Abstract: Shirts may be fabricated with a minimal number of sewn seams utilizing a first circularly knitted fabric tube forming a shirt body and a second circularly knitted fabric tube forming shoulder portions and sleeves by orienting the tubes essentially transversely to one another and sewing one axial end of the tubular fabric of the shirt body to a side portion medially along the length of the tubular fabric of the shoulders and sleeves.

Abstract: A hosiery knitting method and apparatus wherein contoured terry-type heel and toe areas are circularly knit on a four station hosiery machine by arranging one station to knit complete terry courses on all needles and sinkers and arranging the other three stations to knit partial terry courses on only a group of selected successive needles and associated sinkers. To insure proper plating for terry knitting when reintroducing the yarns at the three other stations, a number of needles preceding and succeeding the needles selected to knit are operated to tuck the base yarn to constrain it onto the lower sinker surface.

Abstract: An improvement for knitting pattern areas with hosiery knitting machines having a rotatable cylinder carrying latch needles therein, a knitting station at which a plurality of yarn feed fingers are independently movable into and out of yarn feeding positions for feeding background yarn at a basic level and pattern yarn at a higher level above the cylinder, and means for selectively positioning the needles at either a basic position for receiving only background yarn or an extended position for receiving both background and pattern yarn, the improvement being an auxiliary feed finger for feeding background yarn at a level more closely spaced from the cylinder than the basic level to needles at the basic position and below the latches of needles at the extended position for floating of the background yarn in knitted pattern areas behind loops of pattern yarn formed by extended position neeldes.

Abstract: Stocking toe end closing apparatus of the type having a series of horizontal stocking turning tubes mounted on a rotatable base for indexing to a position for spreading stocking toe ends carried on the supports, and for further indexing to a seaming position where the stocking toe ends are closed. The turning tubes are connected to a suction source at index positions before and after the spreading and closing positions for everting stockings thereat.

Abstract: Stocking toe end closing apparatus of the type having a series of horizontal stocking turning tubes mounted on a rotatable base for indexing to a position for spreading stocking toe ends carried on the supports, and for further indexing to a seaming position where the stocking toe ends are closed.

Abstract: Method and means for transferring knit loops from single-hook needles on one cylinder to single-hook needles on the other cylinder of a double cylinder circular knitting machine. In the method and needles are displaced at an inclination outwardly of their cylinders to allow axial sliding of the opposing needles behind the inclined needles and into the loops held on the inclined needles; the inclined needles are then withdrawn to shed the hooks, which are then received on the hooks of the other needles. The means includes radial pins slidably carried in the cylinders for engagement and operation by stationary radial cams located within the cylinders, the pins extending through the cylinders and into engagement with the stems of the needles for radially displacing the needles outwardly to the inclined positions required by the described method.

Abstract: Stocking handling apparatus having carrier plates on which pairs of stockings are indexed transversely from a loading station through label and transfer applying stations to a folding station. A label folding mechanism receives an adhesive coated label at the label applying station and positions it at the end portion of a pair of stockings on the carrier plate and folds the label thereover to adhere it thereto. At the transfer applying station a transfer strip is fed under a holddown frame that positions the strip on the top stocking of the pair while a hot transfer iron moves against the transfer strip to transfer the indicia therefrom to the stocking.

Abstract: A tubular knit fabric article having a two ply end portion that is confined to a reduced tubular size at the outer end thereof by an auxiliary yarn disposed between the plies in an unknit constricting loop and with the ends of the auxiliary yarn knit in the fabric of the plies. The constricting loop is formed by feeding the auxiliary yarn to the needle circle of a circular knitting machine during the knitting of a welt-like portion using an auxiliary yarn feeding attachment that first feeds the auxiliary yarn for knitting the leading end in the tubular fabric, then feeds the auxiliary yarn under tension in a non-knitting position at which the yarn is drawn by the previously knit leading end around the tubular fabric in a constricting loop or loops, and then cuts the trailing end of the auxiliary yarn, which is disposed in the needle circle for knitting in the tubular fabric.