US2697336A - Circular knitting machine - Google Patents

Description

6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 13, 1952 was Dec. 21, 1954 A. SHORTLAND 2,697,336

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 13, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 21, 1954 A. SHORTLAND CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 6 Sheefc-Sheet 3 Filed June 13, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 13, 1952 Inventor Dec. 21, 1954 A. SHORTLAND 2,697,336

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE I h 11 Filed June 13, 1952 6 S eets-S eet 5 Dec. 21, 1954 A. SHORTLAND 2,697,336

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 13, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 2,697,336 Patented Dec. 21, 1954 CIRCULAR KNITTING" MACHINE Arthur Shortland, Leicester, England, assignor to Mellor Bromley & Co. Limited, Leicester, England, a British company Application June 13, 1952, Serial No. 293,315 Claims priority, application Great Britain May 30, 1952 6 Claims. (Cl. 66-24) This invention relates to circular knitting machines, and has reference particularlyto those of the cylinder and dial type.

The invention has for its object generally to improve the patterning scope of such machines, and more especially as regards the knitting of fabrics with effects produced by the transfer of knitted loops or stitches from needles in the cylinder to respectively adjacent needles in the dial, and vice versa.

A circular knitting machine according to this invention includes, in combination, a cylinder, a set of individually operable needles in said cylinder, a dial, another set of individually operable needles in said dial, a transfer instrument in association with every cylinder and dial needle, clearing and stitch cams for actuating both the cyhnder and the dial needles at a knitting location, means at a transfer location in advance of the said knitting location for effecting the transference of all loops on dial needles to respective adjacent cylinder needles, means followmg said transfer location for selecting cylinder needles intended subsequently to transfer knitted loops to respective adjacent dial needles, means in association with the dial for preparing dial needles to receive knitted loops transferred from said selected cylinder needles, cam means for so operating the cylinder and dial needles and their transfer instruments as to effect transference of kn1tted loops from the cylinder needles previously selected as aforesaid to the adjacent dial needles, means for ensuring that the remaining dial needles of the set shall not knit at the knitting location, and means immediately in advance of the knitting location for causing desired cylinder needles to knit at the said location.

The aforementioned means in association with the dial for preparing dial needles to receive transferred knitted loops may advantageously consist of a dial latch opener adapted to open all of the dial needle latches seriatim.

The means for ensuring that the relevant dial needles of the set shall not knit at the knitting location may conveniently consist of a shaped blade for closing all of the dial needle latches.

In a convenient embodiment of the inventlon, acks may be provided in the cylinder for actuating the cylinder eedles, in which instance the aforesaid means for selecting cylinder needles intended to transfer knitted loops to respective adjacent dial needles, as well as means for selecting cylinder needles to knit at the knitting location, would be adapted for selective action on said jacks.

The means may, for example, consist of pattern selector units each comprising an intermittently rotatable drum furnished with pre-arranged pegs, and an adjacent bank of pivotally mounted selectors arranged to be select vely actuated for action, in turn, upon butts set out on the acks according to patterning requirements. In this connectionthe jacks may conveniently be mounted for limited rocking movement in their tricks in the cylinder, the arrangement being such that jacks pressed into their tr1cks by pegactuated selectors miss jack raising cams provided at the transfer and knitting locations, whilst jacks allowed to remain forward as the result of a selection are engaged by the said cams and raised to elevate the corresponding needles to transfer position or clearing height, as the case may be.

Instead, however, of providing a pattern selector unit of the form just described for selecting cylinder needles to knit at a knitting location, there may be provided in the cylinder cam system immediately in advance of this location, reverse selection cams, such as those hereinafter to instruments both 'in be described, for suitable action upon the-jacks; In such an arrangement, jacks'which are permitted to remain forward by a pattern selector unit, for transfer, at one-location and as a consequence are raised by a transfer cam may be pressed-back into the cylinder by a reverse selection cam, whereas jacks pressed into their tricks by the said unit may be drawn forward by another reverse selection cam. Thus, as will be appreciated, a selection of ,the jacks, and hence also of the corresponding cylinder needles, effected by'jthe'intermittently rotatable; pattern selector unit, for transfer, isautomatically reversed bythe reverse selection'cams, for knitting.

The transfer instrument associated'with every cylinder and dial needlemay be of any suitable character. "Preferably, however, it has a stitch engaging shoulder and a laterally offset stitch expandingformationthe free end of Whichlatter is'pointed and engages in a locating recess formed inthe side of. the companion needle. Each needle in this case may be formed with a shoulder sodisposed as to co-operate'with the shoulder of the 'companion' transfer instrument in supporting a loop expanded by'the relevant formation. Proferably, moreover, the transfer 'the cylinder and in'the dial work together with thecompanion needles so that whatever lengthwise movement isimparted to.a needle, the: companion instrument 'is'moved together'with it, andvice versa.

To enable theiinvention ,to'be more clearly understood, a specific constructional example thereof asrapplied to a multi-feeder transfer-purl.cylinder anddialknitting machine will now'be described with "reference to. the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a verticalsectional view through. the knitting head of the said machine,

Figure 2 is an-elevational view of a portionofzthe knitting head shown in developed form and as seen from the outside of the cylinder cam box,

Figure 3 is a corresponding-plan viewlooking down on top bothof the dial cam plate and. the upper edge of the cylinder cam box,

Figure 4 is a developed view of-twoadjoining, i. c. knitting and transfer, sections of the cylinder cam' system of the machineas seen from the inside of the cylinder cam box,

Figure 5 is an underside plan view of the correspondingsections of the dial camsystem,

Figure 6 is a detail plan view of a lipped cam provided in the cylinder cam systemfor'action on allthe cylinder needle actuating jacks to position the same preparatory to selection, as will be hereinafter described,

Figure 7 shows a reverse selection cam which may be provided in lieu of a rotary pattern selector-unit,--for action on the jacks to determine -which cylinder needles shall knit at an adjoining knitting station,

Figure 8 is a detail cross-sectional view taken'on the line VIII-VIII of Figure 5 showing alatch closing device for closing all of the dial needle'latches,

Figure 9 is a plan view of oneof the rotary pattern selector units with which the machine is equipped,

Figures l0, l1 and 12 are detail perspective views of co-operating cylinder and dial needles at different stages in the transference of a loop from the dial needle to the cylinder needle,

Figures 13, 14 and 15 are-three similar views at corresponding stages in the transference of a loopfrom' the cylinder to the dial-needle, and

Figure 16 is a purely schematic diagram "illustrating knittingsequences on a four-feeder machine.

Like parts are designated by similar reference 'characters throughout the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, it will'be seen that-the socalled transferpurl'machine' includes a rotary cylinder 1 in the tricks of which are provided a setof individually operable latch needles 2 and, beneath the latter, a corresponding set of" needle-actuating jacks such as that clearly indicated at 3 in Figure 1. In association with every cylinder needle 2 thereis provided a loop transfer instrument 4 having a stitch engaging shoulder 5 and a laterally offset (bowed) stitch expanding formation 6. The free end of the offset formation of each transfer instrument 4 is pointed and engages in a locating recess 7 formed in the side of the companion cylinder needle 2. Each cylinder needle, moreover, is formed with a shoulder 8 so disposed, as shown more clearly in Figures 10-15, as to be adapted to co-operate with the shoulder of the companion instrument 4 in supporting a loop expanded by the relevant formation 6, as will be hereinafter more fully described. The transfer instruments 4 in the cylinder 1 work together with, and in the same tricks as, the companion needles 2. Accordingly, whatever lengthwise movements are imparted to a cylinder needle 2, the companion transfer instrument 4 will move together with it, and vice versa. In this connection each of the tricks 9 in the cylinder 1 is, as depicted in Figure 2, made sufiiciently wide to receive a needle 2 and an instrument 4 side by side, and the said needles and instruments are provided with companion butts. Thus, adjacent to an upper knitting butt 10 on each cylinder needle 2, there is a similar butt 11 on the companion instrument 4, the two butts being for engagement with the same operating cams. At their tail ends each such needle and companion transfer instrument are provided with a further pair of butts 12 and 13 respectively against the lower edges of which the head 3a of the corresponding jack 3 is arranged to act. As will be appreciated, the thickness of each needle-actuating jack is equivalent to the combined thicknesses of the corresponding needle and transfer instrument.

Surrounding the rotary needle cylinder 1 is a stationary cylindrical cam box which is indicated generally at 14 and comprises a plurality of initially separate arcuate sections. The number of cam box sections provided is twice that of the number of feeds involved. For example, if the machine is a four-feeder one, then there will be eight cam box sections viz. four equally spaced knitting sections A and four intervening transfer sections B. It is, therefore, convenient in Figure 4 to show two only of these cylinder cam box sections, that is to say one of the knitting sections and an adjoining transfer section. The direction of rotation of needle cylinder and hence of needle travel in relation to the needle cam system is indicated by the arrow C in Figure 4. In each knitting section A there are provided, for action upon the upper butts 10 and 11, adjustable clearing earns 15 and 16, an obliquely adjustable stitch or knocking-over cam 17 combined with a simultaneously adjustable guard cam 18, fixed guard cams such as 19, 20 and 21, and a cam 22 for raising cylinder needles 2 just sufficient for their hooks 2a to penetrate expanded dial loops during transference of the latter to cylinder needles as will be hereinafter more fully described. Now in the particular machine being described it is intended that some of the knitting butts 10 and 11 shall be long ones and others short ones, the long and short butts being pre-arranged, according to knitting requirements. Of the two cylinder clearing cams shown, that indicated by the numeral 15 is, for action on long butts and is swung up into its operative position, whereas the companion clearing cam 16, for action on short butts, is shown down in its inoperative position. Each knitting section A also incorporates,

' for engagement with operating butts 23 (Figure 1) depending from the heads 3a of the cylinder needleactuating jacks 3, a thin jack raising cam 24 and a cam 25 provided with an upstanding lip 25a (see Figure 6) adapted for action on the backs of the said operating butts. In the section A is also provided an inclined cam 26 arranged vertically beneath the stitch or knockingover cam 17 and arranged to act on the heads 3a of jacks 3 to depress the same whenever the corresponding needles 2 and companion transfer instruments 4 are are lowered by the said cam 17.

Immediately in advance of each knitting section A of the cam box 14 are provided means of any appropriate character for selecting desired cylinder needles 2 to knit at the adjoining knitting location. Thus, in the specific example illustrated, there is provided for this purpose a pattern selector unit 27 of a conventional form comprising a rotary drum 28 furnished with pre-arranged pegs 29, and an adjoining bank of pivoted selectors 30. The drum 26 is adapted to be intermittently racked round in suitable timed relation with the rotation of the cylinder 1 for which purpose the lower end of the said drum has secured thereto a ratchet wheel 31 with which is arranged to co-operate a spring-influenced pawl 32 (see Figure 1). This pawl 32 is pivotally mounted on a racking arm 33 a portion 33a of which extends downward- 1y through an opening 34 in the base of a jack box 35 and is adapted to be acted upon by cam means on the rotary head wheel of the machine (not shown). drum 28 is enclosed in a cylindrical casing 36 in which is provided an opening 37 to permit of engagement of the pegs 29 with the selectors 30. The latter are spring-con trolled and mounted to turn on a vertical fulcrum pin 38. As shown more clearly in Figure 9, the edge of each selector 30 nearest to the drum 2B is formed with a projection 30a arranged to be acted upon by a peg or pegs 29 disposed in the same horizontal plane as the selector. The outer edges of the selectors remote from the drum are formed with rounded noses 30b adapted for engagement with jack butts 39. These butts are prearranged according to patterning requirements at different levels corresponding with the superimposed horizontal planes of the bank of selectors 30. Adjoining cam box sections A and B are gapped, as at 40 and 41, and the jack box 35 below is also gapped as at 42 to provide space for the selectors 30. Each of the jacks 3 is mounted to rock in its cylinder trick 9 about a fulcrum point 43. Accordingly, each selector 30 which is acted upon by a peg 29 in the drum 28 and is thereby turned towards the cylinder will function to press back into their tricks those jacks 3 having selecting butts 39 at the corresponding height. The depending operating butt 23 on the head 3a of each jack pressed back into its trick in this way will pass behind the thin jack raising cam 24 as a consequence of which the jack will remain down in its inoperative position and will not function to raise any cylinder needles 2 to clearing height. On the other hand, the butt 23 of a jack 3 which is not pressed back into its trick by a selector 30 will engage the cam 24 and be raised to the extent of elevating the corresponding needle 2 (together with the companion transfer instrument 4) to clearing height. But, as will be appreciated, for the pattern selector unit 27 to be effective, both of the clearing earns 15 and 16 must be down in their inoperative positions. In advance of each pattern selector unit 27 for selecting cylinder needles to knit at a knitting location, there is provided, on the immediately adjoining portion of the preceding transfer section B a cam 44 formed with an upstanding lip 44a arranged for action on the backs of the depending jack operating butts 23 for the purpose of drawing forward all of the jacks seriatim preparatory for selection by the unit 27.

Each transfer section B of the cylinder cam box includes, in addition to the lipped cam 44, a thin transfer cam 45 for engagement with jack operating butts 23 for the purpose of raising jacks, and hence also the corresponding needles 2 and transfer instruments 4, to such a height as to expand cylinder loops and so facilitate transference of the latter to dial needles as will be hereinafter described, and a cam 46 for immediately depressing the elevated cylinder needles, companion instruments 4 and corresponding jacks 3 after such transference.

In the specific example now being described there is provided, immediately in advance of each transfer section B, a pattern selector unit of precisely the same form as that already described herein (but indicated 27 in Figure 16) for selecting desired cylinder needles to transfer. Thus jacks pressed into their tricks 9, at a location such as that marked D in Figure 4, will not be raised by the transfer cam 45 as a consequence of which the corresponding needles will remain down whereas jacks which are not so pressed in will be acted upon by the cam 45 to elevate the desired needles and companion instruments 4 to transfer position. Preparatory to selection at D, all of the jacks 3 are pulled forward as the result of engagement of the backs of their operating butts 23 by the aforementioned lipped cam 25.

The illustrated transfer purl machine also includes a radially tricked dial 47 which is rotatable together with and at the same speed as the cylinder 1, and is equipped with a complete set of individually operable dial needles 48 of the latch type. As shown in Figure 3, there is provided in association with every dial needle 48 a loop transfer instrument 49. These instruments are generally of similar form to those associated with the cylinder needles 2, that is to say, each instrument 49, as depicted more clearly in Figures 10-15, has a stitch engaging shoulder 50 and a laterally offset stitch expanding formation 51. The said offset formations have pointed ends which engage in locating recesses formed in the sides of the companion dial needles 48. Each dial needle has a shoulder 53 adapted to co-operate withthe shoulder 50 in supporting a loop expanded by the corresponding formation 51. Here again, the transfer instruments 49 in the dial 47 work together with and in the same tricks as the companion needles 48. Adjacent to afront operating butt 64 on each dial needle there is a similar butt 55 on the companion instrument 49, the two butts being for engagement with the same operating cams. There may, if desired, be short and long butts 54 and 55 pre-arranged according to knitting requirements. At their tail, i. e. rear, ends each such needle and companion instrument 49 are provided with a pair of transfer butts 56 and 57 respectively.

Above the dial 47 is provided a stationary dial camplate 56 comprising a plurality of sections corresponding in number and circumferential extent with the cylinder cam box sections. Accordingly, to each cam box knitting section A there is provided a corresponding dial camplate knitting section E, and to each adjoining cylinder cam box transfer section B there is a dial camplate transfer section F. In Figure 5, the undersides of two adjoining dial camplate sections E and F are shown. In this figure as also in Figure 4, direction of needle travel is indicated by the arrow C. In each dial camplate knitting section E there are provided, for action upon the tail or rear butts 56 and 57, a dial transfer bolt cam 59 for advancing all the dial needles at the location G in the transference of all loops on the dial needles to respective adjacent cylinder needles partially raised by the cam 22 (Figure 4), and, for action upon the front operating butts 45 and 55, adjustable clearing earns 60 and 61, an obliquely adjustable dial stitch cam 62 and earns 63 and of for retracting dial needles previously advanced to transfer at G. Of the two dial clearing cams, that indicated at 61 is for action on long ones of the butts 54' and 55 and is turned out into its operative position, whereas the companion clearing cam 61, for action on short butts, is shown in its inoperative position. Each dial camplate transfer section F includes a cam 65 for partially advancing all of the dial needles 48 seriatim to;

an extent just sufficient for the hooks 48a of relevant ones of said needles to penetrate cylinder loops expanded as the result of selected cylinder needles 2 and companion transfer instruments 4 being raised, through the medium of jacks 3, by the transfer cam 45 at the location H. A cam 66 in the section F functions to retract all of the dial needles immediately after they have been partially advanced by the cam 65.

In advance of each knitting location there is mounted on the top of the adjacent endof the preceding cam box,

transfer section B a small bracket 67 which, as shown in Figure 3, serves to carry a device 68 for acting on and opening the latches 2b of all of the cylinder needles 2 seriatim; the object of this device is to ensure that the cylinder needles will be in a condition to receive dial loops penetrated thereby and transferred thereto at the location G aforesaid. Each bracket 67 is secured in position by a single screw which can be readily slackened to permit of adjustment of the latch opener 68 and retightened to secure the said opener in its adjusted position. The pivot screw 69 allows device 68 to. swing away from needles, if fouled.

Also, on each dial camplate transfer section F, in advance of the cam 65 on said section, is a spring loaded device '70 (Figure 3) for opening all latches 48b seriatim and thereby preparing dial needles 48 to receive loops transferred thereto from selected cylinder needles. To enable the dial latch opening device 76 to function, it is necessary first to advance and then immediately to retract the dial needles seriatim relatively thereto. In this connection there is provided in each transfer section F, adjacent to the dial latch opener 70, dial needle advancing and retracting cams 71 and 72 respectively.

Moreover, secured by one or more screws to each dim camplate transfer section F is a dial needle latch closing blade 73 which is disposed in front of thecam 66 and is formed with an appropriately curved sharp edge 73a adapted, as the dial needles 48 are retracted after being partially advanced at H, to engage the latches 48b of these needles and automatically turn them ,over to close the same, thereby ensuring that the dial needles without loops thereon shall not knit at the next adjoining knitting section B.

In each of Figures 2 and 3 is shown'a thread-guide;

of the dial needlev 741for ayarn or yarns supplied to the cylinder and dial or stitch to produce knitted fabric of the required quality,

from an intermittently rotatable peg drum 78 mounted on the top of the relevant dial camplate knitting section E, through the medium of associated quality levers 79, 86 and 81 arranged as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The manipulation of the two adjustable clearing cams 60and 6i fitted to each knitting section E is automatically effected from the same drum 78 through levers 82 and 83. For similarly manipulating the cylinder clearing cams f5 and 16 in each cylinder cam box knitting section A ,there areprovidedlevers such as 84 and 85 (Figure 2) operable under any suitable control. The dial transfer bolt cam 59 (the bolt of which is clearly indicated at 59a in Figure 2) is adapted to be rendered operative and inoperative, according to knitting requirements, from a welt control drum 86, also mounted on the top of the dial camplate, through the medium of any suitable intermediate levers such as those shown at 87 and 88 in Figure'3.

In one only of the cylinder cam box transfer sections B there is provided, asat 89 in Figures 2 and 16, a readily withdrawable cylinder bolt cam 89 for 2 x 2 transfer work at the beginning of each garment knitted on the machine.

Referring again to the cylinder cam'box knitting sections A there may also, if necessary or desirable, be provided .in each of these, immediately in advance of the cam 22, an elevating cam 90 for partially raising cylinder needles 2 seriatim to a height such that the latches 2b of those cylinder needles Wiih loops. thereon will be opened with certainty.

The transfer of a loop I from a dial needle 48 to a cylinder needle 2 will now be briefly described with reference to Figures 10, ll and 12. The dial needle is fully advanced by a dial transfer bolt cam 59 so that the loop initially in the hook 48a thereof opens the latch 48b of that needle, is then expanded by the formation 51 of. the companion transfer instrument 49 and caught by the shoulders 56 and 53 where it is held while the receiving cylinder needle 2 is advanced by the relevant cam 22 through the expanded loop asshown in Figure 10. The dial needle 43 is then withdrawn by cams 63 and 64 during which movement the loop I is left on the stem and around the open latch 2b of the cylinder needle 2. The initial stage in the said withdrawal 'of the dial needle, effected by a cam 63, is depicted in Figure 11, while Figure 12 shows the dial needle fully withdrawn-its latch 48]) having been closed by contact with the transferred loop Z.

In transferringa loop I from a cylinder needle 2 to a dial needle 48, on the other hand, the cylinder needle is fully raised, by a cam 45, through the medium of a jack 3, so that the loop to be transferred is expanded by the formation 6 on the companion transfer instrument 4 and then caught and supported by the shoulders 5 and 8, while at the same time the receiving dial needle-43 is advanced by the relevant cam 65 through the expanded loop (see Figure 13). The cylinder needle 2 is then retracted by a cam 46 (Figures 14 and 15), leaving the loop I on the dial needle. During such retraction of. the cylinder needle, its latch 2b is closed by contact with the transferred loop.

With the foregoing-description in mind, one possible complete knitting sequence, which is repeated four times on a four-feeder machine, will now be described with reference to Figure 16. To commence this sequence (at any appropriate stage after the commencement of immediately preceding locationl, with the object of ensuring that the latches of cylinder needles with loops thereon are positively opened. At a location D adjoining the said location L}, cylinder needles 2 intended subsequently to transfer knitted loops to respective adjacent dial needles are next selected for such transfer by a pattern selector unit 27 Then all of the dial needle latches 46b are opened seriatim by the relevant dial latch opener 70 at a location marked J in Figure 16, thereby preparing the dial needles 48 to receive knitted loops transferred from adjacent cylinder needles. At the next stage of the sequence, the cylinder needles previously selected by the aforementioned unit 27 are caused to transfer their loops to the adjacent prepared dial needles at a location 'l-l. All of the dial needle latches 48b are thereupon closed seriatim by a latch closing blade 73 at a location K with the object of ensuring that the dial needles without loops thereon shall not knit at the next knitting location. Immediately following such closure of all the dial needle latches 48b, the latches 2b of the cylinder needles 2 are again opened seriatim by a cylinder latch opener 68 at a location L. Finally, cylinder needles are selected by a pattern selector unit 27 to knit at the adjoining knitting location M The next sequence is then immediately commenced by opening the cylinder needle latches 2b, and so on.

For producing certain fabric patterns, rotary pattern selector units may be provided at the locations D only, in which instance the lipped jack cam 44 in each transfer section B may be replaced by a reverse selection cam 91 which is formed with a lip 91a (see Figure 7) and is arranged to function in conjunction with a reverse selection cam 92 (Figure 4). Incidentally, the cam 92 can be left permanently in position. With this arrangement, jacks 3 which are selected at a location D to transfer, ride up the next thin cam 45 and are thereupon immediately pushed back into the cylinder 1 by the cam 92 so as to be inoperative at the following knitting location. Jacks not selected at the said location D, however, pass behind the cam 45 but are drawn forward by the lipped reverse selection cam 91 as a consequence of which they will ride up the cam 24 at the next knitting section A.

We claim:

1. in a circular knitting machine, in combination, a cylinder, a set of individually operable needles in said cylinder, a dial, another set of individually operable needles in said dial, a transfer instrument in association with every cylinder and dial needle, clearing and stitch cams actuating both the cylinder and the dial needles at a knitting location, means at a transfer location in advance of the said knitting location effecting the transference of all loops on dial needles to respective adjacent cylinder needles, means following said transfer location selecting cylinder needles intended, after all of the loops have been transferred, subsequently to transfer knitted loops to respective adjacent dial needles, means in association with the dial preparing dial needles to receive knitted loops transferred from said selected cylinder needles, cam means so operating the cylinder and dial needles and their transfer instruments as to effect transference of knitted loops from the cylinder needles previously selected as aforesaid to the adjacent dial needles, means ensuring that the remaining dial needles of the set shall not knit at the knitting location, and means immediately in advance of the knitting location causing desired cylinder needles to knit at the said location.

2. in a circular knitting machine, in combination, a cylinder, a set of individually operable latch needles in said cylinder, a dial associated with the cylinder, another set of individually operable latch needles in said dial, a transfer instrument in association with every cylinder and dial needle, clearing and stitch cams actuating both the cylinder and the dial needles at a knitting location, means at a transfer location in advance of the said knitting location effecting the transference of all loops on dial needles to respective adjacent cylinder needles having open latches, means following the said transfer location selecting cylinder needles intended, after all of the loops have been transferred, subsequently to transfer knitted loops to respective adjacent dial needles, means opening all of the dial needle latches seriatim thereby preparing these needles so to receive knitted loops transferred from said selected cylinder needles, cam means so operating the cylinder and dial needles and their transfer instruments as to effect transference of knitted loops from the cylinder needles previously selected as aforesaid to the adjacent prepared dial needles, means thereupon closing all of the dial needle latches and so ensuring that the dial needles without loops thereon shall IlOt knit at the knitting location and means immediately in advance of the knitting location selecting cylinder needles to knit at the said location.

3. A combination according to claim 2, wherein immediately in advance of the transfer location at which all loops on dial needles are transrerred to respective adjacent cylinder needles, there are provided means positively opening the latches of cylinder needles.

4. A combination according to claim 2, wherein immediately in advance of the transfer location at which all loops on dial needles are transferred to respective adjacent cylinder needles there is provided a cam partially advancing cylinder needles to the extent of ensuring that the latches of those cylinder needles having loops thereon are opened by said loops.

5. in a circular knitting machine, in combination, a rotary cylinder, a set of individually operable latch needles in said cylinder, a stationary cam box surrounding the cylinder, a rotary dial associated with the cylinder, another set of individually operable latch needles in said dial, a stationary dial camplate mounted above the dial, a transfer instrument in association with every cylinder and dial needle, clearing and stitch cams both in the cylinder cam box and on the dial camplate actuating both the cylinder and the dial needles at a knitting location, cams mounted both on the dial camplate and in the cylinder cam box at a transfer location in advance of the said knitting location so operating the dial and cylinder needles and their companion transfer instruments as to effect the transference of all loops on dial needles to respective adjacent cylinder needles, means adjacent to the cylinder and at a fixed location following the aforementioned transfer cams selecting cylinder needles intended, after all of the loops have been transferred, subsequently to transfer knitted loops to respective adjacent dial needles, a device fixed to the dial camplate next to the said cylinder need.es selecting means opening all of the dial needle latches seriatim and thereoy preparing these needles to receive knitted loops transferred from said selected cylinder needles, a cam fixed on the dial camplate advancing dial needles and bringing their latches into engagement with said latch opening device, further cams mounted on the dial camplate and in the cylinder cam box so operating the cylinder and dial needles and their transfer instruments as to effect transference of knitted loops from the cylinder needles previously selected as aforesaid to the adjacent dial needles with open latches, a shaped blade which is fixed to the dial camplate next to the last mentioned transfer location and is adapted for engagement with and to turn over and close the latches of all of the dial needles, thereby ensuring that the dial needles without loops thereon shall not knit at the knitting location, a device fixed on the cylinder cam box adjacent to the dial latch closing blade opening the latches of cylinder needles seriatim, and, adjacent to the cylinder cam box n advance of the knitting location, further needle selecting means selecting cylinder needles to knit at the said location.

6. In a circular knitting machine, in combination, a cylinder, a set of individually operable latch needles in said cylinder, jacks also in the said cylinder actuating the cylinder needles, a dial associated with the cylinder, another set of individually operable latch needles in said dial, a transfer instrument in association with every cylinder and dial needle, clearing and stitch cams actuating both the cylinder and the dial needles at a knitting location, means at a transfer location in advance of the said knitting location effecting the transference of all loops on dial needles to respective adjacent cylinder needles having open latches, means following the said transfer location selective action on the jacks for the purpose of selecting cylinder needles intended, after all of the loops have been transferred, subsequently to transfer knitted loops to respective adjacent dial needles, means opening all of the dial needle latches seriatim thereby preparing these needles to receive knitted loops transferred from said selected cylinder needles, cam means so operating the cylinder and dial needles and their transfer instruments as to effect transference of knitted loops from the cylinder needles previously selected as aforesaid to the adjacent prepared dial needles, means thereupon closing all of the dial needle latches and so ensuring that the dial needles without loops thereon shall not knit at the knitting location, means opening the latches of cylinder needles following closure of dial needle latches, and means immediately in advance of References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 10 Name Date 2,442,442 Shortland June 1, 1948 10 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Jan. 27, 1938 Great Britain Oct. 29, 1945

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