper hem and a thread within said guide, one end of said thread being attached to the toe of said stocking and the other end of said thread being held by the fastening device under a tension which is greater than the tension of the stocking when pulled over the leg of the wearer and fastened to supporting garters.

2. A stocking as set forth in claim l, in which the thread fastening device is detachably secured to the stocking.

3. A stocking as set forth in claim l, in which the fastening device is in alignment with the seam of the stocking.

4. A stocking as set forth in claim 1, in which said fastening device comprises an automatically locking clamping device actuated by the tension on said thread.

5. A stocking as set forth in claim 1, in which the end of said thread held by said fastening device is provided with an enlarged ornamental tip to prevent its removal from said fastening device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,555,873 Parker Oct. 6, 1925 1,724,417 Reeves Aug. 13, 1929 2,570,987 Rose Oct. 9, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 384,118 Great Britain Dec. 1, 1932

Images