Movable sinker device and movable sinker of flat-knitting machine

Abstract

To provide a movable sinker device and a movable sinker of a flat-knitting machine, which do not require tooth port spacing to be widened as a tip advancing and retreating to the tooth port does not move beyond the tooth port to an opposite needle bed side.SOLUTION: A convex 13a is provided on a bottom of a sinker groove 13 and changes a position to abut against from a flat section 11e to a concave section 11f when a tip 11a enters a tooth port 3. A section where the flat section 11e abuts against the convex 13a is a linear motion section where a movable sinker 11 is guided so as to linearly move. The section becomes a fluctuation section when the convex 13a abuts against the concave section 11f. The bottom of the movable sinker 11 and the sinker groove 13 become an advancing / retreating guide mechanism having the linear motion section and the fluctuation section. Even if the tip 11a linearly advances or retreats to the tooth port 3, an old loop is pushed in by fluctuation by a knitting yarn receiver 11ab, therefore, the tip does not move beyond the tooth port to the opposite needle bed 2 side even without widening spacing of tooth port 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a movable sinker that is provided in a flat knitting machine that knits a fabric at the needle gap between opposing needle beds, and that has a loop forming edge at its tip that moves forward and backward into the needle gap and a knitting yarn receiver that pushes the knitting yarn of an old loop below the needle gap. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, flatbed knitting machines in which at least a pair of needle beds are provided facing each other across a needle gap are known that include a movable sinker having a loop forming edge on which a sinker loop is hooked when a new stitch is formed, and a knitting yarn receiver that pushes the knitting yarn of the old loop that is knocked over below the needle gap (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 by the present applicant). The movable sinker in Patent Document 1 is provided between knitting needles housed in the needle grooves of the needle beds, and is used with a mechanism that moves the tip end having the knitting yarn receiver forward and backward to the needle gap by swinging along a circular arc-shaped trajectory. The movable sinker in Patent Document 2 is provided in a glove knitting machine, and moves the movable sinker housed in a sinker bed inclined relative to the needle bed forward and backward to the needle gap by linear motion along a linear trajectory. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-094266 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-073819 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When attempting to increase the amount of knitting yarn pushed in by the knitting yarn receiver with a linearly moving movable sinker as in Patent Document 2, the yarn crosses the front and rear center of the needle gap and enters the opposing needle bed. To prevent this, it is necessary to widen the gap between the needles, but when setting up between the knitting needles of the front and rear needle beds or knitting rib knitting, the tighter stitch spacing to increase density becomes ineffective. A swinging movable sinker as in Patent Document 1 can prevent this, but each part, such as the loop forming edge and the knitting yarn receiver, is restricted by moving along a trajectory according to the radius from the swinging fulcrum.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a movable sinker device and a movable sinker for a flat knitting machine in which the tip portion moving in and out of the needle gap does not cross over to the opposing needle bed side and there is no need to widen the gap spacing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a movable sinker device for a flat knitting machine in which at least a pair of needle beds are provided opposite each other across a needle gap, The movable sinker device accommodates the movable sinker in a sinker groove extending in a direction of advancing and retracting the tooth gap, and moves the tip portion of the movable sinker toward and away from the tooth gap; The tip of the movable sinker has a loop forming edge on which a sinker loop is hooked when a new stitch is formed, and a yarn receiver that captures the knitting yarn of the old loop that is knocked over and pushes it below the needle opening, In a movable sinker device of a flat knitting machine, the movable sinker is driven in conjunction with knitting of a knitted fabric at a knitting gap, An advance / retract guide mechanism for guiding the advance / retraction of a movable sinker, Provided between the movable sinker and the sinker groove, a linear motion section in which the movable sinker is linearly moved so that the tip portion follows a linear trajectory; a swing section provided at the end of the linear motion section in which the movable sinker linearly moves into the tooth gap and swings the movable sinker so that the tip of the movable sinker moves along an arc-shaped trajectory; The advance / retract guide mechanism includes: The movable sinker device of the flat knitting machine is characterized in that

[0007] In the present invention, the advance / retract guide mechanism includes a flat section and a concave section formed on one of the bottom of the movable sinker and the bottom surface of the sinker groove as a reference plane, and a convex portion protruding from the reference plane to the other side, The height from the reference plane to the flat section on the other side is smaller than the height by which the convex portion protrudes from the reference plane to the other side, and the height from the reference plane to the top of the concave section on the other side is the same or larger than the height by which the convex portion protrudes from the reference plane to the other side; In the linear motion section, the convex portion abuts against the flat section, and the flat section becomes parallel to a reference plane, In the swing section, the convex portion fits into the concave section. It is characterized by:

[0008] In the present invention, the sinker groove is provided in a sinker bed separate from the needle bed. It is characterized by:

[0009] The present invention also includes a spring that biases the movable sinker so that the knitting yarn receiver at the tip portion pushes the old loop below the needle opening by the swinging motion. It is characterized by:

[0010] Further, the present invention relates to a movable sinker for a flat knitting machine, which is used when forming a new stitch in a flat knitting machine having at least a pair of needle beds arranged opposite each other across a needle gap, and which has a loop forming edge on which a sinker loop is attached and a knitting yarn receiver which receives the knitting yarn of an old loop to be knocked over and pushes it below the needle gap, and which can move a tip portion thereof forward and backward into the needle gap and is used in a state accommodated in a sinker groove extending in the forward and backward direction into the needle gap, A convex portion is provided at the bottom of the sinker groove, When inserted into the sinker groove, it faces the bottom of the sinker groove, A flat section is formed on the tip side so as to be spaced from the bottom surface of the sinker groove by a distance smaller than the height of the convex portion, and is guided so as to abut against the convex portion and move linearly; At the end of the flat section in the direction away from the tip portion, a concave section is provided which is recessed to a height equal to or greater than the height of the convex portion. The movable sinker of the flat knitting machine is characterized in that Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, even if the tip of the movable sinker of the movable sinker device of a flat knitting machine moves linearly forward and backward into the needle gap, the knitting yarn of the old loop is pushed below the needle gap by the knitting yarn receiver by swinging, so that the tip does not cross over into the opposing needle bed even if the gap spacing is not widened.

[0012] Furthermore, according to the present invention, since an advance / retract guide mechanism is provided between the bottom of the movable sinker and the bottom surface of the sinker groove that houses the movable sinker, a linear motion section and a swinging section can be easily provided.

[0013] Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the movable sinker is housed in the sinker groove provided in the sinker bed separate from the needle bed, it is easy to provide a guide mechanism for moving forward and backward, and assembly and replacement are easy.

[0014] Also, according to the present invention, the yarn receiver of the movable sinker pushes the yarn of the old loop below the needle gap by means of a spring, and the reaction force pushing up the old loop can also be absorbed by the spring.

[0015] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the movable sinker transitions between linear motion and swinging motion when moving toward or away from the needle gap, so that the tip portion can be prevented from crossing over onto the opposing needle bed side without widening the gap between the needle gaps. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a right side cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a movable sinker device 10 of a flatbed knitting machine 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a right side view showing the configuration and operation of the movable sinker 11 in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a front view showing the configuration of the sinker cam 14 included in the movable sinker device 10 of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the shapes of main components of the flat knitting machine 1 of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a partial front view showing the configuration of the needle bed 2 on the needle gap 3 side in the flat knitting machine 1 of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partial front view showing an example of the operation of the movable sinker device 10 in the flatbed knitting machine 1 of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partial front view showing the operation of the knitting needles 4 linked to the operation of the movable sinker device 10 in FIG. 6 in the flatbed knitting machine 1 in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing an operating state of the movable sinker device 10 corresponding to phases a and b of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing an operating state of the movable sinker device 10 corresponding to phases c and d in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the operating state of the movable sinker device 10 corresponding to phases e and f of FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] 1 to 10 show the configuration and operation related to a movable sinker device 10 and a flat knitting machine 1, which are one embodiment of the present invention. Corresponding parts in each figure are indicated with the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations may be omitted. For convenience of explanation, parts not shown in the figure to be explained may be referred to with reference numerals shown in other figures. EXAMPLES

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a movable sinker device 10 of a flat knitting machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the flat knitting machine 1, at least a pair of needle beds 2 are provided facing each other with a needle gap 3 therebetween. A needle groove 2a for accommodating a knitting needle 4 is provided in each needle bed 2. The needle groove 2a is formed between needle plates 5 erected on the needle beds 2. A thin portion 5a for accommodating a yarn guide 6 is provided in the needle plate 5. Between the needle plates 5, a space above the knitting needle 4 is filled with a needle spacer 7. A carriage 8, which is partially shown, travels in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of the figure, and carries a yarn feeder 9. The yarn feeder 9 supplies knitting yarn to a hook 4a provided at the tip of the knitting needle 4 that enters the needle gap 3 to form a stitch. The knitting needle 4 is also provided with a transfer piece 4b on the needle shaft, and when the transfer piece 4b is advanced into the needle gap 3, the hook 4a of the knitting needle 4 on the opposing needle bed 2 can be advanced into the transfer piece 4b beyond the center 3a to perform stitch transfer. The movable sinker device 10 has a movable sinker 11. The movable sinker 11 is accommodated in a sinker groove 13 of a sinker bed 12 provided separately from the needle bed 2, and can be moved between the states shown by the solid line, the one-dot chain line, and the two-dot chain line. The carriage 8 is equipped with a cam system that drives the knitting needle 2, but is not shown in this figure. The carriage 8 is equipped with a sinker cam 14 that drives the movable sinker 11.

[0019] FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the movable sinker 11 in FIG. 1 in FIG. 2(a), and the operation corresponding to the state shown by the solid line, the dashed line, and the double-dashed line in FIG. 1 in FIG. 2(b), FIG. 2(c), and FIG. 2(d). As shown in FIG. 2(a), the tip 11a of the movable sinker 11 has a loop forming edge 11aa and a knitting yarn receiver 11ab. A sinker loop is hung on the loop forming edge 11aa when a new stitch is formed. The knitting yarn receiver 11ab captures the knitting yarn of the old loop that is knocked over and pushes it down into the needle gap. The bias in the direction of pushing the tip 11a is performed by a spring 11b that is integrally formed. A wire spring or the like may be provided separately. The drive for making the tip 11a enter the needle gap 3 is performed by the entry drive unit 11c. The drive for making the tip 11a retract from the needle gap 3 is performed by the retract drive unit 11d. The bottom of the movable sinker 11 has a flat section 11e, a concave section 11f, a bottom tip 11g, and an arc-shaped section 11h. The arc-shaped section 11h, together with the top 11i of the exit drive section 11d, is provided as part of an arc 11k of a certain radius from the arc center 11j, so that even if the movable sinker 11 moves linearly or oscillates, the bottom surface 13b of the sinker groove 13 can continue to be in contact with the cam that drives the exit drive section 11d.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the movable sinker 11 is used in a state in which it is accommodated in a sinker groove 13 extending in a direction toward and away from the tooth gap 3. As shown in FIG. 2(b), FIG. 2(c) and FIG. 2(d), a convex portion 13a is provided at the bottom of the sinker groove 13, which changes the position where the tip portion 11a abuts against the concave portion 11f from the flat section 11e when the tip portion 11a advances into the tooth gap 3. The convex portion 13a is in a form in which the steel wire penetrating in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface is fitted into a groove formed in the flat bottom surface 13b to support it. A form in which a part of the bottom surface 13b protrudes is also acceptable. As shown in FIG. 2(b) to FIG. 2(c), when the convex portion 13a abuts against the flat section 11e, the movable sinker 11 is guided so as to move linearly. The bottom of the movable sinker 11 is supported by the bottom surface 13b at the arc-shaped portion 11h, and the flat section 11e is parallel to the bottom surface 13b. The loop-forming edge 11aa is also parallel to the bottom surface 13b. As shown in FIG. 2(d), when the convex portion 13a abuts against the concave section 11f, the bottom of the movable sinker 11 is supported by the bottom surface 13b at the bottom tip 11g and the arc-shaped portion 11h. The flat section 11e has a height from the bottom surface 13b that is smaller than the height of the convex portion 13a. The concave section 11f is recessed from the bottom of the movable sinker 11 to a height equal to or greater than the height of the convex portion 13a from the bottom surface 13b of the sinker groove 13. After passing FIG. 2(c), the movable sinker 11 is guided to oscillate while the convex portion 13a starts to fit into the concave section 11f and reaches FIG. 2(d). In this embodiment, even though the tip portion 11a of the movable sinker 11 of the movable sinker device 10 moves linearly forward and backward into the needle gap 3, the knitting yarn of the old loop is pushed downward into the needle gap 3 by the knitting yarn receiver 11ab by swinging, so that the tip portion 11a does not cross the center 3a of the needle gap 3 toward the opposing needle bed 2 even if the spacing between the needle gaps 3 is not widened.

[0021] FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the sinker cam 14 included in the movable sinker device 10 of FIG. 1. The sinker cam 14 has an approach cam surface 14a acting on the approach drive portion 11c of the movable sinker 11, an exit cam surface 14b acting on the exit drive portion 11d, a moving cam surface 14c, and an inward / outward cam surface 14d. As shown in the cross section AA, the moving cam surface 14c is formed to be slidable, and when it acts on the exit drive portion 11d of the movable sinker 11, it moves in the opposite direction to the running direction of the carriage 8 due to the reaction force from the exit drive portion 11d. The inward / outward cam surface 14d can be switched between a protruding state acting on the exit drive portion 11d and a retracted state not acting on it by an actuator such as a solenoid. When the inward / outward cam surface 14d is in the protruding state, the movable sinker 11 is in the exiting state when the carriage 8 is removed, and the tip portion 11a retracts from the tooth gap 3. In the flat knitting machine 1 used for knitting gloves, a looper device as described in Patent Document 2 is also used at the needle gap 3, so it is necessary to retract the tip 11a. When the retractable cam surface 14d is in the retracted state, the movable sinker 11 continues to press down the old loop by the spring force when the carriage 8 is removed, and the reaction force pushing up the old loop can be absorbed by the spring 11b.

[0022] Fig. 4 shows the shapes of the needle spacer 7, yarn guide 6, needle plate 5, knitting needles 4, and needle bed 2, which are the main components of the flat knitting machine 1 in Fig. 1. The needle plate 5 is erected at a constant pitch on the needle bed 2 in a direction perpendicular to the paper. The needle plate 5 and needle bed 2 are also shown with the steel wires 2b, 2c, 5c and steel strip 5b that penetrate in the direction perpendicular to the paper.

[0023] Fig. 5 shows the configuration of the needle bed 2 on the needle gap 3 side of the flat knitting machine 1 in Fig. 1 with the needle spacer 7 removed. The sinker bed 12 that houses the movable sinker 11 is also not shown, and only the tip portion 11a is shown. The yarn guide 6 guides the knitting yarn with the portion that protrudes into the needle gap 3.

[0024] Fig. 6 shows an example of the operation of the movable sinker device 10. Fig. 7 shows the operation of the knitting needle 4 linked to the operation of the movable sinker device 10 in Fig. 6. Representative operating states are shown in phases a, b, c, d, and e. The knitting needle 4 performs knitting operation under the action of a cam system 20 mounted on the carriage 8. The cam system 20 includes a knitting cam 21 related to the knitting operation and a transfer cam 22 related to the transfer operation, but only the stitch formation operation in knit is shown.

[0025] 8(a) and (b), 9(c) and (d), 10(e) and (f) respectively show the operating states of the movable sinker device 10 corresponding to the phases a and b, c and d, and e and f in FIG. 6. However, the knitting yarn is omitted from the illustration. In the phase a, the tip portion 11a is once withdrawn from the needle gap 3, and the pushing of the knitting yarn by the knitting yarn receiver 11ab is released. In the phase b, the knitting yarn receiver 11ab is moved from the linear motion to the needle gap 3 by swinging, and the knitting yarn is reliably pushed in. The knitting needle 4 enters the needle gap 3 by the action of the knitting cam 21, and the stitch held by the hook 4a moves relatively away from the hook 4a as an old loop and moves to the needle stem side. In the phase c, the tip portion 11a is withdrawn from the needle gap 3 in order for the hook 4a to receive the knitting yarn from the yarn feeder 9. In phase d, when the hook 4a, which has received the knitting yarn from the yarn feeder 9, is pulled from the needle gap 3 to the needle bed 2 side to set the stitch length, the knitting yarn of the old loop is captured by the knitting yarn receiver 11ab which is caused to enter the needle gap 3. In phase e, the knitting yarn receiver 11ab is temporarily retracted, and the captured loop is released from the knitting yarn receiver 11ab. In phase f, the knitting yarn receiver 11ab captures the new sinker loop formed in phase d. If the retractable cam 14d is kept in a retracted state after phase f, the knitting yarn receiver 11ab can be removed from the carriage 8 while pushing in the sinker loop.

[0026] In this embodiment, the bottom of the movable sinker 11 is provided with a flat section 11e and a concave section 11f, and the bottom surface 13b of the sinker groove 13 is provided with a convex section 13a, and the movable sinker 11 advances and retreats to the tooth gap 3 by linear motion and swinging. The bottom surface 13b serves as a reference plane for the height at which the convex section 13a protrudes and the height to the flat section 11f. Alternatively, the movable sinker may be provided with a convex section, and the sinker groove may be provided with a flat section and a concave section. In this case, the bottom of the movable sinker excluding the convex section serves as a reference plane, and in the linear motion section, it is parallel to the flat section on the sinker groove side and maintains a constant distance. The concave section of the sinker groove is provided at the end of the flat section on the tooth gap 3 side. That is, one of the bottom of the movable sinker 11 and the bottom surface 13b of the sinker groove 13 is set as a reference plane, and the flat section 11e and the concave section 11f formed on the other side and the convex section 13a protruding from the reference plane to the other side function as an advance / retract guide mechanism for guiding the advance / retraction of the movable sinker 11. The section where the convex section 13a abuts against the flat section 11e is a linear movement section in which the movable sinker 11 is moved linearly so that the tip section 11a follows a linear trajectory parallel to the reference plane. The section where the convex section 13a fits into the concave section 11f is provided at the end of the linear movement section in which the movable sinker 11 moves linearly into the tooth gap 3, and is a swing section in which the movable sinker 11 is swung so that the tip section 11a of the driven movable sinker 11 follows an arc-shaped trajectory. Compared to the height at which the convex section 13a protrudes from the reference plane to the other side, the height from the reference plane to the flat section on the other side is smaller, and the height from the reference plane to the top of the concave section on the other side is the same or larger. Also, although the movable sinker 11 is housed in the sinker groove 13 of the sinker bed 12, it may be arranged together with the knitting needle on the needle bed as in Patent Document 1. In Patent Document 1, the oscillating movable sinker is housed in a thin portion provided on the needle plate. Furthermore, the advance / retract guide mechanism may be formed between a guide cam formed on the side surface of the sinker groove and a pin that protrudes laterally from the movable sinker and is acted upon by the guide cam. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 1 Flat knitting machine 2 Needle bed 2a Needle groove 3. Tooth gap 3a center 4 Knitting Needles 4a Hook 5 Needle Plate 9 Yarn feeder 10 Movable sinker device 11 Movable sinker 11a Tip 11aa Loop-forming edge 11ab Yarn holder 11b Spring 11c Approach drive unit 11d Exit drive 11e Flat section 11f concave section 12 Sinker Floor 13 Sinker groove 13a Convex part 13b Bottom 14 Sinker Cam 20 Cam System 21 Formation Cam

Claims

1. A movable sinker device for a flat knitting machine in which at least a pair of needle beds are provided opposite each other across a needle gap, The movable sinker device accommodates the movable sinker in a sinker groove extending in a direction of advancing and retracting the tooth gap, and moves the tip portion of the movable sinker toward and away from the tooth gap; The tip of the movable sinker has a loop forming edge on which a sinker loop is hooked when a new stitch is formed, and a yarn receiver that captures the knitting yarn of the old loop that is knocked over and pushes it below the needle opening. In a movable sinker device of a flat knitting machine, An advance / retract guide mechanism for guiding the advance / retraction of a movable sinker, Provided between the movable sinker and the sinker groove, a linear motion section in which the movable sinker is linearly moved so that the tip portion follows a linear trajectory; a swing section provided at the end of the linear motion section in which the movable sinker linearly moves into the tooth gap and swings the movable sinker so that the tip of the movable sinker moves along an arc-shaped trajectory; The advance / retract guide mechanism includes: A movable sinker device for a flat knitting machine.

2. The advance / retract guide mechanism includes a flat section and a concave section formed on one of a bottom of the movable sinker and a bottom surface of the sinker groove as a reference plane, and a convex portion protruding from the reference plane to the other side, The height from the reference plane to the flat section on the other side is smaller than the height by which the convex portion protrudes from the reference plane to the other side, and the height from the reference plane to the top of the concave section on the other side is the same or larger than the height by which the convex portion protrudes from the reference plane to the other side, In the linear motion section, the convex portion abuts against the flat section, and the flat section becomes parallel to a reference plane, In the swing section, the convex portion fits into the concave section.

2. The movable sinker device for a flat knitting machine according to claim 1.

3. The sinker groove is provided in a sinker bed separate from the needle bed.

3. The movable sinker device for a flat knitting machine according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The movable sinker includes a spring that biases the movable sinker such that the knitting yarn receiver at the tip portion pushes the old loop downward to the needle opening by the swinging motion.

4. The movable sinker device for a flat knitting machine according to claim 3.

5. A movable sinker for a flat knitting machine is used when forming a new stitch in a flat knitting machine having at least a pair of needle beds arranged opposite each other across a needle gap, and the tip portion has a loop forming edge on which a sinker loop is attached and a knitting yarn receiver that receives the knitting yarn of an old loop to be knocked over and pushes it below the needle gap, the tip portion being capable of being advanced and retracted into the needle gap and being used in a state accommodated in a sinker groove extending in a direction of advancing and retracting into the needle gap, A convex portion is provided at the bottom of the sinker groove, When inserted into the sinker groove, it faces the bottom of the sinker groove, A flat section is formed on the tip end side so as to be spaced from the bottom surface of the sinker groove by a distance smaller than the height of the convex portion, and is guided so as to abut against the convex portion and move linearly; At the end of the flat section in the direction away from the tip portion, a concave section is provided which is recessed to a height equal to or greater than the height of the convex portion. A movable sinker for a flat knitting machine.

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