EP2243871B1 - Flat knitting machine with at least one mobile thread guide moved along a thread rail - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a flat knitting machine having at least one yarn guide which is movable along a yarn guide rail and has a yarn feed part which can be adjusted in the vertical direction.

With modern high-performance flat knitting machines complex knits are produced, often a large number of different knitting threads is needed for the production of a single knit. There are always some of the yarn guides for these knitting yarns in an operating position and others in an out of action position. The more knitting threads and therefore yarn guides are in use, the more critical is their positioning such that their threads do not cross over and that they do not impede the needle movements necessary for stitch formation and the movements of adjacent yarn guides.

During their out-of-action position, the thread guides should normally be located at a safe distance above the comb gap between the opposing needle beds. However, if the thread guides lead the needles a thread, it may even be necessary for a secure thread insert, the thread guide in the comb gap to below the needle cross, d. H. Crossing point of the expelled needles of both needle beds. In the case of yarn guides whose yarn feed part is of tubular design, it may also be necessary for it to protrude into the comb gap even with its yarn feed part in its off-mode position.

To realize the different requirements for the vertical position of a yarn guide are therefore in the WO 2006/056843 self-propelled yarn guide has been proposed, the distance to the comb gap is adjustable. The known yarn guides have vertically movable mounted Fadenzuführteile, which are adjustable by means of a horizontally movable rail in height. The horizontal movement of the rail is translated into a vertical movement of the rail by the rail is mounted by means of inclined slots on connected to the thread guide rail bolt. If now the rail is displaced in the horizontal direction, it also performs a vertical movement, which transmits it to the yarn feed part of the yarn guide.

However, this solution can only be used for knitting machines with a short needle space, since the rail has such a large mass with increasing length that it can only be accelerated and decelerated with difficulty at the required speed. In the cited WO 2006/056843 In addition, a yarn guide with a vertically adjustable Fadenzuführteil is shown, in which the vertical movement of the Fadenzuführteils is achieved via cams. The cams are located in a control plate which is movable parallel to the yarn guide rail. The yarn guide and the control plate are each moved by separate drive units. Due to a short-term difference in speed between the control plate and the thread guide, the thread feed part slides by means of a bolt along the cam and we thereby raised or lowered. For joint guidance of the control plate and the thread guide this design requires a relatively high thread guide rail, for the modern flat knitting machines usually no installation space is available. In addition, the thread guides and the control plates must be controlled by means of highly dynamic electric motors, which must be exactly synchronized. This solution is therefore complex and costly.

In the JP 2001-64854 a separately driven special yarn guide is described, which also has a height-adjustable Fadenzuführteil. The yarn guide is moved over a toothed belt, which is driven by a yarn guide drive motor. The height adjustment of the Fadenzuführteils is effected by controls that are driven by a second toothed belt. As long as both belts have the same speed, there is no change in the height position of the Fadenzuführteils. By a short-term difference in speed of the two toothed belt, however, a height adjustment of the Fadenzuführteils is effected. Also for this solution highly dynamic electric motors and accurate synchronization of the two motors are required, whereby this proposed solution is also costly.

The present invention has for its object to provide a flat knitting machine with thread guides, the yarn feeding parts are height adjustable in a simple and cost-effective manner.

The object is achieved with a flat knitting machine having at least one yarn guide which is movable along a yarn guide rail and has a yarn feed part which can be adjusted in the vertical direction, which is characterized in that a control element which can be driven in rotation about an axis extending parallel to the yarn guide rail is provided with which Fadenzuführteil the thread guide at each position of the thread guide on the thread guide rail acted upon and adjustable in its vertical position.

In the solution according to the invention, the control element for height adjustment of the yarn feed part only has to be moved when a change in the height position is required. A permanent Mitbewegen of control plates or Steuermimiken as in some of the embodiments of the prior art is therefore not necessary here. Thus, the drive of the control can be made relatively simple and is exposed to relatively low loads.

Another advantage of the flat knitting machine according to the invention is that the thread guides do not have to have a separate drive. Rather, they can also be moved by means of drivers through the carriage of the flat knitting machine. Furthermore, the solution according to the invention of adjusting the height of the yarn feeding parts of the thread guide can also be used in machines with very long needle beds and thus very long travel paths of the thread guides.

It is advantageous if the control extends parallel to the yarn guide rail over the entire range of motion of the yarn guide. In this way, it is ensured with the least possible effort that the position of the yarn feeding part of the yarn guide can be adjusted at any position of the yarn guide in his space of movement.

Further advantages are obtained when the thread feed part can be locked by the control in its vertical position. For locking then no additional components must be provided.

The yarn feed part can be acted upon by the control either directly or indirectly via one or more intermediate members. The more complex solution with pontics may be preferable in particular if this allows a more favorable transmission of force from the control to the yarn feeding part.

In a preferred embodiment of the flat knitting machine according to the invention, the control can be mounted on the yarn guide rail. The storage can be done not only at the ends of the control, but also at intermediate points, so that a precise height adjustment of Fadenzuführteils is ensured even in machines with a large needle space. It can not lead to errors due to deflections of the control.

The height adjustment of the Fadenzuführteils can be done in stages or preferably continuously. A stepless adjustability of the vertical position of the yarn feeding part allows the best adaptation to the respective knitting conditions.

In a preferred embodiment of the flat knitting machine, the control element is substantially wave-shaped or tubular and has on its surface one or more longitudinally extending projections or depressions, with which the thread supply part or at least one cooperating with this intermediate member can be brought. The design of the control element as a drivable shaft or tube gives it a high rigidity and also allows easy pivoting and storage of the control.

In a first variant of a thus designed control element, the control element can only have a longitudinal projection whose free longitudinal edge has a substantially circular cross-section and can be brought into positive engagement with a recess in the yarn feed part or in an intermediate member connected to the yarn feed part. The thread feed part or the associated intermediate member can slide during the movement of the yarn guide along this projection. If the control element is not pivoted during the sliding of the yarn feed part along the projection, then the projection provides for locking the height position of the yarn feed part. If, on the other hand, the vertical position of the yarn feed part is to be changed, the control element can be pivoted during the movement of the yarn guide or when the yarn guide is at a standstill, and the yarn feed part can thereby be raised or lowered.

In this case, the recess in the thread feed part or in the intermediate member may preferably be formed as a substantially U-shaped groove which engages around the free longitudinal edge of the projection in a form-fitting manner. In this way, a simple conversion of the rotational movement of the Control in the required translational movement of Fadenzuführteils possible.

In a further variant, the control element can have on its surface a toothing extending along the control element, with which toothing arranged on the thread supply part or on an intermediate element can be brought into engagement. Even with this solution, the rotational movement of the control can be translated in a simple manner in the vertical movement of the Fadenzuführteils. At the same time, the toothing on the control element serves to lock the once set vertical position of the thread supply part. An adjustment of the vertical position is also possible here during the movement of the thread guide or in its breastfeeding.

In a further embodiment, the control member may have the shape of a longitudinally slotted tube and inside the tube an intermediate member rotatably and longitudinally displaceably mounted, which has a passing through the slot of the control outward protrusion or toothed portion with which the yarn feed is engaged or is engageable. In this solution, therefore, the transmission of the rotational movement of the tubular control element via an intermediate member mounted in the control takes place. This is displaceable inside the tubular control element and along it. The outwardly projecting projection or toothed area can be brought into engagement with the thread supply part of the thread guide and thereby fixed or adjusted its height position. These functions can be performed while the thread guide is moving or when it is at a standstill.

But the control can also have the form of a shaft on which a provided with a projection or a toothing intermediate member is rotatably mounted and longitudinally displaceable. The intermediate member can for this purpose completely or partially surround the shaft and act on the projection or the toothing on the Fadenzuführteil.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of thread guides with height-adjustable Fadenzuführteilen and their drive devices according to the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1a

eine Ansicht von vorn auf einen Fadenführer, eine Fadenführerschiene und ein erstes Steuerelement;

Fig. 1b

eine Ansicht im Pfeilrichtung X auf den Fadenführer aus Fig. 1a;

Fig. 1c

eine schematische Darstellung des vertikalen Verstellweges des Fadenzuführteils des Fadenführers aus Fig. 1a;

Fig. 2

eine vergrößerte Schnittdarstellung durch den Fadenführer aus Fig. 1a entlang der Linie A-A;

Fig. 3

eine der Fig. 2 entsprechende Darstellung mit einer zweiten Ausgestaltung eines Steuerelements und eines Fadenzuführteils;

Fig. 4

eine der Fig. 2 entsprechende Darstellung eines dritten Ausführungsbeispiels eines Steuerelements und eines Fadenzuführteils;

Fig. 5

eine der Fig. 2 entsprechende Darstellung einer vierten Ausführungsform eines Steuerelements und eines Fadenzuführteils;

Fig. 6

eine der Fig. 2 entsprechende Darstellung eines fünften Ausführungsbeispiels eines Steuerelements und eines Fadenzuführteils;

Fig. 7

eine der Fig. 2 entsprechende Darstellung eines sechsten Ausführungsbeispiels eines Steuerelements und eines Fadenzuführteils.

In detail show:

Fig. 1a

a front view of a yarn guide, a yarn guide rail and a first control;

Fig. 1b

a view in the direction of arrow X on the yarn guide Fig. 1a ;

Fig. 1c

a schematic representation of the vertical displacement of the yarn feeding part of the yarn guide from Fig. 1a ;

Fig. 2

an enlarged sectional view through the thread guide Fig. 1a along the line AA;

Fig. 3

one of the Fig. 2 corresponding representation with a second embodiment of a control element and a Fadenzuführteils;

Fig. 4

one of the Fig. 2 corresponding representation of a third embodiment of a control element and a Fadenzuführteils;

Fig. 5

one of the Fig. 2 corresponding representation of a fourth embodiment of a control element and a Fadenzuführteils;

Fig. 6

one of the Fig. 2 corresponding representation of a fifth embodiment of a control element and a Fadenzuführteils;

Fig. 7

one of the Fig. 2 corresponding representation of a sixth embodiment of a control element and a Fadenzuführteils.

In Fig. 1a a yarn guide 1 is shown, which has a yarn feed 2, which is mounted in a height adjustable in a bearing piece 11 which is arranged on a yarn guide box 10. The yarn guide 1 is longitudinally movably mounted on the yarn guide box 10 on a yarn guide rail 100 and can be moved by a driver attached to a carriage of a flat knitting machine, not shown here, or by a separate drive in the direction of the double arrow HB. The yarn feeding part 2 is in the illustrated example in such a vertical position that the lower end 21 of the yarn feeding 2 is located above the needle NK and thus can not supply thread here not shown. To change the height position of the yarn feed part 2, a control 3 is provided, with which the upper end 22 of the yarn feed 2 is positively connected. The control 3 is at least as long as the Movement of the yarn guide 1 and runs in all planes parallel to the yarn guide rail 100. By a device not shown here, a rotational movement can be introduced into the control 3, which causes movements of the yarn feed 2 in the directions of the double arrow VB.

Like the side view Fig. 1b shows, the control element 3 is formed by a shaft 31 having a longitudinal projection 32. Depending on its length, the shaft 31 is pivotally mounted in a plurality of bearing blocks 4 such that a circular groove 41 of the bearing blocks 4 comprises the shaft 31 of the control element 3 at an angle of> 180 °. The bearing blocks 4 are connected to the thread guide rail 100. The free edge of the projection 32 is also formed in cross-section substantially circular, as in particular, the detailed representation in Fig. 2 shows. The upper end 22 of the yarn feed part 2 has a substantially U-shaped groove 23 (FIG. Fig. 2 ), which includes the circular cross-sectional area of the projection 32.

In Fig. 1c schematically the maximum displacement VBS of the yarn feed 2 is shown. The lower tip 21 of the Fadenzuführteils 2 can assume a lowest position, which is below the needle cross and is designated UNK. In the highest position ONK of the tip 21, this lies clearly above the needle cross NK. Between two positions UNK and ONK, the yarn feeding part 2 can be moved continuously by means of the control element 3. This is achieved by a corresponding pivoting movement of the control element 3, in particular also Fig. 2 clarified. As the yarn guide 1 is moved along the yarn guide rail 100, the U-shaped groove 23 of the yarn feeding member 2 moves along the circular cross-sectional area of the projection 32 of the control element 3. Thus, the projection 32 serves also the fixing of the vertical position of the yarn feeding part 2 during the movement of the yarn guide 1 and at its standstill.

In the following Fig. 3 to 7 Be further embodiments of controls in conjunction with the upper end 22 of the Fadenzuführteils 2 in one of Fig. 2 corresponding representation shown. Components with the same functions as the components in Fig. 2 are provided with identical reference numbers. In all examples shown, a rotational movement of the control element is translated into a translatory movement of the yarn feed part 2.

Fig. 3 shows a control, which is designed as a control shaft 5. The drive device of the shaft 5 is not shown here. The bearing of the control shaft 5 is identical to the mounting of the shaft 31 of the control 3 in Fig. 2 , The control shaft 5 has a rod-shaped portion 51 which is held in a bearing block 4. On the surface, the control shaft 5 has a toothed region 52 which extends over the entire length of the control shaft 5. At the upper end 22 of the yarn feed 2 a toothing 24 is also provided in this embodiment, which is in engagement with the teeth 52 of the control shaft 5. If the yarn guide 1 is moved along its yarn guide rail, the toothing 24 of the upper end 22 of the yarn feed part 2 also moves along the toothing 52 of the control shaft 5.

The 4 and 5 show variants in which the control is again designed in the form of a shaft, the transmission of the movement to the upper end 22 of the yarn feed 2, however, takes place indirectly via intermediate links.

At the in Fig. 4 In the variant shown, the control shaft 5 is a profiled shaft which comprises a U-shaped holder 110 and is fixed in its height position. The holder 110 is attached to the bearing piece 11 of the thread guide box 10 (FIG. Fig. 1a ). On the control shaft 5, a lever 6 is rotatably guided as an intermediate member and longitudinally displaceable. The lever 6 has at its free longitudinal edge on a circular cross-sectional area 61, which is surrounded by a U-shaped groove 23 of the upper end 22 of the yarn feed 2. As soon as the thread guide is moved along its thread guide rail, it also moves the lever 6 along the control shaft 5. The height position of the thread feed part 2 is determined by the pivot position of the control shaft 5 and thus also of the lever 6.

In the variant after Fig. 5 the control is also a profile shaft 5 as in the variant according to Fig. 4 and is stored in the same way as these. Here is now on the profile shaft as an intermediate member, a toothed segment 7 rotatably and guided longitudinally displaceable. The toothed segment 7 has a toothing 71, which is in engagement with a toothing 24 at the upper end 22 of the yarn feed part 2. Again, the yarn guide 1 takes in its movement along the yarn guide rail 100 with the toothed segment 7, which then slides along the shaft 5.

In the in the 6 and 7 shown solutions, the control in the form of a longitudinally slotted tube. In this intermediate members are used, which are in engagement with the upper end 22 of the yarn feed 2.

In the variant after Fig. 6 the control is rotatably mounted in the form of a tube 8 in one or more bearing blocks 4. Inside the Pipe 8 is a lever-like intermediate member 6 is arranged, which projects through the longitudinal section 81 of the tube 8 to the outside. An adjustment of the vertical position of the Fadenzuführteils 2 is achieved by a rotation of the tube 8. In the inner surface 82 of the tube 8, a circular cross-sectional area 61 of the lever 6 is guided longitudinally movable. By the boundaries 83, 84 of the slot 81 of the tube 8, the pivotal movement of the tube 8 is transmitted to surfaces 62, 63 of the lever 6 and thereby pivoted with it. The free end 64 of the lever 6 also has a substantially circular cross-section and protrudes into a slot-shaped groove 25 of the upper end 22 of the Fadenzuführteils 2. Once the yarn guide 1 is moved along its yarn guide rail, it also moves the lever 6 along the inner surface 82nd of the tube 8.

At the in Fig. 7 the variant shown is also a pivotally mounted tube 8 in which a toothed segment 7 rotatably and longitudinally displaceably guided, similar to the lever 6 in the variant Fig. 6 , The toothing 71 of the toothed segment 7 is in engagement with the toothing 24 of the upper end 22 of the Fadenzuführteils 2 and thus transmits the pivotal movement of the tube 8 on the Fadenzuführteil 2. Also in this variant, the yarn guide 2 moves the sector gear 7 along the inner surface 62 of the tube 8 as it moves along the yarn guide rail 100.

The embodiments shown are merely exemplary. Other embodiments are possible.

Claims (13)

1. Flat knitting machine with at least one thread guide (1) movable along a thread guide rail (100), wherein said thread guide has a thread feed element (2) adjustable in the vertical direction, characterised in that a control element (3, 5, 8) rotationally drivable around an axis extending parallel to the thread guide rail (100), by means of which control element the thread feed element (2) of the thread guide (1) can be acted upon at any position of the thread guide (1) on the thread guide rail (100) and is adjustable in its vertical position.
2. Flat knitting machine in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that the control element (3, 5, 8) extends parallel to the thread guide rail (100) over the entire movement range of the thread guide (1).
3. Flat knitting machine in accordance with claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the thread feed element (2) can be locked in its vertical position by the control element (3, 5, 8).
4. Flat knitting machine in accordance with one of the previous claims, characterised in that the thread feed element (2) can be acted upon directly or indirectly by the control element (3, 5, 8) by means of one or more intermediate links (6, 7).
5. Flat knitting machine in accordance with one of the previous claims, characterised in that the control element (3, 5, 8) is mounted on the thread guide rail (100).
6. Flat knitting machine in accordance with one of the previous claims, characterised in that the vertical position of the thread feed element (2) can be adjusted infinitely variably.
7. Flat knitting machine in accordance with one of the previous claims, characterised in that the control element (3, 5, 8) is formed essentially in the shape of a rod or a tube and has, on its outer surface, one or more projections (32, 52) or depressions running lengthwise with which the thread feed element (2) or at least one intermediate link working together with it can be engaged.
8. Flat knitting machine in accordance with claim 7, characterised in that the control element (3) has a projection (32) running lengthwise whose free longitudinal edge has an essentially round section and engages or is able to engage positively with a recess (23) in the thread feed element (2) or with an intermediate link connected to the thread feed element (2).
9. Flat knitting machine in accordance with claim 8, characterised in that the recess (23) in the thread feed element (2) is formed essentially as a U-shaped groove.
10. Flat knitting machine in accordance with claim 7, characterised in that the control element (5) has, on its outer surface, a set of gear teeth (52) extending lengthwise along the control element (5) with which a set of gear teeth (24) arranged on the thread feed element (2) or on an intermediate link engages or is able to engage.
11. Flat knitting machine in accordance with one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the control element (5) is in the form of a tube (8) slotted lengthwise and an intermediate link (6, 7) is mounted inside the tube (8) such that it cannot rotate but can move lengthwise, said intermediate link having a projection (62) or toothed region (71) extending outwards through the slot (81) of the control element (8) and with which the thread feed element (2) engages or is able to engage.
12. Flat knitting machine in accordance with one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the control element (5) is in the form of a shaft on which an intermediate link (6, 7) provided with a projection (61) or a set of gear teeth (71) is mounted such that it cannot rotate but can move lengthwise.
13. Flat knitting machine in accordance with one of the previous claims, characterised in that the thread guide (1) can be moved along the thread guide rail (100) by a carrier on the slide of the flat knitting machine or by a separate drive.

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