Patent GB-913985-A (GB)
IPC: D04B1/26
Abstract: 913,985. Knitting. STIBBE & CO. Ltd., G. June 30, 1959 [July 1, 1958], No. 21022/58. Class 74 (2). To lock into the fabric of a stocking the normally free loose end portion of yarn left when an auxiliary feed is introduced or withdrawn, the introduction or withdrawal of the auxiliary clearing cam is so timed that the successive needles of a group fail to clear, take this free end into their hooks to join the loops of the preceding course and co-operate with the sinkers to form the end into loops extending lengthwise of the needles, whereafter predetermined spaced needles of the group clear and knit another yarn during a normal succeeding course, the intervening ones fail to clear before taking said other yarn into their hooks and, at a further succeeding course, the intervening needles are caused to knit. The needles are grouped into heel and toe needles with long butts and instep needles with medium, short and extra-short butts. In going from the leg into the heel of a stocking knitted in micromesh (three clear and one tuck) early withdrawal of the clearing cam 16, as auxiliary feed F<SP>1</SP> is withdrawn, prevents clearing of a group x, Fig. 7, of heel and toe needles before they take auxiliary yarn Y<SP>1</SP> and draw loops thereof under stitch cam 17, the nibs of the sinkers 19 retaining these loops on the latches of the needles when they are brought to normal running or tuck level by a cam 12. As these needles then approach the main feed F for the last time before reciprocatory knitting, the 3 X 1 selection is overridden, so far as the group x is concerned, by introduction of a 1 X 1 welt selector; and alternate needles 1b are raised to clearing level whilst the intervening needles 1c remain at tuck level. Thus, at the completion of this course, each cleared needle 1b will have on its latch only one loop p<SP>2</SP> drawn in the last main feed course f, but each uncleared needle will have on its latch a loop t<SP>1</SP> drawn in that course, a loop Y<SP>3</SP> of the end of auxiliary yarn and a loop p<SP>1</SP> from the previous main yarn course. The first main feed course g of reciprocatory knitting is then carried out, all needles of the group being previously cleared. The needles 1b of the group x will have cast off their measured loops Y<SP>3</SP> of the auxiliary yarn end in the last course f preceding the heel and the intervening needles 1c will now cast off their loops Y<SP>3</SP> of that yarn in this course g, so locking in the free end. In going out of the heel into the foot, Fig. 9, all the idle needles are re-introduced. The introduction of the auxiliary clearing cam 16 is delayed so that the needles of a group z, which are the last few needles of the short butts series, are not cleared, the auxiliary yarn guide 18 is moved in to feed yarn Y<SP>1</SP> to that group, the sinkers being simultaneously or previously withdrawn, and the clearing cam 16 is finally moved in, in two stages, in readiness to operate on the needles beyond the group. Thus, as before, the needles of the group draw loops Y<SP>3</SP> of the end of the yarn Y<SP>1</SP> whilst retaining on their latches the loops drawn at the main feed in the preceding course, the sinkers being projected, as before, as the needles rise up the cam 12. At the main feed F, three needles out of every four are cleared by the micromesh jack selector and all needles take and draw loops p<SP>4</SP> of the main yarn Y. Consequently, every fourth needle of the group will have already on its latch a retained loop Y<SP>3</SP> of yarn Y<SP>1</SP> and a loop p<SP>3</SP> drawn at the preceding main feed course k; but the cleared needles will have the loops Y<SP>3</SP> and p<SP>3</SP> under their latches. All the loops will be cast off all the needles of the group as they next pass through the auxiliary feed F<SP>1</SP>.