US3890808A - Device on a flat knitting machine for inserting a design - Google Patents

Abstract

A device on a flat knitting machine for inserting a design thread; the device having a nut mounted in a movable lock for the main thread and a thread guide fastened into the apparatus base for the main and design threads, wherein two hold-back agents are provided for the design thread in a stretched condition, the hold-back agents being arranged on both sides of the nut in the direction of movement of the lock, a selector shaft guide provided for connecting the agents and passing next to the nut, and mechanical elements being provided for freeing the design thread from the hold-back agents depending upon the direction of movement of the lock.

Description

United States Patent 1 Ziillig et a].

[ June 24, 1975 DEVICE ON A FLAT KNITTING MACHINE FOR INSERTING A DESIGN [75] Inventors: Heinz Ziillig, Wettingen; Robert Leutwyler, Regensdorf, both of Switzerland [73] Assignee: Madag Maschinenund Apparatebau Dietikon AG, Switzerland [22] Filed: Aug. 19, I974 [21] Appl. No.: 497,785

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner-Ronald Feldbaum Attorney, Agent, or FirmOblon Fisher, Spivak, McCielland & Maier 5 7 ABSTRACT A device on a flat knitting machine for inserting a design thread; the device having a nut mounted in a movable lock for the main thread and a thread guide fastened into the apparatus base for the main and design threads, wherein two holdback agents are pro- A 21,1973 5 I d ..12028 73 g: 22 974 3:25:; 256574 vlded for the design thread in a stretched condition, the hold-back agents being arranged on both sides of [52] us CL I l i l I 661127 the nut in the direction of movement of the lock, a se- [511 Int Cl I i 15/52 lector shaft guide provided for connecting the agents [58] Field I26 27 and passing next to the nut, and mechanical elements being provided for freeing the design thread from the [56] Reierences Cited hold-back agents depending upon the direction of UNITED STATES PATENTS mmmem the 2.710.529 6/1955 Piltz .r 66/127 13 Claims 22 'B Figures 2581922151610 171520 27 2524 UR \u 11."- -J4 r--- 4 esf 26-- -f'-1 Jjzzf: q .t

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n 1 K 8 N9 g N9 o: b: 5? mm? mi wow 09 m9. mm? hm omw mmwqo mo QNF FmFm P 0Q. mm? m- 09 mm NM; Pwr oh JmP wt. mm? m2 8 i H 1 E. 5P m: 09 09 mm? mm? $9 mm; mm? -98? mm? Pm? @o mm? r mo mm? PATENTEDJUM 24 1915 SHEU FIG.16

DEVICE ON A FLAT KNITTING MACHINE FOR INSERTING A DESIGN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to knitting machines and more particularly to a device in a flat knitting machine for inserting a design thread.

2. Description of the Prior Art There are existing devices for inserting a design thread in a flat knitting machine in which the design thread must be conducted past the main thread nut. All such devices require mechanical guides for the design thread which leads to a very complicated construction design of the fastening lock. For this reason such devices are not especially suited for simple hand-operated knitting machines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device in which the necessary passage of the design thread near the main thread can be eliminated, and which is therefore simpler in construction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of simple and economical construction which can be utilized in flat knitting machines in which the passage of the design thread near the main thread can be eliminated.

Briefly, in accordance with the present invention, the foregoing and other objects are attained by providing two hold-back agents for a taut design thread, the holdback agents being arranged on both sides of the nut in the direction of movement of the fastening lock and connected by a selector shaft guide that passes by the nut. Apparatus is also provided for freeing the design thread from the hold-back agents depending upon the direction of movement of the lock.

In the preferred model, the auxiliary nuts are swiveling gripping hooks one of which being in front according to the direction of movement the lock is rotated into a working position in which it catches the design thread stretched over the thread guide, while the hind gripping hook is swiveled into a freeing position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the needle board with the movable lock and thread holder of a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the lock of FIG. I in enlarged scale;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the lock of FIG. 2 partly cut away;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line IVIV of FIG. 2 in enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the lock of a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a partly broken away front view of the lock of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view along line VIIVII of FIG. 5 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. Sis the left side ofa plan view ofa third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8a is the right side of a plan view of a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is the left side of a sectional view along the line IXIX of FIGS. 8 and 10;

FIG. 9a is the right side of a sectional view along line IXIX of FIGS. 8 and 10;

FIG. 10 is the left side of a bottom view of the present invention;

FIG. 10a is the right side ofa bottom view of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is the left side of a sectional view along line XIXI of FIG. I0 in the first position of the control instruments, without a coupling instrument;

FIG. :1 is the right side of a sectional view along line XIXI of FIG. 10 in the first position of the control instruments, without a coupling instrument;

FIGS. 12 and 13 show sectional views as in FIG. II, through the back part of the device in relation to the lock direction of movement, with the control instruments in a second and third position;

FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the coupling instrument;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view along line XV-XV of FIG. 10;

FIG. 16 is a sectional view along line XVIXVI of FIG. 10;

FIG. I7 is a front view of the sequence switch cam on an enlarged scale; and

FIG. I8 illustrates an auxiliary nut.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The device described in the following are intended to be inserted into the lock of a flat knitting machine, of which only the needle board (without the needles) I, the lock 2 and the thread holder 3 are represented in FIG. I.

In the case of the first embodiment as shown in FIGS. I through 4, an upper cover plate 4 of the lock 2 has a notch 5 in the middle of the front side thereof, into which the nut 6 of the main thread 7 is fitted according to customary methods. Behind notch 5 in the cover plate 4 there is a selector shaft guide 10 that connects two perforations 8 and 9. The two recesses are arranged in the axis of the movement directions of the lock (see arrow A in FIG. I) on both sides of the notch 5 or the nut 6. In the area of each of these perforations 8 and 9, a base plate 11 and I2 is fastened, movable on the underside of the cover plate 4, in the direction of movement ofthe lock 2. A hold-back agent, in the form of a guide socket l3 and I4 is fastened to each base plate 11 and 12. The guide socket passes through the corresponding perforation 8 or 9 and extends over the surface of the cover plate 4. Each guide socket 13 or 14 includes a plate essentially bent into a U-shape, with an upper edged beading 15. The two sockets are arranged in the corresponding perforations 8 and 9 in such a way that the closed sides of the U-shape face one another, and the conducting channels 16 and 17 formed by these U-shapes are at least approximately at an equal distance from the front edge of the cover plate 4 as the main thread nut 6. Furthermore, the two channels I6 and 17 are inclined downward toward one another. The arms of the edged beading 15 of each guide socket I3 and 14 form two gripping arms I8 and 19 or 20 and 21 for the design thread 22, such that the hind arms 19 and 20 partly extend into the corresponding perforations 8 and 9 when the selector shaft guide is lengthened.

In two sockets 23 and 24 of each base plate 11 and 12, parallel to the surface of the cover plate 4 and at right angles to the front edge of the lock, an activation bolt 25 is arranged axially and movably, with a spring around the portion thereof that is located between the two sockets 23 and 24. The spring 26 is braced on one side against the front socket 23 and on the other side against a guide ring 27 that is attached fixedly to the bolt 25, such that the bolt 25 can be moved forward in opposition to the effect of the spring 26 and then pushed back into the back position, shown in FIG. 4, by the spring 26. The front end of the activation bolt 25 is hinged to the one-armed lever 28 which in turn is fixed to the cover plate 4 by means of the axis 30 that passes through the forward slot 29. Axis 30 is in turn connected with a swiveling ejector lever 31 that is located in a plane above that of the upper edge of the guide sockets. The arrangement is such that when the activation bolt 25 is moved forward and thus swivels the ejector lever 31, this swiveling motion grasps a design thread located in the channel 16 or 17 and lifts it out of the channel. Thereupon the design thread 22 is on the outer side of the ejector lever 31, and the arrangement is such that when the tip of an ejector lever 31 reaches the outer edge of the back gripping arm 19 or 20 and thus ends its swiveling movement, its position is still inclined toward the nut 6.

A control crank 32, that can be moved along the board 1 and fastened into operating position, operates with the back end of the activation bolt 25 in such a way that when the bolt 24 reaches the crank, it is pushed forward by overcoming the force of the spring 6 and thus releases the described swiveling movement of the ejector lever 31.

The mode of operation of the described device is such that the design thread 22 is inserted into, for example, the forward guide channel 16 in the direction of movement. The sequence switch cams are so arranged that they bound the area of the needle board 1 passed upon the to-and-fro movement of the lock on both sides. At the reversal point of the lock movement, the activating bolt 25, that is in front according to the direction of movement, is activated on the control crank 32 assigned thereto, whereby it is pushed forward and swivels the corresponding ejector lever 31 over the upper aperture of the corresponding guide socket 13 or 14. Thereupon the ejector lever 31 grips the design thread 22 that has been pulled through the appropriate channel 16 or 17 and lifts it out of the channel until, at the end position of the swivel movement, it is lying on the outer side of the ejector lever that is inclined toward the forward edge of the lock. Proceeding from the assumption that the lock in FIG. 1 has just completed a movement from right to left, then the lock too is located on the left side of the thread guide 3. The consequence of this is the fact that the design thread 22 is being pulled toward the right, due to which fact it is lifted off the ejector lever and pulled along the back edge of the selector shaft guide into the perforation 9 such that, as soon as the slide movement in the opposite direction begins, the design thread 22 is caught in the guide socket 14.

Therefore, it is possible to change the relative position of the design thread 22 in relation to the main thread 7, depending upon the slide movement, using the simplest means.

With respect to the arrangement of a selector shaft guide 10 or 10a, which connects two perforations arranged on both sides of the main thread nut 6 along the axis of direction of movement. the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 through 7 is different only insofar as the two perforations 8a and 9a are oblong in form. However, in this embodiment, the hold-back agents are gripping elements 33 and 34, which consist each of a stationary wedge 35 and 36 and a movable, two- armed lever wedge 37 and 38. Therefore, the two movable wedges 37 and 38 swivel on the stationary wedges 35 and 36, while the stationary wedges 35 and 36 are fastened movably on the underside of the cover plate 40, moving the direction of movement of the lock, and are guided by bolts 40 that project downward from the cover plate and pass through the longitudinal slits 39. Of the two arms 41 and 42 or 43 and 44 of each wedge 37 and 38, one (42 and 44) has a hooklike projection 45, while the other 35 and 36 has a notch 46 that serves as a hold-back for a nut 47, depending upon the relative position of the two wedges of a gripping element 33 or 34; the design thread is pulled through the nut. On the underside of each movable wedge 37 and 38 there is a spring-loaded ball 48 in an appropriate socket 73, which operates together with three projections 49-51 or 52-54 on the upper side of the stationary wedges 35 and 36 in the sense of a snap device in such a way that the movable wedge can be swiveled out of one of the three positions formed by the projections only by overcoming the pressure of the spring. The two hind arms (41, 43) of the movable wedge (37, 38) are connected by means of a telescopic bar 55, whereby between the two bar parts 56 and 57, that fit into each other, there is a spring-loaded snapping device, that is not shown in the figures, which guarantees a connection between the two bar sections in two different, opposite positions.

A guide bar 74, corresponding to the shape of the selector shaft guide 10a, is located directly behind the selector shaft guides back edge and extends on both sides over the perforations 8a and 9a, where it is attached to the underside of the cover plate 4a by means of two vises. The nut 47 is caught by the lower end thereof in a first wire loop 76 of a nut guide 77, the other wine loop 78 of which is looped around the guide rod 74 such that the movement of the nut 47 is guided from one of the perforations 8a and 9a to the other.

On both sides of the insertion device there is a control crank 58 or 59 that can be moved along the board 1 and fastened into a certain position by suitable means, with two opposite movable surfaces 60 and 61 or 62 and 63 as well as corresponding butting faces 64 and 65 or 66 and 67.

The mode of operation of the insertion device of this second embodiment is such that the nut 47, with the design thread 22, is placed in the hold-back socket that is in front depending upon the direction of movement of the slide, i.e., is inserted into the hold-back socket 36/38 in the case of an assumed direction of movement along arrow b in FIG. 5. The appropriate gripping element is located in contact position in which the ball 48 enters the notch 52. The movable wedge 37 of the hind gripping element, connected by means of the bar 55 with the wedge 38, is in release position, in which the appropriate wedge 37 has reached the extreme position in this swivel movement in the clockwise direction, and its ball 48, is in the notch 49. if in the course of the assumed lock movement (arrow b) the free end of the arm 43 of the wedge 38 reaches the butting face of the control crank 59, such wedge 38 is swiveled in the counterclockwise direction by an angle determined by the position of the movable surface 62, whereby the arrangement is such that the spring bearing 48 enters into the middle notch 53. In this position, which is transmitted to the wedge 37 as well by the telescopic bar, the nut 47 can move out of the appropriate gripping element due to the effect of the tension of the design thread, and, as a result of said tension. is guided through the slit a into the perforation 8a, whereby the wire loops 78 slide along the guide rod 74. In the perforation 8u, the nut 47 enters into the hold-back socket /37. In the meantime, the lock has moved so far that the butting faces 67 of the control crank 59 have the hold-back socket 35/37, into which the nut then enters. In the meantime, the lock has moved so far that the butting faces 67 of the control crank 59 have moved the wedge 38 into an even more open position, the wedge 37 on the other hand into closed position, whereby a snap connection of these two wedges with the stationary wedges 35 and 36 is formed by the balls 48 and the notches 51 or 54. Thus, when the lock reverses, the nut 47 and with it the design thread 22 are again located in the direction of movement in front of the nut 6 of the main thread 7. In this way, it is also possible to adjust the relative position of the design thread 22 to the main thread 7 of the momentary direction of movement of the lock without forced control of the design thread.

ln the case of certain designs, such as the web design, it is necessary to reduce the distance of the design thread 22 from the main thread 7. This can be done most simply in the case of both models by shifting the base plates 11 and 12 or the stationary wedges 35 and 36 together with the swiveling movable wedges 37 and 38 attached to them into the axis of the direction of movement in relation to the cover plate 4. In the case of the first model, there is a guide bolt that passes through a longitudinal slit 69 in the upper side of the base plates 11 and 12, and the axes 30 pass through the cover plate 4 through appropriate slits 29.

In the case of the second embodiment, each stationary wedge 35, 36 has two clamping screws 40 that pass through the cover plate 4a through appropriate longitudinal slits 39 and in this way make it possible to shift the stationary wedges and thus the hold-back agents in relation to the nut 6 of the main thread 7.

The third preferred embodiment, shown in FIGS. 8 through 18, offers the possibility, by even simpler means, of connecting the device with those technical knitting mechanisms that are necessary for producing the web design. In this embodiment, the angular frame consists essentially of a top plate 101 and a front plate 102 which is to be attached to a lock of a knitting machine that is not shown in this figure. For this reason, the top plate 101 has slits 103 for fastening screws that are not shown, as well as a window 104 for the activation rib 105 of the sequence switch cam 106, and finally a selector shaft guide 107, arranged symmetrical on the geometric transverse axis, for the design thread. The design thread is bounded on the back side by a ridge 108 that faces the unrepresented lock, and on the front by two curved edges 109, whereby both of these edges, together with the front edge 110 of the top plate 101 form two wings 114 separated by the thread passage 113 that is bridged by the fastening piece 1 ll of the threaded nut 112. The front plate 102 has a complete perforation 115 in the center thereof, which perforation tapers as it continues through the top plate 101 and finally forms the thread passage 113. Two identical carriers 116 are screwed onto the bottom of the top plate 101, symmetrical to the geometric frame transverse axis. Each of these carriers 116 gas a perpendicularly curved guide edge 117 along the back edge thereof, with a slot 118, and along the front edge thereof a diagonally curved trestle 119 with a diagonal edge section 120 that projects at the front. The edge sections 120 of the two trestles 122 are facing each other, and each have an arm 121 that stretches toward the other, which arm ends in a flap plate 122 with a slot 123. In the center of the top plate, across from the thread passage 113, the top plate 124 of the angular control frame 125 is fastened to the bottom of the thread passage. The front plate 126 of the guide frame. which is perpendicular to the top plate 124, supports on the one hand the pivot pin 127, located in the plane of symmetry of the frame 100, for the sequence switch cam 106, and on the other is penetrated by two symmetrically arranged selector shaft guides 128. The sequence switch cam 106 can be stopped in three positions, and has three notches 129-131 on the back thereof for fastening it into these positions. The positioning spring 132 screwed onto the bottom of the top plate catches with these notches. On the same radius as the notch 130, which is intended for the middle position, the sequence switch cam 106 has a bump 133 (FIG. 14) located toward the back, which cooperates with the projection 134 of one of the arms 135 of the two-armed lever 135/ l 36 that revolves around the pin 137 located in the top plate 124 ofthe guide frame 125. The second arm 136 is connected such that it swivels with the guide rod 138, which is in turn attached to the one-armed coupling lever 139 that rotates around the axis 140. The axis 140 is located atop the disk 141 parallel to the top plate 124, through which disk two guide slots 142 of guide bolts 143 attached to the top plate penetrate. The bolts 143, in the middle position of the sequence switch cam 106 illustrated in FIG. 10, in which the positioning spring is located in the notch 130, are located in the center of their corresponding slots 142. The disk 141 has two feet 163 projecting over the front edge thereof, which feet pass through the selector shaft guides 128 into the front plate 126 of the guide frame 125. Furthermore, one end of the spring 144 is anchored in the disk 141 which the other end thereof grasps the coupling lever 139 and attempts to move it clockwise, as shown in FIG. 10. On the free end thereof, the coupling lever 139 has a slot 145 through which the pin 146 mounted on the disk 141 passes and thus limits the rotating movement caused by the spring 144. On the same end of the coupling lever, further toward the back, i.e., facing the unillustrated lock, there is a coupling slit 147 which catches a coupling element 148, only schematically indicated, of the lock, which element by means of exiting elements not shown in the diagrams, is moved, upon a reversal of the direction of movement of the lock, relative to the lock and thus to the device illustrated, especially the frame 100, by a certain degree in the direction of the new movement,

7 retaining this position until the next reversal point (see FIG. 14).

From the lever system described. it is seen that when the sequence switch cam 106 is found in one of the ex treme positions, i.e., in a position (see FIG. 12 and FIG. 13), in which the positioning spring 132 comes into contact with one of the notches 129, 131. the projection 134 assumes a back position, ie, one to the left or right near the bumps 133, in which the coupling lever 139 is swiveled by the spring 144 over the back edge of the top plate 101 to the outside and is brought into contact with the coupling element 148 of the lock. In the central position. on the other hand, in which the spring 132 comes into contact with the notch 130 and the projection 134 is located on the bumps 133, the coupling lever 139 is pulled, in opposition to the effect of the spring 144, toward the front, i.e., away from the lock, whereby the connection with the coupling element 148 of the lock is broken. The result is that guiding movements by the lock can be transmitted to the design thread only in the two extreme positions of the sequence switch cam 106. When the coupling is ac complished, i.e., when the coupling lever 139 has been swung out, it is moved in the new direction of movement upon each reversal of the locks direction. This movement is transmitted to the disk 141 through its rotation axis 140.

On the front thereof, the sequence switch cam 106 has two selection shaft guides 149 and 150, into each of which a guide pin 151 fits. Each guide pin rises toward the back from the end of one of two opposite guide levers 152 located on the axis of the design device, whereby the other end of each of the guide levers 152 supports another pin 153, that fits into the slot 118 of the corresponding guide flap 117 and rotates around an axis 154 fastened onto the front plate 126 of the guide frame 125. The axes 154, as well as other pins 155 fixed stationarily on each guide lever 152 serve as the guide for a toothed rack 156, through the slots 157 and 158 of which an axis 154 and a pin 155 pass, such that each toothed rack 156 is arranged so that it moves along the guide lever 152 assigned thereto. Each of these toothed racks 156 controlled by a retracting spring 159, the other end of which is fastened to the stationary pin 154. The end of each toothed rack 156 is the toothed part 160, which meshes the corresponding toothed part of an auxiliary nut 161 fastened rotatingly on the guide lever 152. Each auxiliary nut 161 has a gripping hood 162 (see FIG. 18) curved toward the front around the corresponding guide lever 152 thereof, whereby the length of the longitudinal shift limited between the guide lever 152 and the toothed rack 156 by the longitudinal slits 157 and 158, as well as the gear ratio between the toothed section 160 of the toothed rack 150 and that of the auxiliary nut is so measured that the gripping hood 162 serving as a hold-back agent is swung from an operating position, represented in FIG. 18 by a solid line, to a release position, indicated by a dotted line, in which release position the two gripping hooks 162 are kept by the effect of the springs 159. On the upper edge, thereof. each toothed rack 156 has an inside and an outside shoulder 164 and 165, whereby the inside shoulders 164, undisturbed by the swivel position of the appropriate guide lever 152, cooperate with one of the feet 163, while the outside shoulders 165 reach the area of an arm 166 ofa brush-swivel de vice that is yet to be described only when the guide lever 152 is in the upper swivel position (see FIG. 13).

Proceeding from the operating position shown in FIG. 12, where the sequence switch cam 106 is located in the extreme right position thereof (Jacquard position), and in which the guide pins are lifted into their upper position by the guide grooves 149 and 150, the two guide levers 152 and the corresponding axes 154 are swung into their lower position, limited by the lower edge of the corresponding slot 118, in which their inside shoulders 164 are located in the area of one of the feet 153, while the outer shoulders 165 are located outside the area of the corresponding arm 166. If as a result, the coupling lever 139 is moved sideways in the direction of movement of the lock by the lock, through the coupling element 148, then there is a movement of the disk 141 in the same direction, which is transmitted by the foot in front depending on the direction of movement and the corresponding inside shoulder 164, to the toothed rack 156. Since the guide lever 152, depending upon the position of the sequence switch cam 106, is located in the lower position thereof, the arm 166, and thus the brush-swivel device yet to be described are not affected by this movement. On the other hand, the movement of the toothed rack 156 in front depending upon the lock direction of movement, results in the fact that the corresponding auxiliary nut 161 is swiveled at such an angle that a design thread is caught by the gripping hook 162 in front in the direction of movement, in a manner that is to be explained later. Upon a reversal of the locks direction of movement, upon which the coupling element 148 and with it the disk 14] are moved in the opposite direction, the toothed rack 156, that has so far been in front in the direction of movement, is pulled back by the corresponding spring 159, such that the auxiliary nut 16] cooperating with the corresponding toothed rack 156 is rotated back and the corresponding gripping hook 162 is swung into the release position. In the opposite manner, the disk 14] and the toothed rack that is now in front in the new direction of movement, rotates the auxiliary nut 161 and gripping hook assigned to it 162 are rotated into the operating position. In other words, the gripping hook 162 that is in front depending upon the direction of movement is always in the operating position, and the back one is always in the release position.

If a design thread is led by the thread guide attached to the needle board through the guide slit 107 through the front gripping hook 162 and then into the knitting area, then this design thread is always in front of the normal thread that is led through the nut 112. At the reversal point, in which the front gripping hook 162 is swung back into the release position, as described due to the effect of the spring 159 assigned to the corresponding toothed rack 156, the design thread is pulled out of the hook 162 by the thread guide (see FIG. 11) and moved toward the other end of the selector shaft guide 107. The other hook 162 is there in the operating position after the opposite movement has begun, such that the design thread is caught up by that hook, until the next reversal point, where this process is repeated. Thus, in summary, it is seen that when the sequence switch cam 106 is in one of the positions indicated in FIG. 12 or FIG. 13, the design thread then automatically jumps into whichever hook 162 is in front at each reversal point of the slide movement and thus, regardless of the slide movement, is always in front of the normal thread. If, on the other hand, the sequence switch cam 106 is rotated into the middle position, as in FIG. 11, in which the coupling with the element 148 of the lock is released, then there is no movement of the gripping hooks 162. In the case of normal knitting, the device is inoperative in this position.

Each arm 166 forms a part of one of two two-armed guide levers 168, each of which is fixed rotatingly around a stationary pivot pin 169 at the edge section 120 of one of the trestles 119, whereby its movement is limited by the slot 123 in the flap 122, into which a pin 171 connected with the brush gear 170 forming the second arm of the guide lever 168 fits. One end of the spring 172 is hung onto each arm 166, and the other end is connected with a curved eye 173 of each support 116. On the facing ends of each brush gear a hold-back brush 174 is rotatably mounted, whereby the springs 172 are supposed to hold the appropriate brush gears 170 and thus the appropriate brushes 174 in the upper, inactive position, shown in FIG. 16, by a solid line. Between the two brushes 174 there is a nut holder 175 consisting of a double-bent plate. The nut holder 175 has two tongue hold-backs 176 projecting to the left and right of the direction of movement, whereby in the rest position shown in FIG. 16, the two brushes 174 are directly behind these tongue hold-backs 176 and upon a movement of the brush gear 170 can be moved into a diagonally inclined plane toward the back of the needle board, corresponding to the diagonal position of the edge section 120 of the trestle 119, in such a way that in the case of web design weaving, the part of the design thread that is not intended for the mesh formation, is held securely beneath the front-running knitting needles.

In the position of the sequence switch cam 106 shown in FIG. 13, which corresponds to the web design formation, in which the positioning spring 132 is caught in the notch 131, the projection 134 of the arm 135 is again next the the bump 133, such that the coupling with the coupling element 141 of the lock is accomplished in the manner already described. On the other hand, the guide pins 151 were swung into their lowest position by the corresponding form of the guide grooves 149 and 150 on the front of the sequence switch cam 106, which results in the fact that the ends of the guide lever 1S2 facing outward are in their upper position, in which not only the inside shoulders 164 of each toothed rack 156 cooperate with the corresponding foot 163, but also, the outside shoulders 165 can become active in the sense that they extend to the swivel path of the arm 166 of the guide lever 168 of the brush-swivel device. Due to the effect of the coupling element 148 ofthe lock, the disk 141 is also pushed forward in the appropriate direction of movement when the sequence switch cam 106 is in this position (web design position). Therefore, this forward-directed movement of the disk 141 is transmitted by the guide lever 152 to the corresponding toothed rack, and results not only in the rotation of the appropriate gripping hook 162 into its operating position, but also, due to the cooperation of the outside shoulders 165, swings the toothed rack that is in front in the direction of movement, along with its arm 166 of the corresponding brush-swivel device, and the front guide lever 168, in opposition to the effect of the spring 172, into the lower operating position (see dotted-line position in FIG. 16). In such position, as already noted, it guarantees that the brush that is in front depending upon the direction of movement (174) holds the design thread that does not take part in the web process in the case of web design knitting, beneath the moving needles. In the case of this type of knitting, or the sequence switch cam 106 position as shown in FIG. 13, the two gripping hooks 162 are rotated upon each reversal in such a way that the design thread jumps to the gripping hook that is in front in relation to the new direction, and the holdback brush 174 that is in front in relation to the lock direction is also swung into its operating position.

In the case of pure Jaquard knitting (position of the sequence switch cam 106 as shown in FIG. 12) on the other hand, the ends of the two guide levers 152 facing each other are swung down so far, that the inside shoulders 164 of the toothed racks 156 assigned to each guide lever can be caught by one of the feet 163, while the other outside shoulders 165 cannot rotate the arm 166 of the brush-swivel device any more, such that the movement of the guide lever is only transmitted to the corresponding gripping hook 162, but not to a brush gear 170.

The result is that, depending upon the position of the sequence switch cam 106, for the purpose of ordinary knitting, the coupling between the lock and the design device is released (middle position as shown in FIG. 9), while for the purpose of Jacquard knitting the sequence switch cam 106 is rotated toward the right as in FIG. 12, in which case the control movements of the lock active only the gripping hooks 162. Finally, in the position as shown in FIG. 13, for the purpose of creating a web design, the brush that is in front in relation to the direction of movement can be moved into its operating position.

In this way, it is possible to connect the weaving with those technical knitting methods that are necessary to produce the web design, in the simplest manner.

Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by letters patent of the United States is:

l. A device on a flat knitting machine for inserting a design thread, said device having a nut mounted in a movable lock for the main thread and a thread guide fastened into the apparatus base for the main and design threads, comprising:

means for stretching said design thread;

two hold-back agents for said stretched design thread, said agents arranged on both sides of said nut in the direction of movement of said lock;

a selector shaft guide connecting said agents and passing next to said nut;

means for freeing said design thread from said holdback agents depending upon the direction of movement of said lock.

2. A device as set forth in claim I, wherein each holdback agent is a guide socket whose cross-sections are approximately U-shaped, whereby the closed ends of the guide sockets face each other.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the closed sides of the guide sockets are inclined downward and toward each other.

4. A device as set forth in claim I, wherein the holdback agents are forcibly controlled gripping elements and have both a stationary and a movable wedge, between which a nut through which the design thread passes is held in resistance to the pulling tension of the design thread.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4, wherein the movable wedge of each gripping element is a two-armed lever. one arm of which serves to hold back the design thread nut while the other works together with a control crank fastened to the board.

6. A device as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a nut guide connected with said nut and which works together with a guide rod arranged along a selector shaft guide.

7. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said holdback agents are arranged on said lock in such a way that they can be moved in the direction of movement of said lock.

8. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said holdback agents are swiveling gripping hooks of which that one that is in front in relation to the direction of movement of the lock is rotated in an operating position, in which it catches a design thread stretched over said thread guide, while the hind gripping hook is swung into a release position.

9. A device as set forth in claim 8, further comprising a coupling lever that can be moved in and out of an operating position. for optional connection of the device with a coupling element of said lock.

10. A device as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a disk activated by said coupling lever, the movement of said disk, depending upon the direction of movement of said lock being transmitted to one of two toothed racks that mesh with gripping hooks.

ll. A device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said toothed racks are arranged movably on guide levers and said two guide levers can be swiveled together and in opposite directions by a sequence switch cam.

12. A device as set forth in claim 11, wherein said toothed racks are moved in and out of contact with a brush gear each by swiveling said guide levers.

13. A device as set forth in claim 12, characterized by the fact that a movement of said brush gear caused by the movement of one of said toothed racks moves that one of the rotating hold-back brushes attached to the free end of each said gear that is in front in relation to the lock direction into an operating position, in which it holds said design thread beneath said needle plane in the area of said thread nut.

Claims (13)

1. A device on a flat knitting machine for inserting a design thread, said device having a nut mounted in a movable lock for the main thread and a thread guide fastened into the apparatus base for the main and design threads, comprising: means for stretching said design thread; two hold-back agents for said stretched design thread, said agents arranged on both sides of said nut in the direction of movement of said lock; a selector shaft guide connecting said agents and passing next to said nut; means for freeing said design thread from said hold-back agents depending upon the direction of movement of said lock.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein each hold-back agent is a guide socket whose cross-sections are approximately U-shaped, whereby the closed ends of the guide sockets face each other.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the closed sides of the guide sockets are inclined downward and toward each other.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the hold-back agents are forcibly controlled gripping elements and have both a stationary and a movable wedge, between which a nut through which the design thread passes is held in resistance to the pulling tension of the design thread.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4, wherein the movable wedge of each gripping element is a two-armed lever, one arm of which serves to hold back the design thread nut while the other works together with a control crank fastened to the board.

6. A device as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a nut guide connected with said nut and which works together with a guide rod arranged along a selector shaft guide.

7. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said hold-back agents are arranged on said lock in such a way that they can be moved in the direction of movement of said lock.

8. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said hold-back agents are swiveling gripping hooks of which that one that is in front in relation to the direction of movement of the lock is rotated in an operating position, in which it catches a design thread stretched over said thread guide, while the hind gripping hook is swung into a release position.

9. A device as set forth in claim 8, further comprising a coupling lever that can be moved in and out of an operating position, for optional connection of the device with a coupling element of said lock.

10. A device as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a disk activated by said coupling lever, the movement of said disk, depending upon the direction of movement of said lock being transmitted to one of two toothed racks that mesh with gripping hooks.

11. A device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said toothed racks are arranged movably on guide levers and said two guide levers can be swiveled together and in opposite directions by a sequence switch cam.

12. A device as set forth in claim 11, wherein said toothed racks are moved in and out of contact with a brush gear each by swiveling said guide levers.

13. A device as set forth in claim 12, characterized by the fact that a movement of said brush gear caused by the movement of one of said toothed racks moves that one of the rotating hold-back brushes attached to the free end of each said gear that is in front in relation to the lock direction into an operating position, in which it holds said design thread beneath said needle plane in the area of said thread nut.

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