US2248875A - Knitting machine - Google Patents

Description

y 3, 1941- I A. L. HUTTON, JR., .ET AL 8,875

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 A. L. HUTTON, JR, ETAL 8,8 5

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1938 Jul 8, 1941.

9 Sheets-Sheet 3 July3,1941- f A. 1.. HUTTON, 51R" ETAL 3,875

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. '5, 1938 Sheets-SheetA A, [Mai rules; JZFPED lffw'm w 20m; fZ'P/ERRQ' July 8, 1941.

A. L. HUTTON, JR., ,ETAL 2,248,875

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec; 5, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet '5 x27 'P' sl y A. L. HUTTON, JR., ETAL 8 875 KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1938 9 $13'eets-Sheet '7 July 8, 1941. 'A. L. HUTTON, JR., ETAL KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 m m gm 5 m JZE/PEZL fizxzrmk, EJ651173 SIP/5M2; 3343 fkwag A27 3? July8,1941-: A.|. HUTTON,JR., lETAL. 2,248,875 I KNITT-ING MACHINE 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Dec. 5,

- needle cylinder, a needle Patented July 8, 1941 xNrr'rmG MACHINE Alfred L. Hutton, ".112, Lonsdale, and Eugene St. Pierre, Pawtucket, R. 1., assignors to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. 1., a. corporation of Massachusetts Application December 5, 1938, Serial No. 243,914 7 Claims. (01. 60-135) This case concerns a knitting machine for knitting fabrics wherein elastic yarn is incorporated with so-called plain yarn, for example, as in hosiery tops, and further, for incorporating patterns such as wrap stripe designs in such and controlling means for the binders and cutters and elastic yarn feeding means;

Fig. 4 is an elevation taken at the lower, left hand side of the machine in which the cams at the main cam drum and other controlling means are illustrated;

Fig. 5 is a section taken through the selecting drum and at the selecting plungers which function on instrumentalities which determine the wrap stripe or other pattern;

Fig. 6 is a section taken through the needlecylinder and showing the relative position and arrangement of the selecting means and needle dividing mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a section showing a fragment of the and a needle selecting jack; t

Fig. 8 is a section showing the auxiliary stitch cam and controlling means along with the instep cam bracket, top instep cam and means for controlling the same;

Fig. 9 is an, elevation showing a part of the machine including the instep cam bracket, part of the control for the instep cams, the auxiliary stitch cam and attendant mechanism; 4

Fig. 14 is a section showing part of the elastic yarn feeding finger and binder and cutter therefor, the elastic feeding finger being in lowermost position;

Figs. 15 and 16 are detailed views showing opposite sides of the binder and cutter for the elastic yarn;

Fig. 17 isa plan of the sinker cap, a few sinkers and sinker butts being illustrated to show the pathway, part of the cap being cut away to illustrate the cams which act upon the sinker butts;

Fig. 18 is a detail view showing theauxiliary sinker cam and part of its controlling mechanism;

Fig. 19 is a diagrammatic view of cams and selecting elements showing the pathway of needle butts, jack butts and needle hooks during knitting in a typical stocking top in which the elastic yarn is to be incorporated and wherein wrap threads are knitted to produce a wrap pattern;

Figs. 20-22 respectively, show the cam ar-' rangement on main pattern drums for controlling the elastic yarn feeding means, the dividing cam and the elastic or auxiliary binder and cutter; and

Fig. 23 is a view showing a sock in which a top has been knitted as on the machine herein described.

. In United States Patent #2,131,720 a knitted stocking top and method of knitting the same were disclosed wherein two yarn feeds, a main feed and an auxiliary feeding station were employed, a so-called plain yarn or yarns being knitted at the main feed and preferably upon Fig. 10 is a view showing the mechanism of Fig. 9 as seen from the left hand side of that 'figure, especially showing the interconnected control between the auxiliary stitch cam and a sinker cam at the auxiliary side; Fig. 11 is an elevation showing parts of the machine adjacent and including the needle dividing cam and its controlling means;

Fig. 12 is a section showing the elastic yarn feeding means at the auxiliary side, the auxiliary binder and cutter and the manner in which yarn is introduced to the needles;

t Fig. 13 is a view similar to that in Fig. 12', except that the parts are seen from the inside of the machine;

all the needles while at thev auxiliary feed, an elastic yarn was to be knitted on alternate needles only. A wrap stripe pattern may or may not be knitted, but if knitted, will be incorporated preferably by mechanism such as described in United States Patent #1,702,608, although other wrapping means mayadvantageously be employed. 7 In the production of such a stocking top, theelastic is knitted under a suitable tension such as might be termed an ordinary knitting tension. It is not contemplated to knit under extreme tensionas contraction of the fabric to produce a desirable rib appearance is forthcoming with very slight tension on the said elastic yarn. The elastic thuf taken on every other or alternate needles and immediately knitted floats behind the intervening needles and the resulting fabric will have small loops of elastic alternating with plain knitted stitches in such' as so-called body machines, or to other types of hosiery machines.

In Fig. 1 the principal parts of such a machine are illustrated in which a frame is generally indicated at i, a circular base at 2, needle cylinder at 3 and a latch ring at 4. The needle cylinder carries the usual sinker head 5 and a sinker cap 6 specially constructed as will hereinafter be described more fully. A main cam shaft 1 carries drums 8 and 9 on'which several cams for controlling the various parts of the machine are arranged. Only those cams which are particularly concerned in carrying out the present invention have been shown. Referring to Fig. 2,

several main yarn feeding fingers are illustrated The usual binder plate is illustrated at H having a main binder generally indicated at l2 and cutter at [3. the usual lever I4 and link I5, the lever being pivoted at IS on a bracket l'l attached to the upper face of the latch ring. This bracket also supports a spindle l8 having an extending finger I9 which operates the cutter l3. At the other end of that spindle is fixed a. lever 20 which engages one of the fingers ill for a purpose not necessary to de scribe in this case. The main binder and cutter .are conventional in construction and function only upon yarns fed by the levers l0 so that their The main binderis controlled by effect the knitting of pattern work in accordance with the desires for more or less complicated patterns. Those jacks under short butt needles,

those at the sole side of the machine, have a short butt 29 which is engaged by a cam later to be de- A plurality of plungers- 32 are arranged in sup ports 33 and 34 projecting upwardly from an element 35 supported on base 2. These plungers are arranged to slide more or less; radially on the machine so as to engage butts 28 if in inward poconstruction and operation need not be described I 'in detail. The mechanism involves wrap striping means such as have been described in United States Patent #1,'702,608 and certain parts which function in cooperation with said wrap striping means are evident in this Fig. 2. These parts include a. bracket 2| by means of which a curved hook or finger 22 is supported, this hook being of common construction and usage in Banner wrap striping machines. It serves to' hold the wrap threads in 'aposition to be taken by selected needies and keeps said threads from non-selected needles. Other elements are the plate 23 and Jaclc selecting means Now referring to Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 19, those elements which serve to selectneedles for the wrap striping threads are shown. While it is not essential that the invention be practiced with wrap striping, one preferred form of the same does include such ornamentation and the complete disclosure of this case includes mechanism for performing that function which may or may not be employed at all times. The cylinder 3 has conventional latch needles 25 in the usual slots therein having butts 26. The arrangement of butts is according to the usual long and short butt groups, preferably about half the needles having long butts and the otherhalf short butts. Under each needle is provided a jack 2'! having a plurality of removable selecting butts 28 herein shown as seven in number. It must be understood that provision for seven butts or seven steps of selection is merely convenient in the particular in stance and that more or fewer butts may serve to gage such butts 28 as pass at its level.

illustrated as having a plurality of discs 44 having butts 45 which are removable as by breaking or by any other suitable method. There are at least as many discs as plungers, but in this instance a dual set of discs has been illustrated and the purpose is to provide one set for knitting a pattern in the top and another for knitting a different pattern at some other part of the stocking.

The spindle 42 is controlled by certain cam control at the main cam drum to change position of these discs so as to render effective either one group of them or the other. This particular mechanism is not essential fora single group of discs which eflect patterning in the top of a stocking or that part of afabric in which both a wrap pattern and elastic are to be incorporated. Thus a full description of moving spindle 42 and other essential characteristics of the change are not described at that time, but a full description will be found in copending application Serial #87,920, filed June 29, 1936.

A drum 4| is provided with a ratchet wheel having teeth 46, Figs. 1 and 5. A plate 41, is pivoted to be oscillated about thespindle 42 as a center and carries pawls 48 by means of which the drum' is advanced step by step to present the butts 45 to actuate plungers 32. If a butt contacts the end-of one of said plunger's it is pushed inwardly so that its inner beveled end will en- The plate 41 is oscillated to and fro by a link 49, bell crank lever 50 and other mechanism which derives its movement from some continuously rotating part of the machine. There is the usual mechanism V for discontinuing the ratcheting of this drum at desired times and for retiming thesame" at 'thestart of each new stocking or other knitted article.

At said desired times a in the sue of a stocking, patterning at that area may be undesirable and discontinued while the pattern is still knitted at the opposite or instep side. To ac complish this a cam 5|, Figs.- 5 and. 6, known as the plain sole cam is alsoslidable within the guiding members 33 and 34 and tends to be held inwardly by a; spring. 52. This cam 5| engagesheld outwardly by a lever 53 pivoted at 54 and engageable by its hooked end 55 with an extension 56 which projects out from the -stem of the cam. This lever 53 is controlled by a link 51 which is connectable to other elements moved at desired times from appropriate cams on one of tailed description of the various needle and jack cams will be given. At the main side of the machine is located the usual main cam block having stitch earns 58 and 59, center cam 60 and center raise cam 6|. These cams are more or 'less conventional and need not be described in greater detail. Following this main cam group is a raise cam 62 which extends about the back of the machine and serves to raise needleswhich have knitted beneath stitch cam 59, but not to raise them high enough so that their latches will be cleared. Cam 62 has an extension 62.

That latter mechanism will" be described in another paragraph of the description.

The top instep cam 88 is shown in Figs. 8

and '19 and is connected to a stem or post 89 which is movable vertically in the bracket 68;

This instep cam is supplemented by a second instep cam (not shown in detail) for raising needles. and movable radially to a position in which it will engage long butt needles. The cam 88 engages those same needles to draw them downwardly after completion of a heel or toe. In addition to its function as an instep cam,

the cam-88 has a downwardly projecting portion 89 adjacent the stitch cam 58 which assures that needles which were'raised for taking wrap threads are brought down to a position where they will engage cam 66 to be lowered All of the needle cams andsome of the jack cams,

or their supporting elements, are attached to cam plates 63, 64, Fig. 19.

At the auxiliary side, a cam 65 serves as a}.

I knitting cam and is movable. radially of the machine by certain connecting elements, Referring V to Figs. 8, 9 and, 10, this cam 65 is attached is in turn attached to the movable post so that when the instep cam 88 is moved down, the cooperating, radially movable cam will be withdrawn and vice versa. This construction has are-certain other stationary cams which include to engage a projecting pin 12 atthe outer end nects by means of its horizontal arm 13 which extends downwardly to mechanism for actuating the same and which will be described more fully in a later paragraph. This bell crank lever 11 also has attached thereto an angular projecting arm 14 which has a portion thereof indicated at 15 extending a considerable distance about the circumference of the sinker cap 6 and being concentric therewith. This concentric extension 15 serves to actuate a sinker cam, later to be described, in synchronism with movements of stitch cam 65. A spring 16, Fig. 8, normally'tends to maintain cam 65 inwardly against the needle cylinder. In advance of this stitch cam 65 and beneath the cam plate 63' is located the needle oted a short spindle carrying a downwardly extending arm 8| and a horizontal arm at the opposite end thereof designated by numeral'j82. This downwardly projecting arm 81 engages a projecting lug 83 on the stem 18. An angular been described and claimed in copending application Serial #225,374 and will not be described more fully here. The movement for the instep cams is derived from the clutch. shifter movement. r

h To this point, the cams described include the movable cams and-raise cams 62 and 62'. There the cam 93 which servesto raise needles after they have been drawn down below stitch cam 65and two other cams 94 and 95,Fig. 19, outlined by dotted lines. These cams act upon the master butts 3 i, the lower cam 95 serving to raise jacks to level them for properly engaging selecting plungers 32 while the upper cam 94 serves to manipulate jacks during reciprocatory-work.

Cam 96 also engages master butts 3i to'ra ise jacks after they have been selected by plungers have their butts 3| necessarily contacting cam erly shapedto function upon .jacks passing in projecting part 84 at the end of the stem has threaded therein an adjustable stop screw 85 which may be set to limit the inward movement of this cam 11 so that it may properly engage those butts with which it is to contact, namely,

the butts 30. A spring 86 keeps the cam inmovement to said link at the desired intervals.

H13 and a projecting :pin H14.

96 which will raise the said jacks and their needles so that they .will engage the wrap yarns as will more thoroughly be described.

The cam 91 then serves to bring these jacks downwardly to more or less their lowest position after they have performed the selecting functions. The ends of cams 91 and 62 are propeither direction. No interference is experienced.

' Elastic ya feeding means 1 Referring to Figs. 2,3, 12, 13 and 14,.an elasti yarn feeding guide on-finger 98 is vertically slidvening. This elastic yarn feeding finger has a.

study llll projecting outwardly through-a groove 12 in the bracket, this stud having a collar The collar E03 serves to maintain the .finger within the slot 99 and to allow it to be moved vertically to-and from feeding position. The finger has two openings, the lowermost at the extreme feeding end.

through which the elastic thread designated at I05 is threaded, This elastic thread is drawn through a suitable tension and from any convenient yarn'package or supply of the same.

For controlling this elastic feeding means a lever I06 is pivoted at I01 on a twisted bracket I08 which is also attached to a part of the latch ring 4. Thislever I06 has a slotted end which engages the pin I04. A spring I09 connects at the outer end of the lever and to a fixed'part of the mechanism upon which the bracket I08 is attached and serves the purpose of pulling the outer end down so that normally the yarn feeding finger is urged in an upward or inactive position. To limit this upward movement a stop H0 is attached to plate III which serves the purpose of raising the wrap spindle whenever the latch ring is elevated as when transferring. Of

course, it is not desired to transfer on this type Auxiliary binder and cutter Now referring to Figs. 2, 3, 13-16, the auxiliary binder and cutter which functions only upon the elastic yarn is illustrated. This binder and cutter is necessary since the machine is of double feed machine when the elastic is being fed and since it is desirable to withdraw that elastic yarn when the same is not being knitted into the fabric. The fact that the machine is a two feed machineand that the elastic is separately fed this element serves as, a complementary shearing edge for the platel I9. The other plate I20 will bind the elastic yarn against the extending ledge I26. The plate I20 not only binds the elastic against that ledge but also squeezes it against the side of the hook II'I so that the elastic will be bound before it is'cut although the plate I20 does not reach its full extent of travel to clamp against the ledge -I26 until after the cutting has been completed.

The lever I25, Figs. 2 and 3, is also pivoted upon the stud or spindle I6 and has connected to its outer end a downwardly extending link or rod I21 which is connected to alever later to be described and through which this binder and cutter are actuated from certain suitable cams on the drum 9.

Special sinker control "Now referring to Figs. 17 and 18, the sinker cap generally de-signated'at 6 is shown cut away to illustrate the shape of the regular sinker cams I28 and I29 and the center sinker cam I30. Sinker butts I3I are illustrated taking the usual pathway at that main side of the machine. 'A few sinkers are shown as at I32 to illustrate at their inner ends by dot and dash lines I33, the

actual pathway of the sinker wave.

and controlled makes it possible to have the main binder and cutter entirely free of elastic for use of the plain yarns only. This allows the elastic binder construction to be suitable for that particular type of yarn and does not make it neces-' sary to employ a special binder and cutter at the main side such as would accommodate both types 'of yarn and which, although the same may be made to function satisfactorily, aremore complicated and a little harder to employ satisfactorily.

To the main binder plate II there is attached a stationary binder and cutter element having a connecting foot II4, a vertical post 5 and a yarn guiding notch I I6 which is cut into the post and is terminated at the lower end in a sort of guiding hook I". At either side of the vertical post which is slotted as shown at II8 are plates H9 and I20. The plates H9 and I20 are interconnected by a bolt I2I having an adjusting nut I22 between which and the plate I20 is a spring I23, The spring I23 is under suflicient tension to press the plates together so that they may cut and clamp the yarn more effectively; At the j upper end of these plates I I9 and I20 is a pin I24 At the opposite or auxiliary side two more cams I34 and I35 function during knitting of the elastic at that side to impart a wave to sinkers along with the-movable center sinker cam I36. That sinker cam I36 is connected to a slide or stem I31 which is radially movable within a suitable slot beneath a plate I38 in the sinker cap. The said cam is illustrated in active position in Fig.17, but. is projected inwardly to inactive position in Fig. 18. A springv I39-engages pin I40 and normally tends to hold this cam in active position as in Fig. 17. Referring back to Figs. 8, 9 and 10, the extensions I4, 15 were described brieflyat that time and it is that concentric part 15 which bears against the outer end of the slide or stem I 31. When elastic is being knitted cam 65 is allowed to move in for engagement with needle butts to impart to them a stitch wave "at that point and at the same time,

will hold the fabric down on the needles all about-the machine except at the main feed.

Main cam. drum .set-up Referring to Figs. 1; 4, 20, 21 and 22, the main cam shaft has been generally. indicated by numeral I and two drums 8 and 9 thereon have been shown. Certain cams on these drums control the various cams and other functioning parts heretofore described. Beginning at the right in Fig. 1, the first link or bar is that which controls the elastic yarn feeding finger and which is shown at H2 in Fig. 3. That link p rojects downwardly and is engaged by a cam desig-' nated at I, Figs. 1 and 20. This cam has two.

are for the purpose of lifting the outer end of lever I06 a little higher and incidentally moving the feeding finger 98 down a little farther than is necessary when the elastic thread is being taken continuously at the needles. The lobe I42 functions when yarn isfirst introduced. At the ordinary feeding position the angle at which the yarn is held between the finger 98 and the binder I20 is such that the yarn is not taken with too great certainty. The regular feeding position is shown in Fig. 12 while Fig. 14 illustrates the position the guide 98 assumes when either the lobes I42 or I43 are functioning upon link H2. The additional movement is only imparted when introducing the elastic yarn and when withdrawing the same. Between these points it will be taken satisfactorily once it has been engaged by several needles. The reason for feeding in the higher position is that the higher position is more satisfactory because the guide 98 which functions pretty close to needle hooks will be out of the way and not likely to smash against the needle hooks. The second lobe acts when the last few elastic stitches are to be knitted. At that time the dividing cam 11 starts to be withdrawn and if a few needles did not rise to a complete height, the temporary lowering of guide 98 at that movement would assure that these needles would take their yarn.

The next link and the only other one of this group being controlled from drum 8 is the link 81, Figs. 1, 6 and 11, which is controlled by a cam I44 on the drum 8, Figs. 1 and 21. This cam lifts the link 87 and withdraws the needle dividing cam 11 at all times except when the elastic .yarn is to be fed. At that time the link will drop from the cam I44 and will remain in the depression as illustrated at the top of Fig. 21 until the elastic top has been completed and at which time the guiding cam will be withdrawn.

The link 13, Figs. 4, 8 and 10, extends downward from the lever II by means of which it controls the auxiliary stitch cam 65 and auxiliary sinker cam I36 and connects at its lower end to an extension I45 projecting up from the arm I46 which is pivoted to the stud I41 at that side of the frame. This arm I46 has a cam engaging toe I48 by means of which it is controlled by a cam M9 on drum 9. The cam maintains the stitch cam 65 outwardly and pushes the sinker cam I36 inwardly except at such times as the elastic top is being knitted. It will be noted that the cam IE9 is substantially of the same extent and'the depression therein is at substantially the same relative circumferential position so that cams 65, I36 and 11 function practically at the same time.

The main binder is actuated by a link I5, Figs. 2 and 5, which is in turn connected to a lever I50 which is controlled by certain suitable cams on the cam drum 9. The binder is also actuated in a known manner as the lever II which is contacted by'lugs I52 on a drum I53 at the striper shaft I54 at the back of the machine. The auxiliary or elastic yarn binder is actuated by connections leading down through link I 21 to the outer end of a lever I55 also pivoted at I41, Figs. 4 and 22, and which is actuated by a cam I56 on the drum 9. This cam is so positioned and is of sufficient extent to openthe elastic binder at a suitable interval before the elastic yarn is to be withdrawn, but is timed to close that binder at the proper moment as the said elastic yarn is withdrawn from the needles. The relative position and extent of said cam is shown in Figs. 4 and 22.

Operation In Fig. 23 an anklet or sock is illustrated having a leg I51 and foot I58. The top generally indicated at I59 shows in a more or less conventional manner the way in which the elastic is drawing spaced wales together to simulate a rib appearance and to contract the same so that the entire top has the general shape and fabric characteristics of a transferred rib top. A design has been made by wrapping certain areas I60 with a colored or otherwise contrasting yarn.

At the termination of knitting in a preceding article, the machine makes a move at which the completed article is to be cast oii. At this same move the stitch cam 65, dividing cam H and a latch opener (not shown) are moved in active position. This prepares the machine for knitting at the auxiliary side as soon as the elastic yarn is dropped to feeding position. That occurs on the next move when the link I I 2 is raised up to the lobe I42 of the cam I4I. That moves the elastic feeding finger 98 down to the position shown in Fig. 14 so that it is sure to be taken by the first divided or raised needle encountered. It is to be understood that alternate needles are being raised by cam 11 while intermediate needles do not rise high enough to take the elastic yarn. This elastic is taken by raised needles for two courses, but since the first course is cast from the needles as they pass the main yarn feed, that course of elastic is merely incidental and does not appear in the finished fabric. The reason for taking the elastic during two courses is that the machine provides a move or a change every two revolutions. Thus it is necessary after dropping in the elastic to knit it fortwo revolutions before the plain yarn may be dropped to feeding position.

On the next move the plain yarn 'drops to feeding position at the main side and will immediately start to knit. As it does so, it will lock the elastic yarn which was taken on every other needle, at this point both the elastic and plain yarn are feeding, the plain yarn toall needles and the elastic to alternate needles. Each yarn knits at its own station and both produce the fabric of United States Patent #2,131,720. If a wrap pattern is to be knitted in this section of fabric, the wrap mechanism and the pattern mechanism may be brought into position at any time after the initial'course or selvage has been started. Presumably the wrapping will commence immediately after the start of the initial course or courses and will continue until practically the last course in the knitted top.

At the end of knitting in the top, one move which is a long move terminates knitting the elastic and also the pattern if the latter has not been removed from operative position previously. On this single move the dividing cam, stitch cam 65, latch opener and the elastic yarn feeding finger 98 are withdrawn from position; also the binder takes the elastic yarn and severs it. In actual operation these functions are timed to occur at slightly different intervals although all on the same move. The stitch cam is withdrawn first, then the dividing cam and then the yarn feeding finger at which timethe binder receives the yarn and severs it. The latch opener may come out at any time after the elastic knitting has been completed. While these functions are timed to occur at slightly different intervals, the

interval is extremely slight and merely sufficient Referring to Fig. 1-9, the path of the various needle and jack butts has been shown. The butts 30 engage cam 11 and are raised up in a. pathother needles pass beneath the feeding finger and come up in front of the floats of elastic yarn ex tending between alternate needles, then all needles pass downwardly as their butts travel pathway I63 beneath cam 65. The said alternate needles knit the elastic yarn at that point. Thereafter needles are raised by cam 93 to the usual height which they assume after knitting or when passing along their raise cams. The jacks are then raised by cam 25 which engages butts 3| until they are at the proper elevation to be engaged by selecting plungers 32. If certain ones are lifted by these plungers, they will then be further elevated by cam 96 which functions upon the master butts. Other jacks will merely pass along so that the master butts travel just below the point of said cam 96. Those that are selected cause their needles to be raised so that the butts travel in pathway I64 and the hooks to move in pathway I65 and to take wrap threads from a wrap thread carrier I66, a fragment of which is shown in this figure. The other needles pass along at the normal level and are raised up front stitch cam 58 so that their latches are cleared. Naturally the selected needles have their latches cleared when selected and are thereafter moved down by the point 89 of the cam 88 and join the pathway of the needles raised by cam 58 as they strike the cam 60. Here they take a plain yarn feeding through one of the yarn fingers Ill and knit as they pass down beneath cam 59; Thereafter they rise and are guided by cam 62.

The machine may be used without resort to the complete method which includes omamentation by wrapping, in which case the base fabric of plain yarn and elastic only will be produced. As a further variation, the machine may be slightly modified by raising all needles to the path I62 so that they take the elastic, but knitting only on alternate needles. This may be accomplished by feeding at a lower position after the selvage course which must necessarily be knitted as hereinafter described. Since only the needles which rise to path I62 would have their latches cleared, the other needles would not knit off even though they pass beneath stitch cam 65. This means that they would tuck or accumulate a loop of plain or elastic yarn which would be knitted off on passing through the'main yarn feed subsequently thereto. This method results in a fabric such as illustrated in copending application Serial #238,462, filed November 2, 1938. Other modifications and changes which would fall within the scope of the invention as originally conceived may be apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims;

We claim: 1

'1. In a knitting machine, a vertically movable elastic yarn feeding finger, means for moving continuous feeding between said two extreme points.

2. In a knitting machine a movable yarn feeding finger, means for moving said finger to and from a feeding position including cam meanswith effective surfaces at two different heights whereby on the initial movement to feeding position and upon withdrawal from feeding position, the finger will be caused to move to a lower feeding position with respect to needles than it occupies while feeding in the interim.

3. In a knitting machine, the combination of a vertically movable yarn feeding finger, a binder and cutter adjacent said finger and within the needle circle for holding a yarn threaded through said finger, means for moving said finger to an extreme feeding position, then for raising said finger slightly to feed above the hooks of passing needles and thereafter for returning the finger to the extreme position just before withdrawal of the yarn.

4. In a knitting machine the combination of means at two independent feeding stations including needles, yarn feeding means at one of the stations and needle actuating cams thereat for raising all needles to take the yarn and to draw it into knitted stitches, and means at the other of said stations for raised spaced needles only to take yarn fed thereat and draw it into knitted loops on said spaced needles, said means for feeding the yarn at said second station including a movable yarn feeding finger, a binder and cutter for the yarn operable at such times as the yarn is to be withdrawn from feeding, sinker controlling means including a center sinker cam and means under pattern control for simultaneously rendering the said needle and sinker controlling means active and inactive including a common operating member connected at one part to the needle controlling means and at another part to a sinker controlling means.

5. In a knitting machine the combination of means at two independent feeding stations intern control for moving said finger to and from feeding position, a binder and cutter for the, yarn operable at such times as the yarn is to be withdrawn from feeding, and sinker controlling means at that feeding station operable to impart to said sinkers a stitch wave when yarn is fed, but not to impart such wave when yarn is withdrawn from feeding position, said sinker control being simultaneously effected by mechanism including a bell crank lever connected at one end to means for actuating needles and at the other end to said sinker controlling means.

6. In a knitting machine the combination of means for feeding and knitting yarn at two feeding stations, means in advance of one of'said feeding stations for selecting spaced needles only to raise them to take an elastic yarn and means thereat for causing said raised needleswhich have taken yarn to draw stitches, other means for controlling sinkers at said elastic yarn feeding station whereby a sinker wave will be imparted while the elastic yarn is being'fed at that station, butotherwise sinkers will not be affected when elastic yarn is not feeding, and means simult'aneously operable upon said sinker controlling means and means for causing needles to draw stitches of said elastic yarn including a common lever connected at one end to stitch drawing means and at the other end to sinker controlling means and adapted upon rocking movement to impart the necessary movement to both for rendering them effective in producing needle and sinker movements or rendering both 10 for holding a yarn fed through said finger, means for moving said yarn feeding finger to and from a yarn feeding position and also to an extent so that the same passes through said feeding position and to a so-called extreme feeding position at which the said yarn is more effectively introduced to needles, cam means for controlling the movement of said yarn feeding finger having cams of two different heights, one for determining the said feeding position and another for determining said extreme position.

ALFRED L. HUTTON'. JR. EUGENE ST. PIERRE.

Images