US3107508A - Method of forming a knit article - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 22, 1963 o. w. HOLDER 3,107,508

METHOD OF FORMING A KNIT ARTICLE Filed Oct. 24, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 1' lldtv/ H V" J3 Onb W. HOLDER BY n lm, gami dw b152,

ATTORNEYE Oct. 22, 1963 o. w. HOLDER 3,107,508

METHOD OF FORMING A KNIT ARTICLE Filed Oct. 24, 1958 5 SheetsSheet 2' INVENTOR: 2 One W. HOLDER BYCiniTm, $62.0. A W

ATTORNEYS Oct. 22, 1963 o, w, HOLDER 3,107,508

METHOD OF FORMING A KNIT ARTICLE Filed Oct. 24, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 E 75 0135 w. HQTDEFIZTOR:

BY (13", @611, A g

ATTORNEYS Oct. 22, 1963 o. w. HOLDER METHOD OF FORMING A KNIT ARTICLE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed 001;. 24, 1958 INVENTOR. 0115 W- HOLDER 3 6m, MM LW ATTORNEY S i d 1963 o. w. HOLDER 3,107,508

METHOD OF FORMING A KNIT ARTICLE Filed Oct. 24. 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Owns W. HOLDER.

Y tmgamxm+ W ATTORNEYS United States Patent f 3,107,588 METHQD OF FGRMING A KNIT ARTICLE Otis W. Holder, Mount Airy, N.C., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Browns Hosiery Mills, Inc., Bnriingt-on, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed 0st. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 76?,383 4 Claims. (iii. -9)

This invention relates generally to a method of forming a seamless knit tubular fabric having a plurality of vertically and horizontally alined raised pattern areas on one face thereof and which fabric is suitable for forming an ornamental and stretchable cuff for hosiery and the like. There is also disclosed an attachment for a circular independent needle knitting machine of the type which is ordinarily used to knit a plain or non-ornamented circular fabric whereby the machine may be used to knit socks having ornamented or fancy tops or cuffs. More particularly, the attachment permits the practice of the method of the present invention by many machines presently available and provides these conventional type machines with means for forming tuck stitches in a predetermined pattern while laying in elastic yarn to thereby produce a fabric having a predetermined pattern of raised or puffed areas thereon.

Recently, there has been a growing demand for bobby socks which are characterized by a bulky top or cuff portion with high stretchability. Socks of this type are usually provided with a mock rib cuff or top which is knit by forming extremely loose or long stitches and laying an elastic yarn in the stitches of certain wales. This mock rib bobby sock can be knit on a plain circular knitting machine by merely making slight modifications to enable the machine to draw longer stitches than usual. In order to knit socks having bulky tops with patterns, other than v the mock rib pattern, it is necessary to use more expensive machines which are provided with pattern mechanisms, such as needle selector jacks and the like.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a method of forming an ornamental circular knit fabric of the type described which may be economically produced by the employment of an attachment for a plain knitting machine which provides a novel means for controlling the operation of the needles whereby tuck stitches are formed in spaced apart pre-selected wales and elastic yarn is laid in pre-selected wales to form a bulky sock t-op characterized by a plurality of raised or puffed areas. The elastic yarn is laid in some wales in which the tuck stitches are formed and in other wales in which plain stitches are formed.

It is another object of this invention to provide a method of forming an ornamental fabric by the use of an attachment for producing tuck stitches on a plain knitting machine which requires relatively few parts and which may be easily added to the knitting machine without requiring major changes thereto.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a circular knitting machine and showing an attachment applied thereto of the type which may be used to practice the present method;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view taken substantially along line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional plan view taken substantially along line 33 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an isometric view with parts in section, looking generally in the direction of the arrow 4 in FIG- URE 3, and showing the parts for operating the elastic yarn feeding finger;

FIGURE 5 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary view of a knit fabric illustrating one type of raised pattern which may be produced in accordance with the method of the present invention;

FIGURE 6 is an isometric view similar to FIGURE 4 but illustrating the operating parts utilized to form tuck stitches;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the striper drum and showing the relationship of the cams which operate the elastic yarn feeding finger and the tuck stitch forming cams in the practice of the method of the present invention;

FIGURE 8 is a development of the conventional needle cams of a plain knitting machine and illustrating the cams of the present attachment positioned therein.

The attachment used to practice the method of the present invention is shown associated with a knitting machine of the type shown in US. Patent No. 1,152,850 and known as a Scott and Williams Model No. B-Splain knitting machine. The conventional parts of the knitting machine include a frame 10 (FIGURE 1) supported on legs 11. The frame 10 supports a main shaft 12 on which conventional pattern wheels are mounted and at times rotated in the usual manner upon movement of a pattern chain, not shown. One of the pattern wheels on the shaft 12 is indicated at 13 in FIGURE 6 and this pattern wheel controls operation of one part of the attachment which will be later described. The knitting machine also includes a main drive shaft 14 having a bevel gear 15 (FIG- URE l) fixed thereon and the gear 15 drivingly engages a mating bevel gear, not shown, mounted for rotation in a bed plate 16 supported on the upper portion of the frame 10.

The frame 10 supports the lower end of a vertically disposed tube 20, the upper end of which is mounted in a conventional manner in the bed plate 16. The bevel gear mounted in the bed plate 16 is secured to and drives a needle cylinder 21 which has vertically disposed slots in which independent latch needles N and needle jacks I (FIGURE 8) are mounted for vertical movement. In the conventional machine of this type, the needle jacks I are positioned beneath alternate needles N only but in the present case the jacks J are positioned in a different position, to be later described, and the jacks indicated at 22 have long butts while the jacks having short butts are indicated at 23. The upper end of the needle cylinder 21 is provided with the usual sinker cap 25 (FIGURE 1) having conventional sinkers therein, not shown, which cooperate with the needles N in a conventional manner to form stitch loops and to shed the fabric from the needles as it is produced.

The machine is also provided with a conventional latch ring spaced above the sinker cap 25 and pivotally mounted at its rear end as at 31 on the upper end of a support post 32 which is fixed at its lower end on the bed plate 16. The latch ring 30 is provided with the usual yarn feeding throat opening 34 (FIGURE 8) in which a plurality of yarn feeding fingers 36, only one of which is shown, are mounted for movement into and out of yarn feeding position.

A main pattern drum 48 (FIGURE 1) is mounted for rotation on a shaft 41, carried by the frame 10 of the knitting machine and movement of the main pattern drum 40 is under control of the pattern chain, not shown. The main pattern drum 40 contols operation of the yarn feeding fingers 36 as well as other conventional parts of the knitting machine including a striping drum (FIGURE 1) which is mounted for rotation on a shaft 46, suitably secured to a bracket 47 (FIGURES 2 and 3) supported on the frame 10 of theknitting machine in a conventional manner.

Movement is at times imparted to the striper drum 45 through a racking arm 49, the left-hand end of which (FIGURE 1) is engageable with the teeth of a racking gear 50 (FIGURES 2 and 3) secured to the inner end of the striping drum 4-5. The right-hand end of the racking arm 49 is oscillatably mounted as at 51 intermediate the ends of a racking lever 52. The lower end of the racking lever 52 is oscillatably mounted as at 53 on the frame of the knitting machine and the upper end thereof is engageable with a heart-shaped cam 55 fixed on the end of the main drive shaft 14. The main pattern drum controls movement of the arm 49 into and out of engagement with the racking gear and thereby controls movement of the striper drum 45 in a conventional manner, not shown.

Referring to FIGURE 8, the conventional cams which surround the needle cylinder include a needle guiding cam ring 69, fixed to the bed plate 16 and having a first included needle raising surface 61 and a second inclined needle raising surface 62. A cam block bracket 64 supports needle cams defining a main knitting station and including a top center cam 65, a left-hand stitch cam 66 and a right-hand stitch cam or needle shed cam 67. In the usual knitting machine of the present type, the righthand needle shed cam 67 is normally fixed in the position illustrated in dotted lines in FIGURE 8. The machine is also provided with a radially movable needle lowering cam 70 to lower and condition the needles prior to their passing through the knitting station.

Machines of the present type which have been modified to feed an elastic yarn E to alternate needles have an elastic yarn feeding finger 75, the lower end of which is at times lowered inside of the latch ring 30 and into yarn feeding position in relation to the needles N (FIGURE 8). The usual practice is to feed the elastic yarn E to alternate needles and this is usually accomplished by placing a jack J beneath only alternate needles and providing a jack raising cam 76 (FIGURE 8) to engage and raise every jack as the butts thereof ride up the cam 76, thereby raising alternate needles to a sulficient height so that they take the elastic yarn E in their hooks. The present jack raising cam 76 has been altered from the conventional cam in a manner to be later described in detail. After the needles N have been raisedto elastic yarn receiving position, they are again lowered by a conventional radially movable needle lowering cam 80.

The elastic yarn feeding finger is suitably secured to one end of an arm 81 (FIGURES 1, 2 and 4), which is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends as at 82. The lower rear end of the arm 81 is at times engaged by a control pin 83 to raise the yarn feeding finger 75 to inoperative position. The inner end of the pin 83 is fixed in one end of the vertical leg of a bell crank 84 which is pivoted intermediate its ends on a shaft 85 mounted in the support post 32. The rearwardly extending leg of the bell crank 84 is suitably connected to the upper end of a thrust rod 86, the lower end of which is adapted to at times ride on the surface of the main pattern drum 40 and at other times the thrust rod 86 is raised by suitable cams thereon, not shown.

The position of the elastic yarn feeding finger 75 is at times controlled by movement of the main pattern drum 49 and at other times is under control of the striper drum 45. In order to control operation of the elastic yarn feeding finger 75 by the striping drum 45, cams 89 (FIGURES 4 and 7) are fixed on the drum and at times engage one end of a cam arm 90. The other end of the cam arm 90 is oscillatably mounted on a support shaft 91 and the lower end of an upwardly extending control arm 92 is fixed intermediate the ends of the arm 90. The upper end of the arm 92 has a plate 93 fixed to the upper end thereof which plate extends inwardly into close proximity with the pin 83. Thus, when one of the cams 89 on the striping drum 45 engages the end of the arm 90, the plate 93 will engage the pin 83 and raise the inner end of the arm 81, thereby moving the elastic yarn feeding finger 75 out of yarn feeding position (FIGURE 4).

The machine is provided with conventional sinker control means, not shown, for moving the sinkers inwardly so that the yarn Y is fed to the throats of the sinkers as the needles draw stitches. The parts of the machine heretofore described are conventional and with this type machine it is possible to knit only plain stitches on all of the needles and to feed an elastic yarn to alternate needles. Therefore, with a machine of this type, it is impossible to knit a patterned fabric having raised or puffed areas since this machine does not have any means for forming tuck stitches on certain of the needles.

The present invention resides in the novel fabric and method of forming the same which may be formed on a more or less plain knitting machine of the type heretofore described by the provision of means for controlling the needles to form tuck stitches in spaced wales and laying in an elastic yarn so that the plain stitches are raised to form puffed pattern areas. The machine is shown with the parts set up to form what is commonly termed a 3 x l tuck stitch wherein three succeeding needles draw plain stitches and the fourth needle will tuck. In this arrangement of regular and tuck stitches, three successive needles N are provided with jacks J therebeneath (FIGURE 8) and the next needle does not have a jack positioned therebeneath. Of the three jacks positioned beneath successive needles, the center jack is a short butt jack 23 while the two jacks on either side are long butt jacks 22.

In order that only alternate needles are raised .to yarn receiving position at the elastic yarn feeding finger 75, the jack raising cam 76 has been modified so that it acts as a two-level cam. To this end, the upper inner face portion of the cam 76 is cut away as at (FIGURES 6 and 8) so that the short butt jacks 23 which engage the cam 76 will be raised slightly but the long butt jacks 22 will be raised to the top of the cam 76. The long butt jacks 22 will raise their corresponding needles high enough so that the hooks will take the elastic yarn E.

In FIGURE 8, there is shown a fixed jack raising cam 1G2 and a radially movable jack raising cam 103. The earn 103 is adapted to move inwardly far enough so that the inner end thereof will engage and raise the jacks having short and long butts and the outer end of the cam 103 is suitably secured to one end of a control lever 104 (FIGURES 3 and 6). The control lever 104 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends as at 105 on the bed plate 16 and its outermost end has one end of a control rod 167 suitably secured thereto. The opposite end of the control rod 1G7 is suitably secured in the vertical leg of a bell crank 103 (FIGURES 3 and 6).

The lever 104 has one end of a tension spring m9 fixed thereto and the opposite end of which is suitably secured to the bed plate 16. The bell crank 103 is oscillatably mounted in a bracket suitably supported on the top of the frame 10 and the horizontal leg of the bell crank 103 is engaged by the upper end of a vertically disposed thrust rod 112 (FIGURE 6). The lower end of the rod 112 at times engages the outer periphery of the pattern wheel 13 and at other times is raised by engagement with suitable cams, indicated at 114. The rod 112 is supported for vertical movement in the frame 10 in any suitable manner, not shown.

When the lower end of the rod 112 is raised by a cam 114 on the pattern wheel 13, the bell crank 108 will be rocked to move the control arm 104 in a counterclockwise direction in FIGURE 3 thus positioning the radially movable cam 193 in its innermost position and in position to engage and raise both the long and short butt jacks so (that corresponding needles will be raised high enough so that the stitch loop carried by these needles will be positioned below the latch and in position to shed when the needle is lowered.

The needles N, which do not have jacks positioned therebeneath, are not raised high enough by the inclined surface 61 of the cam ring 66 to position the stitch loops on these needles below the latches of the needles. These needles are raised high enough to receive the yarn Y from the yarn feeding finger 36 but since they are not raised to shedding level, they will merely hold the yarn in their hooks to form tuck stitches instead of forming conventional stitch loops. Of course, the shedding cam 67 must be in the lowered position, shown in solid lines in FIGURE 8, when tuck stitches are being formed on the needles which do not have jacks therebeneath.

In order to facilitate lowering of the shedding cam 67 it is supported on the inner ends of a pair of mounting screws 110 and 111 which extend through respective slots 112 and 113 in the cam bracket 64 (FIGURES 6 and 8). The outer ends of the screws 1'10 and 111 are fixed in a plate 115. Vertical movement may be imparted to the plate 115 by a lever 116, one end of which engages the plate 115 and the opposite end of which is oscillatably mounted as at 120 on a bracket 121, suitably supponted on the bed plate 16 (FIGURE 3). The lever 116 is provided with an outwardly extending portion 122 (FIGURE 6) which is engaged by the upper end of a rod 123, the lower end of which is suitably secured to one side of a thrust bar 1124. The lower end of the thrust bar 124 at times rides on the main pattern drum 40 and at other times is raised by suitable cams thereon, not shown.

The thrust bar 124 may be raised by a control arm 126 adapted to engage an outwardly extending pin 127 suitably secured .at its inner end in the thrust bar 124. The control arm 126 is suitably secured to a cam lever 13!), the upper end of which is oscillatably mounted on the shaft 91 and the lower end of which is adapted to at times ride on the periphery of the striper drum 45 and at other times to be engaged and moved by cams 131 positioned on the outer periphery thereof.

Thus, any time that a earn 131 on the striper drum 45 engages the control lever 130 or when a cam on the main drum 4% engages the lower end of the thrust bar rod 124, the lever 116 will be raised at its free end to thus raise the plate 115 and the needle elevating or shedding cam 67 to the dotted line position shown in FIGURE 8.

When the cam 67 is in the solid line position shown in FIGURE 8, it may be said to be in tuck position and .all needles which do not have a jack therebeneath will pass up the inclined surface 6 1 of the cam ring 60 (FIG- URE 8) md pick up yarn Y from the yarn feeding finger 36. These needles may pick up yarn for as many courses as desired before the shedding cam 67 is raised to lift these needles high enough to shed the previously formed stitch below the latch.

The fabric shown in FIGURE 5 is only a fragmentary view of the tube formed by the machine, the courses C-1 through .C-18 encompassing two coursewise repeats of the pattern and the wales W-1 through W-7 encompassing almost two walewise repeats of the pattern. In order to knit the fabric shown in FIGURE 5, the shedding cam 67 will be held in raised position, shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 8, while the courses C1 and -2 are knit. During these courses, all of the needles N will be raised by the cam 67 thus moving the previously formed stitch below the latches and then the needles will pick up the yarn Y and form stitches in each wale W-l through W-'7. Prior to forming the course C2, the elastic yarn feeding finger 75' will be lowered to lay elastic yarn E into the hooks of alternate needles only.

During the formation of course C-3 the cam 10 3 will be in operative position and the cam 67 lowered so that yarn Y will be fed to all needles and every fourth needle, the needles without jacks therebeneath, will remain in a lowered or non-shedding position and hold the yarn in their hooks while the intervening three needles will be raised sufiioiently high to shed the previously formed loop thereon and form new stitch loops in wales W-1, W-3, W- l, W- and W-7 as these needles are lowered by the stitch cam 66. The elastic yarn feeding finger 75 remains in feeding position during the formation of course C3 so that the elastic yarn E is fed to alternate needles and is laid in the fabric. The courses 0-4 through (3-8 are formed in an identical manner to course C-S except that the elastic yarn feeding finger 75 is raised to inoperative position prior to forming the course 0-4. The next course C-9 is formed identical to course C1 and in this course the cam 67 is again raised so that all of the needles are raised to shedding position and stitches are drawn in every Wale W-l through W-7.

The courses C2 through C'9 encompass a repeat of the pattern or a complete sequence of courses and these courses may be repeated as many times as is desired to form any desired length of tubular fabric. The tuck stitches, drawn in every fourth Wale, provide a distinct vertical or walewise line in the fabric which is shorter than a walewise row of plain stitches and this causes the plain stitches in the three wales therebetween to protrude outwardly. The elastic yarn in the two courses C-2 and C-3 draw the wales together in a coursewise direction and provide distinctive coursewise lines. The coursewise constriction of the fabric by the elastic yarn and the walewise constriction of the fabric by the tuck stitches combine to make the plain stitches raise in rectangularly shaped puffed or raised areas throughout the fabric. This ornamental fabric is particularly attractive when formed at the top of a sock such as that shown in Design Patent No. 183,257.

Although the needles and jacks are arranged in this application to form a tuck on every fourth needle, it is to be understood that they can be arranged to form tuck stitches on other needles. For example, tuck stitches may be formed on every other needle by merely removing all of the short butt jacks. Thus, all the jacks would all have long butts thereon and would be positioned under alternate needles so that alternate needles only would be raised to shed level by the cam 103 and intervening needles would form tuck stitches. It is obvious that other patterns could be made by varying the arrangement of long and short butt jacks beneath the cylinder needles and by varying the course sequence.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A method of knitting a plurality of vertically and horizontally alined raised pattern areas on the outer face of a tubular fabric on a circular knitting machine, the knitting machine having a rotatable cylinder, means for imparting rotation to the cylinder, circularly arranged needles mounted for vertical independent movement in the cylinder, a main yarn feeding and knitting station, needle selecting means positioned in advance of said main yarn station and being operable to raise certain of the needles to yarn receiving shed level and to raise other needles to yarn receiving non-shed level, elastic yarn feed means in spaced relation from said main yarn station, and needle selecting means positioned in advance of said elastic yarn feed means to raise selected needles to elastic yarn receiving level, said method comprising performing the following steps during rotation of the cylinder;

(1) feeding a body y'arn to all of the needles and forming stitches thereon at the main feeding and knitting station while feeding an elastic yarn to alternate needles at the elastic yarn feed means for one complete rotation of the cylinder to form a course of plain stitches in every wal-e with the elastic yarn inlaid therein, 7 (2) raising groups of adjacent needles to shed level while raising single needles between the groups of adjacent needles to non-shed level at the main station for a plurality of successive rotations of the cylinder and feeding the body yarn to all of the needles during each of said successive rotations to form a plurality of courses with plain stitches in groups of adjacent wales and tuck stitches in single wales between the adjacent plain stitch wales,

(3) raising alternate needles to elastic yarn receiving level at the elastic yarn feed means and feeding the elastic yarn to the raised needles for the first of said plurality of rotations to inlay the elastic yarn in the first of said plurality of courses, and

(4) repeating the above sequence of courses a predetermined number of times.

2. A method of knitting a plurality of vertically and horizontally alined raised pattern areas on the outer face of a tubular fabric on a circular knitting machine, the knitting machine having a rotatable cylinder, means for imparting rotation to the cylinder, circularly arranged needles mounted for vertical independent movement in the cylinder, a main yarn feeding and knitting station, needle selecting means positioned in advance of said main yarn station and being operable to raise certain of the needles to yarn receiving shed level and to raise other needles to yarn receiving non-shed level, elastic yarn feed means in spaced relation from said main yarn station, and needle selecting means positioned in advance of said elastic yarn feed means to raise selected needles to elastic yarn receiving level, said method comprising performing the following steps during rotation of the cylinder;

(51) feeding a body yarn to all of the needles and forming stitches thereon at the main feeding and knitting station while feeding an elastic yarn to alternate needles at the elastic yarn feed means for one complete rotation of the cylinder to form a course of plain stitches in every Wale with the elastic yarn inlaid therein,

(2) raising groups of three adjacent needles to shed level while raising single needles between the groups of adjacent needles to non-shed level at the main station for a plurality of successive rotations of the cylinder and feeding the body yam to ail of the needles during each of said successive rotations to form a plurality of courses with plain stitches in groups of adjacent Wales and tuck stitches in single wales between the adjacent plain stitch wales,

(3) raising alternate needles to elastic yarn receiving level at the elastic yarn feed means and feeding the elastic yarn to the raised needles for the first of said plurality of rotations to inlay the elastic yarn in the first of said plurality of courses, and

( 4) repeating the above sequence of courses a predetermined number of times.

3. A method of knitting a plurality of vertically and horizontally alined raised pattern areas on the outer face of a tubular fabric on a circular knitting machine, the knitting machine having a rotatable cylinder, means for imparting rotation to the cylinder, circularly arranged needles mounted for vertical independent movement in the cylinder, a main yarn feeding and knitting station, needle selecting means positioned in advance of said main yarn station and being openable to raise certain of the needles to yarn receiving shed level and to raise other needles to yarn receiving non-shed level, elastic yarn feed means in spaced relation from said main yarn station, and needle selecting means positioned in advance of said elastic yarn feed means to raise selected needles to elastic yarn receiving level, said method comprising performing the following steps during rotation of the cylinder;

(1) feeding a body yarn to all of the needles and forming stitches thereon at the main feeding and knitting station while feeding an elastic yarn to alternate needles at the elastic yarn feed means for one complete rotation of the cylinder to'form a course of plain stitches in every Wale with the elastic yarn inlaid therein,

(2) raising groups of adjacent needles to shed level while raising single needles between the groups of adjacent needles to non-shed level at the main station for a plurality of successive rotations of the cylinder and feeding the bodyyarn to all of the needles during each of said successive rotations to form a plurality of courses with plain stitches in groups of adjacent wales and tuck stitches in single wales between the adjacent plain stitch wales,

( 3) repeating the above sequence of courses a predetermined number of times, and

(4) feeding the elastic yarn to alternate needles at the elastic yarn feed means during selected cylinder rotations to inlay the elastic yarn in courses at the juncture of each repeated sequence whereby the [fabric is constricted in a coursewise direction in the courses containing the elastic yarn and the fabric is constricted in a walewise direction in the wales containing the tuck stitches.

4. A method of knitting a plurality of vertically and horizontally alined raised pattern areas on the outer face of a tubular fabric on a circular knitting machine, the knitting machine having a rotatable cylinder, means for imparting rotation to the cylinder, circularly arranged needles mounted for vertical independent movement in the cylinder, a main yarn feeding and knitting station, needle selecting means positioned in advance of said main yarn station and being operable to raise certain of the needles to yarn receiving shed level and to raise other needles to yarn receiving non-shed level, elastic yarn feed means in spaced relation from said main yarn station, and needle selecting means positioned in advance of said elastic yarn feed means to raise selected needles to elastic yarn receiving level, said method comprising performing the following steps during rotation of the cylinder;

(1) feeding a body yarn to all of the needles and forming stitches thereon at the main feeding and knitting station while feeding an elastic yarn to alternate needles at the elastic yam feed means for one complete rotation of the cylinder to form a course of plain stitches in every Wale with the elastic yarn inlaid therein,

(2) raising groups of three adjacent needles to shed level while raising single needles between the groups of adjacent needles to non-shed level at the main station for seven successive rotations of the cylinder and feeding the body yarn to all of the needles dur- 1ng each of said successive rotations to form seven courses with plain stitches in groups of adjacent wales and tuck stitches in single wales between the adjacent plain stitch Wales,

(3) raising alternate needles to elastic yarn receiving level at the elastic yarn feed means and feeding the elastic yarn to the raised needles for the first of said plurality of rotations to inlay the elastic yarn in the first of said plurality of courses, and l (4) repeating the above sequence of courses a predetermined number of times.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 183,257 Holder et al July 22, 1958 2,161,250 Getaz June 6, 1939 2,244,870 Green et al June 10, 1941 2,311,166 Fregeolle Feb. 16, 1943 (2,315,119 Green Mar. 30, 1943 2,324,036- Smith July 13, 1943 3,013,420 Cormier Dec. 19, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,122,832 France May 28, 1956 428,220 Great Britain May 8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 3 1O7 5O8 October 22 1963 Otis W0 Holder It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3 lines 16 and 1'7 for "included" read incli ed Signed and sealed this 19th day of May 1964,

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

Claims (1)

1. A METHOD OF KNITTING A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY AND HORIZONTALLY ALINED RAISED PATTERN AREAS ON THE OUTER FACE OF A TUBULAR FABRIC ON A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE, THE KNITTING MACHINE HAVING A ROTATABLE CYLINDER, MEANS FOR IMPARTING ROTATION TO THE CYLINDER, CIRCULARLY ARRANGED NEEDLES MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT IN THE CYLINDER, A MAIN YARN FEEDING AND KNITTING STATION, NEEDLE SELECTING MEANS POSITIONED IN ADVANCE OF SAID MAIN YARN STATION AND BEING OPERABLE TO RAISE CERTAIN OF THE NEEDLES TO YARN RECEIVING SHED LEVEL AND TO RAISE OTHER NEEDLES TO YALRN RECEIVING NON-SHED LEVEL, ELASTIC YARN FEED MEANS IN SPACED RELATION FROM SAID MAIN YARN STATION, AND NEEDLE SELECTING MEANS POSITIONED IN ADVANCE OF SAID ELASTIC YARN FEED MEANS TO RAISE SELECTED NEEDLES TO ELASTIC YARN RECEIVING LEVEL, SAID METHOD COMPRISING PERFORMING THE FOLLOWING STEPS DURING ROTATION OF THE CYLINDER; (1) FEEDING A BODY YARN TO ALL OF THE NEEDLES AND FORMING STITCHES THEREON AT THE MAIN FEEDING AND KNITTING STATION WHILE FEEDING AN ELASTIC YARN TO ALTERNATE NEEDLES AT THE ELASTIC YARN FEED MEANS FOR ONE COMPLETE ROTATION OF THE CYLINDER TO FORM A COURSE OF PLAIN STITCHES IN EVERY WALE WITH THE ELASTIC YARN INLAID THEREIN, (2) RAISING GROUPS OF ADJACENT NEEDLES TO SHED LEVEL WHILE RAISING SINGLE NEEDLES BETWEEN THE GROUPS OF ADJACENT NEEDLES TO NON-SHED LEVEL AT THE MAIN STATION FOR A PLURALITY OF SUCCESSIVE ROTATIONS OF THE CYLINDER AND FEEDING THE BODY YARN TO ALL OF THE NEEDLES DURING EACH OF SAID SUCCESSIVE ROTATIONS TO FORM A PLURALITY OF COURSES WITH PLAIN STITCHES IN GROUPS OF ADJACENT WALES AND TUCK STICHES IN SINGLE WALES BETWEEN THE ADJACENT PLAIN STITCH WALES, (3) RAISING ALTERNATE NEEDLES TO ELASTIC YARN RECEIVING LEVEL AT THE ELASTIC YARN FEED MEANS AND FEEDING THE ELASTIC YARN TO THE RAISED NEEDLES FOR THE FIRST OF SAID PLURALITY OF ROTATIONS TO INLAY THE ELASTIC YARN IN THE FIRST OF SAID PLURALITY OF COURSES, AND (4) REPEATING THE ABOVE SEQUENCE OF COURSES A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF TIMES.

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