US2422514A

US2422514A - Apparatus for cleaning knitting machines

Info

Publication number: US2422514A
Application number: US691946A
Authority: US
Inventors: John L Allen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-08-21
Filing date: 1946-08-21
Publication date: 1947-06-17
Anticipated expiration: 1964-06-17

Description

June 17, 1947.

Filed Aug. 21, 1946 J. 1.. ALLEN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING KNITTING MACHINES All?! 6 I 52 l 55 v'vw/m I j I w 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS June 17, 1947. ALL N 2,422,514

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 21, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllllllllllllllllll A T TORNEYS.

Patented June 17, 1947 "UN 1 T ED STATES "OFF ICE 2,422,514 hrrA-imtrfisnon CLEANiNG KN TTING MACHINES John L. Allen, New 'Bedfdrd; Mas's. Application Augu st 21, 1946, serial No. 651L946 (Cl; 66- I|. 68)

Claims. This invention relates to the cleaning of a machine such asu'sedfor knitting fabrics.

A knitting machine -ernbo'dies'a large number of small'moving parts. "Lint from the yarn used in knitting accumulates about these moving parts with the result that occasionally a bunch of yarn'lint will'be dislodged into som'e'of the small moving parts so as 'to cause a breakage of the parts such as the needles. Thisrequires the stopping of the machine for repair with the consequent loss or time and imperfect Work.

One of the objects of this invention is toprovide anapp'aratus for dislodgin lint from the 'ya'rnw'hich accumulates so that no build up of this lint can occur With the consequent dislodging of the lint and breaking of some of the small moving parts.

Another object "ofithisinvention is to provide a construction which ma be easily assembled upon existing knitting machines 50 that the knittin machines'that are already in use may be equipped with the apparatus. Another'object'of the invention is to provide cleaning of both rotary and stationary parts with reference to whichm'o'veinen't occurs by causing movement of the'cleaning apparatus from one of the existing moving parts of the machine.

Another object of'the'invention is to provide a current ofair for dislodging any lint and good sealin connections for the conduit for conducting the air to the desired parts.

Another obiect of this invention is to provide 'a relatively simple apparatus and one which maybemaintained in operation-without the necessity of providing aspecially trained mechanic.

With these and other objects in 'view,'the invention consistsof certain novel features of construction, as will'be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation largely diagrammatic illustrating generally the parts of a knitting machine which enter into this invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view illustrating thesupporting rod with my air chamber mounted thereon;

Fig. 3 is asec'tional viw'on line 3-3 ofFig/Z;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on a larger scale illustrating the moving parts of the knitting machine which are cleaned and the cleaning apparatus in its relation thereto.

In proceeding with this invention, I mount upon a stationary hollow rod which supports the upper structure of the machine, an air chamber, which air chamber is revolved by connection "mounted for engagement. member 3-8-maythus be adjusted vertically andv with'thesprea'dersior the 'work. :From this hollow rod and the air chamber fixed and movable no'zzlesare arranged'for sweeping airacross'the parts with reference to which movement occurs of the knitting machine. The source ofair is supplied to some fixedpoint alon the hollow rod for distributionto the nozzles.

With referen'ce'to the drawings, It] represents 'the'ba'se plate of jthe'ma'chine'which is supported on stanchions Ilabovethe annular frame 1-2 which isin turnsuppor'ted by means of legs 13. Uprights l4 support the creel l5 carrying the packages of yarn 'itwhich areledup'wardly to stop motion I! and then downwardly through guides "I18 andl9,"the'latt'er of which'issupporte'd 'byrod 20 centrally of the machine. Theyarns are led through further vguides 'Zl (see also Fig. 4) to the nee d1es'22 'Whic'h'lare carried. "by the rotating cylinder 23. These needles reciprocate in guides "24 in the cylinde'r'as this cylinder is rotated'by means of annular gear 25 engaging 'the'driving pinion 26. This pinion is on the end of shaft '2! whichhasfixed andloose pulleys-28 and '29 engaged by a belt. A hand wheel 30 is also fixed on the shaft 2'l for manual operation. A drive for feeding the knitted work 3| is taken from the otherend of shaft 21 at32 and transmitted as at 3'3to pulley '34 and shaft 35 which g esandife'eds the work downwardly of the machine in aknown manner.

As the cylinder23is rotated vertical motion is transmitted to the *needles'fi which have their looped portion '36 mounted between

cams

31 and 38 mounted upon plate 39 which is secured to the base plate ID. The cams 3i and 3B are annular rings withspaced undulatingsurfaces to guide the portion 3601 the needle. -A portion -40 of the plate 39 extends upwardly and has a ring 4! secured thereto which in turn'carries a ring 42: supported by spring 43 "and which-may be adjusted'against the spring by the V slot 44 in- Which the thumb "screws 45 and handles are 'This upper cam.

the proper spacing may be obtained-between it and the cam edge of the cam'3l.

The annulus 48 which is fixed to theframeo-f the machine carries a cam member 49 with which.

the sinkers 50 engage. The sinkers move with the cylinder 23 and are located between the needles 22 and are given a horizontal movementin and out by reason of their U shaped portion 5| will not collect between the needles and the sink-- ers or upon the cam member 49 which engages which engages the cam 49. In order that lint Ibe sufficiently flexible 'pressure in the annulus :rod while it also is provided tend along the flanges 6! or 62 and be engaged by the

caps

64 and 65 to bind it in position. This the sinkers, air is directed to sweep these sur= faces as will now be described.

of this nozzle air will cause any lint which may have collected between them to be dislodged and blown outwardly ofthe machine. Air is supplied to this hollow portion 55 either by entry directly into the hollow portion 55 or by means of entry by the T connection 51 by means of a conduit 58 g which leads to some suitable air supply source such for instance as a compressor or tank. Air under pressure with an open= approximately 30 pounds ing of about 20 thousandths of an inch at the nozzle is found to be a suitable proportion for.

the usual knitting machine.

In addition to the nozzle 56 I mount a chamber;

59 upon the rod externally of a hollow portion thereof so as to provide an annulus 60 about this rod. This chamber 59 is cylindrical with outwardly turned flanges El and 62 at either end with washer 63 mounted to telescope tube v2Eiand so as to be responsive to 611 to force it against the with a flange to ex- .chamber 59 is prevented from axial movement :along the rod by

collars

65 and 61 held by

set screws

68 and 69 upon the rod 20. An opening '19 is provided in the wall of the rod 20 to communicate the bore 55 of the rod with the annulus 6B. Nozzle H is rigidly mounted upon the chamber 59 to extend directly toward the fixed cam d9 so that the discharge of air from this nozzle as it is rotated will sweep the cam 49 and keep its surface free of lint.

' In order to rotate the chamber 59 and its-nozzle H a bracket 12 is mounted upon the-chamber and is provided with a pin 13 (see Fig. 4) and the knurled handle 14 to extend downwardly and lock with the rotating spreader 15 which serves as a guide for spreading the work 3| as it is formed and is turned by the machine.

By this arrangement, I provide a fixed nozzle past which the needles and sinkers move and also a rotary nozzle which is swept across the stationary parts of the machine so that between these nozzles all lint from moving parts where it freely accumulates is dislodged and the breakage due to the accumulation of lint and fine particles is'reduced or eliminated. g g

I claim:

1. Apparatus for cleaning a knitting machine of the type having a stationary part and a cylinder rotating relative to the same, comprising a hollow supporting rod within said cylinder, a chamber rotatably mounted on said rod, a nozzle carried by said chamber and rotatable therewith, means on said chamber to engage a rotatable part of said machine for rotation of said chamber, a conduit from said hollow rod to said'chamber and a conduit from said rod'to some external part of the machine for conducting air to said hollow rod.

' chamber rotatably mounted on said rod, a nozzle carried by said chamber and rotatable therewith 2. Apparatus for cleaning a knitting machine of the type having a stationary part and a cylin= der rotating relative to the same, comprising a hollow supporting rod within said cylinder, a chamber rotatably mounted on said rod, a nozzle carried by said chamber and rotatable therewith, means on said chamber to engage a rotatable part of said machine for rotation of said cham ber, a conduit from said hollow rod to said cham her and a conduit from said rod to some external part of the machine for conducting air to said 'hollow rod, and a second nozzle extending from said hollow rod and fixed therewith.

of the type having a stationary part and a cylin- ;der rotating relative to the same, comprising a.

hollow supporting rod within said cylinder, a

directed toward movable mechanism in the stationary part, means on" said chamber to engage a rotatable part of said machine for rotation of said chamber, a conduit from said hollow rod'to said chamber [and a conduit from said rod to some external part of the machine for conducting air to said hollow rod.

4. Apparatus for cleaning a knitting machine of the typehaving a stationary part and'a cylinder rotating relative to the same, comprising a hollow supporting rod within said cylinder, at a chamber rotatably mounted on said rod, a nozzle carried by said chamber and rotatable therewith,

means on said'cham'ber to, engage a rotatable part of said machine for rotation of said chamher, a conduit from said hollow 'rod to said chamber and a conduitfrom said rod to some external part of the machine for conducting air to said hollow rod, and a second nozzle extending from said hollow rod and fixed therewith'and directed toward movable mechanism in said movable part.

5. Apparatus for cleaning a knitting machine of the typ having a stationary part and a cylinder rotating relative to the same, comprising a hollow supporting rod within said cylinder, a chamber rotatably mounted on said rod, a nozzle carried by said chamber and rotatable therewith directed toward tmovable mechanism in the stationary part, means on said chamber to engage a rotatable part of said machine for rotation of said chamber, a conduit from said hollow rod to said chamber and a conduit from saidrod to some external part of the machine for conducting air to said hollow rod and a second nozzle extending from said hollow rod and fixed therewith and directed toward movable mechanism in said The following references are of record in file of this patent: V

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 'Name Date' 2,325,023 Allred July 27, 1943 the 3. Apparatus for cleaning a knitting machine