US485316A - Knitting-machine - Google Patents

Description

(No Mbdel.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. BENNOR.

v KNITTING MACHINE. No; 485,316. Patented Nov. 1, 1892.

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Patented Nov. 1, 1892.

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. BENNOR.

KNITTING MACHINE. No. 485,316. Patented Nov. 1,1892.

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No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

J. BENNOR.

KNITTING MACHINE.

Patented Nov. 1,1892.

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5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

J. BENNOR. KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 485,316. Patented Nov. 1,1892.

. INVENTOI'? WITNESSES partial side elevation thereof.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH BENNOR, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

KN lTTlNG-MACH I N E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 485,316, dated November 1, 1892.

Application filed March 17, 1892. Serial No. 425.286- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOSEPH BENNoE, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are elevations of one set of needle-operating cams and their supporting parts, the knitting-cams being represented in the down and intermediate positions, respectively. Fig. 6 is an end View of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the line 1 2 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the carriage upon which the cams are supported, the latter being indicated by the dotted lines, as in the raised or inactive position. In this view there are also represented the stop devices for operating the sliding safetycam. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the yarnguide devices and their supporting parts, the beveled end plate for laterally moving the guide-heads being shown. Fig. 10 is a plan of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a transverse section, as on the line 2 3 of Fig. 9. Fig. 12 is an elevation of the yarn-takeup devices omitted from Fig. 2. Fig. 13 is an end view of a yarncheck device hereinafter referred to.

This invention relates to certain improvements in that type of knitting-machines in which fiat needle-beds are employed such, for example, as the machine disclosed in my assigned Letters Patent of the United States No. 440,389, dated November 11, 1890, to which reference may be had.

The nature of these improvements will be more clearly understood from the following specification and claims.

As the general organization and co-operation of the leading parts of the machine illustrated in the annexed drawings are practically identical with the corresponding parts of my previously-patented machine,it will be unnecessary to describe herein such parts minutely and in detail. WhileI shall therefore merely refer incidentally to those things that are known, I shall specifically set forth and illustrate my present improvements thereon.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the framework, and F the main driving-shaft, of the machine. loosely on one end of this shaft, and M a measuring or pattern chain borne by said wheel. An intermittent rotary motion is imparted to the latter by means of a cam-actuated pawl-and-ratchet mechanism, as described in my aforementioned patent-that is to say, a grooved-face cam Z is secured fast to the shaft, a ratchet-wheel Z is affixed concentrically to one side of the sprocket-wheel, and the pivoted pawlsupporting arm Z is engaged with the cam-groove by means of a stud or block Z. In order to provide for the adjustment of the sprocket-wheel in respect to the ratchet-wheel, so as to permit of the accurate setting of the pattern-chain, I conmeet the two wheels by means of a screw 1, the hole 2 for which in the sprocket-wheel is elongated. (See Fig. 1.)

n represents the vertical arms, upon which are supported the blocks of, that are designed to be moved at predetermined intervals into and out of the path of the longitudinal slide-bar d of the knitting-cams,in order to control the action of the latter, and 0 represents a longitudinal shaft, which is mounted in the end heads of the main frame, and is provided on one end with the yoke of a clutch device that is adapted to control the action of gear mechanism on a vertical shaft 1, whereby the horizontal shaft 0, upon which the needle-actuating fingers 0 are mounted, may be thrown into and out of operation at prescribed intervals.

In my previous construction the arms n were supported upon two parallel rock-shafts extending lengthwise of the machine, one of which shafts was projected beyond a head of the supporting-frame and provided with a depending arm that bore upon the links of the pattern-chain, the action of the links upon this arm effecting, through the intermediate connections, the requisite movements of the end blocks. One end of the shaft 0 was also provided with a similar depending arm that bore in like manner upon the links, which links actuated said latter arm to ef- L is a sprocket-wheel mounted fect the operation of the clutch mechanism.

The two depending arms rested side by side upon a single link of the chain, and hence their Wearing action upon the chain was very great. Besides, there was no provision whereby the throw of the arms could be adjusted from time to time to compensate for the wear. In my present construction, however, these objections are obviated as follows: The blocksupporting arms n are fulcrumed on the end head of the framework, one of said arms being extended belowits fulcrum to constitute, in effect, the shorter member 3 of a'lever.

Pivoted at a suitable pointon said end head is a vertical arm 4, which is provided on one edge with a projection 5, that bears against a side link of the chain. The free end of this arm 4 extends beyond the edge of the member 3, which latter is provided with a setscrew 6, that bears against the end of the arm 4. The vertical arms a are connected by means of a rod 72 and are maintained in a normal position by means of a spring of, as in my former construction. The tendency of the spring is to force the screw-provided member against the end of the arm 4:,whereby when the latter is actuated by the various links of the chain a corresponding action is imparted to the block-supporting arms. The depending arm 0 on the end of the clutchbearing shaft 0 is also equipped with a setscrew 7, that bears against the arm 4. Thus said shaft is operated by the latter simultaneously with the block-supporting arms. By the interposition of the arm 4 there is a single bearing action upon the links of the chain, and therefore the wearing effect on such links is uniform. The bearing action is obviously much less than that incident to my previous construction in view of the system of leverage just explained. By properly manipulating the set-screws the arms to which they are applied may be minutely adjusted in order to compensate for wear, as above mentioned. The blocks n are of the same form as those used in the other case-that is to say, they are provided with steps or offsets whereby the stroke of the slide-bar d above referred to may be varied as desired in certain stages of the knitting operation. This bar is connected with the transverse slideplate dflupon which the needle-actuating cams D are mounted, said plate being contained in the reciprocating cam frame or carriageml. The connection of the bar with the plate in order to permit of the transverse sliding of the latter has not been altered, the diagonal slots d and pins d being retained for this purpose. The construction of the carriage, however, has been essentially modified, the same, among other things, being made in two sections instead of a single piece, as formerly. One of these sections (marked 8) supports on its under face the cam-bearing plate (1 which latter rests upon the needle-bed. The other section (marked 9) is let into a transverse guideway in the upper face of the section 8 and is provided on its inner edge with posts or arms 10, through which extends a longitudinal rod or bar 11, fixed to suitable brackets 12 on the respective end heads of the main supporting-frame. There are two of these rods, one above each needle-bed, and the upper sections of the two cam-carriages are respectively connected therewith in the manner just described. Thus the rods guide the carriages in their longitudinal traverse, these carriages, as in the original construction, being coupled by means of a yoke or saddle (1 with which is connected by a pitman a crankwheel '6 on the vertical end shaft I.

The lower section 8 of each cam-carriage is so conjoined with the upper section that the former section may be adjusted transversely with respect to the latter in order to vary the position of the cams in respect to the throat of the machine, and as a consequence change the throw of the needles and the size of the stitches formed thereby. The connection comprises an eccentric 13 let into the upper section and fastened to the lower section by means of a screw-pin 14', this eccentric being furnished with a flange or disk 15, that rests upon the face of the upper section. When the disk is turned, the eccentric will cause this under section to be moved transversely in respect to the upper or fixed section. Said disk is provided with a concentric slot 16, through which extends a set-screw 17, which engages the latter section. By tightening this screw the disk may be fixed in any predetermined position of adjustment. The face of the disk is graduated to a proper scale and the adjacent face of the section is provided with a suitably-located arrow-head or pointer, whereby the movement of the disk and perforce the range of throw of the cams may be accurately determined.

The needle-actuating cams D, which are mounted upon the slide-plate d, as above described, differ in some respects from those originally used by me. In the first instance the side or wing cams d were pivoted, and the needle-controlling cam d was a single bar fixed below the same. The side cams were pivoted in order automatically to close the lower gap, through which the depressed needles escaped during the knitting operation. The acting edges of these side cams when engaged by the needles were therefore moved out to a com paratively-small angle, by reason of which I found the needles were not depressed with that qnickness necessary to insure altogether satisfactory results. To overcome this objection, I now fix said. side cams permanently at the desired angles and make the lower needle-controlling cam in two parts, as clearly shown. The inner or adjacent ends of these parts are pivoted, as at at, and a small com pression-spring p is suitably interposed between the same, whereby the beveled outer ends of the parts are pressed against the lower ends of the side cams. These beveled ends are depressed by the needles as the latter leave the knitting-cams; but such ends immediately reclose the gaps when the needles have escaped therefrom.

The under sectionSof each cam-carriage is provided with a sliding safety-cam (W, the general action and position of which relative to the needle-controlling cams are the same as in my previously-patented construction, excepting, however, that in this case the safety-cam that traverses the bed B, in which the fin ger-controlled needles are contained, is

actuated by a positively-operated lever device, instead of by frictional contact with the needle-bed, as in the other case. A positive action of this safety-cam is desirable in View of the fact that the knitting-cams which traverse the needle-bed B are caused to actuate the needles in each stroke of the reciprocating cams during certain stages of the knitting operation-to wit, while forming the heel and toe parts of the stocking. The knittingcams on the other bed are in action during one stroke only of each reciprocation (two strokes)-that is, they simply act in one line of traverse-and hence a frictional action of the safety-cam on this bed is all-sufficient. No illustration of the frictional construction is necessary herein, as the same is very fully set out in my patent above referred to. In the figures on Sheet 4 of the annexed drawings there are represented the cam devices that traverse the needle-bed B, the lever for operating the safety-cam being indicated by the numeral 18. This lever is pivoted in an offset on the under side of the adjustable carriage-section, one arm of the lever extending into a recess in a tongue on the safety-cam and the other arm thereof projecting outwardly beyond the edge of said section. Thus when said projecting arm is oscillated this safety-cam is reciprocated. Fixed at suitable points on the bed B of the machineare two stop devices 19 20, against which the arm abuts at or near the end of the respective strokes of the cam-carriage, said devices thereupon operating the lever, and perforce the safetycam. One of these stop devices 19 is fixed or unyielding, while the other device 20 is springcontrolled, so as to yield under pressure. The fixed stop is simply a circular head eccentrically fastened to the bed by means of a screw, whereby the edge of the head may be nicely set in a position to effect the requisite action upon the lever 18. The other stop is a pin fitted longitudinally to a perforated block or case 21, which is permanently fastened to the bed, the head of this pin being projected by a suitably-acting spring 22, contained in the said block or case. This spring controlled stop is employed in order to accommodate the varying positions of the lever under certain conditions hereinafter described. It will be observed that the upprojecting ends of the safety-cam are provided on their inner edge with stepsx y z, the leading end thereof having two stepsoc y and the opposite end one step c, which is in line with the first step of the former. When the knitting-cams are in the down position,the lower edges of the parts of the needle-controlling cam d are in the same plane as the steps w 2, so that when the safety-cam is reciprocated these steps alternately engage the respective outer ends of the needle-controlling cam, and in that way close the intervening gap or gaps. When the step abuts against the advancing part of the needle-controlling cam, it locks such part steadily in position. During the knitting of the heel and toe the double clos ing action just described is requisite in view of the fact that the cams work back and forth, as above mentioned. During theknitting of the foot and the leg, however, only the leading end of the safety-cam is useful, as in that stroke the knitting-cams are down or active, while in the reverse stroke they are elevated or inactive.

When the knitting-cams are in the intermediate position into which they are thrown at the outstart of the operation, the second step y 011 the safety-cam is brought into play. This step is needed only on one end of the cam in view of the fact that the knittingcams make but a single stroke while they are in this intermediate position. It will be seen that a single movement of the lever is required to bring the single-step end of the safety-cam up against the adjacent end of the needle-controlling cam. Consequently the fixed stop 19 is employed to effect this movement. It will also be seen that a double movement of the lever is required to bring the double-step end of the safety-cam up against the end of the needle-controlling cam at the proper periods. Hence the yielding stop-pin is employed. The normal position of the pin is such that when the lever 18 abut-s against the same (when the knitting-cams are in the intermediate state) the upper step on the safety-cam is brought up against the end of the needle-controlling cam. When, however, the cams are in the down position, the throw of the safety-cam to bring its lower step into action is less than that required when the cams were in the intermediate position just described, and hence the spring-pin yields to the impact of the abutting lever. The pin naturally resumes its normal position when the pressure of the lever is removed therefrom upon the reversal of the stroke of the cam-carriage.

I have considerably modified the construction of the yarn-guide devices to secure certain advantages hereinafter pointed out.

P P represent a pair of parallel bars disposed longitudinally above the throat of the machine and supported at their extremities by the end brackets 12. Fitted to each of these bars is a slide-block 19 to the outer face of which is secured a plate 19 The upper edge of this plate is provided with two vertical projections or fingers 19 13 whose functions will hereinafter appear. Pivoted at a point 00 a: 0n the under side of each of the slide-blocks is one end of an arm 23, the opposite or free end of which is provided on its lower side with a stud or roller 24:- The arm is pressed toward the median line of the machine by means of a spring 25, which is interposed between the arm and a dependingtongue or rib 26 on the outer side of the slide-block. Fixed to this arm is a depending rod 27, which carries on its lower end a yarn-guide 19 The latter is a narrow head pointed or tapered, preferably toward both ends, and provided with a laterally-projecting lug 28, to which the rod 27 is secured. This block is perforated centrally for the passage of the yarn, and it lies normally just above the median line of the machine, so that as the block is reciprocated ,conccrtedly with the knittingcam the yarn is delivered to the needles. The pointed ends of the head, in its movements to and fro, will not only retain the latches of the upthrown needles in the open position, but will fully open any latches that may not have been completely thrown open by the latch-opening plates, Fig. 1. This yarn-guide thus performs the function of the V-shaped latch-controller previously used by me, and enables me to dispense with the latter. Secured to the under side of the bars P P, near that end of the machine at which the pattern mechanism is located, is a block 29, which is equipped with a plate 30, having its sides forwardly beveled, as illustrated. These beveled portions extend slightly beyond the limit of the advancing stroke of the yarn-guide devices in such manner that the studs or rollers on the pivoted arms abut against said beveled portions, and thus deflect the guideheads 19 from the central line of the machine. It will therefore be clear that, as only one of these heads is in action at a time, the path of the active head is not obstructed by the inactive one. (Sce Fig. 9.)

The mechanism for reciprocating the yarnguide devices does not differ materially from that previously used by me. Mounted in and between the sides of the yoke d is a transverse shaft 31, near the ends of which are fixed a lever P and an arm P", respectively. One arm 32 of the lever is provided with an outwardly-projecting stud 19 while its other arm is provided with an inwardly-projecting stud p The arm P is also provided with an inwardly-projecting stud p The stud on the lever-arm 32 is in line with the bifurcated end of the pivoted arm 19, which latter is actuated from the chain-links by means of a vertical lever engaged with a cam-slot p in the arm p The construction and operation of the latter are practically identical in all respects with those of my former devices, and hence they require no special description in this connection. The inprojecting studs 10 during the reciprocation of the camcarriage move in respect to the lateral plates on the slide-blocks 13 respectively. By this construction it will be seen that the outprojecting pin 10 on the lever P will at the end of each reciprocation of the cam-carriage engage the V-shaped portion of the arm p and the latter, according to its position, will thereupon move the lever into a position to cause the inprojecting pins 19 p to be alternately engaged with and disengaged from the shouldered side plates, the actions being under the control of the pattern-chainthat is to say, when the lever is inclined in one direction the inprojecting stud on one of the arms will lie in the space or recess between the shoulders of the adjacent side plate, while the like stud on the other arm will be above the plane of the space or recess in the other plate, and when the lever is inclined in the opposite direction the relative positions (active and inactive) of said inprojecting studs will be reversed. Hence when the said lever is inclined, as shown in Fig. 2, the inprojecting stud p thereon will, as the lever is retracted from the end of the arm p abut against the opposed shoulder 19 on the contiguous side plate, and thus move the latter and its 0011- nected yarn-guide device in concert with the knitting-cams. In this operation the other yarn-guide will remain in engagement with the beveled end plate-that is, it will not be brought into action. The other shoulder 19 on the side plate of the active yarn-guide device projects above the plane of the shaft 31, so that when the cam-carriage makes the reverse strokes this shaft Will abut against said latter shoulder, and thus draw the yarn-guide devices backward. The pivoted arm of such devices will at the end of this stroke be engaged with the beveled end plate 30, as and for the purpose above stated. The shaft presents a solid abutment to the shoulder 19*, and thus insures a positive action of the pivoted arm upon the beveled plate. Upon the lever being inclined in an opposite direction to that just mentioned by the action of the V-shaped end of the arm 19 the stud 19 will be moved upward to release the active yarn-guide device, and the stud 19" will at the same time be moved down between the shoulders on the side plate of the other or inactive yarnguide. This stud during the following reciprocation of the cam-carriage will alternately impinge against the said shoulders, and thus move the connected yarn-guide to and fro. In this case, owing to the location of the stud p in respect to the shaft, the latter in the back-stroke of the cam-carriage does not act upon the shoulder 19 as in the other instance previously described. The purpose of the extended space between the shoulders on the respective side plates is.to occasion sufiicient lost motion at the end of each stroke of the yarn-guide devices to bring the latter into proper time or position relative to the knitting-cams.

The stop-motion in its construction and operation is substantially the same as that fully set out in my previous patent. I have, however, secured to the vertical rod which supports the yarn-take-up levers i an inwardlyextending arm 33, on the free end of which is a cross-bar 34 This bar has attached thereto at suitable intervals the lower ends of two pairs of fingers 35, preferably of porcelain or vitrified material, the upper ends of each pair being inclined toward and in close contact with each other. In this way two A-shaped openings 36, Fig. 13, are formed. The fingers are fastened to the bar 34 by means of setscrews 37, so that the fingers may be relatively adjusted, as occasion may require, to compensate for the wear of their contiguous points.

The inner ends of the take-up-levers are bent downward forwardly of these openings and are provided with eyes The yarns on their way from the bobbins to the yarn-guides are passed through the openings 36 and through the eyes 25 respectively. They are preferably passed over properlysupported frictional drags s, of textile material or the like, located in advance of the openings.

When the machine is in operation, that yarn which is being consumed will, as it is delivered to and carried beyond the needles, draw down the end of the take-up lever through uwhich it passes, the yarn thus playing freely the yarn is drawn out beyond the needles by the yarn-guide, which drawn-out portion is taken up in the reverse stroke of the cams by the automatic raising of the inner arm of the lever. In this upward movement the yarn is drawn into the point or apex of the opening and held therein by friction. Then the yarn is delivered to the needles in this stroke, the said arm is drawn down by the tension of the yarn, and the latter is perforce freed from the apex of the opening. This operation is repeated at the initial movements of the successive strokes of the knitting-cams.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the pattern mechanism, the block-bearing arms, and means for maintaining said arms in a normal position, of the pivoted arm or lever 4, interposed between said pattern mechanism and the block bearing arms, the free end of said pivoted arm or lever acting upon the blockbearing arms, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the pattern mechanism, the block-bearing arms, and means for maintaining said arms in a normal position, of the pivoted arm or lever 4, interposed between said pattern mechanism and the blockbearing arms, the free end of said pivoted arm or lever acting upon the block-bearing arms, together with the set screw on the lower end of one of said latter arms, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the pattern mechanism, the clutch-operating shaft, and the arm on the latter, of the pivoted arm or lever 4, interposed between the said pattern mechanism and the former arm, substantially as described.

4:. The combination, with the pattern mechanism, the clutch-operating shaft, and the arm on the latter, of the pivoted arm or lever 4, interposed between the said pattern mechanism and the former arm, together with the set-screw on the end of the latter, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the pattern mechanism, the block-bearin g arms, and means for maintaining them in a normal position, and the clutch-operating shaft and its end arm, of the pivoted arm or. lever engaging the pattern mechanism and acting upon one of the blockbearing arms and the said end arm, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the knitting-cams, the sectional carriage therefor, and devices adapted to guide the carriage in its longitudinal traverse, one of the sections of the carriage supporting the knitting-cams and being movable transversely in respect to the other section and the latter being confined to a longitudinal path, together with means for the transverse adj ustment of the cam-supporting section, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the sectional carriage and its guiding and operating devices, of the knittingcams on the lower section of the carriage, the eccentric in one of said sections, and means for connecting said eccentric with the other section, together with devices for locking said eccentric in positions of adjustment, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with the knitting-cams and their supporting parts, of a needle-controlling cam pivotally mounted below sa d cams and a spring tending to press the said needle-controlling cam in contact with the lower end of one of the lateral knitting-cams, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with the knitting-cams and their supporting parts, of the needle-controlling cam formed in sections pivotally mounted below said cams and a spring tending to press the said sections in contact with lower ends of the lateral knitting-cams, substantially as described.

10. The combination,with the knitting-cams and their supporting parts, of a needle-controlling cam pivotally mounted below said cams and a spring tending to press the said needle-controlling cam in contact with the lower end of one of the lateral knitting-cams, together with the sliding safety-cam disposed below the said needle-controlling cam, substantially as described.

ll. The combination of the transverse slideplate and means for supporting and actuating the same, the knitting and needle-controlling cams mounted upon said plate, and the sliding safety-cam supported below said cams and provided with the end steps, substantially as described.

12. The combination of the transverse slideplate and means for supporting and actuating the same, the knitting and needle-controlling operate the same, together with the end stops to actuate said lever, one of these stops being yielding longitudinally, substantially as described.

14:. The combination of the slide-block or carrier and its supporting and operating parts, of the yarn guide, means whereby it is connected with said block or carrier, and provisions whereby said guide is deflected from its direct path'at the end of each reciprocation of the slide block or carrier, substantially as described.

15. The combination of the slide-block or carrier, the supporting bar therefor, the spring-controlled arm mounted on said block, and the yarn-guide head depending from said arm, together with means for laterally deflecting said head from its direct path at the end of each reciprocation of the slide block or carrier, substantially as described.

16. The herein described yarn -gliide and latch controller for straight knitting machines, said guide comprising a centrally-perforated end-pointed head provided with the lateral lug at its upper end and with the se- V curing-rod projecting from said lug, substantially as described.

17. The combination, with the needle-beds, the needles, and the knitting-cams, of the slide-blocks or carriers mounted above the needles in the respective beds, the longitudinal guide devices for said blocks or carriers, thelaterally-movable yarn-guides connected with the latter, so as normally to be in line with each other longitudinally, and the end device adapted to defiect said yarn-guide lating witnesses.

JOSEPH BENNOR. Witnesses:

GEO. W. REED, OLEM. WV. BECK.

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