US1152850A - Circular-knitting machine. - Google Patents

Description

R. W. SCOTT.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MAGH|NE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. 1913.

1,152,850. PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

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CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. a. 19m.

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1,152,850. I Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

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R. W. SCOTT.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. a. I9I3.

1,152,850. Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

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CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. 1913.

1,152,850. Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

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CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3.1913.

' PatentedSept. 7, 1915.,

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APPLICATION FILED FEB. a, 1913.

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CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

AP'PLICATION FILED FEB. 21. 1913.

1,152,850. PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

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R. W. SCOTT.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. a. 1913.

1,152,850. TatentedSept. 7, 1915.

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CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. a, 1913.

1,152,850. Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

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R. W. SCOTT.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. 1913.

1,152,850- I PatentedSept.7,1915.

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R. W. "SCOTT. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3 1913- 1,152,850. PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

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R. W. SCOTT.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FlLED FEB. a. 1913;

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

I2 SHEETS-SHEET 12.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT W. SCOTT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO SCOTT & WILLIAMS, INCORPORATED, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters I'atent.

Patented Sept. 7, 191.).

Application filed February 3, 1913. Serial No. 746,070.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ROBERT \V. Soo'r'r, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Circular- Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to circular knitting machines of the independent needle type and, while it will be understood that the devices shown and described are applicable without change to the operation of many different types of needles, and to cooperation with many different. types of needle carriers and other adjuncts of known knitting machines, I have chosen to illustrate and describe-that embodiment of it in which independently movable latch needles are the knitting instruments proper.

An object of my invention is to improve and simplify the existing mechanical arrangements for the operation of knitting needles.

A further object is to improve and simplify the devices for cooperating with the devices for operating the knitting needles, to cause the automatic adjustment of said operating devices in an improved and more efficient manner.

A further object .of my invention is to provide a mechanism for performing the necessarily great number of changes and shifts of the relation of parts with respect to the knitting instruments during the production of a garment, for instance a stocking, which shall be compact, direct in its action, cheap and simple to construct. and which will provide for the addition of further automatiailly operated parts without necessitating change in the standard parts shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of the left hand side of a machine for knitting stockings. the tubular column, the inner tubular fabric guide, and the yarn guiding top being broken away for clearness; Fig. 2, is a front elevation broken away in part; Fig. 3 is a right hand end elevation of the base of the machine showing particularly the drive mechanism and the pattern chain holder; Fig. 4 is a rear elevation; Fig. *1 is a detail of one of the guiding combs; Fig. 5 is a vertical section 011 the line 55 of Fig. 6; Fig. 6 is a hori-.

zontal section through the main and crank shafts on the line 66 of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is a bottom plan View partly in section of the cam cap for actuating the wcb-l'iolders; Fig. 7: 15 a perspective View of a sin'iplen'icntal slnker cam for actuating certain high butt web-holders; Figs. 8 and 8 are elevations on an enlarged scale of high and low butt web-holders respectively; Fig. 9 is a view in plan of the knitting head and a part of the machine frame or housing; Fig. 10 is a horizontal cross section of the head below the web-holder bed on the line 10-10 of Fig. 12; Fig. 11 is a detail vertical section through the mounting for oneof the narrowing pickers on a line 11-11 Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a vertical section through the knitting head, the kl'iitting cam ring and the knitting head table or bed on the line 1212 of Fig. 9; Figs. 12 and 12 are enlarged details of Fig. 12; Fig. 13 is a detail elevation viewed from the axis of the knitting head of the top of thethrust bars, showing the yarn guides in elevation; Fig. 14.- isa detail side ele ation of the latch ring bracket and the tops of the thrust bars, showing the latch ring in its elevated inoperative position; Fig. 15 is a detail elevation viewed from the axis of the knitting head of the widening picker and its bracket and cooperating devices; Fig. 16 is :1 diagram showing the normal relation of long and short butt needles, high and low butt web-holders and needle jacks; Fig. 17 is a development showing in diagram the various cams carried by the pattern drum; Fig. 18 is a perspective of the positioning cam for one of the narrowing pickers; Fig. 19 is a development of the interior of the knitting cam cylinder, showing one form of needle cam device adapted for use with the remaining devices; Fig. 19 is a diagram developmentof the needle and web-holder paths; Fig. 20 is a. section through the cam cylinder of Fig. 19 on the line 2020 of Fig. 19; Fig. 21 is a similar section on a line 2121 of Fig. 19; Fig. 22 is a Slll'lllfllfifll tion on the line 22-22 of Fig. 19; Fig. 23 is a development ofa portion of a cam ring showing a simple form of the knitting cams. suitable for usual products; Fig. 2+ is a plan of the yarn take-up and tension mech- I anism on an enlarged scale; Fig. 25 is a left hand side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 24; Fig. 26 1s a detall elevation of i 2 f j finuasto the cam 382 and its mountin viewed toward the center of the nee le'. cylinder;

Fig. 27 is a detail elevation on an enlarged scale of the double-throw cam for operating the devices shown in Fig. 26; Fig. 28 isaview showing the three different kinds ofneedles employed; Fig. 29 1s a detail per-- spective view of the web-holder bed Show ing the attached cam for operat ng the,s ectional splicing'devices; F 1g. 30 1s a'section on the line 30-30 of Fig. 9 showing the latch ring and the brush wheel for opening the needle latches at certain times;' Fig. 31 is a perspective showing the construction of the pattern chain; Figs. 32Vand 33 are 'details of the sectional splicing mechan sm showing the relations of the yarn gu1de, the thrust bar and cams for operating said bar in two different positions of the pattern drum; Fig. 34 is a view from the axis of tne knitting head showing the yarn guide throat; Fig. 35 is a" front elevation of the internal yarn guide and clamp member showing the yarn cutter.

It will be convenient to consider the devices in the following order corresponding to the main agencies of the machine I. The machine frame; the driving and pattern mechanism.

II. The knitting instruments proper 1ncluding the needles, the needle and cam cylinders, the web-holders, and theirsupporting and operating means.

III. The pattern mechanism for predetermining the operation of the various parts, and its connections. 1

IV. The mechanism for narrowing and widening the knit tube. i

V. The particular devices for the operation of which the pattern mechanism is especially adapted.

I The machine frame; the driving and pattern mechanism.

through a clutch-collar 33 splined at 34 onv I said shaft.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 6, the clutch collar may be thrown to the left to engage an otherwise loose reciprocal gear 35 mounted on said shaft 32 between the boss b on the left end frame B and the end of the key 34 on said shaft 32; or to the rightto engage a clutch face 37 on the inner end of a tubular sleeve 39 which turns freely in a long bushing 46 fast in a right frame B, and

which sleeve 39 carries a. fixed pinion 38 and a fi'xedpulley 42,-which may be attached is reduced at its right end to find a bearing within sleeve 39, and may extend past the frame B, Fig. 6. Said bushing 46 carries- .by a 'fixed'handcrank 45having adog 44 engaging the hub of said pulley '42. Aloose pulley 43 is mounted on saidhub; Shaft .2

for rotation a sleeve having gear-teeth 49 integral with or fixed .to a pulley 47, sai

gear-teeth meshing with a gear 65 fixed to cast with said shaft 55 is a gear 60 carrying crank-pin 61 in a boss 62. Gear 60,

which may be mushroom-shaped, meshes with said pinion 38 on sleeve 39. Actuation.

.of pulley 42 drives clutchrface'37 through sleeve 39at the speed ofsaid pulley. Actuation of pulley 47 drives said clutch face .37 at the speed determined by the gear-train .49, 65 and 60, 38. The: ratio, for one instance only, between gears'49 and 65 may be as 1:3 and between gear 60 and pinion 38 may be as 4:1, whereby the rate of mo tion of clutch-facev37 when directly driven by pulley 42 is to the rate of said clutchface when driven through pulley 47 as 3:4. The speed of the machine is therefore increased'when the pulley 47 is the driving pulley. Actuation of either pulley drives the gear 60 at a rate fixedlyrelated to the rateof clutch-face 37, as determined by the ratio of gears 38 and 60. By this means, the movements of crank pin 61' and of the needle-cylinder 260 are definitelyrelated,

whenever clutch-collar 33 engages face 37.

- The same devices determine oscillation of the needle-cylinder at the desired speed when clutch-collar 33 is in engagement with reciprocal gear 35. Crank pin 61 is'connected by pitman 70 and pin 71 with a sector 75 meshing with gear 35,- and mounted on a sector-shaft 76 at the back of the machine below the main and crank shafts, as usual in the art, the radius of pins 71 and 61 being such as to determine a forward and'back motion of. gears 35, 31 and 30 and the needle cylinder substantially through one whole revolution in each direction. Drive .during reciprocation is usually" through pulley 42, sleeve 39 and pinion 38, but'it is apparent that the reciprocal speed may be increased if desired by driving through pulley 47.

Means for shifting the driving belt are described below. jv

The pattern meehanism.Beneath"shaft 32 in bearings in frames B, B, and preferably oifset forward, as shown, to. enable access to parts carried thereby, I mount a pattern cam shaft 80. Said shaft is driven by.

a rack wheel 81: fast'thereon having'irregu- The links of the chain 85 are of a familiarlar teeth which may be engaged and advanced by the pawl 82 carried by a pin 77 in a crank arm 78 formed integrally with the sector 75 as plainly shown in Fig. 5. The wheel 81 may not, however, be allowed to advance at all times, without performing too short a cycle in the motions of the shaft 80, and to permit its intermittent movement the pawl 82 is prevented from entering any tooth of its ratchet or rack-wheel 81, or is selectively permitted to engage a short tooth only if a short tooth is the next tooth to be actuated, by means of a pawl-controller 83. Said pawl-controller projects forward (see Fig. 5), atits left hand side in the plane of a sprocket wheel 84 and pattern chain 85, described below, and is provided with an indicator or chain reading lug 83 and a finger grip 83 for manual movement of the pawl controller. The central portion extends as a sleeve surrounding the rod 93 to a point in line with the space between the ratchet 81 and the drum 90 at which point an integral attachment 83 of said pawl controller extends downwardly between said ratchet and said drum, fitting in the space between them, to prevent the accidental sliding movement of said pawl controller. The upper face of said portion of the pawl controller is curved to furnish a bearing surface for the toe 821 of the pawl 82, terminating in a sharp upward slope 83 which'is perforated for attachment to 'a spring 95 fast at the other end to a pin 98 extending from the right end frame B.

Loose upon the shaft 80, a sprocket wheel 84 carries a pattern chain 85 and a ratchet 86 integrally formed therewith, coacting with which to constantly move it is a pawl 87 on an eccentric pin 88 held by the sector 75. To advance the pattern chain by short steps during recovery of pawl 82, the pin 88 is nearly upon the dead center with respect to the shaft 76 and the line ofthrust of the pawl, and the motion of the pawl 87 is, therefore, short as compared with the motion of the pawl 82. The pattern-chain controls the pawl controller 83, to determine the times at which the pawl 82 may engage the rack-wheel 81 and advance the cam shaft 80. To this end said pattern chain carries a series of pattern lugs 851, 852, 853, etc., of three heights or dimensions, projecting from the left hand face of the open chain links, as viewed in Fig. 2. The highest lug 851 determines the maximum rocking movement of the pawl controller 83 and permits the pawl 82, the said toe 821 being Wide enough to straddle the rack-wheel 81 and portion 83 of the pawl controller 83 to enter upon the rack-wheel at the most withdrawn part of its forward and back stroke, tol take into the longest tooth upon said rack w ieel.

form having hooks 85 interlocking with opposite grooved ends 85 of another similar link, when the links are at an angle to each other, as shown in Fig. 31. To avoid carrying a long pattern chain on the customary tensioning sprockets, or the use of idling or multiplier devices for the chain, I may provide immediately under the sprocket wheel 84 a chain-trough or holder 200 consisting of a metal spacer or frame 201 bent at right angles and screwed to the underside of the machine table Av at 202, and having sheet metal side plates 203 and 204 of the form best shown in Fig. 3. The internal width of said holder 200 is such as to permit the chain depending from the sprocket wheel 84 to move freely between the parallel side plates 203 and 204 without cramping, but it is too short to allow the sidewise movement of one link with respect to another sufliciently to permit said links to become disengaged. V

As viewed in Fig. 2, the left hand side plate 204 is cut away at the vertical plane of the front of the table A, carried upwardly and bent to the left, where it is screwed at 205 to the underside of said table A. This construction permits some vibration of the holder while insuring suflicient rigidity to prevent. its breakage. The side plates 203,204 may be attached to the spacer 201 by screws 206 as shown, but I find a convenient construction follows from the electrical welding of said side plates 203, 204, to said spacer 201 by spot-welding at in.- tervals of a few inches.

The internal shape of the chain holder is of great importance to its proper operation. At a point sufliciently below the bed-plate A and sprocket 84 to conveniently permit the operator to grasp the chain 85 in her hand to move it forward, said holder presents a lip 207 formed by a forward bend of the spacer 201 and the local outward bending of the plates 203, 204 for the entrance of the chain, which may flow freely under gravity'to substantially the point indicated at 208, at which point the spacer 201 slopes inwardly and downwardly on a curve substantially such as that shown. The eifectof this construction is to predetermine folds ofchain 85, as shown, lying toward the right of Fig. 3, upon the previous accumulations of chain, until the straight downward run thereof is swung as a pendulum to the rear of the machine to a distance determined by its weight and stiffness. A new fold will then begin to be formed in the opposite direction, to allow for which I provide the forward bend or swell 209. Here, however, the slope of the inner bottom wall of the holder 200 is so sharp as soon to occasion another fold toward the rear of the machine.

The accumulation of folds of the chain flows by gravity, aided by the vibration of the machine (which, however is not essential to the proper performance of functions of the holder 200) down the curved slope, without entanglement. The other end of the accumulation of the endless chain may be withdrawn even more readily than with a sprocket and frame arrangement. The chain has, however, been subjected at points to the maximum bending permitted by the construction of its links and hooks, and an occasional pair of links will not be straightened out on the upward run'of the chain by the mere gravity of the links. I therefore provide a tension device comprising the springs 212 mounted upon the spacer 201 and a block 213 on the face 204, to wipe and straighten the chain before it reaches its sprocket on its upward run. One spring 212 is of less thickness than the chain to permit the passage of lugs 851, etc. The tension device 212 is also of aid in preventing overrunning of the ratchet 86. I provide in connection with the springs 212 a spring plate 214 screwed to the spacer 201, and having a bent lower edge shown in Fig. 2 cooperating with the plate 204. to return any chain links laterally misplaced into proper engagement with each other.

I find in practice that an extremely long length of chain may be stored in the holder 200, its automatic entry and removal therefrom taking comparatively less energy, and preserving the chain from dirt and lint in a manner superior to the commonly used sprocket-and-frame arrangement, as well as providing a very compact device. One of the attachments of the shaft 80, and the ratchet 86, may be provided with friction brakes, of a well-known type, such as those shown at 90 in Figs. 3 and 5, to prevent overthrow and backlash of the rack or ratchet wheels and their attachments. Mounted centrally upon said cam shaft 80 is a cam drum 90, for determining the movements of the clutch collar 33. I have found it desirable for accuracy in shifting the clutch to rovide an improved connection between sai clutch collar, which is broadly an element known in the art, and said cam drum, which also is not greatly different from prior art structures. It will be seen that the active part of the clutch consists of the tenon 331 (which may be a hardened pin with beveled ends in said collar) taking into beveled depressions respectively in the gear 35 and the face 37 of the sleeve 39 carrying the pinion 38. The pinion 38 is continuously moved forward, though at times at different rates, while the pinion 35 constantly makes reciproccal movements. Owing to the relations of sector 75, pawl 82, and cam shaft 80, the active movement of said shaft 80 comes at a time when the reciprocal gear 35 is in full movement for that stroke of the reciprocation which is in the same direction as for rotary knitting. The shift of the clutch collar 33 must therefore be made between clutch-faces both of which are in full motion at different rates, that one at the pinion 38 moving substantially four times as fast as that on gear 35. Accuracy of timing of the movement of the clutch collar is thus absolutely essential. There have been difficulties with the prior art structures, which present a similar problem, with respect to timing these operations, which difficulties I ascribe largely to the errors in the movement caused by operating the clutch collar by connections formed as levers, which move in an arc, and which may vibrate, thus destroying the accurate effect of the cam surfaces, as of the drum 90, relied upon to quickly and certainly move the clutch collar. It is moreover apparent that in a machine in which compactness is of the essence of merit, a lever structure between shafts which should be near together is to be avoided. I have therefore provided for the connection from the cam drum 90 to the clutch collar 33 a short, strong and rigid slide 92 mounted for accurate movement parallel with the shafts and 32 on a fixed rod 93, fixedly mounted on the front face of the end frames B in perforated lugs 6 The slide 92 is provided with a boss 88 having a cam follower therein, (which may be a hardened roll 89 rotating on a in in a bore in said boss, and taking into t e cam track in the cam 90) and separated depending perforated bosses 94 fitting upon said rod 93 and having a sufficient freedom of movement between the lugs b to permit the operative movement of the clutch. The slide 92 is arched in form between the bosses 94, to provide a free space on the rod 93 upon which the pawl controller 83 is pivoted. The upper end of the slide 92 terminates in the clutch fork 91 fitting in a peripheral groove in the clutch collar 33, the curvature of the fork thus preventing rotative movement of the slide 92 on its rod 93.

It will be apparent that the slide 92 is effective to shift the clutch 33 by a short and positive movement of the cam drum 90, which movement is rigidly parallel with the elements of the surface of the drum 90, and is an accurate function of the slopes of the cams on said drum. The outboard end of the rod 93 is extended beyond the lugb to form a slide bearing for a belt shipper fork 100, which is further guided upon a in 101 held parallelwith the rod 93in a more in the frame B. The outboard end of the cam shaft 80 carries afcam 102 having a peripheral flange for acting upon the degending lug 103 of the belt shipper 100.

aid cam is provided with integral portions 104, 105, terminating in slopes to the level of the body of the cam 102, to move the belt shipper and shift the belt from one to the 43 to stop the machine. The beltshipper 100 and its attachments are under the influence of a spring 110 attached at one end to said shipper and at the other end to the machine frame, tending to hold the lug 103 on the cam faces of the cam 102. The latch 112 pivoted at 113 to the frame of the machine engages a lug 114 on the belt shipper when it is in its extreme position and the belt is on the loose pulley. A handle 115 is provided for moving the belt shipper independently of its cam.

Referring to Figs. 1, 4, 5, and 6, the sector shaft 76 extends through its bearing in the left end frame B to provide a stud upon which a hollow pattern drum 120 having an integral or attached gear 121 is mounted for rotation. The end of the pattern cam shaft 80 above described similarly extends beyond its bearing in the left end frame B, and is provided with a similar gear 122. The gears 122 each mesh with an idler gear 123 mounted upon'a stud 124 projecting from said left frame at an intermediate point. The motions of the shaft 80 are, therefore, transmittcd without change in direction or extent to the pattern drum 120. It should be noted that the position of the pattern drum 120 brings it to a point directly behind the cylindrical space defined by verticals from the knitting head and under the shelf or table D, at a point relatively close to the knitting head. I am thus enabled to provide a comparatively large drum, having thereon the desired large number of pattern indications necessary to an automatic machine, performing a complicated cycle of operations, without taking up lateral or vertical space which can ill be spared.

The pattern mechanism will be treated more in detail below. It will sufiice for the present to recall that the movements of the shaft 80 are intermittent movements through a variable angle of advance, and that lugs provided on the pattern chain 85 in the path of the indicator lug 83 of the pawl controller 83 (it being borne in mind that said pat ern chain is constantly advanced by its ratchet 86) cause rocking movements of said pawl controller on rod 93 to determined the times at and extents to which the pawlq82 may engage the rackwheel 81.

Assuming the lug 100 of the cam 102 to have engaged the lug 103 of the belt shipper 100, and the machine to have been stopped, with the latch 112 in engagement with the belt shipper, upon the release of said latch the belt will move inward to pulley 47, engaging with pulley 42 and actuating it during its passage. The pulley 42 directly conconnection. At this time the clutch slide 92 is in position to the right, and the clutchcollar 33 is engaged with the face 37 and the gear 38. When the driving belt under the influence of the spring 110 has reached the pulley 47, the machine will be driven through the gear train comprising the gears 49 and 65, the shaft 55, the gear 60, the pinion 38, face 37, the clutch collar 33, the drive shaft 32 and the bevel gears 30 and 31. The drive shaft 32 will therefore rotate in the samedirection at a higher rate than if the belt were upon the pulley 42.

The movement of'the crank shaft 55 results in the actuation of the sector 75 and of the reciprocal pinion 35 whether the gear 60 is part of the driving train for the pinion 38 or whether the pinion 38 is the driving element for said gear 60. It will be apparent that the rocking movements of the sector 75, of the pawl 82 and the pawl 87, will be related to the main drive shaft and therefore to the rotative motion of the knitting head, by a constant ratio determined by the relative diameters of the pinion 38 and the gear 60, whatever may be the absolute speed at which the system is driven. At a later time in the operation of the machine the pattern chain 85 having advanced to cause one of its lugs to cause the forward movement of the shaft 80, the clutch slide 92 is thrown to the position shown in the drawings. Just previous to the movement of the clutch slide the cam 104 will have acted upon the lug 103 of the belt shipper 100 to shift the belt to the intermediate slow speed directly connectedpulley 42. It will be evident that the pulley 42 may thus become the driving element and the speed of the machine may be reduced to the extent determined by the gear ratios during such an extent of round and round knitting, or con stant forward movement of the shaft 32, as may be necessary. The drive of the machine has now been shifted, by the movement of the clutch-collar 33, to reciprocal movements derived through the crank pin 61, the gear 60, the pitman and the segment 7 5. These movements are made at the rate of one complete forward and back stroke for eachrevolution of the gear 60. If the gear ratios are as those above described (which may of course be varied),

gear 60 rotates once for each four. revolutions of the driving pulley 42. 1am thus enabled, by utilizing gear 60 carrying the crank-pin of the i.'eciprocal-' motion train as a part of the speed-changing train for the main shaft drive-pinion 38, (which train includes in crank-shaft 55 a driven axis for said gear) to provide for a -wide shift be tween the speeds of rotationhnd reciproca-' tion, to render the change in rotative speed independent of the movements of the clutch, and to preserve intact the ratio of the movements of the pattern-operating pawls to the rotation-speed of the knitting head, whether the head is rotating at high or low speed. I attain these objects by the described structure with a substantial gain over existing structures in cost, in simplicity and in the dimensions occupied by the speed-changing and reciprocating mechanism, resulting in part from the provision of the crank-shaft 55 as an element of both mechanisms.

1]. The knitting instruments proper.

The immediate instruments for knitting may comprise independently movable latch needles held in grooves on the surface of a needle-cylinder or carrier capable of rotation and reciprocal movements with respect to relatively fixed actuating cams for said needles and their adjuncts.

The bed-plate D projecting from the left hand side of they main frame or housing, upon which it is rigidly fastened, provides a bearing for the bevel gear 30 above mentioned in a depending cell or pocket internally machined to provide a face bearing surface 250 and a central bore to maintain said gear 30 for rotation about a fixed axis, which is that referred to as the axis of the knitting head.

The central part of the gear 30 is cut away to provide a free opening through which the forming fabric descends, and is surmounted by the upwardly extending integral sleeve 251 upon which the needle cylinder 260 is removably mounted. The cylinder 260 is held to rotate with the sleeve 201 by the key 252 sliding in a longitudinal keyway on the inner side of said cylinder 260. The cylinder 260 may thus be moved in a vertical sense with respect to the gear 30 and the sleeve 251, without disturbing its rotative adjustment with respect to said gear 30 or the other elements of the machine.

The cylinder 260 may be of any approved construction, but I prefer to employ an insorted wall or built-up needle cylinder such as that illustrated in the drawings, and shown and described in the application of Harry Swinglehurst, Serial Number 653,004,

filed October 5, 1911, patented March 3, 1914, No. 1,089,021, which briefly consists of a grooved casting having independently removable needle guiding walls 261 inserted in the grooves and held in place by a beveled collar 249. I have, however. provided on the outer face of said needle cylinder, above the longitudinal grooves for the needles determined by the inserted walls 261 an unusually wide groove 262 for a group of three spring bands 263, and provided a counterbored or enlarged upper internal. end 243. Otherwise the needle cylinder 1s that of the prior art, and might be of any other type selected to meet the needs of a fine-gage high-speed knitting machine. Concentric with the'bore 251 in the bed-plate D, I provide an enlarged opening 253 to receive the horizontal flange 270 of the stationary cam cylinder 271. The gear 30 is of a thickness to fill the cell within which it rotates, the stationary flange 270 being relied upon to maintain its contact with the bearing 250 upon which it rests. The cam cylinder 271 is retained in the recess by screws 254.

The above described elements comprising the gear 30, the sleeve 251, and the cam cylinder 271 (which carries the knitting cams) are fixed in a vertical sense. The needle cylinder 260 is vertically movable, to adjust the length of the stitch and for other purposes, as well as free to be removedupward upon merely lifting it out of the machine. To provide for such vertical movement the gear 30 is bored through, as at 255, Fig. 12, in three places, to receive supports 256, which may be hard steel pins, all of the same length. The bores 255 are in line with the bottom of the needle cylinder, the collar 249 of which freely rests upon the ends of said pins by gravity and by reason of the stress due to the cotiperation of needles frictionally held in their grooves with fixed cams whose advancing slopes are flatter than their retracting slopes, presently to be described. The pins 256 in turn rest upon, and by reason of the motion of gear 30, rotate with respect to, a ring 257 which may be a hardened and polished steel ring, or be rovided with a suitable anti-friction sur ace, as by making it of bronze, which ring has a hearing within the inner machined face of a depending cylindrical flange 259 of the bed-plate D. The ring 257 is vertically movable within said flange 259 by the vertical movement of a hollow tubular column 280 concentric with the knitting axis which fits within said flange 259 at its upper end and upon which the ring 259 rests. Automatic means for moving the column 280 will presently be described. The adjustment by the described means of the vertical position of the knocking-over plane determines the length of the stitch with accuracy.

The machine in the present case is equipped with independently movable latch needles n of a well-known type, (which may be tcnsioned needles. laterally bent to cause friction in their grooves) and the plane below which the yarn may not be carried is determined by the upper faces of the upper inwardly extending arms 291 of webholders 292 held in the grooves of a radially grooved. bed or dial 295 rigidly mounted upon the extren'ie upper end of the. outer face of the needle cylinder. upon a flange 96 having deep longitlulinally milled grooves in line with the needle grooves to provide spaces for the removal of the needles. The grooves of the web-holder bed or dial 295 stand midway between spaces occupied by the needle grooves and the inboard ends of the web-holder 292 are received and guided by a nosing 297 fast in theenla-rged or counter-bored end 248 of the needle cylinder 260.

The construction of the web-holders 292, of the nosing 297, and the web-holder bed 295, may be the same as that illustrated in the patent to George D. Mayo, 726,178, April 21, 1903, with the exceptions above and presently to be described. It should particularly be noted that, with respect to the construction shown in said patent, the

nosing 297 occupies a relatively larger diameter with respect to the diameter defined by the backs of the needles, owing to the counterboring of the needle cylinder to receive it. I am thusenabled adequately to guide the inboard arms of the web-holders 292 without so much obstructing the internal diameter of the knitting cylinder.

Fora purpose presently to be described some of the web-holders 292 are provided with long butts 298 and some with short butts 29. For a purpose also presently to be described the upper surface of the inwardly projecting upper arms 291 of said web-holders is sloped upwardly at an angle as shown at 299. This angle begins at a point slightly in advance of the web-holding hooks 290, which may be of the usual form, and perform the usual function.

By reason of the attachment of the webholder bed 295 and the nosing 297 to the needle cylinder 260, the knocking-over plane defined by the up er surface of the arms 291 of the web-hol ers (which is that plane above mentioned below which the yarn of the last knit course may not accompany the needles) may be lifted or lowered to increase or decrease the stitch length at all of the needles with respect to the bed D, the fixed cam cylinder 270, and the knitting cams carried thereby, by the agency of the pins 256, the movable ring 257, the column 280, and automatic means cooperating with said column. At a point directly-at the front of the machine the flange 270 of the cam cylinder 271 carries a rigid upright post 400. Mounted on a reduced portion 301 of the web-holder-bed by means of a depending flange 302, and hold-down clamps 318, a web-holder cam ring 300 is adjustably held against rotation with the'needle cylinder in either direction by stop screws 303 in lugs 304 straddling the post 400, and permitting a. sufficient lost motion to render the adjustments for opposite rotations independent of each other.

The underside of the web-holder cam ring (see Fig. 7 is provided with a concentric groove 305 for the control of the butts 298,

29 of the web-holders 292, as usual. At a point opposite the lugs 30s and directly at the back of the machine as viewed in Fig. 2 said ring 300 is provided with a ca m portion 306 held by a screw 307, which cam presents two withdrawing inclines 308, 308, to give the web-holding books 290 their outward radial movement at the knitting cams. The incline 308 is displaced towardthefollowing stitch cam, in the direction for rotary work, web-holders until after the passage of the needles down the face of the top center cam 357. This construction is useful when making a starting selvage as will presently appear, as described in and claimed in my application Serial No. 766,401, filed May 8, 1913, which application is a continuation in partof the present application. Adjust-.

able cams 309 pivoted at 310 on each side of the outthrow cam 306 determine the inward throw of the web-holders 292. Said cams 309 are housed in deep slots milled through the depending flange 302, whichflange is also cut away at 303 to providea discharge opening for broken parts. Said web-holder cam ring 300 also carries means for controlling some of the web-holders for a local variation in the length of stitch, as described below.

The needle cams.The machineis equipped with a switch cam, and with stitch cams for giving the advancing and retracting movements to the needles during rotary and reciprocatory knitting Referring now to Figs. 9, 10. 11, 12, 16 and 19. I have herein illustrated one form of knitting cam mechanism comprising the cam cylinder or ring 271 which is a short rigid cylindrical structure terminating at its upper end in a ledge 350 upon which the butts of all of the knitting needles 1:- travel when they have finished their stitch-forming movement. Said ledge is at a level insufliciently high to carry the needles to a point at which the stitches engaged in the hooks 290 of the web-holders 292 will be cleared below the latches. At a point at the rear of the machine the cylinder 271 is cut away at 351 for the reception of hardened cams together forming a broad V-shaped opening from which the slopes 353 lead in opposite directions to return to the ledge the butts of any needles which may be depressed into said opening.

to delay the withdrawal of the- Central of this opening at the back of the machine and fast in a vertical slot milled a.

part way through the thickness of the cylinder 271 is a vertical standard upon which a bottom center (am 356 and a top center cam 357 havmg their inner faces flush with the inner face of the cylinder 271 1 are mounted by screws 358. The lower surface of the bottom center cam-356 is level with or higher than the stitch cams, and its upper surface is level with the ledge 350 and only a suflicient passage for the butts of the needles is provided between the cams 356 and 357. Cam 357 is flat at the top and is provided with slopes 359 to guide needles lifted above the normal level. Surro'unding approximately that half of the cam cylinder 271 at the rear thereof, I provide a half-cylinder or segment 370 having a base flange 371, to serve as a carriage for the stitch cams 360 and 361. When knitting operations are being performed said segment is in the position shown in Fig. 10, fitting closely upon the periphery of cylinder 271, and resting at its base 371 upon the upper face of the flange 270 of the cam cylinder 271. Said segment is held to move radially outward on the plane central between the stitch cams 360 and 361 by means of a gib or key 372 on the/underside of flange 371 taking into a radial slot 373 formed in the flange 270, and under a lug 402 of a post or bracket 401, and is further guided by slots 375, formed in the ends of the flange 371 and parallel with saidkey 372. Hold-down screws 376 aid in retaining said segment upon said flange 270. I thus provide a rigid but readily movable support for the stitch cams, to accurately hold them in their vertically fixed position. Movement of the segment away from the needle cylinder may be manually eflect'ed by the lever 377 pivoted at 378 on the cam cylinder, against the stress of a spring 379 held at its ends by shallow bores in the segment and said lug 402. The cams 360, 361 are of suflicient thickness to reach from the inner face of the segment 370 to an internal diameter flush with that of the cylinder 271. Said cams 360, 361 are respectively provided with upper slopes 362, curved in form, to clear the loops below the latches of such needles as travel upon ledge 350. The advancing surfaces 362 and 353 are of a slope materially flatter than the retracting surfaces at cams 357 and 360 or 361. Said cams 360, 361 are further recessed at their tops at 363 to provide resting points for the narrowing pickers presently to be described. These resting points hold the pickers to receive a needle at a height at which the needle has finished its upward rise to clear its loop below its latch.

I have illustrated my machine in connection with additional needl controlling deto the usualknittingfunctions asifully de-v scribedin and claimedinimy said application- Serial No. 766,401, I may provide in the lower part of the cam cylinder 271 and completeky surrounding saidcylinder a groove 365 as shown in Figs. 19 to 22. At a point well in advance of the leading stitch cam 361 for rotary knitting, an A shaped opening is formed in said cy inder 271. beneath which an advancing jack cam 366 is fastened.

Cotiperating with the cam 366 a series of needle jacks 380 having butts 381 may be provided for the above or other purposes. Usually a jack 380 is provided for every alternate needle, but it will be evident that they may be distributed at will. Saidjacks are free in the needle grooves. and are held from being thrown centrifugally outward by contact of their shanks with the inner face of the cylinder 271 and of the cams 366, 367, 368, etc. The height of the cam 366 and the length of the jacks cotiperating therewith are such as to advance such needles n as are provided with jacks at a point well in advance of the leading stitch cam sufliciently upward to clear their stitches, as clearly indicated in Fig. 19. I may thus utilize said jacks for the performance of special operations calling for the separation of the needles into an idle and operative set intercalated among each other, and to this end provide a supplemental cam such as radially movable cam 382 preceding the forward end of the leading stitch cam 361, at a level to bring'its leading end between the needles n advanced by the jacks and the needles'without jacks moving upon the ledge 350. Needles affected by said cam are can ried beneath the said stitch cam 361 and" beneath the bottom center cam 356, on a level too low to engage the yarn fed to the remainder of the needles for the said purposes. The machine is provided with a switch cam for elevating some of the needles for making heels and toes.

At a point in advance of the jack cam 366 on a radial spindle 410 held in the bearing block 411 on the cam cylinder flange 270, which block has a cam slot 412 cotiperating with a screw 413 on said spindle, I may for instance provide a switch cam 415 for the usual purpose of throwing the instep needles having longer butts into and out of action. Said cam, when in the elevated position shown in Fig. 19 will engage needle butts encountering it to move them to substantially the level of the crest of the stitch cams. The cam slope of the cam slot 412 (which has a portion perpendicular to the spindle as shown in Fig. 9) moves the said spindle410 axially when said spindle is rotated, to lower the point of the cam 415, to withdraw :the point and face of the cam sharply during the first half of the lowering movement, and then to hold said spindle withdrawn'so as to cause said switch cam to the inner periphery of

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