[0001] This invention relates to the sector of circular machines for knitwear and hosiery
and refers especially to a new method of knitting on such machines for obtaining a
knitted fabric with sponge effect.
[0002] In the field of circular machines for knitwear and hosiery, the formation is well
known of plain or figured sponge knitted fabric according to design with an effect
of its own deriving from the presence of piles or loops of fabric protruding from
the jersey base knit. The sponge fabric consists of two bonded threads, one ground
thread and one pile thread, where this second thread is worked to form fabric piles
or loops extended with respect to the stitches of the base fabric.
[0003] One aim of this present invention is to present a knitting method on said machines
that permits the manufacture of sponge-effect figured knit without however following
the manufacturing procedure of traditional sponge knits.
[0004] Another aim of the invention is to propose the manufacture of knitted products comprising
sponge-effect knitted fabric parts, without these being of sponge, that show decorative
motifs and designs that enhance the obtained articles.
[0005] Said aims are achieved, in accordance with the invention, by following a knitting
manufacturing procedure with so-called needle skip and selectively working an elastic
or stretch thread and a non-elastic thread together or separately.
[0006] Using the proposed method in fact, the construction of the desired knit is achieved
by feeding an elastic thread A and a non-elastic knitting thread B, which can be made
of natural, man-made or mixed fibres, to the needles on the feed roll of a knitting
machine or similar.
[0007] At each sponge-effect figured part, the working needles are suitably selected so
at least one needle takes up both threads A and B and one or more other skipped needles
take up just one thread as shown in the drawing. Stitches or flat, jersey
R fabric parts are thus formed where the needles have taken up and worked the two threads
A and B at the same time and stitches or parts of sponge-effect fabric
S where the skipped needles, having worked just one thread, form piles, rings or loops
in relief.
[0008] By selectively reversing the feed positions of elastic thread A and non-elastic thread
B, diversified sponge-effect designs can also be achieved on the same product, as
required. On being released the fabric shows parts in relief with respect to others
because the elastic thread produces the formation of piles, rings or loops extended
with the non-elastic thread.
[0009] Correspondently, each product made using the invention method has fabric parts formed
of piles, rings or loops consisting of a single thread intercalated with fabric parts
consisting of fabric stitches made with all the fed threads, and all this produces
a very nice and attractive aesthetic effect, with a sponge effect in the fabric parts
that are in relief with respect to the remaining flat or jersey parts.
[0010] Finally, it should be noted that the same result can be obtained with the same needle
selection and thread machining procedure, but starting from threads of different kind
and/or colour thereby creating different colour areas in the fabric.
1. Method for making sponge-effect knitted fabric with the needles on the feed roll of
a circular machine for hosiery or knitwear characterised by the fact of following a knitted fabric making process with needle skip, working selectively
an elastic or stretch thread and a non-elastic thread together or the one separate
from the other.
2. Method according to claim 1, whereby the working needles are selected so at least
one needle takes up all the fed elastic and non-elastic threads and one or more other
skipped needles take up just one thread, thus forming jersey fabric parts and relief
sponge-effect fabric parts with piles or loops.
3. Method according to claim 2, whereby the skipped needles selectively take up the elastic
thread or the non-elastic thread.
4. Manufactured product obtained using the method of the previous claims characterised by the fact of presenting one or more designed parts made up of sponge-effect fabric
consisting of piles or loops in relief formed by selectively working one or the other
of two starting threads.
