GB2062696A

GB2062696A - Pile Fabric Knitting

Info

Publication number: GB2062696A
Application number: GB8036130A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: NISHIKI KEORI KK; Wool Development International Ltd
Current assignee: NISHIKI KEORI KK; Wool Development International Ltd
Priority date: 1979-11-12
Filing date: 1980-11-11
Publication date: 1981-05-28
Also published as: JPS5673146A; DE3042335A1

Abstract

A pile fabric has its basic fabric structure knitted from ground yarns (Y1) and a pile formed from pile yarns (Y2). Of the pile yarn wales at least one wale is constructed of cut pile stitches ([ DELTA l) and one or more other forms of stitch ([O], [X], []). A knitting machine with two needle beds has some or all needles in one bed replaced by blade- attached needles (1) and lifting (21) and lowering cams (22) therefor. By raising the needles (1) to a knitting position, by means of the cams (21), pile stitches held on the needles (1) are cut through forming a cut pile in the fabric. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Pile Fabric Knitting This invention relates to fabric having a pile. In more detail, it relates to a fabric provided, in some parts, with a cut pile, and to a method of knitting it and a knitting machine therefor.

Various methods of knitting loop pile fabric and apparatus therefor are already known, but in general special apparatus is required, and the machine is a machine which is only capable of knitting pile fabric. The previous Application by the present applicants, Application for Patent No.

Sho. 49-005649 (Patent Publication No. Sho.

54-24492) discloses a knitting machine in which, by slight improvement of a double jersey machine and the use of ancillary device(s), a pile fabric can be knitted, or, by removing the ancillary devices, oridinary knitting can be carried out.

However, although loop pile fabric can be knitted in the previous loop pile fabric knitting machine and in the knitting machine of the above Application, cut pile fabric cannot be knitted.

On the other hand, machines for knitting cut pile fabric are already well known. In general, in a knitting machine for knitting cut pile fabric, in a dial-cylinder knitting machine, specially shaped knitting needles, i.e. knitting needles provided with a hook part and a cutting blade part, are provided on the cylinder side, and the cut pile is formed by these pile-cutting needles. Such a knitting machine is exclusively a cut-pile knitting machine. The needles for cutting the pile can only form cut pile stitch, and cannot form loop pile stitch or ordinary stitches.

Thus, as explained above, with the previous knitting machines and methods of knitting, fabric consisting simply of loop pile, or fabric consisting of cut pile, or fabric consisting of ordinary stitches (knit stitch, tuck stitch, welt stitch) produced by ordinary knitting movements (knit, tuck, welt) could be produced separately, but it was difficult to knit fabric in which these were mixed. In particular, it was impossible to obtain a fabric in which there was a mixture of cut pile stitches and other sorts of stitches (loop pile stitches, knit stitches, tuck stitches, welt stitches) in a single wale.

The invention seeks to provide a novel fabric which could not be knitted by previous knitting machines, i.e. a fabric in which three-dimensional variation in the design is produced by a mixture of cut pile stitches with other sorts of stitch, a method of knitting such a fabric, and a knitting machine which can knit such a fabric.

The fabric of this invention is characterised in that, in fabric which is knitted by a knitting machine provided with two needle beds, the basic fabric being knitted by ground yarn, pile being formed by pile yarn in at least part of the fabric; of the wales formed by the said pile yarn, at least one wale is constructed of cut pile stitches and one or more other forms of stitch.

The method of knitting according to this invention is characterised in that, in a method of knitting fabric by means of a knitting machine provided with two needle beds, at least some of the needles of one of the needle beds being bladeattached needles; ground yarn is supplied to the needles of the needle bed in which no bladeattached needles are present; at the same time pile yarn is supplied to the needles of both beds; ordinary stitches are thereby formed by the ground yarn and the pile yarn; then, at a station where neither ground yarn nor pile yarn is supplied, the said blade-attached needles are raised to a cutting position so that the cut pile stitches are formed by cutting the pile yarn which is caught on the said needles, by means of cutting blades provided on the needles; part of one of the wales being constructed by the said cut pile stitches.The knitting machine of this invention is characterised in that, in a knitting machine provided with two needle beds, at least some of the needles of one of the needle beds are bladeattached knitting needles in which a cutting blade is provided on the stem of an ordinary knitting needle; in that, at least some of the feed positions, in addition to the ordinary feeders, there are arranged ancillary feeders whereby yarn can be supplied to only the needles on the other needle bed; and in that there are' provided cutting cams for raising the said blade-attached needles to, or lowering them from, a cutting position, so that the cutting blades of the said blade-attached needles can cut the yarn which is caught on the said needles.

This invention is further described, by way of example, with reference to embodiments which are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 to 4 are knitting texture diagrams respectively showing examples of cut pile surface texture fabric according to the invention; Figures 5 A to C are side views of embodiments of blade-attached knitting needles according to this invention; Figures 6 and 7 illustrate an ancillary feeder provided on a dial-cylinder knitting machine, being a partial front view of the knitting machine, and a partially sectioned view respectively; Figures 8 and 9 illustrate the provisions of a loop-restraining plate in a dial-cylinder knitting machine, being a partial front view of the knitting machine, and a partially sectioned view respectively;; Figure 10 is a partially sectioned view of a dialcylinder machine provided with a latch opener; Figure 11 is a knitting method diagram for the knitting of the ninth apparent course indicated by the arrow A in Figure 2 in a knitting machine with interlock-gating; Figure 12 is a diagram of the arrangement of the accessories provided at the various feed positions of a knitting machine to knit the fabric shown in Figure 2; Figure 13 is a view illustrating more specifically the needles and cams used in the method of knitting shown in Figure 11.

Figure 14 is a diagram of the method of knitting for knitting the ninth course shown by the arrow A in Figure 1 by rib-gated knitting machine; Figure 1 5 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the accessories, similarly to Figure 12, for knitting the fabric shown in Figure 1; Figure 1 6 is a diagram of the knitting method for knitting the third course shown by the arrow B in Figure 4 by an interlock-gated knitting machine; Figure 1 7 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the accessories, similarly to Figure 12, for knitting the fabric shown in Figure 4; Figure 1 8 is a diagram of the method of knitting for knitting the third course shown by the arrow B in Figure 3 by a rib-gated machine; and Figure 1 9 is a diagram of the arrangement of the accessories, similarly to Figure 12, for the knitting of the fabric shown in Figure 3.

The fabric of this invention is knitted by a knitting machine having two needle beds, preferably provided with a needle-selecting mechanism, for example a double jersey machine, a seal knitting machine, or V-bed knitting machine or the like which has been partially modified. It is knitted of a ground thread to form the fabric texture and a pile yarn to form the surface texture.

The fabric texture which is knitted by the ground yarn is normally plain knitting, but if required welt stitch or tuck stitch can be introduced.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the surface texture knitted of pile yarn in a fabric according to this invention. This Figure is a diagram of the knitting texture knitted by a knitting machine with a rib-gating needle arrangement. Figure 2 is a diagram of the knitting texture when the same pattern as in Figure 1 is knitted by a knitting machine with interlock-gating needle arrangement. In these texture diagrams, the symbol [A] represents a cut pile stitch, the symbol [0] represents a loop pile stitch, the symbol [X] represents a plain knitting knit stitch, and the symbol [ ] represents a fabric stitch (plain knitting purl stitch).In the fabric of Figure 1 and Figure 2, the nap of the cut pile parts is longer than that of the loop pile parts (i.e. they are higher), and the loop pile parts are higher than the outside plain knitting stitch parts, while the plain knitting purl stitch parts stand out from the fabric stitch parts.

Thus in the fabrics of Figure 1 and Figure 2 the design is represented three-dimensionally by the difference in height of the various stitches.

As shown in Figure 2, with an interlock-gated needle arrangement, the system is 2-course, but a design is formed which corresponds to 1-course knitted by a knitting machine of rib-gated needle arrangement as in Figure 1. Thus in Figure 2 the course numbers shown in the left of the texture diagram are the actual course numbers and the apparant course numbers. In the fabric of this invention, Fig. 3 is a diagram showing another embodiment of surface texture formed by pile yarn. The drawing is a knitting texture diagram of fabric knitted by a knitting machine with rib-gated needle arrangement. Fig. 4 is a knitting texture diagram for the case where the same pattern as in Fig. 3 is knitted by a knitting machine with an interlock-gated needle arrangement.In Figs. 3 and 4, as in Figs. 1 and 2, the symbol [A] represents cut pile stitch, the symbol [X] represents plain stitch, and the symbol represents fabric stitch. In the fabric of Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the cut pile parts stand out in the plain knitting parts, forming the design.

In the fabric of. Fig. 1 to Fig. 4, the surface texture fabric parts produced by pile yarn (parts other than the design) are usually formed of plain knitting knit stitch. However, the fabric parts are not limited to plain knitting knit stitch and a suitable choice may be made of plain knitting purl stitch, tuck stitch, welt stitch, etc.

As shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 4, the fabric of this invention is characterized by the mixture of cut pile and other stitches in a single wale. For example in the third wale in Fig. 1, apart from two cut pile stitches [A], there are two loop pile stitches [0], two purl stitches (knit stitches) [ ], and eight knit stitches (knit stitches) [X]. In the 1 1-th wale, there are ten cut pile stitches [A], and four purl stitches [X]. Such a fabric constructed with cut pile stitch and other stitches in a single wale could not be obtained by the previous knitting machines and knitting methods.

A device and method for knitting the fabric of this invention are explained below.

A knitting machine according to this invention is obtained by making a slight modification to a previous knitting machine having two needle beds, for example a double jersey machine, a seal knitting machine, or a V-bed knitting machine.

First of all, all or at least some of the previous knitting needles arranged in one of the two needle beds are replaced by the special knitting needles of this invention. As shown in Fig. 5, the knitting needles of this invention are obtained by the provision of a cutting blade 1 a on the stem or body of an ordinary knitting needle 1. In Fig. 5, A shows a latch needle according to this invention, B shows a beard needle according to this invention, and C shows a composite needle according to this invention. The cutting blade 1 a is provided in a position such that even when the knitting needle 1 has risen into the clearing position the blade is positioned below the existing loop which is caught on the knitting needle 1, so that the blade does not come into contact with the said loop. The blade-attached knitting needles of this invention shown in Fig. 5 merely represent one example for each type of knitting needle and the dimensions and shape etc. of the knitting needle can of course be altered at will.

On the needle bed which is provided with the blade-attached knitting needles of this invention, for example the cylinder bed of a dial-cylinder knitting machine, there are provided a lifting cam 21 for cutting and a lowering cam 22 for cutting (see Fig. 13). The lifting cam 21 for cutting raises the knitting needle 1 to a cutting position higher than the clearing position, so that the existing loop, which is caught on the blade-attached knitting needle 1, can be cut by the cutting-blade 1 a. The lowering cam 22 for cutting lowers the knitting needle 1, after it has been raised to the cutting position, back to its start position (i.e. the welt position).

Since in this invention a ground yarn is used to form the basic fabric of the knitted fabric and a pile yarn is used to form the surface texture, in addition to the normal feeder, it employs an ancillary feeder. In the case of knitting machines which are already equipped with two feeders, it is not necessary to provide a special ancillary feeder.

Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 show an example where an ancillary feeder is provided in a dial-cylinder knitting machine. Fig. 6 is a partial front view of the knitting machine, and Fig. 7 is a partially sectioned view. In Figs. 6 and 7, the bladeattached knitting needles 1 of this invention are arranged on the cylinder 3, while the knitting needles 2 on the dial 4 are ordinary latch needles.

The cylinder 3 rotates in the direction of the arrow a in Fig. 6. On a cam plate 5 are mounted the normal feeder 6 and, through a support member 8, an ancillary feeder 7. The pile yarn is fed by the normal feeder 6 and the ground yarn Y1 is fed by the ancillary feeder 7. The ground yarn Y1 is supplied only to the dial needles 2 so the tip of the ancillary feeder 7 extends as far as the rear of the cylinder needle 1 (see Fig. 7).

In this invention, when the cylinder needles 1 move up and move down to form the loop pile and cut pile, it is desirable to provide a looprestraining plate 9, at the loop-pile forming location, and the cut-pile forming location, to restrain the loops caught on the cylinder needles from moving with the vertical movement of the already-knitted fabric on the cylinder needles 1.

As shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, the loop-restraining plate 9 is formed so that its lower end extends in the circumferential direction in the gap between the upper edge of the cylinder 3 and the circumference of the dial 3. It is mounted on the cam plate 5 by suitable fixing means such as a bolt and nut.

Further according to this invention, when pile stitches and in particular loop pile stitches are formed, as shown in Fig. 10, there is provided a latch opener 12 to open the latch 1 b of the cylinder needle 1. The latch opener 1 2 is mounted on the cam plate 5 by a suitable support member 1 3 downstream of the ioop-restraining plate 9 in the direction of rotation (direction of the arrow a in Fig. 6 and Fig. 8) of the cylinder 3. The tip of the latch opener 1 2 is arranged so that it enters between the latch 1 b and the hook 1 c of the cylinder needle 1 after it is slightly raised. A latch opener 12 is preferably also provided when cut pile is being formed. Known types of ancillary feeders and loop-restraining plates can be used for the ancillary feeder 7 and loop-restraining plate 9 described above.

The method of knitting the fabric shown in Fig.

1 to Fig. 4 will now be explained. As an example, the explanation will be given for the case of a dialcylinder type circular knitting machine having 36 feed positions and provided, at each feed position, with a suitable known needle-selecting mechanism and an ordinary lifting cam and lowering cam; however, in the case of certain types of feeders, these may be replaced by the cutting lifting cam and cutting lowering cam of this invention.

Fig. 11 is a diagram of the method of knitting for knitting the nineth course (apparent) shown by the arrow A in Fig. 2 with a knitting machine having an interlock-gated needle arrangement.

Fig. 1 2 is a diagram showing what accessories (e.g. ancillary feeder, loop-restraining plate, latch opener) are arranged at which feed position and whether a cutting cam is arranged at any feed position, to knit the fabric shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 1 3 is a more detailed diagram showing the method of knitting of Fig. 11 with reference to the knitting needles and cams etc.

In Fig. 11 to Fig. 13, the symbol D refers to the dial side, the symbol C refers to the cylinder side, and the symbols F No. 1, F No.2, or F1, F2, .refer to the feed positions. An ordinary lifting cam 14, lowering cam 15, an ordinary feeder 6 and ancillary feeder 7 are arranged at the first feed position F No. 1, so that pile yarn Y2 is supplied from the feeder 6 and ground yarn Y1 is supplied from the ancillary feeder 7. Of the dial needles 2, in the first feed position F No. 1 , the ground yarn Y1 is only supplied to the low butt needle nL which is advanced and retracted by the low butt lifting cam 1 6 and the lowering cam 17.

The pile yarn Y2 is supplied to the low butt needle nL of the dial needles 2 and, of the blade-attached knitting needles 1 of this invention, which are arranged on the cylinder 3, is supplied to the needles n1, n3, n5, n9, null, and n13 which are selected by the needle selecting mechanism 23.

The selected blade-attached needles n1, n3, n5, n9, n1 1, n1 3 and the low butt dial needle nL are made to carry out a vertical movement and an advancing-retracting movement by the ordinary lifting cams 14, 16 and the lowering cams 1 5, 17 respectively, thus forming a new stitch. In this case, the pile yarn Y2 is made to form a plain knitting knit stitch by the cylinder needles 1 and a plain knitting purl stitch (fabric stitch) by the dial needle nL.

At the second feed position F No. 2, like the first feed position F No. 1, there are arranged an ordinary lifting cam 14 and an ordinary lowering cam 1 5, with an ordinary feeder 6 and ancillary feeder 7. The ground yarn Y1' which is supplied by the ancillary feeder 6 is supplied only to the high butt needle nH which is advanced and retracted by the high butt lifting cam 1 8 and the lowering cam 1 9 of the dial needles 1. On the other hand, the pile yarn Y2' is supplied to the high butt needle nH of the dial needles 2 and to the needles n2, n4, n6, n1 0, n1 2, and n 14, which are blade-attached needles on the cylinder selected by the needle selecting mechanism 23.

The said knitting needles n2, n4, n6, n10, n12, n1 4 and nH are made to perform a vertical or advancing-retracting movement by the ordinary lifting cams 14, 18 and lowering cams 15, 19. In this case also, the pile yarn Y2' is formed into a plain knitting knit stitch by the cylinder needles 1 and into a plain knitting purl stitch by the dial needle nH.

In the case described above, since the needle arrangement is an interlock-gated arrangement, by the knitting at the two feed positions, a surface texture is formed corresponding to one course when the needle arrangement is a rib-gated arrangement. Thus the surface texture resulting from the pile yarn knitted at the first feed position F No. 1 and the second feed position F No. 2 is as follows: plain knitting knit stitch from the first wale to the sixth wale, purl stitch for the seventh and the eighth wale, and knit stitch from the nineth to the 14th wale.

Next it should be noted that at the third feed position F No. 3 there are provided, on the cylinder, a cutting lifting cam 21 and a cutting lowering cam 22. In contrast, neither the lifting cams nor the lowering cams on the dial side are in operation (in an ordinary knitting machine, the cams are installed in a cam box and operated for knit, tack, and miss). Preferably there is provided a loop-restraining plate 9. Neither the ground yarn Y1 nor the pile yarn Y2 are supplied at this third feed position F No. 3. The cylinder needles n 11, n 12, which retain the stitch which is destined to become a cut pile stitch, are selected by the needle selecting mechanism 23. They are then raised by the cutting lifting cam 21 to the cutting position and the stitch which is caught on the needles is cut by the cutting blade 1 a.They are then lowered to the original, start position by the cutting lowering cam 22. The loop-restraining plate 9 performs the function of preventing lifting of the fabric with the rising movement of the knitting needles when the selected needles are raised. When, as in this embodiment, only some needles are selected, the provision of this looprestraining plate is not necessary, but when several needles are continuously selected and raised to the cutting position, it is desirable to provide a loop-restraining plate, due to the tendency of the fabric to be raised with the knitting needles.

At the fourth feed position F No. 4, an ordinary lifting cam 14 and lowering cam 15 are provided on the cylinder, while on the dial, as in the third feed position F No. 3, neither lifting cams nor lowering cams operate. Preferably there is provided a loop restraining plate 9. In this fourth feed position F No. 4 also, neither the ground yarn Y1 nor the pile yarn Y2 are supplied. The cylinder needles n9, n1 0, which retain the stitch which is destined to be the loop pile stitch, are selected, and raised to the clearing position by the lifting cam 14. They are then made to descend to the original, start position by the lowering cam 15.

At this point the knitting needles n9, n10 release the stitch loop which they had been holding. The released stitch is a loop pile stitch.

At the fifth feed position F No. 5 there are provided on the cylinder an ordinary lifting cam 14 and lowering cam 15, and a latch opener 12.

On the dial side neither lifting cams nor lowering cams operate. At the fifth feed position F No. 5 neither fabric yarn Y1 nor pile yarn Y2 are supplied, and the cylinder needles n9, n 10 which had been raised at the fourth feed position are selected by the needle selecting mechanism 23 and raised by the lifting cam 14. The said knitting needles n9, n 10 have their latches 1 b in the closed condition, but in the raised position the latch opener 12 enters between the latch 1 b and the hook 1 c, opening the latch 1 b. After this, the needles n9, n 10 again descend to the start position, and the machine is ready for the next knitting cycle.

In the embodiment described above, only the needles n9, n 10 which form the loop pile stitches are selected and raised. However, it could be arranged that the needles n1 1, n12 which form the cut pile stitch should be raised, coming into cooperation with the latch opener 12. In general when a cut pile stitch is formed, when the needle which had risen to the cutting position descends, the stitch which was held on the stem of the needle has already been cut by the cutting blade 1 a, so the needle can descend with the latch 1 b of the needle still open. However, it may happen that the latch 1 b has become closed for some reason. To prepare against this unexpected situation, it is desirable to have a latch opener act also on the needle which forms the cut pile stitch.

It may be appropriate to add that when a stitch is retained by ordinary knitting needles, the latch is opened by the retained stitch when the needle is raised to the clearing position in the next knitting cycle so there is no need for the action of a latch opener.

By the knitting movement explained above from the first feed position to the fifth feed position, knitting is carried out to an extent corresponding to one course in a machine with a rib-gated needle arrangement. Thus one knitting cycle is completed by, in the case of this embodiment, five feed positions. As shown in Fig.

12, after the sixth feed position, there is a repeated arrangement of the ordinary lifting cam, lowering cam, cutting lifting cam, lowering cam, loop-restraining plate and latch opener in the same configuration as the arrangement from the first to the fifth feed position. The needle selecting mechanism 23 is programmed in each feed position in accordance with the pattern of the fabric which is to be knitted.

A second embodiment of this invention will now be explained with reference to Fig. 14 and Fig. 15.

Fig. 14 is a diagram of the method of knitting for knitting the nin course shown by the arrow A in Fig. 1 by a knitting machine with a rib-gated needle arrangement. Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 12, showing diagrammatically the arrangement of the accessories in the various feed positions.

In this second embodiment, at the first feed position F No. 1 there are arranged an ordinary lifting cam, lowering cam, an ordinary feeder 6, and an ancillary feeder 7. Pile yarn Y2 is supplied by the feeder 6 and ground yarn Y1 is supplied by the ancillary feeder 7. Ground yarn Y1 is supplied to all of the dial needles 2. Pile yarn Y2 is supplied to all of the dial needles 2 and the needles n1 to n6 and n9 to n 14 selected by the needle selecting mechanism. That is, pile yarn Y2 is supplied to all of the needles 1,2 apart from the cylinder needles n7, n8 corresponding to the locations where plain knitting purl stitch is to be formed. The needles 1, 2 which are supplied with the ground yarn Y1 and the pile yarn Y2 are made to carry out an advancing-retracting movement or vertical movement by the ordinary lifting cam and lowering cam to form a fresh stitch.

At the second feed position F No. 2 there are arranged on the cylinder side a cutting lifting cam and a cutting lowering cam, but on the dial side neither lifting cams nor lowering cams operate.

Preferably a pressing plate is provided. At this second feed position, neither ground yarn Y1 nor pile yarn Y2 are supplied. In the same way as in the case of the third feed position in the first embodiment described above, the cylinder needles nl uni 2 are selected, raised to the cutting position, where the stitches which are held by these needles nil, n 12 are cut by the cutting blades 1 a, and the needles are then returned to the original, start position.

The third feed position F No. 3 and the fourth feed position F No. 4 in the second embodiment correspond to the fourth feed position and the fifth feed position in the first embodiment. The arrangement of the various components is the same as in the first embodiment, and the selection of the cylinder needles n9, n10 in their respective positions is the same as in the first embodiment.

Thus, as described above, in the case of the second embodiment, one knitting cycle is completed by the four feed positions from the first feed position to the fourth feed position. As shown in Fig. 1 5, the arrangement from the fifth feed position onwards repeats the arrangement from the first to the fourth feed position. The programming of the needle selecting mechanism is determined by the pattern of the fabric which is to be knitted.

A third embodiment of this invention is explained with reference to Fig. 1 6 to Fig. 1 7.

Fig. 1 6 is a knitting diagram for the knitting of the third (apparent) course indicated by the arrow B in Fig. 4 by a knitting machine with an interlockgated needle arrangement. Fig. 1 7 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the various accessories in each feed position to knit the fabric shown in Fig. 4.

As shown in Fig. 1 7 in the first feed position and the second feed position there are respectively arranged, on the cylinder side, an ordinary lifting cam and lowering cam, together with ordinary feeders 6 to supply the pile yarn Y2, Y2' and ancillary feeders 7 to supply the ground yarn Y1, Y1'. On the dial side, in the first feed position, a low butting lifting cam and lowering cam operate, and, in the second feed position, a high butting lifting cam and lowering cam operate. At the third feed position, on the cylinder side, there are arranged a cutting lifting cam and lowering cam. The lifting cams or lowering cams of the feeder or dial side do not operate. This arrangement is repeated at every third feed position.

As shown in Fig.16, at the first feed position F No. 1, of the dial needles, ground yarn Y1 is supplied to the low butt needle nL, while pile yarn Y2 is supplied to the low butt dial needle nL and the cylinder needles nl,n3, n5, n7, n9, and nil which are positioned opposite to the high butt dial needle nH. Thus a new stitch is formed by the ground yarn Y1 and pile yarn Y2 respectively.

At the second feed position F No. 2, the ground yarn Y1'is supplied to the high butt needle nH on the dial side, while the pile yarn Y2' is supplied to the said high butt needle nH and to the remainder of the cylinder needles n2, n4, n6, n8, n10, so that the yarns Y1' and Y2' form respectively new stitches.

At the third position, the needles n5, n6, n7 on the cylinder side are selected by the needle selecting mechanism. They are lifted to the cutting position by the cutting lifting cam, where the stitches which are caught on the needles are cut by the cutting blades 1 a. They are then returned to the original, start position by the cutting lowering cam.

As mentioned above, in this third embodiment, one knitting cycle is completed by the feed positions of three locations. Fig. 18 and Fig. 1 9 show a fourth embodiment of this invention. Fig.

1 8 is a knitting diagram for the knitting of the third course indicated by the arrow B in Fig. 3 by a knitting machine with a rib-gated needle arrangement. Fig. 19 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the accessories in the various feed positions for knitting a fabric as shown in Fig.

3.

As shown in Fig.19, at the first feed position F No. 1 there are arranged on the cylinder side and on the dial side respectively ordinary lifting cams and lowering cams, and ordinary feeders 6 and ancillary feeders 7. At the second feed position F No. 2 there are provided, on the cylinder side, a cutting lifting cam and lowering cam, while on the dial side neither lifting cams nor lowering cams operate. From the third feed position onwards, the arrangement of these two feed positions is repeated.

As is clear from Fig. 18, in the first feed position F No. 1, the ground yarn Y1 is supplied to all the dial needles, and the pile yarn Y2 is supplied to all the dial needles and cylinder needles, so that new stitches are formed by these respective yarns. In the second feed position, the needles n5, n6, n7 which are selected by the selecting mechanism are raised to the cutting position, where the stitches are cut by the cutting blades 1 a, after which the needles return to their original, start positions. In this way the cut pile stitch is formed. One knitting cycle is then completed by the feed positions at two locations.

The needle selecting mechanism is set in accordance with the pattern of the fabric which is to be knitted.

All the above embodiments have been explained for the case where the knitting is carried out by a circular knitting machine.

However, it should be clear that the fabric of this invention can be knitted in the same way even on a flat knitting machine. Also the design of the fabric is not restricted to that shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 4 but could be chosen at will.

It might be feared that runs might be produced from the boundary between the cut pile parts or the loop pile parts and the ordinary stitch parts.

However, when the knitting was actually carried out, it was found that due to the nap on the yarn surface of wool or other spun yarn (cotton yarn), there is considerable frictional resistance between the yarn threads, so unless the stitches are unusually large runs are not produced. Where a finishing stage (especially a milling stage) is carried out, there is a tendency for the stitches to shrink, increasing the mutual resistance of the yarn even further and further reducing the risk of runs.

According to the invention, by the use of the special knitting needles of the invention shown in Fig. 5, by a simple modification of existing knitting machines, a novel fabric having a cut pile can easily be knitted.

According to this invention, an arbitrary part of the wale can be made of cut pile stitch, so a design can be produced by cut pile stitches. A fabric having a three-dimensional pattern can thereby be obtained. Also, the previously-required step of cutting the loops using a shearing machine in the finishing stage can instead be completed in the knitting process.

The blade-attached knitting needles of this invention do not cut the stitches unless a cutting cam is present, so they can be used in the same way as ordinary knitting needles. Thus, once the blade-attached knitting needles of this invention have been installed in a knitting machine, it is not necessary to remove them. The machine can still carry out the knitting of ordinary fabric, or, if cutting cams are provided, can knit a fabric according to this invention. This is very convenient.

Claims

1. A fabric, knitted by a knitting machine provided with two needle beds, in which the basic texture is knitted by a ground yarn, and pile is formed by a pile yarn in at least part of the fabric, wherein of the wales formed by the said pile yarn, at least one wale is constructed of cut pile stitches and one or more other forms of stitch.

2. A method of knitting a pile fabric on a knitting machine provided with two needle beds, at least some of the needles of one cf the needle beds being blade-attached needles, in which a ground yarn is supplied to the needles of the needle bed in which no blade-attached needles are present, at the same time pile yarn is supplied to the needles of both beds, ordinary stitches are thereby formed by the ground yarn and the pile yarn; and then, at a station where neither ground yarn nor pile yarn is supplied, the said bladeattached needles are raised to a cutting position so that cut pile stitches are formed by cutting the pile yarn which is caught on the said needles, by means of cutting blades provided on the needles, part of one of the wales being constructed by the said cut pile stitches.

3. A knitting machine provided with two needle beds, in which at least some of the needles of one of the needle beds are blade-attached knitting needles in which a cutting blade is provided on the stem of an ordinary knitting needle, at at least some of the feed positions, in addition to the ordinary feeders, there are arranged ancillary feeders whereby yarn can be supplied to only the needles on the other needle bed, and there are provided cutting cams for raising the said bladeattached needles to, or lowering them from, a cutting position, which is higher than the clearing position, so that the cutting blades of the said blade-attached needles can cut the yarn which is caught on the said needles.

4. A pile fabric substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

5. A method of knitting a pile fabric substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

6. A knitting machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.