US2924958A - Yarn severing means for knitting machines - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 16, 1960 Filed Oqt. 1. 1956 J. D. MOYER YARN SEVERING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 EE J Eed No.5

' 4/ Feed No.1

, INVENTOR. James 17. M0 er BY M0%- 'ATTORNEY.

FedIYol Fe b. 16, 1960 J.- D. MOYER 2,924,958

YARN SEVERING' MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 1, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 llmll INVENTOR. Jzimcs D. Mayer A TTORNE Y.

Feb. 16, 1960 J. D. MOYER 2,924,953

I YARN SEVERING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 1, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY.

Unit States nt '0 YARN SEVERING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES James D. Moyer, Wyomissing, Pa., assignor to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 1, 1956, Serial No. 613,288

3 Claims. (Cl. 66-140) This invention relates to knitting machines having yarn feeding and changing mechanism for forming patterned fabrics and more particularly to means in such machines for severing the yarns between the yarn feeding means and the fabric following removal of the yarns from knitting action.

In present knitting machines and particularly machines of the type having a circular series of needles for knitting patterned tubular fabrics, the yarn feeding meansis operated by pattern means to introduce the yarns into and to remove them from knitting action according to the desired pattern. In the usual practice, after a yarn is removed from knitting action it is first clamped between the yarn feeding means and the fabric and then severed between the clamping means and the fabric. In order to insure the proper severing of each yarnas it is taken out of action, a severing means is provided which is usually positioned Within the needle circle and which is operated by pattern means having the same or substantially the same operating sequence as the yarn feeding means. Consequently when the pattern sequence of the yarn feeding means is changed to produce a different design pattern in the fabric, it is also necessary to change the pattern sequence of the yarn severing means which results in a considerable increase in down time of the machine and loss of production. Furthermore, in machines having a plurality of feeding stations, the down time and loss of production increases in proportion to the number of feeding stations.

Another objection to the known types of yarn severing means is that the pattern means therefor must, because of space requirements, be positioned outside of the needle cylinder and beyond other operating parts of the machine. This not only further complicates the complex design of the machine but also requires the use of extremely long connections between the severing means and the pattern means which are difficult to adjust and frequently cause defective operation of the severing means.

It is an object of the invention to provide a knitting machine with-means for severing yarns removed from knitting action which means is so constructed as to over-. come the above mentioned and other defects.

Another object of the invention is to provide a knitting machine with yarn severing means which iscontrolled in its yarn severing operations by the yarns taken out of knitting action.

A further object of the invention is to provide a circular knitting machine with means for severing the yarns taken out of action, which means and the means for controlling the operation thereof are positioned within the circular outline of the needle cylinder.

A still further object is to provide a circular knitting machine with means for severing yarns taken out of knitting action having electrical operating means and a switch which is actuated by the yarns to energize the electrical operating means.

With these and other objects in view which will become 2,924,958 P a tented Feb. 16, 1960 apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the invention resides in the novel elements, features of construction and arrangement of parts in cooperative relationship as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a multifeed circular knitting machine illustrating the yarn feeding means at each of the feeds;

Fig. 2 is a view partially in cross section and partially in elevation showing the yarn severing means according to the'invention and taken substantially in the direction of the arrows 2-2 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale of certain of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale of the yarn severing means shown in Fig. 2 with a portion of a cover member for the device being broken away;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of Fig. 4 and diagrammatically showing a portion of yarn feeding means;

Fig. 6 is a detailed view of a portion of the mounting means for the severing device as seen in the direction of the arrows 6-6 on Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 77 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a view of the mechanism of Fig. 7 taken in the direction of the arrows 8-8;

Fig. 9is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 99 on Fig. 4;

Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 1010 on Fig. 4; and

Fig. 11 is a view diagrammatically illustrating an electrical circuit for the yarn severing means.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the invention has been shown as employed in a circular knitting machine having a plurality of feeding or knitting stations, of the type shown and described in a patent application of Benjamin Franklin Coile, Serial No. 329,801, filed January 6, 1953. It will be understood, however, that it is similarly applicable to other circular knitting machines, the machine of the Coile application being selected for purposes of illustration only. The machine of said Coile application includes needles 20 of the pivoted latch type which are slidably mounted for vertical movement in slots 21 in a needle cylinder 22 having both rotary and reciprocating motion. Cooperating with the needles 20 are sinkers or web holders 25 which are supported for horizontal sliding movement between the needles in radial slots in an inner ring 26 secured to the upper edge of the cylinder 22 and an outer ring 27 secured to a flange 30 projecting from the cylinder. The sinkers 25 are maintained in position in the slots by a sinker cam ring 31 which is centered in relation to the needle cylinder by a ring member 32. The cam ring 31 carries cams, one of which is shown at 35, for operating the sinkers 25. The needles 20 are operated by cams (not shown) to cooperate with the sinkers 25 to form yarns into fabric loops in the usual manner at each of the feeding stations.

Yarns such as indicated at 36 (Fig. 5) are fed to the needles 20 through yarn fingers 37, four of which are shown at each of four feeding stations indicated generally as Feed Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the fingers being pivotally mounted for movement between a lowered or active position in which the yarns are taken by the needles and knitted into loops and a raised or inactive position in which the yarns are out of action. The fingers 37 at each of the feeding stations are supported for their pivotal movement in blocks 40 secured to the 'c'am'ring 31"and are operated between the active and inactive positions by a button drum '41 rotatably carried on a shaft 42. The ends of the shaft 42 are secured to arms 44 and 45 which are adjustably carried on upright studs 46 and 48, respectively, secured in a fixed position on the machine. The button drum 41 is rotated in a step wise manner by an associated pawl and ratchet device 47 mounted on the shaft 42, the pawl and ratchet device being selectively operated by connections from the main pattern drums (not shown) of the machine. With the exception of the arrangement of buttons in the drum 41, the operating means for the yarn fingers 37 at each of the four feeds are identical and are given like reference characters.

.Normally, when a yarnfinger 37 is in active position and the machine is in reciprocating motion, the yarn 36 carried by the'iinger enters a space 53 between a binder plate 50 and a lower disc 52 which are secured to the underside of a square block 55 supported'on the machine as hereinafter set forth. When the yarn finger 37 is raised to inactive position by its associated button drum 41, the yarn is raised above the binder plate 50. As the cylinder 22 and needles 20 are rotated, the yarn which is attached to the fabric on the needles, is carried above the binder plate 50 and beneath a pair of spring clamps 51 secured to the upper surface of the binder plate. As the cylinder 22 continues to rotate the yarn is carried between a stationary blade and a movable'blade of a scissor type cutter device 49 to sever the yarn between the clamps 51 and the needles at each of the feeding stations. The construction and operation of the foregoing parts of the machine, with the exception of the cutter operating means which embodies the instant in vention, are more fully shown and described in the aforesaid application Serial No. 329,801.

In accordance with the instant invention the block 55 is provided with slots 56 which interfit the lower ends of walls or fins 57 of a cross-like member 60, the block being secured to the fins by setscrews-61 (Fig. The upp'erends of the fins 57 of the member 60 interfit and are secured in slots 62 in a disc-like member 65 by setscrews 66 (Figs. 4 and 9). The member 65 has a hub 67 which is secured in a free end 70 of an arm 71 by means of setscrews 72. The arm 71 has its other end 75, forked, as shown in Fig. 2, for engagement With opposite faces of a support block 76, the forked end being retained in pivotal engagement with the support block by a pin 77 (Figs. 3 and 6). The support block 76 is shown positioned between Feed Stations Nos. 2 and 3 (Fig. l) and one end of the support block is mounted for pivotal movement on the post 48 supporting one end of the shaft 42 for the drum 41 at the No. 3 Feed.

The vertical position of the support block 76 on the post '48 is determined by a collar 80 which is secured in adjusted position on the post by a setscrew 81. The other end of the support block has an open end slot 82. forming arms 85 adapted to lie at opposite. sides of the post 46 which supports one end of the shaft 42 for the drum 41 at the No. 2 Feed. The arms 85 carry setscrews 84 and 86, respectively, for engagement with opposite sides of the post 46, the setscrewsproviding adjustment for the support block 76 and meansfor maintaining the support block in 'engagement'with the collar 80 on the post 48. The setscrew 86 is provided with a nut 88 to lock this setscrew in adjusted position in its arm 85 of the support block 76. The othersetscrew 84 is releasable from its engagement with the post 46 for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

The arm 71'is also pivotally adjustable about the axis of the pin 77 to accurately center the binder plate 50 with respect'to the needle cylinder 22. For this purpose, th'earrn 71 has cars 87 projecting from opposite sides of the'arm. Each of the ears-87 adjustably carries -a setscrew '90 for'engagementwith the support block 76 and each of the setscrews is provided with a nut 91 to lock it in adjusted position.

At times it is desired to remove the binder plate 50 and the supporting means therefor to inactive position in order to make repairs or adjustments to parts of the machine normally covered by the binder plate. In order to accomplish this, the setscrew 84 is backed out todisengage the post 46 and the setscrew 81 is backed out to release the collar 80 from the post 48. The collar 80 and support block 76 are raised along the post 48 until the lower surface of the support block is above the top of the post 46. The collar 80 is then secured to the post 48 in the new position by the setscrews 81 and the block 76 is rotated on the post 48 to position the arm 71 and binder plate 50 to one side of the needle cylinder. To return the binder plate 50 and associated parts to their active position the block 76 is rotated to substantially center the binder plate 50 with the needle cylinder 22 and the collar 80 released and lowered on the post 48 with'thesupport block 76 to the correct height. The collar 80 is again secured to the post and the setscrew 84 is tightened against the post 46 which correctly centers the binder plate 50 with respect to the needle cylinder 22.

The cutter devices 49, one of which is provided for the yarns at each feeding station are identical in structure and include a blade 92 which is heldin stationary position against one face of the block 55 by means of a stud 95 threaded into the block and a blade 96 pivotally mounted on the stud (Figs. 4, 5 and 7). A coil spring 97 mounted on the stud 95 between the blade 96 and a. head portion 100 of the stud and having its ends anchored to the head portion and blade 96, respectively, biases the blade 96 against the blade 92 and also to open or raised position as shown in Figs. 4 and 7. An end 101 of the blade-96 is pivotally connected to one end of a link 102 by means of a pin 105 and the other end of the link is pivotally connected .by a pin 106 to one end of a core member 107 of a solenoid 108. The solenoid 108 is secured to one of the fins 57 by screws 109, as shown in Fig. 4.

The solenoid 108 is in an electrical circuit including leads 110 and 111 which may be connected to the main source of electrical energy for the machine in any well known manner. The lead is connected to one end of a coil or winding 112 of the solenoid 108 and the other end of the coil is connected by a conductor 115 through a normally open micro-switch 116 to the lead 111 as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 11. The micro-switch 116 is secured to one leg 117 of an L-shaped bracket 120 (Fig.7) secured to the top of the block 55 by means of screws indicated at 121 in Figs. 4, 7 and 10. The microswitch 116 has a contact button 122 which is operated by an arm 125 pivotally mounted on a bracket 126 secured to the switch. The bracket126 has an car 127 which is bent to overlie the path of movement of the arm 125, as shown at the lower right of Fig. 4, to thereby limit the movement of the arm away from the switch 116 to the position as shown at the lower left of Fig. 4, this position representing the position of the arm when the micro-switch is open. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the binder plate 50 is provided with elongated slots 130 to receive the lower end of each of the arms 125. The solenoid 108 and micro-switch 116 for the cutter device 49 at each of the feeds are connected to the leads 110 and 111 in like manner (Fig. 11).

in operation, and as the cylinder of the machine continues to turn, a yarn being removed from kntting action is carried between the blades 92 and 96 and is then brought into engagement with the arm 125 to move it and depress the button 122 toclose the micro-switch 116. Closing the micro-switch 116 closes the circuit :between the leads 110 and 111 and thereby energizes the coil 112 of the solenoid 108 which actuates the core member 107 to moveithe blade 96 to-closed position relative to the blade 92 and sever the yarn. As the yarn is severed and the tension thereon released the arm 125 and button 122 are returned to the position of Fig. 4 to open the microswitch to break the circuit through the coil 112 whereupon the weight of the core member 107 and the spring 97 act to move the blade 96 to open position.

It is to be understood that the multi-feed machine shown is illustrative only and a severing means according to the invention is equally applicable to machines having, for example, a single feed but in the operation of which one or more yarn changes are made during a cycle in the knitting of a fabric tube or garment such as a stocking.

Inasmuch as, in accordance with the instant invention, the severing of a yarn is controlled by theyarn itself the severing of the yarns will automatically follow any variation in the operating pattern of the yarn fingers 37, eliminating the necessity of a pattern control for the yarn cutters and the setting of the same to follow such operating pattern.

In the event that a cutter device 49 fails to operate to sever a yarn taken out of action due to a fault occurring in the electrical circuit of a solenoid 108, the machine must be stopped before theyarn causes damage to elements of the machine and/or fabric. For this purpose there is provided means for stopping the operation of the machine including a flexible metallic arm 131 which is mounted on a block 132 of insulating material such as hard rubber or the like by means of a bolt 134. In the instant arrangement the block 132 is secured to the bracket 120 for the micro-switch 116 associated with the yarns at Feed No. 3 by screws 135 (Figs. 7 and 8). The bolt 134 extends through the block 132 and is connected by a conductor 136 (Figs. 4 and 8) which is in turn connected to the electrical circuit of the machine motor (not shown). The free end of the arm 131 lies within aligned apertures 140 and 141 in the binder plate 50 and disc 52, respectively and is normally positioned centrally of the apertures. However, when a yarn taken out of action is not severed this yarn will enter the space 53 between the binder plate 50 and disc 52 and engage and deflect the arm 131 into engagement with the binder plate 50 which will open the circuit for the motor and stop the machine.

The stop means forms no part of the instant invention and is only shown and described herein in suflicient detail to show its cooperation with the yarn severing means of the instant invention. For a more detailed disclosure of the operation of the stop means and its connection to the electrical operating circuit of the machine, reference may be made to the aforesaid application Serial No. 329,801.

It will be understood that the improvements specifically shown and described by which the above described results are obtained can be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding means movable into and out of a yarn feeding position, a rotatable needle cylinder, means for causing movement of said cylinder, means for forming yarn fed by said yarn feeding means into fabric during said movement of said cylinder such fabric being carried with said cylinder, means for moving said yarn feeding means out of yarn feeding position under pattern control, actuatable means for severing said yarn between said yarn feeding means and said fabric when said yarn feeding means is moved out of yarn feeding position, and means located in the path of the yarn extending between said inoperative yarn feeding means and the fabric and operated by the yarn as it is carried by said movement. of said cylinder to cause actuation of said yarn severing means.

2. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding means, a rotatable needle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder for forming yarns fed by said feeding means into knitted fabric, means for moving said yarn feeding means to move the yarns fed thereby between knitting and non-knitting positions, and means for severing a yarn between said feeding means and said needles when said yarn is moved to non-knitting position comprising a pair of cutter blades between which the yarn is carried by said needles during rotation of said needle cylinder when said yarn is moved to non-knitting position, spring means for normally maintaining said cutter blades in open position to receive said yarn, a solenoid pivotally connected to one of said cutter blades, an electrical circuit in which said solenoid is connected, a normally open switch in said circuit, and means operated by said yarn as it is moved between said cutter blades to close said switch and circuit to actuate said solenoidand move said one cutter to closed position.

3. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding means, a rotatable needle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder for forming yarns fed by said feeding means into knitted fabric, means for moving said yarn feeding means to move the yarns fed thereby between knitting .and non-knitting positions, and means for severing a yarn between said feeding means and said needles when said yarn is moved to non-knitting position comprising a stationary cutting blade and a movable cutting blade between which the yarn is carried by said needles during References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 427,465 Davidson-et a1. May 6, 1890 2,580,513 Brown Jan. 1, 1952 2,602,313 Reading July 8, 1952 2,674,866 Dyjak Apr. 13, 1954 2,806,487 1957 Zapf Sept. 17,

Images