US1891215A - Circular knitting machine - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 13, 1932. J. L. GETAZ CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 17, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 -IIIJ 1 W n M :3 n n u 7 A H a sh L n 5 .1 7 1 wi m n WW 1 Im j u 7 i a d J M i 1 /0 w z a v m n m m .1 n n a n m INVENTOR JAMES L.GETAZ 31 i219 aiiarnqya Dec. 13, 1932,

J. GETAZ CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 17, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 13, 1932. J. L. GETAZ CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 17 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 -IVA lNVENTOR JAMES L.GETAZ 7 73215 azioivlcys Dec. 13, 1932. J, GETAZ 1,891,215

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 17, 19 29 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR JAMES L. GETAZ MMM 6 Sheets-Sheet J. L. GETAZ CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 17. 1929 Dec. 13, 1932.

JAMES L..GET'AZ Dec. 13, 1932.

J. GETAZ CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 17, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR JAMES L.GETAZ y 7a: @220 rneys Patented Dec. 13,1932

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES L. GETAZ, OF MABYVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO SCOTT & WILLIAMS, INC, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Application filed May 17,

This invention relates to circular knitting machines and more particularly to circular knitting machines with revolving needle cylinders and adapted to make stripes and other patterns by wrapping a plating thread around selected needles only.

One object of the invention is to produce a mechanism for making such plated or wraparound designs on any type of circular knitting machine. Another object is to so simplify and improve mechanism of this type that itcan produce a greatly-increased variety of patterns. According to the invention the designs are put. in by a plurality of striping yarn fingers revolving inside the needle circle, each 'finger oscillatmg about its own PlVOiJ point, and the path of the yarn fingers intersecting the needle circle.

The invention will be shown and described embodied in the well-known Scott & Williams type of seamless hosiery machine with revolving needle cylinder.

Fig. l is a front elevation partly in section taken on the line I-I of Fig. 2 of the head of a machine in which one form of my invention has been embodied;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the wrapping yarn fingers and associated elements of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a development of the cam ring, the arrow showing the direction of movement of the needles; I

Fig. 4, is a plan view similar to Fig. 2, taken on the line IVIV of Fig. 5, showing a modification in which the pivot points of the fingers are movable in the plate carrying the fingers and" the axis of the plate is concentric with the needle cylinder;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the modification of Fig. 4, taken on the line VV;

Fig. 6 is an elevation from the left side of the machine of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a further modified form in which the bobbins are located below the yarn fingers and the driving means for the fingers include a differential gear;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the differential gear shown in Fig. 7; while Fig. 9 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 1

1929. Serial No. 363,311.

showing the invention embodied in a machine having a dial with knitting instrumentalities, the fingers being eccentrically supported and the'yarns fed from above.

As shown in the drawings the invention is embodied in a circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder 260, carried by a bedplate B, the needles 0?. being independently and vertically movable in the upper end of the needle cylinder as usual. There is the usual latch ring 550 over which the usual plain or ground yarns are fed over the usual throatplate 559.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6, there is the usual yarn shear plate 26 located inside the needle circle on a dial bracket 15 which in turn is fastened to the latch ring 550. On top of the bracket are the usual yarn cutter and clamp 609. The latch ring is pivoted on a bracket 401 at the rear of the machine (Fig. 6) to permit raising of the ring and plate out of the way. Revolubly mounted in the bracket 15 eccentrically of the center of the needle cylinder is a long vertical tube 22. This tube extends well above the dial bracket and on its upper end is a'bobbin bracket 21 carrying the striping yarn bobbins 20. The lower end of this tube projects below the shear plate 26 and serves to carry the striping yarn fingers and associated mechanism. F astened to the underside of the yarn shear plate is a non-revoluble cam 26 lying in a horizontal plane. Just below this cam is a yarn finger bracket 23 fixed on the tube 22. The .yarn fingers 2A which are to carry the striping yarns are on top of the bracket 23 each being pivoted about its own vertical center 30 locatedintermediate its outer endor toe 28 and inner end 29. (Fig. 2.) The tube 22 being eccentric to the needle circle, it will be obvious that when the tube revolves the pivots 30 of the yarn fingers revolving about their common axis take an eccentric path relatively to the needle circle. The path of 0scillation of the fingers about their individual pivots is in the plane of the needle circle i. e., in a plane parallel tothat described by the needle hooks when all at the same level. In the machine shown in the drawings, where the needles are arranged in a cylinder the plane of the needle circle is normal to the axis of the cylinder i. e., the length of the needles. The path of the fingers intersects the needle circle and therefore the toes of the fingers have movement in one direction relative to the needles opposite them while the toes are outside the needle circle and relative movement in the other direction while inside the needle circle. This eccentric mounting of the pivot points of the fingers combined with turn for turn revolving of the needle cylinder about its center and the fingers about their common axis gives the wrappingof the yarns.

I have discovered that the entire mechanism can be much improved if the eccentric path of the yarn finger pivots is combined with an oscillationof each finger about its individual pivot 30. In Figs. 1 to 3 the means to accomplish this individual oscillation comrises the above mentioned cam 25 located between the yarn shear plate 26 and the yarn finger bracket 23. The inner ends 29 of the fingers meet the edge of the cam 25 at points later than their respective pivot points 30 when considered in the direction of rotation about their common axis, and consequently the fingers are at a substantial angle from the radial lines with the toes of the fingers ahead of their pivot points. The inner ends of the fingers are held in contact with the relatively stationary cam 25 by springs 27 (Fig. 2). By properly shaping the cam 25 I increase the relative movement of the toes of the fingers along the outside of the needle circle, i. e. lower t eir velocity more than is occasioned by the revolution of-the fingers about their common axis and thereby increase the number of needles which can be wrapped with the striping yarns. Of course this droppin back of each finger while outside the needIe circle is compensated for by a correspondin relative advance inside the circle. In ot or words the fingers move to and fro once about their individual axes for each revolution about their common axis. In order to accomplish this the low point of the cam 25 is adapted to be about under a finger when the latter is about to cross out over the needle circle and the high point about where the finger has crossed back inslde the circle. The circumferential points at wh ch these crossings preferably take place will be set forth at a later point in the specification.

This oscillation of the yarn fingers about their individual axes not only increases the number of needles around which a yarn can be wrapped but makes it possible to decrease the amount of eccentricity of the common axis of the fingers. This decrease in the amount of common eccentricity has several advantages. When the eccentricity is considerable the length of yarn from the bobbin to the needle varies considerably during one up. I provide small individual take-ups 35 on the underside of theyarn finger bracket 23. It further makes it possible to have the yarn finger circle about as large as the needle circle and therefore to put in more fingers.

Another novel feature of the invention is the manner of guiding the yarns. The yarns from the bobbins 20 are fed down through the hollow tube or spindle 22 past the yarn shear plate and there distributed radially through the take-ups 35 to the toes 28 of the individual yarn fingers. This feeding of the yarns below the dial makes the body yarns entirely independent of the wrap around yarns and permits yarn changes which have been impossible on prior machines of this general type. 'Furthermore this method of feeding the yarns makes it possible to build machines of this wrap around type with dials therein containing knitting instrumentalities, such for instance as shown in Fig. 9.

Still referring to the preferred embodiment of Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6, the means for revolving the striping yarn fingers about their common axis will be described now. If desired one can use the ordinary mechanism used to drive the dial such for instance as that shown in the patent to C. Madaris, 1,639,522, dated Aug. 16, 1927. This comprises a vertical dial drive shaft 13 actuated from the usual main bevel gear on the main drive shaft of the machine and revolving in an open bearing sleeve 12, a bevel pinion gf adapted to drive a bevel pinion g on the adjacent end of a horizontal shaft 14. The motion of this horizontal shaft is transmitted to the eccentric tube 22 by bevel pinions g and g, the latter being fastened on the tube 22 by a tenon 9 By these means the striping yarn fingers are revolved with the same angular speed as the needle cylinder. Substantially the same mechanism can be used with a dial machine as shown in Fig. 9, and it is also possible to produce spiral patterns by a slight change in the mechanism as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Any needle selecting means can be employed to raise above the others those needles on which it is desired to wrap the plating or striping threads, such for instance as the means shown in the patent to Ivan W. Grothey, 1,678,385, dated July 24, 1928. However in Figs. 3 and 6 a, suitable mechanism for achieving this selection is shown. This comprises essentially a series of selecting cams 36 operating on teeth 37 formed on the bottom of the needles below the regular operating butt 31. These teeth are in the form of saw teeth and the individual selecting cams 36 are thin and each adapted to raise the needle only a distance from one tooth to the next so that it is possible to avoid any waste of space between successive teeth. The operating butt may be longer than the selecting teeth 37. It is sufficient for selecting purposes for the wrap around action to raise the needle the height of one tooth. These selectingcams 36 can be operated by pivoted levers 37 awhich are in turn connected to the usual thrust rods 460 (Fig. 6), those thrust rods being operated from both the main pattern drum 120 by cams 501 and also from the auxiliary or striping drum 19 by means of the bell crank levers 17 in a well-known manner.

The circumferential relation of the various parts and the manipulation of the needles to combine the selective wrapping of the plating yarn with the ordinary functions of the machine will now be set forth. In the examples shown in the drawings, with particular reference to Figs. 2 and 3, the knitting orknocking over point is indicated by the letter K and is located shortly after the throat plate 559 over which the body or ground yarns are fed to the needles. I prefer .to make the eccentricity of the common axis of the yarn fingers of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 in a direction about 135 after the throatplate because with the particular cam 25 and striping yarn fingers 24 shown in the drawings this will result in the toes 28 of the yarn fingers crossing out over the needle circle immediately after the knitting wave at the knocking over point. The fingers therefore return across the needle circle to the inside just prior to the point marked S in Figs. 2 and 3. This point is just before the needles reach the switch cam 415 which raises out of action the group of needles which are to be idle during the making of the heel or toe. The wrapping is therefore completed by the time the point S is reached and the selection of the needles for wrapping therefore takes place between the knitting wave and the switch cam. the needles moving in a counter-clockwise direction in Fig. 2 and in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3.

In the ordinary machine the needles when coming out of the knitting wave are raised to the level 32 which level leaves the hooks of the needles above the tops of the nebs of the sinkcrs, the sinkers being controlled by the outside sinker ring 300 in the usual manner. I prefer to leave the needles which are not to be wrapped with the plating yarn at a lower level, namely, level 31, as shown in Fig. 3, until the wrapping of the selected needles has been accomplished. Needles whose butts are at the level 31 have the tops of their hooks just even with the tops of the nebs of the sinkers and are out of the way of the wrapping yarns. The level 31 is 'sloped up to the level 32 just about at the point S where in the regular manner.' The selecting cams i 36 acting on the saw tooth butts 37 serve to raise the hooks of the, needles far enough above the nebs of the sinkers to permit wrapping of the plating yarngaround them and in this manner the needles around which the stripe or design is desired are selected It over the top of the sinker nebs which preventit from getting under the latches and being cast off instead of being drawn in the hooks as it should. This cam is raised during the heel and toe. The patent to Albert E. Page, N 0. 1,367,425, dated February 1, 1921, shows mechanism for manipulating this cam.

Another novel feature of the invention will be apparent when the operation of the ma chine during reciprocating knitting is con sidered. When it is desired to make the heel or toe by reciprocating knitting it is necessary, of course, that the active needles pass through the knitting cams first in one direction and then in another, and it is therefore necessary that these active needles be at the level 32 no matter from which direction they approach the knitting cams. When they are approaching the knitting cams in the rotary orforward direction the cam-level 32 will raise the needles to the proper level, but with the cam surface cut back to the level 31 between the points K and S, it will be'obvious that special mechanism must beprovided to raise the needles so that: they will pass over the stitch cam 361 when the machine is oscillating in the reverse direction. For this purpose I provide a vertically movable raising cam 33 between the stitch cam 361 and the selecting earns 36, this cam being operated by levers from a thrust rod 460, or in any other desired manner. The upper end of this cam 33 is peaked intermediate its edges as shown in Fig. .3, and when in its upper or operative position,,shown in solid lines in this figure, the lower edges of this peak coincide respectively with the level 31 and the cam surface underneath the stitch cam 361. It will be obvious that when this cam is raised the active needles will be raised to the level 32 when they pass the cam no matter from which side they are coming. When retracted the highest point of this cam is at the level 31. This cam is spaced a very slight distance from the needle cylinder so-that it does not contactwith the selecting teeth 37 The location of the top center cam 357, the throatplate 559 carryin the yarn fingers F for the body yarns, t e switch earn 415 and the widening pick or dropper 680 'are also shown in Fig.

desir 3 in order that the operation of the machine 4 may be more easily comprehended.

lecting cams 36 are moved radially inward needles proceed along the cam level 31 with.

by means on the auxiliary striping drum 19 and as the needles complete the knitting wave those having teeth opposite inserted cams are raised slightly above the level 31. The other their hooks just even with the tops of the nebs of the sinkers while the selected needles have their hooks a short distance above the nebs. The striping yarn fingers revolving about 35 their common eccentric axis at the moment that their toes 28 are ready to cross out over the needle circle are riding on the lowest point of the stationary cam and the toe of each finger as it starts across the needle circle has therefore about completed its oscillation in the direction of rotation of the needles and is in its most advanced position relatively to the needle circle. As soon as it has passed through the needle circle the eccentric mounting of the plvot points of the yarn fingers coupled with the increasing height of the cam 25 over the inner end 29 of the yarn finger causes the cam to drop back along the circumference of the needle circle past a lar e number of needles. The oscillation caused y the cam 25 has a component of movement alongl the circumference of the needle circle and t erefore when the toe of the yarn finger crosses back inside the needle circle about the point S the retarding oscillation due to the eccentricity of the common axis will have been increased and the toe will have been further retarded than would have been the case if the finger were not pivotally mounted. The movement of the toe of the yarn finger relatively to the needle is a complete oscillation in the course of one revolution of the needle cylinder. thus wrapping the yarns completely around the needles. As the yarn fingers cross back'inside the needle circ e at the-point S the needles which were not wrapped ride up from cam level 31 to cam level 32 and all the needles will take the body yarns from the regular yarn fingers F in the throat plate riding over the leading stitch cam 360 and under the top center cam 357 and the stitch cam 361.

This continues until the machine is approaching the heel. On the last circular course before the first oscillation in the reverse direction at the heel the switch cam 415 is lowered into action and raises the long butt needles out of action in the usual manner. About the same time theraising cam 33 is moved to its uppermost or operative position and commences to raise the needle butts to the level 32. It is raised in time to be in operation when the leading short butt needle passes on the last movement in the forward direction. The machine continues to revolve in this direction until all the short butt needles have been raised to the level 32.

When any needles are at the level 32 their upper ends are on a level with the striping yarn fingers'and it is one of the novel features of the invention that interference between the needles andyarn fingers at this time is avoided automatically without any movement of the fingers out of operative relation. During the last revolution in the forward direction the toes of the yarn fingers are crossing back inside the needle circle at the point S and as they come out at the knocking over point K after the short butt needles have already been raised by cam 33 and the long butts by the switch 415 and therefore the fingers contact with the backs of the shanks of both the long and short butt needles. Each finger automatically disposes itself out of the way until rotary knitting is resumed by pivoting about its center against the pressure of its spring 27. This pivoting allows the toe28 to stay inside the needle circle, and the toe is made broad, blunt and with curved corners to avoid jamming or catching and to allow the finger to roll on the needles. The fingers maintain their position without ammin during both the reverse and forward stro es.

At the end of the heel the cam 33 is lowered to its inoperative position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. As the needles start coming from under the stitch cam after the last oscillation in the reverse direction they are raised only to the level 31 which leaves their hooks below the striping yarn fingers and those yarn fingers can therefore pass out over the needles and resume their wrapping of threads around theselective needles.

The knitting of the remainder of the stocking will be obvious from the description already given, the successive stockings being knit as stringwonk if desired. The cam 33 can be left up at the end of the toe of one stocking and as far intothe next stocking as it is desired to prevent striping. This same manipulation can be availed of to stop and start the striping at any desired points in the stocking.

In Figs. 4 and 5 is shown an embodiment of the invention in which the tube 22 is concentric with the center of the needle cylinder. However the fingers are still given a culvilinear path about the center of the needle circle which intersects the needle circle. This camming movement in the plane of the needle circle is obtained by giving the pivot points a. radially sliding movement. Such part of the radial motion as was obtained from the eccentricity of the tube 22 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is obtained in Figs. 4 and 5 by mounting the pivots 30 in radial slots 38 'and extending the upper ends of the pivots into an eccentric groove 39 in a lower face of the stationary .cam 25'. A

A preferred form of driving'means for the dial is shown in Figs. 1 and 6. The means are actuated from the main drive shaft as in the Madaris patent above mentioned but on the upper end of the vertical shaft 13 there 1s a horizontal sprocket wheel 40 instead of the bevel pinion g. This sprocket drives a chain 41 geared to a sprocket Wheel 45 on the pivot shaft 5520f the latch ring 550 by bevel pmions 43, 44, and a sprocket 42. The sprocket wheel 45 is in turn connected to the usual horizontal shaft 14 by a chain 46 and a sprocket Wheel 47 on the shaft 14. 7 It will be obvious that the yarn fingers and dial cannot get out of time with the cylinder.

Where in the claims I speak of dial it should be understood as including either a yarn shear plate or a dial having knitting in"- strumentalities such as transfers.

A considerable amount of spiralling or shogging of the pattern can be accomplished by simply varying the selection of needles in the groups which the fingers wrap but if this is not suificient then the fingers can be shogged by the following mechanism. This can be accomplished by the mechanism shown in Figs. 7 and 8 where a differential gear is introduced into the driving'means for the dial and the yarn fingers are therefore.

shogged slightly every revolution relatively vto the yarn finger bracket 23 and therefore the bracket and shell revolve with the yarn I to the needles. y I

The vertical shaft 48which takes the place of shaft 13 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. carries a horizontal bevel gear 49. There is a companion gear 50 facing gear 49 and the two are connected by bevel pinions 51 and 52 revolving as usual on a frictionally held ring 53. Onthe outside of the ring are two rows of teeth 54 adapted to be engaged by pawls 55 and 55a. As long as the pawls 55, 55a do not rack the ring 53 around the companion gear 50 will revolve in unison with gear 49 and the driving stub 56 on the gear 50 will transmit the same number of rotations. However gear 50 revolves in the opposite direction to gear 49 and therefore a reversing gear 57 is provided between the differential gear and usual pin-- result the yarn fingers are shogged relatively to the needle cylinder. When both of these pawls are disengaged from the ratchet so that 35 their motion does not turn the differential gear the direction ofthe pattern formed by the wrapping threads will be in vertical lines straight down the hose, but if. these pawls are made to engage the teeth of the ratchet so as to move the differential gear the direction of the pattern made by the wrapping threads will be shifted from its vertical direction on the hose either to one side or the other according to the direction in which the ratchet is moved. To give a zigzag effect to .this wrapping pattern-the pawl on one side of the ratchet will engage the teeth of the ratchet for a given number of courses and then this pawl will be released and the other pawl will engage the teeth on the other side of the ratchet and thus reverse the lateral movement of the pattern in making the zigzag efi'ect. Any suitable mechanism can be used to actuate the pawls from the main shaft of the machine and to control them from the pattern drum. For an example see the patent to Henshall, 386,819, dated July 31, 1888.

Fig. 7 also shows another modification of the invention in that the striping yarn bobb ns are shown mounted below the yarn shear plate 26. The bobbins 58 are mounted horizontally one below'the other on an axis concentric with the common axis of the yarn fingers these bobbins being carried in a shell 59, and through openings in these walls the yarns are fed to the yarn fingers. This shell is pivoted on a horizontal axis at its lower upper ends of the yoke are rigidly fastened fingers. The hinges 61 assist in making it possible to get at the various bobbins and change them as needed. The bobbins are sufficiently small to leave room around the shell and the yoke for the knitted stocking to, ass down through the tube and with the bob ins mounted in the manner above described it is also possible to raise the latch ring and remove the bobbins from the tube.

An embodiment of the invention in such a machine having a dial D with knitting in strumentalities is shown in Fig. 9 and it will be noted that except for the driving means for the dial and the yarn finger bracket the mechanism is substantially identical with that already shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

When the invention is embodied in a. ma: chine for a dial with knitting instrumentalities therein, by means of an eccentric tube 220,

it is necessary to provide driving'means not drive shaft 13a in the semi-circular housing or sleeve 12 referred to in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and the usual bevel pinion g meshing with a bevel pinion g on the end of the horizontal dial shaft 14. This horizontal dial shaft is carried by a bracket 16a which in turn is mounted on the latch ring 550 as heretofore. Theend of the horizontal shaft 14 which is located over the needle circle has the usual bevel pinion g meshing with a horizontal bevel pinion g. This bevel pinion g has a tenon g taking into a slot cut longitudinally in a sleeve 62, the sleeve 62 therefore revolving with the pinion. On the lower end of this sleeve is fastened the dial proper and on top of the dial proper the dial cover and the yarn cutter and clamp as usual. This sleeve 62 is concentric with the needle cylinder and revolves in unison therewith. The vertical drive shaft 13a which drives the dial mechanism extends some little distance above the bevel pinion g in order to provide means for driving the striping yarn fingers about their axis. These means include a bevel pinion 63 meshing with a vertical bevel pinion 64 in the manner of g and g and a horizontal shaft 65 carrying on its opposite end pinion 66. Pinion 66 meshes with pinion 67 which latter is held from vertical movement by an arm of the main dial bracket 16a. The eccentric tube 22a revolves with the pinion 67 and carries the striping yarn finger bracket 23 as usual. The tube 22a passes down from the pinion 67 through a non-revoluble eccentric sleeve 68 which fills the space between the eccentric tube 22a and the concentric sleeve 62 of the dial. This eccentric sleeve 68 is vertically adjustable by means of the usual mechanism such as shown in Fig. 14 of the above-mentioned Scott Patent 1,641,101. The screw 69 keeps the eccentric sleeve 68 from revolving.

Numerous modifications will doubtless occur to those skilled in the art, which do not depart from the scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, striping yarn fingers revolubly mounted within said cylinder, each finger also having its own individual pivot, means to oscillate each finger about its own ivot and means adapted to give said individual pivots a camming movement in the plane of and relative to the needle circle, the path of the feeding ends of said yarn fingers intersecting the needle circle.

2. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, a spindle eccentrically located within the needle cylinder, striping yarn fingers supported from said spindle and moving turn for turn with the needles in such a way that the path of the feeding ends of the fingers intersects the needle circle, in combination with means adapted to oscillate said feeding ends of the fingers in the plane of the needle circle while inside and outside of the needle circle in such timed relation as to give said yarn fingers an increased movement along the outside of the needle circle.

3. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, a spindle eccentrically located within the needle cylinder, and striping yarn fingers pivotally supported from said spindle, their pivot polnts moving turn'for turn with the needle cylinder and their feeding ends being adapted to intersect the needle circle, in combination with a cam adapted to oscillate the feeding ends of said yarn fingers along the needle circle to vary their travel outside of the needle circle.

4. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, a spindle eccentrically located within said needle cylinder, and a plurality of striping yarn fingers supported by said spindle said fingers presenting curved surfaces at their outer ends, in combination with spring means pressing the curved surfaces of said fingers yieldingly outward.

5. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, and independent needles therein, in combination with a pivoted yarn finger revolubly mounted within said cylinder, the pivot point of said finger having a curvilinear path around the center of the needle circle and the path of the toe of the finger crossing said needle circle, said toe being adapted to stay within the circle upon contacting with the needles.

6. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, a spindle eccentrically located within the needle cylinder, and a plurality of striping yarn fingers supported by said spindle in such a way that the path of the feeding ends of the fingers intersects the needle circle, the feeding end of one of said fingers being on a different radial line from the spindle than the pivot point of the finger at the moment of crossing the needle circle outwardly, in combination with spring means attached to each finger permitting the finger to yield when its feeding end meets a needle.

'7. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, 'a spindle eccentrically located within the needle cylinder and revolving in unison therewith, and a plurality of striping yarn fingers pivotally supported by said spindle in such manner that their path intersects the needle circle, in combination with a relatively stationary cam adapted to give an oscillatory movement to the feeding ends of said yarn fingers to increase the number -of needles wrapped thereby, and a spring tending to hold a yarn finger against said cam and adapted to permit said finger to yield radially inward when it contacts with a needle.

8, A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, a spindle eccentrically located within said needle cylinder and a plurality of striping yarn fingers pivotally carried by said spindle in such a way that their path intersects the needle circle, in combination with relatively stationary cam means for said fingers adapted to maintain said fingers at a substantial angle from a radial direction and by varying that angle from the radial position to vary the velocity of the feeding ends of the yarn fingers relative to the needles.

9. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, a spindle eccentrically located within said needle 0 linder, striping yarn fingers moving turn or turn with the needles in such a way that the path of the feeding ends of the fingers intersects the needle circle, individual vertical pivots for said fingers supported by said spindle in combination with relatively stationary cam means acting on the inner ends of said yarn fingers to successively make the speed of the feeding ends of the yarn fingers, relative to the needles, less and more than the speed 00- casioned by the eccentricity of the splndle.

10. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, a spindle eccentrically located within said needle cylinder, and a plurality of striping yarn fingers pivotally supported by said spindlemovin in the same direction as the needles in sue a way that the path of the feeding ends of the fingers intersects the needle circle, in combination with a cam holding the inner ends of said fingers circumferentially forward of their pivot points viewed in the direction of rotation of the fingers and giving to the feeding ends of the fingers an oscillatory component of movement in the plane of the needle circle, the feeding ends describing a closed curvilinear path around a group of needles.

11. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, a spindle eccentrically located within the needle cylinder and a plurality of stripingyarn fingers pivotally supported by said spindle moving in the same direction as the needles in such away that the path of the feeding ends of the fingers inter- :ects the needle circle, in combination with a cam holding the inner ends of saidfingers circumferentially forward of their pivot points viewed inthe direction of rotation of the fingers and giving to the feeding ends of the fingers an oscillatory component of movement adding to the number" of needles wrapped by the component due to eccentricity of the spindle.

12. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, and a-plurality of striping yarn fingers within said cylinder, in combination with means of supporting and A revolving said yarn fingers in unison with said needle cylinder and a relatively non- 'revoluble c'am cooperating with said mountneedle circle.

ing means to give said yarn fingers a motion having reciprocatory components across said needle circle and back and also along the circumference of the needle circle.

13. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, independent needles therein, and a dial within said cylinder, in combination with a plurality, of striping yarn fingers revolubly mounted underneath said dial.

14.-A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, a series of bobbins mounted above said cylinder on an axis substantially concentric therewith, and adial in combination with a tube also substantially concentric adapted to lead yarns from said bobbins to a position below said dial, and a series of striping yarn fingers below said dial adapted to feed said yarns to the needles.

' 15. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, and striping yarn fingers mounted within said cylinder,-in combination with means adapted to rotate said fingers at the same angular speed as the needles, and a differential gear adapted to vary the speed of rotation of said fingers, the path of the feeding ends of the fingers intersecting pivots of the fingers a path eccentric to the needle circle, in "combination with means adapted to oscillate the fingers about their individual pivot 17. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, striping yarn points in the plane of the fingers revolubly mounted within said cylinder, each finger also having its own individual pivot, means to oscillate each finger aboutits own pivot and means adapted to give said individual pivots a radial movement, said oscillationabout and movements of the individual pivots being in the plane of the needle circle, the path of the feeding ends of said yarn fingers intersecting the needle circle.

18. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, striping yarn fingers mounted within said cylinder, individual pivots for said fingers and means for revolving said yarn fingers in unison with the needles, said means giving the individual pivots of the fingers a path eccentric to the needle circle, in combination with means adaptedto vary the travel of the feeding ends of the fingers in the plane of the needle circle from that occasioned. by .the radial positions of the feeding ends. 7

19. A circular kn tting machinehaving a revolving needle cylinder, stripin yarn fingers revolubly mounted within sai cylinfingers withre ation to the needles for pat tern purposes, the path of the feeding ends of the yarn fingers intersecting the needle circle.

21. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder and a plurality of stri ing yarn fingers, means for revolving sai' yarn fingers about a common center within the cylinder,said means giving the fingers a path eccentric to the needle circle, the feeding ends of the fingers intersecting the needle circle. in combination with means pressing said fingers outwardly but permitting one or more to yield upon contact with a needle and to remain within the circle.

22. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, yarn fingers, individual pivots for said fingers and means for revolving said yarn fingers in unison with the needles about a common center within the cylinder, said means giving the individual pivots of the fingers'a path eccentric to the needle circle, in combination with means adapted to oscillate the fingers about their individual pivot points in the plane of the needle circle, the path of the feeding ends of the fingers intersecting the needle circle and means pressing said fingers outwardly but permitting same to turn yieldingly about their individual pivots upon contact with a needle and to remain within the circle.

23. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder. yarn fingers, individual pivots for said fingers and means for revolving said yarn fingers in unison with the needles about a common center within the cylinder. said means giving the individual pivo s of the fingers a path eccentric to the needle circle, in combination with means adapted to oscillate the fingers about their individual pivot points in the plane of the needle circle, the path of the feeding ends of the fingers intersecting theneedle circle.

24. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, I independent needles therein, a revolving dial above said cylinder and dial needles therein, pivoted wrapping yarn fingers and a bracket for said fingers revolvin in unison with said cylinder and dial, in com ination with spindles carrying said dial and bracket and revolving same in unison with the needle cylinder, stationary cam means to actuate said dial needles and yarn fingers, and tube means adapted to feed yarn to said fingers through said dial and bracket.

25. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, a stationary bracket above said cylinder, a hollow spindle in this bracket, driving means for rotating said spindle in unison with the cylinder, a non-revoluble hollow shaft inside said spindle and a support for said shaft above said spindle rotating means, in combination with a shaft within said hollow shaft, rotating means for said shaft located above the nonrevoluble hollow shaft, and members cooperating with the cylinder needles and means actuating said members, said last mentioned means and members being carried by said spindle and shafts, there being an opening within the inner shaft adapted to permit passage of a wrapping yarn from above the rotating means of said inner shaft to a position below the members cooperating with the cylinder needles.

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

JAMES L. GETAZ.

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