Abstract: A garment having an elongated body portion configured to be worn about the legs and waist of a wearer. The elongated body portion includes a leg portion configured for receipt of a leg of the wearer, the leg portion having an inner thigh portion and an outer thigh portion. A waistband has at least one ribbed side panel configured to stretch and effectively increase the length of the waistband to accommodate another wearer having a greater waist size. The outer thigh portion has a ribbed outer thigh panel configured to stretch, and the inner thigh portion has a circumferentially-extending thigh gap band configured to effectively compress and slim the inner thigh portion of the wearer. Also, the elongated body portion includes a circumferentially-extending finger band configured to extend the length of the garment to accommodate a wearer of greater height.

Abstract: A sock having a foot bed configured to expand at least two sizes on the National Association of Hosiery Manufacturers (NAHM) sock size measuring system while comfortably accommodating the foot of the wearer. The body portion and foot bed are mesh knit substantially entirely on the same needle cylinder using heavier body yarns, lighter denier nylon fibers and/or stronger spandex fibers than is typical for manufacturing socks.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a sock including the steps of knitting the sock on a knitting machine with a first yarn, such as a cotton or polyester yarn, and a second yarn that is a silicone yarn wrapped with poly vinyl acetate (PVA) yarn. The PVA yarn substantially fully encapsulates the silicone yarn, with one PVA yarn being wrapped around the silicone yarn in a “S” twist pattern and the second PVA yarn being wrapped around the silicone yarn in a “Z” twist pattern. The sock is bathed in hot water after being knitted such that the PVA yarn dissolves and exposes the silicone yarn. The second yarn is knitted in the sock to form defined areas or patterns of silicone yarns within the sock, such as in the toe and heel areas. The resulting sock provides grip and slip-resistance properties on both the inside and outside of the sock.

Abstract: A sock having a toe section, mid-section, and ankle section, wherein the denier of the toe and ankle sections is significantly less than the denier of the mid-section to provide increased stretch in the mid-section of the sock. To further increase the stretch in the mid-section of the sock, the mid-section is knitted with a longer stitch loop than the toe and ankle sections. A hosiery garment includes a leg section and a control top section. The control top section includes a stretch band that provides increased vertical stretch in that area. The stretch band is knitted in a jersey knit pattern with four courses of spandex yarn, where as the remainder of the control top section and leg sections are knitted with alternating courses of spandex and textured yarns.

Abstract: A pantyhose garment comprises a panty portion and two leg portions formed of circumferentially extending interknit courses of yarn. The panty portion provides greater compression than the leg portions. Both the panty and leg portions contain alternating courses of covered spandex yarn and body yarn. The spandex yarns in both the panty and leg portions are covered with bicomponent nylon yarn. The spandex yarn in the panty portion is of a larger denier than the spandex yarn in the leg portions, while the covering yarn on the spandex yarn in the leg portions is of a larger denier than the covering yarn on the spandex yarn in the panty portion. The resulting garment is a pantyhose with a generally uniform opacity throughout the panty and leg portions which nonetheless provides extra support in the panty portion. The invention also finds application in other circular knit garments.

Abstract: A reinforcing yarn and an abrasion resistant knitted fabric made therewith are disclosed. The reinforcing yarn is made by Z twisting one end of a "Z"-twist textured yarn together with one end of a "S"-twist textured yarn to yield an S/Z yarn pair, which is then reverse twisted together with a duplicate S/Z yarn pair to yield a 4-end multi-twisted reinforcing yarn. This reinforcing yarn is knit in plaited relationship to the body yarn of a fabric to produce a fabric with exceptional abrasion resistance.

Abstract: A reinforcing yarn and an abrasion resistant knitted fabric made therewith are disclosed. The reinforcing yarn is made by pairing one end of a "Z"-twist textured yarn together with one end of an "S"-twist textured yarn to yield an S/Z yarn pair. The S/Z yarn pair is then axially twisted in a first direction and stretched before being helically wrapped in the opposite direction with a duplicate S/Z yarn pair to yield a 4-end composite reinforcing yarn. This reinforcing yarn is knit in plaited relationship to the body yarn of a fabric to produce a fabric with exceptional abrasion resistance.

Abstract: A cement construction shoe is provided having a soft, flexible insole and a cushioned outsole. In manufacturing the shoe, the insole is temporarily stiffened by a relatively firm member to which it is bonded by means of a wax. This enables the insole to withstand the normal lasting procedure. The outsole is provided with a cavity for receiving a cushion therein. The shoe upper is attached to the outsole such that the insole overlies the cushion. Once the shoe is completed, the wax bond between the insole and its stiffener may be heated to allow the separation and removal of the latter.

Abstract: A woman's tank top is provided including an outer shell adapted to be suspended from a wearer's shoulders by a plurality of shoulder straps. The tank top further includes an independently supported shelf bra having front and back portions secured about their top edges to the shell. An elastic band is further provided about the lower edges of the shelf bra in order to draw it about the wearer. The front portion of the shelf bra is shirred to define two pockets to permit the front portion of the bra to conform to the wearer's breasts.

Abstract: A molded shoe sole construction is provided together with a method for making an entire range of shoe sizes using only a few different molds. A trim piece including a heel and integral outsole edging is molded. The edging is sufficiently resilient to enable it to be stretched to fit a number of different outsole sizes or shapes. Slits and/or notches may be provided in the edging to facilitate this operation. The outsole may be cemented to the edging after which the shoe upper is attached thereto. A wear-resistant lift may be attached to the heel.

Abstract: A fusible interlining having enhanced bond strength with resistance to dry cleaning and comprising a support web and a heat activatable adhesive carried by said support web, said adhesive comprising polyethylene having a melt index of at least 60, a density of at least 0.91 and a relatively narrow molecular weight distribution, as expressed by having a MW:MN ratio of no more than 4.

Abstract: A device for displaying and storing articles includes a wall structure which defines at least one chamber which is open at one end and which is adapted to receive in its interior a plurality of articles arranged one behind the other with one of the articles situated nearer to the open end of the chamber than the other articles. A pusher engages in the chamber that one of the articles which is most distant from the open end of the chamber, and a spring structure cooperates with the pusher to urge the latter toward the open end of the chamber so that the pusher tends to advance the articles out of the chamber through the open end thereof. A retainer structure is situated at the open end of the chamber for retaining the articles therein in such a way that the particular article which is nearest to the open end of the chamber can be manually removed therefrom, whereupon all of the articles are advanced by the pusher until the next article occupies the space previously occupied by the withdrawn article.