US2005951A - Manufacture of fabrics - Google Patents

Description

June 25, 1935. J. MORTON 2,005,951

MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS I Filed June 10, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet l June 25, 1935 J. MORTON 2,005,951

MANUFACTURE OF FABB I C S Filed June 10, .1933 6 Sheets-Sheet '2 June 25, 1935. J. MORTON MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS Filed June 10, 1933 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 J. MORTON MANUFACTURE OF FABRI CS Filed June 10, 1933 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 June 25, 1935. J. MORTON 2,005,951

MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS Filed June 10, 1933 I 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 gm b0 a izg zi I June 25, 1935. J. MORTON 2,005,951

MANUFACTURE OF FABRI 05 Filed June 10, 1933 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented June 25, 1935 UNITED STATE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS James Morton, Cariisle, England Application June 10, 1933, Serial No. 675,185

In Great Britain June 25, i932 s eam. (Ol. 6685) This invention relates to the manufacture of carpets, rugsand other fabrics of the kind including or consisting of a structure composed of warps and wefts which are not interwoven but bound together by stitching formed by knitting action.

The chief object of the invention is to make provision whereby su'ch fabrics can be' produced at a high knitting speed and with considerable structural compactness \comparable with thatobtained by weaving operations.

According to the invention, the fabric structure is manufactured by supplying wefts to the opposite faces, or sides, of a web, or sheet, of warps and inter-binding the said wefts by chains of stitches extending along spaces between the warps; that is, the chains are independent of one another.

The chains of stitches are each composed of two threads, yarns, or the like looped together by the same knitting needle to form the chain, the arrangement being such that each stitch consists of a loop in one thread drawn through a loop in the other, so that the loops in the respective threads alternate and interlock throughout the length of the chain, thus preventing unravelling. Provision is made for positively drawing the stitches tight at timed intervals in the cycle of operations in order to ensure that the fabric structure will be firmly consolidated, the timing being such that the knitting threads are drawn tight when they are clear of the knitting needles. Thus, the fabric structure is tightly consolidated, and the fact that the binding threads for the time being on the knitting needles take no part in the tightening action ensures that thework performed by the knitting mechanism is not rendered any heavier and that a high knitting-speed can therefore be maintained. Moreover, the fact that the chains are independent avoids the distortion which would occur if they were interconnected, and the fact that they are composed of two threads alternately acted upon by the knitting-needles ensures that the chains will not unravel if a thread breaks.

The invention is especially suitable for applica tion to the manufacture of pile fabrics, either cut or looped, and, when so applied, the aforesaid fabric structure may constitute the ground structure of the fabric. Pile warps (preferably associated with stuifer warps) extending between the independent chains of stitches are formed by hooks into pile loops, either cut or not, projecting from between the front wefts and bound into the fabric thereby.

In the manufacture of a pile fabric as aforesaid, the fact that the looping is performed by hooks, and not by the knitting-needles themselves, coupled with the fact that the pile loops are bound in place by the front wefts and not by knitting into the structure of the fabric, ensures that the pile formation does not add to the work of the knitting mechanism and therefore does not aifect the ,lmitting speed.

The knittingneedles may have shanks terminating in hooks and channels wherein work tonguesserving to guide the loops past the hooks during casting-off, the needles and tongues, respectively, being secured to independently actuated supports working in timed relationship.

The manufacture of pile fabrics is carried out by a machine capable of performing two succes sive operations during each complete cycle of operations, the one operation being a stitching operation and the other a pile-lapping operation.

For the manufacture of cut-pile fabrics the machine employed may have, stationary pile-forming hooks associated with sliding knives for cutting the pile. These knives can be operated in sequence, the operation of the knives taking place continuously throughout the complete cycle.

Substantially stationary pile-forming hooks may also be employed when manufacturing uncut loop pile fabrics, but, in this case, the hooks are floating, being supported by previously formed loops. Means are also provided to position the hooks for the pile-lapping operations.

The warps may be supplied from one or more beams; for'instance, there may be a beam of stuffer warps and one or more beams of pile warps. The pile warps'pass through one or more sets of guides, preferably tubes, and these guides areoperated to lap the pile warps around the hooks. Especially where there are two or more sets of guides, their operation may be controlled by pattem-chains or other selecting mechanism.

Successive lengths ofwefts are fed from separate supplies to opposite faces of the web or sheet of. stuffer warps, and any suitable known mechanism may be employed for the purpose of placing the said lengths across said web or sheet.

The invention will now be described, by Way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in'which:

Fig. 1 is a atic sectional elevation of a machine for manufacturing cut pile fabrics, parts of the machine being omitted for clearness.

Fig, 2 is an elevation in the direction of the are rowJI in Fig. L'the middle parts of the machine being broken away.

Fig. 3 is fragmentary elevation in the direction of the arrow III in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation drawn to a large scale to show with greater cleamess certain of the parts included in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is confined mainly to the parts which act directly on the various threads and yarns of which the fabric is composed.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary ielevation showing weft-supplying mechanism, this view being to a larger scale than Fig. 1 and being obtained by looking on the machine in the direction of the aforesaid arrow II in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of pile-cutting mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a view drawn to a larger scale than Fig. 6 and showing with greater cleamess certain of the parts included therein.

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation corresponding to Fig.7.

Fig. 9 is a plan of certain of the parts included in Fig.4.

Fig; 10 is a diagram illustrating a cut-pile fabric such as made by the machine illustrated in Figs. 1 to 9.

Fig. 11 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a machine for manufacturing looped pile fabrics.

Figs. 12 and 13 are views showing with greater clearness certain of the parts included in Fig. 11.

and illustrating the loop-forming operation.

Fig. 14 is an elevation of a portion of. a comb positioning floating loop-forming hooks one of which is shown in Figs. 11 .to 14. v

Fig. 15 is an elevation of a portion of a so-called cradle for supporting the floating hooks at the commencement of fabric-production.

Fig. 16 is a section on the line XVI-XVI of Fig, 15.

Fig. 17 is a section corresponding to Fig. 16, but showing floating hook in place in the cradle.

Referring firstly to the machine illustrated in Figs. 1 to 9, the working parts of this machine are f supported by a stationary frame-work comprising mainly two side frames or gables I8 and i9.

The working parts derive their motion from a main driving shaft 20 borne by the frames l8 and I 9 and rotated by any suitable external power means. The various motions are mainly derived from cams, certain of which are secured to the main shaft 20 and certain others of which are secured to shafts driven either directly or indirectly by the shaft 20. These other shafts, which are shown chiefly in Figs. 1 to 3, comprise the following, namely:-

frame I8 and fixtures thereon and driven at half the speed of the shaft 20 through the intermediary of a train of gear-wheels 22. A vertical halfspeed shaft 23 supported by the frame 19 and fixtures thereon and driven at half the speed of the main shaft 20 by bevel-gear-wheels 24.

A shaft 25, which may be termed a patternshaft, supported by fixtures on the frame l9 and driven at half the speed of the main shaft 20 by intermeshing spiral gear-wheels 23 on the shafts 23 nd 25 respectively. A shaft 21 supported upon both frames l8 and I9 and driven at half the.

speed of the main shaft 20 by-bevel-gear-wheels 28 on the shafts 23 and 21 respectively.

The machine also includes a take-up shaft 29, which is supported by both frames l8 and i3 and receives a slow intermittent rotational movement from the half-speed vertical shaft 23 through the intermediary of a single-toothed driver 38 (Figs. 2 and 3) secured tothe shaft 23, a toothed A half-speed cam-shaft 2| supported by the' wheel 3| borne by the frame l9 and intermittently rotated by the driver 30, a gear-wheel 32 on the same shaft 33 as the toothed wheel 3|, and a train of intermediate gear- wheels 34, 35 and 36 which drive a gear-wheel 31- secured to the takeup shaft 29. The gear- wheels 34, 35 are secured together and are adiustably mounted on an arm 38 which is adjustable around the axis of the shaft 33, and the gear wheel 36 is adjustably mounted on an arm 39 which is adjustable around the axis of the take-up shaft 29. The parts 32 to 31 constitute'a known kind of [change-speed gear, any desired change in the gear ratio being obtainable by substituting differently sized intermediate wheels in place of the gear- wheels 34, 35 and 35. Accordingly, the take-up shaft 29' can be driven at any desired slow intermittent rotational speed.

The yarns and threads acted upon by the machine parts to form the required cut pile fabric are shown in Figs. 1 and 4 and they comprise stuffer warps A, pile warps B, C, wefts D, E and stitching threads F, G the fabric itself being shown conventionally and being denoted by H.

The stuifer warps A are led in a single web or sheet from an overhead beam 40 journalled at its ends in the frames l8 and IS. The warps A pass over a guide beam 4| directly to a part 42, which may be termed the breast-beam of the machine, without being acted upon by any of the operative parts thereof; that is to say, the stuifer warps pass idly into the body of the fabric H.

The pile warps B, C are supplied as separate webs or sheets from overhead beams 43 and 44 journalled at their ends in the frames 18 and i9, and the warps B, C are led to apair of guide beams 35, 46 whence they passto two rows of guide- tubes 41 and 48, the functionof which is to guide the pile warps into loop formations as they are being embodied in the fabric H.

The front and back wefts D and E consist of two single continuous yarns, which are supplied from bobbins 49 and 50 mounted on fixtures 5i and 52 extending betweenthe frames l8 and IS. The wefts D, E are respectively led to two reciprocatory guide- spouts 53, 54, the function of which is to place the wefts across the fell of the fabric-in the production thereof.

The stitching threads F, G are led in separate webs or sheets from two beams 55, 56 journalled at their ends in bearings on the frames 18 and E9, the threads passing from their respective beams to stitch-tightening devices, hereinafter described. The threads pass from the aforesaid devices to two-rowsof guide fingers 51, 58 (see Fig. 4) the function of which is to lead the threads in timed sequence into operative engagement with a row of horizontal hook-needles 59 acting to knit pairs of the threads F, G into independent chains of stitches which bind the wefts of one sheet to the wefts of the other sheet, thereby forming the essential structure of the fabric.

When the aforesaid guide- tubes 47, 48 guide.

fabric passes from, the take-up beam 82 over guide beams 63 to a cloth beam 64 supported at opposite ends and rotated by any suitable means (not shown) to wind up the fabric at the same rate as it is produced. I

' -The mechanism for and method of supplying the wefts D, E will now be described.

As aforesaid, the wefts are led singly to the fabricby way of two guide spouts 58 and 54. As shown best in Figs. 4 and 5, the spout 53 is secured to the end of an-arm 10 provided with yarn guides 1 I and secured to a reciprocatory carriage 12, which is slidably mounted on a bar 13 secured at its ends to fixtures 14 on the frames I8 and I9. The carriage 12 co-operates with two sets of picker mechanism, which are illustrated in Fig. 5, the respective sets being supported on the frames I8 and I9 and deriving their action a from the previously mentioned half-speed shaft 21. The two sets of picker mechanism comprise levers 15, 16, which are fulcrumed'to fixtures 11 on the frames I8, I9 and which carry rollers 18, 19 acting as followers to actuating cams 80, 8I. The respective levers 15, 15 are strongly pulled by springs 8% 83 anchored to fixtures 84, on the frames I 8, IS.

89, one wheel of each pair being secured to the shaft 21 and the other wheels being secured to the shafts 86, 81, respectively.

The other guide spout 54 is secured to the end of an arm provided with yarn guides 9I and secured to a reciprocatory carriage 92, the latter being slidably mounted upon a bar 93 which is secured at its ends to the fixtures 14. The carriage 92, like the carriage 12, is operated by two sets of picker mechanism of the same construction as those already described, including two actuating cams 94, secured to the shafts 86,

81 but arranged out of phase with reference to the corresponding cams 80, 8|.

Assuming the parts to be operating and instantaneously occupying the positions in which the are shown i F 5, t h

y n 1g as he s an as con loops in the one thread drawn through loops in tinues its counter-clockwise rotation, thefdrop shown in the cam 80 moves beyond the follower 18, with the result that the spring 82- forces the lever 15 to turn sharply around its fulcrum and force the carriage 12 to move towards the right along the rail 13. The carriage 12 continuesits movement until brought to rest by the lever 16, the shock 'of bringing the carriage to rest being absorbed by the spring 83. At the instant when. the carriage 12 is projected to the right, the carriage 92 is also projected by its picker mechanism, including the cam 95, along the rail 93, but towards the left.

Thus, each time the picker levers are actuated, the two carriages 12, 92 are projected in opposite directions along their rails 13," 93,-and accordingly two lengths of weft D, E. are simultaneously placed by the spouts 53, 54 at opposite sides of the fabric-production zone in readiness for incorporation in the fabric being there produced. The lengths of weft thus supplied are accordingly placed at opposite sides of the stuifer' warps A, and at the backs of (i. e. below) the hook-needles 59.

. The mechanism for and method of forming stitches in the threads F, G will now be described. Referring to the previously mentioned rows of thread-guide fingers51, 58 (Figs. 4 and 9), these rows are respectively mounted on pillar bars I00,

The respective actuating cams 80, 4 8! are secured to shafts 86, 81, which are driven III, there being in each row as many" guide fingers as there are hook-needles 59.

The pillar bars I00 and IM are supported at their ends in well known manner so as to he slidable across the machine endwise .(i. e. so as to be capable of having imparted to them shogging movements), the means of support com- I prising bracketsIM, I03 rigidly attached to segmental members, one of which is indicated by I04 in Fig. 1, these members. being rigidly attached to opposite ends 'of a square shaft I05. This square shaft I05 is journalled at its ends in pivotal arms having pivot shafts ,journalled in the frames I8 and I9, one pivotal arm being indlcated by I06 and its pivot shaft by I01, in Fig. 1.-

The pillar bars I00, IOI are shogged individually by two pattern chains, one of which is shown conventionally in Fig. 2, being indicated by I08. This chain I08 constitutes one of four pattern chains, which are supported by a guide roller I09 and pass around a driving drum IIO secured to the shaft 25 and formed with five toothed rings (see Fig. 3) between which the pattern chainsfit in well known manner.

'The four'pattern chains I08 co-operate with four rollers, one of which is'shown at III in Fig. 2. Twoof these rollers are carried by slidably mounted abutmentmembers H2 and H3 against which projections on the pillar bars I00, IOI abut, thepillar bars being acted upon by springs' H4, 5, which serve to maintain the pillar bars in operative engagement with the respective pattern-chains, through the intermediary of the sliding abutments H2, H3 and the respective rollers II I. The arrangement is such bars I00, IOI can be individually shogged in such a manner thattheir thread-guiding fingers 51, 58 are moveda distance equivalent to the distance between two of the knitting needles 59. In order to produce the chain stitch shown in Fig.

,10, the pattern-chains would be so designed that "that, in the rotationofthe shaft 25, the pillar the pillar bars I00, IOI are alternately shogged to the extent of one needle space, with the result that each hook produces a single and independent chain of stitches, each chain consisting of sisting of rising and falling movements past the planeof the needles 59 and movements tq-andfrom the needles 59;

The rising-and falling movements of the guide fingers 51, 58 are obtained from a cam I20 (Fig. 1) secured to the main shaft 20. The cam I20 co-operates with a roller I2I carried by a lever I22, one end of which is fulcrumed at I23 and the other end of which is pivotally attached to the lower end of a link I24, whose top end is pivotally attached to one end of a link I25, the other end of which is rigidly attachedto one end of the square shaft I02. The arrangement is such that, once during each revolution of the main shaft 20, the link I25 rocks the "square shaft I05 about the axis thereof, with the result that the'guide fingers 51, 58 are raised and lowered past the plane of the hook-needles 59.

The movements of the guide fingers 51, 58 toand-from the hook needles 59 are derived from a cam I30 (Fig. l) secured to the half-speed shaft 2I. The cam I30 cooperates with a roller I3I carried by an arm I32 which is secured to the pivot shaft I01 of one of the two arms I06 supporting the ends of the square shaft I85. The arrangement is such that, twice during each revolution of the shaft 2| (i. e. once during each revolution of the main shaft) the interconnected arms I32, I06 are rocked, with the result that the pillar-bars I00, IOI and guide- fingers 51,58 thereon aredisplaced to-and-from the hookneedles 59. p

The mannerof constructing and supporting pillar-bars bearing rows of thread-guiding fingers and the manner of actuating said bars by cams and pattern-chains are well known to those familiar with warp-knitting machines, and accordingly they need not be described or illustrated in greater detail.

The hook needles 59, in the construction illustrated, are of the type in which each cooperates with a sliding tongue or latch. In the drawings, the tongues are denoted by I40, these tongues being slidably arranged in channels formed in theneedle shanks. The action of each tongue I40 relatively to the respective needle 59 is, firstly, to retire and leave the hook exposed, so that the thread F or G to be, stitched can be looped around the hook; and, secondly, to advance and close upon the hook and overlap its tip, thereby providing a guide over which a previously formed loop is cast-off from the' needle. Thus, in the operation of the hook needles 59, the tongues I40 move withbut differentially ofthe needles.

The row of hook needles 59 are mounted on a reciprocatory bar structure I42 which is secured at both ends to slidable guide-blocks, one of which is indicated by I43 in Fig. 1, the block I43 being slidably mounted on a stationary rod I 44 rigidly attached to a pair of brackets I45 secured to the frame I8. The structure I42, at each end, is pivotally attached at I46 to one end of alink I41 whose other end is pivotally attached to a lever I48 fulcrumed on a stationary shaft I49. The lower end of the lever I48 carries a roller I50 which engages with a cam II secured to the main shaft 20. The arrangement is such that, in each rotation of the shaft 20, the lever I48 is rocked to-and-fro by the cam I5I and imparts through the link I41 a reciprocatory movement to the bar structure I42 and the needles 59 thereon.

The tongues I48 are secured to a bar structure I52 which, at each end, is pivotally attached at I53 to one end of a link I54 whose other end is pivotally attached to a lever I55, which also is fulcrumed on the shaft I49. The lever I55 carries at its lower end a roller I56 engaging with a cam I 51 secured to the main shaft 20. The arrangement is such that the cam I51 rocks the lever I55 once in each revolution of the main shaft 20, thereby imparting to the tongue-bar I52 and tongues I40 thereof, through the intermediary of the link I54, the requisite differential movements relatively to the hook-needles 59.,

In Fig. 1, there is shown mechanism whereby the canis I5I and I51 impart reciprocatory movements to those ends of the needle bar I42 and the tongue bar I 52 which are in' the vicinity of the frame I8; and it is to be understood that similar'cams and similar mechanism would be provided at the opposite ends of the bars I42, I52, and that the said mechanism would be supported by brackets corresponding to the brackets I45 but attached to the frame I9.

It is when the needles 59 are fully advanced (i. e. moved to the left as viewed in Fig. 1) that their hooks are looped by the threads F or G under the guidance of the fingers 51, 58. Prior to this inter-action between the fingers and needles, the spouts 53, 54 have been forced to reciprocate across the machine and lay in lengths of the wefts D, E. Thus, in the formation of a stitch by the needles 59, the stitch includes a loop which embraces the two previously laid in lengths of the wefts D and E (see Fig. It will be clear that, in order to render the fabric firm, it is desirable that the last-formed stitch should-be pulled tight. ,Mechanism for pulling the threads G and F tight will now be described. The stitch-tightening mechanism is actuated by four cams I60 to I63 secured to the halfspeed shaft 2I (see Figs. 1 and 2).. Referring first of all to the action of the said mechanism upon the sheet of threads F, the beam 55 on which these threads are wound is provided with a brake-drum I64 (see Fig. 1). A brake-band I65 wrapped partially around the brake-drum is anchored at one end I66 to the frame I8 and is connected at its other end, by connections I61, to a lever I68, one end of which is fulcrumed at I69 on the frame I8 and the other end of which carries a roller I10 co-operating with the cam I60. The arrangement is such that,.once in every revolution of the shaft 2I (i. e. once in every two revolutions of the main shaft 28), the cam I69 imparts to the lever I68 an upward motion whereby the brake-band I65 is drawn tightly against the drum I64, so that the beam 55 is temporarily locked against rotation. The tightening action is applied to the threads F by a rod I1I (-see Fig. 1) supported at its ends by arms, one of which is indicated by I12. These arms are secured to a shaft I13 journalled at-its opposite ends in the frames I8, I9, the shaft I13 serving also as a guide for the threads F. To one end of the shaft I13 there is secured an arm I14 which carries a roller (not shown, being obscured by the roller I18 in Fig. 1) co-operating with the cam I62. The arrangement is such that, at the time when the beam 55 is temporarily locked, the cam I62 imparts an upward movement to the arm I14, whereby the shaft I13 is turned counter-clockwise, with the result that the bar MI is moved to the left and imparts a pull to the sheet of threads F, thereby tightening the stitches last formed in these threads.

Referring now to the sheet of threads G, which are wound upon the beam .56, the aforesaid cams I6I and I63 respectively operate brake-mechanism and thread-pulling mechanism of 'the same construction as already described with reference to the threads F, and the said mechanisms have therefore been denoted in Fig. 1 by the same reference numerals. For clearness, the arm I12, and

1 the rod I1I adapted to pull the threads G, have been shown displaced into the position which they occupy at the conclusion of the pull.

It is to be understood that arms I12, corresponding to those shown in Fig. 1, would be provided in the vicinity of the frame I9 to support the adjacent ends of the bars IN.

The mechanism for and method of leading-in the pile warps B, C will now be described.

The two j'rows of pile-guiding tubes 41, 48 are respectively secured to tube-bars I80, I8I which are slidably attached'at I82, I83 to (although held against rotation relatively to) a pair of arms I84 secured to opposite ends of a shaft I85 which is journalled at its ends in arms I86 secured to frames I8, I9. The tube bars I80,- I8I are-so supported that they receive a shogging movement, a lowering-and-raising movement, and a short-rocking movement, the resultant of the three composite movements being such that the pile-guiding tubes lap the pile warpsaround the stationary pile-forming hooks 80.

The shogging movements of the tube bars I80, I8I areindependently received from two of the four pattern chains already described, and one of which is denoted by I08 in Fig. 2. For this purpose, the tube-bars are provided at the ends thereof adjacent to the frame l9 withabutment plates which co-operate with projections on two slidesprovided with two of the four rollers indicated by III in Fig. 2; one abutment plate I90, one projection I9I and one slide I92 being shown in Fig. "2. These parts are adapted to form an operative connection between the respective roller II I and the tube bar I80, the aforesaid connection being maintained continuous by a spring I93 anchoredat I 9l tothe shaft I85. The tube bar It isoperated similarly.

. Thus, it will be seen that the shogging movements of the tube-bars I80, I8I are derived in the same manner as the shogging movements of the pillar bars I00, IOI.

, Moreover, the extents by which the tube-bars I80, I8I are shogged can be varied under the control of the pattern-chainsto produce pattern effects inthe pile.

rocking movement to the lever 203, with the result that the tubes 41, $8, in unison, are lowered below the level of the hooks 80 and thereafter raised above said level again.

The rocking movement of the tube-bars I80,,

, I8I is derived from a cam Own the shaft 20. This cam co-operates with a roller 2 carried at the lower end of a lever 2I2, which is fulcrumed at 2I3 and the top end of which is connected by a link 2Il to an extension 2I5 of one of the two arms I84. The arrangement is suchthat,

' once during each revolution of the shaft 20, the

lever 2 I2 is rocked by the cam 2I I, with the result that the tubes 41, 48, in unison, are rocked to-andvfro past the hooks.

In the construction illustrated, there are only two rows of guide-tubes, and it is to bev understood that the machine may have more than two rows if required, more particularly if the machine is intended to produce variously patterned fabrics.

Referring again to the rows of thread-guiding fingers 51, 5a, and to the fact that the guidetubes ll, 48 may move amongst them during the operation of lapping the pile threads around the hooks 80, the pattem-chains I08 controlling the shogging movements of the fingers must under such circumstances be designed to impart an auxiliary shogging movement to the fingers, when the tubes are being shogged, to avoid fouling between the fingers and tubes.

The mechanism for and method of cutting the loops in-the pile threads B, C will now be described, more particularly with reference to Figs.

) a rock-shaft I81 journalled at its ends in the 6 to 8 in which the said mechanism is most clearly shown.

The knives 8i consist of thin blades which are arranged to slide in grooves 220 formed in the loop-forming hooks (see also Fig. 9), so that these hooks present the appearance'of sheathlike members serving .as partial guides for the knives. The hooks 80 are secured to a bar structure 22I serving also to guide the kniv'esand supported at its ends by brackets 222 on the frames I8 and-I9 (see also Fig. l). The top end of each knife is formed as a sharp inclined edge which works immediately below the loop-forming hooks, while the bottom of each knife is formed with an eyelet 223 through which passes a removable pin 224 extending at both ends between the vertical dents 225 of a double stationary reed and projecting into the path of a double sliding cam 228, having upwardly and downwardly inclined cam grooves 221. The dents 225 serve for vertical guidance of the pins 224, whereas the cam grooves 221 serve as a means for raising the knives from'their lowermost position. There are several double cams 228, all arranged to slide as a gang on stationary horizontal bars 228 ,supported at their ends on brackets 229 on the frames I8 and I9 (see also Fig. 1), the cams being interconnected to slide in unison by links 230.. The cams receive a continuous recipro'catory motion from an eccentric 23I secured to the shaft .225, the eccentric imparting the necessary movement through an articulated train comprising an eccentric rod 23, a bell-crank-lever 233 fulcrumed at 234 onthe frame I9, a link 235 and a lever 236, which is fulcrumed at 231 on a bracket 238. The lever 238 has a sliding connection at 239 with the endmost double cam 226.

The arrangement is such that, during the operation of the machine, the cams slide in unison to-and-fro along the bar 228 and impart a vertical cutting, motion to the knives in sequence, which therefore, cut whatever loops of pile em brace the shanks of the hooks. The sequential action obviates shock, and since the pile-cutting operation is uniformly distributed over the complete cycle, the minimum power for cutting is expended.

The above-mentioned feature permits high speeds to be attained, especially owing to the fact that thehooks, being stationary, do not have to slide to-and-fro through initially uncut loops, thereby keeping the resistance of the pile-looping-and-cutting mechanismlow.

Any knife-blade can be conveniently removed simply by withdrawing its bottom pin 228' and allowing the blade to drop out of its hook shank.

With reference to the machine in its entirety, the worklng parts are, so timed in relation to each other that the following cycle of operations takes place during each revolution of the main shaft 28, it ,being'assumed that 'a portion; of fabric H has already been produced.

, Two lengths of weft n, E are simultaneously I placed across the top ofthe fabric by the spouts '83, BI. The thread D is led-in at the pile side of the sheet of stuifer warps A and rests against the stufl'er warps, the threads F, G extending from the fingers 51, 58, and the last-formed loops in thepile warps Ber 42. The thread E is led-in at the ground side of the sheet of stutter warps A and rests against these warps and also loop extending to the hook needles 59.

The hook-needles 59 advance across the tops of the wefts D, E and pass through and beyond the sheets of warps A, C and B. The

tongues "0 also advance, but to a lesser extent than the needles 59, whose hooks are therefore fully exposed. One of the two. rows of guidefingers, say the fingers 51, receive the composite that the last-formed loops in the threads G are cast-01f, thereby producing stitches. These stitches include loops (newly formed by the retiring needles 59) in the threads F, which loops embrace the wefts D, E and hold them against the warps A, B and C. The stitch-tightening mechanism provided for the threads G is now actuated, the respective drum I64 being braked and the respective rod I'll being displaced to pull on the sheet of threads G in the manner hereinbefore described. Accordingly, the castoif loops in the threads G are pulled tight, with the result that the wefts embraced by these castofl loops are drawn tightly into the fabric. However, the loops last formed in the threads F and still engaged by the needles 59 receive no pull whatever, so that the wefts embraced by these loops are merely held thereby lightly in place at this stage. The fact that the wefts are drawn tightly into the fabric at a time when the threads binding them are entirely free from the needles 59 ensures that the fabric can be very tight and compact and yet the knitting speed is not reduced.

The rows of tubes 41, 48 pass below the tips of the hooks 00, and that row which is operated by its pattern-chain I08 performs a looping movement around the hooks, whereby the pile warps comprising one or other of the sheets B, C are lapped around the hooks 50 in readiness to be bound in place during the succeeding cycle of operations. In said succeeding cycle, however, it is the'threads G which are looped by their guide fingers 58 upon the hooked-needles 59 and it is the loops formed in the threads during the preceding cycle which are cast-'oif and pulled tight.

Throughout the cycle, as previously explained, the pile-cutting operation continuously takes place.

The fabric produced may be of the simple form illustrated in Fig. 10. As will be gathered therefrom, the threads F, G are formed into single independent chains which extend lengthwise between adjacent groups of stutter and pile warps A, B and C, and which serve to bind the wefts D, E and stufier warps A into the form of a strong fabric structure serving as the ground of the complete cut-pile fabric in the example described. It will be observed that the pile loops are not knitted-inthat is to say, they are not acted upon at all by the hook-needles 59-and that they are held in place solely by the front wefts D, below which they pass.

With reference now to the manufacture of looped pile fabri'cs,a portion of a machine for producing such fabrics is shown in Fig. 11. Ex-

cept for certain of the parts therein shown and now to be described, this machine may be identical with the machine already described with reference to Figs. 1 to 9, but with the fixed loop-forming hooks and the pile-cutting knives and their operating means removed.

, thereby locking the hooks in ciation with a toothed bridge, shown also in Figs.

12, 13 and 14. The bridge 304 extends across the machine and is supported at its ends by brackets, one of which is indicated by 305. Each of these brackets is adjustably secured by a screw 306 to a cam-rod 301, which is vertically slidable in guides 308 on a stationary bracket 309. The cam-rod 301 has at its lower end a roller 3 l0 which rides upon a cam 3| I secured to a cam-shaft 3l2 driven by, and at the same speed as, the mainshai't of the machine (i. e. the shaft described with reference to Figs. 1 to 9) through the intermediary of any suitable gearing (not shown).

The arrangement is such that, in the normal operation of the machine, the hooks 302 are supported by the loops formed in the pile threads, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13, the action' of the bridge 304 being to rise and engage the hooks once during each cycle of operations (see Figs. 11, 12 and 14) and position them accurately in the spaces between its teeth. While the looping operation is being perfcrmed,the bridge 304 is lowered out of the way, as shown in Fig. 13, the thread-guiding fingers being at the same time withdrawn clear of the pile tubes.

The fabric K shown in Figs. 12 and 13 has been illustrated conventionally, for clearnes s. This fabric may be the same as that diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 10, except that the pile warps B, C are not cut.

.At the commencement of fabric-production, there being no pile loops to support the floating hooks 302, 303, the latter are set up, away from the machine, in a cradle 3|3, a. portion of .which is shown in Figs. 15 to 17. This cradle is formed in its convex face with grooves 314 into which the hook shanks 303 can be neatly seated, as shown in Fig. 1'7. When the hooks are thus set up, a wire 5 is strung from end-to-end of the cradle,

place.

The machine is first of all operated to produce 7 a short. length of unlooped fabric, a bridge 304 being temporarily removed. Then the loaded cradle 313 is positioned temporarily'in place in the machine, and the latter is manipulated slowly by hand until sufficient loops are formed upon the hooks to support them. Then the cradle is removed, and the bridge is replaced. J

Obviously, a single cradle can be utilized for several machines in turn.

If desired, the parts herein described with reference to Figs. 11 to 17 may be interchangeable with the parts to which they correspond in the machine described with reference to Figs. 1 to 9, so that the one machine may be quickly and conveniently convertible for manufacturing different kinds of fabric. Thus, the machine can be utilized to manufacture'a large variety of fabrics, namely cut-pile, looped pile, and simple non-pile fabrics composed of warps and wefts bound together by face could be obtained by dispensing-with all loopforming mechanism and supplying strips of chenille as wefts in lieu of or in addition to the wefts D.

The par icular kind of knitting needles described an illustrated is preferred for high speed working; but ordinary latch-needles, or other suitable kind may be used if desired.

I claim:-

l. A fabric manufacturing machine adapted to receive a sheet of stuffer warps and comprising guides for leading-in a sheet of pile warps, mechanism for imparting pile-looping movements tosaid guides, means for supplying wefts to opposite faces of said stuifer and pile sheets, mechanism 'for producing chains of stitches which extend along spaces between groups of said stuffer and pile warps and inter-bind the wefts, stationary hooks around which'the weft-bound pile warps are looped during said pile-looping movements, knivcsprovided in combination with said hooks, and means for moving said knives to cut the looped pile warps.

, 2. A fabric manufacturing machine adapted to receive a sheet of stuifer warps and comprising guides for leading-in a sheet of pile warps, mechanism for imparting looping movements to said guides, means for supplying wefts to opposite faces of said stu'ffer and pile sheets, and mechanism for producing chains .of stitches which extend along spaces between groups of said stuffer and pile warps and inter bind the wefts, stationary hooks around which the weft-bound pile warps are; looped during said pile-looping movements, knives slidably mounted in combination with said hooks, and means for sliding said' knives in sequence to cut the looped pile warps.

3. A fabric manufacturing machine adapted to receive a sheet of stufier warps and comprising guides for leading-in a sheet of pile warps, mechanism for impartingpile-looping movements to said guides, means for supplying wefts to opposite faces 'of said stuifer and pile sheets, and mechanism for producing chains of stitches which extend along spaces between groups of said stuifer and weft-bound pile warps and inter-bind the wefts, stationary hooks around which the pile warps are looped, knives slidably mounted on said hooks, projections on said knives, stationary guides for said projections, cam means engageable'with said projections, and means for reciprocating said cam means so as to slide said knives in sequence and thereby cut the looped pile warps.

4. A fabric manufacturing machine adapted to receive a sheet of stuifer warps and comprising guides for leading-in a sheet of pile warps, mechanism for imparting pile-looping movements to said' guides, weft-receiving guides mounted at opposite faces of the associated sheets of stuffer and pile warps, mechanism for reciprocating said guides to placewefts across said opposite faces, and mechanism for producing chains of stitches which extend along spaces between groups of said stuffer and pile warps and inter-bind the wefts, which thus bind the warps.

5-. A fabric manufacturing machine adapted to receive a sheet of stuffer warps and comprischains of stitches which extend along spaces be-' tween groups of said stuifer and pile warps and 6. A fabric manufacturing machine adapted to receive a sheet' of stufler warps and comprising guides for leading-in a sheet of pile warps, mechanism for imparting pile-looping movements to said guides, means for supplying wefts to opposite faces of said stufii' and pile warp sheets, mechanism' for producing chains of stitches which extend along spaces between said warps and inter-bind the wefts, and floating hooks around which the pile warps are looped during said pile-looping movements, said floating hooks being normally supported by the looped pile warps.

'7. A fabric manufacturing machine adapted to receive a sheet of stuifer ,warps and comprising guides for leading-in a sheet of pile warps,

mechanism for imparting pile-looping'=move-.

ments to said guides, means for supplying wefts to 'opposite faces of saidstuifer and pile warp sheets, mechanism for producing chains of stitches which extend lengthwise of said warps and inter bind the wefts, floating hooks around which the pile warps are looped during said pilelooping movements, said floating hooksbeing normally supported by the looped pile warps, a bridge movably mounted in the vicinity of the position occupied by said floating hooks, and means formoving said bridge at timed intervals to engage the floating hooks and position them for said pile-looping movements.

'8. A fabric manufacturing machine adapted to receive a sheet of stuffer warps and comprising guides-for leading-in a sheet of pile warps,

-mechanism for imparting pile-looping moveing hooks being normally supported by the looped pile warps.

9. A method of manufacturing fabrics which consists in supplying wefts to the opposite faces of a sheet of warps spaced apart, producing-in two sets of threads chains of stitches along the spaces between the warps to interbind the wefts, each chain consisting of the same two alternately looped threads belonging to the respective sets, and pulling a set of said threads to tighten already formed weft-binding stitches while the other set of threads are in condition for formation into'fresh stitches.

10. A method of manufacturing fabrics which consists in supplying wefts to the opposite faces of a sheet of warps spaced apart, supplying two sets. of binding threads, producing therein chains of stitches along the spaces between the warps to inter-bind the wefts, each chain consisting of the same two alternately looped threads, alter- 11. A method of manufacturing pile fabrics which consists in supplying wefts to the front and back faces of a sheet composed of stuifer' warps and pile warps, producing chains of stitches to extend along spaces between the warps to inter-bind the wefts, and forming loops in the pile warps, said loops being bound by the front, wefts.

12. A method of manufacturing pile fabrics which consists in supplying wefts to the front and back faces of a sheet composed of stuffer warps and pile warps spaced apart in groups, producing chains of stitches along .the spaces between the groups of warps to inter-bind the wefts, and forming loops in the pile warps, which loops are bound by the front wefts.

-13:A method of manufacturing pile fabrics which consists in supplyingwefts to the front and back faces of-a sheet composed of stufler warps and pile warps spaced apart in groups, producing chains of stitches alongthe spaces between the groups ofwarps to inter-bind the wefts, forming loops in the pile warps, which loops are bound by the front wefts, and cutting said loops to form a cut-pile surface.

14.. A method of manufacturing pile fabrics which consists in supplying wefts to the front and back facesof a sheet composed of stufler warps and pile warps spaced apart in groups, supplying binding threads, producing therein chains of stitches along the spaces between the groups of warps to inter-bind the wefts, forming loops in, the pile warps, which loops are bound by the front wefts, periodically restraining the supply of said threads, and pulling said threads to tighten the stitches;

15. A method of manufacturing pile fabrics which consists in supplying wefts to the front and back faces of a sheet composed of stuifer warps and pile warps spaced apart in groups, supplying two "sets of binding threads, producing with said threads chains of stitches along the spaces between the groups of warps to inter-bind the wefts, each of said stitches consisting of a loop in a thread of one set drawn through a loop in a thread of the other set, and forming loops in the pile warps, which loops are bound by the front wefts.

16. In a method of manufacturing pile fabrics according to the last preceding claim, alternately restraining the supply of the respective sets of binding threads and pulling the restrained threads to tighten the stitchesproduced therein.

17. A fabric manufacturing machine adapted to receive a sheet of spaced warps and compris ing weft-receiving guides mounted at opposite faces of the sheet of warps, mechanism for reciprocating said guides to pla e wefts across said opposite faces, mechanism for producing from two sets of threads chains of stitches which extend along the spaces between said warps and inter-bind the wefts, each chain consisting of the same two alternately looped threads belonging to the respective sets, and two alternately operating stitch-tightening devices, each operating to pull a set of said threads and so tighten already formed weft-binding stitches while the other set of said threads are in condition for formation into fresh'stitches.

18. A fabric manufacturing machine adapted to receive a sheet of spaced warps and comprising means for supplying wefts to opposite faces of said sheet of warps, rotatable beams serving for the supply of two sets of binding threads, mechanism for producing with said threads chains of stitches which extend along the spaces between said warps and interbind the wefts, each chain consisting of the same two alternately looped threads, brake means for holding the respective beams against rotation at timed intervals, tightening means associated with said binding threads, and means operable at. said intervals to displace said tightening means and thereby tighten the stitches inthe respective sets of threads.

19. A fabric manufacturing machine adapted to receive a sheet of spaced warps and comprising weft-receiving guides mounted at opposite faces of the sheet of warps, mechanism for reciprocating said guides to place wefts across said opposite faces, rotatable beams serving for the supply of two sets of binding threads, mechanism for producing with said threads chains of stitches which extend along the spaces between said warps and inter-bind the wefts, each chain consisting of the same two alternately looped threads, brake means for holding the respective beams against rotation at timed. intervals, tightening means associated with said binding threads, and means operable at said intervals to displace said tightening means and thereby tighten the stitches in the respective sets of threads.

20. A fabric manufacturing machine adapted to receive a sheet of stuffer warps and comprising guides for leading-in a sheet of pile warps, mechanism for imparting pile-looping movements to said guides, means for supplying wefts to opposite faces of said stuffer and pile sheets, and mechanism for producing chains of stitches which extend lengthwise between said warps and inter-bind the wefts, which thus bind the warps, the respective chains consisting of the same threads throughout their length.

I 21. A fabric manufacturing machine adapted to receive a sheet of stuffer warps and comprising guides for leading-in a sheet of pile warps, mechanism for imparting looping movements to said guides, means for supplying wefts to opposite faces of said stufier and pile sheets, rotatable beams serving for the supply of twosets of binding threads, mechanism for producing with said threads chains of stitches which extend along spaces between groups of said stufler and pile warps and inter-bind the wefts, each of said chains consisting of the same two alternately looped threads, brake means for holding the respective beams against rotation at timed intervals, tightening means associated with said sets of binding threads, and means operable at said intervals to displace said tightening means and thereby tighten the stitches in the respective sets of threads. Y

22. A fabric manufacturing machine adapted to receive a sheet of stufier warps and comprising guldes'for leading-in a sheet of pile warps, mechanism for imparting looping movements to said guides, means for supplying wefts to opposite faces of said stuffer and pile sheets, rotatable beams serving for the supply of two sets of binding threads, mechanism for producing with said threads chains of stitches which extend along spaces between groups of said stufier and pile warps and inter-bind the wefts, each of said chains consisting of the same two alternately looped threads, brake means for holding the respective beams against rotation at timed intervals, tightening means. associated with said sets of binding threads, and means operable at said intervals to displace said tightening means and thereby tighten the stitches in the respective sets of threads, stationary hooks around which the weft-bound pile warps are looped during said pilelooping movements, knivesslidably mounted in combination with said hooks, and means for sliding said knives in sequence to cut the looped pile warps.

23. A fabric manufacturing machine adapted to receive a sheet of stuifer warps and comprising guides for leading-in a sheet of pile warps, mechanism for imparting pile-looping movements to said guides, weft-receiving guides mounted at opposite faces of the associated sheets of stuifer and pile warps, mechanism for reciprocating said guides to place wefts across said opposite faces,

- rotatable beams serving for the supply of two sets, of binding threads, mechanism for producing with said threads chains of stitches which extend along spaces between groups of said stuifer and pile warps and inter-bind the wefts, each of said chains consisting of the same two alternately looped threads, brake means for holding the-respective beams against rotation at timed intervals, tightening means associated with said sets of binding threads, means operable at said intervals to displace said tightening means and thereby tighten the stitches in the respective sets of threads, stationary hooks around which the weft-bound pile warps are looped during said pilelooping movements, knives slidably mounted in combination with said hooks, and means for sliding said knives in sequence to cut the looped pile warps.

24. A method of manufacturing fabrics which comprises the operations of supplying front and back wefts to the opposite faces of a sheet of warps, producing chains of stitches to extend along spaces between the warps and interbind the front and back wefts, and forming loops in the warps, said loops projecting between and being bound by the front wefts.

25. A method of manufacturing fabrics which comprises the operations of supplying front and back wefts to the opposite faces of a sheet of warps, producing in two sets of threads chains of stitches to extend along spaces between the warps and interbind the front and back wefts, each chain consisting of the same two alternately looped threads belonging to the respective sets, forming loops in the warps, said loops projecting between and being bound by the front wefts, and pulling a set of said threads to tighten already formed weft-binding stitches while the other set of threads are in condition for formation into fresh stitches.

26. A method of manufacturing fabrics which comprises the operation of supplying wefts to the opposite faces of a sheet composed of stufi'er warps and pile warps spaced apart in groups, producing in two sets of threads chains of stitches along the spaces between the groups of warps to interbind to receive a sheet of 'warps and comprising means for supplying front and back wefts to opposite faces of said sheet of warps, mechanism for producing chains of stitches which extend along spaces between said warps and inter-bind the front and back wefts, and means for forming loops in the warps, said loops projecting between and being held in place by the front wefts.

28. A fabric manufacturing machine adapted to receive a sheet of warps and comprising means for supplying front and back wefts to opposite faces of said sheet of warps, mechanism for producing chains of stitches which extend along spaces between said warps and inter-bind the front and back wefts, means for forming loops in the warps, said loops projecting between and being held in place by the front wefts, and means for cutting said loops.

29. A fabric manufacturing machine adapted to receive a sheet of warps and comprising means for supplying front and back wefts to opposite faces of said sheetof warps, mechanism for producing in two' sets of threads chains of stitches which extend along spaces between said warps and inter-bind the front and back wefts, each chain consisting of the same two alternately looped threads belonging to the respective sets, means for forming loops in the warps, said lo'ops projecting between and being held in place by the front wefts, and two alternately operating stitchtightening devices, each operating to pull a set of said threads and so tighten already formed weft-binding stitches while the other set of said threads are in condition for formation into fresh stitches.

30. A fabric manufacturing machine according to the last preceding claim and having in combination with the parts therein defined means for cutting said loops.

JAMES MORTON.

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