US1995645A - Knitting machine - Google Patents

Description

March-26, 1935. M. c. MILLER KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 25, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 l g b .94 M

March 26, 1935. v M. c. MILLER 1,995,645

KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 25, 1950 3 She-ts-Sheet 2 I NJ 106 \E 4% f 06 I I w March 26, 1935.

M. c. MILLER 1,995,645

KNITTING MACHINE- Original Filed Oct. '25, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 26, 1935 want ATENT @FFEQE KNITTING MACHINE Max 6. Miller, (lumber-land, B. ll.

Application October 23, 1930, Serial No. 496,665 Renewed February 13, 1933 33 Claims.

, The present invention relates to knitting machines and more particularly to the provision in a knitting machine of means for transferring loops. As herein disclosed, the invention is embodied in a straight full-fashioned hosiery machine employing spring needles fixedly secured to a needle bed which is moved to impart lateral movements to the needles towards and away from fixed pressing surfaces and vertical movements to draw down new loops. Loop transfer points are provided at each end of the needle series and are movable into engagement with the needles and relatively thereto to take the loops from the d needles and transfer them for narrowing the fabric.

In machines of this description in which it is necessary to bring transfer elements into engagement with the needles to take and return. the loops to the needles during the transfer operation, it has been found very difficult, particularly in fine gage machines, to secure an accurate register of these elements with' the needles since both the transfer elements and the needles are necessarily very small in cross-section and easily bent or sprung out of their adjusted positions. In fi-xed needle machines, the needles are normally unsupported near their upper ends and are therefore particularly subject to becoming bent or sprung out of normal position by the pressure of the fabric and by engagement with cooperating elements during the knitting.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide means for causing the transfer ele- 35 ments and the needles to be brought accurately and certainly into the proper register during the transfer operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a fixed needle machine novel and improved 40 means for supporting the needles near their upper ends to cause these elements to cooperate accurately with the cooperating knitting and loop transferring elements to form a uniform high grade of fabric.

With these and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the several features of the invention consist in the devices, combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed which, together with the advantages 50 to be obtained thereby, will be readily understood by one skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the ac companying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view looking from the left of a full-fashioncd hosiery machine; Fig. 2 is a detail View on a somewhat larger scale illustrating particularly the device for aligning the needles; Fig. 3 is a detail plan view showing a portion of the needle aligning devices; Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation illustrating particularly the needle aligning device; Fig. 5 is a detail view on an em larged scale of the narrowing points and their supporting mechanism; Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 looking from the left; Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are detail plan views partly in section of the narrowing points, needles, and the aligning members cooperating with the narrowing points, Fig. 7 illustrati'n g the parts in position just previous to the engagement of the point aligning members with the needles, Fig. 8 showing the parts in position just previous to the engagement of the points with the needles, and Fig. 9 showing the parts in positionwith the needles in engagement with the points; Figs. 10 to inclusive are detail views illustrating different positions of the knitting and transfer elements, showing the various positions of the narrowing points, needles,- and cooperating elements during the complete cycle of operations involved in transferring a loop from one needle to another; Fig. 16 is a detail view partly in section illustrating the relative.- posi tions of the needle aligning comb, needles, and transfer points just previous to the register of the lower ends of the narrowing points with the needle aligning comb; and Fig. l? is a cross= sectional view taken on the line lll? of Fig. 5.

The full-fashioned macl'iine herein disclosed as embodying the several features of the inven tion comprises a multiple-section machine, approximately two sections being illustrated in the drawings. Each section is provided with spring beard needles 2% which are rigidly held in a needle bar 26 which is adapted for vertical and lateral movementsto cause the needles to cooperate effectively with the other lmitting elements. The machine is also equipped with fixed pressing surfaces 28 and independently movable sinkers so which are mounted to slide in horizontal slots formed in the frame 32, heing held in place by means of a cover plate 33. The needle bar 26 is supported on horizontally arranged lever arms 3awhich are secured to the rock shaft 36 and are oscillated about their pivot to impart vertical advancing and retracting movements to the needle by means of a depending cam lever 38 which is provided with a cam roll to adapted to engage with a corresponding cam all. on the cam shaft 42. A tension spring indicated at is connected to the lower end of the cam lever 38 and tends to hold the cam roll to in its mner position in contact with its operating cam. Lateral movements are imparted to the needles towards and away from the fixed pressing surfaces 28 by means of a depending arm 46 formed on the needle bar 26 which is connected at its lower end by a link 48 to a second depending lever arm 50 secured at its upper end to a shaft 52 and at its lower end provided with a cam roll 53 adapted to engage with a corresponding cam 55 on the cam shaft 42 to impart the desired lateral movements to the needles.

Narrowing devices are provided which are adapted to engage with a number of the end loops at each end of the fabric and transfer them inv wardly two loops at a time towards the center of the needle series. These devices comprise two sets of narrowing points 54 which are mounted on supports 56 located one at each end of each needle series, the supports 56 located at the lefthand end of each section being fastened to the rail 60 and the right-hand supports 58 being secured to the rail 62. These rails which extend throughout the machine length are mounted to slide relatively to each other to move the narrowing points toward the center of the needleseries in recesses formed in brackets 66 which are carried on a shaft 68 extending along the length of the machine. The shaft 68 is supported in bearings 70 which are carried by the levers 72 rigidly secured to a rock shaft 74 running along the back side of the machine. In order to raise and lower the narrowing points into and out of operative relationship to the needles during the narrowing operation, links '76 are provided pivotally secured at their upper ends to the bearings 70 and at their lower ends to the transverse cam levers 78 pivoted at their forward ends at 80 on the machine frame. Each cam lever '78 carries a cam roll 82 adapted during the narrowing operation to be engaged by a corresponding cam 81 on the cam shaft 42.

The transfer points ordinarily used in commercial machines of this type comprise a shank portion which is recessed to receive the beard portion of the needle and a point offset from the shank to engage with the recess or eye of the needle which receives the tip of the needle beard. The manner in which the transfer points cooperate with the needles to transfer the loops during the narrowing operation will be clear LtlGlil a consideration of Figs. 10 to 15 inclusive of the drawings, setting forth the several steps in the operation. The transfer points are moved ovvnwardly into engagement with the needles which have been ad leaving the loops to be transferred on the lower shank portions of the needles. The transfer points are brought into register with the needle eyes, and the beard portions of the needles fit into the recesses in the shanks of the transfer points so that these elements are held firmly in looking relationship. The needles and transfer points are now moved downwardly as a unit to cause the loops to ride from the needle shanks onto the transfer points. While the needles remain at substantially the knockover level, the transfer points are slightly lifted to disengage the loops from the needles and thereafter both the points and needles are raised so that the Points are above the knockover level. the transfer points being then moved laterally to carry the loops 2. distance of two needles toward the center of the needle series. The transfer points and needles are now moved downwardly until he hooks of the needles are again at about the vanced to their high position knockover level, when the transfer points and needles are for the second time brought into operative engagement. The needles are now raised to permit their hooked ends to enter the loops held by the transfer points, and the points are moved laterally away from the needles. The upward movement of the needles and transfer points is then continued to bring the needles to their high position preparatory to the knitting of a new course of loops and to return the transfer points to their normal inoperative position, the transfer points at this time being moved upwardly at a somewhat faster rate than the necdles to cause the loops to slide off the ends of the points onto the needles, completing the transfer of the loops.

As thus far described, the machine is similar in every respect to ordinary Cotton system hosiery machines.

With the construction and mode of operation of the needles and transfer points above described, it will be seen that these elements must be very accurately spaced and positioned to bring each transfer point exactly into register with its corresponding needle or dropped stitches and inferior fabric will result. Particularly in fine gage machines where the needles and cooperating elements are necessarily constructed of very thin stock and are likely to be bent or sprung out of their correct positions with continued use, it is necessary to plier the needles and points frequently during the operation of the machine to bring them into their proper operating relationship. This operation requires the services of a highly skilled operator, and can not even then prevent the introduction of a large percentage of seconds in the knitting of full-fashioned hosiery and similar fine gage fabrics.

The present invention contemplates the provision of means for supporting the needles and transfer elements in their true operating relationship during the narrowing operation and for registering these elements accurately and certainly with relation to each other to transfer the loops. To this end, a transfer element a and supporting comb is provided wi h eacl fer point unit which acts to support the er elements in spaced relationship and also acts to register the transfer points accurately with the needles in their high position at the beginning of the transfer operation. The invention further contemplates the provision of a needle comb adapted to engage with and support the needles cooperating with each transfer point unit, and also adapted to register the transfer points accurately with relation to the needles to return the needle loops at the end of the transfer operation.

In order to hold the transfer points in spaced relationship so that they will engage with and register accurately with relation to the needles, a comb 84 is provided which engages with and holds in spaced relationship the transfer points of each group. Each comb 8% is secured by means of a set screw 86 to the lower end of a bar 88 which is adapted for vertical movement in a slot 90 formed in the supporting bracket 56 for the corresponding unit of transfer points, being held in place by means of a cover member 92.

A compression spring 94 secured at its upper end to a bracket 95 formed on the cover member 92 and at its lower end secured to an abutment 98 on the lower end of the bar 88, tends to move the bar 88 and the comb 84 downwardly to a limiting position with a pin 100 formed. on the upper end of the bar 88 in engagement with the cover member92. The teeth of the transfer point comb 84, as best shown in Figs. '7, 8 and 9, are formed with thickened pointed end portions 102 extending beyond the front line of the transfer points to engage with and guide the needles into accurate register with the transfer points when these elements are brought into operative engagement at the raised position of the needles at the beginning of the transfer operation. ,When the machine is first set up and also atintervals during the operation of the machine, it is necessary to plier or line up the transfer points by hand to bring these into true operating relationship with the needles. In carrying out this operation, it will often happen that the shanks of the points will bebent slightly by the operator .so that they do not maintain a true vertical line along their whole length to correspond exactly with the ditill rection of movement of the supporting bar 88. To reduce so far aspossible the frictional re sistance which would be encountered in moving the comb to bring the needles into the exact vertical position at each point of contact along the shanks .of the transfer points, provision has been made to permit a slight lateral movement of the comb in either direction as it is moved longitudinally of the transfer point shanks by making the slot 90 in which the supporting bar 88 is mounted to slide large enough to allow some play to the bar 88 in the slot.

The manner in which the transfer point comb 84 cooperates with the other knitting elements during the transfer operation is shown in Figs. 10 to 15 inclusive. As the transfer points are moved downwardly from their inoperative position, the abutment 98 on the lower end of the supporting bar 88 is brought into engagement with the cover plate 33 for the sinkers, thus limiting the downward movement of the comb 84 with the transfer points, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, at a point above the level of operation of the sinkers and inposition to engage with and register the needles with the transfer points at the beginning of the transfer operation. The needles are now moved rearwardly from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 7 and in dotted lines in Fig. 11 into contact with the enlarged end portions 102 of the transfer point comb 84 and are caused to register accurately with the transfer points as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The comb 34 is held in its depressed position with the abutment 98 in contact with the cover plate 33 during the remainder of the transfer operation and assists materially to support the transfer points in their true spaced relationship while the transfer points are partially raised and moving laterally to transfer the loops along the needle series as shown in Fig. 13.

In order to support the needles near their upper ends during the narrowing operation and to cause these elements to be registered accurately with relation to the transfer points to transfer the loops held on the needles, two combs are provided mounted on each needle support and adapted to engage with and support the needles in their correct positions. .At the end of the transfer operation, when the transfer points are brought into engagement with the needles at substantially the knockover level to transfer the loops from the transfer points back to the shanks of the needles, the needle combs are adapted to occupy a raised position to cause the needles at their upper ends to be accurately spaced and aligned, and to engage with and register the transfer points at this time with the needles. When the needles are raised, however, during the normal knitting on the machine, it is necessary to retract the combs on the needle shanks to prevent intenference with the sinkers and other cooperating kfiitting elements. Since the teeth of the combs must necessarily fill substantially the whole space between adjacent needles to accurately space these elements, and a continuous relative movement between needles and combs would cause injurious wear between the parts, the needle supporting combs areby preference normally held in a fixed inoperative positionwell down on the needle shanks, and are advanced to afford a support for the upper ends of the needles only during the narrowing operation.

As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 of the drawings, a shaft 106 is journaled for vertical movement in a sleeve 108 mounted in the needle support 26 for each section of the machine and has mounted on its upper end a transversely extending member 110 on which the needle combs 112 are carried, one being mounted adjacent each endof the member 110 to support and guide the needles cooperating with the corresponding transfer point unit. 'The teeth of the combs 112, as previously pointed out, are made sufficiently heavy to substantially fill the spaces between the needles and thus to insure the proper spacing of the needles to register with the transfer elements. The ends of the teeth are pointed and extend beyond the front sides of the needles to engage between and register the transfer points with relation to the needles forthe purpose of transferring the loops back to the needles at the end of the narrowing operation.

When the needles are pliered or lined up in the original set-up of the machine or during the operation, it will often happen that all of the needles may be bent a little to one side, and yet have the needle hooks central between the sinkers or they may be bent forward or back of the true vertical line of the needle support on which the lateral member 110 and the shaft 106 are adapted to move. It has thereforebeen found desirable to mount the needle combs 112 on the lateral member 110 in such a manner as to permit a slight lateral movement of the needle combs 112 with relation to'the member 110 to eliminate the large frictional resistance which must be overcome in straightening a comparatively large number of needles simultaneously to a true vertical line. The combs 112 are therefore arranged to permit sidewise and forward movement with relation to the support, a loose connection being provided for this purpose comprising a pin 114 o the transverse member 110 which passes through an enlarged hole 116 formed in the base of the comb A cover plate 118 is provided to hold the comb 112 in position on the transverse member 110. In order to bring the needles as nearly as possible into true alignment, a hair pin spring 120 bearing at each end against the comb 112 and having its central portion secured at 122 to the transverse supporting member 110, is provided to force the comb yieldlngly into contact with the backs of the needles.

The transverse member 110 and the combs 112 are normally held in a depressed position with the combs in contact with the lower portion of the needles by means of a compression spring 12% coiled aboutv the shaft 106 between the lower end of the sleeve 108 and a collar.1 26 -.secured to the lower end of the shaft 106. Thetransverse mem- 1 comb may support the upper portions of the needles at substantially the knockover level when required during the narrowing operation, by means of a lever 132 on the machine frame, and arranged to be brought into contact with the lower end of the shaft 106. Also secured to the shaft 130 is a cam lever 136 which is provided at its forward end with a roll 138 arranged during the narrowing operation to come into engagement with a cam 140 on the cam shaft 42. A tension spring 142 secured at one end to a hook on the lever 136 and at its other end to a point on the machine tends to move the levers 128 yieldingly in a downward direction out of contact with the shaft 106, this movement of the levers 128 and the corresponding cam levers 136 being limited by the engagement of one or more stop levers 144 secured to the rock shaft 130 with the back rail 134. During the normal knitting on the machine, the cam levers 136 and cam rolls 138 occupy a correspondingly low position above the cam shaft 42 out of contact with the actuating cams 140. when the cam shaft 42 is moved axially, as in ordinary practice, to bring the narrowing mechanism into operation, the cams 140 are moved into operative position under the rolls 138. The

a continued rotation of the cam shaft 42 and cams 140 causes the rolls 138 to ride on the high portions of the cams and thus acts to raise the combs 112 in timed relation to-the operation of the machine.

As shown in Figs. 10 to 15 of the drawings, illustrating the several steps in the narrowing operation, the needle combs 112 are held in their normal retracted position until just prior to the transfer of the loops from the transfer points back to the needles. As clearly shown in Figs. 13 to 16 inclusive, the combs 112 are moved to a raised position on the needle shanks so that their upper surface is just below the tips of the needle beards, thus positively bringing the needles into their true spaced relationship. As the needles with their combs are now moved into engagement with the points, the transfer points will come into contact with the pointed teeth of the combs 112 and be guided accurately and certainly into register with the needles.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the present invention provides a simple, efficient and practical construction and arrangement of parts by which the needles of a knitting machine and more particularly of a fixed needle machine employing cooperating knitting elements may beaccurately spaced and aligned adjacent their hook ends and made to register accurately and certainly with a corresponding series of transfer elements to transfer the loops from one needle to another without introducing cumbersome supporting mechanisms which would interfere with the operation of the cooperating knitting elements, and without causing excessive wear on the moving parts.

While the several features of the invention have been disclosed in connection with a full-fashioned straight fixed needle hosiery machine, it is to be understood that the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to a machine of this description but is equally applicable to any fixed needle machine employing transfer elements to transfer loops from one needle to another.

It is also to be understood that the several features of the invention, except as defined in the'claims, are not limited to any particular construction' or arrangement of parts and in this connection, attention is called particularly to the feature of the invention embodied in the combs for aligning and supporting the needles during the loop transferring operation, which feature in its broader aspects, may be utilized in a construction for supporting and aligning the needles at other times and in connection with other special cooperating knitting elements or instrumentalities during the knitting operation, as for instance, in the use of transfer elements for knitting fancy fabric and for other purposw.

This feature of the invention in its broader aspects contemplates the provision of a series of members having spacing portions substantially equal in thickness to the thickness between the needles, which are arranged to engage between and accurately space the upper portions of the needles for operative engagement with special instrumentalities for the performance of a special operation during the course of the knitting, and thereafter move and are maintained out of engagement with said upper portions of the needles during normal knitting, so that the wear on the parts due to the movement of the needles with relation to the spacing members while in operating position, may be reduced to a minimum.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

- 1. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting ele ments to form a knitted fabric, of a series of transfer elements to transfer loops from one needle to another, and members engaging with the transfer elements and the needles to guide these elements relatively into operative engagement.

2. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements to form a knitted fabric, of a series of transfer elements to transfer loops from one needle to another, a support to which said elements are secured, and additional means carried by the support for additionally supporting and guiding the free ends of the transfer elements to align these elements relatively for operative engagement with the needles.

3. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements to produce a knitted fabric, of a series of transfer points, and a comb having teeth extending between the needles adapted to engage with and center the transfer points on the needles.

4. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements to produce a knitted fabric, of a. series of transfer points and a comb having teeth extending between and separating the needles, and a supporting comb having teeth extending between and separating the transfer points, said combs being adapted to align the transfer points with the needles during the loop transferring operation.

5. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements to produce a lmitted fabric, of a series of loop transfer points, a comb having teeth extending between and separating the needles adapted to engage with and center the transfer points on the needles, and a supporting comb having teeth extending between and separating the transfer points adapted to engage with and center the needles with relation to the transfer points.

6. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles .and cooperating knitting elements to produce a knitted fabric, of a comb having teeth extending between and substantially filling thespaces between the needles, a support for the comb arranged to produce relative movements of the comb and the needles lengthwisepf the needle shanks, and a sliding connection between said comb and support to permit a free movement of said comb under the influence of the needles lengthwise of the needle series during said relative movements lengthwise of the needle shanks.

8. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles" and cooperating knitting elements to produce aknitted fabric, of a needle bed to which the needles are fixedly secured, a comb having teeth extending between and substantially filling the spaces between the needles, a support for the comb mounted on the needle bed and movable relatively thereto to effect a movement of the comb lengthwise of the nedle shanks, and a sliding connection between said support and comb having a loose connection to permit a free lateral movement of the comb under the influence of the needles lengthwiseoftheneedleseries during said movements of the comb and support lengthwise of the needle shanks.

9. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements to produce a knitted fabric, of a needle bed to which the needles are fixedly secured, a comb having teeth arranged to extend between and substantially fill the spaces between the needle shanks, a support for the comb, means to produce relative movements of the comb and the needles longitudinally of the needle shanks, and a connection between said support and the comb arranged to permit a free lateral movement of the comb under the influence of the needles lengthwise of the needle series during said rela- -tive movements lengthwise of the needle shanks.

10. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements to produce a knitted fabric, of a needle bed to which the needles are secured, a comb having teeth registering between the needles mounted on the upper end of a rod journaled to slide lengthwise of the needles in the needle support, connections between the rod and the comb arranged to permit movement of the comb lengthwise of the needle series and forwardly with relation thereto, and spring means tending to hold the comb in yielding engagement with the needles.

11. In a knitting machine,the combination witha series of needles and cooperating knitting elements to produce a knitted fabric, of a support on which the needles are mounted to move as a unit, a series of transfer points cooperating therewith, a comb having teeth extending between and supporting the needles, and means acting when rendered operative to impart a longitudinal movement to the comb relatively to the needles to cause the teeth of the comb to en- I gage between and center the transfer points with relation to the needles.

12. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements to produce a knitted fabric, of a series 1 of transfer points, and a comb extending between the needles adapted to engage with and center the transfer points on the needles.

13. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles'and cooperating knitting elements to produce a knitted fabric, of a series of transfer points, and a supporting comb having teeth extending between the transfer points to maintain the transfer points in their true spaced elements to produce a knitted fabric, of a series of transfer points, a support on which the transfer points are mounted for movement towards and away from the needles, a supporting comb extending between the transfer points, a slide on the support on which the comb is, mounted to move longitudinally of the transfer points, spring means for holding the comb normally in a depressed position, and means for limiting the downward movement of the comb with the transfer points.

16. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements to produce a knitted fabric, of a needle support on which the needles are mounted to move as a unit, a series of transfer elements, and a comb having teeth extending between and substantially filling the spaces between the transfer elements to maintain these elements .in their true spaced relationship.

17. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements to produce a knitted fabric, of a series of transfer elements movable relatively into engagement with the needles to transfer needle loops from one needle to another, and a comb engaging between the needles adapted to bring the hook ends of the needles into true spaced relationship to engage with the transfer points.

18. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements to produce a knitted fabric, of a support on which the needles are mounted to move as a unit, a series of transfer points, a holder for the transfer points, a comb having teeth extending between and supporting the transfer points mounted for movement lengthwise thereof on the transfer point support, mechanism for depressing the transfer points to' bring them into operative relationship to the needles during the loop transfer operation, and means engaging with the comb to limit the downward movement of the comb with the transfer points.

19. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements to produce a knitted fabric, of a series of transfer points, and a comb having teeth extending between the transfer points with thin portions at the point of contact with the transfer points and-thickened end portions to engage with the needles.

20. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and their cooperating knitting elements, of a needle support on which the needles are mounted to move as a unit, a series of transfer points, a support on which the transfer points are secured, a comb having teeth engaging between and supporting the transfer points, and a slide on the support to which the comb is secured for movement longitudinally of the transfer points, the slide being arranged to permit a slight lateral movement of the comb.

21. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements including knockover surfaces to form a knitted fabric, ofa series of special instrumentalities arranged to cooperate with the needles to transfer loops, a needle support on which the needles are fixed to move as a unit, a comb having teeth extending between and supporting the needles adapted for lengthwise movement with and relatively to the needles, means for maintaining the comb in a relatively retracted position on the needle shanks during normal knitting, and means acting when rendered operative in cooperation with said special instrumentalities to advance the comb inde pendently of said needle movements to a position adjacent said knockover surfaces.

22. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements including knockover surfaces to form a knitted fabric, of a series of fixed pressing surfaces, a support on which the needles are mounted to move as a unit adapted for vertical movements and lateral movements towards and away from the pressing surfaces, a series of special instrumentalities arranged to cooperate with the needles to transfer loops, a comb having teeth extending between and supporting the needles mounted on said support for lengthwise movement with and relatively to the needles, means for maintaining the comb on said support in a relatively retracted position on the needle shanks during normal knitting, and means acting when rendered operative in cooperation with said special instrumentalities to advance the comb independently'of said needle movements to a position adjacent said knockover surfaces to accurately space the needles with relation to said loop transfer instrumentalitles.

23. In a knitting machine, the combination" with a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements including knockover surfaces to form a knitted fabric, of special instrumentalities arranged to cooperate with the needles to transfer loops, a needle support on which the needles are fixed to move as a unit, a comb having teeth extending between and supporting the needles adapted for lengthwise movement with and relatively to the needles, means for maintaining the comb in a relatively retracted position on the needle shanks during normal knitting, cam means for actuating the needles and cooperating knitting elements to produce knitted fabric, additional cams acting when rendered operative to impart cooperating movements to the needles and to said special loop transfer instrumentalities to transfer loops, and means acting automatically during said transfer operation to advance the comb to a position adjacent said knockover surfaces.

24. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements including knockover surfaces to form a knitted fabric, of special instrumentalities arranged to cooperate with the needles to transfer loops, a needle support on which the needles are fixed to move as a unit, a comb having teeth extending between and supporting the needles adapted for lengthwise movement with and relatively to the needles, means for maintaining the comb in a relatively retracted position on the needle shanks during normal knitting, cam means for actuating the needles and cooperating knitting elements to produce knitted fabric, and additional cam means acting when rendered operative to impart cooperating movements to the needles and said special loop transfer instrumentalities to transfer loops, said cam means acting automatically during said transfer operation to advance the comb to a position adjacent said knockover surfaces.

25. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles having point engaging eyes and cooperating knitting elements to form a knitted fabric, of a series of transfer points, and a comb having teeth arranged to extend between the needles at substantially the level of the needle eyes to engage with and guide said points into the needle eyes.

26. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles having point engaging eyes and cooperating knitting elements to form a knitted fabric, of a series of transfer points, and a comb having teeth arranged to extend between the needles at substantially the level of the needle eyes to engage between the points substantially at their tips to guide the points into the needle eyes.

2'1. In a knitting machine, the combination witha series of needles having point engaging eyes and cooperating knitting elements to form a knitted fabric, of a series of transfer points, a comb having teeth arranged to extend between the needles to engage with and guide the points into the needle eyes, and means for relatively moving said comb and needles to position the comb at substantially the eye level to guide the tips of the points into engagement with the needle eyes.

28. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles having point engaging eyes and cooperating knitting elements to form a knitted fabric, of a series of transfer points, means to produce relative movements of the points and needles lengthwise and laterally of the needle shanks .to engage the points in the needleeyes, and a comb having teeth arranged to extend between theneedles at substantially the eye level to engage with and guide the points into the needle eyes during the said relative lateral movement of the needle and points.

29. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements to produce a knitted fabric, of a series of transfer points grooved to receive the needles, and a supporting comb having teeth extending between the transfer points arranged to enter between the thin tip portions of the needles to guide the needles into the point grooves.

30. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting-elements to produce a knitted fabric, of a series of transfer points grooved to recelvethe needles, means to produce relative movements of the points and needles lengthwise of and laterally of the needle shanks to enga e the points with the needles, and a comb having teeth extending between the transfer points adapted to engage betweenthe thin tip portions pf during said relative lateral movements of the needles and points to guide the needles into the grooves.

31. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements to form a knitted fabric, of a series of transfer elements adapted to cooperate with the needles for a transfer operation distinct from normal knitting and a series of members having portions of thickness substantially equal to the spacing between the needles and adapted to space the upper portion of said needles during transfer operation, means for causing relative movement of the needles and members to cause the members to accurately space the upper portions of said needles for such transfer operation only, and thereafter to cause said spacing portions to be moved and to be maintained out of engagement with said upper portions of the needles for normal knitting and means for supporting said members adjacent the needles and for positively guiding the members and needles throughout their relative movement to and from said spacing relation.

32. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements to form a knitted fabric, of a series of special loop engaging instrumentalities arranged to cooperate at times with the needles to perform a special operation, a series of members having spacing portions substantially equalin thickness to the spacing between the needles, said needles and members being relatively movable, and means effective to produce relative movement therebetween to cause said spacing portions to be engaged between and space upper portions of the needles to cooperate with said special instrumentalities for said special operation and thereafter to cause said spacing portions to be moved and to be maintained out of engagement with said upper portions of the needles for normal knitting.

33. In a knitting machine, the combination with a moving needle bed, substantially vertical needles secured only at their lower ends to said moving needle bed and cooperating knitting elements to form a knitted fabric, of a series of transfer elements, means for efiecting relative movements between the upper end portions of the needles and the transfer elements to secure cooperative relationship therebetween for transfer of loops at a predetermined time and to remain out of cooperative relationship during normal knitting operations, a series of members adapted to engage between and space upper portions of the needles for said transfer operation, and means for effecting relative movement between said spacing members and said upper portions of said needles to cause said spacing members to be engaged between and space the upper portions of said needles only during said transfer operation and to then be moved and maintained out of engagement with said upper portions of the needles for normal knitting.

MAX C. MILLER.

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