Drive chain for stitch formation members of a circular knitting machine and a circular knitting machine comprising such drive chain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12428760-B2
Application number	US-202218698865-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2022
Priority date	Oct 8, 2021
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

A drive chain for stitch formation members of a circular knitting machine includes an element coupled or to be coupled with a stitch formation member, and an oscillating lever connected to said element on a junction area. The oscillating lever is configured for interacting with selecting devices so as to oscillate with respect to said element. The element comprises a first portion carrying a first butt and a second portion configured for slidingly coupling with a bottom of a respective groove. The first portion is elastically coupled with the second portion so as to keep the first butt in an operating position in which the first butt protrudes from the groove and to allow the first butt to get back into the groove in case of interference with one of the first actuating cams.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drive chain for stitch formation members of a circular knitting machine, comprising:
an element ( 6 ) incorporating a stitch formation member or operatively coupled to a stitch formation member; wherein said element ( 6 ) has a first butt ( 18 ) configured for engaging into first paths ( 26 ) defined by first actuating cams ( 25 ) of a circular knitting machine;
an oscillating lever ( 7 ) connected to said element ( 6 ) on a junction area and extending, with respect to said element ( 6 ), on an opposed side to said stitch formation member; the oscillating lever ( 7 ) having a second butt ( 22 );
wherein the oscillating lever ( 7 ) is configured for interacting with at least one selecting device ( 23 ) of the circular knitting machine so as to oscillate with respect to said element ( 6 ) between an extracted position, in which the second butt ( 22 ) is taken out of a respective groove ( 5 ) of a support of the circular knitting machine and is engaged with second paths ( 28 ) defined by second actuating cams ( 27 ), and a retracted position, in which the second butt ( 22 ) is retracted into the respective groove ( 5 ) so as not to engage into said second paths ( 28 );
wherein the element ( 6 ) having the first butt ( 18 ) comprises a first portion ( 9 ) carrying the first butt ( 18 ) and a second portion ( 10 ) configured for slidingly coupling with a bottom of the respective groove ( 5 );
wherein the first portion ( 9 ) is elastically coupled with the second portion ( 10 ) so as to keep the first butt ( 18 ) in an operating position in which said butt ( 18 ) protrudes from the groove ( 5 ) and to allow the first butt ( 18 ) to get back into the groove ( 5 ) in case of interference with one of the first actuating cams ( 25 ).

2. The drive chain according to claim 1 , wherein the element ( 6 ) having the first butt ( 18 ) comprises an elastic joint ( 11 ) connecting the first portion ( 9 ) to the second portion ( 10 ) so that the first portion ( 9 ) can elastically rotate with respect to the second portion ( 10 ).

3. The drive chain according to claim 2 , wherein the elastic joint ( 11 ) is placed in correspondence of the junction area.

4. The drive chain according to claim 2 , wherein the oscillating lever ( 7 ) is hinged to said element ( 6 ) on a rotation pivot ( 8 ) placed at the junction area; wherein the elastic joint ( 11 ) delimits the rotation pivot ( 8 ).

5. The drive chain according to claim 2 , wherein the elastic joint ( 11 ) has a C or open ring shape.

6. The drive chain according to claim 1 , wherein, along a main direction of development of the drive chain ( 3 ), the junction area is placed between the stitch formation member and the first butt ( 18 ).

7. The drive chain according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion ( 9 ) mainly develops from the junction area to the second butt ( 22 ) and has an edge ( 19 ) facing the oscillating lever ( 7 ); wherein the edge ( 19 ) is configured for engaging with the oscillating lever ( 7 ) and shifting said oscillating lever ( 7 ) to the retracted position, when the first butt ( 18 ) gets back into the groove ( 5 ).

8. The drive chain according to claim 2 , wherein the first portion ( 9 ) comprises a stroke end ( 15 ) arranged, along a main direction of development of the drive chain ( 3 ), between the elastic joint ( 11 ) and the stitch formation member; wherein, when the first butt ( 18 ) is in the operating position, the stroke end ( 15 ) rests against the bottom of the respective groove ( 5 ) and, when the first butt ( 18 ) gets back into the groove ( 5 ), the stroke end ( 15 ) gets away from the bottom of the respective groove ( 5 ).

9. The drive chain according to claim 2 , wherein the first portion ( 9 ) comprises a part ( 14 ) arranged, along a main direction of development of the drive chain ( 3 ), between the elastic joint ( 11 ) and the stitch formation member; said part ( 14 ) having a height corresponding to a depth of the groove ( 5 ); wherein said part ( 14 ) has a radially outer edge ( 16 ) that is rounded so as to never protrude from the groove ( 5 ) even when the first portion ( 9 ) rotates with respect to the second portion ( 10 ).

10. The drive chain according to claim 1 , wherein the oscillating lever ( 7 ) has at least one selecting tooth ( 21 ) configured for interacting with at least one arm ( 24 ) of a selecting device ( 23 ) of arm type; or wherein the oscillating lever ( 7 ) has a distal segment ( 33 ) configured for interacting with a selecting device ( 31 ) of magnetic type.

11. A circular knitting machine, comprising:
a support having a plurality of grooves ( 5 ) arranged around a central axis (X-X) of said support;
a plurality of stitch formation members, each being housed at least partially in a respective groove ( 5 );
first actuating cams ( 25 ) and second actuating cams ( 27 ) facing the grooves ( 5 ); wherein the support is movable with respect to the first actuating cams ( 25 ) and second actuating cams ( 27 ) around the central axis (X-X) so as to determine or enable the movement of the stitch formation members along the grooves ( 5 ) for stitch formation by said stitch formation members;
a plurality of drive chains ( 3 ), each being carried out according to claim 1 , housed in a respective groove ( 5 ) and integrating a stitch formation member or operatively coupled to a stitch formation member;
at least one selecting device ( 23 ; 31 ) interacting with the drive chains ( 3 ).

12. The machine according to claim 11 , wherein the first actuating cams ( 25 ) comprise at least one deviating cam ( 29 ) configured for interacting with the first butt ( 18 ) and directing it into one of the first paths ( 26 ); wherein said deviating cam ( 29 ) comprises a ramp ( 30 ) configured for progressively pushing the first butt ( 18 ) into the groove ( 5 ) in case of interference with said deviating cam ( 29 ).

13. The machine according to claim 11 , wherein said at least one selecting device ( 23 ) is of arm type and interacts with a selecting tooth ( 21 ) carried by the oscillating lever ( 7 ) of the drive chain ( 3 ); or wherein said at least one selecting device ( 31 ) is of magnetic type and interacts with a distal segment ( 33 ) of the oscillating lever ( 7 ) of the drive chain ( 3 ) configured for elastically bending.

14. The machine according to claim 11 , wherein the stitch formation member integrated into or operatively coupled to the drive chain ( 3 ) is a needle ( 2 ) or a sinker or a punch or a reed or a hook.

15. The drive chain according to claim 2 , wherein the first portion ( 9 ) comprises a stroke end ( 15 ) arranged, along a main direction of development of the drive chain ( 3 ), between the elastic joint ( 11 ) and the stitch formation member; wherein, when the first butt ( 18 ) is in the operating position, the stroke end ( 15 ) rests against the bottom of the respective groove ( 5 ) and, when the first butt ( 18 ) gets back into the groove ( 5 ), the stroke end ( 15 ) gets away from the bottom of the respective groove ( 5 ), and
wherein the first portion ( 9 ) comprises a part ( 14 ) arranged, along a main direction of development of the drive chain ( 3 ), between the elastic joint ( 11 ) and the stitch formation member; said part ( 14 ) having a height corresponding to a depth of the groove ( 5 ); wherein said part ( 14 ) has a radially outer edge ( 16 ) that is rounded so as to never protrude from the groove ( 5 ) even when the first portion ( 9 ) rotates with respect to the second portion ( 10 ).

16. The drive chain according to claim 2 , wherein the elastic joint ( 11 ) i

Assignees

• Santoni & C Spa

Inventors

• Rizzi Stefano
• Andreoli Marco
• Lonati Andrea

Classifications

• D04B15/16

  Driving devices for reciprocatory action · CPC title

• D04B9/38

  with stitch patterns · CPC title

• D04B15/32 Primary

  Cam systems or assemblies for operating knitting instruments · CPC title

• D04B15/78 Primary

  Electrical devices · CPC title