Thread dispensing element for a thread guide for knitting machines, and thread guide comprising the dispensing element

Abstract

A thread dispensing element ( 60 ) for a thread guide ( 6 ) for knitting machines, comprising a body ( 62 ) having a mounting portion ( 63 ), destined to be removably mounted to a front end ( 8 ) of a thread guide ( 6 ), and an operating portion ( 64 ), destined to be facing towards the needles (N) of a needle-bearing organ of a knitting machine. The mounting portion ( 63 ) enables mounting the dispensing element to the thread guide according to a determined discrete number of configurations with respect to the thread guide ( 6 ), to which corresponds a same discrete number of positions assumed by the operating portion ( 64 ) of the dispensing element with respect to the needles (N) of the needle-bearing organ. The dispensing organ ( 60 ) is configured so as to be selectively mountable to the thread guide ( 6 ) exclusively in a configuration selected from among the determined discrete number of configurations.

1 . A thread dispensing element ( 60 ) for a thread guide ( 6 ) for knitting machines, the dispensing element ( 60 ) comprising a body ( 62 ) having a mounting portion ( 63 ), destined to be removably mounted to a front end ( 8 ) of a thread guide ( 6 ), and an operating portion ( 64 ), destined to be facing towards the needles (N) of a needle-bearing organ of a knitting machine, wherein said mounting portion ( 63 ) is configured and predisposed to enable mounting the dispensing element to the thread guide according to a determined discrete number of configurations with respect to the thread guide, to which corresponds a same discrete number of positions assumed by the operating portion ( 64 ) of the dispensing element with respect to the needles (N) of the needle-bearing organ, said dispensing organ ( 60 ) being configured for being selectively mountable to the thread guide ( 6 ) exclusively in a configuration selected from among said determined discrete number of configurations. 
     
     
         2 . The dispensing element ( 60 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion ( 63 ) is destined to be inserted in a mounting seating ( 70 ) of a thread guide complementarily shaped to the mounting portion ( 63 ), such that the mounting portion of the element is at least partially surrounded by the mounting seating of the thread guide, and/or wherein the mounting portion ( 63 ) is configured such as to enable mounting the dispensing element ( 60 ) by means of axial insertion in the mounting seating ( 70 ) of the thread guide ( 6 ). 
     
     
         3 . The dispensing element ( 60 ) of  claim 1 , having an elongate conformation and developing longitudinally between a rear end ( 65 ), from which the mounting portion ( 63 ) develops, and a front end ( 66 ), in correspondence of which the operating portion ( 64 ) terminates, and/or wherein the body ( 62 ) of the dispensing element is provided with a longitudinal hole ( 67 ,  61 ) passing through the whole body from the rear end ( 65 ), or from the mounting portion, to the front end ( 66 ), or to the operating portion, the longitudinal hole ( 67 ) being destined to be slidably crossed by a feeding thread for the needles of the knitting machine. 
     
     
         4 . The dispensing element ( 60 ) of  claim 1 , wherein said mounting portion ( 63 ) develops along a longitudinal axis ( 63   a ) and has a section ( 69 ), preferably constant, that is not circular and can prevent rotation of the mounting portion ( 63 ) internally of the mounting seating ( 70 ), in particular with respect to a rotation axis that is parallel to or coincident with the longitudinal axis ( 63   a ) of the mounting portion, and/or wherein the section ( 69 ) is configured to enable insertion of the mounting portion in the mounting seating ( 70 ) only in the discrete number of configurations, said section ( 69 ) being polygonal or elliptical or made up of curved tracts intervalled with straight tracts, and/or wherein each of the positions of the discrete number of positions assumed by the operating portion ( 64 ) of the dispensing element with respect to the needles (N) of the needle-bearing organ is characterised by a respective distance from the needles of the machine and by a respective orientation assumed with respect to the needles of the knitting machine. 
     
     
         5 . The dispensing element ( 60 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the determined discrete number of mounting configurations is exactly two, the mounting portion ( 63 ) being mountable to the thread guide ( 6 ) in a first mounting configuration, to which corresponds a low position of the operating portion ( 64 ), or in a second mounting configuration, to which corresponds a high position of the operating portion ( 64 ), and/or wherein in the second mounting configuration the dispensing element ( 60 ) is arranged oppositely with respect to the arrangement assumed in the first mounting configuration, i.e. between the first and the second mounting configuration the mounting portion ( 63 ) is rotated by 180°, and/or wherein the high position and the low position selectively assumed by the operating portion ( 64 ) are vertically aligned along a vertical axis that is substantially parallel to the needles (N) present in the needle-bearing organ of the knitting machine. 
     
     
         6 . The dispensing element ( 60 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal hole ( 67 ) is open on the rear end ( 65 ), defining a first opening ( 75 ), and is open on the front end ( 66 ), defining a second opening ( 76 ), the first opening enabling insertion of an infeed thread into the longitudinal hole of the dispensing element and the second opening enabling exit, towards the needles of the knitting machine, of the infeed thread, and/or wherein the second opening ( 76 ) is dealigned from the first opening ( 75 ) with respect to the longitudinal axis ( 63   a ), and/or wherein the first opening is coaxial to the longitudinal axis, and/or wherein in the first mounting configuration the second opening ( 76 ) is lower than the first opening ( 75 ) with respect to the longitudinal axis ( 63   a ), and in the second mounting configuration the second opening is higher than the first opening with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         7 . The dispensing element ( 60 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the operating portion ( 64 ) extends from the mounting portion ( 63 ) and is dealigned with respect thereto, in particular having a respective longitudinal axis ( 64   a ) transversal to the longitudinal axis ( 63   a ) of the mounting portion ( 63 ), and/or wherein the operating portion ( 64 ) is inclined with respect to the mounting portion ( 63 ) such that the longitudinal axis ( 64   a ) of the operating portion forms, with the longitudinal axis ( 63   a ) of the mounting portion, an angle of less than 5° and/or less than 10° and/or less than 20° and/or less than 45° and/or less than 90°, and/or wherein the operating portion ( 64 ) is arranged obliquely with respect to the mounting portion ( 64 ), the dispensing element ( 60 ) being asymmetric with respect to the longitudinal axis of the mounting portion, and/or wherein the dispensing element ( 60 ) is made of a ceramic material or zircon, preferably in a single piece. 
     
     
         8 . A thread guide ( 6 ) for knitting machines provided with a front end ( 8 ) facing towards the needles (N) of the knitting machine, the front end having at least a mounting seating ( 70 ) destined to removably house a dispensing element ( 60 ) according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         9 . The thread guide ( 6 ) of  claim 8 , wherein the front end ( 8 ) of the thread guide comprises a mounting seating ( 70 ) complementarily shaped to the mounting portion ( 63 ) of the dispensing element, and/or wherein the mounting seating ( 70 ) consists of a through-hole ( 71 ) passing through the front end of the thread guide ( 6 ), in which the mounting portion ( 63 ) of the dispensing element ( 60 ) is insertable, and/or wherein the thread guide ( 6 ) comprises the dispensing element ( 60 ) removably mounted thereto, and/or wherein the thread guide ( 6 ) comprises blocking means ( 80 ) arranged at the mounting seating ( 70 ) and configured to removably engage with the mounting portion ( 63 ) of the dispensing element ( 60 ) in order to stably and removably mount it in the mounting seating, and/or wherein the blocking means ( 80 ) comprise a screw ( 81 ), or a threaded grub screw, insertable in a hole ( 82 ), preferably threaded and/or a through-hole, defined in the front end ( 8 ) of the thread guide ( 6 ) and orientated such as to be transversal to the mounting portion ( 63 ) of the dispensing element ( 60 ) once inserted in the mounting seating ( 70 ). 
     
     
         10 . A device ( 1 ) for feeding thread to needles of a knitting machine, the device comprising:
 a body ( 2 ) of the device destined to be associated to a knitting machine, at a needle-bearing organ of the knitting machine, and provided with at least a housing seating ( 3 ) configured to movably house the guide means ( 4 ) in the body,   thread guide means ( 4 ), movably housed at least partially in the at least a housing seating and comprising at least a thread guide ( 6 ) according to  claim 8 ,   
       wherein the knitting machine is preferably a knitting machine for knitwear, hosiery or the like, more preferably a circular knitting machine and/or seamless, and/or wherein the needle-bearing organ is a needle-bearing cylinder of a circular knitting machine or a needle bed of a linear knitting machine.