US2127179A - Manual control for knitting machines - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 16,-1938, R. H. LAWSON El AL MANUAL CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 18, 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 MMMMZ. Sfi/TYZP, yw

Aug. 16, 1938. R. H. LAWSON ET AL MANUAL CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 1 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 16, 1938. R. H. LAWSON ET AL 2,127,179

MANUAL CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 18, 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet :5

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MANUAL CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 18, 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 6, 1938. R. H. LAWSON ET AL 79 MANUAL CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 18, 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 m y o \9 E333 L IIIIIIH f/I/I E/YTWPS FflfiZRZYZMSMY Mam/ 1 lay/754722 Aug. 16, 1938. R. H. LAWSON El AL MANUAL CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 18, 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 JI/I E/I/YWRS- 2055571 [AH SM;

mil/XML Jamm e A'TTfJ T IP IIIII llll l 6N JUNK Aug. 16, 1938. R. H. LAWSON ET AL MANUAL CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES '7 Sheets-Shet 7 Filed Nov. 18, 1936 F 2.. \\/A .J/ mr mr NQ 1. +1. Mr m a ain/Myra Q I/I/EzMMLS/y/mwz; 76 2? 1 Patented Aug. 16, 1938 i g V 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,121,119 I MANUAL CONTROL roaxm'rrmo momma Robert H. Lawson and William L. Smith, Jr.,

Pawtucket, R. L, aasignors to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. L, a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 18,- 1936, Serial No. 111,470

In Canada January 20, 1936 I 14 Claims. 4 (Cl. c s-s) 'Ihe invention of this case deals with hand Fig. 14 is a detail of this same right hand wheel control of knitting machines, for instance end of the machine but showing parts in their mu1ti-feed knitting-machines wherein considinoperative position. erable eflort is necessary on the part of the ma In multi-feed knitting machines; especially chine operator to turn the moving parts of the those employing a relatively great number of 5 machine by hand as is necessary at certain times. feeding stations, it is necessary to employ hand Among the objects of the invention are the pro- .wheel mechanism for operating the machine vision of suitable reduction gearing whereby manually. This hand wheel drive must provide large sized machines may be easily operated by sufficient reduction to allow the machine operhand, mechanism which provides adequate ator to turn the mechanism of the entire masafety for the protection of the machine operachine while exerting a reasonable amount of tor and a device which is automatically diseneffort. It is also essential that the hand wheel gaged upon power operation of the machine control or controls be conveniently located and thereby to prevent any. damage of the machine that the hand wheels themselves be of a conin the event of carelessness on the part of the venient size so as not to take up too much space 5 operator. at the side of the machine. Contrary to a In the drawings: more or less common practice on hosiery ma- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, plan view of as much chines, it is absolutely necessary that the hand of a multi-feed knitting machine as is necessary wheel control for these multi-feed machines be to illustrate the application of hand wheel condisengaged from driving connection with the 20 trol thereto; machine at the instant said machine is started Fig. 2 is an elevation, on a relatively enlarged under its own power; otherwise, as the mascale, illustrating the hand wheel drive of Fig. 1 chine was rotated under its own power it would in greater detail; 4 drive the hand wheel (providing it could drive Fig. 3 is a section taken through the spindle that hand wheel, which in most instances it 25 looking to the left, Fig. 2; could not due to the type of gearing employed) Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the worm at a. rate of speed which would constitute a in engagement with the ring gear of the machine; serious menace to the safety of anyone about Fig. 5 is an elevation showing a modified form the machine. For this reason the hand wheel of the invention; control must be easily engageable when a ma- 30 Fig. 6 is a section illustrating the manner in chine operator desires to turn the machine by which the spindle as shown in, Fig. 5 may be hand but must be positively and automatically locked in an inactive position; disengaged the instant the machine is started Fig. 7 is a section showing the manner in under its own power. It is a further characterwhich the worm, Fig. 5, would engage the drivistic of the mechanisms herein shown that they 35 ing gear of a knitting machine; are practically incapable of being accidentally Fig. 8 illustrates a second modified form of the engaged during automatic operation of the mainvention wherein a single hand wheel conveys chine, and even if they were, would merely motion to the driving gear of the machine be returned to inactive position in the same through a worm, worm gear and an intermediate way in which they were returned to that posi- 40 spur gear; tion at the starting of the machine.

9 is a section on Fig- 't en hr ugh h Referring to Figs. 1-4 a form of drive has worm gear, spur gear and interconnecting hub; been illustrated in which a worm is employed Fig. 10 is an elevation illustrating the device to engage a driving gear of the knitting machine as seen from the face of the hand wheel; at such times as the operator desires to turn it 45 Fig. 11 is an elevation of another form of the by hand by merely rocking the hand wheel drive invention showing the drive in operative posie or drives into an engaging position, rotating the tion and, in the dotted lines, some parts in an hand wheel to first take up slack and then for inoperative position; the purpose of turning the machine throughout Fig. 12 is a detail, partly in section, showing such an extent as is desired, it then being a 0 the driving shaft in aninoperative position; function of the device itself to be moved back Fig. 13 is a section taken through the right to initial inactive position upon automatic ophand end of the drive of Fig. 11, and showing eration-of the machine under power. The mathe shaft in position for driving the machine chine illustrated has a circular base I, a rotatby h nd; and able needle cylinder 2 having attached thereto tion to the cylinder, the drives would of course rotate the cams and not the cylinder. On the largestmachine it is found to be of advantage to provide duplicate hand wheel control at both sides of the machine and to provide each control with a hand wheel at either end. This pro- -vides an operator with four different wheels spaced about the machine so that he can normally reach one wheel while working at any position adjacent-the machine and this is found to be a time saver as well as a great convenience when it is desired to watch the functioning of any particular part of the machine and at the same time to slowly turn the machine by hand. If for any reason the machine turns especially hard as is often the case with new machines lust assembled, more than one person may use the free to turn. Each of the angular elements 6 has an extension ll within which 'is threaded an adjusting screw l2 maintained in any adjusted position by means of locking nut l3. This adjusting screw strikes against a projection ll cast onto one side of each of the forked brackets l and provides an adjustable stop to limit the swin of each element 6 in a direction to move spindle l0 and worm i5 from driving position. The worm i5 is fixed to spindle Ill at about its midpoint by means of a taper pin or by any other suitable retaining means and said spindle is further maintained in proper relative position by means of collars l6 which, of course, may be adjusted along the length' of the spindle for the purpose of positioning parts in exact working relationship. A ball thrust bearing 16' is interposed between bearing-9 and collar It at one end of the spindle. At least one of the forked ends of one of the element 6 is provided with an adjusting screw ll maintained by a locking nut l8 which screw bears against a lug l9. This adjusting screw stops the movement of elements 8, the spindle Ill and worm l5 when the worm has been rocked into complete engagement with ring gear 3 and serves to take the thrust as the hand wheel drive is used to rotate the machine. A hand wheel 20 having a grip 2| is fixed at each end ofspindle Ill.

It is obvious that only one of the extensions I I need be provided with an adjustable stop screw and that only one stop screw I! would suffice to permit satisfactory operation of the drive, but in the preferred embodiment of the invention we employ two of these stopping screws I'I within one of the forked ends of both elements 8 and a screw l2 in both'extensions II. A guard 22 has been provided which covers a part of ring gear I and worm I! at the position illustrated but is not an essential element except for purposes of safety and appearance.

We have illustrated in Fig. 2 a full line position of all elements wherein the drive is shown in active position. Certain. fragments of the spindle worm, collars a'nd bearings have been shown 4 spindle l0 and the rest of the mechanism to the left, Fig. 2, until the worm engages the teeth of gear 3, and by turning the hand wheel until stopping screws I'I strike abutments 19, that the mechanism becomes effective to rotate the machine. These parts'are only maintained in that position as long as the operator continues to turn the hand wheel in a direction to rotate the machine or until the machine is started; the instant the machine is started, ring gear 3 will merely move worm i5, spindle III, etc., back to the dotted line or inactive position. The hand wheel will not be turned by the machine during this disengaging movement and in the event one should attempt to engage the hand wheel drive during automatic operation of the machine, teeth of gear lwould merely return the drive to the inactive position in which said drive would normally remain under the influence of gravity.

Now referring to Figs. 5, 6 and '7, a modification of the invention has been illustrated in which a spindle 23 having a worm 2t fixed thereto is .both slidable and capable of rotating in bearings 25 formed as a part of brackets 26 suitably secured to the lower edge of the circular base i. This spindle 23 may have a hand wheel at one end or preferably at both ends similar to the construction shown in Figs. 1-4. The worm 24 engages a bevel gear 21 attached to the rotating part of the knitting machine, which gear may be of the typeshown in Fig. 4 or might be a spur or any other gear suitable for the purpose;

the principle of the invention would not be altered thereby. A collar 28 is fixed by means of set screw 29 to the spindle and maintains a ball thrust bearing 30 in position to engage against one end of the bearing 25 atthe right, Fig. 5, when the hand wheel assembly is pushed to the operative position shown in full lines in that wheels to the left, Fig. 5, until the worm engages the teeth of gear 21 and then to turn the wheel until thrust bearing 30 engages against the bearing 25. Further turning of the hand wheel will cause the needle cylinder or other rotating element of the kniting machine to advance in a forward direction. When the machine is started under its own power this hand wheel assembly will be moved to the dot and dash line position of Fig. 5, this movement being in a direction tangential to the pitch circle of the ring gear and depending upon the size of the ring ear, will have to be enough to assure that the worm 24 moves safely beyond a position where it would engage any of the teeth of the gear.

When moved to inoperative position the assembly will be held in that position against any for in that direction.

inadvertent movement by means of a latch 3i engaging a groove 32 in the spindle. This latch 3! is pivoted at 33 and is held downwardly-against the spindle by means of a spring 34' attached at one end to the latch and at the other end to a pin 33 as shown. A collar 33 attached to the end of the left hand bearing 2!. P18. 5, has a slot 31 within which the latch 3| works. This slotted collar assists the screw 33 and latch 31 in overcoming the thrust of the spindle and attached parts when any attempt is made to push it into operative position without first lifting the latch; thus said latch functions as a safety device against inadvertent use of the worm 24 and ring gear 21. As the assembly is'moved to inactive position latch 3| will snap into the groove and prevent the spindle and attached parts from moving too A guard 33 is attached to the base I and encloses the worm and part of the spindle.

Referring to Figs. 8, 9 and 10 another form of the invention has been illustrated wherein a hand wheel works through a worm and worm gear to rotate an intermediate gear or pinion which engages the ring gear for rotatingthe machine. To the circular base I we have attached by suitable connecting means a plate 39 which has a boss or hub 43 projecting downwardly therefrom.

The spindle 4l having a head 42 is inserted within this boss and is held from rotating therein by means of a pin 43. The said spindle serves as a bearing upon which bracket 44 having two arms 45 and-43 is free to swing. Hand wheel 41 having a grip 43 is fixed to a short shaft 48 which projects through a bearing in bracket 44 and has a worm 50 keyed or otherwise attached in such a way it will not rotate thereon at the other end of the spindle. A pin 5| passes through the ends of arms 45 and 43 to provide a bearing upon which a hub 52 may rotate, this hub having formed integral therewith a worm gear 53 and a pinion 54. A spring 55 is attached to a pin 56 on one arm of the bracket and to any projecting element such as a pin 51 attached to plate 39 so that said bracket and the forked arms with the attached hand wheel, worm, worm gear and pinion will normally be moved to such a position that pinion 54 will not engage a ring gear 58 which rotates the cylinder or other rotating element of the machine.

Whenever the operator desires to turn the machine by hand, it is only necessary for'him to grip the hand wheel and swing it from the dot and'dash line position of Fig. 8 to such a position that the teeth of the pinion engage those of the ring gear, then to turn the hand wheel until said teeth have become fully engaged whereupon the recessed end 59 of arm 46 strikes against the edge of base I. oil! in such a way that proper intermeshing of the pinion and gear will be realized. Whenever the machine is started under its own power pinion 54 and the entire swinging hand wheel assembly will be moved to inoperative position and will be held in that position by means of the spring 55. A casing or guard 60 enclosing all parts except the hand wheel has been attached to plate 39 and is provided with a slot 6| through which spindle 49 projects, this slot being of sumcient size to allow the swinging of the wheel from operative to inoperative position and vice versa.

Now referring to Figs. 11-14, we will describe another form of the invention wherein the drive is disengaged by sliding of the shaft and worm,

and, at the same time, accompanying this sliding This recess 59 may be ground movement by lowering one end of the shaft. The b e i, driving gear 3 for rotating the cylinder a d a guard 22 correspond to equivalent parts in the first two forms of the invention described. A shaft or spindle 62 has fixed thereon a worm 63 which may be meshed with gear 3 and upon rotation of the shaft and worm by a suitable crank or hand wheel, will drive gear 2 and other parts of the machine. This shaft 32 is rotatably guided at one end within a bearing 64 formed in extension of-a bracket 65 which is in turn permanently fixed to the circular base of the machine l. This shaft carries collars 63 and 31 both adjustably secured along the length of the shaft by suitable set screws or other attaching means. A thrust bearing 68 is provided between collar 68 and the bearing 64 and serves the same purpose as bearingv 30, Fig. 5. This shaft 62 must be capable of sliding 'and rocking to a limited extent within the bearing 64, and for this reason, that bearing will be formed with a certain amount of play for rocking the shaft as shown in Figs. 11 and 12.

Now referring to the right hand end of Fig. II and to Figs. 13 and 14, a bracket generally indicated by numeral 69 is attached to the underside of the circular base. This bracket is constructed in such a manner that it presents a depending forked portion 10 and H at either side of the shaft and a web 12, these forked ends 10 and H and the web 12 preventing movement sidewise and also restricting the upward movement of the shaft as shown. The said shaft has an elongated coliar 13 attached in the position shown in Figs. 11, 13 and 14 and which bears within the bracket, this collar also serving as an abutment to throw the shaft and worm into active position, but will allow the same to rock or swing downwardly upon starting of the machine under power.

Each of these arms Iii, Ii is cored out to provide an opening 14 and a slot at the bottom of that opening within which is pivoted means for raising the spindle 62 to level position and which will allow it to drop to the dotted line position of Fig. 11 when desired. This mechanism consists of a rectangular block 15, projections at either side thereof for engagement within the bearing slots, a crank arm 16 and small handle H. In the position of Figs. 11 and 13, the crank has been turned to upper position whereupon the rectangular block 15 has raised the spindle, and thru collar 13, has pushed the same to the left, Fig. 11 to engage the worm with the gear. As the spindle is raised and tends to slide to the left, it will be necessary to turn the hand wheel slightly to mesh the worm and gear until thrust bearing 68 moves up against the stationary bearing 64. In that position the hand wheel may be used to rotate the machine as long as desired.

When the machine is again started under power, the gear 3 still meshing with the worm will cause it and shaft 62 to move to the right whereupon element 15 will be tripped to allow the right hand end of the shaft to follow as shown in dotted lines, Fig 11, and further in Fig. 14. From an inspection of Figs. 11-14 it can be seen that the center about which crank 16 turns is offset with respect to the center line of the rectangular block 15.

This prevents the weight of shaft 62, worm 63 etc. accidentally tripping the block and disengaging the driving mechanism. This particular form of the invention comprises the advantages of forms numbered I and 2 but provides a very simple way for rocking one end of the shaft downwardly and at the same time, sliding that shaft along its length until the driving worm has ufactured than that of either of the other forms.

It is to be understood that any one of the modifications of hand operating mechanism may be used singly on a multi-feed or other knitting machine or that several may be used on the same machine. The hand operating mechanism may be used on multi-feed machines or on any other knitting or textile machines wherein it is deslrable to manipulate the machine by hand and to have positive actuating mechanism which will be automatically disengaged but which can not be accidentally moved to active position to cause any damage to the machine or to injure any employee who is working on the machine. The invention has been described in more or less speciiic terms for purposes of illustration only, and we are not to be limited except by the scope of the attached claims.

We claim:

1. In a knitting machine of the type described, a driven element and a ring gear for driving the same, manually operated driving means including a worm engageable for driving said driven element through the gear, said worm being automatically disengaged upon power operation of the machine.

2. In a knitting machine a driven element, a ring gear for driving said element, and driving means for engaging said ring gear including gearing capable of driving said ring gear but incapable of being driven by the ring gear, said gearing being engageable with the ring gear at will and automatically desengaged therefrom when the machine is started under power.

3. In a knitting machine the combination of a driven element and a ring gear for driving the same, manually operated driving means for the ring gear including a shaft, a hand wheel and bearings for said shaft, means driven from said shaft to engage and drive the ring gear, said means being manually engageable with the ring gear, but positively disengaged from the ring gear upon power operation of the machine.

4. In a knitting machine the combination of a driven element and a ring gear attached thereto, manually operated means for driving said ring gear so constructed and operated that it may be engaged with the ring gear at will but will automatically disengage upon power operation of the machine and will remain in disengaged position throughout the period of power operation.

5. A knitting machine having in combination a driven element and a ring gear attached thereto, means for manually-driving the ring gear and element including a shaft, means thereon for engaging the driving and ring gear, bearings for said shaft being pivotally mounted in a pair of swinging elements, said swinging elements being capable of maintaining the shaft and driving means in a position to engage and drive the ring gear but being movable upon power operation of the machine to a position wherein the ring gear will not be engaged by the driving means.

6. In a knitting machine of the type described, the combination of a driven element and a ring gear attached thereto for driving the same, a pair of brackets attached to said machine, swinging members pivoting on the bracket and stopping means to limit movement of the swinging members in both directions, bearings on the swinging members and a shaft rotatable in said bearings, a hand wheel fixed to the shaft and a worm on the shaft for engaging the ring gear, whereby said hand wheel, shaft and worm may be rocked into a position to drive the ring gear and driven element and may be moved to inactive position upon power operation of the machine.

7. In a knitting machine the combination of a driving element and a ring gear attached thereto, bearings attached to the machine and a shaft rotatable and slidable within said bearings, a hand wheel on said shaft and driving means fixed thereto, means 'on the shaft for limiting sliding movement in one direction'in which position the driving means on the shaft will engage the ring gear before mentioned whereby the machine may be manually operated, but upon power operation of said shaft, driving means and hand wheel will be moved axially of the bearings until said driving means disengages from the hand wheel.

8. A knitting machine having in combination a driven element and a ring gear attached thereto, bearings attached to the machine and a. shaft arranged to slide and to rotate in said bearings, a hand wheel on said shaft and a worm fixed thereon for engagement with said ring gear, a collar on the shaft for limitingits movement in one direction and safety means functioning to limit movement of the shaft in the other direction and also to prevent its return except at the will of the machine operator.

9. A knitting machine having in combination a driven element and a ring gear attached thereto, bearings attached to the machine and .a shaft arranged to slide and to rotate in said bearings, a hand wheel on said shaft and a worm fixed thereon for engagement with the ring gear, a collar on the shaft for limiting its movement in one direction and safety means functioning upon said shaft including a groove for preventing the return of said shaft and driving means into en- Eagement with the ring gear except upon release of the latch by the machine operator.

10. In a knitting machine the combination of a driving element and a ring gear attached thereto, hand operated means for driving the element through the ring gear at desired intervals including a shaft and a worm thereon, said shaft and worm being movable tangentially of the gear to and from active position and means for limiting the movement of said shaft and worm in either direction.

11. In a knitting machine, the combination of a driven element and a ring gear for driving the same, manually operated driving means for the ring gear including a shaft, 9. hand wheel and bearings for said shaft, a worm on said shaft engageable with said ring gear, the construction being such that said shaft is slidable within its bearings and also capable of being rocked about one of the bearings as a pivot thereby to disengage the worm from the ring gear.

12. In a knitting machine, a driven element and aring gear for driving the same, manually operated driving means for said ring gear including a shaft, a worm, a hand wheel for turning said shaft and bearings within which said shaft may turn, one of said bearings providing for the sliding of said shaft lengthwise thereof, and the other of said bearings comprising means for restraining the shaft in a position wherein the worm may engage the gear but allowing that end of the shaft to be lowered, the combined sliding and lowering of the shaft resulting in disengagement of the worm from the gear.

13. In a knitting machine, a driven element and a ring gear for driving the same, manually operated driving means for said ring gear including a shaft, a hand wheel. a worm on the shaft for engagement with the ring gear, bearing means within which the shaft may rotate, said bearing means being constructed to allow a combined sliding and rocking movement to be imparted to said shaft thereby to disengage the worm from the gear.

14. In a knitting machine, a driven element for driving the same, manually operated means for driving said ring gear including a shaft, a worm fixed to said shaft for engagement with the gear,

a hand wheel for rotating the shaft, 9. bearing at one end of said shaft within which it may rotate, collars on said shaft to allow sliding movement of the shaft within the bearing, but to limit the extent of said sliding movement, bearing means for said shaft at the opposite end including means for restraining the shaft laterally and other means for raising and lowering that end of the shaft and locking it in raised position.

ROBERT H. LAWSON. WILLIAM L. SMITH, JR.

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