US3572060A

US3572060A - Machine knitting

Info

Publication number: US3572060A
Application number: US821922A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles A Titone
Original assignee: Titone Research & Dev Corp
Current assignee: Titone Research & Dev Corp; CR Bard Inc
Priority date: 1969-05-05
Filing date: 1969-05-05
Publication date: 1971-03-23
Anticipated expiration: 1988-03-23

Abstract

Lateral contraction or ''''necking'''' of warp-knitted tubular fabric between knitting and winding locations is prevented by inserted guide plates equal in width to the as-knit tubular portions and supported for lateral movement, as is especially useful in manufacture of panty hose and similar bifurcated tubular garment fabrics or the like.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor CharlesA.Titone Burlington, NJ. (21] AppLNo. 821,922 [22] Filed MayS, 1969 [45] Patented Mar.23, 1971 [73] Assignee Titone Research & Developmen Corporation Burlington, NJ.

541 MACHINE KNITTlNG l7 Claims,6Drawing Figs;

52 'u.s.ci.....' 66/150, 66/152 [51] lnLCl. ..D04b 27/34 [50] FieldoiSearch 66/147- [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,770,925 7/1930 Howe 223/75X 2.407.397 9/ 1946 Carhart 66/149 2,423,484 7/1947 Cosgro 66/ 147 2,434,782 l/l948 Alexander et al.. 66/147 2,967,414 [/1961 Krause 66/ l 50 FOREIGN PATENTS 846,885 8/1952 Germany 66/152 394,831 7/1933 Great Britain 66/ l 49 OTHER REFERENCES Raschel Seamless Tights: New Machine Developed; Hosiery Trade Journal, Vol. 74, No. 888, pages 1 16, 1 17; Dec. 1967.

Primary Examiner-Mervin Stein Attorney-Mc Clure & Millman PATEVNTEDI'MRZSIHYI SHEET g of 2 x m a wnU m w 7%. A MINA uyw L MACHINEKNITTING This invention relates to machine knitting of tubular fabrics in flat configuration, as on a Raschel or similar warp-knitting machine having two parallel needlebeds.

Warp knitting of tubular fabrics has been known for quite a few years but generally has not been able to compete with circular knitting thereof. While the edges existing along two warp-knit panels of fabric, which are being knitted together simultaneously to complete a tube of fabric, usually are supposed to be indistinguishable in the completed tubular configuration there are numerous reasons {why such indistinguishability is difficult to accomplish. One such reason is uneven tensioning at the edges, as compared with intermediate portions of the fabric panels, as the completed tube is withdrawn in as-kn it fiat form from between the needlebeds. Although gripped evenly between suitablerollers along its entire width at a winding location, which obviously must be spaced somewhat from the knitting location, the fabric contracts laterallyor necks" inward at its edges between the two locations because of the inherent elasticity .or 5 give" for which knitted fabrics are especially noted. As the winding continues, the fabric will narrow at the rolls as well, and the edges of the fabric undergo a decrease in winding tension, resulting in a looser configuration or "fault line"-at the corresponding locations in the tubular product. In extreme cases, completed stitches may be under so little tension as to ride up with the needles as the bed rises, thereby failing (on a Raschel machine, for example) to clear the latch, whereupon subsequently attempted stitches on the affected needles will be dropped. The resulting product loss and machine downtime are reflected as a decrease in production and an increase in product cost. 7

Recent developments in Raschel knitting of bifurcated tubular fabrics not producible on circular-knitting machines have aroused interest in eliminating the mentioned difficulties. It will be apparent that, when the bifurcated portions of such tubular fabric are being knitted, there are twice as many edges to be guided as when a unitary portion thereof is being knitted. This is an additional complication, especially in view of the necessity of converting from unitary to bifurcated portions and back again as an endless band of bifurcated tubular fabric is so produced.

A primary object of the present invention is withdrawal of warp-knit tubular fabric from the knitting location under essentially even tension along the entire warp to and including the edges.

Another object is elimination of necking in warp-knit tubular fabric during winding thereof.

A further object is accomplishment of the foregoing objects in warp-knitting of bifurcated tubular garments.

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

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a spreading device for use in knitting of tubular fabric according to the present invention;

tion, by maintaining the panels of tubular fabric at essentially their as-knit width. This is done by guiding them along the inside of their joined opposite edges, as by a spreading device of like width inserted therein to establish guiding loci along opposite edges thereof, a pair of such spreading devices being used for bifurcated tubular fabrics.

FIG. 1 shows spreader plate 11 of this invention in perspective, not drawn to any particular scale but illustrating the essential features thereof. It may be thought of most simply as an originally flat rectangular member whose upper edge 12 has its

opposite comers

13, 13 rounded and whose lower end has been curved through about one quadrant so as to terminate substantially horizontally and thereby present a modified .l shape in edge view (cf. the next view). The upper portion of the body of spreader plate 11 has window 15 formed therein as by stamping. It will be understood that the spreader plate may be formed of any suitable material (e.g., metal, plastic, ceramic) and in any suitable manner (e.g., injection molding of plastic material) and that use of procedural terms to describe the configuration thereof is merely for convenience and not limitative.

FIG. 2 shows spreader plate 11 of FIG. 1 in place between the relevant components of a Raschel machine, forexample, other conventional parts of which are omitted in the interest of simplicity and clarity of illustration. The components of the upper and lower portions of this partly sectional side elevation are shown in like view on an enlarged scale in FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively.

Spreader plate 11 fits between parallel trick plates 21 and v 22, with its horizontal top edge 12 substantially flush with FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic edge elevation, partly in section, of

the spreading device of FIG. 1 in use according to this invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail of components from the upper portion of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail of components from the lower portion of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a face elevation, partly cut away, of a plurality of the spreading devices of FIG. 1 in use in the unitary portion of a bifurcated warp-knit fabric; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but with the plurality of spreading devices in respective bifurcated portions of such fabric.

In general, the objects of the present invention are accomplished, in warp-knitting of tubular fabric in the form of two closely spaced equal width parallel panels knitted together along their opposite edges, which are withdrawn from the knitting location upon being wound in flat as-knit configuratheir top edges over which

panels

10a and 10b of tubular fabric are withdrawn as they are formed by knitting onto respective rows of needles 25, 26 (only one needle visible in each row) carried on alternately reciprocating

needlebeds

23 and 24, which ride up and down along the adjacent surfaces of the respective trick plates. Window 15 in the spreader plate reduces its weight and facilitates visual inspection of the fabric.

Respective panels

10a and 10b of tubular fabric are withdrawn downward between the corresponding faces of spreader plate 11 and the adjacent'faces of

trick plates

21 and 22 by surface contact with

rolls

31, 32, and 33 (in that order), all of which have horizontal axes paralleling one another and the needlebeds and trick plates. Large rolls-31 and 33, both of which are usually driven (at the same surface speed), are mounted in over-and-under configuration spaced slightly from one another, and with smaller pinch roll 32, which is usually an idler, intervening at one side to form a nip with each of the large rolls. Curved end 14 of the spreader plate lies adjacent part of first roll 31 and terminates between it and third roll 33. Fabric panel 10a passes in surface contact with

large rolls

31 and 33 and fabric panel 10b passes in contact with pinch roll 32.

Spreader plate 11 is inserted into the tubular

fabric having panels

10a and 10b (and interconnected edges not visible in FIGS. 2 to 4) in any suitable manner at startup, after which it is retained in place until such time as removal is desired. Thus, it may be inserted in the leading end of fiat tubular fabric (like a hand into a sleeve) and the end then bepulled between the rolls, suitably spaced or freewheeling for the occasion, until the fabric is taut, withthe spreader plate in place. Altematively, and perhaps more commonly, the fabric may be fed between the rolls first and then be slit along one edge to admit the spreader plate from the side. Once in place, the spreader plate is supported by "lower roll 33, upon which its curved lower end 14 rests (with fabric intervening) so long as the fabric is taut enough from the knitting location to the winding location to keep that lower end of the spreader plate from backing out.

The length of such spreader plate is determined by the distance from the trick plates to the rolls, and difi'erent machines may require plates of different lengths, as the level of the lower end of the spreader plate is determined by the lo cation of the winding rolls, and the top edge of the spreader plate should extend well up between the trick plates and preferably substantially flush with the top edges thereof, The width of such spreader plate is determined by the as-knit width of the tubular fabric and should not be any more and not much less than that. The rounded top edges facilitate smooth movement of the tubular fabric onto the spreader plate in spite of the tendency of the fabric to contract laterally or neck as it is withdrawn from the knitting location.

The only lateral constraint upon spreader plate 11 is provided by the adjacent edges of the tubular fabric guided thereby. This feature and the rounding of the top corners of the spreader plate are especially important in the knitting of bifurcated tubular fabrics, which can be produced readily in seamless form on the Fashion Master" Raschel machine described in Diehl and Titone Pat. application Ser. No. 759,587, filed Sept. l3 l968 based upon earlier Diehl and Titone patent applications, and available from Cocker Machine and Foundry Company of Gastonia, NC.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a pair of

spreader plates

11, 11" like spreader plate 11 being used according to this invention in the warp-knitting of bifurcated tubular fabric, of which one panel is cut entirely away to reveal the spreader plates inside.

In FIG. 5 the spreader plates are inside the unitary portion of the bifurcated fabric (corresponding to the trunk portion of panty hose, for example) of which only panel 10b is visible, from edge to edge. Although shown spaced slightly therefrom for clarity of illustration, the left edge of left spreader plate is guiding the left edge of the fabric, and the right edge of right spreader plate 11" is guiding the right edge of the fabric. The combined width of the two spreader plates, whose adjacent edges are actually held contiguous with one another by the tendency of the fabric to contract laterally, approaches the asknit width of the fabric to maintain the fabric at essentially its as-knit width. The downward direction of travel of the fabric with respect to the spreader plates is indicated by an arrow superimposed at the top of the view, in the vicinity of bifurcation C of the fabric (corresponding to the crotch portion of panty hose, for example). As the fabric continues to move downward, bifurcation C enters between the adjacent rounded edges of the respective spreader plates and forces them apart slightly, just enough for the two adjacent edges of the bifurcated portions (corresponding to the leg portions of panty hose) to pass between them, as shown in the next view.

in FIG. 6 spreader plates ll and II" are spaced-apart by the adjacent edges of the respective tubular bifurcated fabric portions, being guided by the right edge of left spacer plate ll and the left edge of right spacer plate 11", as indicated by D (for division spacing) therebetween. The actualdivision spacing is slight, whereupon the increased spacing of the outer most edges of the fabric, still being guided by the same edges of the spreader plates, is correspondingly only slightly different from what it was in the unitary fabric portion. Each bifurcated tubular portion is maintained at essentially its asknit width by an individual spreader plate just as the unitary portion was kept at essentially its as-knit width by the two spreader plates together side by side. So guided, the tubular fabric being knit, whether as unitary or bifurcated portions, is subjected to essentially unifonn tension from edge to edge as it is withdrawn from the knitting location, thereby precluding introduction of undesirable stitch irregularities attributable to uneven drawoff or takeup tension.

It will be apparent, of course, that spreader plates or equivalent spreading means according to this invention are similarly suitable for use in warp-knitting of tubular fabrics having other configurations than simple unitary or bifurcated. Thus, trifurcated fabrics can be made similarly by use of three such spreader plates, and more plates would accommodate furcate fabrics having more numerous conversions in number of tubular portions, such as from one to four or four to one, or from two to four or four to two, or from one to two to four to two to one, etc. Double or further multiples of tubes joined laterally along their length in Siamese-twin fashion can be provided with individual spreader plates for each side-by-side tubular portion thereof.

In addition to hosiery and panty hose, therefore, this invention is applicable in the manufacture of leotards, sweaters, and similar garments, and to industrial fabrics whether unitary. twin, triplet, etc., or bifurcated, trifurcated, etc. Of course, spreader plates of different widths will be used for tubular portions of unequal size.

The foregoing description and accompanying illustration of methods and means for practicing this invention are by way of example rather than limitation of the invention, which itself is defined in the following claims.

lclaim:

1. ln Raschel knitting of selvagelcss bifurcated tubular fabric comprising a wide unitary tubular portion and a pair of narrow side-by-side tubular portions joined end-to-end to the unitary portion wherein the tubular fabric is withdrawn from the knitting location by winding the same in as-knit configuration, the improvement comprising maintaining each of the tubular portions there of at essentially its full as-knit width by guiding thereof at loci along the opposite inside edges of each such portion as it is withdrawn from the knitting location.

2. Raschel knitting of bifurcated tubular fabric according to claim 1, including guiding adjacent edges of the respecting narrow tubular fabric portions at loci along their respective closest adjacent inside surfaces and spaced-apart by a distance substantially equal to the two fabric thicknesses thereof intervening, one such thickness of each such narrow tubular fabric portion being included.

3. Raschel knitting of bifurcated tubular fabric according to claim 2, including guiding the laterally outermost edges thereof at loci along their respective inside surfaces, the lastmentioned guiding loci being spaced further laterally outward when knitting the pair of narrow side-by-side portions than when knitting a wide unitary tubular portion by a distance equal to the spacing apart of the guiding loci along the inside of adjacent edges of the bifurcated portions from one another.

4. In a warp knitting machine having a pair of parallel needlebeds useful for knitting tubular fabric thereon and having rolls for winding the tubular fabric in fiat as-knit form, the improvement comprising flat spreading means having opposite lateral edges thereof spaced-apart a distance approaching the as-knit width of the tubular fabric and adapted to fit therein and thereby maintain the opposite inside edges so spaced, wherein the spreading means extends from between the needlebeds to the winding rolls and wherein one end of the spreading means abuts the rolls and is supported thereby, and wherein a pair of the winding rolls have their axes essentially horizontal, with one such axis below and parallel to the other and the needlebeds, and the end of the spreading means abutting the rolls is curved through substantially a quarter circle and extends between the rolls.

5. Knitting machine according to claim 4, comprising a plu rality of such spreading means arranged side-by-side.

6. Knitting machine according to claim 5, wherein the spreading means are movable laterally along the needlebeds.

7. In a double needlebed Raschel machine for knitting panty hose or similar bifurcated tubular garment fabric and having takedown rolls below the needlebeds to aid in withdrawing the knit fabric therefrom, the improvement comprising a pair of like spreader plates supported side-by-side, with their upper ends extending between the respective needlebeds and with their lower ends supported by at least one of the takedown rolls for withdrawing the fabric in fiat as-knit form about the spreader plates from between the needlebeds, the spreader plates being supported thereby for movement laterally along the needlebeds and the roll axes.

8. Knitting machine according to claim 7, wherein the opposite corners of the upper edge of each spreader plate are rounded to assist entry thereof within the tubular fabric, thereby accommodating the crotch portion between adjacent edges of adjacent plates as well as accommodating the outer edges of bifurcated and unitary tubular portions along the opposite edges of single plates and of two adjacent plates, respectively. a

9. Knitting machine according to claim 7, wherein each spreader plate has a generally J shape as viewed laterally in the plane of the spreader plate.

. l0. Knitting machine according to claim 7, wherein each spreader plate has a window therethrough.

, below the spreader plates, and supporting the lower end thereof.

13. Apparatus according to claim 11, including a pair of trick plates located between the needlebeds and spaced-apart from one another for withdrawal of knit fabric therebetween, wherein the upper ends of the spreader plates terminate therebetween in position to enterthe fabric and maintain the as'knit width thereof. v

14. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein adjacent upper comers of adjacent plates flare outwardly fromone another to facilitate entry of adjacent thicknesses of furcate portions of the fabric therebetween.

15. In warp knitting of seamless-furcate tubular fabric comprising a wide unitary tubular portion and a plurality of narrow side-by-side tubular portions joined at adjacent ends of each to an end of the unitary portion, the improvement comprising guiding each such tubular portion along opposite inside edges thereof and thereby maintaining it at essentially its full as-knit width from knitting to winding locations, and winding the guided fabric from the knitting location.

16. Warp knitting and winding according to claim 15, including effecting an interchanging between guiding of the edges of the wide unitary tubular portion and guiding of the edges of each of the plurality of narrow tubular portions each time the number of such portions widthwise of the tubular fabric changes. 1

l7. Warp knitting and winding according to claim 16, wherein the interchanging is effected by action of the winding fabric itself in that the furcate tubular portions space individual guiding locations for the adjacent inside edges of adjacent portions by a distance equivalent to a double thickness of the fabric, and the unitary tubular portion eliminates such spacing, whereupon the guiding of the inside edges of the laterally outermost sides of the fabric undergoes at each such interchanging a spacing differential totaling the double thickness times the number of locations at which individual side-by-side furcate portions are adjacent one another.

Claims

1. In Raschel knitting of selvageless bifurcated tubular fabric comprising a wide unitary tubular portion and a pair of narrow side-by-side tubular portions joined end-to-end to the unitary portion wherein the tubular fabric is withdrawn from the knitting location by winding the same in as-knit configuration, the improvement comprising maintaining each of the tubular portions there of at essentially its full as-knit width by guiding thereof at loci along the opposite inside edges of each such portion as it is withdrawn from the knitting location.

3. Raschel knitting of bifurcated tubular fabric according to claim 2, including guiding the laterally outermost edges thereof at loci along their respective inside surfaces, the last-mentioned guiding loci being spaced further laterally outward when knitting the pair of narrow side-by-side portions than when knitting a wide unitary tubular portion by a distance equal to the spacing apart of the guiding loci along the inside of adjacent edges of the bifurcated portIons from one another.

4. In a warp knitting machine having a pair of parallel needlebeds useful for knitting tubular fabric thereon and having rolls for winding the tubular fabric in flat as-knit form, the improvement comprising flat spreading means having opposite lateral edges thereof spaced-apart a distance approaching the as-knit width of the tubular fabric and adapted to fit therein and thereby maintain the opposite inside edges so spaced, wherein the spreading means extends from between the needlebeds to the winding rolls and wherein one end of the spreading means abuts the rolls and is supported thereby, and wherein a pair of the winding rolls have their axes essentially horizontal, with one such axis below and parallel to the other and the needlebeds, and the end of the spreading means abutting the rolls is curved through substantially a quarter circle and extends between the rolls.

5. Knitting machine according to claim 4, comprising a plurality of such spreading means arranged side-by-side.

7. In a double needlebed Raschel machine for knitting panty hose or similar bifurcated tubular garment fabric and having takedown rolls below the needlebeds to aid in withdrawing the knit fabric therefrom, the improvement comprising a pair of like spreader plates supported side-by-side, with their upper ends extending between the respective needlebeds and with their lower ends supported by at least one of the takedown rolls for withdrawing the fabric in flat as-knit form about the spreader plates from between the needlebeds, the spreader plates being supported thereby for movement laterally along the needlebeds and the roll axes.

8. Knitting machine according to claim 7, wherein the opposite corners of the upper edge of each spreader plate are rounded to assist entry thereof within the tubular fabric, thereby accommodating the crotch portion between adjacent edges of adjacent plates as well as accommodating the outer edges of bifurcated and unitary tubular portions along the opposite edges of single plates and of two adjacent plates, respectively.

10. Knitting machine according to claim 7, wherein each spreader plate has a window therethrough.

11. In a double needlebed Raschel machine adapted to knit seamless tubular fabric having alternating unitary and furcate portions thereof, the improvement comprising a plurality of spreader plates whose combined widths total substantially the as-knit width of the unitary portion and whose individual widths correspond to substantially the as-knit widths of the respective furcate portions thereof, the spreader plates being supported side-by-side for lateral movement into and out of mutual contiguity.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, including at least one roll useful in withdrawal of fabric knitted thereon, located below the spreader plates, and supporting the lower end thereof.

13. Apparatus according to claim 11, including a pair of trick plates located between the needlebeds and spaced-apart from one another for withdrawal of knit fabric therebetween, wherein the upper ends of the spreader plates terminate therebetween in position to enter the fabric and maintain the as-knit width thereof.

14. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein adjacent upper corners of adjacent plates flare outwardly from one another to facilitate entry of adjacent thicknesses of furcate portions of the fabric therebetween.

15. In warp knitting of seamless furcate tubular fabric comprising a wide unitary tubular portion and a plurality of narrow side-by-side tubular portions joined at adjacent ends of each to an end of the unitary portion, the improvement comprising guiding each such tubular portion along opposite inside edges thereof and thereby maintaIning it at essentially its full as-knit width from knitting to winding locations, and winding the guided fabric from the knitting location.

16. Warp knitting and winding according to claim 15, including effecting an interchanging between guiding of the edges of the wide unitary tubular portion and guiding of the edges of each of the plurality of narrow tubular portions each time the number of such portions widthwise of the tubular fabric changes.

17. Warp knitting and winding according to claim 16, wherein the interchanging is effected by action of the winding fabric itself in that the furcate tubular portions space individual guiding locations for the adjacent inside edges of adjacent portions by a distance equivalent to a double thickness of the fabric, and the unitary tubular portion eliminates such spacing, whereupon the guiding of the inside edges of the laterally outermost sides of the fabric undergoes at each such interchanging a spacing differential totaling the double thickness times the number of locations at which individual side-by-side furcate portions are adjacent one another.