Improvements in Stop Mechanism for Circular Knitting Frames.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Mar., 1893-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stop Mechanism for Circular Knitting Frames.
We, WILLIAM EDWARD WHITE and FRANK ROBERT WHITE, trading as
F. & W. E. White of Beehive Lane, Hosiery Manufacturers, and ALFRED
MILLS of Salisbury Street, Hosiery Manufacturer's Manager, both of Lough-
borough, in the County of Leicester, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus applicable to circular frames for automatically
stopping such frames when thread breaks or loose ends come off the spools or
when knots or lumps occur in the yarn of such a size as to break or injure the
needles.
In carrying out our invention at a convenient part of a circular frame we arrange
preferably parallel to the axis of the frame a hollow shaft or sleeve carried in
bearings secured to the framing, secured to this sleeve is a spur wheel engaging
preferably with the spur wheel on the machine of a rib frame, or the spur wheel of
the ordinary frame, or the sleeve may be connected by other convenient arrange-
ments so that it receives a rotary motion at the same time as the frame.
Carried in the hollow shaft or sleeve is a shaft provided with a key or feather
engaging in a longitudinal key-way or groove in the sleeve so that it turns with the
sleeve but has an independent longitudinal movement.
On the shaft preferably above the sleeve is a disc provided on the underside
with a cam surface preferably formed by a number of opposed inclined surfaces
which act on a projection on the shaft, which shaft thus receives a longitudinal
reciprocating movement when the cam is stationary and the shaft is rotated.
The shaft is preferably provided with a helical spring arranged on the interior
or exterior of the sleeve so as to raise the shaft against the action of the cam.
The cam disc fits loosely on the shaft but usually turns with it by reason of the
projection on the shaft engaging with the cam surface, it is however provided with
teeth or projections on its upper surface in the path of which teeth, are arranged
preferably two catches or pins, sliding in a bracket or brackets secured to the
framing, the lower end of each pin when in its lower position engages with a tooth
on the upper side of the cam disc and stops it, and the continued rotation of the
shaft causes it to receive a longitudinal movement by reason of its projection
following the cam surface of the disc.
One of the catches or pins is held out of contact with the projections on the cam
disc by the inner end of a pivotted lever the outer end of which is provided with a
guide over which the thread passes; when the thread fails the pin falls and the
cam disc is stopped in the manner hereinbefore described.
The remaining catch is held in the same manner by the inner end of a pivotted
lever the outer end of which is however provided with a suitable guide which
prevents the passage of knots or lumps; the thread is carried through this guide as
it moves in an upward direction so that the outer end of the lever is raised by the
knot or lump in the thread and the piu lowered so as to stop the cam disc.
The longitudinal movement imparted to the shaft by stopping the cam disc is
employed to release the handle of the starting gear which returns immediately to
its normal position and the frame is at once stopped.
For example the lower end of the shaft may be arranged to press down the
inner end of a pivotted lever the outer end of which is provided with a catch
engaging with and holding the lever by which the driving wheels are put in and
out of gear.

page_text: By the foregoing arrangement the frame is stopped immediately the thread falls
or knots or lumps occur in the yarn, thus preventing the fabric from being pressed
off the needles or the needles broken. The frame may also at once be started
when the thread is renewed or knots or lumps removed without adjusting the stop
mechanism and without fear of breakage as the apparatus will adjust itself
immediately the frame is started.
It will be understood that when two or more circular heads are carried by the
same framing and actuated by the same shaft independent stop mechanism will be
employed for each head so that each will stop when its thread fails without
interfering with the working of the remainder.
Dated this 22nd day of June 1892.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stop Mechanism for Circular Knitting Frames.
We, WILLIAM EDWARD WHITE, and FRANK ROBERT WHITE, trading as
F. & W. E. White, of Beehive Lane, Hosiery Manufacturers, and ALFRED
MILLS, of 1 Salisbury Street, Hosiery Manufacturer's Manager, all of Lough-
borough, in the County of Leicester 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 apparatus applicable to circular knitting frames for
automatically stopping such frames when a thread breaks or a loose end comes off
a spool or when knots or lumps occur in the yarn of such a size as would break or
injure the needles.
It will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and
Fig. 2 a plan showing our invention applied to a circular rib frame.
Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section and
Fig. 4 a plan of part of the apparatus, and
Fig. 5 is an elevation, and
Fig. 6 a plan showing detail.
Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are drawn to a larger scale than that to which Figures 1 and 2
are drawn.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
At a convenient part of a circular frame we arrange preferably parallel to the
axis of the frame, a hollow shaft or sleeve a carried in bearings 6 secured
respectively to the framing d and frame d'. Secured to the shaft or sleeve a is a
spur wheel c engaging with the spur wheel d' of a rib frame as shown, or a spur
wheel on the ordinary frame, or other convenient arrangement for imparting the
rotary motion of the frame d to the shaft or sleeve a.
Within the hollow shaft or sleeve a (see Figs. 3 and 4) is a spindle e provided
with a projection working in a longitudinal recess in the sleeve a and wheel c so
that it rotates with the sleeve a but has an independent longitudinal movement.
On the spindle e preferably above the wheel c is a disc or other cam support
provided on the underside (see Figs. 5 and 6) with one or more cam projections f
which act on the upper surface of the projection e¹ of the spindle e and impart to
the latter a longitudinal reciprocating movement when the disc is stationary and
the spindle e continues to rotate.
The spindle e is provided with a preferably helical spring e arranged as shown
in the interior to bear against a shoulder e³ or equivalent or on the exterior of the
sleeve a so as to raise the spindle and hold the projection e' in contact with the
underside of the disc f.
The cam disc f'fits loosely on the spindle e but normally rotates with it by

page_text: reason of the projection e¹ on the latter engaging with one or other of the cam
projections f¹ of the former, the upper surface of the disc f however is provided
with teeth or projections with which engage the lower end of stops 9 when in
their lower position, and the disc f is thus stopped and longitudinal movement
imparted to the spindle
e.
The stops g, any number of which may be employed, slide in sleeves g¹ formed in
or secured to the fixed cover h which is secured by a bracket h¹ to the bearing b or
framing d. Each of the stops g is provided with a pin 2 projecting through a
longitudinal slot in its sleeve g'; any of the stops may be raised and retained in
that position by turning the pin g² into the transverse slot g³ and thus put out of
operation (see Figure 1).
Each of the stops g when in operation is held by means of the pin g with its
lower end clear of the teeth f of the cam disc f by the inner end of a lever i (on
which the pin g² rests) pivotted at ¹ to a bracket secured to the framing, the outer
ends of some of the levers i are provided with thread guides over which the
threads are carried after passing under a bar 1. When a thread fails as shown
at the inner weighted end of the corresponding lever i falls and releases its stop g
which also falls and stops the cam disc as herein before described.
One or more of the levers i may at their outer ends be provided each with one
or more thread guides m which prevent the passage of knots or lumps; the threads k
may be carried through these guides as they are moving in an upward direction as
shown, so that the guides m and outer end of the appropriate lever i are raised by
a knot or lump in the thread or threads and the corresponding stop g is lowered.
The longitudinal movement imparted to the spindle e when the cam disc f is
stopped is employed to release the handle of the stopping gear, which is returned
to its normal position by a spring and the frame at once stopped.
For example the lower end of the spindle e may be arranged as shown to depress
the inner end of a spring-controlled catch n pivotted on the lever o which for
stopping the machine moves the bevil wheel p on the driving shaft p' out of gear
with the wheel p² on the frame.
The outer end n² of the catch n passes through the lever o and engages with a
recess in the framing, by depressing the inner end n', the outer end n² is raised, the
lever o is released and is returned to its "stopping" position by the spring q and
the frame is stopped.
By the foregoing arrangement the frame is stopped immediately a thread fails or
a knot or lump occurs in the yarn thus preventing the fabric from being pressed off
the needles or the production of work with less than the requisite number of
threads or the needles being broken.
The frame may also at once be started when a thread is renewed or knots or
lumps removed without adjusting the stop mechanism and without fear of breakage
as the apparatus will adjust itself immediately the frame is started.
It will be understood that when two or more circular heads are carried by the
same framing and actuated by the same shaft, independent stop mechanism will be
employed for each head, so that each will stop when its threads fail without
interfering with the working of the other or others.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is,-
1. In apparatus such as described the combination with a sleeve a and spindle
such as e of a cam such as f' for imparting longitudinal movement to the said
spindle substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus such as described the combination with a sleeve a spindle such
as e and cam such as of a stop such as g for stopping the revolution of the said
cam substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In apparatus such as described the combination with a cam carrying disc
such as fand stop such as g of a lever such as i provided with a thread guide

page_text: such as over which the thread k is carried substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In apparatus such as described the combination with a cam-carrying disc
such as and stop such as g of a lever such as i provided with a guide or guides
such as m through which the threads are passed substantially as and for the
purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In apparatus such as described the combination with a sleeve a spindle
such as e and cam such as f of a lever or catch such as n pivotted on the stopping
lever o substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts consisting essentially of sleeve a
spindle such as e cam such as ff1f2 stop such as g g' and lever i provided with a
thread guide such as or m operating substantially as herein described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dave v day or
CCOL
1101PTAY
W. E. WHITE.
F. R. WHITE.
ALFRED MILLS.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicants.