US3153335A - Pile fabric knitting mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 20, 1964 J. H. HILL v 3,

' PILE maze KNITTING MECHANISM Filed May 18, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNE Y 1964 J. H. HILL PILE FABRIC KNITTING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 18, 1960 INVENTOR. JOHN H. HILL.

' ZL ZMM f A TTORNE Y Oct. 20, 1964 J. H. HILL 3,153,335

PILE FABRIC KNITTING MECHANISM Filed :May 18, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet s IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y JOHN H. HILL.

Oct. 20, 1964 J. H. HILL j 3,153,335

PILE FABRIC KNITTING MECHANISM I Filed May 18, 1960 4 Sheets-:Sheet 4 uvvszvroz JOHN H. HILL ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,153,335 FILE FABRIC KNITTING MEQHANHSM John H. Hill, Wayne, Pa, assignor to Wildrnan .lacquard (10., Norristown, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 18, 196i), Ser. No. 36,022 3 Claims. (Ci. 66-9) This invention relates to a knitting machine, and, in particular, to a mechanism for knitting high pile fabrics. It is the general object of the invention to provide an apparatus for increasing the patterning possibilities of the pile yarn is knitted high pile fabrics.

More specifically, it is an object to provide a mechanism for premitting selective feeding to the knitting instrumentalities at each knitting station of a multi-feed high pile knitting machine, either one of two pile fibers differing in their physical characteristics.

It is a further object to provide for a multi-feed high pile knitting machine pattern controlled means for automatically changing from one type to another the pile fibers being fed at each feeding station, whereby, for example, many different designs may be produced in the pile, such asplaids, checkerboards, alternating short and long fibers to similate-natural furs, etc.

It is a further object to provide a novel carding means for feeding pile fibers to the knitting instrumentalities, said carding means including a main carding cylinder and two vertically displaced means for feeding separate fibers to said cylinder, whereby no unintentional crossover of fibers between said feeding means can take place.

It is a further object to accomplish the changeover with simple and inexpensive means and with clear lines of distinction between the changes.

Other objects will become apparent from the following disclosure.

High pile fabrics are those in'which a base fabric is supplemented by fibers incorporated in such manner that the fibers are drawn into tufts at each stitch to project to at least one side of the fabric. The pile thus formed is much longer than anything accomplished by way of combing, napping or by forming terry loops which may or may not be cut. Of course, the pile is usually sheared and treated by processes which enhance its appearance and by which it may be made to resemble very closely several natural materials.

One limitation thus far imposed upon results of this knitting is that the raw stock employed, in roving form or otherwise, has been continuously fed to the knitting instrumentalities, usually by way of carding means, and unless one were to resort to the highly impractical possibi ity of feeding a variegated roving, the effect is one in which no variation can be realized except in the treatment of the fabric after completion of knitting. In United States Patent No. 1,894,596 an apparatus is disclosed for selectively feeding either of two different types of fibers to the knitting mechanism which essentially comprises two complete carding means mounted in tandem fashion, the dolfer of either of which may be elevated out of active position to permit the other thereof to feed fibers to the knitting instrumentalities. However, fibers are continuously fed to both carding mechanisms so that fibers will build up excessively on the inactive dotfer.

According to the present invention, two separate sources of supply of pile fiber stock are fed each to separate vertically displaced pairs of feed rolls mounted adjacent a common carding means adapted to feed pile fibers to the knitting instrumentalities. Pattern controlled means operate in a predetermined sequence to effect operation of ice may be fed to the knitting instrumentalities for spaced periods and a second type during the intermediate periods at one or more feeding stations. Where more than one feeding station is employed, four different colors may be fed, for example, at two feeding stations to produce plaid patterns with selective control of needles. The vertical displacement of the two pairs of feeding rolls assures that there will be no intermixing of fibers between the two pairs as might be the case where the two pairs are coaxially located.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures of drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a portion of a knitting machine in section and showing a carding unit embodying the present invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a pair of feeding rolls and the associated spring clutch means for selectively driving said pair;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the control mechanism for operating the spring clutch assemblies;

FIG. 4- is an elevational view of the control mechanism of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 4 and including a section of a pattern chain;

FIG. 6 is a view as seen from the right side of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a partial view of the structure of FIG. 1 as seen from the opposite side thereof.

In FIG. 1 a portion of a rotary needle cylinder is shown at iii forming a part of a conventional knitting machine having a circular base 11, sinker head 12, needles 13 and sinkers 14. Cams in cam sections 15 and in sinker cap 16 cause the needles and sinkers, respectively, to function in known manner. A yarn is fed to the needles through a tubular or other guide 17 and that yarn is knitted to form a base fabric, as herein described, a jersey fabric.

On a base 18, attached to circular base 11, is mounted a card mechanism generally denoted by the arrow 19 and having among other parts, a card cylinder 26 rotatable in the direction shown by the arrow, a licker-in cylinder 21, worker rolls 2 2, 23, and 24, 25, which constitute two groups of such worker means. In some instances these worker rolls may be eliminated. The licker-in cylinder 21 is driven in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 7 by any conventional and wellknown means, such, for example, as that disclosed in applicants co-pending application Serial No. 707,333, filed January 6, 1958, now Patent No. 2,971,357. Finally, a dolfer cylinder 26 removes the fiber from the card cylinder 2% and as the books of needles 13 enter the card clothing they take a tuft of fibers in addition to the base yarn and then knit, the fibers being cast off as pile at the back of the fabric in simple, single-faced pile knitting. A number of air nozzles 27, 28 assist by projecting air streams to cause the fibers to appear cleanly at a single face of the fabric. a

The mechanism described to this point is largely old an well known; however, according to the practice followed to date, a roving or silver constituting a supply of fibers had been fed continuously at a given feeding station and no satisfactory and practicalmechanism had been devised for feeding two different rovings alternately at the same station to produce patterned effects.

According to the invention the above is made possible by providing two separate pairs of feeding rolls adjacent the licker-in cylinder at each feeding station, one of these pairs being shown at 29, 29" in FIG. 2. Pattern con trolled means is provided for rotating either pair of the rolls and simultaneously to render the other pair inactive, so that two different types of fiber may alternately be fed, one by each pair of feeding rolls, in continuous fashion to the main carding drum. That mechanism will now be described.

An annular supporting member 36 is suitably attached to the under side of the circular base 11 and carries therein a ring 31 which extends substantially completely about the periphery of the base. The ring is slidable within the member 36 so that it may be oscillated periodically in a manner and for reasons to be described. Fixed to the ring immediately beneath the carding mechanism 19 is a pair of spaced complementary cam members 32, 33 (FIG. 3) defining therebetween a cam path having two interconnected sections 34 and 35 spaced at different radial distances outwardly from the center of the needle cylinder.

A pattern mechanism generally indicated by the arrow 36 effects periodic oscillation of the ring first in one direction and then in the other. That mechanism includes a supporting framework 37 suitably attached at the side of the knitting machine to a vertical support 38. A ratchet wheel 39 is fixed to a stud 40 freely mounted in the framework 37. Also fixed to the stud is a pair of adjacent sprocket wheels, one of which is shown at 41 and around the circumference of each of which passes a separate pattern chain 42, 43. A pawl 44 is connected at its lower end to one end of an actuating member 4-5 pivoted at 46 to an arm 47 and has rotatably attached to its opposite end a roller 48. A cam 49 having an inclined bottom edge is fixed to a rotatable take-down support 50. It will be evident from the above that each revolution of the sup port 50 will produce an upward deflection of the pawl 44 to move the pattern chains in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 4 and a distance equivalent to one tooth of the ratchet wheel. The weight of the pawl effects its movement in the opposite direction although this may be supplemented by a spring for more positive action.

The pattern chains 42 and 43 are comprised of alternating sections of high links 51 and low links 52. A Y-shaped arm 53 is pivoted at 54- and includes a pair of followers 55 and 56 having chain engaging rollers 57 and 53, respectively, attached to the ends thereof, the former adapted to engage the chain 42 and the latter to engage chain 43. The arm 53 is connected by means of a pair of linking rods R and R to the ring 31 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The two pattern chains are so arranged that whenever high links on one of the chains affect the roller associated therewith, low links on the second chain affect its roller, and vice versa, so that the arm 53 will effect a definite movement of the ring first in one direction and then in the opposite.

As shown in FIG. 3, two or more carding mechanisms may be provided for a single knitting machine, reference numerals in primes indicating members at a second station 19' similar to those in the carding unit 19.

Feed rolls 29, 29" are supported on rotatable studs 59 and 60, respectively, (FIG. 2), the latter being extended outwardly as at 61 and having keyed thereto at 61' spring clutch assembly including a stepped sleeve 62. A bearing 63 encompasses the outer portion of the sleeve and a further sleeve 64 encompasses that bearing and is keyed at 65 to a gear 66. A coil spring 67 overlies a portion of sleeves 62 and 64 while a third sleeve 68 encloses the spring and has one end of the latter fixed thereto at 69. The sleeve 68 has a shoulder 76 formed on the outer surface thereof.

A second pair of feed rolls 71, 71 (see FIG. 7) is mounted adjacent the pair29, 29" and in a counterclockwise dircction with respect to the licker-in cylinder. A spring clutch assembly identical to that above described is mounted on the stud 72 and includes a sleeve 73 having a shoulder 74, a gear 75 being adapted to drive that clutch assembly. The gears 66 and 75 are driven continuously, while the card is in operation, in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 7. Bevel gear B1 is continuously driven in any known manner and in turn drives bevel gear B2 and worm W, as shown in FIG. 7 and also in applicants application No. 707,333 abovementioned. Worm W in turn drives worm gear WG on which is mounted a spur gear 86. The latter drives gear 75, which by way of pinion 76 drives the gear 66, all as is evident in FIG. 7.

Reference to FIG. 2 will indicate the manner of functioning of each spring clutch assembly. Sleeve 64, being keyed at 65 to, gear 66, is continuously driven with the latter. The spring 67 partly overlies sleeve 62 and partly sleeve 64. Rotation of the latter tends to rotate the unstressed spring in a winding direction thereby to tighten it against sleeve 62 and to cause that sleeve to rotate in the same direction. However, if the end 69 of the spring is held in a fixed position by means of member 87 acting against shoulder 70, then sleeve 64 rotates freely and cannot tighten up on the spring so that no torsional forces are transmitted to sleeve 62. The latter is in turn keyed to shaft 61 at 61 to transmit rotational forces to the shaft. A similar clutch mechanism is disclosed in re-issue patent Re. 25,229, dated August 21, 1962, to which reference may be had.

A linkage mechanism now to be described responds to oscillation of the ring 31 to effect engagement of one spring clutch and disengagement of the other so that one pair only of the feed rolls is rotating at any given time while the other pair is stationary during that time, the cycle being reversed with each subsequent oscillation of the ring.

A bracket 78 is fixed to the base 18 and has a slot provided therein in which a member 79 of rectangular cross section is slidably engaged so that it is movable in a radial direction with respect to the needle cylinder. A follower 86 is fixed to the inner end of the rod to be affected by cams 32 and 33 to be moved between the solid and dotted line positions in FIG. 7 upon oscillation of the ring. A linking member 81, pivoted at 82 to an arm 83 extending outwardly from the bracket 73, has one end connected to the member 79 and its other end to one end of a stop member 84 pivoted at 85 and whose opposite end is engageable with the shoulder 74. An adjustable link 86 interconnects the lower half of stop member 84 with a second similar stop member 87, pivoted at 83 and adapted periodically to engage and disengage the shoulder 70.

In operation, rotation of the cam 49 in timed relation with the needle cylinder advances the pattern chain periodically by means of the pawl and ratchet wheel. As the rollers 57 and 58 are affected by a change from one type of link to another, the ring 31 is rotated a suficient amount via arm 53 to move the follower 80 between the cam paths 34 and 35 thereby to effect a radial movement on the member 79. When the latter is in the solid line position of FIG. 7, the upper set of feed rolls are rotated through the spring clutch assembly thereof while the lower set is stationary. Oscillation of the ring 31 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3 reverses the action. In this manner two different types of pile fibers may be fed separately to the knitting instrumentalities in any desired sequence to produce patterning effects.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details de scribed, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the invention and the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a frame supported fabric knitting machine; a constantly rotatable cylinder equipped with reciprocable hooked needles; a carding head having a licker-in roll, and a rotatable doffer roll, said doffer roll having clothing positioned to be raked by hooks of said needles and to receive fibres from said licker-in roll; a plurality of fibre feed means positioned at spaced stations peripherally of the licker-in roll for feed of fibre thereto; and power connections for constant rotation of the licker-in roll, said power connections including means for driving the fibre feed means alternatively and which comprises individual spring clutch means for controlling the operation of each of said.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Tillotson Nov. 1, 1921 Clow July 26, 1927 Moore Jan. 17, 1933 Brandt June 14, 1955 Tomko et al May 16, 1961 Brandt Mar. 3, 1964

Claims (1)

1. IN A FRAME SUPPORTED FABRIC KNITTING MACHINE; A CONSTANTLY ROTATABLE CYLINDER EQUIPPED WITH RECIPROCABLE HOOKED NEEDLES; A CARDING HEAD HAVING A LICKER-IN-ROLL, AND A ROTATABLE DOFFER ROLL, SAID DOFFER ROLL HAVING CLOTHING POSITIONED TO BE RAKED BY HOOKS OF SAID NEEDLES AND TO RECEIVE FIBRES FROM SAID LICKER-IN ROLL; A PLURALITY OF FIBRE FEED MEANS POSITIONED AT SPACED STATIONS PERIPHERALLY OF THE LICKER-IN ROLL FOR FEED OF FIBRE THERETO; AND POWER CONNECTIONS FOR CONSTANT ROTATION OF THE LICKER-IN ROLL, SAID POWER CONNECTIONS INCLUDING MEANS FOR DRIVING THE FIBRE FEED MEANS ALTERNATIVELY AND WHICH COMPRISES INDIVIDUAL SPRING CLUTCH MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF EACH OF SAID

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