Improvements in Tube Knitting Frames.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 27th Dec., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tube Knitting Frames.
I, CARL AUGUST ROSCHER of Mittweida near Chemnitz, Saxony, in the German
Empire, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
The tube knitting machines in which the needles are separately movable owe their
large application in the hosiery branch to the circumstance that the space occupied by
a feeder or system (selfacting needles are generally employed) is extremely small and
a great number of the same can be put up to the circumferences of a machine which is
making these machines much more productive than any other one.
These machines have been constructed till now as it is shown in Fig. 2; the needle
bed is formed by a hollow cylinder b; the needless are placed in grooves on the
outside of b held and moved by curves of the fixed cylinder c while they are circulating
with the needle cylinder b.
In all these machines the web w is taken up inside of the cylinder b.
During the working the ring 1 of the cylinder 6 slides on the board 2 of the
framing. Ring 1 is firmly attached to cylinder 6 to the under extremity of which is
secured a ring 3 provided with teeth 4, the spur-wheel formed so being rotated by a
small cog-wheel on axle 5, by means of which cylinder & may thus be turned.
The disadvantages of the construction above described may be specified in the
following:
At first the web w hanging in the hollow cylinder 6 can only be seen by the
worker at the point w¹, when it is too late for repairing incorrectnesses or defects in
the web.
Besides this the friction of the ring 1 on the ring 2 is very considerable and machines
of large diameters can only be moved by motive power; the wearing out in these
machines is also very perceptible.
The needle row being covered by the thread guides and other apparatus (not
shown in Fig. 2) looped fabrics for instance; elastic ribs cannot be run on the
needles.
The fitting also causes great difficulties and mostly the two cylinders b and c do
not circulate in just order. In case of breaking of one of the threads the automatical
stopping motion does not operate sufficiently quickly and general several stitches are
dropped before the machine has ceased to run.
All these evils have been avoided by a new arrangement in my circular frame which
is in no way similar to the pre-existent machines but only in parallel and separately
moved needles s, Figs. 1, 3. & 4. These needles are guided in grooves on the inside
of the cylindrical tube which is rotating round the fixed spindle a and put in motion
by wheels 6 6 63 64. Said spindle a is firmly secured to a suitable horizontal part a¹
of the main-frame, and said conical wheel 63 to the spindle or arbor 65 the bearing of
which is hanging on the disk f which is screwed to the spindle a. On the inside of
the circulating needle cylinder b is placed and fixed on a the (curved) cylinder c
bearing on its circumference for each system or feeder a lifter c² and a sinker c¹
(Figs. 3 & 4).
In proportion to the adjustment on the points in the beginning the needles & are
sunk down (Fig. 3) or elevated (Fig. 4) whilst cylinder b (Fig. 1) rotates as
indicated by arrows zz in Figs. 3 & 4 but always when the needles are sunk
down, they are drawing the thread offered by the thread guide u (Fig. 1) through
the old loops. For varying the length of loops, the sinker c¹ is provided with a
screw d.
The web wo being now guided down on the outside of the cylinder b, the worker is
enabled to control exactly at any place and time the finishing of each row and to sink
Dr

page_text: or elevate the sinkers c¹ if necessary; he can further repair at right time any
irregularities made in the web as for instance dropped loops, holes, thicknesses,
in the thread, knots, etc. and finally elastic ribs can be run upon the needles with
great ease.
The new machine also can be fitted with the highest precision as all parts being
joined with the spindle a are to be regulated from the latter one.
For obtaining a sufficiently prompt stopping of the machine when one of the
threads breaks the automatical stopping tackle has been improved in the following
manner:
The thread a¹², Figs. 1 and 5, being guided horizontally for a short length of
its way through the two holders 1/2 is touched between the same at the point K
by the lever i or respectively, in the manner that on breaking of the thread
the end of the lever falls betwixt the teeth of a wheel which rotates in the direction
indicated by arrow z¹ in Fig. 5, thus removing sideways the lever i with its bearing / h¹
turning on the pivot screw h. The angle-shaped bearings of the levers i¹² 1³ are
fixed to a disk g secured to the spindle a.
This movement is transferred by h² to the pin o being screwed on the ring wire m
which is carried by rolls n around the machine. By the movement of the wire m
the cylindric part m¹ is drawn away from the pin r of the lever r¹ and causes r²
to fall down in the toothed wheel 3 which is lying loosely on p².
By stopping the peg is forced to slide to the left and the conical disk p² the
hollow shaft of which is secured to axle t by groove and spline is pressed behind a
pawl p forming part of a lever p p¹ the other end p¹ of which is constantly drawn
upwards by means of a spiral spring. Axle t revolves in the hanging bearing t²,
and moves as long as the inner projections of indicated by dotted lines are in gear
with the driving-pulley t¹. By pressing disk p² behind pawl p the coupling of p²
with the driving pulley t¹ is brought out of gear, the machine stops while the pulley
continues its march.
As the diameter of c² is larger than the diameter of c¹ and the diameter of 62 is
smaller than 6 the toothed wheel e is rotating quicker than the needle row b and
even in this arrangement is implied the newness and the importance of the matter.
In all other machines the levers are dropping betwixt the screws of the needle-
bar which is circulating slowly whereas at now the levers drop between the teeth of
the rapidly turning wheel e and cause to stop the machine instantly. Now, as nearly
in all knitting frames having separately moved needles the feeders or systems are
placed at very small distances, only by the immediate stop of the machine in case
of need which has been reached by my improvement-the dropping of stitches,
making of holes, and so forth, are prevented.
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. A knitting frame in which the exactest construction and an easier management
in working is enabled by the following arrangement:
The cylindrical needle bed b is turning round a fixed hanging spindle a and the
fixed sinkers c¹ & lifters c² are held in the inside of the needle bed so that the
produced web is passing downwards on the outside of the needle-bed, substantially as
herein shown and described.
2. A knitting frame as above detailed in which the levers of the thread guards
swing down in the teeth of a stopper wheel e which circulates with greater angular
motion than the needle bed 6 and in consequence operates with more promptitude
than heretofore, substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 24th day of September 1890
CARL AUGUST ROSCHER.
By Graham & Graham,
Agents for Applicant.