US25067A - Knitting-machine - Google Patents

Description

N, PETERS. PHOTo-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D C,

UNITE SATES A'IENT GFFICE.

JAMES F. IVATERHOUSE, OF GERMANTOVN, PENNSYLVANIA.

KNITTING-IVIACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 25,067, dated August 9, 1859. v

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. WATER- HoUsE, of Germantown, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to certain improvements in knitting machines whereby a fabric of different colors and of any desired pattern may be produced, patterns not limited to simple stripes and plaids, as produced by other knitting machines, but patterns of such a variegated character as are produced on woven fabrics by Jacquard and other fancy looms.

My improvements consist-Firstly. In the application of a drum or its equivalent` with detachable pegs to operate a kseries of independent thread guides which direct threads of different colors to the needles, substantially as described hereafter, so that any desired pattern may be 4produced by a suitable adjustment of the pegs on the drum. Secondly. In a certain device described hereafter for controlling such of the said independent thread guides as are not under the control of the pegs in the drum. Thirdly. In a disk with projections of a peculiar form in combination with a ratchet wheel for imparting the desired movement to the pegged drum. Fourthly. In devices described hereafter for imparting a combined lateral and vertical reciprocating motion to the needle bar.

In order to enable others skilled in this class of machinery to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, Figure 1, is a front View of my improved knitting machine. Fig. 2, a side view. Fig. 3, a sectional elevation. Fig. 4, a portion of Fig. 3, detached. Figs. 5 and 6, detached views of portions of the machine.

Similar letters of reference allude to similar parts throughout the severalviews.

A, and A, are the two side frames of the machine connected together by the four transverse stays a, a, a2, a3.

B, is the main driving shaft, and to this shaft are secured the eccentric C, the cams D and E, and the cog wheel F, and the bevel wheel G, the duties of which will be particularly alluded to hereafter. The cogwheel F, gears into another cog wheel H, the latter wheel having twice as many teeth as the former. The cog wheel H, turns freely on a pin b, secured to the frame A, and has on each side inclined projections c, c.

Immediately above the wheel I-I, a stud d, is secured to the outside of the frame A, and to a pin passing through the end of this stud is hung a lever' I, the long arm of which is slotted at the end, the short arm being forked and the forked arm embracing the edge of the wheel H, and its angular projections, so that as the wheel revolves an intermittent vibrating motion will be imparted to the lever owing to the peculiar form of the inclined projections c, c.

The slotted end of the lever I, is connected to a projection on the slide J, one end of which passes through and is guided by an opening in the frame A, the opposite end fitting into and being guided by an opening in the frame A. The slide J, has an opening throughout the greater portion of its length, for the reception of the needle bars K, and K, which are connected together and which are arranged to slide freely in a vertical direction on guides e, c, on the opposite ends of the opening of the slide J.

To the needle bars are connected two rods l\I and M', which pass through and are guided by openings in the lower plate F, of the slide J, below which plate they are connected by links L and L to pins 71., on the rocking frame N, which will be best observed on reference to Fig. 5, the rocking frame being hung at the opposite ends to pins c', one of which is secured to each of the side frames of the machine.

It will be observed that the pins 7l, em-

braced by the lower ends of the links are considerably longer than the breadth of the links, this is in order that the latter may slide freely along the pins without disturbing the lateral position of the rocking frame. This frame is connected near the middle to the rod I), which is screwed to the strap Q, the latter being made in two halves so as to embrace the eccentric C on the main driving shaft B.

Each of the needle bars K and K, is furnished with a row of the ordinary self act 'ing or hinged knitting needles each of which passes through an opening in the uppei plate g of the slide J.

R, is a bar which passes directly through the two frames A and A', each end of the bar being secured to one of the frames by four set screws y', so that its position on the frame can be readily adjusted to a limited extent. In this bar is a longitudinal opening directly above the needles, and passing directly through the center of the bar is a pin t, to which are hung the thread guides S, and T, the opening of the bar being of the peculiar form represented in the sectional views Figs. 3, and 4l, so as to allow for a free but limited vibration of the thread guides.

In close contiguity to the bar R, is a bent plate U, which I term the striker. Each end of this plate is attached to an arm m, each arm being hung to the central pin 25, which passes through the bar R, and each arm passing through slots in the bar, as best observed in the sectional view Fig. 6. The two arms are connected together by means of a rod V, to one end of which is jointed a rod IV, the lower end of the latter being connected to an arm X, which has its fulcrum on a pin projecting from the frame A, the end of the arm X, being raised periodically during the movement of the machine.

In suitable boxes attached to the frames and above the thread guides is hung a shaft Y, to the end of which and outside the frame is secured a ratchet wheel (2) between the teeth of which revolves a disk cam 3, on the diagonal shaft 4, the latter is caused to turn in boxes projecting from the frame A, by the bevel wheel G, on the driving shaft B, gearing into a similar bevel wheel on the said diagonal shaft.

The disk 3, has two inclined projections of peculiar form on the edge, which as the disk revolves catches on each tooth in succession of the ratchet wheel, thereby moving the latter and with it the shaft Y partly around a given distance in the direction of the arrow and moving it back again a less distance at every complete revolution of the driving shaft. To this shaft is secured a drum S, in the surface of which are a series of holes for receiving pegs.

The holes in the drum are arranged in rows parallel with the center of the shaft, there being as many holes in each row as there are thread guides, and each hole being directly above one of the said guides so as to coincide with the portion of the latter which projects upward above the top of the bar R.

To each thread guide is attached one end of a spiral spring 6, the opposite end of which is connected to a frame 7, which is permanently attached to the bar R.

In two brackets 8, 8, secured one to the inside of each of the opposite frames A, and

A, turn the three rollers 9, 10, and 11, allv of which are furnished at one end with cog wheels gearing into each other.

On the upper roller 9, is a ratchet wheel 12, to the teeth of which is adapted the point of the pawl 13, the latter being connected to an arm of the lever 14, which is hung to a pin on the frame A, the other arm of this lever resting on the pin of the cam E, so that as the latter' revolves the arm is raised periodically, the downward movement of the arm being effected by means of a spiral or other suitable spring.

A spring catch 15, prevents the ratchet wheel 12, from recoiling after it has been moved partially around by the pawl 13.

To the top of the frames A, and A, or to the roof of the building in which the machine may be situated, is secured a frame 16,

containing a series of spools equal in numberA to that of the thread guides and needles, each spool turning on an independent pin. The thread from these spools passes upward over and through, the bar 17, downward through holes in a plate 18, and thence through the eyes of the thread guides, where by the combined action ofthese guides and the needles, the threads are knitted; the fabric passing downward between the needle bars K, and K, thence under t-he cross stay a', thence over the upper roller 9, between the latter and the roller 10, and between the latter and the roller 11, and thence onto the floor or into a suitable receptacle.

On causing the main shaft B, to revolve the following movements will take place: First. The vertical reciprocating movement of the needle bars and their needles, caused by the eccentric C. Second. The lateral movement of the needle bars and their needles, caused by the movement of the slide J, which is operated by the inclosed projections on the wheel I-I. Third. The partial turning of the drum 5, first in one direction and' then in the other, caused by the disk 3, and its inclined projection. Fourth. The movement of the thread guides caused by the pegs on the drum 5. Fifth. Another movement of the thread guides, caused by the striker operated by the cam D. SiXth. The movement of the rollers 9, l0, and 11, by the pawl and ratchet wheel above described.

In ordinary knitting machines a. lateral reciprocating movement is imparted to the thread guides and a vertical reciprocating movement to the needles.

In my improved machine the lateral position of the thread guides remains always the same and a combined lateral and vertical reciprocating motion is imparted to the needles by the devices above described. The object of these combined movements of the needles and the duties they perform toward the formation of the loops, will be readily understood by those familiar with this class of machinery without any detailed description.

It should be understood that the especial object of my improvement is to produce a knitted fabric of different colors and of any desired pattern, not limited to simple stripes or plaids of -different colors but such variegated patterns as may be produced in woven fabrics by the JacquardA or other fancy loom. In order to accomplish this end the spools in the frame 16, contain threads of different colors, and all the thread guides are independent of each other and controlled'by the pegs on the drum 5, and the striker U, so that by the disposal of these pegs throughout the surface of the drum the desired pattern may be formed.

Supposing the moving parts of the machine to be in the position illustrated in Fig. 3, it will be observed that the thread guide S, has been moved in the direction of the arrow by one of a row of the pegs in the drum, and that the thread guide T, immediately behind the guide S, owing to the absence of a peg to coincide with it, is drawn by its spiral spring 6, to an angle the reverse of that assumed by the guide S. IVhile the guides are in this position the needle a?, is about to seize that of the guide T, and in order that thel hooks of the needles may be in a position to seize these threads the needle bar moves laterally. Immediately on the completion of this lateral movement the drum 5, which had previously moved in the direction of the arrow, now owing to the peculiar form of the disk 3, moves back a short distance so that the thread guide S, owing to its spring 6, assumes the perpendicular position illustrated in Fig. 4.

- Simultaneously with the retrograde motion of the drum the striker U, moved by the cam D, on the driving shaft, forces the thread guide T, to a vertical position coinciding with the guide S. By this movement the thread of the guide S,is lapped around the needle aa, and that of the guide T, around the needle y. At this point the guides remain stationary while the needle bar descends and the needles form the necessary loops. After the needles begin to rise the drum again moves in the direction of the arrow the pegs temporarily moving the thread guides which immediately recover their perpendicular position as soon as the pegs are free from contact with the points of the guides. As soon as the latter have escaped from the pegs the next row of pegs is in a position to act upon such of the guides as the pegs are arranged to coincide with, and these begin to move the guides at an angle as the needles are about to complete their upward movement. A repetition of the above described movements takes lace on the further revolution of the driving shaft.

It will now be seen that the position assumed by each thread guide as the machine is in motion must depend upon the pegs in the drum.

It has been previously remarked that there are in the drum a series of rows of holes, and that every hole in each row coincides with one of the thread guides, now if one of the holes in a row has no peg the guide which coincides .with that hole will, as the drum revolves assume the position of the guide T, the remaining holes having pegs will move the remaining guides to the posi* tion S. Supposing then that each guide has different colored threads they must appear on different sides of the fabric as the disposition of the pegs in the drum may determine. It will be evident therefore that by a different arrangement of the pegs in the different rows, different patterns may be produced, and these patterns of the most variegated and ornamental description.

Instead of the drum 5, an endless chain with pegged links such as is occasionally used in looms for operating the heddles may be adopted, with a result precisely similar to that attained by the pegged drum.

I lay no general claim to thread guides arranged and operated to so transpose the threads that they may be knitted first on one side, and then on the other side of the fabric as this may be seen in the patent of I. Vickerstaif assignor to Martin Landenberger, granted March 23d 1858, on which invention mine is designed as a marked improvement. But

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The application of a drum 5, or its equivalent with detachable pegs to operate a series of independent thread guides having independent springs when constructed and operating substantially as herein set forth and for the purpose specified.

2. The striker U, or its equivalent, constructed and arranged in respect to the thread guides and operating substantially as specified so as t0 control such of the thread guides as are not under the control of any of the pegs in the drum.

3. Moving the pegged drum or its equivalent, at intervals, first in one direction and then in another by means of the revolving disk 3 and its two inclined projections, in

0 combination With the ratchet Wheel 2.

il. Imparting a combined lateral and vertical reciprocating motion to the needle bars by means of the devices herein described, or their equivalents.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my 15 naine to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

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