US1159873A - Yarn feeding and changing mechanism for knitting-machines. - Google Patents

Description

R. W. SCOTT.

YARN FEEDING AND CHANGING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

' APPLICATION MD June. 1914.

1,159,873. 'Patented Nov. 9,1915.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET I. 52?" 7 3' J:' :Z i m' I 1, I: '89 6'08 27 16.0 6'02 295 R. W. SCOTT. YARN FEEDING AND CHANGING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, I914.

1,159,873. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

U TE STAES ROBERT W. SCOTTpOF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'IO SCOTT & WILLIAMS INCORPORATEDQOF CAMDEN, NEW JER YARN FEEDING AND CHANGING Application filed July 20. 1914.

To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT V. Soo'r'r, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston. in the county of Suffolk and State of Hassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Yarn Feeding and (hanging Mechanism for Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in yarn feeding and associated mechanism for the improved production of split-foot, sectionally spliced and other forms of fabric.

I have illustrated my device as an im provement upon the mechanism shown, described and claimed in my application No. 845,844, filed June 18, 1914, but it will be evident that the new devices may be applied to other forms of knitting machinery.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section illustrating the pattern mechanism. the yarn guides, the stitch cams. and the needle cylinder of a circular knitting machine as one instance of the application of my devices; similar to Fig. 1 illustrating another position of the parts; Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating a third position of the parts; Fig. 4 is a partial development of the interior of the cam cylinder; Fig. 5 is a section in plan taken above the web-holder bed; Fig. 6 is a detail development showing a modification; Figs. 7 and 8 are illustrations of a modified actuating connection; Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the relation of the needles, the yarn, and the yarn guide actuating cams; Fig. 1.0 is a detail of the yarn guide actuating leversp Fig. 11 is a diagram showing three positions of one of the yarn guides; and Figs. 12 and 13 are details showing modified yarn guide actuating cams. Fig. 14 is a detail section on line 14, 14 of Fig. 6.

In my said application I disclosed a yarn changing and yarn splicing device comprising a series of yarn guide levers pivoted above and outside of the circle of needles in a circular knitting machine, and a device for lifting and lowering said yarn guide levers to change'ut'heir yarns comprising a series of independent thrust bars, in contact at their lower-ends with a pattern cam surface.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fig. 2 is a detail SEY, A COBPOR-ATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MECHANISM FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Serial No. 851,931.

Qne of the yarn guide levers was, for sectional splicing, provided on its under side with a lug against which the nose of its thrust bar takes, so that said thrust bar when moved laterally elevates its yarn guide, to sharply remove the yarn thereof from the needles, the yarn being returned whenever the bar is permitted to resume its normal lateral position. A cam carried by the web-holder bed was provided to move the lug on the bar for this purpose, the pattern cam lifting the bar lengthwise to determine whether or not. its lug was in range of. the said cam. and hence to determine the timely operation of the splicing device.

The present invention provides in addition mechanism for an exchange of yarns occurring during rotary knitting in the same course at a plurality of separated intervals about the knit tube, provision being made to retain the yarn guide about to go out of work in its operative. position. after the yarn guide put into work shall have begun to feed a new yarn to the needles. My new devices provide for anexchange of this nature occurring persistently at the same needle Wales for course after course, to provide a longitudinally split or sutured fabric, such for instance as will be suitable for a substituted fabric above the heel at the back of a stocking, or for a split foot, which may if desired be provided with a sole of a heavier yarn, or a yarn different in color or kind from the fabric of the leg and the top thereof. The said devices provide for the above functions without increase in the necessary number of yarn guides, my invention comprising means for the normal operation of the yarn-guides employed for split foot knitting as yarn-changing yarnguides. I

, Referring now to Fig. 1 the machine selccted for an illustrative instance comprises a.- rotary needle cylinder 260 driven by a. gear 130 to which cylinder is attached a web-holder bed 295 on which a web-holder cam cap 300 is capable spect to the web-holders 290. It will be understood, however, that my invention is not restricted to machines of this type, the devicesfor performing my new purposes being capable of applicationwithout change of rotation with re-,

in their essentials to knitting machines in which the needle cylinder is stationary and the needle cams movable. The bed-plate D on 'which said needle cylinder rotates carries a standard 401 upon which is pivoted at 552 a latch guard ring carrying a stud 554 upon which a series of yarn guide levers F are journaled to occupy under the influence of springs F a normal operative lower position of rest at -which their inner ends stand upon a throat plate 559 bridging agap in .the latch ring through which the yarns are The said devices, as at the neighborhood of given to the needles. shown in Fig. 1, are the plane central of which one instance is shown in Fig. 6, said cams usually comprising stitch cams 6 and 7, top center cam 8 and bottom center cam 9'. Inwaddit-ion to the above mentioned devices. I provide two or more yarn guides F F", having lugs 5 on their under faces, to cooperate with the upper beveled ends of thrust bars 460 associated with said yarn guide levers, and arched undersides somewhat higher than the remaining guides F, to provide for lost motion between the upper ends of said bars and said yarn guide levers. Each of the thrust bars occupies a slot in a comb 451 attached to a stud 450 fast in the frame of the machine, the upper end of the bar being guided by a comb 462 attached to the standard 401. The said thrust bars 460 have lateral freedom away from the axis of the machine at the comb 462 as illustrated said points.

in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The arrangement is such that a lateral movement away from the axis of the cylinder 260 at the upper ends of the thrust bars will elevate the yarn guide levers by movement against the cam 1ugs.5.

I may provide upon any member of the organized machine moving in relation to or in unison with the needles means for actuation'of connections such as the thrust bars 460 leadmg to the yarn-guides to cause the local movement of said connections in time with the passage of one or more points in the circle of needles, to change the yarn at The ring 130 or its driving gear, for instance, moving in unison with the needles, may be employed for this purpose, but I prefer to employ the following mechanism. 1

The thrust bars 460 for the guides F F may be alike with the exception ofthe provision upon each'of them at respectively different distances from the bottom of the bars, which lugs when the bottoms of the bars are in a certain position are planes of two segmental cams 296 and 296 occupying different planes on the periphery .of the web-holder bed 295, to which the said cams are attached, as by screws. Said cams may be -adjustable circumferentially by any usual means. I

of a lug&as at a, 'b

a stitch-cam group, of

fer to provlde sections 2962 296 at their against the face of the cams with which they cooperate. Lever 602 is tooshort to reach the plane of the thrust-bar 460, cooperating with the lever 601.

I prefer to provide each of the thrust bars 460 with a. limit step 448, which may be an eccentric disk, as also shown in my said application, to define with respect to the comb 451 a point upon which the bar may rock when permitted by the cams on the drum 120.

The remaining yarn guides F are provided with thrust bars which need have no adjustment to ccact with the cams on the drum 120.

It will'be apparent that each of the yarn guides F F may be elevated by lifting its thrust bar through a distance corresponding to the lost motion betweensaid bar and its yarn guide, and then moving said bar through a further distance, to take its yarn guide to the idle position shown for guide F Fig. 2, or

to lower it to the operative position shown for guide F", the movement of the bar 460 to render the guide idle or operative thus taking the lugs a and Z1 through a space wholly above the cams 296, 296 and levers 601, 602. (Jomparativelyhigh cams fore be provided on the pattern drum for placing one or both the yarn guides F F in and out of operation by vertical movement of bars 460, without positioning the lugs a and b to move the bars 460 laterally to enter and remove the yarn guides F F 3 at the passage of any particular part of the circle of needles. When a series of movements of the guides occurring repeatedly 11. corresponding to the instep and front of- 501, 502 may thereare permitted to the leg of the stocking and the cam 296 maybe associated with the short butt needles 11. corresponding to the back of the leg, the sole, the heel and the toe. It will beunden stood, however, that the segment during which the yarn guide is be any segment corresponding to the cam for moving the thrust bar for the guide laterally. It will also be evident that the said out of action may cams 296 and 296" being attached to the needle cylinder and rotating therewith, and being in immediate connection with the yarn guides controlled thereby through the intervening parts of the thrust bar, that a direct and positive association with the needles and therefore of the time of entry and withdrawal of the yarn guide involved is provided 'for, which is little subject to accidental change.

By the device of thelevers 601, 602 interposed between the moving cams and the lugs on the thrust bars, I am enabled to elerate that thrust bar bearing the lug for operation by the lower cam during the passage of the upper cam; under which, if the lugs are in direct contact with the cams on the face of the web-holder bed. the said lug would interlock.

By properly proportioning the cams. the gap between their ends represents the overlap during which both yarn guides are in a position to feed their yarn to the same needles and this gap may be regulated by governing the dimensions of the cams, with exactness. For the product desired to be made mere dependence upon the timing of the entrance and exit of the yarns involved is not sufficient to secure inevitably the entrance and exit of the respective yarns at the same needle when knitting at the high speeds otherwise permitted by the meclr nismu In order to secure such accuracy, I may employ mechanism for differentially positioning certain of the needles, herein after referred to as suture needles n, upon which overlap of the yarn occurs. in such a manner as to bring these needles above the neighboring needles at the time they are given the yarn so that an entering yarn posltioned in contact with or just above the neighboring needles will be firsttaken by the leading needle of the suture needles n shown as three in number. but which may comprise any desired small number as two or four needles. These needles have shorter butts than the normal short butt needles, as shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 4 the top center cam 8 fast on the cam ring 271 is preferably cut away as the cut portion does not stand far enough inward to contact with the shortest. butt needles 11 All of the needles having been advanced by the upper surface 7 of the leading stitch cam 7, the needles n are not depressed so far by the action of the top center cam 8 as the remaining needles and thereforestand at a higher level at the yarn feeding point which maybe anywhere between the dow'n-going face of the center cam 8 and the succeeding down-going face of the following stitcli'cam 6.

Referring now to Fig. 6 a similar result may be secured by forming top center ,cam

shown at 10, so that '8 as a slide 8 having a cut away part 8 moving under impact of the needles on a gib taking into a way S in the back of the cam S. (Fig. 11) the lower apex of said cam moving to the left to permit needles n to pass the feeding point while at the higher level permitted by the cut 3. to which level they have been moved by the highest part of the leading stitch cam T.

The yarn thrown out of work in the manner described passes above the internal yarn guide plate (302 and into the slot 617. in the same manner as the splicing yarn in the machine improved. The lower position of the yarns carried by the guides F F may be. as shown in Fig. 1, such as to carry the yarn nearly into contact but not into engagement with the needles'preceding the suture needles. For continuous knitting a yarn presented in this-position will be taken into the. hooks of all of the needles. the preceding needle carrying the yarn down and around the circle into a position to permit all the needles following to take said yarn.

- I prefer in some cases to position the yarn guides F F at their entrance and exits by means of lateral movement of their thrustbars. in three positions, as shown in Fig. 11. of which the lower position 1 is such as to insure entrance of the yarn to the normally positioned needles; the second position 2 is such as to insure taking of the yarn by the advanced suture needles; and the third position 3 is an idle position above the needles. In this case, feeding both yarns to the suture needles occurs When-the yarn guide going out of work dwells at position 2 on its movement from position 1 to position 2 and the other yarn-guide going into work dwells at position 2 on the way from position 3 to position 1. movements by the cams 296 and 296 may comprise segments, Figs. 12 and 13, (I and c. f and 9 having respectively opposite active slopes at the same circumferential position, separated by two intermediate portions of the same height, at which the lev'ers (301, 602 are held in a position to hold both bars 460 outwardly far enough to position their guides F", F at position 2. Fig. 11. The effect of this construction is to lower the entering yarn guide after the suture needles n have taken the yarn to a normal low 'position, to prevent accidental failure of the normal needlesfollowing the suture needles to take a yarn entered at the suture needles.

\Vhen it-is not lgdesired to employ either component yarn of the split-foot structure for splicing, I may employ a third guide with a lug 5 and a thrust-bar with a lug similar to the lugs ul or 7), as in my said machiney to carry the splicing yarn. It is also within my invention to employ such' a third guide,vand to make a split tube struc- .ture abovethe heel of the stocking by the Means togivethese I of the yarn guides, the presence in themachine of the suture needles n or a similar group at another point in the series and means for positioning them at the stitch cams provides a device for localizing the point of change at the wales from these needies, useful in connection with color changes in the fabric.

The suture needles a when the split foot structure is being knit will be fed at each course with two yarns with respect to which the knitting of a normal size loop will ordinarily be impracticable, and I may therefore provide in connection with said needles webholders 290 having butts differentiated from the remainder; said web-holder cam ring 300 may be provided with a special webholder cam 312 for moving said web-holder's with different butts inward at an early time with respect to the stitch-drawing movement at the following stitch cam as described and claimed in my application Serial No. 746,070

filed February 3, 1913. Such a differential movement of the web-holders is effective to alter the length of the loop. The cam 312 may be adjusted automatically by an attachment 471 of a thrust bar similar to the bars 160. When it is intended to splice a segment of fabric such as the back of the stocking, webholders having high butts may be provided throughout the segment including the group of suture needles at each end thereof.

One of the guides F2, F 3 may be employed to carry, by reason of its capacity to beoperated like the other guides, the main'knitting yarn, such for instance as that emplo'ved in the top of the foot in a split foot stocking, the arrangement permitting the orderly exchange of this yarn with the yarn tarried by any one or more of the yarn guides F, bysuitable conformations of the cams at the height of the cams 501, 502,

' and of the cams for the guides F. The said arrangement will also permit the use of one of said yarn guide levers for a yarn which may be one component of multiple yarns employed for the heel and toe; and other arrangements permitted by the structure will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

-When employing one of the guides F F for sectional splicing I provide a cam' to lower the yarn guide to be so inserted and withdrawn, the thrust bar beingv dropped far enough to bring its lug a or 1) into con-- tact with oneof the levers 601, 602 to remove the yarn, for instance during the passa e of the high butt needles.

Vhen the yarn guides F, F are employed for split tube knitting, it will be understood that the product will be comprised of yarns knit as shown in Fig. 9, which figure shows the split portion in course of formation, the yarns w and a: which overlap at opposite points at the needles n floating idly across the cylinder between the sutures formed at said needles n These floats are cut out When the product is finished.

Instead of employing thrust bars 460 with lugs a and Z) for the actuation of the exchanging guides F F I may employ the structure illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. In this case a thrust bar 460* and a stop 448 is provided for each guide as before, but said bars are without lugs a and 6. Associated with said thrust bars 460", I provide short thrust bars 460*, sliding in the same slots in the comb 451, which are cut .05 at the top as shown in said figures. Bar 460* is formed with a longitudinal slot 9 in which plays a shouldered screw p fast in the bar 460 The bar 460 is provided with a lug a and a similar arrangement for actuating the guide F may also comprise another bar 160 attached to a bar 460", said other bar 4:60 carrying a lug ata different height fromthe lug a.

The guides F and F 3 may now be entered and removed from work by the direct thrusting action of the bars 460*, under the influence of the cams 502* on the pattern drum 120, independently of the actuation of the thrust bars 460*. Separate cams 501 are provided for moving the bars 460.

When the split-tube structure is-to be made, cams 501 permit bars- 460 to bring their lugs in range of the means for moving the thrust-bars laterally, the cams 502* permittingthe bars 460 to drop to their lower position at this time. a

While I have shown my invention in connection with a circular knitting machine of the specified type, it will be obvious that it is independent of the construction of the knitting devices.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to make split-foot stockings by providing means for feeding during continuous rotary knitting a succession of separate yarns, each being given to one of two segments of needles of the circular knitting machine,

and said yarns being overlapped in successlve courses at a needle or needles taking both yarns, thereby joining'the proximate edges of adjoining areas knit of each yarn and confining the joint or suture to the same needle wales. said yarns being removed from the needles to float within the circle ofneedles and being again entered at another part of the circle during each revolution of the machine at saidsutures, Such a device and every means is for instance shown and described in the patent Byram & Fox No. 217,581 dated July 15, 1879, and I do not herein claim any for accomplishing the above stated functions.

I claim 1. A knitting machine having a plurality of yarn guides, and means operating during successive courses for rendering each of a pair of said yarn guides active and inactive in succession during the same course, in combination with means for causing one of said pair of yarn guides to be active and inactive during inactivity and activity respectively of a third yarn guide at intervals of a plurality of successive courses, for yarn changing.

2. A knitting machine having a plurality of yarnguides and means for rendering each of said yarn guides active in turn as desired during inactivity of others, for changing the yarn between'sectionsof the fabric following one after the other, in combination with means cooperating with a pair of said yarn guides for rendering each of said pair active and inactive in turnduring each course of a succession of courses for repeated yarn changes between sections of the fabric lying side by side.

3. The combination in a circular knitting machine of needles, a plurality of yarn guides, means for operating each of said yarn guides to render it active at a pre-. determined segment of said needles, each of said segments comprising one or more suture needles common to an adjacent segment, and means cooperating with said suture needles to cause entrance and exit of yarns taken by them at a predetermined needle'during continuous relative rotation between said needles and yarn guides.

4. The combination in a circular knitting machine of needles, a plurality of yarn guides, means for rendering each of said yarn guides operative during continuous rotary knitting at a predetermined segment of said needles, each of said segments comprising one or more suture needles common to an adjacent segment and means cooperating with said suture needles to cause entrance and exit of yarns taken by them at a predetermined needle. 1

5. The combination in acircular knitting machine of needles, a plurality of yarn guides, and devices comprising means relatively fixed with respect to said needles for rendering each of said yarn guides operative at'a predetermined segment of said needles each of said segments" comprising 'one or more suture needles common'to an adjacent segment, and means cooperating with said suture needles toadvance them beyond the other needles at the yarn-taking point.

6. In a yarn-changing device for knitting machines, a plurality of yarn guides, ins'truv ments movable independently positively to render each of said yarn guides inoperative, in combination with needles, means for moving said needles in a single wave to knit, and means having an element relatively fixed with respect to said needles for moving said instruments alternately to place their yarn guides out of operation with respect to the knitting wave at each course.

7. In a yarn-changing device for knitting machines, a plurality of yarn guides, instru mentsmovable independently positively to render each of said yarn guides inoperative, in combination with needles and means having a cam element relatively fixed with respect to said needles for moving said instru ments alternately to move their yarn guides out of operation in two stages and for permitting said yarn guides to return to operation at later times. '5

8. In a' yarn-changing device. for knitting machines, a plurality of yarn guides, an instrument movable independently to render eah of said yarn guides inoperative, in combination with needles 'and means comprising cam devices relatively fixed with respect to said needles for moving said yarn guides alternately'with respect to the needles into and out of operation in two positions, the" intermediate stages of said incoming and outgoing movements being coincident, and operative positions with respect to some of said needles.

9. -In a knitting machine for knitting split tubular fabrics, the combination of needles including suture needles, means for positioning said suture needles at their yarntaking point differently from the remaining needles, and means for feeding yarn to and Withdrawing yarn from the series of needles beginning and ending at said suture needles,

10. In a knitting machine for knitting split tubular fabrics, ,the combination of needles including suture needles, and means for posi tioning said suture needles above the other needles at their yarn-taking point, in combination with means for entering and withdrawing yarns at said suture needles in two stages, the intermediate stage being such as to cause a normally positioned needle to failto take yarn.

11. In a-knitting machine,yarn-changing, yarn-feeding devices, a needle carrier and independent needles in series having operating butts of three'idifi'erent lengths, in com- 12 bination with means acting on the needle butts, forpositioning one series of said nee.- dles at the yarn-feeding devices difierently from .the other two series, to enable selective entrance and exit of exchanged yarns, 12 at said differently positioned needles. 7

1'12. The'combination in a circular knitting machine of "needles, a plurality of yarn with said suture needles to position them differently from the other needles at the yarn-taking point. 7

13. In a knitting machine, a plurality of yarn guides, instruments having freedom of movement in two dimensions in contact with 'each of sald yarn guides, means to move said instruments in one dimension to permit said guides to become operative and means to move said instruments in another dimension to alternately render one of said guides inoperative while another is operative.

14. In a knitting machine, a plurality of yarn guides, thrust bars, one in contact with each of said yarn guides, means to move said thrust bars in one dimension to permit said guides to become operative, and means to move said thrust bars in another dimension to alternately render one of said guides inoperative while another is operative, at each course.

15. In a knitting machine a series of needles, a plurality of yarn guides, bars hav: ing freedom of movement in two dimensions, in contact with each of said yarn guides, pattern devices to move each of said bars to permit said guides to become operative and cams relatively fixed with respect to .said needles to move said instruments in a direction lateral of said first mentioned movement to alternately render one of said guides inoperative while ative.

16. In a knitting machine, yarn guides, instruments having freedom of movement in two dimensions in contact with each of said yarn guides, means to move said instruments in one direction to permit said guides to become operative, and means comprising cams relatively fixed with respect to said needles to move said instruments laterally of said direction to alternately render one or more of said guides inoperative While another is operative to exchange yarns at a predetermined needle or needles in successive courses.

17. Ina knitting machine a series of needles, a series of movable ya ,guides, and instruments in contact therewit for rendering said yarn guides operative or inoperative independently of each other,-,in combination with means for independently moving each of said instruments in one direction for the actuation of its yarn guide, and

another is opermeans comprising cams relatively'fixed with ing each of said instruments laterally of said direction to determine actuation of its yarn guide with respect to .a predetermined part of said series of needles.-

18. In a knitting machine a plurality of yarn guides, each having a cam surface thereon, an instrument for each of said yarn guides, and means to move said instruments in the direction of their length to render their respective yarn guides inoperative, in combination with means for selectively moving each of the said instruments laterally against the said cam surface of its yarn guide at predetermined times to remove 76 said guide from an operative position.

19. In a knitting machine, a plurality of yarn guides, each having a cam surface thereon, an instrument for each yarn guide,

spaced from contact therewith when in one 80 position, means active when said instruments are in said position only to cause each of said instruments to move into contact with the cam-surface of and to actuate its yarn guide, in combination with devices acting at predetermined'times to move one or more of" said instrumentsindependently out of said position directly to contact with and actuate its yarn-guide.

20. In a circular knitting machine, a knitting head'having a rotating part, a plurality of yarn guides each having a cam surface thereon, a thrust bar for each yarn guide, spaced from contact therewith when in one position, means having a part rotating with said rotating element and a part in contact with oneof said thrustbars when said thrust bars are in said position only, to cause lateral movement of said thrust bar into contact with the cam surface of and to actuate its yarn guide,.in combination with devices acting at'predetermined times to move one or more of said thrust bars out of said position directly into contact with and to actuate its yarn guide.

21. In a circular knitting machine, needles, yarn guides, and means for rendering each of said yarn guides operative at a predetermined segment of said needles only, each of said segments comprising one or more suture needles common to an adjacent segment, in combination with means for 10- cally elongating the stitches at said suture needles.

22. The combination in a circular knitting machine of needles, yarn guides, and means for rendering each ofsaidyarn guides operative at a predetermined segment of said needles only during predetermined times, each of said segments comprising one or more suture needles common to an adjacent segment, in combination with means for 10- cally elongating the stitch at said suture needles, at said times, and for knitting a normal length of stitch thereat at other 126 respect to said needles for alternately movtimes.

said thrust bars in one direction to permit 13! said guides to become operative,1ugs on said bars at different points for each bar and 7 means in contact with said lugs in one .position of said bars independently to move said bars in another direction.

24. In 'a knitting machine, a plurality of yarn guides, a rotating needle carrier, thrust bars, one for contact with each of said yarn guides, means to move said thrust bars vertically to permit said guides to Become operative, lugs on said bars at different heights, levers in different vertical planes, and a cam rotating with the needle carrier to move each lever against one of said lugs to move a thrust bar laterally.

25. In a knitting machine, the combination with needles having butts of different lengths, of means for feeding yarn, stitch cams, and a top center cam having a lower apex and a cut-away portion, with a mount- 20 In testimony whereof, I have signed my 25 name to this specification in the presence of two subscribmg w1tnesses.

ROBERT SCOTT.

' Witnesses:

MARY F. GRIFFIN, Mnvo'r G. CROZIER.

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