JP3554094B2 - Composite needle with transfer function - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improvement of a compound needle of a knitting machine, particularly to a compound needle having a transfer function.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The compound needle, which moves the slider and the needle body relative to each other to open and close the hook, can reduce the advance / retreat stroke of the needle to approximately half that of the vera needle, so the knitting machine can be downsized by adopting the compound needle. As a result, it is known that productivity is improved.
[0003]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 3-104970, 4-289252 and 5-78962 previously proposed by the present applicant as compound needles having this type of transfer function. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 3-104970 and 4-289252 disclose a slider groove formed by cutting substantially the entire length of the upper edge of the shank portion of the needle body in the longitudinal direction to insert and support the shank portion of the slider. I do. And in the needle body from the cheek to the tip of the shank, the tongue of the slider gradually rises from the upper edge of the cheek, and the knitting yarn supplied in contact with the hook while advancing is surely captured in the hook. The height of the cheek portion of the needle main body is reduced, and a slider groove having a deep groove near the cheek portion of the needle main body and a shallow groove on the other side is formed by cutting the upper edge and the lower edge of the needle main body. By forming the cam surface formed in the deep groove portion shallow on the side near the hook and deep on the side far from the hook, an arc-shaped sliding edge formed on the lower edge of the tongue of the slider fitted in the slider groove is formed. The movement of the slider as described above is realized by moving forward and backward along the cam surface.
In the description of each part of the needle body and the slider constituting the compound needle in this specification, the longitudinal direction of the compound needle mounted on the needle bed is defined as the front-rear direction, the hook side is the front, and the other is the rear. means. The direction perpendicular to the surface of the needle bed indicates up and down or height.
[0004]
However, in the compound needle disclosed in the above-mentioned publication, the slider groove formed in the needle body from the cheek to the shank tip is subjected to milling from both directions of the upper edge and the lower edge of the needle body. A communication hole that is perpendicular to the direction in which the needle advances and retreats is formed. This not only increases the number of steps required to manufacture the compound needle, but also forms an inclined surface as an entry guide formed on the side of the needle main body and guiding the stitch receiving needle between the elastic guide and the needle main body at the time of transfer. It cannot be formed sufficiently and accurate guidance of the stitch receiving needle cannot be guaranteed.
[0005]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 5-78962 relates to an improvement of the above-described composite needle, in which an inclined surface is formed not only on the needle body side but also on the slider side, and both inclined surfaces are combined to guide the stitch receiving needle. However, according to this method, since the stitch receiving needle is guided on the inclined surface of the tongue, the portion may be fatigued and damaged or deformed by an impact generated at the time of the guidance, leaving a problem in the durability of the slider.
[0006]
Further, in the compound needle described above, the slider is provided on the rear side in the longitudinal direction in order to maintain a predetermined position in the needle groove without being affected by the advance / retreat of the needle body inserted in the same needle groove. A spacer made of an elastic plate-like body with its tip extended rearward is fitted and fixed to the non-fitting part with the needle body extending from the vicinity of the control butt protruding to the rear end so as to prevent the slider from moving around I have. However, the control bat provided on the slider is always elastically urged so as to protrude from the needle bed surface, and the upper edge of the control bat is selectively pressed by a presser cam or the like provided on the cam carriage to push the control bat on the needle bed. When the slider is controlled to advance or retreat by selecting engagement or non-engagement with the slider cam by protruding and retracting from the surface, mounting the spacer at the above-mentioned position is responsive to the movement of the slider in the direction of emergence. Therefore, it is necessary to previously set a large urging force of a urging means such as a jack for elastically urging the slider upward.
[0007]
In addition, since the upper edge of the tongue of the slider is uniformly formed flat, the upper edge of the tongue that is moving in the direction to close the hook during the stitch formation in which the stitch locked by the needle is continued, and the hook portion is closed after the hook is closed. However, before the hook is completely closed, the stitch falls from the tip of the tongue into the hook again and does not knock over. This problem occurs especially when rib knitting is performed using the needles of the front and rear needle beds. There is no problem in the case of a general V-shaped flat knitting machine in which the crossing angle between the front and rear needle beds arranged to face each other is about 100 degrees. Knitting a tubular knitted fabric having a rib knitting structure using a so-called four-bed flat knitting machine in which a pair of needle beds are further disposed above the front and rear needle beds as disclosed in JP-A-5-51850. It can happen if you do. In the case of a four-bed flat knitting machine, the crossing angle formed by the front and rear lower needle beds and the upper needle bed is as loose as, for example, 120 to 130 degrees, and is knocked over by the needle of the other needle bed that draws in the knitting yarn. This is because the stitch to be pulled is pulled down from the tongue of the slider before the hook closes.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention provides a transfer needle for a knitting machine capable of reliably guiding a stitch receiving needle at the time of transfer into a stitch locked by a stitch transfer needle, in addition to the function of the above-described composite needle. Aim. It is another object of the present invention to provide a transfer needle for a knitting machine capable of reducing the effect of sliding resistance in the direction in which a control bat of a slider protrudes and retracts.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a composite needle that guarantees knockover of a stitch even when the intersection angle between the front and rear needle beds is designed to be gentle.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the compound needle of the present invention, a stitch expanding member is fixed on one side surface of the main body, and the thickness of the needle main body at the portion is reduced by cutting off the side surface of the needle body facing the stitch expanding portion . An incline is provided to guide the entry of the stitch receiving needle by cutting the thinner body portion and the lower edge of the side lower end portion of the thin body portion toward the lower edge so that the cut amount is deepened . Thereby, the distance between the needle main body and the stitch widening portion can be increased, and the inclined surface can be formed by cutting deeply in the thickness direction of the needle main body. Since the permissible range of the entry path of the stitch receiving needle can be increased by the depth of the cut, the stitch receiving needle is inclined even when the stitch tension increases due to the swing motion of the needle bed and the stitch transfer needle is bent in the horizontal direction. Guide to the regular route and enter the stitch.
[0010]
The height of the cheek portion is lower than that of the hook portion, and a tongue storing portion is formed above the inclined surface so that the tongue when the slider retreats from the upper edge of the cheek of the needle body. The slider support surface of the storage section has a rising slope toward the hook section. Since the outer circumference of the cheek portion can be kept small, the load on the stitch locked by the needle can be reduced, and the knitting of the stitch can be knitted. Similarly, the yarn supplied to the needle at the time of stitch formation advances while the tongue rises due to the slope, so that the yarn can be reliably guided into the hook.
[0011]
An engagement portion is provided on each of the needle body and the slider to position the slider when the slider retreats. Thereby, the tongue of the slider that has advanced to the hook side is stored in the tongue storage unit.
The first slider, which has a hook at the tip and is inserted and supported in the slider groove of the needle body, has a connecting part at the rear end of the shank, and has a thickness approximately equal to the thickness of the needle body having a control butt protruding from the upper edge of the shank. It is fitted and fixed in a longitudinal groove formed in the second slider having a thickness. The second slider has a plate-like body that is in pressure contact with the needle groove side wall. This prevents the slider from being perturbed and stabilizes the position of the slider in the needle groove.
[0012]
Further, the upper edge of the tongue of the slider has a rising slope toward the front end. As a result, the rising slope delays the knockover timing of the stitch.
[0013]
Further, the plate-like body is formed by extending the side wall of the longitudinal groove forward along the shank side surface of the first slider. As a result, the effect of the sliding resistance in the direction in which the control bat is retracted can be reduced.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the composite needle of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side view showing the composite needle 1 and the jack 4 in a state inserted into the needle groove of the needle bed. The composite needle 1 includes a needle body 2 and a slider 3. The needle body 2 has a fitting recess 9 provided with a hook portion 7 at the distal end portion and connected to the jack 4 at the rear end side. In the present embodiment, the needle main body 2 and the jack 4 are configured separately, but may be integrated. The jack 4 itself has a curved elastic leg 11 extending rearward of the main body and having a rear end abutting against the bottom of the needle groove, and is always elastically biased so that the control butt 13 projects from the surface of the needle bed. The needle main body 2 is configured to move forward and backward by operating the control butt 13 forward and backward by operating means such as a cam carriage (not shown). Reference numeral 15 denotes a needle holding plate provided on the needle bed orthogonal to the direction in which the needle moves in order to prevent the needle body 2 and the slider 3 from falling off the needle bed.
[0015]
2 to 6 are views showing in detail each part constituting the compound needle 1, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing the needle body 2 and a slider 3 supported on the needle body, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a view showing a state in which the slider 3 moves relative to the needle main body 2 of the composite needle 1, FIG. 4 is a view showing the configuration of the leading side of the composite needle 1 in more detail, and FIG. FIG. 5A is a side view, FIG. 5-B is a view of FIG. 5-A viewed from below, and FIG. 5-C is a view showing, in an enlarged manner, a joint portion between the first slider and the second slider. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. FIG. 6 shows a side view of each component constituting the composite needle 1. FIG.
[0016]
The needle main body 2 has a hook portion 7, a cheek portion 20 having an upper edge lower than the hook portion 7 having a flat upper surface as a flat surface, and a shank portion 25 having substantially the same height as the side wall of the needle groove extending rearward. It consists of The thickness of the needle main body 2 is substantially equal to the needle groove. On one side surface of the shank portion 25, an elastic guide piece 27 as a stitch expanding member at the time of transfer is formed by appropriately pressing, welding, or the like the base end portion 29 thereof into a mounting recess 33 formed by cutting out the side surface of the needle body. Is fixed. The elastic guide piece 27 is bent from the base end portion 29 and extends forward while protruding toward the needle groove side wall. The elastic guide portion 27 is bent from the elastic guide portion 31 into a storage recess 32 formed on the side surface of the needle body. It is composed of a tip portion 34 into which the tip is inserted.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 4, the side of the needle body indicated by reference numeral 8 facing the elastic guide portion 31 is cut, and the thickness of the needle body 2 at this location is thinner than the other. The portion of the provided tongue up to the rising slope 23a is formed as a thin wall. The thin body portion 8 has an inclined surface 36 having a depth of cut deeper toward the lower edge of the body below the tongue storage portion 23, and the stitch receiving needles of the opposing needle bed are guided by the inclined surface 36 to be elastic. It can enter between the guide portion 31 and the needle main body 2 and can enter the stitch between the needle main body 2 and the elastic guide portion 31. By making the main body 2 thin, the distance between the elastic guide portion and the needle main body can be increased, and the space for entry of the stitch receiving needle can be increased. This is particularly advantageous as a fine gauge composite needle for knitting fine stitches. FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view taken along line II of FIG. 4A and shows a state where the inclined surface 36 and the tongue 22 of the slider 3 are supported on the needle main body 2 above the inclined surface 36. As can be seen from the figure, the hook portion (not shown) of the stitch receiving needle that advances is a wall having an inclined surface and does not collide with the tongue 22 of the slider 3. FIG. 4-D shows a plan view of FIG. 4-A with the slider removed.
[0018]
The cheek portion 20 is formed with a slider groove 38 for supporting and slidingly guiding the tongue 22 of the slider 3 and a tongue accommodating portion 23 for accommodating the tongue 22. The sliding support surface of the tongue storing portion 23 has a rising slope 23 a toward the hook portion 7 and continues to the groove bottom of the slider groove 38.
[0019]
A stitch receiving portion 40 is provided upright on the side of the needle main body on the side where the transfer elastic guide piece 27 is not fixed, so that the needle main body 2 and the elastic guide portion 31 are connected when the stitch transfer needle advances at the time of transfer. The stitch locked between them is reliably received at this position. The stitch receiving portion 40 may be formed on the slider side instead of being formed on the needle main body side as described later. The engaging portion 42 engages with a slider positioning engaging portion 55 formed on the rear side of the tongue 22 of the slider 3 to perform vertical positioning of the slider 3 when the slider 3 retreats. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view showing the engaged state.
Reference numeral 44 denotes a slider groove 44 for inserting and supporting the shank 53 of the slider 3 cut out over the entire upper edge length direction of the shank portion 25 of the needle main body.
[0020]
The slider 3 includes a first slider 50 and a second slider 51. The first slider 50 is provided when the tongue 22 provided on the tip side of the shank 53 and the slider 3 provided on the rear side of the tongue 22 are retracted. And a connecting portion 57 of the second slider 51 formed on the rear end side of the shank 53, and is slidably inserted into the slider grooves 38, 44 formed in the needle body 2. Supported by
[0021]
The lower edge of the tongue 22 has an arc shape along the sliding support surface of the tongue storage portion 23 formed on the needle body 2. The upper edge of the tongue 22 is formed with a flat portion 59 that contacts the hook from the tip, a slope portion 60 having a gentle downward slope extending to the rear side, and a low flat portion 61. The inclined portion 60 formed on the upper edge of the tongue acts to delay the knockover timing of the stitch to be knocked over by sliding on the upper edge of the tongue at the time of forming the stitch, while the hook of the needle is closed during that time. The trouble that the stitch falls into the hook from the tip of the tongue 7 is eliminated. In addition, the connecting portion 57 has a protruding portion 63 having an inclined surface 63a formed by cutting a base portion deep in an upper edge, and a corrugated concave portion 65 in a lower edge.
[0022]
The second slider 51 has substantially the same thickness as the thickness of the needle main body 2, and has a control bat 69 having the same thickness protruding from the surface of the needle bed on the upper edge of the shank 67 and a protruding portion of the first slider 50 in front thereof. 63 has an inclined surface 63a and an inclined surface 71 that fits into a notch formed by the upper edge of the shank 53. The lower edge of the shank 67 at the position where the control butt 69 of the second slider 51 is provided is cut to form a longitudinal groove 73, and the rear end of the shank 53 of the first slider 50 is fitted into the groove. The two members 50 and 51 are fixed to the concave notch 65 of the first slider 50 by caulking the side wall of the longitudinal groove 73 or the like. The second slider 51 is formed with a plate-like body 75 in which the groove side wall of the longitudinal groove 73 is extended forward along the shank 53 side surface of the first slider 50 as shown in the figure, and the center of the plate-like body 75 is formed. The portion is curved so as to press against the needle groove side wall. This provides a required sliding resistance in the needle groove of the slider 3 and prevents the needle main body 2 from deviating with the movement of the needle main body 2 when the needle main body 2 moves forward and backward. Since the plate-like body 75 that elastically urges the needle groove side wall is positioned so as to extend to the front portion of the control butt 69 at the non-fitting portion with the needle body 2, the influence of the control butt 69 on the protruding and retracting operation from the needle bed surface is reduced. Can be reduced.
[0023]
Next, FIG. 3 shows opening and closing of the hook by moving the slider 3 of the composite needle 1 configured as described above. FIG. 3A shows a state in which the hook of the needle 1 is closed, and the slider 3 is supported by the groove bottom of the slider groove 38 and the groove side walls of the slider grooves 38 and 44 of the needle body 2. The upper edge of the contact portion between the tip of the tongue 22 of the slider 3 and the hook portion 7 is substantially flush.
[0024]
FIG. 3B shows a state in which the slider 3 is retracted, and the inclined surface of the engaging portion 55 provided on the slider 3 is in contact with the engaging portion 42 of the needle main body. The slider 3 retreats while the lower edge of the tongue 22 is slidably supported by the groove bottom of the slider groove 38, and separates the tip of the tongue 22 from the hook portion 7. During this time, the tongue 22 of the slider 3 moves horizontally while maintaining the same height as that in FIG.
[0025]
FIG. 3C shows a state where the hook is fully opened at a position where the tongue 22 of the slider 3 is farthest away from the tip of the hook portion 7. The retreating path of the slider 3 from FIG. 3-B to FIG. 3-C is determined by the slider 3 and the engaging portions 55 and 42 of the needle main body 2, and the tongue 22 of the slider 3 gradually moves down to the needle main body 2. It is immersed in the formed tongue storage unit 23.
[0026]
The path of the slider 3 from the state where the slider 3 is retracted and the hook is fully opened to the point where the slider 3 advances and the hook is closed in FIG. 3C is an inclined sliding support surface and a flat slider groove 38 which are continuously provided. The lower edge of the tongue 22 is slid and guided at the bottom of the groove, and the tongue 22 of the slider 3 gradually protrudes from the cheek portion 20 and the tip of the tongue 22 advances and rises to the same height as the upper edge of the hook portion 7. Thereafter, the protruding hook portion 7 is further abutted while maintaining the height.
[0027]
FIG. 7 shows a modified example of the positioning engagement portion provided at the time of movement of the slider provided on the needle body and the first slider. In this case, the slider is advanced and the tongue tip 22 ′ is in contact with the hook portion. In this case, the engagement portions 55 'and 42' formed on the slider and the needle main body can maintain the engaged state, so that the slider can be positioned by the needle main body in both the forward and backward directions of the slider. FIG. 8 shows a modification in which the stitch receiving portion is provided on the shank front edge of the first slider in place of the needle main body portion, and reference numeral 40 ′ is the stitch receiving portion.
[0028]
【The invention's effect】
Since the composite needle of the present invention is configured as described above, the production of the composite needle is relatively easy, and the cost for producing the composite needle can be reduced. The knitting yarn supplied to the needle can be reliably caught by the hook, and the stitch can be further knitted, and the stitch receiving needle at the time of transfer is stitched by the inclined surface formed below the tongue storage portion of the needle body. It can be reliably guided into the stitch locked by the transfer needle. At this time, the slope of the stitch becomes a wall, and the hook of the stitch receiving needle does not collide with the slider, so that the compound needle can be used for a long time. The space between the stitch expanding member and the needle main body is widened by cutting off the side surface of the main body to secure a space for entry of the stitch receiving needle, which is advantageous as a transfer needle for a fine gauge.
[0029]
In addition, even when the crossing angle between the front and rear needle beds is designed to be gentle, knockover of the stitch can be guaranteed, and the problem that occurs during rib knitting can be solved.
[0030]
In addition, since an elastic plate-shaped body is provided on the front side of the shank of the slider, not only the delusion of the slider is prevented, but also the action of the sliding resistance applied in the direction in which the control bat protrudes and retracts, and the control butt is urged upward. This eliminates the need to set the urging force of the urging means unnecessarily large.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a composite needle and a jack inserted into a needle groove and taken out therefrom.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a composite needle.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which a hook of the compound needle is opening and closing.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of the leading portion of the composite needle in more detail; FIG. 4-A is a side view showing the stitch expanding member and its attaching portion omitted; FIG. FIG. 4-C is a cross-sectional enlarged view taken along line II-II, and FIG. 4-D is a plan view of only the needle main body.
5 is an enlarged view of a joint portion between a first slider and a second slider, FIG. 5-A is a side view, FIG. 5-B is a view of FIG. 5-A viewed from below, FIG. FIG. 5C is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a side surface of each component constituting the composite needle.
FIG. 7 is a view showing a modified example of a positioning engagement portion between a needle body and a slider.
FIG. 8 is a modified example in which a stitch receiving portion is provided on a front edge of a shank of a slider.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Composite needle, 2 ... Needle main body, 3 ... Slider, 9 ... Fitting part, 13 ... Control bat, 20 ... Cheek part, 22 ... Tongue, 23 ... Tongue accommodation part, 27 ... Transfer elastic guide piece, 34 ... Tip end, 36 ... Inclined surface, 38, 44 ... Slider groove, 42, 55 ... Engagement portion, 57 ... Connection portion, 60 ... Inclined portion, 63 ... Projection, 69 ... Control butt, 73 ... Longitudinal groove, 75 … Plate

Claims (5)

It has a needle body having a hook portion at the tip and a slider inserted and supported in a groove formed in the needle body, and a closed position and a hook for closing the hook of the hook portion of the needle body with a tongue provided at the leading end of the slider. In a compound needle for a knitting machine movable over an open position to be opened, the needle main body includes a stitch expanding member having a base end fixed to one side surface of the main body, and a stitch expanding of the stitch expanding member. By cutting off the needle body side facing the part, the thickness of the needle body at this location is made thinner than the other, and the cut amount is cut deeper as the lower end of the side surface of the thin body part goes to the lower edge. An inclined surface for guiding the entry of the stitch receiving needle, a cheek portion having a height lower than the hook portion of the needle, and a slider tongue formed by cutting the upper edge of the cheek portion to support and slide. Slider groove and slider above the slope A tongue storage portion having a slope rising toward a hook portion communicating with the slider groove for retracting and storing the tongue from the upper edge of the teak of the needle body when the retractor retracts, and a tongue formed on the rear side of the slider tongue formed on the shank side. An engaging portion that engages with the engaging portion for slider positioning to hold the position of the slider when the slider retreats, and a shank of the slider formed by cutting the upper edge of the needle body behind the leading end of the needle body. The slider includes a slider groove for insertion and support, the slider includes a first slider and a second slider, and the first slider has a tongue provided on the distal end side of the shank to contact a hook portion, and a tongue of the tongue. A second slider provided on the rear end side of the shank and a connecting portion for positioning the slider at a rear position when the slider is retracted; The slider has a control butt protruding from the upper edge of the shank substantially equal in thickness to the needle body, a longitudinal groove into which the rear end of the shank of the first slider is fitted and fixedly joined, and a pressure contact against the needle groove side wall. A composite needle having a transfer function, comprising a plate-like body. The composite needle having a transfer function according to claim 1, wherein an upper edge of the tongue of the slider has a rising slope toward a tip end side. The compound needle having a transfer function according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plate-like body is configured by extending a side wall of the longitudinal groove forward along a shank side surface of the first slider. The composite needle having a transfer function according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a stitch receiving portion is formed by projecting a side surface of the needle main body on a side to which the stitch expanding member is not fixed. The composite needle having a transfer function according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a stitch receiving portion is formed at a leading edge of the shank behind the tongue of the first slider.

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