Patent Publication Number: US-6983625-B2

Title: Circular knitting machine with a working platform and construction kit for making same

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention concerns a circular knitting machine having a chassis, means for manufacturing knitted goods and at least one working platform facilitating access to an upper region of the machine, movably mounted on the outside of the chassis and extending over a fraction of its periphery. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In the case of circular knitting machines with large structural heights and/or large diameters, it is often difficult, particularly for smaller persons, to reach devices arranged at an upper region of the machine, in particular devices for the manufacturing of a knitted product, such as needle cams, yarn guides, yarn supply devices, or similar, although this is essential for carrying out adjustment, repair and servicing work. A circular knitting machine with a raised working platform is therefore already known (DE 1 730 206 U1), which is designed as a walkway arranged along the periphery of the machine chassis, runs at a certain height above the floor and is firmly attached to the machine chassis and accessible to the persons operating the circular knitting machine. However, a walkway of this type makes access to the equipment arranged in a lower region of the circular knitting machine difficult or impossible. This is especially the case in relation to the usually present drawing-off and/or winding devices, since for safety reasons, these are usually surrounded by a protective cover having at least one door that is designed for being opened if necessary in order, for instance, to remove a finished fabric batch. 
   Additionally, circular knitting machines of the aforementioned type are known (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,959,991, 3,959,992 and 4,033,147), whereby the working platform extends only over a (small) fraction of the machine periphery and is pivotable as a whole together with or independently of a door provided in the protective cover. By this means, it is possible without further difficulty to open the door if required and to remove the fabric batch, possibly after pivoting the working platform away. Contrasted with the advantage, thereby achieved, of improved function is the disadvantage that easier access to the means intended for manufacturing the knitted goods is available either only on a small part of the periphery of the circular knitting machine, or that a plurality of working platforms and pivoting mechanisms have to be arranged round the periphery of the circular knitting machine, which brings with it an increased design and financial cost. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object underlying this invention is to so design the circular knitting machine mentioned above that without great additional constructional changes a simplified access to the equipment provided in the upper region of the machine is possible. 
   An further object of this invention is to so design the circular knitting machine mentioned above that simplified access to the equipment provided in the upper region of the machine is possible substantially along the entire periphery of the machine chassis. 
   Yet another object of this invention is to provide a kit for making a working platform and mounting the platform on a circular knitting machine of the kind specified above. 
   These and other objects are solved by a circular knitting machine being characterised in that the working platform is displaceably mounted on a guideway attached to the chassis and running in its peripheral direction. 
   A construction kit for a working platform is characterised in that it has a guideway designed for attaching to a chassis of a circular knitting machine and at least one working platform designed for being connectable to the guideway and displaceable along the guideway. 
   The invention proposes for the first time a working platform which is movable in the peripheral direction of the machine chassis and may therefore be designed relatively narrow, so that it does not represent a hindrance when not used. The latter applies even if the machine chassis is provided with a plurality of radially projecting feet and if, in order to avoid too large a radial extent of the circular knitting machine, a plurality of working platforms is provided such that each platform is movable between two respective adjacent feet. 
   Further advantageous features of the invention are disclosed in the subclaims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be described in greater detail using examples with the aid of the drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  shows a schematic side view of a circular knitting machine according to the invention; 
       FIG. 2  shows a plan view of the circular knitting machine according to  FIG. 1  leaving out the apparatus intended for feeding in the yarn; 
       FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the circular knitting machine according to  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  shows an enlarged detail X of the circular knitting machine according to  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIGS. 5  to  8  show views, according to  FIGS. 1  to  4 , of a second example of the circular knitting machine according to the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THIS INVENTION 
     FIGS. 1  to  3  show, in schematic form, a circular knitting machine with a frame or chassis  1  having a plurality of feet  2 ,  3  and  4  ( FIG. 2 ) on which is borne a support ring  5  ( FIGS. 1 ,  2 ). The support ring  5  serves, for instance, for the rotatable mounting of a needle cylinder  6  and for the stationary mounting of a yarn carrier ring  7  provided with a plurality of yarn guides, a cam box ring  8  surrounding the needle cylinder  6 , a plurality of yarn feed devices  9  for feeding the yarns  10  to the knitting needles mounted in the needle cylinder  6 , and other devices denoted here simply as means for manufacturing a hose-shaped knitted product which are mounted in an upper region of the circular knitting machine. 
   The feet  3  and  4  are separated from the foot  2  in the embodiment at an angular separation of ca. 110°, whereas the angular separation of the feet  3  and  4  from each other is ca. 140°, and arranged at a sufficient radial separation from a central machine axis  11  (FIG.  1 ). The foot  2  is a main foot, which serves to accommodate a drive motor (not shown in further detail) or other electrical or electronic components and operating elements for the circular knitting machine, whereas the feet  3  and  4  are side feet which, except for a switching unit possibly present, are free from such assemblies. The main foot  2  therefore stands out radially substantially more than the side feet  3  and  4  from the machine chassis  1 . 
   Below the support ring  5  and in the region bordered by the feet  2 ,  3  and  4 , the chassis  1  has a lower support ring (not shown) for a drawing-off and/or winding device by means of which knitted goods produced in the circular knitting machine may be drawn off and wound up. It is unimportant, in principle, whether the knitted goods are only drawn off, only wound, or are drawn off and wound by this device. 
   The circular knitting machine is also provided with a protective cover  12  ( FIGS. 1  to  3 ), which substantially extends from the support ring  5  to the lower ends of the feet  2 ,  3  and  4  arid covers the drawing-off and/or winding device on its outer periphery in order to prevent injury to the operating personnel by rotating parts during operation of the circular knitting machine. As is known, the protective cover  12  may be provided with at least one door which may be opened or closed and enables access to the drawing-off and/or winding device or to the lower region of the circular knitting machine. 
   Circular knitting machines of this type are generally known to persons skilled in the art (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,822, DE 199 24 217 A1) and therefore do not need to be described in greater detail. 
   In the example of the invention schematically shown in  FIGS. 1  to  4  and regarded as the best embodiment of the invention up to now, the circular knitting machine has a working platform  14  which extends in the peripheral direction (double arrow v in  FIG. 2 ) over only a fraction of the chassis  1  and is arranged on its exterior. The working platform  14 , which could also be designated as a platform, step surface, short walkway or similar, is arranged in the example so high above the ground or the support surface of the feet  2  to  4  that persons standing on it can easily reach all the important machine parts or apparatus situated in the upper region of the circular knitting machine. If the working platform  14  is arranged at a relatively great height, then it preferably comprises the uppermost step of a set of steps  15 . The set of steps  15  has two additional steps  16  and  17  in the example and the working platform  14  as the third step. The individual steps  16 ,  17  and  14  are arranged one behind the other substantially radially to the machine axis  11  so that, seen in the peripheral direction, the whole set of steps  15  may occupy substantially the same space as the working platform  14 , or a somewhat smaller or larger space than the working platform  14  according to need, whereby in the example, the first named alternative applies (FIG.  2 ). Otherwise, in the example, the working platform  14  extends, for instance, over a region corresponding to approximately one seventh of the outer periphery of the chassis  1 , although the invention is naturally not restricted to this amount. 
   For the protection of persons accessing the working platform  14 , at least the working platform  14  and preferably the whole set of steps  15  is provided with a safety railing  18 . This has in particular two side members  18   a ,  18   b  provided with handrails, which extend substantially radially from the lowest step  16  as far as the chassis  1 . At the end lying radially outwards, the safety railing  18  is provided with an access opening  19  ( FIG. 2 ) to the steps  15 . On the other hand, at the end lying radially inwards, the safety railing  18  is provided with holding rods  20  whose importance is explained below. 
   The step  16  lying furthest outwards in the example is preferably supported on the floor by at least one roller  21  or similar which is rotatably mounted about a horizontal axis  22  (FIG.  1 ). Furthermore, it may be provided that the roller  21  is rotatably mounted on a bearing body, which itself is attached to the underside of the step  16  and is arranged rotatable about a vertical axis. 
   The working platform  14  and, with it, the set of steps is permanently affixed—though in case of need, detachably—to the chassis  1  and displaceable or moveable along its periphery in the direction of the double arrow v (FIG.  2 ). This is preferably brought about with the aid of a guideway or guide rail  23  shown enlarged in FIG.  4 . This is designed with an annular form and is coaxial with the machine axis  11  and, for instance, at a height such that the upper ends  20   a  of the rods  20  grasp it when the steps  15  are arranged at the periphery of the chassis  1  and its step  16  is supported by the roller  21  on the ground. The guideway  23  is attached to the support ring  5  with the aid of radially arranged support rods  24 . 
   According to  FIG. 4 , the guideway  23  is provided on its upper side with a circularly arranged profile  23   a  running in the peripheral direction and having the form of an I-beam or a T-beam which serves in bearing and guiding the ends  20   a  of the rods  20  lying radially inwards. For this purpose, the ends  20   a  have on their undersides U-shaped sliding elements  25  pushed onto the profile  23   a  of the guideway  23  and gripping it in the manner of clamps, which fix the whole set of steps  15  radially and substantially immovably to the guideway  23 , but permitting displacement of the steps  15  in the peripheral direction of the chassis  1 . 
   Due to the described design of the guideway  23 , it is possible to move the working platform  14  or steps  15  in the peripheral direction (double arrow v) of the circular knitting machine and to arrange it along its periphery at the site where repair, maintenance, adjustment or similar is required. 
   In many cases, circular knitting machines are designed ( FIGS. 2 and 4 ) such that they have at least one foot which is usually the main foot  2  which extends radially to the machine axis  11  and relatively far outwards. In order to avoid a case where the working platform  14  must also be moved past the outer radial extent of this main foot  2 , which would result in a relatively large total diameter of the circular knitting machine, the invention provides for the radial separation of the working platform  14  from the machine axis  11  such that it may be moved past the side feet  3 ,  4  standing out less far, but that its movement path is limited by the two side surfaces  2   a ,  2   b  ( FIG. 2 ) of the main foot  2  in that these side surfaces  2   a ,  2   b  act as stops for the working platform  14 . By this means the positioning capability of the working platform  14  is somewhat restricted, but this impairs its function only slightly. If an operating person uses the working platform  14  in a position where it lies against one of the side surfaces  2   a ,  2   b , then the operating person may also reach the space above the main foot  2 . 
   Alternatively, cases may arise where more than one chassis foot extends further outwards radially, as is shown in  FIG. 2  for the side feet  3  and  4 . In this case, it may be suitable to keep the circle on which the working platform  14  or the steps  15  are able to move as small as possible by providing a working platform  14  or steps  15  as described between each two such chassis feet in such a manner that each of these chassis feet serves as a limit for its peripheral movement. This would also have the advantage that during work requiring two persons, a separate working platform is available to each of the two persons. 
   It is also clear to a person skilled in the art that the working platform  14  or steps  15  should be designed narrow and/or that any stop surfaces for them (e.g.  2   a ,  2   b ) should be arranged relative to each other such that the working platform  14  or steps  15  are displaceable into at least one position that permits opening of the door or doors of the protective cover  12  and removal of the goods batch thereby exposed. This condition is easily fulfilled in particular when the doors of the protective cover  12  are designed as sliding doors, as for instance disclosed by the document DE 199 24 217 A1 which, for the sake of simplicity, is made the subject matter of the present disclosure by reference. 
   In the example according to  FIGS. 5  to  8 , similar parts are identified with the same reference numbers as in  FIGS. 1  to  4 . Therefore, in the following only the differences in this example that are significant for the invention will be explained. 
   According to  FIGS. 5  to  8 , a working platform  27  is provided which is designed as part of a set of steps  28 . The set of steps  28  have two steps  29 ,  30  leading to the working platform  27 , which in contrast to  FIGS. 1  to  4 , are not arranged radially, but substantially one behind the other in the peripheral direction of the circular knitting machine (double arrow w in FIG.  6 ). The widths of the working platform  27  and of the steps  29 ,  30  are substantially the same, whereby the three members  27 ,  29  and  30  suitably have side edges curved round the machine axis  11  in the manner of a spiral staircase. A safety railing  31  has corresponding curvatures, said railing being provided with side members  31   a,    31   b  extending from the lowest step  29  to the chassis  1 , also running in the peripheral direction, and having hand rails. Accordingly, seen in the peripheral direction, the steps  28  have an access opening  32  ( FIG. 6 ) on their one end in the region of the first step  29 , said opening being accessible only in the peripheral direction, whilst on the opposing end, a protective grid  33  ( FIG. 6 ) is mounted. 
   Whilst the lowest step  29  is suitably movably mounted on wheels or rollers  34 , similarly to  FIGS. 1  to  4 , holding rods  35  equivalent to the holding rods  20  are attached to the side member  31   b  of the safety railing  31  lying radially inwards. The upper ends  35   a  of these holding rods  35  are provided, similarly to  FIGS. 1  to  4 , with sliding elements  36  which are placed with a sliding seating on the guideway  23  or its profile  23   a , so that the working platform  27  or the steps  28  may be pushed to and fro in the peripheral direction w (FIG.  6 ). With regard to the feet  2 ,  3  or  4  extending far outwards radially, the same restrictions apply as explained above in connection with  FIGS. 1  to  4 . 
   As is apparent, in particular, from  FIG. 6 , in this example, also, two working platforms  27 ,  37  or sets of steps  28 ,  38  are provided whose movement paths are limited, for instance, by the two side surfaces  2   a ,  2   b  of the main foot  2 . A second set of steps  38  which may possibly be present is provided, in similar manner to the steps  28 , with an access opening  39  at one end and with a protective grid  40  on the other end. The two sets of steps  28 ,  38  are preferably designed and arranged with mirror symmetry to each other, so that their access openings  32 ,  39  either face each other, whilst their protective grids  33 ,  40  face in the direction of the side walls  2   a ,  2   b  of the main foot. It is thereby also possible to reach the working platforms  27 ,  37  via the access openings  32 ,  39  when the steps  28 ,  38  lie at the main foot  2 . 
   Furthermore, the working platforms  27 ,  37  and the steps  28 ,  38  according to  FIGS. 5  to  8  are substantially designed exactly like the working platform  14  and the steps  15  described above with the aid of  FIGS. 1  to  4 . 
   The invention is not restricted to the examples described, which may be subjected to derivation in a number of ways. In place of two steps leading to the working platform  14 ,  27 ,  37 , depending upon the height of the respective circular knitting machine, no steps or only one or more than two steps may be provided. Furthermore, the geometrical forms of the working platforms and steps apparent from  FIGS. 1  to  8  merely represent examples, which may be altered in any suitable manner. The same applies for the guideways  23  and profiles  23   a  and the sliding elements  25  or  36  sliding on these, in place of which other components may be provided, in particular for instance, in the form of ball or roller bearings. The materials from which the working platforms or steps are made are also freely selectable, although metals and particularly steel are preferred materials. Furthermore, the invention does not concern only circular knitting machines provided with the working platforms and steps according to the invention, but also kits with which existing circular knitting machines may be subsequently equipped with the working platforms and steps described and which therefore substantially contain the guideway  23 , the slide elements  25  and  36 , the holding rods  20 ,  35  and the components attached thereto. Finally, it is self-evident that the various features may also be used in other combinations than those shown and described. 
   It will be understood, that each of the elements described above or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of construction differing from the types described above. 
   While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a circular knitting machine, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 
   Without further analysis, the forgoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.