US3023594A - Method of knitting a two feed stocking - Google Patents

Description

March 6, 1962 P. A. MAHLER METHOD OF KNITTING A TWO FEED STOCKING Filed April 28, 1959 J pezzgmh 3,Z3,594 Patented Mar. 6, 1962 3,023,594 METHOD F KNlTTiNG A TWQ FEED STUCKlNG Peter A. Mahler, Philadelphia, Pa, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Singer-Fidelity, Ina, Philadelphia Pa a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 809,438 Claims. (Cl. 6642) The present invention relates to stockings formed on circular hosiery knitting machines, of the dual feed type, and has particular application to stockings employing two yarns of difierent characteristics throughout the leg and foot, for example 8 and Z twist torque strength yarn.

When making stockings of this type on a dual feed machine, it is necessary by reason of the machine limitations to produce the heel pocket of the stocking by single feed operation. the needle cylinder to provide a plurality of short courses which vary in length in a predetermined manner so that when the terminal loops of the short courses are interknit with one another or with the preceding full course of the leg or the next succeeding full course of the foot, a pocket is formed which conforms to the heel of the wearer. The terminal loops of the short courses form gore marks which are aligned in the stocking to produce characteristic gore lines defining the heel pocket. The gore lines in the heel pocket are acceptable. However, prior to the present invention, both the final full course before the heel pocket and the initial full course following the heel pocket were formed from the same yarn fed by the main feed station, which produced two succeeding courses across the instep having the same character of yarn. Throughout the leg and the foot of the stocking, the yarn of one character alternates with the yarn of the other character so that the aforementioned adjacent courses of the same character yarn interrupted the alternating pattern of the courses and produced an undesirable line across the instep of the stocking at the point of formation of the heel pocket.

With the foregoing in mind, the present invention provides a stocking wherein the line across the instep is eliminated.

More specifically, the present invention provides a stocking in which the final course before the formation of the heel pocket is formed of one character of yarn and the initial full course following the formation of the heel pocket is formed by a yarn having another characteristic. V

The invention also provides a novel method of knitting a dual feed stocking wherein the main and auxiliary feed produce alternating courses of yarns having different characteristics throughout the leg of the stocking, the yarn fed by the man feed having one characteristic, and the yarn fed by the auxiliary feed having a contrasting characteristic. The heel pocket is formed by yarn fed by the main feed, and the foot portion of the stocking is formed by alternating courses of yarns fed by the main and auxiliary feeds, the main feed inserting yarn having the aforesaid contrasting characteristic, and the auxiliary feed inserting yarn having the first characteristic.

All of the objects of the invention are more fully set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of a circular knit stocking embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the knitting head of a circular knitting machine for producing a stocking made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side in left hand elevation of the gore lines at the left hand side of the stocking heel pocket;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view elevation of the gore lines at the right hand of the heel pocket of the present invention; and

The pocket is formed by oscillating FIG. 5 is a development of the heel pocket of the stocking embodying the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the stocking of the present invention comprises a leg portion 1, a foot portion 2, and a heel pocket 3. Embodied in the heel pocket are gore lines indicated generally at 4 and which are defined by gore marks coincident with the terminal loops of the short courses forming the heel pocket. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, there are similar gore lines on opposite sides of the heel pocket.

In the leg portion 1 of the stocking, the main feed knits with a yarn A, for example an S torque stretch yarn and an auxiliary feed knits with a yarn B, for example a Z torque stretch yarn. Thus, throughout the leg of the stocking, the courses alternate between yarns A and B With reference to FIG. 5, immediately prior to the formation of the heel pocket, the auxiliary feed is withdrawn as indicated at 6, the terminal portion of the yarn B being interknit with the yarn A in the final full course 7 of the leg 1 formed by the main feed prior to the forma tion of the heel pocket. This is accomplished as shown in my copending application, Serial No. 692,670 now Patent No. 2,987,900. Following the Withdrawal of the auxiliary feed yarn B, the needle cylinder of the knitting machine is oscillated to provide a plurality of short courses 8 which vary in length in a predetermined manner to provide the desired heel pocket. The heel pocket is completed in the conventional manner and the main feed, prior to forming the initial full course 9 of the foot 2, following the heel pocket, is operated to knit the initial full course 9 with a second yarn B having a characteristic similar to the yarn B of the auxiliary feed, for example a Z torque stretch yarn. The auxiliary feed is then inserted into action as indicated at It), for example in a manner disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 692,670, but instead of inserting the yarn B, a contrasting yarn A similar to the yarn A is inserted. Thus, the adjacent full courses 7 and 9 across the instep of the stocking follow the alternating pattern of courses throughout the leg portion and no line is apparent where the courses 7 and 9 are interknit.

In the foot portion 2 of the stocking, the main feed knits with the yarn B and the auxiliary feed knits with the yarn A. These courses alternate throughout the foot to continue the pattern of the leg and instep.

Referring to the development shown in FIG. 5, follow ing the last full course 7, the needle cylinder starts oscillatory action to form the heel pocket. The first oscillation begins at the point 12 in FIGS. 4 and 5 to form the first terminal loop of the first short course, and the initial path of that oscillation terminates at the point 13 in FIGS. 3 and 5 to form the other terminal loop of the first short course. From these points, as best shown in the development of FIG. 5, the oscillations are pro gressively narrowed by withdrawal of needles to the points 14 and 15; then widened by reverse process to the points 16 and 17; again narrowed to the points 18 and 19; then widened in a single course from the points 18 and 19 to the initial points 12 and 13; further widened by progressive needle insertion from the points 12 and 13 to the points 21 and 22; and finally again narrowed progressively to the points 23 and 24 where the full circular knitting and dual yarn feed are restored. It will be noted that the gore line which extends between the points 13- and 22 is formed by the interlacing of the terminal loops of the progressively widened courses of oscillatory knitting described above with the last preceding course 7 of loops. The same interlacing occurs between the points 12 and 21. The gore line which extends between the points 22 and 24 is formed by the terminal loops of the short courses which are interlaced with the first full course 9 following the formation of the heel pocket. The gore line from 21 to 23 is formed in like manner. As described above, the auxiliary feed withdrawal and insertion at 6 and respectively, is timed to occur adjacent the gore lines 22--13 and 2123 respectively 50 that the tying-in of the loose ends of the auxiliary feed yarn is concealed by the gore lines.

In accordance with the invention, the transfer of feed from yarn A to B in the main feed may occur at any point within the heel pocket, but it is preferred to effect the transfer at a point which will be concealed by the gore lines, for example where the final short course merges into the initial full course 9 following the formation of the heel pocket as indicated at 30. This is preferred since the transition from yarn A to B produces a short run of double or plated loops which if not concealed, would appear to be a flaw in the stocking.

Following the insertion of the yarn B in place of the yarn A at the main feed, the yarn A is inserted by the auxiliary feed at the point 10, and the knitting of the foot is resumed to provide alternating courses of yarn A and B, thereby continuing the pattern of the alternating courses A and B of the leg portion of the stocking without interruption and obviating the line which would otherwise appear coincident with the courses 7 and 9 across the instep of the stocking.

The mechanical means for effecting the transfer and selection of the yarns A and B and B and A, is conventional and requires, as shown in FIG. 2, a knitting machine having at least two feed fingers 31 and 32 at the main feed station 33 of the knitting machine and at least two feed fingers 34 and 35 at the auxiliary feed station 36 of the knitting machine so that the yarns may be selectively inserted into the needle circle 37 surrounding the dial plate 38 of the machine. Of course, other feed fingers may be provided at the main and auxiliary feed stations 33 and 36 to provide welt yarns and the other yarns conventionally used in the knitting operation for forming a complete stocking. Preferably, the knitting machine embodies the mechanism shown in my copending application, Serial No. 616,002, now abandoned in favor of application Serial Number 811,067 (US. Patent No. 2,987,899) to enable tying-in of the loose ends of the auxiliary yarn at the commencement and termination of the formation of the heel pocket. Suitable yarn-end control apparatus (not shown) is provided on the dial 38 for severing and controlling the ends for insertion and withdrawal from the needle cylinder.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been herein illustrated and described, it is not intended to limit the invention to such disclosure, but changes and modifications may be made therein and thereto within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In the method of knitting a circular-knit stocking on a machine having a rotary needle circle and at least two feed stations, comprising the steps of forming the leg portion of the stocking by continuous rotation of the needle circle in one direction and providing alternating courses of a first yarn of a given characteristic and a second yarn of a contrasting characteristic by feeding the two yarns to the needle circle at the first and second stations respectively, withdrawing the feed of yarn at the second station and locking in the terminal end of the second yarn at the first station prior to interrupting said continuous rotation in one direction, thereafter interrupting said continuous rotation in one direction and forming a heel pocket by oscillating the needle circle to provide a plurality of short courses at the first station, and thereafter forming the foot portion of the stocking by continuously rotating the needle circle and feeding two yarns of the aforesaid difierent characteristics to said needle circle at the two stations to provide alternating courses, and controlling the feeds of yarn so that the final course of the leg portion is formed of a different yarn than the initial course of the foot portion.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said control is effected by inserting a contrasting third yarn into the needle circle along with the first yarn at the first feed station after knitting the final full course of the leg section and interknitting the two yarns to form a run of composite loops, and thereafter withdrawing said first yarn prior to knitting the first full course of the foot section whereby the yarn of the last leg course is different than the yarn of the first full course inserted by the first feed station.

3. The method of knitting on a multi feed circular hosiery knitting machine having a rotary needle circle and at least two feed stations a stretch stocking having formed in that order, a leg portion, a heel pocket, and a foot portion, said stocking embodying both 8 and Z torque stretch yarns, the steps of supplying a first one of said stretch yarns to the needle circle at the first station and supplying the second one of said stretch yarns to the needle circle at the second station to form the leg portion with alternating courses of S and Z yarns, withdrawing said second yarn at the second feed station during the formation of the last full course in the leg section at the first feed station, knitting the heel pocket with yarn inserted at the first feed station, inserting a third yarn similar to the second yarn at the first feed station after forming the last full course of the leg portion and before forming the first full course of the foot portion to interknit simultaneously with said first yarn and form composite loops thereafter withdrawing said first yarn from the first feed station prior to forming the first full course of the foot portion whereby said latter course is formed by the single third yarn, and inserting a fourth yarn similar to the first yarn at the second feed station at the cm] of said latter course to form the sec- 0nd full course of the foot portion from said yarn, and thereafter continuing the knitting of said foot portion with alternating courses of S and Z yarn.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the insertion of the third yarn change at the first feed station is made after the completion of the final course of the heel pocket so that the composite loops are interknitt with the terminal loops of the heel pocket courses.

5. A method of knitting a stocking having short courses defining a heel pocket on a multiple feed circular hosiery knitting machine having a rotary needle circle and at least two feed stations including a main feed station, comprising the steps of knitting the leg portion of the stocking with a given yarn at the main feed station and another yarn at the second feed station, knitting the heel pocket short courses at said main feed station, then changing the yarn at the main feed station to a contrast ing yarn, and then knitting the foot portion of the stocking with said contrasting yarn at the main feed station and another yarn at the second feed station, whereby the yarn change is concealed in a portion of the gore lines defined by the terminal loops of said short courses.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,961,636 Lawson June 5, 1934 2,208,300 Burd et al. July 16, 1940 2,223,072 Lombardi Nov. 26, 1940 2,370,450 Clarke Feb. 27, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 792,760 Great Britain Apr. 2, 1958

Images