# US 5,343,719 A · Method of transferring loops integrated with a flat knitting machine

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- Number: US 5,343,719 A
- Document ID: US5343719A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 07/956,133
- Filed: 1992-10-02
- Granted: 1994-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 1991-10-04
- Assignees: Shima Seiki Mfg., Ltd.
- Inventors: Toshinori Nakamori; Minoru Sonomura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5343719A

## CPC

- D04B 15/365: {with provision for loop transfer from one needle bed to the other}
- D04B: KNITTING

## Abstract

The invention hereby provides a novel flat knitting machine which is furnished with a pair of needle beds in the front and rear positions each having a plurality of knitting needles aligned in parallel in such a condition in which respective knitting needles face each other, where a loop expanding member is provided on a lateral surface of each knitting needle. When transferring a loop from a delivery-side knitting needle engaged with this loop to an opposite receiving-side knitting needle, the receiving-side knitting needle is carried forward before the loop engaged with the delivery-side knitting needle is expandably opened by the loop expanding member, and then, the receiving-side knitting needle receives the loop in order that the loop engaged with the delivery-side knitting needle can properly be transferred to the loop expanding member from a hook of the delivery-side knitting needle. Next, the loop expanding member expandably opens the loop engaged with the delivery-side knitting needle. Next, the hook at the tip end of the delivery-side knitting needle penetrates a clearance between the loop expanding member and a lateral surface of the delivery-side knitting needle to engage the expanded loop with the hook. When transferring loops, the apparatus securely guides stitch/loop to the delivery position without incurring load to the stitch while closing the hook of the delivery-side knitting needle or by way of retracting the delivery-side knitting needle on the way of closing the hook.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of transferring loops from respective delivery-side knitting needles to confronting loop receiving-side knitting needles with a flat knitting machine having a pair of needle beds in front and rear positions each having a plurality of knitting needles aligned in parallel and a loop expanding member provided on a lateral surface of each delivery-side knitting needle and an opening between each expanding member and each delivery-side knitting needle comprising the steps of:
moving each of the confronting receiving-side knitting needles forward adjacent to each loop expanding member of the delivery-side knitting needles,
pushing down loops held by the delivery-side knitting needles to the expanding members by using the receiving-side knitting needles,
expandably opening the loops with the loop expanding members,
forcing each receiving-side knitting needle to penetrate an opening between each expanding member and each delivery-side knitting needles,
hooking the loops expandably opened by those loop expanding members with hooks of the receiving-side knitting needles, and
transferring the loops of those delivery-side knitting needles to the confronting receiving-side knitting needles by retracting those delivery-side knitting needles with the hooks of those delivery-side knitting needles closed.

### Claim 2

A method of transferring lops from respective delivery-side knitting needles to confronting loop receiving-side knitting needles with a flat knitting machine having a pair of needle beds in front and rear positions each having a plurality of knitting needles aligned in parallel and a loop expanding member provided on a lateral surface of each delivery-side knitting needle and an opening between each expanding member and each delivery-side knitting needle comprising the steps of:
moving each of the confronting receiving-side knitting needles forward,
pushing down loops held by the delivery-side knitting needles to the expanding members by using the receiving-side knitting needles,
retracting the receiving-side knitting needles to prevent an interference with the expanding members,
forcing each receiving-side knitting needle to penetrate through an opening between each expanding member and each delivery-side knitting needle,
hooking the looks expandably opened by those loop expanding members with hooks of receiving-side knitting needles, and
transferring the loops of those delivery-side knitting needles to the confronting receiving-side knitting needles by retracting those delivery-side knitting needles with the hooks of those delivery-side knitting needles closed.