US2493905A - Cylinder controlling mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 10, 1950 J. WAWZONEK 2,493,905

CYLINDER CONTROLLING MECHANISM Filed June 25, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 10, 1950 WAWZQNEK 2,493,905

CYLINDER CONTROLLING MECHANISM Filed June 25, 1948 v 5 Shee ts-Sheet 2 XUVE/YTOJE.

Jan. 10, 1950 J. WAWZONEK 2,493,905

CYLINDER CONTROLLING MECHANISM Filed June 25, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 10, 1950 2.

UNITED,

aisiisos CYLINDElt CONTROLLINGIMECHANISM Y Joseph Wawzonek, Central Falls,.R.'I.', assignor to Hemphill Company, Qentral Falls, R. L, a cor- I poration of Massachusetts Application, June 25, 1948, Serial No. 35,232

This invention relates to a; mechanism for con trolling the cylinder of' a circular, independent needle, knitting machine of the type having superposed co-axial needle cylinders. It relates particularly to the upper cylinder.

Since the needles of such a machine are transferrable from one cylinder to the other, it is advisable that the adjacent ends of the cylinders be as close together as possible. The possible closeness of fixed cylinders depends upon the nature of the equipment of the machine and may vary from, say, to A. Departure from a minimum closeness decreases the certainty of proper needle transfer and increases the probability of defective knitting and machine dim:- culties.

One of the reasons for the limited capabilities of two cylinder machines is the inadvisability of separating the cylinders enough to permit the use of wrap and other mechanisms of the types in use on single cylinder machines such as the well known Banner type of machines, for example. By this invention the advantage of closely spaced cylinders for rib knitting and transferring and extremely widely spaced cylinders for lower cylinder work are made available automatically while the machine is running.

One form of the invention is shown in the drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation showing the two cylinders and part of the controlling mechanism of the upper cylinder.

Fig. 2 is a similar plan view; and

Figs. 3, 4 and are views of other parts of the controlling mechanism of the upper cylinder.

As shown in Fig. 1, lower cylinder I may be of conventional type and mounting. Upper cylinder 2 may also be generally conventional but departs from the conventional adjacent its upper end above the needle slots where it is provided with longitudinal splines or keys 3 equally spaced about and projecting from the cylinder and adapted to slide within slots 4 in ring gear 5 by which the cylinder is driven and which otherwise may be of conventional design.

Integral with or aiiixed to upper cylinder 2 is an extension 6 provided with a circumferential channel 1 within which are positioned opposed rollers 8 and 9 (Fig. 2) rotatably mounted on the respective ends of a yoke IIJ. Yoke III constitutes one end of a lever I l which is pivoted between its ends as at I2 so as to be swingable in a vertical plane. It will be evident that by operating lever II cylinder 2 can be raised or lowered at will without disconnecting it from its driving gear 3 Claims. (ores- 4) since splines 3 are not withdrawable from slots 4 but move always within the slots and that the separation of the two cylinders can be varied at will within relatively wide limits while the machine is in operation.

The controlling mechanism shown consists of rollers 8 and 9, yoke I0 and lever I I already mentioned and operating conections I3 and I4, the latter of which is pivoted at I5 and is provided at its free end with a roller I6 which is engageable with a cam or cams such as H on a drum I8. This specific mechanism is, of course, only illustrative.

This is all that is required for raising and lowering the upper cylinder 2 at any desired time and to an extent sufiicient for all practical requirements. Sufllcient, for example, to entirely free the needles from any association with the upper cylinder when they are operating exclusively in the lower cylinder or to permit the use of a wrap spindle requiring a space between cylinders of three inches or more and on the other hand to bring the cylinders as close together as practicable while knitting rib or transferring needles.

In short, any impediment heretofore resulting from the relative positions of the cylinders is eliminated completely for all practical purposes.

The controlling mechanism described above may be supplemented as desired by a locking 30 device which opposes any undesired movement.

This is shown in Figs. 3-6, particularly in Fig. 5. It consists of a rocker I9 pivoted at I5 and adapted to be raised by a cam 20 offset from cam H on drum I8. Rocker I9 has a tail 2|. A lever 22 pivoted at 22a overhangs the free end of lever I4 where it is provided with a screw 23 as an adjustable operating connection. The other end of lever 22 terminates in a hook 24 which by adjustment of screw 23 can be made to bear upon the tail 2| of rocker I9. Cams I! and 20 may be proportioned and positioned and the adjustment of screw 23 may be such that whenever roller IE on lever I4 is resting upon drum, lever I9 rides upon cam 20 and whenever lever I9 is upon the drum, roller I6 is upon cam I'I. Also, when roller I6 is moving up to or down from the top of cam II, lever I 9 is moving down from or up to the top of cam 20. Therefore, the movements of the cylinder are positively restricted to those produced by cam 20 and those movements are positively assured.

So that the jacks or sliders of the upper cylinder may not be displaced when the upper cylinder is raised, the cams which operate them should 5 be retractable and should be retracted when the 'it, a cylinder controlling device which includes means for raising and lowering said'cylinder and means for insuring positive operation of said raising means, said raising means including a drum,

a cam thereon, a rocker adapted to ride upon the surface of said drum and said cam and connections between said rocker and said cylinder whereby the rocking of said rocker is translated into vertical movements of said cylinder, said insuring means including another cam on said drum, another rocker adapted to ride uponthe surfaceof said drum and of said other cam in opposition to the movements of said first mentioned rocker and means operatively connecting the two rockers.

2. For a circular, independent needle, knitting machine, a controlling device as claimed in claim 1 in which the means operatively connecting the two rockers is adjustable.

3. For a circular, independent needle, knitting machine, a cylinder controlling device as claimed in claim I in which the means operatively connecting the two rockers translates the rocking of one rocker in one direction into rocking of the other rocker infthe other direction.

JOSEPH WAWZONEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,189,220 Scott June 27, 1916 1,612,723 Hofiman Dec. 28, 1926 2,370,449 Clarke Feb. 27,1945 2,450,376 Holmes Sept. 28, 1948

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