US499382A - Needle-cylinder for circular-knitting machines - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 9 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. I R. W. GORMLY.

NEEDLE CYLINDER FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES. No. 499,382. Patented June 13, 1893.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I R. W. GORMLY. N NEEDLE CYLINDER FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES.

Patented June 13, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT W. GORMLY, OF TROY, NEW- YORK.

NEEDLE-CYLINDER FOR CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,382, dated June 13, 1893.

Application filed January 23, 1893.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. GORMLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy, county of Rensselaer, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Needle-Cylinders for Knitting- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to such improvements and consists of the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and subsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is atop, plan view of my improved needle-cylinder for knitting machines, with a part, only, of the needles in position for use. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of a portion of the cylinder, taken on the broken line 2-2, in Fig. l, the lower portion being shown in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of one of the cylinder spokes, taken on the broken line 33,in Fig. 1, and showing in elevation a portion of the inner side of the needle-supporting cylinderring. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the cylinder-ring taken on the broken line 4+4, in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is atop plan view of the lower section of a cam-washer for supporting the cylinder.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

The object of my invention is to provide means for varying the number of needles in a rotary needle-supporting cylinder.

Referring to the drawings, A is the needle-supporting ring which is connected by radial arms or spokes A with a central hub or socket A adapted to receive and turn upon a stud or spindle A secured to project vertically upward from a fixed support or bed-plate,A The hub is provided with a toothed collar A fixed thereon and adapted to be engaged by a driving gear, not shown, in the usual well-known manner. The periphery of the upper portion of the ringis inclined to the axial line of the cylinder, ap-

proximately at an angle of forty-five degrees,

to form the inclined seats A" for the needle-supporting blocks, 13-. The blocks are Serial No. 459,405. (No model.)

usually called leads, being formed by molding ablock of lead about the heels of a pair of needles, B. The blocks are provided with seats B inclined at-the same angle as the block-seats on the ring. The blocks are severally provided with an upwardly facing seat, B adapted to engage with a stop 13 on the stop-ring B concentric with the needle-ring. The stops B are preferably in the form of a peripheral flange extending around the stop-ring. The latter ring is pro" vided with three or more inclined slots l5? shown in the dependinglugs B adapted to receive the radial stud-bolts A projecting inwardly from the needle-ring. The studs are preferably screw-threaded as shown in Fig. 4, and inserted in screw-threaded apertures in the needle-ring.

By means of the heads A the. studs can be adjusted so as to bear upon and secure the stop-ring in a fixed position. By loosening the stud-bolts, the stop-ring can be revolubly moved relatively to the needle-ring, which also gives it a vertical movement relatively to the needle-ring, by means of the inclined slots and stud-bolts. I

As a convenient means for communicating the relatively revoluble and vertical movements to the stop-ring, I provide such ring with an interiorly projecting radial lug B having a screw-threaded aperture adapted to receive the threaded end of the bolt 13 and one of the needle-ring arms or spokes with an upright lug A having a vertically elongated slot-A adapted to receive the stem of bolt B-. After the bolt has been inserted in the two lugs, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, with the head of the bolt bearing upon the slotted lug, the lugs can be easily drawn toward each other by turning the bolt, thereby communicating the desired revoluble movement to the stop-ring. The needleblocks are forced to their respective seats on the needle-ring and the stop-ring by means of the clamps O-, controlled by the clampbolts, G', screw-threaded on one end and provided with a collar 0*- on the other end to engage the clamps. The clamp-blocks are severally provided with a vertical slot 0 adapted to receive the stem of the bolt, and the screw threaded ends of the bolts are adapted to enter and fit threaded apertures in the needle-ring, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The lower part of the clamp-block bears upon the needle-ring, and the upper part upon the needle-blocks. The engaging surfaces of the ring and clamp-block are inclined in a general line parallel with the needle-block seats A- on the ring, so that the clamp-block may remain in a vertical position while clamping the needle-blocks in any position they may assume on their seats. The engaging inclined surfaces of the clamp-blocks and neodle-ring may be stepped, as shown at O to prevent such surfaces from sliding upon each other.

When it is desired to reduce the size of the needle-cylinder and employ a smaller number of needles, it is only necessary to loosen one or more of the clamp-blocks, remove the desired number of needle-blocks, elevate the stop-ring by means of bolt B until all of the remaining needle-blocks can be brought into engagement with each other by sliding them up their inclined seats on the needlering, and then secure them in their newly adjusted positions by means of the clampblocks and clamp-bolts, as before described. To increase the size of the needle-cylinder by inserting more needles, it is only necessary to loosen the clamp-blocks and slide the needleblocks down their inclined seats on the needle-ring until they can be separated to permit the desired number of the needle-blocks to be inserted and seated on the inclined portion of the needle-ring, and adjust the stopring and clamp-blocks, as described, to seat the needle-blocks and hold them in engagement with each other. I am thus able by a radial and vertical adjustment of the needleblocks to increase or diminish the number of needles in the same needle-cylinder.

To compensate for the vertical movements of the needles relatively to the needle-ring, I provide means for vertically adjusting the needle-ring relatively to its fixed support or bed-plate, consisting of a vertically adj ustable washer D- interposed between the lower end of the cylinder-hub A and a second washer D resting on the bed-plate. The washers are each provided with a series of cams D on their contiguous engaging surfaces which may be of any known pattern, whereby a revoluble movement of one Washer upon the other will produce an endwise or vertical movement of the upper washer. The upper and lower washers are respectively provided with apertured radial lugs D D projecting outwardly and connected by a screw-threaded bolt D having a head D to engage one of the lugs through which the bolt passes loosely in a vertically elongated slot. The aperture in the other lug is screwthreaded to receive and fit the screw-threaded end of the bolt. By turning the bolt to draw the lugs toward each other the upper washer and needle-cylinder are moved vertically upward. By turning the bolt in the opposite direction the upper washer and needle-cylinder are forced by gravity vertically downward, whereby a vertical adjustment of the needlering corresponding in degree with the vertical adjustment of the needles on the ring can be conveniently effected in a direction to maintain the needles in a fixed horizontal plane. When desired the lower washer may form an integral part of the bed-plate.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a needle-cylinder for knitting-machines, the combination with a needle-supporting ring having inclined needle block seats, of stops for the needle-blocks vertically adjustable on the ring, needle-blocks each having an inclined surface in engagement with its inclined seat and movable onsuch seat to and from its stop, and means for securing the several needle-blocks in engagement with their respective seats and stops, substantially as described.

2. In a needle-cylinder for knitting-machines, the combination with a needle-supporting ring, of a plurality of needles detachably secured to the ring and radially adjustable thereon, adjustable stops for the needles, and a plurality of clamp-blocks for securing the needles upon the ring in adj usted positions, substantially as described.

3. In a needle-cylinder for knitting-machines, the combination with a needle-supporting ring provided with radially adjustable needles and with an inclined clamp-seat, of a clamp for the needles having an inclined surface to engage with such inclined clampseat, substantially as described.

4. In a needle-cylinder for knitting-machines, the combination with a needle-supporting ring provided with needle-blocks adjustably supported upon inclined seats, of a stop-ring'rotatable relatively to the needlering, a plurality of inclined-slot and bolt connections between such rings, and means for securing the needle-blocks upon their inclined seats in engagement with the stop-ring, substantially as described.

5. In a knitting-machine the combination with the bed-plate and a spindle fixed thereon, of a needle-cylinder rotary on the fixed spindle and provided with needle-blocks adj ustably supported upon inclined seats, and a vertically adjustable washer interposed between the needle-cylinder and the bed-plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of January, 1893.

ROBERT W. GORMLY. Vitnesses:

FRANK 0. (loans, H. P. FIELDING.

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