US2935863A - Method of knitting tubular patterned fabric - Google Patents

Description

, My 10, 1960 N. LEvlN 2,935,863

s WX mi r56 n l l l l l INVENTOR. Nahan/ Levi 2,935,863 METHOD F KNIT'TnvG TUBULAR PA'ITERNED FABRIC Nathan Levin, Trenton, NJ., assigner to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 10, 1956, Serial No. 608,777 i c Y' 9'c1aims.- (c1. v664s) The present invention relates generally to therart of knitting and more particularly to weft knit fabric composed of sutuiegjoined areas or portions of fabric having an overplaid design incorporated therein and to the method of making the same.

In ant-application Serial No. 584,932, iiled May 15, 1956, of which the present application may beconsidered a continuation-in-part, a method of knitting anoverplaid design in suture joined areas of atubular fabric is clis-` closed, the method generally providing for the operation of a four feed vcircular knitting machine in such manner that an opposite pair of feeds (also known as knitting stations l(forms 'a corresponding rst pair of fabric areas oppositely disposed in the tubular fabricwhile the intervening pair of feeds incorporates the overplaiddesign within the first pair of fabric areas during the knitting thereof, and then reversing the action of Leachvof the pairs of feeds for the formation ofY a second-pair of overplaid-ornamented oppositely disposed areas, Ythe fabric areas `of said rst and second pairs and of other similar pairs thereof being arranged in alternation to form said tubular fabric. In .the fabric made according to the above method, the lines of the overplaid-design are formedl of stitches of overplaid yarns and extend at an angle to the wales, rst inonedirection and then in the other along what may be termed zigzag lines, the successive` courses of the design stitches being formed on successively adjoining pairs of needles. The appearanceof the design stitches, and of the design lines formed thereby, is somewhat different in each of the angled lines of the design. This Adifference stems from the fact that when; .the design extends in one direction there are no reverse rear floats of Vthe overplaid yarns whereas when the design extends in the opposite direction there are reverse oats of the overplaid yarns.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a fabric having `an overplaid type of design incorporated i the product resulting therefrom, as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side View of one side of a solidcolor stocking of the Argyle type having an overplaid type of:

design of the present invention incorporated therein; e, Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the stitch construction of thevoverplaid and of the body yarns in a portion ofv stocking fabric in the area enclosed by the rectangle,in

dicated at 2 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to rectangle indicated at 3 in Fig. l; and

v Fig. 4 is a schematic View of the needle operations V'atva pair Vof knitting stations. v

Benjamin Franklin Coile, Serial No. 329,801, led January 6,.1953, to which reference may be made.

In the machine of the Coile application, hosiery of the Argyle or Intarsia type having solid color, suture joined,

therein, the lines of which extend at forward and reverse angles to the wales, and wherein the lines of the design are generally similar in. appearance regardless ofthe direction in whihgthey extend.` f ,f Y

It is also an objectof the present invention to provide `a fabric having an overplaid type of design incorporated -therein, the lines of which extend at forward andreverse angles to the wales,'and wherein the successively formed courses of the design stitches have at least one vWale in common and within which the overplaid yarns form tuck stitches. l e ,1 I

Itis a further object of the present invention to provide a method of knittinggan overplaid type of design in a fabric wherein the le4 gneedle of each needle group taking the overplaid-ty aused to form a tuck stitch and wherein at least onemrieedle is common to successive f needle groups.

theillustrative embodiment .of the, invention shown in theaccompanying drawings, the invention resides the ndvel features ofthe present method of lknitting and in four-section patterns may be reciprocatorilyknit by more than one method. One method includes the simultaneous formation of the fabric areas of the four-section patterns whereas a second method includes the simultaneousformation of oppositely disposed pairs of fabrics areas of opposite pattern sections. It is with the secondy method` of knitting that the present invention and application `Serial No. 584,932 are concerned in Vconnection withthe incorporation of an overplaid design in the hosiery. Y

As illustrated in Fig. l, the stocking includes a top 10, a leg portion 11, and the usual' foot portion 12., The leg portion is provided with a four-section pattern of diamond shaped Argyle design of which 4there are the upper opposite pair of side half diamonds, one of which is shown at 13; the intermediate opposite paircof side diamonds, one of which is shown at `14; the lower opposite pair of side half diamonds, one of'which is shown at `15; the front and rear upper pair of diamonds, halves of which are shown at 16 and-17; and the front and rear lower pair of diamonds, halves of which kare shown at 18 and 19. TheY various diamonds are Ysuture joinedalong diagonally extending suture lines indicated at 2t)t t The diamonds themselves, each of asolid bodycolor, are ornamented with an overplaid design comprising relatively narrow spirally extending lines of stitches 21 of contrastingly colored,yarns,the lines of the overplaid design generally dividing each diamond into a group of four smaller diamonds. The side diamond areas 13, 14 and 15, land the opposite side diamond areas are disposed in diamond areas 17 and 19, 'are disposed in theV intervening f pair of sections of the four-section pattern. 'It will be noted that there is a number of wales common to adjfa cent pattern sections. f

Generally in the method set forth in application Serial No. 584,932, when each pair of oppositely disposed diamonds is simultaneously made at an opposite pair ofv knitting stations of body yarns, the overplaid designis simultaneously incorporated in the said pair of diamonds at the remaining opposite pair of knitting stations using a pair of overplaid yarns at each of the latter identified stations. `bodyyarn at any one knitting station, its overplaid design is made at the adjoining pair of knitting stations of an overplaid yarn fed at each of them. The selected needles taking the overplaid yarns at each of the said; adjoining vknittingstations comprise successively adjoining` pairs of needles for successivecourses of the overplaid design, the

vselection of .the vpair-sofneedles progressing around nthe Patented May 10,j,'1901 Fig. 2l but related tothei With respect to `any single diamond Vmade vof athe oveiplaid yarns during each knitting stroke thereof,l

with the leading needle of each group tucking the overplaid yarns. Additionally the needle selection is such that one needle is common to successively yadjacent groups of'v needles, so that in the present instance, one needle is the terminal needle of one group and is also the leading needle ofthe needle group next adjacent thereto. While each group unit includes three needles, inasmuch as one needle thereof merely tucks the overplaid yarns, theA units of the design stitches have the appearance of only two stitches in each of the overplaid design courses.

A representative portion of the overplaid and body yarn stitch construction has been illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, these being portions of the zigzag design line 21a enclosed within the dotted line boxes 2 and 3 of diamond 414 in Fig. 1. The zigzag line 2la of the overplaid design in the right hand half of diamond 14 represents but half-of the entire design for this diamond, there being a left hand zigzag design 2lb in the left hand half of the diamond; The two zigzag portions 21a and 2lb are substantially identical and it is only necessary to show the stitch construction of one of them. It will be understood that in the other diamonds the portions of the design corresponding to the zigzag portions 21a and 2lb of diamond 14 are of similar construction. It will also be understood, in connection with the diamond 14, if it be made at a knitting station diagrammatically shown at Cin Fig. 4, thatthe zigzag overplaid line 21a will then be made at adjoining knitting station D shown to the rightof station C, while the zigzag lines 2lb will be y made at an adjoiningiiknitting station (not shown) to the leftl of station C.

` In the illustration of Fig. 2, the body yarn stitches of diamond area 14 may be made of a yarn 22 reciprocatorily knit upon theneedles N as the latter move to the left and to the right (in a moving cylinder machine) past the knitting station Ckwhile the overplaid stitches may be made of a yarn 23 during part of the needle movements past the knitting station D. It will be noted that a second yarn 24 is customarily fed at station D, but since this yarn is incorporated in a fabric area made at another knitting station (not shown), it need not be further deu ascribed. While the body yarn is shown floated across certain wales in Fig. 2,-*the formation of these floats by the needles N is not indicated in Fig. 4 in order to simplify the explanation, because the iioat formation is not in itselfra part of the present improvement, and because it is fully described in application Serial No. 584,932.

The course 25 of body yarn 22 will' be made as the needles N move to the left past station C during which the oat 26 will be made in the wales 27 and 28 behind the previously formed overplaid stitches 29 and 30 of theseV wales (but not behind the tuck stitch 31 which will be formed later). The course 32 is formed of the body yarn 22 as the needles N reverse their travel and move to the right past station C during which the float 33 will be made in the wales 27 and 28 behind the overplaid stitches 29 and 30 but not behind the tuck stitch 31 which still has not been formed. At this point the needlesv N will all have body yarn stitches thereon except the needles of wales 28 and 27 which will have the stitches 29 (but not tuck stitch 31) and 30 thereon. This movement back and forth at station C is indicated at level A of Fig. 4, wherein the knitting Wave at each of the stationsis schematically shown by the dotted lines 34. The needles N then continue on in their movement to the right to pass station D, as indicated atrlevel B of Fig. 4, during which movement a group of three needles, 35, 36 and 37, is selected to take the yarn 25, the leading needle risingonly to tuck level 38 (where its'fold loop 29 is not moved below its latch'but remains thereon) while the needles 36 and 37 rise to full latch clearing level to shed body yarn stitches, and the remainingneedles N are at low non-yarn taking level. Movement of `the needles, so selected, to the right past station D, will result in needle 35 forming tuck stitch 31v of yarn 23 leading from stitch 29 (tuck stitch 31 will be on needle 3S along with stitch 29), and need1es`36 and "37 forming stitches 39 :111440, also .0f yarn V2.3,i1i wales 41 and 42- Y During the return movement of needles N, to the left, past station D, all the needles are idle and no knitting takes place. Then as theneedles move to the left past station 1C course 1,43l of -body yarn 22 will` be formed, during whichthe ,body yarn ,will be knit through overplaid stitch 30 in Wale 27`and will be knit throughoverplaid stitch 29 and overplaid tuckrstitch 31 in Wale 28, and during which the body yarn will form aY oat 44 to the rear of stitches 39 and 40 of wales 41 and 42 (but not of tuck stitch 45 which will be formed later), the course 43 being formed similarly to the formation of course 25 except for the Wale-location of the floats. The course 46 is formed Vat stations C and Din a manner similar to the formation of course 32 as the needles N move to the right, the body yarn 22 being knit and forming the float 47 at station C while the yarn 23 is knit on needles 37, 48 and 49 at station D, to form tuck stitch 45 onnneedle 37 in wale 42 and overplaid stitches 50 and 51 on needles 48 and 49 in wales 52 and 53. The course 54, and the alternate following courses,are made similarly to'courses 25 and 43, while ycourse 55, and the alternate following courses, are made similarly to courses 32 and 46. The next group of three needles will have needle 49 (which will tuck) as its leading needle, and so on, the terminal needle of one needle group in one course of overplaid knitting becoming the leading tuck needle of the next needle group of Athe next course.

In Fig..2, starting with 'course 25, the overplaid design isv angled downwardly from right to left in the same direc tionA as the needles are progressively actuated as they move to the right past stations C and D, this being the same direction in which the groups of needles, knitting the overplaid, progress along the circle'o'f needles. The design so made is the upper half of the zigzag line 21a, whereas the lower half of the zigzag line 21a is oppositely angled, and a portion of the same, enclosed in the box 3 of Fig. 1, is illustrated ink Fig. 3.

Generally the method of knitting the fabric of Fig. 3 is similiar to that used'in the formation of the fabric of Fig. 2, except that the progressive selection of the needle groups along the needle circle at station D is now in the opposite direction,l that is, opposite to the direction in Y which the individual needles Vare progressively actuated as they move to the right past the station D. The formationof the bodyfabric, with its floats, of body yarn I22 at station C isidentical with the knitting of the fabric of Fig. 2. At station D, after body course 56 is formed at station C by needles N moving to the right and while the needles' continue to move to the right past station D, considering the wales 42, 52, and 53, Fig. 3, the overplaid yarn 23 is knit on theneedles 37, 48 and 49, of which the needle 37v tucks to form the overplaid yarn tuck stitch 57 on needle 37 in wale 42 which will be retained in the needle hook along with a body stitch of course 56, to form` overplaid stitch 5S on needle 48 in wale 52, and to form overplaid stitch 59 on needle 49 in wale 53. The course 60 is then knit, in the manner previously set forth, of body yarn 22 at station C as the needlesmove to the left. The course 61 is then knit similarly to the manner of forming "the course 56, except that now the needles35, 36,'"an'd`37iknit at station D to form the overplaid yarn'tuck stitch 62 on needle 35 in wale 28to4 form Loverplaid Astitch 63 on needle 36 in `wale 41, and toform overplaid stitch 64 on needle 37 in wale` 42. lIt Vwill be noted that there are relatively long ioats 65 of the overplaid yarn 23 extending from the` wale of terminal stitch V59, of any one overplaid knitting course, lto the Wale fofjleading tuck `stitch 62"of the following overplaidknitting course. Knitting'continu'es,` after the method set'forth, and thenext three needle vlgroup Will have needle 35 asits terminal needle,l and so on. When the design is angled downwardly and forwardly, the leading tuck needle ofjoiie needle group in one course of overplaid knitting 'becomes the terminal needle'of the next needle group for the next course.

`Considering Fig. 3, When the overplaid is knit only on successive pairs of needles in sucessive courses of overplaid knitting, as in application vSerial No.` 584,932; that is, no tucking of the yarn in a preceding Wale, thenthe oat of yarn23 would extend from the Wale of a stitch 59 to the Wale of a stitch 63, over four wales, Whereas ,l

in the present instance the float 65 is longer andl extendsv from the VWale ofa stitch 59 to: the Waleofaftuck stitch yarri'would be generally Walewise and from the opposite directionv from a stitch 59 which would impair the ap pearance of the stitch 63. Thus, .with the present invention, the-appearance of each pair ofA overplaid stitches in Fig. 3 is improved and is substantially like the appearanceL of each pair of overplaid stitchesv in Fig. 2.` It should be noted in Fig. 2 that the addition of Va tuck stitch to a regularstitch, such as `45 to 40, the same loop formation does not materially alter its basic stitch appearance. In the fabric of 'Fig 2, the tuck stitch arrangement also provides that the lead of the overplaid yarn 23 to a stitch 39 (and to other like stitches) is course Wise, as at 67, instead of being Walewise from the open end of a preceeding stitch 29. In Fig. V3, the tuck stitch 57 is in loop formation along with a body yarn stitch Where it is hidden and does not appear on the face of the fabric at all, the tuck stitch being placed on a body yarn stitch (instead of on an overplaid .yarn stitchas in v Fig. 2) due to the direction in which the needle lgroup selection is progressing. v

While the present invention has been described in connection with yarns Which have been termed overplaid de- Y and that the number of needles in the groups need not be uniform Within a fabric area. Figs. 2 and'3 show the body fabric with floats of the body yarn in. association with stitches of the overplaid yarns, however, the presextending at an angle to the wales for furnber of' courses,` including the stepof knitting a body yarn on a series of needles during reciprocatory strokes in opposite directions to form said body fabric, and the step of'knitl having stitches of a design yarn incorporated therein and extending at an angle tothewales'lfor lanumberof courses, including the step of knitting a body yarn on a series of needles during reciprocatory strokes inopposite directions to form saidbody fabric, and the step of knit-l ting a design yarn on each ofselected groupsof needles of said series of needles during reciprocatory strokes ine' one direction only to form said design stitches for each .f sa'id courses, the leading knitting needle of each selected needle Vgroup tucking said design yarn for each of said courses. Y

j 3. A method of reciprocatorily knitting a body fabric having stitchesfof a design yarn -incorporated therein for a number of coursesf-and extending at an angle to the Wales, including thepstep of knitting a body yarn on a series of needles during reciprocatory strokesinvopposite directions to form said body fabric, and the step of knitting a design yarn on each of successively selected groups of needles of said series of needles during reciprocatory strokes in one direction only to form said design stitches for each of said courses, the leading knitting needle of each needle group tucking said design yarn for each of said courses, said last named needle being common to a pair of said needle groups.

4. A method of reciprocatorily knitting a body fabric having stitches of a design yarn incorporated therein for a number of'courses and extending at an angle to the wales, including the step of knitting a body yarn on a series of needles during reciprocatory strokes in opposite ldirections to form said body fabric, and the step of knitting a design yarn on each of successively selected groups of needles of said series of needles during reciprocatory strokes in one direction only to form said design stitches for each of said courses, a pair of successively selected needle groups having at least one needle common therev to, said last named needle tucking said design yarn when ent invention is applicable to design yarns which are other- Y Wise incorporated in a body fabric, for example, by plating on the body stitches or by forming extra single yarn stitches of the design yarnsy without body yarn lioats. In the fabric illustrated, there are two courses of body yarn to a single course of the overplaid yarns, and, it will be understood that the present invention is applicable to overplaid stitches which are incorporated in other ways, for example, wherein there is a course of overplaid knitting per course of body yarn, or wherein the stitch structure of the overplaid stitches is arranged differently.

Having thus described my invention in full detail, it will be understood that these details need not be strictly adhered to and that various changes and modifications may be made all falling Within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

l. A method vof reciprocatorily knitting a body fabric it is a member of one of said pairs of needle groups and knitting a regular `stitch of said design yarn when it is a member ofthe other of said pairs of needle groups.

5. A method of reciprocatorily knitting a body fabric having stitches of a design yarn incorporated therein for a number of courses' and extending at an angle to the Wales, including the step of reciprocatorily knitting a body yarn on a series of needles to formsaid fabric, and the step of reciprocatorily knitting-a design'yarn on each of successively selected groups of needles of said needle series to form said design stitches for each of said courses,

a pair of successively selected needle groups having at least one needle common thereto, said last named needle being the terminal knitting needle of the first selected of said pair of needle groups at which time it forms a regular stitch of said design yarn andalso being the leading knitting needle of the other of said pair of needle groups at which time it forms a tuck stitch of said design yarn. t

6. A method of reciprocatorily'knitting a body fabric having stitches of a design yarn incorporated therein for a number of courses and extending at an angle to the wales, including the step of reciprocatorily knitting a body yarn on a series of needles to form said fabric, and the step of reciprocatorily knitting a design yarn on each of successively selected needle groups of said needle series to form said design stitches for each of said courses,

' a pair of successively selected needle groups having Yat having stitches of a design yarn incorporatedtherein and least one needle common thereto, said last named needle beingvtheleading knitting needle of, the first selectedfcf said painofneedlegroups at which time it forrnsa, tuck stitchof said Adesignryarnjand also being the terminalv needletofthe other of said pair of-needle groups at which` time ity forrnsua regular stitch of said design yarn,

7. A method of reciprocatorily knitting a body fabric having stitches lof ya design yarn incorporated therein for apnurnberofcourses; and extending at an angle to the wales, including the step of knitting a bodypyarn on a.`

needle series ,at one. knittingstation during reciprocatory strokes in oppositewdirections, to form said ,body fabric and thevstep of knitting `adesign yarn on` a needle group o f said` needle series at a Vsecond knittingstation duringl reciprocatorystrokesin,onedirection only to form said design stitches for oneofl saidcourses, the iirst needle.

cessively selected groups of needles at a second knitting stationduring reciprocatory strokes .in onedirection onlyV to form said design stitches -for each of said courses-,a pairgof successively selected needle groups having atleast one needle common thereto.

arnfn'mber ofcourses andextending'at an angle to the Wales,v including the.L step of reciprocatorily knitting@v body,yarn on a-,needle series at one knitting stationfto,v

form said body fabric and the step of reciprocatorily vknit-- i tingla designryarn oneach of successively selected grOliPS of needles at a second knitting station to form said design,

stitches-.for each of said courses, a pair 'of successively selected` needle groups having vat least one needle corn.Y mon thereto,\said last named needle forminga tuck stitch of said design'yarn-when itis a member of one of said pairs of needle groups and knitting a regular stitchof said design yarn when it is a member of the other of Asaid pairs of needle groups.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED vSTATES PATENTS 1,965,607 Saftlas 2---- July 10, 1934 2,217,022 Lawson et al. Oct. 8, 1940 2,451,214. Green.` Oct. 12, 1,948

' 2,642,732l Thurston .Tune 23, 1953 2,660,961,v Thurston June 15, 1954 2,687,631 Lombardi Aug. 3l, 1954 2,693,094 Marlette et a1. Nov. 2, 1954.

' FOREIGN PATENTS 265,513 Germany Oct. 7, 1913 482,651 Great Britain Apr. 1, 1938

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