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Field of the invention

The present invention concerns in general the field of sockwear and knitwear, and is in particular referred to knitted articles, such as socks, and a method for their realisation. State of the Art

Articles, in particular socks, are already known, which are with double layer of fabric, that is with two engaged layers of knitting, an internal one and an external one, which can be different according to the type of knitting and having different physical features, a first one for contact with the skin and a second one which is external.

In a know embodiment, the socks formed by a double layer of fabric are realized on monocylinder knitting machines according to a textile technique which provides to start from the toe of a first layer of sock, then to proceed with by realizing an edge or cuff in continuation of the first layer, and then to continue with the realisation of a second layer of sock in continuation to the edge or cuff up to the toe of said second layer. When released from the machine, the article is shaped through the turning of a layer of knitting inside the other one and their joint in correspondence to the toe. This operation is, however, difficult to be carried out as the insertion of a fabric inside the other one is needed, and additional care is needed in that the toe opening of the two layers must be properly coincident before proceeding with the sewing. Moreover, the process has the disadvantage that the operations on machine require time which is approximately equal to the time required for realising two different socks, and, thus, which is double with respect to the realising of one sock.

In another known embodiment, an article of the aforementioned type is made on double cylinder circular machines for sockwear, starting from the realising of an edge with the use of all the needles at disposal and then continuing with realising, in parallel, two different tubular fabrics, of which one on the upper cylinder, using an half of the needles, and one on the lower cylinder, using the other half of the needles. The two distinct parts of fabric are then jointed together in correspondence of the heel and of the toe by making operate all the needles on the lower cylinder. This other operation proceeding has, with respect to the above described first proceeding, the advantage of realizing double layer socks connected in three areas (cuff, heel and toe) and of appearing ready for being sewed as a normal monofabric socket. However, it has the disadvantage of a smaller compactness of the knitting as each of the fabrics is made only with the half of the needles. This procedure is, moreover, susceptible of application only on double cylinder machines: its applications on monocylinder machines are not known.

A method is also known which is for producing a double layer sock on a monocylinder circular machine for sockwear of the type with a plurality of needles on the cylinder and a plurality of needles on a dial above the cylinder. Then, the method consists in realizing simultaneously an internal layer of the sock with needles on the dial and an external layer with needles on the cylinder and in jointing progressively the internal and external layer at predetermined intervals by means of one of the used threads which is constrained to extend between the two different layers of knitting. The result is an article defined by two layers of fabric which are however jointed substantially along all their length, and in which the two fabrics are made using alternately all the needles of the cylinder for the construction of one or more stitch courses of the external layer and then half of the needles of the cylinder selected for retaining the thread without making stitch while the needles on the dial operate in correspondence to the needles out of operation for the making of the internal layer jointed with the external one. Aims and summary of invention

Notwithstanding, it is aim of the invention to propose knitted articles, in particular socks, made of an internal layer of fabric and of an external layer of fabric, however, separated substantially for all their extension, being jointed only at the level of the edge or initial cuff, of the heel and through sewing at level of the toe.

Another aim of the invention is to propose a knitted article, formed by an internal layer and an external layer of fabric, they being obtainable through different yarns and stitch graduations and capable to present also pattern areas on the external fabric, obtained by insertion of threads that are usually to be cut, but whose extremities appear to be hidden between the two layers of fabric.

A further aim of the invention is also to propose a method for making, through a circular monocylinder machine for sockwear, an article with two layers of knitting made in parallel each other in the easiest and simplest way, starting from the edge or cuff and in which both the internal layer and the external layer can be made with a number of needles which is the same or different so as to result with a stitch intensity which is the same or different. Said aims and the implicit advantages are obtained through an article concretized by a sock with an internal and external double layer of fabric according to claim 1 and through a method for the realization of said article according to claim 9. Brief description of the drawings Greater details of the invention will result clear from the following of the description made with reference to the attached drawings, which are demonstrative and non limiting, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows an external view of a sock;

Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal cross view of a sock obtained according to the method of the invention; and

Fig. 3 shows a cross view as in Fig. 2, but with a pocket between the two internal and external fabrics. Detailed description of the invention

In said drawings there is demonstratively represented a knitted article in the form of a sock 10 having, as usual, an edge or cuff 11 , followed by a leg portion 12, a heel 13, a foot portion 14 and a toe 15 (Fig. 1). A part of, or the whole, leg portion 12 and, in case, also the foot portion 13 are formed by a double fabric, more precisely by an external tubular fabric layer 16 and by an internal tubular fabric layer 17 (Fig. 2). The two knitted layers 16, 17 can be realized by using different starting materials, e.g. a yarn with properties of transpiration, anti-bacteria, anti-smell or the like for the internal fabric layer and a yarn with other features for the internal fabric layer. Moreover, the external layer of knitting can be made through various types of realisation and stitches and can present, also, patterns made with coloured threads, which, as usual, are to be cut in the internal part of the sock, but that appear to be hidden between the two fabric layers, making the sock aesthetically more appreciable.

The internal fabric layer 17 can, moreover, have an interruption for defining an opening 18 (Fig. 3) of access to a pocket where to insert optionally an additional element, as a shinguard, in case of a sport sock, for example, for football players. The article can also be endowed with reinforced areas 19 obtained through a so called sponge operation and, in case, a link localized between the two internal and external fabric layers in order to create a padding effect in some of its areas which are subject to particular solicitations.

According to the invention, the above described article is made on a monocylinder circular machine - not shown - for sockwear, of the type comprising a cylinder and a dial and having a plurality of vertical needles on the cylinder, a plurality of horizontal needles on the dial and at least two feed stations for the threads to be knitted. Note that the number of needles on the dial can be equal or half with respect to the number of needles on the cylinder, and that a first feed station is used for feeding the threads to be knitted to the needles of the cylinder, while a second feed station is used for feeding threads to be knitted to the dial. The machine must be also endowed with a needle opener for the needles of the cylinder, of a needle opener for the needles of the dial and of means for graduation of the stitch, not only for the needles of the cylinder, but also for the needles of the dial.

In practice, the external fabric layer 16 is realized through the needles of the cylinder, knitting at least one first thread supplied in a first thread feed station, and the internal fabric layer 17 is made simultaneously, but separately, to the external one 16 through the needles of the dial, knitting at least a second thread supplied in another thread feed station.

The two fabrics 16, 17 are jointed in the starting area, operating also the needles of the cylinder in the dial needles feed station, then at their end through the transferring of the stitches from the needles on the dial to the needles of the cylinder according to the known art.

More in particular, the realization of the article 10 starts from its edge or cuff 11 which can be single or double, typically rib stitched 1 :1 using a part of the needles of the cylinder in combination with the ones the dial. Then, it proceeds by jointing two fabrics in the starting area of the leg portion according to the procedure above described. Then, the operation proceeds by realizing the tubular leg portion 12 defined by the external fabric layer 16 and by the internal fabric layer 17 which are made in parallel, the first one only through the needles of the cylinder and the second one only through the needles on the dial. At the end of the operation on the leg portion 12, the needles on the dial in correspondence of the needles of the cylinder which have to knit the heel transfer their stitches to the respective cylinder needles, jointing in this way the two fabrics, according to the above described technique. After this the heel 13 is realized, in usual way, only through the needles of the cylinder. Then, through a further semi-stitchcourse, the two fabrics are jointed in the start foot area, according to the above described procedure. There follows, then, the realisation of another tubular portion in two separate fabric layers, defining the foot 14, which ends with a transfer of all the stitches from the needles on the dial to the needles of the cylinder, determining, in this way, the joint of the two fabric parts. Subsequently, there is proceeded with the realisation of the of the toe section 15, which is to be closed with a subsequent sewing operation.

The external layer, realized with needles of the cylinder, can be realized according to the usual operations at disposal, e. g. false rib stitch with insertion of an elastic thread, patterned stitch, needle out or other, or there can be inserted sponge areas, or elasticized areas 20 for bettering the aesthetical and/or functional aspect of the article according to its intended use.