GB1578661A

GB1578661A - Circular knitting machines

Info

Publication number: GB1578661A
Application number: GB197177A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: STIBBE Ltd
Current assignee: STIBBE Ltd
Priority date: 1978-01-17
Filing date: 1978-01-17
Publication date: 1980-11-05

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES (711) We, STIBBE (BURTOTEX) LIMIT1iD, a British Company, of Phoenix House, Frog Island, Leicester LE3 5AG do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to knitting machines and in particular circular knitting machines.

Hitherto it has been common practice to construct knitting machines with needle beds having a fixed needle gauge. At the present time, however, machine builders are producing more versatile machines which, by alteration of the machine camming, are capable of producing a wide range od fabrics. In addition to alteration of the machine camming it is also often required to change the gauge of the machine by changing the cylinder and dial and this involves stripping down the machine head. This may require heavy lifting gear and is long and tedious. The task is difficult to carry out in a knitting mill without upsetting critical machine settings, as well as in most cases involving movement of the machine out of its normal location.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a circular knitting machine having at least one needle bed removably mounted on a main supporting member, the needle bed and supporting member having complementary formations whereby upon movement of the member and bed angularly one relative to the other, the complementary formations are brought into register to permit removal of the bed from the main supporting member.

Preferably the complementary formations consist of projections and notches on the needle bed and supporting member res pectively.

Conveniently when the needle bed com prises an axially tricked needle cylinder, the latter may be formed with or mounted on a cylinder support ring in turn mounted on the main supporting member. In a preferred em bodiment of the invention the cylinder support ring is provided with a plurality of radially outwardly directed angularly spaced projections or castellations which are receivable in respective notches formed in the main supporting member.

When the knitting machine is a revolving cylinder machine the main supporting memher is the main gear, whereas when the knitting machine is a revolving cam box machine, the supporting member is the machine bed.

The invention will now be described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a circular knitting machine head constructed in accordance with the invention and having an axially tricked needle cylinder which is removably mounted upon a main supporting member therefor, Figure 2 is a vertical sectional elevation showing the invention applied to a cylinder and dial knitting machine, Figure 3 illustrates the invention as applied to a revolving cylinder machine, and Figure 4 illustrates the invention as applied to a revolving cam box knitting machine.

In Figure 1 a main supporting member is shown at 10. In the case of a revolving cylinder knitting machine (Figure 3) the supporting member is the existing main cylinder gear, whereas in the case of a revolving cam box machine (Figure 4) the supporting member is the machine bed. In either eventuality, the supporting member is of annular form having a rim 12 in which a plurality of equally angularly spaced notches 14 are provided.

An axially tricked needle cylinder 16 is shown in a position raised above the supporting member 10. The lower part of the needle cylinder includes a ring 18 which may be formed integrally with the needle cylinder or else securely fixed thereto. The ring 18 carries a plurality of angularly spaced projections or castellations 20 which, under rotation of the ring, are brought into registry with the notches 14.

Where it is desired to assemble the machine the needle cylinder is raised through the supporting member with the projections 20 in alignment with the notches 14. The cylinder 16 is then rotated relatively to the supporting member whereby the two are held together in a manner which can best be seen from Figure 2. The cylinder may be turned manually or by mechanical means (not shown).

In Figure 2 the same reference numerals have been used to identify the same parts as those shown in Figure 1.

The machine illustrated in Figure 2 is a cylinder and dial machine, the cylinder being designated 16 and the dial 22. The dial in dudes a radially tricked dial bed 24 which is carried on a dial carrier plate 26. The dial carrier plate is secured by screw bolts 28 to a member 30 rotatably mounted on bearings 32. The needle cylinder .16 is rotatably mounted through the cylinder gear in bear ings 35 carried in a machine bed 37. The bed mounts through a plurality of spaced pillars 39, a bobbin carrier ring 41 which in turn carries the bearings 32.

The dial carrier plate 26 may have castellations similar to those on the ring 18 and the ring at the bottom of the member 30 may have notches similar to those in the member 30.

For dismantling and re-assembling the machine head a jacking tool is provided. This jacking tool comprises a cross member 34 having a central spindle 36 passing there through, the other end of the spindle 36 being threaded as at 38 to receive a handle 40.

When it is desired to dismantle the head the bolts 52 (Figure 3) are first removed and the cylinder raised slightly, by rotating the handle 40. The cylinder 16 is then rotated to bring the projections or castellations 20 into registry with the notches 14 in the cylinder gear when the cylinder is then lowered through the cylinder gear. In a similar man ner the cross member 34 is then raised by a rotation of the handle 40 until the member 34 engages the dial carrier plate 26. The outer ring of bolts 28 are then removed and the dial plate 26 rotated to bring the castella tions on the carrier plate in line with the notches in the bottom plate of the member 30. The dial plate may then be lowered out from the base of the machine, and can be dis mantled from the remainder of the machine by first removing the cross member 34.The knitting machine head may now be re assembled, in the reverse order to that out lined, with a new needle cylinder and dial having different needle gauges.

In Figures 3 and 4 similar reference numerals have been used to identify parts similar to those shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Hence in Figure 3, a stationary cam box is shown as 42, the cam box being firmly sup ported upon the machine bed 37 by way of an intermediate support member 44. The cylinder gear designated 46 is rotatably mounted on bearings 35. The needle cylinder 16 is mounted for rotation on the cylinder gear 46 by means of a cylinder support ring 50 to which both the gear 46 and the cylinder 16 are bolted by respective screw bolts 32 and 53.

The part of a revolving cam box machine shown in Figure 4 is basically similar to the part of the revolving cylinder machine shown in Figure 3 with the exception that in Figure 4 the needle cylinder 1.6 is stationary and the cam box 42 caused to rotate. This is achieved by mounting the cam box upon an annular spur wheel 54 one tooth of which may be seen and which is designated 58.

It is to be understood that whereas a jack ing tool is described for removing the needle cylinder and dial, any other suitable mechan ism, such for example as a winch, may be used.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A circular knitting machine having at least one needle bed removably mounted on a main supporting member, the needle bed and the supporting member having comple- mentary formations whereby upon movement of the member and bed angularly one relative to the other, the complementary formations are brought into register to permit removal of the bed from the main supporting member.

2. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the complementary formations consist of projections and notches on the neeedle bed and supporting member respectively.

3. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the needle bed comprises an axially tricked needle cylinder formed with or mounted on a cylinder support ring which, in turn is mounted on the main sup porting member.

4. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 3 in which the cylinder support ring is pro vided with a plurality of radially outwardly directed angularly spaced projections or castellations which are receivable in respect ive notches formed in the main supporting member.

5. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2 which is a revolving cylinder machine and in which the main supporting member is the main gear of the machine.

6. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2 which is a revolving cam box machine and in which the supporting member is the machine bed.

7. A circular knitting machine substan tially as wherein described with reference to

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. rotation of the ring, are brought into registry with the notches 14. Where it is desired to assemble the machine the needle cylinder is raised through the supporting member with the projections 20 in alignment with the notches 14. The cylinder 16 is then rotated relatively to the supporting member whereby the two are held together in a manner which can best be seen from Figure 2. The cylinder may be turned manually or by mechanical means (not shown). In Figure 2 the same reference numerals have been used to identify the same parts as those shown in Figure 1. The machine illustrated in Figure 2 is a cylinder and dial machine, the cylinder being designated 16 and the dial 22. The dial in dudes a radially tricked dial bed 24 which is carried on a dial carrier plate 26. The dial carrier plate is secured by screw bolts 28 to a member 30 rotatably mounted on bearings 32. The needle cylinder .16 is rotatably mounted through the cylinder gear in bear ings 35 carried in a machine bed 37. The bed mounts through a plurality of spaced pillars 39, a bobbin carrier ring 41 which in turn carries the bearings 32. The dial carrier plate 26 may have castellations similar to those on the ring 18 and the ring at the bottom of the member 30 may have notches similar to those in the member 30. For dismantling and re-assembling the machine head a jacking tool is provided. This jacking tool comprises a cross member 34 having a central spindle 36 passing there through, the other end of the spindle 36 being threaded as at 38 to receive a handle 40. When it is desired to dismantle the head the bolts 52 (Figure 3) are first removed and the cylinder raised slightly, by rotating the handle 40. The cylinder 16 is then rotated to bring the projections or castellations 20 into registry with the notches 14 in the cylinder gear when the cylinder is then lowered through the cylinder gear. In a similar man ner the cross member 34 is then raised by a rotation of the handle 40 until the member 34 engages the dial carrier plate 26. The outer ring of bolts 28 are then removed and the dial plate 26 rotated to bring the castella tions on the carrier plate in line with the notches in the bottom plate of the member 30. The dial plate may then be lowered out from the base of the machine, and can be dis mantled from the remainder of the machine by first removing the cross member 34.The knitting machine head may now be re assembled, in the reverse order to that out lined, with a new needle cylinder and dial having different needle gauges. In Figures 3 and 4 similar reference numerals have been used to identify parts similar to those shown in Figures 1 and 2. Hence in Figure 3, a stationary cam box is shown as 42, the cam box being firmly sup ported upon the machine bed 37 by way of an intermediate support member 44. The cylinder gear designated 46 is rotatably mounted on bearings 35. The needle cylinder 16 is mounted for rotation on the cylinder gear 46 by means of a cylinder support ring 50 to which both the gear 46 and the cylinder 16 are bolted by respective screw bolts 32 and 53. The part of a revolving cam box machine shown in Figure 4 is basically similar to the part of the revolving cylinder machine shown in Figure 3 with the exception that in Figure 4 the needle cylinder 1.6 is stationary and the cam box 42 caused to rotate. This is achieved by mounting the cam box upon an annular spur wheel 54 one tooth of which may be seen and which is designated 58. It is to be understood that whereas a jack ing tool is described for removing the needle cylinder and dial, any other suitable mechan ism, such for example as a winch, may be used. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A circular knitting machine having at least one needle bed removably mounted on a main supporting member, the needle bed and the supporting member having comple- mentary formations whereby upon movement of the member and bed angularly one relative to the other, the complementary formations are brought into register to permit removal of the bed from the main supporting member.

and as illustrated in any one of the accompanying drawings.