US2674866A - Method and apparatus for cutting and clamping in straight knitting machines - Google Patents

Description

A. DYJK Us April 13, 1954 2,674,866 METHOD AND APPARAT FOR CUTTING AND CLAMPING IN STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 24, 1948 April 13, 1954 A, DYJAK 2,674,866

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND CLAMPING IN STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 24, 1948 mK C A. DYJAK April 13, 1954 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND CLAMPING IN STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 24, 1948 April 13, 1954 A DYJAK METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND CLAMPING IN STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 V MWD a9 mw April 13, 1954 A. DYJAK 2,674,866

METHOD AND APPARATUS FDR CUTTING AND CLAMPING 1N STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 24, 1948 Patented Apr. 13, 1954 METHOD AND APPAR AND CLAMIPIN G MACHINES ATUS FOR CUTTING IN STRAIGHT KNITTING Adolf Dyjk, Zlin, Czechoslovakia, assignor to Svit, nrodn podnik, Zlin, Czechoslovakia Application August 24, 1948, Serial No. 45,914

Claims priority, application Czechoslovakia September 4, 1947 (Cl. (i6-445) 13 Claims. l

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for gripping and cutting olf the inactive threads in straight sinker operated knitting frames and similar machines, in which the said threads are automatically pulled out to form a loop between the mouth of the tube of the thread guide or guides and the point of introduction into the product.

The method hitherto known for clamping and cutting off the inactive threads in straight sinker operated knitting machines consists in introducing one of the folds of the V-shaped loop, which is formed automatically between the thread guide and the product, into a clamping device and the other fold into a cutting device, which is separately located and driven. This method has the disadvantage that the respective clamping device is not fully reliable so that the inactive threads are not held with complete safety. Some of the insufficiently retained inactive threads may be incidentally pulled out of the clamping device at an inopportune moment, such as when introducing a fresh thread into the work, so that the corresponding thread guide does not possess a thread when it is put in operation, which defect is encountered in many cases. Moreover, by cutting on the second fold of the loop, two free relatively long thread ends are obtained of which that one which is hanging down from the clamping device must be drawn gradually and during a relatively long period from the clamping device by the product which increases in length. Another disadvantage of the apparatus referred 'to resides in its relative complexity as to arrangement and control. The retaining hooks and the clamping and cutting-oi devices are driven by a separate shaft, laterally slidable and rotatable, which is operated in some cases for a time by a hand actuated control rod.

The same method of clamping and cutting off the inactive threads is employed also in the so` called heel machines where on each side of the needle bank there are arranged two superposed movable hooks which are guided in longitudinal grooves in the direction of the length of the machine. The disadvantage of this method consists in the necessity of opening the clamping device to release the clamped severed fold of the loop at the beginning of the knitting operation with a freshly introduced thread guide. Another disadvantage of the apparatus consists in this that it may be used only for machines having a small number of thread guides, for instance for heel machines, not for cotton machines having from eight to ten thread guides...

crates with the edge of a knife A purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the above quoted imperfections so as to achieve complete safety in the operation, obtain a single free fold of the loop, secure a more suitable arrangement and simplify the whole apparatus together with its drive.

The main feature of the new method consists in cutting off the inactive threads clamped by the clamping device at a point close to the said device. The advantage of the method just outlined consists in this that the cut off fold of the loop clamped in the clamping device has no free end and therefore may be pulled out quickly from the clamping device by the movement of the product as it increases in length.

Another improvement in accordance with the new method consists in an arrangement in which during the period of pulling out the threads to form loops by means of one or more retaining hooks, the clamping and the cutting-olf devices are moving in the direction of movement of the sinkers of the machine toward the loop or loops being formed. In this way the fold of the loop between the retaining hook and the thread guide is brought quite reliably between the jaws of the clamping device. The clamping device by its working stroke into the direction of movement of the sinkers of the machine, causes the device -for introducing the inactive threads in the clamping and cutting-off devices to be operated, while by its return stroke to inactive position causes the said device to be put again out of operation. The arrangement just described achieves a perfeet introduction of the inactive thread into the clamping device, and no particular drive is required for this purpose.

The clamping device forms a part of the cutting-off device in that one of the jaws of the clamping device has a knife edge Which co-opmounted rotatably on the said jaw. The knife, which parta-kes of the movement of the clamping device in the direction of movement of the sinkers of the ma- -chine toward the loop being formed, is controlled at the same time by a rockable cam member. In this arrangement no separate drive for the cutting-off device is required.

According to another feature of the present linvention, all the retaining hooks located on both ,sides of the sinker heads and their directly'associated clamping, cutting-off and introducing devices for the threads are brought to working position and out of the same by means of bars slidable in the longitudinal direction of the machine. YThis arrangement on both sides of the consists of a holder 54,. Fig. 5., screwed, on: the bracket 9; The holder 54 is provided with a guide bar 55 which is cuia'fedV at' one end andi serves as a guideway; Short of the curved part of' the guide 55 the free end of a dat spi-ring 56 bears against the said guide, the other end of the spring being fastened 'to the holder 54. A lever 58, pivoted on pin` 62 on a holder 63 mounted on bar 64, has one end. i downturned to bearV against the guide' 55 and the: other arm` shaped to provide a thread retaining hook 5.5, and is urged in a direction to keep the end 51 in contact with the guide 55 by a torsion spring 55' carried by a pin 6| on the holder 63.

With this bar 64, which is located above the bar 2|, are moved all those retaining hooks 5?; whichare located at the right hand side' of needle banks. The remaining retaining hooks, which serve to p-ull out the threads at the left hand side of the needle benl'rs, are moved together with a bar B5 which is located above the two bars 2| and 64. The three driving bars 2|, ill and 65, Fig. 9, are mountedv slidably in holders' 66 which are screwed on the side members i of the machine. Each bar has screwed thereon a driving plate 6? with a longitudinal slot 65 in which a supporting pin 69 is guided. Each supporting pin 69 is arranged at one end of a lever 10, the levers being mounted for rocking movement about pins 1|, screwed into a bracket l2. The other end of' each lever 10' carries a roller 'I3 engaging in a corresponding groove 'le of a drum '|5- Which is keyed on a shaft i6. The number of grooves 14 corresponds to the number of bars. The shaft 'I6 is mounted in brackets 'il and 'i3 which are fastened by means of screws on the bracket '|2 carried by the bar 3, Fig. l. On one end of the shaft '56, Fig. 9, is keyed a hand wheel i9 serving to rotate the cylindrical cam T5' by hand and to adjust the cutting-off device. On one of the end faces of the cam T5 there' is screwed a circular disk 85 provided with a single recess 8G for a pawl, Fig. 1. The corresponding pawl 8| is mounted on a pin 82 screwed into the face of a sprocket w'heel 83 which is freely rotatable on the shaft i6. rIhe pawl 8i is urged to engage with the recess 85 in the disk 55 by means of a torsion spring 85 mounted on a pin 85 which is carried by the sprocket wheel 83.

Angular movement of the cylindrical cam l5 toY automatically pull out an inactive thread into a V-shaped loop, and the operation of the device for introducing one of the folds ci the loop into the clamping and the cutting-on Idevice are car ried out by means of a one revolution coupling which after being released by means of a lever system from the pattern drum is driven by the main cam shaft 5. In order to secure reliable operation of all the clamping and cutting-ofi' devices in the machine and to prevent the inactive threads from breaking, the working process from the moment when the threads are pulled out up to the moment of cutting off the same is divided linto two parts corresponding to two revolutions of the main cam shaft 5 or to one angular movement of the drum '15. During a revolution of the cam shaft, the pulling hook will pull out an inactive thread into a V-shaped loop, while during the second revolution it will introduce the thread into a clamping and cutting device.

The chain 81, Figs. l and 3, which runs around the sprocket wheel 83, is guided over a sprocket wheel 88 having an eztendedhub portion S5, Fig. 2, freely rotatable about a pinA 15|) `fastened in the sidel member and clampedby means of a nut 9|. On a shouldered washern 92 freely rotatable on the hub 8&1v there is sprung from one side a rocking sector 93 whose circular periphery of larger diameter isprovided at one point with a notch 94, Fig. l, for a locking pin 55 which retains the sector 53 in inoperative position. In the lateral wall of the sector 93 there is screwed a pin 95 on which a pawl 9| is rotatably mounted. The driving sector d3 carries a plate 55 in which an adjusting screw 95 is screwed in such a manner as to cooperate with an abutment |55 provided on the wall of the side member A tension spring |53 is connected to an ear I5! fastened on the plate e8 and to a post |52 screwed into the side member The end of the hub 65 has keyed thereon a gear wheel |04 which has a number of teeth omitted on its periphery so that a gap |55 without teeth is formed. The gear wheel |55 is rigidly connected to a circular disc |56 which is provided with a recess H0 and against the periphery oi which bears the end of the pawl 9iv urged yby a torsional spring |57' fastened on a pin |08 which is provided on the sector S3. The relative positionA of the sector '95 and disc |56, and of the gear wheel Hifi as well, is secured in the idle condition by means of an arresting pin engaging in a recess |55 in the circular periphery of the sector Si of smaller diameter, Fig. 2, and in the recess H5 of the disc 535, the said pin |i| being urged by a spring H2 housed in a bracket H3 which is fastened to the side member by means of screws. With the gear wheel 04 is associated a pinion H4 having one half of the number of teeth of the said gear wheel and adapted to c'o-operate for a time with the latter. The pinion |515 is keyed on one end of a shouldered shaft H5 mounted rotatably in the side member i. To the end oi the shaft |55, adjacent to the pinion Hd, there is fastened a lever H5 adjustable by means of a clamping screw in such a manner that a' driving pin H8, fastened in the opposite end of the lever H6, is adapted to co-op-erate for a time with the driving sector Q3. The other end of the shouldered shaft ||5 has keyed thereon a sprocket wheel H9, Fig. l, which is continuously driven by means of a chain |25 from a sprocket wheel |2| fastened on the main. shaft 5.

An impulse for effecting angular movement of the one revolution coupling is given at the right moment by a pattern drum. 22 which is mounted rotatably in the left side member i and is provided around its periphery with a number of projections of various height and length, from which for instance the projection 23 ofc-operates with a lever |24 mounted for rocking Inovement about a pin |25. A link |26 pivoted on the lever |24 is connected at its other end with an arm [21 which is fastened on one end of a shaft |28. This shaft |278 is mounted for free rotation in a bracket |25 fastened to a bar |35 by means of screws. A retaining ring 53|, 3, prevents the shaft $28 from moving sidewise. On the opposite end of the shafttnere is fastened an arm 32, Fig. l, which by means of a draw rod |33 is connecte-r1 with one arm or lever |35` mounted rotatably about a pin 35 the side member if. The other arm of the lever 35 has screwed thereon a holder |35 and through the end of this arm passes the locking pin 55 provided with a compression spring i5? which acts on the pin such al way that the end of the latter projects permanently from the lever |34 and by engagement in the notch H or the sector 93 locks the single revolution coupling in its inactive position.

The apparatus as described operates in the following manner:

During normal knitting, the main cam shaft 5, Fig. 1, drives continuously the sprocket wheels |2| and H9 which have the same number of teeth so that shaft l5, pinion I4, lever i IB and the driving pin i8 of the latter are continuously rotating, but without the rotating pinion H4 being in engagement with the gear wheel |04 because the gap |05 without teeth on the periphery of the gear wheel |04, Fig. 1, is positioned oppoe site to the pinion ||4. This position of the gap |05 is determined by the driving sector 93 being held in its inactive position by engagement in its notch 94 of the locking pin S5 provided on the lever |34, which is held iby the links |33 and |25 and by the levers |32 and |21, the end oi the lever |24 occupying its idle position on the periphery of the pattern drum |22.

When the thread guides are changed on one or more needle banks, the one or more idle thread guides are positioned on the side oi the sinker heads E, Fig. 4, each idle thread o1 the needle bank being tensioned between the knitted product and the tube of the idle thread guide. If the machine is provided, with seven thread guides, three of the guides, for instance, may be put out of operation on the right side of the needle bank and four guides on the left side, or vice versa. Since the knitting operation is continued with the newly introduced thread guide, each section of the products would pull indefinitely with itself the idle thread extending between the product and the tube of the idle thread guide. For this reason it is necessary to make provision for clamping and cutting oi at the same time the idle thread on the one or the other side of the needle bank, or needle banks, without aiecting the inactive threads oi the other idle thread guides held in the clamping devices.

The automatic pulling-out, clamping and cutting-ofi operations just referred to may be effected simultaneously with the arresting of the idle thread guides, or 'after the latter have reached their normal inactive position or in the proximity of this position.

An impulse for the operation of the apparatus in accordance with the invention is given by the pattern drum |22, Fig. 1, the step by step motion of which is derived from the main cam shaft 5, the projection |23 raising the end of the lever |24 and as a consequence the link |23 and the lever |21. After the iirst angular movement of the pattern drum |22, the end of the lever ibi lies on the projection |23. The ro-tation of the shaft |28 causes the lever 32 to rock so that the link |33 produces a rocking movement of the lever |34 and causes the locking pin 95 to be released from the corresponding notch 94 in the driving sector 93. Under the action of the tension spring |03 the sector 93 together with the washer 92 and the pawl 91 rotate on the en ended hub 89, Fig. 2, in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, into the path of the rotating driving pin H3 through such an angle until the end of the adjusting screw 99 cornes to bear against the abutment |05. pawl 91 slides on the face of the disc |55, which does not rotate for the time being, and in the recess of the disc without producing any displacement. By partial rotation of the driving sector 93 in the above mentioned direction, the

During this operation the arresting pin Fig. 2, is released from the recess |09 of the sector 93 and from the recess ||0 of the disc |06 and is brought in contact with the circular periphery of the sector, compressing thereby the spring ||2 in the bracket ||3. The driving pin I8, which is moving along a circular path, strikes against a projection of the driving sector 93 and causes the latter to rotate in counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1. During this rotation the sector entraine with it the pawl 91 which under the action of the torsion spring |01 will engage in the recess ||0 of the disc |06. As a consequence, this disc and the gear wheel |04 begin to rotate together in counterclockwise direction so that the rotating pinion I4 will come in engagement with the gear wheel |04 which then is rotated once about its axis. In view of the transmission ratio 1:2 between the gear Wheels |04 and ||4, Fig. 2, the driving pin ||8 will then leave again the sector 93. The latter will begin to rotate again in clockwise direction under the effect of the spring |03 and will be pushed for the second time by the revolving driving pin in counterclockwise direction. During this period the sprocket wheels 88 and 83, Fig. 3, are rotated by the same number of teeth in counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. l, and will perform one revolution about their axes. The sprocket wheel 83 carries with it also its pawl 8|, Fig. 1, together with the disc 80 and the cylindrical cam 15. During a revolution of the gear wheel |04, disc |06, sprocket wheels 88 and 83 and cylindrical cam 15, all the grooves 14 cause the respective levers 10, Figs. 4 and 9, to rock at the same time or successively. The upper and the middle bars and 54 are rst operated in opposite directions and then at a latter stage the lower bar 2| is moved in the same direction as the upper bar 64. The retaining hooks 59 connected to the upper bar 65, Fig. 8, which normally are positioned at the left of the needle bank, are moving at the beginning of their paths along the needle row to the right and back again, while the retaining hooks 59 of the middle bar 54 which normally are positioned to the right of the needle bank, are moving at the same time to the left and then back again. Depending on the side of the needle bank at which one of the thread guides is arrested, either the right hand or the left hand retaining hooks 5S perform useful work, this work being effected on all the needle banks of the machine at the same time.

If the thread guide is arrested, for instance, at the right side of the needle bank, Fig. 4, so that its inactive thread extends between the guide tube and the right hand extreme sinker 1, the retaining hook 59 and its directly associated introducing, clamping and cutting-oli:` devices located at the right hand side of the needle bank are in operation. The downturned end 51 of the lever 58, who-se other end is formed as a retaining hook 59, bears during this stage against the deflected end of the guide 55. During the movement of the bar 64, and of the lever 58 carried with this bar, to the left the downturned end 51 of the said lever slides on the surface of the iiat spring 56, Fig. 10, towards the inactive thread so as to locate the retaining hook 59 beyond the tube of the idle thread guide. In the left hand point of reversal of the path of bar 54 the bent end 51 of the lever 58 will slip, under the action of the torsional spring 56, from the end of the flat spring 5B secured to the holder 54 on to the straight leading end of the guide 55 so that the lever 58 will rock aboutits pin 624. The retaining hook 59 which is located behind the tube of the thread guide already before the said rocking movement, will grip reliably the inactive thread during the rocking of the lever 58. During the back movement of the bar 64 and k of the lever 58 to the right the downturned end 5l of the lever 58 slides along the straight wall of the guide 55 and at the end of its straightv path will raise the free end of the flat spring 55,Y the retaining hook 53 being thus caused to ypull out the inactive thread into a V-shaped loo-p, Fig. 11.

At this moment the body lil together with the closed jaws I4 and the guide bolt Il and the knife 2B begin to move toward the loop being formed as a result of the movement of the lower bar 2| with the holders 25 and the cam faces I-S longitudinally of the machine in the direction to the right. Due to the lateral displacement and to the pressure exerted by the lcam face I9 on the upper part oi the bolt |I on the body I5, the pin 25 oi the knife 25 will engage with the cam face 33 of the lever 35, the pin 23 being subjected to the action of the spring 35, whereby the knife 26 is raised or opened. Concurrently with the movement of the body I in a direction opposite to the loop being pulled out, the guide pin 4I of the arm 42 is lowered by the effect of the groove 45, and then the lever 42 by means of its supporting pin 44 exerts pressure against the arm 45 of the lever 45, Fig. 6. As a consequence the other arm 4'! of the lever 46 will rock about its pin 55 in the direction towards the jaws. Il and I4, the notch 49 in the enlarged end 48 being brought in contact with the upper fold of the loop, causing this upper -fold of the loo-p to enter between the closed jaws Il and I4, Fig. l2, For an easy and reliable introduction o-I the said fold of the loop between the jaws, the moving downturned end of the lever 5B will be broughtco-ncurrently with the movement of the clamp-ing and cutting-od device, in contact with the deflected part of the guide 55, so that the returning hook 59 which holds the loop and is moving away from the jaws II and I4, is caused to turn in the die rection towards the guide 55. By the simultanea ous movement of the pulling, clamping and introducing devices the upper fold of the loop is introduced and clamped in this way between the jaws II and Ill and beneath the raised knife 25. A short time before the loop is cut off and its upper fold is severed, the end of the bolt YI'l is in a position close to the iront straight surface of the cam member i5. The cam pin of the knife 26 at this moment occupies a position at the end of the cam face 33 of the arm 34. In this stage the downturned end 5l of the lever 58 is at the end of the deiected part of the guide and the enlarged end 48 of the bell-crank lever v45 is at the side of the body I0 behind the jaws Il and I4. When the bolt I1 has reached the front face of the cam member I9, the cam pin 25 will slip from the cam face 33 under the action of the tension spring 34, and as a consequence the knife 23 will fall on the pin 32. The edge 28 of the knife 25 and the cutting edge I2 of the lower clamping jaw I I will sever the clamped lupper fold of the loop in the corresponding vertical plane of the body I I) close to the jaws while the lower fold of the loop is released, Figs. 5 and 13.

During the back movement of the bar z2| together with the cam members I9 to the left, the bolt Il under the action of the tension spring 24 is moving along the inclined surface ofthe cam 1() member I 9, whereby the body I0 together with the closed jaws Il and the loop fold clamped between the latter are returned to the original inactive position. During this back movement of the body I0, the arm 42 is raised due to the action of the groove 40 upon the guide pin 4|, and under the action of the torsion spring 52 on the arm 45 of the bell crank lever 45 the other arm 4l of the lever is returned to its original inactive position. With the returning body I 0, the pin 25 of the closed knife 23 will pass under the cam face 33 of the arm 34, Fig. 7, so that the latter is raised, but falls again under the action of the torsion spring 38. As soon as the bolt I1 has moved over the inclined surface of the cam member I 9 and reached its starting position, the clamping device also has reached its idle position, in which one or more inactive threads are clamped and held by the jaws I I and I4. At the same moment the gear wheel |04, Fig. 1, of the one revolution coupling has terminated its single revolution and interrupted for a time its engagement with the pinion ||4 due to the gap |05 without teeth, the pinion I I 4 continuing to rotate without interruption. The sector 93, which is urged for a secondtime by the driving pin H8, Fig. 2, in counterclockwise direction, is locked in its idle position again by engagement of the arresting pin III in the recess |09 of this sector, the pin engaging also in the recess IIG of the disc |06, and also by the engagement at the proper moment oi the locking pin in the corresponding notchs on the circular periphery of larger diameter of the sector 93. An impulse for the engagement of the locking pin 95 is given again by the pattern drum |22 which performs another angular movement under the control of the main cam shaft 5. During this second angular movement, the end of the lever |24 slips down from the projection |23 so that the link |25 together with the lever |27 are moving toward the drum I22. Due to the partial rotation of the shaft |28, the lever |32 is caused to rock in such a way that the link |33 causes the lever |34 to rock and the locking vpin 95 to be engaged.

The exchange of the thread guides and thus also the pulling, introducing, clamping and cutting-oir operations for one or more threads on the one or the other end of a single or multiple needle bank machine are thereby terminated. Normal knitting will be resumed with the freshly introduced thread guide or guides. If one of the inactive threads held by a clamping device is to be put in operation anew, the end of the thread remains clamped within the jaws until the needles have seized this thread which is automatically and gradualy pulled out of the jaws of the clamping device by the knitted product of increasing length being drawn'away. The remaining inactive threads of the idle guides, which .threads are held closely adjacent to each other between the jaws, remain at rest during this stage. The longer and shorter ends of the free threads projecting from the edges of the product before the latter have been sewn together, are subsequently trimmed by hand.

The invention is not restricted to the example described and shown and may be applied also to other working machines which operate under similar working conditions as the straight knitn ting frames.

What I claim is:

1. In a method of gripping and cutting oir the inactive threads in straight sinker operated knit ting frames and similar machines including selectively -idled thread guides, th'effstepg 'ci fautomatically pulling out the threads extending between idled thread guides and the fabric to form a V-shaped loop between the mouths of the thread guide tubes and the point of introduction of the thread into the knitted fabric, inserting one of the branches of the vf-shaped loops extending from the idled guides between two spring closed jaws of a clamping and cutting-off device, cutting the thread at a location close to the side of the clamping jaws, and retaining the ends of the severed threads between the jaws of the clamping device in such a way that the said severed ends do not project from the clamping jaws.

2. The method as set forth in claim l, ineluding during the period of pulling the thread by means of one or more retaining hooks to form a V-shaped loop, moving the clamping and cutting-off device towards the loop being formed.

3. In a method of gripping and cutting off the inactive threads in straight sinker operated knitting frames and similar machines including selectively idled thread guides, the steps of automatically pulling out the threads extending between idled thread guides and the fabric to form a V-shaped loop between the mouths of the thread guide tubes and the point of introduction of the thread into the knitted fabric, inserting one of the branches of the V-shaped loops extending from the idled guides between two spring closed jaws of a clamping and cutting-off device, cutting the thread at a location close to the side of the clamping jaws, retaining the ends of the severed threads between the jaws of the clamping device in such a way that the said severed ends do not project from the clamping jaws and causing the thread introducing device to be operated by the working movement of the clamping device and to be put out of operation by the return of the clamping device to its inactive position.

4. In a straight sinker operated knitting frame, an apparatus for gripping and cutting off the inactive threads comprising a pair of spring closed thread clamping jaws, one of said jaws also being provided with a cutting edge along one side thereof and a spring loaded knife mounted pivotally thereon adapted to cooperate with said cutting edge to sever the projecting portions of thread clamped between said jaws, said knife being movable with said closed clamping jaws in the direction toward a loop being formed from the inactive thread, and a pivotally mounted cam member for actuating said knife, said cam member engaging said knife to open the knife prior to entry of the thread loop between said springclosed jaws and being thereafter released from said knife to effect closing thereof under the action of its loading spring thereby to sever the thread loop.

5. In a straight knitting frame including a knitting section comprising a needle bank, a cooperating row of sinkers and thread guides selectively operable for laying thread along the needle bank and for idling adjacent the ends thereof, a plurality of bars slidably mounted longitudinally of the frame; a thread clamping and cutting device mounted adjacent each end of the knitting section comprising a pair of spring closed clamping jaws. a thread cutting knife at one side of said jaws and a pivoted thread engaging lever for inserting threads between said jaws; a thread catching member carried by one of said bars and disposed adjacentone end of the knitting section; a thread catcher carried by another of said bars and disposed adjacent the other end of the knitting section; means on a third one of said bars for actuating said thread clamping and cutting device; and means for imparting longitudinal sliding motion to said bars in timed relation to the operation of the knitting frame to shift said thread catchers into and out of the ends of the knitting section to pull out the threads between idled thread guides and the fabric and to actuate the clamping and cutting device to grip and cut the pulled out threads.

6. A knitting frame according to claim 5 in which the bars are mounted on the frame in superposed relation and a centrally located actuating member is provided for driving the bars.

7. A straight knitting frame according to claim 5 in which the frame is a multiple section frame, said bars extend across all of the sections, the thread clamping and cutting devices and thread catching members are provided at each end of each of the knitting sections, two of the bars carry all of the thread catching members and the third bar carries all of the actuating means for the respective thread clamping and cutting def vices.

8. A knitting frame according to claim '7 in which all of the thread lcatching devices disposed at the right hand end of the respective knitting sections are carried on one of said bars and all of the thread catching devices disposed at the left hand end of the knitting sections are disposed on another bar.

9. A knitting frame according to claim 7 in which the bars are mounted in superposed relation, a cylindrical cam member is provided having driving connection with the individual bars and means are provided for driving the cylindrical cam in timed relation to drive of the knitting frame.

10. A knitting frame according to claim 9 in which the means for driving the cylindrical cam includes a coupling and drive for effecting only a single revolution of the cam with each engagement thereof and means is provided for automatically engaging said coupling upon the movement of a thread guide or thread guides to idling position at either end of the knitting section.

11. A knitting frame according to claim 10 in which the means for automatically engaging the coupling comprises a pattern drum and a lever system for actuating the coupling from the pattern drum.

12. In a straight knitting machine a needle bank and a cooperating sinker bank, a plurality of automatically operated thread guides for feeding the thread to said banks and movable to idling positions adjacent the ends thereof, a thread clamping and cutting device mounted adjacent the end of the sinker bank including a clamping jaw member movable transversely of the bank, a reciprocable bar mounted longitudinally of the frame, a hooked thread catcher mounted on said bar positioned normally at the end of the sinker bank and movable longitudinally into and out of the bank upon reciprocation of its carrier bar to catch a thread between an idled guide and the fabric to form a loop with the side thereof extending from the guide disposed in front of said clamping member, a pivoted lever mounted on said clamping member having a thread engaging portion, means for rocking said lever to engage the last mentioned side of said loop and insert the same between the jaws of said clamping jaw member, a thread cutter mounted on the side of said clamping jaw member away 13 from the end of the needle bank and means for actuating said cutter to sever the thread after actuation of said lever to insert the thread between the clamping jaws.

13. A method for automatically clamping and cutting 01T the inactive threads in a straight knitting machine having an automatically operated knitting mechanism including a needle bank and cooperating sinkers to which the thread is fed by a plurality of thread guides which are selectively moved to an idle position during the knitting of the fabric which comprises catching inactive threads between idled thread guides and the fabric by moving a thread catcher longitudinally inwardly of the end of the needle bank in timed relation to the idling of one or more of the thread guides, pulling out the threads so caught into a loop adjacent the end of the needle bank, clamping the portion of the so looped threads extending from the idled thread guides by en- References Cited in the lile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 928,244 Burson July 20, 1909 1,712,445 Potter May 7, 1929 2,100,345 Miller Nov. 30, 1937 2,132,494 Rinehart Oct. 11, 1938 2,432,110 Lambach Dec. 9, 1947 2,443,813 Cooper June 22, 1948.

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