GB2196653A - Dust removing apparatus for circular knitting machines - Google Patents

Description

GB2196653A 1 SPECIFICATION the fluttering air jet at a reduced rotational

speed relative to the rotational speed of the Dust removing apparatus for circular knitt- needle cylinder.

ing machines The dust and waste fiber removing appara- 70 tus of the present invention includes at least Field of the Invention one fluttering air jet nozzle supported for rota

This invention relates generally to an appara- tional movement around the drive support for tus for removing dust and waste fibers gener- the dial of the circular knitting machine, and ated by and deposited on the knitting stations includes drive means for imparting rotation to and other knitting elements of a circular knitt- 75 the fluttering air jet nozzle at a lower speed of ing machine, and more particularly to such an rotation than the needle cylinder and the dial.

apparatus particularly adapted for use with a In accordance with the present invention, circular knitting machine of the type including the fluttering air jet nozzle is supported on a a rotating needle cylinder and a dial supported rotating air jet nozzle support and drive ring above and for rotation with the needle cylin- 80 surrounding the support and drive for the dial.

der. The drive ring is supported for rotation on a fixed support ring and the air jet nozzle is Background of the Invention communicatively connected with an annular air

Dust and waste fibers deposited on and flow passage formed in the fixed support ring.

near the knitting stations result in defects in 85 The fixed support ring, surrounding the verti the knit fabric when knit therein, and also may cally extending dial drive shaft, includes an in cause damage to the knitting needles. Many let from the source of compressed air to di prior art devices have been proposed for re- rect the compressed air into the annular air moval of the dust and waste fibers from circu- flow passage of the rotating drive ring. The lar knitting machines. For example, one such 90 rotational speed of the rotating air jet nozzle device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Appli- support and drive ring may be varied relative cation No. SHO 60-192800 (U.S. Appin. No. to the rotational speed of the dial and the 894,656 and U.K. Appin. No. 8619828 - needle cylinder by suitable drive means, illus Pubin. No: 2179681A), assigned to the pretrated as including a spur gear drive train dri sent applicant, and is characterized by provid- 95 vingly connecting the dial drive to the rotating ing a swinging and fluttering air jet nozzle, and air jet nozzle support and drive ring.

swing angle control means for the air jet noz zle. The swing angle control means is fixed to Brief Description of the Accompanying Draw an air jet pipe and surrounds the air jet nozzle. ings Another waste fiber removal device is dis- 100 Other objects and advantages will appear as closed in Japanese Patent Application No. the description proceeds when taken in con

SHO 60-265643 (U.S. Application Serial No. nection with the accompanying drawings, in 919,759), assigned to the applicant, and is which characterized by providing a bevel gear drive Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a mechanism for rotating the air jet nozzle at a 105 typical circular knitting machine including a ro reduced speed, relative to the speed of the tating needle cylinder and dial, and illustrating rotating needle cylinder. Both of these prior the present dust removing apparatus applied waste fiber removal devices are rotated by a thereto; driving connection with the cloth take-up roll Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the upper and are illustrated in association with a single 110 portion of the knitting machine illustrated in cylinder circular knitting machine. Both of Figure 1 and with portions shown in cross these devices operate satisfactorily in the re- section to illustrate the manner in which the moval of dust and waste fibers from various air jet nozzle is supported and rotated around knitting stations and other knitting elements the outer peripheral edge portion of the dial; on this particular type of circular knitting ma- 115 Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sec- chine. However, the prior art waste fiber re- tional view illustrating the manner in which the moval devices are not easily supported for ro- air jet nozzle supply line is supported on the tation on a circular knitting machine of the rotating air jet nozzle support and drive ring; type including both a needle cylinder and a Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view illusrotating dial. 120 trating the manner in which the compressed air supply line is connected to the fixed sup Summary of the Invention port ring and communicatively connects with

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object the annular air flow passage in the rotating air of the present invention to provide a dust and jet nozzle support and drive ring; and waste fiber removal apparatus which is 125 Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary eleva- mounted for rotation around the drive means tional view illustrating the manner in which the for the dial of the circular knitting machine and fluttering air jet rotates around the outer per which combines the advantages of a fluttering ipheral edge portion of the dial.

air jet nozzle and also the advantages of an air jet nozzle provided with means for rotating 130 Description of the Illustrated Embodiment

2 GB 2 196 653A 2 The circular knitting machine includes a plu- tion on a fixed support ring 29 secured to the rality of knitting units or stations, broadly indi- drive housing 16, as by bolts 28 (Figure 3), cated at 5, and only one of which is illus- and surrounding the support hub 17.

trated in the drawings but which are closely The spur gears 23, 25, 26 and 27 collec- spaced around a needle cylinder 9 supported 70 tively define a speed reduction mechanism for for rotation in a support bed 4. The support rotating the air jet nozzle support and drive bed 4 is fixed on the upper ends of legs 2 ring 27 at a reduced speed, relative to the spaced around the support bed 4. The usual rotational speed of the dial 10 and the needle cylinder needles, not shown, are supported for cylinder 9. The additional provision of an idler vertical sliding movement in needle grooves 75 gear in the spur gear drive chain will impart formed on the outer periphery of the rotating rotation to the air jet nozzle support and drive needle cylinder 9 and are raised and lowered ring 27 in a reverse direction from the direc by stitch cams carried in cam blocks 8 sur- tion of rotation of the dial 10 and the needle rounding the needle cylinder 9. cylinder 9. It is preferred that the gear reduc- A fixed upper dial plate 7 is fixed on the 80 tion mechanism drive the air nozzle support lower end of a vertically extending support and drive ring 27 within the range of from sleeve 15. A rotatable dial 10 is supported about one-half to one-tenth of the speed of beneath the fixed upper dial plate 7 and ro- the dial 10 and the needle cylinder 9, prefera tates on a fixed dial supporting disk 11 (Fig- bly about one-sixth of the speed of rotation of ure 2). The rotatable dial 10 is provided with 85 the dial 10 and the needle cylinder 9.

the usual radially extending grooves containing An annular air flow passageway 31 is pro- dial needles, not shown, and the dial 10 is vided around the inner peripheral surface of fixed on the lower end of a dial drive shaft the air jet nozzle support and drive ring 27 12, rotated at the same speed as the needle (Figures 3 and 4). The air flow passageway cylinder 9. The upper end of the dial drive 90 31 is sealed against air leakage by seals 32 shaft 12 is fixed to a top drive gear 13, as by as the air jet nozzle support and drive ring 27 an adjusting nut 14. The top drive gear 13 is is rotated around the fixed support ring 29.

supported for rotation in an upper drive hous- An air inlet nozzle 33 is fixed in the upper ing 16 fixed on the upper end of support legs surface of the fixed support ring 29 and is 20, 21 suitably spaced around the knitting 95 communicatively connected to a passageway machine and having their lower ends fixed on 35 which permits air to enter the annular air the support bed 4. flow passageway 31 (Figure 4). An air supply An access cover 22 is provided on the up- tube 34 is connected at one end to the nozzle per end of the drive housing 16 and the teeth 33 and its other end is connected to a suit on the outer peripheral surface of the top 100 able source of compressed air, not shown.

drive gear 13 are drivingly connected to the Thus, air from the compressed air source tra conventional drive of the knitting machine ex- vels through the tube 34, nozzle 33, passage tending upwardly through one of the support way 35, and into the annular air flow pass legs 20, 21 (not shown). The lower portion of ageway 31 in the air jet nozzle support and the drive housing 16 is provided with a cen- 105 drive ring 27. As shown in Figure 3, an air tral downwardly extending support hub 17 in passageway 36 is communicatively connected which the upper end of the sleeve 15 is sup- with the annular air flow passageway 31 and ported for vertical adjustment by an adjust- has an outlet nozzle 37 connected thereto.

ment nut 18 (Figure 2). The adjustment nut The upper end of an air jet nozzle supply 18 permits vertical adjustment of the dial 10, 110 and support pipe 38 is connected to the noz relative to the needle cylinder 9, to insure pro- zle 37 and its lower end is connected to and per alignment of the cylinder needles and the supports a fluttering air jet nozzle, broadly in dial needles, in the conventional manner. By dicated at 39 in Figure 5. While only a single means of the conventional machine drive, the support pipe 38 and fluttering air jet nozzle 39 dial 10 and the needle cylinder 9 are rotated 115 are illustrated in Figure 5, it is to be under together by means of the top drive gear 13 stood that a plurality of fluttering air jet and the dial drive shaft 12. nozzles 39, for example two to five, may be In accordance with the present invention, a supported on the air jet nozzle support and spur gear 23 is fixed to and extends below drive ring 27 to direct cleaning air onto the the top drive gear 13 and drivingly engages a 120 dial 7 and other suitable mechanisms of the spur gear 25. The spur gear 25 is fixed to the knitting machine. The support pipe 38 is pre upper end of a vertical drive shaft 24 sup- ferably formed of non- resilient material, such ported for rotation in the lower portion of the as metal or the like, while the fluttering air jet drive housing 16. A spur gear 26 is fixed on nozzle 39 is formed of resilient material, such the lower end of the drive shaft 24 and drivin- 125 as a vinyl tube, so that when compressed air gly engages with gear teeth on the peripheral is forced through the nozzle 39, it irregularly edge of an air jet nozzle drive and support swings to and fro and side to side, or flutters, ring 27 surrounding the support hub 17 and as illustrated in dash-dot lines in Figure 5. If the dial drive shaft 12. The air jet nozzle sup- desired, swing angle control means may be port and drive ring 27 is supported for rota- 130 applied to the air jet nozzle 39 to adjust and 3 GB2196653A 3 limit the amount of swinging movement of the air jet support means and to the drive means lower end of the air jet nozzle 39. A swing for said dial drive shaft for imparting driving angle control of this type is disclosed in co- rotation to said air jet nozzle at a reduced pending U.S. Patent Application Serial No. speed relative to said dial and said needle cyl- 894,656. 70 inder.

The dust removing apparatus of the present 3. In a circular knitting machine according to

Claims (2)

1. invention has been disclosed and described as Claim 1 or 2, wherein said

   fluttering air jet being built into a circular knitting machine of nozzle support means includes a fixed support the type including a dial and a needle cylinder. ring surrounding said dial drive shaft, and an However, it is to be understood that this dust 75 air nozzle support and drive ring supported for removing apparatus may be added to an exist- rotation on said fixed support ring and being ing circular knitting machine including a dial drivingly connected to said drive means.

   and a needle cylinder. In this case, the air jet 4. In a circular knitting machine according to nozzle support and drive ring 27 and the fixed Claim 3 including an annular air flow passage- support ring 29 would be of the split ring 80 way surrounding said fixed support ring, a type so that they could be easily added compressed air supply connected to said sup around the hub 17 of the drive housing 16. port ring and communicatively connected with Also, the air jet nozzle support and drive ring said annular air flow passageway wherein said 27 may be rotated by means of an individual fluttering air jet nozzle is fixed on sa,id air noz- variable speed motor to rotate the one or 85 zle support and drive ring, and wherein said more air jet nozzles 39 around the periphery fluttering air jet nozzle is communicatively con of the dial 7. The fluttering air jet nozzle 39 nected with said annular air flow passageway.

   irregularly swings back and forth blowing off 5. Dust and waste fiber removing apparatus any dust or waste fibers on a wide area of substantially as hereinbefore described with the dial 7 and near the knitting stations 5. 90 reference to the accompanying drawings.

   The angle of swing motion of the air jet noz- 6. A circular knitting machine in combination zle 39 is influenced by the quantity of air with apparatus according to claim 5.

   passing through the jet, the diameter of the jet nozzle, the length and stiffness of the noz- Published 1988 at The Patent Office, State House, 66/71 High Holborn, London WC 1 R 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from zle, and, therefore, may be adjusted to oper- The Patent Office, Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3RD.

   ate within a preferred range which may be Printed by Burgess & Son (Abingdon) Ltd. Con. 1/87.

   determined by experimentation.

   In the drawings and specification there has been set forth the best mode presently Con templated for the practice of the present in vention, and although specific terms are em ployed, they are used in a generic and des criptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being de fined in the claims.

   CLAIMS 1. In a circular knitting machine including a rotatable needle cylinder, a dial rotatable in timed relationship to rotation of the needle cylinder, and means for supporting and driving said dial including a vertical dial drive shaft extending upwardly from the center of said dial, the combination therewith of a dust and waste fiber removing apparatus comprising at least one fluttering air jet nozzle for directing air onto and blowing away waste fibers and the like from the top of said dial and the area adja- cent the juncture of said dial and said needle cylinder, means surrounding said dial drive shaft for supporting said fluttering air jet nozzle for rotational movement around the outer peripheral portion of said dial and drive means for imparting rota- tion to said support means and for rotating said fluttering air jet nozzle along a path around said dial and said needle cylinder.
2. 2. In a circular knitting machine according to Claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises a gear train drivingly connected to said fluttering