Patent GB-483188-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to seamless articles of hosiery, and a method of and machine for knitting such articles
IPC: G01C9/08
Filed: 1937-04-17
Abstract: 483,188. Knitting. HEMPHILL CO. April 17, 1937, No. 11018. Convention date, April 18, 1936. [Class 74 (ii)] Relates to a machine for knitting a sock, stocking, &c. wherein the sole 129 and instep 128 are knitted of different yarns which overlap throughout a few wales 130 at either side of the foot and float across the inside thereof. The machine is provided with means tor enabling wrap threads to be knitted throughout the leg and instep, and with trapping and severing mechanism for controlling the floats in the foot to prevent interference with the wrap threads. As shown in Fig. 18, the floats 138<1>, 148 are cut at the same side of the foot so as to trail around at the sole and avoid the instep. The machine is provided with a main trapper 55 and cutter 57, operable during the knitting of the leg, &c., and an auxiliary cutter 88, 89 which is located very close to the needle cylinder and operates during the knitting of the foot. The trapper 55 carries a plate 53 which restricts the opening inside the needle circle in which floats of wrap thread are to be retained, and the trapper 55 and cutter 57 are controlled during knitting of the leg by levers 61, 63, link 62 and cams 44 on a pattern drum 45 on the main cam shaft 12. The movable blade 89 of the auxiliary cutter is formed with an extension in the form of a plate 90, and the plate 90 is so moved at first that floats pass above it so that they can be cut, and then so that they pass below it so as not to be taken by the cutter. For operating the main trapper 55, during the knitting of the foot, when it is necessary to actuate the trapper twice as frequently as during knitting of the leg, cams 67 on a drum 66 on the usual striper shaft 65 actuate a lever 70 to engage a collar 73 on the link 62. The lever 70 has two projections 76, 77 for engaging the cams 67 and is pivoted so that it can be moved under control of the drum 45, so that either one or the other of the projections 76, 77 register with the cams. The projections 76, 77 are so arranged that the trapper 55 is actuated later, if the projection 77 engages the cams 67 than if the projection 76 engages them. The auxiliary cutter is operated by a cam 106, Fig. 9, engaging a rocking lever 108. The lever 108 engages an adjustable plate 116 which is pivoted to an arm 117 and maintained by a set screw 120 at a distance from the arm, to form a fine adjustment of the pivoted blade of the cutter capable of use for taking up wear. In operation, and in the knitting of the foot after the yarn finger 133 for the heel yarn 134 is withdrawn, the sole yarn 135 is introduced to the needles. The leg yarn 137 is still in the trapper 55. The sole yarn 135 is withdrawn from the trapper, and is knitted throughout the last throw of the heelknitting, and the leg yarn 137, which is used in knitting the instep, is inserted, the two yarns being taken by four needles 139 to knit the overlap 130. Wrap threads 140 ... 143 are fed to selected needles. After the heel yarn 134 is taken by the trapper 55 and the sole yarn is taken by the needles, the cam 44 causes a drum 15 with cams 16, 17 thereon to actuate the yarn fingers, and the cam 106 commences to actuate the auxiliary cutter. The lever 70 is moved so that its projection 76 engages the cams 67. The sole yarn, which has been withdrawn from the needles at 139 has floated across the plate 53 over the top of the plate 90 and is cut by the auxiliary cutter, leaving a short float 146. At this stage, the instep yarn is being knitted upon its group of the needles, and the wrap threads are wrapping about needles in the instep group. When the wrap threads are completely wrapped, the instep yarn has been withdrawn, and at the same time the sole yarn is beginning to float at 148. The float 1381 of the instep yarn has passed over the plate 53, not being affected by the main cutter, and since the plate 90 is raised at this stage, the float 138<1> passes under the plate 90 and its forward end is not cut by the auxiliary cutter. The plate 90 is lowered, and the trailing end of the float 138<1> is cut by the auxiliary cutter. Both yarns are thus cut at one side of the foot to leave very short ends, while the other ends will be drawn back and will trail round behind the needles as shown in Fig. 18. Specification 300,605, [Class 74 (ii)], is referred to.