Circular knitting machine for manufacturing open-work knitted fabric

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12012677-B2
Application number	US-202017442199-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2020
Priority date	Apr 16, 2019
Publication date	Jun 18, 2024
Grant date	Jun 18, 2024

Abstract

A circular knitting machine for manufacturing open-work knitted fabric includes a crown arranged around a needle-holding cylinder and having a plurality of radial grooves and a guiding ring operatively associated to the crown. Each of a plurality of knockover sinkers is housed in one of the radial grooves, is radially movable in the respective radial groove and has a pin configured for cooperating with the needles. At least one shaped sinker is placed beside each of the knockover sinkers and is movable with respect to the respective knockover sinker. The shaped sinker has a protrusion offset laterally with respect to the respective knockover sinker and configured for elongating an interstitch, arranging it on an adjacent needle and forming an open work. A selector is operatively coupled with the shaped sinker and is oscillating in a radial plane between a rest position and an operating position, wherein in the operating position the selector acts indirectly upon the shaped sinker so as to deviate the trajectory of the shaped sinker. A selecting actuator faces laterally the crown and can be engaged upon command with the selectors for causing the selectors to switch from the rest position to the operating position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A circular knitting machine for manufacturing open-work knitted fabric, comprising:
a needle-holding cylinder ( 2 ) having a plurality of longitudinal grooves arranged around a central axis (X-X) of the needle-holding cylinder ( 2 );
a plurality of needles ( 3 ), each being housed in a respective longitudinal groove;
at least one yarn feed operatively associated to the needles ( 3 );
a crown ( 4 ) arranged around the needle-holding cylinder ( 2 ) and having a plurality of radial grooves ( 5 );
at least one guiding ring ( 38 ) operatively associated to the crown ( 4 ), wherein the crown ( 4 ) is rotatable with respect to the guiding ring ( 38 ) and around the central axis (X-X);
a plurality of knockover sinkers ( 7 ), each housed in one of the radial grooves ( 5 ) and radially movable in the respective radial groove ( 5 ), each knockover sinker ( 7 ) having a pin ( 13 ) configured for cooperating with the needles ( 3 ) and a butt ( 14 ) engaged with a first guide ( 39 ) obtained in the guiding ring ( 38 ) and developing around the central axis (X-X); wherein the first guide ( 39 ) is configured for moving the knockover sinker ( 7 ) radially along the respective radial groove ( 5 ) when the crown ( 4 ) rotates with respect to the guiding ring ( 38 ) and around the central axis (X-X);
at least one shaped sinker ( 8 , 9 ) placed beside each of the knockover sinkers ( 7 ), wherein the shaped sinker ( 8 , 9 ) is movable with respect to the respective knockover sinker ( 7 ), wherein the shaped sinker ( 8 , 9 ) has a protrusion ( 16 ) placed above the respective knockover sinker ( 7 ) and laterally offset with respect to said knockover sinker ( 7 ), wherein the protrusion ( 16 ) is configured for loading and extending an inter-stitch and place it on an adjacent needle of said plurality of needles ( 3 ) and make an open work, wherein the shaped sinker ( 8 , 9 ) has a butt ( 17 ) that is or can be engaged with a second guide ( 42 ) obtained in the guiding ring ( 38 ) and developing around the central axis (X-X), wherein the second guide ( 42 ) defines a plurality of trajectories for the shaped sinker ( 8 , 9 ), wherein the second guide ( 42 ) is configured for moving the shaped sinker ( 8 , 9 ) radially when the crown ( 4 ) rotates with respect to the guiding ring ( 38 ) and around the central axis (X-X);
at least one selector ( 11 ) operatively coupled with said at least one shaped sinker ( 8 , 9 ), wherein the selector ( 11 ) is movable in a radial plane between a rest position and an operating position, wherein in the operating position the selector ( 11 ) acts directly or indirectly upon said at least one shaped sinker ( 8 , 9 ) so as to deviate the butt ( 17 ) of the shaped sinker ( 8 , 9 ) along a trajectory of the second guide ( 42 );
at least one selecting actuator ( 24 ) laterally facing the crown ( 4 ), fixed with respect to the guiding ring ( 38 ), that can be engaged under control with the selectors ( 11 ) and is configured for causing the selectors ( 11 ) to switch from the rest position to the operating position.

2. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one shaped sinker ( 8 , 9 ) comprises a right shaped sinker ( 8 ) and a left shaped sinker ( 9 ) arranged on opposed sides of the respective knockover sinker ( 7 ); wherein the right shaped sinker ( 8 ) and the left shaped sinker ( 9 ) have respective protrusions ( 16 ) placed above the respective knockover sinker ( 7 ) and laterally offset to opposed sides of said knockover sinker ( 7 ); wherein the protrusions ( 16 ) are configured for loading and extending the inter-stitch and place it on two adjacent needles ( 3 ) arranged on opposed sides of the respective knockover sinker ( 7 ) and make an open work; wherein each selector ( 11 ) acts indirectly upon the right shaped sinker ( 8 ) and/or the left shaped sinker ( 9 ).

3. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein each knockover sinker ( 7 ) is operatively uncoupled from the selector ( 11 ) or wherein each knockover sinker ( 7 ) is operatively associated to a respective selector ( 11 ′).

4. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein each selector ( 11 ) is slidingly engaged in a circular track ( 49 ) obtained in the guiding ring ( 38 ) and extending around the central axis (X-X) so as to rotate with said at least one shaped sinker ( 8 , 9 ).

5. The machine according to claim 4 , comprising a plurality of pushing units ( 10 ), each associated to a respective selector ( 11 ) and to said at least one shaped sinker ( 8 , 9 ); wherein in the operating position the selector ( 11 ) rests against the pushing unit ( 10 ) and the pushing unit ( 10 ) is configured for pushing against said at least one shaped sinker ( 8 , 9 ).

6. The machine according to claim 5 , wherein each pushing unit ( 10 ) has a butt ( 19 ) that is or can be engaged with a third guide ( 46 ) obtained in the guiding ring ( 38 ), extending around the central axis (X-X) and defining a plurality of trajectories.

7. The machine according to claim 6 , wherein said at least one shaped sinker ( 8 , 9 ) is housed in one of the radial grooves ( 5 ) together with the respective knockover sinker ( 7 ); wherein the respective selector ( 11 ) is placed radially outside with respect to said radial groove ( 5 ) and has at least one abutment portion ( 22 ) facing said radial groove ( 5 ).

8. The machine according to claim 7 , wherein the pushing unit ( 10 ) is housed in the radial groove ( 5 ) together with the respective knockover sinker ( 7 ) and with said at least one shaped sinker ( 8 , 9 ), and said abutment portion ( 22 ) of the respective selector ( 11 ) faces a radially outer end of the pushing unit ( 10 ).

9. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one selecting actuator ( 24 ) comprises at least one selecting lever ( 50 ) movable between a first position, in which it lies at a distance from the selectors ( 11 ), and a second position, in which it interferes with the selectors ( 11 ) moving in front of the selecting actuator ( 24 ) when the crown ( 4 ) rotates with respect to the guiding ring ( 38 ) and around the central axis (X-X), so as to move the selectors ( 11 ) from the rest position to the operating position.

10. The machine according to claim 6 , wherein the crown ( 4 ) has a plurality of auxiliary radial grooves ( 6 ), each placed between two radial grooves ( 5 ); wherein the machine comprises a plurality of auxiliary knockover sinkers ( 25 ), each housed in one of the auxiliary radial grooves ( 6 ) and movable radially in the respective auxiliary radial groove ( 6 ); each auxiliary knockover sinker ( 25 ) having a pin ( 29 ) configured for cooperating with the needles ( 3 ) and a butt ( 30 ) engaged with the first guide ( 39 ); wherein the first guide ( 39 ) is configured for moving the auxiliary knockover sinker ( 25 ) radially along the respective auxiliary radial groove ( 6 ) when the crown ( 4 ) rotates with respect to the guiding ring ( 38 ) and around the central axis (X-X); wherein each auxiliary knockover sinker ( 25 ) further comprises a spring ( 31 ) arranged above the pin ( 29 ) and configured for making different stitches.

11. The machine according to claim 10 , comprising an auxiliary selector ( 27 ) operatively coupled with each auxiliary knockover sinker ( 25 ) and basically identical with the selector ( 11 ), wherein the auxiliary selector ( 27 ) is movable in a radial plane between a rest position and an operating position, wherein in the operating position the auxiliary selector ( 27 ) acts indirectly upon said at least one auxiliary knockover sinker ( 25 ) so as to deviate the butt ( 30 ) of the auxiliary knockover sinker ( 25 ) along a traje

Assignees

• Santoni & C Spa

Inventors

• Lodrini Maurizio
• Alghisi Mauro

Classifications

• D04B15/78

  Electrical devices · CPC title

• D04B15/34

  for dials · CPC title

• D04B15/06

  Sinkers · CPC title

• D04B1/104 Primary

  Openwork fabric, e.g. pelerine fabrics · CPC title

• D04B15/68

  characterised by the knitting instruments used · CPC title