Knitting needles - Types Of Knitting Needle

• It is the cheapest and simplest type to manufacture as it is made from a single piece of metal • The bearded needle is essentially a frame needle, the needles being fixed to move Bread

KNITTING NEEDLE

By Suneel Talekar- sr Faculty- SOFT-Pune

the hook opening and

closing device

a system allowing the needle to move and form the loop.

the hook, which takes and retains the

thread to be looped

• The bearded or spring needle

was the first type of needle to be produced

• It is the cheapest and simplest

type to manufacture as it is made from a single piece of metal

• The bearded needle is essentially

a frame needle, the needles being fixed to move

Breaded needle

FEATURES

• The head , where the stem is turned into a hook to draw the new loop through the old loop.

• The beard , which is the curved downwards

continuation of the hook that is used to separate the trapped new loop inside from the old loop as

it slides off the needle beard.

• The stem , around which the needle loop is

formed.

• The eye , or groove, cut in the stem to receive the pointed tip of the beard when it is pressed, thus enclosing the new loop.

• The shank , which may be bent for individual

location in the machine or cast with others in a metal ‘lead’.

Breaded needle

PARTS

BREADED NEEDLE AND KNITTING MACHINE PARTS

Breaded needle

Knitting action

The rest position Backward swing and overlap shog (b, c) The return swing and second rise (c, d)

Breaded needle

Knitting action

Breaded needle

Knitting action

1 The needle is in the (so-called) rest position , with the previously formed loop (a) held on its stem and covered by the hook.

2 The loop is cleared from the needle hook to a lower position on the needle stem.

3 The new yarn (b) is fed to the needle hook at a higher position on the needle stem than the position of the previous (‘old’) loop.

4 The yarn is formed into a ‘new’ loop

5 The hook is closed , enclosing the new loop and excluding and landing the old loop onto the outside of the closed hook.

6 The new loop (b) is drawn through the head of the old loop (a) Simultaneously the old loop slides off the closed hook of the needle and is cast-off or knocked-over.

7 The old loop now hangs from the feet of the fully formed new loop and the knitting cycle starts again.

Breaded needle

• High wear and break easily

• Limiting productivity

• A knitting section occupies

a considerable amount of space

• Individual loop formation has to be achived by a loop forming element, this leads

to a more complicated

Breaded needle

Latch Needle Characteris tics :

1 Most widely used in weft

knitting.

2 More expensive needle than

the bearded needle.

3 Self acting or loop controlled.

4 Work at any angle.

5 Needle Depth determines the

loop length.

6 Variation of the height of

reciprocating produces knit, tuck

or miss stitch.

Characteristics

Latch needle

The Hook : The hook which draws and returns the new

loop.

The slot or Saw Cut : This slot receives the latch blade.

Features-hook

Latch needle

Features

The Cheeks or Slot Walls : It is either punched or riveted to fulcrum

the latch blade.

The Rivet : The rivet which may be plain or threaded This has been

dispensed with on most plated metal needles by pinching the slot walls to retain the latch blades.

The latch blade : This latch blade locates the latch in the needle.

Latch needle

The latch blade : This latch blade locates the latch in

the needle.

Features

Latch needle

The latch spoon: The latch spoon is an extension of blade and bridges the gap between the hook and stem.

Features-latch and latch spoon

Latch needle

7 The stem: The stem of latch needle carries the loop in

the clearing on rest position.

8 The Butt: Butt of latch needle enables the needle to

be reciprocated.

9 The Tail: The tail is an extension below the butt giving

additional support to the needle and keeping the needle

in its trick

Features

Latch needle

Latch needle

Latch needle

Knitting action

Latch needle

Knitting action

Latch needle

The rest position: The head of

the needle hook is level with the top

of the verge of the trick The loop

formed at the previous feeder is in the closed hook It is prevented

from rising as the needle rises, by holding-down sinkers or web

holders that move forward between the needles to hold down the sinker loops

Latch needle

Knitting action

Latch opening: As the needle butt

passes up the incline of the clearing

cam, the old loop, which is held

down by the sinker, slides inside the

hook and contacts the latch, turning

and opening it

Latch needle

Knitting action-latch opening

Clearing height: When the

needle reaches the top of the

cam, the old loop is cleared

from the hook and latch spoon

on to the stem At this point

the feeder guide plate acts as

a guard to prevent the latch

from closing the empty hook

Latch needle

Knitting action-clearing height

Yarn feeding and latch closing: The

needle starts to descend the stitch

cam so that its latch is below the

verge, with the old loop moving

under it At this point the new yarn

is fed through a hole in the feeder

guide to the descending needle

hook, as there is no danger of the

yarn being fed below the latch The

old loop contacts the underside of

the latch, causing it to close on to

the hook.

Latch needle

Knitting action-yarn feeding

Knocking-over and loop

length formation: As the

head of the needle

descends below the top of

the trick, the old loop

slides off the needle and

the new loop is drawn

through it

Latch needle

Knitting action-cast off

Advantages Limitation

• Major advantages of being self

acting or loop controlled, so that

individual movement and control

of the needle enable stitch

selection to be achieved.

• Ideally suited for use with

computer controlled electronic

selection devise.

• Latch needle can operate at any

angle.

• Variation of the height of vertical

can produce knit, miss and tuck

loop which helps to manufacture

different design fabrics.

• Latch needle are thick and rigid,

so any deflection id design effect on fabric

• Needle deflection is difficult

• It imposes a certain strain on yarn

• There is also possibility of fluff

or lint accumulation on the latch due to rubbing of the yarn

on needle

Latch needle

Latch needle Spring bearded needle

1 It contains a hook portion

at the top & a latch reverted

at certain distance from the

needle head.

1 This needle consists of a top hook curved downwards with a finished tip.

2 The main element of

knitting is latch 2 The downward continuation is called beard.

3 The latch needles are

self-acting. 3 The spring bearded needles are not self-acting

type.

4 Do not need outside

agency to close the hook. 4 It requires pressure to close the needle.

Latch needle

Difference between latch and bearded needle

Latch needle Spring bearded needle

5 Machine gauge is coarser

then spring bearded needle. 5 Machine gauge is finer then latch needle.

6 This one is not simple type

needle. 6 Simple type of needle.

7 It has reduced stroke 7 It has more stroke than

latch needle.

8 Most widely used in weft

knitting. 8 More widely used in circular single knitting.

9 Complicated operating

system. 9 Easy operating system.

10 The latch needle is more

expensive & intricate needle. 10 The spring bearded needle is less expensive than

latch needle.

Latch needle

Difference between latch and bearded needle

The tubular pipe needle has its tongue sliding inside the tube of the open hook.

The open-stem ‘pusher type’ or slide needle

Compound needle

Types

tongue sliding pusher type

Compound needle

• Compound needles consist o two separately controlled parts- the open hook and the sliding closing element (tongue, latch, piston, plunger)

• It is most popular in warp knitting machines

• Strain in not put on the yarn

• Both members of compound needle have a straight, thus knitting speed can be increased.

• These needle are very expensive

Thanks