Arrangement For The Manufacture Of Velour

Abstract

There is provided a novel arrangement and procedure for the formation of velour. In this procedure there are utilized two needle beds equipped with latch needles and a set of guide bars for laying a ground pattern about the needles of each needle bar, and a third set of guides for laying a weft thread between the two sets of needles to provide the threads which are thereafter cut through to produce the velour. The timing of the guides laying the weft thread is predetermined relative to the timing of the guides laying the ground pattern.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Heretofore it has been known to utilize Raschel machines for the formation of plush ware. Where particularly long plush threads are required or where it is desired to produce plush type wares resembling artificial furs which require particularly long weft threads which in turn necessitate a large separation between the needle beds, conventional equipment is not suitable. Such equipment may be used if the running speed of the equipment is substantially reduced in order to accommodate the extremely long swing path of the weft thread guides. The swing speed of the weft guides can only be raised up to a certain point. This point of speed is already reached with the formation of conventional plushes. It would therefore be desirable to provide an arrangement whereby a twin needle bedded Raschel machine can be utilized to provide plushes having long weft threads.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the procedures of the present invention the laying movement of the weft thread guide bars is set to cover a time period corresponding to either two or more even number of courses or three or more uneven number of courses. In the first alternative, that is to say, correspondence with an even number of courses corresponding to a complete cycle of the weft laying guides the two needle beds are raised and lowered directly in phase thus they are both raised or lowered at the same time. In the second alternative, that is to say, where a complete cycle corresponds to an uneven number of courses, then the needle beds are exactly out of phase, that is to say, one needle bed is in the upper most position while the other needle bed is in the lowest position. This novel arrangement permits the machine to be run at a relatively conventional speed without the necessity for extreme raising of the swing rate of the weft guide even where extremely long weft threads are required, for example, in the production of artificial furs or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the machine utilized in the present invention illustrating that portion thereof where the stiches are formed.

FIG. 2 shows the lapping diagram for a machine of the type shown in FIG. 1 wherein the weft guide performs a complete cycle for every second course of the ground pattern.

FIG. 3 is the chain pattern table corresponding to FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is the lapping diagram for a machine of FIG. 1 wherein a complete cycle of the weft laying thread corresponds to every third course of the ground pattern.

FIG. 5 is the chain pattern table corresponding to FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the machine illustrated in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates the basic embodiment of the arrangement of the present invention. As is customary in this art only those portions of the equipment corresponding to one set of threads is specifically referred to. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the pattern may be repeated all the way down the needle bed and the corresponding guide bars.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1 the needle beds containing needles 95 and 85 are set substantially parallel and substantially separated. At least two guides 51 and 53 lay threads 52 and 54 about needle 85 to provide the ground pattern 50 thereupon. Similarly, guides 61 and 63 lay threads 62 and 64 about needle 95 to provide ground pattern 60 thereupon. Guide 41 lays weft thread 42 between needles 85 and 95 to provide a weft pattern 40. Upon completion of the material the weft threads comprising weft pattern 40 are cut in the desired manner to provide the tufting of the velour or plush. Though only two guides are shown laying the threads for the ground pattern about each of the needles a larger number of such guides may be employed if the pattern or nature of the ground material calls therefore. The present invention is not limited to the utilization of two guides about each needle and one weft guide therebetween. FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment utilizing guides 51, 53 and 55 to lay threads 52, 54 and 56 about needle 85, guides 61, 63 and 65 to lay threads 62, 64 and 66 about needle 95 and weft guides 41 and 42 to lay threads 42 and 44 about both needles 95 and 85. A modification of the type illustrated in FIG. 6 is particularly desirable when it is desired to provide a multi-colored velour or fake fur appearance.

The number of guides and weft guides utilized may be increased according to need. Similarly, the operating principles set forth below and discussed with particular reference to the embodiment of FIG. 1 are equally extendible to embodiments such as those in FIG. 6 utilizing a larger number of guides.

The basic improvement over the prior art provided by the arrangement of the present invention is that it is no longer necessary for the weft guide 41 (or 41 and 43 where, say, two weft guides are utilized) to execute extremely rapid swings. It should be understood that the guides, needle beds, and thread feeds are activated by means well known in the art and that the timing sequences discussed hereinbelow are also predetermined and controlled by timing mechanisms such as chain link patterns which are also well known in the art.

In the modification of the present invention which is illustrated in FIG. 2 the sequence of the needle beds bearing needles 85 and 95 is so arranged that both needles are in the maximum upward or maximum downward position at the same time. In this embodiment the rate of travel of guide 41 is so regulated that it will lay one complete cycle in the time taken for guides 61 and 63 to lay two courses about needle 95. It being understood that the number of courses laid about needle 85 during a given time span is the same as the number of courses laid around needle 95 in the same time span.

In another mode of operation as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 the needle bed bearing needle 95 is arranged to be exactly out of phase with the bed bearing needle 95. Thus, the bed bearing needle 95 is in its highest position when the bed bearing needle 85 is in its lowest position, and vice versa. Under these circumstances guide bar 41 will complete one full cycle for every three courses laid by guides 61 and 63 about needle 95 and 51 and 53 about needle 85.

Where more than two guides are utilized about a given needle or more than one weft guide is utilized between the needles as, for example, in the embodiment of FIG. 6, it will be clear to one skilled in the art how to produce chain link sequences and lapping diagrams such as those set forth in FIGS. 2 through 5.

It should be understood that in the embodiment of which one species is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 a single complete cycle of weft laying guide 41 is not limited to the time taken to lay two ground courses about needle 95 or needle 98. The time for a complete cycle of guide 41 may correspond to any even number of courses about needle 85.

Similarly, the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 are not limited to the situation where the time for one complete cycle of guide 41 is equal to three courses laid about needle 95 and needle 85. The time for one complete cycle may correspond to the time required to lay any odd number of courses about needle 95 and needle 85.

It should further be understood that while in theory guides 51,53,55, 41,43, 61,63 and 65 are in a common plane as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the course of operation of the equipment they may be moved by the conventional guiding means in a plane perpendicular to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to provide the laying of thread about the appropriate needles as, for example, shown in lapping diagrams of FIGS. 2 and 4. The designations L1, L2, L3, L4, and L5 shown in FIGS. 2 thru 5 correspond to threads 62, 64, 42, 52 and 54 respectively as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6.

Claims

I claim:

1. A process of manufacturing velour ware on a Raschel knitting machine comprising

a. a first needle bed of latch needles,

b. a second needle bed of latch needles located parallel to said first needle bed,

c. at least two first guides for laying thread about needles in said first needle bed,

d. at least two second guides for laying thread about needles in said second needle bed,

e. at least one third guide for laying a weft thread about needles in said first needle bed and about needles in said second needle bed said third guide being swingable substantially in the same plane as said first guides and said second guides and being located between said first guides and said second guides,

said process comprising

i. laying at least two threads about needles in said first needle bed by means of at least two first guides to form a first ground pattern,

ii. laying at least two threads about needles in said second needle bed by means of at least two second guides to form a second ground pattern,

iii. laying at least one weft thread about a needle in said first needle bed and,

a needle in said second needle bed by means of said at least third guide to provide a weft between said first ground pattern and said second ground pattern,

the elevations of said first needle bed and of said second needle bed relative to a predetermined point are the same at any predetermined time during the knitting cycle, the said guides laying the ground thread laying 2 or more even numbers of courses about the needles in their respective needle beds for each complete cycle of said third thread laying guide.

2. A process of manufacturing velour ware according to claim 1 on a Raschel knitting machine comprising

a. a first needle bed of latch needles,

b. a second needle bed of latch needles located parallel to said first needle bed,

c. two first guides for laying thread about needles in said first needle bed,

d. two second guides for laying thread about needles in said second needle bed,

e. one third guide for laying a weft thread about needles in said first needle bed and about needles in said second needle bed said third guide being swingable substantially in the same plane as said first guides and said second guides and being located between said first guides and said second guides,

said process comprising

i. laying two threads about needles in said first needle bed by means of said two first guides to form a first ground pattern,

ii. laying two threads about needles in said second needle bed by means of two second guides to form a second ground pattern,

iii. laying one weft thread about a needle in said first needle bed and,

a needle in said second needle bed by means of said third guide to provide a weft between said first ground pattern and said second ground pattern,

the elevations of said first needle bed and of said second needle bed relative to a predetermined point are the same at any predetermined time during the knitting cycle, the said guides laying the ground thread laying 2 or more even numbers of courses about the needles in their respective needle beds for each complete cycle of said third thread laying guide.