US1838683A - Production of ribbed knitted fabrics - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 29, 1931. T. H. JONES 1,333,683

PRODUCTION OF RIBBED KNITTED FABRICS Filed May'13, 1929 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JAM 7%? W,

Dec. 29, 1931. T. H. JONES PRODUCTION OF RIBBED KNITTED FABRICS Filed May 13, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N i/ENTOR THOMAS HENR Y JONES B Y m /-7T TORNE Y5 I the speed of I and Patented Dec. 29, 1931 UNETEDSTATES-PATENT, OF C THOMAS HENRY, JoN ns, or woonrHonrE, ENGLAND rnonuorroN on RIBBED KNITTED FABRICS Application filed May 13, 1929, SerialNo. 362,707, and in Great Britain May 21, 1928.

This invention comprises improvements in the production of ribbed knitted fabrics and has particular reference to an improved means for producing composite ribbed fabrics of the type having opposed needle wales comprising two superimposed-i ribbed Webs joined by their crossed sinker wales."

The main object ofthe present'invention is to provide means for producinga firmer or stiffer fabric of the typeset forth above and one which is more uniform or symmetrical in construction than fabrics of the same type as heretofore produced.

Another object of the invention is to furnish means whereby the friction and chafing on yarn during the knitting of a fabric of the above type is considerably reduced, thereby permitting the employment of comparatively weak or inferior yarns'and enabling production to be increased; While a further object is to enable'a fabric to be produced of particularly. fine or close gauge. A composite ribbed fabric of the type set forth above is produced on a machine having two sets of needles adapted to draw their loops in opposite directions, but, Whereas in r a machine for producing ordinary ribbed fabrics the needles of one set are positioned alternately with the needles of the other set, in a machine for producing the said composite fabric the one set of needles is positioned directly opposite the other set. y

In the production of the composite fabri a thread is fed to the odd needles of one set and the even needles of the other set by one feeder and such needles knit to produce one of theribbed webs. fed to the even needles of the first-mentioned set and the odd needles of the second set by another feeder, and the said needles of the second sequence then knit to produce the other ribbed web. The two Webs constituting the composite ribbed fabric are superimposed and joined by the threads constituting their sinker wales, which threads in being laidacross the different needles'of both sets, are caused to cross each other.

In the present invention, however,'instead of the thread being fed to and simultaneously drawn in opposite directions by the alternate The other threadis then needles of both sets in the production of each of the superimposed ribbed Webs, as hitherto, the knitted loops are completely formed on the alternate needles of oneset prior to the commencement of loops on the co-acting alternate needles of the other set.-

named set from thread which has already been drawn across sinker, elements operating between the coacting alternate needlesof the first named set i. e. the needles on which the knitted loops are first formed.

For the purpose of more fully describing the nature of this invention reference will now'be made to the accompanying drawings in which are illustrated in Figs. numbered successively 1 to 6, six successive steps in the method of producing each of the superimposed ribbed webs of the composite ribbed fabric, in accordance with this invention.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View illustrating the knitting needles and the cooperating sinkers in their relation to each other and their respective mountings.

' Figure'8 is a fragmentary plan View of the parts illustrated in' Figure "7. 1

In one method ofcarrying out the invention a circularknitting machine is'employed with a cylinder 5 and a dial 6 fitted with latch needles which are reciprocated verticallyand radially respectivelyby suitably disposed cams fitted in races concentric with the said cylinder and dial, the cylinder needlesbeing positioned directly opposite the dial needles.-

' An additionaltricked ring 7 is mounted concentrically with the cylinder at its upper part containing a circular series of sinkers or blades'and having assoclatedtherewlth suitably arranged and designed cams operating to move said sinkers into and out of a position between'the cylinder needles; The

sinkers are disposed opposite to and in radial alignment with the dial needles, and so positioned that" said dial needles may lie just beneath themiwhen said needles are protruded.

The nature and construction of the above mentioned needle-supporting dial andcylinder, thevneedle-operatlng cams and thesinkthe formation of knitted A-dvantageously the loops are formed on the alternate needles of thesecond er-supporting ring and the sinker-operating cams, which for purposes of clarity have been omitted from the drawings, Wlll be readily appreciated since they are common in the art.

The sequence of operation in the production of the fabric is as follows lVhen the odd cylinder needles 1 are raised to a position for taking thread, the even dial needles 2 are retained withdrawn with the last formed loops within their hooks, and the even sinkers 3 opposed to said withdrawn dial needles 2 are protruded towards said dial needles to a position wherein their tongues or forward ends 3a project between the upstanding cylinder needles 1 beyond the hooks thereof and beneath the feeding thread 4.

The odd cylinder needles 1 with newly laid thread 4 in their hooks as shown in Figure 1 are now lowered to form loops, and in doing so, the connecting bars of thread 4 between said loops are drawn across the protruded stationary sinker tongues 3a which thus provide the required resistance for loop formation and separation. In Figure 2 an odd needle 1 is shown partly lowered and the latch closed to permit the casting off of the last formed loop, while Figure 3 shows this loop knocked over and the new thread bar 4 drawn over the sinker tongue 3a.

The odd cylinder needles, having formed and knocked over their loops, are retained lowered and the even dial needles 2 are protruded until their books reach a position below the forwardly projected extremities of the even sinkers 3 when said even sinkers are withdrawn and in so doing the bar of thread 4 which has been left thereon by the odd cylinder needles 1 is deposited upon and within the open hook of the co-acting even dial needle 2, as shown in Figure 4. The even dial needles are then retracted to the position shown in Figure 5 to form knitted loops which are knocked over.

The above sequence of operations results in the production of one of the superimposed ribbed webs which constitute the composite fabric and the other web is produced and the fabric completed by feeding another thread 4 to the even cylinder needles 1, causing the said needles to draw their stitches, subsequently causing the odd sinkers to transfer the loops thereon to the odd dial needles 2 and causing the said odd dial needles to knit, all as previously described in connection with the first sequence of odd cylinder needles and even dial needles.

Referring to Figure 8 of the drawings it will be understood that the ringed numbers 1 to 6 indicated, in plan, the positions of the odd needles and sinkers when in the positions corresponding to those represented in Figures 1 to 6 respectively; and that the ringed numbers 1 to 6 indicate the positions of alternate, or even, needles and sinkers. The change from one combination of needles and sinkers to the alternate combination takes place at the position marked XX. It is to be understood also that both needles and sinkers are provided with butts by which they may be operated in the usual manner. The butts on one set of sinkers, causing them to perform the operations already described when referring to Figures 1 to 6 and as indi cated at the left hand portion of Figure 8, traverse a cam track or groove 3 in the sinker dial; while the butts of the alternate, or even, sinkers traverse the cam groove or track The butts of the odd dial needles, operating as shown at the left hand portion of Figure 8, traverse the cam groove 2 in the needle dial 6; and while the butts of the alternate set of dial needles, operating as indicated at the right hand side of Figure 8, traverse in the cam groove 20.

The cam grooves or tracks for operating the respective sets of cylindrical needles are not shown. This is thought not to be necessary as the operation of these needles would be understood from a consideration of Figures 1 to 6 inclusive taken in connection with the description thereof.

t is to be understood that the sequence of operations may be varied. For example the dial needles may first form loops and the formation of the cylinder needle loops be delayed. Alternatively the thread may be laid in one set of needles without first clearing the loops therein, such clearance taking place after the first set of loops is completed.

In the particular sequence of operations above described with reference to the drawings a small subsidiary motion may be desirable in order to project the dial needles 2 forward sufliciently to open their latches prior to being moved under the sinkers 3 to receive the thread bars 4 therefrom. This subsidiary motion may readily be obtained by suitably shaping the dial needle-operating cams, which, as previously stated, are of the customary type.

If desired the thread fed to the needles may be received within a throat portion of the sinkers, such thread being carried forward by a forward motion of the sinkers around the shanks or stems of the cylinder needles beneath their hooks, the downward motion of the cylinder needles drawing the thread across the sinker tongues as beforedescribed.

By the method of operation above described it is possible to produce fabric of a finer gauge than by the usual arrangements, it being understood that the needles do not require to pass between each other, and the sinkers which are used only between one set of needles may be relatively very thin at their forward parts which are projected between the cylinder needles and relatively thick at the rear parts which take the cam thrust.

.It will be appreciated therefore that the needles can be disposed closer together than is possible where one set of needles is required to be projected between the other set.

When producing ribbed fabric having opposed needle Wales and opposed sinker wales, the dial and cylinder needles, instead of being arranged alternately as in machines for producing ordinary ribbed fabric, are disposed opposite to each other, and in the application of the present invention to this type of machine alternate sinkers corresponding with alternate dial needles are first operated in the manner previously described, after which the remaining alternate sinkers corresponding with the remaining dial needles are operated, it being of course understood that the cylinder needles are also operated alternately to permit of the operation of the sink,

ers.

The present invention is also applicable to flat or straight bar knitting machines and to machines employing bearded or spring needles.

I claim v t 1. In a machine for the production of ribbed knitted fabrics, threadfeeding means, a needle cylinder, needles reciprocating there'- in, a dial, needles reciprocating in said dial,

the dial needles being disposed opposite to i. e. in radial alignmentwith the cylinder needles, a tricked ring at the upper end of the needle cylinder, sinkers slidably mounted in said ring, and positioned in a radial alignment with said dial needles, means whereby alternate cylinder needles are first operated to form knitted loops thereon and subsequent ly alternate dial needles operated to form knitted loops from thread received from alternate sinkers, the remaining alternate cyl inder needles and dial needles being subsequently successively operated to form knitted loops in a like manner.

2. In a machine for the production of ribbed knitted fabrics, thread feeding means, two sets of needles, means for causing the two sets of needles to draw their loops in opposite directions, the needles of one'set being positioned directly opposite the needles of. the other set, sinkers slidably mounted opposite,

the needles of one set, means whereby alternate needles of one set are first operated to form knitted loops thereon and subsequently alternate needles of the second set are operated to form knitted loops from thread received from alternate sinkers, the remaining alternate needles of the first set and the remaining alternate needles of the second set being subsequently successively operated to form knitted loops in a like manner.

THOMAS HENRY JONES;

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