US2961857A

US2961857A - green

Info

Publication number: US2961857A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1960-11-29
Anticipated expiration: 1977-11-29

Description

Nov. 29, 1960 1. H. c. GREEN 7 2,961,857

, YARN FEEDING MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fla. 1 F132 fA/VENTOR Isa/1c H. C. GAEEA/ Nov. 29, 1960 I 2,961,857

YARN FEEDING MECHANISM AND METHOD 1 FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 1. H. c. GREEN 9 Sheets -Sh'eet 2 Filed April 29', 1957 E m ,M M

Nov. 29, 1960 I. H. c. GREEN YARN FEEDING MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 29, 1957 [N ms/vroe Isa/2c b. 6. GREEN 1960 H. c. GREEN YARN FEEDING MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Flled Aprll 29 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 [NI/Emmi? Ian/1c //C Giff/V 4w m6 W Nov. 29, 1960 I. H. c. GREEN YARN FEEDING MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 29. 1957 Nov- 29, 19 1. H. c. GREEN 2,961,857 YARN FEE G MECHANISM AND M ETHOD FOR c1 LAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG. 14

Nov. 29, 1960 1. H. c. GREEN YARN FEEDING MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 9 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed April 29. 1957 29,1960 A I. H. c. GREEN 2,961,857

1 YARN FEEDING MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 29. 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 a INVENTOR [5440 hi C. G8 I m am I. H. C. GREEN YARN FEEDING MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Nov. 29, 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed April 29. 1957 INVEN To I sAAc hf c. GREEN flrr 'f ma /m United States Patent 72,961,857 Patented Nov. 29, 1960 YARN FEEDING MECHANISM AND METHODFOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHHQE Isaac H. C. Green, Pawtucket, RJz, assignor to Hemphill Company, Pawtucket, R.I., a corporation of Massachusetts FiledApn 29, 1957, Ser. No. 655,680

10 Claims. (Cl.-66--43) This invention concerns-knitting machines. It has particular reference to circular, independent needle, hosiery machines and improved yarn-lever systems and associated mechanismsfor use therein.

The principal object of the invention is to increase-the patterning scope and to improve the yarn feeding mechanism of automatic knitting machines. A more specific object is to provide a method of knitting and a mechanism which will make it possible to knit, fully automatically, fabric having intersecting patterns such as the overplaid lines of the traditional solid color diamond argyle stocking.

This is accomplished by interchanging yarns between adjacent yarn levers during the knitting of different portions of the fabric.

A preferred embodiment of the invention andfsome modifications thereof are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view, from the left side, of a traditional argyle stocking with overplaid;-

Figure 2 is a view, from the right side, of the same stocking;

Figure 3 is a view, from the front: of thepa-tterned' leg of the stocking. of Figures 1 and 2, with the fabric cut up the back and laid out flat;

Figure 4 is, a plan view of 'a yarn leveroperating and yarn feed control mechanism;

Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view of a' portion of the yarn lever operating and yarn control mechanism of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a plan view of a portion of-the mechanism of Figure 5 with the yarn control mechanism shifted to a different position;

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the mechanism of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a section along the line 8-8: of Figure 4;

Figure 9 is a section along the line 9-9 of Figure 4;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a yarn lever assembly; Figure 11 is a perspective view of a yarn feeding element or trapper from the assembly of Figure 7;

Figure 12 is a partial front elevation of ayarn.lever operating mechanism used in practicing the invention;

Figure 13 is a view of a rocker lever usedwiththe mechanism of Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a perspective plan view of an auxiliary yarn control device;

Figure 15 is a perspective viewof mechanism for controlling the operation of the device of Figure 14;

Figure 16 is a plan view of anotheryarn lever control system in a second modification of the invention;

Figure 17 is a-plan view, on a larger scale, of a portion of the mechanism of Figure 16;

Figure 18 is a section along the line 1-8-18 of Fig are 17;

Figure 19- is asectional view along the line 19--19'of Figure 18;

Figure 20 is a similar section of'part'of the mechanism 2; of Figure 19 with the yarn controlling elementsin. a'different position;

Figure 21 is a section along the line 21-21 of Figure 18;

Figure 22 is a plan view of a yarn feeding system in a third modification of the invention;

Figure 23 is a' front elevation of the mechanism of Figure 22; and

Figure 24 is a perspective view along the line 24-24 of Figure 23.

The traditional argyle stocking sketched in Figs. 1-3 features a patterned leg comprising gray (G), yellow'(Y), and maroon (M) diamonds intersected by red (R') and blue (B) lines spiraling down through the various, diamonds and crossing each other.

In U.S. Patent No. 2,2l.7,022, there is disclosed a machine which has produced this general type of solid color patterned argyle hose in. a satisfactory and economic manner. This machine has been manufactured by the Hemphill Company of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and sold under the trademark Banner, models SCP and SCOP. The SCOP model of the machine, embodying an invention disclosed in co-pending application Serial No. 397,445, filed December 10, 1953, now Patent No. 2,934.- 921 is even capable of knitting a solid diamondpattern with an overplaid. In the product of this machine, however, the overplaid lines within a diamond, although they appear to. intersect or cross-each other, are actually knit from the upper sides of the diamonds, down through their respective quadrants in converging directions until they touch in the center; and then, down and out in diverging directions to the bottom sides of the diamond-so that what appear to be crossing lines are actually converging zigzags, and there is no crossing of colors.

Fully automatic mechanism for crossing yarns in the manner desired is shown in Figs 4-13. This mechanism is adapted to be combined with themachine disclosed in Patent No. 2,217,022, and to knit a solid color stocking with overplaid in the manner disclosed and with themechanism shown in Application No. 397,445, now Patent No. 2,934,921, referred to previously. Reference may be made. to this patent and application for more detailedinformation to amplify the present disclosure.

In the present machine, the needle selection and the yarn lever control is the same as the Banner SCOP; but, at the point in the knitting cycle when the two yarns converge in the center of the diamond and then start to diverge in' the SCOP, the yarn feeding levers in the present mechanism change yarns so that the same yarn which was knitting in the upper left hand quadrant is knit in the lower right, and the overplaid yarn of the upper right is knit in the lower left quadrant. Thus, a true cross-over of yarns is accomplished.

Referring to Fig. 4, a circle of needles I knit yarns fed by yarn levers 2-9.

Levers

2, 3, 4 and 5 feed the moves rack 15 in'the opposite direction. In this manner,

the positionsof the eyelets 1 013' can be shifted as shown, for example, by comparing Figs. 5 and 6.

The rack 14 is operated by a lever 20 through an extension 21. This extension ispivoted against a stop 22 On the lever 20,

24 and 25 adjustably mounted on the ends of the cxtension and rack, respectively. A tension spring 26 con a rack 14; and eyelets against which=it is held by a spring 23; and" is connected to the rack 14 by means of interlocking ears nected between the extension 21 and bracket 17 urges the rack 14 in the direction opposite to the arrow of Fig. 4. The lever 20 is operated by cams 27--30 on a pattern drum 31. (See Figs. 4 and 7).

Figs. 9-13 show details of the yarn feeding levers and their associated mechanisms.

A general view of the mechanism operating a single lever is shown in Fig. 12. A conventional yarn feeding lever, such as 'lever 2 which feeds one of the diamond yarns, is shown in yarn feeding position in which it is held by a spring 32 connected between an car 33 on the lever and a stationary bracket 34. The lever is pivoted at 35 and is raised out of yarn feeding position when the cam following portion 36 of a rocker 37 is lifted by a cam 38 on a rotating drum 39. The rocker 37 is connected to the yarn feeding lever 2 through an intermediate lever 40.

This combination of operating cams 38, a rocker 37, and intermediate lever 40 is repeated for each of the yarn feeding levers 2-9.

The yarn feeding portions of the levers 69 which feed the overplaid yarns differ from the feeding portions of levers 2-5 which knit the diamond yarns in that they have been specially constructed to permit yarns to be interchanged between adjacent levers ot accomplish the cross-over desired.

Figs. 10 andll show an enlarged view of this special construction as found, for example, in

levers

6 and 7. The main body or operating portion of the lever is provided with an elongated slot which has a yarn feeding element, or trapper, 41 reciprocably mounted therein. This element has an open center area through which yarn runs as it is taken by the needles; and an opening is provided in the side through which a length of running yarn can be pushed laterally into the center instead of having to be threaded therethrough. A combination of two adjacent levers, one with a trapper having a left hand opening and the other with its trapper having a right hand opening, makes it possible, with appropriate lateral pushing of the yarns, to interchange them between levers.

As shown in Fig. 10 and also in Figs. and 6, the

levers

6 and 7 are provided with right and left hand yarn guiding apertures or notches respectively, which, when the levers lie contiguous to each other, form a rectangular slot 42. When the elements 41 are pushed forward so that they project out from the levers in the manner shown in dotted line in Fig. and in full lines in Figs. 5 and 6, there is no side wall in the respective levers to prevent the yarns from being switched back and forth. When, however, the elements 41 are slid back into the main body of their respective yarn feeding levers, the hook-like portion at the end of the elements 41 come into register with the notches forming slot 42 and close the break in the side wall of the levers so that the yarns cannot transfer from one lever to another. Both the

levers

6 and 7 shown in Fig. 9 have their elements 41 retracted in this manner.

The elements 41 are reciprocated back and forth between the full and dotted line positions shown in Fig. 10 by the pushing action of a plate 43 against rods 44 which are screwed or riveted to the elements 41. Compression springs 45 pushing between the main body of the levers and collars 46 on the rods 44 (see Fig. 9) normally hold the elements in the full line position of Fig. 10. When the plate 43 which is mounted on a shaft 47 is pivoted to push against the rods 44, the springs 45 are compressed and the elements 41 project from their respective levers to the yarn switching position (dotted line, Fig. 10) wherein the openings in their side wall are in register with slot 42. The shaft 47 is turned, for this purpo y Yams 48 on the pattern drum 31 by means of a rocker lever 49 and a crank 50 to move the plate 43 as required (see Figs. 4 and 7).

Operation As stated above, the method of knitting and the basic mechanism for making the argyle stocking shown in Figs. 13 is described in US. Patent No. 2,217,022 and copending application No. 397,445, now Patent No. 2,934,- 921. The present disclosure is limited to the mechanism which makes it possible to cross the overplaid yarns and the operation thereof.

Figs, 5 and 6 show that, with the rack 14 in its extreme right hand position and the rack 15 moved to its extreme left (Fig. 5), the red yarn fed to the eyelet 10 is pulled to the extreme right hand side of the slot 42 and Well within the confines of lever 6. Similarly, the blue yarn B, feeding through eyelet 12, is pulled to the extreme left hand side of notch 42 and into the confines of lever 7. Similarly, the red yarn feeding through eyelet 11 and blue yarn feeding through eyelet 13 are pulled to the opposite sides of their slots 42 and within the confines of levers 3 and 9, respectively.

When rack 14 is shifted to its extreme left hand position and rack 15 to its extreme right, as shown in Fig. 6, the two yarns feeding through each of the slots 42 have reversed themselves. The blue yarn feeding through eyelet 12 is now drawn against the right hand side of slot 42 and into lever 6, while the red yarn feeding through eyelet 10 is drawn against the left hand side of its slot 42 and into lever 7. Similarly, the blue yarn feeding through eyelet 13 and the red yarn feeding through eye- 'let 11 are drawn against the right and left hand sides, respectively, of their slot 42 and into the levers 8 and 9.

The racks take the position of Fig. 5 when the cam following portion of the operating lever 20 rides in recess 27 on pattern drum 31 and the opposite extreme position of Fig. 6 when the lever rides to the top of cam 29. The racks take intermediate positions with the eyelets lying directly in line with the'yarn feeding levers instead of switching the yarn to an extreme position against the sides of the slots 42 when the operating lever is riding on either of the intermediate earns 28 and 30.

Referring to the top front yellow diamond Y shown in Fig. 3, the red overplaid yarn knitting in the top right hand quadrant of the diamond is fed to the needles through eyelet 10 and lever 6, and the blue yarn knitting in the top left hand quadrant of the diamond through eyelet 12 and lever 7. During this period of the knitting cycle, the cam following portion of the lever 20 is riding on the lower intermediate cam 28 which brings eyelet 10 into line with lever 6 and eyelet 12 into line with lever 7 to facilitate the yarn feeding.

When the cross-over point at the center of the diamond is reached, lever 20 rides to the top of cam 29 (Fig. 4) and the racks are pulled to the extreme position shown in Fig. 6. At the same time, the lever 49 is moved by cam 48, also on the pattern drum 31, to rock shaft 47 and turn plate 43 to push rods 44 and project elements 41 from their respective yarn levers. The effect of these changes is to switch the red yarn from the confines of lever 6 to lever 7 and the blue yarns from the confines of lever 7 to lever 6.

The pattern drum 31 is thereupon moved another step. Cam 48 passes out from under rocker 49 which causes the shaft 47 to turn in the opposite direction, and plate 43 to release the rods 44 so that the spring 45 snaps the yarn trapping and feeding elements 41 back within their respective yarn levers.

At the same time, the cam following portion of lever 20 passes from cam 29 to the higher intermediate cam 30 bringing eyelet 10, feeding the red yarn, into line with lever 7, and eyelet 12, feeding the blue yarn, into line with lever 6.

When the over-plaid yarns have been knit down through the lower left and right hand quadrants of the yellow front diamond, the

yarn feeding levers

6 and 7 are held 15 out of action by mechanism, standard on the Banner SCP and SOQP machines and not shown here, so that these particular yarns are not knit into the fabric until: the first quarter of the front maroon diamond shown in Fig. 3 has been completed.

At this point, the pattern drum 31 is steppe again. This time, thecam following portion of the rack operating lever 20"falls into the recess 27 and the rocker 49 is operated by a cam 48 to move the plate 43' and push the yarn trapping and feeding elements 41- out of their levers. This causes the racks. to take the position shown in Fig. 5 and makes it possible for eyelet to draw its red yarn into the confines of lever 6 and eyelet 12 to switch its blue yarn from lever 6 over to lever 7.

On'the next move of the pattern drum 31', rocker 49 passes ofi the cam 48', causing elements 41 to return to their normal position shown in Fig. 9; and, the lever 20 rides on the lower intermediary cam 28 which brings eyelet 10 into line with lever 6 and eyelet 12 into line with lever 7.

The operation has been described for the overplaid in the yellow and maroon diamonds at the front of the stocking. At the same time, levers 8 and 9 are going through similar operations to knit the overplaid in maroon and yellow diamonds at the rear of the stocking; and, if this is a two-feed machine of the type described in Patent No. 2,217,022, another pair of similar levers will knit at an auxiliary station on the opposite side of the machine and will be similarly operated to knit the crossing overplaid yarn in the green diamonds on either side of the stocking,

Auxiliary controls It will be appreciated that, if the yarns are going to move smoothly from one yarn lever to the other, the feeding elements must be at exactly the same height, and the yarns should run. as freely as possible through the open area of the slots 42. In order to accomplish these purposes, two auxiliary controls are provided.

The operating lever adjusting mechanism, shown in Figs. 12 and 13, is used to prevent wear of the cam following portions 36 or the cams 3 8 which operate the yarn levers from affecting the height of the yarn feeding elements. This adjusting mechanism consists of a hinged cam following. portion 36 on the rocker 37, pivoted at 51. An adjusting screw 52 is threaded through the body of the lever 37, butting against the portion 36; and a spring'53 draws the cam following portion 36 against the screw 52, thereby making possible an accurate adjustment of the height of each yarn feeding lever by adjusting its screw 52.

In order to insure that the yarns will run freely through the slots 42 and not be caught by the trapping elements 41 or the levers 69 during the yarn switching process, the yarn pushing mechanism shown in Figs. 14 and 15 is provided. 1

Fig. 14 shows the yarn pusher in a perspective view Without the yarn switching racks and associated mechanism of the other figures. This pusher consists of a vertically movable shaft 54 having yarn engaging members 55 and 56 at its lower extremity. A tension spring 57, mounted on an extension 58 of a stationary bracket 59 carried by the post 60 which supports the carrier ring 18, normally pulls the shaft 54.to an uppermost position where the elements 55 and'56 are in the full line position shown in Fig. 14 and merely guide the yarns feeding through i the, inactive levers.

When yarns are to be interchanged between adjacent levers, in the manner of this invention, the shaft 54 is pushed downward by the mechanism shown in Fig. 15 so thatthe members 55 and 56 take the dottedline position shown in Fig. 14 and push the yarn toward the center of the slots 42 to facilitate the switching process.

As shown in Fig. 15, the shaft 54 .is operated by cams 61on one of the pattern drums, 62 of the machine. The pattern drums 62 are similar tothe drums 31 and move in coordination with them. When a, cross-over of the overplaid yarns is to take place, cam 61 on drum- 62 rocks a lever 63 pivoted on an extension 64 fixed to the carrier ring supporting bracket 60. The lever 63 is secured to a rod 65 connected to a toggle lever 66 which in turn. pushes the shaft 54 downwards to the dotted line position shown in Fig; 14.

After the change-over has been accomplished, the drum 62 is stepped again, and the shaft 54 is released to be pulled upward by the spring 57 and allow the yarns to come under control of their individual levers Without interference from the members 55 and 56.

Modifications A plan view of a modified form ofthe; invention is shown in Fig. 16. This view shows the modification applied to a two-feed solid color knitting machine of the SCP or SCOP type referred to above.

This mechanism differs from the one previously described in that, instead of interchanging the yarns themselves between adjacent yarn feeding levers, yarn feeding elements together with their yarns are interchanged between adjacent operating mechanisms, so that, for example, a feeding element carrying a blue overplaid yarn will be operated first by one mechanism and then by another, while a companion feeding, element carrying red yarn will be operated first by the other, and then by the first after the crossover takes place.

This is accomplished principally by the use of spindles 67 each of which carries a pair of'yarn feeding elements 68 and 69. The spindles are operated by racks 70 which mesh with a spur gear 71 on the bottom of the spindle 67. (See Fig. 21). The racks are operated from pattern drums 31' by means of rods ,20 andv extensions 21. in the manner described for the previous modification.

The yarn feeding elements 68 and 69' of the spindles67' comprise an eyelet 72 in a body portion 73. Two rods 74 pass from the body portion 73 up through. individual holes inthe spindles 67 and are slidabl'e therein; and tensionsprings 75, pulling between the uppermost. ends of these rods and a fixed bracket 76 which supports the spindles 67', urge the elements 68' and; 69 to yarn feeding position.

Levers 77, which are substituted for the yarn feeding levers 69 in the previous modification, are employed to bear against the body portion 73' of the yarn feeding elements 68 and 69; in the manner'shown in Fig. 18, to push against the tension of the spring 75' and holdthern up out of yarn feeding position. When, by means ofthe conventional yarn lever operating mechanism. shown in Figs. 9- and 12,.a lever 77 is moved to the lower dotted line positionshown in Fig. 18, spring 75 causes its element 68 or 69' to assume the yarn feedingposition shown, also in dotted line', in Fig. 18.

A plurality of operating levers 77 are usedat each station in adjacent pairs, as shown in Fig. 17. For eachpair of operating levers 77.'there is a spindle 67 containing a pair of adjacent yarn feeding elements, 68 and 69.

By moving the rack 70 which turns the spindle 67' because of its geared relationship thereto, the relationship of each pair of feeding, elements 68, 69 and' operating levers 77 is interchanged in the manner shown in Figs. 19 and 20 so that, whereas one lever 77' was operating an element 68 to feed a blue yarn and its adjacent lever 77 was operating adjacent element 69in the same spindle. to.

operating levers 77, but which is too small to permit them to pass to yarn feeding position if the elements 68 and 69 are twisted out of line.

A third modification of the invention shown in Figs. 22-24 is similar to the second modification just described, except that the action of the levers which control the operation of the yarn feeding elements is reversed. In this modification, the tension springs 75 which pull the yarn feeding elements into active position in the previous modification are replaced by compression springs 79 which push between collars 80 on rods 74 and bracket 76 to hold the feeding elements 68', 69' in the inactive position shown in full line in Fig. 23.

A special lever 81 is operated by an intermediate lever 82 mounted in line with and as a part of a conventional SCOP yarn feeding lever assembly on the carrier ring 18'. The operative connection between the two consists of a projection 82a from lever 82 overlying an ear 81a on lever 81. The levers 82 are pivoted with the regular yarn levers on a stud 83 passing through brackets 84 screwed to lugs 85 rising from the carrier ring 18.

As shown in Figs. 23 and 24, the operating levers 81, which swing on a pivot 86 carried by brackets 84, engage the top of elements 68 and 69' when moved by lever 82 and push downward against the spring action to move the elements into yarn feeding position. A tension spring 87 between lever 81 and bracket 34' normally holds the lever out of yarn feeding position until intermediate lever 40 is operated by a rocker and cam drum arrangement such as that shown in Fig. 12 to pivot the lever 82. It should be noted that, whereas in the mechanism of Fig. 12 the levers are spring urged to operative position and cammed out of operation, in this modification the levers are spring held out of operation and are cam moved into yarn feeding position.

The invention has been described as applied to a twofeed Hemphill, model SCOP, solid color argyle knitting machine of the type described in US. Patent No. 2,217,022 and application No. 397,445, now Patent No. 2,934,921, and as it would be used to cross yarns in a traditional arglye pattern with overplaid. It is also applicable to other machines and to the knitting of other patterns, including straight bar and united needle machines.

I claim:

1. In a knitting machine having a plurality of independently operable yarn feed controls, each including a cam operated lever, and wherein means is provided for interchanging yarns between controls, means for adjusting the height of said controls which comprises a hinged cam following portion on each of said levers, said levers having a main body portion and an adjusting screw between the hinged portion and said main body portion of the lever, and a spring urging said hinged portion and said body together against said screw.

2. Yarn feeding means for a circular, independent needle, knitting machine which comprises two adjacent yarn feeding levers, a yarn guiding aperture in each lever so disposed that each said aperture communicates with that adjacent, movable means for opening and closing off said apertures, and means for switching a feeding yarn from one said aperture to the other when said movable means is in position to open one aperture to the other.

3. Yarn feeding means for a circular,.independent needle, knitting machine which comprises at least one pair of adjacent yarn feeding levers, a yarn guiding enclosed slot formed by oppositely directed apertures one in each of two adjacent levers, means movable to one position to prevent interchange of yarns from the opening in one of said two levers to the opening in the other, said means being movable to a second position to permit such interchange, and means for effecting said interchange of yarns when said movable means is in said second position.

4. The yarn feeding means of claim 2 wherein said switching means comprises a pair of elements adapted to be moved in opposite directions simultaneously and having eyelets therein for controlling the movement of said yarn in said slot.

5. The yarn feeding means of claim 2 wherein said switch means comprises a pair of parallel racks interconnected by gear means such that positive displacement of one of said racks in one direction causes simultaneous displacement of the other of said racks in the opposite direction, and means on said racks for controlling movement of yarns in said slot.

6. Yarn feeding means for a circular, independent needle, knitting machine which comprises two adjacent yarn feeding levers, a notch in each of said levers so disposed that an enclosed slot is formed when said levers lie contiguous to each other, yarn trappers movable to a first position to prevent an interchange of yarn in said slot from one said lever to that adjacent and to a second position to permit such interchange, spring means urging said trappers toward said first position, a cam operated plate adapted to urge said trappers to said second position, and switching means for effecting interchange of yarns when said trappers are in said second position which comprises a pair of parallel racks interconnected by gear means such that displacement of one of said racks in one direction causes simultaneous displacement of the other of said racks in the opposite direction, and eyelets on said racks for controlling movement of yarns in said slot.

7. The yarn feeding means of claim 6 which includes means for adjusting the height of said yarn feeding levers which comprises a hinged cam following portion on each of said levers, said levers having a main body portion and an adjusting screw between the hinged portion and said main body portion, and a spring urging said hinged portion and said body together against said screw.

8. A method of knitting, on a circular, independent needle relatively fixed feed knitting machine having first and second yarn feeding mechanisms operable independently of each other by means of first and second lever members, respectively, patterned fabric wherein a first pattern knit with a first yarn and a second pattern knit with a second yarn cross each other which includes the step, during said knitting, of interchanging the relationship between said feeding mechanisms and said lever members so that said first mechanism is controlled by said second lever member and said second mechanism is controlled by said first lever member.

9. Yarn feeding means for a circular, independent needle, relatively fixed feed knitting machine which comprises a spindle, two adjacent yarn feeding elements slidably mounted on said spindle between a yarn feeding position and an inactive position, separate lever means for moving each of said feeding elements to said inactive position, spring means urging each of said feeding elements toward said yarn feeding position, and means for reciprocating said spindle so as to interchange the relationship between said lever means and said feeding elements.

10. The yarn feeding means of claim 9 wherein said reciprocating means comprises a cam operated rack element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 580,825 Burleigh Apr. 13, 1897 768,279 Hirner Aug. 23, 1904 1,923,949 Nobst Aug. 22, 1933 2,235,726 Pass Mar. 18, 1941 2,377,729 Toone et al June 5, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,369 Great Britain Nov. 8, 1886 266,796 Great Britain Feb. 25, 1927