Self Supporting Knitted Lady's Stocking

Abstract

A self-supporting knitted lady's stocking having an outwardly turned, non-rolling welt and two spaced annular bands of elastic fabric at the top, at least one elastic band being within the welt area, and both bands having internally exposed, non-slip elastic yarn floats adapted to contact and grip the leg of the wearer.

Parent Case Text

This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 763,098 now abandoned.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Stockings are presently constructed so that they can be worn without requiring garters. Such stockings usually include a band which is provided on the side bearing on the leg with an elastic material such as rubber having a sufficient elasticity and size to prevent the stocking from sliding down the wearer's leg. It has also been suggested that an uncovered crude rubber thread be incorporated into the hose partly in single loops and partly in several loops as a flat thread portion so that slipping of the hose is prevented on the leg bearing side of the material by the elastic yarns adhering to the leg. Such a construction has the advantage that the part necessary for the garterless wearing of the stocking can be processed on a hose knitting machine in one operation. In such a stocking construction, the non-slip yarn has normally been applied only below the welt. This results in the formation of folds in the non-adhering double hem which produces bulges at this area unless further provisions are provided to eliminate them which are rather expensive.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provied a stocking which can be worn without a garter employing a non-slip material such as uncovered elastic yarn which is incorporated into the surface of the fabric layer of the double welt which bears on the skin a required width. These non-slip threads are preferably incorporated into the courses in a manner such that they are knit in selected wales and floated across selected intervening wales of each or selected courses to form floats. Such a stocking is obtained by providing it with a double hem or welt in which the normal inside is arranged on the exterior more particularly referred to by those skilled in the art as an outwardly turned welt. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,509. The surface of the fabric layer of the welt which bears on the leg and, if desired, either a portion or an entire area of an adjoining part of the stocking is provided on the leg bearing side with a slip-proof material, such as elastic yarn, which is exposed over several loops in the course. In order to achieve additional security against rolling of the welt edge, a material zone which is not provided with the non-slip yarn is provided adjacent the upper welt edge to interrupt the surface which is provided with the elastic yarn.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a stocking construction in which a non-slip yarn such as bare rubber is worked into the welt to bear against the skin of the wearer and wherein the double welt is formed by a construction in which the normal inside thereof is arranged on the exterior (an outwardly turned welt), the adjoining part of the stocking also consisting of a material preferably having a non-slip yarn forming coursewise and walewise spaced floats on the leg bearing side of the fabric layer adjacent the leg of the wearer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stocking construction which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accopmanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of the upper portion of a stocking constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the invention in schematic representation;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary schematic cross sectional view of a stocking of still another embodiment of the invention; and

FIGS. 4-6 are fragmentary schematic stitch diagrams illustrating several alternatives for incorporating non-slip elastic yarn into the stocking fabric.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows the upper portion of a full-length self-supporting knitted lady's stocking of this invention having an outwardly turned welt D, the inner fabric layer of the welt being designated D.sup.1, and the outer fabric layer being designated D.sup.2. The lower or boot portion of the stocking adjacent the welt is designated S. The designation L indicates the outside of the stocking and R designates the inside of the stocking, which contacts the leg of the wearer. The outwardly turned welt may be formed by the method and apparatus disclosed in Tenconi U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,509.

A non-slip elastic yarn F, such as bare rubber or bare spandex yarn, is incorporated into the stocking fabric, both in the inner fabric layer D.sup.1 of the welt and also in the boot portion S below the welt. The non-slip elastic yarn F is incorporated or bound into spaced wales of the stocking fabric and floated across the intervening wales, with the elastic yarn floats exposed on the inner surface R of the stocking, so as to contact the leg of the wearer.

As shown in FIG. 2, a wide outwardly turned welt B may extend from broken line G, where the welt is closed, to the top of the stocking D'. Depending upon the width of the welt B, and upon the width of the fabric that must be provided with elastic yarn F to ensure support of the stocking on the leg of a wearer, the elastic yarn F may be incorporated into all courses of the inner fabric layer D.sup.1 of the welt, as shown in FIG. 1, or into only certain courses thereof, for example, every second or third course, or some other selection of courses.

If desired, the stocking may have a narrow outwardly turned welt A, which extends from the top edge D' of the stocking to the line H, where the welt is closed. With either welt A or B, the elastic yarn F is incorporated or bound into spaced wales of selected courses of the inner fabric layer of the welt and floated across the intervening wales. Similarly, elastic yarn F may be incorporated into the boot portion S' or S" of the stocking, below the welts A or B, respectively.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, non-slip elastic yarn F is bound into spaced wales, and floated across the intervening wales, of selected courses of the inner fabric layer D.sup.1 of the welt, but is omitted from the intermediate zone Z. Thus, two spaced, upper and lower, annular fabric bands or portions are provided adjacent the open end of the stocking. This construction ensures that the welt will be non-rolling, by providing an area in which no compression is exerted on the leg. Hence, folding over of the upper portion of the welt from the top of the stocking D" to the zone Z is avoided. In this embodiment, when a narrow welt of the type indicated by A in FIG. 2 is provided, the welt is closed along a line or course indicated at X in FIG. 3. In such construction, the lower annular elastic fabric portion is disposed in the upper portion of the boot S of the stocking. Where a large welt is employed, of the type designated B in FIG. 2, the welt is closed along the line indicated at X', in which event both of the spaced annular elastic fabric bands are disposed in the inner fabric layer of the welt.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 each show the inner side of the stocking fabric and the floats of the elastic yarn F which contact the leg of the wearer. FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show alternative methods of incorporating or binding the elastic yarn F in spaced wales of selected courses of the fabric, with the yarn floated across the wales intervening between the spaced wales.

In FIG. 4, the elastic yarn is knitted in spaced wales together with the non-elastic yarn, whereas in FIG. 5 the elastic yarn is knitted in spaced wales of courses which do not contain non-elastic yarn. In FIG. 6, the elastic yarn is interlaced in spaced wales and floated across the intervening wales.

Claims

We claim:

1. A full-length self-supporting knitted lady's stocking having at its open end an outwardly turned, non-rolling welt, said welt having an inner fabric layer and an outer fabric layer, said stocking having,

a. non-slip elastic yarn bound into spaced wales and floated across the intervening wales of selected courses of wale-wise spaced upper and lower annular fabric portions proximate the open end of the stocking,

b. said floated elastic yarn providing non-slip yarn floats disposed internally of the stocking to contact the leg of a wearer of the stocking,

c. an intermediate zone of fabric disposed between the two spaced annular fabric portions,

d. said intermediate zone of fabric being without elastic yarn, whereby the welt of the stocking is rendered non-rolling, and

e. at least the upper annular fabric portion being disposed within the inner fabric layer of the welt,

f. the outer fabric layer being without elastic yarn.

2. The stocking of claim 1 wherein the non-slip elastic yarn is knit into the spaced wales and floated across the intervening wales.

3. The stocking of claim 2 wherein the non-slip elastic yarn is knit with a non-elastic yarn into the spaced wales in the upper and lower annular fabric portion.

4. The stocking of claim 1 wherein the non-slip elastic yarn is interlaced in the spaced wales.

5. The stocking of claim 1 wherein both annular fabric portions are disposed within the inner fabric layer of the welt.