GB570180A - Improvements in or relating to knitting machines and knitted fabric - Google Patents

Abstract

570,180. Knitting. COLE, B. T., and COLE, J. M. June 2, 1943, Nos. 8805 and 13653. [Class 74 (ii)] In knitting a fabric by rotary knitting upon a circular machine in which a thread, such as a splicing thread, is fed to and knitted by a variable number of the needles and is excluded from the remainder of the needle circle so that normally it would form a float, a predetermined length of float thread commensurate with the number of needles is drawn from the feeder and is knitted up by the needles at the next course. A fabric is thus formed having an area knitted with inclined selvedge edges of a weft thread that is knitted in successive courses. The splicing or other thread which is so knitted may be fed directly by the feeder at alternate courses and the float thread may be knitted at the intervening courses. Alternatively, thread fed directly from the feeder may be knitted together with the float thread. The device for drawing thread from the feeder 111a comprises a hook between 17 which engages the thread between the feeder and the last splicing needle 12b. The hook 17 is formed at one end of a rod 117 attached at the other end to a member 26. The member 26 and hook 17 are moved radially away from the cylinder to take thread from the feeder by a lever 25, having a pivoted catch member 75 which is released from the member 26 when a detent member 77 mounted upon the lever 25 engages a stop 22. Upon release from the catch member 75, the member 26 and hook 17 are drawn forward as the needles knit up the thread. The stop 22 which determines the length of movement of the hook 17 and therefore the amount of float available for knitting at the next course is adjustable by a lever 23 under control of a cam 41 which also determines the period of activity of the thread feeder. Alternatively, the stop may be adjusted manually. When the feeder supplies thread directly to the needles during every second revolution of the needle cylinder, the feeder 111a is lowered at the outside of the needle circle to feed the thread to the needles and at the inside of the needle circle to introduce the float to the needles. To enable the feeder to supply thread directly at each revolution, it is lowered only at the outside of the needle circle, and a finger or depressor is lowered within the needle circle to introduce the float to the needles simultaneously with the lowering of the feeder. A member 19 is mounted within the needle circle to support the float extending from the feeder or finger to the hook 17. Specifications 532,520 and 532,586 are referred to.