Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
171 words
An anti-embolism stocking including leg and foot portions knit with stretchable yarn to provide a compressive force to the leg and foot of the wearer, said foot portion including a toe end normally covering the ends of the toes of the wearer, and a toe inspection opening normally positioned rearwardly from said toe end when said stocking is being worn, said opening being defined by a plurality of complete courses defining a single fabric thickness, said plurality of complete courses being knit of a body yarn and including spandex yarn knit in plated relationship with said body yarn in spaced apart wales of said plurality of complete courses and being floated inside of the wales between said spaced apart wales to provide a mock rib appearance and reduce the size of said opening, said plurality of complete courses providing sufficient stretch to said opening to permit said toe end to be removed from the toes of the wearer and to permit the toes to pass through said opening for inspection purposes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
171 words
An anti-embolism stocking including leg and foot portions knit with stretchable yarn to provide a compressive force to the leg and foot of the wearer, said foot portion including a toe end normally covering the ends of the toes of the wearer, and a toe inspection opening normally positioned rearwardly from said toe end when said stocking is being worn, said opening being defined by a plurality of complete courses defining a single fabric thickness, said plurality of complete courses being knit of a body yarn and including spandex yarn knit in plated relationship with said body yarn in spaced apart wales of said plurality of complete courses and being floated inside of the wales between said spaced apart wales to provide a mock rib appearance and reduce the size of said opening, said plurality of complete courses providing sufficient stretch to said opening to permit said toe end to be removed from the toes of the wearer and to permit the toes to pass through said opening for inspection purposes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A stocking according to claim 1 wherein said opening is normally positioned beneath the toes of the wearer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A stocking according to claim 1 wherein said toe end comprises narrowed and widened gussets connected by gore lines to provide a toe pocket.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
A stocking according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of complete courses including said spandex yarn comprises approximately 24 courses.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
A stocking according to claim 1 wherein said spandex yarn is floated inside of four adjacent wales and knit in plated relationship with said body yarn in adjacent wales at opposite sides of said four wales.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A stocking according to claim 1 including a seam of overedge stitches extending around and through the terminal courses of said plurality of complete courses to prevent raveling.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
173 words
A method of forming an anti-embolism stocking for use by post-operative patients and including the steps of knitting a leg portion with stretchable yarn to provide a compressive force against the leg of the wearer, knitting a foot portion integral with said leg portion and of stretchable yarn to provide a compressive force against the foot of the wearer, knitting a narrowed gusset of partial courses and a widened gusset of partial courses to form a toe pocket for normally coveriNg the toes of the wearer, knitting a toe inspection opening by forming a plurality of complete courses knit of body yarn and including spandex yarn knit in plated relationship with said body yarn in spaced apart wales of said plurality of complete courses, said spandex yarn being floated inside of the wales between said spaced apart wales to provide a mock rib appearance and reduce the size of the toe inspection opening, and forming a seam of overedge stitches around the terminal courses of said plurality of complete courses to prevent raveling.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
173 words
A method of forming an anti-embolism stocking for use by post-operative patients and including the steps of knitting a leg portion with stretchable yarn to provide a compressive force against the leg of the wearer, knitting a foot portion integral with said leg portion and of stretchable yarn to provide a compressive force against the foot of the wearer, knitting a narrowed gusset of partial courses and a widened gusset of partial courses to form a toe pocket for normally coveriNg the toes of the wearer, knitting a toe inspection opening by forming a plurality of complete courses knit of body yarn and including spandex yarn knit in plated relationship with said body yarn in spaced apart wales of said plurality of complete courses, said spandex yarn being floated inside of the wales between said spaced apart wales to provide a mock rib appearance and reduce the size of the toe inspection opening, and forming a seam of overedge stitches around the terminal courses of said plurality of complete courses to prevent raveling.