Improvements in and relating to Knitted Articles of Wearing Apparel.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th July, 1891-4ccepted, 8th Aug., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Knitted Articles of Wearing
Apparel.
I, JANE BOURNE, wife of Henry Bourne, a Citizen of the United States
of America, residing at Silver Cliff, in the County of Custer and State of Colorado,
one of the United States of America, 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:-
This invention relates to knitted goods of personal apparel, such as stockings,
underwear, jerseys, and the like, which fit the limbs of the wearer closely, and it
has for its object to produce articles of the kind named adapted at all times, no
matter what the position of the limb, to fit the wearer closely at the limb joints,
particularly at the knee and elbow joints, and at the same time produce a more
durable article of apparel without increasing the thickness of the material at any
point, thus avoiding bulkiness at any point as is the result when the article is
thickened or reinforced at. any particular point of strain, and also rendering great
elasticity to that part of the article exposed to the greatest strain while in use, and
it consists in shaping the article to the limb joints by the knitting therein, at the
desired points, of additional yarns or threads arranged in series of courses of
different lengths in such a manner as to form the article at these points to the shape
of the limb joints, as will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this Specification-
Figure 1 is a side view of a stocking embodying my invention, and
Figure 2 a side view of a sleeve also embodying my invention.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
As is well known all articles of apparel, such as undershirts, drawers, jerseys and
stockings, which are made of knitted goods and adapted to fit the person of the
wearer closely, usually wear out or break at the knees and elbows, owing to the
almost constant strain on them at these points, before they do at other parts, this
being especially the case with children's stockings and ladies' jerseys. An attempt
has been made to obviate these objectionable features in stockings by doubling or
reinforcing the material at the knee, this is objectionable because it renders the
stocking clumsy and bulky at the knee joint in whatever position the limb may be―
either straight or bent. It has also been attempted to give the stocking the
shape of the limb and also greater strength or durability by inserting a thickened
gore at the knee. This is objectionable for the reason that the thickening of the
material at any particular point renders the stocking bulky and clumsy at that
point, and also because no provision is made for the return of the limb to a straight
position after it has been bent at the knee, that is, the gore having no elasticity or
tendency to exert a tension in the direction of the length of the stocking, will not
take up or contract the bagginess formed by the knee in bending, its only tension
being in the direction of the width of the stocking which, in bending the knee, is
not increased or stretched, and the part stretched, which is that portion over the
knee cap, will remain stretched so far as the gore exerts any tendency to
contract it.
By my invention I effectually obviate these objectionable features in wearing
apparel of knitted materials by knitting in the article at the point exposed to the
greatest strain in bending the limbs, additional yarns or threads in numbers varying
according to the size of the article, said yarns or threads being preferably knitted
in two series of courses of different lengths.
A, represents a knitted stocking formed according to my invention, in which,
a, indicates the additional or extra yarns forming the long series of rows or courses,

page_text: and, b, the additional yarns forming the short series of rows or courses, the long
series of courses terminating at the line; e; and the short series of courses at the
line, d, the original yarn or courses being indicated by the letter, f.
In order to form a stocking according to my invention, I first cast seventy-five
stitches to form the top, g, of the stocking; and then knit' fifty rounds or courses, a
seam or reversed stitch, h, being formed! at the rear of. the leg, of. the. stocking,
which brings the work down to the point, i, at which point I begin to form the
angle or give the stocking the shape of the leg by knitting nine stitches past the
seam to the line, c, where I leave the original yarn, f, and take an extra yarn, a,
and knit a course round the stocking to within nine stitches of the seam on the
opposite side. The yarn, a, is then cut off so as to leave the ends about one and
one-half inches in length. I then slip, without knitting, onto my needle nineteen
stitches, one of these being the seam or reversed stitch, which brings me to the
line,, where I take up the original yarn, f, and knit a course entirely round the
stocking. This operation is repeated three times, forming the three rows or courses
of additional yarn, a, and three rows or courses of the original yarn, f. I then knit
eighteen stitches of the original yarn, f, from the seam to the line, d, where I leave
the original yarn and take an additional or extra yarn, b, and knit round the
stocking to within eighteen stitches of the seam, then cut off the yarn leaving its
ends about one and one-half inches in length, and slip thirty-seven stitches, one of
these being the seam or reversed stitch, on my needle without knitting, which brings
me to line, d, where I take up the original yarn, f, and knit a course round the
stocking to line c, where I take an extra yarn, a, and repeat the operation described
above. Thus, when I commence forming the bend or angle in the stocking I put
in three extra courses or rows which commence and end nine stitches from the seam
on each side of the stocking, and knit a row or course of the original yarn entirely
round the stocking between the extra or additional rows thus formed. I then put
in ten or more extra or additional courses of yarn, a, running from line, c, and ten
or more courses of yarn, b, running from line, d, alternately, and a row or course of
the original yarn, f, being knitted entirely round the stocking between the extra
courses of yarn, after which I knit in three rows or courses of yarn, a, similar to
the first three rows, to complete the angle, and then fashion the rest of the stocking
as is customary. As will be observed from the foregoing description, the original
yarn is never broken, and by being knitted in between the extra courses of yarn
will maintain the shape thus given to the stocking, and furnish a more durable,
comfortable and economical stocking, in which a uniform curve is formed to
correspond to the curve of the knee when bent without unduly increasing the
longitudinal tension on the stocking, while it fits closely to the leg when in a straight
position and does not gather or form a fullness over the knee.
The stocking described above is adapted in size for a child of about seven or
eight years of age, and the number of stitches required to form a stocking after
my invention will of course vary according to the size of the stocking desired.
In Figure 2 is shown a sleeve, B, of an undershirt or jersey coat embodying my
invention, the only difference in the construction of which from a stocking being
that the angle is formed' on the rear or outer side of the sleeve to cover the elbow,
the additional rows or courses of stitches terminating near the front or inner side of
the sleeve instead of the rear, as in the case of a stocking.
This invention is applicable to all knitted articles of apparel having legs or
sleeves, and I do not therefore desire to be limited to any particular article of
apparel nor to the formation thereof by hand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained 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. A tubular knitted article of wearing apparel' having the shape of the limb
joint formed therein by a series of short discontinuous courses or rows of the same
length, each lying between two adjacent continuous rows or courses extending

page_text: round the garment, and a series of long discontinuous courses or rows of the same
length, alternating with said short courses and each lying between two continuous
courses, substantially as described.
2. A tubular kuitted article of wearing apparel having the shape of the limb
joint formed therein by a series of short discontinuous rows or courses over the
joint, each of which is of the same length, lying between continuous rows or courses
extending round the garment, a series of long discontinuous rows or courses each
of which is of the same length and lying between two adjacent continuous rows or
courses, and a series of long discontinuous rows or courses of the same length
formed above and also below the joint, each of which rows or courses lies between
two adjacent continuous rows or courses, substantially as described.
Dated this 7th day of Iul., 1001
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.