Flatbed Knitting Machine Stitch Transfer Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flatbed knitting machines experience stitch transferring failures such as stitch drop or split due to the slider on the stitch receiving side not advancing to the needle bed gap, leading to incomplete loop transfer and potential yarn splitting, especially when knitting yarns lack sufficient stretching properties.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a flatbed knitting machine with compound needles where the slider's head portion is separated into two blades that advance beyond the hook's upper edge to sandwich and securely transfer knitted loops, utilizing a cam-driven mechanism to ensure the hook enters between the tongues and the loop is sunk before being pulled into the hook, preventing floating and ensuring stable transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the slider on the stitch receiving side does not advance to the needle bed gap, then the structure is simpler, but the knitted loop transfer is incomplete and stitch drop or split occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The slider is segmented into two separate blades that can advance independently to the needle bed gap. This segmentation allows each blade to securely hold the knitted loop and facilitates complete loop transfer to the hook, eliminating stitch drop or split while maintaining reasonable structural complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The slider blades advance to the needle bed gap before the hook operation begins. This preliminary advancement positions the blades ready to receive and securely hold the knitted loop, ensuring complete loop transfer when the hook engages, thereby preventing stitch drop or split
2Reliability
If the blades do not advance beyond the hook's upper edge, then the structure is simpler, but the knitted loop cannot be securely held and transferred
Solution Approach 1:
The blades advance in the longitudinal dimension beyond the hook's upper edge, creating additional space for secure loop holding. This dimensional extension allows the blades to fully engage with the knitted loop and maintain it during transfer, ensuring reliable loop holding without excessive complexity
3Reliability
If the knitted loop is not sunk before hook engagement, then the operation is simpler, but the loop may float and cause stitch transfer failures
Solution Approach 1:
The knitted loop is sunk to the needle shank side before the hook engagement occurs. This preliminary sinking action positions the loop securely on the needle shank, preventing it from floating during the subsequent hook engagement and ensuring stable stitch transfer without adding excessive operational complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The needle shank acts as an intermediary element that receives and secures the knitted loop before the hook engages. By sinking the loop to the needle shank side first, the loop is temporarily held in a stable position, preventing floating and ensuring smooth transfer to the hook
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(c)
Figure 2
Figure 3(a)~3(c)
AI summary
It is an object of the present invention to provide a flatbed knitting machine and a stitch transferring method thereof in which stitch transferring failures such as stitch drop or split of a knitted loop are prevented from occurring and stable stitch transferring can be performed. In a flatbed knitting machine 10, as shown in (a), a slider 7 of a compound needle 5 at a stitch receiving side is made to start to advance to a needle bed gap 2 before a tip of a hook 6a which is pulled in reaches to a knitted loop 8. As shown in (b), bottoms of tips of tongues 7b are advanced to the knitted loop 8. If the tongues 7b are advanced further, the bottoms of the tips of the tongues 7b are warped upward along the knitted loop 8 as shown in (c). The knitted loop 8 is pushed so as to sink to a needle shank 6b side beyond a downward trajectory 6c of the tip of the hook 6a. When the hook 6a is closed by the tongues 7b, if the tips of the tongues 7b are made to float once with respect to the needle shank 6b, and then, sink, the knitted loop 8 can be reliably sunk and caught in the hook 6a even if the knitted loop 8 floats.