US3848432A

US3848432A - Cam section blocks for circular knitting machines

Info

Publication number: US3848432A
Application number: US00319831A
Authority: US
Inventors: L Mishcon; D Reagan
Original assignee: Singer Co
Current assignee: MONARCH MANUFACTURING CORP; Singer Co
Priority date: 1972-12-29
Filing date: 1972-12-29
Publication date: 1974-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 1991-11-19
Also published as: IT1000539B; FR2212832A5; GB1450069A; JPS505663A; DE2364484A1

Abstract

Needle-actuating cams for each of the feeds of a circular knitting machine are mounted on a separate cam-section block. Each such cam-section block is formed with parallel planar side surfaces and with parallel planar front and rear surfaces, each cam section block has its cams mounted adjacent its front surface on an elongated member, and the blocks are arranged in a circular arc around the machine with the cams facing the center of the circular arc and with a gap between adjacent blocks diverging in a direction away from said center. Removable plate means serve as the only restraint against movement of the elongated member means in the direction of needle movement.

Description

[ Nov. 19, 1974 1 1 CAM SECTION BLOCKS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES [75] Inventors: Lester Mishcon, Miami Beach;

Donald W. Reagan, Hialeah, both of Fla.

[73] Assignee: The Singer Company, New York,

22 Filed: Dec.29, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 319,831

1,580,393 3/1968 France 66/57 Primary Examiner-W. C. Reynolds Assistant Examiner-Andrew M. Falik Attorney, Agent, or FirmChester A. Williams, Jr.; Marshall J. Breen; William V. Ebs

[5 7] ABSTRACT Needle-actuating cams for each of the feeds of a circular knitting machine are mounted on a separate cam-section block. Each such cam-section block is formed with parallel planar side surfaces and with parallel planar front and rear surfaces, each cam section block has its cams mounted adjacent its front surface on an elongated member, and the blocks are arranged in a circular are around the machine with the cams facing the center of the circular arc and with a gap between adjacent blocks diverging in a direction away from said center. Removable plate means serve as the only restraint against movement of the elongated member means in the direction of needle movement.

1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures PAIEME raav 1 9 I974 SHEEI 10F 2 PRIOR ART PRIOR ART PATENTEL rmv 1 91914 SHEET 2 0F 2 CAM SECTION BLOCKS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to needle actuating camming for circular knitting machines and more particularly is concerned with the cam-section blocks on which such camming is supported in a machine.

2. Description of the Prior Art It has been the practice in circular knitting machines wherein cams for actuating cylinder needles of the machine are supported on cam-section blocks arranged around the cylinder of the machine, to have adjacent blocks formed to contact one another along side surfaces extending in a radial direction with respect to the center of the cylinder and to provide a curvature on front and rear surfaces of the blocks defining inner and outer boundries respectively for a ring of blocks concentric with cylinder. Such prior art practice is disclosed for example, in US. Pat. No. 2,941,383 for Dual Cam Track Knitting Apparatus issued June 21, 1960. Because of the form, as described, of a prior art cam-section block, a set of such blocks was not well suited for use on various machines differing in cylinder diameter and number of feeds. Also each such camsection block was generally of a size sufficient to support the cams of more than one feed and as a consequence its circumferential dimension was such as to limit the use of a set of blocks on different machines varying in size.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention small sized camsection blocks which support only the cams for one feed of a circular knitting machine are formed with planar front and rear surfaces which are parallel to one another and with planar side surfaces which are parallel v to each other. Not only are such cam-section blocks readily useable on machines of various sizes, but they are more easily machined and therefore less costly to produce than the prior art cam-section blocks because they are without a curvature, and because of the parallel planar surfaces. While in prior art machines having cams for a number of feeds on each cam-section block a curvature was provided on the cam supporting side of each block so that the cams for each feed would be suitably positioned when the blocks were in position around the cylinder of the machines, in the construction of the invention with the cams of only one feed on each block it has proved possible, since each block need only span a minimum chordal distance around the cylinder of a machine, to eliminate such curvature and still have the cams positioned to properly interact with the cylinder needles. Machines with 20, 24, 26 and 30 inch diameter cylinders having 3% feed per inch of diameter are examples of machines produceable with cam section blocks according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view showing cam-section blocks according to the prior art on a circular knitting machine;

FIG. 2 is a front face elevational view of one of the Y cam section blocks of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing camsection blocks according to the invention on a circular knitting machine;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a front end bottom portion of the cam-section block of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one of the cam-section blocks of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 6-6 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of one of the cam-section blocks in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, reference character 10 designates the annular base plate of a circular knitting machine having cam-section blocks of a well known type mounted thereon in accordance with conventional practice. Three such cam-

section blocks

12, 14, 16 supporting

camming

18, 20 and 22 respectively are shown secured to the annular base plate 10 by bolts 24 in FIG. 1. A typical arrangement of cams on such a cam-section block (block 12) may be seen in FIG. 2 wherein the

earns

26, 28, and 32 are cams for one feed of the machine and earns 34, 36, 38 and are cams for another feed. Cams 26, 28, 34 and 36 define a track for the butts of one set of cylinder needles and the earns 30, 32, 38 and 40 define a track for the butts of another set of cylinder needles. As shown in FIG. 1, the

blocks

12, 14 and 16 have arcuate

front surfaces

42, 44 and 46 respectively, arcuate

rear surfaces

48, 50 and 52 respectively, and

side surfaces

53, 54, 56, 58, and 61. The arcuate surfaces are all concentric with the cylinder (not shown) of the machine, and the side surfaces all extend in a radial direction with respect to the cylinder of the machine.

In accordance with the invention, the width of individual cam-section blocks is reduced by limiting the cams supported on each section block to those required for one feed rather than for a plurality of feeds. Cam section blocks according to the invention, i.e.,

blocks

62, 64, 66, 68, and 72 are shown on the annular base plate 73 of a circular knitting machine in FIG. 3. Such cam section blocks 62, 64, 66, 68, 70 and 72 are formed with

planar front surfaces

74, 76, 78, 80, 82 and 84 respectively, and with planar

rear surfaces

86, 88, 90, 92, 94 and 96 respectively. The side surfaces designated by even numbered reference characters 98 through inclusive are also planar. On each block, the front and rear surfaces are parallel to each other and the side surfaces are parallel to each other. Bottom front end portions 123 of the blocks register in notches 125 in a ring 127 formed on base plate 73 (FIG. 4), and bolts 122 secure the cam-section blocks to the annular base plate as shown with the front surfaces in line with chordal segments of a circular are 124 concentric with the cylinder of the machine and the side surfaces of adjacent blocks in contact only on the circular arc and otherwise separated by a gap diverging in a direction away from the center of the cylinder of the machine. Needle actuating

camming

126, 128, 130, 132, 134 and 136 are supported on cam-

section blocks

62, 64, 66, 68, 70 and 72 respectively adjacent the front faces thereof.

Cam-section blocks according to the invention may be used on different diameter machines accommodating an integral number of blocks by arranging said blocks on the machine with the angular separation between adjacent sides suited to the purpose. Also, since all surfaces on the blocks are planar the cost of producing such blocks is minimal. Other advantages are also realized because of the particular way in which the blocks of the invention are constructed as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 wherein one such block 62 is shown in some detail.

As may be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 the cam-section block 62 is an assembly comprising a one-piece body portion 138 which includes a foot 140, a side plate 142, and cam-supporting

elongated blocks

144 and 146. The

blocks

144 and 146 are slidably mounted in a cutout comer 148 of body portion 138 with a projecting portion 149 that is formed on each block extending into a slot 150 formed in the body portion. During assembly, the elongated blocks are positioned as shown in body portion 138 between one end 151 of a torsion spring 152 and a bearing surface 154 under the head 156 of a bolt 158 having a threaded connection with body portion 138, and the plate 142 thereafter being secured to the trailing side of the body portion 138 by

screws

160 and 162 to serve as the only restraint against the movement of the

elongated blocks

144, 146 in the direction of needle movement relative to the cam section block 62. The

blocks

144 and 146 are slidably adjustable as a unit by bolt 158 against a biasing force exerted by spring 152 and are adjustable with respect to each other with a screw 164 having a threaded connection with elongated block 146 and extending through the block 146 to contact block 144..

The camming 126 mounted on cam section block 62 is shown as consisting of a raise cam 166 and a stitch cam 168 fastened to elongated block 144 by

screws

170 and 172 respectively, and a raise cam 174 and a stitch cam 176 fastened to elongated block 146 by

screws

178 and 180 respectively.

Cams

166 and 168 define a track for the butts of one set of knitting needles and the

cams

174 and 176 define a track for another set of needles. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the use of any particular cams on a cam section block, also that the camming may be varied around a ring of cam section blocks, and that the camming may be such as to provide only one tract for needle butts or more than the two tracks shown in FIG. 5. It is also to be understood that various other changes may be made in the constructions shown herein without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention and within the purview of the appended claims, the words used in the foregoing exposition being merely words of description rather than of limitation.

What is claimed is:

1. In a multi-feed circular knitting machine, the combination comprising a plurality of cam-section blocks; esblpcks be ng ,L:s hape a1it a m p g o o and rearwardly'extending foot portion, andeac block fin laa lslrlanapppqsite s de yrta9 st9 fi a leading and a trailing side in relation to the direction of needle movement, parallel planar opposite end surfaces, and parallel planar top and bottom surfaces generally defining the L-shaped outline of the block; means for mounting needle actuating cams for one feed only on the front upright portion of each block; a ring for supporting said cam-section blocks around a circular arc concentric with the cylinder of the machine, with the cams facing the center of the arc, and with adjacent side surfaces of the cam-section blocks extending in diverging direction outwardly from said center; and a fastener at the foot portion of each block for securing the foot portions of the blocks to the ring; the front of each block including a portion which mates with a notch on a portion of the ring to positively fix, in conjunction with the fastener at the foot, the positions of the blocks on the ring; the means for mounting the cams for each block on the front portion of the block including a vertically adjustable rectangularly shaped elongated member having a front surface to which the cams are affixed and a rear surface which engages a front surface on the upright portion of the block, the elongated member and an integral portion of the leading side of the block including a slot in one such part and a projecting portion on the other extending into the slot, such slot and projecting portion permitting vertical movement of the elongated member in the block and preventing horizontal movement of the member away from said engaged front surface on the upright portion of the block, the means for mounting the cams for each block on the front portion of the block also including removable plate means on the trailing side of the block in engagement with one side of the elongated member, such removable plate means being the only restraint against movement of the elongated member in the direction of needle movement, the opposite side of the elongated member being in engagement with an integral part of the block.

Claims

1. In a multi-feed circular knitting machine, the combination comprising a plurality of cam-section blocks; the blocks being Lshaped with a front upright portion and rear-wardly extending foot portion, and each block having parallel planar opposite side surfaces, defining a leading a trailing side in relation to the direction of needle movement, parallel planar opposite end surfaces, and parallel planar top and bottom surfaces generally defining the L-shaped outline of the block; means for mounting needle actuating cams for one feed only on the front upright portion of each block; a ring for supporting said cam-section blocks around a circular arc concentric with the cylinder of the machine, with the cams facing the center of the arc, and with adjacent side surfaces of the cam-section blocks extending in diverging direction outwardly from said center; and a fastener at the foot portion of each block for securing the foot portions of the blocks to the ring; the front of each block including a portion which mates with a notch on a portion of the ring to positively fix, in conjunction with the fastener at the foot, the positions of the blocks on the ring; the means for mounting the cams for each block on the front portion of the block including a vertically adjustable rectangularly shaped elongated member having a front surface to which the cams are affixed and a rear surface which engages a front surface on the upright portion of the block, the elongated member and an integral portion of the leading side of the block includinG a slot in one such part and a projecting portion on the other extending into the slot, such slot and projecting portion permitting vertical movement of the elongated member in the block and preventing horizontal movement of the member away from said engaged front surface on the upright portion of the block, the means for mounting the cams for each block on the front portion of the block also including removable plate means on the trailing side of the block in engagement with one side of the elongated member, such removable plate means being the only restraint against movement of the elongated member in the direction of needle movement, the opposite side of the elongated member being in engagement with an integral part of the block.