US2707380A

US2707380A - Positive beam drive

Info

Publication number: US2707380A
Application number: US334590A
Authority: US
Inventors: Max E Ebert
Original assignee: Alfred Hofmann & Co
Current assignee: Alfred Hofmann & Co
Priority date: 1953-02-02
Filing date: 1953-02-02
Publication date: 1955-05-03
Anticipated expiration: 1972-05-03

Description

May 3, 1955 ME. EBERT POSITIVE BEAM DRIVE Filed Feb. 2, 195a INVENTQR BY flaxif ert United States Patent POSITIVE BEAM DRIVE Max E. Ebert, Palisades Park, N. 1., assignor to Alfred Hofmann & Co., West New York, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 2, 1953, Serial No. 334,590 7 Claims. (Cl. 66-86) This invention relates to positive beam drives for knitting machines of the warp or tricot type.

It has been proposed to effect the let off from the beam of a warp knitting machine by causing the positive rotation of the beam, rather than to allow the knitting elements to pull off the required amounts of yarn, as in more conventional beam let offs.

However, known positive drives are complex in construction and in many instances include overly sensitive electrical components which make the drives expensive to maintain in proper operating condition. Furthermore, known drives do not permit the knitting machines with which they are associated, to be used for knitting fabrics having pleated, puckered and similar novelty affects.

Such novelty fabrics are made by feeding the warp yarns in a discontinuous manner, such that the feed is suspended or halted for a predetermined number of knitting cycles to allow the formation of blind or floating stitches in accordance with a predetermined and desired stitch design.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a drive for continuously rotating the beam of a knitting machine, together with means for discontinuing the rotation of the beam for a predetermined number of knitting cycles.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a beam drive of the character described, an improved clutch mechanism operative to continuously rotate the beam and adapted to suspend the rotation of the beam in response to the action of control means associated with the knitting machine.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a beam drive of the character described, a pair of tandem related variable speed mechanisms between the beam and the power source, one of the mechanisms being adapted to regulate the speed of the beam let off and thereby determine the quality of the knitted fabric, the other mechanism being responsive to the decrease in beam diameter for automatically regulating the rotationalspeed of the beam so as to maintain the linear speed of the beam let off, substantially constant.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved positive beam drive which is of relatively simple construction, rugged and easy to maintain in operating order, economical to manufacture and well adapted to conform to wide variations in the operation of the knitting machine with which it is associated.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing, the figure shows a schematic arrangement of a positive beam drive embodying the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 designates a beam drive embodying the invention. The same comprises a beam 11 from which the warp yarns, not shown, are supplied to the knitting elements of the knitting machine with which the beam is associated. The beam is adapted to be positively rotated from a constant speed ice source such as the main cam shaft chine, indicated at 12.

A sprocket wheel 13 is fixed to the cam shaft and is connected by a chain 14 to a sprocket wheel 15 fixed on the input shaft 16 of a variable speed mechanism indicated at 17. The output shaft 18 of said mechanism has a sprocket wheel '19 fixed thereto and connected by a chain 20 to a sprocket wheel 21 on the input shaft 22 of a second variable speed mechanism 23 similar to mechanism 17 and arranged in tandem relation thereto.

A sprocket wheel 24 on the output shaft 25 of mechanism 23 is connected by a chain 26 to a sprocket wheel 27 fixed to a suitably mounted, horizontally disposed shaft 28. A worm 29 fixed to shaft 28, engages a worm wheel 30 which is fixed on a vertically disposed driving shaft 31. A driven shaft 32 axially aligned with shaft 31, has a worm 33 mounted thereon for engagement with a worm wheel 34 which is fixed to beam shaft 35. The

shafts

31 and 32 are maintained in proper alignment by suitable supporting bearings.

The

shafts

31, 32 are adapted to have their adjacent inner ends coupled together by means of a clutch mechanism 36 which comprises a member 37' fixed to shaft 31 and having a toothed end portion 38 normally engaging a toothed end portion 39 on a member 40 mounted on shaft 32 for limited axial movement relative thereto. Clutch member 40 is formed with an annular groove 41 for the purpose hereinafter described.

It will be apparent that with the

clutch members

37 and 40 in normal engagement, the beam will be driven positively from the cam shaft 12 by way of the tandem connected

variable speed mechanisms

17 and 23. Mechanism 23 includes a handle 42 for adjusting the control shaft 42a of the mechanism to determine the output thereof in a manner known in the art, thereby regulating the speed of the beam let off in accordance with the stitch construction of the desired knit fabric.

When it is desired to knit fabrics having floating stitches to produce tucked, pleated or similarnovelty effects, it is necessary to interrupt the positive feed of the warp yarns from beam 11 for a predetermined number of knitting cycles. To this end, means is provided for operating clutch mechanism 36 to disconnect

shafts

31, 32. Accordingly, a solenoid 43 has its armature 44 connected to an intermediate portion of an arm 45 by a link 46.. The arm 45 is pivoted at one end as at 47 and is provided at the other end with a depending roller 48 which is disposed in groove 41 of clutch member 40.

The solenoid 43 is connected to a current source indicated by terminals 49 through a micro switch 50. The operating arm 51 of the switch is adapted to be engaged by cam members 52 which may take the form of short arcuate members secured to the face of a pattern wheel 53 which is suitably mounted for rotation and is adapted to control the operation of the knitting machine with which it is associated, in a manner known in the art. The cams 52 are located on the pattern Wheel in positions corresponding to the knitting cycles wherein the floating stitches are to be formed and have an arcuate extent commensurate with the number of knitting cycles during which the feed of warp yarns from the beam is to be suspended.

When the earns 52 engage switch arm 51, the switch is operated to close the circuit to solenoid 43 which is then operative to move arm 45 upwardly, thereby moving clutch member 40 on shaft 32 to effect the disconnection of

shafts

31 and 32. The beam 11 will then cease to rotate and no yarns will be supplied to the knitting elements of the machine until the cam member 52 has been moved to a position where it no longer engages switch arm 51 and the switch will then operate to open the circuit to the solenoid. At such time, a spring of the knitting ma- Accordingly, abell crank 54, which is fulcrumed as at 55, has one arm 56 thereof provided at its upper end with a roller 57 which is urged into engagement with the periphery of the beam by a spring 58 attached at one end to crank arm 56 and suitably anchored at the other end.

The other crank arm 59 is connected to one end of a 1 link 60, the other end of said link being pivotally connected to a short operating arm 61 extending from the control shaft 62 on the variable speed mechanism 17.

It will be apparent that as yarn from the beam 11 is consumed by the knitting elements, the progressive de- 2 crease in beam diameter will cause roller 57 to move inwardly toward the axis of the beam, thereby moving the bell crank 54 in a counter clockwise direction. This in turn will turn the control shaft 62 on mechanism 17 so as to increase the output speed thereof in a known manner. Such increase in speed will be transmitted through the tandem connected variable speed mechanism 23, to the drive shaft 31 and driven shaft 32 so as to rotate the beam 11 at such speeds as will maintain the linear speed of the yarns let off from said beam, substantially constant.

It is understood that other forms of clutching mechanism may be used to effect the connection and disconnection of the

shafts

31, 32. Also, alternative control means may be used for actuating switch 50. Thus, cam chains and other well known control means associated with knitting machines and the like, may be utilized to effect the regulation of the operation of the clutch operating solenoid.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided a positive beam drive in which the several objects of the invention have been achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible changes might be made in the embodiment of the invention set forth herein, it is understood that all matter herein shown or described is to be ai interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent:

1. A knitting machine comprising a beam, positive driving means for said beam comprising a continuously rotating drive shaft, a driven shaft connected to the beam, clutch means for coupling said shafts, and means for automatically operating said clutch means at predetermined intervals during the operation of said machine.

2. A knitting machine comprising a beam, positive driving means for said beam comprising a continuously rotating drive shaft, a driven shaft, means operatively connecting said driven shaft and said beam, clutch means for coupling said shafts, means for operating said clutch means to disconnect said shafts, and means for automatically actuating the clutch operating means at predetermined intervals during the operation of said machine.

3. A knitting machine as in claim 2, wherein said clutch operating means comprises a solenoid and said controlling means comprises cam operated switch means for controlling the energization of said solenoid.

4. A knitting machine comprising a beam, a drive for said beam comprising a pair of coaxial, aligned shafts, means for continuously rotating one of said shafts, means for connecting the other shaft to said beam, means for coupling said shafts comprising a pair of interengageable members respectively mounted on adjacent end portions of said shafts, said members being arranged for disengagement, means for disengaging said members and means for actuating said disengaging means for a predetermined number of knitting cycles.

5. A knitting machine including a beam, a drive for said beam comprising a constant speed shaft, a continuously rotating driving member, a rotatable driven member operatively connected to said beam, clutch means for coupling said members, means for operating said clutch means to disconnect said members for a predetermined number of knitting cycles, and variable speed 1 means connecting said shaft and said driving member,

and means for manually controlling the operation of said variable speed means.

6. A knitting machine as in claim 5 and further including a second variable speed means connected between said shaft and said first variable speed means, said second variable speed means being automatically respona sive to changes in the beam diameter for regulating the output of said second variable speed means whereby to maintain the let off of said beam at substantially constant linear speed.

7. A knitting machine including a beam, a drive for said beam comprising a rotatable driven member operatively connected to said beam, a continuously rotatable driving member, means for coupling said members, means for operating said coupling means to disconnect said members, power supply means, a pair of variable speed mechanisms connected in tandem relation, means connecting the input of one mechanism to said power supply means, means connecting the output of the other mechanism to said driving member, one of said mecha nisrns including manually adjustable means for regulat ing the output thereof, the other of said mechanisms including adjustable means regulating the output thereof, and means responsive to the change in beam diameter for automatically controlling said last mentioned adjustable means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,327,747 Sirmay Aug. 24, 1943 2,400,525 Amidon May 21, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 932,337 France Nov. 24, 1947