Textiles: knitting – Independent-needle machines – Circular
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-28
2001-05-29
Worrell, Danny (Department: 3741)
Textiles: knitting
Independent-needle machines
Circular
C066S017000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237371
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a circular knitting machine, and more specifically to such a circular knitting machine, which enables the user to replace the top and bottom cam holders without detaching the yarn feeding unit and the knitting unit.
A regular circular knitting machine
1
, as shown in
FIG. 1A
, is generally comprised of a yarn-feeding unit
13
at the top, a knitting unit
2
in the middle, and a fabric-receiving unit
12
at the bottom. The yarn-feeding unit
13
is supported on supports
14
, comprising a suspension rack
141
adapted to hold the knitting unit
2
. Please see also FIGS. from
12
through
15
, a center shaft
32
is provided at the center of the suspension rack
141
. A top needle plate holder
3
and a bottom needle plate holder
33
are respectively is mounted on the center shaft
32
at different elevations. The top needle plate holder
3
carries a top needle plate
31
, which has horizontally radially extended needle grooves
311
. The bottom needle plate holder
33
carries a bottom needle plate
3
, which has vertically extended needle grooves
341
respectively aimed at the needle grooves
311
of the top needle plate
31
. Top needles
312
and bottom needles
342
are respectively installed in the needle grooves
311
of the top needle plate
31
and the needle grooves
341
of the bottom needle plate
34
. A motor
35
is installed in the suspension rack
141
, and controlled to rotate the center shaft
32
through a transmission gear set
36
, thereby causing the needle plate holders
3
and
33
and the needle plates
31
and
34
to be rotated with the center shaft
32
. Please see also FIGS. from
15
through
19
, a top cam holder
23
and a bottom cam holder
24
are respectively disposed corresponding to the top needle plate holder
3
and the bottom needle plate holder
33
. Top cams
214
and bottom cams
224
are respectively fastened to respective screw holes
232
and
242
at the peripheral flanges
231
and
241
of the top cam holder
23
and the bottom cam holder
24
. The top cams
214
and the bottom cams
224
each comprise a track block
2141
or
2241
defining a track
2142
or
2242
adapted to receive the butt
3121
or
3421
of the top needles
312
or bottom needles
342
respectively. When rotating the needle plates
31
and
34
, the butts
3121
and
3421
of the needles
312
and
342
are respectively moved in the tracks
2141
and
2241
, thereby causing the needles
312
and
342
respectively reciprocated. As indicated, the top cam holder
23
and the bottom cam holder
24
have a circular shape and screw holes
232
and
242
for the mounting of the cams
214
and
224
. Normally, the number of the cams
214
and
224
can be 60, 72, 84 or 94. The number of the track blocks
2141
and
2241
is directly proportional to the number of the cams
214
and
224
. The more the number of the cams
214
and
224
is, the faster the knitting speed will be. In order to fit different knitting speed requirements, different knitting machines with different numbers of cams shall be provided. For the sake of saving cost, there are provided knitting machines with replaceable cam holders. These knitting machines enable the user to replace different specifications of cam holders
23
and
24
to hold different numbers of cams
214
and
224
. However, when replacing the cam holders
23
and
24
, it is necessary to detach the yarn-feeding unit
13
, the supports
14
, and the knitting unit
2
. Further, the mounting arrangement of the cams
214
and
224
according to the prior art is complicated. As illustrated in
FIGS. 17 and 19
, the cam holders
23
and
24
have screw holes
232
and
242
mounted with a respective locating rod
26
. The cams
214
and
224
have slots
27
adapted to receive the locating rods
26
at the cam holders
23
and
24
. Further, screws
2142
and
2243
are respectively obliquely installed to secure the cams
214
and
224
in place. This cam mounting arrangement has numerous drawbacks as outlined hereinafter.
1. The locating rods
26
are cylindrical members, they cannot let the central axis of the cams
214
and
224
be aimed at the same center accurately, thereby causing the cams
214
or
224
cannot be smoothly connected to one another (see FIG.
20
). Unstable arrangement of the cams
214
and
224
affects the knitting quality.
2. The specifications of the cams
214
and
224
must be matched with the specifications of the cam holders
23
and
24
, i.e., cam holders
23
and
24
of relatively bigger diameter must be used when the number of cams
214
and
22
are to be increased. Further, because the curvature of the alignment portions
28
of the cams
214
and
224
must fit the curvature of the alignment portion
29
of the cam holders
23
and
24
, different specifications of cams
214
and
224
and different specifications of cam holders
23
and
24
must be prepared. Preparing a bit number of different specifications of cams
214
and
224
and different specifications of cam holders
23
and
24
require much storage space and investment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has been accomplished to provide a cam holder mounting arrangement for circular knitting machine, which eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks. It is one object of the present invention to provide a cam holder mounting arrangement for circular knitting machine, which enables the user to replace the top and bottom cam holders without detaching the yarn feeding unit and the knitting unit. It is another object of the present invention to provide a cam holder mounting arrangement for circular knitting machine, which keeps the top and bottom cams in accurate alignment with the center of the circular knitting machine. According to the present invention, second top cam holders and second bottom cam holders are provided to secure the top cams and bottom cams to the top cam holders and bottom cam holders, so that the top cam holders and bottom cam holders can conveniently be replaced when changing the numbers of top cams and bottom cams.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3614877 (1971-10-01), Radin
patent: 3848432 (1974-11-01), Mishcon et al.
patent: 3882694 (1975-05-01), Stepanek et al.
patent: 3926013 (1975-12-01), Kurth et al.
patent: 4080805 (1978-03-01), Ricart
Rosenberg , Klein & Lee
Worrell Danny
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