US2263523A - Knitted fabric and method - Google Patents

Description

' Nov. 18, 1941.

W. L. SMITH, JR

KNITTED FABRIC AND METHOD Filed Dec. 18, 1940 Anzac.

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` 2,263,523 KNrr'rEn FABRIC AND METHOD william L. smith, Jr., Pawtucket, n. I.. assigner to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. I., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 18, 1940, Serial No. 370,614

8 Claims.

open construction than would actually be the Case;

Fig. 2 shows the fabric more as it would appear after being cast from the machine. or after the elastic yarn has contracted to some extent; and

Fig. 3 is a view showing a ladies full length stocking to which the invention has been applied.

For certain purposes such as in knitting a stretch zone in the knee of ladies hosiery, a fabric is desirable which lwill have inherent therein a relatively great amount of longitudinal stretch in addition to considerable lateral stretch. These stockings are of sheer material and subject to runs starting at the knee. Many different constructions have been suggested, most of which are more extensible in a lateral direction than they are longitudinally or in a direction of the wales. Obviously strain at such a section tends to elongate the fabric much more than to extend it laterally. The fabric herein disclosed has relatively great longitudinal extension possible, in many instances the stretch being three or more times the original length of the particular section of fabric inserted for the purpose. Normally these are about an inch long and are located just above the knee. If

such a zone of an inch in length can be stretched to three or four inches without undue effort, it serves very effectively` to prevent runs which are caused by strain only.

Referring to Fig. 1 the article of hosiery is knitted to include a welt or other hem structure having a last course A whereupon an elastic yarn 'Ivill be introduced to the needles, being knitted on all needles for a course B, this being a preferred form of starting. Thereafter .this elastic yarn, preferably to be fed as will be described more fully, is knitted along with an inelastic yarn which may be the same yarn as was knitted in course A or may be a different yarn substituted therefor. A different yarn is illustrated inthis case and is indicated by numeral 2 being fed at the course C. 'I'his yarn 2 is fed to alternate needles only and thus knits knitted stitches in each Wale.

in what I term alternate Wales. It is actually drawn into knitted stitches at the wales 3, 4, 5, etc. At the next course D the elastic yarn is fed to all needles and is actually drawn into This yarn is drawn through the inelastic yarn stitches previously mentioned as being drawn at wales 3, 4, 5, etc. of course C. In the intermediate wales such as 8 and 1, this elastic yarn is drawn through the last drawn stitches of the elastic yarn I. In other words, in the alternate wales, elastic yarn stitches are drawn throughinelastic loops in course C while in the intermediate wales, they are drawn through elastic yarn stitches in course B. i Y

Now in lcourse E the yarn 2 is again drawn as it was in course C, that is, it is knitted at wales 3, 4, 5 and all alternate wales. In course F the elastic yarn is again drawn as at course D, the result being that stitches of elastic and inelastic yarn alternate ln alternate wales while in intermediate wales, the elastic yarn is drawn through other stitches of elastic yarn. Floats 8 of inelastic yarn pass behind the elastic yarn stitches in the intermediate wales. This scheme is carried on throughout any desired length until a suitable stretch zone has been knitted, the extent depending upon the amount of elasticity ultimately desired, appearance and other factors.

The elastic is fed under tension, but preferably under as light knitting tension as is commercially practicable. According to the particular method of knitting, elastic loops are more numerous than inelastic yarn loops and by an inspection of the courses D and F, it can be seen that extensibility of the fabric in a lengthwise direction is only limited by the elasticity of the yarn itself. That factor is controllable as is well-knownand covered elastic yarns may be obtained which have almost any extensibility practical for use. While a l x 1 arrangement of courses and wales has been described herein, that is not the only scheme which may be employed since I may knit other arrangements of wales such as 2 x 2, Z x 1 or any other scheme depending upon the appearance desired, the amount of elastic material considered advisable and other considerations. Two courses of elastic yarn may be knitted for each course of inelastic or vice versa or still greater numbers of courses of one material with respect to the other may b'e found practical for certain purposes. The general appearance of the fabric will be that vof a ribbed construction and'this ribbed appearance may be varied by tucking or by varying the wales and courses at certain points or areas in the zone knitted to contain elastic material.

When released from the machine the elastic naturally contracts to some extent depending upon the amount of tension under which it was incorporated, but preferably, it is knitted looselyenough so that the stitches are only shortened, that is, they are not allowed to straighten out or disappear in the finished product. The short elastic stitches in the wales 3, 4, 5, etc. do draw up so that they tend to disappear as independent loops, however, in the intermediate wales 6 and 1, independent loops are retained and are of appreciable length as in Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 3, a stocking is shown having a top or welt 9, an elastic stretch zone I0, leg Il and a foot l2. This stocking is incidentally of the type knitted on circular seamless machines, but the invention is equally applicable to fullfashioned stockings such as knitted on flat type machines. The zone l is preferably located above the knee, although its position may be varied to some extent. The same may be replaced by two or more zones of lesser length, although each individual zone is to be knitted according to the method hereinbefore described. In such instances the appearance of the fabric may be slightly better if more but shorter zones are employed. The tendency of the fabric to distort due to the contraction of the elastic and the variations in appearance are minimized.

The fabric may be knitted according to any method or on any machine such as might usually be employed for knitting hosiery, but one method `will be described as applied to circular independent needle machines. Preferably a machine is employed having two feeding stations at one of which, what I will call the main feeding station, an elastic yarn such as the elastic yarn I is to be fed. At that station other yarns are also fed to the needles, for example, yarns knitted throughout the top, leg and foot of the article of hosiery. At another or auxiliary feeding station spaced from the so-called main yarn feeding station, an inelastic yarn such as the yarn 2 is fed, there being provided a controlling means for moving a yarn feeding mechanism to and from feeding relation with needles as described. l

Since all needles take the lelastic yarn and knit oi at the main feeding station, no needle dividing or other selection for that particular purpose 'will be found necessary at that point. However, at the auxiliary side of the machine a needle division is effected so that the inelastic yarn may be fed into the'hooks of alternate or other spaced needles While being floated behind those needles intervening. This is preferably accomplished by some sort of needle dividing cam working on jacks or possibly directly upon needle butts. In some instances selecting means as for pattern purposes may be employed in this function. These dividing cams or selecting means are well-known in the art and need no illustration or further description at this point. Needles which are to take 'the yarn as the yarn 2 are merely raised toa greater height than those needles intermediate which do not take the yarn and it is only the needles raised to said greater height which have their latches cleared. All needles clear their latches prior to approaching the main feeding station as theytake the elastic has been` knitted, the elastic is withdrawn and knitting then continues with the inelastic yarn, preferably a yarn fed generally throughout the leg of the stocking or other article of hosiery. At that time the inelastic yarn -fed at the auxiliary side is preferably withdrawn and the needle dividing or other selecting means rendered temporarily inactive at that side of the machine.

The invention has been described with respect to one preferred embodiment and one example has been given of a particular use therefor. Applicant is not to be limited thereby but the fabric is to be used for other purposes if desired such as for elastic material as employed throughout the garment industries, such uses being too numerous to attempt to mention in full here. The invention is dened in the appended claims.

I claim: y

l. A knitted fabric having in combination elastic and inelastic yarns knitted alternately in consecutive courses, said elastic yarn being knitted in all wales, said inelastic yarn being knitted in spaced wales only and being formed as independent stitches drawn through the elastic yarn stitches.

2. A knitted fabric having in combination courses knitted from elastic and inelastic yarns, said elastic yarn being knitted in alternate courses and in all wales in each of said courses, said inelastic yarn being drawn into knitted stitches at spaced wales only and oated over intermediate wales and drawing said spaced wales together laterally, said yarn being knitted independently of the elastic yarn so that alternate courses are entirely of elastic thereby to increase the longitudinal stretch of the fabric.

3. A knitted fabric having elastic and inelastic yarns knitted in consecutive courses, thesaid courses of elastic yarn alternating with courses of inelastic yarn, the elastic yarn being drawn into knitted stitches at each wale of the fabric while the inelastictyarn is drawn into independent knitted stitches at alternate wales only and floats over the elastic yarn stitches of the intermediate wales whereby in alternate wales independent elastic and inelastic yarn stitches alternate and intermediate wales are comprised of elastic yarn stitches only.

4. In an article of hosiery a section of fabric adapted to impart longitudinal stretch to said hosiery including in combination elastic and inelastic yarns knitted alternately in consecutive courses, said elastic yarn being knitted in all wales, said inelastic yarn being knitted in spaced wales only and independently of the elastic yarn.

5. In an article of hosiery a section of fabric adapted to impart longitudinal stretch to said hosiery including in combination courses knitted from elastic and inelastic yarns, said elastic yarn being knitted in alternate courses and in all wales in each of said courses, said inelastic yarn being drawn into knitted stitches at spaced wales only and floated over intermediate wales and the said courses of elasticyarn alternating with courses of inelastic yarn, the elastic yarn being drawn into knitted stitches at each wale of the fabric iwhile the inelastic yarn is drawn into independent knitted stitches at alternate wales only and fioats over the elastic yarn stitches of the intermediate wales whereby in alternate wales independent elastic and inelastic yam stitches alternate and intermediate wales are comprised of elastic yarn stitches only.

7. A method of knitting an elastic fabric including as steps the feeding of elastic and inelastic yarns and knitting said yarns by drawing them into independently formed stitches in alternate courses of a fabric, so feeding and knitting the elastic yarn as to draw it into knitted stitches at each Wale and said inelastic yarn as to form loops thereof at alternate wales while floating it over intermediate wales.

8. A method of knitting an elastic fabric '1ncluding as steps the feeding of elastic and inelastic yarns and knitting said yarns by drawing them into independently formed stitches in spaced courses of the fabric, and by so feeding and knitting the elastic yarn as tc draw it into stitches at each Wale, but knitting said inelastic yarn in such a manner as to form loops thereof at wales spaced by intervening wales, the said yarn being oated over those intervening wales.

WILLIAM L. SMITH, JR.

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