US2887859A

US2887859A - Yarn changer

Info

Publication number: US2887859A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1959-05-26
Anticipated expiration: 1976-05-26

Description

May 26, 19.59 v R. l?. ZERUNEITH I y2,887,859

YARN CHANGER Filed April 6. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4@ 'l magg-QE?? :iii

'Bm-'-ff-lz 47 S-i- I. 45 gr Ml".

2O A. INVENTOR.

\\ 23 fudo//ph E r'unei mi W May 26, 1959 R. E. ZERUNEITH 2,387,359

YARN CHANGER Filed April e.' 1954 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTR.

` Rudolf/1 E. Zwalm/'1%y z,ss7,ss9

YARN CHANGER `Rudolph E. zeruneith, rhnaduiihia, Pa.

Applicafionxprn 6, 1954, serial No. 421,355

` z claims. (c1. -13s) w The present invention relates to the art of knitting and more particularly to yarn changer mechanism for a circular knitting machine whereby the yarns fed to the machine may be selectively changed.

It is an `object of the present invention to provide a yarn changer of simplified construction wherein theparts v used to selectively position the yarn fingers may be'I 'uterchangeably used withany of the yarn fingers;g "It is n,also an object to provide finger-moving plungers` which ',are in part supported by the yarn fingers. Furthermore the plungers, preferably similarly shaped, have their fingermoving ends supported at substantially a Acommon level y the fingers while their movementfreceiving ends are 'supported ata plurality of levels.

A further object is to provide v'plunger-holding latches to retain the fingers and the plungers inflatched'rpositions. and to` provide a single spring for each, finger. and 4its respective latch 'to maintain thefingers, plungers andfthe latches in their proper relative positions.

'With the above and related objects in view as they may appear in the specifi-cation, ,the invention consists United States Patent the plungers and the latches.

-2,887,859 'Patented May .264.95.19

ICC

ward and spring urged movement from the yarn fingers,

4the positive movement of the plungers moving the fingers toward the needles, a like plurality of similarly shaped plunger-holding latches pivotally mounted inthe housing .in individual association with the-plungers for Vpositive movement from spring urged movement toward the the rear end of the housing 10 while the side walls extend beyond the top at the front end to form ears 14. i i

The yarn carrying fingers, here shownas three ,in number although `it will be understood that thefs'triperftnay of the housing 'have a greater. or a lesser number thereof', are relatively thin similarly 4shaped flat rectangular-like, rnembers; as yindicated at 15, 16 and 17, each finger having a pair of aligned .yarn-guiding

holes

18 and 19 formedftherein adjacent one of its longitudinal vedges fat either 'side yof van undercut portion 20 of the finger. The fingers 15, Y16 and 17 are pivotally mounted adjacenn'each' `other ona common pin 21 secured in and extending ,between the housing ears 14, forwardly of thetop 11ltl1epin 21 passing through the fingers at one end the fto one side of the holes 18. Each linger has arou edinthe operation of and the construction `and combination of par ts as will be `more fully understood` from the folflowing description thereof, when read in zconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a view in yside elevation 4ofthe iinprofved ,Figure 3 is a :view in front elevation of Figurel with the upper portion o the striperfsupporting bracket removed.

l Figure 4 is a top planlyiew of the striper without the striper-supporting bracket.`

Figure 5 is a View in section of the striper taken length- 'wise` through thestriper. box and showing the threestriper fingers, one ofwhich is in yarn feeding lposition.

' Figure 6j is aview similar to Figure 5 taken between the. feedingpositioned striper finger. and the adjacent striper finger. v

The improved multiple-yarn yarn. changer or striper of 40' striper Ishown imposition upon the, striper'suppo r ting bracket. v y Figure 2 is a view inrear elevation ofjFigu're l.'

the `present invention, of general applicationto any typefof knitting machine, is' preferably used o n a multiple; feed circular rotary vcam ring rib knitting machine ofthe type shown in co-pending application Serial No. 81,440, filed March 15, 1949 (on Whichpatent-application Patent No. 2,705,4l0 was issued on April 5, 1 955, wherein a striper is used at each feed to selectively change the yarns ifed to the v-needles v0f theIltlthine andgwhereintheyarn changing is initiated on the dial needles. The newly formed striper generally comprises a plurality of similarly shaped yarn-carrying fingers pivotally mounted in a housing for positive movement toward and spring urged movement from the needles, a like plurality of similarly shaped yarn-finger-moving plungers or push blades generally slidably mounted in the housing in individual association with the yarn fingers for positive movement tobottom plunger-supporting V-shaped notch fornt'etiiin its other longitudinal .edge justfbelowf-'the pin2,1 ..,"A ,tensioned spring 23, suitably secured to the saidother longitudinal edge of each finger adjacentyits yarnffeeding hole 19, constantly vurges its finger rearwardlyofthe housing 10 out of feeding position. f

The finger-actuating plungers, one for each lnger,

are relatively. thin similarly shapedat Y strip-likeEinembers, as indicated "at 24, 25 and26, leach plunger having its yarn7nger-contacting end rounded as at 271and having its other end reduced in width toform a` l sft op shoulder 28. `The

plungers

24, 25 and 26 are generally .slidably supported Within the housing 10 in individual association with the

fingers

15, 16 and 17 respectively, by the fingers themselves and by :a rectangular, plate29 secured to the rearface of the housing@ The '.plate 29, positioned in a vertical slot formed in the rear. facon'f. housing 10, is secured to the housing .by`a.. scr`ew30 passing through the plate in threaded engagement with theV top 11. Spaced angularly inthe plate 29 is` a-'series of three rectangular apertures 31, through whichhe shouldered ends of the plungers 24,1`25'and 26. fare ,adapted to extend, their shoulders 28 engagingthe inner face Vof: the plate 29 to provide movemen't-lin-iiting-fstops for the plungers.

The

plungers

24, 25 and 26 lare, disposed so that their rounded ends 27 are received at" ,sub-

stantially a common level yby the notches 23 'of their re.

Fspectivelingers while their shouldered ends exteudihljough V 32,.33,and 34, respectively, at threeseparafte levels. asmuch as the springs 23 urge the fingers rearwardly,

the plate apertures 31 to 1provide plunger-movin b lutts .In-

the fingers in turn will urge the plungers rearwardly of lthe housing 10 where they will be stopped by the plate 29. The butts are adapted to be selectively engaged by appropriate Striper-pattern mechanism, not shown, to positively move their plungers inwardly of the housing 10 against the action of springs 23, the plungers in turn positively moving their respective fingers about the pip,

' each plunger.

`mechanism', as is well known in the art, is such that the `'wherebyl the'plungers may be held in their inward positions by suitable spring-urged latches.

The latches, one for each plunger, are also relatively thiny similarly shaped flat strip-like members, as indicated at 36, 37 and 38, each latch having one end 39 cut to provide a plunger-notch-engaging corner 40 and having its other end 41 chamfered on its underside at 42. The

latches

36, 37 and 38 are pivotally mounted adjacent each other within the housing below and in individual association `with the

plungers

24, 25 and 26, respectively, on a common pin 43 secured in and extending between the

housing walls

12 and 13, with the pin 43 passing through the latches at approximately one third theirflength as lmeasured from their chamfered ends.

The other ends of springs 23 are suitably secured to the lowerl longitudinal edges of the respective latches between vtheir pivot points and their chamfered ends to provide for the spring urged movement of the fingers, plungers and latches. The corners. 40 of the latches are spring urged to 'engage in the notches 35 of the inwardly moved plungers to so retain lthem in latched position, Figure 5,

'while the latch ends 39 are held in yielding engagement withthe bottom face of the rearwardly positioned unlatchedplungers between their notches 35 `and their ends 27, Figure 6, ready for plunger-engaging action. The ends 41 of the latches extend beyond the rear of the 'housing v10 below the plate 29 where their chamfered surfaces 42 are in position for latch-tripping engagement `with the latch releasing portion of appropriate striperpattern mechanism, not shown, to partially rotate all the .latches to release any latched plungers. It will be under- "stood that the tripping of any latch will cause its spring 23 to move the finger and plunger rearwardly of the n housing 10 to idle position, the finger 16 and the plunger `25 being shown in such unlatched position in Figure 6.

TheA latch ends 41 extend at a slight angle to the horizontal, Figures 5 and 6, inasmuch as each latch turns a diierent amount to cooperate at a separate level with The normal action of striper-pattern selected plungers are held inwardly long enough, after P `all the latches have been tripped to release any latched f'plungers, to be latched by the now-free latches.

'-' i `1 Ihestriper may be secured to the machine by means of "anfL-shaped striper bracket 43 to one end 44 of which the s triperhousing 10 is adjustably secured. The other end 45 of the bracket 43 is slidably mounted in a vertical l slotlforxnedlin' the outer peripheral lface of a horizontal circular striper-supporting ring 46, the ring being shown fin my application, for vertical adjustment of the bracket 43 (and the striper) relative to the needle circle of the machine. It will be understood that a number of stripers, j one for eachV feed, may be similarly mounted at circumferentially spaced locations on the ring 46. Vertical adjustment ofthebracket 43 may be made with a set-screwh'eld headed screw 47 extending longitudinally from ,threaded engagement with the bracket end 45, the screw 47 .being position so that the underside of its head may contact the upper face of the ring 46 to position the bracket 43 as the screw 47 is turned, after which the bracket 43 may be secured by a holding screw 48 which passes' through a washer 49 and through an enlarged hole l 4 50 in the bracket end 45 for threaded engagement with the Vring 46. The housing top 11 is provided with an upwardly extending key-member 51 which is slidably mounted in a longitudinal slot in the underface of bracket end 44 for radial adjustment of the housing 10 (and the striper) relative to the needle circle of the machine. Radial adjustment of the housing may be made by means of a setscrewheld headed screw 52 extending longitudinally from threaded engagement with the rear of housing top 11 at one undercut side thereof, the screw 52 being so positioned that the underside of its head may contact the outer face of the bracket end 44 to position the housing 10 as the screw 52 is turned, after which the housing may be secured by a holding screw 53 which passes through a washer 54 and through an enlarged aperture 55 in bracket end 44 for threaded engagement with the housing top 11.

VIt will be seen that the present invention provides an improved multiple-yarn striper or yarn changer wherein similarly formed yarn lingers are positively moved in one direction against spring action by the positive movement of similarly formed plungers moved against the same spring action, wherein the ngers and their respective plungers are held in their positively moved positions by similarly formed latches urged into contact with the plungers by the same spring action and wherein individual springs between each linger and its respective latch provides the spring action, the plungers having their movement receiving ends supported at separate levels for engagement by the plunger-moving means, while their motion-transmitting ends are at substantially a common'level in plunger-supporting engagement with the yarnv fingers.

It will be understood that suitable clamp and cutter may be secured to the striper housing 10 to hold the idle yarn ends, and such a clamp and cutter is shown in my lapplication which also shows the manner of securing ithe same to the striper.

Having thusr described the invention, it is claimed:

1. A yarn changer for a knitting machine, said yarn changer having a housing, a plurality of movable yarn ingers pivotally mounted in `said housing, similarly formed strip-like finger-moving-plungers movably mounted in said housing in operative alignment and in individual association with the respective ngers, similarly formed strip-like plunger-holding-latches pivotally mounted in said housing in operative alignment and in individual association with the respective plungers, and, a separate tension spring operatively interposed and connected to each of said fingers and its respective latch,

Iand arranged to urge said ngers and their respective latches towards their respective plungers.

2. A yarn changer as set forth in claim 1 in which said plungers have one of their ends interengaged with said yarn fingers at substantially a common level for arcuate movement in relation thereto and have their other ends slidably supported by and projecting from said housing at a plurality of levels, and in which said housing has a stop to limit the projecting movement of said plungers therefrom, said lingers urging said plungers toward said stop and thereby retaining said plungers in said interengagement with said fingers.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Gluck June 20, 1944