US3651668A

US3651668A - Yarn feeding means for knitting machines

Info

Publication number: US3651668A
Application number: US878443*A
Authority: US
Inventors: David Pernick
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-01-09
Filing date: 1970-01-09
Publication date: 1972-03-28
Anticipated expiration: 1989-03-28

Abstract

Yarn feeding apparatus for drawing off a plurality of yarns from their cones and feeding the same to the needles of a multiple feed circular knitting machine at the feeds thereof comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced first roller s rotated by an endless tape trained thereover with the latter driven by the knitting machine in adjustable timed relation therewith, second rollers of larger diameter than the first rollers and positioned atop thereof to rotate therewith, and means to guide the yarns around the second rollers for one or more turns, then (1) to guide the yarns to and between the tape and the first rollers and away therefrom to the needles, or then (2) to guide the yarns around the first rollers for one or more turns in spaced relation to the tape thereon, the first and second rollers acting as winches, under certain conditions, upon the one or more turns of the yarns thereon.

Description

United States Patent Pernick 14 1 Mar. 28, 1972 [54] YARN FEEDING MEANS FOR 1,521,119 3/1968 France ..66/132 T KNITTING MACHINES 318,667 12/1969 Sweden ..66/ 132 [72] Inventor: David Pernick, 1020 Shore Boulevard, Primary Examiner RobenR Macke 3' Brooklyn 1 1235 Attorney-Nathan Levin [22] Filed: Jan. 9, 1970 a [52] U.S. Cl ..66/l32 T, 242/47.0l

[51] Int. Cl. ..D04b 15/48 [58] Field of Search ..66/l32, 132 T; 242/4701 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 393,189 11/1888 Stowe ..66/l32 ux 3,090,215 5/1963 Rosen ..66/132 3,225,446 12/1965 Sarfati et a1. .242/47.0l X

3,361,317 1/1968 Levin ..66/l32 X 3,490,710 1/1970 Muhlhausler .66/l 32 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 236,574 10/1964 Austria ..66/l32 Appl. No.: 878,443

[5 7] ABSTRACT Yarn feeding apparatus for drawing off a plurality of yarns from their cones and feeding the same to the needles of a multiple feed circular knitting machine at the feeds thereof comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced first roller 5 rotated by an endless tape trained thereover with the latter driven by the knitting machine in adjustable timed relation therewith, second rollers of larger diameter than the first rollers and positioned atop thereof to rotate therewith, and means to guide the yarns around the second rollers for one or more turns, then (1) to guide the yams to and between the tape and the first rollers and away therefrom to the needles, or then (2) to guide the yarns around the first rollers for one or more turns in spaced relation to the tape thereon, the first and second rollers acting as winches, under certain conditions, upon the one or more turns of the yarns thereon.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMARM 1972 3,651,668

sum 1 OF 2 lA/VENTOR DA V! D PERN/CK PATENTED MR 2 8 1972 SHEET 2 OF 2 m M w W DA VID FERN/CK A 7'TORNE Y YARN FEEDING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES The present invention relates generally to the art of knitting and more particularly to an improvement in tape and roller yarn feeding apparatus used on multiple feed knitting machines to draw off yarns from their cones to feed the same to the needles of the machine at the feeds thereof.

The conventional tape and roller feeding apparatus presently used in the knitting art for the drawing off of yarns from their cones and feeding the same at a uniformly fixed rate of yarn travel to the needles at the several feeds of multiple feed knitting machines, as disclosed in the US. Pat. No. 3,090,215, issued May 21, 1963 to Rosen, is generally satisfactory for the knitting of relatively non-patterned fabrics so long as no undue amount of tension is present in the yarns between their cones and the tape and rollers. While such undue tension may be the result of other factors also, it most frequently occurs from excess drag upon the yarn while it is being drawn off from an improperly wound cone thereof. When there is such undue tension present, even for a relatively short period of time, if there is no provision made to take care of the same, it will cause the yarn to slip relative to the feeding action of its tape and roller so that an insufficient amount of yarn, which is now excessively tensioned, is being provided for the needles with the result that the yarn breaks at some point between the needles and the tape and roller, generally at the needle line. Such yarn breakage usually results in undesirable press off of the fabric from the needles of the machine. 2

The above referred to conventional tape and roller yarn feeding apparatus has never been satisfactory for the knitting of patterned fabrics for the reason that in the making of such fabrics the yarn is taken by the needles at each feed of the machine at a variable rate of yarn travel (which in itself is generally different at different feeds) depending upon the varying pattern-required number of needles which act to take, to tuck or to knit the yarn at such feed during each of successive revolutions of the machine.

It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to overcome the above set forth limitations of the conventional tape and roller yarn feeding apparatus by the provision ofa twofold improvement in the same whereby such apparatus will be satisfactory for use in the knitting of patterned fabrics and whereby such apparatus, in the knitting of non-patterned fabrics, will effectively compensate for the presence of an undue amount of tension in the yarns being fed thereby to prevent breakage thereof.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide an improvement in the tape and roller type of yarn feeding apparatus which comprises the positioning of an additional roller atop each of the conventional rollers to rotate therewith, and to provide means to guide the yarns to make one or a plurality of turns thereof around the additional rollers and then to guide the yarns to and between the tape and conventional rollers and therefrom to the needles whereby when the yarns become sufficiently excessively tensioned to grip the surface of the additional rollers the latter will temporarily act as winches upon the yarns to draw the same off their cones to thereby relieve the excess tension therein.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide means to guide the yarns to make one or more turns thereof around the above set forth additional rollers, then to guide the yarns to make one or more turns thereof around the conventional rollers in spaced relation to and free of the tape thereon, and then to guide the yarns to the needles whereby when the yarns become sufficiently tensioned to grip the surfaces of the additional and conventional rollers the latter rollers will temporarily act as compound winches upon the yarns to draw the same from their cones.

With the above and other objects in view which will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the present invention resides in the novel elements of construction, combination of parts and method of operation of the yarn feeding means illustrated and as hereinafter particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of part of a multiple feed revolving cylinder type of circular knitting machine showing a conventional tape and roller yarn feeding apparatus therefor and also showing the winch assist yarn feeding roller cylinders of the present invention positioned atop the rollers of the yarn feeding apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view, partly broken away, showing in plan the machine and associated parts of FIG. 1 as taken on line 2-2 thereof in which the tape is shown as being driven from a machine driven pulley;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view, partly broken away, showing the yarn feeding apparatus at each feed of the machine including the tape, roller, a relatively short cylinder or second roller atop the conventional roller and yarn guides to direct yarn around the cylinder and to and between the tape and roller;

FIG. 4 is a plan view, partly broken away, showing the yarn feed roller and associated parts of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 wherein the yarn is directed around the cylinder and also around the lower portion of the roller at which place the yarn is positioned below and is free of contact with the tape.

A preferred form of the yarn feeding means of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 through 5 wherein it is applied to a multiple feed revolving cylinder type of circular knitting machine, although it should be understood that the invention is not so limited and may also be used with any other of the conventional types of knitting machines.

In FIG. 3 the yarn is arranged on the present apparatus so that it is first wrapped around the cylinder for one or more turns and then extends between the tape and roller to be fed thereby, this arrangement being preferred when a uniformly fixed rate of yarn travel is desired as when relatively non-patterned fabric is being produced. While in FIG. 5 the yarn is arranged on the present apparatus so that it is first wrapped around the cylinder for one or more turns and is then also wrapped around the roller for one or more turns, free of and spaced from the tape, this arrangement being preferred when the rate of yarn travel to the needles is relatively nonuniform as when patterned fabric is being produced in which case the yarn travel is dependent upon the pattern being knitted by the needles of the machine.

As shown in FIG. 1, a driven bevel-gear 10 engages with and drives a large bevel ring gear 11 to rotate the needle cylinder of the machine within its cam ring 12.

Bevel gears

13, 13, one rotating with bevel gear 10 and the other fixed on the lower end of a suitably journaled upright shaft 14, act to drive the latter and a chain sprocket 15 fixed on its upper end. By means of an endless chain 16 trained about sprocket 15 and arranged around a chain sprocket 17 fixed on the lower end of a suitably journaled upright shaft 18, the chain 16 drives the shaft 18 and an adjustable diameter pulley 19 fixed to the upper end of shaft 18. The pulley 19, which may be of the type disclosed in the United States patent to Rosen, US. Pat. No. 3,243,091, issued Mar. 29, 1966, is used to drive an endless flexible tape 20 at desirably regulated speeds in timed relation to the speed of the machine, the tape being trained about the pulley 19 and over a plurality of smooth surfaced rollers 21 equally spaced about the circumference of the machine, FIG. 2, to drive the rollers, the arrangement comprising the conventional tape and roller yarn feeding system disclosed in the said Rosen patents.

Each of the rollers 21, FIG. 3, is provided with a relatively short smooth surfaced cylinder or second roller 22 suitably secured to the top thereof, the cylinders 22 preferably being of larger diameter than the diameter of the rollers 21 and being axially aligned therewith. Each cylinder 22, of approximately the same axial length as roller 21 and of suitable material, such as metal or plastic, is hollow and has a shell 22a and a bottom 22b in contact with the upper face of roller 21 to which the cylinder may be secured by means of a pair of

screws

23, 23 extending upwardly through roller 21 into threaded engagement with suitably formed apertures in the bottom 22b. Each roller 21 and cylinder 22 has a spaced pair of vertically extending

yarn guides

24 and 25 associated therewith for the purpose of directing yarn thereto and to the needles of the machine.

The machine, FIG. 1, is provided with four equally spaced uprights 26 set in its base to support a yoke 27 at their upper ends. This yoke, in turn, supports acentral upright rod 28 to which is secured an intermediate level yarn guide ring 29 and an upper level ring 30 having a series of arms 31 radiating therefrom and upon the ends of which are secured a like series of conventional stop motions 32. These stop motions are of the usual type which may be actuated to stop the machine in the event that a yarn end runs out through the same or in the event that an undue amount of excess tension develops in the yarn passing therethrough and which causes the yarn to be pulled from the stop motion, the stop motions being adjustable to preset the same for the amount of excess yarn tension which will cause them to be actuated to stop the machine.

Below the yoke 27 there is a horizontally disposed annularly shaped ring 33 which surrounds and is suitably supported by the uprights 26. A series of circumferentially spaced radiating arms 34, fastened at their inner ends to the upper face of ring 33, provide support at their outer ends for a like series of yarn cones 35. A similarly disposed series of arms 36, fastened at their inner ends to the lower face of ring 33, provides support at their outer ends for the rollers 21, cylinders 22 and the

yarn guides

24 and 25. A plate 37, secured to one pair of uprights 26, FIG. 2, provides a base upon which the shaft 18 is journaled while an extension 38 of the plate 37 provides a bearing support for the upper end of the shaft 14. Also disposed upon the plate 37 is a pivotally mounted lever 39 having an idler roller 40 at one end thereof which yieldingly engages the tape 20 to tension the same, the roller being urged toward the tape 20 by a spring 41 suitably attached to the other end of the lever 39 and to the plate 37.

Each roller 21, with a cylinder 22 atop thereof, and arms 24a and 250 from which its

guides

24 and 25 project downwardly, are affixed to the end of each arm 36, FIG. 3, by means of a suitable shoulder screw 42 extending upwardly through suitable apertures in the roller 21, the cylinder 22 as at 22c and the inner ends of arms 24a and 2511 into threaded engagement with the arm 36, the roller 21 and cylinder 22 being free to rotate upon the shoulder screw 42 while the inner ends of the arms 24a and 25a are fixedly held in suitable angularly adjusted positions between the screw 42 and the arm 36. The guide 24 is provided with a pair ofspaced

yarn guiding orifices

24b and 24c positioned laterally of cylinder 22 and the

guides

24 and 25 are provided with pairs of spaced

yarn guiding orifices

24d and 242 and 25b and 25c, respectively, positioned laterally of the roller 21. The direction of rotation of pulley 19 is such that the tape 20 is caused to move in counterclockwise direction, FIG. 2, with the result that the rollers 21 and cylinders 22 also rotate in the same direction, FIG. 3.

The yarn Y may be arranged in either of two ways on the present apparatus, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, depending upon how the yarn is to be fed to the needles for the type of fabric being knit. When relatively plain non-patterned fabric is to be knit and a uniformly fixed rate of yarn travel is desired, the arrangement of FIG. 3 is used, in which the yarn Y from each cone thereof extends upwardly to pass through a stop motion 32, then downwardly through guide ring 29, then through orifice 24b of guide 24 to make one turn or a plurality of turns of the yarn, as desired, around the surface of cylinder 22 in the direction of its travel, FIG. 4, and then passes through orifice 240 of guide 24. Then the yarn extends along the guide 24 to orifice 24d through which it passes and then extends to and between roller 21 and tape 20 to pass through orifice 25b of guide 25 on its way to the needles of the machine during which it may pass through a second conventional stop motion positioned between the roller 21 and the needles. When relatively patterned fabric is to be knit and the needles themselves which make the pattern determine the desired rate of yarn feed, the arrangement of FIG. 5 is used and in which the arrangement differs from that of FIG. 3 in that after the yarn Y passes through orifice 240 of guide 24, it extends downwardly thereof to the orifice 24e through which it passes to make one turn or a plurality of turns of the yarn, as desired, around the surface of the roller 21 in the direction of its travel free of and in spaced relation to the tape on roller 21 and then passes through orifice 25c of guide 25 on its way to the needles of the machine. The tape 20 still continues to rotate the rollers 21 and cylinders 22. It may be noted that in FIG. 3 the yarn Y is between roller 21 and tape 20 whereas in FIG. 5 the yarn Y does not come into contact with the tape 20.

When the yarn Y is being fed according to the arrangement of FIG. 3, it is normally drawn off from its cone by the action of rotating roller 21 and moving tape 20 and fed to the needles. So long as there is no undue amount of excess tension in the yarn Y, the latter moves upon the smooth surface of rotating cylinder 22 without being fed thereby as it travels to the tape 20 and roller 21, even though the peripheral speed of cylinder 22 is greater than that of roller 21. Should there be a sufficient amount of excess tension in the yarn Y, as may be the result of a temporary condition, such as drag on the yarn as it is being unwound off of an improperly wound cone, the yarn will tighten around the cylinder 22 and the latter will act as a winch to pull the yarn in response to the grip of the yarn upon its rotating surface, such pull will act to draw off the yarn from its cone for the time that the drag thereon continues, which may be relatively short, afterwhich the excess tension in the yarn Y is dissipated and normal feeding of the yarn continues. Were it not for the above winch assisting action of the cylinder 22 when excess tension develops in the yarn Y, the latter, by reason of the excess tension therein, could slip relative to the tape 20 and roller 21 so that an insufficient amount of yarn would be fed in excessively tensioned condition with the result that breakage of the yarn could occur at such a point between tape and roller and the needles as would cause an undesirable press off of the fabric from the needles of the machine.

When the yarn Y is being fed to the needles for the knitting of patterned fabric, the rate of yarn feed will be nonuniform at each feed and will depend upon the number of patternselected needles taking the yarn, the latter, in turn, will depend upon the particular portions of the pattern being knit. Accordingly, the yarn cannot be drawn off its cone and fed at a uniform fixed rate of yarn travel and yet it is desirable to draw off the yarn from its cone and have it ready to be fed to the pattern-selected needles as required by them and for this purpose the arrangement of FIG. 5 is used. As the yarn is variably taken by the needles it is caused to be accordingly tightened around the rotating roller 21 and then the rotating cylinder 22 with the result that these two rotating members serve as winchies upon the yarn Y to draw the same off its cone so that it can be fed to the needles without undue tension therein. The winch action will take place only for such time as there is sufficient tension in the yarn to sufficiently grip the roller 21 and the cylinder 22, such tension may be the result of the needles taking the yarn and drawing off the yarn from the cone and/or from the unwinding of the yarn from an improperly wound cone. The winch action may be on and off in relatively short time periods in response to the action of the pattern of the needles at each of the feeds. It will be noted that the peripheral speed of the rotating roller 21 and cylinder 22 is different and it has been found that the compound action of these two winches, each acting upon the yarn at a different linear speed, gives much better results, in drawing off the yarn, than does the action of a single winch.

The present apparatus, in addition to its usefulness when the yarn cones are positioned upon the machine itself, is also of particular usefulness when the cones are arranged in a creel adjacent to the machine, in which arrangement the yarns travel a greater distance from cones to needles and in which it is desirable to have assistance of the winch 22 alone or the

winches

21 and 22 together in drawing off the yarns from their cones.

While the description, for the purpose of clarity, has referred to the member 21 as a roller and to the member 22 as a cylinder" instead of referring to each of them as a roller," which they are, it should be noted that the two

members

21 and 22 may be considered as a roller, as a roller having first and second sections and as a roller having first and second sections of different diameters, and such designations are used in certain of the claims. It is pointed out that the roller 21 and the cylinder 22 may be of integral formation and that the invention is not limited to these two members being of different diameters.

I claim:

1. Yarn feeding apparatus for a multi-feed knitting machine to draw off a plurality of yarns from their cones and to feed the same to the needles of said machine at the feeds thereof, comprising a plurality of rollers adapted to be rotated, each of said rollers having a first and a second section of which said second section is of larger diameter than said first section, an endless tape driven by said machine in timed relation therewith and trained over said first sections of said rollers to rotate the same and means to guide said yarns around said second sections and around said first sections of said rollers and to guide said yarns to said needles.

2. Apparatus as in claim I wherein said means to guide said yarns includes threading means for directing said yarns to and between said tape and said first sections of said rollers and away therefrom.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said means to guide said yarns includes threading means for directing said yarns around said first sections of said rollers in spaced relation to said tape thereon and away therefrom.

Claims

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said means to guide said yarns includes threading means for directing said yarns to and between said tape and said first sections of said rollers and away therefrom.