US3283539A

US3283539A - Circular knitting machines

Info

Publication number: US3283539A
Application number: US307843A
Authority: US
Inventors: Peberdy Roland
Original assignee: Bentley Engineering Co Ltd
Current assignee: Bentley Engineering Co Ltd
Priority date: 1962-09-18
Filing date: 1963-09-10
Publication date: 1966-11-08
Anticipated expiration: 1983-11-08
Also published as: DE1560925A1

Description

1966 R. PEBERDY CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 10, 1963 Nov. 8, 1966 R. PEBERDY CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 10, 1963 NOV. 8, 1966 PEBERDY 3,283,539

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 10, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 25a v F165 //V VE/V TOE EOL AND PEBE/ZD Y United States Patent 3,283,539 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Roland Peberdy, Leicester, England, assignor to The Bentley Engineering Company Limited, Leicester, England Filed Sept. 10, 1963, Ser. No. 307,843 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Sept. 18, 1962, 35,493/ 62 3 Claims. (Cl. 66-14) This invention concerns circular knitting machines of the opposed (e.g., superimposed) needle cylinder type having two co-axial opposed needle cylinders (termed a plain cylinder and a rib cylinder) double-ended needles operable in either cylinder to produce rib or plain needle loops and capable of transfer between the two cylinders to knit plain or rib fabric and to change the rib pattern, a sinker bed radially movable web-holding sinkers in said bed associated with the plain cylinder and having webholding nibs and draw edges over which the needles in the plain cylinder draw their loops, means for moving the sinkers serially inwards to and outwards from a knockover position, and verge bits associated with the rib cylinder and having draw edges over which needles in the rib cylinder draw their loops. Such knitting machines are hereinafter referred to as circular knitting machines of the opposed needle cylinder type. They are commonly employed for knitting stockings, socks and the like, and when employed for this purpose are provided with means whereby the needle cylinders may be oscillated in the production of heel and toe pouches.

An object of the present invention is to provide mechanism in said machine as will result in an improvement in the appearance and quality of the knitted fabric in which groups of rib stitches are combined with the groups of plain stitches. Fabrics of this character include both broad rib fabrics and links-links fabrics.

In drawing plain loops of a knitting yarn the needles which are in the plain cylinder (invariably the bottom cylinder of the two) are successively lowered until their heads are a required distance below the draw edges of the sinkers. Therefore each plain needle draws a plain loop of yarn downwardly between two adjacent sinkers. In a corresponding manner, in drawing rib loops from the yarn the needles in the rib cylinder are successively raised until their heads are a required distance above the draw edges of the verge bits. Thus each rib needle draws the rib loop of yarn upwardly between two adjacent verge bits. When groups of plain loops are combined with groups of rib loops, as for example in broad rib fabric, it is desirable that the plain and rib loops shall be of equal size. This result is obtained by balancing the stitch cams of the plain and rib cylinders so that equal lengths of loop are drawn by both sets of needles.

In the case of a one-and-one rib formation, alternate needles are disposed in the plain cylinder, and the intervening needles in the rib cylinder. The yarn. forming the loops extends from adjacent needles in the plain cylinder to each intervening needle in the top cylinder.

It will therefore be seen that the following conditions are present with knitting a course containing groups of plain loops, groups of rib loops and groups of one-andone loops. Plain loops are drawn over the sinker draw edges, the rib loops are drawn over the draw edges of the verge bits, and the one-and-one loops are drawn from plain needle to rib needle. If the plain loop and the rib loops are to be of even length irrespective of whether the knitting formation is one-and-one or broad rib, then theoretically the sinker draw edges and the verge bit draw edges should coincide. This desirable condition presents a problem when considered with respect to the "ice construction and function of the sinker and verge bit assemblies generally in use in knitting machines of the type specified.

It has hither-to been the practice to assemble the verge bits in a disc shaped body which has radial slots cut in its rim, the bits are located one in each slot to protrude radially outwardly from the rim and are locked in position by a cap which is secured to the body. The whole assembly is located in the end of the rib cylinder adjacent to the needles with each verge bit positioned between a pair of rib needles, and it is secured to a tube which is slida-bly located in the centre of the bearing for the rib cylinder. The axial position of the verge assembly can be varied with respect to the needles by shifting the tube against the action of a spring.

It will be realised that in such a construction the verge bits are only capable of vertical adjustment en masse. As each verge bit is positioned immediately in register with each sinker of the plain cylinder and as groups of the sinkers require to be moved radially inwards to the knockover position it is impossible for the verge bits to be lowered collectively beyond the tops of the nibs of the retracted sinkers. Therefore, the draw edges of the verge bits cannot be brought as close to the draw edges of the sinkers as is desired.

The present invention provides a construction which aims at obviating the difliculty. It provides a circular knitting machine of the opposed needle cylinder type, having individually movable verge 'bits, and means for advancing them serially towards the sinkers to occupy, at the stitch forming or loop drawing zone, a projected position in which needles in the rib cylinder draw loops over the draw edges of the bits and for retracting them serially to permit the sinkers to move in for the knockover. This permits the draw edges of the verge bits to be brought nearer to the draw edges of the sinkers than in known constructions.

Desirably means are also provided for adjusting the verge bits en masse axially of the rib cylinder.

Preferably the verge bits are individually slidable in the direction of the length of the rib cylinder and are mounted in tricks formed in a bed at the interior of the rib cylinder.

In order that the invention may be better understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical section through the top or rib cylinder of a machine of the type specified, with associated parts taken along line BB of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 2 is a developed view of the cams for operating the verge bits and sinkers;

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view of needles operating in both cylinders and taken on the line EE in FIG- URE 4;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional elevation taken on the line AA in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged top view of the cam assembly taken on a horizontal 'line immediately over platform 29 in FIGURE 1.

The machine shown in FIGURE 1 is of the opposed needle cylinder type, and suflicient thereof is shown to permit it to be identified as such; certain conventional parts such as the yarn feeders, jack cams, and the driving mechanisms for the cylinders, being well understood in the art, are omitted for the sake of clarity in illustrating the invention. The top or rib needle cylinder is indicated at 1 and the bottom or plain needle cylinder at 100. Cylinder 1 is suspended from the cylinder carriage gear 3, being fixed thereto by screws 2. Gear 3 is itself suspended by screws 4 from a rotatable cover plate 5. The whole assembly is supported by a ball race ,6 contained in bearing housing 7 mounted on the top plate 8 which is supported from the bottom bed plate, not shown, by pillars, not shown, in a customary manner. The top cylinder 1 is driven to rotate synchronously with the bottom cylinder 100 by means of a drive shaft 9 having a pinion 10 meshing with gear 3.

Suspended -from the bottom of bearing housing 7 there is a cam box 11 containing cams for operating jacks, not shown, in the top cylinder, and box 11 also carries a further cam box 12 containing ca ms for operating the sliders '14 in the top cylinder. These sliders act on and operate the double ended needles 15 in known manner. Needles, jacks, and sliders, slide in tricks cut in the periphery of cylinder 1, there being like tricks in the exterior of cylinder 100. Cylinder 100 is also provided with arcuate radially movable web-holding sinkers 36 working in arcuate tricks in a sinker ring 50 received inside the cylinder. These sinkers 36 have draw edges 36a and web- 'holding ni-bs 36b standing proud of the draw edges and are operable by sinker earns 51, 52 forming a cam track 53 (FIGURE 2).

In the present construction tricks 16 are also cut in the interior of cylinder 1, these tricks 16 being midway between the needle tricks. Each of these tricks 16 contains a blade-like instrument 17 herein termed a verge bit and it will be appreciated that each of instruments 17 is aligned with one of the sinkers 36 of the bottom or plain cylinder 100. The lower, substantially radial, edge of each instrument 17 constitutes a draw edge.

Each instrument 17 has a controlling butt 17a located 'in a cam track 18, FIGURE 2, formed between two annular earns 19, 20. These cams 19, 20 which are slidahly located in the needle cylinder 1, remain stationary whilst the cylinder revolves around them. Thus the .instruments 17 are given up and down movements at the locations B, C, and D in FIGURE 2.

These locations correspond to the stitch forming or loop :drawing zones of three knitting and feeding positions. The verge bits 17 and sinkers 36 travel from left to right in FIGURE 2 and the locations in cam track 53 corresponding to the knockover positions of the sinkers 36 are indicated at E, F, and G. Portion H of cam track 53 permits the sinkers to move outwards slightly from knock-over to relax the pull of nibs 36b on the fabric.

Cams 19, 20 are secured to a hollow member 21 which is fixed by screws 22 to the lower end of a tube 23 which extends up through the top cover plate 5 and has a collar 24 fixed to it just below the top end. A compression spring 27 provided at each end with locating washers 28 is housed in a pocket formed between tube 23 and the hub of the cove-r plate 5. This spring 27 urges the cam assembly upwards by pressing on the underside of a carrier clamped to tube 23 by screw 26.

Secured to a platform 29 which is fixed to the bed plate 8 and overhangs the revolving cover plate 5 there is a fulcrum post 30 which carries a lever 31. One end of the latter is formed with a V shaped nose 31a which engages in a notch cut in a collar 32 freely mounted on the top end of tube 23 with a fibre thrust washer 101 provided between it and collar 24. The outer end 31b of lever 31 is acted on by an adjustable screw tappet car ried in the end of a lifter rod 33 slidably mounted in'top bed plate 8. When the rod 33 is raised by a cam means suitably positioned on the conventional main control drum of the machine, not shown, the nose 31a of the lever depresses the

collars

32, 24 and thus depresses the cam assembly 19, 20, 21 against the action ofspring 27.

It will thus be seen that not only are the instruments 17- capable of individual up and down movement as dictated by cam track 18, but are also adjustable en masse axiallyof cylinder 1 under the control of suitable cams from the main control drum.

It is to be pointed out that although the cam assembly 19, 20, 21 does not revolve with needle cylinder 1, it is capable of a limited angular displacement for reasons later explained. The extent of this displacement is controlled by the carrier 25 clamped to tube 23. The extreme end 25a of this carrier is forked to straddle a stud 34 protruding from the underside of platform 29. An adjusting screw 35 with a lock nut is provided in the carrier 25 to adjust the clearance between the stud 34 and the pron-gs of the forked end 25a. Thus by adjusting screw 35 the carrier 25, tube 23 and cam assembly 19, 21, can be allowed a limited angular displacement. The necessity for this displacement will be come apparent after the operation of the verge instrument 17 and their relationship to the sinkers 36 has been explained.

When knitting with needles in both cylinders 1, 100, the complete verge instrument assembly is depressed to a low position, the lifter rod 33 having been raised by a cam on the main control drum. This low position is such that those instruments 17 which have their butts 17a in the lower portion of the track 18 at locations B, C, D, FIGURE 2, will have their draw edges aforesaid just above the draw edges 36a of those sinkers 36 which are in the outer position as shown at the right hand side of FIGURE 1. This occurs at the stitch forming or loop drawing zone associated with each yarn feeding station. Those sinkers 36 which are not at the loop drawing zones are moved inwards, as indicated at 36' at the left of FIGURE 1, for the knockover. As the sinkers move inwards the verge instruments 17 are raised to clear the nibs 36b of the sinkers, the butts 17a of instruments 17 moving into the upper positions between locations B, C, D, FIGURE 2.

The general effect created by the above conditions is that at spaced zones around the needle circle there are groups of sinkers 36 having their nibs36b in the inner knockover position, and between these sinker groups there are groups of instruments 17 which have been projected downwardly to a level in which their lower ends are below the level of the sinker nibs. There is thus produced an interlocking effect between adjacent ends of the two needle cylinders. It is this interlocking effect which gives rise to the need for providing tor limited angular displacement of the verge cam assembly as previouslymentioned. Should the complete verge assembly be lowered by error whilst the cylinders are oscillating in the production of a heel or toe pouch, then in order to lower and raise the verge instruments in the same relationship to the throw out and retraction of the sinkers in both the directions of swing of the needle cylinders, the verge cams must be capable of a shogging movement to the same extent as the conventional shogging movement of the sinker cams 51, 52. This sh-ogging movement of the verge cams is provided for by the reception of stud 34- in the forked end 2541 of carrier 25 and its extent is adjustably determined by the adjustment screw 35. The shogging movement of the verge cams occurs immediately after each reversal of movement during reciprocatory knitting and is caused by the drag of the butts 17a of the verge bits 17 on the verge cams 19, 20. However during normal operation of knitting machine the verge assembly is never lowered whilst the needle cylinders are oscillating.

Means are provided for preventing lateral deflection of the lower ends of the verge instruments 17 where they project below their tricks 16. For this purpose there is provided a support ring 38, FIGURE 1, having its periphery cut with radial slots 38a which guide and support the lower extremities of instruments 17. This ring 38 is of inverted cup shape and accommodates in its interior the usual disc 39 for applying tension to the heel and toe pouches. Ring 38 is secured to the lower end of a tube 40 located within the tube 23. Tube 40 has a collar 41 fixed to its top end and freely mounted below the collar is a friction washer 42 and another collar 43. Located in a V notch in the underside of collar 43 there is the nose 44a of a bell crank lever 44 fulcrumed in post 45 secured to platform 29. Post 45 is provided with an adjustment screw 46 with locknut 4-7. Screw 46 engages arm 44b of lever 44 to support collar 43, the revolving tube 40, and the support 38. A compression spring 48 rurges support ring 38 and tube 40 downwards, thus maintaining arm 44b of bell crank lever 44 in contact with adjusting screw 46. Screw 46 is adjusted to position the support ring 38 at a suitable height above the sinkers 36.

With the mechanism described it is possible to overcome the difficulties outlined herein. A typical example of knitting a course in which groups of needles in a broad rib setout are combined with needles in a one-andone set out is illustrated diagrammatically in FIGURES 3 and 4. It will be appreciated from these figures that it is now possible to lower those verge instruments 17 which are aligned above those sinkers which are in the outer or throw out position to such an extent that their draw edges are below the tops of the sinker nibs, FIGURE 4. This enables the rib needles to be brought to a lower position than has hitherto been possible and by so doing the length of yarn extending from needle to needle in the one-and one sections is shortened until it approximately equals the length of yarn extending between adjacent needles in either the plain panels or the rib panels of the fabric.

What I claim is:

1. In a circular knitting machine of the type having two coaxially opposed needle cylinders, comprising a plain cylinder and a rib cylinder, double-ended needles operable in either cylinder to produce rib or plain needle loops and capable of transfer between the two cylinders to knit plain or rib fabric and to change the rib pattern, a sinker bed, radiallyenovable-web-holding sinkers in said bed associated with the plain cylinder, said sinkers having Webhold-ing nibs and draw edges over which needles in the plain cylinder draw their loops, at a loop drawing zone, means for moving said sinkers serially inwards to and outwards from a knock-over position, and loop forming verge bits associated with the rib cylinder and having draw edges over which needles in the rib cylinder draw their loops; the combination of a bed having the verge bits aforesaid mounted therein for individual movement lengthwise of the rib cylinder towards and away from the draw edges of the sinkers, cam means for advancing said verge bits axially of the rib cylinder and serially towards said sinker draw edges to occupy, at the loop drawing zone, a projected loop drawing position in which needles in the rib cylinder draw their loops over the draw edges of the bits, means for retracting the bits serially from said projected position as related sinkers move in for the knockover and means for moving said cam means to adjust the bits en masse axially of the rib cylinder.

2. In a circular knitting machine of the type having two coaxially opposed needle cylinders, comprising a plain cylinder and a rib cylinder, double-ended needles operable in either cylinder to produce rib or plain needle loops and capable of transfer between the two cylinders to knit plain or rib fabric and to change the rib pattern, a sinker bed, radially-movable-web-holding sinkers in said bed associated with the plain cylinder, said sinkers having web-holding nibs and draw edges over which needles in the plain cylinder draw their loops, at a loop drawing zone, means for moving said sinkers serially inwards to and outwards from a knock-over position, and loop form ing verge bits associated with the rib cylinder and having draw edges over which needles in the rib cylinder draw their loops and having operating butts, the combination of a tricked bed 'having the verge bits aforesaid mounted therein for individual movement lengthwise of the rib cylinder towards and away from the draw edges of the sinkers, said bed being disposed in the interior of the rib cylinder, and having its tricks extending axially of said cylinder for individual sliding movement of the bits in their tricks lengthwise of said cylinder, a cam assembly in the interior of the rib cylinder for acting on the butts of the bits to move the bits axially of the rib cylinder to advance them serially towards said sinker draw edges to occupy, at the loop drawing zone, a projected position in which needles in the rib cylinder draw their loops over the draw edges of the bits, means for adjusting said cam assembly axially of said cylinder to adjust the bits en masse axially of the rib cylinder and means :fior retracting the bits serially from said projected position as related sinkers move in for the knock-over.

3. In a circular knitting machine of the type having two coaxially opposed needle cylinders organized for knitting by rotation and by oscillation, comprising a plain cylinder and a rib cylinder, double-ended needles operable in either cylinder to produce ribs or plain needle loops and capable of transfer between the two cylinders to knit plain or ri-b fabric and to change the rib pattern, a sinker bed, radially-movable-web-holding sinkers in said bed associated with the plain cylinder, said sinkers having webholding nibs and draw edges over which needles in the plain cylinder draw their loops, at a loop drawing zone, means for moving said sinkers in limited angular displace ment in relation to the needle cylinders during oscillation and serially inwards to and outwards from a knock-over position, and loop forming verge bits associated with the rib cylinder and having draw edges over which needles in the rib cylinder draw their loops and having operating butts; the combination of a tricked bed having the verge bits aforesaid mounted therein for individual movement lengthwise of the rib cylinder towards and away from the draw edges of the sinkers, said bed being disposed in the interior of the rib cylinder, and having its tricks extending axially of said cylinder for indivdual sliding movement of the bits in their tricks lengthwise of said cylinder, means for opera-ting the bits and for adjusting them en masse axially of the rib cylinder which comprises a cam assembly in the interior of the rib cylinder for acting on the butts of the bits to advance them serially towards said sinker draw edges to occupy, at said zone, a projected position in which needles in the rib cylinder draw their loops over the draw edges of the bits, and means for adjusting said cam assembly axially of said cylinder, means for limitedly angularly displacing said cam assembly in relation to the needle cylinders during oscillation, and means tor retracting the bits serially from said projected position, as related sinkers move in for the knock-over.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,080,857 12/1913- Spiers 66-104 1,881,360 10/1932 Kent 66 -14 2,258,569 10/1941 Holmes et al. 6614 2,286,805 6/ 1942 Hurd et al 6614 2,286,806 6/ 1942 Hurd et al 6614 2,450,376 9/1948 Holmes 66-14 2,719,416 10/ 1955 Saunders 66-14 2,959,040 11/1960 Saunders 66-14 2,999,375 9/1961 Saunders 6614 M'ERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

DONALD W. PARKER, Examiner.

R. FELDBAUM, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE OF THE TYPE HAVING TWO COAXIALLY OPPOSED NEEDLE CYLINDERS, COMPRISING A PLAIN CYLINDER AND A RIB CYLINDER, DOUBLE-ENDED NEEDLES OPERABLE IN EITHER CYLINDER TO PRODUCE RIB OR PLAIN NEEDLE LOOPS AND CAPABLE OF TRANSFER BETWEEN THE TWO CYLINDERS TO KNIT PLAIN A RIB FABRIC AND TO CHANGE THE RIB PATTERN, A SINKER BED, RADIALLY-MOVABLE-WEB-HOLDING SINKERS IN SAID BED ASSOCIATED WITH THE PLAIN CYLINDERS, SAID SINKERS HAVING WEBHOLDING NIBS AND DRAW EDGES OVER WHICH NEEDLES IN THE PLAIN CYLINDER DRAW THEIR LOOPS, AT A LOOP DRAWING ZONE, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SINKERS SERIALLY INWARDS TO AND OUTWARDS FROM A KNOCK-OVER POSITION, AND LOOP FORMING VERGE BITS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RIB CYLINDER AND HAVING DRAW EDGES OVER WHICH NEEDLES IN THE RIB CYLINDER DRAW THEIR LOOPS; THE COMBINATION OF A BED HAVING THE VERGE BITS AFORESAID MOUNTED THEREIN FOR INDIVIDUAL MOVEMENT LENGTHWISE OF THE RIB CYLINDER TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM THE DRAW EDGES OF THE SINKERS, CAM MEANS FOR ADVANCING SAID VERGE BITS AXIALLY OF THE RIB CYLINDER AND SERIALLY TOWARDS SAID SINKER DRAW EDGES TO OCCUPY, AT THE LOOP DRAWING ZONE, A PROJECTED LOOP DRAWING POSITION IN WHICH NEEDLES IN THE RIB CYLINDER DRAW THEIR LOOPS OVER THE DRAW EDGES OF THE BITS, MEANS FOR RETRACTING THE BITS SERIALLY FROM SAID PROJECTED POSITION AS RELATED SINKERS MOVE IN FOR THE KNOCKOVER AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CAM MEANS TO ADJUST THE BITS EN MASSE AXIALLY OF THE RIB CYLINDER.