US2005674A - Mounting means for needles and the like - Google Patents

Description

G. GASTRICH I June 18, 1935.

2 Sheet Filed July 31, 1934 O m E V m June 18, 1935.. G. GASTRICH MOUNTING MEANS FOR NEEDLES AND THE LIKE Filed July 31, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR: tifwsia/viasif'iah, BY 5 Y ATTOR EY.

Patented June 18, 1935 h UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOUNTING MEANS FOR NEEDLES AND THE LIKE Gustav Gastrich, Wyomissing, Pa., assignor to- Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 31, 1934, Serial No. 737,741

' 7 Claims. (Cl. 66-114) My invention relates to devices for supporting assembly clamping action, by the vibration of the machine elements, such as the needles of knitting needles and perhaps by slight temperature machines, and particularly to means for preventchanges from time to time. ing deterioration of the elements and the support, Another object is to provide a novel needle bar as from rust. structure for a straight knitting machine to con- 5 In clamping devices where machine elements, stitute combined means for effectively performsuch as the spring beard needles of a flat knitting ing its usual function and protecting the parts as machine, are operatively held between clamping above set forth.- jaws, such as the needle bars, strips of yieldable Further objects are to provide a device of the 10 material are ordinarily provided between the neeabove-indicated character that is simple and dur- 10 dles and the clamping portions of the bars to able in construction, economical to manufacture, evenly distribute the clamping pressure. effective, and capable of employment with exist- The yieldable pad or strip elements are usually ing knitting machines. of a fibrous or porous composition, and'altho With these and other objects in view, which equalizing the pressure of the clamping jaws, will become apparent from the following detailed15 they also absorb moisture, as from the liquids description of the illustrative embodiment of the used for yarn conditioning and cleaning purinvention shown in the accompanying drawings, poses, thereby dampening the needles and inducmy invention resides in the novel elements, feaing the rusting thereof. Altho the moisture and tures of construction and arrangement of parts rust may readily be removed from the exposed in cooperative relationship, as hereinafter more 20 portions of the needles, such procedure -is imparticularly pointed out in the claims. practicable as to the portions of the needles with-- In the drawings: in the needle bar, unless the clamping members Figure 1 is a perspective view of a needle bar are removed. This procedure requires shutting clamp embodying the invention,

down the machine andentails considerable loss of Fig. 2 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, of a modified 25 time in production. The moisture between the form of the invention, clamping jaws of a needle bar also causes deterio- Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a ration of the pads and gradually dissolves the needle bar structure of a full fashioned knitting rust preventing coating on the needles, thereby machine, showing several of the clamps of Fig. 1

hastening and sustaining the rusting action, in position, 30 which reduces the strength and decreases the life Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken of the needles. Also, where a needle is replaced, substantially along the line 4-4, Fig. 3, the new needle is positioned on the defective pad, Fig. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of a portion which may retain rust particles from the old of the device of Fig. 3, showing the needles in needle. section, 35

It is therefore, among the objects of the in- Fig.6 isagreatly magnified sectional view taken vention to avoid the above-mentioned detrimensubstantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5, tal effects, by preventing the rusting of the nee- Fig. '7 is a view taken substantially along the dles at the position of attachment thereof in the line 1-1, of Fig. 6, and I needle bar; to keep the mechanism cleaner; to Fig. 8 is a view, similar to Fig. 7, of a form of 40 increase the life of the needles; to reduce the the invention indicated in Fig. 2. 7

time of shutdown of the machines; to avoid de- In a preferred form, given only asan example. terioration of the pads; and to obtain the other in connection with the loop-formingneedles and advantages incident to utilization of the imnot intended as limiting the, invention as to 1 I provement,'as in cleaning,'whereln the cleaning equivalent structi ire for obtaining like results,

fluids may be used more freely about the parts, since it may likewise be applied to other needle- 7, thereby to obtain better results without the like elements of the machine, such as thefweltf necessity for undue care in attempting to keep hooks, the transfer and topping points, andf'thef the-fluids away from th parts, springs and combs of the jack-bed assembly, an

Another object of the invention is to provide absorbent body, such as a strip of relatively'hardsubstantially a reservoir fora reserve supply of fiber board or the like, is impregnatedwitlfiaf a substance capable of flowi'n rsuch that parts flowable substance which is non-miscible with which are not in direct contact 'with the main s'uphydrous liquids. This sorb nt b0dy, which 5 ply body receive the substance by a surfacealso of such character as to constitute a yielding} creepageor capillary action, as augmented by the pad between the needles andthe ne'edle' ba'r 1 the impregnating material are chosen and arranged such that the body constitutes substantially a reservoir whereupon, after the initial contact of the pad with the needles, altho the fluid will not leak wastefully,'or bleed, from the pad, a continuing supply of the protective fluid is maintained, which will feed to the needles.

The usual needle bar assembly, of a straight or full fashioned knitting machine, comprises a bar I2, and a slotted bed I3, to which the needles I4 are clamped by yielding strips or pads I5 carried by jaws I6, which are adjustably secured to the bar I2, as by bolts I'I. Alignment of the jaws I6 relative to each other is ordinarily effected by engagement of the rounded portion I8, with a longitudinally extending groove I9 formed in the bar I2. The strip I5 is preferably secured to the clamp I6 by a layer of adhesive substance 20, such as shellac or other suitable material, and provides a yielding contact surface 22 for clamping the needles I to the bed I3 to evenly distribute the pressure of the clamping members I6 over the needles I4. The clamp I6 rigidly maintains the stems 23 of said needles in a definite spaced relation to each other.

In accordance with the invention, in order to prevent the absorption of moisture by the strip elements I 5, and to prevent the formation of rust on the clamped portions of the needles, the strip I5 is constituted as a saturated pad or reservoir of moisture repellent material. To form the reservoir, the strip I5 is impregnated, preferably after it has been secured to the clamp, with a suitable substance 24, Figs. 5, 6 and '7, such as petrolatum or other oily or unctuous substance which, although being non-miscible with water, may be applied to the pores of the strip I5 to form a reservoir of moisture repellent material within the structure of the strip; a preierred method, as hereinafter more particularly pointed out, being to heat or otherwise'liquefy the petrolatum or other substance, apply it to the pad in liquid state, and allow the structure to cool or harden. By this selection of materials and method of treating'and assembly, a reservoir pad is provided which does not, as it would if treated with ordinary or highly volatile oils, lose its effectiveness over long periods of time, since light oils evaporate quickly and do not have sufficient body, whereas petrolatum, or other similar substance of relatively high viscosity, endures, not only to protect the needles, but to preserve the pad, and to provide a greater reserve supply.

Thus, altho the strip I5 does not completely surround the stem portions of the needles held within the clamping zone of the needle bar, the moisture repellant substance carried by the strip will slowly creep or flow therefrom and maintain a protective film on the needles. This film, or coating, is thus constantly replenished and acts to prevent rust-forming liquids from penetrating the pad, and even though portions of the protectivc coating on the needles should be subiect ed, at remote intervals, .to rust-forming influ ences, the reservoir of moisture-repellent material contained within the strip automatically replenishes the protective coating.

Figs. 6 and 7 are greatly exaggerated views showing that the pores of all exposed surfaces of.

the strip I5 are filled with the lubricant or moisture-repellant substance 24, which is fed to the stems of the naedles to maintain a protective coating thereon. The irregularities of the surface 25 next to the clamping jaw I6 are filled with a suitable adhesive substance by which the strip is attached to the jaw.

The needle engaging surface 22 of the strip I5, although ordinarily having many microscopic cavities in its untreated form, is according to the invention, normally smooth and regular, see Figs. 1 and 6, since the irregularities of the exposed surfaces are filled with the rust-proofing substance. I

Impregnating the strip elements I5 with a rustpreventingcompound may be effected by absorption or by forcing the compound into the pores of the strip under pressure; a preferred method being to first apply a film of shellac, or material on the order of shellac as toits resistance to oil and its ability to adhere to both metal and fibre, to that surface adjoining the clamping jaw. This material penetrates the pores and fibres of the strip and, when hardened, provides a firm anchorage therefor. Next, the assembled jaw and strip may be heated, and petroiatum or a like oleaginous substance heated to a free flowing state and applied thereto. One method of applying the substance is to work it into the strip with a soldering iron; and anothermethod to heat both the substance and the strip, and apply the substance to the strip under a vacuum, the latter procedure drawing out of the strip substantially all trapped air and ensuring substantially maximum penetration of the petroiatum.

In the modification shown in Figs. 2 and 8, the strip I5a is provided with a relatively large number of cells. or apertures, as the symmetrically distributed cells 21, on the order of pin holes or slightly larger, such as not to materially change the clamping resistance or yield of the strip as a clamp cushion, but to increase the total capacity of the strip for the moisture-repellent material thereby to make the moisture-repellent qualities thereof to last longer before renewal of the strips is necessary. To obtain such result, it is necessary that the substance should not bleed or escape by unnecessary leakage, but should be capable of feeding to the needles as required; the

density of the strip, the viscosity of the substance and other factors being correlated to the above ends in the structure of the invention.

Of course, the improvements specifically shown and described, by which I obtain the above results, can be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

'1. A knitting machine comprising a. bed element having elongated seats, needle-like members having longitudinal stem sections along said seats and working portions projecting therefrom, clamping means including a jaw element opposite said jaw between the bed and said needle-like members, and means for distributing clamping pressure over the stems, preventing the admission of moisture to certain parts in the clamping zone and compensating for its effects at other parts therein including an element operating as a. cushion between one of said elements and said needlelike members and containing a moisture-repellant substance prevented from bleeding from the cushion but operating to maintain the substance in contact with portions of the needle-like members under normal temperature conditions.

2. A knitting machine comprising a bed element having elongated seats, needle-like members having longitudinal stem sections along, said seats and working portions projecting therefrom, clamping means including a jaw element opposite said jaw between the bed and said needle-like members, and means for distributing clamping pressure over the stems, preventing the admission of mor'sture to certain parts in the clamping zone and compensating for its effects at other parts therein including ,a yieldable strip between one of said elements and said needle-like members, said strip having cells of a size and distribution therein in accordance with the yieldability of the strip material to retain therein a predetermined resistance to the clamping force and to hold a predetermined supply of moisturerepellant substance prevented from bleeding from the strip but operating to supply the substance to portions of the needle-like members under normal temperature conditions.

3. In combination, in a knitting machine, a bank of needle-like elements, means for supporting the same including a backing portion extending over lengths of the stems thereof, and means including a yieldable pad providing a cushion for the needle-like elements and containing a substance protecting said elements against moisture between said backing portion and said stem lengths from which working portions of the elements project.

4. A knitting machine comprising a needle-bed having seats, needles having stems on said seats and Working portions projecting therefrom, a clamp, and means for distributing clamp pressure on the stems, preventing the admission of moisture to certain parts and counteracting its efiects at other parts of the stems in the clamping zone including a hard fibrous strip secured to the clamp by an oil-resistant cement and substantially saturated by an oleaginous material of viscosity preventing its'bleeding but causing it to feed to the needles underordinary temperatures.

5. The method of assembling a strip of hard fibrous material on a clamp jaw for position against a bank of needles of a straight knitting machine and treating said strip to protect the needles against moisture, which comprises first placing a film of oil-resistant adhesive onthe order of shellac between the strip and the jaw to penetrate the strip, allowing the film to harden, heating the assembled strip and jaw, heating to a free-flowing state an oleaginous substance normally of relatively high viscosity, and applying the hot liquid to the heated strip whereby, when cooled, the strip holds substantially a maximum of the substance in a state preventing its bleeding from the strip but allowing it to feed to the needles.

6. The method of preparing a strip of hard fibrous material for assembly on a clamp jaw, assembling the strip on the jaw and treating the strip after assembly, for position against a bank of needles to protect the needles against moisture, which comprises, selecting the strip as to hardness such that, after perforating, it will have effective resistance to, and yield against, the service-clamping pressure, perforating it with cells of a size and symmetrical spacing to effect such resistance and yield and to hold a predetermined quantity of moisture repellant material, placing a film of oil-resistant adhesive on the order of shellac between the strip and the jaw to penetrate the strip, allowing the film to harden, heating the assembled strip and jaw, heating to a freefiowing state an oleaginous substance normally of relatively high viscosity, and subjecting the heated strip to a vacuum while applying the hot liquid to the heated strip whereby, when cooled, the strip holds, in its fibers and in its said cells, substantially'a maximum amount of the substance in a state preventing its bleeding from the strip but allowing it to feed to the needles.

7. A support, for needle-like elements of a straight knitting machine, comprising a bed having parallel uniformly laterally spaced grooves in a surface of the bed for receiving said elements and means for holding the elements longitudinally, a set of needle-like elements to-be held by the bed in said grooves laterally relative to each other with sides of the elements protruding from the grooves laterally to said bed surface, the elements also being adapted to be held longitudinally by said means, a jaw for clamping the elements against the bed having a surface for parallel recient liquefaction under heat to penetrate said strip and remain in the strip to the maximum quantity of which the strip as so constituted is' capable of holding under normal temperature conditions, and also, being capable of feeding to the elements, and prevented from bleeding from the strip, under such conditions.

v GUSTAV GASTRICH.

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