GB533879A - Improvements relating to clamping and cutting mechanism for circular knitting machines - Google Patents

Abstract

533,879. Knitting - machines. SCOTT & WILLIAMS, Inc. Dec. 8, 1939, No. 31813. Convention date, Dec. 23, 1938. [Class 74 (ii)] Relates to means for automatically gathering, clamping and cutting wrap yarns in a circular knitting machine and returning them to position for the wrap yarn fingers to reintroduce the yarns. The gathering &c. keeps the space inside the cylinder clear for bights of other yarn to sweep round the knitting area without becoming entangled with inactive wrap yarns. The invention is described in connection with a machine for knitting half hose with elastic tops. The clamping means is located in the middle of 'the needle cylinder below the wrap hand and is moved vertically by the pattern mechanism to carry out the necessary manipulations of the wrap yarns. Revolubly mounted inside a central shaft is a clamp tube 126 on the lower end of which is a clamp plate 127. Inside the tube 126 is a rod 128 which is revoluble with relation to the tube. A disc 129 and a spiral 130 are fixed to the end of the rod. In order that it may gather the yarns to be clamped, the outer end of the spiral extends outwards to a point radially beyond the operating edge 32 of a separator 30. The wrap yarn fingers 766 are above the separator so that the wrap yarns Y pass radially inside the edge 32 and contact with the edge of the plate 129. If the spiral be kept stationary relatively to the wrap yarn fingers, each of the wrap yarns in turn is caught in the opening 132. To clamp the yarns the parts 127, 130 are pressed together. The parts are lifted to clamping position by a pattern-controlled arm 185 acting on a spring-pressed collar 190. A stop 196 limits the upward movement of the rod 128 and separates the spiral and clamp. When the arm 185 is raised the upward end 184 engages a collar 193 and stops the rotation of the rod 128 and spiral. An intermediate stop 199 is used in connection with the release of the wrap-stripe yarns after patterning begins. The rotary motion of the clamp tube is transmitted to the spiral 130, except when gathering wrap yarns by means of four radial pins 145 one of which is engageable by a vertical pin 146 on the spiral. When the spiral and clamp are separated to gather the yarns the pin 146 clears the radial pins 145. The cutter blade 204 is pivoted to a lever 200 and is engaged by a pin 206 when in idle position. Specifications 12722/13, [Class 74 (ii)], 362,899, 362,916 and 383,840 are referred to.