Air Industries LLC

Bristol-Myers Company

Zimmer USA, Inc.

Richard G Levine

James R Hanrahan, Jr

For both orthopedic and sports uses, a foamed plastic pad is integrally molded to a fabric. More particularly, a knitted sleeve is constructed having a terry loop on the interior surface of a hydrophobic yarn (e.g. acrylic) and an exterior surface of a hydrophilic yarn (e.g. cotton), whereby moisture is wicked away from the surface in a hydrokinetic fashion. A soft, hydrophilic polyurethane foam pad, which acts as a sponge, absorbs the moisture, is molded integrally with the sleeve, leaving the terry loops free for skin contact. For sports uses, knitted or woven fabrics may be employed, and stiffer, polyurethane foams are preferred.

Method of producing a foamed polyurethane body-protecting pad

Protective device with integrally molded pad

Method of making casual footwear including a knitted fabric upper, a woven insole portion, and an injection-molded sole is produced in a mold cycle of 45-second duration, as opposed to five or six minutes heretofore generally required, or the +2 minutes with the latest known materials. Molding conditions and materials are carefully controlled, and substantial penetration of the woven and knitted fabrics by the injected material is achieved. The woven insole portion prevents the flowing plastic from pushing the upper over the last. Ethylene/ethyl acrylate copolymer, polyvinyl chloride and styrene butadiene are preferred sole thermoplastics.

Injection molding footwear

A circular knit therapeutic garment in which bare elastomeric yarn is knit in selected courses and wales with a non-elastomeric yarn in other selected courses and wales in the boot portion of a stocking to provide a retractive or compressive force of graduating degrees as required with a circumferential heel-instep band of lesser retractive or compressive force, and a closed toe area in which stretchable fabric with minimal retractive forces is integrally knit to the foot portion of the garment whereby the bar elastomeric yarns are buried or concealed by the knitted non-elastomeric yarns to provide improved hand and snag resistance and retractive force on the leg of a wearer.

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Lawrence, NY, United States of America

Richard G Levine