EP2196570B1 - Circular knitting machine without holding sinkers - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a circular knitting machine that can do without hold-down boards.

Circular knitting machines usually have a knitting cylinder which has on its outer periphery a large number of needle channels extending in the cylinder longitudinal direction. In each of these needle channels sitting knitting needles, usually latch needles. The knitting needles are moved back and forth in the needle channels. Serve the castle curves or castle parts that are included in lock segments and form the castle mantle. This surrounds the needle cylinder and has at least one guideway. The knitting needles are provided with feet, which run on the guideway and thereby give the knitting needles a required reciprocating longitudinal movement with a rotation of the knitting cylinder.

The knitting needles of the rotating knitting cylinder is fed via a generally stationary yarn guide thread. The result is an example hose-like knit hanging on the knitting needles.

In order to prevent rising of the knitted fabric when expelling the knitting needles, containment / tee boards are usually provided, which are arranged adjacent to the knitting needles. The containment / debarking boards cause a considerable construction effort. In addition, they require a space that can limit the fineness of the division in knitting machines.

From the WO 2007/074486 A1 is a knitting machine known that manages without containment / tee boards. For this purpose, the knitting needles of the needle cylinder are divided into two groups and driven by different guide curves of the needle lock. For example, at first, the even-numbered knitting needles are expelled, while the non-even-numbered knitting needles interposed therebetween are not yet expelled, thereby assuming the function of holding down the knitted fabric. After the sprouting of the even-numbered knitting needles, the odd-numbered knitting needles are then expelled, after which the knitting needles, ie both the even-numbered and the odd-numbered knitting needles, are retracted one after the other to form stitches.

In such a knitting machine, the open tongues of the knitting needles may abut on other machine elements, such as the yarn guide. This can lead to wear of the knitting needles. In addition, the tongues of the already driven knitting needles to be kept in certain positions on their way in the open position.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved yarn guide for such a circular knitting machine.

This invention is achieved with the circular knitting machine according to claim 1. The yarn guide of the knitting machine according to the invention is associated with a runner, which is provided with a sliding surface for tongues of the latch needles. The blade is positioned so that the tongues of the incoming knitting needles gently start against their sliding surface and are held in the open position where necessary. Preferably, the runner extends in the circumferential direction of the knitting cylinder, i. in a direction predetermined by the circumferential movement of the knitting cylinder. The runner preferably has a rounded tip, which forms a contact surface oriented obliquely to the direction of movement of the knitting needles. Between the tip of the skid and the thread guide a clearance is provided.

The runner and also the thread guide can be used to hold the open tongues of the expelled latch needles in the open position. The thread guide can have a sliding surface for tongues of the latch needles. Its sliding surface is preferably a smooth, stepless surface on which tongues of the latch needles can slide as the driven knitting needles move relative to the thread guide due to relative rotation of the knitting cylinder. The sliding surface of the thread guide preferably extends in the circumferential direction, wherein it may have a contour which follows approximately the path taken by the expelled knitting needles.

Between the runner and the thread guide a clearance is preferably provided. This clearance is largely determined by the positioning between runner and thread guide. For example, the clearance between the top the skid and the thread guide are enlarged, thereby obtaining more space for the tongue movement in this space. This allows tongues of the latch needles to pivot in this clearance during the pop-up motion without impacting the skid or thread guide. The adjustment of the runner to the thread guide depends on the settings of the knitting machine and the yarn to be processed.

The thread guide can take on three functions. For one thing, he has the task of the knitting point to supply the thread. Further, it may be configured and adjusted to hold the tongue of every other needles in reserve while expelling the remaining needles. In addition, he can still keep the tongues already expelled needles open.

The functions can also be divided between the thread guide and the runner as follows: The thread guide takes over the thread feed and the cover of the tongues located in the shoot. The additionally provided runner undertakes the task of holding down the tongues of the already first driven needles in such a way that a secure holding down of the knitted goods during the expulsion of the remaining needles in the subsequent expulsion process is ensured.

The runner is arranged relative to the thread guide adjustable. This is an optimal fulfillment of all three above-mentioned tasks of the yarn guide for the production of different bindings pattern and in the processing of different yarns possible. Besides that is Optimal adjustment of the thread feed and hold function, independently possible.

The runner acts as a tongue hold-down element. By separating this function from the function of the thread guide, there is the possibility of independent of the thread guide setting the tongue hold function.

The runner can be connected to the thread guide via a preferably adjustable holder. Alternatively, the skid may be coupled to other machine parts, such as a segment of the needle lock.

At the needle cylinder usually a Kulierkante is provided. In order to automatically compensate for changed settings of the padding and thus changes of the needle position and the tongue strike, the pad can also be connected to the central pad. This can be done, for example, that the skid is connected via a suitable frame with the storage of the knitting cylinder.

In addition, when the blade is not connected to the thread guide, it becomes possible to adjust the distance between the blade and the needles independently of the thread guide, thus, for example, to make room for the opening tongues of those needles which are expelled after the first group of needles has already been expelled.

Furthermore, it may be expedient to provide sliding surfaces on the tongues of the needles, which run along the sliding surfaces of the runner and / or the thread guide and have a Verschließreserve.

• Figur 1 eine Strickstelle einer Rundstrickmaschine mit Fadenführer und Nadeln sowie Gestrick in schematisierter Perspektivdarstellung mit Blickrichtung von der Mittelachse des Strickzylinders aus radial nach außen.
• Figur 2 die Strickstelle nach Figur 1, in Seitenansicht mit radial nach innen gerichteter Blickrichtung,
• Figur 3 die Strickstelle nach Figur 1 ohne Nadeln in perspektivischer und teilweise schematisierter Darstellung mit radial nach innen gerichteter Blickrichtung, in perspektivischer Darstellung,
• Figur 4 den Fadenführer und seine Kufe, in schematisierter Vertikalschnittdarstellung, und
• Figur 5 eine Zungennadel, die zum Einsatz in einer Strickmaschine in der aus den Figuren 1 bis 4 hervorgehenden Bauart eingerichtet ist.

Further details of advantageous embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the description, the drawings or subclaims. The description is limited to essential aspects of the invention and other conditions. The drawing is to be used as a supplement. Show it:

• FIG. 1 a knitting point of a circular knitting machine with yarn guide and needles and knitted fabric in a schematic perspective view with a view from the central axis of the knitting cylinder from radially outward.
• FIG. 2 after the knitting point FIG. 1 , in side view with radially inward looking direction,
• FIG. 3 after the knitting point FIG. 1 without needles in perspective and partially schematic representation with radially inward looking direction, in perspective view,
• FIG. 4 the thread guide and its runner, in a schematic vertical sectional view, and
• FIG. 5 a latch needle, used in a knitting machine in the out of the FIGS. 1 to 4 resulting type is established.

In FIG. 1 is a knitting point of a knitting machine illustrated. The knitting point is determined by a yarn guide 1, which is preferably held substantially stationary on the knitting machine. It has a holding leg 2 and a preferably horizontally extending away from this section 3. The section 3 is provided at its free end with at least one eyelet 4, for example in the form of a passage opening, via which the knitting point, a thread 5 is fed. The yarn guide 1 has, in particular at its portion 3, a preferably paragraph-free and smooth sliding surface 6.

The knitting machine also has knitting needles in FIG. 1 are indicated only schematically. They are in needle channels 7 of a knitting cylinder 8, as it is made FIG. 3 fragmentary, vertically slidably mounted. By "vertical" is meant a direction at least substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the knitting cylinder.

In the needle channels 7 sit latch needles 9, 10, in FIG. 1 each are provided with a letter index for better distinction. The latch needles 9 belong to a first group and the latch needles 10 belong to a second group. Each latch needle 9, 10 has at its upper end a hook 11, which is associated with a pivotally mounted tongue 12. The tongue 12 may open or close the hook 11.

The latch needles 9, 10 are driven by a rotation of the knitting cylinder 8 with their feet in contact with different cam curves of a needle lock stand. For this purpose, the latch needles 9 their drive foot at a different location than the latch needles 10. In FIG. 3 are different castle curves 13, 14 indicated schematically. The cam curves 13, 14 are guide tracks, which are formed on a so-called knitting lock, which surrounds the knitting cylinder like a ring. The knitting cylinder 8 continuously rotates the feet of the latch needles 9, 10 along the resting cam curves 13, 14, whereby the latch needles 9, 10 of the two groups, as in FIG FIGS. 1 and 2 indicated, different curves 15, 16 are moved following to effect the knitting process for producing a knitted fabric 17. The located under the thread guide 1, located knitting needles 9, 10 form a knitting point.

The yarn guide 1 has at its lower edge an approximately trapezoidal cut-out, for example, in which a runner 18 is arranged. This blade 18 serves to hold the tongues 12 of the driven latch needles 9, 10 in the open position. For this purpose, the runner on a smooth sliding surface 19, which she turns the Zugnennadeln 9, 10. The blade may have at one end 20, at which the latch needles 9, 10 arrive in the course of the knitting operation, a part bent away from the needles. The extending on this part section of the sliding surface 19 forms a run-on slope for the following tongues 12th

The skid 18 may be attached to the yarn guide 1, for example. This can be one of the FIGS. 3 and 4 serve apparent tab 21, which bridges the space 22, 22 'between the runner 19 and the thread guide 1. The tab 21 is preferably outwardly, ie bent away from the latch needles 9, 10, in order to release the free space 22, 22 'and to prevent that tongues 12 that pass through the clearance 22 abut the tab 21.

Preferably, the tab 21 forms an adjustable holding device with oblong holes 23, 24 at both ends of the tab 21, wherein the elongated holes 23, 24 extend in different directions. They are penetrated by fastening screws. Thanks to the elongated holes 23, 24, the runner 18 can be adjusted in runner longitudinal direction and in the vertical direction or needle longitudinal direction.

The knitting machine can be equipped with ordinary latch needles. Preferably, however, latch needles are used, the in FIG. 5 illustrated latch needle 9 same. The peculiarity of the latch needle 9 lies in the formation of the tongue 12. This is like a normal tongue in a tongue slot 25 pivotally mounted. For storage, a pin 26. The tongue 12 carries at its end a spoon-shaped tongue head 27 with a recess 28, which is also referred to as "Zasche". The depth and position of the recess 28 is dimensioned so that the closing tongue with the recess 28, the top 29 of the hook 11 covers.

The peculiarity of the tongue 12 is a grinding or sliding portion 30 with a crowned grinding or sliding surface 31. The sliding portion 30 extends in extension of the tongue shaft approximately radially to the pin 26 of the tongue head 27 like a nose away. At the side adjacent to the recess 28, the preferably crowned sliding surface 31 is provided, which can in particular come into sliding contact with the sliding surface 19 of the blade 18. An occurring with increasing age of the latch needle 9 wear on the sliding surface 31 does not lead to sharp edges and thus not to a malfunction of the latch needle 9 because of the rounding of the same.

• Der Strickvorgang ist in Figur 1 veranschaulicht. Die Zungennadeln 9 und 10 der beiden verschiedenen Gruppen werden durch die Wirkung der Schlosskurven 13, 14 bei Drehung des Strickzylinders unterschiedlich bewegt. Die Bewegungen sind durch die Kurven 15, 16 in Figur 1 markiert. Es werden zunächst die Nadeln 9 so ausgetrieben, dass ihre Haken 11 auf der Kurve 15 laufen. Nacheinander nimmt eine Nadel die Positionen der Zungennadeln 91, 9k, 9j usw. bis 9h ein. Zunächst bleiben die Nadeln 10 der anderen Gruppe in nicht ausgetriebenem Zustand wie der rechte Teil der Figur 1 veranschaulicht. Sie halten dadurch das Gestrick 17 nieder bzw. unten. Während sie dann ausgetrieben werden schwenkt die Zunge und der Hakeninnenraum wird geöffnet. Der Schwenkbereich der Zunge wird durch den Freiraum 22' gebildet. Bei der Austriebsbewegung folgen die Zungennadeln 10 dem Pfad der Zungennadeln 10h, 10g, 10f, 10e usw.. Gleichzeitig laufen die Zungennadeln 9 in die Positionen der Zungennadeln 9h, 9g, 9f, 9c, wobei die offen stehenden Zungen an der Gleitfläche 19 der Kufe 18 entlang laufen. Sie werden dadurch offen gehalten und verhindern ein Aufsteigen des Gestricks während die Zungennadeln 10 der anderen Gruppe ausgetrieben werden. Schlussendlich laufen alle Zungennadeln 9 und 10, wie in Figur 1 links dargestellt ist, oberhalb der Öse 4 vorbei, fangen den Faden 5 und werden zurückgezogen, um jeweils neue Maschen zu bilden. In diesem Bereich decken sich die Kurven 15 und 16.

The knitting machine 1 described so far operates as follows:

• The knitting process is in FIG. 1 illustrated. The latch needles 9 and 10 of the two different groups are moved differently by the action of the lock curves 13, 14 upon rotation of the knitting cylinder. The movements are through the curves 15, 16 in FIG. 1 marked. First, the needles 9 are driven out so that their hooks 11 run on the curve 15. Successively, a needle takes the positions of the latch needles 91, 9k, 9j, etc. to 9h. First, the needles 10 of the other group remain in the unexcited state as the right part of FIG. 1 illustrated. As a result, they hold the fabric 17 down or down. As they are driven out, the tongue pivots and the hook interior opens. The pivoting range of the tongue is formed by the free space 22 '. At the time of the ejection movement, the latch needles 10 follow the path of the latch needles 10h, 10g, 10f, 10e, etc. Simultaneously, the latch needles 9 move to the positions of the latch needles 9h, 9g, 9f, 9c with the open tabs on the sliding surface 19 of the blade 18 run along. They are thereby kept open and prevent the knit from rising while the latch needles 10 of the other group are expelled. Finally, all the reed needles 9 and 10, as in FIG. 1 on the left, pass above the loop 4, catch the thread 5 and are withdrawn to form new stitches each time. In this area, the curves cover 15 and 16.

A knitting machine according to the invention has a thread guide 1, to which a runner 18 is assigned. The blade 18 is used to keep open tongues of expelled needles of a first group while the needles of a second group are expelled. Due to the staggered expulsion of latch needles 9 and 10 of a first and a second group and by the alternating arrangement of needles of the first and second group, an increase of the knitted fabric during the expulsion of the needles is prevented without the aid of Einschließ- / teeingplatinen. Because a separate from the yarn guide 1 blade 18 is used to hold the tongues, their position can be optimally adjusted regardless of the position of the yarn guide.

reference numeral

1

thread guides

2

holding leg

3

section

4

eyelet

5

thread

6

sliding surface

7

needle channel

8th

knitting cylinder

9a-91

Tongue Needles (odd numbered)

10a-10k

Tongue Needles (even)

11

hook

12

tongue

13, 14

cam curves

15, 16

curves

17

knitted

18

skid

19

sliding surface

20

The End

21

flap

22, 22 '

free space

23, 24

slots

25

latch slot

26

spigot

27

latch head

28

deepening

29

top

30

sliding

31

sliding surface

Claims (11)

1. Circular knitting machine
   with a knitting cylinder (8), which has needle channels for latch needles (9, 10), with a thread guide (1), which has an eyelet (4) for feeding thread to a knitting point,
   and
   with a runner (18), which also has a slide surface (19) for open latches of the latch needles (9, 10), and which is arranged to be adjustable relative to the thread guide (1).
2. Circular knitting machine according to claim 1, characterised in that a free space (22) is provided between the thread guide (1) and the runner (18).
3. Circular knitting machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the thread guide (1) has at least one slide surface (6) for latches of the latch needles (9, 10).
4. Circular knitting machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the latch needles (9, 10) are assigned to different guide paths (13, 14) in the cam box ring of the knitting machine, so that the latch needles (9, 10) belong to two groups that are moved differently.
5. Circular knitting machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the latch needles (9) of the first group are arranged alternately with the latch needles (10) of the second group.
6. Circular knitting machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the runner (18) is arranged in a recess of the thread guide (1).
7. Circular knitting machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the runner (18) is connected to the thread guide (1).
8. Circular knitting machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the runner (18) is mounted to be adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the runner.
9. Circular knitting machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the runner (18) is mounted to be adjustable in vertical direction.
10. Circular knitting machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the runner (18) is supported by a holder (21), which bridges the free space (22) and is bent away therefrom.
11. Circular knitting machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the runner (18) is supported by a cam assembly, the cams (13, 14) of which control the latch needles (9, 10).

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