US2073488A - Knitting machine - Google Patents

Description

March 9, 1937. R. H. LAWSON ET AL 2,073,488

KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 2, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 fA/YENTWPS: I" RMERTHZAWMA;

March 9, 1937. R. H. LAWSON ET AL 2,073,488

KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 2, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 9, 1937. R. H. LAWSON ET AL 2,073,488

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March 9, 1937. R. H. LAWSON ET AL 2,073,488

KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 2, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 4 fHYENTdRS: RMERTH ZA W501! Roy E Z 0 MIL By a Patented Mar. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I KNITTING MACHINE Massachusetts Application March 2, 1934, Serial No. 713,726

13 Claims.

This invention relates to knitting machines and especially to knitting machines of the type disclosed in the Hemphill Patent 933,443, September 7, 1909 and wherein the needle cylinder reciprocates to effect the knitting of so-called split-foot work.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation showing the path taken by the thread on its way to the needles of the knitting machine;

Fig. 2 is a view in rear elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation, relatively enlarged, showing a portion only of the mechanisms shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the latch ring in an elevated, inoperative position;

Fig. 5 is a detail fragmentary view showing one of the supporting brackets shown in Fig. 1 depending from which is an indicator or yarn measuring device;

Fig. 6 is a detailed fragmentary view partly in section showing the indicator or yarn measuring device;

Fig. 7 is a view in plan showing a bracket which carries a thread marking device;

Fig. 8 is a view in rear elevation of the thread marking device shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view partly in section taken along the line 9-9, Fig. '1.

The knitting machine indicated generally by the numeral I is provided with a stationary, socalled circular base 2 in which is a ring gear 5 (not shown) for imparting rotary and reciprocatory movements to the needle cylinder 3 in slots of which are needles (not shown) said needles being moved by suitable cams to effect the knitting of fabric. At the rear portion of 40 the circular base is fixed an upstanding and stationary bracket arm 4 to which is pivoted as at 5 a latch ring 6. Vertically movable blocks 1, 'I' (Fig. 2) have attached thereto split portions 8, 8 of a cam ring upon which are mounted main 4:; and auxiliary cam assemblies 9 and I0 respectively. The cams constituting the cam assembly 9, preferably, knit the heel and toe portion of a sglit-foot stocking as well as the sole thereof and the cam assembly l8 controls the needles to 60 knit the leg and instep portion. Mounted upon and upstanding from an extension of the circular base 2 is a post ll upon the. upper portion of which is fixed a stand or bracket 12 upon which are mounted several parts hereinafter to 58 be more specifically described. The so-called 104 gear I3 is mounted in the frame of the machine and its shaft I4 is geared to rotate four turns to one of the needle cylinder.

Mounted in the latch ring 6 above the auxiliary cam assembly I0 is a yarn lever l5 by which 5 the leg and instep yarn l6.is fed to the needles of the knitting machine. The thread or yarn l6 passes from a source of thread supply (not shown) through thread eyelets I1 and I8 carried by arms upstanding from a bracket is which 10 is fastened to bracket l2 as by means of screws 20. Fastened to and upstanding from the bracket I9 and between the eyelets l1 and I8 is the thread tension mechanism 2| which removes the kinks in the thread. The said tension mechal5 nism 2| comprises discs 22 normally retained in contact by means of a coil spring 23. From the eyelet I8 the thread l6 passes through an opening 24 (Fig. 9), under the laterally extending portion of an L-shaped rod 25 then through an 20 opening 26. The openings 24 and 26 are provided in a tubular shaped receptacle 2'! which is fastened to a plate 28 as by screws 29, the plate 28 being in turn fastened to bracket l2 as by means of screws 30. Within the .recepg tacle or housing 21 are two parallelly disposed plates 3|, 32 which together with opposite walls of receptacle 21, constitute a container for a transient dye such as 33. A pin 34 passes transversely across and is supported in opposite walls 30 of the housing 21, said pin 34 constituting a convenient means for supporting a wick 35 of absorbent material, the walls 3|, 32 serving to retain the wick in position. As shown in Fig.

9 the L-shaped rod 25 is in engagement with 35 the thread l6 momentarily retaining the same in contact with the upper surface of the wick, 35 for the purpose and in a manner hereinafter to be more fully described. The L-shaped rod 25 is adjustably fastened to a laterally extending block 36 as by means of a set screw 31, a second set screw 38 serving to retain the block 36 in adjustable engagement with a downwardly extending rod 39. A collar 40 is adjustably fastened to a rod 39 as by means of a screw 4|, said collar serving to limit the downward movements of the rod and consequently the rod 25, said rod 39 being urged in a downward direction by means of a coil spring 42, the upper por- I tion of which is in contact with the lower face of the plate 28 and the lower portion of which is in engagement with a second collar 43 which is adjustably retained in position longitudinally of the rod 39 by means of a screw 44. Thus the spring 42 tends to maintain the rod 25 in the the thread I 6'shall be marked by the wick 95 in conjunction with a rod 25, the rod 39 at its lower end is pivotally connected as at 45 to a lever 46 which is-pivotally connected at 41 to a bracket arm 48 fastened to the machine frame as by means of a pin 49 which is retained in position in a bracket 66 depending from the machine frame as by screw 5|. A screw 52 fastens the arm 46 to the pin or shaft 49. The bracket 56 is bifurcated as indicated in Fig. 1 and in the bifurcation is mounted the usual widening pick bracket lever 53 which surrounds the pin or shaft 49. Between the ends of the lever 46 is fixed a depending plate 54 as by means of screws 55, the lower edge of the said plate 54 having a toe or projection 56 which is retained in contact with the surface of a drum or disc 51 by the spring 42 as described. The shaft I4, upon which the disc or drum 51 is mounted, during reciprocation of the needle cylinder, rotates in the direction of the arrow so that first one notch or recess 58 in the disc or drum 5! and then the other and diametrically opposite notch or recess 59 is brought opposite the toe 56 whereupon the spring 42 causes the rod 39 and consequently the marking rod 25 to be depressed to the positions shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The provision of two notches 58, 59 permits the marking of opposite sides of the instep thread I6 during the knitting of each course of split-foot work.

The marked thread l6 after passing through the opening 26 in the receptacle 21 passes through two eyelets 60 and then between jaws of a lever thread clamp 6| after which it passes through other fixed eyelets 62 and an intermediate eyelet 63 which is carried by and forms part of the usual thread take-up 64. From the last eyelet 62 the thread l6 passes through an eyelet 65 (Fig. 3), through the thread or yarn lever l5 and then to the needles.

An arm 66 constituting part of the bracket l2 has an L-shaped bracket or plate 67 in which is swiveled a pin 68, to which is connected a depending thread indicatoror scale 69. The scale 69 comprises a plate Ill more or less U-shaped in cross section fastened to which is a strip or plate II pasted or otherwise secured to the outer face of which is a, strip of paper or other material 12 which has scale markings thereon as indicated in Fig. 3. The plate H has secured thereto a threaded stud 13 which is engaged by an internally threaded screw 14 which when turned into clamping engagement with a washer "l5 retains the plate 1] in fixed position with respect to the plate 10. As shown in Fig. 6, the plate 10 has a longitudinally extending slot 16 through which the stud 13 passes thus permitting an adjustment of the plate or strip ll lengthwise of the plate 16.

In operation, if the stitch drawing cams l1 and 18 of the auxiliary cam assembly iii are drawing the same length of stitch the marking device shown in detail in Figs. '7, 8 and 9, periodically marks the thread l6, so that the markings on the thread such as I9, Fig. 3, will show on both sides of the instep portion equally spaced from the sutures or seams connecting the instep and sole portions of the stocking. However, if either the cam 11. or the cam 18 has through excessive wear or otherwise become out of adjustment with respect to the other cam, the markings on opposite sides of the stocking are not equally spaced from the seams thereof indicating to the operator which of the said cam is drawing the longer stitch which the operator readily remedies by adjusting the cam "Moi" II as the case may be, along the face of the cam block or cam assembly l6. Furthermore, by observing where the thread markings show with respect to the scale 12 at each reciprocation, it is possible to determine whether adjacent courses are being knitted with the same amount of thread. In other words. the markings on the stocking show whether the stocking was uniformly knitted, whereas the scale indicates whether the stocking is being uniformly knitted.

Although the invention has been, for convenience, referred to in connection with a circular independent needle knitting machine adapted to knit so-called split-foot stockings, it is understood that the invention in its broader aspects. is concerned with all types of reciprocatory knitting. Other well known examples of reciprocatory knitting are: full-fashioned knitting and knitting effected on Burson, Lamb or similar types of knitting machines.

In Fig. 4 the latch ring is shown as having been moved to an elevated, inoperative position,

at which time an unstanding bar or rod 66- which is connected to the latch ring, engages the outer face of the thread indicator 69 moving the same to the inclined position shown. In other words, to permit the latch ring 6 to be raised it is necessary tohave the indicator 69 pivotally or otherwise movably mounted upon a.

support.

Although in the foregoing description the parts and combinations thereof have been described in specific terms there has been no intention thereby to limit the invention to the precise detail of construction shown.

We claim:

1. A knitting machine having a reciprocatory needle cylinder and adapted to knit split-foot work, automatically actuated means for marking a thread during each reciprocation of the needle cylinder so that the markings on the thread show the lengths of thread knitted into the fabric during successive reciprocations whereby adjustments can be readily made to effect the knitting of uniform fabric.

2. A knitting machine adapted to knit split fabric and including a needle cylinder, means for automatically marking a thread during the knitting of each course of split work knitting. said means including a supply of marking fluid and a reciprocating element adapted periodically to cause the thread to contact the marking fluid.

3. A knitting machine adapted to knit splitfoot work including means for automatically and periodically marking a thread at least onceduring the knitting of each course of split work knit-. ting, the distance between adjacent thread markings representing the length of thread knitted into the fabric during the knitting of a course of split work knitting, so that by observing the positions of the markings on the thread the wash-board effect in a fabric can be readily eliminated.

4. A knitting machine having two feeding stations at which two threads are adapted to be simultaneously knitted for the production of split work, means for automatically marking a thread during the knitting of each course said means including a thread marking device, movable means for periodically actuating the thread marking device and connections between the thread marking device and the said movable means.

5. A knitting machine having two feeding stations at which two threads are adapted to be simultaneously knitted for the production of split work, means for automatically marking a thread during the knitting of each course said means including a thread marking device, movable means for periodically actuating the thread marking device and connections between the thread marking device and the said movable means, the said movable means including a constantly rotated element having two oppositely disposed conformations to periodically actuate the said connections and thread marking means.

6. A two-feed knitting machine having means for feeding at least one thread to some at least of the needles during relative movements between the needles and thread feeding means, in

combination with thread marking means for automatically and periodically marking a thread in such a manner as to indicate whether or not the thread is being uniformly knitted into the fabric so that adjustments can be readily effected to knit uniform fabric.

7. A two-feed knitting machine adapted to knit split-foot work including means for automatically and periodically marking a thread at least once during the knitting of each course of split work knitting, in combination with a scale along which the thread passes, the distance between adjacent thread markings representing the length of threadknitted into the fabric during the knitting of a course of split work knitting, 85 so that by observing'the positions of the markings on the thread with relation to the scale the wash-board effect in a fabric can be readily eliminated.

8. A thread marking device for a two-feed split- 40 foot knitting machine including a marking wick across which a thread moves from the source of supply to the needles of the knitting machine, in combination with an automatically movable member for engaging the thread and pressing 4 it against said wick so that the said thread shall be marked at each operation of the said movable member, the construction and operation being such that the --thread markings in courses assist the operator in effecting the knitting of uniform fabric in adjacent courses.

9. A thread marking device for a two-feed split-foot knitting machine including a member s and a marking material across which a thread moves in passing from the source of thread supply to the needles of a knitting machine, in combination with a movable member for engaging the thread and moving it into contact with the said marking material so that the said thread may be marked at each operation of the said movable member, the construction and operation being such that the thread markingsin courses assist the operator in effecting the knitting of uniform fabric in adjacent courses.

10. A thread marking device for a two-feed split-foot knitting machine including a member and a marking material across which a thread moves in passing from the source of thread supply to the needles of a knitting machine, thread guides on opposite sides of the marking material to maintain the said thread adjacent to the said marking material, in combination with a movable member for engaging the thread and moving it into contact with the said marking material so that the said thread may be marked at each operation of the said movable member, the construction and operation being such that the thread markings in courses assist the operator in effecting the knitting of uniform fabric in adiacent courses.

11. A thread marking device for a two-feed splits-foot knitting machine including a receptacle containing a marking fluid and absorbent material immersed in the said fluid, the thread in moving from the source of supply to the needles of the knitting machine passing adjacent to the receptacle, in combination with an automatically movable memberfor engaging the thread and moving it into contact with the said marking fluid so that the said thread shall be marked at each operation of the said movable member, the construction and operation being such that the thread markings in. courses assist the operator in effecting the knitting of uniform fabric in'adjacent courses.

12. A thread marking device for a two-feed split-foot knitting machine including a receptacle containing a marking fluid and absorbent material immersed in the said fluid, thread guides on opposite sides of the said receptacle to maintain the said thread adjacent to the said marking material, the thread in moving from the source of supply to the needles of the knitting machine passing adjacent to the receptacle, in combination'with an automatically movable member for engaging the thread and moving it into contact with. the said marking fluid so that the said thread shall be marked at each operation of the said movable member, the construction and operation being such that the thread markings in courses assist the operator in effecting the knitting of uniform fabric in adjacent courses.

13. A two-feed knitting machine adapted to knit courses in a reciprocatory manner, said machine including means for automatically and periodically marking a thread at least once during the knitting of each course of reciprocatory knitting, the distance between adjacent thread markings representing the length of thread knitted into the fabric during each course of of thread knitted in adjacent courses.

ROBERT E. LAWSON. ROY I. IDVEIL.

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