KR20030038662A - Method for transferring a loop for creating a decorative open work pattern - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for making an opening in a tubular knitted textile item, the method comprising providing a knitting machine (10) having a plurality of needles (30) mounted in an axial needle slot (16) in a needle cylinder (120), the needles Has a hook 34 formed at the upper end of the needle shank 32, and the latch 42 is pivotally mounted to the needle shank under the hook to open and close the hook, and the deflector 26 is formed by the needle. A needle is provided to deflect the yarn of the yarn into the vertical plane of the proximity needle The needle is selected where the ring is to be moved The selected needle's ring is selected while the proximity needle is in a lowered position and does not interfere with the deflected ring Is enlarged by deflecting laterally from the vertical plane of the proximal needle to the vertical plane of the proximal needle. By being removed from the ring, the ring is transferred to the proximal needle and the opening is present in the fabric at the position of the selected needle An apparatus for carrying out the method is also disclosed and claimed.

Description

METHODE FOR TRANSFERRING A LOOP FOR CREATING A DECORATIVE OPEN WORK PATTERN}

Circular knitting machines are knitted with composite strands of yarn of yarn together to knit a tubular fabric, a blank of fabric or other components. Knitted blanks are completed according to conventional processes for making finished knit items such as socks, hoses and stockings. Such machines include a plurality of needles located in axial slots formed on the outer surface of the rotatable needle cylinder. Each needle includes a shank with opposite ends. A hook is formed at the upper end of the needle shank and a butt is formed at the lower end of the needle shank. A plurality of sinkers is installed in a sinker ring located at the top of the needle cylinder so that the sinkers are alternately placed between the needles. The circular knitting machine also includes a feeder mechanism that transfers the needle through the yarn. The yarns form a ring or a ring around each needle.

Knitted items with decorative patterns formed of open work in fabrics made by transferred knit rings are old and traditional. The space occupied by the transferred ring creates a hole in the fabric, and the pattern of holes in the fabric collectively creates the desired decorative effect. Until now, such designs have been limited to relatively sexual gauge gauge fabrics because it is difficult to transfer very small rings between the needles of fine gauges. Accordingly, there is a need for a knitting machine and method for making decorative openwork patterns on thin gauge knitted fabrics such as tights, pantyhose and similar items, including thin gauged knits.

For example, US Pat. No. 3,838,583 to Rumi et al discloses a device in which a circular knitting machine has been modified to create an opening to transfer the ring. The Rumi device includes a dial plate placed eccentrically on the top and inside of the needle cylinder and planetary gears eccentrically placed on the top and outside of the needle cylinder. The upper surface of the dial has a plurality of inner punches that can slide in the radial direction, and the upper surface of the planetary gear has a plurality of outer punches that can slide in the radial direction. The inner punches are inclined appropriately in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation. Devices are provided for controlling the axial movement of the inner and outer punches and cam devices are provided for raising the needle to the punch level. Finally, a plurality of movable sinkers are placed in the needle cylinder, each partially surrounding one of the needles. The strand of yarn is looped around the needle and extends against the sinker.

During operation, the selectors lift the aforementioned needle or group of needles past the normal operating position. At the needle, the loop is picked up at the needle shoulder which lifts the loop over the sinker surrounding the needle. The sinker with end hooks then advances and the hook enters the loop which widens the loop. Soon, one of the two punches enters the ring past the adjacent undercut at the needle. The needle is then returned to its normal position, leaving a ring in the punch. The punch carries the loop with a predetermined needle that is lifted through the loop. This needle continues to rise until the ring is removed from the punch and then returned to its normal position. If an internal punch is used, the loop is transferred to the needle preceding the looped needle. If an external punch is used, the loop is transferred to the needle following the needle from which the loop is pulled out.

The Lumi device, like any other current device used to move the ring, first moves the ring on the selected needle and then moves the ring to the next needle. This practice can be effectively used in circular knitting machines that work with 100 to 120 needles or less because the smaller needles and rings of most circular knitting machines operating 100 to 120 or more needles do not reliably carry these rings. have. Missing these movements will result in defects that will result in a grade 1 or lower product. This problem is naturally exacerbated when the diameter of the needle cylinder is reduced and / or the number of needles to be processed is increased.

Thus, the moving ring cannot be made reliably with the thin gauge circular knitting machine of the prior art. Therefore, what is needed is a method and apparatus for effectively transferring loops from selected needles to adjacent needles without incurring other drawbacks in knitted articles manufactured in circular knitting machines capable of missing or making fine gauge items.

The present invention relates generally to knitting machines from which garments can be made, including hosiery and similar items. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for widening a ring in a selected needle to transfer the ring from a selected needle to an adjacent needle, and then inserting another needle through the widened ring before the selected needle detaches the ring. The term loop is used below to define the part of the yarn that is treated with the needle, but may be used interchangeably with "stitch".

Some of the objects of the present invention begin as described above.

The invention is explained in detail in accordance with the accompanying drawings and claims.

1 is a needle cylinder isometric view of a laced pantyhose machine, showing a selected second needle approaching a second portion of an upper cam according to the present invention:

2 is an isometric view of a needle cylinder showing two selected needles for installing the upper contact surface of the first portion of the upper cam;

3 is an isometric view of a needle cylinder showing two selected needles with the upper contact surface of the first portion of the upper cam approaching apex;

4 is an isometric view of a needle cylinder showing two selected needles for installing the contact surface of the third part of the upper cam;

5 is an isometric view according to FIG. 1, showing the relative position of the selected needle with respect to the remaining needle;

6 is an isometric view according to FIG. 2, showing the relative position of the selected needle with respect to the remaining needle;

7 is an isometric view according to FIG. 3 showing the relative position of the selected needle with respect to the remaining needle;

8 is an isometric view according to FIG. 4 showing the relative position of the selected needle with respect to the remaining needle;

9 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of a needle with a redirecting device;

10 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of a needle with pivoting arm;

11 is a front view of a needle used with a method and apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

* Code Description *

10: knitting machine 12: cylinder

16: slot 20: sinker

26: deflector 28: catch

30: needle 32: shank

34: hook 42: latch

50: butt 60: ring

102a, 102b: Cam

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for reliably transferring loops to make knitted fabrics with small opening patterns that collectively create a decorative appearance on the fabric. Unlike current methods and apparatus, the present invention is directed to a very thin gauge knitted fabric created in a circular knitting machine in which an openwork pattern is operated, for example, 120 or more needles located in a needle cylinder of 3.5 inches or less in diameter. To form. The invention can be used with other gauge machines spaced as small as 1 mm between the needles.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a method for substantially error free transfer of a ring from a selected needle in a circular knitting machine to the next needle, which is not limited to a thin gauge knitted circular knitting machine and is located in a needle cylinder of 3.5 inches or less in diameter. A circular knitting machine having 120 or more needles.

Another object of the present invention is to move the loop from the selected needle to the next needle or to provide such a method by securing the ring to the next needle before the selected needle releases the ring.

Another, more specific object of the present invention is to unhook a selected needle by widening the ring on the selected needle, moving the ring from the selected needle to the next needle, inserting the next needle through the widened ring, and then removing the selected needle from the expanded ring. It is to provide a method and apparatus for me.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for carrying out a ring transfer operation.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide enlarging means and cam means for carrying out a ring transfer operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for adapting a general circular knitting machine, including the device invented, to minimize manufacturing costs, ensure reliable operation, and eliminate the need for operator training.

The method of the present invention involves transferring the ring from the selected needle to the next needle while the circular knitting machine is in operation. As used herein, the selected needle is the needle from which the transfer ring is removed, and the next needle is the adjacent needle on which the transfer ring is placed. The subsequent needle by the present invention may be a needle immediately preceding the selected needle with respect to the direction of rotation of the needle cylinder or a needle immediately following the selected needle with respect to the direction of rotation of the needle cylinder.

The ring is enlarged or widened at the selected needle to carry out the moving operation. Once the loop is widened on the selected needle, the next needle is inserted through the widened ring so that it can then be secured around the next needle. Finally, the selected needle is removed from the enlarged ring causing the selected needle to withdraw. As a result, the ring is completely transferred from the selected needle to the next needle, and a controlled perforation is formed in the knitted article. The opening pattern may be formed on the knitted article by selecting a needle according to a predetermined set of descriptions.

The apparatus for carrying out the method includes a means for enlarging the ring at the selected needle and a cam means for controlling the movement of the needle to realize the movement of the selected ring from the selected needle to the next needle.

Each needle has a latch under the hook. The latch is placed centrifugally with respect to the hook, pivoting between the closed position of the hook where the distal end of the latch is adjacent to the distal end of the hook and the open position of the hook where the latch is adjacent to the shank of the needle. The hooks and latches of each needle are radially aligned on the outer surface with respect to the needle cylinder. Butts formed at the bottom of each needle extend outwardly radially beyond the circumference of the needle cylinder. The bottom of each needle is adjacent to the top end of the selector shank, which is also located in the axial slot of the needle cylinder. These selector shanks each have teeth extending radially outward beyond the circumference of the needle cylinder.

Install the actuator selector shank on it and move the specific needle vertically according to a pre-programmed set of instructions. Generally, the actuator is computer controlled to repeatedly select a series of specific needles to create the desired opening pattern for the knitted item being formed.

In a preferred embodiment, the loop-enlarging means is a deflector that is fully formed and extends laterally from the shank of each needle at the lower position of the latch and the cam means is the outer surface of the upper cam and the needle cylinder. It includes a lower cam placed adjacent to. These redirecting devices are usually delta shaped and share a common edge with the needle shank and increase in width from top to bottom. The distal region of each redirecting device extends beyond the face of the next needle. Finally, the deflectors extend radially outwardly for the first time, but then bend radially inwards towards the longitudinal axis of the needle cylinder. Loop-retaining means, such as catches, are preferably formed in the distal region of each deflecting device.

The lower cam lies close to the lower end of the needle cylinder. This lower cam has a contact surface that is gradually inclined upward to guide the teeth of the selection device shank down the selected needle. Only selected needles lifted by the actuator meet the contact surface of the lower cam. The lower cam lifts the needle selected so that the butt of such needle is properly positioned with respect to the upper cam.

The upper cam preferably comprises three members. The first member of the upper cam rests on the lower cam and is biased from the contact surface of the lower cam in the direction of rotation of the needle cylinder. The second member of the upper cam rests on the first member of the upper cam and is usually triangular in shape. The second member of the upper cam further raises the selected needle by having the upper contact surface inclined upward to guide the butt of the selected needle upwards.

For the sake of understanding, the following discussion of the invented device operation describes the complete rotation of the needle cylinder in which only one needle is selected. There are at least three areas where the needle cylinder meets the needle during each complete revolution. The first area is the ring feed area where the transfer mechanism moves the yarn onto the hook of the needle. The last area is the ring discharge area. There is at least one ring moving zone between the ring supply zone and the ring discharge zone. Various ring transfer regions can be used to make more complex patterns or transfer rings than before. When the needle enters the looping zone, the needle is placed under each sinker and the latch of the needle is in the closed position of the hook.

In the annular displacement zone, the actuator selects the needle by placing it in a selector shank below the needle. This actuator lifts the selector shank and the selected needle into position in the selector shank to align it with the contact surface of the upper cam. As a result, the selected needle rises as the teeth of the selector move upward along the contact surface of the upper cam. This upward movement of the selected needle causes the loop to pull the latch down to the open position of the hook by sliding the needle down past the latch. While the selected needle is in this upward motion, the next needle (and all unselected needles) install a lower cam that holds the hook of the unselected needle down the original sinker.

As the butt of the selected needle moves up along the upper cam, the ring of the needle meets the deflector formed in the shank of the needle and continues to slide down. The collar widens when sliding the deflector. When the butt of the selected needle reaches the top of the upper cam, the ring expands laterally to the face of the next needle. At the distal end of the deflector, the hook catches a ring that prevents slipping past the deflector.

While the butt of the selected needle moves along the upper cam, the butt of the next needle installs a lower cam that raises the next needle. The needle is then raised to the extent that the shank of the needle moves the needle down sufficiently to move the latch in the needle down with the hook open. This ring however does not move past the latch. The lower contact surface inclined downward of the upper cam then causes the next needle to retract under the sinker but the latch of the needle remains in the open state of the hook.

Naturally, one or more ring transfer regions can be used to speed up the ring transfer process and to create more complex openwork patterns in the fabric formed.

The needle exits the ring transfer zone and then enters the ring discharge zone. In the annulus, all the needles are first raised to a height high enough to allow the rings to slide past the latches on the needles and then lower to the sinker bottom. As a result, all the needles eject their respective rings. The needle then exits the ring discharge zone and again rotates past the feed mechanism where the yarn is placed on all needles and this process is repeated.

These objects and features of the present invention will be readily apparent from the specification, and include the specification in process, including the claims and drawings.

Particularly with reference to the drawings, a fragment of a knitting machine with a needle according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 1-7 and usually indicated by reference numeral 10. Knitting machine 10 may be a variant of a lace pantyhose machine or other knitting machine suitable for forming a tubular knitted fabric with an openwork area. Such machine 10 typically has a hollow needle cylinder 12 mounted in a housing (not shown). This cylinder 12 is rotated by conventional means about the longitudinal axis while the fabric is being formed. A plurality of axial slots 16 are formed in the outer surface 18 of the needle cylinder 12, the plurality of needles 30 to reciprocate the vertical movement while controlling mechanical, electrical or electronic patterning and fabric forming devices To slide in the slot 16. A needle 30 suitable for using the device 10 is usually shown in FIG. 11 and described with respect to FIGS. 1-7.

A plurality of elastic rings (not shown) are placed around the needle 30 and the needle cylinder 12 to maintain the position of the needle 30 in the slot 16. As the needle cylinder 12 rotates, the needle 30 rotates around the vertical axis of the needle cylinder 12. A plurality of sinkers 20 is placed on the upper end 22 of the needle cylinder 12.

Each needle 30 has an extension shank 32 with opposite ends. A hook 34 is formed at the upper end 36 of the needle shank 32, and a butt 50 is formed at the lower end 40 of the needle shank 32. Under the hook 34, a latch 42 pivotally attached to the needle shank 32 opens and closes the hook 34. The latch 42 has a closed position of the hook where the distal end 44 of the latch 42 is adjacent to the distal end 46 of the hook 34 and an open position of the hook where the latch 42 is adjacent to the needle shank 32. And rotate centrifugally and are placed centrifugally with respect to the hook 34. The hook 34 and latch 42 are arranged radially with respect to the needle cylinder 12 with the open side of the needle 30 facing outward. In the annular movement zone, the actuator selects the needle 30a in a conventional manner and lifts the selected needle 30a into position to align the needle butt 50 with the contact surface of the lower cam 102a. As a result, the selected needle 30a rises as the butt moves upward along the contact surface of the lower cam 102a. This upward motion of the selected needle 30a causes the ring 60 of the selected needle 30a to slide downwards past the latch 42, thereby latching 42 in the open position of the hook, as shown in FIG. 2. Down). The lower cam 102a pulls the selected needle into a position where the butt 50 of the selected needle 30a is aligned with the upper contact surface of the upper cam 102b. While the selected needle 30a makes this upward movement, the next needle (and all non-selective needles) first install a lower cam 102a that holds the hook of the non-selective needle under the sinker 20.

When the butt 50 of the selected needle 30a moves upward along the upper cam 102b, the ring 60 meets the lower side where it meets the deflector 26 carried on the shank 32 of each needle 30. Keep sliding. The yarns slide through the curved surface of the deflector 26 and widen the ring. When the butt 50 of the selected needle 30a reaches the apex of the upper cam 102b, the annulus is enlarged enough to engage with the vertical plane of motion of the next needle 30b. At the distal end of the deflector 26 the catch 28 catches a ring which prevents the lower end of the deflector 26 from flowing and does not slip under the needle shank 32. While the butt 50 of the selected needle 30a moves along the top surface of the cam 102b, the butt 50 of the next needle 30b is the first of the upper cam 102b which raises the next needle 30b. Install the fragment The needle 30b is then raised to the extent that the hook 30 in the needle moves the shank 32 of the needle 30b down sufficiently to move the latch 42 downward relative to the open position of the hook. However, the ring does not move past the latch 42. The upper cam 102b then pulls the next needle 30b down the sinker 20 but at the needle 30b the latch 42 remains in the open position of the hook.

Cam 102a again lifts next needle 30b. Since the vertex of the cam 102a corresponds to the cam 102b, the next needle 30b rises through an enlarged ring located around the lower end of the deflector 26 of the selected needle 30a. The hook 34 of the next needle 30b is placed for the hook but the distal end of the latch 42 of the next needle 30b remains below the ring. The next needle 30b remains in this position until the butt 50 meets the contact surface of the cam 102c. The second cam 102b and the third cam 102c are spaced apart to provide enough time for the next needle 30b to rise through the enlarged ring. The cam 102c is usually trapezoidal inverted relative to the cam 102a. Cam 102c has a downwardly inclined contact surface proximate cams 102a and 102b. 4 and 5 are shown.

The butt 50 of the selected needle 30a installs a downwardly inclined contact surface of the cam 102c for moving the selected needle 30a downward. The ring 60 slides upwards at the shank 32 of the selected needle 30a. The loop 60 moves the latch 42 upwards relative to the closed position of the hook which prevents the loop from returning to the hook 34 of the selected needle 30a. The hook is pulled out when the hook of the selected needle 30a descends below the sinker 20. The cam 102c causes the selected needle 30a to descend below the sinker 20 before the next needle 30b becomes equal. The hook 60 is gripped on the hook 34 of the next needle 30b, which is placed on the sinker 20 and has a latch 42 in the open position of the hook. Finally, cam 102c causes all needles 30 to descend under each sinker 20. Naturally, one or more ring transfer regions can be used to accelerate the ring transfer process and to create more complex perforation patterns in the knitted articles formed.

The needle exits the ring transfer zone and then enters the ring discharge zone. In the ring dispensing area all needles 30 are first raised to a height sufficient to allow the ring 60 to slip past the latch 42 at the needle and then down below the sinker 20. As a result, all the needles 30 eject their respective rings 60. The needle then leaves the ring discharge zone and again rotates past the feeder where the ring rests on all needles and this process is repeated.

An apparatus and method for producing a thin gauge openwork woven fabric is described above. Various details of the invention may be changed without departing from the scope thereof. Furthermore, the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention and the best way of carrying out the invention are provided for the purpose of illustration only and are not provided for the purpose of limiting the invention, which is limited by the claims.

Claims (12)

In a method for making an opening in a tubular knitted fabric, (a) providing a knitting machine with a plurality of needles mounted in an axial needle slot in a needle cylinder, said needles having a pivotally mounted latch on a needle shank below the hook for opening and closing the hook and hook formed at the upper end of the needle; And redirecting means for deflecting the annular yarn formed by the needle into the vertical plane of the proximal needle; (b) select the needle to which the ring is to be moved; (c) widening the ring at the selected needle by laterally deflecting the ring from the vertical plane of the selected needle to the vertical plane of the proximity needle while the proximity needle is lowered and does not interfere with respect to the deflected ring; (d) the proximal needle is moved upwards with the widened ring; (e) by moving the selected needle in the deflected ring, the ring is transferred to the proximity needle and the opening is present in the fabric at the selected needle position. The method of claim 1 wherein this method is (a) create a predetermined openwork pattern, which draws the opening of the desired pattern in the tubular knit fabric; (b) performing the steps of claim 1 in accordance with a predetermined pattern, the method comprising making a tubular knitted fabric with an openwork pattern corresponding to the predetermined pattern. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the machine device comprises a thin gauge tubular knitting machine suitable for knitting pantyhose. 4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the step of widening the ring in the selected needle comprises moving the selected needle with respect to the loop of the spun yarn from the top direction of the needle to the bottom of the needle, over the progressively inclined ring contact surface. Way. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the knitting machine is a thin gauge knitted knitting machine having a knitting cylinder of 3.5 inches or less in diameter mounted to the housing. 5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the progressively inclined contact surface is formed completely on the shank of the needle and includes a redirecting device extending laterally outwardly from the needle shank to the proximal needle. An apparatus for making an opening in a knitted textile item, (a) a needle-shaped tubular knitting machine having a plurality of needles mounted to an axial needle in a needle cylinder, said needles being pivotally mounted to a hook formed at the upper end of the needle shank and to a needle shank below the hook to open and close the hook; And redirecting means for deflecting the spun ring formed by the needle into the vertical plane of the proximal needle; (b) needle selecting means for selecting a needle to which the ring is moved; (c) ring enlargement means for assisting the selected needle to laterally deflect the ring from the vertical plane of the selected needle to the vertical plane of the proximity needle while the proximity needle is lowered and does not interfere with respect to the deflected ring; (d) needle insertion means for moving the proximal needle upwards for insertion into the widened ring; And (e) an apparatus wherein said ring is transferred to a proximity needle and an opening is present in the fabric at the position of the selected needle by including selected needle removing means for removing the selected needle from the deflected ring. The method of claim 7, wherein (a) creating a tubular knit fabric having an openwork pattern according to a predetermined form by means of a pattern means for storing a predetermined openwork pattern which draws the opening of the desired pattern in the tubular knit fabric and the selected needle and transferring the loop according to the predetermined pattern; Apparatus comprising a. 9. A device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the mechanism comprises a thin gauge tubular knitting machine suitable for knitting pantyhose. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the selected needle comprises a ring contact surface that is progressively inclined. 12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the progressively inclined contact surface comprises a redirecting device formed completely in the shank of the needle and extending laterally outwardly from the needle shank to the proximal needle. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the knitting machine is a thin gauge knitted knitting machine having a knitting cylinder having a diameter of 3.5 inches or less mounted in the housing.