Patent GB-189913229-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
Inventor: THOMPSON WILLIAM PHILLIPS
Filed: 1899-06-26
Granted: 1900-05-05
Abstract: 13,229. Thompson, W. P., [Brinton, H.]. June 26. Circular knitting-machines.-The needle cylinder 2 is held in place by a clamping-sleeve 9, which has a horizontal slit and a vertical slit 18, Fig. 4, in which works a rod 12 having two flats. By means of a handle 19 the rod 12 can be rotated ; the flats act like a cam, and open the slit 18 and so clamp the cylinder in place. The main shaft 5 is provided at one end with the usual bevel-wheel 6 and a loose pinion 90, and at the other end with a loose sleeve, on which is a pinion 97 and a fast pulley 88 and loose pulley 89. Splined on the central portion is a clutch which can be made to gear with the sleeve at either end. The clutch is caused, by a spring- actuated arm 86 on a rock shaft 85, to gear with the pulley sleeve, and in this position the machine rotates. The belt is normally caused, by a spring acting on the shipper-rod 109, to run on the loose pulley, but, by means of a toggle-lever 112, 112<a>, Fig. 2, the spring is compressed and the belt is held on the fast pulley. On the completion of a leg or foot, a lug on the leg and foot pattern chain 63 trips the toggle-lever, the belt is shifted to the loose pulley, and the machine stops. Preparatory to fashioning a heel or toe, the lever 86, Fig. 4, is moved to the left, and held there, against the action of a spring surrounding the guide rod 101, by a notched latch 103. The clutch is now in gear with the sleeve of the pinion 90, and the cylinder is reciprocated by means of the pinion 97, wheel 96, crank-wheel 94, pin 93, slotted radius bar 70, sector 91, and pinion 90. On the completion of a heel or toe, a lug on the heel and toe pattern chain 64 acts on a lever which trips the latch 103, and the arm 86 and clutch are forced to the right by a spring, and the machine rotates again. The elevating-pickers for use in narrowing consist of angle levers 20 pivoted to pivoted arms 23. The forked arms of the pickers engage fixed pins 25, Fig. 5 ; the other ends project through slots in the cam cylinder, and have notched fingers 26 to engage a needle. The depressing-pickers for use in widening consist of arms 21 sliding on vertical pins and moved upwards by springs ; the ends of the arms which project through #-shaped slots in the cylinder have notches to engage the needles. Before commencing narrowing, a rock shaft 38 is turned by hand into the position shown in Fig. 5 ; this projects a pair of slides 34 outwards, and their bevelled ends act on the depressing-pickers and put them out of action. At the same time the projection 40 and the spring latch 41 allow springs 29 to force the elevating-pickers down into action. In the last course of narrowing, a lug on the heel and toe pattern chain rocks a lever, and causes a projection 43 to come in the track of a lug on the rocking shaft 38, which is reversed, causing the slides 34 to be drawn inwards ; this allows the depressing pickers to rise into action, and the cam 40 raises one elevating-picker out of action, while the other is now in position to lift the latch 41 and put itself out of potion. Widening now proceeds until all the needles are in action, when another lug on the pattern chain rocks the shaft 38 to the position shown in Fig. 5. While the machine is rotating, the leg and foot pattern-chain wheel is operated by one of a pair of constantly-rocked pawls 68, and while it is reciprocating the heel- and-toe chain wheel is operated by the other pawl. These pawls are alternately put in and out of gear by a pair of bluffs acted on by bell cranks and links connected to a rocking shaft 81. This rocking lever is connected by a projection 82, rod 83, and lever 84 to the rocking shaft 85, on which is keyed the handle 86. Whenever the clutch is moved the pawls are reversed. Two inclined cams 47, 48, Figs. 9 and 10, slide in grooves in a plate 49 on the cam cylinder ; during tubular knitting they are both held retracted from the path of the needles by springs ; preparatory to fashioning, the cam 47 is projected into the path of the needles by rocking a pivoted head 53 by means of a handle. Half the needles are thus elevated out of action. At the end of fashioning, a lug on the pattern mechanism coacts with a lug 58 and projects the cam 48, and so brings down the instep needles into action. The needle cylinder bears at 129 on a setscrew 131 on a pivoted lever 122, one end of which bears against an arm 124 on the rock shaft 85. When the shaft 85 is rocked, simultaneously with the change to reciprocation the cylinder is slightly lifted, and consequently the heel and toe loops are lengthened. The lever 122 is also connected by an adjustable rod 138 with a rocking shaft 132, controlled from the pattern chain so as to lengthen the loops at the calf.