Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Stockings.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 5th June, 1897
TOYISIONAL DIBUITIATION.
[Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM ESTY, of No. 17 Church Street,
Laconia, County of Belknap, State of New Hampshire, United States of
America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Stockings.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Heretofore two general modes of procedure have been followed in the production
of stockings having ribbed leg portions and plain ankle and foot portions.
According to the first of these, a stocking has been knit from the top downward,
the knitting being begun in rib fabric, and on arriving at the line where the
bottom of the leg joins the top of the ankle the action of the ribbing needles has
been suppressed, leaving the plain needles alone in action during the formation of
the ankle and foot. This method has the drawback or disadvantage that the
bottom loops or stitches produced on the ribbing needles require to be secured in
some manner in order that after they have been discharged from such needles they
may not draw out or run. Usually on arriving at the bottom of the leg portion
the loops last formed on the ribbing needles are transferred or picked onto certain
of the adjacent plain needles, and interknit with the succeeding loops formed on
such plain needles. This operation consumes time and adds quite materially to
the cost of production. According to the second of the methods aforesaid, the
stocking is begun at the toe, and after the foot and ankle portions have been knit
in plain fabric on the plain needles the ribbing needles are thrown into action, they
being caused to engage with the portions of yarn or thread which connects the
loops that are held on the plain needles, the two sets of needles working conjointly
in the production of the leg portion in ribbed fabric. This method has two
drawbacks or disadvantages, which are, first, the fact that at the junction of the
ankle portion and leg portion a series of eyelet holes is formed around the stocking,
at the line where the ribbing needles are brought into action; and, second, the
fact that when a stocking is begun at the toe and knit toward the top of the leg,
the top of the leg is liable to ravel and cannot be finished on the knitting machine
with a welt or hem that is free from liability to ravel.
The main object of my invention is to remedy the said drawbacks or disadvantages
of the second method, which latter it is preferred by me to follow in practice in the
production of a stocking of the character aforesaid, inasmuch as it is the more
expeditious of the two methods disclosed and has other quite material advantages
which are well known to those who are skilled in the art.
Accordingly, the first part of my invention has reference to the closing of the
eyelet holes hereinabove mentioned as produced at the junction of the ribbed leg
portion and plain ankle portion of a stocking knit in accordance with the second
method aforesaid.
The second part of my invention has reference to the production of a secure
top-finish for the leg of a stocking which is knit from the toe upward.

page_text: In carrying out the invention I begin at the toe, and knit successively the toe,
the foot portion, the heel, and the ankle portion, all in plain stitch on any suitable
knitting machine, and all as usual. The knitting is continued in plain stitch above
the heel until an ankle portion of sufficient length is produced. From this point up
the leg of the stocking is knit in rib stitch. On arriving at the point aforesaid, I
suspend or stop the knitting action of the needles, they remaining in engagement
with the last formed loops or stitches of the plain fabric, and which needles I shall
term plain needles henceforth herein. Simultaneously with such suspension or
stoppage, or immediately thereafter, I cause other needles to come into action,
these latter needles alternating in the desired order with the plain needles and being
termed ribbing needles henceforth herein.
I operate the machine sufficiently to lay the yarn or thread into the hooks of all
the ribbing needles and retract such needles so as to draw the said yarn or thread
in what for convenience I shall term a welting course around the plain needles,
which latter, it will be remembered, are not knitting at this time. This operation
merely places loops on the ribbing needles, and adds the intermediate connection
portions of the yarn or thread of which such loops or stitches are formed to the
foops or stitches which were last formed on the plain needles. I now render the
ribbing needles inoperative for knitting and render the plain needles operative for
knitting, and knit one or more courses ou the plain needles. Then I throw the
ribbing needles into action again and proceed with rib knitting. If desired, more
than one welting course may be laid around the needles before the ribbing
needles are brought into regular action. In the foregoing case the ribbing
needles are not shogged laterally during the short interval while they are
rendered inoperative and while they are in their retracted position holding
loops. Preferably, however, the said ribbing needles are thus shogged during the
said short interval so that when ribbed knitting is begun they will work through
spaces between the plain needles which are one remove to one side or the other
of the spaces through which they were projected to seize the yarn or thread,
making thereby a course of shogged loops. The ribbing needles may be shogged
thus in a given direction and then after being in action simultaneously with the
plain needles during the knitting of one round so as to take the yarn while still
retaining the loops first held, may be rendered inoperative temporarily while one
plain round is knit on the plain needles, meantime being shogged in the reverse
direction back into their former position and rendered operative to knit again in
the next round, rib knitting then being proceeded with. The shogging of the
loops is advantageous inasmuch as it draws closer to each other the loops at the
opposite sides of the eyelet-holes, taking up somewhat the slack of the loops first
formed by the ribbing needles. The shogging of the ribbing needles may be
effected to advantage in cases in which the introduction of the so-called welting
course above mentioned is omitted, the ribbing needles being caused to engage
with the portion of yarn or thread which extends from loop to loop of the plain
needles, then being rendered inoperative to knit while one or more rounds are
being knit on the plain needles alone, and afterward being shogged once or twice
as aforesaid.
In a desirable mode of obviating the formation of eyelet-holes, I proceed through
the operations aforesaid as far as and including the introduction of the welting
course and the formation of the first loops therein by the ribbing needles. Having
rendered the ribbing needles inoperative, they holding their loops, and having
rendered the plain needles operative again and knit thereon a course of loops,
I render said plain needles inoperative, meanwhile shogging the ribbing needles to
the extent of one space. Then I lay a second welting course upon the needles, the
plain needles remaining inoperative and the ribbing needles being worked
sufficiently to draw loops of this second welting course while retaining the loops
already held by them. The ribbing needles then are rendered inoperative and the
plain needles operative, courses being knit on the said, plain needles. The ribbing
needles then are thrown into action conjointly with the said plain needles.

page_text: In a modification the second welting course is omitted, the ribbing needles after
being shogged being caused to engage with the connecting portions of the courses
of yarn from which one of the courses of plain loops are formed, and to retain its
loops while the plain needles proceed with the formation of the next courses, the
rib needles thereafter being thrown into action simultaneously with the plain
needles so as to produce ribbed fabric.
The knitting of the leg in ribbed fabric is continued until the desired length has
been produced, whereupon the ribbing needles are rendered inoperative again, they
ceasing to knit although still holding the loops last formed thereby until on the
plain needles has been produced a length of plain fabric sufficient to form when
folded over upon itself a hem of the desired width. The ribbing needles are
rendered operative then and rib knitting is proceeded with for a short distance.
The last formed side of the hem is thus bound down on the inner side of the
stocking by the course of loops which were held while the ribbing needles
remained inoperative to knit. After the stocking has been detached from the
needles of the knitting machine, the projecting edge of the ribbed fabric on the
inner side of the stocking is trimmed down close to the tying-down course of
loops, leaving a raw edge on the inner side of the stocking, which edge then is
overseamed or otherwise fastened off to prevent it from ravelling. One important
advantage of the shogged stitches which have been described hereinabove is the
fact that the inclined position thereof causes them to cross diagonally the enlarged
openings which are produced at the lower ends of the ribbed courses. Thus they
partly cover up the said openings. In practice, also, the intermediate connection
portions of the welting course assume a curved position causing them to assist
in covering the enlarged openings.
Dated this 18th day of June 1806
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Stockings.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent
Agents, 45; Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Usually in the production of stockings having ribbed leg portions and plain
ankle and foot portions, the said different portions are knit on different machines.
This necessitates a trausfer of the portion which first is knit, to the second machine,
and also the application of such portion to the needles of such second machine.
Obviously this consumes both labor and time, and adds to the expense of making
the stocking.
According to one mode of procedure which has been followed in the production
of stockings having ribbed leg portions and plain ankle and foot portions, a
stocking has been knit from the top downward, the knitting being begun in rib
fabric, and on arriving at the line where the bottom of the leg joins the top of the
ankle the action of the ribbing needles has been suppressed, leaving the plain
needles alone in action during the formation of the ankle and foot. This method
has the drawback or disadvantage that the bottom loops or stitches produced on
the ribbing needles require to be secured in some manner in order that after they
have been discharged from such needles they may not draw out or run. Usually

page_text: on arriving at the bottom of the leg portion the loops last formed on the ribbing
needles are transferred or picked onto certain of the adjacent plain needles,
and interknit with the succeeding loops formed on such plain needles. This
operation consumes time and adds quite materially to the cost of production.
According to a second method which has been followed, the stocking is
begun at the toe in a machine capable of knitting plain goods only, and, after
the foot and ankle portions have been knit in plain fabric they are removed
from such machine, the upper end of the ankle being applied to the plain needles
of a machine capable of knitting ribbed goods. After knitting a course or two
of plain goods on the plain needles of the second, machine, the ribbing needles are
thrown into action, they being caused to engage with the portions of yarn or
thread which connect the loops that are held on the plain needles, the two sets of
needles working conjointly in the production of the leg portion in ribbed fabric.
There are two drawbacks or disadvantages incident to beginning the knitting of a
stocking at the toe or foot end thereof and then knitting on the ribbed leg. The
first of these is the fact that at the junction of the ankle portion and leg portion a
series of eyelet holes is formed around the stocking, at the line where the ribbing
needles are brought into action; and the second is the fact that when a stocking is
begun at the toe and knit toward the top of the leg, the top of the leg is liable to
ravel and cannot be finished on the kuitting machine with a welt or hem that is
free from liability to ravel.
The main objects of my invention are to remedy the drawbacks or disadvantages
just mentioned, and to render it feasible to proceed in practice in the production of
a stocking of the character aforesaid by knitting the entire stocking in one machine,
without transfer as aforesaid to a second machine, inasmuch as it is the most
expeditious of the methods with which I am acquainted and has other quite
material advantages which will be apparent to those who are skilled in the art.
One part of my invention has reference to the closing of the eyelet holes herein-
above mentioned as produced at the junction of the ribbed leg portion and plain
aukle portion of a stocking knit by beginning at the toe or foot portion thereof
and working upward along the stocking.
Another part of my invention has reference to the production of a secure top-
finish for the leg of a stocking which is knit from the toe upward.
The accompanying drawing shows in Fig. 1 a view of a stocking embodying my
invention, portion of the length thereof being broken out to save space.
Figs. 2 to 5 are views illustrating successive steps taken in changing from plain
knitting to rib knitting.
Figs. 6 to 10 are views showing features that are described hereinafter.
.:
Fig. 11 is a view showing in a greatly enlarged scale the features of the hem as,
formed at the top of the stocking leg.
In carrying out my invention, I begin at the toe 1, and successively knit the toe,
foot portion 2, heel 3, and ankle portion 4 in plain stitch on any suitable knitting
machine, and all as usual. The knitting is continued in plain stitch above the heel
until an ankle portion of sufficient length is produced, say to the point 5, in
Fig. 1. From the said point up, the leg of the stocking is knit in rib stitch. On
arriving at the point 5, I suspend or stop the knitting action of the needles 6,
(see Figs. 2 and 3) which are in engagement with the last-formed loops or
stitches 7 of the plain fabric, and which I shall term plain needles henceforth
herein. Fig. 2 shows a portion of the fabric and a few of the plain needles as the
fabric and needles appear at this time. Simultaneously with such suspension or
stoppage, or immediately thereafter, I cause other needles 8 to come into action,
such needles alternating in the desired order with the plain needles, and being
termed ribbing needles henceforth herein. I operate the machine sufficiently to
lay the yarn or thread into the hooks of all the ribbing needles, and retract such
needles so as to draw the said yarn or thread, in what for-convenience I shall term
a welting course 9, around the plain needles, which it will be remembered are not
kuitting at this time. This operation merely places--the loops 10 on the ribbing.

page_text: .
needles 8, and adds the intermediate connecting portions 101 of the yarn or thread
of which such loops or stitches are formed to the loops or stitches which were last
formed on the plain needles 6, as shown in Fig. 3. I now render the ribbing
needles 8 inoperative for knitting and render the plain needles 6 operative again
for knitting, knitting one or more curses 71, 72, on the plain needles. See
Figs. 4 and 5.
I then throw the ribbing needles-8 into action and proceed with
rib knitting. The first regular loops of the ribs are shown at 73 in Fig. 5. The
appearance of the fabric will then be substantially as shown on an enlarged scale
in Fig. 5. If desired, more than one welting course may be laid around the
needles before the ribbing needles are thrown into regular action. In the fore-
going case, the ribbing needles are not shogged laterally during the short interval
while they are rendered inoperative and while they are in their retracted position
holding loops, as in Fig. 4. Preferably, however, the said ribbing needles are
thus shogged during the said short interval, so that when the rib knitting is begun
they will work through spaces between the plain needles which are one remove to
the one side or the other of the spaces through which they were projected to seize
the yarn or thread, thereby making a course of shogged loops 10 as in Fig. 6.
The result in the case of shogging the ribbing needles to the extent of one space
and then bringing them into action àgain is as shown in Fig. 6. The ribbing
needles may be shogged thus in a given direction and then, after having been in
action simultaneously with the plain needles during the knitting of one round, so as
to take the yarn while still retaining the loops first held, may be rendered
temporarily inoperative while one plain round is kuit on the plain needles, being
meantime shogged in the reverse direction back into their former position, and
rendered operative to knit again in the next round, rib knitting then being
proceeded with. The result is, in this instance, as represented in Fig. 7, the
second course of shogged loops or stitches being shown at 11. The shogging
of the loops 10 and 11 is advantageous inasmuch as it draws closer to
each other the loops at the opposite sides of the eyelet holes, taking up
somewhat the slack of the loops first formed by the ribbing needles. The shogging
of the ribbing needles may be effected to advantage in cases in which the
introduction of the so-called welting course 9 above mentioned is omitted, as
in Fig. 8, the ribbing needles being caused to engage with the portions of the .
yarn or thread which extend from loop to loop of the plain needles, then being
rendered inoperative to knit while one or more rounds are being knit on the plain
'needles alone, and afterward being shogged once or twice as aforesaid, thereby
forming the shogged loops 108. In Fig. 9 is shown what I regard as the best
mode of obviating the formation of eyelet holes, thus having reference to the said
figure, I proceed through the stages which are illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 and
which have been described above. Having rendered the ribbing needles inoperative,
they holding loops 10 as in Fig. 4 and having rendered the plain needles 6 operative,
and knit thereon the course of loops 71 shown in Fig. 4, I render said plain needles
inoperative again, having meanwhile shogged the ribbing needles to the extent of
one space. then lay a second welting course 91 upon the needles, the plain
needles remaining inoperative and the ribbing needles being worked sufficiently to
draw loops 102 of this second welting course while retaining the loops 10 already
held by them. The ribbing needles then are rendered inoperative aud the plain
needles operative, courses 74, 75, being knit on the said plain needles.
ribbing needles are then thrown into action conjointly with the said plain needles,
the rib loops which are produced in the first course of ribbed fabric being marked 76
in Fig. 9. This I regard as yielding the best results. Fig. 10 differs from Fig. 9
only in that the second welting course 91 of Fig. 9 is omitted, the ribbing needles
after having been shogged as has just been described in connection with Fig. 9
being caused to engage with the connecting portions of the course of yarn from
which the loops 74 are formed and to retain the loops 10 and 103 while the plain
needles proceed with. the formation of the courses 75, the rib needles thereafter
being thrown into action simultaneously with the plain needles so as to produce
The

page_text: ribbed fabric, the first course of the latter being represented at the top of
Fig. 10.
-The knitting of the leg in ribbed fabric 45 is continued until the desired length
has been produced, whereupon the ribbing needles are again rendered inoperative,
they ceasing to knit, although still holding the loops last formed thereby, until on
the plain needles has been produced a length of plain fabric sufficient to produce
when folded over upon itself, a hem 12 of the desired width. The ribbing. needles
then are rendered operative and rib knitting is proceeded with for a short distance.
The last formed side of the hem is bound down on the inner side of the stocking
by the course of loops 13 which were held while the ribbing needles remained
inoperative to knit. After the stocking has been detached, the projecting edge 14
of ribbed fabric on the inner side of the stocking is trimmed down close to the said
course of loops 13, leaving a raw edge on the inner side of the stocking, which
edge is over-seamed as at 15, Fig. 1, or otherwise fastened off to prevent it from
ravelling. Fig. 11 shows portions of the upper part of the stocking and its hem in
enlarged detail.
In Fig. 1 the ribbed portion of the leg of the stocking is represented as having
been stretched or pulled out laterally, it being thus shown in order to make clearly
apparent in the drawing the ribbed character of the fabric of such portion.
One important advantage of the shogged stitches 10 and 11 of Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9
and 10 is that the inclined position thereof causes them to cross diagonally the
enlarged openings which are produced at the lower ends of the ribbed courses.
They thus partly cover up the said openings. In practice, also the connecting
portions 101 of the welting course assume a curved position, causing them more
particularly in the case of Fig. 9 to assist in covering the enlarged openings.
It will be apparent from the foregoing that the important characteristic of the
stocking which I produce are the facts that it ravels from the top downward and is
composed of a plain seamless foot portion and ribbed leg portion, both formed of
continuous yarn or thread, and with unbroken and uninterrupted courses of loops
where the change from plain goods to ribbed goods is made.
Having now particularly ascertained and described the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The improved knitted fabric composed of plain goods in its lower portion and
of ribbed goods in its upper portion, and with unbroken courses of loops where the
change from plain to ribbed goods is made, with a welting course 9 of such yarn or
thread in the upper part of the plain goods having loops thereof engaging the
connecting portions of yarn which join the loops of a course of the plain goeds,
such loops of the welting course being drawn up behind a course or courses of the
plain goods and constituting the starting of the loops of the ribs.
2. The improved knitted fabric composed of plain goods in its lower portion and
of ribbed goods in its upper portion, and with unbroken courses of loops where the
change from plain to ribbed goods is made, with a welting course 9 of such yarn or
thread in the upper part of the plain goods having loops thereof engaging the
connecting portions of yarn which join the loops of a course of the plain goods,
such loops of the welting course being drawn up behind a course or courses of the
plain goods and constituting the starting of the loops of the ribs, and also being
shogged.
3. The improved knitted fabric composed of plain goods in its lower portion and
of ribbed goods in its upper portion, having near the upper edges of the plain goods
loops drawn from between the regular loops of such goods to the reverse of the
fabric, such loops being drawn up behind a course or courses of the plain goods,
and constituting the starting loops of the ribs, and also being shogged.
4. A stocking or the like having the upper portion thereof knit in ribbed goods
and finished with a hem knit in plain goods, the final portion of such hem being
knit in ribbed goods and united to the reverse side of the stocking by the last loops

page_text: pertaining to the ribs in said upper portion of the stocking, such final portion of
the web having a trimmed edge on such reverse side which is secured by being
fastened off.
5. The improved stocking composed of knit fabric ravelling from the top
downward and composed of a plain seamless foot portion and a ribbed leg portion,
both formed of continuous yarn or thread and with unbroken and uninterrupted
courses of loops where the change from plain goods to ribbed goods is made.
Dated this 17th day of April 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant..