ES298452A1 - Method of and apparatus for knitting and linking articles of wear - Google Patents

Abstract

To assist in running a slack linking course in a knitted fabric on to the points of the rotary dial of a linking machine, the fabric is formed with a projection or rib parallel to the linking course, and the fabric is displaced tangentially of the point dial with the projection or rib maintained at such a level that the linking course is aligned with the points. The fabric is guided to the point dial by a slot between two plates, the projection or rib engaging either the top or bottom surface of the plates. Alternately, the fabric is provided with two spacedsport ribs which engage the top and bottom surfaces respectively of the plates. In Fig. 1 a circularly-knitted stocking blank 1 ends with a linking course 2 which has slack loops and is followed in succession by three or four courses 3 of conventional knitting, a number of reinforced courses arranged to from a bulge or rib 4, a portion 5 of conventional knitting, a second bulge or rib 6, and a final portion 7 of conventional knitting. A pair of plates 11, 12, Fig. 3, are spaced apart to form a slot 8, the inner edge of which is disposed tangentially to the rotary dial 14 of a linking machine at the base of the radially-projecting points 13. The stocking is flattened, and is then passed into the slot 8 with the aligned redges 4 and 6 engaging the lower and upper surfaces respectively of the plates to position the linking course 2 in alignment with the points 13 for automatic impalement thereon so the stocking is drawn towards the point dial. Alternatively, either the bottom or the top rib may be omitted. In a modification slot 8 is acurate, and the outer plate 11 is circular and is pivoted about its centre. In Figs. 6, 8 an outer plate 11 carries a rotary disc 24 having an inclined pivoted aris 26, and provided with radial points 25 which enter an inclined slot 29 formed in a plate 28 depending from the inner plate 12. The arrangement is thereby such that an article being run on to the points 13 is drawn downwardly when being engaged with the points 13. Plates 11,12 carry respective spring strips 30, 31 aligned with the edges of the slot 8. The free trailing ends 30a, 31a of the strips are interconnected by a strip 32 which is connected by a hook member 33 to one end of a lever 34, the other end of which is connected to the armature of a solenoid 36. The latter is normally energized to raise the ends 30 a, 31a, and is arranged to be de-energized when micro-switches 37, 38 are simultaneously actuated by means of a rib, supported on plate 12 displacing respective fibres 39, 40. The arrangement is thereby such that the ends 30a, 31a are raised when a workpiece is entering or leaving the strips, and are lowered when the mid-portion of the workpiece is positioned between the strips. The work is led to and from the stitching zone by a pair of spaced-apart plates 46, 47, stitching being effected by a pair of needles 45, 45a. Needle 45 enters the normal grove in each point 13. Needle 45 enters the space between adjacent points and is positioned somewhat higher than needle 45. The stitched work is led to and from the trimming position by a pair of spaced-apart plates 52, 53. Trimming is effected by a fired blade 56 co-operating with a movable blade 59 carried at one end of a lever 63, the other end of which is connected to an actuating rod 64.