GB848322A - Improvements in or relating to fabric tensioning devices for knitting machines - Google Patents

Abstract

848,322. Knitting-machines. BENTLEY ENGINEERING CO. Ltd. Aug. 24,1956 [Aug. 24, 1955], No. 24360/55. Class 74 (2). Fabric-engaging members, e.g. in two sets of members 7, 8, are mounted in a circumferentia row around the inside of the needle cylinder mouth, adjacent to the needles and between fabric and cylinder wall, and are moved, each in a closed path, to engage and grasp the exterior of the fabric tube as it is delivered from the needles and to apply withdrawal tension thereto. The members are carried in slots 6b in a cage 6 rotating with the needle cylinder and are moved away from the fabric, upwardly, towards the fabric and downwardly. One member of each set is carried in each slot 6b and the two sets are operated, in out-of-phase relationship, by upper and lower cam races acting in correspondinglypositioned T-slots 7b, 8b in the members. One section of each cam race is made in two parts which may be moved together and removed from the T-slots, wherafter members 7, 8 may be inserted or removed. The member carrying the cam races is mounted with a tube 13 held against normal forward rotation by a spring-urged pawl. When the pawl and its coating slot are as at 15, 13a, Fig. 3, the cam-race may rotate during reverse strokes of the machine, so that the fabric tensioning members are then inoperative. When the pawl and slot are as at 42, 13b, Fig. 16, the members 7, 8 follow their paths, but in the reverse direction, during the backward stroke of the needle cylinder; but the inclination of fabric-engaging bristles on the members ensures that the fabric will still be urged away from the needles. Should the members 7, 8 tend to jam, the appropriate one of divergent faces 13c, 13d of the slot will cam the nose 13d out of engagement with its slot. The members 7, 8 may bear bristles (e.g. of hair, wire or nylon) or strips of material or artificial rubber bearing projections, or natural or artificial fur. They may operate each in turn, in groups, or all at once and may operate once or more than once per course (e.g. at each knitting-point of a multifeed machine or between the knitting-points, or both). The extent of movement of the members may be variable, as by cams having adjustable throw, to allow for variations in the amount of fabric made. A drum-controlled welt presser 25 is withdrawn clear of the needles (dotted line position) when making heels and toes and finishing each stocking, but is released, after the dial jacks have taken their welt loops, to be pressed by a spring upon these loops, to take the newly made fabric 40 in towards the members 7, 8. The presser moves in until in the full-line position, when its nose 25A is above the highest part of the members 7, 8. After welt formation, the presser is withdrawn to the chain-line position, to facilitate subsequent operations such as half-round splicing, and remains operative throughout round-and-round knitting.