Method and apparatus for knitting

Claim 1

METHOD OF KNITTING A CIRCULAR COMPRESSIVE STOCKING WITH A MAIN NYLON YARN STRAND, A BARE ELASTOMERIC POLYURETHANE YARN STRAND AND A COVERING NYLON YARN STRAND COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FEEDING THE COVERING YARN STRAND AND THE ELASTOMERIC YARN STRAND TO THE SAME POINT IN THE KNITTING STATION AND PLAITING THE SAME TO THEREBY POSITION THE COVER YARN TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE FABRIC WHILE CONTROLLING THE LENGTH OF THE ELASTOMERIC YARN STRAND DURING FEEDING THEREOF BY WRAPPING THE YARN ABOUT A ROTATING FEED WHEEL INTERPOSED BETWEEN A YARN SUPPLY AND THE KNITTING STATION, THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL SURFACE OF THE WHEEL HAVING A HIGH COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION AND A LOW STATIC CONDUCTIVITY WHEREBY THE YARN IS FED TO THE KNITTING STATION WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL VARIATIONS OF LENGTH; THE ROTATING FEED WHEEL FEEDING THE YARN TO A FEEDING STATION HAVING A YARN FINGER ADJACENT THE KNITTING STATION; THE YARN FINGER HAVING TWO ANGULAR HOLES INCLUDING AN UPPER HOLE WHICH IS CLOSER TO THE NEEDLES OF THE KNITTING STATION; THE METHOD FURTHER INCLUDING RUNNING THE ELASTOMERIC YARN THROUGH SAID UPPER HOLE.