US2025465A - Knitting machine - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 24, 1935. v. LOMBARDl 2,025,465

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Shet 1 INVENTOR,

mlomza rd BY WM/ 4/ z4-..

ATTORNEY.

V. LOMBARDI Dec. 24, 1935.

KNITTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. l9, 1934 INVENTOR,

' ATTORNEY...

atented cc. 135

KNITTING MACHINE Vincent Lombardi, Garden City, N. Y assignor to Lombardi Knitting Machine Co, Inc, New York, N. IL, a corporation of New York Application December 19, 1934, Serial No. 758,177

17 Claims. (Cl. 66,50)

This invention relates to knitting machines and to correlated subject matter.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 720,921, filed April 17, 1934.

An object of the invention is the provision of improved mechanism for embodying a plurality of types of designs in a fabric.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of means whereby spring or beard needles may be operated with the utmost speed and certainty for selective actuation of the needles to knit or to receive a yarn without knitting.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means whereby an improved type of interlock fabric may be produced.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention-reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in

which:

Figure 1 is vertical sectional View of a segment of a form of knitting machine embodyin the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top view of the pattern wheel utilized; n

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to the upper part of Fig. 1 showing the needle in another po-- Figs. 8 and 9 are diagrammatic top views showing a mode of sinker operation in connection with Figs. 6 and 7; and

' Figs. 10, 11, and 12 are diagrammatic side views of a manner of operation for the production of double interlock fabric. showing the same needles at successive yarn feeds.

In beard-needle knitting machines it is customary to provide beard-pressing means which operates to press the beards during the operation of the stitch cam to permit the previously knitted yarn to ride over the beards. In instances where it is desired that the needles receive an addi tional yarn without knitting, however, it has been 5 necessary to employ a special type of beardpressing means, which is inoperative during the passage of the stitch cam. 'In accordance with the present invention the use of such special means may be avoided and the usual beard-press l ing means utilized even for tucking, interlocking, and other operations wherein certain needles will receive a yarn without knitting at certain yarn feeds. This may be accomplished by advancing the needles sufficiently to clear the stitch l cam, and retracting them only after the operation of the beard-pressing means. In this manner an ordinary beard-needle machine can be operated for a variety of knitting operations without modification other than by the provision of suitable selective needle-advancing means, and of a cam. or other means to retract the needles passed by the stitch cam. In this manner also it is possible to equip knitting machines of various types to enable them to produce a wide 'variety of types of fabrics embbdying a number of pleasing. designs. In accordance with the invention also it is possible to produce an interlock fabric wherein the interlocked yarn is more tightly drawn in a relatively loosely knit looped portion than has hitherto been possible.

While the'invention is adapted to be embodied in machines wherein the knitting bed may be of any desired type and wherein it is either stationary or movable, the invention is exemplified, for the sake of simplicity, as embodied in a machine wherein the needle bed is a stationary cylinder. While various of selective needle-advancing means and other elements may be utilized, the particular machine exemplified utilizes 40 means and elements such as disclosed in my, copending application, Serial No. 720,921 above re- I ferred to. e

In Figs. 1-4 there is shown a needle cylinder S, in the slots it of which there are disposed beard needles ll having spring beards i2. Mounted in each slot forthe selective advancement of the needle is a selective element in the form of a rocker l3 arranged to be swung on a surface l4 and provided with a central bend whereby it is frictionally held within the slot. Each rocker is 1 formed with upper and lower shoulders i6 and i1, each adapted to be engaged by a cam 08 for selective action. As will be seen, when the rocker i3 is in a full counter-clockwise position neither shoulder will be engaged by the cam; when the rocker is in a full clockwise position the lower shoulder will be engaged by the cam to advance the rocker and the needle with it to the fullest extent; and when the rocker is in an intermediate position the cam will engage the uppermost shoulder to advance the needle a smaller distance. Each needle is provided with a butt I9 adapted to be operated upon by a stitch cam 20. Beardpressers 2| of the usual type operated by a cam 22 are adapted to close the beards of the needles retracted by the stitch cam, but not to close the beards if the needles are retracted at a later point. The needles are adapted to receive yarn from .a

yarn carrier 23, assisted by sinkers 24, when they are either in an uppermost or in an intermediate advanced position. The sinkers serve to assure that the yarn passes to the rear of whatever needles are still in a retracted position. Beyond the stitch cam, at a point such that the beardpressers will not then be operative. upon, the beards of the needles, is a further retracting cam 25 w ch retracts those needles which are in an uppe most position and have been passed by the stitch cam. Accordingly, it will be seen that if a needle is in a lowermost position, it will not receive the yarn; if the needle is in an intermediate position, it will receive the yarn and be caused by the stitch cam and the beard-presser to cast a previously knitted yarn; but if the needle is in an uppermost position, it will pass the stitch cam and be retracted by the cam 25 in such manner that the previously received yarn will not be cast. The arrangement is, therefore, adapted for the production of a wide variety of patterns, and is also well adapted for the production of interlock fabric by beard needles. For interlocking it is merely necessary to have certain needles, for instance, alternate needles, in a lowermost position and intermediate needles in an uppermost position at one yarn feed, as shown in the center of Fig. 5, and to have all these needles in an intermediate position at the succeeding yarn feed.

In the present instance the rockers I? are arranged to be selectively operated by means of the pattern wheel 26 carrying actuator elements 2'! of different effective lengths selectively disposed on its periphery. Ordinarily the pattern wheel is provided with a series of actuator-receiving portions, and actuator elements of one length are disposed in certain of these portions, actuator elements of another length are disposed in another of these portions, and still other of these portions are left without actuator elements, as will be seen from Fig. 2.

In order to obtain a better spacing of the actuator elements the actuator-receiving portions are arranged alternately in two planes as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2; alternate rockers being provided with co-operative portions 28 on one plane, and the other rockers being provided with co-operative portions 29 on another plane. The pattern wheel is geared to the central portion of the rock ers as indicated at 30. A pattern wheel having actuator elements in a single plane may be utilized, if desired, although the arrangement shown has certain advantages, particularly in fine gage machines as indicated in my co-pending application, Serial No. 5,216, filed February 6, 1935. As will beapparent a roller or other suitable means acting on the lower part of the rocker as indicated at 3| in Fig. 6 and at 32 in Fig. '7 may be utilized to cam the rockers so that they are all in a full counter-clockwise position prior to the passage of the pattern wheel.

' As above indicated, one of the advantages of the invention is the ease with which a beardneedle machine may be adapted for the production of an interlock fabric. An interlock fabric may be defined for the purposes of the present case as a fabric wherein a yarn or set of yarns is interknitted in a manner utilized in knitting jersey cloth and wherein another yarn or set of yarns is caught between the loops in one row and the loops in an adjacent row, in alternate, or at 10 least in closely spaced, wales thereof, and is knitted to form one or more loops in another portion of the row. Types of interlocking operations are exemplified in my Patents Nos. 1,541,230 and 1,728,293 from which a further understand- .ing of interlocking may be had. In order to still further facilitate the understanding of the production of an interlock fabric on a beard-needle machine having the ordinary type of beard-pressers in accordance with the invention, one form of interlocking operation is exemplified in Figs. 6-9 wherein there are provided two yarn carriers 23a and 23b. The yarn carrier 23a may 'feed a white yarn or a wool yarn for example, and the yarn carrier 231) may feed a red yarn or a rayon yarn 25 for example. Directly following each yarn feed is a stitch cam. These stitch cams are indicated at 20a and 201) respectively. Cams 22a, and 22?) are provided to operate the beard pressers similar to the beard pressers 2| during the operation of the cams 20a and 202) on the needle butts. Following the cam 20a is a higher cam 25a, and following 201) is a higher cam 25b. Needle-advancing cams 18a and I3!) are provided for selective action on the rockers I3. As will be'seen from Fig. 6, prior to the passage of the yarn feed 23a, certain groups of needles will be advanced to an intermediate position so as to receive the white yarn and after the passage of the yarn feed will be retracted by the cam 20a during the operation 40 0f the beard pressers under the influence of the presser cam 22a, so that the white yarn will be drawn through previously formed loops to knit. Such needles are indicated in association with the rockers m-1'. In other groups alternate or other closely spaced needles such as at a, c, e, g, 2, k, s, u, will be fully advanced, while intermediate needles are left retracted as at b, d, f, h, 7', Z, t, u, w, r. The fully advanced needles will be retracted by the cam 25a at a time when the beard pressers are no longer operative. These will retain the white yarn in their beards along with the previously knitted yarn. The white yarn will be pressed inwardly by the sinkers M, as indicated at 33 in Fig. 1, so that when the needles I), d, f, etc. Are again advanced the white yarn will extend to the rear when ready for interlocking. At the yarn carrier 23!), as will be seen from Fig '7 the rockers 11-1 and r-ac, and their associated needles are placed in an intermediate position so that these needles will receive the red yarn from the yarn carrier 2% and will be caused to draw this yarn through previously formed loops by the action of the stitch earn 205 and of the beard pressers under the influence of a presser cam 22b. The white yarn, previously caught by the needles at a, c. e, etc., and held at the front of these needles while extending at the rear of the needles I), d, 1, etc., will be interlocked between the previously formed loops and the newly formed loops of the red yarn. At the yarn feed 2312 the needles at m, o and q will be fully advanced to receive a red yarn for interlocking with the previously formed loops of white yarn whereas the needles 7:, p, and r are left retracted so that the red yarn will not be received by them but .will exthat the yarn which is interlocked be very tightly drawn while the knitted yarn is relatively loosely knit. An arrangement of this sort cannot be effectively obtained however when a single cam is used to retract both the knitting and interlocking needles, since a lowering ofthis cam to obtain looseness in the knit will also effect a looseness in the interlocked yarn. In accordance with the invention on the other hand, such an arrangement can be readily effected by extending the stitch cam so that it will retract the intermediately advanced needles any desired amount be-v yond the knitting level and by forming the higher cam so that it will retract the fully advanced needles only to the knitting level. As will be seen from Figs. 6 and '7 the stitch cams 20a and 20b extend downwardly further than the cams 25a and 25b. Cams 34 and 35 are provided, in the conventional manner, to restore to a point adjacent to the knitting level those needles retracted by the stitch cam. In this manner the knitting may be as loose as desired while thevertically movable pin 31 as indicated on the cams 25a, 25b, 25n, 250, and 25p. A manner of supporting these cams is indicated more in detail in Fig. 7 wherein there is shown a cam-supporting plate 38 which rotatably carries the pin 36 and which is formed with an arcuate slot 38 through which a set screw 39 extends into the cam 20!). The plate is also formed with a vertical slot-40 into which the pin on the cam 251) extends and with an additional slot 4| through which a set screw .42 extends into the cam 25b.

In Figs. 10, 11, and 12 needle positions for the productionof double interlock fabric of the general character disclosed in my Patent No. 1,728,293 are exemplified. In Fig. 10 the rockers and needles of group A are advanced to an intermediate position and odd numbered rockers and needles of groups B and C are fully advanced for reception of yarn at yarn feed 2311. At yarn feed 23n odd numbered rockers and needles of group A are fully advanced whereas the rockers and needlesof group B are advanced to an intermediate position and the even numbered rockers and needles of group C are fully advanced. At the yarn carrier 23p the even numbered rockers and needles of group A and B are fully advanced and the rockers and needles of group C are advanced to an intermediate position.

It will be appreciated that while rocker actuated needles have been exemplified, theinvention may be embodied in machine's wherein the needles are actuated either directly or indirectly by any of a variety of types of means and in any desired manner, and wherein needles constructed in a variety of ways are utilized.

It will thus be seen that a machine embodying the invention may be utilized for the production of single and double interlock fabric and other special fabrics with no other change than the arrangement of the actuating elements in the pattern wheel or other change in the means for the selective advance of the'needles. The complications involved in the use of needles having short and long butts or supplemental butts can be entirely avoided and the change from one type of fabric to another is markedly simple. Diagonal as well as vertical striping may be readily produced and various attractive designs may be embodied in interlock and other fabrics with. the

utmost ease. Tuckingoperations may be conducted with a spring needle machine as easily as on a latch needle machine regardless of the complications of the design. Furthermore interlock fabric wherein the interlocked yarn is especially tightly drawn, when considered in relation to the looseness of the knit, may be readily produced in accordance with the invention. It is to be noted that this feature of the invention has marked advantages even when long and short butt needles and other standard arrangements are utilized.

As will be understood, the invention in various of its aspects is adapted to be embodied in knitting machines having any desired number of yarn feeds, and in cases where two or three yarn feeds are desirable to give the effect any desired multiple of two or three may be employed.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The invention claimed is:

1. Knitting mechanism comprising a series of beard needles, a yarn feed, said series and said yarn feed being mounted for relative movement. a stitch cam operative after said yarn feed. beardpressing means operative during the operation of said stitch cam, needle positioning means adapted for operation prior to the passage of said yam feed and adapted to selectively act on said needles 'to cause certain of said needles to be'disposed in an advanced position for the retraction thereof by said stitch cam and other of said needles to be disposed at a further advanced position for the reception of yarn from said yam feed without the retraction thereof by said stitch cam and still other of said needles to be disposed in a retracted position such that yarn will not be received thereby.

2. Knitting mechanism comprising a series of beard needles, a plurality of yarn feeds, said series and said yarn feeds being relatively movable, beard-pressing means operating after the operation of each of said yarn feeds, each of said needles being adapted to be positioned in a retracted position in which it will not receive a yarn and in an intermediate advanced position and in a fully advanced position in both of which it will receive yarn, and needle-positioning means adapted to dispose a plurality of adjacent ones of said needles in an intermediate advanced position prior to the passage of one of said yarn feeds and to retract the same during the operation of the beard-pressingmecns following said one of said yarn feeds and to dispose certain spaced ones of said plurality of needles in a fully advanced position prior to the passage of another of said yarn feeds and not to retract the same until after an operation of the beard-pressing means following said other of said yarn feeds and to dispose other of said plurality of needles in a retracted position prior to the passage of said other of said yarn feeds, said needle-positioning means being adapted to act during the same passage of said yarn feeds to dispose certain spaced ones of another plurality of adjacent ones of said needles in a fully advanced position prior to the passage of said one of said yarn feeds and not to retract the same until after the operation of the beard-pressing means following said one of said yarn feeds and to dispose other of said other plurality of needles in a retracted position prior to the passage of said one of said yarn feeds and to dispose other of said other plurality of needles in an intermediate advanced position. prior to the passage of said other of said yarn feeds and to retract the same during the operation of the beard pressing means following said other of said yarn feeds.

3. Knitting mechanism comprising a series of beard needles, a stitch cam, needle advancing means operative prior to the operation of the stitch cam, yarn feeding means operative after the operation of the needle-advancing means and prior to the operation of the stitch cam, said needle-advancing means acting selectively to advance certain of the needles in line for the retraction thereof by the stitch cam and for advancing others of the needles beyond said line so that they will pass the stitch cam without being retracted and to leave additional ones of said needles in a retracted position in which they will not receive yarn, all the advanced needles being adapted to receive yarn from said yarn feed, beard-pressing means operative during the operation of the stitch cam, and means operative after the passage of said beard-pressing means for retracting said other of said needles, said stitch cam and said retracting means being adapted to retract the needles sufliciently so that they will not receive yarn without further advancement.

4. Knitting mechanism, comprising a yarn feed,

a series of beard needles, beard-pressing means operative at a given stage in the operation of the mechanism with respect to each needle, means to selectively advance the needles prior to the operation of the beard-pressing means of the needles being left in a retracted position, means to retract certain of the advanced needles during the operation of the beard-pressing means, and means to retract other of the advanced needles after the operation of the beard-pressing means, each of the advanced needles being adapted to receive and retain yarn, but a needle in a retracted position being unadapted to receive yarn.

5. Knitting mechanism, comprising a series of beard needles, actuating means, said series and said means being relatively movable, a yarn feed operative with said actuating means, beard-pressing means forming a part of said actuating means and arranged to press the beards of all needles retracted during its passage, said beard-pressing means including beard pressers individual to said needles, means operative prior to the operation of the beard-pressing means for selectively positioning said needles so that a plurality thereof are in an advanced position in which they will receive yarn from said yarn feed, and so that other of said needles will be in a retracted position in which they will not receive yarn, and means to retract only certain of said plurality of needles during the passage of said beard-pressing means.

6. Knitting mechanism, comprising a series of beard needles, a yarn feed, said series and said yarn feed being mounted for relative movement,

a stitch cam associated with said yarn feed, beardpressing means operative during the operation of said stitch cam, and means operative during 5 certain periods in the operation of the mechanism to dispose certain of said needles in position to receive yarn from said yarn feed and to be acted on by said stitch cam and to dispose other of said needles in position to receive yarn from said yarn feed but not to be acted on by said stitch cam and to dispose still other of said needles in position such that no yarn will be received thereby.

7. Knitting mechanism, comprising a series of beard needles, a plurality of yarn feeds, said series and said. yarn feeds being mounted for relative movement, a plurality of stitch cams associated respectively with said yarn feeds, beard-pressing means operative during the operation of each of said stitch cams, means for positioning said needles so that certain of the needles will receive yarn from one of said yarn feeds but will not be acted upon by its associated stitch cam and that at least one of the needles will receive yarn and will be caused to knit by said stitch cam and that still other of the needles will be in a retracted position such that they will not receive yarn, and means for subsequently positioning a plurality of adjacent ones of said certain needles and said I still other needles so that they will receive yarn from another of said feeds and will be acted upon by its associated stitch cam.

8. Knitting mechanism, comprising a series of beard needles, a plurality of yarn feeds, said series and said yarn feeds being mounted for relative movement, a plurality of stitch cams associated respectively with said yarn feeds, beardpressing means operative during the operation of each of said stitch cams, means for advancing spaced members of a group of said needles to a position such that they will receive yarn from one of said yarn feeds but will ride over its associated stitch cam and for leaving the other needles of said group in a retracted position such that they will not receive yarn, and means for subsequently moving a plurality of adjacent ones of the needles which were so advanced and which were so left to a position such that they will receive yarn from another of said yarn feeds and willbe acted upon by its associated stitch cam.

9. Knitting mechanism, comprising a series of beard needles, a plurality of yarn feeds, said series and said yarn feeds being mounted for relative movement, a plurality of stitch cams associated respectively with said yarn feeds, beardpressing means operative during the operation of each of said stitch cams, means for advancing spaced members of a group of said needles to a position such that they will receive yarn from one of saidyarn feeds but will ride over its associated stitch cam and for leaving the other needles of said group in a retracted position such that they will not receive yarn, means for subsequently moving a plurality of adjacent ones of the needles which were so advanced and which were so left to a position such that they will receive yarn from another of said yarn feeds and will be acted upon by its associated stitch cam, and means for manipulating one or more other needles at said yarn feeds in a different manner including the advancement thereof toa position to be acted upon by said stitch cam at said one of said yarn feeds.

10. Knitting mechanism, comprising a series of beard needles, each of said needles being adapted to be positioned in a retracted position in which it will not receive a yarn and in an intermediate advanced position and in a fully advanced position in both of which it will receive a yarn, actuating mechanism including a plurality of yarn feeds and needle-advancing means operative prior to the passage of each yarn feed, each of said yarn feeds being followed by a stitch cam adapted for retraction of the needles when 7 in an intermediate advanced position but for passing fully advanced needles and having beardpressing means associated therewith for operation during the operation thereof, and means to retract fully advanced needles after the operation of the beard-pressing means, said series and said actuating mechanism being mounted for relative movement, said selective needle advancing means being adapted to advance a plurality of adjacent needles to an intermediate position for reception of yarn at one of said yarn feeds and to fully advance certain spaced needles of said plurality forreception of yarn at a successive yarn feed while intermediate needles are in a retracted position and to advance to an intermediate position at a succeeding yarn feed a group of needles including needles previously fully advanced and needles left retracted, and said selective needle-advancing means being also adapted to advance a plurality of other needles to an intermediate position at said successive yarn feed and to fully advance certain spaced needles of the last mentioned plurality while intermediate needles are in a retracted position at a-yarn feed other than said successive yarn feed.

11. Knitting mechanism, comprising a series of beard needles, each of said needles being adapted to be positioned in a retracted position in which it will.not receive a yarn and in an intermediate advanced position and in a fully advanced position in both of which it will receive a yarn, actuating mechanism including a plurality of yarn feeds and selective positioning means operative prior to the passage of each yarn feed, each of said yarn feeds being followed by a stitch cam adapted for retraction of the needles when in an intermediate position but for passing fully advanced needles and having beard-pressing means associated therewith for operation during the operation thereof, said beard-pressing means being inoperative after the operation of said stitch cam, said series and said actuating mechanism being mounted for relative movement, and said selective needle-positioning means being adapted at one yarn feed to dispose a group of needles in said intermediate advanced position for knitting and to dispose various spaced needles of a second and a third group in said fully advanced position while other needles of the second and third groups remain retracted, and at another yam feed to'dispose needles of said second group in said intermediate advanced position for knitting and to dispose various spaced needles of said first and third groups in said fully advanced position while other needles of the first and third groups remain retracted, and at still another yarn feed to dispose needles of said third group in said intermediate advanced position for knitting and to dispose various spaced needles of said first and second groups in said fully advanced position while other needles of the first and second groups remain retracted.

12. Knitting mechanism, comprising a needle bed, a series of beard needles on said bed, a

plurality of yarn feeds, said yarn feeds and said bed being mounted for relative movement, means connected with said bed providing a knitting line, means to cause a plurality. of adjacent needles to be advanced to receive a yarn at one 5 yarn feed and to be retracted to a position materially beyond the knitting line to knit loose loops thereof and to cause closely spaced needles of said plurality to be advanced to receive a yarn at another yarn feed and to be retracted to a 1 position not as far beyond said knitting line and without knitting loops while intermediate needles remain unadvanced, and meansto cause another plurality of adjacent needles to be advanced to receive a yarn at a yarn feed difierent from said 15 one yarn feed and to be retracted to a position materially beyond said knitting line to knit loose loops thereof and to cause closely spaced needles of another plurality to be advanced to receive a yarn at a yarn feed other than said difierent yarn 20 feed and to be retracted to a position not as far beyond said knitting line and without the knitting of loops.

13. Knitting mechanism, comprising a yarn feed, a series of beard needles each having a butt, each of said needles being adapted to be positioned in a retracted position in which it will not receive a yarn and in an intermediate advanced position and in a fully advanced position in both of which it will receive a yarn, the butts on all of the needles being similar and being similarly placed, beard-pressing means operative at a given stage in the operation of the mechanism with respect to each needle, a stitch cam operative upon said butts during the operation of the beard-pressing means to retract the needles when they are in said intermediate. advanced position, said butts being adapted to clear the stitch cam when the needles are in said fully advanced position, means to selectively position said needles so that certain of said needles will be in said fully advanced position and other of said needles will be in said intermediate advanced position and still other of said needles will be in said retracted position prior to the operation of the beard-pressing means, and a cam operative on the butts of the fully advanced needles to retract the same after the operation of the beardpressing means.

14. Knitting mechanism, comprising a yarn feed, a series of beard needles each having a butt, each of said needles being adapted to be positioned in a retracted position in which it will not receive a yarn and in an intermediate advanced position and in a fully advanced position in both of which it will receive a yarn, the butts on all of the needles being similar and being similarly placed, beard-pressing means operative at a given stage in the operation of the mechanism with respect to each needle, a stitch cam operative upon said butts during the operation of the beard-pressing means to retract the needles when they are in said intermediate advanced position, said butts being adapted to clear the stitch cam when the needles are in said fully advanced position, means to selectively position said needles so that certain of said needles will be in said fully advanced position and other of said needles will be in said intermediate advanced position and still other of said needles will be 7 in said retracted position prior to the operation of the beard-pressing means, and a cam operative on the butts of the fully advanced needles to retract the same after the operation of the beard-pressing means, said stitch cam being vanced position and in a fully advanced position in both of which it will receive a yarn, beardpressing means operative at a given stage in the operation of the mechanism with respectto each needle, a stitch cam operative upon said butts during the operation of the beard-pressing means to retract the-needles when they are in an intermediate advanced position, said butts being.

adapted to clear the stitch cam when the needles are in a fully advanced position, means to selectively advance the needles prior to the operation of the beard-pressing means, a cam operative on the butts of the fully advanced needles to retract the same after the operation of the beardpressing means, and means for varying the relative positions of the ends of said cams which determine the extent of retraction of the needles so as to vary the tightness of yarn manipulated by needles under control of the respective cams.

16. Knitting mechanism, comprising a series or beard needles, a stitch cam, needle advancing means operative prior to the operation of the stitch cam, yarn feeding means operative after the operation of the needle-advancing means and prior to'the operation of the stitch cam, said needle-advancing means acting selectively to adneedles ina retracted position in which they will not receive yarn, all the advanced needles being adapted to receive yarn from said yarn feed, beard-pressing means operative during the operation of the stitch cam, means operative after the passage of said beard-pressing means for retracting said other of said needles, said stitch cam and said retracting means being adapted to retract the needles sufiiciently so that they will not receive yarn without further advancement, a 10 'series of sinkers, and means to cause the sinkers to be in a retracted position during the operation of said retracting means.

17. Knitting mechanism comprising a series of beard needles, a yarn feed, said series and said yarn feed being mounted for relative movement,

a stitch cam operative after said yarn feed, beard-pressing means operative during the operation of said stitch cam, needle positioning means adapted for operation prior to the passage of said yarn feed and adapted to selectively act on said needles to cause certain of said needles to be disposed in an advanced position for the retraction thereof by said stitch cam and other of said needles to be disposed at a further advanced position for the reception of yarn from said yarn fed without the retraction thereof by said stitch cam and still other of said needles to be disposed in a retracted position such that yarn will not be received thereby, and means operative after the operation of said beard pressing means for retracting needles from said fully advanced position, said stitch cam being adapted to retract the needles to a point below the knitting line to knit loose loops thereof, and ,said retracting -means for the fully advanced needles being adapted to retract the needles substantially to said knitting line.

VINCENT LOMBARDI.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,025,465. December 24', 1935 VINCENT LOMBARDI It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 4, first column, line 48, claim 4, after "means" insert certain; page 6, second column, line 27, claim 17, for "fed" read feed; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office. H

Signed and sealed this 18th day of February, A. D. 1936.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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