US3452560A - Patterning device for circular knitting machines - Google Patents

Description

July 1, 1969 P. JOSEPH 3,452,560

PATTERNING DEVICE FOR cmcuum KNITTING MACHINES Filed March a, 1967 Sheet or s INVENTOR. P/EQRE JOSEPH BY v ( A'TTOENE ys July 1, 1969 JOSEPH 3,452,560

PATTERNING DEVICE FOR CIRCULAR KNI' ITING MACHINES Filed March a, 1967 Sheet 2 of 5 '67 on on uunuu un Fig.4-

INVENTOR. P/ERRE JOSEPH July 1, 1969 P. JOSEPH 3,452,560

PATTERNING DEVICE FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March a, 19s? Sheet 3 of 5' INVENTOR. PIERRE- JOSEPH P. JOSEPH July 1; 1969 PATTERNING DEVICE FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Sheet Filed March 8. 1967 Fig.7

INVENTOR.

P/ERQE dose PH BY A TT'O July 1, 1969 P. JOSEPH v 3,452,560

PATTERNING DEV-ICE FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March a. 1967 Sheet 5 of 5 M44MMMM INVENTOR. D/ERRE JOSEPH BY m 'qTi v E vs United States Patent US. Cl. 66-50 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A patterning device for a circular knitting machine for knitting patterns of limited or unlimited widths, having a series of patterning wheels along the circumference of the needle cylinder and at least two patterning bands for respective groups of patterning wheels. The two patterning bands are of different types, one for knitting patterns of limited width and the other for knitting patterns of unlimited width, and are used separately for cooperation with the same patterning wheels in accord with the particular knitting to be done. Simultaneous use of a plurality of like type of patterning bands for operation on groups of patterning wheels at difierent feeds of the machine is disclosed.

Background of the invention The invention relates to a patterning device for circular knitting machines having a rotating needle cylinder, the patterning device being composed of a plurality of stationary partial patterning devices that are arranged individually or in groups at each work station.

The partial patterning device may be, among others, a patterning wheel, patterning cylinder, or an endless patterning band driven by wheels, all of which serve to select the knitting needles in accordance with the pattern.

In knitting machines of the prior art, having a plurality of partial patterning devices, selection of knitting needles is limited resulting in patterns of correspondingly limited size. Larger patterns can be knitted only when each partial patterning device has its own patterning band. This solution is expensive, takes up room, and hinders proper control of the machine and of the knitted goods. Moreover, these knitting machines have the further disadvantage that it requires a long time to change them over.

The patterning device described in Swiss patent specification No. 237,611, US. Patent No. 2,611,253, also has a limited needle selection with respect to the pattern width. In this device a single patterning band influences the partial patterning devices that are in the form of patterning wheels. The selection is limited because only the wheel circumference is available for patterning.

For a long time limited knitting needle selection was not considered particularly disadvantageous because consumers preponderantly demanded relatively small patterns.

The fashion tendencies of recent years show a strong demand for large patterns, and the development of very fine synthetic yarns requires knitting machines having a very close needle spacing.

Summary of the invention An object of the invention is a patterning device for circular knitting machines, said device having a plurality of stationary partial patterning devices located individually or in groups at respective feeds, and a plurality of endless patterning bands of different types one for knitting patterns of limited width and the other for knitting patterns of unlimited width, one type at a time being utilized to cooperate each with a plurality of respective partial patterning devices, respectively for knitting patterns of limited widths or of unlimited" widths (that is, of any desired width) Brief description of the drawings In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of a patterning device for knitting patterns of unlimited width;

FIGURE 2 shows a portion of a patterning band for use with the device of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top view of a patterning device for knitting patterns of limited width;

FIGURE 4 shows a portion of a patterning band for use with the device of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a side view of the patterning wheel and sinkers;

FIGURE 6 shows diiferent embodiments of the sinkers;

FIGURE 7 is a view in the direction of arrow A in FIGURE 8, of the groove developed.

FIGURE 8 is a top view of the inclined surfaces and associated parts.

Description of the preferred embodiments In the drawings, only those parts of the circular knitting machine are illustrated that are essential to the understanding of the invention.

A series of patterning wheels 1-24, rigidly mounted on a plate 25, is arranged in the usual manner about the periphery of the circular knitting machine, as illustrated in FIGURE 1. Each wheel 1-24 will be considered a partial patterning device.

An endless patterning band 26 (FIG. 1), for producing patterns of unlimited width, and which surrounds, for example, six successive patterning wheels, is spirally rolled up, in a known manner, and unrolled in an adjoining container 27. Altogether, four bands 26 are used, one at each feed.

The revolving needle cylinder 28 gear 29 that engages a gear 30 rigid with the patterning wheel axle 31, to turn the patterning wheel 32 proper.

Patterning sinkers 33 are located in radial grooves of the wheel 32 and have each a head 34 (FIG. 5). The heads together with a stationary cam plate 35 enables the sinkers, when they are outwardly tipped, to bring the cylinder needles 37 out of action in accordance with the pattern, as disclosed in Swiss patent specification No. 264,568. The needles are connected in the manner of a hinge to the jacks 36.

Each patterning band 26 has punched holes 29 (FIG. 2) for engagement by the noses 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 (FIGS. 5 and 6) of the patterning sinkers 33. The patterning band also has an uninterrupted series of perforations 44 that is independent of the pattern and engageable by the noses 45, the purpose of which will be described later.

Pins 46 (FIG. 5) in a ring 47 of the patterning wheel 32 drive the patterning band 26, which has holes 48 ('FIG. 2) that are engaged by the pins, and which is associated with a determined number of patterning wheels.

The control members 49 rotate concentrically with the patterning wheel 32 (FIG. 5) and are rigidly connected to guide parts 490. The members 49 are controlled in their movement by pins 50 riding in the grooves 68a, 68b of the stationary guide members 68 and serve to cooperate with the foot 33a incorporated with every sinker 33.

Movement from one groove to another is controlled by a pivotal element 51 (FIGS. 7 and 8), which is operated by inclined surface 52, 53 or manually by shifting the (FIG. 5) has a ring toothed rack 61. The inclined surfaces are rigidly mounted in contact with the gear 29, which turns with the needle cylinder 28.

Movement from one groove to another is controlled 54 mounted on a horizontally movable arm 55, then via a lever 60 engaged in a slot of said arm and mounted to pivot about a pin 63 on the bent end 62 of a toothed rack 61 to which the lever is rigidly connected, and finally by a toothed segment 56 which is positively connected to the element 51 pivotally mounted in the housing 57. A tension spring 65 prevents undesired pivoting or opening of the level 60. The pin 64 locks the element 51 in the one or the other position when disengaged from automatic operation.

The housing 57 (FIG. 5), which surrounds the patterning wheel 32, the bottom plate 58, and the cover plate 59 are screwed onto the plate 25 of the knitting machine.

The inclined surface 52, which was described as being rigid with the ring gear 29, can also be designed to be automatically movable, as described in the Swiss patent 321,833, no corresponding US. patent, although this feature has no connection with the invention. This feature relates only to a temporary retention of the selec tion of the patterning wheels for longer than a complete revolution of the needle cylinder.

The arrangement of patterning wheels and bands illustrated in FIGURE 3 differs from that of FIGURE 1 in that, for the purpose of producing patterns having a limited width, two endless patterning bands 66 are used, each wrapped around respectively twelve successive patterning wheels and which are rolled up into and unrolled from a respective container 27.

The patterning band 66 (FIG. 4) employed for this purpose is narrower than that of FIGURE 2 and incorporates perforations 67 that determine the pattern to be knitted. The perforations are arranged in groups in a single row and engage the noses 45 (FIG. 6) of the patterning sinkers. The holes 48 are engaged by the pins 46 (FIG. 5) in the ring 47 of the patterning wheel 32, whereby the band is moved.

The arrangement for knitting patterns of unlimited width operates as follows.

The needle cylinder 28, patterning band 26, and the patterning wheels 124 move continuously in the direction of the arrows (FIG. 1).

Since the manner of operation of each patterning band 26 with respect to the wheels 1-24 is the same, the same, the operation of a single band will be described.

During each rotation of the patterning wheel proper 32 (FIG. 5), the patterning sinkers 33 are positioned with the aid of the patterning band 26, which has perforations that are made in accordance with the pattern. For this purpose all of the sinkers 33 are first of all, before they reach the selector station of the band 26, moved outwards and lowered to their starting position by element 51 (FIG. 7) via pins 50 of the control members 49, as explained in Swiss Patent No. 264,568.

The necessary position of the element 51 to ensure that the sinkers 33 are brought to their starting position is obtained by manually pushing the toothed rack 61 inwardly (that is, toward the middle of the knitting machine), with the help of the open lever 60. After looking, the rack 61 is securely held behind the pin 64 (FIG. 8). The element 51 is thereby located in the slanting position shown in full line in FIGURE 7.

If the patterning band 26 has a perforation in the position 29 (FIG. 2), the nose 39 of the patterning sinker 33 can engage it and it remains in the position shown in full line on the left side of FIGURE 5.

However, if the nose cannot enter a hole 29, the sinker is forced back into its selector position (broken line, FIGURE 5, left half), whereby the foot 33a is brought under control of the members 49 which subsequently, in a known manner, raise the sinkers under this control 4 until the sinker heads 34, pushed radially by the cam plate 35, can select the jacks 36 hinged to the cylinder needles 37, as shown in full line at FIGURE 5, right side.

Since the element 51 (FIG. 7) normally does not change its position, the sinkers 33, and thus the needles for knitting patterns that are not repeated over the width knitted, continue to be selected. The pattern width is limited virtually only by the number of needles in the cylinder.

The manner of operation of the arrangement for producing patterns of limited widths is as follows.

Only two patterning bands 66 are used, one for the wheels 1-12 and the other for the wheels 13-24.

The patterning bands move continuously in the direction of the arrows in FIGURE 3.

Since both bands 66 function in the same way, only the operation of one band will be described.

During the first revolution of the patterning wheel 32, the patterning sinkers 33 are positioned with the aid of the patterning band 66 (FIG. 4) punched in accordance with the pattern to be knitted, as described in Swiss Patent 264,568. After the sinkers have been positioned during the first revolution of the wheel 32, the pattern to be knitted is fixed and no further sinkers are returned to the starting position for a new selection.

This suspension of the sinker selection occurs because the inclined surface 53, which rotates with the cylinder 28 (FIG. 8), shifts the roller 54 rigid with the arm 55, such that the element 51, by means of the lever 60 and toothed rack 61, is returned to its horizontal position shown in dashed line in FIGURE 7.

As a result, the control members 49 and thus the sinkers 33 controlled by these members remain in the raised position.

The release of the sinker selection suspension occuring during each revolution of the knitting machine and during a single revolution of the patterning wheel proper 32 is accomplished with the assistance of the inclined surfaces 52 and 53 (FIG. 8), which act upon the element 51 when it is set by the lever 60 for automatic operation.

Since each patterning wheel covers only a part of the series of pattern governing perforations in the respective patterning band, because inclined surface 52 starts the takeover of a new selection, and inclined surface 53 stops it, the new selection of sinkers is maintained for at least approximately one revolution of the knitting machine namely, until the inclined surface 52 starts the takeover of a further selection, and since, in the illustrated example, the sections of a line of two neighboring perforation groups do not overlap, in contradistinction to the description in US. 3,260,073 a single row of perforations suffices. The perforations are located moderately high in the patterning band 66, so that they can cooperate with the noses 45 of every kind of sinker 33.

It has been assumed in the embodiment that there are twelve groups of perforations, located one behind the other, on each band 66, and that the length of each group is equal to the circumference of a patterning wheel.

Obviously, other group divisions are possible.

In this way two narrow patterning bands sufiice for the knitting of patterns of limited width, which patterns are repeated about the circumference of the needle cylinder.

The containers 27 illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 3 can be replaced by any other arrangement suitable for a circular knitting machine, which assures an eflicient use of the space and easy access to the parts of the machine. The partial patterning devices, as well as the number of rows of perforations in the patterning bands 26 and 66 are exemplary and not limitative.

When knitting patterns of unlimited widths, the number of rows of perforations in each patterning band depends on the number of partial patterning devices per band and, when knitting pattern of limited widths on the accommoda- '5 tion of perforation groups of the partial patterning devices per patterning band.

The invention is not to be construed as limited to the particular forms disclosed herein, since these are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

I claim:

1. A patterning device for circular knitting machines having a needle bearing needle cylinder that can be driven in rotation, including a plurality of fixedly located partial patterning devices in selected number at respective feeds, each said patterning device including a rotatable pattern wheel and patterning sinkers, said singers having sets of noses at different levels, said pattern Wheels and sinkers being cooperable selectively with at least two distinct types of perforated patterning bands, one type for knitting patterns of limited width, with one set of noses at at least one level, and the other type for knitting patterns of unlimited width, with other sets of noses at other levels, each of which patterning bands cooperates with respective sets of noses of a plurality of sinkers of partial patterning devices at respective feeds whereby when the first type of such bands is utilized, patterns of limited width are knitted and when the other type of said bands is utilized patterns of unlimited width are knitted.

2. A patterning device according to claim 1, wherein for knitting patterns of unlimited width, said other type patterning sinkers have their other sets of noses at selected elevations and said patterning band has rows of longitudinally arranged perforations, the rows corresponding in number to the number of noses at different elevations of the sinkers of partial patterning devices at a respective feed with which said last-named patterning band cooperates.

3. A patterning device according to claim 2, including a plurality of said other type patterning bands, each cooperating with the respective noses of partial patterning devices at a different respective feed of said device.

4. A patterning device according to claim 1 for kniting patterns of limited width wherein each of the sinkers of the partial patterning devices at feeds has noses of the first-named set at a common level and said first type of perforated band has groups of perforations in a row for cooperation with said noses at a common level.

5. A patterning device according to claim 4 for knitting patterns of limited width including at least two of said first type of perforated bands each of which cooperates with said noses at a common level of patterning sinkers at a plurality of feeds of said device.

6. A patterning device as per claim 1, including means for setting the patterning sinkers in a positon of suspended selection after they have scanned the pattern of perforations in the type of perforated band being employed, and the suspended sinkers select needles in a pattern repeat in accord with the pattern of perforations in the patterning band being employed.

7. A patterning device according to claim 6, including a manually operable element for suspending selection of said sinkers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,689,592 10/ 1928 Lombardi 66-50 XR 2,611,253 9/1952 Diem. 3,225,567 12/1965 Seiler 6650 3,229,482 1/1966 Farmer 6650 3,260,073 7/1966 Seiler 66--50 FOREIGN PATENTS 244,887 12/1925 Great Britain.

WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,452,560 July 1, 1969 Pierre Joseph It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as show below:

Column 2, line 72, "surface" should read surfaces Column 3, line 4, "from one groove to another is controlled" should read is transmitted to the element 51 by a roller line 47, cancel "the", third occurrence; line 48, cancel "same,"; line 75, "this" should read their Column 5, line 12, "singers" should read sinkers Signed and sealed this 31st day of March 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

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