US2664723A - Circular multifeed hosiery knitting machine - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 5, 1954 J. J. M DONOUGH CIRCULAR MULTIFEED HOSI Filed Sept. 8, 1951 ERY KNITTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOHN J. Mc DONOUGH Ticl. E.

HIS ATTORNEYS Jan. 5, 1954 J. J. M DONOUGH CIRCULAR MULTIFEED HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 8, 1951 IN VEN TOR.

JOHN J. Mc DONOUGH MQMMM HIS HTTOPN EYS Jan. 5, 1954 J. J. M DONOUGH CIRCULAR MULTIFEED HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 8, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 JNVENTOR. JOHN J. Mo DONOUGH HIS ATTORNEYS Jan. 5, 1954 J. J. M DONOUGH I 2,664,723

CIRCULAR MULTIFEED HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 8, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. JOHN J Mc DONOUGH HlS QTTO RN EYS Patented Jan. 5, 1954 uurrso stares gash ATENT OFFICE CIRCULAR MULTIFEED HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINE Application September 8, 1951, Serial No. 245,719

13 Claims.

This invention relates to circular multi-feed hosiery knitting machines having independent needles and adapted to narrow and Widen the fabric while knitting multi-ieed reciprocatorily. lhe invention relate more particularly to coordination of the needle and cooperating elements at the feed or feeds following the leading feed, to produce improved fabric while narrowing or widening multi-feed in a reciprocatory manner.

Ithas been found that when making heels and toes of circular knit stockings by knitting multifeed in a reciprocatory manner, diiiiculties arise in incorporating the yarnin, the fabric. For example, if a two-feed machine is properly adjusted and making uniform fabric in the leg of the stocking, experience shows that the machine may not continue to make uniform-size stitches during heel and toe reciprocatory two-feed knitting. Sometimes a washboard effect occurs in the heel or toe under these conditions in spite of the fact that the machine may have knit a perfect leg or foot fabric. In addition, the cooperation of needles and associated elements may cause trouble at the second feed to knit when reciproeating in the making of heel and toe orlike fabric. I refer here to the fact that the yarn from the first feed may get caught under the sinker nebs at the second feed and be fractured. These troubles in multi-feed, reciprocatory knitting are cured by my invention.

It is characteristic of my invention that the yarns are so manipulated by the needles and sinkers near the second feed during reciprocatory knitting that the difiiculties are avoided. Thus, I have found that a more even heel and toe fabric is obtained if the stitch cam at the second feed in. the run-down or rotary direction is given an independent different adjustment during reciprocatory knitting. I have also found that the breaking of the yarn from the first feed during reciprccatory knitting due to being caught in the sinkers at the next knitting point can be avoided by special adjustment of the center sinker cam and the use of a special needle.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view from the right rear of pertinent parts of a two-feed, circular, independent needle hosiery knitting machine made in accordance with my invention, showing some of the parts at the trailing yarn feed.

Fig. 2 is a partial diagrammatic view of the principle of the action of the last active'needle and the first idle needle as they are passing the second throat plate on a run-down stroke in reciprocatcry knitting, in side elevation from the left side as they appear in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a developed view at the second feed of my machine from the outside showing how the yarns from the first feed are saved from being caught under the nebs of sinkers adjacent idle needles when passing the second feed on a rundown stroke in reciprocatory knitting.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of part of the sinker cam ring of a machine in accordance with Fig. 1, the upper face of the plate being shown broken away at the left of the figure.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, taken from the bottom of the sinker cam cap, with the sinker center cam itself omitted at the feed point at the right of the figure.

V Fig. 6 is a detailed view in elevation looking radially outward on the line 6$ of Fig. 4, showing the adjustable mounting of the sinker cam.

Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of a needle with a widened shank such as used in the preceding figures.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 of an alternate form of needle with a widened shank also suitable for use in a machine made in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 9 is a developed view in elevation of the two throat plates and yarns seen from the outside of the machine while the machine is knitting in the run-down direction.

The example of the invention shown in the drawings is a two-feed embodiment of the wellknown Model K Scott & William revolving needle cylinder machine adapted to make ladies stockings with automatic inturned Welt. (See U. S. patent to Robert W. Scott No. 1,282,958,.dated October 29, 1918, for the basic single-feed Model K construction or the Robert W. Scott U. S. Patent1,148,055, dated July 2'7, 1915.) The machine is adapted to make a selvedge start-up from the bare needles.multi-feed, to make an automatic inturned welt multi-feed and also to knit multifeed in both rotary and reciprocatory movements in the making of a stocking. The general con struction of the machine shown and described herein is the same as in my U. S. patent application entitled Circular Multi-Feed Hosiery Knittingv Machine and Method of Operating Same, filed April 26, 1948, Ser. No. 23,284, now Patent No. 2,576,962, dated December 4, 1951. The machinecontains independent latch needles moving vertically in the needle cylinder 26!! of the above cited patents and of this application.

The basic parts of the machine are unchanged from the above-mentioned Scott & Williams Model K machine, the needle cylinder 265 rotating and reciprocating inside the cam ring Z'll There are independent latch needles N moved vertically by stitch cams, etc., acting on the butts of the needles (see Fig. 1). While I have shown latch needles, my invention is also applicable to bearded independent needles. The cam ring and needle cylinder are supported in the upper bedplate B and are driven fromrstandardldriving parts. As heretofore, the machine is under the general control of a pattern chain which in turn controls a pawl that operates a main pattern dru-m I26 (see Fig. 1). On the surface of the main pattern drum are drum cams; such-'ior-"example as those marked 582, 503, 594, whose indications are transmitted bymeansof the-usual thrust bars 450 to the region of theupperbedplate. Thence the indications are distributed around the needle cylinder and cam ring to cause the necessary changes in manipulations of the knitting elements of the machine. The usual circle of webholding sinkersS is carried on the upper end oi the needle cylinder, the sinkers being radially movable independently of each other. Theseradial movements'ar'e giventothe sinker butts w by a cam path 25 on the insi'de'of the sinker cam cap 360 (see Figs. 4 and5). Each sinker hasthe usual. web 20 for holding the fabric down when a needle is rising throughthe stitch. The yarns are shown fed to the needles by pairs of pivoted'yarn fingersFL FL FR FR located in two throat plates 560, 56L

It should be understood .that while I'will show and describe my invention embodied in a machine having-only two feeds, the invention is equally applicable to a machine having ,a greater number of-feeds or knittingpoints. In Inulti-feed hosiery machines of the type disclosed in this application there is one less throat-plate than there are stitch cams but-there are twice as many stitch-drawingsurfaces as there are throat plates. Thus in the example shown in the drawings there is a so-cal1ed righthand stitch cam 36l which actsas a clearing. cam when the knitting is proceeding in a rotary direction and provides a stitch-drawing surface for the second feed when the machine is running in the reverse direction. When the machine is turning in the rotaryor run-down directionthe needles are moving from left to right as they appear in Fig. 3. There is a corresponding left-hand stitch cam 36!] which provides a stitch-drawing surface for the second feed of the machine .whenthemachine is turning in the rotary or run-down direction. It alsoserves toelear the needles beforethe first feed when the=machine is runningv in a reverse direction. In betweenthese two cams I provide an intermediate or double center stitch cam 50, i. e., one stitch-drawing surface foreach direction of movement. The two surfaces on this cam slope downwardly toward each other, the two slopes 5|. 52 each constituting stitch-drawing surface. In the example shown these-faces happen'to be in fixed radial relation to eachother, though this is in nowayessentialto the present invention. I also provide two raise cams 352,.353 atthe bottom of this double center cam.5llone on each side of it. Onefunction of these raise cams is to assist .in clearing needles-which have been drawncdown by eitherithe stitch-drawing surface 5! or thestitch-drawingsurface 52.

It will be seen that .when the machine is running inthe rotary or run-down direction the stitch-drawing surface forthe first feed, 1. e., the oneicdby yarns comingfrom the .throat plate 56!, .is the left-hand surface 52 on the double center cam, asshownin the drawings. When turning in this direction'the stitches forthe sec- 4 0nd feed are made of yarns from yarn fingers FL and FL in the left-hand throat plate 565! and the stitches are drawn at the left-hand stitch cam 35!]. The left-hand stitch cam is drawing stitches only when the machine is turning in the run-down direction. W hen-themachine is turning in the'reverse direction during reciprocation, the yarns from the left-hand throat plate 580 are drawn into stitches on the right surface 5| of the double center cam to form the first course and the second course-is made when yarns coming from yarn fingers PR and FR in the right-hand throat plate-56] are-taken by needles N descending'the' stitch-drawing surface of the right-hand stitch cam 36!.

The left-hand stitch cam 36!] is so mounted on the-cam ring- 27i that it can be raised or loweredv to 'change the length of stitch which it draws. This is the stitch-drawing surface at the secondlinitting point in the rotary or run-down direction;

I 'have'found that the 'adjustmentpfthis lefthand'istitch cam 350 is extremely important. It is very difficult in knitting heels and toes by multi-feed knitting on circular machinery to avoid what areknown aswashboard effects. I have discovered that in a multi-feed machine knitting reciprocatorilyto .make aheel and toe by narrowing and widening; if this trailing or second stitchcam in the run-down direction is given asli'ghtly different adjustment, the washboard effects are reduced or avoided.

In this 'example'the special adjustment at the second "feed'stitch cam inthe run-down direction during reciprocatory" knitting involves a slight shortening ofthe stitch and is so shown. However, it is sometime possible also to avoid the washboard effects by slightly lengthening the stitches .at this cam during multi-feed'.recipro cation.

I also use this stitch cama'djustment to give other adjustments beside the one'to'avoid washboard effects in the heel and toe. Thus after the makeup this stitch cam? is usually lowered while making the welt'so that every other course in theweltwill' be loose. This makes itpossible to produce a looser welt with less noticeable distortions. In addition, the adjustab-ility of this stitch cam-can be used "to make a loopers loose course following completion of the toe.

The control 'means for this adjustment will be describedn'ext.

These control'meansare'of such a nature that the sizes of the stitches can be adjusted independently for rotary. and 'reciprocatory knitting. The'significant'element of the control mechanism is a series-of plates'or disksl, 2, 3, fastened together and 'rocked'abouta coaxial pivot point 5 under control of the four cams'fiill, 5522, 58 i, 554 on the main pattern drum I26. These assembled disks 'forma meansconsisting of a series of cut-awayv cam path's,.each. path having a single high point. The remainder of the periphery of each disk is lowerthan'thehighpoint of the other disks. The high points of the various disks areso located that whenthe disks are assembled together coaxia'lly as by means of screws (5 passing through theentiregroup, the high points on the adjacent'disks can come at different points or positions on the'circumierenoe of the assembly. This cut-away. means is rocked about its coaxial centerthrough connections from the main pattern drum I20. For this purpose I provide a thrust bar 46!] extending upwardlyfrom the pattern drum; The thrust bar is actuated by the cams 56!, 502,503,554, all of which are located on a single path on the drum. This bar has a pin 7 extending laterally from it near the level of the upper bedplate B. This pin is engaged by the forked end of an extension 3 of a bell crank lever 9 pivotally mounted on a bracket it on the edge of the bedplate. The other arm of this bell crank lever is attached to the cut-away cam means by an adjustable bar ll linked to a dc pending ear E2 on one of the disks. There is a tension spring l3 connecting the end of the bell crank lever and a fixed post i l supporting the upper bedplate B on the machine. This tension spring tends to keep the thrust bar 458 down in contact with the surface of the pattern drum. The thrust bar is able to reach this position when the cut-away means is rocked toward the left as it appears in Fig. l.

The heights of the drum earns 59!, 532, etc. are such with relation to the dimensions of the parts just described that as the thrust rod rises onto a drum cam the cut away means is rocked far enough to bring a new high point on the cam disk series into operative relation with the stitch cam by the elements now to be described.

On the left-hand stitch cam 33? is a pin l5 extending laterally radially outward. This pin is engaged by a forked arm It pivoted in a horizontal shaft ll mounted on top of the upper bedplate. This shaft extends from the stitch cam to the outer edge of the bedplate where it carries a lever arm l3 overlying the cutaway cam disks l, 2, 3, 4. Four screws l9, 2%, 2i, through the arm and down into the paths of the high points 23 on the disks l, 2, 3, 4. The screws are mounted in such positions and at such angles that each screw lies in the path of a different cam disk and, if desired, at a different circumferential point over the cam means. By adjusting one of these screws the length of stitch drawn by the left-hand stitch earn 366 is adjustable independently of the stitch length adjustment corresponding to the high point on any other disk. The adjustable screws in the arm leading to the left-hand stitch cam 388 and the high points are so located that each screw contacts its high point when the other high points are out of contact with their screws. It therefore follows not only that the different heights of cams on the drum will cause difierent lengths of movement of the stitch cam 368 but the amount of movement of the stitch cam will be determined by the screw associated with the disk, rather than with the height of the drum cam. In the drawings the drum cams shown are as follows. For the toe and heel there are no earns, the thrust bar resting on the surface of the drum. A low cam 59! is used for the foot and another low cam 592 of the same height for the leg. An intermediate high cam 5 33 is used for the welt and garter top of the stocking and a high cam Silt is used to provide slack stitches to make it easy for the toe of the stocking to be put on the looping machine. The drum and cam heights could be arranged otherwise to give any desired order of drum selection.

The most important aspect of the mechanism just described is the independent adjustability of the position of the stitch cam for the reciprocatorily knit parts of the stocking to reduce or remove the washboard effect. As is customary in circular independent needle hosiery knitting niachines or the present day, the main pattern drum also controls the shift of the machine from rotary to reciprocatory knitting, and vice versa.

6 It will be obvious that the means which I have described make it possible to give the trailing yarn fed in only the run-down direction a special stitch length adjustment during reciprocatory knitting and to return that cam to its regular adjustment when the machine returns to rotary knitting. I have found that this is the way in which the washboard effect in the heels and toes of circular knit hosiery can be reduced or avoided. In single-feed machines it has heretofore been known when retracting sinkers at a knitting point for yarn feeding purposes to returnthe sinkers to their radially inward position at a slow rate in order to ensure that the yarns will have plenty of time to get above the sinkers at the first idle needle. Because the yarns are fed from. a single throat plate on a single-feed machine and the yarns come off the corner of the throat plate where the sinkers are starting to come in again, the sinkers are normally allowed to come out at the middle of the center knitting cam so far that their nebs are considerably beyond the shanks of the needles. However, I have discovered that unless some special provision is made to prevent it, the yarns that were knit at the first knitting point on a multi-feeed machine will fall below the nebs of the sinkers at the second knitting point if the nebs are pulled out beyond the shanks of the needles. During reciprocatory knitting in the heels and toes of circular knit hosiery only certain needles are active and the group is either being reduced during narrowing or added to during widening. Owing to the necessary length of the oscillation or throw of the needle cylinder to carry all the active needles beyond the stitch cams, the length of the yarn lying from the last needle to knit to the throat plate of the first feed of the machine is quite long and on multi-feed machines the yarn is held at a low angle. Because of this low angle there is danger of this yarn from the first feed being caught under the nebs of the sinkers at the second feed. At this point, i. e., the second feed, the sinkers are retracted to allow the yarn at the second feed to be fed to the needles. If a yarn from the first feed gets trapped under the neb of a sinker at the second feed at the end of either stroke of the machine, it is liable to be cut or fractured. I have devised a simple coordination of the standard parts of this circular knitting machine which avoids all this diificulty without introducing the necessity for any additional parts.

To avoid this risk of yarns being fractured, I have shaped and coordinated the standard needle and cooperating elements as follows: Inthe first place, I use in the machine a known type of independent latch needle which has different widths when viewed in side elevation. In the needle shown in Fig. 7, beginning a short distance below the latch when opened, the shank is widened out at 24 on the hook side to a thickness in the plane of the hook approximately equal to the narrower portion opposite the latch plus the space occupied by the latch when fully open. The hook side is the edge of the needle facing the sinker nebs. In the needle shown in this figure the shank of the needle opposite the latch, plus the space 00- cupied by the latch when fully open may, for example, be equal to .085". A short distance below the end of the latch when thus opened, the shank would then have a shoulder 40 which widens it out from .027 to a total thickness of .041". It will be noted that at this point the width of the needle about equals the Width of the needle above it plus the latch. The needle ageeewea continues. this width downwardly for a considerable distanceuntil.the'shank is thickenedagain to....055.., which width it maintains: until "just above the butt. The first'described wideningbeyond the latch-is taken. advantage-of according to my invention; Whenactiveneedles are receiving yarn they are solow that the incoming yarn. approaches the-needle above the shoulder 40 at the top of this thickened portion. I have discovered that'while yarnsatthe second feed can get into theihooks of the needles and be caught in:the;throats of "the sinkers under the'nebs'becausethey are opposite the narrowest portion of theiush'ank Iofthe active needle, it is possible to prevent the 'idleyarn from: the first feed getting caught belowthe nebs oi the idle needles. 'I have noticed'thatwhen an'idle needle passes a throat plate and knitting point, the thickened portion 24 issoppositetthe nebs of 'the'adjacent sinkers. I limit :the retraction of the sinkers to a point where the-nebs do 'notclear the circle formed by the'lthicken'ed portions of the shanks of the idle needles. The nebs of the sinkers are pulled out nearly'even with the circle formed bythethick- 'enedportion'of theneedle. They do not clear and they can have a slight overlap. At no time should they bebeyond this circle formed by-the thickenediportion of the shanks of the idle needles. I have then found that after feeding to the last activemeedle the ryarns from the first feed can be laidcon top f the nebs of the sinkers-and subsequently will'xnot fall down-into the throats of the sinkers 'at the second knitting point if thepoints of the sinker-nebs 201 are not withdrawn beyond the circle 'formed' by-the thickened part '24 of the needle at thesecond knitting-point. In this way the 'yarnf th'aflwas knitting at the first knitting point'carmot get below the nebs of "the sinkers at thesecond.knittingpoint'and the liability to fracture-is eliminated:- However, at the-active needles the secon'd feed yarn" gets under the nebs as usual.

The-position ofthe first feed yarn from yarn finger FR 'o'r FR. in the first throat plate 55! as the 'last active needle and the first idle needle pass the second throat'pleuae 56!] is seen in Figs. 2'and 3: "Theneedl'esiin Fig. 3 are moving'from left to right iandall parts other than yarnfrom' the first throat plate-561 second throat plate, needles and sinkersareomitted; The movement of the needles'in tliisfigure 'is in the forwarder rotary direction;

The 'sinkercam cap 300'which gives the sinkers theiriradi'al movements is' shown in detail in Figs. 4525 and'fi. I have shownthe part of'the cap whichwcorresponds' to the two knitting points. Thesinkeributts 211 move in an enclosed path25 (Figz' e). The center cams for'retracting the 'sinkers radially atthe twofeeds to permit introduction' of the new yarn in thethroat and below the sinker nebs w of thesinkers are indi- *cated*generally by thereference characters 26 andfZT; These-cams are radially adjustable and onQefiXedin proper position arenot disturbed during knitting. In distinction to prior practice thiscam is so set that when a needle is in itsidle position the neb of-thesinker does not clear the 'circle'formedb'y the widened portion 24 of the the-nebsfof the-sinkers as they are;withd-rawn at the second knitting'point. If thissyarn were to fall below the nebs-of the sinkersand get into the throats w of the. sinkers at the second knitting point, it isliable to be fractured. By pulling the sinkers out till their-noses or nebs are nearly even with the circle'formed by the widened portion-24 of the needles, this difi'iculty is avoided. However, the yarn at the second knitting point is able to feed-below the nebs of the sinkers associated with the active needles.

As can be seen in Fig 6, thenew sinker center cam islocked underneath the sinker cam cap 300 by a-screw'28 passing through a slot 29 from the top' of the cap. The slot enables the cam to be given its radial adjustment. To keep the cam facing in true radial position, two long openended radial slots 30-are-cut in the cap 300one on each side of the screw slot '29. On the upper face of the cam are 'two upstanding radial ribs 3 which'fit in-close sliding contact against one edge of ea'ch long slot 3! The sliding contact is with the inner lon slot edges, 1. e., the edges toward the center of the cam. There is no contact between the outer edges of the long slots and the outer radial edges ofthe ribs 3| on the cam (see Fig. 6). The lower part of the cam has ears 32 extending circumferentially of the cap under notched ends of the adjacent inner sinker guide cams 33. As can be seen from the drawings, there is vertical contact between the ears-32 and the guide cams 33. However, no vertical circumferential outer edge of anypart of the cam is in contact with the guide cams and therefore the circumferential position of the center cam is determined wholly by the single face sliding contact of the cam oneach long slot '38. The center cam is bevelled at 34' at each end on its radially outward face to retract the sinkers and presents a circumferentially even facebetween these bevels.

I provide side cams 35, 36 for'pushing the sinkers back in for casting off the stitches. Since, of course, these cams must operate during reciprocatory knitting aswell as during, rotary knitting,'I provide-an insertion of especially hard material on the bevelled edge 31 on each side of each center cam. These are part of the two piece double-ended side cam 36 betweenthe two center cams. These side cams are adjustably mounted at points 38 intermediate their ends in order that their bevelled edges may be adjusted to givethe exactinward movement desired'for the sinkers after the latter have been'retracted. I locate eccentric buttons39 at the other end of the cam from the adjustable screws 38 inorder to give complete adjustability to these side cams, so far as relief is concerned. The double-ended side cam 36 is in two pieces, one eccentric button 39 serving to adjust the ends furtherest removed from the bevelled edge 31 for relief of the sinkers and there being a separate adjusting screw 38 individual to each piece on either side of the middle button to adjust the bevelled edge 31 the right depth for moving the sinkers inward. It will be recognized that this sinker cam cap oscillates during reciprocatory knitting, as occurred in prior machines, such as in my above-mentioned Patent No. 2,576,962. In order to orient thereader I therefore state that the cast-off point 4| of the sinker cam 35 will be'positioned during rotary knitting a space equal to a few needles to the right of the lowest point of stitch cam 360 as viewed in Fig. 1. This will be a few needles beyond the lowest point of the stitch cam.

I provide the usual means for raising needles progressivelyto idle level during reciprocatory knitting. These may be similar to those shown in my said Patent No. 2,576,962 and in the Scott Patent 1,282,958, above referred to. In Fig. 1 of the present application I have shown two lifter or narrowing picks 653, the one at the right being dotted merely to avoid obscuring the controls for the left stitch cam 36!).

The coordination of sinker and needle movements above described also avoids difficulty in instances of multi-feed reciprocatory knitting where two or more needles are lifted out of action simultaneously at the same feed. This twoneedle narrowing in multi-feed reciprocatcry knitting produces what are termed tie-across yarns. For a more detailed disclosure of tieacross yarns, reference is made to my said Patent No. 2,576,962. According to the present invention the tie-across yarns are prevented simply and easily from getting into the throats of the r the active group are raised to idle position before they pass through the knitting cams. The yarns are already above the sinkers at the end idle needle. As the two or more leading active needles are added to the idle needles, the yarns turn over on the tops of the nebs of the sinkers at the added idle needles. The yarns are not allowed to drop down into the throats of the sinkers when the first active needle takes yarn, due to the fact that the nebs of the sinkers at the added idle needles are in line with the widened shanks of the idle needles. Therefore the yarns are not allowed to slip below the nebs of those sinkers as the first stitch is drawn.

In Fig. 8 I have shown an alternate form of latch needle N which can be used in my machine to give the new coordination. This alternate form produces the necessary wide portion in the shank of the needle in the plane of the hook opposite the neb when the needle is elevated to idle position by means of a bent shank 42 rather than a generally thickened portion. The bend comes at the proper place to give the nebs a chance to cover the needle. It will be noted that whether I use the thickened needle N or the bent shank needle N I am using a needle heretofore known and that no special needle is required.

It will be seen that my invention for controlling the yarn at the knitting point of the second or following feeds in multi-feed knitting during reciprocatory knitting centers around the needles and their movements and the associated cooperating elements in such a manner that all the objects are achieved without the introduction of any additional parts. It will also be seen that the operation of the machine during rotary knitting and at the leading feed during reciprocatory knitting is not changed in any way, so that by the coordination of parts which I have invented, additional improved results are obtained not only without the addition of any other elements but also without interference with any functions or abilities already present in the machine.

What I claim is:

1. A circular hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit multi-feed on both rotary and reciprocatory knitting, having the following combination of needles and needle-cooperating elements: a circle of sinkers with nebs thereon, cams to withdraw the sinkers at each feed, a circle of independent needles with wide portions on the side of the shanks facing the sinker nebs and intercalated with the sinkers, means adapted to cause the needles to draw stitches at at least two feeds during reciprocatory knitting while keeping the wide portions of the needles below the sinker nebs, and other means to raise needles to idle position progressively, the dimensions and movements of the sinker cams, sinkers, needle cams and needles being so related that needles so elevated present their wide portions opposite the sinker nebs and the latter do not clear the circle formed by those portions of the idle needles but do clear the circle formed by the shank side of the hooks of the active needles, and adjusting means adapted to cause the stitch means to draw stitches of special length in the rotary direction at the last feed during reciprocatory knitting, whereby improved multi-feed, reciprocatorily knit fabric is produced.

2. A circular hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit multi-feed on both rotary and reciprocatory knitting, having a circle of independent latch needles, wide portions on the hook side of the shanks of said needles extending up to a point a short distance below, and further out than, the latch, sinkers with nebs thereon intercalated with the needles, cams to cause said needles to draw stitches at each feed during reciprocatory knitting and means to raise selected needles to an idle level where the wide portions of the needle shanks are opposite the nebs of the sinkers prior to the last feed in the rotary direction, in combination with cam means at the last feed in the rotary direction to withdraw the sinkers radially beyond the line of the back of the hooks but not clear of the circle formed by the wide portions of the shanks of the idle needles, and adjusting means adapted to cause the stitchdrawing cams to make the needles at that feed draw a special length of stitch when knittin in the rotary direction, whereby improved multifeed, reciprocatorily knit fabric is produced.

3. A circular hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit multi-feed on both rotary and reciprocatory knitting, having the following combination of needles and needle-cooperating elements: a circle of independent latch needles with thickened portions on the shanks, sinkers with nebs thereon intercalated with the needles, cams to withdraw the sinkers at each feed, means adapted to move the needles vertically to draw stitches at at least two feeds in reciprocatory knitting while keeping the thickened portions of the shanks below the sinker nebs, and selecting means to raise needles to idle position progressively, the dimensions and movements of the sinker cams, sinkers, needles cams and needles being so related that needles so selected present their thickened portions opposite the sinker nebs and the latter do not clear the circle formed by those portion at the last feed in the rotary direction, in combination with adjusting means adapted to cause said stitch means to draw stitches of special length in the rotary direction at the last feed during reciprocatory knitting only, whereby improved multi-feed reciprocatorily knit fabric is produced.

4. A circular hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit multi-feed on both rotary and reciprocatory knitting, having stitch-drawing surfaces and yarn feeding means at each feed, in combination with independent sinkers having nebs, independent needles having thickened shank portions which are opposite the nebs of the sinkers when the needles are raised to idle position and narrower portions which are opposite the nebs when Metres :1 1 the needles are in an active position, ands, cam at a non-leading feed when the machine'is knitting in a rotary direction adapted to retract the sinkers for feeding yarn to active needlesat that feed but at no time allowing the debs of the sinkers to clear the circle formed by the thickened shanks of idle needles raised out of action, whereby fracture of yarns is prevented during reciprocatory knitting.

5. A circular hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit multi-feed on reciprocatory knitting, having the following combination of needles and needle-cooperating elements: independent sinkers with nebs, camsto withdraw the sinkers at each feed, independent needles having shanks with wide portionsnormally belowwthe sinker nebs, stitch-drawing surfaces at each feed, means to progressively raise needles to idle level adapted to leave the wide portions-oppositethe sinker nebs, and a sinker retracting cam at each feed, such cam at the second feed in the rotary direction retracting the nebs clearof the circle formed by the shanks of the-active needlesbut not. clear of the circle formed by-the-wide portionsof the idle needles, whereby fracture of the yarnfrom the preceding feed is avoided during reciprocatory knitting.

6. A circular hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit multi-feed on reciprocatory knitting, having the following combination of needles and needle-cooperating elements: independent sinkers with nebs-and cammeans adapted to move the sinkers radially, independent'needles intercalated with the sinkers,'cam means adapted to move the needles vertically to form stitches, narrowing and widening mechanism toimove needles progressively to and from anielevated idle level,

a plurality of the needles each havinga shank whose edge projects i different distances toward the sinker nebs at diiferent pointson the shank, the sinker cams, sinkers, needle cams andneedles being of such dimensions and so coordinated that at the second feed in a rundowndirection idle needles present opposite the sinker nebs, portions which project further toward the nebs than the portions presented to the nebsiby active needles, and the sinker nebs are retractedclear of the circle formed by the shanks :of the active needles but not far enough toi cleartheicircle-formed'by the edges of'theidle needles, whereby fracture of the yarn from the. preceding: feedsis avoided during reciprocatory knitting.

7. A circular independent needle hosiery knitting machine adapted toknitmulti-feed on both rotary and reciprocatory knitting,'having, stitchdrawingsurfaces for each feed, in combination with .rnechanism adapted to vary the. height :of the stitch-drawing surface at a' trailing feed in the rotary direction onreciprocatory knitting, said mechanism being independentlyadjustable for reciprocatory and. rotary knitting, whereby improved reciprocatorilyknit fabric-is produced.

3. A circular independent needle hosiery: knitting machine adapted to knit multi-feed on movements inboth the run-down and-reverse directions,stitch-drawing surfaces for ea'chof the feeds, a pattern drum, cams ofdifferent heights on the drum and meansactuated-by: the drums and camsadapted to, vary the height of the run-down stitch-drawing surfacezat a trailing feed during reciprocatory."knitting, "said means being independently adjustable for stitch length for different heights of drum cams, whereby said stitchedrawingsurface is independently adjustable for reciprocatory and rotary 12 knittingiand improved reciprocatorily knit. fabric is produced.

, 9. Acircular independent needle hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit multi-feedon both rotary and reciprocatory knitting, stitch-drawing surfaces for each of the feeds, a pattern drum, cams of different heights on the drum, a series of coaxial cut-away cam paths and a lever attached to a stitch-drawing surface at oneiof said feeds adapted to change the height of said surface, in combination with a series of adjustable screws in the lever each adapted to be engaged by the high point of a diiferent cam path, whereby each height of drum or cam causes a different screw to actuate the lever and the adjustment of the stitch-drawing surface can be changed independently.

10. A circular independent needle hosiery knitting machine according to claim 9 in which the series of cut-away cam paths is a set of disks arranged side by side, each having a single high point with the remainder of the periphery of the disk being below the high points of all the other disks, the drum cams being adapted to rock the disks from one position to another,

whereby each disk is effective on its screw for a separate drum selection.

11. A circular independent needle hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit multi-feed on both rotary and reciprocatory knitting, having stitch-drawing surfaces for the feeds, a pattern drum, cams on the drum, certain of said cams controlling the shifting of the machine to and from rotary and reciprocatory knitting, and means actuated by other of said *cams adapted to change the height of the stitch-drawing surface at the second feed in the rotary direction, whereby the length of stitch drawn at that feed can be changed when the machine shifts from rotary to reciprocatory knitting or vice versa and washboard effects in the reciprocatorily knit fabric are avoided.

12. A circular hosiery knitting machine having independent needles, a plurality of knitting feeds each having surfaces adapted to draw stitches for knitting in the run-down and in the reverse directions, the stitch-drawing surface in the rundown direction at the next to the leading feed being adjustable as to length of stitch, in combination with mechanism adapted to move this run-down cam to a level, when making reciprocato-rily knit fabric, different from that used at the preceding feed, whereby washboard effects in the reciprocatorily knitheel and toe fabric are avoided.

13. A circular hosiery knitting machine having independent needles, two knitting feeds and each having surfaces adapted to draw stitches for knitting in the run-down and in the reverse directions, the stitch-drawing surface at the second feed in the run-down direction being adjustable as to length of stitch, in combination with mechanism adapted to move this run-down cam to a leve1,-when making reciprocatcrily knit fabric, different from that used on the other feed or on either feedwhen making straight rotary work, whereby washboard effects inthe heel and toe fabric are, avoided.

JOHN J McDONOU-GH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,364,217 Houseman "Dec. 51,1944 2,366,124 Page et' al. Dec, 26,1944 2,525,70 1 :Miller "Oct. 10, 1950

Images