US2240061A - Carrier rod driving and control mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Apr 299 11ML A. F. VERBEEK gw CARRIER ROD DRIVING AND CONTROL MECHANISM Filed July l0, 1940 Patented pr. 29, 1941 CARRIER ROD DRIVING AND CONTROL MECHANISM arnold Friedrich Verbeek, berlungwitz, Germany, assigner to Kallo, a corporation of New York Inc., New York, N. Y.,

Application July 10, 1940, Serial No. 344,725 In Germany February 24, 1939 Claims.

The'present invention relates to improvements in driving and control mechanism for the-carrier rods of a flat knitting machine, and is herein more particularly disclosed as embodied in a multiple section full-fashioned hosiery machine. Applicants disclosure is in many respects similar to that of the patent to Karl Richard Lieberknecht, No, 2,150,931, dated March 21, 1939. It will be understood that while the present invention may be regarded as an improvement over.

the driving and control mechanism illustrated in that patent, the several features of the present invention are not limited to the specific construction shown, and may well be applied to other types of knitting machines havinga multiplicity of reciprocable yarn carrier rods.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a novel and improved driving mechanism for the carrier rods in a flat knitting machine which is simple and compact in construction, embodies therein a minimum number and weight of the moving parts, and is well adapted for automatic operation in connection with the pattern controls for the machine to connect and disconnect selected carrier rods from active operation.

In multiple section flat knitting machines of this general type, there are usually provided a number of friction driving devices which are arranged to reciprocate across selected knitting sections along the length of the machine, each of these friction driving devices being arranged to be operatively connected with one or more selected carrier rod of the nine such rods provided, for example, in the illustrated machine, and which extend along the length of the several knitting sections. In these machines the knitting yarns are brought from a source of supply which may be a humidied box at the rear side of the rnachine over the top of the machine and thence downwardly between adjacent carrier rods to the yarn guides of each knitting section which in their traversing movements carry the guided yarns extending downwardly from above the machine along with them over the length of the knitting section. It will readily be seen that on any knit- `ting section opposite which such a driving device s operated, the driving connections particularly :with any one of the forward yarn carriers, that is, those remote from the friction driving device, must extend across the path of movement of the guided yarns, and will tend to interfere with the feeding of the yarn to the yarn guides supported lby the rear carrier rods.

It is a-further object of the invention to prowide an improved driving and control mechanism for the carrier rods in a machine of this general type, having provision for selective engagement and disengagement of the friction driving device with its selected carrier rod or rods which is constructed and arranged as t0 entirely remove the driving connections for the idled carrier rods from the path of movement of all the knitting yarns extending downwardly to the yarn guides associated with each of the several knitting sections.

With these and other objects in view as may hereinafter appear, the several features of the invention consist also in the devices, combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, which together with the advantages to be obtained thereby will be readily understood by one skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a multiple section flat full-fashioned knitting machine illustrating particularly the driving device having provision for connection with two of the carrier rods, and illustrating a, portion of the pattern actuated control mechanism for connecting and disconnecting the drive for these. rods, only so much of the machine being illustrated as is believed necessary to show the connection of the present invention therewith; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 driving position; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig.

2, but with both driving lingers shown in their fully retracted position out of the path of movement of all of the knitting yarns extending downwardly to the several yarn guides; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line t-dl of Fig. 1, illustrating particularly the pattern control mechanism for sluiting the driving fingers between their operative and inoperative positions, the parts, however, being shown in a somewhat differentposition in which the more forwardly extending driving finger is shifted to inoperative position, and the shorter or more rearward driving finger is in its operative position; and Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating the driving connection and pattern control therefor for racking the supplemental overhead pattern shaft of the machine. v

The carrier rod driving and control mechanism illustrated in the drawings as embodying in a preferred form the several features of the invention, is of the general type illustrated in the Lieberknecht patent above referred to, comprislng a driving slide which is arranged to be operatively connected with a driving friction box supported on a friction driving rod, and which in turn has supported thereon one or more driving fingers which are arranged to be moved into and out of operative engagement with selected carrier rods. As in the patent referred to, connection is made between the driving slide and the friction box by means of a pivotally supported connecting arm which is automatically controlled through connections including a pattern cam on a pattern shaft extending lengthwise of the machine. In accordance with one feature of the invention, additional pattern controls-are herein provided for automatically moving the driving fingers selectively between operative carrier rod engaging positions and retracted inoperative positions. With this construction and arrangement of the driving mechanism, applicant is enabled to disconnect all of' the moving parts 0f the driving device from the friction box to render the same inoperative without the necessity of disconnecting the friction itself, and is further able through the operation of pattern con-- trois to render any selected carrier rod driven through the particular driving device selectively operative and inoperative.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the pattern controls for connecting and disconnecting the driving device, and more particularly for selectively connecting and disconnecting the carrier rods to the driving device, are so constructed and arranged as to reduce to a minimum the num-ber and weight of the parts which would be required to reciprocate with the driving device, and thereby to reduce so far as possible the inertia. of the parts and fthe consequent load transmitted through the friction boxes and the reciprocating friction driving rod. To

this end the pattern cams and followers for operating the several control instrumentalities are flxedly supported endwise of the machine on the pattern shaft, and a connection is made to the connecting arm and to the several driving fingers through mechanism including actuating bars or rods extending along the length of the traversing path of the driving device, and actuating connections on the driving slide disposed for constant riding engagement with said shafts or bars.

In accordance with another feature of the in- Vention, the several driving fingers are supported on the driving slide at one side of the several carrier rods, and are arranged to be moved into inoperative positions in which all parts of the driving fingers are removed from the path of all of the knitting yarns extending downwardly through the carrier rods to the several yarn guides of the associated knitting section.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, Fig. l illustrates in plan a fragmentary view of a flat full-fashioned knitting machine which is similar to that, for example, illustrated in the Lieberknecht patent above referred to, having nine carrier rods numbered consecutively one to nine, these rods in the present machine, however, being illustrated in a flat rather than an inclined bank. On each of the carrier rods there is provided a dog comprising an upwardly extending element slotted to receive the cooperating driving finger, and having the opposite sides thereof cammed to permit the associated driving finger to ride into its slot in the event that the finger is dropped into its operating position prior ,to

the movement of the driving device including the driving nger into position of accurate register with the associated dog. These dogs as shown in Fig. 1, are numbered la. to 9a inclusive. The driving device comprises a driving slide 2U sleeved to slide on a shaft22 rigidly fixed in and forming a part of the rigid structure of the machine. A downwardly extending forked lug 24 formed on the slide 20 engaging a lengthwise extending rod 26 serves to key the slide against rotational move' ment on the shaft 22. A forwardly extending frame 28 forming part of the slide 20 provides support for a pivot shaft 30 on which is mounted two driving fingers 32 and 34 arranged for operative connection respectively with dogs 5a and la on carrier rods 5 and I. Also supported on the pivot shaft 361s a connecting arm 36 which is arranged for engagement with a slot 38 formed in the front face of a friction box 40 carried on the usual reciprocating friction rod 42 of the machine. It will be understood that while only one driving device 20 and its associated friction box 40 have been illustrated in the drawings, similar driving devices and associated friction boxes may be provided along the length of the machine for driving the remaining carrier rods, requiring only a duplication of the parts shown. It will also be understood that while two driving fingers 32 and 34 only have been illustrated as supported on the driving device, a greater or less numberof such driving ngers may be provided on the particular driving device, depending only upon the requirements of the particular machine, the addition of such other driving fingers requiring only a further duplication of the parts shown.

'I'he entire driving device including the slide 20 is arranged to be automatically connected and disconnected from active operation by means of pattern controls originating from the main pattern chain 46 of the machine as shown in Fig. 5. 'Ihese connections include the connecting arm 3B, the rearward extension of which is arranged for sliding engagement beneath a control rod 48 extending the length of the traversing movement of the driving device and supported at opposite ends on lever arms 50 and 52 rigidly secured to a rock shaft 54 on the machine. bearings for this shaft forming part of the machine frame is indicated at 56 in Fig. 1. The shaft 54 is rocked to cause the connecting arm 36 to lbe moved to a raised inoperative position by means of a cam lever 60 secured to the rock shaft 54 and arranged for engagement with a cam 62 on a pattern shaft 64 extending along the length of the machine. One of the supporting bearings for the shaft 64 forming part of the machine frame is indicated at 66 in Fig. 1. A tension spring 68 connected at one end to the rearwardly extending arm of the connecting arm 36, and at its other end to the frame 28, tends to maintain the rearward extension in engaging 4contact with the control rod 48, and to force the forward end thereof downwardly into operative Y position when permitted by the raising of the rod 48 to the position shown in Fig. 2. A heavier spring 'l0 acting on the rock shaft 54 tends to rotate the same in a clockwise direction to maintain the cam lever 60 in engaging contact with its cam 62. As shown in Fig. 3, the cam lever 60 has passed onto a low portion of its cam, permitting the rock shaft 54 to turn in a clockwise direction under the influence of its spring, thus disconnecting the connecting arm 36 from the friction box 40. It will be noted that the cam 62 is built up with individual segments 12 which may be interchangeably supported on the cam disk 62 in order to permit an easy adjustment of the timing of the pattern control for operatively connecting and disconnecting the carrier rod driving device.

The forward wall of the friction box 40 is pro- One of the supportingl vided at each end thereof with downwardly cammed surfaces '|4, so that in the event that the connecting arm 36 is dropped into its operative position prior to the movement of thefriction box into register therewith. the connecting arm I6 riding on the surfaces 14 will be lifted against the pressure of its spring 66, and then dropped into locking engagement with the slot 36.

The pattern mechanism for controlling the movement of the connecting fingers 32 and I4 between their operative and inoperative positions, comprises actuating levers 'I6 and ,1I keyedrto rotate with and to slide axially with relation to squared rock shafts 90 and 82 respectively, which extend lengthwise of the machine, and are rotatably supported at opposite ends in bracket I4 and 86 secured to the shaft 22. A rearwardly extending forked lug 86 on the slide 20 provides end thrust bearing for the. control levers 16 and 18 to cause these levers to move axially with the driving device. At their free ends the control levers 'I6 and '|8 are connected throug pin and slot connections respectively with links 96 and 92 which at their forward ends are in turn pivotally connected to the driving fingers 34 and 32. A tension spring 94 connected at one end to the link 92 and at its other end to the lever 'I8 tends to maintain the link in a relatively retracted position with relation to its actuating lever 18. Similarly, a tension spring 96 connected at one end to the link 96 and at its other end to the actuating lever 16 tends to maintain the link 9|) ina relatively retracted position with relation to its actuating lever '|6. The angular position of the squared rock shaft 86 is controlled by means of a pattern cam on the pattern shaft 64 through connections which include a lever arm secured to the rock shaft 80, a link |62 connecting the lever |06 with the downwardly extending arm of a three-armed lever |64 pivotally mounted on the pattern shaft 64. The upwardly ,extending arm of the lever |64 is connected by a link |66 with a pattern lever |08 pivoted on the shaft 54, and is arranged for engagement with a cam rise H6 on a cam disk on the pattern shaft 64. A tension spring H2 connected at one end to a forwardly extending arm oi' the threearmed lever |64, and at its other end to a bracket 66 tends to maintain the cam lever |68 in engagement with its cam disk. 'Ihe squared rock shaft 62 for controlling the operation of the driving finger 32 is similarly controlled from the pattern shaft 64 through connections including a lever arm ||6 on the rock shaft 42, a link H6, a three-armed lever |26, a link |22, a cam lever |24, a spring |26, and an actuating cam |22 onA the pattern shaft 6|.

The construction and arrangement of these connections is such that the driving fingers 32 and 34 will be moved selectively between the alternative operating positions shown in Fig. 2, and the inoperative positions shown in Fig. 3, in which the driving fingers have each been moved more than 90 in a. counterclockwise direction, thus swinging them entirely out oi' the path of all of the knitting yarns extending downwardly in the machine through the several carrier rods to the associated yarn guides, two of which are designated at |36 and |32 in Figs. 2 and 3. The path followed by the yarns carried by these partisular yarn guides is shown in dot-and-dash lines |34, |36. Inasmuch as these yarns extend to guides on carrier rods and 6 respectively, and since all of the remaining yarns will be located within the zone thus marked out, it will ing a traversing movement of the same.

readily be seen that the driving lingers in their inoperative position are entirely outside of the path of all of the knitting yarns. The yielding connection above described between actuating levers 16 and 16 and links 90 and 92 respectively, permit of a delayed operation of the pattern mechanism in shifting the driving fingers to the inoperative position, such withdrawal taking place only when excessive resistance to such with-'- drawal is removed. Such resistance may be provided by the engaging contact between the finger and its cooperating dog on the carrier rod dur- This frictional resistance is, of course, dissipated and the driving finger can be withdrawn under the influence of its spring 92 or 94 when the friction driving rod 42 has reached the limit of its travel in either direction.

The pattern shaft 64 is given a step-by-step movement from the main cam shaft of the machine through a pawl and ratchet mechanism which is controlled from the main pattern chain 46 of the machine. A ratchet |46 is secured to the pattern shaft 64, and is arranged to be acted upon by a pawl |42 on a pawl carrier l|44 pivotally supported on the shaft 64. The pawl carrier |44 is in turn connected through a link |46 to a cam lever |48 pivotally supported on a bracket |56 secured to thev lower rear rail |52 forming part of the frame of the machine, The connection of the link |46 at its upper end with the pawl carrier |44 is shown in Fig. 1. The connection of the link |46 at its lower end with the rearwardly extending arm of the cam lever |48 is shown in Fig. 5. The cam lever |46 has mounted on its forward end a pivot pin |64 supporting a cam roller |56 which is axially adjustable thereon into and out of operative engagement with a cam |68 on the main cam shaft |66 of the machine. A tension spring |62 connected to the cam lever |46 tends to maintain the roller in engagement with its cam. The mechanism for shifting the roller |56 into and out of operative position, comprises a shifting fork |64, an axially movable shifting rod |66 to which the shifting fork is secured, bell-crank |66, link |10, bellcrank |72, link |14, and a pattern lever |16 which is in turn controlled by appropriately located bumps on the main pattern chain 46 of the machine. These parts are all shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing. This iigure also discloses the lower front rail forming part of the usual frame construction of these machines. As best shown in Fig. l of the drawing, the cam shaft 64 is held in each successive racked position by means of a detent pawl |62 and ratchet |84 which may be of ordinary construction.

. It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specic embodiment shown, and that various deviations may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a at knitting machine having a plurality of reciprocable carrier rods and yarn guides supported thereby, a reciprocating friction rod, and a rotating main cam shaft, a friction device carried by the friction rod, a driving slide connected to be driven by the friction rod, a plurality of driving fingers on the slide detachably connectible with selected carrier rods to drive the same, and automatic means to permit the driving fingers selectively to engage their carrier rods.

2. In a flat knitting machine having a plurality of reciprocable carrier rods and yarn guides supa rotating main cam shaft, a friction device carried by the friction rod, a driving slide, a plurality of driving fingers on the slide detachably connectible with selected carrier rods to drive the same, 'a connecting arm detachably connecting the friction device and driving slide, automatic means to permit the connecting arm to engage the friction device during a traverse of the latter, and automatic means to permit the driving fingers selectively to engage their carrier rods.

3. In a fiat knitting machine having a reciprocable carrier rod, a reciprocating friction rod, a main cam shaft, a friction device carried by the friction rod for driving the slide detachably connecting the carrier rod to move with the slide, a connecting arm detachably connecting the friction device and the driving slide, automatic means to permit the connecting arm to engage the friction device during a traverse of the latter, and automatic means to permit the driving finger to engage with the carrier rod.

4. In a nat knitting machine having a plurality of reciprocable carrier rods, a reciprocating friction rod and a rotating main cam shaft, a friction device carried by the friction rod, a driving device arranged to be driven from the friction device comprising a plurality of driving fingers shiftable into and out of operative engagement with selected carrier rods to drive the same, and automatic means for moving said driving fingers selectively into and out of operative engagement with their selected carrier rods, said automatic means including connections for shifting the driving fingers between carrier rod engaging position and inoperative position wholly removed from the path of movement of the feeding yarns extending to all of the yarn guides.

5. In a fiat knitting machine having a plurality of reciprocable carrier rods arranged in parallel relationship and yarn guides supported thereby for guiding yarns passing downwardly 'between the carrier rods to the guides, a reciprocating friction rod and a rotating main cam shaft, a friction device carried by the friction rod, a driving slide, a plurality of driving ngers on the slide operable for detachably connecting selected carrier rods to move with the slide, means connecting the slide to be driven by the friction device, and automatic means for selectively shifting the driving fingers into and out of operative engagement with their carrier rods, said automatic means including connections operable to shift the inactive driving fingers entirely to one side of said parailel carrier rods, and out of the path of movement of all of the yarns extending downwardly to the several yarn guides.

6. In a fiat knitting machine having a plurality of reciprocable carrier rods arranged in parallel relationship and yarn guides supported thereby for guiding yarns passing downwardly between the carrier rods to the guides, a reciprocating friction rod and a rotating main cam shaft, a friction device carried by the friction rod, a driving slide, a. driving finger on the slide shiftable into and out of operative engagement with a selected carrier rod, means connecting the slide to be driven by the friction device, and automatic means for shifting the driving finger between carrier rod engaging and inoperative positions, said automatic means including a connection operable to shift the driving finger to an inoperative position to one side of said parallel carrier rods and out of the path of movement of all of ported thereby. a reciprocating friction rod, and

the yarns extending downwardly to said several yarn guides.

7. In a flat knitting machine having'a plurality of reciprocable carrier rods arranged in parallel relationship, and yarn guides supported thereby, a reciprocating friction rod, and a rotating main cam shaft, a friction device carried by the friction rod, a driving slide, a plurality of driving lingers pivotally supported on the slide for movement between operative position in driving engagement with selected carrier rods and inoperative positions wholly to one side of said parallel carrier rods, a connecting arm pivotally supported on the slide detachable connecting the friction deviceand the driving slide, automatic means to permit the connecting arm to engage the friction device during a traverse of the latter, and automatic means for shifting the driving fingers selectively between said inoperative and operative positions including a pattern device iixedly supported lengthwise of the machine,

and actuating connections between said pattern device and said fingers including rock shafts extending parallel to the direction of movement of the driving slide, and actuating connections with said driving fingers disposed for constant riding engagement with said rock shafts.

8. In a flat knitting machine having a plurality of reciprocable carrier rods arranged in parallel relation in a bank, and yarn guides supported on each of said rods for guiding said yarns from the supply through the bank adjacent their supporting carrier rods for feeding said yarns in parallel non-conflicting paths, a reciprocating friction rod and a rotating main cam shaft, a carrier rod driving and control device comprising a driving slide frictionally driven by said friction rod, a driving nger pivoted on said slide at one side of said bank for swinging movement between a driving position against an associated carrier rod and a raised inoperative position at one side of the carrier rods and wholly removed from the path of movement of the knitting yarns extending to all of the yarn guides, pattern means and connections controlled thereby for shifting the driving finger from one to the other of said positions including spring means for moving said finger against the carrier rod and positively acting means for raising said finger.

9. In a flat knitting machine having a plurality of reciprocable carrier rods arranged in parallel relation in a bank, and yarn guides supported on each of said rods for guiding said yarns from the supply through the bank adjacent their sup-- porting carrier rods for feeding said yarns in parallel non-conflicting paths, a reciprocating friction rod and a.' rotating main cam shaft, a carrier rod driving and control device comprising a driving slide frictionally driven by said friction rod, a plurality of driving fingers pivoted on said slide at one side of said bank for swinging movement between a driving position against associated carrier rods and raised inoperative positions at one side of the carrier rods and wholly removed from the pathv of movement of the knitting yarns extending to all of the yarn guides, pattern means and connections controlled thereby for automatically selectively shifting the driving fingers from one to the other of said positions including spring means for moving said fingers against their associated carrier rods and positively acting means for raising s aid fingers.

10. In a fiat knitting machine having a plurality of reciprocable carrier rods arranged in parallel relation in a bank, and 'yarn guides supported on each of said rods for guiding said yarns from the supply through the bank adjacent their supporting carrier rods for feeding said yarns in parallel non-conflicting paths, a, reciprocating friction rod and a rotating main cam shaft, a carrier rod driving and control device comprising a driving slide frictionally driven by said friction rod, a driving nger pivoted on said slide at one side of said bank for swinging movement between a driving position against an associated carrier rod and a raised inoperative posi- 'tion at one side of the carrier rods and wholly removed from the path of movement of the knitting yarns extending to all of the yarn guides,

and automatic means for shifting the driving linger including a pattern device flxedly supported lengthwise of the machine, spring means for yieldingly engaging the iinger against the associated carrier rod, and actuating connections between the pattern device and the nger for positively raising the nger including a rackable member extending parallel to the path of movement of the driving slide, and an actuating connection with the driving finger disposed for constant riding engagement with said rackable member.

ARNOLD FRIEDRICH VERBEEK

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