Improvements in Knitting Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Aug., 1897-Accepted, 9th Oct., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
We, ALBERT WHITE and DANIEL F. SULLIVAN, both of 8 Western Avenue,
Lowell, in the County of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, United States of
America, Mechanics, 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:-
-
Our invention relates to automatic stop-motions for circular knitting machines,
and an object of our said invention is to provide means whereby the ordinary
hand-shipper and the common mechanism which is released automatically when
an imperfection or hole occurs in a course, may both be employed independently
of our mechanism, which comprises a release operating by the breaking of a thread,
and also in conjunction therewith.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of the cylinder, and bed of a circular
knitting machine showing our improvement;
Figure 2 a side elevation looking to the right from line 2-2 in Figure 1;
Figure 3 a like view on line 3-3 in Figure 1;
Figure 4 an elevation partly in section on line 4-4 in Figure 1, and
Figure 5 a perspective view, partly in section, of the parts shown in Figure 2,
the presser-wheel being removed, and
Figure 6 an elevation looking toward the left in Figure 1.
Like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different
figures of the drawings.
A, represents the needle-cylinder; B, the bed of the machine; C, the needles,
and, D, the presser wheel, these being all arranged in the usual positions.
On the bed in suitable brackets, p, a curved rod or ring, H, extending around
the cylinder is fitted to slide. This ring is bent to conform to the arc of the
cylinder and extends nearly or quite around the cylinder, passing under the
supports of the loop-wheels, K, and the thread-guides, k, and connects with any
or all of the feeds through the drop-wire h.
The usual hand-shipper, 36, pulled by a spring, 100, is stopped by a vertically
playing pin, 34, pushed upward by a spring, 101, (see Fig. 6) and which is held
depressed by one arm of a vertically swinging bell-crank, 31, on plate, 30, and
provided with a thumb piece, 35. On the inner end of this lever upon the base
or bed, B, there is a vertical pivoted bell-crank, 33, with which the hook end, 45,
of a horizontally swinging bell-crank, 37, engages. The arm, 46, of the lever, 37,
is engaged by a spring-pushed pin, 38, (see Fig. 1) holding the latch locked
against the pressure of the pin, 34, and said arm also projects over the ring, H.
An angle-lever, 41, is mounted to rock in suitable bearings, 42, its free end being
in position to engage and rest on the web. An arm, 60, on said lever pulled by a
spring 61, tensions this engagement, and a pin, 43, (shown in dotted lines in
Fig. 6) on said lever is in position to engage the arm of the bell-crank, 37, and
throw it into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1; thus unlatching the
lever, 31, and freeing pin, 34, whereby shipper, 36, is released, when said lever, 41,

page_text: is rocked by the dropping of its free end into a hole or imperfection in the web.
The parts thus far described are a well known form of stop-motion, in ordinary
use, and with which our improvement acts in conjunction.
Pivoted at 55, on the edge of the bed there is a hook-shaped lever, 51, having
a cam edge, 71, in position to be engaged by a cam-block, 72, on the hand lever or
shipper, 36, when said shipper is moved from right to left as viewed, in order to
start the machine.
This lever, 51, is pulled by a spring, 53, connecting it with the bed and its
movement is limited by a stop, 52.
On the ring, H, a horizontal arm, 50, is fast and projects over the edge of the
bed with its free end in position to be engaged by the free end of the lever, 51.
On said ring, H, and carried thereby there is also a vertical rigid arm, 39,
(Fig. 1) the upper end, 44, (see Fig. 1) of which projects in front of the bell-crank
arm, 46, so that when said ring, H, is moved in one direction a determined
distance, it will actuate the bell-crank, and unlatch the locking mechanism of the
shipper, 36, before described.
The distance between the end, 44, of this arm and the bell-crank is such how-
ever, that they will not engage with one another when the shipper, 36, is moved
by hand.
A spindle, 63, carries a block, b, (Fig. 3) on its inner end and is adjustable
longitudinally in its bearings on the bed by a star-box, b³.
The presser-wheel, D, is mounted to rotate on a spindle pivoted at 15, to rock in
said block, and is normally held tilted with its periphery in engagement with the
needles, C, as in Fig. 3, by a pin, 9, (see Fig. 2) which bears against a vertically
swinging right-angle lever, 8, (see Figs. 2 and 5) pivoted at, w, in the block, said
pin resisting the pressure of the needles against the wheel until it is allowed to
fall away from the needles by an upward movement of the lever, s, which registers
a recess, r, therein with the pin, as hereafter described.
A support, 16, is mounted on the pivot, 15, to rock in the same direction as the
support of the wheel, D, and pivoted to rock in a direction at right angles thereto,
there is a lever, y, provided with a vertical cam-blade, z, on its upper end, which
may be thrown to the path of fingers, f, on the presser wheel.
This lever, y, carries at 9, a wire drop-arm, h, which projects under the support
of the loop-wheel, K, and under the thread-guide, k, its free end resting on the
thread, It will be understood that one of these wires and conjunctive
mechanism is arranged at each presser on the head. Two wires, m, on the guide
pass under the thread at either side the drop wire, h, which is bent downwardly
and horizontally forming a shoulder, i. The support, 16, is provided with two
pins 19, and 20, (see Fig. 5) between which the free end of the angle lever, s,
works, and by which said lever, s, is moved vertically to unlock and lock the
presser-wheel support.
On the ring, H, there is a fast arm, 23, (Fig. 3) and in a bracket, 27, on the
bed, an angle-arm, 24, is mounted to rock horizontally and is tensioned by a
torsion spring, 26, one end of which engages a pin, 25, on said arm, as shown in
Fig. 3. This spring tends to move the ring, H, towards the thread-guide. On
the upper end of the arm, 24, a horizontal arm, 28, is adjustably secured, the free
end of said arm being reduced at r, and in position to engage and act as a stop for
the end, 18, (Fig. 2) of the rocking support of the presser-wheel off set for this
purpose.
A vertical rod, 22, fast on the ring, H, and adjustable by a set-screw, 21 has
its upper end bent at right-angles, and will pass under the shoulder, i, of the
drop-wire h, and support said arm when a stop occurs from causes other than the
breaking of a thread.
In the use of our improvement, the parts being in the position shown and the
machine in operation, the shipper, 36, may be employed by hand in the usual
manner, being first slightly depressed to pass under pin, 34, and then moved from
left to right as viewed. This frees the hook-shaped lever, 51, permitting' the
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page_text: spring, 53, to elevate it, driving the ring arm, 50 a distance determined by the
stop, 52, and moving the ring correspondingly.
This projects the vertical rod 22, under the shoulder, i, of the drop-wire; h;
sufficiently far to prevent said wire from dropping when the thread, j, slacks at
the stopping of the machine, and thus preventing the operating of the presser-
wheel mechanism. The movement of the ring is not sufficient to contact the
arm, 39, with the latch lever and thereby release the latch, 37. This same effect
is produced when the shipper is released by the rocking of the lever, 41 as a hole
occurs in the web, as above described, it being understood, however, that when
said lever, 41, rocks it operates the latch mechanism, the purpose of the hook
lever, 51, and its movement of the ring being solely to project a support for the
drop-wire when either the shipper is operated by hand or by the action of the
angle-lever, 41.
On retracting the hand-shipper to start the machine, the hook-lever, 51, is
thereby reciprocated; the sliding ring, H, is then drawn back by hand freeing
the drop-wires from the supporting arms, 22.
When a thread breaks the wire, h, will drop, rocking the lever, y, and throwing
its blade, z, into the path of the fingers, f, où the presser-wheel, D. Said fingers
engaging the blade cause the support, 16, to rock towards the needles on pivot; 15;
and thus permit the fingers to pass.
This motion has meanwhile caused pin, 20, on the support, 16, to throw the
right angle lever, s, upward until the hole, r, therein registers with the pin, q, ou
the support, 17, of the presser-wheel. This relieves the wheel and the spring of
the needles, C, will now throw said, wheel outward, freeing the arm, 18, on its
support from the stop arm, r.
The spring, 26, will now act torsionally on the arm, 24, and drive the ring, H,
sufficiently far to permit the rigid rod, 39, carried thereby, to engage and move the
arm, 46, of the bell-crank, 37, so as to unlatch the latter from the bell-crank, 33,
and free the pin, 34, from lever, 31, permitting spring, 101, to act on said pin.
This frees the spring-pulled hand shipper, 36, which immediately operates to stop
the machine in a manner which will be understood by those conversant with such
matters without a more explicit description.
In setting the device, in addition to moving the hand shipper as before, the
ring is retracted by hand and the presser-wheel is rocked against the needles. It
will be seen that the ring may be moved independently by hand sufficiently far
to support the drop-wires, and that by our improvement the usual stop-motions
may also be employed independently as well as actuated by the breaking of a
thread.
We do not wish to be confined to employing a continuous ring as a sliding rod
of any suitable length for the purpose may be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
First. In a stop motion for knitting machines, a thread-supported drop-wire in
combination with a sliding rod provided with a projection adapted to be engaged
with and support said wire, substantially as described.
Second. In a stop motion for knitting machines, a thread-supported drop-wire, in
combination with a sliding ring, carrying a support for said wire and adapted to
be moved by hand to disengage the same; and mechanism released by the dropping
of said wire for engaging said support, substantially as specified.
Third. In a stop motion for knitting machines a thread-supported drop-wire, a
spring actuated shipper, locking mechanism therefor, a sliding ring carrying a
support for the wire, and mechanism released by the dropping of the wire for
actuating said ring to release said locking mechanism, and engage said support
with said wire all being combined substantially as set forth.
Fourth. In a stop motion for knitting machines, a hand-shipper in combination

page_text: with a thread-supporter drop-wire, a sliding ring, a spring reciprocated lever for
moving said ring and operated by said shipper, and a projection on the ring for
engaging the drop-wire, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Fifth. In a stop motion for knitting machines, a sliding ring on the base, in
combination with the drop-wire, a projection on the ring for engaging said wire
at a determined point in its movement, the hand shipper, and mechanism
operated by the release of said shipper for moving said ring substantially as
specified.
Sixth. The rocking lever, 41, the shipper, and their connecting mechanism,
in combination with a sliding rod, a thread-supported drop-wire; a projection on
the ring for engaging said wire; and mechanism released by the movement of the
shipper for actuating said ring substantially as described.
Seventh. The combination with the tilting presser-wheel, of a drop-wire-released
locking mechanism therefor, a sliding ring, a shipper released by a movement of
said ring; and a spring-actuating mechanism for the ring normally retracted by
the support of said wheel, substantially as set forth.
Eighth. The combination with the tilting presser-wheel and its locking
mechanism, of a sliding ring, a spring-actuated mechanism for moving said ring;
a projection on the support of said wheel for locking said mechanism, a shipper
and locking mechanism therefor, released by the movement of said ring,
substantially as described.
Dated the 2nd do t
1007
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 and 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.