US 5,964,106 AGranted

Yarn feeding and changing mechanism for a circular knitting machine

AssigneePrecision Fukuhara Works, Ltd.

InventorsTakao Shibata, Haruka Sakamoto

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Abstract

Yarn feeding and changing mechanism for circular knitting machine includes a plurality of yarn feed fingers selectively movable between operative and inoperative positions to feed yarn to the needles only when in operative position. A first rocking jack is connected to each yarn feed finger for moving the yarn feed fingers between operative and inoperative positions, and a slider member is connected to each first rocking jack. A second rocking jack is connected to each slider member and a plurality of pivotable selection members are provided for imparting rocking movement to the second rocking jacks in a predetermined pattern. The yarn feed fingers are thus moved from the operative to the inoperative position while a yarn catcher and cutter catches the yarn and cuts the yarn to form a free end which is held while the yarn feed finger is moved to the inoperative position, is in the inoperative position and is moved to the operative position by way of an extended position to present the held free end portion of the yarn to the needles for knitting into the fabric instead of being cut into waste.

Claims25

Dependent claims

In a circular knitting machine having a rotating needle cylinder and a plurality of knitting needles mounted for vertical sliding movement in vertical grooves around the periphery of the needle cylinder, the improvement comprising yarn feeding and changing means for selectively feeding a plurality of different yarns to the needles and for changing such yarns in accordance with a predetermined pattern without generating waste lengths of yarn, said yarn feeding and changing means comprising:

a plurality of yarn feed fingers selectively movable between an inoperative position inwardly of the needles and in which said yarn feed fingers do not feed yarns to the needles, an operative position in operative association with the needles and in which said yarn feed fingers feed yarns to the needles, and an extended position on the opposite side of said operative position from said inoperative position and outwardly of the needles,
means for moving any of said yarn feed fingers which are in the operative position to the inoperative position when the pattern dictates a change in the yarn being fed to the needles,
means for catching the yarn being fed to the needles by any yarn finger being moved from the operative position to the inoperative position and for cutting the yarn relatively close to the needles to form a short trailing end portion on the yarn previously knit into fabric by the needles and a free end portion of the yarn on said yarn feed finger, said catching and cutting means being movable between operative and inoperative positions, said catching and cutting means including yarn holding means for holding the free end of the yarn while said yarn feed finger is in said inoperative position and until said yarn feed finger again begins to feed yarn to the needles, and
means for moving a selected yarn feed finger from the inoperative position to the extended position outwardly of said needles while moving said yarn holding means to a position to present the held free end portion of the yarn to the needles for knitting of such free end portion into the fabric and for moving said yarn feed finger from the extended position to the operative position while causing said yarn holding means to release the held end of the yarn,
whereby all of the yarn is knitted into the fabric and no cut lengths of yarn are generated as waste.

2 more elements

A yarn feeding and changing mechanism for a circular knitting machine having a rotating needle cylinder and knitting needles carried by the needle cylinder for knitting yarns into fabric, said mechanism comprising

a plurality of yarn feed fingers selectively movable along a predetermined path of travel between operative, inoperative and extended positions, said yarn feed fingers being adapted to feed yarn to the needles when in the operative position and not to feed yarn to the needles when in the inoperative position,
means for moving selected yarn feed fingers between the operative and inoperative positions in accordance with a predetermined pattern,
means for catching a yarn being fed by a yarn feed finger in the operative position when said yarn feed finger is selected for movement to the inoperative position and for cutting the caught yarn, said catching means including yarn holding means for holding the cut free end of the yarn as said yarn feed finger moves from the operative position to the inactive position and while said yarn feed finger is in the inoperative position, and selection means for causing said yarn moving means to move a selected other of said yarn feeding fingers along said predetermined path of travel to an extended position beyond the operative position and outwardly of the needles to present the held free end portion of the yarn so that it can be caught by the needles for knitting into a fabric rather than being cut to form waste.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.