U.S. patent number 3,779,044 [Application Number 05/219,342] was granted by the patent office on 1973-12-18 for method and apparatus for adjusting stitch cams.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Universal Machinenfabrik Dr. Rudolf Schieber G.m.b.H.. Invention is credited to Erich Krause, Hans Schieber.
United States Patent |
3,779,044 |
Schieber , et al. |
December 18, 1973 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTING STITCH CAMS
Abstract
Automatic cam setting device arranged on knitting machines at
the end of carriage travel and including a fixed pin which engages
and flips a lever on the carriage to loosen a cam which is then
positioned as the carriage and cam move over a cam setting device.
The cam is locked in its new position as the carriage moves in the
opposite direction.
Inventors: |
Schieber; Hans (Bopfingen,
DT), Krause; Erich (Bopfingen, DT) |
Assignee: |
Universal Machinenfabrik Dr. Rudolf
Schieber G.m.b.H. (Westhausen, DT)
|
Family
ID: |
5801262 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/219,342 |
Filed: |
January 20, 1971 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Mar 11, 1971 [DT] |
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2111803 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
66/78 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D04B
15/322 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
D04B
15/00 (20060101); D04B 15/32 (20060101); D04b
007/00 (); D04b 015/36 (); D04b 035/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;66/78,14,60 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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465,117 |
|
Dec 1968 |
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CH |
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660,986 |
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Apr 1964 |
|
IT |
|
720,479 |
|
May 1942 |
|
DD |
|
395,414 |
|
Dec 1965 |
|
CH |
|
15,361 |
|
Aug 1893 |
|
GB |
|
49,543 |
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Nov 1889 |
|
DD |
|
Primary Examiner: Feldbaum; Ronald
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of adjusting the stitch cams on knitting machines and
particularly flat knitting machines, wherein the adjustment of
stitch cams is effected from an adjusting device which is located
outside cam carriages on the machines, said method comprising the
steps, during the carrying out of a knitting process on the
machine, of successively clamping the cams in position and
releasing the cams, as said cams move past preselected locations
along the machines, and separately adjusting the cams, upon release
thereof, to predetermined new positions, and reclamping the
cams.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the
cams is carried out by causing an adjusting member of the adjusting
device to act directly on the lowermost surface of the stitch
cam.
3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said adjusting device is
controlled mechanically.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said adjusting device is
controlled pneumatically.
5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said adjusting device is
controlled electrically.
6. A device for setting the stitch cams on knitting machines,
particularly on flat knitting machines, said device comprising, on
a knitting machine, a set member fixed laterally on the outside of
the knitting machine and having means for adjusting the position of
said set member, a cam clamping device on the carriage of said
machine, and means on said machine for releasing said clamping
device when said cam carriage is at a position to bring a cam
thereon into setting engagement with said set member.
7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the means for adjusting
the position of said set member comprises a switchable bar, and a
plurality of fine-adjustable setting plates arranged on said bar
individual switch steps.
8. A device according to claim 4, wherein the means for adjusting
the position of said set member includes an electric motor.
9. A device according to claim 8, wherein said means for adjusting
the position of said set member further includes an electric
displacement pickup and an electric adjustment device by which the
electric motor can be controlled.
10. A device according to claim 9, wherein said electric adjustment
device is a potentiometer.
11. A device according to claim 6, wherein there is provided an
electromagnet having an eccentric lever for the clamping of the
stitch cams.
Description
This invention relates to method and apparatus for setting stitch
cams on knitting machines, particularly those stitch cams which are
present on flat knitting machines. The setting of these stitch cams
serves to control the firmness of knitting.
Previously known methods and devices for setting stitch cams in
flat knitting machines have involved considerable difficulties.
These devices are mounted on the carriages which carry the
corresponding stitch cams. Because of this, the construction of the
cam carriages is quite complicated and the weight of each carriage
comprises, to a considerable extent, the weight of the adjusting
devices. Further, with these prior devices, it is not possible to
obtain a very accurate adjustment using mechanical transmission
elements on the cam carriage.
It has been proposed to carry out the adjustment of stitch cam
setting by electrical switch means. In this case, however, there
remains the difficulty that for each stitch cam there are required
an electric motor and a corresponding displacement pickup device
with a feedback system, which also must be mounted in the carriage.
These various elements serve substantially to increase the weight
of the carriage.
It is an object of the present invention to provide methods and
apparatus for obtaining precise adjustment of the stitch cams of
knitting machines in which the above-indicated disadvantages do not
occur and in which in particular the weight of the carriage is
reduced.
This object is achieved, according to the present invention, by
effecting the adjustment of one or more stitch cams for one or more
carriages, from an adjusting device which is located outside the
cam carriage. The stitch cams are clamped during the stitching
process of the machine, are released before their adjustment and
are then clamped again after adjustment.
In one suitable embodiment of the invention, an adjusting member of
the adjusting device acts directly on the lowermost surface of the
stitch cam. The adjusting device can be controlled mechanically,
pneumatically or electrically.
Apparatus in which the present invention is embodied is
characterized by the fact that the adjusting device has a setting
member arranged laterally on the outside of the knitting machine
with a corresponding actuating member and that a clamping device is
provided on the cam carriage. In order to adjust the setting
member, there may be provided a switchable bar on which, in
individual switch steps, fine-adjustable setting plates are
arranged. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, an electric
motor is provided for adjusting the setting member. This electric
motor can be arranged to be controlled by an electric displacement
pickup and an electric adjusting device for the setting device. The
electric adjusting device is preferably a potentiometer.
Also, in one suitable embodiment, an electromagnet is provided with
an eccentric lever for clamping of the stitch cams.
There has thus been outlined rather broadly the more important
features of the invention in order that the detailed description
thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that
the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
There are, of course, additional features of the invention that
will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of
the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will
appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based
may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other
structures for carrying out the several purposes of the invention.
It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as
including such equivalent construction as do not depart from the
spirit and scope of the invention.
A specific embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes
of illustration and description, and is shown in the accompanying
drawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a top view of a portion of a stitch cam lock in which
only a stitch cam with a cam clamping device is shown;
FIG. 2 is a section view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a partial section view taken along line 3--3 of FIG.
1;
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing another embodiment
of a stitch cam clamping device;
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a mechanically actuated setting device
used to establish the position at which the stitch cam is
clamped;
FIG. 6 is a plan view of an electrically actuated setting device;
and
FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a flat knitting machine with an
attached stitch cam setting device.
In the part of a lock shown schematically in FIG. 1, a stitch cam 1
(shown in dashed outline) travels by means of its guide block 2 in
a guide slot 3 of a cam box 4 and is held down by a cover plate 5.
A tension spring 6 pulls the stitch cam 1 downward. Above the cover
plate 5 is a clamping angle 7 through which a clamping bolt 8
threaded at its upper half 9 extends. A clamping nut 10 is screwed
onto the threaded half 9 of the bolt 8. The nut 10 is fashioned
into the configuration of a shift lever having two switch lever
arms 11 and 11a. When the switch lever is in the rotational
position shown in FIG. 1, it presses the clamping angle 7 firmly
against the coverplate 5 and thus prevents movement of the stitch
cam 1. When the switch lever is rotated clockwise from the position
shown in FIG. 1, it loosens the clamping angle 7 and allows
movement of the stitch cam 1.
At the carriage reversal points of the knitting machine (FIG. 7),
there are arranged on the knitting machine switch slides 12 and
12a, respectively, which are urged by a spring 14 at all times into
the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 7. To the switch slides 12 and
12a, there are firmly connected switch pins 13 and 13a,
respectively. If for instance the switch lever arm 11 travels in
the direction of the arrow A indicated in FIG. 1 against the switch
pin 13, it will be swung to the right, i.e., clockwise, and the
clamping of the stitch cam 1 will be released. This release takes
place at a moment when the stitch cam 1 travels onto an adjusting
slide 15 and 16, respectively, in FIGS. 5 and 6.
As shown in FIG. 4, the clamping can also be effected by an
eccentric lever 17 which is actuated by an electromagnet 18.
Upon further movement of a carriage 38 in the direction indicated
by the arrow of FIG. 1, the switch lever arm 11, which is mounted
on the carriage, strikes against a limiting pin 19 and presses the
switching slide 12 away from the lock. This allows the cam block 4
to continue its movement in the direction of the arrow B while the
lever arm 11, now in its loosened position, passes under the pin 13
which is urged upwardly, along with the slide 12, over the end of
the lever arm 11. After the passage of the switch lever arm 11, the
switching lever 12 springs back into its basic position shown in
FIG. 1. After the reversal of the carriage into the opposite
direction of travel, the switch lever arm 11 is swung to the left
against a limiting pin 20 and again clamps the switch cam 1
fast.
For the switching of the clamping after the travel of the carriage
from left to right to the second carriage reversal point, the
switch lever arm 11a and the switch slider 12a are provided with
switch pins 13a, as shown in FIG. 7.
FIG. 5 shows an embodiment for the mechanical adjustment of the
switch cam 1. In this case, the adjustment takes place via a
setting slide 15 which is arranged laterally on the outside of the
machine. The setting slide 15 moves in guides 21 and 22 and is
pulled by a spring 23 so that a stop 15a on the setting slide is
urged against one of several setting plates 24 which are supported
on a switch bar 25. The setting plates 24 can be fine-adjusted by
means of screw spindles 26 in their position with respect to the
setting slide 15 and then clamped fast by a set screw 27. From the
control unit of the knitting machines by means of control cards,
the switch bar 25 can automatically alternately bring each of the
setting plates 24, 24a, 24b, 24c into engagement with the setting
slide 15. On the setting slide 15, there is furthermore arranged a
vernier scale 28 for the accurate reading of the position in which
the setting slide is set.
The clamping of the stitch cam 1 is released before it comes onto
an incline 29 or 30 of the setting slide 15 and is clamped when
upon the return of the carriage 38 the lowermost edge 31 of the
stitch cam 1 is, as shown in FIG. 5, on the upper edge 32 of the
setting slide 15.
As shown in FIG. 6, the adjustment of stitch cam positioning can be
effected, for instance, also by an electric device. A setting slide
16, which is also guided in guides 21 and 22, has a driving member
33 with internal threads 34 into which a threaded spindle 35 is
engaged. The threaded spindle 35 is driven by an electric motor 36.
An electric displacement pickup 37 conducts information as to the
exact position of the setting slide 16 to a control device of the
electric motor 36. The adjustment of the different positions of the
setting slide 16 by which the firmness of the knitting is
determined, is effected, for instance, by several potentiometers 40
(FIG. 7) which can be controlled alternately by the control device
41 of the knitting machine. The potentiometers 40 correspond to the
switch plates 24 in the mechanical adjustment of the setting
slide.
In case of multi-system knitting machines, the selection of the
adjustment for the travelling stitch cams takes place between the
system or in other types of flat knitting machines, between the
individual carriages.
Having thus described the invention with particular reference to
the preferred form thereof, it will be obvious to those skilled in
the art to which the invention pertains, after understanding the
invention, that various changes and modifications may be made
therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention, as defined by the claims appended hereto.
* * * * *