US1149262A - Take-up for circular-knitting machines. - Google Patents

Description

,H. A. HOUSEMAN.

TAKE-UP FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION man JULY 3. 1914.

1,149,262, Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

ATTJIM/EM H. A. HOUSEMAN.

TAKE-UP FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3,1914- 1,149,Q62. Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

v 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- I IIII 4770/P/VEV.

H. A. HOUSEMAN.

TAKE-UP FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION mm JULY 3, 1914.

hm gmu Patented Aug. 10, 1915.1

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- imirnn s'ra'rns PATENT orurca HARRY A. HOUSEMAN, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD MACHINE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

Application filed July 3,1914. Serial No. 848,718.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY A. HOUSEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Phlladelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Take-Ups for Circular-Knitting Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying. drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a take-up motion, adapted more especially for application to a circular knitting machine of the rotary needle cylinder type, whereby the fabric will be taken up as it is knit in a continuous and gradual manner and without any substantial distortion or twistin of the same due to the rapid movement'o rotation of the needle cylinder.

In the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention: Figure up rollers 1 is a front elevation of a part of the machine with my invention applied thereto.- Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the take- Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan on the line 5-5' of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1. Fig? is an enlarged plan view of the drum showing the brake applied thereto. Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view-of the cam for restoring to operative position the mechanism for driving the take-up rollers.

To understand the mode of operation of the take-up motion proper, it is advisable to first explain the actuating means therefor. Such actuating means involves an understanding, in a general way, of the driving mechanism for imparting movements of rotation and oscillation to the needle cylinder. I shall therefore briefly describe this driving mechanism, it being understood, however, that the take-up motion is applicable to any type of circular knitting machine,

particularly that type having a rotating needle cylinder, and that the actuating means for the take-up motion will necessarily vary in detail with thegeneral con- 'struction of the machine to which it is applied. The driving mechanism herein partially disclosed is the same as that shown in the application for patent filed jointly by Harry A. Houseman and Harold E. Houseman on the 15th of April, 1913, Serial No.

On the machine frame a is supported the needle cylinder 1) which has secured to its lower end a gear 11 driven from a gear 12 on the clutch shaft 20. v (See Figs. 1, 3 and 3.) On shaft 20 are slidably mounted pin- 1011s 21 and 22 which have sleeves to which are yoked vertically movable arms 24, 24, secured to a post 19, which is movable up and down, by pattern controlled mechanism, not shown.

A clutch 23 is fixed on shaft 20 between pinions 21 and 22. The upper pinion 21 is constantly rotated and the lower pinion 22 constantly oscillated. When post 19 and arms 24, 24, are moved down, thus engaging rotary pinion 21 with clutch 23 and disengaging the oscillatory pinion therefrom, gear 12 is continuously rotated, thus continuously rotating the needle cylinder. \Vhen post 19 and arms 24, 24, are moved up, as shown in Fig. 3, thus disengaging rotary pinion 21 from clutch '23 and engaging oscillatory pinion 22 therewith, gear 12 is oscillated, thus oscillating theneedle cylinder. Pinion 21 is constantly rotated by means of a spur gear 25 meshing with pinion 21. 4 The shaft 26 of spur gear 25 carries a. bevel gear 27 driven from a bevel pinion 28' on the driving shaft 0. Pinion 22 is constantly oscillated by the following meins (see Fig. 6). On shaft 26 is a crank 29 connected by a link 30 with an arm 31 turning on a post 32. Extending from the hub of arm 31 is a quadrant 33 engaging pinion 22.

Sleeved on clutch shaft 20 is a spur gear wheel 40 (see Figs. 3 and 5). A collar 34 is secured to clutch shaft 20 and has a pin 35 adapted, in the movement of the clutch shaft when starting rotation, to strike a pin 37 on a member 36 sleeved on the clutch shaft between collar. 34 and gear 40. Member 36 -in turn engages a pin 38 on gear 40 and thus positively rotates gear40. A spring 41 connects member 36 and gear 40 in such moved positively through pin 38. Thus the starting movement of rotation of gear 40 is a gradual and yielding one. \Vhen the rotary movement of clutch shaft 20 ceases and its oscillatory movement commences, pin 35 recedes from pin 37, and spring 41 draws back member 36 until it strikes a pin 39 on gear 40, thus restoring the parts to the position shown in Fig. 5. Thereafter collar 34 and pin 35 oscillate backand forth with clutch shaft 20, but do not actuate gear 40, because pin in its forward oscillation,

does not move beyond the position shown.

Gear 40 meshes with an annular gear 42 secured to a frame 43 on a drum (1. (See Figs. 1 and 3.) This drum turns on a vertical axis and at its lower end has a step bearing on a pin 44 threaded in the outer end of a bracket on the machine frame. Frame 43 is provided with bearings for a pair of take up rollers c, 7", located above the mouth of drum (Z. (See also Fig. 2.)

It will be observed that drum cl and takeup rollers e, f, are directly beneath the needle cylinder. The knitted fabric :0 fed from the machine passes directly down between these take-up rollers into the interior of drum at.

As shown, gears 11 and 12 correspond in diameter, as do gears 40 and 42. Hence, as the needle cylinder rotates, drum (Z rotates in unison therewith; Take-up rollerse, f, also havean independent turning movement on their axes so as to positively draw down the fabric as it is fed from the needle cylinder. This is effected by the following mechanism: Secured to the drum (Z is a block 45 in which slides an upright rod 46 having a collar 47 between which and the block 45 is stretched a tension spring 48, which tends to draw down the rod. The upper end of the rod is pivotedto a segmental gear 49, which in turn is'pivote'd on the frame 43. The segmental gear 49 meshes with a gear 50 which is loose on the shaft of roller 6. Gear 50 carries a pawl 51 which engages a ratchet wheel 52 fixed on the shaft of roller e. The shaft of roller 6 has a gear wheel 53 which engages a gear wheel 54 on the shaft of roller 7'. The shaft of rollerf is slidably mounted in its bearings and the shafts of the two rollers are connected by tension springs 55, 55. Spring 48 constantly tends to draw down rod 46 and thus, through segmental gear 49, gear 50, pawl 51 and ratchet 52, turns roller 0, and, through gears 53 and 54, roller 7; but this tendency, being resisted by the fabric stretched between'the needle cylinder and the mouth of the rolls, is operative only to the extent allowed by the new courses as they are knit. Hence, the

rollers constantly rotate at a speed equal to the feed of fabric from the needles. To the lower endv of rod 46 is pivoted a lever 58 having at its lower end a wheel 59 adapted,

when spring-48 has pulled down rod 46 to a determined level, to engage a fixed cam 60 beneath the drum (see Figs. 3, 4 and 8), which cam, as the drum rotates, lifts lever 58 and rod 46, throwing spring 48 into tension and, through segmental gear 49, reversing gear 50 and causing pawl 51 to snap idly over ratchet 52. In the meantime, a holding pawl 56, pivoted on frame 43, engages a ratchet 57 on the shaft of roller 6 and thereby prevents the take-up rollers from turning back on their axes and maintains the tension on the fabric. As soon as wheel 59 rides beyondthe end of cam 60, rod 46, under the tension of spring 48, again starts to move down slowly, and the operation again proceeds as above'described.

It will be understood that if wheel 59 were always in line of movement of cam 60 it would strike the upper or rear part of the cam on each rotation of drum d, and thus the take-up rollers would turn with a series of short jerks, causing a sharp pull on the fabric at each turn of drum d. It is desired to avoid this mode of operation and to cause the rollers to exert a steady uninterrupted pull on the fabric throughout a considerable number of successive revolutions of the drum. This is effected by the following construct-ion: Lever 56 is made heavier at the top than at the bottom so that, under the action of centrifugal force, the lower end of the lever carrying wheel 59 normally swings inward, its swinging movement in the direction being limited by its engagement with the drum. Cam 60 is made Wider at its front end than at its rear end; its outer margin being concentric, and its inner margin eccentric, to the axis of the drum. The outer margin of the cam is bounded bya high Wall 61 and its inner margin by a low wall 62. Normally, wheel 59 is in such position that as it passes the front of cam 60, it is in vertical alinement with the cam at or near its inner margin, while as soon as it has moved a little farther on, it is no longer in vertical alinement with the cam. In other words, the whole cam, except near its front end, is outside the normal path of the .wheel. Hence, as rod 46, under the tension of spring 48, descends, wheel 59 does not engage cam 60 until after a considerable number of turns of the drum and until the rod has been drawn down so low that wheel 59 strikes the inner face of wall 62 just at or beyond the extreme front of cam 60. After this occurs, wheel 59 cannot escape from the cam and lever 58 is drawn in toward a versition. An abutment or guide 63, depending from the bottom of drum 60, engages lever 58 as it rides up and constrains it to move vertically.

It has been hereinbefore explained that in the shift from rotation to oscillation, gears 40 and 42 are no longer driven, but the tendency is for the drum to continue to r0- tate by momentum. The effect would be that pin 39 would engage member 36 which would be carried around until pin 37 would strike pin 35. To avoid this I apply a brake strap 64: to drum (1 and tighten this strap as soon as the shift from rotation to oscillation is effected. Brake strap 64 (see Figs. 4 and 7) is secured at one end to the machine frame, extends partly around the drum and at its other end is secured to a rigid extension 65, which isconnected with the machine frame by a spring 66, which tends to apply the brake. This tendency is overcome however, during rotation, by a bell crank lever 67, one arm of which is secured to the extension 65 while the other arm-underlies post 19. When post19 is lifted, as

in Figs. 3, 4 and 7, to effect the shift from rotation to oscillation, the upper arm of" the bell crank is no longer held down and spring 66 is therefore free to act upon extension 65 to apply strap 64 and stop rotation of drum (Z. It is also desirable to brake drum (l as soon as the machine is stopped. On the driving shaft 0 are the fixed driving pulley g and the loose idle pulley h. A belt shifter 7 0 is secured to a slidable shaft 71. A spring 72 tends to move shaft 71 into position to cause belt shifter 70 to move the belt into engagement with loose pulley It. By means of a hand lever 73 engaging a collar 74 on shaft 71, the latter and belt shifter 70 may be moved into position to bring the belt into engagement with driving pulley g; shaft 71 being retained in this position by means not shown but well known in the art. The lower end of lever 78 engages an angle plate riveted to brake strap 64. When lever 73 is released and spring 72 allowed to move shaft 7 i to cause belt shifter 70 to shift the belt to the idle pulley it, the lower end of lever 73-is movedagainst the cam face of angle plate 75 and thereby draws the brake strap 64 tightly around the drum.

Having now fully described my invention,

what I claim and desire to protect by Let ters Patent is z p 1. In a circular knitting'machine, the combination with a rotary needle cylinder, of a.

'restore said mechanism and tension device to their initial operative condition.

2. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotary needle cylinder, of a take up roller, means to rotate the latter bodily in harmony with the needle cylinder, a tension device, mechanism actuated by the tension device and connected with the take up roller and adapted to turn the same on its axis and thereby draw down the fabric as it is-knit, a cam adapted to engage said mechanism and restore it and the tension device to its initial operative position, and means to maintain said mechanism and cam out of operative relation until after the tension device has actuated said mechanism to a predetermined extent.

3. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotary needle cylinder, of a take up roller, means to rotate the latter bodily in harmony with the needle cylinder, a tension device, mechanism actuated by the tension device and connected with the take up roller and adapted to turn the same on its axis and thereby draw down the fabric as it is knit, a cam, a cam-actuated member included in said mechanism and adapted, as said mechanism is so actuated, to move below the level of the higher part of the cam, and means to maintain said member and cam out of operative relation until said wheel has moved substantially to the level of the lower part of the cam.

4:. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotary needle cylinder, of a take up roller, means to rotate the latter bodily in harmony with the needle cylinder, a tension device, mechanism actuated by the tension device and connected with the take up roller and adapted to turn the same on its axis and thereby draw down the fabric as it is knit, and a transversely movable camactuated member included in said mecha nism and normally in vertical alinement with the lower part of the cam and out of vertical alinement with the higher part of the cam, whereby said member engages the cam only after the tension device has actuated said mechanism to a predetermined extent.

5. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotary needle cylinder, of a take up roller, means to rotate the latter bodily in harmony with the needle cylinder, a tension device, mechanism actuated by the tension device and connected with the take up roller and adapted to turn the same on its axis and thereby draw down the fabric as it is knit, a fixed circular-shaped cam, the higher part of which is normally out of alinement with said mechanism, and an eccentric flange substantially below the level of the higher part of the cam and in alinement with said mechanism and adapted to its axis and thereby draw down the fabric as it is knit, said mechanism including a bodily in harmony with the needle cylinder,

engage the same after a number of revolutions of the needle cylinder and place it into operative relation with the cam.

6. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotary needle cylinder, of a take up roller, means to rotate the latter bodily in harmony with the needle cylinder, a tension device,mechani sm actuated by the tension device and connected with the take up 1 roller and adapted to turn the same on its axis and thereby draw down the fabric as it is knit, a transversely movable camactuated member included in said mechanism and normally in vertical alinement with the lower part of the cam and out of vertical alinement with. the upper part of the cam, and a flange adapted, after said member has moved substantially below the level of the higher part of the cam, to engage said member and move it transversely into operative relation with the cam whereby it is lifted to the level of the higher part of the cam.

7. In a circular knitting machine, the combinationwith a rotary needle cylinder, of a take up roller, means to rotate the latter bodily in harmony with 'the needle cylinder, a tension device, mechanism actuated by the tension device and connected with the take up roller and adapted toturn the same on swingable lever and a wheel there0n,and a cam adapted, after said wheel is depressed below the higher part of the cam, to engage said wheel and lift said lever and thereby restore said mechanism and tension device to their initial operative condition. a

8. In a circular knitting machine, the combination witha rotary needle cylinder, of a take-up roller, means to rotate the latter a tension device, mechanism actuated by the tension and connected with the take up roller and adapted to turn the same on its axis and thereby draw down the fabric as it is knit, a. fixed cam, said mechanism including a swingable lever and a wheel thereon normally out of alinement with the higher part of the cam, whereby the tension device may operate continuously during a considerable number of rotations of the needle cylinder, and an eccentric flange at the lower part of the cam adapted, after the wheel has been depressed to a definite level,'to engage said lever and swing it out of normal position into operative relation with the cam.

9. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotary needle cylinder, of' a take up roller, means to rotate the latter bodily in harmony with the needle cylinder, a tension device, mechanism actuated by the tension device and connected with the take up roller and adapted to turn the same on its axis and thereby draw. down-the fabric as it is knit, a fixed cam, said mechanism including a lever pivoted to swing radially, under the action of centrifugal force, out of operative relation with the higher part of the cam during a considerable number of rotations of-the needle cylinder, and means adapted, after said mechanism has been depressed to a definite extent, to engage said ,of centrifugal force, a wheel carried by the lever, a fixed circular-shaped cam, and

an eccentric. flange at the lower level of" the cam adapted to engage said wheel and swing it transversely away from its normal posit1on into operative relation with the-cam,

. lever and swing it out of normal position which thereby restores said tension device and mechanism to their initial operative condition,

11. In a circular knitting machine, the combination withva rotary needle cylinder, of a take-up roller, a rod, a tension device tending to move said rod, gearing, and pawl and ratchet mechanism actuated bv the rod and adapted to turn the takeup roller on its axis and thereby draw down the fabric as it is knit, means to rotate the needle cylin-' der and the remainder of said elements in harmony therewith, a cam, a member carried'by said rod adapted to engage said cam, and means to restrain said member from engaging said cam until said member moves below the level of the higher part of the cam.

12. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotary needle cylinder, of a take-up roller, a rod, a tension device tending to move said rod, gearing and pawl and ratchet "mechanism actuated by the rod and adapted to turn the take-up roller on its axis and thereby draw down the fabric as it is knit, means to rotate the needle cylinder and the remainder of said elements in harmony therewith, a lever pivoted on said rod the needle cylinder, a shaft revoluble and oscillatable in harmony with the needle cylinder, a rotatable member adapted to be actuated by said shaft when the same, at the beginning of its rotary movement, turns 'beyond the are described in its oscillatory movement, a frame turning with said turnablemember, a take-up roller carried by the frame, a tension device, mechanism actuated thereby connected with the take-up roller and adapted to turn the same on its axis and thereby draw down the fabric as it is knit, a cam adapted to engage said mechanism and restore it and the tension device to their initial position, and means to maintain said mechanism and cam out of operative relation until after the tension device has actuated said mechanism to a predetermined extent.

14. In a circular knitting machine, the combination With a rotary needle cylinder, of means to alternately rotate and oscillate the needle cylinder, a rotatable member and take-up mechanism rotatable therewith, a second rotatable member movable relatively to, but adapted when rotated to positively drive, the first rotatable member, a shaft turnable in' harmony with the needle cylinder, a third member turnable with the shaft and oscillatable independently of the other two members but adapted when rotated to positively drive the second rotatable member, and a; flexible connection interposed in the driving connection between the shaft and the take-up mechanism adapted to impart a cushioned or gradual starting movement to the latter at the beginning of the rotary driving movement of the shaft.

15. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotary needle cylinder, of means to alternately rotate and oscillate the needle cylinder, a rotatable mem- "ber and take-up mechanism rotatable therewith, a second rotatable member adapted to positively drive the first rotatable member, a flexible driving connection between the two rotatable members adapted to be rendered operative before the positive drive operates, and a shaft turnable in harmony with the needle cylinder having an oscillatory movement independent of the second rotatable member but adapted in rotation to rotate the second rotatable member.

16. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotary needle cylinder, of means to alternately rotate and oscillate the needle cylinder, a shaft rotatable and oscillatable in harmony with the needle cylinder, a rotatable member, a frame turning with said member, a take-up roller carried by the frame, means to turn the take-up roller on its axis and draw down the fabric as it is knit, a pin turning with the shaft, a second turnable member adapted to be turned by said pin when the shaft, at the beginning of its rotary movement, turns bewith said member, a take-up roller carried by the frame. means to turnthe take-up roller on its axis and draw down the fabric as it is knit, a pin turning with the shaft. a second turnable member adapted to be turned by said pin when the shaft, at the beginning of its rotary movement, turns be yond the are described in its oscillatory movement, a spring connecting the two turnable members and. operating to start rotation of the first turnable member, and two pins on the first turnable member, one in front of,-and the other back of, the second turnable member, said pins limiting the. relative turning movements of the two turnable members. 18. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a' needle cylinder, of rotary driving means, oscillatory driving means, shifting mechanism to connect the needle cylinder alternately with the two driving means, a take-up device, connections between said cylinder and take-up device whereby they rotate in harmony during rotation of the needle cylinder, means whereby said connections are disrupted in the oscillatory movement of the needle cylinder, a brake for the take-up device, and means controlled by the shifting mechanism, in the shift from rotation to oscillation, to effect the actuation of the brake.

19. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a needle cylinder, of rotary driving means, oscillatory driving means, shifting mechanism to connect the needle cylinder alternately with the two driving means, a take-up device, connections between said cylinder and take-up device whereby they rotate in harmony during rotation of the needle cylinder, means whereby said connection are disrupted in the oscillatory movement of the needle cylinder, a brake for the take-up device, a movable post included in said shifting mechanism, and a lever actuated by said post and connected with the brake;

20. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a needle cylinder, of rotary driving means, oscillatory driving means, shifting mechanism to connect the needle cylinder alternately with the two driving means, a take-up device, connections between said cylinder and take-up device whereby they rotate in harmony during rotation of the needle cylinder, means whereby said'connections are disrupted in the oscillatory movement of the needle cylinder, a brake for the take-up device, a spring tending to apply the brake, a. lever connected with the brake and adapted to restrain the spring, and a post included in said shifting mechanism and adapted, in the shift from rotation to oscillation, to render the lever inoperative to restrain the spring, and adapted, in the contrary shift, to move the lever into position to release, the brake against the action of the spring. 7

21. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotary needle cylinder, of a take-up device for the knitted fabric, means to rotate the take-up device bodily in harmony with the needle cylinder, a driving shaft adapted to rotate the needle cylinder, a lever, connections therefrom operable thereby to stop said shaft, a brake-strap for the take-up device, and a piece secured to the strap and presenting a cam face in line of movement of the lever in the latters movement to effect stoppage of the driving shaft, whereby the lever applies the strap to the takedevice and stops its rotation.

22. n a circular knitting machine, the combination with a needle cylinder, of rotary driving means, oscillatory driving 'means, shifting mechanism to connect the needle cylinder alternately with the two driving means, a take-up device, connections between said cylinder and take-up device whereby they rotate in harmony during rotation of the needle cylinder, means whereby said connect-ions are disrupted in the oscillatory'movement of the needle cylinder, a brake for the take-up device, a'lever, connections therefrom operable thereby to stop said driving means, and means operable by said lever to apply the brake in the'movement of the lever in the direction to effect stoppage of said driving means.

23. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotary needle cylinder, of a rotatable driving shaft, rotary driving means and oscillatory driving means operable from the driving shaft, shiftingmechanism to connect said cylinder alternately with said two driving means, a take-up device, connections between said cylinder and take-up device whereby they rotate in harmony, means whereby said connections are disrupted during oscillation of said cylinder, mechanism to stop the driving shaft, and mechanism actuated respectively from the shifting mechanism and from the stopmechanism to effect a brake action upon the take-up device.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, on this 2nd day of July, 1914.

HARRY A. HOUSEMAN.

Witnesses:

M. M. HAMILTON, E. E. WALL;

Gopies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

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