Sock with double-layer fabric in foot and method
AssigneeKayser-Roth Hosiery, Inc.
InventorsWilliam H. Coble, Harper Shields, Roscoe M. Farrell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The double-layer fabric extends throughout at least a substantial portion of the foot of the sock and both the inner and outer layers of the double-layer fabric in the foot include the same number of wales as the number of wales in the leg portion of the sock. The sock can be knit on a conventional hosiery knitting machine provided with a single set of needles and special sinkers for holding the stitch loops of the last course of the leg while the inner and outer layers of the foot portion of the sock are being knit. The double-layer fabric in the foot of the sock provides improved cushioning and moisture-absorbing characteristics to the sock.
Claims14
In a sock including a single-layer leg portion knit of successive courses including a predetermined number of stitch loops forming adjacent wales in successive courses, and a foot portion knit integral with said leg, said foot portion including toe, heel, sole, and instep areas with said toe area including a closure seam, the improvement wherein at least a substantial portion of said foot portion comprises double-layer fabric providing improved cushioning characteristics, said double-layer fabric including separate inner and outer layers each extending completely around said substantial portion of said foot portion, said inner and outer layers each comprising an independently knit and separate layer and including an equal number of wales and the number of wales in said inner and outer layers being the same number of wales as the number of wales in said leg, and said inner and outer layers each including forward ends connected together by said toe portion closure seam and rear ends integrally knit with each other in a continuous manner and being integrally knit with said single-layer leg portion.
A sock blank including a single-layer leg knit of successive courses including a predetermined number of stitch loops forming adjacent wales in said successive courses, a foot portion knit integral with said leg and comprising double-layer fabric extending throughout at least a substantial portion of said foot portion, said double-layer fabric including independently knit and separate inner and outer layers, each of said layers extending completely around said substantial portion of said foot portion and including rear and forward ends, said rear end of said inner layer and said rear end of said outer layer being integrally knit with each other in a continuous manner and being integrally knit with said single-layer leg, said forward end of said inner layer and said forward end of said outer layer terminating in substantial alignment so that a toe closure seam may be formed to join the two layers together and form a toe pocket.
A method of knitting a sock blank on a circular hosiery knitting machine including a circle of latch needles, said sock including cushioning double-layer fabric extending throughout at least a substantial portion of the foot, said method comprising the steps of knitting a single-layer leg while forming stitch loops on all needles and knitting successive courses including a predetermined number of adjacent wales of stitch loops, transferring the stitch loops of the last course of the leg to a position to be held below the latches of the needles, forming a makeup on the needles and knitting an inner layer of the foot while continuing to hold the stitch loops of the last course of the leg below the latches of the needles, transferring the held stitch loops of the last course of the leg to a position above the latches of the needles so that these stitch loops are joined with the stitch loops in the last course of the inner layer of the foot, knitting the first course of an outer layer of the foot integral with the last course of the inner layer of the foot and the last course of the leg, and then continuing to knit successive courses of the outer layer until substantially the same number of courses have been knit in said outer layer as were knit in said inner layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.