WO2009015813A1

WO2009015813A1 - Pusher for transferring stitches in a circular hosiery knitting machine

Info

Publication number: WO2009015813A1
Application number: PCT/EP2008/006036
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gianfranco Colosio
Original assignee: Cesare Colosio S.P.A.
Priority date: 2007-07-30
Filing date: 2008-07-23
Publication date: 2009-02-05
Also published as: ITMI20071532A1; ATE492669T1; TW200932974A; CN101784715B; KR20100045455A; TWI470127B; JP5232862B2; RU2461674C2; CN101784715A; EP2176456A1; EP2176456B1; KR101283707B1; JP2010534775A; DE602008004164D1; RU2010107197A

Abstract

A pusher, for transferring stitches in a circular hosiery knitting machine, has a shank (2), provided with a lower edge heel (3), and an active upper portion (4) which is suitable to transfer a stitch from one needle to another adjacent needle. The active upper portion has a bend (5) which, when viewed from the side, protrudes from the edge of the shank toward which the heel is directed and is formed by a first curved portion (6), by an intermediate portion (7) and by a rounded step (8); the intermediate portion is diverted to one side with respect to the plane of the shank, and ends, through the rounded step, with a second substantially straight portion (9); the second portion is parallel to the plane of the shank but offset with respect it; the second portion ends with a tip (11) through a third oblique portion (10) which is inclined in the opposite direction with respect to the intermediate portion; the tip protrudes, with respect to the plane of the shank, on the opposite side with respect to the one toward which the intermediate portion is diverted; at the second portion there is a first bevel (12) which allows the pusher, during the descending step, not to interfere with an adjacent pusher of the same fold and in an inactive position.

Description

PUSHER FOR TRANSFERRING STITCHES IN A CIRCULAR HOSIERY KNITTING

MACHINE

The present invention relates to a pusher for transferring stitches in a circular hosiery knitting machine. As is known, in a circular hosiery knitting machine the pusher is a member which transfers a stitch from one needle to another when this is required by the knitting being produced.

The manufacture of pushers of the most commonly used type is relatively complicated due to folds and bends which are difficult to make. Also, traditional pushers often break the yarn.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a pusher which overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art.

An object of the invention is to provide a pusher which is simpler and cheaper to manufacture than conventional types of pusher. Another object of the invention is to provide a pusher which is significantly less likely to break the yarns.

This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a pusher for transferring stitches in a circular hosiery knitting machine, comprising a shank provided with a lower edge heel, and an active upper portion which is suitable to transfer a stitch from one needle to another adjacent needle, said pusher being characterized in that: said active upper portion comprises a bend which, when viewed from the side, protrudes from the edge of the shank towards which said heel is directed; said bend is formed by a first curved portion, by an intermediate portion and by a rounded step; said intermediate portion is diverted to one side with respect to the plane of said shank, and ends, through said rounded step, with a second substantially straight portion; said second portion is parallel to the plane of the shank but offset with respect it; said second portion ends with a tip through a third oblique portion which is inclined in the opposite direction with respect to said intermediate portion; said tip protrudes, with respect to the plane of the shank, on the opposite side with respect to the one toward which said intermediate portion is diverted; said pusher being furthermore characterized in that a first bevel is provided, at said second portion, and allows said pusher, during the descending step, not to interfere with an adjacent pusher of the same fold and in an inactive position.

Further characteristics and advantages will become better apparent from the description of preferred but not exclusive embodiments of the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of a pusher with a bend to the right, for movement to the left, according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front view of the pusher of the preceding figure; Figure 3 is a detail view of the upper portion of the pusher of the preceding figures;

Figure 4 is a detail view of the lower portion of the pusher of the preceding figures;

Figure 5 is a sectional view, taken along the plane V-V of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a sectional view, taken along the same sectional plane as Figure 3, showing a pusher with a bend to the left for movement to the right; Figure 7 is a schematic view of an example of arrangement of the pushers with respect to the needles of a circular knitting machine.

With reference to the cited figures, the pusher according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1 , is formed by blanking and bending a flat steel member. The pusher has a shank 12, which is provided with a lower edge heel 3 and an active upper portion, generally designated by the reference numeral 4.

Viewed from the side, the active upper portion 4 is constituted by a bend 5 which protrudes from the edge of the shank toward which the heel 3 is directed.

The bend 5 is formed by a first curved portion 6, by an intermediate portion 7 and by a rounded step 8. The intermediate portion 7 is diverted to one side, respectively to the right (as in

Figure 2) or to the left, with respect to the plane of the shank 2, and ends, through the rounded step 8, with a second substantially rectilinear portion 9.

The second portion 9 is parallel to the plane of the shank 2 and is offset with respect it. The second portion 9 ends with a tip 11 through a third oblique portion 10 which is inclined in the opposite direction with respect to the intermediate portion 7.

Therefore, the tip 11 protrudes, with respect to the plane of the shank 2, on the opposite side with respect to the side towards which the intermediate portion 7 is diverted. According to a particular aspect of the invention, a first bevel 12 is provided, by means of a milling machine, grinding machine or other equipment, or even manually at the second portion 9. The first bevel 12 allows the pusher 1 , in the descending step, not to interfere with the adjacent pusher of the same bend and in an inactive position.

The third oblique portion 10 also has a second bevel 13 which has a similar function to that of the first bevel 12.

Another characteristic of the invention is constituted by a third grinding bevel 14, which is provided at the first curved portion 6 which is suitable to weaken the pusher, because the curved portion 6 is thinner, leaving more space for flexing in the split of the cylinder in which the pusher slides. The rounded shank 8 forms, together with the second portion 9, a groove 15 which is deep enough and acts as a needle latch opener.

When the pusher loads the loop of knitting and arranges itself for the needle on which the loop is to be transferred, this needle tends to rise and, if the tongue is incorrectly closed, it is opened, lowering by means of the yarn itself of the loop. A sufficiently deep groove allows to arrange the woven yarn of the loop of knitting in a position which is favorable to act as a needle opener.

According to another feature of the present invention, induction tempering is performed in order to obtain a tip which is harder than the body of the pusher, which is already tempered but with insufficient hardness. The induction tempering of the tip allows to extend the average operating life of the pusher.

All the edges of the active part of the pusher on which the thread slides are rounded by machining in order to avoid cutting the yarns.

The pusher according to the present invention is fitted in a circular hosiery knitting machine by interleaving it in a parallel arrangement between two needles 30, in a guiding slot, as shown schematically in Figure 7.

The pusher is configured so that the tip 11 enters a slot provided in the first needle 30, in a per se known manner, and so that its third oblique portion 10 lies on a plane beyond a second needle 31 arranged on the other side of the pusher. The second needle 31 can thus pass in a vertical direction between the shank of the pusher and the third oblique portion 10 which is parallel thereto.

The first needle 30 is arranged on one side of the pusher, close to the tip 11 , and the second needle 31 is arranged at the other side of the pusher, with the possibility to rise within the bend 5 above the step 8. In this manner, the pusher can take, with the tip 11 , a stitch from the first needle 30 and divert it toward the second needle 31, retaining it on the step 8 until it is taken by the second needle 31.

By fitting on the cylinder of the machine pushers diverted to the right or to the left, as shown schematically in Figure 7, it is possible to transfer the stitches from one needle to another to form knitting with any pattern.

In practice it has been found that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects, having provided an improved pusher which is capable of transferring stitches more effectively and reliably than known types of pusher.

This application claims the priority of Italian Patent Application No. MI2007A001532, filed on 30 July, 2007, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A pusher for transferring stitches in a circular hosiery knitting machine, comprising a shank provided with a lower edge heel, and an active upper portion which is suitable to transfer a stitch from one needle to another adjacent needle, said pusher being characterized in that: said active upper portion comprises a bend which, when viewed from the side, protrudes from the edge of the shank towards which said heel is directed; said bend is formed by a first curved portion, by an intermediate portion and by a rounded step; said intermediate portion is diverted to one side with respect to the plane of said shank, and ends, through said rounded step, with a second substantially straight portion; said second portion is parallel to the plane of the shank but offset with respect it; said second portion ends with a tip through a third oblique portion which is inclined in the opposite direction with respect to said intermediate portion; said tip protrudes, with respect to the plane of the shank, on the opposite side with respect to the one toward which said intermediate portion is diverted; said pusher being furthermore characterized in that a first bevel is provided, at said second portion, and allows said pusher, during the descending step, to not interfere with an adjacent pusher of the same fold and in an inactive position.

2. The pusher according to claim 1 , characterized in that said third oblique portion has a second bevel which has function which is similar to that of said first bevel.

3. The pusher according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a third grinding bevel, which is provided at said first curved portion and is suitable to weaken a point of the pusher in order to facilitate a flexing of said active upper portion against the shank of an adjacent needle in order to limit friction.

4. The pusher according to claim 1 , characterized in that said rounded step forms, with said second portion, a sufficiently deep groove which acts as a needle latch opener.

5. The pusher according to claim 1 , characterized in that said tip is subjected to induction tempering in order that said tip is harder than the body of the pusher.

6. The pusher according to claim 1, characterized in that all the edges of the active part of the pusher on which the yarn slides are rounded by machining in order to avoid cutting said yarns.