US2034869A - Knitting machine - Google Patents

Description

March 24, 1936. H. HJHOLMES ET AL '2,034,869

\ KNTTING MACHINE I Filed Aug. 25, 1931 @Sheets-Sheet l Lzuen fors y l t w-xfwmv/A/m March 24, 1936. HOLMES Er AL 2,034,869

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 25, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 M VM KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. v25, 1951 March 24, 1936. H H HOLMES ET 2,034,869

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 25, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 24, H936. H. H. HOLMES Er AL 2,034,869

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 25, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 24, 1936 'i' F l A' E KNHTTING MACHKNE Application August 25, 1931, Serial No. 559,314 In Great Britain August 28, 1930 23 Claims.

This invention consists in improvements in or relating to knitting machines by which walethreads are knitted in addition to a groundthread or threads. Such a machine involves the employment for each waleor warp-thread of a thread-feeder by which the thread is wrapped round the needle. For this purpose the feeder is first passed from one side to the other of a line of needles on one side of its associated needle, is then shifted or deected towards the other side of the needle and is finally moved back again on the other side of the needle to complete `the wrapping movement.

The present invention comprises several improvements in knitting machines of this character, the first of which relates to the warpthread feeder.

According to this part of the invention, warpthread feeding means comprises in combination a warp-thread feeder whereof that portion containing the thread-eye or eyes (from which the thread ultimately passes to the needle) lies substantially parallel with the length of its associated needle, and deflecting means co-operating with the said portion of the feeder to deflect it laterally (in wrapping the thread round the needle) in such manner that during its deflection it is moved substantially parallel to itself. For instance, the said portion is constituted by a substantially flat strip that normally lies in a plane that is radial With respect to the axis of a circular machine or is approximately perpendicular to the plane in which the needles lie in a flat machine.

It is preferred that the feeder shall be formed with a part to slide in a guide (e. g. in a trick in feeder-head) and that this part is given a permanent set so that it will frictionally engage with surfaces of the guide on opposite sides of it. For instance, this part of the feeder is conveniently of resilient material which will press by reason of its resilience against the surface of the guide on both sides of it, for example, against both side walls of a trick in which it slides. The purpose of this frictional engagement is to impart control to the movement of the feeder such as to prevent unintentional or too easy movement of it in its guide.

A second improvement comprises in combination a warp-thread feeder, lateral deflecting means co-operating therewith to assist the feeder in wrapping its thread round the needle, and a thread-drawing device to co-operate with the feeder todraw ofi a length of thread sufficient for the wrapping operation Without undue slack.

Conveniently, there is also a second yarn drawoi device the purpose of which is to draw from the yarn-bobbin a length of yarn required to produce a knitted loop.

A third improvement applicable as in the case of the second improvement to any Warp-thread machine comprises a thread-engaging device so shaped as to engage the thread during defiection o1' the thread-feeders and movement of them subsequent to deflection to take up slack in the threads which would otherwise occur due to movement of the feeder, particularly that movement which is subsequent to the deflection of the feeder, that is to say when the feeder is returning from its position of greatest movement away from the needles to a position at which it is just passing its needle.

Preferably, the thread draw-off device which assists in the wrapping operation is designed to draw off for each such operation a greater length of thread than is necessary for the wrapping and an automatic thread take-up device to eliminate undue slack is provided. This tends to improve the evenness in the appearance of the knitting as compared withrthe case in which only sufficient thread for the wrapping operation is drawn from the bobbin by the draw-ofi device.r

In a preferred form of take-up device for the slack in the thread a floating ring is employed which encircles the warp-threads at a position above the thread-feeders, is disposed between upper and lower thread-guides and is of smaller diameter than the diameters of the pitch circles on which thread-guiding orices kare formed in the upper and lower thread-guides. Such a form of take-up device is applicable to a circular knitting machine.

The take-up ring serves to take up the slack in the thread gradually as it occurs. That is to say, the yarn does not first slacken oi at the end f of a Wrapping operation to be taken up abruptly as a whole. In another form the take-up ring may fioat inside the circle of warp-threads and will in this case be of greater diameter than the thread-guiding ring that is beneath it. They take-up ring, Whether it be an external or an internal ring, may be composed of metal wire or the like or of any preferred flexible material. An external ring may, for instance, be of cord, string or the like.

A fourth improvement comprises in combination a Warp-thread feeder-head that can be raised or lowered and/or swung aside, means to supply a plurality of warp-threads to` the needles, a ring-like thread-guide xed on .the

feeder-head to hold the threads spaced from the axis of the head, and a floating ring which encircles the threads or is situated internally thereof to act as the take-up device above referred to.

This part of the invention also includes a specific construction of warp-thread feeder-head to be described in detail hereinafter.

A fth invention comprises a no-vel construction of bobbin from which the warp-threads are supplied to the warp-thread feeders and this bobbin will also be described more fully hereinafter. l

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood a preferred construction will now be described with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the feederhead with the cylinder and cam-box illustrated in position relatively to the head;

Figure 2 is a View seen from the right of Figure 1 with the end-cap of the horizontal support arm of the feeder-head removed;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4, on an enlarged scale, is a section on the line l-ll of Figure 1;

Figure 5, on an enlarged scale, is a plan of the adjusting top of the feeder-head shown in Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a section on the line S-S of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a central section through a portion of the feeder-head to show the operation of and construction of warp-thread feeders;

Figure 8 is a developed view showing the relative positions of warp-thread feeders and needles as viewed from the left in Figure 7 Figure 9 is a plan of the cam-box for the warp-thread guides, with part of the cover removed;

Figure 10 is an elevation of part of the machine showing in detail part of the thread takeup devices and draw-olf devices on an enlarged scale similar to Figure 9;

Figure 11 is an elevation of a thread-bobbin according to the invention;

Figure 12 illustrates diagrammatically a thread draw-off device applicable to a flat machine, and

Figure 13 is a View similar to Figure 10 showing a modified construction and in which parts corresponding to parts of the construction of Figure 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals but each having a prime aixed.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

To illustrate the first improvement, reference may be had to Figures 7 and 8, each of which shows a thread-feeder of substantially similar form. it will be seen that the feeder comprises a flexible strip 2D that is received in a horizontal trick in a feeder-bed 2 I. Extending at right angles to the strip 29 is a depending portion 22 containing the feeder-eye or eyes 23. The strip 2li is flexible about an axis parallel with the length of the strip 22, that is to say, it is flexible about an axis at right angles to its length and lying in a plane parallel to that of the strip 26.

The strip 20 conveniently is formed with a permanent set (or is slightly cranked) so as to cause it to bear resiliently against both walls of the trick in which it slides.

The feeders may each be formed by stamping from sheet-metal such as spring steel and the portion 22 is preferablyprovided with a channel 2li in which the thread can lie as it passes between the upper and lower thread-eyes 23. Each feeder is, as usual, in ,such devices formed With a butt 25 to be received in a cam-track 26 in the feeder cam-box 21. This cam-track comprises in the usual manner an out-throw cam 28 and a return-cam 29 shown in Figure 9 which operates on the butts 25 as the cam-box revolves in the direction of the arrow indicated in Figure 9.

One means for deflecting the thread-guides is shown in Figure 9 in which a cam 30 is provided to press seriatim against the outer ends of the guides in line with the strips 2t. In Figure 9 some of the thread-guides are shown deflected and it will be understood that the cam 3Q is so shaped as to hold each guide deflected until it has een drawn past its needle to complete the wrapping operation.

Conveniently, the needles, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, are gradually raised as they near the point at which they are to be fed with their warpthreads and are so timed that the warp-thread feeder moves past its needle just when the top of the needle-hook has been raised approximately to and slightly past the bottom extremity of the feeder portion 22. Thus, for instance, the needle cam-box may be such that after a needle-butt has passed through the knitting cam system it will be received on a low-level track (e. g. at a tucking height) until a position is reached just prior to that at which the needle is to receive a warp-thread. The needle is rst lowered slightly by means of a depressing cam to a position equivalent to that of the three needles 3| on the extreme'right of Figure 8. The needles are then raised seriatim in timed relation with respect to the warp-thread feeder such that as the latter is moved outwardly by means of the cam-track the needle will rise to the position of the fourth or fifth needle in the right of Figure 8 when the thread-guide is in the middle chainline position in Figure '7. The corresponding needle height is just below or in the middle dotted needle position shown in Figure rI. When the feeder has been moved to the outermost chainline position the needles will have been raised to their greatest height and at this position the feeder will be engaged by the cam 39 to deflect it and by the cam 29 to draw it inwardly to complete the wrapping movements.

By employing thread-feeders as described the portions 22, (owing to the manner in which the strip 20 is capable of flexing and to the engagement of the feeder with the defiecting means in line with the strip 29), are always moved substantially parallel to themselves during deflection. Actually they will be moved so that the portion 22 is always in a plane substantialy radial with respect to the axis of the machine (in the case of a circular knitting machine). Thus, the feeder can pass readily through a very narrow gap and is in consequence eminently suitable for use in a line-gauge knitting machine. In the case of a flat bed machine the movement of the portion 22 out of a plane that is normal to the plane in which the needles lie is so slight as to be negligible because it is only the lower extremity of the part 22 that passes between the needle-heads and this part is tapered as shown.

The thread draw-olf member to assist in the Wrapping operation is constituted in the present example by a curved plate Ell shown in Figures Sand 19. This plate, together with the deflector cam 30, is relatively movable past the ends of the thread-feeders and in the present instance is secured to and carried round with the cambox 2l. The deflector 30 is also mounted on the cam-box. The member Sd is so shaped as to engage the warp-threads in succession so as gradually to draw olf the amount of thread required for the wrapping operation, the full amount being drawn by the time that the feeders are fully projected outwardly. Thus, little or no pressure is exerted on the feeder extremity 22 b-y reason of its engagement with the thread as it is moved in the outward direction. Moreover, as sufficient thread will have been drawn to complete the wrapping operation little or no pressure is exerted on'the feeder during its inward movement.

The second warp-thread draw-off means by which the required length of thread is drawn for stitch formation is constituted by a curved wire 35, also secured to the cam-box 21. This also engages the warp-threads in succession and the needles will have been fully raised by the needle-cam system and will commence their downward movement tc form the loop at a position approximately opposite the point 36, that is to say, at a position (radially) opposite that point in the wire 35 by which the full amount of yarn will have been drawn orf. In the case of a hose and half-hose machine the point 3S will coincide approximately with the position at which the needles are first engaged with the leg stitch-cam.

By thus providing a positive draw-off for the thread for each needle-loop snatching of the thread from the bobbins will be obviated.

The thread take-up device constituting the third improvement above mentioned is in the form of a floating ring 31 (Figures 1 and 10). In the example shown, this ring floats between guides 38 and 3S in each of which there is a ring of holes through which the warp-threads 40 pass in their passage from the bobbins (not shown) to the thread-guides. The ring 31 is shown as of smaller diameter than the pitch circle of the holes in the guides 38 and 3B. As the tensioning and slackening of the warp-threads e@ occurs progressively around the machine due to the threadfeeding and loop-forming operations respectively, the ring 3l receives what may be described as a rotary oscillating movement about an eccentric axis and in a very efcient manner prevents undue slack or undue tension in the warp-threads. In fact, the ring 31 is found to assist in maintaining a uniform tension in all the warp-threads throughout the length of the knitting.

As an alternative to an external ring such as 31 which encircles the warp-threads an internal floating ring may be employed, as shown in Fig. 13, in which case the ring will be of greater diameter than the pitch circle of the holes in the guide S9 situated beneath the ring. This alternative is illustrated in Figure l in which a ring 3l, shown in chain-lines, is of larger Idiameter than the diameter of the pitch-circle of the guides in the guide-ring 3S and is supported on the warp-threads below that ring.

An example of feeder-head construction coming within the fourth improvement is shown in Figures 1 to 6 and this part of the invention is applicable not only to warp-thread machines but also to machines having a head or dial for rib transfer or other kinds of mechanism to be associated with a main needle-cylinder.

Secured to the base-plate of the machine is a standard 42 of tubular form within which is a member 43 that is vertically adjustable in height. This member 43 is tubular and at its upper end it carries a radial arm @Si which is conveniently cast integral with it. The member 63 can both slide and turn in the standard t2. At its lower end the member 43 has on it a sleeve d5. The latter is provided with rack teeth t6 which are engaged with a pinion t?, the spindle 48 of which is received in bearings in an enlargement i9 on the standard 42. A crank-- handle i? is secured to the spindle i8 and serves as the means for rotating the pinion lll. The sleeve 45 is held in position by means of a collar 5l held to the member 43 by means of a setscrew 52 and it will be understood that the member 3 is free to turn within the sleeve d.

Extending axially through the member i3 is a vertical shaft 53 coupled by gearing 5i to the main driving shaft 55 of the machine (or to a member driven therefrom.) The shaft 53 has at .its upper end a spline 5S in which is received a key 5l that secures a sleeve 58 to the shaft so that while the sleeve 58 can slide thereon it will rotate with the shaft. The sleeve 58 carries a bevel-pinion 59 meshing with another bevelpinion Se carried on a horizontal spindle 5I housed within the tubular arm 34. At the other end of the spindle 6! is a bevel-pinion 62 which meshes with a bevel-pinion 63 secured to a sleeve G4 by which the rotatable portion of the cam-box 2l is rotated.

It will be thus seen that the driving connection between the main shaft 55 and the feeder-head will remain undisturbed during either up and down movement of the member i3 or during a turning movement thereof whereby the arm di! can be swung laterally away from the axis of the needle-cylinder indicated at 65. The needle cam-box is indicated at 66.

It will be appreciated that the arm d@ supports the entire warp-thread feeder-head in an outer extremity 6l, so that by the arrangements described the feeder-head can be raised or lowered or swung aside as may be desired. The possibility of thus moving the feeder-head greatly facilitates access to the needles and also facilitates the threading of the yarns in the Wale-thread feeders.

' An automatic self-centering device is preferably provided for the feeder-head. In the form shown it comprises an upwardly-extending projection 68 secured by a bolt 69 to the standard 't2 and a slotted member 'l5 secured by bolts ll to the member 53. The upper end of the projection 68 is 'tapered and the slot in the member dit is correspondingly shaped. The entry to the slot at its lower end is relatively wide so that as the feeder-head is lowered after it has been moved to a raised position the tapered end of the projection 68 will enter the slot and will ensure that the arm 44 is brought into correct position to align the axis of the feeder-head with that of the needle-cylinder.

In order to adjust the warp-thead feeders angularly with respect to the needles, and also to enable the height of the warp-thread feeder dial to be adjusted relatively to the needles the following means are employed. Referring particularly to Figures l, 5 and 6 it will be seen most clearly from Figure 6 that a spindle l2 by which the dial is carried is vertically adjustable in a sleeve i3 which itself is received in a tubular socket 'M formed in the extension 6l of the arm 44. The diameter of the sleeve 13 in relation to that of the socket T4 is such as to allow for play in all radial directions. Adjusting screws 'l5 furnished with lock-nuts 16 are received in and pass through a flange 1T at the top of the socket 14. These set-screws engage the outer periphery o-f a collar 'I8 on the sleeve 'i3 at three or more points. In the particular example shown four set-screws are employed and these serve to adjust the sleeve 13 in any position radially with respect to the axis of the knitting machine.

Vertical adjustment for the dial is achieved by means of adjusting nuts 'i9 and 80 which engage a screwthrea-ded portion on the spindle l2. The nut 1S bears against the upper end of the sleeve T3 and the nut 80, which is really a lock-nut, bears against the under-surface of the extension El. By slackening these nuts angular adjustment of the spindle 12 and the feeder-dial can be obtained and the adjustment can be maintained by again tightening them so as to lock spindle 'l2 in position.

In order to assist in the centering of the dial, there is, in addition to the set-screws 15, a bar 8l which is received in a slot formed in the upper surface of the flange i3. Holding down plates 82 are provided above the bar to retain it in the slot and adjusting screws 83, furnished with lock-nuts S, press against the two ends of the bar BI. The screws 83 are received in lugs 85 extending from the flange il. It will be understood that by slackening one of these and tightening the other the bar 8l will be swung so as to turn the sleeve 'I3 about the axis of the spindle i2 thereby providing means for obtaining a ne angular adjustment of the feeder-dial.

The fifth improvement relating to the bobbin is illustrated in a preferred form in Figure 11. The bobbin is of the reel type having end flanges guide is conveniently formed by bending a piece of wire 8l' with two right angle bends to provide,-

at each end of the horizontal portion indicated by the numeral Sl, two parallel portions 88 and 89, one of which can be slipped into a hollow core of the bobbin. The latter may be bushed for the purpose of receiving the end 88 so that the latter can revolve easily within the bushing. The free end B9 hangs down over the upper flange 86 and is furnished, by twisting it, with a thread-guiding eye S through which the thread 40 is led off from the bobbin at a position a little above the middle of the height of the bobbin. The yarn is taken through an over-head guide 9| and thence through guides 92 and 93 before passing to the upper ring-guide 38.

Conveniently, a friction-pad or its equivalent 94 is provided on the top of the bobbin beneath the portion 3l of the guide in order to serve as a brake to the rotation of the thread-guide about the axis of the portion 88.

An object of employing a reel type bobbin of short axial length is to ensure a small draw-off angle for the yarn as it comes from the bobbin, whereby a more or less constant draw-off tension is obtained.

Either with the present form of feeder or with feeders of the type hitherto employed, a greater facility for the passage of the feeders through the line of needles may be obtained by needle selection, whereby, as described, for example, in copending application Ser. No. 435,106, to which reference is to be had for details of the mechanism, on one course some (e. g. alternate) needles are raised to a wrapping height to receive their Wale-threads, and on the next course other (e. g. the intermediate) needles are so raised. In the case of alternate needle wrapping, each needle would ,receive awrapping of its Wale-thread on every alternate course and in the intermediate courses the Wale-threads would be floated at the back of the fabric. This needle selection may be obtained by the use of a selector-wheel operating in butts on the needles to raise the latter to the required height for wrapping, or it may be obtained by any preferred form of cam-selector mechanism. Alternatively, a 1 1 or other wheel could operate on the feeder-butts in place of the out-throw cam, in which case, if an odd number of feeders were present, the double loops in the fabric would alternate in both courses and wales.

This invention is particularly applicable, although it is not limited, to the production of a ladderproof. fabric, hose or half-hose, or any portion thereof, as described for instance in prior British Specifications Nos. 327,958, 328,026, 327,987 and 327,988.

As variations in the quality, i. e., the comparative tightness of slackness of knitting may have to be eifected, as, for example, in the knitting of hose and the like, it is within the invention to provide for automatic adjustment of the draw-olf device. Such adjustment may be effected in unison with the usual alteration in the ground knitting loop size, or may be entirely independent.

In Figure 12 an application of the second improvement is diagrammatically shown as applied to a flat machine. The warp-thread guides are indicated at 95 as being carried by a warpthread guide bar 96, the warp-threads 40 passing through the guides on their way to the needles 3|. A thread-drawing bar 91 is provided and is. given a movement to and fro in the direction of the double arrow. In this case instead of two separate elements to control the thread supplyone for wrapping and another for loop forming as in the above examples-a single thread-drawing bar 91 only will be used. This will be controlled from the cam-shaft and will receive two movements, namely,

(l) It will be advanced to draw from the warpioller suicient warp-thread to enable wrapping to be accomplished. Rapid retraction will follow and immediately thereafter the warp-thread guides will be moved to perform the wrapping operation.

(2) The bar will again be advanced to draw from the warp-roller sufficient warp-thread to enable warp-loop formation to be accomplished. This will be accompanied by a motion of the needle-bar and other elements to carry out the ordinary loop formation.

This example applies to a fiat machine in which the stitch-forming elements move simultaneously as a whole or in groups. For instance all the needles may be moved simultaneously to perform their functions and similarly all the warp-thread guides may be moved simultaneously for wrapping.

In the case of iiat machines in which the needles and thread-guides are moved seriatim there will be no essential differences in the thread-drawing elements from those described above in connection with a circular machine.

We claim:-

1. In or for a knitting machine, warp-thread feeder mechanism comprising a support for a warp-thread feeder-head or other mechanism including a dial, said support for the feeder-head or dial being coaxial with said head or dial, and

means by which the head or dial can be adjusted transversely to and about the axis of the feederhead, for the purpose described, said means comprising a flange on said support, a bracketin which the flange is carried and set-screws or their equivalent engaging said flange at three or more points in order to adjust the feeder-head or dial relatively to the axis in a transverse direction.

2. In or for a knitting machine, the combination of a warp-thread feeder-head, or dial mechanism, a telescopic support therefor and a selfcentering device operable .as the feeder-head or dial is lowered into its Working position.

3. In or for a knitting machine, warp-thread feeding mechanism comprising a warp-thread feeder-head, a telescopic support therefor parallel with the axis of the machine, a lateral arm secured to or forming part of the rising and falling element of the telescopic support, a bracket at the inner end of the lateral arm serving to carry the feeder-head, a driving shaft within the sai-d telescopic member coupled at one end of the main drive of the machine and at the other end with another shaft extending through the lateral this latter coupling being slidable relatively to the driving shaft in the telescopic support, and gearing at the outer end of the lateral arm coupling the shaft extending therein with the driving member for the movable element of the feeder-head.

4. In or for a knitting machine, warp-threa feeding means comprising in combination a plurality of warp-thread feeders, means to move said feeders to Wrap their threads round associated eedles, and a thread-drawing device which is relatively movable with respect to the feeders and has a curved portion to be brought into engagement with the warp-threads seriatim and thereby to draw off from each warp-thread supply substantially the amount of yarn necessary for a wrapping operation without permitting undue slack to occur, such drawn off lengths of thread being wrapped round the needles under guidance of the feeder.

5. In or for a knitting machine having a row of needles, warp-thread feeding means comprising in combination a plurality of warp-thread feeders, means to move the feeders to wrap their threads round respective needles, a thread-drawing device and means to move it relatively with respect to the feeders, the said thread-drawing device having a curved portion to engage the warp-threads seriatirn and shaped so that its distance from the row of needles gradually increases, and the said moving means for the thread-drawing device being timed to move the latter into engagement with the warp-threads so that the position along its curve which will draw the maximum amount of warp-thread coincides approximately with a feeder that has been moved to its maximum extent.

6. In or for a knitting machine having a needle-bed and needles therein, warp-thread feeding means comprising in combination a plurality of warp-thread feeders, means to move the feeders to wrap their threads round associated needies and two draw-off'devices each having curved thread-engaging portions to engage the warpthreads seriatim, one of said devices serving to draw off a length of thread necessary for the wrapping operation and the other serving, prior to the formation of a needle loop, to draw off a length of thread suicient for that loop.

'7. In or for a knitting machine having a needle-bed and needles therein, warp-thread feeding means comprising in combination a plurality of warp-thread feeders, means to move the feeders to wrapy their threads round associated needies, two thread-drawing devices each having curved surfaces to engage the threads and to press them away from the needle-bed, one of said .devices serving to draw off a length of thread necessary for the wrapping operation and the other serving to draw-off, prior to the formation of a needle-loop, a length of warp-thread sufficient for that loop, and means to move the said draw-off devices relatively to the thread-feeders whereby each device engages the threads seriatim.

8. In or for a knitting machine, warp-thread feeding means comprising in combination Warpthread feeders, means to move each feeder toV wrap its thread round an associated needle, a thread-drawing device to draw off lengths of thread whereby the amount of Warp-thread thereby supplied for wrapping is under control, another draw-off device to draw 0E, prior to the formationV of a needle-loop, a length of warpthread sufficient for that loop, and automatic take-up means for taking up slack which may occur in the warp-thread due to its movement, including feeding and loop-drawing movements.

9. In or for a circular knitting machine, warpthread feeding means comprising in combination a plurality of warp-thread feeders disposed around the axis of the machine, a thread-drawing device to draw off from each warp-thread a length thereof whereby the amount of warpthread supplied for wrapping is under control, a thread guide ring to hold the warp-threads spaced around the axis of the machine and a floating ring which encircles and is supported by the threads and is of smaller diameter than the pitch-circles of the guides in the guide ring.

10. In or for a circular knitting machine, warpthread feeding means comprising in combination a plurality of warp-thread feeders disposed around the axis of the machine, a thread-drawing device to draw off from each warp-thread a length thereof whereby the amount of warpthread supplied for wrapping is under control of the thread-drawing device, a thread guide ring to hold the Warp-threads spaced around the axis of the machine and a floating ring which is of larger diameter than the pitch-circle of the guides in the guide ring and which floats inside and is supported by the warp-threads.

ll. In or for a circular knitting machine, warpthread feeding means comprising in combination a plurality of warp-thread feeders disposedl around the axis of the machine, means to move the feeder to wrap the threads round associated needles, a thread-drawing device to draw off lengths of threads whereby the amount of warpthread thereby supplied for wrapping is under control, another draw-off device to draw off, prior to the formation of a needle loop, a length of thread sufficient for that loop, a thread guide ring to hold the warp-threads spaced around the axis of the machine and a floating ring which encircles and is supported by the threads and is of smaller diameter than that of the pitch-circle of the guides.

12. In or for a circular knitting machine, warpthread feeding means comprising in combination a plurality of warp-thread feeders disposed around the axis of the machine, means to move the feeler to wrap the threads round associated needles, a thread-drawing device to draw off lengths of threads whereby the amount of' warp` thread thereby supplied for wrapping is under control of the thread-drawing device, another draw-off device operative subsequently to wrapping to draw prior to the formation of a needle loop, a length of thread sufficient for that loop, a thread guide ring to hold the warp-threads spaced around the axis of the machine and a floating ring which is of larger diameter than the pitch-circle of the guides in the guide ring and floats inside and is supported by the warpthreads.

13. In or for a knitting machine having a needle-bed, needles therein and guides for warpthread feeders, warp-thread feeding means comprising in combination a plurality of warp-thread feeders each formed from thin flexible material with a thread-guiding portion disposed transversely to another strip-like part which is received in the guide, the said thread-guiding portion being disposed substantially parallel with the length of an associated needle, a single deector to engage the feeders seriatim in line With the ends of the strip-like parts to move the threadguiding portions laterally, and means to impart relative movement between the deector and the feeders in the knitting direction to bring the deilector into engagement with the feeders.

14. In or for a circular knitting machine walethread feeding means comprising in combination a thread-guide ring having guides therein to hold the warp-threads spaced apart around the axis of the machine and a floating ring which encircles the threads and is smaller in diameter than the diameter of the pitch circle of the guides in the guide ring and is supported on the warpthreads.

15. In or for a circular knitting machine walethread feeding means comprising in combination a thread-guide ring having in it guides to hold the warp-threads spaced apart around the axis of the machine, and a floating ring which engages the threads and has a diameter differing from that of the pitch-circle of the guides in the guidering whereby the floating ring is supported by the warp-threads at a position spaced from the guide-ring.

16. In or for a knitting machine having a bed of needles, warp-thread feeding means comprising in combination warp-thread feeders, each of which operates to wrap a thread round an associated needle, and a thread-drawing device to -draw off prior to wrapping, lengths of thread each substantially equal in length to that required for wrapping, whereby the amount of Warp-thread thus supplied is under control of the threaddrawing device.

17 In or for a circular knitting machine, the combination of a circular row of needles and warp-thread feeding means comprising warpthread feeders, means to move each feeder to wrap its thread round an associated needle, and a thread-drawing device to draw o prior to wrapping, lengths of thread each substantially equal in length to that required for wrapping, whereby the amount of warp-thread thus supplied is under control of the thread-drawing devlce.

18. In or for a knitting machine warp-thread feeding means comprising in combination warpthread feeders, means to move each feeder to wrap its thread round an associated needle, and a thread-drawing device to draw oif prior to wrapping and for each wrapping operation substantially the amount of yarn necessary for that wrapping without permitting undue slack to occur, such drawn off lengths of threads being wrapped round the needles under guidance of the feeders.

19. In or for a knitting machine, warp-thread feeding means comprising in combination warpthread feeders, means to move the feeders to wrap warp-threads round their associated needles, a curved thread-drawing device relatively movable with respect to the needles, and means to move the drawing device to bring its curved portion progressively into engagement with the warp-threads to draw off lengths of the latter su'icient for the wrapping operations without permitting undue slack to occur, such drawn off lengths of threads being wrapped round the needles under guidance of the feeders.

20. In or for a knitting machine, warp-thread feeding means comprising in combination warpthread feeders, means to move each feeder to wrap its thread round an associated needle, and a thread-drawing device for the warp-threads operative subsequently to wrapping to draw oi from the Warp-thread supply and prior to the formation of a needle loop, a length of warpthread substantially equal in length to that to be subsequently drawn by the needle into a knitted loop, whereafter the drawn off thread is released to the needles through the guidance of the feeder.

2l. In or for a knitting machine having a needle-bed and needles therein, warp-thread feeding means comprising in combination Warpthread feeders, means to move each feeder to Wrap its thread round an associated needle, and a thread-drawing device to engage the warpthreads and to press them away from the needlebed thereby to draw off lengths of thread substantially equal in length to that employed for Wrapping said length, which threads are wrapped round the needle under guidance of the feeders whereby the amount supplied for each wrapping operation is under control.

22. In or for a knitting machine having a needle-bed and needles therein, warp-thread feeding means comprising in combination warpthread feeders, means to move each feeder to wrap its thread round an associated needle, and a thread-drawing device operative subsequently to wrapping to engage the warp-threads and to press them away from the needle-bed to draw off lengths of thread, prior to the formation of a needle loop substantially equal in length to that to be subsequently drawn by the needle into a knitted loop.

23. In or for a knitting machine, warp-thread feeding means comprising in combination warpthread feeders, means to move each feeder to wrap its thread round an associated needle, a thread-drawing device to draw off a length of thread to be wrapped round the needle under guidance of the feeder whereby the amount of warp-thread thereby supplied for wrapping is under control, and another draw-off device operative subsequently to Wrapping to draw off, prior to the formation of a needle loop, a length of warp-thread substantially equal in length to that to be subsequently drawn by the needle into a knitted loop.

HENRY HAROLD HOLMES. ROBERT HAROLD ROBINSON.

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