US1373770A - Mechanism for knitting reinforced fabrics - Google Patents

Description

R. W. SCOTT.

MECHANISM FOR KNITTING REINFORCED FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29,1917- 1 ,373,770. Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

R. W. SCOTT.

MECHANISM FOR KNITTING REINFORCED FABRICS.

APPLlCATlON FILED JUNE 29,1917.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET Z.

UNITED STATES ROBERT W. SCOTT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 SCOTT & WILLIAMS, INCORPORATED, A CORIPOBATIQN OF MASSACHUSETTS.

MECHANISM FOR KNITTING REINFORCED FABRICS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5,1?)21.

Original application filed September 11, 1916, Serial No. 119,331. Divided and this application filed June 29, 1917. Serial No. 177,702.

1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1 ROBERT W. Scorn, a citizen ofthe United States, and resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Knitting Reinforced Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machine-knitting sectionally spliced or reinforced fabrics with definite margins and either without projecting yarn-ends, or without such ends of undue length, on a series of instruments such as ordinary knitting machine needles.

Fabrics of this general nature have heretofore been produced only by reciprocatory knitting, in which case the traverse of the splicing yarn is limited to the width of a series of needles defining the spliced area, and the margins of the spliced area are characterized by reversals of the splicing yarn. When the knitting is tubular or circulatory, the spliced area has heretofore been defined by entering and withdrawing a splicing yarn from contact with the needles of the desired series during progress of the knitting, or by causing a different movement of these needles only to enable them to take the yarn; or by clamping the splicing yarn to break it, and releasing the broken end in contact with the body yarn, to cause it again to run in. In any of these cases the lateral margins of the spliced area are defined b the places of entrance and withdrawal 0'' the splicing yarn, or by the irregularly placed beginning and end of the clamped and broken yarn. At one or the other or both of these margins the splicing yarn, when entered and removed from the needles, necessarily is cut or broken at a place more or less removed from the suriace of the fabric, leaving an unsightly yarnend greater or less extent, Such entrance or removal of the yarn as a machine function necessarily involves the accurate timing of the motion of either the splicing yarn or the needles or both, at entrance and removal of the splicing yarn. Such timing has seldom been secured of such accuracy as infallibly to enter or remove the splicing yarn at the passage ofthe same needles for course after course, and when secured has necessitated mechanisms diliicult to adjust and maintain in adjustment in the hands of unskilled operators. Then entry has been by friction of the body yarn and removal by clamping or severing the running yarn, the margins of the spliced area have been irregular and uncertain.

hen the splicing yarn is removed from a tubular knit fabric at the margin of a reinforced area by any of the prior devices for forming such areas,the relative travel of the needles in respect of the severing means has heretofore determined that it shall be severed from the fabric at a point distant from the fabric by at least the dimensions of the severing implement and a safe distance between it and the fabric; and in the case of the best practice, the severed supply-end has been held or clamped for reinsertion at a point short of the severed end at the least by the dimensions of the clamping instrument.

An alternative and usual practice has been to float a run of splicing yarn from exit point to entrance point, and thereafter to cut away this float, still leaving ends projecting from the fabric, and thus causing as an additional defect a serious waste of the floated length of yarn.

The present invention has for its princi-' pal object to avoid the defective results above mentioned and thereby to provide for reinforcing a predetermined area of fabric having definite margins at any desired 1on gitudinal wales of the fabric, as well as to provide means for making at both the leading and following margin an edge of the re inforced area wholly free from projecting ends of yarn, or from such ends of any substantial or detrimental length, said means being adapted to so operate as to use all and waste none of the splicing yarn.

Further objects are to provide machine devices for the above purposes adapted to be employed in machines, for instance hosiery machines of existing kinds, without changes affecting the ordinary operation of the machine, and to provide such mechanism applicable to machines having dials. Other objects are to provide for the incorporation in the fabric of separate measured lengths or runs of reinforcing yarn during the continuous operation of the machine, and for placing said measured lengths or runs in a predetermined relation to the needles and the fabric produced thereby. Still further objects of the invention are to provide for accomplishing the above purposes without causing a repeated extensive movement of a yarn guide or guides, and to avoid the necessity for rapid movements of the yarn laterally into and out of contact with the needles. A further object is to enable the existing devices :tor changing, cutting and clamping yar .s to be employed at the beginning and end of the formation of the spliced area to sever and hold the splicing yarn.

In pursuance of the above objects, my invention involves a new principle of operation. .By creating a knitting wave in a series of knitting instruments and then feeding a main yarn and a splicing yarn at different angles of advance, so that between a selected pair of needles lying between a knitting wave and the point of exit from the yarn guidingmeans for the respective yarns,

there is provided a separation between the knitting yarn and the splicing yarn enabling the splicing yarn to be (1) severed in place onthe needles to end its insertion, an d (2) seized in respect to the needles to begin its insertion. When the yarn is severed in this manner the cut-off end of the yarn then runs in a channel determined by the needle hooks, and the closed needle latches, if the machine is a latch needle machine. This end of yarn, now relatively stationary with respect to the running needles, stays in the channel so formed until the splicing yarn is again to accompany the knitting; yarn when it seized in respect to the needles by a device traveling with the needles operating as the case of the cutting device between the knitting pointpropor and the yarn guides or fingers; The instruments both for cutting and For clamping the yarn in relation to the needles to again begin feeding it may be formed as a part of the usual web-holders, the vertical separation of the yarns enabling a sharpened edge on one severing web-holder (which is given a abnormally early increment of insertion) to take against and cut the splicing; yarn between needle Wales predetermined by the position 01 this web-holder in re ation to the needles making said wales; and another web-holder at the beginning of the splicing area. being adapted to seize or aid in seizing the end of yarn, as by having a splicing-yarn seizing notch therein, so that at an abnormally early projection of this seizing; web-holder, the trailing end otthe splicing yarn is grasped, the next following needle inevitably taking this end of. the splicing yarn into the knitting wave proper.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a vertical central section of a knitting machine embodying devices illustrating the invention;

Fig. 2 is under plan view of a webarea A and a plain or body fabric area ll.

holder cam cap forming a part oi": said machine;

Figs. 3, 4-, and 6 are diagram internal developments oi a series or needles employed in the said machine, illustrating the operation of certain instruments below to be described Fig. 7 and S are sections on the line 7--T of Fig. 2 respectively sl'iowing the passauygc of instruments at the leading and at the following edges of the spliced area;

Fig. 9 is an end view of u modification oi" a yarn seizing web-holder;

igs. 10 and ll are diagrams illustrating the knitting of spliced and unspliced portiens in the same course;

Fig. 12 is an elevation of a further modification oi the yz'irn-seizing web-holder; and

Fig. 13 is an elevation o'lf a fragment of the web-holder cam cap shown in Fig. 2.

Referring now to Figs. ill and ll, the 1otary needle cylinder circular machine selected tor illustration is adapted to knit a tubula ital. ie by circular knitting on a. series or needles rotatingin the direction of the arrows a in said figures, and the invention will he described in connection with the production oi? fabric haring a reinforced extendingfor a pli'u'ality of courses in the direction oi the length of the fabric, upon such a machine. li hile the area .i may he at any desired part, separated parts. oi? the circum'lercncc t the tube, on illustratire instance of one area only is shown ocrupying about half oi the tube. But it will be understood that the new iustriuueuls cm ploycd are adapted For use without change in stra and other types oi machines making nihrics of various kinds. or in clirulur machines in which the yarn l'eed levices and cam carrier rotate wilh respe t to a relatively lined needle carrier.

Referring to Fig. l. the needles :1 oi any desired s rt. shown as lat-ch need es, may be suitably mounted in a needle carrier see and actuated by the usual knitting cams (not shown) on a cam carrier Q in the usual manner to l 'lHHllUQ a length of lulu-iior :1 lcuit article such as a stocking Coiiperatiug with the needles 1! and hold. to l dc in the radially grooved law 5295 lhc web-holders w are prwvidcd to per-- m their customary function. .ls illus trated in Figs. 1 and 9, a web-'lioldcr cam cap 300, held relatively stationary with respect to the rotating needles and web-holders, comprises a withdrawingcam 30?) and adjusteble advancing cams 309, S09 acting upon butts to of the web-holders w. to more them out and in with respect to the retracting and advancing needles. The normal wave caused by cams 306 and 309 when the machine is employed in circular knitting, relative travel of the web-holder butts bein relation to the wave of movement in the web-holders about at the point 76 illustrated in Figs. 2, and 3 to 6.

As now usual in such machines, any desired series 01'? the web-holders in may be arranged to be moved in at an earlier time than the normal, to predetermine a longer stitch, a movable cam 312 being provided on cap 300 to engage extra long butts (not shown) of some of the web holders for that purpose. When this cam is inwardly positioned (for instance, by the means fully shown in my Letters Patent N01 1,152,850, dated September 7, 1915, for this purpose), the longer web-holders move inward on the line Vi Fig. 2, at an earlier time than the normal web-holders, to determine longer stitches. The stitches throughout areas A may be lengthened by this means.

' Yarn is fed to the needles from a yarn teed opening or throat. which may be the upper side of a channel plate 7 adapted to determine the lower operative position, under stress of spring 8, of a series of yarn teed fingers F pivoted at 554-. One of these, as that finger F nearest the observer in Fig. 1 and at the left in Figs. 3 to 6, carries a splicing yarn s, the finger F being associated with means for clamping its yarn, as by having a foot 2 adapted to stand on the throat-plate and clamp the yarn s between said plate and the foot 2.

Another one of the fingers F as usual carries the main or body yarn y. The yarn y and yarn s are by the above (or any preferred) means fed to the needles at a dittterent lead or angle of advance, splicing yarn a being fed from a point nearer the knitting point Zc than the body yarn z (see Figs. 3 to 6).

The yarn fingers or guides F, F may be lifted at times to inoperative positions by the operation (it suitable automatic means, such as one of the thrust bars 460 resting; at their lower ends on a pattern surtaee or drum 1% havine; cams for lifting the bars 460 and guides F, F to an upper inoperative position as shown at Fig. l. and when any of the guides is so positioned its yarn. thereby removed from the tabrie, is carried into a suitable severing device and clamp. such as the guide 604, clamp 602. and shears 608 operated by the lever (ill and a thrust bar 460 from the pattern surface, which parts may be constructed and operate as (Z, which when the pattern drum 120 permits the bar 460 to rest, as shown, in a lower position normally clamping the splicing yarn 5 against the plate f, lies in the plane of a cam 296 attached to and rotating with the webholder bed 295. This cam may be constructed substantially as shown in Fig. 29 of my said Patent l lo. 1,152,850, with adjustable ends, whereby accurately and adjustably to determine with respect to the series of needles it the position at which the lug (Z will be moved by the cam 296. When the lug cl is so moved, bar 4-60 rocks on the adjustable stop a *esting on comb 4-51, and near the end of its movement away from the center of the cylinder 260 encounters a cam surface It on the guide F thereby lifting the foot 2 slightly above the plate 7 to release the yarn s.

If desired, any suitable or known device ope 'ating on the yarn s to slacken it when it not being; fed may be employed between the source of supply and the clamp 2. f.

The splicing; yarn may be originally entered upon the needles in any ordinary or usual manner, tor instance by moving the splicingyarn finger l? :trom the position shown at 5, the s 'ilicing' yarn then being held in the clamp down to the operative position shown in Fig. 1, this movement being occasioned by pattern surface 120 and occurring when the cam 296 is positioned to hold the toot 2 away from the plate 5 to permit the splicing yarn tobe entered and to pass into the knitting wave as usual. At this initial entrance of the splicing yarn a single projecting}: end of yarn 8 representing the yarn extending to the clamp 602 is left on the inside ot the tabric.

lit predetermined places among the needles, instead of one of the web-holders 0.0, one or more severing web-holders X each having; a web-holder notch 10 a beak w and a sharpened upper surface a is placed in a groove in the bed 295 between two of the needles Figs. 3 to '8. and 8). Referrin to Figs. 3 and 4, this severing: webholuer is adapted to be operated for the o dinary web-holder functions with respect to the yarn 7 but by reason of the ditierence in lead between the yarn 3/ and vthe yarn s the beak 10 it adapted. to ake between the split-Jim); yarn entering the needles and the body yarn 3 (l'iiITi'lllfl' the needles upon giving' the severing: web-holder an inward movement at an earlier time than the normal inward movement ot the web-holders. The action of the needles thereafter serves to draw against its upper sharpened. surface 10 that portion of the yarn 8 taken between two adjacent needles. The result is to sever the splicing yarn between two. predetermined needle wales. as illustrated in Fig, 41-. the leading severed end a iasing immediately bound into the knit stitch beginning to be formed when the severing operation takes place. For clearness, Figs. 3 to 6 do not show the previously knit courses.

The following severed portion .9 is left free in the hook of the leading needle 01. of those needles upon which reinforced fabric is not to be formed. The severing action may be and preferably is aided by permitting the yarn guide F to clamp the splicing yarn by means of its foot 2 at this time, the lug cZ then running off the adjustable rear end of the cam 296. In some cases, however, a suitable tension on the yarn 8 may be employed, the devices for clamping and slackening the yarn 8 being dispensed with.

The end 8 of the yarn 8 having been cut by the described means at a predetermined place with respect to the yarn guide F, and the end of the yarn 8 being clamped, the said end .9 then lies in the hooks of the needles n, and in a virtually tubular pas sage defined by the closed latches of the needles traveling down the knitting-wave and the nearby hooks of the web-holders w. No ordinary movement of the machine can withdraw the yarn end 5 so positioned, further relative movement of the needles with respect to the guide F occurring without 7 changing the position of the end 8 (Figs. 4 and 11), which remalns in contact with the needles during the knitting-of the yarn y alone for the remainder, or any desired part of the remainder, of the course.

To enable the'yarn 8 again to be fed be ginning at a predetermined needle without any appreciable projecting end, the machine is also provided with a seizing web-holder Y, best shown in Fig, 7, at the leading edge of each area A. This instrument'has a yarn throat e0 functioning as an ordinary webholder, and a beak @0 preferably somewhat higher than the corresponding beak Q0 of the severing web-holder, and a second beak 10 separated by a notch w between the beaks and at a height to take over the end 8 of the yarn s lying in the described relation to the needles. If the seizing webholdcr Y is now given an inward movement at an earlier time than the normal'webholders, the end s of the splicing yarn taken in the notch of the seizing instrument will be bent around the leading needle n of that series upon which reinforced fabric is to be knit, and so determine the entrance of the splicing yarn and the margin of the spliced area A at the wale from this predetermined needle 11?. This action maybe aided by causing the needle 02 and the seizing webholder Y to clamp the end 5 of the yarn s between them. vOne way of doing this is illustrated in Fig. 5, the needle n being bent to the left as shown, to rub against one face of the seizing web-holder Y. Alternatively, as illustrated in Flg. 9, the webholder Y may be laterally offset to the rear with respect to the direction of motion of the needles as shown, so as to rub against and clamp the yarn with respect to a straight leading needle 12 or a comparatively thick seizing web-holder Y may be employed between normal needles.

As shown in Fig. 12, a modified form of seizing web-holder Y may be employed having a notch 10 on its relatively high top 12, and a beak 14 at the same height as the beak w of the form above described. Sciz ing web-holder Y is adapted to be moved forward a shorter distance than the webholder Y, the downward movement of the needle 12 taking the yarn-end a against its side face, with the same effect as above described.

Referring now to Figs. 10 and 11, the relative location of the knitting wave Z: and the yarn guides F and F being as shown, the place of actuation of the severing webholder X may be at the point C, and the place of operation of the seizing web-holder Y may be at the point H, both lying between the knitting point and the respective yarn guides.

Inasmuch as both the seizing web-holder and the severing web-holder travel with the needles, clamping of the yarn end .9 with respect to the needle 11 insures entrance of the splicing yarn at the wale from this neodle, and the manner of performing the operation insures a minimum length of the end 3 with respect to the surface of the fabric. In practice, this end may be so short as to be buried in the ensuing stitch taken on the needle M. The length of this end is determined by the relative position of the points C and H, or by the relative time of opening of clamp 2, f, or by both.

Whenever the seizing web-holder Y is operated the splicing yarn may be released by the operation of thrust bar L60 and cam 290 to open clamp 2, f. The relative times of releasing the yarn s and actuating the seizing web-holder Y are accurately related by rotation together of the parts Y and 296 as attachments of the bed 295.

At the longitudinal end of the spliced area, the yarn guide F is moved to the position shown at 5 by the action of the cam surface 120 on its thrust bar, and the yarn a is received by the guide 604-, clamped at 602 and cut at 608 until it is desired again to splice a part of the tube, when the operation is repeated.

Any desired means may be employed for giving the described movements to the seizing web-holder and the severing web-holder, but I prefer the means shown in Figs. 2. 7 and 8, comprising tails m and y at different vertical positions on the respective severin web-holder X and seizing webholder if, and suitably positioned cams 25 and 26 respectively operating the severing and seizing devices. As shown, these cams may be mounted on any suitable part such as the web-holder cap 300, and preferably are arranged for independent adjustment radially and circumferentially. For instance, a circumferential upturned portion 27, 28 of each cam may be slotted for a common holding screw 29, the respective parts being spaced from each other and the cam cap by washers 30, the part 28 of cam 26 having a screw 31 for independently clamping it, and a screw 33 in the cam cap free in slots 3% of different widths in parts 27, 28, for radially adjusting part 28 and cam 26 only. Cam may be independently radially adjusted by a large headed screw 31 in the slots 84;, the mounting parts 27, of both cams being slightly resilient. When the cams are'adjusted, the beaks of the severing and seizing web-holders move inwardly under the influence of the respective cams 26 and 25, at the proper time, for instance shown at m and y in Fig. 2.

l i hat I claim is:

1. A knitting machine having therein needles, means operating onthe needles to knit theroat, means adapted to guide a plurality of yarns to the needles simultaneously and in different operative positions in relation to the needles, in combination with means for severing one of said yarns only at the needles and while said yarn is in its normal operative position, whereby to end the inclusion of said yarn at a predetermined place in respect to and within pre, determii'ied loop of the fabric, and means for subse guently causing the needles to take the severed end of the yarn.

2. A. knitting machine having therein needles, means operating on the needles to knit thereat, means adapted to guide a plurality of yarns to the needles simultaneously in different positions, means for severing one of said yarns at the needles to end its inclusion in the fabric, and means for seizing in respect to one of the needles the severed. end of the yarn to determine its further insertion.

3. A lniitting machine having therein needles, means operating on the needles to knit thereat, means adapted tdguide a plurality of yarns to the needles simultaneously in different positions, means for severing one of said yarns between adjacent needles to end its inclusion in the fabric, and means adapted to cooperate with one of the needles to seize the severed end of the yarn between said needle and said means to determine its further insertion.

4. Sectional splicing means for knitting machines comprising in combination a yarnguide adapted to be maintained in operative position during knitting of a section of fabric containing the spliced area, a series of needles, means adapted to cause a certain needle of said series to seize a free end of the splicing yarn fed by said guide, and means for severing the said splicing yarn in place on the series of needles to end its inclusion in the fabric and provide a free end for repeating the operation.

Sectional splicing means for knitting machines comprising in combination a series of needles, a body and a splicing yarn-guide both adapted to be maintained in operative position to feed their yarns at different angles to said needles during knitting of a section of fabric containing the spliced area, means working at the position taken by the splicing yarn to cause a needle at one place in said series to seize an end of the splicing yarn fed by said splicing yarnguide, and means acting on the yarns atthe needlesfor severing the said splicing yarn only in place on the series of needles at another place.

6. Sectional splicing means for knitting achines comprising in combination a yarnguide adapted to be maintained in operative position during knitting of a section of fab ric containing the spliced area, a series of needles, means adapted to cause a needle of said series to seize an end of the splicing yarn fed by said guide, means for severing the said splicing yarn at another place in the series of needles, and means for clamping the severed yarn in respect to its yarn guide the severed end remaining in trailing contact with the needles.

'7. Yarn feeding means for knitting machines comprising in combination a yarnguide adapted to be maintained in operative position during knitting of a section of fabric containing the yarn therefrom, a series of needles, means adapted to cause a predetermined needle of said series to seine an end of the yarn fed by said guide, means for severing the said yarn at another place in the series of needles, means for clamping the severed yarn, whereby to trail the end thereof in contact with the needles, and means for releasing the said clamping means upon seizure of the yarn.

8. A knitting machine havingtherein a series of needles and means for knitting on said needles and yarn severing means acting to sever a yarn between adjacent needles of said series and substantially in the plane of the fabric.

9. A knitting machine having therein yarn severing means acting; to sever a yarn between a predetermined pair of adjacent needles adapted to be actuated to knit and substantially in the plane of the fabric.

10. A knitting machine having therein, in combination, needles and means for operating them to knit a plurality of yarns, and yarn severing means cooperating with one of the yarns where it lies in knitting posi tion upon a number of adjacent needles being retracted to knit at a predetermined place in respect to the needles, whereby to cause the severed end to lie in the plane of the knit fabric.

ll.'A knitting machine having therein a series of needles and means for operating them to knit a plurality of yarns, and means for severing one of said yarns while lying in knitting position on said needles at a predetermined place in and on the series of needles.

12. A knitting machine having therein needles and a yarn severing web-holder cooperating with needles actuated to knit to sever a yarn at the needles.

13. A knitting machine having needle and cam-carriers adapted for relative movement, and a yarn-severing novice operating on yarn on the needles fixed in the direction of said relative motion with respect to the position of active needles in the needlecarrier. i

14:. A knitting machine having a rotary needle carrier and a yarn severing device rotating therewith in position to sever a yarn between certain adjacent needles.

15. A knitting machine having in combination needles, web-holders, and a yarnsevering web-holder adapted to sever a yarn between adjacent needles.

16. A knittingmachine having in combination needles, web-holders, and a yarnsevering web-holder adapted to sever a yarn between adjacent needles and to hold down the Web knit of another yarn.

17. A knitting machine having therein web-holders and means to actuate them, one or said web-holders having thereon means for severing a yarn, and means for moving said severing web-holder diiterently from one or more of the other web-holders.

18. A knitting machine having needles and means associated with the needles for seizing at a particular needle a free end of yarn trailing in contact with the needles.

19. A knitting machine having needles and means cooperating with a predetermined needle only to cause said means and needle to take and hold for knitting a free end of yarn.

20. A knitting machine having needles, web-holders, and a yarn-seizing web-holder adapted to cause entrance of a free end of yarn trailing at the needles.

21. In a knitting machine, a yarn-seizing web-holder having thereon means adapted to cooperate with a needle to hold an end of yarn.

22. A knitting machine having in combination needles and a yarn-guide adapted to hold in trailing contact with the needles a loose end of yarn, and means associated with a predetermined needle to cause said. needle to seize and knit said loose end of yarn.

23. A knitting machine having therein eb-holders and means to actuate them, one of said web-holders having thereon means for seizing a yarn, and means for moving said seizing Web-holder differently from one or more of the other web-holders.

2%. A knitting machine having in combination needles, a yarn-guide, a pattern operated connection for moving said yarnguide to and from an operative position, means for clamping the yarn, and means co operating with said connection to release the yarn supplied by said yarn-guide while in said position.

25. A knitting machine having in combination needles, a yarn-guide, a pattern operated connection for moving said yarnguide to and from operative position, and means relatively fixed in respect to the nee dies cooperating with said connection to clamp and release the yarn supplied by said yarn-guide while in said position at the passage of predetermined needles.

Signed by me at New York, N. this 26th day of June, 1917.

ROBERT lV. SCOTT.

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