Process for forming panty hose and an article formed thereby

Process for forming a panty-hose type article with a continuous rotational motion of the needle cylinder, in a circular knitting machine which is provided with retaining means - such as sinkers with a rear recess - to support the knit fabric along the working area of the needles of the cylinder, in such a manner as to receive and retain said knit fabric from the needles and subsequently return it to the needles, said process including:

• forming a first leg portion of tubular knit fabric by knitting with all the needles;
• engaging a portion of the knit fabric working front on said retaining means along a first arc of needles corresponding to the crotch and retaining said knit fabric thereon, with the needles being free to knit fabric separator from the portion on said retaining means;
• starting two initial edges of two disc - like areas along two semiarcs wherein said first arc is divided by a central origin and retaining said initial edges;
• forming the body portion by continuing knitting along the arc supplementary to said first arc and through pocket portions formed between said initial retained edges and the active needles of said both semiarcs, by cyclically activating and deactivating along each semiarc variable needle arcs starting from said origin, and by anchoring the produced partial courses to the contiguous ones thus forming two disc-like areas - front and rear - and an arcuated and tapered fabric;
• connecting said initial edges and the corresponding end edges along said two semiarcs contiguous and symmetrical, to the origin, and forming a final lip for unthreading and clearing the needles of said two semiarcs;
• resuming by the needles of said first arc the knitting along the line retained by said retaining means;
• and
• starting a second tubular leg portion knit along said first arc of the crotch formed by said two contiguous semiarcs and by the origin included therebetween, said second tubular knit portion being partly formed as a continuation of the working front of the needles of the arc supplemental to said first arc of the crotch.