Patent GB-190000054-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Rotary or Flat-bar Knitting Machines.
Inventor: ALDRIDGE CHARLES HENRY
Filed: 1900-01-01
Granted: 1900-11-17
Abstract: 54. A l d r i d g e , C. H., [Boessneck, E.]. Jan. 1. Straight-bar knitting machines. -Relates to means for fashioning and making lace or openwork and drop-stitch work on a machine of the Cotton type, such as that described in Specification No. 22,013, A.D. 1899. The two sets of fashioning- points B<8>, Fig. 1, are carried on bars B<4>, B<5>, and the lace points C are arranged, at suitable intervals, on a bar C', which stretches right across the machine and which is carried by a bar C'. These bars are carried by brackets B<3> on the shaft B', which is raised and lowered, as usual, by the rod B<9>. When the fashioning-points are out of action, they lie behind the needles as shown in Fig. 1 ; they are brought into action by moving the narrowing-machine bodily forward a short distance ; for this purpose, the machine shaft is carried on a slide or on pivoted arms B<10>, and a bar B<12>, with a suitable incline, is moved endwise, by means controlled by the pattern mechanism, and so moves the shaft forward against the action of the spring B<15>. When the fashioning- points come into action, the lace points are automatically turned up to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the lace points C are in action, the bar C' rests against a projection, and, when the lace point bar descends, rollers C<13> on arms C<12> are guided by fixed curved bars C" so as to keep the points C in proper position. The lace point bar is automatically adjusted endwise to bring the points over the proper needles as follows :-On the end of the point bar C are collars C<4>, Fig. 10, between which works a projection E<2> on a slide E working in fixed guides E'. On this slide is a secondary slide E<3> having a cross-slide, which can be adjusted by hand to bring its stud E<5> opposite to one or other of two concentric sets of projections D<8>, D<9> on the pattern-wheel D. Passing vertically through a hole in the slide E is another slide E<7>, having on one side three steps E<8>, E<9>, E<10>, against one of which the end E" of the slide E<3> is constantly pulled by a spring E<12>. The slide E is constantly pulled to the left, Fig. 10, by a spring, not shown. before making a lace course, the slide E is moved to the right by a bell-crank lever acting on a rrejection E<14>, the bell crank being connected by a link to a lever having a truck acted on by a cam on the cam shaft. While the slide E is moved to the right, the pattern-wheel is racked one or two teeth, and then the slide E returns. The height of the projections D<9> or D<8> determines which needles the lace points shall cover, it being understood that the projection E" is on the step E<9>. By moving the slide E<7> up or down, the point bar is shogged one needle space to the right or left. The slide E<7> is operated as follows:-A. spring E<16> presses the slide downwards, and its end E<15> rests on one end of a lever, which is connected by a link to another lever having a truck which can be acted on by one of three cams on the cam shaft. While making a plain course, the righthand cam is in action, and the bar E<7> is in its middle position and stationary. When a lace course is to be made, the cam shaft is shogged to the right as usual. The truck is now on the middle cam, and can be moved, by a forked lever, on to the left cam ; in one case the slide E<7> is raised and in the other lowered, so that loops are transferred to the right or left according to the position of the truck. The forked lever is moved by an incline on a rod connected to a pivoted lever having two pivoted fingers acted on by projections on the rim of the pattern-wheel D. One or other sets of these projections can be rendered active by turning down the corresponding finger. The patternwheel D is racked by a pawl reciprocated by a truck lever and cam on the cam shaft. Normally the motion of the truck lever is limited by a catch on a bell-crank lever, and the wheel is fed one tooth at a time. When it is desired to rack the pattern-wheel two teeth at a time, a projection on the pattern-wheel comes under one end of a pivoted lever the other end of which is connected by a link to the bell crank ; the consequence is that the truck lever is released and allowed to make its full stroke. The lace points are rocked to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, by means of an arm C<5>, Fig. 3, a link C<8>, a lever C<7>, C<6>, a link C<9>, a truck lever, and a cam on the cam shaft. As the lace point bar extends right across the machine, it may happen that a point would take a loop from an outside needle, and so produce a ragged selvage. To avoid this, stopping- fingers K<2> carried by bars K, K' are connected, as shown in Fig. 3, to the fashioning-point bars B', B<5>, so that the stopping-fingers travel with the fashioning-points. These fingers are caused to rock, and so move a determined number of needles forward, as shown in Fig. 13, so that the lace points cannot take their loops. A plain strip may be formed at each selvage, or down the back of the heel. Other stopping-fingers L', L<2>, forming plain strips at the heel partings or at any other point, may be carried on an extra bar L, Fig. 1. Arms on the bar K are connected by a rod, on which rest arms K<10>, L<3> on the bars K', L. All the bars K, K<1>, L are rocked simultaneously to the required amount, by a link K<6>, Fig. 1, lever K<7>, K<8>, and rod K<9> connected to a truck lever operated by a cam on the cam shaft. The bars M are adjustably connected to the bars K, K', so that the selvage stopping-fingers K<2> &c. can be shifted so as to act on the heel needles. In order to produce dropped stitch work or "ladders," the lace points, when they have taken the loops, are, at suitable intervals, determined by the pattern mechanism, given an additional upward motion, which causes the loops to drop off. The lace, and fashioning, and drop-stitch courses are all controlled from a pattern chain as follows :-A chain P' with projections P<5>, P<6>, P<7>, Figs. 19 and 19<a>, is racked in the usual manner by a ratchet P<4> and pawl P<3>. When a lace or fashioning course is to be made, a projection P<6> raises a lever P<8>, Fig. 15, and lowers a rod P<12>, which allows a pawl O<10> to engage a ratchet-wheel O<9>, and so operate the ordinary cam shogging mechanism. The cam shaft is shogged to the right, and the various mechanism for producing a lace course come into action. When a fashioning-course is to be made, an additional projection P<5> raises a lever similar to p<8>, and moves a rod R' to the position shown in dotted lines, thus allowing a truck lever R' to come within range of its cam. This lever, through the link R<8> and bell crank R<9>, R<10>, moves a shaft R<13> to the right, Fig. 15. On the shaft R<13> are a number of downwardly-projecting forks, which engage the tails of pivoted forked truck shifting-levers. The effect of moving the shaft R<13> is to move into action the truck of the ordinary fashioning-screw racking-levers, to move out of action the truck of the lever which operates the pattern-wheel D, to move into action the trucks which operate the levers for moving the lace points and stopping-fingers to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and finally to move the truck S<2> on to a cam S<4>, Fig. 15, and so cause the lever S, through the link S<6> and bell crank S<7>, S<8>, to move the bar B<12>, Fig. 1, and so move the fashioning-machine bodily forward into action. When a drop-stitch course is to be made, a wide projection P<7>, or one of a separate row of projections, raises a lever V, which, through a link V<3>, raises a lever V<4>, jointed to a boss on a rod, so as to bring it in a position to be acted on by the upper end of a lever V<6>. When the cam shaft is shogged to the right, the rod is moved to the left, and this causes an extra truck N<8> to come over a cam N<9>, and the effect is to give the narrowing-machine an extra lift, and so to cause the lace points to drop their loops.