US2432518A - Speed indicator for warp knitting machines - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 16, 1947. R. F. ESHLEMAN 3 SPEED INDICATOR FOR WARP KN ITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 29, 1944 i'm l g Q N l I H- i 7 zgvzvrox.

H m f" N BY my. m

Patented Dec. 16, 1947 SPEED INDICATOR FOR WARP KNITTING MACHINES Richard F. Eshleman, West Chester, Pa, assignor to American Viscose Corporation, Wilmington. DeL, a corporation of Delaware Application December 29, 1944, Serial No. 570,250

4 Claims. (01. 66-125) This invention relates to a warp knittin machine and is concerned with a device adapted to be interconnected therewith for indicating the speed of the yarn in a warp and/or the ratio between the speeds of yarns in several warps and with methods of operating the machine.

Heretofore it has been the practice to determine the speed of a warp or of the warps in a knitting machine by marking a point on the yarn of each warp and determining the distance traveled by such point in each warp in a given period of time, such as that required for a given number of stitches, such as a rack (4-80 stitches), to be completed. Then by comparing the speeds thus obtained, the operator adjusts the machine in a manner which he estimates would change the speed to what he desires for the particular pattern under construction, Frequently, it is necessary for the operator to take several such measurements and make correcting adjustments until he finally obtains the desired speed of the single warp, or speed of the warps and ratio between them when there are a plurality of warps. This practice is a time-consuming and yarn consuming operation. It not only causes a loss of fabric as a result of improper pattern or structure, but it also may produce cloth defects due to stop marks occuring at the instants when the machine is stopped so that the measurements and adjustments can be made.

The present invention has for its main object to provide a continuous Checking of the speed of the yarn, as well as the ratio of the speeds of yarns in separate warps when more than one warp supply is being used. A further object is to provide such a continuous checking of speed of yarns without the necessity to stop the machine to make measurements or to make adjustments. Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the descriptionhereinafter.

In the drawing illustrative of the invention,

Figure 1 is a front elevation showin a portion of a warp knitting machine with the device of the present invention in place,

Figure 2 is an end elevation, partially in cross section, showing the relationship of the device to the warp knitting machine, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the device.

Referring 'to the drawing, the frame of the warp knitting machine comprises two end supports 2 and 3 and a central support 4. Supporting rods 5 and 6 are carried by the frame and in turn the tension bars i and 8 are mounted rotatably with respect to the rods 5 and B by means of the spaced levers 9. As shown more particularly in Figure 2, the front warp sheet 19 proceeds from the upper warp supply beam or beams ll over the tension bar 1, Similarly, the back war i2 proceeds from the lower warp supply beams i3 over the tension bar 8. The beams H and I3 are suitably supported in the framework of the machine in conventional manner. The levers 9 each have a portion or arm extending back of the rods 5 and 6, and these portions are provided with bores through each of which a smooth end of a tension screw l4 extends loosely. Springs 55 press the levers 9 against the pins I6. Since the tension screws have a screw-fitting engagement with fixed supporting members H, the tension with which the spring resists clockwise movement of the levers 9 may be varied by adjusting the screws in the fixed members ll. This adjustment may be made for each screw individually, as is the conventional practice, or, preferably, a single crank it (see Figure 1) may be turned to accomplish simultaneous adjustment of all the tension screws associated with a single tension bar. As shown, the central screw of the three associated with each tension bar is provided with such a crank lever I 8, and each screw is provided with a bevel gear it fixedly secured there to. Bevel pinions 23 carried on cross shafts 2i serve to connect the several screws for simultaneous adjustment.

In accordance with the present invention, there is mounted upon the frame of the machine or any other stationary part thereof, where it will be readily visible to the operator the indicating device 22. As shown, the device is rotatably mounted within a bearing 23 of a bracket 26 fixedly secured to the rod 5, and comprises a driving shaft 25 having an index plate 25 in the form of a disc provided with an index mark 21. The plate 25 has a projecting bearing 28. The bearing 28 as shown has two stepped portions, each of which is adapted to receive rotatable thereabout one ofthe pulleys 25a, 29b. Shims'iiil may be provided to reduce the surface contact of the faces of the pulleys with themselves and with the plate .25. A cap screw 3! may be provided for holding the assembly in place. Each of the rotatable members 2911 and 29b carries indicia 21a and 21b, Adjacent the ends of the warp sheet, a guiding member 32 secured to the rod 5. This guide is provided with as many guiding grooves 33 as there are warp supplies, so that the yarn or yarns from each warp supply may be guided separately from that of the other. A driving connection for the plate 26 extends from the shaft 25 through a flexible shaft 34 to a solid shaft 35 carried by the framework and driven by a gear or sprocket 36. Ihe driving element 36 may be connected to any suitable moving part driven at constant speed,

such as the cam shaft, so that the plate 26 is driven at a constant predetermined speed.

When operating th machine in accordance with the present invention, one or more yarns from one edge of each warp supply is led through one of the guiding grooves 33, then completely about one of the rotating members 29a, 2%, etc., then through a corresponding guiding groove 33 in the guide member 32 at the other end of the machine, from which the yarns ultimately proceed to the knitting position. One or more yarns from each of the warp supplies, whether that be one, two, three, or any other number, proceeds through a separate set of grooves 33 in the two guid members 32 and about a separate oneof the members Elia, 2%, etc, as the yarn passes between the two guide members 32. The members 29a, 2%, etc., are replaceable, and the operator before starting the machine selects them so that there is a predetermined ratio between the peripheries corresponding to the ratio he desires between the speeds of the various warps. Also, these members 29a, 2%, are selected so that the indicia thereon, when the warps associated therewith are traveling at the desired speeds, will substantially coincide with the index 2'5 of th constant speed rotating member 25. By so selecting the members, 29a, 2%, etc, it will be seen that when the desired speeds for the various warps are achieved, the indicia Zia, Zlb, etc., will be in registry with the index 2?, as shown in Figure 1. The operator, of course, before he starts the machine, threads up the device 22 sets the indicia Zia and 27?), so that they are in registry with index 2? at their starting position. If one or both of the warp supplies are not feeding the yarns at the desired rate, this will be Very quickly discovered merely by observing the device 22, since the members 25a and 2% will quickly fall out of step, so that their indicia are no longer in registry with the index 2'! when their speeds are either slower or faster than the speeds desired. The operator, without stopping the machine, can observe the discrepancies, and can immediately take steps to adjust the speed of the warp or warps, such as by adjusting the tension screws by means of one or both of the hand cranks it. The operator can readily determine whether the adjustment needed is to increase or decrease the speed of the warp, since all indices travel in the same direction. If that for either warp lags behind the reference index iii, an increase in speed is needed, whereas if either index leads the index 2?, a decrease in speed of the respective warp or warps is needed.

The reference index bearing plate 26 may, if desired, be positioned in front of all of the rotatable members 29a, 2% or it may be disposed between any two of such members. In any event, the slower moving warp is passed about the smaller of the members 29a, 29b. The yarns intended to be passed around the members 29a, 291) may be taken from other portions of the warp instead of the selvage, and may be returned to the warp sheet at any portion thereof. For example, the yarn proceeding from the device 22 may pass about a guide 32 arranged adjacent the central levers 9.

Changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A warp knitting machine comprising a plurality of warp supplies, means for guiding the yarns from the supplies to knitting position, and means for indicating the relative speeds of the yarns of each warp comprising a'plurality of rotatabie members concentrically mounted on a common axis of rotation each in direct juxtaposition to at least one other or" such members, one rotatable member being provided for each warp supply and each being driven by at least one yarn from its respective warp supply as the travels on the way to the knitting position.

2. A warp knitting machine comprising at least one warp supply, mean-s for guiding the yarns from the supply to knitting position, and means for indicating the speed of the yarns as they travel on the way to the knitting position comprising a rotatable member, means for driving the member at a substantially constant predetermined speed, and a second rotatabl member mounted on the same axis as the first and driven by at least one of the yarns as it travels on the way to the knitting position, one of the rotatable members being mounted directly in front of the other.

3. A warp knitting machine comprising at least one warp supply, means for guiding the yarns from the supply to knitting position, and means for indicating the speed of the yarns as they travel on the way to the knitting position comprising a rotatable member, means for driving the member at a substantially constant predetermined speed, and an indicia-bearing disc rotatable on the same as the member and driven by at least one of the yarns as it travels the way to the knitting position, one of the rotatable members being mounted directly in front of the other.

i. A warp knitting machine comprising a plurality of warp supplies, means for guiding the yarns from the supplies to knitting position, means for indicating the speeds of the yarns of each warp comprising a plura J of st r/el rotatable members mounted upon common axis of rotation each in direct juxtaposition to at least one other of such members, means for driving one of said members at a substantially constant predetermined speed, each of the other rotatable members being driven by at least one yarn from a corresponding warp supply as the yarn travels on the way to the knitting position, and indicia carried by each of said rotatable members.

I RICHARD F. ESHLEMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

-UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 1,154,251 Keeton Sept. 21, .1915 2,109,945 Lawson Mar, 1, 3.938 2,030,425 Beniston Feb. 11, 1936 2,207,464 Lawson r July inc 2,298,888 Kaufinann Oct. 13, 2,989,494 Lawson Aug. 1-0, 193'? 1,947,958 Welch Feb. 20, 193%:

Images