US2131720A - Knitted fabric and method of making the same - Google Patents

Description

l E. ST. PIERRE 2,131,720

KNITTED FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Fil'ed Aug. 15, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l F161. l8 2o 22 23 a4 25 26. 2s 3o v JJYYEIVME.

EzIcE/YEIZHHQPE 32 f vgfigf Sept. 27, 1938. E. s1'. PIERRE 2,131,720

KNITTED FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Aug. 15, 1938 2 Shee ts-Sheet 2 12111 51117013 i'nww-JkPm-Z M' ZW Patented Sept. 27, 1938 I UNITED-STATES PAT NT OFFICE KNITTED. FABRIC AND'METHO-D OF MAKING THE Eugene St. Pierre, Pawtucket, R. 1., assignor to, Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. -I., a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 15, 1938, Serial No. 224,873

8 Claims. 66-172) This invention relates to a knitted fabric and other words, the rib effect is not due to the drawmethod of making the same and more particularly ing together of the spacedintermediate wales by to knitted fabrics having an elastic thread or the-elastic thread, the same being knitted under threads incorporated: therewith in combination very light tension, that is, underwhat is commonly with ornamental threads commonly known as known as knitting tension similar to that disclosed wrap threads. While the wrap threads may be in the Sturgess British Patent #4418 of 1886. incorporated in a manner similar to that shown in The relatively inelastic, cotton thread 3| is Taubel Patent #1,619,'l88, March 1, 1927, they are knitted by all theneedles at the main feeding staherein shown as incorporated in a knitted fabric tion M while the elastic thread 32 is fed to and- ]0 in a manner similar to that shown in Lawson Patknitted by the alternate needles at the auxiliary ent #1,'702,608, February 19, 1929. feeding station A. Knitting cams (not shown) In the drawings: act upon all of the needles in the usual or any de- Fig. 1 is a view showing the outer face of the sired manner at the main feeding station while fabric and including a few wales and courses of alternate needles only are actuated by cams (not the fabric; shown) at the auxiliary feeding station A, the 15 Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the intermediate needles passing-beneath the elastic fabric distorted somewhat by reason of an elastic thread 32 as indicated in Fig- To Select e thread; needles preparatory to knitting at the auxiliary Fig. 3 is a view showing the movements of the feeding station A, jacks may be provided which needles to engage the main thread, the elastic jacks are controlled to elevate needles that knit 20 thread and one or more wrap threads; alternate wales 18, 20, etc., only, just prior to the Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view supplementsaid needles reaching the cams at feeding station ing A. Other jacks which may include some of the Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the posimentioned jacks, act upon needles selectively to tion the elastic thread takes with respect to the elevate them to a position to be wrappedby the 25 needles as the said needles pass the auxiliary feedwrap thread, such as 35, which thread or threads ing station; and is or are fed to the needles by means of the wrap- Fig. 6 is a conventional view of a stocking show- D mechanism which y be identical With ing-a series of patterns similar to'the one disclosed or similar to the wrap mechanism illustrated in in i 1. the Lawson Patent #1,702,608, February 19, 1929, 30

Referring particularly to Fig; 1, courses 1 to 17 noting partic y the disc 1 l1 a associated are shown, said courses including wales 18 to-30. Darts Shown in t Sa d P Between the The base fabric is knitted with one or more in-' auxiliary f i tat n A and t wrap mechaelastic threads 3|, fed through a guide 3|, and nism 39, a cam relowers the alternate needles which may hereinafter, for convenience, be rethat were elevated to knit the elastic thread 32,. 35

ferred to as being of cotton and an elastic thread such relowering bei indicated y hein lin 32 which may be of uncovered or covered rubber p h 0f theneedles after y pass the guide M such as is commonly known as Lastex. In alterwhich feeds thread 32. The elastic thread is fed nate wales 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30, etc., the to the needles through a vertically disposed guide 40 elastic thread 32 isshown as knitted by alternate -W pa between the needles and the latch 40 needles 33 only. The cotton thread 3! is knitted ring (notshown). The guide 4| may be supby the said alternate needles 33 as well as the ported in any convenient manner and, preferably, intermediate needles 34 which knit-the intermedion the latch ring. ate wales 19, 21, 23, 25, 27,29, etc. It is desirable that the elastic thread 32 be fed By knitting the elastic thread 32 with the alterintojthe hooks of alternate needles with as little '45 nate needles 33, the intermediate wales 19, 21, tension as possible consistent with the knitting of etc.,are forced to the outer face of the fabric, uniform fabric. The tension imposed upon the some of the said wales, as well as. some of the elasticfis what may be termed, a light, knitting alternate wales 18, 20, etc., being wrapped with tension. The 'close' feeding ofthe elastic thread one or more wrap threads 35. The rib efiect pro- 32 by the guide 4| making it unnecessary to im'- 50 duced by the forcing of the intermediate wales to pose any considerable tension upon the elastic the outer face of the fabric, is due primarily to the thread 32in order to cause the same to be fed into elastic thread or strand 32 being between a loop of the hooks of alternate needles 33 and above the the cotton or other thread, e. g., the 1621p 36, Fig. 2, intermediate needles 34 so that upon elevation of and adjacent loops, e. g., 31 and 38, Fig. 2. In 1 the latter they shall pass forward of the elastic 55 thread. The lack of any substantial tension upon the elastic thread 32 causes the same to remain more or less in contact with the hooks of the needles which do not knit the said elastic thread, as indicated in Fig. 5.

Fabric, as shown in the drawings and knitted as previously described, is essentially a two-feed fabric, alternate courses 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc., being knitted with the cotton or other relatively inelastic thread 3| with all the needles, while the intermediate courses 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, etc., are knitted by alternate needles only engaging and knitting the elastic thread 32 only.

The lack of substantial tension on the elastic thread serves a useful purpose in that itpermits the wrapping of consecutive needles of a group as distinguished from every other needle only which is necessary in order to obtain a satisfactory fabric when imposing substantial tension on an elastic thread. However, any desired selection of needles may be utilized for wrap selection; in other words, any of the needles can be elevated to knit a wrap thread such as 35.

When knitting the base fabric only, i. e., without wrap threads, the'needl'es move along until elevated by the usual raise cam in advance of the guides, such as 3|, the effect of the raise cam being indicated by that portion of the dot and dash line, Fig. 3, inclined upwardly and indicated at 42. Subsequently to passing the guide 3|, all of the needles move downwardly to the position 43 and knit the yarn 3|; thereafter to the latch clearing position 44 then being moved down to move along the level 45, the cycle thereafter being repeated beginning with selection for the elastic thread 32.

When knitting pattern fabric as by means of a wrap thread or threads 35, jacks' (not shown) selectively elevate needles as indicated at 46, said needles then moving along the horizontal path 41 where they receive a wrap thread or threads in their hooks, as indicated in Fig. 3. Thereafter the needles are depressed to join the non-wrap needles, the wrap needles then knitting the cotton or other relatively inelastic thread 3| in g the same manner as the non-wrap needles.

The wales 24, 26, etc. comprise loops of'cotton or other relatively inelastic yarn 3| and elastic yarn 32, whereas the wales 25, 27, 29, etc., are knitted of the cotton or other yarn 3| in every course, the elastic yarn 32 passing back of the said wales which constitute the face wales of the fabric. In the wrap areas, Fig. 1, wales, such as and 22, are alternately knit with the elastic yarn 32 and then with both the cotton or other yarn 3| and the wrap thread in other words. the elastic thread in said wales 20 and 22, is drawn through two loops while the two loops of the yarn 3| and thread 35 are drawn through single loops of the elastic thread 32.

When starting the, knitting, a selvage maybe knitted by first causing the elastic thread to-be fed to every other needle in the manner hereinbefore described for one or two courses, the cotton or other yarn then being fed to and kn tted by all the needles in the usual manner. In knitting the selvage as just described, the guide 3| is not moved to feeding position until all the alternate needleshave engaged the yarn in their hooks or? until said alternate needles have caught the yarn for two courses of knitting thus knitting the said elastic yarn during the second course.

The stocking 43 diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 6, may include a rib' top 49, the rib effect of which is produced by knitting the base fabric in the manner hereinbefore described. Within the base fabric, wrap or other design areas may be incorporated, one form of such patterning being illustrated in Fig. 1. Subsequent to the knitting of the rib top 49, the remaining portion of the stocking may be knitted in any desired manner. The rib stitches may extend into the leg, foot and other portions of the stocking, if desired.

The invention is preferably practiced upon a circular independent needle machine as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. In operation, the circular knitting machine effects the knitting of what is commonly known as a seamless fabric, such as a stocking.

As hereinbefore described, the elastic thread 32 is, preferably, knitted by the alternate needles, but the elastic knitted thread may be fed to the alternate needles in such a manner as not to be knitted, one example of such feeding being disclosed in the Sturgess British Patent #4418 of 1886. Furthermore, regardless of whether the elastic thread is knitted or inlaid as disclosed in the Sturgess patent, a separate or relatively inelastic thread may be knitted by alternate or all of the needles at the auxiliary feeding station, in addition to the inelastic thread 3| which is knitted by all the needles at the main feeding station.

The elastic thread 32 is knitted, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 6, in a sumcient number of courses to give to the fabric the rib appearance normally resulting from the knitting of fabric upon two sets of opposed needles, notwithstanding the fact that the stocking is knitted plain, i. e., with one set of needles only. As specifically herein disclosed, the elastic is knitted throughout the top 49 of the stocking as illustrated in Figure 6.

The terms employed in the foregoing description are used solely for the purpose of clearly describing the knitted fabric and method of knitting, without the intention of limiting the invention to the precise methods of knitting and details -of construction disclosed. As an example,

courses, as the elastic and inelastic courses may alternate in other than in a one and one relation, e. g., one and two, two and one, and two and two.

Ashereinbefore described, the elastic thread 32 is fed to the needles under a light tension, said tension being suflicient to effect the proper placing or the said elastic thread with respect to the needles in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5. In other words, the amount of tension imposed upon the said elastic thread 32 is substantially the same as the amount of tension imposed upon the elastic thread as disclosed in the Sturgess British Patent Although the description and some of the claims refer to the knitting of the thread 3| by "alP the needles, ornamental or other effects may be produced by occasionally omitting the knitting by some of the needles.

I'claimz 1. A plain knitted, seamless stocking fabric comprising wales and courses, a relatively inelastic'yarn alone knitted in alternate courses only and a relatively elastic yarn knitted in intermediate courses only, the relatively inelastic yarn being knitted at all of the wales in the said alternate courses and the said elastic yarn being knitted at alternate wales only in the said intermediate courses, the said elastic yarn being knitted undera light tension and in a suflicient number of courses to cause the intermediate wales to appear as rib wales on the outer face of the fabric.

2. A knitted fabric comprising wales and courses, a relatively inelastic yarn alone knitted in alternate courses only and a relatively elastic yarn knitted in intermediate courses only, the relatively inelastic yarn being knitted at all of the wales in the said alternate courses and the said elastic yarn being knitted at alternate wales only in the said intermediate courses, and a wrap thread knitted in some of the courses at some of v the wales, the said elastic yarn causing the intermediate wales to appear as rib wales on the outer face of the fabric.

3. A method of knitting including feeding a relatively inelastic yarn to all the needles at one feeding station, and feeding a relatively elastic thread to alternate needles only at a second feeding station, knitting the yarns separately at their respective feeding stations while imposing a light knitting tension upon the elastic yarn, and wrapping some of the needles with an additional thread.

4. A method of knitting a stocking top on a circular knitting machine and including knitting a relatively inelastic thread at 'one feeding station and knitting a relatively elastic thread at prising, thr ughout the greater portion thereof,-

alternating courses of elastic'and inelastic yarns, said inelastic yarn being knitted at every wale and said elastic yarn being knitted at alternate wales only and floated across intervening wales, said elastic yarn being knitted under light tension and producing a. rib effect.

6. A method of knitting a seamless stocking top with one set of independent needles, said method including feeding a relatively inelastic yarn to all the needles in alternatecourses and causing the said needles to knit the said yarn, and feedingan elastic yarn only to alternate needles, the said alternate needles knitting the said elastic yarn to constitute courses intervening between the first mentioned courses, and imposing a light tension upon the elastic yarn, all for the purpose of causing alternate wales to appear as face wales in the knitted fabric.

'1. A seamless plain knitted stocking top comprising, throughout the greater portion thereof, alternating courses of elastic and inelastic yarns, said inelastic yarn being knitted at every wale and said elastic yarn being knitted at alternate wales only and floated acrossintervening wales, said elastic yarn being knitted under light ten- ,sion and producing a rib effect, one or more warp threads being knitted at some of the wales in some of the courses.

8. A method of knitting a seamless stocking top with one set of independent needles, said method including feeding a relatively inelastic yarn to all the needles in alternate-courses and causing the said needles to knit the said yarn, and feeding an elastic yarn only to alternate needles, the said alternate needles knittingthe said elastic yarn to constitute courses intervening between the first mentioned courses, imposing a light tension upon the elastic yarn, all ,for the purpose of causing alternate wales to appear as' face wales in the knitted fabric, and wrapping some of the needles during the knitting of some,

at least, of the courses with one or more threads.

' EUGENE ST. PIERRE.

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