US1139173A

US1139173A - Latch-opening mechanism for knitting-machines.

Info

Publication number: US1139173A
Application number: US83197814A
Authority: US
Inventors: William J Elliott
Original assignee: ADOLPH KESSELL
Current assignee: ADOLPH KESSELL
Priority date: 1914-04-15
Filing date: 1914-04-15
Publication date: 1915-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 1932-05-11

Description

W. J. ELLIOTT. LATCH OPENING M'EcHANlsN Foa KNITUNG N-AcHrNEs.

` APPLICATIQN FILED APN. 15, 1914. 1,139,173.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Patented May 11, 1915.

Wl I. ELLIOTT. LATCH OPENING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES. APPucATloN FILED APR.15, 1914.

1,139,173. Patenwd 111215411915l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITE@ STATES PATENT @FFTQE WILLIAM J. ELLIOTT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ADOLPH KESSELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LATCH-OPENING MECHANISM FOR KNITTINGr-MAGI-IINES.

maarre.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1915.

Application filed April 15, 1914. Serial No. 831,978. y

clare 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.

This invention relates to the art of knitting machines, and particularly to the class of dial knitting machines, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved attachment of the above nature, for opening the latches of the needle. Heretofore, in such dial knitting machines it is the custom to employ crude devices which continually plow through the needles, as the machine is in the course of operation, thereby subjecting the needles to the danger of being broken or otherwise damaged.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a latch opening mechanism of such a construction that when the same is used on a knitting machine in conjunction with the latch preserving device, as set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed in the application of lVm. J. Elliott, filed May 20, 1914, Serial #839,810, the needles and latches will be preserved, thereby reducing the danger of breaking to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means, such as a latch opener, for only opening the-latches, at the time of completing the knitting of one sweater or other garment or the like and starting the next course of knitting.

A further object of the invention is to provide means automatically actuated for restoring the latch opener to its normal position, subsequently to completing the first garment.

This form of latch opening mechanism may be applied to any form or construction of knitting machine.

In practical fields the minor details of construction may be subjected to various minor alterations, falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the `drawings Figure 1 is a plan View of a segmental portion of a knitting machine, showing the invention as applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the latch opener detached. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the latch opener, showing parts in dotted lines, and showing a section of the rod for automatically releasing the opener from operative position. Fig. 5

is a sectional view vertically through thev latch opener on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

As before stated, any form or construction of knitting machine may be employed, therefore 1 designates a stationary or immovable part of the machine. As far as the machine is concerned, it is only necessary to illustrate a suiiicient number of parts to carry out the operation of the invention. Carried by the stationary part of the machine is a plunger 2, in the form of a roller. In practive, however, a number of these plungers is to be employed for actuating the dogs 3, only one being illustrated. The plunger 2 at certain periods is designed to be cammed upwardly through the stationary part or bed plate 1 by any suitable means (not shown). Engageable with and movable in an annular recess of the bed plate or stationary part is the usual or movable arched ring 4, which carries the dog 3. Said annular recess is designated by the numeral 5. Also movable with the arched ring are the upper and lower dial plates 6 and 7 being secured together in the usual manner by the screws 8. The dial plate 7 is provided with the usual circular or annular slot 9 having the camming portions or surfaces or edges 10, in which slot the lugs 11 of the needles engage, so that when the lower needle actuating dial plate is in the act of rotation, the needles will be actuated in the usual marmer by the camming surfaces or portions 10, thereby vforcing them radially toward the center of the machine, in order to take and release the thread in the course of knitting. The needle plate 12 is stationary, the same being secured by screws 13, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, to a stationary dial plate 14, which, as shown at 1,5, is fixed to the bed plate 1. Pivoted at 17, there only being one shown, is a camming link 18, the free end of which has pivoted to it as at 18a a link 19, which in turn is pivoted at`20-to the dog 3. A spring 21 connects' between the pvot 1.8 and the arched. ring as at 22. When the dog 3 is rocked or moved in the direction of the arrow a, the camming link 18 is thrown in the position as shown in Fig. 1, and the dog 3 is held locked in such position by the arm 23 of the pawl 24 engaging the notch 25 of said dog.

As shown in Fig. 1 the dog 3 is in the act of being actuated by the plunger or roller 2, the pawl 24 just having been previously tripped by the arm 26 coming in contact with the nose 27 of the plate 28, which is adjustably secured as at 29 to the bed plate or stationary part of the machine. In other words, as the movable dial plate or ring 4 rotates, the arm 26 comes in contact with the nose 27 of the plate 28, thereby causing the arm 23 to disengage from the notch Q5 of the dog 3, in which case the spring 21 will throw the dog in the path of the roller 2. As the dial plate or ring 4 further rotates, the dog 3 will cam against the roller 2, thereby, through the medium of the link 19, actuates the camming link 18, which in turn will actuate the needles. A spring 30 is provided for holding the pawl in its normal position. As stated, the cam-- ming link actuates the needles radially toward the center of the machine, and as they are so moving, the latches 31 of the needles 32 (which are in the radial grooves of the needle plate 12) are opened by the latch opening linger or horn 33 of the latch opening mechanism. These latches are only opened at the time of completing one garment, and starting the knitting of the next garment. The opening mechanism comprises a plate 34, adjustably secured at 35 to the upper surface of the upper dial plate 6, and between the arms 37 of said plate, the barrel 38 is arranged, in which the plunger core 39 telescopes. The latch opening finger or horn 33 merges from a point, there being a curved portion 40, into a rod 41, the upper portion of which is threaded at 42- into the plunger core 39, there being a collar 43 also threaded as shown at 44 to said rod. The rod 41 is provided with a pin 41a to engage a vertical slot 41b of the barrel 38, so as to prevent the member or rod 41 from partially turning or rotating while at rest or when moving vertically. A lock nut 45 is also threaded to the rod, thereby not only locking the rod in position relative to the plunger core, but also locking the collar 43 in position. By the arrangement of the threaded connections of the rod with the plunger core, the same may be adjusted in dierent positions. collar 43 is an arm 46, which is mounted in and guided by the slot 47 of the upwardly extending arm 48 of one of the jaws or arms 37 of the plate 34. Secured to one side, of the arm 48, by means of a set screw or bolt 50 is a lever 51, acting as a latch opener holder. The upper portion of this lever 51 Projecting from the' is constructed with a laterally extending arm 52, designed as shown to overhang the arm 46, the lug 53 of which engages the arm 46, to hold the holder in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and in this case the latch opener is out of position to open the latches of the needle. But when the holder 51 is in the position shown in full lines, the shoulder 54 of the holder is in contact with the arm 46, thereby holding the latch opener down, in a position to engage the latches for opening the same, as shown in Fig. 2. As before stated, the opening of the latches is only needed, when completing one garment, and starting another. After the latches have been opened, and the machine is ready to start knitting a second garment, the pawl 60 comes in contact with the nose Q7 of the j plate 28, thereby pulling upon the rod 61,

which will oscillate the holder 51 to a position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, thereby permitting the rod 41 to be thrown up-- wardly, by means of the spring 62, interposed between the plunger core 39 and the lower end of the barrel. l/Vhen the rod 41 is thrown down again, it is accomplished by the arm 46 being cammed by the surface 63 of the holder 51. To set the rod 41 so that the linger or horn will be in a position to open all the latches, the member 51 is moved manually, thereby causing the surface 63 to cam against the arm 46, which would throw the rod 41 downwardly.

When using the improved latch opening mechanism upon the knitting machine, it is also the purpose to provide a latch preserving device, as indicated at 7 6 in Fig. 1 and being carried by the movable member or dial plate 6. This preserving device is so constructed and arranged as to glide easily over the needle, thereby preserving the same. However, this latch preserver is set forth and shown definitely and in detail in the foresaid application.

As the needles are moving or projecting radially toward the center of the machine, the latch opening fingers or horn is moving transversely to each respective needle, thereby in this manner the latches are opened.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is 1. A knitting machine comprising in its construction, a series of latch needles, a movable ydial plate, a latch opener for the needles carried by the movable dial plate and comprising a casing having two telescoping parts, one being detachably and adjustably carried by the movable dial plate, a rod adjustably mounted in the other part and having at its lower end a latch opener horn or finger, a lateral device carried by the upper end of said rod, an element adapted to be manually manipulated in engagement with said device for holding the rod down with the horn in the path of said latches, means carried by the movable dial plate and having connections with said element for automatically actuating the same to release the device of said rod, a member on a stationary part of the knitting machine for actuating said last mentioned means, and means acting between the two parts of the casing for throwing the rod upwardly, to automatically remove the horn from the path of the latches.

2. In combination with a knitting machine having a series of latch needles and provided With a movable dial plate, a latch opener carried by the movable dial plate comprising a casing carried by the dial plate, a spring tensioned member having a latch opening horn at its lower end mounted in said casing and an arm at its upper end, an element adaptedto be manually thrown in engagement with the arm for camming said member downwardly to throw the horn in the path of said latches, and means coperating between the movable dial plate and a stationary part of the knitting machine having connections with said element for actuating the same to release the arm, said spring tensioned means automatically throwing the member out of the path of the latches.

3. In combination with a knitting machine having a series of latch needles and provided with a movable dial plate, a latch opener carried by the movable dial plate comprising a casing, a spring tensioned member having a latch opening horn at its lower end mounted in said casing and an arm at its upper end, an element adapted to be manually thrown in engagement with the arm for camming said member downwardly to throw the horn in the path of said latches, and means coperating between the movable dial plate and a stationary part of the knitting machine having connections with said element for actuating the same to release the arm, said spring tensioned means automatically throwing the member opener comprising a casing carried by the dial plate, said casing comprising two parts, one being stationary, the other being movable and telescopically mounted in the stationary part, spring tensioned means for the movable part, a'member adjustably mounted in the movable part and having a latch opening horn at its lower end, an arm ad- `iustably carried by the upper end of said member, an element adapted to be manually operated for camming against said arm to throw the member downwardly and holding the same down against the action of the spring tensioned means with the horn in the path of the latches, and means for automatically actuating said element to release the arm, to permit the spring tensioned means to throw the movable part and the member upwardly and the horn out of the path of the latches.

5. In combination with a knitting machine having a series of latch needles and provided with a movable dial plate, a latch opener comprising a casing carried by the dial plate, said casing comprising two parts, one being stationary, the other being movable and telescopically mounted in the stationary part, spring tensioned meansv for the movable part, a member adjustably mounted in the movable part and having a latch opening horn at its lower end, an arm v adjustably carried by the upper end of said member, an element adapted to be manually operated for camming against said arm to throw the member downwardly and holding the same down against the action of the spring tensioned means with the horn in the path of the latches, and means for automatically actuating said element to release the arm, to permit the spring tensioned means to throw the movable part and the memberupwardly and the horn out of the path of the latches, and means to prevent the member from partially turning while at rest or when moving vertically.

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

WILLIAM J. ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. RITTER, JOSEPH CHEVALIER.

Copies of this patent may 'be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.