US3815385A

US3815385A - Seamless tubular garment

Info

Publication number: US3815385A
Application number: US00161622A
Authority: US
Inventors: F Gariboldi
Original assignee: G Billi and C SpA
Current assignee: G Billi and C SpA
Priority date: 1970-07-15
Filing date: 1971-07-12
Publication date: 1974-06-11
Anticipated expiration: 1991-06-11
Also published as: CS160145B2; DE2134628A1; ES393142A1; SU380020A3; FR2101740A5; GB1362027A

Abstract

This invention relates to a method of knitting on a circular knitting machine and to the resulting tubular article having successive portions along its length with varying numbers of wales according to a pre-selected pattern. The wales are preferably spaced uniformly about the circumference of the tubular article. In the illustrated embodiment, a one-piece panty-hose having sections joined at a juncture during knitting and is formed with more wales in the pant portion than in the adjoining leg portions.

Description

United States Patent 91 Gariboldi [451 June it, 1974 [5 SEAMLESS TUBULAR GARMENT [75] Inventor: Franco Gariboldi, Condove, Italy [73] Assignee: G. Billi & C. S.p.A., Firenze, Italy [22] Filed: July 12, 1971 [21] Appl. No.2 161,622

[52] US. Cl 66/172 R, 66/177, 66/189 [51] Int. Cl D041) 9/42 [58] Field of Search 66/177, 176, 189, 172 R, 66/171, 183; 2/224 R [56] v References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 398,190 2/1889 Scott 66/189 402,202 4/1889 Sutton 66/177 464,118 12/1891 Granz 66/177 1,179,418 4/1916 Franck 66/189 2,809,509 10/1957 Reymes-Cole et al..... 66/189 X 3,287,937 11/1966 Landau .1 66/171 3,487,473 1/1970 Janhsen 2/224 X 3,499,172 3/1970 Milner I 2/224 R 3,673,821 7/1972 Johnson 2/224 R 3.685.320 8/1972 Gorini 1. 66/95 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,816,958 7/1970 Germany 66/189 354,660 8/1931 Great Britain 66/176 832,813 4/1960 Great Britain 66/189 2,034,010 1/1971 Germany 66/172 R OTHER PUBLICATIONS Offermann et al., Knit-To-Shape and F all-Fashioned Knitting Procedures, Knitting Times, Vol. 40, No. 15, 4/12/71, PP. 47-55,

Primary Examiner-Wm. Carter Reynolds 5 7] ABSTRACT sections joined at'a juncture during knitting and is formed with more wales in the pant portion than in the adjoining leg portions.

1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures Fig.1

INVENTUR FRANCO GARIBOLDI ATTORNEY PATENTEDJuM 1 1 1914 Fig.5

I NVENTOR FRANCO GARIBOLDI 95% MW ATTORNEY SEAMLESS TUBULAR GARMENT The present invention relates generally to the art of knitting and more particularly to a product formed of a pair of circularly knit seamless tubular sections of fabric wherein the central portion thereof has more wales therein than are present in its end portions, and to the method of making the same.

In the formation of panty hose or culottes, it is known to form the same from a circularly knit tubular seamless fabric section wherein the panty hose will have a central pants section disposed between a pair of adjoining foot and leg sections. In such garments the number of wales in the pants section is usually the same as the number of wales in the adjacent leg sections with the result, even with an enlargement of stitch size in the pants section, that there is not sufficient fabric in the pants section, measured coursewise of the fabric from the waist line to the groin portion of the garment, to provide an adequate amount of fabric in the pants section to permit the same to be properly proportioned for the body of the wearer of the garment.

It is accordingly the principal object of the present invention to provide a circularly knit seamless tubular fabric for use as a culotte wherein the latter will have a larger number of wales in the pants section thereof than are present in the adjacent leg sections, the larger number of wales forming an accordingly larger diameter fabric.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a culotte formed of a pair of circularly knit seamless sections of fabric, the terminal courses of which are knit together on the knitting machine by a course of stitches knit in continuation of the terminal course of the last formed fabric section, thereby to join the fabric sections together.

It is a further object of the present invention to form the fabric sections upon a circle of needles the number of which is equal to the number of wales in the pants section of the culotte, wherein the first formed of the fabric sections has a first portion formed upon a fractional number of the circle of needles and has a second portion formed upon all of the needles of the circle thereof, and wherein, in one modification, the last formed of the fabric sections is formed throughout upon the factional number of needles, while in another modification, the pair of fabric sections are similarly formed.

With the above and other objects of the invention in view, as will be apparent from the following detailed description of a pair of embodiments thereof to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, the invention resides in the formation of the novel garment and in the method of making the same, as set forth in the accompanying specification and in the appended claims.

IN THE DRAWINGS:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a first form of the tubularly knit panty hose' or culotte of the present invention wherein it is shown in straight line expanded condition.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view in elevation of the panty hose of FIG. 1 arranged generally in the shape it assumes on the body of the person wearing the same.

FIG. 3 is a view generally similar to FIG. 1 showing a second form of the panty hose or culotte of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of a circular hosiery knitting machine of the type having a transfer dial and which is used in the formation of the product shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view, generally similar to FIG. 2, of the product shown in FIG. 3, and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views of the cylinder portion of knitting machines illustrating alternative methods of tensioning the fabric of the products of the present invention as the latter are being knitted.

The panty hose or culotte of thepresent invention. shown in FIGS. 1 and'2, is preferably made upon a cir cular hosiery knitting machine having a slotted needle cylinder of larger than usual diameter and containing a larger than usual number of latch needles which are conventionally movable in the cylinder slots. While the usual number of needles presently used in conventional hosiery machines is approximately 400, it is preferred that double this number of needles be used, that is to say, 800 needles, and the latter are preferably arranged in a needle cylinder, the diameter of which ranges from 7 /2 to 8 -inches,'depending upon the desired fineness or gauge of the finished product.

The knitting of each leg section of the panty hose is started at the toe end of each foot portion thereof and each toe itself may be of the type which isautomatically closed upon the machine making the same, or it may be of the open type'which is later cut and sewn closed. In the present instance, by way of example, an open toe structure is shown anddescribed. The machine used for the open toe construction need not be equipped with a transfer dial.

Indicated at.1 is the toe portion of the foot of the first formed section of the panty hose, the remainder of the foot and leg being indicated at 3. The

portions

1 and 3 are tubular (as is the entire culotte), and are made upon a first group of 400 of the 800 needles in the machine, the remaining second group of 400 needles being retained at their low non-yarn taking inactive welt level during the time that knitting of

portions

1 and 3 takes place upon the first group of needles. The needles of the first group thereof alternate in the cylinder with those of the second group. j

The knitting of toe portion'l commences with the formation of a conventionally formed starting selvage on the bare needles of the first group thereof, that is, alternate ones only of the first needle group take the yarn in the first revolution or at a first feed of the machine and then all the needles of this group take the yarn in the second revolution or at the next following feed of the machine. Circular knitting then continues upon the first group of needles of the machine to make the

tubular portions

1 and 3, with a relatively tight stitch being made in portion 1 and a generally progressively larger'stitch being made in portion 3 to shape the latter by gradually increasing the diameter of the tube as knitting proceeds toward the thigh portion of the leg section. The fact that

portions

1 and 3 are made upon alternate needles, which are spaced by the intervening inactive needles, does not visibly alter the appearance of the fabric particularly when the latter is formed of texturized yarns.

Upon completion of thefoot and leg portion 3 to line 4 and at the commencement of tubular section 5, which may be designated as the pants section or body portion of the .culotte, the second group of 400 previously inactive needles are then placed into operation and knitting of section 5 proceeds. The needles of the second group may be placed in operation all at once, in groups or in any other desired sequence with the result that the full complement of 800 needles is used to form section 5. The result of this is that the course-wise stretch and the diameter of section 5 is substantially increased over the stretch andthe diameter of the similar portion of culottes of the prior art (made on 400 needles), so that the distance between belt or waist line7 and groin portion Set the present culotte is substantially increased and is a distinct improvement over the similar smaller measurement of the prior art culottes. During the formation of section 5, or afterwards, a centrally disposed walewise extending slot may be formed therein at 7 as by cutting the fabric, the slot being disposed at the waist line opening of the finished garment.

Upon the end of the knitting of body portion 5 to complete the first section, alternate ones of the needles are placed in their low inactive non-yam taking welt position with the stitches of the last course of knitting retained thereon. Then knitting takes place upon the intervening ones of the needles to make a run-resist fabric tab 13 of a number of knit courses which may have run-resist tuck stitches incorporated therein, after which the fabric tab is cast off from the intervening needles to leave the same bare.

The-400 intervening bare needles (which alternate with the 400 inactive needles retaining the last course of stitches thereon), are now operated to form toe portion 9 and foot and portion 1 1 of the second section in a manner similar to the formation of the previously formed

portions

1 and 3 of the first section. This having been .done, the inactive 400 needles are activated and knitting of courses of another runresist fabric tab proceeds upon all 800 needles of the machine after which all of the needles are cleared and the culotte is cast off from the needles of the machine.

It may be noted that the stitches of

portions

1, 3 and 5 are drawn .to one face of the fabric of the culotte while the stitches of

portions

9 and 11 are drawn to the 1 opposite face thereof. Also, that tabs 13'and 15 extend from .opposite faces of the tube. It is the knitting of the first course of the tab 15 upon all 800 of the needles which joins together the

sections

5 and 11 while they are still on the machine. While the

tabs

13 and 15 are shown as being relatively large in the drawings, actually they curl up, are relatively small to begin with, and are unobjectionable in the finished garment. The

toe portions

1 and 9 may be cut and sewn along dotted lines 2 and 10' to shape the same.

Coming now to the second form. of culotte shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the same is made upon a circular knitting machine of the type having a transfer dial as shown in FIG. 4 wherein 27 indicates the dial, 25 the transfer jacks in the dial, and 31 the latch needles in the cylinder. The first leg of this culotte is knit upon a first group of 400 alternate'needles, (with a second group of 400 intervening needles inactive at welt level), which forms

portions

17 and 19 thereof up to course line 21 in a manner similar to the formation of

portions

1 and 3 of the first form of culotte shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. At

course line 21 the second group of intervening needles is activated and all 800 needles knit first half portion 23- of the pants section of this culotte in a manner similar to the manner of knitting the corresponding portion of pants section 5.

The stitches of the last course of portion 23 are on the 800 of the needles 31 and the fabric of

portions

17, 19 and 23 comprising a first section of the panty hose is supported thereby. This fabric is to be transferred to and supported by the transfer jacks and to this end the bights of yarn of a transfer course of knitting extending between alternate needles (with the intervening needles at welt level not taking the yarn of this transfer course) are placed upon extended (and then withdrawn) transfer jacks 25, as seen at 24, in conventional manner. Then a run-resist fabric tab 29, generally similar in construction to

tabs

13, 15, is made upon all 800 needles of the machine afterwhich the needles are cleared to cast off the tab 29 from the machine, leaving the needles bare and the

fabric portions

17, 19 and 23' supported by the bights of yarn 24 on the transfer jacks as in FIG. 4. The needles of the machine are now used to make the second toe, foot, leg and half-

pants portions

33, 35 and-37 of a second section in a manner similar to the manner in which the corresponding first

section comprising portions

17, 19 and 23 were made.

The fabric of

portions

17, 19 and 23 is supported by the bights of yarn 24 on transfer jacks 25 while the fabric of

portions

33, 35 and 37 is supported by stitches 38 of the last course of half-pants section 37 on needles 31. The transfer jacks 25 and needles 31 are then cooperatively operated in conventional manner to place bights of yarn 24 upon the intervening ones of the needles afterwhich a knit course upon all of the needles joins the two half-

pants sections

23 and 37 together. A run resist tab 39, similar in construction to the other tabs, is knit upon all the needles and then the needles are cleared to cast off the product from the needles of the machine. The

tabs

29 and 39 extend from opposite sides of the fabric tube.

It may be noted that the juncture between the

half sections

23 and 37 extends from the waist line to the groin portion in the central plane of the culotte.

Half sections

23 and 37 with tabs 29- and 39 make up the body portion. Course 21 of half section 23 and the equivalent course of .half section 37 are each knit to a course at a respective one of the opposite ends of

leg portions

19, 17 and 35, 33. Also, in both forms of the culotte, the stitches in the second formed of the leg While the culottes have been described as being made upon 800 needles in a cylinder of prescribed larger diameter, it is within the present invention to make the culottes upon a lesser number of needles in a cylinder of correspondingly smaller diameter. The culottes may be made, for example, upon 600 needles of which the leg sections would be made, as described, upon a group of 400 needles with the additional group of 200 needles being introduced when the central pants sections are made. The needles of the additional group .of 200 would be arranged as every third needle in the circle of 600 needles. Alternatively, the needles of the additional group of 200 could be arranged as every other needle in a desired one-half or in other arcs of the circle of 600 needles.

When no arrangement is made for separation of the half sections of the garments during the knitting thereof, one would be inside the other as appears in FIG. 4 for the

sections

23 and 37. It is desirable that the sections be separated during the knitting and, as shown in FIG. 6, a one-section of the culotte of FIGS. 1 and 2 containing the

portions

1, 3 and 5 may be drawn downwardly inside the needle cylinder by appropriate suction, and then the other section of this culotte containing the

portions

9 and 11 may be drawn upwardly by an appropriate change in the suction through an intake duct 43 extending centrally upwardly through and from an appropriate dial 44. The magnitude of suction within the duct 43 is insufficient to draw the

portions

1, 3 and 5 into the duct 43, it being understood that the

portions

9 and 11 which are drawn into the duct 43 by suction tend to throttle duct 43 with a consequent re duction in the negative pressure applied to the entrance to duct 43. With the larger diameter cylinder there is sufficient room in a larger than usual dial 44 for the pneumatic tube 43. Once knitting is finished, the culotte may be expelled either downwardly through the cylinder or upwardly through tube 43, depending upon where the suction is active.

Another arrangement, for open toe culottes, is shown in FIG. 7 wherein a tube 46 is arranged concentrically insidethe upper portion of the needle cylinder to provide an annular intake gap 45 between tube and cylinder and a cylindrical intake gap 47 inside the tube itself. The first-section of the garment would be sucked downwardly through the outer annular gap 45 and then, with an appropriate change inthe suction. the second section of the garment would be sucked downwardly through the tube 46. When the fabric is cleared from the needles, the garment may be expelled from the machine either through the opening 45 or 47 depending upon which of these openings has the suction operating therein, a choice which may be determined by whether or not the knitted tube is to be turned inside out.

What I claim is:

l. A tubular knit one-piece panty hose having leg portions and a body portion therebetween knit to opposite ends of the leg portions, the leg portions of said panty hose each having a first given number of wales therein and the body portion having a second and a higher number of wales throughout the extent of the body portion with the increase in the number of wales being substantially uniformly spaced about the circumference of the body portion, said panty hose including first and second sections joined together at a juncture between the opposite ends of the leg portions, said first section comprising one of said leg portions and at least part of said body portion and said first section including a at said juncture course in said body portion, and said second section comprising the remainder of the panty hose and including a non-ravel tab having a free end and comprising a plurality of courses with a single course of the tab concatenating with the said course of said first section at said juncture.

Claims

1. A tubular knit one-piece panty hose having leg portions and a body portion therebetween knit to opposite ends of the leg portions, the leg portions of said panty hose each having a first given number of wales therein and the body portion having a second and a higher number of wales throughout the extent of the body portion with the increase in the number of wales being substantially uniformly spaced about the circumference of the body portion, said panty hose including first and second sections joined together at a juncture between the opposite ends of the leg portions, said first section comprising one of said leg portions and at least part of said body portion and said first section including a at said juncture course in said body portion, and said second section comprising the remainder of the panty hose and including a non-ravel tab having a free end and comprising a plurality of courses with a single course of the tab concatenating with the said course of said first section at said juncture.