Patent Publication Number: US-6655176-B1

Title: Striping apparatus for circular knitting machines

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a striping apparatus for circular knitting machines and particularly a striping apparatus installed on a circular knitting machine for feeding discolored yarns. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the present techniques for circular knitting machines to do jacquard knitting of fabrics with different colors, it is generally done by installing a striping apparatus above the yarn feeding aperture. During knitting operations, the striping apparatus feeds colored yarns at desired times to the yarn feeding aperture for the knitting needles to pick up and to include in the knitting operations to produce jacquard patterns of different colors. 
     It happens that some striping apparatus are not properly installed. As a result, when the operator of the knitting machine performs repairs or replaces parts, the entire striping apparatus has to be removed. It incurs a lot of inconveniences. In conventional knitting machines, some striping apparatus are installed adjacent to the knitting needles and straddle the push needle cam of the upped needle dial. When to do color jacquard knitting, the yarn guiding element of the striping apparatus feeds the color yarn above the knitting needle so that the knitting needle picks up the color yarn to include in the knitting operation. However, when there is a requirement to replace or repair the needle cylinder, knitting needles, upper needle dial, sinker plate and push needle cam, the entire striping apparatus has to be removed. It causes a great inconvenience to the operator of the knitting machine, and results in waste of time and productive operations. Moreover, the installation of the striping apparatus mentioned above leaves no additional space in the knitting machine to change another set of components such as the needle cylinder, knitting needles, upper needle dial, sinker plate and push needle cam to knit different types of fabrics. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore the primary object of the invention is to resolve the aforesaid disadvantages. The striping apparatus of the invention has redesigned needle cylinder, knitting needles, upper needle dial, sinker plate and push needle cam so that when there is a need to do replacement, repairs, or removing of the floss, the striping apparatus can be removed easily or even remain without being removed. As a result, replacement, repairs, or removing the floss becomes much easier. In addition, the knitting machine has an additional space for changing to another set of needle cylinder, knitting needles, upper needle dial, sinker plate and push needle cam to knit different types of fabrics. 
     In order to achieve the aforesaid object, the striping apparatus of the invention includes a control mechanism, an operation mechanism driven by the control mechanism, an adjusting mechanism mounted onto the control mechanism and a release mechanism located in the operation mechanism. The striping apparatus is installed on a knitting machine and is controlled by the yarn releasing and receiving cam and the color selection device, and may feed different colored yarns to the knitting needles to produce striped jacquard knitting fabrics. 
     The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the striping apparatus of the invention. 
     FIG. 2A is a fragmentary exploded view of the invention according to FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 2B is another fragmentary exploded view of the invention according to FIG.  1 . 
     FIGS. 3A through 3D are schematic views of the striping apparatus of the invention in various operating conditions. 
     FIGS. 4A through 4D are schematic views of the striping apparatus of the invention in other operating conditions. 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  2 A, and  2 B, the striping apparatus for circular knitting machines of the invention includes a control mechanism  1 , an operation mechanism  2  driven by the control mechanism  1 , an adjusting mechanism  3  mounted onto the control mechanism  1  and a release mechanism  4  located in the operation mechanism  2 . The striping apparatus is installed on a knitting machine and is controlled by a yarn releasing and receiving cam (not shown in the drawings) and a color selection device (not shown in the drawings), and can feed colored yarns to the knitting needles to produce colored jacquard knitting fabrics. 
     The control mechanism  1  includes two outer plates  11  and  11 ′, at least one dividing plate  12  ( 12 ′) located between the two outer plates  11  and  11 ′, and a yarn push blade  13 , a color selection press blade  14 , a color selection blade  15 , a linkage blade  16  and an elastic element  17  pivotally engaged with each dividing plate  12  ( 12 ′). The two outer plates  11  and  11 ′ further has a pair of first openings  111  and  111 ′ corresponding to each other for pivotally engaging with the adjusting mechanism  3 . The outer plates  11  and  11 ′ have respectively one end extended to form a connecting section  112  and  112 ′ which has a pivotal connecting trough  113  and  113 ′ formed thereon corresponding to each other for pivotally engaging with the operation mechanism  2 . 
     The yarn push blade  13  has a front end with a pivotal connection trough  131  formed thereon to pivotally engage with the linkage blade  16 , a second opening  132  formed on a selected location to enable the yarn push blade  13  to move in the control mechanism  1 , and a fin  133  located on another end to receive the pressing of the color selection press blade  14 , and a first lug  134  and a second lug  134 ′ located on yet another end corresponding to each other. 
     The color selection press blade  14  has an aperture  141  to pivotally engage with the control mechanism  1  and a jutting press end  142  located on one end thereof. 
     The color selection blade  15  has a hole  151  for pivotally engaging with the control mechanism  1 , a front end formed a bucking section  152  to push the press end  142  and a jutting end  153  located on another end thereof to receive the pressing of the color selection device (not shown in the drawings). 
     The linkage blade  16  has a bore  161  for pivotally engaging with the control mechanism  1  and two arms  162  and  162 ′ extended from two sides of the bore  161 . One arm  162  has one end formed a first pivotal connection end  163  to pivotally engage with the pivotal connection trough  131  of the yarn push plate  13  and the other arm  162 ′ has one end formed a second pivotal connection end  163 ′ to pivotally engage with the interior of the operation mechanism  2 . 
     The elastic element  17  (as shown in FIG. 3A) has one end fastened to the interior of the control mechanism  1  and other end pushed one side of the yarn push blade  13 . The dividing plate  12 , yarn push blade  13 , color selection press blade  14 , color selection blade  15 , linkage blade  16  and elastic element  17  are fastened to the interior of the two outer plates  11  and  11 ′ by means of fasteners (not shown in the drawings). Then a first side plate  18  is fastened to the rear side of the two outer plates  11  and  11 ′, and a blocking plate  19  is fastened to the front side of the control mechanism  1  to harness the operation mechanism  2  after the control mechanism  1  and the operation mechanism  2  have been assembled, and to prevent the operation mechanism  2  from wobbling. 
     In addition, the operation mechanism  2  has two side plates  21  and  21 ′ which have respectively a hole  211  and  211 ′ corresponding to each other for pivotally engaging with an axle  212 . The axle  212  may be pivotally engaged with the pivotal connecting troughs  113  and  113 ′. There is an anchor block  22  and a shield plate  23  located between the side plates  21  and  21 ′ that have respectively an opening  221  and  231  corresponding to each other. The shield plate  23  has a front end extended to form a yarn threading plate  232  which has at least one yarn aperture  233  for threading a color yarn (not shown in the drawings). Furthermore, between the side plates  21  and  21 ′, there are at least one yarn cutting blade  24 , one yarn feeding blade  25 , one dividing blade  26  and one movable cutter  27  fastened therein. The yarn cutting blade  24  has a plurality of holes  241  for fastening to the interior of the operation mechanism  2 , a yarn cutting section  242  located on a front end thereof to cut off the yarn picked up by the movable cutter  27 , and a moving space  243  formed at a selected location. 
     The yarn feeding blade  25  is located in the operation mechanism  2  and has a moving section  251 . The moving section  251  has a first slot  252  and a second slot  253  to enable the moving section  251  to move, a pivotal connection trough  254  formed on one end thereof to pivotally engage with the second pivotal connection end  163 ′ of the linkage blade  16 , a moving space  255  located below the first slot  252  for housing a moving element  256  which fastens to one end of the movable cutter  27 . When the moving space  255  is moved for a displacement and drives the moving element  256 , the movable cutter  27  also is driven to move. In addition, the moving section  251  extends on a selected location to form a yarn feeding rod  257  which has a front end forming an aperture  258  for threading a yarn. 
     The dividing blade  26  is mounted in the operation mechanism  2 , and is located between the linkage blade  16  and the yarn feeding blade  25  to enable each yarn feeding blade  25  to form an operating space for the movable cutter  27 . 
     The movable cutter  27  is located in the operation mechanism  2  and has a hole  271  for fastening to the moving element  256  and an opening  272  to enable the movable cutter  27  to move. The movable cutter  27  has a front end forming a yarn pickup section  273  for picking up the yarn delivered by the yarn feeding blade  25 . The yarn then is cut off by the yarn cutting section  242  at the front end of the yarn cutting blade  24 . The yarn being cut is clamped between the yarn cutting blade  24  and the movable cutter  27 . Between the two side plates  21  and  21 ′, there is at least one set of the yarn cutting blade  24 , the yarn feeding blade  25 , the dividing blade  26  and the movable cutter  27  fastened therein in such an order. Then the operation mechanism  2  is fastened to a second side plate  28  to become finished. 
     The adjusting mechanism  3  includes a sliding block  31  and an adjusting element  32 . The sliding block  31  has an adjusting hole  311  for engaging with the adjusting element  32  and a pair of sliding sections  312  located on two sides of the sliding block  31  corresponding to each other. The sliding sections  312  are fastened to the first openings  111  and  111 ′ located on the two outer plates  11  and  11 ′. When the control mechanism  1  is mounted onto an anchor ring  30  of the circular knitting machine (as shown in FIG.  3 A), turning the adjusting element  32 , the sliding sections  312  of the sliding block  31  may slide in the first openings  111  and  111 ′ to adjust the control mechanism  1 . 
     The release mechanism  4  includes a fastener  41  located in the operation mechanism  2  and a release element  42  running through the openings  221  and  231 . The fastener  41  has a coupling section  411  to engage with the release element  42 . After the release element  42  is separated from the fastener  41 , the operation mechanism  2  may be adjusted or removed. By means of the aforesaid construction, the striping apparatus of the invention is built. 
     Refer to FIGS. 3A through 3D for the operation of striping apparatus of the invention. As shown in the drawings, the striping apparatus is installed on the circular knitting machine. When the knitting needles  51  of the color selection device  5  press the jutting end  153  of the color selection blade  15 , the bucking section  152  of the color selection blade  15  slides below the press end  142  of the color selection press blade  14 , and the color selection press blade  14  does not press the yarn push blade  13 . The elastic force of the elastic element  17  pushes the yarn push blade  13  away. Consequently, the second lug  134 ′ of the yarn push blade  13  is pushed by the yarn releasing cam  7  and result in the linkage blade  16  being moved when the yarn push blade  13  is being pushed away. The linkage blade  16  in turn pushes the yarn feeding blade  25 , and the moving section  251  drives the yarn feeding rod  257  to feed the yarn to the knitting needle (not shown in the drawings). Meanwhile the moving element  256  is moved away from the slant surface of the moving space  255 , and the yarn pickup section  273  of the movable cutter  27  extends outside the operation mechanism  2  to release the yarn. 
     When the color selection blade  15  is driven by the reset cam  52  to its original condition, or the knitting needles  51  of the color selection device  5  do not press the jutting end  153  of the color selection blade  15 , the bucking section  152  of the color selection blade  15  presses the color selection press blade  14 . As a result, the press end  142  of the color selection press blade  14  presses the fin  133  of the yarn push blade  13 , and the first lug  134  of the yarn push blade  13  extends outside the two outer plates  11  and  11 ′. The first lug  134  is pushed by the yarn receiving cam  6 , and the yarn push blade  13  is pulled back. Consequently, the linkage blade  16  is driven to move the yarn feeding blade  25 . And the moving section  251  drives the yarn feeding rod  257  inside the operation mechanism  2 . While the yarn feeding blade  25  is moved into the operation mechanism  2 , the moving element  256  is driven by the slant surface of the moving space  255  to retract the movable cutter  27  into the operation mechanism  2 . 
     While the movable cutter  27  is retracted into the operation mechanism  2 , the yarn pickup section  273  of the movable cutter  27  picks up the yarn, and the yarn cutting section  242  of the yarn cutting blade  24  cuts off the yarn. The yarn being cut is clamped between the yarn cutting section  242  and the yarn pickup section  273  for yarn feeding operation in the next cycle. By means of the operations set forth above, the fabric may be knitted with a desired jacquard pattern and contain many different colors. 
     Referring to FIGS. 4A through 4D for another type of operation of the striping apparatus of the invention. As shown in the drawings, when there is a need to adjust or reinstall the needle dial, needle cylinder, knitting needles, sinker plate, saddle cam, cam and other components of the circular knitting machine, or to thread colored yarns, unfasten the release element  42  of the release mechanism  4  from the fastener  41 , and turn the operation mechanism  2  to align the upper and the lower surfaces of the axle  212  with the notch of the connecting troughs  113  and  113 ′, the operation mechanism  2  may be separated from the control mechanism  1 . 
     In the event that the upper and the lower surfaces of the axle  212  is turned excessively against the notch of the connecting troughs  113  and  113 ′, the operation mechanism  2  may be turned in normal to the control mechanism. Such a design makes installation and removing of the striping apparatus easier, and is more convenient for the operators or repair technicians when doing replacements, repairs, and adjustments of other components, or removing the floss. 
     Refer to FIG. 5 for another embodiment of the invention, the redesigned striping apparatus enables the circular knitting machine to have more space to change another set of needle dial  8 , sinker plate  9  and push needle cam  10  so that the circular knitting machine can do knitting operations to produce single or double pile fabrics, or double or single pattern plush fabrics, and the producers can make many combinations of knitting products.