US3094856A - Knitted stocking top - Google Patents

Description

June 1963 z. MONDAY 3,094,856

KNITTED STOCKING TOP Filed Dec. 8, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 XR XRv XR XR XR XR XR XR INVENTOR. Zephyr Monday ATTORNEY June 25, 1963 z MONDAY KNITTED STOCKING TOP 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed D60. 8, 1960 INVENTOR.

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I KNITTED STOCKING TOP Filed Dec. 8, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IO H I2 l3 l4 '5 I6 I7 I8 E 7 uh HMHFHFHMH MMHFHFHFHFHW IOHFHNFHFHHEHMFH w INVEN TOR.

ATTORNEY "TMHFUFHNFHMH Zephyr Monday Y United States Patent 3,094,856 KNITTED STOCKING TOP Zephyr Monday, Mount Airy, N.C., assignor to U-Stretch gorpgration, Mount Airy, N.C., a corporation of North aro na Filed Dec. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 74,700 3 Claims. (Cl. 66-172) This invention relates to a knitted stocking top having a unique arrangement of course groups of tuck stitches and elastic yarns resulting in novel raised patterns particularly adapted to bobby socks and the like. u The knitted stitch of the invention is characterized by each course comprising single tuck stitches alternating with a plural number of knit stitches, by the tuck stitches in one group of courses being offset from the tuck stitches in the following group of courses and by the elastic yarn being knit only into tuck stitches and only in certain courses of each group. There is no clearing course as such between tuck stitch groups as the course in which one group of tuck stitches are knit otf serves as the beginning course for gathering of new tuck stitches in the following group. The overall result is to produce novel raised patterns having crochet like and twisted rib effects, depending on the particular variation of the knit as hereafter described. Examples of two designs which may be achieved by this invention are shown in related Design Patents 192,572 and 192,573 issued April 10, 196 2.

The stocking top is preferably formed on a circular knitting machine having a sinker top and a cylindrical bank of latch needles which may be moved to tuck, stitch and latch clearing positions by means of pattern wheels associated with pattern cams located adjacent the needles and acting on needle jacks, needle butts or the like. The sinkers are positioned by the conventional sinker ring and the elastic and non-elastic yarns are drawn under and over the sinker nibs, respectively as is customary in knitting on such machines.

The stocking top is star-ted by so-called make-up courses which form no part of the invention and which may, for example, initially comprise several courses of the elastic yarn laid behind every other needle and under the nibs of the sinker during which the needles do not form stitches. The needles may then be raised and several full knit courses may be knitted with both the elastic and non-elastic yarns which completes the make-up in preparation for the novel tuck stitch course sequence of this invention.

i In practicing the tuck stitch course sequence of the invention following the make-up courses, there is knitted a 'first group of courses which are identical in that at certain predetermined wales single tuck stitches are formed and these alternate around the course with a plural number of knit stitches formed at the intervening wales. Non-elastic yarn is used in each of the courses and in both the knit and tuck stitches whereas the elastic yarn is introduced by being knit only into the tuck stitches and only in the first or last few courses making up the group. .On completion of the first group of courses the first tuck stitches are knit off in a course which starts a second group of courses identical to the first except that in the second group of courses, the tuck stitch wales are offset by a given number of wales with respect to the tuck stitch wales in the first group. The third group of tuck stitchcourses is started by the same course in which the "second group is knit off and is a repetition of the first and second groups and the third groups tuck stitch wales are offset with respect to the second group in the same manner as the second is offset with respect to the first. This repetitive sequence continues until a sulficient num- "ice ber of the consecutive groups of courses are completed to finish the stocking top.

For an understanding of the invention, reference is made to the drawings showing two embodiments of the invention, in which:

FIGURE 1 refers to the first embodiment and is a schematic view illustrating how the needles are raised to knit and tuck positions in the first group of tuck stitch courses.

FIGURE 2 also refers to the first embodiment and is a schematic view illustrating how the needles are raised to knit and tuck positions in the second group of tuck stitch courses.

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view representing a section of a tuck stitch stocking top knitted according to the first embodiment.

FIGURE 4 is a knit diagram of the first embodiment.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary photographic view of the front of an actual unstretched stocking top knitted according to the first embodiment.

FIGURE 6 is similar to FIGURE 5 but shows the same stocking top in stretched condition as worn.

FIGURE 7 refers to the second embodiment and is a schematic view illustrating how the needles are raised to knit and tuck positions in the first group of tuck stitch courses.

FIGURE 8 is similar to FIGURE 7 but for the second group of tuck stitch courses in the second embodiment.

FIGURE 9 is similar to FIGURE 7 but for the third group of tuck stitch courses in the second embodiment.

FIGURE 10 is similar to FIGURE 7 but for the fourth group of tuck stitch courses in the second embodiment.

FIGURE 11 is a diagrammatic view similar to FIG- URE 3 but for the second embodiment.

FIGURE 12 is a knit diagram similar to FIGURE 4 but for the second embodiment.

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged fragmentary photographic view of the front of an actual unstretched stocking top knitted according to the second embodiment.

FIGURE 14 is similar to FIGURE 13 but shows the same stocking top in stretched condition as worn.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is schematically illustrated as being knit on a circular knitting machine such as the Banner machine having radially movable sinkers 10 cooperating with a cylindrical bank of needles capable of being positioned in knit, tuck and latch clearing positions. While a knitting machine of this type may include from less than a hundred to several hundred needles in the knitting circle, only eight such needles ninnbered 11 through 18 in the drawings are shown since this is suificient to illustrate the nature of the inventions tuck stitch sequence which is repeated around the knitting circle and from course to course in the respective groups.

For each needle there is a conventional book 20 and latch 21 which in the usual manner are arranged to be selectively closed and opened. The needle lifting arrange ment includes the customary stitch and pattern cams and patternwheels which'enables the needles to be positioned .in either knit, latch clearing or tuck positions and to be In starting the top to form what is called the make-up, the elastic yarn is fed to the sinkers in the usual manner for four turns of the cylinder during which the needles do not form stitches and the sinkers 10 are positioned to cause the elastic yarn to reside behind alternate needles and beneath. the sinker nibs. After laying in of the elastic yarn as described, all of the needles are raised to full knit position and four full knit courses are made with the non-elastic yarn and with the elastic yarn being laid in the stitches which completes the make-up or start of the stocking top. It should be understood that the aforesaid make-up procedure is well known in the art and that more or less make-up courses and other forms of conventional make-up courses may be employed before commencing the novel tuck stitch course sequence to which the invention is primarily directed.

' After completion of the make-up courses the tuck stitch sequence of courses of the invention is employed to complete the stocking top. Two embodiments of the invention are disclosed each of which is characterized by the basic tuck stitch and group sequence previously referred to but which present entirely different surface effects by reason of having the tuck stitch wales offset slightly differently in the two embodiments.

FIGURES 1 through 6 illustrate the first embodiment to which the description is now directed. This first embodiment consists of repetitive four course groups. For the first four course group, the eight needles of FIGURE 1 represent the relative needle positions which positions are repeated with each consecutive group of eight needles around the needle circle and for the four courses making up the first group. As shown in FIGURE 1, needles 11, 13, 14, 15, 17 and 18 are raised to full knit position and in such position wales of knit stitches are formed whereas needles 12 and 16 are positioned in tuck position and in such position wales of tuck stitches are formed. That is, needles 1'1, 13, 14, 15, 17 and 18 will form and cast off full stitches for these four courses whereas needles 12 and 16 will gather four tuck stitches. Non-elastic yarn is used in each of the four courses. During half the courses, namely, the last two courses of the four courses being described, rubber elastic is laid in but only in front of needles 12 and 16 which results in the elastic being laid in the tuck stitches and behind the knit stitches. An alternative means of introducing the elastic would be to introduce the elastic in the first two rather than the last two courses. Thus, by half the courses is meant either the first or last half of the courses in the particular group. For the next course, which is the fifth course or first course in the second four course group, needles 11, 12, 13, 15, 16 and 17 are positioned in knit position and needles 14 and 18 are positioned in tuck position as illustrated by FIGURE 2. In this fifth course, the previously gathered tuck stitches are knit off by needles 12 and 16 and gathering of new tuck stitches is commenced on needles 14 and 18. Full knit stitches are formed on the remaining needles. Three additional courses are knit in this second group with needles 14 and 18 positioned in tuck position and during knitting of the last two courses, the elastic is laid in front of the tucking needles 14 and 18, and behind the knitting needles 11, 12, 13, 15, 16 and 17. These additional courses complete the second four course group. On the next course, which is the ninth actual course in the tuck stitch sequence but the first course in the third group of courses, the needles are repositioned as they were for the first group of courses as previously indicated in reference to FIGURE 1. The second group of tuck stitches are knit off and gathering of the third group of tuck stitches is commenced during this last mentioned ninth course. Thus, the tuck stitch sequence repeats itself in every third group of courses.

In FIGURE 3, the weave of the first embodiment is shown in diagrammatic form, in which the vertical columns represent wales, the horizontal rows represent courses, the blank squares represent knit stitches, the X marks represent tuck stitches and the XR marks represent laying in of the rubber or elastic yarn in tuck stitches. As shown, the described sequence results in the first group of four courses having single tuck stitch wales alternating with three wales of full knit stitches. In the second group of four courses, the wales of tuck stitches may be seen to be formed as :in the first group but can be seen to be offset by two wales from those tuck stitch wales of the first group. That is, the tuck stitch wales of the second group lie to the side of by two wales those tuck stitch wales of the first group. In both groups, since the elastic yarn is fed only in front of the tucking needles and only for the last two of the four courses, only the tuck stitches include the elastic yarn and only in the last two courses as represented by the XR marks. The third group of four courses, not represented in FIGURE 3, would, as previously mentioned, be a repetition of the first group of four courses.

In FIGURE 4, the tuck stitch sequence is shown in the somewhat different form of a weave diagram from which the novel pattern'of tuck stitches alternating with knit stitches can be seen in the manner of interlacing of the yarns. FIGURE 4 also illustrates more exactly the placing of the elastic yarn in only the tuck stitches and in only half of the courses, the elastic yarn being indicated in dashed line.

It should be understood that neither FIGURE 3 nor FIGURE 4, both of which follow conventional weave diagram practice, reveal the distortion, and thus the novel surface effect, which results from the unique arrangement of courses, tuck stitches and elastic yarn described in reference to the first embodiment. To illustrate this distortion and surface effect, reference is made to FIGURES 5 and 6 which are enlarged photographs of an actual stocking top fabric in respectively, stretched and unstretched condition and made according to the first embodiment of the invention. One of the unique characteristics of the inventions tuck stitch sequence is that the wales which are made up entirely of knit stitches such as wales 22, 23, 24 and 25 of FIGURE 4 actually assume in the final weave an attractive wave like or zig zag shape whereas those wales which include both knit and tuck stitches such as wales 26, 27, 28 and 29 of FIGURE 4 form in effect, a straight line of stitches. The overall result is to have wave like wales alternating with straight wales and with the tuck stitch effect as background, the finished top has somewhat of an embroidery effect. This surface effect is best illustrated by reference to FIGURES 5 and 6.

V In summary, the tuck stitch sequence of the first em bodirnent described consists of consecutive groups of courses having four courses in each group. -In each group of courses, tuck stitch wales are formed and these tuck stitch wales alternate with three knit stitch wales. 'In the last two courses of each group, the elastic is introduced in front of the tuck stitch needles and behind the remaining needles which results in the elastic being knit into the tuck stitches and behind the knit stitches. The tuck stitches in the second group of courses are offset so as to reside in wales located midway between the tuck stitch wales in the first group of courses. In the third group of courses, the tuck stitches are again offset back to the wales occupied by the tuck stitches in the first group. The tuck stitch pattern thus repeats itself in alternate groups which results in vertical alignment of tuck stitches in alternate groups and an overall gathering and distortion producing the surface effects best illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6 In order to carry out the first embodiment, it can be seen that it is necessary that there be the same even number such as four, six or eight courses in each group with a minimum of four courses in order that exactly half the number of courses may be fed elastic as described to produce a uniform wave effect in the knit wales. Between tuck stitch wales, there must appear an odd number, not less than three, of full stitch wales. That is, in order that the tuck stitch wales can be offset in each alternate group exactly halfway between the tuck stitch wales in the preceding group, there must be an odd number such as three, five or seven full knit stitch wales between the tuck stitch wales in the preceding group.

Reverting next to the second embodiment and particularly to FIGURES 7 through 14, the tuck stitch sequence can be seen to repeat like the first embodiment in that the pattern repeats in groups of courses. Similar to the first embodiment, there appears in each course tuck stitches alternating with a plurality of knit stitches. As with the first embodiment, the tuck stitches in one group of courses are offset from the tuck stitches in the following group of courses, the elastic yarn is knit only into tuck stitches and only in certain courses and there is no clearing course as such between tuck stitch groups. The first and second embodiments are unlike however in the sense that whereas the tuck stitch wales in the first embodiment are always offset from group to group by a plural odd number of wales so that the tuck stitch wales in one group will lie between the tuck stitch wales in the preceding group, the tuck stitch wales in the second embodiment are only offset by a single wale from group to group which results in an entirely different effect, namely an inherent diagonal raised rib or twist effect on a tuck stitch background.

FIGURES 7 through are similar to FIGURES 1 and 2 in that they represent the relative positions of the eight representative needles 11 through 18 as they are positioned for knitting four consecutive groups of courses in the second embodiment, this particular pattern repeating itself in every fifth group. FIGURE 11 is a diagrammatic view similar to FIGURE 3. FIGURE 12 is a Weave diagram similar to FIGURE 4 and FIGURES 13 and 14 are photographic fragmentary views similar to FIGURES 5 and 6. In reference to FIGURES 7 through 10, it should be understood as with the first embodiment that the description is directed primarily to the novel tuck stitch sequence courses and not to the conventional makeup courses.

In FIGURES 7 through 10, it will be seen that for the second embodiment the tuck stitch needles shift by one Wale from group to group. The result of this is seen in FIGURE 11 in which the same X and XR symbols are used and here it can be seen how the resulting tuck stitch wales of the second embodiment shift from wale to wale with each succeeding group and how the rubber elastic is knit only into the tuck stitches and only in certain courses. In FIGURE 12, the Weave is shown as the yarns are actually interlaced together. However, it should be understood as with FIGURES 3 and 4, that the final product does not actually assume the regularity expressed in FIGURES 11 and 12. In the second embodiment as with the first embodiment, it is distortion brought out by the arrangement of elastic yarns, knit and tuck stitches as well as the presence of the stitches that leads to the unique surface effect.

FIGURES 13 and 14 bring out the surface effect of the second embodiment and show an actual fabric knitted according to this embodiment. FIGURE 13 shows the fabric unstretched whereas FIGURE 14 shows the fabric stretched as worn. The raised diagonal rib and somewhat undulating wale effect can be seen in reference to these figures.

In summary as to the second embodiment, the tuck stitch sequence consists of consecutive groups having a plural number preferably of at least four courses in each group. In each group, tuck stitch wales are formed and these alternate with a plural number of at least two and preferably three knit stitch wales. In half the courses of each group, the elastic yarn is introduced and in a manner so as to be knit into the tuck stitches and laid behind the knit stitches in the particular courses involved. From group to group, the tuck stitch wales are offset by only one wale and as in the first embodiment the beginning course of one group acts to knit off the tuck stitches in the preceding group such that there is never any clearing course as such between groups or any course in which tuck stitches do not appear. The result is to produce the attractive raised diagonal rib effect on a tuck stitch background as previously referred to.

For purposes of claim terminology, the spaced tuck groups which appear in each course of both embodiments of the invention and which form the spaced tuck Wales are referred to in the claims as forming in each such spaced wale one tuck stitch which extends throughout the courses of the group.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A knit stocking top having a crochet-like effect comprising a repeated continuous sequence of uniform groups of a plural number, not less than four, of courses knit of inelastic yarn, each group having interspersed with knit stitch wales a plurality of uniformly spaced wales in each of which spaced wales one tuck stitch extends throughout the courses of such group, said spaced wales being uniformly laterally offset at least one wale from group to group, and elastic yarn laid behind a plurality of adjacent courses and in each such tuck stitch in each group.

2. A knit stocking top as claimed in claim 1 in which said adjacent courses behind which said elastic yarn is laid represent half the courses in each group.

3. A knit stocking top as claimed in claim 1 in which said spaced wales are each separated by an odd number, not less than three, of said knit stitch wales.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES'PATENTS 2,052,088 Drumheller Aug. 25, 1936 2,311,166 Fregeolle Feb. 16, 1943 3,013,420 Cormier Dec. 19, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 634,830 Great Britain Mar. 29, 1950 263,200 Italy Mar. 8, 1929

Claims (1)

1. A KNIT STOCKING TOP HAVING A CROCHET-LIKE EFFECT COMPRISING A REPEATED CONTINUOUS SEQUENCE OF UNIFORM GROUPS OF A PLURAL NUMBER, NOT LESS THAN FOUR, OF COURSES KNIT OF INELASTIC YARN, EACH GROUP HAVING INTERSPERSED WITH KNIT STITCH WALES A PLURALITY OF UNIFORMLY SPACED WALES IN EACH OF WHICH SPACED WALES ONE TUCK STITCH EXTENDS THROUGHOUT THE COURSES OF SUCH GROUP, SAID SPACED WALES BEING UNIFORMLY LATERALLY OFFSET AT LEAST ONE WALE FROM GROUP TO GROUP, AND ELASTIC YARN LAID BEHIND A PLURALITY

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