GB2182356A

GB2182356A - Sinker bar for a knitting machine

Info

Publication number: GB2182356A
Application number: GB08625730A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Frederick James Start
Original assignee: Courtaulds Clothing Ltd
Current assignee: Courtaulds Clothing Ltd
Priority date: 1985-10-29
Filing date: 1986-10-28
Publication date: 1987-05-13
Also published as: GB8625730D0; DE8628735U1; GB8526639D0; GB2182356B

Abstract

A sinker bar for a fully fashioned knitting machine has a presser element 12 of a resin-bonded fibre material secured to a metallic sinker bar base 9 at the presser edge 17 of the sinker bar for extending the life of the sinker bar and reducing repair costs. The element 12 is suitably made of resin bonded carbon fibres. Nylon inserts 13, 19 define the slots for the sinkers 18. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sinker Bar This invention relates to a sinker bar for a fully fashioned knitting machine.

Sinker bar covers and presser edges of sinker bars in fully fashioned knitting machines have hitherto been made of brass and the presser edges have been chromium plated to make them hard wearing.

Eventually, however, the needles will wear through the chromium plate and the result is production of low quality fabric necessitating expensive repair of the sinker bar.

It has now been found that by modifying the construction of the sinker bar and employing a composite structure for the bar in which some parts are made of composite material comprising resin bonded fibre, preferably carbon fibre, and some of conventional metal the life of a sinker bar can be significantiy extended reducing repair costs and improving the quality of knitting from the bar when it would otherwise begin to deteriorate. The sinker bar should also be easier to repair.

According to the invention, a sinker bar for a fully fashioned knitting machine comprises a metallic sinker bar base and a presser element secured to the base at the presser edge of the sinker bar, said presser element consisting of a composite material comprising resin bonded fibre having wear properties better than chromium-plated brass.

Preferably, the fibre is carbon fibre.

The invention includes a fully fashioned knitting machine having a sinker bar as just described.

Advantageously, the surface of the sinker bar base to the rear of the presser element (remote from the presser surface) is covered with a nylon insert.

The sinker bar may include a sinker bar cover having its undersurface covered with a nylon insert.

When a nylon insert is provided on the sinker bar base and/or on the sinker bar cover, this or these and the said presser element, are slotted to receive the sinkers.

Advantageously, the presser element and the nylon inserts are secured to the sinker bar base or the sinker bar cover by an adhesive, for example an air drying epoxy resin.

The invention will be further described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of a sinker bar according to the invention, and some associated elements of a fully fashioned knitting machine, and Figure 2 is a cross-section (on a smaller scale) through the sinker bar of Figure 1 and omitting some parts shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows parts of a needle bar 4 and knockover bar 5 of a fully fashioned knitting machine, with associated needles 6 and knocking over bits 7.

A head rail 8 of the knitting machine carries a brass, chromium-plated sinker bar base 9 in the conventional manner. The depth of the sinker bar base 9 is less than that of a conventional sinker bar base and a presser element 12 is secured to the base 9 at the presser edge of the sinker bar and the upper surface of the base 9 is covered with an insert 13 made of nylon (a synthetic polyamide material). The presser element 12 consists of a composite material comprising resin bonded carbon fibre and is rectangular in cross section with its two upper corners 14 and 15 chamfered. The insert 13 comprises a thick strip of sheet material covering the sinker bar base to the rear of the pressure element 12, that is on the side of the presser element 12 remote from the presser surface 16, and it abuts against the rear surface of the presser element 12.Alternatively, the presser element 12 may be made of composite material reinforced with fibre other than carbon fibre provided that the fibre is chosen so that the aim of securing a material with better wear properties than chromium-plated brass is achieved.

The presser element 12 and the insert 13 are so dimensioned and shaped that the lower section of the sinker bar comprising the base 9, the presser element 12 and the insert 13 is, overall, of the conventional size and shape for the knitting machine concerned. The presser element 12 is of substantial thickness (approximately 8 mm in the present case where the knitting machine is 21 gauge) and of substantial width (approximately 20 mm in the present case) so as to provide a sufficiently extensive presser surface 16 for reliable contact with the needles and to ensure that it will have sufficient rigidity to effect the pressing action reliably. In the case of 9 gauge and 12 gauge knitting machines, the presser element 12 may be 9 mm thick.

The sinker bar base 9 extends forward (towards the needles 6) as far as the presser surface 16 of the presser element 12, thus providing support for the presser element over the whole of the undersurface of the latter and enhancing the strength and rigidity of the presser bar structure. Thus the front surface of the sinker bar comprises the presser surface 16 of the presser element 12 and beneath that presser surface, a lip 17 constituted by the front edge of the presser bar base 9.

Sinkers 18 are received in slots formed in the presser element 12 and in the nylon insert 13. The upper edge of each sinker 18 is engaged in a corresponding slot in a further nylon insert 19, constituted, like the insert 13, by a thick strip of synthetic polyamide sheet material, and comprising part of a sinker bar cover 22 to the undersurface of a brass base portion 23 of which it is secured by an air drying epoxy resin adhesive. A falling bar 24 is located, in conventional manner, on top of the base portion 23 and the sinker bar cover 22 is secured to the sinker bar base 9 by bolts (not shown) extending through the base portion 23 into sockets in the sinker bar base, in the usual way.

The nylon insert 19 extends to the front edge of the sinker bar cover 22.

1. A sinker bar for a fully fashioned knitting machine comprising a metallic sinker bar base and a presser element secured to the base at the presser edge of the sinker bar, said presser element consisting of a composite material comprising resin

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Sinker Bar This invention relates to a sinker bar for a fully fashioned knitting machine. Sinker bar covers and presser edges of sinker bars in fully fashioned knitting machines have hitherto been made of brass and the presser edges have been chromium plated to make them hard wearing. Eventually, however, the needles will wear through the chromium plate and the result is production of low quality fabric necessitating expensive repair of the sinker bar. It has now been found that by modifying the construction of the sinker bar and employing a composite structure for the bar in which some parts are made of composite material comprising resin bonded fibre, preferably carbon fibre, and some of conventional metal the life of a sinker bar can be significantiy extended reducing repair costs and improving the quality of knitting from the bar when it would otherwise begin to deteriorate. The sinker bar should also be easier to repair. According to the invention, a sinker bar for a fully fashioned knitting machine comprises a metallic sinker bar base and a presser element secured to the base at the presser edge of the sinker bar, said presser element consisting of a composite material comprising resin bonded fibre having wear properties better than chromium-plated brass. Preferably, the fibre is carbon fibre. The invention includes a fully fashioned knitting machine having a sinker bar as just described. Advantageously, the surface of the sinker bar base to the rear of the presser element (remote from the presser surface) is covered with a nylon insert. The sinker bar may include a sinker bar cover having its undersurface covered with a nylon insert. When a nylon insert is provided on the sinker bar base and/or on the sinker bar cover, this or these and the said presser element, are slotted to receive the sinkers. Advantageously, the presser element and the nylon inserts are secured to the sinker bar base or the sinker bar cover by an adhesive, for example an air drying epoxy resin. The invention will be further described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of a sinker bar according to the invention, and some associated elements of a fully fashioned knitting machine, and Figure 2 is a cross-section (on a smaller scale) through the sinker bar of Figure 1 and omitting some parts shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 shows parts of a needle bar 4 and knockover bar 5 of a fully fashioned knitting machine, with associated needles 6 and knocking over bits 7. A head rail 8 of the knitting machine carries a brass, chromium-plated sinker bar base 9 in the conventional manner. The depth of the sinker bar base 9 is less than that of a conventional sinker bar base and a presser element 12 is secured to the base 9 at the presser edge of the sinker bar and the upper surface of the base 9 is covered with an insert 13 made of nylon (a synthetic polyamide material). The presser element 12 consists of a composite material comprising resin bonded carbon fibre and is rectangular in cross section with its two upper corners 14 and 15 chamfered. The insert 13 comprises a thick strip of sheet material covering the sinker bar base to the rear of the pressure element 12, that is on the side of the presser element 12 remote from the presser surface 16, and it abuts against the rear surface of the presser element 12.Alternatively, the presser element 12 may be made of composite material reinforced with fibre other than carbon fibre provided that the fibre is chosen so that the aim of securing a material with better wear properties than chromium-plated brass is achieved. The presser element 12 and the insert 13 are so dimensioned and shaped that the lower section of the sinker bar comprising the base 9, the presser element 12 and the insert 13 is, overall, of the conventional size and shape for the knitting machine concerned. The presser element 12 is of substantial thickness (approximately 8 mm in the present case where the knitting machine is 21 gauge) and of substantial width (approximately 20 mm in the present case) so as to provide a sufficiently extensive presser surface 16 for reliable contact with the needles and to ensure that it will have sufficient rigidity to effect the pressing action reliably. In the case of 9 gauge and 12 gauge knitting machines, the presser element 12 may be 9 mm thick. The sinker bar base 9 extends forward (towards the needles 6) as far as the presser surface 16 of the presser element 12, thus providing support for the presser element over the whole of the undersurface of the latter and enhancing the strength and rigidity of the presser bar structure. Thus the front surface of the sinker bar comprises the presser surface 16 of the presser element 12 and beneath that presser surface, a lip 17 constituted by the front edge of the presser bar base 9. Sinkers 18 are received in slots formed in the presser element 12 and in the nylon insert 13. The upper edge of each sinker 18 is engaged in a corresponding slot in a further nylon insert 19, constituted, like the insert 13, by a thick strip of synthetic polyamide sheet material, and comprising part of a sinker bar cover 22 to the undersurface of a brass base portion 23 of which it is secured by an air drying epoxy resin adhesive. A falling bar 24 is located, in conventional manner, on top of the base portion 23 and the sinker bar cover 22 is secured to the sinker bar base 9 by bolts (not shown) extending through the base portion 23 into sockets in the sinker bar base, in the usual way. The nylon insert 19 extends to the front edge of the sinker bar cover 22. CLAIMS

1. A sinker bar for a fully fashioned knitting machine comprising a metallic sinker bar base and a presser element secured to the base at the presser edge of the sinker bar, said presser element consisting of a composite material comprising resin bonded fibre having wear properties better than chromium-plated brass.

2. A sinker bar as claimed in claim 1 wherein said composite material comprises resin bonded carbon fibre.

3. A sinker bar as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the sinker bar base extends forward as far as a presser surface of the presser element and provides support for the presser element over the whole of the undersurface of the latter.

4. A sinker bar as claimed in claim 3, wherein the surface ofthe sinker bar base to the rear of the presser element, remote from its presser surface, is covered with a nylon insert.

5. A sinker bar as claimed in claim 4, wherein the sinker bar includes a sinker bar cover having its undersurface covered with a nylon insert, and the insert covering the sinker bar base, the insert underlying the sinker bar cover, and the presser element are each slotted to receive sinkers mounted in the sinker bar.

6. A sinker bar for a fully fashioned knitting machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

7. Afullyfashioned knitting machine incorporating a sinker bar as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.