Method and machine for knitting garments having legs and a body portion

Knitted garment comprising a longitudinal tubular body formed of horizontal rows of knitted loops, including a left side portion formed of horizontal rows of knitted loops of a left thread and having a left front longitudinal edge wale of knitted loops of left thread and a left rear longitudinal edge defined by a left rear longitudinal edge wale of knitted loops of left thread, and a right side portion formed of horizontal rows of knitted loops of a right thread and having a right front longitudinal edge defined by a right front longitudinal edge wale of knitted loops of right thread and a right rear longitudinal edge defined by a right rear longitudinal edge wale of knitted loops of right thread, the number of knitted loops in each of the horizontal row of knitted loops formed by the left and right threads in the left and right side portions of the body being constant,

• a front longitudinal connecting zone of knitted loops including at least one front longitudinal connecting wale of knitted loops, the front zone being located between the left and right front edge wales of loops, and the front zone mutually engaging the left and right front edge wales of loops such that loops of the front zone correspondingly engage loops of the left and right front edge wales for connecting together the left front edge of the left side portion and the right front edge of the right side portion;
• a rear longitudinal connecting zone of knitted loops including at least one rear longitudinal connecting wale of knitted loops, the rear zone being located between the left and right rear edge rows of loops and being formed with the two threads which form the left and right rear edge wales of loops, and the rear zone mutually engaging the left and right rear edge wales of loops such that loops of the rear zone correspondingly engage loops of the left and right rear edge wales for connecting together the left rear edge of the left side portion and the right rear edge of the right side portion, and
• a crotch portion contiguous with the body and defining left and right tubular leg opening portions, left and right tubular leg portions correspondingly contiguous with the left and right tubular leg opening portions of the crotch portion, and left and right toe portions of single layer knitted fabric and correspondingly contiguous with the left and right leg portions, the leg opening portions of the crotch portion, leg portions and toe portions being correspondingly formed of such rows of knitted loops, such that the left leg opening portion of the crotch portion, left leg portion and left toe portion are formed of left thread, and such that the right leg opening portion of the crotch portion, right leg portion and right toe portion are formed of right thread, the knitted loops of the left and right leg portions extending away from the left and right toe portions.

A garment such as a pair of tights comprising:

• a body having a front portion and a rear portion;
• two tubular legs;
• two corresponding toes of single layer fabric with rows of knitted loops which increase gradually from the toe to the leg, the knitted loops of each leg extending away from the toe;
• at the upper end of the legs, rows longer than those which formed the two legs, to form a crotch adjacent to the body;
• said body being made of pairs of partial rows forming the right and the left portions, respectively, of the front portion and the rear portion of the body portion, which right and left portions are divided by a corresponding dividing line therebetween, and which rows are mutually engaged in a connecting zone with at least one wale of knitted loops developed at the dividing line between the right and left portions of the body and formed with the two yarns of the contiguous rows of said two right and left portions of the body, the number of loops in each of the rows of the right and left portions being constant along the body.