EP0063518A1 - Method of knitting an article closed in itself, and knitting machine therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Process for knitting an article to be closed on itself, and particularly a beret, process in which, on the same machine a first course of stitches (10) is formed with a knitting yarn, this first course is stored, the article is knitted with the knitting yarn up to a last course of stitches (11) and the respective stitches of the first and last courses of stitches are assembled two by two on a knitting element, characterized in that the two courses are bound by at least a stable yarn (40, 41; 80; 90) passing through either the pairs of stitches thus formed (10, 11) or the stitches of an assembly course (70, 71) obtained after knitting of said pairs of stitches.

Description

The present invention firstly relates to a method of knitting an article to be closed on itself, for example a beret, in which the article is knitted from a first row of stitches to a last row of stitches and the respective stitches of the first and last rows are linked two by two.

Usually, after knitting the article from the first to the last row on the needles of a sewing segment of a straight or circular knitting loom, we knitted the knitting from the loom and placed it on a re-molding station. example a punch holder, on the punches from which we slipped mesh by mesh the two end rows to assemble these meshes two by two and face to face, and we linked each double mesh thus constituted by means of a wire for example by a chain stitch.

Such a method had drawbacks.

It was first of all necessary to provide rows of stitches for grasping the knit, adjacent to the rows of ends to be joined face to face, rows of grasp which were then cut.

Leaving knitting from the loom and transferring it to the molding station were delicate operations.

The joining, or tying, of the end rows was carried out using a tying thread different from the knitting thread. Even if the knitting of the article was carried out with an unbleached thread, that is to say that the article was dyed once knitted and closed on itself, because of the difference in titration of the knitting yarns and tying, these did not react in the same way to the dye, and this sometimes resulted in a tinted burr on the surface of the article, at the location of the binding thread.

• - tricoter la stricte longueur nécessaire de tricot,
• - éviter le transfert du tricot d'une machine à une autre, et
• - reporter les questions de teinture au seul niveau du fabricant de fil.

The Applicant, by the present invention, has therefore sought to eliminate these drawbacks, that is to say to

• - knit the strict necessary length of knitting,
• - avoid the transfer of knitting from one machine to another, and
• - defer dyeing questions only to the level of the yarn manufacturer.

We also know from French patent 2,364,283, a process in which the first and last rows of stitches of an article are assembled on the same loom. By British patent 13,307, a process is known in which the first and last rows of meshes are assembled in pairs. But in these two processes, the first and last rows of meshes are assembled in an unstable manner, with a risk of fraying.

Thus, the present invention relates to a method of knitting an article to be closed on itself, in particular a beret, in which, on the same loom, a first row of stitches is formed with a knitting yarn, this first is stored row, we knit the article with the knitting yarn to a last row of stitches and we assemble two by two the respective stitches of the first and last rows of stitches, characterized in that we bind the pairs of stitches as formed by a stable bond.

Thanks to the invention, the article is knitted without gripping rows and closed on itself, in a stable manner, without the need, in order to close it again itself, to transfer it to a molding station.

In case the finished item has to be united, it is easy using a single continuous knitting yarn, of the desired shade, which, at the end of the process, for tying the end rows also serves as a tying thread. Then the uniqueness of the color of the article is certainly respected.

In the preferred implementation of the method of the invention, the stitches of the end rows are linked by at least one portion of knitting yarn passing right through the stitches of at least one of the two rows of stitches end.

It is then possible to assemble the stitches of the end rows into double stitches and to block these double stitches by a portion of the knitting yarn playing an assembly and blocking role by crossing these double stitches.

In a different implementation of the method of the invention, the stitches of the end rows are assembled by the stitches of the last row of stitches, respectively, and the pairs of stitches thus formed are linked by a thread blocking portion of knitting passing through the stitches of the last row playing an assembly role.

The present invention also relates to a knitting machine for implementing the method defined above, comprising, in a manner known per se, a creel with at least one spool, a thread guide, a first needle support needle bed. knitting, a platinum support, a second needle storage needle bed, means for driving the knitting and storage needles and the platelets in translation on themselves, and means for driving the thread guide in translation orthogonally with knitting needles, but characterized by the fact that it further comprises a comb with control feet of meshes arranged so that its teeth can be interposed respectively between the storage needles and move between them and parallel to them.

• - la figure 1 est une vue en perspective des organes essentiels de la machine à tricoter de l'invention ;
• - la figure 2 est une vue latérale schématique des aiguilles de tricotage et de stockage et d'une platinette de contrôle de la machine de la figure 1, avec les mailles d'extrémité en prise sur elles ;
• - la figure 3 est une vue latérale schématique de l'aiguille de stockage de la figure 2, avec une double maille en prise sur elle ;
• - la figure 4 est une vue latérale schématique de l'aiguille de stockage et de la platinette de contrôle de la figure 2, avec une double maille en prise sur elles ;
• - la figure 5 est une vue latérale schématique des aiguilles de tricotage et de stockage et de la platinette de contrôle de la figure 2, avec une double maille tendue sur elles ;
• - la figure 6 est une illustration d'une première mise en oeuvre du procédé de l'invention ;
• - la figure 7 est une illustration d'une deuxième mise en oeuvre du procédé de l'invention, et
• - la figure 8 est une illustration d'une troisième mise en oeuvre du procédé de l'invention.

The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description of a preferred embodiment of the machine of the invention as well as of several implementations of the method of the invention with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

• - Figure 1 is a perspective view of the essential members of the knitting machine of the invention;
• - Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the knitting needles and storage and a control plate of the machine of Figure 1, with the end stitches engaged thereon;
• - Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the storage needle of Figure 2, with a double mesh engaged thereon;
• - Figure 4 is a schematic side view of the storage needle and the control pad of Figure 2, with a double mesh engaged thereon;
• - Figure 5 is a schematic side view of the knitting needles and storage and the control plate of Figure 2, with a double mesh stretched over them;
• - Figure 6 is an illustration of a first implementation of the method of the invention;
• FIG. 7 is an illustration of a second implementation of the method of the invention, and
• - Figure 8 is an illustration of a third implementation of the method of the invention.

The description and illustration of the knitting machine of the invention are limited to the only parts necessary for the understanding of the invention, it being understood that the other parts are neither described nor illustrated in the drawings as being those of the looms knitting classics and therefore perfectly known, both by their struc ture that by their operation, tradesmen.

The machine shown in FIG. 1 is intended for knitting articles to be closed on themselves, in particular berets, and comprises a horizontal needle bed 1, rectilinear, supporting knitting needles 2, a vertical support 3 of platinettes 4, a oblique needle bed 5, also rectilinear, supporting storage needles 6, a support plate 7 of control teeth 8, fixed to the plate 7, which will be discussed in more detail below, the other components of the machine, such as for example the wire guide, with its carriage, as well as all the drive devices, not having been shown, for the reason already mentioned above.

It will already be noted that the needle beds 1 and 5 are rectilinear, and of determined lengths, while the invention could also provide circular needle beds. The main thing is to be able to knit the articles to be closed on themselves on the needle segments, following a back and forth movement of the thread guide.

The knitting needles 2 and storage needles 6 are shaped and arranged in their respective needle beds 1 and 5 so as to be able to be driven in translation on themselves, also in a reciprocating movement, by conventional cam means. cooperating with their heels.

In the position shown in FIG. 1, the knitting and storage needles, respectively spaced from each other by a determined pitch, are respectively interposed with one another. It is always planned, in a conventional manner, to be able to move one of the two needle beds 1 and 5 by half a step with respect to the other for the operations of assembling and tying the two end rows discussed more far.

The plates 4 are respectively interposed between knitting needles 2 to check the stitches of the row of stitches preceding the one being knitted. These plates can also be driven in an alternative translational movement, by known cam means.

The comb 7 is mounted to be moved and pivot so that its teeth 8 can come between the storage needles 6 and move parallel to them. Any other movement of the comb and / or its teeth to arrange and move the latter in this way could also be suitable.

From a spool of knitting yarn and a yarn guide arranged to deposit the knitting yarn on the needles, the knitting of the beret is carried out by starting by forming a first row of stitches.

Thus the knitting and storage needles being, in the thread pick-up position, interposed with one another, with their pallets open, the thread guide deposits the thread to form, with a first portion of thread, an undulation on the heads of storage and knitting needles. The storage needles are lowered and the knitting needles are advanced to move them to the advanced thread take-up position under the thread guide. After having assembled the platinettes 4, the knitting needles 2 are retracted, filled with a second portion of yarn to form the stitches of the first end row with their heads on the stitches of the second row in formation and their feet on the storage needles 6.

This first row of stitches will remain stored, throughout knitting, on the storage needles 6, only the knitting needles 2 continuing to participate in the knitting of the beret.

The plates 4 and the storage needles 6 are vant face to face, the platinets 4 are lowered to control the feet of the stitches of the second row in formation and, after having advanced the knitting needles 2 in the thread gripping position, the second row of stitches is formed with a third portion of thread deposited on the heads of knitting needles 2.

The knitting thus continues by the formation of the sectors, or successive stages, as taught by the prior art, by successive decreases and increases, and this, until the last row of stitches. This state of knitting, with its two rows of end stitches, is illustrated in FIG. 2. The feet 10 of the stitches of the first row are engaged on the heads of the storage needles 6. The stitches of the last row are in engagement, by their heads 11, on the heads of the knitting needles 2, and by their feet 12, on the platinets 4 as well as on the heads 13 of the stitches of the penultimate row.

The assembly and binding operations of the end meshes are then carried out in the following manner.

The needle bed 1 of the knitting needles 2 is moved in translation by half a step in order to arrange the knitting needles and the storage needles respectively face to face. The knitting needles 2 are advanced to tension the loops of the stitches of the last row between the platinets 4 and the front stops 14 of the knitting needles 2. The storage needles 6 are mounted along the knitting needles 2, by a recess side provided for this purpose on the knitting needles, and not shown as well known to those skilled in the art, and through the tight loops of the stitches of the last row, thus transferred to the heads of the storage needles 6. The stitches 11 of the last row slide on the body of the storage needles 6, by their own weight or possibly using the teeth 8 of the comb 7 tilted at this indeed, in the assembly position face to face with the meshes 10 of the first row.

The plates 4 are then erased and the storage needles 6 are lowered, thus carrying a row of double meshes, as illustrated in FIG. 3.

The knitting needles 2 are advanced, the pallets 15 of which are opened and erased, for example by means of a point arranged on the carriage of the thread guide, then they are moved back.

The storage needles 6 are brought to the right, the teeth 8 of the comb 7 respectively interposed between the knitting needles 2, which are then lowered between the storage needles 6, to come and check the loop feet of the double stitches. The storage needles 6 are raised to tension the double mesh loops between the teeth B, playing the role of plates and the stops or notches before the storage needles 6, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

To resume the loops of the double stitches on the heads of the knitting needles 2, these needles are again advanced, along the storage needles 6, by the same lateral recess provided for this purpose on the storage needles, and through the double stitch loops, then the knitting needles 2 are moved back, their palette open, after slightly lowering the storage needles 6 and the teeth 8. We obtain a spatial triangulation of the double stitch loops thus stretched at three points, namely by the heads of the knitting needles 2, the stops 20 of the storage needles 6, and the control teeth 8. The double stitches thus stretched are shown in FIG. 5. It will be noted that they are no longer flat but that their opening extends substantially transversely to the machine of the invention. Note also in this figure 5, the head 30 of the stitches of the second row of stitches adjacent to those that have remained stored on the storage needles 6.

The double meshes 10, 11 having been stretched, a lance is then introduced, provided at one end with an eye, and by this end, through all the double meshes identical to those of FIG. 5. Then the thread is threaded. knitting through the eye of the lance which is then removed, in reverse, double stitches which are thus crossed by two strands 40, 41 of the knitting yarn (Figure 5) to link the stitches 10 and 11 of the double previously formed stitches. Of course the length of this lance is at least equal to that of the useful needle bed segments of the machine.

The needles are then emptied, for example first of all the storage needles 6, by raising them, so that the double meshes close their pallet 16, then lowering them. The same is done with knitting needles 2.

Finally, it suffices to move the plate 7 to release the control teeth 8 and recover the closed article on itself.

To summarize, the method of assembling and tying the two end rows of the knitted fabric described above consisted in placing the stitches 10 and 11 two with lights and facing each other and in assembling and binding them by at least one or two strands 40 and 41 of the knitting yarn passing through them. This process is schematically illustrated in FIG. 6. Thanks to the fact that the strands 40 and 41 pass through the meshes 10 and 11 right through, in the manner of weft threads, the connection between the meshes 10 and 11 is perfectly solid and stable, without any risk of fraying. The meshes are blocked.

We could also have proceeded in significantly different ways.

We could thus have assembled the stitches no longer directly by rectilinear strands of the knitting yarn, but by an additional row of stitches, formed on the end stitches, and by a rectilinear strand, as illustrated in FIG. 7.

In this case, the double stitches 10, 11 are assembled by a row of assembly stitches 7D, formed on these double stitches, and they are linked by a strand 80 of the knitting yarn passing through the stitches 70 of this row of stitching , again like a weft thread.

We could still have assembled the stitches 10 and 11 by passing the stitches 11, playing the role of assembly stitches, through the stitches 10 and by screening a portion 90 of the knitting yarn with one or two strands ensuring a binding function through the meshes 11, as illustrated in FIG. 9.

During the felting of the beret, the portions of the knitting yarn, playing the role of assembly and / or binding, and the end stitches hang on each other.

Of course, and as already written above, the portion of assembly and / or binding yarn can be that of a new yarn, but preferably it is the knitting yarn of the article, with specific characteristics.

With the process and the machine described above and illustrated in the drawings, it is possible, as we have seen, to knit berets, but also all other articles to be closed on themselves, such as for example protective sheaths of stumps.

Claims (7)

1.- Method of knitting an article to be closed on itself, in particular a beret in which, on the same loom, a first row of stitches (10) is formed with a knitting yarn, this first row is stored, the article is knitted with the knitting yarn up to a last row of stitches (11) and the respective stitches of the first and last rows of stitches are assembled in pairs, characterized in that the pairs of stitches are linked thus formed by a stable bond (40, 41; 80; 90). 2.- Method according to claim 1, in which the stitches of the end rows are linked by at least one portion of knitting yarn passing right through the stitches of at least one of the two rows of stitches. end. 3.- Method according to one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the meshes of the end rows are assembled two by two and face to face in double meshes. 4.- Method according to claim 3, wherein the meshes of the end rows are assembled by a row of additional assembly meshes (70) formed on these end meshes, and the double meshes thus formed are linked by a knitting yarn blocking portion (80) passing right through the stitches of the assembly row. 5. A method according to claim 3, in which the stitches of the end rows are simultaneously assembled into double stitches and these double stitches are blocked by a portion of knitting yarn (40, 41) playing an assembly role and blocking by crossing right through these double meshes. 6.- Method according to one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the meshes of the end rows are assembled by the meshes of the last row of meshes (11), respectively, and the pairs of meshes thus formed are linked by a knitting yarn blocking portion (90) passing right through the stitches of the last row (11) playing an assembly role. 7.- knitting machine for implementing the method according to one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a creel with at least one spool, a thread guide, a first needle bed (1) support for knitting needles ( 2), a support (3) of turntables (4), a second needle bed (5) support of storage needles (6), means for driving the knitting and storage needles and the turntables in translation on themselves , and means for driving the thread guide in translation orthogonally to the knitting needles, characterized by the fact that it further comprises a comb (7) with teeth (8) for controlling mesh feet arranged so that its teeth ( 8) can be interposed respectively between the storage needles (6) and move between them and parallel to them.

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