Improvements in or relating to Knitting Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Aug., 1898-Accepted, 23rd Sept.,
1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Knitting Machines.
I, WILHELM BACH, Manufacturer, of Apolda, Germany, 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:
This invention relates to improvements in knitting machines with double
ended tumbler needles for manufacturing pattern pearl work and goods which
are smooth on one side such as described in my prior Patent No. 25097 of 1896,
and consists in means for ensuring a perfect opening of the double ended tumbler
needles, during the transition from knitting goods which are smooth on one
side to pearl work knitting, whereby a sure traversing of the tumbler needles from
one bed to another and a sure taking up of the thread is attained.
According to my said former patent the double tumbler needles were, for
ensuring better action, driven by drivers and controlled by auxiliary needlés
arranged on said drivers by means of drivers arranged oppositely, with triangular
points moved relatively to each other on needle-raisers.
The double tumbler needles, when pearl work is being knitted are pulled over
into that bed of which, the needle raiser point is in advance during the movement
of the slide. The auxiliary needles are therefore advanced by the drivers until
they rest on the needle bar, and release the tumbler needles. The auxiliary
needles also cause the needles to return into the opposite bed (for pearl work) or
into their original position (for goods smooth on one side).
The tumbler needles must have a few millimetres clearance or free space, in
order that their correct working may be ensured, see Figs. 1, 1". The double
tumbler needles must be opened at both their latches or tumblers during pearl
work knitting sufficiently long to enable the auxiliary needles opposite to become
hooked to the needle heads, and the tumblers released by the auxiliary needles to
receive the thread in the well known manner, whereupon the tumbler needles are
pulled back into the opposite bed. When however plain goods are to be knitted,
the working is different.
The double tumbler needles are not pulled out from one bed to the other, but
remain in one bed, and therefore remain connected to the auxiliary needles and
the other tumbler or latch of the tumbler needle receives the thread in the well
known manner. When it is desired to pass from knitting plain goods to knitting
pearl work, that auxiliary needle which produced the movement of the needle
during the production of plain work, must be raised.
It is well known that the shock exercised on the tails of the auxiliary needles
by the drivers is transmitted to the tumbler needles, and may cause the latches
of the tumbler needles to close during the knocking off of the goods. When
pearl work is being knitted and the needles are released by the auxiliary needles,
they are in such a position that they strike the usual main tumbler openers M. M',
and as now the tumbler has become free, it can easily happen that the tumblers
close on one or on the other side, and the tumbler needles can no longer be pulled
over into the other bed by the auxiliary needle, and therefore they cannot knit

page_text: pearl work nor receive thread. This working is better illustrated in Figs. 7
and 8. Fig. 7 shows how plain work is produced, that is to say when the locks
are operative only on one bed II. It will be seen that the tumbler openers M
are in the position to open the tumblers on the bed I. When however pearl work
is to be knitted (Fig. 8), that is to say when the needles are to be transferred from
the bed II, to the bed I, (the lock and needle raiser point on the bed I are in
advance) the matter is quite different. The slides move in the direction of the
arrow, push the needles from the rear bed into the front bed. The auxiliary
needle on the rear bed is raised, and the adjoining tumbler of the tumbler needle
becomes free. Should the tumbler, into which the thread is to be introduced
close, then no thread could be knitted. In order to avoid this drawback the
device according to this invention is used. This device consists in arranging
special arched shaped tumbler-needle auxiliary openers N N', which simul-
taneously enter into action when the locks are moved by the movement of a bar
in such manner that; no longer plain work, but pearl work is produced. These
auxiliary openers are again removed when it is desired to produce plain work,
as the auxiliary openers need no longer act, since the needles on the front or on
the rear bed are held by the auxiliary needles. The tumbler needle auxiliary
openers are therefore connected to the lock, and are lowered into the path of the
needle when pearl work is to be produced, and remain in this needle path so
long as such work is to be produced, and when plain work is to be produced they
are withdrawn from the needle path. As work which is smooth on one side only,
can be knitted both on the front and on the rear bed, and it is necessary to take
care to have the needle tumblers of the front and rear beds opened when pearl
work is to be produced the already mentioned auxiliary openers N N are placed
behind the well known tumbler openers M M'. These auxiliary openers N. N¹
come to lie over the opened tumblers and thus prevent them from closing. They
are connected to pins 0, 0, secured to rails P P₁. By means of tappets QQ
secured to latches F, F, and acting on cams or inclined surfaces R, R¹, at the
free ends of the rails P P which are free to rotate on one side, the latter rails or
bars P, P, and consequently the openers N N', are lowered and raised at the
desired moment (Figs. 3 4 and 5). The raising and lowering is effected simul-
taneously with the movement of the latches in the following manner:
Each needle raiser A on each bed has on its advancing edge, a parallelogram B
or B which is movable in a direction parallel to the edge of the needle raiser
änd forms the needle raiser point. When the part B is raised there is therefore
produced a triangular point, in such manner that the machine is suitable for
producing pearl work, that is to say, the needles are raised so high that they are
pulled over into the opposite bed by the auxiliary needles of the said opposite bed,
the advancing point of the triangle of which has also been pushed into its highest
position. Over the points of the parts B B¹, are placed bars D D¹ which are
automatically withdrawn from the path of the lock when the parts B, B₁ are
raised but which project into the path of the lock, and thus form one part with
cams EE, when the parts B B are withdrawn into their lower position. The
cams E E serve to prevent the advance of the needles. The raised position of
the parts B B corresponds to that for producing pearl work; the lower position
of the part
BB, which occurs when the bars D 1 are also placed in the path of
the lock corresponds to the portion for producing plain work. The parts B B¹
and the bars DD' are simultaneously operated on both beds in the following
manner:
On each of the locks I and II there is arranged, in the manner described, a
latch F, F which latches can be moved into the position shown in dotted lines,
Figs. 2, 3 and 4, by means of a lever or handle, when the cam grooves G G¹ of
these latches F engage pins H H of the latches J J1 connected to the
parts B B When the latches FF are advanced, the parts B B¹ are consequently
fowered. The latches F F are moreover provided with projections K K¹ having
cam faces on which rest the pins L L¹ of the bars I) D¹. When the latches F Fi

page_text: äre moved by the handle already mentioned towards the right, the bars D D¹ are
forced into the path of the needles so as to lower the parts BB', and to reduce the
course of the needles, thereby producing work, smooth on one side (Figs. 2 and 3).
When the parts B B are drawn down, and the bars D D are lowered into the
path or the needles, the pins QQ raise the auxiliary tumbler openers N N¹ so that
they are not lowered into the needle path. When however the latches F F¹ are
brought into the position shown in Fig. 3 in full lines, and thus the parts B B₁
are raised and the bars D 1 raised out of the path of the needles, the rails P PI
and the openers N N₁ are lowered. The drivers are then raised so high that
pearl work can be produced. The free tumblers of the double tumbler needles
strike during the movement of the slide against the tumbler openers N N¹, which
open the tumblers, and, owing to their shape, cover the tumblers so as to prevent
them from closing again (Figs. 5, 6 and 8). The other tumblers of the tumbler
needles are in such position that they are held open by the tumbler openers M M¹
in the well-known manner.
When the tumbler needle has, during the knitting of the pearl work passed the
needle bar, the function of which is to raise the auxiliary needles, its tumbler is
released and often has a tendency to close again.
In order to avoid this, the slide is provided with four fixed tumbler
openers T T T T shown in plan in Figs. 7 and 8, Figs. 11 to 15 being detail
views of the openers; Fig. 11 being a side view on the line 2-2, Fig. 13.
Fig. 12 a cross section on the line 3-3, Fig. 11; Fig. 13 a plan view, and Figs. 14
and 15 perspective views, showing the operation of the tumbler openers.
Each of the openers has at its inner end a cam face 1 which when the advancing
needles pass, opens those tumblers of the needles, which might have been closed
by the advance and by striking against the central cam. By striking against the
cam face 1 the needle tumblers are again pressed backwards.
The cams 2 arranged at the outer end of the tumbler openers T T₁ open the
outer tumblers of those needles which are brought to the central lock. The wedge
end 3 which is slightly behind the cam 2 and arranged above the needle path and
gradually increases in size, depresses the needle tumbler, opened by the cam 2,
down to the needle shank and thus holds the needle heads open.
The wedge end 3 becomes gradually smaller towards the cam face 1.
In this way the tumblers of tumbler needles are always held open and their
proper working ensured.
The four fixed tumbler openers T T have a three fold effect. The outer
inclined surface 2 acts as a knife edge and opens the tumblers which are to be
brought to the central lock. The tumblers when they are in operation must
ocerpy the position à (Fig. 11); but owing to the vibration of the tumblers
during work, they come to occupy the position 6, (Fig. 11). To bring the tumblers
into the position a, the oblique edge 2 is guided over the hooks of the auxiliary
needles and occupies position c (Fig. 11).
It is not possible for the edge 2 to move the tumblers further downwards, inas-
much as this inclined surface 2 passes over the heads of the auxiliary needles at
the same time preventing the latter from being raised. To bring then the
tumbler into position a (Fig. 11) the wedge portion, 3 as shown in Figs. 11 and 13,
comes into play and places the tumbler correctly into the position a.
The edge 1 (Figs. 12, 14 and 15) only operates in connection with the central
needles (Fig. 7). In plain work the needles operate as shown in Fig. 7. The
movable tumbler of the needles are uncovered from one opener T to the other T.
When the machine is working as indicated by the arrow, the tumblers close owing
to the shock of the auxiliary needles, and come into the position 6 (Fig. 14).
The edge 1 (Figs. 14 and 15) moves the tumblers backwards on the shaft of the
needles to the position a (Fig. 11).
For the purpose of raising the auxiliary needles in order to disengage them
from the tumbler needles there are arranged, directly behind the auxiliary
openers N N¹ wires & parallel to said openers, on which wires the auxiliary needles

page_text: rise, during their advance, by means of inclined slots y open at the top, and are
thus lifted out of the tumbler needle heads (Figs. 2, 7, 8, 9, and 10).
The novel features of this application, as compared with my former patent,
consist in auxiliary openers being provided for the double tumbler needles,
which openers are at the same time connected to the lock, so that in transition
from smooth or plain work to pearl work the auxiliary openers ensure the opening
of the tumblers. Other features of novelty consist in the provision of fixed
tumbler openers with cam faces, and also in an alteration of the raising device
for the auxiliary needles, as instead of the needle bars used in my former patent,
wires are used here engaging with slots of the auxiliary needles for lifting
them out.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A knitting machine with double ended tumbler needles in which the
transition from plain work, smooth only on one side, to pearl work, the released
tumblers of the tumbler needles are prevented from closing by means of U-shaped
auxiliary openers which are lowered into the needle path by means of rails and
latches the parts B 13 of the needle raiser being simultaneously raised into their
highest position for the purpose of transferring the tumbler needles to the opposite
bed, and at the same time the bars closing the needle channel above the needle
raiser being withdrawn from the needle path through the intermediary of rails
as J J, and projections as KK; the auxiliary openers as N N¹ being with-
drawn from the needle path when the parts B B are lowered into the needle
path for the purpose of producing work smooth only on one side to reduce
the course of the tumbler needles and the bars being depressed into the needle
path for the purpose of limiting the raising of the tumbler needles.
2. In a machine of the kind characterised the arrangement of fixed tumbler
openers as T T having each a cam face at one end for the purpose of opening the
inner tumblers of the tumbler needles which have been partly closed or folded
back, a cam face for opening the outer tumblers of the tumbler needles which are
to be brought towards the central lock, and a wedge point parallel to the latter
cam face projecting beyond it and becoming gradually smaller towards the other
cam face for the purpose of pressing the tumblers completely down on the needle
shanks.
3. In a machine of the kind characterised, the device for raising the auxiliary
needles for disengaging them from the tumbler needles, comprising wires a
immediately behind the auxiliary openers N N', and parallel to the latter, the
auxiliary needles rising towards the top along these wires by means of open
inclined slots and being thus disengaged from the tumbler needle heads.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts of a knitting machine substantially
as described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of August 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.