Patent GB-727892-A (GB)
Title: A straight bar knitting machine
IPC: D04B11/00
Filed: 1951-05-24
Abstract: 727,892. Knitting-machines. LAMBACH, F. May 24, 1951 [July 19, 1950], No. 12176/51. Class 74 (2). In a straight bar machine lace fingers, normally in inactive position, and swingable by positioning means into an active position in co-operative relation to needles of the machine, are automatically held in that active position by locking means which is responsive to such a swinging movement and is released after a predetermined interval by automatic means, in timed relation with the operation of the machine, for releasing the fingers. To bring lace fingers 54 from an upper inactive to a lower active position, their supporting rod 52 is swung clockwise, manually, by means of a handle 78, until a plate 88 urged by a tension spring 100, snaps into a longitudinal recess 84 on a pin 82 carried by the handle, to lock the rod 52 in that position. Within the limits of engagement of pin 82 with plate 88, the rod 52 can now be shogged, against the action of a spring 66, by a pattern wheel 104 to provide the lateral movements of the points necessary for the loop transfers, the vertical movements being provided by cams on the main cam-shaft, acting through rods, on the narrowing machine tube 32 which bears arms 44 carrying the rod 52 and arms 42 carrying a picot bar rod 46. The pattern-wheel 104 acts through an adjustable abutment screw in the rod 52 and, if desired, a similar screw in the rod 46. The wheel is racked round by a pawl 130 and ratchet 128, is prevented from overrunning by a brake band 158 and is located in its various positions by a pawl 162. The ratchet 130 is operated by a cam on the main cam-shaft, through linkwork which is rendered operative or inoperative under pattern chain control. To make lace effects, the fingers 54 are swung manually into operative position and the main cam-shaft is shogged by a button on the pattern chain, to the narrowing position, bringing into operation a cam having two high points so that, during each full revolution of the cam-shaft, whilst it remains in the narrowing position, the wheel 104 steps the lace points twice along the needle line, firstly after the points have dipped and picked up loops from the associated needles, to align them with the needles to which the loops are to be delivered, and secondly, after the delivery of such loops to those needles, to align the points with needles from which loops are to be taken at the next such cycle. During the next revolution after restoration of the camshaft to the knitting position, a second cam, having only one high point, advances the pattern wheel to cause an extra-high point thereon to restore the lace fingers to their inactive position by shogging rod 52 so far to the left that pin 82 is brought out of engagement with plate 88, allowing a spring 70 to swing the points upwardly. The points may be inactivated manually, when desired, by pressure on a bracket 92 to which one end of the tension spring 100 is secured, so rotating a collar 90, bearing the plate 88, counterclockwise against the spring tension, to lift plate 88 out of engagement with the recess 84. Rails 176, 178 carry narrowing fingers.