Background Art The usual manufacturing technique relative to knitted garments, such as stockings, body stockings and the like, consists of a first phase where, on a circular knitting machine, two tubular elements are manufactured consecutively, and of a second phase where they are sent to a machine which cuts them and connects them by means of sewing, so forming, in the area of mutual junction, a support or panties portion.

This processing is time consuming and complex, since it needs the semi-processed material passing through several machines, it causes a relevant labour rate and generates waste, involving loss of already woven yarn.

Therefore other systems have been examined to weave a stocking or similar garment, as here mentioned, with a single weaving phase. The majority of such systems, being particularly complex, found a poor diffusion. Other ones give unsatisfactory results both functionally and aesthetically:

for example, the system that gets a stocking without any sewing, from a single tubular knitted fabric piece, with an opening, surrounded by an appropriate carried or sewed elastic belt, which is the stocking's waist line.

Therefore, in this industrial sector, it's a real need to find out a manufacturing procedure getting a stocking without any sewing, i. e. in a single processing phase and in a single unit, which, though being operatively simple, allows the manufacturing of a garment having satisfactory functional and aesthetic qualities. In addition, we must take into account that, particularly as a result of the latest trends of underwear fashion, there is an always growing stressful request of new types of stockings that are not only practical and comfortable to wear, but represent also original and attractive aesthetic solutions.

Disclosure of invention The above cited needs are satisfied by the stocking or similar knitted garment with a single unit having the essential characteristics described in claim 1, and by the relative manufacturing procedure with a single processing phase, according to the invention, having the essential characteristics described in claims 8 and 12.

With reference to Figs. 1 to 3, a stocking according to the invention includes two leg portions 1, bounded on top by respective edge elastic bands 2, with single or double trim, set to support the leg portions 1, each one symmetrically

extending between a hip and the internal part of the thigh.

More specifically the elastic bands 2, and the two leg portions 1, of which the bands are the end, are manufactured as a single unit, the respective free edges being knitted the one with the other for a length, drawn with dotted line in Fig. 2 and marked with no. 3, staying, when the stocking is worn, substantially on the user's perineum area.

According to a second manufacturing form of the invention, shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the stocking includes a patch 4 consisting of a frontal or pubic portion 5 and of a back portion 6, extending between the elastic bands 2, in order to equip the stocking with a substantially panties part. Each portion shows a substantially triangular development, symmetrical to the stocking's central axis.

In a third manufacturing option of the invention, depicted in Fig. 6, the overall stocking's support is increased by means extending from the edge elastic bands 2, set to surround the user's abdominal area. According to what is depicted in this figure, such means consist of two ring elastic belts 7, each one extending respectively from one of the bands 2, and more specifically from its section diametrically facing the one corresponding to the knitted length 3 with the other band. The belts 7, knitted to the respective elastic band 2, by partially overlapping each other, surround the user's waist.

According to what is depicted in Fig. 7, an alternative way to increase the stocking's support, is to put further auxiliary

elastic bands 8, one or more per portion, substantially extending parallel to the bands 2, before the same edge elastic bands 2, in the development of the respective leg portion 1.

The stocking shown in Fig. 8, has edge elastic bands 12 which, rather than surrounding the hip corresponding to the respective leg portion 11, cross on the pubis, each one extending on the hip of the facing leg portion. In order to allow such cross, the edge bands 12, properly shaped, are only partially linked to the relative leg portion 11, equipped with a respective auxiliary band 18 which, in this case, has a nearly entirely free edge 19. According to a not depicted option, bands frontally crossing, substantially like the bands 12 of Fig. 8, can exist even in a stocking with patch 4 (Figs.

4 and 5).

According to the invention, a stocking without any sewing as above cited is manufactured on a cylindrical knitting machine on the basis of the known technique, single face or double face (for garments having larger diameter), equipped with dial with hooks or needles for carrying the trim, the patch and the toe's closing. In order to better understand, we refer to solutions with edge bands 2 manufactured with single trim technique, passing to the double trim technique requiring obvious adjustments for an expert of this field, a first manufacturing form of this procedure includes the manufacturing of a first leg portion 1 (Fig. lj, starting from

the toe and up to the free edge of the relative edge elastic band 2. Now only some of the cylinder's needles leave the edge's stitches, the other ones, corresponding to length 3 (Fig. 2), keep the catching and then take again the processing with all the other needles, equipped with a new feeding, and manufacture, starting from the respective free edge, the second edge elastic band 2 and then the relative leg portion 1 up to the toe, manufactured, according to the known technique, open or closed.

A different way of manufacturing the procedure according to the invention, includes the starting from the free edge of one of the edge elastic bands 2, with the hooks or needles of the dial keeping the catching on a certain number of stitches of the free edge, corresponding to the above cited knitted length 3 (Fig. 2). The cylinder's needles finish the manufacturing of the first band 2 and go on with the leg portion 1 up to the relative toe. Once finished this one and unloaded the stitches from all the needles, the hooks or needles of the dial that were catching the stitches, leave them to the cylinder's needles which, at the same time, start the manufacturing of the other band 2 and, finished this one, go on with the leg portion 1.

In order to perform specific ways of manufacturing the stocking according to the invention, we can choose one or the other of the above cited ways of performing the procedure, to be employed with the suitable adjustments obvious for any

expert of this field. For example, in the manufacturing form of Figs. 4 and 5, the patch 4 with the pubic portion 5 and that back one 6 can be manufactured, in a procedure starting from the toe of one of the leg portions 1, in an intermediate phase between the manufacturing of the two edge elastic bands 2. In this phase, a part of the cylinder's needles kept catching the free edge of the first band 2, perform, by continuous or alternated movement, the connected pubic portion 5 with the back one 6, having the desired height and width, then passing to the extremity of the other band 2 to manufacture the relative leg portion 1.

As an alternative, at first we can perform a half of the pubic portion 5 and the back one 6, starting from an axis 4a which, when the garment is over, corresponds to the stocking's axis of symmetry. A certain number of the cylinder's needles, appropriately selected for the width and height of the portions 5 and 6, perform said half, with the hooks or needles of the dial which, in a number proportional to the number of the selected cylinder's needles, keep the catching on the initial stitches along the above mentioned axis 4a. All the cylinder's needles take the processing in order to manufacture, starting from the relative band 2, one of the leg portions 1. When this is finished, so all the cylinder's needles are free, the unloading of the relative stitches from the hooks or the needles of the dial to the cylinder's needles, allows, finally, the manufacturing of the remaining

half of the pubic portion 5 and the back one 6 and, then, of the other band 2, with the relative leg portion 1.

In the same way, the option depicted in Fig. 6 provide for the manufacturing, with a single processing phase, respectively of one of the belts 7, of the relative band 2 and leg portion 1, of the second belt 7, and finally, always starting from band 2, of the remaining leg portion 1. All that thanks to the action of catching and unloading by the hooks and needles of the dial.

According to the invention, it's possible to manufacture, besides stockings with aesthetic solutions different from the ones above described, other garments such as trousers, leggings, pantaloons, knickers, skirts with internal knickers etc., always in a single unit and assembled with a single processing phase. Fig. 9 shows, according to the invention, how to manufacture knickers, like the so called"tanga", with the leg portions 1 becoming two elastic bands 22, corresponding to the above cited edge bands 2, linked by a patch 24 having a pubic portion 25.

According to the invention, we are so able to manufacture a garment which, despite being made on a single machine in a single processing phase, is substantially ready to be worn.

Conveniently, it can be combined with other elements and/or garments in order to create particular aesthetic and functional solutions. As shown in Fig. 10, rather than using the elastic belts 7, it's possible to employ, for example,

pulling means, like one or more laces 27, sliding into locations associated with the elastic bands 2. Conveniently, we can get such locations assembling with double trim the bands 2 along a part of their perimeter, specifically the 2a one, diametrically facing the knitted length 3. As an alternative, according to what is depicted in Fig. 11, laces 37 can increase the stocking's support, developing along the respective elastic bands 2. The laces 37 are fastened on the waist, on the side of the respective leg portion 1, over the point where the bands 2 are fastened.

Self-supporting bands can be overlapped with the bands 2 (Fig.

7) and 12 (Fig. 8) or replacing the belts 7 (Fig. 6). It's then possible, according to what is shown in Fig. 12, to employ bands 17, with crossed development along the user's body up to her shoulders, like a sort of bra. In order to form a stocking having a substantially usual shape, a support portion can then be connected with the leg portions, and possibly be removed, by means of clip, Velcro or similar elements, working together with the free edges of the edge elastic bands 2.

Obviously, the above stated observations don't depend on the kind of yarn used and on the kind of knitting made.

Particularly, the absence of sewing makes the full exploitation of the opportunities offered by the"double face" weaving possible. The different phases of the described procedures can be easily managed by any expert of this field,

through the electronic control systems of the modern knitting machines, offering the greatest operative flexibility, particularly concerning the ways of selecting the needles, the relative planes, the yarn's feeding check etc.

It will be possible to vary and/or modify the stocking or similar knitted garment without any sewing and the relative manufacturing procedure in a single processing phase and in a single unit, according to the invention, but still remaining within the limits of the protection granted by this patent for invention.

Brief description of drawings These and further advantages and characteristics of the stocking or similar knitted garment with a single unit and of the relative manufacturing procedure with a single processing phase and, according to the invention, will be better understood, by reading its description and looking at the enclosed drawings, which represent a practical examples of the invention, but are not to be considered restrictive.

-Fig. 1 shows a frontal view of a stocking according to a manufacturing form of this invention, as put on; -Fig. 2 shows a lateral view of the stocking of Fig. 1; -Fig. 3 shows a back view of the stocking of Fig. 1; -Fig. 4 shows a frontal view of a stocking according to a different manufacturing form of the invention; -Fig. 5 shows a back view of the stocking of Fig. 4;

-Fig. 6 shows a frontal view of a stocking according to a third manufacturing form of the invention; -Fig. 7 shows a frontal view of a stocking according to a fourth manufacturing form of the invention; -Fig. 8 shows a frontal view of a stocking according to a fifth manufacturing form of the invention; -Fig. 9 shows a frontal view of panties according to this invention ; -Figs. 10 to 12 show frontal view of manufacturing options of the stocking depicted in Figs. 1 to 3.