US2596535A - Knitting mechanism - Google Patents

Description

May 13, 1952 HiL. CURTIS KNITTING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 26, 1948 D x. a

FIG.

INVENTOR. HORACE LESLIE CURTIS U ATJOR EYS y 13, 1952 H. CURTIS KNITTING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 26, 1948 FIG. 2;

w J M] 2 INVENTOR. HORACE LESLIE CURTIS BY Q XQ ATTO NEYS May 13, 1952 H. CURTIS KNITTING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 26, 1948 FIG. 4. F/ G. 5.

JNVENTOR. l-iU/PACZE' LESL/E CURTIS TORNEYS Patented May 13, 1952 KNITTING MECHANISM Horace Leslie Curtis, Gilford, N. H., assignor to Scott & Williams, Incorporated, Laconia, N. H., a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 26, 1948, Serial No. 46,232

Claims.

This invention relates to knitting mechanism and has particular reference to the mounting and guidance of needles and sinkers in proper relative positions in circular knitting machines.

It has been customary to mount the sinkers of circular knitting machines in proper relationship to the needles guided in slotted cylinders through the use of cylinder tops, or sinker rings, which are secured to the upper ends of needle cylinders and which are slotted and provided with annular guiding surfaces for interengagement with the inner ends of sinkers which are supported at their outer ends in sinker dials surmounted by sinker caps carrying the cams which act upon butts of the sinkers. This type of construction is illustrated in the patent to Scott 1,467,691, dated September 11, 1923, and the patent to Moss 2,333,667, dated November 9, 1943.

In coarse gauge knitting machines this constructlon is quite satisfactory. However, in fine gauge knitting machines, for example those containing four-hundred needles in the cylinder and adapted for-the knitting of sheer ladies hosiery, dlfiiculties are involved in that it requires extreme precision of workmanship to insure that the angular spacings of the sinker guiding grooves are both uniform throughout the cylinder top and are also precisely uniformly related to the needle guiding slots of the cylinder. Any lack of uniformity in these relations will be reflected in the production of vertical streaks in the knitted stockings.

Furthermore, the construction of the cylinder top for proper sinker guidance carries it over the upper edge of the needle cylinder to such extent as to limit the vertical height of the bottoms of the needle slots which serve for the guidance and support of the needle shanks with the result that the needles are not adequately supported at their upper ends and are subject to flexures which, if not uniform, will also result in the production of vertical streaks in the stockings.

It is the broad object of the present invention to provide at the upper end of a needle cylinder means for insuring proper relationship between the sinkers and the needles to insure uniformity of their cooperation in the production of stitches. In achieving this, and in accordance with the invention, it also becomes possible to afford an improved degree of guidance and support to the upper ends of the needles so that their operations are maintained substantially more uniform than has heretofore been possible.

The attainment of the general objects of the invention indicated above, as well as subsidiary objects particularly relating to details of construction and operation, will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through a needle cylinder and associated parts embodying the improvements constituting the present invention;

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary section through the assembly of Figure 1 showing details 01 construction in accordance with the invention, the section being taken on the plane indicated at 2-2 in Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a section taken on the plane indicated. at 3-3 in Figure 2 showing the same devices as are illustrated in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an axial section similar to Figure 2 but showing a modified embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation looking at the right of Figure 4. r

The needle cylinder 2 is provided with axially extending slots 3 in which are inserted walls 8 which provide between them slots for the reception and guidance of needles ID. The walls 6 between the slcts 4 serve as the bottoms of the slots between the walls 8 and act as guides :for the backs of the needle shanks.

A cylinder top 12 which is secured in the needle cylinder by screws l4 differs from the conventional cylinder tops in that it does not project substantially outwardly over the upper end of the needle cylinder and is not provided with radial slots for the guidance of the sinkers, being provided merely with an annular flange l5 which by reception in slots in the inner ends of the sinkers serves to determine the vertical positions of these inner ends. In other words, the cylinder top plays no part in determining the circumierential positions of the sinkers.

As contrasted with previous constructions, the cylinder 2 is extended upwardly to provide extensions I6 of the walls 6 between which the in-- serted walls 8 are located. The upward. extent of these extensions is subject toconsiderable choice and may be substantially above the level of the tops of the extensions shown in Figure 2. It will be noted that these extensions I6 represent additional extended support for the backs of the shanks of the latch needles l0.

A conventional dial I 8 is radially slotted to receive the outer ends of the sinkers 22 which are covered by the sinker cap 20 provided with the cams which act upon the sinker butts 24. The inner ends of the sinkers 22 extend in the slots between the wall extensions l6 above the upper ends of the inserted walls 8 and are provided with slots which embrace the flange l and with extending portions 26 entering the annular groove in the cylinder top below this flange.

The bodies of the sinkers are made of a thicknessju st sufliciently less than the widths of the grooves between fth'e eitensioii's I 5 tofp'rovi'de 'for free raaiaimevementspf the'sinkers during knitting operations. As will be evident, if this thickness were carried up to the hook and adjacent portions of the sinkers there would not--be-sufilcient clearance between the sinkers and the needles to accommodate the iyai n. Aceordingly,

the sinkers are relatively thin iii-theirportions sinkers may take various forms, they are desirably of the general type illustrated insai'dMoss patent, theconstructionbeing such as to prevent engagement between "the sinkers a'nd' the needle latches.

The*advantages of' the 'construction which has beerr""d'escrileed will n wfbe apparent. The per- "tioiisfof thefsi'nkei's bperating with the needles inthe formation of jacent 'to and directly costit'ch'sa're guided 'direcfly in the slots in the needle cylinder which support the inserted "walls which in "turnf prev-lee the slets for the: guidance jdf the needles. It will 'aceordingly be evident "fth'at the 'i-ianonsmps of' the sinkers to the nee- "dfles are not subjectto the inaccuracies with which two s'eparate 'machining opera ti'ons are "carriedout. Ihe axiallyextending slots'i'n the "needle cylinder'inay be very accu'rately machined .5

and uniformly spaeed abolit the cylinder' with' the "sinkersai'e-directly supported and guided'by ensions is at their portions which are in the "vicinity ojf theneedles.

It"wi1l*'be clear that the extensions 16" may be carried to a height which is limited; not by the outward extension or" the cylinder top, our solely 'py "the iowerm stposinon which isass'iimed by theyarn'infthe knitting operation. Accordingly,

:guidance for the-back of the needle-shankis afforded "substantially higher than has --'heretofore been possible. y K

"Figure *1 and 5 illustrate amodified embodi "merit of theinvention designed to achieve the same endof "insuring primer accurate relation- "s'hipsoi the'sinkersand needles. In this'modir I 'der providing "a "series of ax iall'y ex'tending'wahs and separatewall members located between said wallsandexte'riding' radiallybutward therefrom,

' andsinkers inasmuch "as-the inserts 40 may be very accurately ground so tliat both-their lower ends as and their upper ends 48 are accurately aligned and symmetrical in the case of each insert'about a common central plane.

The advantages of this construction is that sinkers maybe used'which are of uniform thickness' thr'oug hOutQthe enlarged upper ends of in- "serts lfl servi-ng'to provide guiding slots which are-thinner'than the inserted wall members 34.

It will be noted that in both modifications there"ar'e present means providing axially extending slots for the guidance of needles in their axial movements and forproviding axially 'ex- -t'endin'gslots for, therguidance of sinkers-in their radial-movements including pairs of fitted, cont'acting, approximately radial surfaces maintaining "accurate circumferential relationship "between each sinker guiding slot and the adjacent needle guiding slots. These surfaces are, of

course, not precisely radial, being parallel :and

disposed symmetrically-on opposite sides -of ra dial planes.

It will "be clear that details of embodiment "of the invention may be 'chan'ged'without'- departing from the p'rinciples oith'e invention,- and, accordin'gly,-'it is to beunderstood'that the invention is not to be limited except as required by'the fol" lowing claims.

What I 'claim and desire to protect byliettefs Patent is:

1. 'A -ne'edlecylinder assemblyfor circularknitting machines comprisinga slotted needle cylin-- provide slotgfo'r the guidance of sinkers. 2. A needle cylinder assembly-for circular knitting machin'es comprising a." slotted needle'cylihderprovidmg a series of axially-extending walls, and separate wall members located between said walls andextending radially outward thereiroin,

"fitEeItion'the "needIe cylinder 3!) is 'slotted'asin'disated at 32 for the" reception of'the'inserted wall "members lafili'g'ior th'SlllipO'It of "thesewall fine'fribersfthe walls'33. The inserted wallmembers'ni'aytermina'te as indicated at 36"adja'cent "tothe'end'of the needleeyclind'er. The upper "ends: the needle cylinder is reduced indiameter wafdly tne'upper end or the *neediegeynnder as indicatedatet The outer edge portions' lfi and 48 of 'these inserts are in"axial aligninentwith the outer edges of thewalls '33 and so serve for "the support er the backs of the needles to heights "the wall'members defining slots for the-guidance of needles, said wall members terininating short of the ends of said walls, whichwallends"thereby provide slots for'the guidance of sinkers,"the "o\iter edges of said Walls being axially continuous from the'portions thereof between said "wall members beyond the ends of'saidwall'members to afford extended backing for the shanks "of needles beyond the'ends of the wall members.

In combination, infa circular knittingmachineJa slotted-needle cylinder providing a series of axially extending walls, separate wall members located between said Walls and extending radially outward therefrom, needlesguided in'th slots defined between said wall memb'ers, s'aicl "w'all members terminating short of the endsof said walls, and sinkersguided between the end's e'fis'aid walls. I

'4. 1h c'ombiriation,"-in "a circular knitting machine,-a"s'lotted nee'dle cylinder providing aseries of axially extending'w'alls, separate wall members located between said walls and extending radially outward therefrom. needles guided in theslots defined between said wall members, said wall members terminating short of the ends of said walls, and sinkers guided between the ends of said walls, the outer edges of said walls being axially continuous from the portions thereof between said wall members beyond the ends of said wall members to aiford extended backing for the shanks of needles beyond the ends of the wall members.

5. In combination, in a circular knitting machine, a slotted needle cylinder providing a series of axially extending walls, separate wall members located between said walls and extending radially outward therefrom, needles guided in the slots defined between said wall members, said wall members terminating short of the ends of said walls, and sinkers having portions guided between the ends of said walls and. hook portions of thickness less than the thickness of said guided portions.

6. In combination, in a circular knitting machine, a slotted needle cylinder providing a series of axially extending walls, separate wall members located between said walls and extending radially outward therefrom, needles guided in the slots defined between said wall members, said wall members terminating short of the ends of said walls, and sinkers having portions guided between the ends of said walls and hook portions of thickness less than the thickness of said guided portions, the outer edges of said walls being axially continuous from the portions thereof between said wall members beyond the ends of said wall members to afford extended backing for the shanks of needles beyond the ends of the wall members.

7. In combination, in a circular knitting machine, axially movable independent needles, radially movable independent sinkers, and a cylinder assembly, said assembly including means providing axially extending slots for the guidance of the needles in their axial movements, and separate means providing axially extending slots for the guidance of the sinkers in their radial movements, said two means including pairs of fitted, contacting, approximately radial surfaces maintaining an accurat circumferential relationship between each sinker guiding slot and the adjacent needle guiding slots, one of the surfaces of each of said pairs being on the means providing needle guiding slots and the other being on the means providing sinker guiding slots.

8. In combination, in a circular knitting machine, axially movable independent'needles, radially movable independent sinkers, and a cylinder assembly, said assembly including means providing axially extending slots for the guidance of the needles in their axial movements, and separate means providing axially extending slots for the guidance of the sinkers in their radial movements, said two means including pairs of fitted, contacting, approximately radial surfaces maintaining an accurate circumferential relationship between each sinker guiding slot and the adjacent needle guiding slots, one of the surfaces of each of said pairs being on the means providing needle guiding slots and the other being on the means providing sinker guiding slots, said means providing needle guiding slots comprising wall members inserted in axially extending slots in a needle cylinder forming a part of said cylinder assembly.

9. In combination, in a circular knitting machine, a slotted needle cylinder providing a series of axially extending walls, separate wall members located between said walls and extending radially outward therefrom, needles guided in the slots defined between said wall members, sinkers located between adjacent needles, and means providing axially extending slots for the guidance of the sinkers in radial movements, each of said last mentioned slots having its width determined by a single wall member, so that both said width and the alignment of such slot with a wall member are substantially independent of the indexing of adjacent wall members.

10. A needle cylinder assembly for circular knitting machines comprising inserted wall members for supporting and guiding needles therebetween, and projections separate from said inserted wall members extending above and between said inserted wall members for positioning stitch drawing elements to cooperate with the needles so that said elements will be substantially centrally located between flanking needles irrespective of non-uniformity of spacing of the needles in their circle.

HORACE LESLIE CURTIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,230,322 Pigeon June 19, 1917 1,255,260 Wilcomb Feb. 5, 1918 1,467,691 Scott Sept. 11, 1923 2,135,187 Lawson Nov. 1, 1938 2,157,546 Lawson May 9, 1939 2,333,667 Moss Nov. 9, 1943 2,416,938 Morgenstern Mar. 4, 1947

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