Apparatus and method for warp knitting a simulated woven fabric

Claim 2

In a warp knitting machine having at least one needle bar vertically reciprocable between a normally fixed lowermost position and a normally fixed uppermost position and having at least four guide bars laterally swingable and longitudinally reciprocable relative to said needle bar, one said guide bar for chain stitch yarn, two said guide bars for warp yarns and one said guide bar for a ''''weft'''' yarn and means for actuating said bars, the improvement comprising: short bill, short latch, long shank needles on said needle bar, guide bar control means for transversely swinging said guide bars through two complete forward and rearward strokes; longitudinally shifting said weft yarn guide bar across at least one needle space and longitudinally shifting said warp yarn guide bars left or right during each single upward and downward stroke of said needle bar for wrapping said weft yarns around the opened latch portions of the shanks of said needles when said needles are in said normally fixed uppermost portion in One course and for wrapping said weft yarns around other needles in the next course, and needle bar control means including high rise mechanism for lifting said short bill, short latch, long shank needles of said needle bar to a level well above said normally fixed uppermost position for sliding said weft yarn loops down below said opened needle latches onto the long shanks of said needles to be cast off with the loops of each successive course of said chain stitch yarns and including timing means, synchronized with said guide bar control means for actuating said high rise mechanism at the end of the second half of the first stroke of said guide bars.

Claim 3

A warp knitting machine as specified in claim 1, plus a second needle bar, back to back to said first needle bar, and having short bill, short latch, long shank needles thereon, a second set of said four guide bars, cooperable with said second needle bar, second guide bar control means for said second set and second needle bar control means for said second needle bar, including second, high rise lifting mechanism for raising said second needle bar to said high level, and including second said timing means for actuating said high rise mechanism at predetermined times, whereby a pair of back to back simulated weave warp knit fabrics are simultaneously produced by said machine during each double stroke of said guide bars, thereby doubling production rate of said machine.

Claim 4

In warp knitting apparatus, for making warp-knitted, simulated woven patterns, said apparatus including at least one needle bar; a chain stitch yarn guide bar, two warp yarn guide bars, a warp yarn guide bar designated as a ''''weft'''' yarn guide bar; and powered actuation means for reciprocating said needle bar, transversely oscillating said guide bars and longitudinally shifting said guide bars, the combinations of: guide bar control means including guide bar oscillation means for oscillating said guide bars through two forward and rearward strokes for each single upward and downward stroke of said needle bar, guide bar shift means for shifting said weft yarn guide bar to wrap said weft yarns around said needles in one course, and then around the needles to at least one space to one side thereof in the next course, and then again around said needles while shifting said warp yarn guide bars to lay in said warp yarns alternately over and under each successive pair of said weft yarns and shifting said chain stitch guide bars to knit chain stitch pillars on said needles: short latch, short bill, long shank needles on said needle bar; needle bar control means cooperable with said guide bar control means including high rise lift mechanism for raising said short latch needles to a predetermined high level well above the level of the eyes of said guide bars to locate the loops of said weft yarns, which are wrapped around said needles, down below the opened latches onto the long shanks thereof to permit said loops to be cast off with the loops of said chain stitch yarn, and collision avoidance means for preventing said guide bars from striking said needles in high rise level position.

Claim 5

In warp knitting apparatus, for making warp-knitted, simulated woven patterns, said apparatus including at least one needle bar; a chain stitch yarn guide bar, two warp yarn guide bars, a warp yarn guide bar designated as a ''''weft'''' yarn guide bar; and powered actuation means for reciprocating said needle bar, transversely oscillating said guide bars and longitudinally shifting said guide bars, the combinations of: guide bar control means including guide bar oscillation means for oscillating said guide bars through two forward and rearward strokes for each single upward and downward stroke of said needle bar, guide bar shift means for shifting said weft yarn guide bar to wrap said weft yarns around said needles in one course, and then around the needles to at least one space to one side thereof in the next course, and then again around said needles while shifting said warp yarn guide bars to lay in said warp yarns alternately over and under each successive pair of said weft yarns and shifting said chain stitch guide bars to knit chain stitch pillars on said needles: short latch, short bill, long shank needles on said needle bar; needle bar control means cooperable with said guide bar control means including high rise lift mechanism for raising said short latch needles to a predetermined high level well above the level of the eyes of said guide bars to locate the loops of said weft yarns, which are wrapped around said needles, down below the opened latches onto the long shanks thereof to permit said loops to be cast off with the loops of said chain stitch yarn, and collision avoidance means for preventing said guide bars from striking said needles in high rise level position.

Claim 6

Warp knitting apparatus as specified in claim 3, wherein: the said needle bar control means includes said collision avoidance means in the form of timing means lifting said needles to said predetermined upper level relative to the eyes of said guide bars, just before the second half of the second stroke of said guide bars, and said guide bar shift means shifts said chain stitch guide bar one needle space to be hooked by said needles.

Claim 7

Warp knitting apparatus as specified in claim 3, wherein: said chain stitch guide bar is set relatively high to form said collision avoidance means, said warp and weft guide bars are set relatively low and said guide bar control means and said needle bar control means are so synchronized that the low set guide bars are never in the needles when the needle bar is at the said predetermined high level of its stroke, thereby assuring that only the chain stitch yarn is formed into chain stitches.

Claim 8

Warp knitting apparatus as specified in claim 3, wherein: said chain stitch guide bar is set higher than said warp and weft guide bars and said needle bar control means lifts said needle bar to said predetermined high level just before the last half of the second stroke of said guide bars, to form said collision avoidance means, whereby the loops formed around said needles by said weft yarn slide below the opened latches thereof, when said needles are raised to said higher level for casting off with the stitches of said chain stitch yarn.

Claim 9

Warp knitting apparatus as specified in claim 3, plus: a second needle bar having short bill, short latch, long shank needles thereon, mounted in said apparatus back to back to said first mentioned needle bar, a second set of said chain stitch, warp and weft guide bars, said second needle bar and set of guide bars being operably connected to said powered actuation means, guide bar control means and needle bar control means and having second collision avoidance means to produce a second simulated weave, warp knit fabric back to back and unconnected to the fabric produced by said first needle bar and guide bars.

Claim 10

A warp knitting machine for producing simulated weave, warp knit fabrics, said machine comprising: a high set chain stitch guide bar, two low set warp yarn guide bars and a low set weft yarn guide bar; a needle bar arranged to reciprocate one stroke between the lowermost position, with the needle bills proximate the trick plate, and an uppermost or high rise position, with said bills well above the eyes of said warp and weft guide bars, at proximate the level of the eyes of said chain stitch guide bars, needle bar control means, including high rise mechanism for raising said needle bar to said high rise position at predetermined times, short latch, short bill, long shank needles on said needle bar; and control means in said machine for oscillating said guide bars two strokes for each single reciprocatory stroke of said needle bar, and for shifting said guide bars during each said two strokes to wrap said weft yarn around said adjacent needles in one course and around adjacent needles in the next course to produce an exposed weft yarn appearance, while alternating overlaying and underlaying said warp yarns to produce an interlaced warp yarn appearance and forming chain stitch pillars walewise of said fabric.

Claim 11

A warp knitting machine for producing simulated weave, warp knit fabrics, said machine comprising: a high set chain stitch guide bar, two low set warp yarn guide bars and a low set weft yarn guide bar; a needle bar arranged to reciprocate one stroke between the lowermost position, with the needle bills proximate the trick plate, and an uppermost or high rise position, with said bills well above the eyes of said warp and weft guide bars, at proximate the level of the eyes of said chain stitch guide bars, needle bar control means, including high rise mechanism for raising said needle bar to said high rise position at predetermined times, short latch, short bill, long shank needles on said needle bar; and control means in said machine for oscillating said guide bars two strokes for each single reciprocatory stroke of said needle bar, and for shifting said guide bars during each said two strokes to wrap said weft yarn around said adjacent needles in one course and around adjacent needles in the next course to produce an exposed weft yarn appearance, while alternating overlaying and underlaying said warp yarns to produce an interlaced warp yarn appearance and forming chain stitch pillars walewise of said fabric.

Claim 14

A method as specified in claim 9, plus the step of setting said chain stitch yarn guide bar high and setting the other three guide bars low at conventional level.

Claim 15

A method as specified in claim 10, wherein: said step of causing said weft loops to be lowered below the opened latches of said needles is accomplished by lifting said needle bar, during said cycle, up to a high rise level in which the bills of the needles are proximate the level of the eye of said high set chain stitch guide bar, and timing the oscillation of said guide bars during said cycle so that the eyes of the other three guide bars are never within the zone of the bills of said needles when said needles are in high rise position.

Claim 16

A method as specified in claim 9, plus the steps of: providing a second said needle bar and a second set of said four guide bars, and actuating the same identically with said first mentioned bars to knit a second simulated weave fabric back to back with said first fabric during each said double stroke of said guide bars.

Claim 17

In a warp knitting machine having two needle bars and a set of four guide bars for each needle bar, one guide bar of each set for chain stitch yarn, two guide bars of each set for warp yarns, and one guide bar of each set for a warp yarn serving as a ''''weft'''' yarn, the combination of: guide bar control means and needle bar control means synchronized for swinging each said set of four guide bars through two complete forward and rearward strokes during each single upward and downward stroke of the said needle bar associated therewith; short bill, short latch, long shank needles on each said needle bar; guide bar shift means synchronized with said guide bar control means for shifting the chain stitch guide bar of each set through chain stitch motions, shifting the ''''weft'''' yarn guide bar of each set to wrap around one needle in one course and around another needle in the next course to produce a simulated ''''weft'''' and shifting said warp yarns to alternately overlie a pair of ''''wefts'''' and then underlie a pair of ''''wefts;'''' and high rise mechanism synchronized with said control and shift means lifting each said needle bar to high level at the end of each first stroke of its guide bar set, during a dwell thereof, for sliding said ''''weft'''' yarn wraps downwardly on said needles from a position encircling the opened latches thereof to a position encircling the shanks thereof, whereby the time delay of two guide bar strokes for each needle bar stroke is compensated by simultaneous production of two simulated weave, warp knit single fabrics.

Claim 18

In a warp knitting machine having two needle bars and a set of four guide bars for each needle bar, one guide bar of each set for chain stitch yarn, two guide bars of each set for warp yarns, and one guide bar of each set for a warp yarn serving as a ''''weft'''' yarn, the combination of: guide bar control means and needle bar control means synchronized for swinging each said set of four guide bars through two complete forward and rearward strokes during each single upward and downward stroke of the said needle bar associated therewith; short bill, short latch, long shank needles on each said needle bar; guide bar shift means synchronized with said guide bar control means for shifting the chain stitch guide bar of each set through chain stitch motions, shifting the ''''weft'''' yarn guide bar of each set to wrap around one needle in one course and around another needle in the next course to produce a simulated ''''weft'''' and shifting said warp yarns to alternately overlie a pair of ''''wefts'''' and then underlie a pair of ''''wefts;'''' and high rise mechanism synchronized with said control and shift means lifting each said needle bar to high level at the end of each first stroke of its guide bar set, during a dwell thereof, for sliding said ''''weft'''' yarn wraps downwardly on said needles from a position encircling the opened latches thereof to a position encircling the shanks thereof, whereby the time delay of two guide bar strokes for each needle bar stroke is compensated by simultaneous production of two simulated weave, warp knit single fabrics.

Claim 19

A warp knitting machine as specified in claim 13, plus a high set chain stitch guide bar in each said set, having its guide eye well above the level of the eyes of the other guide bars of the set, and wherein said high rise mechanism periodically lifts each said needle bar to a high level during each double guide bar stroke, for hooking the needles thereof onto the chain stitch yarn carried by said high set chain stitch guide bar.

Claim 20

A continuous, high speed method for making a simulated weave, warp knitted fabric on a two needle bar warp knitting machine having a set of four guide bars for each needle bar, including a chain stitch, two warp, and one simulated ''''weft'''' warp yarn in each set, and having short bill, short latch, long shank needles on each said needle bar, said method comprising the steps of: oscillating each set of said four guide bars through two full strokes for each single reciprocatory stroke of the needle bar associated therewith; during said two strokes, shifting said chain stitch guide bar through chain stitch motions, shifting said ''''weft'''' yarn guide bar to wrap said yarns around said needles in one double stroke and around other said needles in the next double stroke, and shifting said warp yarns to alternately overlie and underlie said ''''weft'''' yarns in a simulated weave pattern; and during each said double stroke of said guide bars, after said needles have been wrapped with said weft yarns, automatically lowering said wraps from the opened latch portions of said needles down onto the long shanks thereof by raising said short bill, short latch needles to a high rise level.

Claim 21

A continuous, high speed method for making a simulated weave, warp knitted fabric on a two needle bar warp knitting machine having a set of four guide bars for each needle bar, including a chain stitch, two warp, and one simulated ''''weft'''' warp yarn in each set, and having short bill, short latch, long shank needles on each said needle bar, said method comprising the steps of: oscillating each set of said four guide bars through two full strokes for each single reciprocatory stroke of the needle bar associated therewith; during said two strokes, shifting said chain stitch guide bar through chain stitch motions, shifting said ''''weft'''' yarn guide bar to wrap said yarns around said needles in one double stroke and around other said needles in the next double stroke, and shifting said warp yarns to alternately overlie and underlie said ''''weft'''' yarns in a simulated weave pattern; and during each said double stroke of said guide bars, after said needles have been wrapped with said weft yarns, automatically lowering said wraps from the opened latch portions of said needles down onto the long shanks thereof by raising said short bill, short latch needles to a high rise level.

Claim 22

A continuous, high speed method as specified in claim 15, wherein: said lowering of said weft yarn wraps is accomplished by lifting said needles to said high rise level and lowering said needles during a dwell of said guide bars, thereby avoiding collision thereof.