Patent GB-801513-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in circular knitting machines of the superimposed rotary needle cylinder type
Inventor: BURDETT HENRY SIDNEY
IPC: D04B9/10
Filed: 1955-05-18
Abstract: 801,513. Knitting-machines. STIBBE & CO., Ltd., G. May 17, 1956 [May 18, 1955], No. 14357/55. Class 74 (2). Movable cams in top and bottom cam boxes of a superposed rotary cylinder machine; at at least one auxiliary feeder, are controlled from an auxiliary drum additional to the main drum and racked around a vertical axis parallel to the machine axis. The yarn guides and any other appropriate mechanism operating in conjunction with the auxiliary feeders are also controlled by the drum. Axially spaced tracks T are provided on the drum, substantially opposite the cam, Fig. 7, or the yarn guide lever 30, to be controlled; and in these tracks are secured the necessary cams, e.g. 41, 411. The cams act through levers 42, all of the same generally bellcrank form but having, each, arms 42b, 42c relatively offset, to lie in different planes. As shown, for two auxiliary feeders, the levers are arranged in two sets, one set for each such feeder, the sets being symmetrically disposed with respect to the drum axis, so that the levers of one set are oppositely handed as compared with those of the other set. Thus two cams (one at each feeder) at the same level in the machine, can be controlled, since the cam follower arms 42b of their associated levers 42 lie on opposite sides of the common plane containing their cam operating arms 42c and can therefore be made subject to the action of cams in different tracks. The relevant bolt cam slide is, in each case, operated through a short, straight, adjustable link 49 and a member 50 secured in a slot in the cam. An end 49a of the link, of U-form, embraces a pin 51 in the member 50 and a catch 52 is held in a circumferential groove 51a in the pin by a spring 53. The yarn guides are controlled from cams in the lower tracks T of the drum, through levers 54, Bowden cables 55 and levers 30. The drum 37 is racked round by a ratchet-wheel 59 and a spring-influenced pawl 60 on an arm 61 oscillates about the fixed shaft 38 of the drum by a cam 68 acting through connections including a link 63 and lever 64 secured to an oscillatory. spindle 65. The effective length of the link 63 can be varied, to phase correctly the stroke of the pawl. The racking mechanism can be disabled when an arm 62a of a bell-crank catch lever 62 is allowed to move under the action of a spring into the path of an abutment 70 on the lever 64. The catch lever can be held inactive by one or other of spring-controlled latches 71, 72 and can be moved from its operative position, into position for engagement by one or other of the latches, by a lever 77 operated, through a Bowden cable 78, from high and low cams on the main control drum. The latches 71, 72 are tripped, to render the catch 62 operative again, by low and high cams 75, 74 respectively, on the drum 37 itself. When the latch 71 is operative, racking of the drum 37 continues sufficiently long to effect all the changes necessary at the auxiliary feeders for the production of a complete sock or the like. When latch 72 is operative, the drum is racked round to its starting position and then stopped. Among the teeth on the ratchet-wheel 59 are two, 59a, lower than the others, one associated with heel knitting and the other with toe knitting. The position of the drum 37 corresponding to inactivity of the auxiliary feeders, during pouch formation, is reached by the last rack before reaching the associated low tooth which, during that time, is disabled by a spring- urged bluff 82 controlled by a cam on the main drum, through a Bowden cable 85.