US3092986A - Clamp and cutter mechanism for knitting machines - Google Patents

Description

June 11, 1963 J. D. MOYER 3,092,936

CLAMP AND CUTTER MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 5, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet l FlE- l Feed M1. 3

IN VEN TOR. Jame: 0. Mayer A 'ITORNE Y.

June 11, 1963 CLAMP AND Filed Dec. 5. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Pl E- 5 9/ /2/ /07 M6 /05 //0 m0 f/ Ii 90 a I 6 j o //5 l INVENTOR. w James a Mo er ATTORNEY.

June 11, 1963 J. D. MOYER 3,092,986

CLAMP AND CUTTER MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 5, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FlE- l fl l3- El I] Hi HIE l 87 l l 42 52 43 mvwa/aa 605752555 52 42 455/42 FLE- 7 7 INVEN TOR. James 2 Mayer BY d d/ ATTORNEY.

June 11, 1963 J. D. MOYER 3,092,985

CLAMP AND CUTTER MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 5, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 50 72 /4/ w 6272 06 w 54 a;

IN V EN TOR.

James Q Mqyer BY M/QZW A TTORNE Y.

United States Patent Ofiice.

3,@9Z,936 Patented June 11, 1963 3,092,986 CLAMP AND CUTTER MEGHANISM FOR KNITTENG MACHINES James 1). Meyer, Wyomissing, Pa, assignor to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Dec. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 73,653 15 (Ilainis. (i. 66-146) This invention relates to knitting machines having yarn feeding and changing mechanism employed in forming patterned fabric and more particularly to means in such machines for, at certain times, clamping and severing the yarns between the feeding means and the fabric when the yarns are moved to inactive positions, and at other times, preventing the clamping and severing of the yams when moved to such inactive positions.

In present knitting machines and particularly machines of the type having a circular series of needles for knitting patterned tubular fabric such as for stockings, the yarn feeding means is operated by pattern means to introduce the yarns into and to remove them from knitting action according to the desired pattern. In the usual practice, when a yarn is to be removed from knitting action the feeding finger for the yarn is raised to position it in the path of clamping and severing means. The yarn is then carried, by the last needle to knit it, into the clamping means and between the blades of the severing means which are first opened to receive the yarn and then closed to cut the yarn between the clamping means and the fabric under the control of pattern means having the same operating sequence as the pattern means for the yarn feeding means.

In another form of means for controlling the operation of the severing means, such as that shown in my prior U.S. Patent No. 2,924,958, issued February 16, 1960, the cutting blades of the severing mechanism are normally maintained in open position by a de-energized solenoid and a yarn upon being taken out of action is then carried in the usual manner into the clamping means and between the open cutting blades following which the yarn engages and operates a switch to energize and operate the solenoid to close the cutting blades and sever the yarn.

The above referred to clamping and severing means are suitably adapted to the knitting of design patterns of the type generally referred to as Argyle or Intarsia in which the yarns forming the pattern areas remain in active position until completion of the pattern area before being removed from action and clamped and severed as above set forth. However, in knitting patterns such as Argyle patterns having overplaid designs incorporated therein, the yarns forming the overplaid designs are moved between active and inactive or non-knitting positions to momentarily idle these yarns but must not be clamped and cut when so idled although it is desirable to clamp and cut them when the patterned area is completed. Hence, the use of the prior clamping and severing mechanisms were unsuitable for use on machines knitting such patterns as they could not distinguish between momentarily idled yarns and yarns which should be clamped and cut. Consequently, on machines for knitting patterns having overplaid and like designs all forms of clamping and cutting mechanism were eliminated and the stocking fabrics were knit in so-called string form in which all of the yarns used in each individual fabric float at the inside of the fabric from the point they are removed from knitting action to the point they are reintroduced into the same fabric or in the next fabric in the string. This not only results in a considerable waste of yarns but also necessitates additional operations to sever the individual fabrics from each other and to sever the waste yarn floats from the fabrics thereby substantially increasing the cost of the completed fabric.

It is an object of the invention to provide a circular knitting machine with means which will overcome the above mentioned and other objections in the formation of design patterns in knitted fabric which require the yarns to be moved to idle non-knitting position without being severed from the fabric.

Another object is the provision of means acting in conjunction with the yarn clamping and severing means of a circular knitting machine which means acts to prevent the clamping and severing of yarns moved to temporary inactive idled positions during the formation of a knitted fabric while permitting the clamping and severing of yarns moved to inactive position for removal from the fabric.

A further object is the provision, in a circular knitting machine having means for clamping and severing yarns moved to non-knitting position, of a guard member and means which acts at times to position the guard member in the path of yarns moved to momentary non-knitting positions to prevent the entrance thereof into the clamp ing and severing means and at other times acts to move the member out of the path of yarns moved to non knitting position to permit their entrance into the clamping and severing means to be clamped and severed thereby.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the invention resides in the novel elements, features of construction and arrangement of parts in cooperative relationship as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a multifeed circular knitting machine having mechanism according to the instant invention incorporated therein;

FIG. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale taken in the direction of the arrows 2-2 on FIG. 1, certain parts being shown in elevationtion and other par-ts being shown in cross section.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 taken in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale of the mechanism shown in FIG. 2 with a portion of a cover member of the mechanism being broken away;

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of a portion of the mechanism shown in FIG. 4 with the parts being shown in difierent positions relative to FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional View taken substantially along the line 66 of FIG. 4 in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a detail view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 77 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 88 of FIG. 4 in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 99 of FIG. 4 in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 1l3-1tl of FIG. 4 in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The mechanism of the instant invention is shown as applied to a multifeed circular knitting machine of the type disclosed in the application of Benjamin Franklin Coile, Serial No. 329,801, filed January 6, 1953, and in the corresponding British Patent No. 790,141 published February 5, 1958, hereinafter collectively referred to as the Coile Disclosure, to which reference may be made for details of construction and operation not shown herein.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings the machine of said Coile Disclosure includes neddles 15 which are slidably mounted for vertical movement in slot 16 in needle cylinder 17 which is adapted for both rotary and aosaeee reciprocating moton. Co-operating with the needles are sinkers or web holders which are supported for horizontal sliding movement between the needles in radial slots in an inner ring 21 secured to the upper edge of the needle cylinder 17 and an outer ring 22 secured to flange 25 projecting from the cylinder. The sinkers 28 are maintained in position in the slots by a ring member 26 having cams, one of which is shown at 27 in FIG. 2, for operating the sinkers and the needles are operated by cams (not shown) to co-operate with the sinkers to form yarns into fabric loops in a common manner at each of the feeds.

Yarns such as indicated at 30 (FIG. 6) are fed to the needles 15 through yarn fingers 31 a each of four feeding stations indicated generally as feed Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the fingers being pivotally mounted for movement between a lowered or active position in which the yarns are taken by the needles and knitted into loops and a raised inactive or non-knitting position. The fingers 31 at each of the feeding stations are supported for their pivotal movements in a bracket 32 secured to the ring member 25 and are operated bet-ween the active and in active positions by a button drum 35 rotatably mounted on a shaft 36. The ends of the shaft 36 are secured to arms 37 which are adjustable carried on vertically extending studs 49 secured in fixed positions on the machine. The button drum 35 is rotated in a stepwise manner by an associated pawl and ratchet device 41 mounted on the shaft 35 and the pawl and ratchet device is selectively operated by connections from main pattern drums (not shown) of the machine. With the exception of the arrangement of the buttons on the drum 35, the operating means for the fingers 31 at each of the four feed stations are identical and are given like reference characters.

Normally when fingers 31 at any of the feed stations are in inactive positions, the ends of the yarns thereof are held against the upper surface of a binder plate 42 by spaced clamping members 45 and 46 forming a part of a yarn clamping and severing device indicated at 47 (FIGS. 2, 4 and 6), there being one such device for each station. The clamping member 45, which is pivotally mounted on a shouldered stud 43 and held in clamping engagement with the binder plate by a spring 44 connected between a portion 39 of the clamping member and a fixed part of the device 47, is adapted to be moved to inactive position for purposes of and in a manner hereinafter set forth. The clamping member 46 on the other hand is mounted for pivotal movement but is maintained in resilient clamping engagement with the yarns therebeneath at all times by a spring 49 (FIGS. 4 and 10). The binder plate 42 is secured to a framework 48 including a central block 53, fins 54 extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom and an upper supporting plate 58, these parts being similar in construction and function to the corresponding parts in my said Patent No. 2,924,958. The framework is supported centrally of the needle cylinder 17 by an arm 50' secured on a bracket 51. The bracket 51 is mounted in fixed vertically adjusted position on one ofthe studs 49 at lfeed station No. 2 and an' adjacent stud at feed station No. 3 (FIGS. 1 and 2). When a yarn finger 31 is moved to active yarn feeding position to feed its yarn to the needles 15 the end of the yarn is withdrawn from its held position between the binder plate 42 and clamping members 45, 46 and, Where the yarn is-fed to a selected portion of the needles as in the formation of an Argyle or Intarsia pattern area, the yarn extending from the finger to the last needle to knit during opposite reciprocatory strokes of the needle cylinder 17 is carried back and forth beneath the binder plate. Upon movement of a finger 31 to inactive position, on the other hand, the yarn thereof is raised above the binder plate and is carried by the last needle to knit it as the cylinder 17 rotates or reciprocates in a forward or counterclockwise direction, beneath the clamping member which has been raised to inactive position, in the manner hereinafter set forth, and between the binder plate and the clamping member 46.

As the needle cylinder continues to rotate the yarn is carried between a lower cutting blade 52 which is secured in fixed position to the block 53 and an upper cutting blade 55 pivot-ally mounted on a stud 55 secured in the block, the latter stud also acting to support the stud 43 on which the clamping member 45 is mounted (FIGS. 4 and 6). The blade 55 is provided with a tail portion 57 which is connected by means of a rod or link 60 to the lower end of a core member 61 of a solenoid 62 secured to the fins 54 of the framework 48, as shown in FIG. 8. The solenoid 62 is connected into a main source of electrical energy of the machine through a normally open micro-switch 65 which is secured to a portion of the framework 48, as shown in FIG. 10. A contact button 66 of the miero-switch 65 is adapted'to be operated by a pivoted arm 67 which extends downwardly to overlie the contact button and into an opening 70 formed in the binder plate 42. In the de-energized state of the solenoid- 62 the core member 61 is biased downwardly by a spring 71 against a plate portion 72 extending horizontally from the fins 54 (FIGS. 4 and 9) and acts through the link 60' to hold the cutting blade 55 in open position relative to the cutting blade 52. Following the passage of the yarn between the cutting blades 52 and 55, as hereinbefore set forth, the yarn engages and operates the arm 67 to depress thebutton 66 to close the micro-switch 65 thereby closing the electrical circuit to energize the solenoid 62. Energization of the solenoid 62 raises the core member 61, as viewed in FIG. 4, and through the link 6% acts to move the cutting blade 55 to closed position to sever the yarn. The clamping and severing means for the yarns at each of the four feed stations is identical and like parts are given the same reference characters. The construction and operation of the clamping and cutting means,-

with the exception of its co-operation with mechanism of the instant invention, is substantially the same as that shown in my said prior Patent No. 2,924,958.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when a yarn finger 31 is raised to inactive position at any one of the four feed stations, the yarn thereof is automatically clamped and severed. While this method of clamping and severing the yarns Worked well in the formation of solid color patterns in tubular fabric in which the yarn forming each pattern area remained in active position as so far described. Consequently in machines for form-- ing such patterns, clamping and severing of the yarns, heretofore, had to be entirely eliminated.

As described in said Patent No. 2,948,131 and as shown herein in order to knit the overplaid pattern, mechanism is provided whereby certain of the fingers 31 at each of the four feed stations, after being moved to active position by their associated button drums 35, are additionally moved between active and inactive positions during individual reciprocatory knitting strokes in forming the vdesign patterns as mentioned above. The mechanism. provided for this purpose comprises a ring member 75v having pairs of suitably spaced cams 76 which are adapted to coact with pins 77 on the end fingers of the group of fingers at each of the stations. The ring member 75 is adapted to be moved by means operating in timed relation 'to the movement of the needle cylinder to alternately In operating the fingers 31 to form design patterns in accordance with said Patent No. 2,948,131, a main yarn finger 31 is moved to active position at each of feed stations Nos. 1 and 3 and the end fingers at each of feed stations Nos. 2 and 4 are moved to active position by the respective but-ton drums 35 at these stations. During each knitting stroke a course of the main yarn is formed at each of stations Nos. 1 and 3 in each of an opposed pair of main pattern areas and during alternate single ones or alternate pairs of the same knitting strokes the ring member 75 is positioned to move one of the end fingers at each of the stations Nos. 2 and 4 to inactive position while the yarns of the active fingers at the latter stations form an overplaid design in the pattern areas formed at stations 1 and 3. During the intervening stroke or pairs of strokes the ring member 75 is moved to reverse the active and inactive positions at the stations Nos. 2 and 4 for incorporation of the yarns of the active fingers in the pattern areas formed at stations Nos. 1 and 3. At the completion of the pattern areas at stations Nos. 1 and 3 the fingers 31 at all of the stations are moved to inactive positions by the button drums and the latter then act to move a main yarn finger at each of stations Nos. 2 and 4 and the end fingers at each of stations Nos. 1 and 3 to active position and the fingers at the stations are operated in the above manner to form an in-between opposed pair of main pattern areas and join the sutures thereof to the sutures of the first pair of pattern areas.

In accordance with the instant invention guard means is provided in conjunction with the clamping and severing means as heretofore described and generally as shown in my said Patent No. 2,924,958, which acts to prevent the clamping and severing of yarns when they are in inactive positions except when the yarns are moved to such inactive position to be removed from the fabric. The means for this purpose at each clamp and cutter device 47 includes a rod 80 having a lower offset end portion 81 adapted to be inserted within an opening 82 in the binder plate 42 (FIG. 7) when the rod is in its lower or active position. The rod 89 extends upwardly and is guided for vertical movement between a lower active position and a raised inactive position in openings 85 and 8 6 in the plate 72 and the upper plate 58 of framework 48 respectively, as shown in FIG. 5. A block 87 secured to the upper end of the rod is adapted to engage the upper surface of the upper plate 58 of the framework 48 to linn't the downward movement or" the rod to its active position. The block 87 is connected to one end of a flexible cable 911 which is guided for sliding movement in a flexible sheath 91. One end of the flexible sheath is fixedly supported in a flange 92 which is carried on a portion 95 of the framework 48 and is secured to the arm 59 as by screw 96, and the other end of the sheath is fixed in the arm 50 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

At its other end the cable 90 is pivotally connected to one arm 97 of a lever 100 supported for pivotal movement on a rod 101 which is in turn supported in arms 102 projecting from the bracket 51. A second arm 105 of the lever 160 is provided with a follower end 1495 which is adapted to be engaged by buttons 1117 on a drum 119 (FIGS. 1 and 3). The drum 110 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 111 supported in the arms 1192 of the bracket 51. A ratchet wheel 112 seemed to one end face of the drum 110 is adapted to be acted on by a pawl 115 to turn the drum stepwise to sequently advance the buttons 107 into engagement with the lever 1%. The pawl is pivotally mounted on one arm 116 of a lever 117 which is in turn pivotally mounted on the shaft 111 between the ratchet wheel 112 and a collar 12!) secured to the shaft. A spring 121 connected between the pawl 115 and the arm 116 maintains the pawl in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 112.

In order to operate the lever 117 and pawl 115 to advance the ratchet wheel 112 and drum 110 a second arm 122 of the lever is connected by a link 125 to an operating linkage which is controlled and operated from one of the main pattern drums and the quarter turn shaft of the machine (not shown), the operating linkage being similar to that shown in satid Coile Disclosure for the link 608. The drum 119 is restrained in its advancing movements by a friction device 126 which is mounted on the shaft 111 for engagement with the end face of the drum remote from the end face of the drum to which the ratchet wheel is secured (FIG. 1).

During the alternate movement of the yarn fingers to inactive position by the ring member 75, as and for the purpose set forth, the rod 30 is in its lower active position of FIG. 7 with the end portion 81 thereof in the opening 82 whereby the yarn of the inactive finger although being otherwise in a position to enter the clamping and cutting means, will be prevented from doing so by the rod. When, however, the yarn fingers are to be raised to inactive position by their associated button drum 35 for the purpose of removing the yarns thereof from the fabric as at the completion of a pattern area the drum 1111 is indexed to advance a button 1117 beneath the lever 1110 thereby operating the lever to raise the rod to its inactive position and remove the end portion 81 of the rod from the opening 82. Simultaneously with the raising movement of the rod 80 a member 127 secured to and projecting from the rod and underlying an arm 130 of the clamping member 45 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 7) acts to also raise this clamping member to permit the free movement of the inactivated yarns therebeneath. A latch lever 131 pivotally mounted on a stud 132 secured to a portion of the framework 48 (FIGS. 4 and 9) has an offset portion 135 which is adapted to be moved beneath a block 136 secured to the rod 80 to momentarily support the rod in its raised position for purposes hereinafter set forth. The latch lever 131 is moved to position the offset portion 135 beneath the block 136 by a spring 137 which is connected between a tail portion 140 of the latch lever 131 and a fixed part of the framework 48.

Following the raising of the rod 89 and the clamp 45 and the latching of the rod as above set forth. the drum 111) is indexed to remove the button 107 from engagement with the lever 1013 and the yarn finger or fingers are moved to inactive position by the button drum 35. Thereupon as the needle cylinder 17 is rotated in a forward direction the yarn is carried beneath the upraised end 81 of the rod 80, beneath the raised clamping member 45 and the clamping member 46 and thence between the open cutter blades 52, 55 and into engagement with the arm 67 to operate and close the switch 65. Closing of the switch 65 closes and energizes the electrical circuit to the solenoid 62 to move the core member 61 upwardly, as viewed in FIG. 4, and move the cutter blade 55 to closed position to sever the yarn. Simultaneously with the upward movement of the core member 61, a pin 141 is carried in the lower end of the core member en ages the tail portion 140 and turns the latch lever 131 to remove the oifset portion 135 from beneath the block 136. Thereupon, a compression spring 142 mounted on the rod 80, between the block 136 and upper plate 58 of the framework 48 acts to move the rod downwardly to its active position in which the end portion 81 of the rod is again inserted within the opening 82 in the plate 42. Simultaneously with the downward movement of the rod 81 the clamping member 45 is again moved into clamping engagement with the yarns under the influence of the spring 44. It is to be understood that the rod 80 associated with the clamping and severing means for the yarns at each of the feed stations and the operating means therefor, as above set forth, are identical and like parts are given like reference characters.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the rod 80 associated with each feed station, when in its lowered active position, will prevent yarns moved to idled or inactive position from entering the clamping and cutting means and that the rods must be raised to inactive position to permit the idled yarns to be clamped and severcd.-

It will be understood that the improvements specifically shown and described by which the above described results are obtained can be changed and modified in vari ous ways without departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding means, a rotatable needle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder for forming yarns fed by said feeding means into knitted fabric, means for moving said yarn feeding means to move the yarns fed thereby beween knitting and non-knitting positions, yarn severing means, and means for operating said yarn severing means to sever yarns in said non-knitting position, in combination with guard meanshaving an active position to prevent engagement of yarns with said severing means when said yarns are in non-knitting position and an inactive position, means for holding said guard means in said active position, and means for moving said guard means to said inactive position against the action of said holding means.

2. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding means, a rotatable cylinder, needles slidably mounted in said cylinder for forming yarns fed by said feeding means into knitted fabric, means for moving said yarn feeding means to move yarn fed thereby between knitting and non-knitting positions, means for severing said yarns when in said non-knitting position, means for clamping said yarns when in said non-knitting position, operating means for satid yarn severing means, control means for said operating means, said control means being actuated by said yarns when in said non-knitting position, guard means having an active position to prevent said yarns from entering said clamping means and actuating said control means when satd yarns are in said non-knitting position and an inactive position, spring means for moving said guard means to said active position, and means for moving said guard means to said inactive position against the action of said spring means.

3. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding means, a rotatable cylinder, needles slidably mounted in said cylinder for forming yarns fed by said feeding means into knitted fabric, means for moving said yarn feeding means to move said yarns between knitting and non-knitting positions, means for clamping said yarns when in said non-knitting position, severing means, means for operating sa-tid severing means to sever said yarns when in non-knitting position, guard means, means for moving said guard means to an active position in which it prevents said yarns from entering said clamping means and said severing means when said yarns are in non-' knitting position, means for moving said guard means to inactive position to permit said yarns to be clamped and severed by said clamping means and said severing means when said yarns are in non-knitting position, means for latching said guard means in said inactive position, and means for releasing said latching means from said guard means to permit movement thereof to active position.

4. In a machine according to claim 3 in which said releasing meanscfor said latching means comprises said operating means for said severing means.

5. In a machine according to claim 3 in which the operation of said releasing means for said latching means is controlled by the yarns moved to said non-knitting position.

6. In a machine according to claim 3 in which the operation of said operating means for said severing means is controlled by the yarn-s moved to said non-knitting position.

7. In a machine according to claim 3 in which said clamping means comprises a clamping member movable between an active position to clampsaid yarns and an inactive position, and said clamping member is moved to said inactive position by said guard member during movementthereof to inactive position.

8. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding,

means, a rotatable needle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder for forming yarns fed by said feeding means into knitted fabric, means for moving said yarn feeding means to move the yarn fed thereby between knitting and nonknitting positions, a yarn severing means, and means for operating said yarn severing means to sever yarns in said non-knitting position, in combination with guard means having an active position to prevent engagement of yarns with said severing means when said yarnsare in non-knitting position, and pattern means for moving said guard means to inactive position.

9. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding means, a rotatable needle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder for forming yarns fed by said feeding means into knitted fabric, means for moving said yarn feeding means to move the yarn fed thereby between knitting and nonknitting positions, yarn severing means, and means for operating said yarn severing means to sever yarns in said non-knitting position, in combination with guard means having an active position to prevent engagement of yarns with said severing means when said yarns. are in non-knitting position, pattern means for moving said guard means to inactive position, latch means for latching said guard means in said inactive position, means for operating said latch means to release said guard means for movement to active position, and means for moving said guard means to said active position.

10. In a machine according to claim 9 in which said means for operating said latch means to release said guard means comprises said operating means for saidv severing means.

11. In a machine according to claim 9 in which said means for moving said guard means to said active position comprises spring means.

12. In a circular knittingmachine having yarn feeding means, a rotatable cylinder, needles slidably mounted in said cylinder for forming yarns fed by said feeding means into knitted fabric, -means for moving said yarn feeding means to move yarns fed thereby between knitting and non-knitting positions, means for severing said yarns when in said non-knitting position, means for clamping said yarns when in said non-knitting position, operating means for said yarn severing means, control means for said operating means, said control means being actuated by said yarns when in said non-knitting position, guard means having an active position to prevent said yarns from entering said clamping means and actuating said control means when said yarns are in said nonknitting position, means for moving said guard means to said active position, and pattern means for moving said guard means to inactive position.

13. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding means, a rotatable cylinder, needles slidably mounted in said cylinder for forming yarns fed by said feeding means into knitted fabric, means for moving said yarn feeding means to move yarns fed thereby between knitting and non-knitting positions, means for severing said yarns,

ments of said clamping means, means for moving said guard means to active position, means for moving said guard means to inactive position, and means for moving one of said clamping members to inactive position to permit said yarns to pass therebeneath when said yarns are in said non-knitting position when said guard means is moved to said inactive position.

14. In a machine according to claim 13 in which said means for moving said one of said clamping members comprises said guard means.

15. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding means, a rotatable needle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder for forming yarns fed to said feeding means into knitted fabric, means for moving said feeding means to move the yarns fed thereby between knitting and non knitting positions, yarn clamping means including a clamping member movable between an active yarn clamping position and an inactive position to receive yarns moved to non-knitting positions, means for moving said clamping member to inactive position, yarn severing means including a cutting blade movable between open and closed position, means for moving said cutting blade to open position to receive yarns moved to non-knitting position, means for moving said cutting blade to closed position to sever said yarns moved to nonknitting position, guard means movable between active and inactive positions, said guard means acting when in active position to prevent yarns moved to non-knitting positions from entering said clamping means, means for moving said guard means to inactive position, and means for controlling the operation of said last mentioned moving means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,270,432 Fregeolle Jan. 20, 1942 2,924,958 'Moyer Feb. 16, 1960 2,948,131 Levin Aug. 9', 1960

Claims (1)

12. IN A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE HAVING YARN FEEDING MEANS, A ROTATABLE CYLINDER, NEEDLES SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CYLINDER FOR FORMING YARNS FED BY SAID FEEDING MEANS INTO KNITTED FABRIC, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID YARN FEEDING MEANS TO MOVE YARNS FED THEREBY BETWEEN KNITTING AND NON-KNITTING POSITIONS, MEANS FOR SEVERING SAID YARNS WHEN IN SAID NON-KNITTING POSITION, MEANS FOR CLAMPING SAID YARNS WHEN IN SAID NON-KNITTING POSITION, OPERATING MEANS FOR SAID YARN SEVERING MEANS, CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID OPERATING MEANS, SAID CONTROL MEANS BEING ACTUATED BY SAID YARNS WHEN IN SAID NON-KNITTING POSITION, GUARD MEANS HAVING AN ACTIVE POSITION TO PREVENT SAID YARNS FROM ENTERING SAID CLAMPING MEANS AND ACTUATING SAID CONTROL MEANS WHEN SAID YARNS ARE IN SAID NONKNITTING POSITION, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID GUARD MEANS TO SAID ACTIVE POSITION, AND PATTERN MEANS FOR MOVING SAID GUARD MEANS TO INACTIVE POSITION.

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