US468490A - williams - Google Patents

Description

L; N. D. WILLIAMS; MACHINE FOR SEWING KNIT FABRICS.

5 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

I PatentedFeb. 9, 1892.

WITNESSES:

L. N'. D. WILLIAMSi MACHINE. FOR SEWING KNIT FABRIG$.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.

WITNESSES:

(No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 3.

L. N. 1). WILLIAMS. MACHINE FOR SEWING KNIT FABRICS.

N0. 468,490. Patented Feb. 9, 1892.-

JKA MMW I INVENTQE WITNESSES:

a ZZ/F (No Model.) 5 sheetsesheetj.

L. N. DJWILLIAMS. MACHINE FOR SEWING KNIT FABRICS. N0..468,490.

Patented Feb. 9, 1 892.

SN @NRN %I NNSNRN I WITNESSES 5 e h S H e e h S 5 w 7 I R w F M T T. N LK G HN I Ww ..E D w NF B LN I H G A M a d 0 M O No. 468,490. Patented Feb. 9, 1892:

' INVENTOB WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' LOUIS N. D. WILLIAMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ROBERT \V. SCOTT, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR'SEWING KNIT FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,490, dated February 9, 1892.

Application filed July 11, 1891. Serial No. 399,188. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS N. D. IVILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residingin the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Uniting Knit Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

' My invention relates to a class of machines technically known as looping frames, which are employed for uniting or seaming together the edges of knit or other looped or enchained fabrics, and which perform their work by the conjoint operation of a reciprocating sewing needle, a series of fixed impaling needles, and a vibrating looper.

In machines of the foregoing character a needle base, being a fixed suspended disk, is equipped with a circumferential needle ring which is adapted to be intermittently rotated with respect to the base and which is provided with a series of radially projectingimpaling needles which in the rotation of the ring are caused to be successively presented to the reciprocating needle. As these machines have heretofore been organized, the sewing needle has either entered the fabric to be seamed from the point or else from the butt or basal end of the needles upon which the fabric is impaled. Practical disadvantages have been inseparable from both arrangements, and in the machines in which the point of the vibrating needle has faced the point of the impaling needles, damage has frequently resulted to the reciprocating needle, to the impaling needle and to the brass by which the latter are maintained in position relatively to their ring, whenever the reciprocating needle has happened to get out of adjustment to an extent suiiicient to cause it to encounter either an impaling needle or the needle-retaining brass.

My improvements relate to looping frames in which the point of the reciprocating needle faces either the point or the butt of the impaling needles, and their object is, first, to provide automatic means by which injury to the reciprocating needle, the impaling needles, or the brass, may be automatically avoided in the event of the accidental misstroke of the reciprocating needle and its contact with either an impaling needle or the brass, and, second, to provide improved means of acompact simple and inexpensivecharacter whereby the machine itself may be caused to, at will, make either a single or a double stitch.

A machine embodying my improvements in a convenient form is represented in the accompanying drawings and herein described, the particular subject matter claimed as novel being hereinafter definitely specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in top plan view a machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional plan view of the cam wheel, the cam ratchet wheel, and the shaft ratchet wheel. Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary perspective views of positions which the vibratory needle and the looper assume in the well known operation of stitch-forming. Fig. 5 is a right-hand side-elevational view of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 10.. Fig. 6 is a top plan View, and Fig. 7 a right hand side elevational view, of the outer extremity of the ratchet-arm and its fixed and adjustable ratchet teeth. Fig. 8 is a left hand side elevational View upon an enlarged scale, of the inner extremity of the needle cam lever, showing its connection with the yielding link and the connection of the latter with the needle-carrying stem, needle bar, needle, needle rocker arm, and needle eccentric,--the view serves also to illustratein vertical sectional elevation the construction of the needle base, the needle ring, the brass, and the impaling needle. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the yielding link and connected parts as shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a left hand side elevational view of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 5. Fig. 11 is a left hand magnified side elevational detail of the outer extremity of the needle cam lever, and of a portion of the cam wheel. 12, is a diagrammatic detail of the impaling needles, illustrating the rill -or groove in them, and, in dotted circles, the movement which the reciprocating needle makes in mak ing, as upon the left hand, a single stitch, and, as upon the right hand, a double stitch. Figs. 13 and 14: are views respectively illustrating the concatenation or enchainment of a thread to form repectively a single and a double seam of the usual character.

Fig. I

IOC

Fig. 10

5 plication of the yielding link in connection with a single stitch machine or one not provided with my improved needle cam lever for eifecting the formating of a double stitch.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Inthe machine represented in the drawings, A is the base plate or bed frame of the machine adapted to be secured fixedly to any appropriate support. Springing from the base plate, and preferably cast integral therewith, is what I term a suspending arm A conveniently of the curved form represented, at

' its basal portion constituting the standard (1 and at its outer extremity equipped with a depending pintle a upon which the hub of the needle base is conveniently secured.

a is a second standard or housing, preferably also cast integral with the base plate,

" and springing therefrom, the upper extremity of which is formed as a boxing a, which, in connection with a similar boxing a formed in the upper portion of the standard a of the suspending arm, serves to support the driving shaft B of the machine.

0 is the needle base, being a disk formed with a central hub c conveniently axially apertured to fit the pintle a of the suspending arm, and by such means, or otherwise, rigidly carried by said arm in an approximately horizontal position. This base may be of any preferred construction, conveniently of that shown in the drawings and especially in Figs. 1, 5 and 10. Peripherally the base is so formed as to fit it to receive the needle ring D,of any usual construction and providedwith a series of brasses d secured by screws 61' or otherwise, and adapted to secure the impaling needles E in a manner usual in these machines. The application of the needle ring to the base is such as to permit of the rings rotating with respect to the base.

d is a circumferential rack formed upon or applied to the under face of the needle ring in -any preferred manner, and which is adapted to be engaged by a pinion f upon one extremity of what I term the ring shaft F, supported in suitable bearings f applied to the under-face of the needle base. At the extremity of the'ring shaft opposite to that which is equipped with the pinion f, a shaft ratchet wheel F is rigidly fixed. It is obvious that the rotationof the shaft ratchet wheel will occasion the rotation of the ring shaft and pinion, and the consequent rotary movement of the needle ring with respect to its base. The predetermined intermittent movement of the shaft ratchet wheel is oc- I casioned through a ratchet arm F provided I an eccentric strap f applied to a ratchet eccentric f keyed upon the driving shaft B. The rotation imparted to the driving shaft by means either of the crank handle I) or the pulleys b occasioning the rotation of the shaft, will also occasion the throw of the ratchet eccentric and consequently of the ratchet arm, with the result that each complete rotary movement of the shaft will be accompanied by such forward and backward movement of the ratchet arm as will occasion a given movement in the shaft ratchet wheel, which, as will be seen in the drawings,passes through a slot 0 in the needle base.

G is a cam wheel mounted upon the ring shaft F, conveniently through the intervention of a tubular hub g which is also formed or provided with what Iterm a cam. ratchet wheel G of slightly larger diameter than the shaft ratchet wheel, and formed, as shown in the drawings, with alternating teeth g of different radial heights, both the shaft ratchet wheel and the cam ratchet wheel as to their upper portions pass through the slot 0 in the needle base, while the cam wheel G, similarly passes through the slot 0 The cam wheeland cam ratchet wheel are conveniently connected by the tubular hub g, and therefore adapted to rotate together upon the ring shaft as an axis. The free extremity of the ratchet arm F, in addition to the fixed ratchet tooth f, is provided with a spring-controlled supplemental pivoted ratchet tooth f, Figs. 6 and 7, adapted to be at will so adjusted with respectto its fulcrum as to be thrown into or out of engagement with the teeth of the cam ratchet wheel. When this supplemental ratchet tooth is set so as not to engage the teeth of the cam ratchet Wheel, that wheel, in the throw of the ratchetarm, stands still. When, however, said ratchet tooth is set to engage the teeth of said cam ratchet wheel, the latter is caused to intermittently rotate. In the formation of the teeth of the two ratchet wheels the respective heights of the alternated teeth of the cam ratchet wheel are such that the supplemental ratchet tooth at every throw of the ratchet arm occasions a rotary movement of the cam ratchet wheel equal to the distance apart of the teeth of said wheel, the height of each alternate tooth of said cam ratchet wheel being such that the fixed ratchet tooth f is lifted from engagement with each alternate tooth of the shaft ratchet wheel, with the result that the cam ratchet wheel is caused to make two revolutions for every one of the shaft ratchet wheel.

H is a pivoted pawl adapted to engage the teeth of both ratchet wheels, and to prevent the reverse rotation of said wheels.

I is what I term a needle cam lever, the same being a lever of the first order conveniently centrally fulcrumed by a fulcrum pin 1', sprung from the suspending arm. The outer portion of this needle cam lever which overhangs the needle base is provided with an adjustable depending cam toe i adapted to ride upon the crests and hollows formed on the ICS periphery of the cam wheel G, and its extremity is provided with a pivoted adjusting lug t by which its drop relatively to the needle base is regulated.

t is a detaining spring whichnormally serves to maintain the outer portion of the cam lever down so that its. lug is in contact with the needle base.

It is obvious that the rotary movement of the cam wheel in its action in the operation of the machine will occasion such vertical oscillatory movement of the outer extremity of the cam lever as will correspond to the lift and drop of the cam toe in its ride upon the cam wheel.

The inner extremity of the cam lever is jointed by a pivot i to the lower extremity of a yielding link J, the upper extremity of which is fixedly provided with a laterally extending horizontal needle -carrying stem 7', upon which is mounted for oscillatory movement the tubular hub of the needle bar K the said stem serving as the axis upon which the hub of said needle bar is caused to oscillate in the throw of the needle rocker arm k in the actuation of the latter by the throw of the eccentric strap k of a needle eccentric 11: mounted upon the extremity of the driving shaft opposite to that to which the crank handle is applied. The needle 70 is, as usual, carried by the needle bar, and, in the vibratory movement of said bar, is advanced and retracted in the usual manner relatively to the successive impaling needles, in parallelism with each of said needles as it presents, and radially with respect to the needle base. Upon the outer end of the needle stem is affixed a bracket arm k which carries the usual thread tension disks k.

L is a looper of the usual construction, mounted upon the inner extremity of alooper arm Z, the tubular. hub Z of which is mounted upon a fixed stem m projecting forwardly from a sliding frame M adapted to slide upon a pair of guide bars co projecting from the side of the vertical basal portion or standard a of the suspending arm.

Z is what I term a looper rocker, the same being an arm springing from the hub Z of the looper arm vertically and at its upper extremity equipped with acam roller Z3 adapted to a peripheral cam-way, which I call the looper cam-way it, formed in a cylindrical cam which I term the 1ooper-cam, and which is keyed upon the driving shaft between the needle eccentric and the boxing a in the basal portion a of the suspending arm.

n is what I term a frame cam-way, the same being a suitably formed radial cam groove, circumferentially channeling the cylindric looper cam and adapted to engage a frame cam-wa lug m" applied to the slidin l e frame M.

It is obvious that in the rotation of the driving shaft, the action of the respective cam-ways in thelooper cam respectively upon the looper rocker and the sliding frame, will occasion the well known compound up and down and forward and backward movement of the looper, in predetermined correspondence with the movement of the needle in the formation of the stitch,any description of which operation, being old and well known, is foreign to the purposes of this specification.

The yielding link J heretofore referred to as being pivoted to the inner extremity of the needle cam lever is normally maintained approximately at right angles to said cam lever by a maintaining spring j conveniently secured between an attaching pin j on the inner extremity of the cam lever and an attaching pin 7' on the upper extremity of the link,andtheneedle-carryingstemandneedle bar, the hub and the rocker arm, are, therefore, normally maintained by said yielding link in the same manner that they would be maintained were the stem pivoted direct to the prolonged inner extremity of the cam lever itself, or to the side, for instance, of the suspending arm. In the event, however, of the actual maladjustment or mis-stroke of the reciprocating needle to such extent as to cause the encounter of said needle with the impaling ring or a brass, the function of the yielding link is instantly asserted in that it yields, so to speak, or gives way in such a manner that the needle-carrying stem or fulcrum of the needle bar describes an arc centered upon the pivoted connection of the link with the cam lever, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, and thereby, notwithstanding that the needle eccentric continues its movement, permits such a yielding of the needle arm, (or, strictly, of the hub or fulcrum of said arm) as prevents either the breaking of the vibratory needle or the impaling needle or the injury of the brass.

It is of course to be understood that in the construction described in which the yielding link is pivoted to the inner extremity of the needle cam lever, such pivoting to said lever is simply for the purpose of illustrating the application of the yielding link itself in connection with a machine in which the needle bar happens to be in train with devices for occasioning its double movement with respect to each particular impaling needle in. the forming of a double stitch, as opposed to a construction in which no double-stitch-forming mechanism is employed,and not that the device is restricted to adouble stitch machine. ter explanation illustrated in Fig. 16 the application of the link direct to the suspending arm,-the pivot 11 in such case being applied direct to the suspending arm and the attaching pin j similarly to said arm.

The operation of the machine as an entirety will now have been sufficiently understood from the description heretofore given of the operation of the various parts which together compose said machine, and inasmuch as the I have, therefore, for the sake of bet- IIO fore constructed is well known, no further description of that operation is deemed necessary. Suffice it, therefore, to say in conclusion, that the application of the yielding link in connection with the reciprocating needle, whether said needle be employed in connection with devices which enable it to form either a single or double stitch,is intentionally such that the function of said link is to permit of the yielding of the fulcrum of the needle arm in the event of a false stroke of the needle, and in order that damage to the needles and brasses may be avoidedg-and to further state that the application of the needle cam lever in connection with the cam wheel'and cam ratchet wheel, when the latter are applied in connection with the shaft ratchet wheel and ratchet arm at one end, and with the needle-carrying stem atthe other end, enable me to compact and simplify the devices which permit of the machines being used either as a double or as a single stitch machine, and, moreover, afford a readily controlled mechanism by the aid of which the machine as an entirety may be instantly shifted from a single to a double stitch machine.

Although I have described and represented my improvements in so far as they are concerned with the yielding of the axis of the needle as applied only to a machine of the character described and in which a fringe of radialimpaling needles is employed, it is yet obvious that theseimprovements are applicable to reciprocating needles broadly as such and as applied in other forms of machines in which sewing needles per 36 are employed for uniting various fabrics.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a machine for sewing the seams of knitted or looped fabrics, the following elements in combination:-a reciprocating needle, a needle-carrying stem or axis with respect to which the needle vibrates,-and a yielding or vibratory link to one portion of which the needle-carrying stem is affixed and another portion of which is fixedly pivoted to a relatively fixed support,-whereby the needle may, upon a this-stroke, yield both in single and in double stitch -making, substantially as and for the purposes specified;

2. In a machine for sewing the seams of knit or looped fabrics, the following elements in combi-nation;-a rotatable needle ring, a vibratory looper, a reciprocating needle, a needle arm, a needle-carrying stem with respect to which said needle arm has reciproeating movement, a needle rocker arm, an eccentric for actuating said arm, a yielding link to the upper extremity of which the needlecarrying stem is affixed and the other extremity of which is yieldingly pivoted to a point of relatively fixed support, and a spring normally serving to support and maintain said link in a predetermined position, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a machine for sewing the. seams of.

knit or looped fabrics, the following elements in combination ;-a needlecam lever with one extremity of which a reciprocating needle bar is connected and the other extremity of which rides upon a cam wheel, a cam wheel, a cam ratchet wheel connected with said cam wheel, a ratchet arm provided with a tooth for engaging said ratchet wheel, and means for occasioning the reciprocation of said ratchet arm, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In a machine for sewing the seams of knit or looped fabrics, the following elements in combination ;a needle cam lever with one extremity of which a reciprocating needle bar is connected and the other extremity of which rides upon a cam wheel, a cam wheel, a cam ratchet wheel connected with said cam wheel, a needle ring, a shaft ratchet wheel through which said needle ring is rotated, a ratchet arm provided with teeth respectively adapted to engage the ratchet teeth of the respective ratchet wheels, and mechanism for occasioning the reciprocation of the ratchet arm, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. In a machine for sewing the seams of knit or looped fabrics, the following elements in combination ;a needle ring rotatable with respect to a needle base, mechanism substantially such as set forth for occasioning the predetermined intermittent rotation of said needle ring, a reciprocating needle, mechans ism substantially such as set forth for occasioning the reciprocation of said needle, a looper, mechanism substantially such as set forth for occasioning the movement of said T looper, a needle cam lever centrally pivoted so as to partly overhang the needle base and at its inner extremity provided with a needlecarrying stem with respect to which the neej dle has movement and at its outer extremity controlled by a spring to occasion it to bear down upon a rotatable cam wheel the upper periphery of which presents through the needle base, a cam ratchet wheel similarly presenting through said base and connected with said cam wheel, a ratchet arm being a member of the mechanism for occasioning the rotation of the needle ring, and ansadjustable ratchet tooth upon said arm adapted to be at i will engaged with the teeth of the camratchet wheel, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6.In a machine for sewing the seams of knit or looped fabrics, the following elements spring for maintaining said link in a given position relatively to said needle cam lever,

ITO

a cam Wheel for oooasioningapredetermined oscillatory movement of said needle cam lever, and mechanism substantially such as set forth for oceasioning the predetermined rota- 5 tion of said 0am Wheel, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoingas my invention Ihave hereunto signed my name this 3d day of July, A. D. 1891.

LOUIS N. \VILLIAMS.

In presence of J. BONSALL TAYLOR, F. NORMAN DIXON.

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