Method for producing a compression knitted fabric for prosthetic stockings

A method for producing an at least substantially tubular compression knitted fabric for producing knitted prosthetic stockings for application to an amputated limb of a patient for supplying a compressive force onto the amputated limb, the compression knitted fabric extending from an open proximal end to a closed distal end, wherein:

• a basic knitted fabric forming stitches from at least one knitting yarn along a knitting direction extending from the open proximal end to the closed distal end of the compression knitted fabric is knitted seamlessly in an uninterrupted knitting operation on a flat knitting machine having a front needle bed and a rear needle bed, the front and rear needle beds extending between end sections thereof, wherein a front ply of the basic knitted fabric on the front needle bed and a rear ply opposite the front ply is knitted on the rear needle bed, the front ply and the rear ply each having side edges, the front ply and the rear ply are seamlessly knitted together at their respective side edges by interchanging the at least one knitting yarn from the front needle bed onto the rear needle bed, and vice versa, at the respective end sections of the front and rear needle beds, to form a tubular basic knitted fabric with a plurality of rows of stitches following one another in the knitting direction,
• wherein an elastic weft yarn is drawn off from a weft yarn package during knitting and is bound into the basic knitted fabric by a weft yarn device of the flat knitting machine by forming tuck stitches,
• a tubular first section of the compression knitted fabric forming stitches from the at least one knitting yarn along the knitting direction and extending from the open proximal end to the closed distal end of the compression knitted fabric is knitted, with a plurality of rows of stitches following one another in a knitting direction, wherein the elastic weft yarn is bound into the stitches of the tubular first section of the basic knitted fabric via tuck stitches,
• a second section of the compression knitted fabric is seamlessly knitted onto the first section of the basic knitted fabric along the knitting direction, wherein in the second section, as viewed in the knitting direction, a number of stitches is successively reduced at least in some or in all of the successive rows of stitches of the second section by transferring of stitches as a result of which a closed dome-shaped end is formed at the closed distal end of the compression knitted fabric by a reduction of stitches,
• wherein the elastic weft yarn is bound into the stitches of the basic knitted fabric in each row of stitches or in every nth row of stitches, with n∈N and n≥2, wherein a density of the elastic weft yarn in the rows of stitches of the second section is smaller than a density of the elastic weft yarn in the rows of stitches of the first section,
• wherein the elastic weft yarn is interlocked in the basic knitted fabric at the closed distal end of the compression knitted fabric by one or more binding elements, and
• wherein the elastic weft yarn is cut off from the weft yarn package after it has been interlocked into the basic knitted fabric.