Improvements in and relating to Knitting Machines of the 66 "Lamb" Class.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 27th Mar., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Knitting Machines of the
66 "Lamb" Class.
I, EDOUARD DUBIED, of Couvet, Switzerland, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
that is to say -
This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to knitting
machines of the "Lamb" class, and has for its special object the automatic
regulation of the cams.
In knitting machines which are intended to knit automatically with various
kinds of stitches one after the other, it is necessary that the cams and especially
the lowering cams should take automatically many adjustable positions.
The lowering cams of the machine described here are all adjustable and can
each take three different positions. Of course such machines can also be
constructed where only some of the lowering cams are adjustable, while the others
remain fixed.
And in order that this invention and the manner of carrying same into practice
may be properly understood there is hereunto appended a sheet of explanatory
diagram drawings in which the diagrams show only the parts necessary to illustrate
the new improvements, the other parts being left out.
Figure 1 is a view of parts of the machine as seen from the left side.
Figure 2 is a front view of the left part of the machine.
Figure 3 is a view of the chain drum with the levers the chain acts upon.
Figure 4 shows the middle part of the carriage seen from above.
Figure 5 is the same section of the carriage, the top of which has been removed
in order to see the regulation of the cams.
Figure 6 is a view of the right part of Figure 4 taken in the direction of the
arrow a.
Figures 7 and 8 are views of the two positions of bolt c seen in the direction of
arrow in Figure 5.
Referring to these drawings:-
The lowering cams d e f g Figures 4 and 5 two of which d and 9 are known
under the name of ribbing cams are never screwed down, but are continually
drawn down by spiral springs. Their projecting pins rest upon adjustable stop
screws d³ d² d³, ele²es, 9993 Figures 4 and 6. These screws are screwed
into revolving turrets D E F G Figures 4 and 6.
If the lowering cams are pushed up into their highest position and afterwards
the revolving heads turned, another screw comes in to act as stop upon each
lowering cam (for instance d³ eƒ³ 9³ instead of d'e²ƒ² g²). If the lowering cams
are then let down their pins are regulated by the new stops.
Since the screws dej g can be set at will, the lowering cams can also change
their position at will.
In the diagrams each revolving turret has but three screws and three positions,
but it is easy to increase that number.
The Figures 4 and 5 represent only the front carriage plate of the machine, the
back one being of similar construction.
The raising of the cams, revolution of the turrets and dropping back of the cams
are obtained in the following manner and shown in Figure 5. The top part of the
carriage is removed in order that the inside may be seen.
c is the heaving bolt. If it is drawn towards the right, rolls h and h¹ which are
07

page_text: placed upon bolt e glide along the slanting side of levers i and k pushing them up
into position and and consequently pressing up also the cams d e f g into their
highest positions do e fo°. Lever K on the right side of the carriage rests its
point on the movable hook 7, which prevents it from dropping when bolt e returns
to the left. Not before the carriage has come to the end of its course to the right
does lever m strike against the fixed stop n. Lever m and with it hook are pushed
to the left while spring o is being stretched, lever k set free and the lowering cams
on the right dropped.
The purpose of this arrangement is to prevent the right lowering cams fand g
from tearing the last tight row of stitches of the fabric when the machine has to
pass from tight to loose knitting and the carriage is on the left.
Another and more simple way to obtain the same result is the following.
Lever m and hook Figure 5 are left out altogether and bolt c cut across in the
direction of the line x y.
When bolt c is pushed towards the right and drawn again by hook towards the
left its right part remains on the right and roll in position Figure 5.
But when the carriage arrives on the right, the fixed stop n pushes the right
part of bolt c towards the left and causes the lowering cams fand g to drop.
C
The motion of bolt c towards the right and again towards the left, when the
stitch must be changed takes place on one side of the machine (here for instance
on the left) and independently on the front and on the back. On the left side of
the machine there is a wheel p with a chain q upon which there are studs r
(Figures 12 and 3). When the wheel moves in the direction of the arrow
(Figure 1) the studs get under one arm of the levers s or t. The levers s are
for the back, the levers for the front of the machine. If a stud gets under
lever t as shown in Figure 1 this lever moves into the position indicated by the
dotted lines it presses up stop V which revolves on axle u until that stop occupies
the position Vindicated by dotted lines Figure 1. Placed thus, stop V is in the
way of bolt c (Figures 127 and 8). On the contrary when it is in position V the
stop has no action whatever upon bolt c because it glides beneath it. If the stop
is in position V when the carriage gets to the left, bolt e strikes against V₁ and is
pushed to the right Figure 7 and all the lowering cams go up. At the same time
a hook z fixed to stop V drops into a notch a² of bolt c. If the carriage reverses
its course to the right, bolt c is drawn back to the left by hook, an inclined
plane a³ fixed to the carriage passing under the pin a' lifts up hook z and makes it
come out of notch a² and the carriage goes back towards the right, with bolt c in.
its left position (Figure 8).
с
The lowering cams have thus moved up and down while they were out of reach
of the needles.
While the lowering cams are up, the stop screws change their position. For
this purpose the levers s and t are placed on axle (Figures 1, 2, 3). As in the
present instance three positions only of the lowering cams are needed. There are
shown only three levers s and three levers t in these diagrams. These levers are
moveable and all placed side by side on axle Figure 3.
Each lever t¹ t³ ³
corresponds with a bolt el c² 3 Figures 1, 2, 3, which moves up and down in a
box d and is held below by a spring. The box d is screwed on the left end of the
machine.
On the middle part of the carriage there is a rack e* moving on two guides få f
which communicates its motion to the double rack ht by means of the pinion 9. The
lever is fixed on g₁ and communicates its motion through connecting bar to
lever and pinion g' which acts upon the rack h³. These two racks and have
two rows of teeth, one at the side and one on top, they communicate the motion of
both pinions g and go to the toothed revolving turrets D E F G Figures 4 and 6.
The rack can take for instance three positions, these positions are communicated
to the revolving heads and correspond to the three stop screws of each head. The
two inclined planes and the slit of rack e are intended to give this rack its right
motion.

page_text: If the position of the lowering cams has to be changed, the chain in its revolving.
motion sets at the required time a stud r Figure 1 under lever t. The chain is.
wide and the studs can be placed either opposite t¹ 2 or 3 or s¹² 3 Figure 2.
Supposing stud should come under this lever would take the position
indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1, draw by means of connecting bar m* the
round axle o revolving lever n' and in consequence push up bolt c¹ (Figures 12
and 4). At the same time hook t* of lever t presses on stop V, which revolving
upon axle u assumes the position V₁. c' and V₁ remain in this position until the
carriage comes to the left, at this moment stop V presses bolt c Figures 15 and 7
to the right and the lowering cams go up.
If the carriage moves further to the left, bolt c¹ comes against the inclined plane.
of the rack e and moves it in such a way that its slit meets c. This makes the
revolving heads turn and let stop screws d' e¹ f1 gl come under the lowering cams..
If another bolt instead of c¹ is pressed up by the chain, other stops will also get
under the lowering cams. When the carriage reverses its course to the right the
lowering cams fall back into their new position. The machine is not stopped by
this and no time is lost through change of position of the lowering cams.
This arrangement can be adapted also to machines with double cam mechanism
and many heads and in the manner above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. In knitting machines of the Lamb class the application of an arrangement.
permitting to regulate all or some lowering cams automatically, that is the left
cams when the carriage is on the left and the right ones when the carriage is on
the right substantially as herein set forth.
Second. In knitting machines of the Lamb class the application under the pins.
of the lowering cams of revolving turrets provided with adjustable stops sub-
stantially as set forth.
Third. In knitting machines of the Lamb class the application of a moveable.
lever or the equivalent thereof which keeps up the preceding cams after the length
of the stitch has been changed in order to prevent the stitches from being torn
substantially as set forth.
2
Fourth. In knitting machines of the Lamb class the application of a moveable
stop with hook z of a bolt c with notch a² in which hook 2 falls and of levers i
and for the purpose of moving the lowering cams substantially as herein set.
forth.
Fifth. In knitting machines of the Lamb class the application of bolts c¹² cor
the equivalent of these moved by a chain g of a rack et provided with inclined
planes and notch, moved by the above bolts and communicating its motion to the
toothed revolving turrets through two connected pinions 9' and 9' and racks h*
and substantially as herein set forth.
Sixth. In knitting machines of the Lamb class a mode of construction of the
disposition described under Claim 3 for keeping up the preceding cams f and g
during a course of the carriage and consisting of a hook which lets drop lever k
substantially as herein set forth.
с
Seventh. In knitting machines of the Lamb class another mode of construction
of the preceding disposition Claim 6 consisting of a parted bolt c the right part of
which remains on the right during a course of the carriage until it is pushed to the:
left by stop n substantially as herein set forth.
Dated the 23rd day of February 1897.