US2337211A - Knitted fabric - Google Patents

Description

Patented Dee.. 21, 1943 Eugene St. Pierre, Pawtucket, R. I., assigner to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. I., a oorporation of Massachusetts Original application November 2, 1938, Serial No. 238,462. Divided and this application May 19, 1943, Serial N0. 487,565

(Cl. (i6-'172) 4 Claims.

K tional manner a section of fabric knitted in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view showing a half hose in the top of which such fabric might be advantageously employed.

In United States Patent #2,131,720 an elastic fabric for similar purposes has been illustrated and claimed and this case involves certain improvements over the fabric of that case. Among the advantages to be obtained is that of knitting a wider fabric for a given diameter of needle cylinder and a similar amount of tension as applied to the elastic yarn. Other advantages will be apparent.

The fabric is knitted on a machine very similar to that employed to knit the fabric of the patent above mentioned and a very similar method of knitting is employed, however, one notable difference is that of feeding the elastic yarn in the initial or selvage course at one level and thereafter dropping said elastic yarn to feed at a different level, this necessitating only a slight change in the mechanism so as to give the elastic yarn feeding means at the auxiliary feed a capability of selectively assuming two different positions. The construction of the machine would involve a main feeding station, an auxiliary feeding station and needle selection at the auxiliary station whereby the needles taking yarn and knitting at that station will be raised to two different heights. This is generally termed a needle division and means for creating such division are so well known as to be unnecessary of detailed explanation here. At the main feeding station a main yarn or yarns of usual character- 'elastic yarn, but it is to be realized that since the fabric is to be started in thisv fashion, no other loops were upon the needles, and thus the elastic is not drawn through anything so that the loops are merely temporarily drawn and then released at a subsequent point. As these needles have drawn the said elastic yarn and pass around to the main feeding station all of them will take a plain yarn such as cotton, silk, or other material, and will knit that plain yarn casting of! the elastic previously drawn. 'Ihe result of this is that the elastic will be threaded through each sinker loop in a knownfashion and will constitute along with the plain stitches, a selvage.

On the next revolution of the machine the elastic yarn feeding means is dropped to a lower position in which it will feed to thehooks of all the needles although these needles are still presented for taking the elastic yarn in accordance with the same needle division previously existing. The elastic will not -be fed beneath the latchs of any of these needles. The stitch cam at this auxiliary feed is still in butt engaging position and will immediately draw all needles downwardly to draw stitches of this elastic yarn which was just fed. The stitches drawn from the plain yarn at the main feed were, of course, still on the needle shanks, but were cleared or passed below the latches only of those needles which were raised or divided to the higher position. The result at this particular point is that those needles raised to a higher position and upon which the plain yarn stitches were cleared will immediately draw the loops of elastic yarn through the last drawn stitches of plain yarn. The intermediate needles, those divided to the lower position, not having cleared their latches of the previously drawn plain loops, will merely take the elastic yarn in their hooks and will hold it in addition to those previously drawn stitches of plain yarn. In other words those needles divided to the lower position are merely loading. up with two loops, one of plain yarn and one of elastic yarn, and will be knitting something very similar to a tuck stitch.

Now as these needles pass around to the main feeding station they will again take the plain yarn just as in the previous instance. On the A.needles which had been raised to a higher position at the auxiliary feed, stitches of plain yarn will merely be knitted through the last knitted loops of elastic. The intermediate needles, those divided to the lower position, will knit their plain yarn loops through both a previously drawn loop of plain material and the last knitted loop of elastic thus casting off the held or tuck stitch. This completes the selvage or fast edge and knitting the next course or courses of plain and elastic material after which the cycle is merely continued with the auxiliary yarn feeding lever feeding its elastic yarn in the lower or same position which it did for the course or courses following the selvage.

Now referring to Fig. 1, a conventional showing has been made of the fabric wherein the elastic yarn l fed at the auxiliary side is shown in the initial course of plain yarn 2, passing through each snker loop of that course. For purposes of illustration, wales numbered 3, 5,1, 9 and il are those `knitted by every other or alternate needles such as were separated or divided to be raised to the higher position at the auxiliary feed. The intermediate wales d, E, d and it are those knitted by the so-called intermediate needles which are raised to the lower elevation at the auxiliary side. Following down Wale 3, the loop i2 is the rst-loop of plain yarn' drawn at the main side. That loop is cast off at the auxiliary side as the next loop, a loop of elastic yarn, at i3, is drawn at the auxiliary side. At the Wale d, and other even numbered wales the loop ill is drawn in the first course knitted at the main side and the loop i5 which appears more or less as a sort of .float held between the needle loop lil and the sinker loops of sinuous path, tension would presumably be such as to straighten this yarn as it was cast from the needle. The kinks are shown at 3, 5, etc., merely to show which needles take that yarn. Furthermore, the loops i3 would be much smaller than indicated since the elastic is knitted under some tension and those loops would contract more or less. Depending upon the contraction of the loops i3 and a possible robbing o f loops I2 to draw out loops itl and i5, the loops i8 would be shorter in actual practice than has been illustrated in this conventional showing. Obviously, the amount of tension, the tightness of stitch and other considerations would make considerable difference in the relative size of loops and in the ultimate appearance of the fabric.

For general purposes such as knitting mock rib, garter tops on stockings, the elastic is fed under a light tension, one merely sufficient to assure satisfactory knitting and a suitable retaining effect for the garter. The loops la take the place of actual floats in the previously patented fabric and thus are held between sinker and needle loops so that the fabric is somewhat assaaii smoother at this point. The contraction will normally be slightly less so that a fuller or Wider fabric is knitted for a given amount of tension and for a knitting machine of a given size.

In Fig. 2, a half hose is illustrated having the usual leg i9, foot 2Q, heel 2i and toe 22. The stocking top 23 is knitted in conformity with the invention described with respect to Fig. l wherein the wales 3, 5, l, etc., are drawn to the inner side of the fabric and Wales d, E, 8, etc., are forced to the front or outer side to produce a rib-like appearance. The stitches l5 prevent an excessive corrugation of the fabric and tend to retain it in flatter form. This elastic top may be knitted with varying degrees of tightness in accordance with the appearance desired and the retaining characteristics. sought. The fact that the fabric is flatter and does not contract to so great a degree after being cast from the.

needles for a given amount of tension in the elastic, makes it more suitable for larger tops such as might be employed in ladies full length hosiery.

This fabric may be used in the form herein illustrated, that is, as a plain top, or may be employed in such tops as knitted in childrens hosiery being supplemented by wrap patterns. The wrap yarns are to be knitted on any desired needles and in any desired number of courses and in a manner such as described in the United States Patent 2,131,720. Other types of ornamentation such as horizontal striping, plating and reverse plating, etc., may be knitted in con- Y junction with the elastic. The invention is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

l. A plain knit elastic fabric comprising alternate courses of inelastic yarn and intervening courses of elastic yarn, the inelastic yarn being knitted in every Wale and the elastic yarn being knitted in alternate wales and tucked with loops of the inelastic yarn in intervening wales.

2. A plain knit elastic fabric comprising a selvage followed by alternate courses of inelastic yarn and intervening courses of elastic yarn, the inelastic yarn being knitted in every wale and the elastic yarn being knitted in alternate wales and tucked With loops of the inelastic yarn in intervening wales.

3. A plain knit elastic fabric comprising a selvage in which an elastic yarn is threaded through sinker loops of an initial inelastic yarn course and following courses of inelastic yarn and intervening courses of elastic yarn in alternating relationship, the inelastic yarn being knitted in every Wale and the elastic yarn being knitted in alternate wales and tucked with loops of the inelastic yarn in intervening wales.

4. A plain knit elastic fabric comprising courses of inelastic and elastic yarn knitted in such relationship that at spaced intervals a course of elastic yarn follows next adjacent to an inelastic yarn course, the construction being such that the inelastic yarn is knitted at each Wale while the elastic yarn is knitted in non-adjacent wales and is tucked with loops of the inelastic yarn at intervening wales.

EUGENE ST. PIERRE.

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