US231476A - byfield - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

v J B YF IE LD Peed Mechanism for Circular Knitting Machines.

Patented Aug. 24,1880.

1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS WITNESSE n Qua/L,

MPETERS. FHDTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WAsmNGTON. D C

- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. BYFIELD. Feed Mechanism for Circular Knitting Machines.

No. 231,476. Patented Aug. 24,1880.

INVENTOR vITNESSES [A/ I I N.PETERS, PNOTO-LITHDGRAPHER, WASHlNGTON. D 0- NITED STATES PATENT OFFIGEL,

JOHN BYFIELD, OF STRATFORD, ONTARIO, CANADA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,476, dated August 24, 1880.

Application filed December 6, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JoHN BYF IELD, of the town of Stratford, in the county of Perth and Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, manufacturer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed Mechanism for Circular-Knitting Machines and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of an elevation of my improved knittingmachine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, and Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detail views.

My invention relates to knitting-machines and it consists in the improvements in, the construction of the same hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

A indicates the cylinder of a circular-knitting machine, of the usual or any suitable construction, having needles a a, to which the yarns or threads of different colors are fed through guides or carriers B B.

O designates a cam cylinder, which surrounds the needle-cylinder, and carriesa standard, D, through which the carriers B B are arranged to slide.

The needle-cylinder is stationary upon a bed or table, E, while the cam-cylinder O rotates during the operation of knitting, thus carrying round the standard and yarn-carriers.

E designates a rotary bobbin-table, which carries the bobbins G G, and H designates a rotary yarn -guiding roller-shaft, which is mounted in suitable bearings upon a standard,

1, arranged above and intermediate of the knitting mechanism and the rotary bobbintable.

The yarns or threads pass from the bobbins to the carriers through holes formed in collars upon the shaft H, and in order to prevent the threads from twisting together during the rotation of the carriers I provide means for rotating the bobbin-table and the yarn-guiding shaft in unison with the carriers, as follows:

Below the table E, I arrange a shaft, K, provided with abeveled-gear wheel, L, at each one of its ends, one of the said wheels being arranged to engage with a line of gear-teeth upon the underside of the rotary table, and the remaining wheel to engage with a like line of teeth at the base of the rotary cam-cylindei' which carries the supporting-standard of the carriers.

Motion is likewise transmitted from the shaft K below the table to the shaft H upon the standard I by means of a crossed belt, M, the entire mechanism being actuated by a gear-wheel arranged upon a crank-shaft so as to interrnesh with the aforesaid line of teeth upon the rotary cam-cylinder O.

N designates a pattern-chain, which, like others of this class, is composed of links, some of which, according to any arbitrary arrangement, are cam-links N. This pattern-chain is hung upon a sprocket-wheel, O, and its camlinks are arranged relatively to hinged rods Q, so that at stated periods during the operation of the machine rods Q will be acted upon by the cam-links for the purpose of raising cams It It B into the plane of contact with the sliding carriers, so as to move the same into position for changing the feed from one color of yarn to another.

The rods Q, which are hinged upon the main table at Q, pass over the pattern-chain and connect with rods which support the cams in such manner that one of the rods Q serves to raise but one of the cams B, while the remaining rod is employed for the purpose of raising simultaneously the remaining cams R B.

The sprocket-wheel is advanced at each revolution of the cam-cylinder which carries the yarnguides or carriers by means of a pivoted spring finger-bar, S, which is actuated by a cam-projection, D, upon the bobbin-table E. This finger-bar acts upon the teeth of a ratchetwheel, T, which is secured alongside of the sprocket-wheel, whereby motion is imparted to the latter for the purpose of advancing the pattern-chain, and hence bringing its camlinks successively against the rods Q.

The sliding carrier B is somewhat longer than the sliding carrier B, and both are provided with rollers B which strike against the cams as they are carried round by the rotary cam-cylinder.

The serial arrangement of the cams is such that spaces are left between the central cam, R, and the two outer cams, R R

The pattern-chain being previously arranged 5 to produce any number of stripes by the more or less frequent introduction into said chain of cam-links, the machine is put in operation, and at each revolution of the bobbin-table the camprojection thereon strikes against and vibrates the finger-bar,which strikes against the ratchet-wheel and thereby advances the chain one link. So long as the plain links pass over the sprocket-wheel the rods Q will remain inact ive and no change of feeding-threads will be effected. \Vhen, however, a cam-link comes over the wheel and directly under one of the said rods, the cam or cams connected therewith will be raised so as to enter the plane of contact of the sliding carriers.

Supposing the two cams R R to be the ones raised, the roller ot' the longer sliding carrier B will strike against the cam It and cause this carrier to be projected toward the center of the needle-cyliinler, while the roller of the shorter carrier 13, striking against the outer edge and passing around such curved edge of the cam R will cause said shorter carrier to be shifted in a reverse direction. As the carriers are now carried round over the 0 needle-cylinder in such positions, the further advancementofthe pattern-chain by the means above described will relieve the cam-pressure from the rod which has upheld the two cams, and hence these will drop down, while another cam-link,eo1ning against the rod which raises the cam R,will cause the same to rise into the plane of contact of the sliding carriers. The

shorter carrier will now strike against the inner edge of the cam 1t--that is to say, the edge which is nearest to thencedle-cylinderthereby causing the said carrier to be projected toward the center of the needle-cylinder, and the roller upon the longer carrier, coming against the outer edge of the same cam,will cause the longer carrier to be retracted in areverse direction, thus effecting a change of feed.

Ifdesired, more than two bobbins may be carried upon the rotary bobbin-table,in which case the number of carriers, cams, and rods will be increased in like proportion.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a circular-knitting machine provided with a stationary needle-cylinder, revolving yarn-carriers, and mechanism for operating the same, the combination of the cams R R R the hinged rods Q, and the pattern-chain N, provided with cam-links N, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a circular-knitting machine provided with a stationary. needle-cylinder, revolving yarncarriers, revolving bobbin table, and mechanism for operating the same, in combination with the cams R R R the hinged rods Q, the pattern'chain N, provided with camlinks N, the sprocket-wheel O, ratchet-wheel T, spring finger-bar S, and mechanism for operating it, all constructed and operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The rotary bobbin-table E, yarn-guiding roller-shaft H, rotary cam'cylinder 0, provided with the sliding yarn-carriers B B, in combination with the shaft K, having beveled-gear wheels L, the gear-teeth on the bobbin-table and cam-cylinder, and the belt M, for transmitting motion from the shaft K to the rollershait H, all substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above 1 have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN BYFIELI).

Witnesses:

U. M. I LAWRENCE, G. W. LAWRENCE.

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