Abstract: This invention relates to undergarments for use in active environments, where the wearer of such an undergarment is engaged in an activity that results in accelerating movements. In some preferred embodiments, these undergarments may be athletic or sports bras that redirect momentum related to a wearer's accelerating movements, for example, during exercise.

Abstract: A stretchable fabric sleeve is configured for use as a prosthetic shrinker or as a prosthetic sock and broadly comprises a unitary receptacle broadly including a tubular section and a rounded end section. In particular, the rounded end section includes opposite panels that are knitted in seriatim with a plurality of interlaced short rows that provide a progressive taper from the open margin of the tubular section to the lowermost toe end of the end section. The progressive taper of the knitted panels permits the outermost edge of the rounded end section to assume a rounded shape that comfortably conforms to an amputated limb and is devoid of any sewn seams that would otherwise irritate the sensitive end of the amputated limb.

Abstract: Continuously knit hosiery and underwear garments provide variably graduated diameters. In a blank having panty, thigh, knee, ankle, and foot portions are separated from each other by outwardly and inwardly graduated diameter portions while maintaining a constant number of wales throughout. The blank is thereby configured to conform to the natural shape of a female lower torso and leg with gradually increasing and decreasing diameters to avoid abrupt diameter changes and maintain the integrity of the fabric's appearance in the blank and garment.

Abstract: A circularly knit tubular hosiery blank and a garment formed therefrom, the blank having panty, thigh, knee, ankle and foot portions separated from each other by increasing and decreasing diameter graduation portions and a constant number of wales throughout. The blank is thereby configured to conform to the natural shape of the female lower torso and leg with gradually increasing and decreasing diameters to avoid abrupt diameter changes and maintain the integrity of the blank fabric's appearance.

Abstract: For producing knitted products with several knitting planes on a two bed flat knitting machine, all needles of one needle bed are usable for producing of stitches for a knitting plane, and the production of additional knitting plane is performed so that the stitches of another plane are transferred to the transfer element and held there, until new stitches for the knitting plane must be formed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing three-dimensional knits. In accordance with the invention narrowing the loops is done by loops covering a partial area of the needle bed being transferred to needles arranged nearer to the middle of the knit and subsequently knitting further continued, and widening the loops is done by loops covering a partial area of the needle bed being transferred to needles arranged remote from the middle of the knit and subsequently knitting further continued. As an alternative to this, needles may be rendered inactive in a partial area of the needle bed over at least one course and subsequently reactivated.

Abstract: The knit article is provided with several spatially overlapping structures. It is made by a continuous knitting process on a knitting machine with at least two opposing needle beds (H,V) as a seamless tubular manufactured product.

Abstract: A method for producing stockings, particularly of the pop-sock type or the like, with a form-fitting shape, and a stocking obtained with the method comprising: a first step, during which the stocking portion that corresponds to the leg region located above the calf is formed; a second step, during which the stocking portion corresponding to the intermediate region of the leg is formed; and a third step, during which the stocking portion that corresponds to the leg region located below the calf is formed. During the second step the length of the loops of knitting located in the rear region of the stocking is increased with respect to the length of the loops of knitting located in the front region, in order to obtain, on the rear region of the stocking, an extra portion with respect to the front region; the extra portion has to contain the calf.

Abstract: A circularly knit hosiery member and garment formed therefrom and a method for producing both. The member has a first tubular portion with a lateral portion having a plurality of courses with short lengths. The garment is formed from a pair of the members disposed in a side-by-side relationship, slit along a part of their length and joined at paris of the edges thus formed to provide a panty section with front, rear and lateral portions. The lengths of the stitches in the courses in the lateral portions are shorter than the stitch lengths in the front and rear panty portions so that the panty section has an arcuately shaped leg profile within the lateral portions. The method includes forming the panty pantyhose combination garment from the two separate tubular members with the stitches in the courses of the lateral portions made smaller than the stitch lengths in the rear and front portions.

Abstract: A circularly knit tubular hosiery member and garment formed therefrom and a method for producing both. The member has a first tubular portion with a lateral portion having a plurality of courses with short stitch lengths. The garment is formed from a pair of the members disposed in a side-by-side relationship, slit along a part of their length and joined at pairs of the edges thus formed to provide a panty section with front, rear and lateral portions. The lengths of the stitches in the courses in the lateral portions are shorter than the stitch lengths in the front and rear panty portions so that the panty section has an arcuately shaped leg profile within the lateral portions. The method includes forming the panty pantyhose combination garment from the two separate tubular members with the stitches in the courses of the lateral portions made smaller than the stitch lengths in the rear and front portions.

Abstract: On needle beds, an outer fabric and an inner fabric are arranged to oppose each other. Each of the outer fabric and the inner fabric comprises a back body and a left half and a right half of the front body that are arranged on both sides of the back body. The inner fabric and the outer fabric are knitted in a single tubular form from the hem part up to the bottom of armhole. At and beyond the bottom of armhole, it is divided and knitted into three tubular forms; the back body, the right half of the front body, and the left half of the front body. Armholes are provided between tubular forms. At the shoulders, the three tubular forms are united back to one single tubular form, and the back body and the right and left halves of the front body of the outer fabric are joined, and similarly, the back body and the right and left halves of the front body of the inner fabric are joined.

Abstract: A continuously weft-knitted three-dimensional fabric cover having sutures to accommodate its three-dimensional format in which each suture defines a straight line or a series of straight lines joined end-to-end, each straight line lying at an angle of between 0 and 50 to the course-wise direction of the fabric.

Abstract: A method of determining the shape of a knitting pattern for continuous knitting of a three-dimensional weft knitted object having a two-dimensional development in which at least one pair of edges to be knitted together have a large angle therebetween in excess of x.degree. where x.degree. is the maximum knittable angle between edges for the particular application of the cover. The method produces a cover having distinct sutures including a first suture formed from knitting together two edges with two sutures extending from one end of the first suture to intersect another suture extending from the other end of the first suture at a point.

Abstract: A bathing wear is made of a net-like knitted fabric printed with contrasting bright colors, composed of 73% nylon and 27% of a polyurethane elastomer. The knitted fabric has a multiplicity of hexagonal mesh openings, which are aligned in rows in three directions. This bathing wear allows about two-thirds of the incident UV radiation of the sun to pass and thus gives rise to full body tanning, without being transparent however even when wet. In addition, the bathing wear is quick-drying and fits the body elastically.

Abstract: A method for increasing stitches at intermediate positions in a row of stitches of a rib knit fabric comprising the steps of: leaving a set of two target knitting needles on the front and rear beds, respectively, unoccupied, where increased stitches are to be formed, by shifting a predetermined number of loops from the knitting needles including the target needles in either leftward or rightward direction; forming stitches on knitting needles from one end of a knitting area to before the two target knitting needles; hooking a thread of yarn on first one of the unoccupied target knitting needles located next to the knitting needle to which the thread has been supplied at the end of the preceding course; hooking the thread on the other unoccupied target knitting needles; and, moving a carriage in a reverse direction and applying the thread again to the first target knitting needle to form an increased stitch.

Abstract: Knitting structure with a processed end portion of a vent portion provided at a knit fabric which is knit in a tubular configuration using a flat knitting machine. A knitting yarn is turned back at an intermediate portion of each course after a predetermined course among knitting course of a knit fabric to form the vent portion and loops constituted from the turned back knitting yarns which form the vent portion are racked by a suitable pitch in a next course at the vent portion.

Abstract: In the process for the fully-fashioned knitting of intarsia jacquard fabric on a two-bed flat knitting machine, intarsia yarns floating on the back of the fully-fashioned fabric are avoided even in intarsia regions of changing width by effecting a yarn-guide adjustment at points of change of direction of the intarsia regions, and the resulting floating intarsia yarns are subsequently bound into the fabric.

Abstract: A knit garment blank includes a tubular body portion having a first section knit with desired stitches and second sections knit with yarn from selected spaced courses of the first section, for example, such as every fourth course. In each second section, selected spaced courses continuing from the first section are looped through other selected spaced courses. At a given course during knitting, needles knitting the front of the first section and the second sections are pressed off and a plurality of courses appending from the remaining stitches of the course forms a rear panel. A brief is formed by cutting away selected portions of the blank to define leg openings and sewing a crotch piece to the body and the rear panel.

Abstract: A composite garment blank is knit to provide first and second individual panty garment blanks having portions in intermating relationship. The panty portions of the individual panty blanks are positioned on opposite end portions of the composite garment blank and include corresponding fashioned front and rear sections which extend inwardly of the composite panty garment blank and are offset in 90 degree relationship to each other so that the inwardly extending fashioned front and rear sections of one individual panty blank intermate or nest with and are spaced apart by unknit areas between the fashioned front and rear sections of the other panty garment blank. This intermating arrangement of the inwardly extending portions of the individual panty blanks permits the simultaneous knitting of the inwardly extending portions of one panty blank with and while not knitting between the inwardly extending portions of the other panty blank.

Abstract: Indigo dyed cotton yarn suitable for producing indigo dyed cotton knitwear, and method of producing it, comprising passing a cotton rope consisting of a plurality of yarn threads through a plurality of baths of indigo dyed liquor, allowing the dye to oxidize by exposure to air between each bath, and winding each of the said yarn thread separately to provide an indigo dyed yarn in a form suitable for knitting. The threads are wound onto individual spools, which may be rotated on a common shaft, or by individual motors. The indigo-dyed knitted cotton fabric produced shows the fading by abrasion, rather than washing out, normally associated with denim.

Abstract: A circular knitting machine for simultaneously making several pairs of tights and the like, with two tubular legs and a body portion having a front and a back, comprises a movable unit carrying a cylinder with a circle of cylinder needles and a plate carrying an adjacent circle of plate needles. The movable unit moves with alternating rotary movement relative to several thread guides disposed around the circles of needles. In order to make several garments simultaneously, the circles are divided into as many arcuate groups of needles as there are garments. Each arcuate group is divided into two equal sub-groups separated by a middle group. The needles of each group are automatically brought into operation in a sequence to knit the toes and legs (on the sub-groups), then the crotch (using the middle group as well), then the body (still using two threads, one for the left-hand and one for the linked right-hand side).

Abstract: This invention relates to methods of manufacturing blanks for brassieres, brassieres, and the products of such methods. In particular, the methods and products involve circular knitting operations in which the blank is produced as a cylindrical tube, and thereafter cut and sewn to produce a garment having straps knit integrally with a frontal torso portion having breast cups and a dorsal torso portion cooperating with the frontal torso portion in forming a torso band.

Abstract: This garment is knit exclusively of cotton yarn and has sufficient stretchability and recoverability to properly fit several body sizes. The garment comprises single courses of large stitch loops (courses C-1, C-3 and C-5) of cotton body yarn (C) alternating with single courses of small stitch loops (courses C-2, C-4 and C-6) of cotton body yarn (C) extending throughout the main body portion of the garment. The courses of large stitch loops provide stretchability to the garment and the courses of small stitch loops provide density and opacity to the garment.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a knitted garment to cover at least the upper body, for example a jacket, involves knitting two front panels to form the front of the garment, each of these panels being started from a non-run set-up, and incorporating each of these front panels in a garment so that the line of each of the non-run set-ups is located in the front of the garment and extends in an up-and-down line when the garment is worn, whereas the knitted wales of each of the panels extend from the set-up line of the panel, horizontally in the garment when worn, to an associated side of the garment front. Each front panel may incorporate a strip of fabric, disposed in an up-and-down direction when the garment is worn, which is distinguished from the main part of the panel by color and/or stitch structure.Methods of joining the front panels to sleeve panels, and the sleeve panels to one or more rear panels, on a knitting machine are described.

Abstract: A method of knitting a body panel for a garment, for example a jacket, in which the panel is provided with a non-run set-up along at least one edge to serve as an edging for the panel. The method involves knitting an edge portion for the panel comprising a non-run set-up, knitting on from the edge portion on some only of the needles holding loops of the edge portion while maintaining inactive further needles holding loops of the edge portion, and introducing these inactive needles holding loops of the edge portion into knitting action subsequently during the knitting process, thereby shaping the panel. The edge portion may consist exclusively of the non-run set-up or it may have a non-run set-up followed by a further strip of fabric. This further strip of fabric may be distinguished from the fabric of the main part of the body panel by color and/or stitch structure. Methods of joining together two or more of such body panels on a knitting machine are described.

Abstract: The pocket is formed of first and second layers of knit fabric formed of partial courses to provide a looped fabric section integral with the leg of the stocking. The looped open sides of the pocket are stitched together after knitting to complete the pocket. The partial courses in the lower portions of the first and second layers are all of the same length and may be knit with reciprocation or rotary knitting and the partial courses at the upper ends of the first and second layers are "fashioned" with their opposed ends being connected together during the knitting operation.