GB813435A - Improvements in or relating to straight bar knitting machines - Google Patents

Abstract

813,435. Knitting-machines. COTTON Ltd., W. Feb. 20, 1956 [March 1, 1955], No. 5974/55. Class 74 (2). In the knitting of a blank for a knitted garment in which the initial portion of the blank, such as a ribbed waist or cuff part, is preformed, the initial portion is transferred to the needles of a straight-bar machine by a point bar 1 which is mounted in a carrier movable towards and away from the needles during the transfer operation. Simultaneously with the movement of the carrier, the speed of the machine is restricted and the needles are given a modified motion whereby they co-operate with the points 2 to effect the transference. Thereafter during the initial stages of knitting the subsequent fabric, the fabric is withdrawn by an auxiliary take-up mechanism acting on the point bar and causing the points which are still engaged in the fabric to pull the fabric away from the needles as it is knitted. The carrier cornprises two carriages 5 which receive the ends of the point bar retained in position by latches 11. The ends of the point bar abut guide plates which ensure alignment of the points with the needles when the bar is advanced. The carriages slide on rails 7 and are advanced by pushers 16 attached to rack and pinion mechanism 17, 30 driven by a quadrant rack 29 movable by cam and follower mechanism 26, 21, 27 from the main cam shaft 22. Upon commencement of a transfer operation, a lever 47 is manually operated to move a control rod 33 whereby truck 27 is moved by lever 32 into engagement with its cam 21 to advance the carrier. Simultaneously two trip mechanisms 57, 58, Fig. 5, are operated whereby the control rod is held in its operative position against the action of a spring The trip mechanism 57 is controlled by an arm 24 which moves with the mechanism controlling the needle movement and the trip mechanism 58 is controlled by the arm 26 of the follower mechanism driving the carrier. Movement of the control rod 33 also operates a speed limiting member whereby the speed of the machine, controlled from a manually operated rod, cannot exceed a predetermined limit. As the pinion 30 is rotated together with its shaft 31 a cam 52, Fig. 8, on the shaft moves a forked member 54 to pivot lever 41 and thereby shog truck 40 from its normal needle operating cam on to an auxiliary cam whereby the needle movement is modified and a dwell is obtained at the lowered position of the needles such that the needles are brought back into engagement with the points and are then raised to take the loops from the points. When the needles reach their highest position the trip mechanism 57 releases the control rod 33 but the rod is still maintained in. its operative position by trip mechanism 57. This latter mechanism is released when the cam 21 and arm 26 resume their initial positions and the control rod 33 is then returned to its original position under spring action. Prior to the arm 26 returning to its initial position, the further rotation of the pinion 30 and shaft 31 causes the cam 52 to shog the truck 40 back on to its normal needle operating cam. Release of the rod 33 also removes the member limiting the speed of the machine. The hooks of the points 2 are maintained in the loops of the fabric after the needles have engage the loops and an auxiliary fabric take-up mechanism 15, 19 attached to the carrier causes the points to draw the fabric off the needles as it is produced. The normal fabric take-up mechanism is attached subsequently.