Patent Publication Number: US-7213418-B2

Title: Method of producing hose-like knitwear

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a method of producing hose-like knitwear, such as socks, which is closed at one end, using a one-cylinder circular knitting machine provided with an dial plate situated above a needle cylinder. The dial plate is equipped with dial sinkers which are arranged to operate cooperatively with needles during the make-up and transfer of the knitwear. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Small-diameter one-cylinder circular knitting machines used in the production of hosiery or similar goods and equipped with a device used to close the toes directly in the machine by means of an overturnable half-plate which is situated above the needle cylinder of the machine, are known. This half-plate is equipped with transferring sinkers of special forms. The transferring sinkers have controlling butts on both sides, which are controllable in both of their positions, for receiving and handing over of knitting loops in forming the closed toe, and for the hanging up of a double welt in the basic non-overturned position. The transferring sinkers cooperate gradually in the knitting of a closed toe with both half-circles of needles: first, with the first half of the needles, or the so called heel needles, during the make-up of the loops before the formation of a toe pouch by means of a reciprocation run of the needle cylinders, and second, during the transfer of the retained knitting to the needles (i.e., instep needles) of the second half-circle after overturning the half-plate in closing the knitting of the toe. The transferring dial sinkers of the half-plate are of a very filigree workmanship which require accuracy and precision in mounting and control to accomplish a properly executed transfer of the loops from the heel arch to the instep arch. However, in the knitting of the double welt, for example, this device works as an integral part of the dial, and so in fact, it limits the function or the possibilities of the dial plate, particularly with regard to the limited workmanship and arrangement possibilities of the half-plate cams with regard to the built up space. 
   Another disadvantage consists in that during the overturning of the half-plate, the loops that are overturned only at the distance of one needle (i.e., the loops on the ends of the knitting arc) cause holes in the knitting at the knitwear toe, and consequently, produce a knitted product that is of poor quality. This is because the end loops are the most stretched ones during the overturning process. 
   Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for producing a high-quality toe closing directly in the machine without limiting the dial function. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention is characterized in that, first, the make-up of the toe knitting on the first half-circle of needles and the first half of the dial sinkers, corresponding to the heel part of the knitwear, is carried out. Thereafter, the toe pouch is knitted in reverse run on the first half-circle of needles. The part of the knitwear, which is retained on the dial sinkers and having been knitted on the first half-circle of needles, is transferred onto the transferring means, and then subseqently transferred towards the second half of the dial sinkers. The transferred part of the knitwear is transferred to the second half of the dial sinkers, and from the second half of the dial sinkers, it is then transferred to the corresponding needles of the second half-circle. Further, it is preferable if the part of the knitwear retained on the first part of the dial sinkers is taken off the first part of the dial sinkers by a transferring means and overturned 180° by the transferring means toward the second half of the dial sinkers. The part of the knitwear retained on the transferring means is then transferred by the second half of the dial sinkers to the needles of the second half-circle. 
   It is another advantage that by retracting the first half of the dial sinkers with loops of the retained knitwear part towards a smaller diameters, the loops are taken off and hanged on the working ends of the transferring means. After overturning the transferring means by 180° by and radially extending outward the second half of the corresponding retracted dial sinkers by a predetermined distance, the loops of the overturned part of the knitting are taken off the working ends of the transferring means and placed above the needles of the second half-circle, which then lift upward and engage the loops. 
   Further, a one-cylinder circular knitting machine according to this invention for producing hose-like knitwear, such as socks, that is closed at one ends is provided with an dial plate situated above the needle cylinder of the machine. The dial plate is equipped with dial sinkers for cooperation with needles during the transferring operation of the knitting. The machine is further characterized in that it is provided with a device for transferring the retained knitting of the toe pouch knitted on a half-circle of needles from one half of the dial sinkers to the other half of the dial sinkers. 
   It is an advantage that the device for transferring of the retained knitwear from one half of the dial sinkers to the other half of the dial sinkers is comprised of two half-circle plates arranged in a side by side relationship and attached controllably and swingingly to the dial plate with a 180° swing about a transverse axis. The half circle plates have circular ends with adjacently positioned transferring sinkers angularly situated so that they reach in between the dial sinkers. 
   It is another advantage that the first transferring sinkers situated on one half-circle plate are, on their working ends, provided with hook-like ends with recesses and oblique edges for transferring knitting loops. The other transferring sinkers are provided with rounded edges, which are situated opposite the recesses and oblique edges of the first transferring sinkers. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The method and machine according to the invention are shown in drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is showing schematically an outside view of the position of the needles, dial sinkers, transferring sinkers, cast-off sinkers as well as the yarn position at the make-up stage; 
       FIG. 2  is showing schematically a hang up of the toe knitting beginning on the transferring sinkers after knitting the initial courses with the needles of the first half-circle, 
       FIG. 3  is showing schematically the position of the needles and dial sinkers of both half-circles and the transferring device after the toe pouch knitting has been finished, but prior to the overturning step, 
       FIG. 4  shows the same as  FIG. 3 , but after the transferring sinkers have been overturned, 
       FIG. 5  is showing schematically the position of the needles and dial sinkers of the other half-circle and the taken out transferring sinkers after taking the toe knitwear off the transferring sinkers, but before transferring the transferred portion of the toe knitwear to the needles of the second half-circle, 
       FIG. 6  shows the same as  FIG. 5 , but after the transfer of the transferred portion of the toe knitwear to the needles of the second half-circle, and 
       FIG. 7  shows an embodiment of the transferring sinkers in the closed position. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   A known one-cylinder circular knitting machine for producing hosiery goods is provided with needles  1  ( FIG. 1 ), which are operatively mounted in the needle cylinder, and cast-off sinkers  2 , which are operatively mounted in the sinker cap. Further, the machine is provided with a known dial plate  3  ( FIG. 2 ) mounted coaxially above the needle cylinder. Apart from a cutting saw and a holding device, the dial sinkers  4  are slidably arranged in the radial grooves of the dial plate  3 . Dial sinkers  4  are arranged on one half of the circumference of the dial plate  3 , i.e., the half which corresponds to the heel needles  1 , and dial sinkers  4 ′ ( FIG. 3 ) are arranged on the other half of the dial plate  3 . Both dial sinkers  4 ,  4 ′ are arranged in cooperation with the needles  1  for, e.g., retaining the knitting when the double welt of the knitwear is knitted, and their arrangement and number corresponds to the cast-off sinkers  2 . 
   According to the invention, the machine is provided with a device for transferring the half-circle part of the reciprocally knitted toe pouch of the knitwear, which is retained on dial sinkers  4 , to dial sinkers  4 ′ for the purpose of closing the toe portion. 
   The two half-circle plates  5 ,  6  are arranged in a side by side relationship on the bottom side of the dial plate  3  and are controllably and swingably mounted for 180° pivotal movement about a transverse axis. The movement of each of the half-circle plates is effected by means of its geared wheel  7  and geared rod  8  engaging and operatively cooperating with each other, whereby, the geared rods  8  are controlled by pneumatic pistons. The first transferring sinkers  51  are mounted on the circular edge of the first plate  5  and are angularly situated so that they reach in between either dial sinkers  4  or  4 ′, depending on which half of the dial plate the half-circle plates are placed. On the circular end of the other plate  6 , the other transferring sinkers  61  are mounted, which also reach in between dial sinkers  4  or  4 ′. 
   The first transferring sinkers  51  are adjacent the second transferring sinkers  61 . In a basic position, both half-circle plates  5 ,  6  and, therefore, also the first and second transferring sinkers  51 ,  61  are slightly angularly separated in a very sharp angle so that there is a gap between them for the passage of the loops of the transferred stitches. This position is secured by various stops (not shown) of the half-circular plates  5 ,  6 , which are arranged at the bottom of the dial plate  3 . The cooperating ends of the adjacent transferring sinkers  51 ,  61  are adapted for mutual cooperation. On the first transferring sinkers  51 , there is provided hook-like working ends with recesses  510  ( FIG. 7 ) and oblique edges  511  formed at the front of first transferring sinkers  51  for the transfer of said loops. The working ends of the other transferring sinkers  61  have rounded edges  610  for throwing off said loops, and the edges  610  are situated opposite the recesses  510  and oblique edges  511  of the first transferring sinkers  51 . All said transferring sinkers  51 ,  61  in the basic position are arranged at the height level of the dial sinkers  4 , and the radius at which their working ends are situated is shorter then the radius where the stitch loops of the transferred knitting are resting on dial sinkers  4  during making-up of the thread at the beginning of the knitting of the toe pouch, but longer than the radius where the hooks of the fully retracted dial sinkers  4  or  4 ′ are situated. 
   Function of the above described apparatus is as follows: A sock is knitted from the toe to the welt. Initially, the make-up of the knitting is performed during reciprocation of the machine on the first half-circle, i.e., on the needles  1  and the dial sinkers  4  that correspond to the heel or the sole part of the knitwear. 
   First, during rotation of the needle cylinder in the direction of the rotational knitting, the thread P is engaged by even needles  1 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , and by the odd needles  1  after the reversal of the rotation direction. After a partial retraction of dial sinkers  4  and knitting of several reverse courses under narrowing of stitches, while the knitting is retained on dial sinkers  4 , dial sinkers  4  are fully retracted to the most distant position, as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   During the process of retracting dial sinkers  4 , the loops of the retained thread P are carried by the hooks of dial sinkers  4  in a direction towards the centre (e.g., of the dial plate) and, thereby, during the movement of the hooks, to a radius smaller than the radius formed by recesses  510 . The loops of the retained thread P slide along the oblique edges  511  of the transferring sinkers  51  till the loops finally fit into the recesses  510 , and are held by the transferring sinkers  51 . 
   Then, the process is continued with the reciprocal knitting of the toe pouch V under the narrowing and then adding of the needles  1 . After the toe pouch V on the first half-circle of needles  1  has been finished, by a synchronised movement of pneumatic pistons and by means of the geared wheels  7  and the geared rods  8 , the half-circle plate  6  first swings from the basic position downwards so that the recesses  510  are closed by rounded edges  610 , so that the toe pouch V cannot fall off the transferring sinkers  51  and  61  in the subseqent production steps (see  FIG. 3 ). 
   The half-circle plate  5  then swings from the basic position and subsequently both plates are simultaneously overturned by 180°, e.g., in a clockwise direction, so that their transferring sinkers  51  and  61  get to the same height level as dial sinkers  4 ′ on the other half of the dial plate  3 . Dial sinkers  4 ′ are fully retracted, so that the tips of the transferring sinkers  51  and  61  are at a greater radial length (see  FIG. 4 ). The half-circle plate  6  abuts on a stopper (not shown) so that again, as in the basic position before the overturning step, both half-circle plates  5  and  6  are deflected to an open state As a result, recesses  510  are no longer closed by the rounded edges  610  on which, after the step of overturning, the loops of the overturned knitting of the toe pouch V now hang . By the above described overturning operation of the transferring sinkers  51  and  61 , the retained edge of the toe pouch V is now situated on the other half of the dial plate  3 , i.e., the half with dial sinkers  4 ′ or the instep side of the knitwear. 
   The up to now retracted dial sinkers  4 ′ are then extended outward, and, from the transferring sinkers  51  and  61 , dial sinkers  4 ′ take or engage the corresponding half-circle of the heel pouch V (see  FIG. 5 ). Preferably, the hooks of the dial sinkers  4 ′ is inserted into the loops of the knitting, and, by their vertical edges and while moving away from the centre of the dial plate  3 , dial sinkers  4 ′ take the loops off the rounded edges  610 . Then, the corresponding needles  1  of the second half-circle, which up to now has not been used for knitting, lift and take the edge or loops of the overturned knitting of the toe pouch V from the now again receding dial sinkers  4 ′.The toe knitting is closed by this production step and knitting is now placed on all needles  1  (see  FIG. 6 ). 
   In the next processing, the sole, instep, heel, calf, and the welt terminated by a course which does not unravel, are knitted by a common method. 
   Within the scope of the invention, the circular knitting machine can be used particularly for the production of hosiery with closed toe, but can also be used for the production of any hose-like products that are closed at one end. 
   Within the scope of the invention, it is possible to make various modifications and changes of the circular knitting machine without departing from the scope of the claims. At the same time all parts can be substituted by their technical equivalents.