US1509408A - Island - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 23

M. C. MILLER KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 8, 1919 ATTORNE Fatented Sept. 23, l d,

MAX 0. MILLER, 01? CUMBERLAND HILL, RHO DE ISLAND, ASSIGNDR TO' JENCKES KNITTING MACHINE COMPANY, G}? PAWTUCKET, BHQDE ISLAND, A CORPORA- TION OF RHODE ISLAND.

KNITTING MAGHI'NE.

Applicationfiled January 8, 1919. Serial No 270,130.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX C. MILLER, a

citizen of Germany, residing at Cumberland Hill, in the countyof Cumberland and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, 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 yarn feeding and changing mechanism for circular rotary needle cylinder machines such as are commonly used for knitting seamless hosiery and similar tubular fabric.

' nent bridge, and a series of Yarn feeding and changing mechanisms of the type to which the invention relates as heretofore commonly constructed have required that the throat and the latch ring through which the yarns are fed to the needles be provided with an opening at its top through which the yarn changers may pass into and out of position to deliver the yarns to the needles. This opening in the throat plate, particularly in machines provided with a number of yarn changers required in modern practice, say from four to six, is so broad that during reciprocatory knitting the latches of the needles which are in the inactive series are likely to fly outward and even to close as they pass the feeding throat. It has been customary, therefore, to provide means for temporarily bridging the top of the throat which is movable or removable to permit the passage of the yarn and yarn changer fingers in inserting and withdrawing the yarns during the knitting.

One feature of the present invention comprises a feeding throat, the top of which is closed or substantially closed by a perinayarn guide lingers which pass outward under the bridge in moviiig from inactive position within the knitting, acter would be in the path of the instep screws.

the throat. Yarn guides of this character may be used during rotary knitting, since none of the needles are above the clear level to which they are moved just before they reach the feeding throat. On reciprocatory however, a yarn guide of this charneedles which have been raised into the inactive series, and therefore the use of such a guide for feeding the yarn during the knitting of the heel or tee is impracticable. The yarn guide used on the heel or toe (or both yarn guides, if two are used) is arranged to move from the outside of the throat up ward and inward over the tops of the active needles to its inactive )osition, and at this time preferably lies in t 1e upper part of the throat below the bridge, since this permits the top of the throat to be completely closed by a permanent bridge.

The invention also includes a novel construction of latch ring in which the throat is formed, and a novel mechanism for operating and controlling the yarn guides.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing so much of a knitting machine as is necessary to illustrate the application of the present invention thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1: and Fig. 3 is a sectional View on line 33, Fig. 1.

In the construction shown the latch ring- 2 consists of a steel annulus which is so mounted in a pivotally supported latch ring carrier 4 that it may be universally adjusted to bring it into proper relation to the needles and needle cylinder. The latch ring is provided near its upper edge with a groove 6 adapted to be engaged by the heads of three adjusting screws 8, by adjustment of which the vertical position and the inclination of the rin may be varied. lhese screws are held in adjusted position by bind ing screws 10, the heads of which are arranged to engage the heads of the adjusting The ring is centered and held in position horizontally by three adjusting screws 1.2 arranged to engage the periphery of the ring, and held in position by the bind ing screws 14. This construction enables the ring to be accurately positioned with relation to the needies and needle cylinder, and

also enables a new ring of different sizeto be readily substituted, in case needles having different gage hooks are inserted in the needle cylinder.

ables the throat to be formed directly in the latch ring, thus avoiding objectionable joints incident to the use of separate throat and Wear plates set into a cast-iron latch ring. It also provides for radial adjustment of the throat plate to bring itinto' predetermined position with relation to the needles.

The feeding throat 16 is formed in the latch ring, and is provided with the usual guiding shoul ers 18 over which the yarn is directed to the knitting waves during rotary or reciprocatory knitting. The top of the throat is closed by a bridge 20 forming a permanent part of the throat plate or latch ringfland efi'ectively retaining the latches of the inactive needles in proper position during reciprocatory knitting. The yarn guides for feeding and changin yarns during rotary knitting, of whic1 there are four in the construction shown, consists of a series of arms 22 projecting over the latch ring, and provided at their inner ends with downwardly extending fingers 24 in the 1 wer ends of which the yarnguiding openings 26 are formed. The arms 22 are pivoted on a rod 28. arranged outside and somewhat above the latch rings, so that the yarn guiding openings26 will be moved back and forth across the tops of the needles and under the throat bridge 20 by movement of the arm about the pivot stud 28. Each yarn guide is acted upon by a spring 30 which tends to throw it down into feeding position. It is raised into inactive position by a lever 32, the upper end of which bears against a segmetal cam surface 3% on the arm 22. When the guide is raised it is engaged by a spring operated latch 36 which latches it in inactive position. The actuating lever carries a pivoted pawl 38, which is normally held in position to engage the tail of the latch, by a spring 40, so that a short movement of the lever will bring the pawl against the tail of the latch and thus disengage the latch to insert the corresponding yarn. When the yarn is to be withdrawn the lever is given a longer movement, and during this movement the pawl will first engage the latch and move it idly into inactive position, and immediately thereafter, during the continued movementof the lever, the pawl will strike against the fixed bar 42 and be thrown out of engage.- mentwith the tail of the latch, so that the latch may return to active position. During the further movement of ll a lever. its upper end acts on the cam segment to move the yarn guide into inactive position, where it is held by the latch, as above described, until the corresponding yarn is to be again inserted. Each yarn guide is provided This construction also enwith an additional shoulder or tooth 44, to be engaged by the latch when the guide is swung up out of its normal inactive position, for the purpose of threading the yarn.

The yarn guide 46 for the heel or too yarn is pivoted on the rod 28, so that its yarn carrying end will pass inward through the throat from active feeding position to a position inside and above the needles, and is so shaped that it will lie in the upper part of the throat beneath the bridge 20 when in inactive position. It is operated and controlled by an operating lever and latch in the same manner as the yarn guides for inserting and withdrawing the yarns used during rotary knitting.

lVith the above construction, in which the yarn guides are retained in inactive position by latches which are disengaged to permit the guides to move down into active position, the guides will be retained in inactive position with relation'to the throat when the latch ring is swung up to transfer a top of fabric to the needles, and the yarn will not become slackened and tangled, as in the constructions in which the upward. movement of the latch ring causes the yarn guides to swing down into the feeding threat.

The means for operating the levers 32 to insert or withdraw the yarns comprises a series of cams carried on a cam drum which is intermittently advanced at proper intervals by a pawl and ratchet mechanism. The cams for operating the lovers are of diii'erent heights, to give the lever a short or long throw to insert or withdraw the corresponding yarn. These cams, indicated at 48, are formed on cam blocks which are secured upon their carrier drum by means which forms a feature of the present invention. The cam blocks are secured in rings 50 which are provided with dove-tailed or undercut grooves preferably correspoiuling in number to the teeth in the ratchet win-oi 52 through which the cam drum is rotated. The cam blocks are provided with lugs adapted to tit within the grooves, so that the cams may be located at any point about the circumference of the drum. The cam securing rings are separated by spacer rings of substantially the same thickness as the cam securing rings, and these rings are provided at one or more points with openings 5% through which the cam blocks may be removed when the openings are broughtinto register therewith. The cam rings are keyed to the cylindrical body 56 of the drum, while the spacing rings are free to be turned about the body of the drum to bring the removing spaces into or out of register with the cam blocks. The rings are clamped in position. after the cam blocks have been adjusted into the desired positions on the drum, between a flange ing the" amount of lap 58 on the drum and a clamping disc 60 which is secured to the end of the drum body by clamping screws 62. This construction enables the, cams for controlling the inserting and withdrawing'of the yarns to be readily adjusted to insert or withdraw any yarn at any desired point in the fabric being knit. I

The cam drum is advanced at the desired intervals by a pawl 64, the engagementof' which with the ratchet wheel 52 maybe controlled by any suitablepattern mochanism in a well-known manner- The pawlis mounted upon a pawl carrying lever 66, and is given a two-stage feeding movement by secured upon a rotating two cams 68 and 70 shaft 72 and arranged to engage the end of the 1ever'66. ment given to the pawl by the cams enables the cam a second advance movement to withdraw a yarn after an interval which may be varied by the adjustment of the cam 70 with 'rela tion to the cam 68. This enables the la of the yarns to be regulated as desire either in setting up the that this construction and arrangement 1snot essential to the broader features of the invention, but may be varied or modified as found desirable or best suited to the construction of themachine in which the in throat, a plurality of vention is to be embodied.

What is claimed is z- 1. A rotary needle cylinder knitting machine having, in combination, a latch ring having a feed throat, a permanent bridge substantially closing the top of the throat arranged to engage the latches of the needles which are raised to the inactive level during reciprocatory knitting, a plurality of arn guides and means for moving them under the bridge into and out of feeding position.

2. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a latch ring having a feed throat, a bridge substantially closing the topof the ing over the latch ring and'provided with depending fingers which project, out through the throat when in yarn feeding position and have guides in their lower ends, and means for moving them back and forth across the tops of the needles and under the bridge.- I

- 3. A knitting machine, having, in combie two-stage feeding move- I drum to be advanced to insert a yarn by the cam 68, and then to be given videdl with a groove,

yarn guides extendnation, aflatch ring having a feed throat, a bridge substantially closing the top of the throat, a plurality of yarn guides extending over the latch ring and provided.

with'depending fingers which project out through the throat when in yarn feeding position'and have guides in their lower ends,- a yarn guide arranged to lie wholly outside the needles when in feeding position, and means for moving the guides back and forth across the tops of the needles and. under the bridge. 1

4. A knitting machine, having, in combnation, alatch ring having a feed throat,

abridge substantially closing the "top of the throat, a plurality of yarn guides extending over the latchrlng and having depending fingers which project out through the throat when in yarn feeding position, and a heel and toe yarnguide arranged to project in through the throat and over the tops of the needles when in inactive position. v,

A 5. A knitting machine, having, in combi-' nation, a plurality of yarn guides, latches for holding the guides in inactive position, a corresponding series of actuators, and means for giving the actuators a short movement to release the latches and a longermovement to move the guides from feeding to inactive position.

nation, a plurality ofyarn guides, latchec for holding the guides in inactive position,

'an actuator lever for each guide, and a pawl vided with transverse securing grooves, cam

"blocks provided with securing lugs fitting said grooves, spacing rings between the cam rings provided with transverse recesses through which the cam blocks may be inserted or removed from the cam rings, and

means for securing the rings together to form a cam drum for operating the guides.

8. A knitting machine, having, in combination a latch ring carrier, and a latch ring universally adjustable in the carrier.

9.'A knit-ting machine, having, in combination, a latch ring carrier, a latch ring pro- 4 three vertically adjustable supports engaging the groove, and threehorizontally adjustable centering devices engaging the outside of the ring.

10. A knitting machine having, in combination, a latch ring carrier, a latch ring, three vertically adjustable supports for the ring, and three horizontally adj ustable centering devices engaging the outside of the ring.

MAX C. MILLER.

e. A knitting machine, having, in combi-

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