Mobile cam device for commanding needles of a needle bed of a knitting machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016102423-A1
Application number	US-201414892500-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 15, 2014
Priority date	May 20, 2013
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A mobile cam device ( 1 ) for commanding needles of a needle bed of a knitting machine, the device comprising a body ( 2 ) of the device provided with at least a first housing seating ( 4 a ) having a longitudinal development and configured to movably house at least a first actuator ( 5 a ) in the body. The device further comprises at least a first command cam ( 8 a ) movably mounted and associated to the body and destined to interact with at least a needle of a needle bed of a knitting machine, and at least a first actuator ( 5 a ), movably housed at least partially in the first housing seating ( 4 a ) in the body and destined to move in a controlled way the first command cam ( 8 a ). The first actuator comprises a first piston ( 15 a ) and a second piston ( 16 a ) distinct from one another and translatably housed in the first seating, the first and second piston being arranged in series along the longitudinal extension of the first seating and being translatable independently with respect to one another. The body ( 2 ) of the device is one and one alone, and is made in a single piece.

First claim

1 . A mobile cam device ( 1 ) for commanding needles of a needle bed of a knitting machine, the device comprising:
a body ( 2 ) of the device provided with at least a first housing seating ( 4 a ) having a longitudinal development and configured to movably house at least a first actuator ( 5 a ) in the body; at least a first command cam ( 8 a ) movably mounted and associated to the body and destined to interact with at least a needle of a needle bed of a knitting machine, preferably with at least a needle of a cylinder of a circular knitting machine; at least a first actuator ( 5 a ), movably housed at least partially in said first housing seating ( 4 a ) in the body and destined to move in a controlled way said first command cam ( 8 a ), wherein the first actuator comprises a first piston ( 15 a ) and a second piston ( 16 a ) distinct from one another and translatably housed in the first seating, the first and second piston being arranged in series along said longitudinal extension of the first seating and being translatable independently with respect to one another,
the body ( 2 ) of the device being one and one alone, and being made in a single piece.

2 . The device ( 1 ) of claim 1 , wherein the first seating ( 4 a ) is provided with a first bottom end ( 11 ), open on a rear side ( 41 ) of the body ( 2 ), and with a second head end ( 12 ), opposite the bottom end and open on a front side ( 42 ) of the body ( 2 ), destined to be facing towards the needles of the knitting machine, the bottom end enabling insertion in succession of the second piston ( 16 a ) and first piston ( 15 a ) and the head end enabling at least partial insertion of an engaging portion ( 81 a ) of the first command cam, such that the engaging portion is connectable to the second piston ( 16 a ) and an operating portion ( 82 a ) of the first cam ( 8 a ) exits from the first seating ( 4 a ), on the front end ( 42 ) of the body, such as to cooperate with one or more needles of the needle bed of the knitting machine.

3 . The device ( 1 ) of claim 1 , wherein the first piston ( 15 a ) is selectively translatable in the first seating at least between a first position, in which it is retracted in the seating in correspondence of the bottom end ( 11 ), and a second position in which it is advanced in the first seating towards the head end ( 12 ), and/or wherein the second piston ( 16 a ) is housed in the first seating downstream of the first piston with respect to the longitudinal extension of the first seating from the bottom end to the head end, the second piston ( 16 a ) being selectively translatable in the first seating at least between a respective first position in which it is retracted in the seating and headed abuttingly on a head surface of the first piston ( 15 a ), and a respective second position in which it is advanced in the first seating with respect to the head surface of the first piston towards the head end, and/or wherein the second piston ( 16 a ) of the first actuator ( 5 a ) is provided with a front engaging portion ( 17 a ) to which the engaging portion ( 81 a ) of the first command cam is destined to be solidly connected, such that the translation of the first and/or second piston of the first actuator determines a corresponding translation of the first command cam in entry and in exit from the first seating.

4 . The device ( 1 ) of claim 1 , wherein the first seating ( 4 a ) exhibits a non-decreasing section from the head end ( 12 ) to the bottom end ( 11 ), and/or wherein the first seating does not exhibit undercuts from the head end to the bottom end, and/or wherein the first seating ( 4 a ) exhibits in series, from the bottom end to the head end, a first section ( 101 ), a second section ( 102 ) and a third section ( 103 ), strictly decreasing and preferably circular, and/or wherein the first section ( 101 ) exhibits a first diameter, the second section ( 102 ) exhibits a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, and the third section ( 103 ) exhibits a third diameter smaller than the second diameter, and/or wherein the first seating exhibits a first abutment ( 41 a ) between the first ( 101 ) and the second section ( 102 ) and a second abutment ( 42 a ) between the second ( 102 ) and the third section ( 103 ), the first and second abutments defining endruns for advancing movement respectively of the first piston ( 15 a ) and the second piston ( 16 a ), from the respective first position to the respective second position.

5 . The device ( 1 ) of claim 1 , wherein the first piston ( 15 a ) comprises a rear portion ( 24 a ) and a front portion ( 25 a ) solidly constrained to one another and developing in series along a longitudinal axis of the first piston, the front portion ( 25 a ) being downstream of the rear portion ( 24 a ) when the piston is inserted in the seating, the rear portion receiving a thrust from a compressed air flow which supplies the first piston, and the front portion ( 25 a ) axially transmitting the thrust downstream of the piston, and/or wherein the first piston ( 15 a ) is inserted in the first seating ( 4 a ) in such a way that the longitudinal axis thereof is coaxial with the longitudinal extension of the seating, and/or wherein the rear and front portions of the first piston have a cylindrical conformation, the rear portion ( 24 a ) having a diameter that is substantially equal to the first diameter and the front portion ( 25 a ) having a diameter that is substantially equal to the second diameter, the first piston ( 15 a ) exhibiting a step between the rear portion and the front portion, the step being substantially complementarily shaped to the first abutment ( 41 a ).

6 . The device ( 1 ) of claim 1 , wherein the second piston ( 16 a ) comprises a respective rear portion ( 26 a ) and a respective front portion ( 27 a ) solidly constrained to one another and extending in series along a longitudinal axis of the second piston, the front portion ( 27 a ) being downstream of the rear portion ( 26 a ) when the second piston is inserted in the first seating, the rear portion ( 26 a ) receiving a respective push from a respective compressed air flow supplying the second piston and the front portion ( 27 a ) axially transmitting the push downstream of the second piston, and/or wherein the second piston ( 16 a ) is inserted in the first seating such that the longitudinal axis thereof is coaxial with the longitudinal extension of the seating and preferably with the respective longitudinal axis of the first piston, and/or wherein the rear and front portions of the second piston have a cylindrical conformation, the rear portion ( 26 a ) having a diameter substantially equal to the second diameter and the front portion ( 27 a ) having a diameter that is substantially equal to the third diameter, the second piston ( 16 a ) exhibiting a respective step between the rear portion and the front portion, the step being substantially complementarily shaped to the second abutment ( 42 a ).

7 . The device ( 1 ) of claim 1 , wherein the first piston ( 15 a ) comprises a first seal ( 111 ) wound about the rear portion ( 24 a ) such as to be interposed between it and the first section ( 101 ) of the seating ( 4 a ) and to realise an air seal between the first piston and the first section of the seating both statically and during the translation of the piston, and/or wherein the first piston ( 15 a ) comprises a second seal ( 112 ) wound about the front portion ( 25 a ) such as to be interposed between the front portion ( 25 a ) and the second section ( 102 ) of the seating ( 4 a ) and to realise an air seal between the first piston and the second section of the seating both st

Assignees

• Santoni & C Spa

Inventors

• Lonati Tiberio
• Lonati Ettore
• Lonati Fausto

Classifications

• D04B15/32

  Cam systems or assemblies for operating knitting instruments · CPC title

• D04B15/94

  Driving-gear not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• D04B15/78 Primary

  Electrical devices · CPC title

• D04B15/82

  characterised by the needle cams used · CPC title

• D04B15/68 Primary

  characterised by the knitting instruments used · CPC title