Textiles: knitting – Independent-needle machines – Straight
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-08
2003-11-25
Worrell, Danny (Department: 3765)
Textiles: knitting
Independent-needle machines
Straight
C066S176000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06651462
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a knitting method of knitting a neckline of knitwear, such as a sweater and a cardigan, and to the knitwear knitted in the knitting method.
BACKGROUND ART
The applicant previously proposed in Japanese Laid-open (Unexamined) Patent Publication No. Hei 4-214448 a knitting method of knitting a knitted fabric by using a flat knitting machine wherein a neckline in a front body is widened and also a front drop is formed in the neckline. In this knitting method, the front body is so knitted as to be forked from a starting point for forming the neckline into a right front body and a left front body which confront each other across the neckline. In the process of the knitting, widening stitches are formed around a margin of the neckline and also the stitches of the right front body and left front body are shifted to the outside, respectively. This knitting is repeated to knit the front body from the right and left front bodies up to their shoulder portion. As a result of the neckline being formed in this manner, the number of wale of the neckline is increased and, as a result of this, not only a collar knitted subsequent thereto is widened but also the front drop is automatically formed in the neckline. When the front body thus knitted is used to produce a sweater, the knitwear comes to be fancy and stylish and so comfortable to wear that when wearing, one's head can smoothly pass through the neckline.
The method of the publication cited above is directed to a knitting technology for knitting the front body singularly as a part, not to the so-called “seamless knit” that is the knitting technology in which the front body and the back body are joined at each knitting-widthwise end, to knit them into a tubular form and also are joined at their shoulder portions in the process of knitting by using the flat knitting machine, whereby knitwear, such as a vest and a sweater, is completed.
The “seamless knit” is the knitting technology for simplifying or omitting the sewing operation after the knitting process. The applicant has proposed in many applications a variety of knitting technologies on and in connection with the seamless knit so far, including Japanese Laid-open (Unexamined) Patent Publications No. Hei 2(1990)-91254, Hei 2(1990)-229248, Hei 4(1992)-209855 and Hei 4(1992)-153346.
In the seamless knit using a two-bed flat knitting machine, for examples, odd needles on the needle beds are used for a front part of a knitted fabric, such as a front body and front sleeve parts; even needles are used for a back part of the knitted fabric; and alternate needles on the front and back needle beds are used for the seamless knit. When the front part of the knitted fabric is knitted, the back part of the knitted fabric is retained on (associated with) the back needle bed. On the other hand, when the back part of the knitted fabric is knitted, the front part of the knitted fabric is associated with the front needle bed. Thus, the respective fabrics are knitted, with the front and back parts overlapping each other. As a result of this, the empty needles for transference can always be reserved for the respective parts of the knitted fabric on the opposed needle beds. Using the empty needles enables the knitting of the structure pattern, such as links, garter and rib, in which front stitches and back stitches are mixed, and also enables the stitches of the sleeves and bodies to be shifted laterally so as to be joined to each other. In contrast to this, in the seamless knit using a four-bed flat knitting machine, for example, the needles on the lower front needle bed and the upper back needle bed are used to knit the front part of the knitted fabric, and the needles on the lower back needle bed and the needles on the upper front needle bed are used to knit the back part of the knitted fabric. In the seamless knit using the four-bed flat knitting machine, when the front part of the knitted fabric is knitted, the back part of the knitted fabric is associated with the lower back needle bed. On the other hand, when the back part of the knitted fabric is knitted, the front part of the knitted fabric is associated with the lower front needle bed. As a result of this, the seamless knit using the four-bed flat knitting machine does not have the limitation that the alternate needles are used for the seamless knit, as in the seamless knit using the two-bed flat knitting machine. The seamless knit can be performed by using a flat knitting machine of a transfer jack bed type wherein transfer jacks are arranged in line over either or both of the front and back needle beds of the two-bed flat knitting machine.
On the other hand, the stitch loop holding technique disclosed by Japanese Laid-open (Unexamined) Patent Publication No. Hei 11(1999)-43849, which is called “holding technique”, is applicable to the seamless knit. The terminology, “holding”, means the stitch loop holding technique using a kind of compound needle, which is called “slide needle”, comprising a needle body and a slider which is formed by combining two thin metal sheets and has a tongue at a front end portion thereof. In the holding technique, the stitch as was originally retained on the hook of the needle body is held on the needle and also an additional stitch is received and held on the tongue of the slider, so that those two different stitches are separately held on the same needle. Reference is made to the publication mentioned above about the details of “the holding”. Using this holding technique enables the needle to which the stitch is transferred to be used as the empty needle. If this holding technique is used to transfer the stitches back to the original empty needles after the knitting is adequately performed, even the two-bed flat knitting machine can knit the knitwear seamlessly with all needles, without any need for previous reservation of the empty needles for the transference of stitches.
However, the application of the knitting method of Japanese Laid-open (Unexamined) Patent Publication No. Hei 4(1992)-21448 previously cited to the knitwear to be knitted seamlessly is not easy when the knitwear is wanted to widen the neckline width and also form the front drop in the neckline portion. For example, when the knitwear is knitted in the form of a vest, consideration must be taken of not only the front body but also the relation with the back body which is integrally knitted in parallel with the front body to confront it. Further, in knitting a sweater, a cardigan or the like, since the sleeves are laid at each side of the bodies, further consideration must be taken, including the horizontal and vertical positions of those parts and the way of forming the neckline in the front body and of being integrally knitted with the other parts while transferring the neckline to the outside, thus requiring further complicated consideration and calculation.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a knitting method of knitting knitwear, such as sweater, by using the seamless knit mentioned above and of knitting the neckline of the knitwear.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method of knitting knitwear comprising a front part having a front body and sleeves and a back part having a back body and sleeves by using a flat knitting machine comprising at least a pair of front and back needle beds, which are extended laterally and confront each other in back and front and at least either of which can be racked laterally to transfer stitches between the needles beds, wherein the knitwear is knitted in the condition that the front part of the knitwear is associated with the first needle bed and the back part of the knitwear is associated with the second needle bed, so that the body and sleeves of the front part and the body and sleeves of the back part are joined at both knitting-widthwise ends, so as to be knitted in the form of a tubular body and wherein while the bodies and the sleeves are knitted up to underarms of the knitwear and then are joined from the un
Rothwell Figg Ernst & Manbeck
Shima Seiki Mfg. Ltd.
Worrell Danny
LandOfFree
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