GB2024267A - Pattern providing apparatus for a knitting machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A pattern providing apparatus is disclosed for knitting machines with a knitting carriage circulating in one direction and a respective pattern wheel (2) arranged on the carriage with pattern wheel bars (3). The pattern wheel bars (3) are selectable before the working stroke and while running over the needle bed act on pattern pins (8) resiliently inserted in a pin bed (5). The pattern pins (8) are each provided with a bore for the guidance of a knitting needle (14). The pattern pins (8) have a lower part (10) which is inserted into the pin bed (5) and which receive a spring (9) and have an upper part (12) pluggable by a bore onto the lower part (10). The lower part is provided with the bore (13) for the guidance of a knitting needle (14). Two kinds of upper parts (12) may be provided, a short upper part, ending immediately behind the bore (13) and which is controllable by the selected pattern wheel bars (3), and a long upper part (12) which is controllable by the selected pattern wheel bars (3). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Pattern providing apparatus for a knitting machine The present invention relates to a pattern providing apparatusfora knitting machine.

A pattern providing apparatus for a knitting machine with a knitting carriage circulating in one direction for the production of Jacquard patterns on a vertical needle bed id disclosed in DD-PS 15733.

Pattern wheel bars, arranged in a pattern wheel and selectable before the working stroke of the knitting carriage, act in accordance with pattern pine guiding the knitting needles and are resiliently held in a pin bed. Pressing-away of the pattern pins effects pressing-away of the feed of the knitting needles out of the range of action of the knitting lock and thereby the formation of a slipped stitch in the knitting. The pattern pins not pressed away leave the knitting needles with their feet in the range of action of the driving part of the knitting lock and in accordance with the position of the lock form loops or stitches in the knitting.

Since the apparatus in one row of stitches permits only the working of slipped stitches and stitches or slipped stitches and loops or loops and stitches, an improvement was disclosed in a further patent application. With the aid of an additional row of pattern pins operable in accordance with the pattern and a presser strip arranged in the knitting lock and actuable by the control device of the knitting machine, the knitting needles are still additionally selectable and stitches, loops and slipped stitches can thereby be produced in one row of knitting.

This apparatus has the disadvantage that the provided Jacquard pattern must be knitted over the entire needle bed. Also, the resetting of the pattern and the new insertion of the pattern pins according to pattern requires a high time expenditure since the entire needle bed has to be dissembled.

According to the present invention there is provided a pattern providing apparatus for a knitting machine comprising a knitting carriage adapted to circulate in one direction, the apparatus comprising a pattern wheel disposed on the knitting carriage and provided with apttern wheel bars which are selectably operable prior to a working stroke of the bars and which while running over the needle bed are adapted to act on first pattern pins each resiliently mounted in a pin bed and each provided with a first bore for guidance of a knitting needle, the first pattern pins through their resilient mounting in the pin bed being adapted to be pressed by the selected pattern wheel bars into the pin bed and thereby causing the associated needles to be out of the range of knitting action, the first pattern pins each comprising a first portion extending into the pin bed and being connected to the resilient means, and a second portion which is connected by a plug and socket connection with the first portion and which is provided with the first bore for the associated knitting needles.

The apparatus may comprise second pattern pins each comprising a first portion having an end adjacent a respective first bore thereof and uncontrollable by the selected pattern wheel bars, the first portion of each first pattern pin being longer than the first portion of each second pattern pin, having and end spaced from a respective first bore thereof and being controllable by the selected pattern wheel bars.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 shows a partial view of needle beds with pin bed and pattern wheel in section, and Figure 2 shows a side elevation of short and long pattern pins.

A pattern wheel 2 circulating with the knitting carriage 1 of the knitting machine carries pattern wheel bars 3, which are selected prior to the working stroke of the knitting carriage 1. These pattern wheel bars 3 are arranged in two planes one around the other and act on pattern pins 8. The pattern pins 8 are provided with bores 13 for the guidance of knitting needles 14 and are resiliently inserted in two rows 6 and 7 in a pin bed 5 according to the desired pattern. The pattern pins 8 each comprise a lower part 10, with a collar4 and receive a spring 9, and a pluggable upper portion 11 or 12 having the bore 13.

There are two kinds of upper portions 11 and 12, a short upper portion 11, ending immediately behind the bore 13 and not controllable by the selected pattern wheel bars 3, and a long upper portion 12 controllable by the selected pattern wheel bars 3.

Independently of the rows 6 and 7 for the reception of the pattern pins 8, there is a further row 15 in the pin bed 5 for the reception of pattern pins 16, which are actuated by a presser strip 17 arranged on the knitting carriage 1 and needed for the production of the patterned edge. Each knitting needle 14 can, apart from in a pattern pin 8, be guided in a pattern pin 16. The pattern pins 16 have no spring 9 and no collar 4 since the knitting needles 14 are each guided in a resilient pattern pin 8 and can therefore be inserted from above into the pin bed 5.

When a pattern pin 8 or the upper portion 12 thereof is engaged by the pattern wheel bars 3, they press the pattern pin 8 downwardly and thereby the knitting needles 14 guided therein out of the range of action of the knitting lock. Both the rows 6 and 7 of the pin bed 5 are completely occupied by lower parts 10 of the pattern pins 8. The upper portions 11 and 12 are plugged in accordance with the desired pattern. Should only a narrow pattern be knitted at one place of the knitting, then only this piece of the pin bed 5 is provided with long upper portions 12 and short upper portions 11 are inserted in the remaining needle bed 5. The short upper portions 11 are not controllable by the pattern wheel bars 3, for which reason the knitting needles 14 connected therewith generate smooth knitting.

Should a greater pattern periodicity be attained than corresponds to the pattern wheel circumference up to a maximum of twice, then a long and a short upper portion 11 and 12 respectively is alter- nately plugged onto the lower portions 10 in the individual rows 6 and 7 of the pin bed 5, wherein however only every second knitting needle 14 can be selected according to pattern. During the first run of the pattern wheel 2, only the knitting needles 14 connected with the pattern pins 8 of the row 6 operate and, during the second run of the pattern wheel 2, only the knitting needles 14 connected with the pattern pins 8 of the row 7. A region of smooth knitting in accordance with the desired pattern can however be worked in at every desired place. Only short upper portions 11 are then inserted in the pin bed 5 for this region.Thus, very diverse variations are attainable by the insertion of the two kinds of upper portions 11 and 12 onto the lower portions 10 in the pin bed 5.

Should a multi-colour Jacquard pattern be worked with only one basic colour of smooth knitting, a further row 18 is provided above the row 15 in the pin bed 5, which is provided according to pattern with pins 19, without a spring 9 and collar 4 insertablefrom above into the pin bed 5 and each having a bore 13 for the guidance of the knitting needlss 14.

Thecollars 4 and the springs 9 are not required since the knitting needles 14 guided in the pins 19 bear in a resilient pattern pin 8. The actuation of the pins 19 takes place like that of the pattern pins 16 through a presser strip 20 arranged at the knitting carriage 1 and actuable by the control device of the knitting machine. the pins 19 are inserted on the piece, where only the basic colour is to be knitted.

The knitting needles 14 guided therein are pressed away during the knitting of the colured Jacquard and the knitting of the additional colour. No pins 19 are inserted in the row 18 of the pin bed 5 over the piece, where coloured Jacquard is to be knitted. In the case of a multi-coloured jacquard pattern with a partially smooth knitted portion in the basis colour, short upper portions 11 are plugged in the rows 6 and 7 of the pin bed 5 and the knitting needles 14 to be guided in the pins 19 at those places therefore, where smooth knitting in basis colour is to be produced.

It is an advantage of the embodiment described above that pattern resetting times are shortened substantially and that any desired pattern can be knitted at any desired place with a pattern periodicity up to twice the width of the pattern wheel circumference.

Also, any desired Jacquard pattern can be worked at any desired place of the knitting. Further, rapid resetting of the pattern without required disassem bly of the needle beds is possible through the pluggable upper portiOns.

Claims (3)

1. A pattern providing apparatus for a knitting mchine comprising a knitting carriage adapted to circulate in one direction, the apparatus comprising a pattern wheel disposed on the knitting carriage and provided with pattern wheel bars which are selectably operable priorto a working stroke of the bars and which while running over the needle bed are adapted to act on first pattern pins each resilient ly mounted in a pin bed and each provided with a first bore for guidance of a knitting needled, the first pattern pins through their resilient mounting in the pin bed being adapted to be pressed by the selected pattern wheel bars into the pin bed and thereby causing the associated needles to be out of the range of knitting action, the first pattern pins each comprising a first portion extending into the pin bed and being connected to the resilient means, and a second portion which is connected by a plug and socket connection with the first portion and which is provided with the first bore for the associated knitting needles.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising second pattern pins each comprising a first portion having an end adjacent a respective first bore thereof and uncontrollable by the selected pattern wheel bars, the first portion of each first pattern pin being longer than the first portion of each second pattern pin, having an end spaced from a respective first bore thereof and being controllable by the selected pattern wheel bars.

3. A pattern providing apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.