# US 10,309,044 B2 · Method for providing semi-finished tubular manufactured articles to be closed by stitching at an axial end thereof for the production of socks, and semi-finished tubular manufactured article obtained with the method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,309,044 B2 - Document ID: US10309044B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/544,726 - Filed: 2016-01-27 - Published: 2018-01-04 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2015-01-28 - Assignees: Lonati S.p.A. - Applicants: Lonati S.P.A. - Inventors: Ettore Lonati; Fausto Lonati; Francesco Lonati - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309044B2 ## CPC - D04B 1/26: stockings - D04B 1/108: {Gussets, e.g. pouches or heel or toe portions} - D04B 1/12: characterised by thread material - D04B 15/14: Needle cylinders - D04B 15/32: Cam systems or assemblies for operating knitting instruments - D05D 2305/00: Operations on the work before or after sewing - D04B: KNITTING - D05D: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES D05B AND D05C, RELATING TO SEWING, EMBROIDERING AND TUFTING ## Abstract A method for providing semi-finished tubular manufactured articles to be closed by stitching at an axial end thereof for the production of socks, comprising a step of providing the body of the tubular manufactured article and a step of providing an end portion of the tubular manufactured article which comprises: —a step of providing an intermediate band connected to the body of the manufactured article and thinner than the thickness at least of the rows of knitting of the body of the manufactured article which are connected to the intermediate band; —a step of providing an end edge thicker than the thickness of the intermediate band; the height of the intermediate band, proximate to the regions that constitute the lateral ends of the two flaps of the end portion to be overlapped in order to stitch the axial end to be closed of the tubular manufactured article, is lower than the height of the remaining part of the intermediate band. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for providing semi-finished tubular manufactured articles to be closed by stitching at an axial end thereof for a production of socks, which comprises a step of providing a body of a tubular manufactured article and a step of providing an end portion of the tubular manufactured article which is intended to be removed during a subsequent stitching operation in order to close an axial end of the tubular manufactured article, said step of providing the end portion comprising: a step of providing an intermediate band connected to said body of the manufactured article; a step of providing an end edge thicker than the thickness of said intermediate band; wherein a height of said intermediate band, proximate to regions that constitute lateral ends of two flaps of said end portion to be overlapped in order to stitch the axial end to be closed of the tubular manufactured article, is lower than a height of a remaining part of said intermediate band. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate band is produced by providing rows of knitting in succession; a plurality of loops of knitting of at least part of said rows of knitting of the intermediate band, proximate to the regions constituting the lateral ends of the two flaps of said end portion are overlapped laterally and stitch the axial end to be closed of the tubular manufactured article, being shorter than a length of loops of knitting of the same rows of knitting in the remaining part of said intermediate band. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein said intermediate band is made of an elastically extensible thread. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein said intermediate band is made of a second thread that has a smaller diameter than a diameter of a first thread or of a group of first threads used to provide the rows of knitting of the body of the manufactured article which are connected to said intermediate band. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the provision of the tubular manufactured article is begun from an axial end of the tubular manufactured article that is opposite with respect to the axial end to be closed by stitching. ### Claim 6 A semi-finished tubular manufactured article for a production of socks, which comprises a body of the manufactured article and an end portion of the tubular manufactured article which is connected to an axial end of said body of the manufactured article and is intended to be removed during a subsequent stitching operation in order to close an axial end of the tubular manufactured article, said end portion comprising: an intermediate band connected to said body of the manufactured article; an end edge thicker than a thickness of said intermediate band; wherein a height of said intermediate band, proximate to regions that constitute lateral ends of two flaps of said end portion to be overlapped in order to stitch the axial end to be closed of the tubular manufactured article, is lower than the height of the remaining part of said intermediate band. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The semi-finished tubular manufactured article according to claim 6, wherein said intermediate band is composed of a succession of rows of knitting; a plurality of loops of knitting of at least part of said rows of knitting of the intermediate band, proximate to the regions constituting the lateral ends of the two flaps of said end portion to be overlapped in order to stitch the axial end to be closed of the tubular manufactured article, being shorter than the length of the loops of knitting of the same rows of knitting in the remaining part of said intermediate band. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The semi-finished tubular manufactured article according to claim 6, wherein said intermediate band is made of an elastically extensible thread. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The semi-finished tubular manufactured article according to claim 6, wherein said intermediate band is made of a second thread that has a smaller diameter than a diameter of a first thread or of a group of first threads of the rows of knitting of the body of the manufactured article which are connected to said intermediate band.