US985928A - Circular-knitting machine. - Google Patents

Description

E. PAQUETTE. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR 5, 1909.

" Patented Mar. 7, '1911.

6 SHEETSSHEET 1.

E. PAQU ETTE. GIRGULAR KNITTING MAGHINE.

IAPPLIGATION FILED M11 5. 1909.

' Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

s SHEETS-SHEET? rIl/IIII/IIIHI/IIIO Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

E. PAQUETTE.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR5.190.9.

Patented Mar. 71 1911 E. PAQUETTE. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION I'ILEID APR. 5,1909.

atented Mar. 7, 1911.

E. PAQUETTE. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APB.5,190'9.

zggg ggg Patented; Mai; Z1913.

6 SHEETSrBHEET 6.

Illll I|lIll!|llIllIllIIllIIlllIIIllIIllIll|Illll|llllIlllllllllllllllllllllll' Jig iinirsn rarns earns" crate.

E XILIAS PAQUETTE, OF'LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LAWRENCE MANU- FACTURING COMFANY, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OE MASSA- To aZZ whomii may concern Be itknown that I, EXILIAS PAQUETTE, a citizen of the United, States, residmg at 7' Lowell, in 'the county of'MiddleseX and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n ClI'-' cular-Knitting Machinesrand I do hereby declare the following to be aifull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which. it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to that class of cir cular knitting machines in which the needles are mounted in a needle cylinder and are operated upon by cams and controlling devices arranged about the cylinder, the relative movements between the needle and the needle operating cams and devices requisite for knitting a tubular fabric provided at intervals with heel and toe pockets, being produced by rotary and reciprocatory movements of either the needle cylinder or the supporter cylinder on which the needle operating cams and controlling devices are mounted.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplified construction and arrangement of needle operating cams and devices for knitting split foot stockings, upon the above type of circular knitting machines. 4

The invention is intended primarily as an improvement on the construction of machine shown anddescribed in patent No. 928,105,

July 13, 1909, although it will be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to this construction of machine, and that the features of the invention may be embodied in other constructions and other forms of circular knittingmachines for producing seamless hosiery.

The invention consists in the features and combinations hereinafter described and as defined in the claims. 1

The various features of the invention will be understood from an inspection of the acc mpanying drawings.

In these drawings Figure 1 is an elevation showing so much of a knitting machine as is necessary for anundersta-ndmg of the features of the' present invention; Fig. 2 is a CIRCULAR-KNITTING MAGHINE.

'; i Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented Mar. 7, 1911-.

Serial No. 487,876.

detail plan view of certain parts to be hereinafter described; Fig. 3 is a plan view with the can'r cylinder and needle cylinder removed; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cam cylinder; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line- 5 Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the picker shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the picker shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is an elevation showing a development of the inside of thecam cylinder; Fig. 8 is a perspective detail view showing the construction of the picker shown in Fig. 5 Fig. 0 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of the long and short butt needles; Fig. 10 is a detail plan-view of the shifter ring; Fig. 11 is a detailed elevation of the cam post for controlling the operation of the depressing pickers; Fig. 12 is a detailed elevation of certain parts to behereinafter described; and Figs. 13 and Marc details of the thread guid ng devices for the supplemental cams.

In the drawings the various features of the invent-ion are illustrated as embodied in a circular knitting machine having many of its parts constructed and arranged in the manner in whiclrthe corresponding parts are constructed and arranged in the machine which is illustrated in the patents to Mayo, No. 474,861, May 10,1892, and No. 7 16,4149, December 1, 1903, which will for con venienee be referred to as the Mayo ma chine. In this machine the needles are carried in a needle cylinder, and are operated and controlled during the kmttmg by cams carried by a can'i ,cylinder, which is either rotated or reciprocated, according to the part of the fabric or stocking which is being produced. 1 In embodying the present improvements in this machine, I have retained the general construction and arrangementof the operating and controlling devices and have combined therewith certain additional needle operating and controlling devices, so

that the mode of operation of the machine is changed and a different product is produced. In illustrating the invention, I have shown only so much of the machine as 1s necessary toan understanding of the features constituting the present invention, it

being understood that the motion changing mechanism, and the construction and mode of operationof the pattern mechanism for controlling the movements of various parts of the machine, are in general the same as in the Mayo machine. In the present machine, however, the devices for controlling the change of motion from rotary to reciprocating, and vice versa, are so constructed that ing to disconnect the clutch shifting lever from the clutch shifting yoke, as fully described in the patent above referred to.

In the machine shown the needle cylinder is the same in construction as the needle cylinder in the Mayo machine, and is supported in the same manner. .The needles are divided into two substantially semicircular groups or series, one group, which is in active during the knitting of the heel and toe, being provided with long butts, and the other group, which is active during the knitting of the heel and toe as well as during the knitting of the other parts of the stocking, being provided with short butts. Between the two long'butt needles at each end of the series of long butt needles'L (Fig. 9), short butt needles 8 s are interposed, and these needles, together with the needles Z Z of the long butt series, comprise the suture needles for connecting the fabrics knit upon the two groups of needles in knitting the split foot of a stocking.

The cam cylinder is provided with devices for throwing the long butt needles out of action during theknittingof the heel and toe, and with needle elevating and needle depressing pickers for efiecting the narrowing and widening during the knitting of the heel and toe, which are similar in construction and mode of operation to the corresponding devices in the Mayo machine, and is also provided with two sets of knitting cams and devices codperating'therewith during the knitting of the foot of the stocking to direct the short buttneedles through one set of knitting cams, and to direct the long butt needles through the-other set of knitting cams and out of the path'of the-cams which act on the short butt needles, which are similar in general construction and mode of operation to the corresponding two sets of knittingc cams and cooperating devices shown'and described in the prior application above referred to. The second set of knitting cams which act upon the long buttneedles during the knitting of the split foot-are so constructed and controlled that they act upon all the needles during rotary knitting, although such construction and arrangement is not essential to certain features of the invention.

'vating cams 10 and 11.

As shown in Fig. 7, the knitting cams which act upon all the needles during rotary knitting, and upon theshort butt needles during the knitting of the heel, toe and foot, and which may for convenience be termed the main knitting cams, comprisethe two stitch cams 2 and 3, the centerswitch cam 4, andthe two elevating cams 5'and 6. The knitting cams which act upon all the needles during rotary knitting, and upon the long butt needles during the knitting or" the split foot, and which may for convenience be termed supplemental knitting cams, comprlse the two stitch cams 7 and 8,

the center switch cam 9, and the two eleswitch cams 4 and 9 are pivotally mounted upon vertically adjustable slides 12 and 13,

and are similar in construction to the center switch cam of the Mayo machine. The elevating pickers 14 andy1'5 and their con trolling latches are similar in construction to the pickers and latches of the Mayo machine, and the throwing of these pickers into and out of action is controlled by a cam post 16 as in the Mayo machine. The

depressing pickers 17 and 18, and their The two center so I the needles which are in the upper or 'inactive plane at the end of reelprocatory' knitting to the active plane, is the same in construction and arrangement the correspondingcam in the Mayo machine. This cam is mounted upon a rock shaft23 supported in the c am cylinder, and provided at its outer end witha pinion 24 which is engaged by a-rack on the side of a vertically movable slide 25. Tli'eslide 25 is raised and lowered at the proper times by two cam arms 26 arranged to be moved alternately into position to operate upon a pin 27 which projects radially from the slide.

In order that the supplemental knitting cams may operate upon allthe needles during rotary knitting, and may operate upon only the long b'utt needles during the knitting of the split foot, the center switch cam 9 is arranged to be moved radially inward so as to engage the butts of all the needles, or to be moved radially outward to a position where it will engage only the butts of thelong butt needles. The inward and outward movements are imparted to the switch cam 9 at proper intervals by means of a bell crank lever.28, one end of which is connected- 50 "the needle depressing cams 32 and 33 are by a link 29 with a crank pin 30 carried by the shaft 23, and the other end of which engages a slot formed in the cylindrical sha. k

of the switch cam (Figs. 4t and 7). I The devices for directing the long butt needles through the supplemental knitting cams, and out of the path of the main knit ting cams during the continuance of the reciprocatory knitting, after the completion of the heel or toe, as the case may be, comprise the needle elevating cam 22, a needle elevating cam 31 arranged on the opposite side of-the knitting cams, and two needle depressing cams 32 and 83 arranged on opposite sides of the knitting cams and adapted to engage both long and short butt needles. Duringthe reciprocating of the cam cylinder in one direction, the cam 22 acts to raise the long but-t needles into the inactive plane after they have passed under the knitting cam 8 and up the elevating cam 11, and during the return stroke the butts of all the needles in .the inactive series engage the cam 32 and are directed down into the active plane by.

this cam and the inclined end of the guard cam 34. These long butt needles engage the switch cam 9, and are directed into the path of the stitch cam 7. After passing the stitch cam 7, the butts of the long needles pass up the elevating cam 10 and up the cam 31 into the inactive plane. When the motion ot the cam cylinder is reversed, the butts of the needles .lIl the inactive series engage the depressing cam 33 and are directed by this engage the short butt needles, and the ele- -.vat1ng cams 22 and 31, are of such thickness that they will not engage the'short butt needles. The short butt needles therefore pass idly by the stitch cams 7 and 8, and are operated by the stitch cams 2 and 3.

During the knitting of the heel and toe moved downward so that they will be out of the path .of thebutts of the needles in the upper or inactive plane, and are still out of the path of the butts of the needles in the lower or active plane and are returned into their upper active position at the complet-ion of the heel and toe. The devices for thus operating the needle depressing cams comprise two bell crank levers 36 and 37 provided at one end with slots engaging pins projecting radially fronrthe slides 38 and 39 on which the cams are mounted. The other ends of the bell crank levers are connected by links 40 and 41 with the opposite ends of an arm 12. which is secured to a rock shaft [in arm l-l is secure'dtothe outerend of the rock shaft 43, and--is pro-1 vided with a radially projecting pin- 45 arranged to engage and be operated by a f-cam arm 46 (Figs. 1 and 3). The cam-arni rti' is secured upon a rock shaft e't7 which is mounted in the fixed standard 48, and is provided at its outer end with. an arm 49. The arm tfi-is held in cngagen'ient with the upper end of a vertically movable rod 50 by a spring 51. The lower end of the rod 51 is arranged to be engaged and operated by a cam block 52 carried by one end of a bell crank lever 53 which is secured to a rock shaft The other end of the bell crank lever is connected by a link with the rear end of a lever .36. This lever corresponds to the lever of the Mayo machine which is connected with the clutch shitting lever and operates to raise and lower the needle cylinder to vary the length of the stitches on the heel and toe. When the high part of the cam block 52 is in position under the end of the rod 50, the cam arm 46 is held in the position indicated in the drawings, so that it. will act when engaged by the pin &5 to rock the shaft 43 into the position indi cated in the drawings, thus raising the necdle depressing cams 32-and 33 into active position as indicated in the drawings. When the high part of the cam block 52 is moved from under the rod 50, the cam arm 46 willbe swung up into position to be 'engaged by the pin 45, and to shift the pin downward, thus rocking the shaft 48 and moying the needle depressing cams 32 and 33 down into inactive position out at the path of the needle butts of the upper or inactive series of needles.

The needle elevating cam 31 is secured on the inner end of a shaft 57 which is mounted in the cam cylinder and is acted upon by a torsional spring 56 which tends to hold the cam in its active position, as indicated in Fig. 7. Du1'ing rotary knit-ting the butts of the long butt needles pass under the cam 81. in a direction from left to right in Fig. 7, and the cam yields. to allow the passage of the needle butts and rides idly along the tops of the needle butts until-the long butt needles havepassed, and then automatically returns to actiye position. The cam therefore remains 1n active v position when the through thesupplemental knitting cams in knitting a split foot. 5

It is important, for reasons which will be more fully explained'hereafter, that neither 15 in knitting the heel and toe.

of the short butt suture needles should perate to knit during the first reverse stroke of the needle cylinder in going upon the heel, in case the heel is knit before the foot,

.or in going upon the toe, in case the toe is knit before knitting the foot. Forconvenience it will be assumed in further explanation of the operation of the machine that it i is arranged to first knit the leg of the stocking, and to knit the foot after the heel has 15 before it reaches the knitting cams, so

that this needle will not knit during this stroke of the needle cylinder. The means which are provided for raising the suture needle 8 in to the inactive series, so that this needle shall not 'knit during the first reverse stroke of the cam cylinder in going on to the heel, consists of a novel form of picker constructed to be operated by a long butt needle, and means for moving along 3O butt needle from the upper or inactive series down into position to actuate the picker. In the construction shown, the depressing picker 1 8 is so cont-rolled that when the motion 'of the needle cylinder is reversed in going on to the heel, it is in active position where it will engage the leading needle 1 of the series of long butt needles, and carry this needle down into the active plane. This long butt needle is utilized to actuate a 40 picker. which is so constructed that when actuated by engagement with the long butt needle, it will lift the long butt needle and the suture needle 8 at the rear end of the series of short butt needles .up into the in- .45 active plane, so that this short butt needle will not knit during the first reverse stroke of the cam cyl'inde I p The picker for raising the suture needle 8 from the active into the inactive series during the first reverse stroke of the cylin-' der, is in the form of an arm 59 which is mounted to swing vertically about a pivot 60 carried by a pivot block 61. The block 61 is mounted to turn about a vertical. pivot 62, so that-the picker arm may move horizontally as well as vertically. Thepicker arm extends through a slot formed in the cam cylinder, and is provided on its inner end with a needle engaging lip 63 adapted to underlie the path of the needle butts. The inner end of the picker is also providedwith substantially vertical needle engaging shoulder 64:, which is so arranged that it is out of the path of the short needle'ibutts,

while in position to be engaged by the butt of a long butt needle. A spring 65 is connected to the picker, and tends-to hold the picker in active position, as indicated in Figs. 4, 7 and S of the drawings. During the first reverse stroke of the cam cylinder in passing on to the heel, the short butt needles pass idly by the picker 59 in a direction from right to left in Figs. 5, 7 and 8 As the rear end of the series of short butt needles approaches the picker 59, the long butt needle Z is engaged by the depressing picker 18, and is brought down into the active series directly in advance of the short butt needles 8. When the long butt needle Z reaches the picker 59,it engages the shoulder 64 of the picker and swings the picker toward the left in Figs. 7 and 8. At this time the horizontal lip 68 of the picker underlies the butt of the needle 3 as well as the butt of the needle Z. During the continued travel of the cam cylinder,- the picker 59 will be swung toward the left by its engagement with the butt of theneedle Z,

and during this movement the picker arm rides up the incline 66, and alsoswings radi ally outward so that the needles Z s are raised up out of the active series, and are delivered by the picker onto the upper end of theelevating cam 31, by-which their upward movement into the inactive series is completed, the upper part of the cam 81 being of suflicient thickness to engage both Immediately long and short butt needles. the picker 59 is released from engagement with the needle butts, itis returnedto normal position by the spring 65. When the picker 18 is operated by engagement with the butt of the needle Z, it is engaged by its latch 20 and is retained in inactive position during the narrowing operation.

The picker 59 is so arrangedas described below that it is out of the patliof the long but-t needles during the'knittin'g of the split foot, and is so-mounted that it may ride idly along the butts of the long butt needles during rotary knitting. The construction and arrangement of the picker constitutes a feature of the invention whiclreontributes to the simplicity of the construction and avoids the necessity of providing devices for throwing the picker into and out of active p0-- As shown, the

sition at proper intervals.

picker 59 is so arranged that its inner end overlies the pivoted bridge-cam 67 which bridges over the space between the upper end of the elevating cam 10 and the uppersurface of the stitch camlplate'l. With this arrangement of the picker, the long butt needles passing up the needle elevating cam 10, and on to the needle elevating cam 31, will. pass to the left of the picker, in Fig. 7,

while the butts ofthe. long butt needles I pwhich pass down the needle depressing cam the picker. During rotaryv knitting the butts of the long butt needles strike the rear (left Fig. 7) side of the inner end of the picker, and the spring 65 yields to allow the picker to swing toward the right and ride idly along the needle butts until'the long butts have passed, when the picker is returned by. the spring to its normal position. When the long butt needles are raised into the inactive series at the beginning of the heel, the picker is therefore left in active position ready to operate in the manner heretofore described. f

1 The machine'is provided with yarn changing mechanism 68 arranged to deliver yarn to the needles at the point whereJthcy are operated by the. main knitting cams, and is operated to change the yarn in passing from the leg" to the heel and after the completion of the toe. The'latch ring 69 is also provided with a thread, guide 70 for feeding yarn to the needles at the point where they are operated by the'supplemental cams.

In order that the thread may be properly delivered to the needles during reciprocatory knitting in knitting the split foot, the thread guide 70'is made in the form of a circumfcrenti'all v extending slot. The'ends of the guiding shit 70 are-so arranged that they. will act to properly direct the thread to the knitting waves formed by the knitting cams 7 and 8 respectively as the cam cylinder is reciprocated in knit-ting the split foot. 'In order to shift the thread from one end of the guiding slot to the other, and to insure the positioning of the .thread against the end ofthe slot, thread guides 7 0 and 7 0 are mounted on the slnker camring. 7 0. These thread guiding devices on the sinker cam ring are so arranged with relation to each other and to the guiding slot 70, that during the rotation of the cam cylinder in one direction the guiding device 70 will engage the thread leading from the thread eye 69 to the guiding slot 70, and will retain. the thread in one end of the slot 70. When the motion ofthe'cam cylinder is reversed, the sinker cam ring shifts relatively to the cam cylinder and latch ring in the usual manner, and

the thread guide 70 engages the thread and carries it to the other end of the slot 7 0,

and retains itin this end of the slot during the movementof the cam cylinder'in this direction. When the cam cylinder is again reversed, the thread guide 7O engages the thread and. 'earries it tothe other end of the guiding slot and retains it in this end of the slot during the motion of the cam'cyllnder in this direction. I The latch ring may be provided with a second thread guide 7O slnnlar to the guide 70, and arranged on the opposite side of the thread engaging devices 70 and 70 VVit-h this construction the thread guides 70 and 70 and deflect the thread so that it will run against the ends of-the guiding slots 70 and 70, thus rendering the action of the thread guiding devices mcre certainand reliable.

Assuming that a split foot stocking is to be knit in which the leg and top ofthe-foot are knit from black yarn, and the heel, toe and bottom of the foot are trnbe knit from white yarn, the operation of the machine is as follows: During the knitting of the leg of the stocking the parts are in the position indicated in the drawings, and black yarn is supplied to the needles by the yarn changing device, and also by the threadeuide 7 O.

Both the main and siuoplenicntal knitting cams act upon the needles, and two knitting.

the machine is shifted tochange the-motion of the cam cylinder from rotary to recipro catory. At this time the lever 56 is shifted to cause the shifting of the needle depressing cams 32 and 33 down into inactive position. At the same time the cam arm 71' which holds the shifter ring 7 2 in normal position is operated to release the shifter ring. This shifter ring corresponds inconst-ruction to I the shifter ring of the Mayo machine.

When the shifter ring is thus released,'it is shifted by its spring 7 3 until the stop plate 74 engages the stop lever 75. This movement of the shifter ring brings the high'part 76 of the cam plate? 7 which issecured to the ring into engagement with the cam post 21, swinging said post back so that the V-shaped cam at its upper end is out of the path of the pins 78 and 79 which project radially from the latches 19and 20 for the depressing pickers. This movement of the shifter ring also moves the high part of the cam 80 out from-engagement-with the cam post 16 which controls. the latches for the ele vating pickers, allowingthe cam post to inove forward. intoposition to be engaged by the radially projecting pins on the picker latches. This throws the elevating pickers into operation. This movement of theshifter ring also'shifts the cam arms 26, so that the ..upper cam arm is moved out of active position, and the lower cam arm is moved into active position. During the. continued advance movement of the cam cylinder after the shifter ring hasbeen thus shifted, the

pin 27 rides against the cam surface on the lower cam arm 26, thus shifting-the ,I needle elevating cam 22, so that during the last forward revolution of the cam cylinder,

, the long butt needles are raised into-the upper or inactive plane. The rocking of the shaft 23 which moves the cam 22 into position to raise the long butt needles into the inactive planeals'o withdraws the switch cam 9 out of 'the path of the shortbutt needles and into position where it will operate upon the long butt needles when they are deflected down into the active plane. The yarn changing device is also operated at thistime to change the yarn',so that white yarn is delivered to the'needles at the point Z. The thread is held taut during this time" ing thread leadingvthrough the'thread guide wher e they are operated on by the main 70 therefore draws idly back and forth through the thread guide as the cam cylinder reciprocates, being laid about the needles as the thread guide passes away from the ineedlelZ in either direction, and' being drawn back through the thread eye as the thread eye approaches the. needle by a takeup, of the usual construction. The purpose-of throwing the short butt suture needles 3 upainto the inactive series on the .first return stroke of the needle cylinder in forming the heel can best be explained at this point. If the short butt needle 8' were allowed to knit on the return stroke of the needle cylinder,'the black thread leading from the needle Z. to the thread guide. 70

' would lay across the needle 8 at the time that this needle draws a loop of White-yarn,

and'the black yarn would therefore be connected with thefabric at the needle 8. If this should occur, the black thread,,in'stead of leading from the needle Z during the knitting of the heel, would lead fromthe needle 8', and when the knitting with the black thread upon the long butt needles was. resumed in going from the heel on to the foot, the black thread would (not be properly presented to the needle Z, and a stitch would be dropped at this point, thus forming a hole and imperfection in the fabric. 4 During the first reverse stroke of the cam cylinder on the heel thesuture needle 8 is raised into the inactive series by the picker 15, and: the needle Z. is carrieddown into the active plane by the picker 18, ,which is then latched' in inactive. position. The needles Z and s ;are raised into the inactive series by the picker59 in,the manner already described. The shortbutt needle 9 is therefore the last needle-to knit with thewhite yarn during this stroke of the needle cylinder, and the black yarn leads from the needle Z during the knitting of the heel, and is properly presented to the needle when this needle is operated during-tl1e formation .of the first jcourse on the foot. During the following rewciprocations of the cam cylinder, the fabric knit by the short butt needles is narrowed by. the'picker s 1e and 15. When the narrow;

ing has been completed, the stop lever 75 is operatedto release the shifter ring 72, so

that'the ring is again shifted by its spring 73f This movement of the shifter ring carries the high part 76 of the cam 77 out of engagement with the cam post 21, so that 'the cam post moves forward into its most advanced position where the V-shaped cam atits upper end is in position to engage and operate both of the latch pins 7 8 and 79.

This renders the depressing pickers active, so that the fabric which is knit upon the short butt 'needles is gradually widened.

When the heel has been completed, the lever 56 is returned to the position indicated in Figs; 1 and 2, thus bringing the cam block 52 under therod 50, and shifting the cam arm a6 into the position indicated in Fig. 1. Thi's'brings the,cam arm into position to cause the shifting of the needle depressing cams 82;and 33 into their upper or active position. This movement of the lever 56 also shifts the shifter ring 72 back into its intermediate position;- where the high part 76 of the cam'plate 77 engages the cam post 21 and holds it back in its retracted position, thus throwing the depressing pickers out of operationa The connections through which this shifting of the shifter ring is ef- I fected, consists of an arm 81 seeured to the rock shaft- 54 and arranged to engage the ,end of the cam plate 77. YVhen the shifter is movedback to its intermediate position by the arm 81 it is retained in this position I by the stop lever- 7 5 which drops down back of the stop plate 77. During the continued reciprocation of the cam cylinder, the short butt needles are? actuated by the main knittingcams,- While the long butt needles are actuated by the supplemental knitting cams, the short"butt suture needle at the forward end of the series of short butt needles being lifted out of the active plane at each stroke of the cam cylinder, so that onlythat short butt needle Wh1Cl'l IlS the last to knit in the series of sh rt butt needles is actuated at each stroke of the cam cylinder. 1

When the foothas been completed and the toe is reached, the lever 56 is again operated to shift the cam block 52 to swing the cam arm 16 into position where it will operate to move the needle depresslng eam's 32 and 33 into lnactlve position. The .long

butt needles will I10w"rc1nain in the upper inactive series, and the fabric knit upon "the upper arin into active position, and will also carry the cam plate 77 intoposition I where the'cam post 21 willrest against theintermediate portion 82 of the cam 'plate.- At this time alsothe lever 56, is shitted to throw the cam arm .46 intoposition to oper the short butt needles will be gradually'narrowed by the action of the elevating pickers. V hen the narrowing is completed, the stop lever 75 will be again operated to re lease the shifter ring 72, so that it may be shifted into its extreme position, thus throw ing the needle depressing pickers 'into opera ation to effect the Widening.

changing clutch will be shifted to change the motion from reciprocating to rotary, and the cam lever 71 will be operated toreturn the shifter ring 72 to its initial position.- This movement of the shifter ring will. operate the cam arm 26 to move the lower arm out ofactive position to bring atethe needledepressing cams 32'and raise them into their active position. Now during the first revolution of the, cam cylinder on rotary knitting,the rackslide 25 will be depressed, thus rocking the shaft 23- and throwing the cam 22 up out of active position, and bring the cam lip 22 into position to direct all the needles in the upper or inactiveseries'down intothe active or lower plane. This movement of the rock shaft- 23 also moves-the switchcam. 9: radially inward into positionto be engaged by the butts of the short butt needles." "During this revolution of the cam cylinder-the pin rides againstthe cam 46, thus'shifting the needle depressing cams 32' and 33 into their'npper 1 or active position.- The movement of the needle depressing cams 32 at this time cf- :fects no function; and is due to the fact that in the Mayo machine the lever 56 is shifted at thistime. "During thisrevolution of the cam cylinder. also, the latch pin 79, which at the upper end of the cam post 21 may be i s .-'somewhat longerthan the latch pin 78, ridesover the cam atthe ,upper end of the cam post 21, thus releasing thedepressing,v

picker 1'8, so'that this picker remains in act veposit on during rotary knitting, ready td-depress a long butt needle 1/ during the first reverse stroke in going onto theheel, as

above described. The inner end of the cam cut-away,as indicated in Fig. 11, so that it will give the. latch 20 just enough moveijnent kto release the picker 18. Thiswill reduce the. weight on the cam post as the latch'pin rapidly passes over the post dur-' ing rotary knitting. As the change ,is made from reciprocating to rotary knitting atter "the completion of the toe, the yarn changer is operated to change the yarn so that black yarn will be delivered to the After the widening has been completed, the motion ciprocatory machine and to the machine of the applica- ..tion abovereferred to, it will be understood that this specific construction and arrangement of parts is not essential to the in- 'vention inits. broader aspects, and maybe varied and modified in accordance with the construction and arrangement of the vari ous devices. in the particular machine in which the invention is to be embodied, without departing from the invention.

Having set forth the nature and object of the invention, and specifically described one .form of machine in which itmay be embodied, what I claim is:

1. A c rcular knitting machine, having,

; in combination, a needle cylinder provided with long zind short butt needles, a cam cylinder provided with main knitting cams, supplemental knitting cams arranged to act -.upon""only the long .butt needles during reciprocatory' knitting, needle elevating cams arranged, on opposite sides of the supplemntal cams in a position to engage the flong butt needles only,'vertically movable 'needle depressing cams, a rock shaft car- .ried with the cam cylinder connections to raise andi lower the needle depressing cams froml'therock shaft, and a stationary cam armand connections for operating the rock shaft, substantially as described. 2. A circular knitting machine, having, mcombmation, a needle cylinder provlded with long and short butt needles, a cam cylinder provided with main. knitting cams, supplemental knitting'cams arranged to act upon only the long butt needles during reciprocatory knitting, needle elevating cams arranged on opposite sides of the supplemental knitting cams in position to engage the longbutt' needles only, needle depressing cams arranged on opposite sides ofthe supplemental knitting cams, a relatively stationary cam arm, and devices on the cam cylinder arranged .to be operated by engagement with the cam arm for simultaneously raising and lowering the needle depressing cams, substantially as described.

3. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder provided 'With long and short butt needles, a cam cylinder provided with main knitting cams,

supplemental knitting cams arranged to act upon only the long butt needles during re knitting, needle depressing cams on opposite-sides of, the supplemental 25 long butt needles into the-active plane, and

knitting cams. for directing the long butt ne'edles into the supplemental knitting cams, a relatively stationary cam arm, devices on the cam cylinder'connected with the needle de ressing cams'arranged to en gage and to e operated by the cam arm,

and means for shifting the cam arm alter-- nately into position to render the needle depressing C21111S'216t1V6 and lnactive, substan- ,tially as described.

ll A circular knitting machine, having, in

combination, a cam cylinder provided with needle depressing cams ,32 and 33, devices 'for raising and lowering the needle engag ing cams provided with a projecting pin-45, a relatively stationary cam arm 4:6, and means for shifting the camarm to move the pin adalternately in opposite directions to render the cams 32 and 33active and in active, substantially as described;

5. A circular knitting machine, 'having,-in combination, aneedle cylinder provided with long anrl short'buttneedles, means for raising the longbutt needles into the in-' active plane, meansfforshifting one of the means operated by said needle for shifting said needle andan adjacent short butt needle into the'inact-ive plane, substantially as de-. scribed.

6. A circular knitting maclnne,.hav1ng, 1n.

' combination, a needle cylinder, needles there in comprising two substantially semicircular groups, suture needles. niter'posed between the needles atthee'nds of one group,-cams to'r.operatingeach group of needles, narrow-' ing and 'wideningidevices, devices for ren- ,deri ng one group-of needles inactive during the narrowing and widening, -means for transferringone of the inactive needles to the active series during the knitting 'ot'fthe first course of reciprocatory knitting,an-d means operated by this needle for transferring said needle and" the suture needle which is the last in its group t'o'the inactive series during.

the knitting of said course, substantially as described. f

7 A circularknitting machine, having, in

combination, a needle cylinder, needles there.- in comprising two s ibstantially semicircular groups, suture needles interposed between the needles at the ends of one group, cams for operating each group of needles, needle.-

elevating and needle" depressing pickers for effecting thenarrowing andidening, vde vlces'for rendermg one'group otneedles m activeduring the narroi'ving and widening,

means for rendering one of the widening pickers active during the'firstaeverse stroke of reciprocatory" knitting, and a, plc'k'er arranged to be operated by the needle def pressed by said needle depressing picker and to transfer said needle and that suture needle which is the last in its group to the inactive series during stroke, substantially as de scribed. r

'8. A circular knittingina'chine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needles therein comprising twosubstantially semicircular groups of'long and short butt needles, short butt suturejneedles interposed v picker and the adjacent short buttsuture need-le'ito' the inactive series ,during' saidstroke, substantially as described.

9. A circular knitting machine, having, in I combinatioma needle cylinder provided with long and shortbutt needles, short butt suture needles between the needles at the ends of the series of long butt needles,-main knitting cams, supplemental knitting, cams,

means for causing the supplemental cams? to Idle depressed byisaid needle depressin'g 1 act upon only the long butt needles-during 4 reciprocatory knitting, means for transter ring a long butt needle to;.the-'active"series during thefirst reverse stroke of reciprocatory knitting, and a needle elevating picker arranged to raise said needleandthe adja-;

cent short butt suture needle int'o" the ina'ctive series and arranged out of the path ,of the longbutt needles passing through the supplemental knitting cams during-reciprd. catory' knitting, substantially as describedz Y 10. A circular knitting'machine, having,

in combination, a. needle cylinder, needles" therein comprising two substantially semicircular groups, suture needles miter-posed between the needles at the end of one group,

cam-s for operating each group of needles,

means for rendering one group of needles inactive during. the narrowing and widen ing,'and a picker, means for causing the picker to act onthe suture needle at the rear end of its group during the first course of reciprocatory knitting mounted to ride along the needles during rotary knitting'and ar rangedout of the path of the needles during reciprocatory knitting, snbstantially as des'cribed. Y 11. A clrcular knitting machine, having,

in combination, a needle cylinder provided with long and short butt needles, a picker having a needle shifting lip adapted tooper ateon the buttsot two'adjacent needles, and

a shoulder arranged out of the path of passing short butts and to be engaged by. a'pass ing long butt, substantiallyas described.

12. A eirenlar knitting machine, having, to be acted upon by said picker, eubstan- 10 in combination, a 'needlecylin'der provided tially as descnbed.

d with long and short-butt needles; a picker In testimony whereof I aflix my signature,

having a needle shifting Iip adapted to Opel" in preseneeof two "witnesses."

ate on the buttsof two adjacent needles, and X PAQUETTE 2 a shoulder arranged out of the path of passing short butts and to be engaged bya ass- Witnesses ing long butt,-and means for shifting a 0113; t v EDWARn MARTIN, I butt needle into pqsition to act-upon and AUQUSI'E Hg-JEAN.

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