Patent GB-492970-A (GB)
Title: Knitting machine and process of producing seamless stocking
IPC: D04B9/06
Filed: 1937-04-06
Abstract: 492,970. Knitting. TRIGGS, W. W. (Nolde & Horst Co.) April 6, 1937, No. 9703. [Class 74 (ii)] Seamless tubular articles having ribbed and plain parts are knitted upon a cylinder-anddial machine provided with means for transferring loops from the cylinder needles to the dial needles and vice versa. The invention is described in connection with a machine with rotary needle cylinder and dial for knitting stockings in string formation, the stocking including a French welt 107, a 1 x 1 rib top 108, a leg 109 which may be either plain knitted or a combination of plain and rib, e.g. 7 x 3 rib work, a heel pocket 110, ring toe 113, toe pocket 114, looper's rounds 115 and a selvedge 116. Ravel and slack portions 117 and 118 may be knitted between the toe of one stocking and the top of the next. Patterning mechanism is provided for selecting the needles of each bed, pivoted jacks 79 being provided for use with the dial needles. Transfer elements M are provided alongside the dial needles, and transfer members P are mounted within the needle cylinder for operation with the cylinder needles. The members P are. mounted so as to be moved axially of the needle cylinder by a cam 280 movable radially under pattern control into the path of the feet 296 of the members, and to pivot so as to move at their upper ends tangentially of the cylinder. For this purpose, a projection 298 on each member engages a cam 299 so that upon a member P being raised it pivots about its foot 296. The member P is offset at its upper end, at 290, to provide a dial needle entering groove, and the cylinder needle 74 lies normally in the vertical plane of the groove so that the part 290 lies alongside and in contact with the side of the needle. A stitch-engaging shoulder 292 having a lip 293 extending therefrom and lying at the back of the needle is provided for entering the loop held by the needle. A transfer element M is provided for each dial needle, and comprises a body portion 121 and a curved or offset end 123 having a recess 125a into which the cylinder needle enters. Means are provided for throwing the fabric take-up mechanism out of action during stitch transfer. The pivoted jacks 79 controlling the dial needles 77 are actuated by sets of swinging cams R, S, each set comprising four cams, e.g. 151 ... 154. Spring-actuated plungers 163, 173 having cam surfaces 170 are provided for actuating the cams 151 ... 154 under control of pattern mechanism. A stitchregulating cam is pivotally mounted in the dial cap for adjustment under pattern control. The machine is provided with a main and auxiliary feed station, and yarn cutting and trapping devices are provided at each of these stations. A latch-opening brush 316 is provided at the auxiliary feed station for opening the latches of the dial needles as they are projected, and is driven by gearing 317 in direction opposite to the cylinder rotation. Means are provided for shifting the position of the dial angularly with respect to the cylinder. An additional yarntensioning device comprising spring pressed plates is provided for tensioning the yarn during the knitting of the rib top, and the plates are held apart during plain knitting by a pattern controlled pointed lever.