WO1995019463B1

WO1995019463B1 - Knitting apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO1995019463B1
Application number: PCT/GB1995/000060
Authority: WO
Filing date: 1995-01-12
Publication date: 1995-09-08

Abstract

A lint removal system is disclosed for removing lint from a circular knitting machine (1) and at least one associated creel (2) supplying yarn to the knitting machine. The system comprises an extraction hood (6) disposed above the knitting machine and connected via a duct (4) to a suction unit (3), and a housing enclosing the creel and having an air outlet connected via a duct (5) to the suction unit for removal of lint from the creel housing. The creel has its supports for yarn packages located in the housing so as to support the packages in the air stream sucked through the housing between an air inlet of the housing and the air outlet.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS[received by the International Bureau on 18 August 1995 (18.08.95); original claim 3 cancelled; claim 1 amended; claims 4 and 7 replaced by amended claims 3 and 6; claims 5, 6 and 8-17 unchanged but renumbered as claims 4, 5 and 7-16; remaining claims unchanged (4 pages)]

1. Knitting apparatus comprising a circular knitting machine (1) , at least one creel (2) having supports (61) for packages (62) of yarn to be fed to the knitting machine, and a lint removal system, characterised in that the lint removal system comprises an extraction hood (6) disposed above the knitting machine (1) and connected to a duct (4) for connecting the hood to a suction unit (3), which produces an air stream through the extraction hood and the duct, whereby lint is removable from the machine through the extraction hood and duct and delivered to the suction unit, and a housing (5) enclosing the or each creel and having air inlet means (57) via which air is admitted to the creel housing from ambient and air outlet means (59) adapted to be connected to the suction unit, which produces an air stream through the creel housing between the air inlet and outlet means, whereby lint is removable from the creel housing and delivered to the suction unit, the supports (61) in the creel housing for the yarn packages (62) being disposed in the housing (51) so as to support the yarn packages in the air stream between the inlet and outlet means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lint removal system includes one or more fans (46) arranged to blow air inwardly of the knitting machine (1) for dislodging lint from the machine and removal via the extraction hood (6).

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the fan(s) (46) are located above the knitting machine (1) and the intake end of the extraction hood (6) so as to blow air downwardly and inwardly onto the knitting machine. 1 8

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the fan(s) are mounted for rotation about the knitting machine.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the or each fan (46) is mounted on an arm (48) projecting substantially radially of the machine (1) and the arm is mounted for rotation about an axis substantially coaxial with the knitting machine.

6. Creel apparatus for a knitting or other textile machine, comprising a housing (51) having air inlet means (57) via which an air stream is admitted to the creel housing, air outlet means (59) via which the air stream is discharged from the creel housing, supports (61) for yarn packages (62) mounted in the housing so as to support the yarn packages in the air stream as it flows between the inlet and outlet means, and a duct (5) for connecting the air outlet means (59) to a suction unit (3) which produces said air stream, whereby lint is removable from the creel housing (51), in said air stream, and is delivered to the suction unit.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each creel housing (51) is an elongated housing and the yarn package supports (61) are arranged in one or more columns generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing, and wherein the air inlet and outlet means (57,59) are positioned so that the cleaning air stream produced in the housing by the suction unit is in a direction generally orthogonal to the columns of package supports (61).

8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each creel housing (51) has yarn guide tubes (63) for feeding yarn from the creel (2) to the machine (1), the intake end (64) of each yarn guide tube being arranged relative to its associated yarn 1 9

package support (61) so that the yarn is fed from a yarn package to the associated yarn guide tube (63) in the direction of the air stream between the air inlet and outlet means.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the yarn guide supports (61) are mounted adjacent the air inlet means (57) and the intake ends (64) of the yarn guide tubes are disposed adjacent the air outlet means (59)

10. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the air inlet means (57) comprises an air inlet opening or openings in a side of the housing (51) adjacent the yarn supports (1) and substantially coextensive therewith and the air outlet means comprises an elongated slot (59) in the opposite side of the housing.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the supports (61) for the yarn packages are arranged in side-by-side columns adjacent to and coextensive with the air inlet means, and the air inlet means comprises a door providing access to the creel housing (51).

12. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the air inlet means (57) incorporates at least one filter screen (58).

13. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the extraction hood (6) includes a downwardly directed conical air deflector, the intake diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the knitting machine head (7) .

14. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, including a suction unit (3) adapted to draw air sequentially from the extraction hood and the or each creel housing (21). 2 0

15. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, including a suction unit (3) having a lint collection receptacle (20) for collecting lint entrained in the suction air stream drawn into the suction unit.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the suction unit (3) comprises a suction fan assembly (11) connected to the suction ducts (4,5) via filter means (14) and wherein the lint collection receptacle (20) is arranged adjacent the intake side of the filter means (14) to collect lint entrained in the suction air stream.

2 1

STATEMENT UNDER ARTICLE 19

EP-A-0 531 919 which is the sole document cited in the international search report as being of particular relevance is directed to a lint removal system for circular knitting machines and creels in which the lint is collected on cylindrical filters mounted respectively above the knitting machine and within the creel housing. The collected lint is subsequently removed from these filters by suction heads mounted adjacent and movable relatively to the filters and is delivered to a suction unit connected to the suction heads. In the case of the knitting machine, the lint is entrained in an air stream and delivered to the filter by a fan disposed between the machine and the filter. In the case of the creel, EP-A-0 531 919 teaches an enclosed creel housing having an internal air recirculating system in which lint is entrained in a cleaning air stream continuously recirculated through the enclosed housing, over the yarn packages and through the associated filter by a fan positioned cnetrally of the cylindrical filter.

The lint removal system which is the subject of the present application is distinguished from EP-A-0531 919 in that the lint collecting on the knitting machine and creel surfaces is directly removed from the immediate vicinity of the machine and creels and collected at a remote position. This is achieved by a simple and novel approach which firstly comprises an extraction hood mounted above the knitting machine and connected via a duct to a separate suction unit which produces an air stream through the extraction hood and duct so as to suck lint from the machine surfaces and deliver it directly to the suction unit where it is collected for disposal. Secondly, it comprises enclosing the creel within a housing which has an air inlet for admitting air into the housing from ambient and an air outlet connectable to a separate suction unit which produces a flow of air through the housing, from the inlet to the outlet, and over yarn packages disposed between the inlet and outlet, for entraining lint from the creel and again delivering it directly to the suction unit. The claims have been amended to emphasise these novel structures which are not taught either by EP-A-0 531 919 or the other cited art.