US3498084A

US3498084A - Knitting machine

Info

Publication number: US3498084A
Application number: US684719A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wilhelm Hadam; Ernst Goller
Original assignee: H Stoll GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: H Stoll GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1966-11-25
Filing date: 1967-11-21
Publication date: 1970-03-03
Anticipated expiration: 1987-03-03
Also published as: CH485897A; DE1585391A1; GB1132184A; DE1585391B2; DE1585391C3

Description

Mrch 3, 1970 w. HADAM ET AL KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 21, 1967 FIGJ FIG. 2

FIGS

INVENTORS United States Patent O 3,498,084 KNITTING MACHINE Wilhelm Hadam, Reutilingen, and Ernst Goller, Pfulhngen, Germany, assignors to H. Stoll & Company, Wurttemberg, Germany, a partnership Filed Nov. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 684,719 Claims priority, application Germany, Nov. 25, 1966, St 26,158 Int. Cl. D04b 7/04 U.S. Cl. 6670 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A knitting machine of the type having opposed angularly disposed beds equipped with latch needles for transferring stitches from needles in one bed to needles in the opposed bed. The latch needles are arranged so that when the hooks of the receiving needles in one bed are inserted into the transferring needles of the other bed the spoons of the pivotable latch members which normally close the hooks, strike abutment surfaces formed on the transferring needles thereby pivoting the latch members away from the hooks to open the hooks.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to latch needles for knitting machines, and has reference particularly to such needles of the kind adapted for use in the transference of stitches from needles in one bed to needles in an opposed bed of a knitting machine, e.g. of the fiat V-bed type.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND THE PRIOR ART In the production of patterned knitted goods on knitting machines, the pattern frequently requires transference of stitches as just described. The stitch-receiving needles participating in a stitch transferring operation are not, in every case initially provided with loops. A stitch transfer is, however, only possible when the hook of a receiving needle is opened, that is to say when the spoon of the needle latch has been turned back to some extent to afford an opening between the needle hook and the said spoon. Whereas in the case of receiving needles which carry loops the opening of the needle hooks is brought about, in known fashion by action of the loops on the pivoted latches, when the needles are advanced, there are no means to fulfill this function in respect of empty receiving needles.

Consequently various devices have previously been proposed with the aim of turning back the needle latches about their pivots towards the needle stems through the agency of additional elements, such as specially-formed brushes, fingers, magnets and the like. These previous arrangements have the disadvantage, quite apart from the expense entailed thereby, that they are prone to mishaps which can result in faulty goods or damage to the needles and needle beds.

To facilitate the insertion of the head of a receiving needle into a stitch which is to be received thereby, it has previously been proposed to provide the opposed transferring needle, at a position adjacent to a stitch supporting shoulder thereon, with a lateral recess or notch permitting penetration of the book of the receiving needle into the said stitch. The insertion of the needle hook into this recess, and consequently into the space beneath the stitch loop extending thereover is further facilitated by the provision of a guide channel which is formed in the back of the transferring needle, the said channel extending in the direction of the book of that needle and opening into the lateral recess. It is noted 3,498,084 Patented Mar. 3, 1970 that this previously proposed needle construction does not influence in any way the needle latch, and consequently there is no automatic opening of the needle hook during transfer of a stitch. Instead, in this prior construction, care has to be taken that the tip of the needle latch does not meet any opposition until it is in the guide channel, because otherwise jolting with a consequently tendency to damage or defects would result.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide, in and for a knitting machine having opposed needle beds, improved latch needles of the kind herein referred to designed to obviate the aforementioned disadvantages and permit of the smooth transference of stitches by such needles alone, i.e., without assistance from any auxiliary latch-influencing devices.

According to the present invention there is provided a knitting machine having opposed needle beds which are angularly disposed with respect to one another and are equipped with latch needles of the kind adapted for transference of stitches from needles in one bed to needles in the opposed bed, said machine being characterized in that the latch needles are so formed and operable that when hooks of receiving needles in one bed are inserted into the transferring needles in the other bed, the spoons of the pivoted latches of the said receiving needles strike abutment surfaces or edges provided on the transferring needles so that these latches are swung over rearwards to open the hooks of the receiving needles.

In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, the knitting machine includes a latch needle characterized in that a V-shaped notch is formed in the rear of the needle stem at a location between the needle hook and a lateral stitch transfer recess formed in a relevant side of the said stem. A hook guide channel is also formed in the rear of the needle which opens into the said recess and which is narrower than the spoon of the needle latch of a receiving needle such that a flank of the V-shaped notch interrupted by the aforesaid channel acts as an abutment surface or edge adapted to strike the latch spoon of a receiving needle inserted into the guide channel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into practical effect, a specific example thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is afragmentary detail view, partly in section, of portions of two opposed needle beds of a V-bed fiat knitting machine and illustrates the initial stage of a stitch transferring operation during which the latch of the receiving needle is about to be turned back to permit of insertion of the hook of that needle into a stitch which is to be surrendered by the opposed transferring needle,

FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 are views similar to FIGURE 1 depicting successive further stages in the said stitch transferring operation,

FIGURE 5 shows, on a greatly enlarged scale, the relevant parts of two needles co-operable in such a stitch transferring operation, and

FIGURE 6 is a cross-section taken on the line VI-VI of FIGURE 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings are shown the conventional book 1 and latch 2, complete with spoon 3, of a needle in the bed B and also a known stitch transfer recess or notch 4 formed laterally in the stem adjacent to a stitch supporting 3 shoulder St (see FIGURE of an opposed needle in the bed B. It is to be clearly understood that the needles in both of the opposed needle beds B and B are, in fact, of identically the same form and construction: but that a needle in one bed which is to receive a stitch transferred thereto from a needle in the other bed is referred to hereinafter as a receiving needle and that the needle from which the said stitch is so transferred is referred to as the transferring needle. Thus, in each of the figures of the drawing, the needle in the B (the bed hook 1 of which can be seen) is the receiving needle. Manifestly, for a stitch transfer from bed B over to bed B, the positions and functions of the two needles would, of course,

be reversed.

In the back of each of the latch needles in both beds is formed a hook guide channel 5 of the known form and disposition hereinbefore described. As seen more clearly in FIGURE 5, however, the guide channel 5 of each of these improved needles opens into and is thus in communication with a V-shaped notch 6 which is milled into the rear R of the needle. The flank 6 of the notch 6 in a transferring needle facing the hook 1 of a receiving needle has a continuous and solid surface whereas the other flank 6 of the same notch is interrupted by the hook guide channel 5.

As shown in FIGURE 6, this channel 5 is narrower than the spoon 3 of the needle latch 2. Accordingly, when the hook 1 of a receiving needle is inserted and advanced into the channel 5 of a transferring needle (FIGURE 5) the spoon 3 of the receiving needle strikes the flank 6 of the notch 6 in the rear of the transferring needle which flank functions as an abutment surface or edge. Consequently, as the transferring needle advances, the latch 2 I of the receiving needle is rotated or turned over backwards in the direction of the stem of the last mentioned needle by contact of this abutment surface 6 with the spoon 3. In this way, the abutment surface 6 of the transferring needle engages the tip of the latch 2 of the receiving needle, the point of engagement being thus located at a maximum possible distance from the pivot of the said latch: the turning over of this latch is thereby enabled to take place slowly and smoothly.

The wall 7 of the guide channel 5 in each latch needle is extended to a point as close as possible to the lateral recess 4 which interrupts it to ensure that the hook of the receiving needle when the latter is advanced is inserted beneath a stitch supported on the shoulder St and extending across the adjacent recess in the transferring needle.

It would be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of the specific example just described: more broadly considered, a very important distinguishing feature of the invention, irrespectively of how it is practically carried out, is that the spoon of the latch of a receiving needle is swung back to open the hook of that needle by striking an abutment surface or edge on the cooperating transferring needle, this surface or edge being located at such a position in relation to the pivot of the aforesaid latch as to inhibit any jolting of the latter when it strikes the surface or edge.

It will be further understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiment of the invention shown and described herein is subject to various modifications withi ing needle comprising a needle hook and a pivotable needle latch having a spoon for providing intermittent closing of the needle hook and for transferring loops from the needles of one needle bed to the needles of an opposed needle bed through the needles themselves, each of said needles including loop support means located on the upper surface thereof for holding a loop in the delivery position thereof, a loop transfer notch formed in the needle shaft rearwardly of the loop support means,

, a guide channel for the needle hook of the corresponding loop receiving needle formed in the lower surface of the needle shaft and opening into said loop transfer notch and means for providing opening of the needle hook through action of the needles themselves, comprising at least one abutment surface formed in the needle shaft located forwardly of the loop support means between the needle hook and the loop support means and beneath the upper needle surface for abutting against the spoon of the needle latch upon insertion of the needle hook of a receiving needle into the transfer needle and for causing pivoting of the needle latch upon further forward movement of said receiving needle to cause opening of the needle book.

2. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein 1 saidabutment surface comprises a V-shaped notch formed in the needle, the width of said channel being less than the width of the spoon of the corresponding latching needles so that the edges of the V-shaped notch act as an abutment surface for abutting with said spoon and w pivoting the latch member of said receiving needle when said receiving needle is inserted into said channel.

3. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein the portion of said needle forming said guide channel extends as close as possible to the loop transfer notch.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS RONALD FELDBAUM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 6612l