Mechanism of End Breakage due to Knots in Weft Knitting Zone Part 1 : End Breakage in Plain-weft Knitting Zone

The mechanism of the end breakage due to knots (a weaver's knot and a fisherman's knot using a combed cotton yarn c30s/1 cotton count) in the plain-weft knitting zone is investigated in detail, using a high speed video camera.The results obtained are as follows: (1) It clarifies that the end breakage due to knots in the plain-weft knitting zone occurs in the following three steps:1) jam of knots in the space between a needle-hook and -latch and an old loop, or in the space between a needle-head and a verge, 2) increase in the yarn tension, 3) end breakage due to knots. (2) The end breakage due to an air-splice in the plain-weft knitting zone hardly occurs under every knitting condition. (3) The rate of jammed knots, the end breakage rate for jammed knots and that for knots increase with the increase of the depth of stitch draw, the input tension and the take-down weight for any knot. (4) The rate of jammed knots, the end breakage rate for jammed knots and that for knots due to a fisherman's knot are always more than those due to a weaver's knot under every knitting condition.