# US 4,398,402 A · Knitting method and knitted garment

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- Number: US 4,398,402 A
- Document ID: US4398402A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/242,327
- Filed: 1981-03-10
- Granted: 1983-08-16
- Earliest claimed: 1980-03-13
- Assignees: Courtaulds Limited
- Inventors: Frank Robinson; Nigel S. Whatmough
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4398402A

## CPC

- D04B 1/246: {Upper torso garments, e.g. sweaters, shirts, leotards}
- D10B 2403/032: Flat fabric of variable width, e.g. including one or more fashioned panels
- D04B: KNITTING
- D10B: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES

## Abstract

A method of knitting a blank for a garment comprises the steps, carried out in a sequence involving knitting from one waist line to the other in the blank, of (a) knitting two front panels for the garment body with courses extending lengthwise of each front body panel and wales extending in the direction across each front body panel, in the finished garment; (b) knitting two sleeve panels for the garment with courses extending lengthwise of each sleeve panel; and (c) knitting a single rear panel for the garment body with courses extending across the rear panel and wales extending lengthwise of the rear panel. During the knitting, joins are formed between the front panels and the associated sleeve panels by a process involving the procedures of taking needles out of action while holding knitted loops on those needles, and then reintroducing the inactive needles to knitting action, at least one of said procedures being carried out progressively so that suture joins are produced. Also during the knitting, joins are formed between the rear panel and the sleeve panels by forming knitted wales which extend from the sleeve panels into the rear panel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of knitting a blank for a garment comprises the following steps carried out in a sequence involving knitting from one waist line to the other in the blank:
(a) knitting two front panels for the garment body with courses extending lengthwise of each front body panel and wales extending in the direction across each front body panel, in the finished garment;
(b) knitting two sleeve panels for the garment with courses extending lengthwise of each sleeve panel; and
(c) knitting a single rear panel for the garment body with courses extending across the rear panel and wales extending lengthwise of the rear panel; and
(d) during knitting forming a join between each front panel and an associated sleeve panel by a process involving the procedures of taking needles out of action whilst holding knitted loops on those needles, and then reintroducing the inactive needles to knitting action, at least one of said procedures being carried out progressively so that a suture join is produced; and
(e) further during knitting forming a join between the rear panel and each sleeve panel by forming knitted wales which extend from the sleeve panels into the rear panel.

### Claim 2

A knitted garment blank comprising
(a) two front panels for the garment body with courses extending lengthwise of each front body panel and wales extending in the direction across each front panel, in the finished garment,
(b) two sleeve panels with courses extending lengthwise of each sleeve panel, and
(c) a single rear panel with courses extending across the rear panel and wales extending lengthwise of the rear panel,
(d) each front panel and an associated sleeve panel being integrally joined by a knitted suture and
(e) each sleeve panel being integrally joined to the single rear panel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method of making a knitted garment comprising the steps of:
(a) knitting a blank according to the method claimed in claim 1,
(b) joining front and rear body panels together along side edges thereof and joining edges of the sleeve panels together.