JP7796895B2 - Flat knitting machine with movable sinker and movable sinker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a flatbed knitting machine and movable sinker equipped with a movable sinker that moves forward and backward into the needle gap together with the knitting needles and performs functions related to knitting the fabric.

Conventionally, knitting fabrics on flatbed knitting machines is performed by moving the hooks at the tips of the knitting needles back and forth through the needle gap. Knitting yarn is fed to the hooks that have entered the needle gap, and when the hooks are retracted onto the needle bed, the hooks form a needle loop and the sinkers positioned between the knitting needles form a sinker loop. The movable sinker has a portion at its tip below the portion that forms the sinker loop, which presses the stitch below the needle gap. This portion is advanced into the needle gap to press the stitch down. When a new stitch is formed, the movable sinker lifts the portion that presses the stitch away from the stitch, ceasing its action to press down (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Movable sinkers are sometimes used in conjunction with fixed sinkers for forming sinker loops (see, for example, Patent Document 2). Such movable sinkers used in conjunction with fixed sinkers have a claw at the tip that advances and retracts through the needle gap, allowing the claw to hook onto and press down on the knitted fabric from one of the needle beds on either side of the needle gap. The function of pushing down the knitted fabric can also be imparted to a movable sinker that is not used in conjunction with a fixed sinker.

Moveable sinkers such as those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have a tip that moves toward and away from the tooth gap as it swings, following an arc-shaped trajectory that corresponds to the radius from the swing fulcrum. The swing fulcrum of a swinging movable sinker is set at a position spaced apart from the tooth gap, and the greater the swing radius from the swing fulcrum to the tip, compared to the distance between the drive unit for swinging and the swing fulcrum, the greater the stroke of movement of the tip. Movable sinkers that move toward and away from the tooth gap by linear motion rather than by swing are also used. Linear-motion movable sinkers are housed in a sinker groove with a flat bottom that is attached to the sinker base, and slide within the sinker groove.

Special Publication No. 5-83657 JP 2017-89033 A

When a movable sinker enters the needle gap to press down on the knitted fabric, it is desirable for the movable sinker to have a large stroke of movement in the section where it engages and presses down on the knitted fabric. To increase the stroke of movement, it is necessary to increase the size of the movable sinker or set an attachment position that allows for a large stroke of movement. However, the trajectory based on the size and attachment position of the movable sinker is limited to avoid interference with other parts. For example, when using a stitch presser to press down on the knitted fabric, the movable sinker, which oscillates in an arc, needs to have a small oscillation radius at its tip to avoid interference. Restrictions on the size or attachment position of the movable sinker also limit the stroke of movement, which also affects the position at which the claws at the tip press down on the knitted fabric.

The object of the present invention is to provide a flatbed knitting machine and a movable sinker that can prevent restrictions on the size of the movement stroke of the part that acts on the stitches or knitted fabric, even if the trajectory of the movable sinker moving in the direction toward and away from the needle gap is restricted.

The present invention is a flat knitting machine in which tips of knitting needles arranged in the longitudinal direction of a needle bed move forward and backward to a needle gap, a knitted fabric is knitted with a knitting yarn fed from above the needle gap, and the knitted knitted fabric is hung below the needle gap,
A flatbed knitting machine equipped with a movable sinker having a passive area capable of receiving drive related to knitting of a knitted fabric and an action area that moves in a direction toward or away from a needle gap when driven to the passive area,
The area of action of the movable sinker is:
The device includes at least a moving arm, a pressure receiving portion, an action portion, and an elastic piece,
The pressure-receiving portion is capable of receiving pressure,
The action portion can move forward and backward to the tooth gap to perform at least a part of the action related to knitting the knitted fabric,
The elastic piece connects the pressure receiving portion and the action portion with the moving arm, and is elastically deformed by being pressed against the pressure receiving portion,
The flat knitting machine is
a support mechanism that supports the moving arm of the movable sinker so that the moving arm can move toward and away from the tooth gap;
a drive mechanism that drives a passive region of the movable sinker to move the moving arm along a first locus;
a pressing means that is installed at least midway along the first locus and presses the pressure-receiving portion of the movable sinker to move the action portion from the first locus to a second locus that is different from the first locus;
The flat knitting machine further comprises a movable sinker.

In the present invention, the pressing means is a wire that passes through a region where the pressure-receiving portion of the movable sinker passes on the first locus in the longitudinal direction.
It is characterized by:

In the present invention, the action portion of the movable sinker is a claw that engages with a stitch or a knitted fabric,
The second locus passes through a position closer to the tooth gap than the first locus.
It is characterized by:

In the present invention, the claws of the movable sinker are
The knitted fabric hanging down below the needle gap is captured on the second locus which is transferred from the first locus by the pressing means against the pressure-receiving portion,
When the pressure applied to the pressure receiving portion by the pressing means is released, the knitted fabric is pressed downwards to the tooth gap when returning from the second locus to the first locus side.
It is characterized by:

In the present invention, the movable sinker swings so that the first locus is an arc,
the wire is a needle bed gap wire provided at a tip end of the needle bed on the needle bed gap side,
The claw passes above the tooth gap wire in an arc-shaped first locus.
It is characterized by:

In addition, the present invention further includes a restricting means for restricting the action portion of the movable sinker to a range including the first locus and a range including the second locus, and restricting the action portion from extending to the opposite needle bed side across the needle gap.
It is characterized by:

Furthermore, the present invention provides a movable sinker provided in a flat knitting machine, the movable sinker having a passive area that receives drive related to knitting of a knitted fabric, and an action area that moves in a direction toward or away from a knitting gap when driven to the passive area,
The area of action is
The pressure receiving portion includes at least a moving arm, a pressure receiving portion, an action portion, and an elastic piece, and the pressure receiving portion is capable of receiving a pressing force,
The action section can move forward and backward to the tooth gap of the flat knitting machine to perform at least a part of the action related to knitting the knitted fabric,
The elastic piece connects the pressure receiving portion and the action portion with the moving arm, and is elastically deformed when pressed against the pressure receiving portion.
The movable sinker is characterized by the above.

According to the present invention, even if the movement of the action portion, which is the portion of a movable sinker provided in a flatbed knitting machine that acts on the stitches or knitted fabric, along a first locus in the direction toward or away from the needle gap is restricted due to interference with other components, the action portion can be shifted to a second locus that is different from the first locus. This shift is achieved by the pressing means of the flatbed knitting machine pressing a pressure-receiving portion included in the action area. Therefore, even if the locus of the movable sinker that moves in the direction toward or away from the needle gap is restricted, it is possible to ensure that the size of the movement stroke of the portion that acts on the stitches or knitted fabric is not restricted.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, a wire penetrates longitudinally through the area where the pressure-receiving portion of the movable sinker passes on the first trajectory. Since the movable sinkers are arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the needle bed, the configuration can be simplified by using a wire as a pressing means for shifting the acting portion of each movable sinker to the second trajectory.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, even if the entry of the claw, which serves as the working part, into the tooth gap side is restricted in the first trajectory, the claw can be allowed to enter the tooth gap side in the second trajectory. In sections where it is not necessary for the claw to enter the tooth gap side, interference with other components can be avoided in the first trajectory.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the claw can capture the knitted fabric on the second trajectory entering the tooth gap side, and push the captured knitted fabric down below the tooth gap when returning to the first trajectory.

In addition, according to the present invention, the tooth gap wire is used as a pressing means, and the claws can be applied to the knitting yarn and fabric on the tooth gap side in a second trajectory that transitions from the arc-shaped first trajectory.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, even if the stitches or fabric acting on the needle gap side of the action part of the movable sinker exert tension toward the needle bed opposite the action part, the regulating means can regulate the action part so that it does not extend toward the opposite needle bed.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, when the movable sinker is provided in a flatbed knitting machine, the moving arm, excluding at least the action portion, pressure-receiving portion, and elastic piece from the action area, can be moved along a first locus, and the action portion can be shifted to a second locus different from the first locus. By shifting the action portion to the second locus in areas where a movement stroke is required for the action portion to act on the stitches or knitted fabric, even if the first locus is restricted due to interference with other components, the locus of the action portion is not restricted, and it is possible to increase the movement stroke.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a movable sinker showing the shape of a movable sinker 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a right side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a flatbed knitting machine 10 equipped with the movable sinker 1 of FIG. FIG. 3 is a right side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vicinity of the needle gap 11 of the flat knitting machine 10 of FIG. FIG. 4 is a right side cross-sectional view showing the operation of the flat knitting machine 10 of FIG. FIG. 5 is a right side cross-sectional view showing the operation of the flatbed knitting machine 10 of FIG. 2 subsequent to FIG. FIG. 6 is a right side cross-sectional view showing the operation of the flatbed knitting machine 10 of FIG. 2 subsequent to FIG. FIG. 7 is a front view of a movable sinker showing the shape of a movable sinker 31 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a simplified right side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a flatbed knitting machine 30 equipped with the movable sinker 31 of FIG. FIG. 9 is a right side cross-sectional view showing the configuration and operation of the flat knitting machine 30 of FIG. FIG. 10 is a right side cross-sectional view showing the operation of the flatbed knitting machine 30 of FIG. 8 subsequent to FIG. 9 . FIG. 11 is a right side cross-sectional view showing the operation of the flatbed knitting machine 30 of FIG. 8 subsequent to that of FIG. FIG. 12 is a right side cross-sectional view showing the operation of the flatbed knitting machine 30 of FIG. 8 subsequent to FIG. 11 . FIG. 13 is a front view of a movable sinker showing the shape of a movable sinker 41 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a simplified right side cross-sectional view showing the configuration and operation of a flatbed knitting machine 40 equipped with the movable sinker 41 of FIG. FIG. 15 is a simplified right side cross-sectional view showing the operation of the flatbed knitting machine 40 equipped with the movable sinker 41 of FIG. FIG. 16 is a simplified right side cross-sectional view showing the operation of the flatbed knitting machine 40 equipped with the movable sinker 41 of FIG. 13 subsequent to that of FIG. 15. FIG. 17 is a simplified right side cross-sectional view showing the operation of the flatbed knitting machine 40 equipped with the movable sinker 41 of FIG. 13 subsequent to that of FIG. 16 .

Below, Figures 1 to 6 show the configuration and operation of a movable sinker 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and a flat knitting machine 10 equipped with the movable sinker 1. Figures 7 to 12 show the configuration and operation of a movable sinker 31 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and a flat knitting machine 30 equipped with the movable sinker 31. Figures 13 to 17 show the configuration and operation of a movable sinker 41 according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and a flat knitting machine 40 equipped with the movable sinker 41. Corresponding parts in each figure are indicated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations may be omitted. Furthermore, for the sake of convenience of explanation, parts not shown in the figures being explained may be referred to by reference numerals shown in other figures.

Figure 1 shows the shape of a movable sinker 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The movable sinker 1 is formed from a metal plate and has a passive area 2, a support area 3, and an action area 4. The passive area 2 includes a passive arm 2a and a wire spring bearing 2b, and when installed in a flatbed knitting machine 10, receives drive related to knitting of the fabric. The support area 3 is supported by an arc-shaped support portion 3b so that the driven movable sinker 1 swings around a swing fulcrum 3a. The action area 4 includes a moving arm 5 and an action portion 6 that can perform an action related to knitting of the fabric when swung by drive to the passive area 2. The moving arm 5 of this first embodiment is located to the right of the support area 3 in Figure 1 and also includes the portion described as the tip portion in the background art. The action area 4 further includes a pressure-receiving portion 7, a spring portion 8, and a regulating portion 9. The pressure-receiving portion 7 is capable of receiving pressure. The acting portion 6 is capable of performing at least some of the functions related to knitting the knitted fabric. The spring portion 8 connects the acting portion 6, the pressure receiving portion 7, and the regulating portion 9 to the moving arm 5, and is elastically deformed when pressed against the pressure receiving portion 7. The moving arm 5 has a knitting yarn receiving portion 5a and a protrusion 5b. The wire spring receiving portion 2b of the movable sinker 1 receives one end of the wire spring 1a. The wire spring 1a is separate from the movable sinker 1, but can also be formed integrally with it. In addition, the movable sinker may be driven in the direction of entering the tooth gap 11 via a cam, sinker jack, or the like, rather than by spring bias. Furthermore, as in the first embodiment, the drive in the direction of entering the tooth gap 11 may be performed by spring bias, and the drive in the direction of retracting from the tooth gap 11 may be performed by a sinker jack.

When the movable sinker 1 is provided in a flat knitting machine 10 and is pressed by the pressure-receiving portion 7, the spring portion 8 elastically deforms, as shown by the dashed lines, and the action portion 6 and pressure-receiving portion 7 move. This deformation and movement occurs relatively within the action area 4 between the action portion 6, pressure-receiving portion 7, and spring portion 8, and not in the moving arm 5. The knitting yarn receiving portion 5a and protrusion 5b of the moving arm 5 correspond to the same-named portions denoted by reference numerals 5B and 5C in Patent Document 2, respectively, but the moving arm 5 in this Example 1 has a protrusion 5c. However, while it is preferable to provide the restricting portion 9 and protrusion 5c, they may be omitted. The shape of the spring portion 8 does not have to be as shown in the figure. The spring portion 8 may be a wire spring or leaf spring separate from the movable sinker 1, as long as it elastically deforms when the pressure-receiving portion 7 is pressed.

Figure 2 shows the configuration of a flatbed knitting machine 10 equipped with the movable sinker 1 of Figure 1. The flatbed knitting machine 10 has a pair of needle beds 12, one on the left side of the figure and the other on the right side, facing each other across the needle gap 11. Each needle bed 12 has a roughly rectangular shape and includes a base plate 13 whose long side is perpendicular to the plane of the paper, and needle plates 14 arranged at regular intervals along the length of the base plate 13. The space between the needle plates 14 forms a needle groove, which accommodates a knitting needle 15. The knitting needle 15 slides within the needle groove, moving the hook 15a at its tip into and out of the needle gap 11 to form the stitch 20 shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6 using the knitting yarn fed from above the needle gap 11, and the knitted fabric 21 hangs below the needle gap 11. The knitting needle 15 is a latch needle, and the hook 15a is opened and closed by the latch 15b. A fixed sinker 16 is attached to the tip of the needle plate 14 located between the knitting needles 15 on the needle gap 11 side. The fixed sinker 16 has an edge on the needle gap 11 side on which a sinker loop is hooked when a stitch 20 is formed, and also has a through-hole through which a needle gap wire 17 provided at the tip on the needle gap 11 side passes to support the stitch. The needle gap wire 17 has the function of making it easier to knock over the old stitch that was engaged with the hook 15a when the hook 15a that has received yarn withdraws from the needle gap 11 to form a new stitch 20. The knitting yarn receiving portion 5a and the action portion 6 form an upper claw and a lower claw that pass above and below the needle gap wire 17, respectively, on an arc-shaped trajectory. The knitting yarn receiving portion 5a, which forms the upper claw, holds down the old stitch so that the old stitch cleared from the hook 15a does not get carried up by the knitting needle 15 when the knitting needle 15 enters the needle gap 11 to receive yarn. The action portion 6 serving as the lower claw presses down the hanging knitted fabric 21 as shown in FIGS.

Above each needle bed 12, a carriage 18 with cam surfaces facing each other at a distance from the surface of the needle bed 12 travels back and forth in the longitudinal direction. The cam surfaces are provided with a knitting cam that drives the knitting needles 15, as well as a sinker cam 19 that drives the movable sinker 1. The sinker cam 19 presses the passive arm 2a of the movable sinker 1, driving the action area 4 to retract from the needle gap 11. The action area 4 is driven to enter the needle gap 11 by a wire spring 1a. The carriage 18 also carries a brush that opens the latch 15b of the knitting needle 15, a stitch presser that presses the knitted fabric 21 at the needle gap 11, and other components, although these are not shown. The movable sinker 1 is located on one side between the fixed sinker 16 and the knitting needles 15, and is housed with its support portion 3b supported by a thin portion of the needle plate 14. The arrangement of each part on the front and rear needle beds 12 is basically plane symmetrical with respect to the needle gap center plane 11a. However, the movable sinker 1 provided on one side of the fixed sinker 16 is located in front of the needle plate 14 and the fixed sinker 16 on the front needle bed 12, and located on the other side of the needle plate 14 and the fixed sinker 16 on the rear needle bed 12.

Figure 3 shows the configuration near the needle gap 11 of the flat knitting machine 10 in Figure 2. The fixed sinker 16 supports the needle gap wire 17 as a wire that penetrates longitudinally, as well as the pressure wire 16a that functions as a pressure means. The fixed sinker 16 is attached to the needle bed 12 via a groove formed in the base plate 13 that extends from the tip of the needle gap side to the bottom, and is fixed with the fixed wire 13a and the bottom wire 13b provided at the bottom of the base plate 13. The movable sinker 1, shown in solid lines, is in a state where the action area 4, including the moving arm 5, action portion 6, pressure receiving portion 7, spring portion 8, and regulating portion 9, is retracted from the needle gap 11 due to the pressure of the sinker cam 19 on the passive arm 2a. When the pressure of the sinker cam 19 on the passive arm 2a is reduced, the action area 4 of the movable sinker 1 moves to the position shown in dashed lines due to the force of the wire spring 1a. During this movement, the pressure wire 16a presses the pressure receiving portion 7 of the movable sinker 1, changing the acting portion 6, pressure receiving portion 7 and spring portion 8 to the position and shape shown by the dashed lines, so that even if the trajectory of the moving arm 5 is restricted, it is possible to ensure that the trajectory of the acting portion 6 is not restricted. In areas where a movement stroke acting on the stitches 20 or knitted fabric 21 is required as the acting portion 6, the movement stroke can be increased. If the sinker cam 19 does not press the passive arm 2a, the action region 4 including the moving arm 5, acting portion 6, pressure receiving portion 7, spring portion 8 and regulating portion 9 will be in the position and shape shown by the dashed line.

Figure 4 shows the operation of the flatbed knitting machine 10 when the position and state of the movable sinker 1 are as shown by the solid lines in Figure 3. When the knitting needle 15 draws the knitting yarn fed at the needle gap 11 toward the needle bed 12 with the hook 15a to form the stitch 20, the moving arm 5 of the movable sinker 1 retracts from the needle gap 11 so that the knitting yarn receiving portion 5a no longer holds the stitch 20. When the hook 15a enters the needle gap 11 to receive the knitting yarn to form the new stitch 20, the old stitch is moved relatively away from the hook 15a toward the needle stem and cleared. When the hook 15a is retracted to form the new stitch 20, the old stitch passes over the latch 15b that closes the hook 15a, is knocked over, and joins the knitted fabric 21 hanging below the needle gap 11. At this position, the pressure receiving portion 7 is on the verge of contacting the pressure wire 16a.

Figure 5 shows the operation of the flatbed knitting machine 10 following that shown in Figure 4. This operation corresponds to the case where the position and state of the movable sinker 1 are as shown by the dashed lines in Figures 1 and 3. The pressure-receiving portion 7 is pressed by the pressure wire 16a, and the spring portion 8 elastically deforms, causing the action portion 6 to enter the needle gap 11 and capture the knitted fabric 21. In Figures 4 and 5, the moving arm 5, which is the portion of the action area 4 excluding the action portion 6, pressure-receiving portion 7, spring portion 8, and regulating portion 9, swings along an arc-shaped trajectory driven by the support area 3 housed in the thin portion of the needle plate 14. If the pressure-receiving portion 7 is not pressed, the entire action area 4 also swings along an arc-shaped trajectory whose radius is the distance to the swing fulcrum 3a of each component. Hereinafter, the sum of these trajectories will be referred to as the first trajectory. In the first embodiment, the action portion 6, which passes below the tooth gap wire 17 and becomes a lower claw, is shifted from a first locus to a second locus different from the first locus by pressing the pressure-receiving portion 7 with the pressing wire 16a, which serves as a pressing means. Because this second locus passes through a position closer to the tooth gap 11 than the first locus, the pushing down of the knitted fabric 21 can be started earlier than if the first locus were continued. If the pushing down of the knitted fabric 21 were to be started only by swinging along the first locus, the shape would have to be such that the distance from the swing fulcrum 3a would be large, requiring a large space for swinging. In the first embodiment, the action portion 6 can be brought closer to the tooth gap 11 in a limited space, allowing the action portion 6 to reach even a thin knitted fabric 21 so that it can be engaged. Furthermore, the swing radius of the second locus can be made larger than that of the first locus, allowing the pushing down locus after engaging the knitted fabric 21 to be a nearly vertical locus. Furthermore, by changing the pressure-receiving portion 7 or the pressing means, the second trajectory can be set to pass through a position different from that when following the first trajectory, such as not only a position on the tooth gap 11 side, but also above or below the tooth gap 11.

Figure 6 shows the operation of the flat knitting machine 10 following Figure 5. The action unit 6 simultaneously presses the knitted fabric 21 downward toward the needle gap 11, while the knitting yarn receiving unit 5a simultaneously holds down the stitches 20. The position and state of the movable sinker 1 follow the first trajectory. The action unit 6, pressure receiving unit 7, spring unit 8, and regulating unit 9 have shifted to the second trajectory, and the pressure on the pressure receiving unit 7 is released, eliminating the elastic deformation of the spring unit 8. The action unit 6 presses the knitted fabric 21 downward toward the needle gap 11 when returning from the second trajectory to the first trajectory, and after returning to the first trajectory. However, the knitted fabric 21 may be pressed down only when returning from the second trajectory to the first trajectory. Furthermore, by changing the shape of the pressure receiving unit 7 or the arrangement of the pressure wire 16a, the pressure on the pressure receiving unit 7 may remain unreleased until the end.

The stitches 20 and fabric 21 acting on the needle gap 11 side of the action portion 6 of the movable sinker 1 may exert tension toward the needle bed 12 opposite the action portion 6. In this embodiment 1, a regulating portion 9 is provided at a distance from the pressure receiving portion 7 on the side away from the needle gap 11. The pressure wire 16a inserted into this distance in Figure 6 regulates the movement of the regulating portion 9, keeping the action portion 6 within a range that includes the first locus. The pressure wire 16a and regulating portion 9 function as a regulating means to prevent deviation by preventing the action portion 6 from extending beyond the needle gap center plane 11a toward the opposing needle bed 12 across the needle gap 11. Preventing the action portion 6 from extending toward the opposing needle bed 12 prevents interference between the movable sinkers 1 of the front and rear needle beds 12 during racking and prevents plastic deformation of the spring portion 8. The restricting portion 9 acts as a stopper when the acting portion 6 is pulled by the stitch 20 in the section where the pressing wire 16a is located between the restricting portion 9 and the pressure-receiving portion 7, including the action section where the acting portion 6 acts to press down the knitted fabric 21. The protruding portion 5c of the moving arm 5 also functions as a stopper that restricts displacement when the pressing wire 16a suddenly presses the pressure-receiving portion 7 and the acting portion 6 attempts to displace significantly toward the needle gap 11. The protruding portion 5c also functions as a stopper when the acting portion 6 is pulled toward the opposing needle bed 12. Therefore, the protruding portion 5c restricts the acting portion 6 to a range that includes the second locus. As described above, the restricting portion 9, the pressing wire 16a, and the protruding portion 5c restrict the acting portion 6 to a range that includes the first locus and a range that includes the second locus, respectively, and function as restricting means that prevent the acting portion 6 from moving out toward the opposing needle bed 12.

7 and 8 show the shape of a movable sinker 31 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and the configuration of a flat knitting machine 30 equipped with the movable sinker 31. The movable sinker 31 includes a moving arm 35, an acting portion 36, a pressure-receiving portion 37, a spring portion 38, and a regulating portion 39 as an action area 34, and has the same configuration as the movable sinker 1 in FIG. 1, except for the moving arm 35. The moving arm 35 in this second embodiment exists only between the wire spring bearing 2b and the spring portion 38. The acting portion 36, the pressure-receiving portion 37, and the regulating portion 39 are connected to the moving arm 35 by the elastically deformable spring portion 38. The flat knitting machine 30 has the same configuration as the flat knitting machine 10 in FIG. 2, except for the movable sinker 31. When the movable sinker 31 is driven, the pressure-receiving portion 37 shown in FIG. 8 is pressed by the tooth gap wire 17, and assumes the positions and states indicated by the solid lines, dashed lines, dotted lines, and two-dotted lines. The acting portion 36, pressure receiving portion 37, spring portion 38, and regulating portion 39 move along a first locus in the states shown by the solid lines, dashed lines, and two-dot chain lines, and move along a second locus before and after the state shown by the one-dot chain line. The needle opening wire 17 also acts on the regulating portion 39. That is, the needle opening wire 17 also functions as a pressing means and a regulating means. The acting portion 36 also functions as the knitting yarn receiving portion 5a of the movable sinker 1 in FIG. 1.

Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12 show the operation of the flat knitting machine 30 corresponding to the solid lines, dashed lines, dotted lines, and two-dotted lines in Figure 8, respectively. In the state shown in Figure 9, the pressure-receiving portion 37 is separated from the tooth gap wire 17 and is not subjected to pressure, so the action portion 36, pressure-receiving portion 37, spring portion 38, and regulating portion 39 move along a first locus. In the state shown in Figure 10, the pressure-receiving portion 37 comes into contact with the tooth gap wire 17, pressure begins, and the action portion 36, pressure-receiving portion 37, spring portion 38, and regulating portion 39 begin to move along a second locus. In the state shown in Figure 11, the force of the tooth gap wire 17 pressing against the pressure-receiving portion 37 maximizes the extrusion of the action portion 36. 11 also shows a state in which the restricting portion 39 acts as a stopper to restrict displacement when the pressure-receiving portion 37 is suddenly pressed by the needle gap wire 17, causing the action portion 36 to attempt to displace significantly toward the needle gap 11. In the state shown in Fig. 12, the needle gap wire 17 no longer presses the pressure-receiving portion 37, and the action portion 36, pressure-receiving portion 37, spring portion 38, and restricting portion 39 return to the first locus. The needle gap wire 17 acts on the restricting portion 39 to restrict the action portion 36 from deviating toward the needle gap 11 due to the tension of the fabric 21. The action portion 36 pushes the fabric 21 below the needle gap 11. When the knitting needle 15 advances the hook 15a into the needle gap 11 to receive the knitting yarn that will form the next stitch 20, the stitch 20 that was engaged with the hook 15a in Figs. 9 to 11 is cleared from the hook 15a and moves relatively toward the needle stem to become the old stitch 22. The action portion 36 serving as the upper claw can prevent the old stitch 22 from moving upward toward the needle gap 11 as the knitting needle 15 advances into the needle gap 11 .

Figure 13 shows the shape of a movable sinker 41 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The movable sinker 41 includes a movable arm 45, an action portion 46, a pressure-receiving portion 47, a spring portion 48, and a regulating portion 49 in an action area 44. The movable arm 45 has the same configuration as the movable arm 5 in Figure 1, except that it does not have a portion corresponding to the protrusion 5c.

Figure 14 shows the configuration and operation of a flat knitting machine 40 equipped with the movable sinker 41 of Figure 13. Figures 15, 16 and 17 show the operation of the flat knitting machine 40. This operation is basically the same as the operation of the movable sinker 1 shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6. However, the needle gap wire 17 and the regulating part 49 function as a regulating means that keeps the action part 46 of the movable sinker 41 within a range that includes the first locus and the second locus, and prevents it from extending to the side of the needle bed 12 opposite the needle gap 11.

In this Example 3, including Examples 1 and 2, the flatbed knitting machines 10, 30, 40 have a thin portion of the needle plate 14 as a support mechanism that supports the movable sinkers 1, 31, 41. The thin portion supports the movable arms 5, 35, 45 of the action areas 4, 34, 44 of the movable sinkers 1, 31, 41 so that they move toward and away from the needle gap 11 along a first trajectory. The moving arms 5, 35, 45 constitute the action areas 4, 34, 44 excluding at least the action portions 6, 36, 46, pressure-receiving portions 7, 37, 47, elastic pieces (spring portions 8, 38, 48), and regulating portions 9, 39, 49. The flatbed knitting machines 10, 30, 40 have a sinker cam 19 as a drive mechanism that drives the passive area 2 to move the moving arms 5, 35, 45 along the first trajectory. The action portions 6, 36, 46 also move along the first locus up to a certain point. As a pressing means that is installed at least along the first locus and presses the pressure-receiving portions 7, 37, 47 of the movable sinkers 1, 31, 41 to move the action portions 6, 36, 46 from the first locus to a second locus different from the first locus, a pressing wire 16a is provided in Examples 1 and 3, and a tooth gap wire 17 is provided in Example 2.

The pressure wire 16a and the needle gap wire 17, which serve as the pressure means, are supported by the fixed sinker 16 so that they pass through the area where the pressure receiving portions 7, 37, and 47 pass on the first trajectory. However, the present invention can also be applied when only a movable sinker is used without a fixed sinker 16. The movable sinker can be provided with an edge that forms a sinker loop, and the wire that passes through in the longitudinal direction can be supported by a supporting member. Supporting members do not need to be provided for each knitting needle 15, and the members can be spaced apart. A grooved cam or a protrusion extending longitudinally from the fixed sinker can also function as a pressure means in the same way as a wire. Furthermore, the movable sinker can be linear rather than oscillating. A linear-acting movable sinker can be housed in a sinker groove with a flat bottom provided in the sinker base and slide within the sinker groove. Such a sinker groove serves as a support mechanism for the linear-acting movable sinker. In a linear-acting movable sinker, the portion supported and sliding by the sinker groove is the support area, the movable arm is supported on the tooth gap side of the support area, and the portions corresponding to the acting portion, pressure receiving portion, and regulating portion are connected to the moving arm by an elastic piece. Even in a linear-acting movable sinker, the moving arm and other portions move linearly as a first overall locus, and when the pressure receiving portion is pressed, the acting portion and the like move to a second locus. If the bottom of the sinker groove is made a cam surface with smooth irregularities rather than a flat surface, the movable sinker can be moved by adding a component in another direction to the linear motion. Furthermore, the knitting needle 15 is not limited to a latch needle that opens and closes the hook 15a with a latch 15b, but a compound needle that opens and closes the hook with a slider may also be used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 31, 41 Movable sinker 1a Wire spring 2 Passive area 3 Support area 4, 34, 44 Action area 5, 35, 45 Moving arm 5a, 45a Knitting yarn receiving portion 5c Projection portion 6, 36, 46 Action portion 7, 37, 47 Pressure receiving portion 8, 38, 48 Spring portion 9, 39, 49 Regulating portion 10, 30, 40 Flat knitting machine 11 Teeth gap 11a Teeth gap center surface 12 Needle bed 14 Needle plate 15 Knitting needle 15a Hook 16 Fixed sinker 16a Pressing wire 17 Teeth gap wire 19 Sinker cam

Claims (7)

A flat knitting machine in which tips of knitting needles arranged in a longitudinal direction of a needle bed advance and retreat to a needle gap, knitting a knitted fabric with a knitting yarn fed from above the needle gap, and suspending the knitted knitted fabric below the needle gap,
A flatbed knitting machine equipped with a movable sinker having a passive area capable of receiving drive related to knitting of a knitted fabric and an action area that moves in a direction toward or away from a needle gap when driven to the passive area,
The area of action of the movable sinker is:
The device includes at least a moving arm, a pressure receiving portion, an action portion, and an elastic piece,
The pressure-receiving portion is capable of receiving pressure,
The action portion can move forward and backward to the tooth gap to perform at least a part of the action related to knitting the knitted fabric,
The elastic piece connects the pressure receiving portion and the action portion with the moving arm, and is elastically deformed by being pressed against the pressure receiving portion,
The flat knitting machine is
a support mechanism that supports the moving arm of the movable sinker so that the moving arm can move toward and away from the tooth gap;
a drive mechanism that drives a passive region of the movable sinker to move the moving arm along a first locus;
a pressing means that is installed at least midway along the first locus and presses the pressure-receiving portion of the movable sinker to move the action portion from the first locus to a second locus that is different from the first locus;
A flatbed knitting machine equipped with a movable sinker, further comprising: The action portion of the movable sinker is a claw that catches on a stitch or a knitted fabric,
The second locus passes through a position closer to the tooth gap than the first locus.
A flat knitting machine comprising the movable sinker according to claim 1. The claw of the movable sinker is
The knitted fabric hanging down below the needle gap is captured on the second locus which is transferred from the first locus by the pressing means against the pressure-receiving portion,
When the pressure on the pressure-receiving portion by the pressing means is released, the knitted fabric is pressed down below the tooth gap when returning from the second locus to the first locus side.
3. A flat knitting machine equipped with the movable sinker according to claim 2. the pressing means is a wire that passes through a region where the pressure-receiving portion of the movable sinker passes on the first locus in the longitudinal direction.
A flat knitting machine comprising the movable sinker according to claim 1. The movable sinker swings, and the first locus becomes an arc.
the wire is a needle bed gap wire provided at a tip end of the needle bed on the needle bed gap side,
The claw, which is the action portion of the movable sinker and which catches on the stitch or the knitted fabric , passes above the needle gap wire along a first arc-shaped locus.
5. A flatbed knitting machine equipped with the movable sinker according to claim 4. a restricting means for restricting the action portion of the movable sinker to a range including the first locus and a range including the second locus, and restricting the action portion of the movable sinker from extending to the opposite needle bed side across the needle gap,
A flat knitting machine comprising the movable sinker according to claim 1. A movable sinker provided in a flatbed knitting machine, having a passive area capable of receiving a drive related to knitting of a knitted fabric, and an action area that moves in a direction toward or away from a knitting gap when driven to the passive area,
The area of action is
The device includes at least a moving arm, a pressure receiving portion, an action portion, and an elastic piece,
The pressure-receiving portion is capable of receiving pressure,
The action section can move forward and backward to the tooth gap of the flat knitting machine to perform at least a part of the action related to knitting the knitted fabric,
The elastic piece connects the pressure receiving portion and the action portion with the moving arm, and is elastically deformed when pressed against the pressure receiving portion.
A movable sinker characterized by: