US3153519A - Knitting package - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 20, 1964 R. J. JEWELL ETAL KNITTING PACKAGE Filed July 5. 1962 United States Patent O yKNI'FB'QG PACKAGE Randolph Jederson .iev-veil, Eaniel Otis Robbins, rliohann Gross, and Howard Floyd Eisom, Charlotte, NC.,

assignorsy to Ceianese Corporation of America, New

York, NX., a corporation of Delaware Filed duty 5, 1962, Ser. No. 2i'7,713 6 Claims. (Cl. 242-159) This invention relatesto warp knitting machines or the like and more particularly is directed to yarn packages and their assembly into novel spot beams for use in the manufacture of Raschel knitwear.

Among the objects of the invention is to eliminate the expensive, time consuming beaming operation presently being performed by knitters and the attending necessity for storing on the knitters premises large supplies of spot beams containing various numbers and arrangements of ends of yarn for use in knitting specific patterns, such as lace motifs, by providing individual serving tube yarn packages of improved construction, which packages can easiiy and selectively as to number and spacing be assembled on a light weight supporting beam to meet immediate requirements, which yarn packages shall be pre-wound on uniform cores, said uniform cores being frictionally engageable with adjoining cores or having means for interlocking with adjoining cores to effect connection to each other and turning with the supporting beam, which yarn packages shall be sized for easy handling and to provide a maximum number of ends of yarn to meet requirements of existing Vknitting machines, which assembly may include simple, effective and inexpensive spacers particularly adapted for use between flangeless yarn packages of the cheese type, which beam assembly shall provide improved tension control of the motif yarns knit into Raschel laces, reducing the occurrence of broken ends and entrapment of yarn, resulting in fewer defects in the fabric caused by excessive tension and a more uniform and higher quality lace product both both structurally and in appearance, and which assembly shall be practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part-hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists of features of construction, combination of elements and arrangements and assembly of parts which will be exemplified in the construction and assembly hereinafter disclosed, the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims following: i

. in the accompanying drawing in which anillustrative embodiment of the invention is shown:

FIG. l is an elevational view Vof a spot beam assembly constructed to embody the invention comprising individual uniform yarn packages pre-wound on cheese tubes keyed together with retaining discs and resilient compressible spacers positioned therebetween.

FlG. 2 is a fragmentary View similar to FIG. 1 with the discs and spacers broken away to show the cheese tube keyed interconnection.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are front and end elevational views, respectively, of an individual yarn package removed from the assembly, and f FIG. 6 is an enlarged exploded view of a portion Vof the spot beam of FTG; l showing, respectively, eginning at the left, a fragment of the core of a first yarn package, a `retaining disc for said package, a resilient spacer, a retaining disc for a second adjoining yarn package and the second yarn package showing the cheese tube Withjthe integral universal interconnecting means.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 16 denotes 1a spot Patented st. 20, 1964 rice* beam assembly constructed to embody the invention comprising a beam 11 on which a series of yarn packages 12,

12 are connected with beam 11 to be substantially rotatyarn retaining discs 13 and resilient spacers 14 may be selectively mounted for supplying a desired number and arrangement of ends of yarn to a knitting machine (not shown) of the Raschel type.

Beam 11 may preferably be of light weight construction terminating in opposite ends 11a formed for removable mounting on the knitting machine to be driven in any conventional manner. Beam 11,` between ends 11a, may be of tubular stock having a uniform cross section for slidingly receiving yarn packages 12 thereon and have retaining ianges 11b adjacent opposite ends 11a, at least one of the flanges 11b being readily removable, as by set screw 11j, for mounting and replacing yarn packages 12.

Yarn packages 12 are preferably of uniform size and shape, seen in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 to comprise a cheese tube or core 15 on which yarn 16 is cheesed helically criss-cross in a manner to provide opposite substantially hat, parallel faces 12a. Tube 15, which may be made of any suitable material, such as wood, pressed fiber, resinous plastic, metal, or preferably cardboard, has a bore 15a sized to snugly slide onto and along beam 11 and is of a length to project beyond both opposite faces 12a apart from each other as is clear from FIGS. 2 and 3. Thus, edge borders 15b may be formed with any suitable engaging means, here shown as alternate projections 15e and recesses 15d which are symmetrically sized and shaped to universally engage with like recesses 15d and projections 15e, respectively, of adjacent tubes 15.

Yarn retaining discs 13 may be made of any suitable material, for example, stamped from plastic sheeting, and have central openings 13a sized to iit onto tube 15. A disc 13 is mounted to abut each opposite face 12a. Cooperating with discs 13, in providing means for preventing yarn 16 from sloughing off faces 12a as the yarn 16 is consumed, are resilient spacers 14, each being positioned between discs 13 of adjacent yarn packages 12.

Resilient spacers 14 are shaped to conform substantially to disc 13 having central openings 14a sized to it onto tube 15 and may be made of any suitable material having compressible resilient properties, such as felt, expanded plastic or rubber foam and the like. Spacers 14 are of sufficient uncompressed thickness, that is slightly in excess of the distance between adjacent discs 13 when tubes 15 of adjacent yarn packages 12 are mutually contacting relationship, to require compression when in assembly on beam 11 between retaining discs 13 thereby serving to resiliently retain discs 13 against faces 12a of yarn packages 12.

Any suitable means may be provided for `connecting cheese tubes 15 to rotate with beam 11. As shown in.

FIG. 1, retaining flanges 11b maybe provided with a coupling ring 11e` having alternate projections 11d and recesses 11e for meshing with recesses 15d and projections 150, respectively, of the adjacent tube 15. YAlternatively, such means may be omitted and substantial rotation of yarn packages 12 with beam 11 may be effected by frictional engagement between the substantially at, parallel opposite faces 12a of the cheesed yarn, retaining discs 13, spacers14 and, when such are used, dummy packages 17 and frictionalengagement between the terminal members of this group of elements and contiguous flanges 11b. Theeifecting of such frictional engagement Y is, of course, aided by the compressible resilient propertiesof the spacers. The net result is that yarn packages able therewith. v ,f The practical utility of the invention will now be apparent. The knitteig having determined-warp yarn requirements as to number of ends and spatial arrangement for a particular run may on-the-spot construct beam assembly by removing one or both of the fianges 11b and sliding resilient spacers 14, discs 13 and yarn package 12 onto beam 11 in the sequence shown in FIG. 1. In so mounting, edge borders b of adjacent yarn packages 12 are brought into interfitting abutment, lwith projections 15c and recesses 15d in full and complete engagement to uniformly compress all resilient spacers 14. Where knitting requirements dictate greater spacing of yarn packages 172, one or more dummy packages 17 may be inserted as spacers between yarn packages 12. AS shown in FIG. 1, such dummy package 17 may include a tube or core 18 having opposite borders formed with engaging means intertting with projections 15e and recesses 15d of tubes 15. The removed fiange or flanges 11b are then replaced on beam 11, retaining the assembly of yarn packages 12, discs 13, spacers 1d and, where required, dummy packages 17 in engagement with each other and connected to rotate with beam 11, the latter now being ready for installation and use on the knitting machine.

Satisfactory results including versatility of possible beam arrangements to meet a wide range of knitting requirements have been obtained by utilizing yarn packages 12 of a width on the order of 2% inches between opposite faces 12a cheesed on a tube approximately 31/8 inches long and having bore 15a sized to iit a 3 inch diameter beam. Yarn packages 12 of 2% inch width may have an overall diameter of approximately 5%; inches to contain about 2 pounds of yarn having one, two or three ends of yarn parallel wound per package to provide up to one hundred ends of yarn per beam of conventional length. Beam arrangements of this type are most useful in knitting the motifs of Raschel lace knit construction.

Where it may be desirable to provide 'for relative slippage between yarn packages 12 mounted on beam 11, the engaging means of edge bordersilb may be omitted and the compression on packages 12 exerted between flanges 11b adjusted to yield under tension exerted by the knitting machine on the individual ends of yarn. 't

It will thus be seen that there is provided a warp knitting beam assembly and preformed yarn packages therefor in which the several objects Vof the invention are achieved and which are well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various other possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing are to be interpreted as illtistrati'e and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A warp knitting beam assembly, comprising a warp beam having an elongated midportion, opposite end flanges for said midportion, at least one of said flanges being re. movable for access to said midportion, a plurality of individual preformed yarn packages removably mounted on said midportion between the end fianges, said yarnpackages each having a cheese tube andyarn cheesed vonto the tube providing the package with substantially flat, parallel opposite faces, said cheese tube having opposite edge borl ders extending beyond said faces, said edge borders having alternate symmetrical projections and recesses engaging like projections and recesses 'of adjacent yarn packages, and divider means mounted on said cheese tube edge borders between adjacent yarn packages abutting the opposite faces thereof to provide retaining means for the yarn.

2. The warp knitting beam assembly defined in claim 1 in which said divider means includes retaining discs abutting each of the faces of said adjacent yarn packages and a spacer between the discsfor retaining the latter in said abutment. v

3. A warp knitting beam assembly comprising a warp beam having an elongatedmidportion, a pair of fianges at opposite ends of said midportion, at least one of said flanges being removable for access to said midportion, a plurality of individual preformed yarn packages removably mounted on 'said midportion in a predetermined spatial arrangement between said end anges, each of said yarn packages including a cheese tube having an axial bore for sliding onto said beam midportion, and means for keying the packages for rotation with said beam, said keying means including means formed at opposite ends of each of Vsaid cheese tubes for engaging like means of adjacent tubes mounted in assembly on the beam.

4. The warp knitting beam assembly defined in claim 3 in which said yarn packages each includes a cheese tube, yarn cheesed onto said tube providing the package with substantially fiat, parallel opposite faces, retaining discs abutting each of said faces, and spacers between the discs of adjacent packages for retaining Said abutment.

5. A warp knitting beam assembly comprising a warp beam having an elongated midportion, a pair of flanges at opposite ends of said'midportion, at least one of said iianges' being removable foroaccess to said midportion, a plurality of individual preformed yarn packages removably mounted on said midportion at a predetermined spatial arrangement between said end flanges, said yarn packages each including a cheese tube, yarn cheesed onto said tube providing a package. with substantially flat parallel opposite faces, retaining discs abutting each of said faces, and spacers between'discs of adjacent packages, each'of said cheese tubes extending beyond said faces and adjacent cheese tubes being in mutually contacting relationship, said spacers being comprised of a material having compressible resilient properties and being of uncompressed thickness slightly in excess of the distance between adjacent retaining discs when said adjacent cheese tubes are in mutually contacting relationship, said spacers therefore being under compression in said assembly, thereby resiliently retaining said discs against said faces of said yarn packages and effecting frictional engagement between said package faces and said discs abutting said package faces, and whereby each element of the combination of elements comprising packages, discs and spacers is pressed together in frictional engagement with each contiguous element, and, at said opposite ends of said midportion, with said anges, and said yarn packages thereby are connected with said beam to be substantially rotatable therewith.

6. The `warp knitting beam assembly defined in claim 5 wherein said retaining discs are comprised of a plastic and saidmaterial of which said spacers are comprised is an expanded plastic.

` References Cited'in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 837,152 Great Britainj lune 9, 1960

Claims (1)

1. A WARP KNITTING BEAM ASSEMBLY, COMPRISING A WARP BEAM HAVING AN ELONGATED MIDPORTION, OPPOSITE END FLANGES FOR SAID MIDPORTION, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FLANGES BEING REMOVABLE FOR ACCESS TO SAID MIDPORTION, A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL PREFORMED YARN PACKAGES REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID MIDPORTION BETWEEN THE END FLANGES, SAID YARN PACKAGES EACH HAVING A CHEESE TUBE AND YARN CHEESED ONTO THE TUBE PROVIDING THE PACKAGE WITH SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT, PARALLEL OPPOSITE FACES, SAID CHEESE TUBE HAVING OPPOSITE EDGE BORDERS EXTENDING BEYOND SAID FACES, SAID EDGE BORDERS HAVING ALTERNATE SYMMETRICAL PROJECTIONS AND RECESSES ENGAGING LIKE PROJECTIONS AND RECESSES OF ADJACENT YARN PACKAGES, AND DIVIDER MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID CHEESE TUBE EDGE BORDERS BETWEEN ADJACENT YARN PACKAGES ABUTTING THE OPPOSITE FACES THEREOF TO PROVIDE RETAINING MEANS FOR THE YARN.

Images