Improvements in Elastic Stockings.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Elastic Stockings.
A communication by ARTHUR BREWIN KENDRICK, of No. 133, Harvey Street, in
the City and County of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States
of America, Stocking Manufacturer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
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 fol-
lowing statement:--
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, is a plan view of the stocking blank,
one half of which being in dotted outline; Figure 2, a side elevation of Figure 1;
Figure 3, a side elevation of the complete stocking; Figure 4, a plan view showing
a stocking blank, as usually made prior to this invention; and Figure 5, a similar
view of a stocking made from such blank.
This invention relates to that well known kind or class of elastic stockings—
generally used for surgical purposes-which are made from a knit fabric with
transversely disposed rubber weft threads.
Heretofore it has been customary to make the heel and instep portions of the
blank for such stockings of several parts or pieces joined to the lower part of the
ankle portion, the free ends of such parts being afterwards sewed together to form
the heel and instep portions or a part thereof.
A usual method employed in making stockings of this character is to make a
flat blank upon a suitable machine with rectangular heel-forming flaps, 1 and 2,
or extensions at each side of the lower part of the blank and a middle instep-form-
ing flap or extension, 3, that extends downwardly past the said side flaps and
laterally on one side some distance beyond the edge of the blank; the connection
of the several flaps with the main body of the blank being substantially on the
same transverse line, but they are otherwise disconnected.
One of the side flaps, 1, overlaps a part of the middle flap, 2, and the other side
flap extends downwardly past about one half the length of the middle flap, 3.
In forming the stocking, the main body of the blank; that is, the leg and ankle
parts are brought together and united by sewing, as shown at 5, and the free
lateral edges, 6, of the middle flap are brought together and sewed, and the free
inner edges, 1 and 2 of the side flaps are brought around and sewed to the con-
tiguous upper edge of the middle flap. When the parts are thus united it leaves
an opening, 7, in the heel portion of the stocking. Usually the seams are rein-
forced by tapes, 8, sewed to the fabric by a double line of stitches.
The bringing together and sewing the edges of the several parts requires con-
siderable time, and although the elastic weft threads are parallel in the blank;
when the stocking is made and worn the threads of the aforesaid middle flap

page_text: portion are quite, or nearly, at right angles to those of the side flap portions.
In addition to this, the sewed connections of the side flaps with the middle flap
are inelastic. For the foregoing reasons, the described usual construction is com-
paratively objectionable...
J. 2
The object of this invention is to simplify the making of stockings of the class
recited, to obviate the aforesaid objections, and to provide a better and more
desirable elastic stocking than any heretofore known.
To this end, the stocking blank, a, is made in the form shown in Figures 1
and 2, of the accompanying drawings. The leg, b, and ankle, c, portions are
formed in the usual way; but when the upper part of the heel portion is come
to on each side a triangular part or gore, d," is made that extends nearly to the
middle line, r, of the blank-as clearly seen in Figure 1-in which gore the
rubber weft threads, although, parallel with each other, are at an angle to those
of the preceding parts of the blank, and also to the instep portion, e, which it is
proposed to make in the form shown, when the gore has been completed.
The stocking is completed by bringing the edges of the blank together, then
uniting them by sewing through and if necessary, reinforcing the seam by a
tape, f Figure 3,-in the usual manner.
The effect of the gored portion is, so to say, to throw the parallel weft threads of
that part below the gore-the instep-at an acute angle to the weft threads of
the ankle portion, which latter, as seen, are at an angle to those of the ankle part.
It will be seen that by this improved construction described, there is secured
not only comparative simplicity and economy in making of elastic stockings,
but uniformity and a maximum of elasticity-only a single longitudinal seam
being required, which elasticity is for each part of the stocking, when in use,
in the proper direction; that is to say, the draw of the weft threads is always
practically in a plane at right angles to the axis of the particular part of the foot
which they embrace.
It is remarked that as the mode of making elastic stockings is well known, for
perspicuity, the knitted threads are not shown, and in the drawings only the trans-
verse rubber weft threads are shown or indicated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. The integral blank for elastic stockings of the class recited, comprised of the
leg and ankle portions having the transverse parallel rubber weft threads, substan-
tially at right angles to the axis of the blank; the opposite triangular or gored
portions at the heel part, wherein the weft threads are parallel with each other
but at an angle to those of said other parts, and the instep portions wherein the
weft threads are at angle to those of the ankle and leg portions of the blank, sub-
stantially as shown and described.
2. An elastic stocking of the class recited, having in the heel portion thereof
a gore, the rubber weft threads of which are parallel with each other, but at an
angle to the weft threads of the other parts of the stocking, and having also the
instep portion whose weft threads are at an angle to those of said gore, and at an
angle to those of the said other parts, whereby the draw on said weft threads
throughout the stocking is always practically in a plane at right angles to the
axis of the particular part of the foot or leg which they embrace, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 15th day of August 1898.

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