US1974962A - Process of knitting a full fashioned stocking - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 25, '1934. K. R. LIEBERKNECHT TTING A FULL FASHIONED Filed April 6, 1932 Weak INVENTOR I L v ATI'ORNEY Patented Sept. 25, 1%34 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS OF KNITTING A FULL FASHIONED STOCKING Application April 6, 1932, Serial'No. 603,466 In Germany September 19, 1931 1 Claim.

My invention relates to a process of knitting full fashioned stockings and in particular stockings having the French heel and foot and knit as a unit on a knitting machine.

5 My invention relates in particular to an im' proved method of knitting the instep and sole portions of a stocking after the completion of the leg and heel tabs, whereby the use of welthook bars may be eliminated and the proper to looping of the inside edges of the heel tabs to the first. course of 'the sole portions more effectively, conveniently and perfectly provided for.

In the production of stockings having the French heel and foot on a fiat type knitting machine in accordance with present methods, the leg and heel tabs are first knit. Thereafter, it is customary to temporarily discontinue knitting this part of the fabric and to begin a new starting course for the side sole portions of the foot. To accomplish this, draw-off or welt-hook bars have been used, the loops of the new starting course being formed on such bars.

- In view of the fact that the side-sole portions of the foot must be looped eventually to the heel tabs, insurance against ravelling of the starting course of the side-sole portions should be provided for. To this end, instead of starting the foot by knitting a full width course as the first course of the foot proper, I first knit several ravelling courses corresponding in length and position to the side-sole portions and then, having brought the portion of fabric intermediate the heel tabs back into knitting position, 1 commence knitting full width side-sole and foot courses and continue in the usual way until the stocking length is completed.

I am able to knit the ravelling courses referred to above without the use of welt hook bars, which would naturally be employed by those having knowledge of the present development of the art, or other auxiliary apparatus by utilizing for the process the type of knitting machine which forms the. subject matter of my copending application Serial No. 567,262, filed October 6, 1931, and thereby an objectionable and costl rg, step in the process of knitting is eliminated.

In order that my invention may be understoc; I have illustrated it in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a view of the stocking blank after the leg and heel tabs have been completed and the foot portion begun, the leg and instep portions being shown as separated to make the steps of the process clearer;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of a portion of a knitting machine made in accordance with the invention of my copending application referred to above;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the same machine at another point in' the knitting operation;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a portion of the same machine to illustrate a still further step in the knitting operation; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the stocking blank as actually knit as distinguished from Fig. 1. It will be noted from Figs. 2 to 4 that the knockover bits 1 of the knitting machine of my copending application referred to vary from the usual form of knockover bits in that theyare provided. with not only the usual curved bridge 2, but a second similar bridge 4 in between which is a book 5. As will be understood from my copending application, knitting is commenced upon this machine by laying the yarn for the first course in the usual manner between the needles and the noses 6 of thesinkers. Movement of the sinkers then forms the yarn into loops about the needles, as shown in Fig. 2. The needles are then lowered and engage with the loops and the sinker nibs are then withdrawn from beneath the loops in the usual way. At this time, the knockover bits are so placed that as the loops fall from the sinker nibs they are received upon the curved bridges 2 of the knockover bits and move downward into the throats 8 of the knockover bits directly in front of the hooks 5. After the next course is laid down and the loops formed-by the sinkers around the needles, the knockover bits have been moved forward to the position shown in Fig. 3. The first course knit, since it is held in the throats 8 by hooks 5, also moves forward and when the succeeding course is dropped upon the knockover bits it is received upon bridges 4 behind the hooks and moves downward into throats 9 behind this bridge. The loops of the first and second courses will then be positioned as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4. The knitting of succeeding courses is carried out in a similar manner. In this way the use of welt-hook bars is elimir ated. The initial loops knit in this way are easily unravelled so that it is possible to knit a loose course several courses after the initial course to assist in looping the fabric to another piece of fabric and by then unravelling the surplus courses to obtain a very clear looped seam. Applying this general manner of knitting to my present invention, after theleg portion 10 and heel tabs 11 are knit the heel tabs 11 are pressed ofi and the middle section 12 of the needle bar rendered temporarily inoperative so that no for this since the construction of the knockover bits renders them unnecessary, the starting course being carried by the knockover bits, as above described.

After the ravelling courses of the side sole sections have been knit and the line A-A reached, the middle section 12 is again brought back into knitting position and knitting continued across the full width 0! the stocking toot, an additional thread carrier which traverses the entire width of the foot being brought into action for the purpose. The thread carriers for the side sole portions continue to function as reinforcing thread carriers for the sole portions.

In this way, the instep is knit of the same yarn as the leg portion and upon the same machine. Ravelling courses are provided upon the side sole portions to protect the starting courses 01' these portions against premature unravelling. All of this is accomplished without the use of welt-hook bars or other attachments. and as a result much time and labor is saved.

I claim: v

The method of making a stocking, having a French heel and sole, on a single unit full fashioned knitting machine which is provided with banks at knitting needles and hooked knockover bits, said method consisting of knitting a fashioned leg blank portion down to a point adjacent to the instep of the stocking; then suspending the knitting oi the central portion of the leg blank and causing the needles which have knitted said central portion to be moved out of operative position with the last formed loops of the central portion retained thereon; then knitting the heel tabs oi the stocking blank with the needles remaining in operation; then casting oil said heel tabs; then knitting a starting or ravelling course for the sole portions 0! the stocking with the needies still in operation and causing the loops of said course to be held by the hooks on said knockover bits; then knitting further ravelling courses with said needles and causing the loops thereof to be knocked oflf on the back -of the hooks of the knockover bits; then bringing said inoperative needles into operative position again and knitting with the full bank of needles the foot blank 0! the stocking including the side sole pieces and instep portion; the first course of said instepfp rtion being interknitted to the last course of the central portion of the leg blank between the heel tabs; and finally uniting the selvages of the stocking blank with the usual back seam and interlooping the inside-edges of the heel tabs to the sole portions.

KARL RICHARD LIEBERKNECHT.

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