Patent ID: 6321578
Filing Date: 2001-11-27
Classification: D04B

Abstract:
A method for creating an opening in tubular knitted fabric articles, comprising the steps of:(a) providing a knitting machine having a plurality of needles mounted in axial needle slots in a needle cylinder, each of said needles having a hook formed in a top end of a needle shank and a latch pivotally mounted on the needle shank below the hook for opening and closing the hook, and including a deflector for deflecting a loop of yarn being formed by a needle into the vertical plane of an adjacent needle, and a needle cam mounted for reciprocal movement between first and second vertically-spaced positions wherein:(i) in the first position the needle cam lowers successive needles to a position where the loop of yarn is released from a selected loop-forming needle and transferred to a transfer needle; and(ii) in the second position the needle cam lowers successive needles to a position where the loop of yarn is transferred to a transfer needle adjacent the selected loop forming needle without being released from the selected loop-forming needle to thereby form a no-run stitch in the knitted fabric;(b) selecting a needle from which a loop is to be transferred;(c) enlarging the loop on the selected needle by deflecting the loop out of the vertical plane of the selected needle laterally into the vertical plane of an adjacent needle while the adjacent needle is in a lowered, non-interfering position relative to the deflected loop;(d) moving the adjacent needle upwardly into the enlarged loop;(e) when the needle cam is in the first position, removing the selected needle from the deflected loop, whereby the loop is transferred to the adjacent needle thus creating an opening in the fabric; and(f) when the needle cam is in the second position, retaining the deflected loop on the selected needle while the loop is also transferred to the adjacent needle thus creating a no-run opening in the fabric.