US3664154A - Method of operating a warp knitting machine, especially a raschel knitting machine, and device for carrying out the method - Google Patents

Abstract

Method of operating a warp knitting machine equipped with a pattern-changing device for changing pattern chains which comprises reducing the operation of the machine from a higher to a lower speed before changing a pattern, and increasing the operation of the machine from the lower to the higher speed after changing the pattern chain, and device for carrying out the method.

Description

United States Patent Fritz 1 May 23, 1972 [54] METHOD OF OPERATING A WARP References Cited KNITTING MACHINE, ESPECIALLY A UNITED STATES PATENTS RASCHEL KNITTING MACHINE,AND 3 158 013 11/1964 Monda y ..66/56 DEVICE F OR CARRYING OUT THE 3,446,039 3/1969 Schmid ..66/86 METHOD FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS Inventor: Egon Fritz, Monchengladbach, Germany Walter Reiners, Monchengladbach, Germany Nov. 13, 1969 Assignee:

Filed:

Appl. No.:

Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 13, 1968 Germany ..P 18 08 479.2

U.S. Cl ..66/86, 66/154 Int. Cl. ..D04b 23/00 Field of Search ..66/56, 86, 154, 155, 156, 82

399,758 10/1933 Great Britain ..66/82 Primary Examiner-Ronald F eldbaum Att0rneyCurt M. Avery, Arthur E. Wilfond, Herbert L. Lerner and Daniel J. Tick 57 ABSTRACT Method of operating a warp knitting machine equipped with a pattem-changing device for changing pattern chains which comprises reducing the operation of the machine from a higher to a lower speed before changing a pattern, and increasing the operation of the machine from the lower to the higher speed after changing the pattern chain, and device for carrying out the method.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures A In...

METHOD OF OPERATING A WARP KNITTING MACHINE, ESPECIALLY A RASCHEL KNI'I'I'ING MACHINE, AND DEVICE FOR CARRYING OUT THE METHOD My invention relates to method of operating a warp knitting machine, especially a Raschel knitting machine, provided with a pattem-changing device, and a device for carrying out this method.

In machines of the foregoing type, the movement of the eye needle guide bar thereof is controlled sequentially or simultaneously superimposed by pattern wheels, discs or drums with chain links having two or more traces or tracks. For this purpose, there are required in predetermined sequence cams having varying lifter or lobe levels or pattern chains having individual chain links at varying levels. When changing a specific pattern repeat, it is necessary to effect an abrupt displacement, between successive stitch-forming operations, of the members which sense or follow the cam surface or the surface of the pattern chain. Such devices are known as patternchanging devices and are usually referred to in Germany as Kettenwechselautomat or automatic chain changing device.

The abruptness in displacing the members sensing or following the cam or pattern chain surfaces is necessary because the displacing operation must be carried out supplementarily during the normal course of operation of the machine, no specific time interval being allocated or made available therefor during that normal operating period. Since the changing operation cannot be further accelerated by heretofore known means because both the speed and the wear of the machine components taking part in the changing operation would consequently be too great, warp and Raschel knitting machines provided with pattern-changing devices have heretofore been operated as so-called slow-moving machines.

It is accordingly an object of my invention to provide method and device for operating a warp knitting machine which avoid the aforementioned shortcomings of heretofore known methods and devices of this general type and which, more specifically, avoid the output or performance limitations of such machines by maximizing the operating speed thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I provide in accordance with my invention, method of operating a warp knitting machine, such as a Raschel knitting machine especially, which is equipped with a pattern-changing device for changing pattern chains, which comprises reducing the operating speed of the machine from a higher to a lower value before changing a pattern chain, and increasing the operating speed of the machine from the lower to the higher value after changing the pattern chain.

According to another feature of my invention, 1 automate the respective reduction and increase in the operating speed of the machine.

According to further features of the invention, the warp knitting or Raschel knitting machine runs slower during the displacement of the elements which sense or follow the cams or the pattern chains whereas in the remaining period of the run, during the stitch formation, the machine runs at a considerably increased operating speed as in the case for warp knitting or Raschel knitting machines without any device for pattern chain changing.

In accordance with my invention, 1 also provide in a warp knitting machine for carrying out the foregoing method, a control device coordinated with a pattem-changing device or a control device for the pattern-changing device for reducing the speed of operation of the warp knitting machine during the operation in which the chain of the pattem-changing device is. In this manner, the operational speed of the warp knitting or Raschel knitting machine is influenced or affected by those control members which initiate the chain changing operation.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as method of operating a warp knitting machine, especially a Raschel knitting machine, and device for carrying out the method, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying FIGURE of the drawing in which FIGS. 1 and 2 are similar schematic views of the device of my invention as employed in a conventional warp knitting or Raschel knitting machine as seen in two different phases of operation.

Referring now to the drawing there is shown in FIG. 1 thereof a pattern changing or chain changing device constructed in accordance with my invention. The pattern-changing device is formed of one or more conventional chain drums 1 with chains 2 suitably carried thereby and driven in a usual manner in synchronism with a run or pass of the knitting tools. The chain 2, for example, is sensed or followed by a roller or runner 3 which is rotatably mounted on a roller carrier 4. The roller carrier 4 is pivotally connected at one end thereof to a lever 5 which is formed with an extension at the location at which the lever 5 and roller carrier 4 are in pivotal connection, the extension being in abutting engagement with a striker bar 21. Due to this abutting relationship, eye needle guide bars 7 are reciprocated by a push-rod 6 in direction of the doubleheaded arrow 8 in accordance with the different elevations of the chain links of the chains 2, which effect a displacement of the guide bars 7.

The roller 3 is raised in a conventional manner from the chain 2 as shown in FIG. 2, in accordance with the rotation of a pattern wheel or disc 9 for the purpose of effecting a pattern chain change. Instead of the pattern wheel or disc 9, a chain with a suitable number of links can also be substituted. Transfer of the raising movement to the roller carrier 4 is effected through the double-armed lever 10 which, with a roller 1 l pivotally carried thereby, senses or follows the pattern disc 9, a tension spring 16 effecting a force-locking abutment of the roller 11 against the pattern disc 9. Moreover, a strap 12 pivotally connected to an end of the double-armed lever 10 and to the lever 5 also take part in the transfer of the raising movement.

An indexing disc or plate 14 is mounted on a rotary shaft 22 on which the pattern wheel ordisc 9 is also mounted and thereby driven in the direction of the arrow 13. The indexing disc 14 actuates a control device 20 which automatically reduces the speed of operation of the warp knitting machine during the pattern chain changing operation. The control device 20 is formed, for example, of a conventional variable or tap-changing transformer having outlet leads 20a for energizing the motor of the main drive of the warp knitting or Raschel knitting machine. As can be readily noted from the drawing, the indexing disc 14 for the pattern wheel 9 is securely mounted on the shaft 22 so that the actuation of the control device is effected through an angle lever or bell crank 15 and a connecting rod 17 against the biasing action of a compression spring 17, so that the operating speed of the machine lasts, respectively, from just before the roller 1] falls into a recess 9a fonned in the surface of the pattern disc 9 and until just after the roller 1 1 leaves the recess 90, whereby the time interval for the change from one pattern chain to another overlaps. The reduction of the machine speed is also optically registered by an indicator 19, if desired.

I claim:

1. Method of operating a warp knitting machine equipped with a pattem-ch'anging device for changing pattern chains which comprises momentarily reducing the operation of the machine from an otherwise substantially constant higher speed to a lower speed before changinga pattern chain, and increasing the operation of the machine from the lower to the higher speed after changing the pattern chain.

2. Method according to claim I, wherein the respective reduction and increase in operating speed are affected automatically.

synchronism with a component of the pattem-changing device, and linkage means engageable at one end thereof with said indexing means and at the other end thereof with said control device.

5. Warp knitting machine according to claim 3 wherein said control device comprises a variable transformer for energizing a motor for the main drive of the warp knitting machine, and said actuating means is operatively connected to said transformer for reducing the energy supplied to the motor during said time interval.

Claims (5)

1. Method of operating a warp knitting machine equipped with a pattern-changing device for changing pattern chains which comprises momentarily reducing the operation of the machine from an otherwise substantially constant higher speed to a lower speed before changing a pattern chain, and increasing the operation of the machine from the lower to the higher speed after changing the pattern chain.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the respective reduction and increase in operating speed are affected automatically.

3. In a warp knitting machine equipped with a pattern-changing device, control means operatively connected to the pattern-changing device and comprising actuating means effective within a time interval extending from momentarily prior to a chain changing operation of the pattern-changing device to the completion of the chain changing operation, and a control device actuable by said actuating means for reducing the operating speed of the warp knitting machine during said time interval.

4. Warp knitting machine according to claim 3 wherein said actuating means includes an indexing disc rotatable in synchronism with a component of the pattern-changing device, and linkage means engageable at one end thereof with said indexing means and at the other end thereof with said control device.

5. Warp knitting machine according to claim 3 wherein said control device comprises a variable transformer for energizing a motor for the main drive of the warp knitting machine, and said actuating means is operatively connected to said transformer for reducing the energy supplied to the motor during said time interval.

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