US1086570A - Knitting-machine. - Google Patents

Description

E. H. WALKER. I

KNITTING MACHINE,

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, 1913.

jflflfi fiwg V Patented Feb.10,1914.

v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. H. WALKER.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.17, 1913 hwgfifiyfl Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

2a Iii/ 51168865,- [melaton- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EVERETT H. WALKER, OF LOWELL, MASSAGHUSETTSJASSIGNOR TO LAWRENCE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTSfA CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

KNITTING-MABHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 17, 1913.

Patented Feb. 10, 1914. Serial No. 748,978.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, E ERETT l-I. WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex .and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 5 The'invention relates tocircular knitting machines such as are used in the manufacture of seamless hosiery, and more particularly to mechanism for introducing a splicing yarn at certain parts of the knit fabric. Circular knitting machines of the type to which the invention relates have heretofore been provided with devices for. inserting'and withdrawing a splicing yarn during the knitting of each course at certain points in the manufacture of astocking, usually at the back of the leg directly above the heel and across the sole of the foot. With the usual construction of splicing mechanism the floating yarn which extends from the point where the splicing yarn is withdrawn from the needles to the point on the other side of the fabric where it is reinserted,remains attached to the fabric', and must be cut and removed by hand after the knitting of the stocking has been completed. The trimming off of the floating yarn requires skill and care on the part of the operator, and frequently results in injury to the stocking.

It is the objectof the present invention to provide a novel and improved construction of splicing mechanism by which the floating yarns will be automatically severed at a proper and uniform distance from each side of the knit fabric during the knitting of the fabric. To this end the invention comprises the features of construction and combinationof parts hereinafter described and referred to in the claims.

The invention is intended primarily as an improvement in the machine shown and described in the patents to Hemphill, N0.

933,444, September 7, 1909,.and No. 935,981, October 5, 1909, and known as the Banner machine, although it is not confined in its application to this machine, or to machines in which the relative movement between the needles and knitting cams is secured by rotary and reciprocatory movements of the needle cylinder. (a

ner machine as is necessary to show the applica tion of the present invention thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the position of the parts just after the splicing yarn has been inserted, and before the floating yarn has been severed; Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the position of the parts during the knitting of those portions of the stocking in. which the splicing yarn is not intro-' ,duced; Fig. 4 is a detail elevation partly in section looking toward the inner ends .of the yarn guides in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is adetail of the cutter which severs the floating yarn near the point where it is withdrawn from the needles; Fig. 6 is a detail of the cutter which severe the floating yarn near the point where it is introduced to the needles; and Fig. 7 is a detail showing the collector yarn about which the severed yarns collect during the operation of the splicing mechanism.

As shown in the drawings, the needles 1 are carried in the needle cylinder 2, and are operated during rotary knitting by knitting cams which form the knittin'gwave 3 which travels about the circular series of needles.

- The upper end of the needle cylindercarries a sinker ring 4 in which the web holding sinkers 5 are mounted, the sinkers being operated by cams on a sinker cam ring 6, as

fully described in the patents above referred to. In the machine illustrated, the needle cylinder is rotated during the knitting of the leg and foot of the stocking, and is oscillated during the knitting of the heel and toe through the motion changing mechanism and clutch indicated at 7.

' The yarns which are knit intothe stocking are fedto' the needles through a series.

of yarn guides pivotally mounted upon the latch ring support 8. Provision is made for supporting four yarn guides on the pivot 9, butonly three guides are shown supported upon the pivot in the drawings, and one of these guides is inactive. As shown, the ma n yarn \V is fed to the needles dur ng the knitting of the entire stocking through the guide formed at the end of the yarn guide lever 10. The splicing yarn S is fed to the needles through the yarn guide formed in the end of the yarn guide lever 11. During the knitting of those portions of the stocking in which the splicing yarn is not fed to the needles, the yarn guide 11 is raised into the inactive position indicated in Fig. 1, and the end of the splicing yarn is held between a clamp 12 and the upper surface of a segmental plate 13 which is supported within the needles. The yarn guides are acted upon by springs 14 which tend to move the yarn guides down into position to feed the yarns to the needles. The yarn guides are raised or lowered to render them inactive or active through levers 15 operated from cams on the cam shaft of the machine through links 1.6,as fully shown and described in the patents above referred to. The lever 15 which operates the guide 11 for the splicing yarn is also connected by a link 17 with one arm of a lever 18, the other arm of which is ar ranged to be engaged and operated by a cam 19 on the clutch sleeve 7 when the clutch is 'in position for rotary knitting. When the yarn guide is held in raised or inactive position by the cam on the cam shaft of the machine, as indicated in Fig. 1, the arm of the lever 18 is held in. retracted position so that the cam 19 passes idly in front of the lever. Vhen the cam on the cam shaft releases the yarn guide, thus rendering the yarn guide active, the cam 19 acts to raise and lower the yarn guide at predetermined points during each rotation of the needle cylinder, so that the splicing yarn is inserted and withdrawn at predetermined points in the knitting of each course.

. The means for severing the floating yarn which extends from the point wherethe splicing yarn is withdrawn from the needles to the point where it is again inserted and fed to the needles comprises two cutter blades 20 and 21 arranged to sever the yarn near its points of attachment at opposite sides of the knit fabric. The blade 20 is secured to a ring 22' which is in turn secured to the under side of the plate 13. The knife is provided with an inclined cutting edge 23 against which the yarn is carried by the rotation of the needle cylinder. In order that the yarn may be held taut as it is carried against the edge of the knife 20, a clamp 2a is arranged to engage the yarn and clamp it against the upper surfaceof the plate 13. The yarn leading from the yarn guide 11 to the point where the yarn is withdrawn from 'the needles is guided under the clamp 24 by a curved guiding finger 25 projecting from the clamp, and the yarn is retained in position under the clamp by a finger 26 projecting from the lower edge of the clamp into a hole formed in the plate 13, as indicated in Fig. 4. The

clamp 24: is in the form of a vertical armsecured to a lever 27 which is loosely mounted on the pivotal shaft 28 of the clamp 12,

and is forced in a direction to engage the clamp with the plate 13 by a spring 29. The lever 27 is provided with a lateral projection 30 arranged to be engaged by the guide lever 11 when the guide .is raised into position to withdraw the splicing yarn. When the guide is raised, therefore, to withdraw the splicing yarn, it acts to lift the clamp 24 and release the floating yarnfwhich has been severed from the fabric. When the yarn guide is lowered to insert the splicing yarn it releases the clamp actuating lever so that the clamp is forced down into position to clamp the floating yarn and hold it taut as it is carried against the cutting knife. The cutting knife 21 is secured to the edge of the plate 13, and is provided with a vertical edge 31 projecting above the upper surface of the plate. a The knife 20 is arranged to engage and sever the yarn immediately after the yarn guide has been lowered to insert the splicing yarn, and to bring the clamp 2 1 into engagement with the yarn. The knife 21 is arranged to sever the yarn immediately after the splicing yarn has been inserted between the needles and has been knit into the fabric.

The floating yarns severed from the fabric may be allowed to fall down within the knit fabric, but in such case they must be subsequently removed. v It is preferred, therea fore, to provide means for collecting the sevcred yarns, thereby saving the time. and labor which would otherwisebe required to remove them. The means for collecting the floating yarns as they are'severed from the the edge 35 of the plate 13, and the plate 34 applies a light tension to the yarn so that it is held properly .in place while being free to feed forward slowly as the severed yarns collect about it.

When the introduction of the splicing yarn is to be discontinued, the yarn guide 11 is raised into its inactive position by the cam on the cam shaftof the machine, and the yarn leading from the yarn guide to the point where the yarn was withdrawn from the needles passes under the clamp 12 and is held by the clamp until the splicing yarn is to be again introduced. The clamp 12 is held yieldingly against the plate 13 by a spring 36 connected with an arm 37. secured Losamo Y a to the pivot shaft 28. A mechanism forsevering the yarns when the yarn guides are actuated to change the yarns at different points in the knitting of the stocking is. indicated at 38, but forms no part of the present invention.

While it is preferred to employ the specific construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, especially in embodying t e invention in the Banner machine above referred to, it will be understood that this construction'and arrangement is not essential to the broader features of the invention, and may be varied and modified as found desirable or best suited to the construction of the machine in which the invention is to be embodied. It will also be understood that it is immaterial, so far as' the broader features of the invention are concerned, whether the relative travel between the yarn guides and needles is secured by movement of the needle cylinder or of the yarn'guides and knitting cams.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and specifically described one form of machine in which itmay be embodied, what I claim is I 1. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needles mounted therein, means for inserting and withdrawing asplicing yarn, and means for severing the floating yarn near each side of the knit fabric.

2. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needles mounted therein, a yarn guide for a splicing yarn,

means for operating the guide to insert and withdraw a splicing yarn, and means with in the needles for severing the floating yarn near its points of attachment to the knit fabric. 3. A knitting machine, having,'in combination, a needle cylinder, needles mounted therein, a yarn ide for a splicing yarn, means for operating the guide to insert and withdraw the splicing yarn, and two cutters Within the needles for. severing the floating yarn near its pbints of attachment to the knit fabric.

4. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needles mounted therein, a yarn guide for a splicing yarn,

means for operating the guide to insert and withdraw the splicing yarn, acutter against which the floating yarn is carried by the relative travel of the'yarn guide and needles,

"and a clamp arranged to 'hold the yarn between the guide and the cutter. I

5. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needles mounted therein, a yarn guide for a splicing yarn, means for operat ng the guide to introduce and withdraw the splicing yarn, two cutters against which the floating yarn is carried by the relative travel of the yarn guide and needles, and a clamp arranged between the cutters. 7

6. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needles mounted therein, means for introducing and withdrawing a splicing yarn, means for severing the floating yarn near each side of the knit fabric, and means for collecting the severed yarns.

7. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needles mounted therein, means for introducing and withdrawing a splicing yarn, means for severing the floating yarn near each side of the knit fabric, and a yarn depending within the so needles about which the severed yarns collect.

8. A knitting-machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needles mounted therein, means for introducing and withdrawing a splicing yarn, means for severing the floating yarn near each side of the knit fabric, and means for guiding a depending collector yarn within the needles.

9. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needles mounted therein, a yarn guide for a splicing yarn, means for raising and lowering the yarn guide at predetermined points during the knitting of each course, a plate within the needles, and cutter blades mounted on the plate in position to sever the floating yarn near its points of attachment to the fabric.

10. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needles mounted therein,-a yarn guide for the splicing yarn, means for raising and lowering the yarn guide to withdraw and insert the splicing yarn during each rotation of the needle cylinder, a plate within the needle cylinder, and cutters mounted on the plate against wh ch the floating yarn is carried by the rotatlon of the needle cylinder.

11. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needles mounted therein,a yarn guide for the splicing yarn, means for raising and lowering the yarn guide to withdraw and insert the splicing yarn during each rotation of the nee 1e cyl-v inder, a plate within the needle cyllnder, cutters'mounted on the plate against wh ch the floating yarn is carriedby the rotation I of the needle cylinder, anda clamp arranged between thecutters and operated by the

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