Patent GB-1136386-A (GB)
Title: Knitting machine
IPC: D04B15/94
Filed: 1966-02-01
Abstract: 1,136,386. Knitting-machines. J. C. DOUGHTY. 11 Jan., 1967 [1 Feb., 1966], No. 4304/66. Heading D1C. Fashioned or non-fashioned fabric blanks are knitted on a two bed machine, the needles of both beds operating in groups and having butts at different levels which are engaged by separate cam systems moving in opposite directions such that the needles of each group are first operated in a sequential order in one direction and then operated in a sequential order in the opposite direction. A yarn guide or guides is or are moved in sequence with the cam systems to feed yarn over each group of needles such that the yarn or yarns is or are knitted in both directions of knitting. The arrangement may be employed in a circular cylinder-and-dial machine or a double cylinder or other double bed circular machine, or alternatively a flat machine having pairs of double beds and continuously moving cams adapted to follow a path aligned with one pair of double beds and subsequently to follow a path aligned with the other pair of beds, may be used. As applied to a cylinder- and-dial machine the needles of each bed are arranged in co-operating groups 1, 2, 3, 4, Fig. 1. The cylinder needles have knitting butts at two levels the upper butts co-operating with cam systems 5 and 6 at a high level and the lower butts co-operating with cams systems 7, 8 at a low level. The cam systems 5 and 6 are driven continuously in one direction of rotation and the cam systems 7 and 8 are driven continuously in the opposite direction of rotation. The dial needles have butts projecting upwardly from the dial and also butts projecting downwardly through slots in the dial bed and these butts co-operate with cam systems corresponding with those of the cylinder, which are positioned above and below the dial. The cam systems 9 and 10 positioned beneath the dial are coupled by gearing to and driven in timed relationship with the low level cam systems of the cylinder and the cam systems 11 and 12 positioned above the dial are coupled by gear to and driven in timed relationship with the upper level cam systems of the cylinder. The cam systems at each level are diametrically opposed and their function is such that the needles of one group are first operated sequentially in one direction and are then operated sequentially in the opposite direction. The cam systems pass each other in opposite directions of movement at positions in the cylinder and dial which do not contain needles. Surrounding the cylinder and dial is or are a yarn carrier or carriers which supports or support yarn guides which are selectively traversed over the groups of needles first in one direction and then in the other to feed yarns backwards and forwards to the needles. The method of engagement of the yarn guides may be that normally employed for the traverse of yarn guides in a flat machine. Fashioning may be achieved by shogging the needle beds relative to each other and operating the needles to effect loop transfer. Alternatively, the arrangement may be used in a flat machine having two pairs of co-operating beds back to back and in which the cam systems follow a continuous path first along one pair of beds and then back along the other pair of beds. In a further arrangement the cam systems may be caused to pass each other whilst traversing the groups of needles by temporarily holding one system stationary whilst the other passes it and vice versa. Further the cams can be disposed at more than two levels such that the needle butts are arranged to enable the selection of needles to occur to facilitate knitting in both directions on the same group simultaneously. By the provision of four tiers A, B, C, D, of cam systems for each bed in which the upper two tiers are connected to an upper cam box ring 93 and the lower two tiers are connected to a lower cam box ring 94 knitting can be achieved by the use of a multiplicity of yarn guides feeding yarns intermittently but succesively to small numbers of needles in turn which collectively make up the group. Thus yarn guides F1 . . F4 co-operate with the cam systems A and B to cause the needles to take and knit yarns in small numbers S1..S18 in succession in one direction of knitting simultaneously but intermittently with the knitting of yarns F5. .F8 fed in conjunction with cam systems CD causing the small groups of needles to knit the latter yarns in a reverse sequence. Consequently, a multiplicity of yarns can be knitted simultaneously in both directions by the continuously rotating cam systems, the feeders reversing their direction of feed on completion of their traverse in one direction. Needle selection by a patterning mechanism may provide further variation in the fabric structure and various stitch formations can be achieved.