US1577330A - Pattern-control means for warp knitting machines - Google Patents

Description

March 16,1926. r 1,577,330

G. W. LINDLEY PATTERN coN'rNoL MEANS Non wANP KNITTING MACHINES AFiled June a, 1923 3 Sheetssheet 1 ATTQRNEYS.

March 16 1926. 1,577,330

' G. w. I INDLEY PATTERN CONTROL MEANS FOR WARP KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 8, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y ZZ WITNISS: INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

March 16, 1926. 1,577,330

G. w. L lNDLEY PATTERN CONTROL MEANS FOR WARP KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 8. 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 1W LV null-M lll INVENTOR.-

WN I mi G6059@ Wanda?,

Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

^ UNITED cinoncin w.-L1NnLEY,-o`F PHILannLPHrA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PATTERN-CONTROL MEANS roawanr, KNITTING MAcINns.-

Application le'd June 8,

TofaZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. LINDLEY, acitizen. of the United States, residingat Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia 5 and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and? usefull Improvements in Pattern-Control Means for Warp Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification, `reference being hadv to the accompanying drawings Y My invention relates generally to knitting machines, and more particularly to that type known as warp knitting machines with two banks of opposed needles designed for production of ribbed fabrics; or, in other words, fabrics with similar, and therefore reversiblef'aces. l

In machines of the` type to which reference- -is made, stitch formation is effected banks, while pattern effects are predetermined by shifting of the thread guides (corresponding in number to that of the needles) 2 laterally, to different extent-s across the selective shifting of guides carrying yarns characterized either by differences in quality or color; kbut thev variety of pattern ell'ects obtainable with this arrangement is, as well l'mown to those skilled in the manufacture of knit wares, very limited inexten't.

The prime object of Vmy invention is to enhancethe utility of such machines beyond the limits heretofore imposed as above noted, so that greater choice may be had in pattern lor design composition, and.v to attain this desideratum without requiring any serious i or radical changes in the constructionof the machines.` The ends, to which attention has just.- been directed, I attain by provision of means whereby the opposed needle banks of the machine may be shifted longitudinally relative to each other as well as with. respect to, or in conjunction with the shifting` of the guides whereby the yarn is directed or fed to the needles, asa consequenceof which, pattern effects may be secured which werel impossible of attainment heretofor with' aid of automaticmeans. v

Other subsidiary objects, togetherV with their attendant advantages, will 4become readily apparent from-the detailed description which follows fof a typical embodiment of- Iny invention; while the appended claims fviexve to clearly defineA the scope of said nthrough vertical movement of the needle hooksof the needles, and also-by systematic 192s. serial No. 644,117.

vention in so far asv it comes within :ny-present knowledge. ,I 'i In the drawings, Fig/I is a front elevation of a knitting loom conveniently showing. the novel features of my invention.; 'Fig-II is a crossv sectional vView `ofthe structure taken as indicatedby the arrows II-II inFigI; ,Y g

III is a' view partly'in elevation and partly in section showingA the manner in .65 which the needle banks are mounted yand supported for relative shifting in accordance with my invention. f l

Fig. is a' fragmentary plan View, more or less dlagrammatically represented,V show- .70 in'g'the connections whereby the two op- Y posed needle banks are relatively vshifted to vary thepattern of the fabric produced by themachine; and Fig. V is a detail illustration, on an enlarged scalevof the mechanism for inducing and controlling the shifting of the needle banks as it appears when viewed from the right in Fig. I. l l

The machine herein illustrated can" at once be recognized as'being generally of standard construction, but it will'perhaps be best, by w way of introduction, to iirst briefly describe its essentials so that the relation of my in-` Y vention to them. may be better understood. .35 yIn* the draw-ings, the opposed needle banks y are comprehensively indicated at' 1, A2, each comprising a 'longitudinal angle barA 3 whereto" the needle blocks iy are removably Y secured in Vthe well knownv manner. 'The needle banks l, 2 are adapted forvvertical reciprfocati'on relative tofface lplates 5, 5 Y against which they slide, said plates being spaced apart asbest; shown in VFig; II to a'tl'ord an interspace 6 for passage of ,95 the knitted fabric conventionally indicated at F, v and complementarily inclined or sloped slightly to the vertical to `bring the needle hooks 7 into closer proximity. The

face plates- 5 are fiXedly secured atvOPPOsitc 1 00 ends, `to brackets 8 attached to, or'forming partspof theend members or standards 9 V,of kthe machine frame which fraineis otherwisey completed by] a series of longitudinal bars 10 extending between, andbolted 'c0105- said end members. It-eciprocatory vmovfekment is independently imparted to the needle banks 1,2 by cams 11 and 12 whichvare fixed 'upon a shaft 13 journalled' forvrotationffin appropriate .bearings `of the frameY end @w standards 9. These cams 11, 12 are pro- 'vided with appropriately configured face as shown so as to be non-rotative within guide brackets 22-23 which are bolted or otherwise secured in pairs to the inner sides of the frame ends 9, the respective brackets of each pair occupying tilted positions corresponding in inclination to the slope of said needle banks. The grooves of the cams 11,

. 12 are so allocated relatively as to determine alternative i'eciprocation of the needle banks 1 and 2 after approved practice informing the fabric loops or stitches and effecting the shedding of successive courses of the knitting over the tops of the face plates 5. The cani yshaft 13 derives its motion, through an interposed train of intermeshing spur gears 25 from the main shaft 26 which extends across the front of the machine at a height convenient for the operative and is provided with a hand wheel 27 whereby it may be manually actuated for the purpose of making any necessary incidental adjust-- ments when required. The main shaft 26 is, in practice, ordinarily driven by power either by pulley connection with al power shaft, or by a reducing gear connection for example with an electric motor, as may be found most convenient.

Yarn is directed to the' needles 1, v2 by individual feeds 30 of which there may be Several sets (two being shown in the present instance by way of example, see Fig. II) permitting use of differently colored or otherwise distinguishable yarns or threads as may be desired. The feeds 30, it will be noted, are secured in groups to Vbars 31 individual to the respective sets, said bars being slidable endwise under support of appropriate hangers 32 depending from an overhead rock'shaft 33 journalled in bearings 34 at the tops of the frame end mem bers 9, and. adapted to swing the feeds 30 bodily back and forth through the needles 1, 2 as the two series are successively presented to receive Vthe threads. Oscillation ofthe shaft 33 is effected through the medium of an arm 35 secured to its left hand end (Fig. I), which arm is coupled with a vertically disposed thrustY rod 36 arranged to be actuated by' a rotary cam 37 fixed upon the corresponding end Vof theV shaft 13. The feed bars 31V are given the lincidental shog which results in laying the threads alternatively crosswise of one or several of the needle hooks 7 (as the case may be) at a time in accordanceV with the i pattern or designdesired and previously def terinined upon. Control Vof the feed bars 31 is relegated after standard Vand accepted f practice, to individually' associated pattern chains 38trained about sprockets 39 that are upon a shaft 40 journalled in appropriate Y rIhe pattern crank levers 42, fiilcrumed for free rocking movement on a shaft 43 secured in' the Y brackets 41 aforesaid, andconnected, with capacity for adjustment, by meansof ydraft rods 44V respectively with the individual feed bars 31. The fabric F produced by the l machine and passing downward through the Y interspace 6 is redirected vover a guideroll 45 Vtoward a take-up mechanism 46 compris-V ing a succession of cooperative Vdraft roll- Y ers 47 which may be intermittently prof gressed through appropriate means (not shown) deriving motion from Vthe .main shaft 26. c Y

IVith assumption that the cooperation of the various instruinentalities constituting a standard form of straight frameknitting machine, sach as just outlined, to Vbe thor oughly understood, I-will nowproceed t0 describe in detail those features which are novel to my invention and whereby the here-V inbefore pointed out advantages 'may be secured. Y j

Attention is now directed more particularly to Figs. I and III of thedrawings wherefrom it will be observed that the longi tudinal angle bars 3 of the needle banks V1 and 2 are not directly' fixed'to their respective supporting slides 20, 21, but arecapabl'e of endwise shifting relative thereto by rea-V son of slotted connections at the ends of their horizontal flanges 50, as indicated at ,51, with cap screwsorbolts 5 2ftlireaded into said supporting slides. At these end regions,

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the anges 50 are reinforced; preferably both Y top.V and bottom by supplemental plates 53 and54 as shown. As ka consequenceof the afoi'edescribed mounting Vof the needle banks 1, 2,the same, it will be seen, may be shifted one relative to the other or in VVconcert depending upon the effect which is de'- with those made possible by manipulation ,c

of the yarn feeds 30. VThe means which I" employ to .actuate theneedle banks'1, 2 arc similar to lthose whereby the feed bars 31 arecontrolled and will Vbe4 best understood 'fromFigs I, III, IV V'and Vi Fixedrside'by side upon a shaft 55 journalled in bearings y 56 in the brackets 41 and located immediately below, and in line with the shaft of the feed bar actuating mechanism, are sprockets 57, 58 whereupon are hung chains 59, 60 with interposed cani links designed to induce rocking motion of bell crank levers 61, 62. These levers 61, 62 are supported by, and swing about a fixed aXis 63and their vertical arms have adjustable connection, as at 64, with draft rods 65, 66 whose opposite ends are in Vturn pivotally connected to the needle banks 1 and 2 preferably at, or near, the vlongitudinal centers of vsaid banks as shown at 67, 68 in Figs. I and IV. Lost motionrin the linkage connections is prevented by contractile springs 69, 70 in tension between the inner ends of the draft rods 65, 66 and fixed anchorages 71 on the left hand standard-'9 of the machine frame,l

said springs incidentally maintaining the anti-friction rollers 7 2 on the horizontal arms of the bell cranks 61, 62 at all times in engagement with the pattern chains '59, 60. The arrangement of the cam'links of the respective pattern chainsl 59, 60 controlling the needle banks 1, 2 can of course be varied at will so that the induced shogging of said banks may be relatively uniform, irregular or complex as desired. The sprocket shaft 55 is driven through a reducing bevel gear couple 73 from the cam shaft 13, see Fig. I, and motion is in turn imparted fro-m said sprocket shaft 55 to the sprocket shaft 40 of the feed control mechanism through a spur gear train 74 as best shown in Fig. V.V

The operation of my invention and its possibilities will be clearly apparent, from what has already been said, to skilled knitters without necessity for further description, but it is to be particularly noted that in addition to the advantages already pointed out, that my improvements may be readiy tively produced by them.

ly incorporated in standard existent ma-V chines, only very slight changes yand some few additions being required to this end.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a warp knitting machine, the combination of a plurality of needle banks, means for actuating said needle banks to form fabric stitches, and means for longitudinally shifting eachV needle bank relative to its support to effect selective transposition of the stitches of the knitting wales respec- 2. In aswarp knitting machine thecombination of a pair of opposed needle banks, means for actuating said needle banks to form` fabric stitches, and means for longitudinally shifting each needle bank relative to its support to effect selective transposition 4. In a warp knitting machine the combi-l nation cfa pair'of opposed needle banks, means for actuating saijd banks to produce fabric stitches, selectively shi'ftable feeds-for directing yarn to the needle banks, and

means whereby each said needle bank may be longitudinally shifted relative to thev Vof the stitches of the knitting wales respec-V other as well as with respectv to lthe yarn feeds aforesaid to eect selective transposition of stitches in the knittingwales respec-A tively produced by them simultaneously with manipulation of yarns.

5. In a' warp knitting machine the'combination of a vpair of opposed needle banks,

means'for reciprocating said needle banks to produce fabric stitches, and means whereby each said needle bank may be shifted at right anglesto'the direction of reciprocation to effect selective transposal of 'the fabric stitches in the wales respectively producedk by them. y

6. In a warp knitting machine the combination of a pair of opposed needle banks, means for actuating said banks to produce fabric stitches, and means whereby each said bank may be independently shifted longitudinally to effect selective transposal of the stitches in the knitting wales respectively produced by them, the lattermeans including individually"associated pattern chains, l'

and interposed connections whereby said banks are shiftedv in accordance with the i dictates of said pattern'chains.

7. In a warp knitting machinejthe combi-Q` nation of a pair of opposed needley banks,Y

mounting supports for said needle banks, means for reciprocating said mounting supports to vibrate the needle banks in order to produce fabric stitches, and connections be-V tween said needle banks and their vmou'ntiin".

ings for guiding the banks for longitudinal i movement relative to one another to effect selective transposal of the fabric stitches in the wales produced by them, andpattern control means for dictating the shifting of the needle banks.

- Ink testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my namey at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 5th day of June, 1923.

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