US2785413A

US2785413A - Method of holding socks in pairs for laundering

Info

Publication number: US2785413A
Application number: US366717A
Authority: US
Inventors: Cook Tippy Keeler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-07-08
Filing date: 1953-07-08
Publication date: 1957-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 1974-03-19

Description

T. K. COOK March 19, 1957 METHOD OF HOLDING SOCKS IN PAIRS FOR LAUNDERING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 8, 1953 FIG. I.

INVENTOR F/PP) KEELER 600K ATTORNEYS March 19, 1957 T. K. COOK 2,785,413

METHOD OF HOLDING SOCKS IN PAIRS FOR LAUNDERING Filed July 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3. FIG. 4.

W "INVENTOR T/PFY KEELEF COOK @k, Mm: mfief g v ATTORNEYS Unite r t METHOD OF HOLDHWG SOCKS IN PAIRS FOR LAUNDERING The present invention relates to socks or stockings, and more particularly to'improvements in the construction of socks which make possible the interengagement of the socks off "a mating'pair, and which serve as built-in garters.

*It is among the objects of the present invention to pro vide in a sock means for attaching it to its mate so that they do not become disassoci'ated during washing, drying and subsequent storage. It is also an object of the invention to provide such means which are capable of functioning as garters for supporting the socks on the wearers legs and, particularly in ankle-length socks or so-called anklets of the type wherein the upper portion of the end is folded down over the lower portion, will facilitate proper folding of the cuff, and aid in maintaining the properly folded relation of the cuff. A further object is the provision of such means which are economical and which may be embodied in machine knitted socks at low cost. Other and further objects of the invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of an anklet sock embodying features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side view, at slightly reduced scale, of a mating pair of socks of the type shown in Figure 1 connected together by a retaining strip adapted to accommodate a number of pairs of such socks;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side view illustrating an intermediate step in the process of interconnecting a mating pair of such socks without the use of a retaining strip;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing the pair of socks when they have been fully interconnected;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side view of the upper end of an anklet sock of the foldable cufi type constituting an alternative embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 6 is a perspective at slightly enlarged scale of the upper end of a self-supporting sock of the straight, elastic cuff type constituting still another alternative embodiment of the present invention.

The sock shown in Figure 1 generally comprises a foot portion 10, a leg portion 12 and an elongated cuff 14 which is adapted to be folded down approximately along its horizontal center line as indicated in broken lines at 14.

The sock is provided with a band 16, for example of braided elastic material, which encircles the cuff 14 and is loosely secured thereto by a series of spaced loops 13 which extend over the band 16 and are secured to the cuff 14 of the sock.

The loops 18 may be embroidered on the socks after knitting, or they may be formed during knitting of the socks by the movement of selected needles and sinkers of the knitting machine in such a way as to cause one or more of the loops of yarn drawn thereby to enclose the band 16 which is placed under tension upon the knitting cylinder either manually or by mechanical means.

aten

X 2,785,413 Patented Mar. 19,1957

The normal, unstretched circumference of the elastic band 16 is slightly less than the normally extended circumference of the adjacent portion of the cuff 14, i. e., slightly less than the circumference of the portion of the leg around which the cuff is worn. Thus, when the sock is being worn, the elastic band 16 will be stretched slightly and will press the cufi? of the sock snugly around the ankle or calf of the wearer. The band 16 thus serves as a garter and maintains the upper end of the sock in proper position on the wearers leg.

Because the band 16 is located approximately at the horizontal center line of the cuff 14 of the anklet sock folding of the cuff 14, as indicated at broken lines at 14',

and aids in maintaining the neat appearing properly folded relation of the cufli. The folded-down portion of thecuff .14 conceals the band 16.

In Figure 2, amating pair of socks of the type shown in Figure 1 are shown interconnected by means of a re taining strip 20. The retaining strip 20 is formed of a length of flat, woven elastic material which is provided with a plurality of interengageable fastener elements 22, suitably of the well-known snap type, and are spaced apart slightly so that when united they form in the retaining strip 20 a plurality of retaining loops 24. Each of these retaining loops is adapted to encircle the bands 16 of a mating pair of socks and keep the socks together during washing, drying, and subsequent stowage.

The particular retaining strip illustrated in Figure 2 is also provided at one end with a loop 26 which slidably encloses a larger loop 28 which is provided with snap fasteners 22 so that the loop 28 may be secured around a supporting member, for example to hang the socks for drying.

Figure 3 and 4 illustrate a method of interconnecting the bands 16 of a mating pair of socks without the use of a separate retaining strip. In Figure 3 the socks are shown after the band 16 of the right-hand sock has been passed through the band 16 of the mating sock and then the foot portion 19 of the right-hand sock has been inserted into and partially through its loop 16. Then, by pulling the right-hand sock all the way through its loop 16, the two loops are tied together by a girth hitch as shown in Figure 4. The bands may be untied by merely reversing this process.

Figure 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein the elastic band 16 is secured to the cuff 30 of the sock by passing through several pairs of small, closely spaced openings 39a in the cuff 30, the edges of which are embroidered with a button-hole stitch to reinforce the fabric of the cuff and prevent its unraveling or running. The cuff 30 may be folded down around the band 16, as in the embodiment previously described, to conceal the band.

Figure 6 illustrates the upper end of an anklet sock of the self-supporting type having a straight cuff 32 containing elastic yarn. A short band 34 of braided elastic material is attached to the inner edge of the cuff 32 by sewing its opposite ends thereto as indicated at 36.

The bands 34 of a mating pair of such socks may be secured together by means of a retaining strip, as illustrated in Figure 2, or by tying them together in the manner indicated in Figures 3 and 4. Because the band 34 is on the inside of the straight end 32, it is concealed when the sock is Worn. The elastic nature of the band 34 permits it to expand with the cuff 32 when the socks are placed on the wearers leg, and the band reinforces the cuff and augments its elasticity.

While the

bands

16 and 34 have been described as elastic, it will be understood that they may be made of thread or other non-elastic material if their function as a garter may be dispensed with.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that there have been provided means for attaching the socks of mating pairs together during Washing, etc., and which additionally are capable of functioning as garters. It will therefore be ppreciated that the aforementioned and other desirable objects have been achieved. However, it must be emphasized that the several embodiments of the invention shown and described herein are intended as merely illustrative and not as restrictive of the invention.

1 claim:

A method for holding a plurality of socks in pairs in spaced apart relation for laundering comprising the steps of taking a single strip carrying a plurality of pairs of mating snap fasteners, each pair of fasteners being spaced a short distance along said strip from an adjacent pair of fasteners, the two fasteners in each pair being relatively closely spaced and adapted to engage and to hold the portion of said strip between them in a small loop, said loops formed by said pairs of fasteners being short enough to encircle and to unfailinglyhold portions of said socks, grouping a plurality of socks together in reat spective pairs in each of the loops formed in said strip, and then washing them while so held, whereby said socks can be retained in pairs without slipping free during washing but can easily be disengaged from said loops by pulling apart the two ends of said strip with sufficient force to disengage each of said pairs of fasteners.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 615,271 Hayden et a1. Dec. 6, 1898 644,973 Friedlander Mar. 6, 1900 1,353,592 Howard ee l e Sept. 21, 1920 1,513,520 Pruzan Oct.'28, 1924 2,022,444 Van Voorhi's Nov. 26, 1935 2,053,820 Fleischer Sept. 8, 1936 2,638,602 Binkowitz May 19, 1953 2,663,877 Bohman Dec. 29, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 635,797 France Jan. 3, 192a