PILOTELLI, Roberto (Via Roma, 102 Iseo, Brescia, I-25049, IT)
PILOTELLI, Renato (Via Campo 36, Iseo, Brescia, I-25049, IT)
PILOTELLI, Roberto (Via Roma, 102 Iseo, Brescia, I-25049, IT)
| Claims 1. A device suitable to facilitate the start or resumption of the work after the drop, even partial drop, of the fabric in a circular knitting machine, characterized in that it comprises at least one comb shaped element (15; 13A) provided with a plurality of teeth (17) suitable to engage the fabric, said element (15) being suspended from a support (7) inside the cylinder (1) of the needles (3) accessible to an operator, wherein traction means (19; 13) are provided to apply to the comb shaped element (15), and therefore to the fabric, to which it is applied, a suitable downwardly oriented traction. 2. A device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that said support (7) is arranged so as to be rotated about the axis of the cylinder (1) so as to present to an operator the comb shaped element (15; 13A), in order to allow the operator to bring it manually with the teeth (17) into contact with the segment of stitches from which the work must be resumed. 3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the teeth (17) of the comb shaped element end in a hook manner (17A). 4. A device as claimed in claim 1, or 2, or 3, characterized in that the teeth (17) of the comb shaped element are arranged with the same pitch as the needles (3) of the cylinder. 5. A device as claimed in one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said traction means comprise a weight (19) applied to said comb shaped element (15). 6. A device as claimed in one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said at least one comb shaped element (15; 13A) is suspended from said support by means of suspension means (13). 7. A device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that said suspension means (13) comprise an elongated and flexible element with an end fixed to the support (7), the other end of the elongated and flexible element (13) being fixed to the comb shaped element (15), so that it is possible to bring a comb shaped element (15) in any position in contact with the fabric by inflecting the elongated element (13), in order to apply locally to the fabric a downwardly oriented traction. 8. A device as claimed in one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said comb shaped element is formed by a toothing (13A) formed at the distal end of an elongated and flexible element (13) forming a suspension means of the comb shaped element from the support (7), the end (13B) of said elongated and flexible element opposite to said toothing being engaged with said support (7). 9. A device as claimed in one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said support (7) is arc - developed coaxially to the cylinder of the needles and is rotatable about the axis of the cylinder, and in that along said support a plurality of suspension elements (13) are arranged, provided with comb shaped elements (15). 10. Circular knitting machine with a cylinder (1) of needles (3) slidable in respective grooves of the cylinder, characterized in that it comprises a device according to one or more of the previous claims. |
DESCRIPTION
Technical field
The present invention refers to the use of single-cylinder circular knitting machines.
State of the Art
When knitting on circular machines, especially if lacking sinkers and provided with a plurality of feeds, the start of a new piece of fabric or the resumption of work after even a partial drop requires effort by the assigned personnel because the stitch formation can take place regularly only in the presence of a downward traction of the fabric suitable to discharge the stitches under the open latches of the needles when the needles rise to pick up a new yarn. Such traction is normally provided by a piece-pulling device with which the machines are provided; however in the initial phase of a piece said device is not in contact with the fabric and hence is not active. Moreover, during work, due to the breakage or depletion of a yarn, the fabric can also fall only from a limited group of needles, causing an opening in the fabric and leaving such needles devoid of yarn as at the start of the knitting of a new piece.
Objects and summary of the invention
The object of the present invention is to provide a device suitable to facilitate the start or resumption of the work after drop, even a partial drop, of the fabric in a circular knitting machine. According to the invention, the device comprises at least one comb shaped element provided with a plurality of teeth suitable to engage the fabric, said element being suspended inside the cylinder of the needles by means of suspension means to a fixed part, so that it can be manually brought with the teeth in contact with the segment of stitches from which the work is to be resumed, traction means being provided to apply to the comb shaped element, and therefore to the fabric to which it is applied, a suitable downward traction.
The teeth of the comb shaped element may end in a hook manner and can be mutually distanced with the same pitch as the needles of the cylinder, so that in this case they can be interposed between the needles of the cylinder in contact with the plane where the stitch is formed, being thus able to receive on their stem the yarn taken by the needle in order directly to hold the first row of loops formed by the needles when they return upwards to take a new yarn.
Said suspension means of a comb shaped element may comprise a fixed elongated and flexible element with an end fixed to a support to make it hang inside the cylinder of the needles within reach of an operator, the other end of the elongated and flexible element being fixed to the comb shaped element. In this way, to bring the comb shaped element in contact with the fabric, the elongate element must be inflected thus applying a downwards traction to the comb shaped element, and hence to the fabric. The elongated and flexible element can typically be an elastic foil. The foil can advantageously have a characteristic of elasticity. When the elongated and flexible element is flexed to engage the comb shaped element to the fabric, said element can exercise on the comb shaped element a stress with a downwardly oriented component that generates a traction on the fabric.
In some embodiments, the comb shaped element is designed as a distinct component from the suspension means, and it is preferably fastened to the terminal end of said means, for example in a removable manner.
In other embodiments the comb shaped element is designed as an integral part of the suspension means. For example, the suspension means can comprise a flexible and preferably elastic metallic foil, with one end fastened to the support and the opposite end (or distal end) shaped as a comb, with the teeth which can be formed for example and advantageously by cutting the edge of the elastic foil according to a toothed profile.
According to some embodiments of the invention, multiple comb shaped elements are provided, applied adjacent to one another to respective suspension strips hanging from a support shaped as a circle arc, coaxial with the cylinder of the machine. The support can be rotated around the axis of the cylinder to bring it in correspondence of the area in which the formation of fabric is to be resumed or started, using the comb shaped elements suspended from the support. In other embodiments, a support may be provided which develops throughout the circumference of the cylinder and that in this case does not need to be able to rotate around the axis of the cylinder.
The invention also relates to a circular knitting machine, in particular a weft knitting machine of the single cylinder type, comprising a device of the above defined type.
Further advantageous features and embodiments of the device and of the machine are indicated hereafter with reference to an example of embodiment and in the appended claims, which form an integral part of the present description.
Brief description of the drawings
The invention will be better understood by means of the description below and the attached drawing, which shows a non-restrictive practical embodiment of the invention.
More in particular, in the drawing:
figures 1 and 2 respectively show a section according an axial plane, relative to the cylinder of the circular machine, and a plan view of a device according to the invention;
figure 3 shows an enlarged view of the detail III in figure 1 ;
figure 4 shows a view according to IV-IV of figure 3; and
figure 5 shows a front view of a modified embodiment of the invention.
Detailed description of embodiments of the invention
In figures 1 and 2, reference number 1 indicates the cylinder with needles 3 of a circular knitting machine and reference number 5 indicates a rod with circular section coaxial to the cylinder 1 and fastened to the base of the machine (not shown). The rod 5 carries an element 7 made of metal plate and developed, in plan view, according to a circle arc supported by two arms 9 that connect it to a sleeve 11 rotatably mounted on the rod 5.
Along the upper contour of the arc element 7 are fastened the upper ends of a plurality of flexible laminar strips 13 made of steel band, each of which carries at its lower end a comb shaped element 15.
Each comb shaped element 15 comprises a plurality of elongated teeth 17 integral at one end with a metallic block 19, the other end 17A of the teeth 17 being beard shaped. The teeth are mutually adjacent according to a pitch (p) equal to the pitch of the needles of the machine. With this arrangement, at the start of the work of a new piece or to resume work after an even partial drop thereof, one or more of said comb shaped elements 15 can be inserted to bear on the plane where the stitch is formed between the needles 3 of the machine, as shown with dashed lines in figure 1. In this way, upon resumption of work, a first yarn is laid by the needle above the teeth 17 whose beards can then apply to said first yam an inwards and downwards traction by means of the weight of the block 19 and the elastic force causes the deformation of the strips 13, thereby forcing said first yarn to pass under the latch of the needles 3 when the needles rise to take another yarn.
This action is particularly useful in the case of a circular knitting machine in which sinkers are not used, the beards 17A locally performing the function of the sinkers when said comb shaped elements 15 are inserted between the needles 3.
Figure 5 shows a modified embodiment of a comb shaped element according to the invention. In this case, the comb shaped element is formed by a toothing 13A formed directly on the edge of a terminal end of a foil 13 forming a suspension means of the comb shaped element. The foil 13 can be flexible and elastic so that the same tension induced by the elastic deformation to bring it to grip the fabric generates a downwardly oriented traction force. This traction effect generated by the inner tension to the material of the foil 13 can also be exploited in the previously described embodiment.
In the embodiment of figure 5 the pitch of the teeth can be different from that of the needles, and the comb shaped element substantially forms a simple means to engage the fabric. In substance, with the toothed foil 13, 13A 1 the shaping of the teeth is oriented downwards (whilst in the previous case the hooks of the comb are oriented upwards) and it is not inserted between the needles but it goes to "claw" the fabric in the point of resumption of the work, immediately behind the needles. Thus there is independence from fineness and the final disengagement is also easier.
It is understood that the drawing only shows an example provided by way of a practical demonstration of the present invention, which can vary in forms and arrangement without however departing from the scope of the concept underlying the invention. Any reference numbers in the appended claims are provided for the sole purpose of facilitating reading of the claims in the light of the description and the drawing, and do not in any manner limit the scope of protection represented by the claims.