US3010298A

US3010298A - Pattern wheels of circular knitting machines

Info

Publication number: US3010298A
Application number: US746806A
Authority: US
Inventors: Schmidt Richard
Original assignee: FRANZ MARAT K G
Current assignee: FRANZ MARAT K G; Franz Marat K-G
Priority date: 1957-12-07
Filing date: 1958-07-07
Publication date: 1961-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 1978-11-28
Also published as: FR1195886A; FR76211E; BE567682A; BE578047R; GB859196A; CH362789A; DE1128945B

Description

R. SCHMIDT 3,010,298

PATTERN WHEELS OF CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Nov. 28, 1961 Filed July '7, 1958 Fig. 1

United States Patent 3,010,298 PATTERN WHEELS F CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Richard Schmidt, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany, assignor to Franz Marat K.-G., Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany,

Filed July 7, 1958, Ser. No. 746,806 Claims priority, application Germany Dec. 7, 1957 7 Claims. (Cl. 66-50) This invention relates to pattern wheels of circular knitting machines.

The pattern wheels of c rcular knitting machines have, for the lifting of the knitting needles according to pattern, their wheel axle arrange in a direction inclined toward the axis of the knitting needles in such a way that the knitting needles whose heels hit against projections of the pattern wheel, are thereby lifted for knitting, while on the other hand the knitting needle whose heels engage in recesses of the pattern wheel are thereby caused to pass beneath the cams. These known pattern wheels are provided in their circumference with recessed extending parallel to or in inclined direction to the needle axis and at a distance from one another corresponding to the distance between the needles. These recesses are closed up by inserts in conformity with the pattern.

The disadvantage of a construction like this is that in case of disturbances causing a lateral dislodgement of the walls of the recesses the walls will either get deformed or crushed, so that the entire pattern wheel has to be exchanged.

In order to overcome these disadvantages it has already been proposed to mill into the pattern wheel radially extending recesses into which, in conformity with the pattern jacks are inserted with or without lateral support, which then are secured in their recesses by means of a coverplate.

The jacks with lateral support close up the interval and lift the corresponding knitting needles.

From the jacks which have no support to the adjacent jack there is a gap, so that the respective knitting needle is not lifted and, therefore, not moved into the area of the cam, and consequently slips with its heel beneath the cams.

If a jack of this kind is injured, it will sufiice to exchange the damaged jack.

That is a considerable advantage as compared with those known jacks or forms of construction in which the walls are produced as milled-in recesses into which are inserted, according to pattern, the jacks closing the gaps.

A disadvantage of this improved form of construction is however, that the jacks have to be taken out whenever the pattern is changed.

According to the invention this disadvantage is overcome by the feature that in pattern wheels equipped with inserts arranged and clampingly secured in radially extending recesses, there have been inserted and lockably secured radially shiftable jacks in the intervals between the inserts.

The pattern wheel of the invention is provided with a lower cover-plate upon which rests and to which is secured by means of screws a plate serving as jack support and provided in its lower surface and in its upper surface with radially extending recesses. The recesses of the lower surface are positioned in the area between the recesses of the upper surface or vice versa, and in the recesses of the lower surface are seated and secured against displacement the pattern-wheel inserts, while in the upper recesses are seated the radially shiftable jacks which when shifted in outward direction project with their free end into the gaps between the inserts in the lower recesses, and which when shifted in inward direction are retracted from the gaps between the inserts. An upper cover-plate seby Way of example.

cures the jacks in operating condition in the adjusted position.

The radially shiftable jacks are provided at their upper surface with an upwardly projecting arm which facilitates the shifting, necessary for the change of pattern, by hand. When the pattern is to be changed, the upper cover-plate is removed and the radially displaceable jacks are by means of their upwardly projecting arms shifted into the position necessary for the desired patterning. After that the upper cover-plate is again secured in position.

Furthermore, the radially shiftable jacks are provided in the upper surface of their free ends extending toward the center axis of the pattern wheel with a triangular recess, in which engages an annular projection provided on the lower surface of the upper cover-plate whenever a jack is in working position, while another triangular recess is engaged by the annular projection whenever a jack is retracted. The advantage of this is that the radially shiftable jacks, whose positions were incorrectly adjusted by hand, are automatically readjusted and corrected in their position when, after a change of pattern, the upper cover-plate is again put onto the jacks; and that the jacks are thereby secured in their correct positions. 7

Pattern wheels provided with radially displaceable jacks secured in position by a cover-plate have already been known to the art. However, these pattern wheels are of the initially mentioned type in which the radial walls at the circumference are formed by the milling of radial slots, and which for that reason are easily damaged.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which an embodiment of the invention has been shown However, I wish to say that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed or modified, so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which like parts are referred to by the same reference numerals,

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of half of a pattern wheel taken in staggered radial planes to show the circumferentially staggered upper and lower recesses in the supporting plate for the jacks and inserts;

FIG. 1a is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 1a-1a in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of a radially shiftable jack;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of an insert.

Screwed onto the central hub 1, to be pushed onto the supporting bolt of the pattern wheel (not illustrated), and secured in its position on the hub by the counter-nut 3 is the lower cover-plate 2.

Secured to this cover-plate 2 by means of the screws 5 is the supporting plate 4 of the jacks. The supporting plate 4 of the jacks is provided above and below with radially extending recesses 6 and 7. The lower recesses 6 are positioned in the area between the upper recesses 7 and vice versa so that recesses 6 and 7 are staggered in circumferential direction. Arranged in the lower recesses 6 are the inserts S, and in the upper recesses the radially shiftable jacks 9. The inserts 8' are secured in their recesses 6 by the pressure between the supporting plate 4 and the lower cover-plate 2. The heads 8a are so shaped that they project in upward direction into the spaces between the upper recesses 7 and the radially displaceable jacks 9, which are pressed by the upper cover-plate 10 against the supporting plate 4 of the jacks and thus secured in their position. The upper cover-plate 10 is secured in 3 its position and pressed against the supporting plate 4 by means of the nut'll.

Provided on the lower surface of the upper cover-plate is an annular projection 12 whose cross-section is that of a triangle having its pointed end extending in downward direction. On the other hand, each of the radially shiftable jacks 9 is provided in'the upper surface of its inwardly extending free end with a recess 9a of triangular shape, in which engages the annular projection 12 when the jacks 9 are in working position, that is to say, when they are in outwardly shifted position, as shown in FIG. 1. A corresponding recess 9a is engaged by annular projection 12 if a jack 9 is retracted and in the inoperative position shown in FIG. 1 in dot-and-dash lines. 7

The jacks 9 are provided with an upwardly extending arm 9b which projects from the upper recess 7 in the supporting plate 4. By mean of this arm 9b the jacks 9 can be manually shifted, after the upper cover-plate 10 has been removed. Furthermore, the upper cover-plate 10 is provided in its lower surface with a recess in the area of the arms 9b.

The arms 9b may also be so arranged that they are not covered up by the upper cover-plate, and that for shifting of the jacks 9 only loosening of the cover-plate 10 is necessary.

The connection of the

plates

2, 4, 10 for cooperation with one another may also be effected by other means as illustrated and described in this specification. 7

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a pattern wheel for circular knitting machines in combination with a central hub of the pattern wheel a circular lower cover-plate rigidly and detachably secured to'the central hub; a circular jack-supporting plate rigidly and detaohably secured to the lower cover-plate, said jacksupporting plate being provided in its lower and in its upper circumferential outer surfaceportions witha set of lower circumferentially spaced radial recesses, and with a set of upper circumferentially spaced radial recesses, respectively, said upper and lower recesses being circumferentially staggered and alternating with each other in such 'a way that the lower recesses are positioned between pairs of adjacent'upper recesses; a plurality of plate-like inserts rigidly and exchangeably supported in and extending from said lower circumferential recesses of said jack-supporting plate and having portions located at the level of said upper recesses and defining gaps betweeneach other, said gaps being located opposite said upper recesses, respectively; a plurality of jacks exchangeably and radially shiftably supported in and extending from said upper circumferential recesses of said jack-supporting plate in such manner that said gaps between two adjacent inserts are thereby filled up according to a pattern; and a circular upper cover-plate rigidly and detachably secured to the central hub above said jacks for securing said radially shiftable jacks in correct positions located in, or retracted from said gaps, respectively.

2. A pattern wheel as specified in claim 1, in which said radially shiftable jacks are provided with an operating arm adapted for the manual operation of the jacks and projecting in upward direction from said upper recesses in which the jacks are shiftably positioned. V

3. A pattern wheel as specified in claim 1, in which each of said radially shiftable jacks is provided on its upper surface in the vicinity of its rear end with a pair of triangular recesses; and in which the said upper coverplate is provided in its lower surface with an annular projection of trianguiar cross-section adapted to engage in one of said triangular recesses of said shiftable jacks tothereby secure them in correct position.

4. A pattern wheel-as specified in claim '1, in which said radially shiftable jacks are provided an operating arm adapted for the manual operation of the jacks and projecting in upward direction fromsaid upper recesses in which the jacks are shiftably positioned; and in which the upper cover-plate is provided in its inner surface with a recess for housing therein said operating arms of said shiftable jacks, so that said operating arms are normally covered up by said upper cover-plate, but freely project from said upper recesses after removal of the detachable cover-plate for a readjustment of the pattern.

5. A pattern control device for circular knitting machines, comprising a circular support plate having upper and lower peripheral surface portions respectively formed with a set of upper circumferentially spaced radial recesses, and with a set of lower circumferentially spaced radial recesses, said upper and lower recesses being circurnferentially staggered and alternating with each other around the periphery of said support plate so that each lower recess is positioned between pairs of adjacent upper recesses; a set of plate-shaped inserts located in and outwardly projecting from said lower recesses, and having head portions located at the level of said upper recesses and defining gaps between each other, said gaps being located opposite said upper recesses, respectively; a set of jacks mounted in said upper recesses, respectively, for radial movement between an operative position projecting into the respective gaps and located between said head portions 'of adjacent inserts, and an inoperative position retracted from said gaps; first clamping means for clamping said inserts to said support plate; second clamping means for clamping said jacks in selected operative and inoperative positions to said support'plate; and means for securing said first and second clamping means to a pattern Wheel.

6. A pattern control device as set forth in claim 5 wherein the outer ends of said inserts and jacks in op- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sanders Mar. 28, 1933 Agulnek Sept. 29, 1936