Patent GB-1121143-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to straight bar knitting machines
Inventor: DUNCAN WILLIAM
IPC: D04B11/14
Filed: 1964-12-24
Abstract: 1,121,143. Knitting-machines. DONALD SON BROS (ALLOA 1937) Ltd. and WILLIAM COTTON Ltd. 15 Dec., 1965 [24 Dec., 1964], No. 52516/64. Heading D1C. A multi division straight-bar rib machine for producing a successive number of rib welts at each division has point transfer mechanism and a conveyor system for removing the welts as they are produced from the needles of the machine and conveying them to a transfer machine where they are again transferred on to a transfer point bar which can then be used on a plain machine to transfer the preformed loops to the needles of the latter. The rib machine is also capable of producing plain fabric but normally during production of a rib welt the alternate needles are lowered and knitting takes place on the frame needles 1 and machine needles 9, Fig. 2. On completion of the rib welt the alternate frame needles are raised and receive the loops from the machine needles and if desired loop doubling may then take place to reduce the number of needles holding loops so as to correspond with the subsequent width of fabric to be produced on the plain machine. A point bar 18 is provided associated with each division of the machine and is initially supported by a conveyor 16 above the corresponding division. Transfer mechanism 19 also is provided and comprises arms 20 having a slideways 20a which when the arms 20 are pivoted upwardly engage a roller 18a on the forward end of the point bar 18 such that when pusher arms 22 of the mechanism, which have been simultaneously raised with the arms 20 are advanced their forked ends 22a are latched onto the rear peg 18b on the point bar 18 causing the bar to advance until the roller 18a slidably engages on the hook end 20b of the slideways 20a. Continued movement of the pusher arms 22 tilts the point bar as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, until the points assume a somewhat vertical position. The point bar is now free of the conveyor 16 and the mechanism 19 is lowered to cause the points to box with the needles to transfer the loops onto the points. The mechanism 19 is then reversed and the point bar returned to the conveyor 16. During this latter operation and after the completion of the last course the yarn from the yarn guide is trapped and severed as is also the yarn extending from a guide which is used to produce the initial courses of yarn. To perform this operation yarn trapping and severing mechanism 47, 48 is provided for the yarns extending at each end of the fabric Fig. 9, each of which comprises a block 93 slidably mounted on rods 49, 50 supported in end blocks 51, 52 slidably supported in guideways 53, 54 in end plates 55, 56. The blocks 51, 52 are raised up and down by arms 59, 60 under the control of a clutch and electric motor. The blocks 93 support a clamp 95 Figs. 11, 12 and 13, which is raised and lowered to clamp a yarn between its end and a trapper arm 94 by a pivoted arm 77, 78 which simultaneously moves a cutter 101 across the face of trapper arm 94 to sever the yarn. The arms 77, 78 are connected to chain driven blocks 79, 80 and the chain 81 is driven through a clutch from the electric motor. When it is desired to sever the yarns the chain is operated to influence the arms 77, 78 to move the trapper arms into engagement with the yarns whereupon the arms 60 are raised to lift the blocks 93 causing the arms 77, 78 to pivot and cause the yarns to be clamped and severed. After the removal of the rib welt, the conveyor transfers each point bar in turn to a transfer machine in which mechanism similar to the transfer mechanism serves to lift the point bar and lower it so that its points are aligned with the points 152 of a transfer bar 151, Figs. 16 and 17, not shown. A comb 154 of blade elements 153 is provided which engages between the points of the two bars and draws the fabric loops from one to the other. This operation is successively performed until the transfer bar 151 has a number of welts on its points whereupon it is removed for use in straight bar plain knitting machine to enable the preformed welts to be transferred to the needles of this machine. In the meantime the point bars 18 are returned to the conveyor and when each has been relieved of its welt the conveyor is reversed to return them to a position above the corresponding divisions of the machine to receive the next series of welts produced.