US3824809A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Patterning mechanism for multi-feed circular knitting machines
Assignee: Camber International Ltd
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Filing: 1973-03-05
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Granted: 1974-07-23
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Expires: 1993-03-05
Abstract
Abstract Pattern jacks in a multi-feed circular knitting machine are accommodated in a cylinder co-axial with but of a larger diameter than the needle cylinder. Jack butts are set out in diagonal lines. At each feed there is a slotted block housing a vertical bank of superimposed pairs of jack selector tuck and knit slides having cam faces upwardly sloping to two different extents heightwise. Springs urge selector slides into operative positions, slides being selectively held withdrawn clear of jack butts against the biassing influence. Movements of jacks imparted by slides are less than sufficient to raise corresponding needles to heights required. Thus movement transmitting and amplifying levers are provided between the jacks and the needles. In each slotted block is a removable toothed programme comb having some teeth reduced in length and others broken away, according to pattern. Teeth act on projections on slides to hold them back. Jacks are either not raised or are raised to one of two heights to cause needles to miss, tuck or knit depending on the layout of teeth, half teeth and gaps on and in the programme comb.
Inventors
- 👤 N Canderton
- 👤 W Goadby
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 19:10
CPC Classifications
D; D04; D04B; D04B15/00; D04B15/66; D04B15/68
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
371 words
In a multi-feed circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder; needles operable in said cylinder; a set of corresponding pattern jacks furnished with patterning butts, and jack selector slides for action selectively upon the said butts for the purpose of exercising selective individual control over the needles, a patterning mechanism of the form including a separate tricked jack cylinder accommodating said pattern jacks, said jack cylinder being co-axial with, but of a larger diameter than, the needle cylinder and the patterning butts on the jacks being set out in diagonal lines but with the vertical pitch of said butts reduced to such an extent that lifting movements imparted to the pattern jacks by action upon their butts of the prearranged pattern slides are less than sufficient to raise the corresponding needles to the heights required; levers for transmitting to the needles, and simultaneously amplifying, the lifting movements imparted to the pattern jacks by the slides; and slotted blocks each for accommodation of a vertical bank of jack selector slides in each of which blocks the selector slides are arranged in superimposed pairs respectively opposite the planes of the patterning butts, with the two slides of each pair disposed side by side and constituting tuck and knit slides with operative noses having cam faces upwardly sloping to respectively different extents heightwise, the said patterning mechanism being characterised in that springs within the slotted blocks urge the jack selector slides into their selected positions but against the biassing influence of which springs the slides are withdrawable to inoperative positions clear of the patterning butts in the relevant planes, and also in that there is inserted in each slotted block a removable toothed programme comb having predetermined ones of its teeth reduced in length and other wholly broken off according to pattern requirements, whereby depending on whether a full length tooth, a tooth of reduced length or a gap in the comb produced by wholly breaking off a tooth is presented adjacent to abutments on a pair of jack selector slides, the corresponding pattern jacks with patterning butts at that level will either not be raised, or only partly raised or fully raised to cause the relevant needles to miss, tuck or knit respectively.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
371 words
In a multi-feed circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder; needles operable in said cylinder; a set of corresponding pattern jacks furnished with patterning butts, and jack selector slides for action selectively upon the said butts for the purpose of exercising selective individual control over the needles, a patterning mechanism of the form including a separate tricked jack cylinder accommodating said pattern jacks, said jack cylinder being co-axial with, but of a larger diameter than, the needle cylinder and the patterning butts on the jacks being set out in diagonal lines but with the vertical pitch of said butts reduced to such an extent that lifting movements imparted to the pattern jacks by action upon their butts of the prearranged pattern slides are less than sufficient to raise the corresponding needles to the heights required; levers for transmitting to the needles, and simultaneously amplifying, the lifting movements imparted to the pattern jacks by the slides; and slotted blocks each for accommodation of a vertical bank of jack selector slides in each of which blocks the selector slides are arranged in superimposed pairs respectively opposite the planes of the patterning butts, with the two slides of each pair disposed side by side and constituting tuck and knit slides with operative noses having cam faces upwardly sloping to respectively different extents heightwise, the said patterning mechanism being characterised in that springs within the slotted blocks urge the jack selector slides into their selected positions but against the biassing influence of which springs the slides are withdrawable to inoperative positions clear of the patterning butts in the relevant planes, and also in that there is inserted in each slotted block a removable toothed programme comb having predetermined ones of its teeth reduced in length and other wholly broken off according to pattern requirements, whereby depending on whether a full length tooth, a tooth of reduced length or a gap in the comb produced by wholly breaking off a tooth is presented adjacent to abutments on a pair of jack selector slides, the corresponding pattern jacks with patterning butts at that level will either not be raised, or only partly raised or fully raised to cause the relevant needles to miss, tuck or knit respectively.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
A patterning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the butts on the jacks are set out in a multiplicity of superimposed horizontal planes equally spaced apart heightwise a distance equivalent to the vertical pitch of the butts.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
52 words
A patterning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein each tuck slide is provided with a lateral projection arranged to move within an elongated recess formed in the adjacent side of the companion knit slide, the said lateral projection being arranged to abut against the forward ends of tail portions of both slides.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
58 words
A patterning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein at least the major portions of the jack selector slides are disposed in superimposed horizontal planes, the operative noses of the slides being located at their inner ends and the upwardly sloping cam faces of the operative noses of each pair of tuck and knit jack selector slides being complementary.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
69 words
A patterning mechanism according to claim 4, wherein apart from the complementary form of their operative camlike noses the jack selector slides of each pair are respectively left-handed and right-handed, each such slide having a maIn front portion which together with its operative cam-like nose, protrudes through the front of the relevant slotted block and a slim tail portion which protrudes rearwardly through the back of the said block.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
51 words
A patterning mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the tail portion of each slide is provided with an abutment for contact, as required according to the pattern, with the back of a tooth at the relevant height on a programme comb whereby the slide is held back in its withdrawn position.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A patterning mechanism according to claim 6, wherein an outer margin of the tail portion of each slide is slit longitudingally and bent out of the plane of the slide to provide the abutment.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
122 words
A patterning mechanism according to claim 6, wherein the tail portions of all of the tuck and knit slides are recessed for reception of a tool by means of which all of the superimposed pairs of slides in any one slotted block can be simultaneously withdrawn to their inoperative positions and held there while a programme comb is inserted into position at the back of the block immediately in front of the abutments on the slides, whereby after removal of the tool slides whose abutments are opposite gaps in the comb are enabled to move forward into their operative positions, whereas the slides having abutments opposite full teeth or parts of teeth on the comb are held back in their inoperative positions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
60 words
A patterning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein each programme comb initially has thereon a full complement of full length teeth corresponding in number to the pairs of slides in the corresponding slotted block, each tooth being notched at its root and substantially half way along its length to facilitate easy and selective breakage of teeth, according to patterning requirements.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
74 words
A patterning mechanism according to claim 9, wherein any full length tooth holds back in their inoperative positions the tuck and knit slides at that level; a gap in the comb permits both slide of the pair at that level to move into their operative positions; and any half tooth on said comb holds back the knit slide and permits only the tuck slide at the relevant level to move into its operative position.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
58 words
A patterning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein each slotted block is interposed between and rigidly secured to a top plate and a base plate each of such plates being formed for co-operation with locating elements on the circular knitting machine so that the blocks can, as units, be simply pushed into position or withdrawn from the machine.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
123 words
A patterning mechanism according to claim 11, wherein each slotted block is of laminated form assembled from a plurality of thin and rectangular laminates of plastics material each having openings formed in its corners and recesses in its upper surface to receive one pair of the tuck and knit jack selector slides and also the springs for urging these slides forwardly, said springs being compression springs and the slides and the springs in each laminate being retained in position by the flat underside of the next laminate above which covers the recesses and completes the housing for said slides and springs, tie rods extending through the holes and through the top and base plates and the whole assemblage being compressed and welded together.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
75 words
A patterning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein each slotted block is provided with a levelling cam for action downwardly upon the top edges of levelling butts one of which is provided on each of the pattern jacks, whereby after a selection of these jacks in advance of each knitting station the raised jacks are restored to a common low level by the levelling cam on the next slotted selection block, in readiness for re-selection.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
46 words
A patterning mechanism according to claim 1, which includes means for cancelling the predetermined jack selection normally effected by any one of the slotted blocks and instead raising all of the jacks at that block to the height at which the correspondiNg needles clear and knit.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
56 words
A patterning mechanism according to claim 13, wherein there is associated with each slotted block a movable ''''all-knit'''' cam which is adapted when moved into its operative position by a manually operable actuator, to act on the lower edges of the levelling butts of all the passing pattern jacks to raise the latter to knit height.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-07-22 | 1978-01-21 | 1978-07-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-07-22 | 1982-01-21 | 1982-07-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-07-22 | 1986-01-21 | 1986-07-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |