US440606A - Shire - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

W. H. PBPPERKU A. T. L. DAVIS. SPLIGING THREAD FEED MECHANISM FOB. KNITTING MACHINES.

No. 440,606. l] Patented Novy. 11, 11890. l/Z [,gf@

/flllllll witnesses (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

W. 11. PEPPER an 11. 1. L. DAVIS. SPL'IGING THREAD FEED MEGHANISM FOB. KNITTING MACHINES.

No. 440,606. Patented Nov. 11, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM I-I. PEPPER AND ALBERT T. L. DAVIS, OF LAKE VILLAGE, ASSIGNORS TO TI-IE PITMAN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OE LACCNIA, NEV HAMP- SHIRE.

SPLICING-THREAD-FEED MECHANISM FOR KNlTTlNG-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,606, dated November 11, 1890.

Application filed March 17, 1890.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, VILLIAM H. PEPPER and ALBERT T. L. DAVIS, of Lake Village, in the county of Belknap and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Splicing-ThreadFeedMechanism for Knitting-Machines, of which the following; is a specification.

The present invention is for the same purpose as that described and set forth in our application for Letters Patent of the United States, iiled February 1890, Serial No. 339,297. In said application there is described a circular latclrneedle knitting-machine for forming knitted ribbed tubular Webs in which a re-enforcing patch is automatically knitted into the Web, said patch being` formed by running in a splicing-thread and breaking' it off at each round of stitches. In the mechanism set forth in said application the' splicing thread is fed in by the frictional contact there- With of the main thread, and the application Was based more particularly upon mechanism for slackening the splicing-thread, in order that the same may be loose and entirely free from tension at the moment when it is fed in (at each round of stitches) by the frictional contact of the main thread, the purpose bein g to enable the splicing-thread to be fed in with certainty and uniformity at each round.

Now, the present invention consists in a different and improved mechanism for slackening,` the splicing-thread for the same object and purpose and in the gripping` mechanism co-operating with said slacker-ring mechanism.

In the accompanying' drawings We have illustrated the present improved thread-slack ener applied to a Well-known type of circular latch-needle knitting-machine for knitting` ribbed webs, such as is also shown in said above-named application.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side View of the head of the knittinganachine provided with the present improved threadslackener. Fig. 2 is a plan vieW thereof, and Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are views of parts in detail.

Like reference figures and numbers desig nate corresponding parts in all of the figures, and reference-letters are used to designate with the thread-guide.

Serial No. 344,085. (No model.)

parts common With similar parts in said application, while reference-numerals are employed to designate new parts or those diftering from corresponding` parts in said application.

A is the usual headplate of a circulaeknittin g machine.

B is the constantly-rotating,r cylinder or ring which operates the cylinder-needles.

C is the stationary needle-cylinder- D is the stationary dial-needle plate, and E is the constantly-rotating` dial-cam plate which aotuates the dial-needles and which is rigidly connected with the cylinder or ring B by means of a spindle a and bracketarn1 h. The thread-guide plate F is secured by a bracket-arm G to the cam-plate E, so as to rotate therewith, and is provided With a single leading-in thread-guide eye c, through which both the main thread and the splicing-thread y pass.

The splicing-thread bobbin II is carried by a bracket I, centrally supported on the rotating' spindle d, so that the bobbi-n turns To the bracket I is secured a vertical post d, having a horizontally-extending tension-bar c, suitably bent or notched at f to constitute a thread-guide, which in turn may, it desired, carry an outwardly-proj ecting spring-arm g, having on its outer extremitya tension-thread eye h. The splicing-thread passes upwardly from its bobbin II, over the bar c in the guidenotch f, and thence downwardly toward the thread-eye c in the guide-plate F.

In accordance with the present improvements the course ot' the splicing-thread from eye 7L to eye c is different from its course in said application. In the present case the bracket-arm G is provided at its outer end, above the guideplate F, with a vertical radially-evtending,` plate l0. Considering that side of the plate l0 to be the front side, which is in advance as it rotates, it carries on its front side and at its upper part two splicingthread guides ll and l2. The first of these guides ll is an open loop mounted directly above the vertical plate 10, and the other guide l is conveniently formed by a Wire I3,

extending outwardly from the plate 10 and in front of the same. This wire is bent inwardly in a horizontal plane, and is bent or recessed to constitute the guide 12. The guide 12 is in approximately the same horizontal plane as the guide-loop 11. The bracket-arm G also carries a plate 14, extending outwardly beyond the guide-plate F, and in it is formed a thread-eye 15, which is located in the near neighborhood of the leading-in thread-eye c. The splicing-thread y is carried from tensioneye h under the loop-guide 11, thence over the guide 12, thence through the eye 15, and inally through the leading-in eye c. The splicing-thread between guides 11 and 12 extends in a substantially horizontal plane, and the three guides 11, 12, and 15 are in substantially the same vertical plane. The eye 15 is just outside of the outer face of the guideplate F, so that between the eyes 15 and c the splicing-thread extends close along the outer surface of the guide-plate F.

The main thread is led from its bobbin (which may be located at any convenient place) through tension and guide-eyes fi t' on the post d. From the last of these eyes t it extends to and through a guide-eye 16 in the plate 14, and thence through the leading-in eye c. The guide-eye 16 is located in front of the eye c and nearlyin a radial line therewith, and in substantially the same horizontal plane, for reasons which will hereinafter appear.

1n describing the mechanisms and operations involved in feeding in the splicingthread and in breaking it olf at each round of stitches the latter will be lirst set forth, Since an understanding of the breaking-olf mechanism is prerequisite to a clear comprehension of the feeding `in mechanism, of which the splicingthread slackener forms a part.

The splicing-thread is broken off automatically at each round by a gripper, which grips the splicing-thread and holds it from being fed iu, so that the splicing-thread is broken by the continuance of the knitting operation, and the splicing-thread cannot be again fed in until it is released by the gripper. The gripper is composed of a fixed gripping-jaw and a movable gripping-jaw. The outer face of the guide-plate F itself constitutes in the present instancethe fixed gri pping-jaw. The movable gripping-jaw comprises an elbow-lever having a horizontal arm 17 and a vertical arm 18. The inner end of the horizontal arm is pivoted at 19 to the upper inner part of the front face of the vertical plate 10. The vertical arni 18 by its own weight rests against the outer face of the guide-plate F, its inner gripping-surface lying flush with the outer face of said plate F. The position of the movable gripper-jaw is such that its vertical arm 18 extends between the splicing-thread eye 15 and the leading-in eye c, so that it grips that portion of the splicing-thread which extends between said eyes. The movable grippingjaw is moved to and from the fixed jaw (or plate F) by swinging it on its pivot 19. When it is swung out from the plate, the splicingthread is free to be fed in by the frictional contact therewith of the main thread, and when the movable gripping-jaw is swung in against the plate F it grips the splicing-thread, (whereby the latter is broken off,) and the feeding in of the splicing-thread is discontinued as long as the movable gripping-jaw is against the plate F. rPhe gripping of the splicing-thread, therefore, by the gripper determines the point in each round where the splicing-thread is broken and where the patch terminates, and the release of the splicingthread by the gripper is prerequisite to enable the splicing-thread to be fed to the needles. During the knitting of the unspliced portions of the web the gripper always holds the splicingthread,sothatin the normal position of the gripper the splicing-thread is inactive. The gripper is primarily brought into operation by means of a pattern-chain K, operated in a usual manner and having at proper intervals cams m (which initiate the splicing operation) and cams n, (which discontinue the splicing operation.) The cams m and n occupy different planes on the pattern-chain. The number and relative positions of the cams m n on the pattern-chain are determined by the character of the work to be done, and as such a pattern-chain is in itself old and well known only one cam m and one cam n are shown. The pattern -cams m n co-operate, respectively, with two vertically-movable rods L M, guided in suitable ways formed in a bracket N, fixed to the head-plate A. The pattern-cams lift the rods, and when the cams have passed the rods drop by gravity, their downward movement being limited by guide-pins o 0, working` in suitable guide-slots, said guide-pins also preventing any rotation of the rods in their respective ways.

Pivoted at p to the upper face of the bracket N is a horizontally-swinging lever P, coacting with both rods L and M, its pivotal point being located between the said rods, so that when the inner rod M is raised it will swing the lever in the direction indicated by the arrow 2, and when the outer rod L is raised it will be swung in the opposite direction. The coacting faces of the rods L and M and of the lever P are properly beveled (see Fig. 3) to render their movements easy. Whenever moved to either position by one of the rods, the lever remains there until acted upon by the other rod.

Alongside the lever P and pivote-d to the outer end of the bracket N on its side is a vertically-swinging lever Q, the free end of which is held froml lateral displacement (and the downward movement thereof limited) by proper guides on or in the bracket N. This lever Q is acted upon by the lever P in such manner that it is lifted by said lever P when the latter is moved by the out-er rod L. Thisl is conveniently accomplished bya beveled or IOO IIO

cam-shaped projecting tongue q on the inner end of the horizontally-swinging lever P, which registers with an aperture r in the vertically-swinging lever Q. When the lever P is operated by the outer rod L its tongue enters the aperture fr, and the cam-face of the tongue, engaging the upper margin of said aperture, raises the free end of the lever Q. The lever Q remains in this elevated position until the lever P is acted upon by the inner rod M, which swings lever P so as to disengage its cam-tongue from the aperture in lever Q, which latter then resumes by gravity its normal lower position.

The lever Q carries on its inner end a gripper-actuating cam-plate R, the essential characteristic of which is that its outer cam-face is at an incline to a radial line drawn from the axis of the machine, and the forward edge of this outer cam-face-that is, its edge which is firstencountered by the tappet-pin T, hereinafter referred to-is nearer the axis of the machine than its rear edge, as shown in Fig. 2. )When the lever Q is raised7 this gripper-actuating cam-plate is brought into the path of a rotating part which is in operative connection with the movable splicingthread-gripping jaw 17 and 18, and the camplate remains in this operative position until the lever Q resumes its normal position after the completion of the spliced section or patch. The essential operation, therefore, of the mechanism between the pattern-chain Vand the gripper-actuating cam-plate (which is identical with that set forth in the abovenamed application) is such that the said camplate is brought into operative position when the formation of the patch is to be initiated, remains in this operative position during the entire formation of the patch, and resumes its normal inactive position on the completion of the patch.

The movable gripping-jaw 17 18 is acted upon directly by a horizontal radial reciprocating cam-bar S, which slides in a radial horizontal line insuitable ways formed in or on the bracket-arm G and its vertical plate lO. The vertical arm'lS of the movable gripping-jaw is provided with two inwardly-projecting tappet-pins 2O 20, (extending from the side of the arm 1S next the plate 10,) which are located, respectively, above and below the cam-bar S. The cam-bar has an inclined cam-face 'a on its upper surface and an inclined cam-face r on its lower surface. When the cam-bar is drawn out-that is, when it is moved radially away from the axis of the machine-its upper cam-face u encounters the upper tappet-pin 20 and pushes said pin before it, thus swinging the arm 18 outward and so releasing the splicing-thread. When the cam-bar is moved inward, however, its lower cam-face o encounters the lower tappetpin 20, thus pushing the pin inward and consequently forcibly forcing the arm 18 of the gripping-jaw against the plate F, and so insuring a firm grip upon the splicing-thread.

It will bo noted that when the cambar occupies either its outermost or innermost position the movable gripping-j aw is locked and cannot be swung on its pivot, this locking being due to the fact that the thickness of those portions of the cam-bar which lie on either side of the two cams u o is equal to the distance between the two pins 2O 20, as indicated in Fig. 6. Consequently the movable grippingjaw can only be moved when the cam-bar moves longitudinally. It will further be noted that before one pin (say the upper pin) is encountered by its @am u the other cam o will have passed beyond the other (lower) pin, so that the movable gripping-jawis free to swing when the cam-bar occupies an intermediate position.

The cam-bar S carries on its outer end a downwardly-projecting tappet-pin T, into the path of which the cam-plate R is brought when the lever Q is lifted. (See Fig. 1.) Vtrhen the cam-bar S and its tappet-pin T occupy their innermost position, the portion of the cam-plate R adjacent to the forward edge -of the outer cam-face of the cam-plate R is in the path of the tappeti-pin. (See Fig. 2.) That is, when the parts are in this position the forward edge of the outer cam-face of the cam-plate is nearer the axis of the machine than the tappet-pin. Then therefore in its rotation the tappet-pin encounters the camplate, it travels on the outer cam-surface thereof, and in this manner the cam-bar S is drawn out, thus swin ging outwardly the movable gripping-jaw of the gripper and leaving the splicing-th read free to be fed to the needles by the frictional contact therewith of the main thread. The movable jaw of the gripper then remains in its outward position for an interval depending upon the desired width of the patch, and while it is so swung outwardly the knitting with the splicing-thread continues. The movable jaw ofthe gripper is caused to swing inwardly and grip the thread (and so limit the width of the patch) by a stationary inclined cam-plate U, fixed at the desired position on the head-plate with its cam-face in the plane and path of the tappet-pin T. The coacting face of this cam faces the axis of the machine, so that when the tappet-pin is engaged thereby it forces the tappet-pin radially inward, thus moving in the cam-bar S, and so swinging the gripper inwardly, causing the latter to grip the thread, so that it is broken by the onward movement of the dial-plate E. The gripping-edge of the movable jaw of the gripper is in close proX- imity to the leading-in guide-eye in the guideplate, so that the broken end of the splicingthread is always left in the guide-eye, where it is subject to the frictional contact of the main thread the moment the gripper is raised. As long as the lever Q remains in its elevated position with the cam-plate R in the path of the gripper-controlling tappet-pin T, the movable jaw of the gripper will he raised and lowered at each round of stitches. When, how- IOO yates the eyed end of the lever.

y"slackener for slackening the splicing-thread and relieving it of all tension at the moment when the movable gripping-jaw is swung outward, in order that the splicing-thread may with certainty and uniformity be fed in by the frictional contact therewith of the main thread. This is accomplished by means of a slackening-lever 21, which is pivoted at 22 to 'a vertical post 23, carried by the bracket-arm G on the opposite side of the spindle a from the vertical plate 10. The long end of this slackening-lever 21 is formed with a horizontally-extending thread-eye 24, and when the lever is in its normal position this thread-eye is located between the splicing-thread guides 11 and 12 in the same horizontal plane therewith, so that the splicing-thread in passing from guide 11 to guide 12 passes through the thread-eye 24. The normal position of the eye end of the lever 21 is its elevated position, and it is maintained in this elevated position and normally resumes it when depressed'by reason of the short tail end 25 of the lever being the heavier end. This slackening-lever rotates with the other rotary parts of the knitting-machine, and itis operated so as to depress its eyed end by means of an inclined cam-plate Z, (see Fig. 4,) fixed to the head-plate A, the upper inclined camface c of which is encountered by the tail end 25 of the slackening-lever during the rotary movement thereof. The tail end of the slackening-lever travels up this inclined camface, thus lowering the eyed end of the lever. When the eyed end of the lever descends, it drags down the splicin g-th read from the guide 11, consequently drawing down from the bobbin a length of thread proportional to its eX- tent of movement. When the tail end of the slackening-lever passes clear of the cam-plate Z, its weight causes it to descend, and so ele- This leaves slack all of the additional thread drawn down by the lever, which is left in a loose loop. Consequently when the movable grippingjaw releases the splicing-thread it is free of al1 tension and is fed in to the needles with certainty and uniformity by the frictional contact therewith of the main thread.

The time of the slackening action of the slackening-lever 21 is determined by the position of the cam-plate Z. The slackeninglever should operate after the gripper has gripped the splicing-thread and broken it off,

and its operation should be completed before the gripper releases the thread. The relative positions shown in the drawings are correct, the respective positions of the several parts being therein properly illustrated.

As compared with the mechanism set forth in the above-named application, the present improvements are seen to consist in the construction of the gripper, the construction of the slackening-lever, and the location and arrangement of the guide-eyes for the splicing and main threads. The movable jaw of the gripper is simply a swinging lever co-operating with the usual thread-guide plate of the knitting-machine as the stationary jaw. No special construction of the thread-guide plate is necessary. The relative positions of the gripper-jaws enable the splicing-thread to pass at all times behind the movable gripping-jaw, so that there is no opportunity for it to slip from beneath the jaw.

The guide eye 16 for the main thread, through which the latter passes before entering the feeding-in eye c, is located in front of the eye c so that the main thread extends between the two eyes clear of the movable gripping-j aw. Consequently the movement of the gripping-j aw does not affect the main thread, and there is no opportunity of the latter being caught beneath the movable gripping-jaw. To prevent the main thread from getting too far above the thread-eye c, a laterally-proj ecting pin 26 is carried by the movable grippingjaw above the main thread.

The last guide-eye 15, through which the splicing-thread passes before reaching the feeding-iu eye c, is located with special reference to the movable gripping-jaw, so that the splicing-thread always passes behind the said movable jaw. The other two guides 11 12 are located with special reference to the eye in the slackening-lever, so that a slack is formed by the rise and fall of the slackening-lever. It will be noted that when the eyed end of theslackening-lever descends the friction of the thread upon the guide 12 is greatly increased while that on the guide 11 is diminished, so that the pull von the thread comes almost exclusively upon that portion of the splicing-thread which extends between guide 11 and the eye 241E in the slackening-lever.

The slackening-lever itself is a simple pivoted lever eyed at one end, weighted at the other end, and moving in a vertical plane. The eyed end in its movement travels in a vertical plane to and from the lower guideeye 15. This slackening-lever is carried with the rotary parts of the knitting-machine rotating with the dial-cam plate and the leadingin thread-guide plate F. The eyed end of the slackening-lcver in giving down the splicingthread moves toward the thread-guide plate,

so that slack thread is left between its eyeand the thread-guide plate when the eyed end of the lever again rises.

The present improvements can be readily IOO lIC

l'ZO

applied to ordinary circularknitting machines now in use, since no alteration of the usual parts is necessary.

We claim as our inventionl. The rotating thread-guide plate of a circular-knitting machine having a leading-in thread -eye through which both the main thread and the splicing-thread pass, in combination with two thread-guides between which the splicing-thread passesbefore reachingsaid leading-in thread-eye, said thread-guides rotating with said thread-guide plate andlocated thereabove in substantially the same horizontal plane, a swinging slackening-lever rotating with said guide-plate, said lever extending normally in a substantially horizontal plane and swinging in a vertical plane, and said lever having a thread-eye having normal position between said two thread-guides and in substantially the same horizontal plane therewith, through which eye the splicing thread passes in extending between said guides, the eyed end of said lever swinging down toward said guide-plate to slacken the thread, and means for actuating said slackening-lever, substantially as set forth.

2. rlhe rotating thread-guide plate of a circular-knitting machine having a leading-in thread-eye through which both the main thread and the splicing-thread pass and the stationary cam-plate Z, in combination with two thread-guidesbetween which the splicing-thread passes before reaching said leading-in thread-eye, said thread-guides rotating with said threadguide plate and located thereabove in substantially the same horizontal plane, and a swinging slackening-lever rotating with said guide-plate and extending normally in a substantially horizontal plane and adapted to swing in a vertical plane, the rear end of said lever being weighted so that it maintains and automatically resumes (when displaced) its normal position, said rear end co-operating with said cam-plate Z, whereby the movement of said lever is effected, and the other end of said lever having a threadeye having normal position between said two thread-guides and in substantially the same horizontal plane therewith, through which thread-eye the splicing-thread passes in eX- tending between said guides, the eyed end of said lever swinging down toward said guideplate to slacken the thread when actuated by said cam-plate Z, substantially as set forth.

3. The thread-guide plate of aknitting-machine having a leading-in eye through which both the main thread and the splicing-thread pass, and a guide-eye in front of said guideplate and near said leading-in eye through which the splicing-thread passes just before entering said leading-in eye, whereby said splicing-thread passes along the outer face of said guide-plate, in combination with a movable gripping-jaw which moves to and from the outer face of said guide-plate between said guide-eye and said leading-in eye, Whereby it grips the splicing-thread againstthe outer face of said guide-plate, substantially as set forth.

4. A splicing-thread gripper composed. of the thread-guide plate of a knitting-machine having a leading-in thread-eye through which both the main thread and the splicing-thread pass, the outer face of said guide-plate constituting the fixed gripping-jaw, in combination with a movable gri ppin g-j aw which moves to and from the outer face of said guideplate, substantially as set forth.

5. A splicing-thread gripper composed of the thread-guide plate of a knitting-machine having a leading-in thread-eye through which both the main thread and the splicing-thread pass, the outer face of said guide-plate constituting the xed gripping-jaw, in conibination with a movable gripping-jaw consisting of a lever having a vertical arm extending along the outer face of said guide-platleand swinging to and from the same, substantially as set forth.

6. The thread-guide plate of a knitting-machine having a leading-iii thread-eye through which both the main thread and the splicing-thread pass and a movable gripping-Jaw which moves to and from said guide-plate at one side of said leading-in thread-eye and c ooperates with the outer face thereof to grip the splicing-thread, in combination with a splicing-thread guide-eye clo'se to the outer face of said guide-plate and on the opposite side of said movable jaw from the leading-in eye, whereby the splicing-thread passes between said movable jaw and the outer face of said guide-plate, and a main thread guideeye located in front of the leading-in eye, whereby the main thread passes into said leading-in eye without being encountered by said movable jaw, substantially as set forth.

7. A splicing-thread gripper composed of the thread-guide plate of a knitting-machine havinga leading-in thread-eye through which both the main thread and the splicing-thread pass, the outer face of said guide-plate constituting the fixed gripping-jaw, and a movable gripping-jaw consisting of a lever having a vertical arm extending along the outer face of said guide-plate and swinging to and from the saine, said vertical arm having two projecting pins 2O 20, in combination with a horizontally-movable cam-bar S for actuating said movable gripping-j aw, said cam-bar'having cam-faces u n, which co-operate alternately with said pins 2O 20, respectively, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

'WILLIAlWI H. PEPPER. ALBERT T. L. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

J oHN ALDRicH, Tiioivms HAM.

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