US2397221A - Take-up mechanism for knitting machines - Google Patents

Description

March 9 A. THEOBALT 2,397,221

TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed July 21 1945 JIQEJ 5 I INVENTOR. I

1% WWW,

Patented Mar. 2a, 1946 Arthur Theobalt, Laurelton, N. Y. Application July 21,1945, Serial No. 808,307 1 Claim. (Cl. 66-149) This invention relates to improvements in take up mechanisms for knitting machines. The ob- Ject of the invention is to provide improved supporting means for the friction driven roller of such mechanism. The specific objects of the invention, its novel features and the advantages of the improvements disclosed herein will be best understood from the following specification read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a side view of a embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view with parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one end of the friction driven roller.

Fig. 4. is a view illustrating the novel features and the advantages of the invention.

The operation and purpose of a take up mechanism in a knitting machine is known in the art. As the knitted fabric comes from the knitting needles it is passed through the take up mechanism which exerts a steady pull on the finished fabric and conveys it out of the machine. It is therefore important that there be no obstructing elements in the take up which may cause uneven operation or backing up or bunching of the fabric thereby injuring the same. The invention disclosed herein prevents any binding or undesirable friction in the running of the take up roller and eliminates damage which frequently occurs due to the manner in which. the friction driven roller is supported in prior devices.

Referring to Figure 1 the numeral 5 indicates the power driven take up roller. This is a knurled roller which may be driven by a well known form of gear and pawl device as indicated at 6. The knitted fabric 1 comes down from the knitting needles, not shown, passes around the roller 5 and then over the take up roller 8 which is another knurled roller driven frictionally from the roller 5. The two rollers pull the fabric between take up mechanism them and convey it out from the machine as is well known.

The take up roller 8 is supported in two arms 9, 8 which are pivoted on and rest upon a transverse bar Ill which is a regular part of the knitting machine. The roller 8 is held against the roller 5 by a transverse shaft l2 supported in the ends of the arms 9 as shown. All parts of a knitting machine vibrate during the operation and in order to avoid binding or friction between the arms 8 and the roller shaft, the arms are individually a counterweight H which is hung oni and its support in the The shaft i2 is also loosely supported in the arms 9.

Heretofore it has been the practice to support the roller 8 in the arms 8 by means of studs extending from the ends of the roller or by having the central shaft to which the roller is secured and withwhich it rotates extend beyond the ends of the roller and through bearings or apertures in the ends of the arms 9. When therefore the arms 9, because of the vibration accompanying the operation of the machine, moved unevenly, the bearing ends of the arms which supported the roller shaft would become out of alinement and, perhaps angularly inclined towards each other. In such positions of the arms,

the roller shaft would be caught'in its bearing v supports and no longer be able to run true and free in cooperation withthe power driven roller.

In accordance with this invention the friction roller 8 is mounted to rotate upon the roller shaft and not in the supporting arms 9. Hence any binding or friction between the ends of the shaft arms to the roller which continues to rotate evenly in contact with the roller 5. Hence any backing up or bunching of the fabric is avoided and damage eliminated.

With this object in view the knurled roller 8 is constructed as shown in Figure 3 and preferably comprises a metal inner tube It with an outer friction cover tube it. The roller shaft i6 is supported directly in the arms ii and is prevented from rotating therein by being flattened, for example, as shown at H so as to rest in the bearings 88 in the arms shaft in non-rotatable hung on the bar Ill and loosely supported thereon.

relation; The take up roller 8 rotates freely upon the shaft it through ball bearings 20, 20 in a well known manner. During the operation of the knitting machine the arms 9 are free to tip individually upon the bar Ill and also have freelateral movements. This is necessary in order to avoid stiffness in the take up mechanism. However, binding and undesirable friction occurs anyway because with prior, devices the ends of the roller shaft would all too frequently be caught in its supporting hearings in the ends of the arms 8. With the improvement disclosed herein the friction roller will run free on the shaft 18 even through the latter should become tilted and caught, frictionally, in the arms 9.

The take up roller 8 rotates at all times freely upon its shaft it in response to the friction from the roller 5 and its rotation is not disadvanta- 9 is not transferred geously aflected by any friction or binding mo a power driven roller, a second tubular take up roller rotated by frictional engagementwith the power driven roller, said rollers being, adapted to take up the knitted fabric from the knitting machine, means for supporting said tubular second take up roller-comprising a med bar, a pair of ment between the shaft l8 and the arms 9. The;

disclosed device is in actual operation in knitarms pivoted on said bar intermediate the ends oi the arms,. a-shatt supported in the ends 01 said arms, means preventing rotation 01 said shalt in said arms, ball hearings on said shaft for supporting the roller on the shaft in freely rotating relation thereon, said tubular take up roller encasing the said shaft and a counterweight supported in the opposite ends of the said arms for maintaining said tubular second take up roller in constant driving engagement with thesaid power driven roller to be rotated thereby.

Y ARTHUR THEOBALT.

said tubular second take up

Images