Improvements in the Manufacture and Production of Stockings and Socks.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 30th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 5th Feb., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture and Production of Stockings
and Socks.
I ROBERT WALTER SCOTT of 2077 E Cumberland Street in the City and
County of Philadelphia State of Pennsylvania United States of America Knitting
Machine Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
"
My invention relates principally to the art of knitting by the use of the system
of machinery known as "flat or "straight" knitting machinery, and has for its
object the making of stockings and socks in a novel manner whereby the articles
are completed as far as the knitting is concerned on one machine and at one
operation. According to the mode of knitting stockings and socks as heretofore
practised, it has been necessary to make the leg or leg and heel portion upon one
machine and then to transfer this portion to another machine for the formation of
the foot. This not only necessitates the use of two machines but also, owing to the
expense attending the transferring operation, adds materially to the cost of the
product. The heel of the stocking or sock as heretofore made has front selvedge
edges which, in the transferring, are united to the initial course of the foot portion,
the bottom being open as knitted but subsequently closed by a "linking
sewing process. The shape of the heel thus formed is unsatisfactory as owing to
its angular form it does not conform to the heel of the wearer.
or other
In a stocking or sock made according to my invention a round and so-called
seamless heel is formed which is not only free from the objections hereinbefore
mentioned in connection with the selvedged heel but also has the additional
advantage of perfect union both with the leg and foot portions the wales or
ribs formed by the knitting extending from the top to the toe in an unbroken
line.
In making my improved stocking or sock a machine having a straight row or
series of needles or a circular machine carrying a segmental series of needles and.
capable of reciprocating knitting is employed. The process is commenced upon a.
series of needles of sufficient number to form the top of the stocking, plain to and
fro knitting, takes place until sufficient length to form the upper or calf portion of
the leg is made, where upon it becomes necessary to gradually reduce the width of
the fabric to form the portion which covers the lower part of the calf and that
next the ankle, this gradual narrowing may be accomplished in any well known
manner preferably upon a Cotton's machine whereby the narrowing is accomplished
automatically.
Upon the completion of the gradual narrowing, plain to and fro knitting is
again resumed until it becomes necessary to form the heel whereupon that group
or series of needles for forming that portion of the stocking comprising the instep
are thrown out of action these needles however retaining their stitches, two groups
or series of needles being left in action one on either side of the inactive central
group. Two independent threads are now introduced or fed to each of these active
groups of needles and the number of active needles in each group is diminished at
each reciprocation but each needle thus thrown out of action is still allowed to
retain its stitches. This gradual diminution of the needles is continued until the
narrowest portion of the heel is reached, whereupon all the needles having stitches

page_text: thereon, are returned to action and one course or more than one course knit to give
a greater fullness of the heel and to make a more sightly joint (this course or courses
of knitting may however be dispensed with). Afterwards the needles which are
forming the instep portion are again thrown out of action and those needles which
were previously thrown out of action are again similarly returned, into action until
all the needles of each heel group are again in action whereupon the instep needles
are also returned to action and plain knitting is resumed the fabric being again
gradually narrowed in the usual manner in order to secure the proper shape for
the foot. The fabric is knitted towards the toe until it becomes necessary to
fashion or shape the toe for which purpose any suitable or well known mechanism
may be used such for example as that for producing what is commonly known as a
French toe the toe being narrowed and free from seams at the sides. The fabric
thus completed is now removed from the needles of the knitting machine and the two
longitudinal selvedges connected together by either hand or machine sewing.
Dated this ath day of January 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in the Manufacture and Production of Stockings
and Socks.
I, ROBERT WALTER SCOTT of 2077, E Cumberland Street, in the City and
County of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America Knitting
Machine Manufacturer, 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:-
My invention relates principally to the art of knitting by the use of the system of
machinery known as "flat" or "straight" knitting machinery, and has for its object
the making of stockings and socks in a novel manner, whereby the articles are
completed as far as the knitting is concerned, on one machine, and at one operation.
According to the mode of knitting stockings and socks as heretofore practiced, it
has been necessary to make the leg, or leg and heel portion, upon one machine and
then to transfer this portion to another machine for the formation of the foot. This
not only necessitates the use of two machines but also, owing to the expense attending
the transferring operation, adds materially to the cost of the product. The heel of
the, stocking, or sock, as heretofore made, has front selvedge edges, which, in the
transferring, are united to the initial course of the foot portion, the bottom being
open, as knitted, but subsequently closed by a "linking," or other sewing process.
The shape of the heel thus formed is unsatisfactory, as, owing to its augular form,
it does not conform to the heel of the wearer.
In a stocking, or sock, made according to my invention a round, and so called,
seamless beel is formed which is not only free from the objections herein before
mentioned in connection with the selvedged heel, but also has the additional
advantage of perfect union both with the leg and foot portions, the wales, or ribs,
formed by the knitting extending from the top to the toe in an unbroken line.
The accompanying drawings serve to illustrate, in a diagrammatic way, the
mode of making a stocking in accordance with my invention.
In making my improved stocking, or sock, a machine having a straight row, or
series, of needles, or a circular machine carrying a segmental series of needles and
capable of reciprocating knitting, is employed. The process is commenced upon a
series of needles of sufficient number to form the top of the stocking, plain to and
fro knitting takes place until sufficient length to form the upper, or calf, portion of
the leg as shewn at a is made, whereupon it becomes necessary to gradually reduce

page_text: the width of the fabric as shewn at to form the portion which covers the lower
part of the calf, or that next the ankle.
This gradual narrowing may be accomplished in any well known manner,
preferably upon a Cotton's machine, whereby the narrowing is accomplished
automatically. Upon the completion of the gradual narrowing, plain to and fro
knitting is again resumed to form the web d until it becomes' necessary to form the
heel, whereupon that group, or scries, of needles for forming that portion of the
stocking comprising the instep are thrown out of action these needles however
retaining their stitches; two groups, or series, of needles being left in action, one
on either side of the inactive central group. An independent thread is now fed to
each of these active groups of needles, or if a thickened, or reinforced, heel be
desired, two of such independent threads are fed to each side group of needles; an:1
to and fro knitting takes place independently upon each group. The number of
active needles in each group is diminished by throwing out of action a needle at
the inner end of each side group at each complete back and forth reciprocation,
but each needle thus thrown out of action is still allowed to retain its stitches. This
gradual diminution of the needles in each side group is continued until the narrowest
portions of the heel webs, which are being produced on the said side groups, are
reached and the triangular webs f Figure 1 are formed whereupon all the needles
having stitches thereon, both in the side groups and centre group, are returned to
action and one course, or more than one course, knit as shewn at g to give a greater
fullness to the heel and to make a more sightly joint, (this course, or these courses,
of knitting may however be dispensed with).
When the extra course, or courses is, or are, introduced, the needles, which are
forming the instep portion, are, after the completion of these courses, again thrown
out of action and those needles, of the side groups which were previously thrown
out of action successively in narrowing, are again returned into action, successively,
but in reverse order from that in which they were thrown out, until all the needles
of each heel group are again in action and the triangular webs h are formed
whereupon the instep needles are also returned to action and plain knitting is
resumed, the fabric being again gradually narrowed as shewn at i Figure 2 in the
usual manner in order to secure the proper shape for the foot, the heel webs f. g. h.
being folded back upon the ankle web d, as shewn in Figure 2, as the formation of
the foot web proceeds.
The fabric is knitted towards the toe as shewn at m Figure 2 until it becomes
Lecessary to fashion, or shape, the toe as shewn at n Figure 2; for which purpose
any suitable, or well known, mechanism may be used, such, for example, as that for
producing what is commonly known as a French toe, the toe being narrowed and
free from seams at the sides.
The fabric thus completed is now removed from the needles of the knitting
machine and the two longitudinal selvedges are connected together by either hand
or machine sewing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The manufacture of a fashioned stocking or sock with rounded heel having
a seamless union with the leg and foot, by knitting the leg in the. form of a flat web
by to and fro knitting until the heel is reached, then throwing out of action those
needles containing the stitches around the instep portion of the stocking or sock, but
permitting the said needles to retain these stitches, then knitting to and fro with
independent threads upon the side groups of needles and gradually narrowing the
web on each of the said side groups of needles by throwing out of action needle
after needle at the inner end of each side group, but permitting each of such
inactive needles to retain its stitch, then, after the full narrowing has been effected,
bringing these needles successively into action in the reverse order from that in
which they were thrown out of action, until all the needles of each side group are

page_text: again in action then bringing into action the needles carrying the instep stitches
and then knitting to and fro upon the entire set of active needles to form the foot,
substantially as herein before described.
2nd. The manufacture of a fashioned stocking or sock with rounded heel having
a seamless union with the leg and foot, by knitting the leg in the form of a flat web
by to and fro knitting until the heel is reached, then throwing out of action those
needles containing the stitches around the instep portion of the stocking or sock,
but permitting the said needles to retain these stitches, then knitting to and fro with
.independent threads upon the side groups of needles and gradually narrowing the
web on each of the said side groups of needles by throwing out of action needle
after needle, at the inner end of each side group, but permitting each of such
inactive needles to retain its stitch, then, after the full narrowing has been effected,
bringing into action all of the needles of each side group as well as those carrying
the instep stitches and forming one complete course, or more than one complete
course of stitches on all of the needles in action, then throwing out of action the
needles carrying the instep stitches and those needles of the side groups upon which
the narrowing was previously performed, but permitting the needles thus thrown
out of action to retain their stitches, then bringing into action successively, but in
reverse order from that in which they were thrown out of action in narrowing,
those needles of the side groups upon which the narrowing was effected, until all
the needles of each side group are in action, then throwing into action the needles
carrying the instep stitches and then knitting to and fro upon the entire set of
active needles to form the foot of the stocking; substantially as hereinbefore
.described.
3rd. As new articles of manufacture stockings or socks produced by the processes
herein before described and claimed.
Dated this 30th day of October 1895
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
Agents.