Guard for carding mechanisms of knitting machines

Claim 1

IN A PILE FABRIC KNITTING MACHINE OF THE TYPE HAVING A ROTATABLE NEEDLE CYLINDER; A PLURALITY OF KNITTING NEEDLES CARRIED BY SAID CYLINDER; LOOSE FIBER EXHAUST MEANS PROVIDED WITH AN INLET ABOVE SAID CYLINDER; AT LEAST ONE CARDING HEAD INCLUDING A MAIN CARDING ROLL, AN INTERMEDIATE CARDING ROLL ABOVE THE LEVEL OF SAID NEEDLE CYLINDER ADJACENT THE SIDE OF SAID MAIN CARDING ROLL FACING TOWARD SAID NEEDLE CYLINDER FOR RECEIVING FIBER FROM SAID MAIN CARDING ROLL, AND A FEEDER CARD ROLL BELOW SAID INTERMEDIATE CARDING ROLL AND ADJACENT THE NEEDLE CYLINDER FOR RECEIVING FIBER FROM SAID INTERMEDIATE CARDING ROLL AND DELIVERING IT TO SAID NEEDLE AS SAID NEEDLES MOVE PAST SAID CARDING HEAD DURING ROTATION OF SAID CYLINDER; AND MEANS FOR DIRECTING A JET OF AIR AT SAID NEEDLES FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE NEEDLE CYLINDER TOWARD THE INSIDE OF THE NEEDLE CYLINDER AT A LOCATION JUST BEYOND THE CARDING HEAD IN THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF THE NEEDLE CYLINDER; THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES COVER MEANS PARTIALLY SURROUNDING SAID INTERMEDIATE CARDING ROLL AND SAID FEEDER CARD ROLL FOR RESTICTING FFEE FLOW OF AIR ADJACENT SUCH ROLLS TO CONTROL DISCHARGE OF FIBER THEREFROM; SAID COVER MEANS HAVING AN UPPER CURVED PORTION CLOSELY SPACED WITH RESPECT TO THE INTERMEDIATE CARDING ROLL SURFACE EXTENDING FROM THE MAIN