TWI844549B - Machine-knitting needle - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention refers to a machine-knitting tool (10) and par-ticularly to a machine-knitting needle (11) with a shank part extending in a length direction (L) that comprises a contact surface (20) at the lower side. Outside an end section (18) configured for loop formation the contact surface (20) ex-tends continuously in a plane (E) to the transition to the back end (14) of the shank part (12) opposite the front end section (18). Between a front guide section (45) and a back guide section (46) a butt section (26) with a butt (27) is present. In each guide section a guide cantilever (47) is present that extends away from the shank part (12) in height direction (H) and limits a gap (50) between a cantilever leg (49) of the guide cantilever (47) and a section of the shank part (12) that is arranged below.

Description

Machine knitting needles

The present invention relates to a machine knitting tool, and in particular a machine knitting needle, for use in a knitting machine, such as a circular knitting machine.

Machine knitting tools are known in different embodiments. During the knitting process, machine knitting needles (e.g., lock needles or slider needles) move in a guide or needle channel in a length direction in a knitting machine. In doing so, the butts of the machine knitting tools are engaged by a cam device of the knitting machine to position or move the machine knitting tools in its length direction. In circular knitting machines, a knitting cylinder with machine knitting needles rotates in a circumferential direction relative to the cam device, or vice versa, and the butts of the machine knitting needles are guided in a cam path. In doing so, forces acting on the butts are applied not only in the length direction of the machine knitting needles but also in the transverse direction transverse to them. In the weaving machine, other machine weaving tools, such as sinkers or sliders of slide needles, are also moved or positioned during weaving by means of suitable drive arrangements.

In order to comply with the requirements of productive weaving methods and in order to ensure a long service life on the other hand, machine weaving tools must comply with a number of conditions, which are also partially competitive. High productivity requires high movement speeds or accelerations of the machine weaving tools. Due to these accelerations, excessive wear phenomena, such as fatigue fractures at the machine weaving tools, must not occur. The replacement of failed machine weaving tools requires stopping of the weaving machine and leads to a loss of productivity. Of similar importance is that the machine weaving tools can be positioned exactly in order to avoid malfunctions during the loop formation. The positioning accuracy must not be disturbed by contamination that may accumulate in the guide or needle channel, in particular at the channel bottom. In order to meet these different marginal conditions, a complete machine weaving tool must have a form that considers and fulfills all aspects as fully as possible.

In the prior art, several designs of different machine knitting tools are proposed. In order to reduce the weight of the needle, US 3,464,237 proposes to provide a notch in the butt of a machine knitting needle and thereby reduce the weight.

US 5,154,069A discloses a machine knitting needle having a shank portion and a butt extending away from the shank portion for moving the machine knitting needle. Between the front end of the machine knitting needle and the butt, the shank comprises an arcuate spring-elastic section, which is bent several times. This section will provide a damping effect when acceleration occurs. Also known from US 5,231,855A or DE 69 218 303 T2 are shank sections extending in a zigzag shape in order to weaken the impact of jerky accelerations on the machine knitting needle and avoid damage.

DE 28 20 925 A1 proposes a braiding tool whose handle part comprises at least one bridge, wherein the handle part has a distance to the bottom of the guide channel or needle channel in the region of the bridge. In the region of the bridge, the plate section of the handle part will have a height of no more than 1.1 mm or 0.9 mm.

However, in these sections used for damping, the corresponding section of the shank portion does not contact the bottom of the needle channel of the weaving machine, allowing contamination to accumulate. Furthermore, the problem with machine weaving tools having a low overall length is that such curved or meandering shaft sections reduce the effective working length of the machine weaving tool for loop formation and retention of one or more loops on the shaft.

It is known from EP 2 799 603 A2 that the cam arrangement of a circular knitting machine is not only used for the movement of the machine knitting needles, but also for supporting the machine knitting needles against radially outward centrifugal forces during the rotation of the knitting cylinder.

DE 2 229 858 A discloses a needle for a knitting machine. The needle has two needle butts arranged at a distance in the length direction of the needle and has a separation zone arranged therebetween, which extends downward below the height of the upper edge of the needle shank. In this needle butt section of the needle, in which the two needle butts are arranged, an additional chamfer can be provided at the lower side of the needle shank. A further chamfer can be provided at the transition from the needle butt to the shank portion at the upper side of the needle shank. Due to this weakening of the needle shank in the needle butt section, the impact due to the acceleration of the needle added via the needle butt will be weakened.

Starting from the prior art, it can be seen that the object of the invention is to improve the guidance and positioning of machine weaving tools in a weaving machine and, in doing so, to provide a sufficient attenuation of added shocks or vibrations.

This object is solved by a machine weaving tool having the features of claim 1.

The machine knitting tool of the present invention is particularly formed as a machine knitting needle and can be a locking needle or a sliding needle. The machine knitting tool has a handle portion extending in the length direction and having a contact surface on its lower side. The contact surface is configured to abut against the bottom of a guide or needle channel in a knitting machine. The handle portion has a front end connected by a front end section. In the front end section, the handle portion includes a device for loop formation, in particular a needle hook. In the length direction, the handle portion has a rear end opposite to the front end section. Outside the front end section, the contact surface extends continuously in a single plane to the rear end, wherein the contact surface can transition with a radius in the rear end. The handle portion has a total length from the front end to the rear end, which is preferably at most 100 mm. The front end section configured for loop formation has a length of at most 5% of the total length of the shank portion. In the case of a lock needle, the front end section preferably does not extend beyond the lock support and ends, for example, between the hook and the lock support.

The machine knitting tool has a front guide section in which a guide cantilever extends in height from the handle portion, and a rear guide section in which a further guide cantilever extends in height from the handle portion. Between the two guide sections there is a needle butt section in which the needle butt extends in height from the handle portion. The needle butt is configured to cooperate with a cam device or another drive of the knitting machine in order to move the machine knitting tool in length direction in a needle or guide channel of the knitting machine.

Each guide cantilever has a cantilever leg which limits the gap between the handle parts arranged below the cantilever leg in the height direction. Preferably, at least one of the gaps is open in the length direction on the side facing away from the needle butt. The cantilever legs can extend parallel to the length direction or at a small inclination angle of less than 15 degrees or 10 degrees relative to the length direction. The guide cantilever and the handle parts can be said to form a fork-shaped area of the machine weaving tool in the corresponding guide section.

Due to the inventive design of the machine weaving tool with a continuous flat contact surface, in particular without elevations or recesses or through-holes, no space is provided in the area of the needle shaft in which contamination could accumulate and influence the orientation or guidance of the machine weaving tool in the guide channel or needle channel. It can also be avoided that increased friction or increased wear occurs during the movement of the machine weaving tool in the guide channel due to the accumulation of contamination. The machine weaving tool is particularly configured or suitable for weaving short-staple yarn or cotton yarn. When using such yarns, particularly high contamination occurs in the weaving machine due to yarn residues of the short-staple yarn. Machine weaving tools are therefore particularly insensitive to this type of contamination and are particularly suitable for weaving this type of yarn.

In order to further improve the guidance and positioning accuracy, there are guide sections on both sides of the needle butt or needle butt section, wherein the distance between the guide section and the needle butt or needle butt section can be equal or different. For example, two guide sections can directly adjoin the needle butt section. In one embodiment, one of the guide sections and in particular the front guide section can directly adjoin the needle butt section, wherein an intermediate section can be present between the other guide section (and in particular the rear guide section) and the needle butt section.

The guide cantilever supports the needle against forces generated in the height direction and/or in the transverse direction, wherein the transverse direction is oriented orthogonally to the height direction and orthogonally to the length direction. Due to the gap between the cantilever legs and the region of the handle portion arranged underneath, a spring-elastic effect will be produced if forces act on the cantilever legs in the height direction. These forces therefore do not act directly on the handle portion, but can be at least partially received in the guide cantilever or supported by the guide cantilever. In doing so, a very precise guidance and positioning of the machine weaving tool is achieved. Due to this configuration, deflection inclinations around an axis extending in the transverse direction and/or an axis extending in the length direction can also be reduced.

It is advantageous if each guide arm has a connecting leg connecting the handle portion with the arm leg. The connecting leg may comprise an inclination angle relative to the length direction, which inclination angle has an amount in the range of about 20 degrees to 90 degrees, preferably about 25 degrees to 65 degrees. The connecting leg of each guide arm preferably extends obliquely away from the handle portion and at the same time obliquely away from the needle butt.

In a preferred embodiment, each guide cantilever has a width in the transition section to the handle portion which is at least twice as large as the maximum handle height of the handle portion. The width of the guide cantilever in the transition section is measured in the length direction. The handle height of the handle portion is the distance between the contact surface at the lower side and the upper side opposite the lower side of the handle portion in the height direction. The width of the guide cantilever in the transition section is in particular twice as large as the handle height in the respective guide section.

The cantilever leg may have a width orthogonal to its extension direction which is as large as the shank height of the shank portion in the corresponding guide section. Preferably, the shank height is constant in each guide section.

The cantilever leg of the rear guide cantilever has a free end, which has the same position as the rear end of the handle portion in the length direction. The cantilever leg of the rear guide cantilever and the handle portion terminate flush with each other. In doing so, it is achieved that the guide sections or guide cantilevers have as large a distance as possible relative to each other in the length direction without increasing the total length of the machine weaving tool. In one embodiment, the distance between the front guide cantilever and the needle butt can be less than the distance between the rear guide cantilever and the needle butt. The front guide cantilever can be arranged as close to the needle butt as possible so as to maximize the effective working length of the handle portion from the front end section to the front guide cantilever. The front handle section of the handle portion can be adjacent to the front end section, wherein the front handle section is at least partially overlapped by the front guide cantilever. The front handle section is provided for receiving a loop which can be slid in the front end section and in the front handle section along the front handle section to the connection position of the front guide cantilever with the handle portion, wherein in a typical weaving process, at most about half of the length of the front handle section is used for loop reception. In one embodiment, half of the length of the front handle section is configured for loop reception.

The needle butt can have a needle butt base in the transition area to the shank portion, which has a length in the length direction that is shorter than the length of the upper butt region of the needle butt adjoining the needle butt base in the height direction. In the length direction, the needle butt base can, for example, form the throat of the needle butt. Due to this measure, the stresses acting on the needle butt in the length direction during the generation of forces for accelerating the machine weaving tools can be reduced. According to the invention, the damping effect can be further improved because the contact surface is adjacent to the guide channel of the weaving machine over the total length or nearly the total length of the shank portion.

It is advantageous if the base height of the butt base is greater than the shank height in the guide section. Additionally or alternatively, the base height may be less than the guide cantilever height of the guide cantilever. The guide cantilever height is the maximum distance of the upper side of the guide leg from the lower side of the shank portion. The base height is the height of the butt base starting from the adjacent upper side of the shank portion. The butt base and the adjacent upper butt region merge at the location where the butt has its maximum length in the length direction.

In a preferred embodiment, the needle butt base has a curved section at its opposite sides in the length direction. The curved section facing the front guide section can be directly integrated into the front guide suspension arm and in particular into the connecting leg of the front guide suspension arm. The rear guide suspension arm is preferably arranged at a distance from the curved section of the needle butt base facing the rear guide suspension arm.

At least one or both of the curved sections may have a constant radius of curvature or may have a variable radius of curvature. The variable radius of curvature may be largest in the region of the curved section adjacent to the handle portion in the height direction.

It is further advantageous if the needle butt comprises at least one needle butt cavity. The needle butt cavity can be arranged at a distance from the shank portion in the height direction and is present in particular outside the needle butt base only in the upper needle butt region. The needle butt cavity can be open in the height direction to the side opposite the shank portion. Due to the at least one needle butt cavity, the overall weight of the machine knitting tool can be reduced. If the needle butt cavity extends completely outside the needle butt base, excessive weakening of the needle butt can be avoided, since frequently alternating forces act on the needle butt in the length direction for accelerating the machine knitting tool.

In one embodiment, the shank portion may have a shank portion height of at most 1.1 mm in the needle butt section. The shank portion height in one or both guide sections is less than or at most as great as the shank portion height of the shank portion in the needle butt section.

10: Machine weaving tools

11: Machine knitting needles

12: Handle part

13: Front-end

14: Backend

15: Hook

16: Closing element

17: Lock

18: Front-end section

19: Ring receiving section

20: Contact surface

21: Upper side

22: Side surface

26: Needle heel section

27: Pin heel

28: Base of needle heel

29: Upper heel area

30: Front edge of the heel

31: Back edge of the heel

32: Transition position

33: Upper edge of needle butt

34: Needle heel cavity

35: Side

36: Connection section

40: Forward bend section

41: Back bend section

45: Front guide section

46: Rear guidance section

47: Guided hanging arm

48: Connect the legs

49: Cantilevered Legs

50: Gap

51: Leg end

52: Inner edge of connecting leg

53: Connect the outer edge of the legs

57: Middle section

α: Tilt angle

A: Pivot axis

b: Base height

c: Cantilever height

d: Gap height

H: height direction

L: Length direction

Q: Horizontal direction

R1: First radius of curvature

R2: Second radius of curvature

R3: Third radius of curvature

R4: Fourth radius of curvature

s1: first leg width

s2: Second leg width

t: Depth of needle butt cavity

xg: total length

x1: Length of the front section

x2: Length of the front handle section

x3: Length of the butt section

x4: Length of the guide section

x5: length of the middle section

z: handle height

z1: Height of the first handle

z2: Height of the second handle

z3: Height of the third handle

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are from the attached patent application, the specification and the drawings. The following preferred embodiments of the present invention are explained in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The drawings show: FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a machine knitting tool in the form of a machine knitting needle, FIG. 2 is a cross-section through the handle portion of the machine knitting needle of FIG. 1 according to the cutting line II-II in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial illustration of a section of the machine knitting needle of FIG. 1 in the area of the front guide section and the area adjacent to the needle butt section, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial view of a section of the machine knitting tool of FIG. 1 in the area from the rear guide section to the needle butt section.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of an embodiment of a machine knitting tool 10 in the form of a machine knitting needle 11. The machine knitting needle 11 has a handle portion 12 extending between a front end 13 and a rear end 14. The handle portion 12 is configured at the front end 13 to form a loop during knitting in a knitting machine. In this embodiment, the handle portion 12 is formed as a hook 15 at the front end 13. In order to enable the inner area of the hook 15 to be opened and closed, the machine knitting needle 11 includes a closing element 16 in the form of a lock 17. The lock 17 is pivotally supported about a pivot axis A, which extends in a transverse direction Q, and the lock 17 can abut against the hook 15 with its end section opposite the pivot support in order to close the hook inner area.

The handle portion 12 extends in the length direction L. It has a total length xg between the front end 13 and the rear end 14, which according to the example has an amount of at most 100 mm.

The front end section 18 adjoins the front end 13 in the region of the hook 15, wherein the front end section 18 is configured for loop formation. Starting from the front end 13, the front end section 18 extends at most to the end of the lock support of the lock 17. Preferably, the length x1 of the front end section has an amount of at most 5% of the total length xg of the shank portion 12.

The front handle section 19 of the handle portion 12 is directly adjacent to the front end section 18. In this region, the handle portion 12 is configured to receive one or more loops through which the handle portion 12 extends during weaving. The front handle section 19 has a length x2 in the length direction L that is greater than the length x1 of the front end section 18.

The shank portion 12 of the machine knitting needle 11 has a shank height z in a height direction H orthogonal to the length direction L and orthogonal to the transverse direction Q, wherein the shank height z can vary in different sections of the shank portion 12 in the length direction. The shank height z is schematically illustrated in FIG. 2 . The shank portion 12 has a contact surface 20 on the lower side in the height direction, which extends for the most part in a single plane E and, apart from roughness, does not comprise projections or recesses relative to this plane E. Only in the front end section 18 and in the transition radius to or at the rear end 14, the lower side of the shank portion 12 can deviate from the extension in the plane E, for example in order to configure the front end section 18 for loop formation, in particular for forming a hook 15. At least the lower side of the handle portion is configured to form the contact surface 20 such that it extends continuously in a plane E between a forward-most point and a rear-most point, wherein the lower side of the handle portion is in plane E.

On the side opposite to the contact surface 20, the handle portion 12 has an upper side 21. The contact surface 20 and the upper side 21 are connected by two side surfaces 22, which are arranged at opposite sides of the handle portion 12 in the transverse direction Q. The handle portion 12 thus has a predominantly rectangular cross section, wherein the corner regions may be radially curved or may be chamfered (FIG. 2). The handle portion 12 may alternatively also have a different cross-sectional profile, for example an elliptical or circular cross section.

The machine knitting needle 11 comprises a butt section 26 in which a butt 27 extends away from the shank portion 12 in the height direction H. According to the example, the butt 27 and the shank portion 12 are integrally formed. The butt 27 comprises a butt base 28 directly adjacent to the shank portion 12 in the height direction H. On the side opposite to the shank portion 12, an upper butt region 29 adjoins the butt base 28. Compared to the upper butt region 29, the butt base 28 has a shorter length. The upper butt region 29 defines the maximum length x3 of the butt 27 and therefore defines the length x3 of the butt section 26. The upper butt region 29 includes a butt front edge 30 and a butt rear edge 31, which extend in the height direction H, respectively, and are arranged with a distance in the length direction L. The distance between the butt front edge 30 and the butt rear edge 31 corresponds to the maximum length x3 of the butt 27. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the butt base 28 is adjacent to the two butt edges 30, 31. Therefore, the ends of the two butt edges 30, 31 adjacent to the butt base 28 define a transition position 32 between the butt base 28 and the upper butt region 29. The transition position 32 is illustrated in dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and 2 .

The butt front edge 30 and the butt rear edge 31 are connected to each other via the butt upper edge 33. In the embodiment, the butt upper edge 33 extends parallel to the length direction L only in sections. In the upper butt region 29, a butt cavity 34 is added, which extends completely through the butt 27 in the transverse direction Q. In the embodiment described, the butt cavity 34 is open at the side opposite the shank portion 12 in the height direction H, i.e. upwards. The butt cavity 34 is limited by a section of the butt upper edge 33.

As can be seen in particular in FIG. 3 , through a view in the transverse direction Q, the butt cavity 34 has a substantially V-shaped cross-sectional form, which is limited by two sides 35 which are inclined in the height direction and are connected to each other via a curved connecting section 36 having a first radius of curvature R1. The sides 35 and the connecting section 36 are each formed by a section of the butt upper edge 33.

With a view in the height direction H, the butt cavity 34 has a depth t which characterizes the maximum distance between the connecting section 36 and the section of the butt upper edge 33 adjoining the side 35.

An edge with a front curved section 40 extends along the butt base 28 between the butt front edge 30 and the shank portion 12, and an edge with a rear curved section 41 extends between the butt rear edge 31 and the shank portion 12. Due to these curved sections 40, 41, the butt base 28 forms the throat of the butt 27 with a shorter length compared to the upper butt region 29. The curved sections 40, 41 form what can be described as a concave edge region. The front curved section 40 has a second radius of curvature R2, and the rear curved section 41 has a third radius of curvature R3. The second radius of curvature R2 and/or the third radius of curvature R3 may be constant at least in the segment, so that the curved segments 40, 41 may be formed by one or more adjacent circular arcs. The curved segments 40, 41 may also be formed by a continuously varying radius of curvature R2, R3, which is schematically illustrated by dotted lines in FIG. 3 .

Preferably, the two curved sections 40, 41 are mirror-symmetrical about a symmetry plane oriented orthogonally to the length direction L and extending through the middle of the butt 27. The complete butt 27 may be symmetrical about the symmetry plane.

The curved sections 40, 41 merge into the upper side 21 of the shank portion 12. From the upper side 21 of the shank portion 12 to the transition position 32 (i.e. to the upper butt region 29), the butt base 28 has a base height b. According to the example, the base height b is higher than the maximum shank height z of the shank portion 12.

The machine knitting needle 11 additionally has two guide sections, between which the needle butt section 26 is arranged, i.e., a front guide section 45 and a rear guide section 46. The two guide sections 45, 46 are formed substantially equally. According to the example, at least the front guide section 45 is directly adjacent to the needle butt section 26, while the rear guide section 46 is arranged with a distance to the needle butt section 26. Each guide section 45, 46 has a guide cantilever 47 extending from the handle portion 12. In an embodiment, each guide cantilever 47 has a connecting leg 48 extending obliquely relative to the height direction H and the length direction L and a cantilever leg 49 extending mainly parallel to the length direction L and therefore parallel to the handle portion 12. In the height direction H, the cantilever leg 49 is arranged at a distance from the handle part 12. According to the example, the guide cantilever 47 together with the section of the handle part 12 limits a gap 50 open on one side in the length direction L. The gap 50 is arranged between the cantilever leg 49 and the section of the handle part 12 arranged below and is limited on one side in the length direction L by the connecting leg 48. The guide cantilever 47 and the section of the handle part 12 adjacent to the gap 50 thus form a forked part of the machine knitting needle 11.

The connecting leg 48 extends at an inclination angle α relative to the length direction L, which has an amount of at least 15-20 degrees, and in a preferred embodiment, can be in the range of from 25 degrees to 45 degrees or to 65 degrees. The connecting leg 48 extends away from the handle portion 12 in the height direction H and at the same time away from the needle butt 27 in the length direction L. The gap 50 of the two guide sections 45, 46 is each open away from the needle butt 27 in the length direction L.

The cantilever leg 49 extends parallel to the length direction L in the illustrated embodiment. The cantilever leg 49 may also extend at an inclined angle relative to the length direction L, the inclination angle having a relatively small amount in the range of at most 10 to 15 degrees.

Starting from the connecting leg 48, the cantilever leg 49 extends to the leg end 51. In the rear guide section 46, the leg end 51 of the cantilever leg 49 and the rear end 14 of the handle portion 12 have the same position through the view in the length direction L, and thus terminate in a flush manner. Therefore, a plane oriented orthogonally to the length direction L can be defined as touching the rear end 14 and the leg end 51, and intersecting neither the rear end 40 nor the leg end 51.

The cantilever leg 49 has a section adjacent to the leg end 51, which has a first leg width s1 orthogonal to its extension direction. According to the example, because the cantilever leg 49 is oriented parallel to the length direction L, the first leg width s1 of the cantilever leg 49 is measured in the height direction H. The first leg width s1 is approximately as large as the first shank height z1 of the shank portion in the guide section 45, 46.

The connecting leg 48 has a second leg width s2 in the transition section to the handle portion 12, which is at least about 1.5 times greater than the first handle height z1 of the handle portion 12 and/or the first leg width s1. The second leg width s2 is measured in the length direction L adjacent to the handle portion 12.

The maximum distance between the contact surface 20 and the upper side or upper edge of the cantilever leg 49 defines the guide cantilever height c. In the height direction H, the gap has a gap height d in the region of the leg end 51. The gap height d decreases below the connecting leg 48.

Adjacent to the gap, the inner edge 52 of the connecting leg 48 merges into the upper side 21 of the handle portion 12 via a curved section including a fourth radius of curvature R4.

In an embodiment, the front guide section 45 directly adjoins the butt section 26. The outer edge 53 of the connecting leg 48 opposite the inner edge 52 thus merges directly into the front curved section 40. In this connecting region between the outer edge 53 and the front curved section 40, the shank portion 12 has a second shank height z2, which may be different from the first shank height z1. The second shank height z2 has an amount of at most 1.1 mm. In an embodiment, the second shank height z2 is greater than the first shank height z1. Alternatively, the first shank height z1 and the second shank height z2 may be equal.

As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the guide cantilever 47 and in particular the cantilever leg 49 of the front guide section 45 overspan the front handle section 19 . Thus, the front handle section 19 extends into the gap 50 of the front guide section 45 .

In the embodiment, the front guide section 45 and the rear guide section 46 have the same length x4. Alternatively, the lengths of the two guide sections 45, 46 may have different amounts. The length x4 of the guide sections 45, 46 is limited on one side by the leg end 51 and on the other side by the transition of the guide cantilever 47 from the handle part 12 and according to the example by the transition position of the outer edge 53 in the upper side 21 of the handle part 12. The length x4 of the guide sections 45, 46 may approximately coincide with the length x3 of the needle butt section 26.

It can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 4 that the rear guide section 46 is not directly adjacent to the butt section 26, and there is an intermediate section 57 between the rear guide section 46 and the butt section 26, in which the shank portion 57 has a substantially rectangular cross-section and has no protrusions or recesses. The intermediate section 57 has a length x5 in the length direction L. According to an embodiment, the length x5 of the intermediate section 57 is shorter than the length x3 of the butt section 26 and/or shorter than the length x4 of the guide sections 45, 46. In other embodiments, the intermediate section 57 may be longer than the butt section 26 and/or the guide sections 45, 46. The shank portion 12 has a third shank height z3 in the intermediate section 57, which may be as high as the first shank height z1 or the second shank height z2 according to an embodiment.

The length x2 of the front handle section is preferably longer than the length x4 of the guide sections 45, 46 and/or longer than the length x3 of the needle butt section 26 and/or longer than the length x5 of the middle section 57. Usually only a part of the length x2 (e.g. about half) is used for loop reception during knitting. However, the free length of the handle portion 12 in the front handle section 19 reduces shocks and vibrations introduced in the machine knitting needle 11, in particular by the needle butt 27.

Based on the guide cantilever 47 in the guide section 45, 46, the machine knitting needles can be supported in the height direction H and also in the transverse direction Q at positions arranged at a distance from each other in the length direction L, wherein the machine knitting needles 11 are supported by a cam arrangement of the knitting machine and/or a channel wall of a guide or needle channel arranged relative to each other in the transverse direction Q. In a circular knitting machine, for example, centrifugal forces and laterally acting forces on the needle butt 27 occur due to the rotation of the knitting cylinder relative to the cam arrangement. In addition, the machine knitting needles 11 are accelerated in the length direction L via the cam path of the cam arrangement via the needle butt 27. Due to the throat in the butt base 28, the forces acting on the butt 27 in the length direction L (particularly introduced via the two butt edges 30, 31) can be weakened, so that the stress of the machine knitting needle 11 is reduced and the deviation of the positioning accuracy during the loop formation is reduced. The guidance and positioning of the machine knitting needle 11 are further supported by the guide cantilever 47, whose cantilever legs 49 extend at a distance to the handle part 12 in the height direction H, thereby forming a gap 50. The cantilever legs 49 can be elastically moved relative to the lower section of the handle part 12. Therefore, due to the elasticity of the cantilever legs 49, the force acting on the cantilever legs 49 in the height direction H by the cam device is at least partially supported. In this way, the contact surface 20 of the machine knitting needle 11 abuts very well against the bottom of the needle channel or guide channel of the knitting cylinder. This improvement in positioning accuracy is also achieved in particular due to the fact that the contact surface 20 has no recesses and cavities in which dust can accumulate during knitting. This is particularly advantageous when knitting with short-fiber yarns.

The invention relates to a machine knitting tool 10 and in particular to a machine knitting needle 11 having a shank portion extending in a length direction L, the shank portion including a contact surface 20 at the lower side. Beyond an end section 18 configured for loop formation, the contact surface 20 extends continuously in a plane E to a transition to a rear end 14 of the shank portion 12 opposite the front end section 18. Between a front guide section 45 and a rear guide section 46, there is a butt section 26 having a needle butt 27. In each guide section, there is a guide cantilever 47, which extends away from the shank portion 12 in a height direction H and limits a gap 50 between a cantilever leg 49 of the guide cantilever 47 and a section of the shank portion 12 arranged below.

10: Machine weaving tools

11: Machine knitting needles

12: Handle part

13: Front-end

14: Backend

15: Hook

16: Closing element

17: Lock

18: Front-end section

19: Ring receiving section

26: Needle heel section

27: Pin heel

28: Base of needle heel

29: Upper heel area

30: Front edge of the heel

31: Back edge of the heel

32: Transition position

33: Upper edge of needle butt

34: Needle heel cavity

40: Forward bend section

41: Back bend section

45: Front guide section

46: Rear guidance section

47: Guided hanging arm

48: Connect the legs

49: Cantilevered Legs

50: Gap

51: Leg end

57: Middle section

A: Pivot axis

E: Plane

H: height direction

L: Length direction

x1: Length of the front section

x2: Length of the front handle section

x3: Length of the butt section

x4: Length of the guide section

x5: length of the middle section

xg: total length

Claims (17)

A machine knitting needle (11) having a handle portion (12) extending in a length direction (L), the handle portion (12) including a contact surface (20) at a lower side, wherein the handle portion (12) is configured for loop formation in a front end section (18), wherein the contact surface (20) extends continuously in a plane (E) at least between the front end section (18) and a rear end (14), wherein a front handle section (19) of the handle portion (12) is directly adjacent to the front end section (18), wherein the handle portion (12) is configured to receive one or more loops through which the handle portion (12) extends during knitting, having a front guide section (45) in which a guide cantilever (47) extends from the handle portion (12) in a height direction (H) and having a rear guide section (46) ), wherein an additional guide cantilever (47) extends from the handle portion (12) in the height direction (H), wherein each guide cantilever (47) comprises a cantilever leg (49), wherein the cantilever leg (49) together with the section of the handle portion (12) arranged below in the height direction (H) limits a gap (50), wherein the gap (50) is open in the length direction (L), and wherein the front handle section (19) extends into the gap (50) of the front guide section (45), and has a needle butt section (26) which is arranged between the two guide sections (45, 46), and wherein there is a needle butt (27) extending from the handle portion (12) in the height direction and the needle butt (27) is configured to cooperate with a drive device of a weaving machine. A machine knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein each guide cantilever (47) includes a connecting leg (48) connecting the cantilever leg (49) to the handle portion (12). A machine knitting needle according to claim 2, wherein the connecting leg (48) includes an inclination angle (α) with respect to the length direction (L), and the inclination angle (α) has an amount in the range of 20° to 90°. A machine knitting needle according to claim 2, wherein the connecting leg (48) comprises an inclination angle (α) with respect to the length direction (L), and the inclination angle (α) has an amount in the range of 25° to 65°. A machine knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein each guide cantilever (47) has a width (s2) in the transition section to the handle portion (12), the width (s2) being at least 1.5 times the maximum handle height (z) of the handle portion (12). A machine knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein the cantilever leg (49) has a width (s1) orthogonal to its extension direction, and the width (s1) is as large as the shank height (z1) of the shank portion (12) disposed thereunder. According to the machine knitting needle described in item 1 of the patent application, the cantilever leg (49) of the guide cantilever (47) in the rear guide section (46) has a free leg end (51), and the free leg end (51) has the same position as the rear end (14) of the handle portion (12) in the length direction (L). A machine knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein the front handle section (19) is at least partially extended by the front guide cantilever (47). A machine knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein the needle butt (27) includes a needle butt base (28) in a transition region to the handle portion (12), wherein the length of the needle butt base (28) in the length direction (L) is shorter than the length of an upper needle butt region (29) adjacent to the needle butt base (28) in the height direction (H). The machine knitting needle according to item 9 of the patent application, wherein the base height (b) of the needle butt base (28) is higher than the shank height (z1) in the guide section (45, 46), and/or the base height (b) of the needle butt base (28) is shorter than the guide cantilever height (c) of the guide cantilever (47) from the contact surface (20) of the shank portion (12). A machine knitting needle according to item 9 or 10 of the patent application, wherein the needle butt base (28) has curved sections (40, 41) at two opposite sides thereof in the length direction. According to the machine knitting needle described in item 11 of the patent application, the curved section (40, 41) has a constant radius of curvature (R2, R3). According to the machine knitting needle described in item 11 of the patent application, the curved section (40, 41) has a variable radius of curvature (R2, R3), and the variable radius of curvature (R2, R3) has a maximum value adjacent to the handle portion (12). According to the machine knitting needle described in item 1 of the patent application, the needle butt (27) includes at least one needle butt cavity (34), and the at least one needle butt cavity (34) is arranged at a distance from the handle portion (12) in the height direction (H). A machine knitting needle according to claim 14, wherein the at least one needle butt cavity (34) is open at the side opposite to the handle portion (12) in the height direction. A machine knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein the shank portion (12) has a shank height (z2) of at most 1.1 mm in the needle butt section (26). A machine knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein the handle portion (12) has a maximum total length (xg) of 100 mm in the length direction (L).