US1636409A - Yarn-control mechanism - Google Patents

Description

t 19 1927. v 1.636409 July w. P. DRUMHELLER YARN CONTROL MECHAISM Filed Sept. 25. 1924 5 Sheetl-Shet 1 B867 S8 Y Y wvl 1,636,409 July 19 1927 ,w. P. DRUMHELLER l YARN CONTROL MECHAISM Filed Sept. 23, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1,636,409 July 19 19.27" w.,P. DRUMHELLER YARN CONTROLv MECHANISM Filed sept. 23, 1924 5 sheets-'Sheet 3 m 3. N 2 I n m Q5 9) l //lll||\\\\\ l' mul-'fm 1 d Inl m i I 'l I 3 )g 1,636,409 my 19 1927 w.-P. DRUMHELLER YARN CONTROL MECHANISM' Filed Sept. 23 1924 5 sheets-sheet `4 Patented July 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM P. DRUMHELLER, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE WILLIAM CARTER COMPANY, OF 'NEEDHAM HEIGHTS, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORn PORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

YARN-CONTROL MECHANISM.

Application filed September 23, 1924. Serial No. 739,326.

This invention relates to yarn control for knitting machines, and more particularly to improved means for effecting a positive, controlled feed of the yarn or yarns to the Y needles of the machine, or to the needles and the immediately cooperating instrumentalities thereof, and in suc-h a manner as to prevent press-offs in the event of yarn breakage or exhaustion.

il In the accompanying drawings disclosing one embodiment of my invention Fig. l is a front elevation of the central and left portions of a circular knitting inachine, shown as of the dial type, having my l invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view taken from above the entire mechanism, with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the machine, showing the yarn feedfft ing means and the upper stop motion head related thereto;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of one set of feed wheels or rolls and closely associated parts;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken through a set of feed wheels or rolls such as shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a portion of a yarn guiding and stop motion actuating Si# mechanism associated with each set of feed.

rolls or wheels;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are partially diagrammatic views indicating the operation of the mechanism and the relation of the positive 3f) feed to the stop motion and the let-olf mechanism in preventing press-offs in the event of yarn failure or breakage;

Fig. 10 is a plan view, partially diagrammatic, upon a smaller scale than Fig. 2.

My invention may be applied to any desii-ed type of knitting machine as, tor example, either straight or rotary, and with the latter type it may be employed with a rotated needle cylinder or rotated cam cylindei. l have chosen to represent the invention as applied to a circular type of knitting machine having a rotated needle cylinder and a fiat dial. i I desire it to be understood. that my invention is not limited to the disthe circular type having a plurality of yarn feeds and with circular machines of the rib type.

closed or any other particular type of ma-` chine. although peculiarly cooperating with This application is a continuation as to certain common subject matter of my copending application, Serial No. 633,140, filed 'April 19, 1923, now Patent #1,512,89L'dated October 21, 1924.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1 the bed plate of the machine is there indicated at 1 and is supported upon suitable uprights 2 extending' from a base 3. The cam cylinder is indicated as a whole at 4 and the dial plate at 5. From said dial plate there is upstanding a central stationary support 6 extending through a cross head 7, itself supported from the bed plate 1 by suitable posts 8, 9.

From said bed plate there extends upwardly at the right in Fig. 1 a bracket 10 having an inwardly curved upper portion 11 at the inner end of which is supported a collar 12 in which is received and secured a central stationary upright 13 which at its lower end supports a portion of one stop mechanism indicated generally at 14.

Said stop motion 14, which will be hereinafter referred to as the lower stop motion,

includes an upper ring or disc-like member so 15, an intermediate ring 16 below said meinber 15 and having pivoted therein a number of vibratory members 1 7 provided with counter weights 18, the number of said vibratory members corresponding to the number of yarns or threads supplied to the needles. Below the intermediate ring 16 is a ring 19 over which the various yarns pass, being guided through the eyes 20, 21 of the pivoted vibratory members 17. Below said ring 19 is desirably positioned another ring 19LPL over which the yarns pass and thence directly to the needles of the machine which are a relatively short distance therefrom, passing first through guides 19, one for each yarn. i

The central upright 13 carries at an intermediate point a disc-like member 22 from which extend supports for the individual yarn packages here shown as rods 23 extending' substantially radially and downwardly and terminating suitably to support each a yarn package 24 equalling in number the number of yarns or threads to he supplied to the knitting mechanism.

Above said member 22 there is secured to the central upright 13 a stationary head or 1 casing` 25, seen in Fig. 1 and upon. larger scale in Fig. 3. and illustrated as somewhat conical in form at its upper portion and of a depth sufficient to receive a portion of the driving mechanism for the positive yarn feeding means andv also to receive in its lower port-ion suitable stop mechanism, hereinafter referred to as the upper stop mechanism and which may be of any well known form. Upon its upper surface said head or casing is formed with a bearing 26 through which extends a horizontal shaft 27. Said shaft is supportedv at its outer end in a bearing 28 upon a bracket 29 carried at the upper endy of a vertical rod or upright 30 rising from a bracket 31 itself supported on the machine framing.

rllhe main drive shaft of the machine is indicated at 32 and has thereon fast and loose pulleys 33', 34 and a=tits inner end a bevel pinion 35 by means of which the needle cylind'er is rotated. Suitable let-olf mechanism is indicated'as a whole at 33n the same including a shiftable belt-fork 33"-and operating levers 33C, 33d adapted to be actuated Vto shift the belt through suitable connections, including the chain 33e.

Driven from said main drive shaft 32 through suitable connections, not necessary to indicate herein, is a vertical shaft 36 at the upper end of which, at the upper left portion of Fig. l, is fast-a bevelV pinion 37, indicated by dotted lines, and meshing with a similar pinion 3S-fast at the outer endv of the horizontal shaft 27 already mentioned and which is thereby rotated at a suitable speed. f

At `the inner ond of said horizontal shaft 27, Within the head 25, isfast a bevel pinion 39 seen in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and which meshes with teeth upon the upper face of aplate gear 4l rotatably supported upon the upright 13 within the casing 25. Said plate gear is formed upon its-lower face near its outer edge with an'annular series of teeth 45 which mesh with Vand drive a series of bevel pinions-46, indicated in dotted lines in Fig.

2.` Said pinions 46, corresponding in number to the number of yarns or threads fed to the machine and henceV tothe number of yarn or thread packages 24. Vare arranged in a circular series, each being supported upon `the inner end of al substantially radial horizontal shaft 47 extending upwardly through the head or casing 25 andprovided with suitable be'arings therein. Each of said shafts 47 extendsoutwardly through a bracket 49, Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 10, suitably supported as by meai'is of afixed stud or rod 50. Each stud or rod 50 lies in substantial parallelism with its shaft 47 and' at its inner end is secured as by a set screw 52 inthe liead creasing 25 or an extension thereof.

Upon the outer end of each shaft 47 beyond its bracket 49 is fast one feed roll or Wheel 53 of a set of such rolls or Wheels.

their length with the teeth or flutes 55 of aV similar lower roll or wheel 56. As shown, the mesh is somewhat deeper at the larger diainetered ends of the rolls. Said lower roll or wheel 56-is rotatably mounted upon a stud shaft 57 carried at the outer end of an arm 58, see Fig. 4, of a bell crank 59 itself pivoted at 60 upon the bracket 49 and having an arm 6l extending upwardly in general parallelism with saidbracket 49. At its upper end said arm 61-receives a pin 63 supported at its inner end in the bracket 49. The outer end of said pin 63 is screw threaded to receive an adjusting nut 64 and a lock nut 65 by means of which the positionof the vbell crank 59 and the roll or wheel 56 may be very accurately determined and in this inanner the longitudinal .extent and the depth of meshing of the roll 56 and the roll 53 accurately controlled. A coil spring 66 bearing intermediate the bracket 49 and the arm 6l of the bell crank tends to move said arm 671 outwardly.

Above the roll 53 is provided, in thepresp-` ent foi-iii of my invention, a third -leed rolli or wheel 67 having Ateeth or flutes v63V and mounted for Natation from or by the roll 53. The teeth vor flutesof said roll 67 mesh with Uit".

those of said roll 53 siinilziufly as do the teeth or flutes 55 of the lower roll 56. Said upper roll 67 is adjustably supported in amanner similar to said lower roll, being loosely mounted upona stud 69 at the outer end of lli) one arm 79 of a bell crank 71 pivoted as at Y 72 upon the bracket 49. The other arm`73 of said bcll crank extends downwardly and at its lower end isprovidcd with an opening through which passes they nin 74 siuliportcd at its inner end by the bracket 49. At its outer end said piu 7 4 is threaded to receive an adj listing` nut 75 and a' lock nut 76 wherebv kthe meshing relation of the upper roll 67 and the roll 53 may beaccuratelv controlled, A coil spring 77 similar to the springr 66 tends to move the arin 73 out-- wardly. The upper and the lower rolls or wheels are thus positively rotated from or by the central roll' 53, herein through the teethl or flutes upon said members. but if desired'separate pinions may be. provided for that purpose.

The respective sets of feed rolls or wheels are supported at a relatively kshort distance' :ipzaceii laterally .from euch line. ra clearly eeen in fiig. lli. erich eet oil' 'lced wheele er rolle herein, but not necesieiiriiy, lice to one eide elz inzinner that the yarn uuiy he introduced lietween the whcele or rolleA in :i interni. direction. il" dei-dried, :ind :is shown in Figc. l

l ur i provide u serien olf erols To oroj r; holly troni the central support i?, 1i terminating in ou eye or guide il) @instituting ii linot catcher hul. oil e nent eine it pmnit the ready passage or the lhreud or yarn wiih eiilllcient li'eedoin to oilow for the ballooning' o1' lateral inotion thereoi. leid eye or opming :it the .nd el" un erin i ilcnnfiilily is iteclll directly in line verl'icziliy with the. olif its yzirn pzuloigc :ind accordingly eoiiiewhfit laterally spaced 'frein the corrcepondiny or reed whceliii.

intermediate the eye or guide oiE czicli :irri itl ond. the positive feeding; nenne, iieiei tlile c-.ii responding sit el leed rolle or wheelsV l provide ineens for d A .l fariooly guiding :im to :seid positivel lfeeding;1 ineens and -lor iilictii'iei the action olli e. Sten motion, herei contained in the lower portion of the -1 l 2), upon exhaustion oi the yarn. or

liege there/ol 1eetween the yarn package the iissocirited positive feeding ineens. Aceoriinejly, es heet seen in Figs. l, 3 and el, ,i is adjustehly mounted et the lower end of the bracket i9 or in an extension A49* thereoll i sleeve-like n'ieinlier 8O constituting :i hearing for :i rock Shaft er wire 8l forinine part of the trip mechanism which is adapted to control or initiate the action olf the intcrnfil mechanism oit the Stop motion within seid casing it ite outer end erich `euch rock w'rc 8l is 'formed with e inger 8f3 which, when the yarn 'feeding' noi'ii'ielly1 is in. upright position l cocpereres with :i iired ringer 88 exl'cni. nu. niiwzirdly lfroin Seid Sleeve 8th mid lingers together constituting in their noi-uml position en eye or guifdezilor the ya 'n pissing to the poeitive 'feeding` ineens Such mi the wheels or rolls herein Shown.

The `vorn `niidinrej 'portions` oi" seid lingers tzlfl. Sil :ire positioned relatively close to the luffjlit or neehing line oli the feed rolls or 5G und so that the yarn l'i'oin the Pei eclion through Suid lingers and directly lo Seid feed nicnihers. Y

iiifio Seid lingers SP3 are erljusiwrhlc, herein in@nruilllv` so or to permit their yarn lli portion@l to he sh"ted along' the eine; line. oli' the feed ineinhers 35i 56, y looseninir the clamp screw 80% and fil, pro-vided :for holding each sleeve-like member .in adjusted position in ite hifzicliei ell?, :mid n'ieiiihci.' o() and the. lingers er., #lil cairried ti'ierccy niziy loc eiiilleiil to eilfccl ihe dc- :iei'i'ced udpietnien't.

AS well :ihowu iu flfig. il :ind ziirio in itil,I l and o? cach rochV wire Hl :it ils inner end Supported 'fo rocking uiovenicn. iii i muitzihle hrzicliet 2" (.lependingg; troni the heed or casing' 25.

Neer iti-i inner end Seid roch wire Si hito fixed to il u teleur-c iiog'er Hl," lowing :i portion Sil' efdeiiduiir in e Santini parallelism with rii-l 'rock wire. timid releasie linger Si when ir. iioiu'uil position. sui'inorts the outer end rlflior a suitably weighted drop linger or like trip nienilicr o5 the letter lining' plv ohily Supported within the koning or hood d cooperating; in zi wel] lmowu manner with the slop niechzmisnu therein 'Lo cause the :mire io uct to opcrue the loll-oli niechunien'l Y top the niiichine.

the Support of the trip ineinher which .l i

ine' the inechanisin within the heed 25 so es to trip the Seine :ind causing or allowing t ie let-otl mechanism to ope "alle 'to Shirt the heilt freni the iiziet to the loose pulley und lso to :ippij zi. hrzile il provided.

riny suitable connections may he provir` ed `intei'inediiitc the `iipper stop inotion in the head 25 and the lent-off incchoniein whereby the heit lorl; 33" may he niovcd to stop the niecliin As best eeen in liire. 8 and Si,

partially dizigrznnineticiilly, Sind connectionf include ii inovzihle pin Se which is; cruised 'to move iziterzilly, .fiewing'g Fig'. S, in the known nimmer, when the upper stop inecl'ienisui, in the head 9.5, is tripped. Seid pin 86 carries et its lower end :in miti'iudly projecting iinger 8T cooperating with :L lug' 88 feet :it the ripper end ol e. rod or mit Si) rotertixlily Supported in e suitable hearing; 90 carried hy the inochine training. illoveinent of said pin Se will produce turning1 movement oi mid rod Si) thereby 1:Lueing the linger (Jl. :it the lower end oi the letter lio he moved out ol the path ol,I the stud 92 carried hy the rotrite-ble cern DE, thue leaving seid cmu 'free to turn upon its pivot 94.

Cooperating with Seid com ie. ai verticzdly nioveblc stop 95 Supported in. :i Suiteliie hreclie` 9G und ueseed upwardly by a. coil spring; 9T hearing; hetw-een ii. Shoulder oi eziid Stop rneinher 95 and the lower portion ol Seid bracket 96. At its lower end seid stop nien'iherr 95 is iforineiil :is :fr rod 98 projectingl below the bed plete l and having Secured et iii.

(iii

its lower end an arm 99. `lhen the rod 98 is moved upwardly by the spring 97 the inner end of said arm 99 comes within the path of a series of pins, one of which is indicated at 100 in Fig. S) near the periphery of the gear 101 for actuating vthe needle cylinder. At its opposite end said arm 99 has secured thereto the inner end of the chain or like member already described and whereby the lever 33d may be moved to shift the belt, see Fig. 1. y

Referring to Fig. '7, the yarn 102 from any given package 2/1 leads upward through the corresponding guide T9, thence upwardly and .laterally through the combined variable yarn guid' i' and sto p motion actuating means 62, S3, and thencerlaterallv in'substantially a horizontal direction between the lower feed rolls or wheels 56 and 53. At the side of said rolls opposite to said means 82, 83 is preferably provided a yarn guide 105, see also Figs. 3 and e, adjustably supported on the extension 119 of the bracket 49 so as to be shifta ble, herein manually, along the bight of said rolls and similarly as the combined guiding` and stop- motion actuating mians 82, 83 is adjustable, Said guide, as illustrated, has a slotted portion 106 through which passes a clamp screw by loosening which said guide may be adjusted longitudinally and vertically as desired;

lifter juif-:sing through said adjustable guide 105 the yarn 102 is thenr led between the upper feed rolls or wheels 53 and 67, and thoncep i. c-i'ably through another adjustable guiiflc 10T siniilarly supported upon the bracket alf) as said guide 105 so as to be shiftablc manu; lly along the bight of said rolls. rllllieucc the yarn 102,' positively fed at vai-iable speeds by said set of wheels or rolls, extends upwardly over the upper guideI or tensionV arm 108 suitably supported at the upper end of the central upright 13 and whence it passes downwardly, tlirough a guide 100 .if desired to the lower stop mech-- anti fiready described.

Because of the provision, intermediate each yarn package and the ypositive feeding means pertaining thereto, of means for initiating the operation of a stop mechanism in `the event of' failure or exhaustion of the yarn, or breakage therein between the points mentioned,`the over-all height of the machine may be materially reduced. Ordinarily the upper yarn guide or tension arm,

such as the member 108 herein, must be located at a comparatively great distance above the feed means, generally at least three feet, in order to provide sufficient length of yarn between the feed means and the needles to tend to prevent a press-oil of the yarn in the event of yarn exhaustion or i breakage. Such excess height of the machine, in addition to decreasing its compaotness, adds to the cost of manufacture A mately one half.

and makes the upper parts of the machine less easily accessible to the operative.. By the .disclosed provision of means adjacent the positive yarn feeding means. and'preferably between the latter and the yarn package, for initiatingI the operation of mechanism for stopping the machine the height of said upper guide and consequently the length of yarn necessary between the feeding means and the needles may be reduced by approxi- Since the stopping of the machine is initiated by the movement of a member, herein the combined yarn guiding and drop wire 82 before the run-out or broken yarn end reaches the feeding means, thc machine will stop before such end reaches the needles, or even reaches the lower stop mechanism disclosed, and in some instances before such end has passed the feed means.

From the foregoing it will be understood that my invention provides a combined positive variable yarn feeding and press-off preventingl mechanism including means for variably, positively feeding the yarn, adjustable means for guiding the yarn thereto and means adjacent or forming part of said guidingl means for initiating the stopping of the knitting machine before a broken or exhausted yarn end has appreciably passed said Vfeeding means thereby preventing press-Offs and decreasing by at least one-half the length of yarn necessary between said feeding means and the needles. y

lily invention is not limited to the illustrative embodiment thereof disclosed.

Claims:

1. ln a knitting mechanism including one or more yarn packages corresponding in number to the number of yarns to be supplied, knitting instrunientalities to whichv said linger operativelyconnected with sai-dV stop motion and normally maintained in inoperative position during proper feeding of the yarn but movable to initiate the action of said stop motion in response to failure of the yarn or breakage thereof at a point between the package and said feedwheels or rolls, and a normally stationary llinger cooperatinp; with said movable linger to guide the yarn to said feed wheels or rolls, the yarn guiding portions of said lingers being adjustablev to vary the point of fed of the yarn with respect to said feed wheels or rolls thereby to vary the rate of yarn feed.

2. 1n a knitting mechanism including one or more yarn( packages corresponding in meV lll)

positive feeding means, and whereby the over-all height of the knitting machine may be materially reduced.

9. A combined positive yarn feed and press-off preventing mechanism forknitting machin-es comprising in combination, in a knitting organization, means to support one yarn at said feeding means, said guidingdevice constituting also a movable part for initiating the action of a stop motion upon exhaustion of the yarn or breakage thereof between said package and said positive feeding means. A 10.` In a. knitting organization including a. source of yarn supply, knitting instrumentalities to which said yarn is to be fed, mecln vanism for operating said instrumentalities. and a stop motion for stopping said mechanism, the combination of a set of toothed, intermeshing, driven feed rolls for positively feeding the yarn, and means close to said feed rolls `for initiating the action of the stop motion and normally functioning as a guide for the yarn and h-eld out oi' mecha.- iiism stopping position by the yarn during proper yarn feeding, whereby the overall height of the knitting organization may be materially reduced without danger of the occurrence of a press-off of the "Yarn inthe event of yarn exhaustion or brea age on the way to or upon emergence from saidfeed rolls.

1l. In a knitting organization including a. source of yarn supply, knitting instrumentalities to which said yarn is to be fed. mechanism for operating said instrumentalities,

and a stop motion for stopping said mechanism, `the combination of a set of toothed,

`driven feed rolls for positively feeding the yarn, and means close to said feed rolls and mechanically supported in the knitting or ga-iiization, for initiating the action of the stop motion and normally functioning as a. guide 'for the yarn and Vheld out of mecha.-

' nism stopping position by the yarn during proper vyarn feeding, whereby the overall height of the knitting organization may be materially reduced` without danger of a press-off of the yarn in the event of yarn exhaustion or breakage on the way to or upon emergence from 4said feed rolls.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM P. nnUMHnL-Lnn.

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