US895805A - Knitting-machine. - Google Patents

Description

No. 895,805. PATENTED AUG. 11, 1908. R. W. SCOTT & .SWINGLEHURST. KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTA, 1901.

4 SHEETS-SHEET .1.

No. 895,805. I PATENTED AUG. 11, 1908. R. W. SCOTT & H. SWINGLEHURST.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTA, 1901.

4 SHEETS-SHEET. 2.

PATENTED AUG. 11, 1908. R. W. SCOTT & H. SWINGLEHURST.

KNITTING- MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4, 1901.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

No. 895,805. PATENTED AUG. .-1, 1908. R. W. SUOTT & H. SWINGLEHURST.

KNITTING MACHINE. APPLIOATIQN FILED $51 114, 1901.

. 4 SHEETQ-SHEET 4.

.fiwmzorqw 4 2060 5 [WSaoZZ' H607 252w;

UNITED sira rssrarsns Mien.

ROBERT W. StO'lT AND HA RRY S\\.INGLEHIIRSI, ()F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS l() SAID RtHiER-T W. StU'lT, AND LOUIS l). WILLIAMS, OF A SHBOURNE,

l ENNS YLVA NIA.

gg-1 JLXVAILABLE' KNITTING-MACHINE.

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that we, Ronnn'r W. Soo'rr and HARRY SwmoLEnUns'r, both citizens of th United States, and residents of Philadel- 5 hia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain mprovements in Knitting )v'lachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to rib knitting machines, although some of its tea- 'e tures are applicable to plain machines as well.

. The invention has for its general object the automatic control of changes in the character of'the knitting, special objects of the invention being to provide for'anydesired variety of changes, such as tuck stitches, welts, slack courses, etc., repeated either at irequent or infrequent intervals, to render the pattern mechanism compact in form and simple in construction and operation, and to revent accidental dermwementot the cam mechapism between its successive adjustments.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l,

is a plan View of the pattern devices, and of so much of the machine as is necessarvto illustrate their ap )licat'ion thereto; Fig. 2, is

a side elevation;- ig. 2%. is a sectional view on theline m----.7: Fig. 1; Fig. 4, is a sectional view on the line g Fig. I; Fig. 5, is an in side view of nut oi the cam ring; Fig. (i, is a plan view iliustrating a duplex lorm otthe pattern mechanism: Fig. 7. is a side elevaline z2 Fig. 2; Fig. 9, is a trout elevation of the pattern wheel and some of the driving devices therefor. Fig. 10, is a perspective view illustrating the arrangement of driving devices employed in connection with the du- 40 plex pattern mechanism.

. The bed plate 1 which carries the rotatable members of the machine is supported bv housings one on each side, the one on the 'leit hand side of the machine being shown at 2,

and to this housing most of the partscoinprising the present invention are attached.

e cylinder cam ring4 is rotatably mounted in the bed late. and' is )rovided with gear teeth intende'. to mesh wit i and he driven by oil a pinion on the main shaft, usual. These and other parts constituting the knitting head m y be of ordinarv construction and in. the case of a rib knitting machine, may be considered to be provided with cylinder and 511:1 cam shifting devices comprising primary Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 4, 1901.

. tion of the same; Fig. 8, is a section on'the Patented Aug. 11, 1908. Serial No. 74.311.

and secondary levers andtheir connections, such as shown and described in the Letters Patent No. 681,161 granted to Louis N. U. Williams and Harry Swinglehurst, on the 20th day of August, .1901.

in machines of this class it will be understood that changes in the character of the knitting are etlected bvvarying the throw of the needle projecting or drawing earns, or both, and in the machine shown in the Letters Patent above referred to these cams are shifted automatically by a disk or projection 90, on a vertically adjustable rod 91, such as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 7, this disk being moved into and out of the path of the le vers referred to.

The present invention relates to mechanism for governing the position of said disk or its equivalent element in structures of this class, and also to a special construction of the needle projecting cams of the cylinder cam ring and same.

)lulti-t'eed machines are usually employed. where a wide variety of stitches is desiredsithough the use of more than a single feed is objectionable,particularly in connection with small machines, such those for knitting hosiery and cuffs for underwear, because fabric made with more than one thread or group of threads in each course is morediflito mechanism for operating the cult to rave] backwhen it is run upon the j needles of another machine, and ,"in' thcevent.

at an imperhiction occurring, it is not prac ticable to rewind and utilize the ern. Moreover, in these small sized machines, the dimensions'will not admit oi more than two feeds and while the plain and ordinar tuck stitches can be made thereon, eompicated patterns and lace eli'ects cannot be made, for lnstance, the simpler patterns can be produced by making the needles tuck at one feed and clear at the other, but more elaborate patterns may make it desirable toelear at one feed and tuck at two, or to clear at .two and tuck at two, and when this is to be accomplished ;on a multi-feed'inachine at least three feeds will he re uired in, the former case and four in the/ latter. again, for hosiery purposes, it is sometimes desirable to form welts or ridges in the fabric, at intervals of say one half inch throughout its entire length, and while many machines have been designed for autoniatically inaking a wel a eslaek course irta rihbedwb Then to form a selvage at the top] of the 'etoflting leg and a slack course at the bottom lor runnine on. to the needles of a. footing machine, these machines are incapable of making; a series of such wclts at close intervals throughout the length of the web.

It will he understood. that the pattern chain. or jacquard is usually made up with ment. of the links cannot he adopted, since the welt links must he repeated in the make up of the chain as often as there are \velts in the. stocking leg. that to sa t', hetween the. to of the same and the Flack c urse. which,

ly occurring once, at t te'lower end f the lin revents the use f a short hain. having a single set of well links and which would, by making a numher of turns, make a series of welts for an l!l=l(ll'!ll-- length of 'l'ahrie.

This invention alth ugh not limited to a single feed machine is p:t!lh'ltlutl 'valuahle it. connection therewith, heeause lllt' eontrolhag devic s are such and are so arranged that a :Ircat \arietv ol' stit hes and patt-erl'ts can he produced and a serit-s of wells in close sue et-ssrion can he mad together with other de- Sirahle changesv in the character of the knitting the means employed hein compact and easily adjusted and long and euinl'iersoine jacquard pattern chains hein; dispensed with.

The housing r frame 2 is provided with a boss t) the face. of which planed and a flanged huh 7 ol eomparatively large diameter is securely holt't-d thereto, this huh formin; a hearing f r the pattern wheel 8 which is mounted llltt'l'oll and is retained laterally het wet-n :he llange ol the huh and the face of tin ho s n. Elie h using. The boss ti is of greater diameter than the huh 7, permitting the use of friction plugs i) which are seated in openings extending through the housing, so that they may he pressed into contact with lll( side of the pattern drum outside of the peri her f the flanged hub. The friction plugs are set up or adjusted by screws 9 each provided with a lock nut as shown in l 'ig. 8.

'lhe huh 7 is provided with openings which form hearings for the shafts l and l t, the shaft In carrying on its inner end a toothed wheel 1:; for engaging with the fabric as the latter passes down from the knitting head to the takcup mechanism as is usual in machines of this class, said wheel heing rotated by contact; with the fabric and consequently moving at the rate of formation of the fabric. 'lhe shal'tlt) also carriesa gear wheel t4 10- n n r v I r 7 eated pist inside of the housing and meshing with a. pinion l5 onthn inner end of the shaft 11, upon the outer end of which is mounted a chain or sprocket wheel It, all of which is shown hy dotted lines in Figs. 3 and hy full lines in Figs. 8 and 9.

The pattern wheel 8 has ratchet teeth 31 formed on its periphery and is driven my a pawl I? hung to an arm is which is secured to a rock shaft ll) adapted to a suitahle hear ing' on the housing and havine; another arm 18 atlan angle to the first as shown in Figsv 1 and 21 the arms 18 and t8 and the shaft It) thus (rt-instituting", in ell'eet, a hell crank lever with a long huh uniting the t\\o arms of the lever.

A lever 20 is pivoted on a stud 21 secured to the housing at the fronto'f the machine, and said lever carries a roller .12 (Fig. 3) which hears against the face of a. crown cam 23 formed on the bottom of the cam ring 4, so that said cam serves to rock the shaft 19 and arm 18 and through the actionof the pawl 17 gives a step by step motion to the pattern wheel.

The pattern wheel is drilled andtapped so to receive one or more sets of screw studs 24' whielractupon the foot of a lever 25 pivoted on a. stud 26, a spring 27 acting to depress the lower end of the lever. The upper end of the lever acts upon'certain stitch-cam. controlling mechanism hereinafter described and it may, if desired, have an extension 28 (Fig. 7) for acting on the vertically sliding disk rod 91, or in'some cases a horizontally. disposed lever acting as does the extension 28, may alone be employed.

(me or more of the ratchet-teeth are cut away, as at 2%), Fig. 2, and at 30, Fig. 7, and when the driving pawl 17 reaches such a. tooth the step by step motion is suspended, hecause the pawl is prevented from engaging the low tooth hy the front arm of a lever 32 which holds it. out of action. When, however, a. high link 33 on a chain 2,4 which is mounted on the sprocket wheel 1() acts upon the hack arm of thelever 32, as said chain is moved by the action of the fabric on the wheel 13, the front arm of said lever 32 is t.l r ,ssed and the driving pawl again gives motion to the pattern wheel until the latter is again arrested by the restored lever 32, on

i the arrival of another 10w tooth, or-, as shown in Fig. 2, where only one tooth is used, when the pattern wheel has made one complete turn. These devices for arresting the movement of the pattern wheel are substantiallysimilar to those set forth in the Letters Patent of Louis N. D. Williams, No. 646,336, dated March 27th 1900. By this arrangeinent it will be clear that the pattern wheel may he used to perform a series of different functions within its circumferential scope and he arrested when one cycle has been completed, and that these cycles can be repeated at any desired intervals, governedonly by csm ring 4- is a. shaft 5o having secured to its the length of the chain 3'4 or the distance beinner end a double acting (-sin 51 (Figs. Cl and tween the links thereof, or by dividing the 5) end on its outer end is arranged a. trippet pattern wheel into sections by n series of low wheel or series oi rztdisting arms :52. The

teeth, av period of rest of any desired duration needle raising cam 53 of the can! ring has a may ensue between each performnncc oi the movable crcs/ 54 secured by n ri vet 55 to :1 [0 pattern wheel. slide 56 tree to move verticnlly m the cam In Figs. 6, 7 and ll) is' shown on nrrsngcring, said slide hsving secured to it, near its I ment of the mechanism whereby it still upper end, (l stud 57 which is forced into congr'eeter scope of performance is possible. In tar-t with the can: .31 by the sctioirof a coiled this case the lhmged bob 7 carries it number spring .38 contained in on opening in the cam of pattern wheels, two being shown, and ring, and retained therein by tl'iecep plate these are actuated by two pswls 35 and Pill 59, as shown in Fig. 3. If the cam 51 is n driven in common in the some manner lLS the grooved (uni zit-ting positively upon the stud pawll'i'. 57 in both directions the use of the spring 58 The )ewl 35 which drives the outer ran-he new be disncnscd with. intermittent mo- Wheel 37, is controlled as to its active or intion to the-extent of :i. quarter turn imparted chain 41, the top face of the inner end of this dies actuated therehyso as to ttztlls't! them to 80 that when it is raised by the links of the and these are divided i 'conyunctiondvith each teed, may be coninto contact sueces active position, by a lever 33.; which is .nctcd to the shaft 54) has the effect of raising and upon by the links oi the outside cnsm ZH and depressing the crest 54 of the cam 53 and in is raised as at 40 to bridge over the inner consequence governing the throw .oftie neer lever lying under the pawl 35 so that when either tuck or clear, and where twoi'orms the lever is raised by it high link the pawl is of needles are employed, for instance, some raised too high to engage a low tooth. but with long and some with short hitches, the when a low link occurs motion is again llH- needles with long hitches, may be reused to partedto the wheel. A lever 42 is hung on tuck while those with short hitches are perthe same pivot as the lever ills and is secured mitted to clear or cast their stitches, and by to or east in one piece with on atrm 43%, that properly arranging the long and short hitch is to say, they are both secured to the stone net-dies in series, hire cll'ects may be prohub 44 The forward end of this levcrplsys duccd.

I 1' i freely under the bridged end or the lever Hits 'lhe wheel 02, as shown, has tour arms,

nt-o pairs, those in diuchain 41 the arm 43 which lies under the pawl metric o position constituting a pair and one 36 raises it from engagement with the low pair 75 being in a. dili'crei'it circumferential' teeth of the inner ratchet wheel 45. )lzme from the other pair 76. On top ofthe By the use of n multiplicityof p'sttcrn bed phtte l and secured thereto by screws 60 wheels as shown the lield of peifornmnr-e of is an annular plate 61 over which the. list the machine is nntterizdly enlarged For in ends of the arms ollthe wheel 52 pass either stance, in the arrangement as shown, each of in contort or in such close proxin'iity, 'l'iet the Tettern Wheels mny not upon :1 lever such during such passage the wheel can not turn. as the lever extension 28, and each nnry pen The plate (it, however, is undercut at (52 for o'rm aseries of functions, thus one nmyrnuse the reception of :t dovetailed slide 63, which the formation of e Welt or a series of wells for carries 2|, projecting )lll 64, and, immediately a, finish to the top of it stocking, the introducunder this pin, the slide (i3 is recessed or hol: tion of et sp icingthreiid at the knee, nnd lowed out, its at (55, while inwardly beyond again-relieve the heel and tinnlly a sleek this recess a narrow ledge 66 is left the full course at or nenr the end of the web, and the thichnt s ol' the piste (31. A stud (57 is seotheriney have its complement of pins so nrcured to end projects upwardly from the ranged as to form a series of welts or tuck slide 63 end this stud enters a slot'tltl in the courses or other clntnges in the clnirncter of end of n lever tilh'pivoted by it screw stud 70 the knitting, at very close intervals, either to the bed plate, the other end of sold lever for ornament-e1 or useful purposes, 'or'it may, fit) having it slot 71 which receives a stud 72 as shown in Fig. 7, be arranged to act in conitt thetop of the lever 25, so that'when said junction with elever 25 to operate earn shift lever'is rock: 1 on its pivot u s 'e'lready deng mechanism new about to be described, s :ribed, the slide 63, togetherwiththe oin 64,

cam may be discontinued st will by iirrest'ing the center of the inscl'iine. the wheel in either of the ways snown. in When the slide rind its pin arm-i; thrown multi-feed machines, moreover, such feed, or to the innermost position the arms of the rather the cum shifting dm iecs operstingjn wheel 52, rotating with the 'csni ring, come i, .'vely with the pin, trol ed by a separate pstt-ern Wheel stubby whereupon the wheel is, in the present inthis arrangement the possible comhinstions stinice, given a quarter turn for each such are innumerable. contact, the recess 65 permitting the move- Jonrneled in e removshlc section of the ment but the annular piste 61 preventing M and the effect produced by the shifting of the are moved in and out or towards-end from such HlHWltltlll at any other point in the i the screw studs which inav have to he trerotation of t he caiii ring. stud 57 has heen n tlielowei' portion of the cain 5t, then the cam (rest 31 has heen in the 1 and l'ahric wheel are employed, and the cenlowermost position, and upon the wheel hein; turned it has heen iaised to the np erthe 'chain wheel is n t lowered when the pat niost position, and. it the in U1 is permitted to remain in the projected position. a quarter turn will he iIHptHlPl to the wheel at each revolution ol the head and the needles will he l'ully projected for one course and oiil partially projw-ted on the'nexl ourse it will he ohserred that it will he iiiipov sihle lot the rain :31 to ililil except :it the one spot and then only when th pin (ii is in active position, l'or 'ehru :i is ietraeted the ledge on which is ol' the toll thi kness ol' the plate til. lills' up the innei portion of th reres l in the plateaud the latter !lii1se.ii tilutes a ierting rain as shown.

continuous annular loch tor the wheel .3).

hence it is iiiipossihlt t'oi' lin- \\il(tl to more out of time, lllttl'ttH't" when the illt lil is withdrawn from the projected ]i-'i. llltill the lllUYttIHllt is not, at lil'. 1il':'i"!ltil l)t 'illl'l the poiiitwhei'e the pin would in! onthe arms ot the wheel 52 whirh ill't in a plane outside of the other pair ol' ariiis To, lien e, it, l' r aii reason, the withdrawal f the pin til .--h-=uld occur when the crest ot the needle 'zitll was in. the depressed position and a continuan e of the knittin; would result in the work load in up on the needles, this condition :Ullltl not continue, l'oi' the relation hetween the douhle t'tlhl 5i and th arms 75 ol' the wheel 52 is such that when one of said arms is struck hy the pin (H the crest ol' the needlev caiii must he left in the hilly projected or knitting position.

it will he evident that h using a wheel with more arms and h ltltnllllVlilfJ the rain to suit, many 'ariations ot stitches iiia he'pro remain in action, and'ln withdrawingthe pin for a few courses and permit t in; it to remain in for a few courses other variations may he secured, and in some cases all ol' the a this of the wheel may he in the same plane.

Apart from the functional advantages of the controlling devices descrihml herein they possess merit. from a structural and economic point of view vfoy instance, all or nearly all of the movements are pivotal in character. which admittedly permits of cheaper eonstruetion than Where sliding movements are employed, and the disposition or location of the Shafts lO'and 11 within the hearing of the pattern Wheel, thus making them eccentric to its center, permits of the placing of the pattern wheel at a point snlhciently low to render possible the use of vibrating driving devices and connections overthe wheel, and by throwing the center of the pattern wheel well to the rear oi the center of the machine intently i'e-arranc'edl 'lhen again. when it heroines neeessar i to use larger pattern wheels the same sized gearing, chain wheel ters reiiiaiii pi'erisel} the mine, moreover, as

' h acting there n dir ct wh n secured to the dial cain cap or it inn r he t'ttt'llti'l hythe rain ring as herein shown and h the use of suit- :ihle connections still serve to shil't the dial needle rains. it may a o he cut lo \'eil to hift the retracting cant instead l the pro- 'lhe teriii pattern wheel" as used ii.-the claims is intended to cover eit'h'ei' a patterning wheel u h l'or instnnre as hown in the drawings or a wheel ear'" ion; a palterirehain su h as inn sometime :c used in place of a patterning wheel.

liming lllll lt'Ml'ilHtl our invention, we laim and de ire in .tt'lllt h letters Patent: l.'lii patterning, nterl'iani ni tor knitting machines. the e iiihiiiation ol the pattern wheel. means f r operating" the saiiiix and a slt'fllllllll yIHllltl'lltltvlt't(Ulll1'(llllll; llti\UP eration and having a spindle p t sing llH'UUQll the huh ol' the pattern wheel and e reniric in respect to the axis of the pattern wheel. siihstaiitially as speeilietL J. 'lhe coinhinaiion in patterningmechanisin l'or knitting narhiiies ol'a, pattern wheel, iiieaiis tor operating the ;tllll. and controllingdeviees tliei'el' r ha\ in as an element a wheel engaged and turned the l'ahi'ic pass ing l'roin the mat-hir aid wheel having a pindle passing llllti ljjll the hilt: ol' the pattern wheel and (('t'.tl=il'l in i'espeei' to the axis ol' the saine. .\'.|li-;lnilllzlll' a specilied.

3. ln patterningiiiechaiiis n' lor knitting machines. the ((tlllltllHlllUH ol' the pattern wheel. means for operating the same, and controlling; devices tlierel'or having as elelneiits a wheel iug'a 'ed and turned by the tahrie pa sing from the machin and having a s indle passintzj through the huh ol the pattern wheel. a et'oinlal' pattern device also having a spindle passing through the huh ol' the pattern wheel. and gearing connecting said spindles. snhst-aiitiall as specitied.

t. in patterning :iiecliaiiisiii lor knitting machines. th eoiiihiiiali n of a pattern wheel and means for operating the same, a

secondary pat terning (lt\'i -e controlling'sneh' the back part of its rim is thrown clear of the ing" a periphery which constitutes a hearing housing so that ready access can be had to l loi'said-paLiei-n wheel and having an UPOHIHQ;

' tially as speci 'fanism for knitting scenes which constitutes a bearing for the shaft of said secondaig patterning device, substan- The combination in patterning mechmachines, of a pattern wheel, and actuating mechanism therefor I having as one of its elements, a vibrating j pawl carryinglever having its axis between i the pattern wheel aiidthe bedof themachine, and a secondary pattern device controlling the operation of the pawl, and having a spindle passing througl wheel and eccentric in respect tothe axis of the same substantially as specified.

6. In patterning mechanism for knitting machines, the climbination of a pattern wheel with operating mechanism therefor having as elements a hell crank lever mounted upon a pivotal axis located bemachine and carrying a pawl engaging with a ratchet wheel connected to the pattern wheel a lever engagingwith said bell crank level-and having an antifriction'roller engaged by a cam on a rotating element of the machine, and a secondary pattern device controllin the operation of the pawl, and having a spindle passing through the hub of the pattern wheel and eccentric in respect to the axis of the same substantially specified.

7. The combination in a circular knitting machine, of the cylinder and dial cam operating devices, the series ofpattern wheels for actuating the same, independent mechanism or operating each pattern Wheel and mechanism whereby each wheel can bestarted and stopped independentl of the other wheel or wheel's of'theseries, su 'stantiall y specified.

8. The combination in a circular knitting machine, of the cylinder and dial cam operating devices, a series of pattern wheels for act uating the same, a driving device common to all the wheels of the series but having an independent driving element for each wheel, and provision for throwing either of said driving elements out of action in dependently,

| l tween the pattern wheel and the bed of the j substantially as specified.

9. The combination in patterning mechanism for knitting machines, of a series of 5 pattern wheels, a driving device common to all of the wheels of the series but having an i independent driving element for each wheel, and provision for throwing either of said. driving elements out of action indc 'icmlcntly or permitting them to remain in action simultaneously, substai'itially as specified.

lb. The combination in patterning mechanism for knitting machines, of a series of pattern wheels disposed side by side, a driving device having an operating pawl for each wheel, secondary patterning device, and pawl'liftcrs, one for i-ach operating pawl, said pawl lifters beingcapable of independl ent opcr: ion by said secondary device, substantially as specified.

I the hub of the pattern I position, substantiall Needle cam a justing mechanism for 5 the same and having a pro patterning 12. Cam adjusting mechanism for knitting machines having as elements a shaft with rojecting arms thereon, means for locking aid arms in position between their movements, a device for engaging with the arms to turn the shaft, means for moving said engaging device into and out of operative position, and a lock movable with the engaging device and serving to prevent rotation of the shaft when said engaging device is out of operative position, substantially as specified.

13. Cam adjusting mechanisn'i for knitting machines having as elements a shaft with arms thereon, a locking plate acting on said arms to prevent rotation of the shaft, said plate having a gap to permit rotation of the shaft, and a device in line with said gapin the plate and movable into and out of en gagement with. the arms to turn the shaft, substantially as specified.

l4. Cam adjusting mechanism for knitting machines having as elements a shaft with projecting arms thereon, a plate for engage ment with said arms to prevent turning of the shaft, said plate having a gap therein, a device in line with the gap for en aging with the arms to turn the shaft, said evice being movable into and out of operative position, and. a supplementary look also in line with the gai in the locking'plate and movable with the turning device to lock the arms when said turning device is out of operative as specified.

l 5. knitting machines having elements a shaft with projecting arms thereon, a device movable into and out of engagement with said armsto turn the shaft, and operating mechmeans for moving device into and out of opera-- anism for said deviceunder control of a pat tern surface, said parts being so disposed that the turning device, immediately before becoming inoperative, will move the needle cam to the projected position, substantially specified. v

16. in cam adjusting devices for knitting machines, the combination ofthe movable section of the knitting cam, a slide carrying 'ection thereon, an adjusting cam acting on said projection, and means for intermittently moving the adjusting' cam and lmtlflll; it between its movements, substantially as specified.

17. in cam adjusting devices for knitting i'nachines, the combination of the movable section of the-knitting cam, a slide carrying the same and having a projection thereon,

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