DEVICE FOR LOOP-FORMING, SINKER MEANS AND METHOD FOR LOOP FORMING

Abstract

A device (1), a sinker arrangement (5) and a method for loop-forming are described. The device (1) may include a cylinder (2) with first grooves (3) for needles (4) accommodated in a first groove (3), whereby the needles (4) include a loop forming section, and a sinker ring (27) with second grooves (15) for the sinker arrangement (5). The sinker arrangement (5) may include an actuating section (12) and a loop forming section (7). The loop forming section (7) includes an opening (11), and the sinker arrangements (5) are accommodated in one single second groove (15). The opening (11) may be delimited in the width direction (x) by two side faces (23) and the loop forming section of the needle (4) is movably disposed between the two side faces (23) of the opening (11).

Claims

1. A device (1) for loop-forming, comprising: a cylinder (2) comprising at least one first groove (3) for accommodating at least one needle (4); a sinker ring (27) with at least one second groove (15) for accommodating at least one sinker means (5); at least one sinker means (5), which comprises an actuating section (12) for actuation of the at least one sinker means and a loop forming section (7) for knocking over and holding down loops; wherein the loop forming section (7) of the at least one sinker means (5) comprises an opening (11); and wherein the at least one sinker means (5) is at least partially accommodated in the at least one second groove (15); at least one needle (4) which is at least partially accommodated in a first groove (3), wherein the at least one needle (4) comprises a loop forming section that comprises a part of a longitudinal extension of the at least one needle (4); wherein the opening (11) is delimited in a width direction (x) of the sinker means (5) by two side faces (23) and the loop forming section of the at least one needle (4) is at least in part movably disposed between the two side faces (23) of the opening (11).

2. The device (1) for loop-forming according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second groove (15) is at most 3.5 times deeper than it is wide.

3. The device (1) for loop-forming according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sinker means (5) comprises two distinct sinkers (16) and at least a first of the two distinct sinkers (16) comprises at least one curved section.

4. The device (1) for loop-forming according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sinker means (5) is a single-element sinker means (19) which only consists of a single piece.

5. The device (1) for loop-forming according to claim 4, wherein the actuating section (12) of the single-element sinker means (19) includes at least a section of its extension in a length direction (y) of the single-element sinker means (19) which is at most 3.5 times taller than it is wide.

6. The device (1) for loop-forming according to claim 5, further comprising at least one third groove (21) for at least partly accommodating the loop-forming section (7) of the single-element sinker means (19), wherein the at least one third groove (21) is at most 3.5 times deeper than it is wide.

7. The device (1) for loop-forming according to claim 6, wherein a bottom (28) of the at least one second groove (15) is positioned at a same height or higher than a bottom (22) of the at least one third groove (21) in a direction of a central axis of the cylinder.

8. The device (1) for loop-forming according to claim 6, further comprising a member (6) having the at least one third groove (21), wherein the member (6) forms a part of the cylinder (2) and includes at least one inward edge (20), whereby the at least one inward edge (20) forms an acute angle with a bottom (22) of the at least one third groove (21) in a plane defined by a length (y) and a height direction (z) of the sinker means (5), wherein the at least one inward edge (20) points towards a central axis of the cylinder.

9. The device (1) for loop-forming according to claim 8, wherein a front section (14) and the loop forming section (7) of the single-element sinker means (19) do not contact the member (6).

10. A sinker means (5) for knocking over and holding down loops, comprising: at least one actuating section (12) for actuation of the sinker means, wherein the actuating section (12) is configured for being at least partially accommodated in one single second groove (15) of a sinker ring (27); and a loop forming section (7) for knocking over and holding down loops, wherein the loop forming section (7) comprises an opening (11); wherein the opening (11) is delimited in a width direction (x) of the sinker means (5) by two side faces (23) for movably disposing at least a part of a longitudinal extension of a loop-forming section of a needle (4) between the two side faces (23).

11. The sinker means (5) according to claim 10, wherein the at least one actuating section (12) extends along a length direction of the sinker means (5) and is configured for being driven by one single cam track of a knitting machine, and wherein the at least one actuating section (12) is configured for driving both side faces (23) of the opening (11).

12. The sinker means (5) according to claim 10, further comprising two distinct sinkers (16) and at least a first of the two distinct sinkers (16) comprises at least one curved section.

13. The sinker means (5) according to claim 12, wherein the first of the two distinct sinkers (16) has a front section (14) which is wider than the loop forming section (7), and wherein the loop forming section (7) is wider than a middle section (13) which is between the loop forming section (7) and the actuating section (12) and the actuating section (12) is wider than the middle section (13) and wider than the loop forming section (7).

14. The sinker means (5) according to claim 10, wherein the one sinker means (5) is a single-element sinker means (19) which consists only of a single piece, and wherein the opening (11) is delimited in a length direction (y) towards a front section (14) of the sinker means.

15. The sinker means (5) according one claim 10, wherein the loop forming section (7) is provided with a knocking-over edge (8), wherein the actuating section (12) comprises a butt (10) and two shaft sections which surround the butt (10), wherein at least one of the two shaft sections has an upper edge (26), and wherein the upper edge (26) of the at least one shaft section is positioned above the knocking-over edge (8) in the height direction (z) of the sinker means (5).

16. A method for loop forming, comprising: actuating at least one sinker means (5) in at least one single second groove (15) of a sinker ring (27) via an actuating section (12) of the sinker means (5); wherein the at least one sinker means (5) is at least partially accommodated in the at least one single second groove (15) during a knitting process; wherein the sinker means (5) is provided with a loop forming section (7), which holds down and knocks over loops; wherein the loop forming section (7) of the at least one sinker means (5) comprises an opening (11); actuating at least one needle (4), wherein a loop forming section of a longitudinal extension thereof participates in a loop forming process; wherein the opening (11) is delimited in a width direction (x) of the sinker means (5) by two side faces (23) and the at least one needle (4) is moved at least in a height direction (z) of the sinker means (5) between the two side faces (23) of the opening (11).

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising actuating the actuating section of the at least one sinker means (5) with one single cam track, wherein the at least one sinker means (5) is accommodated in the one single second groove (15).

Description

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an inventive device for loop forming.

[0030] FIG. 2 shows a cut out of a cross-section of the device of FIG. 1 and therefore also a side view of the sinker in a second groove.

[0031] FIG. 3 shows a top view of the sinker and device of FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0032] FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the inventive device for loop forming.

[0033] FIG. 5 shows a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 4.

[0034] FIG. 6 shows a side view of a single-element sinker means.

[0035] FIG. 7 shows the same single-element sinker means as FIG. 6 in a top view.

[0036] FIG. 8 shows a further (third) embodiment of the loop forming device which is not provided with third grooves.

[0037] FIG. 9 shows the embodiment of FIG. 8 in a side view.

[0038] FIG. 10 shows a sinker means which consist of two distinct sinkers with reduced width which are displaced from each other.

[0039] FIG. 11 shows the sinker means already shown in FIG. 10 with the two distinct sinkers in their working position with regard to each other.

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an inventive loop forming device 1 which is provided with a cylinder 2. The cylinder comprises first grooves 3 for accommodating needles 4. The loop forming device 1 also comprises a sinker ring 27 which includes second grooves 15 for accommodating sinker means 5. The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 also includes a member 6, which includes third grooves 21 for accommodating the loop forming section 7 of the sinker means 5. The member 6 is connected with, or integral with, the cylinder 2 with the first grooves 3.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a cutout of a cross-section of the loop forming device of FIG. 1. Therefore, FIG. 2 also shows a side view of the sinker means 5 in its working position in a second groove. The sinker means 5 consists of two distinct sinkers 16 (better shown in FIG. 3). These sinkers 16 can be used in the first embodiment of a loop forming device 1.

[0042] The sinker means 5 is provided with an actuation section 12 which has a butt 10. It also has a loop forming section 7 which is provided with the holding down edge 9 and the knocking over edge 8. The connection between the loop forming section 7 and the actuation section 12 is provided by the middle section 13. The sinker means 5 of FIG. 3 is the same sinker means as in FIG. 2. The sinker means 5 is however shown in a top view of a section of the loop forming device 1. The top view shows the two distinct sinkers 16 in a second groove 15. The adjacent second grooves 15 are empty. The opening 11 for encompassing or housing a part of the longitudinal extension of a needle 4 is also shown in FIG. 3. The needles 4 are not shown. FIG. 3 also shows that the width of the distinct sinkers 16 varies over their extension in their length direction y:

[0043] The front section 14 is preferably wider than the loop forming section 7. The loop forming section 7 is preferably wider than the middle section 13. The actuating section 12 is preferably very wide and at least wider than the middle section 13.

[0044] FIG. 4 shows a different view on a second embodiment of an inventive loop forming device which is provided with a single-element sinker means 19 which is also shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. The second embodiment is similar to the first one. The most striking difference is the aforementioned choice of a single-element sinker means 19 (second embodiment) instead of two distinct sinkers 16 (first embodiment). FIG. 5 shows a cross section of the second embodiment of the loop forming device 1. FIG. 5 shows the inward edge 20, which is in the embodiment shown a part of the member 6, which incorporates the third grooves 21. The inward edge 20 forms an acute angle with the bottom 22 of the third grooves 21. FIG. 5 also shows that the bottom 28 of the second groove 15 is in the direction of the central axis of the cylinder 2 which is—preferably—the same as the height direction z of the sinker means 19 higher than the bottom 22 of the third groove 21.

[0045] FIG. 6 shows that the single-element sinker means 19 comprises roughly the same technical features as the sinker means 5 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3: The butt 10, the holding down edge 9 and the knocking over edge 8 are among the more important functional features shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 7 which is a top view of the same single-element sinker means 19 also shows the opening 11 with the two side faces 23 which fence in the needle 4 in the width direction x of the sinker means 5 (see FIG. 4). The opening 11 can also have a front face 24 in the direction of the tip of the sinker means and a back face 25 in the direction of the actuation section 12. Therefore, it is important to mention that the single-element sinker means 19 which is shown in FIG. 6 is provided with an opening 11 which is completely closed in two dimensions (x and y). In other embodiments, the sinker means 5 will at least not be provided with a front face 24. As exemplarily shown in FIG. 6, the upper edges of the shaft sections 26 can be—in the height direction z of the sinker means—higher than the knocking over edge 8 of the loop forming section 7 of the sinker means 5. This feature has considerable benefits for the avoidance of lint.

[0046] FIGS. 8 and 9 show a third embodiment of an inventive loop forming device. This third embodiment is similar to the second one: both embodiments use a single-element sinker means 19. However, the third embodiment is not provided with a member 6, which incorporates third grooves 21. Therefore, the third embodiment is not provided with any third grooves 21. The consequence of this fact is that the loop forming section 7 and the front section 14 of the at least one sinker means 5 protrude in the length direction y of the sinker means 5 out of the second grooves 15. These two sections are in the present embodiment not in any contact with a further part of the loop forming device 1. The sinker ring 27 with its second grooves 15 is however in contact with the rear part of the sinker means 5.

[0047] FIGS. 10 and 11 once again show a sinker means 5 which consists of two distinct sinkers 16. In FIG. 10 the two distinct sinkers 16 have a distance from each other. In FIG. 11 their side faces have contact with each other like in their working position when the two distinct sinkers 16 are encompassed by a second groove 15. FIGS. 10 and 11 also show that these two distinct sinkers 16 form an opening 11, when their side faces meet like in FIG. 11.

TABLE-US-00001 List of numerals 1 Loop forming device 2 Cylinder with first grooves 3 First grooves 4 Needles 5 Sinker means 6 Member 7 Loop forming section of the sinker means 5 8 Knocking over edge 9 Holding down edge 10 Butt 11 Opening for encompassing a part of the longitudinal extension of needles 4 12 Actuation section 13 Middle section 14 Front section 15 Second grooves 16 Distinct sinker 17 First bending section 18 Second bending section 19 Single-element sinker means 20 Inward edge 21 Third grooves 22 Bottom of a third groove 21 23 Side faces of the opening 11 24 Front face (in the direction of the tip of the sinker means 5) 25 Back Face (in the direction of the actuating section 12) 26 Upper edge of shaft section 27 Sinker ring 28 Bottom of a second groove 15 x Width direction of the sinker means 5 y Length direction of the sinker means 5 z Height direction of the sinker means 5