GB2061329A

GB2061329A - Cylinder and Dial Knitting Machine for Hosiery

Info

Publication number: GB2061329A
Application number: GB8030887A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: SANGIACOMO DI SANGIACOMO ING F
Current assignee: SANGIACOMO DI SANGIACOMO ING F
Priority date: 1979-10-22
Filing date: 1980-09-25
Publication date: 1981-05-13
Also published as: GB2061329B; IT7905237A0; IT1194854B

Abstract

A circular hosiery knitting machine having a cylinder carrying needles and a dial carrying needles, at least two yarn feeds and two corresponding knitting cams capable of acting on the cylinder needles, said cams being displaceable so as to vary, by decreasing or increasing the size of loops produced, said displacement being controlled by a cam drum 21 associated with the machine, wherein a cam-controlled device is provided, said cam 25 being rotatably mounted on said drum, the device being capable of displacing at 55, 61 said knitting cams jointly and by equal amounts by means of a rod and lever system having a mutually adjustable position. A method of rib-jacquard knitting is disclosed in which one group of cylinder needles knit one yarn at a feed while another group knit a different yarn or both yarns at the same feed. Means for driving the dial from the cylinder and for dephasing the beds are disclosed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A Method and Apparatus for Producing Knitted Hosiery Having a Jacquard Design The present invention relates to a method of producing Jacquard designs on ribbed knitting, the ribbed knitting being formed on circular hosiery or knitting machines having one or more feeds. The invention also relates to a circular knitting machine suitable for carrying out such a method. The machine is of the general type which has two sets of latch needles, one set being vertical and being mounted on a rotatable cylinder, the other set being horizontal and being mounted on a plate which rotates with the cylinder.

Ribbed knitting having Jacquard designs formed therein can be, and has already been, made on circular knitting machines. Such machines generally have either a single set of needles, each needle having a hook at each of its opposed ends, or two sets of latch needles disposed in different planes, which sets converge towards one another in use so as to cooperate with one another. At present, in fact, ribbed knitting having Jacquard designs can be effected using Bentley-Comet type double cylinder machines so called jumberga double Jersey type knitting machines or circular hosiery machines having a cylinder and a carrier plate for the needles. A machine of this last mentioned type is disclosed in United States Patent Specification No. 2,433,931.

One characteristic common to all known methods of producing Jacquard designs in ribbed knitting using a plurality of colours on any of the above mentioned types of machines, is that the yarns of different colours used to form the designs are fed individually, one for each feed station of the machine.

In other words, each feed station is fed with a single colour intended to be worked by one or more specific groups of machine needles.

This also means that, in the known machines there must always and necessarily be at least as many yarn feeding stations as there are colours being used to form the design. Machines having only one yarn feed do not, therefore, lend themselves to the production of knitting having Jacquard patterns.

Furthermore, each group of needles which are intended to be worked periodically with a particular colour is fed only at the station from which the particular colour is brought. When this group of needles passes to the other feed stations, it remains lowered and inoperative, and is thus prevented from taking another yarn of a different colour. This is to prevent spoiling of the design to be produced.

It therefore follows that, irrespective of the number of feed stations used and correspondingly, the number of colours employed, any type of prior art machine can effect, on the right side, a single row of stitches for each rotation of the members associated with the needles. Only after one complete rotation will all of the groups of needles used to work the various colours of the yarn for producing the designs have been fed after passing, gradually and successively, to the feed stations for each particular yarn colour. The needles on the reverse side will simultaneously work as many rows of knitting as there are feed stations.

The selection of which particular groups of needles are to work at each feed station may be effected in accordance with any of a number of known methods. In practice, the selection will be effected utilising selectors or jacks which cooperate with the needles on the cylinder of the machine, such as are described in United States Patent Specification No. 2,433,931.

As well as the problems occurring in the production of Jacquard designs, problems also occur in known prior art machines when the heel and the sole of a stocking or sock is being made.

When a heel is being made upon the completion of the leg portion of a stocking, some of the needles, holding the knitting which had just been completed, are rendered inoperative and the remaining needles are controlled and fed. The heel is then made with plain stitches. Upon the conclusion of the formation of the heel the needles which have been rendered inoperative are re-activated so that the further making of the stocking is continued with all the needles.

However, in the case of hosiery having a design, it is necessary that needles not used for making the heel, that is to say, those used to form the upper part of the foot, should resume operation without a break occurring in the design.

This apect of the work is possible in certain known machines but the simplicity of the work and the operation of the machine, are adversely affected thereby. This is because control devices and mechanisms are necessary, which make the machine more complicated and more difficult to use.

One of these types of machine, such as the single cylinder machine UBD-3 of the firm of BTL (Italy), has been known for more than ten years, proposes that all of the needles excluded from the work during the formation of the heel are maintained in a lowered position so that they retain the knitting.

Another type of machine provides three sets of needles having butts of three different heights.

One set is intended to knit the heel whilst the other two sets of needles are rendered inoperative and are displaced, one set retaining the knitting on the hooks and the other set on the shanks.

With regard to the formation of the sole of a stocking, a method is already known which proposes that the heel is first formed in a complicated unconventional manner with the result that the product produced is somewhat unviable.

The sole can also be made substantially as if a single cylinder machine is used without using the horizontal needles on the dial. A stocking obtained in this manner has a sole which is knitted in a manner clearly different from the upper part of the foot and, above all, in a manner very different from the knitting produced utilising a double cylinder machine. A stocking having a sole produced without using the dial needles is not particularly aesethetically pleasing, especially in the connecting portion between the sole and the upper part of the foot which is formed by ribbed knitting.

The present invention therefore seeks to provide a method of knitting by means of which it is possible to obtain Jacquard designs on ribbed knitting even utilising two colours fed simultaneously in at least one of the feed stations of a circular knitting machine for producing ribbed knitting.

The present invention also seeks to provide a method of knitting which is simpler and more easily used for making knitted stockings having a Jacquard design which ensures continuity between the design on the leg portion of the stocking and on the upper part of the foot after the heel has been formed, independently of the length of the leg portion, and without complicating the machine utilised for carrying out the method.

Still further, the invention seeks to provide a method which is simply carried out for forming the sole as a continuation of the heel.

Even further, the present invention seeks to provide a process for producing stockings having Jacquard designs which can be carried out on circular knitting machines having cylinder and dial needles, so that it is possible to obtain a ribbed knitting having stitches both on the right and wrong sides. In other words, it is desired to achieve an effect similar to that obtained utilising a double cylinder machine. Thus, in both nature and quality, the knitting should be similiar to the knitting constituting the upper part of the foot of the stocking and should be such that there is no break between the two parts of the product.

The invention also seeks to provide a circular machine for ribbed knitting of the type which has one or more feed stations and has two series of needles extending perpendicular to each other.

These needles are employed for working, selectively and independently of each other, yarn which are of different colours, in at least one of the feed stations.

Yet further, the present invention seeks to provide a circular knitting machine of the above mentioned type having devices which permit more correct and accurate operation, particularly with regard to the making of ribbed knitting and also of towelling-type (terry loops) knitting, with regard to the increasing or decreasing of the number of stitches for the shaping of the product and with regard to the synchronous controlling of the cylinder and of the dial bed with the possibility of dephasing the bed relative to the cylinder during some knitting processes.

According to the present invention there is provided a circular hosiery knitting machine having a cylinder carrying needles, at least two yarn feeds and two corresponding knitting triangles capable of acting on the cylinder needles, said triangles being displaceable so as to vary, by decreasing or increasing the stitches produced, said displacement being controlled by a programming drum associated with the machine, wherein a cam-controlled device is provided, said cam being rotatably mounted on said programming drum, the device being capable of displacing said knitting triangles jointly and by equal amounts by means of a rod and lever system having a mutually adjustable position.

Also according to the present invention there is provided a circular hosiery knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder a needle dial and two sets of sinkers, said sets of sinkers being mountedaltemately on a single sinker-carrying ring mounted on said cylinder and rotatable therewith, the sinkers being capable of effecting basic knitting and the terry loops, the sinkers of one set having upwardly-directed butts and being guided in cam plates provided in a stationary cover provided for said ring, wherein the sinkers in the second set each have an appendage or butt which is downwardly directed, said ring having radial vertical slots formed therein to permit displacement of the second set of sinkers such that the butts thereof project downwardly from said ring and to guide said sinkers during said displacement, cam plates being provided below said ring for receiving and guiding said downwardly extending appendages or butts.

Still further, the present invention provides a method for making Jacquard designs or patterns on ribbed knitting utilising circular hosiery machines of the type having one or more feed stations and comprising a plurality of vertical needles mounted on a rotating cylinder, a plurality of horizontal needles mounted on a dial located above and rotating with said cylinder, selection means for selecting desired ones of said vertical needles, and means for feeding one or more yarns in each feed station, wherein the horizontal needles on the dial work all the yarns fed in the feed station or in each feed station for knitting the back, the vertical needles are sub-divided into groups, at least one group being selected to work a single yarn at the or each feed station periodically, the remaining vertical needles working another yarn in the feed station or stations in which said needles or groups of needles have been selected, said vertical needles forming, in succession, rows of knitting on the right side for making predetermined designs in two or more colours.

Yet further, the present invention provides a method of making Jacquard designs on ribbed knitting utilising circular hosiery machines of the type having one or more feed stations and comprising a plurality of vertical needles mounted on a rotating cylinder, a plurality of horizontal needles mounted on a dial located above and rotating with said cylinder, selection means for selecting desired ones of said vertical needles, and means for feeding one or more yarns in each feed station, wherein the horizontal needles on the dial work all the yarns fed in the or each feed station for knitting the back, and that at the or each feed station, said vertical needles being subdivided into groups, at least one group of vertical needles on the cylinder being selected to work, periodically, only one yarn of those fed simultaneously, whilst the remaining group or groups of vertical needles work the same yarn together with another yarn of a different colour, the vertical needles forming, in succession, rows of knitting on the right side with only one and two yarns respectively to form plated knitting for making a predetermined design in a plurality of colours.

Further according to the present invention, there is provided a method for the making of hosiery with a Jacquard design on circular hosiery machines for ribbed knitting, in particular of the type having two or more feeds and having a cylinder carrying a plurality of vertical needles, the needles being sub-divided into two groups having, respectively, a long butt and a short butt the two groups being mounted on two corresponding portions of the cylinder, and with a dial carrying a plurality of horizontal needles wherein, during the formation of the leg of the product, the cylinder needles work alternately in that one group of needles operate and the others do not operate said operative needles cooperating with all the needles of the bed and wherein at the end of the formation of the leg, the knitting which, in the finished product, forms the upper part of the foot is retained by a group of vertical and horizontal needles active on the cylinder and on the dial whilst the knitting formed by the needles on the other part of the dial is transferred to the needles of the cylinder which were inoperative during the formation of the leg, the formation of the heel of the stocking being effected by means of a reciprocating rotary drive utilising all the needles of the group of needles having a short butt, the knitting of the instep remaining held during the formation of the heel of the stocking by the operative needles of the group of needles having a long butt and on the needles on the dial which have not been transferred, said long-butt needles of the cylinder being maintained in a lowered inoperative position for retaining the knitting by their associated hooks, the remaining needles of the group of needles having a long butt excluded from the work being raised and being caused to follow a path higher than that of the needles which work during the formation of the heel.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows an elevational view partially in section, of the upper portion of a circular knitting machine for producing ribbed knitting in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows a detailed elevational view of a ring of sinkers forming part of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention, the ring including two sets of sinkers for producing terryloop knitting.

Fig. 3 shows a plan view of a portion of a cam arrangement utilised for controlling and guiding the sinkers shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows a partial radial section of a single ring of sinkers.

Fig. 5 shows a sinker utilised for the formation of terry-loop knitting Fig. 6 shows a plan view of a device for checking the position of the knitting triangles and for periodically adjusting the knitting effected.

Figs. 7 and 8 show two further views, from different viewpoints, of the device shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 shows a schematic vertical section of an arrangement for simultaneously controlling the cylinder and the dial forming part of the machine of the present invention.

Fig. 10 shows a plan view of means for phasing and dephasing the bed with respect to the cylinder.

Fig. 11 shows a sectional view taken along the line X-X in Fig. 10.

Fig. 1 2 shows a typical horizontal needle which may be used on the dial.

Fig. 13 shows cams for the vertical needles corresponding with a first feed station for effecting a first method for producing knitting with a Jacquard design.

Fig. 1 4 shows, diagrammatically vertical and horizontal needles and their movements during such first method of working.

Fig. 1 5 shows the manner of co-operation between a vertical needle and a horizontal needle in the process of being fed with two yarns.

Fig. 16 shows cams for the control of the vertical needles for a second method of operation.

Fig. 17 shows a view generally similar to that shown in Fig. 13, but in which the machine components are disposed for carrying out said second method.

Figs. 1 8 and 1 9 each show a diagram of the cams in a machine having two feed stations for the working of one yarn in one feed station and two yarns in another feed station in accordance, respectively, with the first and second method of operation respectively, Fig. 20 shows a plan view of the arrangement of needles of the cylinder and of the needles of the dial for carrying out towelling knitting, Fig. 21 shows a plan view of the assembly of cams or triangles associated with the needles on the cylinder, and Figs. 22 to 26 show different views of a cam controlling the needles of the dial in two conditions of operation.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, there is shown a knitting machine comprising a cylinder 1 which needles 2 are mounted so as to be vertically displaceable in known manner. The needles 2 cooperate with sinkers 3 mounted on a ring 4 which is affixed to and rotates with the cylinder 1.

The sinkers 3 are radially displaceable between the needles 2.

Above the cylinder 1, a dial 5 is mounted which carries a plurality of horizontal needles 6 which co-operate with the needles 2 of the cylinder 1 to form ribbed knitting. Associated with the vertical needles 2 are sub-needles or jacks 100 for producing the desired design.

Adjacent the rear end 6' of the shank portion of the needles 6 a recess or lateral opening 6' (shown in Fig. 12) is provided which makes the end 6' resilient and permits correct guidance of the needle in its associated channel. The needle cannot thus wobble or flutter as the thickness thereof is constant. This is not the case if needles of known type having a reduced thickness end portion are used.

The cylinder 1 is mounted on a cylindercarrying support 7 and is actuated, in a manner which will be described hereinafter, so that it may be rotated either unidirectionally or reciprocatingly in synchronism with the dial 5.

Amongst the various possible methods of producing terry loop knitting utilising such a machine, one method involves the mounting and use on the ring 4 of sinkers of two types of sinkers 3,3'. One set of sinker is used for making the basic knitting in co-operation with the needles 2 of the cylinder 1 and the other set is used, for forming the elongated loops of the terry loop knitting.

The sinkers are so arranged that the two sets 3,3' alternate with one another and operatively displaceable independently of one another. This causes individual and independent control difficulties for the two sets of sinkers, especially if a sinker of one set and a sinker of the other set are mounted side by side in the same guide channel. In such a case, the movements of one sinker may have an influence on the movement of the other sinker.

These difficulties may be eliminated by causing the sinkers in one set, for example the set 3, to be of conventional type or to have a stitch retaining finger 13, above which is a neb 14, and an upturned butt 1 5. The sinkers 3' of the other set of sinkers are also provided above the stitch retaining finger 13', with a neb 14' intended to form the terry loops. As can be seen in Figs. 2 and 5 these each have an appendix or butt 15' directed oppositely to the butts 1 5 of the first set of sinkers, that is to say, downwardly.

The butts 1 5 of the sinkers 3 are guided in a conventional manner along cam plates 1 6 provided on a stationary cover 8 mounted on the ring 4 for the sinkers which, in use, are displaced towards and away from the needles 2 of the cylinder. The butts 1 5' of the sinkers 3' extend downwardly, through radial slits 9 formed in the ring 4 so as to project below the ring, and are guided along cam plates 16' defined by fixed cam selectors 1 7. The butts 15' are actuated by means of levers 18, 18' located below the ring 4 as shown in Fig. 3.

In this manner both sets of sinkers 3,3' may be displaced independently of each other by their respective cam means 16 and 16', 17, 18 and 18'. The sinker butts become disposed in two different planes, respectively above and below the ring 4 for the sinkers. This permits a more free and better arrangement of the cam means and interference-free reciprocal guidance between the two sets of sinkers. This is because the butts are each constrained to follow their appropriate predetermined path and there is no possibility of the butts in one set being affected or influenced by the cam means provided for guiding the other row of sinkers.

The control of the movement of the butts 1 5' of the sinkers 3' along the associated cam plates 16' is effected, as previously stated, by means of levers 18,18' of the type shown in Fig. 3. These levers are displaceable by means of rods 19,19' actuated by appropriate controls provided on a conventional cam drum 21 (see Fig. 7) provided on the knitting machine.

The first set of sinkers may also have downwardly pointing butts arranged so that they are the last sinkers to be controlled by the cam plates 16' provided below the ring 4.

The set of sinkers 3 may comprise at least two sub-groups of sinkers, the sub-groups of sinkers having butts of different height. By so doing, the sinkers may be selectively controlled during some operations. Similarly, the other set of sinkers 3' may comprise sub-groups of sinkers having tails or butts 15' of different length for the same reason.

Associated with the cylinder of the machine are cams or triangles 22, 22' which are stationary relative to the cylinder and control the vertical displacement of the needles 2 mounted on the cylinder. In machines of the type shown in the drawings which has two feeds it is proposed that the triangles or cams 22,22' should be adjustable in a vertical direction so as to vary and regulate the length of the knitting formed by the interaction of the needles 2 of the cylinder 1 with the needles 6 on the dial 5 or with the sinkers 3.

The circular knitting machine may be provided with a device for controlling the triangles 22,22' so that the knitting may be shaped in dependence upon the article being produced. Such control device (as can be seen in Figs. 6, 7 and 8) comprises a ring 23 guided and braked on the cam drum and which is capable of rotation independently of the drum.

The ring 23 is provided with at least one toothed annular portion 24 and at least one cam portion 25 on its circumference. A pawl 26 engages with the toothed portion 24 for intermittently rotating the ring 23 on the drum 21 as when such is desired. The pawl is controlled by means of a shaft 27 which is actuated by any suitable means. The cam portion 25 cooperates with a rocker lever 28 pivotally mounted on a horizontal axis 28' connected to a stationary member 29 so that the rocker lever is angularly displaced about its pivot axis when engaged by the cam 25. The lever 28 has a beard 30 at one of its ends which contact the cam 25 and, at its other end, is connected through an intermediate member 31 to a rocker lever 32 pivotally mounted on an axis 33 provided on a stationary member 33' so as to be capable of angular displacement in a vertical plane.

The end 34 of the rocker lever 32 remote from the lever 28 acts on a control screw 35 secured to support 36. The support 36 carries a thrust rod 37 which extends towards a second rocker lever 38. The end 32' of the rod 32, at its point of connection to the rocker lever 28, is provided with a spring 39 which acts in a direction tending to keep the beard 28' of the lever 28 biassed towards the ring 23 or towards the cam 25. Thus, the end 34 of the rocker lever 32 is displaced and maintained in a downwardly extending position.

The second rocker lever 38 is pivotally mounted on a pivot axis 40 provided on a fixed portion 41 of the frame of the machine. The lever 38 includes a portion 42 carrying a screw 43 which contacts the upper end of the thrust rod 37 and a member 44 extending upwardly above the stationary portion 41 and carrying a horizontally disposed adjustment screw 45. The lever 38 further includes a third member 46 carrying an adjustment screw 47 which is located below the stationary portion 41 and which acts as a stop to limit the maximum angular displacement of the rocker lever 38 in a direction opposite to the direction of action of the thrust rod 37 on the lever.

The angular displacement of the second rocker lever 38 takes place in a vertical plane extending substantially tangentially to the cylinder 1 of the machine. The adjustment screw 45 carried by the rocker lever 38 acts against the end 48' of a rod 48 which is slidingly displaceably mounted on the stationary portion 41 so as to follow the angular displacement of the lever 38. The rod 48 is axially guided in a stationary support member 49 and has, in a region intermediate its ends, a shoulder 50 intended to co-operate with a pawl 51 secured to a crank 52. The crank 52 is mounted on a pivot axis 53 rotatably mounted on an associated support 54. Said pivot 53 is disposed radially outwardly towards the locks of the cylinder 1 and has a cam-like end portion 55 which acts on a support 56 for a stitch triangle 22 so as to verically position it relative to the needles 2 of the cylinder 1.The other end 48" of the slide rod 48 is aligned with and engages against an adjustment screw 57 which is mounted on a crank arm 58 mounted on a pivot axis 59 on an associated bracket 60 so as to be rotatable. The pivot 59 is also outwardly radially disposed towards the cylinder 1 and has a cam-like end portion 61 capable of vertically displacing the bracket 62 of another stitch triangle 22' of the locks of the machine.

As shown in Fig. 8, a spring 63 is mounted between the slide rod 48 and the crank arm 58, which spring tends to maintain a constant contact between the adjustment screw 57 of the arm 58 and the end 48" of the rod, between the interlinear shoulder 50 and the pawl 51, and between the adjusting screw 45 of the rocker lever 38 and the tip of the thrust rod 37.

In this manner, it is possible to effect simultaneous identical displacements, in one direction or the other, of both stitch triangles 22, 22' so as to widen or narrow the knitting periodically to shape the garment. In fact, once adjusted by means of the various adjustment screws 35, 43, 45 and 57, the position of all the parts of the above-described arrangement is sufficient for the actuation, at an appropriate time, of the control rods 27 for rotation of the ring 24 and, together therewith, the ring 23 on the drum 21. The desired adjustment of the stitch triangles 22,22' is thus obtained. Upon rotation of the ring 23, the cam 25 acts on the beard 30 of the first rocker lever 28 and causes angular displacement thereof about its associated pivot axis 29.When the beard 30 engages with the cam 25, an angular displacement of the rocker lever 32 takes place in a direction which causes the upward displacement of the end 34 and, together therewith, the bracket 36 carrying the thrust rod 37. The latter then acts on the screw 43 and produces an angular displacement of the second rocker lever 38. The lever 38 acts, with a thrust action on the slide rod 48 by means of the screw 45. There then follows, by means of the shoulder 50 and the end 48" of the rod, a simultaneous displacement (to the right as shown in Fig. 8) of the crank arms 52, 58 and hence a partial rotation of the pivots 53, 59. The cam portions 55, 61 of the pivots 53, 59 produce the displacements of the stitch triangles which are always equal to one another.

When the beard 30 of the rocker lever 28 descends on the cam 25, the crank arms 52, 58, the pivots 53, 59 and finally, the stitch triangles 22, 22' are displaced in the opposite direction.

By means of the above-described features, the stitch triangles are displaced and positioned as if they were rigidly connected together. There are thus no relative changes in their position which ensures their correct action on the needles of the cylinder and substantially identical stitching formation at every feed station of the machine.

If the stitch triangles are simultaneously downwardly displaced, that is to say, the beard 30 of the rocker lever 28 rises on the cam 25, there is produced an enlargement of the stitches made by the machine. The reverse occurs when the beard 30 descends from the cam 25. Thus, by suitably regulating the outline of the cam 25, it is possible to obtain gradual increases and/or decreases in the knitting produced, so that the garment being made can be shaped.

It is, however, also possible for the stitch triangle 22 to be positioned independently of the other stitch triangles 22' during some phases in the preparation of a garment. Such positioning can be controlled by the drum 21. For this purpose the crank arm 52, which is secured to the cam pivot 55 for controlling the stitch triangle 22, is connected to a rod 64 itself connected to and displaceable with the part 44 of the second rocker lever 38. Below the portion 42 of the lever 38, one or more thrust rods 65, 66 act. These extend towards the drum 21 and are co-ordinated with corresponding control cams 65' mounted on the drum.

The rods 65, 66 make it possible to control the stitch triangles independently of the co-operation of the mechanism located on the ring 23 with the cam 25 mounted on the drum. This makes it possible also to regulate the knitting produced by a single feed, corresponding to the triangle 22, when the machine is working with only a single feed as is the case when, for example, the heel is being worked.

As stated hereinbefore, the cylinder 1 and the dial 5 together with horizontal and vertical levers respectively, utilised for the preparation of ribbing, must rotate together and in synchronism. Devices are known for controlling the cylinder and the dial in phase and for dephasing the latter. However, such known devices are not entirely satisfactory.

The present invention therefore provides the circular machine of the general type described above with a control unit for the cylinder and dial which offers the possibilities of both phasing and dephasing the dial on the cylinder by simply displacing a toothed wheel forming part of the drive transmission mechanism.

As shown in Figs. 9 to 11, a toothed wheel 70, actuated by an electric motor (not shown) controls a second toothed wheel 71 connected to the support 7 carrying the cylinder 1.

Secured to the base of the support 7 is a toothed wheel 72 which engages with a corresponding toothed wheel 73 secured to a vertical shaft 74 through the intermediary of an interposed disc 75 mounted on the shaft.

The shaft 74 extends upwardly, parallel to the axis of the cylinder 1, and is connected by means of an intermediate jointing member to a shaft extension portion 76 mounted on a stationary support 77 also carrying the shaft 5' of the dial 5 above the cylinder 1.

Keyed onto the tip of the shaft extension portion 76, so as to be located above said support 77, is a toothed wheel 78 which meshes with a first return toothed wheel 79. The wheel 79 is coupled to a second return toothed wheel 80 which controls a final toothed wheel 81 keyed onto the shaft 5' of the dial 5.

It should be noted that the entire gear transmission, starting at the toothed wheel 70 and finishing at the toothed wheel 81 has a transmission ratio of 1:1 such that for every rotation of the cylinder 1, there is a corresponding rotation of the dial 5. It should also be noted that the dial substantially receives its drive from the support for the cylinder, which ensures substantially perfect phasing of the rotation of the dial and the cylinder. This is contrary to what happens in most, if not all, known devices in which the movement of the dial is derived not from the support for the cylinder, but directly from the first gear wheel 70. Furthermore, the construction of the present invention, besides being precise, is strong and permits phasing of the dial relative to the cylinder so that both act in conventional manner on the disc 75 securing the toothed wheel 73 onto the shaft 74.By means of a device associated with, for example, the second toothed wheel 80, the drive of the shaft 5' of the dial 5 can be reversed.

Such a device enables the toothed wheel 80 (see Figs. 10 and 11) to be mounted on a slide member 82 which is guided and is transversely displaceable on the stationary support 77 of the dial 5.

Pivoted on the slide member 82 in a lever 83 having a cam portion 84 which bears against the support 77 and connected to a control rod 85 by means of which the displacements of the slide are effected. The displacements are defined and limited by means of adjustment screws 86, 87 which are mounted on two opposed sides of the slide 82 and are intended to bear alternately against the support 77.

The slide is also engaged by at least one spring member 88 acting in a direction tending to keep the cam portion 84 of the lever 83 in contact with the support 77 (see Fig. 11).

By operating the adjustment screw 86, it is possible to displace the slide 82 slightly and, together therewith, the toothed wheel 80. Thus, precise phasing of the dial 5 on the cylinder can be achieved, all the transmission mechanism upstream of the toothed wheel 80 remaining the same.

For desynchronising the dial on, and relative to, the cylinder during certain operations, the lever 83 is displaced by means of the rod 85 upon actuation of the means for displacing the slide 22, which causes displacement of the toothed wheel 80. The lever 83 is displaced by an amount sufficient to achieve the desired displacement of the adjustment screw 87. Such latter displacement causes a partial rotation of the toothed wheel 81 and hence of the shaft 5' with the dial 5, the cylinder 1 remaining stationary. To re-phase the dial with the cylinder, it is sufficient to re-displace the rod connected to the lever 83 so that the spring or springs 88 cause displacement of the lever back into its original position relative to the cylinder, which position is defined by the adjustment screw 86.

This provides a simple and accurate way of positioning the dial on the cylinder. The slide 82 can also permit elimination of an adjustment if it acts on the disc 75 keyed onto the toothed wheel 73 on the shaft 74.

To control the phasing and dephasing of the dial 5 with the slide device, the teeth of the gears 78, 79, 80, 81 must be straight, as is shown in the drawings.

However, without departing from the scope of the present invention, such a phase variation may be made by replacing such gears with gears having helicoidal teeth. The pitch of the teeth of such gear wheels can be exploited by suitably positioned and displacing one of the toothed wheels in a vertical direction.

In either case, it is possible to secure a co-axial control wheel 89 to the toothed wheel 78 by means of a pinion 90 of a disc 91 for feeding elastic yarn. The disc 91 (see Fig. 9) is connected to the pinion 90 and is guided loosely on the pivot 79' of the first return toothed wheel 79.

There will now be described a method of obtaining Jacquard designs on ribbed stitching using a machine. For the sake of clarity it will be assumed that a ribbed knitting machine having only a single yarn feed station in which two yarns of different colours are fed simultaneously is being used. It is however possible for the method to be carried into practice on machines having two or more feed stations, merely by repeating the same procedure for each feed station.

Furthermore, the method may also be employed by feeding only a single yarn corresponding to one feed station and two other yarns corresponding to one other feed station, so as to obtain designs in different colours.

It is therefore possible to obtain, as desired designs on ribbed knitting using yarns of two, three, four, or more colours which are worked selectively by the vertical needles of the cylinder.

In the specific case of stocking knitting machine it is pointed out that during the formation of knitting with single ribs or with Jacquard designs having a plurality of colours, the needles 2o (see Figs. 1 4 and 17) of the cylinder, which correspond to the needles 6 on the dail in operation, are generally inoperative in the operation of the machine and follow a low path A.

These needles are only used when the heel and toe are being worked.

For the selection of the needles, it is desirable if the other needles 2 have butts of various length, for example, greater than those of the needles 20.

Accordingly, in the following description referring to the method, it can be assumed that the needles 2o do not exist, the needles being referred to being all the remaining needles 2 of the cylinder.

Furthermore, the following description refers to a yarn which is formed of one or more threads of the same colour.

Each of the vertical needles 2 has a hook 2' and a latch 2" in addition to a butt 29. By means of the butt 20, each needle 2 can be engaged by rising triangles 22s and descending triangles 22d which control the formation of the stitching.

Normally, the vertical needles 2 may follow either a horizontal run in which they pass under the cams as is shown by the path A in Figs. 13 to 1 6 or a rising and descending run as is shown by the path B in the same Figures.

When the needles follow the path A, they are lowered and do not participate in the formation of the work. On the other hand, by following the path B, the needles are lifted to a normal level of dropping of the old stitches and for taking up a new yarn. The passage of the vertical needles 2 from one path to the other is controlled by the jacks 100.

In accordance with the invention, the needles of the machine are fed in correspondence with the feed station (or at least with each of them) with two yarns of different colour M, N which are brought thereto by means of respective guide threads 101, 102 arranged at different inclinations so that they are suitably spaced apart.

Thus, for example, as shown in the drawings, the yarn of the colour M may be located above the yarn N and spaced therefrom so that the vertical needles can take, separately, either one yarn or the other.

In a first embodiment of the method, the horizontal needles 6 on the dial always work both yarns M and N simultaneously thereby forming the rows of stitches of the reverse side.

For their part, some vertical needles (or groups of needles) are selected by means of the associated jacks 100 and are raised, immediately before being fed, by an amount greater than that which is the normal amount of drop of the old stitches represented by the path B.

A path modified in this manner is identified by B' in Fig. 2, whilst the vertical needles which follow such path are identified by 2, in Figs. 14 and 1 5 of the drawings. The path B' for the needles 2, is obtained (as can be seen in Fig. 13) by using a cam or modified rising slide 1 22s which carries the selected needles to the desired level B'.

When the needles 21 are raised so as to travel along the modified path B', the loops of knitting previously formed remain on the shanks of the needles, such raising causing opening of the latches 2" as shown in Fig. 1 5. The needles 2, are then raised to a level at which the opened latches 2" are located above the lower yarn N, whilst the hooks 23 of these needles are above the other yarn M. In this manner, when the needles are lowered, such lowering being effected by the descending cam 22d, the hooks 2' of the selected needles 2, pick up the single upper yarn M but not the lower yarn N. The lower yarn N acts from below on the latches 2" so as to effect the closure thereof.The yarn N then passes over the needles and is engaged and worked, together with the other yarn, by the horizontal needles 6 so as to effect the back of the knitting. The stitches on the right side, made by the needles 21, are thus formed only by the single yarn M.

In their turn, the remaining vertical needles or groups of vertical needles 2 2,which are those selected not to follow the path B' are conveyed along a feed path which provides for anticipated lowering of the needles themselves after they have been lowered to the normal discharge level of path B, determined by rising cam 22s. The anticipated lowering of the needles 22 is relative to that which would be the normal lowering determined by the descending and feed cam 22d.

The anticipated lowering is effected by means of the cam or slide 1 22d descending relative to the cam 22d. This compels the butts of the needles 22 to follow the path B" shown in Fig. 1 3.

Accordingly, the vertical needles 22 (seen in Figs. 13 and 14) are caused to follow the path B.

Such needles 22 are first raised by an amount which causes the stitches already formed to slide along the shanks thereof until the latches 2" of the needles are opened. The needles, travelling along the path B" are then lowered by an amount which causes the hooks 2' of the needles, now free, to engage the single lower thread N.

The needles~22 are then further lowered by an amount which causes the latches to be securely closed in order to avoid engagement of the other yarn by part of the needles.

It therefore follows that the needles, or groups of needles 2, selected to follow the path B' engage only with the upper thread M whilst the remaining needles 22 follow path B" and take up the lower thread N.

One or other of the vertical needles or sets of needles will therefore form the knitting on the right side utilising diverse individual yarns to produce the desired design, whilst both yarns will be worked by horizontal needles to form the basic or wrongside of the knitting.

Although the foregoing description refers to a machine having only one feed station, the same method may be applied to any feed station in a machine having a plurality of feed stations. It is merely necessary to provide means for compelling the appropriate needles to follow desired paths for each feed station.

Thus, for example, in a machine having two feed stations, it is possible to work two yarns of different colours at each feed station or a single colour at one station and two colours at the other feed station. Similarly, to obtain three colour knitting it is possible to work any desired even or odd number of yarns, also of different colours, on machines having a plurality of feed stations.

For the sake of clarity two further embodiments of methods of rib knitting with Jacquard designs will now be described, the knitting being effected on respectively, a machine having one feed station with two different yarns and on a machine having two feed stations using three yarns, one yarn being fed at one station and the other two yarns being fed at the second station.

Example 1 When it is desired to carry out the method using two different yarns M, N on a machine having one feed station, cams 22s, 22d, 122s, 122dare provided in the above described manner. By suitably utilising the jacks 100, certain vertical needles 2, will be selected to follow the path B' such needles taking and working the yarn M whilst all the remaining vertical needles 22 follow the path B" and take and work the yarn N as shown in Figs. 13 and 14 of the drawings. The position of a single needle relative to the two yarns is shown schematically in Fig. 1 5. The horizontal needles 6 on the dial always engage both of the yarns.The resultant designs or patterns formed on the right side of the knitting are produced by successive portions of rows formed by the needles 21, 22 with the yarns M and N respectively.

Example 2 If it is desired to carry out the method on a machine having two feed stations in which only one yarn of a specific colour is employed in a first station X and two yarns of different colours M and N are used in a second feed station Y, the following procedure is executed.

At the first feed station X, some vertical needles, or groups of vertical needles, are selected such that the selected needles cooperate with the horizontal needles to form ribbed stitches with the single yarn fed. The remaining vertical needles remain excluded from the work.

In the second feed station Y, the remaining needles will be sub-divided into groups in the same manner described in Example 1 , so that some of the needles, or groups of vertical needles 2, work the yarn M and the other needles 22 work the yarn N. The needles which have been employed in the first feed station do not participate in the knitting at the second feed station.

The resultant knitting therefore has patterns formed on its right side by the three yarns, the colours thereof depending on the programmed sequence followed. Fig. 1 8 of the drawings shows a diagram of the movement of the vertical needles in a machine having two feed stations for producing ribbed knitting with designs in three colours.

In another embodiment, the method of the invention for making designs on ribbed knitting proposes again that the horizontal needles on the dial always work the yarns M, N which are simultaneously fed, for forming the rows constituting the base or wrong side of the knitting.

In this second case, however, whilst some vertical needles or groups of vertical needles 021 (see Fig. 1 7) of the cylinder are selected, in the manner described hereinbefore, so as to follow a modified path B' and to engage and work only one yarn M, the remaining vertical needles 022 are guided along the normal path B for rising and descending so that the hooks thereof engage and work both yarns M, N. However, this is effected in such a manner that one of the colours is in front of the other as in the case of so-called plated knitting. The path of the selected needles and the system of working the needles in accordance with this method is also shown in the drawings.

In such case, the selected vertical needles 021 will form stitches on the right side of the knitting with the single thread, whilst the remaining vertical needles 022 will form still on the right side, stitches with two yarns, the knitting made with one or the other needles being combined to form the desired design on the right side of the knitting.

This second method of working may also be effected both on machines having only one feed station and on machines having a plurality of feed stations. A single coloured yarn or pairs of yarns of different colours may be used in each feed station as desired.

It is thus possible to obtain, on the right side of the knitting, designs in two, three, four or more colours, that is to say, with any desired even or odd number of colours, in which knitting in one or more colours can be worked individually and/or jointly with another colour.

Fig. 1 9 shows the path of the vertical needles in a machine having two feed stations for making ribbed knitting designs with three colours utilising this said second method of operation.

In Fig. 20, there is shown the machine cylinder 1 on the external curved surface of which are disposed needles 20 and 30 having long and short butts respectively. The needles 20 are provided on one half of the surface and the needles 30 on the other half. These are suitably selected in the course of working of the product.

The horizontal needles are also sub-divided as in the prior art, into two groups having butts of different heights. One group engages with one half of the corresponding bed, that is to say, the half of the cylinder provided with the long-butt needles 20, whilst the other group of horizontal needles corresponds to and co-operate with the short-butt needles 30.

The machine also comprises two feed stations X, X' of alternating motion and Y to which there are brought and fed, as described hereinbefore, yarns of different colours for the formation of knitting having a Jacquard design.

Disposed around the cylinder 1 are cams or triangles 206, 207, 208, 209, 206' and 209' (see Fig. 21) which vertically displace the vertical needles 20, 30 associated with the feed stations X', X and Y.

For selecting which needles on the cylinder are periodically to follow a specific path defined by the triangles, jacks 100 are mounted on the cylinder in a known manner, in alignment with the vertical needles 20, 30.

There will now be described the method of making the heel of the stocking formed in ribbed knitting and having a Jacquard design as described hereinbefore.

The heel-making portion of the machine comprises cams 122, 123 for guiding the butts of the needles 20 from a lower path 11 5 to an upper path 11 6 and vice versa whilst knitting is being effected in accordance with a predetermined programme.

The machine also comprises in a known manner a central so-called guard cam 124, two small hammers 125, 126 for decreasing of the number of stitches to form the heel and located so as to correspond with the knitting cams in the feed station x, y, and a needle-lowering hammer 1 27 for increasing the number of stitches during the formation of the heel.

In a machine having a cylinder carrying the vertical needles 20 and with a dial carrying the horizontal needles 6 of the type in question during the formation of the knitting of the leg and of the upper part of the foot, every alternate needle on the cylinder is operative and co-operates with the horizontal needles which, in consequence, are aligned with the inoperative needles of the cylinder.

The inoperative needles of the cylinder are shown in Figs. 20 and 21 by 200 and 300 in dependence upon whether they form part of the groups of needles 20 having long butts or the groups having short butts 30. The sets of needles 20 and 30 are mounted, as in the prior art, so that each occupy one-half of the cylinder.

During formation of the heel and sole of a stocking, all the needles on one-half of the cylinder are operative before the transfer of the knitting from one group of needles of the bed to the needles corresponding thereto on the cylinder, which cylinder needles are those which are inoperative during the formation of the leg of the stocking.

The short-butt needles 30, 300 are, in the present invention, those which are selected for the formation of the heel and the sole of the stocking, whilst the needles 20, 200 having a long butt remain inoperative during the formation of the heel and are then reactivated alternately during the formation of the upper portion of the foot.

The formation of a knitted stocking having a Jacquard design will now be described.

In the knitting of the leg portion a selection of those needles 20, 30 on the cylinder and of the needles 6 on the dial which are to be operative is effected so as to produce the desired design.

During each revolution of the cylinder, some of the selected needles work with yarn supplied from feed station x whilst the other operative needles work with yarn supplied from the other feed station Y of the machine. The selection of the operative needles of the cylinder 20, 30 takes place in the same manner, in that the operative needles have long butts 20 or short butts 30. The needles 200, 300, which are excluded from the work remain so during the knitting of the entire leg and are constrained to follow a lower path 11 5 defined by the cams or triangles of the machine.

At the finish of the knitting of the leg, after all of the needles have taken the thread from the associated feeds, the knitting is transferred from one group of needles 6 on the dial 5 to the needles on the cylinder having short butts 300 corresponding thereto, the needles 300 having been previously excluded from the work.

At the same time, the needles 20 having long butts which have been used for knitting the leg portion, together with the needles 30 having short butts and the needles of the bed, are temporarily rendered inoperative without discharging the knitting. The needles of the bed co-operating with the needles 20 are also rendered inoperative.

In practice, the long-butt needles 20 are lowered and constrained to follow the lower path 11 5 so that the knitting previously formed is retained in the hooks thereof whilst the needles of the bed retain the associated knitting.

The other needles having long butts 200, that is to say, those needles excluded from the work during the formation of the leg, are then suitably selected by means of the appropriate jacks 100.

Such needles 200 are raised and are displaced, by means of the cam 122 from the lower path 115 to the upper path 1 6 (as shown in Fig. 21). The needles 200 take no part in the formation of the knitting.

Under these conditions, there is created, in a known manner utilising a reciprocating drive and utilising the feed stations X and X', the heel of the stocking by the use of all the needles having short butts 30, 300 which are mounted on the cylinder.

All of the remaining needles of the machine are either inoperative or are excluded from the work.

Upon the conclusion of the working of the heel, the machine components are in locations which are substantially identical to their initial locations.

All the needles 30, 300 having short butts are employed and retain knitting in their beards, the long butt needles 2 of the cylinder are in a lowered position and are inoperative whilst still retaining their knitting together with the needles 6 mounted on the corresponding half of the dial.

The short-butt needles 200 of the cylinder are raised so as to follow the upper path 11 6, even though they are still excluded from the work.

It should be noted that the raising of the longbutt needles 200 and guiding them along the upper path 11 6 without utilising them for knitting offers the advantage of simplifying the control and monitoring of the needle-lowering hammer 127 when this latter is actuated during the formation of the second part of the heel. In fact, if the butts of the raised needles form a support plane for the hammer, mechanical control means for the hammer 127, as are required in prior art machines, are no longer necessary.

It should also be noted that the short-butt needles 300 intended to form the heel, may be kept working using only the jacks associated therewith. In other words, such working may be effected in a simple manner without the necessity of using triangles or suitably provided displaceable cams as is the case in known machines, In any case, when the knitting of the heel has been completed, the long-butts needles 200, carrying no knitting, are re-lowered from the upper path 116 to the lower path 1 15 and the other long-butt needles 2, which have all the knitting in their hooks, are re-selected so as to be fed from one or the other feed stations with yarn.

In such manner, the formation of the design is recommenced at exactly the point at which it was stopped when the knitting of the leg portion was completed. The continuous rotary drive of the cylinder also re-commences.

The needles 20 then continue to co-operate with those needles on the dial which have remained active so as to form the upper part of the foot. At the same time, all of the short-butt needles 30, 300 operate to form the sole of the stocking.

Continuity of the design between the leg and the upper portion of the foot is thus ensured in a simple, reliable and functional manner.

In circular knitting machines of this type used for forming for ribbed knitting, the disadvantages may arise that the threads or yarns being employed may be subjected to excess tensional forces when they extend between the vertical needles of the cylinder and the horizontal needles on the dial particularly when they are disengaged from the work, without discharging the already formed knitting, during the formation of the heel.

The disadvantage may become more apparent if, as has been described hereinbefore, the needles 20 of the cylinder are lowered into the inoperative position so as to follow the path 1 5 to continue the method of working.

Such disadvantage may be overcome by mounting each knitting cam 1 30 (see Fig. 22) for controlling the needles 6 on the dial in a radially displaceable and locatable manner on the cover for the. In this manner, during the formation of the heel, the cams 130 can be displaced towards the periphery of the dial from their normal working position so as to cause a shorter reentrant path for the yarn.

Accordingly, whilst the needles of the cylinder remain in a lowered and inoperative position, it is possible to reduce the tension of the knitting held between the aforementioned needles of the cylinder and of the bed in a reliable manner.

Furthermore, such an arrangement also permits regulation of the length of the stitches on the back.

The displacement of the knitting cams 130 is effected by suitable means, such as are shown in Figs. 22 to 26. Each cam 130 is mounted on a bracket 131 pivotally mounted on an axis 132 and co-operates with a cam ring 133 so as to define two different working positions for the cam. The ring is suitably displaceable and locatable in an angular direction whilst the bracket 131 carries an adjustment screw 134 for regulating the displacement of the cam 130. The screw 134 is biased by a spring 136 for urging the screw into engagement with the cam ring 133. In practice, before beginning the formation of the heel of a stocking, the cams 130 are displaced outwardly, as is shown in Figs. 24 and 25 and in dashed lines in Fig. 26.At the end of the formation of the heel, the cams are returned, by means of the cam ring 132, to their normal position in which they control the horizontal needles 6 whilst such needles are operative. The normal position of the cams is shown in Figs. 22 and 23 and, in full lines, in Fig. 26. The adjustment screw 134 also permits positioning of the cam 130 so as to adjust the length of stitches on the back.

To prevent tensioning of the knitting which is retained during the formation of the heel, it is also possible for the cams which control the horizontal needles 6 to be vertically displaceable and locatable.

For the making of the sole of the stocking, when the working of the heel has been concluded, the continuous rotary drive of the machine is resumed. The cylinder needles 2 and the corresponding dial needles 6, which have retained the associated knitting, resume work so as to form the upper part of the foot of the stocking in the same manner as during the making of the leg portion.

In accordance with the process, for the simultaneous formation of the sole, the short-butt vertical needles 30, 300 of the cylinder, which have already formed the heel and which therefore carry all the associated knitting, are selected instead in such manner corresponding to a feed, for example, the station of the machine, they work with alternate needles.

At the same time, using the cams of the bed, the horizontal needles of the dial, which have previously transferred the stitches to the associated vertical needles 300 are re-activated so that they co-operate with the selected needles of the cylinder.

In the other feed, for example, in feed station Y of the machine, only those vertical cylinder needles which were inoperative at the preceding feed station X are operative.

Working is continued in this manner until the commencement of the working of the toe.

A stocking in ribbed knitting having a Jacquard design is thus formed which has a sole formed by knitted stitches both on the right and wrong sides and characteristics similar to hosiery obtained on a double cylinder machine. The knitting of the sole of the stocking is comparable, both in consistency and nature, to the knitting forming the upper part of the foot.

A similar result may be obtained by adopting the following procedure.

After the heel has been worked, the cylinder resumes rotating with a continuous rotary drive.

Before the start of working of the foot portion, an angular displacement of the bed is effected so as to make the horizontal needles 6 out of phase (which needles were previously in correspondence with the needles 2, of the cylinder for transferring the knitting), relative to the cylinder needles, said displacement being of an order of magnitude corresponding approximately to half the spacing between two adjacent needles on the cylinder.

At this point, the needles of the cylinder and on the dial which had held the relative stitches during the making of the heel only with the needles 30, 300 on one portion of the cylinder, are re-actuated so to form the upper part of the sole of the stocking in the same manner as occurred during the formation of the leg portion.

The needles 6 on the dial which had previously transferred the stitches to the corresponding vertical needles 300 of the cylinder are reactuated.

For the formation of the sole of the stocking, the vertical needles 30, 300 of the cylinder which were used to form the heel are made to work all from one feed station, for example feed station X, together with the needles on the dial which had remained working.

In the other feed station Y, only the needles on the dial 6 are operated, whilst the needles of the cylinder remain inactive.

A stocking is thus obtained with a knitted sole which is of uniform colour has stitches on the right and wrong sides without any break in the pattern in the upper part of the foot. The stocking thus has characteristics effectively similar to stockings obtained using a double-cylinder machine.

Another method of procedure may be followed after the leg portion has been completed, and will now be described: On reaching the heel, whilst both the dial and cylinder needles which are to be used to form the upper part of the foot are inactive, but still retaining their respective stitches, the transfer of the stitches on the remaining needles to the corresponding needles 20 of the cylinder which were excluded from the work during the making of the rib in the leg portion is effected. After the transfer has been effected, the heel is made with a reciprocating rotary drive using only the vertical needles of one part of the cylinder.

When the heel is finished, the cylinder of the machine resumes rotation with a continuous rotary drive.

However, before beginning the working of the foot portion, an angular displacement of the dial is effected in order to dephase horizontal needles relative to those of the cylinder, said displacement being of the order of about half the spacing between the two adjacent needles mounted on the cylinder.

The needles of the cylinder and dial which have retained their associated stitches, then resume working so as to form the upper part of the foot of the stocking in the same manner as in the making of the leg portion.

For the simultaneous formation of the sole, the vertical needles of the cylinder which have made the heel and which, therefor, carry all of the stitches associated therewith, are selected so that, in a feed, they work alternately. Thus, for example, all of the odd needles are used for knitting with those needles on the dial which previously transferred the stitches for the formation of the heel and which have been reactuated and fed.

In another feed, the needles of the cylinder are selected so that they work the needles (i.e. the even ones) which had remained inactive in the previous feed, together with the above-mentioned needles which had remained inactive.

In this case, a stocking is obtained having characteristics similar to those obtained utilising a double-cylinder machine.

Claims

1. A circular hosiery knitting machine having a cylinder carrying needles and a dial carrying needles, at least two yarn feeds and two corresponding knitting triangles capable of acting on the cylinder needles, said triangles being displaceable so as to vary, by decreasing or increasing the knitting produced, said displacement being controlled by a cam drum associated with the machine, wherein a camcontrolled device is provided, said cam being rotatably mounted on said drum, the device being capable of displacing said knitting triangles jointly and by equal amounts by means of a rod and lever system having a mutually adjustable position.

2. A circular knitting machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cam is fixedly mounted on a ring guided on the drum, the ring having at least one slot portion formed therein, pawl means being co-operable with said slot portion, the pawl means being controlled by a lever mechanism actuated by means for driving the machine, said ring being capable of either rotating with or rotating relative to said drum.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein said cam is associated with a first rocker lever capable of angular displacement corresponding to the outline of a cam itself, wherein said lever is connected to a second rocker lever, the second rocker lever being capable of angular displacement, such displacement causing vertical displacement of a thrust rod, the thrust rod controlling the displacement of a third rocker lever pivotally mounted on a stationary portion of the machine, said third rocker lever engages on a slide rod which co-operates with two crank arms, each crank arm being secured to a corresponding stud turned radially inwards towards the cylinder of the machine, each said stud having cam portions adapted to aot on the supports of the knitting triangles so as to ensure the level positioning thereof.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein said slide rod is guided horizontally on a stationary part of the machine and has an intermediate slot or shoulder portion acting on a pin secured to the crank arm, the rod further having an end portion capable of acting on the crank arm of the cam stud of the other knitting triangle.

5. A circular knitting machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein the third rocker lever is provided with an adjustment screw directed towards and capable of acting on one end of the slide rod, the crank arm of the cam stud of the other knitting triangle having an adjustment screw mounted thereon capable of acting on the other end of the slide rod, a spring being interposed between said crank arm and said slide rod so as to tend to keep the ends of the slide rod with said adjustment screws and to keep the intermediate shoulder of said slide rod in contact with the pin of the associated crank arm.

6. A circular machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein said third rocker lever is provided with an adjustment screw capable of contacting the tip of the thrust rod, said thrust rod being secured to a support member carrying an adjustment screw capable of contacting the second rocker lever.

7. A circular machine as claimed in claim 6 wherein said second rocker lever is acted upon by a spring tending to keep the end of the thrust lever displaced downwardly and to keep the first rocker lever in contact with the cam affixed to the ring mounted on the drum.

8. A machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein two further adjustment screws are mounted on the third rocker lever against which two corresponding thrust rods engage, said thrust rods being driven by cams secured to the drum, said third rocker lever also being connected by a tie rod to the crank arm of the cam stud for the positioning of the knitting triangle adjacent thereto.

9. A circular hosiery machine as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the dial rotates in phase with the cylinder by means of a gear transmission which receives its drive from a support for the cylinder said support for the cylinder being actuated by a pair of toothed wheels from a driving member, said dial being capable of being dephased relative to said cylinder.

10. A circular machine as claimed in claim 9 wherein a toothed wheel is secured to the support for the cylinder, said toothed wheel engaging with a fixed toothed wheel mounted on a vertical shaft and being guided in a stationary support also carrying the dial, a driving toothed wheel being keyed onto the upper end of the shaft for controlling a first toothed wheel engaging with a second toothed wheel for controlling a final toothed wheel keyed onto a shaft for the dial so as to cause rotation of the dial.

11. A machine as claimed in claim 10 wherein at least the toothed wheels for the transmission of the drive from the vertical shaft to the shaft for the dial are helicoidal toothed wheels and wherein one of said toothed wheels is axially displaceable and positionable in height relative to the others for the phasing and dephasing of the dial relative to the cylinder.

12. A machine as claimed in claim 10 wherein said second toothed wheel is displaceably located in a transverse direction relative to the others for phasing and dephasing of the dial relative to the cylinder.

13. A machine as claimed in claim 12 wherein said transversely displaceable toothed wheel is mounted on a slide member, the slide member being displaceably guided on a support for the vertical shaft and for the shaft of the dial, said slide member being displaceable in one direction by means of a cam lever controlled by a tie rod, said displacement being opposed by the action of at least one return spring.

14. A machine as claimed in claim 13 wherein two opposing springs are mounted on said slide for adjusting and defining the displacement of the slide and, together therewith, the second toothed wheel.

15. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim wherein horizontal needles are mounted on the dial, said needles each having a shank with a recess or lateral opening adjacent the resilient rear end or butt thereof, said end or butt being of equal thickness to the front portion of the shank of the needle.

1 6. A circular machine as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein one or more feed stations are provided, a knitting cam radially displaceable and locatably mounted on the dial, said cam acting to slacken the tension of the threads held by inoperative needles of the cylinder and on the dial and/or for varying the length of the loops of knitting on the wrong side.

1 7. A machine as claimed in claim 16 wherein the knitting cams for controlling the needles in the dial are mounted on rocker supports and are engaged by a cam ring for displacing the knitting cams into at least two different positions and by return spring, adjustment screws being provided on said rocker supports for supporting against said cam ring.

1 8. A circular hosiery knitting machine comprising a cylinder, a needle-carrying dial and two sets of sinkers, said sets of sinkers being mounted alternately on a single sinker-carrying ring mounted on said cylinder and rotatable therewith, the sinkers being capable of effecting basic knitting and terry loops, the sinkers of one set having upwardly-directed butts and being guided in cam plates provided in a stationary cover provided for said ring, wherein the sinkers in the second set each have an appendage or butt which is downwardly directed, said ring having radial vertical slots formed therein to permit displacement of the second set of sinkers such that the butts thereof project downwardly from said ring and to guide said sinkers during displacement, cam plates being provided below said ring for receiving and guiding said downwardly extending appendages or butts.

19. A circular knitting machine as claimed in claim 18 wherein the butts of one set of sinkers are turned in a direction opposite to the butts of the sinkers of the second set, the butts of the sinkers of both sets are controlled by means of cams and lever arrangements, the control means for the two sets of sinkers being located on different planes from one another.

20. A circular knitting machine as claimed in claim 1 8 in which at least one set of sinkers is used, each of which is characterised by an appendage or butt turned so as to extend downwardly relative to a support and sliding base of the sinkers themselves of the sinker-carrying ring.

21. A method for making Jacquard designs or patterns on ribbed knitting utilising circular hosiery machines of the type having one or more feed stations and comprising a plurality of vertical needles mounted on a rotating cylinder, a plurality of horizontal needles mounted on a dial located above and rotating with said cylinder, selection means for selecting desired ones of said vertical needles, and means for feeding one or more yarns in each feed station, wherein the horizontal needles on the dial work all the yarns fed in the feed station or in each feed station for knitting the back, the vertical needles are sub-divided into groups, at least one group being selected to work a single yarn at the or each feed station periodically, the remaining vertical needles working another yarn in the feed station or stations in which said needles or groups of needles have been selected, said vertical needles forming, in succession, rows of knitting on the right side for making predetermined designs in two or more colours.

22. A method of making Jacquard designs on ribbed knitting utilising circular hosiery machines of the type having one or more feed stations and comprising a plurality of vertical needles mounted on a rotating cylinder, a plurality of horizontal needles mounted on a dial located above and rotating with said cylinder, selection means for selecting desired ones of said vertical needles, and rrieans for feeding one or more yarns in each feed station, wherein the horizontal needles on the dial work all the yarns fed in the or each feed station for knitting the back, and that at the or each feed station, said vertical needles being subdivided into groups, at least one group of vertical needles on the cylinder being selected to work, periodically, only one yarn of those fed simultaneously, whilst the remaining group or groups of vertical needles work the same yarn together with another yarn of a different colour, the vertical needles forming, in succession, rows of knitting on the right side with only one or two yarns respectively to form plated knitting for making a predetermined design in a plurality of colours.

23. A method as claimed in claims 21 or 22 in which the machine has two feed stations, one yarn of a specific colour being worked in one feed station and two yarns of different colours, being fed simultaneously in the other feed station so as to obtain a design in three colours.

24. A method as claimed in claim 21 or 22 in which the machine has two feed stations, two yarns of different colours being fed simultaneously in each station to obtain a design in four colours.

25. A method as claimed in claim 21 or 22, in which the machine has three or more feed stations, one yarn of a specific colour being worked in at least one feed station and two yarns of other colours being fed simultaneously in at least one other feed station so as to obtain a design in a plurality of colours.

26. A method as claimed in claim 21 or 22 in which at least one group of vertical needles is selected and is displaced upwardly by an amount greater than that of the remaining group or groups of needles, such that, when two yarns are fed simultaneously, the first group work the single upper yarn without the other, lower yarn by closing the latches of the needles on the part of the second yarn.

27. A method as claimed in claim 2t, 22 or 23, in which at least one group of vertical needles are selected and displaced upwardly by an amount wherein the open tabs thereof above the feed level of the lower yarn, whilst the hooks of said needles are disposed above the upper yarn for taking only the latter.

28. A method as claimed in claim 26 in which the remaining groups of needles are lowered in anticipation of the phasing of feeding relative to the other needles so that the hooks thereof do not extend to the level of the feed plane of the upper yarn which is to be engaged by the said selected needles or groups of needles.

29. A method as claimed in claim 21 in which, in at least one feed station of the machine, two yarns of different colours are worked separately from each other to obtain designs with yarns worked individually on the right side of the knitting, whilst the knitting on the back is formed with two yarns worked simultaneously.

30. A method as claimed in claim 22 in which the designs on the right side of the knitting are obtained by working a first yarn of a selected colour with at least one selected group of needles and said first yarn, together with a second yarn of a different colour is fed simultaneously, with the other vertical needles, and operating in such manner that the first yarn of one colour is behind the second colour.

31. Method for the making of hosiery with a Jacquard design on circular hosiery machines for ribbed knitting, in particular of the type having two or more feeds and having a cylinder carrying a plurality of vertical needles, the needles being sub-divided into two groups having, respectively, a long butt and a short butt, the two groups being mounted on two corresponding portions of the cylinder and with a dial carrying a plurality of horizontal needles wherein, during the formation of the leg of the product, the cylinder needles work alternately in that one group of needles operate and the others do not operate said operative needles co-operating with all the needles on the dial and wherein at the end of the formation of the leg, the knitting which, in the finished product, forms the upper part of the foot is retained by a group of vertical and horizontal needles active on the cylinder and on the dial whilst the knitting formed by the needles on the other part of the dial is transferred to the needles of the cylinder which were inoperative during the formation of the leg the formation of the heel of the stocking being effected by means of reciprocating rotary drive utilising all the needles of the group of needles having a short butt, the knitting of the instep remaining held during the formation of the heel of the stocking by the operative needles of the group of needles having a long butt and on the needles on the dial which have not been transferred, said long butt needles of the cylinder being maintained in a lowered inoperative position for retaining the knitting by their associated hooks, the remaining needles of the group of needles having a long butt excluded from the work being raised and being caused to follow a path higher than that of the needles which work during the formation of the heel.

32. A method as claimed in claim 31 wherein the butts of the needles having a long butt which are raised during the formation of the heel constitute a supporting surface for a needle lowering hammer of the circular machine.

33. A method as claimed in claim 31 wherein, at the end of the formation of the heel, the group of needles having a short butt continue the formation of the sole, whilst the needles of the group of needles having a long butt which retain the knitting during the formation of the heel are selectively reactuated to form the upper portion of the foot so that the design is unbroken, the needles of the group of needles having a long butt which are excluded from the work being lowered into an inoperative position.

34. A method as claimed in claim 31 wherein the long butt needles mounted on the cylinder which do not participate in the formation of the heel are displaced and guided along two paths at different levels so that the needles which retain the knitting follow a lowered inoperative path whilst the needles which do not retain the knitting follow a raised inoperative path during the entire formation of the heel.

35. A method for the formation of hosiery with a Jacquard design by means of a circular hosiery machine having at least two feed stations, the machine comprising a series of vertical needles mounted on a rotatable cylinder and a series of horizontal needles mounted on a rotatable dial, wherein, after the formation of the heel of the product, the dial is dephased relative to the cylinder, the needles on the dial which previously transferred the knitting to the corresponding needles of the cylinder for the formation of the heel are reactivated and fed so as to co-operate with the needles of the cylinder in the formation of the sole, the vertical needles which have formed the heel, in one feed station, being selected to work alternatively with all the needles of the bed to knit all the threads fed to said feed station, and in the other feed station, the vertical needles of the cylinder which remained inoperative in the previous feed are selected to work in co-operation with said needles operating however so that said vertical needles engage and work only one thread of those fed in said station whilst the needles of the bed engage and work all the threads of said feed.

36. Process for the making of hosiery with Jacquard designs on ribbed knitting by means of a circular machine having a plurality of feed stations and being of the type having a series of vertical needles mounted on a cylinder and a series of horizontal needles mounted on a dial, said process comprising the steps of forming in a known manner, the top and the leg of the stocking using the needles of the cylinder and on the dial in combination and of the heel and with a group of single needles of the cylinder after transfer of the stitches from a group of needles of the bed to corresponding needles of the cylinder wherein, in the formation of the foot of the product, the needles on the dial which have transferred the stitches to the corresponding needles of the cylinder during the formation of the heel are reactivated and are fed so as to cooperate with the needles of the cylinder in the formation of the sole portion of the stocking, whilst the remaining needles on the dial which co-operate with the remaining active needles of the cylinder perform the knitting forming the upper part of the foot of the stocking.

37. A process as claimed in claim 36 wherein, at the end of the formation of the heel when the machine is changed over from reciprocating drive to continuous drive for the making of the sole of the garment the needles on the dial used for transferring the already-formed stitching to the corresponding needles of the cylinder are reactivated and wherein, at one feed station, the vertical needles of the cylinder which have formed the heel are selected to work alternatively in cooperation with the horizontal needles on the dial, and further wherein, at the other feed station, only the vertical needles of the cylinder which have not worked in the preceding feed station are operated.

38. A process as claimed in claim 36 wherein, prior to the commencement of the formation of the sole, the dial with the horizontal needles is dephased relative to the needles of the cylinder by about half the spacing between two of the needles of the cylinder so as to permit the needles on the dial to co-operate with all the needles of the cylinder or, alternatively, both with the needles which were active and with those which were inactive during the formation of the leg portion.

39. A process as claimed in claim 38 wherein, before beginning the formation of the sole, an angular displacement of the dial relative to the cylinder is effected in order to dephase the horizontal needles on the dial relative to the vertical needles of the cylinder, and wherein all the needles on the dial used for transferring the already formed stitches to the corresponding needles of the cylinder are reactivated so that, in one feed station, all of the needles used for the formation of the heel are activated with the horizontal needles on the dial, and so that, in the other feed station, only the needles on the dial are operated whilst the needles of the cylinder remain inactive.

40. A process as claimed in claim 38 wherein before the start of the formation of the sole, an angular displacement of the dial is effected relative to the cylinder in order to dephase the horizontal needles on the dial relative to the vertical needles of the cylinder and wherein all the needles on the dial used for transferring the knitting to the corresponding needles of the cylinder are activated such that, at one feed station the vertical needles of the cylinder which have formed the heel are selected to work alternately, in co-operation with said horizontal needles on the dial and, in the other feed station, the vertical needles of the cylinder which remained inactive in the preceding feed station are activated to knit, with the horizontal needles on the dial.

41. Ribbed knitting with Jacquard designs having a plurality of colours formed according to the method of claim 21 having on its right side, designs formed by rows of stitches made with yarns of different individual colours whilst the back is formed by rows of stitches made with at least two yarns worked simultaneously.

42. Ribbed knitting with Jacquard designs in a plurality of colours formed by the method of claim 22, characterised in that it has, on its right side, designs formed by rows of stitches made with two yarns of different colour and by rows of stitches made with only one yarn, whilst the back is formed by rows of stitches all made with two yarns knitted simultaneously.

43. A circular hosiery knitting machine as claimed in claim 1 or 18 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

44. A method of knitting hosiery as claimed in any one of claims 21,22,31,35 or36 substantially as hereinbefore described.

45. Hosiery when knitted by a method as claimed in any one of claims 21,22,31,35,36 or 44.