Method of and apparatus for knitting and linking articles of wear

Claim 1

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING STOCKINGS, COMPRISING THE FOLLOWING STEPS: (A) KNITTING A STOCKING ON A CIRCULAR OR STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE HAVING AT LEAST A FOOT PORTION AND KNITTING AT THE TOE REGION OF SAID FOOT PORTION A LINKING COURSE FOLLOWED BY AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL COURSE OF STITCHES; (B) KNITTING AT LEAST ONE COURSE OF WALES FOLLOWING SAID ADDITIONAL COURSE OF STITCHES TO PROVIDE THE STOCKING WITH AN UPSTANDING CIRCULAR RIB ON THE FABRIC SURFACE; (A) FLATTENING THE TOE REGION OF THE STOCKING IN ORDER TO SUPERPOSE THE HALF PORTIONS OF SAID CIRCULAR RIB ON EACH OTHER; (D) GUIDING SAID FLATTENED TOE REGION OF THE STOCKING BY MEANS OF SAID RIB TANGENTIALLY OF THE PERIPHERY OF A ROTARY LINKING DIAL CARRYING THE POINTS ON A LINKING MACHINE, WHILE MAINTAINING SAID RIB AT A LEVEL SUCH THAT THE STITCHES IN THE LINKING COURSE ARE FLUSH WITH THE POINTS ON THE LINKING DIAL AND IMPALING SAID STITCHES IN THE LINKING COURSE ON SAID POINTS; AND (E) CLOSING THE TOE OF THE STOCKING SUSPENDED FROM THE POINTS ON THE LINKING DIAL BY ENPLOYING THE DEVICES FOR SEAMING THE STOCKING WITH WHICH THE LINKNG MACHINE IS EQUIPPED.