GB2058861A

GB2058861A - Stocking of Patterned Knitting, Executed by Stitch Transfer (Open- work), with Coloured Design Effects

Info

Publication number: GB2058861A
Application number: GB8019397A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: IRMAC SpA
Current assignee: IRMAC SpA
Priority date: 1979-09-19
Filing date: 1980-06-13
Publication date: 1981-04-15
Also published as: DE3020293A1; ES8106947A1; IT7925820A0; ES252342Y; IT1123219B; ES252342U; FR2465813A3; GB2058861B; FR2465813B3; DE3020293C2; JPS5668146A; ES493875A0

Abstract

A stocking for a certain leg length is of openwork patterned knitting executed by stitch transfer over its entire circumference, and then comprises a leg portion in which the patterned knitting is interrupted in a certain part of the circumference by a zone of plain knitting (C) with coloured design effects (plated), and after this can again be of patterned knitting over its entire circumference. The device for producing the stocking comprises a single cylinder machine with stitch transfer pushers in cylinder slots alternating with the needles. A selection system selects the needles and pushers for controlling the pattern and includes a lever for nullifying the needle and pusher selection in the zone of plain knitting (C). Coloured yarn is fed in and a retractable cam raises the needles to the height of the yarn when knitting the zone C. A second selector system selects the needles and pushers which are not required to take the coloured yarn and makes them inoperative. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Stocking of Patterned Knitting, Executed by Stitch Transfer (Open-work), with Coloured Design Effects on a Leg Portion of Plain Knitting, and a Device for Producing it on a Single Cylinder Stocking Machine This invention relates firstly to a stocking of patterned knitting executed by stitch transfer (open-work).

It is known, for example from our Italian patent 991,190, that such a stocking can be produced on a single cylinder machine in which normal latch needles alternate in its needle cylinder slots with special pushers having a point shaped such as to be able to take a knitting loop from one needle and transfer it on to an adjacent needle.

Suitable controls and selection devices enable open-work knitting effects of various kinds to be produced over the entire stocking circumference.

In certain cases it is also required to obtain coloured design effects in the stocking of patterned knitting which is executed by stitch transfer. These coloured design effects can be produced over leg portions of plain knitting which form part of the overall patterned knitting design by embroidering on said plain knitting portions one or more coloured yarns so that they become superposed on the base yarn.

However, in this case a supplementary operation is required which cannot be carried out on the circular stocking machine, but which has to be carried out on an embroidery machine.

In addition, the coloured design is related to the design of the patterned knitting, in the sense that this latter must comprise suitable portions of plain knitting.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a stocking of patterned knitting executed by stitch transfer, with coloured design effects on a leg portion of plain knitting, in which not only the coloured design can be provided on any leg portion independently of the design of the patterned knitting executed by stitch transfer, but which can be completely produced by a single cylinder stocking machine of known construction, so avoiding a supplementary operation on an embroidery machine.

This object is attained by the stocking according to the invention, wherein its patterned knitting design is interrupted in a predetermined part by a zone of plain knitting comprising coloured design effects produced by at least one plating yarn of different colour than the base yarn, said zone having dimensions which are limited both in the direction of the circumference and in the direction of the length of the stocking leg.

The stocking according to the invention has the merit that the patterned knitting executed by stitch transfer extends over the entire stocking circumference, and the zone of plain knitting which interrupts the patterned knitting can be formed independently of the design of this latter.

As there is only a single limited zone of plain knitting with coloured design effects, there are no long floating yarns on the reverse of the stocking, which would represent an impediment when putting the stocking on.

The stocking according to the invention can be entirely produced on a single cylinder circular stocking machine arranged for producing stockings of patterned knitting executed by stitch transfer, for example of the type described in Italian patent No. 991,190, comprising special pushers disposed in the needle cylinder slots alternating with the needles, and cams for controlling the rising and descending movements of said pushers, and further comprising a needle and pusher selection system for obtaining any required design of patterned knitting executed by stitch transfer.

In order to enable such a machine to produce the stocking according to the invention, it is provided with an auxiliary device consisting substantially of means for nullifying, in a predetermined zone during the manufacture of the stocking leg, the selection made by said selection system for forming the patterned knitting by stitch transfer so that plain knitting is formed in said zone, at least one yarn feeder for feeding a yarn of different colour to the base yarn, a retractable cam arranged to cause the needles to rise to a height such as to enable them to take hold of said coloured yarn, a second selection system arranged to select the needles which are to take hold of the coloured yarn and to make the pushers inoperable in said plain knitting formation zone, and means for nullifying the selection made by said second selection system for all needles and pushers which do not pertain to the plain knitting formation zone. Said means for nullifying the selection made by the first needle and pusher selection system consist suitably of supplementary selector levers in the system, which are arranged to act on particular butts provided on the pattern jacks both of the needles and the pushers pertaining to said predetermined zone in which it is required to form the plain knitting.

In order to be able to produce stockings having the plain knitting zone on alternate diametrically opposing sides of the leg, two groups of diametrically opposite needles and pushers with jacks having butts at different levels are provided, together with two pairs of supplementary selector levers arranged to act respectively on said butts at different levels, said pairs of selector levers being controlled by a device with a working cycle having a duration of two machine working cycles. In this manner, said device is able to control one group of levers of said pair during one machine working cycle, and to control the other group of levers during the next cycle.

It is apparent that during the formation of the zone in plain knitting, if it is required to obtain plated design effects, then the needles relating to this zone must be free to be selected for the coloured design by said second selection system, while the pushers relating to the same zone must be rendered inactive.

In addition, it should be noted that in forming the coloured design, only those needles must operate which also take part in the formation of the plain knitting portion. In the case of all other needles and pushers on which the selector levers of said second selection system can act, this selection must be nullified by providing on their jacks a special butt on which a corresponding selector lever of the second selection system is made to act during the entire time of formation of the plain knitting with coloured design. This latter selector lever can be controlled by the machine phase drum.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more apparent by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a stocking in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 is a very enlarged view of a piece of knitted fabric comprising a part in patterned knitting executed by stitch transfer and a part in plain knitting with a plated coloured design, Figure 3 shows the development of the cam assembly with the main cams and the two selection systems, Figure 4 is a side view of a control device for some levers of a selection system, and Figure 5 is a section on the line V-V of Figure 4.

As can be seen in Figure 1, a portion B of the leg of the stocking A according to the invention comprises a zone C in which the patterned knitting executed by stitch transfer (open-work knitting) is interrupted, and in which there is plain knitting with coloured design effects. This zone C is limited both in the direction of the circumference and in the direction of the length of the leg of the stocking A. As will be seen hereinafter, the invention produces this stocking completely on a single cylinder circular stocking machine, and said machine produces stockings in which zone C is alternately on one side and the diametrically opposite side of the leg.

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged view of a piece of knitted fabric taken from the portion B of the stocking A of Figure 1. To the left in Figure 2 can be seen the patterned knitting executed by stitch transfer, with the knitting obtained by a base yarn X, whereas on the right a part of zone C can be seen in plain knitting with coloured design effects obtained by means of a yarn Y having a different colour from the base yarn X, and which is superposed on this latter (plating).

The following means are necessary in order to be able to produce such a stocking on a single cylinder circular stocking machine, and these are described with reference to Figure 3.

The machine must firstly allow the formation of patterned knitting by stitch transfer. For this purpose, it can be provided for example with special pushers 10 which alternate in the slots of the needle cylinder (not shown) with the latch needles 11.

The pushers 10 have butts 12 coupled to them for directly transmitting to them the rising and descending movement, and in addition have pattern jacks 13 and jacks 14. Each jack 12 has a single butt on which the cams 15, 16, 17, 18 of the cam assembly can act. The jacks 14 also each have one butt which can slide on the cam ring 1 9 and on which the cams 20, 21,22, 23, 24 can act. The selector levers of a first selection system indicated overall by 25 can act on the pattern jacks 1 3. When one of these levers is operated and encounters a butt at its level on a jack 13, this jack is pressed, and forces against the relative jack 14, with the result that the butt of this latter cannot rise on the cam 22.It should be noted that when in its rest position, as shown in Figure 3, the jack 14 is spaced apart from the jack 12 by a distance "d" equal to the height "h" of the cams 20, 22 and 24. Each movement made by the jack 14, through a distance of "h", therefore has no influence on the movement of the pusher 10.

Each needle 11 has one jack 26, one- pattern jack 27 and one jack 28. Each needle 11 comprises a butt on which the cams 29 to 34 of the cam assembly can act. The selector levers of the selection system 25 can act on the pattern jacks 27, and the jacks 28 slide by way of their butts on the ring 1 9 in the same manner as the pusher jacks 14, and they are controlled, as are these latter, by the cams 20 to 24.

The members described up to this point and their operation are all known, for example from Italian patent 991,190, and they are able to produce a tubular pattern knitted fabric by stitch transfer (open-work knitting) using a base yarn fed by a yarn feeder 35. This method of operation will therefore not be described in detail, and can be summarised as follows.

When the stitch formed by a certain needle in cooperation with the cams 29, 30 and 31 is to be transferred on to the adjacent needle, the pattern jack 27 of this needle and the pattern jack 13 of the adjacent pusher on the right (as seen when viewing the outside of the needle cylinder) must not be pressed by a selector needle of the system 25, so that these jacks enable the relative jacks 28 and 14 to rise on the cams 22, 23 and 24, and the needle and pusher under consideration are made to rise and descend respectively by the cams 32 to 34 and 16 to 18 so as to effect the required stitich transfer.

However, when a given needle must be prevented from giving up its stitch to the adjacent needle, then it together with the adjacent pusher must be prevented from making the movements which result in stitch transfer. This is done by preventing its jack 28 and the jack 14 of the adjacent pusher from being able to rise on the cam 22. Their pattern jacks 27 and 13 respectively must therefore each have a butt at a certain level, the same in each case, and the corresponding selector lever of the selection system 25 must be arranged, by means of a normal pattern drum (not shown), to press on said butt when the jack 27 and the jack 13 pass in front of the selector lever. It should be noted that said pattern drum acts on a certain group 25a of selector levers of the selection system 25 by means of pegs which can be inserted at will into bores disposed in its circumference.In this manner it is possible to produce a required design of patterned knitting by stitch transfer, this design being shown by way of example in Figure 1.

In order to enable this patterned knitting or open-work design to be interrupted in a determined portion B and over a limited circumferential zone C, the present invention comprises means for nullifying, in this zone only, the needle and pusher selection made by the selection system 25. In other words, the needles and pushers relating to said zone must be prevented from being able to make the necessary movements for stitch transfer, and these needles must be made to form plain or smooth knitting.

This is done by providing the pattern jacks 27 and 1 3 of this gorup of needles and pushers with suitable butts at a fixed level (which is different for the needles than for the pushers), and by disposing suitable selector levers in the selection system 25 at the corresponding levels (indicated by way of example by 7 and 8 in Figure 3). If these levers are thrust for the duration of formation of the stocking portion B, it is apparent that over this entire period the patterned knitting programme is nullified for all needles and pushers relative to zone C, which is thus formed in plain knitting. The group consisting of these two selector levers is indicated by 25b.

A second group of two selector levers indicated by 25c (for example at the levels indicated by 9 and 10) is provided for acting on suitable butts provided on the pattern jacks 27 and 1 3 respectively of a second group of an identical number of needles and pushers located on the needle cylinder in a zone diametrically opposite the group of needles and pushers concerned in forming the zone C. This arrangement enables the plain knitting zone to be formed on diametrically opposite sides of the stocking legs.

A suitable device described hereinafter with reference to Figures 4 and 5 enables the group 25b of selector levers and the other group 25c to be alternately controlled during successive stocking production cycles, so that the plain knitting zone is alternately on one side and the opposite side of successively produced stockings.

The device in question comprises a frame 36 fixed to the stocking machine. This frame supports a spindle 37 which at one end carries a gear wheel 38 engaging with a gear wheel (not shown) rigid with the machine phase drum, and at the other end carries a pinion 39. This latter engages with a gear wheel 40 carried by a spindle 41 also supported by the frame 36 and parallel to the spindle 37. The gear wheel 40 is rigid with a drum 42 carrying two axially offset cams 43 and 44 in diametrically opposite zones, these cams being arranged to act respectively on levers 45 and 46 pivoted to the frame 36. These levers can act on the coils of two flexible cables 47 and 48, of which one controls the two selector levers forming the group 25b and the other controls the two selector levers forming the group 25c of the selection system 25.

The transmission system formed by the gear wheels 38, 39, 40 is such that the drum 42 makes one complete revolution for every two complete revolutions of the machine phase drum.

According to the invention, as it is required not only to interrupt the patterned knitting executed by stitch transfer in a determined zone C and form plain knitting in this zone, but it is also required to produce coloured design effects in said plain knitting zone C, the machine must be provided with at least one feed point 50 for a yarn of different colour than the colour of the base yarn fed by the yarn feeder 35. In addition, a supplementary cam 51 arranged to act on the butt of the jacks 28 in order to raise the needles to a height such as to enable them to take hold of the yarn fed in the feed point 50 must be provided, together with a second system of selector levers indicated overall by 52 for selecting the needles which are not required to take hold of said yarn fed at 50.The cam 51 is retractable so that it can be disengaged from the butt of the jacks 28 in the stocking manufacture portions in which the plain knitting zone with coloured design effects is not formed.

It should be noted that the selector levers forming a group indicated by 52a of the second selection system 52 act on the butts of the pattern jacks 27 and 13 which are located at levels corresponding to those at which the selector levers act which form the group 25a of the first selection system 25. The selector levers forming the group 52a is controlled by a normal pattern drum (not shown) programmable by extractable pegs.

It must also be noted that only the needles which cooperate to form the plain knitting zone have to intervene in forming the coloured design, and that only these needles must be acted on by the selector levers forming the group 52a of the selection system 52. All the other needles and pushers must be put out of operation. This is done by providing a butt on the jacks 27 and 13 of all these other needles and pushers, for example at the level indicated by 6 in Figure 3, and providing for the relative selector lever of the selection system 52, indicated by 52b, a control which keeps this lever pressed during the formation of the plain knitting zone with coloured design effects. This control can suitably come from the machine phase drum.

The pushers adjacent to the needles in the zone in which the plain knitting with coloured design effects is formed must also be put out of operation, i.e. their jacks 14 must be prevented from rising on the cam 51. This is done by providing two selector levers 52c in the selection system 52, arranged to act on the butt at level 8 or 10 of the jacks 13 of the pushers 10 included in said zone, and keeping one of these levers pressed during the entire formation of the plain knitting zone (zone C or diametrically opposite zone).

It is apparent that the selection made by the second selection system 52 is also "negative" in the sense that the jacks 27 of the needles 11 which are not required to take hold of the coloured yarn from the feed point 50 must be pressed by one of the selector levers.

The remainder of the formation of the coloured design by plating takes place in known manner, and does not require further explanation. As is apparent from the aforegoing description, two types of selector levers are present in both the selection systems 25 and 52 according to the invention:- a) levers 25a which serve for selecting the needles arranged for forming the patterned knitting by stitch transfer (in the system 25) levers 52a and 52c which serve for selecting the needles arranged for forming the coloured design and for excluding the respective pushers (in the system 52).

These levers are controlled by a programmable pattern drum in both these selection systems.

b) levers 25h, 25c and 52b respectively which nullify the two aforesaid types of selection.

In the selection system 25, these levers are controlled by the device illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, and they select the needles and pushers relative to the plain knitting zone.

In the selection system 52, this type of lever is controlled by the machine phase drum in order to select the needles and pushers which do not pertain to the plain knitting zone.

The merits of the stocking according to the invention can be summarised as follows:- possibility of developing the patterned (openwork) knitting over all the needles, as it is possible to form the plain knitting zone independently of the design of the open-work knitting, and subsequentiy to return to the formation of patterned knitting by stitch transfer; the formation of a single coloured design in the plain knitting zone rather than two specular designs has the advantage of not giving rise to long floating yarns on the reverse side of the stocking which would have to be cut for each row of knitting in order to be able to put the stocking on, thus leaving a very short piece of yarn unknitted and thus easily unthreadable.Instead, by forming a single design, this drawback is obviated as the floating yarns are very short and do not have to be cut.

The stocking according to the invention as has been described heretofore and illustrated by way of example in Figure 1, comprises a zone C of plain knitting which interrupts the open-work knitting, which after this interruption continues through the entire stocking leg. However, the scope of the present invention also includes a stocking in which after the interruption of the open-work knitting, the remaining part of the leg is executed in plain knitting. Moreover, the entire leg portion B could also be executed in plain knitting and comprise the coloured design effect in the limited zone C.

Finally, it must be noted that the embodiment of the stocking according to the invention is not strictly related to the aforesaid type of circular stocking machine. In this respect, the stocking can be produced on any stocking machine able to form open-work knitting, provided means are installed on said machine which are suitable for interrupting the formation of the open-work knitting in a predetermined zone, and to form plain knitting with coloured design effects in said zone.

Claims

1. A stocking of patterned knitting executed by stitch transfer, with coloured design effects on a leg portion of plain knitting, wherein the patterned knitting design is interrupted in a predetermined part by a zone of plain knitting comprising coloured design effects produced by at least one plating yarn of different colour from that of the base yarn, said zone having dimensions which are limited both in the direction of the circumference and in the direction of the length of the stocking leg.

2. A pair of stockings as claimed in claim 1, wherein said zones of plain knitting with coloured design effects are on diametrically opposite sides of the respective legs of the two stockings of the pair.

3. A device for producing a stocking as claimed in claim 1 on a single cylinder circular stocking machine with special stitch transfer pushers disposed in the needle cylinder slots and alternating with the needles, with cams for controlling rising and descending movements of said pushers, and with a selection system for the needles and pushers for obtaining a required design of patterned knitting executed by stitch transfer, comprising means for nullifying, in a predetermined zone during the manufacture of the stocking leg, the selection made by said selection system, at least one yarn feeder for feeding a yarn of different colour from the base yarn, a retractable cam arranged to cause the needles to rise to a height such as to enable them to take hold of said coloured yarn, a second selection system for selecting the needles which are required to take hold of the coloured yarn and to make the pushers inoperable in said plain knitting formation zone, and means for nullifying the selection made by said second selection system for all needles and pushers which do not pertain to the plain knitting formation zone.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the means for nullifying the selection made by the first needle and pusher selection system consist of supplementary selector needles in the system, which are arranged to act on particular butts provided on the pattern jacks both of the needles and of the pushers which pertain to said predetermined plain knitting formation zone.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said butts are at different levels, but are operated simultaneously by the supplementary selector levers.

6. A device as claimed in claims 4 and 5, comprising two diametrically opposing groups of needles and pushers with jacks having butts at different levels, and two pairs of supplementary selector levers arranged to act respectively on said butts at different levels, said pairs of selector levers being arranged for operation by control means having a working cycle which lasts for two machine working cycles.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said control means comprise a drum operated by the machine phase drum such as to make one complete revolution for every two complete revolutions of the phase drum, said drum comprising, in diametrically opposing zones, two equal cams which by way of transmission mechanisms are arranged to act respectively on one and the other of the two pairs of selector levers.

8. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the jacks of the needles and punches which do not pertain to the plain knitting formation zone all comprise a butt at the same level, and said second selection system comprises a selector lever which can be controlled by the machine phase drum during the entire time of formation of the plain knitting zone.

9. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the two selection systems is provided with a pattern drum of the extractable peg type, arranged to act on a group of selector levers of the respective selection system.

1 0. A stocking of patterned knitting substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

11. A device for producing stockings substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.