US880013A - Stop-motion for knitting-machines. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED FEB. 25, 1903 v J. s. 0mm.

STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1903.

' 5 $HEETS-SHEET 1.

\A/ITN EESE5 INVENTCII li- No. 880,013. PATENTED FEB. 25; 1908.

J. s. CRANE.

$TOP MOTION FOR-KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED M R 31, 1903.

. A 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 880,013. PATENTED FEB;25,1908. J. S. CRANE.

STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING ISIIAOHINES.

PPLIOATION FILED MA 1 190a. A R 3 5 SHEETS-SHEET a.

Ill

.PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908.

LS. CRANE. STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

AiPLIOATION FILED MAR. 31, 1903.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

INVENTQ WITNESSES:-

No. 880,018. PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908.

J. s. CRANE. I

STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLIOATIGN FILED MAR. 31, 1903.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

wuemfoz /& HUM/H21 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. CRANE, OF LAOONIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

STOP-MOTION FOB KNITTING-MACHINES.

No. es0,013.'

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented Feb. 2c, 1908.

Application filed March 31. 1903. Serial No. 150.361-

which the following is a speci cation.

The object of the present invention is to supply to a knittin machine a stop-motion of such delicacy and accuracy of operation as to stop the knitting of the machine whenever the yarn breaks or other accident occurs, thus avoiding, in the knitted fabric, suchimperfections as have usually heretofore been cured by mending. This renders possible the. production of a very high grade of fabric, .showing no material faults. The

resent improvements have been embodied in a circular multiple-feed ribbing knitting machine having two sets of independent spring needles, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show suflicient of such a machine to enable the improvements to be understood.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the head of the machine. Big. 2 is a vertical section of a portion of the machine in a vertical radial plane. Fig. 3 is a lan View of a portion of the machine, part y in 'horizontal section, illustrating the clutch shifting connections.

half the size of the standard scale.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section. of a portion of the machine in the plane indicated by the line 44 in Fig. 3.

ig. 5 is a detail vertical. section, along a line concentric with the dial, passing through one of the gravity detectors and showing the position of the parts when a yarn has just been broken. Fig. 6 is a section similar to Fig. 5,

but, showing the parts in the position which they assume after the machine has been stopped as the result of the breakage of one of the yarns. Fig. 7 is a detail side view illustrating a .ortion of the stop-motion mechanism. F1gs.8 and 9 are views illustrating a modified form of yarn-detectors used in the stop-motion.

Figs. 2, 5, 6, 8 and 9 are drawn to the standard scale which a pears beneath Fig. 2. Figs. 3, 4 and 7 are drawn to a scale one- Fig. 1 is not drawn toscale, but is drawn approximately one-third size-as compared with the standard scale.

3 The improvements are illustrated in the. drawings asembodied in a machine of the side and the sinkers on the other.

' type wherein the needles and their carriers has been fully described.

The main needles a are carried by the carrier or cylinder 31, which is supported b and journaled in the bed-plate 32, as bests own in Fig. 2. by the rotating carrier or dial 33. The mannor in which the cylinder and dial are mounted and rotated is well-known and requires no descri tion- The knitting cams for the The ribbing needles I) are carried main nee les and the yarn feeds are mounted on the bed-plate 32, and the knitting cams for the ribbing needles are mounted upon and beneath a normally stationary cam or capplate 34, which covers the dial 33 and (see .ig. 1) is supported by theusual overhanging fixed yoke 35. The needles 0. and b are secured to jacks c which cooperate with the actuating cams, and the needles with their jacks slide in grooves in the cylinder 31 and dial 33, respectively. The needles a are maintained in their grooves by an encircling s ring band (1. In these several respects tiie machine is like a well-known type of circular knitting machine.

The machine which has been selected to illustrate an embodiment of the present improvements is equipped with a plurality both of yarn feeds and needle actuating devices, but as these several sets of mechanism are just alike it will su'l'llce to refer to a single set. Fig. 1 su'lliciently illustrates how the several yarn feeds are disposed, three being shown, and the general arrangement of such multiple feeds and needle actuating devices being well-known in the art.

The thread or yarn q comes from any suitable supply (see Fig. 1) to and through the eye (2 (Figs. 5 and 6) of a yarn detector A (which is the primary device of the yarn stop-motion), thence through a yarn guide 36 (Fig. 2) secured to the stationary capplate 34, and thence through a fixed yarn guide f carried by the frame of the feeding sinker wheel (see Figs. 1 and 2) which delivers the yarn between the needles on pfie e sinkers B B are mounted to slide in a'rotating feed-wheel O. This feed-wheel turns on a verticalbearing or post 38, secured by inwith reference to the axis of the needle cylinder 31, in a tubular guideway 40, of a bracket 41, secured to the bed-plate 32.

The feed-wheel (3 is rotated through the .instrumen tality of a gear I) which meshes with the shanks of the main needlesa so that as the cylinder is rotated the needles act as teeth onthe cylinder to impart rotation to the gear. I

The drawings also illustrate pressers G and S for the two sets of needles. Certain of the knitting cams for both sets of needles are illustrated at I and N. The present improved stop-motion is shown applied to a knitting machine having these characteristics.

In making a high grade knit fabric it is important that no defects. should a pear, which in common fabrics are cured y mending and accordingly the present improvements provide automatic stopping devices which stop the machine on the breakage or undue slackening of any one of the several yarns, and on the occurrence of any bunches or holes in the fabric.

The machine selected for illustration is driven from the belt-pulle 74 (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) by a friction-clutch o well-known character which comprises a loose sliding cone 75, the clutch being such that when the coneis farthest from the pulley the machine is driven, and when nearest the pulley the machine is stopped. This sliding cone is moved out and in by a bell-crank shipper-lever 76 being moved out by a spring 77 to stop the machine (Fig. 4) and being moved in to start it again by the handle 78 (Fig. 3). This shipper-lever 76 is caught and held in its inner position by the catch-lever 79 (Fig. 7)

which is moved. automatically to catch the lever 76 by the spring 80 (Figs. 4 and 7). The freeend of the upper horizontal arm of this catchlever 79 stands normally (1). (1.,

when the machine is running) just below the knock-off pin 81 (Fig. 4.) which slides vertii bed-plate 32.

cally in a tubular guideway' 82 secured to the This knock-off pin is forced downward quickly by a spring 83 and is lifted by a knob 84,. It is held uplifted by a swinging shipping-latch or knock-oil R5 (Fi 3 and 4) which enters beneath a shoulder thereof. Anything which swings the knee off away from the knock-off pin 8] trees it and permits the spring-83 to thrust it suddenly down, thus tripping the catch lever 7 9, releasing the shipper-lever 76, and permitting it to-be moved by its spring 77 to stop the machine.

In order to stop the machine in case of any bunch,'hole or enlargement of the fabric as formed, the knock-off shipping-latch 85 is provided with a depending feeler 86 (Fig. 4) which extendsinto the angle between the dial' and cylinder verges, where it just clears the freshly knit edge or tell of the fabric. In case of an imperfection in the fabric which causes its upward projection, this feeler is encountered, the knock-off or shipping-latch 85 is moved and the machine is stopped. In

needles either when standing still or when the knock-oil swings, the ribbing needles are drawn in slightly by the cam 87 (Fig. 3) and the main needles are drawn down slightly by the cam, which is shown back of the guide 82 in Fig. 1-. This feeler 86 and its auxiliary cams are well-known in the art. 4

The train of shipping-mechanism is set in operation to stop the machine, when a yarn breaks or becomes unduly slack, by the following means: A loose stop-ring or detector carrier U rests on the cap late 34 (Fig. 1),

the cylinder 31, being held loosely in place by this ring extend the gravity-detectors A, there being one detector for each yarn, and

feeds. As the several detectors are just alike a description of one will suffice for all. The stop-ring or detector-carrier also carries a single hammer V secured thereto which extends radially outward above the cap-plate (Figs; 1 and 3), terminating just behind a pin Z carried by the shipping-latch or knock-off 85 (Figs. 3 and 4). It is, therefore, evident that forward rotation of the stop-ring or detector-carrier in the direction in whichlthe stop-the machine.

Each detector fits slidingly in a hole in the detector-carrier, as lfest shown in Figs. 5 and .6, and passes thence downwardly through an elongated slot m in the cap-plate 34, which is concentric with the dial; When a yarn is intact its detector A is held up, as shown in Fig. 4, a shoulder on it preventing it from being pulled upwardly through the hole in. the detectr'incarrier. In case, however, a yarn breaks or becomes unduly slack by reason of insufficient tension, the detector dro s (being "prevented from dropping too far by the pin 72), thus bringing its lower end i into the path of an upwardly projecting abutment W on the rotating dial 33, as shown in Fig. 5, and coupling the detector-carrier to the rotating dial. As a consequence the detector, and with it the detector-carrie13 moves with the dial, thus through the hammer V stopping the machine. The slot m in the and hence of the detector-carrier, sufliciently to stop the rotation of the detector-carrier by the dial as soon as the knock-off 85 has acted,

of the machine (owing to the high speed at which the machine is run) carries the diala considerable distance, and, since the detectorconcentric with the axis 0 the dial 33, and

the pins it on the cap-plate (Fig.3). Through hence as many detectors as there are yarn dial rotates will trip the knock-off and hence '70 order that the feeler may not encounter the cap-plate permits the travel of the detector,

far to actuate the knock-off. It is desirable because the momentum of the moving parts cause a noticeable defect in the fabric.

carrier carries with it all of the detectors for the several yarn-feeds. an equal travel of the detector-carrier would endanger the breakage of all the still intact yarns, thus necessitating the mending of several or all of the yarns at the same time, which might allslo T e machine is, therefore, so ,constructed that the detector-carrier is automatically uncou led from the dial as soon .as the stopping mec anism has been set in operation. As shown in Fig cam consisting of a beveled recess 0 in its upper surface for each detector A, and with this recess cooperates a depending lug p on the detector-carrier." Ordinarily this luglies in the recess, as shown in Fig. 5, sothat the detector-carrier rests on the surface of the ca plate. When, however, thedetectorcarrier ismov'ed by the dial, the lug 72 rides upwardly on the beveled bottom of the recess 0, thus Fig. 6, thereby uncouplin elevating, the detector-carrier, as shown in the detector A from the pin or abutment V on the dial, so that during the further continuation of the movement of the dial the ,detectoncarrier stands still. Y Consequently the angular displacement of the detector-carrier is sli ht.

', The single detector-carrier suflices for all the detectors and hence for all of the yarn- -feeds which may be employed, so that but a single train of stopping'devices actuated by the single hammer V is suflicient. There need be but a single abutment or pin W on the dial, but the more such pins there are the more promptly will the stopping mechanism be set in motion. The detector-carrier and its detectors are very simple and effective and are within sight and convenient reach of the attendant of the machine. In

' ire-starting the machine after mending the broken yarn it is very simple to restore the detector-carrier and it is certainly in proper place when it drops down upon the cap-plate, owing .to'its lugs 11) re-entering their respeca time recesses 0.

without de arting Numerous modifications may be made from the invention, for example, Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a preferred form of yarn detectors. The detectors A, 2, 4, 5 and 6, hang directly In Figs. Sand 9 an intermediate multiplying-lever 92 is interposed between the yarn 7 so that very littlestrain is borneby the yarn. As shown, the lever is coiled at 93 to consti- 'tute a pivot-about the pin 94 which is secured to ringU by a set-screw. Any modifications ofth'e specific mechanism hereinb'efore described, such as have just been suggested, come within the scope of this invention as it is defined in the subjoined claims.

I claim asmy invention: 1. A knitting machine having a drives. 5 and 6, the cap-plate 34 has a,

and the detector A -ment, w

. ary plate, and carrier which encounters said cam, when the connected with said drive-shaft to stop the knitting-machine when moved in the proper direction, a hammer attached to said stop-rin or carrier and cooperating withsaid knock-o and a plurality of gravity detectors, each having a thread-eye through which I yarns on its way to one of passes one of the the yarn feeds, each of said detectors being mounted to slide vertically in a guide-way in said stop-ring 'or carrier, said detectors being normally upheld by their respective yarns out of the ment, but each detector on the breaking or slackening of its yarn dropping by gravity into the path of said abutment, whereby the stop-ring rotates therewith, thus-causing said hammer to actuate said knock-oil and thereby stop the machine, in combination with a cam on the said stationary plate, and a stud on said stop-ring or carrier which encounters said cam when the stop-ring or carrier isrotated, whereb the stop-ring or carrier is lifted and uncoup ed from the dial after the knock-off has been set'in operation, thus preventing undue motion of the stop-ring or carrier due to the momentum of the moving parts of the machine. 1

2. A knitting machine having a driveshaft, a plurality of yarn feeds, a rotating or carrier is coupled to the dial and.

path of said rotary abutdial, a stationary plate, a stop-ring or detector-carrier supported by the plate and movable thereon both rotatively and to and from the same, an abutment on said dial rotating therewith, aknock-oif operatively connected with said drive-shaft to stop the knitting machine when moved in the proper direction, a hammer attached to said stop-ring or carrier and cooperating ,with said'knock-ofl', and a plurality of gravity detectors, each having yarns on its way to one of the yarn feeds, each of said detectors being mounted to slide vertically in a guide-way in. said stop-ring or carrier, said detectors a thread eye through which passes one of the being normally upheld by their respective yarns out of the path of said rotary abutment, but each detector on the breaking or slackening of its yarn dropping by ravity into the path of said abutcoupled to the dial and rotates therewith, thus causing said hammer to actuate said knock-off and thereby stop the machine, in combination with a cam on the said stationa' stud on said stop-ring or stop-ring or carrier is rotated, whereby-the stop-ring or carrier is lifted and uncoupled .ereby'the stop-ring or carrier isv Srom the dial after the knock-off has been set in operation, thus preventing undue motionof the stop-ring or carrier due to the momentum of the moving parts'of the machine. I

3. A knitting machine having, in combination, a drive-shaft, 'alplurality of yarn feeds, a rotating dial, a stationary plate a rotatable stop-ring or detector carrier supported by said plate, an abutment on said dial rotating therewith, a'knoek-dfi operatively connected with said drive-shaft to stop the knitting machine when moved'in the proper direction, a hammer attached to said stop-ring or carrier, and cooperating with said knock-off, and a plurality of glravit detectors, each having a thread-eye t roug which passes one of the yarns on. its'way to one of the yarn feeds,

each otsaid detectors being mounted to slide vertically in a guide-way in said stop-ring or carrier, said detectors being normally upheld by their respective yarns out of the'path of.

said rotar abutment, but each detector on the breaking or slackening of its yarn dropping by gravity into the path .of said abutment whereby the stop-ring or carrier is c'oupledto the dial and rotates therewith, thus causing said hammer to actuate said knock-oil and thereby stop the machine.

4. A knittin machine having, incombina- 0 tion, a drive-shaft, a knock-oi? controlling the rotation of 'said shaft, a lurality of yarn feeds, an abutment, a plurality of detectors, for the yarns, a carrier for said detectors, said detectors being normally held by their yarns out ol" the reach of said abutment, but so that when a yarn breaks or becomes unduly slack its detector moves to couple said iletector-carrier and said.abutmentwhereby the carrier and the abutment move together and thus operate the knock-oil to stop the machine, and means for subsequently and automatically uncoupling the carrier and abutment. I 5. Aknitting machinehaving, in combina .tion, a drive-shaft, means ,controlling the rotation of said shaft, a yarn feed, an, abutment, a detector tor the yarn, a carrier for l l teeter to actuate said controller operating said detector, said detector being normally seems mally held by its yarn out of the reach of said movable abutment, but so that when the yarn breaks or becomes unduly slack its detector moves to couple said detector-carrier and said abutment whereby the carrier and the abutment move together and thus operate the knock-off to stop the machine.

, 7. 'A knitting machine having, in combination, a drive-shaft, means controlling the rotation of said shaft, a yarn feed, an abutment, a detector for the yarn, a carrier for said detector, said detector being normally held by its yarn out of the reach of said abutment,

but so that when the yarn breaks or becomes unduly slack its detector moves to couple said detector-carrier and said abutment whereby the carrier and the abutment move together and means in connection with one of said members thereupon to operate the I A shaft-controlling means to stop the machine, and means for subsequently and automatically uncoupling the carrier and abutment.

8. A knitting machine having, in combination, a drive-shaft, means controlling the ro- 4 tation of said shaft, an abutment disposed beneath said carrier, a yarn feed, a detector for the yarn, and-a carrier for said detector said detector being normally held by .its yarn out of the reach of said abutment, but when the yarn breaks or becomes unduly slack its detector moves. to couple said detector-carrier' and abutment, whereby the i carrier and the abutment-move together and thus operate .the shaft-controlling means to stop the machine.

9. A knitting machine having, in combination,'adrive-shal't, a controller for said shaft, operating means for said controller, a yarn detector in. normally fixed relation to said controller operating means, a member having moveinent relative to thedetectorduring knitting, said detector being normally dotained in one position by engagement with the yarn but acting when released by breakage or slack in the yarn to engage the i'nem her moving relative thereto, and means conneeting the controller oper atnig means and the detector thereupon actuated by the deheld by its yarn out of the reach of said abut- 1 means.

ment, but-so that wheirthe yarn breaks or tion, a drive-shaft, a knock-off controlling the rotation of said shaft, a yarn feed, anormally movable abutment, adetector for the yarn, a carrier for said. detector co-stcting with said knock-off, said detector being nor- 10. A knitting machine having, in combination, a drive-shaft, shaft, operating-means for said controller, a yarn detector'in normally fixed relationto said controller operating'means, a member having movement relative to the detector during knitting,said detector being normally detained in one position'by engagement with the yarn but acting when released by l breakage or slack in the yarn to engage the l member moving relative thereto, means connecting the controller operating means and the detector thereupon actuated by the detec l tor'to actuate said controller operating means,

a controller for said i 1 eaeoie detector and relatively moving member i i l \ai'ter a predetermined interval.-

11. A knitting machine having, in combination, drive-shaft, a controller for said shaft, 0 erating means for said controller, a yarn etector in normally fixed relation to said controller operatingmeans, a member having movement relative to the detector during knitting, t id detector being normally detained in one position by engagement With the yarn but acting when released by break-- age or slack in the yarn tn engage the member moving relative t eto, means connecting the controller operati g means and the detector thereupon actuated by the detector to actuate said controller operating means, and a stop to limit the movement of said connecting means.

1.2. A knitting machine having, in combination, a drive-shaft, a knock-off controlling the rotation of said shaft, a hammer for operating said knock-0H, a yarn detector in normally fixed relation to the hammer, a

member having movement relative to the detector during knitting, said. detector being normally detained in oneposition by engage: ment with the yarn but acting When released by breakage or slack in the yarn to engage the member moving relative thereto, and means connecting the hammer and detector thereupon actuated by the detector to operate the hammer.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing I Witnesses. JOHN S. URANEv Witnesses:

C. L. Pi tsn nn, C. ll. PERKINS.

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