US3241337A

US3241337A - Apparatus and method for knitting pile fabric

Info

Publication number: US3241337A
Application number: US303961A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Brooks Stevens
Original assignee: Ames Textile Corp
Current assignee: Ames Textile Corp
Priority date: 1961-10-30
Filing date: 1963-08-21
Publication date: 1966-03-22
Anticipated expiration: 1983-03-22
Also published as: GB990075A; DE1250587B; BE624065A; BE652076A; CH416907A; GB1050210A

Description

March 22, 1966 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING PILE FABRIC Filed Aug. 2l, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 F G. l

|V Il I (0 INVENTOR BROOKS STEVENS, JR.

ATTO RN EYS B. STEVENS, JR 3,241,337

M. BY/CSXLWZ March 22, 1966 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING PILE FABRIC Filed Aug. 2l, 1963 6 Sheets-Shea?l 2 1N VEN TOR.

BROOKS STEVENS, JR BY ATTO RNEYS March 22, 1966 B. STEVENS, JR 3,241,337

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING PILE FABRIC Filed Aug. 21, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 if@ I m/"ENTOR` BROOKS STEVENSJR. BY

ATTORNEYS March 22, 1966 B. STEVENS, JR 3,241,337

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING PILE FABRIC Filed Aug. 21, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 4.

F I G. 8

I NVEN TOR.

BRQoKs STEVENS, JR. BY

ATTORNEYS March 22, 1966 B. STEVENS, JR

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING PILE FABRIC 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 2l, 1963 FIG. IO

INVENTOR VENS Ri?` Vl m.

March 22, 1966 B. STEVENS, JR 3,241,337

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING PILE FABRIC 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Aug. 2l, 1963 l'ix FIG.

I NVENTOR.

BROOKS STEVENS,JR. B @j ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,241,337 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING PILE FABRIC p Brooks Stevens, Jr., Concord, Mass., assigner to Ames Textile Corporation, Lowell, Mass., a corporation of Maine Filed Aug. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 303,961 24 Claims. (Cl. 66-93) This application is a continuation-impart of my now abandoned earlier application, Serial No. 148,456, tiled October 30, 1961, for apparatus and method for knitting pile fabric.

This invention relates to the knitting of pile fabric, and more particularly relates to improved apparatus and methods for kintting pile fabric on independent needle circular knitting machines whereby the body yarn of the fabric will be plated `on one side of Ithe fabric and the pile yarn will be disposed entirely on the opposite side of the fabric.

It has long been known how to knit lboth loop pile fabrics and cut pile fabrics on circular knittting machines having a single set of needles. In forming such pile fabrics, one yarn is used for knitting .the pile and a second yarn is used to form the body of the fabric. It is highly desirable that the body yarn plate to the plain side of the fabric. If this can be accomplished, the fabric will make the fullest use of the pile yarn, since the knitted loop portions of that yarn will be confined within the fabric by the body yarn, thus permitting a maximum of yarn in the pile in the plush side of the fabric. Further, the plain side of the fabric then will present a smooth appearance and the knitted loop portions of the pile yarn will not be subject to pulls.

However, in knitting pile fabrics on latch needle machines, grea-t ditiiculty has been encountered in plating the body yarn to the plain side `of the fabric. It is not diliiicult to present the pile and body yarns in proper plating relation to the knitting needles. Generally, the pile yarn is fed to the needles above the body yarn, so that the pile yarn is plated to the inside of the fabric while being knit on the machine, and the body yarn is plated to the outside of the fabric while being knit. But in practice it has been found that when the new pile and body yarn loops are drawn through the previously formed stitches, the previously drawn pile yarn loops about the needle Shanks. because of their slack condition, often are pulled below their accompanying or associated body yarn stitches. This action destroy-s the desired plating effect, since where it occurs the pile yarn will be plated to the plain side of the fabric.

This difficulty arises from the fact that in knitting pile fabrics with latch needles the measurement of the yarns for the pile loops and body yarn stitches occurs simultaneously with the stitch formation action of the knitting instrumentalities. It is the concurrent measuring and formation of the new pile loops which, through frictional engagement of the yarns, causes a previously formed pile loop to be displaced below its accompanying body yarn stitch, thus destroying the desired plating effect.

Of course, highly satisfactory results in the plating of the body yarn to the plain side of a pile fabric have been achieved by means of spring beard needle knittting machines. However, in the past, such machines have been subject to the limitation of making loop pile fabrics only, since it has been impossible, up .to now, to equip such machines with cutting means for severing the pile yarn loops during knitting to make cut pile fabrics.

The primary object of this invention is to provide, in a circular knittting machine for producing pile fabrics, means and methods for separately and selectively measuring both the pile yarn and the body yarn prior to stitch formation by independently movable needles, whereby the previously drawn pile yarn loops will not be disturbed during knitting, thus ensuring that the body yarn will be plated properly on the plain side of the fabric.

A further object of this invention is to provide means and methods for knitting cut pile fabric on circular knitting machines whereby the body `yarn of the fabric is plated entirely to the plain side thereof, thus presenting a plain face which is smooth and not susceptible to the catching and pulling of the pile yarn, and which, at the same time, makes fullest use of the pile yarn since the knitted loop portions of such yarn are conned within the base fabric composed of the body yarn, resulting in a maximum of yarn in the pile on the plush side of the fabric.

A further object of this invention is to provide means whereby, in `independent needle circular machines` designed to knit pile fabrics, both the pile yarn and the body yarn are selectively measured by elements disposed behind the needles. p

A further object of this invention is to provide for the severance of the pile loops of properly plated pile fa bric knitted on an independent spring beard needle machine during the fabric forming process.

A further object of this invention is to provide body yarn measurement for circular knitting machines having independent needles, particularly but not necessarily of the spring beard type, by means disposed behind the needles.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof, as illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows the plain side of a cut pile fabric knitted in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary View in perspective of a spring beard needle knitting machine showing the manner in which the yarns are fed to the needles and to the yarn measuring elements of the dial.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view in elevation showing the yarn manipulating elements.

FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary sectional views in elevation showing successive positions of the yarn manipulating elements at different times during the making of the pile fabric of FIG. l.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view of the i cylinder and dial cams with the cylinder cams developed into a flat view in elevation 'and the dial cams developed into a rectilinear plan view and rotated into the plane of the cylinder cams.

FIGS. 9 and l0 are fragmentary views showing a modification of the machine illustrated in FIG. 2, with the needles disposed in the dial and the yarn measuring elements disposed in the cylinder.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are fragmentary views showing a second modification 0f the machine illustrated in FIG. 2, with a stitch wheel replacing one set of the yarn measuring elements of the dial.

FIG. 13 is yet a further modification showing latch needles in place of yar-n measuring elements in the dial.

In its preferred embodiment, as illustrated herein, the invention is applied to a spring beard needle machine of the rotating cylinder type. It is to be understood, of course, that the invention is readily applicable to stationary cylinder machines and to machines employing latch needles as well as spring beard needles.

In FIG. l, there is shown diagrammatically -a knitted pile fabric made, in accordance with this invention, from a body yarn 10 and a pile yarn 11, which, in the case of cut pile fabric, may have the pile yarn loops severed as indicated at 12.

Turning to FIGS. 2-7, it will be seen that the machine is equipped with the usual rotatable cylinder 13 having the usual slots 14 for reception of independent spring beard needles 15 formed with beards 16 and hooks 17. The upper portion of the cylinder 13 is formed with a verge 18 having a plurality of slots 19, each of which is in vertical alignment with a slot 14 and is adapted to receive in the usual manner a needle 15. The upper portion of each slot 19 is formed with a counter cut 20 to facilitate the retraction of the hooks of the needles, with yarn retained therein, into the verge slots 19.

A spring beard needle machine embodying this invention does not utilize sinkers as either web holders or yarn measuring implements. Instead, such devices are eliminated. The top of the verge 18 supports the fabric during knitting. The counter cuts 20 permit the needles 15 to pull new yarn loops into the verge slots 19 to form the new stitches and to permit the old stitches to be cast olf. The casting off action is aided by a fabric take-up (not shown) which may be of the type illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 1,517,992. Such take-up maintains the fabric as it is knitted under suicient tension to ensure proper casting off of the old stitches from the needles 15 as the new loops of yarn are pulled by the needles into the verge 18.

A dial 22 is disposed within the circle of needles 1S at the top of cylinder 13, and is co-axial with the cylinder. Since the machine shown in FIGS. 2-7 of the drawings, for the purpose of illustrating a preferred embodiment of this invention, is a revolving cylinder machine, the dial 22 will be rotated, by suitable well known means, in unison with the cylinder 13. The upper surface of the dial 22 is formed with a plurality of radial slots 23, equal in number to the slots 14 of the needle cylinder, and having counter cuts 21 (see FIG. 2). Mounted in each dial slot 23 are a pair of yarn measuring or drawing

elements

24 and 25. Each yarn measuring element 24 is formed with a hook 26 at its distal end for receiving and holding pile yarn, in a manner later to be described, and has a butt 28 at its inner end. Each yarn measuring element 25 is formed with a hook 27 at its distal end for receiving and holding body yarn, and has a butt 29 at its inner end.

It is to be noted that hook 26 for receiving the pile yarn is disposed at a higher level than hook 27 which receives the body yarn. The

yarn measuring elements

24 and 25 may be located in vertically aligned arrangement, as shown, or may be disposed in side by side relation within a slot 23, as desired, but in either event pile yarn receiving hook 26 preferably is disposed above body yarn receiving hook 27. Each dial slot 23 is spaced between each pair of cylinder slots 14, thus disposing each pair of elements 24, between a pair of needles 15.

The pile yarn 11 is fed to the hooks 26 when the yarn measuring elements 24 are in advanced position, as shown in FIG. 3. The pile yarn is fed through a tube 31) in a vertically upward direction. After the pile yarn is taken by the hooks 26, the yarn measuring elements 24 are retracted inwardly of the dial 22 to pull or urge, and thus measure, the pile yarn about the shanks of the needles 15 in the manner shown in FIG. 4. The extent to which yarn measuring elements 24 are retracted inwardly of the dial is controlled by adjustable cam means acting on butts 28, as more fully described hereinafter. By such cam means, the measurement of the loops of pile yarn may be carefully controlled.

As shown in FIG. 4, the body yarn is fed to the advanced hooks 27 of the yarn measuring elements 25 through a yarn tube 31, the body yarn 10 passing through the tube in a vertically upward direction. As the hooks 27 take the body yarn 10, the yarn measuring elements 25 .are retracted inwardly of the dial to pull or urge, and thus measure, the body yarn 10 about the shanks of the needles in the manner shown in FIG. 5. Elements 25 are retracted by adjustable cam means acting on butts 29, as explained hereinafter.

In practice, either the pile yarn or the body yarn may first be fed to the hooks of the yarn measuring elements, or, if desired, both yarns may be fed simultaneously by merely projecting element 24 further outwardly than element 25 so as to provide sufficient clearance for both the

yarn tubes

30 and 31.

After the yarns 10 and 11 have been measured out into loops by the

elements

24 and 25 about the shanks of the needles 15, as shown in FIG. 5, the needles 15 start to descend in preparation for knitting new stitches. Before or during the descent of the needles, the

yarn measuring elements

24 and 25 are advanced slightly to eliminate any strain on either the needles or the yarns during the initial stitch formation action.

As the needles 15 descend, the yarns 10 and 11 looped about the needle Shanks slide upwardly into the needle hooks 17. Just before the points of the needle beards 16 reach the plane of the fabric stitches (i.e. knitted loops) supported on top of the cylinder 13, the beards are pressed into the usual cavity formed in the needle shanks. This pressing action, as shown in FIG. 6, preferably is performed by a presser shoe 32 of any well known construction, but may also be performed by a presser disk or other presser means well known in the art.

Thus, the beards 16 of the needles 15 will be held closed as the needles descend further and pass through the old stitches on the needle shanks. As the needles approach cast olf level, the

yarn measuring elements

24 and 25 are projected outwardly toward the periphery 34 of the dial 22. In the course of such advancement, elements 25 are projected further than elements 24, in the manner shown in FIG. 7. When the

elements

24 and 25 reach the periphery 34 of the dial 22, the yarn loops which they respectively hold drop out of their

hooks

26 and 27. The loops of body yarn 10 from hooks 27 are drawn into the fabric by the needles 15, but the loops of the pile yarn 11 drop from hooks 26 into depressions 35 formed in yarn measuring elements 25 immediately behind hooks 27. Thus, as the needles descend to cast off level, and form new stitches from the yarns 10 and 11 in their hooks 17, the loops of the pile yarn 11 are retained by the yarn measuring elements 25.

It will thus be seen that the needles 15, in carrying out their stitch formation action, are not, at the same time, measuring out the yarn to be knit. Their function is limited solely to the formation of the new stitches, since both the body yarn 10 and pile yarn 11 have been previously measured into loops by means of the

yarn measuring elements

24 and 25. The setting of premeasured body and pile yarn loops into the fabric to form knitted stitches serves to eliminate disturbance of the previously drawn loops of pile yarn, with the result that such loops are not displaced on the needle shanks with respect to their accompanying stitches of body yarn. As a result, the desired plating of the body yarn stitches to the plain side of the fabric is not disturbed. The relationship between the yarn measuring elements 25 and the needles 15 is such that when the needles are at their lowest point of cast off, the loops of pile yarn 11 suspended from the depressions 35 will be taut, but free of any undue strain or tension.

After the old stitches have been cast off of the needles 15, the pile loops of yarn 11 may be released from the yarn measuring elements 25 by either of two waysseverance or casting off--depending upon whether cut pile or loop pile fabric is to be produced. If a cut pile fabric is to be produced, the needles 15 preferably are raised slightly from their lowest point of cast olf, whereupon the loops of the pile yarn 11 suspended from elements 25 are severed by a crush cutting action similar, for example, to that disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,996,904. In this instance, however, the depending loops of pile yarn are severed by the crush cutting action .5 between a cutting disk 36 and the periphery 34 of dial 22, as shown in FIG. 7. Raising the needles slightly eliminates any strain upon `the dependent pile loops and ensures that such loops will be cut cleanly by disk 36 with the resulting cut ends being of uniform length. The severed portions of the pile yarn loops preferably are removed by vacuum, but may be blown or brushed off if desired. If a loop pile fabric is to be produced, cutting disk 36 is rendered inactive.

In the case of both cut and loop pile fabrics, the elements 25 are retracted after they pass disk 36 to permit the pile yarn to clearn such elements. At the same time, needles again are raised slightly so that, Where the pile yarn is uncut, the loops thereof are slackened and may slide up out of depressions 35 and be cast off over the hooks 27 of elements 25. Following retraction of the elements 25, the now released cut or loop pile is brushed under the dial 22 by any Well known pneumatic or mechanical means.

In carrying out this invention, it is highly important to correlate the measurement of the yarns 1t) and 11 by the

yarn measuring elements

25 and 24 with the spacing between the dial 22 and the needles 15 at the level where the latter reach their lowest point of cast off. Such correlation rnay be accomplished by suitable means known `to those skilled in the art. It is essential that the loops of pile yarn depending from depressions or yarn holding portions 35 of yarn measuring elements 25 be taut, without being under undue strain or tension, as the needles 15 reach their lowest point of cast off. It is equally important that the spacing relationship between the dial 22 and the lowest cast off position of the needles be such as not to permit the loops of pile yarn depending from depressions 35 be slack, for if this is the case, severing of the legs of the pile yarn loops to equal lengths may not be achieved.

It is clear that the lowest point of cast off reached by the needles 15 also is dependent upon the lengths of loops drawn by elements 25 from the body yarn 10. When the needles 15 descend to draw new stitches from yarn 10 and'new pile loops from yarn 11, they should descend to just below the top of the verge 18. This is sufcient to draw the body yarn loops in the hooks of the needles into the fabric which is supported on the verge 18 while being held taut under the action of the fabric take up. Of course, the spacing relationship between the dial 22 and the top of cylinder 13 should be such as to permit the fabric, as it is knitted, to pass smoothly between those two elements to the take up.

FIG. 8 comprises a diagrammatic straight line development of the cylinder and dial cams, illustrated as though the cylinder cams had been unrolled into a single plane and the curve taken out of the dial cams, the latter having been rotated into the plane of the cylinder cams. In FIG. 8, line 60, alternatively, represents the top of the cylinder 13 and the peripheral edge 34 of the dial 22. The cylinder cams are indicated generally by reference numeral 61 and the dial cams by reference numeral 62. In FIG. 8, the needles 15 pass from left to right, as indicated by the arrow A, and the butts of the needles pass along the cam track 63. The butts 28 of yarn measuring elements 24 pass along cam track 64 and the butts 29 of yarn measuring elements 25 pass along cam track 65.

As the needles 15 reach the highest level 71 of clearing cam 70, the dial hooks 26 will have received the pile yarn 11, and will be in the process of being retracted inwardly of dial 22 by cam 72. At the same time, the yarn measuring elements 25 will have been moved outwardly by Cam 73 so that their hooks will be projected over and beyond the row of loops on the Shanks of the needles 15, in the manner disclosed in FIGS. 2 `and 4. Such projection of the elements 25 permits the bottoms of those elements to hold the fabric down on the needle Shanks as the needles are elevated by cam 70. If elements 25 are not thus projected, the fabric on the needles might rise with 6 the needles, due to the frictional engagement between the fabric loops and the needle shanks, with the result that the elements 25, if projected later to take yarn 10, would strike and damage the fabric.

After the needles reach the highest point 71 of cam 70, they are caused to descend slightly by cam 84. As a result, the fabric on the needle Shanks, by reason of its frictional engagement therewith, is drawn out of Contact with the bottoms of the elements 25.

Thus, when the hooks 26 of elements 24 are retracted to their innermost positon in dial 22, the hooks 27 of elements 25 will be in their outermost position to take the body yarn 10. Thereafter, elements 25 are retracted in wardly of the dial by cam 74. Preferably, after

yarn measuring elements

24 and 25 have received the yarn and been retracted to their innermost position, they are projected outwardly a slight amount by cams 91 and 90 to eliminate any strain or undue tension on the yarns measured out by those elements about the Shanks of the needles 15.

After the yarns 10 and 11 have been measured out, and relieved slightly by the action of the cams 91 and 90, the needles 15 start their descent by the action of the cam surface'75 of stitch cam 79 upon their butts. lust prior to the closing of the needle beards 16 by the presser 32, with the yarns 10 and 11 disposed within the hooks 17 of the needles, the rate of descent of the needles 15 may be slowed by reducing the angle of stitch cam 79 as indicated by reference numeral 76. After the points of the needle beards 16 have passed through `the previously drawn stitches sustained on the needle shanks, the presser 32 is removed and the needles resume their original rate of descent along the inclined surface 66 of cast off cam 77.

As soon as presser 32 closes the beards 16 of the needles 15,

yarn measuring elements

24 and 25 are projected outwardly of dial 22 by the action of cams 81 and 80 acting -upon their respective butts 28 and 29. Cam 80 projects ele-ments 25 outwardly sufficiently far so that when the loops of pile yarn 11 are released by the hooks 26 of elements 24 they are deposited in the depressions or yarn holding portions 35 of elements 25. This action occurs just prior to when the needles 15 reach the lowest point of cast olf cam 77.

Cast off cam 77 is adjustable vertically. It should be positioned with respect to dial 22 so that the body yarn loops formed by the elements 25 will b-e pulled through the previously drawn loops without strain while permitting the retention of the pile yarn loops on elements 25 during cast otf. Under a condition of tautness free of undue tension or strain. As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, the spacing relationship between cast off cam 77 and dial 22 on the one hand, and dial 22 and the top of the cylinder 13 on the other hand, is critical. Carefully controlled adjustment of these elements must be achieved by suitable means well known in the art.

Following cast oil', the needles 15 are raised slightly by landing cam 78. This relieves the pile yarn loops suspended from depressions 35 of elements 25 of any strain preparatory to the crush cutting of such loops by cutting disk 36 against the periphery 34 of the dial 22. During crush cutting of the pile yarn loops, yarn measuring elements 24 preferably are retracted inwardly of the dial 22 by means of cam 92, thus permitting a suction nozzle or other means (not shown) to reach close to yarn measuring elements 25, as the loops of pile yarn 11 are being severed, to remove the severed yarn portions.

After the yarn measuring elements 25 pass cutting disk 36, they are retracted inwardly -by means of cam 94 while, at the same time, the needles 15 again are raised slightly, by cam 85. Such retraction of the elements 25 serves to release the pile yarn therefrom, while the slight raising of the needles by the cam 85, in cases Where the pile yarn is uncut, slackens the pile loops suiciently to permit their 7 being slid up out of depressions 35 and cast olf over the hooks 27.

Before the yarn measuring elements 25 are again projected outwardly by cam 73 to take the body yarn 10, the needles 15 are lowered slightly by cam 86 so that the fabric stitches disposed on the needles will be lowered, by reason of their frictional engagement with the needle Shanks, and thus permit the pile yarn, whether cut or uncut, to be brushed under the dial 22 by any well known means. Thereafter, the needles 15 again begin their ascent to clearing level, by cam 70, while the

yarn measuring elements

24 and 25 are projected outwardly, by cams 87 and 73, respectively, to take the yarns 11 and 10, elements 25 serving also to hold the fabric on the needle Shanks down as the needles rise.

Thus, this invention contemplates the manufacture of both cut and loop pile fabrics, and provides means in both instances for releasing the suspended pile loops of yarn 11 from the elements 25 either by the cutting action of disk 36 or the casting off action achieved by cams 94 and 85.

It is to be noted that the invention described and illustrated herein contemplates the severing of the loops of a pile yarn on a spring beard needle machine. It is believed that this is the rst time that it has been possible to do this on a spring beard `machine during the fabric forming process. This improvement is achieved through the elimination of the sinkers and their accompanying parts and mechanisms, which enables the mounting of a cutting disk 36 outside of the needle circle in the manner indicated in FIG. 7.

By premeasuring both the body and pile yarns by means of elements disposed adjacent to the needle circle, as taught by this invention, the function of the needles is limited to that of stitch formation only, i.e. to setting premeasured yarn loops into a fabric to form knitted stitches. When new loops of pile and body yarn are drawn through the previously drawn stitches on the needle Shanks, there is no undue disturbance of the previously drawn pile yarn loops resulting in the reversing of those loops with respect to their accompanying body yarn stitches. As a result, by the invention illustrated herein, it is possible to ensure in the knitting of both loop pile and cut pile fabrics a consistent plating of the body yarn to the plain side of the fabric.

In the dial, the cams 72 and 74 which retract the

yarn measuring elements

24 and 25, as they take the pile and body yarns, respectively, are adjustable in a horizontal plane, so as to vary the amount of yarn measured out into loops by each element. In this respect, it is possible to measure or draw pile yarn loops of varying sizes, as well as to change the size of the stitches made from the body yarn 10. Preferably, cams 72 and 74 are each independently mounted on slide means disposed in radial grooves in the dial in any manner well known in the art. Of course, in adjusting cams 72 and 74, it must be kept in mind that needle cast off cam 77 must also be adjusted in relation thereto, and that dial 22 must be spaced properly with respect to cylinder 13, to ensure that during the knitting process the loops of pile yarn 11 which depend from the depressions 35 of elements 25 are in a proper condition of tautness to produce a satisfactory pile fabric.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 2-8 herein, it is to be noted that the plain side of the fabric is the outer side of the fabric while being knit on the machine, and that the plush side is the inner of the fabric While being knit on the machine. Thus, to ensure that the loops of pile yarn 11 will plate to the plush side of the fabric and that the loops of body yarn will plate to the plain side of the fabric, it is essential, during knitting, that the pile yarn be disposed at a higher level than the body yarn about the Shanks of the needles 15 (see FIG. 5). By premeasuring the loops of the pile and body yarns by means of the retractable

yarn measuring elements

24 and 25 about the needle Shanks, the desired relationship of the pile yarn being disposed above the body yarn on the needle shanks is not upset during the stitch formation action of the needles.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the hooks 26 of the retractable yarn measuring elements 24 are shown as being disposed above the hooks 27 of the retractable yarn measuring elements 25. This arrangement is considered to be highly convenient for the purpose of placing the loops of the pile yarn 11 above the loops of the body yarn 10 on the needle shanks during knitting. However, as an alternative, the same result can be achieved if the measuring hooks 26 and 27 are disposed in the same horizontal plane, and the needles are moved relatively up or down, as the case may be, during the yarn feeding and measuring actions.

More specifically, if the pile yarn 11 is rst fed to the needles and measured, then the needles are raised slightly before the body yarn is fed and measured. Due to the frictional engagement of the pile yarn loops with the needle shanks, such loops are raised with the needles, thus permitting the body yarn to be measured about the needles below the pile yarn. On the other hand, if the body yarn 10 is first fed to the needles and measured, then the needles are lowered slightly before the pile yarn is fed and measured. Due to the frictional contact between the body yarn loops and the needle Shanks, such loops will be lowered with the lowering of the needles to ensure that the pile yarn is fed to the needles above the body yarn loops. Of course, in either of the alternative methods described above, suitable needle raising and lowering cams are required to effect proper needle action to ensure that the pile yarn loops are disposed above the body yarn loops on the needle Shanks before, during and after the stitch formation action of the needles.

It is within the scope of this invention to interchange the location of the spring beard needles and the yarn measuring elements, as illustrated in FIGS. 9-10. In these figures, needles 15 are mounted in slots 23 of the dial 22', and the

yarn measuring elements

24 and 25 are mounted in the slots 14 of cylinder 13. Camming for the needles 15 and elements 24', 25 will be similar to that shown in FIG. 8, except the dial cams will now be cylinder cams, and vice versa. In both embodiments shown in FIGS. 2-10, the yarn measuring elements are operatively controlled behind the needles, and are mounted in opposing relation thereto.

The modification of FIGS. ll-lZ is similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 2-8, except the body yarn measuring elements 25 have been eliminated in favor of a stitch wheel 100, which serves as the functional equivalent of those elements. In this modification, only the pile yarn measuring elements 24 are mounted in the dial 22. Stitch wheel is of well known construction, and includes a plurality of peripheral blades 102 having projections 103 formed at the lower ends thereof. Stitch wheel 100 is rotatably mounted on a stud shaft 101, and in the embodiment illustrated has fixed blades mounted at an angle of 25 to the aXis of the shaft. This means, of course, that the shaft 101 is disposed at an angle of 25 to the vertically disposed cylinder needles 15 to permit proper interaction between the blades and the needles.

Stitch weels with fixed blades set at angles other than 25 are well known and may be used, with proper adjustment of the angle of the shaft. Since the needles 15 are independently movable, and hence aid in placing the yarn into their hooks by descending, stitch wheels having blades parallel to the shaft of the wheel also may be used. Stitch wheels having movable blades can be used also.

Pile yarn measuring elements 24 function in the same way as described in respect of FIGS. 2-8 to pull, measure and hold the pile yarn 11 about the Shanks of the needles 15. Stitch wheel 100 receives the body yarn 10 in a well known manner, just above the projections 103 i in the direction of cylinder rotation.

' action.

Y dicated by directional arrow B in FIG. 12. Since stitch wheel 100 is mounted with its axis at an angle, projections 103'on blades 102 serve to retain and raise the body yarn loops as cylinder 13 and stitch wheel 100 rotate, so that those loops pass under the beards and into the hooks 17 of needles 15. Projections 103 do not lose Contact with the yarn loops until they are safely under the needle hooks.

This elevating of body yarn 10 serves also to elevate into the needle hooks 17 the pile yarn loops, immediately above the body yarn loops, which previously had been measured by elements 24, and which are, at this stage,

. being held or retained in loop form by those elements.

Preferably, a slight tautness is kept on the pile yarn loops during their elevation on needles by the body yarn loops. Such tautness will ensure that the pile yarn loops will be pushed upwardly by the ascending body yam loops, as the latter are held and raised by projections 103 of the stitch wheel, and will ensure that the body yarn `,loops will remain below the pile yarn loops on the needles, so that the body yarn will plate to the outside of the fabric. The hooks of the needles preferably are sulficiently narrow to prevent or impede passage of one yarn past the other.

As shown in FIG. 12, when needles 15 descend, with the pile yarn and body yarn loops in their hooks 17, their beards 16 are closed in the usual manner by a presser shoe 104 mounted adjacent the st-itch wheel 100 This lpermits the previously formed loops to slide up over the needle hooks enclosing the new yarn so as to complete the knitting During cast off ofthe old loops from the needles, the new pile yarn 'loops are retained taut by the vhooks 26 of elements 24. Following such cast off, the

pile yarn loops are released from elements 2'4 either by severance or casting off, depending upon whether cut pile or loop pile fabric is to be produced.

The descent of the needles 15 aids in the elem/ation of the body yarn and pile yarn loops into the hooks 17. This downward movement of the needles, during measuring of the body yarn 'loop-s, can be utilized to cause those loops to push the pile yarn loops to the top of the needle hooks in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 12.

It is to be understood that in the embodiment of FIGS. 11-12, needles 15 may be located in the dial 22, in the manner shown in FIGS. l9-10,` and the pile yarn measuring elements 24 may be located in the cylinder 13. In such event, stitch wheel 100 would be relocated to meas- `ure out, hold and displace outwardly the body yarn loops with respect to the needles 15 in the dial.

In the further modication shown in FIG. 13, latch needles 105, with their hooks and latches located upwardly, have been substituted for the pile yarn measuring elements 24 in the embodiment of FIGS. 11-12. Camming for latch needles 105 in such event would be similar to that used to control elements 24 in FIGS. 2-8 and 1l-12, except the needles would have an extra out and in motion as compared to the hooks 24. The purpose of the extra outward motion is to move uncut pile loops back of the opened latches, i.e. to clear the latches, while the extra inward motion is to cast such loops off of the needles. Latch openers of any well known type would be used to open the needle latches before they again -receive the pile yarn.

In the claims hereof, the term tbody yarn means that yarn which comprises the basic yarn of a knitted fabric 10 formed into normal stitches by needles of a knitting machine. A pile yarn, when properly knit into a pile fabric, is a plated yarn and hence, in construing the claims hereof, the same pile fabric and pile yarn are to be construed to imply, respectively, a plated fabric and plated yarn.

While preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described in detail for the purpose of illustrating the principles thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to various types of knitting machines and may be embodied otherwise than as illustrated herein without departing from the principles of the invention or the scope of the claims.

Having thus describ-ed my invention, I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine for pile fabric having a needle cylinder with a circle of independent needles disposed therein, a set of stitch forming cams for 'the needles, a pile yarn feed and a body yarn feed, a plurality of `retractable elements operatively controlled within the needle circle, and mounted adjacent one end of the cylinder, for receiving and measuring pile yarn for pile yarn loops and for receiving and measuring body yarn for bodly yarn stitches and cam` means operable during the stitch formation action of the needles to advance the retractable elements to release the body yarn while retaining the pile yarn.

2. The invention of cla-im 1 further including means operable to release the pile yarn from the retractable elements following the stitch formation action of the needles.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the cam means is adjustable for independently controlling the amount of pile yarn measured by the retractable elements and the amount of body yarn measured by the retractable element-s.

4. In a circular knitting machines Ifor pile fabric having a needle cylinder with a circle of independent needles disposed therein, a set of stitch forming cams for the needles, a pile yarn feed and a Ibody yarn feed, a dial disposed within the needle circle and adjacent one end of the cylinder, a plurality of retractable elements mounted on the dial for receiving and measuring pile yarn, a separate plurality of retractable elements mounted on the dial for receiving and measuring body yarn and cam means for advancing the second mentioned elements during the stitch formation action of the needles to release the body yarn for incorporation into the fabric.

5. The invention of claim 4 further including means for transferring the pile yarn to the second mentioned elements and means for retaining the pile yarn on the second mentioned elements during the stitch formation action of the needles.

`6. The invention of claim 5 funther including means for severing the pile yarn loops resulting from the stitch formation action of the needles while .retained upon the second mentioned dial elements.

7. The invention of claim 4 wherein the dial is formed with a plurality of slots and wherein each slot contains a retractable element for the pile yarn and a retractable element for the body yarn.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein the retractable elements are formed with hooks and wherein the hooks of the pile yarn elements are disposed above the hooks of the body yarn elements.

9. A method of knitting pile fabric fromV pile and body yarns on a circular knitting machine having a complement of independent needles comprising the steps of measuring and retaining the pile yarn by a set of yarn holding elements preparatory to its formation into knitted loops, measuring and retaining the body yarn by a second set of yarn holding elements preparatory to its formation into knitted stitches, retracting the needles while releasing the body yarn only to form the body yarn into stitches and the pile yarn into knitted loops and then severing the pile yarn loops after the body yarn has been formed into f ll stitches and the pile yarn has been formed into knitted loops.

19. A method of knitting pile fabric from pile and body yarns on a circular knitting machine having a complement of independent needles including the steps of measuring and retaining the pile yarn by a set of yarn measuring elements preparatory to its formation into knitted loops, measuring and retaining the body yarn preparatory to its formition into knitted stitches by a separate set of yarn measuring elements cach having a yarn holding portion formed therein, retracting the needles with the pile and body yarn retained by their respective measuring elements, releasing the pile and body yarns from their respective measuring elements before the needles reach their most retracted position, advancing the body yarn elements to receive the pile yarn in the yarn holding portions of said elements and thereafter releasing the pile yarn from the body yarn elements.

ll. A method of knitting cut pile fabric on a circular knitting machine having a complement of independent spring beard needles from pile and body yarns comprising the steps of separately measuring the pile and body yarns preparatory to their formation into knitted loops, forming the yarns into knitted loops and releasing the body yarn loops While retaining the pile yarn loops taut, and then severing the pile yarn loops, after the pile yarn has been formed into knitted stitches, and before the fabric is removed from the machine.

l2. `In a circular knitting machine for pile fabric having a complement of independent needles, a set of stitch forming cams for the needles, a pile ya-rn feed and a body yarn feed, that method which comprises feeding a body yarn to the needles, measuring the body yarn into loops by urging it about the needles a predetermined distance behind the needles by means of loop measuring elements, feeding a pile yarn to the needles, separately measuring the pile yarn into loops by urging it about the needles a predetermined distance behind the needles by means of loop measuring elements, setting the body and pile yarn loops int-o a fabric to form knitted stitches and releasing the body yarn loops from the loop measuring elements while retaining the pile yarn loops on the loop measuring elements during stitch formation.

13. The method of claim 12 further including the step of releasing the pile yarn loops following stitch formation.

14. In a circular knitting machine for pile fabric having a complement of independent needles, a pile yarn feed, a body yarn feed, a set of elements disposed adjacent the needles for receiving and measuring the pile yarn and a separate set of elements disposed adjacent the needles for receiving and measuring the body yarn, that method which comprises feeding the pile yarn to the needles, measuring the pile yarn into loops about the needles, advancing the needles axially, feeding the ybody yarn to the needles, measuring the body yarn into loops about the needles, setting the body and .pile yarn loops into a fabric to form knitted stitches and releasing the body yarn loops from their elements while retaining the pile yarn loops taut during stitch formation,

15. In a circular knitting machine for pile fabric having a complement of independent needles, a pile yarn Ifeed, a body yarn feed, a set of elements disposed adjacent the needles for receiving and measuring the pile yarn and a separate set of elements disposed adjacent the needles for receiving and measuring the body yarn, that method which comprises feeding the body yarn to the needles, measuring the body yarn into loops about the needles, retracting the needles axially, feeding the pile yarn to the needles, measuring the pile yarn into loops about the needles, setting the pile and body yarn loops into a fabric to form knitted stitches and releasing the body yarn loops from their elements while retaining the pile yarn loops taut during stitch formation.

16. In a circular knitting machine having a complement of independent needles, at least two yarn feeds and means for measuring the yarns into loops by urging them about the needles a predetermined distance behind the needles, that method of plating yarn which comprises feeding a first yarn to the needles, measuring such yarn into loops about the needles, feeding a second yarn to the needles, measuring said second yarn into loops about the needles, manipulating the needles axially prior to the feeding of the second mentioned yarn whereby one of said yarns will be measured about the needles at a predetermined posit-ion in relation to `the other yarn, setting the yarn loops into a fabric to form knitted stitches and releasing the loops of one yarn from said yarn measuring means while retaining the loops of the other yarn by said yarn measuring means during stitch formation.

17. yIn a circular knitting machine having a complement of independent needles, at least two yarn feeds and means for measuring the yarns into loops by urging them about the needles a predetermined distance behind the needles, that method of plat-ing ya-rn which comprises feeding a first yarn to the needles, measuring such yarn into loops about the needles, feeding a second y-arn to the needles, measuring said second yarn into loops about the needles, advancing the needles axially prior to the feeding of the second mentioned yarn whereby one of said yarns will :be measured about the needles at a predetermined position in relation to the othe-r yarn, setting the yarn loops into a fabric to form knitted stitches and releasing the loops of one yarn `from said yarn measuring means while retaining the loops of the other yarn by said yarn measuring means during stitch formation.

f8. lIn a circular knitting machine having a complement of independent needles, at least two yarn feeds and means for measuring the yarns into loops by urging them about the needles a `predetermined distance behind the needles, that method of plating yarn which comprises feeding a first yarn to the needles, measuring such yarn into loops about the needles, feeding a second yarn to the needles, measuring said second yarn into loops about the needles, retracting the needles axially prior to the feeding of the second mentioned yarn whereby one of said yarns w-ill `be measured about the needles at a predetermined position in relation to the other yarn, setting the yarn loops into a fabric to form knitted stitches and releasing the loops of one yarn from said yarn measuring means While retaining the loops of `the other yarn by said yarn measuring means during stitch formation.

19'. In a circular knitting machine having a complement of independent needles, a set of stitch forming cams for the needles, a pile yarn feed and a body yarn feed, a plurality of pile yarn loop forming implements disposed adjacent the needles for receiving and `measuring the pile yarn preparatory to its formation into knitted loops, a plurality of body yarn loop forming implements disposed adjacent the needles for receiving and measuring the body yarn preparatory to its formation into knitted stitches, means for independently selecting the amount of pile y-arn measured by the pile yarn loop forming implements and the amount of body yarn measured by the body yarn loop forming implements and mean-s for releasing the body yarn from its loop forming elements, While retaining the pile yarn taut, when the body yarn is formed into knitted stitches.

'26. The invention of claim 19 wherein the body yarn loop forming implements comprise a plurality of blades mounted upon a rotatable stitch wheel for interengagement with the needles.

2l. rThe invention of claim 19 wherein the body yarn loop forming implements comprise a plurality of retractable hooked elements disposed in opposing relation to the needles.

22. In a circular knitting machine for pile fabric having two opposing beds for receiving and retaining retractable yarn manipulating elements, a plurality of independent stitch forming needles mounted in one bed, a plurality of independent yarn measuring elements mounted in the other bed, for receiving and measuring pile yarn and body yarn into pile yarn loops and body yarn loops, respectively, cam means for controlling the stitch form-ation action of the needles and cam means operable during the stitch formation action of the needles to manipulate the yarn measuring elements to release the body yarn therefrom While retaining the pile yarn.

23. In a circular knitting machine for pile fabric having a dial with a complement of independent needles disposed therein, a set of cams for imparting stitch formation action to the needles, a pile yarn feed and a body yarn feed, a cylinder disposed adjacent to and axially of the d-ial, and to the rear of the needles, a plurality of retractable elements mounted in the cylinder for receiving and measuring pile yarn preparatory to its formation into knitted loops, a separate plurality of retractable elements mounted in the cylinder for receiving and measuring body yarn preparatory to lits formation into knitted stitches and cam means operable during the stitch formation action of the needles to manipulate the yarn measuring elements to release the body yarn therefrom While retaining the pile yarn.

24. In a circular knitting machine for pile fabrics having a complement of independent needles, cams for imparting stitch formation action to the needles, a pile yarn feed and a body yarn feed, a plurality of retractable elements operatively controlled behind the needles for receiving and measuring pile yarn preparatory to its formation into knitted loops, `a stitch Wheel mounted adjacent the needles for separately receiving and measuring body yarn preparatory to its formation into knitted stitches, said stitch Wheel having a plurality of blades which retain the measured body yarn until disposed Within t-he hooks of the needles and thereafter release said yarn for formation into knitted stitches, and means operable during the stitch formation action of the needles to retain the pile yarn taut during the stitch formation action of the needles.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 579,621 3/1897 Wever 66-91 810,578 1/1906 Steber 66-12 949,376 2/ 1910 Latcher 66-93 1,197,963 9/ 1916 Stafford et al. 66--93 1,560,229 l11/ 1925 Grundy 66-93 `1,777,699 10/ 1930 McAdams 66-12 1,801,167 4/1931 McAdams 66-93 X 1,838,739 `12/193'1 Breaithwaite 66-9 1,998,286 4/1935 Murphy 66-12 2,184,088 12/ 1939 Weinburg 66-93 2,320,989 `6/ 1943 Weinburg 66-12 2,796,751 6/1957 Mishcon 66-93 2,903,869 9/1959` Stevens. 2,933,907 4/1960 Lawson et al. 66-93 2,996,904 8/1961 Stevens 66-92 3,041,859 7/1962 Andersen et al 66--92 3,107,509 10/1963 Farmer 66--93 X 3,124,944 3/ 1964 Bond et al. 66-9 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,273,725 9/ 1961 France.

125,856 11/1959 Russia.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner. RUSSELL C. MADER, Examiner.

Claims

19. IN A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE HAVING A COMPLEMENT OF INDEPENDENT NEEDLES, A SET OF STITCH FORMING CAMS FOR THE NEEDLES, A PILE YARN FEED AND A BODY YARN FEED, A PLURALITY OF PILE YARN LOOP FORMING IMPLEMENTS DISPOSED ADJACENT THE NEEDLES FOR RECEIVING AND MEASURNG THE PILE YARN PREPARATORY TO ITS FORMATION INTO KNITTED LOOPS, A PLURALITY OF BODY YARN LOOP FORMING IMPLEMENTS DISPOSED ADJACENT THE NEEDLES FOR RECIEVING AND MEASURING THE BODY YARN PREPARATORY TO ITS FORMATION INTO KNITTED STITCHES, MEANS FOR INDEPENDENTLY SELECTING THE AMOUNT OF PILE YARN MEASURED BY THE PILE YARN LOOP FORMING IMPLEMENTS AND THE AMOUNT OF BODY YARN MEASURED BY THE BODY YARN LOOP FORMING IMPLEMENTS AND MEANS FOR RELEASING THE BODY YARN FROM ITS LOOP FORMING ELEMENTS, WHILE RETAINING THE PILE YARN TAUT, WHEN THE BODY YARN IS FORMED INTO KNTTED STITCHES.