US3922886A

US3922886A - Jack mechanism for circular knitting machines

Info

Publication number: US3922886A
Application number: US396065A
Authority: US
Inventors: James D Moyer
Original assignee: Rockwell International Corp
Current assignee: Boeing North American Inc
Priority date: 1973-09-10
Filing date: 1973-09-10
Publication date: 1975-12-02
Anticipated expiration: 1992-12-02
Also published as: ZA744885B; BR7407524D0; GB1471458A; NL7411115A; AU7200474A; CH575032A5; CA1008264A; FR2243286A1; SE7411359L; DE2440107A1

Abstract

An improved slider jack system for circular knitting machines having a rocker jack disposed in direct contact with and selectively actuated by the dictates of a pattern controlled slider jack. A compound cam member having a first camming surface for engaging the operating butt on a selectively raised rocker jack to raise the latter to knitting height and a second camming surface for contacting the operating butts of all non-selected rocker jacks to move them into an inactive position.

Description

United States Patent 191 Moyer Dec. 2, 1975 I 1 JACK MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES [75] Inventor: James D. Moyer, Winchester, Va.

[73] Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation,

Pittsburgh, Pa,

221 Filed: Sept. 10, 1973 211 Appl. No; 396,065

[52] US. Cl. 66/50 R; 66/57 [51] Int. Cl. D04B 9/00; DO4B 15/32 [58] Field of Search 66/50 R, 14, 40, 42 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,631,817 6/1927 Houseman 66/40 2,913,887 11/1959 Ducharme... 66/50 B 2,952,147 9/1960 Ziemba 66/43 3,136,145 6/1964 Coile 66/50 B X 3,246,486 4/1966 Janda et al.. 66/50 B 3,530,688 9/1970 Lombardi v. 66/57 X 3,662,572 5/1972 Lonati 66/50 R 3,726,110 4/1973 Conti 66/40 3,742,732 7/1973 Plath 66/50 B X 3,802,225 4/1974 Carrotte.....

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 159,977 7/1940 Germanym, 66/50 R 471,681 9/1937 United Kingdom 66/50 B 645,550 9/1962 Italy a 66/57 521.264 5/1940 United Kingdom 66/50 8 1,195,671 6/1970 United Kingdom 66/50 R Primary E,\'aminerW. C. Reynolds Assistant ExaminerAndrew M, Falik [57] ABSTRACT An improved slider jack system for circular knitting machines having a rocker jack disposed in direct contact with and selectively actuated by the dictates of a pattern controlled slider jack. A compound cam member having a first camming surface for engaging the operating butt on a selectively raised rocker jack to raise the latter to knitting height and a second camming surface for contacting the operating butts of all non-selected rocker jacks to move them into an inactive position.

1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures US. Patent Deg. 2, 1975 Sheet 1 of 2 3,922,886

TLE- E1 Sheet 2 of 2 3,922,886

US. Patent Dec. 2, 1975 JACK MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In circular knitting machines of the rotatable cylinder type a well known means for selectively actuating the knitting instrumentalities is that of a pattern controlled slider jack system. engaged the known type of slider jack systems it is common practice to transmit the dictates of the pattern controlled slider jack directly to a needle actuating jack. Circular knitting machines which utilize a slider jack system must have a cylinder of sufficient length to accommodate the circular series of needles, needle actuating jacks and slider jacks which are slidably mounted in the slots formed on the periphery of said cylinder. The slider jack must be raised a sufficient distance so as to raise the needle actuating jack or intermediate jack to a level where its operating butt will be engeged by a cam member and raise said jack to knitting height which in turn will raise its respective needle to the required height to perform its intended function.

With slider jack systems of this type it is common practice to employ a so-called divider cam often referred to as the over and under system. Such cams are disposed so that needle actuating jacks or intermediate jacks by means of their operating butts will be raised to knitting height when selected by the slider jack and if not selected follow an inactive pathway below and in front of the divider cam. With such slider jack systems the operating speed of the machine is quite critical. The length of the various jack elements and the distance they must move within their respective slots to accomplish their function is sufficient to generate frictional heat. When the knitting machines are operated within their recommended ranges of speed the normal amount of heat generated presents little or no problem; however, with the trend toward greater productivity by operating the machines at greater RPMs, serious problems have developed. One such problem is that of overheating and the breakdown of the required lubricant for the knitting instrumentalities. Another very serious condition is that of misaligned needle actuating or intermediate jacks whereby their operating butts assume a position which will not selectively raise or allow said jack to follow the inactive pathway. Such a condition will cause the operating butt to strike the end of the divider cam creating what is termed as a smash which of course necessitates considerable downtime of the machine to make the necessary repairs.

The improved jack mechanism according to the present invention has overcome the problems described above and provides a mechanism which enables a circular knitting machine to be operated at substantially higher RPMs than has heretofore been possible and includes a safety feature for the positive cancellation of all jacks not positioned for being raised to knitting height.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The improved jack mechanism of the present invention includes a slider jack having patterning butts and corresponding pattern controlled selector slide cams which are arranged to selectively raise the slider jack approximately one fourth the distance of slider jacks of known systems. Within each cylinder slot a rocker jack is operatively associated with each sliderjack and intermediate the needle and said rocker jack there is provided a needle lifter jack. The rocker jack includes an operating butt adjacent their lower ends which are rocked outwardly in a known manner from their respective slots by a so-called presser cam.

A compound cam member having first and second camming surfaces is disposed so that its first camming surface will engage the operating butts of the rocker jacks selectively raised by their respective slider jacks and raise them the required distance to effect movement of the lifter jack to place its needle at a location to effect its intended function. The second camming surface of this cam member is located so as to engage the operating butts of all rocker jacks not in position to be acted upon by the first camming surface and is effective in moving said jacks to an inactive position.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved slider jack system for circular knitting machines which will permit said machines to be operated at speeds substantially greater than has been heretofore possible.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved rocker jack cam system having means for moving all rocker jacks not selected to an inactive position.

A further object of the invention is that of providing a slider jack with a greater range of patterning selectivity for the knitting instrumentalities than has been heretofore possible with known slider jack systems.

These and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent by reference to the appended claims and as the following detailed description proceeds in reference to the figures of the drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a multi-feed circular knitting machine to which the improved slider jack system according to the invention is applicable,

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line and in the direction of the arrows 2-2 in FIG. 1 showing the slider jack system according to the invention,

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 showing by means of full and dotted lines the limit of movement which the lower end of the rocker jack is moved outwardly by the presser cam,

FIG. 4 is a developed view of the cam track formed by the cam means of the invention showing rocker jack butts in both their active and inactive positions,

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 showing a rocker jack in selected position with its operating butt in engagement with the cam means of the invention,

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the cam means of the invention showing the operating butt of a rocker jack as it is cammed to an inactive position, and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to that of FIG. 6 but showing the operating butt of a rocker jack in that position where the jack will be raised to knitting height.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As the general construction and operation of a circular knitting machine, to which the present invention is applicable, is well known and familiar to those conversant in the art, and as the invention is entirely concerned with an improved slider jack system for such machines, it is only considered necessary here to illustrate and describe those parts which are directly concerned with a preferred form of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings there is shown a portion of a multi-feed circular knitting machine including a frame member 10, a rotatable cylinder 11 having slots 12 for slidably mounting a circle of needles 13. In FIG. 2 there is shown a portion of the inner sinker ring at 14, a dial sinker 15, the outer sinker ring 16 with one of its sinkers 17 all of which cooperate with the needles 13 at four knitting stations or feeds indicated diagramatically at 18, 19, 20 and 21 in FIG. 1.

Within each slot 12 of the cylinder 11 there is also slidably mounted a lifter jack 22, a rocker jack 23 and a slider jack 24 having selector butts 25 at a plurality of butt levels which are adapted to be acted on by corresponding pattern controlled selector slide cams one of which is depicted in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 by numeral 26.

The cam member for effecting actuation of the needles 13 is'shown at 27 in FIG. 2 with the usual form of stitch cam deck below said cam identified by numeral 28. A presser cam 29 assembles to the underside of the stitch cam deck 28 by means of a screw 30 and as the cylinder 11 is caused to rotate is effective in rocking the rocker jack 23 from the dotted to solid line position shown in FIG. 3. A jack retaining ring 31 by means of a screw 32 (FIG. 2) assembles to the outside diameter of cylinder and is so disposed as to serve as a guide for the upper portion of the rocker jack 23 and the lower portion of the lifter jack 22.

A cam box 33 is positioned below the presser cam 29 and carries a rocker jack lowering cam 34, and the compound cam member of the present invention generally indicated by numeral 35. A slider jack lowering surface 36 (FIGS. 2 and 4) is provided on the underside of this compound cam and is effective on a butt 37 of the slider jack 24 to lower the latter to a position where said butt 37 is in contact with the lower inner surface of a jack stop ring 38 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The rockerjack is provided with an operating butt 39 and all of said jacks prior to entering the area where they will or will not be selectively raised are rocked outwardly to position their butts in the solid line position shown in FIG. 3.

A selected rocker jack 23 is raised to that position shown in FIG. 5 whereby its operating butt 39 is in position to be engaged by a first camming surface 40 of the compound cam member 35 and is effective, as shown in FIG. 4, in raising all selected rocker jacks 23 to a knitting height. In the plan view of the compound cam member in FIG. 7, the operating butt 39 is shown engaging the first camming surface 40 of said cam member which will raise the rocker jack to knitting height.

The compound cam member 35 also includes a second camming surface which is identified in FIG. 4 by numeral 41. This camming surface 41 is effective in engaging the operating butts 39 of all rockerjacks not selectively raised and to move the same to the inactive position depicted by the dotted line location of the rocker jack in FIG. 3. When the nonselected jacks are moved to their inactive position this will cause them, as shown in FIG. 4, to move ineffectively below and in front of the first camming surface 40. In the plan view of the compound cam member in FIG. 6, the operating butt 39 of a non-selected rocker jack 23 is shown engaging the second camming surface 41 of said cam member which will cause said jack to pass ineffectively below and in front of the first camming surface 40.

After the rocker jacks have been rocked to the solid line position shown in FIG. 3 those which are to be ac tuated to perform their intended function are raised by the selective actuation of their corresponding slider jacks 24. To actuate a rocker jack 23, its slider jack need only be raised a distance of approximately .100" which is about one half to one quarter of the distance that such jacks of known slider jack systems are selectively moved. This shortened distance for selective movement of the slider jacks 24 is made possible by the relatively short distance which a rocker jack must be raised from a rocked position shown in FIG. 3 to that position shown in FIGv 5 where it is at the required height to be engaged by the first camming surface 40 of the compound cam member 35.

To summarize the operation, as the cylinder is caused to rotate each of the non-selected rocker jacks 23 which had been rocked inwardly to an inactive position at a previous feed by camming surface 41 is engaged by the presser cam 29 just prior to arriving at that position where it will or will not be selected to perform its intended function. Engagement with the presser cam rocks the lower end of the rocker jacks outwardly from the cylinder from the dotted to the solid line position shown in FIG. 3. At this time and in accordance with some predetermined pattern chosen selector slide cams 26 are moved toward the slider jacks 24 to engage corresponding selector butts 25 thereon. The angle at which the selector slide cams 26 are disposed (FIG. 3) is effective in raising each corresponding slider jack 24 the required distance to raise its respective rocker jack 23 to that position shown in FIG. 5. In this position the operating butt 39 of the rocker jack is at a height where it will be engaged by the first camming surface 40 of the compound cam member 35 and will raise said jack to engage and raise the lifter jack 22 which in turn will raise the corresponding needle 13 to the proper position for it to perform its intended function.

All rocker jacks not selectively raised by the slider jacks, which includes any misaligned jacks, will have their operating butts engaged by the second camming surface 41 of the compound cam member 35 and is effective in moving the lower end of said jack toward the cylinder to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 3.

The number of needle actuating elements within each slot of the cylinder, their length, and the short distance they are required to move to accomplish their intended purpose has reduced substantially the generation of frictional heat which is a well known problem of known slider jack systems.

By decreasing the distance of selective movement of the jack elements along with the provision of a safety feature which assures movement of all non-selected rocker jacks to an inactive position provides a means for operating a circular knitting machine at speeds substantially greater than has heretofore been possible.

Additionally the relatively short-distance which the jack elements are required to move in the performance of their functions provides a substantially wider range of patterning possibilities for a greater number of selector butts 25 can be present on each slider jack and the reduced angle at which the selector slide cams 26 are arranged permits a greater number to be disposed one above the other.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An improved jack actuating device for circular knitting machines having at least one feed and a rotatable cylinder with slots for slidably mounting a circular series of needles adapted to knit courses at each of said feeds in forming tubular fabric, needle actuating jacks slidably mounted in each of said slots including a lifter jack and a slider jack, said slider jack having selector butts at a plurality of levels thereon which are selectively movable by corresponding pattern controlled selector slide cams in an upward direction to select said needles for knitting courses at said each feed, the improvement comprising:

a. a rocker jack member in said each slot intermediate said lifter jack and said sliderjack having an operating butt adjacent one end thereof and being 6 movable in a radial direction to a radial position relative to the axis of said cylinder by presser means and selectively upward to a predetermined height by said slider jack;

b. cam means having a first cam surface for engaging a second cam surface of said cam means for directing said rocker jack member when not selectively raised said predetermined height by its said slider jack inwardly from said radial position effected by said presser means to an inactive position to pass below and in front of said first cam surface.

PATENT NO.

DATED INVENTOR(S) 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION 3,922,886 December 2, 1975 James D. Moyer It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, Line 9, after "system." delete 'engaged' and.

[SEAL] insert --In-.

A nest:

RUTH C. MASON Arresting Officer C. MARSHALL DANN Commissioner oj'larems and Trademarks

Claims

1. An improved jack actuating device for circular knitting machines having at least one feed and a rotatable cylinder with slots for slidably mounting a circular series of needles adapted to knit courses at each of said feeds in forming tubular fabric, needle actuating jacks slidably mounted in each of said slots including a lifter jack and a slider jack, said slider jack having selector butts at a plurality of levels thereon which are selectively movable by corresponding pattern controlled selector slide cams in an upward direction to select said needles for knitting courses at said each feed, the improvement comprising: a. a rocker jack member in said eAch slot intermediate said lifter jack and said slider jack having an operating butt adjacent one end thereof and being movable in a radial direction to a radial position relative to the axis of said cylinder by presser means and selectively upward to a predetermined height by said slider jack; b. cam means having a first cam surface for engaging said operating butt of said rocker jack member when selectively raised said predetermined height by said slider jack to move said rocker jack member to an actuation height to position its corresponding said lifter jack and said needle for said knitting; and c. a second cam surface of said cam means for directing said rocker jack member when not selectively raised said predetermined height by its said slider jack inwardly from said radial position effected by said presser means to an inactive position to pass below and in front of said first cam surface.