US1129614A - Electric stop device for knitting-machines. - Google Patents

Description

v F. W. SUMNER. ELECTRIC STOP DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, 1914.

Patented Feb.23, 1915.

Gees: I

"HE NORRIS PETI'ERS CO., PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHING TON D- C.

FREDERICK W. SUMNER, OF CANTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC STOP DEVICE FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

Application filed March 4, 1914. Serial No. 822,303.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. SUM- NER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Canton, county of Norfolk, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Electric Stop Devices for Knitting-Machines &c., of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts in each of the several views.

This invention relates to stop devices for textile machinery such as knitting machines, of a type adapted to stop the mechanism automatically when there is a defect in material supplied to the machine. \Vhile having other and more general fields of'usefulness the invention is well adapted and designed for use with the general type of knitting machine for producing knitted padding and the like as shown in patent to Townsend, No. 229,487 patented June 29, 1880. In the present preferred and illustrative embodiment the invention is shown as embodied in a device adapted to stop the machine whenever a bunch or spot of unevenness or imperfection occurs in the roving as it passes through the guide trumpet to the knitting mechanism. In accordance with my invention I mount such guide trumpet with a capability of small yielding displacement when such bunch or unevenness in the roving or sliver is encountered, and provide an electrical circuit so disposed that such displacementv closes a normally open circuit and operates a trip to disconnect the power clutch of the machine.

The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be thereafter pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a view in elevation with parts broken away, showing the working portions of a knitting or like machine with which my invention is concerned; Fig. 2 is a transverse section showing the guide trumpet and its carrier in elevation; and Fig. 3 is a partial plan view showing the guide trumpet and its carrier mounting.

A fragmentary portion of the frame work of the machlne is indicated by the upright columns 10 at each side of the machine. In

,slidably fitted to an upper portion of the frame, guides for the trumpet carriage are mounted, these being shown as spaced apart rods 11 extending across right columns 10.

The trumpet carriage is indicated at 12 the rods 11. This carriage is in the operation of the machine moved back and forth rapidly across the width of the machine preferably by cords 13 which may be operated substantially as in the above noted patent; or the carriage may be reciprocated in any other suitable way. On the carriage 12 I pivotally mount as at 14: a trumpet holder formed as a lever, one arm 15 of which has the trumpet proper or guide 16 carried at its end, and the other arm of which is formed as divergent legs 17 equipped at their ends with substantially spaced apart upstanding contact lugs 18. The trumpet as carried by the lever arm 15 is normally held yieldingly in a central intermediate position by opposing springs 19 acting at each side thereof and held at their other ends by arms 20 adjustably clamped to the carriage 12 by clamp bolts 21. Thus as the clamp bolts 21 are released the arms 20 may be swung to adjust their tension as required and then clamped securely in adjusted position by setting up said clamp bolts 21. A second upper trumpet guide 22 may be provided, which is shown as carried by an upstanding post 23 secured at 24: to the carriage 12 in an open space 25 between the legs 17.

*In accordance with my invention an electrical circuit is provided, one connection of which is grounded on the machine frame work as indicated at 26 so that it thus extends to the contact lugs 18. The other connection 27 of said circuit is connected to a contact member extending across the machine in proximity to said lugs 18, this being shown as a wire 28 held taut between insulating posts'29 fixed at the sides of the machine frame work. Thus it will be seen that as the trumpet 16 is displaced from normal position one or the other of the lugs 18 will contact with wire 28 and close the circuit, and by reason of the substantially spaced apart relation of the lugs 18, a relatively small amount of trumpet displacement is sufficient for this purpose. The circuit connections 26, 27 with a source of electric energy 30 interposed in one of them the machine and fixed to the uplead to the terminals of a magnetic latch trip device 31 which upon being energized retracts the latch 32 and releases the lever arm 33 which is normally caught under said latch as shown. The lever arm 33 which may also constitute a treadle, is pivoted to the frame work at 34 and constitutes one arm of a bell crank lever, the other arm 35 of which extends upward and has a link 36 connecting it with a clutch operating lever 37 pivoted at 38 at the base of the machine. The clutch lever 37 has a usual pin and grooved collar connection 39 to a clutch mechanism which may be of the usual cone operated friction type indicated generally at 40 which connects a driving pulley 41 to the prime operating shaft 42 of the machine. A spring 43 connected at one end to the frame work has its other end connected to pull the lever 35, this tending through the link 36 to operate the clutch lever 37 in a direction to disconnect the clutch so that the pulley 41 does not drive shaft 42. It may now be understood that so long as the latch 32 is projected forward over the extremity of the treadle arm 33, the clutch will be held engaged and the machine continue in operation. As soon however as an imperfection such as a bunchy spot or area, or an .uneven portion of the roving or sliver is encountered by the trumpet, it will be slightly displaced from normal position, one or the other of. springs 19 yielding according to the direction in which the trumpet carriage is then moving so that one or the other of the spaced apart con-tacts 18 will engage the wire 28 completing the circuit and tripping the magnetically operated latch 32 permitting the spring 43 to disconnect the clutch and stop the machine. It will be understood that the described stop device is also capable of operation when the roving runs out, by merely making a knot or other obstruction at the roving end.

It is to be noted that the mechanism'required for my improved stop device, though certain and effective in operation, is exceedingly simple with few working parts and not liable to get out of order. Further, that it may be applied to the ordinary tread le controlled clutch mechanism without any changes or additions except for applying the magnetic latch trip and the swinging mounting for the trumpet guide, along with the necessary electrical connections between these parts.

I am aware that the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit thereof and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive both as to details of construction and as to the specific use mentioned, and refer rather to the appended claims to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Lett rs Pat nt s; w

1. In a machine of the kind described, driving gearing having a disconnecting clutch device biased toward disconnecting position, an electrically controlled latch for holding said clutch in operative position, a trumpet guide for a roving or the like having a mounting guided for reciprocating movement across the machine, spring means for holding said trumpet on said mounting yieldingly in a normal position but with a capability of limited displacement in opposite directions from normal position, and an electric circuit for energizing said latch having connections adapted to be closed by a displacement of said trumpet from normal position for tripping said latch to disconnect said clutch.

2. In a machine of the kind described, comprising a slide way extending across the machine, a carriage fitted to reciprocate across the machine on said slide way, a swinging arm fulcrumed to Said carriage bearing a trumpet guide for a roving or the like and also bearing spaced apart contacts, springs mounted to act 011 said arm for holding it normally in an intermediate position but with a capability of limited displacement in opposite directions from normal position, a fixed contact member extending across the machine in position to be engaged by said contacts on said arm when said arm is displaced, a driving mechanism for the machine having a disconnecting clutch device biased toward disconnecting position, an electrically controlled latch for holding said clutch in operative position, and an electric circuit for energizing said latch having its terminals extending to said fixed contact member and to said spaced apart contacts on said arm.

3. In a machine of the kind described, an operating mechanism having a disconnecting element for stopping the machine, means for holding said element connected for the machine to operate, mechanism includingan electrically controlleddevice for moving said element to disconnecting position, a carriage guide extending across the machine, a carriage mounted thereon to be reciprocated across the machine, a lever fulcrumed to said carriage having an arm extending in one direction bearing a trumpet guide for a roving or the like, and an arm extending in another direction having spaced apart electric contacts, oppositely acting springs for normally holding said lever in an intermediate position, a fixed contact member extending across the machine in position to be engaged by said spaced apart contacts on said lever arm when said lever is displaced from normal position, and an electric circuit for operating said electrically controlled device having terminals leading to said fixed contact member and to said spaced apart movable contacts.

4:. In a machine of the kind described, an operating mechanism having a disconnecting element for stopping the machine, means for holding said element connected for the machine to operate, mechanism including an electrically controlled device for moving said element to disconnecting position, a carriage guide extending across the machine, a carriage mounted thereon to be reciprocated across the machine, a lever fulcrumed to said carriage having an arm extending in one direction bearing a trumpet guide for a roving or the like, and an arm extending in another direction having spaced apart electric contacts, spring means for holding said lever in an intermediate position having provision for adjustment as to tension thereof in each direction, a fixed contact member extending across the machine in position to be engaged by said spaced apart contacts on said lever arm When said lever is displaced from normal position, and an electric circuit for operating said electrically controlled device having terminals leading to said fixed contact member and to said spaced apart movable contacts.

In a machine of the kind described, an operating mechanism having a disconnecting element for stopping the machine, means Copies of this patent may be for holding said element connected for the machine to operate, mechanism including an electrically controlled device for moving said element to disconnecting position, a carriage guide extending across the machine, a carriage mounted thereon to be reciprocated across the machine, a lever fulcrumed to said carriage having an arm extending in one direction bearing a trumpet guide for a roving or the like, and an arm extending in another direction having spaced apart electric contacts, oppositely acting springs for normally holding said lever in an intermediate position, an arm upstanding from said carriage bearing a roving guide substantially spaced above said trumpet guide, a fixed contact member extending across the machine in position to be engaged by said spaced apart contacts on said lever arm When said lever is displaced from normal position, and an electric circuit for operating said electrically controlled device'having terminals leading to said fixed contact member and to said spaced apart movable contacts.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FREDERICK W. SUMNER.

"Witnesses:

LoUIsn A. JORDAN, CLYDE L. ROGERS.

obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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