US2112501A - Circular knitting machine - Google Patents

Description

March 29, 1938. c. F. MANGER ET AL 2,112,501

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l March 29, 1938;

c. F. MANGER ET AL 01 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q a 41:3? MIf-4 v C- *4 43 FMMWW M m March 29, 1938. c. F. MANGER ET AL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1937' 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE company Application April 12, 1937, Serial No. 136,440 In Great Britain April 20, 1936 Claims.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to circular knitting machines and is concerned more particularly with yarn-changing mechanism with which said machines are commonly provided.

An object of the present invention is to provide a circular knitting machine having yarn-changing mechanism comprising a plurality of interchangeable yarn feeders, for instance mechanism of the kind described in the specification of U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,838,651 or British Patent No. 408,598, with an additional yarn feeder and associated yarn cutting and trapping device for enabling the machine to perform what is known as half-round splicing. In half-round splicing, a splicing or reinforcing yarn is fed only to a section of the needles in the needle circle and these needles (in number usually about half the total number of needles) knit the splicing yarn together with a main yarn into the portion or portions of the knitted tubewhich is or are to be spliced or reinforced.

In half-round splicing, the half-round,splicing yarn extends from one side of the knitted tube, around the back, to the other side of the tube, while in yarn-changing, as for instance in striped work, the yarn change is made at the back of the tube. The feeder for the half-round splicing yarn and the feeders for the main yarns have therefore to move into and from feeding position at difierent parts of the knitted tube considered circumferentially of that tube. With a view to simplifying the operation of the machine, the present invention contemplates a re-arrangement of the timing of the several feeders, the feeders effecting the yarn'change being timed to move respectively into and out of feeding position at approximately the same time as the feeder for the half-round splicing yarn moves into or out of feeding position at the beginning or end respectively of the half-round spliced portion of the work. In the preferred arrangement the yarn change occurs at the back of the tube as usual, and the half-round splicing begins and ends at the same point, the timing of the movements of the, feeder for the half-round splicing yarn at the beginning and end of the spliced portion being correspondingly altered. As the feeder for the half-round splicing yarn will accordingly move into and from feeding position at different times during the knitting of the spliced portion, it is convenient to provide two separate operating mechanisms for the feeder each of which mechanisms actuates the feeder at the appropriate time. In the preferred arrangement, the feeder for the half-round splicing yarn is operated at the time of yarn change by connections from the mechanism which actuates the yarn feeders that produce such change.

A feature of the present invention is the provision in a circular knitting machine, .of yarnchanging mechanism comprising in combination a set of interchangeable main-yarn feeders any two of which are movable, respectively, into and from feeding position to effect a change in the main yarn supplied to the needles, an additional yarn feeder also movable into and from feeding position to supply to a group of the'needles a splicing yarn to be knitted with a main yarn into the fabric for only part of each course of a portion of the fabric, and operating mechanism for the yarn feeders arranged to. move said feeders in such timed relationship that the initial and final part-courses containing the splicing yarn begin and end, respectively, substantially at a needle-position in the needle circle at which position a change is made in .the main yarn.

Other features of the invention relate to mechanism for operating the yarn cutting and trap ping device for the half-round splicing yarn whereby the said device is operated in timed relation with the feeder for that yarn;- to means comprising a catch device which, at times, holds the trapping device open and is adapted to be tripped to permit the trapping device to close upon the half-round splicing yarn as the feeder for that yarn moves into its non-feeding position; and to means for positively maintaining the half-round splicing mechanism entirely out of action when half-round splicing is not required.

A convenient construction of mechanism embodying the above and other features of the present invention, which are all pointed out in the appended claims, will now be described with the aid of the accompanying drawings and will be considered as applied to a circular knitting machine having yarn-changing mechanism of the kind described in the specifications of U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,838,651 and British Patent No. 408,598.

In the accompanying drawings:-

Figure 1 is a plan of yarn-feeding and associated mechanisms of said convenient construction;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the mechanisms shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same.

In the said convenient construction, the yarn feeder 3| (Figure 1) whichhas been added to the machine for the half-round splicing yarn is in the form of a somewhat L-shaped rod, similar to the feeder 130 or 132 of British Patent No. 408,598. This rod is arranged to slide in the end walls of a frame member 33 which is mounted somewhat behind and below the corresponding member (138 of said specification) for the said feeders I33, I32 and is carried upon the same post I44 as said member. Attached to the shank of the added feeder is a horizontally disposed block 33 (similar to the vertically disposed block 155 of said specification) in which block there is a screw 31 which is guided by a slot 33 (Figure 2) in a plate attached to the side of the frame member 33. The feeder 3| is moved into its feeding position by a spring 43 and away from that position by a vertically disposed lever 45 which carries at its upper -end an adjusting screw 41 the point of which bears against a depending portion 49 of the block as on the shank of the feeder 3|, which portion 43 projects through a slot 5| (Figure l) in the frame member 33. It is found convenient to mount this adjusting screw 41 in a pin 33 (Figure 1) which itself is adjustable along a slot 35 extending lengthwise of a bent-over horizontalmachine approximately'the same position as that occupied by the device 146 in the earlier machine, the device I46 in the present machine being located (as shown in Figure 1) immediately ad-' iacent the said trapper 59 onv the side of that trapper the more remote from the feed point.

In half-round splicing the yarn is fed to about half the needles of the needle circle. At the beginning of each half course of the half-round splicing the yarn extending from the trapper 59 to the feeder 3|, which is now in its feeding position, is taken by the needles and the yarnend is released by the trapper, and at the end of each said half course, the trapper cuts and traps the yarn as the feeder moves (to the right in Figure l) to its non-feeding position in which it is shown in Figure 1.

In the knitting of a striped sock or the like, the change from one yarn to another occurs at the back of the knitted tube, that is to say on a line which, considered lengthwise of the tube, is about midway between the beginning and end of each half course of the half-round splicing. This change may occur at a time in which the halfround splicing feeder is in feeding position, and

in order that the movements of the other feeders toward and from feeding position shall not be obstructed by the splicing feeder, the paths of movement of these other feeders have been modified. To this end, in the present machine, the feeders 130, 132 of British Patent No. 408,598 (the approximate yarn-feeding positions of which are indicated in broken lines in Figure 1) are arranged to dip under the half-round splicing feeder 31 and the feeders (of which one is similarly shown in Figure 1 but in non-feeding position) of said specification are arranged to lift overthe said splicing feeder. Any convenient means may be provided for giving to the feeders I3, I30, I32 the required paths of movement, for

' instance the slots 124, 158, 159 of said specification, may be appropriately shaped.

When the said feeders I 30, I32 move to their non-feeding position adjacent their associated yarn cutting and trapping device I46,- it is necess'ary that the trapper 33 for the half-round splicing yarn be closed since the yarns from the feeders I30, I32 have to pass by it. The mechanism, which'is described hereinafter, for operating the trapper 58 is accordingly arranged to close the trapper at this time, as well as to give to the trapper its normal opening and closing movements. "The trapper it accordingly opens to release the yarn at the beginning of each half course of the half-round splicing, next closes to 'allow the yarns from the feeders I30, I32 safely to pass by it, then opens again in readiness to before the knitting of the heel is started, and

when the knitting of the heel is to start, the knitting of the half-round splicing yarn is stopped and the main yarn is changed to a heavier yarn, or a yarn having a splicing yarn running with it, for the heel. Change of yarn takes place, as already mentioned, at the back of the sock or the like, and as the half-round splicing extends from one side of the sock to the other, the course containing the yarn-change will be composed, either partly of the heel yarn or yarns and the half-round splicing yarn, or partly of the leg yarn only (without the half-round splicing yarn) according, to whether the half-round splicing yarn is introduced into the course containing the yarn change or whether the knitting of the halfround splicing yarn is stopped at the preceding course. A similar effect occurs at the end of the knitting of the heel when the yarn is changed from the heel yarn to the leg yarn and also at the beginning of the knitting of the toe. Such results are not desirable and are avoided in the present machine by providing mechanism (later to be described herein) which operates the halfround splicing feeder 3| and trapper 59 so as to withdraw the half-round splicing yarn from the needles at the same time as'the heel yarn is introduced, at the beginning of the knitting of the heel and of the toe, and to introduce the halfround splicing yarn to the needles at the same time as the heel yarn is withdrawn at the end of the knitting of the heel. As the half-round splicing yarn has to be withdrawn at the same time as the yarn change takes place at the beginning of the knitting of the heel and of the toe, and to be introduced also at the same time as the yarn change takes place at the end of the knitting of the heel, it is convenient to operate the half-round splicing feeder 3| at these times from the yarn-changing mechanism which con trols the operation of the said feeders I ll, I30, I32. This has the additional advantage that the relationship between the yarn change and the introduction or withdrawal of the half-round splicing yarn will remain constant whatever the position of the yarn change, which position is subject to adjustment.

As the half-round splicing feeder 3I has to move to its inoperative position and the trapper 59 has to close at one time during normal halfround splicing and at another time at the beginning of the knitting of the heel, it is economical in cams and convenient in setting up the machine to control the closing of the trapper 59 from the feeder 3| itself. The trapper is preferably opened (against the action of its closing spring) from cams on arunning shaft 6| (Figure 3) of the machine and at times is held open by a catch (hereinafter described) which is released to permit the trapper to be closed by its spring, as the feeder 3| reaches the trapping position. Three different cams operatively connected with the trapper at different times during the knittingdof an article are required to open the trapper, viz: a cam 63 for normal half-round splicing, a cam 55 for use at the beginning of the knitting of the heel and with any one of these cams.

lever is constituted by a horizontally disposed of the toe, and a cam 91 for use at the end of the knitting of the heel. lifts, the first lift opens the trapper 59 sumciently to release the yarn at the beginningof each half course of the half-round splicing, but

not sufiiclently to allow the catch to operate; the trapper immediately closes again and the second lift opens the trapper after the yarns from the feeders I39, E32 have passed the trapper, the trapper being opened to such an extent that the catch retains it in the open position. The cam 65 has only one lift which occupies the same angular position on the said running shaft as the first lift of the cam 63 but is high enough to allow the catch to operate. The cam 63 could not be used at the beginning of the knitting of the heel and of the toebecause the halfround splicing ieeder' 3i (operated from the said yarn changing mechanism at this time) moves to its trapper 59 just ahead of the feeders I39, I32 and the trapper closes to cut and trap the yarn just before the yarns from the feeders I39, 632 pass it. The secorid lift of the cam 63 operates later thanthis and would therefore release the yarn again from the trapper. The cam 51 also has only one lift which is high enough to allow the catch to operate, but its time of operation is arranged to suit the introduction of the half-round splicing yarn at the same time as the yarn change.

Mechanism for operating the feeder 3i for the half-round splicing yarn, the trapper 59 associated therewith, and other parts of the machine will now be described. I I

The, vertically disposed lever t5 which, as aforesaid; is employed to move the half-round splicing feeder 38 away from its feeding position, is operated by a cam 59 (Figure 2) on a rotating shaft I69 of the machine, the cam 59 being formed in separate parts relatively adjustable circumferentially of the shaft I59 to enable the timing of the operation of the lever 45 to be varied.

The three cams 65, 6?, 69 (Figure 3) for opening the trapper 59 aredisposedside by side on the said running shaft GI and co-operate with a lever II which can be swung laterally to bring its cam-engaging end into operative relation The pivot of the pin 73 fixed in a block I5 carried by a vertically disposed pin .17 mounted to turn freely in a bracket I9 secured to the main frame of the machine. The lever II is swung laterally about the axis of the pin I1 and against the action of a spring 8i (Figure 1) by cam pieces 83, 85 (Figure 2) carried upon a part 81 which revolves with the main control drum -9f the machine. These cam pieces 83, 95 act upon one end of an elbow lever 89 the other end of which'is connected by a link M with an-arm 93 secured to The cam 63 has'two the pin 11. The connections between the trapper 59 and the lever, comprise avertically disposed tappet 95 the lower end of which is engaged by a stud 91 on the lever and the upper end of which is engaged by an adjusting screw 99 on a second lever IOI (Figure 3) which at one end is pivoted at I93 upon the bracket 19 and at its other (free) end engages an adjusting screw I05 on an elbow leveii IO'I which actuates the trapper 59. This elbow lever I01 corresponds with the elbow lever 180 of British Patent No. 408,598 but is inverted as compared with that lever so that an upward movement of the screw-carrying arm of the lever I91 under action of one of the trapper cams through the connections described, causes the trapper 59 to open.

Provision is made for maintaining the halfround splicing mechanism entirely out of action during the knitting of certain parts of the sock or, the like as'willhereinafter appear. To this end the vertically disposed pin Ti has a second arm I 99 (Figure 1) secured to it, upon which arm there is formeda cam surface III (Figure 3) adapted to engage an adjusting screw I I3 on one end of a small spring pressed stop lever H5. The other end of this small lever H5, when the lever is moved by said cam surface I i i, is adapted to engage an adjusting screw i i! carried in a part M9 secured to the vertically disposed lever 55 that operates the half-round splicing feeder 3 i and thereby prevents movement of that lever.

The machine has mechanism for adjusting the "stitch cam. This mechanism comprises a pair of stitch-slackening cams IEI, I23 (Figure 3) mounted on the running shaft GI adjacent .the trapper-opening cams 63. 55, 51. Co-operatin with this pair ofcams I28, H3 is a lever I25 which is mounted upon the pin 73 which carries the lever 'H. The lever I 25 has a stud I21 upon it which engages the lower end of a vertically disposed tappet I29, the upper end of which tappet is adapted to engage an adjusting screw I3I in an arm I33 secured tor-a rockshaft 635 carried in bearings on the bracket 19. The rockshaft l35 has a right-angled portion I37 (Figure l) which is connected by a link I39 -with a lever MI that .is coupled to the member which carries the stitch cam.

For convenience of construction and assembly the three trapper-opening cams 93, 55, 51 and the pair of stitchslacking cams IEI, .5231'316 all adjustably mounted on a. sleeve I93 (Figure 3) which is carried upon and driven by the running shaft SI. 1

The means for operating the half-round splic ing feeder 3i from the said yarn-changing mechanism at the beginning of the knitting of the heel and of the toe and at the end of the knitting of the heel comprise an additional control unit consisting of a ratchet wheel I 45 (Figure 2) and a cam I41 for operating the feeder-lever 45, which ratchet wheel andcam are mounted on the shaft of U. S. Patent No. 19,838,651, and an additional pawl I49 to engage the ratchet wheel I is mounted in the pawl-carrying frame 41 of the --said specification, the frame being enlarged for The connections between the cam,

is coupled by a. link I51 to the lever 45. Forthej the link I51 and the lever 45, comprises a cylin ure 3)., which engages the adjusting screw-I" on 'the elbow lever, ll of the trapper 59, when the lever Illl is raised to its fullest extent. When this occurs, the trapper is held open. The free end of the catch lever I81 extends upwardly (see 5 Figure 2) close to the path of movement of an adjusting screw I'll which is 'threadedin a pin I" carried in an ear III of the link I". When therefore the link I" is moved, to the right in Figure 2, to cause the lever 45 to return the feedso er ii to its non-feeding position, the adjusting screw I'Ii will engage the catch lever .I I! and that lever (if it be operative at that time) will be tripped to release the lever IN and thereby enable the trapper 59 to be closed by the action of its wring.

During the knitting of the welt, the rib top,

and the leg of a sock or the like, the half-round splicing mechanism is inactive since at this time the lever II that is actuated by the trapper cams II, 65, 81 has been swung laterally out of range of those cams by thecam piece a (Figure 2) on the control drum acting through the connections described, including the elbow lever 89, one end of which rests upon this cam piece 83 at this time. The cam-engaging lever III of the stitch-slacking mechanism has also at this time and by the action of-this cam piece 88 been swung out of range of the stitch-slackening cams I2I, I23. And. the lever 4B of the feeder mechanism is held out of action by the parts including the arm I" (Figure 'l)' which under the influence of the cam piece 03 has been moved to cause its camsurlace III to actuate the stop lever H5. When'in'the knitting of the sock the point is reached where the high splice is to begin a movement of the control drum moves the said cam piece 8! from under the end' of the elbow lever 89 allowing that end. to fall to its lowest position. This action causes the trapper-cams lever I I- to be swung into range of the trapper cam ,II, the slackening-cams lever III to be swung over the two stitch-slackening cams III, Ill-its cam-engaging'end being wide enough to engage both of those cams-and the lever 45 of the'feeder mechanism to be released by movment of the stop lever II. The three levers II, III, and ll are now operated .by their respective cams and half-round splicing is begtm and continues as long as is required for the article being knitted. The stitch-slackening cams LIZ! cause the stitchcam-of the machineto be adjusted so that slightly longer loops in the knitting are drawn during the time that half-roun splicing is being knitted;

At the beginning of the knitting of the heel, another movement of'the control drum brings the first and lowest step II! of the cam piece I! (which is a three-step cam piece) under the end of the elbow lever II! and thereby swings the trapper-cams lever II into range of-the cam 65 and at the same timeswings theslackening-cams lever III laterally so that it is within range of onb one (i. e. cam III) of the pair of stitchslackening cams. At this time in the operations of the machine, the half-round splicing yarn is introduced into the knitted fabric exactly as in the previous courses but the trapper I9 owing to theaction of the trapper cam is opened to its widest extent and held open bythe catch lever I61. Approximately a quarter of arevolutionof the needle, cylinder after the half-round splicing yarn has been introduced the yarn-changing 'mechanism operates to introduce the heel yarn and to withdraw the leg yarn. At the sametime the additional pawl m for the additional control unit is permitted to engage its ratchet wheel I4! ting the trapper to cut and trap the half-round splicing yarn. The stitch-slackening cam I23 which is'in operation still maintains the previous adjustment of the stitch eam but before the end of the slackening cam I23 comes underthe lev e'r I25, another movement of the control drum has caused the stitchcam to be adjusted for the heel by the usual quality of ,the machine. A further movement of the control drum next causes the second and highest step 2" of the three-step cam piece 85 to come under the end of the elbow lever 89 whereby the trapper-cams lever II and the slackening-cams lever III are moved to their idle positions out of range of their cams and the cam-surfaced arm III! is moved to.

The turning of the additional control unit cause the stop lever III to hold the feeder lever I 45 out of action. The half-round splicing mechanism thus ceases itsoperation and remains inactive during the knitting of the heel.

At the completion of the knitting of the heel the control drum moves again to permit the end of the elbow lever 89 to fall upon the third step 385 of the three-step cam piece 85 whichstep in height is intermediate between the highest and lowest steps I", 285. This movement of the control drum brings the trapper-cams lever II. into range of the trapper cam 61 but the consequential lateral movement that is imparted to'the slackening-cams lever I2! is not suflicient to bring that lever into range of itscams I ll, I23.

At the same'time the cam-surfaced arm I is moved to bring about release of the feeder lever 45, but this lever is not free to be actuated by the cm I. on the rotating shaft I" since -it is under control of the cam Ill of the additional control unit. As the yarn-changing mechanism operates to substitute the foot yarn for the heel yarn, the pawl I relating 'tothe additionalcontrol unit turns that unit thereby,ca'using the cam I" of the unit to permit movement of the feeder lever 45 undr action of the spring 43 that acts upon the half-round splicing feeder II to allow that feeder to move to feeding position as the. heel yarn is withdrawn from the needles. The trapper cam 61 also operates to cause the trapper to open at the appropriate time.- At this stage of the operations of the machine the usual quality cams maintain the loops at thetlength required for the heel as this loop length serves also for the loops of the half-round spliced part. Hence operation by the stitch-slackening cams 'I2l, I23 is not required.'

A further movement of the control drum takes the three-step cam piece I! from under the end of the elbow lever ll allowing that lever to fall -to its lowest position and thus permit the trapto move into range of its cams I2l, I23 which thereupon take over control of the loop-length from the quality cams whereby the loop-lengths are changed from the heel loop-length to the loop-length appropriate for the instep part of the sock. Normal half-round splicing then continues throughout the knitting of the foot portion of the sock.

At the beginning of the knitting of the toe of the sock the various movements of the machine parts which occurred at the beginning of the knitting of the heel are repeated.

In the knitting of an article that is not to be striped during the half-round splicing operation, the half-round splicing yarn may be floated, if desired, at the end of each half-round course instead of being trapped and cut. This result can be obtained by adjusting the adjusting screw I13 so that it does not engage the catch lever I61 as the feeder lever 45 is swung by the link I51 to non-feeding position and so that consequently the catch lever I6! is not tripped to release the trapper 59.

We claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine having a plurality of interchangeable main-yarn feeders and mechanism for moving one of said feeders out of feeding position and another of said feeders into feeding position to effect a change in the main yarn .fed to the needles, a splicing-yarn feeder movable into and from feeding position to feed to a group of adjacent needles of the machine a splicing yarn to be knitted into the main-yarn fabric for only a part of each course of a portion of the main-yarn fabric, and operating means for the splicing-yarn feeder arranged to move said feeder in such time relation with the movements of the main-yarn feeders that the initial and the final part-courses containing the splicing yarn begin and end, respectively, substantially at a needle-position in the needle circle of the machine at which position a change is made in the main yarn.

2. In a circular knitting machine having a plurality of interchangeable main-yarn feeders and mechanism for moving one of said feeders out of feeding position and another of said feeders into feeding position to effect a change in the main yarn fed to the needles, a splicing-yarn feeder movable into and from feeding position to feed to a group of adjacent needles a splicing yarn to be" knitted into the main-yarn fabric for only a part of each course of a portion of the main-yarn fabric, actuating means for the splicing-yarn feeder, and operative connections between the splicing-yarn feeder and the mechanism for moving the main-yarn feeders whereby the splicing-yam feeder is actuated by saidmechanism when said mechanism'moves the mainyarn feeders to effect a change in the main yarn.

3. In a circular knitting machine having a plurality of interchangeable main-yarn feeders and mechanism for moving one of said feeders out of feeding position and another of said feeders into feeding position to eflect a change in the main yarn fed to the needles, a splicing-yarn feeder,

actuating means for moving said splicing-yam feeder into and from feeding position, a yamtrapping device associated with the splicing-yam feeder, and operating means for said yarn-trapping device arranged to give to said device an opening movement to release the splicing yarn, then a closing movement prior to the passage past the said device of a yarn from a main-yarn feeder, and finally, after the passage of said yarn,

opening and closing movements to receive and trap the splicing yarn.

4. In a circular knitting machine having a plurality of interchangeable main-yarn feeders and mechanism for moving one of said feeders out of feeding position and another of said feeders into feeding position to effect a change in the main yarn fed to the needles, a splicing-yam feeder, actuating means for moving said feeder into and from feeding position, a spring operated yarntrapping device, a catch adapted to maintain said device in open condition, operating means for said yarn-trapping device comprising a cam having two lifts of different heights, the lift of lesser height Opening the trapping device to an extent sumcient to release the splicing yarn but not suflicient to permit the catch to operate upon the trapping device, and the lift of greater height opening the trapping device to an extent such that the catch can operate to maintain the said device open, and operative connections between the catch and the actuating means for the splicing-yarn feeder, arranged to release the catch to permit closing of the trapping device when said splicing-yam feeder is moved into non-feeding position.

5. In a circular knitting machine having a plurality of interchangeable main-yarn feeders and mechanism for moving one of said feeders out of feeding position and another of said feeders into feeding position to effect a change in the main yarn fed to the needles, a splicing-yam feeder, actuating means for moving said splicing-yarn feeder into and from feeding position, a spring operated yarn-trapping device associated with the splicing-yarn feeder, a catch adapted to maintain the yarn-trapping device in open condition, means to trip said catch, operating means for the yarn-trapping device comprising three cams one of which cams has two lifts of different heights, the lift of lesser height opening the trapping device to an extent sufiicient to release the splicing yarn but not sufficient to permit the catch to operate upon the trapping device and the lift of greater height opening the trapping device to an extent such that the catch can operate to maintain the said device open, pattern mechanism, and operative connections between said pattern mechanism and the operating means for the yam-trapping device arranged to render the said cams operative but each at a predetermined time in the knitting operation which time is different from the times of operation of the other twd cams.

CHARLES FREDERICK MANGER. CARLYLE HERBERT WAINWRIGHT. GEORGE ALFRED BUSWEIL.

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