US3785174A

US3785174A - Delayed-action auxiliary stitch cams

Info

Publication number: US3785174A
Application number: US00248518A
Authority: US
Inventors: L Mishcon
Original assignee: Singer Co
Current assignee: MONARCH MANUFACTURING CORP; Singer Co
Priority date: 1972-04-28
Filing date: 1972-04-28
Publication date: 1974-01-15
Anticipated expiration: 1991-01-15

Abstract

An auxiliary stitch cam is provided for use in combination with a main stitch cam in a circular knitting machine and is spaced from the main stitch cam by at least the distance between adjacent knitting needles. The main stitch cam is used to move all needles into stitch forming positions, whereas the auxiliary stitch cam is used to actuate only selected needles after they have moved through the space separating the main and auxiliary stitch cams such that yarn instead of being pulled from a supply spool as stitches are extended by the action of the auxiliary stitch cam are instead pulled from the loops of the stitches in the cloth being knitted.

Description

United States Patent Mishcon DELAYED-ACTION AUXILIARY STITCH CAMS v Inventor: Lester Mishcon, Miami Beach, Fla.

The Singer Company, New York, NY.

Apr. 28, 1972 Assignee:

Filed:

App]. No.:

US. Cl. 66/57, 66/54 Int. Cl. D04b 9/00, D04b 15/32 Field of Search 66/57, 50, 54, 49

References Cited UNITED STATES, PATENTS Primary Examiner Ronald Eeldbaum V Att0rney-William V. Ebs, Marshall J. Breen and Chester A. Williams, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT An auxiliary stitch cam is provided for use in combination with a main stitch cam in a circular knitting machine and is spaced from the main stitch cam by at least the distance between adjacent knitting needles. The main stitch cam is used to move all needles into stitch forming positions, whereas the auxiliary stitch cam is used to actuate only selected needles after they have moved through the space separating the main and auxiliary stitch cams such that yarn instead of being pulled from a supply spool as stitches are extended by the action of the auxiliary stitch cam are instead pulled from the loops of the stitches in the cloth being knitted.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing [Figures DELAYED-ACTION AUXILIARY STITCH CAMS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to needle actuating camming for a circular knitting machine, and in particular to the use of a main stitch cam in combination with a delayed acting auxiliary stitch cam.

2. Description of the Prior Art It is known both in the case of non-jacquard and jacquard knitting machines to provide an auxiliary stitch cam which can be adjusted relative to a fixed main stitch cam to change stitch length by causing more or less yarn to be pulled from a yarn supply spool as loops are formed. Examples of such use are shown and described, for example, in U. S. Pat. No. 3,614,877 for Compound Stitch Cam For Knitting Machines issued Oct. 26, 1971 to Jack Radin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, a main and auxiliary stitch cam are used to cause yarn to be drawn from formed loops in a fabric being produced rather than from a yarn supply spool, and in achieving such result the relative positions of the main and auxiliary stitch cam are critical, the required positions of the cams being that wherein the auxiliary stitch cam is circumferentially separated from the main stitch cam in the direction of motion of knitting needles relative to the cams by at least the distance between adjacent needles.

The main stitch cam is used to actuate all needles and form stitches of a preselected length through the loops of a previous course of a fabric being knitted whereas the associated'auxiliary stitch cam is used to actuate only certain of the needles. By reason of the separation of the auxiliary stitch cam from the main stitch cam, the auxiliary stitch cam becomes effective as to any particular needle engageable with it to extend the loop on such needle only after the formation of a stitch on the adjacent following needle by the main stitch cam. Because of friction between yarn of the stitch on the adjacent following needle and the loop of the course through which such stitch is formed, when a needle is pulled down by the auxiliary stitch cam it does not extend the loop thereon by drawing yarn from a yarn supply spool but instead draws yarn from 'the adjacent loops to thereby lengthen the one loop and shorten the others.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the principle of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a cam section embodying the invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the cam section of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing an auxiliary cam for the cam section of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing wherein the principle of the invention is illustrated at one feed of a circular knitting machine, reference characters and 1 2 designate a main stitch cam and auxiliary stitch cam respectively. In order to practice the invention the auxiliary stitch cam must be separated from the main stitch cam in the direction of motion of needles relative to the cams by at least the distance between adjacent needles, and in FIG. 1 the minimum spacing 14 is shown. It is also essential that all needles shall be drawn by the main stitch cam to a stitch forming position, whereas less than all be further pulled down by an associated auxiliary stitch cam. In the machine taken by way of example for FIG. I, all needles, of which the needles 16a through 16g are representative, are shown with correspondingly located upper butts 18a through 18g (provided to engage the main stitch cam 10) and alternate needles are shown with correspondingly located

lower butts

20b, 20d and 20f (provided to engage the auxiliary stitch cam 12).

Yarn 22 constituting one feed of a machine is pulled into stitches 24 through the loops 26 of an already formed course of a fabric by the action of main stitch cam 10 on each of the needles. Such stitches 24 formed by the main stitch cam are thereafter adjusted in length by the action of the auxiliary stitch cam 12 on alternate needles. Because of the spacing 14 between the main and auxiliary stitch cam, when the: lower butt of an alternate needle initially engages the auxiliary stitch cam, the needle which follows in the direction of needle motion relative to the cams has already been caused by the main stitch cam to complete a stitch 24. Due to the presence of such stitch with its loop extending through a loop of another course, it is more difficult as a needle is drawn down by the auxiliary cam to pull yarn from a yarn supply spool 27 than from the loops of the adjacent needles. As a needle is drawri down by the auxiliary stitch cam, yarn is therefore pulled from the loops of the adjacent needles rather than from the yarn spool. In this way stitches on alternate needles are lengthened to the size indicated for stitch 28 and stitches on the other needles are twice shortened first to the size indicated for stitch 30 and then to the final size indicated for loop 32.

FIG. 2 shows one example ofa miulti-track needle actuating cam section 34 having not only a main stitch cam 36, but also including

auxiliary stitch cams

38 and 40 for use in accordance with the invention. As shown the cam section includes

adjustable cams

42, 44, 46 and 48. Such cam sections are useful, for example in controlling the operation of two-butt knitting needles as 50a through 50d having correspondingly located butts 520 through 52d to engage the main stitch cam 36 and a preliminary raise cam 54, and having

other butts

56, 58, 60 and 62 engageable with the

earns

42, 44, 46 and 48 respectively. An extension of the preliminary raise cam 54 defines a guard cam 64 for all needles preventing the uncontrolled downward flight of needles and a guard cam 66 prevents the uncontrolled upward flight of needles.

The

adjustable earns

42, 44, 46 and 48 are rotatably mounted and disposable in knit, tuck or welt positions. As shown the

earns

42, 44, 46 and 48 are in the knit, tuck, knit and tuck positions respectively. In the welt position (not shown) an adjustable cam extends horizontally. Mechanism providing for the adjustability of the

earns

42, 44, 46 and 48 may be as shown "and described in my copending application for needle actuating camming for circular knitting machine Ser. No. 253,720 filed May 16, 1972 or any other suitable mechanism may be utilized.

Side edge 68 of cam section 34 is provided with

recesses

70, 72, 74 and 76 in alignment with the rotatably

adjustable earns

42, 44, 46 and 48 respectively for receiving auxiliary stitch cam supporting members.

Such recesses

70, 72, 74 and 76 include

pins

78, 80, 82 and 84 respectively upon which auxiliary stitch cam supporting members may be pivotally mounted. The recesses also include threaded

holes

86, 88, 90 and 92 respectively for receiving holding screws by means of which an auxiliary stitch cam may be secured in a desired position in a recess. As shown, the cam section 34 includes an auxiliary stitch cam supporting member 94, of which the auxiliary stitch cam 38 is a part, pivotally mounted in a recess 70 on pin 78, and includes auxiliary stitch cam supporting member 96, of which the auxiliary stitch cam 40 is a part, pivotally mounted in recess 74 on pin 82. Holding

screws

100 and 102 extend through holes in the auxiliary stitch cam supporting members such as the hole 98 shown in member 94 (FIG. 4) and further extend into the threaded holes in the recesses to maintain the members in place. The holes in the auxiliary stitch cam supporting members have substantially larger diameters than the diameters of the screws extending through them as illustrated by the example of FIG. 4. The members may therefore be tilted about their mounting pins to vertically adjust the position of the auxiliary stitch cams before the holding screws are tightened.

Preferably the main stitch cam 36 is adjustable and movable in a direction parallel to itself between a position wherein a stitch may just barely be formed by the action of the cam and a position wherein the cam may be used to form an initial stitch of maximum desired length. The

auxiliary stitch cams

38 and 40 are so located that they are separated as indicated at 104, in the direction of motion of needles relative to the cam section 34, from the lower end of the main stitch cam by at least the spacing between adjacent needles when the main stitch cam is in position to provide for the formation of an initial stitch of maximum length. ,With the auxiliary stitch cams so spaced from the main stitch cam, the auxiliary stitch cams may be used to relatively adjust the length of stitches in a fabric which is being knitted (as in the manner indicated for example in connection with the description of FIG. 1) without pulling yarn from a yarn supply cone.

Reference character 106 designates a wing cam which is of the type shown and described in US. Pat. No. 3,457,736 forWing Cam for Pattern Wheel Knitting Apparatus"issued July 29, 1969, and the back surface 108 of which defines a restricted cam track of constant dimension with the main stitch cam 36 for correspondingly located butts as 50a through 50d of knitting needles, regardless of the position of the main stitch cam. The wing cam is pivoted at 110 and spring biased as in the manner of the said US. Pat. No. 3,457,736.

One example of use of cam sections, such as the cam section 34, is in the knitting of La Coste cloth. A La Coste pattern is readily knitted utilizing the needles shown in FIG. 2 repeated as often as required around the cylinder of a machine to produce a desired width of the pattern, and actuating such needles with cam sets each of which includes a pair of cam sections 34 having adjustable cams disposed as shown in FIG. 2 followed by a pair of like cam sections wherein the first, second,

third and fourth rotatably adjustable cams under the guard cams are disposed in the tuck, knit, tuck and knit positions respectively. When knitting the La Coste pattern those needles which are raised to the knit position are actuated by the auxiliary stitch cams and such needles pull yarn from the tuck stitches and therefore have the desirable effect of tightening such tuck stitches in the cloth.

Patterns other than La Coste may be produced with the rotatably adjustable cams of the cam section 34 positioned differently from that indicated and with one or more auxiliary stitch cams utilized to tighten selected stitches and lengthen others. Also La Coste and other patterns may be produced with cam sections which are constructed differently from the cam section 34 and which may or may not include a pattern wheel, but which makes use of one or more auxiliary stitch cams in accordance with the invention. With adjustable main and auxiliary stitch cams it is of course possible to alter differences in the size of loops produced in accordance with the invention without changing the weight of yardage of a particular amount of material producible on a machine. A particular fabric which may be conveniently produced making use of the invention is textured jersey the courses of which include stitches defined by long and short loops which alternate across the fabric. Another fabric conveniently produced making use of the invention is one having successive tucks in the same courses, an auxiliary stitch cam being used to tighten the floated tuck loop.

While the invention has been described in its preferred form it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than of limitation, and that changes within the purview of the appended claims may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention.

Having thus set forth the nature of this invention, what is claimed herein is:

1. In combination, multi-butt knitting needles for a circular knitting machine, each of the needles including a correspondingly located butt and at least one other butt; and needle actuating camming; said camming including butt engaging cam means for raising needles to a yarn accepting position, a main stitch cam which is adjustable in a direction parallel to itself and engageable with the correspondingly located butts for lowering all needles to a stitch forming position, and an auxiliary stitch cam which is adjustable in asubstantially vertical direction and is spaced from the main stitch cam in the direction of motion of the needles relative to the camming such that when the main stitch cam is positioned to form stitches of a maximum length, the main and auxiliary stitch cams are separated in the said direction by at least the distance between adjacent needles, said auxiliary stitch cams being engageable with needle butts other than the needle butts engageable with the main stitch cams for further lowering selected needles to relatively adjust the length of fabric loops utilizing only yarn in stitches already formed.

Claims

1. In combination, multi-butt knitting needles for a circular knitting machine, each of the needles including a correspondingly located butt and at least one other butt; and needle actuating camming; said camming including butt engaging cam means for raising needles to a yarn accepting position, a main stitch cam which is adjustable in a direction parallel to itself and engageable with the correspondingly located butts for lowering all needles to a stitch forming position, and an auxiliary stitch cam which is adjustable in a substantially vertical direction and is spaced from the main stitch cam in the direction of motion of the needles relative to the camming such that when the main stitch cam is positioned to form stitches of a maximum length, the main and auxiliary stitch cams are separated in the said direction by at least the distance between adjacent needles, said auxiliary stitch cams being engageable with needle butts other than the needle butts engageable with the main stitch cams for further lowering selected needles to relatively adjust the length of fabric loops utilizing only yarn in stitches already formed.