CN112626694B

CN112626694B - Flat knitting machine

Info

Publication number: CN112626694B
Application number: CN202011007609.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 武友俊澄; 井上雅晶; 由井学; 岛崎宜纪; 北原健治
Original assignee: Shima Seiki Mfg Ltd
Current assignee: Shima Seiki Mfg Ltd
Priority date: 2019-09-24
Filing date: 2020-09-23
Publication date: 2022-08-09
Anticipated expiration: 2040-09-23
Also published as: EP3798339B1; KR20210035759A; JP2021050435A; KR102454066B1; CN112626694A; EP3798339A1; JP7256722B2

Abstract

A weft knitting machine is provided, which can restrain the length of sinker loop in the needle drawing knitting, and has no danger that the knitting yarn is bitten into the hook of the knitting needle in the rest state. In a weft knitting machine (1), reference sinkers (5) and concave sinkers (6) are alternately arranged. The loops (7) for the needle-drawing knitting are constituted by needle loops (7a) formed by drawing in hooks (3a) and left and right sinker loops (7b) of the needle loops (7 a). The sinker loop (7b) on the left side is formed by the reference sinker (5) via the concave sinker (6). The right sinker loop (7b) is formed directly by the reference sinker (5). A stitch (7) formed by a flat knitting machine (9) corresponding to a master knitting by the same drawing knitting as the conventional one, wherein sinker loops (7b) are formed on both sides of a knitting needle (3) by 2 reference sinkers (5). The weft knitting machine (1) can suppress the length of the sinker loop (7b) as compared with the weft knitting machine (9). The sinker (6) is a wall that blocks the hook (3a) of the knitting needle (3) that is at rest so that the knitting yarn is not caught.

Description

Flat knitting machine

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a flatbed knitting machine used for a draw knitting.

Background

Conventionally, a flat knitting machine knits a knitted fabric with knitting needles arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction of a needle bed. The knitting needle is driven so that a hook provided at a tip end on a needle bed gap side advances and retreats with respect to the needle bed gap, and the knitting needle enters the needle bed gap to draw in the hook to which the knitting yarn is supplied to the needle bed, thereby forming a stitch of the knitted fabric. A flat knitting machine having a pair of front and rear needle beds with a needle bed gap therebetween, wherein even in a master needle knitting, it is possible to knit a bag-like or tubular knitted fabric such as a handbag which is connected on both sides in a width direction and alternately knits the knitted fabric on one and the other of the front and rear needle beds, and a single-layer knitted fabric having a weave pattern in which a front stitch and a back stitch are mixed.

If the needle-drawing knitting is performed by a flat knitting machine having 2 needle beds of a pair of front and rear needle beds, a knitted fabric having a front stitch and a back stitch, such as a rib knitted fabric attached to the knitted fabric, may be knitted on the front and rear needle beds, respectively, and both ends of the knitting width may be connected and knitted in a bag shape (for example, see patent document 1). When increasing or decreasing the knitting width while knitting a tubular knitted fabric in a plain knitting manner, it is necessary to perform a draw knitting in order to secure an empty needle for transferring in advance on the opposite needle bed. In the needle-out knitting, knitting needles are assigned to every 1 of knitted fabrics belonging to each needle bed, and knitting needles not assigned to knitted fabrics belonging to the needle bed are assigned to knitted fabrics belonging to the opposite needle bed, so that empty needles for transferring or back stitches are secured.

A sinker is arranged between knitting needles of a needle bed, and an action edge portion of a tip on a needle bed gap side of the sinker forms a sinker loop of a stitch when a hook is pulled into the needle bed to form a needle loop of the stitch. In the case of the draw knitting using a needle bed in which knitting needles and sinkers are alternately arranged, since there is a risk that a sinker loop grows, the present applicant proposed a flatbed knitting machine that intermittently pulls out the sinkers between the knitting needles (for example, see patent document 2).

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 60-194154

Patent document 2: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 7-258945

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In the flatbed knitting machine of patent document 2, since the knitting needles and the sinker are not alternately arranged, and there are portions where the knitting needles are adjacent to each other, the sinker loop of the needle-drawing knitting does not grow large. However, in the case of the draw knitting, if the knitting needles abut each other without the sinker in the knitting needles for knitting and the knitting needles at rest, the amount of the knitting yarn drawn in at the time of forming the needle loops becomes large in this portion, and there is a risk that the knitting yarn is caught by the hook of the knitting needle at rest.

The invention provides a flat knitting machine which can restrain the length of a sinker loop in a needle drawing knitting and prevent a knitting yarn from being caught by a hook of a knitting needle in a stop state.

Means for solving the problems

The present invention is a flatbed knitting machine in which knitting needles and sinkers are alternately arranged in a longitudinal direction of a needle bed on a needle bed side, and adjacent knitting needles are alternately used and stopped to perform needle-drawing knitting, characterized in that the sinkers have an action edge portion on a front end side of the needle bed side, the action edge portion being capable of acting on a knitting yarn if the knitting yarn comes into contact at the time of stitch formation, the action edge portion of the reference sinker being at a reference position facing the needle bed, a sinker loop is formed at the action edge portion at the time of stitch formation, the action edge portion of the sinker being at a recessed position separated from the needle bed gap from the reference position, the recessed position being a position where the action edge portion of the sinker is on a side of a hook and becomes a wall at least with respect to the front end and a bottom portion, and that the reference sinker and the recessed sinker loops are alternately arranged.

In the present invention, the knitting needle is a latch needle in which a hook is opened and closed by a latch, and the working edge portion of the sinker covers the hook of the knitting needle at a position closer to a needle bed gap than a tip end of the latch that closes the hook.

In the present invention, a sinker groove is provided in the needle bed at the position of the sinker, and the reference sinker and the concave sinker are replaceable, so that the sinker groove is closed when the needle bed is used.

In the present invention, the reference sinker is a movable sinker which advances and retreats relative to the notch to perform a function of pushing the formed coil downward from the notch and also a function of forming a sinker loop by the working edge portion, and the concave sinker is a fixed sinker which is fixed so that the working edge portion is in the concave position.

In the present invention, the working edge portion of the sinker has an inclination to guide the knitting yarn downward of the needle bed gap if the knitting yarn comes into contact with the needle bed when the knitting stitches are formed by the knitting needle.

[ Effect of the invention ]

According to the present invention, the reference sinker forming the sinker loop at the time of stitch formation is directly adjacent to the knitting needle used in the draw knitting in one longitudinal direction of the needle bed, and the concave sinker and the stopped knitting needle are adjacent to each other in the other longitudinal direction. In the other longitudinal direction, the sinker loop can be formed from the reference sinker on the other side of the knitting needle at rest via the concave sinker in a shorter path than in the case where the concave sinker is the reference sinker, and therefore the sinker loop length in the needle-drawing knitting can be suppressed. Since the working edge portion of the sinker is a wall on the side of the hook of the knitting needle at rest at least on the tip and the bottom, the knitting yarn is not caught at any height from the tip to the bottom of the knitting needle when the knitting yarn is pulled in to form a needle ring by the knitting needle to be used.

Further, according to the present invention, since the sinker covers the hook at a position closer to the needle bed gap than the tip of the latch that closes the hook of the knitting needle at rest in the draw knitting using the latch needle, the working edge portion can prevent the knitting yarn from being caught by the hook without opening the latch, and thus, the defect in knitting can be reduced.

Further, according to the present invention, since the reference sinker and the sinker are replaceable, if all the sinkers are made as the reference sinker, the reference sinker can be made compatible with the knitting of the knitted fabric in the master needle, and if the reference sinker and the sinker are alternately arranged, the reference sinker and the sinker can be made compatible with the knitting of the knitted fabric in the draw knitting. The reference sinker and the concave sinker block the sinker groove, and thus the knitting yarn can be prevented from falling into the sinker groove.

Further, according to the present invention, since the reference sinker has the working edge portion disposed at the reference position facing the notch, the functions of sinker loop formation and coil insertion can be effectively exhibited by using the movable sinker. Since the concave sinker is located at a concave position away from the notch, the coil press-fitting function is not required, and the structure can be simplified by using the fixed sinker.

Further, according to the present invention, since the working edge portion of the sinker has an inclination to guide the knitting yarn in contact to the lower side of the needle bed gap, the knitting yarn can be kept away from the hook tip of the knitting needle at rest without being caught by the hook.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a simplified partial plan view showing a comparison between the needle-out knitting in the flat knitting machine 1 as an embodiment of the present invention and the needle-out knitting in the flat knitting machine 9 corresponding to the master knitting.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a part of the structure of the needle bed 2 of the flatbed knitting machine 1 of fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the needle holder 2 of figure 2, seen from the direction of the section line III-III.

Figure 4 is a side section view of the needle holder 2 seen from the direction of the section line IV-IV in figure 2.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the reference sinker 5 of fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the female sinker 6 of fig. 2.

Detailed Description

In order to implement the mode of the invention

Next, fig. 1 to 6 relate to a structure and a usage state of a flatbed knitting machine 1 as an embodiment of the present invention. Corresponding parts in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping description may be omitted. For the sake of convenience of explanation, reference numerals may be given to parts not shown in the drawings to be explained, and to parts shown in other drawings.

[ examples ]

Fig. 1 shows a comparison between a needle-drawing knitting operation in a flat knitting machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention and a flat knitting machine 9 corresponding to a master knitting operation. The needle-drawing knitting in the flatbed knitting machine 9 is performed in the same manner as in patent document 1. Both

flat knitting machines

1 and 9 knit a knitted fabric with knitting needles 3 arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction of a needle bed 2. The knitting needles 3 are accommodated between needle plates 4 in needle grooves formed perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and slidable in the needle grooves. The knitting needles 3 are slid by cam driving mounted on a carriage that travels in the longitudinal direction of the needle bed 2. In the flatbed knitting machine 1, a reference sinker 5 and a concave sinker 6 each having an operation edge portion 5e, 6e are alternately attached to the front end side of a needle plate 4. The reference sinker 5 is disposed so that the working edge portion 5e is at a reference position facing the notch 8, and a sinker loop 7b is formed by the working edge portion 5e at the time of coil formation. The concave sinker 6 is located at a concave position where the working edge portion 6e is separated from the tooth gap 8 from the reference position. The coil 7 is composed of a needle ring 7a and a sinker loop 7 b. The needle ring 7a is formed by drawing in the needle bed 2 the hook 3a, which has entered the needle bed gap 8 by the hook 3a due to the sliding of the knitting needle 3 and supplied with the knitting yarn.

If the positions of the knitting needles 3 are indicated by a, b, c, d, e, and f in the left-to-right direction in fig. 1, the draw knitting of knitting the stitch 7 with every 1 knitting needle 3 is performed by, for example, stopping the knitting needles 3 at the positions of a, c, and e and using the knitting needles 3 at the positions of b, d, and f. For example, the loops 7 knitted by the knitting needles 3 at the position b are formed by the loops 7a formed by drawing in the hooks 3a and the left and right sinker loops 7b of the loops 7 a. The left sinker loop 7b is formed by the active edge portion 5e of the reference sinker 5 via the concave sinker 6. In the figure, although the knitting yarn of the sinker loop 7b contacts the working edge portion 6e of the sinker 6, the yarn may not contact the working edge portion depending on the condition of pulling in the hook 3 a. The right sinker loop 7b is formed directly by the working edge portion 5e of the reference sinker 5. Between the needle ring 7a and the sinker loop 7b, the old ring 7c is hung which is transferred from the hook 3a to the tooth gap 8.

The flatbed knitting machine 1 of the present embodiment can be used as a flatbed knitting machine 9 for the total needle knitting by replacing the reference sinker 5 and the concave sinker 6 and attaching only the reference sinker 5. In the stitches 7 for the needle-drawing knitting in the flatbed knitting machine 9, sinker loops 7b are formed by the working edge portions 5e of the two reference sinkers 5 on both sides of the knitting needles 3. For example, the sinker loop 7b between the knitting needle 3 at the position b and the knitting needle 3 at the position d is formed by the working edge portions 5e of the two reference sinkers 5 sandwiching the knitting needle 3 at the position c of rest. Similarly, the left side of the knitting needle 3 at the position b is formed by the working edge portions 5e of the two reference sinkers 5 of the knitting needle 3 at the position a at rest.

When the flatbed knitting machine 1 and the flatbed knitting machine 9 are seen in contrast, for example, it is found that the sinker loop 7b formed between the knitting needles 3 at the positions b and d is shorter in one side of the flatbed knitting machine 1 than in the flatbed knitting machine 9. The sinker loop 7b of the flatbed knitting machine 9 is hooked between the working edge portions 5e of the adjacent 2 reference sinkers 5 on both right and left sides with respect to the needle ring 7a in parallel to the longitudinal direction, and then pulled into the hook 3a of the knitting needle 3. The sinker loop 7b of the flatbed knitting machine 1 is pulled into the hook 3a of the knitting needle 3 from the reference sinker 5 through the concave sinker 6 on one of the right and left sides with respect to the needle ring 7 a. The length of the sinker loop 7b at the time of knitting the stitch 7 is set so as to be unseated by the formation of the stitch 7 in the next knitting course and reflected on the stitch 7 which becomes the old loop 7 c. In particular, in the case where the hook 3a is controlled to be pulled in such a manner that the loop length of the loop 7 is constant as the sum of the loop 7a and the sinker loop 7b, if the sinker loop 7b is lengthened as in the flat knitting machine 9, the loop 7a is shortened. However, when the stitch 7 is formed as a back stitch of a knitted fabric belonging to the opposing needle bed 2, the short loop 7a may be stretched and lengthened and the sinker loop 7b may be shortened when the knitting needle 3 of the opposing needle bed 2 is held and the knitting needle is moved back.

Fig. 2 partially shows a structure of a needle bed 2 of the flatbed knitting machine 1 of fig. 1. FIGS. 3 and 4 show a side cross-sectional structure of the needle bed 2 as viewed from the direction of the cutting line III-III and the cutting line IV-IV, respectively. The needle beds 2 are inclined so as to be higher on the needle bed gap 8 side and lower as they are separated from the needle bed gap 8 with the needle bed gap 8 interposed therebetween, but in fig. 3 and 4, a vertical virtual center plane 8a is inclined at the center of the needle bed gap 8 and is shown in a horizontal posture. Fig. 5 and 6 show the side shapes of the reference sinker 5 and the concave sinker 6, respectively.

As shown in fig. 3, the flatbed knitting machine 1 uses a movable sinker as the reference sinker 5. The movable sinker has an action arm 5a, a support convex portion 5b, and a control portion 5c from the tooth mouth 8 side. A sinker groove 2a for housing the working arm 5a is provided at the tip of the needle bed 2 on the needle bed gap 8 side. The needle plate 4 is formed of a plate material, and a thin portion 4a having a reduced thickness is provided at the tip on the tooth mouth 8 side, and the thin portion 4a can house a movable sinker. In the needle plate 4, a support concave portion 4b is provided below the thin portion 4a, and the support concave portion 4b accommodates a support convex portion 5b of the movable sinker and supports the action arm 5a so as to swing substantially vertically in the needle bed gap 8. The movable sinker is pressed clockwise in the figure by a spring 5d housed in the thin-walled portion 4a so that the acting arm 5a is biased downward in the tooth mouth 8. As shown in fig. 5, the side edge portion 5e of the action arm 5a on the side of the needle bed gap 8 serves as an action portion when knitting the stitch 7. The lower portion of the action arm 5a has a coil holding portion 5f for holding the coil 7. The control unit 5c can raise the coil holding portion 5f against the biasing of the spring 5d if it is pressed by a cam mounted on the carriage.

As shown in fig. 4, the flat knitting machine 1 uses a fixed sinker as the female sinker 6. The fixed sinker is housed in the thin portion 4a in place of the movable sinker, and includes an operation arm 6a, a support convex portion 6b, a fixing portion 6c, and a spring portion 6d corresponding to the operation arm 5a, the support convex portion 5b, the control portion 5c, and the spring 5d of the movable sinker. The spring portion 6d presses the fixing portion 6c, the supporting projection 6b, and the portion between the supporting projection 6b and the acting arm 6a against the upper portion of the needle plate 4 to make the fixed sinker stationary. The side of the fixed sinker on the tooth mouth 8 side serves as an active edge portion 6e, and the active edge portion 6e functions as an active portion when knitting the stitches 7. However, the working edge portion 6e of the fixed sinker is in a concave position, and as shown in fig. 1, the sinker loop 7b may be formed only partially, and may not be in contact with the sinker loop 7 b. The concave position is a position separated from the needle bed gap 8 into the needle bed 2 than the reference position if the position of the working edge portion 5e of the movable sinker shown in fig. 3 is set as the reference position.

Fig. 2, 3, and 4 show a state in which all the knitting needles 3 are at a position set as a stitch density 0 where the yarn drawing amount becomes 0. The concave position of the working edge portion 6e of the sinker 6 is a position separated from the needle bed 2 side from the needle bed gap 8 than the position of the top portion 3d of the hook 3a of the knitting needle 3 having the stitch density of 0. However, as shown in fig. 1, the sinker 6 has an active edge portion 6e serving as an active portion that effectively functions as a lateral wall for preventing movement of the knitting yarn so that the knitting yarn is not caught by the hook 3a of the knitting needle 3 that is at rest even if the knitting yarn is pulled in to form the needle ring 7 a. As a function of this wall, the working edge portion 6e of the sinker 6 is inclined so as to descend and enter the needle bed gap 8 if the knitting yarn comes into contact therewith, whereby the knitting yarn is easily guided to the lower side away from the tip end 3c of the hook 3a at the time of forming the loop 7, and is reinforced. In fig. 4, the working edge portion 6e is covered with at least the tip (3c) and the bottom portion as a wall on the side of the hook (3a) of the knitting needle 3 at rest. However, the vicinity of the top portion 3d of the hook 3a may protrude toward the mouthpiece 8 side than the working edge portion 6 e. Even if the knitting yarn comes into contact with the curved surface near the top portion 3d of the hook 3a to guide the knitting yarn toward the distal end 3c of the hook 3a, the working edge portion 6e of the sinker 6 serves as a wall for preventing the movement of the knitting yarn. If the leading end 3e of the hook 3b of the hook 3a of the knitting needle 3 that is at rest is covered with the working edge portion 6e of the wall and the knitting yarn is guided downward by the working edge portion 6e below the leading end, the knitting yarn can be prevented from biting into the hook 3 a.

The upper portion of the thin portion 4a is closed by a flap 10 of a metal strip extending in the longitudinal direction. By pulling off the cap 10, the reference sinker 5 and the concave sinker 6 can be replaced. Since the concave sinker 6 is a fixed sinker, it is not necessary to swing it in the sinker groove 2 a. By making the plate thickness of the concave sinker 6 larger than that of the movable sinker, the sinker groove 2a can be reliably closed. The fixed sinker may be configured to be detachable from below the needle bed 2. However, as in the present embodiment, the work of replacing the movable sinker with the needle bed 2 is easy. In addition, since the movable sinker is used as the reference sinker 5, the knitted fabric can be pressed.

The knitting needle 3 is provided with a blade 11 used for stitch transfer on the side of the needle shank on the side away from the needle bed gap 8 side with respect to the hook 3 a. The blade 11 of the knitting needle 3 holding the transfer stitch 7 on the hook 3a can move the knitting needle 3 to and from the transfer position with respect to the needle bed gap 8, and receive the relatively moved stitch 7 from the hook 3 a. When the hook 3a of the knitting needle 3 that has moved in and out from the opposing needle bed 2 is inserted into the blade 11 and the knitting needle 3 is returned to the opposing needle bed 2, the stitch 7 is transferred. As the knitting needle 3, a slide needle can be used which opens and closes the hook 3a with a slider, moves the stitch on the slider into and out of the needle bed gap 8, and transfers the stitch to the hook 3a of the knitting needle 3 of the opposing needle bed 2.

In the

flatbed knitting machines

1 and 9 of fig. 1, a difference in the needle-drawing knitting occurs also in the case of forming stitches connecting the front and rear opposing needle beds 2. When a bag-shaped or tubular knitted fabric is to be knitted, knitting yarns are directly connected between the knitting needles 3 in a portion connecting end stitches at the front and rear boundaries between the front and rear needle beds 2. In the needle-drawing knitting by the flatbed knitting machine 9, the sinker loop 7b of the end stitch is long, and therefore, the texture of the knitted fabric may be subtly reflected. In the flatbed knitting machine 1 of the present embodiment, the sinker loop 7b of the end stitch is shorter and the needle ring 7a is longer than the flatbed knitting machine 9, so that the texture of the knitted fabric is improved.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the movable sinker and the fixed sinker are replaceable and used as the reference sinker 5 and the concave sinker 6, respectively, and the movable sinker-used sinker groove 2a is also closed by the concave sinker 6. The reference sinker 5 and the concave sinker 6 may be all movable sinkers or fixed sinkers. In the case where all the fixed sinkers are formed, the sinker groove may be provided so that at least the fixed sinker which is a concave sinker blocks the sinker groove. As the reference sinker 5, a fixed sinker for forming the sinker loop 7b is used, and a movable sinker for coil holding can be used together. The fixed sinker may extend the needle bed 4 at the needle bed gap 8 side tip or may form a portion corresponding to the working edge portion by processing the needle bed 2. Instead of replacement, the working portion may be moved forward and backward with respect to the tooth mouth 8, and the reference sinker 5 or the concave sinker 6 may be switched by switching the forward and backward position. Further, if a member is added to the female sinker 6 on the side of the notch 8, it can be used as the reference sinker 5. Further, the reference sinker 5 and the concave sinker 6 can be used together with a yarn guide or the like having a tip end portion facing the needle bed gap 8 and guiding the knitting yarn to the hook 3a at the time of forming the stitch 7.

Description of symbols:

1. 9: flat knitting machine

2: needle bed

3: knitting needle

3 a: hook

4: needle plate

4 a: thin wall part

5: reference sinker

5e, 6 e: edge of action

6: concave sinker

7: coil

7 a: needle ring

7 b: arc of settling

8: a tooth mouth.

Claims

1. A flat knitting machine in which knitting needles and sinkers are alternately arranged in a longitudinal direction of a needle bed on a needle bed side, and adjacent knitting needles are alternately used and stopped to perform a draw knitting,

the sinker has an action edge portion on the front end side of the tooth mouth side, and alternately arranges a reference sinker and a concave sinker, the action edge portion can act on the knitting yarn if the knitting yarn contacts when the stitch is formed,

the acting edge part of the reference sinker is at a reference position facing the tooth gap, a sinker loop is formed by the acting edge part when the coil is formed,

the working edge portion of the concave sinker is located at a concave position which is separated from the tooth mouth compared with the reference position,

the recessed position is a position where the working edge portion of the sinker is located on the side of the hook of the knitting needle at rest, covers from the needle bed gap side so as to form a wall at least with respect to the tip and the bottom of the hook, and protrudes toward the needle bed gap side without covering the vicinity of the top of the hook.

2. The weft knitting machine according to claim 1,

the knitting needle is a latch needle having a latch opening and closing hook,

the working edge portion of the sinker covers the hook of the knitting needle at a position closer to the needle bed gap than the tip of the latch for closing the hook.

3. The weft knitting machine according to claim 1 or 2,

a sinker groove is arranged at the position of the sinker on the needle bed,

the reference sinker and the concave sinker can be replaced, and the sinker groove is blocked when the sinker is used.

4. The weft knitting machine according to claim 1 or 2,

the reference sinker is a movable sinker which advances and retreats with respect to the notch and which functions to press the formed coil downward from the notch and also functions to form a sinker loop from the working edge portion,

the concave sinker is a fixed sinker fixed so that the working edge portion is the concave position.

5. The weft knitting machine according to claim 3,

6. The weft knitting machine according to claim 1 or 2,

the working edge portion of the sinker has a slope that guides the knitting yarn downward of the needle bed gap if the knitting yarn comes into contact with the needle bed when the knitting stitches are formed by the knitting needles.