US3820359A - Circular knitting machine with electromagnet operated pattern wheel - Google Patents

Circular knitting machine with electromagnet operated pattern wheel Download PDF

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Publication number
US3820359A
US3820359A US00142129A US14212971A US3820359A US 3820359 A US3820359 A US 3820359A US 00142129 A US00142129 A US 00142129A US 14212971 A US14212971 A US 14212971A US 3820359 A US3820359 A US 3820359A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
reed
jack
elements
reeds
positions
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00142129A
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English (en)
Inventor
W Hanson
C Hanson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
PICKFORD MILLS
PICKFORD MILLS INC US
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PICKFORD MILLS
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to US00142129A priority Critical patent/US3820359A/en
Application filed by PICKFORD MILLS filed Critical PICKFORD MILLS
Priority to CH696472A priority patent/CH541010A/de
Priority to GB2185872A priority patent/GB1387885A/en
Priority to CA141,836A priority patent/CA981042A/en
Priority to FR7216827A priority patent/FR2139432A5/fr
Priority to ES402956A priority patent/ES402956A1/es
Priority to IT24256/72A priority patent/IT959717B/it
Priority to DE19722223318 priority patent/DE2223318A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3820359A publication Critical patent/US3820359A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
    • D04B—KNITTING
    • D04B15/00—Details of, or auxiliary devices incorporated in, weft knitting machines, restricted to machines of this kind
    • D04B15/66—Devices for determining or controlling patterns ; Programme-control arrangements
    • D04B15/68—Devices for determining or controlling patterns ; Programme-control arrangements characterised by the knitting instruments used
    • D04B15/78—Electrical devices

Definitions

  • the pattern wheel comprises a cylindrical array of reeds made of magnetic material and an array of radially arranged needle rais ing jacks, with the bottom end of each reed engaging a jack for moving the jack between a retracted and an extended jack position.
  • a jack in the extended position engages a knitting needle to raise it to knitting position.
  • the reeds move between an outer reed position at which they are attracted by and held against the inner face of an outer annular magnet, and an inner reed position at which they are attracted by and held against the outer face of an inner circular magnet. Selected reeds are moved to the outer reed position by an electromagnet operating under the control of the program means.
  • the electromagnet includes a convex pole facing the outside of the cylindrical reed array, I
  • the pole tip Withthe pole tip positioned adjacent to the reeds which are in the inner reed position.
  • the cylindrical reed array rotates with respect to the pole tip.
  • the pole tip When the pole tip is magnetized as directed by the program means, the reed which is nearest the pole tip is attracted to and held against the pole such that it is pulled from the inner magnet toward the outer magnet as-the reed array rotates, thereby moving a jack from the retracted jack position to the extended jack position to engage a knitting needle and raise it to knitting position.
  • the invention relates to pattern control of knitting machines. More specifically, the invention relates to program controlled pattern wheels in which the needle raising jacks are set as indicated by instructions from a program storage means. Still more specifically, the invention relates to methods and means for moving the needle raising jacks of a pattern wheel to operating positions in response to program generated instructions.
  • Circular knitting machines have a number of knitting stations arranged around the needle cylinder, with a pattern wheel located at each knitting station. Each pattern wheel influences the rotating needle cylinder to cause a particular knitting pattern.
  • Conventional pattern wheels have an annular periphery having comb teeth extending into the spaces between adjacent needle butts. The pattern wheel comb teeth mesh with the needle butts to provide synchronous rotation.
  • the pattern wheel has, in the spaces between its comb teeth, radial guideways for needle raising jacks movable outwardly of the pattern wheel to engage with their radially outer ends the butts of knitting needles for the purpose of raising the needles into knitting positions. The raising results because of the angle between the axis of rotation of the pattern wheel and of the needle cylinder. Jacks which are extended outwardly in their guideways engage knitting needles; jacks which are retracted inwardly in the guideways do not engage needles.
  • Improved pattern wheels have jacks which are movable under the control of stored programs, as illustrated for example in Schaeder et al. US. Pat. No. 3,079,775, Schmidt et al. US. Pat. No. 3,313,128 and Stock US. Pat. No. 3,170,312. These patents show pattern wheels having jacks movable radially between the comb teeth of the pattern wheel under the control of cams and electromagnet operated springs. In Schaeder et al. the jacks are moved by means of spring fingers which are selected by an electromagnet to either move by their own bias to the outer surface of the cam or to pass to the inside of the cam. A similar pattern wheel arrangement is shown in Schmidt et al., while Stock showspattern wheel jacks operated by rigid coupling members which may be connected or disconnected from the jacks by means of spring fingers which are selected by an electromagnet under program control.
  • Each of the reeds is made of magnetic material.
  • the pattern wheel includes an inner magnet means positioned inside the cylindrical array of reeds for holding by magnetic action each reed which is in the inner reed position.
  • the reeds which are in the outer reed position are held against the inner face of an outer magnetic means.
  • the reeds are successively brought in contact with a resetting means which resets all reeds to the inner reed positions and are then brought in contact with or in the proximity of a selector means controlled by the knitting pattern instructions from the program means, where selected reeds are moved from the inner reed position to the outer reed position to move selected jacks from the retracted to the extended jack position for engaging knitting needles and thereby influencing the knitting pattern.
  • the selector means includes an electromagnet having a convex pole facing the outside of the cylindrical reed array, with the'pole tip positioned adjacent the reeds which are in the inner reed positions.
  • the reed array rotates with respect to the electromagnet pole tip.
  • the electromagnet When the electromagnet is not' energized, the reeds pass by the pole tip without any radial movement.
  • the electromagnet When the electromagnet is energized, the passing reed is attracted to and held against the pole tip and is pulled away from the inner magnet means to the outer magnet means, thereby moving a selected jack from the retracted jack position to the extended jack position.
  • the electromagnet By energizing and deenergizing the electromagnet in accordance with the program, the reeds and hence the jacks and needles are selected in accordance with that program.
  • This selection may be between a knitting and a non-knitting position, as defined above, or between any two desired positions of a needle, such as between a selected position corresponding to a jack in the extended position, and a non-selected position corresponding to a jack in the retracted position.
  • FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 99 of FIG. 3, on an enlarged scale.
  • a pattern wheel generally indicated at 34 is carried on a support bracket 36 suitably affixed to a stand 38 on a support plate 40 which is rigid with respect to the axis of rotation of the needle cylinder 20 (shown only diagrammatically or in fragments).
  • An upright bolt42 (FIG. 3) is threaded at its bottom end into a suitable aperture 44 in the support bracket 36, and a sleeve 46 is joumalled on the upright bolt 42 by means of antifriction bearings 48 and 50 separated by a spacer sleeve 52 fitted over the shank of the upright bolt 42.
  • the sleeve 46 carries at its bottom end an annular flange 54 which has at its radially outward periphery a radial array of comb teeth 56.
  • the radially outward ends of adjacent comb teeth 56 are spaced from each other so as to receive slidingly between each pair of teeth a knitting needle 21 of the needle cylinder 20.
  • the needles 21 can move in the vertical direction.
  • Adjacent comb teeth 56 also provide between their facing walls 56a (FIG. 6).
  • guidewa'ys for needle raising 5 jacks 33 which form a part of the array 32 of radially arranged jacks 33. Each jack 33 can slide in the radial direction between'the facing walls 56a of the flanking pair of cornb'teeth 56.
  • the jacks 33 are restrained within their guideway by means of an annular ring 98 (FIG. 3) on top of the comb teeth 56, and the continuation 54a of the annular flange 54, below the-comb teeth 56.
  • Each of the needle raising jacks 33 has a U-shaped extension 33a integral with its top surface and adapted to receive the bottom end 31a of a reed 31 forming a part of the array 30 of pattern wheel reeds.
  • Each reed is of ferromagnetic material.
  • the pole piece 68 is held stationary with respect to the sleeve 46 by means of a spacer sleeve 70 fitted over the sleeve 46 and affixed thereto by means of a set screw 72 threaded into an aperture 70a in the spacer ring 70'and tightened against the radially outside surface of the sleeve 46.
  • the ring magnet 74' is slip-fitted over the sleeve 46 above the ring pole piece 68.
  • the ring magnet 74 and its ring pole piece 68 comprise an inner magnet means which has outer peripheral faces 68a on the ends of teeth 68b, which are magnetized to attract and hold reeds 31.
  • any reeds 31 which are in the outer e aqsi ar et rne to he nn r e nos t en 12 a resetting means comprising a ball 84' held loosely in a suitable aperture 84a in the housing 80 and biased by a leaf' spring 86 to urge the reeds 31 toward the inner reed positions.
  • the leaf springs 86 is affixed to the cover 80 by means of a suitable screw 88.
  • the electromagnet 92 comprises a core member 92a affixed by a suitable bolt 92b to an upright bracket 94 secured fixedly to the supportplate 56. Near its end farthest from the upright bracket 94, the core member 920 has a hollow portion 920 which contains a coil spring 92d urging toward the reeds 31 a ball 90 whose exposed portion serves as a convex pole.
  • the ball 90 is secured inside the hollow portion 920 of the core member 92a by providing a suitable inward taper at the open end of the hollow portion 92c.
  • the electromagnet 92 also includes a winding 92e connected by means of leads 92f (FIG. 3) to the adjustable synchronizer 28 and to the program means 26 (FIG. to receive therefrom pulses of current energizing the winding 92e to magnetize the convex pole 90.
  • the pole 90 is preferably tangential ,to the radially outward surface of the cylindrical reed array 30 and always in contact with at least one reed 31. Since the ball 90 is not restrained against rotation, it is capable of rotation within the hollow portion 920 of core member 92a.
  • the array 30 of reeds 31 is driven in the clockwise direction by the cylinder (as viewed in FIG. 5) because of the mesh between the needles 21 of the needle cylinder 20 and the radially outward ends of the comb teeth 56. Any reeds 31 which were in the outer position prior to reaching the resetting bearing ball 84 are reset thereby to the inner reed position; thus all reeds which approach the convex pole 90 are in the inner reed position.
  • the convex pole 90 of the electromagnet 92 is not magnetized when a reed 31 passes by it, the reed remains in the inner reed position. If, however, the electromagnet 92 receives a pulse from the program means 26 at about the time that a particular reed 31 comes in physical contact with or in operative proximity to the convex pole 90, the pole 90 is magnetized and attracts by magnetic action that reed 31.
  • the electromagnet 92 is designed such that the magnetic action of the convex pole 90 is of sufficient strength to overcome the magnetic attraction between the reed 31 and the inner ring pole piece 68, and the reed which is attracted by the magnetized convex pole 90 separates from the outer peripheral face 68a of the inner ring pole piece 68 and remains in contact with the convex pole 90 while moving along its convex surface.
  • the reed is in contact with the outer periphery 68a of the inner ring pole piece 68 and is held against that outer periphery 68a by magnetic action. Then, that reed 31 is drawn by the magnetic action of the convex pole 90, adheres to the pole 90 and rides against its convex pole 90 to be gradually drawn awayvfrom the inner ring pole piece 68 until it is attracted to and held against the inner peripheral face 76a of the outer ring pole piece 76 by magnetic action. Note that while the reed 31 is being moved by the pole 90, there is no air gap between the red and the pole.
  • a reed 31 which has been moved to its outer reed position, against the inner peripheral face of the outer ring pole piece 76, stays in that position until it reaches the resetting bearing ball 84 and is reset to the inner reed position against the outer peripheral face 68a of the inner ring pole piece 68.
  • a reed in the inner. reed position is shown in FIG. 3; a reed in the outer reed position is.shown in FIG. 4.
  • a reed 31 When a reed 31 is in the inner reed position,-its jack 33 is in the retracted jack position. When a reed 31 moves to the outer'reed position, it moves thereby its jack 33 to the extended jack position as in FIG. 4. Each jack 33' moves in the guideway provided by the facing walls 56a of two adjacent comb teeth 56.
  • a backstop for a jack 33 moving toward the retracted jack position is provided by the outer peripheral face 96a of an annular ring 96 concentric with the array 30 of reeds 31 and affixed to the annular flange 54 by means of a screw 96b.
  • a stop against excessive radially outward movement of the jacks 33 is provided by-an annular ring 98 which is integral with the comb teeth 56.
  • the ring 98 also serves as a support for outer ring magnet 78 and its pole piece 76, both of which may be attached to ring 98 in any suitable manner.
  • the spacer sleeve (FIGS. 3 and 7) is provided at its radially outward periphery with a series of uniformly spaced vertically arranged comb teeth 70b, with each adjacent pair of comb teeth 70b providing a radial movement guideway for a reed 31.
  • a particular advantage resulting from the use of the convex pole 90 is smooth transition of reeds 31 between the inner and the outer reed position. This smooth transition allows the use of relatively thin and light reeds 31 and the jacks 33, and help prolong the useful life of pattern wheels of the type described above.
  • Another specific advantage results from the use of the inner ring pole piece 68 and the outer ring pole piece 76. These pole pieces define securely the inner and outer positions of the reeds 31, and hence the retracted and extended position of the jacks 33.
  • the use of the pole pieces 68 and 76 and the magnets 74 and 78 avoids the use of cams which cause friction and early wear, and helps prolong the useful life of the invented pattern wheel.
  • pole pieces 68 and76 and the magnets 74 and 78 assures that there will be no partly retracted or partly extended jacks which may interfere with the proper operation of a knitting machine.
  • a knitting machine as in claim 1 including support means for suspending each reed of the circular array of reeds to allow radial movement of the lower portion of each reed between the inner reed position and the outer reed position.
  • a knitting machine as in claim 1 including in said selector means electromagnet means having a convex pole facing the outside of the cylindrical reed array 7 with the pole tip positioned substantially tangentially to the reeds which are in the inner reed position, and including means for maintaining synchronous rotation of the reed array with respect to the electromagnet pole to cause the reed which is nearest the pole tip when the electromagnet means is energized to be attracted and held against the pole and to be pulled away from the outer peripheral portions of the inner magnet means toward and against the inner peripheral face of the outer magnet means, thereby moving selected reeds from the inner reed position to the outer reed position as the reed array rotates with respect to the pole.
  • a circular knitting machine having a driven needle cylinder and program means for generating a sequence of knitting "pattern instructions, wherein the improvement is in a pattern wheel driven in synchronism with the needle'cylinder'and including an array of needle raising jacks each movable between a retracted jack a retracted jack position for not engaging any needle,
  • the pattern wheel comprising:
  • inner magnet means having outer peripheral portions of equal radius magnetized to attract the reeds, said portions being positioned inside the cylindrical reed array coaxially therewith for holding each reed which is in the inner reed position against saidportions by magnetic action;
  • outer annular magnet means having an inner peripheral cylindrical face magnetized to attract the reeds and positioned outside the cylindrical reed array coaxially therewith for holding each reed which is in the outer reed position against the inner peripheral face by magnetic action;
  • selector means controlled by said knitting pattern instructions generated by the program means for moving only selected reeds from the inner reed position to the outer reed position while the nonselected reeds remain in the inner reed position, thereby moving the jacks corresponding'to the selected reeds from the retracted jack position to the extended jack position for engaging knitting needles and influencing the knitting pattern according to the instructions generated by the program means.
  • the pattern wheel comprising:
  • each reed having a portion movable radially between an inner position and an outer position and continuously engaging a corresponding jack for moving the corresponding jack between the retracted jack position and the extended jack position respectively, each of said reeds including magnetic material;

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Knitting Machines (AREA)
US00142129A 1971-05-11 1971-05-11 Circular knitting machine with electromagnet operated pattern wheel Expired - Lifetime US3820359A (en)

Priority Applications (8)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00142129A US3820359A (en) 1971-05-11 1971-05-11 Circular knitting machine with electromagnet operated pattern wheel
GB2185872A GB1387885A (en) 1971-05-11 1972-05-10 Rotary cylinder circular knitting machine
CA141,836A CA981042A (en) 1971-05-11 1972-05-10 Circular knitting machine with electromagnet-operated pattern wheel
FR7216827A FR2139432A5 (enExample) 1971-05-11 1972-05-10
CH696472A CH541010A (de) 1971-05-11 1972-05-10 Programmsteuerbare Strickmaschine
ES402956A ES402956A1 (es) 1971-05-11 1972-05-10 Maquina de genero de punto controlada por programa.
IT24256/72A IT959717B (it) 1971-05-11 1972-05-12 Macchina circolare per maglieria con ruota dei disegni comandata a programma
DE19722223318 DE2223318A1 (de) 1971-05-11 1972-05-12 Musterrad fuer Strickmaschine

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00142129A US3820359A (en) 1971-05-11 1971-05-11 Circular knitting machine with electromagnet operated pattern wheel

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3820359A true US3820359A (en) 1974-06-28

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ID=22498650

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00142129A Expired - Lifetime US3820359A (en) 1971-05-11 1971-05-11 Circular knitting machine with electromagnet operated pattern wheel

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US3820359A (enExample)
CA (1) CA981042A (enExample)
CH (1) CH541010A (enExample)
DE (1) DE2223318A1 (enExample)
ES (1) ES402956A1 (enExample)
FR (1) FR2139432A5 (enExample)
GB (1) GB1387885A (enExample)
IT (1) IT959717B (enExample)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3899899A (en) * 1973-10-09 1975-08-19 Empisal Knitmaster Device for automatic selection of the knitting needles in a hand-operated knitting machine
US3969910A (en) * 1974-05-30 1976-07-20 Schubert & Salzer Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft Selection apparatus for pattern control elements
US4125002A (en) * 1976-09-13 1978-11-14 Dieter Steinhof Patterning device for a manual knitting machine

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3899899A (en) * 1973-10-09 1975-08-19 Empisal Knitmaster Device for automatic selection of the knitting needles in a hand-operated knitting machine
US3969910A (en) * 1974-05-30 1976-07-20 Schubert & Salzer Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft Selection apparatus for pattern control elements
US4125002A (en) * 1976-09-13 1978-11-14 Dieter Steinhof Patterning device for a manual knitting machine

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IT959717B (it) 1973-11-10
FR2139432A5 (enExample) 1973-01-05
ES402956A1 (es) 1975-04-16
GB1387885A (en) 1975-03-19
CA981042A (en) 1976-01-06
CH541010A (de) 1973-08-31
DE2223318A1 (de) 1972-11-23

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