U.S. patent application number 11/922082 was filed with the patent office on 2009-12-03 for method for knitting manufactured articles with high-fineness circular knitting machines.
Invention is credited to Ettore Lonati, Fausto Lonati, Tiberio Lonati.
Application Number | 20090293549 11/922082 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36739921 |
Filed Date | 2009-12-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090293549 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lonati; Ettore ; et
al. |
December 3, 2009 |
Method for Knitting Manufactured Articles With High-Fineness
Circular Knitting Machines
Abstract
A method for knitting manufactured articles with circular
knitting machines, particularly high-fineness circular knitting
machines, which consists in that at least once during the formation
of the manufactured article the number of active needles is reduced
by transferring the last loop of knitting formed by certain needles
to contiguous needles and thus excluding from knitting the needles
that have transferred the loop of knitting during the formation of
at least one subsequent row of knitting by the other needles that
are kept active. This provides a manufactured article which has
regions knitted with a certain number of needles and regions
knitted with a smaller number of needles, obtaining particular
transparency or shaping effects on the manufacture.
Inventors: |
Lonati; Ettore; (Botticino,
IT) ; Lonati; Tiberio; (Brescia, IT) ; Lonati;
Fausto; (Brescia, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Modiano & Associati
Via Meravigli, 16
Milan
20123
IT
|
Family ID: |
36739921 |
Appl. No.: |
11/922082 |
Filed: |
June 13, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
June 13, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2006/005672 |
371 Date: |
December 13, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
66/175 ;
66/20 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02P 70/62 20151101;
D04B 1/104 20130101; D04B 1/24 20130101; Y02P 70/633 20151101 |
Class at
Publication: |
66/175 ;
66/20 |
International
Class: |
D04B 1/24 20060101
D04B001/24; D04B 9/06 20060101 D04B009/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 23, 2005 |
IT |
MI2005A001189 |
Claims
1-4. (canceled)
5. A method for knitting manufactured articles with circular
knitting machines, particularly with high-fineness circular
knitting machines, wherein at least once during the formation of
the manufactured article, the number of active cylinder needles is
reduced by transferring the last loop of knitting formed by certain
cylinder needles to contiguous cylinder needles and thus excluding
from knitting said certain cylinder needles during the formation of
at least one subsequent row of knitting by the cylinder needles
that are kept active.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein during at least one
successive step of knitting, at least part of the needles
previously excluded from knitting are returned to work.
7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the needles excluded
from knitting are uniformly spaced from each other.
8. The method according to claim 5, performed on circular knitting
machines having a fineness substantially ranging from 16 to 50
needles per inch.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a method for knitting
manufactured articles with circular knitting machines, particularly
with high-fineness, high-gauge circular knitting machines.
[0002] Knitting machines for hosiery or the like capable of
transferring a loop of knitting from the needle that formed it to a
contiguous needle are known. A machine of this kind is disclosed,
for example, in WO-02/070799.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Up to now, this technique for transferring loops of knitting
has been used mainly to obtain openwork in manufactures. Examples
of application of this technique for openwork are disclosed in
WO2005/080653 by the same Applicant.
[0004] Methods for knitting shaped manufactures with circular
knitting machines are also known which are based on increasing the
number of active needles in certain regions of the manufacture.
Techniques of this kind suffer the drawback of allowing only to
increase the active needles and therefore require starting the
knitting of the manufacture from its side that must be knitted with
a minimum number of needles. This fact limits the knitting
processes that are possible and the shapes that can be obtained
with this technique.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The aim of the present invention is to provide a method for
knitting manufactured articles or manufactures with circular
knitting machines, particularly with high-fineness circular
knitting machines, which by using the technique of transferring the
loop of knitting from one needle to a contiguous needle allows to
obtain particular shaping effects of the manufacture and/or
aesthetic effects.
[0006] Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a
method which can be used also to reduce the consumption of thread
in certain regions of the manufacture in order to avoid wasting raw
material.
[0007] Another object of the invention is to provide a method which
can be used to obtain shaping or aesthetic effects on manufactures
produced with circular machines of high fineness, ranging
preferably substantially from 16 to 50 needles per inch.
[0008] This aim and these and other objects, which will become
better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a method for knitting
manufactured articles with circular knitting machines, particularly
with high-fineness circular knitting machines, characterized in
that at least once during the formation of the manufacture, the
number of active needles is reduced by transferring the last loop
of knitting formed by certain needles to contiguous needles and
thus excluding from knitting such certain needles during the
formation of at least one subsequent row of knitting by the needles
that are kept active.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will
become better apparent from the description of some preferred but
not exclusive embodiments of the method according to the invention,
illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying
drawings, wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a view of the reverse side of a portion of
manufacture obtained with the method according to the invention in
a first embodiment;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a view of a constructive variation of the knitting
shown in FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a view of the reverse side of a portion of
manufacture obtained with the method according to the invention in
a second embodiment;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an undershirt which can be
obtained with the method according to the invention;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a view of a tubular intermediate, semifinished,
manufacture for producing a body suit obtained with the method
according to the invention;
[0015] FIGS. 6a and 6b are respectively views of the front side and
rear side of a tubular intermediate manufacture for knitting a pair
of underpants;
[0016] FIGS. 7a and 7b are respectively views of the front side and
rear side of a tubular intermediate manufacture for knitting a pair
of underpants.
[0017] FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view of an adjustable cam
arrangement, known in the art, wherein a stitch is released from
one needle and transferred to an adjacent needle;
[0018] FIG. 9 is a schematic top plan view of adjacent hooks and
sinkers showing the creation of the stitch pattern according to the
cam location shown in FIG. 8.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0019] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the method according to the
invention consists substantially in that at least once during the
formation of the manufactured article or manufacture, the number of
active needles is reduced by transferring the last loop of knitting
formed by certain needles to contiguous needles. After the transfer
of the loop of knitting, these needles are excluded from knitting,
while the other needles continue to form knitting at the subsequent
feeds or drops of the machine.
[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a manufacture obtained with
the method according to the invention. For the sake of simplicity,
the illustration of the portion of the manufacture has been limited
to the knitting of eight needles, whose rows of knitting have been
designated by the reference numerals 1 to 8. The formation of the
portion of knitting proceeds from the bottom upwardly in FIG.
1.
[0021] According to the invention, after providing a first region
of knitting A, using substantially all the needles of the machine,
except for any variations of the active needles due to pattern
requirements, a region of knitting B is produced by using half of
the needles used to form the region of knitting A. This reduction
of the active needles is obtained, according to the invention, by
causing in a per se known manner, for example as provided in
WO-02/070799 (see FIGS. 8 and 9), the transfer of the last loop of
knitting formed by the needles that form the rows 1, 3, 5, 7 to the
needles that form the rows 2, 4, 6, 8 and then continue knitting by
forming the region of knitting B.
[0022] The needles N excluded from knitting are kept retracted
within the needle cylinder Cy, below the casting-off plane formed
by the sinkers S, so as to not interfere with the work of the other
needles N or of the other elements of the machine.
[0023] Owing to the fact that the region of knitting B is knitted
with a smaller number of needles and therefore is composed of a
smaller number of loops of knitting, greater transparency and/or
reduced stretchiness of the knitting is obtained at such region of
knitting B. Moreover, again for this reason, at said region the
manufacture contracts. In this manner it is possible to achieve
shaping of the manufacture.
[0024] The shaping effects and/or the transparency effects on the
manufacture that can be obtained with the method according to the
invention are several and can be alternated with each other, since
at any time after the formation of the manufacture it is possible
to resume knitting with at least some of the needles previously
excluded from knitting.
[0025] FIG. 3 illustrates a portion of a manufacture produced with
the method according to the invention by excluding from knitting,
in a certain step of the knitting process, certain needles, in a
manner similar to what has been described with reference to FIG. 1,
and by resuming, in a subsequent step, knitting with the needles
previously excluded from knitting. In FIG. 3 also, for the sake of
simplicity, the illustration of the portion of manufacture has been
limited to the knitting of eight needles, whose rows of knitting
have been designated by the reference numerals 1 to 8. The
formation of the portion of knitting proceeds from the bottom
upwardly in FIG. 3.
[0026] More particularly, after providing a first region of
knitting A by using substantially all the needles of the machine
except for any variations of the active needles due to pattern
requirements, a region of knitting B is produced by using half of
the needles used to form the region of knitting A. This reduction
of the active needles is obtained, according to the invention, by
causing, in a per se known manner, the transfer of the last loop of
knitting formed by the needles that form the rows 1, 3, 5, 7 to the
needles that form the rows 2, 4, 6, 8 and then continue knitting by
forming the region of knitting B.
[0027] The needles of the rows 1, 3, 5, 7 that had been excluded
from knitting are then made to knit again, forming, together with
the other needles, a region of knitting A which is similar to the
region of knitting A that had been formed before the needles of the
rows 1, 3, 5, 7 were excluded from knitting.
[0028] It should be noted that for the sake of simplicity in
description it has been assumed that during the formation of the
region B one needle out of every two contiguous needles is excluded
from knitting, but the number of needles excluded from knitting may
change according to the requirements. It is in fact possible, by
means of the repeated transfer of a loop of knitting and optionally
of loops of knitting received previously from a contiguous needle,
to exclude from knitting two needles out of every three, or three
needles out of every four, and so forth. FIG. 2 illustrates a
region B produced by excluding from knitting, by means of repeated
transfers of loops of knitting from one needle to a contiguous
needle, four needles out of every five contiguous ones. In this
figure, for which the same numbering as in FIGS. 1 and 3 has been
kept, after a certain number of rows of knitting, required to
transfer the loops of knitting from the needles to be excluded from
knitting to a contiguous needle, the needles that form the rows of
knitting 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 are gradually excluded from knitting,
while the needles that form the rows of knitting 2 and 7 continue
to knit.
[0029] Likewise, the needles previously excluded from knitting may
all be returned to work, or only some of the needles previously
excluded from knitting may be returned to work, according to the
requirements.
[0030] Moreover, although the needles excluded from knitting are
preferably uniformly spaced from each other, they may also be
arranged at mutually different distances. For example, in the
formation of a same row of knitting there may be regions of row
knitted by one needle out of every two contiguous ones and regions
of row knitted by one needle out of every three contiguous ones
and/or regions of row knitted by one needle out of every four
contiguous ones, et cetera.
[0031] In this manner it is possible to obtain regions of the
manufacture with diversified transparencies and shaping effects
which can vary according to the requirements.
[0032] Moreover, it should be noted that since the regions B are
knitted with a smaller number of needles, they require a smaller
amount of thread to be manufactured. It is therefore particularly
advantageous to provide as regions B the regions of the manufacture
that are meant to be cut and discarded during the finishing step of
the manufacture, as will become better apparent hereinafter.
[0033] Merely by way of example, FIG. 4 illustrates an undershirt
10, which can be manufactured with the method according to the
invention.
[0034] The undershirt 10 is preferably manufactured starting from
the lower edge 11 and by providing, in a per se known manner,
almost all the undershirt up to the region of the neck 12, for
example by making all the needles of the machine knit, with
allowance for any need to vary the active needles in order to
produce patterns and for any cutting of the threads in order to
provide armholes. In practice, the entire undershirt 10, except for
the region of the neck 12, can be provided like the region A
described above with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3.
[0035] The neck region 12 is manufactured by reducing the number of
active needles. The number of active needles is reduced, according
to the invention, by transferring the last loop of knitting from
the needles that must be subsequently excluded from knitting to the
contiguous needles. In practice, the neck region 12 can be provided
like the region B described above with reference to FIGS. 1, 2,
3.
[0036] In this manner, the neck region 12 is highly shaped and
narrow with respect to the remaining part of the manufacture,
obtaining an excellent fit for such region.
[0037] FIG. 5 illustrates a tubular intermediate, semifinished,
manufacture 20 for providing a body suit, in which the regions 21,
22, 23, 24, 25, 26 meant to be removed during the finishing step of
the knitted manufacture are marked.
[0038] In this case, nearly all the manufacture can be provided
like the region B described above with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3,
i.e., by using a reduced number of needles. In this manner it is
possible to obtain a transparency effect on the entire item, the
use of thread is reduced particularly for producing the regions
that are meant to be subsequently removed, and it is possible to
obtain shaping effects in the various regions of the manufacture to
be produced.
[0039] The transparency and shaping effect of the manufacture can
be obtained, as explained above, by varying, even on a same row,
the number of needles used to produce the different regions of the
manufacture.
[0040] Specific regions of the manufacture requiring greater
consistency and/or reduced transparency and/or an increase in the
circumferential dimensions of the manufacture, such as for example
the regions of the cups of the bra 27, can be provided by
increasing the active needles used to produce these regions with
respect to the needles used to produce the remaining part of the
manufacture. Substantially, the regions 27 can be provided like the
regions A described above with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3.
[0041] FIGS. 6a, 6b illustrate the front side and the rear side of
a tubular intermediate manufacture 30 for producing a pair of
underpants. The intermediate manufacture is preferably obtained by
starting production from the belt region 31 and by producing the
regions 32, 33, which are meant to be removed during the finishing
step of the manufacture, with a reduced number of needles, for
example like the regions B described above with reference to FIGS.
1, 2, 3, while the remaining part 34 of the manufacture is produced
by using substantially all the remaining needles of the machine,
for example like the regions A described above with reference to
FIGS. 1, 2, 3, with allowance for variations of the active needles
for obtaining pattern effects and/or open-knit/open-work and/or
ladderproof knitting structures.
[0042] This reduces the amount of thread for providing the regions
32, 33 meant to be removed.
[0043] FIGS. 7a, 7b illustrate the front side and the rear side of
a tubular intermediate manufacture 40 for producing a pair of
underpants, with regions 42, 43 which are meant to be removed
during the finishing step of the manufacture.
[0044] Preferably, the tubular intermediate, semifinished,
manufacture 40 is obtained by starting production from the belt
region 41. The manufacture is produced by using, for most of its
production, all the remaining needles of the machine, for example
such as the regions A described above with reference to FIGS. 1, 2,
3, with allowance for variations of the active needles in order to
obtain pattern effects and/or open-knit and/or ladderproof knitting
structures. Optionally, the regions 42, 43 meant to be removed
during the finishing step of the manufacture may be provided with a
reduced number of needles, for example like the regions B described
above with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3.
[0045] At preset regions 44, 45, such as for example the front
central region and/or the peripheral region of the buttocks, for
which transparency effects and/or effects of reduced stretchiness
are to be obtained in order to achieve containment and/or shaping
and/or support effects, knitting is performed by using a reduced
number of needles, for example as in the production of the regions
B described above with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3.
[0046] Substantially, in the examples described above, the
transition from knitting with a certain number of needles (region
A) to knitting with a reduced number of needles (region B) is
obtained, according to the invention, by transferring the last loop
of knitting formed by the needles that must then be excluded from
knitting to the contiguous needles that instead must continue
knitting. Any transition from knitting with a reduced number of
needles (region B) to knitting with a larger number of needles
(region A) is achieved simply by returning to work at least part of
the needles previously excluded from knitting.
[0047] It should be noted that the method according to the
invention is meant to be used preferably in circular knitting
machines having a fineness or gauge ranging from 16 to 50 needles
per inch, obtaining high-fineness manufactures with transparency
and/or shaping effects never obtained before on these
finenesses.
[0048] In the examples of embodiments described above, individual
characteristics, given in relation to specific examples, may
actually be interchanged with other different characteristics that
exist in other examples of embodiments.
[0049] In practice it has been found that the method according to
the invention fully achieves the intended aim, since by using the
technique of transferring the loop of knitting from one needle to a
contiguous needle in order to reduce the active needles it allows
to obtain particular shaping effects of manufactures and/or
aesthetic transparency effects and/or savings in thread, even on
high-fineness manufactures.
[0050] The method thus conceived is susceptible of numerous
modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of
the appended claims; all the details may further be replaced with
other technically equivalent elements.
[0051] In practice, the materials used, as well as the dimensions,
may be any according to requirements and to the state of the
art.
[0052] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No.
MI2005A001189 from which this application claims priority are
incorporated herein by reference.
[0053] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed
by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for
the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims
and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting
effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of
example by such reference signs.
* * * * *