Patent GB-736211-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in independent-needle circular knitting machines
Inventor: MANGER CHARLES FREDERICK
IPC: D04B9/10
Filed: 1949-04-05
Abstract: 736,211. Knitting. BENTLEY ENGINEERING CO., Ltd. April 3, 1950 [April 5, 1949], No. 9205/49. Class 74 (2). At the beginning of, say, a heel pouch, those sliders 3 associated with plain instep needles are directed into a low inactive track m, slightly above knocking-over level, whereby the needles hold their loops uncleared, to enable a wrap striping thread, which must be applied to them before they are cleared, to be incorporated in the first course of rotary knitting after the pouch, which pouch is shaped by progressive exchange of the sliders controlling end needles of the pouching group between the knitting track and a high inactive track n; and, to avoid elongation of the loops which the inactive plain instep needles hold, the normal rotary knitting stitch cam 9 is rendered inoperative upon such needles and two additional stitch cams 11, 12, which operate on butts 8 possessed by the sliders 3b of the heel needles only, are introduced for the period of pouch formation. Those sliders in the upper cylinder opposite the plain needles in the lower cylinder also follow a low inactive track p. The inactive rib instep needles are in a high inactive track r in the upper cylinder and the sliders opposite them travel in the high inactive track n in the plain cylinder, so that their ends hold open and protect the latches of the rib needles. The usual opposed stitch cams 9, 10 and the additional stitch cams 11; 12 are mounted as a unit on a shell 21 which can be raised or lowered to vary stitch length. In addition, the' cam 9 can be raised or lowered relatively to the cams 11, 12 by the main control drum acting through linkwork and a camming piece 15. A pair of wrap fingers 54, 54a is provided for each panel M, Fig. 11, of needles which are to knit plain wales throughout leg and instep. Each such needle has beneath its slider a bit 41 and selector jack 40. Selecting mechanism 64 selects needles which are raised to a height less than clearing height to receive the first wrap thread 55, by a cam 39 acting on butts 63 and lowered to track n by a cam 59, or raised to take the second wrap thread by a cam 39a acting on butts 63a. The needles which took the first wrap thread, and all non-wrap needles, are raised by cam 61 to meet a cam 60 by which they are raised to the knitting track, and those needles taking the second wrap thread are raised to the knitting track by cam 60. The wrap fingers 54, 54a are mounted in tricks in a carrier 64 in the top needle cylinder and can be rocked about a point 65 by patterning mechanism 66. When a sliding member 70 is lowered by cams 72, 73, a butt 71 thereon engages a cam face 69 on finger 54 which is thus, whilst still within the needle circle, deflected against its own resilience to travel in the direction of rotation of the needle cylinders, carrying with it the finger 54a, so that both overtake their group of needles. The fingers depress, ride over, and are held deflected by a spring catch 74. The fingers are then projected in turn across the needle circle by the patterning mechanism and are held stationary, against their resilience, by coacting abutments whilst the needles revolve past them. At the moment when the heel of each finger engages a stop, which is rebated to accommodate them both, the finger is carried away from corresponding abutment by rotation of the needle cylinders and the finger is swung in across the needle circle. Trick pieces 44, when lowered, provide a draw edge when knitting ribbed fabric and may be given a slight downward movement at the knitting point for this purpose. They may be raised before arrival at the knitting zone, to provide an opening for the wrap fingers. A separator 80 maintains the wrap threads on the needles separate from the previously knitted loops, from the position at which the wrap threads are applied to the knitting point. Specifications 400,623, 594,903, 650,662, 650,663 and 650,664 are referred to. Reference has been directed by the Comptroller to Specification 669,083.