Patent GB-711461-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in circular multi-feed hosiery knitting machines and method of operating same
IPC: D04B9/56
Filed: 1949-10-04
Abstract: 711,461. Knitting-machines. SCOTT & WILLIAMS, Inc. Oct. 4, 1949 [Oct. 4, 1948], No. 25543/49. Class 74 (2) A circular independent needle knitting-machine has a series of feed points adapted to knit multi-feed in both a reciprocatory and a rotary manner and two stitch-drawing surfaces for each feed point, needle clearing means being provided for each direction of knitting under the odd-numbered surface or surfaces starting with the third stitch-drawing surface (counting the inactive as well as the active stitch-drawing surfaces) and means being provided to move the leading needle riding up the said clearing means to inactive position before the needles ride down to draw stitches again. The invention is described in connection with the knitting of heel and toe pockets. Each of end stitch cams 360, 361 lowers needles to knit when it is the trailing cam and clears them when it is the leading cam; and a double centre stitch cam 50 knits on both directions of needle travel. The stitch-drawing surfaces of the cam 50 end at points 53, 54 spaced by a relief 58 which the needles are compelled to follow by a hump 55 on the bottom centre cam 56. Shoulders 57 serve as check 'on cover cams for rising needles. Central flat-topped clearing cams 1, 2, each lower than the upper ends of the adjacent stitch-drawing surfaces of centre and end stitch cams, are provided for right-hand and left-hand feeds, and are located each under a stitchdrawing surface which is effective in the opposite direction of knitting. In addition to the usual outer lifter picks 650, 651, there are provided inner lifter picks 652, 653, picking out of action leading needles rising from the centre cam before they pass under the end stitch cam. The outer pick at each feed is effective during rotation of the needle cylinder in a direction opposite to that in which its companion inner pick is effective and operates on needles which are being cleared over the end' stitch cam 360 or 361. When the picks are swivelled by contact of needle butts with lips formed on them, they are raised by cams 13, 14, 15, 16 to raise needles out of action, either directly or in co-operation with other cams. When one pick at a feed raises a needle out of action and comes to occupy its inactive position, it moves its companion pick to the low operative position by means of a lostmotion linkage 17. The inner picks may be thrown out of action (as when widening a stocking heel) whilst retaining the function of resetting the outer picks. The picks may each have two lips, the position of their free ends being controlled so that if only one needle is to be raised, that needle will contact the lower lip, whereas, if more than one needle is to be raised, the first needle to contact the pick will land on the upper lip. The position of the picks is controlled, or the picks may be idled, by swivelling cams such as 28. connected by links to . pattern-controlled discs such as 25. The usual widening pick or dropper 680, with its guard cam 416, is located diametrically opposite the centre stitch cam 50. The pick has, on each side, two lips 681, 682, the width of which may be varied to suit the number of needles it is desired to take down. Specifications 12722/13, [Class 74 (ii)], 628,526 and 629,236 are referred to.