Patent GB-1221519-A (GB)
Title: A straight-bar knitting machine
IPC: D04B15/66
Filed: 1969-07-30
Abstract: 1,221,519. Knitting machines. NORTH AMERICAN ROCKWELL CORP. 30 July, 1969 [23 Sept., 1968], No. 38288/69. Heading DlC. In a straight-bar knitting machine having fashioning spindles at opposite ends of the machine each operated separately to fashion the selvages of fabric blanks, means are provided for operating the spindle operating means during knitting cycles of the machine and indexed patterning means control the knitting and fashioning cycles of the machine which, at each indexing movement, institutes a plurality of course forming cycles, second and third means being operated at one indexing movement respectively to operate the spindle operating means at one end of the machine in the last knitting cycle instituted by this indexing movement and to operate the spindle operating means at the other end of the machine in the first knitting cycle instituted by the next indexing movement. As shown, the main cam shaft 17 is axially movable between knitting and fashioning positions. Narrowing head mechanisms 25, 26 each comprise threaded spindles 32, 35 which control point comb rods 27 and an end stop nut 36 for limiting endwise movement of yarn guide carrier rods 22. Ratchets 40, 42 on spindles 32 are turned by pawls 41, 45 controlled by cam plate 46 in widening and narrowing directions. Ratchets 47, 51 on spindles 35 are turned by pawls 50, 52 controlled by cam plate 55 in widening and narrowing directions. Cam plates 46, 55 are linked and are normally positioned for narrowing. At the left hand end of the machine, pawls 41, 45, 50, 52 are connected to an actuator 56 pivoted to a lever 57 having a follower 60 which is normally at rest between cams 61 and 62 on shaft 17 but engages cam 61 when shaft 17 is in its narrowing position and is moved on lever 57 to engage cam 62 to operate the spindles during knitting. Lever 57 is actuated by one arm of a pivoted lever 66 whose other arm 67 is actuated through rod 71 and one arm 76 of a lever 77 of a shifting mechanism 78 which includes a lever 86 with a follower 90 which when it engages cam 91 causes follower 60 to engage cam 62. During knitting, follower 90 is normally held away from cam 91 by a lever 100 and rod 71 is held by spring 102 with follower 60 between cams 61 and 62. A similar arrangement is provided at the right hand end, with a shifting mechanism 97 including lever 106, rod 96 and spring 108 corresponding to lever 100, rod 71 and spring 102 on the left hand side. Levers 100, 106 are operated through linkages by a lever 111 operated by a lever 43 of the patterning mechanism which is substantially as described in Specification 1,185,607. Lever 86 of shifting mechanism 78 can also be held inactive by lever 115. Cam plates 46, 55 can be moved into position for widening when the cam shaft 17 is in fashioning position and when it is in knitting position if the followers 60 are moved into engagement with cams 62. Plates 55 are connected through linkages, including respectively arms 122, 135 of levers 125, 136 moving between adjustable screws 146, 149 in fixed brackets 137. Levers 125, 136 are connected to rod 131 and lever 125 is biassed by spring 145 to hold both plates 55 in their narrowing position with arms 122, 135 engaging stops 49. Rod 131 is moved against spring 145 to push plates 55 to widening position with the levers 122, 135 engaging stops 146 by a shift mechanism 158. Mechanism 158 comprises a lever 156 engaging a collar on rod 131 and connected by a linkage including a lever 165 with a roller follower 167 which normally engages a cam 170 on cam shaft 17. Follower 167 is axially movable on a stud 164 against a spring 168 by one arm 265 of a lever 266 pivoted to the core 270 of a normally deenergized solenoid 271. Arm 165 is normally held by a lever 172 in a position corresponding to the high part of cam 170 and this permits movement of rod 131 and levers 125, 136 to the position of Fig. 2. Lever 172 is controlled through a linkage by a pattern lever 43. When narrowing is to take place simultaneously at both ends of the machine, at the end of one or more knitting cycles, a single indexing movement of the tape 202 of the patterning mechanism will provide the appropriate selection to cause the narrowing heads to operate when requited by shifting cam shaft 17. For simultaneous widening during a fashioning cycle in a single indexing movement, as well as providing a hole in the tape to select the cam shaft shift lever, a hole is provided to select the shift of rod 131 to the left. Widening may take place in a knitting cycle following a predetermined count of knitting cycles by providing at one indexing movement a hole for a first selector lever 197c which controls the lever 43 controlling lever 172 and also a hole for the lever controlling levers 100, 106, 115. Widening can take place at the ends of the machine in successive knitting cycles by providing two indexing movements of the tape, one movement causing the widening at one end and a second movement causing the widening at the other. However, to widen in successive knitting cycles as a result of one indexing movement a second lever 197b of the patterning mechanism moves the associated lever 43 to move levers 100, 115 so that mechanism 78 operates but to keep lever 106 in position to inactivate mechanism 97. A third lever 197a is provided which has an arm 230 which, in its fully lowered position, engages a switch 231 and actuates an additional lever 235 which can operate similarly to the normal lever 190 in respect of levers 100, 115, 106. Lever 232 is normally held inactive by spring 237 with a finger 240 engaging one arm 241 of a lever 242 whose other arm is connected to the core 252 of a solenoid 255 in circuit with switch 231. When levers 197a, 197b are lowered, lever 197c is also lowered to move lever 172 so that rod 131 moves to shift cam plates 46, 55 to widening position where they are held even after the completion of a knitting cycle by shifting follower 167 out of alignment with cam 170 by the closure of switch 276 to energize solenoid 271. Switches 231, 276 and solenoids 255, 271 are connected in a circuit identical with that shown in Fig. 14 of Specification 1,185,607 and described with reference thereto.