US2219733A - Knitting machine yarn carrier bar control - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 29. 1940. T M

KNITTING MACHINE YARN CARRIER BAR CONTROL Filed April 15. 1958 16 Sheets-Sheet l FI.E-J.-

IN V ENTOR.

ATTORNE;

Oct. 29, 1940. F, UTEM 2 219 733 E YARN CARRIER BAR CONTROL 165 Sheets-Sheet 2 KNITTING MACHlN Filed April 15, 1958 Fla--5- INVENTORI 4 FredAwI/z'm ATTOR Y.

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l6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Oct. 29. 1940.

KNITTING MACHINE YARN CARRIER BAR CONT Filed April 13, 1938 i I I 1 2 i 5 as w INVENTORI Fred Juiem,

ATTORNEY.

0a. 29. 1940. F. AUTEM 2,219,733

KNITTING MACHINE YARN CARRIER BAR CONTROL Filed April 13, 1938 16 Sheets-Sheet 7 31 gm 1 .L 13-- ll. 52 fiqz INVENTORI 90 Fredflui'em,

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ATTORN OCt- 29, 1940. F' AUTEM KNITTING MACHINE YARN CARRIER BAR CONTROL Filed April 13, 1958 16 Sheets-Sheet 1 O Frdlwifem,

0a. 29, 1940. AUTEM 2,219,733

' KNITTING MACHINE YARN CARRIER BAR CONTROL Filed April 15, 1958 16 Sheets-Sheet ll FLE-JET V 939% 2 IN'VENTDK' Fn d Au em,

BY I I AmRNEK Oct. 29, 1940.

F. AUTEM KNITTING MACH'LNE YARN CARRIER BAR CONTROL Filed April 15, 1958 16Sheets-Sheet 12 IN VEN TOR. Fred Hui 72m,

'Oct. 29, 1940. AUTEM KNITTING MACHINE YARN CARRIER BAR CONTROL Filed April 13, 1938 16 Sheets-Sheet l3 Fi s-.55.

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ATTORNEY;

Oct. 29, 1940. I AUTEM 1 2327197733 KNITTING MAcHiNE YARN CARRIER BAR CONTROL Filed April 15, 1958 16 Sheets-Shej; 15

INVEN Fred flwi em,

I l I 1% ATTORNEY.

Oct. 29, 1940. F. AUTEM 2,219,733

- KNITTINQ MACHINE YARN CARRIER BAR CONTROL I Filed April 15; 1958 16 Sheets-Sheet l6 F1. r3- 3E:

INVENmR: Fred Am? m,

BY I

' ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 29, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTING MACHINE YARN CARRIER. BAR

CONTROL Fred Autem, Wyomissing, Pa., assignor to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania This invention relates to the actuation and control of yarn carrier mechanisms for knitting machines capable of operation in recurrent sequence and otherwise, and particularly to means a for automatically operating the yarn selector mechanisms and friction boxes in full fashioned knitting machines.

In full fashioned knitting machines, mechanisms have been developed for laying yarns of the 30 same color and kind, but brought from different cones or supplies, in recurrent sequence, such as the now well known three-carrier attachments, whereby three yarns, instead of one, are laid in repeated succession to avoid rings or shadows.

This principle, operating on a' law of averages, depends for its results on the unlikelihood of lengths of any one of the three yarns of irregular diameter being laid immediately next to similar lengths in either of the other two yarns; these lengths being of irregular diameter occurring occasionally along silk threads.

The multi-carrier fabric has been produced by mechanism whereby the carrier operation is effected automatically, but wherein the operations for rendering the mechanism active and inactive were manually efiected. Means also has been devised whereby a single friction box carrying one of the aforementioned three-carrier selectors may be manually or automatically changed from its 80 three-carrier operation to the operation of a single carrier of the sequence. Thus, a three-carrier attachment, operating through full strokes in the leg area of a stocking blank, could be manipulated to lay one of the three yarns through 85 short strokes, as in the reinforced heel area of a stocking.

These devices are of various designs, but they each require a special and relatively heavy, friction box which, although in certain cases it would be better to avoid its use as an actuating means for effecting the laying of single short course yarns, is, and has been, generally used as such, because of the desirability, in certain instances, of conveniently establishing an operative connection with as many carriers as possible.

The use of the above-mentioned special threecarrier friction boxes for operating the three carriers in sequence, and one of the three carriers alone, has been general, but no means, so far as I am aware, has ever been suggested for automatically throwing the three-carrier selector into and out of operation, for automatically connecting the special box to, and releasing it from, the friction rod, for operating a single carrier other 55 than one of the sequential carriers, or for combining such operations with other operations, such as the .aforementioned operation of automatically changing the device back and forth between the sequential, or three-carrier operation, and other carrier operation such as the single- 5 carrier operation mentioned. The operation of such a comparatively large and heavy special friction box, in the short stroke single yarn areas of the heel of a stocking blank, generates larger amounts of heat and wear, from the greater I0 movements of the friction rod through the box at the ends of the short strokes, compared to the heat and wear of a smaller standard single carrier box.

It is an object of this invention to increase the flexibility, and choice, of control over the yarn carriers and friction boxes of full fashioned knitting machines, whereby to enable such machines not only to be operated as fully and effectively as they have ever heretofore been operated, but also 20 to provide added features materially enhancing the desirability and usefulness thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a feature whereby, in certain instances of highspeed production, the three-carrier or special 26 friction box of a full fashioned knitting machine may be rested, or relieved of heating and wear, during the knitting of areas, such as the heel tabs of a leg blank.

Another object of the invention is to provide a 30 multiple-carrier attachment which may be auto matically controlled as above set forth, between totally inactive condition and sequential-carrier operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the above-indicated character which may be automatically operated between sequential-carrier operation and other carrier operation, such as the operation of a single carrier of the sequence, or a carrier not of the sequence. 40

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the above-indicated character which may automatically control a combination or sequence of the above-mentioned actions, and be operated in cooperation with the automatic (5 operation of the friction box, between active and inactive positions.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the invention resides in the novel elements, features of construction and arrangement of parts in cooperative relationship, as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view, parts being omitted and intermediate sections being broken away to shorten the figure, of a multi-section straight knitting machine embodying the invention, and adapted to produce full fashioned stocking blanks;

Fig. 2 is a view taken cross sectionally of the machine of Fig. 1, slightly enlarged thereover;

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged detail view of a three-carrier attachment and other parts as viewed generally in the direction of an arrow C of Fig. 2, certain parts being in elevation, others in section, and others being broken away or omitted;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of parts of the structure of Fig. 3, as viewed in the direction of an arrow D in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 1-1 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a detail view, on a reduced scale, of certain parts as seen near the upper part of Fig.

Fig. 9 is a sectional detail view taken substantially along the line 9-9 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line Ill-l0 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to the view of Fig. 7, with the parts thereof shown in different positions;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line l2-i2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line l3-l3 of Fig.12;

Fig. 14 is a detail view, in section, taken substantially along the line [4-H of Fig. 11;

Fig. 15 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line l5-l5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 16 is a view of certain of the parts shown at the upper portion of Fig. 15, but in different positions; I

Fig. 17 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line I'l-l'l of Fig. 15;

Fig. 18 is a detail view, cross sectionally of a control shaft of the machine, showing certain cams on the shaft and followers for the cams;

Fig, 19 isa cross sectional view taken substantially along the line l9-l9 of Fig. 3;

' Fig. 20 is similar to Fig. 19, showing the parts thereof in different positions;

Fig. 21 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2l-2l of Fig. 19;

Fig. 22 is a view taken substantially along the the line 22-22 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 23 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 23-23 of Fig. 22;

Fig. 24 shows parts as viewed generally in the direction of an arrow F of Fig. 6;

Fig. 25 is a view taken substantially along the line 25-25 of Fig. '7; a

Fig. 26 is a view taken substantially along the line 26-25 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 27 is a, sectional view taken substantially along the line 21-21 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 28 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 28-28 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 29 is a diagram of the leg blank of a full fashioned stocking, together with pattern chains, as developed or opened out along straight lines in side elevation from the normal closed loop shape thereof, indicating the positions along the blank at which certain operations are effected by the chain links;

Figs. 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35 are a progression of diagrammatic views illustrating the manner in which three carrier rods are operated in recurrent sequence to produce knitted areas of the ringless type;

Fig. 36 is a view similar to one of Figs. 30-35 showing how only one carrier rod is operated by the three-carrier attachment at certain times, as in laying the yarn of the stocking welt;

Fig. 37 is a view of parts of a modified form of the invention corresponding to the structure of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 38 is a view corresponding to Fig. 6, of the modified form of the invention of Fig. 37.

In the drawings and description, only those parts necessary to a complete understanding of the invention have been set forth; further information as to the construction and operation of other elements not herein specifically pointed out, but which are usual and well known, being available in the pamphlet entitled Full Fashioned Knitting Machines, copyright 1920, in the Reading Full Fashioned Knitting Machine Catalogues, copyright 1929 and 1935, published by the Textile Machine Works, Reading, Penna, and in a pamphlet entitled Knitting Machine Lectures, published in 1935 by the Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute, Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.

Reference may also be had to Patent No. 2,101,048 entitled Uninterrupted knitting of shaped fabrics, and issued December 7, 1937, to Alfred E. Ischinger.

Machine ,frame The machine frame comprises transverse end and center frames, and longitudinal members mounted on these frames, such as a front beam, a back beam, a front bed and a center bed; these parts being similar to corresponding members heretofore employed in full fashioned stocking and other straight knitting machines, except as modified as to bearings and other supporting partsfor the operating mechanisms which are new to this invention.

Referring to the drawings, the machine of Figs. 1-36 is of the multi-section type comprising, as better seen in Figs. 1 and 2, transverse end frames l2, and transverse center frames l3, joined by a front beam H, a back beam I1, and a center bed I8, which cooperate with a front bed l9 extending only between the center frames l3 to form a base upon which the operating parts of the machine are supported. Between each pair of the center frames Hi, there is a knitting mechanism for simultaneously knitting two stocking blanks.

M ain drive mechanism A power unit for driving the operating parts of the machine, shown in the above-mentioned catalogues, is also similar to the power units of previous machines of the type producing fashioned knitted fabrics, including an electric motor on the machine frame at the rear of the machine, connected through sprocket wheels and a chain to a hand wheel shaft and, through a clutch and further sprocket wheels and a chain to a drive shaft, from which a coulier motion mechanism derives its motion. This power unit drives, in this instance, a cam shaft 22, a friction rod 23 and a slurcock box connecting rod 24.

Loop forming mechanism In knitting a fabric, such as a full fashioned stocking blank, after the yarns are laid in lengths ready for forming into loops, the usual loop forming parts, such as needles, sinkers, dividers and knockover bits, which are the parts directly engaging the yarn, are operated similarly to the manner in which such parts have heretofore been operated.

Loop forming mechanism (Figs. 2 and 4) comprises needles 32, two banks or sets of which are disposed between each pair of adjacent center frames I3. The needles of each bank are held, by clamps 33, to a needle bar 34. which is pivotally connected by a bracket 81 fixed thereto, and a pin 38, to a lifting arm 39 on a needle bar lifting shaft 42, on which is also mounted an arm 43 carrying a follower roller 44 on a shaft 41. The arm is connected, by a spring 48, to a bracket 49 on the back beam I1. The follower 44 cooperates with cams, including a cam 52. on the cam shaft 22.

Forward and rearward movements of the needles are eifected by a fork 53 fixed to the needle bar 34, and pivotally connected to a lever 54 having a notch 51 for resting thelever 54 on a 7 pin 58 projecting from the side of a presser lever 59. The latter is carried by a presser shaft 62,

and carries a follower roller 83 for cooperation with cams, including a cam 81, on the cam shaft 22. The presser lever 59 is connected, by a spring 12, to a bracket 18 on the back beam I1 for biasing the follower 63 toward its cam.

By lifting the lever 54 to remove the notch 51 from the pin 58, the needles may be moved from the operative position shown to an inoperative position in which a notch 14 is placed over the pin 58, and which is a position of the needles forward of the sinkers and dividers, for repair work, such as the replacement of needles. The lever 54 also has a shoulder 11 for cooperation with the pin 58 to hold the needle bar in an intermediate position.

A sinker head assembly comprises a sinker head 82, sinkers 83 and dividers 84 which are thin sheet steel elements disposed alternately in close sideby-side relation, and a verge plate or stop 81 for the sinkers.

The sinkers 83 are moved forwardly by jacks 88 which are slurred forwardly by a slur cam 89 secured to a cock box 92 mounted on a guide rail 93 for slidable movement transversely to the sinkers and dividers. The cock box 92 is secured to the connecting bar 24 and is reciprocated,

parallel to the front of the machine, by the coulier motion mechanism in a usual manner.

The dividers 84 are moved forwardly and backwardly by a catch bar 94, which receives its movement from cams including a cam 91 on the cam shaft 22, through a linkage comprising a cam follower 98, a back catch lever 99, and a vertical shifting lever I02 mounted on a. shaft I03, and a horizontal lever I04. A spring I05, connected between a hook extension I06 of the lever 99 and a bracket arm IIO on the front beam I4, biases the follower 98 against the cam 91.

The sinkers 83 are engaged and disengaged by the catch bar 94, by means of a front catch bar linkage comprising cams, including a cam I01, on the cam shaft 22, a. cam follower I08, a front catch lever I09, and a link II 2 secured to a front catch shaft II3, a vertical lever H4, and a horizontal link I I1.

As the yarn is laid to the needles 32, the sinkers 83 are slurred forwardly by the jacks 88 and .the slur cam 89, in spaced relation to the yarn carriers, to sink the yarn between alternate pairs of sinkers.

needles. The dividers 84 are then brought forward by the catch bar 94 and its back cam linkage to complete the formation of the loops in the usual manner. Retracti'on, and further advancement of the sinkers 83 with the dividers 84 are accomplished by the catch bar 94, which is lowered by the front catch bar cam I01, and associated cam linkage. to engage the backs of the Knockover bits II8 cooperate with the sinkers, dividers and needles to hold several adjacent previously knitted courses in position while the needles are pulling the loops of a new course through the loops of the last previous course.

Yarn laying means As is usual in a straight knitting machine, yarn is drawn from supply packages or cones, at the rear of the machine, and moved by feeding mechanism to a yarn laying means at the front of the machine, whereby the yarn is fed to the knitting head for formation into loops.

Yarn laying means comprises carrier rods I-8, inclusive, at the front of the machine, parallel, and adjacent to, the friction rod 23, and longitudinally reciprocably mounted in brackets I20 on the center bed I8. Yarn carriers, or guide fingers similar to guide fingers I2I, I22 and I24 on M ain pattern unit Pattern mechanism, by which the sequence of operation of various movable elements of the machine is controlled, comprises in this instance, a usual pattern chain at the front of the machine, known as a main pattern unit, because it is the primary source of pattern control, and because there is another pattern unit auxiliary to, and controlled by, the main pattern unit.

A main pattern unit M (Fig. 1) comprises a bracket I21 on the front beam I4, a shaft I28 journaled in the bracket I21, a sprocket wheel or drum device I29 on the shaft I28, and a double chain element I32, acting as one chain, on the sprocket wheel I29. The chain I32 is supported along the front of the machine, on idler rollers (not shown).

The chain is advanced about the sprocket wheels by a ratchet wheel I33, which is operated by a pawl pivotally mounted on the bracket I21 and intermittently actuated by a lever I31 carrying a follower for cooperation with a cam on the'cam shaft 22.

A stub shaft I42 is supported in the bracket I21, transversely to the cam shaft 22, and carries a follower I43 disposed between shogging cams I41 and I48 on the cam shaft 22.

A member I49 is fixed at one end to the stub shaft I42, and is slidably supported parallel to the shaft on the bracket I21. A tension spring IE2 is connected between the slide member I49 and the stationary bracket I 21, and tends to move the stub shaft I42 whereby to move the follower I 43 from its normal knitting position, between the shogging cams I41 and I48, to its narrowing position, also between the cams I41 and I48, where it engages other face cam portions of the cams to shoe: the cam shaft 22. The spring I82 is normally prevented from moving the stub shaft by a latch I83, which is released by a button on the chain I32. The stub shaft I42, and the follower I43 thereon, are returned to latched inactive position, against the action of the spring I82, by cooperation between a cam I 54 on the cam shaft 22, and a follower I51 on the slide member I48.

A handle lever I58 is pivotally mounted on a shaft I58, and carries a pawl which, by oscillating the handle engages the ratchet wheel I33 to manually advance the chain I32 independently of its power advance when desired. This handle also carries a lever which, when the handle is turned about the shaft I59 to effect the manual adjustment of the chain, is advanced to position which will prevent shogging of the cam shaft 22, by preventing movement of the stub shaft I42 and the follower I43 from inactive to active position if, at this time, a button on the chain I32 should release the latch I53 ordinarily permitting the stub shaft to advance by action of the spring I62.

A plurality of levers G of the main pattern unit M are disposed in side-by-side relation, severally for operation by a button or buttons .I62 on the chain I32. Rods R (Fig. 2), including a rod I63 which is the only one thereof necessary to an understanding of the invention, are longitudinally slidably mounted along the front of the machine in bracket bearings secured to the front beam I4. The rods R operate to control various mechanisms of the machine; the rod I63 being actuated by a lever I64 of the levers G to control the operation of an auxiliary pattern unit A (Figs. 1, 2, 6, '7, 11 and 27).

Auzilary pattern unit To simplify the construction and operation of the main pattern unit M above set forth, and also to simplify the machine generally and to render it more convenient to control any of various mechanisms from control means closer thereto, the auxiliary control unit A is provided along the rear of the machine. It is operated from the cam shaft 22 and controlled by the main pattern unit M to operate, in a smaller number of steps than the steps or operations of the main pattern unit, which are provided one for each course or partial course formed in the blank being knitted.

The rod I63, above set forth, has fixed thereto a pair of closely adjacent collars I61, spaced a slight distance apart along the rod, between which collars is disposed the lower end of a vertical arm (Fig. 2) of a lever I68. The latter has a horizontal portion, pivotally mounted by a vertical pin I68 on the top of the front beam I4, and a horizontal latch arm portion I12 for movement, when the rod I63 is shifted longitudinally, laterally to a lever I13, between a position directly under an arm I14 of the lever I13 and a position aside the arm I14.

The lever I13 is pivotally mounted on a narrowing lift shaft I11, and has an upright arm I18 carrying a roller or follower I18 for cooperation with a cam I82 on the cam shaft 22. A link I 83 is pivotally connected, at one end, to the upper end of the arm I18, and at its other end, to a member I84 that is relatively movably mounted on a control or timing shaft I81 of the auxiliary pattern control unit A at the rear of the machine. The shaft I81 extends substantially throughout the length of the machine, and is journaled in bearing brackets I88 fixed to a bar I88 of rectangular cross section that is mounted on the end and center frames I2 and I3, respectively.

The member I84 pivotally carries a pawl I82 for advancing a ratchet wheel I83 fixed to the shaft I 81. An idler pawl I84, pivoted on a pin I81 carried by one of the bearing brackets I88, is held by a spring I88 against the ratchet wheel I83 to prevent reverse rotation of the latter. A third pawl I88 (Fig. 1), also pivoted on the pin I81, but cooperating with a second ratchet wheel 282, reverse to the ratchet wheel I83 and fixed to the latter, normally tends to prevent advancement of the first ratchet wheel I83. Thus, with the idler pawl I84 locking the ratchet wheel I83 against reverse movement, and the pawl I88 locking the ratchet wheel 282 against forward movement, the shaft I81 is positively locked against accidental movement in either direction, from vibration or other cause, and cannot be operated, except when the link I83 is operated by the cam I82, and then only in the forward direction. When this occurs, an arm 283, on the pawl I82, first cooperates with a pin 284 on the pawl I88 to move the latter, against the action of a spring (not shown), to release the ratchet wheel 282 so that, upon continued movement of the pawl I82, the ratchet wheel I83, and consequently, the shaft I81 are advanced by a distance of one notch of the ratchet wheel I83.

The cam I82 is generally of true circular form with the exception of a flat portion 281. Tile arm I14 of the bell crank I13, is latched by the arm I12, to hold the follower I18 at the high point, or circular part, of the cam I82. A tension spring 208', extending between an extension 208 of the link I83 and a bracket 2I2 on the back beam I1, biases the follower I18 toward the cam I82, and the arm I14 toward the latch arm I12, so that, when the latch arm is under the arm I14, the force of the spring 288 is exerted against the latch arm I12, and the follower I18 is prevented from following the contour of the cam I82. When the latch arm H2 is moved laterally from under the arm I14, the force of the spring 288 causes the follower I18 to follow the contour of the cam I82, each revolution of the cam thereby advancing the ratchet wheel I83 one notch.

Along the auxiliary control shaft I81, on sprocket wheels 2I3 fixed thereto adjacent to corresponding sub-mechanisms of the machine controlled thereby, are pattern means in the form of variable link camming chains, including chains 2I6, 2I1, 2I8 and 2I8 to be driven by the shaft I81 through the sprocket wheels 2I3. The chain 2I8 is the only one of the chains 2I6-2I8 having links of more than two heights, these links being, as better seen in Fig. 29, high links 224, links 225 of intermediate height, and low links 226. The chain 2I8 has high links 228 and low links 22I; the chain 2" has high links 2" and low links 2I5; and the chain 218 has high links and low links. Sectional or other cam discs may be substituted for the sprocket wheels 2I3 and the chains, or a combination of chains and discs employed for diiferent mechanisms.

Each of the sprocket wheels 2I3 and idler sprocket wheels (not shown), which assist in supporting the camming chains, is provided with peripherally spaced transverse grooves 222 for receiving pins 223 connecting the links of the chains 2I6-2I8. The periphery of each chain is acam or pattern device for cooperation with an element or follower, in which the cam device provides for selective variations in its capacity, and 7

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