US3563060A - Machine knitting - Google Patents

Abstract

A YARN GUIDE BAR IS A WARP-KNITTING MACHINE IS PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF CAM FOLLOWERS JUXTAPOSABLE RESPECTIVELY TO PLURAL PATTERN CAM CHAINS OR THE LIKE TO DETERMINE THE PATTERN OF SHOGGING MOVEMENT OF THE GUIDE BAR. INTERCHANGING FROM ONE PATTERN TO ANOTHER IS BY PISTONS OR EQUIVALENT EXTENSIBLE AND RETRACTABLE MECHANISMS INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE GUIDE BAR AND THE CAM FOLLOWERS.

Description

Feb. 16, 1971 s. c. TlTONE MACHINE KNITTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June- 4, 1968 l/VVI/V/Of. SEYMOUR C TITONE United States 3,563,060 Patented Feb. 16, 1971 3,563,060 MACHINE KNITTING Seymour C. Titone, Birchrunville, Pa., assignor to Titone eearch & Development Corporation, Burlington, Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 694,655, Dec. 29, 1967. This application June 4, 1968, Ser. No. 734,331

Int. Cl. D04b 27/28 US. Cl. 66-86 18 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A yarn guide bar in a warp-knitting machine is provided with a plurality of cam followers juxtaposable respectively to plural pattern cam chains or the like to determine the pattern of shogging movement of the guide bar. Interchanging from one pattern to another is by pistons or equivalent extensible and retractable mechanisms interposed between the guide bar and the cam followers.

This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application for Machine Knitting, Ser. No. 694,655 filed Dec. 29, 1967, describing methods and means for utilizing whichever of a plurality of patterns per yarn guide bar may be desired at any given period of time, as by shifting cam followers for respective yarn guide bars laterally from one set of pattern cam devices to another set thereof. Although quite feasible and satisfactory for certain purposes, the apparatus arrangements disclosed therein were not as adaptable as might be desired, inasmuch as the pattern interchanging affected simultaneously each of the guide bars (four in number) for which alternative patterns were provided.

A primary object of the present invention is improved interchanging of patterns per yarn guide bar in a warpknitting machine.

Another object is provision for separate interchanging of patterns for separate yarn guide bars in a warpknitting machine.

A further object is provision of specific mechanism for accomplishing the foregoing objects.

Other objects of the invention, together with means and methods for attaining the various objects, will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying diagrams.

FIG. 1 is an end elevation of conventional apparatus components of a Raschel knitting machine;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a pattern chain showing several cam links thereof and with a cam follower superimposed thereon in phantom;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly schematic, showing components of FIG. 2 and related components, according to this invention;

FIG. 4 is a plan corresponding to FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail, partly in section, of components of FIGS. 3 and 4, taken at VV on FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a plan of pump and valve means for use with components of preceding views;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan of components useful in another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detail, partly in section, of components of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a plan of pump and valve means for the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8; and

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary side elevation of a further embodiment of this invention.

While the present invention is here applied to a Raschel machine having two parallel needleheds, individually reciprocable, and yarn guide bars arranged to be swung laterally to pass the guides (and yarn threaded therein) between needles in the respective beds and arranged to be shogged longitudinally along the beds, it will be apparent that with little or no adaptation the invention would be suitable for use in machines of tricot type, and irrespective of number of needlebeds.

FIG. 1 shows, in end elevation, shaft 11 to which clamp 12 secures rocker arm 13 carrying a half dozen laterally swingable yarn guide bars 15 on longitudinally slidable interconnecting rods 14. Each guide bar has a multiplicity of aligned yarn guides '16 (one visible on each bar) suspended therefrom near parallel front (F) and back (B) beds of similarly aligned latch needles 19 (one visible in each bed) vertically reciprocable one bed at a time. Portions of the frame and supporting elements for the guide bars and for the needles as well, together with drive means therefor, also being conventional, are omitted from the view in the interest of clarity.

FIG. 2 shows in perspective, pattern chain 21 in part, including several links 22 of equal height and intermediate link 23 of somewhat greater height. Shown in phantom superimposed on link 23 is a cam follower. All the components shown heretofore are conventional and conventionally arranged, and the ensuing views show the application of this invention thereto or to equivalent means.

FIGS. 3 and 4 shows, in side elevation and plan, respectively, and FIG. 5 in enlarged sectional detail, apparatus according to this invention. Pattern chains 21a and 2112 are forwarded by rotation of drum 26 on axle 25 past cam followers 27a and 27b, respectively, in the form of rollers supported in respective yokes 29a and 2912 on the ends of piston rods 30a and 30b. Pistons 33a and 33b on the respective rods fit slidably in cylinders 35a and 3517, respectively, from whose far ends extend respective hoses 37a and 37b. The cylinders are affixed to one end of slide bar means including pusher bar 39, which terminates in fiat opposite end 41 after passing longi tudinally through journals in a pusher box (shown in phantom). Bearing against end 41 of the pusher bar is stud 42 extending from guide bar 15, which is biased into contact therewith by extension spring 45 attached at one end to the guide bar by pin 44 and at the opposite end to a fixed part of a supporting frame by pin 46. FIG. 4 also shows second pair 31a, 31b of pattern chains on drum 26 but omits, in the interest of avoiding repetition, any showing of associated components, which may be like those shown in association with pattern chains 21a, 2112.

FIG. 6 shows, in plan, centrifugal pump 48 having intake line 47 (open to the atmosphere or other appropriate fluid source) and with outlet line 49 connected to rotary valve 50 whose body has twin interior channels (indicated in broken lines) one of which is shown making connection from the pump outlet to hose 37b. Fluid pressure so applied juxtaposes cam follower 27b to pattern chain 21b and maintains it in contact therewith. A quarter turn clockwise would disconnect the pump outlet from hose 37b and connect it to hose 37a by way of the indicated alternate channel. It will be understood that resetting of the valve in that position would move piston 33a to extend piston rod 30a and thereby juxtapose cam follower 27a to pattern chain 21a. Bleed hole 34 interconnecting cylinders 35a and 35b at the near end of their continguous walls permits some fluid cross-flow between the cylinders on the unpressurized side and thus ensures opposite movement of piston 3311, thereby retracting piston rod 30b to remove cam follower 27b from contact with pattern chain 21b upon (usually shortly after) removal of fluid pressure from hose 37b.

Thus, at any given time, one or the other cam follower is in contact with the corresponding pattern chain, and

the effect of fluid elasticity and inertia of reciprocating parts provides sufficient overlap in contact periods at the instant of pattern interchange to preclude undersired shogging of the guide bar but without exceeding the period of travel of a chain link past the follower location. The moment of the interchange is selected at a location, in the patterns of the respective chains, where both chains links at the pattern location are identical in height or thickness so that the interchanging of cam followers from one link to the other does not shog the guide bar. A course counter or equivalent device may be employed for such purpose.

It will be apparent that where more than one guide bar is so provided with alternative patterns the respective guide bars may be shifted from one pattern to another at different times according to this invention rather than all being interchanged at once. This permits all guide bars to have alternative pattern means associated therewith, not all of which need be employed but only those required for whatever fabric combination is desired to be manufactured.

It will also be apparent that all or any one or more of the guide bars of a warp-knitting machine, such as a Raschel machine, for example, may be equipped with more than two alternative pattern devices. Thus, FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 show fragmentarily, similarly to the ShOWing of a pair of alternative pattern means per guide bar in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, an embodiment of this invention employing three pattern chains, cam followers, etc. per guide bar. The reference numerals for corresponding parts in FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 are higher by thirty than those in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 and in view of their similar functioning do not all have to be mentioned. The added third components are designated by substitution of the letter c to their respective reference numerals, the first two such components being designated by the added letters a and b, respectively.

Thus, in FIGS. 7, 8, and 9, two cam followers 59a, 59b are shown in the retracted position, out of contact with their associated pattern chains 51a, 51b, While other cam follower 590 is in contact with its pattern chain 510 because fluid pressure is being applied from pump 79 through valve 80 and through hose 670 to piston 63c. Instead of bleed hole interconnections, cylinders 65a, 65b, and 650 contain compression springs 54a, 54b, and 54c, respectively, located in the forward portion about respective piston rods 60a, 60b, and 600 to assure retraction of the cam followers carried on the respective piston rods when fluid pressure is removed from the hose lines supplying the corresponding cylinders. In FIGS. 7 and 8 only spring 540 is shown compressed, cam follower 570 being juxtaposed to pattern chain 51c, and in FIG. 9 valve 80 is OK so far as hoses 67a and 67b are concerned, permitting springs 54a and 54b to bias respective pistons 63a and 63b oppositely and thereby retract cam followers 57a and 5712 from pattern chains 51a and 51b. Here threeway valve 80 differs from two-way valve 50 previously shown by receiving the pump outlet (hidden behind the pump body in FIG. 9) centrally rather than at its periphery (as in the pump of FIG. 6), also by having two independent rotatable body portions (each with internal passages indicated in broken lines) as desirable to switch the pump outlet most simply from interconnection with any one hose to interconnection with any Other of the three hoses, as is a conventional arrangement in the valve art.

Instead of, or in addition to, locating a plurality of pattern cam means side by side and opposite cam followers carried extensibly and retractably with respect thereto for interchanging the pattern of shogging movement for a given yarn guide bar, similar means may be located above and below one another with like functioning and effect by mounting the extensible-retractable means on a lever arm pivoted for movement in a vertical plane. FIG. 10 illustrates such an arrangement, in side elevation, wherein cam 88 pivoted on fulcrum 89 at its lower end carries cylinder midway of its length and cylinder 35 at its upper end. In this view components in the upper portion are numbered as in the previous views but without added letters inasmuch as only one of each is visible or required (although more than one side by side can be employed) and similar components in an intermediate portion of the view are numbered similarly but with primes added. Thus, midway up the lever arm, cam follower 27' is carried on yoke 29' opposite pattern chain 21 on drum 26 and is shown juxtaposed to the chain and in contact with the links thereof, as piston rod 30' is extended from cylinder 35'. At the top of the lever arm, piston rod 30 is retracted largely into cylinder 35, thereby holding cam follower 27 out of contact with pattern drum 21. It will be understood, inasmuch as the top end of arm 88 moves twice as far as does the midpoint of the arm when deflected by the chain links, that the links used in chain 21 at the intermediate level differ from one another only half as much in height or thickness in the reflecting direction as do the links used in chain 21 at the top.

In addition to benefits of permitted fabric design, the use of a plurality of pattern chains per guide bar instead of a single chain, which sometimes was so long and heavy as to be difficult to support and move, permits lighter and more compactly arranged chain supports. Less power is required to move the chains, and the desired precision of link location is enhanced. Moreover, just as more than two pattern chains may be located side by side for use according to this invention so may more than two pattern chains be used in a vertical array for actuation of a given guide bar. Thus, with corresponding proportioning in link gauge, pattern chains may be located at the one-third and two-thirds levels opposite cooperating extensibleretractable means carrying cam followers for the links, instead of midway; or at the one-fourth and three-fourths levels in addition to midway, for example.

This invention is especially useful in Raschel knitting machines for manufacturing seamless panty hose, leotardlike garments generally, and hosiery. It also provides greater flexibility in design of other underwear, outerwear, and flat fabrics as well, manufactured on whatever type of warp-knitting machines. Although such articles have been illustrated and described in my aforementioned patent application, disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, innumerable variations may be made therein by use of this invention. The number of yarns, yarn count, yarn composition, stitch construction and design may be varied as may be desired to vary the appearance of the resulting fabric or garment as to ornamental appearance, bulk, cover, elasticity, hand, wear-resistance, and other characteristics. In panty-hose, for example, one or more added yarns may be laid in to render the panty or body portion more opaque than the hose or leg portion, and the stitch construction may be varied for the same purpose, as by analogous use of multiple pattern chains for the guide bars furnishing yarn to the fabric panels as for the guide bars interconnecting the front and back fabric panels to form the resulting seamless tubular construction.

Apparatus embodiments illustrated and described herein are only exemplary rather than limitative, and modifications may be made therein, as by addition, combination, or subdivision of parts or steps, or substitution of equivalents, while retaining some or all of the advantages and benefits of the invention, which is defined in the following claims.

The claimed invention:

1. In means for controlling the longitudinal movement of a yarn guide bar in a warp-knitting machine in accordance with pattern means, the improvement comprising a plurality of juxtaposed pattern means of which a selected one thereof operates a single guide bar through a single slide bar means, said slide bar means having on the end nearest said pattern means a plural number of fluidactuated follower means which are selectively extensible and retractable toward one of said pattern means to operate said guide bar.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, including fluid actuating means for selectively actuating such extensible and retractable means between extended length and retracted length.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of such pattern means are located side by side, and a like plurality of such follower means for the same guide bar are likewise located side by side.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, including also at least one such pattern means and associated follower means for the same guide bar but located at a different height from the plurality of corresponding side-by-side means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of such pattern means are located at different heights, and a like plurality of such follower means for the guide bar are likewise located at different heights.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, including at least one pattern cam means and an associated cam follower for the same guide bar but located alongside one of the corresponding components aforementioned as being at different heights from one another.

7. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the extensible and retractable means is at least partially pneumatically actuated and including means for providing gas under pressure as the actuating fluid.

8. Warp-knitting machine comprising a bed of aligned spaced needles and an adjacent row of similarly aligned spaced yarn guides carried on a guide bar and movable in unison with respect to the needlebed, means for moving the guide bar to swing the yarn guides between the needles in the needlebed, and means for moving the guide bar to shog the yarn guides along the needlebed, including a plurality of pattern cam means for determining a plurality of shogging paths of the yarn guides along the needlebed, a like plurality of cam followers, each follower being adjacent and juxtaposable to a corresponding one of the pattern cam means, means for juxtaposing the re spective followers to the adjacent pattern cam means, means extensible to increased length and retractable t unextended length for interconnecting the guide bar with a selected cam follower and thereby shogging the yarn guides in accordance with the selected pattern until selection of another cam follower and interconnection of the guide bar therewith, and means for extending and retracting individually the means interconnecting the plurality of followers to the guide bar at the instance of the juxtaposing means, including a like plurality of cylinder means, each having a fluid-actuated piston therein with piston rod means extending therefrom, each piston rod means comprising a mounting for a corresponding one of the cam followers, and each cylinder means being retained in longitudinally fixed position relative to the guide bar and movable therewith.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, including a source of fluid, means for pumping the fluid into a selected one of the plurality of cylinders, and valve means for directing the pumped fluid to the selected cylinder.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein there are more than two cylinders retained in longitudinally fixed position relative to the guide bar and movable therewith.

11. In a Raschel knitting machine, the combination of a plurality of pattern cam means per yarn guide bar for at least some of the guide bars, a corresponding plurality of cam followers, each cam follower being juxtaposable to and retractable from its corresponding pattern cam means, and means operatively interconnected to the guide bar and actuatable so to juxtapose and retract selected cam followers, including extensible and retractable fluidactuated means for juxtaposing and retracting the cam followers, wherein each of the fluid-actuated means comprises a piston and a cylinder with one of the latter two components affixed to the corresponding cam follower and with the other of said two components afiixed to the guide bar, whereupon the distance between the cam follower and the guide bar is dependent upon the extension and retraction of said two components relative to one another.

12. In a Raschel knitting machine having a plurality of yarn guide bars adjacent parallel needlebeds and movable longitudinally with respect thereto at the instance of pattern cam means and also movable transversely with respect thereto, also having individual slide bars for moving the respective guide bars longitudinally at the instance of pattern cam means, and wherein for a given design of seamless tubular fabric article the yarn guides of certain of the guide bars are utilized to deliver yarn to form fabric panels on the respective needlebeds, and the yarn guides of other guide bars are utilized to deliver yarn to form the edge interconnections with the respective panels, the combination of a plurality of pattern cam means for each of at least some of the guide bars whose yarn guides are utilized to deliver yarn to form the edge interconnections, a plurality of pattern cam means for each of at least one of the guide bars whose yarn guides are utilized to deliver yarn to the respective panels, and interconnecting follower means extensible to increased length and retractable to unextended length interposed between the pattern cam means and the slide bars for discontinuing actuation of certain of the latter guide bars by certain of the plurality of pattern cam means through retraction to unextended length and substituting actuation thereof by other of the plurality of pattern cam means by extending to increased length in a direction substantially parallel to the guide bars, thereby being enabled to vary the fabric pattern independently of variation in the overall configuration of the seamless article.

13. Raschel knitting machine according to claim 12, wherein the respective interconnecting means are extensible and retractable independently of one another.

14. Warp-knitting machine comprising a bed of aligned spaced needles and a plurality of adjacent rows of similarly aligned spaced yarn guides carried on respective guide bars laterally movable in unison and longitudinally movable independently of one another with respect to the needlebed, means for moving the guide bars to swing the yarn guides laterally between the needles in the needlebed, and means for moving the guide bars longitudinally to shog the yarn guides along the needlebed, including for each of at least two of the guide bars a plurality of pattern cam means for determining a plurality of shogging paths of the yarn guides along the needlebed, a like plurality of cam followers, each follower being adjacent and juxtaposable to a corresponding one of the pattern cam means, pneumatic means for juxtaposing the respective followers independently of one another to the adjacent pattern cam means, means for interconnecting such guide bar with a selected cam follower and thereby shogging the yarn guides in accordance with a selected pattern until selection of another cam follower and interconnection of the guide bar therewith to shog the yarn guides in accordance with another selected pattern wherein each such guide bar may be shifted from one shogging pattern to another independently of each other such guide bar as well as together therewith.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of pattern cam means are located side by side, and the plurality of cam followers for each such guide bar are likewise located side by side.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, including also at least one pattern cam means and an associated cam follower for one such guide bar but located at a different height from the plurality of corresponding side-by-side components.

17. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the pattern cam means are located at a plurality of different heights, and the plurality of cam followers for each such guide bar are likewise located at corresponding heights.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17, including at least one pattern cam means and an associated cam follower for the same guide bar but located alongside one of the corresponding components aforementioned as being at diflerent heights from one another.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 FOREIGN PATENTS 4/1928 Germany 66-86 1/1924 France 6687 11/1960 Austria 66-86 11/1908 Germany 66-86 6/ 1909 Germany 66-86 11/1912 Germany 66--86 10/1913 Germany 6686 6/1914 Germany 66-86 US. Cl. X.R.

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