US3178911A - Foundation garment - Google Patents

Description

April 20, 1965 v M. H. FAUST 3,178,911

FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed on. 10, 1 961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 llllllllllllll INII/ENTOR. MARTIN H. FAUST his ATTORNE April 20, 1965 M. H. FAUST 3,178,911

FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed Oct. 10, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

MARTIN H. FAus ls ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,178,911 FUUNDATIQN GARMENT Martin H. Faust, Reading, Pa, assignor to Penn-Bale Knitting Miiis, Ind, Sinking Spring, Pa. Filed Oct. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 144,134

1 Claim. (6i. 66177) This invention relates to a foundation garment and fabric and to the method of making the same. More specifically, this invention relates to a stretchable and highly retractable or compressive fabric or garment which is particularly and primarily useful as a foundation garment, such as a girdle, but which is of a construction making it suitable for other similar garments, such as swimming suits, jock straps, surgical stockings and the like, and relates to the method of knitting and constructing the same.

In the past, foundation garments, such as girdles, have been almost invariably made, either partly or entirely, of rubber or rubber-containing threads in order to provide the required stretchability as well as retractability or compressive strength for effectively holding the wearer in to a particular form or contour. Thus the compressive or binding force has depended upon the elasticity inherent in the yarn or thread of which the garment was knit, which thread was often times elastic coated. Such construction has also been used in surgical stockings. However, an outstanding disadvantage of rubber threads is that they often cause skin reactions to the wearer, leaving welts or impressions on the body of the wearer and providing discomfort in wear. Furthermore, they have relatively short life, tending to deteriorate rather rapidly as a result of washing and friction from pulling on and off by the wearer. Also,'after one or more washings they attain an unattractive appearance. Additionally, such girdles have seams which rub against the body and cause further impressions, irritation and discomfort. Moreover, when closely knit rubber containing yarns are used, the garment is not moisture absorbent but is somewhat clammy, that is, it causes excessive perspiration to the wearer, further aggraviting discomfort in wear.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel stretchable foundation garment, such as a girdle or the like, which is devoid of the above named disadvantages of conventional foundation stretchable garments, which is entirely free of rubber, and which provides extreme comfort in wear and has an amazingly high compressive force for holding-in the wearer to maintain a given contour or figure.

A further object of the invention isto provide a novel method for making a stretchable fabric with breathing holes or outlets which not only eliminate or minimize perspiration, but which add considerably to the stretchability of the fabric in a horizontal direction, thus making it particularly suitable as a foundation garment material.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel foundation garment, such as a girdle, or a similar garment, such as a swimming suit, surgical stocking or the like, of such construction as to eliminate the exposure of seams, either to the body of the wearer or to the outside of the garment, even in the crotch portion, and which has a lining providing a very comfortable fit, which garment is devoid of rubber, therefore, it may be washed and dried numerous times without shortening the life of the garment, thus being a truly wash and wear garment.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel foundation garment or swimming suit which is highly attractive in appearance, having a pattern embodying Zig-Zag lines of large stitching which are not only attractive but which provide greater stretchability in a horizontal or transverse direction.

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Other objects and advantages will become more apparent from a study of the following description taken with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a front panel, after being knit in accordance with the principles of the present invention, and before seaming for forming a compressive girdle or the like and illustrating the zigzag arrangement of alternating groups of S and Z courses 4a and 4b resulting from their torque twist in opposite directions.

FIG. 2 is a rear panel of the garment, made similarly to that shown in FIG. 1, as it appears before seaming.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of a portion of panel 2. cut-out from FIG. 2 and illustrating the needles of a full fashion knitting machine in schematic form.

FIG. 4 is a perspective, front or plan view of a completed girdle made up from the panels shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, shown partly cut-away to more clearly illustrate the novel construction, and illustrating the void spaces or abnormally large stitches of zig-zag outline extending vertically and occurring at regular horizontally special intervals to impart a breathing function as well as greater horizontal stretchability.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional views taken along lines VV and VI--VI, respectively of 1 16.4.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged piece of knit fabric showing how panels 1a and 2a are knit.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a novel shaped cam for controlling the knitting operation of the machine, and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view showing one side of the garment.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings,

numeral 1 generally denotes the front panel and lining a portion of a girdle embodying the present invention. It

will be noted that one half of the panel, namely 1b, is knit of stretch, soft, lining material, such as any of those known in the trade as Banlon, Helenca or Superlof and the like used in knitting panties. Panel 1 is knit on a conventional full fashioned hosiery knitting machine, such as a 45 gage Reading machine, of well known type, and by the use of conventional needles indicated schematically by numeral 7 in FIG. 3. A more detailed description of a suitable type of lining material and the method of knitting thereof is contained in Garrou et al. Patent 2,706,389. The other half of the panel, namely, 111, may be knit to form a stretchable lining portion, by the use of a single end, fed by a single carrier (or by two ends of S and Z twist yarns fed by two carriers). If knit by a single end and single carrier, after the one half 1b is knit to form a lining portion, the machine is stopped and feeding of the end of the thread is discontinued, and in place thereof, without disrupting the continuity of knitting, S and Z groups of courses of twisted yarns are fed by a two carrier system, instead. More specifically, I prefer to feed three ends of six ply, synthetic, 15 denier, monfilament yarn into one carrier, all of which yarns have a Z twist, and to feed three additional ends of six ply yarn of the same kind, but of opposite or S twist, into a second carrier. The yarns may be of nylon, Orlon or other synthetic fibers that may be individually twisted and heat set so as to have a tendency to untwist. About 20 to 50 turns per inch may be suitable. The yarns may be multi-filament, if desired, or of other deniers.

Preferably, three ends of six ply, 15 denier, monofilament nylon yarn of S twist are brought together into one carrier, thus making an 18 ply S twist, that is, 18 plies torque twisted in onedirection. 'These three separate or unplied ends of yarn, shown as 13a, 13b and 13c in FIG. 7, are fed to the needles of the knitting machine through one carrier, and three separate or unplied ends of six 3 ply, 15 denier nylon yarn twisted in the opposite direction, for making an 18 ply Z twist, are fed to the needles by the other carrier. For best results, I knit 8 courses of 18 ply Z twist yarns. This is accomplished by moving each carrier across the needle bed, back and forth, four times by use of cam 15 as shown in FIG. 8. This will proxide a herringbone or zig-zag pattern, such as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 7, because of the tendency of the 8 courses of S yarn to untwist in one direction and the tendency of alternating 8 courses of Z yarn to untwist in an opposite direction. This gives the fabric stretchability in a longitudinal direction, resulting from straightening out of the zig-zag pattern, as well as stretchability in a transverse direction. In some situations, only four courses, or perhaps only two courses, may be twisted in one direction, alternating with a like number of courses twisted in the opposite direction, particularly where less stretchability is desired.

I have made the discovery that outstanding advantages may be obtained by removing every 8th needle divider and the needle on each side thereof, that is, two needles, as shown at 7a in FIG. 3, in the full fashion knitting machines before knitting the lining half or outer half of the front and rear panels. This provides an abnormally large opening or loop in the stitch at intervals of eight stitches of each course as shown at 14 in FIG. 7, so that the abnormally large stitches 14 form a pronounced, open zigzag or herringbone pattern throughout the length of the knitted fabric. Numerous advantages are obtained thereby. First of all, such large'stitches provide practically no strain on the needles, therefore practically eliminate needle breakage which commonly occurs when all the dividers and needles are in; secondly, they provide open spaces whereby the garment can breathe, that is, permit entry therethrough of outside air or enhance evaporation from the body of the wearer and thus minimize perspiration and attendant discomfort; thirdly, substantially greater horizontal stretch is obtained which is particularly suitable for girdles and the like, and lastly, they provide a very attractive pattern to the garment, as shown in FIG. 4, making it look much more finished and dressy than a garment in which all stitches are of uniform size.

While I prefer to remove every 8th divider and the needls on each side thereof so as to provide open spaces or large loops or stitches at eight stitch intervals on each course, it will be apparent that other intervals may be used instead, such as 6, 7, 9 or 10 and perhaps even more or less, depending upon the horizontal spacing desired of the vertical zig-zag lines of open stitching.

, It will be noted that except for substituting the feeding of three ends of six ply yarns into each carrier of the two carrier system in the knitting of the main garment portion 1a and 2a for the yarn fed by a single carirer for knitting the lining portion 1b and 2b, that the courses of portion 1a and 1b are continuous, therefore are, in effect, a single piece of fabric. This is also true of portions 2a and 2b. This continuity of knit is highly important in that it practically eliminates any tendency for the lining portions 1b and 2b to develop runners as a consequence of cutting off and removal from the knitting machine or from subsequent handling.

In the course of knitting portions in and lb, as well as portions 2a and 2b, appropriate narrowings and 6 are effected, in a well known manner, to reduce the width of or fashion the garment in appropriate places so as to make it conform to the body of the wearer and provide a full fashioned knit.

The rear panel 2a is knit substantially in'the same manner as the front panel, that is to say, the lining portion of the garment 2b is first knit by a single carrier, and then without interruption of the continuity of knit, the main or outer portion of the garment 2a is knit after substitution of a two carrier system, wherein three ends of six ply yarn are brought together into each carrier, the yarns of the respective carriers being of opposite twist. Again I prefer to remove every eighth divider and the needle on each side of such divider (as shown at 7a in FIG. 3) in the knitting of the lining portion 2b as well as the main fabric portion 2a. Suitable narrowing 5 and 6 are provided so that the garment will fit the contour of the body of the wearer.

After the front panel 1 and the rear panel 2 are knitted, they are superimposed so that their outer edges coincide and then their outer edges are seamed together to form two outer, longitudinally extending seams. The resulting garment is then turned inside out only half way so that only the lining portions 1b and 2b of the front and rear panels are contained on the inside of the resulting garment and only the main portions 1a and 2a formed by the respective 18 ply, S and Z yarns fed by a two carrier system, will be on the outside of the resulting garment. Thus the above mentioned longitudinal seams, denoted as 9a and 9b in FIG. 5 will confront each other and be concealed from view, either as viewed from the inside or the outside of the garment thereby not marring the finished appearance of the garment. And equally important, there will be no seams in the liner which cona manner so that the seams will be contained within the inner folds of the double layered crotch portion, as shown more clearly in FIG. 6, and thus will not contact and irritate the skin or body of the wearer. This will provide extreme comfort in wear when the garment is made into the form of a girdle. In making other garments, such as swimming suits, the crotch portion may be either smaller or completely eliminated in which case the seams will still not be exposed when viewed from the outside or inside of the garment.

, FIG. 9 shows a side view of the garmentthe opposite side being the same-that is, an opening 22 is provided on each side of the garment to provide greater lateral stretch as well as ventilation. Waistband 1S and leg bands 19 are provided on the top and bottom of garment 17 having zig-zag outlines 23 of large stitching and decorative patches 24 and lines 25, if desired. On each side of the garment the body panels are separated and the edges thereof are provided with seams 2i] and Z1 defining an opening 22.

The girdle described above may be provided with a stretch of up to 50%, in some cases, and in other cases, the stretch may be even greater, such as about 70% horizontal stretch. The garment will have substantially vertical stretch.

The garment fabric may be used in making girdles, swimming suits, jock straps, surgical stockings or other stretch fabrics requiring high retractability or compressive force.

Instead of providing abnormally large openings or loops in the stitch at intervals of eight stitches of each course, the openings may be partially filled with thread by the expedient of closing the beard and having the needles in instead of out when knitting such openings.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an efficient stretchable fabric and method for making the same which is especially suitable for the making of foundation garments, such as girdles or other garments that require stretch and a high degree of retractability, such as swim suits, panty girdles, jock straps, surgical stockings etc., which garments are completely devoid of rubber and have relatively long life and an amazingly high degree of retractability and compressive strength to keep the body in and maintain a predetermined contour as well as providing a breathing function to the garment to minimize perspiration and discomfort in wear; which garment may be washed numerous times without affecting the stretchability or retractability; also which garment provides a very attractive and finished appearance, even after numerous washings, and which is a truly wash-and-wear garment which retains its shape and appearance irrespective of the number of times worn or washed; furthermore I have provided a girdle construction which eliminates exposed seams, whether viewed from the inside or outside of the garment, thus eliminating unfinished appearance of such seams as well as skin irritation otherwise produced thereby.

While I have illustrated and described a single embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this is by way of illustration only, and that various changes and modifications may be made within the contemplation of my invention and within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

A stretchable foundation garment having a front, stretchable, outer portion continuously knit with a front lining portion, and having a stretchable rear portion continuously knit with a rear lining portion, said front and rear portions of the outer and lining portions being joined by side seams, each of said front and rear outer portions comprising a plurality of groups of courses of yarn torque twisted in one direction alternating with a like number of groups of courses torque twisted in an opposite direction so as to form a herringbone pattern that provides stretchability to the fabric, and extended sinker loops located at evenly spaced intervals of each course, so as to provide a plurality of zig-zag, longitudinal lines of extended sinker loops.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 648,581 5/00 Benger 66-202 682,904 9/01 Blaetz 66-180 822,663 6/06 Gilbert 66-180 847,243 3/07 Curry 66-180 1,569,140 1/26 Querns 66-201 1,832,709 11/31 Hunter 2-224 2,102,730 12/37 Meyers 66-173 2,319,768 5/43 Beers 66-82 2,621,336 12/52 Wendroif 2-227 2,755,616 7/56 Weller 66-178 2,759,192 8/56 Levi 2-227 2,792,698 5/57 Hampp 66-177 2,809,510 10/57 West 66-177 2,841,971 7/58 Bird et al. 66-178 2,888,814 6/59 Thierfelder 66-82 2,898,754 8/59 Harms 66-177 2,966,785 1/61 Goflf et a1. 66-176 3,043,123 7/62 Goodman 66-176 RUSSELL C. MADER, Primary Examiner.

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