EP0295703B1 - Method for manufacturing a patterned plush article and a multi-system circular knitting machine for carrying out this method - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for producing a patterned plush fabric according to the preamble of claim 1 and a circular knitting machine for carrying it out according to the preamble of claim 5.

According to DE-C-671 333, the needles, which are controlled in two groups, are supplied with a basic thread and two plush threads, the plush thread being fed first being laid in waves in front of and behind the needles and must be entangled under this braking action. This wavy laying of the first plush thread can only be done with an exact adjustment of the thread guide tube and using needles with a plating head and a uniform thread speed, as given by the goods construction according to DE-C-671 333 is to be mastered to some extent. The thread tensions that occur in the first plush thread place special demands on the yarn material and impair the formation of the plush handles in comparison to the second plush thread. With any sorting of the needles, however, because of the abruptly different thread requirements, depending on the changing stitch formations and backing of the plush threads, the thread speeds fluctuate greatly and thus thread vibrations, which no longer permit correct thread laying of the plush threads and cause pattern errors. The precise adjustment of the thread guide to the needle heads leads to errors and needle damage with the smallest impairments.

A proposal according to DE-A-3 024 705, FIG. 20 there, improves the insertion of the plush threads compared to the aforementioned proposal, but does not eliminate the wave-like laying.

According to DE-A-23 43 886 it is proposed, analogous to the production of patterned pile fibers, to form loop plush by feeding plush threads to selected needles in successive knitting systems, the needles being withdrawn only into an intermediate position until the last system of each system group a basic thread is fed and all the needles are withdrawn to form a stitch.

This proposal has a number of disadvantages: As with the crates described in DE-C-671 333 and DE-A-3 024 705, it is practically impossible to place the respective plush threads in front of selected and behind unselected needles, because of the first selected needles pulled down plush thread on the Heads of the needles not selected at first on the same plane and therefore, unaffected by circuit boards, can slip both in front of and behind these needles; Boards are not available at this altitude. The likewise wave-shaped laying of at least one first plush thread causes the undesired and uncontrollable braking of the plush threads that have not yet been knitted up to the point of tearing during plush formation during the knitting process. In contrast to the production of pile fiber fabrics, the feeding of a basic thread to the last system of a sample group must take place below the sinker noses required for shaping the plush handles.

DE-A-3 024 075 does not show how the intention is to ensure that the previously inserted plush threads come onto the sinker lugs and thus form plush handles.

In order to eliminate the disadvantages of all the proposals described above, according to DE-A-2 322 384 the basic thread is fed to the needles of the cylinder and the dial. While larger stitches are advantageously formed in the dial, the cylinder needles are only pulled back until the last stitches formed ("catch on the needle") are applied. Then, in successive knitting systems, the cylinder needles are selected according to the pattern, raised in the catching position and a plush thread is fed to them. After the selected needles have grasped the desired plush thread, only these needles are withdrawn into the knock-off position, forming stitches from the previously inserted basic thread and the plush thread. The basic thread required for stitch formation is drawn from the stitches formed by the dial; at the same time plush loops are also formed by plush elements which are arranged in the cylinder in alternation with the latch needles. This proposal has the advantage that the basic thread is ready for measurement by the partial processing for the further knitting process (preculation) and the plush threads are immediately knitted into stitches after being fed. The disadvantage of this double-faced fabric lies in a limited plush thread density and in the fact that the plush threads can only emerge from the fabric between the cylindrical wales.

In the proposal according to DE-C-3 145 307, the basic method steps of DE-A-2 322 384 and US-A-3 406 538, which also shows pre-pretreatment via sinkers, are applied to a circular knitting machine with latch needles mounted in a needle cylinder and one with sinkers occupied circuit board ring.

Analogous to DE-A-2 322 384, the basic thread is first formed into loops by retraction of the needles in the order ("catch on the needle") over sinker plates (preculation), whereupon selected needles for picking up the respective plush thread are driven out in successive systems. The sinker is designed in accordance with a conventional plush board with a board nose, over which, however, only the basic thread is preculcated.

After the respective plush thread has been fed, the expelled needles are withdrawn again in the order. The respective plush thread is looped over the plush formation edges of additional, special plush sinkers, which also serve as an inclusion sinker for the basic thread loops. After the sleepers of all plush threads one System group have been formed, all sinkers are withdrawn and the needles for knitting the precured thread loops are removed.

The advantages of this proposal are that an uncontrollable thread tension of the plush threads is avoided by the immediate formation of sleeves from the plush threads and that a faultless thread feed is also possible. The disadvantages lie in the fact that for a system group there is a large space requirement due to the preculation of all threads and the preculation of the plush threads must be exactly matched to the depth of the preculation of the base thread. However, the preculation of the base thread is indispensable in this concept, since only through the higher handles of the base thread can a sufficient expulsion of the needles be taken for grasping the plush threads, without the base thread sliding off the tongue. If, on the other hand, the basic thread was guided in the sinker groove in order to be able to knit in the tried-and-tested manner without complex coordination measures between pre-formulation and formulation (stitch formation) and without additional space required for pre-formulation, the needle should at most be driven out to such a high position in which the spoon of the open tongue does not rise above the cutting edge of the board. Since in this position the needle hooks only protrude very slightly beyond the wedge edges of the plush sinkers, direct insertion of a plush thread into the needle hooks would not be possible in this position. A further disadvantage is that the precured sleeves from the base and the plush threads have to be released by the respective sinker noses during the stitch formation and therefore, in particular, the formation of the plush loops cannot be controlled at the decisive moment. Only the subsequent insertion of the Ku board lugs Lierplatinen in the previously formed plush handles when the needles are in the concentric position and retensioning the plush handles causes a satisfactory handle formation. However, this process requires a certain minimum length of the plush handles and thus precludes the production of short plush handles.

In addition, plush loops, which are still connected directly to the thread guide while being released by the sinkers via thread floats, can be reduced by the thread tension forces that occur.

The invention is intended to be able to create a product as it is formed by a machine and a method in accordance with DE-C-3 145 307.

However, it is an object of the invention to provide a method and a multi-system circular knitting machine operating according to it, in which, while avoiding the corresponding disadvantages of DE-C-3 145 307, the formation of the plush loops is precisely controlled during the stitch formation, the space requirement of an equivalent system group is essential reduced and thus a significant increase in production output can be achieved by a higher number of system groups.

The solution to this problem is specified in claim 1.

It is thereby achieved that the basic thread can run unimpeded to the formation of stitches in the sinker throats, so that all advantages of this conventional and proven basic thread supply are maintained undiminished. This drastically reduces the path of movement of the needles compared to DE-C-3 135 307 and results in a correspondingly reduced Space requirement per system unit. The higher number of system groups possible for a certain machine scope results in a significant increase in production output. Characterized in that the plush formation edge of the plush sinkers is between the needle shafts when knocking off in a tried and tested manner, the plush handles are precisely controlled until they are incorporated into the stitch, and so a very short handle can also be produced without any problems; even long handles are characterized by a great uniformity of training.

Nevertheless, compared to a procedure according to FIG. 20 of DE-A-3 024 705, the wave-shaped laying of the plush threads with all of the disadvantages described is avoided, since the plush thread lengths required in each case are stored immediately after feeding and made available to the knitting site as a result of the pre-formulation of the plush threads without the need to move the plush thread between the needles.

In the problem solution according to claim 1, first the basic thread and then the plush threads are fed. This results in a fail-safe system even under unfavorable conditions, since the plush sinkers with their pre-edging edges stand between the needle shafts immediately after the feed of the base thread and before the feed of the first plush thread and remain there until shortly before the knitting. The task solution according to claim 2 has the advantage of a further reduction in the space requirement, since the feeding of the first plush thread and that of the base thread take place in one go or in one work step and there is no waiting for the feeding of the first plush thread until the plush blank is inserted between the needle shafts.

According to the measures of claim 3, all plush threads are preculcated uniformly and thus subjected to an even treatment.

The measure of claim 4, on the other hand, saves additional space, since by saving the pre-formulation of the last plush thread, the plush board can begin its retraction movement earlier and therefore the needle can be withdrawn directly to the tee position without a rest phase in the order.

A circular knitting machine which is particularly suitable for carrying out the method is specified in claim 5.

The invention is described below using several exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing.

• Fig. 1 in einer Schnittdarstellung den wesentlichen Aufbau einer erfindungsgemäßen Rundstrick­maschine,
• Fig. 2 und 3 eine Ansicht im Bereich der Platinennase unterschiedlich ausgebildeter Plüschplatinen
• Fig. 4 und 15 in schematisch vereinfachter Darstellung den Schloßaufbau und den Bewegungsablauf der Platinen und Nadeln eines ersten Ausführungs­beispiels in zwei Varianten,
• Fig. 5 bis 14 verschiedene Positionen der maschenbil­denden Nadeln und Platinen entsprechend den in Fig. 4 und 15 mit V bis XIV gekennzeichneten Stellen,
• Fig. 16 den Schloßaufbau eines zweiten Ausführungsbei­spiels in einer Fig. 15 entsprechenden Dar­stellung,
• Fig. 17 bis 22 verschiedene Positionen der maschenbil­denden Nadeln und Platinen entsprechend den in Fig. 16 mit XVII bis XXII gekennzeichneten Stellen,
• Fig. 23 den Schloßaufbau eines dritten Ausführungsbei­spiels in einer Fig. 16 entsprechenden Dar­stellung, und
• Fig. 24 das Maschenbild eines zweifarbigen Plüschjac­quardmusters, das nach einem der Ausführungs­beispiele gemäß Fig. 4, 16 oder 23 gestrickt wurde.

It shows:

• 1 is a sectional view of the essential structure of a circular knitting machine according to the invention,
• 2 and 3 a view in the area of the board nose of differently designed plush boards
• 4 and 15 in a schematic simplified representation of the lock structure and the sequence of movements of the sinkers and needles of a first embodiment in two variants,
• 5 to 14 different positions of the stitch-forming needles and sinkers according to the in 4 and 15 marked with V to XIV,
• 16 shows the lock structure of a second exemplary embodiment in a representation corresponding to FIG. 15,
• 17 to 22 different positions of the stitch-forming needles and sinkers corresponding to the positions marked XVII to XXII in FIG. 16,
• 23 shows the lock structure of a third embodiment in a representation corresponding to FIG. 16, and
• 24 shows the stitch pattern of a two-tone plush jacquard pattern which was knitted according to one of the exemplary embodiments according to FIG. 4, 16 or 23.

Fig. 1 shows the essential structure of a multi-system circular knitting machine according to the invention. Tongue needles 1 are mounted in the channels of the cylinder Z. Similar movements of all needles 1 take place via a needle foot 1a through lock parts A. Pattern slides 2 are articulated to the needles 1 and can be pivoted by selectors 3 from a basic position (shown by full lines) into a selection position (shown by broken lines). The pivoting of the selectors 3 and thus the pattern slide 2 is carried out by generally well-known pattern devices which act, for example, on a pattern foot 3a, which can be arranged on the selectors 3 at different heights. If the pattern slide 2 remains in the basic position, the movement of the corresponding occurs needle 1 over the pattern foot 2a through lock parts C, while a pattern foot 2b remains sunk in the cylinder Z. If, on the other hand, the pattern slide 2 is pivoted by the selector 3, the pattern foot 2b emerges from the cylinder Z and can thus be controlled by lock parts B together with the corresponding needles 1, while the pattern foot 2a is sunk in the cylinder. The needle movement via the pattern foot 2a and the lock parts C can therefore take place independently of the needle movement of other needles 1 via the pattern foot 2b and the lock parts B.

The movement of plush sinkers 4 and thread laying sinkers 5 stored in a sinker ring R takes place via respective feet 4a and 5a through lock parts D of the sinker lock. The plush sinkers 4 and the thread laying sinkers 5 each carry out uniform movements without selection.

The design of the plush boards can be different, as is illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 2 and 3, to which reference is made in this regard.

FIG. 2 shows a plush board 4 with a tapping edge 4d for the base thread and a plush formation edge 4e for the plush thread on the top of a board nose 4b. The board nose 4b has a bevel 4h in front of the plush formation edge 4e, so that the tip of the board nose 4b is arranged close to the tapping edge 4d immediately above a board groove 4c. The plush board 4 also has a pre-edging edge 4f and a tensioning edge 4g.

The plush board 41 shown in FIG. 3, in which corresponding elements corresponding to the plush board 4, but labeled "41" instead of "4", is shown a deviating from the plush board 4 design of the board nose designated 41b. The tip of the board nose 41b lies above the plush formation edge 41e. Otherwise, the tucking edge 41d for the basic thread, the plush formation edge 41e, the pre-curling edge 41f and the tensioning edge 41g are also present. However, the tip of the board nose 41b is not pulled down in the direction of the board groove 41c, but points upwards; this results in a small overall length of the board nose 41b and thus a shorter retraction path. The plush boards 4 and 41 and also different designs of the plush boards can optionally be used in all the exemplary embodiments explained.

A thread laying plate 5, which has a thread laying edge 5b, is preferably arranged in each channel of the sinker ring R in addition to a plush sinker 4 or 41.

According to the first exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4, plush boards 4 are used. The knitting process begins with the lifting of all the needles 1 through the lock part A1 into the knitting position. The plush boards 4 are guided through the lock part D1. Via a press part E1 arranged in the area of lock B, all feet 2b of pattern slide 2 are sunk into cylinder Z, so that all pattern slide 2 and selectors 3 assume their basic position. As soon as the last stitches formed have slipped from the needle tongues, the plush sinkers 4 are guided inwards by lock part D2 so that the last plush loops formed are stretched by the tensioning edges 4g and the plush stitches are pulled on the needle shaft, as can be seen in FIG. 5 is. At the same time, the needles 1 also begin to retract through the lock part A2 into a lower thread-laying position, and the plush sinkers 4 and thread laying boards 5 are moved outward by the lock parts D3 and D4. This enables the basic thread to be fed into VI.

As can be seen in addition from FIG. 6, the thread guide F1 presents the basic thread G1 below the sinker tip of the plush sinker 4 to the needles 1. Immediately afterwards, the plush sinkers 4 are pushed in again by the lock part D5, so that the basic thread G1 enters the sinker groove 4c. The board noses 4b are inserted into the previously formed plush loops, which again reach the plush formation edge 4e via the bevel 4h. The inward movement of the plush sinkers takes place up to a position in which the pre-cutting edges 4f are arranged between the needle shafts. At the beginning of the inward movement of the plush sinkers 4 at the latest, selectors 3 and pattern slides 2 have been pivoted into the selection position by a conventional pattern device S1, not shown in FIG. 1. Thus, the needles 1 of the pattern slide 2 remaining in the basic position can be raised via their pattern foot 2a through the lock part C1 into an upper thread-laying position and a first plush thread can be fed to this at VII.

As FIG. 7 shows in more detail in this regard, the pre-edging edges 4f cover the needle heads of the needles remaining in the lower thread laying position, while the selected needles have also been raised. The thread guide F2 now presents the first plush thread P1 to the selected needles, while at the same time the inward movement of the thread laying plates 5 takes place through the lock part D6. This movement ends at VIII and causes the plush thread P1 to pass through the thread laying edge 5b of the thread laying sinkers 5 with absolute certainty despite the small height difference between the upper and lower thread laying positions Needle heads of the selected needles arrive, as can be seen from FIG. 8.

Immediately afterwards, the needles in the upper thread-laying position are withdrawn via foot 2a of the pattern slide 2 by means of the lock part C2 in the application position (“catch on the needle”), as a result of which the first plush thread P1 is patterned into thread loops at IX over the pre-edging edges 4f.

According to FIG. 9, the basic thread G1 can continue to run unhindered in the needle heads and sinker grooves for stitch formation, while the plush thread P1 no longer moves laterally with respect to the sinkers and needles after it has been preculcated.

During the loop formation of the plush thread P1, the thread laying boards can be moved outwards by means of the lock part D7. After the retraction of the needles over the feet 2a of the pattern slide, those needles are lifted over the feet 2b of the pivotable pattern slide by means of the lock part B1 into the upper thread-laying position, which have previously passed under the plush thread P1 in the lower thread-laying position. At X, the thread laying sinkers 5 have been pulled out so far by the lock part D7 that, according to FIG. 10, the thread guide F3 can feed a second plush thread P2 to the raised needles. Now, as before, the thread laying boards 5 are pushed inwards by the lock part D8, so that at XI the thread laying edge 5b has inserted the plush thread P2 into the needle heads (FIG. 11).

Thereafter, the needles in the upper thread-laying position are pulled back over the feet 2b of their pattern slide 2 by the lock part B2 in the order, whereby the plush thread P2 is also pattern-like in XII is preformed into loops (Fig. 12).

Subsequently, the plush sinkers 4 are moved outwards by the lock part D10 so that at XIII the tensioning edges 4g emerge from the needle circle and the plush loops are released from the pre-edging edges 4f (FIG. 13). At the same time, the thread laying boards 5 are pulled outwards by the lock part D9.

Now all needles are withdrawn via the needle counterbore A4 in the knock-off position, the plush sinkers begin their renewed enclosing movement through part D1a of the subsequent knitting system. With XIV, a complete row of stitches is formed from the basic thread G1 and the plush threads P1 and P2, which alternately form or store plush loops (Fig. 14).

During the stitch formation, the plush loops rest on the plush formation edges 4e. An uncontrollable change in the plush bows is therefore excluded. If, through appropriate selection of needles, a pre-selected plush loop is still directly connected to the thread guide, its regression is also prevented by the plush thread resting on the plush formation edge 4e during stitch formation. It is thus possible to shape the last plush thread fed directly over the plush formation edges 4e without prior preculation. While a pre-formulation of the second plush thread is also illustrated above for a clearer illustration of the basic functional sequence, such pre-formulation can therefore be dispensed with in practice, as will be explained in more detail in later exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 15 shows an exemplary embodiment based on FIG. 4, in which two plush threads and one base thread are only knitted by a part of the needles. A pressing part E2 presses all pattern feet 2b into the needle cylinder Z during the respective retraction movement of the needles 1 into the knock-off position.

Immediately after the knock-off movement of the needles 1, the pattern slide 2 can therefore be pivoted by an additional selection device S1a. About the feet 2a of the pattern slide 2 remaining in the basic position, only the needles 1 provided for this purpose are driven out in the knitting position via the lock part C3 and withdrawn by the lock part A2 in the thread-laying position, while the other needles are in the concentric position by switching off the lock part A1 (see FIG. 4) remain. The pattern slides 2 remaining in the basic position are now selected by a selection device S1 in accordance with the exemplary embodiment described above. Thus, the feet 2b are all sunk in the cylinder Z until the selection device S1 is reached, and then come out of the cylinder Z to the part selected according to the pattern in order to be caught by the lock parts B.

The further sequence of movements of the needles provided for knitting, the plush and thread laying boards as well as the feeding of base and plush threads takes place identically according to FIGS. 4 to 14 and their description.

Another embodiment using plush boards 41 (FIG. 3) is shown in FIGS. 1b to 22. The shorter board nose 41b reduces the movement paths for the board 41.

According to Fig. 1b, all needles 1 by lock part A5 raised in knitting position. At the same time, press part E3 sinks all feet 2b in the needle cylinder, so that pattern slides 2 predetermined according to the pattern can be pivoted into the selection position by a pattern device S2 immediately thereafter. As soon as the stitches have slipped from the needle tongues, the plush sinkers 41 are moved inwards by the lock part D11, so that the previously formed plush loops can be retensioned by the tensioning edges 41g. Via the feet 2b of the pattern slide 2 pivoted out of the needle cylinder Z, the needles connected therewith are raised by the lock part B3 beyond the necessary knitting position. At the same time, all other needles are withdrawn via the pattern foot 2a through the lock part C4 into a lower thread-laying position, so that a plush thread can be fed in XVII.

Fig. 17 shows that the thread guide F4 feeds the plush thread P3 to the fully raised needles. The height difference from the needles in the lower thread position is sufficiently large to insert the plush thread P3 directly into the needle heads via the thread guide F4.

During the feeding of the plush thread P3 by the thread guide F4, the plush and thread laying boards 41 and 5 are withdrawn by the lock parts D12 and D13 for feeding the basic thread G2 by the thread guide F5. Before the feed of the basic thread G2, the needles raised to receive the plush thread P3 are pulled back into an upper thread-laying position by the lock part B4, in which they are still clearly above the pre-edging edges 41f of the sinkers 41 with their needle hooks and the plush thread resting in the needle hook bows. This ensures that the base thread G2 gets on - and not behind - the needle tongue, and that before these needles are retracted, the foot 2b Sample pusher in the order through lock part B6 at XVIII the plush sinkers 41 with their pre-edging edges 41f can be controlled between the needle shafts through lock part D14 below the plush thread P3. The position of the plush thread P3 in the needle hook can also be checked by an inward movement of the thread laying sinkers 5 via the lock part D15; however, this inward movement can also be omitted in view of the high level of expansion of the needles 1 for receiving the plush thread P3, as a result of which the retraction movement of the thread laying boards 5 can be dispensed with and therefore the feeding of the second plush thread can take place earlier and the system width can be further reduced. FIG. 18 shows the plush thread P3 formed into sleeves over the pre-curling edges 41f, the basic thread G2 can continue to be fed unaffected for stitch formation.

The thread laying boards 5, the inward movement of which is shown only for the sake of better illustration, are then moved outwards by the lock part D16 or are already in the retracted position, and the lock part C5 lifts all the needles 1 remaining in the lower thread laying position into an upper thread laying position. At XIX, these further plush threads P4 can then be fed to these needles.

As can be seen from FIG. 19, the thread guide F6 places the plush thread P4 in front of the open needle heads. Then the thread laying sinkers are moved inwards by lock part D17 and thereby the plush thread P4 at XX is inserted through the thread laying edge 5b into the needle heads of the needles 1 located in the upper thread laying position (FIG. 20).

While the needles 1 with their withdrawal movement on the needle begin lowering A7, the lock parts D18 and D19 pull the plush and thread laying boards slightly outwards, so that the plush threads P3 and P4 at XXI come out of the area of the pre-edging edges 41f. As can be seen from FIG. 21, the plush thread P4 has not been preformed into loops.

The plush sinkers 41 are now pushed in again by the lock part D20 and all the needles are brought into the striking position by the needle counterbore A7 (XXII). When knitting the plush thread P4, the corresponding needles form it into plush loops via the plush formation edges 41e (FIG. 22). The plush thread P3 floats over such areas in which the plush thread P4 is knitted into plush loops, the precured sleeves of which are knitted as soon as the plush thread P4 forms floats.

As can be seen from the last described example, the necessary width of a knitting system can be further reduced and the number of knitting systems can be increased by the direct formation of plush loops over the plush formation edges without pre-pretreating the last plush thread supplied.

Fig. 23 shows an embodiment in which three plush threads are alternately knitted with a basic thread. Essentially, the procedure is as described in the examples already described.

All needles 1 are lifted over the feet 1a by the lock part A8 in the knitting position and retracted by the lock part A9. The last plush loops formed are tensioned by the tensioning edges 4g of the plush sinkers 4 controlled inwards by the lock part D22 (see FIG. 5). After all the boards through the

Lock parts D23 and D24 have been moved outwards, the basic thread is fed through the thread guide F7 (analogous to thread guide F1 in FIG. B). At the same time, a sample device S3 pivots selected sample slides 2, which were previously brought into the basic position by pressing part E4. Via the pattern foot 2b of the swiveled pattern slide 2, the needles are lifted into an upper threading position by the lock part B7 and - after the lock part D25 has steered the plush sinkers 4 inwards - a plush thread is fed in by the thread guide F8 (see analogously to FIG. 7). After the plush thread has been inserted into the needle heads by the control of the thread laying boards 5 via lock part D27 (analogously to FIG. 8), lock part B8 pulls the selected needles back into the order (analogously to FIG. 9). The lock part Cb now lifts the needles remaining in the lower thread laying position into an upper thread laying position, whereupon these needles are sorted again by a pattern device S4.

Pattern slides 2 which are not pivoted by the pattern device S4 pull their needles back into a lower thread-laying position by the retraction of the feet 2a on the lock part C7. The pattern slides 2 pivoted during the second selection come out of the cylinder with their feet 2b behind the lock part B8. After the thread laying boards 5 have been moved outwards by the lock part D28, a further plush thread can be fed to the needles controlled in the upper thread laying position by thread guide F9 (analogously to FIG. 10). The plush thread is pushed by the inward movement of the thread laying boards 5 on the lock part D29 through the thread laying edges 5b into the needle hooks (analogous to FIG. 11), whereupon these needles are withdrawn by the lock part B9 in the order (analogous to FIG. 12). The Thread laying boards 5 are again moved outwards by lock part D30, while the needles which have remained without plush thread are lifted into an upper thread laying position by lock part C8 via their pattern slide 2 and their pattern foot 2a. The thread guide F10 puts a further plush thread in front of these needles (analogous to FIG. 10), which gets into the needle hook through the inward movement of the thread laying plates 5 via the lock part D31 (analogous to FIG. 11). As soon as the needles on the needle countersink A11 are removed, the lock parts D32 and D33 pull the plush sinkers and thread laying sinkers outward from the pre-edging edges 4f to release the plush threads. During the further retraction of the needles on the needle counterbore A11, the plush sinkers 4 are in turn steered inward by the lock part D34 and the needles are withdrawn in the knock-off position.

During the stitch formation, the precured loops of the two plush threads fed first lie on the plush formation edges 4e. This ensures that the plush loops of these threads are properly formed. The last plush thread fed in is shaped directly over the plush formation edges 4e into plush loops without prior training to loops during the stitch formation process. One of the essential advantages of the invention lies in the control of the plush handles described during the stitch formation process.

The selection of the needles for detecting one of the plush threads by means of a pattern device can of course also be made by means of pattern feet which are arranged differently on the needles themselves and which take over the function of feet 2a and 2b.

In the above-mentioned performance examples the basic thread G1 or G2 is fed through the basic thread guides F1 or F5 or F7 at the level of the sinker throats 4c or 41c and placed at this height on the needles 1 with the needle tongue open. However, within the scope of the invention it is also readily possible to feed the basic thread G1 or G2 at a height above the sinker lugs 4b or 41b and then pull it down into the height of the sinker grooves 4c or 41c by retracting the needles 1. This does increase the space requirement for each system somewhat compared to the minimum space requirement, but it is easier to achieve an apparatus simplification in that the needles then only have to be arranged in a single thread laying position and one application position, so that no opposite control movements of individual needles occur and thus only the expulsion movements can be generated by a pattern device arranged below the needle foot, while the needle foot controls the retraction movements. This results in a simplified design and apparatus training for pattern control.

24 shows a section of a product as can be produced according to one of the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 4, 16 or 23. In a first row of stitches, the basic thread G11 was alternately knitted into stitches with a first plush thread P11 and a second plush thread P21. The not knitted plush thread lies above the plush handles of the other plush thread as thread float on the top of the plush surface. In the same way, a second row of stitches was formed from the basic thread G12, the first plush thread P13 and the second plush thread P23. If three plush threads are knitted per row of stitches according to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 23, then each lies Floatings of two plush threads over the plush handles of the plush thread knitting with the basic thread.

In the subsequent finishing processes, the plush handles are cut open. In the process, the thread floats that protrude beyond are also removed and the goods are given their final appearance.

Claims (5)

1. Method for producing a patterned pile fabric on a multi-feeder circular knitting machine with latch needles carried in a cylinder and controllable by selection devices and also pile elements arranged in a sinker ring movable in like manner, which have a sinker throat, a pile forming edge and a pre-sinker edge,
in which at least two pile threads are guided one behind the other and knitted with a previously fed ground thread,
with the following process steps :

a) extending all needles selected for knitting and retracting all pile sinkers,

b) feeding the ground thread to the extending needles and positioning them at the level of the sinker throats,

c) positioning each pile sinker so that the ground threads are engaged by the sinker throats and their pre-sinker edges lie between adjacent needle shafts,

d) raising a first group of needles into an upper thread engaging position,

e) feeding a first pile thread for the first group of needles in their upper thread engaging position and also pushing the first pile thread into the needle hooks,

f) retracting the first group of needles from their upper thread-engaging position with the first pile threads in their hooks into a casting-on position,

g) repeating steps d) to f) for a second and if desired further pile threads with a second and if desired further groups of needles,

h) subsequently extending a last group of needles into the upper thread engaging position,

i) feeding a last pile thread for the last group of needles in their upper thread engaging position and pushing the last pile threads into the needle hooks,

j) retracting the pile sinkers with the sinker edges out of the region of the needle shafts after feeding the last pile fabric and before the retraction of all needles to their knock-over position, and

k) controlling the pile sinkers with their pile forming edges between adjacent needle shafts during the retracting movement of the needles into the knock-over position and thus forming the pile loops over the pile forming edges.

2. Method for producing a patterned pile fabric on a multi-feeder circular knitting machine with latch needles carried in a cylinder and controllable by selection devices and also pile elements arranged in a sinker ring movable in like manner, which have a sinker throat, a pile forming edge and a pre-sinker edge,
in which at least two pile threads are guided one behind the other and knitted with a ground thread, with the following process steps :

a) extending all needles selected for knitting into the knit position,

b) raising a first group of needles if desired beyond the knit position, while a second and if desired further groups of needles are retracted to a lower thread engaging position,

c) feeding a first pile thread for the first group of needles in their raised positions,

d) retracting all pile sinkers and retracting the first group of needles in an upper thread engaging position,

e) feeding the ground thread to the needles standing in the upper end lower thread engaging positions,

f) positioning each pile sinker such that the ground thread is engaged by the sinker throat and the pre-sinker edge lies between adjacent needle shafts,

g) retracting the first group of needles from the upper thread engaging position into a casting-on position,

h) subsequently extending the needles of the second group of needles into the upper thread engaging position,

i) feeding a second pile thread for the raised needles of the second group of needles in their upper thread engaging position and pushing the second pile threads into the needle hooks,

j) if desired repeating the step g) with the raised needles of the second group of needles and the steps h) and i) with needles of such further groups of needles as may be desired, and feeding further pile threads,

k) retracting the pile sinkers with their sinker edges out of the region of the needle shafts after feeding the last pile thread and before retracting all needles to their knock over position, and

1) guiding the pile sinkers with their pile forming edges between adjacent needle shafts during the retracting movement of the needles into the knock over position thus forming the pile loops over the pile forming edges.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the retraction of the pile sinkers (4; 41) to free the pile threads (P1, P2; P3, P4) from the pre-sinker edges is first effected when the needles (1) selected therefor have formed the last pile threads (P2, P4) into thread loops over the pre-sinker edges (4f; 41f).

4. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the retraction of the pile sinkers (4; 41) to free the pile threads (P1, P2; P3, P4) from the sinker edges is effected before the last pile thread (P2; P4) comes into contact with the pre-sinker edges (4f; 41f), so that the last group of needles raised to the upper thread engaging position can be retracted directly into the knock over position and thus form pile loops from the last-fed pile threads (P2, P4) over the pile forming edges (4e; 41e).

5. Multi-feeder knitting machine with latch needles (1) carried in a needle cylinder and a sinker arrangement arranged to each needle with at least two independently movable sinkers (4; 41, 5), in which each sinker arrangement has a knock-over edge (4d; 41d), a sinker edge and a pre-sinker edge (4f; 41f) wherein the pre-sinker edges (4f; 41f) serve for forming the thread loops of the pile threads directly after their being fed, characterised in that, the sinker edge is formed as a pile forming edge (4e; 41e) for forming the pile loop in the course of the knock over movement, the pre-sinker edge (4f; 41f) as formed together with the pile forming edge (4e; 41e) and the knock over edge (4d; 41d) on a one piece pile sinker (4; 41), and
the second sinker is formed as a thread laying sinker (5) with a thread laying edge (5b), which by its motion pushes the pile threads in to the hook of a needle projecting above the pre-sinker edge (4f; 41f).

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