US3141318A - Undergarment - Google Patents

Description

y 1964 H. B. GRIFFITH UNDERGARMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 20, 1961 INVENTOR. fla/vy 5 6r Ju y 1964 H. B. GRIFFITH 3,141,313

UNDERGARMENT Filed Sept. 20, 1961 H 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 g Q Q INI /EN TOR. Harry .8. G/ZffLZ/Z,

H. B. GRIFFITH July 21, 1964 UNDERGARMENT Filed Sept. 20. 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 QQQQWSQ INVENTQR. z; GIZIC/ZZL/Z,

United States Patent 3,141,318 UNDERGARMENT Harry B. Griflith, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Munsingwear, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 20, 1961, Ser. No. 139,543 10 Claims. (Cl. 66-177) This invention relates to undergarments and it has particular relation to pantie girdles. It constitutes an improvement over the undergarment disclosed in application Serial No. 750,609, filed July 24, 1958, now Patent No. 3,026,697, issued March 27, 1962.

Among the objects of this invention are: To provide an improved crotch construction for a pantie girdle; to knit the crotch continuously with the knitting of the adjacent portions of the girdle thereby providing a permanently attached, neat and comfortable crotch portion; to eliminate the highly objectionable chafing in the crotch portion of an undergarment which is incident to the use of the conventional sewed in crotch piece; to fashion the crotch portion as a part of the continuously knit garment in such manner as to avoid binding or cutting at the groin; to improve the ventilation characteristics at the crotch portion of a pantie girdle; to provide for knitting the crotch portion simultaneously with the knitting of the remaining portions of a pantie panel or blank in the continuous operation by mechanical means on a full fashioned knitting machine, thereby eliminating the necessity for sewing in a conventional crotch piece; to shift the direction in which the wales in the crotch portion run to be substantially in line with the applied stress and at substantial angles to the vertical extending wales of the adjacent portions of the undergarment; to knit the wales in the crotch portion in the same vertical direction that they are knit in the adjacent garment portions; and to knit the crotch portion with non-elastic yarn whereby compression is relieved, abrasion is eliminated and additional porosity is provided to assure the wearer of the garment comfort and utility value.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view, showing by broken lines, the outline of the knitted panel or blank knit in accordance with this invention and by full lines the portion thereof that is knit initially and provides tubular welts along the bottoms of the leg portions.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the finished knitted panel or blank as it comes from the knitting machine.

FIG. 3 is a view, similar to FIG. 2, showing a modification with respect to the fashioning of the leg portions.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the knitted panel or blank having a tubular welt along the top and ready to be seamed to a complementary panel or blank to form the undergarment.

FIG. 5 is a view, in side elevation, of the panel or blank shown in FIG. 4 with the tubular welts at the upper and lower ends being illustrated in somewhat exaggerated manner in order to show the details of construction.

FIG. 6 is a view, at an enlarged scale, showing how the knitting operation is performed to form the crotch portion at the same time that the adjacent portions of the pantie panel or blank are formed.

FIG. 7 is a view, in side elevation, of the completed garment and showing its application to a female body.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the stitch formation that is used throughout the principal portion of the garment.

FIG. 9 is a view, somewhat diagrammatic in character, showing how the knitting operation is performed in the pantie panel or blank prior to, during and after the knitting of that portion of which includes the crotch portion.

FIG. 10 is a view, similar to FIG. 9, showing a modified crotch and knitting thereof.

This specification is addressed to those skilled in the art and familiar with conventional types of knitting machines. For these reasons the details of the knitting machine and their manipulation will not be given other than to the extent that appears to be necessary to disclose the present invention.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 4 of the drawings, it will be observed that the reference character 10 designates, generally, a pantie panel or blank that is knit in accordance with this invention. The pantie panel or blank 10 includes leg portions 11-11 having at their lower ends tubular welts 12-12. If desired, the leg portions 11-11 can be fashioned out at 13-13 on the insides for the purpose of shaping them at these portions of the panel or blank. At the upper ends of the leg portions 11-11 there is a crotch portion, indicated generally at 14, the details of the knitting of which form an important part of this invention and will be described hereinafter. The leg portions 11-11 and the crotch portion 14 are knit as a part of a. continuous knitting operation with a body portion 15 that is fashioned in at 16-16 along the sides in order to conform to the body shape of the wearer. The body portion 15 is fashioned out at 1717 for a few courses also to conform to the body shape of the wearer and it terminates at the upper end in a tubular welt that is indicated, generally, at 18.

The knitting operation is carried out on a full-fashioned flat bed knitting machine employing certain well known features of the full-fashioned knitting art to knit the pantie panel or blank 10. It is begun simultaneously along the lower edges 21-21, FIG. 1, of insides 22-22 of the tubular welts 12-12. Knitting is carried out on a full-fashioned knitting machine which is provided with four yarn carriers, there being two carriers for each leg portion 11. The yarn is fed by these yarn carriers into the respective needles for these leg portions. One carrier of each pair has elastic yarn, such as Spandex, rubber or the like while the other carrier of each pair has nonelastic yarn, such as Banlon, nylon or the like. The knitting operation is carried out in such manner as to plate the non-elastic yarn over the elastic yarn. A welt bar is inserted in the knitting machine and a number of courses are run, for example courses, beginning at the lower edges 21-21 to form the insides 22-22 of the tubular welt 12 along the lower ends of the leg portions 11-11. The knitting operation continues simultaneously for each of the insides 22-22 of the tubular welt 12 for the predetermined number of courses at which time the elastic yarn is omitted from each inside 22 for two courses. Then a picot bar is automatically actuated to pick up every other stitch from its needle and move it over the adjoining needle, as is conventional, to form a picot or lace design 23-23 for this particular course which provides a fold line to permit the insides 22-22 of the tubular welt 12 to be folded over. Thereafter the knitting operation continues simultaneously for the leg portions 11-11 to form simultaneously the outsides 24- 24 of the tubular welt 12. After the same number of courses have been run to form the outsides 24-24 of the tubular welts 12-12 that were run to form the insides 22-22, the welt bar is inserted between the sinkers and dividers and the needle bar is laid back into the grooves which are provided in the design of the hooks in the welt bar, a practice which is conventional in the full-fashioned hosiery art where welt turning is employed. Then the insides 22-22 of the tubular welts 12-12 are pulled down over the needles which are embedded in the grooves and thereby the fabric is freed from the hooks and now is impaled on the needles along with the originally formed loops. After the tubular welts 12-12 have been turned, the knitting operation continues simultaneously for the leg portions lll1l and the two yarns are knit simultaneously for each leg portion ll above the respective tubular Wclts 12 for a limited number of courses, for example 4 courses, whereupon the picot action again takes place to form the picot or lace designs 25-25, as indicated in FIG. 2. It will be understood that FlG. 1 shows the simultaneous knitting of the insides 2Z22 of the tubular welts l212, the formation of the picot or lace designs 2323 and the subsequent knitting simultaneously of the outsides 2424- of the welts l2 12 while PEG. 2 shows the welts 1?; 12 after they have been turned and the knitting operation continues simultaneously for the leg portions 1l-11 including the formation of the picot or lace designs 25-25.

When it is desired to fashion the insides of the leg portions ll1l, as indicated at l3-It3, after the picot or lace designs 2525 have been formed, the knitting machine automatically racks in the narrowing fingers to a predetermined point to cover a selected number of needles, thereby starting the fashioning to widen the insides of the leg portions l1l1 as indicated at lit-13.

Instead of accomplishing the fashioning of the leg portions 11l1 along the insides, as indicated in Fit}. 2, the fashioning can be accomplished as indicated at 26-26 in FIG. 3 where these operations are carried out along the outer edges of the leg portions HIlii. Otherwise the pantie panel or blank it), shown in FIG. 3, is knit in the same manner that the pantie panel or blank 19, shown in FIG. 2, is knit. The widening can be accomplished along the outside selvages, as shown in FIG. 3 at 2:; 26, by using end stops. In order to perform the fashioning as indicated at 1313 along the selvages on the inner sides of the leg portions ll111, pointex stops are employed. Whether the fashioning is performed as indicated at 13-l3 in FIG. 2 or at 26-26 in FlG. 3 depends upon the ultimate desired design of the finished garment. In the knitting operation, as herein disclosed, the pointex stops are not used to knit a reinforced fabric but are used to lock the fabric at 29 and in the knitting of the leg portions lllllll to form the inside leg selvages and shape the insides, as in FIG. 2, and to act as a stop to provide the configuration shown in FIG. 3.

The simultaneous knitting operations to form the leg portions ll1.ll continue for a predetermined number of courses, for example 500 courses, until the top portions, indicated at 27-27 by the broken lines, are reached. As shown in FIG. 6 the wales 2823 in the leg portions 1111 run vertically. For the next course the upper inner sides of the leg portions llll1 are locked at 29 by using the pointex for the two steps. The leg portions 1111 are now complete and all of the needles are used; i.e., including those needles between leg portions 11-11 not used in knitting them. Then a set of auxiliary stops is automatically put into action at the time that the pointex is out of action. The operation of the knitting machine is controlled by its timing mechanism that is preset to cause the various operations to occur in the desired sequence and at the desired times. While the leg portions 11l1 are being knit, the pointex stops are in their down positions. On completion of the knitting of the leg portions 1l1ll and the locking function at 29, the pointex stops are mechanically lifted out of the way under the control of the timing mechanism and a pair of auxiliary stops takes over. When this takes place, instead of one non-elastic yarn carrier stopping in the center, the auxiliary stops permit it to go beyond the center while stopping one elastic yarn carrier before it reaches the center. One needle before the one elastic yarn carrier stops, the other non-elastic yarn carrier starts with both non-elastic yarn carriers together knitting a course across the crotch portion. One needle before the one non-elastic yarn carrier is stopped, the other elastic yarn carrier starts and with the other non-elastic yarn carrier the course is completed to the other side of the body portion 15. This allows two non-elastic yarn carriers to overlap in the median portion 3%) of the crotch portion 14 and of the panel or blank lit) for about two inches and stops the two elastic yarn carriers a substantial distance, for example two inches, from the central or median portion of the crotch portion M so that the elastic and non-elastic yarns overlap for one needle.

It will be understood that the crotch portion 14, which is shown in more detail in FIG. 6, is knit employing non-elastic yarn only. The surrounding portions of pantie panel or blank ltl contain both the elastic and non-elastic yarns. By knitting the crotch portion 14 solely from non-elastic yarn, compression is relieved here against the body of the wearer. Also abrasion is eliminated due to the rubbing of the elastic yarn against non-elastic yarn in this sensitive portion of the body of the wearer. Moreover, additional porosity is provided thereby assuring the wearer of the garment comfort and greater utility value.

The crotch portion 1 is knit by using a single needle narrowing every two courses as indicated at 3232 with a pullback in the non-elastic fabric. As a result of the single needle narrowing, the wales 3333 in the crotch portions 3 2? 4- on opposite sides of the median portion 3% extend angularly with respect to the vertically extending wales 2823 of the previously knit leg portions 11-- ill. Bearing in mind that the crotch portion 14 conforms to the shape of the body of the wearer, it will be appreciated that the extension of the wales 33-33 in opposite angular relation to the vertically extending wales 28 23 below and also above the crotch portion 14 accommodates the stress incident to the application of the garment to the body of the wearer generally along the inclined Wales 33-33 rather than generally at right angles thereto, which would be the case if they were continuations of the vertical wales 23 The angle of inclination of the Wales 33-33 to the vertical is of the order of 45 but it can vary somewhat from this figure as will he understood.

in knitting the portions 34-424 to form the non-elastic crotch portion 1 the narrowing fingers of the knitting machine are actuated automatically to pick up every stitch from the needles covered by the narrowing fingers and move them over one needle toward the center of the knitting machine with the pullback thereafter relocating the narrowing hngers to their original positions. This action may be repeated a number of times, for example, sixty times.

When the top 35 of the crotch portion 14 is reached, the two yarn carriers, previously used to knit one of the legs 11 and the crotch portions 54, are automatically lifted out of action and the other two yarn carriers with elastic and non-elastic yarns, previously used for knitting the other leg portion 11 and the crotch portions 34, are allowed to operate entirely across the knitting head to knit continuously the pantie panel or blank 1i) and in particular to knit the body portion 15.

As the knitting of the body portion 15 continues for a number of courses, for example 960 courses, it is desirable to reduce the width of its upper portion in order to conform to the shape of the female body. Accordingly, the narrowing machine goes into action to fashion in the upper portion of the body portion 15 as indicated at ll3l6 for a predetermined number of narrowings, for example 38. The fashioning in operation ceases and then the fashioning out operation begins as indicated at ll"7-fl7 for a number of widenings, for example llll, to conform to the body shape and to facilitate ease of donnin g the garment.

The knitting operation continues and a course is knit in which the elastic yarn is omitted and which contains the picot or lace design, as indicated at The knitting operation resumes with the elastic yarn for a number of courses, for example courses, to the outside 37 of the upper tubular elt 18. Then the picot or lace design 38 is knit followed by knitting of the inside 39 of the tubular welt 18 comprising, for example, 70 courses. The knitting operation then is completed and the completed pantie panel or blank or 10, as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3, is removed from the knitting machine.

Thereafter the inside 39 of the upper tubular welt 18 is turned back along the picot or lace design 38 and it is seamed, as indicated at 41) in FIG. 5, to the lower edge of the outside 37 of the tubular welt 18.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the pantie panel blank 10 is seamed, as indicated at 41, along its opposite selvage edges to a back pantie panel, indicated generally at 42, which is knit in generally the same fashion as previously described for the pantie panel or blank 10 with suitable modifications in the number of Wales and courses to con form to the rear portion of the body. They are also seamed together (not shown) along the selvage edges of the insides of the leg portions 11-11. The assembly of the undergarment, indicated generally at 43, now is complete. Thereafter the garment 43 is washed and boarded in accordance with conventional practice.

Insofar as the operation of the knitting machine for knitting a leg portion 11 and the body portion is concerned, conventional knitting practice is employed using any suitable stitch formation, such as a Jersey stitch.

FIG. 8 shows a typical portion of the knitted fabric outside of the areas where the picot lace designs are formed and also outside of the particular portions indicating where the fashioning has taken place. The elastic yarn is indicated at 44 while the non-elastic yarn is indicated at 45, the latter being plated over the former in order to provide a relatively soft surface for contact with the surface of the body of the wearer. In the portions 34-34 of the crotch portion 14 the stitch formation is as shown in FIG. 8 except that both yarns are non-elastic.

FIG. 9 of the drawings shows in more detail the preferred manner in which the knitting operation is carried out. Here is illustrated the knitting of the upper portions of the leg portions 11-11 followed by the locking of the split there-between at 29, the knitting of the crotch portion 14 made up of like crotch portions 34-34 with Wales 33-33 inclining toward each other and away from the vertical direction in which the wales 28 extend as a result of narrowing at 32-32 and the continued knitting of the body portion 15 of the pantie panel. Considering the right leg portion 11 shown in FIG. 9 it will be observed that a line 46 containing a single arrowhead indicates that this is non-elastic yarn such as that indicated at 45 in FIG. 8. Similarly the line 47 indicates by the two arrowheads thereon that it is formed by elastic yarn, such as that indicated at 44 in FIG. 8. A course is knit using the two yarns simultaneously to plate the non-elastic yarn over the elastic yarn. They are shown here in spaced relation to permit identification. At the same time the course, as indicated at 46 and 47, is being knit, a similar course 48 and 49 is being knit to form the left leg portion 11. The yarn carriers return from left to right to continue the knitting operation of both leg portions 11-11 simultaneously. After the leg portions 11-11 have been completely knit, the next course indicated at 50 is run and shows by the application thereto of three arrowheads that both the elastic an non-elastic yarns are being used. The course 50 extends not only across the top of the right leg portion 11 but also extends across the split 29. At the time that the course indicated at 56 is begun across the top of the right leg portion 11, a course indicated at 51 is begun at the right edge of the top of the left leg portion 11 which also contains elastic and non-elastic yarn as indicated by the three arrowheads thereon. The course 50 continues past the upper left edge of the right leg portion 11 to the upper right edge of the left leg portion so as to provide the overlap at the split 29 to lock the stitches of the 6 course 50 with the stitches of the course 51. This is repeated on the return stroke to provide the second step of the locked stitch formation above referred to.

The knitting now continues with a course comprising a non-elastic yarn 52 being knit along with the elastic yarn 53 and the single needle narrowing at 32-32 every two courses. It will be noted that the non-elastic yarn 52 is knit past the adjacent side 54 of the crotch portion 14, across the right crotch portion 34, the median portion 30, the left crotch portion 34 and beyond the remote side 55 of the crotch portion 14. Also it will be noted that the elastic yarn 53 is carried only part way and stops to the right of the adjacent side 54. The elastic yarn 53 is replaced with a one needle overlap by nonelastic yarn 56 which is knit together with non'elastic yarn 52 to continue the course begun by yarns 52 and 53 to form the crotch portions 34-34 with the single needle narrowing at 32-32. At the left side of the left crotch portion 34 one needle before the non-elastic yarn 52 is dropped, the elastic yarn 57 is picked up and the course continues to the left side of the panel 10 with the non-elastic yarn being plated over the elastic yarn. The next course is knit from left to right in the same manner to complete that portion of the panel 10 which includes the crotch portion 14 comprising the portions 34-34 of non-elastic yarns. The knitting operation continues in the manner described to knit the crotch portions 34-34 of the entire crotch portion 14 of a nonelastic material with the wales 33 of the respective portions inclined toward each other and away from the vertically extending wales 28 in the leg portions 11-11 and in the body portion 15.

It will be observed that the lower edges 58-58 of the crotch portions 34-34 are shown as being inclined and likewise that the upper edges 52-52? are similarly inclined. These edges are inclined in the knitted garment after the knitting operation has been completed and are caused by the action of the elastic yarn in the portions of the garment surrounding the crotch portion 14.

After the crotch portions 34-34 have been knit in the manner described, the yarns previously employed for knitting the courses 48-49, 51, 5657 are taken out of action. The two yarn carriers employed for knitting the courses 46-47, 51) and 5253 then are allowed to operate entirely across the knitting head as previously described, to knit the body portion 15 of the pantie panel above the crotch portion 14. One of the courses of non-elastic and elastic yarn extending entirely across the body portion 15 is indicated at 61) and 61 and corresponds, for example, to the portion of the course formed at 52-53 which is knit as described to form the crotch portion 14 in the manner described.

While the crotch portion 14, knitted as described above, is the preferred construction since the wales 33-33 of the portions 34-34 are inclined toward each other and away from the vertical, a satisfactory crotch portion 14, as shown in FIG. 10, can be knit by omitting the narrowing operations indicated at 32-32, FIG. 9, and previously described. When the knitting operation is performed in this manner without the narrowing operations, the wales 62 of the crotch portion 14' run vertically and are continuations of the wales 28-28 in the leg portions 11-11 and of the Wales 28 in the body portion 15. The crotch portion 14 is of uniform texture and the distinct median 30, FIG. 9, formed by the narrowing operations is absent.

it will be understood that, except for omitting the narrowing operations 32-32 in the knitting of the crotch portion 14, the crotch portion 14 is knit in the same manner as the crotch portion 14 and that the remainder of the pantie panel 11 is knit and sewn in the manner previously described. Accordingly, in describing the knitting of the pantie panel 10 with the crotch portion 14' as shown in FIG. 10, the same reference characters are employed. Here again is illustrated the knitting of the uppeportions of the leg portions lit-11 followed by the locking of the split therebetween at 29, the knitting of the crotch portion 14' with the wales 62 extending vertically as do the wales 2 3, and the continued knitting of the body portion 35 of the pantie panel. Considering the right leg portion 11 as shown in FIG. it wi be observed that the line as containing a single arrowhead indicates that this is non-elastic yarn such as that indicated at 45 in FIG. 8. Similarly the line 47 indicates by the two arrowheads thereon that it is formed by elastic yarn, such as that indicated at 44 in FIG. 8. A course is knit using the two yarns simultaneously to plate the non-elastic yarn over the elastic yarn. At the same time that the course, as indicated at 4-6 and 4'7, is being knit, a similar course d3 and d9 is being knit to form the left leg portion ill. The yarn carriers return from left to right to continue the knitting operation of both leg portions ill-ll simultaneously. After the leg portions lll have been completely knit, the next course indicated at 56 is run and shows by the application thereto of three arrowheads that both the elastic and non-elastic yarns are being used. The course 5i) extends not only across the top the right leg portion 11 but also extends across the split 29. At the time that the course indicated at 563 is begun across the top of the right leg portion H, a course indicated at 51 is begun at the right edge of the top of the left leg portion 11 which also contains elastic and non-elastic yarn as indicated by the time arrowheads thereon. The course 5i continues past the upper le' t edge of the right leg portion 11 to the upper right edge of the left leg portion 11 so as to provide the overlap at the split 29 to lock the stitches of the course 5t) with the stitches of the course 51. This is repeated on the return stroke to provide the second step of the locked stitch formation above referred to.

The knitting now continues, without the narrowing previously described, with a course comprising a nonelastic yarn 52 being knit along with elastic yarn 53. i will be noted that the non-elastic yarn 52 is knit past the adjacent side 54 of the crotch portion lid and entirely across it and beyond the remote side 55 thereof. Also it will be noted that the elastic yarn 53 is carried only part way and stops to the right of the adjacent side 54. The knitting for this portion of the panel ill continues as described above for crotchportion .ld to complete the crotch portion 14' without employing the narrowing operations.

After the crotch portion 14 has been knit in the manner described, the yarns previously employed for knitting the courses 48-49, 51, are taken out of action. The two yarn carriers employed for knitting out courses 4-6-47, Sll and 5253 then are allowed to operate entirely across the knitting head as previously described, to knit the body portion of the pantie panel above the crotch portion 14.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A one piece panel for a body molding garment comprising continuously knit fabric having a body portion, leg portions depending therefrom, and a crotch portion at the juncture thereof, said body and leg portions being formed by courses of plated elastic and nonelastic yarns and said crotch portion being formed by courses of non elastic yarns, the non-elastic yarns on opposite sides of said crotch portion extending across the same and plated with the corresponding elastic yarns on the opposite side.

2. A one piece panel for a body molding garment comprising continuously knit fabric having a body portion, leg portions depending therefrom, and a crotch portion at the juncture thereof, said body and leg portions having the wales extending vertically, said crotch portion having the wales extending at a substantial angle away from the vertical.

3. A one piece panel for a body molding garment comprising continuously knit ;iabric having a body portion, leg portions depending therefrom, and a crotch portion at the juncture thereof, said body and leg portions having the wales extending vertically, said crotch portion comprising two crotch portions on opposite sides of the median of the panel having the walves in each crotch portion inclined toward the wales in the other crotch portion.

4. A one piece panel for a body molding garment comprising continuously knit fabric having a body portion, leg portions depending therefrom, and a crotch portion at the juncture thereof, said body and leg portions being formed by elastic and non-elastic yarns with the wales extending vertically, said crotch portion being formed by non-elastic yarns and comprisina two crotch portions on opposite sides of the median of the panel having the ends of the non-elastic yarns in interlocking relation along the sides of the crotch portion with the juxtaposed ends of elastic yarns and the wales in each crotch portion inclined toward the wales in the other crotch portion.

5. A one piece panel for a body molding garment comprising continuously knit fabric having a body portion, leg portions depending therefrom and a crotch portion at the juncture thereof, tubular welts along the lower ends of said leg portions, and a tubular welt along the upper end or" said body portion; said body portion, leg portions and welts having the wales extending vertically; said crotch portion having the wales extending at a substantial angle away from the vertical.

6. A method of knitting from yarn a pantie panel having crotch portions which comprises: simultaneously knitting each leg portion by courses extending from one side of each leg portion to the opposite side with the ends or" the courses along adjacent edges of said leg portions being juxtaposed, continuing the knitting of the leg portions and simultaneously knitting therewith the crotch portions and interlocking the ends of the juxtaposed courses, and continuing the knitting of the body portion of the panel.

7. A method of knitting from yarn a pantie panel having crotch portions which comprises: simultaneously knitting each leg portion by courses extending from one side of each leg portion to the opposite side with the ends of the courses along adjacent edges of said leg portions being juxtaposed, continuing the knitting of the leg portions and simultaneously knitting therewith the crotch portions and interlocking the ends of the juxtaposed courses, and continuing the knitting from one leg portion and one crotch portion to form commonly with both leg and crotch portions the body portion of the panel.

8. A method of knitting from yarn a pantie panel having crotch portions which comprises: simultaneously knitting each leg portion by courses extending from one side of each leg portion to the opposite side with the ends of the courses along adjacent edges of said leg portions being juxtaposed, continuing the knitting of the leg portions and simultaneously knitting therewith the crotch portions with the wales running in angular relation to the wales in the leg portions and interlocking the ends of the juxtaposed courses, and continuing the knitting of the body portion of the panel.

9. A method of knitting a pantie panel having a crotch portion from two pairs of strands of yarn, one strand of each pair being elastic yarn, which comprises: simultaneously knitting each leg portion by courses extending from one side of each leg portion to the opposite side with the ends of the courses along adjacent edges of said leg portions being juxtaposed in courses from each pair of strands, continuing the knitting of the courses of the leg portions from each pair of strands and simultaneously knitting therewith from the non-elastic strand of each pair the crotch portions and interlocking the juxtaposed ends of the elastic and non-elastic strands in the respective courses, and continuing the knitting of the body portion of the panel from one of said pairs of strands.

10. A method of knitting a pantie panel having a 10 crotch portion from two pairs of strands of yarn, one whereby the wales in each crotch portion are inclined strand of each pair being elastic yarn, which comprises: toward the wales of the other crotch portion and intersimultaneously knitting each leg portion by courses exlocking the ends of the juxtaposed courses, and continutending from one side of each leg portion to the opposite ing the knitting of the body portion of the panel. side with the ends of the courses along adjacent edges 5 of said leg portions being j1 1xtaposed from each pair of References Cited in the file of this patent strands, COIItIHUIIIg the knitting of the leg port ons from UNITED STATES PATENTS each pair of strands and simultaneously knlttlng therewith from the non-elastic strand of each pair the crotch 2,451,697 Spelchel' 191 1948 portions, narrowing at the sides of the crotch portion 10 3,926,697 Rutledge 27, 1962

Claims (1)

1. A ONE PIECE PANEL FOR A BODY MOLDING GARMENT COMPRISING CONTINUOUSLY KNIT FABRIC HAVING A BODY PORTION, LEG PORTIONS DEPENDING THEREFROM, AND A CROTCH PORTION AT THE JUNCTURE THEREOF, SAID BODY AND LEG PORTIONS BEING FORMED BY COURSES OF PLATED ELASTIC AND NON-ELASTIC YARNS AND SAID CROTCH PORTION BEING FORMED BY COURSES OF NONELASTIC YARNS, THE NON-ELASTIC YARNS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CROTCH PORTION EXTENDING ACROSS THE SAME AND PLATED WITH THE CORRESPONDING ELASTIC YARNS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE.

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