US668568A - Take-up mechanism for knitting-machines. - Google Patents

Description

No. 668,568. Patented Feb. I9, |90I. F. WILCUMB.

TAKE-UP MEGHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

(Application led Aug. 7, 1900.) (No Model.)

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NTTED STATES PATENT Frici.

FRANK WILOOMB, OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA;

TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR KNlTTlNG-NIACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent o. 668,568, dated February 19, 1901.

Application filed August 7, 1900. Serial No. 26,160. LNo model.)

T0 all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, FRANK WILooMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norristown, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Take-Up Mechanism for Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

It is one object of the invention to provide a take-up that will take fabric of varying thicknesses without materially aecting the strain of the fabric on the needles.

My object is, further, to provide a take-up machine for knitting or like machines in which the revolution of the take-up roll will be automatically controlled through the tension of the fabric. I aim to provide a driving connection for the take-up roll, the power of which will vary automatically with variations in the tension of the fabric and which will be automatically adj usted to afford more or less power independent of any rotary movemeut of the take-up roller-that is to say, the adjustment will be effected without requiring any movement of the take-up roll in order to allow said adjustment to be made.

My invention includes a take-up roller, a driving connection therefor, andV means controlled by the tension of the fabric for automatically adjusting said driving connection independent of any movement of the take-upl roller resulting from said adjustment.

My invention includes also a driving device for the take-up rolls, the speed of which device is variable to correspond to the work to be done, so that when the fabric is to be taken up rapidly the speed of the said device is increased and when less fabric is to be drawn through the rolls the speed of said driving device is decreased.

In the drawings, Figure l is an end vieW,.

partly in section, of the invention. Fig. 2 is a front view with parts in section. Fig. 3 is a view on the line A A of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and One of the take-up rolls has fixed thereto, through a clutch device,hereinafterdescribed, a worm-wheel d, which meshes with a worm e, carried by a shaft f. This shaft has bearings in the standard and is adapted to have sliding movement through the worm and standard. It carries at its lower end a friction disk or cone k, adapted to bear on a ring g, which is fixed to the stationary base-plate hof the machine. Said ring has an inclined or beveled face al of the same angle as that of the cone or friction disk. As the take-up plate c rotates the friction-cone bearing on the inclined face will be rotated and this movement will be imparted to the take-up roll through the worm and worin-wheel. For this purpose the worm, while being loose on the shaft partakes of the revolution of the same by means of pinsj on the lower end of the worm engaging openings in a .block Z, attached to the shaft rigidly by a set-screw.

In order to maintain a substantially uniform tension on the fabric regardless of any variation in the quantity of fabric produced in a given time, I employr a construction which will automaticallyandinstantaneouslychangethe rotary speed of the take-up rolls. By this arrangement also I automatically increase the power imparted to the rolls to overcome any abnormal resistance to their rotation, as in the case of Welts passing through.

I control the pressure between the friction driving-surfaces of the cone and ring g, making this pressure greater when the tension of the fabric between the take-up rolls and the needles tends to slacken and decreasing said pressure when the tension of the fabric tends to become greater. For this purpose the vertically-sliding shaftfis borne upon by a lever n, which is fixed to a rock-shaft o, journaled in bearings formed in the standards b. The arm o of the lever n has aforked end embracing a plunger q, arranged to slide vertically in the barrel r of one of the standards b and pressed upwardly bya spring s in said barrel. The rock-shaft o also has Xed thereto a frame t, which carries a whip-roller u, arranged with its 'periphery in the path of the fabric as the same passes downwardly from the knitting devices to the take-up rollers. The tension of the spring s and the arrangement of the parts generally are such that undernorlnal condition the roller u will press the fabric slightly out of its direct path to the take-up rolls, as shown in Fig. l at t. It will now be seen that when the takeup rolls draw down the fabric too rapidly the tension will increase and the fabric will tend to straighten out from the position shown in Figi. This action will press the fabric harder against the roller u, and the pressure of the lever upon the shaftf being thus released the friction drivingsnrface of the cone will bear with less pressure on the driving-ring g and the rotation of the rolls will be reduced. As soon, however, as the tension of the fabric is reduced to normal the spring s will press through the lever n and force the friction driving-surfaces together sufficiently hard to drive the take-up rolls at the required speed. It must be understood that as the friction driving-surfaces are always in contact and the lever n always in contact with the spindle or shaftf there can be no actual motion of the spindle longitudinally and the whiproll will also maintain one position. The degree of pressure between the contacting parts, however, will change according' to the changed conditions in the tension of the fabric. The spring operating against the lever being adjustable as to tension i t is possible to adjust the take-up so that the strain of the fabric and pressure of the spring will be exactly balanced, and the friction-disk will then rotate slowlyand revolve the take-np roll at exactly the speed required to take up the fabric unless there should be some variation in the yarn or the character of the knitting. Then this variation occurs, the pressure between the friction-su rfaces is increased ordecreased, according as the whip-roll bears against the fabric with greater or less pressure. This insures a perfect working of the device under all conditions. For instance, should a welt or an extra thick piece of fabric arrive at the take-up rolls too large to be carried through with the power then imparted to the rolls the fabric would tend to slacken and the spring s would immediately press the driving-surfa-ces harder together to transmit more power, this action taking place entirely independent of any effect on the worm during such adjustment. This is an advantage, for at this time the movement of the rolls is opposed by the welt. \Vith this driving mechanism it will be noticed also that the shaftfis driven only at the varying rates of speed required and not at a rale equal to or in excess of the highest rate desired. For instance, when the tension tends to increase and less fabric is to be taken up the speed of the shaft f is reduced, and when the take-np rolls must be rotated at a higher rate of speed the rotation of the shaft f is increased.

One of the take-up rolls is carried in adjustable bearings provided in arms w on a rock-shaft 0c, which bears in the standard b, said arms having right-angular extensions y, pressed upon by springs z. These springs f ceases are held in vertical openings in the standards and surround rods l. They can be adjusted by the screw-threaded plugs 2, and thus one roller can be forced toward the other with a yielding adjustable pressure.

The Worm-wheel is loose on the shaft of the take-up roll and is connected therewith by a clutch comprising a series of teeth 3 on the worm adapted to be engaged by pawls 4, carried by a disk 5, arranged to slide longitudinally ot' the shaft and pressed to make the pawls engage the teeth by a spring (i, bearing upon the disk and upon the rim 7. The pawls pass through a rim 8, which is formed with a screw threaded sleeve il, which is screwed upon the reduced threaded portion 8 of the shaft. The disk lits against a shoulder f) of the shaft. By this means the takeup roll can be disconnected from the worm and .rotated by hand, as desired.

I employ the term whip-roll herein to apply to the roller shown or any other form of device which may be used to bear on the fabric and be influenced by the tension thereof to control the driving connections.

The shaftf I have spoken of as having vertical movement; but I employ these terms for convenience of description, for, as before stated, no appreciable vertical movement of the shaft or whip-roller takes place, but these parts are simply subjected to more or less pressure, according to the tension of the fabric.

The arrangement of the springs z and the adjusting-screws vertically avoids any objectionable laterally-projecting parts which might be in the way as the parts rotate.

Where I have mentioned in the specication and claims that the shaft is adjustable through the worm it will be understood that this is done `for convenience of description, no appreciable movement of the shaft taking place, but the pressure exerted through said shaft being independent of any pressure acting on the worm.

I claim* 1. In combination, the take-up rolls, the Worm-wheel and worm for driving the same, the shaft adjustable through the said worm, and driving means in connection with the shaft and adjustable therewith to vary the speed of the rolls, substantially as described.

2. In combination, the take-up rolls, gearf ing for driving the same, a shaft adjustable through one of the gear members, driving means connected with the shaft and arranged to vary the speed as the shaft is adjusted and means for adjusting the shaft according to variations in the tension of the fabric, substantially as described.

3. In combination, the take-up rolls, the gearing, the shaft adjustable through one of the gear members, the friction-disk on the shaft, the friction-ring for rotating the disk, means to communicate the motion of the shaft to the gear member through which it passes and means for adjusting the shaft from IOO IIO

the tension of the fabric, substantially as described.

4. In combination, the roll, the Worm-Wheel loose on the roll-shaft, means for driving the Worm-Wheel and the clutch between the Worm and shaft comprising the fixed rim and the spring-pressed paWl-carrier having a pawl passing through lthe rim and engaging the Worm-Wheel, said paWl-carrier comprising a disk encircling the shaft with a spring also encircling the shaft and pressing upon the disk, substantially as described 5. In combination, the take-up rolls, the standards having bearings for one roll, the arms 'w having right-angular extensions, the rock-shaft having bearings in the standards and carrying the arms, the vertically-arranged springs in the standards pressing upon the arms and means for adjusting the springs, substantially as described.

6. In combination, the take -up rolls, a worm-Wheel on one of the rolls, a Worm engaging the Worm-Wheel and having its axis disposed vertically, a vertical shaft passing loosely through the Worm, friction driving means on the lower end of the shaft arranged to impart more or less power according to the pressure upon the said shaft and means for exerting more or less pressure upon the shaft vertically according to the tension of the web, substantially as described.

7. In combination, the takeup rolls, a worm-Wheel on one of the rolls, a Worm engaging the Worm Wheel, a shaft having a spline connection with the Worm, friction driving means on the shaft arranged to impart more or less power according to the pressure upon the said shaft and means for exerting more or less pressure upon the shaft vaccording to the tension of the web, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my` signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK WILCOMB.

Witnesses:

F. B. WILDMAN, OLGA M. RAKERD.

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