US2040021A - Dial timing mechanism for circular knitting machines - Google Patents

Description

y 193$ R. J. PAQUETTE 1 I 2,040,021

DIAL TIMING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 9, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet; 1

a .l. 24 T =1 /6 4 /7 k3 I l WW 292 T a- INVENTOR ROLAND J. PAQUETTE 7 BY HIS ATTORNEYS May 5, 1936. R. J. PAQUETTE DIAL TIMING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 9, 1935 3 Sheets-$heet 2 INVENTOR ROLAND J. PAQUETTE BY HIS ATTORNEYS a 5, 1936. R. J. PAQUETTE 2,040,021

DIAL TIMING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 9, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I NVENTOR ROLAND J. PAQUETTE v z Z Tail;

I '73 40 BY HIS ATTORNEYS Patented May 5, 1936 ilhiiTED STATES DIAL TIMIN G MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Roland J. Paquette, Woodstock, Ontario, Canada,

assignor to Scott New York, N. Y., setts & Willi m a corporation of Massachu- Incorporated,

Application Octobcr 9, 1935, Serial No. 44,257

12 Claims.

This invention relates to revolving needle cylinder circular knitting machines containing two series of knitting elements, 1. e., needles or needle cooperating elements, and more particularly to the mechanism by which the secondelement such as the dial is kept in time, i. e., proper alignment, with the needle cylinder.

In circular knitting machine-s adapted to make rib fabric or containing a. dial with other knitting in it, the dial is adapted to be swung pivo .ly upward out of operative position for repair, replacement of parts and observation. It is necessary that the knitting elements in the dial and cylinder be kept in accurate alignment with each other even when the dial is raised, in order that trouble may be avoided when the dial is swung down into operative position again and the machine is started. One of the objects of the invention is to produce a simple, durable and convenient mechanism for insuring that the: dial is lwa s put back into operative position with ients in proper mesh and alignment with iements in the needle cylinder. It is char- .ie of a machine made in accordance with tho -nvcntion that there is a connection between the dial and cylinder which keeps the two in accurate alignment when the dial is raised to inoperative position, but this connection does not drive the dial when the machineis knitting. With 3'} construction the dial and cylinder are always in mesh by means of a flexible connection, but the dial can be disconnected readily in order to turn it by The invention will be shown embodied in the well-known Scott 8a Williams 1'- revolving needle cylinder type of machine such as shown in the patent to Robert W. Scott No. 1,282,938, dated October 29, 1918.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. l is a front View, partly in section, of part ll of the head of a Scott & Williams revolving needle cylinder knitting machine, showing the dial-driving clutch engaged and the dial in its operative position; a Fig. 2 is a View in elevation of the clutch and flexible connection, with the clutch parts disen- 3 is an inverted plan view, looking at the upper part of the clutch, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; i a plan view of the lower part of the same clutch, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

. 5 a detail view on an enlarged scale sh ving the intermeshing of the transfer bits, 55 cylinder needles and sinkers when the dial is in its operative position, the View being taken in radial section through the edge of the dial;

Fig. 6 is a View in elevation from the right side of the machine, partly broken away, with the dial in its raised or inoperative position, the dotted position of the flexible member showing its position when the dial is disconnected from the cylinder;

Fig. '7 is a detail view of the flexible member of Figs. 1 and 6, broken away to show its construction;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 1, omitting the cylinder and dial but showing a preferred embodiment;

Fig. 9 is a view in elevation similar to Fig. 8, showing the modified construction with the clutch disengaged;

Fig. 10 is a View in elevation of the right side of the modification of Fig. 8, showing sufiicient of the machine to illustrate the position of the parts of the novel mechanism when the dial is raised to its inoperative position;

Fig, 11 is an inverted plan view showing the upper member of the clutch of Fig. 8, taken on the line Il-ll of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a plan view taken on the line 12-12 of Fig. 9, similar to Fig. 11 but showing the entire lower clutch element;

Fig. 13 is a detail view showing the male member of the clutch and the manner in which the flexible member is fastened thereto; while Fig. 14 is an enlarged sectional view of the sleeve at the lower end of the flexible member and how it is attached to the flexible member, this .view being in section.

In revolving needle cylinder machines containing dials with knitting elements therein, care has to be taken to mesh the dial properly when lowering the latch ring in order to avoid breaking or damaging the cylinder needles, dial needles or the transfer jacks. If at certain stages in the knitting the dial is out of register sufficiently to bring the high or long butt needles on the wrong side, care is necessary to avoid breakage or damage to the cams or levers operating the dial parts. It has heretofore been known to keep the .dial and cylinder continuously connected or in alignment,, e ven when the dial is raised to its inoperative position, by means of two universal joints forming a. drive, such for instance as shown in the patent to Albert E. Page and Harry Swinglehurst, ,Jr., No. 1,906,204, dated April 25, 1933. In this case the drive at all times is through the universal joint drive and its joints wear quickly. It has also been found that this universal joint 55 This form of drive also is expensive, complicated and unwieldy. It is a device which in itself has to be kept in alignment. It also has the disadvantage that the dial must revolve while it is being raised to the inoperative position. This turning is apt to cause damage to the needles and jacks when the dial is lifted during the time that the dial elements are protruding between the needles, and further makes it necessary for the operator to reposition more of the dialelements than is necessary merely because of the pivotal mounting of the dial.

In the drawings I have illustrated, and in the specification I will describe, the invention embodied in a Scott & Williams machine which uses transfer bits or jacks in the dial, but it should be understood that the invention is equally applicable to machines which have other knitting elements in the dial. The invention is applicable to any circular machine in which it is important to keep two series of knitting elements in alignment with each other while breaking the ear drive of one of the two element-carrying members.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 7 will be described first. The machine has the usual revolving needle cylinder 260 carried by the bedplate B and driven from the main drive shaft (not shown) by the usual gears 30, 3| (see Fig. 1). The usual latch needles N are moved vertically in slots on the outside of the needle cylinder 260 by the cams associated with the stationary cam ring 2'. The usual sinkers or web holders 292 are supported on the upper end of the needle cylinder 260 by the inside sinker ring or nosing 291 and the outside sinker ring 295. These webholders are reciprocated radially in the usual manner by the sinker cap 300. As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, the latch ring 550 is supported from the customary latch ring bracket 4M mounted on the bedplate B. This pivotal point of the latch ring is at the rear of the machine, so that when the latch ring is swung up into inoperative position, it swings upward and backward. Mounted on the latch ring is a dial-supporting bracket I4 (see Fig. 1). The dial D carrying the transfer bits T is carried on a vertical spindle 3 supported in this bracket I4.

The means for driving the dial D when the same is lowered into operative relation with the needle cylinder and its knitting elements will now be described. The members supported by the dial-carrying bracket l4 are mostly of known construction. Fastened on the dial-carrying spindle 3 is a horizontal bevel gear I 5 meshing with a pinion "5 carried on the radially central end of a horizontal dial-driving shaft IT. This shaft I1 is carried in two bearings forming part of the bracket l4 and has a vertical bevel gear I8 mounted on its outer end. There is a gear casing or cover 24 carried by the bracket l4 covering these gears and also having an additional function.

The power to drive the vertical bevel gear I8 is obtained from the main drive shaft by means of bevel gear 64 and horizontal pinion 63 meshing therewith, acting through the following novel elements. The pinion 63 is mounted on the lower end of a vertical spindle I 0 which is supported in a bearing bracket ll mounted on the bedplate B of the machine. Customarily the pinion or gear meshing with the vertical bevel gear 18 would be mounted fixedly on the upper end of the spindle ID. in such a standard construction, when the latch ring and dial are swung in the patent to Robert W. Scott No. 1,356,092,

dated October 19, 1920.

According to my invention, there is a pinion I9 carried by an extension of the gear cover 24 which is always in mesh with the vertical bevel ear l8 and is lifted up and down with the dial on the latch ring bracket. This pinion I 9 is carried by means of a yoke 50 mounted on the gear cover 24, taking into a groove 5| on the stub of the pinion l9. It is held on the upper side by a washer and a. screw 52 (see Fig. 7). Between this pinion I9 and the vertical spindle I0, I introduce a clutch. One part or member of this clutch is unitary with the pinion l9 and therefore moves away from its mate when the dial is raised to inoperative position, while the other member of the clutch is formed on the upper end of the spindle In. In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 7, it is a female member 28 which is formed out of the same piece of metal as pinion l9 and it is the male member 21 which is formed on the upper end of the spindle II). In the particular embodiment shown in these figures, the female member 28 has two recesses with a fin or blade between and the male member has two blades to go into those recesses. As can be seen clearly in Fig. 2, the male member 21 is preferably made with the ends of its blades tapered or bevelled at 29. The purpose'of these bevelled edges is to guide the parts into accurate alignment when the two parts of the clutch are brought together. Thus if for any reason the female member should get slightly out of line with the male member, the bevelled surfaces will bring it back into accurate registry as the two parts engage. There is the usual latch and pin device 53 attached on the gear cover 24, and the upper part of the bearing bracket II to insure that the latch ring bracket is not accidentally displaced. The vertical spindle I0 is maintained at the proper elevation by a set screw 55 in a ring 54 fastened on the upper end of the spindle just below the clutch member 29 and resting on the upper end of the bearing bracket ll (see Figs. 1 and 2).

In combination with this novel clutch arrangement, I incorporate a timing connection between the needle cylinder and the dial which insures that the dial is always kept in correct alignment with the cylinder while the dial is in inoperative position, i. e., at all times when the two parts 21, 28 of the clutch are disengaged. This timing connection is a flexible one between the two parts 21, 28 of the clutch and is a telescopic construction which in effect keeps the gears in mesh. This connection includes a flexible member or cable 40 with one end fastened rigidly to one of the parts of the clutch and the other end having on it a key or slide 4| adapted to move through the other part of the clutch and thus provide the telescopic feature but not permit turning of the cable with relation to this second part of the clutch. In the drawings it is the upper end of the cable 40 which is shown fixed rigidly in the piece of metal constituting the female part 28 of the clutch and the pinion IS. The cable should be soldered or otherwise fixed tightly in the clutch part 28.

As can be seen in Figs. 7 and 14 of the drawings, the cable consists essentially of three layers of counter-wound wire 56, preferably wound on a core of a straight single wire 57. These counter-windings are each tensioned properly so that it is practically impossible to twist the cable. The cable is flexible, in spite of the fact that it resists any attempt to twist it. In Fig. 14 is shown the manner in which the lower end of the cable is fastened in its slide or key 4|. This slide or key 4| is preferably shaped in a square but can be made in any shape which cannot be turned when placed in a complemental opening.

It will be observed from the drawingsthat I prefer to locate the cable axially central of the driving spindle i! and the clutch members 21, 28 and the pinion l9, and that the size of the cable is such that it lies between the two recesses 58 in the female part 28 of the clutch and is no greater in diameter than the fin between those two recesses 58. The shape of the recesses can be seen in Fig. 3 on either side of the central pin. To make possible this telescopic feature, the driving spindle IQ is hollowed out with a square central opening 59 throughout its length, as can be seen in Figs. 1 and 6. It is just the size or shape of the slide 4| and permits movement of the latter without any substantial play. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, this recess 59 does not extend quite to the bottom of the spindle 9, but this can be as short or as long as desired. In this connection, if desired, the lower end of the recess 59 in the spindle l0 can be made slightly larger so that the key 4| will have a certain amount of play as added insurance that the cable and associated parts will not be under any strain until the dial starts to lift. As shown in Fig. 14, the lower end of the cable 40 is soldered into the slide 4| so that the end is held rigidly in the slide, and since the slide cannot turn it follows that the cable cannot turn. Since the lower end of the cable is unable to turn, it follows that it is impossible for the dial to get out of register or alignment with the cylinder while the clutch 21, 28 is disengaged. In this way it will be noted that I haveprovided a flexible connection between the two parts of the clutch which will keep the dial and cylinder and their knitting elements in register whenever these parts of the clutch are disengaged, and in this way the dial and cylinder can be said to be always in mesh. It will be observed that by having a flexible connection there is no strain on associated parts, and further that when the two parts of the clutch are in engagement, it is they and not the flexible connection which do the driving. In other words, this connection has the novel feature of not being involved in any way in the drive of the machine when the gears are in mesh. There is no wear and tear on the mechanism which keeps the dial and cylinder in alignment when the regular driving means are disconnected, and therefore no chance for the mechanism to wear and eventually get out of alignment.

This mechanism has an added advantage in the fact that when the dial is being raised from operative to inoperative position, the dial is not being turned. Heretofore in all devices which maintain driving connection between the cylinder and dial while the dial is being raised to inoperative position, the dial has had to turn while being raised. This is due to the fact that the regular driving gears are maintained in operative relation. In my novel mechanism the gears do not turn but are held without turning on their own axes while they are disengaged, so that the dial does not turn while being raised.

It is sometimes desirable to turn the dial by hand while it is in its raised position in order to make repairs or adjustments. This can be accomplished very simply on my device without the use of any tools. To this end it will be noted that I have made the recess 59 in the driving spindle IU of the same cross section extending through the male member 2'! of the clutch (see Figs. 4 and 6). By these means it is perfectly simple for the operator to pull the cable up and set the key end of the cable free as shown by the dotted line position in Fig. 6. It is then possible for the dial to be turned freely by hand as much as desired. By having this key 4| square, it is obvious that if the dial is brought back approximately into its proper registry in order to get the key 55 back into the recess 53, the dial will be brought into proper register. If desired, this advantage of the shape of the key 4| can be further extended by making the key irregular in shape.

,I will now describe the preferred embodiment which is shown in Figs. 8 to 13 of the drawings. In this embodiment the parts show greater adaptability to their uses and improved ability to take care of wear and tear. The members or parts of the clutch have been changed but the spindle ||l, bearing bracket H, the cable 40 and the key 4| remain the same. Instead of using a collar 54 and set screw 55 to hold the spindle ID to the proper elevation to provide accurate meshing of the parts of the clutch, the upper end of the spindle is enlarged to provide its own resting shoulder, as shown at 66 in Fig. 10. In the case of the embodiment shown in Figs. 8 to 13, the male member is the upper portion of the clutch and is carried with the dial. It is designated by the reference character H and is carried on a shaft 14 on which the pinion 12, which meshes with the bevel gear I8, is carried. The upper end of the cable 40 is set in the lower end of this shaft 14. The male member consists of a sleeve or shell having two downwardly projecting ears 13 which lie partly below the lower end of the shaft 14, the sleeve being held on the lower end of the shaft by a set screw, as shown in Fig. 13. The female member 68 of the clutch is formed out of the upper end of the hollow spindle l0 and has a shoulder 66 overlying the upper end of the bracket The upper face of the female member 68 has two grooves 69 in it radiating from the center and adapted to receive the downwardly depending ears 13 of the male member 7 The lower end 99 of the shaft 14 projects slightly below the shell carrying the ears I3 and sits in a recess 69a in the female member. This insures the two parts of the clutch being lined up properly. The ears 13 are. spaced apart such a distance that their outer edges correspond to the outer edges of the. female member. The semi-circular stubs 61 which define the grooves 69 of the female member 68 extend radially outward as far as the shoulder 65. The pinion 12 of the male member H can be supported by an arm 18 depending from the gear cover 24. The shaft 14 extends above the pinion 12 and is supported at that point by a yoke 19 in somewhat the same manner as in the previous embodiment. To insure that the pinion 12 and male member ll of the clutch are properly centered over the spindle Hi, a pointed set screw is mounted point upward on the upper end of the bearing bracket I I just to one side of the female member 68 of the clutch. This pointed set screw is adjusted to take into the complemental recess 96 in the lower face of the arm 18 of the gear cover 24-. This supplements the latch and pin 53 found in the previous embodiment.

If, by any chance, in the course of time a slight amount of torsion develops in the cable 40, which would be too great to be taken care of by the bevel surfaces 29 of the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 8, longer bevels are provided in the embodiment of Figs. 9 to 13. This feature takes the form of a bevelled shield 91 located on the circumference of the female member 68 and projecting upwardly above the ears 6'! (see Figs. 8, 9 and 12). This plate is bevelled at a corner leading to one of the slots 61. On the periphery of the male member H at a point directly opposite the ear 13 which should register in the groove 89 adjacent the shield 91, is a set screw 98 projecting into the path of the bevelled edge of the shield 91. As the two members of the clutch start to come together, if there is a slight torsion in the cable, or for any other reason the parts are not in accurate alignment, the set screw will overlie the shield as shown in Fig. 9. This set screw 98 will ride down the bevelled edge of the shield 91 and will thus bring its ear 13 into the grooves 69 intended for it, as shown in Fig. 8. l

It will be obviousv that the new functions attained by my invention are reached with the minimum number of parts and with a simplicity and economy which recommend themselves to the practical man. It will be obvious that with my mechanism the transfer bits T or the needles in the dial will always be kept in proper register with the cylinder needles N, no matter in what position the dial may be put and whether or not. the machine turns in either direction while the dial is up. It is a distinctive feature that the clutch and the mechanism which controls the position of the dial when raised are alternate drives each idle while the other works, and therefore not subject to wear and tear, when the machine is actually knitting.

Many modifications which do not depart from the scope of 'the invention will occur tothose skilled in the art. Thus'the connection between the cable 40 and the upper part of the clutch can be telescopic in place of that at the lower part or in addition to that at the lower part. The cable 40 need not necessarily pass through the axis of revolution of the clutch parts but can be beside them as long as they are geared to the two parts of the drive.

What I claim is:

1. In a circular knitting machine, two series of knitting elements, a revolving cylinder containing one of said series and a dial containing the other and adapted to be moved into and out of operative relation with the cylinder, in combination with means adapted to drive the dial when the latter is in its operative position only, and a connection between the dial and its driving means operative when the .dial is moved from operativev position to keep the latter in time with the cylinder. 7

to drive said dial in timed operative relation with the cylinder, and a flexible torsion-resisting connection for said dial operative upon disengagement of said clutch to keep the dial in time with the. cylinder.

3. In a circular knitting machine, two series of knitting elements, a revolving cylinder containing one of said series and a dial containing the other and adapted to be moved into and out of operative relation with the cylinder, in combination with a gear train driving said dial and cylinder in timed relation, including a clutch adapted to be disconnected when thedial moves out of operative relation with the cylinder and a flexible torsionresisting connection adapted to keep the dial and cylinder knitting elements in proper timed relation when the gear train is disconnected.

4. In a circular knitting machine, two series of cooperating knitting elements, a revolving cylinder containing one of said series and a dial containing' the other and adapted to be swung into and out of operative relation with the cylinder, in combination with a clutch adapted to drive said dial and a flexible connection between the two parts of said clutch adapted to keep the dial in time with the cylinder when the clutch is disengaged.

5. In a circular knitting machine, a revolving cylinder, a circle of needles therein, a pivotally mounted dial adapted to be swung into and out of operative relation with the cylinder, and needle cooperatingelements in said dial, in combination with a clutch adapted to drive said dial, and a telescopic connection including a flexible member between the two parts of said clutch adapted to keep the dial in time with the cylinder when the clutch is disengaged.

6. In a circular knitting machine, a revolving cylinder, a circle of needles therein, a pivotally mounted dial adapted to be swung into and out of operative relation with the cylinder and needle cooperating elements in said dial, in combination with a flexible connection between the two parts of said clutch, including a flexible member held at one end to turn in time with the needle cylinder and at the other end in time with the dial, said flexible member having substantially no torsion, said connection being adapted to keep the dial in time with the cylinder when the clutch is disengaged.

7. In a circular knitting machine, a revolving cylinder, a circle of needles therein, a pivotally mounted dial adapted to be swung into and out of operative relation with the cylinder, and needle cooperating elements in said dial, in combination with a clutch adapted to drive said dial, and a flexible connection between the two parts of said clutch, including a flexible member adapted to telescope through one part of said clutch, held at one end to turn with the needle cylinder and at the other end with the dial, said flexible member having substantially no torsion, said connection being adapted to keep the dial in time with the cylinder when the clutch is disengaged.

8. In a circular knitting machine, two series of cooperating knitting elements, a revolving cylinder containing one series and a dial containing the other and adapted to be swung into and out of operative relation with the cylinder, in combination with a clutch adapted to drive said dial, the parts of said clutch including a bevelled surface adapted to guide the parts into axial alignment when the parts are coming into engagement, and a flexible connection between the two parts of said clutch adapted to keep the dial in time with the cylinder when the clutch is disengaged.

9. In a circular knitting machine, two series of knitting elements, a revolving cylinder containing one series and a dial containing the other and adapted to be moved into and out of operative relation with the cylinder, a clutch adapted to drive said dial and to be disengaged when said dial moves out of operative relation with the cylinder, in combination with a flexible torsion-resisting connection between the parts of said clutch having a telescopic connection at one end, said telescopic connection fitting into a complemental recess preventing rotation of the end of said flexible member in the recess.

10. In a circular knitting machine, a revolving needle cylinder, a circle of needles therein, a pivotally mounted dial adapted to be swung into and out of operative relation with the cylinder, and needle cooperating elements in said dial, in combination with a clutch adapted to drive said dial and to become disengaged when the dial swings out of operative relation with the cylinder, and a flexible telescopic connection between the two parts of said clutch adapted to keep the dial in time with the cylinder when the clutch is disengaged, the parts of said clutch including a beveled surface and a projection adapted to guide the parts into accurate alignment when they are coming together.

11. In a circular knitting machine, two series of knitting elements, a revolving cylinder containing one of said series and a dial containing the other and adapted to be moved into and out of operative relation with the cylinder, in combination with a gear train driving said dial and cylinder in timed relation, including a clutch adapted to be disconnected when the dial moves out of operative relation with the cylinder and a flexible torsion-resisting connection adapted to keep the dial from turning except with the cylinder while disconnected from the gear train.

12. In a circular knitting machine, two series of knitting elements, a revolving cylinder containing one of said series and a dial containing the other and adapted to be moved into and out of operative relation with the cylinder, in combination with two complemental driving means keeping the dial and cylinder in proper timed relation, one means including a clutch adapted to drive when the dial is in its operative position, and the other means including a flexible torsionresisting member and effective when the dial is not in its operative position.

ROLAND J. PAQUETTE.

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