US3834191A

US3834191A - Fabric slitting method and apparatus for circular knitting machine

Info

Publication number: US3834191A
Application number: US00832795A
Authority: US
Inventors: O Fregeolle
Original assignee: Pilot Research Corp
Current assignee: Pilot Research Corp
Priority date: 1969-06-12
Filing date: 1969-06-12
Publication date: 1974-09-10
Anticipated expiration: 1991-09-10

Abstract

Selected transfer bits or jacks pick up and hold the yarn at each knitting station while it is knit on needles positioned adjacent sides of the held loops. The loops held on the transfer jacks then move into engagement with a cutting device to sever the yarn and thereby slit the fabric in a walewise direction as it is being knit on a circular knitting machine. The cutting device is disclosed as either a heated wire or a mechanical cutter.

Description

ilnite States Patent [191 Fregeolle FABRIC SLITTING METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MAQNE [75] Inventor: Oscar Fregeolle, Hickory, NC.

[73] Assignee: Pilot Research Corporation,

Valdese, NC.

[22] Filed: June 12, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 832,795

[52] US. Cl. 66/147, 66/177 [51] Int. Cl D04b 33/00 [58] Field of Search 66/175, 176, 177, 140,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1961 Payne et al. 66/147 8/1961 Payne et al. 66/147 [111 3,834,191 [4 1 Sept. 10, 1974 3,564,873 2/1971 Beane 66/177 R27,886 l/l974 Johnson 66/177 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,302,224 7/1962 France 66/92 Primary Examiner-Ronald Feldbaum Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Parrott, Bell, Seltzer, Park and Gibson [5 7] ABSTRACT Selected transfer bits or jacks pick up and hold the yarn at each knitting station while it is knit on needles positioned adjacent sides of the held loops. The loops held on the transfer jacks then move into engagement with a cutting device to sever the yarn and thereby slit the fabric in a walewise direction as it is being knit on a circular knitting machine. The cutting device is disclosed as either a heated wire or a mechanical cutter.

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SNEEI 3 N 3 VIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 1m I t INVENTOR: OSCAR FR E EOLLE ATTORNEYS FABRIC SLITTING METHOD AND APPARATUS FDR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE This invention relates generally to circular knitting machines and more particularly to an apparatus and method for slitting seamless tubular fabric in a walewise direction as it is being knit on a hosiery knitting machine. The invention is of particular value in slitting seamless blanks to be used in forming panty hose but may also be used to slit other types of blanks, such as leotards and the like.

Panty hose type garments are usually formed by knitting elongated seamless hosiety blankson a circular hosiery knitting machine and then slitting the blanks from the upper edge downwardly a predetermined distance. A pair of adjacent blanks are then connected together by sewing together the corresponding slit edges of the pair of blanks to form the body portion of the panty hose. The slitting of the stocking blank is usually carried out during an operation which is separate from the knitting operation. It has recently been proposed to slit the hosiery blanks as they are being knit by mounting a hooked element for radial movement on the dial. This hooked element picks up loops of yarn at each knitting station and the held loops are cut to slit the fabric as it is being knit. However, the usual transfer jacks cannot be used with this hooked element on the dial so that an inturned welt may not be formed on the hosiery blank.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for slitting seamless hosiery blanks on a circular knitting machine whereby selected transfer jacks operate to hold yarn loops and position them to be cut after the yarn is knit at adjacent sides of the held loop. Since selected transfer jacks are used to hold the yarn loops, the remaining transfer jacks may be operated in the usual manner to form an inturned welt on the hosiery blanks.

One embodiment of the held loop cutting device includes a heated wire supported closely adjacent the outside of the needle circle and cam means for imparting an outward movement to thetransfer jacks which hold the loop of yarn so that the held yarn loop engages the heated wire and is severed.

Another embodiment of the held loop cutting device includes a mechanical cutter having a movable blade element which is supported to reciprocate above the circle of needles and timed to engage and cut the loop held by the transfer jack after the yarn has been knit at adjacent sides of the held loop. The mechanical cutter is operative from cam means on the knitting machine which is timed to move the movable blade element inwardly at the time that the held loop passes thereby. The block supporting the reciprocating blade extends inwardly into close proximity to the needle cylinder and is provided with cam surfaces on opposite sides to serve as a latch opener.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the-description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a typical seamless panty hose blank, illustrating the manner in which a slit is formed therein by means of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section plan view through the operating cams which control the radial movement of the transfer jacks, looking downwardly on the needle circle;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary isometric view of a portion of the dial bed of the knitting machine and illustrating the manner in which selected transfer jacks are projected outwardly to pick up and hold loops of yarn from each knitting station;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the needle circle. illustrating the manner in which the selected transfer jacks are projected outwardly above three inactive needles to pick up and hold a yarn loop at the main knitting station;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4'but showing the manner in which the loop of yarn is held on the transfer jacks after the active needles on opposite sides thereof have knit;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but illustrating the manner in which the transfer jacks pick up the yarn at the second or auxiliary yarn feeding station and wherein the same three needles remain in a lowered or inactive position at this knitting station;

FIG. 7 is another fragmentary view of the needle circle, illustrating the manner in which the held yarn loops, formed at each knitting station, are projected outwardly by the transfer jacks to be engaged by a heated wire and severed;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the upper end of the needle cylinder and the outer portion of the dial, illustrating the manner in which the heated wire is supported to engage the, held yarn loops and sever the same;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the sinker cap of the machine and illustrating a mechanical cutter supported thereon and the manner in which the cutter is operated by means of a rotating cam on the knitting machine;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of the mechanical cutter illustrating the manner in which the inner end of the movable blade element moves outwardly above the circle of needles to receive the held yarn loop; and

FIG. 1 l is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 1l-1l in FIG. 9 and illustrating the upper portion of the needle cylinder and the dial in section with the held loop in position to be cut by the movable blade element.

The slitting apparatus and method of the present invention may be utilized on circular hosiery knitting machines having any number of feeding and knitting stations. In the drawings, the slitting apparatus is illustrated in operation with a circular knitting machine having spaced apart first and second or main and auxiliary feeding and knitting stations. While the slitting apparatus and method of the present invention may be used in slitting many different types of seamless tubular fabric in a walewise direction as it is being knit, it is of particular value in the knitting of panty hose blanks,

such as indicated at B in FIG. 1.

The blank B is usually knit from top to bottom and may be knit as a straight tube or it may be tapered by gradually reducing the length or size of the stitches as knitting of the tube continues, in the well known manner. The blank B preferably includes a small inturned welt 10 at the upper end thereof and'an integrally formed shadow welt 10a of single ply material. A body portion 11 extends downwardly from the shadow weltl0a. The body portion 11 is preferably knit of a fairly heavy yarn and may either be plain knit or may utilize a pattern of tuck and/or held stitches to form a desired pattern therein. A band of run resilient fabric 12 is nier yarn and may be either plain knit or contain a pattern of special stitches, if desired. The lower end of the leg 13 is provided with a reinforced toe portion 14 which may be closed in any suitable manner, as by seaming or looping. If desired, the blank B may be provided with reciprocatorally knit heel and/or toe pockets formed therein in the conventional manner. While the welt 10,-shadow welt a, and the body portion 11 are being knit, the slitting apparatus of the present invention is operated to form a walewise extending slit extending from the upper end of the blank B and down to the non-run band 12 to form opposed free cut edges 15, 15a.

Each embodiment of the slitting apparatus of the present invention is illustrated as being associated with a Scott & Williams type two-feed hosiery .knitting machine, however, it is to be understood that this apparatus mayalso be used with other types of circular hosiery knitting machines. Only those portions of the knitting machine have been illustrated and described which are necessary to an understanding of the present invention.

Referring to the first embodiment, shown in FIGS. 2-8, the machine includes a circle of latch needles N which are supported for vertical movement in a rotating needle cylinder 19 (FIG. 8) and a first or main yarn feeding station 20is provided in a latch ring 21 which surrounds the needle circle N. A second or auxiliary yarn feeding station 22 is spaced from the first feeding station 20 and each yarn feeding station is positioned above respective knitting stations having the usual knitting cams, not shown. The yarn feeding stations 20, 22 are provided with respective

yarn feed fingers

24, 25 which are supported for movement into and out of yarn feeding position, in a conventional manner. I

The usual needle selecting means, not shown, is provided in advance of each knitting station for cooperating with selector jacks positioned beneath the needles so that the needles may pass the knitting station at a knit level, a tuck level, or a float or welt level. The

fingers

24, 25 feed respective yarns Y and Y to the needles, in the usual manner.

As shown in FIG. 3, a dial bed is supported inside of the circle of needles N and on the lower end of a drive shaft 31 (FIG. 2) which is connected in the usual manner to the needle cylinder drive mechanism, not shown, so that the dial bed 30 rotates in timed relationship with the circle of needles N. Radial grooves are formed in the dial bed 30 and slidably support conventional two-part transfer bits or jacks, broadly indicated at T (FIG. 3). In accordance with the present invention, a pair of special two-part transfer jacks, indicated at T in FIG. 3, are supportedin the dial bed 30 in alignment with the position in the needIe circle where the slit is to be formed in the tubular fabric.

Each of the transfer jacks T and T is preferably formed in a conventional manner of two juxtaposed mating parts with the inner portions being identical and the outer portions being curved or bowed outwardly from each other to form a needle receiving opening 31, and each transfer jack is provided with a hooked outer end portion 32. As shown in FIG. 3, the special transfer jacks T each have upstanding operating butts 33 which are higher than the operating butts of the regular transfer jacks T, for purposes to be presently described.

The radial position of the transfer jacks is determined by suitable cam means supported above the dial bed 30 and adapted to engage the upstanding operating butts (FIG. 2). The cam means includes a fixed outer cam ring 36, a fixed inner cam ring 37, and vertically movable cams 40, 41, 42 and 43. The cams 40, 43, shown in dotted lines, are the conventional transfer cams of the machine and their operation will be presently described.

As shown in FIG. 8, a sinker bed 45 is suitably sup ported on the upper end of the needle cylinder 19 and supports conventional sinkers 46 for radial movement between the needles N in a conventional manner. A sinker cap 47 is supported on the sinker bed 45 and contains the usual cams, not shown, for radially positioning the sinkers 46. Yarn severing means in the form of a high resistance electric heater wire 50 is supported at its upper end on a bracket 51 (FIG. 8) carried by the latch ring 21. The bracket 51 is preferably supported in a keyway in the latch ring 21 so that the location of the lower inner end of the heater wire 50 may be adjusted, relative to the needles N.

The lower inner end of the heater wire 50 is preferably bent to form an inner pointed end (FIGS. .2 and 3) which is positioned closely adjacent the circle of needles N and beneath the level of the transfer jacks T so that when the transfer jacks are projected outwardly, in a manner to be presently described, the yarn loops held thereby are pushed outwardly at an angle from the upper ends of the needles N to a position where they will contact the heated wire 50 and to be severed thereby. The upper ends of the wire 50 are suitably connected by electrical wires 52, 52a to a suitable source of electrical energy, not shown, by means of a pattern controlled switch 53 (FIG. 8) so that the wire 50 is heated only during the time that the slitting operation takes place. The switch 53 may be operated from any suitable pattern device on the machine, such as the pattern chain, not shown.

METHOD OF OPERATION As is well known, fine gauge sheer panty hose blanks are usually knit on circular hosiery knitting machines having 400 or more needles in the needle cylinder and the blanks are usually knit of nylon yarn or other suitable types of thermoplastic yarn which may be easily severed by subjecting the same to intense heat, such as a heated wire. The knitting of the particular type of panty hose blank B shown in FIG. 1 will now be described, it being understood that other types of panty hose blanks may also be knit in accordance with the present invention while forming a walewise extending slit in predetermined portions thereof.

To begin knitting at the upper end of the blank B with the formation of an intumed welt, the make-up is formed at the main yarn feeding station 20 where alternate needles are raised to pick up the yarn Y from the feed finger 24 while intervening needles, as well as three consecutive inactive needles indicated at N in FIG. 4, remain at a welt or non-yarn taking level.

The special transfer jacks T are moved outwardly by the cam 41 (FIG. 2) engaging their butts so that the outer hooked ends pick up and hold loops of yarn thereon. As is well known, the transfer jacks are aligned with every other needle and the special transfer jacks T are aligned with the first and last of the inactive needles N while the center inactive needle is positioned between the special transfer jacks.

During the second course, all of the needles are raised to active position to pick up and knit the yarn Y, except the three inactive needles N which remain at a welt level and do not take yarn. A second loop of the yarn Y is thus held on the special transfer jacks T while the active needles at each side knit the yarn. During the third course, the cam 41 moves down to fully operative position so all jacks T and T move out to pick up transfer loops of yarn at the main feed 20 while alternate needles remain in a low position.

Duringthe next rotation of the needle cylinder 19, the cam 41 is raised far enough to engage only the high butts of the special transfer jacks T so that their outer ends move out over the three lowered inactive needles N to pick up and hold loops of yarn thereon. All needles then knit at the auxiliary yarn feeding station 22, except the three needles N which remain in a low inactive position and a loop of yarn Y is picked up and held on the special transfer jacks T. The cam 42 is lowered far enough to engage only the high butts of the special transfer jacks T so that they move outwardly to cause the held loops of yarn to engage the heated wire 50 and be severed thereby. During the knitting of the remaining courses of the inturned welt 10, the special transfer jacks T are projected outwardly to pick up and hold yarn loops at the main and auxiliary feed stations 20, 22 and the held loops are severed by the heated wire 50. The loops of the transfer course which are being held on the regular transfer jacks T extend downwardly from the dial 30 and do not engage the heated wire 50, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 8.

After the desired length of fabric is knit to form the inturned welt 10, the transfer cam 40 (FIG. 2) is lowered to project the regular transfer points T outwardly while alternate needles are raised to pass upwardly through the needle opening 31. As the transfer jacks T are drawn inwardly by the cam 43, the stitch loops held thereon are transferred to the cylinder needles N to complete the transfer as all needles pick up yarn Y and knit at the main station 20, except the three needles N which remain in a lower inactive position.

As knitting of the single ply shadow welt a and body portion 11 continues, all needles knit at each knitting station, except the three inactive needles N which remain in a lower inactive position at each station, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6. At the same time, the corresponding special transfer jacks T pick up and hold yarn loops of the yarn Y and Y at each station and carry it to the heated wire 50 where the yarn loops are severed. To cease the slitting operation, the cam 41 is raised so that the special transfer jacks T are not projected out at the knitting stations. To start knitting on the three inactive needles N at the lower end of the slit, the endmost inactive needles are first raised to take and knit yarn at one or more stations and then the middle inactive needle is raised to take yarn and knit at each station. The switch 53 also operates to stop the flow of electricity to the heater wire 50.

Seamless knitting on all needles then continues through the band 12 of run resilient stitches, the leg portion 13 and the toe portion 14 with all needles knitting at each station and any suitable type of yarn and stitches maybe formed therein. When the panty hose blank is removed from'the knitting machine, the slit is properly formed in the proper position and is of the desired length. The panty hose blank B is then ready to be joined to another panty hose blank, in the usual manner, to complete the panty hose garment.

SECOND EMBODIMENT A second embodiment of yarn severing means is illustrated in FIGS. 9-11 which does not require a heater wire, as illustrated in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-8. The embodiment of yarn severing means shown in FIGS. 9-11 includes a mechanical cutter which is operated in timed relationship to rotation of the circle of needles for cutting the held loops of yarn as they pass the mechanical cutter. This mechanical cutter is illustrated as being applied to the same type of machine as the heated wire cutter shown in FIGS. 2-8 and like reference characters are applied to corresponding parts of the knitting machine shown in FIGS. 9-11. The machine is provided with the usual vertical drive shaft 55 (FIG. 9) which is drivingly connected, in a well-known manner, to the drive shaft 31 of the dial bed 30.

The mechanical cutter includes a support block 56 which is fixed on the upper surface of the sinker cap 47 by screws 57. The inner portion of the support block 56 extends inwardly beyond the inner portion of the sinker cap 47 (FIG. 10) and opposite end portions thereof are tapered to form latch opening cam surfaces 60.

A movable blade element 61 is supported for sliding movement in a transverse groove in the support block 56 for inward and outward reciprocation. When the movable blade 61 is in its innermost position (FIG. 10), a V-shaped cutting slot 62 is positioned to receive the outwardly inclined loop of yarn which is held by the special transfer jack T (FIG. 11), as the held loop is brought around by the needles N and the transfer jack into the slot 62. The inner end of the blade 61 is positioned closely adjacent the circle of needles so that it does not engage any inwardly inclined loops which are held by the other transfer jacks T (shown in dotted lines in FIG. 11).

A T-shaped cover plate 63 is supported on the block 56 by screws 64 and maintains the movable blade 61 in the groove in the block 56. An operating bar 65 is supported for sliding movement in the lower portion of the block 56 and is provided with a serpentine slot 66 therein (FIG. 10). An operating pin 70 is threadably supported at its upper end in the movable blade 61 and its lower end is positioned in the slot 66 so that inward and outward movement is imparted to the blade 61 with movement of the operating bar 65 through the support block 56. An elongate slot 71 (FIG. 10) is provided in the support block 56 to permit movement of the pin 70, with movement of the blade 61.

The operating bar 65 is normally urged to the right in FIG. 9 and downwardly in FIG. 10 by means of a tension spring 72, one end of which is connected to the bar 65 and the other end of which is connected to the housing of the drive shaft 55 (FIG. 9). As the operating bar 65 is moved downwardly from the position shown in FIG. 10, the operating pin 70 moves along the slot 66 to move the blade 61 outwardly. When the bar 65 is moved upwardly to the position shown in FIG. 10, the pin 70 moves along the slot 66 to thereby move the blade 61 to the outermost position, as shown in FIG. 10.

During operation, the operating bar 65 is moved in timed relationship to rotation of the circle of needles N by means of an operating arm 75 having a downwardly depending cam portion 75a at its outer end. The inner end of the arm 75 is fixed to the lower end of a sleeve 76 which is supported for pivoting movement on the upper portion of an upstanding shaft 77. The inner end of a cam arm 80 is fixed on the upper end of the sleeve 76 and the outer free end is adapted'to engage a cam 81 fixed on the drive shaft 55. A compression spring 82 surrounds the upper end of the shaft 77 and its upper end bears against an enlarged head 83 to normally maintain the cam arm 80 in-horizontal alignment with the cam 81.

' Pattern control means is provided for controlling the operation of the movable cutter blade 61. As shown in FIG. 9, this control means includes a lever 84 which is pivotally supported intermediate its ends on a housing 85 surrounding the shaft 77. One end of the lever 84 extends upwardly and into engagement with the lower surface of the operating arm 75 while the opposite end is suitably connected to a Bowden wire 86. The other end of the Bowden wire 86 extends to a suitable pattern drum on the knitting machine, not shown, where it is connected .to a lever which operates from cams on the drum. The lever 84 is adapted to at times raise the operating arm 75, sleeve 76, and cam arm 80 against the compression spring 82 so that the cam arm 80 is raised above the level of the cam 81. The spring 72 will then move the operating bar 65 downwardly in FIG. so that the blade 61 is moved inwardly and maintained in an inoperative position.

METHOD OF OPERATION The held loops of yarn are picked up at each knitting station on the special transfer jacks T in the same manner as described in connection with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-8. As the held loops approach the cutter blade 61, the special transfer jacks T are moved outwardly, so that the held loops are inclined outwardly at an angle. The cam 81 causes the blade 61 to be moved inwardly so that the outwardly inclined loops are positioned in the cutting slot 62 in the movable blade 61. Any. loops being held on the regular transfer jacks T are inclined inwardly, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 11 so that they pass inside of the inner end of the cutter blade 61 and therefore are not cut. The movement of the cam 81 is timed to move the cutter blade 61 inwardly so that it is adjacent the circle of needles N as the held loops approach the blade and the cutter blade 61 moves inwardly to sever the loops held on the transfer jacks T as the cam arm 80 moves off of the cam 81.

In each embodiment of the invention, it is necessary to move the special transfer jacks T outwardly at the point at which the held loops are to be severed or cut when yarn loops are also being held on the regular transfer jacks T, as during the knitting of an inturned welt. The regular transfer jacks T are in an innermost position while the special transfer jacks T are moved outwardly to provide a separation of the held loops which are to be cut and those held loops which are not to be cut. However, it is to be understood that it is not necessary to move the held loops outwardly at the cutting point where a turned welt is not being formed and there are no loops being held on the regular transfer jacks. While the invention has been described as utilizing a pair of adjacent special transfer jacks T' operating above three inactive needles, it is to be understood that a single special transfer jack may be used which operates over one'or more inactive needles to pick up and hold a loop of yarn to be cut in a subsequent step. Also, the fabric slitting apparatus of the present invention may beutilized in slitting a medial portion of the tubular fabric as well as adjacent either end.

In the drawings and specification there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine having a circle of rotating needles, at least one knitting station positioned closely adjacent the circle of needles and including yarn feeding means, and a dial bed positioned inside of said circle of needles and including a plurality of transfer jacks supported for radial movement therein, the combination therewith of means for slitting seamless tubular fabric in a walewise direction as the fabric is being knit, said slitting means comprising a. at least one special transfer jack supported in said dial bed and having a hooked outer end,

b. cam means positioned in advance of said knitting station and engageable with said special transfer jack for moving the hooked outer end beyond said circle of needles to pick up yarn at said knitting station and to hold the yarn while it is knit on needles adjacent opposite sides thereof, and

c. yarn severing means positioned subsequent to said knitting station and closely adjacent said circle of needles, said yarn severing means being operable to engage and sever the yarn held by said transfer jack.

2. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 1 wherein said yarn severing means is positioned outside of said circle of needles, and wherein said slitting means includes d. additional cam means engageable with said special transfer jack for imparting outward movement thereto to move the yarn held thereby into engagement with said yarn severing means.

3. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 1 wherein said yarn severing means (c) comprises a heater wire.

4. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 3 including a iatch ring surrounding said circle of needles, and including means adjustably supporting one end of said heater wire on said latch ring so that the position of the other end of said heater wire may be adjusted, relative to said circle of needles.

5. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 4 including an electrical circuit connected to said heater wire, and a pattern controlled switch in said electric circuit for directing electrical current to said heater wire during the slitting of the fabric on the knitting machine.

6. In a circuar knitting machine according to claim 1 wherein said yarn severing means (c) comprises a mechanical cutter operable to engage and sever the yarn held by said transfer jack.

7. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 6 including cam means rotating in timed relationship to rotation of said circle of needles, and means engageable by said cam means for operating said mechanical cutter at predetermined locations around said circle of needles.

8. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 6 including a sinker cap surrounding said circle of needles, and wherein said mechanical cutter is supported on said sinker cap and includes a blade element movable radially of said circle of needles.

9. A method of slitting a seamless tubular fabric in a walewise direction as the fabric is being knit on a circular knitting machine having a rotating needle cylinder, 10

said transfer jack to form a held loop extending upwardly from said needles, and

c. severing the held loop of yarn at a location spaced from said knitting station, and

d. repeating steps (a) and (b) during each of a plurality of needle cylinder rotations to slit the fabric as it is being knit.

10. A method according to claim 9 including the steps of projecting all of said transfer jacks outwardly and picking up yarn at said knitting station, forming stitches on needles between said transfer jacks to form a held loop extending downwardly from each transfer jack, projecting selected transfer jacks outwardly to position the corresponding held loops at an outwardly inclined angle from said needles, drawing the remaining transfer jacks inwardly to position the corresponding held loops at an inwardly inclined angle from said needles, and severing the outwardly inclined loops only at a location spaced from said knitting station.

Claims

1. In a circular knitting machine having a circle of rotating needles, at least one knitting station positioned closely adjacent the circle of needles and including yarn feeding means, and a dial bed positioned inside of said circle of needles and including a plurality of transfer jacks supported for radial movement therein, the combination therewith of means for slitting seamless tubular fabric in a walewise direction as the fabric is being knit, said slitting means comprising a. at least one special transfer jack supported in said dial bed and having a hooked outer end, b. cam means positioned in advance of said knitting station and engageable with said special transfer jack for moving the hooked outer end beyond said circle of needles to pick up yarn at said knitting station and to hold the yarn while it is knit on needles adjacent opposite sides thereof, and c. yarn severing means positioned subsequent to said knitting station and closely adjacent said circle of needles, said yarn severing means being operable to engage and sever the yarn held by said transfer jack.

4. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 3 including a latch ring surrounding said circle of needles, and including means adjustably supporting one end of said heater wire on said latch ring so that the position of the other end of said heater wire may be adjusted, relative to said circle of needles.

9. A method of slitting a seamless tubular fabric in a walewise direction as the fabric is being knit on a circular knitting machine having a rotating needle cylinder, a circle of needles supported for vertical movement in said cylinder, a dial bed positioned inside of said circle of needles and including a plurality of transfer jacks, and at least one knitting station where yarn is fed to said needles and the needles are then drawn down to stitch forming level to form courses of stitch loops, said method comprising the steps of a. projecting at least one transfer jack outwardly and picking up a yarn at said knitting station, b. holding the yarn on said transfer jack while forming stitches on needles adjacent opposite sides of said transfer jack to form a held loop extending upwardly from said needles, and c. severing the held loop of yarn at a location spaced from said knitting station, and d. repeating steps (a) and (b) during each of a plurality of needle cylinder rotations to slit the fabric as it is being knit.