Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: te of Application, 26th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 28th Dec., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
1, MICHAEL JOSEPH DINNEEN, of 39 Cross Street, Lowell, in the County of
Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, one of the United States of America,
Inventor, 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:
My invention relates to circular-knitting-machines and consists in the devices and
combinations hereinafter described and claimed which enable a circular-spring-needle
knitting-machine to knit one or more courses of a yarn of one color and then one or
more courses of a yarn of a different color and to change automatically from one
color to another by first introducing one yarn and immediately thereafter severing the
yarn previously being knitted.
In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is an isometric view of so much of a circular
spring-needle knitting-machine as is necessary for an understanding of my invention
with my improvement attached thereto, showing a part of a needle-cylinder and its
needles and the loop-wheel and its stand; Fig. 2, a plan of the parts of my improve-
ment, showing the yarn-guide levers, the upper fluted-roll, the table on which said
levers are supported, the pattern-tape, the pattern-wheel, its ratchet, the pawl-rod, its
pawl, spring and anti-friction pulley, the pattern-tape, the carrier-wheel and the
bracket which supports the same and on which the same is adjustable; Fig. 3, a
section on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2 of the pattern-wheel and a part of the table which
supports the yarn-guide levers, showing said yarn-guide levers, the pattern-tape and
a part of said table in side elevation and showing the fluted-rolls in end elevation and
one of the springs, partly in dotted lines, in side elevation; Fig. 4, a section on the
line 4 4 in Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a section of a part of the loop-wheel and of a part of the
cylinder parallel with one of the leaves of said loop-wheel, showing also a yarn being
operated upon by the machine and two other yarns in readiness to be introduced into
the machine; Fig. 6, an isometric view of one of the leaves of the loop-wheel provided
with a cutting edge; Figs. 7 and 8 respectively, a side elevation and an outer edge
elevation of one of said leaves; Fig. 9, a transverse section on the line 99 in
Fig. 7.
The needle-cylinder A, needles a, loop-wheel stand b and loop-wheel B, except that
the leaves of the loop-wheel are sharpened into cutting-edges, as hereinafter described,
are of the usual construction and operation and are used with other parts commonly
used in circular spring-needle knitting-machines, including a sinker-wheel or divider-
wheel, landing-wheel and presser-wheel and a push-back C, shown in Fig. 1.
The yarns y¹ y y³, Figs. 1, 3 and 5, of which there are two or more, three being
shown, each run through a separate yarn-guide or lever G1 G2 G³ from bobbins (not.
shown), each yarn guide being provided with a yarn-eye g¹ 92 9³ to admit a yarn,
and then under the inner end of said yarn-guide or end nearest the needle-cylinder A,
and then through a vertical comb H having vertical slits ¹³ ³, each adapted to
receive a yarn and keep it out of contact with the other yarns and to hold each yarn
under its own yarn-guide lever, in order that it may be held thereby, as hereinafter
described, then between fluted rolls I I', arranged between said comb H and said
needle-cylinder parallel with said comb, and from the fluted-rolls over the yarn-table J
to the loop-wheel or stitch-wheel B which operates upon said yarns, one at a time, in
the usual manner.
The yarn-guide levers G1 G2 G3 are independently pivoted on a horizontal rod K
supported in a frame L which is also pivoted, at 1, near the outer ends of said yarn-
guide levers to brackets m m secured to a table M. The table M also supports the
comb H, the bearings of the lower fluted-roll I' and the yarn-table J and is itself

page_text: supported upon the upper part n of a stand N, the upper part n of which is hollow
and vertically adjustable on the lower part, said lower part being a vertical rod rigidly
secured in the bed of the machine, to enable the parts supported thereby to be raised
to the proper height with reference to the loop-wheel, said upper part n being held at
a proper height by means of a set-screw a¹ which turns radially in said upper part
and thrusts against said rod. The object of pivoting the frame L is to enable said
frame and with it the yarn-guide levers to be raised to pass the yarns through the
yarn-eyes g¹ g² g³ and through the comb. After the yarns have been arranged in
the yarn-eyes and comb, the frame is turned down on the table M and there
held, by turning the cap-screw O until its head o extends over the top of said
frame, said screw turning in a vertical threaded hole in the table M and having
one side of its head cut away at o¹ to allow the frame to be raised when the last-
named side is turned towards the frame.
The under side of the inner end of each yarn-guide lever is provided with a
transverse rib g, between which and the table M or a plate m', supported on said
table M, the yarn belonging to said lever is clamped when the outer end of said
lever is raised, as hereinafter described. When any yarn is thus clamped, it will
be broken or cut by a leaf of the loop-wheel B where the yarn enters the
needles.
The loop-wheel B, as above stated, performs the ordinary functions of a loop-
wheel or stitch-wheel, that is, its leaves push the yarn between the needles and
form loops in said yarn and at the same time, its nibs 62, or the projecting lower
ends of the leaves below the notches 63 of said leaves, carry the yarn up under
the beards a¹ of the needles a. But to insure a more perfect operation of the
severing devices and to avoid straining and bending the needles, the notches 63
are on their upper sides, sharpened into knives 64 and the effect of clamping the
yarn by the yarn-guide levers is to strain the yarn and cause it to rise on the
leaves of the loop-wheel on to said knives 6, by which knives the yarn is imme-
diately cut.
The severed end of the yarn then lies upon the yarn-table J in close proximity
to the loop-wheel and needles in readiness to be re-introduced into the fabric.
The yarn-table J is of a suitable shape to fill the space between the loop-wheel.
the needles and the table M, and is provided with a slotted ear j, through which
passes a screw into the table M, adjustably securing the yarn-table J to said
table M. The side of the yarn-table J is curved to conform to the curvature
of the row of needles and is arranged as near as possible to said needles, without
being in contact with them and keeps the loose yarns and the welt or portion of
previously knit fabric replaced on the needles and extending outside of the circle
of needles, down, from being caught between the loop-wheel and the needles and
the upper corner of said yarn-table is fitted as closely as possible, without being
in contact therewith, to the loop-wheel and the needles, so that the yarn cannot
fall below the loop-wheel and fail to be caught by said wheel and the needles.
All the yarns pass between the fluted rolls I I', the flutes ¹ of which engage each
other. The axes of said fluted rolls are horizontal and the journals of the lower
roll turn in suitable journal boxes 3 in the table M, while the journals of the
upper roll I turn in journal-boxes in the frame L, above-described. The journal-
boxes of the upper fluted-roll I are open at the top and are filled with blocks į
which bear upon the journals of said fluted-roll, being held in contact therewith
by springs, which are represented in Fig. 1, as being leaf-springs secured by
screws to the frame L, the free ends of said springs pressing upon the blocks
and being preferably riveted to or otherwise secured to said block. Lifting the
frame L not only raises the yarn-guide levers, as above-described, but also raises the
upper fluted-roll I and facilitates the placing of the yarn between the rolls.
fluted-rolls are driven at a constant rate of speed, when the machine is in operation,
by the friction of yarn or yarns, which for the time being are entering the machine,
the broken yarn merely stands still, bending, as shown in Fig. 10 to conform to the
action of the rolls, but, when the broken, yarn is unclamped, the rolls will carry the
The

page_text: free end of said broken yarn far enough to allow it to be caught by the loop-wheel
and knitted into the fabric. After both yarns have entered into the fabric together
for a few stitches just enough to make sure that the new yarn will not slip away from
the loop-wheel and needles, the old yarn is clamped by its yarn-guide levers and cut
or broken, as above-described.
To the under side of the outer arm of each yarn-guide-lever is secured an adjustable
spring-follower 95 96 97 by means of a screw 910 911 which passes through an,
anthreaded hole in said yarn-guide lever and enters the inner end of the nearly
horizontal part of said follower and an adjusting-screw 93 914 915 turns in each lever
and thrusts down upon said follower, between the attaching screw g³ 910 g and the
other end of said follower to vary the distance of the lower end of said follower from
its lever, the elasticity of the follower holding it constantly against the lower end of
its adjusting screw.
The outer ends of the followers are bent downward to enter the pattern-grooves in
the pattern-tape Q, hereinafter described. Below the outer ends of the yarn-guide
levers turns the pattern-drum P, its axis being parallel with the fulcrum-rod K and
its periphery being provided with as many annular grooves p¹ p² p³ (see fig. 1) as
there are yarn-guide levers, which grooves are capable of receiving the outer lower
ends of said followers, when the inner ends of said levers are raised. A pattern tape Q,
preferably of sheet-metal, runs on the drum P and on a carrier-wheel P¹, the office
of said carrier-wheel being merely to support the tape and to furnish a means of
keeping said tape taut, said carrier-wheel turning on a stud pla provided with an
enlarged shoulder p¹ and extending through a slot p15 in a bracket p16 secured by a
screw p" to the same bench or stand which supports the knitting-machine proper.
The drum P and the carrier-wheel P1 may be set farther apart by loosening the
nut p which turns on the threaded outer end of the stud pl³ away from the bracket pla
and then moving said shaft in the slot p15 away from said drum.
2
The stud p¹³, after being adjusted, in such a position as to strain the tape Q, may
be held in position by turning said nut p16 on said stud against said bracket. The
drum P and carrier-wheel PI may be provided with flanges p1 p20 to prevent the
tape from moving laterally on said drum and carrier-wheel. The drum P is supported
and turns in journal-boxes n' in the frame n, said frame being supported on the
stand N and vertically adjustable thereon, being held by a set-screw n which passes
through a sleeve no, secured to said frame nt, and thrust against said stand N. The
pattern-tape Q has a number of slots equal in number to the yarn-guide levers and
to the grooves in the drum P, said slots q¹ q² 93 being arranged at the same intervals
with said grooves and coming directly over said grooves. The lower end of each
follower is beveled, at g17 918 91, downward and inward towards the needle-cylinder
and is provided, just below the top of the bevel on one or both sides, with shoulders
or stops g21 22 23³, which rest on the tape Q, when the lower ends of said followers
are in the slots of said tape, and limit the upward movement of the inner ends of the
yarn-guide levers. When the drum P is rotated, in the direction of the arrow
marked thereon, the pattern-tape is carried with it and to prevent said tape from
slipping on said drum, the drum is provided with a series of radially or nearly radially-
projecting pins p21 arranged at equal intervals on said drum and entering holes q
arranged at corresponding equal intervals in said tape, near the sides thereof. When
the radial pins p21 and the holes q are used, the flanges pls are not absolutely essential.
Each yarn-guide lever releases its yarn when its follower reaches, a pattern-slot, the
front arm of said lever being raised by a leaf-spring 98, secured to the table M and
pressing against the under side of said lever, and immediately thereafter another lever
is caused to clamp its yarn, by the end of a pattern-slot striking the beveled end of its
follower.
The drum P is provided with an annular ratchet ps, engaged by a pawl r, adjustably
secured on the pawl-rod R which slides in horizontal bearings n² n³, secured to the
frame n, above-named.
The pawl r turns on a vertical stud r¹, on the inner end of a bolt 2 which passes
through a transverse longitudinal slot ³ in the pawl-rod R and carries a nut ³ on its

page_text: outer end, which, being turned, draws a shoulder, with which said bolt is provided,
against the inner side of said pawl-rod. By this means the distance of the pawl
from the inner end of the pawl-rod may be varied and the shoulder and nut act
as stops, to limit the motion of the pawl-rod towards the cylinder.
The pawl is kept in engagement with the ratchet by the spring 6. The rod R
is pressed towards the needle-cylinder by a spiral-spring which surrounds said
rod R and is compressed between the inner bearing n³ of said rod and the enlarged
head of said rod. The inner end of the rod R supports an anti-friction roll
and the needle-cylinder A has secured to it a cam a², which, once in every
revolution of said cylinder, strikes said roll and throws the pawl-rod outward and
rotates the drum P an angular distance represented by one tooth of the ratchet p³
and moves the pattern-tape Qan equal amount. In order that the drum may not
be thrown too far by the action of the pawl, the journal-boxes n' are open at the
top and a plug of leather or similar material n8, is inserted in the tops of said
journal-boxes and pressed down upon the journals p22 of said drum by means of
clamp bars p³, arranged above said journal-boxes or journal-slots and drawn by
screws p, passing through the ends of said bars on opposite sides of said journal-
boxes into the top of the frame n, to create a friction between said plugs and
said journals and to stop the drum as soon as the outward movement of the pawl-
rod R stops.
The cam a has two cam-surfaces a³ a¹ one a³ of which first rotates the drum
far enough to allow one of the yarn-guide levers to be operated to release its yarn
which immediately enters the machine, the inner side of the pawl-rod or its anti-
friction roll then resting upon a surface as of the cam, which rest or surface a³ is
concentric with the cylinder A, the angular length of this surface determining the
distance which the two yarns the old and the newly introduced-shall enter the
machine together. When the newly introduced yarn has entered the fabric suffi-
ciently, the pawl-rod is thrown further outward by the second cam-surface a* and
rotates the pattern-drum sufficiently to cause the old yarn to be clamped by its yarn-
guide lever, the ends of the pattern-tape lapping past each other sufficiently for this
purpose.
The number of courses of yarn of any color will be equal to the number of teeth
of the ratchet p³ which represent the angular distance measured by the pattern-slot
which allows the yarn of that color to enter the machine supposing the tape to be
wound about the drum P.
When it is desired to use the machine without the stripping devices, the pawl-rod
may be drawn outward until the hole po in the pawl-rod is in line with the hole n³
in the bearing n² and there held by inserting the pin p" in both of said holes, which
will hold the pawl-rod out of engagement with the cam a¹ and thus allow the yarn
when running into the fabric to knit a solid color until such time as the pin p" is
withdrawn, to allow the pawl-rod to be moved by the spring into the path of said
cam.
The pin p¹¹ may be conveniently attached to the machine by a chain p¹², as shown
in Fig. 1.
The rolls I I¹, instead of being fluted, may be covered with leather or other similar
material, adapted to draw the yarns and may be connected by positive mechanism with
a revolving part of the machine but if fluted should be used with stops which may
be hooks arranged to project from the top of the frame L and to be turned over the
spring to prevent the top-roll from rising out of its journal-boxes and to be turned
in the other direction, when desired, to remove the top-roll.
The followers g³ g g' are each provided with an upward projection g12 which enters
a corresponding recess g16 (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3) in the under side of its
yarn-guide lever, to prevent said follower turning on said lever and getting out of the
plane of the corresponding pattern-slot.
Instead of the pattern-tape Q, a pattern-chain of any desired length and provided
with projections to strike the beveled ends of the followers may be carried by the
drum.

page_text: The ribs g of the yarn-guide levers may be covered with a suitable pad or may
strike upon a pad of material best adapted to prevent the yarn from slipping when
clamped.
The yarn-table J may be dispensed with and the yarn allowed to fall on the top of
the plates a by which the needles are clamped to the cylinder, or the ends of the yarn
may be held by the suction of the current of air, set in motion by the rapid revolution
of the needle-cylinder, at the proper place to be caught by the loop-wheel and the
needles, but it is considered safer to support the severed ends of the yarn by said
table J, which insures the proper introduction of the yarns into the machine.
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:
1. The loop-wheel, having leaves provided with nibs, said leaves having their edges.
above said nibs sharpened to form knives, as and for the purpose specified.
2. The combination of the needle-cylinder and needles and the loop-wheel, provided
with leaves having cutting-edges, as and for the purpose specified.
3. The combination of the needle-cylinder having needles, the loop-wheel and the
feed-rolls, adapted to feed yarns placed between said rolls, as and for the purpose-
specified.
4. The combination of the needle-cylinder having needles, the loop-wheel and the
feed-rolls, adapted to be rotated by a yarn drawn between the same and to feed other
yarns placed between said rolls, as and for the purpose specified.
5. The combination of the needle-cylinder having needles, the loop-wheel and the
fluted feed-rolls, adapted to engage each other and to be rotated by a yarn drawn
between said rolls and to feed other yarns placed between said rolls, as and. for the
purpose specified.
6. The combination of the needle-cylinder having needles, the loop-wheel and the
feed-rolls arranged one above the other, the upper of said rolls having upwardly-
yielding bearings, said rolls being adapted to be rotated by a yarn drawn between
the same and to feed other yarns placed between said rolls, as and for the purpose
specified.
7. The combination of the needle-cylinder having needles, the loop-wheel, the feed-
rolls, adapted to be rotated by a yarn drawn between the same and to feed other
yarns placed between said rolls and the yarn-table, arranged between said rolls, needles
and loop-wheel, as and for the purpose specified.
8. The combination of the needle-cylinder provided with needles, the loop-wheel,.
feed-rolls, a table and yarn-guides pivoted thereon and adapted to clamp between their
ends and said table, yarns, as and for the purpose specified.
9. The combination of the needle-cylinder provided with needles, the loop-wheel,.
feed-rolls, a table, yarn-guides pivoted thereon and adapted to clamp between their
ends and said table, yarns, and having downwardly-projecting rear ends, the pattern-
tape, the pattern-drum, provided with a ratchet, the pawl-rod carrying a pawl, a
spring, forcing said pawl-rod towards said cylinder, and a cam, secured on said
cylinder and adapted to push said pawl-rod and turn said pattern-drum at every
revolution of said cylinder, as and for the purpose specified.
10. The combination of the needle-cylinder provided with needles, the loop-wheel,
feed-rolls, a table, yarn-guides supported thereon and adapted to clamp, between their
inner ends and said table, yarns, and having adjustable-followers provided with down-
wardly-projecting rear ends, a pattern-tape having slots to receive said downwardly-
projecting rear ends, the pattern-drum and the carrier-roll, said pattern-drum having
a ratchet, a pawl-rod carrying a pawl, a spring, to force said pawl-rod towards said
cylinder, and a cam secured on said cylinder and adapted to push said pawl-rod and
turn said pattern-drum at every revolution of said cylinder, as and for the purpose
specified.
11. The combination of the needle-cylinder provided with needles, the loop-wheel,
feed-rolls, a table, yarn-guides, pivoted on said table and adapted to clamp, between

page_text: their inner ends and said table, yarns, and having adjustable followers provided with
downwardly-projecting rear ends beveled, as described, a pattern-tape, having slots
to receive said rear ends, the pattern-drum and the carrier-roll, a ratchet, secured on
said pattern-drum, concentric therewith, a pawl-rod carrying a pawl which engages
said ratchet, a spring to force said pawl-rod towards said cylinder, and a cam secured
OD said cylinder and adapted to push said pawl-rod and to turn said pattern-drum at
every revolution of said cylinder, said cam having two cam-surfaces and an inter-
mediate rest between said cam-surfaces, to allow a new yarn to enter before the old
yarn is severed, as and for the purpose specified.
12. The combination of the needle-cylinder, provided with needles, the loop-wheel,
a table, yarn-guides, pivoted thereon and adapted to clamp between their ends and
said table, yarns, the pattern-drum, actuating said yarn-guides and provided with a
ratchet, a pawl-rod, carrying a pawl to engage said ratchet, a cam, secured on said
needle-cylinder and adapted to push said pawl-rod and turn said pattern-drum at every
revolution of said cylinder and means substantially as described for holding said pawl-
rod out of the path of said cam, as and for the purpose specified.
13. The combination of the needle-cylinder, provided with needles, the loop-wheel,
a table, yarn-guides, pivoted thereon and adapted to clamp between their ends and
said table, yarns, the pattern-drum, actuating said yarn-guides and provided with a
ratchet, a pawl-rod carrying a pawl to engage said ratchet, a cam, secured on said
needle-cylinder and adapted to push said pawl-rod and turn said pattern-drum at every
revolution of said cylinder, a frame supporting said pawl-rod, said pawl-rod and frame
being provided with holes, and a pin, adapted to enter said holes, to enable said
pawl-rod to be drawn out of the path of said cam and there held by inserting said pin
in the hole in said frame and in the hole in said pawl-rod, as and for the purpose
specified.
DL: acu 1
1000
MICHAEL JOSEPH DINNEEN.
Herbert & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.