JP2015048536A - Active feed device of warp for knitting machine and knitting machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an active feed device of warp that is capable of inserting a required length of warp into a knit stitch.SOLUTION: The active feed device of warp for a knitting machine includes: a warp pipe for supplying warp therethrough to a tooth port of a knitting machine; a drive roller for drawing a required length of warp from a yarn source of warp and actively feeding the required length of warp; an air pipe for blowing airflow from an inlet side of the warp pipe into the warp pipe and advancing the warp in the warp pipe toward the outlet side.

Description

  The present invention relates to a warp active feed device for a knitting machine, and more particularly to a device for feeding a warp yarn of a required length into a knitted fabric and a knitting machine using this device.

  Patent documents 1 to 3 (JP2013-40411A, US2005 / 123715A, WO97 / 21860) disclose knitting a knitted fabric in which a warp is inserted into a knit structure. In such a knitted fabric, warp yarn is supplied from a pipe to the mouth of the knitting machine, and the staple yarn is knitted into a knit structure with the needle of the knitting machine. The warp is then inserted into the knit structure. Also, weft yarns (weft yarns) are inserted into the knit structure by inlays or tacks to form a knitted fabric composed of warp yarns, weft yarns and staple yarns, for example. When a high-rigidity yarn such as carbon fiber, glass fiber, or aramid yarn is used for the warp and weft, a strong knitted fabric is obtained. Further, if any one of warp, weft, and staple, for example, a staple is used as a thermoplastic resin yarn and the yarn is partially melted after knitting, the shape of the knitted fabric is fixed.

  Other prior art is shown. Patent Document 4 (JP3603031B) discloses that a required length of knitting yarn is positively supplied from a yarn source to a mouth side by a driving roller. In this way, a knitted fabric having a target size can be knitted.

JP2013-40411A US2005 / 123715A WO97 / 21860 JP3603031B

  The inventor is considering knitting a knitted fabric in which a warp is inserted into a knitted structure into a flat and long shape as well as a desired three-dimensional shape. In particular, for knitting a three-dimensional knitted fabric, turn knitting, smooth knitting, and the like are preferable. In turn-up knitting (hereinafter simply referred to as “turn-back”), a stitch that forms the next stitch or a stitch that does not form is held by the needle and fed to the needle that forms the next stitch to form the next stitch. To do. Similarly, in smooth knitting, yarn is fed to only some of the needles to form the next stitch. The direction in which the stitches are formed by a single movement of the carriage is called the course direction (width direction), and the direction perpendicular to this is called the wale direction (length direction). In turnback and smooth knitting, the length of the knitted fabric in the wale direction That is, the length changes depending on the place, and a three-dimensional knitted fabric can be knitted. Further, the knitted fabric is pulled down by the lowering roller, but it is difficult to apply an appropriate pulling force to all the stitches by turning back or smooth knitting.

  The inventor has experienced that when a knitted fabric for inserting a warp into a knit structure is knitted by turning back, the warp is not sufficiently inserted into the knit structure. This is because the length of the knitted fabric is uneven in pulling back and smooth knitting, etc., and the pulling force tends to be insufficient, and the pulling force from the lowering roller is added to the staple yarn, It was because it was difficult to join. If the warp is insufficiently inserted, the length of the knitted fabric is insufficient at the corresponding portion, and the desired knitted fabric is not obtained.

The present invention solves the problem that a difference in the number of courses occurs in the knitted fabric, and the knitted fabric is not properly pulled down by the lowering roller, so that a required amount of warp cannot be inserted.
An object of the present invention is to provide a warp active feed device for a knitting machine that can insert a warp of a required length into a knit structure.

  The present invention relates to a warp active feed device for a knitting machine comprising a plurality of warp pipes for supplying warp through a warp to at least one warp from a plurality of warp yarn sources. Supplying the warp drawn by the power roller mechanism to the mouth of the knitting machine by blowing a flow of air into the warp pipe and a power roller mechanism having a plurality of drive rollers for pulling out the warp yarn for a required length and actively sending it out An air injection mechanism.

  In this invention, a combination of pulling out a warp of a required length from a yarn source by a driving roller and actively sending it out, blowing an air flow into the warp pipe, and advancing the warp to the exit side in the warp pipe, A warp is inserted into the knit structure. According to the inventor's experience, a warp having a required length cannot be inserted with only one of these, but a warp having a required length can be inserted into a knit structure by using both. The drive roller pulls out the warp from the yarn source and feeds the warp of the required length to the warp pipe. Then, by blowing an air flow into the warp pipe, the warp can be advanced to the outlet side in the pipe and inserted into the knit structure. When the present invention is combined with Patent Document 4 and the required length of the staple yarn, or the required length of the staple yarn and the weft yarn are pulled out and actively sent out by the driving roller, a knitted fabric of a desired size can be knitted with high accuracy.

  In the present invention, knitted fabrics of various shapes can be knitted by turning back, smooth knitting, and a knitted fabric of a desired size can be knitted even by turning back, smooth knitting or the like. Hereinafter, a three-dimensional knitting by turning back, smooth knitting or the like is referred to as a three-dimensional knitting. Although the knitted fabric can be knitted without relying on the lowering roller, the knitting machine may be provided with a lowering roller. In the knitting places other than the three-dimensional knitting, the knitting can be performed in a substantially desired shape without the active feeding of the warp yarn by the driving roller and the blowing of the air flow, and these may be omitted. However, in order to knit the knitted fabric into a desired shape, it is preferable that the warp yarns are actively fed by the driving roller and the air flow is blown even at a knitting place other than the three-dimensional knitting. Furthermore, when the air flow from the air pipe is used, it becomes easy to set the warp pipe through the warp. If the warp pipe can be moved in the left-right direction, it can also serve as a weft carrier inserted by inlay or tack, and there is no need to provide a pipe dedicated for warp. Since a plurality of drive rollers can be controlled independently, it is possible to insert as many warp yarns as necessary at the necessary portions of the knitted fabric.

  Preferably, a control means is further provided for controlling the power roller mechanism so that the drive roller sends out a warp of a required length according to knitting. For example, when the knitting machine performs turn back knitting, smooth knitting, etc., the control means sends out a warp of a required length. The warp is preferably sent out every course such as turn-up knitting and smooth knitting, or every two courses. The required length of the warp can be obtained from knitting data, for example. At this time, an air flow is blown from the air pipe into the warp pipe. In this way, a warp of a required length is inserted into a region where a new stitch is formed, and the warp advances in the warp pipe by an air flow. In the region where the stitch is not formed, the required length of the warp is 0, for example, and in the region where the stitch is formed, the required length of the warp is, for example, the length direction size for one stitch. Here, if knitting is performed in the order of knit, miss, and knit, both sides are knit, so the position of the miss is also included in the region where the stitch is formed, and warp is also supplied to the position of the miss. The control data of the driving roller and the data such as necessity of air blowing are obtained by analyzing the knitting data of the knitted fabric, for example, but these data may be set manually.

  Preferably, the air injection mechanism has a plurality of air pipes for injecting air into the warp pipes, and the drive roller sends out a plurality of warps per one, and the plurality of sent out warps are inserted into the respective warp pipes. It is configured to be. One warp may be sent out to one drive roller. However, since a large number of warps are used, providing the same number of drive rollers as the number of warps increases the space occupied by the power roller mechanism. Therefore, for example, when a plurality of adjacent warps, for example, 2 to 5 warps are sent from one drive roller to, for example, a plurality of adjacent warp pipes, the number of power roller mechanisms can be reduced.

  Preferably, the air injection mechanism is further provided with an air pipe for weft that blows air from above into the tooth opening so as to hold down the weft when inserting the weft along the course direction. In this way, it is possible to prevent the weft (such as the inlay yarn of the embodiment) from floating from the mouth.

  Preferably, a plurality of the warp pipes and a plurality of the air pipes are provided, and an air flow pipe for supplying an air flow to a plurality of air pipes, for example, 5 to 50 air pipes, is further provided. ing. In this way, the number of pipes and the number of valves can be reduced.

  According to the inventor's experience, when the warp is sent from the warp pipe to the mouth, the air flow is pulsed, that is, intermittently repeatedly, rather than blowing air continuously at a constant flow rate. , Can insert warp efficiently. Further, an air flow may be continuously blown from the air pipe to the warp pipe, but the air flow may be stopped when the warp is not fed and the knit structure is not knitted. If the air flow is strengthened at the place where the warp is fed, and the air flow is weakened at the place where the warp is not sent, the warp can be made to stand upright from the heel of the mouth and not interfere with the needle on the needle bed. Here, in the case of supplying air in a pulse manner, the average flow rate is increased at the place where the warp is fed, and the average flow rate is reduced at the place where the warp is not sent.

  Preferably, when the knitting machine is knitting a three-dimensional knitted fabric, the power roller mechanism is controlled so that a warp of a required length is positively supplied to the tooth mouth. Since a warp having a required length is reliably supplied when knitting a three-dimensional knitted fabric, a three-dimensional knitted fabric having a desired shape can be knitted.

  Moreover, this invention exists in the knitting machine provided with said active feeding apparatus of the warp. The knitting machine is equipped with a needle bed and a carriage that moves on the needle bed to operate the needle, or a linear motor for each needle, and supplies the staple from the carrier, and when inserting the weft, supplies it from the carrier for the weft . The knitting machine may be a flat knitting machine or a circular knitting machine. This knitting machine does not need to be provided with a lowering roller, and the knitted fabric into which the warp is inserted can be knitted into a desired shape.

Block diagram showing a warp active feeding device and a flat knitting machine of an embodiment Main part front view of the yarn feeding pipe of the example Flowchart showing a warp feeding algorithm in the embodiment FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the timing of active feeding of warp yarns in the embodiment, in which 1) shows hardware such as an active feeding device, 2) shows the operation of the yarn feeding roller, and 3) shows air blowing. The perspective view of the multilayer knitted fabric knitted in the Example The figure which shows the structure of the knitted fabric of FIG. The figure which shows the structure of the knitted fabric of a modification

  In the following, an optimum embodiment for carrying out the invention will be shown.

  FIG. 1 to FIG. 7 show a warp active feed device 4 (hereinafter referred to as “feed device 4”) and a flat knitting machine 2 provided with this, and a circular knitting machine is used instead of the flat knitting machine. May be. The flat knitting machine 2 includes, for example, a carriage 8 that reciprocates on a pair of front and rear needle beds 6 and 6 on the needle bed 6 to operate the needles of the needle bed 6 and knit the knit structure of the knitted fabric. A controller 10 of the flat knitting machine 2 controls the carriage 8 and the like based on the knitting data of the knitted fabric. Reference numerals 12 and 14 are carriers, 12 is a carrier of a staple yarn (knitting yarn) forming a knit structure of the knitted fabric, and 14 is a carrier for weft yarn inserted into the knitted fabric by inlay or tack. The carriers 12 and 14 are driven by the carriage 8 or run in synchronism with the carriage 8, and the staples or wefts are passed through the pipes of the carriers 12 and 14 from a thread source (not shown) to the needle beds 6 and 6. Supplied between the mouths. When there is one needle bed 6, the region where the needle advances and retreats at the tip of the needle bed to form a stitch is the mouth.

  The power roller mechanism 18 includes a driving roller 22 that is rotated by a motor 20 such as a stepping motor or a servo motor, and an encoder 21 that monitors the rotational speed of the driving roller 22 or the motor 20. Driven rollers 23 and 24 are provided for the transfer. Then, for example, warp yarns 26 from three yarn sources 25 (cone, bobbin, etc.) are wound around the same drive roller 22 to draw out a warp of a required length, and the warp yarns of the pipe assembly 36 are passed through the rollers 28, 29, etc. Send to pipe. Since the power roller mechanism 18 includes a plurality of drive rollers 22 and controls them independently, warp yarns having a length required for each knitting location can be drawn from the yarn source 25. A compressor 30 generates compressed air, stores the compressed air in the tank 32, and supplies the compressed air from the pipe 34 to the air pipes 41 and 42 of the pipe assembly 36 via the valve 33. Among these, the air pipe 41 is for the weft and the air pipe 42 is for the warp. The warp 26 may be sandwiched between the drive roller 22 and the driven roller, and the drive roller 22 may be rotated by a target rotation angle so that the warp 26 does not slip with respect to the drive roller 22.

  A pipe assembly 36 is shown in FIG. 2, and for example, 21 warp pipes 40, generally 10 to 100, are attached to the base 44. The same number of warp air pipes 42 are attached to the base 45, and an air stream of compressed air is blown into the warp pipe 40 from slightly above the upper end of the warp pipe 40 to advance the warp 26 in the pipe 40. The air pipe 41 for the weft presses the weft not shown, and blows compressed air into the tooth opening in order to prevent the weft from lifting. Then, compressed air is supplied from the pipe 34 for each pipe assembly 36, and blowing of compressed air is turned on / off for each pipe assembly 36. Three warps 26 are pulled out by the same drive roller 22 three by three and fed into three warp pipes 40. Therefore, the knitted fabric pattern is preferably changed in units of three warps. The tank 32 and the air pipe 41 for weft need not be provided. The pipe assembly 36 includes a plurality of warp pipes 40 and air pipes 41 and 42 arranged in an arbitrary structure. One to a plurality of pipe assemblies 36 are arranged along the needle bed 6.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the controller 38 of the feeder 4 controls the motor 20, the compressor 30, and the valve 33. The controller 38 receives data indicating which warp is to be inserted in the next course (next stroke of the carriage 8) from the controller 10 of the flat knitting machine, and draws and inserts the warp to be inserted by a driving roller to a required length. Control is performed so that air is blown into the pipe assembly 36 having warps. This data may indicate the warp to be inserted, or indicate the needle that forms the stitch, and the controller 38 may determine the necessary warp from this. Except for the end of the knitted fabric, the required length of the warp is determined by the length of one stitch, and may vary from the length of one stitch at the beginning and end of knitting. The required length of the warp is specified by the knitting data of the knitted fabric, and the controller 10 sends the required length of the warp to the controller 38 by an appropriate method. Note that the motor 20, the compressor 30, and the valve 33 may be controlled by the controller 10 of the flat knitting machine without providing the controller 38. In accordance with the length of the knitted fabric in the length direction, the length for pulling out the knitting yarn is controlled by the drive roller 22 unit. If the driving roller 22 pulls out the warp one by one, the length inserted into the knitted fabric can be changed for each warp. Further, the timing of sending out the warp is sent out every course of the knit structure into which the warp is inserted, or sent out every two courses.

  3 and 4 show the yarn feeding algorithm of the warp yarn 26. FIG. In step 1, the required length of the warp yarn 26 in the next course is obtained. When the carriage 8 approaches the warp pipe 40 (step 2), the warp yarn 26 is fed and air is blown (steps 3 and 4). The feeding of the warp 26 by the drive roller 22 is preferably performed simultaneously with the formation of the stitches on both sides of the warp yarn 26. However, since the warp yarns 26 are fed three by three, it is executed until the formation of the stitches around the warp yarns 26 is completed. To do. It is preferable that air is blown simultaneously with the formation of the stitches on both sides of the warp yarn 26. However, since air is turned on / off in units of the pipe assembly 36, air is blown for a longer period. Then, as shown in the lower right of FIG. 4, it is possible to reliably feed the warp yarn 26 into the tooth mouth with a small amount of air, as shown in the lower right of FIG. When the carriage passes, the air blowing is stopped or the air blowing is weakened (steps 5 and 6).

  FIG. 5 shows an example of the knitted fabric, and FIG. 6 shows a main part of the knitted fabric 60. 62 is a normal part that performs normal knitting without turning back, and 64 is a turning back part 64 that performs turning back. Lines 65 and 65 indicate not the boundary or the like but the same position on the knitted fabric 60. Similarly, the lines 66 and 66 indicate the same position. For example, between the lines 65 and 65, the stitch remains locked to the needle and knitting is not performed. As knitting from the bottom to the top of FIG. 6, the knitting is stopped when the lower line is passed, and the knitting is resumed when the upper line is passed. By turning back, the upward projection in FIG. 5 is knitted.

  The structure of the knitted fabric 60 is shown in the lower part of FIG. In addition to the warp yarn 26, a weft yarn 68 is supplied from the carrier 14 and inserted into the knitted fabric 60 by inlay or tack. Then, the knit structure is knitted by a not-illustrated yarn, and the warp yarn 26 and the weft yarn 68 are fixed to the knitted fabric 60 by, for example, a frictional force with the yarn. The weft 68 does not have to be inserted. In addition, the warp yarns 26 are directly connected above and below the lines 65, 65, and no warp yarns actually exist in the chain line section. It can be seen that the left three warp yarns in FIG. 6 are supplied longer than the right three warp yarns in accordance with the knitting length.

  FIG. 7 shows a knitted fabric 70 in which the weft yarns 72 are also arranged in the length direction by stopping the weft carrier 14. In this example, the carrier 14 for the weft includes a pipe similar to the warp pipe 40 and an air pipe for blowing compressed air in order to send out the weft 72 in the length direction, and a weft having a required length from the power roller mechanism for the weft 72. Supplied. In this case, the knitting width in the course direction can be changed depending on the position in the length direction. When the weft carrier 14 is fixed, it can be used for warp yarn feeding.

  In the embodiment, since the warp 26 having the required length can be accurately inserted into the knitted fabric at each knitted portion of the knitted fabric, a knitted fabric having an accurate size can be knitted in the length direction. And by knitting, a knitted fabric having a desired shape such as a three-dimensional shape can be knitted. A knitted fabric having desired strength, heat resistance, elastic modulus and the like can be obtained by selecting materials of warp, weft, and staple. The knitted fabric may be a multi-layer knitted fabric including weft yarns and warp yarns, a three-dimensional knitted fabric, or a single-layer and flat knitted fabric. As for the three-dimensional knitting, smooth knitting can be used in addition to turning back, and the knitting can be performed while inserting the weft and the warp.

2 Weft knitting machine 4 Active feed device for warp 6 Needle bed 8 Carriage 10 Controller 12, 14 Carrier 18 Power roller mechanism 20 Motor 21 Encoder 22 Drive roller 23, 24 Drive roller 25 Yarn source 26 Warp 28, 29 Roller 30 Compressor 32 Tank 33 Valve 34 Piping 36 Pipe assembly 38 Controller 40 Warp pipe 41 Weft air pipe 42 Warp air pipe 44, 45 Base 60 Knitted fabric 62 Normal part
64 Pull-back part 65, 66 Line 68 Weft 70 Knitted fabric 72 Weft

Claims (7)

In a warp active feed device for a knitting machine, comprising a plurality of warp pipes that supply warp to the mouth of a knitting machine,
A power roller mechanism having a plurality of drive rollers for pulling out a required length and actively feeding at least one warp per one from a plurality of warp yarn sources;
An air injection mechanism for supplying the warp drawn by the power roller mechanism to the mouth of the knitting machine by blowing an air flow into the warp pipe;
A warp active feeding device for a knitting machine, characterized by comprising:   The warp yarn for a knitting machine according to claim 1, further comprising a control means for controlling the power roller mechanism so that the drive roller sends out a warp yarn of a required length according to knitting. Active feeding device. The air injection mechanism has a plurality of air pipes for injecting air into the warp pipe,
3. The knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein the driving roller is configured to feed a plurality of warps per piece, and the plurality of sent warps are inserted into respective warp pipes. Active warp feeding device.   The air injection mechanism is further provided with an air pipe for a weft thread that blows air from above into the tooth opening so as to press the weft thread when inserting the weft thread along the course direction. A warp active feed device for a knitting machine according to claim 3.   The apparatus for positively feeding warp for a knitting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a pulsed air flow is repeatedly blown from the air pipe to the warp pipe.   When the knitting machine is knitting a three-dimensional knitted fabric, the power roller mechanism is configured to be controlled so that warp yarns of a required length are actively supplied to the mouth. The warp active feed device for a knitting machine according to any one of claims 2 to 5.   A knitting machine comprising the warp active feed device for a knitting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

Images