Patent GB-428799-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to circular knitting machines
IPC: D04B9/38
Filed: 1933-11-30
Abstract: 428,799. Knitting-machines. MELLOR, BROMLEY, & CO., Ltd., BROMLEY, T. C., and SHORTLAND, A., St. Saviour's Road East, Leicester. Nov. 30, 1933, No. 33625. [Class 74 (ii)] In circular knitting-machines with several feeders and with needle actuating cams such as cylinder stitch cams, at each feeder, or at two or more feeders, a drum device &c. A is employed at each feeder and is provided with cams, pins, &c. for moving the said needle actuating cams and thereby effecting changes in the knitting. The devices A are operated seriatim in regular succession by means of one or more rotating cams &c. 52, which may be attached to the dial and may operate ratchet devices 42, the needle actuating cams being thus operated at such times that the changes in the knitting effected thereby will all be located on the same longitudinal line in the knitted fabric. The setting of the cams &c. on some or all of the individual drums &c. may be fixed or may be changeable to vary the changes or order of changes at a particular drum, and pattern devices may be employed (additional to the control cams &c. 52) whereby any particular drum may be rotated by more than one step or not at all. The invention is applicable to rib and non-rib, rotating and stationary cylinder machines. Each drum A may carry cam rings 2 clamped in position by a cover plate 60 and operating by separate connections the dial outside clearing cam 3, one or more dial knock over cams 4, 5, the dial inside clearing cam 6, the cylinder clearing cams 7 and the cylinder slackening cam, e.g. a cam for varying stitch lengths. The cams 5, 6, for example, may be operated by lever mechanism 14, 16 and 15, 17 respectively from the appropriate cam rings 2. The plate 60 may carry a lever contacting with the uppermost cam ring 2 and operated thereby to rack the dial. The drum is rotated intermittently on a stub axle 40 screwed into the dial cam sections by a spring-controlled lever 43 controlled by the cam 52 and furnished with a spring-controlled pawl 44 engaging ratchet teeth 41 on the drum. Spring-controlled pivoted brake shoes 53 prevent free rotation of the drums. A cam &c. 57 on a control ring 58 rotatably mounted on the carrier 59 for the dial cam sections 11 may be shogged or racked around by pattern means &c. and act at particular times on the pawl levers 43 of particular drums to prevent rotation thereof. In a modification, ratchet devices for actuating the drums are movable under pattern control upon the stub axle into positions in and out of the path of the actuating cam or cams, or into the path of different steps on one or more cams whereby the drums may be racked one, two or more teeth. The control ring may be oscillated. Independent control rings for each ratchet device may be used. Other modifications are described. The drums may be furnished with pins instead of cams. Examples of the various changes that may be effected are given. Thus changing from 2 /2 to 1 /1 rib, from royal rib to cardigan, from 1 /1 rib to royal, from rib to welt, from rib to plain, making a slackening course, varying the length of loops, changing timing relation of knock over points rib and plain, casting off dial or cylinder needles, changing from knitting on some to knitting on all needles, changing from making jacquard pattern to rib, and making one or more feeders idle by putting knock over or other cams out of action.