GB903877A - Improvements in needle selecting mechanisms in knitting machines - Google Patents

Abstract

903,877. Patterning mechanism for circular knitting-machines. STIBBE & CO. Ltd., G. Dec. 7, 1960 [Dec. 14, 1959], No. 42425/59. Class 74 (2). A circular knitting-machine has, in each needle groove, a spacer 10 which may be raised to actuate a needle by either of two jacks 8, 9, under the control of two patterning mechanisms operating either simultaneously or independently of each other. For plain knitting (Fig. 3), an upthrow cam 11 raises all needle butts 2a to tucking height and a withdrawable cam 14 contacts the butts 8a of all the first jacks 8 to raise them and hence the spacers 10 and needles 2 to clearing height CH to knit a yarn Y. For micro-mesh knitting (Fig. 9), a cam 19 raises the butts 8b of all first jacks 8, and hence spacers 10 and needles 2, to tucking height and a pattern mechanism (Fig. 6), not shown) then raises selected jacks 8, via frangible butts 8c, and hence spacers and needles, to clearing height CH to knit yarn Y on the selected needles. For needle splicing (Figs. 4, 9), the second jacks 9 are arranged with a central panel having long butts 9l flanked by panels of jacks with short butts 9s. The short butts 9s pass under and are not affected by a guard cam 20, the long butts 9l are raised by cam 20 into the path of a withdrawable cam 22, operated if splicing is required, so that the jacks 9 raise the spacers 10 and hence needles 2 to a splicing height X, above the clearing height CH, for the knitting of a yarn Y<SP>1</SP>. Both systems may be operated simultaneously to superimpose splicing on micromesh and the spacers 10 may also have butts for independent actuation. The jacks 9 have nibs 9a so that the nibs of the first and last jacks of the centre panel act on the short butts 9s of adjacent jacks 9 to raise them into the path of a cam which elevates them to splicing height X. These raised jacks act progressively on their adjacent jacks to raise them, via the cam, to splicing height.