US3354673A

US3354673A - Sinker cover mechanism for circular knitting machines

Info

Publication number: US3354673A
Application number: US478921A
Authority: US
Inventors: Santoni Vinicio
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-08-14
Filing date: 1965-08-11
Publication date: 1967-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 1984-11-28
Also published as: IT721769A

Description

Nov. 28, 1967 V.'SANTON| 3,354,673

SINKER COVER MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 11, 1965 H e. i

10 am I \V/ V I l y I ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,354,673 SINKER-COVER MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Vinicio Santoni, Via Amba DOro 9, Brescia, Italy Filed Aug. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 478,921 Claims priority, application Italy, Aug. 14, 1964, 50,295, Patent 721,769 5 Claims. (Cl. 66-107) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A circular stocking machine is described including a needle cylinder, a sinker crown secured thereto and formed with a peripheral rib, a radially-extending flange secured to the sinker crown and defining with the peripheral rib a circumferential groove around the sinker crown, a sinker cover overlying the sinker crown and radially spaced from its peripheral rib, and a plurality of rolling bearing members disposed in the groove and in contact with the sinker cover. The flange serves as an anti-friction bearing resisting the relatively small axial stresses, while the rolling bearing members resist the high radial stresses.

The present invention relates to circular stocking machines, an object of the invention being to provide an improved guide for the sinker cover.

It is well known that the radial guide of the sinker cover in circular stocking machines occurs by sliding said cover over the outer sinker-crown, as if the cover were a bushing and the outer sinker crown were the pin rotating in said bushing.

This guide system, besides producing a rapid wear of surfaces coming into contact with each other, has the disadvantage that it is necessary to increase the mounting plays to the detriment of precision and accuracy of the entire assembly. This is particularly true in the latest multi-feed machines where, because of more sliding of the sinkers on the outer crown, at each revolution of the machine a considerable overheating of the crown occurs with consequent expansion.

A known system devised to minimize sliding friction consists in guiding the cover with three rollers arranged at 120 on the outer crown circular wall. The axes of the rollers are integral with the cover itself, and the outer crown circular wall is of larger diameter than the cover. On account of the fastening system of the cover, which is held firm at one point, and of the thrust given by the resistance to sliding of the sinkers, it usually happens that the whole load is concentrated on two of the three rollers. The support points, which are in fact two lines no more than 67 mm. long, are of too reduced dimensions to ensure that no crushing or deformation occurs on the portion of the outer crown on which the rollers rest.

The aforementioned disadvantages are largely avoided by the machine according to the present invention, comprising in a well known manner a sinker cover sliding over an outer sinker crown, and substantially characterized in that the sinker crown is formed with a circumferential groove and receives rolling members interposed between the sinker crown and the sinker cover in the zone of radial contact therebetween.

3,354,673 Patented Nov. 28, 1967 According to a further feature, the sinker crown includes at least two parts rigidly connected to each other to form the groove for the rolling members, said members projecting from the groove into contact with the sinker cover.

The present invention will be better described by reference to the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 illustrates an axial view, with parts in section, of a preferred embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a variation.

As shown in the drawings, the needle cylinder 1 is associated with the outer sinker crown 2 via locking plates 3 tightened by means of screws 4. The sinker crown 2 houses the sinkers and has secured thereto a radiallyextending flange 5, for example, by means of screws 6. Flange 5 defines, with a peripheral rib 11 on sinker crown 2, a circumferential groove for receiving rolling bearing members in the form of rollers 7. Rollers 7 are rotatable on axes parallel to the axis of rotation of the sinker crown, the roller axes being freely movable along the groove containing the rollers, as in roller bearings of known types.

On the crown 2 and the flange 5 is supported the sinker cover 8, which is held in position overlying the crown via the clamps 9 locked on the cover 8 by means of screws 10. The clamps 9 are fixed to underlie the flange 5, so as to avoid any relative axial displacement between cover 8 and crown 2, while still permitting the latter to freely rotate together with its flange 5. In this manner, during rotation of the cylinder 1 with crown 2 and flange 5, the main stress of friction against the cover 8 essentially occurs through the rollers 7 which provide support in radial direction. For this purpose, the surface of rib 11 of the crown 2 is not in contact with the cover 8, but is of slightly smaller diameter than the inside diameter of said cover 8 so that the cover is radially spaced from the crown but is in contact with the flange 5. The flange serves not only as a part of the means for housing the rolling bearing members, but also as an anti-friction bearing resisting the axial stresses, the latter being relatively small compared to the high radial stresses resisted by the rolling bearing members.

The crown 2 may be made of metal, such as steel, or of any other suitable material. The flange 5 may also be of metal, but is preferably of plastic material, for example 11 lon.

In the variation of FIG. 2, the rolling members are in the form of balls 7 and may be spaced from each other by a containment guiding cage 12 having a separator 13. Conventional ball bearings could also be used in which the balls 7' are mounted in cages of known type.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment described in the foregoing description, but is subject to many changes and modifications, depending upon individual design, without however departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a circular stocking machine, a needle cylinder, a sinker crown secured thereto to rotate therewith, said sinker crown including a peripheral rib, a radially extending flange secured to said sinker crown and defining with said peripheral rib a circumferential groove around said sinker crown, a sinker cover overlying said sinker crown bearing members disposed in said groove 'in' contact with said sinker cover, whereby said flange serves with said peripheral rib for housing the rolling bearing members and also for resisting the axial stresses, while said rolling bearing members resist the high radial stresses.

2. A circular stocking machine according to claim 1, wherein said sinker crown is made of steel and said flange is made of plastic.

3. A circular stocking machine according to claim 1, wherein said rolling bearing members consist of rollers having axes parallel to the sinker crown rotating axis.

4. In a circular stocking machine according to claim 1, wherein said rolling vbearing members consist of balls.

5. In a circular stocking machine according to claim 1, wherein said rolling bearing members are spaced from each other by a containment guiding cage.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,643,156 9/1927 Farmer 308189 2,879,083 3/1959 COrSette 30835 X 3,192,741 7/1965 Hanel 66108 X 3,271,835 9/1966 Hadley 2615 3,273,359 9/1966 Fregeolle 66108 X ROBERT R. MACKEY, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A CIRCULAR STOCKING MACHINE, A NEEDLE CYLINDER, A SINKER CROWN SECURED THERETO TO ROTATE THEREWITH, SAID SINKER CROWN INCLUDING A PERIPHERAL RIB, A RADIALLY EXTENDING FLANGE SECURED TO SAID SINKER CROWN AND DEFINING WITH SAID PERIPHERAL RIB A CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE AROUND SAID SINKER CROWN, A SINKER COVER OVERLYING SAID SINKER CROWN AND RADIALLY SPACED THEREFROM, AND A PLURALITY OF ROLLING BEARING MEMBER DISPOSED IN SAID GROOVE IN CONTACT WITH SAID SINKER COVER, WHEREBY SAID FLANGE SERVES WITH SAID PERIPHERAL RIB FOR HOUSING THE ROLLING BEARING MEMBERS AND ALSO FOR RESISTING THE AXIAL STRESSES, WHILE SAID ROLLING BEARING MEMBERS RESIST THE HIGH RADIAL STRESSES.