Improvements in Constructing and Securing the Parts of Sectional Cam Rings of Knitting Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 7th Oct., 1893
COME LEIE SI MULTIOAIN
Improvements in Constructing and Securing the Parts of Sectional
Cam Rings of Knitting Machines.
I, LOUIS NAPOLEON DEVON WILLIAMS of 2077 East Cumberland Street in
the City of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Manufacturer of Knitting Machinery do hereby declare the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to circular knitting machines in which the knitting
cams are secured to or formed on removable segments the main object of the
invention being to provide means for securing such segments firmly in position
when in use, while permitting the ready removal of any desired segment when
it is necessary to gain access to the needles on any portion of the needle cylinder
or to any of the cams for purposes of examination or repair.
In the accompanying drawings :-
Figure 1 is a plan view of sufficient of a circular knitting machine to illustrate
the present invention;
Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 Figure 1, shewing part of the
needle cylinder in position;
Figure 2 is an enlarged section of part of Figure 1 ;
Figure 3 is a detached perspective view on a larger scale of one of the cam
segments and of a certain filling block employed in conjunction therewith;
Figure is a perspective view illustrating a modified construction ;
Figure 5 is a plan view illustrating the application of the invention to another
form of machine;
Figure 6 is a transverse section on the line 6-6 Figure 5;
Figure 7 is a perspective view shewing one of the cam seginents and its filling
block removed from the machine; and
Figures 8 and 9 are sectional views illustrating modified constructions.
A represents the fixed base of an ordinary form of circular knitting machine,
to which is secured the vertical needle cylinder B. The base is provided, as
usual, with a circular guide way for a cam ring C having cams for actuating
the needles of the cylinder, and provided with a bevel gear C' with which
engages a driving pinion for rotating it.
In the accompanying drawings all unnecessary portions of the machine irrelative
to this invention have been omitted for the sake of clearness.
The cam ring is divided into any desired number of segments c, (eight in the
present instance,) which form when in position a continuous circular ring. Each
section may be removed from its position without disturbing any of the others, and
each is independently secured to à base ring D preferably formed integral with the
bevel gear C¹. The preferred construction is that illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3,
in which the base ring D completely encircles the entire series of segments, and
between each segment and such base ring is a filling block or segment d of a width
slightly greater than the length of the needle bits, and passing through the base
ring and each filling block and segment is a securing screw e.
To remove any single segment its screw e is first removed and then the filling
block or segment d; the base ring for this purpose being preferably recessed as at
so that a lifting hook may be engaged in the opening formed in the filling block for
the passage of the screw e and the filling block removed. A clear space is thus
left between the base ring and the segment to be removed, and the latter may then
be drawn back until the cam path is clear of the needle bits and then be raised
vertically until it is clear of the machine. In this construction the means for

page_text: holding the segments up to the needle cylinder and the means for locking them in
position are separate and distinct so that after the removal of the screws the
segments are still held in position, and if the screws be loosened accidentally there
will be no danger of the segments being displaced as the ends of the segments and
the ends of the filling blocks are in alignment, and if necessary a single screw may
be used to hold all of the segments in position.
In Figure 4 is illustrated a slight modification of this construction, the central
portion of the filling block being removed so as to leave a clear space between two
smaller blocks situated one at each end of the segment. It will also be noted in
this figure that the upper edges of the filling blocks are flanged at d¹ and extend
slightly over the edge of the base ring so that a suitable tool may be inserted
under the flanges to facilitate their removal. In this construction two securing
screws e are employed, one of which passes through each of the filling blocks to the
segment.
Of course it will be understood that the filling blocks d are thicker than the
extent of projection of the needle bits so that when the filling blocks are removed
the cam segments can be backed off sufficiently to clear the said bits.
In Figures 5 to 9 the invention is illustrated as applied to a machine of small
diameter, such as may be used for knitting tubes for stocking, the machine shewn
in Figures 1 to 4 being intended for knitting tubes such as are employed for the
bodies of shirts and like purposes.
In the small machine there are but a limited number of segments, usually not
more than two, and the extent of movement of either segment necessary to
disengage from the needle bits the cams at the ends of the segment, must be
considerably greater than is required where a large number of segments are
employed, and the construction shown in said Figures 5 to 9 permits the lateral
removal of either segment until all portions of its cams are thus clear of the
needle bits.
The cam ring in the present instance is divided preferably into two segments (,
although of course, the number may be increased if necessary, and immediately in
the rear of such cam ring, the body of the bevel gear C₁ is provided with a
continuous circular groove c', in which are placed filling blocks d equal in number
to the number of cam segments, and preferably slightly less in thickness than the
width of the groove, so that the blocks will fill the space between the outer wall of
the groove and the rear wall of the cam segment. The cam segments are held in
position against the filling blocks by screws e and each filling block is locked in the
groove by a screw e passing vertically through the filling block into the body of the
bevel gear C¹.
To remove any single segment the screws e, e¹ are first removed and the filling
block is lifted from the groove, leaving a clear space for the lateral movement of
the cam segment, so that its groove may be moved out of engagement with the
needle bits.
In the construction shown in Figure 8, the upper outer face of each cam segment
is recessed and the filling block is correspondingly shaped to fit therein (as at h);
Extending over both the filling block and the segment is the needle guard H, and
a single vertical screw e passing through the needle guard and filling block to the
body of the bevel gear C³, serves to hold all three parts in proper position, and in
removing the cam segment it is simply necessary to loosen this single screw and
raise the needle guard and filling block.
Figure 9 illustrates a further modification, in which the body of the bevel gear C¹¹
is provided with a vertical annular flange I recessed at its outer edge to form a
seat, and each canı segment c has a similar flange i fitting between the flange I and
the filling block d and resting upon the seat formed in the flange I, forming a solid
structure which may be locked in working position by a single screw e, as shewn.
In all of these constructions, the removal of the filling block from the groove c¹
will leave a clear space for the removal of the cam segment, and the latter may be
moved laterally beyond the periphery of the base of the machine.

page_text: 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 combination in a knitting machine, of a cam ring having a removable
segment, a rotatable support to which the said segment is secured, and a filling
block interposed between the segment and the said support, the said block being of
greater width than the projecting bits of the needles, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. The combination in a knitting machine, of a cam ring consisting of a series of
independently removable segments, a rotatable ring encircling the same, devices
for securing the segments to the said ring, and filling blocks interposed between
the ring and the cam segments, substantially as hereinbefore specified.
3. The combination in a knitting machine, of a cam ring having one or more
removable segments, a rotatable base ring, a filling block inserted between each of
the removable segments and the said base ring, and devices for securing each
segment and its filling block to the base ring, substantially as hereinbefore
specified.
4. The combination in a knitting machine, of a cam ring composed of segments,
a rotatable support for the said segments having a groove in its upper face, and a
filling block interposed between the outer face of each segment and the outer wall
of the groove, substantially as hereinbefore specified.
5. The combination in a knitting machine, of a cam ring composed of independent
segments, a rotatable support for the said segments, having a groove in its upper
face, a filling block interposed between the outer face of each segment and the
outer wall of the groove, and means for securing the segment to the said block and
the block to the rotatable support, substantially as hereinbefore specified.
6. The combination in a knitting machine, of a cam ring consisting of a number
of removable cam segments, a rotatable support therefor, having a groove in its
upper face, a filling block interposed between the outer face of each segment and
the outer wall of the groove, and having a projection adapted to a recess in the
segment, a needle guard above the filling block and cam segment, and a screw
whereby the needle guard and filling block are secured to the rotatable support,
substantially as hereinbefore specified.
7. The combination in a knitting machine, of a cam ring composed of a series of
removable cam segments, a rotatable support flanged for engagement with flanges
on the segments, and also having a groove in its upper face, a filling block
interposed between the outer face of each segment and the outer wall of the
groove, and a bolt passing through the filling block and through the flange of the
segment aird its support, substantially as hereinbefore specified.
Dated this 4th day of September 1893.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.