Nov. 28, 1961 R. W. SHANNON 3,010,299 _ KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 17, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. RALPH WINFIELD SHANNON KL. Zak/i4; ATTORNEYS Nov. 28, 1961 R. w. SHANNON 3,010,299 KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 17, 1958 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. RALPH WINFIELD SHANNON BY . ATTQR N EYS Nov. 28, 1961 R. w. SHANNON 3,010,299 KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov’. 17, 1958 3 Sheets~Sheet 3 l'I T-E ‘.lu l FIG. 5. '_ nae? INVEN TOR. ~RALPH- WINFIELD SHANNON BY 4 ATTORNEYS United States Patent ??ce 1 3,010,299 KNITTING MACHINE Ralph Win?eld Shannon, Lakeport, N.H., assignor to Scott & Williams, Incorporated, Laconia, N.H. Filed Nov. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 774,396 4 Claims. (Cl. 66-56) 3,010,299 Patented Nov. 28, 1961 2 FIGURE 5 is a plan view showing certain elements in volved in the restoration of high speed operation; and FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view showing a modi?ca tion of a yarn change mechanism of standard type desir able to effect operation in accordance with the present invention. 7 The machine to which the invention is applied may be This invention relates to knitting machines and has par conventional in most respects and is only relatively slight ticular reference to devices for effecting slowdown of a ly modi?ed in some of its parts to accomplish the desired knitting machine prior to yarn change or some other oper 10 results in accordance with the invention. The machine ation which is desirably not effected at the full speed of to which the invention is applied may be of rotary or sta operation. tionary needle cylinder type such as is customarily pro During straight forward knitting it is desirable to main vided with a drive system involving high and low speed tain a knitting machine operation at as high a speed as pulleys between which a driving belt may be shipped. possible to secure high rate of production. However, it Consistently with the speci?c disclosure, it may be consid is recognized that misoperation is likely to occur if the ered that the knitting machine is of the superposed cylinder igh speed of the machine is maintained during certain operations such as are well typi?ed by yarn changes. In particular, in some machines, for example of the super “Komet” type, this type of machine particularly requiring adequate slowdown during yarn changes because of the relatively elaborate operations involved in making such posed cylinder type, considerable movements of yarn ?n 20 changes. Attention may be particularly directed to the gers are required to occur in sequence and in particular patent to Bentley et al., 1,838,651, dated December 29, relationship to movements of needles, and it is desirable 1931, which relates to yarn changing in a machine of this that the machine should be slowed down during such oper type and in particular discloses a yarn change controlling ations. Obviously, it would be simplest if slowdown means of a type to which reference is made hereafter. could be accomplished simultaneously with steps of pat 25 Reference may also be made to British Patent 334,266, tern control mechanism effective to control the opera accepted September 1, 1930, which shows certain speed tions for which the slowdown is required. Under condi change mechanism which is conventional but has been modi?ed in accordance with the present invention. Only by reason of inertia will not slow down sutliciently rapidly so much of the knitting machine is disclosed in the present to achieve the desired operations. 30 speci?cation as is required for an understanding of the It is, accordingly, one of the objects of the present in invention, it being understood that the remaining parts tions of normal high speed operation, however, the parts vention to provide means for effecting slowdown of a knit ting machine in a step under pattern control preceding the of the knitting machine are conventional. Referring ?rst particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, there step which e?iects the operation for which slowdown is are shown therein parts which are primarily conventional required. In accordance with the present invention the 35 and which take part in speed control of the machine. usual pattern chain of the machine is set up to c?fect slow Three pulleys are provided as indicated at 2, 4 and 6 down one or more links ahead of the operation produc which are, respectively, an idler pulley, a low speed ing a yarn change or- some other operation requiring the pulley and a high speed pulley, over which a belt may slowdown. be selectively shipped to secure, respectively, stopping In accordance with the invention this is effected con 40 of the machine, low speed operation and high speed sistently with securing a resumption of high speed opera tion when that is required and not merely at the comple tion of the operation for which the slowdown is required. For example, if slowdown is desired during reciprocatory operation, the belt being continuously driven from a motor individual to the machine or from a countershaft. The low and high speed pulleys serve to drive gearing in conventional fashion to produce knitting operations, knitting of a heel or toe, the showdown may be e?ected 45 and these geared connections remain unchanged in ac prior to the beginning of reciprocation and then normal full speed resumed after the reciprocatory knitting is com pleted, using the same devices for effecting slowdown and resumption of normal full speed as may be used in the case of merely a transient slowdown. The foregoing objectives are attained, in accordance cordance with the invention and are, accordingly not illustrated. A belt shipping lever is shown at 8, pivoted to the machine frame at 1'0, and at its lower end, pro vided with the fork consisting of the arms 12 between 50 which the belt (not shown) passes. When the lever 8 is swung to the left as illustrated in FIGURE 1 the belt with the invention, with a minimum of departure from a drives the high speed pulley 6. When the lever is in standard machine construction, one of the objectives of intermediate position shown in FIGURE 2, the belt drives the invention being the securing of simplicity in the at the low speed pulley 4. The lever may also occupy a 55 right hand position, not shown, in which the belt drives tainment of the foregoing ends. the idler pulley 2. The objects above ‘discussed and others relating to de A lever 14 pivoted at 16 in the frame has its upper tails of construction and operation will become apparent end connected by an adjustable link 18 to the lever 8, from the following description, read in conjunction with the respective pivotal connections being shown at 20- and the accompanying drawings, in which: \FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the portion of 60 22. Formed as part of the link 18 is an extension 24 the upper end of which is arranged to be engaged with a conventional knitting machine which is involved in at taining different speeds by belt shipping, the parts being shown in this ?gure in the positions assumed when the belt is trained over the high speed pulley; FIGURE 2 is a similar view but showing the belt ship per in position to train the belt over a low speed pulley; FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view showing certain elements controlling the change from high speed to slow speed; FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the assembly shown in FIGURE 3; the step 26 of a latch lever 28 pivoted at 29 and urged downwardly by a spring 30 having its lower end con nected to the link 13. As will be evident from examina tion of the linkage, the link 18 has an approximately horizontal movement between its various positions result ing from operation. I A Bowden wire 32 has one end connected to the latch lever 28 and passes through a sheath with its other end connected as shown in FIGURE 5 and as later described. The latch lever 28 is provided with a knob 36 in the form of a pin which, as later described, may be conven ' 3,010,299 4 ~ 3 iently lifted by an operator in starting a machine in high When no lug on the chain 76 acts on followed 84 the speed operation. horizontally extending arm'of bell crank 116 is located > A manually operable lever 38, pivoted to the frame at 40, is provided at its upper end with a knob 42 for manual operation. The lever 38 carries a pin 46 which overlaps the left hand side of a lug 44 formed on the lever 8. A triple armed lever 48 is pivoted at 50 on the lever 38 and has one arm 52 located for engagement with the right hand side of lug 44. A depending arm 54 cooperates with an adjustable abutment screw 56 which 10 limits counterclockwise rotation of the lever 48 relative to lever 38. A third arm 58 of lever 48 is urged down wardly. by a spring 60 having its lower end anchored to the lower end of lever 38. A strong spring 62 normally in spaced relationship to the stop screw 122.' The condi tions illustrated in FIGURE 6 are those which occur when a lug 82 of minimum height engages the follower 84, the bell crank 116 then being brought into contact with or substantially into contact with the follower screw without causing movement of the slide. Higher links on the pattern chain produce movements of the slide and yarn changes as described in said Patent 1,838,651. The operation of the described mechanism is as follows: ' Y When the machine is idle the lever 38 occupies an extreme right hand position under the action ‘of spring urges the lever 38 clockwise to a position limited by an 15 62, the rod 68 being released by disengagement of the lugs 67 and 69, and the pin 46 holds the lever 8 in its adjustable stop 64 carried by the frame. Pivoted at 66 extreme right hand position which is determined by the to lever 38 is a rod 68 guided at its left hand end in a adjustment of the stop 64 to locate the belt shipper in holerin the frame and provided with a lug 67 which is position to train the belt over the idler pulley 2. As arranged to engage a lug 69 carried by the hub 71 of a lever 73 pivoted to the frame. The arrangement is such 20 suming that the operator wishes to start the machine in low speed, the lever 38 is moved to the left ‘and as this that the machine may be stopped by pulling forward on movement takes place the lever ‘48 having its arm 52 the lever 73 to disengage the lugs 67 and 69 to permit the free of the lug 44 due to the stopping action of screw rod 68 to move to the right and the lever 38 to move to 56, engages the lug 44 and, yieldingly, ‘through the ac 26 tion of spring 60,_ rocks ‘the: ‘belt shipping lever 8 to 62 thereby to ship the belt to the idler pulley. ward the left and with ‘it the link 18 until the upward Referring now to FIGURE 5, the end of the Bowden extension 24 of this link engages the shoulder 26 of wire 32 remote from latch 28 is secured to a lever 70. latch 28. When this occurs the belt shipper trains the which is pivoted at 72 to a stationary shaft of the machine belt over the low speed pulley 4. The movement of and carries an adjustable follower 74 engageable by side lugs 76 on predetermined links of the main pattern chain 30 lever 38 is continued toward the left so that the lug 67 cams downwardly the lug 69 and ultimately passes 78 of the machine which is advanced step by step by pawl it so that due to the weight of lever 73 the lug 69 action on the usual ratchet wheel 8%). As is usual, the moves upwardly ‘to trap the lug 67 thereby latching the pattern chain steps one link for one or more predeter lever 38 in a left hand position which would normally mined courses of knitting depending upon the particular machine involved. This pattern chain controls all of the 35 correspond to the position of the belt shipper which would train ‘the belt over therihigh speed pulley 6. In operations of the machine including moves of the main its extreme right hand position under the action of spring the movement just described, however, since the belt shipper lever ,8 ‘cannot move beyond the low speed position because of the restraining action of the latch ‘speci?cally illustrated, yarn changes, the latter being selectively effected through the use of different height lugs 40 lever 28, the lever 48 yields against the action of spring 60, being forced away from engagement with the stop on the periphery of the chain links. cam drum, moves of one .or more auxiliary cam drums, if such are provided, and, in the case of the machine Referring to FIGURE 4, one of such lugs is indicated screw 56. Under the conditions just stated, therefore, the machine would operate at low speed. If high, speed at 82 and acts upon the adjustable follower 84 secured operation is initially desired, the latch lever 28 is raised to an arm 86 which is in turn secured to a shaft 87 pro vided with an upright arm 88 connected through an ad 45 by the operator through engagement with the knob 36.v justable pivot 90 to a generally horizontally extending rod 92. The rod 92 carries a collar 94 which is engage able with a lever 96 pivoted at 97 to the frame and urged clockwise as viewed in FIGURE 3 by a spring 98 to be positioned beneath an arm 100 secured to a shaft 102 which is urged so as to move the arm 1% downwardly by a spring 104. The shaft 102 is provided with a fork - 106 in which is pivoted a lever 188 having a cam fol Thereupon the spring 60 acting through the‘ lever 48 and lug 44 moves the released belt shipper lever 8 to its high speed posit-ion‘illu'strated in FIGURE 1. In stead of the two steps described, of course, the operator may conveniently lift with his thumb the latch lever 28 simultaneously with the movement of the knob 42 to the left so ‘that, effectively, the belt may be shipped di rectly from the idler pulley 2 past the low speed pulley 4 to the high speed pulley. It will now be assumed that vgageable with the left hand side of the upward extension 55 for the following events the machine has thus initially lower portion 110 and a tail portion 111 which is en 24 of link 18 as illustrated in FIGURES l and 2. The been put into high speed operation. Let it now be assumed that as the result of previous high speed pulley 6 is provided with a cam 112 which operation of the machine the follower 84 is riding on engages the cam follower end 110 of lever 108 when the plain links which are not provided with any lugs such lever is located in the path of the cam by the proper position of shaft 102. A cam 114 is also provided on the 60 as 82. Under these circumstances the lever 96 will underlie the arm 100 and the lever 108 will be in a high speed pulley to rock the lever 168 and shaft 102 as position in which its follower end 110 is located radi hereafter described. Various of the parts just described ally outwardly, with respect to the axis of the pulleys, ‘are as ‘shown in British Patent 334,266 referred to above. beyond the path of the cam 112 so as not. to be engaged The end of the rod 92 remote from the arm 88 is piv V ' oted, as indicated in FIGURE 6, to a bell crank 116 65 thereby. Assuming, now, that is is desired to e?iect slowing which is associated with a slide 118 which controls yarn down of the machine prior to an operation such as the changes as described in detail in Bentley et al. patent, shifting of the main cam drumor the effecting of a yarn l-,838,65l,_referred to above. Comparing FIGURE 6 change. Prior to the location of a chain link ‘to effect withFIGURE 9 of the last mentioned patent it will be ‘noted that the only difference is that a clearance space 70 such shifting 'or change a lug 82 of minimum height 124 is provided in the slide 118 so that the arm of bell crank 116 has play at its end which engages the adjust able s'c'rew 122 carried by the slide. The slide is urged upwardly as viewed in FIGURE 6 by a spring 120, and engages the follower 84 to rock ‘the shaft 87 and move the rod or link 92 rearwardly. As previously pointed out in connection with the description of FIGURE 6, this movement mayoccur withoutimpa'rting movement to isjshown in FIGURE 6 in its extreme upward position. 75. the slide 118. Y'I'hemovement, however, of ‘rod 92 is 3,010,299 5 6 su?icient to move collar 94 to disengage the lever 96 from beneath the arm 100 thereby to rock the lever 108 to a position wtih its follower end 110 in the path of cam 112 carried by the high speed pulley. As the cam engages this lever its tail portion 111 is moved to the right as viewed in FIGURE 1 forcing the link 18 to the right to move the belt shipper lever 8 to ‘the low speed parting from the invention as de?ned in the following claims. What is claimed is: 1. A knitting machine comprising driving means selec tively movable to effect either high or low speed oper ation thereof, pattern means for effecting movement of said driving means to e?ect low speed operation, means independent of said pattern means and effective after the out effecting movement of lever 38 which is latched by last mentioned movement for holding said driving means the interengagement of the lugs 67 and 69. This move 10 in position to maintain said low speed operation, and pat ment produces a latching of the lever 8 in its low speed tern means controlling said holding means independent position after the lever 108 is released by cam 112 by ly of the action of the ?rst mentioned pattern means for reason of the fact that the upper end of extension 24 is subsequently effecting movement of said driving means located beyond the shoulder 26 of the latch lever 28 to effect high speed operation. which is pulled downwardly by spring 30. As the high 2. A knitting machine according to claim 1 in which speed pulley continues to revolve the cam 114 rocks both of said pattern means are provided by lugs on a pattern chain. the lever 108, and this occurs revolution after revolution until the follower 84 is clear of any lug 82 whereupon 3. A knitting machine comprisingdriving means se the lever 96 again drops below the arm 100 to hold lectively movable to e?ect either high or low speed op the lever 108 in a position out of the path of the cam eration thereof, means normally yieldingly urging said 112. The low speed condition of operation is then driving means to eifect high speed operation, pattern maintained. In the next or other subsequent step of the means for effecting movement of said driving means to pattern chain the main cam drum may be shifted or, by e?‘ect low speed operation, means, comprising a latch the passage of a high lug 82 a yarn change may be restraining said driving means from return to its normal effected as described in said Patent 1,838,651. It will 25 condition under the action of said urging means, for be noted that by reason of the arbitrary possibility of holding said driving means in position, ‘after the last locating a link of minimum height on the chain ample mentioned movement, to maintain said low speed oper ation, and pattern means for tripping the latch of said time is provided for full slowdown to occur before there holding means for subsequently effecting movement of takes place the event for which slowdown is required. said driving means to effect high speed operation. When high speed of operation is to be resumed, a 4. A knitting machine according to claim 3 in which side lug 76 engages the follower 74 to exert a pull on both of said pattern means are provided by lugs on a the Bowden wire 32 which raises the latch lever 28 to pattern chain. release the link extension 24. As soon as such re lease occurs the spring 60 through lever 48 will move References Cited in the tile of this patent the belt shipping lever 8 to the high speed position. 35 As will be evident from the foregoing, both the times UNITED STATES PATENTS position against the yielding action ‘of spring 60 with of initiating low speed operation and resumption of high speed operation are subject to arbitrary choice merely by the proper locations of lugs 82 and 76 on the chain. The advantage, of course, is that low speed operation may be initiated well in advance of the operation for which it is required, the interval being su?icient to per mit proper slowdown to take place. Consistently with this high speed operation may be resumed whenever required, to provide either a long or short period of low 45 793,791 1,210,866 1,463,408 1,838,651 2,422,568 . 1905 1917 1923 1931 Larkin ______________ __ June 17, 1947 2,587,816 2,697,337 2,736,178 Bristow ______________ __ Mar. 4, 1952 Brown et al ___________ __ Dec. 21, 1954 Lawson ____________ .._ Feb. 28, 1956 171,483 334,266 Great Britain ________ __ Nov. 17, 1921 Great Britain ________ __ Sept. 1, 1930 speed operation. It will be evident that various changes may vbe made in details of the construction and operation without de Johnson ______________ __ July 4, Spiers _______________ __ Ian. 2, Swartz ______________ __ July 31, Bentley et a1. ________ __ Dec. 29, FOREIGN PATENTS
© Copyright 2024