GB2237034A

GB2237034A - Yarn feeding apparatus for intarsia flat knitting machine

Info

Publication number: GB2237034A
Application number: GB9018688A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kwan Soon Lee; Yi Shin Choung
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-08-25
Filing date: 1990-08-24
Publication date: 1991-04-24
Anticipated expiration: 2010-08-24
Also published as: JP2523965B2; DE4026829A1; JPH03174060A; IT9021302A1; GB9018688D0; GB2237034B; KR920001657B1; DE4026829C2; IT9021302A0; IT1243202B; KR910004874A

Abstract

An automatic yarn feeding apparatus for an intarsia flat knitting machine comprises a plurality of yarn feeders (40) threaded with yarns and releasably held by yarn feeder holders (31) on a holder frame (30) which is reciprocably drivable along the needle bed (20), a yarn feeder ejector unit (70) for ejecting a desired yarn feeder (40) out of its holder (31), a yarn feeder carrying unit (80) for receiving the yarn feeder (40) so ejected, and a drive unit (100) for reciprocating the ejector unit (70) and the carrying unit (80) along the needle bed. The frame (30) is displaced under computer control to the required position on the needle bed and the units (70, 80) are likewise moved to the same position so that the desired yarn is brought into action at the appropriate needle. The holders (31) may be pairs of elastic pieces, the ejector unit (70) may comprise a pushing bar (71) and the carrying unit may have resilient jaws (84). <IMAGE>

Description

1 YARN FEEDING APPARATUS FOR INTARSIA FLAT KNITTING MACHINE _:213 17 C2)

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The present invention relates to an intarsia flat knitting machine, and more particularly to an automatic yarn feeding apparatus for intarsia flat knitting machine for knitting various patterns.

Generally, intarsia knitting method is utilized to obtain a product of various pattern appeared with fresh color tone by making pattern formation of sweater in variety and also by broadening the variance range of color. Knitting texture obtained by the intarsia knitting method is sharp in color due to pattern formation of single knit, so that flexibility and elasticity are excellent than the pattern obtained from the product of double Jacquard system, and light in weight and also it is possible to exhibit the pattern having cubic feeling.

However, in a conventional intarsia knitting system, since operator had to count one by one the number of stitches according to the form of pattern whereby hooking yarns forming the pattern and the ground by hand to the needle of position corresponding thereto, a case is occurred in which the yarns consisting of ground or 2 pattern are not correctly hooked up to selected needles, and since operator had to read graph drawn with pattern to be knitted with naked eyes one by one whereby hooking up the required yarns to selected needles, work is very much troublesome. And, since yarns fed through yarn path from each cone has to be manually drawn whereby predetermined necessary tension has to be maintained, it is difficult to maintain appropriate tension whereby badness producing rate is very high, and since skill of high degree is required for obtaining product of high quality, there has been problem that it causes increasing factor of manufacturing cost.

Therefore, in order to solve such problems, recently various types of computerized flat knitting machine have been developed.

However, since such computerized automatic intarsia flat knitting machines can control only yarn feeders of approximately maximum 10 or more, not only color selection range of knitting pattern is relatively narrow but also superposing phenomenon has occurred at connecting portion between patterns, therefore there has been disadvantage that boundary line between color and color is not clear. That is, in this conventional automatic intarsia knitting machine, to a number of guide rails provided in lateral direction with predetermined 3 distance intervals, yarn feeders are mounted along the guide rails so as to be able to reciprocate only to right and left, and yarns of different colors passing through each yarn feeders is made to be hooked up to needles of required position, so that yarn feeding is automatically performed.

More specifically explaining, since the yarn feeders guided to said guide rails are mounted so as to be inclined forward at fixed position whereby their lower tip ends are positioned immediately above the intermediate position of hook and projection of needle, not only producing interference each other whereby it to hard to hook up the yarn's to needle of correct position but also the yarn feeders respectively mounted to a plurality of guide rails are made to be moved in turn along the guide rails and thereby the number of available yarns is limited to about 10 or more, therefore there has been problem that pattern of various colors can not be knitted.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic yarn feeding apparatus for intarsia flat knitting machine in which several tens of yarn feeders are made to be controlled whereby the number of yarns for forming ground and pattern is made almost not to limited so that knitting product of various colors 4 and patterns can be obtained.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic yarn feeding apparatus for intarsia flat knitting machine in which yarns of various colors for forming, ground and pattern are made to be hooked up to needle of correct position whereby correct pattern can be knitted, and superposing phenomenon between adjoining patterns is not produced so that knitting product of high dignity that clearness between color and color is remarkably improved can be obtained.

Such objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing an automatic yarn feeding apparatus for intarsia flat knitting machine comprising: as a device for feeding yarns to needles which are lifted up and dropped down by a carriage reciprocally displacing on a needle bed at front of base frame, a plurality of yarn feeders through which yarns are inserted, a plurality of holders for holding said yarn fenders, a holder frame on which said holders are mounted, holder frame driving means for reciprocally moving said holder frame in a lateral direction, yarn feeder drawing-out means for yarn feeders out of the holclers to yarn feeder carrying position, yarn feeder carrying means for carrying the yarn feeder drawn out of the holder, and yarn feeder carrying drive means for driving said yarn feeder drawing-out means and yarn feeder carrying means in a lateral direction.

According to the present invention since several number of pairs of holders are arranged to one holder frame and then yarns can be automatically fed to the needle of required position whereby yarns of different colors for forming ground or pattern can be hooked up to the needle of correct position, clear pattern can be knitted, and the product of high grade can be obtained.

And, a plurality (for example over 100 pairs) of holders are arranged and yarn feeders corresponding thereto can be controlled and thereby knitting product of various patterns and colors can be obtained.

Such objects and other features of the present invention will become clear according to a preferred embodiment hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a partial front view of an intarsia flat knitting machine embodying the present invention, Fig. 2 is a partial plane view of the intarsia flat knitting machine according to the present invention, Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6 III-III of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 A and 4 B are plane views showing the operation of the present invention, in which Fig. 4 A is a plane view showing a state that a yarn feeder is drawn out of a holder of a holder frame to yarn feeder carrying means, and Fig. 4 B is a plane view showing a state that the yarn feeder is drawn out of the yarn feeder carrying means to the holder of the holder frame.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

in the drawings, reference numeral 10 is an intarsia flat knitting machine applied with an automatic yarn feeding apparatus for embodying an automatic yarn feeding method of the present invention, wherein a needle bed 20 is disposed laterally in long at front of a base frame 11 in a state that said needle bed 20 is inclined in a direction of front and rearward, and a plurality of needles 21 having hook 21A and projection 21B as well as butt 21C are arranged in-lateral direction to the needle bed 20.

7 The needles 21 advance and retreat along the slant surface of the needle bed 20 by the cam operation of a cam (not shown) of a carriage 22 and the butt 21C of needles 21 whereby knitting by operation of hook 21A and projection 21B.

A holder frame 30 for storing a plurality of yarn feeders 40 is arranged with (laterally extending in long at front side of said needle bed 20 so as to be able to reciprocally displace by holder frame driving means 30.

A number of pairs of holders 31 are fixedly mounted with predetermined pitch intervals on front surface of said holder frame 30, and a drawing bar guide hole 32 is formed between each pair of holders 31 on the holder frame 30.

The holder 31 is consisted of a pair of elastic pieces and made to be able to resiliently hold a yarn feeder 40 formed substantially cylindrical form and thereby more than 100 pairs of them can be arranged to the holder frame whereby the yarn feeders 40 for feeding yarns of colors more than 50 kinds can be fixedly supported.

The holder frame 30 is supported and guided so as to 8 be able to linearly reciprocally displaced by guide rollers 34 on a bracket 33 fixed to the base frame 11.

The yarn feeder 40 is of a cylindrical form and its bottom end portion is formed in substantially conical form.

The holder frame driving means 50 is comprised of a pinion 52 to be rotated by a motor 51 and a rack 53 meshed with the pinion 52.

Wherein the motor 51 of the holder frame driving means 50 is fixedly mounted to the base frame 11 and the rack 53 meshed with the pinion 52 mounted to the motor 51 is fixedly mounted to the holder frame 30.

A pair at front and rear of guide rails 60A, 60B for carrying yarn feeders 40 are firmly fixed so as to be extended in long laterally to the top of said holder frame 30, yarn feeder drawing-out means 70 and yarn feeder carrying means 80 are respectively mounted so as to be guided reciprocally in a lateral direction on the guide rails 60A, 60B, and yarn feeder carrying drive means 100 for reciprocally driving these yarn feeder drawing-out means 70 and yarn feeder carrying means 80 are mounted.

The yarn feeder drawing-out means 70 is comprised of 9 a drawing bar 71 which is selectively guided to the drawing bar guide hole 32 pierced to said holder frame 30 whereby drawing the yarn feeders 40 out of the holders 31, and drawing bar driving means 72 for reciprocally operating said drawing bar 71 in front and rearward direction.

The drawing bar 71 is maintained in a state being inserted into said drawing bar guide hole 32 at usual time, and in case of drawing a yarn feeder 40 holded in the holder 31, it is protruded from the drawing bar guide hole 32 to frontward whereby pushing forcedly out the yarn feeder 40.

The drawing bar driving means 72 is comprised of a cam plate 74 to be rotated by a motor 73, a crank pin 75 eccentrically fixed to the cam plate 74, and a connecting member 76 for connecting the crank pin 75 and the drawing bar 71.

The yarn feeder drawing-out means 70 is guided linearly by guide rollers 77 to said guide rail 60A.

The yarn feeder carrying means 80 is comprised of a yarn feeder holding member 8 for holding the yarn feeder 40 drawn out of the holder 31 of the holder frame 30, and yarn feeder drawing-out means 86 for drawing the yarn feeder 40 held in the yarn feeder holding member 81 toward the holder frame 30.

The yarn feeder holding member 81 is comprised of a holder body 82, a yarn feeder guide groove 83 of substantially U-shape formed to the holder body 82, a pair of jaws 84 mounted to both sides of the yarn feeder guide groove 83, and elastic members 85 for closely contacting the jaws 84 each other.

The elastic members 85 for resiliently mounting said jaws 84 are shown as coil springs in the drawings, but it is not necessarily limited to this, leaf spring or elastic rubber and the like may be used for it, and the jaw 84 itself may be bent and formed by elastic plate.

The yarn feeder drawing-out means 86 is comprised of drawing bar 87 for drawing a yarn feeder 40 held at said yarn feeder holding member 81 toward the holder frame 30, and drawing bar driving means 88 for reciprocally operating the drawing bar 87 in front and rearward direction.

The drawing bar driving means 88 is comprised of a cam plate 90 to be rotated by a motor 89, a crank pin 91 eccentrically fixed on the surface of the cam plate 90, and a connecting member 92 for connecting the crank pin 1 11 91 and the drawing bar 87.

The yarn feeder carrying means 80 is linearly guided by guide rollers 93 to said guide rail 60B.

The yarn feeder carrying drive means 100 for reciprocally driving said yarn feeder drawing-out means 70 and yarn feeder carrying means 80 is comprised of a pair of pinions 102A, 102B to be rotated by a motor 101 and racks 103A, 103B to be meshed with the pinions 102A. 102B.

Wherein the motor 101 of the yarn feeder carrying drive means 100 mounted over said guide rails 60A, 60B, and the racks 103A, 103B meshed to the pinions 102A. 102B mounted to the motor 101 are respectively connected and fixed to the yarn feeder drawing-out means 70 and the yarn feeder carrying means 80.

The racks 103A, 103B are supported and guided by rollers, 104A, 104B on said guide rails 60A, 60B.

As for motors 41, 73, 89, and 101, synchronous motor which is suitable for automatic control is generally used.

And, those motors 41, 73, 89, and 101 and the carriage 22 are automatically controlled by computer 12 program, and said motor 73 of the yarn feeder drawing-out means 70 and the motor 89 of the yarn feeder carrying means 80 are controlled so as to be rotated by 360 of angle in the time of one operation.

Hereinafter, process for automatically feeding one yarn will be described with reference to the Fig. 31, Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B.

Firstly, when the knitting machine is operated in a state that yarns (Y) of different colors unwound from cones are inserted in each of yarn feeders 40 through a tension control device (not shown), the yarn feeder drawing-out means 70 and the yarn feeder carrying means 80 are displaced to the position of the yarn feeder 40A corresponding to the yarn of required color by the yarn feeder carrying drive means 100, as shown in Fig. 4A.

That is, when the knitting machine is operated, the motor 101 of said yarn feeder carrying drive means 100 starts to be rotated by control unit (not shown), according to this, the pinions 102A, 102B are rotated, whereby the racks 103A, 103B meshed with the pinions 102A, 102B receive the force which is going to move toward right or left according to the rotational direction of the motor 101, and the yarn feeder carrying means 80 and the yarn feeder drawing-out means 70 n A 13 connected and fixed with the racks 103A, 103B are moved toward right and left along the guide rails 60A, 60B. When the yarn feeder drawing-out means 70 and the yarn feeder carrying means 80 are reached the position established by the program inputted to the control unit, rotation of the motor 101 is stopped whereby the yarn feeder drawing-out means 70 and the yarn feeder carrying means 80 are stopped at regular position.

At this moment, the holder 31 of the yarn feeder drawing-out means 70 in which the corresponding yarn feeder 40A is held and the yarn feeder holding member 81 of the yarn feeder carrying means 80 are positioned on same line.

The motor 73 of the yarn feeder drawing-out means 70 is rotated by 180 in a state as shown in Figs. 3 and 4A, according to this, the cam plate 74 fixed to a shaft of the motor 73 is rotated whereby the drawing bar 71 connected to the crank pin 75 by the connecting member 76 is advanced from the drawing bar guide hole 32 to the yarn feeder carrying means 80 as shown in Fig. 4A, and the yarn feeder 40A which has been held and supported to the holder 31 of the holder frame 30 is drawn out of the holder 31 by the drawing bar 71.. and thereby being pushed into the yarn feeder holding member 81 of the yarn feeder carrying means 80 through between a needle 21 and a 14 needle 2 1.

When the drawing bar 71 pushes the yarn feeder 40A toward the yarn feeder holding member 81 of the yarn feeder carrying means 80, the yarn feeder is entered through the yarn feeder guide groove 83 formed at the yarn feeder holding member 81 whereby pushing out the external slant portions 84A of a pair of jaws 84 resiliently mounted to both sides of the yarn feeder guide groove 83 and simultaneously being fixed and supported to the spatial portion formed by internal slant portions 84B of jaws 84 and internal end portion of the yarn feeder guide groove 83 as shown in Fig. 4A.

The motor 101 of the yarn feeder carrying drive means 100 is controlled by the control unit in this state where-by becoming to rotate again, and thereby the yarn feeder drawing-out means 70 and the yarn feeder carrying means are started to move toward right and left.

Wherein, the position that the yarn feeder carrying means 80 starts to move in a state that the yarn feeder 40A is supported to the feeder holding member 81 becomes a starting point required for the yarn of color inserted to the corresponding yarn feeder 40A, and the yarn becomes to be hooked up between the hook 21A and the projection 21B of the needle 21.

According as the yarn feeder carrying means 80 moves, the yarn inserted to the corresponding yarn feeder 40A becomes to be hooked up from the needle located at the starting point gradually to the adjoining needles, and when it is reached the point established by the control unit, then being stopped.

The position that the yarn feeder drawing-out means 70 and the yarn feeder carrying means 80 are stopped corresponds to the end of portion requiring the yarn inserted to the corresponding yarn feeder 40A.

The yarn feeder 40A supported to the yarn feeder holding member 81 of the yarn feeder carrying means 80 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4A in this state is drawn out by the yarn feeder drawing-out means 86 and moved toward the holder frame 30 through between a needle 21 and a needle 21, thereby being held in the holder 31.

The operation of said yarn feeder drawing-out means 86 is carried out by same manner as in aforementioned yarn feeder drawing-out means 70, wherein the cam plate 90 is rotated by 180 by the motor 89 and simultaneously advancing the drawing bar 87 through the crank pin 91 and the connecting member 92.

1 16 In case of drawing out another yarn feeder 40 inserted with yarn of different color for predetermined pattern formation in this condition, the holder frame 30 is moved by computer program whereby a corresponding yarn feeder 40 becomes located between needle 21 and needle 21 through which said yarn feeder 40A of immediately before has been passed and at the same time the yarn feeder drawing-out means 70 and the yarn feeder carrying means are conveyed also to right and left whereby becoming to be located on the same line as said yarn feeder 40. In this state, the yarn feeder 40 passes between the needle 21 and the needle 21 and moves toward the yarn feeder holding member 81 of the yarn feeder carrying means 80 by the operation of said yarn feeder drawing-out means 70 so that the yarn inserted in the yarn feeder 40 is crossed with the yarn of immediately before whereby making to be hooked up, and it is moved as much as a predetermined number of stitches in response to the conveyance of the yarn feeder carrying means 80 whereby becoming to hook up the yarn to next needles 21. Therefore, since starting point and ending point of respective yarns for forming, patterns are made respectively at adjoining needles 21 and 21, superposing phenomenon between adjoining patterns is excluded so that boundary line between patterns becomes clear.

When the hooking up of the yarns Y of required colors 1 i 2 17 to the predetermined needles 21 is finished, the carriage 22 is moved toward right or left on the needle bed 20, and simultaneously the needle 21 is lifted and dropped one time on the bed 20 by the operation of cam (not shown) mounted to its interior and the butts 21C of the needles 21, so that a first time knitting is carried out.

Wherein, in case when the color of pattern is similar as the ground in the time of knitting of previous time, it is operated in reverse direction against the transporting direction of the yarn 40A at the time of aforementioned first time knitting and simultaneously executing second time-knitting, and in case of third time knitting again, it is carried out in the same direction as first time knitting.

And, in case when the color and shape of the ground and pattern are different from previous knitting, the yarn feeder inserted with a yarn of other color is hooked up to the needle 21 of other position whereby it is knitted.

On the other hand, said holder frame 30 is moved toward right and left so that the yarn feeder drawing-out means 70 and the yarn feeder carrying means 80 are correctly positioned to the holder 31 in which a required yarn feeder 40 is held in the carrying and holding 1 18 precess of the yarn feeders 40.

The present invention is not limited to the abovedescribed embodiment, and those who skilled in the art may change variously within the technical extent of the present invention.

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Claims

CLAIMS:-

1. A yarn feeding apparatus for intarsia flat knitting machine, which comprises: a plurality of yarn feeders(40) through which yarns are inserted; holders (31) for holding said yarn feeders(40); a holder frame (30) to which said holders are mounted; holder frame driving means (50) for reciprocally moving said holder frame (30) in a lateral direction; yarn feeder drawing-out means (70) for drawing the yarn feeder (40) out of the holder (31) to a yarn feeder carrying position; yarn feeder carrying means (80) for carrying the yarn feeder (40) drawn out of the holder (31); and yarn feeder carrying drive means (100) for reciprocally moving the yarn feeder drawing-out means (70) and the yarn feeder carrying means (80) in a lateral direction.

2. The yarn feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said holders (31) are composed of a number of pairs of elastic pieces, and a drawing bar guide hole (32) provided between said respective pairs of holder (31).

3. The yarn feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said yarn feeder (40) is of substantially cylindrical form and the bottom end portion thereof is formed with conical form becoming gradually narrower.

4. The yarn feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said yarn feeder driving means (50) includes a motor (51) fixedly mounted to a base frame (11), a pinion (52) fixedly mounted to a shaft of said motor (51), and a rack (53) which is fixedly mounted to said holder frame(30) and meshed with said pinion (52).

5. The yarn feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said yarn feeder drawing-out means includes a drawing bar (71) for drawing the yarn feeder (40) out of the holder (31) to a carrying position, and drawing bar driving means (72) for reciprocally moving said drawing bar (71) in front and rearward direction

6. The yarn feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said drawing bar (71) is inserted and guided into the drawing bar guide hole (32) formed on the holder frame

7. The yarn feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said drawing bar driving means (72) includes a cam plate (74) to be rotated by a motor (73) a crank pin (75) eccentrically mounted on said cam plate (74) and a c i 21 connecting member (76),for connecting said crank pin (75) and said drawing bar (71).

8. The yarn feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said yarn feeder carrying means (70) includes a yarn feeder holding member (81) for holding the yarn feeder (40) drawn out of the holder (31) of the holder frame (30) and a yarn feeder drawn-out means (86) for drawing the yarn feeder (40) holded in the yarn feeder holding member (81) toward the holder (9).

9. The yarn feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said yarn feeder holding member (81) includes holder body (82), a yarn feeder guide groove (43) of substantially U-shape formed in said holder body (82), a pair of jaws (84) mounted at both sides of said yarn feeder guide groove (83), and elastic members (85) for closely contacting the jaws (84) to each other.

10. The yarn feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said yarn feeder drawing-out means (86) includes a drawing bar (87) for drawing the yarn feeder (40) holded in the yarn feeder holding member (81) the holder (31) of the holder frame (30), and drawing bar driving means (88) for reciprocally moving said drawing bar (87) in front and rearward direction.

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11. The yarn feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said drawing bar driving means (88) includes a cam plate (90) to be rotated by a motor (89), a crank pin (91) eccentrically fixed on said cam plate(90), and a connecting member (92) for connecting said crank pin (91), and said drawing bar (87).

12. The yarn feeding apparatus as claimed,in claim 1, wherein said yarn feeder carrying drive means (100) includes a pair of pinions (102A), (102B) to be rotated by a motor (101), and racks (103A), (103B) meshed with said pinions (102A), (102B).

13. The yarn feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said motor (101) is fixedly mounted over guide rails (60A), (60B) fixed to said base frame (11), and the racks (103A), (103B) meshed to said pinions(102A), (102B) are respectively connected and mounted to yarn feeder drawing-out means (70) and to yarn feeder carrying means (80).

14. A yarn feeding apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Published 1991 at7be Patent Office. State House. 66/71 High Holborn. L4DndonWCIR4'IP. Further copies may be obtained from Saks Branch. Unit 6. Nine Mile Point Cwmfelinfach. Cross Keys. Newport. NPI 7HZ. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Mary Cray. Kent.

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