US2625022A - Beam support for knitting machines - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 13, 11953 J. B/ADAM BEAM SUPPORT FOR KNITTING MACHINES 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed July 27, 1951 FIE--lw m E N 1 dosgpk Adam, BY

E W N R 0 w A Jan. 13, 1953 D 2,625,022

BEAM SUPPORT FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed July 27, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR:

Patented Jan. 13, 1953 BEAM SUPPORT FOR KNITTING MACHINES Joseph Brooke Adam, Jackson, Ala., assignor to Vanity Fair Mills, Inc., Reading, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 27, 1951, Serial No. 238,937

7 Claims.

This invention relates to warp knitting machines and the like of the type having long beams or other similar elements, which are divided into two or more sections alignedly supported at their ends, and more particularly to the supportin and connecting means for such beam sections or elements.

The supporting and connecting means for the sectional warp beams of Warp knitting machines have heretofore been found more or less unsatisfactory due to certain structural and functional difiiculties resulting in connection with their use. For example, it has been found that such means usually permit play, or back-lash, to take place between the beam sections, resulting in imperfections appearing in the knitted fabric produced by the machine.

One object of my invention is to provide a novel supporting and connecting device for the indicated beams or similar parts of warp knitting machines and the like.

Another object is to provide such a device hav ing certain structural and functional features of advantage over the similar devices of the prior art.

A further object is to provide such a device which is simple in construction, positive in its transmission of power and has adjustable means for eliminating any initial back-lash in the rotative movement between the sections.

Another object is to provide such a device having novel means for efiecting connection between the beam sections and comprising a train of gears including a pair of spur gears and a pair of matched pinions held in mesh with the spur gears.

An additional object is to provide for adjustment of the said pinions relative to the spur gears to eliminate back-lash between them.

It is also an object to provide such a device having a novel bearing support that will maintain accurate alignment between the sections of the beam.

.With these and other objects in view, which will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the practical and illustrative embodiments of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the invention comprises the novel supporting and connecting device, elements, features of construction and arrangement of parts in cooperative relationship, as more particularly defined by the hereto appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a conventional warp knitting machine having my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view, taken substantially as indicated by the arrows 2-2 in Figure 1, and shows certain details of my novel device.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, substantially as indicated by the arrows 33 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of a modified form of my device.

It will be helpful to a clear understanding of my invention to first briefly consider the more important aspects and features thereof so that these may be kept in mind during the subsequent reading of the detailed description of the practical and illustrative embodiments of my improvements shown in the accompanying drawings. Accordingly, it. is noted that the means heretofore available for supporting and connecting the beams of warp knitting machines, usually included some means for establishing connection between the beam sections, such as s-plining means or a conical male and female connector. It has been found in practice that such connections develop back-lash and looseness between the adjacent warp beam sections with the result that irregularities develop in the stitch formation of the fabric produced by the knitting machine.

In accordance with my invention, the support and the connection of the beam sections is made positive so that no relative movement between adjacent warp beam sections can take place at any time. This is accomplished by the use of novel interconnecting means between the beam sections which keeps these sections in perfect positive alignment with each other at all times. The interconnecting means is supplemented by a fixed bearing support located intermediate the interconnecting means in order to provide perfect alignment of both beam sections with their support. In this manner the sections of a beam are held for rotation on a true center throughout the length of the warp knitting machine.

Uniform rotative movement of the beam sections is secured by the use of a pair of spur gears which are located adjacent each other, one gear being mounted on the end of one beam section and the other gear on the end of the adjacent beam section. A pair of matching pinions carried by a jack shaft is adapted to simultaneously mesh with these spur gears so as to transmit the motion of one beam section through this train of gears to the other beam section. The pinions are adjustable with their jack shaft so as to keep them in perfect mesh with the spur gears at all times, so as to prevent backlash between the teeth of the spur gears and pinions and in turn between the beam section.

Referring now more particularly to the figures of the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like parts, the standard or conventional warp knitting machine illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a usual frame which includes the uprights I, 2 and 3, that are suitably spaced and connected for the support of an upper and lower warp beam, each of which is made up of right and left sections indicated respectively by the numerals 4 and 5.

Each of the sections comprises a hollow shaft which is adapted to be journaled in any desired manner in the uprights l and 3, at the ends of the beam. The inner adjacent ends of these hollow shafts are supported by a short interconnecting shaft or stud 6 which has a large diameter portion on one side and a small diameter portion on the other side. The large diameter portion of this connecting shaft is mounted and keyed to the end of the right hand beam section 4 and the small diameter portion of the connecting shaft is journaled in a bearing 1 provided for the support of both beam sections in the upright 2. For this purpose, the small diameter portion of the connecting shaft fi extends into the bearing sleeve 3 which is provided in the end of the left hand beam section '5 and is suitably keyed or otherwise fastened thereto. In this manner, both beam sections are brought into perfect alignment with each other and with their supporting bearing 1 in the upright 2.

Keyed to the outside of the inner end of the right hand beam section -4 is a large spur gear 6 andkeyed to the inner end of the left hand beam section 5 is a corresponding spur gear 10. These gears are located one on each side of the upright 3 and adjacent thereto fora purpose that will presently appear.

Mounted to'swing on the upright'Z, in a bracket ll provided for this purpose, are a pair of arms 1 l2 and 13. Arm l2 has journaled in its outer end the pivot shaft l4 which has a pair of identical pinions l5 and i6 keyed to-the ends thereof. These pinions are spaced laterally on the pivot shaft .114 so as to mesh with the spur gears 9 and 10, respectively, and may be collectively-adjusted toward and aWay from these gears by properly positioning a bracket Ii. For this purpose-the arm 13 is provided with a segmental slot F! for engagement by a clamping bolt [8 which is threaded in the upright 2. When-the stud shaft 18 is loosened the arm l3 and with it the arm l2 and .pinions l5 and 16 may be swung on the bracket II so as to bring the teeth of these pinions in perfect mesh with the teeth of the gears 9 and 10. In thisposition the pinions may be locked in place by tightening the bolt 18 so as to firmly clamp the arm [-3 in place on the upright 2.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that r0- tative movement of one section of the beam will result in a unitary movement of both sections. For example, the movement of the driven right hand beam section 4 willhave its gear 9 transmit its motion through the pinion 5 to the pivot shaft I4, from which the pinion It continues to transmit this motion through gear ID to the'left hand beam section 5. This'takes place while both beam sections are accurately held aligned with each other at their point of connection. simple driving connection, in combination with the novel support of the adjacent ends of the beam sections provides uniformity of operation and prevents irregularitiesin the stitchformation of the fabric produced by the machine.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a modified form of device for establishing a support and driving connection of the beam sections in accordance with my invention. To avoid redundancy of descriptive matter, the parts of the modified form of my invention that are similar to the parts of the device already described, are identified by the same reference characters having the exponent a applied thereto.

In the modification, the bearing support located between the beam sections and in the upright 2, comprises a roller bearing l The large side of the connecting shaft 6 is mounted in a sleeve 6! and both the connecting shaft and the sleeve are pinned together and to the end of the left hand beam section 4 by a pin 6. The connecting shaft 6 is rotatively supported by the roller bearing I and extends into the bearing sleeve 8 fastened into the end of the left hand beam section 5 by means of the pin 8 In this manner the right and left hand beam sections are accurately aligned and perfectly journaled-and supported by an antifriction bearing.

Transmission of the rotative movement from one beam section to the other is secured :by gears 9 and 10 and pinions LS and I E, in the manner as above described, except that the pivot shaft M, which carries the pinions 15 and 16 is-supported in a roller bearin .20 which in' turn is mounted in an eccentric 21. The latter is rotatively supported in the upright 2 and is provided with an arm 22 with which it can be rotatively shifted to adjust the pinions l5 and lfi toward and away from the gears 9 and Ill, so as to bring together and keep the corresponding gears and pinions in perfect mesh with each other. A clamping bolt 23 threaded into the upright 2 and passing through a suitable segmental slot 24 in the arm 22 is used to lock the eccentric in its properly adjusted position.

The yarn is wound on spools thatare carried and rotated by the beam sections in the usual manner. In Figure 1 the novel driving connection between the beam sections is more definitely indicated only for the two lower sections of the warp knitting machine, however, it is to be understood that upper driving connection between'the beam sections also includes the novel mechanism as, illustrated in detail in Figs. 2, 3 or 4.

Of course, the noveiimprovements specifically shown and describedcanibe changed and modified in various ways, without departing from the invention herein disclosed andmore particular- 1y defined by the hereto appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In a warp knitting machine or the like, beam sections, fixedly supported bearing means, a connecting shaft rotatively supported intermediate its ends in said bearing means with a positive driving connection with one of said beam sections and a supporting connection for the other of said beam sections, and gear means operatively connecting said beam sections for joint rotative movement with each other and said connecting shaft.

2. In a warp knitting machine or the like, beam sections, fixedly supported bearing means. a connecting shaft rotativel-y supported in said bearing means with-a positive driving connection with the end of one of the beam-sections and an interconnected support .of-the end of the adjacent beam section, a spur-gear carried by each of said beam-sections one on eachsideof said fixed bearing means, and .a pair of pinions held for joint rotative movement in mesh with said gears so as to transmit rotation of one of said beam sections to the other of said beam sections.

3. In combination with the aligned tubular beam sections of warp knitting machine or the like, of fixedly supported bearing means, a connecting shaft rotatively supported in said bearing means intermediate its ends and adapted to interconnectingly engage into the tubular ends of said aligned beam sections, fastening means for fixedly holding said connecting shaft in the end of one of said beam sections, a gear attached to each of said beam sections one on each side of said bearing means, a pair of pinions held in mesh with said gears and operably connected for joint rotation and transmission of the rotative movement of one of said beam sections to the other of said beam sections.

4. A warp knitting machine or the like provided with aligned tubular beam sections, of a fixed bearing member, a connecting shaft rotatively supported in said fixed bearing member with the ends of the connecting shaft interconnectingly engaging the ends of adjacent tubular beam sections, means for positively fastening one end of said connecting shaft to its beam section, means for rotatably supporting the other of said beam sections on said connecting shaft, a spur gear carried by each of said beam sections, a pinion held in mesh with each of said gears, and a shaft operatively connecting said pinions.

5. A combined bearing support and driving connection for two aligned beam sections of a warp knitting machine or thelike, comprising means for rotatively supporting adjacent ends of said beam sections, a gear fixedly mounted on one of said beam sections, a corresponding gear loosely mounted on the other of said beam sections, a jack shaft, a pair of pinions carried by said jack shaft, and means for adjusting said jack shaft to hold said pinions in mesh with said gears.

6. A beam section supporting and connecting structure as set forth in claim 5, in which said jack shaft is mounted in a swinging bracket, and including locking means for adjustably holding said bracket.

7. A beam section supporting and connecting structure as set forth in claim 5, in which said jack shaft is mounted in an eccentric bearing member, and including means for operating said bearing member to hold said pair of pinions in mesh with said gears.

JOSEPH BROOKE ADAM.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 16,306 Dawley Dec. 23, 1856 775,336 Meats Nov. 22, 1994 951,449 Petersen Mar. 8, 1910 1,564,162 Wiese Dec. 1, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 4,963 Great Britain of 1888

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