Patent GB-190008502-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Knitting Machines.
Inventor: THOMPSON WILLIAM PHILLIPS
Filed: 1900-05-08
Granted: 1900-09-15
Abstract: 8502. Thompson, W. P., [Keystone Knitting Machine Manufacturing Co.]. May 8. Circular knitting-machines.-A bevel-wheel, Fig. 26, fast on the shaft 69 gears with a bevel-wheel cut on the cam cylinder. On the shaft 69 are two loose pulleys 68, 70 ; fast to 70 is a pinion 97 engaging a spur-wheel 94 and having on its face teeth which can engage with similar teeth on a sleeve 72 splined to the shaft. Adjacent to the sleeve 72 on the shaft 69 is a sleeve 98 having a pinion 99 engaging a reciprocating rack 90. On the end of the sleeve 98 is a clutch head 101, Fig. 26, which, when the sleeve is slid endwise, comes in line with a pair of spring-actuated dogs 102, 103 on the bevel-wheel 4 ; if the clutch head then moves in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 26, the dog 102 is raised, the head engages the undercut portion of the dog 103 and the dog 102 springs down and encloses the head, which can now drive the wheel in either direction ; but, if the clutch head moves in the opposite direction, it cannot engage itself. The rack 90 is driven by a connecting-rod 91 and crank-pin from the wheel 94, which is itself carried on a crank to allow the motion of the connecting-rod 91. The sleeves 72 and 98 are moved to the left, Fig. 1, by means of a pivoted lever 104 connected to the sleeves 72, 98 by a pivoted ring and by a pin and circular groove respectively. When the lever 104 is put to the right and the belt is on the pulley 70, the cam cylinder is rotated through the pinion 97, sleeve 72, shaft 69, and bevel-wheel 4. When the lever 104 is put to the left, the cam cylinder is reciprocated through the pinion 97, wheel 94, rack 90, pinion 99, clutch head 101, and wheel 4. The lever 104 is held to the left against the action of a spring 118 by a pivoted lever 113 engaging a notch in the stem 117, pivoted to the lever 104 ; at the conclusion of heeling or toeing, the lever 113 is tripped by a lug on the pattern chain, and the lever 104 is forced to the right and circular knitting is resumed. Before heeling or toeing begins, the belt is shifted to the loose pulley 68, and the machine stopped by a lug on the pattern chain tripping a lever which acts on a toggle-jointed lever and frees a shaft, which is moved endwise by a spring and transmits its motion by another lever to the shaft 74 carrying the belt fork 73. Figs. 7 and 12 show outside and inside views of parts of the cam cylinder. In ordinary circular knitting, the needles are operated by the cams 17, 18, 19. When a heel or toe is commenced, the lever 104 is put to the left ; a connecting-rod 109 through a rod 110 rocks the head 107, and by a rod 32 moves inwards a gate 29. On rotating the cam cylinder by hand, a stem 22 projecting from the inclined cam 20 strikes the gate, and the inclined edge 21 of a slot in the cam cylinder causes the cam 20 to rise to the position shown in Fig. 12, where it is retained, against the action of a spring 23, by a catch 33, Fig. 13. This cam raises the instep needles out of action ; after half a revolution the stem 22 strikes a fixed stop 34, and the cam 20 is still further raised ; the spring 35, acting on the pin 36, disengages the catch 33, and, after the cam has ridden over the heels of the active needles, it returns to its lowest position before the catch 33 can re-engage. A yoke plate 46, pivoted at 47, also engages the gate 29, and is forced inwards until locked by the catch 51. In thus moving, the plate presses inwards, against the action of springs 44, pivoted levers 40, 41 carrying at their upper ends the elevating picker cams 38, 39. Pins 52, coming in contact with the gate, cause the picker cams to rise and drop on the heels of the active needles. The elevating picker cams are now in action, and lift a needle out of action at each reciprocation until narrowing is finished. When the plate 46 moves inwards, it raises the weighted plates 259 away from the adjustable set-screw stops 60, thus lowering the depressing-cams 54, 55 out of action, as shown in Fig. 12. On the completion of narrowing, a projection 65, operated by the pattern chain and intermediate levers, is raised into the path of and trips the catch 51, allowing the yoke plate 46 to move outwards, thus throwing the elevating-pickers out of action and allowing the depressing-pickers to come into action. As each depressing-picker meets a needle bit, the sliding spring-pressed blocks 57 yield, and the picker turns down and lowers a needle. There is thus no relative motion between picker and needle. On the completion of widening, the pattern chain acts to shift the lever 104, and circular knitting commences. A lug on the pattern chain acts on a lever, the projection 149 of which acts on a camlever 150, which forces inwards a cam 155 to depress the instep needles. This cam is returned by another projection striking a lug 159, which was forced outwards when the lever 150 went inwards. The pattern chain is racked by a ratchet-wheel and pawl 231, operated constantly by a lever and the connecting-rod 91. By means of an adjacent ratchet-wheel, having a deep tooth in every four, the chain can be moved at one fourth the speed whilst making tubular work ; this ratchet is raised or lowered by the pattern mechanism, and, when raised, the pawl only drives when it falls into a deep tooth. The tension apparatus, Figs. 21 and 23, consists of a spring pivoted lever 119. When making tubular loose work for the leg, the lever is rendered inactive, as shown, by a rod 123, which is raised by a lever operated from the pattern chain ; when heeling and toeing, the rod 123 is forced down by a spring, and the tension lever comes into action. An extra thread may be used for heels and toes, and in this case the thread is tied in when the machine is at rest before reciprocation commences, and is severed at the end of fashioning by a fixed blade 136 and a movable blade 137, raised against the action of springs by a rod 141 acted on by a lever 143 operated by a pattern chain lug. By means of a number of graduated bits on the pattern train which rock a shaft, and so, by means of a pivoted lever, slightly raise the needle cylinder, the length of loop in the calf may be varied. The needle cylinder may also be raised, when an extra thread is used for the heel and toe, by a set-screw on the rocking head 107 running up an incline on the casing and so lifting the cylinder. The sinkers are operated by cams 163 pivoted at one end and acted on at the other by a spring 165, which allows them to yield when irregularitie3 occur. The position of the cams may be regulated by a screwed stem 167 and nut. The sinker cam ring carries on its underside a #-shaped cam which ensures the needles being brought into range of the depressing-pickers. The gate 29 is locked in its inner position by a lug 30 on its underside engaging in a notch in a lever 27. The levers 25, 27 are pulled together by a spring 24. The gate can be unlocked by the arm 22 striking against the projection 37, in which case the shouldered arm 32 is moved back against the action of the spring 112.