GB858144A - Improvements in and relating to circular knitting machines - Google Patents

Abstract

858,144. Knitting-machines. MORETTA, G. July 1, 1957 [July 2, 1956], No. 20627/57. Class 74 (2). The pneumatic fabric take-down mechanism of a circular stocking machine comprises a tube 7 concentrically mounted within and rotatable with the needle cylinder and through which air is drawn to draw off the fabric as it is produced. The tube is connected to a receptacle in which the stocking is received after it has been castoff the needles, the receptacle having a door which is opened to enable the stocking to be removed and which is operated by linkage from the cam drum of the machine simultaneously with a valve which cuts-off the flow of air. The top of the tube may have a funnel-shaped member 5 secured to it to guide the fabric into the tube and which has fins 29 to assist the downward movement of the fabric, particularly during the formation of the welt. Alternatively, the funnel-shaped member 5 may be separately mounted and slightly spaced from the tube 7. The pneumatic take-down mechanism may be used to turn the stocking inside out on completion and for this purpose there are provided two concentric tubes 30, 31 both rotatable with the needle cylinder and supported on a bearing 34 such that the space between the tubes communicates with one branch 5 of an air conduit and the space in the inside tube communicates with another branch 51. During the knitting of a stocking a valve 52 ensures that air is drawn by an extruder 17 through branch 50 down between the two tubes. On completion of the stocking the valve is reversed so that the air is drawn through branch 51 down the inside tube and the stocking in passing into the middle of the inside tube turns itself inside out. Instead of two branches of the conduit a valve may be positioned immediately beneath bearing 34 and through which the stocking passes to the receptacle. To assist the turning inside out of the stocking the funnel-shaped member 5 is mounted to move axially within the needle cylinder and on completion of a stocking it is raised to engage the underside of the dial to ensure the flow of air and the passage of the stocking from between the tubes to the middle of the inner tube. Specification 816,782 is referred to. Reference has been directed by the Comptroller to Specification 811,636.