Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
I, JOSEPH EMORY GEARHART, of Clearfield, in the County of Clearfield,
State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this 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 an improvement in circular knitting machines, and it
consists in the construction and arrangement of parts which will be fully described
hereinafter.
The object of my invention is to operate the cylinder by means of a pivoted
toothed plate which is operated by a crank shaft, and to construct the parts as
hereinafter shewn and described.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a machine which embodies my invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.
Figs. 3 and 4 are detached views of the mechanism for revolving the cylinder.
Fig. 5 is a detached view of the crank-shaft.
This invention is intended as an improvement upon the machine shewn in a
Patent of the United States granted to me April 1st, 1890, No. 424,877,
A represents the frame which is of any suitable construction, in which the lower
edge of the revolving grooved cylinder B, is held by the upwardly and inwardly
extending flanges A', formed upon the inner edge of the frame A, and which frame
not only supports the operating parts, but serves as a means for securing the
machine to any suitable support. The lower end of the cylinder B rests upon the
inwardly extending flange 2 of the frame. Formed upon the lower edge of
the cylinder B, is a laterally extending horizontal flange, a, and the vertical
flange, in which are made the notches or teeth c, which are cast as a part of the
cylinder, instead of being made separate therefrom, and then secured in position
thereon. Casting the teeth as a part of the cylinder greatly reduces the cost and
labor of making the cylinders, and is a great improvement over having to form the
teeth separately. These teeth correspond to the grooves, n, in which the needles
are placed, and hence each tooth or cog moves the cylinder just far enough to bring
another needle into operation.
Secured to the frame A upon one side, is a stationary support D to the upper
edges of which is fastened a reversible yarn guide or tension device, which consists
of the bent plate G, which is pivoted to the upper end of the support, and can be.
turned to either side according to the direction in which the cylinder is moving,
and through this bent plate are formed three openings B', through which the yarn
passes. Secured to the end of this bent plate G, is a wire take-up spring H,
through which the yarn is passed after it has been passed through two of the holes
in the bent plate, and from the end of this spring which exerts a constant pull upon
the yarn, the yarn is passed through the last one of the three holes, as shewn. The
needles as the cylinder revolves cause a constant pull upon the yarn, and this pull
has a constant tendency to pull the yarn against the outer side of the bent plate,
and this tendency the spring serves to counteract, and takes up the slack thread
caused by the downward motion of the needle. The spring also prevents any sudden
jerk upon the yarn, and which would have a tendency to break it.
Journaled upon the top of the plate I, which is secured to the out-turned ends of
the frame A, is a crank shaft I', which is shaped as shewn. The opposite edges of
the standard D, are bent over as shewn, so as to form guides in which the slotted
vertically moving plate L, moves and which plate has the cranked portion of the
shaft arranged to extend through it for the purpose of raising and lowering it as the
A

page_text: shaft is revolved. Pivoted to the upper end of this vertically sliding plate L, is a plate N,
for raising and depressing the needles, and which is made substantially the same, and
operated in the same manner as described and shewn in any said Patent.
O is a
plate which extends down below the lower end of the sliding plate L, and which
has a tooth Y, formed on the inner side of its lower end and which tooth engages
with the teeth of the cylinder for the purpose of revolving it. The plate O is
pivoted at its upper end to the plate Land has a recess O¹, formed or made in its
side to receive the inner free end N¹ of the crank shaft, which when made to revolve
gives to this plate a reciprocating motion at its lower end, and this reciprocating
motion causes the teeth to push the cylinder around. It is immaterial in which
direction the crank shaft is made to revolve for this toothed plate will drive the
cylinder equally as well in either direction, and it is necessary to change the yarn
guide and tension device from one side to the other. Placed inside of the cylinder
is a circular toothed plate T, which catches in the work and serves to exert a
tension upon it, and secured inside of this circular toothed plate is a spiral spring S,
which has its lower end turned inward to the centre of the machine, and then bent
down so as to receive a tension weight upon it. The toothed plate and the spring
being secured together, is only necessary, (the weight having been placed upon
the inturned end of the spring) to cause the teeth to catch in the work.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a knitting machine a grooved cylinder having cogs or teeth upon its lower
edge formed as a part of the cylinder, substantially as shewn.
2. A tension device consisting of a perforated bent plate and a spring which is
secured to the plate at one end, and has a movement at the other, substantially as
described.
3. The combination of the toothed circular plate, with a spring which is secured
inside thereof, and which has one of its ends turned inward so as to receive the
weight, substantially as set forth.
4. In a knitting machine, a cylinder having cogs and carrying needles, a standard,
a reciprocating slide which raises and depresses the needles, a plate pivoted to the
said reciprocating slide having a tooth which engages the said cogs, and a crank
shaft which operates the two plates, the parts combined substantially as shown.
5. In a knitting machine, a frame, a cylinder having cogs and carrying needles,
a standard outside of the cylinder, a reciprocating slide on the standard, a plate
pivoted at its upper end to the upper end of the slide, and having a tooth at its
lower end which engages the said cogs and a longitudinal guide-way, and a shaft
having a crank which operates the said slide and its inner end engaging the said
guide-way of the said pivoted plate, the parts combined, substantially as
set forth.
6. The combination of the standard, the cylinder, the sliding slotted plate, a
crank shaft, a plate for raising and depressing the needles, and the pivoted toothed
plate for causing the cylinder to revolve, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 11th day of August 1891.
J. E. GEARHART,
By L. W., per F. B.