US2936601A - Circular knitting machines for knitting fabrics having terry loops on both sides thereof - Google Patents

Description

www- May 17, 1960 M. THIBORD ET AL 2,936,601

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES FOR KNITTING FABRICS Filed Aug. 2, 1957 HAVING TERRY LOOPS ON BOTH SIDES THEREOF 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 17, 1960 HINES FOR KNITTING FABRICS HAVING TERRY LOOPS ON BOTH SIDES THEREOF Filed Aug. 2, 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 M. THIBORD ET'AL 2,936,601 CIRCULAR KNITTING MAC May 17, 1960 M. THIBORD ETAL 7 2,936,601

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES FOR KNITTING FABRICS HAVING TERRY LOOPS ON BOTH SIDES THEREOF Filed Aug. 2, 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 17, 1960 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES FOR KNITTING FABRICS Filed Aug. 2, 1957 M THIBORD EITAL 2936,601

HAVING TERRY LOOPS ON BOTH SIDES THEREOF 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 17, 1960 M. THIBORD ETAL 2,936,601

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES FOR KNITTING FABRICS HAVING TERRY LOOPS ON BOTH SIDES THEREOF Filed Aug. 2, 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 2,936,601 FRICS 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 MACHINES FOR KNITTING FAB LOOPS ON BOTH SIDES THEREO M. THIBORD ET AL HAVING TERRY CIRCULAR KNITTING May 17, 1960 Flied Aug 2, 1957 May 17, 1960 M. THIBORD ET AL 2,936,601

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES FOR KNITTING FABRICS HAVING TERRY LOOPS ON BOTH SIDES THEREOF Filed Aug 2 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 n I x 1 I l 0 1/ n n I l \v May 17, 1960 M. THIBORD ET AL 2,936,601

CIRCULA NITTING MACHINES R KNITT N FA cs HAVI TERRY LOOPS ON BO SIDES RE Filed Aug. 2, 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 y 1960 M. THIBORD ETAL 2,936,601

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES FOR KNITTING FABRICS 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 HAVING TERRY LOOPS ON BOTH SIDES THEREOF Filed Aug. 2, 1957 Maurice Thibord, Troyes, and Ren de Srville, Paris,

France, assignors to Etablissements de Srviile, Paris, France Application August 2, 1957, Serial N 0. 675,943 Claims priority, application France February 19, 1954 4 Claims. (Cl. 66-91) This invention relates to improvements in knitting machines and more particularly to circular knitting machines for knitting fabrics having terry loops on both sides of the fabric according to our formerly co-pending, and now abandoned application Serial No. 487,936 filed February 14, 1955, of which this is a continuation-inpart.

Mechanism is well known for forming terry loops on the inner face of circular knit plain weft fabric. 'It is a principal object of the invention to provide improved mechanism for forming terry loops on the outer face of such fabric.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be understood from the following description and claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example a preferred embodiment of the machine, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the head of a knitting machine with a rotary cylinder embodying the improvements according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary developed elevation view of the needle cylinder and sinker dial showing the sequence of the relative movements of the needles and sinkers in the course of one knitting cycle.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view as seen from above, showing the sequence of the movements of the sinkers in the course of one knitting cycle.

Fig. 4 is an elevational detailed view of a sinker.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical axial section made on line 5-5 of Fig. 3 and showing the manner in which the base thread and the inner terry loop thread are fed.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to that of Fig. 5 and illustrates the formation of the inner terry loop.

Fig. 7 is a portion of Fig. 2 on a larger scale, showing the manner in which the base thread and the inner terry loop thread are fed, and also the formation of the inner terry loops.

Fig. 8 shows a portion of the knitted fabric with the base and inner terry loop threads only.

Fig. 9 is a portion of Fig. 1, and shows, on a larger scale, the feeding of the outer terry loop thread.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to that of Fig. 9 and shows the sinkers pre-forming the outer terry loop.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the same operational step as Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 shows a portion of the knitted fabric with the base thread, the inner terry loop thread and the outer terry loop thread being pulled by the sinkers.

Figs. 13 and 14 are portions of Fig. 9 and show the positions of a short butt and long butt needles respectively. I

Fig. 15 illustrates a portion of the completed knitted fabric with terry loops on both sides thereof.

The knitting machine of the invention for making a fabric with terry loops on both sides operates according to a cycle which comprises the following five steps:

Step 1.-Feeding the base thread and the inner terry loop thread (as indicated in Fig.5).

2,936,601 Patented May 17, 196Q ice Step 2.Forming the inner terry loop on the toothed wheel and sinking the base and inner terry loop threads (as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7).

(These first two steps are already known in the art and are followed by the next three steps according to the invention):

Step 3.Raising the fabric and feeding the outer terry loop thread (see Fig. 9).

Step 4.--Forming the outer terry loop (Figs. 11, 12).

Step 5 .lnterlacing of the outer terry loop.

In other words, steps 1 and 2 are intended for making the base fabric and the meshed inner terry loops in a known manner, while steps 3, 4 and 5 serve for obtaining the interlaced outer terry loops by means of the additional means of the invention.

A machine according to the invention includes a head (Fig. 1) comprising a central hollow rotary cylinder 1 the outer surface of which is provided with longitudinal grooves adapted to accommodate a circular series of vertically disposed needles comprising alternately long butt needles 2 and short butt needles 2 provided with latches as shown. The cylinder is driven by a toothed member or collar 3. A stationary needle-cam-ring 4 carries first and second needle operating means arranged around the rotary cylinder. The first needle operating means comprise stationary needle lifting cams 5 and lowering cams 5a (Fig. 2). The second needle operating means comprise stationary lifting cam 6 and-lowering cams 6a. The lifting cam 6 is a stepped cam having a step '21 adapted to cooperate with the low butt needles 2 only, so as to serve as needle selecting means which operate in a manner hereinafter disclosed.

An annular fiat member 7 rigid with the rotary cylinder and provided with radial grooves (Fig. 11) to accommodate a series of sinker means 8 disposed in alternation with said needles. Each of the sinkers (Fig. 4) has a radially inner lower level and an upper level formed by a head So and an upwardly extending throat or shoulder 8b between said levels. Cam means 9 and 9a disposed on a cam disc 10 rigid with the machine frame are provided for reciprocating the sinkers 8 radially so that they cooperate with the needles in a manner later described. Additional means according to the invention are provided which are hereinafter described in conjunction with the operation of the machine.

Referring now to the operation of the machine the operation is as follows:

Step 1.-All the needles (both long butt 2 and short butt 2 needles) successively are raised by the lifting cam 5 (Figs. 2 and 5) up to their higher position 24 (Fig. 2). A toothed Wheel 16 is rotatably driven on its shaft 25 by the needles which are carried by the rotating cylinder 1. A base thread 14 is fed through an aperture 12 of a yarn or thread guide 11 as at 14 (Figs. 2, 5 and 7) under the teeth of the toothed wheel 16, while an inner terry loop thread 15 is fed through an aperture 13 on guide 11 as at 15 upon the teeth of the wheel 16.

Step 2.Under the action of the lowering cam 5a, all the needles successively move downwardly and pull down the inner terry loop thread from the top 27 (Fig. 7) of the wheel 16 and also the base thread 14 from a location indicated 28 under said wheel 16. At 29, the mesh 3% (Figs. 6 and 7) formed in the previouscourse by the base thread 14 and the inner terry loop thread 15 strikes upon the head 8a of the sinkers 8, the latter now being in advanced position 8' as shown also in Fig. 3 under the action of the cam 9. The inner terry loop 31 is formed by the additional length of thread 15 supplied at 31 (Figs. 6, 7) in excess of the length of base thread 14 supplied at 32.

Fig. 8 shows a portion of the fabric obtained so far at this stage, with the inner terry loops 31 intermeshed with the base meshes 14.

The additional means according to the invention for making the outer terry loops will now act.

Step 3.All the needles are raised up to intermediate positions 34 and 35 under the action of earns 36 and 3! Fig. 2. A lifting plate or swell 17 secured to the machine frame by a bracket 18 (see also Fig. 9) raises the knitted web 22 along the needles and, then, the outer terry loop thread 20 guided on a guide 19 is fed as at 20.

In the meantime, the sinkers 8 interposed between the needles are brought back to their retracted position 8" (see also Fig. 3) by the cams 9, 9a.

It being assumed that the cylinder 1 is fitted alternately with a high butt needle 2 and a low butt needle 2 the selecting cams 6, 6a act in such a manner that the thread 2% is fed above the latch of the needle 2 under the latch of the needle 2 (Figs. 2 and 9), and over the sinker 8 as at 20.

Step 4 .The sinkers are pushed inwardly to advanced position 8 (Figs. 3, l0, 11) in order to form the outer terry loops in the throats 3b of said sinkers, as at 40. These outer terry loops will be released from the retracted sinkers only after the next course.

By virtue of the action of the lifting plate 17, the knitted Web engaged on the needles is always maintained at a level above the latches of all the long and short butt needles 2 and 2 This requirement should be fulfilled in order that the web be caught by the hooks of the needles when the latter are lowered down to position 2d as shown in Fig. 2.

The fabric, now, has the configuration shown in Fig. 12 in which 14 is the base mesh, 31 the inner terry loop and 33 the outer terry loop.

Step 5.The needles are in their lowermost position 2d (Fig. 2) and the outer terry loop is still retained in the throat 8b of the sinkers 8. The outer terry loop thread is caught in the hook of the short butt needles 2 as at 41 (Fig. 13) whereas it slipsover the closed latch and the hook of the long butt needles 2 at 42 (Fig. 14).

The knitted web now pulled by the needles down to its normal lowermost position is maintained in this po sition by a safety plate 23 in spite of the needles being thereafter, raised to position 43 (Fig. 2).

In the course of this upward movement or the needles, the outer terry loop thread which has slipped over the latch and the hook of the long butt needles 2 at 42, now is passed into the weft (Fig. 14).

The outer terry loop thread still entrapped within the hook of the short butt needles 2 (Fig. 13) will slfp over the latch and hook of said needles only at the moment when the base and inner terry loop threads are cast oil? as at 29 (Fig' 7). The short butt needles 2 therefore, will release the outer terry loop thread first in the next course after the long butt needles 2 have released said thread, as this clearly appears in Fig. 15. The thread released by the needles 2 will pass into the weft at 34 (Fig. 2).

The offset relation of the outer terry thread in slipping over the two different types of needles is necessary for obtaining the required interlacing While a preferred embodment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention is in no way limited to this embodiment and that many changes may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a circular knitting machine for making a fabric with terry loops outstanding at both sides of the fabric, the combination of a circle of vertical needles, base yarn feeding means for feeding a base yarn, inner terry yarn feeding means for feeding an inner terry loop yarn, first operating means for operating said needles to form with said base yarn a knitted base fabric and with said inner terry yarn long slack inner terry loops on the inner side of the fabric base, second needle operating means having needle selecting means to operate said needles in such a manner that the hook of every other needle of said circle of needles reaches a level lower than that of the preceding one, outer terry yarn feeding means for feeding an outer terry loop yarn at such a level that said yarn is caught by the hooks of every other needle only, upon said needles being operated by said second operating means, sinker means radially reciprocable be tween said needles at the level of said outer terry yarn feeding means and adapted to form long slack outer terry loops with said yarn in cooperation with said needles,

means for reciprocating saidradial sinker means, fabric lifting means for lifting the base fabric above said sinker means up to a level not higher, than the hooks of said lower level of said needles, and retaining means for preventing the base fabric from being raised together with the needles under the action of said second operating means.

. grooves adapted to accommodate said needles, stationary cam members constituting said first and second needle operating means arranged aroundsaid rotary cylindrical member and adapted to cooperate with the needle butts of said needles, and an annular flat member rigid with said rotary cylindrical member and provided with radial grooves adapted to accommodate said sinker means, said means for reciprocating said sinker means being constituted by stationary camming means mounted for cooperation with said sinker means, said yarn feeding means, said base fabric lifting means, and said base fabric retaining means also being stationary.

4. in a circular knitting machine for making plain weft knit fabric with terry loops on the outer face of the fabric, a single circular series of needles having hooks and latches, a circular series of sinkers disposed in alternation with said needles, each of said sinkers having a radially inner lower level, an upper level and an upwardly extending shoulder between said levels, means for feeding body yarn to said needles, means for manipulating said needles to draw loops of said body yam to form base fabric, means for successively withdrawing said sinkers so that said shoulders are outside the needle circle, means for dividing said needles so that alternate needles have their latches above said lower level of the sinkers and intervening needles have their latches lower than said lower level of the sinkers, means for feeding a terry yarn between said sinker shoulders and said divided needles, means for moving said sinkers radially inwardly so that said shoulders engage said terry yarn and cooperate with the needles to draw loops of said terry yarn extending inwardly of the needle circle and below the previously knit fabric, and means for manipulating the needles to cast off said terry yarn from said alternate needles while said terry yarn is retained in the hooks of said intervening needles.

McAdams May 12-2, 1931 Lombardi Dec. 18, 1956

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