US527779A - Knitting-machine - Google Patents

Description

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W. R. DILLMORE. KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 527,779. Patented Oct. 23, 1894.

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W. R. DILLMORE.

KNITTING MAGHINE'. 1 I0.'52'7,779 n Patented Oct. 23,1894.

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Tm: ucnms PETERS 00 mom-Lima. WAiklNOTON n c NITED STATES PATE T OFFI KNITTING- SPEOIFIGATION forming part of Letters MACHINE.

Patent No. 527,779, dated October 23, 1894.

Application filed November 15, 1893. Serial No. 490,985- (No model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. DILLMORE, of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

At the present day it is a common practice to knit stockings with the heel and toe therein upon knitting machines having a single set of reciprocating needles. It is usual in forming the heel and toe to first elevate one-half of the needles on one side of the cylinder so, that they will remain inactive, retaining their loops, and then perform the narrowing and widening operations by a reciprocating movement of the cam cylinder which acts to raise a portion of the remaining needles, one at a time, at the end of each course out of action, and lower them in the same manner.

My present invention consists of an automatically operating cam arranged to raise out of action one-half of the needles at one side of the machine in order that the heeling and toeing operations may be performed by the needles remaining in action.

My invention also consists in the details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a knitting machine having my invention embodied therein. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same on the line 00-00. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the inside of the cam cylinder showing the relative location of the fixed cams for causing the reciprocation of the needles during the knitting operation, and my improved cam for throwing aportion of the needles out of action. Fig. ,4 is a vertical transverse section through the cam cylinder on the line y-y of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the elevating cam detached. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the interior of the needle cylinder and its sustaining frame. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a section of the cam-sustaining plate or track.

1 represents a casting or frame of a form suitable for sustaining the operative parts of the machine hereinafter described. This frame sustains a fixed needle cylinder 2, provided with a series of vertically reciprocating needles 3. Surrounding the needle cylinder is a cam cylinder or ring l arranged to revolve around the needle cylinder, and driven in any appropriate manner. The cam ring is provided as usual with fixed side cams 5, and with a central elevated cam 6 the said cams being of such form and so arranged that on the movement of the cylinder to which they are fixed, their edges will engage the heels of the needles and reciprocate them in such manner asto perform the knitting operation, the heels of the needles not engaged by the cams resting in the meanwhile on a ledge 7 formed-on the cam ring on the interior of the same. i

The foregoing parts may be and are of the usual construction,and except in so far as hereinafter indicated, they form no part of the present invention.

In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a cam 8, arranged when out of action to rest with its upper edge below the ledge onthe cam ring, and below the heels of the needles and adapted to be raised automatically into action above the ledge to engage the heels of the needle, and cause the elevation of the same out of action, as more fully described hereinafter. This cam is provided at its front and rear with grooves whichare adapted to receive the edges of an oblique slot 9, formed in the cam ring, the arrangement being such that the cam 8 is permitted to be moved upward and .downward within the slot but is prevented from escaping therefrom. The cam is provided with an inclined front edge 10, and with a horizontal edge 11, the former serving as the cam advances to raise the heels of the needles, and guide them on to the latter. The oblique slot within which the cam slides extends below the ledge on the cam ring, the latter being recessed, leaving a wall on the inner sideso that when out of action, the cam enters this recess and remains with its upper edge below or flush with the ledge. In order that at the proper time this cam may be raised into action to elevate out of action one-half or a portion of the needles onone side of the cylinder, Iprovide the cam at its outer side with a fixed lateral finger 12, so arranged that'on the 'rotation of the cylinder, the finger will encounter'a stop 13 fixed to the frame, and will be caused to move upward and pass onto a horizontal elevated fixed track or guide 14, the,

finger during its elevation moving along the inclined face of a plate 15,- rising vertically from the cam ring adjacent to the oblique slot.

The elevated track extends partly around the cylinder, and is sustained by standards 16,.fixed to the frame of the machine. It is of such length that the cam will be retained by the same in action in a raised position un' til one half of the needles have been elevated, when it will pass from the track and be returned to its former position by a spring 17, fixed at one end to the cam ring, and hearing at its. opposite end on the finger 12.

The stop 13 is mounted on a vertical axis on the upper end of a post or standard 18, which is fixed to a plate 19, provided with longitudinal slots, the plate being ad justably secured to the frame by screws passing through the slots into the frame. The movable stop is provided with a handle by means of which it may be turned outward on its axis out of the .path of the finger on the earn, the upper edge of the stop being flush with the upper edge of the track, so that when it is turned inward to be encountered by the finger, it will con stitute in fact a continuation of the track, and insure the passage of the finger from the same on to the track. A spring finger 21 is secured at one end to the plate 19, and has its opposite end arranged to bear against the stop, so that a slight resistance will be offered to the movement of the same, and this in order that it may not accidentally move from its proper position. By providing for the adjustment of the plate carrying the stop, I am enabled to vary the point at which the cam will be raised into action, and consequently may vary the number of needles thrown out of action according to the conditions encountered in practice.

To move the stop outward out of the path of the finger on the cam after the finger has been raised and passes to the track, I secure to the outer side of the plate which supports the finger during its upward movement, a cam 22 of such form that it will encounter the stop as the cam ring is turned, and move the same outward.

The operation of the parts described is as follows:-Assuming that the web is being knit by the operation of all the needles, and it is desired to raise a portion of the needles on one side of the cylinder out of action to effect the narrowing and widening operations attending the formation of the heel and toe, the stop 13 is moved on its axis inward in the path of the finger 12, which as the cam ring is revolved, will encounter the stop, move upward to its upper edge and be carried thence on to the elevated track, the cam 22 encountering the stop and throwing the same outward to its former, inoperative position. As the cam S is elevated on to the track, it will engage the heels of the needles resting on the ledge, and raise them out of action, the succeeding needles as the cam is advanced, riding up the inclined front edge of the cam to its upper horizontal edge, and being thereby rendered inactive. The movement of this cam ring continuing, the track is traversed by the finger until its end is reached, at which point the track is provided with an elevated portion 23, on to which the finger passes, elevating still higher the cam, so as to clear the heels of the needles which are to remain in action. The finger leaves the elevated portion of the track and the spring 17 tending to depress the cam, lowers the same, its lower edge riding upon the heels of the needles in action until itarrives at the last one, when the cam is further depressed by the spring, and thrown out of action in its recessbelow the ledge. After one-half or a portion of the needles have thus been thrown out of action, the cam ring is given, as usual,

a reciprocating movement, and by suitable mechanism a portion of the needles remaining in action are raised, one at a time, at the end of each course, and then depressed again when the formation of the web is continued as before the needles elevated by the earn 8 being first depressed into action by hand.

In the accompaning drawings I have not shown mechanism for thus individually elevating and depressing the needles during the formation of the heel and toe, as such mechanism forms no part of the present invention, and in no manner modifies the action of the parts herein described. As far as the action of the particular mechanism described is concerned, any elevating and depressing mechanism for effecting the formation of the heel and toe may be employed, or the needles for that matter may be moved by hand.

In machines of the character hereinbefore described, the needle cylinder is usually sus tained by the frame in such manner that it, (the cylinder) may be readily removed there from, the frame being commonly in the form of split ring 20, having a ledge upon which the cylinder rests, it being clamped by drawing the ends of the ring together by means of a horizontal shaft 24, extending through cars 25 on the end of the ring, the shaft being provided with a cam 26 for engaging one of the ears and with an operating lever 27.

If, for any reason, the needle cylinder is removed during the knitting operation, it is for purposes not necessary to describe, desirable that when it is returned within the frame, it shall occupy the same relative position as before. In order that this may be assured,I have provided the split ring with a recess 28, adapted when the cylinder is in place to receive a depending lug 29 on its lower edge. From this it will be seen that when the cylinder is returned if the lug is inserted in the recess in the ring, the cylinder will occupy the same relative position as it did before it was removed. The lug is rendered adjustable, and this I accomplish by providing the same with a horizontal screw 30 as shown, arranged so that its projecting end will abut against the wall of the recess.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a knitting machine the combination With the needle cylinder and needles, and with vthe cam-rin g, of a vertically movable cam carwith the needle cylinder and its needles, of a revolving cam ring, a rearwardly and upwardly inclined guide-way in said ring,a movable cam provided with a projecting part, sustained in said guide-way, the said cam standing normally below the heels of the needles, a stop adapted to be moved into the path of the projecting part of the cam to arrest the latter and cause it to move upward in its guide way to an operative position, and a fixed support extending partially around the cam ring to sustain the cam in its operative position.

3. In a knitting machine the combination of a needle cylinder and its needles, a cam ring provided with downwardly and forwardly extending guides, a cam mounted to move upward and downward in said guides and resting normally below the heels of the needles, a finger projecting laterally from the cam, a stop arranged to be encountered by the finger, and an elevated fixed track or guide adjacent to the stop to receive the finger and sustain thecam in its elevated position. 1

4. In a knitting machine the combination of the needle cylinder and its needles, a cam ring, a vertically moving cam carried by the same, a stop arranged to momentarily retard the advance of the cam, but to permit it to rise, a track or guide to maintain the cam in its elevated position, a second stop serving to retard the advance of the cam but permit its ascent, and a guide or support adjacent to said second stop to hold the cam in its highest position.

5. In a knitting machine the combination of a needle cylinder and its needles, a cam cylin der, a movable normally inactive cam, a movable stop serving when in operative position to cause the cam to be moved into action as the ring is revolved, and means controlled by the movement of the ring for rendering the stop inoperative.

6. In a knitting machine the combination of a needle cylinder and its needles, a cam ring, a Vertically moving cam carried by the ring a finger attached to the cam, a stop mounted on a vertical axis-and arranged to be moved in the path of the finger or free of the same as desired and a guide or support adjacent to the movable stop to receive and sustain the finger of the cam, the said guide extending partially around the cam ring.

7. In a knitting machine the combination of a needle cylinder and its needles, a cam ring provided with a downwardly and forwardly inclined slot, a vertically moving cam provided with grooves to receive the edges of the slot, afinger attached to the cam, a movable stop arranged when in operativeposition to be encountered by the finger, and a track or guide arranged adjacent to the stop to receive the finger.

8. In a knitting machine the combination of a needle cylinder andneedles, a rotatable cam ring provided with knitting cams, a vertically movable cam carried by the cam ring and normally sustained below the heels of the needles, means for elevating said cam into action, means for sustaining it in action during aportion of a revolution, and means for further elevating it to an inoperative position above the needles.

9. In a knitting machine the combination of a needle cylinder and needles, a rotatable cam ring provided with knitting cams and With an upwardly andbackwardly inclined guide- Way, a vertically movable cam sustained in said guide-way and provided with a projecting portion, a stop adapted to be moved into the path of a projecting portion of the cam to cause the latter to rise in its inclined guide Ways to an operative position in front of the heels of the needles, a horizontal track or guide extending partially around the cam cylinder to sustain the cam in operative position duringa portion of a revolution, a second stop to raise it to an inoperative position above the heels of the needles, and a short track to sustain it momentarily in said inoperative position.

10. In a knitting machinethe combination of a supporting frame provided with a notch or recess, and a removable needle cylinder provided with a lug or projection adapted to enter said recess, but of less width than the same, and a transverse screw in said lug of a length to fit the recess in the frame, the saidscrew being adj ust-able longitudinally through the lug; whereby the position of the cylinder on the frame is adapted to be ad justed. 7

11. In a knitting machine the combination of the needle cylinder and needles, the cam ring and its knitting cams,avertically movable'cam carried bythe cam ring and sustained normally below the heels of the needles, a movable stop on the frame adapted to be set in the path of a projecting part of said, cam to elevate the same to an operative position, a track or guide adjacent to said stop to receive and sustain the cam, and a projection on the cam ring to throw the stop out of action after the cam has been elevated.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 19th day of September, 1893, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

WILLIAM R. DILLMORE.

Witnesses:

EDWARD LANDENBERGER, WM. J. CURRAN.

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