Patterning system for a multi-feed circular knitting machine
United States Patent Wills-Maren et al.  
 PATTERNING SYSTEM FOR A MULTl-FEED CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed:  
 Inventors: William James Wills-Maren. l l  
 Burridges Close. Bedford; Walter Goady, 54 Thurnview Rd.. Leicester, both of England Feb. 28, 1973 Appl. No.: 336,468  
 Related U.S. Application Data Division of Ser. No. l59 742 July 6. 197i Pat. No.  
  Foreign Application Priority Data Aug 16. I970 U.S. Cl 66/50 R Int. Cl D04!) /68 Field of Search 66/50 R B. 50 A. 25,  
 United Kingdom 34465/ References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l2/l929 2/l93l l0/l955 t l/i961 3/1972 2/1974 Lombardi 66/50 B X Lombardi t .t 66/50 B X Lombardi 66/50 R Levin 66/50 R Nuber et al 66/25 wills Moren et al. 66/50 R Apr. s, 1975 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 585 557 l2/l924 France 66/50 A 478.8l4 7/l929 Germany 66/50 8 6l4.l l6 6/!935 Germany .4 66/8 l.092.l54 11/1960 Germany A 66/50 R 287.187 3/l928 United Kingdom 66/50 R 509.982 7/1939 United Kingdoms 66/50 R 1,140.83) l/l969 United Kingdom n 66/8 522,556 4/l955 ltaly 6. 66/50 R Primary E.ruminerWm. Carter Reynolds Attorney. Agent, or FirmLarson, Taylor &amp; Hinds [57] ABSTRACT vers are provided between the upper ends of the pattern jacks and the lower ends of the needles, these levers extending across an annular space between the co-axial needle and jack cylinders.  
 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED 3195 3,875,764  
 SWEET 2 BF 4 PATTERNING SYSTEM FOR A MULTl-FEED CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE RELATED APPLICATION This application is a division of our copending application Ser. No. 159,742, filed July 6. 1971. now US. Pat. No. 3,793,850, issued on Feb. 26. 1974.  
  This invention relates to circular multi-feed knitting machines, and has reference particularly to such machines of the kind comprising a needle cylinder axially tricked to receive individually operable knitting needles, and a set of suitably carried corresponding pattern jacks furnished with butts adapted to be acted upon selectively by prearranged jack selector cam members disposed in vertical banks usually one bank in advance of each feed.  
  In a circular knitting machine of this kind the selective action of the pattern jacks is for the purpose of exercising such selective and individual control over the needles that whilst predetermined ones are permitted to remain down and non-knit, others are raised, e.g. either to clearing height so that they knit, or to an intermediate height so that they tuck, all according to knitting requirements.  
  The butts on the pattern jacks, one butt per jack, in a machine of the kind concerned are commonly so disposed in a multiplicity of superimposed planes as to enable the butts in any one horizontal plane to be well spaced apart circumferentially: in such an arrangement, the butts on successive jacks are so relatively offset laterally in the superimposed planes as to be in echelon formation right around the machine. i.e. to present circumferentially spaced and parallel lines of butts extending diagonally. the lateral offsetting corresponding, of course, with the pitch of the jacks circumferentially of the machine.  
  It is primarily the intention that the invention shall be applied to a circular multi-feed body knitting machine of the rotary needle cylinder type, in which instance the individually operable needles and their actuating pattern jacks move round with the knitting head, whereas the banks of prearranged jack selector cam members are associated or combined with the stationary cam box or shell surrounding the needle cylinder.  
  There is. however, no limitation in this respect since it would alternatively be possible to apply the invention to a multi-feed machine of the stationary needle cylinder type, in which case the banks of prearranged jack selector cam members would be required to revolve together with the annular cam box or shell.  
  The object of the present invention is to provide, in a multi-feed circular knitting machine of the kind herein referred to. a generally improved arrangement of the patterning mechanism designed substantially to increase the patterning scope of the machine whilst at the same time enabling the axial dimension of the needle cylinder to be kept to a minimum.  
  The patterning mechanism according to this invention, comprises, in combination, pattern jacks which are accommodated in tricks formed in a separate jack cylinder which is coaxial with, but ofa larger diameter than, the needle cylinder, the butts on these jacks being set out in diagonal lines as aforesaid but with the vertical pitch of said butts reduced to such an extent that lifting movements imparted to the pattern jacks by action upon their butts of the prearranged jack selector slides are less than sufficient to raise the corresponding needles to the heights required; and between the pattern jacks in the separate cylinder and the corresponding needles in the needle cylinder, means for transmitting to the needles and simultaneously amplifying the lifting movements impacted to the pattern jacks by the cam members.  
  Preferably, the vertical pitch of the butts on successive pattern jacks is such that the power edge of the butt on any one jack is spaced vertically from the corresponding edge of the butt on the next jack a distance equal only to the overall vertical dimension of a single butt. in this preferred case. therefore, an individual jack can only be lifted by any one selector cam member a distance equivalent to the vertical pitch of the butts.  
  Advantageously, the selector cam members may be in the form of slides and will be hereinafter referred to as such.  
  The advantage of the invention is that by reducing the aforementioned vertical dimension to a minimum, compatible with the practical minimum thickness of the jack selector slides, the number of such slides in each vertical bank can be a maximum calculated to maximise the patterning scope of the machine. And yet at the same time not only can the axial dimension of the separate pattern jack cylinder be kept within an economical limit. but an economically produced needle cylinder of comparatively small length can be used.  
  It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the butts on the pattern jacks are set out in a multiplicity of superimposed horizontal planes equally spaced apart heightwise a distance equivalent to the vertical dimension of one of the butts.  
  Advantageously. the butts on the pattern jacks may be of saw-tooth form, having horizontal lower edges and upper edges which incline downwardly and outwardly from the stems of the jacks. By virtue of this particular shaping of the butts, the inner operative cam-like noses of the slides are enabled to be inserted beneath the horizontal lower edges of butts and well into the spaces between butts.  
  In a convenient embodiment of the invention, simple, radially extending movement-transmitting and amplify ing levers are provided between the upper ends of the pattern jacks in the separate jack cylinder and the lower ends of the needles in the needle cylinder. These levers thus extend across the annular space between the two co-axial cylinders of respectively different diameters and are located beneath the annular cam box or shell surrounding the needle cylinder. The outer end of each of the movement-transmitting and amplifying levers may conveniently be formed with a near circular fulcrum which is seated in a suitably formed ring combined with the upper end of the pattern jack cylinder. To enable them to avoid interference with the jack cylinder, the pivoted levers may be of upwardly arched form. In any event, the upper ends of the pattern jacks act upon the lower edges of the levers at carefully predetermined points fairly close to the near-circular fulcra so that comparatively small lifting movements of the jacks imparted by jack selector slides are magnified into substantially greater heightwise movements of the inner ends of the said levers. These ends may be formed to act upon outwardly directed butts or feet at the lower extremities of the needles.  
  In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into practical effect. a specific constructional example thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. wherein,  
  FIG. I is a vertical sectional view taken through the knitting head of a circular multi-feed knitting machine of the rotary needle cylinder type, this figure showing a pattern jack in a separate jack cylinder, and a lever transmitting to the corresponding needle and amplifying the lifting movement imparted to the said jack by selector cam slides. and a few selector cam slides at a selecting station,  
  FIG. 2 is a detail vertical sectional view showing more clearly one of the pattern jacks,  
  FIG. 3 is a detail perspective view showing a pair of the selector cam slides, a succession of the pattern jacks, and two of the needles and of the corresponding intermediate movement transmitting and amplifying levers.  
  FIG. 4 is a detail inner end view as seen when looking outwardly from the centre line of the knitting head, of a few of a bank of selector cam slides, and illustrates how these slides elevate jacks to different positions heightwise, and  
  FIG. 5 is a developed layout showing, in purely diagrammatic fashion. a few of the diagonal lines of patterning butts on pattern jacks, pairs of selector cam slides included in the banks at two selecting stations and fragmentary portions of pattern jacks.  
  Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawings.  
  Referring to FIG. I, it will be seen that the illustrated multi&#39;feed circular knitting machine includes a rotary needle cylinder which is peripherally tricked at 10a to receive individually slidable knitting needles 11 of the pivoted latch type. Each needle has an operating butt Ila. The machine is also furnished, for cooperation with the needles, with outside holding-down sinkers such as 12 which are radially slidable in a hori zontally disposed sinker bed 13 and are operated by cams mounted in a sinker cam cap I4.  
  For selectively raising the needles 11 there is provided a corresponding circular series of pattern jacks such as that indicated at 15 in FIGS. 2 and 3 one to each needle. These jacks are accommodated in tricks 16:: formed in a separate jack cylinder 16 which is coaxial with, but of a larger diameter than the needle cylinder 10. At its lower end the needle cylinder 10 seats within a recess 17:! formed in the top ofa ring 17 which in turn fits within, and sits upon an internal shoulder 161; formed on, the jack cylinder 16. The needle cylinder I0 is firmly attached to the ring 17 and the latter is secured to the jack cylinder. The lower end of this jack cylinder has bolted to it the conventional cylinder driving gear 18. Accordingly, when the gear 18 is driven from the drive source customary in such a machine, the needle cylinder 10 and the jack cylinder 16 will rotate together at the same speed.  
  The size of the machine, the number of feeds with which it is equipped and the rotational speed of the knitting head may vary widely.  
  It is convenient here to mention that in FIG. 1 the jack trick 16a is shown as being empty so that the form of the trick can be fully seen: for this reason the pattern jack 15 in the next trick is for the most part hidden in FIG. 1 by the relevant trick wall. But in FIG, 2 a pattern jack [5 is fully shown.  
  As will be seen, the stem of each pattern jack I5 is furnished with only one patterning butt 15a, at its lower end each such jack is provided with a butt 15b arranged to be acted upon by cams such as 19 by means of which 5 jacks. after being raised, are restored to their original positions for re-selection. The upper end of each pattern jack is increased somewhat in width, from its back edge to its front edge, to provide an abutment 15c having a rounded, i.e. semicircular, upper extremity for a purpose hereinafter to be described. The single patterning butts 15a on the pattern jacks 15 are provided at different points along their straight stems so that these butts are disposed in a multiplicity of superimposed horizontal planes. The particular disposition of the illustrated butts is such as to enable the patterning butts 15a in any one such plane to be well spaced apart circumferentially. That is to say, the butts 15a on successive pattern jacks 15 are so relatively offset laterally in the superimposed planes as to present right around the jack cylinder 16 circumferentially spaced inclined, i.e. diagonal, lines of butts, the lateral offsetting corresponding, of course, with the pitch of the pattern jacks circumferentially of the machine. One such inclined line of patterning butts is clearly shown in FIG. 3. Moreover, three complete inclined lines L2, L3 and L4 of patterning butts 15a and a part of such a line Ll are also depicted in FIG. 5. The pitch P of these inclined lines corresponds with a circumferential distance suffi cient to accommodate a succession of 36 of the pattern jacks 15. Thus, in each inclined line there are 36 patterning butts 15a. The direction of cylinder rotation is indicated by the horizontal arrow at the bottom of FIG. 5. Assuming the patterning butts in each line to be differentiated by virtue of being lettered downwards in the sequence A, B, C, D  
  these letters designating the superimposed planes, then the pattern jack l5 at the right-hand side of FIG. 5 is shown as having a butt in the top plane A, whereas the jack [5 has a butt in the plane R,  
  Preferably, the vertical pitch of the patterning butts 15a on successive pattern jacks 15 is such that the lower edge of the butt on any one jack is spaced vertically from the corresponding edge of the butt on the next jack a distance equal only to the overall vertical dimension ofa single butt. In this preferred case, an individual selected jack if lifted by a pair of selector slides 22A and 22B (in operation together) a distance no greater than the vertical pitch of the butts.  
  Advantageously, the patterning butts 15a may, as shown, be of saw-tooth form, having horizontal lower edges and upper edges which incline downwardly and outwardly from the stems of the jacks 15. By virtue of this particular shaping of the butts, inner operative cam portions of selector cam slides (hereinafter to be described) are enabled to be inserted beneath the horizontal lower edges of butts and well into the spaces between butts.  
  Since each pattern jack 15 is arranged to be lifted only minimal vertical distances, there must, as previ ously mentioned herein, be provision between the jacks in the separate cylinder 16 and the corresponding needles 11 in the needle cylinder 10 of means for transmitting to the needles and simultaneously amplifying the lifting movements imparted to the jacks by the afore mentioned selector cam slides. Conveniently for this purpose there are provided, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, simple, radially extending movement-transmitting and amplifying levers 20 between the upper ends of the pattern jacks I5 and the lower ends of the needles 11. These levers 20 thus extend across the annular space S between the two co-axial cylinders and 16 of respectively different diameters and are located beneath the customary annular cam box or shell (not shown) surrounding the needle cylinder 10. The outer end of each of the movement-transmitting and amplifying levers 20 is formed with a near-circular fulcrum 200 which is seated in a suitably formed ring 21 combined with the upper end of the pattern jack cylinder 16. To enable them to avoid interference with the jack cylinder 16, the levers 20 may. as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, be of upwardly arched form. In any event. the semi-circular upper extremities of the aforementioned abutments c of the pattern jacks 15 act upon the lower edges of the levers at carefully predetermined points fairly close to the near-circular fulcra 200 so that comparatively small lifting movements of the jacks l5 imparted by the jack selector slides now to be described are magnified into substantially greater heightwise movements of the inner ends of the said levers. These ends are forked as indicated at 2011 to embrace and act upon outwardly directed butts 1112 at the lower extremities of the needles 11.  
  The jack selector slides at each selecting station SS are arranged in a vertical bank of superimposed pairs. The selector slides of each pair are hereinafter for convenience designated 22A and 228. There are, of course, as many selector stations SS around the knitting head of the machine as there are feeds. Only two of these stations are diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 5. The idea is that the operative cam portion of one of the slides. say the slide 22A of each pair shall have an outwardly directed cam face 23 adapted, by engagement with butts 15a, to lift relevant pattern jacks l5 sufficiently to cause corresponding needles ll, through the medium of the movement-transmitting and amplifying levers 20, to be raised to tucking height, whereas the operative cam portion of the companion slide 228 of the pair shall have an upwardly directed cam face 24 which. together with the cam face 23 of the slide 22A, lifts pattern jacks 15 to an extent sufficiently far to cause corresponding needles to be raised to clearing height. The cam faces 23 and 24 are gently inclined at less than 20 to the horizontal. The butt ends of the slides 22A and 22B are, in effect, similar to pistons of air cylinders. In FIG. 4 (as seen looking outwardly from the centre line of the machine), the normal run height of a patterning butt 15a is indicated at RH. A butt 15a is lifted to height TH by a cam face 23 to position the corresponding needle at tucking height, whereas such a butt is lifted to height CH to position the relevant needle at clearing height preparatory to knitting. In FIG. 1, the pattern jack is raised only sufficiently to position the corresponding needle at tuck height, the slide 22B being shown in its retracted position. In FIG. 3, on the other hand, both of the slides 22A and 22B shown are operative, their combined upwardly directed cam faces 23 and 24 having just acted upon the patterning butt 15a of the slightly raised pattern jack I5 to&#39;position the right-hand needle 11 at clearing height. The left-hand needle in this figure is shown down in its non-knit position.  
  Of each such pair of jack selector slides, the slide 22A is longitudinally moved radially inwards into its operative position, independently of the slide 22B which latter remains stationary. On the other hand. whenever the slide 22B of the pair is moved radially inwards. the slide 22A is also caused to move forwardly together therewith. Each slide is arranged to traverse a distance of only 0.1 inch in a radial direction to the machine cylinder.  
  In the preferred arrangement illustrated the major portions of the slides 22A and 22B are disposed in superimposed horizontal planes, only the operative cam portions of the said slides having faces appropriately inclined to the horizontal. In this preferred arrangement. whenever the slide 228 of a pair is selectively moved into its operative position, the companion slide 22A is as a matter of course, also similarly moved into its operative position.  
  Alternatively, the selector cam slides in each vertical bank may themselves be in parallel inclined planes with respect to the horizontal so that their operative portions can be in these same planes, the angle of inclination being such as to impart to the jacks IS the required extents of lift.  
  Each of the selector cam slides 22A and 228 may be selectively operated by any appropriate means. Thus. in FIG. I, the said cam slides are operable by air pressure, the air pressure system being that disclosed in the Specification of our US. patent application Ser. No. l59,742 now Pat. No. 3,793,850. That is to say, this system includes fluidic elements 25 each consisting of a single laminate section having an accurately produced cavity to receive one of the said slides.  
  Alternatively, the cam slides may be incorporated in a wholly mechanical patterning system. Thus, for selectively operating the selector slides of each vertical bank there may, for example, be provided at the relevant station a rotary control drum, driven in time with the head of the machine and equipped with superimposed rows of pegs or pins for action upon the slides either directly, or indirectly through the medium of levers or equivalent intermediate members.  
 We claim:  
  1. A multi-feed circular knitting machine comprising an axially tricked needle cylinder, individually operable knitting needles in the tricks, and a set of corresponding pattern jacks furnished with patterning butts adapted to be acted upon selectively by jack selector slides mounted in vertical banks, one in advance of each feed, characterized in that the pattern jacks are accomodated in tricks formed in a separate jack cylinder which is co-axial with, but of a larger diameter than, the needle cylinder, the patterning butts on these jacks being set out in circumferentially spaced diagonal lines but with the vertical pitch of said butts reduced to such an extent that lifting movements imparted to the pattern jacks by action upon their butts of the prearranged jack selector slides are less than sufficient to raise the corresponding needles to the height required, in that radially extending movement-transmitting and amplifying levers are provided between the upper ends of the pattern jacks in the separate jack cylinder and the lower ends of the needles in the needle cylinder, the said levers extending across an annular space between the two co-axial cylinders; and in that the jack selector slides at each selector station are banked one above another in a housing and have operative ends in the nature of cams with faces inclined to the horizontal for action directly upon the patterning butts, the said slides in the bank at each selector station being arranged in 7 superimposed pairs, the first slide of each pair having an operative end adapted by engagement with patterning butts, to raise corresponding needles to tucking height only, whereas the second slide of the pair has an operative end which, together with the operative end of the first slide. causes patterning butts to be lifted sufficiently far as to cause corresponding needles to be raised to clearing height, the arrangement being such that the first jack selector slide is movable into its operative position independently of the second selector slide. which latter remains stationary, whereas whenever the second slide is rendered operative the first slide is also rendered operative together therewith.  
  2. A multi-feed circular knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein the major protions of the rectilinearly movable jack selector slides are in superimposed horizontal planes and only the faces of the operative cam portions of the slides are inclined to the horizontal.  
  3. A multi-feed circular knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein the patterning butts on successive jacks are so relatively offset laterally in a multiplicity of superimposed planes as to form the circumferentially spaced diagonal lines of such butts right around the machine, the lateral offsetting corresponding with the pitch of the pattern jacks circumferentially of the machine and the vertical pitch of the said patterning butts on successive jacks being such that the lower edge of the butt on any one jack is spaced vertically from the corresponding edge of the butt on the next jack a distance equal only to the overall vertical dimension of a single patterning butt whereby an individual jack can only be lifted by any superimposed pair of selector slides a distance no greater than the aforementioned vertical pitch.