US2771759A - Textile product and method - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 27, 1956 Filed Aug. 3, 1954 w. J. LEATH ETAL TEXTILE PRODUCT AND METHOD 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wfl/iam J. Leofh ,Frank 5 BobqJ/t m Pofrofl and Richards Nov. 27, 1956 w. J. LEATH ETAL TEXTILE PRODUCT AND METHOD 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 3, 1954 Qwumvtm William J. Leaf/7 Frank E. Bob 0J1;

Parroff and Ric/10rd:

3 Sheets-Shem 3 QMWM William J. Leaf/1 Frank E. 8050, Jr.

Par/off and Richards 1956 w. .J. LEATH ETAL TEXTILE PRODUCT- AND METHOD Filed Aug- 3, 1954 my. a

United States TEXT HJE PRODUCT AND vMETHOD Application August 3, 1954, Serial No. 447,600

36 Claims. (Cl. 66-178) This'invention relates to textile products and meth ods and more particularly to the production of yarns having different twists and tendencies to untwist in opposite directions and the knitting of these yarns separately and in opposing relationship to provide a balanced knitted fabric having substantial stretchability. This fabric may be knitted so as to form ladies full fashion or seamless hose, or may be knitted or woven to produce ladies underwear or other garments where stretchability of the garment is desirable.

For illustrative purposes the invention will be described hereafter as applied to the production of ladies hose, a presently important commercial embodiment, but without limiting the scope of the invention thereto. Also for sake of brevity, the use of the yarn will be described hereafter in connection with knitting operations, but it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not limitation, and that the yarn may be used in weaving or other textile operations.

One of the important features of the knitted fabric manufactured from this yarn is the balanced or relaxed construction that avoids puckering or uneven contraction along the length or width of the fabric, thereby enabling it to lie flat and undistorted so that the hose or other garment made therefrom will assume its usual shape and desired appearance and will differ only in size and stretchability from the same garment knitted in conventional fashion.

An advantageous feature of the ladies hose made in accordance with this invention is the sheerness or diaphanous character of the hose that results from knitting of separate, unplied low denier yarn ends.

Prior attempts to produce ladies hose from yarn having substantial stretch characteristics have not proven commercially successful because the hose were opaque, heavy and unattractive in appearance. The yarn used for producing these non-sheer hose was doubled, piled yarn having two yarn ends highly twisted inopposite directions and plied together. This type of highly twisted and plied yarn contains a multiplicity of small coils that give the yarn stretchability characteristics and which coils are pulled out or elongated when the yarn is stretched.

A characteristic feature of the yarn of the present invention is a wildness or liveliness, i. e., a tendency to twist or form loops, which is induced in the yarn by certain twisting and heat-setting operations. This liveliness or-wildness in the yarn does not produce. the multiplicity of small coils that characterize the abovementioned high twist yarn and which coils require doubling or plying with a similar high twist yarn. However, the liveliness does require temporary restraining of the yarn to permit knitting or weaving of the yarn in single ends to produce a sheer knitted fabric for ladies hosiery, panties, etc. This temporary control of theyarn, required for knitting or weaving operations, may be effected by temporarily plying with the twisted; lively yarn, a different type of untwisted yarn that will exert atent 2,771,759 Patented Nov. 27, 1956 ice 2 arestraining effect on the wildness of the twisted yarn, so that it can :be managed satisfactorily in the knitting machine or loom.

A presently preferred restraining type of yarn for temporarily holding the twisted yarn, is silk, particularly because of its adaptability for knitting with thesame machinesand equipment used for knitting the twisted, main yarn. Also the silk is further adapted for removal after the knitting operation by dissolving with a suitable chemical such as, for example, caustic soda. Another type of temporary restraining yarn that might be used for plying with the twisted yarn and which can be subsequently removed by dissolvingwith suitable chemicals, e. g, acetone or acetic acid, is cellulose acetate. Likewise, any other natural or synthetic fiber yarn that would serve the above purpose and could be removed thereafter is also contemplated for use in the method of this invention.

Regarding the main or permanent yarn to be used for formingxthe. stretchable knitted fabric of this invention, including ladies hosiery, underwear, etc., the present commercially advantageous type of .yarn is nylon, commonlyused today for knitting such garments. Although nylon yarn is the logical choice at presentbecause of its technical characteristics andcommercial availability, other synthetic yarns, for example those'known in the trade as Dacron (a condensation polymer of terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol) and Dynel (a polymer of 'vinyl chloride and acrylonitrile), might be .used, as well as other suitable synthetic or natural fiber yarns. The following description refers particularly 10 nylon yarn but by Way of illustration only.

The above-mentioned prior art types of ladies stretchable hose are produced from multifilament nylon yarns, and this is considered essential in view of the high twist to which those yarns are subjected, i. e., approximately 1-20 turns. This high order of twist in .one direction, followed by an equal or greater number of twists in the opposite direction, produces the above-mentioned multiplicity of small coils in the multifilament yarn. This coiled structure, as well as the extreme. wildness of the yarn so produced, requires plyingoftwo ends of this yarn having opposite twists, so that the series of coils in one yarn end meshes or entwines with the series of coils in the other yarn end of opposite twist. By this arrangement one twist neutralizes orofisets the other twist and thereby produces a relaxed, double, plied yarn having stretchability but nevertheless beinglsubject to the disadvantages of causing puckering, deformation, and nonsheerness in the knitted fabric.

The yarn and twisting methods of the present invention are not limited to multifilament y-arns, but employ equally as well the monofilament types of yarns. Thus, ladies sheer nylon hose of the most popular type today can be knitted from 15 denier monofilament nylon yarn that has been subjected to the; desired twisting and setting operations and. plied with a silk or other temporary restraining yarn. These operations comprise, generally, a first twisting ofone endof the nylon yarn, multifilament or monofilament, in one direction, say to the right, so as toprovide an S twist, then heating to a temperature sufiicient to set the yarn and which temperature will be higher than all subsequently encountered tem-,

twists applied, a typical range being 20 to 50 turns twist. At the end of this first twisting operation, especially if as many as 40 or 50 or more turns are applied, the twisted yarn will possess a substantial liveliness or wildness sufficient to form a stretchable fabric, upon plying with a temporary restraining yarn and knitting or weaving. However, subsequent high temperature treatments of the twisted yarn or fabric produced therefrom, such as normally occur in the manufacture of full fashioned hoisery, would substantially remove the lively characteristics and stretchability of the yarn or fabric because of the fact that the yarn at this stage, immediately after the first twisting, has not been set with heat. Thus it is important in carrying out the method of this invention, to incorporate a heat-setting of the nylon yarn at an appropriate point and to have this heat-setting operation carried out at artemperature appreciably higher than any subsequently encountered temperature.

As above indicated, it is important, and in fact essential, to heat-set the yarn at the proper time and at an adequate temperature to avoid losing the lively effects induced in the yarn by the twisting operation when the hose knitted therefrom are subjected to subsequent higher temperature treatments. In the method of this invention, this heat-setting treatment may be carried out after the first twisting operation and prior to the second or backtwisting operation and, in fact, this is the presently preferred procedure. However, worthwhile benefits may be obtained from the method of this invention when carried out as described above except for changing the time or point in the process of the heat-setting operation. For example, we have produced yarn having substantial stretchability and produced ladies full fashioned hose therefrom, in which the heat treating operation was applied to the yarn prior to twisting of the: yarn. In this modification, no second or reverse twisting of the yarn is required; only the initial heat treating, followed by twisting the desired number of turns such as, for example, about 50 turns.

In the manufacture of nylon full fashioned hoisery, the twisted yarn would usually be heat-set at a temperature of about 270 F. for a suflicient length of time, e. g., one half hour, to effect the desired heat-setting. This heat-setting temperature could be higher if desired, but the important point is the use of a temperature sufiiciently higher than the subsequent processing temperatures to avoid damaging effects of the latter. In the manufacture of full fashioned hosiery, the subsequent processing temperatures encountered in the dyeing and finishing operations are in the order of 250 F. or about 20 lower than the above-mentioned 270 F. heat-setting temperature, which is found to be a safe margin, If the subsequent temperature equals or exceeds the previous heatsetting temperature, the twist effect in the yarn will be substantially completely lost.

Another important feature of the twisting and heatsetting operations of this invention is that of twisting the yarn adequately following the first twisting and heatsetting operations, because the heat-setting operation substantially removes or neutralizes the liveliness imparted to the yarn by the first twisting operation. This being so, the yarn, after heat-setting, requires further twisting to effect the desired liveliness. The amount of twisting employed after heat-setting will depend upon the desired degree of liveliness or stretchability desired in the yarn or fabric made therefrom. This twisting after heat-setting may vary substantially as to the number of twists and may be of the order of the first twisting operation described above prior to heat-setting. In other words, a typical number of twists for this second twisting operation would be 30 to 50 turns or higher. Usually it is desirable to employ a somewhat higher number of twists in the second twisting operation than in the original twisting operation. For example, if the yarn is originally twisted about 40 to 50 turns, the second twisting operation, after heat-setting, might be in the order of 50 to 60 turns.

Also, it is usually of advantage to employ in this second twisting operation, a twist that is opposite in direction to the original twist, i. e., a Z twist for the second twisting operation where an S twist has been employed in the original twisting operation. A reverse or back twist of this type, after heat-setting, will increase desirably the liveliness in the yarn as compared to a continuation of twist in the same direction as the original twist. Furthermore, the strength and other physical properties of the yarn will be better maintained by use of a reverse or back twist for the second twisting operation.

When multifilament yarns are used in these twisting operations, it is important to extend the reverse or back twisting operation at least some few turns more than the twist in the original twisting operation, so that the several filaments comprising the yarn will be integrated more completely by the additional turns twist than would be the case if the back twist equaled the forward twist and left the filaments in substantially untwisted or parallel position. This filament difficulty does not arise, of course, when monofilament yarns are used, but even with such yarns it has been found desirable to utilize a somewhat more extensive reverse twist than the original twist and thereby obtain a greater liveliness in the yarn.

Following the above-described three steps of first twisting about 40 to 50 turns in one direction, then heatsetting and twisting about 50 to 60 turns in the reverse direction, the yarn will possess such liveliness that it could not be handled practically in the knitting or weaving operation. At this point, it is then necessary to ply the yarn temporarily with silk or other restraining yarn, as above mentioned.

In carrying out this plying operation, the twisted nylon yarn is plied with the restraining yarn by twisting the two yarns together for a relatively few turns, such as, for example, 5 to 20 turns. A higher number of turns twist for this plying operation could be employed if it is desired, although it is not usually necessary. The plying twist is usually in the direction of the original twist and therefore opposite to the direction of the twist after heatsetting.

More specific but non-limiting examples of the twisting and heat-setting operations described generally above, which we have employed satisfactorily in the production of yarn for knitting ladies sheer nylon stretchable hose, are as follows:

One end of monofilament nylon yarn is twisted 30 turns per inch in a Z or left twist direction. Another end of the same nylon yarn is twisted 30 turns per inch in an S or right twist direction. These two separately twisted nylon yarns are subjected to treatment with live steam in suitable equipment such as a pressure or vacuum retort and at a temperature of approximately265" F.- 270" F. for a suflicient length of time to effect proper penetration. After this treatment with live steam, the yarn is transferred to twister bobbins and twisted 37 turns in the opposite direction of the original twist. As a consequence of this twisting operation, the yarn is very lively or wild and could not be satisfactorily knitted in this condition, and it is therefore plied with the silk yarn as above mentioned, the details of which are as follows:

The yarn that was twisted originally 30 turns to the left, 2 twist, then backtwisted 37 turns to the right, 8 twist, is plied with one end of silk of either 13/ 15 or 20/22 size, and the plied yarns given a total of approxi: mately 14 turns to the left, 2 twist. The other yarn, which was originally first twisted 30 turns to the right, 8 twist, then backtwisted 37 turns to the left, Z twist, is now plied with one end of the silk yarn and the plied construction given a total of 14 turns twist to the right, 8 twist. This plying of the nylon and silk yarns may be carried out in one or more stages on conventional twist of in pairs.

ing machines. Thissilk will usually-be.treatedmrionto plying with conventional silk soakingtreatment, followed by drying and skein winding. .A1so,.it isnotnecessary to impart any twist to the silk yarn.

To prepare the nylon yarn which is .to.be-plied:with the silk yarn, it will be understoodfromthe foregoing that bobbins, spools, pirns orother suitablecarriers of the nylon yarn will be used and one or more of these carriers will contain the nylon yarn'twisted in one direction and another carrier will contain asupply of thezyarn twisted in the opposite direction.

Theplying of the twisted lively nylon yarn with silk or other suitable yarn restrains the liveliness as described above and thereby enables the yarnto be handledzsatisfactorily in knitting ladies hose. However, once the silk or other restraining yarn is removed from the knitted structure, the yarn will againbecome lively and this requires knitting of the yarn .in a manner suitable to restrain somewhat this lively characteristic in the'knitted structure. For that purpose, yarns of. opposite twist, prepared as described above, areused incounteracting relationship while at the .same time avoiding plying of the yarns and the adverse effects thereof. Insteadof plying these yarns of opposite twist as has been done -hereto fore, they are knitted singly in alterating courses or. groups of courses, as above mentioned. In other-words, the yarn which has a final S twist is used for knitting one or several courses and the yarn. that has the opposite or Z twist is used for knitting the next adjacent course or several courses. In this manner, the courses of yarn that tend to untwist to the left are counterbalanced to some extent by the-adjacent courses of yarn that tend to untwist to the right, and this results in the balanced knitted. fabric or structure mentioned above'when' these alternating courses recur'throughout the'length of the fabric, such as the length of a knitted full fashioned ladies hose.

The knitting operation may be. carried out on conventional knitting machines of the full-fashioned hosiery .type, and the separate left and right twisted, yarns (plied paired arrangement is best suited for the usual types of full fashioned knitting machines, but it .is .to be understood that the courses may be alternated singly. instead On the otherhand, a greater .number of courses, such as 4 or 6 courses, of yarn-of one twist'may be alternated With a similar number of courses-of yarn oflthe opposite twist.

Although this alternation of courses of'opposite twist yarns sufiiciently counteracts the tortional forces of these two yarns to prevent puckering or distortion of the fabric generally, the fabric formedin :this manner has sufficient distortion or liveliness in the individualstitches-or loops to impart substantial stretchability. As anillus trative example of this stretchability, a ladys hose composed of the fabric of this invention can be stretched as much as 50% to 100% or more of its original length without permanent deformation of the stitches or loops, and has the property of contracting to'substantially. its

"original length when the stretching .tensionis removed.

The present-day sheer type. of ladiesfihose normally uses nylon yarn of not greater than.-30.denier andthe yarn most commonly usedis l denier nylon..yarn,..although 12 denierand 10. denier nylon yarnsare available ,and these yarns or even lower denier yarns maybeem- 6 ployedin producing ladies sheer hosiery in accordance withnhisinvention. Ladies hosemade withnylon yarn as high as 30 .denier,.in accordance with this'invention, possessva degree of Sheerness. Similarly, hoseknitted with substantiallyhigherdenier yarns, such as 7.0 denier orhigher, and which are known inthe trade as -service weight hose, maylikewise be knitted from the stretchable yarn of thisinvention.

One. of the .attractive features of ladies hose .prod -l Qd from this yarn, irrespective of the denier ,used,, is that the hose have substantially the .same appearance ashose knitted from conventional yarn of the various deniers, which is indistinct contrast tohose knitted fromthe above-mentionedhighly twisted and plied yarns,vsuch .as yarn composed of two plies. of 20 denier, each.

Following the knitting,.seaming witha yarnconstructed was to give a comparable stretch'to that of thestocking yarn, and other usual. grey goods operations. before dyeingof the knitted hose, they are subjected to atreatment with caustic sodawhich removes the silk fromthe hose, leaving the nylonunharmed. Althoughsubjectto variations, ,details. of a typical caustic stripping .operation of this type are as follows:

'The stockings-in the greigeare placed in nets such; as are normally used in processing and subjected to treatment in 0.75% to.1.0% solution of sodium hydroxide .inwater forapproximately one hourat 210 F., or, until the; silk is dissolved. The dissolved silk is removedby .washing with water, following which the hose are. dyed and the excess moisture removed. The hose are then pulled over. a boarding form of restricted size to straighten but not .to stretch. the hose. Subsequent finishing operations, including inspection and packaging of. the hose .for.sale, are carried out in the regular manner.

'Hosieryknitted from the stretchable yarn of this invention and in .a .mannerthat characterizes the present invention. are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

.which consistof photomicrographs of ladies full fashioned hose and fragments thereof, and in which:

Fig. lis a side elevational view of a ladies full fashioned hosemade in. accordance with this invention andhaving less width and substantially less lengththan--conventional hose, but=adapted to be stretched to conventionalfsizes;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the same hose-shown .in Fig. 1, but stretched over a foot and leg form;

Fig. 3 isan enlarged fragmentary view of a small piece of hosiery fabric knitted from 15 denier monofilament nylon yarn in accordance withthis invention .andsin except stretched to the extent normally encountered in wearing, as indicated in Fig. 2;.and,

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary'view of a small piece of knitted hosiery fabric as illustrated in- Fig. 7 but substantially fully stretched.

Referring more particularly to the several figures-in the drawing and generally in the order in which they occur, it is to be noted that the full fashioned hose shown in the .photomicrograph identified as Fig. l comprisesthe usual sheer leg portion, which inthis instance .is made from 15 denier monofilament nylon yarn. The hose also has the usual reinforced areas consisting of the welt'at the-top of :the-hose and the reinforced-foot. The yarn used intheserreinforced areas may advantageously be thetype of stretchable yarnmade in accordance Withthis invention, although, if desired, conventional nylon yarn, as for example, 30 denier or higher, could be used in reinforcing the welt and foot portions of the hose. In any event, it is to be understood that the foot portion of the hose will contain the same stretchable nylon yarn used for knitting the leg portion of the hose and, in addition, the added reinforcing nylon yarn if such is desired.

Regarding the general appearance of the full fashioned hose shown in Fig. 1, it is just as sheer in the leg portion as conventional monofilament 15 denier nylon yarn hose, but has the added advantage of a duller appearance than the conventional nylon yarn hose. Another very desirable feature of this hose is that of clinging to the leg of the wearer and thereby avoiding the usual wrinkles and frequent poor fit encountered in conventional nylon hose.

A still further important feature of the full fashioned hose made in accordance with this invention is the fact that the seam, once placed properly on the leg of the wearer, will tend to remain in this proper position. This minimizes the well-known problem of crooked seams encountered with conventional hose.

The stretchable character of the foot and heel portion of this hose enables the wearer to adjust the heel height within conventional limits, as desired by the wearer.

Further, the stretchable character of the hose of this invention permits manufacture of the hose in a very to the average foot and leg size of a wearer and illustrates the neat, snug fit of the hose of this invention. Actually, this same hose can be stretched to a substantially greater length than that illustrated in Fig. 2 where desired to accommodate varying leg lengths as well as foot and leg sizes. Similarly, the hose will still provide a good fit when stretched to a substantially lesser degree than that indicated in Fig. 2.

The photomicrograph shown in Fig. 3 illustrates a small piece or fragment of the sheer knitted fabric made from 15 denier monofilament nylon yarn in accordance with this invention and of the type used in production of the full fashioned hose illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 above. The fabric fragment shown in Fig. 3 is in substantially relaxed or unstretched condition such as would occur in the finished hose when laid out flat as illustrated in Fig. 1 above. As indicated in this Fig. 3, the loops composing this knitted fabric are distorted and lie in different planes, some loops being shown in back of other loops or at different angles so as to give the fabric somewhat of a third dimension. It will also be observed that the loops in the front or nearest the surface photographed are more sharply in focus than the loops located behind or at another angle, these latter loops appearing somewhat fuzzy or not as sharply defined as the loops nearest the surface photographed.

The random disposition of the various loops in this fabric results from the above-described liveliness of the yarn made in accordance with this invention, which liveliness is restrained during the knitting operation but is again re-established in the knitted fabric after removal of the restraining yarn. This distortion of the individual loops, although not suflicient to disturb the over-all relaxed character of the fabric, is nevertheless sufficient to provide the substantial stretchability in the fabric as described hereinabove and which is illustrated in the succeeding Figs. 4 and 5 in the drawing.

The fabric shown in Fig. 4 is of the exact same type as shown in Fig. 3 and was cut from the same sample, but, as. distinct from the fabric in Fig.3, this fragment '8 of the fabric in Fig. 4 has been stretched to a certain degree. The amount of stretch in this particular example corresponds generally with the amount of stretch that would normally occur in wearing of a hose composed of this fabric and stretched over the leg of the wearer or over a form such as is illustrated in Fig. 2. In comparison with Fig. 3, it will be noted that the random disposition, distortion and wildness that fundamentally characterizes the fabric in Fig. 3 has been removed to a substantial extent by this limited degree of stretching. Thus in the fabric illustrated in Fig. 4, the knitted loops have been straightened out or oriented toward a more normal arrangement, but are still somewhat distorted and, as will be noted from the pale lines in Fig. 4, some of the loops are still out of focus and are located in a different plane from other loops which appear in sharp focus in this figure. In other words, there is'still some liveliness or stretchability remaining in the fabric at this stage of stretching.

Referring to Fig. 5, which shows again the same type of fabric as is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 but in which the fabric has now been stretched substantially to the maximum extent permissible, it will be noted from Fig. 5 that there still remains a slight degree of distortion or orientation of the respective loops, that is, they are still not arranged in perfect symmetry. It will also be noted from Fig. 5 that the courses of loops extending widthwise across the fabric are arranged in pairs, that is, two courses of loops oriented slightly to the right and the next two courses of loops showing a tendency to twist slightly to the left. This alternate arrangement of left and right twisted pairs of courses extends throughout the length of the fabric, and this would be true likewise of the hose or other garment formed from this type of fabric.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8, there is illustrated a series of fabrics in different degrees of stretchability, comparable to the fabrics in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 and described above. The principal difference between the fabric illustrated in these latter Figures 6, 7 and 8, is the use therein of 30 denier multifilament nylon yarn instead of the 15 denier monofilament yarn used in the fabric in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. Similarly to the fabric shown in Fig. 3, the 30 denier multifilament nylon fabric shows in Fig. 6 a wild or random disposition of the loops when the fabric is relaxed or unstretched, a more orderly arrangement of the loops when the fabric is partially stretched as shown in Fig. 7, and finally a substantially symmetrical arrangement of the loops as illustrated in Fig. 8. Similarly to Fig. 5 above, it will be noted that the fabric in Fig. 8 is characterized by the alternate paired arrangement of courses of left and right twists widthwise of the fabric, and this alternation of courses recurs throughout the length of the fabric as it would in the product produced therefrom.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our application Serial No. 428,795, filed May 10, 1954, which is abandoned and superseded by this application. The composite yarn disclosed herein is claimed in our copending divisional application Serial No. 453,783, filed September 2, 1954, and the method of producing this composite yarn is claimed in our copending divisional application Serial No. 453,761, filed September 2, 1954, now Patent No. 2,711,627.

Various modifications and changes may be made in the above-described materials, products and methods without departing from the scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A stretchable, retractable stocking which is substantially shorter in length than conventional stockings when relaxed, and is stretchable to correspond to various stocking sizes, said stocking being comprised of alternating courses of oppositely twisted synthetic resin yarns having permanent substantial liveliness such that the yarns will snarl when in relaxed condition and cause the stitches comprising the alternating courses in the stocking to 9 incline markedly in opposite directions and thereby subs't'antially shorten the stocking when relaxed, and said inclined stitches being adapted to be straightened and the stocking thereby lengthened when the stocking is stretched longitudinally.

2. A stretchable, retractable stocking, as defined in claim 1, and in which the yarns are monofilament yarns.

3. A stretchable, retractable stocking as defined in claim 1, and in which the yarns are multifilament yarns.

4. A stretchable, retractable stocking as defined in claim 1, and in which the synthetic resin yarns are nylon yarns.

5. A stretchable, retractable stocking, as defined in claim 1, and in which the yarns are monofilament nylon yarns.

6. A stretchable, retractable stocking as defined in claim 1, and in which the yarns are thermoplastic yarns.

7. A stretchable, retractable stocking as defined in claim 1, and in which the yarns are a condensation polymer of terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol.

8. A stretchable, retractable stocking which is substantially shorter in length than conventional stockings when relaxed, and is stretchable to correspond to various stocking sizes, said stocking being comprised of alternating courses of synthetic resin yarns having opposite torque and permanent substantial liveliness such that the yarns will snarl when in relaxed condition and cause the stitches comprising the alternating courses in the stocking to incline markedly in opposite directions and thereby substantially shorten the stocking when relaxed, and said inclined stitches being adapted to be straightened and the stocking thereby lengthened when the stocking is stretched longitudinally.

9. A stretchable, retractable fabric which is substantially smaller when relaxed than when stretched and adapted to be stretched at least fifty percent (50%) of its relaxed size and to retract to its original size when relaxed, said fabric being comprised of alternating courses of oppositely twisted synthetic resin yarns having permanent substantial liveliness such that the yarns will snarl when in relaxed condition and cause the stitches comprising the alternating courses in the fabric to incline markedly in opposite directions, and thereby substantially contract the fabric when relaxed, said inclined stitches being adapted to be straightened and the fabric thereby enlarged when it is stretched. 10. A method of producing a stretchable, retractable stocking from separate, single synthetic resin yarns comprising thermosetting said yarns to stabilize them against the effects of subsequently encountered temperatures, then twisting said yarns in opposite directions and to an extent sufiicient to produce marked liveliness in the yarns, temporarily subduing the liveliness of the yarns, and knitting them in alternating courses.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, and in which said synthetic resin yarns have initially substantially no twist.

12. A stretchable stocking produced in accordance with the method defined in claim 10.

13. A method of producing stretchable stockings as defined in claim 10 and in which the yarns are nylon yarns.

14. A stretchable stocking produced in accordance with the method defined in claim 13.

15. A method of producing stretchable stockings as defined in claim 10 and in which the yarns are monofilament nylon yarns.

16. A stretchable stocking produced in accordance with the method defined in claim 15.

17. A method of producing ladies sheer stretchable nylon hose, comprising twisting separate monofilament nylon yarns in opposite directions, heat-setting the twist in these yarns to stabilize the twisted yarns against the effects of subsequently encountered temperatures, then twisting the yarns in directions opposite to the original 10 twists and to an extent sufiicient to produce marked liveliness in the yarn, temporarily subduing the liveliness of the yarns, and knitting them in alternating courses.

18. Ladies sheerstretchable nylon hose produced-in accordance with the method of claim 17.

19. A method of producing ladies sheer stretchable nylon hose from separate single nylon yarns twisted in opposite directions, thermoset at a temperature higher than temperatures encountered in subsequent operations to stabilize the twisted yarns against the eifects of the subsequently encountered temperatures, and twisted in directions opposite to the direction of the first twists and to an extent suflicient to produce marked liveliness in the yarn, comprising temporarily subduing the liveliness of the yarns, and knitting them in alternating courses.

20. A method of producing a stretchable, retractable stocking which is substantially shorter in length than conventional stockings when relaxed, and is stretchable to correspond to various stocking sizes, comprising thermosetting and then twisting separate single, synthetic resin yarns in opposite directions and toan extent sufiicient to produce substantial liveliness in the. yarns such that the yarns will snarl when relaxed, knitting said oppositely twisted lively yarns in alternating courses throughout the stocking while controlling the liveliness of the yarn to prevent snarling, and to cause the stitches comprising the alternating courses in the stocking to incline markedly in opposite directions and thereby substantially shorten the stocking when relaxed, and which stitches are adapted to be straightened. and the stockingthereby lengthened when the stocking is stretched longitudinally.

21. A method of producing ladies sheer stretchable nylon hose comprisingtwisting separate single nylon yarns in opposite directions, thermosettingthe separately twisted yarns at a temperature higher than temperatures encountered in subsequent operations to stabilize the twisted yarns against the efiects of the subsequently encountered temperatures, next twisting said thermoset single nylon yarns in directions opposite to the direction of the first twists and to an extent sufiicient to produce marked liveliness in the yarn, temporarily subduing the liveliness of the yarns, and knitting them in alternating courses.

22. Ladies sheer stretchable nylon hose produced in accordance with the method of claim 21.

23. A method of producing ladies stretchable nylon hose, comprising twisting a single end of nylon yarn in one direction, heat treating the twisted yarn at a temperature in excess of any subsequent processing temperature to which the yarn will be subjected, backtwi-sting the heat treated yarn in the opposite direction and to an extent suflicicnt to produce marked liveliness in the yarn, twisting another single end of nylon yarn in a direction opposite to that in which said first-mentioned nylon yarn was twisted, heat treating this second twisted'nylon yarn at a temperature in excess of any temperatures to which it will be subsequently subjected, then backtwisting this second nylon yarn in a direction opposite to its original twist and to an extent sufficient to produce marked liveliness in the yarn, temporarily subduing the liveliness of the yarns, and knitting them in alternating courses.

24. Ladies sheer stretchable nylon hose produced in accordance with the method of claim 23.

25. In a method of producing ladies stretchable sheer nylon hose, the steps of separately twisting nylon yarns in one direction, thermosetting the separately twisted nylon yarns by heating to a temperature of at least 250 F., separately twisting the heat treated yarns in directions opposite to the directions of the original twists to provide nylon yarns having opposite twists and marked liveliness, temporarily subduing the liveliness of the yarns, and knitting them in alternating courses.

26. Ladies sheer stretchable nylon hose produced in accordance with the method of claim 25.

27. A method of producing ladies sheer stretchable nylon hose, comprising twisting separate monofilament nylon yarns in opposite directions a suflicient number of turns to impart substantial liveliness to the yarns, heatsetting the thus twisted yarns to stabilize the yarns against the effects of subsequently encountered temperatures, then twisting the heat-set yarns in directions opposite to the directions of the first twist and to an extent sufficient to produce marked liveliness in the yarns, temporarily subduing the liveliness of the yarns, and knitting them in alternating courses.

28. Ladies sheer stretchable nylon hose produced in accordance with the method of claim 27.

29. A method of producing ladies sheer stretchable nylon hose, comprising twisting one end of monofilament nylon yarn approximately thirty turns per inch in one direction, twisting another end of said nylon yarn approximately thirty turns per inch in the opposite direction, subjecting these twisted yarns to treatment with live steam at approximately 265 F., then separately twisting these yarns approximately thirty-seven turns per inch in the opposite direction to that of the original twist to produce marked liveliness in the yarns, temporarily subduing the liveliness of the yarns, and knitting them in alternating courses.

30. Ladies sheer stretchable nylon hose produced in accordance with the method of claim 29.

31. A method of producing ladies hose which comprises twisting and setting separate nylon yarns in opposite directions and in a degree such that the yarns when free will not maintain a straight disposition, plying each of said yarns with a temporary yarn by which said yarns are held straight and which temporary yarn is capable of being removed by chemical action, knitting said oppositely twisted yarns in separate courses to form the knit fabric of said hose and removing said temporary yarn.

32. A method of producing ladies hose which cornprises plying each of separate oppositely twisted nylon yarns, of such wildness that the yarns when free will not maintain a straight disposition, with a temporary yarn by which said yarns are held straight and which temporary yarn is capable of being removed by chemical action, knitting said plied yarns in separate courses to form the knit fabric for said hose, and removing said temporary yarn.

33. A method of producing ladies stretchable sheer nylon hose, comprising twisting separate single nylon yarns in opposite directions, preheating of the separately twisted yarns to stabilize the yarns against the etfects of elevated temperatures encountered in subsequent operations, plying each of the separately twisted yarns with a yarn that temporarily offsets the wildness produced in the yarn by the twisting operation and which temporary yarn is capable of being removed by chemical action, knitting the two separately twisted plied yarns in alternate courses to form the hose, dissolving the temporary yarn and dyeing and finishing the hose.

34. A method of producing ladies stretchable nylon hose, comprising twisting a single end of nylon yarn in one direction, heat treating the twisted yarn at a temperature in excess of any subsequent processing temperature to which the yarn will be subjected, backtwisting the-heat treated yarn in the opposite direction, twisting another single end of nylon yarn in a direction opposite to that in which said first-mentioned nylon yarn was twisted, heat treating this second twisted nylon yarn at a temperature in excess of any temperatures to which it will be subsequently subjected, then backtwisting this second nylon yarn in a direction opposite to its original twist, separately plying each of these twisted nylon yarns with a silk yarn to enable handling of the yarns, knitting these two separately plied twisted nylon and silk yarns to form ladies sheer hose, treating the hose with a chemical to efiect removal of the silk yarn, followed by dyeing and finishing the hose.

35. In a method of producing ladies stretchable sheer nylon hose, the steps of separately twisting nylon yarns in one direction, thermosetting the separately twisted nylon yarns by heating to a temperature of at least 250 F., separately twisting the heat treated yarns in directions opposite to the directions of the original twist to provide stretchy resilient nylon yarns having opposite twists, separately plying these nylon yarns with silk yarns to offset temporarily the wild characteristics imparted to these yarns by the twisting operations, knitting the separately plied yarns in alternating courses to form sheer hose, and treating the hose with caustic soda to remove the temporary silk yarns and provide stretchy sheer nylon hose.

36. A method of producing a stretchable knitted fabric comprising twisting and setting separate single, unplied nylon yarns in opposite directions and in a degree such that the yarns when free will not maintain a straight disposition, plying each of said yarns with a temporary yarn by which said yarns are held straight and which temporary yarn is capable of being removed by chemical action, knitting said oppositely twisted yarns in separate courses to form the knit fabric and removing said temporary yarn.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 670,880 Jackson Mar. 26, 1901 2,077,441 Taylor et al. Apr. 20, 1937 2,095,069 Kugelman Oct. 5, 1937 2,097,763 Hemmerich Nov. 2, 1937 2,332,738 Meade Oct. 26, 1943 2,532,467 St. Pierre Dec. 5, 1950 2,564,245 Billion Aug. 14, 1951 2,575,008 Dorgin Nov. 13, 1951 2,584,944 Tilles Feb. 5, 1952' 2,585,518 Valentin 'Feb. 12, 1952 2,597,577 Drisch et al May 20, 1952 2,641,914 Neumager June 16, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 566,507 Great Britain J an. 2, 1945

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