US557639A - Knitting-machine - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J.BENNOR. KNITTING MACHINE.

NQQ 557,639. PatentedApr. 7,1896.

W itnesses.

Inventor.

Attorney.

BYGRANAM mm'oummwnsmucron. u C

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Inventor.

Attorney.

Patented Apr. '7, 1896.

Mv PHUTOUTHQWAsHIN ETDNJ) C J. BENNOR.

1 KNITTING MACHINE.

(No Model.)

Witnesses.

O ZWJ (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J.BENNOVR.

KNITTING MACHINE. No. 557,639. Patented Apr. 7, 1896.

74, a -74 57 77 V ,E 5 I J0 Z6 3 f 36 i0 95 37 U J6 l6 9* I 9 5 13C? 4 j 5* J51! 6 23 66 Z J: 1 l I I $9 5 29 I 69 Witnesses. IDVQIZLZOI.

Jig @22 2 M JJE Attorney.

Anniiaw FGRAHAMPHOTD'UTHDYWASHINGI'DN. D C

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. J. BENNOR. i KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 557,689. Patented Apr. 7, 1896.

36 Witnesses. Inventor.

I i l 2552M Attorney.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH BENXOR, OF MACON, GEORGIA.

KNiTTlNG-MACHENE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,639, dated April '7, 1896.

Application filed July 19,1894. Serial No. 517,970. (No model.)

To (LZZ whmw it nuty concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH BENXOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Macon, in the county of Bibb and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knittingfiiachines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to straight-knitting machines of the kind designed for use more especiallyin the production of hosiery-such, for example, as the machines set out in Letters Patent of the United States No. etetOfiSD, dated November 11, 1890, and Nos. 185,316 and 55,317, dated November 1, 1802wherein the knitting is commenced at the toe portion of the stocking and continued throughout the foot, the heel, and the leg portions thereof.

The present improvements, briefly stated, comprehend a construction of the cam-carriage, the knittingcams, and the means for controllingthe same; also, novel means whereby certain needles are rendered active and inactive at predetermined intervals, and, further, a simple and eiiicient construction of duplex yarn-guide mechanism, all of which will be hereinafter set forth in detail and be definitely claimed.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 a partial plan thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section, enlarged. Fig. 4: is an under side view of one of the cam-carriages, detached. Fig. 5 is an end view thereof, and Fig. 6 is a plan of a portion of one of the needle-beds with its jacks.

The numeral 1 designates a substantial framework of appropriate form to support the various parts of the machine. Upon this frame are fixed the oppositely-inclined needle-beds 2 3, the needles in which are reciprocated to effect tubular knitting by means of the knitting cams a traveling thereon. These cams are supported on carriages 5, that are connected by a yoke 6, which is in turn connected with and reciprocated bya crankwhecl 7 on a vertical power-driven shaft 8.

The cam-carriages are each of thefollowing construction: 9 denotes a frame comprising two parts 0 and 0 which are adj ustably connected by means of a screw and eccentric de vice similarly to the like parts in my previously-patented constructions. The parts 9 of the two carriages are provided with uprising posts or arms through which extend the usual guide-rods 10, these parts being connected by the yoke. Pivoted to and between the sides of the part 9 of each frame at the lower end in a manner that it may be raised and lowered therein is a section 11, the upper or free end of which comprises two lateral arms 12, between which is mounted the cambearing slide-plate 13. This plate is provided on its edges with tongues let, that are fitted to guideways in the inner edges of the arms 12, whereby said plate may be reciprocated, as hereinafter described.

Secured to the under side of the frame 9 are springs 15, preferably flat, that, bearing against the hinged section, tend to throw the same normally upward and thus maintain the knitting-cams on the slide-plate above the track of the needle-heels.

Extending through the frame 9 above the pivoted section is a longitudinal slide-bar 16, which is provided with a stud 17, that bears against the upper or opposed face of said section. The latter is provided with a recess 18 in the path of the stud, and the parts are so constructed relatively to each other that when the slide-bar is moved in one direction the stud 17 registers with the recess in the pivoted section and permits the section to assume its raised or normal position, and that when the bar is moved in the opposite direction the stud slides upon the upper surface of said section and forces the latter toward the needle-bed. Hence the knitting-cams are thrown out of or into action, as desired. The stud and the recess are beveled or inclined on their ends, so that the former will freely coact with the recess when the bar is operated. The requisite movements of the bar are effected by the usual end stops 19 and 20, one, 19, of which is fixed, while the other, 20, is movable into and out of the path of the bar at predetermined intervals. The position of the movable stop is controlled by the patternchain 21 in the ordinary manner.

The knitting-cams are mounted upon the slide-plate, instead of directly upon the section 11, to the end that the said cams may be moved slightly upward 011 the needle bed at the outstart of the operation to effect the knitting of a course of comparatively close stitches, this position of the cams relative to the needles corresponding with that termed the intermediate position in my previous patents above referred to.

A simple and efficient means whereby the adjustment of the plate may be had is represented in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 of the drawings, as follows: 22 is a spiral spring fitted to asocket in the edge of the pivoted section immediately beneath the proximate edge of the slide-plate to bear forcibly against said plate and tend to raise the same. Coacting with the upper edge of the plate, to depress the plate against or to permit it to be raised by the force of the spring, is a longitudinal slide-bar 23, that is fitted to guides in the ends of the arms 12 of the section. The edge of the plate is pro vided with a step 24, while the opposed edge of the bar is provided with a projection 25, which may be slid upon or off said step by the act of reciprocating the bar, thereby depressing the plate or permitting its elevation, as above stated. The movements of the bar are effected by its impact at predetermined times with the end stops 19 20.

Secured to the top of the plate is an up wardly-extending arm 26, on the under side of the free end of which is the sinker-actuating cam 27. During the traverse of the camcarrier on its needle-bed, while the knittingcams are in their normal active position, this cam actuates the sinkers in time with the reciprocating needles in that bed, and while the knitting-cams are in the slightly-elevated active position the sinker-cam does not re tract the sinkers suiliciently to cause them to interfere with the opposed needles on the other bed.

hen the knitting-cams have been moved outwardly from action with the needles, the sinker-cam is correspondingly removed from the sinkers, and in consequence the sinker-cam and the knitting-cams of each carrier are moved into and out of action simultaneously.

The sinkers are marked 1), and they are pivotally supported under spring-pressure in longitudinally disposed bars or frames D, fixed along the opposed edges of the needlebeds, respectively, similar to the like parts shown in my Patent No. 485,317, above referred to.

A number of the needles at and toward the ends of each needle-bed are supported in jacks 2%, the guide-grooves to which said jacks are fitted being inclined from the top to the bottom of the bed, to the end that the jacks may be oscillated in a manner to throw the heels of the needles thereof out of and into the path of the overlying knitting-cams, as hereinafter described.

The jacks each comprise a slotted or bifurcated plate, the lower member 29 of which is elongated and is provided at its upper end with a perforated ear 30. The slot or opening in the plate is of sufficient length to contain the end of the needle during its reciprocations. The ears of the several jacks in each bed are strung upon a rod 31 and the whole arranged within a longitudinal slot 32 near the upper edge of the bed, the extremities of the rod being fixed in place by means of suitably-disposed set-screws 33 bearing thereon. Thus, while the jacks maybe oscillated independently of each other on the rod, yet upon freeing the ends of the latter the rod with the entire series of jacks thereon may be removed bodily from the needle bed. (See Figs. 3 and (3.) The lower ends of the jacks project beyond the needle-bed, and they are adapted to be operated in a manner below explained. In this instance the number of jacks in the machine is determined by the number of stitches required in each course of the wide and narrow portions of the leg of the stocking to be produced, the number of jacks being equal to the difference bet-ween the stitches required in the courses of the two portions plus the number of courses to be fashioned in the formation of the toe or the heel part of the stocking.

The jacks first named are marked 00, and they are arranged in equal numbers at each end of each bed, and the remaining jacks are marked y, and they are applied to the intermediate needles in the bed 2 only, as shown. At the beginning of the knitting operation all the jacks marked .1- are depressed to throw their needles out of action. The knittingcams are then thrown into the active position, and they are moved one stroke to throw upward simultaneously the remaining needles in both beds. Yarn being delivered to the needles, the cams in the reverse stroke retract the needles with the yarn. The cams are then moved to the tube-knitting positions (one set active and the other idle) and a round of stitches is formed. One set of cams is then maintained out of action, and the knitting to and fro is carried on by the other or active set 011 the bed 2, the needles at the respective ends thereof being alternately thrown out of action by the act of depressing their supporting-jacks respectively, so as to produce a gradually-narrowed web the desired length of the toe-pouch, whereupon the said needles are returned to action in inverse order by the upward movement of the jacks. There is thus formed a toe-pouch. Both sets of cams are then thrown into the tube-knitting positions, and the formation of the foot is effected. The heel-pouch is then formed similarly to the toe, following which the lower portion of the leg is formed similarly to the foot. The jacks marked a: are then raised to throw their needles into action, after which the remainder of the leg is formed in the usual manner by means of all the needles in both beds. This being completed, the web is cast off from the needles as usual and the foregoing-described operation is repeated.

If all the jacks marked :0 be thrown into IIO action before the actual knitting operation is continued, there will be formed in the resultant web in each side of the leg, at the parts where the end needles were thrown into action, an open projecting portion, which portion, when the web is removed from the machine, is cut off diagonally with the lateral edge of the leg portion, and the gap or slit is sewed or otherwise closed. If, however, during the operation of returning the jacks so to action the yarn be delivered to the needles at predetermined courses, the web will be gradually widened, thereby obviating the necessity of trimming the sides of the web, which would otherwise project. By returning the successive jacks at the end of each second, third, fourth, or other course the lateral lines of widening may be more or less extended, as desired.

The mechanism for throwing the jack-needles out of and into action at proper periods is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, and it is of the following construction, to wit: Mounted in and between the end heads of the supportingframe is a shaft 8i, one end of which is extended outwardly beyond the adjacent head and is equipped with a bevel-gear 35. This wheel en gages two similar wheels 30 37,1oosely mounted on the vertical shaft 8, which wheels may be alternately fixed to and released from the shaft by means of an interposed clutch 38, that is connected with one end of a longitudinal shaft 39, under the control of the pattern-chain. The shaft 30 has on its opposite end a depending arm 40, that bears upon the upper end of a lever 41, that rests upon the links of the pattern-chain, being held thereon by the action of a suitably-disposed spring l2. Thus when the arm rides upon a lowfaced link of the chain the clutch is engaged with the upper bevel-gear 36, which latter thereupon rotates the shaft in one direction. hen the arm rides upon a high-faced link, the clutch is disengaged from the upper wheel and engaged with the lower wheel 37, which latter thereupon rotates the shaft in a reverse direction, and when the arm rides upon a medium-faced link the clutch is thrown to its original or intermediate position, in which case it is out of engagement with both wheels and the shaft is at rest. On the shaft 3% are two oppositely-pitched screws 43, which are movable longitudinally, the shaft being provided with a spline to prevent their rotating independently of the shaft. These screws work in internally-threaded nuts or bosses at, fixed to the inner faces of the end heads, the construction being such that when the shaft is properly rotated the nuts or bosses will effeet the movement of the screws toward or away from each other.

Fixed in and between the end heads in proximity to and parallel with the shaft 3% is a shaft l5, on which are mounted a couple of vertically-disposed followers 46, that are provided on their outer faces with flanges 66, respectively. These flanges extend into circumferential grooves on the headed ends of the screws, whereby when said screws are moved longitudinally the followers will be correspondingly impelled.

Thus far the construction and arrangement of the described parts of the jack-operating mechanism are substantially the same as the like parts of the needle-picking mechanism shown and described in my aforesaid Letters Patent No. 485,317.

The followers, instead of being arranged beneath only one of the beds, are arranged directlybelow the central line of the machine, as shown. Extending from the lateral edges of each of the followers to and beyond the outer edges of the needle-beds are arms 68 68, respectively, on each of which is formed or secured a support 69, that lies normally beneath the projecting ends of the needle-jacks and sustains them in the raised or active position. The supports adjacent to bed 2 are sufficiently long to extend under and sustain the jacks y as well as the jacks m.

The supports are so constructed and arranged that during the inward traverse of the followers they are disengaged from the jacks successively, so as to free the latter and permit the jacks to drop or to be depressed in their needle-grooves, and that during the outward traverse of the followers said supports return beneath and sustain the jacks as the latter are raised to their active position by means of devices which I shall now describe as follows: Arranged on the inner face of each follower, so as to be vertically movable thereon, is a plate 70, from the respective sides of which extend arms 71. The outer ends of these arms extendbeyond the needlebeds, respectively, and they are provided with upwardly-projecting portions 72, that are recessed or bifurcated on their inner edges to ceive the projecting ends of the jacks, for a purpose hereinafter explained. The plates depend below and against the end heads of the screws, respectively, being provided with elongated openings 73, to which are fitted eccentrics 7st on the ends of the adjacent screw-heads, respectively, whereby when the shaft 3i and the screws are rotated the eccentrics will vertically reciprocate the plates 70 and, perforce, the outwardly-extending arms 71. The thickness of each of the recessed portions of the arms corresponds with that of a jack, to the end that such portions may be engaged with the jacks individuallythat is to say, as the plates are reeiprocated horizontally in their inward traverse the upper shoulders of the recesses will impinge against the opposed ends of the jacks successively (which have been freed from their supports, as above stated) andpositively depress them to throw the needles out of action, and as they, said plates, are similarly actuatedin their outward traverse the lower shoulders of the recesses will take against the ends of the jacks and return the same, with their needles, to the raised or active position, wherein they will be sustained by the passage thereunder of the supports 69,11ereinbefore described.

The pitch of the screw-threads and the position and throw of the eccentrics are so timed that during the inward traverse of the plates the downward strokes occur when the recessed portions thereof are in the paths of the respective jacks, and the upward strokes take place when said portions are in line with the spaces between the jacks, and that during the outward traverse of the followers a reverse action of the plates is effected. As the inner jacks m are the first ones raised into action in widening above the ankle, the adjacent ends of the supports are so disposed that they pass under the jacks immediately before the portions 7 2 have passed to the succeeding spaces.

It will be understood that at the completion of a stocking the supports occupy their outer position beneath jacks 00 as well as y, and that in order to let jacks 00 drop out of action before the toe of a succeeding stocking is begun the supports must be run inwardly be yond said latter jacks, such initial operation being effected by properly turning the shaft 3i through the medium of the eoacting pattern and gear devices above described.

The yarnguide mechanism is of the following description: Supported between the end heads of the main frame, so as to extend lengthwise of and above the throat of the machine, is a pair of parallel bars Tl 7;. on which are mounted the yarn-carriers 76, respectively, that are adapted, as hereinafter described, to be reciprocated from end to end of the machine. Fitted to a suitably-disposed vertical recess or channel in each carrier, adjacent to the inner face of the latter, is a depending rod 77, on the lower end of which the yarn guide head 78 is supported directly above the median line of the machine. The rod on the carrier 75 is reeiprocative vertically, while that on the other carrier is fixed in place by means of a suitably-disposed setserew 79. The bar upon which carrier 75 is mounted is provided on its inner face throughout its length with a groove 80, which extends parallel with the edge of the bar, excepting at one end, where it is inclined upward, as at 81. Engaged with this groove is a pin or roller 82 on the side of the adjacent rod 77, which pin or roller, following the course of the groove during the traverse of the carrier, is directed upward by the inclined portion of the groove in a manner to elevate the rod '77 and its attached guide-head. The latter is raised and maintained above the track of the other or fixed guide-head, so that these heads will not interfere with each other, it being understood that one of the carriers is idle at this end of the machine, while the other is active, the carriers being thrown into and out of operation at predetermined intervals.

Each carrier is provided with two upwardlyprojecting studs 83 Set, similarly to the carriers illustrated in my Patent No. 485, 317, be-

fore referred to. The mechanism for reciproeating the carriers is a modification of that described in said patent. It comprises a depending arm 85, pivoted to the yoke centrally of the latter, and adapted to be moved toward or between either of the bars when the two carriers are at the front end of the machine that is, the end where one of the yarn-guide heads is elevated. Hence the arm may be moved between the studs 83 84: on either carrier, and in consequence, during the following stroke of the cam-carriage, the arm, bearing against the opposed stud Sl on the car rier, will impel the latter in concert with the knitting-cams. lVhcn the arm 85 is in the central position, neither carrier will be engaged thereby.

The stud 83 is made somewhat higher than the other, 84:, for the same purpose as in my previous construction-that is, so that the top of the yoke will abut against the stud 83 in the reverse stroke.

Arm 85 is connected by means of a link so with one end of a horizontal lever 87 pivoted on the yoke, the other or free end of the lever having an arrow or V shaped head 88, which as it approaches the front end of the machine enters a slot 89 in a horizontally-arranged plate 90, and by its impact with either end of the slot the lever is moved from one side to the other, as the case maybe, in a manner to impart the requisite movement to the arm 85 to engage it.with or disengage it from the carriers, as above described.

lVhen the lever 87 has been moved to the proper position, the plate is shifted so as to present the opening directly to the arrow-head of the lever and permit its entrance into the same without lateral impact, thereby permitting the position of the lever to remain unchanged for a predetermined period.

The slotted plate is supported on the upper arm of a vertical lever 01 pivoted on a stud 92 on the adjacent end head of the main frame, the lower arm of the leverbeing provided with a foot 93 that rests upon the pattern-chain. The foot is held yieldingly upon the chain by means of a suitably-arranged spring 91L, that the form of the chain-links will determine the position of the plate relatively to the path of the horizontal lever similarly to the corre sponding parts of the machine described in my patent above mentioned.

I claim 1. In a knitting-machine, the combination of the needle-bed and its needles, knittingcams, a sectional carriage therefor, one of the sections supporting the knitting-cams and being pivotally connected at its lower portion with the other section, a spring device to throw said can1-supporting section normally outward, and a longitudinal slidebar interposed between said sections above their pivotal conneetions and having provisions whereby said cam-supporting section is held in operative position against the action of said spring device, substantially as described.

2. In a knitting-machine, the combination of the needle-bed, and its needles, the knitting-cams, a sectional carriage therefor, one of the sections supporting the knitting-cams and being bodily movable toward and away from the needle-bed, longitudinal guide devices for the carriage, a sinker-cam means whereby it is connected with said movable section, provisions whereby said section is 0perated to throw its cams into and out of action, together with the sinkers and their sup porting parts, substantially as described.

In a knittingmachine, the combination of the needle-bed and its needles, knittingcams, a sectional carriage therefor, one of the sections supporting the knitting-cams and bein g pivotally connected with the other section, an arm extending from said pivoted section, a sinker-cam on said arm, and provisions whereby the pivoted camsnpporting section is operated to throw the cams into and out of action, together with the sinkers and their supporting parts, substantially as described.

i. In a knitting-machine, the combination of the needle-bed and its needles, a sectional cam-carriage, one section thereof being movable toward and from the needle-bed, a transversely-reciprocative plate on said movable section carrying the knitting-cams, provisions for reciprocating said plate, and provisions whereby the movable section is operated to throw said cams into and out of action, substantially as described.

5. In a knitting-machine, the combination of the needle-bed and its needles, a sectional cam-carriage, one section thereof being movable toward and from the needle-bed, a transversely-reciprocative plate on said movable section carrying the knitting-cams, a slidebar, provisions whereby it is operatively connected with said section, a spring acting on said plate against the operation of the bar, a slide-bar having provisions whereby it is operatively engaged with the movable section, and a spring acting upon said section against the operation of the bar last named, substantially as described.

6. In a knitting-machine, the combination of the needle-bed and its needles, a sectional cam-carriage, one section thereof being movable toward and from the needle-bed, a transversely-reci iirocative plate on said movable section carrying the knittin g-cams, provisions for reeiprocatin g said plate, provisions whereby the movable section is operated to throw said cams into and out of action, an arm connected with said plate, a sinker-cam thereon, the sinkers and their supporting parts, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the needle-beds, the jacks therein, and the needles, of afollower, a reciprocative plate thereon having provisions to act upon the individual jacks of the respective beds, means whereby said follower and plate are impelled, and means whereby said plate is reciprocated during its traverse, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with the needle-bed, the jacks therein, and the needles, of the follower, the vertically-movable plate thereon, the arm extending from said plate and having provisions to act upon said jacks, means whereby said follower and plate are intermittently impelled, and means whereby the plate is reciprocated during its traverse, substantially as described.

9. The combination of the supporting-frame, a shaft, a follower thereon, a vertically-movable plate having provisions for effecting the action and inaction of the needles, screw devices to impel said follower and plate, and an eccentric for reciprocating said plate, substantially as described.

10. The combination, with the needle-bed, the jacks therein and the needles, of the follower, an arm extending therefrom provided with a jack-support, a reciprocative plate on said follower, an arm extending from said plate with provisions to act upon the jacks, means whereby said follower and plate are impelled, and means wherebysaid plate is reciprocated during its traverse, substantially as described.

11. The combination, with the needle-beds, the jacks therein, and the needles, of the follower, arms extending therefrom beyond the needle-beds and provided with jack-supports, respectively, a reciprocative plate on said follower, arms extending from said plate with provisions to act upon the jacks of the respective beds, means whereby said follower and plate are impelled, and means whereby said plate is reciprocated during its traverse, substantially as described.

12. The combination, with the needle-beds, the jacks, and the needles, of the fixed nut or boss, the shaft, the traveling screw thereon engaged with said nut or boss, the follower supported in proximity to said screw, and provisions whereby it is connected therewith, the reciprocative jack-operating plate on said follower, and provisions whereby said plate is reciprocated during its traverse, substantially as described.

13. The combination of the reciprocative carrier, the supporting-bar therefor provided with a longitudinal groove 80,81 therein, a vertically-reciprocative rod in said carrier, and a pin or roller on said rod engaging said groove, substantially as described.

It. The combination, with the needle-beds, the needles, and the knitting-cams, of the reciprocative carriers mounted above the needles in the respective beds, the longitudinal guide devices for said carriers,the yarn-guides connected with the latter so as normally to be in line with each other longitudinally, and means adapted to raise one of said yarn-guides above the path of the other at predetermined intervals, together with lon gitudinally-recip- ICC oted arm While the other or free end is V- shaped, the slotted bar extending into the path of said latter end, a vertical lever supporting said bar, and the pattern mechanism adapted to operate said vertical lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOSEPH BENNOR. Vitnesses J. D. MOKAY, O. M. GATES.

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