US3089323A - Method for the production of hosiery - Google Patents

Description

May 14, 1963 J. JAVOREK 3,089,323

METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HOSIERY Filed July 19, 1960 INVENTOR. /aro5/o' 2/- 70 uoreZ Ma Q United States Patent 3,089,323 METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION ()F HOSIERY Jaroslav Javorek, Trebic, Czechoslovakia, assignor to Sdruzeni podniku textilniho strojirenstvi, Chrastava,

Czechoslovakia Filed July 19, 1960, Ser. No. 43307 Claims priority, application Czechoslovakia July 23, 1959 3 Claims. (Cl. 66-185) This invention relates to a method for the production of hosiery from a knitted tubular fabric.

The production of ladies seamless stockings on circular knitting machines is well known. The automatically produced knitted fabric shows a heel and a toe, both of which are formed during the reciprocating movement of the machine by narrowing i.e. by continuous lifting of predetermined knitting needles from their operative into inoperative positions, as well as by subsequent lowering of said knitting needles from their inoperative to their operative positions.

A partially plastic form of the heel and toe portions is attained in this way. The reinforcement of the sole is effected with the aid of a special device, which, in the majority of cases, is of an intricate design, rather liable to failures in operation, the reinforcing threads in each course of the sole being automatically cut and sucked oil at two points, with the result that loose thread ends protrude from the interior of the knitwear.

According to another known method the seamless stocking is knitted likewise in the shape of a hose, whose lower end is for the purpose of producing the toe, sewn together in the vicinity of the toe only, while the shaping of the heel, knitted during the circular motion of the machine, is effected by stretching the heel portion on a stocking board, which, by subsequent fixation lends to the boarded hose the final and permanent shape of a stocking.

It is a primary object of the invention to eliminate the above mentioned disadvantages.

According to the main feature of the invention the dos ing of the hose at its lower axial end for the purpose of forming the sole is effected by connecting the hose, preferably by sewing, along the full length of the longitudinal axis of the sole. It is preferable to provide the lower hose end with a bell-shaped flaring enlargement corresponding to the required size of the sole, said enlargement being produced by an alteration in the stitch construction or by an alteration in the stitch density as is well known and has been disclosed, for example, in United States Patents Nos. 1,569,632 and 2,474,894.

According to a further feature of the invention the knitting process is carried out in such a manner that the courses of the lower hose end or of the bell-shaped enlargement, which can be reinforced, if required, are arranged so as to follow the periphery of the sole.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into efiect, the same will now be described with reference to and with the aid of the accompanying drawing showing a diagrammatic representation of the stocking and the method of its production.

The stocking according to the invention is knitted on a circular knitting machine in the shape of a tube, as outlined in broken lines in the drawing, a top 1 being produced first, and thereupon the leg 2, in a known way. According to the invention a bell-shaped enlargement is "ice provided beginning from the ankle portion 3 of the stocking, said bell-shaped enlargement being produced by altering the stitch density. The enlargement corresponds to the required size of the sole. A reinforcement 4 of the sole is effected either by feeding an additional thread or by exchanging the original thread for a stronger one as the courses of the sole are produced. The number of reinforced courses in the sole can be chosen according to the height of the reinforced sole. The knitting process is terminated in a known way by backing off the fabric from the knitting needles of the machines.

At its lower end the hose is closed by joining, preferably sewing, the knitted fabric along the full length of the longitudinal axis of the sole, that is, transversely of the axis of the tube. The joining seam, shown in the drawing as a curved dotted line 5, follows the shape of the sole, and curves upward toward the leg 2 to form a heel pocket. The portion of the seam following the shape of the sole is referred to as the major portion, while the upwardly directed seam portion is referred to as the minor portion. If required, however, the joining seam may follow the last course 6 of the fabric. The pieces outside the joining seam are cut off during the sewing operation. The final shaping of the stocking is effected by heat-treatment on a stocking board. The shape of the finished stocking is shown in the drawing by fully drawn lines.

Threads or yarns of thermoplastic material are used with advantage for the manufacture of stocking either for the whole fabric or for certain parts only, in particular for the bell-shaped enlargement at the lower hose end.

The method for the manufacture of hosiery according to the invention is advantageous mainly as it does not require any special mechanical appliances, such as a reinforcing device of intricate construction, which is often a source of failures in operation. The apparatus for cutting off both ends of the reinforcing thread in every course, as well as the respective exhausting installation are also dispensed with.

It is a further advantage of the new method that by stretching the lower hose end near the toe on the stocking board the stitches of the stocking instep are stretched at the same time, with the result that the formation of inconvenient and ugly creases on the instep is avoided, when the stocking is being Worn. The heel of the stocking according to the invention remains, however, in unstretched condition, whereas according to the heretofore known methods the shaping of the heel is achieved by forcibly stretching the heel portion on a stocking board, which leads to premature wear and tear of the heel portion when the socking is in use.

I claim:

1. In a method of making a knitted stocking, in combination, knitting an axially elongated tube of fabric having a leg portion and a terminal portion flaring in a direction away from said leg portion, said fabric being constituted by a plurality of longitudinally consecutive transverse courses of stitches; sewing a seam through said terminal portion to axially close said tube, said seam having a major portion extending substantially coursewise of said fabric, and a minor portion of said seam extending from said major portion toward said leg portion and defining a heel pocket in said terminal portion; and transversely stretching said terminal portion to form a toe portion therein opposite said heel pocket while substantially maintaining the shape of said heel pocket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,441,443 Reed May 11, 1948 4 Gottschalck July 5, 1949 Getaz Aug. 30, 19 60 Reymes-Cole Nov. 22, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain July 10, 1934 Great Britain July 19', 1950 Italy May 23, 1957

Claims (1)

1. IN A METHOD OF MAKING A KNITTED STOCKING, IN COMBINATION, KNITTING AN AXIALLY ELONGATED TUBE OF FABRIC HAVING A LEG PORTION AND A TERMINAL PORTION FLARING IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID LEG PORTION, SAID FABRIC BEING CONSTITUTED BY A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY CONSECUTIVE TRANSVERSE COURSES OF STITCHES; SEWING A SEAM THROUGH SAID TERMINAL PORTION TO AXIALLY CLOSE SAID TUBE, SAID SEAM HAVING A MAJOR PORTION EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY COURSEWISE OF SAID FABRIC, AND A MINOR PORTION OF SAID SEAM EXTENDING FROM SAID MAJOR PORTION TOWARD SAID LEG PORTION AND DEFINING A HEEL POCKET IN SAID TERMINAL PORTION; AND TRANSVERSELY STRETCHING SAID TERMINAL PORTION TO FORM A TOE PORTION THEREIN OPPOSITE SAID HEEL POCKET WHILE SUBSTANTIALLY MAINTAINING THE SHAPE OF SAID HEEL POCKET.

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