EP2034064B1 - Needle bed for a flat knitting machine - Google Patents

Description

The needle beds of flat knitting machines usually have next to the needle channels arranged, non-movable mesh images or hold-down boards, which take over the function of the mesh images with. The knock-off edge is often formed by a wire which extends over the entire length of the needle bed. However, the stitches of these needle beds may catch threads fed into the stitch patterns.

From the DE-PS 1 635 776 a needle bed for a hand knitting machine is known, which is composed of various profiled sheet metal parts. One of the profile sheets of this needle bed has punched apertures through which the needles can slide to form stitches. The webs between the openings of this profile sheet are the mesh images of this needle bed. By a further profile sheet a knock-off edge is formed, said profile sheet rests against the inside of the stitch pattern profile sheet.

Due to the dimensional tolerances that can be achieved by punching a maximum in sheet metal processing, these needle beds can be made only in small length and used to produce only coarse knits. This applies all the more as the dimensional tolerances of the individual profile sheets of this needle bed add up.

From the GB 825,342 is a needle bed known, which is made of three sheet metal profiles. The top sheet metal profile is provided with through holes for the needle shanks. To guide the head portions of the needles during the stitch forming operation, this sheet metal part has a longitudinally curved portion provided with slots for passing the needle heads. The present invention has for its object to provide a needle bed for a flat knitting machine, on the stitch images, no thread can be caught and are to produce with the knit high fineness.

The object is achieved with a needle bed for a flat knitting machine, which is characterized in that it has over its length a plurality of adjoining stitch pattern segments which cover the front, longitudinal end face of the needle bed and which are provided with openings for the passage of the needles the lateral boundaries of these openings take over the function of mesh images and the lower boundaries of the openings take on the function of a cut-off edge for the stitches formed.

In this needle bed so both the mesh images and the tee edge are formed by the openings for the needles. The mesh images are thus no longer protruding elements on which a knitting thread could get caught. The immediately adjacent arrangement of multiple mesh image segments makes it possible to equip even very long needle beds with these mesh image segments, the individual mesh image segments can be kept so short that only small dimensional tolerances occur in their production. It is advantageous if the individual mesh image segments are manufactured as one-piece elements.

In a preferred embodiment, the mesh image segments are curved parallel to their longitudinal direction, preferably made of sheet metal profiles. These can be produced easily and with high precision, in particular if the openings are introduced by laser cutting.

The mesh panels may also have second openings for the passage of hold-down boards present on most modern flat knitting machines. It is advantageous if the second openings are slit-shaped, so that the hold-down boards are enclosed by the stitch pattern segments as close as possible and the hold-down boards are guided in their effective range on the mesh. Thereby, the penetration of dirt into the needle bed and in particular in the guide channels of hold-down boards can be reliably prevented.

Further advantages result when the second openings in the lower area have a broadening. This widening allows the hold-down plates to be easily inserted when mounted on the needle bed.

For the positionally accurate attachment of the mesh image segments on the needle bed, there are in principle various possibilities. In a preferred embodiment, the mesh image segments with a section can engage underneath a strip running along the needle bed and mounted in the latter. The mesh image segments are thereby pinched between the strip and the needle bed.

To further fix the mesh image segments they can engage with angled fixing sections in grooves of the needle bed webs of the needle bed. As a result, they are secured in Austriebsrichtung the needles on the needle bed.

In addition, if the fixing portions have tabs which engage in a groove of the needle bed for receiving the needle bed bars, the stitch pattern segments are also secured against longitudinal displacement.

Further advantages are obtained when the mesh image segments have a non-perforated portion covering the front end face of the needle bed above the needles. This prevents contamination of the needle bed by yarn fibers. In particular, the grooves in which the needles are long movably mounted, remain free of contamination, which is essential for an undisturbed production process.

In the following, preferred embodiments of needle beds according to the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawing.

Show it:

Fig. 1

a front view of a section of a first needle bed with three mesh picture segments;

Fig. 2

one of the Fig. 1 corresponding view of a needle bed with three alternatively designed mesh image segments;

Fig. 3

a view from the front of a mesh picture segment Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 4

a view from the front of a mesh picture segment Fig. 2 ;

Fig. 5

a section through the needle bed Fig. 1 along the line BB with the needle in tee position;

Fig. 6

one of the Fig. 5 corresponding sectional view of the needle bed Fig. 1 with withdrawn needle;

Fig. 7

a section through the needle bed Fig. 1 along the line AA.

Fig. 1 shows a view of the front end side of a needle bed according to the invention. Three mesh image segments 1 are shown, which are seamlessly joined together and thus cover the areas S1, S2 and S3 of the needle bed in the form of a closed profile. Each of the mesh image segments 1 has an opening 13 for the passage of needles 2, which are shown by way of example in the area S1 of the needle bed. The lateral boundaries 11 of the openings 13 have the function of mesh images and the lower edges 12 have the function of a knock-off edge. Im in Fig. 1 As shown, the joint between two mesh image segments lies in the middle of the hook of a needle 2.

Furthermore, the mesh image segments 1 have slot-shaped openings 14, which serve for the passage of hold-down plates 3. In order to facilitate the mounting of hold-down boards 3, the slot-shaped openings 14 are provided with an extended lower portion 14 '. This area 14 'allows a simplified insertion of the board 3 in the slot-shaped opening 14 when the board 3 is installed.

On the upper side, the mesh image segments 1 have a portion 15 which has no openings and covers the front end face of the needle bed, in particular from FIGS Fig. 5 to 7 is apparent. This area 15 is therefore able to protect the needle bed from contamination by yarn fibers.

On its underside, the mesh image segments 1 are provided with lugs 17 which engage in a groove 61 of the needle bed. The lugs 17 thus cause a fixation of the mesh image segments 1 in the longitudinal direction of the needle bed. The groove 61 serves primarily for receiving needle bed webs 7 (FIG. Fig. 5 . 6 ).

Fig. 2 corresponds to the view of Fig. 1 with three alternatively configured mesh image segments 1 ', which here cover the areas S1', S2 'and S3' of the needle bed. The difference with the stitch pattern segments 1 is that the joint between adjacent stitch pattern segments 1 'is located at the lateral edge of the slot-shaped openings 14' and not in the middle of the hooks of the needles 2. Apart from the design of the joint, the mesh image segments 1 and 1 'are identical in construction and function.

Fig. 3 shows a mesh image segment 1 in single representation in the same view as Fig. 1 , The recess 13 'on the left side of the stitch pattern segment 1 and the recess 13 "on the right side together correspond in their dimensions to the opening 13 required for the passage of a needle 2. The width of the stitch pattern segment 1 extends over in the illustrated example However, the width can be varied and adapted to the particular manufacturing process.The more accurate the manufacturing process, the greater the width can be selected.

In Fig. 4 a single mesh image segment 1 'is shown. The left side of the stitch pattern segment 1 'begins at a boundary 14 "for a slot-shaped opening 14. The right side of the stitch pattern segment 1' ends with a recess 14"'which corresponds in width and height to an opening 14. This results in the joining of two mesh image segments 1 'a closed profile without interruption in the sequence of openings 13 and 14. Again, the width of the segment 1' can be varied according to the selected manufacturing process.

The sectional view from Fig. 5 through the front area of the needle bed Fig. 1 along the line BB illustrates that it is the mesh image segment 1 is a bent parallel to its longitudinal direction profile, which is preferably made of sheet metal. Fig. 5 also illustrates the storage of the stitch pattern segment 1 in the needle bed 6. The stitch pattern segment 1 has a portion 18 which is disposed below a bar 8 which extends along the needle bed 6 and is mounted in the needle bed 6. To the section 18 includes an angled portion 16 which engages in grooves 71 of the needle bed webs 7. Characterized the stitch pattern segment 1 is fixed in Austriebsrichtung the needle 2. The strip 8, which includes the stitch pattern segment 1 with its surface 19 between itself and the needle bed 6, prevents lifting of the stitch pattern segment 1 upwards.

Fig. 5 also shows one of the openings 13 for the needles 2 in a curvature region of the stitch pattern segment 1, the lateral boundaries 11 take over the function of mesh images and their lower boundary 12 the function of a knock-off edge. Above the openings 13, the closed region 15 connects, which covers the needle bed front side and thereby prevents contamination of the needle bed 6 by yarn fibers.

The set mesh segments 1 of the needle bed 6 form a closed profile, which is interrupted only by the openings 13 substantially. This makes it largely impossible for themselves after the Carriage reversal, a thread that is fed to the loop formation can get caught on a stitch pattern and thus the thread is not detected by the subsequent needles.

Im in Fig. 5 As shown, the needle 2 is in a knocking position, that is, it has been brought by a movement in the direction of the arrow Z in the position in which a held by her stitch 51 slides over the needle hook, that is cut off. Due to the withdrawal force acting on the fabric 60 in the direction of the arrow X and is transmitted from this to the stitching 51, the stitching 51 is supported by its two legs 52 on the knock-off edge 12 of the stitch pattern segment 1 as it rests on the needle 2, which performs a movement in the direction of the arrow Z. The mesh images 11 have no essential function in the knockdown of the mesh shown here.

In the Fig. 5 shown dash-dotted line 100 denotes the center of the comb gap between the needle bed 6 and an opposite second needle bed, not shown here.

Fig. 6 shows one of the Fig. 5 corresponding sectional view through the needle bed 6 from Fig. 1 However, now the needle 2 has been pulled back by a movement in the direction of arrow Z so far that the newly formed mesh 53 has reached its desired size. During this needle movement, the thread for stitch 53 was pulled through the in Fig. 5 chopped stitch 51 pulled through. In this process, the mesh 51 is supported with its two legs 52 at the tee edge 12. The thread required to form the stitch 53 abuts the stitches 11 and undergoes a deflection at the end of the loop legs 54 of the stitch 53 as the needle 2 is moved in the direction of the arrow Z.

In Fig. 7 is a section through the front portion of the needle bed 6 from Fig. 1 shown along the line AA. In this illustration, the guidance of the mesh-near portion 31 of a hold-down board 3 is shown. In addition to the not shown here primary guide the hold-down plate 3 in the needle bed 6 receives this at its mesh near area 31 an additional guide by embracing the area 31 through the slot-shaped opening 14 of the stitch pattern segment 1. This guide is effective at least during the action of the hold-down plate 3 on the fabric ,

Next shows Fig. 7 the nose 17, which is formed on the portion 16 of the stitch pattern segment 1, as it engages in one of the grooves 61 of the needle bed 6. The grooves 61 serve to support the needle bed webs 7. The nose 17 thus causes a fixation of the stitch pattern segment 1 in the longitudinal direction of the needle bed. 6

Claims (9)

1. Needle bed for a flat bed knitting machine, characterized in that over its length it has several stitch-former segments (1, 1') adjoining one another, which cover the front end face of the needle bed (6) running in a longitudinal manner and are provided with openings (13) for the needles (2) to pass through, wherein the lateral rims (11) of these openings (13) take over the function of stitch-formers and the lower rims (12) of the openings (13) take over the function of a knock-over edge for the formed stitches (51).
2. Needle bed according to claim 1, characterized in that the stitch-former segments (1, 1') are profiles, preferably made of sheet metal and curved parallel to their longitudinal direction.
3. Needle bed according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the stitch-former segments (1, 1') have two openings (14) for the passage and the guidance of holding-down sinkers (3).
4. Needle bed according to claim 3, characterized in that the second openings (14) are embodied in a slit-shaped manner.
5. Needle bed according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the second openings (14) have a widening (14') in the lower region.
6. Needle bed according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stitch-former segments (1, 1') with one section (18) engage under a strip (8) running along the needle bed (6) and supported therein.
7. Needle bed according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stitch-former segments (1, 1') engage with angled fixing sections (16) in grooves of the needle bed strips (7) of the needle bed (6).
8. Needle bed according to claim 7, characterized in that the fixing sections have nebs (17), which engage in a groove (61) of the needle bed (6) for accommodating the needle bed strips (7) and thus secure the stitch-former segments (1, 1') against a longitudinal displacement.
9. Needle bed according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stitch-former segments (1, 1') have a non-pierced section (15), which covers the front end face of the needle bed (6) above the needles (2).

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