US3911695A

US3911695A - Apparatus for the automatic insertion of pins in a cylinder for a hosiery machine

Info

Publication number: US3911695A
Application number: US426700A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mario Piro
Original assignee: Nuova San Giorgio SpA
Current assignee: Selex Elsag Datamat SpA
Priority date: 1972-12-22
Filing date: 1973-12-20
Publication date: 1975-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 1992-10-14
Also published as: DD110072A1; CH574518A5; FR2214304A5; ES421717A1; JPS49133657A; GB1403316A; DE2363922A1; IT972894B

Abstract

A machine is disclosed for introducing automatically pins into a control cylinder of a hosiery machine in order to obtain a preselected fabric pattern. A magazine contains a number of pins and can be moved in synchronism with the control cylinder so as to bring a row of holes of the magazine in registry with a generating line of the cylinder which also has perforations. Pushing means push selected pins from the magazine into the cylinder. The overall control is by means of a punched card or perforated tape and a set of properly positioned electromagnets.

Description

United States Patent [191 Piro [ 1 Oct. 14, 1975 APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC INSERTION OF PINS IN A CYLINDER FOR A I-IOSIERY MACHINE [75] Inventor: Mario Piro, Genova, Italy [73] Assignee: Nuova San Giorgio S.p.A.,

Genova-Sestri, Italy [22] Filed: Dec. 20, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 426,700

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 22, 1972 Italy 33562/72 [52] US. Cl 66/1 R; 29/208 C; 29/211 R; 66/50 B [51] Int. Cl. D04B 37/04 [58] Field of Search 66/1 R, 50 B; 29/211 R, 29/208 C, 208 R, 208 F [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,747,191 7/1973 Kuhn et a1. 29/211 R X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,130,108 5/1962 Germany 66/50 B 1,961,086 l/197l Germany 66/1 R OTHER PUBLICATIONS The Hosiery Trade Journal, Vol. 79, No. 942, June 1972, pp. 112-114.

Primary Examiner-Wm. Carter Reynolds Attorney, Agent, or FirmDiller, Brown, Ramik & Wight [57] ABSTRACT A machine is disclosed for introducing automatically pins into a control cylinder of a hosiery machine in order to obtain a preselected fabric pattern. A magazine contains a number of pins and can be moved in synchronism with the control cylinder so as to bring a row of holes of the magazine in registry with a generating line of the cylinder which also has perforations. Pushing means push selected pins from the magazine into the cylinder. The overall control is by means of a punched card or perforated tape and a set of properly positioned electromagnets.

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures US. Patent Oct. 14,1975 Sheet 2 of4 3,911,695

Sheet 3 of 4 US. Patent 0a. 14, 1975 U.S. Patent Oct. 14, 1975 Sheet 4 of4 3,911,695

APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC INSERTION OF PINS IN A CYLINDER FOR A I-IOSIERY MACHINE This invention relates to an apparatus adapted to equip the control cylinders of hosiery machines with radial projections, or pins, which, through appropriate leverages, drive the needles.

It is known that hosiery machines make fabrics in which the patterns are varied at will by appropriately controlling in suitable stages, the operation, in the formation of the loop, of needles which carry the threads of the several colours.

In the hosiery machines of the Jacquard type it is known to control the needle movement by means of -a plurality of small cylinders which are rotated in attunement with the needle-carrying cylinder and arranged on the periphery of the latter.

These small cylinders carry, inserted therein and radially projecting therefrom, pins which act on the butts of the parts situated beneath the needles for controlling the needles through linkages of various kinds.

The arrangement of the pins defines the fabric pattern.

In the hosiery machines as currently used, the pincarrying small cylinders have each a high number of pins; the operation of introducing the pins which are necessary in the relative seatings is extremely cumbersome; the time required by trained workers has a considerable influence on the cost of the product, even in the production on a not reduced scale.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine which is capable of mechanizing the operation of introducing the pins required of a certain determined fabric pattern in the control small cylinders of control of a hosiery machine.

Thus, much shorter times can be obtained when putting the machine in readiness for operation, the economical advantage being apparent.

The substantial reduction of the time which is required to equip the small cylinders with the control projections of the needles makes thus economically acceptable the production of not great quantities of fabric; it becomes thus possible to satisfy the demand as originated by the market for a certain type of fabric in a more gradual manner.

To this end, according to the invention, it has been envisaged to provide a machine for automatically inserting the pins in a small cylinder for hosiery machines, having a plurality of sets of seatings as distributed along generating lines of the small cylinder, characterized by comprising a pin-holding magazine having a plurality of sets of pins arranged on rows corresponding to said generating lines and which can be controlled so as to be moved stepwise in attunement with said small cylinder, the latter being rotatable about its own axis, so as to bring at each step a set of seatings in alignment with a set of pins, a plurality of pushers each adapted to push one of said pins as contained in a set of pins of the magazine into the corresponding seating of the seatings set, and control means for controlling each of said pushers in attunement with the stepwise movement of said magazine and said small cylinder.

The foregoing and other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become more clearly apparent from a scrutiny of the detailed description which follows, which shows, with reference to the accompanying drawings, an exemplary embodiment of the invention concerned.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a machine constructed according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view partly in section, showing the portion of the machine which relates to the device proper for introducing the pins in the small cylinder.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IIIIII of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view which diagrammatically shows the arrangement of the electromagnets and the relative control levers for inserting the pins in the small cylinder.

Having now initial reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the machine in question comprises, in combination: a frame 1 which is adapted to carry a punched card 2, a photoelectric readout device 3 which reads the card 2 out by means of light from a light source (not shown) passing through apertures in the card 2 of the readout device, four

sets

4, 5, 6 and 7 of conventional elastic return electromagnets which are operatively connected to the readout device 3 through a bundle of electric cables 65 for actuation in accordance with the energization of the readout device and respectively actuating the levers 8, 9, l0 and 11 (FIG. 4), a set of rods 56 operatively connected to the levers 8, 9, l0 and 11 and adapted to close and/or open a row of holes or seatings 57 on the cylinder 12 and a magazine 13 which holds pins 14 to be introduced into said holes 57.

The frame 1 and the magazine 13 can be translated vertically whereas the cylinder 12 is rotatable in the clockwise direction; the drive is transferred to the latter members by a reducing gear motor 15 which has an output shaft 16 to which there are keyed a gear 17 and an end pawl 18. The pawl 18 in its rotation cooperates with a gear 19 keyed to a shaft 20 and the gear 19 is cooperating with a pawl or positioning tooth 21 as mounted on a lever 22 pivoted at 23 to a shaft 24; a tractive spring 29 keeps the tooth 21 in mesh with the gear 19.

To the shaft 20 there are keyed, moreover, a pinion 25 which meshes with a rack 27 of the frame 1, and two oppositely mounted pinions 26 which mesh with the relative racks 28 of the magazine 13 (FIG. 2).

The gear 17 is connected, through a driving chain 30, to a gear 31 keyed to either end of a shaft 32 rotatable on journals 33. The shaft 32 carries two eccentrics 34 and their collars 35 which are pivoted at 36 to a slider 37 which can be reciprocated between guideways 78. The slider 37 carries a plurality of pushers 38 which are adapted to enter corresponding holes 39 on one of the rows of holes of the magazine 13, said holes housing a pin 14 each. Each pusher 38 is housed in a freely guided way in the slider 37 and the output stroke is limited by the movement of the chamber 72 of'a header 71 as pushed by a compressed spring 73. The inactive position of the pusher is thus protruding from the slider.

The shaft 32 carries, moreover, on the end away of the gear 31, a cam 40 which cooperates with cam follower 41 as idly mounted on a lever 42; the lever 42 has an end pivoted on a pin 43 and the opposite end pivoted at 44 to one end of an arm 45. At the other end of the arm 45 is pivoted at 46 a pawl 47 of a pawl and ratchet mechanism whose ratchet 48 is keyed to a shaft 49 carrying the cylinder 12. The arm 45 is slidably mounted on a pin 66 which is inserted in a longitudinal slot 67 of the arm: a pull spring 68 tends to bring constantly the arm 45 towards the position shown in FIG. 3. The shaft 49, in addition, carries a gear 50 which cooperates with a positioning tooth 51 mounted on a lever 52; the latter is pivoted to a shaft 53. A pull spring 54 keeps the tooth 51 in engagement with the gear 50.

The photoelectric readout device 3 has, distributed along four rows, photocells 55 which control, each, an electromagnet of the four sets of electromagnets 4, 5, 6 and 7: the photocells 55 are as many as there are electormagnets, which in the example shown are thirty six, nine per each set.

As clearly shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the

electromagnets

4, 5, 6 and 7 have, each, a

respective armature

58, 59, 60 and 61 which are pivoted, respectively, to one end of the relative levers 8, 9, l and 11 which are rotatable about a single axle 62. The levers 9 and lO'are bell crank levers, whereas the

levers

8, 11 are straight levers. This different shape of the levers is dictated by reasons of arrangement of parts in order to provide a comparatively compact structure.

The free end of each lever 8, 9, l0 and 11 acts in a cavity 63 as formed at the lower end of the rods 56. The rods 56 are controlled by said levers so as to be vertically displaced on the wall of the magazine 13 to open and/or close with their top end 64 the holes 57 of the cylinder 12 and also the holes 39 of the magazine 13. The translation of the rods 56 is guided by a guiding straddle 65.

The operation of the machine as described above is as follows.

At every turn of the pawl 18, the gear 19 is stepped forward through a tooth and via the shaft 20, the pinion 25 and the pinions 26, causes the frame 1 and simultaneously the magazine 13 to go through a step upwards. The ratio between the teeth of the gear 19 and the

pinions

25 and 26 is so calculated that for each step forward of one tooth of the gear 19 there corresponds'a translation of the frame 1 equal to four horizontal rows of the punched card 2 and a translation of the magazine 13 equal to one horizontal row of the holes 39. For each translation of the frame 2, consequently, the four rows of photocells 55 of the readout device 3 read four rows of the punched card 2 and deliver at the output control signals which are a function of the arrangement of the punched holes of the card as corresponding to the fabric pattern which is desired to obtain. These control signals cause the energization of a part of the

electromagnets

4, 5, 6 and 7 which, via their

respective armatures

58, 59, 60 and 61 cause an anticlockwise oscillation about the axle 62 of the

levers

8, 9, and 11 relating thereto. The oscillation of these levers causes the depression of the rods 56 connected thereto which uncover the

holes

39 and 57, respectively, of the magazine l3 and the small cylinder 12. Consequently, the pins 14 housed in the uncovered holes 39 will be introduced into the holes 57 which correspond, by the advancement of the plungers 38 as mounted on the slider 37. As a matter of fact the slider 37 at each step of the frame 1 and of the magazine 13 makes a complete reciprocation as controlled by the eccentrics 34 which are rotated in attunement with the pawl 18. As soon as a pusher 38 acts on a pin corresponding to a hole 57 closed by a rod 56, it goes backwards and compresses the spring 73.

As the pins 14 have been introduced in the holes 57 of the cylinder 12, the latter is rotated through one step in attunement with the translation of the frame 1 and the magazine 13, so as to bring the next row of holes 57 in registry with the next row of holes 39 for a further operative stage. The rotation through one step of the cylinder 12 takes pace by the agency of the cam 40 (FIG. 3) which causes the lever 42 to be swung anticlockwise for pushing leftwards the arm 45. Such a movement of the arm 45 causes, through the pawl 47, the advance through one step of the ratchet 48 and consequently of the cylinder 12 attached thereto.

In the drawings, and more particularly in FIG. 1, for the sake of clarity, there have not been shown the framing of the machine and its supporting shoulders for the rotary shafts and with the guides for the frame 1 and the magazine 13; the guides of the latter are shown, instead, in FIG. 2 where they have been indicated at 66.

It is apparent that the machine accordingto the invention permits to introduce the pins which control the movement of the needles in their cylinders in an extremely quick manner and completely automatically without any necessity of employing trained personnel.

Another significant advantage is the possiblity of easily repeating the same fabric pattern also after a certain lapse of time, by using the available punched cards again; the punched card can be prepared by any mechanographical center.

Although there has been described and illustrated a specific embodiment of the invention, those skilled in the art will realize that a few modifications and changes can be introduced therein without departing from the scope of the invention as such; for example the readout device could also be a mechanical one and read a different number of rows of the punched card; the latter could also be a perforated tape.

What I claim is:

l. A pin inserting machine for a cylinder for a hosiery machine, said cylinder having a plurality of rows of pin receiving holes arranged along generating lines of the cylinder, said machine comprising support means for rotatably supporting the cylinder, a pinholding magazine equipped with a plurality of rows of pins, first drive means for moving stepwise synchronously the magazine and the cylinder so as to bring at every step of movement a different row of pins of the magazine in alignment with a different row of holes of the cylinder, a row of pushers, means supporting said pushers for alignment with a row of pins in said magazine at a time when the row of pins are aligned with a row of holes in the cylinder, second drive means for reciprocating said pushers in synchronism with the movement of the magazine and the cylinder so as to push respective ones of the pins of the aligned row of pins of the magazine into corresponding holes of the aligned row of seatings of the cylinder, closing means for closing the aligned holes of the cylinder,,and control means for controlling the translation of selected ones of said closing means according to a predetermined program and in synchronism with the movement of said magazine, the cylinder and said pushers.

2. A machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said control means includes a photoelectric readout device adapted to read a punched member.

3. A machine according to claim 2 characterized in that said closing means includes a plurality of rods controlled to be translated between the magazine and the cylinder by said photoelectric readout device through a set of electromagnets and a plurality of leverages.

4. A machine according to claim 1 together with means for actuating said first drive means and said second drive means in sequence wherein said magazine and the cylinder are first shifted to a new position and said control means actuated and then said pushers are actuated.

5. A machine 'according to claim 4 wherein the means for actuating said first and second drive means is a single means.

6. A machine according to claim 1 wherein there is a single actuator for said first and second drive means.

7. A machine according to claim 1 wherein said closing means includes a closing member for each hole of a row of said rows of holes in the cylinder, said control means includes plural sets of actuators with the actuators of said sets being connected to said closing members in alternating relation; and said control means includes a punched control member having control apertures in rows, each row of control apertures controlling a set of said actuators, third drive means for moving said control member in unison with said magazine at rate to advance said control member a number of aperture rows equal to the number of actuator sets for the movement of a single pin row of said magazine.

8. A machine according to claim 1 wherein said first drive means includes a rotating pinion for advancing said magazine and a reciprocating pawl for advancing said cylinder support means.

9. A machine according to claim 8 wherein said first drive means includes a rotatable shaft, first cam means on said rotatable shaft for driving said reciprocating pawl, and said second drive means including a second cam means on said rotatable shaft, said first and second cam means being out of phase for actuating said pushers only when said cylinder support means are stationary.

10. A machine according to claim 1 wherein said means supporting said pushers includes a slider supporting said pushers, and resilient means mount each pusher in said slider for movement relative to said slider in the event a corresponding closing means blocks the movement of an associated pin.

Claims

1. A pin inserting machine for a cylinder for a hosiery machine, said cylinder having a plurality of rows of pin receiving holes arranged along generating lines of the cylinder, said machine comprising support means for rotatably supporting the cylinder, a pinholding magazine equipped with a plurality of rows of pins, first drive means for moving stepwise synchronously the magazine and the cylinder so as to bring at every step of movement a different row of pins of the magazine in alignment with a different row of holes of the cylinder, a row of pushers, means supporting said pushers for alignment with a row of pins in said magazine at a time when the row of pins are aligned with a row of holes in the cylinder, second drive means for reciprocating said pushers in synchronism with the movement of the magazine and the cylinder so as to push respective ones of the pins of the aligned row of pins of the magazine into corresponding holes of the aligned row of seatings of the cylinder, closing means for closing the aligned holes of the cylinder, and control means for controlling the translation of selected ones of said closing means according to a predetermined program and in synchronism with the movement of said magazine, the cylinder and said pushers.

5. A machine according to claim 4 wherein the means for actuating said first and second drive means is a single means.