US3702068A

US3702068A - Knitting method

Info

Publication number: US3702068A
Application number: US154673A
Authority: US
Inventors: Max William Betts; Frank Robinson
Original assignee: Courtaulds PLC
Current assignee: Akzo Nobel UK PLC; COURTLAND Ltd
Priority date: 1968-07-22
Filing date: 1971-06-18
Publication date: 1972-11-07
Anticipated expiration: 1989-11-07
Also published as: US3636733A; BE736377A; NL6911242A; CS153524B2; IE33829B1; FR2013469A1; DE1937214A1; CS158647B2; LU59141A1; FR2014679A1; CH516675A; CH511962A; ES369735A1; BR6910879D0; IE33508B1; BR6910878D0; IE33829L; LU59138A1; BE736378A; CS152327B2

Abstract

A method of knitting a sleeved garment on a knitting machine, the method including the steps of knitting a first fabric portion constituted by shoulder portions of the sleeves in reciprocatory manner on both beds of a pair of opposed beds of a knitting machine such that pieces of each shoulder portion on the two beds are joined together at the edge of the sleeve which is innermost on the machine, and knitting a second fabric portion constituted by front and rear upper body portions of the garment as flat fabric on the pair of opposed beds, making needles progressively inactive in an inwards direction from both ends of the needle beds during knitting of one of said first and second fabric portions and bringing the inactive needles progressively back into action in the opposite direction during knitting of the other fabric portion whereby the first and second fabric portions are shaped and joined to one another, the remaining sleeve and body portions being knitted as tubular fabrics integral with said shoulder portions of said sleeves and said upper body portions of the garment respectively.

Description

United States Patent Betts .et a1.

[451' Nov. 7,1972

[54] KNITTING METHOD [72] Inventors: Max William Betts, Coventry; Frank Robinson, Borrowash, both of England I [73] Assignee: Courtland Limited, London, En-

gland 22] Filed: June 18,1971

21 Appl.No.:154,673

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 842,506, July 17, 1969, abandoned.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 22, 1968 Great Britain..... .....34,853/68 [52] US. Cl ..66/176 [51] Int. Cl. ..A4lb 9/06 [58] Field of Search ..66/175, 176, 171, 64

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,561,000 2/1971 Wignall ..60/176 3,474,643 10/1969 Robinson et al ..66/176 Primary Examiner-Ronald Feldbaum Attorney-Davis, l-loxie, Faithfull & Hapgood' 57] f I ABSTRACT A method of knitting a sleeved garment on a knitting machine, the method including the steps of knitting a first fabric portion constituted by shoulder portions of the sleeves in reciproeatory manner on both beds of a pair of opposed beds of a knitting machine such that pieces of each shoulder portion on the two beds are joined together at the edge of the sleeve which is innermost on the machine, and knitting a second fabric portion constituted by front and rear upper body portions of the garment as flat'fabric on the pair of opposed beds, making needles progressively inactive in an inwards direction from both ends of the needle beds during knitting of one of said first and second "fabric portions and bringing the inactive needles progressively back into action in the opposite direction during knitting of the other fabric portion whereby the first and second fabric portions are I shaped and joined to one another, the remaining sleeve and body portions being knitted as tubular fabrics integral with said shoulder portions of said sleeves and said upper body portions of the garment respectively.-

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll PATENTEDHUV 119R sum 1 0F 4 IIIIHIIHHHIIHHIHHIIH Inventor MAX WILLIAM BETTS and FRANK @BINSON Davis, Hoxie, Faithfull 8c Hapgood Attorney PATENTEDN 7'97? 3.702.068

SHEET 2 BF 4 I I. I IQ: o o Q o o u n n n u UL'JL'JIE] 13W}; D

' I5 m 2] 2g 23 O E H n n u D n n n 5 o o o o c r o o EJ131102] g 4 i. [oneooozooouoooooc-aoocco 6 WM-- m ocrooonoononooflobooooo Inventor MAX WILLIAM BETTS and FRANK ROBINSON Davis, Hoxie, Faithfull Hapgood Attorney PKTENTED 7'97? Y 3,702,068

SHEET u or 4 l5 I6 20 s n B wwuw urmwulum A occoooooooooooooooooooo KNITTING METHOD This application isa continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 842,506filed'on July 17, 1969 now abandoned.'

This invention. relates to a method of knitting a are operated by the reciprocating head for the purpose.

By the term sleeved garment we means a garment comprising two sleeves and a body, each sleeve comsleeved garment. The method can be carried out on a v opposite direction during the knitting of p the other fabric portion whereby the first and second fabric portions are shaped and joined to one another, the remaining sleeve and body portions being knitted as tubular fabric integral with said shoulder portions of said sleeves and said upper body respectively. I I

In practising the method according to the invention,

portions of the garment .said remaining sleeve portions may be knitted either before or after the knitting of said first and second fabric portions. These two different procedures will be referred to hereinafter as the forward the reverse procedure, respectively.

The forward procedure of knitting a sleeved garment by the method according to the invention includes the procedure and steps of knitting the sleeves up to the underarm region,

prising a shoulder portion joined to an upper portion of the .body from an underarm region of the body to the upper end of the body. I

There are two commonly used methods of producing sleeved garments in knitted fabric. in one of these methods fiat or tubular knitted fabric is simply cut into suitably shaped body portions and sleeves which are then secured together to form the garment,usually by stitching. in the other method the component body portions and sleeves are knitted to the shapes required by suitable increase or decrease. of the numbers of stitches in the various courses-the process known as fashioning-and then again the edges are secured together, usually by stitching.

In both these methods it is necessary to employ skilled labor for making up the garments by securing together the edges of the shaped body portions and sleeves. In'particular it is an especially difiicult operation to secure the sleeves to the body of a sleeved garment, so that in the finished garment the sleeves are accurately oriented with respect to the armholesin the body and disposed at the correct angle with respect to the body. Moreover, the seams produced are sometimes unsightly, and seam failure is a common cause of complaint with such garments, either due to inefficient seaming or due to the weakness of the seam causing it to burst during wear. Also, in the first mentioned process, a considerable quantity of fabric is usually cut to waste.

An object of the'present invention is to provide a method of making a knitted sleeved garment which considerably reduces the amount of making up required to finish the garment compared with hitherto known methods of making such garments.

According to the invention a method of knitting a sleeved garment on a knitting machine includes the steps of knitting a first fabric portion constituted by shoulder portions of the sleeves in reciprocatory manner on both beds of a pair of opposed beds of a knitting machine such that pieces of each shoulder portion on the two beds are joined together at the edge of the sleeve which is innermost on the machine, and knitting a second fabric portion constituted by front and rear upper body portions of the garment as'flat fabric on the pair of opposed beds, making needles progressively inactive in an inwards direction from both ends of the needle beds during knitting of one of said first and second fabric portions and bringing the I inactive needles progressively back into action in the body portion knitting shoulder portions of the sleeves, continuing from the underarm region, in reciprocatory manner on both beds of a pair'of opposed beds of the machine such that pieces of the shoulder region of each sleeve on the two beds are joined together at the edge of the sleeve which is innermost on the machine and needles are successively madeinactive in an inwards direction from both ends of the needle beds, subsequently knitting front and rear upper body portions of the garment as flat fabric on a pair of opposed beds of the machine in the direction towards the lower end of the body bringing back into action in the knitting of these body portions inactive needles carrying stitches of the shoulder portions, and finally knitting the remainder of the body to the lower end. I

In one embodiment of the forward procedure of knitting, the two sleeves are knitted as tubular fabrics up to the underarm region and a third tubular portion is knitted between the sleeve portions to form a neck portion of the garment. When this stage of the knitting has been completed, knitting of the neck portion is discontinued and knitting of both sleeves is continued to form the shoulder portions of the sleeves. Each shoulder portion is formed by reciprocatory knitting on the pair of beds on which knittingof the respective sleeve commenced and reduction of the number of stitches in the courses of each shoulder portion is performed. The pieces of fabric forming a shoulder portion which are knitted on opposed beds of the machine are joined together at the edge of the respective sleeve which is inner most on the machine. When the two shoulder portions have been knitted the knitting of front and rear upper body portion panels is commenced to join together the shoulder portion of one sleeve with the shoulder portion of the other sleeve. During this stage of the knitting, the number of stitches in each panel of the upper body portion is gradually increased by needle introduction. When the two shoulder portions have been completely joined together by the front and rear panels of the upper body portion, the remainder of the is then completed as a single tubular fabric. r

The reverse procedure of knitting a sleeved garment by the method according to the invention includes the steps of knitting the body portion up to the underarm region, knitting front and rear upper body portions of the garment as fiat fabric on a pair of opposed beds of the machine in the direction towards the upper end of the body and making needles successively inactive in knitting of the garment.

beds are joined together at the ends of the sleeve which is innermost on the machine, bringing back into action in the knitting of these shoulder portionsinactive nee dles carrying stitches of the front and rear upperbody portions, and finally knitting the vremainder of the sleeves to their lower ends.

In this reverse procedure of knitting, the stitches remaining on active needles at the end of the knitting of the front and rear upper body portions may be pressed off the needlesat a subsequent stageof the knitting of the garment. Alternatively, a neck portion may be knitted onto these active needles, for example as a single tubular fabric, or a piece of rib fabric may be knitted to join the front and rear body portions and reduce the risk of runs in these portions when they are cast off. The stitches of the neck portion orrib fabric are pressed off the machine at a subsequent stage of the In one embodiment of the reverse procedure of knitting, the body portion is knitted as a tubular fabric from the lower end up to the underarm region. The knitting of front and rear upper body portion panels is then commenced and during this stage of the knitting the number of stitches in each panel of the upper body portion is gradually decreased by making needles inactive in an inwards direction from both ends of the needle beds. When the two upper body portion panels have been completed a neck portion is knitted as a single tubular fabric on the remaining active needles and when this neck portion has been knitted to the desired length the stitches are pressed off the needles. When this stage of the knitting has been completed, the body of the garment is heldon two spaced-apart groups of needles of the opposed beds of the. machine at lines of stitches representing the two armholes of the body portion. The two shoulder portions of the sleeves are then knitted, one on each ofv said spaced-apart groups of needles, each shoulder portion being formed by reciprocatory knitting on the pair of beds holding said groups of needles. The knitting of these shoulder portions commences atthe neck end of each armhole and an increase in the number of stitches in the courses of each shoulder portion is performed. The pieces of fabric forming a shoulder portion, which are knitted on opposed beds of the machine, are joined together at the edge of the respective sleeve which is innermost on the machine. When the two shoulder portions have been knitted in this way to the underarm region of the sleeves, knitting of the two sleeves is continued as tubular fabrics to the lower ends of the sleeves.

The above described forward and reverse knitting procedures can be performed on a flat bar V-bed knitting machine, for example, the machine designated J DR which is manufactured by the firm Edouard Dubied et Cie S.A. of Neufchatel, Switzerland. The JDR machine is described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. specification No. 3,304,748. Toenable it to carry out the present invention in a preferred manner, the machine is modified by removal of the standard take-down rollers and incorporation of apresser foot in their place. A

presser foot mechanism isdescribed, for example in British Pat. specification No. 867,678, but it is preferred to use a presser foot as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 of German Offe'nlegungsschrift No. 1,957,190 and which is described therein with reference to those and other figures of drawings. The presser foot mechanism is incorporated in theJDR machine by mounting it on the reciprocable cam boxes thereof as described in the aforesaid Offenlegungsschrift and operates by pressing down the knitting between the two needle beds from above. In this it differs from conventional take-down mechanisms which pull down the knitting from below. In carrying out the present invention, it is necessary to knit at different times pieces of fabric of widely different widths. On the JDR machine, the length of traverse of the cam boxes cannot be altered during running of the machine and thus the length of traverse must be sufficiently greatto allow knitting of fabric of the greatest width found in a garment. When knitting the narrowest fabric in the garment therefore, the cam boxes and the yarn carriers, which are picked up by and moved by the cam boxes in conventional manner, overrun the knitting to a considerable extent. Since the yarn is normally fed to the yarn carriers from one end of the needle beds, this results in a considerable surplus of yarn being drawn from the package when the cam boxes reach the end of their traverse remote from the end of the needle beds from which the yarn is'supplied. When this surplus yarn has been drawn from the supply and the cam boxes and yarn carriers begin to move back along the needles beds, the'tension in the'yarn is reduced andunsatisfactory loose stitches may be formed. To overcome this difficulty, yarn take-up springs with a larger amplitude of movement than in the conventional machine can be fitted to the JDR machine. However, it is preferred to employ a-yarn looper mechanism as described in the copending U.S. Pat. application of Keith Jeffcoat, filed Nov. 27, 1970, Ser. No. 92,993, and assigned to the assignees of the present application. The preferred form of looper mechanism is that shownin FIG. 9 of the drawings of the said U.S. Patent application and the mechanism is fitted to the JDR machine in the manner describedsleeved garment can be integrally knitted to its finalshape so that no seaming is required. If, however, lengths of rib fabric are knitted at the commencement of the sleeves and the lower end of the body, it will be necessary to seam together the lengths of rib fabric at the front and back of the garment.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a sleeved garment illustrating the stages in which the garment may be knitted by the method according to the invention employing the forward knitting procedure,

FIG. 2 is a series of schematic diagrams of a flat bar knitting machine showing stages in the knitting ofthe garment shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a sleeved garment illustrating the stages in which the garment may be knitted by the method according to the invention employing the reverse knitting procedure, and

FIG. 4 is a series of schematic diagrams of a flat bar knitting machine showing stages in the knitting of the garment shown in FIG. 3;

The sleeved garment shown in FIG. 1 comprises a body 1 and two

sleeves

2, 3 The

sleeves

2, 3 comprise shoulder portions 4, 5 which are knitted integrally with an upper portion 6 of the body. At its upper end the garment has a tubular neck portion 7 knitted integrally with the upper body portion 6.

The knitting of the garment shown in FIG. 1 will now be described with reference to FIG. 2. In each of the diagrams of FIG. 2, the reference numerals 1 0, 11 designate the opposed beds of a flat bar knitting machine each comprising a plurality of needles 12. The needles 12 are spaced apart equidistantly in the two beds and it will be understood that the number of needles shown is purely diagrammatic in order to simplify the drawing, and does not in any way relate to the number of needles that would be used in the knitting of the garment of FIG. 1.

Diagram A shows the commencement of knitting of the

sleeves

2, 3 from the lower ends of the sleeves as

tubular fabrics

13, 14 on needles of both

beds

10, 11. These two tubular fabrics are knitted with yarn supplied by

separate yam carriers

15, 16. If desired, two yarn carriers may be employed in the knitting of each of the

tubular fabrics

13, 14.

Knitting of the sleeves is continued up to the underarm region of each sleeve and any necessary widening of the sleeves is performed by needle introduction. This stage of the knitting is illustrated by diagram B, and the positioning of the tubular fabrics l3, 14 on the needles of the beds aNd 11 is chosen so that when the underarm regions of the sleeves are reached, the number of needles from the outermost needles 17 involved in the knitting of the tubular fabric l3and the outermost needles 18 involved in the knitting of the tubular fabric 14 is equal to the number of needles required to knit the body of the garment at the underarm region of the latter.

At this stage of the knitting, two sleeves have been partly knitted on the machine and are disposed relative to one another as indicated by the sleeves 2a and 3a shown in FIG. 1, the two sleeves having been knitted in the direction indicated by the arrow X up to the courses indicated by the dotted line w-w.

Knitting of the two

sleeves

2, 3 then continues by knitting of the shoulder portions 4, 5 respectively, employing reciprocatory knitting. The commencement of this stage of the knitting is indicated in diagram C, in which diagram the chain lines 19, 20 indicate how the knitting is performed using yarn from the yarn carriers l5, 16, respectively. In this diagram, as in the other diagrams of FIG. 2, the stitches which have just been knitted in the course under consideration are shown as circles around the needles 12, whereas the stitches knitted during previous courses, and held on inactive needles, are shown as squaresaround the needles. So far as the sleeve 2 is concerned, this results in the formation of

fabrics

21, 22 on the needles of the

beds

10 and 11 respectively, which fabrics are joined together at the edge of the sleeve which is innermost on the machine. In like manner,

fabrics

23 and 24 are produced on the needles of the

beds

10 and 11 to form the shoulder portion of sleeve 3, which fabrics are joined together at the edge of the sleeve 3 which is innermost on the machine. During this stage of the knitting the number of needles involved in knitting the shoulder portions is gradually reduced from the outermost needles in an inwards direction from both ends of the needle beds, and diagram D illustrates a stage just tion 7 is knitted as a tubular fabric 25 on the needles of both the

beds

10 and 11 as shown in diagram E. This portion of the garment may be knitted with yarn supplied by either or both of the yarn carriers l5, 16. When this neck portion has been completed, the knitting has reached the course indicated by the dotted line yy in FIG. 1.

Knitting of the upper body portion 6 of the garment is then commenced as two

flat fabrics

26, 27, see diagram F, the fabric 26 being knitted on needles of the bed 10 with yarn supplied by the yarn carrier 15 and the fabric 27 being knitted on needles of the bed 11 with yarn supplied by the yarn carrier 16. As these

flat fabrics

26, 27 are knitted the number of needles employed in each of the

beds

10, 11 is gradually increased so that more and more of the. inactive needlescarrying stitches of the fabrics 21-24 forming the shoulder portions 4 and 5 are brought back into operation. In this way the shoulder portions 4, 5 of the garment are gradually joined together by the courses of the

fabrics

26, 27 and this stage of thev knitting is completed at the course indicated by the dotted line z-z shown in FIG. 1, Le. the underarm region of the garment.

Finally, the lower portion of the body 1 is knitted as a single tubular fabric 28 as indicated in diagram G, using yarn supplied by either or both of the yarn carriers l5, l6.

Instead of a roll neck being formed as described above, as a first modification a row of rib knitting can be formed across the neck opening between the adjacent parts of the sleeves 2b and 3b of said FIG. 1. After the row of rib knitting has been formed along the line y-y in FIG. 1, knitting of the upper body portion 6 of the gannent is commenced, this portion of the body being knitted as two

flat fabrics

26 and 27 as described (FIG. 2 diagram F) and the subsequent procedure for knitting the garment is as described above.

When the garment is removed from the knitting machine the row of rib knitting closing the neck opening is cut and the periphery of the neck opening is cut to a desired shape and trimmed and finished as desired.

In a further modification of the invention described above with reference to the drawings, when the two sleeves occupy the positions 2b and 3b shown-in FIG. 1,

plain knitting is commenced directly on the two beds and 11 (FIG. 2)'and is carried on to form the upper body portion 6 of the garment as two flat fabrics joining the shoulder portion 4 and 5 of the sleeves. The neck is thus left open. which facilitates making up operations to provide the neck with a desired shape and trimming.

One configuration of stitches which can be used when commencing knittingat the neck of. the garment is as follows. The first course of knittingis formed with shoulder portions-4, 5 which are knitted integrally with an upper portion 6 of the body. At its upper end the garment has a tubular neck portion 7 knitted integrally with the upper body portion 6.

The knitting of the garment shown in FIG. 3 will now be describedwith reference to FIG. 4. In each of the diagrams of FIG. 4, the

reference numerals

10, 11 designate the opposed beds of a flat bar knitting machine each comprising a plurality of needles 12. The needles 12 are spaced apart equidistantly in the two beds and it will be' understood that the number of needles shown is purely diagrammatic in order to simplify the drawing, and does not in any way relate to the number of needles that would be used in the knitting of the garment of FIG. 3. I

Diagram A shows the commencement of knitting of the body l'from the'lower end thereof as a tubular fabric 28 on needles of both

beds

10, 11. This tubular fabric is knitted with yarn supplied by a yarn carrier 15 or two yarn carriers may be employed in the knitting of the tubular fabric 28, the two carriers being arranged to supply yarn simultaneously to opposite needle beds.

Knitting of the body is continued up to the course indicated by the dotted line z-z in FIG. 3 i.e. the underarm region of the garment, and then knitting of the knitted on the active needles of both beds, as shown in diagram C, and when thishas been completed to the desired length and some additional courses have been knitted, the stitches are pressed off the needles. The ad- 'ditional courses are turned in and seamed, after the garment has been removed from the machine, in order to finish offthe neck. a

There are now two spaced-apart groups of stitches held on inactive needles, namely a first group consisting of stitches'21a on bed 10 and stitches 22a on bed 1 1 k and a second group consisting of stitches 23a on bed 10 and stitches 24a on bed 1 1, as shown in diagram D.

Knitting of the two

sleeves

2, 3 is then commenced by knitting of the shoulder portions 4, 5, respectively, employing reciprocatory knitting. The commencement of this stage of the knitting is indicated in diagram D, in which diagram the chain lines 19, 20 indicate how the knitting is performed using yarn from the

yarn carriers

15, 16, respectively. So far as the s'leeve2 is concerned, this results in the formation of

fabrics

21, 22 on the needles of the,

beds

10 and 11, respectively, which fabrics are joined together at the edge of the sleeve which is innermost on the machine. In like manner,

fabrics

23 and 24 are produced on the needles of the

beds

10 and 11 to form the shoulder portion of sleeve 3, which fabrics are joined together at the edge of the sleeve 3 which is innermost on the machine. During this stage of the knitting the number of needles involved in knitting the shoulder portions is gradually increased from the innermost needles in an outward direction from both ends of the needle beds, and diagram E illustrates a stage just before completion of the two shoulder portions 4, 5.

When the two, shoulder portions have been completed, the knitting of the sleeves2, 3 from the underarm region of the sleeves is commencedas

tubular fabrics

13, 14 on needles of both

beds

10, 11, as shown in diagram F. These two tubularfabrics are knitted with yarn supplied by the

yarn carriers

15, 16.

Knitting of the sleeves is continued down to the lower-end of each sleeve and any necessary narrowing of the sleeves is performed by reduction of the number of needles employed, and inward cross-bed transfer of edge loops of the sleeves to needles carrying other sleeve loops as used on the above mentioned machine of British Pat. specification No. 1,048,322. Convenupper body portion 6 of the garment is commenced as two

flat fabrics

26, 27, see diagram B, the fabric 26 being knitted on needles of the bed 10 with yarn supplied by the yarn carrier 15 and the fabric 27 being knitted on needles of the bed 1 1 with yarn supplied by a yarn carrier 16. As these

flat fabrics

26, 27 are knitted the number of needles employed in each of the

beds

10, 11 is gradually reduced from the outermost needles in an inwards direction from both ends of the needle beds, and diagram B illustrates completion of the two

flat fabrics

26, 27. In this diagram, as in the other diagrams of FIG. 4, the stitcheswhich have just been knitted in the course under consideration are shown as circles around the needles 12, whereas the stitches knitted during previous courses, and held on inactive needles, are shown as squares around the needles.

At the neck opening,the stitches on active needles at the completion of knitting of the

flat fabrics

26, 27 may be pressed off the needles. Alternatively, if a roll neck garment is to be made, a short tubular fabric 25 may be tional transfer needles are incorporated in the machine used to enable such narrowing to be carried out. This stage of the knitting is illustrated by diagram G.

The method outlined above can of course be modified in various ways. For example, the

sleeves

2, 3 may each have a ribbed

portion

29, 30 as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 3. The neck portion 7 may also be knitted at least partly as ribbed fabric. It is not, of course, necessary for the

sleeves

2, 3 to have the length shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Thus, for example, the

sleeves

2,13 may end at the chain lines 31, 32 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Again, the body 1 need not be in the form of a closed tube but may have an opening down the front as indicated by the chain line 33 thru FIGS. 1 and 3. Again, the body 1 need not be in the form of a closed tube but may have an opening down the front as indicated by the chain line to provide a cardigan type of garment. Furthermore, the front panel of theupper portion of the body 1 may have a V-neck opening as indicated by the chain lines 34.

The forward knitting procedure and the reverse knitting procedure according to the invention can both be carried out on the Dubied JDR knitting machine referred to above. The J DR machine is described in the aforesaid U.S. Pat. specification No. 3,304,748 where a description of the mechanism for adjusting the cam settings and making needle selections is given. The JDR machine is also described in the Dubied Knitting Manual published by the aforesaid Edouard Dubied et Cie S.A. in 1967 and, in addition the Manual describes the conventional elements'and mechanisms found in all flat V-bed knitting machines.

In the JDR machine, the needles are actuated by jacks, the jacks being raised and lowered in the conventional manner by means of tracks provided on cam plates carried in cam boxes which traverse back and forth along the needle beds. A mechanism for altering the cam settings on the cam plates is provided on the machine and is operated from a pattern control mechanism of the machine. These mechanisms were already known at the date of filing of U.S. Pat. No. 3,304,748 (Jan. 31, 1963). The cam settings determine the operations performed by jacks and needles which are raised to enter the cam tracks.

Needle selection is carried out in the JDR machine between each traverse of the cam plates and is determined by prisms, designated by the reference numeral 38 in U.S. Pat. specification No. 3,304,748, one of which is located below each needle bed. The prisms are mounted for to-and-fro movement, up towards and down away from, the associated needle beds and such a movement is normally brought about between each traverse of the cam boxes. The prisms 38 carry chains of steel sheets 39 which can be perforated according to a required pattern. Between upward movements, the

prisms can be turned by the pattern control mechanism of the machine (which is conventional) to bring fresh steel sheets 39 into position for presentation to the jacks in the needle beds. If,'below a particular jack, or lifter, the steel sheet presented to a needle bed is perforated, then the sheet will allow the end of the jack to pass through and the jack will not be pushed up for its butt to engage in a cam track on the cam plate. If, however, the steel sheet presented to a needle bed is'not perforated below a particular jack, then thisjack will be pushed up by the sheet and the butt of the jack will thus be presented to one of the cam tracks on the cam plates on the next traverse thereof along the needle beds. In this way, individual selection of needles is made for each traverse of the cam plates. In addition, the cam settings within the cam boxes are also chosen for each traverse to produce the desired needle motion.

In order to illustrate how the JDR machine can be manipulated to perform operations required in carrying out the present invention, a brief description of the cam settings in the machine to achieve particular sequences of knitting operations will now be given. It should be remembered, however, that the cam settings now to be described are only examples of a number of settings now to be described are only examples of a number of settings which can be used to achieve the particular operations concerned. Reference will be made to FIG. 2 of the aforementioned U.S. Pat. specification No. 3,304,748. In order to simplify the present description, the examples given will refer to knitting in single system only. In single system knitting, only one end of yarn is fed to the needles during each traverse of the needle beds by the cam boxes and each active needle is raised once only during each traverse to take the yarn presented to it from the yarn carrier. The same operations can, however, be carried out on the JDR machine in double system knitting.

In order to knit a tube on the two opposed needle beds of the JDR machine, the following cam settings are made on each traverse of the cam boxes towards the left in FIG. 2 of U.S. Pat. specification No. 3,304,748. All the cams of the uppermost set of cams in cam plate 23 (moving over the rear bed) are retracted except the movable lowering cam 69 and therefore no needles of the rear bed are operated to knit. This cam is at the upper right-hand corner of FIG. 2 of specification No. 3,304,748 and is not specifically designated with a reference numeral. In fact, many reference numerals are omitted on cam plate 23 of said FIG. 2, the corresponding parts on cam plate 22 alone being designated by reference numerals.

On the cam plate 22, for each leftwards traverse, the right-hand upper raising cam 70 is activated and the remaining cams are retracted. The stitch-cams 49 and 50 in both the

cam plates

22 and 23 are raised or lowered by the cam setting mechanism of the machine at the end of each traverse of the cam boxes and are set for each traverse was to cause the raised needles to descend and perform'a knitting action. During each leftwards traverse, the butts of the selected auxiliary jacks are raised by the right-hand upper raising cam 70 of cam plate 23 pushing up the associated needles which are brought down in a knitting action by the stitch cam 50. The lowering cam 69 brings the active auxiliary jacks down to the rest position so that at the end of each leftwards traverse of the cam plates, all the auxiliary jacks in both beds are in the lowered rest position.

Before the start of each traverse to the right by the cam boxes, the right-hand upper raising cam 70 of the cam plate 22 is retracted by the mechanism referred to in specification No. 3,304,748 and the right-hand fupper raising cam 70 of the cam plate 23 is activated together with the left-hand lowering cam 69 of the same cam plate. The left hand lowering cam 69 of the cam plate 22 is also activated and the righthand lowering cam 69 of this cam plate is retracted. The mechanism within the cam boxes for carrying out this action is fully described in U.S. Pat. specification No. 3,304,748.

Before the start .of each rightwards traverse, the jacquard prisms 38 are pushed up by the jacquard mechanism of the machine to make a fresh needle selection as described above. Since no raising cams are activated in cam platef22 (moving over the front bed), no needles are operated to knit in the front bed on rightwards traverses but the appropriate jacks and needles in the rear bed will be selected and operated to knit.

At the end of each rightwards traverse of the cam plates, the cam settings are altered in the manner described and a jack selection is made so as to set up the machine for the next leftwards traverse and so on. Knitting alternately on the two beds with the same yarn produces a tubular piece of knitting.

To carry out reciprocal knitting in order to produce U-shaped courses of knitting on the two beds, the following sequence of cam settings is used:-

First leftwards traverse.

Cam plate 22: all retractable cams retracted except right-hand lowering cam 69.

Cam plate 23: all retractable camsretractedexcept right-hand upper lowering cam 70 and right-hand lowering cam 69.

First'rightwards traverse.

Cam plate 22: all retractable cams retracted except left-hand lowering cam69.

cam plate 23: all retractable cams retracted except right-hand upper lowering cam 70 and left-hand left-hand lowering cam 69.

The sequence of four traverses is then repeated, the order" of knitting being forward and back along the front bed and then forward and back along the rear bed and so on producing the U-shaped course.

The JDR machine is capable of transferring stitches between needles of the two beds using transfer cams 51 and cams 54 as described in the said specification No. 3,304,748. 1

Whilst examples of cam settings and needle selections required for carrying out some of the operations involved in carrying out the method of the invention on a JDR knitting machine have been described, it should be remembered that all of the operations required in the method of the invention either by the forward or reverse procedure can be carried out on the JDR machine as well as on other commercially available machines,,preferably modified as described above in relation to. the JDR machine. It is therefore not the intention to limit the practice of the invention to the J DR machine.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of knitting a sleeved garment on a knitting machine, themethod including the steps of knitting a first fabric portion constituted by shoulder portions of the sleeves in reciprocatory manner on both beds of a pair of opposed beds of a knittingmachine such that pieces of each shoulder portion on the two beds are joined together atthe edge, of the sleeve which one another, the remaining sleeve and body portions being knitted as tubular fabric integral with said shoulder portions ofsaid sleevesand said upper body portions of the garment respectively. I

2. A method of knitting a sleeved garment on a knitting machine, the method including the steps of knitting the sleeves up to the underarm region, knitting shoulder portions of the sleeves, continuing from the underarm region, in reciprocatory manner on both beds of a pair of opposed beds of themachine such that pieces of the shoulder region on the two beds are joined together at the edge of the sleeve which is innermost on the machine and needles are successively made inactive in an inwards direction from both ends of the needle beds, subsequently knitting front andrear upper body portions of the garment as flat fabric on a pair of opposed beds of the machine in the direction towards the lower end of the body and bringing back into action in the knitting of these body portionsinactive needles carrying. stitches of the shoulder portions, and finally knitting the remainder of the body to the lower end.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sleeves and the body are knitted on the same pair of beds of the machine.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein before knitting of the front and rear upper body portions is commenced a neck portion of the garment is knitted as a tubular fabric on the pair of beds for the upper body portions which portions are knitted as continuations of the neck portion.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the knitting of the front and rear upper body portions is commenced by forming a row of rib knitting across the neck opening between adjacent parts of the sleeves on needles of the pair of beds for the body portions and subsequently knitting the front and rear upper body portions as continuations of the row of rib knitting.

6. A method of knitting a sleeved garment on a knitting machine, the method including the steps of knitting the body up to the underarm region, knitting front and rear upper body portions of the garment as flat fabric on a pair of opposed beds of the machine in the direction towards the upper end of the body and making needles successively inactive in an inwards direction from both ends of the needle beds, and knitting shoulder portions of the sleeves, commencing from the upper end of the garment, in reciprocatory manner on both beds of a pair of opposed beds of the machine such that pieces of the shoulder region on the two beds are joined together atthe edge of the sleeve which is innermost on the machine and bringing back into action in the knitting of these shoulderportions inactive needles carrying-stitches of the front and rear upper body portions.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein after completion of the shoulder portions of the sleeves to the underarm region, a tubular fabric is knitted as an extension;of each shoulder portion to form the sleeves of the garment.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sleeves and the body are knitted on the same pair of beds of the machine.

9. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein after knitting of the front and rear upper body portions has been completed, a neck portion of the garment is the knitting of the front and rear upper body portions has been completed, one or more courses of rib knitting are knitted joining together the front and rear upper body portions.

Claims

1. A method of knitting a sleeved garment on a knitting machine, the method including the steps of knitting a first fabric portion constituted by shoulder portions of the sleeves in reciprocatory manner on both beds of a pair of opposed beds of a knitting machine such that pieces of each shoulder portion on the two beds are joined together at the edge of the sleeve which is innermost on the machine, and knitting a second fabric portion constituted by front and rear upper body portions of the garment as flat fabric on the pair of opposed beds, making needles progressively inactive in an inwards direction from both ends of the needle beds during knitting of one of said first and second fabric portions and bringing the inactive needles progressively back into action in the opposite direction during knitting of the other fabric portion whereby the first and second fabric portions are shaped and joined to one another, the remaining sleeve and body portions being knitted as tubular fabric integral with said shoulder portions of said sleeves and said upper body portions of the garment respectively.

2. A method of knitting a sleeved garment on a knitting machine, the method including the steps of knitting the sleeves up to the underarm region, knitting shoulder portions of the sleeves, continuing from the underarm region, in reciprocatory manner on both beds of a pair of opposed beds of the machine such that pieces of the shoulder region on the two beds are joined together at the edge of the sleeve which is innermost on the machine and needles are successively made inactive in an inwards direction from both ends of the needle beds, subsequently knitting front and rear upper body portions of the garment as flat fabric on a pair of opposed beds of the machine in the direction towards the lower end of the body and bringing back into action in the knitting of these body portions inactive needles carrying stitches of the shoulder portions, and finally knitting the remainder of the body to the lower end.

6. A method of knitting a sleeved garment on a knitting machine, the method including the steps of knitting the body up to the underarm region, knitting front and rear upper body portions of the garment as flat fabric on a pair of opposed beds of the machine in the direction towards the upper end of the body and making needles successively inactive in an inwards direction from both ends of the needle beds, and knitting shoulder portions of the sleeves, commencing from the upper end of the garment, in reciprocatory manner on both beds of a pair of opposed beds of the machine such that pieces of the shoulder region on the two beds are joined together at the edge of the sleeve which is innermost on the machine and bringing back into action in the knitting of these shoulder portions inactive needles carrying stitches of the front and rear upper body portions.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein after completion of the shoulder portions of the sleeves to the underarm region, a tubular fabric is knitted as an extension of each shoulder portion to form the sleeves of the garment.

9. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein after knitting of the front and rear upper body portions has been completed, a neck portion of the garment is knitted as a tubular fabric on the pair of beds on which the upper body portions were knitted, which neck portion is knitted as a continuation of the upper body portions.

10. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein after the knitting of the front and rear upper body portions has been completed, one or more courses of rib knitting are knitted joining together the front and rear upper body portions.