U.S. patent number 3,805,556 [Application Number 05/179,296] was granted by the patent office on 1974-04-23 for circular knitting machine with height-adjustable spool carrier.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Fouquet-Werk Frauz & Planck. Invention is credited to Alfred Planck, Jr., Antal Poocza.
United States Patent |
3,805,556 |
Planck, Jr. , et
al. |
April 23, 1974 |
CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE WITH HEIGHT-ADJUSTABLE SPOOL CARRIER
Abstract
To provide for ease of servicing, the spool carriers are made
height-adjustable on the circular knitting machine, by securing the
spool carriers to the frame of the machine by means of a vertical
positioning apparatus which may include a cable and pulley
arrangement for raising or lowering the spool carriers; hydraulic
or pneumatic cylinder piston arrangements; or mechanical drives,
such as engaging spindle nut drives or the like. The present
invention relates to circular knitting machines and more
particularly to the arrangement which holds the spool carriers
supplying thread to the knitting machine. Usually, circular
knitting machines have spool carriers which are fixed to support
members on the machine or which are slidably arranged in spool
support elements, to be adjusted in their position by means of
clamps or the like. It has also been proposed to locate spools on
circular knitting machines on carrier rods mounted adjustably on,
and extending radially from the spool carrier ring, the spool
carrier ring itself being secured to carrier columns or the like on
the machine frame by means of cross braces. The spool carriers
themselves can then be mounted with varying distances with respect
to the center line of the machine. In all the known apparatus, the
height of the spools secured to the machine remains fixed. Thus,
operators who are not as tall as others may experience difficulty
in servicing the spools on the machines, interfering with rapid
maintenance, and supply and change of thread spools. It is an
object of the present invention to provide a circular knitting
machine which has spool carriers which are so constructed that the
vertical position of the spool carriers is adjustable. Subject
matter of the present invention: Briefly, the spool carriers are
secured to the frame of the machine by a securing means which
includes a drive capable of adjusting the vertical position of the
spool carriers with respect to the machine support frame. The drive
itself may be electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, or entirely
mechanical. The spools thus can be adjusted, in their relative
height position, as desired by the operators, for optimum
convenience, thus physically improving the working conditions of
the machine operating and maintenance personnel. For example, when
the machine itself is to be re-adjusted, the spool carriers can be
lifted to their upper limit, thus providing free access to the
machine mechanic without interference by the spools or the threads
coming therefrom; on the other hand, if only the spools are to be
changed by operators of short body height, ladders and the like can
be avoided.
Inventors: |
Planck, Jr.; Alfred
(Rottenburg/N., DT), Poocza; Antal (Rottenburg/N.,
DT) |
Assignee: |
Fouquet-Werk Frauz & Planck
(Rottenburg am Neckar, DT)
|
Family
ID: |
22655977 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/179,296 |
Filed: |
September 10, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
66/125R;
242/131 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D04B
15/42 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
D04B
35/00 (20060101); D04b 015/40 () |
Field of
Search: |
;66/125R ;254/148
;242/131 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
992,088 |
|
May 1965 |
|
GB |
|
3,983 |
|
1889 |
|
GB |
|
1,088,653 |
|
Oct 1967 |
|
GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Mackey; Robert R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Flynn & Frishauf
Claims
We claim:
1. Circular knitting machine having a machine support frame and a
spool carrier locating spools thereon to surround and ring the
needle cylinder of said knitting machine and adapted to hold a
plurality of thread spools thereon, said spools being spacedly
mounted around the periphery of said spool carrier;
means securing said spool carrier to said machine support frame,
said securing means including a drive means on the knitting machine
interiorly of the vertical projection of the outermost spools on
the spool carrier to effect adjustment of the vertical position of
the spool carrier with respect to the machine support frame to
thereby simultaneously adjust the vertical position of said spools
of the knitting machine with respect to the needle cylinder; and
guide means to locate the spool carrier at predetermined positions
with respect to the machine.
2. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the position adjustment
means includes a cable connection suspending the spool carrier with
respect to the frame, and a winding drum to wind the cable thereon
and adjust the free length thereof suspending the spool carrier and
hence the vertical position of the spool carrier on the frame.
3. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the position adjustment
means includes a hydraulic lifting piston-cylinder combination;
and means securing the spool carrier to the movable part of the
hydraulic lifting piston-cylinder combination.
4. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the position adjustment
means includes a pneumatic lifting piston-cylinder combination;
and means securing the spool carrier to the movable part of the
pneumatic lifting piston-cylinder combination.
5. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the position adjustment
means includes a rotary mechanical positioning drive.
6. Machine according to claim 5, wherein the mechanical positioning
drive comprises a rotary threaded spindle and a spindle nut, the
spindle nut being connected to the spool carrier to form a spindle
nut drive.
7. Machine according to claim 6, wherein the machine has a main
drive gear and comprises gear means interconnecting the main drive
gear and the spindle to transmit rotational energy to the
spindle.
8. Machine according to claim 6, wherein the machine has a main
drive and comprises synchronous drive means interconnecting the
main drive and the threaded spindle-spindle nut drive.
9. Machine according to claim 8, wherein the spindle-spindle nut
drive is selectively engageable.
10. Machine according to claim 1 including a plurality of spool
carriers, stacked vertically above each other and connected to said
means securing said spool carrier to said machine frame to be
conjointly movable.
11. Machine according to claim 10, wherein the machine is provide
with thread guide and control means, and carrier rings for said
control means to secure said control means to the machine;
wherein the carrier rings for the control means are connected to
the means securing the spool carrier to the machine to be
conjointly movable therewith.
12. Machine according to claim 11, wherein the thread guide and
control means are located concentric with respect to the
spools.
13. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the spool carrier is
ring-shaped.
Description
The invention will be described by way of example with reference to
the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a knitting machine, in
schematic front view with parts not necessary for an understanding
of the invention omitted, and illustrating a mechanical lifting
arrangement utilizing a cable and pulley arrangement;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side view illustrating a pressure lifting
arrangement;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary schematic side view illustrating a
spindle-nut lifting arrangement, the spindle-nut drive itself being
driven from a main drive of the machine;
FIG. 3a is a schematic fragmentary top view of a releaseable
spindle drive;
FIG. 4a is a schematic side view illustrating a stacked arrangement
in which the spools are arranged on superposed layers of a spool
carrier;
FIG. 4b is a schematic, developed front view of the carrier
arrangement of FIG. 4a;
FIG. 5 is a partial top view illustrating the staggered arrangement
of the spools of FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b;
FIG. 6 is a schematic fragmentary side view of another embodiment,
having parallel spools, of a multilayer spool carrier;
FIG. 7 is a developed end view of the arrangement of FIG. 6;
and
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary top view of the arrangement of FIGS. 6 and
7.
The machine frame 1 has carrier columns 2 extending upwardly
therefrom. Each carrier column 2 is formed with a holder or guide
element 3 to which a radially extending transverse rod 4 is
attached. A cable 5 connects to the spool carrier ring 6 on which,
in turn, spool carrier rods 7 are located, carrying the spools 8.
The cable 5 runs over pulleys 9 at the ends of rod 4 and is wound
on a drum 11, to be paid out, or taken up by drum 11 which is
driven by a motor 10, for example an electric motor. The drive
motor 10 for drum 11 is preferably located interiorly of the
machine, for example, at the center thereof. The drum 11 may
accommodate a plurality of cables 5 running over respective pulleys
9 at the ends of rods 4, attached to ring 6 at various positions in
circumferential direction, to suitably distribute the weight of the
ring 6, and the spools thereon. Vertical guidance is provided by
the weight of the ring 6 and the spools, and their holding devices
thereon.
FIG. 2 illustrates a holder arrangement for ring 6 which includes
carrier bars 13, located circumferentially around the machine, the
carrier bars 13 being connected to a pressure piston-cylinder unit
12, slidable on column 2'. The piston-cylinder arrangement 12 may
be made to move up and down column 2' in the direction of arrow A
by hydraulic, or pneumatic force. The transverse bars 13 transmit
movement of the piston-cylinder arrangement to the ring 6. The
piston cylinder arrangement may include, for example, a fixed
piston located intermediate the length of the vertical column 2'.
The cylinder 12' of the unit, secured to rods 13, will move
upwardly if hydraulic pressure is introduced between the piston and
cylinder at the upper end 124 of the cylinder. Upon release of
hydraulic pressure, the cylinder 12', together with the rods 13,
and the spool carrier ring 6 and the spools, thereon, will drop by
their own weight. The vertical position of ring 6 may thus,
therefore, be maintained in selective adjustment by introducing a
selected amount of pressurized hydraulic fluid between the piston
and the upper end 12U of the piston-cylinder arrangement 12.
Vertical adjustment can also be obtained by a mechanical drive.
FIG. 3 illustrates carrier rods 13 attached to a vertical
translating apparatus 12"', which includes a nut 15 held against
rotation within the apparatus, for example, by being squared and
bearing against a plate 12" (FIG. 3a). The nut 15 engages a
threaded support column 2" and in this embodiment, the support
column 2" is journalled for rotation on frame 1 in a bearing 22,
and rotated by connection to a gear 21 which engages, as
schematically indicated, with the main drive gear 20 of the
machine. Synchronous drive of the height adjustment with rotation
of the machine can thereby be obtained; To stop height adjustment
upon rotation of the machine, it is only necessary to free nut 15
from its restraint against rotation, for example, by moving plate
12" to the right in FIG. 3a; and transverse carrier rod 13 and
hence spool carrier ring 6 will remain in place.
It is possible to arrange the spools on spool carriers which have
more than one layer of spools. FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate such an
arrangement, in which the spool carrier has a pair of carrier rings
6a, 6b which are interconnected by vertically extending braces 46
spaced at suitable intervals around the circumference of the
carrier rings. One, or both of the carrier rings 6a, 6b are secured
to the radially extending arms 13 which, in turn, are connected to
the lifting arrangement 12 or 12' (FIGS. 2 or 3, respectively). The
spools 8a, 8b, on the top and bottom carrier, respectively, are
inclined with respect to each other with an angle of inclination
which connects the center lines of the spools to a thread guide 44,
or to a thread control arrangement 41, respectively. Eye 44 is
merely a thread guide and the element 41 to which the threads from
spools 8a and 8b pass can additionally include thread controls,
such as a stop mechanism detecting thread breakage or the like. The
threads are then guided to a thread break 40. The thread control
arrangements 40, 41 are located on transfer bars 42, 43 which in
turn slide on carrier column 2, moving together with the up-down
motion of the carrier rings, for example by suitable
interconnection therewith. Other control elements for the thread
may be placed in the path of the thread, as desired. The thread
guide elements 40, 41 and the like are arranged on circumferential
rings 47, 48, 49 which are connected with the thread carrier ring
6a by means of braces 46' to provide for synchronous lifting
movement of the rings 47-49 carrying the thread control
elements.
FIGS. 6-8 illustrate an arrangement similar to that of FIGS. 4a, 4b
and FIG. 5 in which, however, the axes of the thread spools 68a,
68b are vertical. This arrangement permits the placement of the
thread control elements associated with all the spools, such as
thread break detectors 41 to be concentric and in line with the
axes of the thread spools 68a, 68b. Ring 49 carrying guide eyes 44
then becomes unnecessary. Thread breaks 40 are again provided. They
may be located staggered with respect to each other and somewhat
radially offset with respect to the placement of the thread break
detectors 41. The thread break detectors 41 themselves are carried
on small cross braces 41' connected to the thread break detector
carrier ring 48 which, in turn, is connected to a carrier rod 43
vertically secured to spool carrier rings 6a, 6b as before. A pair
of transverse braces 42a, 42b are provided, each securing a
separate thread break carrier ring 47a, 47b, located at spaced
radial distances from each other. To prevent interference, the
rings are staggered circumferentially and have been omitted from
the drawings in FIG. 7. Parts similar to those previously described
have not been discussed again and have been given same reference
numerals.
Various changes and modifications, particularly in the
constructional arrangement of the lifting mechanism may be made
within the inventive concept. For example more than two
superimposed layers of spool carriers may be used and the spools
are then preferably arranged to be staggered or offset from each
other to prevent thread entanglement, the offset arrangement of the
spools for two layers being best seen in FIGS. 5 and 8.
* * * * *