US3478543A

US3478543A - Variable stroke mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3478543A
Application number: US693997A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bruno Faninger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1967-12-27
Filing date: 1967-12-27
Publication date: 1969-11-18
Anticipated expiration: 1986-11-18

Description

1969 B. FANINGER VARIABLE STROKE MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 27, 1967 Inventor:

BRuA/o FHA mas M Anon/5y;

8, 69 B. FANINGER 3,478,543

VARIABLE STROKE MECHANISM Filed Dec. 27, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvenfar: BELLA/0 FAWN/6 ER 3,478,543 VARIABLE STROKE MECHANISM Bruno Fauinger, Avenida Grau 676, Miraflores, Lima, Peru Filed Dec. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 693,997

Int. CLD04b 27/10 US. C]. 6686 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to a variable stroke mechanism for the guide bar of a warp knitting machine, more particularly a Raschel machine having a pattern facility connected to the variable stroke mechanism.

In Raschel machines, the guide bar must be adapted to move lengthwise relatively to the needle bar in accordance with the required pattern. Starting from a Zero position, the guide bar is adjustable so that it remains stationary or moves in either direction by an amount corresponding to an integral multiple of the needle spacing. This operation is often referred to as shogging. The guide bar may be adjusted in this way over the whole length of the needle bar in a pilgrims step motion during the Whole time that the machine is in operation. In the known variable stroke mechanisms the guide bars are resiliently biased by a spring in one direction and are shifted in the other direction by a linkage which abuts a pattern chain. The pattern chain comprises various links of different height and the different link heights represent the distance through which it is required to move the needle bar in every phase, a chain link corresponding to each phase. The chains run over a pattern cylinder, and as they run the actuating linkage of the guide bars senses the chains. A chain of this kind must be provided for each guide bar and may be of considerable length. Pattern chains are very heavy and very costly and, in many cases where Raschel machines are used, represent a large investment outlay. The chains must be machined accurately, and when it is required to alter a pattern, new chains are required. Rigging up new chains is a very difficult and tedious operation since the chains may have to be pulled over very considerable distances. Since the chains may be required to move the guide bar beyond the complete needle bar, individual links of the chains may be very large and heavy. The high investment outlay and inconvenient handling characteristics of the pattern chains of these known variable stroke mechanisms are very disadvantageous.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a variable stroke mechanism for the guide bar of a warp knitting machine, the invention obviating the need for pattern chains.

According to the invention, a variable stroke mechanism for the guide bar of a Warp knitting machine, more particularly a Raschel machine having a pattern facility connected to the variable stroke mechanism, comprises a reciprocating drive operated synchronously with the machine, a drive linkage connected to the guide bar, a controllable clutch through which the drive linkage is United States Patent connected to the reciprocating drive, and a clutch control by which the clutch operation is controlled .in accordance with pattern data stored in a data carrier.

A feature of the invention is that a reciprocating drive which is operated synchronously by the machine is used to move the guide bar. The reciprocating drive which, when the machine is in operation, always moves in time with the machine, is coupled via a controllable slipping clutch to a drive linkage connected to the guide bar. In the novel mechanism the movements of the guide bar are derived from a continuously operating reciprocating drive, a clutch being provided and operated in such manner that only when the clutch is able to transmit power vis a movement transmitted from the oscillating drive to the guide bar. To enable the guide bar to be accurately adjusted in the required manner in accordance with a pattern, a clutch control is provided which corresponds to the gauge of the machine and which can be adjusted to the required length of guide bar movement by pattern data stored on a data carrier. The construction is such that the clutch control is operated so that the guide bar performs a predetermined movement. The length of the movement is derived from a data carrier which can be of a known kind.

- The invention provides a very simple construction and a novel drive giving very simple adjustment and control of the movement of the guide bar. Advantageously, the controllable clutch can be a slipping clutch which is rigidly connected to the drive linkage and which is slidable on the reciprocating drive; and the clutch control facility can have withdrawable stops or abutments which extend into the path of the clutch and whose spacings from one another correspond to the needle spacing of the machine. In other words, the oscillating drive drives the slipping clutch over a distance determined by withdrawable abutments. The use of withdrawable abutments ensures reproducible adjustment. It is a simple matter to relate the spacings between the abutments to the spacings between the needles. To alter the needle spacing, it is a simple matter to change the set of abutments or stops.

The drive linkage can have a member which is connected to the slipping clutch and is also connected, via a reversing device controllable by the recorded data to another member connected to the guide bar. The clutch control device has abutments in a number corresponding to the required maximum movement of the guide bars. The advantage of this feature is that the guide bar movement can be adjusted over the whole length of the needle bar without any need for the slipping clutch to make a corresponding movement and without a very large number of stops needing to be provided. For instance, seven or more stops can be provided so that the guide bar can make a maximum movement over seven or more needles. The known control facilities cannot provide maximum movement over seven or more needles. The known control facilities cannot provide maximum movements of such extent.

The drive-linkage portion connected to the sliding clutch can have two oppositely moving drive parts which are disposed one on each side of a drive bar connected to the guide bar and a reversing device can be disposed between each drive part and the drive bar. It then becomes a simple matter for the guide bar to be moved in one direction or the other from an initial position, the

opposed drive initiating guide bare movement when the sliding clutch moves from the initial position as far as a stop. Depending upon which of the oppositely moving drive parts is engaged, this rectilinear motion is converted either into a movement in the one direction or a movement in the opposite direction.

The drive linkage may include a velocity change. This velocity change is convenient in cases in which needle spacings are very small. The clutch system can be of larger size with respect to the other parts, thereby providing improved accuracy and increased strength.

The drive-linkage member which can be rigidly connected to the slipping clutch can have two parallel drive rods which can be applied, through the agency of a reversing device controlled by the recorded data, to opposite sides of a drive wheel connected to a second drive wheel in driving engagement with a drive bar connected to the guide bar. This arrangement provides a very simple reciprocating drive linkage. The drive rods can engage frictionally with drive Wheel. Alternatively, the drive rods can be toothed racks which mesh with a gear wheel.

To provide a velocity change, the diameter of one drive wheel. Alternatively, the drive rods can be toothed racks which mesh with a gear wheel.

To provide a velocity change, the diameter of one drive wheel can be greater than the diameter of the other drive wheel. More particularly, the diameter of the first drive wheel can, with advantage, be greater than the diameter of the second drive wheel, to give a downward velocity change.

The stops can be slidably mounted in guides in a baseplate, the stops being operated by electromagnets. Different sets of stops can therefore be provided, so that when it is required to alter the gauge of a machine, all that is needed is to change the stop box to suit the new needle spacing.

To save space the stops can be disposed in staggered relationship in two or more rows adjacent one another.

The data carrier may be moved by the machine in synchronism therewith past a detecting or sensing station through the agency of a stepping mechanism. The data carrier can be of the kind known in the art, e.g. a perforated tape or a magnetic tape or film. Pattern data is stored in adjacent rows on the data carrier.

Conveniently, data recording facilities are provided in the same number as the machine has guide bars, in which case the data carrier comprises one row of data for each guide bar. For instance, if the machine has 42 guide bars, 42 rows of data are provided, side by side, on the data carrier. The data required for controllable actuation of the reversing device and sliding clutch are stored in the data row for each guide bar.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings diagrammatically show an embodiment of the invention and in which FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a variable stroke mechanism according to the invention for the guide bar of a warp knitting machine, the main parts of the latter being omitted;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the stop or abutment box shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an exploded diagrammatic perspective view of a data carrier sensing station.

Referring to FIGURE 1 there can be seen a guide bar 1 and a drive shaft 2 which is connected to the main drive of a warp knitting (not shown). These parts are mounted in the machine frame and shaft 2 is driven by the machine main drive in synchronism therewith. Mounted on shaft 2 is a bevel gear 3 which meshes with a bevel gear 4 secured to a shaft 5 carried in a bracket 6 mounted on the machine. Shaft 5 has at its other end another bevel gear 7 which meshes with a bevel gear 8 shown in dotted lines. Bevel gear 8 is disposed on a shaft 9 which is mounted, in bearings which are not shown, in the machine frame. Mounted on shaft 9 is a cam 10 which is driven in synchronism with the machine main drive. Secured to the side of the machine is a baseplate 11 bearing a bracket 12 on which a double-armed lever 14 is mounted on a pivot 13. The bottom end of lever 14 bears a cam follower roller 15 which engages with the cam 10, so that as shaft 9 rotates, lever 14 pivots about pivot 13. Secured to baseplate 11 are two uprights 16, 17 which can be secured to the baseplate by screwing or welding or which can, if required, be integral with base plate 11. Uprights 16, 17 have

upper bearings

18, 19 in which a rod 20, pivotally connected to lever 14, is slidably mounted. When the machine main drive rotates shaft 2, the drive described and shown reciprocates the rod 20. The parts hereinbefore described form an oscillating drive operated synchronously with the machine.

Also mounted in uprights 16, 17 are

lower bearings

21, 22 in which a drive rod 23 is slidably mounted. A sliding clutch 24 is secured, for example, by pins 25, to rod 23 between the uprights 1'6 and 17 and is substantially an elongated prismatic member which extends upwards and downwards from the rod 23. Clutch 24 is formed at the top with an aperture 26 through which the rod 20 extends. Clutch 24 engages frictionally, by way of its aperture 26, with the rod 20 so as to be moved thereby when rod 20 moves. However, when clutch 24 strikes a stop, rod 20 can slide in aperture 26.

In the embodiment shown, a sliding shoe 27 is slidingly mounted in a bore in the upper part of clutch 24 and is biased by a spring 28 against rod 20. Shoe 27 can be made of a wear-resistant material. Spring 28 bears at its upper end against a screw which can be adjusted by means of a nut 29 to adjust the pressure of the spring 28.

If the clutch 24 meets no abutment in its movement, rod 23 moves in synchronism with rod 20.

Outside the uprights 16, 17 rod 23 is connected to a cross-bar 28 which reciprocates with drive rod 23 and which extends vertically. Toothed racks 29, 30 are pivotally connected to the top and bottom ends of cross-bar 28 and are adapted to pivot on pivot pins 31, 32. Teeth '33, 34 of the racks 29, 30 engage on opposite sides with the teeth 35 of a gear wheel 36 disposed on a shaft 37 mounted in brackets 38. The brackets are secured to baseplate 11 e.g. by screwing. A second gear wheel 39 is disposed on shaft 37 and meshes with the teeth of a guide bar toothed rack 40 mounted for sliding movement on baseplate 11. A screwed-in head 41 is disposed at one end of rack 40. The position of head 41 can be adjusted by means of an adjusting screw 42. As is shown diagrammatically, one end of guide bar 1 has a ball-and-socket connection with the head 41.

A bearer 43 is secured to the machine and extends between the toothed racks 29 and 30 and projects beyond both of them. Arms 44, 45 extend from both ends of bearer 43 substantially parallel to the ends of the racks 29, 30 and have at their ends abutments 46, 47 for the racks 29, 30. Actuating electromagnets 48, 49 are also disposed on the arms 44, 45. Actuating

rods

50, 51 extend from the electromagnets 48, 49 and have at their end rollers 52, 53 disposed in slots 54, 55 in the ends of the toothed racks 29, 30. Also disposed in the slots 54, 55 are

rollers

56, 57 connected by rods 58, 59 to springs 60, 61 which are connected to the arms 44, 45 and can be adjusted by means of nuts 62.

As shown, the clutch 24 extends downwardly between the uprights 16 and 17 and has a projection 63. A stop or abutment box 64 is disposed in the path of the projection '63 and is releasably secured to the baseplate 11 e.g. by set screws 65. The box 64 has vertically extending guides 66. Preferably, the baseplate 11 is recessed below the guides 66. Retractable stops 67 are disposed in the guides 66. In the embodiment shown, seven stops '67 are disposed in two adjacent rows. Electromagnets 68 can move the stops 67 out and in. The electromagnets 68 are disposed in a bracket 69 which, as can be seen, is secured below the baseplate 11 e.g. by the set screws 65, the electromagnets 68 being disposed immediately below the associated stop 67. The electromagnets 68 and stops 67 are interconnected by actuating rods 70 which, in the embodiment shown, are guided in a crosspiece 71.

Supply wiring a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i extends from the electromagnets 48, 49 and 68 to a contact box 71 which is shown diagrammatically in FIGURE 3 and which is disposed in the path of a pattern data carrier 72. The data carrier is formed with lateral perforations 73 in which sprockets 74 or the like engage in known manner. The sprockets 74 are disposed on a shaft 75 which is driven stepwise through a drive shaft 76 which may, for example, be an extension of the shaft 2, or which is connected to the machine main drive in some other manner. The aim of the drive is to step the shaft 75 rotationally in synchronism with the operation of the warp knitting machine. In the embodiment shown, the stepping mechanism comprises a Geneva wheel 77 co-operating with a crank 78 secured to the shaft 76.

In the embodiment shown, the data carrier 72 is a perforated tape which the stepping mechanism moves stepwise over the contact box 71 in synchronism with the motion of the warp knitting machine. Themovement always corresponds to a required actuation or operation phase. The embodiment shown comprises seven stops 67, and therefore seven actuating electromagnets 68 and two electromagnets 48, 49, so that a maximum of nine possible actuations is provided. The data support 72 is formed with perforation rows to the same number as the warp knitting machine has guide bars 1, a variable stroke facility of the kind described being allotted to each guide bar, so that if the machine has e.g. 42

guide bars

1, 42 variable stroke facilities are provided. Only a single system is required extending from the shaft 2 to the lever 14, since this oscillating movement need only be provided once and can then be transmitted via an appropriate cross-linkage to the 42 adjacent rods 20;

Each row of perforations in the data carrier 72 can contain as many data as there are stops 67 and therefore electromagnets 68; two aperture positions are also required for the electromagnets 48, 49.

In the embodiment shown, the contact box 71 cooperates with a matching contact box 79 having contact pins 80 disposed in exactly the same pattern as contacts 81 in the contact box 71. The arrangement of the contacts 81 and matching contacts 80 corresponds to the data stored in the data carrier 71.

In operation the box 79 is biased resiliently against the box 71 and the data support 72 moves stepwise between the

boxes

71 and 79. At a given setting, and in accordance with the data stored on the tape, particular pins 80 and contacts 81 make electrical contact with one another. As is shown in diagrammatic form, the box 79 is connected to a power supply 2. A particular series of electromagnets in the control arrangement is therefore energized in accordance with the stored pattern data.

OPERATION As already explained, a variable stroke mechanism of the kind described is provided for each guide bar 1 of the machine, e.g. a Raschel machine. The variable stroke mechanisms forming the series are so disposed side by side that one mechanism acts on each particular guide bar. As already stated, the drive for all the rods 20 can be derived from a single rocking lever 14.

When the machine is in operation, to produce the pattern the guide bar 1 must be moved to the right or to the left by a predetermined number of needle spacings in accordance with the pattern. In the embodiment shown, the maximum needle bar movement in this sense is seven needles to the left or to the right.

The required pattern has been recorded or stored in the data carrier 73, which may be of any known kind. It can, as shown, be a perforated tape. Alternatively, the pattern data can be stored magnetically or in photographic film form, with magnetic or photocell sensing. It is immaterial for the purposes of this invention how the pattern data are stored and how they are scanned, the important thing being merely that a simple available data system be used to initiate signals for controlling the electromagnets 68, 48, 49.

In the embodiment shown, in which the data carrier 72 is a perforated tape, the same is formed with data rows to the same number as the machine has guide bars 1, i.e., one data row is provided per guide bar. The data row is programmed, i.e., apertures are disposed in a particular manner in these data rows. The first two positions in the row can be allotted, for instance, to the electromagnets 48, 49. In the absence of a hole at these first two positions the two electromagnets 48, 49 are un-energized and the springs 60, 61 disengage the racks 29, 30 from the wheel 36, so that when the mechanism is operated, the rack 40 moves neither to the right nor to the left. Consequently, if a particular guide bar 1 is required to move neither to the right nor to the left in a particular phase of operation, the data carrier 72 is so encoded for such phase that the two electromagnets 48, 49 are not energized. If it is required, for instance, to shift the guide bar 1 seven needles forwards from a particular position which will be called the zero position, one of the first two positions which control the electromagnets 48 or 49 responsible for operative movement of the guide bar has a perforation. In the embodiment shown, movement always occurs only in the movement phase during which the clutch 24 is moving to the left towards the stops 67. If a forwards movement (i.e., a movement of the guide bar 1 to the left) is to be derived from this, the control is such that the electromagnet 49 is un-energized so that the rack 29 has been moved back out of engagement with the wheel 36. The rack 30 engages, and upon an actuation the gear wheel 36 is rotated, and the rotation of the gear wheel 36 -by the rack 30 shifts the rack 40 to the left. For a movement in the opposite direction, the corresponding places on the tape are so encoded that the electromagnet 48 is un-energized and the electromagnet 49 operates. The rack 30 therefore disengages from the gear wheel 36 and the rack 29 engages therewith. When the clutch 24 now moves to the left, the gear wheel 36 is so rotated via the rack 29 that the rack 40 moves to te right. Clearly, therefore, depending upon how the first two positions of --the data rows are encoded, the electromagnets 48, 49 can be so operated that the guide bar 1 either remains stationary or is shifted from the predetermined position over a desired number of needles to the left or over a desired number of needles to the right.

The travel of the racks 29, 30 is determined by means of the electromagnets 68. Depending upon how many perforations follow the first two perforations of a data row, the same number of electromagnets is energized via the lines 0 to i and a corresponding number of stops 67 is retracted. If movement over just a single needle is required, only the first line i is energized so that the first stop 67 is retracted. Consequently, the clutch 24 can move with the rod 20 until the abutment or projection 63 abuts the next stop 67. When the projection 63 abuts the next stop 67, the rod 23 remains completely stationary and the rod 20 slides in the clutch 24. During the return movement the clutch 24 is moved back by the rod 20 to the initial position.

Clearly, therefore, any desired length of stroke can be provided by appropriate encoding of the data carrier 72.

In the embodiment shown, to save space, the stops are disposed in two adjacent rows. The stops can, of course, be disposed in a single row. The guide bar stops exactly in the predetermined position. Conveniently, since the discrete steps required may sometimes be very small, a velocity changing transmission can be provided as in the embodiment shown. Clearly, the gear wheels 36, 39 alter the stroke of the rod 23, providing a step-down in the present case. The stops 67 can therefore be further apart from one another and more stable than they would otherwise be, ensuring reliable operation in all circumstances.

With the variable stroke mechanism disclosed, the guide bar 1 can be adjusted stepwise in any steps forwards and backwards over the whole width of the machine, although the mechanism has a reduced maximum stroke.

The racks 29, 30 and wheels 36, 39 can be replaced by other means for transmitting the movement of the rod 23 to the rack 40. For instance, the rack 40 can have teeth on two sides, and levers can be disposed opposite these two toothed sides and can be so connected to the rod 23 as to be driven oppositely. Clutches can be provided between such levers and the rack 40 so that either the two levers are disengaged or one of them is operatively connected to the rack 40 to move the same in either direction by a predetermined amount. This facility can also, if required, comprise transmission linkage.

The stop box 64 is interchangeable and the stops 67 are disposed at intervals corresponding to the needle to needle spacings. Consequently, when it is required to change the gauge of the articles being produced on the machine, all that is necessary is to make a corresponding exchange of the stop and electromagnet boxes. If required, these two kinds of boxes can be embodied as constructional units.

I claim:

1. A variable stroke mechanism for the guide bar of a warp knitting machine having a pattern facility connected to the variable stroke mechanism and comprising: a reciprocating drive operated synchronously with the machine, said drive comprising slide bar means; clutch means carried by said slide bar means by frictional engagement; 2. drive linkage connected to said guide bar and rigidly secured to said clutch means in order that said drive linkage is able to move simultaneously with said slide bar means; a control for said clutch means by which the clutch operation is controlled in accordance with pattern data stored in a data carrier, and comprising abutments positioned in the path of the clutch and selectively withdrawable, wherein the spacing between abutments corresponds to the needle spacing of the machine so that said clutch means drive said drive linkage until the clutch encounters an abutment, and whereupon said drive linkage stops and said slide bar slides in said clutch; and a reversing clutch coupled to said guide bar and serving as a means to which said drive linkage is connected.

2. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 in which the reversing clutch comprises two driving rods engageable with opposite sides of a clutch wheel, comprising means by which rotation of the clutch wheel produces movement of the guide bar, the engagement of one or other of the driving rods being controllable by the stored data.

3. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 in which the drive linkage provides a velocity ratio between the reciprocating drive and the guide rod other than 1:1.

4. A mechanism as claimed in claim 3 in which the velocity ratio other than 1:1 is provided by a toothed wheel of different diameter to the clutch wheel and connected thereto, comprising a rack coupled to the guide bar and engaged by the toothed wheel of difierent diameter.

5. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 comprising a box in which the abutments are slidably contained so that they may he slid into and out of the path of the controllable clutch, comprising also an electromagnet with an actuating rod for each abutment, energization of the electromagnet causing the associated abutment to be slid out of the path of the controllable clutch, the energization and de-energization of the electromagnets being controllable by the stored data.

6. A mechanism as claimed in claim 5 in which the box is readily removable to enable a set of abutments of different size to be substituted when the gauge of the machine is to be changed.

7. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 comprising an intermittent drive for driving the data carrier in synchronism with the machine, and sensing means to sense the recorded data.

8. A mechanism as claimed in claim 7 in which the data carrier is in the form of a strip of material which carries the recorded data, the sensing means being of appropriate type to the data carrier.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,431,828 10/1922 Markman 66-86 1,486,780 3/1924 MaXik 66126 1,568,953 1/1926 Hirsch et a1. 6687 2,265,400 12/ 1941 Schonfeld 66-86 3,006,170 10/1961 Chapuis 6686 3,089,322 5/1963 Bruce 6686 XR RONALD FELDBAUM, Primary Examiner