Improvements in the Manufacture of Union or Combination Garments
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 10th Nov., 1894
COMITETE STEVIE WATION.,
66
• Improvements in the Manufacture of Union or Combination
Garments:
A communication from abroad by MULFORD MARSH DUNN, Book-keeper, of
28, Townsend Street, Roxbury, in the State of Massachusetts, one of the
United States of America.
I, ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent 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 has for its object the production in a novel manner of a novel
union or "combination" garment.
One part of this invention consists in a union or combination garment comprising
a piece A containing one leg and part of the front of the garment, a piece B
containing the other leg and the other part of the front of the garment, the back,
and a back flap folded upon itself and united to the waist portion at its line of fold
and also united to the leg portions along opposito edges and having its adjacent
sides overlapped, substantially as will be described.
Also in a union garment comprising a piece A containing one leg and part of the
front of the garment, a piece B containing the other leg and the other part of the
front of the garment, the back, and a back flap terminating in oppositely tapered
ends and folded upon itself and united to the waist portion at its line of fold and
also united to the leg portions along opposite edges and having its adjacent sides
over-lapped, substantially as will be described!
Also a union garment composed essentially of two halves or fronts, each presenting
fabric to surround and cover a leg and substantially one-half of the front of the
waist and bust above, and each half having a waist start presenting a series of
loops consolidated in the line of the bottom of the waist; a two-ply back flap
having its upper end in the line of the bottom of the waist, and a piece of fabric
knitted to the waist starts and to the upper end of the back flaps to constitute the
back of the waist and the back and shoulder covering portion above it, said piece
of fabric having selvage edges of each part of the front under the arm 'scye, all
substantially as will be shown and described.
"
Also the method of knitting union garments, which consists in knitting separately
the two halves A, B, of the garment of the proper width and shape substantially to
the bottom of the waist line at the back, running the loops off from some of the
needles to inake "waist starts having loops, continuing the knitting at one side
of the waist starts" toward the top of the garment to form a bust covering
portion, running the loops of the bust covering portion off the needles!knitting a
back flap, picking the loops thereof and of the "waist starts" of the two halves of
the fabric onto needles in the same row, knitting the fabric to cover the back from
the "waist starts" to the neck, and uniting the back doubled on itself to the leg
covering portions of the two halves, and thereafter uniting portions of each leg
thereof from the ankle up to the lower ends of the back flap, substantially as will
be described.
--
Also that method of knitting union garments which comprehends knitting
separately the two halves A, B, of the garment, each of the proper width and shape up
substantially to the bottom of the waist line at the back, running the loops off from:
some needles to leave loops to constitute" waist starts," continuing the knitting at one:

page_text: side the "waist starts "towards the top of the garment to form a bust covering portion,
running the loops of the bust covering portion off the needles, knitting a two-ply
back flap, picking the loops of the back flap onto needles, picking the loops of the
"waist starts." onto other needles in the same row, said needles being less in
number than the needles the said loops were made upon, knitting the back of the
garment to the said "waist starts" and to the said back flap, and thereafter
uniting the edges of the back flap to each leg covering portion, uniting the
selvages of the leg covering parts of the two halves each to the other, from the
ankle to the lower end of the back flap, and uniting the main part of the back and
of the bust covering portion to the arm scye, substantially as will be described.
""'
Also that method of knitting union garments, which consists in knitting
separately the two halves A, B, of the garment of the proper width and shape up
substantially to the bottom of the waist line at the back; consolidating some of
the loops onto a less number of needles than were required to knit the loops and
thus form "waist starts to leave loops; continuing the knitting at one side the
"waist starts" toward the top of the garment to form a bust covering portion ;
knitting a two-ply back flap picking the loops of the back flap onto needles;
picking the loops of the "waist starts" onto other needles in the same row and
upon a less number of needles than said loops were made upon; knitting the back
of the waist to the said "waist starts" and to the said back flap, and knitting the
back of the garment to the back of the waist, and thereafter uniting the two front.
halves each to itself for a part of its length to form suitable legs; uniting the
edges of the back flap to each leg, and uniting the main part of the back and of
the back of the waist to the fronts above the bottom of the waist, substantially as
will be described.
Also that method of knitting union garments, which consists in knitting the
web or fabric for a leg and front, which comprehends the leg, widening said:
web as will be described to substantially the widest. course for the top of the.
hip, then transferring part of the loop to change the character of the knitting
for the waist, and consolidating the loops for part of the width of the web.
running the loops off for part of the width of the web to leave a "waist start
and then continuing the knitting for the front of the waist and the bust
covering part of said front, substantially as will be described.
"
In accordance with my invention a leg portion for one half or front of a
union garment having been knitted in usual manner from the ankle to the line
of the bottom of the waist my correspondent transfers the stitches near one of
the double row of needles laterally onto other needles, thus providing some of;
the needles with two stitches; he then knits a course or two on all the needles,
and at the next course runs the stitches off those needles on which the stitches
were consolidated, thus leaving a row of loops, and he continues the knitting
on the needles of both rows with a two and one rib until the waist for that
half of the front is of the proper lengtli, when the needles left out of action,
for making two and one rib are returned into action to make one and one rib,
knitting from the top of the waist to the top of the garment,
Leaving the consolidated series of loops projecting from the front. in the
course in line with the bottom of the waist, said loops being at that edge of.
the fabric which is to lie at the back of the waist, is an important part of my
invention, and said loops constitute a starting point for the back of the waist.
The knitted course containing these loops after starting the waist show
stitches of two characters, that part of the course from which the loops. project
showing two knitted wales brought into one.
By consolidating said loops to form what I shall designate as the "waist
starts" it is possible to leave. a line of loops sufficiently less in number than
the needles on which they were knitted prior to the consolidation, that when.
the loops of two halves of the garment are picked, onto the needles of both
rows preparatory to knitting to said loops the back of the waist, and to the.
waist the back of the garment, there shall be left bare between the waist start

page_text: loops a sufficient number of needles to receive loops or stitches of a previously
knitted double or two-ply back flap to be described, so that the central part
of the back of the waist may be knitted directly to the back flap.
This consolidation of the loops of the waist start to thus bring the loops
extending from the shoulder or projection left at that side of the garment may
and preferably will, be done by a transferring operation before the loops are
run off, and the transferring will preferably be preceded by preparing the
needles for two, and one ribbing, but the loops may be run off of a number of
needles without being transferred, and be picked onto a 'less number of needles
when the "waist starts" of the two halves are to have the waist knitted to
them and to have the back of the warst knitted to the back flap, but such plan
although within the scope of my invention would result in an unnecessary loss
of time.
t
The back flap used by me is knitted separately, and preferably in one piece
of uniform thickness from end to end, but with two pointed ends so that when
used it may be folded transversely, the stitches at the line of the fold being
picked onto needles of the machine in order that the back of the waist may be
knitted to it.
The back flap piece when doubled upon itself as stated, causes one end to
overlap the other thus forming virtually two flaps, one co-operating with and
extending from each leg, and instead of doubling the said back flap upon itself
and picking its loops onto needles as described, my invention would not be
departed from if the said strip was actually severed transversely and made into
two separate pieces, each being subsequently applied to the machine needles
between those holding the loops of the "waist starts," but for cheapness and
expedition of work the one piece doubled over flap is preferred, and by the
term two ply" as used in connection with the back flap, I mean to cover &
back Bap whether in one or two pieces.
65
In the manufacture of my improved garment there are knitted three separate
pieces, two fronts, each having "waist starts "with looped edges pointing
toward the top of the garment, and a back Hap, such as described, and my
correspondent theu picks the loops at the "waist starts" and at the back of
the flap onto machine needles, and commences knitting a fourth piece to constitute
the back of the waist and back of the garment above it, the knitting of the back
of the waist uniting all three pieces without a seam at the back, and without
putting a tapered or any pointed gore in the waist at the back.
મ
In most instances of my invention it is preferred to knit the back Hap strip a
little narrower near its centre than at its ends, but in some instances where great
fulness is required at the back below the waist, I may knit a full width the part of
the back flap which is to be picked onto machine needles to have the back of the
waist knitted to it, and in picking the loops of the 'back flap on,
consolidate
said loops onto a less number of needles.
may
By my improved method of knitting union garments, it is possible to form the
leg without seam at the side of the hip, and also to make the frout of the garment
so wide as to fully cover and avoid the use of a so-called front flap, and also of
such width to avoid the use of gores at the front where it covers the bust, and
the garment across and about the hips is free to stretch, as in ordinary one and
one rib knitting.
Fig. 1 shows in frout view a garment embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 a back view..
Fig. 3 a view of one of the separate pieces of my improved garment, it con.
stituting the leg and the front of one half of the garment.
Fig. 4 shows a corresponding piece for the other half of the garment.
Fig. 5 shows the back flap in the condition in which it is preferably left by
knitting.
Fig. 6 shows the back flap doubled on itself in the line .c.
Fig. 7 shows the back flap and side shown in Figs. 3 and 4, as brought together

page_text: and as having had the back of the garment, including the back of the waist,
knitted to them.
My garment will preferably be knitted on a machine containing two rows of
sliding needles adapted to cross each other, a machine, say, of what is commonly
known as the Lamb type, it being run for my work to kuit a flat web, the web
being, however, widened and narrowed as will be described.
For the production of my novel union garment, I select a machine having two
rows of needles, as stated, a machine having as many needles as there are loops to be
made in the widest course of knitting to be produced in either of the three separate
pieces of fabric entering into the garment to be made, the widest courses being in
what I denominate the fronts or front halves of the fabric, and at substantially
the bottom line of the waist.
My improved garment has a right front and a left front, made separately and
commonly set up at different ends of the rows of needles, and as the right front and
the left front are produced in like manner and differ only in that the waist start.
of one front projects from the right hand edge, and the waist start of the other
front from the left hand edge, I need, therefore, specifically describe but one frout,
and in so doing shall refer chiefly to the front shown in Fig. 3.
By my improved method, and to reduce to the minimum the labor of knitting,
I set up on both rows of needles in usual' manner enough loops to start the bottom
of the ankle, and I knit from the end a to the point 6, which forms the top of the
ankle..
I then add at each side the needles first employed, additional needles to widen
the web from 6 to c, to thus fit the calf of the leg, and from the point c to the
point may kuit the web of substantially uniform width, but at the point d I
commence again to widen, adding gradually preferably at one selvage edge, viz. :—
the edge which is to constitute the open edge of the front of the garment,
additional needles, to thus widen the fabric from d to. e, so that the web when
united in a garment will amply cover the larger part of the thigh and front of
the body.
From the point e to the point f, f, I may knit the web, as shown, of substantially
uniform width, or I may narrow the same slightly at that selvage which is to
come at the back of the garment below the waist, as represented by the dotted
line 10.
On arriving, however, at the point, fi, I have brought into operation, it may
be supposed, all the needles which I need for the broadest course in the front, and
at that point in most instances I shall have in use substantially all the needles of
the machine.
Now an important step of my invention comes in, wiz.-I want to make a
" waist start
or leave a portion of the fabric or web to project as a shoulder or
corner and present a consolidated series of loops, so that at a later period after the
front half of the garment has been finished and run off the needles I may again
commence knitting at the waist starts and knit to the loops thereof the back of
the waist.
The fabric produced between the points dande and from e to f," is without
seam, and it is made sufficiently broad by widening at the desired points to fit
about the hip and afford all the room required, and to gain desired size the fabric
may be widened niore or less from d to e
I
Prior to this invention my.correspondent is not aware of any union garment
which in the process of its production has ever presented a "waist start," the term
used by him to cover the corner or space included within the bracket w, Fig. 4, it
presenting a set of loops consolidated to present loops of less number than the
needles used to make the shoulder from which said loops project, adapted, as stated,
to be picked onto needles.
As further illustrating my invention, let it be assumed that I am knitting a
size 4 garment and that in the course, I had brought into action
substantially all the needles of both rows of needles in the machine, that ie,

page_text: 276 needles, or 138 needles in the front row and 138 needles in the back row, and,
desiring to make the "waist starts" and then continue the knitting for the front
of the waist and the bust covering portion above it, I stop the machine and with a
transferring comb transfer the loops from each alternate needle in the back row of
needles upon the adjacent needle in the back row, and I then pull down or out of
action the needles which have been divested of their loops, and theu, coming to the
front row of needles, 138 in number, and, supposing that the loops on 52 of said
front row of needles are to be utilized in the production of the waist starts," I
transfer, as above described, the loops from alternate needles of the 52 needles
laterally, and put them onto, say, 26 needles, thus leaving 28 needles bare from. f1
to on both rows of needles, and I then start the machine and knit all the
weedles left in action in both rows between the points f¹, one or two courses, and
I then run the loops off of the said 26 needles in the front row and in the back
row from f¹ to f and continue knitting on the remaining needles of the frout and
back rows, 86 at front and 46 at back, for the production of the waist I preferring
at that point to knit a two and one rib, as such a rib effects a contraction of the
fabric for the waist, and 1 knit the web or fabric from ff to g, the line of the
top of the waist, and then I preferably return into action the 43 needles previously
drawn down in the back row, and let them come into operation in knitting the
bust covering part of the front to the top of the garment, that part of the web
being preferably a one and one rib, but if desired I may give more space at the
armacye by narrowing one selvage of the bust covering part, as from / to i.
The back flap D, see Fig. 5, where it is laid out flat, may be commenced at one
end and be gradually widened and then knitted for some distance of substantially
uniform width, and then be again narrowed and widened, and then be knitted again
of substantially uniform width, and be again narrowed rather abruptly to make a
second pointed end tapered, however, oppositely from the taper of the end at which
the knitting was commenced, see Figs. 6 and 7, said back flap when to be used,
being overlapped in the line Fig. 5, so that its loops at that point may be picked
onto those needles of the machine which are located between the needles upon
which are picked the loops at the "waist starts."
The back flap need not, however, be marrowed and widened centrally as indicated
in Fig. 5, but may be knitted of uniform width from 12 to 14, and separated or not,
as desired, in the linea, the loops, however, at that line being picked onto a less
number of needles of the machine preparatory to knitting the back of the waist.
The back flap in the line -x, when narrower at the middle of its length, as
shown in Fig. 5, may have about 52 stitches requiring 52 needles, and it will be
obvious that if the stitches of the "waist starts were not consolidated, the
operator could not put the loops of two "waist starts onto the needles used in the
front row and yet leave bare between the two "waist starts" enough needles out of
the 138 in the front row to receive the 52 loops of the back flap, and it is to get
theso needles bare for the reception of the back flap loops between the loops of the
"waist starts," that the compacting of the loops at the waist starts" is done, and
I preferably transfer and compact these loops before running them off the needles,
for otherwise the loops would have to be picked on separately to the needles when
the back of the waist was to be commenced, and then transferred systematically
onto the proper number of needles, all of which would require a very considerable
expenditure of time.
The consolidated loops of the "waist starts having been picked onto a number
of needles of the machine less than the number holding yarn at that point when the
widest course was knitted in the line,, and the loops, of the upper end of the
back flap, preferably one and one ribbed knitting having also been picked onto
the two rows of needles, so that the back flap loops occupy the same space between
the loops of the "waist starts" of the two fronts or halves of the fabric, said loops
all having been picked onto the needles in the line o-o Fig. 7, the knitting will be
coinmenced, and the waist from on will be knitted with preferably a two and one
rib as a continuation not only of the "waist, starts," but also of the upper end of
s
:

page_text: the back flap, and a waist having been knitted for the proper length, the kuitting
will preferably be continued as a one and one rib from n to p, to constitute the back
or shoulder covering portion of proper length for the garment.
The back of the waist and the back above it having been knitted to the back of
the flap and "waist starts as represented in Fig. 7, 1 complete the garment as
follows:-
"
I stitch together the legs, the selvage at one edge of a leg to the selvage at its
other edge from about the line a to d, then I stitch the outer edges r, r, of the flap
to the selvage edges from d to f¹ of the two leg portions, knitted rights and lefts,
and preferably the selvage edge of the overlying half of the flap from to ris
connected to the selvage edge of the leg below the centre of the waist, I having
shown, as prefer, the connectious as made wholly below the fabric constituting
the waist of the garment. The edges of the flap from 3 to 4, see Figs. 6 and 7, are
joined each to the proper leg from about the point e down to, at or a little
below d.
Fig. 7 shows the edges of the flap unattached and the fabric for the legs laid out
flat, but said edges will be brought together and united, as specified, and shown in
Figs. 1 and 2.
Seams must then be made to unite the back of the waist to the front parts of the.
waist under the arm scye, and the edges of the back to the edges of the fronts to
the bottom of the arm scye, and then the upper ends of the two front parts may be
united to the back to form the shoulders, leaving suitable openings or spacey for
the neck. The sleeves, made in usual manner, may. be then united to the body of
the garment at the arm scye.
Fig. 2 shows the fabric united to form my improved garment, the series of
vertical lines showing the two and one rib waist;
Figs. 1 and 2 show the fashion or shape that the separate parts in Figs. 3 to 7,
assume when knitted as described; and united to complete the garment..
By the term "two-ply"" 'when used with, relation to the back flap, 1. mean one
layer of back flap overlapping another layer.
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
olaim is :-
1. A union or combination garment comprising a picce A containing one leg and
part of the front of the garment, a piece B containing the other leg and the other
'part of the front of the garment, the back, and a back-flap. folded upon itself and
united to the waist portion at its line of fold and also united to the leg portions
along opposite edges and having its adjacent sides overlapped substantially as
'described.
2. A union garment comprising a piece A containing one leg and part of the
'front of the garment, a piece B containing the other leg and the other part of the
front of the garment, the back, and a back flap terminating in oppositely tapered
ends and folded upon itself and united to the waist portion at its line of fold and
also united to the leg portions along opposite edges and having its adjacent.sides.
over-lapped, substantially as described.
3. A union garment composed essentially of two halves or fronts, each presenting
fabric to surround and cover a leg and substantially one-half of the front of the
waist and bust above, and each half having a waist start presenting a series of loops
consolidated in the line of the bottom of the waist; a two-ply back flap having its
upper end in the line of the bottom of the waist, and a piece of fabric knitted to
the waist starts and to the upper end of the back flaps to constitute the back of the
waist and the back and shoulder covering portion above it, said piece of fabric
having selvage edges of each part of the front under the arm scye, all substantially
'as' shown and described.
4. The method of knitting union garments, which consists in knitting separately
"the two halves A, B, of the garment of the proper width and shape substantially

page_text: "
to the bottom of the waist line at the back, running the loops off some of the
needles to make "waist starts" having loops, continuing the knitting at one side
of the "waist starts toward the top of the garment to form a bust covering
portion, running the loops of the bust covering portion off the needles knitting a
back flap, picking the loops thereof and of the "waist starts" of the two halves of
the fabric onto needles in the same row, knitting the fabric to cover the back from
the "waist starts" to the neck, and uniting the back doubled on itself to the leg
covering portions of the two halves, and thereafter uniting portions of each leg
thereof from the ankle up to the lower ends of the back flap, substantially as
described.
"
5. The method of knitting union garments which comprehends knitting separately
the two halves A, B, of the garment, each of the proper width and shape up
substantially to the bottom of the waist line at the back, running the loops off from
some needles to leave loops to constitute "waist starts," continuing the knitting at
one side the "waist starts toward the top of the garment to form a bust covering
portion, running the loops of the bust covering portion off the needles, knitting a
two-ply back flap, picking the loops of the back flap onto needles, picking the loops
of the waist starts outo other needles in the same row, said needles being less in
number than the needles the said loops were made upon, knitting the back of the
garment to the said "waist starts" and to the said back flap, and thereafter uniting
the edges of the back flap to each leg covering portion, uniting the selvages of the
leg covering parts of the two halves each to the other from the ankle to the lower
end of the back flap, and uniting the main part of the back and of the bust
covering portion to the arm scye, substantially as described.
"
"
"
6. The method of knitting union garments, which consists in knitting separately
the two halves A, B, of the garment of the proper width and shape up substantially
to the bottom of the waist line at the back; consolidating some of the loops onto
a less number of needles than were required to knit the loops and thus form
"waist starts to leave loops; continuing the knitting at one side the "waist
starts toward the top of the garment to form a bust covering portion; knitting a
two-ply back flap picking the loops of the back flap onto needles; picking the
loops of the "waist starts onto other needles in the same row and upon a less
number of needles than said loops were made upon; knitting the back of the waist
to the said "waist starts" and to the said back flap, and knitting the back of the
garment to the back of the waist, and thereafter uniting the two front halves each
to itself for a part of its length to form suitable legs; uuiting the edges of the back
Hap to each leg, and uniting the main part of the back and of the back of the
waist to the fronts above the bottom of the waist, substantially as described.
وو
7. The method of knitting union garments, which consists in knitting the web
or fabric for a leg and front, which comprehends the leg, widening said web as
described to substantially the widest course for the top of the hip, then transferring
part of the loops to change the character of the knitting for the waist, and
consolidating the loops for part of the width of the web, running the loops off for
part of the width of the web to leave a "waist start," and then continuing the
knitting for the frout of the waist and the bust covering part of said front,
substantially as described.
DLL of Ontaban 1901
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,, Agents for the Applicant.