US2090554A

US2090554A - Mechanism for making tinsel fabric

Info

Publication number: US2090554A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1937-08-17
Anticipated expiration: 1954-08-17

Description

Aug. 17, 1937. H. RuBlNs'rElN MEGHANISM FORMAKING TINSEL FABRIC Filed Aug. 2, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HRR/ey Fa/Ns Taf/v Allg- 17, 1937 H. RUBiNsTEm 2,090,554

MECHANISM FOR MAKING TINSEL FABRIC Filed Aug. 2, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4a f l Her/FY Paa//vsxg//v Patented Aug. 17, 1937 UNITED STATES Y PATENT oFFicE 12 Claims.

The invention relates to the manufacture of knitted fabrics of the novelty type particularly adapted for millinery and other purposes, and embodying tinsel.

In knitting fabrics of this type it has been customary to make use of tinsel thread comprising a cotton or other core about which the tinsel is helically wound. 'I'his particular material is imported and is expensive, the result being that such novelty fabrics are excessively costly to produce.

It is with the above facts in view -that I have devised the present invention which contemplates an attachment for an ordinary circular type spring needle knitting machine whereby domestic inexpensive tinsel in the form oi a plain fiat or untwisted narrow strip may be successfully used by laying it in with the threads of a knitted fabric. It has heretofore been difficult to use the plain tinsel, one trouble being the necessity for winding it off from the spools on which it is supplied to the trade and onto the bobbins of the knitting machine, and another objection being that during said winding there is considerable danger of twisting the tinsel with the result that it is very easily broken.

An important object of my invention is therefore to provide an attachment for a knitting machine to` take the place of as many bobbins as may be desired, depending upon the design of the fabric, and by means of which the tinsel carrying spools may be supported and the tinsel unwound directly therefrom and laid into the fabric without being previously Wound onto the standard type of bobbrns with which such knitting machines are equipped.

Another important object is to provide a novel method of making such tinsel fabric involving simply laying in the tinsel in contradistinction to knitting it in so that the resultant fabric willl not be objectionably heavy and so that the tinsel will not come clear through to the reverse side and will therefore be prevented from contacting the skin of a wearer.

A more specific object is to provide tinsel spool holding means adapted to rest gravitationally upon the rods commonly provided at the top of a knitting machine, the spool holder being, moreover, of such construction that a spool may be quickly and easily changed.

1 AnadditionalI object is to provide mechanism of this character which will be simple and inexpensive to make, convenient v-to use, eiiicient and time saving, and a general improvement in the art.

To the attainment of the foregoing and,other objects and advantages, the invention preferablyv consists in the detailed construction and the method steps to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating one form of spool holder constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof,

Figure 3 is an elevation,

Figure 4 is a detail section on the line 4 4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a simplied form of the device,

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 6 -5 of Figure 5, I

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view,

Figure is a detail perspective view showing one end of the adjusting bolt,

Figure 9 isia front elevation of yet another modification,

Figure 10 is a section taken on the line III-III of Figure 9,

Figure 11 is an enlarged expanded elevation showing a fragment of one pattern of fabric which can be produced by my invention,

Figure 12 is a sectional view therethrough. Y

Referring more particularly to the drawings the numeral I5 `designates a pair of the supporting rods provided upon the top of a well known type of circular knitting machine for instance the standard variety put out by The Wildman Manufacturing Company of Norristown, Pennsylvania, though the invention is not necessarily limited to this specific machine. The numeral I6 indicates a portion of the common stop motion. Other details of the machine are unnecessary to a proper understanding of the present invention and are therefore neither shown nor described.

In carrying out the form of the invention disclosed in Figures 1 tov4, I provide an inverted U-shaped yoke I1 having parallel resilient arms I8 and equipped at its bight portion with an inverted U-shaped frame I9 secured in place in any convenient manner as forinstance by screws 20. Located between the free endfportions of the resilient arms I8 is a spindle 2| having tapered ends 22 journaled through small holes in the arms. This spindle is provided at one end with a fixed sleeve 23 and at its other end with a slidable collar 24 adapted to be held in adjusted position lengthwise of the spindle as by a set screw 25. The sleeve 23 and collar 24 are formed with tapered portions 26 arranged in confronting relation and adapted to engage within the ends of a spool 21 carrying tinsel 28 which, in accordance with my invention, is simply a flat 5 strip of thin metal of greater width than thickness in contradistinction toa thread circular in cross section such for instance as the imported variety which consists of a cotton or other thread core wrapped with tinsel. y Tinsel of the type that I use is supplied to the trade on' two sizes of spools, one being wooden and the other metal. The adjustability of the collar 24 along the spindle 2l takes care` of the two sizes and types'of spools. The spindle is clamped between the arms I8 by virtue of the fact' that the arms I8 are urged toward each other and into engagement with 'the pointed ends 22 of 'the spindle by a set screw 29 which is threaded through one arm of the frame I9 and which engages the adjacent arm I8 for urging it inwardly or flexing it.

The device is used by placing it at the desired location with the bight of the yoke engaging upon the pair of rods I5. This position may be main- 25 tained and the device prevented from moving about by means of a pair of elongated curved springs 3l secured as at 3I upon the confronting faces of the arms I8 and having outwardly divergent free ends 32 bearing upwardly against the 30 rods. The tinsel 28 is threaded through the stop motionA device I6 and led into the machine. It need hardly be mentioned that this stop motion device is one of the ordinary variety provided for the purpose of stopping the machine in the event of breaking of a thread. IThe number of spool holding devices and their location with respect to the knitting stations depends of course upon the pattern of the fabric desired to be made. The cams and other elements of the machine, not

shown, are so adjusted that the tinsel is not knitted but is simply laid or iloated into the fabric. 'I'he advantage of this is that the weight of the finished fabric is kept as low as possible and the tinsel is prevented from `extending through to the reverse side, thereby avoiding its contacting with the skin of the wearer. While a wide variety of patterns may be produced, Figures 11 and 12 show, respectively, an enlarged expanded elevation of a fabric and a sectional view through l 5o thesame. It is intended thatthe tinsellbe laid in with very little tension on it`so that it will appear upon one side of the fabric and in raisedloose relation thereto, that is to say such is the 5 erally U shaped yoke 33 having inwardly offset resilient arms 34' carrying supporting members 35 with tapered ends 38 adapted to engage within the ends of a spool and to be held therein by virtue of the provision of a bolt 31 traversing the I 70 yoke having at its head end flattened sides 38 located within a keyhole slot 39, which permits detachment, and having at its other end a wingr nut .10. This form of the device is supported upon the rods I5 and used in identicallythe same man- 75 ner as the rst described one but has the advantage of consisting of fewer parts and therefore costing less to manufacture.

' 'I'he invention is susceptible of further variations and in Figures 9 and 10, I have shown a holder comprising an elongated rectangular block 4I to the ends of which are secured spaced parallel iiexible arms 42 carrying at their free ends adjustable pivots or trunnions 43 engageable within recesses in the ends of a spindle 44 having at one end a fixed sleeve 45 and at its other end a slidable collar 46 held in place by a set screw 41. This form of spindle is almost identical with the one shown in the first described form of the invention except for the trunnionarrangement and the

members

45 and 48 have tapered portions 48 engaging within the ends of the spool.

The spindle is held properly between the arms 42v by virtue of the provision of a set screw 43 threaded through a strip 50 secured to one end of the block 4I outwardly of the arm 42, this set screw being engageable with the arm 42 for holding both arms in proper supporting relation to the spindle. This modiication is shown in identically the same manner as the above described ones, the only dierences being in the mechanical construction.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will be apparent that I have thus provided a very simple means whereby the at ribbon type oftinsel may be successfully and easily used for producing tinsel fabrics and that, moreover, without it being necessary as a preliminary step to wind the tinsel onto the usual bobbins, it being known that such winding twists the tinsel and seriously weakens it. v'I'he great advantage in using this ilat ribbon or al1 metal type of tinsel in contradistinction to that type wrapped about a thread core is that actually this plain type of tinsel costs only one-fourth of the other variety which is imported and which is necessarily more expensive. It will therefore be obvious that by the employment ofmy novel mechanism and method fabric of the tinsel type may be produced more quickly and easily and at a fraction of the cost of that made in the usual way and with the other type of tinsel thread.

While I have shown and described several em- -bodiments of the invention together with one type of fabric, it should be understood that this is entirely for purposes of illustration as the right is reserved to make all such changes as.will constitute no departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended. i

Having thus described the inventiomI claim:

l. In a knitting machine of the rotary circular type provided at its top with pairs of rods. means for supporting a spool of metallic tinsel of the fiat ribbon type having a width greater than its thickness in contradistinction to the type helically wound upon a core, said means comprising a frame gravitationally engageable upon a pair of said rods and having spaced resilient arms, a spindle rotatably journaled between said arms and adapted to carry the spool upon which the tinsel thread is wound, and means for varying the position oi' the arms with respect to each other.

2. In a knitting machine of therotary circular type provided at its top with pairs of rods, means for supporting a spool of metallic tinsel of the fiat ribbon type having a width greater than its thickness in contradistinction to the type helically wound upon a core, said means comprising a frame gravitationally engageable upon a pair of said rods and having spaced resilient arms, a spindle rotatably journaled bctween said arms and adapted to carry the spool upon which'the tinsel thread is wound, and screw 5 means for varying the frictional engagement of the arms with the spindle. l

3. An attachment for a knitting machine of the rotary circular type provided at its top with pairs of rods, said machine being adapted to l knit a conventional fabric consisting of interengaged Wales or loops in successive rows, said attachment comprising a` supporting' member gravitationally engageable upon a pair of said rods and having resilient arms, aspindle 1o- 15 cated between said arms, trunnion means rotatably supporting said spindlev with respect to said arms, said spindle being adapted to support a spool upon which is Wound a tinsel thread of the at and untwisted ribbon type, and means 20 for varying the position of said arms with respect to each other.

4. An attachment for a knitting machine of the rotary circular type provided at its top with pairs of rods, said machine being adapted to 25 knit a conventional fabric consisting of interengaged wales or loops in successive rows, said attachment comprising a supporting member gravitationally engageable upon a pair of said rods and having resilient arms, a spindle located 30 between said arms, trunnion means rotatably supporting said spindle with respect to said arms, said spindle being adapted to support a spool upon which is wound a tinsel thread of the fiat and untwisted ribbon type, and means for vary- 35 ing the position of said arms with respect to each other, said spindle including a member relatively fixed with respect thereto and further including a member slidably adjustable with respect thereto, both of said members having ta- L10 pered portions engageable with the endsof the 50 ber located within the coniines of said first named U-shaped member, saidassembled rst and second named members being gravitationally engageable Yupon a pair of said rods, a spindle located between the arms of said second named 55 U-shaped member, screw means carried by said first named U-shaped member and engageable with the adjacent arm of said second named U- shaped member for varying the frictional engagement o'f the second named U-shaped memco ber with said spindle.

6. An attachment for a knitting machine of the rotary circular type provided at its top with pairs of rods, said machine being adapted to knit a conventional fabric consisting of interengaged wales or loops in successive rows, said attachment comprising an inverted U-shaped supporting member, a resilient U-shaped member located within the confines of said rst named U-shaped member, said assembled first 70' and second named members being gravitationally engageable upon a pair of said rods, a spindle located between the arms of said second named U- shaped member, screw means carried by said first named U-shaped member and engageable with 75 the adjacent arm of said second named U-shaped member for varying the frictional engagement of the second named U-shaped member with said spindle, said spindle carrying a xed conical head and a second conical head longitudinally adjustably mounted thereon.

7. An lattachment for a knitting machine of the rotary circular type provided at its top with pairs of rods, said machine being adapted to knit a conventional fabric consisting oi"` interengaged wales or loops in successive rows, said attachment comprising an inverted U-shaped supporting member, a resilient `U-shaped member located within the connes of said first named U-shaped member, said assembled first and second named members being gravitationally engageable upon a pair of said rods, a spindle located between the arms of said second named U-shaped member, screw means carried by said irst named U- shaped member and engageable with the adjacent arm of said second named U- shaped member for varying the frictional engagement of the second named U-shaped member with said spindle, said spindle including a fixed head with a tapered surface and carrying a longitudinally slidably mounted head having a revers'ely extending tapered surface.

8. An attachment for a knitting machine of the rotary circular type provided at its top with pairs of rods, said machine being adaptedv to knit a conventional fabric consisting of interengaged wales or loops in successive rows, said attachment comprising an inverted -U-shaped supporting member, a resilient U-shaped member located within the confines of said first named U-shaped member, said assembled first and second named members being gravitationally engageable upon a pair of said rods, a spindle 1ocated between the arms of said second named U-shaped member, screw means carried by said first named U-shaped member and engageable with the adjacent arm of said second named U-shaped member for varying the frictional engagement of the second named U-shaped member with said spindle, and means carried by the assembled U-shaped members engaging said rods for maintaining the proper assembled relation with respect thereto.

9. An attachment for a knitting machine of the rotary circular type provided at its top withA pairs of rods, said machine being adapted to knit a conventional fabric consisting of interengaged wales or loops in successive rows, said attachment comprising an inverted U-shaped supporting member a resilient U-shaped member located within the confines of said rst named U-shaped member, said assembled first and second named members being gravitationally engageable upon a pair of said rods, a spindle located between the arms of said second named U-shaped member, screw means carried by said first named U-shaped member and engageable with the adjacent arm of said second named U-shaped member for varying the frictional engagement of the second named U-shaped member with said spindle, and a pair of leaf springs secured upon the arms of said second named U-shaped member and having anbgularly defiected free ends bearing against said rods for maintaining the assembled U-shaped members in proper relation with respect to the rods.

10. An attachment for a knitting machine of the rotary circular type provided at its top with pairs of'rods, said machine being adapted to knit a conventional fabric consisting of interengaged wales orl loops in successive rows, said attachment comprising a supporting member gravitationaily engageable upon a pair of said rods and having resilient arms, a spindle journaled between said arms, a strip carriedby `said supporting member and overlying one of said arms, and screw means carried by said strip and engaging the adjacent arm for varying the i'rictional engagement of the resilient arms with the spindle journaled therebetween.

11. An attachment for a knitting machine of the rotary circular type provided at its' top with pairs of rods, comprising a U-shaped supporting member gravitationally engageable upon a pair of said rods in inverted position, means between the free ends of ,the arms of said irame for supporting a thread-carrying spool, means for mov'- ing said arms relatively to each other, and means secured within the frame and engageable with sald'rods formaintaining the frame in position with respect to the rods.

12. An attachment for a knitting machine of the rotary circular type provided at its top with ;j

pairs of rods, said attachment comprising a substantially U-shaped frame having its bight i