US2235726A - Circular knitting machine and method of operating same - Google Patents

Description

March 18, 194-1. A. L. PASS 2,235,726

CIRCULAR KNITTING MAQHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME F d April 19,1939 4.Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ARTHUR L. PASS BY HIS ATTORNEYS A. L. PASS March 1%, 1941.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 19,- 1939 INVENTOR ARTHUR L. PASS BY HIS ATTORNEYS h 8, 9 A. L. I Ass 2,235,726

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME Filed April 19, 1939- 4 Sheets-Sheet. 3

INVENTOR I IIIMIIHH ARTHUR L. PASS BY HIS ATTORNEYS Marcm, 1941.

A. L. PASS 2,235,726

CIRCLILAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME Filed April 19, 19259 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 67/ I I ,4 67,? 2/ H l A U, T

- KW l .15- \\\\\\--nm\\ 1 7 %,r 3

INVENT4OR ARTHUR L. PASS 26 BY HIS ATTORNEYS 'ybmdmdw Patented Mar. 18, 1941 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME Arthur L. Pass, Glen Ir aignor to Scott 8t isfiivictoria, Australia, as-

Incorporated,

Laconia, N. 11., a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 19, 1939, Serial No. 268,793

21 Claim.

This invention relates to circular knitting machines and methods of manipulating same. and more particularly to yarn feeders suitable for such machines when adapted to produce a multiplicity of flat fabrics on separate groups of needles. It has heretofore been known to knit 'a plurality of separate fabrics on such a machine by means of two cam boxes at different levels rotating about the cylinder in opposed directions. In such machines each yarn feeder oscillates back and forth in front of its own group of needles to feed its yarn to those needles only. In this way separate fabrics are knit with selvage edges. This arrangement of feeders requires a separate feeder for each yarn in each fabric produced, and also mechanism to reverse the direction of movement of the feeders as required. The fact that these feeders have an oscillatory movement is a great disadvantage, and slows down the operation of the 20 machine. It is characteristic of the present invention that while the feeders rotate rather than oscillate, the yarns themselves oscillate. With v this arrangement there are no oscillatory elements and the speed of the machine can be in- 25 creased correspondingly.

The invention will be shown and described in a stationary needle cylinder circular knitting machine adapted to produce two selvaged fabric blanks each on its own group of needles, each- 30 group being separated from the other by blank spaces in the needle cylinder. Each needle or its operating jack has two butts arranged in such a manner that they may be actuated by cam boxes at two levels, thecam boxes moving around the 35 cylinder with oppositely rotating movement. This is the general type of machine shown in my Patent No. 2,125,197, dated July 26, 1938, but it should be understood that the invention is applicable to any circular knitting machine where 40 the yarn can be fed to the needles by having relative rotary movements between the yarn feeder and the yarn at all times except when it is desired to feed the yarn to the needles, at which time the yarn is caught and carried by the yarn 45 finger, to be released again when the yarn is to be thrown out of actio In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of part of the yarn feeders and associated parts oi. a circular stationary 50 needle cylinder machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a verticalview in section through the feeder and trip rings of the machine of Fig. 1, showing the relation of the upper feeder to a trip and to the yarn and needles: to Fig. 3 is a vertical'view in section through the feeders about to pass each other, the dotted lines 5 showing the positions at the moment of passing;

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of a group of needles with a feeder approaching to pick up the yarn and begine feeding;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the feeder after it has begun ,to feed yarn to the needles; I

Fig. 7 is a view in elevation looking into the machine, showing the feeder and triprings and the pinions for driving the former;

Fig. 8 is a view in elevation looking into the machine at another point than that of Fig. 7, showing the feederand trip rings and the means for indexing the latter;

Fig. 9 is -a view in front elevation of the bookof one of the feeders; 1

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on the line ill-ll of Fig. 9, looking down on the hook of one of the feeders;

Fig. 11 is a-view in elevation similar to Fig. 5, showing a double hook yarn feeder:

Fig. 12 is a sectional view through the double feeder of Fig. 11, taken on the line l2--l2 of Fig. 1:

Fig. 13 is a. diagram in plan of the relative posi- 3 tions of the needles and the hooks of the double feeder of Figs. 11 and 12;

, Fig. 14 is a view in side elevation showing a selvage bit for holding by feeders such as shown in Fig. 11, twoyarns in position to be picked up when Plating;

Fig. 15 is a plan view of a modified form of trip for dumping the upper feeder;

Fig. 16 is a plan view of a modified form of spring-return trip for dumping the lower feeder;

Fig. 17 is a plan view of a preferred form of cam means acting to permit the yarn feeders to pass each other;

Fig. 18 is a vertical view in section through a modified form of feeders and trips to eliminate interference between trip and feeder arm, showing the lower feeder and trip arm;

Fig. 19 is a vertical view in section through the modified form of feeders and trips of Fig. 18, showing the cam of Fig. 17 in. contact with both feeders; while a Fig. 2201s a view in elevation from the rear of the machine, showing two cam boxes for actuating the needles. I

In knitting in a reciprocatory manner on a circular machine, it has heretofore been necessary to have parts of the machine oscillate about the needle circle. This slowed up the machine and lessened production. As already mentioned, it has been possible to eliminate oscillation of the parts actuating the needles, 1. e., the cam boxes, in a machine of the type of my prior patent, but even in that machine there still were oscillating yarn guides with which to contend. My present invention permits rotation of the yarnguides, leaving no part of the machine to oscillate about the needle cylinder although the yarns themselves still oscillate. The mechanism for feeding the yarns and the manipulation thereof are the novel features of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, the posts l which are to carry the yarn feeders and associated machanisms are mounted on the main bedplate of the machine around the needle cylinder 260. Since the needle cylinder is stationary, the yarn feeders must revolve around it, and for this purpose each feeder is mounted on a separate large ring above the cylinder. Thus in Fig. 2 there are two bearing rings 2 and 5, carried by the post supporting the revolving feeder rings 3 and 4. There are two trip rings 2| and 23 supported in a similar manner by bearing rings 20 and 22 above the rings 2 and 5. The feeder rings 3 and 4 are provided with gear teeth on their outer periphery and are rotated in opposite directions by the small pinion gears 5|, 52 (see Figs. 1 and 7). The pinion 5| drives the lower feeder ring 3, while the pinion 52, meshing with 5|, drives the upper feeder ring 4 in the opposite direction.

The pinion 5| is carried and driven by a vertical shaft 54 on the lower end of which is a pinion (not shown) meshing with the lower gear ring 39 of my prior patent.

Each feeder comprises a feeder arm supporting the feeder proper, and which feeder proper is adapted to rotate onits own axis for the novel purposes hereinafter set forth. The feeder armB for the upper feeder A is longer than the arm I for the lower feeder B, so that while the feeding ends present the yams to the needles at the same point, the feeders otherwise are at different angles and are not in interference with each other except at the feeding ends. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the lower feeder B comprises essentially the arm I which has on it two upstanding lugs 1| and 12, one near the upper end and one at the lower end. The upper half of the lower feeder proper takes the form of a shaft 13 mounted in a rotary manner in the lugs H, 12, while the lower half of the feeder takes the form of a flat spring 14 terminating in a hook 15 (see Figs. 3, 9 and 10) through which the yarn runs as it is fed into the needles. The open end of the hook faces in the direction of rotation of the feeder (Figs. 5 and 6). The edges of the open end are bevelled to facilitate reception and dis charge of the yarn. 0n the shaft 13 forming the upper half of the feeder and located just above the lower lug 12 is a collar 16 with a set screw 3 therein holding the feeder proper in position in the arm I (see Fig. 4).

It is an essential feature of my invention that the yarn feeders be able to pick up and drop a yarn without in any way disturbing the constant rotation of the feeders about the needle cylinder, and this'is the reason for the open hooks. Normally the open hooks face in the directions of rotation of the feeders aboutthe needle cylinder. The lower feeder B is maintained in its 75 directional position by the following mechanism.

Coiled around the shaft 13 forming the upper half of the feeder proper is a spring 9, the lower end of the spring being threaded in the collar 16 which is tight on the shaft 13. The upper end of the coiled spring 9 rests against the side of the arm I which brings it in opposed relation to the other end of the spring. Mounted on the shaft 13 above the coiled spring and the upper ing H is a collar 8 with an ear 8| thereon projecting from the periphery of the collar. This collar is held tight on the shaft 13 by means of a set screw, and may be termed the operating collar for the feeder. The projecting ear or arm 8| faces in such a direction that pressure against its face will turn the shaft 13 against the tension of spring 9. If desired, a suitable pin can be placed in some rotating part associated with the feeder proper to insure that the hook 15 will be held in proper feeding position with open side forward except when a trip or striker hits the arm 8| on the collar 8.

The upper feeder A is constructed in a manner very similar to that of the lower feeder B, with lugs 6| and 62 on the arm 6, shaft 63 forming the upper half of the feeder proper, a spring 64 forming the lower half and a hook on the lower end of the spring. A collar 66 is similar to the collar 16 in its function and location, but the spring 9' is coiled in the opposite direction from spring 9 of the lower feeder. It might also be noted that the shaft 63 is shorter than shaft 13 of the lower feeder. It should further be noted that the projecting ear ||l| on the operating collar ||l faces in a direction .opposite to that of the ear 8| on the collar 8 of the lower feeder.

This, taken in conjunction with the fact that the hook 65 On the lower end of the upper feeder normally faces in the opposite direction from the hook 15 of the lower feeder, and that the two feeders are rotating around the cylinder in opposite directions, means that if the ears 8| and H are struck the two feeders will release or dump their yarns by rotating on their own axes toward the center of the machine. The

hooks are then in reversed positions where the that they free or dump their yarns is as follows.

The trips I for the upper yarn feeder A and the trips |2 for the lower yarn feeder B are mounted on short bars l3, |4, respectively. The trips act as strikers. These bars I3, M are carried by the indexing trip rings 2|, 23 supported above the feeder rings 3, 4. by bearing rings 20, 22 on posts I. These rings are racked around if the fabric is being fashioned-otherwise they are stationary. The trip H for the upper feeder consists merely of a stationary finger projecting downwardly and inwardly from the bar l3 into the path of the projecting arm |U| on the operating collar ID. The trip l2 for the lower feeder, however, lies in .the path of the upper feeding arm 6 and would of the feeder arm, then returning to its operative position due to the tension of the spring. When the lower feeder arm B approaches from the opposite direction, the trip held by the pin l6 strikes the projecting ear Bl on the collar 8 and causes the hooked end of the feeder to release or dump its yarn.

As the two feeder rings 3 and 4 revolve, it is therefore necessary to provide some means for getting the hooks out of each others paths when the feeders pass each other. The machine is so adjusted that the feeders pass each other first in one of the blank sections of the cylinder and then the other (see Fig. l). Fastened on the lower side of the flat spring 84 is a small cam 61 which projects into the path of the flat spring it (see Fig. i), and when the two feeders come up to each other, this camwhich projects ahead of the feeder slightly as shown in Fig. 1, will strike the flat spring of the lower-feeder and the two springs 64 and 14 will bend apart to the dotted position shownin Fig. 4. This permits the hooked ends of the feeders to pass each other without interference. The cam 61 holds the two springs apart until the feeders are sufllciently,

past each other, when the cam rides oii the spring of the lower feeder and the hooks snap back to their normal paths.

liil

till

As shown in Fig. l, the yarn Y approaches the knitting point by passing over the outside of a yarn vguide ring it lying a slight distance out- Each yarn passes above-mentioned, the needles in each group are actuated in succession by two cam hoses ll and di l rotating in opposite directions.

it will he seen that the yarn leeders move in a rotary manner in directions opposite to each other and that only the yarns oscillate.

In my pi'l lll' patent alcove-mentioned, the ma chine is adapted to males a lull-fashioned stoclrt ing hlanlt, which involves dradually chandin the number of active needles in a roup. it will now describe the construction hy which the ieeders oi" the present invention may he used in matting fashioned stocklna hlanlrs and also in putting in sectional splicing. this capability depends on the manner of rnoturtine the l i, it, hecause i find that merely hy racldna these trips eircurzderentially a short distance each time, the nuniher oi active needles to which the yarn is led is reduced. it desired, the nhcr of active needles can he altered as shown in my prior patent. lire loraclrets in l oi the present application may indicate narrowing needles. To achieve this end the trips ii, iii, instead oi heina mounted in a stationary manner, are carried by the trip rings ll, it (see l ies. li). [is the parts appear in Fla. 1, the rin ill-l carrying the trips it is racked clochwise when narrowina the fabric, while the ring it carryina the trips ii for the upper feeder is moved counterclockwise at that time. The mechanism hy which the rings are racked is shown in Figs. 1 and ii and is a device, somewhat similar to that shown at the top of Fig. 3 of my prior patent.

It includes two rings 2! and 23, each hearing a double row of racking teeth on its periphery. The two rows of teeth on ring 2| are opposed to each other and the two rows of teeth on ring 23 are also opposed to each other. These rings with their teeth are so mounted on the machine that the upper row 24 of ring 2| can he racked in a counter-clockwise direction; the lower row 25 of the same ring, clockwise. The upper row 24 of ring 23 can also be racked clockwise, and the lower row 25 of that ring, counter-clockwise. By means of pawls 42 and 43 acting on these teeth, the trip rings can be indexed in either direction at will. These pawls are mounted on a shaft 44 facing in the direction shown in Figs. 1 and 8. They are held toward the corresponding teeth by springs 46. As can be seen in Figs. 1 and 8, when a pawl 42 is in engagement with its upper row of teeth, the pawl 43 is back out of engagement with the lower row of teeth on the same ring. This can be done automatically by means of a vertical cam bar it located just outside the hubs ofthe pawls (see Fig. 1). There is a pin 41 projecting outwardlyfrorn the hub of each pawl beside and beyond the cam bar 46. The edges of the latter are irregular in shape to provide camming surfaces such that vertical movement of the bar in one direction will encage the pawls M with their teeth while movement in the opposite direction will engage the pawls $3, each movement retracting the companion pawl.

The pawls are mounted on a shaft dli'astened in a block d8 sliding radially oi the machine in a horizontal yoke did, The block id also supports the cam har dd. The operating connections for the sliding hlock id and the cam bar it can be some distance below the hlocl: and are adapted to position har id and to cause the short radial reciprocatory movements necessary to have the pawls racist the rings ii and The construction of the machine of Figs. l to ill having been described, its operation will now be set forth. Lotus assume that the machine is ready to begin the knitting of another course of stitches on each of the two stocking lolanlrs being made on the machine. it will he noted that the yarn i? in Fig. ii, alter leaving the yarn talteup, passes outside the amide ring ill and then turns and goes straight to the last needle it in the hauls. at a point on a level with the throat or" the sinker iii. The feeders .d and id at this time are just approaching their respective needle hanks. its each feeder approaches the first usedle in the haul: ahead oi it, the open end of its hoolr or it will engage the yarn which is held at the correct angle hy the euide ring t'lontinued rotation of the yarn ieeder will cause the yarn to he led to the needles in the usual way, as shown in ii. The feeders proceed across the entire hanir. he soon as the sinlrer S heyond the that active needle N has encased the yarn, the protruding; arms ill and till on the collars and ill oi the feeder arms will he struclr lay the trip levers it and ii, respectively, thus causina the feeders to rotate on their own ares. This rotation oi the leaders on their own ares causes the heels ends till, it to reverse their positions so that the open mouths now lace backward, thus spilling the yarn out and releasing it irons the feeders entirely. The yard takeup immediately takes up all the siach yarn due to the over-run of the feeders past the last needles, and the yarn assumes a position similar to that prevailing prior to the start of the course just knitted and as lil fill

lid

shown in Fig. 5. After the trips I! and I2 are passed by the feeders, the hooks of the latter resume their normal position on their axes with the open ends of the hooks facing in the direction of rotation. The two feeders now pass each other in one of the blank sections of the cylinder between the two groups'of needles. The cam 61 on the upper feeder A contacts the spring 14 of the lower feeder B and the two hooks are deflected, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, so as to allow passage of the feeders one above the other. The cycle of operation is now repeated, with each yarn moving in the reverse direction through the same bank of needles but actuated by the other feeder.

When the fabric is being fashioned, the pawls 2 or 43 are actuated. This will serve to change the position of the trips ii and I2, for any one bank of needles, in relation to each other for a distance equivalent to the number of needles by which the fabric is being fashioned at that course.

If desired, two yarns can be fed simultaneously to each bank of needles by mounting two hooks on each feeder arm. Two separate feeder arms could also be used. The position of these two hooks on one feeder arm is shown in Fig. 11, and the manner in which the yarns are presented to those hooks is shown in Figs. 13 and 14, where an extra yarn guide ring [9 is placed inside the regular guide ring i8 so that the yarns Y and Y approach the needles at separated points both circumferentially and radially. These yarns are fed in plating relation from two hooks mounted on one feeder arm, as shown in Fig. 11. The flat springs carrying the hooks are alongside each other with the hook of one somewhat closer to the needles than the other, as shown in Fig. 13. The lower lug on the arm 6 carrying the flat spring is enlarged to carry the upper ends of both springs, as shown at 622 in Fig. 11. In this modification the collar and set screw just above the lower lug in the feeders A and B of Figs. 1 to 10 are replaced by small pinions 162 which are kept in proper rotational relation with each other by a short rack bar I63 meshing with both pinions. When the projecting ear on the operating collar is struck by a. trip, the two fiat springs turn simultaneously, dumping both yarns. Instead of the clearing cam 61 used on the flat spring for the upper feeder A of Figs. 1 to 10, two complemental clearing cams 68, 69 are placed on the two fiat springs, side by side, as shown in Fig. 11. These function in much the same manner as cam 61. If the machine is so constructed as to require the two hooks to be tripped in succession, or there are hooks for sectional splicing, then separate feeders may be used.

The principal purpose in having the two hooks at different distances from the needles is to enable the hooks to pick up their own yarn,- and the manner in which those yarns are presented to the two hooks of the feeder is shown in Fig. 14.

- The separation obtained from the yarn guides ll,

I9 can be maintained with still greater certainty by the use of a slotted instrument introduced into the paths of the yarn just prior to the tripping motion of the feeders as they finish passing across the group of needles in making the fabric. This instrument, which may be a selvage bit 88, consists of a flat blade having two slots 89, at the outer end. The lower slot 90 is shorter than the upper one 89. This selvage bit 88 can be slidably mounted on the cylinder top 26| and can be operated by lever mechanism carried by the stationary parts of the machine which support the yarn takeup and which lever mechanism can be actuated from a short cam path and block located in duplicate on the revolving sinker ring (not shown). This selvage bit is projected outwardly as the feeder passes by and is withdrawn when the feeder'coming in the opposite direction has picked up the yarn. If desired, the selvage bit can be eliminated and the sinker used to maintain the necessary separation of the two yarns.

Modified forms of trips for the feeders are shown in Figs. 15, 16. These forms are somewhat simpler than those shown in Figs. 1-10. The hip in Fig. 15 is for the the upper feeder. It comprises merely a. plate Hi having a. portion proiecting into the path of the ear Illl. The trip for the lower feeder is very similar, comprising the trip I22 itself, a tension spring I55 to pull it towards its operating position and a pin i66 to determine that position. On machines where the fabric is a constant width, these trips would not be required to be indexed and therefore could be fastened to any convenient stationary part of the machine, such as arms I8I.

Another arrangement of trips and feeders is shown in Figs. 18 and 19. These views show a simpler method of avoiding interference between v shown in Figs. 17 and 19. In distinction to cam 6?, which was carried on the upper feeder A itself, the preferred cam 6' is mounted on the cylinder top 26! by a bracket 612. The cam is tapered in both directions on both upper and lower edges, thus forming a double-ended wedge with the long axis parallel to the periphery of the needle cylinder. The points or ends of the wedge can be fractionally off the line of the long axis on opposite sides, if desired, to insure that the feeders engage opposed faces of the cam. As shown in Figs. 17 and 19, one feeder travels on the upper edge of the cam and the other feeder on the lower edge, so that they are cammed or sprung out of each others path when passing. By this preferred form of cam the shock of passage of the two feeders is reduced and the presence of a cam on one of the feeders itself is eliminated.

It will be observed that by using the mechanism just described, the yarns reciprocate back and forth across their fabric, thereby giving the regular selvaged fabric of a full-fashioned stock- .ing blank, but no parts by which the knitting threads are controlled have a corresponding reciprocatory movement. This paradoxical condition is due to the novel feeder and its manipulation and enables the machine to run at full speed with a tremendously increased production over previous machines having oscillatory yarn feeders.

Many modifications which come within the scope of my invention will occur to those skilled in the art. Thus the invention is applicable to any circular knitting machine where it is desired to have a yarn feeder pick up a yarn, have relative movement past the series of needles to which the yarn is fed, and then drop the yarn.

till

assesses What I claim is: l. in a circular knitting machine, a circle of needles and a yarn supply, in combination with two yarn feeders having circumferential movement past the needles in opposite directions. each feeder being adapted to take yarn from said supply, present it to a plurality of needles by means of its circumferential movement and then release the yarn for engagement by the other feeder.

2. In a circular knitting machine, a needle cylincler, two or more groups of needles therein having spaces therebetween and a yarn supply for each group of needles, in combination with .two' yarn feeders'having circumferentialmovemerit past the needles in opposite directions, each feeder being adapted to pick up yarn from one of the supplies, present the yarn to the associated group of needles and then release it in a space between needle groups for engagement by the other feeder.

' 3. In a circular knitting machine, a needle cylinder, a plurality of groups of needles in said cylinder divided into banks for the simultaneous manufacture of a plurality of separate fabrics, and aseparate yarn supply for each group of needles, incombination with two yarn feeders having circumferential movement past the needles in opposite directions, each feeder being adapted in turn to pick up yarn from one of the supplies, present it to the needles of one group in the direction of rotation of that feeder, then release the yarn and repeat the sequence on another yarn supply and group of needles.

d. lin a circular knitting machine, a circle of needles divided into separated banks and a sepa-- rate yarn supply for each bank, in combination with two yarn feeders having circumferential movement around the needle circle in opposite directions, each feeder being adapted to take a yarn from one of the supplies and present it to the needles in the associated group in the direction of the feeders rotation, and tripping means adapted to cause the feeder to dump its yarn in the space between two adjacent banks of needles.

5. in a circular knitting machine having a cirole of needles divided into separated banks for the simultaneous manufacture of a plurality of separate fabrics, the provision of a separate yarn supply for each bank of needles, in combination with two yarn feeders rotating in opposite directions around the needle circle and adapted alternately to take the yarn for one bank and then the other, feed it across the related bank in the direction of movement of the feeder and then release it, and means enabling said two feeders to pass each other in the space between two banks.

ii. in. a circular knitting machine having a cirsic of needles divided into separated banks for the simultaneous manufacture of a plurality of separate fabrics, the provision of a separate yarn supply for each fabric, in combination with two yarn feeders rotating in ohl i site directions around the needle circle, each feeder picking up and feeding the yarn to theneedles in one bank in its direction of rotation, then releasing the yarn and repeating the sequence on the other yarn supply and bank, and means on said feeders enabling them to pass each otheri in the space between two banks.

'7. In a circular knitting machine, a plurality of separate groups of needles, a yarn supply for each group of needles and two cam blocks rotating in opposite directions to actuate the needles in each group in succession, in combination with two yarn feeders eachfeeding yarn to all the groups,

the yarn feeders rotating in opposite directions in cooperation with the cam blocks and picking up and dropping the yarn. for each needle group as it approaches andleaves that group.

8. in a circular knitting machine adapted to knit a plurality of separated fabrics simultaneously on separated groups of needles, 2. pair of oppositely rotating cam blocks in combination with a pair of oppositely rotating yarn feeders, each feeder presenting yarn to the needles for knitting in cooperation with one of the cam blocks, and a yarn supply means for each group of needles, each yarn feeder being adapted to carry a yarn across its group of needles in the direction of movement of the feeder and then release it.

9. In a circular knitting machine, a circle of needles divided into separated groups and a yarn supply for each group, in combination with two yarn feeders rotating oppositely about the needle circle, each feeder being adapted to take a yarn from the yarn supply, present it to the associated needles and then release it, one or more of said feeders containing a spring whereby said feeders may pass each other freely in the space between two groups of needles. 7

10. In a circular knitting machine, a yarn supply, a group of needles stationary with relation thereto, in combination with a yarn feeder having movement past the needles and yarn supply and cooperating to feed yarn from the supply to the needles, said, feeder comprising an open hook facing in the direction of movement and a member carrying said hook adapted to be turned to release any yarn in the hook.

11. In a circular knitting machine, a yarn supply and a group of needles stationary with relation thereto, in combination with a yarn feeder having movement past the needles and yarn supply and cooperating to feed yarn from the supply to the needles, said feeder comprising an open hook facing in the direction of movement of the feeder, a member carrying said hook revoluhle on its axis to turn the hook in the reverse direction, a spring tending to hold said hook facing in the direction of movement and a trip mounted on the machine having movement relative to said feeder adapted to turn the hook and release the yarn.

if. in a circular knitting machine, a yarn supply and a group of needles stationary with relation thereto, a yarn feeder having movement past yarn supply and needles and cooperating to feed yarn from one to the other, a hook forming part of said feeder facing in the direction of movement of the feeder and adapted to present yarns to the needles, in combination with 1 a trip having movement relatively to the yarn feeder and movable with relation to the needles when it is desired to change the length of travel of the yarn past the needles.

iii. in a circular knitting machine, a circle of needles divided into separated bankaa separate yarn supply for each bank, an even number of yarn feeders having movement around the circle equally divided between feeders moving in one and the opposite directions, each feeder comyarn to a plurality of needles by such movement, then releasing it from said element and picking it up in a similar element moving in the opposite direction and feeding the yarn to a plurality of needles in the opposite direction, all While actuating the needles to knit each time the yarn is presented to them.

15. In a process of circularly knitting a plurality of separate fabrics on separated groups of a circle of needles, the steps of actuating the needles of each group in succession, first in one direction and then in the other, simultaneously feeding each group of needles from its own yarn supply by means of two yarn feeders rotating in opposite directions picking up the yarn from that group, feeding it to the needles and then releasing it for actuation by the other feeder.

16. In a process of circularly knitting a plurality of separate fabrics on separated groups of a circle of needles, the steps of actuating the needles of each group, in succession, first in one direction and then in the other and simultaneously with such actuation feeding each group of needles from its own yarn supply by means of two yarns feeders rotating in opposite directions, each yarn feeder picking up the 'yarn for one feed, feeding it to that group of needles, then releasing it and repeating for the adjacent group, while the other feeder performs the same sequence of operation in the other direction around the circle.

17. In a circular knitting machine, a needle cylinder and needles therein, in combination with a relatively stationary yarn guiding means extending along a group of needles and adapted to present yarn to the needles in a circumferentially free and radially correct manner and a yarn feeder having circumferential movement past the needles, said feeder being adapted to pickup the yarn extending from the guiding means, present it to a plurality of needles and then release it.

18. In a circular knitting machine, a needle cylinder and needles therein, a relatively stationary guide edge extending past a plurality of needles and along which yarn can slide circumferentially and adapted to present yarn to the needles in a. radially correct position, and a supply of body yarn, in combination with a yarn 19. In a circular knitting machine, a needle I cylinder and needles therein, a relatively stationary guide edge extending past a plurality of needles and along which yarn can slide circumferentially, and a supply of body yarn, in com-.

bination with a yarn feeder having circumferential movement past the needles and adapted to pick up the body yarn coming from the guide edge and feed it to a plurality of needles, and means adapted to cause said yarn feeder thereafter to drop the yarn by rotation of the feeder about its own axis.

20. In a circular knitting machine, a circle of needles and a yarn supply, in combination with a guide extending along a group of needles and adapted to present yarn from the supply to the needles in a circumferentially free and radially correct manner and a yarn feeder having circumferential movement past the needles, said feeder being adapted to contact the yarn between the guide and the needles, move it circumferentially, thereby causing its presentation 0 a plurality of needles, and then release it.

21. In a circular knitting machine, a circle of needles and a yarn supply, in combination with a circumferentially stationary guide extending along a group of needles and adapted to present yarn from the supply to the needles in a circumferentially free manner and a yarn feeder having circumferential movement past the rice dies, said feeder being adapted'to contact the yarn between the guide and the needles, move it circumferentially along the guide, thereby causing its presentation to a plurality of needles, and then release it by rotation of the feeder about its own axis.

ARTHUR L. PASS.

Images