US2446204A - Pneumatically operated mending device - Google Patents

Description

- 1948. M. vrroux PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED MENDING DEVICE Filed Nov. 20, 1946 INVENTOR. MA ECEL V/ roux 4 A TTOQNE Y5 Patented Aug. 3, 1948 ENT OFFICE rNEUMA'rIcALLY OPERATED 'MENDING nnvrcn Marcel Vitoux, Paris, France, assignor to American Vitos Company, Inc, New York, N. Y., a corporation oi New York Application November 20, 1946, Serial No. 711,166 r This invention relates to devices for mending rocating piston to which the mending or knitting needle is attached.

The invention relates more particularly to such devices wherein the piston is actuated in one direction by the impingement of blasts of compressed air and returned in the opposite direction by the action of a coiled compression and expansion spring placed between the bottom of the piston and a seat in the cylinder.

It has been found that in some cases this compression spring causes breakdowns in the device. It should be rememberedthat the spring is subjected to alternating compressions and expansions at the rate of from 2000 to 2 500 per minute. These rapid oscillations give rise to torsional stresses which when transmitted to the piston by the spring coil in contact with said piston, tend to rotate same about its axis and thus cause a binding or jamming of the needle in the guide bushing through which it passes. At any rate, an abnormal amount of friction is created between the said needle and bushing.

It is therefore one object of the present inven tion to obviate this undesirable feature by the introduction or interposition of a rotatable meme ber between the piston and the spring coil in contact therewith to relieve said piston of any rotating tendencies.

Another object of the invention is to provide or interpose such a rotatable member at either or both ends of the spring. 1

A further object of the invention is to so form the rotatable member which contacts the piston as to adapt same to collect and then deflect towards the cylinder wallsany of the lubricant which may drop therein.

Another object is to produce a deviceof the character described in whichthe maximum simplicity of construction and operation is secured.

Other objects and advantages will appear'as the nature of the improvements is better understood, the invention consisting substantially in the novel arrangement and co-relation of parts herein fully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters are used to denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, and then finally pointed out and specifically defined in the appended claims.

The disclosure made the basis of exemplifying the present inventive concept, suggests a pracf 6 Claims. (01. 6.61.5)

tical embodiment thereof, but the invention is not to be restricted to the exact details of this disclosure and the latter, therefore, is to be understood from an illustrative rather than a restricwtive standpoint; 3

.In carrying out the objects of the invention, it was found desirable to provide a mending device comprising a cylinder having a needle carrying piston slidably mounted therein and operated in one direction by the impingement of compressed air thereon, and returned by, a, coiled spring exerting a tension in the opposite direction,. the said spring contacting at at least one end thereof a member rotatable about the axis of the piston so as to take up any rotating tendencies caused by the torsion of the spring.

. The invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description. and accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a mending device made in accordance with the present invention; l

Figure 2 is a fragmental sectional view showing at an enlarged scale, thedetails of the rotative member or plug.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 1; t

Figure 4 is a detail view of a modified form of the invention; and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a still further modified form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, th numeral It! indicates the cylinder of the mending device H which is provided at its upper end with a holding or handle portion l2. Screw threadedly secured to the upper open end of the cylinder IQ and within the handle 12 is :a nozzle 23 which is adapted to be connected to the source of compressed air by means of a tube or hose not shown.

Slidably mounted in the cylinder l0 below and concentric with the nozzle 13 is a, leather cupped piston M resting upon and secured to a disk plate 25 by means of a stud 16, the head I! of which is provided with a flange l8 for tightly clamping the piston I4 againstthe disk l5. A felt packing washer I9 is supported on the stud l6 bears against the inner surface of the cylinder l0 and acts to prevent downward leakage of lubricating liquid usually contained within the cylinder above the piston. The stud I6 is provided at the bottom thereof with a reduced portion 20 having a central internally threaded opening 2| for the reception of the externally threaded upper end of a needle 22.

Up to the present time the piston after being depressed by the impingement of compressed air thereagainst was returned to upper position by means of a helical compression spring 23 whose upper end was in direct engagement with the lower surface of the piston or element forming a partof said piston. Due to the rapid oscillations of the piston a torsion developed in the said spring and tended to rotate the piston about its longitudinal axis, said tendency being transmitted to the needle 22 causing same to bind against the sides of the guiding slot or opening 24 in a bushing 25 at the bottom of the cylinder In.

In the present invention this rotating tendency may be obviated by means of a socket 26 provided with a circular flange or base 21 against which the first or uppermost coil presses, the bottom coil of the spring being seated against a shoulder 28 in the cylinder. The said socket 26 is pro- Vided with clearance openings 29 and 30 which clear the needle 22 and stud portion 2!] so that any tendency of the socket to rotate about the axis of the piston will not be transmitted thereto. A shock absorbing'spring 31 is provided between the piston and bottom of the nozzle l3.

If desirable a washer 32 with a central hole 33 of sufiicient diameter to clear the shank of the needle 22 may be placed upon the shoulder 28 under'the lowermost coil of the spring 23 (seeFig. 4). This Washer 32 may be used alone or in conjunction with the socket 26 for affecting anti rotatingtendency of the piston and needle carried thereby.

In 'Figure 5 there is shown a modified form of the invention wherein the rotatable socket is formed with a collecting pan 35 for collecting any drops of oilfrom the piston and deflect them towards the inner walls of the cylinder from which they trickle down to be absorbed by the absorbent collar or sleeve 36 on the bushing 25. It is to be understood that in operation the device is held in a slanting or inclined position, due to which any oilin the pan 35 will be deflected toward the inner bore, surface or wall of'the cylinder.

, What is claimed is: r

1. In a pneumatically operated mending device, having a cylinder provided at one end thereof with a compressed air inlet nozzle, an oscillatable piston below said inlet nozzle slidably mounted in said cylinder a guiding bushing atthe opposite end of the cylinder, a needle carried by the piston and extending through said bushing outwardly of the cylinder, the said piston and needle being slid in one direction by the impingement of compressed air on said piston, a spring exerting a pressure against the piston .to slide same in the opposite direction, and r- ,tary means coaxial with the piston interposed between the spring and piston for taking up any torsional stresses of the spring, so as to prevent any binding between the needle and bushing.

2. In a pneumatically operated mending devicecomprising a cylinder and a rapidly oscillatable piston within said cylinder, a spring, the said piston being operable in one direction by compressed air and in the opposite direction by said spring exerting a force thereagainst, a bushing in the cylinder coaxial with the piston a needle carried by the piston and extending through said bushing outwardly of the cylinder,

and rotary means coaxial with the piston interpos'ed between sameand the spring'for taking up any torsional stresses of the spring and preventing any binding between the needle and bushing.

3. A pneumatically operated mending device comprising a cylinder, a nozzle on said cylinder for connecting same to a source of compressed air, a rapidly oscillatable piston in said cylinder operated in one direction by the compressed air entering through said nozzle, a spring for operating the piston in the opposite direction, a stud passing coaxially through said piston, a bushing in the cylinder below the piston coaxial with the stud, a needle secured to said stud passing outwardly of the cylinder through said bushing, and a rotatable socket having an opening larger than and coaxial with the stud interposed between the piston and spring for taking up any torsional stress of the spring and preventing frictional contact between the needle and bushing.

4. A pneumatically operated mending device comprising a cylinder, anozzleon said cylinder for connecting same to a source of compressed air, a rapidly oscillatable piston in said cylinder operated in one direction by the compressed air entering through said nozzle, a spring for oper ating the piston in the opposite direction, a bushing in the cylinder below the piston having an opening coaxial with the piston, a needle carried by the piston passing outwardly of the cylinder through the bushing opening, an internal shoulder in said cylinder below the piston against which and the bottom of the piston the said spring exerts a pressure, and rotatable means interposed at one end of said spring for taking up any torsional stress of the spring and preventing frictional contact between the needle and bushing. I I

5. A pneumatically operated mending device comprising a cylinder, a nozzle on said cylinder for connecting same to a source of compressed air, a rapidly oscillatable piston in said cylinder operated in one direction by the compressed air entering through said nozzle, a spring for operating the piston in the opposite direction, a bushing in the cylinder below the piston having an opening coaxial with the piston, a needle carried by the piston passing outwardly of the cylinder through the bushing opening, an internal shoulder in said cylinderbelow the piston against which and the bottom'of the'piston the said spring exerts a pressure, and rotatable means interposed between the spring and shoulder for taking up any torsional stress of the 60 spring and preventing frictional contact between the needle and bushing. I l

6. A device according to claim 3 wherein the cylinder contains a lubricant above the piston and means'on the socket for deflecting any of said lubricant which may drop thereon toward the inner walls of the cylinder.

' MARCEL VITOUX.

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