Stitch loop retaining method by using a flat knitting machine

Details Stitch loop retaining method by using a flat knitting machine Stitch loop retaining method by using a flat knitting machine

2000-02-11

2001-01-30

Worrell, Danny (Department: 3741)

Textiles: knitting

Independent-needle machines

Straight

C066S06000H

Reexamination Certificate

active

06178782

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a stitch loop retaining method by using a flat knitting machine having needle beds mounting thereon compound needles each comprising a needle proper having a hook at a top end thereof and a slider having a tongue composed of two combined blades, the needle proper and the slider being each arranged to be individually movable forward and backward.
PRIOR ART
In Japanese patent application No. Hei 10(1998)-109675 (which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,673)(Title: “Compound needle of a flat knitting machine”), the applicant disclosed a compound needle comprising a needle proper having a hook at a top end thereof and a slider having a tongue composed of two combined blades, the needle proper and the slider being each arranged to be individually movable back and forth. With the compound needle of this type, the novel knitting that was not accomplished with a latch needle or a conventional compound needle can be accomplished by meticulously controlling the movement of the slider with respect to the movement of the needle proper. Also, in Japanese patent applications No. Hei 10(1998)-187892 (which corresponds to EP 0 890 667) (Title: “A stitch loop forming method and a flat knitting machine therefor”) and No. Hei 10(1998)-111842 (which corresponds to EP 0 881 314)(Title: “A method for holding a stitch loop”), the applicant proposed a novel knitting technique by using this type of compound needle.
When a fabric is knitted with a flat knitting machine, a loop transferring is performed. The loop transferring is a technique used to reduce a knitting width of a knitted fabric or to knit a structure pattern such as a mesh pattern. The loop transferring is also used to join knitted fabrics knitted in confronting relation on front and back needle beds. For example, when a knitting width of knitted fabric is reduced, a stitch loop at the side end of the knitted fabric is transferred to the inside stitch loop to form double stitches and, thereby, the knitting width can be reduced by one wale. When this knitting is repeated for the subsequent stitch loops, the knitting width can be reduced stepwise. This double stitches produced by the transferring of stitch loops are also formed when knitting the meshes or joining knitted fabrics together.
The double stitches thus formed in the process of the loop transferring are formed when a stitch loop is transferred from a needle on the transferring end to a needle on the receiving end retaining a stitch loop, so that two stitch loops are retained on the hook of the needle on the receiving end. When the knitting operation is continued in the state of two stitch loops being retained on the hook of the needle, the knitting condition is worsened, as compared with the knitting operation in the state of only a single stitch loop being retained by the hook of the needle. This presents evidently, for example, when fine stitches of high stitch densities are formed or a bold yarn is used in knitting, which may become some factors in the influence over the knitted fabric, such as a thread breakage or a drop stitch, and the influence over the needles themselves, such as a rigidity problem of the slider in a fine gauge machine. In addition, for example when a stitch narrowing knitting is performed of a rib knitted fabric, there may cases where a three-ply stitch loop formed of three stitch loops is retained by the hook of a single needle in the process of loop transferring, which will then present a further worse knitting conditions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In consideration of the drawbacks mentioned above, the present invention has been made. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for knitting without retaining double or more stitches on a needle when a loop transferring is performed in the fabric knitting including a stitch narrowing knitting and the like.
The present invention provides a stitch loop retaining method by using a flat knitting machine having (i) at least one first bed mounting thereon arrays of compound needles, each having a needle proper with a hook at a top end thereof and a slider having a tongue comprising two combined blades and being so structured that the needle proper and the slider can be individually moved forward and backward, and (ii) at least one second needle bed mounting thereon arrays of knitting members capable to transfer and receive stitch loops to and from the compound needles, wherein when a stitch loop (
66
,
86
,
98
,
106
) retained by the knitting member on the second bed is transferred to the compound needle on the first bed retaining a stitch loop (
65
,
85
,
97
,
105
), the stitch loop (
65
,
85
,
97
,
105
) retained by the compound needle on the first bed is knocked over from the needle, to retain it on the stitch loop (
66
,
86
,
98
,
106
) transferred from the knitting member on the second bed to the compound needle on the first bed, the stitch loop retaining method comprising the steps:
(a) that the stitch loop (
65
,
85
,
97
,
105
) is rested on the tongue of the slider of the compound needle on the first bed;
(b) that the knitting member on the second bed is operated to guide the stitch loop (
66
,
86
,
98
,
106
) retained by the knitting member to a position where it can be transferred to and received from the confronting compound needle on the first bed;
(c) that with the compound needle on the first bed kept in the state in which the stitch loop (
65
,
85
,
97
,
105
) is rested on the tongue of its slider, the hook of the needle proper is advanced into the stitch loop (
66
,
86
,
98
,
106
) retained on the knitting member on the second bed confronting the compound needle and positioned at the transferring position;
(d) that the knitting member on the second bed is retracted to allow the stitch loop (
66
,
86
,
98
,
106
) retained thereon to be retained by the hook of the compound needle on the first bed; and
(e) that the needle proper and the slider of the compound needle on the first bed are retracted so that the stitch loop (
65
,
85
,
97
,
105
) rested on the tongue of the slider of the compound needle on the first bed can be knocked over beyond an end of the tongue and the hook, whereby the stitch loop (
65
,
85
,
97
,
105
) are retained on the stitch loop (
66
,
86
,
98
,
106
) transferred to the compound needle on the first bed. This permits the double stitches to be formed by the compound needle without retaining two stitch loops on the compound needle. In other words, only the stitch loop received from the knitting member on the second bed is retained by the hook of the compound needle on the first bed and, as a result, the stitch loop held on the tongue of the slider is knocked over to form the double stitches by combination with the stitch loop of the previous course.
The stitch loop retaining method of the invention may be effected by using a flat knitting machine having the second bed mounting thereon arrays of similar compound needles to the compound needles arranged on the first bed. This produces the result that the stitch loop is directly transferred from the compound needle on one bed to the related compound needle on the other bed.
The stitch loop retaining method of the invention may be effected by using a flat knitting machine having the second bed mounting thereon arrays of transfer jacks. This produces the result that the stitch loop is transferred from the transfer jack to the related compound needle on the other bed.
The step (a) that the stitch loop is rested on the tongue of the slider of the compound needle on the first bed may comprise the step that after the needle proper and the slider of the compound needle retaining the stitch loop by its hook are advanced so that the stitch loop retained by the hook can be rested on the tongue of the slider, only the needle proper is retracted to allow the stitch loop to be rested on the tongue of the slider. This produces the result that the stitch loop is transferred from the hook of the needle proper onto the tongue of the slider

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