Abstract: A hosiery garment is provided including a main body adapted to enclose at least a foot of a wearer, the main body having an outside and an inside. The inside is configured to be in contact with the foot of the wearer. The main body includes a first portion made of a first fabric and a second portion made of a second material and attached to the first portion. The first fabric contains a greater percentage of cotton than the second fabric. A cushion is attached to the first portion. The cushion includes an adhesive layer configured to permanently adhere the first portion of the cushion to the inside of the main body. Further included is a method of making a hosiery garment.

Abstract: The invention provides hosiery including a panty portion that is asymetrical. The hosiery provides a comfortable fit for a variety of different sizes including larger sizes and maternity.

Abstract: One example embodiment includes a system for use in playing sports, the system capable of reducing knee injuries to the wearer. The system includes a sock, where the sock is configured to cover the foot, the lower leg and the knee of a user. The system also includes a knee pad. The knee pad is configured to cover the knee of the user and attach to the sock.

Abstract: The device comprises: a tubular member (1); means (3, 5, 11) to insert and stretch a tubular knitted article (M) over the outside of said tubular member and over an end thereof; a control unit. It also comprises a crown (101) of detection elements cooperating with the end of the tubular member, and the control unit is programmed to determine the angular position of the tubular article stretched over the tubular member by reading the signal supplied by the detection elements in a definite reciprocal position of said tubular article, of said tubular member and of said detection elements.

Abstract: An improved burn glove and sock is presented comprised of non-biological materials produced with a series of regularly-spaced pores and uniform three dimensional nylon structure/weave netting. Incorporated into the silicone/nylon weave structure are collagen peptides and other biological and non-biological agents selected for their therapeutic effect on burn wounds. The gloves and sock come in left and right shapes, the gloves with opposable thumbs, an advance for the burn glove industry. The items are assembled from state-of-the-art skin substitute material in use for burn and wound dressings.

Abstract: The device comprises: a tubular member (1); means (3, 5, 11) to insert and stretch a tubular knitted article (M) over the outside of said tubular member and over an end thereof; a control unit. It also comprises a crown (101) of detection elements cooperating with the end of the tubular member, and the control unit is programmed to determine the angular position of the tubular article stretched over the tubular member by reading the signal supplied by the detection elements in a definite reciprocal position of said tubular article, of said tubular member and of said detection elements.

Abstract: An automatic device (1) for orienting tubular textile items (3) on blocks (2), comprising a block (2) for receiving the textile item (3) having a reference (4) with respect to which the item (3) is to be oriented for reaching a pre-established operating position with respect to the block (2), orientation means (9) for shifting the item (3) on the block (2) for bringing it in the pre-established operating position, a detection element (13) for determining the initial position of the reference (4) when the textile item (3) is loaded onto the block (2), with respect to the pre-established operating position, and processing means connected to the detection element (13) and acting upon the orientation means (9) for orienting the textile item (3) and bringing it in the pre-established operating position.

Abstract: The device comprises a tubular member (377) on which a tubular knitted article (M) is disposed and an operating head (1432) positioned in front of an end of the tubular member, comprising a plurality of contact members (1467; 1447, 1453).

Abstract: A method for making, through a circular machine for making socks with alternate motion, an item of clothing like an ankle sock in “continuum” stitched without seams to form a single piece made up of a front end elongated in the shape of a pocket, that can be associated with the toe of the foot and comprising a first and a second front portion, a rear end, also pocket-shaped, able to be associated with the heel of the foot and comprising a first and a second rear portion, and a connecting part between the front and rear ends, comprising a sole portion and two side portions, having an opening in which to insert the foot, all of the portions of the ankle sock being made with stitching steps, in which such a method foresees many simultaneous independent yarn-feeders during all of the quoted stitching steps to obtain a single ankle sock.

Abstract: The method comprises the steps of: generating a curve (PF) which approximates the profile of one end (P) of an article; processing said curve to determine whether it approximates the profile of said first or said second end.

Abstract: The invention is a hosiery garment adapted with specialized ends configured for interconversion between an open-toe configuration and a closed-toe configuration depending on the selective preferences of the wearer. A hosiery garment, in accordance with the present invention, comprises a first longitudinal segment with a first end detachably coupled to said first longitudinal segment, said first end adapted to fit a first lower extremity of a human body, wherein said first end includes a first slit opening for exposing said first lower extremity of said human body; and a second longitudinal segment with a second end detachably coupled to said second longitudinal segment, said second end adapted to fit a second lower extremity of said human body, wherein said second end includes a second slit opening for exposing said second lower extremity of said human body. Embodiments of the present invention include without limitation, hosiery garments such as pantyhose, stockings, and similar hosiery items.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing a sock for holding shin guards/pads (e.g., soccer shin guards/pads) in position along a player/participant's shin. The apparatus may include an upper section for substantially covering a lower part of a user's leg such as a shin and, optionally, a lower section for substantially covering a player's foot and/or ankle connected to the upper section to form a sock. The upper section has a compression section having a compression factor of less than about 9 inches in order to hold and/or secure a shin-guard in place upon a player/participant's shin. The compression section may comprise an upper compression section and a lower compression section separate and distinct from the upper section.

Abstract: The machine comprises: at least one tubular member (377) to transport the articles (M); a container (301) in which said articles are placed in bulk; pick-up members (305) to pick up individual articles from said container; a feed path of the articles; detection means (329) to identify the orientation of the articles along said path; a stretching device to stretch open an end of an article and load said article onto said tubular member. Also provided are members (341) to discard articles oriented with the first end farther forward than the second end with respect to the direction of feed of the article along said path, and to feed toward said stretching device articles oriented with the second end farther forward than the first end with respect to said direction of feed.

Abstract: An apparatus for orienting sock blanks or the like so that the open toes of the blanks can be sewn closed includes a device for turning the sock inside out, a sock rotation device for grasping the sock and rotating it until sensors detect that the sock is in the proper orientation, a sock transfer device for taking the sock from the sock rotation device toward a sewing machine, and sock guiding and positioning mechanisms for feeding the sock into the in-feed nip of the sewing machine.

Abstract: A device for precise placement of the toe of a hosiery item during automated insertion in the conveyor of a sewing machine for closing the toe, composed of two laminas arranged side by side on a substantially horizontal plane so as to form therebetween a passage for a portion of the hosiery item proximate to the opening of the toe to be closed; the device comprises, proximate to the inlet of the passage, tensioning elements, arranged below the pair of laminas to engage a portion of the toe of the hosiery item, hanging at the toe opening to be closed with two flaps of the opening facing each other and actuated in order to tension the hosiery item downwardly during insertion in the passage.

Abstract: A sewing method and apparatus, for closing the axial end of a tubular article, such as a hosiery toe, consisting in moving the article along a guiding path, formed by two adjacent laminas faced by a sewing head, in two opposite directions so as to make the article advance with respect to the sewing head during formation of a first stitched seam, retracting the article to return upstream of the sewing head after formation of the first stitched seam, and make the article advance again during formation of the second stitched seam, to close the article by two sewing lines, using a single sewing head.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for closing the toe of a hosiery blank includes a hosiery toe closing machine including a sewing head having a sewing needle and a toe seam width guide. The toe seam width guide has a maximum thread guide width greater than 5 mm, preferably in the range of 6-10 mm. When the sewing needle pulls a thread around the maximum thread guide width of the toe seam width guide, the hosiery toe is closed with a wide, visible seam. The hosiery toe closing machine can include a first sewing head having a maximum thread guide width of 5 mm, for sewing a first, narrow seam, and a second sewing head having a maximum thread guide width greater than 5 mm, allowing a second seam that is wider than the first seam to be sewn over the first seam. The toe seam width guides are adjustably attached to the sewing heads for adjusting the effective thread guide width in the respective sewing heads and thereby provide corresponding adjustments to the relative widths of the first and second seams.

Abstract: A sewing method and apparatus, for closing the axial end of a tubular article, such as a hosiery toe, consisting in moving the article along a guiding path, formed by two adjacent laminas faced by a sewing head, in two opposite directions so as to make the article advance with respect to the sewing head during formation of a first stitched seam, retracting the article to return upstream of the sewing head after formation of the first stitched seam, and make the article advance again during formation of the second stitched seam, to close the article by two sewing lines, using a single sewing head.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a liner sock device for placement between a limb liner and a limb prosthesis. The liner sock contains an elastomeric material, such as a tri-block copolymer gel. The elastomeric material is preferably a gel that uniformly distributes stresses between the limb liner and the limb prosthesis when the liner sock is worn between the limb liner and the limb prosthesis. The liner is fabricated from elastomeric material that is bonded to either one or two fabric sock elements. Regardless to the construction, the liner sock has a first end and a second end. The second end of the liner sock is open to allow the liner sock to be pulled over a limb liner. The first end of the liner sock defines an aperture that enables a locking pin from the limb liner to protrude through the liner sock and engage the prosthetic limb.

Abstract: The equipment for automatically feeding a sewing machine with a sock tip comprises a device for gripping the sock from the area of formation of the same on a circular machine for socks and at least one device for transferring the gripping device to a predetermined final position for feeding the sewing machine, which comprises rotation means of the gripping device adapted to impart a rotation speed to it that is synchronised with the rotation speed of the needle cylinder of the circular machine when the gripping device is in a predetermined position inside the needle cylinder so as to form an annular gap with the latter, inside which the sock arranges during its formation.

Abstract: A method of sewing the toe of a sock is provided which can automatically take out a sock pattern of knitted fabric from a sock knitting machine and sew up the selvedge at the toe portion of the sock pattern of knitted fabric thus improving both the efficiency of production and the energy saving. When a sock pattern of knitted fabric has been fabricated by the sock knitting machine, the transfer needles mounted on a group of transfer needles equipped movable tables are advanced at their tips close to the hooks of knitting needles. Then, the sock pattern of knitted fabric is lifted up and turned inside out by suction to transfer its loops at the toe portion from the knitting needles to the corresponding transfer needles. As a result, the sock pattern of knitted fabric turned inside out is transferred from the sock knitting machine to the transfer needles equipped movable tables.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for marking fabric in a permanent or semipermanent manner includes a plurality of foam markers which are compressible to a smaller size. Upon release of external pressure, the foam markers expand to their original shape and volume. An insertion tool is provided for inserting the foam markers into fabric. The insertion tool comprises an elongate tubular member which has a marker receiving opening on a first end. A pointed tip is located on the second end of the insertion tool to facilitate insertion of the tool between the threads of the fabric being marked. A marker may be compressed by rolling the marker between a thumb and finger. The compressed marker is then partially inserted into the opening of the insertion tool so that a portion of the marker protrudes from the end of the insertion tool. The tip of the insertion tool is then inserted through the fabric at a desired location.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically feeding tubular articles comprising elements for feeding an article, which are adapted to fit an axial end of the article which is provided with a border thicker than at least one adjacent portion of the article on grip means which can be actuated in order to engage within the axial end so as to support the article in a substantially vertical arrangement and in order to produce a spacing of two diametrically opposite regions of the axial end transversely to the axial extension of the article. The apparatus also comprises elements for supporting the article, which form a first slit-like passage arranged substantially horizontally and adapted to receive a portion of the article that is arranged below the border. Elements for tensioning in a downward direction the article inserted in the first slit-like passage are also provided.