EP3363939B1 - Double bar knitting machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a double-contour warp knitting machine with the features of the preamble of claim 1.

Such a warp knitting machine is for example off WO 03/071018 A1 known.

Such a warp knitting machine is used, for example, to produce spacer knitted fabrics. A knitted spacer fabric has two cover layers, between which spacer threads are arranged. The two cover layers are each produced by knitting tools, the knitting tools used to produce a cover layer each being assigned to a needle contour. For the spacer threads, the bar arrangement is used, which the Spacer threads between the first cover layer and the second cover layer, that is, between the first needle contour and the second needle contour, leads. Each type of knitting tool of a needle contour is usually attached to a bar. Each bar must perform a predetermined movement during a loop formation process. This movement is generated by drive units, which in turn are in operative connection with the main shaft. A drive unit is the collective term for all moving parts that belong to a knitting tool type and a knitting tool movement and have a form of kinematics.

As a rule, several drive units of the same type attack the bar over the length of a bar. In principle, the more drive units attack a bar, the faster the warp knitting machine can be operated. The more drive units there are, the more support points there are for the respective bar and the lower the forces per support point.

However, there are economic limits to increasing the number of aggregates per bar. For economic reasons, you want to use as few drive units as possible in order to keep noise, friction, component costs and assembly costs low. Another problem is the limited installation space. Not any number of drive units can be installed on a certain width section of the warp knitting machine. Since there are different types of knitting tools with different movements in every needle contour, the number of drive units per type and movement of knitting tool must be divided according to the load and dynamics.

Each main shaft is exposed to different loads, i.e. different forces and torques, during one revolution, for example by Imbalances and eccentrics. This can lead to speed fluctuations that can only be tolerated up to a certain size. In double-contour machines, the movement of the bar arrangement, which guides the spacer threads, is usually brought about via one of the main shafts, so that this main shaft is additionally loaded and the torque fluctuations and thus also the speed fluctuations can increase. When operating a warp knitting machine, however, it is important that the two main shafts are operated synchronously with one another. This places limits on the speed of work. In addition, at different speeds, if a gear is used to drive both main shafts, there is increased wear, which in turn can result in downtimes that can negatively affect the productivity of the warp knitting machine.

The invention is based on the object of specifying a double-contour warp knitting machine with high productivity.

This object is achieved with a double-contour warp knitting machine of the type mentioned at the beginning with the features of claim 1.

With this solution, the loads caused by the drive of the bar assembly are distributed more evenly between the two main shafts. Each main shaft participates in controlling the movement of the ingot assembly. This not only has the advantage that the load can be distributed more evenly between the two main shafts. You can also achieve that the bar arrangement over several "support points" can be driven distributed over its length, which improves the stability of the bar arrangement.

At least one first drive unit is preferably arranged parallel to the main shafts in an intermediate space between two second drive units. It is thus possible to activate the bar arrangement alternately, so to speak, by the two main shafts. Of course, at least one second drive unit can also be arranged between at least two first drive units. Ideally, the first and second drive units are arranged alternately along the length of the bar assembly. A point-symmetrical arrangement can be used.

In a preferred embodiment, each main shaft has several sections, each section being mounted in a gear box, adjacent gear boxes being connected to one another by intermediate shafts and at least two gear boxes being arranged offset from one another parallel to the main shafts. The gear boxes, which can also be referred to as "crank boxes", usually support the sections of the respective main shafts on their two end faces. If the gear boxes are offset from one another parallel to the main shafts, then the corresponding support points on the bar arrangement can also be easily offset parallel to the main shafts. The offset can mean that the gear boxes are arranged with gaps to one another. But it is also possible that the gear boxes overlap each other in the direction parallel to the main shafts.

The bar arrangement is preferably driven with a movement which results from a superposition of two basic movements, each basic movement being controlled by drive units which act on both Main waves are distributed. One of these basic movements is a pivoting movement that is used to form a stitch. The loop formation takes place at least twice per main shaft revolution, i.e. once per needle contour, offset in time. The other basic movement is then a movement between the two needle contours. This is used to overcome large distances between the needle contours. If the movement of the bar arrangement is combined by superimposing two basic movements, this makes it easier to control the movement and enables the production of spacer fabrics with a large thickness.

It is preferred here that at least one section of each main shaft controls the first basic movement and the second basic movement. In this case, two different drive units are arranged on the section of the main shaft, each of which controls one of the two basic movements.

It is also advantageous if a drive unit controlling the first basic movement and a drive unit controlling the second basic movement are arranged one after the other on a main shaft. This also keeps the load on the respective main shaft small.

In a preferred embodiment, it is provided that the drive units connected to the first main shaft engage the bar arrangement at a first position based on a depth of the warp knitting machine and the drive units connected to the second main shaft engage the bar arrangement at a second position based on the depth of the warp knitting machine attack, the first position and the second position on different sides on a parallel to the main shafts and between the main shafts Central plane are arranged. The "depth" of the warp knitting machine is a direction between the two needle contours. The drive units then attack the bar arrangement off-center between the needle contours.

It is preferred here that the first position and the second position are arranged symmetrically to the center plane. In any case, this means that the warp knitting machine can largely be built up from two almost or completely identical machine parts that are arranged back to back. This makes production easier and thus keeps costs low.

Each main shaft preferably has its own drive motor. It is then only necessary to synchronize the two drive motors, which can be achieved with motor controls. This keeps the wear on the gear assembly between the two main shafts low.

Fig. 1

eine stark schematisierte Darstellung einer ersten Ausführungsform einer doppelfonturigen Kettenwirkmaschine,

Fig. 2

eine stark schematisierte Darstellung einer vereinfachten Ausführungsform der Kettenwirkmaschine und

Fig. 3

eine Draufsicht auf die Ausführungsform nach Fig. 2.

The invention is described below using a preferred exemplary embodiment in conjunction with the drawing. Show here:

Fig. 1

a highly schematic representation of a first embodiment of a double-contour warp knitting machine,

Fig. 2

a highly schematic representation of a simplified embodiment of the warp knitting machine and

Fig. 3

a plan view of the embodiment according to Fig. 2 .

A schematically illustrated double-contour warp knitting machine 1 has a first needle contour 2 and a second needle contour 3. The first needle contour 2 has knitting tools that form, for example, a first cover layer of a knitted spacer fabric, and the second needle contour 3 has knitting tools that form the second cover layer of the knitted spacer fabric.

For this purpose, the first needle contour 2 has knitting needles 4 which are arranged on a knitting needle bar 5, guide needles 6 which are arranged on a needle bar 7, and comb sinkers 8 which are arranged on a comb bar 9. All knitting tools arranged in each case on one of the bars 5, 7, 9 carry out the same movements. These movements are controlled by a first main shaft 10, which are each connected to the respective bars 5, 7, 9 via drive units 11, 12, 13. The drive units 11, 12, 13 are shown here only as lines. In reality, the drive units usually include several elements, for example eccentrics or connecting rods on the first main shaft 10, as well as levers, joints and tappets, as is known per se.

In the same way, the second needle contour has knitting needles 14, which are arranged on a knitting needle bar 15, locating needles 16, which are arranged on a knitting needle bar 17, and comb sinkers 18, which are arranged on a comb bar 19. In the same way as in the case of the first needle contour, the bars 15, 17, 19 are driven by a second main shaft 20 which is connected to the bars 15, 17, 19 via drive units 21, 22, 23, respectively.

Basically, the two needle contours 2, 3 can be designed mirror-symmetrically to one another and can then be arranged back to back to one another.

In some double-contour warp knitting machines, the guide needles 6, 16 and, accordingly, the guide needle bars 7, 17 are not moved. The associated drive units 12, 22 can then be omitted here.

The warp knitting machine 1 also has a bar arrangement 24 with which threads are laid back and forth between the two needle contours 2, 3 can. The bar arrangement 24 is therefore intended to produce the spacer threads in the knitted spacer fabric. The bar arrangement 24 has a plurality of bars 25, each of which has laying or punching needles 26. Laying needles 26 are only shown on one bar in order not to impair the overview.

The movement of the bar assembly 24 is composed of two basic movements. A first basic movement is brought about via a first lever arrangement 27 on which a second lever arrangement 28 is articulated, which controls the second basic movement. The first basic movement causes the bar arrangement to be moved back and forth between the two needle contours 2, 3. The second basic movement has the effect that the bars 25 can form stitches with their laying needles 26. The second basic movement is therefore very much smaller and basically only serves to guide the guide needles 26 around the knitting needles 4 of the first needle contour 2 or around the knitting needles 14 of the second needle contour 3.

The first lever arrangement 27 is controlled by first drive units 29 from the first main shaft 10 and by second drive units 30 from the second main shaft 20. However, both drive units 29, 30 convey the same movement to the first lever arrangement 27.

The first drive units 29 and the second drive units 30 act on the first lever arrangement 27 at different positions over the working width or length of the warp knitting machine (perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in the drawing). This achieves two things: on the one hand, the first lever arrangement 27 can be driven by the two main shafts 10, 20 at a relatively large number of support points. On the other hand, the load from the first lever arrangement 27 is evenly distributed between the two main shafts 10, 20, so that no torque differences, or at most only slight differences, are caused by the movement of the first lever arrangement 27 act on the two main shafts 10, 20. The fluctuations in the rotational speeds of the two main shafts 10, 20 can accordingly be kept small and they can run at least approximately similar to one another.

The second basic movement with which the second lever arrangement 28 is controlled is also brought about by the two main shafts 10, 20 via first drive units 31 and second drive units 32. These two drive units also drive the second lever arrangement 28 in the same way and act at different positions over the length or working width of the warp knitting machine 1. In both lever arrangements 27, 28, this is illustrated by the fact that the two drive units 29, 30 and 31, 32 act in front of and behind the lever arrangements 27, 28, respectively.

Fig. 2 shows a simplified embodiment of the warp knitting machine 1 in which only one basic movement of the bar arrangement 24 is required. Accordingly, only one lever arrangement 28 is provided, which is controlled by the two drive units 31, 32, the first drive unit 31 being in operative connection with the first main shaft 10 and the second drive unit 32 with the second main shaft 20.

The two drive units 31, 32 act at different positions distributed over the length or working width of the warp knitting machine 1, which is illustrated by the fact that the first drive unit 31 acts behind the lever arrangement 28 and the second drive unit 32 acts in front of the lever arrangement 28. Again, both drive units 31, 32 of the bar arrangement 24 convey the same movement.

Fig. 3 shows a highly schematic plan view of the warp knitting machine 1 according to FIG Fig. 2 . For the sake of clarity, the cutting comb sinkers 9, 19 are not shown here.

The main shaft 10 is driven by a drive motor 33. The main shaft 20 is driven by a drive motor 34. The two drive motors 33, 34 are electrically synchronized with one another, which is shown by a line 35. However, it is also possible to mechanically synchronize the two drive motors 33, 34 with one another or to use a single motor which drives both drive shafts 10, 20 via a transmission.

The main shaft 10 has a plurality of sections 35, 36, 37 which are each coupled to one another via an intermediate shaft 38. For reasons of clarity, the intermediate shaft 38 is shown only between the sections 36 and 37 and is connected to these two sections 36, 37 via couplings 39, 40. A similar intermediate shaft is also provided between the sections 35, 36 and between the drive motor 33 and the section 35.

The section 35 of the main shaft 10 is arranged in a gear box 41, the section 36 is arranged in a gear box 42 and the section 37 is arranged in a gear box 43. The gear boxes can also be referred to as "crank boxes".

Each section 35, 36, 37 of the first main shaft 10 is connected to drive units 11, 12 for driving the knitting needle bar 5 and for driving the laying needle bar 7. In addition, the first section 35 and the second section 37 are connected to the main shaft 10 via first drive units 31 with the lever arrangement 28, which controls the bar arrangement 24.

Similarly, the second main shaft has a first section 44 and a second section 45, the first section 44 in a first Crankcase 46 and the second section 45 is mounted in a second crankcase 47.

The first section 44 is connected to the knitting needle bar 15 via a drive unit 21. The first section 44 is also in operative connection with the locating needle bar 17 via a drive unit 22. Furthermore, the second section 45 is operatively connected to the knitting needle bar 15 via a drive unit 21 and to the knitting needle bar 17 via a drive unit 22.

Furthermore, both sections 44, 45 are operatively connected to the lever arrangement 28 of the bar arrangement 24 via second drive units 32, so that the bar arrangement 24 is driven simultaneously and in the same way via both main shafts 10.

As with the first main shaft 10, the two sections 46, 45 and the motor 34 are connected via intermediate shafts, which are not shown in more detail for reasons of clarity.

The gear boxes 41, 42, 43 of the first main shaft 10 and the gear boxes 46, 47 of the second main shaft 20 are arranged offset from one another parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main shafts 10, 20. They can still overlap. But they can also be arranged with a gap to one another.

Depending on the working width or length of the warp knitting machine, more than the illustrated three sections 35, 36, 37 of the first main shaft 10 and the two sections 44, 45 of the second main shaft 20 can be provided. The minimum distance from one crankcase to the next can be 300 to 350 mm, for example. The distance between the units 11, 12, 31 or 21, 22, 32 within a crankcase can for example be 140 to 150 mm.

How to get the Fig. 3 can be seen, two second drive units 32 are arranged between two first drive units 31. However, the first drive units 31 and the second drive units 32 can also be arranged alternately.

The embodiment of the warp knitting machine in the Fig. 2 and 3 is shown, operates only with a basic movement of the bar assembly 24. When the bar assembly 24 is driven with a movement that is composed of a superposition of the first basic movement and the second basic movement, as in FIG Fig. 1 shown, then a drive unit 29, 31 controlling the first basic movement and a drive unit 30, 32 controlling the second basic movement can be arranged on a main shaft 10, 20, which of course is also possible the other way round. These two drive units are then preferably arranged in a gear box. But it is also possible to distribute these drive units to several gear boxes.

How to get into the Figs. 1 and 2 can recognize, the drive units 29, 31 connected to the first main shaft 10 and the drive units 30, 32 connected to the second main shaft 20 engage the lever arrangements 27, 28 on both sides of a central plane, the central plane being parallel to the main shafts 10, 20 and between runs along the main waves.

Claims (9)

1. Double-bar warp-knitting machine (1) having a first needle bed (2) which has a first warp-knitting tool assembly having a plurality of warp-knitting tool types (4, 6, 8) which in terms of drive technology by way of drive apparatuses (11, 12, 13) are in each case connected to a first main shaft (10), a second needle bed (3) which has a second warp-knitting tool assembly having a plurality of warp-knitting tool types (14, 16, 18) which in terms of drive technology by way of drive apparatuses (21, 22, 23) are in each case connected to a second main shaft (20), and a bar assembly (24) which is movable between the first needle bed (2) and the second needle bed (3), wherein the bar assembly (24) by way of first drive apparatuses (29, 31) is operatively connected to the first main shaft (10), and by way of second drive apparatuses (30, 32) is operatively connected to the second main shaft (20), characterized in that the second drive apparatuses (30, 32) cause the same movement of the bar assembly (24) as the first drive apparatuses (29, 31).
2. Warp-knitting machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that in a direction parallel with the main shafts (10, 20) at least one first drive apparatus (31) is disposed in an intermediate space between two second drive apparatuses (32).
3. Warp-knitting machine according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each main shaft (10, 20) has a plurality of portions (35, 36, 37; 44, 45), wherein each portion (35, 36, 37; 44, 45) is mounted in a gear case (41, 42, 43; 46, 47), neighboring gear cases (42, 43) are connected to one another by intermediate shafts (38), and in a direction parallel with the main shafts (10, 20) at least two gear cases (35, 36, 37; 46, 47) are disposed in a mutually offset manner.
4. Warp-knitting machine according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the bar assembly (24) is driven by way of a movement which results from a superimposition of a first basic movement and a second basic movement, wherein each basic movement is in each case controlled by drive apparatuses (29, 30; 31, 232) which are distributed between both main shafts (10, 20).
5. Warp-knitting machine according to Claim 4, characterized in that at least one portion of each main shaft drives a drive apparatus that controls the first basic movement, and a drive apparatus that controls the second basic movement.
6. Warp-knitting machine according to Claim 4 or 5, characterized in that a drive apparatus that controls the first basic movement, and a drive apparatus that controls the second basic movement are disposed successively or vice-versa on a main shaft.
7. Warp-knitting machine according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the drive apparatuses (29, 31) that are connected to the first main shaft (10) engage on the bar assembly (24) at a first position in relation to a depth of the warp-knitting machine (1), and the drive apparatuses (30, 32) that are connected to the second main shaft (20) engage on the bar assembly (24) at a second position in relation to the depth of the warp-knitting machine, wherein the first position and the second position are disposed on different sides of a central plane that runs parallel with the main shafts (10, 20) and between the main shafts (10, 20).
8. Warp-knitting machine according to Claim 7, characterized in that the first position and the second position are disposed so as to be symmetrical to the central plane.
9. Warp-knitting machine according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that each main shaft (10, 20) has a dedicated drive motor (33, 34).

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