Wire Knitting Conveying Elements Eliminate Chaff
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing circular knitting methods for wire tubes face issues with material loss, imprecise cutting leading to chaff, and high effort in producing defined length and weight sections, as well as the need for manual handling and extraction devices.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using conveying elements between needles to grasp and convey rows of stitches inward, allowing for seamless cutting and continuation of the knitting process without a take-off device, eliminating chaff and manual handling, and enabling precise control over tube length and weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a cutting blade is used to separate the knitted hose into sections, then the hose can be divided into defined length sections, but chaff is generated and material is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the problematic cutting operation from the production process. Instead of cutting the continuous knitted hose with a blade (which generates chaff and material loss), the system continuously knits the hose to the desired length and directly extracts the finished section. The conveying elements transfer the knitted hose from the needle carrier to the take-off device without any cutting intervention, thereby eliminating chaff generation and material loss while maintaining precise length control through continuous knitting.
2Productivity
If a take-off device with toothed rollers is used to transport the finished hose away, then the hose can be continuously removed from the knitting machine, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the conveying function into the existing needle carrier structure. The conveying elements are integrated directly onto the needle carrier, combining the knitting and conveying functions into a single integrated unit. This eliminates the need for a separate, complex take-off device with toothed rollers, while maintaining continuous hose transport capability. The needle carrier itself becomes the conveying mechanism, reducing overall system complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual handling is used to feed wire and pull off stitches, then the knitting process can be restarted after completion, but the time and effort required increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention ensures continuous operation by eliminating manual intervention between knitting cycles. The conveying elements automatically transfer the finished hose section from the needle carrier to the take-off device, and the needle carrier is immediately ready to receive the next wire end and begin knitting. This automated continuous process eliminates the hours-long manual handling previously required, maintaining full adaptability for restarting knitting while reducing restart time to minimal automatic operations.
4Ease of manufacture
If imprecise cutting is used to separate rows of stitches, then hose sections can be produced, but chaff accumulates and may impair the knitting process
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the potential harm of cutting operations into a benefit by completely eliminating the cutting step. Instead of using imprecise cutting that generates harmful chaff, the system uses precise continuous knitting to produce hose sections of exact lengths. The conveying elements enable clean separation of finished sections without any cutting, transforming the situation from harmful chaff generation to beneficial chaff-free production while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The method involves detecting a loosened end of wires by a needle (16) of a circular knitting machine (10) during a knitting process. The wires are transformed to a meandering stitch course by needles. A released section of the stitch course of conveying elements (24) arranged between the needles is detected and conveyed away internally from the needles. The wires are cut at end of the knitting process. The knitting process is continued until the tube section is not detected by the needles and the conveying elements. An independent claim is also included for a device for drawing-free circular knitting of wires to a wire mesh tube.