US2702462A - Method and apparatus for cutting and binding yarns - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 22, 1955 c, GREEN 2,702,462

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND BINDING YARNS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 13, 1954 INVENTOR [5440 EC. GPEEIVI Feb. 22, 1955 1. H. c; GREEN 2,702,462

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND BINDING YARNS Filed Aug. 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZNVENTUE:

I 5414c EC. @5554 United States Patent" O METHOD A PA A S FOR CUTTING BINDING YARNS Isaac H. C. Green, Pawtucket, R. IL, assignor to Hempliilll compan Pawtucket, R1 I a corporation of Massa- C \lSettS Application August 13, 1954, Serial No. 449,706

2 Claims. (Cl. 66-140) This invention concerns circular, independent needle, knitting machines. It is particularly concerned with automatic machines for knitting solid color pattern hosiery, and with yarn cutters and binders for use in such machines.

By solid color pattern hosiery is meant stockings having a number of different colored pattern areas in the same courses around the leg, the different pattern areas being connected together by sutures. The most popular example is diamond patterned Argyle hose.

U. S. Patent No. 2,217,022 describes a'fullywcutomatic machine for knitting this type of stocking. With this machine, an elastic top is knit first, and then the patterned leg is knit at two yarn feeding stations, each capable of feeding a plurality of different colored yarns. During the knitting of the leg, the needle cylinder reciprocates so that sutures are formed between pattern areas. Finally, the heel, toe, and foot are knit in the conventional way.

Hitherto, it has been necessary to draw continuously from their feeds all of the yarns used to knit the patterned leg, even when these yarns are not knitting, as in the foot or top of the stocking. A considerable length of such unused yarns accumulates inside of the stocking and must be cut out and thrown away in a post-knitting operation. Conventional yarn cutting and binding methods and mechanisms can not be used to eliminate this waste of yarn and manpower, which reaches serious proportions in mills which operate a large number of machines.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide means for automatically cutting and binding the pattern yarns during the knitting of non-patterned portions of fabric on circular, independent needle, knitting machines.

This has been accomplished on two-feed machines which, for example, knit patterned areas in a reciprocatory manner by equipping them with a separate cutter and binder for each yarn feeding station, converting the motion of the machine from reciprocating to rotary, guiding the pattern yarns from each feed into a separate cutter and binder, rotating the cylinder to twist the pattern yarns trailing from the fabric into a cord and thereby apply a tension to the yarns to hold them in place, and then binding and severing them.

The invention is described by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a yarn cutter and binder assembly;

Figure 2 is a section view of a yarn cutter and binder;

Figure 3 is a partial perspective of an elastic cutter and binder element;

Figure 4 is a front view of a'cutter and binder assembly with the cutters and binders closed;

Figure 5 is a front view, partly in section, of a part of the assembly of Figure 4 with the cutters and binders open; and

Figure 6 is a top view of the cutter and binder assembly of Figure 4.

The cutter and binder assembly of Fig. 1 has a first yarn cutter and binder 1 for the yarns fed at one station, a second yarn cutter and binder 2 for the yarns fed at another station, and an elastic cutter and binder 3. Each of the yarn cutters and binders 1 and 2 consists (see Fig. 2) of a supporting member 4, a stationary blade 5, a movable blade 6, a binding plate 7, and a spring plate 8. The elastic cutter and binder (see Fig. 3) is of conventional type with a supporting member 9, a movable cutting and binding blade 10, and a yarn guide 11. All of these cutters and binders are carried as a complete assembly by a v 2,702,462 Patented Feb. 22,1955

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'2 bracket 12' which, 611 the wen known 'fBanner" SGP machine, is secured to the carrier ring 13 (Fig. 4)'=-.- Thus, the assembly located at the top, andin the" center, of theneedle Cylifi'df Whll the carrier ring is in operating posltion.

The blade; 10 of the elastic binder 3 is normally held closed, as shown in Fig.- 1, by the spring 14 supported by'a bracket 15, and is moved to the open-position, shown in Fig. 3 by the combination or levers I6 and I7, pivoted at 18 '9 respectively, which are operated by's'uit'able cb'flfictlbhs from th I'Ilifi pattern dfl'lnl (lif'SHOWlflZ The blades 6 of both of the yarn cutters and binders 1 and 2 are also moved by the main pattern drum through lever and rod connections (not shown) and a forked lever 20 pivoted at 21. The two arms 22 and 23 of the fork extend to the separate blades 6 of the cutters and binders 1 and 2, respectively. These arms are connected to the blades which they operate by means of a notch 24 in the arm and a pin 25 on the blade.

The movable blade 6 of each yarn cutter and binder has a yarn guarding portion 26 and a yarn cutting and binding portion or recess 27. The yarn guarding portion 26 extends from the cutting and binding portion 27 upward and outward in an arc. The yarn cutting and binding portion 27 has a knife edge on one side sliding against the fixed blade 5, and a dull edge on the other side bearing against the spring held binding plate 7. When the blade 6 is moved downward, the recess 27 is exposed to engage yarn, and when the blade is moved upward, the .yarn engaged by the recess is severed and bound.

The cutters and binders 1 and 2 are mounted in line on the bracket 12. Thus, when the assembly is in position at the top, and in the center, of the needle cylinder, the cutting and binding recesses 27 of the blades 6 of the two elements lie along the same horizontal axis and the arcuate shaped guiding portions 26 rise upward and outward from this axis in opposite directions. This enables them to prevent the yarns from engaging the assembly while knitting is in progress, (Figs. 4 and 6), and to cooperate with yarn guides 28 to guide the yarns into the cutters and binders when they are opened for the binding and severing operation (Fig. 5).

In Figure 4, yarn levers 29 and 30, feeding yarns 31 and 32, respectively, are in yarn feeding position; and levers 33 and 34 which feed the yarns 35 and 36, respectively, are in a raised inoperative position. Yarns 31 and 32 are shown feeding directly to the needles at each of the two knitting stations of the machine. Yarn 35 has not yet knit. Consequently, it is still held by the binder of the element 2. Yarn 36 has completed the knitting of its particular pattern area and is trailing from the needle 37, which was the last to knit it, back through the yarn feeding lever 34. Figure 6 shows how this yarn and a similar yarn 38 from yarn feeding lever 39 slide under the yarn guarding portions 26 of the blades 6 to keep them from tangling with the assembly as the needle cylinder reciprocates.

Figure 5 shows all of the yarn levers in the raised inoperative position preliminary to the cutting and binding operation. To begin this operation, the motion of the cylinder is changed from reciprocating to rotating, and the blades 6 are moved downward to open the cutters and binders so that the yarns feeding through the individual levers at each of the two yarn feeding stations will be guided by the guarding portions 26 of the blades 6 and the guides 28 into the yarn cutting and binding recesses 27. Rotation of the cylinder twists the individual yarns trailing from the fabric into a common cord 40 at the center of the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 5. This holds the number of yarns feeding from each of the feeding stations together within the recesses 27 and under tension until the blades 6 are moved upward to close the cutters and binders and complete the binding and severing operation.

I claim:

1. A method of cutting and binding a number of yarns in each of a plurality of yarn cutters and binders on a circular, independent needle, knitting machine having a plurality of yarn feeding stations and wherein said plurality of yarns knit patterned fabric on the needles of a reciprocating needle bearing cylinder which comprises the steps of converting the motion of said cylinder from reciprocating to rotary, opening said cutters and binders, guiding said number of yarns into each of said plurality of open cutters and binders, rotating the needle cylinder to twist all of the yarns trailing from said fabric into a common cord at the center of the needle cylinder thereby tensioningand holding within each of said open cutters andbinders the number of yarns which passes through it to form a part of said twisted cord, and then closing said cutters and binders to cut and bind said yarns.

2. In or for a circular, independent needle, knitting machine a yarn cutter and binder assembly which comprises a first cutting and binding element and a second cutting and binding element, each of said elements having a movable member, each of said members having a yarn guiding portion and a yarn cutting and binding recess,

said recesses lying along substantially the same horizontal axis, said yarn guiding portion of the movable member of said first element extending away from said axis and upwards in a vertical plane through an arc of substantially 90, and said yarn guiding portion of the movable member of said second element extending through a similar arc in a similar direction from the other side of said axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,623,027 Gagne Mar. 29, 1927 2,287,131 Redeen June 23, 1942

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