05/077226

05/21/1974

10/01/1970

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Maschinenfabrik Spaichingen GmbH (Spaichingen, Wurttemberg, DT)

66/220

66/222

D04B15/78; D04B15/66; D04B15/78

66/5R,5B,25,75,154A,36A,36B

Reynolds, Wm Carter

Klein, Arthur O.

What is claimed is

1. In a circular knitting machine with a rotating needle carrier, in which the needle selection is controlled at a pattern-selecting position by selectively operated needle-selecting means, each needle being provided with an associated needle jack which is slidable in the needle carrier and is selectively swingable into and out of operative engagement with a stationary jack advancing cam past which the jacks travel on the needle carrier, each needle jack having at least one control foot, the control feet of the needle jacks following each other in sequence in a stepwise manner, a ramp-like cam at the pattern selecting position for successively swinging the needle jacks so that they lie in a first position in the path of the jack advancing cam, the improved needle selecting means which comprises a plurality of selectively energizable electromagnetic solenoid means having stopping surfaces and cores disposed generally radially of the needle carrier, said cores having poles on their inner ends for selectively cooperating with the respective control feet on the needle jacks to retain selected ones of said jacks in said first position, and yieldable means for urging all of the jacks toward a second position out of the path of the jack advancing cam, said yieldable means being overpowered by the said energized electromagnetic solenoid means, every needle jack of the machine being provided with two control feet, one of the control feet of the needle jack running over the surface of the pole of the respective solenoid means and coacting therewith immediately throughout the whole length of the pattern selecting position, the other control foot of the needle jack being controlled by the said yieldable means, said yieldable means being disposed at least adjoining the pattern selecting position, the yieldable means comprising a spring biased return slider with a ramp-like control surface for cooperation with the second control feet of the needle jacks, the beginning of the ramp-like control surface on the slider being positioned in substantial vertical alignment with the beginning of the stopping surface of the electromagnetic solenoid means during the rotation of the needle carrier of the machine.

2. In a circular knitting machine with a rotating needle carrier, in which the needle selection is controlled at a pattern-selecting position by selectively operated needle-selecting means, each needle being provided with an associated needle jack which is slidable in the needle carrier and is selectively swingable into and out of operative engagement with a stationary jack advancing cam past which the jacks travel on the needle carrier, each needle jack having one control foot, the control feet of the needle jacks following each other in sequence in a stepwise manner, a ramp-like cam at the pattern selecting position for successively swinging the needle jacks so that they lie in a first position in the path of the jack advancing cam, the improved needle selecting means which comprises a plurality of selectively energizable electromagnetic solenoid means at the pattern selecting position, said solenoid means having cores reciprocally radially movable of the needle carrier, said cores having contacting surfaces on their inner ends for selectively cooperating with the respective control feet on the needle jacks and having also armature surfaces at their outer ends, and yieldable means for urging all of the cores radially inwardly, said yieldable means being selectively overpowered by said electromagnetic solenoid means when energized, to attract an armature surface on the outer end of selected cores, all of said cores being successively moved radially outwardly by said needle jacks engaging said contacting surfaces as said needle jacks are successively swung outwardly by said ramp-like cam, and non-selected cores being thereafter moved inwardly by those yieldable means which have not been selectively overpowered to swing corresponding jacks inwardly from said first position.

This invention relates to a control mechanism for a circular knitting machine with a rotating needle carrier, in which the needle selecting mechanism at every needle selecting position or station is provided with a plurality of pattern control electromagnetic selecting mechanisms. The machine is provided with needle jacks which are mounted in the needle channels and are selectively held in swung or tipped position. The needle jacks are provided with control feet, the control feet of the needle jacks following one another in a step-by-step manner.

There are already available pattern control mechanisms in the prior art (for example, German Pat. applications 5 85 229 and 16 35 848 ), which are provided with electromagnets which control sliders and through the sliders present the control feet of the needle jacks in the desired position during the operation of the machine. In accordance with such mechanism, the electromagnets and their energizing current must be of such strength as to pull the armature of the magnets into their operative positions.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an electrically controlled pattern control mechanism for circular knitting machines which are of conventional construction, so that such control mechanisms, without alteration of the rotating part of the circular knitting machine, may be mounted on the machine in the place of the previously known mechanical pattern control mechanism, such as a Jacquard pattern control mechanism provided with pins. The control mechanism of the invention may be supplied with electrical current from a hitherto known electrical control mechanism. A salient feature of the present invention is the fact that all needle jacks with their controlling feet are controlled by being swung by a pattern controlling cam past which the needle jacks run, selected ones of such jacks being held in swung position by selectively energizable stopping magnet means, and that every stopping magnet is provided with a similar needle jack returning mechanism that works at the selection point upon the jacks which have been selected by the stopping magnets, the returning force of such returning means being less than that of the energized stopping magnets.

In a mechanism according to the invention, the electromagnets need have only one function, which is the stopping or holding of the selected needle jacks. It is to be understood that, in accordance with the invention, the control mechanism may be employed in those knitting machines in the same art with needle jacks which have previously been controlled by a mechanical control mechanism employing pins and the like. The invention requires no special cam for the return of the needle jacks into their at-rest or outwardly thrust positions; every stopping magnet is provided with a similar returning means by means of which the needle jacks associated with those stopping magnets which have not been energized are thrust into their at-rest positions. Such returning mechanisms, like the holding magnets, are attached to a fixed frame part of the machine.

Control mechanisms in accordance with the invention may be made in a variety of manners. Thus, the needle jacks in accordance with the invention may be constructed in a conventional manner, that is, provided with two control feet, one of which cooperates over the whole length of the pattern position station during the travel of the needle carrier; during this time the other control foot is positioned at the selecting point for cooperation with the returning mechanisms. The returning mechanism is preferably made in the form of a spring biased slider which is provided on its inner end confronting the needle jacks with a ramp-like control surface for cooperation with the control feet of the needle jacks which run therepast, the entering end of the controlling surface being positioned opposite the entering end of the controlling or stop surface of the magnets during the rotation of the needle cylinder. It is guaranteed or assured that the needle jacks always first engage the stopping magnet with their first control feet, before the other or second control feet engage the sliders for returning them rearwardly. When a stopping magnet is energized, the swingable control foot of the associated needle jack will be held swung outwardly in a known manner in its needle channel of the needle cylinder over the whole length of the position-choosing station over the holding surface of the holding magnets, the returning force, which is exerted upon the second control feet of the needle jacks, being smaller than the force exerted by the energized magnets.

The control mechanism in accordance with the invention can also be provided for needle jacks which, in a known manner, are provided with only a single control foot. In this case, the stopping magnets in accordance with the invention are provided with solenoid plungers which also serve as needle jack returning means. The solenoid plunger of the stopping magnet is preferably opposed by a spring which constantly thrusts the magnet plungers. The end of the magnet plunger opposite from the solenoid or armature end is provided with a cam-shaped surface which cooperate with the fixed control cam or piece, there being provided a ramp-like controlling surface against which the controlling feet of the needle jacks are swung. The returning springs for the solenoid plungers have such effective force that they are overcome by the solenoid plungers of the magnets when the magnets are energized.

Further characteristics and salient features of the invention will become apparent in the following description taken in connection with the drawings, the drawings showing more or less schematically two preferred embodiments of the mechanism in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 1 is a vertical radial section through the cam sleeve or mantle and the needle cylinder of a circular knitting machine incorporating a first-disclosed emboidment of the pattern control mechanism of the invention;

FIG. 2a is a view in horizontal section through the pattern control mechanism, the section being taken along the line IIa-- IIa in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2b is a view in horizontal section through the pattern control mechanism of FIG. 1, the section being taken along the line IIb-- IIb in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary development of the cam sleeve or mantle in the section thereof shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b, such section being indicated by curved line III--III of FIGS. 2a and 2b, FIG. 3 showing the relative positioning of the pattern control feet of the needle jacks;

FIG. 4 is a figure similar to FIG. 1 but showing a second embodiment of pattern control apparatus incorporated in a circular knitting machine;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIGS. 2a and 2b, the view being a horizontal section along the line V--V in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3, the figure being a development of the cam sleeve or mantle in the zone shown by the curved line VI--VI in FIG. 5, FIG. 6 showing the relative positions of the pattern feet of the needle jacks; and

FIG. 7 is a view in vertical section through the magnet portion of the pattern control mechanism of the second embodiment, the section being taken along the broken section line VII--VII of FIG. 4.

In the figures, similar parts throughout the figures are indicated by the same reference characters.

FIG. 1 shows a needle cylinder 1, in the needle channels 2 of which there are disposed needle jacks 3 and needles 4. The needle cylinder 1 rotates in a known manner within a stationary cam sleeve or mantle 5 disposed coaxially thereof, the mantle or cam-carrying shell 5 having a plurality of cam pieces mounted thereon, there being four such cam pieces 6 shown in FIG. 1. The second and third pieces 6 from the top present a channel 7 therebetween, such channel receiving the needle feet or cam followers 4a on the needles. The lowermost cam piece or pieces 6 provide on their lower edge a guiding surface for the cam followers 3a of the needle jacks 3. The needle jacks 3 are mounted by their heads 3b in the needle channels 2 of the needle cylinder 1 in a known manner so that the needle jacks are either disposed vertically, as shown in FIG. 1, or are tipped counter-clockwise from such position so that the base of a needle jack engages the vertical root of the needle channel 2 of the cylinder 1. The needle jacks are constantly urged toward the above-described tipped position by interaction of vertically aligned spaced spring pressed plungers, to be described, with respective feet 3c on the jacks 3. The jacks are thrust into their vertical position against the opposition of the spring pressed plungers by cams 14 as the jacks are carried past such cams, the thus-swung jacks being selectively retained in such swung position by vertically aligned spaced electromagnets which act upon the respective feet 3d on the jacks 3. At least such feet 3d, and preferably the entire jacks 3, are made of ferromagnetic metal. When the jacks 3 lie in their vertical position, a control foot 3e thereon adjacent its lower end rides upon the upper surface of a stationary cam piece 11 mounted on a fixed part of the machine coaxial of mantle 5; when the jacks are swung counterclockwise from the position of jack 3 in FIG. 1 after they have been raised, the foot 3e on each jack is moved radially inwardly sufficiently so that when the jack 3 is retracted, the foot 3e thereon lies radially inwardly of the cam piece 11 and is not then controlled by such cam. As shown in FIG. 3, the jacks 3 are all similar except for the placement of the feet 3c and 3d thereon. Also, as shown in that figure, the jacks are disposed in sets of 6, the feet 3c and 3d of successive jacks in each being arranged en echelon, the rows of feet 3c and 3d being parallel. FIG. 3 also shows how the jacks travel through successive systems of the circular knitting machine.

The machine of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 is provided with a pattern control mechanism 8, mechanism 8 being supported upon adjustable ring device 9 which in turn is supported by an exterior carrying ring 10 forming part of the circular knitting machine structure and being mounted thereon for adjustment in all directions.

The pattern arrangement 8 includes in its lower portion a plurality of juxtaposed arresting or holding magnets 12 which coact with the pattern feet 3d of the needle jacks 3 and in the upper portion of the pattern arrangement there are arranged a plurality of juxtaposed return plungers or sliders 13, which coact with the upper pattern feet 3c of the needle jacks 3. The construction of the return sliders 13 and the arresting magnets 12 is illustrated in FIGS. 2a and 2b. Each one of the arresting magnets, which are at all times arranged to coact with a step of the pattern feet 3d of the needle pushers 3, is provided with a magnetic core 12a, the central portion of which is surrounded by an energizing coil 12b. The magnetic core 12a has at the radially inner end thereof an arresting surface 12c, which extends across the whole width of the selection position, and is disposed coaxially of the needle cylinder and cam sleeve.

By means of a cam 14 arranged at each one of the selection positions, which acts on the lower ends of the needle jacks 3, there are pivoted radially outwardly, first of all, all needle pushers 3 at each selection position, so that their pattern feet 3d are guided towards the arresting surface 12c of the arresting magnets 12. With this pivoting movement, the upper pattern feet 3c of the needle pushers 3 are also guided against oblique guiding surfaces 13a of sliders 13. The energization of a chosen arresting magnet 12 causes the corresponding return slider 13, in opposition to the return slider spring 15, to be retained in its radially outward position. The spring 15 can be pretensioned by means of an adjusting screw plug 16 which can be adjusted from the exterior of the machine.

A second embodiment of pattern control mechanism in accordance with the invention is shown in FIGS. 4-7, inclusive. In such embodiment, at each pattern control point there is provided a pattern control 20 having a plurality of holding magnets 21, such magnets being of a different construction from those shown at 12 in FIGS. 1-3, inclusive. Magnets 21 have solenoid plungers or sliders 22 which cooperate with respective ones of control feet 3f on the needle jack 3. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, the control feet 3f of adjacent needle jacks 3 are disposed adjacent each other en echelon, each control foot 3f being associated with a corresponding stopping magnet 21 and a slider 22.

As is best shown in FIG. 5, the sliders 22 are arranged in one row, one above the other, and are constantly yieldably urged in a radially inward direction by a coil compression spring 23 the outer end of which acts upon a spring seat in a guiding casing for the sliders 22, and the inner end of which acts upon a lateral wing 22a on each of the sliders. Confronting the sliders at their radially inner ends is a pattern piece or cam 14 in the form of a ramp which is inclined radially outwardly forwardly and then joins with an arcuate portion coaxial of the needle cylinder, the rap confronting an oppositely inclined radially inwardly contracting surface 22b on the inner end of the sliders 22. The control feet 3f of the respective needle jacks 3 engage the surface 22b as shown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 7, for reasons of economy of space, the magnets 21 are disposed in three vertical rows with the magnets in such three rows being disposed en echelon. Sliders 22 which cooperate with the magnet in the intermediate vertical row have armatures which are aligned therewith. Sliders 22 which cooperate with the two outer rows of magnets, however, are provided with oppositely laterally extending wings 22d having armature surfaces 22c which are aligned with the pole pieces of their respective magnets 21. Each of the magnets has a U-shaped core 21a on the two legs of which there are located coil windings 21b. When a magnet 21 is energized, it holds its associated slider 22 radially outwardly against the opposition of spring 23 so that the control feet 3f of the needle jacks 3 no longer engage ramp surface 22b on the sliders as the needle jacks rotate with the needle cylinder 1 in the direction 17 past the pattern control mechanism 20.

As the needle jacks 3 rotate past the cam or ramp piece 14, they are progressively thrust radially outwardly as shown in FIG. 5. As a result of this, their control feet 3f engage and run up the ramp 22b of the sliders 22 and press such sliders radially outwardly against the force of the coil compression spring 23. This brings the armature surfaces 22c of the sliders 22 close to the pole shoes of the magnet cores 21a so that, if a particular magnet is energized, its associated slider 22 then remains held in a radially outer position. Since the needle jacks 3 according to FIG. 5 are swung by the cams or ramps 14 in the entering part of the pattern control mechanism 20, in every case the sliders 22 will be pushed into proximity to the pole pieces of the stop magnets 21. When the magnet is energized, it stops and holds the slider 22, since the strength of the coil compression spring 23 is less than that of the magnets 21. In this case the needle jacks 3 remain in their outswung positions so that their lower control feet 3e are under the control of the cam surface 11a of the cam 11. The cam 11 thrusts the needle jack 3 and its associated needle 4 upwardly or outwardly in the needle channel of the needle cylinder 1. If the magnet 21 is not energized, the slider 22 is returned into its radially inner position by the coil compression spring 23 as soon as the needle jack 3 leaves the cam surface of the cam 14. Thus, the needle jack 3 is returned into its inoperative position, in which its lower control foot 3e lies radially inwardly of and does not rest upon the upper cam surface 11a of the cam 11, so that the needle jack 3 is not now controlled by cam 11.

It will be understood that, in accordance with the invention, the windings or coils of the stopping magnets of the pattern control mechanism may be supplied with current from conventional electric pattern control mechanism which supplies such magnets with energizing current at the right time and in the correct sequence to provide a desired pattern in the knitted product.

Although the invention is illustrated and described with reference to a plurality of preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be expressly understood that it is in no way limited to the disclosure of such a plurality of preferred embodiments, but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.