US2005632A - Knitting machine - Google Patents

Description

June 18, 1935. F. R. PAGE KNITTING'MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 2, 1953 INVENTOR FRANK R. PAGE BY HIS ATTORNEYS June 18, 1935. F. R. PAGE 2,005,632

- KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 2, 1931f 3' Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR FRANK R. PAGE BY HI? ATTORNEYS MMJM June 18, 1935. F. R. PAGE KNITTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Au 2, 1953 INVENTOR FRANK R. PAGE BY HIS ATTORNEYS I Patented June 18, 1935 UNITED STATES KNITTING rrAomNE Frank R. Page, Brooklyn, Y., assignor to Scott 8: Williams, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of Massachusetts Application August 2, 1933, Srial No. 683,378

10 Claims.

This invention relates to knitting machines and more particularly to knitting machines having pattern mechanisms and it is an object of this invention to provide improved'controlling 5 -means for the pattern mechanisms such that the control of the pattern mechanisms is more flex ible, and the number of courses which must intervene between pattern changes is reduced without materially restricting the number or variety of patterns which can be made upon the pattern mechanism of the machine to which the invention is applied.

- It is also an object of this invention to provide in a circular knitting machine'having pattern means controlling the formation of float stitches, 'means whereby change or racking of the pattern means is controlled by the pattern means, and it is also an object of this invention to provide in a circular knitting machine having pattern means controlling the formation of float stitches and pattern means controlling a plurality of yarn guides -for forming horizontal stripes, means whereby the operation of the yarn guide controlling means is controlled by the pattern means governing the formation of the float stitches.

In'the drawings: I

Fig. l is a partial horizontal section through the head of a circular knitting machine constructed in accordance with this invention, some parts being broken away to show other parts more clearly and some of the partsbeing shown in operated positions; I

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with some of the operating parts in different positions;

shown in Figs. 1 and 2, parts being broken away 7 to show other parts more clearly; and

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of other of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the drawings the invention is shown in con- I nection with a circular knitting machine of the Scott and Williams type, such as is shown in the application of Albert E. Page, Serial No. 359,- 962, filed May 2, 1929, Patent No. 1,969,853, issued Aug. 14, 1934 and it comprises a revolving needle cylinder 260 the needles of which are controlled by the usual knitting cams and pattern jacks (not shown). The jacks are selected in the usual manner by reader cams I pivotally mounted on auxiliary pattern drum or trick wheel 'I,9l rotatably mounted on the pin.l90 fixed in the bed 66 plate B. The trick wheel "I is operated step-by- Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of some of the partsstep by means of a ratchet 800 formed on'the lower portion of the drum and engaged by a pawl 805. The pawl 805 is moved forward to engage a tooth of the ratchet"800"'by a spring 805 connected to the pawl and to the bed plate B and 5 the pawl is operated to shift the ratchet wheel 800 by a lever 805 to which the pawl is connected intermediate the ends of the lever 805 One end of the lever 805 is pivotally mounted upon a pin 805 fixed in the bed plate B and the other end of the lever is connected by link 806 to a bracket which is pivotally supported on post 808 fixed to' the bed plate B. Slidably mounted in the bracket 80'! is a spindle till!) having a roller 809 mounted on its lower end and having a spring 809 surrounding its upper end and confined between the bracket 80'! and a cotter-pin 809 inserted in an openingin the spindle 809 Spring 809 tends to hold the spindle in its upper position as shown in Fig. 3 but permits of the spindle being moved 20 to a lower position. In the upper position of the spindle 809 the roller 809-is positioned to engage cams on the high speed gear 65 at one distance from the center of the gear while in the lower position of the spindle 809 the roller 809 engages cams closer to the center. of the gear In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 the cams 8I0 on the gear are engaged. with the roller in the upper position of the spindle and the cams 8l0 as well as the cams MD are engaged by the roller when the spindle is in its lower position. To operate the spindle there has been provided a lever 850 pivotally mounted on the bracket 801 and having one end positioned to engage the upper end of the spindle 809 and its other end connected to 35 alink or push rod 85! arranged to be operated in the usual manner from the main pattern or control mechanism (not shown). The engagement of the pawl 805 with the ratchet 800 may be controlled by a guard 802 operated from the pattern chain or drum as described in application Ser. No. 359,962, so that the pawl 805 may be prevented from operating the drum; allowed to operate the drum upon each reciprocation of the pawl or allowed to operate the drum only to the usual low tooth in the ratchet so as to position the drum for the starting of the pattern.

The machine to which this invention is applied is also provided with an auxiliary pattern or striper drum 'H0 mounted upon an axle HI suitably supported in the machine frame and operated by the engagement of a pawl H3 operated by a-cam on the main drive shaft with the teeth of a ratchet wheel H5 .attached to one end of the drum. The striper drum I I0 is provided with. 56

cams I20 which engage and operate bell crank levers IN and through push rods I22 control the usual yarn guides (not shown) and the yarns fed thereby to the needles. Operation of the drum I It] causes the insertion and removal of the various yarns in accordance with the pattern determined by the positions of the cams on the drum and may provide for the changing of the yarns at predeterminedintervals so as to form horizontal stripes of yarns of different colors in the fabric knit. The operation of the drum H0 by the pawl I I3 during those parts of the fabric when strip-.

ing is not desired, as during the make-up, pressoff, the heel and toe, is prevented by a plunger 900 mounted in a lever Bill which is operated by suitable cams 902 on the main drum I20, the plunger 900 engaging the pawl H3 and holding it raised to prevent the pawl engaging the teeth of ratchet wheel I I5. At one point the cams 982 are of such a height that the pawl I I3 will engage all of the teeth of the ratchet wheel H5 but tooth H6 which is of less height than the other teeth thus providing means for permitting of the racking of "the striping drum H0 to a uniform or starting position in which the low tooth H6 of the ratchet wheel H5 is beneath the pawl H3.

The reader cams I65 pivoted on the pin I66 are arranged to be held in contact with the butts on the, selector bars in the trick wheel or auxiliary pattern drum I9! or moved inwardly when the butts are not present on the bars by means of springs I16 secured to the cams I65 and to a pin or post 111 secured to the bed plate B. The cams I65 are arranged to be held in inactive or inoperative positions in which they are not operated in accordance with the presence or absence of the butts of the selector bars of the trick wheels in a plurality of groups, three such groups being shown in Fig. 4, by means of contacts I90, I90 198, of suificient width to span all of the cams of the group and carried by levers I80, I80 180 pivotally mounted upon a post I83 fixed in the bed plate B. Links I82 connect the levers I88, 180 and I to mechanism operating from the main drum in accordance with the pattern or other requirements of the fabric knit.

Associated with each of a plurality of the groups of cams I65 is a lever 165, these levers being controlled by the levers 180, I88 and by the presence of absence of butts on the selector bars on the trick wheel I9l in the same manner as are the cams I65 but the ends of the levers "55 are bent away from the needle cylinder so that the levers do not contact with the jack butts. To the ends of levers H35 are connected ends of rods 828 the other ends of which extend through openings in one arm of a bell crank lever 82l whichis pivotally mounted on a bracket fixed on post 808 and has its other arm in position to engage the arm of the lever 850 which contacts with the spindle 809. Collars 822 fastened upon the rods 82!] engage the bell crank lever 82| and operate the spindle 809 to its lower position when either of the levers I65 is moved inwardly by its spring 116 at those positions of the trick wheel in which there are no butts on the selector bar to contact with the lever I65. Also associated with the cams I65 is a lever I65 pivotally mounted on the pin I66 and operated and controlled in the same manner as are the levers I65. In the drawings a single lever I65 is shown associated with the cams I65 of the lowermost group but it will be understood that a difierent number of groups of cams I65 may be arranged and that a lever 165 may be associated with each group of cams I65,

the arrangement shown being chosen for the pur- I poses of illustration only. To one arm of the lever H55 is connected one end of a rod 824, the other end of which extends through an opening in one arm of a lever 825 pivotally mounted on the pin 805. A collar 826 secured upon the rod 824 provides for the operation of the lever 825 upon movement of the lever I65 by its spring I16 when the trick wheel I9I is turned to a position in which the selector bar has no butt to be engaged by the lever 165* In some pattern arrangements rod 824 can be operated by one of the levers I65 and the special lever I65 therefor omitted. Extending through an opening in the other end of lever 825 is one end of a rod 826, the other end of which is pivotally connected to the end of a crank arm 821 fixed upon a shaft 828 journalled in brackets 829 carried by the machine frame. A collar 830 secured to the rod 826 causes operation of the rod when the lever 825 is operated by the rod 824. Also fixed upon the shaft 828 is an arm 830 the outer end of which is adapted in one position of the arm 830 to engage beneath the pawl I 13 which operates the striper drum I I0 and prevent the operation of the striper drum by the pawl. A spring 83! mounted upon the shaft 828 and having its ends secured to the machine frame and arm 830 tends to hold the arm 830 with its end engaged beneath the pawl H3 in position to prevent operation of the drum H0 by the pawl. The arrangement of the levers and rods is such that when lever 165 is not engaged by a butt on a selector bar on the trick wheel IS! the arm 820 is withdrawn from beneath the pawl H3 and the pawl permitted to operate the striper drum, the spring 116 overcoming the spring 83L In the knitting of a fabric the operation of the machine is as described in the Page application, Serial No. 359,962; except where modified by the mechanism described above. Where the machine has progressed on the fabric to a point where the pattern mechanism is operative each lever I65 when released by its detent I88, 188 or I will be operated by the butts on the selector bars of the trick wheel I! to control the position of the roller 809 on spindle 808'and determine the rate at which the pawl 805 ratchets the auxiliary pattern drum and thus determines the length along the wale, that is, the number of courses comprised within each pattern determined by a group of the cams I65. With levers I65 in the different groups of cams I65 it is, of course, possible to have the patterns determined by the difierent groups of cams I65 of different lengths along the wale. Where a lever I65 is associated with each group of cams I65 having a lever I65 or where a rod 824 is connected to each lever the control by the drum I9! of the rate at which it is operated-by the pawl 805 permits of a control of thewidth of the stripes, that is, the number of courses in each stripe by the striper drum I I0 and this width may differ in the stripes i'ormed while the striper drum H0 is operated in conjunction with the different groups of cams I65.

I claim- 1. In a knitting machine having a plurality of yarn guides and pattern jacks cooperating with the knitting instrumentalities, a pattern drum controlling the operation of said yarn guides, means for operating said drum, an auxiliary pattern drum controlling the operation of said pattern jacks, and means controlled by said auxiliary pattern drum controlling the operation oi! said pattern drum operating means.

' 2. In a knitting machine having a plurality of yarn guides and pattern jacks cooperating with the knitting instrumentalities, a pattern controlling the operation of said yarn guides, means for operating said drum, an auxiliary pattern drum controlling the operation of said pattern jacks, and means controlled by said auxiliary pattern drum controlling the operation of said pattern drum operating means and said auxiliary pattern drum;

3. In a knitting machine having a plurality oi? yarn guides and pattern jacks cooperating with the knitting instrumentalities, a pattern -21 w controlling said yarn guides, an auxiliary pattern drum controllingsaid pattern jacks, a rotatable member having cams thereon arranged in a plurality of tracks, operating means for the auxiliary pattern drum operated by said cams and means controlled by said auxiliary pattern for controlling the operation of the patterndrum for the yarn guides and the operation of said operating means for the auxiiiary pattern drum by the, cams of either track.

4. In a knitting machine having a plurality of yarn guides and pattern jacks cooperating with the knitting instrumentalities, a pattern drum controlling the operation of said yarn guides, means for operating said drum, an auxiliary pattern drum controlling the operation of said pattern jacks, a rotatable member having cams thereon arranged in a plurality of tracks, means for operating said auxiliary pattern drum operated by the cams of either track and means operated by said auxiliary pattern drum for'controlling the pattern drum operating means and to eflect the engagement of the auxiliary pattern operating means with the cams of either track.

5. In a knitting machine having a plurality oi yarn guides and pattern jack's cooperating with the knitting instrumentalities, a pattern drum controlling said yam guides, an auxiliary pattern drum controlling said pattern Jacks and having. a ratchet, a pawl engaging said ratchet to operate said auxiliary pattern drum, a rotatable member having cams thereon arranged in a plurality of tracks, means for operating said pawl arranged to engage the cams of either track and means controlled by said auxiliary pattern drum for controlling the operation of the, pattern drum for the yarn guides and the operation of said pawl'operating means by the cams of either track.

t. In a knitting machine having a plurality of yarn guides and pattern jacks cooperating with the knitting instrumentalities, a pattern drum controlling said yarn guides, operating means for said pattern drum, means biased to prevent operation of said pattern drum by said operating means, an auxiliary pattern drum controlling said pattern jacks and having a ratchet, a pawl engaging said ratchet to operate said auxiliary pattern drum, a rotatable member having cams thereon arranged in a plurality of tracks, means for operating said pawl arranged to engage the cams of either track and means controlled by said auxiliary pattern drum for operating said biased means to permit operation of the pattern drum and to effect operation oi said pawl operating means by the cams of either track.

7. In a knitting machine having pattern jacks cooperating with the knitting instrumentalities, pattern jack selecting means, a pawl and ratchet for operating said jack selecting means, a rotatable member having cams arranged in a plurality of tracks thereon, means for operating said pawl by said cams and means controlled by said jack selecting means for effecting operation of said pawl by the cams of any track.

8. In a knitting machine having pattern jacks cooperating with the knitting instrumentalities, a pattern drum controlling said jacks, a rotatable member. having cams thereon arranged in a phirality of tracks, operating means for said pattern drum arranged for operation by said cams and means operated by said pattern drum for eiiecting operation of said drum operating means by the cams of any track.

9. In a knitting machine having a. plurality of yarn guides and pattern jacks cooperatingwith the knitting instrumentalities, a pattern drum controlling said yarn guides, operating means for said pattern drum, means biased to prevent operation of said pattern drum by said operating means, an auxiliary pattern drum for controlling the pattern jacks and means controlled by said auxiliary pattern drum for operating said biased means to permit operation of the pattern drum for the yarn guides.

10. In a knitting machine having a plurality of yarn guides and pattern jacks cooperating with Y the knitting instrumentalities, a pattern drum controlling said yarn guides, operating means for said pattern drum, a main pattern drum, means operated by said main pattern drum controlling the operating means for the pattern drum for the yarn guides, an auxiliary Pat-, tern drum for controlling the pattern jacks and means controlled by said auxiliary pattem drum for controlling the operating. means for the pattern drum for the yarn guides when said main pattern drum renders said operating means operative. FRANK R. PAGE.

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