US3566624A

US3566624A - Panty hose with loosened stitch crotch area

Info

Publication number: US3566624A
Application number: US749866A
Authority: US
Inventors: Aaron Burleson
Original assignee: Burlington Industries Inc
Current assignee: Kayser-Roth Corp
Priority date: 1968-08-02
Filing date: 1968-08-02
Publication date: 1971-03-02
Anticipated expiration: 1988-03-02

Abstract

A PANTY HOSE GARMENT CONSTRUCTION OF THE TYPE WHEREIN A PAIR OF CIRCULARLY KNIT STOCKING TUBES, EACH HAVING A FOOT, LEG AND UPPER PORTION WITH THE UPPER PORTION LONGITUDINALLY SLIT INTERMEDIATE THE FRONT AND REAR PORTIONS THEREOF ARE SEAMED TOGETHER ALONG THE SLITS WITH THE LATTER FACE OPEN AND FACING EACH OTHER TO PROVIDE A PANTY HOSE GARMENT. A LOOSENED STITCH AREA IS KNITTED IN EACH STOCKING PART DURING ITS FORMATION AND IS CONTAINED WITHIN A PREDETERMINED MULTIPLICITY OF COURSES EXTENDING ABOVE AND BELOW THE LOWER END OF THE SLIT AND A PREDETERMINED MULTIPLICITY OF WALES EXTENDING TO THE REAR AND TO THE FRONT OF THE SLIT, SO AS TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE FIT CHARACTERISTICS WITH NO SUBSTANTIAL CONCENTRATION OF STRAIN AT THE SEAM TO CAUSE PREMATURE FAILURE AT THE POINT THEREON SECURING THE LOWER ENDS OF THE SLITS TOGETHER.

Description

March 2, 1971 BURLESQN 3,566,624

PANTY HOSE LOOSENED STITCH CROTCH AREA Filed Aug. 2, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVE N TO! flQFJ/V 223/550 ZZZ; M

ATTORNEYS March 2, 1971 BURLESQN 3,566,624

PANTY HOSE LOOSENED STITCH GROTCH AREA Filed Aug. 2, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVEN TOR 14450 Euezawzv ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 2, 1971 3,566,624 PANTY HOSE WITH LOOSENED STITCH CROTCH AREA Aaron Burleson, Burlington, N.C., assignor to Burlington Industries, Inc., Greensboro, N.C. Filed Aug. 2, 1968, Ser. No. 749,866 Int. Cl. D04b 9/02 US. Cl. 66-177 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A panty hose garment construction of the type wherein a pair of circularly knit stocking tubes, each having a foot, leg and upper portion with the upper portion longitudinally slit intermediate the front and rear portions thereof are seamed together along the slits with the latter face open and facing each other to provide a panty hose garment. A loosened stitch area is knitted in each stocking part during its formation and is contained within a predetermined multiplicity of courses extending above and below the lower end of the slit and a predetermined multiplicity of wales extending to the rear and to the front of the slit, so as to provide adequate fit characteristics with no substantial concentration of strain at the seam to cause premature failure at the point thereon securing the lower ends of the slits together.

This invention relates to panty hose garments and more particularly to an improved panty hose garment construction and method of making the same.

In Rice Pat. 2,826,760, dated Mar. 18, 1958, reissued Mar. 26, 1963 as Re. 25,360, there is disclosed a panty hose garment which comprises a pair of circular knitted stocking parts, each having a foot portion for covering a foot of a wearer, a leg portion for covering the leg of the wearer, and an upper portion. The panty hose garment is assembled by longitudinally slitting the upper portion of each stocking part intermediate the front and rear thereof and then seaming together the upper portions of the stocking parts along the slits thereof with each of the latter opened and facing toward the other to thereby provide an assembly for covering the remainder of the wearer up to approximately the waist.

This procedure for constructing a panty hose garment provides optimum economy in manufacture, however, the resultant garment produced has received no appreciable acceptance on the market because of poor wearing and fit characteristics. During wear, the crotch area of the garment is subjected to the greatest concentration of strain and this concentration of strain is therefore imparted directly to the single seam. During wear, premature failure of the seam particularly at the point thereon securing the lower ends of the slits together often occurred.

To alleviate the poor wearing and fit characteristics, the accepted practice heretofore has been to provide a separate crotch piece which is seamed between the slits of each stocking part, at least in the area adjacent the lcwer ends of the slits. Such crotch pieces have assumed many different configurations and their manner of fabrication, as well as their manner of securement in the assembled garment, has been varied considerably. However, irrespective of the manner in which the crotch piece is configured, manufactured and assembled, substantial expense is added to the cost of the assembled garment in comparison with a garment which is manufactured with a simple, single seam in accordance with the procedure described in the Rice patent.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a panty hose garment, which has wearing and fit characteristics comparable to accepted panty hose garments embodying crotch pieces but which eliminates the expense and cost involved in utilizing a crotch piece in the assembled garment.

This objective is obtained in accordance with the principles of the present invention by knitting a loosened stitch area in each stocking part during its formation on the circular knitting machine. The loosened stitch area is contained within a predetermined multiplicity of courses extending above and below the lower end of the slit and a predetermined multiplicity of wales extending to the rear and to the front of the slit. The stitches in the predetermined courses within the loosened stitch area are loosened with respect to the stitches in the predetermined courses outside the area an amount sufficient to provide for fit characteristics insuring adequate freedom of movement in the crotch area so that there is no substantial concentration of strain imparted to the seam which would cause premature failure at the point thereon securing the lower ends of the slits together.

The loosening of the stitches within the loosened stitch area can be accomplished on existing circular knitting machines by adjustments provided therein for the purpose of determining the looseness of the stitch so that there is no production time lost in the knitting of each stocking part as compared with the knitting of a conventional stocking part. Because of the improved fitting and wearing characteristics, a simple single seam may be utilized in the assembly of the garment, thus eliminating the added expenses and costs heretofore necessary in fabricating and assembling a separate crotch piece in the garment.

Accordingly, it is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved method for making panty hose garments which achieve the advantages set forth above.

These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the course of the following detailed description and appended claims.

The invention may best be understood 'with respect to the accompanying drawings wherein an illustrative embodiment is shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a panty hose garment embodying'the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a stocking part knitted in accordance with the principles of the present invention, showing the seam after slitting but prior to being seamed with the other stocking part; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, rear photographic view illustrating a panty hose garment of the present invention on a mannikin.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a panty hose garment, generally indicated at 10, embodying the principles of the present invention. The garment 10 is made up essentially of three pieces or parts, including a pair of stocking parts 12 and 14 and an elastic Waistband part 16. The present invention is more particularly concerned with the procedures for making the stocking parts 12 and 14 and the construction of the finally assembled garment resulting from these procedures. In general, the manner in which the stocking parts, once knitted in accordance with the principles of the present invention, are subsequently processed and assembled is of a conventional nature.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, each stocking part 12 and 14 is knitted separately on a conventional circular knitting machine, as, for example, a Mark IV knitting machine, which is a fourfeed, 400 needle machine with suction draw-down. Each stocking part 12 and 14 is knitted with a foot portion 18 which is adapted to cover a foot of the wearer. Each foot portion is knitted in conventional fashion, that is, the toe of the foot portion may be closed in any conventional manner, such as sewing or looping, and the heel of the foot portion may be knitted either as a reciprocated heel or a non-reciprocated heel. The mesh used in the heel and toe areas of the foot portion 18 may be of any conventional construction as can be the remaining areas. Likewise, any conventional yarn or yarns may be utilized in knitting the foot portion 18, including monofilament or multifilament yarns of any desired denier or material.

Each stocking part 12 and 14 is knitted to include a leg portion 20 which extends continuously upwardly from the foot portion 18 and which functions to cover the leg of the wearer. Here again, each leg portion is knitted utilizing any conventional mesh and any conventional yarn or yarns, including monofilament or multifilament yarns of any desire-d denier and material. Finally, each stocking part 12 and 14 is knitted to include an upper portion 22 which extends continuously upwardly from the leg portion to a length sufficient to extend approximately to the waist area of the wearer.

' In the preferred embodiment shown, the upper portion 22 of each stocking part 12 and 14 is of a conventional welt mesh, the Welt mesh extending downwardly into the upper section of the leg portion so as to present a contrasting visual appearance separately delineating the panty and hosecomponents of the finished garment along a generally horizontal line of demarkation, indicated at 24. It will be understood, however, that it is within the contemplation of the present invention that the finished garment could be made of the same mesh throughout with no contrasting visual delineation between the panty and hose components. On the other hand, Where a contrasting visual appearance is utilized to delineate the panty and hose components, other lines of demarkation may be utilized, as, for example, a high-cut bikini-style line of demarkation, such as described in commonly-assigned Pat. No. 3,449,932, filed Feb. 26, 1968.

Each stocking part 12 and 14 is knitted with a loosened stitch area 26, in accordance with the prinriples of the present invention. The loosened stitch area of each stocking part is contained within a predetermined multiplicity of courses and wales located generally in the vicinity of the crotch of the completed garment 10. The knitting of the loosened stitch area in each stocking part is an essential feature of the present invention and a specific embodiment of a stocking part provided with a loosened stitch area embodying the principles of the present invention and the method of knitting the same is described below.

As previously mentioned, a preferred machine on which the stocking parts are knitted is a four-speed, 400 needle circular knitting machine. Preferably, with the use of this machine, the knitting proceeds from the end of the upper portion 22 to the end of the foot portion 18, although the reverse direction may be utilized. The upper portion 22 of each stocking part is initially knitted with a jersey stitch mesh, utilizing as yarn in the four feeds respectively, (1) a one-end 20 denier Z torque monofilament nylon and a one-end 2/ 30 superloft yarn; (,2) a one-end 20 denier S torque monofilament nylon; (3) a one-end 20 denier Z torque monofilament nylon and a one-end 2/ 30 superloft; and (4) a one-end 20 denier S torque monofilament nylon.

The initial courses of the upper portion are knitted in conventional fashion to form a double welt 28 to which the elastic waistband part 16 is secured during the assembly of the garment. When the first of the predetermined multiplicity of courses within 'Which the loosened stitch area is contained is reached, the stitch cams associated with the needles of the predetermined multiplicity of wales are mechanically lowered so that the needles forming the stitches in the loosened stitch area are depressed lower to draw longer stitches.

In the specific embodiment shown, 200' needles are utilized in the loosened stitch area, the stitches being loosened approximately in comparison with the stitches in the remainder of the courses. In the preferred embodiment, the knitting proceeds in this fashion throughout approximately 200 courses, mechanically lowering, during each course, the same 200 needles so that there is formed a rectangular loosened stitch area 26 which measures 200 courses by 200 wales. It will be noted that the jersey stitch welt mesh of the upper portion 22 extends into the leg portion 20 and terminates in a short after welt, at which point the one-end 2/ 30 superloft yarn in the No. 1 and No. 3 feeds are cut out. The knitting in the leg portion 20 proceeds with a random tuck stitch in conventional fashion, the foot portion 18 in the preferred embodiment being of tubular construction and terminating in a conventional toe.

After the stocking parts 12 and 14 have been knitted in the manner set forth above, the stocking parts are sized by the horizontal stretch method, utilizing a Jones machine. Next, the toe areas of both stocking parts are closed by any conventional means, such as sewing a tailored toe.

It will be understood that where the heel area of the stocking part is of non-reciprocated construction, the stocking parts 12 and 14 can be made on the same circular knitting machine utilizing the same settings. Under these circumstances, after the stocking parts have been knitted and further processed in the manner described above, each is longitudinally slit, as indicated at 30 with in the upper portion 22 thereof at a position intermediate the front and rear thereof. The slitting of the stocking parts is accomplished in any conventional fashion, as, for example, by utilizing conventional equipment such as an Eastman Chickadee machine. Also, in accordance with conventional practice, a tuck mark (not shown) is preferably formed during the knitting of the stocking parts to accurately locate the lower end or termination of the slit.

It will be noted that each loosened stitch area 26 extends both below and above the lower end of the associated slit and both to the rear and to the front of the slit. In the preferred embodiment shown, each loosened stitch area includes approximately Wales extending rearwardly of the slit and approximately 80 Wales extending forwardly of the slit. The lower end of the slit extends into approximately /3 of the predetermined courses containing the loosened stitch area or, in the specific embodiment described, through approximately 67 of the predetermined courses.

After the stocking parts have been slit, the slits are opened and secured together in a relationship generally facing one another. Thus, in the completed garment 10, the stocking part 12 is reversed front to back with respect to the stocking part 14. By utilizing a non-recipro cated heel, the shape of which is subsequently formed with heat and pressure, no orientation problem is encountered in the reversal of the stocking parts during assembly. It will be understood, however, that where a reciprocated heel construction is utilized, it is necessary to separately knit right and left hand stocking parts 12 and 14 in order to provide proper orientation of the heel construction in the finished garment, A distinct advantage of the present construction is that after both stocking parts 12 and 14 have been slit they are seamed together by a single simple seam, indicated at 32, without the necessity of sewing in a crotch piece or the like.

The seaming operation is performed on a conventional seaming machine by a seam sewer who sews the single seam from the front toward the rear to within about 4 inches of the top edge. The garment thus assembled is then sent to the blind stitch machine operator who attaches the elastic waistband part 16 to the arrow welt 28 of the stocking parts 12 and 14. The waistband part 18 is of any conventional construction, a preferred embodiment being a /s inch woven elastic type 6 nylon, United Elastic Company style #34307WR 5/ 8. After the waistband part 16 has been attached, the garment is then returned to the closure operator, using a Merrow machine, who sews the last 4 inches of the main seam closing the two ends of the waistband part 16 in the same operation.

The completed assembled panty hose garment is then steamed in a Lydon box at 190 F. at atmospheric pressure for 30 minutes and then dried. After the drying operation, the garment is then boarded in a Turbo boarding machine where the garment is treated at 235 F. for 30 seconds at maximum steam. A 2 /2 minute drying cycle is allowed to insure that the garment is dried sufliciently before stripping. It will be understood that other conventional processes may be utilized, as, for example, conventional pre-boarding procedures.

It will be understood that, in accordance with the principles of the present invention, the formation of the loosened stitch area 26 of each stocking part is not limited to the specific example set forth above, but that variaions in the yarns utilized, the mesh utilized, the total exent of the area, the configuration of the area, and the amount of looseness throughout the area can be made so long as there is provided a loosened stitch area which is sufiicient to substantially relieve the concentration of strain imparted to the seam in the finished garment at the point thereon securing the lower ends of the slits together. For example, in the preferred embodiments shown, all of the stitches in the loosened area are loosened an amount approximately 100% with respect to the stitches of the remainder of the predetermined courses containing the area. It is within the contemplation of the presen invention to vary the amount of looseness within a range of between 25% to 400%, although a preferred range is between 75% and 125%. Moreover, it will be understood that the looseness of the stitches within the loosened stitch area may be varied so that the average amount of looseness is within the ranges set forth above.

Moreover, it will be understood that the shape of the loosened stitch area can be varied from the preferred rectangular shape described above. For example, trapezoidal or even a curved outline configuration in the loosened stitch area could be utilized. In this regard, it will be noted that the area would still be contained within a predetermined multiplicity of courses and a predetermined multiplicity of wales, although the area would not necessarily comprehend all of the stitches within the predetermined courses and wales. It is greatly preferred that the stitches in the predetermined courses which are not included in the loosened stitch area constitute at least approximately 50% of the total stitches in the predetermined courses containing the loosened stitch area. The stitches within the predetermined courses outside the loosened stitch area are preferably of uniform looseness providing a standard to which the looseness of the stitches in the loosened stitch area are compared. Thus, in the preferred embodiment, the stitches in the loosened stitch area have a length approximately twice the length of the stitches in the predetermined courses outside the loosened stitch area. The loosening or slackening of stitches can be obtained by means other than mechanically lowering the stitch cams, as for example, by knitting behind the sinker nibs when forming the predetermined courses or by shoving the sinkers deeper, although this is not quite as effective as lowering of the stitch cams.

It can be seen that by providing the loosened stitch area in the formation of each stocking part, the assembled garment 10 is capable of conforming to the wearer with improved fit characteristics so as to provide the wearer freedom of movement sufficient to substantially relieve the concentration of strain imparted to the seam, particularly at the point thereof securing the lower ends of the slits together.

It thus will be seen that the objects of this invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. It will be realized, however, that the foregoing specific embodiment has been shown and described only for the purpose of illustrating the principles of this invention and is subject to extensive change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A panty hose garment comprising a pair of circular knitted stocking parts, each having a foot portion for covering a foot of a wearer, a leg portion for covering a leg of a wearer, and an upper portion, said upper portions being longitudinally slit intermediate the front and rear thereof and being seamed together along the slits thereof with each of the latter opened and facing toward the other to provide an assembly for covering the remainder of the wearer up to approximately the waist, each of said stocking parts including a loosened stitch area contained within a predetermined multiplicity of courses extending above and below the lower end of the associated slit and within a predetermined multiplicity of wales extending to the rear and to the front of the associated slit, the stitches of said predetermined courses outside of said area constituting at least approximately 50% of the total stitches of said predetermined courses and being of substantially uniform looseness, the stitches of said predetermined courses within said area being loosened between and 125% with respect to the uniform stitches of the associated predetermined courses, an amount sufficient to substantially relieve, during use, the concentration of strain imparted to the seam at the point thereon securing the lower ends of the slits together.

2. A panty hose garment as defined in claim 1 wherein the stitches within said area of each of said stocking parts are uniformly loosened an amount equal to approximately with respect to the uniform stitches of the associated predetermined courses.

3. A panty hose garment comprising a pair of circular knitted stocking parts, each having a foot portion for covering a foot of a wearer, a leg portion for covering a leg of a wearer, and an upper portion, said upper portions being longitudinally slit intermediate the front and rear thereof and being seamed together along the slits thereof with each of the latter opened and facing toward the other to provide an assembly for covering the remainder of the wearer up to approximately the waist, each of said stocking parts including a loosened stitch area contained within approximately contiguous 200 courses approximately 200 wales extending approximately /3 above and approximately /3 below the lower end of the associated slit and extending approximately 60% to the rear and 40% to the front of the associated slit, the stitches of said 200.courses outside of said area constituting at least approximately 50% of the total stitches of said 200 courses and being of substantially uniform looseness, the stitches of said 200 courses within said area being loosened approximately 100% with respect to said uniform stitches an amount sufiicient to substantially relieve, during use, the concentration of strain imparted to the seam at the point thereon securing the lower ends of the slits together.

4. In a method of making a panty hose garment in which a pair of stocking parts are separately knitted on a circular knitting machine so as to form a foot portion for covering a foot of a wearer, a leg portion for covering a leg of a wearer and an upper portion, each stocking part is longitudinally slit in its upper portion intermediate the front and rear thereof and the slit stockings are seemed together along the slits with each of the latter opened and facing toward the other to provide an assembly for covering the remainder of the wearer up to approximately the waist, the improvement which comprises the step of forming, during the knitting of a predetermined multiplicity of courses of each stocking part positioned above and below the lower point to which the upper portion of the stocking part is to be slit, a multiplicity of stitches of substantially uniform looseness constituting at least approximately 50% of the stitches of said predetermined courses and a multiplicity of stitches, contained within a predetermined multiplicity of wales extending to the rear and to the front of the line along which the upper portion of the stocking part is to be slit, which are loosened with respect to said stitches of uniform looseness between 75 and 100% more than that of the multiplicity of stitches of uniform looseness, to substantially relieve, during use, the concentration ofstrain imparted to the seam at the point thereon securing the lower ends of the slits together.

5. A method as defined in claim 4 wherein the multiplicity of stitches contained within said predetermined multiplicity of wales are formed with a uniform looseness approximately 100% more than that of the multiplicity of stitches of uniform looseness.

6. A panty hose garment comprising a pair of circular knitted stocking parts, each having a foot portion for covering a foot of a wearer, a leg portion for covering a leg of a wearer, and an upper portion, said upper portions being longitudinally slit intermediate the front and rear thereof and being seamed together along the slits thereof with each of the latter opened and facing toward the other to provide an assembly for covering the remainder of the wearer up to approximately the Waist, each of said stocking parts including a loosened stitch area contained within approximately 200 contiguous courses extending approximately /3 above and approximately /2, below the lower end of the associated slit, and approximately 200 wales extending 60% to the rear of and 40% to the front of the associated slit, the stitches of said 200 courses outside of said area constituting at least approximately 5 0% of the total stitches of said 200 courses, the stitches of said 200 courses within said area being loosened between 75 to 125% with respect to the stitches of the associated 200 courses outside of said area, an amount sufficient to substantially relieve, during use, the concentration of strain imparted to the seam at the point thereon securing the lower ends of the slits together.

7. A panty hose garment comprising a pair of circular knitted stocking parts, each having a foot portion for covering a foot of a wearer, a leg portion for covering a leg of a wearer, and an upper portion, said upper portions being longitudinally slit intermediate the front and rear thereof and being seamed together along the slits thereof with each of the latter opened and facing toward the other to provide an assembly for covering the remainder of the wearer up to approximately the waist, each of said stocking parts including a loosened stitch area contained within approximately 200 contiguous courses extending above and below the lower end of the associated slit and approximately 200 wales extending to the rear and to the front of the associated slit, the stitches of said 200 courses outside of said area constituting at least approximately 50% of the total stitches of said 200 courses, the stitches of said 200 courses within said area being loosened between 75% to 125% with respect to the stitches of the associated 200 courses outside of said area, an amount sufficient to substantially relieve, during use, the concentration of strain imparted to the seam at the point thereon securing the lower ends of the slits together.

8, A panty hose garment comprising a pair of circular knitted stocking parts, each having a foot portion for covering a foot of a wearer, a leg portion for covering a leg of a wearer, and an upper portion, said upper portions being longitudinally slit intermediate the front and rear thereof and being seamed together along the slits thereof with each of the latter opened and facing toward the other to provide an assembly for covering the remainder of the wearer up to approximately the waist, each of said stocking parts including a loosened stitch area contained within a predetermined multiplicity of courses extending approximately /3 above and approximately /3 below the lower end of the associated slit and within a predetermined multiplicity of wales extending 60% to the rear and 40% to the front of the associated slit, the stitches of said predetermined courses outside of said area constituting at least approximately 50% of the total stitches of said predetermined courses, the stitches of said predetermined courses within said area being loosened between to with respect to the stitches of the associated predetermined courses outside of said area, an amount suificient to substantially relieve, during use, the concentration of strain imparted to the seam at the point thereon securing the lower ends of the slits together.

9. In a method of making a panty hose garment in which a pair of stocking parts are separately knitted on a circular knitting machine so as to form a foot portion for covering a foot of a wearer, a leg portion for covering a leg of a wearer and an upper portion, each stocking part is longitudinally slit in its upper portion intermediate the front and rear thereof and the slit stockings are seamed together along the slits with each of the latter opened and facing toward the other to provide an assembly for covering the remainder of the wearer up to approximately the waist, the improvement which comprises the step of forming, during the knitting of approximately 200 contiguous courses of each stocking part positioned approximately /3 above and approximately /3 below the lower point to which the upper portion of the stocking part is to be slit, a multiplicity of stitches of substantially uniform looseness constituting at least approximately 50% of the stitches of said 200 courses, and a multiplicity of stitches, contained within approximately 200 wales extending approximately 60% to the rear and approximately 40% to the front of the line along which the upper portion of the stocking part is to be slit, which are loosened between 75% to 125% with respect to the stitches of uniform looseness of the associated 200 courses an amount sufficient to substantially relieve, during use, the concentration of strain imparted to the seam at the point thereon securing the lower ends of the slits together.

10. In a method of making a panty hose garment in which a pair of stocking parts are separately knitted on a circular knitting machine so as to form a foot portion for covering a foot of a wearer, a leg portion for covering a leg of a wearer and an upper portion, each stocking part is longitudinally slit in its upper portion intermediate the front and rear thereof and the slit stockings are seamed together along the slits with each of the latter opened and facing toward the other to provide an assembly for covering the remainder of the wearer up to approximately the waist, the improvement which comprises the step of forming, during the knitting of approximately 200 contiguous courses of each stocking part positioned above and below the lower point to which the upper portion of the stocking part is to be slit, a multiplicity of stitches of substantially uniform looseness constituting at least approximately 50% of the stitches of said 200 courses and a multiplicity of stitches, contained within approximately 200 wales extending to the rear and to the front of the line along which the upper portion of the stocking part is to be slit, which are loosened between 75% to 125% with respect to the stitches of uniform looseness of the associated 200 courses, an

amount sufficient to substantially relieve, during use, the 3,301,013 concentration of strain imparted to the seam at the point 3,344,621 thereon securing the lower ends of the slits together. 3,413,824

References Cited 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 142900 Re. 25,360 3/1963 Rice 2-224 2,165,077 7/1939 Spordick 66175X 3,007,327 11/1961 Isley 66-177 3,256,716 6/1966 H6661 66187X 10 66-189 10 1/1967 Moyer 66-187X 10/1967 Gilchrist 66--175 12/1968 Kuney 66177 FOREIGN PATENTS 5/1902 Germany 66175 WILLIAM CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.