US1805000A - Knitting machine - Google Patents

Description

May 12, 1931. M. c. MILLER KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 7, 1924 LVVE/VTOK W MM 7 Patented May 12, 1931 PATENT OFFICE MAX C. MILLER, 01 CUMBERLAND, RHODE ISLAND KNITTING MACHINE Application filed April 7,

The invention relates to knitting machines and more particularly to means for feeding or presenting the yarn to the needles in such manner as to produce plated fabric, that is, fabric in which the face is of one color or character of yarn while the back is of another color or character of yarn.

The invention provides simple and positively acting plating devices Which ensure accurate and uniform plating and which are also well adapted for the production of accurate and clear design plating. While not confined in its application thereto, the invention is particularly well adapted for spring 16 needle machines and will be further explained in connection with its application to a machine of this type. I

In accordance with this application or embodiment of the invention, two yarns are fed to devices which determine their relative positions, one above the other, when engaged by the sinkers which sink them between the needles while held in the relation determined by the positioning devices. To minimize the reeving of the yarns over the positionin devices as well as over the sinkers, it is esirable that the sinkers successively and progressively sink the yarns as they are laid in position one above the other across the needles by the yarn feeding guides and positioning devices and this is a feature of the invention.

To prevent rolling of the yarns in the hooks of the needles after. having been properly positioned and sunk which would result in reversing the correct plating action, the invention contemplates the use of a spring needle having its beard and shank relatively arranged to prevent such displacement of the yarns. This result is secured by arranging the front line of the shank from the eye to the hook parallel to the needle action and also parallel to the line of the beard from the beard bulge to the hook and separated therefrom by a space small enough to prevent one yarn rolling over, the other. The parallehsm is important in that it avoids the release of the tension on the yarn between the needles and sinkers as the needle draws 6 down which would otherwise occur and which would be likely to interfere with the accuracy of the plating action, articularly in design plating wherein the re ative positions of the yarns are reversed at different points in the knitting.

In the drawings an embodiment of the invention is illustrated somewhat diagrammatically applied to a circular spring needle machine of that type in which the needles are independently and successively reciprocated and in which independently reciprocating and progressively acting sinkers, pressers and web holders cooperate with the needles. Figure 1 is a dia ammatic plan view of the yarn guides and nitting elements; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic elevation corresponding to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of so much of the machine as is necessary to illustrate the application of the present invention thereto; Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are views on lines 44, 5-5, 66 and 77, respectively, of Figs. 1 and 2, showing the positions of the parts at different points in the knitting; Fig. 8 shows on an enlarged scale a piece of design knitted fabric having a one and one stripe; Fi 9 is a detail view of one of the needles and Tig. 10 is a detail perspective view on an enlarged scale of a preferred form of sinker.

The machine illustrated is provided with a rotary needle cylinder grooved in the usual manner for the spring needles 2 and is also provided with pressers 3, web holders 4 and sinkers 5 carried by the dial 6 which is -se cured to the upper end of the needle cylinder. A sinker cam ring 7 mounted above the sinkers is held from rotation in the usual manner and carries the cams for advancin and retracting the web holders, pressers an sinkers. For a more complete disclosure of this mechanism, reference may be had to the inventors application Serial No. 631,071, filed April 10, 1923, showing a similar arrangement of the web holders, pressers and sinkers, and further illustrating successive steps in the cooperative movements of these parts in knitting yarn into the fabric loops. The patent to Swinglehurst No. 1,151,418, dated August 24, 1915, provides a disclosure in the prior art of separate web holder, sinker 100 and presser elements cooperating with the spring beard needles, and cams for operating these elements which would indicate to one skilled in the art the manner in which cams for operating these elements could be readily mounted in the machine. A stationary bed plate 8 is supported above the needle cyliner by rods 9 and a gear 10 is mounted on the bed plate and is driven in unison with the needle cylinder. A depending cylinder 11 is secured to the gear and is grooved to carry and guide a series of vertically movable yarn controllers. For a more detailed description of the construction and arrangement of the depending cylinder and its actuating mechanism, reference may be had to the British patents to Bevins et al., No. 300,067, complete s ecification accepted November 8, 1928 and piers, No. 252,987, accepted June 10, 1926, which disclose substantially the construc tion of the present application. The controllers are in the form of slides 12 mounted in the grooves to normally slide parallel with the needles and are provided with butts 13 adapted to be acted upon by cams 14 and 15 which are supported from the cam ring 7. Spring bands 18 and 19 hold the slides within the grooves. At times, as hereinafter explained, the slides are acted upon by a cam 16 carried by the support for cams 14 and 15 and causing the slides to rock on the point 12A against the resistance of the springs 18 and thereby withdraw the lower ends of the slides from between the needles. With this construction and operation of the depending cylinder 11, it will be seen that each of the slides 12 is permanently aligned or centered to move in the space embraced between he same two adjacent needles, thus insuring an efficient and certain cooperation of these eh ments with the needles and their cooperating knitting elements.

The yarns are fed to the needles through yarn guides 20A and 21A so arranged that the am 20 is fed against the shanks of the needles in advance of and higher than the yarn 21. For convenience, the yarn 20 is indicated as a black yarn and the yarn 21 as a white yarn.

The lower end of each controller slide is rovided with two outwardl projectin ngers, the lower and upper edges of which form the yarn engaging surfaces 22, 22A. 22B and 22C for determining the relative positions of the yarns when acted upon by the sinkers. The slides are normall. in such position that the yarn 20 is fed a ove and the yarn 21 below the upper finger, as indicated with relation to the slides YY in Fig. 2. If the slides remain in this position, this relation between the yarns will be maintained and a plated fabric will be knit. Any selected slide or slides may be actuated, however. to reverse the relation of the yarns so that the high yarn 20 will be fed low and the low yarn 21 fed high, thus changing the plating yarn which appears on the face of the fabric and producing design plating.

The means for selecting or sorting the yarn positioning sides and thus determining the design produced may be of any suitable or well known cha'racter such, for instance, as a selecting wheel of the usual type arranged to act on the butts of the slides in advance of the yarn feeds and raise certain of the slides out of the normal level. In Fig. 2 every alternate two slides are raised while the intermediate two slides YY remain at the normal level. This will give a two and two stripe instead of the one and one stripe shown in Fig. 8 which would be produced by raising alternate slides instead of every alternate two slides.

The mode of operation, assuming the yarn positioning slides to be selected or sorted, as indicated in Fig. 2, is as follows: The upper yarn 20 is fed in advance of the lower yarn 21 so that it comes in contact with the shanks of the needles while 21 is still some distance away from the shanks, as indicated in Fig. 1. The yarn positioning slides are sorted at the position indicated at S, Fig. 2, by the se lecting mechanism which, as above indicated, may be of any suitable character. In the preferred embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, a sorting wheel indicated somewhat diagrammatically at 25 in Fig. 2, has been provided for this purpose. The butts of the selected slides X which are raised by the sorting mechanism from the normal level come to the cam surface A of the cam 14 which raises them so that their yarn engaging surfaces 22 are brought into position above the height of the yarn 20 before this yarn engages the shanks of the needles. Further rotation of the machine brings this yarn 20 against the needle shanks below the surfaces 22 of the selectedslides and above the surfaces 22B of the non-selected slides Y (Fig. 3). Further rotation causes the butts of the selected slides to go down cam surface B of cam 15 so that their surfaces 22 carry the yarn 20 below the height at which the am is feeding while the yarn 21 is stil so far away from the shanks of the needle that he lower fingers of the slides XX will not engage it (Figs. 1 and 4). Further rotation causes the butts of the selected slide X to travel along the part B of the cam and by the time they reach cam surface C of the cam 14, the yarn 21 will have come so close to the needle shanks that as the selected slides ride up the cam surface C, their yarn engaging surfaces 22A will raise the yarn 21 to the high position and at the same time the yarn 20 which was abnormally low will be permitted to come up to the normal position of the low yarn (Figs. 5 and 6). Thus, by the time the butts of the selected slides have reached the top of cam surface C, the yarn 20 which would normally feed high, has been made the low yarn on the selected slides and the yarn 21 which would normally feed low has-been made the high yarn on these slides, while on the non-selected slides Y both yarns are fed at their normal heights. After the selected slides X have been raised by the cam surface 0, the sinkers 5 move in between the needles to sink the yarn positioned'by the slides and these sinkers are provided with humps 5A (Fig. 10), which lie between the yarns and maintain them in proper relation during the travel of the butts of the slides along the level C' of the cam 14; As the sinkers come in to sink the yarn, the yarn engaging fingers of the yarn positioning" slides are withdrawn from between the needles by the cam 16, as indicated in Fig. 7. After the fingers have been withdrawn, the butts of the selected slides are acted upon by the cam surface D of the cam 15' which restores them to the normal level ready-"to be sorted into either a selected or non-selected slide some time previous to the next feed. After the sinkers have been moved in to sink the yarn, the needles are drawn down in the usual manner to the pressing position indicated at W in Fig. 2. In this position their opening N P (Fi 9) has engaged the yarns 20 and 21 so t at they cannot roll out of proper position forthe reasons heretofore indicated. There is no danger therefore,"that in the further drawing down and casting oil of the loops, the high yarn may become the low or the low yarn may become the high and the accuracy of the plating in accordance with the selected positioning of the yarns determined by the positioning devices is ensured. The sinkers are then withdrawn, the ends of the beards pressed into the eyes of the needles and the downward movement of the needles continued to complete the formatiori of the loops.

The needle, as shown in 'Fi 9, is provided with a front line M para lel with the back line of the shank or with the vertical movement of the needle, the thinning to the hook size wire being on the back so that the front line from the beard receiving eye to the'hook is a continuation of the front line M of the shank-and is arallel to the movement' of the needle. he line of the heard from the hook P to the point N-where the bulge of the beard begins is arallel to the front line forming the space'2 of a uniform width to prevent the rolling of the yarns as they pass up into the hook after the needle has been drawn down to the pressin point.

The clearness and shagpness of t e plating action securedis clearly illustrated in Fig. 8i In this view the loops X are needle loops forming the needle wales and the loops Y are sinker loops forming the sinker wales. Since with the construction described the yarns are caused to cross each other when reversin on the needles, as at X, these crossings are idden by subse uently knitted courses so that in the actual fabric the bars Z of the loops effectively cover the points of crossing. With this one'and one stripe the yarn 20 will appear on the surface of the fabric along every other sinker wale while the yarn 21 will appear on the surface along the: intermediate sinker wale, the crossings of the yarns occuring on every needle. By change and variation in the distribution of the selected \yarn positioning slides which cause the yarn 20 to knit low instead of high, either of the yarns may be made to appear on the face of the fabric in any selected number of wales and for any selected number of courses in accordance with the design which is to appear on the face of the fabric.

While in the embodiment shown and specifically described the invention is applied to a circular independent spring needle machine, various features of the invention are capable ofmore general application and may be embodied with advantage in other types of machines such, for instance, as flat machines or machines in which the needles are not independently actuated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, means including thread guides for feeding two separated yarns, and sinkers for progressively sinking the yarn between the needles, of additional devices acting on the yarns to position them one .above the other in advance of the sinking point.

2. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, means including yarn feeding guides for feeding two separated yarns, and sinkers for pro essively sink-ing the yarns between the nee les, of additional yarn engaging devices between the. needles, and means for actuating said devices to'position the yarns one above the other in advance of the sinking oint.

3. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, means including yarn feeding guides for feeding two separated yarns, and sinkers for progressively sinking the yarns between the needles, .of additional yarn engaging devices between the needles, and means for actuating said devices-to position the yarns one above the other in advance of the sinking point and to reverse the relative positions of the yarns across a selected needle or needles.

4. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, means including yarn feeding guides for feeding two separated yarns, and sinkers for progressively sinking the yarns between the needles, of additional yarn engaging devices between the needles,-

and means for actuating said devices to relatively position the yarns in advance of the sinking point and to reverse their positions across selected needles.

5. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, means for feeding two separated yarns, and sinkers for progressively sinking theyarns between the needles, of devices acting on the yarns to position them one above the other and present them to the sinkers, and means for withdrawing the devices from operating position as the sinkers engage the yarns.

6. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, means for feeding two separated yarns, and sinkers for progressively sinking the yarns between the needles, of yarn engaging devices between the needles for relatively positioning the yarns and presenting them to the sinkers, means for actuating said devices to reverse the relative positions 2 of the yarns across a selected needle or needles,

and means for withdrawing the devices as the yarns are engaged by the sinkers.

7. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, means for feeding two separated yarns, yarn positioning devices separate from the said feeding means for determining the relative positions of the two yarns, and sinkers for sinking the yarns bet-ween the needles having means for maintaining) them in the relative positions determined y the positioning devices.

8. In a nitting machine the combination with the needles, means for feeding two separated yarns, yarn positioning devices separate from the said feeding means for determining the relative positions of the two yarns. and sinkers for sinking the yarns between the needles havin humps on their sinking surfaces arranged to lie between the positioned yarns.

9. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, means for feeding two separated yarns, yarn positioning devices acting on the yarns between the needles to determine the relative positions of the yarns, sinkers for progressively sinking the yarns between the needles having means for maintaining them in the relative positions determined by the positioning devices, and means for disengaging the positionin devices as the yarns are en aged bv the sin 'crs.

10. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, means for feeding two separated yarns including yarn feeding guides, separate Iyarn positioning devices for determining t erelative positions of the yarns, sinkers for sinking the positioned yarns between the needles, and spring needles to which the yarns are presented having their shanks and beards relatively arranged to prevent relative displacement of the yarns presented thereto.

11. In a circular knitting machine the combination with a circular series of needles and sinkers, of guides for feeding two yarns 'teoafooo at different heights, and separate yarn positioning devices for determining the relative positions of the yarns when engaged by the sinkers.

12. In a circular knitting machine the combination with a circular series of needles and sinkers, of means for feeding two yarns at ditl'erent heights, yarn positioning devices separate from the said feeding means for determining the relative positions of the yarns when engaged by the sinkers, and mechanism for actuating the positioning devices to reverse the relation of the yarns to each other.

13. In a circular knitting machine the combination with a circular series of needles and sinkers, of means for feeding two yarns at different heights, yarn positioning devices for determining the relative positions'of the yarns when engaged by the sinkers, and mechanism for actuating the )ositioning devices to reverse the relation oi the yarns to each other over a selected needle or needles.

14. In a circular knitting machine the combination with a circular series of needles and sinkers, of means for feeding two sepa rated yarns, yarn engaging devices between the needles for determining the relative positions of the yarns when engaged by the sinkers, and means for act-uatin engaging devices selected in advance of the eed to reverse the positions of the yarns presented to the sinkers.

15. In a circular knitting machine the combination with. a circular series of needles, sinkers mounted between the needles, yarn guides for feeding two yarns at difl'erent heights, yarn engaging devices mounted between the needles for determining the relative positions of the yarns when eng ed by the sinkers, and means for actuating t e selected yarn engaging devices to reverse the positions of the yarns presented to the sinkers.

16. In a knitting machine the combination with a needle support, independently movable needles in the support, a second support near the hook end of the needles, means including yarn feeding guides for feeding two separated yarns to the needles, separate yarn positioning devices mounted in the second support to engage theyarns, and means for actuating the positioning devices to alter the relative positions of the two arms.

17. In. a knitting machine the combination with a grooved needle cylinder, independently movable needles mounted in the grooves of said cylinder :1 second grooved cylinder above the needlecylindcr, yarn positioning devices mounted in'thc grooves of the second cylinder. means for feeding two separated yarns, and means for actuating the positioning devices to reverse the relative positions of the yarns across selected needles.

18. In a knitting machine the combinat on with the needles, of devices for positioning the yarn with relation to the needles each pro vided with two spaced yarn positioning lid gers, means for feeding yarns one above and the other below one series of fingers, and means for actuating selected devices to position the upper yarn below and the lower yarn above the other fingers of the selected devices and to bring these fingers into line with the yarn positioning fingers of the unselected devices.

19. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, of yarn positioning devices each provided with spaced yarn positioning fingers, means for feeding yarns one above and one below the upper fingers, means for actuating selected devices to position the upper yarn below and the lower yarn above t e ow'er fingers of the selected devices, and to bring these fingers into line with the upper fingers of the unselected devices.

20. In a knitting machine the combination of spring needles, means including yarn feeding guides for feeding two separated yarns separate, devices acting on the yarns to position them one above the other in advance of the sinking point, and progressively acting sinkers acting to sink and retain the yarns between the needles until the yarn enters the hook portions of the needles.

21. In a knitting machine the combination of sprin needles, means including yarn feeding gui es for feeding two separated yarns separate, devices acting on the yarns to position them one above the other in advance of the sinking point, and progressively actuated sinkers acting to sink and hold the yarns between the needles until their books are substantially at the sinking level.

22. In an independent needle knitting machine the combination of needles and coopcrating elements to form knitted fabric, yarn feeding guides for feeding a plurality of yarns to the said elements in plated relation, and additional devices permanently centered between the needles acting on the yarns between the said guides and the needles to position the yarns for reverse plating.

23. In an independent needle knitting machine the combination of needles and cooperating knitting elements for forming knitted fabric, yarn feeding means including yarn guides for feeding yarns to the said elements in plated relation, and additional devices acting upon the yarns at a point between the yarn guides and the needles and in advance of the knitting wave to position the said yarns for reverse plating.

2A. In a circular independently operated needle knitting machine, means for feeding two separated yarns in plated relationship to each other. and means operating between the yarn feeding position and the loop forming position for the purpose of causing a re versal of the yarns in their feeding relationship to each other.

25. In a knitting machine the combination of progressively operated needles and cooping on the yarns form .lmitted fabric including means for kinking the yarn about the needle shanks, means including yarn feeding guides for feeding two separated yarns, and devices permanently centered between the needles for altering the position of the yarns to reverse plate before the yarn is kinked about the needle shanks.

26. In a knitting machine the combination with progressively operated needles, means for feeding two separated yarns, means including thread guides for feeding two separated yarns, and means for progressively crating elements to kinking the yarns about the needle shanks,

of yarn engaging devices between the neodles for relatively positioning the yarns for said kinking means, means for actuating said devices to reverse the relative positions of the yarns across a selected needle or needles, and means for withdrawing the devices as the yarns are kinked about the needles.

27. In a circular knitting machine, the combination of needles, a needle cylinder in which the needles are supported for independent movement, yarn feeding means including yarn guides for feeding yarns in plated relation to the needles, means rotating in unison with the needle cylinder for at times acting on one of the yarns to cause a reversal of the relationship of the yarn to the other yarn or yarns for the purpose of presenting the yarns to certain of the needles in one relationship and to other needles in a reversed relationship to each other for the purpose of reverse plating.

28. In a circular knitting machine the combination of a needle cylinder with independently operated needles therein to which yarns are presented in plated relationship, and elements rotating in unison with the needles and capable of at all times operating between the needles and adapted by engagement with the yarns to cause a reversal of the normal plating relationship of the threads to each other "for the purpose of reverse plating.

29. In an independent needle knitting machine, the combination of a series of needles, yarn feeding means including yarn guides .for feeding yarns to the said elements in plated relation, and additional devices permanently centered between the needles actbetween the yarn guides and the fabric before the said yarns are formed into loops by the needle hooks to position the yarns for reverse plating.

30. That process of producing lengthwise stripes in plating knitting upon a series of independent needles comprising feeding two yarns in a plating relation to said series of independent needles and knitting them in said relation at certain wales to produce normal plating, and at other predetermined wales causing a separate independently movable instrumentality for each of sai other predetermined wales, to move transversely of and between adjacent needles of said wales and thereby to enter between and separate the said two yarns and to move the backing yarn into a position Where it will appear at the face of the fabric, thereby producing reverse plating at said other predetermined wales.

31. That process of producing lengthwise stripes in plating knitting, comprising feeding two yarns in a plating relation to a series of needles and knitting them in said relation at certain wales to produce normal plating, and at other predetermined wales causing a separate instrumentality permanently centered between the adjacent needles for each of said other predetermined wales to move transversely of and between said adjacent needles, and thereby to enter between and separate the said two yarns-and to move the backing yarn into a position where it will appear at the face of the fabric, thereby producing reverse plating at said other predetermined wales.

32. That process of producing lengthwise stripes in plating knitting, comprising feeding two yarns in a plating relation to a series of needles and knitting them in said relation at certain wales to produce normal plating, and at other predetermined wales causing a separate instrumentality permanently centered between the adjacent needles for each of said other predetermined wales to move transversely of and between said adjacent needles and thereby to enter between and separate the said two yarns and to push the backing yarn into a position where it will appear at the face of the fabric, thereby producing reverse plating at said other predetermined wales.

33. In a knitting machine, the combination with knitting devices comprising a series of needles and co-operatfilg knitting elements, of yarn feeding guides for feeding separated dvarns to said knitting devices, and devices a ditional to the said cooperating knitting elements and yarn guides permanently centered between the needles for progressively controlling the yarns in plating relation.

34. In a knitting machine, the combination with knitting devices comprising a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements, of yarn feeding guides for feeding separated yarns to said knitting devices, devices additional to the said cooperating knitting elements and yarn guides permanently centered between the needles for progressively positioning the yarn in plating relation, and selecting means for causing certain of said additional devices to reverse the plating position of the yarns.

35. In an independent needle knitting machine, the combination of a series of needles, yarn feeding means including yarn guides for feeding separated yarns,

and devices permanently centered between the needles acting on the fabric loops to maintain a the f to position the said In testimony w name to this speci eeding yarns and arns between'the yarn guides and the fore the said MAX C. MILLER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORREC ION.

Patent No. 1,805,000. Granted May 12, 1931, to

MAX C. MILLER.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, line 10, claim 19. strike out the words "yarn positioning" and alter the word "devices" insert for positioning the yarn with relation to the needles; and that the said Letters Patent should he read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 18th day of August. A. D. 1931.

M. J. Moore. (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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