Abstract:
A method of knitting an improved comfort selvage on a V-bed flat knitting machine by manipulating the front and rear needles independently at the selvages. By using an asymmetrical knitting pattern at the selvage, a knitted double-lock selvage is produced that has no ridge on one side of the fabric or holes, thus improving the wearing comfort and aesthetic appeal of the garment.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of the prior filed, pending provisional application, Ser. No. 60/076,366, filed Feb. 27, 1998. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a method of knitting the selvage of a tubular knit fabric, and more particularly, a method of knitting the selvage on a double lock V-bed flat knitting machine without producing a raised seam. 
     Tubular or weft knit is produced on a V-bed flat knitting machine by knitting, row by row, a front sheet of fabric and a rear sheet of fabric and binding together the edges, or selvages to form a knitted fabric tube. 
     In knitting the selvage of a double lock tubular knit fabric with a flat knitting machine, it is known to knit the front needles when the yarn carrier is moving from right to left, and to knit the rear needles when the yarn carrier is moving from left to right. The conventional method of knitting the selvages leaves a raised seam on both the inside and the outside of the tube which makes the garment, especially close fitting garments such as socks, particularly prosthetic socks, uncomfortable to wear. Additionally, the conventional method of knitting the selvages leaves holes along the selvages further reducing the wearing comfort and the aesthetic appeal of the garment. 
     In another known method, the selvages are simply sewn together to form the tube. This creates a raised seam on the inside of the tube. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to produce a knitted double lock selvage that does not have a ridge on one side of the fabric. 
     Additionally, it is another object of this invention to produce a knitted double lock selvage that has no holes. 
     These objects are achieved by the selective activation of the front and rear needles on each pass of the yarn carrier of the double lock machine. Such activation occurs at each selvage to produce a seam that has no ridge on the inside of the tubular garment, by controlling the idle and knitting states of each needle. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a V-bed flat machine showing front and rear needlebeds and needles in the idle position. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a V-bed flat machine showing needles in the knitting position. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a V-bed flat machine showing needles in the cast-off position. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic view of first lock pass of right selvage showing front and rear needles idle, yarn carrier moving from left to right. 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic view of second lock pass of right selvage showing front needle idle and rear needle knitting, yarn carrier moving from left to right. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic view of first lock pass of right selvage showing front needle knitting and rear needle idle, yarn carrier moving from right to left. 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic view of second lock pass of right selvage showing front needle knitting, yarn carrier moving from right to left. 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic view of second lock pass of right selvage showing rear needle knitting, yarn carrier moving from right to left. Completed right selvage knit pattern is shown. 
     FIG. 9 is prior art showing a conventional right selvage knit pattern. 
     FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional illustration of a completed tubular garment made in accordance with the method of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A conventional V-bed flat machine, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, is a latch needle machine in which front and rear opposed needlebeds 10 and 12 respectively, are arranged in an inverted &#34;V&#34; in the form of a 90 degree angle to each other and at a 45 degree angle to the horizontal. In addition to the front and rear opposed needlebeds 10 and 12, the machine&#39;s major components include its cams (not shown) which act on either the butts 14 of front and rear latch needles 16 and 18 respectively, or the butts of associated jacks, which in turn actuate the latch needles and a yarn carrier 20. On a double lock machine, the yarn carrier 20 includes two side-by-side locks, which feed the yarn 22 to the needles 16 and 18. As the yarn carrier 20 passes the needles as it travels back and forth, the needles are either idle or knitting. When idle, the yarn carrier passes without any needle action. When a needle is knitting, as the yarn carrier passes, the needle is activated by its associated cam, the needle receives the yarn, and casts off the previous stitch (FIG. 3). To form a tubular double lock garment (illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 10), the yarn carrier moves back and forth along the needle beds transferring yarn to the needles in a set knitting pattern. 
     The needle activation for the conventional method of knitting the selvages is set forth in Table 1 below. 
     
                       TABLE 1______________________________________Prior ArtYarn carrier                  Left  RightDirection  Lock    Needles    Selvage                               Selvage______________________________________Left to Right      First   Front      Idle  Idle              Rear       Knit  Knit      Second  Front      Idle  Idle              Rear       Knit  KnitRight to Left      First   Front      Knit  Knit              Rear       Idle  Idle      Second  Front      Knit  Knit              Rear       Idle  Idle______________________________________ 
    
     As the yarn carrier moves from left to right, the first lock encounters the left selvage of the knitted garment. As the first lock then passes the left selvage, the front needle is idle and the rear needle knits. As the second lock passes the left selvage, the front is idle and the rear needle knits. As the first lock passes the right selvage, the front is idle and the rear needle knits. As the second lock passes the right selvage, the front needle is idle and the rear needle knits. 
     The yarn carrier then reverses direction and moves from right to left. As the carrier moves from right to left, the order of the locks is reversed. The first lock when moving from left to right is the second lock when moving from right to left. Likewise, the second lock when moving from left to right is the first lock when moving from right to left. 
     As the first lock encounters the right selvage, the front needle knits and the rear needle is idle. As the second lock passes the right selvage, the front needle knits and the rear needle is idle. As the first lock encounters the left selvage, the front needle knits and the rear needle is idle. As the second lock passes the left selvage, the front needle knits and the rear needle is idle. This process is repeated along the entire length of the garment. 
     A cross section of one cycle of the conventional selvage knit pattern for the right selvage is shown FIG. 9. The left selvage pattern is a mirror image of the right selvage pattern and therefore is not shown. 
     In the present invention, the needles are activated in accordance with Table 2 below. 
     
                       TABLE 2______________________________________Present InventionYarn carrier                  Left  RightDirection  Lock    Needles    Selvage                               Selvage______________________________________Left to Right      First   Front      Idle  Idle              Rear       Knit  Idle      Second  Front      Knit  Idle              Rear       Knit  KnitRight to Left      First   Front      Idle  Knit              Rear       Idle  Idle      Second  Front      Idle  Knit              Rear       Knit  Knit______________________________________ 
    
     As the yarn carrier moves from left to right, the first lock encounters the left selvage of the knitted garment. As the first lock then passes the left selvage, the front needle is idle and the rear needle knits. As the second lock passes the left selvage, both the front and rear needles are idle. As the first lock passes the right selvage, both the front and rear needles are idle (FIG. 5). As the second lock passes the right selvage, the front needle is idle and the rear needle knits (FIG. 6). 
     The yarn carrier then reverses direction and moves from right to left. Again, the order of the locks is reversed as described above. As the first lock encounters the right selvage, the front needle knits and the rear needle is idle (FIG. 7). As the second lock passes the right selvage, both the front and rear needles knit (FIG. 8). As the first lock encounters the left selvage, both the front and rear needles are idle. As the second lock passes the left selvage, the front needle knits and the rear needle is idle. This process is repeated along the entire length of the garment. The knit pattern of the left selvage is an inverted mirror image of the right selvage and therefore is not shown. 
     Using the method of the present invention, a double lock tubular knit fabric is formed (FIG. 10) in which a front sheet of fabric 30 and a rear sheet of fabric 32 are bound together at the left selvage 34 and the right selvage 36. Selvages 34 and 36 formed as described above, each provide a seam that is smooth on the inside and raised on the outside of the tube without holes, thus improving the wearing comfort and aesthetic appeal of the garment.