US1189046A - Pattern mechanism for knitting-machines. - Google Patents

Description

G. P. BOSWORTH.

PATTERN MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, 1914.

1,189,046. Patented June 27,1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET I.

G. P. BOSWORTH.

PATTERN MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, 1914.

l 1 89,046 I Patented June '27, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- k rocket and ratchet loose on shaft,

G. P. BOSWORTH. PATTERN MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, 1914.

1, 1 89,046 Patented June 27, 1916.

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PATTERN MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, I9I4.

Patented J une 27, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE P. BOSWORTH, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 HEMPHILL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION nnonn ISLAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1916.

App1ication filed October 28, 1914. Serial No. 869,121.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. BoswoR'rH, citizen of the United States, residing at Central Falls, Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pattern Mechanism for Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide a pattern drum for knitting machines, which in addition to its step by step forward movement will have at times an oscillating movement.

One result which may be accomplished with a drum of this character is that the pattern may be repeated without using up the pattern surface of the drum to the extent that would be necessary should the drum in this repeating of the pattern be moved forward step by step. 'Any number of repeating actions maybe secured by oscillating the drum. As an example of what may be done with a pattern drum controlled in this way it may be mentioned that the yarn may be changed and alternation of colors introduced into the fabric, say a number of courses of white, then courses of black and then white thus producing a striped pattern,.or additional colors may be thrown in as desired. A

The invention is shown in connection with a stocking machine of this type well known as the Banner made under Letters Pat ent of the United States #933A43, September 7, 1909, though it will be understood that the invention is not limited in this respect as it may be embodied in machines of other types. I do not limit myself to the use of the invention to the formation of striped patterns as the drum moving step by step forward at times and oscillating at other times may be used for producing other variations, it being understood as above stated, that one object is to secure different pattern actions without usinging up the pattern surface ofthe drum.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of a stocking knitting machine of the Banner type with my invention shown in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the pattern drum and associated mechanism. Fig. 3 is a side view in the nature of a diagram of a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1; looking from the left and with parts of the mechanism in elevation. Fig. 4 is a detail view of parts shown in Fig. 3 and viewed from the same direction as Fig. 3 Fig. 5 shows links of the pattern chain.

In these drawings, the knitting head 1 and yarn fingers 2, with their operating wires 3 and levers 4, 5, 6 and 7 and pattern drum 8 fixed on the shaft 5', the ratchet wheel 6 also fixed on said shaft, the sprocket wheel 9 with its sprocket chain B and its ratchet c fixed thereto. but loose on the shaft 8, the pawl i for driving the ratchet 0, the pawl 71. for driving the ratchet e, the oscillating quadrant i carrying said pawls are all constructed'and arranged and substantially as in the Hemphill patent and the Banner machine. Further, the engagement of the pawl h with the ratchet e is controlled by a controller member h pivoted at k and having" a lug If to be engaged by lugs on the pattern chain B so that the tail h of saidcontroller will be lowered to allow the pawl it to engage the teeth of the ratchet ea and thereby turn the drum 8 one step forward. The sprocket wheel 9 with its chain B is moved one step forward in the arrow direction Fig. 3 for eachforward, left to right movement of-the quadrant i by the pawl 71 engaging thesratchet wheel 0 which as stated is-located on the shaft 3' but carries fixed thereto the sprocket wheel 9.

The pattern drum has projections thereon for performing various functions. As an example, it has projections or ribs 4', 5',"6, 7 for controlling the various levers 4, 5, 6 and 7 which are pivoted to the frameat 10 and have rearwardly extending arms Fig. 2 to which the yarn-finger operating wires 3 are attached. As the drum rotates step by step'these lugs or ribs are brought under and lift the forward ends of the levers 4, 5, 6 and 7 in proper predetermined order to control the raising and lowering of the yarn fingers, these feeding under tension of the springs 11 so that the yarns, will be changed as desired.- Fig. 1 shows that the projection 7 has come beneath the lever 7 and I 45 chine.

work, while on the other hand the projection or rib 5 has passed from under the lever 5 allowing this to fall onto the surface of the drum and therefore the yarn finger belong- 5 ing to this lever is lowered into working position and its yarn has been introduced into the fabric. Now supposing it is desired to reverse the position of these two yarn-fingers again. Under ordinary practice an additional projection or rib would be placed on the surface of the drum and this drum would be given another forward step movement and if a number of repeats of this pattern were desired a'forward step of the drum would have to be made for each change. With my invention this is avoided for it will be noticed that by moving the drum backward 2'. e. in a direction opposite to that of the arrow in Figs. 1 and 3, the pro ection 7 will be carried away from under. the lever 7 and the projection or rib 5' will be brought under and lift the lever 5 so that yarn belonging to lever 5 will be withdrawn and yarn belonging to lever 7 will be introduced and by 2 oscillating the drum back and forth these yarn fingers will be thrown into and out of work alternately. This action may be continued as long asthe pattern is to be repeated. For thus oscillating the pattern drum various means may be provided but in the particular construction shown I employ in addition to the-mechanism above described, which includes the pawl h* and ratchet e, a retracting pawl 12 to engage a ratchet tooth 13 on the speed changing cam p which is well known in the Banner machine and Hemphill patents, said cam being fixed to the shaft 8' which has the drum 8 fixed thereto as above stated. This retract- 49 ing pawl is connected with a lever 14 pivcam together with the pattern drum backward until the tooth 18 rides up on the cam portion 17 of the bracket 17, thus withdrawing the tooth 18 from the ratchet .tooth 13 which thus determines the point at which the backward movement of the pattern drum ceases, this movement however, being sufiificient to allow the lever 7 to fall by the with" ll'rawal of its pattern projection 7 and the lever 5 to ride up on the incline 5 and thus upon the top of thispattern lug or rib. The

positioning of the retracting pawl is automatically'controlled. This maybe done by various means but in the particular con struction shown I employ a controller 19 hav ng a laterally extending lug 20. This lows the retracting pawl to fall into the plane for engaging the ratchet tooth 13 for the backward movement of the pattern drum. The supplemental controller lever 22 is pivoted to the frame at 24: and its rear end lies under the retracting pawl 12. Its front end is borne upon by a pin 25 fixed to the controller 19. This controller 19 is pressed normally down by a spring 2 and it falls down under this spring pressure when the lug on the pattern .chain is moved from under it.

When it falls it presses down the forward end of the supplemental controller lever 22 and the rear end of this then lifts the retracting pawl 12 up so that it in its reciprocation will .not engage any projection which is on the speed changing cam 6 and no retraction of the drum will take place until the said retracting pawl is allowed to fall and as above stated the falling of this pawl is controlled by the lug 21 on the pattern chain controlling the controller 19.

Three of the links of the pattern chain are shown in Fig. 5. It will be observed that these links are those which control the oscillation of the drum. There may be more or less of these in the chain as described. Each of the links shown in Fig. 5 has three projections, two on one side and one on the other and these alternate in position with each other, one occuring first on one side of the chain and the next on the other side throughout the series employed for effecting nation; the former moving the pattern 'drum one step forward, while the pawl 12 retracts the drum one step backward, thus giving it the-oscillating movement as long as links such as are shown in Fig. 5 are passing these controllers.

It will be observed that the retracting action of the pawl '12 takes place on the forward left to right stroke of the quadrant '6 that is to say, the retracting movement takes place on the same direction of stroke of the quadrant on which the forward step movement of the drum takes place, for it will be observed that the pawl 72. pushes the drum forward while the quadrant is going from left to right and also that by reason of the use of the arm 16 and lever 14 the pawl 12 is retracted while the said quadrant is going from left to right and as the strokes of the mechanism shown, this objection is avoided.

While I have described the oscillation of the drum in connection with the yarn 'con-.

trolling levers 5 and 7 it will. be understood that other changes may be made by bringing into action the other levers in alternation, say for instance the levers 5 and 7 would alternate during the reciprocation of the drum, then the drum would be given a forward movement to bring into action the levers 4 and 6 and then the drum would be oscillated again to alternate the action of these yarn levers 4 and 6. This is an extension of the same principle involved in my invention and this would require placing on the cam 17 or other part which acts as a carrier therefore other ratchet teeth like the tooth 13.

The retracting pawl is drawn forward by a spring 26.

I show on the arm 16 a dog 16 'pivotally mounted and adapted to engage the projection 26 on the cam 37 as in my application #843,062 filed Junefl, 1914. By this as the oscilllating quardrant '5 moves backward, that is while the pawl 11* is performing its stroke the cam together with the shaft 8 is turned forward one step by the dog 16 acting on the projection 27 Fig. i and this movement may be utilized. for controlling desired functions of the machine such as regulating the order of picking as set forth in the application referred to. r

hat I claim is 1. In combination in a knitting machine, an oscillating quadrant for driving the rotary member thereof for reciprocating knitting, a pattern drum, devicescontrolled thereby to make changes in the knitting, a ratchet wheel coaxially arrangedwith and connected with the pattern drum to turn the same step by step forwardly, a pawl to engage and operate said ratchet wheel, said pawl being operated from the quadrant, a controller to determine the times of engagement of said pawl withthe ratchet, a pattern chain having projections acting on said controller, a carrier wheel for said chain coaxially arranged with the ratchet and drum, a pawl for retracting the pattern drum, a controller actuated by projections on said pattern chain alternating with the projections first mentioned and means for operating the pawls, substantially as described.

I 2. In combination in a knitting machine, a pattern member, devices controlled thereby to make changes in the knitting, a ratchet wheel connected with the pattern member to turn the same step by step forwardly, a pawl to engage and operate said ratchet wheel, a controller to determine the times of engagement of said pawl with the ratchet, a pattern chain having projections acting on said controller, a pawl for xretracting the pattern member, a, controller actuated by projections on said pattern chain alternating with the projections first mentioned and means for operating the pawls, said operating means consisting of an oscillating quadrant and a connection leading therefrom for driving the knitting head during reciprocating knitting, substantially as described.

3. In combination in a knitting machine, a rotary member of the knitting head,-an oscillating quadrant with connections for driving said rotary member for reciprocating knitting, a pattern member, means for driving the said pattern member forward stepby step by the movements of said quadrant, means for driving the pattern member backwardly by the movement of said quadrant and pattern means for de termining the times at which said quadrant will drive the pattern member, said pattern member after its backward movement resuming its forward step by step movement, and yarn fingers controlled by said pattern member to make stripes in the fabric by the backward movement of said member, substantially as described,

4. In combination in a knitting machine, a rotary member of the knitting head, an oscillating quadrant with connections for driving said rotary member for reciprocating knitting, a pattern member, means for driving the said pattern member forward step by step by the movements of saidquadrant, means for driving the pattern member backwardly by the movement of said quadrant and pattern means for determining the times at which said quadrant will drive the pattern member, both the forward and backward movement of the pattern member taking place on the same direction of stroke of the quadrant.

5. In combination in a knitting machine, a pattern member, an oscillating driving member for the rotary part of the machine, a pawl for driving the pattern member forward, a pawl for retracting the pattern member, the first mentioned pawl being connected to the said oscillating member directly, and means interposed between the quadrant and the second pawl for giving it a reverse movement to retract the pattern member, on the same direction of the quadrant movement as operated the first pawl, and means for controlling the pawls to make them operate in succession, substantially as described.

6. In combination in a knitting machine, a pattern member, an oscillating quadrant, a pawl connected with the quadrant for moving the pattern member on the forward stroke of the quadrant, a second pawl to re tract the pattern member, an arm on the quadrant shaft, a lever connected with the second pawl and operated by said arm as the quadrant moves forward and means c0ntrolling said pawls to render them active or inactive, substantially as described,

7 In combination in a knitting machine, a pattern member, an oscillating quadrant, means for giving said pattern member at times a forward movement as the quadrant swings forward, means for giving the pattern drum a backward movement at times when the quadrant moves forward, means for determining said times of operations and. means for giving a forward movement to the pattern member when the quadrant moves backwardly, substantially as described.

8. In combination in a knitting machine, a pattern member, a ratchet wheel coaxial with and connected with the pattern memher, a pawl for operating said ratchet wheel for giving it a step by step forward movement, a. pawl for retracting the pattern wheel, means for operating the said pawl,

a pattern chain, a carrier therefor coaxial.

GEORGE P. BOSWORTH. Witnesses: .i-

Jan/ms L. James, EDITH M. BROMLEY.-

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