Apparatus for feeding filling threads to a warp knitting machine

Claim 2

Apparatus for feeding filling threads to a warp knitting machine comprising first and second conveyor means extending to spaced apart points, respectively, adjacent the knitting instrumentalities of the machine, a plurality of thread clamping means carried by and movable with each of said conveyor means, a plurality of filling thread supplies, guide means, movable from said first conveyor means to said second conveyor means, for guiding filling threads drawn from said supplies, said guide means being movable independently of said thread supplies, first actuating means for simultaneously operating a plurality of said clamping means carried by said first conveyor, before said guide means reaches said second conveyor, to effect simultaneous securement of a plurality of filling threads from said supplies in said first conveyor clamping means while said guide means is still moving toward said second conveyor, subsequent movement of said guide means causing a plurality of filling threads fixed to said first conveyor clamping means to be drawn from said first conveyor to thereby tension the threads toward said second conveyor, second actuating means operable after operation of said first actuating means is complete for simultaneously operating a plurality of said clamping means carried by said second conveyor in timed relation to movement of said guide means, to effect simultaneous securement of said plurality of filling threads in said second conveyor clamping meaNs, and cutting means for severing the portions of said filling threads extending from said second conveyor clamping means to said guide means.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a third conveyor means arranged generally crosswise with respect to said first and second conveyor means, said third conveyor means carrying said guide means between said first and second conveyor means, and said third conveyor means crossing said first conveyor means at a location farther from the knitting instrumentalities of the machine than the location at which said third conveyor means crosses said second conveyor means.

Claim 4

Apparatus for feeding filling threads to a warp knitting machine comprising first and second conveyor means extending to spaced apart points, respectively, adjacent the knitting instrumentalities of the machine, a plurality of thread clamping means carried by and movable with each of said conveyor means, a plurality of filling thread supplies, guide means, movable from said first conveyor means to said second conveyor means, for guiding filling threads drawn from said supplies, said guide means being movable independently of said thread supplies, first actuating means for simultaneously operating a plurality of said clamping means carried by said first conveyor in timed relation to movement of said guide means, to effect simultaneous securement of a plurality of filling threads from said supplies in said first conveyor clamping means, subsequent movement of said guide means causing a plurality of filling threads to be drawn from said first conveyor toward said second conveyor, second actuating means for simultaneously operating a plurality of said clamping means carried by said second conveyor in timed relation to movement of said guide means, to effect simultaneous securement of said plurality of filling threads in said second conveyor clamping means, each of said first and second conveyors being extensible and compressible along its length, so that without interrupting movement of said conveyor as a whole a portion of said conveyor carrying a plurality of said clamping means may be stopped to permit its respective actuating means to operate said plurality of clamping means, and cutting means for severing the portions of said filling threads extending from said second conveyor clamping means to said guide means.

Claim 5

Apparatus for feeding filling threads to a warp knitting machine comprising first and second conveyor means extending to spaced apart points, respectively, adjacent the knitting instrumentalities of the machine, a plurality of thread clamping means carried by and movable with each of said conveyor means, a plurality of filling thread supplies, guide means, movable from said first conveyor means to said second conveyor means, for guiding filling threads drawn from said supplies, said guide means being movable independently of said thread supplies, first actuating means for simultaneously operating a plurality of said clamping means carried by said first conveyor in timed relation to movement of said guide means, to effect simultaneous securement of a plurality of filling threads from said supplies in said first conveyor clamping means, subsequent movement of said guide means causing a plurality of filling threads to be drawn from said first conveyor toward said second conveyor, second actuating means for simultaneously operating a plurality of said clamping means carried by said second conveyor in timed relation to movement of said guide means, to effect simultaneous securement of said plurality of filling threads in said second conveyor clamping means, each of said first and second conveyors being extensible and compressible along its length, so that without interrupting movement of said conveyor as a whole a portion of said conveyor carrying a plurality of said clamping means may be stopped to permit its respective actuating means to operate said plurality of clamping means, and cutting means for severing the portions of said filling threads extending from said second conveyor clamping means to said guide means.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 including means for compressing each of said conveyors prior to operation of its respective clamping means by its respective actuating means.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein each of said conveyors comprises a series of rigid links, at least some of the pairs of successive rigid links being joined by flexible links, whereby a pair of rigid links joined by a flexible link can move toward and away from each other along the length of the conveyor.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 5 including means for compressing each of said conveyors prior to operation of its respective clamping means by its respective actuating means, said compressing means including a rotatable sprocket wheel for engaging said conveyor, the pitch and speed of rotation of said sprocket wheel being such as to cause said rigid links to move closer to each other.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 6 including means for rotating said sprocket wheel, and a slip clutch means between said rotating means and said sprocket wheel.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein each of said thread clamping means has an anvil, a clamping head, means resiliently urging said clamping head toward said anvil, and a projection carried by said clamping head, and each of said actuating means includes a member for simultaneously engaging a plurality of said projections to simultaneously move the clamping heads carrying said projections away from their respective anvils.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 8 including means for moving said actuating member in timed relation to movement of said guide means.

Claim 12

Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said means for moving said actuating member includes solenoid means.

Claim 13

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said apparatus includes a stationary frame, said guide means being movable with respect to said frame, and said filling thread supplies being stationary with respect to said frame.

Claim 14

Apparatus for feeding filling threads to a warp knitting machine comprising first and second conveyor means extending to spaced apart points, respectively, adjacent the knitting instrumentalities of the machine, a plurality of thread clamping means carried by and movable with each of said conveyor means, a plurality of filling thread supplies, guide means, movable from said first conveyor means to said second conveyor means, for guiding filling threads drawn from said supplies, said guide means being movable independently of said thread supplies, a thread control arm movable with said guide means, said arm being longer than said guide means in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said guide means, filling threads from said supplies extending along said arm to said guide means said thread control arm preventing entanglement of the filling threads as they are fed from the thread supplies, first actuating means for simultaneously operating a plurality of said clamping means carried by said first conveyor in timed relation to movement of said guide means, to effect simultaneous securement of a plurality of filling threads from said supplies in said first conveyor clamping means, subsequent movement of said guide means causing a plurality of filling threads to be drawn from said first conveyor toward said second conveyor, second actuating means for simultaneously operating a plurality of said clamping means carried by said second conveyor in timed relation to movement of said guide means, to effect simultaneous securement of said plurality of filling threads in said second conveyor clamping means, and cutting means for severing the portions of said filling threads extending from said second conveyor clamping means to said guide means.

Claim 15

Apparatus for feeding filling threads to a warp knitting machine comprising first and second conveyor means extending to spaced apart points, respectively, adjacent the knitting instrumentalities of the machine, a plurality of thread clamping means carried by and movable with each of said conveyor means, a plurality of filling thread supplies, guide means, movable from said first conveyor means to said second conveyor means, for guiding filling threads drawn from said supplies, said guide means being movable independently of said thread supplies, a thread control arm movable with said guide means, said arm being longer than said guide means in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said guide means, filling threads from said supplies extending along said arm to said guide means said thread control arm preventing entanglement of the filling threads as they are fed from the thread supplies, first actuating means for simultaneously operating a plurality of said clamping means carried by said first conveyor in timed relation to movement of said guide means, to effect simultaneous securement of a plurality of filling threads from said supplies in said first conveyor clamping means, subsequent movement of said guide means causing a plurality of filling threads to be drawn from said first conveyor toward said second conveyor, second actuating means for simultaneously operating a plurality of said clamping means carried by said second conveyor in timed relation to movement of said guide means, to effect simultaneous securement of said plurality of filling threads in said second conveyor clamping means, and cutting means for severing the portions of said filling threads extending from said second conveyor clamping means to said guide means.

Claim 16

Apparatus for feeding filling threads to a warp knitting machine comprising first and second conveyor means extending to spaced apart points, respectively, adjacent the knitting instrumentalities of the machine, a plurality of thread clamping means carried by and movable with each of said conveyor means, a plurality of filling thread supplies, guide means, movable from said first conveyor means to said second conveyor means, for guiding filling threads drawn from said supplies, said guide means being movable independently of said thread supplies, first actuating means for simultaneously operating a plurality of said clamping means carried by said first conveyor in timed relation to movement of said guide means, to effect simultaneous securement of a plurality of filling threads from said supplies in said first conveyor clamping means, subsequent movement of said guide means causing a plurality of filling threads to be drawn from said first conveyor toward said second conveyor, second actuating means for simultaneously operating a plurality of said clamping means carried by said second conveyor in timed relation to movement of said guide means, to effect simultaneous securement of said plurality of filling threads in said second conveyor clamping means, cutting means for severing the portions of said filling threads extending from said second conveyor clamping means to said guide means, a plurality of thread holding means carried by said guide means, and control means for causing each holder to retain a filling thread after the latter is severed by said cutting means, but said control means causing each said holding means to permit relative movement between its respective thread and said guide means after clamping of its respective thread by said first conveyor clamping means.

Claim 17

Apparatus for feeding filling threads to a warp knitting machine comprising first and second conveyor means extending to spaced apart points, respectively, adjacent the knitting instrumentalities of the machine, a plurality of thread clamping means carried by and movable with each of said conveyor means, a plurality of filling thread supplies, guide means, movable from said first conveyor means to said second conveyor means, for guiding filling threads drawn from said supplies, said guide means being movable independently of said thread supplies, first actuating means for simultaneously operating a plurality of said clamping means carried by said first conveyor in timed relation to movement of said guide means, to effect simultaneous securement of a plurality of filling threads from said supplies in said first conveyor clamping means, subsequent movement of said guide means causing a plurality of filling threads to be drawn from said first conveyor toward said second conveyor, second actuating means for simultaneously operating a plurality of said clamping means carried by said second conveyor in timed relation to movement of said guide means, to effect simultaneous securement of said plurality of filling threads in said second conveyor clamping means, cutting means for severing the portions of said filling threads extending from said second conveyor clamping means to said guide means, a plurality of thread holding means carried by said guide means, and control means for causing each holder to retain a filling thread after the latter is severed by said cutting means, but said control means causing each said holding means to permit relative movement between its respective thread and said guide means after clamping of its respective thread by said first conveyor clamping means.

Claim 18

Apparatus as defined in claim 13 wHerein each of said holding means is a clamp having a clamping head movable with respect to an anvil, and means resiliently urging said head toward said anvil, said control means including means for simultaneously moving all said clamping heads away from said anvil after securement of said filling threads by said first conveyor clamping means, to permit free movement of said threads with respect to said guide means during movement of the latter between said first and second conveyors.

Claim 19

Apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein said means for moving said clamping heads includes a cam located alongside the path of movement of said guide means, and a follower carried by said guide means and adapted to engage said cam.

Claim 20

Apparatus as defined in claim 13 including a plurality of thread guide members carried by said guide means, each of said guide members being substantially aligned with one of said thread holding means in the direction of movement of said guide means, each of said holding means and its aligned guide member engaging the same filling thread and being adapted to move that thread between two successive clamping means carried by said first conveyor, and means for shifting said plurality of holding means with respect to said plurality of guide members just before the shifted parts move said filling threads between said first conveyor clamping means, said shift being in a lateral direction with respect to the direction of movement of said guide means and for a distance about equal to the spacing between each two successive first conveyor clamping means, so that each filling thread is wrapped around one of said first conveyor clamping means as said guide means crosses said first conveyor.

Claim 21

Apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein said shifting means includes a bracket carried by said guide means for supporting said holding means, said bracket being shiftable laterally with respect to said guide means, a follower projecting from said bracket, and a cam located in the path of movement of said follower as said guide means moves for engaging said follower and shifting said bracket.