US1377459A - Stocking-knitting machine - Google Patents

Description

G. P. BOSWORTH.

STOCKING KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION man AUG-27, 1914.

Patented May 10, 1921. I

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G. P. BOSWO'RTH.

STOCKING KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-27,1914.

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G..P. BOSWORTH. STOCKING KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG-27, I914.-

Patented May 10, 1921.

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Iiua Buzt Ne edZea 6 1 George ffias'korm knitting machines of the general type known UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE I. IBOSWORTH, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND,- ASSIGNOR, IBY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO HEMIHILL COMPANY, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND,

A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

STOCKING-KNITTING MACHINE.

- V Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 10, 1921.

Application filed August 27, 1914. Serial No. 858,953.

My invention relates to circular stocking as the Banner, made under Letters Patent of the United States of Hemphill, #933,443, September 7, 1909, and involves mechanism for producing various kinds of fabric on said machine and at various points in the fabric. 'The invention also involves mechanism whereby a welt may be made on the fabric at the top of the leg, it being understood that the Banner machine operates with a single set or circle of latch needles.

The invention consists .in the features and I combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a view of mock rib fabric which my invention will produce;

Fig. 2 shows tuck stitch fabric which my invention will make;

Fig. 2 is a diagram -of.a stocking indicating different forms of knitting that may be used;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic development of the cam organization with the cams in po-' sition for making mock rib fabric; I

Fig. 3 shows the cam ring in section;

Fig. 3 shows the needles and j acks;

Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 3 with the cams in position for making tuck work;

7 Fig. 5 shows the needles in position for making welt, the cam organization being the same as that shown in Figs. 3 and 4;

Fig. 6 is a front view of a knitting head having the cam organization for needles and jacks shown in, the above figures and showing some of the operating connections;

Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view of a needle cylinder showing. the needle cam and jack cam organization of the preceding. figures l and some of the operating connections;

Figs. 7 7 and7 show details relating to Fig. 7;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic plan view similar to Fig. 7 with parts omitted but indicatand toe. 2 .is the cam rin ing four length butts of needles and two.

length butts of jacks as employed in the machine ofthe preceding figures;

Fig. 9 is a plan View of the cam ring of Fig. 8 with the needles and jacks omitted;

Fig. 10 is a side view of the machine looking from the left of Fig. 6;

' ig. 11 is a view of a detail;

Fig. 12 is a rear view of part of the machine to show more particularly some of the cam operating connections;

Fig. 13 is .a detail view of a radially ad justable needle advancing cam with its operating mechanism;

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing means for operating one of the jack cams independently of the othercams sothat tuck can be made in different parts of the fabric as for instance around the leg and in the instep withplain sole;

Fig. 15 is a view like .Fig. 3 of .a cam organization, this machine having needles with two lengths of butts instead of four,

and jacks with-only one length of butts instead of. two, said machine being adapted to make welt heel and toe, plain fabric with Fig. 16 1s a view of the machine. of

15, s aid'view being a plan like that of Fig.

7 but with the cams for making the welt omitted, and this view illustrates the fact that the cams which are common to this form of the invention and that -first described are operated by similar connections;

Fig. 17 is a sectional plan view of the needle cylinder, showing diagrammatically the needles, jacks and cams of this two length needle butt form of machine.

Fig. 18is a plan view showing the needle dividing cam of Fig. 15;

Figs. 19-21 show a .machine embodying some features above described in another organization with two length butt needles.

In the'drawin s, 1 is the needle cylinder which is driven in the ordinary or any suitable way for either round knitting or for reciprocating knitting, in making the heel mounted on a plate H vertically adjusta le for: varying the length of the stitch. This plate carries also the narrowin pickmechanism. The

pick mechanism may be of various forms so far as my present invention is concerned, but as illustrated it is substantially like that of the Hemphill patent including a pair of narrowing picks 4 and a air of widening picks 5 arranged as in the emphill patent.

The machine may be organized to make the heel and toe, mock rib, tuck work or plain fabric, with either single or double feed, or it may be organized to make a welt, to ether with the fabrics above mentioned.

eatures of my invention may be embodied in a machine having only two lengths of needle butts and these features maybe embodied also in a machine having four lengths of needle butts. With both of these machines having these features in common, either of the following may be knit: mock rib fabric, tuck work, heel and toe, plain fabric with either single or double feed.

With both the four butt and two butt needle modifications of my invention, additional needle and jack cams are provided for making a welt, and by a modified arrangement of one of the jack cam operating mechanisms tuck stitch instep with a plain sole can be knit.

I will first refer to that .form of my invention in which four lengths of needle butts are employed and will later point out those features which are common to both this four butt needle organization and. the

two butt needle organization.

For making the heel and toe, mock rib, tuck stitch, plain fabric and a welt, the machine may have the cams shown in Fig. 3, viz., the two main stitch cams 6, 6, the guard cam 7, the-upper and lower instep cams8, 8, all usual in the-Hemphill machine, the pivoted needle retiring cam 11,

, the radially adjustable supplemental stitch cam 9, a jack switch cam 10, the pivoted jack cam 17, the cam 18, the cams 15 and 16, and the needle retiring cam 20 and the'cam 22. A set of alternating longand short butt instep needles is employed, and a set of heel and toe needles composed of needles with two lengths of butts alternating with each other, it being, understood that I am now describing a machine which embodies my,

invention in one of several forms. A machine of this character would therefore have the cam organization shown in Figs. 3, 6,

7 and 8. There would be also a jack under every other needle, as shown in Figs. 3 and 8, these jacks being in two sets, one set or half circle having long butts and the other set or half circle having short butts for a purpose hereinafter described. These two sets of jacks are indicated in Fig. 8 in dotted lines at e, f, and all of these jacks would be operated by the jack cam 10 when the same is raised to the position 'shown in Fig.3. The four butt lengths of needles the form of machine now being described are shown in Figs. 3 and 3".

In ordinary heel. and toe work and plain knitting with a single feed for making the loopers hold or the ring toe, the cams 9, 10, 11, 15, 20 would be inoperative, the supplemental stitch cam 9 being adjusted radially outward away from the cylinder to avoid all the needles, as indicated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the jack cam 10 being down to avoid elevating the needle selectors or acks and the needle retiring cam 11 being raised to horizontal position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 to avoid retracting any of the needles. The needle advancing cam 15' would be retracted radially outward away from the path of all the needles. being simply a needle lowering cam, is fixed. The radially movable needle retiring cam 20, Figs. 1, 7 and 8, which is used for depressing the needles so that alternate ones Cam 16 shorter butts will pass under the cam 22 for making the welt, is also inoperative, being retracted outwardly to be out of line with all the needle butts, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Only the yarn feed A would be in position to supply yarn to the needles. For heel and toe work the instep cams 8, 8 and jack cam 17 would be elevated to raise the long and short butt instep needles to inoperative position, as will be later described, and the needle cylinder being reciprocated, narrowing and widening is performed in the ordinary way by the narrowing picks 4 and the widening picks 5 operating on the heel and toe needles having the two intermediate lengths of butts.

For round and round knitting the cylinder with its needles and jacks rotate in the arrow direction, Fig. 3, and of course at this time the instep cam 8 and the jack cam 17 would be down in inoperative position. In other Words, while making plain fabric with lengths of butts, only the following cams would be operative of the set shown in Figs.

3, 6, 7 and 8, namely: the ordinary cams 6, 6 and 7 of the Hemphill machine, and for making heel and toe pocketsthese same cams 6, 6 and 7, together with the ordinary instep cam 8 for elevating the long butt needles a of the instep series to inoperative position, and the jack cam 17 for elevating by means of the long butt jack 6 the shortest butt needles I), of this instep series to inoperative position.

The welting cams 20 and 22 will be hereinafter more fully described and need not be particularly referred to at present.

' Mock ribtion just referred to above, the cams would needles are raised to the normal plane 12 by- P but will not knit while knittlng continues on the alternate needles, and this knitting be adjusted as follows: The needle lowering cam 11 is down in operative position as shown in Fig. 3,,jack cam 10 raised, supplemental stitch cam 9 adjusted radially inward close to the needle cylinder to retract all elevated needles, ordinary instep cam 8 and jack cam 17 are down in inoperative position, and cam 15 is retracted radially outward to inoperative position. (Jam 20 is retracted away from all the needles and cam 22 being intended to allow the two shorter butt needles to pass under it when lowered by cam 20 is, of course, also inoperative.

Two feeds A and B are used for making mock rib. Referring to Fi 3, all the needles are fed at yarn feed and travel with their butts in the normal level 12 on top of the fixed cam ring 2. All the needles are'lowered by the cam 11 before reaching the feed B to a point below the position for taking thread, the cast-off line being indicated at X-X. Jack cam 10 now raises all the jacks, and as these jacks are placed under alternate needles. throughout the entire needle circle, as shown in Figs. 3 and 8, these alternate needles will be raised to take the thread; from yarn feed finger B. The other needles,which have not been raised, not being jack operated, pass the yarn feeder B with their hooks below the yarn receiving plane, and therefore do not take yarn from the feeder B and thus the yarn is floated past these needles on the inside of the fabric, these floated or unsecured portions of the yarn being indicated in Fig. 1.

After having received the thread at feeder B, the alternate needles which were raised by the jacks are lowered by the supplemental stitch cam 9 to fgrm new stitches and cast off the old loops, after which all the the cam surface 14. They all pass the idle cam 20, above cam 22, and on arriving at the cam 6 all the needles are elevated to again take the yarn at the feeder A.

Tuck stitch fabric.

The features of my invention thus far described are also capable of making the tuck stitch fabric shown in Fig. 2.

The two feeds A and B are employed, and the cams above described would be adjusted as follows: needle retiring cam 11 is adjusted up into the inoperative position of Fig. 4, jack switch cam 10 is raised,supplemental stitch cam-9 is adjusted inward radially to lie close to or against the cylinder 1 to lower all elevated needles, and instep cams 8 and 8' and jack cam 17' are down while cam -15 is adjusted outward radially to inoperative position, and so is welt cam 20. The yarn is fed to every needle at feeder A, stitches are formed at main stitch cam 6, all the needles then pass along the normal plane 12 past the inoperative cam 15 under the elevated inoperative cam 11 without being retracted or drawn down, as shown in Fig. 4. They therefore all receive the yarn from the feeder B. Only alternate needles, however,i. 6., the jack operated needles, are elevated at feeder B to make the loops formed by the thread taken from the feeder A get below the latches owing to said latches being raised above the cast off line. When these alternate needles, elevated by the jacks, are retracted by the supplemental stitch cam 9, these loops will be cast off. The loops on the other needles, 2'. 6., those which were not elevated by the jacks, will be retained on the latches, and hence when these needles are retracted by the supplemental stitch cam 9 these loops will not be cast off. These needles, however, have received a new feed of yarn at feed finger B. All needles now .will be returned to the normal plane 12, and upon arriving at the feeder A the yarn will be fed to all the needles, and the alternate needles will form stitches at the stitch cam 6, while the intermediate needles will receive a new feed of yarn and cast off their two stitches, and thus tuck fabricof Fig. 2 will be formed.

Welt mechanism.

For carrying out this part of my invention, 2'. 6., making a welt at the top of the stocking leg, the needles are as above described in four setsso far as their lengths is continued for any desired number of courses for forming the welt, and then by bringing into operation both feeds and adjusting the cams-to avoid this knitting on alternate needles, either mock rib or tuck stitch can be made in the manner above described, or plain fabric with double feed can be knit as will be described later.

For selecting the alternate needles which are to remain operative for the formation of the welt, the four length butts of needles contribute, and with these four sets of nee dles the selecting cam 20, Figs. 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11, is employed which normally (6. 6., when no welt is being formed) is retracted away from the cylinder radially out of the path of the buttsof all the needles.

When the welt is to" be formed, this cam 20 is moved inward radially close to the needle cylinder to engage and retract all the needles. In passing under this earn the two throughout the entire circle will remain longest butt needles will rise alongthe edge 'longenough to reach out to this surface or edge,will remain lowered and pass under the switch cam 22 under cam 6 and through the guideway' or groove 23, thus moving past the thread feed A without taking thread.

The pivoted switch cam 22 as shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, occupies a recess on the inner face of the cam ring 2, and only the two shortest butt needles pass under it, as above described, the ring being left intact at its outer portion so that the two longest butt needles will rise along the inclined edge 21.

As the two shortest butt needles are on opposite sides of the cylinder and alternate respectively with the two longest butt needles, it will be seen that alternate needles knitting while the other needles will not knit, but will simply hold their loops. .After passing the yarn feed A all the needles will be raised to the normal plane by the incline 6*; they will pass the yarn feed B without receiving yarn, because this feed B has been lifted out of work and just before reaching the yarn feed A the needles will again be divided by the cams 20, 21, 221/00 continue knitting the welt, and this will continue until the desired number of courses is knit, when the welting or needle dividing cam 20 is retracted away from the needle path and the machine goes on knitting the fabric for the leg in the stitch desired.

Referring to the action of the radially movable welting cam 20, this in performing its inward movement bears on the ends of the needle butts, and as these are of varying lengths the cam will step inward by degrees in order to get into operative position close to the needle cylinder to act on all the needle butts. For instance, when the cam is first moved inward its inner face will strike the end faces of the intermediate length needle butts al.v Now when the longest butt needles a come around the cam will engage the upper edges of these butts and move them down, and the cam will then move inward another step until arrested by the face of the shortest butts-b. While held thus the two intermediate length butts c and 03 will pass under the cam and the shortest butts b having passed the cam it will move inward to its full limit close against the cylinder and in position to make the shortest butt needles as well as all the others pass beneath-it, and the action of rendering alternate needles inactive and continuing the knittingon the others will be performed as above described.

With the welting cam 20 retracted outward radially it will be readily understood that then all the needles will pass along the normal plane12 and above the cam 22, and any of the actions above described can then be carried out to form mock rib or tuck stitch following the welt, or heel and toe work, or as hereinafter described plain fabric with double feed maybe knit following the welt.

The cam 22 is pivoted so as to allow needles to pass under it as described. 7

Heel and toe work.

With needles of four butt lengths and with the longest and shortest butt needles constituting the instep series, means additional to the ordinary instep cam 8 for elevating the instep needles to inoperative position during heel and toe work must be provided, such ordinary instep cam operating in usual practice on the long butt instep needles only, but here where both the longest-and the shortest butt needles must be raised other means is necessary. I therefore employ the jacks and I make these jacks with two lengths of butts, the longest butt jacks 0, Figs. 3 and 8, being under the shortest butt or instep needles 6, while the shortest butt jacks f are under the next shortest butt or heel and toe needles 0. Under the longest butt instep needles a and the next to the longest butt, 2'. e., the heel and toe needles d, there are no jacks so that we have throughout the needle circle jacks under alternate needles as above described, and by having these jacks with long and short butts we are enabled to operate all of them or a part of them in order to perform the functions desired.

As before stated, in addition to the jack switch cam 10 which is arranged to operate on all the jacks to raise alternate needles throughout the entire needle circle, a second jack switch cam 17 is employed whlch is arranged to be missed by the short butt jacks 7, but to raise the long butt jacks and thus lift the shortest shank needles, these being of the instep series and being raised for heel and toe work. The other needles a of this set, z. e., the instep needles, being the longest butt of any, are controlled by the ordinary instep cams 8, 8, when the machine goes on heel and toe work, so that by the use of the jack switch cam 17 when raised to the position shown in dotted l1nes in Fig. 3 and the instep cam 8 when raised, one half of the needles are elevated for heel and toe work, that is to say, the instep needles, longest and shortest butts, are elevated when making heel and toe pockets. Coiiperating with the jack switch cam 17 wh ch raises the short butt needles by operating the longestbutt jacks is the shaped cam 18 which is supported in fixed position n relation to all the other cams and to the needle path, being fixed to a standard 19.

The relation of the cams 10 and 17 is clear from Figs. 3, 8 and 9. The cam 10 is located in an inner recess of the cam ring 2, and its innerface is substantially flush with the inner face of the cam ring so that it will operate on all the jacks, whereas the cam 17 is located in an outer recess of the cam ring 2 so that the inner face of this cam is out beyond the inner face of the cam ring and a sufiicient distance to miss the short butt jacks, and it will operate only the long butt jacks to raise .the shortest butt needles. The cams 17, 18 and 8' therefore cooperate to divide the needles into the two sets for making the heel and toe by elevating the longest and shortest butt needles, a, b, constituting the instep series to inoperative position while the heel and toe pockets are being formed on the other needles 0, d.

Plain fabric with double feed.

advanced by cam 6 to take yarn from the feeder A and form stitches again at cam 6 and so on for any desired number of courses. This radial cam 15 is also used in making a tuck stitch instep with a plain sole, as will be described later. I

For making plain fabric for the loopers hold following the formation of the toe and preceding the formation of the welt, the cams would be adjusted for making a plain fabric with a single feed A, the active cams being only those ordinarily employed in the Hemphill or Banner Machine, e., the cams 6,- 6' and 7, all the other cams being out of operation.

0am operating mechanism.

The various cams are operated as follows:

The supplemental advance needle cam 15.

is mounted on a slide 24, Fig. 13, guided in a fixed bracket 25 supported on the cam plate H of the Hemphill patent 933,443, and this slide is pressed by a spring 26 tending to force it radially inward close to the needle' cylinder. The slide with the needle cam is retracted by a bell crank lever 27 bearing on a pin 28, said bell crank lever'being operated from a cam 27 through the lever 28. pivoted to the frame and a link 29. This cam is a part of the pattern drum supported on the shaft 8' similarly'marked in the Hemphill patent 933,443.

The operating cam 27 has a depression30 others.

deep enough to allow the needle advancing .cam 15 to move radially all the way into the full inward movement of the needle cam to take place and thus advance all of the needles including the shortest butt, then plain fabric will be produced as just described with two feeds for the leg and foot when desired. If, however, the collar is adjusted so as to allow the needle advancing cam to operate all except the shortest butt needles, the result would be tuck work in the instep or half way round the tube, as will be described later, and the sole or remaining portion of. .the tube would be plain stitch all as hereinafter described.

-The pivoted cam 11 which retracts all the needles when adjusted to its low position is operated by turning the shaft 32 to which it is fixed, said shaft being mounted in a standard 33 onthe cam supporting plate H. This shaft is rocked by an arm 34 fixedv thereto connected by a link 35 to a lever 36 pivoted at 37 to the yoke or bracket 38 extending from the rod 9 of the Hemphill patent which raises the cam plate H, said lever being operated by a link 39 and lever 40 from the cam drum on the shaft 8', the lever 40-being shown as being down in the depression 41 of said cam drum, dotted lines, Fig. 10, and consequently the cam 11 is down in the posi- If the collar is adjusted to allow tion shown in Figs. 3-10, which is the l-lSjltion formaking', for instance, mock rib.

The connections just described for operat ing the pivoted needle lowering cam 11 are under influence of spring 42 which throws the cam 11 down when the recess 41 is presented to the end of the lever 40.

The jack switch cam 10 at the rear of the machine is operated as follows:

It is mounted on a rock shaft 43 journaled u in a bracket or hearing fixed to the plate H, and is operated by a cam-shaped end 44,

.Figs. 7,7 and 7", of an arm 45 working against a stud 46 connected with the rock shaft. The arm 45 is mounted on a slide 47 uided by blocks 48 on the plate H, said slide being operated by a lever 49 connectedthrough the fork 50 with the slide (see plan view, Fig. 7). This slide is adjacent the widening ick mechanism, and the fork 50 straddles 51c post or standard 51 to WlllCll the widening picks 5 are pivoted. The fork has a pin 52 to which said-lever 49 is connected. v

On this sliding block 47 is mounted also the supplemental stitch cam 9', and 1t will be seen that when the slide is moved'in toward the cylinder-the two cams, i. a, rear jack cam 10 and supplemental stitch cam 9, will be set in operative position, that is, cam 10 will be tilted up to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and the supplemental stitch 5 cam will be set in'close to the cylinder to retract all needles, in making for instance mock rib and tuck work, as above described.

The lever 49 is pivoted at 54 and is operated through a link 53, a bell crank lever 55 pivoted on the fixed frame at 56 and operto position to retract the needles and 'the.

jack cam 10 is tilted up to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 for making mock rib or tuck; the supplemental yarn feed B is thrown into work, this being done by the cam lever 58, link 57, the lever 57 pivoted to the fixed frame, as shown in Fig. 12, said lever operating vertically the rod 57 which has an arm 57 attached thereto, a pin 57 d on which operates against the yarn feed B which is pivoted to' the ordinary latch rin', as shown in Fig. 6.

hen the supplemental stitch cam 9 is withdrawn from the needles, the operating connections therefor serve also to release the supplemental yarn feed B. which is then thrown out of work by a spring 9.

The connections just described for operat- 40 ing the supplemental stitch cam 9 are operated by the cam and cam lever 58 in one direction, and in the other direction, to retract the said supplemental cam, by a spring h which presses therod 57 downwardly and through the lever 57 to which both links 56* and 57 are connected, the lever 49 is retracted, thus moving the slide 47 outwardly and retracting the supplemental stitch cam 9.

When the slide 47 moves radially out-ward 50 for retracting the supplemental stitch cam 9, the pivoted jack cam 10 is lowered by a s rin I .61 connected with the rock shaft 43,

The ordinary instep cam 8 is operated as in ordinary practice in the Hemphill machine by a bell crank lever 62 pivoted on a bracket 63 fixed to the cam supporting plate H, and operated by a link 64 connected with the lever b of the Hemphill patent,

which lever shifts the clutch for changing the motion from round knitting to recipro eating knitting. I

j -The front pivoted jack cam 17 which comes into use for elevating the shortest butt instep needles for heel and toe work is mounted on a shaft 65 journaled in the cam supporting plate H, and this shaft is rocked by an arm 66 fixed thereto, a link 67, lever 68, link 69 and cam lever 70. pivoted on pin 59, the link 69 being connected with the front end of 70 this cam lever. Projections 71 on the pattern drum operate this cam lever. As shown in Fig. 10, however, the lever is on the low part of the pattern drum, and consequently theswitch cam 17 is down out of work, as shown in Fig. 3 which, together with Fig. 10 as before stated, shows the parts in position for making mock rib.

The welting cam 20 for dividing the needles alternately into two sets, one set to knit and the other set of alternate needles to simply hold their loops, for the formation of the welt, is operated radially by a spring 72, Figs. 7 and 11, which presses inwardly the slide 73 carrying the cam.

This slide is guided in a bracket 74 fixed to the cam supporting plate H. The slide is retracted to move the cam radially outward by a bell crank lever 75,v a link 76, and a cam lever 77 pivoted at 78 to the fixed frame and pressed by a spring 79. When the lever is on the low part of the pattern drum, as shown in Fig. 10, the spring-79 holds the cam 20 retracted away from the cylmder, and this is the position of the parts shown in Figs. 3, 7 and 10, which is the pos1t1on for making mock. rib, but when the cam projection 80 of the pattern drum raises the 'cam lever 77, the bell crank 75 releases the slide and the spring 72, then presses the sllde with cam 20 inwardly toward the cyllnder, and the cam moves in step by step as the different lengths of needle butts permit, as above described.

The cam is moved out step by step for which purpose the cam projection 80 hasv two steps, 81, 82, down which the lever 77 moves by, successive actions under the power of the spring 79 which is stronger than spring 72, thus serving to retract the welt cam 20 by successive steps. This is to prevent any of the shortest butt or the next shortest butt needles being left partly lowered, in which position they would smash agalnst the tail or pivoted end of the cam 22 instead of being directed under this cam, and hence a smash up would result.

The cam lever 83, Fig. 10, operates the controller of the widening picks5, this being indicated at 84, Fig. 6 and Figs. 7, I

connected to the block 85 guided to slide vertically in the standard 51, and connected with rod 86 which is raised and'lowered by a lever 87 pivoted at 88 and connected through link 89 with said lever 87.

This mechanism is the same substantially as in the Hemphill machine.

Tuck stitch taste? and plain sole. With the needles of fiiur butt lengths and 130 the needle cam organization above described, either with or without the welt cams 20, 22, in said organization, 1t is possible to get other variations in the fabric besides those mentioned above, for instance, a tuck stitch instep with a plain sole.

In doing this the radially adjustable supplemental stitch c'am 9 and the jack raising cam 10 instead of being operated in harmony, i. e., both in work or both out of work at the same time, are controlled inde. pendently, as shown in Fig. 14 so that the supplemental stitch cam 9 will be in work while the cam 10 will b out of work, and mechanism for doing this will be presently described. In making this tuck stitch instep and plain sole, both feeds A and B will be in work.

As before stated, the instep needles have long and short butts, alternately arranged, while the heel and toe needles also have two lengths of butts, the needles of one butt length alternating with the needles of the other butt length, and the butts of the instep needles are of different lengths from those of the heel and toe needles. In other words, one half of the needle circle, 2'. e., the instep needles, is made up of the longest butt needles a alternating with the shortest butt needles I), while" the other half of the needle circle, 2'. e., the heel and toe needles, is composed of needles having two lengths of butts c, at, these lengths being intermediate the longest and shortest butt needles of the instep series, the butts 0 being the shortest of the two intermediate lengths of the heel and toe needles. As before stated, the needle raising cain 15 is adjustable radially to and from the path of the needles, while i the cam 16 being simply a lowering cam, is fixed to a suitable standard and is not adjustable. The cam 15 is adjustabl radially inward for making the tuck instep and plain sole to a position to raise all the needles excepting the shortest butt needles of the instep series, and therefore in passing this cam all the needles excepting these short butt instep needles will move high enough to allow the fabric loops to fall below the latches, and as the needles all pass the thread carrier B they all receive the yarn and make plain knitting without tucking, excepting the shortest butt instep needles, which are not elevated by the supplemental cam 15, and ,as these shortest butt needles also receive the yarn from the thread carrier B but the previously formed loops were not mad to fallbelow the latches by the said suplemental cam 15, tuck stitches will be formed on these needles which, together with the longest butt needles, will make the instep.

It will be understood that when all the needles excepting the shortest butts are elevated by the supplemental cam 15, and their loops have fallen below their latches, these needles are all returned to the normal plane with their butts riding on the upper edge 12 of the cam, and they, together with the' 9, whereas they shortest butt needles which were not advanced by the cam 15 and whose stitches still remain on their latches will simply take on a new feed of yarn at feeder B, and will not cast their old loops when retracted by the stitch cam 9, and thus tuck stitches will be formed on these needles In making tuck stitch instep and plain sole, as just described, the cams of Fig. 14 will be adjusted as follows: Supplemental advancing cam 15 is adjusted radially inward toward the needle cylinder to raise all the needles exceptin the shortest butt needles, cam 11 is up, jack cam 10 down, stitch cam 9 is adjusted radially inward close to the cylinder to retract all the needles from their normal plane, instep cam 8 and instep jack cam 17 are down, and if the machine is not intended to make a welt the welt cams 20 and 22 would be out of operation.

The jack switch cam' 10 is operated independently of the supplemental stitch cam 9 as follows in the form of the machine just described organized to make the tuck instep and plain sole, together with the other stitches mentioned: 7

It is mounted on a rock shaft 43 journaled in a bracket or bearing fixed to the plateH, and is operated by an arm 90 on the rock shaft, a link 91, a lever 92 pivoted to the frame at 92*, and a cam 93 on the shaft 8 of the pattern drum. This cam has a depression 94 and when this comes under the end of the lever said lever will be operated by a spring 95 to lower the cam 10. The depression 94 extends on the cam a distance equal to the distance between the projections 71 on the pattern drum which are in effeet when the heel and toe are being formed, as will be hereinafter described, or in other words' the length of this depression represents that portion of the pattern drum at which the sole and instep are formed.

Tuck work in instep and sole or throughout the Circle of the leg.

outward so as to miss the shortest and the next shortest butt needles, the rest of the cams being left in the positlon just described latches and for the casting off at feed B which tuck in the leg, and therefore by the while the alternate needlesin each set, (i. e. the shortest butt, of the instep set and the longest intermediate butt of the sole set), will not be raised to such a point as to get their loops back of their latches, but these needles will take the yarn from feed B and having retained their loops on their latches tuck stitches will be formed on these alternate needles throughout the entire circle.

It may be observed that for making the tuck stitch throughout the instep and sole the cams might be adjusted to the position described above for making the tuck stitches throughout the leg, but the advantage of making the tuck stitches by adjusting the supplemental cam 15 is that the tucking can be done on the alternate needles from those use of this cam 15 the tucking may alternate in respect-to the wales, z. e., first on' one set of wales and then on the intermediate set of wales. This can bedone by using the cam 15 for a certain number'of courses and then changing the adjustment of the cams back to that above described for making the leg tuck, knitting a number of courses with the cams adjusted in, this position, then changing to the cam 15 again if desired and so on as long as may be desired. This tucking by the cam 15 on the alternate needles fromthose which tuck in the leg is due to the fact that whentucking in the log, it is done on the two longest butt set of needles which are not jack controlled,

the jacks raising the twoshortest butt sets of needles to cast their stitches. The cam '15, however, operates upon the two longest butt set of needles to cast their loops", while the two shortest butt set of needles, not being operated by the cam 15, will tuck. In the leg, therefore, tucking is done on the two longest butt needles while in the instep and foot tucking is done on theshortest butt set of needles. This alternate tucking as to the wales can be done on the leg also. When done with different colors, a check effect will be produced; first one color appearing on a wale and then another.

My invention may be embodied in a machine organized to make welt, heel and toe,

'mock rib (accordion),tuck stitch, and plain fabric with either single -or double yarn feed and with only two length butt needles and-jonly one length butt jacks. Such. a machine is illustrated in Figs. 15, 15, and 18 and 19. The following cams would be 'used: 20*, 22 stitch cam 6, supplemental needle advancing cams 15*, similar in substance to the cam 15 before described but differing slightly as will be described, needle lowering cam 11, jack cam 10, supplemental stitch cam 9, ordinary instep cams 8 and 8', and stitch cam 6'. The cams 17, 18, would not be used, and only one length butt jack would be used on alternate needles throughout the needle circle, these jacks beingindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 17. The cams retained and shown in Fig. 15, would be adjusted as above described in making the mock rib and tuck stitch or plain fabric with single feed or heel and toe, and the adjustments areeffectedby similar means to those described heretofore.

In making plain fabric with a double feed of yarn and with two lengths of needle butts, the cams would be adjusted as follows: needle advancing cam 15 which I have shown modified in respect to the cam 15 before described, 2'. e to move vertically 'cam 11 would be up in inoperativeposition,

jack cam 10 would be either up or down, supplemental stitch cam 9 would be adjusted radially inward to retract all. advanced needles. Cam 20 would be retracted radially toinoperative position.

All needles would take yarnat feed A. These needles would be advanced at cam 15 to get the loops below the latches. A new feed of yarn would occur at feed B on all the needles which would arrive at said feed in the normal plane, their butts riding on the upper edge 12 of the cam ring 2. All the needles then would be retracted by the supplemental stitch cam 9 and stitches would be formed. All needles would next be advanced by riding over cam 6 to take the yarn from feeder A. In

place of the vertically adjustable needle adto the leve'r28' beforeidescribed, a vertical rod 28 and apattern drum, these being indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 15. This operation, z'. 0., making plain fabric with double feed, can be carried out with the welt organization and with needles having the four lengths of butts as above described in which event, for heel and toe work, the jack cam 17 and cam 18 would be'used in addition to theordmary instep cams 8, 8.

For makiffg a welt on the two butt length of needles of the or anization' shown in Figs. 15, 16-and 17,

employ the needle dividing cam 20 shown in Figs. '15 and18 radially movable and pressedinwardlyby a spring 72*, and controlled by a lever 75 similar to the lever 75 before described, and operated by connections to the pattern drum 1n a manner similar to that before mentioned in connection with the dividing cam 20 of Figs. 3, 11 and others. When this cam is adjustedradially inward, it will retire all the needles both long and short butt as they are approaching the stitch cam. Alternate needles, however, are raised by the jacks and a cam 10, while the other needles remain retired and pass below the stitch cams through the path 23, and this will produce the welt as in the form shown in Fig. 3, but with only two lengths of needle butts instead of four lengths, as in the form described in Fig. 3 and other figures.

In order to allow the jack operated needles to be advanced after being'retired, I make the portion 22% of the cam ring movable horizontally around a pivotal point 22", Figs. 15 and 18, being pressed by a spring 22 which holds it in normal position. This portion of the cam ring is the part which acts as a needle restoring cam for raising the needles to normal plane after forming its stitch in heel and toe work.

This cam section stands at an angle to the path of the needle butts (see the face 22 in Fig. 18) so that as the alternate needles are lifted by the jacks the butts of these needles in rising will workagainst the inclined face and the cam will be swung outwardly to allow these needles to pass. At other times this cam will be in its innermost position to restore the needles to normal plane in heel and toe work.

Referring to the form of machine shown in Figs. 1921, I employ the same set of cams shown in Fig. 15, and two length butt needles and a set of one length butt jacks, these being under alternate needles while the other needles areprovided with long tails, as

shown in Fig. 21. The jack operated needles are divided from the other needles to knit at feed B by the cams 10 and 9, while the other needles merely hold their loops. At the feed A the other needles, 2'. e., the long tail needles, are divided from the jack operated needles by the combined action of the needle retiring cam 20*, the cam 10 which advances the long tail needles, and the yielding restoring cam 22*. By this arrangement we get the same form of knitting at both the feeds A and B, securing double production, the knitting of the stitches at feed B taking place on alternate jack operated needles, while at feed A the knitting of the stitches takes place on the other needles, i. 6., the long tail needles.

The organization shown in Fig. 3 for knitting the welt, mock rib, tuck and heel and toe, as well as plain fabric, can knit the welt, then go on mock rib work for half hose followed by plain work, or following the formation ofthe welt the machine can go on tuck work for ladies hose or plain fabric can be made immediately following the welt.

I haveshown a needle cam organization and jacks and their cams capable of making a variety of fabrics, and I have illustrated connections to a pattern drum for operating the said cam organization, jack cams and yarn feeds, but it will be understood that these connections and the pattern drum for operating them are representative of any suitable means for giving the cams their adjustments to carry out the various functions of the organization disclosed.

The machine will also make a ring toe 'by adjusting the cams to make plain work with a single feed. In this instance all the'cams would be out of operation excepting the cams ordinarily employed in the'Hemphill -machine, the cams 6 and 6 being the ordinary stitch cams of said machine, and the cam 7 the ordinary guard cam operative upon all the needles. i

For ladies stockings the machine will knit welt, thentuck stitch top and down the leg, and then tuck stitch instep with plain sole, or tuck stitch instep and sole.

' For mens half hose the machine will knit welt, then mock rib top, then tuck stitch in leg and instep with plain sole, or plain fabric in the leg following the mock rib and plain fabric in the foot, this plain fabric being knit with two yarn feeds A and B.

The pattern drum is made with removable pieces or blocks as in ordinary practice so that the operator, by properly disposing projections and depressions about the drum, can

get the desired sequence of operations to produce the desired change in the fabric, this being Well understood by those skilled in the art, and therefore I do not go in detail into this pattern mechanism further than as above set forth.

I claim! as my invention 1. A circular stocking machine for making a welt and fabric for the leg, comprising a main and a supplemental yarn feed, a main stitch cam at the main feed and a supplemental stitch cam at the supplemental feed, a needle retiring cam at each feed, means for advancing alternate retired needles at each feed for taking the yarn and knitting and means for automatically throw

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