US3046761A - Method of knitting patterned fabric - Google Patents

Description

R M. JANDA ETAL 3,046,761

METHOD OF KNITTING PATTERNED FABRIC July 31, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 25, 1960 FLE E il'nited rates 3,046,761 NETHQD F KNETIING PATTERNED FABRIC Richard M. Janda, Mount Penn, and James D. Meyer, Wyornissing, Pa, assignors to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 17,626 17 Claims. (Cl. 66-43) This invention relates generally to the art of knitting and more particularly to weft knit tubular fabrics having suture joined pattern areas with an overplaid design incorporated therein and to a method of knitting such fabrics.

Heretofore, in forming tubular fabrics, such as stockings, having overplaid designs in suture joined diamond shaped pattern areas, generally referred to as Argyle or iutarsia patterns, on a circular knitting machine having four knitting stations, an opposite pair of the diamond shaped areas were knit of body yarns fed at an opposite pair of the knitting stations and at the same time the overplaid design was knit into these diamond shaped areas of pairs of overplaid yarns at the intervening pair of knitting stations. At the completion of the first pair of diamond areas the yarns were changed at the knitting stations and the intervening pair of diamond shaped areas were knit of body yarns at the intervening knitting stations and the continuing lines of the overplaid design in these intervening diamond areas were knit of overplaid yarns at the first mentioned pair of knitting stations; This changing of yarns to form the continuing lines of the overplaid design, the yarn changes occurring at the sutures between the diamond areas, not only caused a weak spot in the sutures but also caused a distortion in both the lines of the overplaid design and the sutures 'of the diamond areas. Also, due to the limited number of yarn changes that could be made at each of the knitdng'stations, the contrasting colors of both the diamond areas and the overplaid design was greatly limited and some desirable overplaid design eifects, such as one in which the opposite spirally extending lines of the overplaid design are of different contrastingly colored yarns, could not be made.

In attempts to correct the defects in the fabric structure caused by changin the overplaid yarns at the sutures be- I tween the diamond areas and to increase the range of the overplaid design effects that could be produced in the above manner, it was proposed to bodily move each overplaid yarn back and forth between a pair of knitting stations, or move each overplaid yarn between all four stations, and thus eliminate the necessity of changing the overplaid yarns in the patterned area. However, the inclusion of means to move the same yarns between an adjacent pair or between all of the knitting stations in the manner requiredunduly complicates the machine and adds substantially to the cost thereof.

it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a novel method of knitting tubular patterned fabric having an overplaid design incorporated therein, which overcomes the above mentioned and other objections to prior known methods of forming such patterned fabrics.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel method of operating a circular knitting machine having four knitting stations to knit tubular pattern fabric having an overplaid design incorporated therein wherein such yarn changes that are necessary in forming the overplaid design are made at the center of the pattern areas.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel method of knitting a tubular fabric having a plurality of suture joined pattern areas and an overplaid design incorporated therein in which portions of the overplaid design in an adjacent pair of the pattern areas Bfidhfifii Patented July 31, 1962 ice are formed of the same overplaid yarn fed from the same yarn feeding station.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel method of knitting tubular patterned fabric having an overplaid design incorporated therein on a multifeed circular knitting machine in which a pattern area is formed at each of the feeding stations and an overplaid design is incorporated therein in part at the same feedingistation and in part at an adjacent feeding station.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a novel method of knitting on a circular knitting machine having four knitting stations which includes knitting courses of an opposite pair of pattern areas at an opposite pair of knitting stations during a first pair of knitting strokes, knitting an overplaid design in the opposite pair of pattern areas at the intervening pair of knitting stations during the first pair of knitting strokes, and knitting a further overplaid design in the opposite pair of pattern areas at the knitting stations at which they were formed during a second pair of knitting strokes in which an intervening pair of pattern areas is formed at the intervening knitting stations.

Another object is the provision of a novel method of knitting on a circular knitting machine having four knitting stations in which courses of an opposite pair of pattern areas and an intervening pair of pattern areas are formed at an opposite and an intervening pair of the knitting stations during alternate pairs of knitting strokes and in which an overplaid design is incorporated'in the pairs of pattern areasin part at the knitting stations at which they are knit during one pair of knitting strokes and in part at an adjacent knitting station during an alternate pair of knitting strokes.

A further object is the provision of a novel method of reciprocatorily knitting upon a knitting machine having a plurality of knitting stations including operating the pairs of courses of the pattern area at the first mentioned knitting station during one of an intervening pair of knitting strokes.

A still further object is the provision of a novel method of reciprocatorily knitting upon a circular knitting machine having a plurality of knitting stations including operating the machine during pairs of knitting strokes, knitting pairs of courses of a pattern area at one of the knitting stations during alternate pairs of the knitting strokes, knitting an overplaid design in one of the courses of the pattern area at an adjacent knitting station during one of the alternate strokes of knitting, and knitting an overplaid design in the other of the pair of courses at the first mentioned knitting station during one of an intervening pair of knitting strokes.

Another object is the provision of a method of reciprocatorily knitting upon a circular knitting machine having a plurality of knitting stations including knitting pairs of courses of a first pattern area at a first one of the knitting stations during alternate pairs of knitting strokes of the machine, knitting pairs of courses of a second pattern area at a second one of the knitting stations during intervening pairs of knitting strokes of the machine, knitting portions of an overplaid design of a pair of design yarns in the first pattern area at the second knitting station during the alternate knitting strokes, knitting other portions of the overplaid design of a pair of design yarns in the 'pair of pattern areas. diamond shaped areas are contiguous and are suture joined intervening knitting strokes, and changing the pairs of design yarns at the first and second knitting stations which knit the portions of the overplaid design in the first pattern area, at the center thereof.

' 'With these and other objects in view which will become apparent from the following detailed. description of the illustrative embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the invention resides in the novel features of the present'method of knitting and in the product resulting therefrom, as hereinafter more particu-.

=larly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view of one side of a stocking having a J 7 solid color design of the Argyle type and having an overplaid design incorporated therein in accordancewith'the instant invention;

7 FIG. 2 is a partial view of the opposite side of the stocking shown in'FIG. 1;

' FIG. 3 is a plan view of the upper portion of the design area of the stocking of FIG. 1, the view showing the fabric opened along the front center of the stocking and being turned 180 relative toFIG. 1 to illustrate the direction in which the fabric is knitted;

FIG. 4 is a view diagrammatically illustrating one 7 method of forming the course structure of portions of the fabric of FIG. 3;

No.v 329,8O1 filed January 6, 1953, and in the corresponding British Patent No. 790,141 published February 5, 1958, hereinafter collectively referred to as the Coile disclosure, to which reference maybe made. The ma- 7 chine of the Coile disclosure is adapted for both rotary and reciprocatory knitting and includes means for feeding a plurality of yarns to selected groups of needles at each of four knitting stations with certain of the needles selected at each stationalso being adapted for selection at adjacent ones of the other stations. v

In the machine of the Coile disclosure, stockings of the Argyle or intarsia type ornamented with solid color, suture joined, four section diamond shaped pattern areas'may be knit by more than one method. One such method includes the formation of a complete course made up of suture joined partial courses of each of the four sections, the four partial courses being knit simultaneously at the four knitting stations, numbered 1 to 4, during each reciprocatory stroke of the needle cylinder. In a second method the machine may be operated to knit an opposed pair of partial courses of an opposed pair of pattern areas 5 at a correspondingly opposed pair of stations, e.g. Nos.

1 and 3, while the other pair of stations Nos. 2 and 4 are inactive, during reciprocatory strokes of the machine. In this latter method, generally referred as the fill-in system of knitting, the opposed pair of pattern areas may be completed, or partially completed, at their associated pair of stations, after which the said pair of stations Nos. 1 and 3 is J'made inactive and the previously inactive pair of stations Nos. 2 and 4 is'made active to knit the in-between It will be understood that the along their outlines in the manner set forth in said Coile disclosure. The fill-in system of knitting is not limited to V the formation of diamond shaped areas and other solid color areas may also be knitted by changing the needle selection setup of the machine Itis withthe fill-in system of solid color knitting that the method of incorporating an overplaid design is herein described.

'pending application of Benjamin Franklin Coile, Serial Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the stock- 7 ing illustrated includes a top or welt 15, a leg portion 16 and afoot portion 17. The leg portion is ornamented with a diamond shaped Argyle pattern including an upper opposite pair of side half diamonds 20 and 21, an intermediate opposite pair of side diamonds '22 and 25,

a lower opposite pair of side half diamonds 26 and.27,;

a front and rear upper pair of diamondsjfiil and 31, and a front and rear lower pair of diamonds 32 and 35. Y The various diamonds, each of a solid color and of a'separateyarn, are joined along diagonally extending suture lines 34and are ornamented bylan overplaid design comprising relatively narrow lines of stitches of contrasting colored V yarns, the overplaid lines generallydividing each diamond into a group of four smaller diamonds.

The diamond shaped areas on the side ofrthe stocking shown in FIG. .1 are provided with an overplaid design knit of overplaid yarns 36 and 37 which start generally at'the center of the widest course of half diamond 20 and diverge along diagonal lines each parallel to one of the sutures 34, which define the lower edges of half diamond 2i) and adjoining edges of diamonds 30 and 3 1, to intersect i The diverging diagonal? lines of overplaid then continue throughthe diamonds the. other suture at its center.

'30 and'3'1 to about the centers thereof, then continue along, converging lines to meet the :centers of sutures between these diamonds and the diamond 22.. The converging lines of overplaid then continue throughthe upper'half of the diamond'22 to the center thereof after which the overplaid design follows diverging lines through the lower half of the diamond 22, through the diamonds 32 and 35 to about the centers thereoff From the centers of the diamonds 32 and 35, the overplaid lines formed by the yarns 36 and 37 again converge through the lower half of these diamonds and through the lower half diamond 26 to'meet at about the center of the longest course of the half diamond 26. I

In the same manner the diamond shaped areas on the side of the stocking shown in FIG. 2 are provided with an overplaid design knit of overplaid yarns. 40 and 41 I incorporated therein, during the knitting of these diamonds. It will be noted that the lines of overplaid formed of the yarns 36 and 41 meetgenerally at thecenters of the diamonds 31 and 35 and the lines formed of the yarn 37 and 4 3 meet generally at'the center's of the diamonds 3t) and 32. V

Heretofore, the'lines of overplaid formed of the yarns 36, 37 and 46, 41 were unit in the various diamond shaped areas in the above described manner by the method set forth in Patent No. 2,919,565, issued January 5, 1960.

According to the method of said Patent 2,919,565 the" opposite upper side half diamonds, the opposite lower side half diamonds and the opposite side full diamonds are knit at stations Nos. 2 and 4 of suitable body yarns f While at the same timethe pairs of overplaid yarns are incorporated therein at stations Nos. '1 and 3. The front and rear upper and lower diamonds are knit at stations Nos. 1 and 3 of suitable body yarns while the same pairs of overplaid yarns previously positioned at stations Nos. 1 and 3 are moved to the stations Nos. 2 and 4 for incorporation in the frontand rear diamonds. Thus the overplaid yarns of the pairs were bodily moved back and forth between the stations to provide the overplaid lines a in the various pairs of diamonds to form the full com plementof the diamond shaped areas required in thetubular stocking fabric.

The pairs of overplaid yarns were incorporated in the diamond areas generally in the manner disclosed in Patent No. 2,917,912, issued December 22, 1959, that is during each pair of knitting strokes to form the diamond areas, 7

one overplaid yarn of a pair is knit during one of the pair of strokes and the other'overplaid yarnof the pair is knit during the other of the pair of strokes.

In one method of knitting according to the instant invention a pair of yarns are positioned at each of the knitting stations, Nos. 1. to 4, one of the yarns of each pair being adapted to be knit a a body yarn at its station to form diamond shaped areas and the other yarn of the pair being adapted to be knit as an overplaid yarn at its station to form lines of overplaid in the diamond shaped areas as above set forth. As shown in FIG.

3 which illustrates the upper part of the patterned leg at its station and one finger 45 positioned at the right of the group at each station being adapted to feed the yarn to knit the overplaid design in the manner hereinafter set forth.

For operating the pairs of fingers 44, 45 at each of the stations the fingers are initially moved from inactive to active position by pattern means such as that shown in said Coile disclosure and the pairs'of fingers 44 and 45 at the stations are then moved between active and inactive positions to feed their yarns by means and in the manner set forth in a co-pending application of James D. Moyer, Serial No. 861,842, filed December 24, 1959. According to said application Serial No. 861,842 a finger such asfinger 44 for a body yarn is positioned to feed it yarn at each of stations 2 and 4 and a finger such as finger 45 for an overplaid yarn is positioned to feed its yarn at stations 1 and 3 during alternate pairs of knitting strokes while the other fingers at these station are in inactive positions. During the intervening pairs of knitting strokes the position of the fingers are reversed at the tations, that is, fingers 44 are active and fingers 45 are inactive at stations 1 and 3 and fingers 45 are active and fingers 44 are inactive at stations 2 and 4.

At the start of the knitting of the diamond areas, which is indicated generally by a course 55 in FIGS. 3 and 4, the finger 44 at station No. 2 i in feeding position to feed a body yarn 46 for the half diamond 20 and the finger 45 for the overplaid yarn 37 at this station is in inactive position. The finger 44 at station No. 4 for a body yarn 47 is in feeding position to knit the half diamond 21 and the finger 45 for the overplaid yarn 41 is in inactive position at this station. At the stations Nos. 1 and 3 the fingers 45 for the overplaid yarns 36 and 40 are in active feeding position and the fingers 44 for body yarns 48 and 49 for knitting the diamond 31 and 30 are in inactive positidn. During the first stroke of a first pair of reciprocating strokes of the needles, diagrammatically indicated at St) in FIGS. 6 to 11, with the needles moving in the clockwise or reverse direction, all of the needles for the half diamonds 2t) and 21 are raised to take the body yarns 46 and 47 to form a first course of these half diamonds and as the needle pass through stations Nos. 1 and 3 none of the needles are raised to take yarn at the latter stations. During the second stroke of the first pair of strokes, which is in a counterclockwise or forward direction, indicated by the arrow in FlG. 6, selected ones of the groups of needle forming the half diamonds 2t? and 21 are raised at stations Nos. 1 and 3 to take the overplaid yarns 36 and 4% at these stations and form a course of the overplaid design in the half diamonds 2i) and 21 and as the needles continue to move in the forward direction all of the needles of the needle groups forming these half diamond are raised to take the body yarns 46 and 47 at stations 2 and 4 to form a second course of the half diamonds 20 and 21.

During the next pair of knitting strokes, the positions of the yarn fingers are changed at the knitting stations, the fingers 44 for the body yarns 48 and 49 are moved to knitting position at the stations 1 and 3 and the finger 45 for the overplaid yarns 36 and 40 are moved to inactive positions atthese stations. At stations 2 and 4 the position of the yarn fingers are also changed so that the fingers 45 for the overplaid yarns 37 and 41 are in active positions and the fingers 44 for the main yarns 46 and 47 are in inactive positions. During the first of the next pair of strokes of the machine, which is in the reverse direction as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 7 a course of the diamonds 31 and 39* is formed at stations 1 and 3 and as the groups of needles on which the half diamonds 20 and 21 are formed pass through stations 2 and 4, selected ones are raised at stations 2 and 4 to take the overlaid yarns 37 and 41 at the latter stations to form a course of the overplaid design in the half diamonds 20. and 21. Duringthe second stroke of the latter pair of strokes of the machine the needles are raised to take the body yarn at the stations Nos. 1 and 3 to form a second course of the diamonds 31 and 30, respectively, and none of the needles are raised at stations Nos. 2 and 4 to take the overplaid yarns at the latter stations. Subsequent full courses of the half diamonds 20 and 21 and partial courses of the overplaid design in these half diamonds and full courses of the diamonds 31 and 30 are formed in a like manner throughout the portion of the fabric between the course 55 and a course 56 at which point the diverging lines of overplaid design formed in the half diamond 20 by the yarns 36 and 37 meets the sutures 34 between this half diamond and the diamonds 31 and 30, respectively, and the diverging lines of the overplaid design formed in the half diamond 21 by the yarns 40 and 41 meet the sutures between the half diamond 21 and the diamonds 3t and 31, respectively. It is to be noted that the courses between the courses 55 and 56 in FIG. 4 represent only a few of the courses required in forming the actual fabric. Also, the arrows shown in FIG. 4 indicate the direction of knitting of the courses of diamonds and the overplaid courses, the arrows pointing toward the right representing a reverse stroke of knitting and those pointing toward the left representing a forward stroke of knitting.

At the course 56, the overplaid yarns 36, 37, 4t and 41 crossover the sutures and in subsequent courses continue along the same diagonal lines in the diamonds 3t) and 31 until yarns 37 and 40 meet at the front of the sock and yarns 36 and 41 meet at the rear of the sock generally in a course 57 which extends approximately through the centers of the diamonds 3t and 31. In this portion of the fabric between courses 56' and 57 during the first stroke of knitting of a first pair of knitting strokes, which is in the reverse direction, the needles are raised at stations Nos. 2 and 4 to take'the body yarns at these stations to form a course of the half diamonds 20 and 21 and as the needles pass through stations Nos. 1 and 3 they remain in lowered position to miss the overplaid yarns 36 and 40. During the second or forward stroke of the first pair of strokes, which is in the direction of the arrow of FIG. 8, the needles are again raised at stations Nos. 2 and 4 to take yarns 46 and 47 to form a course of the half diamonds 2t and 21 and'as the needles pass through stations Nos. 1 and 3 selected ones are raised to take the overplaid yarns 36 and 40 at the latter stations to form a course of the overplaid design in diamonds 31 and 30. During the first of the next pair of knitting strokes, which i in the reverse direction as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 9, all of the needles of the group of needles forming the diamonds 31 and 343 are raised at stations Nos. 1 and 3 to take the body yarns 48 and 49 at these stations to form a course of diamonds 31 and 30 and as the e needles pas through stations Nos. 2 and 4, selected ones are raised to take the overplaid yarns 37 and 41 at stations Nos. 2 and 4 to form a course of the overplaid design in the diamonds 31 and 30. In the second or forward stroke of this latvter pair of strokes, the needle are raised at stations Nos.

stations Nos. 2 and 4. This sequence of operations continues until the course 57 is reached. 7 V

Atthe course 57, which i the approximate'centerof the diamonds 30 and fil the direction of'the diagonal lines of the overplaid design formed by the overplaid yarns 36, '37, '40 and 41 is reversed to extend along converging'lines in thesendiamonds. Course 57 3180 corresponds to the points at which the half diamonds 20 and Zlterminateand the full diamonds, 22 and 25 start. Following the course 57 during'the first or reverse stroke of the first pair of strokes, as indicated by thearrow in FIG. 10, the appropriate needles are raised to take the yarns 46 and 47 at stationsNos. 2 and 4 to: forrn a course of the diarnonds 22 and 25 and as the needles associated with the diamonds 31 and 30 pas through stations Nos. .1 and 3, selected ones of the latter needles are raised to take the overplaid yarns 36 and 40 at stations Nos. 1 and 3 to form a course of the overplaid design in the diamonds 31 and 30. During the second or forward stroke of the firstpair of strokes, the appropriate ncedlesare raised at stations Nos. 2 and 4 to take'the yarns-46 and 47 to form a course of the diamonds 22 and 25 and all ofthe needles remain intlowered position as they pass through stations Nos..1 and 3. During the first or reverse stroke of the'next pair of strokes, all of the needles associated maining stitches of the body yarn are filledin at the same station. y In the foregoing description at single feed finger has been referred to at each-of the knitting stations forfeed- V 7 ing the body yarn whereby vertically adjacent diamonds will be of the same color. However it will be understood that such diamonds may be made of contrasting colors through the use of a plurality of .fingers for the body yarn at each station with a yarn change made at the juncture of the vertically adjacent diamonds all as described in said Coile disclosure.v

It will be recognized'while the overplaidllines knitted 1 into the "fabric as described'above actually are of zigzag formation the appearance given to the sock-is one of.

- 1-continuous spiral lines extending in one direction contrast in color with the continuous spirallines extending in the other direction. The instant invention readily lends-itwith the diamonds 31.and are raised at stations 1 and 3 to take the body yarns'48 and 49 and form a course of the diamonds 31 and 30 and all of these needles remain in lowered. position as they pass through stations Nos. 2 and 4.. During the second or forward stroke-of the last mentioned pair-of strokes, indicated by the arrow in FIG. 11, selected one of the group of needles associated with the diamonds 31 and 30 are raised at sta- I tions Nos. 2 and 4 to take the overplaid yarns 37 and 41 to form a course of the overplaid design in thesediamonds and all of the. needles of the groups associated with the diamonds 31and 31* are raised to take and knit [the yarns 48 and 49 at the stations 1 and 3"to form a course of these diamonds. 'Ihis sequence of operations continues until the course 58 is reached.

At about the course 58 the converging lines of the overplaid'design again cross over the sutures between the diamonds and continue in the diamonds 22 and 25 'to meet at about a course 59 at the'center of the diamonds 62 and 25. From course 58 to course 59, the pairs of r courses are knit in the same manner as in'the courses between the courses55 and 56 except that the overplaid courses are'knit in the same direction as in the courses between courses 57 and 58, that is the overplaid yarns'36 and 4! are knit in reverse strokes and'the overplaid yarns 3'7 and 41 are knit in forward strokes.

In a modified form of the invention, as shown diagramyarns are knit during knitting strokes in the same direction and at the same knitting stations as above set forth in connection With FIG. 4. However, in contrast to the method illustrated in FIG. 4 where the overplaid yarns are knit as separate courses between a pair of courses of and knit the body yarn at its station; The needles to knit the overplaid design and which did not take yarn during the knitting of the body area are then raised to take and knit the overplaid yarn at the adjacent station.

'Where the stitches of the overplaid design are to be knit in a diamond area during knitting of a body course of continuous spiral lines extending in opposite directions around the sock in the patterned area, the spiral lines intersecting at the centers of the diamonds.

at each of the knitting stations. If all of the overplaid yarns are of the same color the spiral effect is' rnain-' tained hutjthe overplaid pattern is of. course limited to a single color. It is desirable for certain patterns that' the self to "suchconstruction. All that isneces'sary: is the provision of 'two yarn feed fingers knitting two yarns of contrasting colors at each of the knitting stations. At

the start of the knitting operation theyarns 4t and S6,

.f orexample, will be of onecolor and the yarns 41 and 37 of a second or contrasting'oolor 'When knitting has rnatically in FIGS, the body yarns and the overplaid V stituted for each other at the centers of the diamond" an adjacent diamond area, the appropriate needles are raised to take and knit stitches of the overplaid yarn at a station and during a subsequent knitting stroke, the reparting from the invention proceeded to the course 57 (FIG. '3) yarn changes are made at stations Nos. land 3 to substitute an overplaid Similar yarn changes are made a v at the stations Nos. 2 and 4 to substitute overplaid yarns yarn of the second color.

ofthe firstcolor. When the course 55..is reached the overplaid yarn changes are made at stations Nos. 1 and 3 to again feed yarns of the first color and yarn changes 7 are made at stations Nos. 2 and 4 to again feed yarns of the second color, such operations continuing throughout the patterned area.

spiral lines of the contrasting color even though the overplaid lines are actually knit of zigzag formation. It will be recognized that by making yarn points other effects may be obtained. g

It is believed to be obvious from the foregoing that,

employing the method of the instant invention an overplaid yarn associated with each knitting station of a' multistation circular knitting machine is not only adapted to knit an overplaid design in a portion of-the diamond areas knit at the same station but is also adapted 1 to knit a continuation of the same overplaid design in a portion of the diamond areas knit at an adjacent station without making yarn changes at the sutures of the diamond areas or without bodily moving the overplaid yarn between the adjacent stations. Also, a pair of overplaidyarns associated with each knitting station may be knit m a like manner, the yarns at each station being subareas to form alternate portions of the overplaid design in the diamond areas knit at the same station and at the adjacent stations, whereby the spiral lines of the overplaid design extending in one direction areof a different character or color than the spiral lines extending in the opposite direction.

Of course, the improvements specifically shown and,

described by which the above results are obtained, can

be changed and modified in various ways Without deerein disclosed and herein- 7 after claimed.

We claim: I 1. A method of knitting on a circular knitting machine having four knitting stations and adapted to reciproca- In thefore' going description reference has been made to the use of only'single feed fingers feeding a single overplaid yarn g A patterned area knit in suchra manner will, as referred to above, give the appearance of continuous spiral lines of one color crossing continuous changes at other torily knit at said stations, including the step of knitting a first pair of oppositely disposed fabric areas at a first opposed pair of said knitting stations, the step of knitting an overplaid design in each of said first pair of fabric areas at each of a second opposed pair of knitting stations, the step of knitting a second pair of oppositely disposed fabric areas at said second opposed pair of knitting stations, and the step of knitting an overplaid design in each of said first pair of fabric areas at said first opposed pair of knitting stations.

2. A method of knitting on a circular knitting machine having four knitting stations and adapted to knit at said stations during pairs of re'ciprocatory strokes of said machine, including the step of knitting a first opposed pair of fabric areas at a first opposed pair of said stations during a first pair of said reciprocatory strokes, the step of knitting a second opposed pair of fabric areas at the other opposed pair of said stations during a second pair of said reciprocatory strokes, the step of knitting an overplaid design in said first opposed pair of fabric areas at said other opposed pair of said stations during said first pair of reciprocatory strokes, and the step of knitting an overplaid design in said first opposed pair of fabric areas at said first opposed pair of knitting stations during said second pair of reciprocatory strokes.

3. A method of knitting on a circular knitting machine havingfour knitting stations and adapted to knit as said stations during pairs of reciprocatory strokes of said machine, including the step of knitting a first opposed pair of fabric areas at a first opposed pair of said stations during one of said pairs of reciprocatory strokes, the step of knitting a second opposed pair of fabric areas at ano her opposed pair of said stations during another of said pairs of reciprocatory strokes, the step of knitting an overplaid design in said first opposed pair of fabric areas at said other opposed pair of said stations during said one of said pairs of reciprocatory strokes, and the step of knitting an overplaid design in said first opposed pair of fabric areas at said first opposed pair of said stations during said other pair of reciprocatory strokes.

4. A method of knitting on a circular knitting machine having four knitting stations and adapted to reciprocatorily knit at said stations, including the step of knit ing a pair of courses in each of a first opposed pair of fabric areas at a first opposed pm'r of said stations, the step of knitting a pair of courses in each of a second opposed pa r of fabric areas at a second opposed pair of said stations, the step of knitting a course of overplaid design in each of said second pair of fabric areas at said second opposed pair of knitting stations during knitting of said pair of courses in said first pair of fabric areas, and the step of knitting a course of overplaid design in each of said second pair of fabric areas at said first opposed pair of knitting stations during knitting of said pair of courses of said second pair of fabric areas.

5. A method of knitting on a circular knitting machine having four knitting stations and adapted to reciprocatorily knit at said stations, including the step of knitting courses of a first opposed pair of fabric areas at a first opposed pair of knitting stations during a first pair of knitting strokes, the step of knitting courses of a second opposed pair of fabric areas at the other opposed pair of said stations during a second pair of knitting strokes, the step of knitting a course of overplaid design in said first pair of fabric areas at said other opposed pair of stations during one of said first pair of knitting strokes, and the steps of knitting a course of overplaid design in said first pair of fabric areas at said first opposed pair of stations during one of said second pair of knitting strokes.

6. A method of knitting on a circular knitting machine having four knitting stations and adapted to reciprocatorily knit at said stations, including the step of knitting courses of a first opposed pair of fabric areas at a first opposed pair of knitting stations during a first pair of knitting strokes, the step of knitting courses of a second opposed pair of fabric areas at the other opposed pair of knitting stations during a second pair of knitting strokes, the step "of knitting a course of overplaid design in said first pair knitting pairs of courses of a first opposed pair of fabric areas at a first opposed pair of said stations during pairs of knitting strokes, the step of knitting pairs of courses of a second opposed pair of fabric areas at'the other opposed pair of staid stations during pairs of knitting strokes, the step of knitting a course of overplaid design between the courses of a pair of-courses of said first opposed pair of fabric areas at said other opposed pair of knitting stations, and the step of knitting a course of overplaid design between said pairs of courses of said first opposed pair of fabric areas at said first opposed pair of said stations.

8. A method of knitting on a circular knitting machine having four knitting stations and adapted. to reciprocate to knit at said stations including the step of-reciprocatorily knitting a yarn at each of a first opposed pair of said stations and forming a pair of courses of each of a first opposed pair of fabric areas, the step of knitting a design yarn at each of an intervening opposed pair of said stations and forming an overplaid design course of said yarns in each of said first opposed pair of fabric areas, the step of reciprocatorily knitting a yarn at each of said intervening opposed pair of said stations and forming a pair of courses of each of an intervening opposed pair of fabric areas, and the step of knitting a design yarn at each of said first opposed pair of said stations and forming a second overplaid design course of said last mentioned design yarn in each of said first opposed pair of fabric areas.

9. A method according to claim 8 including the additional steps of reciprocatorily knitting a yarn at each of said first opposed pair of stations and forming a further pair of courses'of each of said first opposed pair of fabric areas, knitting said design yarn at each of said intervening opposed pair of said stations and forming an overplaid design course of said design yarn in each of said intervening opposed pair of fabric areas, knitting a yarn at each of said intervening opposed pair of stations and forming a further pair of courses of each of said intervening opposed pair of fabric areas, and knitting said design yarn at each of said first opposed pair of stations and forming an overplaid design course of said yarn in each of said intervening opposed pair of fabric areas.

10. A method of knitting on needles of a circular knitting machine having four knitting stations and adapted to reciprocate to knit at said stations, including the step of reciprocatorily knitting a yarn on all'of the needles of a. group of needles at each of an opposed pair of knitting stations and forming a pair of courses of each of a first pair of oppositely disposed fabric areas, the step of knitting a design yarn at each of an intervening pair of knitting stations on selected needles of each of said needle groups and forming an overplaid design course of said yarns in each of said first pair of fabric areas, the step of knitting a yarn on all of the needles of another group at each of said intervening pair of knitting stations and forming a pair of courses of an intervening pair of oppositely disposed fabric areas, and the step of knitting a design yarn at each of said first pair of knitting stations on selected ones of each of said first mentioned needle groups and forming a second overplaid design course of said yarns in each of said first pair of fabric areas.

11. A method as set forth in claim 10 including the additional steps of knitting said design yarn at said inter- 1 1 ening pair of knitting stations on selected needles of said other -needle groups and forming an overpiaid course of said design yarns in'said intervening pair of fabric areas and knitting said design yarns at said first pair of knitting stations on selected needles of said other needle groups and forming an overplaid design coursein said intervening pair of fabric areas.

12. A method of knitting on a circular knitting machine having four knitting stations and'adapted toreciprocatorily knit'at said stations, including the step of feeding a yarn to all of the needles of a group of needles at each of an opposed pair of knitting stations and'simultaneou'sly forming a first course in each of a first opposed pair of fabric areasduring a reciprocatory knitting stroke in one direction, the step ofnfeeding' a design yarn to selected needles of said groupsof needles at each or" an intervening opposed pair of knitting stations and simultaneously forming a course of said "design yarn in said first opposed pair of fabric areas during said knitting stroke in said one direction, the step of feeding said yarn to'all of'the needles of a group of needles at each of said opposed pair of'knitting stations and simultaneously :forming a second course in each of said first opposed pair of fabric areas during a knitting stroke in an opposite direction, the stepof feeding a yarn to another group of needles "at each of said interevning opposed pair of knitting statiqns and forming courses of an inten'ening opposed pair of fabric areas during a pair ofknitting'strokes in opposite directions, and the step of feeding a second design 'yarn to selected needles of said first group of needles at each of said opposed of knitting stations andfforining a course of said second design yarn'in said first opposed pair of fabric areas during one of said last mentioned pair of knitting strokes. V i

i 13. A method of knitting on a circular knitting machine having'a plurality of knitting stations and adapted to reciprocate to knit' at said stations including the step of recipro- 'catorily knitting courses of a first opposed pair of'fabric areas at'afirst opposed pair of knitting stations during a first pair of knitting strokes, the step of knitting courses of a second opposed pair of fabric areas at a second opposed pair of knitting stations during a second pair of knitting strokes, the step of knitting stitches of an over- :plaid design in one of said courses of said first opposed pair of fabric areas at said second opposed pair of knitting stations during one of said first pair of knitting strokes, and the step of knitting stitches of said overplaid design in the other of said courses of said first opposed pair of pattern areas at said first opposed pair of knitting stations during one of said second pair of knitting strokes.

14. A method ofknitting on a circular knitting machine having a plurality of knitting stations, and adapted to reciprocate toknit at said stations including reciprocatorily knitting a yarn at a first one of said stations and I forming a pair of courses ofa first fabric area, the step of knitting a design yarn at a second one of said stations and forming stitches of said design yarn in one of said pair of courses of said first fabric areas, the step of reciprocatorily knitting a yarn at said second station and forming aj pair of courses of a second fabricarea, and the step of knitting a design yarn at said first, station and forrning stitches of said design yarn in the other of said pair of courses of said first, fabric area. 7

design 15. A method'of knitting on a circular knitting machine of a second opposed pair of said stations, the step of knitting the other of said pair; of yarns at each station or said first opposed pair of stations and, forming an overpiaid design in the pattern areas knit'thereat, and the step of knitting said other yarn of said pair at each station of said first opposed pair of stations and forming an overplaid design in the, pattern area knit at an adjacent one of said second opposed pair oflstations. 7

16. A method of knitting a circular knitting machine 7 having a plurality of knitting stations and adapted to center of the pattern area formed at the same stationfto' reciprocatorily knit a separate plurality of yarns at each station of said pluralityiof stations, including the step of knitting a pattern area of one of said plurality of yarns at each station'of a first opposed pair of said stations, the step of knitting a pattern area of one of said-plurality ofyams at each station of a second opposed pair of saidstations, and the step of knitting a second one of said plurality of yarns at each station of said first opposed pair of stations and forming an over-plaid design from the the center of the pattern area formed at aniadjacent one of said second opposed pair of stations, a

17. A method of knitting on a circular knitting machine having a plurality of knitting stations and adaptedto reciprocatorily knit a plurality of yarns ateachstation of said plurality of stations, including the step of knitting a pattern area of at least one of said plurality of yarns at each station" of afirst opposed pair of said stations, the step-of knitting;

a pattern area of at least one of said plurality of yarns at each stationof a second opposed pair or said stations, the

pattern areas knit at said stations-being suture joined to each other, the step of knitting a second one of said plurality of yarns at each station of said first opposed pair of stations and forming a portion of an overplaid design, of-

said second yarn from the. center of the pattern area formed at the same station to the center of the pattern area formed at an adjacent one oftsaid second opposed 7 pair of stations, the step of substituting a third one of said plurality of yarns for said second yarn at each of said first opposed pair of stations at the centers of the pattern areas formed at said second opposedpair of stations,"

and the step of knitting said third yarn at each of said first opposed pair of stations and forming a portion of said overplaid design of said third yarn from the center of the pattern area formed at the adjacent one of said second opposed pair of stations to the center of the pattern area formed at the same station. I

References Qited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,917,912

Levin Mar. 14, 19 1 Levin Dec. 22,1959

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