US2618947A - Welt stick mechanism of straight bar knitting machines - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 25, 1952 1.. BROWN EI'AL 2,613,947

WELT STICK MECHANISM OF STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 17, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 25, 1952 BROWN ETAL 2,618,947

WELT STICK MECHANISM OF STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 17, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvenl orr Nov. 25, 1952 BROWN EI'AL 2,618,947

WELT STICK MECHANISM OF STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 17, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 25, 1952 BRQWN ETAL 2,618,947

WELT STICK MECHANISM OF STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 17, 19 50 4 SheetsShe'et 4 l atenteci Nov. 25 1952 WELT STICK MECHANISM OF STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Leonard Brown, Nottingham, and John Edward Lynam, Mapperley, Nottingham, England, assignors to William Cotton Limited, Loughborough, England Application May 1'7, 1950, Serial No. 162,448 In Great Britain May 18, 1949 9 Claims. 1

This invention concerns improvements in andrelating to welt stick mechanism of Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machines and is primarily concerned with machines having welt turning apparatus of the type comprising a series of hooked welting instruments which receive thread loops or kinks of an initial welt course, are moved away from the needles at the plain side thereof during the production of at least a portion of the welt fabric and are subsequently advanced to the needles to permit the initial course to be applied to the latter in the act of turning the welt, a bight of the Welt fabric being tensioned beneath the instruments at an intermediate stage in the production of the welt by means of a welt stick (or its equivalent) and suitable attached tensioning means so that the loops or kinks held by the instruments are tensioned away from the needles against stops or catches provided on or in association with the instruments.

An object of the invention is to provide improved means for laying-in the welt stick (often referred to as a welt wire or welt rod). The invention is applicable to the machine and apparatus forming the subject of patent application No. 162,447, filed May 17, 1950.

With this object in view the invention provides, in a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machine employing a welt bar, welt stick mechanism comprising catches, one at each side of the division of needles, for receiving the ends of the welt stick but capable of permitting the stick to be drawn laterally out of them, means for moving the catches between an elevated stickreceiving position and a lowered stick-delivery position in which the stick is presented in the vicinity of the surface of the fabric, draw-off hooks, take-up means attached to them, means for positioning the hooks, against the tension of the said take-up means, at a rest location in front of the needle line, means for advancing the hooks, against the tension of the take-up means, beneath the welt bar from the rest position to a stick-receiving position which is nearer to the needle line and in which the hooks engage the ends of the sticks so as then to draw the stick away from the needle line and under the welt bar under the influence of the take-up means, a bight of fabric being thereby drawn beneath the welt bar.

Preferably, in their stick-receiving position the hooks are positioned to receive the ends of the stick as the latter is lowered by the catches to delivery position.

According to a subsidiary feature of the invention, there is a stick-holder for the temporary reception of the welt stick, which holder is constructed and arranged to relinquish the stick to the catches upon movement of the latter from stick-receiving position. The catches may be arranged to engage with the sticks, in the holder, upon their movement into stick-receiving position. The stick-holder (which may be provided on the picot bar with which Cottons patent machines are commonly equipped) is with advantage movable between a raised holding position in which it retains the stick and a lowered sticksurrender position in which it is placed to relinquish the stick to the catches. This permits the stick to be loaded into the raised holder by the machine operator at any time convenient to him andthe stick, being held in this raised position until just before it is to be used, does not obstruct the operators view of the needles.

The above and other features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims and are disclosed in the detailed description given by way of example of the particular embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a sectional view of welt stick mechanism according to the invention, showing sufficient of the adjacent parts of the knitting machine to permit the latter to be identified;

Figures 2 and 3 are detail sectional views, on a larger scale, of parts of said mechanism at different stages;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of part of said mechanism;

Figures 5 and 6 show said ther different stages;

Figure 7 is a plan view showing said mecha nism.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is shown as being incorporated in a straight bar knitting machine according to co-pending patent application No. 162,447, filed May 1'7, 1950. Only sufiicient of the knitting machine is shown to permit it to be identified but attention is directed to the table 62, frame member 63, main cam shaft 2%, needles 6!, sinkers 64, picot points 65, and picot bar 3, these elements being of conventional kind. In conventional manner, the machine may comprise a plurality of divisions each arranged to knit a selvedged blank (although the invention is of course applicable to a single unit machine, having a single division of needles for knitting a single blank) and in Figure '7 there is shown the majority of the welt stick mechanism for a representative division; certain elements of mechanism (e. g. shafts) will extend along a plurality mechanism at fur- 3 of divisions as will be obvious to one skilled in the art.

Considering now the mechanism of a representative division, and referring especially to Figure the welt stick I is initially held in spring clips 2 attached to the picot bar 3. For the purpose of readily fitting the stick by hand, end guides 4 are provided which function to engage the ends of the stick and locate it in desired position with respect to its length. The picot bar 3 is carried by arms fixed on a rock shaft 6, and this shaft is rocked (conveniently bya hand lever 70) to swing the picot bar 3 down from the inoperative position shown in Figure 1 to the operative position shown in Figure 2; when the bar 3 is in the operative position the mouths of clips 2 are presented downwardly as shown.

For transferring the welt stick from the clips 2 to a position on the welt fabric F (Figures 2 and 3) that is being produced, there is provided at each end of the division of needles a gripper arm I for engaging the adjacent end of the welt stick; each arm I is pivotally connected to and is carried by a forked arm 8 fixed on a shaft 9; a spring I9 biases the gripper arm I against a fixed'guide lug II. The shaft 9 is rocked by an arm l2 (Figure 1) that is connected by a link I3 to anarm I4 on shaft I5, the arm I4 being turned about shaft I5 by arm I5, rod I1, and trunk lever I8 pivoted at 66 and having a truck I9 for engagement by a cam on the main cam shaft 2|. Truck lever I8 has an extension 52 with a truck 53 for engaging the cam 20 to ensure a quick return of the gripper arms I after being raised. Each gripper arm I has a catch (for receiving the adjacent end of the welt stick but capable of permitting the stick to be drawn laterally out of it) comprising a leaf spring guide 22 (see particularly Figure 4) fixed at its lower end 23 and having a bent free end 24. A second leaf spring 25 is superimposed on the spring 22 and is also fixed at its lower end 26 and has a bent free end 21. To the upper extremity of each gripper arm 'I there is also fixed a spring plate 28 which is bent or curved to form an inverted locating trough 29; this plate 28 is fixed at one end 30 and has a free end 3% which is spaced from the bent part 24 of the leaf spring 22 to form a lead-in mouth 32 for the welt stick I; said plate 28 is also spaced upwardly from the bent end 21 of leaf spring 25 to form an exit mouth 33 for the welt stick I.

There is also provided means for automatically connecting the two take-off welt straps 34 to the welt stick I, and for this purpose each welt strap has a, double hook 35, 35, consisting of a main hook 35 for hooking into the end of the stick I and a subsidiary hook 36 to the front of the main hook (considering the front of the machine as being at the plain side of the needles BI and to the right as shown in Figure l) for hooking onto a peg 39. The straps 34 are attached to the usual draw-off roller 31 biased in the winding-up or draw-off direction by weightedcords or the like 38. There is a peg 39 at each side of the division; each peg projects inwards through a guide slot 4| in a guide plate 61, from the otherwise-free end of a, link 49. By means of these links, the pegs 39 may beslid along slots 4| which have upwardly inclined end parts 2 and 43, by which the pegs 39 are located at a high level at either end of their travel, and alow intermediate part. Each link is connected to an arm 44 fixed on shaft 45 and theshaft is rocked through the 4 medium of gear quadrants 46, 47, rod 48, truck lever 49 having a truck 58, and cam 5I on the main cam shaft 2|.

Both trucks I 9 and 53 are shogged, for rendering the gripper arms I and links at operative and inoperative when desired, by forks 54, 55 respectively which are fixed on a control rod 56; this rod is operated, for example, by tappet 5'! and pattern disc 58 on pattern control shaft 59. Such truck-shogging mechanism is conventional.

In operation, the straps 34 are drawn ofi' roller 31 and the subsidiary hooks 3% hooked around pins 39, the latter being then at the forward ends 43 of their guide slots 5! as shown in Figure 1 so that the hooks are then positioned, against the tension of straps 34, at a rest location in front of the needle line. The welt bar 69 is advanced towards the needles SI for setting up the initial course, and during the advancing movement, the picot bar 3 is lowered from its inoperative position shownin Figure 2, so as to present a welt stick I, already placed by hand in the clips 2, ready to be taken by the stick-receiving catches on the gripper bars 1. After the setting up course, the welt bar 33 is retracted to take off the welt fabric as it is being knitted as indicated in Figure 2.

When an appropriate length of the fabriehas been knitted, the gripper bars I are automatically raised by the means described above, to the stickreceiving position shown in Figures 3 and 4, whereat the ends of the Welt stick I deflect the guide springs 24 and 50 enter the lead-in mouth 32 of the stick-receiving catches on the gripper arms and become located between the plate 28 and the bent end 21 of the leaf spring 25, the arrangement being such that the said ends of the welt stick are urged by the leaf spring 22 to a location whereat said ends register with the troughs formed by the plates 28. At about the same time that the gripper arms 1 are raised the Welt straps 3 2 are advanced (Figure 3) by the pegs 39 and the aforesaid operating mechanism. In this movement, the two hooks 35, 36, dip below the Welt bar 60 by reason of the shape of guide slots M and travel to a stick-receiving location (which is nearer to the needle line than the rest location) in which they are presented ready to receive the welt stick I.

When a sufficient length of the welt fabric has been knitted for the welt stick I to be laid on the fabric, the gripperarms I are lowered, thereby lowering their catches from the elevated stickreceiving position so that the catches pluckthe stick I from the clips 2. The catches travel down and carry the stick first on to the fabric andthen further down so that in their lowermost, or stickdelivery, position the stick is presented between the main and subsidiary hooks 35, 35; at the same time the stick I presses the fabric F downwards as shown in Figure 5. Next, the welt strap advancing pegs 39 are retracted (Figure 6), with the result that the forward hooks 35 of the welt straps engage the Welt stick I and, under the pull of roller 3'! and straps 34, draw the welt stick out of the catches on the gripper arms 1 through the exit mouths 33 thereof. The Welt stick I is thus connected to the straps 34in the conventional manner to enable the Welt to be turned. It may be mentioned that, at the stage when the stick I is pulled from its catches, the welt bar 63 has reached the extremity of its travel (in the welt turning operation) away from the needles 6i, being arrested in this extreme position by stops 68, Figure 5. The books 36 travel at such a level that they pass beneath the welt bar, or the welt bar in its subsequent advance to the needles in the act of turning the welt travels over them, so that a bight of fabric is drawn under the welt bar. At this stage however the pegs 39 are retracted as above described and to ensure that the hooks 35, 36 do not lift to foul the welt bar 69 during said stage there is conveniently provided guide plates 69 which engage the ends of the welt stick I to hold it down thereby also holding the hooks 35, 36 down.

It will be observed from Figure 6, that the pegs 39 are retracted to a location whereat they appear to be in the path of the hooks 36 during retraction of the welt straps; it is necessary, however, for the welt straps to have uninterrupted retraction movement for tensioning, not only the welt, but the remainder of the fabric as it is produced, and provision is therefore made for ensuring that said hooks do not re-engage with said pegs until subsequently attached thereto by hand at the commencement of each stocking or the like. This is illustrated in Figure '7, from which it will be observed-that the welt straps 3d initially extend from the draw-off roller 31 to the pegs 39 and the welt stick I in a divergent manner. The arrangement is such, however, that whilst the welt straps are being retracted to take off the fabric, the hooks 35 of the welt straps gradually slide along the welt stick towards the middle thereof, and the result of this is that by the time the hooks SE of the welt straps become located in line with the retracted pegs 39, said hooks are spaced inwardly therefrom so that they pass the pegs without engaging them.

We claim:

1. In a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machine employing a welt bar in a division of needles, welt stick mechanism for said division comprising a stick-holder for releasably locating a welt stick in an elevated initial position, catches one at each side of the division of needles for receiving the ends of the welt stick but capable of permitting the stick to be drawn laterally out of them, means for mounting the catches for movement to and from a position to receive the stick from the stick-holder, means for automatically moving the catches first to an elevated position to grip the welt stick and then to a lowered position to disengage the stick from the stick-holder and present it in the vicinity of the surface of the fabric, draw-off hooks, take-up means attached to them, means for positioning the hooks against the tension of the said take-up means at a rest location in front of the needle line, and means for automatically advancing the hooks, against the tension of the take-up means, beneath the welt bar from the rest position to a stick-receiving position which is nearer to the needle line and in which the hooks engage the ends of the sticks so as then to draw the stick away from the needle line and under the welt bar under the influence of the take-up means, a bight of fabric being thereby drawn beneath the welt bar.

2. In a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machine employing a welt bar in a division of needles, welt stick mechanism for said division comprising a stick-holder for releasably locating a welt stick in an elevated initial position, mounting means for the stick-holder such that the stick-holder is movable between a raised holding position in which it retains the stick and a lowered stick-surrender position, catches one at each side of the division of needles for receiving the ends of the welt stick but capable of per mitting the stick to be drawn laterally out of them, means for mounting the catches for movement to and from a position to receive the stick from the stick-holder, means for automatically moving the catches first to an elevated position to grip the welt stick and then to a lowered position to disengage the stick from the stick-holder and present it in the vicinity of the surface of the fabric, draw-01f hooks, take-up means attached to them, means for positioning the hooks against the tension of the said take-up means at a rest location in front of the needle line, and means for automatically advancing the hooks, against the tension of the take-up means, beneath the welt bar from the rest position to a stick-receiving position which is nearer to the needle line and in which the hooks engage the ends of the sticks so as then to draw the stick from the needle line and under the influence of the take-up means, a bight of fabric being thereby drawn beneath the welt bar.

3. In a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machine employing a welt bar and a picot bar in a division of needles, welt stick mechanism for said division comprising a stickholder mounted on the picot bar such that the stick-holder is movable between a raised holding position in which it retains the stick and a lowered stick-surrender position, catches one at each side of the division of needles for receiving the ends of the welt stick but capable of permitting the stick to be drawn laterally out of them, means for mounting the catches for movement to and from a position to receive the stick from the stick-holder, means for automatically moving the catches first to an elevated position to grip the welt stick and then to a lowered position to disengage the stick from the stick-holder and present it in the vicinity of the surface of the fabric, draw-off hooks, take-up means attached to them, means for positioning the hooks against the tension of the said take-up means at a rest location in front of the needle line, and means for automatically advancing the hooks against the, tension of the take-up means, beneath the welt bar from the rest position to a stick-receiving position which is nearer to the needle line and in which the hooks engage the ends of the sticks so as then to draw the stick away from the needle line and under the welt bar under the influence of the take-up means, a bight of fabric being thereby drawn beneath the welt bar.

4. In a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machine employing a welt bar and a manually displaceable picot bar in a division of needles, welt stick mechanism for said division comprising a stick-holder mounted on the picot bar such that the stick-holder is manually displaceable with the picot bar between a raised holding position in which it retains the stick and a lowered stick-surrender position, catches one at each side of the division of needles for receiving the ends of the welt stick but capable of permitting the stick to be drawn laterally out of them, means for mounting the catches for movement to and from a position to receive the stick from the stick-holder, means for automatically moving the catches first to an elevated position to grip the welt stick and then to a lowered position to disengage the stick from the stick-holder and present it in the vicinity of the surface of the fabric, draw-off hooks, take-up means attached to them, means for positioning the hooks against that'ensioh or: the said take-up means at a rest location 'in' frontof: the" needle line, and means for-automatically advancing the hooks, against the' ten'sion. of the take-up means, beneath the Welt bar from the rest position to .a stick-receiving position which is nearer to the needle line andin; which the hooksv engage the ends of the sticks so: as then' to draw the stick away from the needle-line. and under the welt barunder the infiuencevof the" take-up means, a bight ofi'abric being. thereby drawn beneath the Welt bar.

, .A Cottons patent or otherstraight bar" knitting. machine employingia welt bar: in a division of: needles; welt stick mechanism for said division comprising a stick holder for releasably locating a welt stick inan elevated initialp-osition; catches one at each side of the division. of'needles for receiving the ends of the Welt stick but capable of permitting the stick to be'drawn laterally out of' them, means for mounting the catches for movement to and from a position to receive the stick from the stick holder, means for automatically moving the catches first to an elevated position to grip the welt stick and then to a loweredposition to disengage the stick from the stick holder and-present it in the Vicinity of-the surface of the fabric, draw-off hooks, take-up means attached to them, means'for positioning the hooks against the tension of the take-up means at a rest location in front-of the needle line, said positioning means comprising subsidiary hooks associated with the draw-on hooks-and engaging an anchorage, and means for automatically-advancing the draw-01f hooks, against the tension of the take-up means, beneath the welt bar from the rest position toa stick receiving position which is nearer to the needle'li ne and in which the draw-off hooks engage the ends of the stick soas then to draw the stick away from the needle line and under the welt bar under the influence of the take-up means, a bight of fabric being thereby'drawn beneath the welt bar.

6. In a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machine employing a welt bar in a divisionof-needles, welt-stick mechanism for said division comprising a stick holder for releasably locating a welt stick'in' anelevated initial position, catches oneiat' each. side of the divisionof needles" for receiving the ends of; the welt stick but capableof permitting the stick to be drawn laterally out of them, means for mounting the catches formovement to and from a position to receive the stick from the stick holder, means for automatically moving the catchesfirstto an elevated position to grip the welt stick and then to alowered position-to disengage the stick from the stick holder and present it in the vicinity of the surface of the fabric, draw-oh" hooks-,-.takeup'means attached to them, means for positioning-the hooks against thetension of the take -up means at a rest location in front of the'ne'edle line, said positioning means comprising subsidiary hooks associated with the draw-oil? hooks and engaging pegs; and means'for automaticallymoving the pegs towards the needle line for automatically advancing the draw-oiT hooks, against the tension of the take-up means, beneath the welt barfrom the rest position to a stick receiving position which is nearer to the needle'line. and. in which the draw-ofi hooks engagethe ends of the sticks so as-then to draw'the stick away .from'the needle line and under the welt bar under the influence of the take-upmeans, a bight of'fab-ric being thereby drawn beneath the welt bar.

7. In a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machine employing. a welt bar in adivision of needles, welt stick. mechanism for-said division comprising a stick holder for releasably locating a welt stick in. an elevated initial position, catches one at each side of the division of needles for receiving the endsof the welt stick but capable of permitting the stick to be drawn laterally out of them, means for mounting the catches for movement: to and from a position to receive the stick from the stick holder, means for automatically moving'the catches first to an elevated position to grip the welt stick and then to a lowered position to disengage the stick from the stick holder and present it in the vicinity of the surface of the fabric, draw-01f hooks, take-up means attachedto them, means for positioning the hooks againstthe tension of the said take-up means at a rest location in front of the needle line, means for automatically advancing the hooks against the tension of the take-up-means, beneath the welt bar from the rest position to a stick receiving position which is nearer to the needle line and in which the hooks engage the ends of the sticks so as then to draw the stick away from the needle line and under the welt bar under the influence of the take-up means, a bight of fabric being thereby drawn beneath-the welt bar, and means for positively guiding the hooks and consequently the welt stick beneath the welt bar during advancing and retracting movements of the hooks.

8. In a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machine employing a welt bar in a division of needles, welt stick mechanism for said division comprising a stick holder for releasably locating a welt stick in an elevated initial position, catches one at each side of the division of needles for receiving the ends of the welt stick but capable of permitting the stick to be drawn laterally out of them, means for mounting the catches for movement to and from a position to receive the stick from the stick holder, means for automatically moving the catches first to an elevated position to grip the welt stick and then to a lowered position to disengage the stick from the stick holder and present it in the vicinity of the surface ofthe fabric, draw-off hooks, take-up means attached tothem, means for positioning the hooks against the tension of the take-up-means at a rest location in front of the needle line, said positioning means comprising subsidiary hooks associated with the draw-off-hooks and engaging pegs, means for automatically moving the pegs towards the needle linefcr automatically advancing the drawoii hooks, against the tension of the take-up means, beneath the welt bar from the rest position to a stick receiving position which is nearer to the needle'line and in which the-hooks engage the ends of the sticks so as then to draw the stick away from the needle line and under the welt bar under the influence of the take-up means, a bight of fabric being thereby drawn beneath the welt bar, and slot means for receiving said Fees to guide them so that the hooks (and consequently the welt stick) arepositively guided beneath the welt bar during advancing and retracting movements of the hooks.

9. In a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machineemploying a welt bar and a pivoted picot bar that-is manually displaceable between operative and inoperative positions for a division of needles, welt stick mechanism comprising a stick holder having clip means for releasablyholdingthe stick in a laterally removable manner and carried by the picot bar so that the stick is movable by movement of the picot bar between a raised stick holding position in which it retains the stick and a lowered stick-surrender position, catches one at each side of the division of needles and having clip means for releasably holding the ends of the stick in a laterally removable manner, mounting means for the catches such that they are vertically movable from a lower position to an elevated position to receive the stick from the stick holder when the latter is in the lowered stick-surrender position, cam means which, through the medium of suitable link and lever mechanism, operate for automatically moving the catches, first from the lowered position to the elevated. position to grip the welt stick and then back to the lowered position to disengage the stick from the stick holder and present it in the vicinity of the surface of the fabric, draw-off hooks, tensioned take-up straps attached to them and to a suitable draw-off roller, subsidiary hooks associated with the draw-off hooks and engaging pegs which are slidably received in slots of slotted members under the welt bar and are carried by link means for positioning the hooks against the tension of the said take-up means at a rest location in front of the needle line,

and cam means operating gearing for automatically advancing the link means and consequently the hooks, against the tension of the take-up straps, beneath the welt bar (as guided by the pegs in the slots) from the rest position to a stick receiving position which is nearer the needle line and in which the hooks engage the ends of the sticks so as next to draw the stick away from the needle line, when the link is next retracted, away from the needle line and under the welt bar (as again guided by the pegs and slots) under the influence of the take-up means, a bight of fabric being thereby drawn beneath the welt bar.

LEONARD BROWN.

JOHN EDWARD LYNAM.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,362,485 Hofmann Nov. 14, 1944 2,371,932 Start Mar. 20, 1945 2,381,072 Macdonald Aug. 7, 1945 2,519,991 Zesch Aug. 22, 1950 2,584,136 Lambach Feb. 5, 1952

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