Patent GB-488241-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in circular knitting machines
IPC: D04B9/46
Filed: 1937-08-04
Abstract: 488,241. Knitting. SCOTT & WILLIAMS, Inc. Aug. 4, 1937, No. 21528. Convention date, Aug. 6, 1936. [Class 74 (ii)] A revolving needle cylinder machine for knitting hosiery, e.g. as described in Specification 12722/13, [Class 74 (ii)], is provided with more than one feeder, a separate patterning jack for each needle, and patterning mechanism to select jacks for stepped or differential splicing once for each revolution of the machine. The leg and foot may be knitted using each of the feeders, and the welt, heel and toe are knitted at one feeder only. As described, the machine is provided with three feeders, the usual main feeder 559 having guides F, F\ and auxiliary feeders 185, 186 each having a yarn finger 187, 200 for feeding a ground and a splicing yarn at different levels. The yarn finger 200 has two operative positions, one in which the ground yarn only is taken by the needles, and a lower position in which both yarns are taken. Pattern jacks 736 as described in Specification 282,640, [Class 74 (ii)], are provided, together with intermediate jacks 732, below each needle, and a pattern drum 800 and reader cams 820, also as described in that Specification, are provided at the auxiliary feeder 186, the selection occurring there being repeated at the main feeder 559 and at the auxiliary feeder 185. A jack resetting cam 747 destroys the selection before the jacks 736 again reach the reader cams 820. Jacks 736 rocked by a reader cam ride up a cam 741, and by providing an incline 795 corresponding to the down portion of the cam 741, the selected jacks are maintained in contact with the cam 741 so that they remain in their outward position for engagement with subsequent cams 741<1>, 741<11>. Welt-turning mechanism as described in Specification 102,711, [Class 74 (ii)], may be provided, and the sinkers may be controlled as described in Specification 12519/15, [Class 74 (ii)]. In operation, and after knitting the welt at the main feeder 559, the stitch cam 543 of the feeder 185 is moved into action together with the corresponding sinker-withdrawing cam, followed by the yarn finger 187. Further courses are knitted at the main feeder only before the clearing cam 542 is inserted so that the needles can take the ground yarn only from the finger 187. The stitch cam 545 is inserted at the same time. To ensure that both the yarn feeders begin knitting at the same needle, e.g. where the mock seam will cover the eyelets which they produce in the fabric, the raising of certain needles by the jack patterning mechanism is used. The clearing cam 549 for the feeder 186 is not in operative position and the jack resetting cam 747 is put into operative position to push out the lower ends of all the patterning jacks 736. The yarn finger 200 is moved into intermediate position in which it can feed the ground yarn only to the needles raised by the jacks, and at the same time the corresponding sinker-withdrawing cam is inserted. An adjustable idling lever 743 serves to push in the jacks 736 before they reach the feeder 185 so that the needles are raised only by the clearing cam 542 and are not raised by the jack cam 741<11> to take the splicing yarn. The machine is now knitting at the three feeders without any splicing. When splicing is to occur, the needles to effect splicing are selected by the drum 800 and cams 820, the finger 200 is moved into its lowest position, and the splicing finger F' at the main feeder is lowered into feeding position. The needles selected for splicing are raised by the cams 741, 741<1>, 741<11> to take both the splicing and ground yarns, and the remaining needles are raised by the clearing cams 549, 548, 542 to take the ground yarn only. In a modification, Fig. 20, the cams 741<1>, 741<11> are not used, and the butts of the intermediate jacks 732 are raised by the pattern jacks engaging the cam 941 and are guided above cams 746, 746<1>, which provide raising portions or cams 941<1>, 941". Each patterning jack 936 for use with this cam system has an additional butt 928 at the top for engagement with the underside of the cam 746. A main yarn clamp c, Fig. 14, and main yarn cutter c<1> and a second clamp 69 and cutter 72 are provided in the dial cap D<1>. The main clamp and cutter serve to clamp and cut the yarns from the main feeder 559 and the feeder 186, and the clamp 69 and cutter 72 serve for the yarns from the feeder 185. Idled yarns from the feeder 186 pass under a guard 67 but over the top of the dial cap, under a second guard 68 and thence to the main clamp and cutter. Stop motion.-Since the auxiliary yarn fingers 187, 200 move to operative position in such a path that they may be hit by flying needlelatches, means are provided for stopping the machine to prevent a press-off. A long needle member 625, Fig. 18, is movable with the stitch cam 545 into and out of the path of the flying latches by an arm 624. The detector needle 625 is supported by a bracket 627 and is held in inoperative position by a compression spring 628. The needle 625 is held substantially radially by a spring 642, and when hit by a latch swings with its bracket 627 about a screw 630, to release an arm 643. Release of the arm 643 by the bracket 627 permits a control shaft 644 to rotate under spring control to operate a stop motion of usual form. Knitted fabrics.-A stocking having a turned welt, a leg and foot knitted with a different yarn in adjacent courses, and with stepped or differential splicing can be made. Fashion marks formed by tucking may be provided in the leg, together with a mock seam, as well as fashion marks in the foot. The heel may be knitted as described in Specification 402,672. Specification 473,838 also is referred to.