US2591405A

US2591405A - Stop motion device for knitting machines

Info

Publication number: US2591405A
Application number: US195751A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph S Carter
Original assignee: LEO D ROSENSTEIN; SAMUEL J ROSENSTEIN
Current assignee: LEO D ROSENSTEIN; SAMUEL J ROSENSTEIN
Priority date: 1950-11-15
Filing date: 1950-11-15
Publication date: 1952-04-01
Anticipated expiration: 1969-04-01

Description

April 1, 1952 J. s. CARTER STOP MOTION DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 15, 1950 55 26 INVENTOR.

JosEPH $1 CARTER gazgkw Patented Apr. 1, 1952 STOP MOTION DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Joseph S. Carter, Hartford, Conn., assignor of one-third to Samuel J. Rosenstein, and onethird to Leo D. Rosenstein, both of Hartford, Conn.

Application November 15, 1950, Serial No. 195,751

Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in stop-motion devices for knitting machines; and, more particularly, the aim is to provide a novel and valuable such device which, while requiring the use merely of a single lever arm as the yarn detector instrumentality, is operative at a point where a needle projects to take the yarn from the yarn guide or carrier, whereby the needles broadly as a collective entity serve as the agent, but more specifically the particular needle at any instant due to take the yarn from the yarn guide or carrier serves as the then eiiicacious agent, in establishing a contact point for the purpose of so affecting an electrical circuit as to cause actuation of the electric knock-01f mechanism of the stcp-motion.

According to the present invention, a lastpoint stop-motion device is provided which is applicable to any type of knitting machine, making any. kind of stitch; and a stop-motion device, moreover, which is markedly simple in construction and exceedingly inexpensive to fabricate and install. In this connection, no special stop-motion boxes are required, and hence'the stop-motion device of the present invention may be an inexpensive addition to the same type of yarn guide that the machine ordinarily uses except for some very few and slight-modifications.

An important feature of the invention, further, is that the yarn may be said to serve as an insulator; in other Words, the machine will not be stopped as long as the yarn is being fed through the yarn guide or carrier, because, in

the first place, while the yarn is being thus fed,

its normal tautness of extension from the yarn guide or carrier to each of the various needles one after another as one after another thereof is projected to take the yarn incidental to continuation of the knitting operation, prevents the aforesaid single lever arm from contacting any needle, and because, in the second place, the electrical arrangement is such that the electric knock-off mechanism of the stop-motion is actuated when said lever arm contacts a needle.

Corollary features of the invention, consequently, are, that said electrical arrangement includes a circuit so constituted that, between a suitable source of current and the element as a solenoid to be energized by current from said source to cause operation of said knock-off mechanism, there is, at one side of said circuit, a circuit subdivision including the frame of the knitting machine (and therefore also including any one of all the needles) and, at the other ing, said single lever armfthat said lever arm is electrically insulated from the machine frame and also from the yarn guide or carrier (on which said lever arm is pivotally mounted) and that the yarn, after leaving the yarn guide or carrier and while en route to the last point, i. e., to a point where a needle projects to take the-yarn, so engages said lever arm that while but only while the yarn is being fed through said yarn guide or carrier is the lever arm held to a position where it cannot contact a needle. Obviously, should the yarn break, or should it become knotted, it could not be fed through said yarn guide or carrier.

Accordingly, it follows that in the case of the present invention the machine is not only stopped instantly following failure of the yarn to continue feeding through the yarn guide or carrier, but it is thus stopped regardless of the position of the needles at the instant of such failure. In this latter regard, the present invention is to be sharply distinguished from such prior proposals as are based on the concept that the cloth must leave the needles before the stopmotion will function, e. g., for instance, as proposed in U. S. Patent No. 2,208,481, that the detector instrumentality be placed beyond the point where the needle takes the yarn from the yarn guide vor carrier,

Furthermore, to mention another most important and revolutionary aspect of the present invention, the knitting machine equipped in accordance therewith will be stopped when a slug or any type of foreign matter gets into the last hole or holes of the yarn guide or carrier, since such a mishap will interfere with feeding of the yarn through said guide or carrier; while, in contradistinction to this, none of the known devices would in a like situation stop the machine, for the reason that there is no slacking of the yarn on the machine prior to that point which would so affect an electric circuit as to cause stoppage of the machine.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, showing a yarn guide or carrier equipped pursuant to the invention, and showing also the yarn in course of being fed from said carrier to the needles; some only of the latter being shown, and a part of the knitting machine being merely fragmentarily shown.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the parts seen in Fig. 1, with here the yarn, beyond its place of ex tension around the lower hooked end of the lever arm on the carrier, being shown as tautly horizontally extended to hold said end of the lever arm out of contact with any needle justas said lever end would be held by the knitting pull on the yarn during engagement of the latter by the needles seriatim as indicated inFig. 1.

Fig. 3 showsthe yarn guide or carrier in front elevation, as in Fig. 1, but detached from the knitting machine.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal detail section, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal detail section, taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6, partly, an enlarged detail section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3, and, partly, an electrical diagram. 7

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, a plurality of cylinder needles are indicated at II], a plurality of dial needles at II, the yarn at I2, and a plate-like portion of the knitting head of the machine at I4. Saidportion I4, like the needles, is of metal and hence is in metallic and electrically conductive contact with the frame of the machine; and whenever the frame of the machine is below referred to, such reference is to be taken as inclusive of said portion I4.

The yarn guide or carrier is as a whole designated I5; the same having upstanding therefrom a pair of square posts I6 establishing there between an open-top vertical slot H for taking the shank of a machine screw having an enlarged head I8. The posts I6 nicely fit within and are slidable along aguide I9 upstanding from the said plate-like portion I4; and in said guide is a tapped hole not shown having a thread matching that of said screw, whereby, by the use of said screw, with its head backed by'a washer 20, the guide or carrier I5 may be correctly anchored. in position and at precisely the height-desired relative to the field of operation of the needles.

The forward end of the main lower body of the guide or carrier I5 is chambered near its top as at 2I, and is upwardly cavitated at its bottom as at '22. Thus, above the chamber 2I' is. a horizontal wall 23, and above the cavitation 22 is a horizontal wall 24 which also is thefloor wall of said chamber. In each of. these walls is a different one of the two last holes through which the yarn I2 is passed before reaching. the needles each of said holes being finished off, for smoothness, and in accordancev with a practice wellknown in the art, by a. porcelain ey let 25.

The aforesaid lever arm is designated 26,. and the same, at its swinging. end, is formed into a carbide hook 27, engaged. by the yarn I2 as best shown in Fig. 2, after the yarn has passed downwardly first through the upper eyelet 25 and then through thelower eyelet 25.

The opposite end. of the lever arm 26 is bent to provide a pintle 28 for the armintegral therewith. At its end remote from the main: portion of the lever arm said. pintle carries. a washer 29 suitably securedtheretoas by riveting over as indicated at 30 a reduced end portion of the pintle. Wedged tight on the pintle 28 is a steel eyelet SI, and locked between the'annular flange 3P of said eyelet and the: annular flange 32 of an insulator sleevev 32, is the. ring: portion 33 of a familiar type of electric terminal 33 which together with said ring portion 33* comprises an offset extension 33* shaped near its outer end to present a crimpable cup structure 33 for being squeezed to tight clamping seizure of a conducting wire. The wire thus engaged by said cup structure is designated 34; said wire, beyond its bared end where so engaged, having'an insulating sheath 35 to prevent accidental contact of any part of the wire with any part of the knitting machine.

The insulator sleeve 32 is anchored tight in a cylindrical recess1(36, Fig. 6) through the yarn guide or carrier I5, by means of a set-screw 31.

Upward swing of the end of the arm 26 carrying the hook 21 is limited by a stop constituted by an insulating member in the form of a fibre or plastic disk 38 eccentrically mounted on the front face of the yarn guide or carrier I5. Such mounting of said disk is by way of a screw having an enlarged head 39; the carrier I5 having a tapped hole not shown the thread of which matches the thread on the shank of said screw, whereby on tightening the screw the disk is locked in any desired angular adjustment thereof and on loosening the screw the disk may be turned to adjust the same exactly as desired. in regard to its action relative to limiting upward swing of the end of the arm 26. carrying the carbide hook 2'I. Such adjustment is a more quickly and conveniently performed one than an adjustment of the carrier I5 asa whole relative to the guide I9; in a sense the last-named adjustment may be said to bev the coarse one and the adjustment at the disk 38 the fine one.

In Fig. 6, the wire 34 is schematically indicated by mere line depiction; and in this view the remainder of the electrical diagram illustrated is merely in exemplification of one of the various possible arrangements pursuant to the invention,

\ the other terminal of the magnet 40 and a suitable source of current typified by the battery'4'2, and another lead 43 may go tothe frame of the machine by way of the carrier I5- thereof and thence by way of the knitting head I I to the needles I0 and II. V 7

Operation During knitting the normal tautness of extension of the yarn I2, beyond the carbide hookZ'I at the dependent end of the lever arm 25, and to each of the various needles I0 and II one after another as one after another thereof is projected to take the yarn incidental to'continuation of the knitting operation, prevents drop of said arm to contact any needle; the tension onthe yarn I2, as imposed thereon while the yarn is en route from the reel or bobbin to the guide or carrier I5, being such as to urge the lever arm 26' up toward the stop constituted by the fibre disk '38. Consequently, during continuation of the knitting, the energizing circuit for the magnet 40 is accrues said guide or carrier at an eyelet 25, and regardless of the position of the needles at the instant of such failure, the arm 26 will drop to contact a needle, thereby the energizing circuit for the magnet 40 will be closed, and the electric shutoff mechanism of the stop-motion will function, to stop and brake the knitting machine.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A stop-motion device for a knitting machine, comprising, in combination with the yarn guide or carrier through which ordinarily the yarn is passed for delivery therefrom directly to the field of operation of the knitting machine needles and seriatim to each needle as it projects to take the yarn, a means for utilizing some one of the needles as one of two contact points functionable when mutually touching to affect an electric circuit in such manner as to cause actuation of the electric knock-off mechanism of the stop motion.

2. A stop-motion device for a knitting machine, comprising, in combination with the yarn guide or carrier through which ordinarily the yarn is passed for delivery therefrom directly to the field of operation of the knitting machine needles and seriatim to each needle as it projects to take the yarn, a means for utilizing some one of the needles as one of two contact points functionable when mutually touching to affect an electric circuit in such manner as to cause actuation of the electric knock-off mechanism of the stop motion, said means including a member movable relative to the needles, said member constituting the contact point necessarily complementary to the first-named contact point for affecting said circuit as aforesaid.

3. A stop-motion device for a knitting machine, comprising, in combination with the yarn guide or carrier through which ordinarily the yarn is passed for delivery therefrom directly to the field of operation of the knitting machine needles and seriatim to each needle as it projects to take the yarn, a means for utilizing some one of the needles as one of two contact points functionable when mutually touching to affect an electric circuit in such manner as to cause actuation of the electric knock-off mechanism of the stop motion, said means including a member movable relative to the needles, said member constituting the contact point necessarily complementary to the first-named contact point for affecting said circuit as aforesaid, said member being arranged to be so traversed and engaged by the yarn as it is fed through said guide or carrier that during continuance of such feed said member is held out of contact with any needle.

4. A stop-motion device for a knitting machine, comprising in a combination with the yarn guide or carrier through which ordinarily the yarn is passed for delivery therefrom directly to the field of operation of the knitting machine needles and seriatim to each needle as it projects to take the yarn, a means for utilizing some one of the needles as one of two contact points functionable when mutually touching to affect an electric circuit in such manner as to cause actuation of the electric knock-off mechanism of the stop-motion,

said means including a member movable relative to the needles, said member constituting the contact point necessarily complementary to the firstnamed contact point for affecting said circuit as aforesaid, said member being pivotally mounted on said guide or carrier and being so arranged relative thereto as to be traversed and so engaged by the yarn after it has been fed through said guide or carrier that during continuance of such feed said member is held out of contact with any needle.

5. A stop-motion device for a knitting machine, comprising in a combination with the yarn guide or carrier through which ordinarily the yarn is passed for delivery therefrom directly to the field of operation of the knitting machine needles and seriatim to each needle as it projects to take the yarn, a means for utilizing some one of the needles as one of two contact points functionable when mutually touching to affect an electric circuit in such manner as to cause actuation of the electric knock-off mechanism of the stop-motion, said means including a member movable relative to the needles, said member constituting the contact point necessarily complementary to the firstnamed contact point for affecting said circuit as aforesaid, said member being pivotally mounted on said guide or carrier and being so arranged relative thereto as to be traversed and so engaged by the yarn after it has been fed through said guide or carrier that during continuance of such feed said member is held out of contact with any needle, said member being electrically insulated from said guide or carrier.

6. A stop-motion device for a knitting machine, comprising, a combination with the yarn guide or carrier through which ordinarily the yarn is passed for delivery therefrom directly to the field of operation of the knitting machine needles and seriatim to each needle as it projects to take the yarn, a lever arm pivoted on said guide or carrier and having a swinging end carrying an auxiliary guide for the yarn effective on. the latter after its departure from said guide or carrier and before its arrival at the point where taken by a needle, said lever arm being so shaped and arranged on said guide or carrier that the normal tautness of the yarn between said auxiliary guide and a needle at any instant being projected to and the electric knock-off mechanism of the stop- ;motion having associated therewith a circuit including the needles and said lever arm normally open between the needles and said leverarm.

7. A stop-motion device for a knitting machine, comprising, in combination with the yarn guide or carrier through which ordinarily the yarn is passed for delivery therefrom directly to the field of operation of the knitting machine needles and seriatim to each needle as it projects to take the yarn, a lever arm pivoted on said guide or carrier and having a swinging end carrying an auxiliary guide for the yarn effective on the latter after its departure from said guide or carrier and before its arrival at the point where taken by a motion, said circuit including the'needles and saidlever arm,said lever arm being electrically insulated fromsaid guid or carrier and consequently from the needles whereby normally said circuit is open between the needles and said lever arm, said auxiliary guide being constituted by a hook on and integral with the lever arm.

8;. A stop-motion device for a knitting machine, .comprising, in combination with the'yarn guideor carrier through which ordinarily the yarn is passed for delivery therefrom directly tothe field of operation of the knitting machine needles and seriatim to each needle as it projects to. take the yarn, a lever arm pivoted on said guide or carrier and having a swinging end carrying an auxiliary guide for the yarneffective on the latter after its departure from said guide or carrier and before its arrival at the point where taken by a needle, said lever arm being so shaped and arranged on said guide or carrier that the normal tautness of the yarn between saidauxiliary guide and a needle at any instant being projected to take the yarn prevents-down swing of said lever arm to contact-any needle, a-controlling circuit for theelectric knock-off mechanism of the stop-motion, said circuit including the needles and said lever arm, said lever arm being electrically insulated from said guide or carrier and consequently from the needles whereby normally said circuit is open between the needles and said lever arm, said auxiliary guide being constituted by a hook on an integral with the lever arm, said guide or carrier being slidably adjustable on the knitting machine toward and away from the field of operation of the needles, and there being adjustably carried by said guide or carrier a stop for limiting swing of said lever arm away from said field.

9. A stop-motion device for a knitting machine, comprising, in combination with the yarn guide or carrier through which ordinarily the yarn is passed for delivery therefrom directly to the field of operation of the knitting machine needles and seriatim toeach needle as it projects to take the yarn, a lever arm pivoted on said guide or carrier and having a swinging end carrying an auxiliary guide for the yarn effective on the latter after its departure from said guide or carrier and before its arrival at the point where taken by a needle, said lever arm' being so shaped and arranged on said guide or carrier that the normal tautness of the yarn between said auxiliary guide and a needle at any instant being projected to take the 'yarnprevents down swing of said levjer arm to contact any nedle,'a controlling circuit for the electric knock-off mechanism of the stopmotion, said circuit including the needles and said lever arm, said lever arm' being electrically 8 insulated from said guide or carrier and 0011- sequently from thev needles whereby normally said circuit is open between the needlesandsaid lever arm, said auxiliary guide being constituted by a hookon an integral with the lever arm, said guide or carrierbeingslidably adjustable on the knitting machine toward and away from the field of operation of the needles, and there being adjustably carried by said guide or carrier a stop for limiting swing of said lever arm away from said field, said stop being so insulated from said guide or carrier that contact of said lever arm with said stop is inefiective to establish electrical contact between said lever arm and said stop.

10.-'A stop-motion device for a knitting machine,.comprising, in combination with the yarn guide or carrier through-which ordinarily the yarn is passed for delivery therefrom directly to the field of operation of the knitting machine needles and seriatim to each needle as it projects to take the yarn, a lever arm pivoted on said guide or carrier and having a swinging end carrying an auxiliary guide for the yarn efiective on the latter after its departure from said guide or carrier and before its arrival at the point where taken by a needle, said lever arm being so shaped and arranged on said guide or carrier that the normal tautness of the yarnbetween said auxiliary guide and a needle at any instant being projected to take theyarn prevents down swing of said'lever arm to contact any needle, a controlling circuit for the electric knock-off mechanism of the stop-motion, said circuit including the needlesand said lever arm, said lever arm being" electrically insulated from said guide or carrier and consequently from the needles where by normally said circuit is open between the needles and said lever arm, said auxiliary guide being constituted by a hook on and integral with the lever arm, said guide or carrier being slidably adjustable on the knitting machine toward and away from the field of operation of the needles, and there being adjustably carried by, said guide or carrier a stop for limiting swing of said lever arm away from said field, said stop incorporating a disk of insulating material eccentrically pivotally mounted on said guide or carrier.

JOSEPH S. CARTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecord in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,527,822 Karl Oct, 31, 1950