US3214944A - Takeup and everting delivery means for circular knitting machines - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 2, 1965 J. E. KIENEL 3,214,944

TAKEUP AND EVERTING DELIVERY MEANS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 22, 1958 INVENTOR:

JOSEPH E. KlENEL ATTORNEY.

Nov. 2, 1965 J. E. KIENEL 3,214,944

TAKEUP AND EVERTING DELIVERY MEANS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed April 22, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS FIG. 10

INVENTOR.

JOSEPH E KIENEL AT TORNEY.

United States Patent 3,214,944 TAKEUP AND EVERTING DELIVERY MEANS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Joseph E. Kienel, Acworth, Ga., assignor to The Singer Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 730,186 11 Claims. (Cl. 66149) This invention relates to circular knitting machines, and is particularly concerned with takeup devices for maintaining appropriate tension on the material as it is knitted and is further concerned with means for everting and delivering finished knit products from the knitting machines.

While various aspects of the present inventive concept may be appropriately applied to a wide variety of knitting, netting and textile machines, the invention as here presented by way of example is designed as an improvement over the type of knitting machine disclosed in the United States patent to Robert H. Lawson, No. 2,709,352. Such machines successively knit individual stockings which are delivered from the machines as each stocking is completed. Prior to the invention of the above patent, pneumatic pressure has been applied in assisting the delivery of knitted material from the needles. One of the features of the Lawson patent is the provision of a grab takeup device through which a uniform gravity tension is applied to the entire length of stocking during the knitting operation. Such uniform tension is essential in the satisfactory production of ladies sheer hosiery.

Since the tensioning takeup devices conventionally drop by gravity as the leg and foot portions of the stocking are knitted, they tend to remain fixed with respect to rotary movement. However, since the body of the stocking is both rotated and oscillated during the knitting cycle, this tendency of the takeup device to resist such rotary and oscillatory movements of the article frequently imposes strains and distortions of the leg and foot sections which militate against the uniform production of high quality hosiery.

It is also a common expedient to provide in apparatus of this general type pneumatic means for initially engaging the takeup device with the first welt for discharging the completed article from the machine. Such means deliver the article as knitted, i.e., right side out. Since, as manufactured, the stocking toe is left open for subsequent looping, and since the stocking must be inside out when looped, a further ste of everting the stocking is required when it is delivered from the machine right side out.

It is therefore among the primary and more general objects of the present invention to provide novel and improved mechanism for knitting machines by which appro priate tension is applied to the material formed, and further to provide novel and improved means for delivering stockings from the knitting machine.

More specifically, it is an object of my invention to provide a takeup device in which the movements correspond to the rotary or reciprocatory movements of the material as it is knitted, so as to preclude or minimize the application of adverse tensions which would militate against the production of uniform high quality hosiery.

Another important specific object of the present invention is to provide means for everting the formed article as an incident to the delivery thereof from the knitting machine.

In accordance with the present invention, the first of the above specific objects is attained by mounting a gravity type takeup device for sliding movement upon an element actuated with the dial of the knitting head for rotary or oscillatory movement therewith and providing interconnection in such manner that without inhibiting the gravitational tension applying movements of the takeup device, such device will rotate and oscillate with the dial, and hence with the stocking, thus precluding contortional strains which might adversely affect the finished article.

The second specific objective above referred to is attained in accordance with the present invention by the use of a pneumatic article discharge tube the mouth of which is located in or adjacent the knitting head, the arrangement being such that when the article is released from the tension takeup device and from the needles of the knitting head, the upper or toe end of the finished hose is drawn into the tube with the leg and top welt sections following, and thus the article is delivered from the machine in everted or inside out condition ready for looping without any further operation.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are obtained through the provision of novel and improved structural arrangements, individual elements and combinations, and interrelations of parts, as will be more apparent from consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross section view showing the construction and arrangement of one preferred embodiment of the present invention as applied to a conventional form of knitting machine for the production of separately knit individually delivered hose.

FIG. 2 is a detail vertical cross section of the upper part of the device of FIG. 1 showing the grab takeup device open for reception of the welt of the stocking being formed.

FIG. 3 is a detail side elevation of the takeup release mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a detail side elevation of the lower portion of the structure of FIG. 1 showing the takeup device in its midposition during the knitting operation.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the takeup device at the end of the knitting operation.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 showing the ejector tube in position after knitting operation is completed and the article is being delivered from the machine.

FIG. 7 is a detail horizontal cross sectional view through the takeup device along the line 77 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a detail cross sectional view of the base of the apparatus.

FIG. 9 is a detail side elevation of the cam mechanism for rotating the tube to article delivering position.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the electro-pneumatic control system for the apparatus of the present invention.

In considering the present disclosure, it will be understood that my invention is not generally concerned with the structure and operation of the knitting machine itself. The drawings and description are therefore limited to such novel and improved structures of the knitting machine as required for an understanding of the invention. It will of course be understood that the machine to which the invention is here shown as applied is conventional and well known in the art. For details of the construction and operation of such a machine generally, reference may be had to the United States patent to R. W. Scott, No. 1,282,958, issued October 29, 1918, as well as the Lawson patent referred to above.

In general terms, the invention as here presented for use in a knitting machine of the type referred to may be characterized as providing a grab takeup device operable to engage the first knit welt portion of the stocking and to apply downward tension as the stocking is knit by moving vertically by gravity on a central hollow tube on whichrit is freely slidable but keyed to for rotary and/or oscillatory movement therewith. During the knitting operation, the tube operably engages the dial of the knitting head to be rotated and/or oscillated in unison with the head and thus synchronously with the rotary and oscillatory movements of the material being formed. Upon the completion of each individual article formed by the machine the tube is lowered from the dial. The tube is thus opened for the reception of the adjacent upper end of the article, such as the toe of knitted hosiery. Pneumatic pressure differential applied to the tube at the upper end will move the upper end of the finished article inwardly and downwardly in the tube in a manner to evert the article which is then ejected from the machine by pneumatic pressure differential in an inside out condition ready for looping.

The details of construction and operation by which the takeup is engaged with and released from the material, and whereby the tube is moved to engage and disengage the dial to be opened for the reception of the material, as well as the means for registering the lower end of the tube for discharge of the article and the means for applying pneumatic pressure differentials will of course be fully discussed in the following specification.

It will be understood that an electro-pneumatic system is employed for the control of certain instrumentalities, and such a system is here diagrammatically illustrated; however, the control of such system as well as various other elements of the present apparatus is responsive to various control and timing apparatus of the machine itself. Since such instrumentalities are well known in the art the details are not shown or described.

The conventional parts of a knitting machine of the type referred to, to illustrate the interrelations therewith of the structure of the present invention, include the needle cylinder of a rotary cylinder circular knitting machine and the rotary dial 11 to which motion is imparted by the needle cylinder 10. The needle cylinder 10 is supported in the conventional assembly indicated at 12 and is activated through a gear 13. The conventional cylinder rising tube is shown at 14, and there is mounted thereon a cable winding mechanism indicated at 15 in which the cable 16 extends over the pulley 17 to engage the grab takeup mechanism of the present invention. The upper end of the needle cylinder 10 is tapered out wardly, and there is mounted within the top end thereof a ring 18 having a smoothly curved inner contour formed with the taper of the open upper end of the needle cylinder so as to smoothly guide the knitted material downwardly in the needle cylinder. These parts form part of the present invention only as they combine and cooperate with the novel structure about to be discussed.

The grab takeup mechanism of the present invention includes a cylindrical cup 20, the walls of which are slotted as at 21. The base of the cup 20 is formed with a projecting annular rim 22 adapted to be engaged by a releasing mechanism, hereinafter described, when the takeup device is to be released at the termination of the knitting operation of one complete stocking. The cup 20 is slidably mounted on a cylindrical sleeve 23 and is designed for rotation with the sleeve and/or to oscillate therewith as the sleeve rotates or oscillates with the internal tube 24 upon which the sleeve is in turn mounted. Movement of the sleeve 23 with the tube 24 is insured by the formation of a keyway 25, extending longitudinally of the tube, which receives key 26 in the form of an inwardly projecting stud mounted through the Wall of the sleeve. On the upper terminal end of the sleeve 23 there is provided an annular flangelike clamp member 27. During the knitting operation, the cup is forced upwardly about the sleeve 23 by a coil spring 28 surrounding the sleeve, the lower end of which engages the lower terminal flange 29 formed at the lower end of the sleeve, while the upper end of the coil engages the base of the cup. In

this position the clamp member 27 is located at the upper end of the cup to clamp between it and the inner face of the upper end of the cup the first knit open end of the stocking. At the initiation of a knitting cycle, the sleeve 23 is raised with respect to the cup and against the tension of the spring 28 by the upward movement of a lower companion sleeve 30 at the upper end of which is mounted a flange 31 which is adapted to abut the end 29 of the sleeve 23 when the cup is in its upward position and in contact with the shoulder formed by annular guide 18. In this relation a part of the cup will be retained against further upward motion and the sleeve 23 will move to the position shown in FIG. 1 where the clamp is raised substantially above the upper periphery of the cup to permit entrance into the cup of the first formed welt portion of the stocking. The original entrance of this welt portion into the cup below the clamp may be accomplished, as has been done before, through the use of air jets which are not here shown and which form no part of the present invention. After the welt is located within the cup the clamp 27 with the tube 23 is lowered to engage the welt between the clamp 27 and the inner upper periphery of the cup 20 through the action of the spring 28, the sleeve 23 having been released by the head 31 of the lower companion sleeve 39. A like releasing action of the Welt is accomplished at the end of the knitting cycle for each individual stocking.

The lower companion sleeve 30 is supported from a non-rotary vertically moving table 33 which is guided in its movement by engagement with vertical rods 34 supported on a table 35 and engaged at the top with an internal ring 36 mounted within the cylinder rising tube 14. The table 33 is engaged by the end of the cable 16, which is operated by the mechanism 15 to raise the table and its tube 30 shortly after the beginning of each knitting cycle, so as to open the cup by the relative upward movement of the clamp member 27. After the welt has been received within the cup, the table 33 and its tube 30 are lowered by the mechanism 15 so as to permit the cup and the tube 23 to fall by gravity during the knitting'of the leg and toe portions of the stocking, about the exterior surface of tube 24, thereby supplying tension to insure a uniform knitting action.

The table 35 is fixedly supported by standards 40 which are united at their upper ends by a retaining ring 41, and the table 35 is centrally pierced by an aperture 42 through which the tube 24 is mounted and through which the tube slides. The tube itself is supported from a vertically reciprocating table 43 actuated by engagement with the piston rod 44 of the cylinder 45. This construction is such that when the tube 24 is raised with the table 43 by action of the cylinder 45, the upper end of the tube sliding through the sleeve 23 will be forced against a clutch plate or resilient Washer 46 carried on the under face of the dial by a headed securing member 47.

This arrangement is such that when the table 43 is lifted to operably engage the tube 24 with the dial 11, the tube 24 will be rotated and/or oscillated with the dial and hence through the key interconnecting, the sleeve 23 will also rotate and/ or oscillate with the tube. In the knitting operation, it will be understood that at time the dial is rotated and with it the material being formed. At other times the dial is oscillated which in turn oscillates the material. By the present construction it will be seen that the tensioning takeup device including the cup 20 will be caused to move with the same motion as the dial 11, and thus no twisting torque will be applied to the material as would take place if the cup and clamp 27 remained stationary or left dangling with respect to rotary motion as it drops by gravity to tension the material.

The knitted stocking. everting mechanism includes the tube 24, the mechanism by which the tube is raised and lowered including the table 43 and the cylinder 45, as well as a release mechanism which engages the cup when it is at its lowest position to move the cup against the bias of spring 28 so as to withdraw it from the clamp to release the article so that pressure applied at the top of the tube will move the hose in everted condition through the tube for final discharge. The release mechanism includes a pivotally mounted lever 50 having forwardly extending furcated arms 51 and being pivoted as at 52 from an olfset arm 53 carried by support 54 secured to one of the vertically extending members 34. The outer free end of the arm 50 is engaged by wire 55 operated by conventional mechanism in time sequence at the conclusion of the knitting operation. Normally, the arm is pivoted in counterclockwise direction from the position shown in FIG. 3 to clear the peripheral flange 22 of the Cup so that the cup may pass downwardly below the arms 51 at the termination of the knitting cycle, at which time the lower end of the tube 23 will rest upon the head 31 of the companion tube and also at such time the table 33 supporting the tube 30 will rest upon the plate at the lower end of the structure. When the finished stocking is to be released, the wire will apply tension to rock the arm 50 in clockwise manner to a position shown in FIG. 3, whereupon the arm 51 will engage the flange 22, moving the cup downward against the bias of spring 28 and thus disengaging the cup from the clamp 27 to release the stocking.

Upon release of the stocking, air cylinder 45 acts to move the table 43 downwardly, thereupon contacting central aperture '56 thereof with a tubular nipple 57 carried on the supporting base 58. Upon such contact air pressure is supplied through the nipple to an internal duct 66 from pipe 59, duct 60 extending upwardly the entire length of the tube terminating near its upper end in a return bend 61 which directs air downwardly in the tube. Thus, since at this time the upper end of the tube has been withdrawn from the dial by the downward movemerit thereof, such pressure is applied to the toe of the released stocking to move the stocking toe first inwardly in the tube and downwardly therethrough, the welt having been released from the cup in the manner aforesaid. Upward movement of the body of the stocking over the tube as the toe moves into the tube is assisted by the injection of air under pressure midway up the tube through the pipe 63, such pressure also acting to start movements of the toe section into the tube. As the stocking moves into the tube, it will be noted that the tube is oriented for registration with a discharge port 64 and that port 64 is lowered to register with and to discharge stockings to tube 65 from which the everted stockings is received by chamber 66 which has cross bars 67 across the top thereof preventing accidental ejection of the hose but permitting easy withdrawal therefrom.

Orientation of the tube 24 when necessary to register its discharge opening with tube 64 is accomplished by the engagement of a cam follower 67 with the cam 68 operated by the vertical motion of the tube as imparted by the table 43. Since the tube 24 may be properly registered when disengaged from the dial, rotation by the cam follower may not always take place; however, if orientation is required, the fixed location of the follower 67 on its fixed supporting rods 40 will insure such amount of orientation as Will be required.

Referring now to FIG. 10, it will be seen that the timing of operations in synchronism with the actuation of the machine itself may be readily accomplished by the use of a micro switch 100 operated periodically by a earn 101 forming part of the general machine control by being so constructed and arranged as to close switch 100 whenever a knitting cycle is concluded. The circuit of switch 100 includes a solenoid 102 controlling a pneumatic valve 103. Air is supplied to the valve 103 from 6 a pressure duct 104. Thus when cam 101 closes switch 100, valve 103 is opened admitting air to cylinder 45, to the assistor jet 63 and to the tube 59. Thus a the finished stocking is released from the cup, the opposite upper end is blown into the tube and the stocking is everted and discharged.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the structure and operation of the invention will be fully understood and the manner in which it operates to apply tension without torque and delivery with eversion. Obviously in the practice of the invention numerous changes, modifications and the full use of equivalents may be resorted to Without departure from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine for knitting stockings which are delivered from the machine as each is knit, a dial, a needle cylinder which rotates and oscillates with said dial, an axially extending tube mounted in coaxial relation with said dial, means for closing the upper end of said tube adjacent said dial, means for feeding the stockings as formed over said tube, means for opening the upper end of said tube when the knitting cycle fora stocking is completed, and pneumatic means for delivering the stocking upper last knit end first into the open end of said tube.

2. In a circular knitting machine for knit-ting stockings which are delivered from the machine as each is knit, a dial, a needle cylinder which rotates and oscillates with said dial, an axially extending tube mounted in coaxial relation with said dial, means for feeding the stockings as formed over said tube, pneumatic means operable when the knitting cycle for a stocking is completed for delivering the upper last .kn-it end of the stocking into the upper end of said tube firs-t with earlier knit portions of said finished stocking turning and following into said tube, said means being effective to evert and deliver the stockings from the machine with the stockings turned inside out in relation to the stockings as knit.

3. In a knitting machine for knitting stockings which are delivered from the machine as each is knit, a dial mounted to rotate and oscillate, an axially extending tube mounted in coaxial relation with said dial and over which the stockings are fed as formed, and pneumatic means for delivering the last knit end of the stocking into the upper end of said tube first with earlier knit portions of said stocking turning and iollowing into said tube, said means being effective to deliver the finished stockings from the machine in the manner received by the tube with the stockings turned inside out from the manner in which they were knit, said tube being axially movable selectively to close and unclose its upper end.

4. In a circular knitting machine having a knitting head including a dial, a combined tension means and everting hose delivering means including a central delivery tube, and a gravity grab tension device on said tube together with means for rotating and oscillating said tension means in synchronism with rotations and oscillations of the material being knit, said last mentioned means including a releasable driving connection between said tube and the dial of the knit-ting head of the machine and a driving connection between said tube and said tension device, and means automatically operable at the beginning and end of each knit-ting cycle to selectively engage and disengage the tension device from the material being knit, together with means for discharging material knit by said machine through said tube.

5. In a knitting machine having a needle cylinder; the combination of a turning device for ever-ting articles pressed 01f of the cylinder comprising a tube having an open end adjacent said needle cylinder, and means operative during the press-oft cycle of the machine for causing air to flow within said tube in a direction away from said cylinder and said open end; take-up means 'for applying tension to each article as the latter is formed over said tube; and means interconnecting said tube and take-up means with the needle cylinder to rotate and oscillate with the latter, thereby to avoid twisting of the article being formed.

6. In a circular knitting machine having a cylinder with needles slidably mounted therein, a device for everting articles pressed off the needles comprising a tube concen trio with and extending within the needle cylinder Where by each article as knit encircles the tube, said tube having an open end adjacent the needles, and means rendered operative during the press-oif cycle of the machine for causing air to flow within said tube in a direction away from said needle-s and said open end whereby the pressed off article is everted and passed through said tube.

7. In a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder and a dial, a central delivery tube, said needle cylinder providing for the knit-ting of an article about the exterior surface of said tube, tension means which grab a kni-tted article on the exterior surface of the tube, means for conveying the knitted article through the interior of said tube, a releasable driving connection between said tube and the dial of the machine which prevents the knitted article from entering the interior of the tube while the article is being knitted, and a driving connection between said tube and said tension device.

8. Means for individually everting and delivering tubular knitted articles from a knitting machine upon completion of the knit-ting operation including .a needle cylinder and a pneumatic tube having one end adjacent to the needle cylinder where an article is formed and one end remote from said needle cylinder, means for delivering the article as formed around the exterior surface of said tube adjacent said needle cylinder, and means operative upon completion of a knit-ting cycle for individually delivering the article when completed from the machine through said tube from the exterior surface of said tube, said last mentioned means delivering the article last knit end first into the end of said tube adjacent to the needle cylinder for discharge from the end remote from said needle cylinder.

9. In a circular knit-ting machine, a combined tension means and everting hose delivering means including a pneumatic tube having one end adjacent to the point where an article is formed and one end remote therefrom, means for delivering the article as formed around the exterior surface of said tube, means for tensioning the article as formed on the exterior surface of said tube, and mean-s operative upon completion of a knitting cycle for individually delivering the article when completed from the machine through said tube last knit end first into the end of said tube adjacent to the point Where the article is formed.

10. In a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder and a dial, a central delivery tube having one end adjacent to the needle cylinder where an article is formed and one end remote therefrom, said needle cylinder providing for the knitting of a-n article about the exterior surface of said tube, means for tensioning the article on the exterior surface of the tube, means operative upon completion of a knitting cycle for individually delivering the article when completed :from the machine through said tube last knit end first into the end of said tube adjacent to the point where the article is formed, and means for preventing the knitted article from entering the interior of said tube while the article is being knit.

11. In the machine of claim 10, means for rotating and oscillating said tension means with the rotations and oscillations of the article being knitted to avoid twisting thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,485,230 10/49 Alexander et al. 2,636,364 4/53 Moss 66-147 X 2,709,352 5/55 Lawson 66-149 2,729,082 1/56 Tew 66-149 2,768,516 10/56 M-oretta 66-153 X 2,972,875 2/ 61 St. Pierre 66-150 2,975,622 3/61 Booton et a1 66-149 3,036,449 5/62 St. Pierre et al 66-150 3,096,634 7/63 Capes et al 66-150 FOREIGN PATENTS 202,394 7/ 56 Australia.

540,839 12/55 Belgium.

558,876 3/57 Italy.

571,936 1/58 Italy.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Primary Examiner.

DONALD W. PARKER, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. 8. MEANS FOR INDIVIDUALLY EVERTING AND DELIVERING TUBULAR KNITTED ARTICLES FROM A KNITTING MCHINE UPON COMPLETION OF THE KNITTING OPERATION INCLUDING A NEEDLE CYLINDER AND A PNEUMATIC TUBE HAVING ONE END ADJACENT TO THE NEEDLE CYLINDER WHERE AN ARTICLE IS FORMED AND ONE END REMOTE FROM SAID NEEDLE CYLINDER, MEANS FOR DELIVERING THE ARTICLE AS FORMED AROUND THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID TUBE ADJACENT SAID NEEDLE CYLINDER, AND MEANS OPERATIVE UPON

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