Method for fabricating panty hose

Claim 1

The method of making a garment of knit fabric construction with two elongated knit hosiery blanks having leg and elongated upper portions terminating in an open end comprising the steps of placing two uncut blanks against each other in side by side relation at least in the upper portions and aligning at least one point of the edges of each upper portion, feeding the upper portions of the blanks in a first directed path of travel substantially along the length of the blanks while retaining alignment of the blanks at least in the upper portions, simultaneously cutting and sewing the two blanks together from said open end for a predetermined distance in the same operation, wherein one side of said cut is sewn for said predetermined distance in the upper portions and then sewing the two blanks together along the other side of said cut thereby forming the panty portion of the garment.

Claim 2

The method of making a garment of knit fabric construction with two elongated knit hosiery blanks having leg and elongated upper portions terminating in an open end comprising the steps of placing two uncut blanks against each other in side by side relation at least in the upper portions and aligning at least one point of the edges of each upper portion, feeding the upper portions of the blanks in a first directed path of travel substantially along the length of the blanks while retaining alignment of the blanks at least in the upper portions, simultaneously cutting and sewing the two blanks together from said open end for a predetermined distance in the same operation, wherein one side of said cut is sewn for said predetermined distance in the upper portions and then sewing the two blanks together along the other side of said cut thereby forming the panty portion of the garment.

Claim 3

A method of making a garment of knit fabric construction, comprising the steps of: a. knitting a pair of tubular members, each including a leg portion and an upper portion terminating in an open end; b. positioning said members together with respective edges of said open ends aligned, with said upper portions unfolded and disposed adjacent to and external of each other and with selected longitudinal elements of the respective upper portions being arranged generally parallel to the longitudinal axes thereof, adjacent and generally parallel to each other; c. longitudinally machine seaming said positioned members from the open ends of said uPper portions along said longitudinal elements thereof to a predetermined crotch point proximate said leg portion to provide a seam joining said longitudinal elements and during said seaming as part of the same continuous machine operation longitudinally machine slitting said elements of both members adjacent to and for the length of the seam whereby in the same such machine operation a first respective longitudinal slit edge on each member is formed and also joined by said seam, a second respective longitudinal slit edge on each said member of the same length as the first is formed but not joined and none of said first and second edges are trimmed; d. positioning said respective unjoined second slit edges together in parallel alignment while retaining said members in the machine used to perform said seaming and slitting; and e. longitudinally machine seaming said positioned second edges together from said predetermined crotch point to a point proximate said open ends of said upper portions to provide a seam joining said second edges as a continuation of the seam joining said first edges, said steps being effective to produce a garment with the upper seamed portions of the pair of tubular members defining the waist and crotch sections of the garment and with the leg portions of the pair of tubular members defining the leg portions of the garment.

Claim 4

A method of making a garment of knit fabric construction, comprising the steps of: a. knitting a pair of tubular members, each including a leg portion and an upper portion terminating in an open end; b. positioning said members together with respective edges of said open ends aligned, with said upper portions unfolded and disposed adjacent to and external of each other and with selected longitudinal elements of the respective upper portions being arranged generally parallel to the longitudinal axes thereof, adjacent and generally parallel to each other; c. longitudinally machine seaming said positioned members from the open ends of said uPper portions along said longitudinal elements thereof to a predetermined crotch point proximate said leg portion to provide a seam joining said longitudinal elements and during said seaming as part of the same continuous machine operation longitudinally machine slitting said elements of both members adjacent to and for the length of the seam whereby in the same such machine operation a first respective longitudinal slit edge on each member is formed and also joined by said seam, a second respective longitudinal slit edge on each said member of the same length as the first is formed but not joined and none of said first and second edges are trimmed; d. positioning said respective unjoined second slit edges together in parallel alignment while retaining said members in the machine used to perform said seaming and slitting; and e. longitudinally machine seaming said positioned second edges together from said predetermined crotch point to a point proximate said open ends of said upper portions to provide a seam joining said second edges as a continuation of the seam joining said first edges, said steps being effective to produce a garment with the upper seamed portions of the pair of tubular members defining the waist and crotch sections of the garment and with the leg portions of the pair of tubular members defining the leg portions of the garment.

Claim 5

A method of making a garment of knit fabric construction, comprising the steps of: a. knitting a pair of tubular members, each including a leg portion and an upper portion terminating in an open end; b. positioning said members together with respective edges of said open ends aligned, with said upper portions unfolded and disposed adjacent to and external of each other and with selected longitudinal elements of the respective upper portions being arranged generally parallel to the longitudinal axes thereof, adjacent and generally parallel to each other; c. longitudinally machine seaming said positioned members from the open ends of said upper portions along said longitudinal elements thereof to a predetermined crotch point proximate said leg portion to provide a seam joining said longitudinal elements and during said seaming as part of the same continuous machine operation longitudinally machine slitting said elements of both members adjacent to and for the length of the seam whereby in the same such machine operation a first respective longitudinal slit edge on each member is formed and also joined by said seam, a second respective longitudinal slit edge on each said member of the same length as the first is formed but not joined and none of said first and second edges are trimmed; d. positioning said respective unjoined second slit edges together in parallel alignment while retaining said members in the machine used to perform said seaming and slitting; and e. longitudinally machine seaming said positioned second edges together from said predetermined crotch point to a point proximate said open ends of said upper portions to provide a seam joining said second edges as a continuation of the seam joining said first edges and during said seaming of said second edges as part of the same continuous machine operation machine trimming said second edges adjacent to and for the length of the seam joining said second edges whereby in said last operation said second edges are both joined and trimmed, said steps being effective to produce a garment with the upper seamed portions of the pair of tubular members defining the waist and crotch sections of the garment and with the leg portions of the pair of tubular members defining the leg portions of the garment.

Claim 6

A method of making a garment of knit fabric construction, comprising the steps of: a. knitting a pair of tubular members, each including a leg portion and an upper portion terminating in an open end; b. positioning said members together with respective edges of said open ends aligned, with said upper portions unfolded and disposed adjacent to and external of each other and with selected longitudinal elements of the respective upper portions being arranged generally parallel to the longitudinal axes thereof, adjacent and generally parallel to each other; c. longitudinally machine seaming said positioned members from the open ends of said upper portions along said longitudinal elements thereof to a predetermined crotch point proximate said leg portion to provide a seam joining said longitudinal elements and during said seaming as part of the same continuous machine operation longitudinally machine slitting said elements of both members adjacent to and for the length of the seam whereby in the same such machine operation a first respective longitudinal slit edge on each member is formed and also joined by said seam, a second respective longitudinal slit edge on each said member of the same length as the first is formed but not joined and none of said first and second edges are trimmed; d. positioning said respective unjoined second slit edges together in parallel alignment while retaining said members in the machine used to perform said seaming and slitting; and e. longitudinally machine seaming said positioned second edges together from said predetermined crotch point to a point proximate said open ends of said upper portions to provide a seam joining said second edges as a continuation of the seam joining said first edges and during said seaming of said second edges as part of the same continuous machine operation machine trimming said second edges adjacent to and for the length of the seam joining said second edges whereby in said last operation said second edges are both joined and trimmed, said steps being effective to produce a garment with the upper seamed portions of the pair of tubular members defining the waist and crotch sections of the garment and with the leg portions of the pair of tubular members defining the leg portions of the garment.

Claim 9

The method of forming a garment from a pair of knitted tubular members each having an upper open end portion and a lower leg portion, comprising the steps of: a. positioning a pair of the tubular members upper portions in a contiguous relationship external of each other and which brings selected upper portion longitudinal elements of the respective members together, substantially parallel and with the respective upper end edges of the elements aligned; b. simultaneously slitting and sewing in the same operation the tubular members along a preselected first path of travel from the upper portions edges substantially longitudinally of the members to a predetermined crotch point proximate said lower leg portions; and c. simultaneously trimming and sewing in the same operation the tubular members along a second preselected path of travel commencing at said crotch point and terminating at a point proximate said upper edges to thereby slit and sew simultaneously along the first path and trim and sew simultaneously along the second path both tubular members and form a continuous substantially U-shaped seam defining the waist and crotch portion of said garment.

Claim 10

The method of forming a garment from a pair of knitted tubular members each having an upper open end portion and a lower leg portion, comprising the steps of: a. positioning a pair of the tubular members upper portions in a contiguous relationship external of each other and which brings selected upper portion longitudinal elements of the respective members together, substantially parallel and with the respective upper end edges of the elements aligned; b. simultaneously slitting and sewing in the same operation the tubular members along a preselected first path of travel from the upper portions edges substantially longitudinally of the members to a predetermined crotch point proximate said lower leg portions; and c. simultaneously trimming and sewing in the same operation the tubular members along a second preselected path of travel commencing at said crotch point and terminating at a point proximate said upper edges to thereby slit and sew simultaneously along the first path and trim and sew simultaneously along the second path both tubular members and form a continuous substantially U-shaped seam defining the waist and crotch portion of said garment.

Claim 14

The method of forming a combination garment from a pair of tubular members each having welt and leg portions with the welt porterminating in an open end comprising: seaming a crotch piece along a first edge thereof to one of the tubular members downwardly from its open end as the member is simultaneously slit downwardly substantially longitudinally for the length the crotch piece first edge in the same operation; seaming the second tubular member downwardly from its open end to a second edge of the crotch piece and simultaneously slitting the second member for the length of that second edge during the same operation; pulling the edges of the rear flaps formed after the crotch piece has been secured to both tubular members downwardly and outwardly and in alignment; and while holding said flap edges aligned seaming the flap edges until the continuous seam is extended from the crotch piece to the members outer ends.

Claim 15

The method of forming a combination garment from a pair of tubular members each having welt and leg portions with the welt porterminating in an open end comprising: seaming a crotch piece along a first edge thereof to one of the tubular members downwardly from its open end as the member is simultaneously slit downwardly substantially longitudinally for the length the crotch piece first edge in the same operation; seaming the second tubular member downwardly from its open end to a second edge of the crotch piece and simultaneously slitting the second member for the length of that second edge during the same operation; pulling the edges of the rear flaps formed after the crotch piece has been secured to both tubular members downwardly and outwardly and in alignment; and while holding said flap edges aligned seaming the flap edges until the continuous seam is extended from the crotch piece to the members outer ends.