Connective knitting method of belt-shaped knit end and belt-knit fabric having the end part linked in knit state

Abstract: The present invention presents a connective knitting method of belt-shaped knit ends capable of joining the end portions nearly simultaneously when knitting a belt or rope and a belt-shaped knit fabric having the end portions linked in knit state, which comprises two pieces of belt-shaped knit fabric knitted by an arbitrary number of needles in different ranges across the boundary in the longitudinal direction of the needle beds (I,II) disposed at least in a pair of front and rear sides, wherein symmetrical loops of the final course of both knit fabrics across the boundary are overlaid and knitted by binding off.

Description: The present inventive relates to a knitting method for linking the rope or belt-shaped flat knit fabric in the collar of a sweater, a neck rope portion of a tanktop, a lower end portion of a baseball stocking, the neck rope portion of an apron, or the like. For example, when forming a belt-shaped flat knit part in the collar portion of a sweater, in the first place, a flat knit fabric in a length corresponding to the peripheral edge of the collar is formed in a desired width, and this belt or rope-shaped flat knit fabric is sewn on to the border of the collar opening of the sweater by linking or other sewing means, and then the end portions of the belt or rope-shaped flat knit fabric are joined by linking or other sewing means. In the case of forming the belt-shaped flat rope part in the collar of the sweater as stated above, the end portions of the rope are overlaid and joined. The fabric thickness is thus increased in that portion, which is unfavourable not only for appearance but also for comfort of wearing. Besides, sewing means such as linking is performed in a separate process from knitting process, the productivity is impaired due to the extra sewing process, and the manufacturing cost is raised. Furthermore, since sewing means such as linking is done manually, it tends to be irregular, and the value of the product is lowered. United States patent specification No.3680333 discloses a method of knitting together, on a machine, tubular-knit sleeves of a garment with front and rear flat-knit body portions using a machine with laterally movable opposed beds (for the tubular body) interposable between two further pairs of opposed beds for tubular knitting the sleeves. In this machine and in the method of knitting the laterally movable beds are movable laterally in unison. The machine and method do not readily relate to the problem of knitting belt-shaped fabrics of the present invention. The present invention is devised in the light of the above problems, and it is a primary object thereof to present a connective knitting method for belt - shaped ends capable of joining the end portions nearly simultaneously when knitting a belt or rope, and a belt-shaped flat knit fabric having the end portions linked in knit state. To achieve the above object, the invention provides a belt-shaped knit fabric comprising first and second pieces of belt-shaped flat knitted fabric which are joined along their final courses, characterised in that the loops of the first and the second final course are joined in pairs by stitches extending coursewise between adjacent wales of the belt-shaped knit fabric. First of all, by means of a flat knitting machine possessing front and rear flat needle beds, with one or both thereof being disposed to be movable in a lateral direction relative to the other, two pieces of belt-shaped flat knit fabric are knitted in a specified length by different needle ranges side by side on one of the needle beds. When the two pieces of belt-shaped flat knit fabric have reached the specified length, the end loop portions of the final course of one of the flat knit fabrics is transferred to the needles of the other needle bed, which then becomes the moving side knit fabric, the needle bed is moved so that the end loop of the moving side knit fabric is overlaid on the nearest end loop of the other piece of belt-shaped flatk nit fabric (hereinafter the fixed side knit fabric), and the said end loop of the moving side knit fabric is transferred and overlaid on the end loop of the fixed side knit fabric, and a new loop is formed on this overlaid part. Thus the moving side knit fabric is decreased by one loop. Next, in two lateral movements of the needle bed(s) this new loop, a new end loop of the adjoining moving side knit fabric, and a new end loop of the fixed side knit fabric are overlaid, and another loop is formed on the overlaid portion. Thereby the number of loops in the moving side fabric is decreased by one, and in addition, the number of loops in the fixed side knit fabric is decreased by two loops. A total of three loops since starting bonding are decreased in total at this point. By repeating this sequence of overlaying and forming a new loop an appropriate number of times depending on the width of knit fabric, the end parts of both knit fabrics are joined, and the final end portion of junction is prevented from loosening. An embodiment of the connective knitting method for belt-shaped flat knit fabric having the end portions linked in the knitted state according to the invention, is shown in the drawings, in which: Fig.1 (A) and Fig. 1 (B) are knitting diagrams in the principal courses and joining the end parts of the belt-shaped knit fabric disposed, in the illustrated embodiment, in the collar part of a sweater, Fig. 2 is a knitting diagram in the courses for arranging the joined ends, Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the end-to-end joined state of moving side knit fabric (a) and fixed side knit fabric (b), Fig. 4 is a developed diagram showing the end-to-end joined state of moving side knit (a) and fixed side moving fabric (b), Fig. 5 is a magnified view of part V in Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a magnified view of part VI in Fig. 4. Referring now to the drawings, one of the embodiments of the invention is described in detail below. The knitting machine used in this embodiment is a flat knitting machine, having multiple knitting needles disposed on needle beds laid out in a V-form in side view in a manner free to move and slide back and forth, with a first, rear, one of the needle beds formed disposed so as to be movable laterally relative to a second, forward, fixed needle bed. Fig. 1 (A) and Fig. 1 (B) are knitting diagrams in the principal courses up to joining the end portions of the belt-shaped flat knit fabric in which the Roman numeral I denotes the forward, fixed, needle bed, and II is the rear movable needle bed, and the capital letters A, B, C, D, E,... represent the needles of the both needle beds I, II. In the diagrams, blocks 1 to 3 are the knitting courses of the belt-shaped knit flat fabric of the moving side knit fabric (a) having the knitting yarn (1) supplied from a carrier (not shown) to the knitting needles A to N of the fixed needle bed I, the carrier being controlled in known manner by a carriage (not shown); and of the fixed side knit fabric (b) having the knitting yarn (2) supplied from a carrier (not shown) to the knitting needles O to Z, a and b. Each course of the blocks 1 to 3 is repeated, and two pieces of belt-shaped knit fabric are knitted side-by-side in a specific length and having as their boundaries the knitting needles N and O respectively. When both the moving side knit fabric (a) and fixed side knit fabric (b) have been knitted to a specific length as shown in block 3, the rear moving needle bed II is moved (by racking) one pitch to the left as shown in block 4 of Fig. 1A from the reference position (shown in blocks 1 to 3), and the loops of the moving side knit fabric (a) knitted by knitting yarn (1) with needles A to N is transferred to the needles B to O of the moving needle bed II. The moving needle bed II is returned to the reference position, and the loop stopped on the knitting needle O of moving needle bed II is overlaid with the loop of the knitting needle O of the adjoining fixed needle bed I. Then, as shown in block 5, the loop of the knitting needle O of the moving needle bed II is transferred to overlie the loop of the knitting needle O of the fixed needle bed I, and, as shown in block 6, the knitting yarn (1) is supplied to the loop of the knitting needle O of the fixed needle bed I and a new loop is formed, thereby knitting a bind-off. At this time the carrier for feeding the knitting yarn (1) moves to the right of the knitting needle O of the fixed needle bed I, and returns to the left of the knitting needle O of the fixed needle bed I, that is, "kick-back" is performed. Then as shown in block 7, the new loop formed on the knitting needle O of the fixed needle bed I in block 6 is transferred to the knitting needle O of the moving needle bed II. The moving needle bed II is then moved one pitch to the right (see block 8) from the reference position, the loop of the knitting needle O of the moving needle bed II is transferred to overlie the loop on the knitting needle P of the fixed needle bed I. In block 9, the needle bed II is moved further to the right by one pitch (two pitches from the reference position), the loops of the knitting needles B to N of the moving needle bed II are transferred to the knitting needles D to P of the fixed needle bed I. As a result, three loops are stopped on the knitting needle P of the fixed bed I. In block 10, the moving needle bed has returned to the reference position and the knitting yarn (1) is supplied from the carrier to the three loops stopped on the knitting needle P of the fixed needle bed I, and a new loop is further formed. In block 11, needle bed II is moved two pitches to the left of the reference position, and then the loops stopped on the knitting needles D to P of the fixed needle bed I in block 10 are transferred to the knitting needles F to R of the moving needle bed II. In block 12, needle bed II is moved one pitch to the right from the position shown in block 11 (the position one pitch left of the reference position), the loop of the knitting needle R of the moving needle bed II is transferred to overlie the loop of the knitting needle Q of the fixed bed I. In block 13, needle bed II is moved one pitch to the right from the position of block 12 (i.e. back to the reference position), the loop of the knitting needle Q of the moving needle bed II is transferred to overlie the loops held on knitting needle Q of the fixed needle bed I, so that three loops are stopped on the knitting needle Q of the fixed needle bed I. In block 14, the knitting yarn (1) is supplied from the carrier to the three loops stopped on the knitting needle Q of the fixed needle bed I, and a new loop is further formed. In block 15, the new loop formed on the knitting needle Q of the fixed needle bed I in block 14 is transferred to the knitting needle Q of the moving needle bed II. In block 16, needle bed II is moved one pitch to the right of the reference position of block 15, the loop of the knitting needle of the moving needle bed II is transferred to overlie the loop of the knitting needle R of the fixed needle bed I. In block 17, needle bed II is moved one further pitch to the right of the position in block 16 (two pitches right of the reference position), the loops on needles F to P of the moving needle bed II are transferred to needles H to R of the fixed needle bed I. Thus the loop on knitting needle P of the moving needle bed II is transferred to overlie the loops held on the knitting needle R of the fixed needle bed I, and thus three loops are stopped on the knitting needle R. In block 18, the moving needle bed is returned to the reference position and the knitting yarn (1) is supplied from the carrier to the three loops stopped on the knitting needle R of the fixed needle bed I, and a new loop is further formed. In block 19, needle bed II is moved two pitches to the left of the reference position, the loops stopped on the knitting needles H to R of the fixed needle bed I in block 18 are transferred to the knitting needles J to T of the moving needle bed II. In block 20, moving needle bed II is moved one pitch to the right of the position shown in block 19 (i.e. one pitch left of the reference position), the loop of the knitting needle T of the moving needle bed II is transferred to overlie the loop held on the knitting needle S of the fixed needle bed I. In block 21, moving needle bed II is moved one pitch to the right of the position shown in block 20 (i.e. to the reference position), the loop of the knitting needle S of the moving needle bed II is transferred to overlie the loops held on the knitting needle S of the fixed meedle bed I, so that three loops are stopped on the knitting needle S of the fixed needle bed I. The knitting yarn (1) is supplied from the carrier to the three loops on the knitting needle S of the fixed needle bed I, and a new loop is further formed. The courses from block 14 to 21 are repeated and the loops of the moving side fabric (a) and fixed side fabric (b) having been knitted in blocks 1 to 3 are gradually knitted in to be bound off and dislocated from the knitting needles, until as shown in block 22 the loops are gradually decreased until they are stopped only on the knitting needles 'a', 'b' of the fixed needle bed I and knitting needle Z of the moving needle bed II. Fig. 2 shows the courses for terminating the joint end, and in block 23 the loop of the knitting needle 'a' of the fixed needle bed I is transferred to the knitting needle a of the moving needle bed II. In block 24, needle bed II is moved one pitch to the right of the reference position in block 23, the loop of the knitting needle 'a' of the moving needle bed II is transferred to the knitting needle 'b' of the fixed needle bed I. In block 25, needle bed II is moved one pitch further to the right of the position shown in block 24 (two piches to the right of the reference position), and a loop of knitting needle Z of the moving needle bed II is transferred to overlie the loops held on the knitting needle 'b' of the fixed needle I. As a result, three loops are stopped on the knitting needle b of the fixed needle bed I. In block 26, the knitting yarn (1) is supplied from the carrier to the three loops stopped on the knitting needle 'b' of the fixed needle bed I, and a new loop is formed. The loop formed on the knitting needle 'b' of the fixed needle bed I is locked so as not to unravel by repeating blocks 27 and 28 a specified number of times, and is dislocated from the knitting needle 'b'. The end portions of the moving side knit fabric (a) and fixed side knit fabric (b) formed through these courses are joined as if each loop were knitted in spontaneously as shown in Figs. 3 to 6. In the foregoing embodiment, the flat knitting machine is composed of multiple knitting needles disposed on a pair of opposed needle beds, but the invention may be also realised if two pairs or more of needle beds are provided. In the illustrated example, the rear needle bed is movable. However, the invention may be realised if the front needle bed only is movable or both needle beds are movable. Furthermore, the matrix texture of the belt-shaped knit fabric may be plain knitting, rib knitting, tubular knitting or any other. In addition, the invention may be realised in the neck rope part of a tanktop, lower end portions of baseball stockings, neck rope part of an apron, and other parts linking belt or rope-shaped portions.

Claims: A belt-shaped knit fabric comprising first (a, Fig 3) and second (b,Fig 3) pieces of belt-shaped flat knitted fabric which are joined along their final courses, characterised in that the loops of the final courses are joined in pairs by stitches (v, Fig 3) extending coursewise between adjacent wales of the belt-shaped knit fabric. A belt-shaped knit fabric of claim 1, characterised in that the knit texture of the first and second pieces (a,b, Fig 3) of belt-shaped knit fabric to be linked is either single knit texture or double knit texture. A connective knitting method for belt-shaped knit ends comprising the steps of knitting up two pieces of belt-shaped knit fabric by a flat knitting machine having disposed therein at least a pair of needle beds (I,II; Fig 1A (1) ), with at least one (II) of the pair of needle beds being disposed so as to be movable laterally relative to the other needle bed, characterised by the steps of positioning the two pieces of knit fabric (1,2) in different needle ranges in the longitudinal direction of one of the needle beds, transferring the loop portions of one (1; Fig 1A (4) ) of the knit fabrics, out of the loop portions of the final course of the knit fabrics, to the needles of the other needle bed to thereby constitute a moving side knit fabric, overlaying the end loop (Fig 1A (5) ) of the moving side knit fabric on the end loop of the fixed side knit fabric, forming a new loop in the overlaid portion, overlaying the formed loop, the adjoining loop of the moving side knit fabric and the loop of the fixed side knit fabric (Fig 1A (9) ), forming another loop (Fig 1A (10) )in the overlaid portion, overlaying the formed loop, the adjoining loop of the moving side knit fabric and the loop of the fixed side knit fabric, (Fig 1A 11-13) )and repeating this procedure an appropriate number of times dependent on the width of the knit fabric, to join the two knit fabrics.

Inventors: OKUNO MASAO, OKUNO, MASAO
Applicants: SHIMA SEIKI MFG, SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: D04B1
IPC codes: D04B1, D04B7