Sheer warp knit garment and method for making same

Claim 1

A method of warp knitting, hollow tubular undergarments of the sheer stocking, panty hose, type on a double needle bed Raschel knitting machine, said method comprising the steps of feeding two strands, each through a separate guide bar, to each needle of each zone of said double needle beds selected to form a continuous string of said tubular undergarments, operating one said guide bar relative to each said needle to form wales of chain stitches all around said tube and simultaneously operating the other said guide bar relative to its said needle to lap back and forth between adjacent needles to interconnect said chain stitched wales, thereby forming a basic stitch in the limb portions of said undergarments, and controllably operating said one guide bar relative to each said needle in accordance with a predetermined pattern, to change from said chain stitch motion to a lapping motion back and forth between adjacent needles for interconnecting and reinforcing the loops being lapped by said other guide bar in heel, toe, welt and any other reinforced areas of said undergarments.

Claim 2

A method of warp knitting, hollow tubular undergarments of the sheer stocking, panty hose, type on a double needle bed Raschel knitting machine, said method comprising the steps of feeding two strands, each through a separate guide bar, to each needle of each zone of said double needle beds selected to form a continuous string of said tubular undergarments, operating one said guide bar relative to each said needle to form wales of chain stitches all around said tube and simultaneously operating the other said guide bar relative to its said needle to lap back and forth between adjacent needles to interconnect said chain stitched wales, thereby forming a basic stitch in the limb portions of said undergarments, and controllably operating said one guide bar relative to each said needle in accordance with a predetermined pattern, to change from said chain stitch motion to a lapping motion back and forth between adjacent needles for interconnecting and reinforcing the loops being lapped by said other guide bar in heel, toe, welt and any other reinforced areas of said undergarments.

Claim 3

A method for warp knitting sheer, undergarment tubes on a double needle bed Raschel knitting machine which comprises the steps of: feeding a first strand and a second strand to each needle of each tube, lapping the first strand of each said needle back and forth between said needle and the adjacent needle to interconnect the wales of the said garments from one end thereof to the other; in body, or limb, portions of said garments, chain stitching the second strand of each said needle to form a run-proof lock stitch with the laps of said first strand, and in heel, toe, welt or other predetermined reinforced areas of said garments converting the chain stitch motions of the second strand of each needle into lapping motions, in a direction opposite to the direction of the laps being formed by said first strand to reinforce said areas.

Claim 4

A method for warp knitting sheer, undergarment tubes on a double needle bed Raschel knitting machine which comprises the steps of: feeding a first strand and a second strand to each needle of each tube, lapping the first strand of each said needle back and forth between said needle and the adjacent needle to interconnect the wales of the said garments from one end thereof to the other; in body, or limb, portions of said garments, chain stitching the second strand of each said needle to form a run-proof lock stitch with the laps of said first strand, and in heel, toe, welt or other predetermined reinforced areas of said garments converting the chain stitch motions of the second strand of each needle into lapping motions, in a direction opposite to the direction of the laps being formed by said first strand to reinforce said areas.

Claim 6

The method of warp knitting a sheer panty hose undergarment on a multiple guide bar, double needle bed Raschel knitting machine, which method comprises the steps of: feeding two fine denier strands to each needle of each needle bed of a transverse zone of said machine required to warp knit a panty width tube; for each opposite pair of needles in said transverse zone, alternately, first operating two guide bars to form chain stitches of one strand on each said needle, and then operating said two guide bars to alternately form jersey stitches of said one strand by moving one needle space between needles; continuously operating two other guide bars to form zig-zag stitches by moving one needle space between adjacent needles to tie in the chain stitches and the jersey stitches being made by the first named two guide bars, said chain stitch-zig-zag stitch areas constituting the body knit and said jersey-zig-zag stitch areas constituting the reinforced toe, heel and welt areas of said undergarment, continuously operating four other guide bars to join the selvedge of the outer edges of the fabrics being formed on said needle beds, and periodically operating two other guide bars to join the selvedge of the inner edges of the fabrics being so formed to form the crotch and limb tubes of said garment.

Claim 7

The method of warp knitting a sheer panty hose undergarment on a multiple guide bar, double needle bed Raschel knitting machine, which method comprises the steps of: feeding two fine denier strands to each needle of each needle bed of a transverse zone of said machine required to warp knit a panty width tube; for each opposite pair of needles in said transverse zone, alternately, first operating two guide bars to form chain stitches of one strand on each said needle, and then operating said two guide bars to alternately form jersey stitches of said one strand by moving one needle space between needles; continuously operating two other guide bars to form zig-zag stitches by moving one needle space between adjacent needles to tie in the chain stitches and the jersey stitches being made by the first named two guide bars, said chain stitch-zig-zag stitch areas constituting the body knit and said jersey-zig-zag stitch areas constituting the reinforced toe, heel and welt areas of said undergarment, continuously operating four other guide bars to join the selvedge of the outer edges of the fabrics being formed on said needle beds, and periodically operating two other guide bars to join the selvedge of the inner edges of the fabrics being so formed to form the crotch and limb tubes of said garment.

Claim 8

A method for producing sheer, run-proof, warp knitted, tubular, garments on a two needle bed warp knitting machine, which comprises the steps of: warp knitting the main body of said garments homogeneously in a basic knitted structure having walewise extending chains of one set of strands tied in by zig-zag stitches of another set of strands, and reinforcing predetermined areas of said basic knitted structure by temporarily converting the chain stitches of said one set of strands to jersey stitches, thereby forming heel, foot bottom, toe, or welt reinforced areas while underlapping or overlapping no more than one needle space in said structure.

Claim 9

A method for producing sheer, run-proof, warp knitted, tubular, garments on a two needle bed warp knitting machine, which comprises the steps of: warp knitting the main body of said garments homogeneously in a basic knitted structure having walewise extending chains of one set of strands tied in by zig-zag stitches of another set of strands, and reinforcing predetermined areas of said basic knitted structure by temporarily converting the chain stitches of said one set of strands to jersey stitches, thereby forming heel, foot bottom, toe, or welt reinforced areas while underlapping or overlapping no more than one needle space in said structure.