US2389154A

US2389154A - Knitting machine

Info

Publication number: US2389154A
Application number: US492806A
Authority: US
Inventors: William D Kellogg; Fradenburgh John
Original assignee: AVECO Inc
Current assignee: AVECO Inc
Priority date: 1943-06-30
Filing date: 1943-06-30
Publication date: 1945-11-20
Anticipated expiration: 1962-11-20

Description

4 Sheets-Sheet l W. D. KELLOGG ETAL KNITTING MACHINE Filed June so, 1945 Nov, 20, 1945.

Nov. 20, 1945. w.'D. KELLOGG ETAL KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 50, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 NOV- 20 1945 w. D. KELLOGG Erm. 2,389,154

KNITTING MACHINE I' Filed June 30, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 mm1/gymles BY mi?! ATTORNEYS Nov. 20, 1945. w. D. KELLOGG ETAL KNITT'ING MACHINE l 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 30,` 1943 shines may be operated with safety.

Patented Nov. 20,- 1945 KNI'ITING MACHINE f william D. Kellogg and John mumbai-gh,

Amsterdam, N. Y., assigner! to Aveco, Incorporatella corporation of New York Application June 30, 1943, Serial No. 492,803

lclalms.

This invention relates to hitting machines of the warp type and is concerned more particularly with a novel warp knitting l'uachiner which can be operated at a higher output rate and runs more smoothly than prior similar. machines, so that it is capable of producing fabrics of higher quality at lower cost. 'Ihe advantageous results mentioned are derived from the use in the machine of a new and improved supporting structure which absorbs vibration and prevents transmission thereof between certain elements of the machine.

Warp knitting machines as now constructed includea machine frame on which are mounted one or more supplies of warp thread in the form of warp beams and knitting elementsco :i: n i of a needle bar, slnker bar, presser bar, and guide bar assemblies. These assemblies extend the full length of the machine, which may be from 6 to l feet in ordinary practice, and, during the operation of the machine, they are given rapid nonrotary movements bycams on a common driven shaft also mounted on the frame. .In addition to a rocking movement about a longitudinal Af f.: imparted to them by the cam shaft, the guide bar assemblies are also reciprocated endwise by capable of operating at a high rate of production. such as from 350 to '100 stitches a minute, eiiorts have been made to overcome diiilculties arising from the development of the vibrational and twisting forces above mentioned by providing the machines with a rigid frame construction. In one prior machine, the frame has included vertical end frame members and one or more intermediate vertical frame members spaced apart and connected by short longitudinal members. for the warp supply, the cam shaft, and the knitting assemblies and various shafts associated therewith, and one end frame supports the patterning mechanism. Such machines have not Y been satisfactory for high speed operation, be-

cause the complex harmonic forces originating in the cam shaft and its associated cams and the forces developed. by the intermittent action of the patterning mechanism have caused the machine frame members to vibrate and have' also resulted in the application of warping forces to the framework. These vibrational and other forces are then transmitted through the frame a patterning or traverse mechanism attached to the frame, so that they may lap the threads about the needles in the desired manner. The traverse motions of the guide bar assemblies are produced by means of pattern cam wheels, which, although continuously driven, are of such shape as to cause the assemblies to move stepwise when they have been swung in front and to the rear of the needles. l

To produce fabrics 'of high and uniform quality on such machines, it is essential that the hitting assemblies function smoothly and regularly. Howeverfthe mode of operation of the assemblies causes vibrational and twisting forces to be applied to the frame by the cam shaft and patterning mechanism and such forces, when mitted to the assemblies through the frame, may cause impairment oi' the quality of the fabric. In addition, the development of those forces and their application to the frame imposes a limitation upon the speed at which the prior mafurther factor of importance in the situation is that the mounting of the warp beams on the frame ren salts in a change in the center of gravity ci the machine and a reduction in its stability, as the weight of the warp supply decreases d the production of the fabric. r

In attempts to build warp hitting machines members to the knitting assemblies and interfere with the smooth operation thereof. While theoretically it is possible to construct a frame supporting the cam shaft, the knitting assemblies,

the patterning mechanism, and the warp supply, which is of suilicient rigidity to prevent transmission of vibration from the cam shaft and pattern ing mechanism to the assemblies, in practice, such a frame construction cannot be builtl because of space limitations. Thus, if the height of the machine is kept within reasonable limits for.ac=

cessibility to the Emitting elements, space is not available for the use of the required number of vertical and horizontal members connected togetherin such fashion as to produce a rigid construtcion capable of absorbing vibrations when the machine is operated at the high speeds mentioned.

The present invention is, accordingly, directed to the provision of a novel warp knitting machine which overcomes the objections to the prior machines and is greatly superior thereto'in that, bythe use of a new frame construction, the vi brational and twisting forces developed by the cam shaft and patterning mechanism are kept from being transmitted through the frame to the knitting assemblies. At the same time, the new frame permits warp beams of any desired size to be used by making minor changes in the beam supporting structure and the beams are'so supported that their decreasing weight during the The vertical frames afford support,

production of fabric does not affect the center of gravity of the machine and, therefore, does not impair the stability of the support for the knitting elements.

'Ihe new machine a massive integral base which includes a frame comprising extends the iull length of the machine and on which thecam shaft and the patterning mechanism are directly tion, vibrational and other forces generated by the operation of the cam shaft and patterning mechanism cannot pass from their pointsl of origin to the knitting elements, except along a path of which the base' forms a part. Such forces are, accordingly, absorbed by the base and there is no transmission of the forces from the baseto th'e knitting elements through the vertical frame members in any degree suiilcient to impair the operation of the elements. Moreover, as the weight of the warp supply is not supported in any way by the frame members supporting the knitting elements, the changing weight of the warp supply is Without effect on the center of gravity and stability of that portion of the structure on which the knitting elements are mounted.

For a better understanding of th'e invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1-is a view of the new .machine in front elevation;

Fig. 2 is an end view of right-hand end of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a. sectional view onthe line 3-3 of Fig. l; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged sectional views illustrating the -knitting assemblies and the mechanism by which they are operated.

The machine shown in the drawings includes a frame provided with a massive integral base l@ which extends the full length of the machine and is provided at intervals with upright projections Il and l2. The base is supported on a oor by feet I3 attached to the base and resting on the oor at spaced points. The upright projections Il and l2 of the base support the cam shaft' I4 which is journaled in bearings I5 on those projections, and the projections also provide support for end frame members I6 at the ends of the mathe machine from the 42 on the shaft. Presser prior machines,

' not transmitted through the frame members and i1 to the knitting assemblies but, instead, are

chine and intermediate frame members I1. The

frame members are cut away as shown in Eiga. 2 and 3, so that the camshaft and its bearings gre wholly out of contact with the framememers.

The knitting elements of th'e machine comprise needle bar, sinker bar, presser bar, and guide bar assemblies supported by the end frame members and intermediate frame members attached to the base. The needle bar i8 extends the whole length of the machine and it is supported at various points by arms I9 fast on shaft 28 supported at its ends in bearings 2l attached to end frame members I8 and at intermediate points in bearings 22 mounted on the intermediate frame members I1. The sinker bar 23 also extends the full length of the machine and is supported at various points by arms 2| on shaft 25, supported at its ends in bearings 26 attached to end v.frame intermediate frame member 58,

vibrations and otherv Vmembers i6 and at intermediate points in bearings 3 on intermediate frame members i1.' The

guidebars

32 and 33 extend the entire length of the machine and are secured by suitable connections to a shaft 3d supported in bearings 35 attached to a longitudinal member 36 which is, in turn, attached at its ends to end frame members i6 and at intermediate points to intermediate frame members i1.

During the knitting operation, oscillatory motion is imparted to the knitting assemblies by cams on cam shaft it. .The needle bar is actuated by oscillation of shaft 20 and, for this purpose,y the shaft is provided with' arms 31 having bifurcated ends carrying rollers 38 running on cams 39 on shaft I4. The sinker bar is actuated by oscillation of shaft 25 and, for this purpose, the shaft is provided with arms 40 having-bifurcated ends carrying rollers 4| running on-cams bar 28 is actuated by oscillation of shaft 29 and the shaft is provided with arms 43 terminating in-bfurcated ends carry-- ing' rollers 44 running on cams 45 on th'e shaft. The guide bars 32, 33 are actuated by oscillation of shaft 36 and the shaft is provided with arms 46each of which is connected by a link 41 to Ya lever 48 pivoted on shaft 20 and terminating in bifurcated ends carrying rollers 48 runningV on cams 53 on th'e shaft. In each instance'above, thetwo rollers on an arm, such as rollers 38 on one of the arms 31, run on separate cams on the cam shaft, but only one such cam is shown for the sake' of clearness,

The rotation of the cam shaft causes the various cams to impart the requisite non-rotary motions to the knitting assemblies and such motions result in the generation of vibrations. In the the cam shaft is supported in bearings mounted directly on the end frame and intermediate frame members, with the result that forces originating in the shaft are transmitted directly through those frame members to the knitting assemblies. In the present construction, the cam shaft is supported directly on the base and the vibrational and other forces originating in the cam shaft are 6 absorbed by the base.

The warp supplyof the new machine may include one or more beams and, in the machine i1- lustrated, the supply comprises two beams 5| and 5,2, which aresupported by a structure separate and distinct from that in which the knitting assemblies are mounted. ,The beams are supported at their ends in suitable bearings in end frame members 53 held in position by attachment at points 5l` and 55 to the end frame members i6. End frames 53 are supported in part by ledge 58 on the base i0, and a substantial portion of the weight of the warp supply and its supporting structure is carried by lower ends of frame members 53 and resting on the floor. The warp beams are also. supported at one or more intermediate points by bearings in an which is held in position by attachment at point 5,9 to the longiported in part by as-ledge feet 51 attached to the in part by n reet sl beneath the lower end of the "frame and resting on the floor.

The

warp threads

62 and 63 drawn from the beams Stand 52, respectively, pass over spring actuated tension bars 64 and 65 to thread 'guides 66 and 61 carried by the guide bars 32 and 33, re-

spectively. 'I 'he guides direct the threads to needles 68 carried on the needle bar I8 and the threads are knitted into the fabric by the interaction of the

guides

66 and 61, the needles 68, the sinkers 69 on the bar 23, and the presser 'lli carried by the bar 28.

During the knitting operation, each guide Vbar receives two kinds of motion during the cycle, namely, rocking motion about shaft 3l to carry the threads back and forth between the needles, and an endwise patterning motion occurring when the thread guides are in front and to the rear of the needles, these motions lapping the threads around the needles. The patterning motion is imparted to guide bar 32 by a connection 1| secured at one end to the guide bar and at the other end to a sliding plunger 'i2 mounted in a bracket 13. One vend of the plunger is provided with a cam roller 14 bearing on the surface of a pattern camwheel 15. To maintain the roller against the cam surface, a spring 'i6 is' connected to the opposite end of the guide bar and to a bracket Tl faston shaft 34. 'I'he cam 'l5 is fast on a shaft 'I8 mounted in bearings in 30 a bracket 19 and actuated from cam shaft-i4 through suitable gearing 80. The guide bar 33 is driven in like manner by a second patterning cam on shaft 78; Brackets 'i3-for plungers 'l2 and brackets 'i9 for shaft 'i3 are mounted on a support elv which is support'ed on an integral ex. tension 82 of base it.

During knitting, the patterning cams are driven continuouslyby the gears 80 from the cam 'shaft it, but their peripheral shapes are such that they impart a. stepwise or intermittent moe tion to the guide bars when the latter are in the .front and in the rear of the needles. In high speed operation, such intermittent motion produces vibrational forces and, in the prior constructions in which the patterning mechanism is carried directly by vertical side frame members,

those vibrational forces are transmitted to the frame members and through them directly to the other knitting elements carried thereby. In the new machine, the patterning mechanism is carried by the integral base independently of the frame supporting the knitting assemblies so, that any vibration developed in the patterning mechanism is absorbed by the base and is not transmitted through the frame members to the assemblies.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the manner of constructing the frame of the new machine provides a structure supporting both the cam shaft and patterning mechanism, by which vibrational and other objectionable forces are generated, and the knitting elements, which must be protected against such forces, in such manner as to prevent transmission of those forces from their points oft-origin to the elements.

This result is attained by including in the frame structure a massive integral base and then mounting the cam shaft, the patterning mechanism, and the knitting elements independently and similar undesirable forces generatedfby the shaft and mechanism pass therefrom to the base, where they are absorbed, and such forces do not pass from the base to the elements in undesirblies, and this is accomplished by supporting thewarp supply in such manner that variations in weight thereof during operation do not alter the center of gravity of thev assembly supporting means. -The new machine can, accordingly, be

operated 4at higher. speeds than prior machines without impairment of the quality of the fabric produced and in complete safety.

We claim:

1.1m n wnni knitting xnaehine, the eemb1na' tion of an integral base extending the full length of the machine,l supporting members mounted on the base and extending upwardly/therefrom, knitassemblies mounted on the members, and a cam shaft forfdriving all the knitting assemblies,

the cam mounted directly on the base out of contactwith the supporting members for the assemb1i'es.'

2. In a warp knitting machine, the combination of an integilbase extending the full length of the machine, supporting members mounted on the base and extending upwardly therefrom, knitting assemblies mounted on the members, bearings mounted directly. on the base out of contact with the supporting members fox/'fthe assemblies,

' mounted in the bearings.

a warpknitting machine,l the combination of an integral b ase extending the full length of the machinesupporting members mounted on 85 the base and extending upwardly therefrom, knitting assemblies mounted on the members, a cam shaft for driving all the knitting assemblies, the

cam shaft being supported by the baseout 0f contact with the supporting members for the. as-` 5 tion of an integral base extending the full length of the machine, supporting members mounted on the base and extending upwardly therefrom, knitting assemblies mounted 'on thevmembers, bearings mounted on the base, a cam shaft for driving 5d all the assemblies, the cam shaft being mounted in the bearings out of contact'with the supporting members, and a patterning mechanism mounted on the base out of contact with the supporting members and the cam shaft.

5. In a warpknitting machine, the combination of an integral "oase extending the full length of the machine, supporting members mounted on the base and extending upwardly therefrom, knitting assemblies mounted on the members, a. cam shaft for driving the knitting assemblies, the cam shaft being supported by the base out of contact e with the supporting'members for the assemblies.

and supporting members for warp beams, said members-being arranged to transmit the weight of the beams partly to the base and partly to the supporting surface onk which `the base rests, whereby variations in weight of the-warp supply do not substantially affect the center of gravity and stability of the structure comprisingthe knitting assemblies and their supporting members.

6.- Ina warp knitting machine, the combination on the base. With'this arrangement, vibrational ,m assemblies mounted on the members, a cam shaft for driving the hitting' assemblies, the cam shaft and a cam shaft driving all thefassemblie's and being supported by the base out of lcontact with the supporting members for the assemblies, a patterning mechanism mounted on the base out of -for driving all the assemblies, and separate and independent means for supporting the assemblies and shaft from the base, whereby vibrations developed by the cam shaft and the assemblies during operation are transmitted directly to the base through the respective supporting means for the assemblies and shaft. I

1 8. In a. warp knitting machine, the/combination of an integral base extending the full length of the machine, knitting assemblies including thread guide bars, a cam shaft for driving all the assemblies, and a patterning mechanism Afor controlling the operation of the thread guide bars, the knitting assemblies, cam shaft, and patterning mechanism being supported from the base wholly independently of one another.

9. In a warp knitting machine, the combination of an'integral base extending the full lengthv of the machine, vertical frame memberson the base, knitting assemblies mounted in the vertical frame members, a cam shaft for driving all the assemblies and mounted on the base out ofcontact with theframe members, whereby vibrations developed by the cam shaft cannot be transmitted to the assemblies except through the base, and a patterning mechanism mounted on the base independently of the frame members and cam shaft.

10. In a warp knitting machine, the combination of an integral base extending the full length of the machine, vertical frame members on the base, knitting assemblies mounted in the vertical frame'members, a cam shaft for driving l the assemblies and mounted on the base out of contact with the frame members, whereby vibrations developed by the cam shaft cannot be transmitted to the assemblies except through the base, and supporting members for warp beams constructed to transmit the weight of the beams partly to the base and partly to the surface on which the base rests, whereby variations in the weight of the warp supply does not substantially affect the center of gravity and stability of the Cil cam shaft for driving all the knitting assemblies, the cam shaft being supported by the base out of contact with the supporting members for the assemblies, and a patterning mechanism mounted on the base out of contact with the sup-` porting members.

13. In a warp knitting machine, the combination of an integral base extending the full length of the machine, supporting members mounted on the base and extending upwardly therefrom, knitting assemblies mounted on the members, bearings mounted on the base, a cam shaft for driving all the assemblies, the cam shaft being mounted on the bearings out of contact with the supporting members, and a patterning mechanism mounted on the base out of contact with the supporting members.

14. In a warp knitting machine, the combination of an integral base extending the full length of the machine, supporting members mounted on the base and extending upwardly therefrom, a warp guide bar assembly mounted on the supporting members, and a cam shaft for driving the warp guide bar assembly and mounted on the base out of contact with the supporting members.

15. In a warp knitting machine, the combination of an integral base extending the full length of the machine, supporting members mounted on the base and extending upwardly therefrom, a presser bar assembly mounted on the supporting members, and a cam shaft for driving the presser bar assembly and mounted on the base out of contact with the supporting members.

16. In a Warp knitting machine, the combination of an integral base extending the full length of the machine, supporting members mounted on the base and extending upwardly therefrom, a sinker bar assembly mounted on the supporting members, and a cam shaft for driving the sinker bar assembly and mounted on the base out of contact with the supporting members.

WILLIAM D. KEILOGG.

JOHN FRADENBURGH.