EP1098019A1

EP1098019A1 - Dial for circular knitting and hosiery machines with height adjustment and which can be stopped, even when the machine is operating

Info

Publication number: EP1098019A1
Application number: EP00830721A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Fulvio Sangiacomo
Original assignee: Sangiacomo SpA
Current assignee: Sangiacomo SpA
Priority date: 1999-11-03
Filing date: 2000-10-31
Publication date: 2001-05-09

Abstract

This invention concerns a rotating dial for knitting and hosiery machines, driven by a transmission, synchronous with the cylinder. It can be moved and positioned in height between a lowered, operating position and an idle, raised position above the cylinder. When in the raised position, the dial disconnects from the transmission command and is engaged by at least on stopping device (20), stops rotating and keeps its angular position.

Description

This invention concerns the sector of circular knitting machines of the type with a rotating dial, bearing components set out in a radial, horizontal manner, which make stitches together with the vertical needles of the cylinders of these machines.
Usually, in circular knitting and hosiery machines when a dial is present, bearing the radial-horizontal functional components such as needles, hooks and similar, to perform the knitting with the needles on the cylinder, it is at a fixed height, and cannot therefore be raised or lowered on command.
The main purpose of this invention therefore is to equip circular machines, especially knitting ones, with a dial for the radial-horizontal components that can be raised or lowered according to requirement and depending on the functions and working phases in progress.
This purpose is achieved with a plate located co-axially above the cylinder of a knitting machine, guided vertically and commanded by a servo-mechanism of any kind for its movements and height positioning above the cylinder.
In this way, the dial can be raised to assume various positions with great precision, even when the machine is operating, depending on the operating requirements in the construction of the desired knitting and/or cylinder access and/or the other neighbouring components for inspections and various controls.
Nevertheless, even when raised, the dial would continue to be coupled with the respective command components and to rotate like the cylinder, a condition which can represent a danger to the safety of the operator who has to perform work and which can obstacle the effective free access to the inside of the cylinder from its top and to the surrounding components.
Another purpose of this invention therefore is to create the conditions to stop the dial from rotating when raised to a certain height above the cylinder, even when this continues to rotate.
A still further purpose of this invention is to associate devices to stop its rotation to the dial when in the raised position to permit access for work from above, inside the cylinder without useless risks to the operator: in this way, the known technical problems and the safety issues complained of above are excluded.
A further purpose of this invention is to stop the dial from rotating when in the raised, idle position, but also to keep its correct position in relation to the cylinder when lowered and made to operate again.
These purposes and the advantages that derive from them, are achieved with a dial for circular knitting and hosiery machines according to the claims.
The enclosed drawings illustrate an example of how the invention is created and applied, in a purely indicative fashion. In these drawings:
Fig. 1 shows the dial above a cylinder, with its rotation, raising and stopping command devices; and
Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the dial in the raised position with the rotation stopped.
In a schematic way the drawings show a cylinder (11) with needles (12) vertically arranged of a circular machine and a rotating dial (13) fitted above the cylinder, bearing horizontal components (14) such as needles, hooks or other parts, to make the stitch in combination with the vertical needles on the cylinder.
When operational, the dial (13) rotates perfectly synchronous with the cylinder (11). To rotate, the dial can be driven by its own motor device or more commonly by gear or similar transmission derived from that rotating the cylinder. In the drawings, a toothed drive wheel (15) on a motor shaft (16) and a toothed driven wheel (17) on a shaft (18) supporting the dial is shown of this type of transmission. Toothed wheels (15) and (17) normally engage when the dial is in the operating position.
The dial (13) can be adjusted in height between a lowered, operating position, in which the wheel is driven by the transmission 15, 17 and a raised, idle position, in which it is raised. To this purpose it is connected to and commanded by a servo-mechanism 19. This may be mechanical, electrical, electro-mechanical, pneumatic and can anyway be programmed and managed through the electronic apparatus circular machines are usually equipped with for controlling their operation and the stitch construction phases. In fact, the dial can be positioned in height above the cylinder, even when this is rotating, according to the work program or for maintenance operations and for all work at the top and inside the cylinder.
For these operations and interventions, it is just as well to stop the dial from rotating, while leaving the cylinder to rotate for safety reasons. For this purpose, the dial is equipped with at least one stopping device (20) interfering directly or indirectly with the dial to block its rotation, when in the raised or in other words idle position.
In the example illustrated, the stopping device (20) is comprised of a fixed catch (21) located above the drive wheel (15) that intercepts the driven wheel (17). The dial is raised until the driven wheel (17) disengages from the drive wheel (15) (dotted line in Fig. 1) and at that level, the fixed catch (21) intercepts the driven wheel (17) thus automatically arresting the rotation of the dial, as soon as it finds itself raised to the idle position, that permits access to the cylinder from above.
Obviously, the stopping mechanism (20) could be configured or arranged in any other way, as long as it is suitable for stopping the rotation of the dial when in the raised position. This device can be stationary or move between an active and inactive position, commanded by any mechanical, electrical, electro-mechanical or pneumatic means. It may be oriented vertically or transversely to the dial, to the driven wheel, the dial shaft or to any other element onboard the dial, always with the purpose of being able to stop the same from rotating when raised and disengaged from its drive transmission. With the adoption of a moving stopping device, the blocking/releasing of the dial rotation can be controlled according to need and managed by the machine's electronics.
When the dial is lowered to the working position, it is released and returns to being driven by the command transmission (15), (17) for its rotation synchronous to the cylinder below.

Claims

A dial bearing radially-horizontally arranged components such as needles, hooks and similar parts, aimed at constructing the stitch with the vertical needles carried by a cylinder in circular knitting machines, characterised by the fact of being mobile and adjustable in height between an active lowered position and a raised idle position, commanded by a servo-mechanism (19) which can be programmed and managed by the electronic control apparatus of the machine and its functions.
A dial also characterised by the fact that when in the raised position it is disengaged from the command transmission and held by at least one device (20) stopping its rotation and keeping it in its angular position.
A dial according to claim 2 whose stopping device (21) is fixed and directly or indirectly engages the dial when in the raised position. As the dial moves towards this stopping device, it disengages from the command transmission.
A dial according to claim 2 whose stopping device moves between a dial release and a dial blocking position, where the stopping system is managed to move into the blocking position when the dial is in the raised position.
Dial according to claim 3 or 4, whose stopping device is oriented radially or perpendicularly to the dial or to a component connected to it.
A dial according to claim 5 whose stopping device engages a toothed wheel which is part of the dial rotation command transmission.
A circular machine for knitting equipped with a dial, adjustable in height between a lowered and a raised position and at least one device for stopping the dial from rotating when in the raised position.