US1293743A - Knitting-machine. - Google Patents

Description

R. FISHER.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6. 1914.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

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R. FISHER.-

KNITTING MACHINE. I

- APPLICATION FILED IULY 6.1914. 1,293,743., Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

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KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED. JULY 6.1914.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

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- WITNESSES:

R. FISHER.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5,1914- 1,293,743. Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

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R. FISHER.

- KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6. I914.

Patented Feb-11, 1919*.

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RAYMOND FISHER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO HEMPHILL MANUFACTURING I COMPANY, OF IPAW'IUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND FISHER, a-

citizen of the United States, residing at Phil: adelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improve My invention maybe employed in co-nnection with any knitting machine adapted to reinforce a portion of the circumference'o-f a knit tube by including in that portion of the tube a thread which is not included in the other portion of the circumference of the tube. Ordinarily such reinforcing threads are floated throughout that portion of the circumference of the knit tube in which they are not embedded, and the floated portions of the threads are subsequently manually cut and removed from the tube; thus not only necessitating the extra operations of cutting and removing such threads but wasting all of the threads thus floated.

Therefore, it is the object of my invention to obviate the necessity of the'extra operations and also prevent the waste of thread aforesaid, and, this object is attained by providing such a knitting machine with mechanism whereby the reinforcing thread is cut, in each course, at the end .of the arc throughout [\VlIICh it is embedded in the knit tube; So that no portion of said reinforcing thread is floated, from needle to needle.

I have found it convenient to illustrate my invention in connection with the Banner full automatic hosiery machine made under the Letters Patent of the United States granted to Hemphill, No. 933,443, of 1909, wherein the needle cylinder is rotary and controlled by a pattern chain which is utilized to initiate and terminate the operation of my device as applied to that machine. However, it is to be understood that I do not desire to limit myself to such an embodiment of my invention.

My invention includes the various novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

n said drawings; Figure I is an elevation of a full automatic hosiery machine, with an embodiment of my invention adapted to be controlled by the pattern chain of said- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

Application filed. July 6, 1914. Serial No. 849,020.

machine, and including a special shear cam on the pattern shaft.

Fig. II is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of said machine,'showing the mechanism for actuating said pattern chain in definite relation to the rotation of the needle cylinder.

Fig. III is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of said machine showing the mechanism for actuating said shear cam.

Fig. IV is a fragmentary plan view of said machine.

. Fig. V is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of said machine, taken on the line V in Fig. IV.

Fig. VI is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of said machine taken on the line VI in Fig. IV. I

Said Figs. I to VI inclusive show said machine in position for circularly knitting the leg portion of a hosiery tube, with my invention in the inoperative position in which it is maintained except when reinforced fabric is being knit.

Fig. VII is a fragmentary plan view of said machine showing my invention in operative position. towhich it has been shifted by the operation of said pattern chain.

Fig. VIII is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of said machine taken on the line VIII in Fig. VII.

Fig. IX is a fragmentary elevation of the left hand side of said machine as shown in Fig. VII.

\ Fig X is a plan view of the hollow cylindriform shear member, which is the stationary member of the shearing device shown in the preceding figures.

Fig. XI is a front end view of sald stationary shear member which is the cutting blade of the shraring device.

Fig. XII is a perspective view of the movable cylindriform shear member which is complementary. to said hollow shear member and arranged to fit therein, and is the dull member of the shearing device shown in the preceding figures.

Fig. XIII is a fragmentary elevation to the same scale as Figs. IV to VI inclusive .but showing a modified form of shearing device wherein the position of the shear members is reversed; a cylindriform dull matic hosiery machine as are necessary to illustrate the application of my invention to that machine, including the rotary needle 1 cylinder 1 provided with needles 2 arranged to be operated by the cam cylinder 3, which is stationary on the machine frame 4. The main shaft 5 has, fast at its inner end, the bevel gear 6 engaging the bevel gear 7 on the lower end of said needle cylinder 1 as shown in Fig. IX. Said shaft 5 carries onits central enlargement 8 the clutch 9 which turns with said shaft but is keyed to slide thereon, when moved by the lever 12, so that said shaft may be alternately driven by the gears 13 and 14, both of which are normally loose on said shaft. Said gear 13 is fast on the sleeve 16 having on its outer end the usual tight and loose pulleys and an operating handle, and is the main driving gear. As shown in Fig. II said main driving gear 13 engages the crank gear 17 having the radially adjustable crank pin 18 pivotally' connected by the link 19 with the stud 20 on the arm 21of the sec- 1 toral gear 23 which is mounted to oscillate on the shaft 24 in said frame 4, and engages said gear 14 on the main shaft 5.

It is to be understood that the arrangement above described is such that when said shaft 5. is engaged by the clutch 9 with the main driving gear 13 they, and the needle cylinder 1, are continuously rotated, but

I when said shaft 5 is engaged by said clutch 9 with the gear 14 said shaft 5 and the needle cylinder are merely oscillated, to the extent determined by the radial position of the crank pin 18.

The form of my invention herein described is only operative when said shaft 5 is continuously rotated by engagement with said main driving gear 13. However, it is to be understood that such arrangement is only incidental to-the embodiment of my invention in the particular hosiery machine illustrated, and that my invention may be i therwise constructed or arranged.

-'in definite relation to themovement of the needle cylinder regardless of whether the tends loose through said chain ratchet wheel 28 is rotated, step by step, by the pawl 32, shown in Fig. III, which is also carried by said oscillatory sectoral gear 23. Said pawl 32 intermittently engages the cam ratchet 33 which is fast on said shaft 27, but said pawl is, normally upheld in the idle position, shown in Fig. III, by the oscillatory pawl holder 34 which is so weighted that it normally hangs in the position shown in Fig. III, but has the projection 35 adapted to be encountered by the high links 36, 37, 38 and 39 which are in the spaced relation on said chain 29 indicated in Fig. I. Said links swing said pawl holder 34 to the right, with reference to Fig. III, and thus permit the cam pawl 32 to engage said cam ratchet wheel. It is to be noted that each of said : links 36 and 38 only causes the pawl 32 to engage said cam ratchet 33 during one movement of said oscillatory gear 23 to the right, with reference to Fig. III, but as the link 38 is higher than the link 36 it causes said pawl 32 to give a greater turning movement to said pattern'shaft 27. The high links 37 and 39 on said pattern chain have steps at two different heights as shown so that they cause said pawl 32 to engage said cam ratchet 33 du: ing two movements of said oscillatory gear 23 toward the right in Fig. III. Said machine is so constructed and arranged as to knit a stocking tube of a pattern represented by the total length of s'aidchain 29 and including what is called a high splice" which is a remforced portion of said tube extending above the heel, and represented by the portion of said chain between said high links 36 and 37; a heel represented by the portion of said chain between said high links 37 and 38; a foot represented by the portion of said chain between said high links 38 and 39, and a toeand leg represented by the portion of said chain between said high links 39 and 36. Of course, said chain 29, which controls all of the automatic operation of said machine, includes numerous links other than the four above specified, but the other links are omitted because irrelevant to the present invention. As hereinafter described the present invention is operative only during those periods of the cycle of operation of the machine represented by the portion of the pattern chain between the high links 36 and 37 when the high splice reinforced knitting is done, and between the high links 38and 39, when the foot portion is knit with a reinforced sole.

Said machine employs siX threads in its complete cycle of operation of knitting hosiery tube, viz., one thread 41 for a garter top; two threads 42, together, for the leg, orbody of the hose; two threads 43, together, for the heel and toe, and one thread 45 for reinforcing the high splice and the sole.

Said six threads are shifted to and from operative relation with the needles 2 by four- 1 rods 56 with respective drum levers 57, ful- All of said threads are cut off, when they are to be idle, by the blade 67 (shown .in Figs. IVand VI) fulcrumed at 68 on the bracket plate 70 in shearing relation with the edge thereof. Said blade is pivotally connected by the link 71 with the cutter lever 72 which is fulcrumed at 73 and pivotally connected by the rod 75, the lever 76, and rod 78 with the cutter cam lever 79 which is fulcrumed at 80 on said frame 4 and held by the spring 81 in operative relation with the cutter cam 82 fastened on the pattern shaft 27.

Said threads are also held, when thus cut, by the clamp lever 83 (shown in Figs. IV, V and VI) fulcrumed at 84 on said bracket plate 70 and normally pressed downwardly, to clamp said threads, by the spring 85. Said clamp lever 83 is raised, to release the threads, by the arm 86 of said link 71.

Said thread cutting and clamping operations are eflected in the proper sequence to initiate and terminate the employment of said threads in the stocking tube, by the automatic operation of said pattern chain 29 and the cams on the pattern shaft 27 above described. However, my invention provides special shearing mechanism for the reinforcstationary position on said bearing plate 70 by the screw 91, as indicated in Fig. IV, and cotiperates with the movable cylindri form shear member 93 shown in Fig. XII which is without any cutting edge but is complementary to said shear member 88 and arranged to fit in the cylindriform surface 90 thereof, and has its tip 94 so constructed and arranged as to guide said thread 45 into proper position to be sheared bysaid members 88 and 93. Said movable shear member 93 is carried by the lever 96 which is fulcrumed in the support 97 which is stationary on the bracket plate 70, within the circle of needles 2. The arm 98 of said lever 96 is provided with the spring 99 tending to effect shearing movement thereof. Said shearing movement is normally prevented by the stop lever 100 which bears upon said shear lever arm 98 and is fulcrumed at 101 on the support 102 exterior to said needle cylinderl. Means arranged to trip said stop lever 100 and permit the operation of said shear lever 96, under the tension of said spring 99, include thetappet cam 104, shown in-dotted lines in Fig. IV, which is carried 'by said needle cylinder 1; being adjustably secured to the sinker head 105 bythe screw 106 which extends through the slot 107 in said cam. Said cam 104 is in operative relation with the tappet lever 109 which is fulcrumed at 110 on the frame 4 and pivotally connected by the link 111 with one arm of the bell crank lever 112 (best shown in Fig. IX) fulcrumed at 114 on said frame 4 andhaving its other arm pivotally connected with said stop lever 100, by the link 115 having a stud 116 at its upper end ongaging. the slot 117 in said lever 100 and supported for vertical reciprocation by the stud 119 extending through the slot 120 in said link 115, in engagement with said frame 4. It is to be understood that said link 115 121, carrying the thread guides and shearing mechanism above described, to be turned outwardly upon its pivot 122'in the frame 4 so as to afford free access to the needle cylinder, and release the sinker head cap 124, the movement of which is normally restricted by said bracket 121 extending between the set screws 125 on said cap.

It may be observed that the spring127 I which connects said link 111 with the frame 4, as shown in Fig. IX normally'tends to shift said tappet lever 109 into operative position with respect to said cam 104, but means are provided normally holdingsaid tappet lever out of operative position with respect to said cam 4, and in the inoperative positionshown in Fig. IV, during all of the cycle of operation of said machine when the reinforcing thread 45 is not in use. Such means include the slide bar 130 which is lever in operative relation with the shear cam 134 on said pattern shaft 27. Said shear cam has two projections, respectively corresponding with the two periods of operation of my device in the cycle of operation of said machine, and upon which said shear lever 131 rides to lower the slide bar 130 from the position shown in Fig. VI to the position shown in Fig. IX; the latter corresponding with the operative condition of my shearing mechanism, determined as above describedby the movement of the pattern chain 29,-in definite relation to the movement of the needles 2.

When said slide bar 130 isthus automatically lowered to render my shearingmechanism operative, saidspring 127 shifts the bell crank 112, and the parts connected there- .With, to the position shown in Fig. IX, thus bringing the tappet lever 109 into the path of the tappet cam 104 and raising the stop lever 100 and. releasing the shear lever 96 so that the spring 99 of the latter snaps the shear member 93 into contact with the shear member 88. Thereupon, the thread 45 being presented in operative engagement with the needles by the downward movement of the thread guide 50, and the loose end of said thread being drawn from under the clamp lever 83 said reinforcing thread 45 is embedded in the knit fabric tube 13.7 (indicated in Figs. VIII and XIV) at the point 138 and, said fabric being rotated with the needle cylinder 1 in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. XIV, said thread.45 is embedded in said fabric throughout that portion of the circumference of said tube comprised in the'arc from said point- 138 to the point 140, when said thread 45 emerges and is cut off by the automatic snap action of the shear member 93; such action being effected by the cam 104, carried by the needle cylinder 1,, thrusting the tappet lever 109 outwardly to the position shown in Fig. VII, thus lowering the stop lever 100 upon the arm 98 of the shear lever 96 and raising the latter until said cam 104 passes the free end of said lever 109, when, said lever being thrust inwardly by the spring 127, thestop lever 100 is again raised to release said shear lever 96 which is snapped by its spring 99' to cut the thread 45 adjacent the point 140 as shown in Fig. XIV. When said shear member 93 is thus made to cooperate with the shear member 88, it not only cuts said thread 45 on the edge 89 of said member 88 but holds the end remote from the fabric 137 clamped between the cylindriform surfaces of said shear members until the rotation of the needle cylinder again presents the point 138 in its circumference where the downward movement of the thread guide lever 50 for said reinforcing thread 45 reengagesthe latter with the needles. Thereupon, it is-necessary to release the end of said thread 45 clamped between the shear membersby thelast preceding shearing operation, and this is effected by the releasing cam 142 which is carried by the cylinder 1 diametrically opposite to the tappet earn 104 and is similar to the latter but of less radial ex-. tent, so that it merely separates the shear member 93 from the shear member 88 sufficiently to release the end of'said thread 45. In order to facilitate the manipulation of 'said thread 45 as above described I find itconvenient to direct it through eyelets in said stop lever 100 and shear lever 96 as indicated in Figs. IV to VIII inclusive.

Said reinforcing thread .45, is thus cut once during each of the courses of knitting when my invention is operative, but such operation leaves said thread 45 with two cut ends'emerging from said fabric 137 at shown in Fig. XIII the shear member 145,,

having the cutting edge 146, similar to the shear member 88 above described, is movable and carried by the shear lever 96, to and from cooperative relation with the shear member 147 which is heldstationary on the bracket plate 70, but is otherwise similar to the shear member 93 above described, except that it has no thread guiding tip; such a tip 149 being provided on the movable shear member 145, like't-he tip 94 of said shear member 93.

The circumferential extent of the fabric 137 wherein said reinforcing thread 45 is embedded is, of course, determined by the sequence of the movements of the thread guide 50 which alternately lowers and raises said thread to and from operative relation with the needles 2 and, of course, the axial extent of the reinforced portion of said fabric 137 is also determined by the operation of said thread guide 50, under the direct control of the elements carried by the pattern shaft and cooperative therewith as above described; the operation thereof being initiated and terminated by the move- -ment of the pattern chain 29.

However, such control is incidental tothe particular ploy the stop lever-100 in cooperation with the shear lever 96, without necessarily controlling said stop lever by the construction and arrangement above described. Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from my invention as defined in the r appended claims.

I claim 1. in a circular knitting machine, the

. combination with a needle cylinder provided with needles; of a cam cylinder arranged to operate said needles; a pattern shaft; thread guide cams on said pattern shaft; a shear cam on said pattern shaft; means arranged to operate said cylinder and pattern shaft in definite relation; movable thread guides, respectively for body thread and reinforcing thread, operatively connected with said guide cams; whereby a tube is knit from said body thread and said re inforcing thread is embedded in said tube for a portion of its circumference and withdrawn so as not to be embedded in said tube for the remainder of its circumference; means arranged to out said reinforcing thread where it emerges from said tube, including a stationary shear member; a movable shear member, complementary to said other shear member; a shear lever carrying said movable shear member; a spring engaging said shear lever, tending to effect shearing movement thereof; a stop lever normally preventing the shearing movement of said shear lever; means arranged to trip said stop lever and permit the operation of said shear lever, including a tappet cam carried by said needle cylinder and a tappet lever in operative relation with said cam; a spring normally tending to shift said tappet lever into operative relation with said tappet cam; means normally holding said tappet lever out of operative position, in-

cluding a slide bar; means arranged to shift said slide bar to and from its operative position, including a, slide lever, and a spring holding said slide lever in operative relation with said shear cam on said pattern shaft.

2. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a needle cylinder provided with needles; of a cam cylinder arranged to operate said needles; thread guide cams; a shear cam; means arranged to operate said needles and cams in definite relation; movable thread guides, respectively vfor body thread and reinforcing thread, operatively connected with said guide cams; whereby a tube is knit from said body thread and said reinforcing thread is embedded in said tube for a portlon of its circumference and Withdrawn so as not to be embedded in said tube for the remainder of its circumference; means arranged to out said reinforcing thread where it emerges from said tube, including a stationary shear member; a movable shear member, complementary to said other'shear member; a shear lever carrying said movable shear member; a spring engaging said shear lever, tending to effect shearing movement thereof; a stop lever normally preventing the shearing movement of said shear lever; means arranged to trip said stop lever and permit the operation of said shear lever, including a tappet cam carried by said needle cylinder and a tappet lever in operative relation with said cam; a spring normally tending to shift said tappet lever into operative relation with said tappet cam; means normally holding said tappet lever out of operative position, including a slide bar; means arranged to shift said slide bar to and from its operative position, including a slide lever, and a spring holding said slide lever in operative relation with said shear cam on said pattern shaft.

3. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a needle cylinder provided with needles; of a cam cylinder arranged to operate said needles; thread guide cams; a shear cam; means arranged to operate said needles and cams in definite relation; movable thread guides, respectively for body thread and reinforcing thread, operatively connected with said guide cams; whereby a tube is knit from said body thread and said reinforcing thread is embedded in said tube for a portion of its circumference and withdrawn so as not to be embedded in said tube for the remainder of its circumference; means arranged to out said reinforc ng thread, where it emerges from said tube, 1ncluding a stationary shear member; a movable shear member, complementary to said other shear member; a shear lever carrying said'movableshear member; a spring engaging said shear lever, tendlng to effect shearing movement thereof; a stop lever normally preventing the shearlng movement of said shear lever; meansarranged to trip said stop lever and permit the operation of said shear lever, including a tappet cam carried by said needle cylinder and a tappet lever in operative relation with said cam; a spring normally tending to shift said tappet lever into operative relation with said tappet cam; means normally holding said tappet lever out of operative position, including a slide bar; and

guides, respectively for body thread and reinforcing thread; and means arranged to operate said needles and guides in definite relation; whereby a fabric is knit from said body thread and said reinforcing thread is embedded in said fabric for a portion of its extent and Withdrawn so as not to be embedded in said tube'for another portion of its extent; means arranged to out said reinforcing thread Where it emerges from said fabric, including a stationary shear member; a movable shear member, complementary to said stationary shear member, a shear lever carrying said movable shear member, and a spring engaging said shear lever, tending to effect shearingmovement thereof; a stop lever normally preventing the shearing movement of said shear lever; means arranged to trip said stop lever and permit the operation of said shear lever, including a tappet cam and a tappet lever in operative relation with said cam; a spring normally tending to shift said tappet lever into operative relation With said tappet cam; means normally holding said tappet lever out of operative position, including a slide bar; and means arranged'to operate said cam bar in definit relation to the operation of said needles.

5. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles; of movable thread guides, respectively for body thread andreinforcing thread; and means arranged to operate said needles and guides in definite relation; whereby a fabric is knit from said body thread and said reinforcing thread is embedded in said fabric for a portion of its extent and Withdrawn so as not to be embedded in said tube for another portion of its extent; means arranged to cut said reinforcing thread Where it emerges from said fabric, including a stationary shear member, a movable shear member, complementary to sald statlonary shear member, a

said needles.

shear lever carrying said movable shear member, and a spring engaging said shear lever, tending to effect shearing movement thereof; means arranged to operate said shear lever, including a tappet cam, a tappet lever in operative .relation With said cam, and a spring normally tending to shift said tappet lever intooperative relation With said tappet cam; means normally holding said tappet lever out of operative position,-

tion of its extent; means arranged to out said reinforcing thread Where it emerges from said fabric, including a stationary shear member, a movable shear. member, compleand means arranged to operate said movable to be embedded in said tube for anoth r por mentary to said stationary shear member,

shear member in definite relation tothe operation ofsaid needles and guides, including a tappet cam, a tappet lever in operative relation Withsaid cam, and a spring normally tending to shift said tappet lever into operative relation with said tappet cam;means normally holding said tappet lever out of operative position, including a slide bar; and means arranged to operate said cam and bar in definite relation to the operation of In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this third day of July, 1914.

RAYMOND FISHER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES HARRISON, FRANK REUTHER.

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