GB2201430A - Selector device for circular knitting machine - Google Patents

Description

TITLE: Selector device for circular knitting machine.

This invention relates to a selector device according to the introductory category of the principal claim.

In respect of the magnet device and the selectors, this device is already known from-DE-OS 29 20 407. The other features have been the subject of prior public use in the Federal Republic of Germany.

With a Selector device of this class, it is possible either to knit (fully to extend the-needles) or not to knit (to allow the needles to revolve in the non-extended condition). The middle position "capture" cannot be obtained with this device. If one wished to do this with the known device, then first "knit" would need to be selected and in the succeeding operation the needles would need to be drawn out of the knitting position and left in the capture position. Additional room would therefore be needed in the circumferential direction of the cylinder and it would then be possible to knit only with half the system number.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device of the initially named type, with which it is possible not to knit, to capture or to knit, in a simple and reliable manner and vith.out reduction in the system number.

According to the present invention, this task is achieved by the features given in the characterization part of the principal claim.

By the features of claim 2 the result is achieved that each selector plate fulfils its own function without a risk of the one selector plate influencing the other.

By the features of claim 3 the result is achieved that the selector plates can retain their hitherto usual thickness, which is not the case in the solution according to claim 2.

By the features of claim 4, the result is achieved that the selector plates have, in partial regions, only approximately half the thickness that hitherto was usual, whereas, for example in the region of the selectors, they may have their old width and thus more carrying area is available.

The invention is now described with reference to preferred examples of embodiment thereof. The figures in the drawing Show: Fig. 1 a radial Section in the region of the magnet devices, with a position corresponding to "not knit" (rotation), Fig. 2 a section according to Fig. 1 for the case "knit" (needles extend), Fig. 3 a section as in Fig. 1, but for the position "capture", Fig. 4 a cross-section, showing the arrangement of plates and ribs, for the arrangement of plates according to Figures 1 - 3, Fig. 5 a schematic view on section 5-5 of Fig. 1 in the region of the magnet device, but with selector plates omitted, Fig. 6 a section similar to Fig. 5, but for a plate arrangement according to, Fig. 7 where, Fig. 7a shows the position "not knit", Fig. 7b shows the position "capture" and Fig. 7c shows the position "knit", all schematically, Fig. 8 a radial view from the outside looking inwards of two selector plates, which mutually guide each other.

According to Fig. 1, at a considerable distance to the right thereof, a vertical geometric longitudinal axis 11 is provided. A cylinder cam ring 12 is mounted coaxially and stationarily relative to this axis.

This ring carries, externally at the top, a needle cam 13 with needle cam channel 14, which is rigidly connected with the cylinder cam ring 12.

Beneath the needle cam 13, a first pusher cam 16 having a first pusher cam channel 17 and, below this, a second pusher can 18 having a second pusher cam channel 19, are provided.

The bottom of the cylinder cam ring 12 has, bene-ath, a circular dise 21 of the same diameter as the cylinder cam ring 12. A first magnet device 22 and a second magnet device 23 are fixed beneath onto the disc 21, the magnet device 22 being at a radius situated further out than the magnet device 23. A thick line 24 denotes the separation between the two devices. The devices are not shown in greater detail in the drawing, but are constructed as those already in public use or those that are shown in DE-OS 29 20 407. Figure 2 in that publication is upside down relative to the present illustration. The magnet device 22 has a left-hand magnet 26 and a right-hand magnet 27. Between them a selector channel 28, having a left-hand wall 29 and a right-hand wall 31, is disposed.As shown in Fig. 5, a constriction 32 is provided, in Which selectors 33 revolving in the selector channel 28 are brought into their middle position in order then, depending upon the governing action of the left magnet 26 and/or the right magnet 27, to come into bearing according to Fig. 5 against the left-hand wall 29 in the left-hand position corresponding to "not knit" or into their right-hand position corresponding to "knit". The number of selectors 33 is the same as the number of needles 34. The selectors 33 can be magnetically attracted or repelled.

They have a downwardly open opening 36, open towards the edge, and enclose in a kind of flat ball joint the conical neck 37 of an associated selector plate 38, which is radially slideable, in a known manner not illustrated here, in radial slits of a selector and tilting lever ring 39. As can be seen from Fig. 1, the selector plate 38 has the general form of a bridge. It has a front edge 41, which continues to the right and upwards thereof into a horizontal step 42, which is at a specific distance in height from the groove base 43. To the right, the selector plate 38 has a rear edge 44, which is vertical. The position of the selector plate 38 according to Fig. 1 corresponds to the condition "not knit".

The associated selector 33 bears, as shown in Fig. 5, against the left-hand wall 29. In the condition of Fig. 2 i; bears against the rigilt-hand wall 31.

In the condition of Fig. 1, the right-hand foot 46 of a tilting lever 47 rests upon the step 42. A leaf spring 48 biases the tilting lever 47 clockwise about its bottom pivoting zone, the leaf spring 48 bearing internally, in the region shown, against the rotating needle cylinder 49, which guides both the needle 34 and also a pusher 51. There is one tilting lever 47 for each needle 34 and each pusher 51. The lower region of the pusher 51 is encompassed by the tilting lever 47 with a fork 52, and because the tilting lever 47 has its maximum, counter-clockwise rotated position, the foot 53 of the pusher 51 is not located in the second pusher cam channel 19 and also the second foot 54, to be described later, is not located in the first pusher cam channel 17. The needle therefore remains in the lower position, For the sake of completeness it may be mentioned that the drawing of Fig. 1 also shows the needle cover 56 (fixed) and the rotating sinker ring 57, the rotating plate-ring 58, the plate cam carrier 59, the sinker 61, the plate cam 62 and the thread guide 63.

In the condition of Fig. 2, the selector plate 38 has been pulled to the right by the associated selector 33, the step 42 is out of range of the foot 46 and therefore the leaf spring 48 has rotated the tilting lever 47 to its furthest clockwise position, in which the foot 46 rests upon the groove base 43. Consequently, the pusher 51 has been pivoted to the right, so that the foot 53 is now located in the second pusher cam channel 19. The needle 34 is consequently controlled upwards into its knitting position. As can be seen, the foot 54 is inactive.

That which has so far been described corresponds basically to the state of the art. Mention should be made only of the form of the tilting lever 47 which can be seen from the drawing, which is more compact and compressed than the hitherto usual form, the arms leading directly out wards from a flat central portion.

According to Fig. 1, to the right of the thick line 24, the aforementioned new magnet device 23 is situated. According to Fig. 5 a selector channel 64 is also provided here, which continues into a constriction 66, followed in turn by a divergence 67. A left-hand wall 68 extends initially in the manner of a funnel towards the right, then forms the left edge of the constriction 66, and finally runs outwards towards the left in the divergent zone 67.

A right-hand wall 69 runs in a straight line in contrast to the differing form of the other walls. Selectors 71, identical in form to the selectors 33, run in the selector channel 64. Depending upon whether electromagnetic forces pull the selectors 71 to the left or the right, these selectors will bear against the wall 68 or the wall 69. The selectors 31 are, once again, connected by a ball joint connection with the associated selector plates 72. The selector plates 72 have very much the same form as the selector plates 38, but in contrast to the latter they have a projecting arm 73 extending considerably towards the left. This arm possesses, in its left end zone, a half-high step 74 and a left front edge 76. In the position "knit" according to Fig. 2, the front edges 41, 76 are in alignment in the direction of viewing.

If, as shown in Fig. 3, the selector plate 38 is in its right-hand position and the selector plate 72 in its left-hand position, then the foot 46 can rest upon the horizontal step 74 and is held down on it by the leaf spring 48. In respect of its pivoting, the tilting lever 47 is now. in its middle position, which can be seen from a comparison of the figures. In this position, the tilting lever 47 brings the foot 54 into the first pusher cam channel 17 and the pusher 51 controls the needle 34 into the capture position shown in Fig. 3, that is to say a thread can indeed be placed in the needle, but the needle does not make a stitch.

Fig. 4 shows how in principle such an arrangement of the selector plates 38, 72 is possible. Between each of them there is a rib 77, 78, these ribs providing the separation from the adjacent selector plates and being themselves about 0.3 mm thick, like the selector plates. These ribs 77, 78 are not shown in figures 1 to 3.

In the example of embodiment according to figures 6 and 7, the selector plates 79, 81 are not alongside one another but behind one another. The selector plate 81 has only a straight front edge 82, which can bear against and push the rear edge 8-3.

Here the selector plate 79 possesses not only a step 84, corresponding to the step 42, but also a second, half-high step 86. If the foot 46 rests upon the step 84, this denotes "not knit". If it rests upon the half-high step 86, according to Fig. 7b, then this denotes "capture". If it rests upon the groove base, then that denotes "knit".

In the condition according to Fig. 7a and 7c the front edge 82 and rear edge 83 are not in contact. Only in Fig. 7b does the selector plate 81 push the selector plate 79 into a middle position, as shown in Fig. 6 at the letter b. Corresponding positions are shown at the letters a and c. In the conditions according to figures 7a and 7c, the selector plate 81 is not active. Its position is in;naterial.

The magnet device responsible fr the selector plate 81 is here governed with time delay in such a manner that the tilting lever 47 is already in bearing with its foot 46 upon the step 86. The step cheek 87 then constitutes a stop with the straight edge 88 of the foot 46. On account of the straight edge 88 in the step cheek 87, the selector plate 79 cannot move further to the left than its middle position shown in Fig. 6.

It cannot escape to the right on account of the bearing of the front edge 82 and rear edge 83 against each other.

The selector channel 28 is the same as in the first example, as also is the magnet device 22.

The selector channel 89 has, however, a funnel 91 in the present case.

The constriction 92 is once again opposite the constriction 32. The left-hand wall 93 here runs straight and parallel to the airection of movement of the selectors, from the constriction 92 onwards. The righthand wall 94 diverges in funnel-shape outwards. In Fig. 6, no magnet is required to the right of the selector channel 98, because the position of the selector plate 81 is immaterial in this case. A magnet is necessary only to the left thereof, so that the selector s shall ru:l in a straight line along the left-hand wall 93.

According to Fig. 8, a third form of selector plates is also possible.

The method of governing here is the same as in the first example.

The selector plate 96. corresponds to the selector plate 38. Accordingly, it has the step 42, Its portion situated below the step 42 has a rectangular opening 97, which as shown in Fig. 8 is open downwards and to the left. - This opening in reality takes up about one half the width.

A further selector plate 98, which is shown in dotted line and the boundary of which lies essentially in the boundary of the selector plate 96, extends with an I-profile of rectangular cross-section outwards and fits with this I-profile into the opening 97. The I-profile 99 and also the I-profile 101 of equal size of the selector plate 96 rest upon the groove base 43. Provided that the selector plate 98 is not covered over in operation ifiside view by the selector plate 96, the two selector plates have the same thickness. The I-profile 99 constitutes with its upper face 102 the step 74.

Claims (5)

Claims

1. Selector device for needles of a circular knitting machine, comprising a non-rotating cylinder cam ring, comprising a first electromagnetic magnet device, provided beneath the cylinder cam ring and rigidly connected therewith', the magnetic field of which is capable of acting in a first selector channel, the selector channel possessing, in the region of the magnet device, a funnel-shaped constriction followed by a funnelshaped divergence, comprising magnetizable selectors travelling in the selector channel, which can be moved by the magnet device against the outer wall of the selector channel corresponding to a "not knit" coJTLmand and can be moved against the inner wall of the selector channel corresponding to a "knit" command, comprising a selector plate, the head of which projects into the selector channel and which is guided in a slit, rotatable selector and tilting lever ring, with a first step on the tilting lever end of the selector plate and comprising a tilting lever, which is guided pivotally in the tilting lever ring about an axis and which possesses a foot, which rests upon the first step in the high position, corresponding to "not knit", or in the base of the slit corresponding to "knit", comprising a fork end on the tilting lever which fits around the lower region of a pusher which engages with a first foot into a first channel of a pusher cam only in the case of "knit", and comprising a needle which can be controlled by the pusher into the positions "knit" and "not knit", characterized by the combination of the following features a) The pusher has a second foot corresponding to a command "capture" and the pusher cam has a second channel associated therewith, b) A second selector plate is associated with the same tilting lever, which (selector plate) sets an intermediate position corresponding to "capture", in which intermediate position "capture" the foot of the selector plate rests upon a half-high step and the second foot of the pusher is situated in the second channel of the pusher canL c) For the second selector plate a second magnet device is provided, radially offset from the first magnet device, which (second device) possesses a second selector channel which likewise possesses a funnel-shaped constriction and thereafter a funnel-shaped divergence, d) The second selectors running in the second selector channel are movable, corresponding to the "capture" command, against the outer wall of the second selector channel.

2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the second selector plate possesses the half-high step, which penetrates beneath the foot of the tilting lever when the first selector plate is in its position 'knit", and that the second selector plate is provided parallel to the first selector plate and separated therefrom at a short distance by a thin rib.

3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first selector plate possesses a second step corresponding to "capture" at the tilting lever end, and that the second selector plate is provided, in an inner radius region, in a linear continuation of the first selector plate, the first selector plate being pushed, in its middle position corresponding to "capture", by the second selector plate.

4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first selector plate has a half-thickness over one part region and a full thickness over the other part region, that the second selector plate is of complementary form thereto, the one plate guiding the other in its radial movement and that both are provided in the same slit.

5. A seictor device for needles of a circular knitting machine as claimed in Claim 1, -substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.