US2282668A - Knitting machine - Google Patents

Description

, Witness- May 12, 1942. M Q WLLER 2,282,668

KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 28, 1935 Fig.1 F229. .2 Fig. 3 Fig.4

Mam

fl against possible slipping off Patented May 12, 1942 6 Claims. The present invention relates to improvements in loop lifting implements for knitting machines,

and more, specifically to a novel and improved loop lifting point adapted for use in machines arranged for knitting fashioned hosiery for removing loops from and forreturning the loops to the knitting needles.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved loop lifting implement of this general description for removing and returning selected loops to the needles, which is well adapted for securely holding the lifted loop, so that there is no danger that the loop will slip off over the point of the implement.

Another object of the invention more specifical- Divided and this application December 1'1, 1940, Serial No. 370,496

to the needles after the knitting of the heel flap portion of the fabric; Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken-on the line 9- -8 of Fig. 2, illustrating the operation of applicant's improved loop lifting pointto maintain the fabric loops'on the points, and corresponds specifically to the position of these elements illustrated, for instance, in Fig. 3; and Fig. 10 is a similar sectional view taken through applicant's improved loop lifting point ly is to provide a loop lifting implement of this general description which is well adapted for use in a full-fashioned foot and leg knitting machine such as that illustrated in applicants copending application, Serial No. 66,207, filed February 28, 1936, of which the present application is a division, for supporting selected needle wale loops off the needles during an extended period in which the other portions of the fabric as, for

example, the heel tabs and ravel sole courses are knitted.

With these and other objects in view, a feature of the invention consists in the provision of a loop lifting implement arranged for removing and for returning loops to the needles, .Whichis provided to the side thereof with the previously knitted loops of the fabric with an indentation adapted for engaging therein the head portion of the previously formed loop in order to support the terminal loop held on-the loop lifting implement over the point .of the implement;- i

The several'features of the inventionccnsist also in the devices-,- combinations and arrangement'of parts hereinafter described and claimed, which together with the advantages to be; ob-

'tained' thereby will be readilyunderstood by-one skilled in the .art from [the following description taken; in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. i" is a'side'elevation of a loop lifting implement embodying in .-a preferred formthe several featuresvof 'applicants inven- 'tion; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the loop lifting implement shown in Fig.1; Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive, are a series of somewhat diagrammatic views illustrating the relative positions of the loop liftinginstrumentalities arranged for supporting instep loops together with the cooperating needles, sinkers and webholder elements during the successive-steps in the return of these loops and the needle cooperating therewith during the transfer operation, and corresponds'to the position of these parts illustrated specifically in Fi 7. a

I Applicant's improved loop lifting point is herein specifically illustrated and described in connection with a, multiple section full-fashioned knitting machine adapted for knitting a complete foot and leg hosiery blank, the implements illustrated 'being employed specifically for the purpose of removing the terminal loops comprising the instep portion .of the fabric from the needles, and for holding these loops during the knitting of the heel tabs and sole ravel courses, and there after'for transferring these loops back to the instep needles preparatory for the knitting of the foot portion of the fabric. While the invention is herein specifically described in connection with the removal and return of the instep floops, it will be understood that applicant's improved loop lifting point may be employed with equal advantage for'fashioning and other operations in which loop lifting implements of the general type described are ordinarily employed.

' Referring specifically to'the drawing, applicants improved loop lifting point is designated at I! in Figs. 1 and 2, and follows the usual construction of, these elements except that thereis formed in thewalls of the needle engaging side of the implement a notch H which is preferably undercut slightly toward the tip of the point. The edges'of the notchedgportions of the side walls" are-bevelled inwardly, as indicated at I 6,

in order that'the "points may be readily withdrawnfrom the loopsafter the transfer of the instep needle loop held thereon back to. the

needle. The notched portions ll are made sufficiently shallow to permit the needle tip to pass beneath a bar of yarn in the groove provided by the notches l4 during the operation of returning the loops to the needles. Applicant illustrates in Figs. 3to 8'inclusive, the usual cooperating knitting instrumentalities in a full-fashioned knitting machine including the needles l8, sinkers 20 and knockover bits 22.

The operation of applicant's improved loop lifting implements, when employed to remove and support the instep needle loops to the backs of the needles during the knitting of the heel flaps and sole ravel courses, and to thereafter transfer said loops back to the needles, may be briefly described as follows: The implements cooperate with the needles in the usual manner to engage upon the points and to raise the lifted loops above the tips of the needles. The needle loops placed in their usual position on the shanks of the loop lifting points as, for instance,. in an ordinary narrowing operation, are located substantially opposite or above the notches ll. Owing to the tightness of the needle loop with relation to the cross-sectional area of the loop lifting implement,

which will be relatively the same independently a of the gauge of the machine, the bar of yarn comprising the needle loop of the previously knitted course-will be drawn tightly into the notch H as shown in Figs. 3 and 9, sothat the fabric is positively held on the points during the subsequent knitting of the heel flaps and sole ravel courses as illustrated, for example, in Fig. 3. During the operation of transferring or returning the loops held on the implements back to the needles as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the tips of the needles moving relatively upwardly with relation to the loop lifting implements and pressed in the usual manner into the hollowed or grooved portionrof the implements, will pass under the bar of yarn formed by the needle loops of the previously knitted course, so that these bars of yarn will be forced out of the notches 14 during the continued relative movement of the needles and points as shown in Fig. 10, thus freeing the points from the fabric and permitting their removal as specifically illustratedin Figs. '7 and 8. The bevelled portions ii of the notched walls of the implements serve to provide an adequate clearance to prevent possible catching of the viously knitted loop into the indentation, and thus to prevent the inadvertent losing of the loops from the points. In the performance of loop lifting or transfer operations in which a relatively large number of adjacent loop lifting points having applicants improved construction are employed, it has been found sumcient to prevent the losing of the fabric from the points, if only an occasional loop is caught in the indentations provided in these adjacent loop lifting points.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

1. For use in a full-fashioned knitting machine having needles, a pointed 100p lifting implement having a shank portion and a needle receiving groove in the shank, and a yarn engaging notch formed in the grooved side of the shank.

2. For use in a full-fashioned knitting machine having needles, a pointed loop lifting implement having a needle receiving groove, and an undercut yarn retaining notch formed in the grooved side thereof. v

3. For use in a knitting machine having needles, a loop lifting implement having a shank portion and a needlereceiving groove in the shank portion and a notch formed in the grooved side of the shank portion for engagement with fabric loops with the edges of the notches during I vertently slipping off over the tips of the points.

During those portions of the loop removal and transfer operations in which. the loops are shifted from the needles to the points, and from the points back to the needles, the notches H ,are rendered inoperative by the location of the needles in interlocking .engagement with the points.

While in the preferred embodiment of the invention the notched portion 14 is illustrated as 'a :hook to engage with and positively support a bar of yarn formed by the needle loop of the previously knitted course, it will be understood that the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to any specific form of this indentation which depends in large part for its effectiveness upon the tendency of the fully stretched terminal wale loops to draw the bar of yarn comprising the prethe bar of yarn formed by the needle loop of the previously knitted course to maintain the transferred needle loop firmly on said implement.

4. For use in a knitting machine having needles, a loop lifting implement having a shank portion and a needle receiving groove in the shank portion, and a notch formed in the grooved sideof the shank portion for engagement with the bar of yarn formed by the needle loop of the previously knitted course to maintain the transferred needle loop firmlyon said implement, and said notched portion being sufficiently shallow to permit the needle tip to pass beneath said bar of yarn in the groove during the operation of returning the loop to the needle.

side walls having the outer edges thereof bevelled inwardly to facilitate the removal ofvthe implement subsequent to the return of the loop to the needle.

6. For use in a knitting machine having spring beard needles, a loop lifting implement having a shank portion and a notched portion extending transversely in the shank portion of the implement and located to that side of the loop lifting implement with the previously formed loop from which the lifted loop depends.

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