US1664353A - Trip mechanism for knitting-machine stop motions - Google Patents

Description

March 27, 1928.

F. CRAWFORD, SR

TRIP MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINE STOP MOTIONS Filed Feb. 1 .1926

firm/g 5 Z25 I 9 4 Patented Mar. 27, 1928.

l T E D S T FRANK CRAWFORD, 53., OF NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-NOB TO CRAWFORD on NEW JERSEY.

'ni nnrhcrunrne oonranY, on NEW isnnn'swic New JERSEY, A CORPORATION Application filed February 18, 1926. Serial No. 89,136.

This invention relates to trip mechanism for knitting machine stop motions, and more particularly to that class of knitting machine onfwhich circular knit hosiery is produced. In a knitting machine of this type, when the heel and toe portions of the stocking are being knit, it is desirable to have the thread running free through the thread guides and under little or no tension.

In accordance with the principles of my invention, theonly tension on the thread is that applied by the drop wire of the stop motion. The drop wire. in this particular instance, is constructed of comparatively fine gage steel wire of inconsequental weight.

The principal object of my invention is to provide atrip arm for the stop motion of a knitting machine which shall be of suflic ent weight to efliciently operate the stop motion, under the control of the drop wire of the stop motion and at the same time reduce the tension applied to the knitting thread, by the drop wire, to a minimum.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of my invention with one of the cover plates removed.

Fig. 2 is a faceview, with the front cover removed.

Fig.8 is a rear view, partly in section, with the rear cover removed.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the drop wire'and its associated pivot element.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the stop motion trip 'arm.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the latch controlled by the drop wire.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the intermediate lever associated with the drop arm shown in Fig. -5.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, 1 is a thread guide arm, forming part of a stop motion of'a knitting machine, and provided with a supportin'g plate 2.positioned at right angles "and extending vertically from the arm 1. The plate 2 is .providedwith a for wardly extending horizontally disposed bracket 3 having a reduced vertically extending arm 4 which is provided with a wing 5 extending rearwardly and parallel to the bracket 8. In the bracket 3 and the wing 5,

I provide the usual porcelain thread eyes .6 and 7 respectively.

Between the bread eyes 6 and 7, I position a hooked portion 9 of a drop wire 8, said drop fwire being provided with a pivot element 10 journaled in a bearing 11 formed on the plate 2. The pivot element 10 is provided with a downwardly projecting arm 12 adapted to-engage the lower end: of a latch member 13 which is pivoted at 1& to a bracket 15 secured to the plate 2. v

The latch member 13 is provided with a shoulder 16 adapted tobe engaged'by a pro jection 17 on an intermediate lever 18 which is pivoted at 19 to the bracket 15. The inter mediate lever 18 is provided-with a slot 2O into which projects apin21, securedin a weight 22 on the outer end of atrip arm 28. The trip arm 23 is secured to the outer'end of atrip rod or shaft 24 which. is journaled in bearings 25 formedin the arm 1, and is adapted to trip the stop motion of the knitting machine (not shown)." i

As shown in the drawings, the intermediate" lever 18 is .pivoted'adjacentone facelof the plate 2, and the weight 22 occupies a position adjacent the opposite face of the plate 2, a slot'2'6, being provided in the plate 2 for the accommodation of the pin 21, when the arm 23 moves about the pivotal center of the shaft 24. i i

' In operation, and as shown in Fig. 1, a thread X passes through the eyes 6 and 7, and is engaged, intermediate the two said eyes, by the hook portion 9 of the drop wire 8. The arm 23 is supported in its inoperative position, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, by means of the projection 17 of the arm 18 being engaged by the shoulder 16 of the latch member 13. The arm 12 of the drop wire 8 is adapted to lie in contact with the lower portion of the latch arm 13.

Under normal operating conditions, the

thread X passes through the eyes 6 and 7 under yery slight tension. The thread is lightly engaged by the hook member 9, and thedrop wire8 is thereby held in aninoperative verticalposition and being of comparatively fine wire and of very little weight little orno tension is applied to the thread by the drop wire.

Should the thread X drop wire 8 is immediately released. Its

pivot element 10 thereby causing thearm become broken, the

thereof to engage and move the latch member 13 on its pivot 14.

The movement of the latch member 13 causes the shoulder 16 thereof to release the projection 17 of the arm 18, permitting said arm to move about its pivotal center 19. The movement of the arm 18, through the slot 20 and pin 21, permits the weight 22 to fall, moving in a path concentric with the center of the shaft 24:, which is turned thereby. The turning of the shaft 24 trips the stop motion (not shown) causing theknitting machine to which it is attachedto be stopped.

' From. the above description, it will be apparent that I provide a thread guide and tripping mechanism for a stop motion in which little or no tension is applied to theknitting thread passing tl'ieret-hrough. However, should the thread break, the mechanism is released and the knitting machine stopped immediately. Y

. To prevent the yarn fly and other dust from accumulatingon the elements forming my invention I provide flanged cover plates 30 and 31 which. are secured to the front and rear faces respectively of the supporting plate 2, in any suitable manner. The front cover plate 30 is apertured at 32 and 33 for the free movement of the drop wire 8 and the trip arm 23 respectively. 7

While I have shown'but one preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that numerous modifications to the mechanism are possible without departing from the essential features of my invention, therefore, the illustration is not to be construed as limiting the invention to the precise construc tion shown, and I desirethat only such limitations ,be placed thereon as may be prescribed by the appended claims or necessitated by the prior art of record.

What I claim is: p

1. In trip mechanism for knitting machine stop motions, the combination of a pivoted weighted arm adapted to trip said stop motion; a pivoted drop wire of inconsequential weight supported by the knitting thread running in the knitting machine; a projection on said weighted trip arm; a pivoted intermediate lever engaging said projection; a latch engaging said intermediate lever; and a projection on said drop wire adapted to engage said latch and thereby release said trip arm when said drop wire is permitted to rotate as by breakage of said thread. I j

2. In trip mechanism for knitting machine stop motions, the combination of a supporting element; aweighted trip arm pivotedon said support; a drop wire pivoted on said support and adapted to be held in an inoperative position by ,a knitting thread running in the knitting machine; an intermediate lever pivoted on said support; a projection on said weighted trip arm normally occupying a position immediately adjacent the pivot of and engaged by said intermediate lever; a latch pivoted on said support and normally engaging the free end of said intermediate lever; and an arm projecting from the pivot element of said drop wire adapted to engage and release said latch whereby said trip arm is released when the said'drop wire is permitted to rotate as by breakage of said thread.

3. In trip mechanism for j knitting machine stop motions, the combination of a supporting element; a weighted trip arm pivoted on said support; a drop wire pivoted on said support and adapted to be held in an inoperative position by a knitting thread running in the knitting machine; a longitudinally slotted intermediate lever pivoted on said support; a projection on said weighted trip arm normally occupying a position immediately adjacent the pivot 01": said intermediate lever and extending into the slot thereof; a latch normally'engaging the free end of said intermediate lever; and an arm projecting from the pivot element of said drop wire adapted to engage and'release said latch whereby said trip arm is released when the said drop wire is permitted to rotate as by breakage of said thread.

1. In trip mechanism for knitting machine stop motions, the combination of a supporting arm; a supporting plate secured to said arm; a stop motion trip rod journaled in said arm; a weighted trip arm secured to said rod;a drop wire pivoted to said sup porting plate; a latch pivoted to said supporting plate; an intermediate lever pivoted to said supporting plate and adapted to be engaged'by said latch; a slot in' said supporting plate; a pin on said weighted trip arm, passlng through said slot and co-operativelyengaging said intermediate lever, and an operating arm on the drop wire pivot element for engaging the latch, for subsequent actuation of the said elements when the knitting thread of said machine breaks.

5. In trip mechanism for knitting machine stop motions, the combination of a supporting arm; a supporting platesecured thereto;

a bracket secured to sai'dsupporting plate;

a wing on saidbracket; a thread eye in said bracket; a thread eye in said wing aligned with the thread eye in said bracket; a drop wire pivoted to said supporting plate and extending into a position intermediate said thread eyes, for engagement with a thread passing therethroiigh'; a weighted trip arm pivoted to said supporting arm and adapted to be controlled by said drop wire; and means intermediate said drop wire and said weightedtrip arm, operable by said drop wire, for effecting the actuation of said trip FRANK CRAWFORD, sR.

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