US2684482A - Girdle - Google Patents

Description

July 27, 1954 RUTLEDGE 2,684,482

GIRDLE Filed April 2, 1952 Y INVENTOR.

66 79327 Eaflegzjge,

Patented July 27, 1954 UNITED Siffiid rarer-tr orrics GIRDLE George E. Rutledge, Chicago, 111., assignor to Munsingwear, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn, a corporation of Delaware Claims.

This invention relates to foundation garments such as girdles and panty girdles, particularly for womens wear.

The usual circular knit foundation garment is shaped by creating tension on the laying-in thread. This is done in such manner as to make the waist narrower by increasing the tension on the thread which runs horizontally of the garment at certain locations and decreasing the tension at other locations or sections of the garment. When this method is used, the girdle construction is such as to cause a binding action on the body of the wearer and it tends to move up or down the body rather than to set in one position.

Among the objects of this invention are:

To provide in a girdle or a parity girdle a con struction such that it is comfortable and form fitting regardless of the position of the wearer; to increase the elasticity of the garment where it surrounds the hips so as to provide greater freedom of stride and comfort to the wearer in either a sitting or a standin position; and to employ the knitted fabric and increase the number of wales from top to bottom in such manner as to provide increased elasticity along the lower portion of the garment.

Other objects of this invention will, in part, be obvious and in part appear hereinafter.

In a garment constructed in accordance with this invention, elasticity is built into the fabric, particularly along the lower portion thereof, by interlacing the transverse or horizontal elastic threads in such fashion that they provide the proper elongation so as to permit easy perpendicular stretch and at the same time they exercise sufficient restraint so that when the wearer sits down or bends over, the garment conforms to the posture of the body without crawling or creeping. Also, the garment will have horizontal control or retention where needed and at the same time will afford confining or body molding strength equal to heavier and less comfortable garments. The construction also gives more freedom in a horizontal direction where the same is required for stride and comfort. The garment made in accordance with this invention by knittin as disclosed herein moves with the body. That is, when the body bends or stoops, the garment stretches with it. When the body straightens up, the garment shortens to fit the shorter contour, moving with and as if a part of the muscles of the body. The form and comfort of the garment of the present invention are knitted into it. They are not achieved by boarding or stretching into shape. As a result, the garment retains its shape and size after constant wearing and tubbing and thus gives more comfort and use to the wearer.

This invention is disclosed in the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing and it comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the garment construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of this invention, reference can be had to the following detailed description, taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the front and rear panels of a garment in which the present invention is embodied, the panels being shown as they are knitted on a knitting machine and prior to separation for forming the girdle;

Figure 2 is a View, in front elevation, of a girdle constructed in accordance with this invention; and

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring now particularly to Figure 1 of the drawing, it will be observed that the reference characters It] and H designate, respectively, the front and back panels which are knit on a suitable knitting machine in one piece. They are joined together adjacent their ends where a thread 12 is provided which can be withdrawn and the panels separated. It will be understood that the panels it and H are knit on a suitable machine with the needle plates placed at an angle of 45 degrees to the bed. The needles are controlled by means of a master pattern chain which governs the number of needles added or withdrawn from the pattern in the desired manner.

After the thread I2 has been withdrawn and the panels it and H separated, they are seamed together as indicated at [3 so as to form the garment.

It will be observed that the panels i6 and II are of duplicate or identical construction and configuration. Each includes a top band portion M which is ribbed. Below the top band por tion it and knit integrally therewith is a body molding portion l5. This portion is arranged to extend over the lower abdominal area and to surround the hips. Because of the increase in the width of the body in this region, it is desirable to provide a greater elasticity for the lower portion of the garment where it surrounds the hips so as to make it more comfortable and to give greater freedom of stride.

In accordance with this invention, this greater elasticity is accomplished by providin a gore it in each of the panels it and it with the narrow end ll near the upper end of the girdle and the wide end It near the lower end. The gore is formed by the addition of One needle between every two needles from the narrow end H to the wide end it. This variation of needles develops the inverted V-shaped section or gore it, as shown in the drawing, and it is made an integral part of the adjoining portions of the fabric making up the body molding portion E5. By the pro vision of the gore it in each of the panels iii and ii, progressively more stretchability is provided in the garment from top to bottom.

At its lower portion, the garment is provided with a lower band portion iii which is knit integrally with the body molding portion iii. The same number of needles that is used for knitting the wide end it of the gore it is used for knitting the lower band portion so that its appearance is the same as that of the gore it.

Knit integrally with the lower band portion is is an edge portion 28 which is arranged to be turned under the lower edge of the lower band portion i9 and to be seamed thereto as indicated at 2!.

For illustrative purposes, it is pointed out that the panel ill or II at its widest part may have one-third more wales than at its narrowest part. However, this relationship may be varied as desired. By employing this arrangement, a greater measure of figure control is obtained, and at the same time the garment is comfortable to the wearer.

If desired, garters 22 may be secured to the lower edge of the lower band portion it for attachment to stockings in a conventional manner.

While the present invention has been described particularly in connection with a girdle, it will be understood that it may be used also in the manufacture of panty girdles. Since certain changes can be made in the foregoing construction and different embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and the scope thereof, it is intended that all mat,- ters shown in the accompanying drawing and described hereinbefore shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed as new is:

l. A girdle comprising front and back panels providing a generally tubular body molding portion having an upper portion for extending around the waist and a lower portion for surrounding the hips, at least one of said panels being formed by fabric knit from top to bottom and having a single integrally knit inver ed v-shaped central gore increasing uniformly in width from top to bottom, said gore being characterized by having a uniformly increasing number of wales in each course from top to bottom as compared to the material adjacent thereto whereby progressively more stretchability is provided in the girdle at the bottom than is provided at the top.

2. A girdle comprising front and back panels providing a generally tubular body molding portion having an upper portion for extending around the waist and a lower portion for surrounding the hips, each of said panels being formed by fabric knit from top to bottom and having a single integrally knit inverted V-shaped central gore increasing uniformly in width from top to bottom, each gore being characterized by having a uniformly increasing number of wales in each course from top to bottom as compared to the material adjacent thereto whereby progressively more stretchability is provided in the girdle at the bottom than is provided at the top.

3. A foundation garment comprising symmetrical front and back panels seamed together along their vertical edges to provide a generally tubular body molding portion having an upper portion for extending around the waist and a lower portion for surrounding the hips, each of said panels being formed by fabric knit from top to bottom and having a single centrally positioned inverted V-shaped knit gore increasing uniformly in width from top to bottom to provide increased elasticity around the hips of the wearer and thereby increased freedom of movement, each gore being characterized by having a uniformly increasing number of wales in each course from top to bottom as compared to the material adjacent thereto.

i. A generally tubular foundation garment having a top band portion knit from top to bottom for extending around the waist of the wearer and a body molding portion knit integrally with said top band portion and from top to bottom extending around the lower abdominal area and over the hips with a lower band portion along the lowermost portion thereof, said body molding portion having an integrally knit inverted V-shaped gore increasing uniformly in width from top to bottom and merging with said lower band portion whereby increased elasticity is provided around the hips and thereby increased freedom of movement, each gore being characterized by having a uniformly increasing number of wales in each course from top to bottom as compared to the material adjacent thereto.

5. A generally tubular foundation garment having a top band portion knit from top to bottom for extending around the waist of the wearer and a body molding portion knit integrally with said top band portion and from top to bottom for extending around the lower abdomi nal area and over the hips with a lower band portion along the lowermost portion thereof, said body molding portion having a plurality of integrally flnitted inverted V-shaped gores increaslIlg uniformly in width from top to bottom and merging with said lower band portion whereby increased elasticity is provided around the hips and thereby increased freedom of movement, each gore being characterized by having a uniformly increasing number or wales in each course from top to bottom as compared to the material adjacent thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 22,583 Fridolph Dec. 26, 1944 360,094 Holmes Mar. 29, 1887 2,212,027 Lawson Aug. 20, 1940 2,406,969 Silman Sept. 3, 1946

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