US2106434A

US2106434A - Knitting machinery

Info

Publication number: US2106434A
Application number: US110540A
Authority: US
Inventors: Morton James; Hannay Robert Stewart Erskine
Original assignee: FNF Ltd
Current assignee: F N F Ltd; FNF Ltd
Priority date: 1936-02-21
Filing date: 1936-11-12
Publication date: 1938-01-25
Anticipated expiration: 1955-01-25

Description

1938; J. MORT-ON ET AL 1 KNITTING MACHINERY Filed Nov. 12, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 1.

Jami 25,1938. J. MORTON ETAL I 2,106,434.

KNITT ING MACHINERY Filed Nov. '12, 1956 4-Sheets-Sheet 2' I A OBNEYS Jan. 25, 1938. J. MORTON ET AL KNITTING MACHINERY Filed No v. 12, 1956' 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 umw mm /./X mm G Q WM, F Wm M ME V17 mom ws Jan. 25, 1938. .1. MORTON ET AL KNITTI'NG MACHINERY Filed Nov. 12, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheef 4 INVENTOKS 177027-04 BY 7 2 flflmm/ ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 25, 1938 UNITED STATES 2.106.434 xmrrme mommy James Morton and 1mm Stewart Erskine Hi..- y, 031M810, 1881811013 in F. N- F- Limlted, Purley Way, Croydon, England, a

British company Application November 12, 193s, Serial No. 110,540 In Great Britain February ,21, 193$ 13 Claims.

This invention .relates to warp knitting machines and particularly to patterning mechanism for such machines.

In a warp knitting machine, as usually con- 5 structed, the warps are led to the knittingneedles by warp guides. These warp guides are usually mounted side by side in groups, or so-called sections, and each section is attached to a carrying bar usually called a guide bar. One or more such guide bars may be provided in the machine,

according to the nature of the work that the machine is intended to perform, and several of the aforesaid sections are attached to the guide bar or to each guide bar. The guide bar or each guide bar is arranged to undergo two kinds of motion, namely, a rocking motion about a longitudinal axis extending within or outside the guide bar, which results in the warp guides being moved to and fro in planes between the knitting needles, and endwise patterning or shogging motion along or parallel to the said axis, which results in the warp guides being moved to and fro parallel to a plane containing the knitting needles. The efiect of these two motions is to lap the warps or selected warps on the needles. The present invention has particular reference to mechanism for imparting this patterning motion to the guide bar or bars in a warp knitting machine.

The patterning motion of a guide bar in a warp 30 knitting machine serves two functions. The first of these functions is the bringing of the threads across the needles in a predetermined direction so that the needles may draw the loops in the threads, and the second function is the selective 35 association of the several threads with needles selected in accordance with a predetermined pattern. Thus, one component of the patterning motion of a guide bar may result in a warp guide carrying its respective warp over a certain needle so 40 that the needle can drawa loop in the warp and another component of the movement of the warp guide may result in the warp being carried to another needle over which the warp is eventually carried, so that a. loop in the warp is drawn by that needle. In this case the warp is formed into a stitch on one needle during one cycle of movement of the needles, and then during a subsequent cycle of movement of the needles it is formed into a stitch on another needle displaced from the 50 first needle by one or more needle pitches, the second stitch being in a different row to stitches in the fabric being formed. The warp may then be carried back to the first needle or it may be carried to another needle according to the pattern 55 that is desired. When more than one guide bar is employed; the patterning motions of the bars. may take place individually and selectively, while the rocking motions take place in unison. 4

In certain warp knitting machines, pattern cam wheels are provided which are driven intermit- 6 tently. This arrangement allows substantial room atthe circumference of each wheel for the active "cam formation. However, such an inter-- mittent drive, owing to the recurring starts-and stops involved with consequential high inertia 1o force's,'cannot practicably be operated at high speeds. Thus, usually, the patterning mechanism of a high speed warp knitting machine comprises a single pattern cam wheel or cam chain for each guide bar, the cam member being continuously '1 driven. In attempting to obtain very high speeds of operation in warp knitting machines, it is found that the operation of the patterning mechanism in the usual manner constitutes a limitingfactor. This is due to the fact that in order to impart, a comparatively long patterning movement to a guide bar, the cam enlargement or other active formation occupies a substantial length of the cam member, with the result that the number of displacement effecting formations available on Y a given size of cam wheel is undesirably small, or in the case of a cam chain the additional length and necessary increased strength render it unwieldy and prevent its use at very high speeds.

The invention aims at providing patterning mechanism adapted to operate the warpguides at higher speeds than heretofore, without detracting from the uniformity of motion or the general efficiency of operation of the warp guides.

One object of the invention consists in a patterning mechanism comprising in combination a cam member, a guide bar, an intermediate member interposed between said cam member and said guide bar, supporting means for said intermediate member, adapted to permit movement of the lat- 40 ter in two intersecting paths, said cam member being operative to impart movement in one of said paths to said intermediate member and the latter being operative when so moved to impart movement to said guide bar, and means operative to impart movement in the other of said paths to said intermediate member, the latter being arranged, when moved in the last-mentioned path,

to effect a movement of said guide bar separate from or in conjunction with that due to the movement ofsaid intermediate member in said flrstmentioned path. Another object of the invention consists in patterning mechanlsm'comprising in'combination a wedge member, supporting'means for said wedge '55 member adapted to permit movement of the latter in the path of movement of the guide bar and in a second path which is transverse to said firstmentioned path, means for moving said wedge member selectively and periodically in said paths,

said wedge member being formed with an inclined surface operatively associated with said guide bar and arrranged, when said wedge member, is moved in said second path, to impart longitudinal movement to the guide bar, while said wedge member is arranged, when moved in said first-mentioned path, also to impart longitudinal movement to the guide bar.

A further object of the invention consists in patterning mechanism comprising in combination a tappet mounted for longitudinal movement, a second tappet mounted for longitudinal movement in a path which is transverse to the path of movement of .said first-mentioned tappet, a knitting cam arranged to impart longitudinal movement to said first-mentioned tappet, a pattern cam arranged to impart longitudinal movement to said second-mentioned tappet, and

means for integrating the movements of said tappets and imparting the integrated movement to the guide bar. I

Yet another object of the invention consists in patterning mechanism comprising in combination a cam, an intermediate cam follower through the medium of which said cam is operative to act upon said guide bar to impart movement to the latter, and means for moving said follower to and fro in a direction transversely to the direction to which movement is imparted by said cam to said guide bar,- whereby the rate at which movement is transmitted from said cam to said guide bar is varied.

The term cam" herein used is intended to cover and include any cam or-other equivalent extent of a knitting needle pitch, while the other cam, namely, the pattern cam, may be arranged to impart a predetermined sequence of motions of extents according to a predetermined pattern.

By virtue of the invention, patterning mechanism for a warp knitting machine may include cams formed with enlargements or lobes which are not unduly steep and arranged so as to displace their associated members at high speed to any extent that is desired in practice. I

More particularly defined, the invention consists in patterning mechanism comprising in eombination a pattern controlling member arranged to undergo continuous movement during the oneration of the machine, a stitch controlling member arranged to undergo continuous movement during the operation of the machine. and a member which is operatively associated with the warp guides and is arranged to be caused jointly by said pattern controlling member and said stitch controlling member to undergo cyclic movements whereby'said guides are caused to undergo the lateral movements necessary for stitches to be- ,formed on selected needles.

The invention further comprisesthe elements and combinations of parts set forth in the annexed claims.

In order that the invention may be clearly ment.

understood and readily carried into effect, two constructions in accordance therewith will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional plan of patterning mechanism involving the use of a pattern cam and a knitting cam for each of a plurality of guide bars, only a portion of each cam being shown;

Figure 2 shows a constructional detail, viewed in the direction of the arrow 11 in Figure 1;

Figures 3 and 4 respectively, are views (with parts broken away) in the directions of the arrows III and IV of Figure 1, these views being drawn to a smaller scale than Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of a portion of Figure 4, Figure 5 being drawn to substantially the same scale as Figure 1:

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic plan of a modified construction of patterning mechanism; ant? Figure 7 is a detail view taken in the direction of the arrow VII in Figure 6.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 5, the patterning mechanism therein shown includes a pattern cam l and a knitting cam II for each guide bar l2, there being three guide bars in the warp knitting machine whose patterning mechanism is shown. The cams are constituted by cam wheels which are rotated at constant speed,

. the assembly of knitting cams being driven at a cam shaft I6, and another worm I1 meshing with a worm wheel l8 on the knitting cam shaft is. A stationary casing 20 is disposed between the pattern cam i II and the respective guide bar. In this casing are-mounted three superposed assemblies of motion-transmitting parts, each of these assemblies including a tapped; 2| co-operating with the pattern cam, a tappet 22 arranged at right angles to the first-mentioned tappet and cooperating with the knitting cam, and a tappet 23 arranged opposite to and in alignment'with the tappet 2| and co-operating with an adjustable abutment 24 on the respective guide bars. These tappets consist of rods slidably mounted in the casing and rollers at opposite ends of the rods, except that the tappet 23 has no roller at the end whichcontacts with the aforesaid abut- Each assembly of motion-transmitting parts also includes a pivotal member 25 which is carried between centre screw pins 25b and which bears against the tappet 22 of the knitting cam. The pivotal member has a convex track 25a (Figure against which bears a-concave roller 26 on a wedge-shaped block 21. This block is maintained in engagement with its track by a resilient thrust device comprising another roller 28, which bears upon the interior of the casing and has a mounting 28 in telescopic relationship with the block, and a compression-spring 30 disposed between the mounting 29 and the block. The pivotal member constitutes, in effect, a motionmultiplying lever, which receives its motion from the knitting cam tappet 22 and imparts such motion, multiplied, to the block 21. The opposed wedge faces of the block 21 bear against the opposed tappets 2 I, 22 of the pattern cam and of the I guide bar, these faces and tappets being kept in inter-engagement by the guide bar's return spring The driving mechanism comprises a 3|, which acts through a chain 32 round a pulley 33 (Figures 1 and 2).

The arrangement of each of the three superposed assemblies is such that, on actuation only of the tappet 22 of the knitting cam, the block 21 I is forced, through the intermediary of the pivotal member 25, to move wedge-wise between the .guide bar.

opposed tappets 2|, 23. Since, as regards the tappets 2| and 23, the former is prevented by its cam ID from moving under the wedge action, the.

tappet 23 alone is moved and accordingly forces the guide bar l2 to move with it. On actuation of both tappets 2|, 22 by their cams, the movement due to the pattern cam is added positively or negatively to that due to the knitting cam, the sum of these movements being imparted to the The function of each knitting cam H is to im'- part, for every stitch-formation a short lateral motion of the extent of a knitting needle pitch. Owing to the wedge faces of the block 21 being limited in length, there is a limit to the number of times in succession that a movement in a given direction can be effected if the cam only were to act. If it is desired to continue the movement beyond this limit the block 21 must be returned to the starting position, compensation being provided by a suitable step on cam III. This operpredetermined according to the pattern. That is to say, the warp threads guided by the respective guides 34 are displaced from one needle across one or moreadjacent needles for engagement thereby during the next stitch-forming operation.

Thus, each knitting .cam H, which, as previously mentioned, rotates faster than its associated pattern cam It), gives effect to the knitting shog of the corresponding guide bar, i. e. the shog which results in the warp threads being carried over their needles and which has to take place very quickly indeed. Further, the pattern cam I gives effect to the pattern shog of the guide bar, i. e. the shog which results in the warp threads being carried under the needles and which has a longer time available for it so that it can be provided for by a reasonably shaped step on the pattern cam; It will be understood that one step or lobe on a knitting cam always corresponds to a shog across one needle as it is never tern cam for the bar-displacing formations thereon, and theseiormations can be designed with tappet displacing surfaces, which 'are not unduly steeply inclined.

The provision of both cams ||l and each of which is, as usual, interchangeable with any other appropriately designed cam, affords a wide variety of patterning motions. An additional advantage is that the patterning motions derived from any bar) of a warp knitting machine.

two given cams can be varied by adjusting the angular or phase relationship between the cams.

Referring now to Figures 6 and '7, the modified v construction of patterning mechanism therein diagrammatically illustrated involves the use of a cam 40 for the guide bar (or foreach guide A cam follow er consisting of a member 4| and roller '42 thereon is interposed between the cam and its tappet, which consists of a roller 43 on a member 44 operatively associated with the guide bar and adapted to impart patterning motion thereto,.di-

. rectly or indirectly. The member 4| extends be yond the cam 40, and the roller 42 rides upon the cam face. The follower member 4| presents a curvedsurface 4|a which is substantially concentric with the cam 4|), and upon this surface bears the roller 43 of the tappet. The member 4| has pin-and-slot connections at 45' with an arm 45 which is journalled on the cam shaft 46 the cam 40 and the

tappet

43, 44. The rod 4| receives the requisite motion, in the construction shown, from an eccentric 48, which is keyed to a shaft 49 through the intermediary of mechanism consisting of an eccentric rod 50 and a bellcrank lever 5| having a stationary fulcrum at 52.

a worm shaft 53 which is connected to the shaft 49. through bevel gear wheels 54 and to the cam shaft 46 through worm gearing 55. In the construction shown, the gear ratio is such that the pattern cam turns through one revolution while the eccentric 48 turns through twenty-four revolutions; that is, twenty-four stitches are knitted per revolution of the pattern cam. The cam shown is adapted to shog the guide bar regularly to and fro across two knitting needles.

* The timing of the eccentric .48 in relation to the cam 40 is such that whena cam enlargement is passing the roller 42 of the follower, the eccentric acts to move the follower around the cam 40 in the direction opposite to the motion of the enlargement.- Meantime, the follower 4|, 42 slides along the guide slots in its carrying arm 45, first away from and then towards the cam axis, and transmits the requisite motion to the tappet 43, 4 across which the follower-slides. The follower is given its return movement" after the enlargement has passed beyond it.

.It will be clear that, in the construction according to Figures 6 and 7, provision is made whereby the cam 40 can impart a quick movement of substantial length without involving the use of a cam enlargement, or other follower-disjplacing formation, which is undesirably steep.

The need for some provision (or for some alternative provision) will be manifest if one were to suppose, for example, that there is one inch of the periphery of a cam Wheel available per cycle, and that during the cycle the wheel is required to move its tappet or other follower to the extent of 1 of an inch. .Owing to knitting and otheroperations, however, the whole of the cycle is not free for this movement, an angle of about The cam shaft is continuously rotatable from the shaft 49 through the intermediary of 30 degrees only being available during which the movement must take place. An angle of 30 degrees, if the wheel is rotating at constant speed, represents 30/360 inch in the example under consideration, i. e. of an inch. That is to say, the shape of the cam must be such that a rise of ofan inch takes place in-a length of of an inch. Such a shape would be undesirably steep. a

[If th' construction according to Figures 6 and '7 \were applied to the foregoing suppositious exmple the cam follower 4|, 42 could be moved at ucna rateas to spread the period of cam operationflover approximately of an inch, in which event the cam enlargement would be acomparativeli gentle rise of of an inch in a length of of an inch.

It will be clear that an arrangement such as .illustrated by Figures 6 and 7 can either be em- 'bodied in an arrangement including also a knitexample, as regards the construction illustrated by Figures 1 to 5, the wedge device can be replaced by an equivalent device, such as a toggle linkage, the toggle links being connected at their distal ends to the tappets 2|, 23 and having a roller or rollers at their proximal ends corresponding to the rollers 26. As regards the con struction illustrated by Figures 6 andfl, a cam may be used in place of the eccentric 48,- which cam can be proportioned so as to enable the period of cam operation in the foregoing:suppositious example, to be spread over the entire cycle. distance of one inch. Further, the eccentric 48 (or corresponding cam) can be geared to the cam shaft 46 to turn at a rotational speed any required number of times faster than the speed at which the cam shaft is rotated.

We claim:-

1..Mechanism for imparting patterning motion to a guidebar in a 'warp knitting machine, said mechanism comprising in combination a cam, an intermediate camfollower through the medium of which said cam is operative to act upon the guide bar to impart movement to the latter, and means interconnecting said cam and said follower for moving simultaneously in timed relation with said cam said follower to and fro in a direction transversely to the direction in which movement is imparted by said cam to the guide bar, whereby the rate at which movement is transmitted from said cam to the guide bar is varied 2. Mechanism for imparting patterning motion to a guide bar in a warp knitting machine, said mechanism comprising in combination a .cam rotatable about an axis, a cam follower inwarp knitting machine, said mechanism comprising in combination a rotatable member formed with a perlpheral cam surface and ar- .ranged to rotate about a fixed axis passing through said member, means for rotating said member about said axis at constant angular velocity, a cam follower operatively associated with the guide bar, a guide member for said cam follower arranged to permit said cam follower to be moved to and fro under the control of said cam surface, the arrangement being such that the to and fro movements are imparted to the guide bar, and means forimparting to said guide member oscillating movement in an arcuate path about said axis so that the angular movement of said rotatable member relatively to said cam follower is of a fluctuating nature.

4. Mechanism for imparting patterning motion to a longitudinally movable guide bar in a warp knitting machine, said mechanism comprising in combination a rotatable member formed with a peripheral cam surface and arranged to rotate about a fixed axis passing through said member, means for rotating said member about said axis at constant angular velocity, a cam follower operatively associated with the guide bar, a guide member for said cam follower arranged to permit said cam follower to be moved to and fro under the control of said cam surface, the arrangement being such thatthe to and fro movements are imparted to the guide bar, a second rotatable member operatively connected to said guide member and arranged, when rotated, to impart to said guide member oscillating movement in an arcuate path about said axis so that the angular movement of said rotatable member relatively to said cam follower is of a fluctuating nature and means for rotating said second rotatable ,member at constant angular velocity.

5. Mechanism for imparting patterning motion to a guide bar 1!? a warp knitting machine,'said mechanism comprising in combination a member formed with a cam surface and mounted for movement, a cam follower interposed between said member and the guide bar and mounted for movement in two intersecting paths, one of said paths being along said cam surface and said member being adapted to impart movement to the guide bar by moving said cam follower in the 7. Mechanism for imparting patterning motion to a guide bar in a warp knitting machine, said mechanism comprising in combination a cam mounted for rotation about a fixed axis and formed with a cam surface comprising circumferential portions and inclined portions, a cam follower mountedin engagement with said cam surface and adapted to be both oscillated about said axis and reciprocated towards and away from said axis, said cam follower being operative when r'eciprocated as-aforesaid to impart equivalent movements to the guide bar, means for imparting uniform rotary motion to said cam, and means for oscillating said cam follower about said axis so that the effective steepness of said inclined portion of said cam surface is varied.

8. Mechanism for imparting patterning motion to a guide bar-in a warp knitting machine, said mechanism comprising in combination a I terposed between said cam and the guide bar, a a support forsaid cam follower mounted for oscil-.

lation about said axis and arranged to permit movement of said cam follower towards and away from said axis, said cam follower being adapted for movement by said cam towards and away from said axis and adapted to impart such movement to the guide bar, and means for moving said support about said axis whereby the action of said cam-on the guide bar is varied.

9. In mechanism for imparting patterning motion to a guide bar in a warp knitting machine, the combination of a cam rotatable about an axis, a tappet mounted for reciprocation towards and away from said cam and adapted to transmit reciprocating motion to the guidebar, acam follower interposed between said cam and said tappet, a support for said cam follower arranged to permit movement of said cam follower towards and away from said axis and about said axis, said cam follower being adapted for movement by said cam towards and away from said axis and adapted to impart such movements throughsaid tappet to the guide bar, and one of the pair of members constituted by said tappet and said cam follower being formed with an arcuate surfacehav ing its centre in the vicinity of said axis while the other of said pair of members is adapted to make line contact with said arcuate surface.

10. Mechanism for imparting patterning motion to a guide bar in a warp knitting machine, said mechanism comprising in combination a cam rotatable about an axis, a tappet mounted for reciprocation towards and away from said cam for transmitting longitudinal movements to said guide bar, a cam follower adapted to make rollaxis whereby the action of said cam on the guide bar is varied. '11. Mechanism for imparting patterning motion to a guide bar in a warp knitting machine,

said mechanism comprising in combination a rotatable member formed with a peripheral cam surface and arranged to rotate 'abouta-fixed axis passing through said member, means for rotating said member about said axis at constant angular velocity, a cam follower including both a mem- Ber, formed at one end with an arcuate surface having its centre in the vicinity of said axis, and a roller mounted in contact with said cam surface at the end of said follower member remote from said arcuate surface, a tappet for transmitting reciprocatory motion to the guide bar, said tappet, including" 'a roller contacting with said arcuate surface, a support for said cam follower mounted for oscillation about said axis and adapted to permit said cam follower to be'moved towards and away from said axis by said cam surface to impart reciprocatory motion to said 'tappet, and means for imparting continuous oscillating motion to said support about said axis.

12. Mechanismfor imparting patterning motion to a longitudinal movable guide bar in a warp knitting machine, said mechanism comprising in combination a cam mounted for r0ta-" tion about a fixed axis, a cam follower in contactwith said cam for imparting longitudinal movements to the guide bar under the controlof said cam, a support for said cam follower mounted for oscillation about said axis and adapted to permit said cam follower to be moved towards and away from said axis under the influence of said cam, and means for imparting simultaneously and continuously rotary motion to said cam and oscillating motion to said support. I

13. Mechanism for imparting patterning mo-' tion to a'longitudinal movable guide bar in a warp knitting machine, said mechanism comprising in combination a cam mounted for rotation about a fixed axis, a cam follower in contact with said cam for imparting longitudinal movements to the guide bar under the control of said cam, a support for said cam follower mounted for oscillation about said axis and adapted to permit said cam follower to be moved towards and away from said axis under the influence of said cam, means for imparting uniform rotary motion to said cam, and means including an eccentric for imparting oscillating motion 'to said support.

JAMES MORTON.

ROBERT STEWART ERSKINEHANNAY. I