US2911808A - Stitch length graduating attachment - Google Patents

Description

10, 1959 H. M. ROUTH ET AL 2,91 3

STITCH LENGTH GRADUATING ATTACHMENT Filed July 16, 1956 a 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 80 HI a 77 o T 55 113 .w 82 a) I0- i illll rzo 3' 30 86 J 3 I2! W HERMAN M. RouTH 3 ana' HERMAN E. Genwrmzo,

v INVENTORS 5 BY ffwfm9- AGEN T Nov. 10, 1959 H. M. ROUTH ET AL STITCH LENGTH GRADUATING ATTACHMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 16, 1956 HERMAN MROUTH and HERMAN E. CRAWFORD,

AGENT Nov. 10, 1959 H. M. ROUTH ET AL 2,

STITCH LENGTH GRADUATING ATTACHMENT Filed July 16, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 7 M6 7 m 3 1 E\% HERMAN M. Roum 2/20 HRMA- E. CRAWFORD,

INVENTORS.

AGENT.

United States Patent STITCH LENGTH GRADUATIN G A'ITACITE DENT Herman M. Routh, Asheboro, and Herman E. Crawford, Kernersville, N.C.

Application July 16, 1956, Serial No. 598,076

9 Claims. (CI. 6655) This invention relates to improvements in circular knitting machines of the independent needle type and more especially to an improvement in the method of determining the length of stitches drawn by the needles during various parts of the hose or article being knit. The invention is shown on and particularly adaptable to a knitting machine wherein the stitch length is controlled by lowering and raising the needle cylinder relative to the stitch cams and wherein the sitch cams are attached to a stationary place on the knitting machine, such as the Scott and Williams type machine. It is to be understood that this invention could be easily adapted to a machine wherein the needle cylinder does not move vertically but the stitch cams are mounted on a vertically movable plate, such as the Hemphill type machines.

Heretofore, various methods of varying the length of stitches at a few places in the hose have been used. One of which involved lifting the cylinder raising tube from the main pattern drum, but this method has proved unsatisfactory in use since only a limited number of places in the hose could be varied and a wide range of variation was impossible. The adjustment screws on this type of stitch length control also are almost impossible to reach with a screwdriverand it is difficult to tell how far they have been turned, resulting in the heads of the screws being ruined and causing down-time for the machine during replacement. The operating ratio of this type stitch length control is only about two to one and therefore a very fine adjustment of the adjustment screws is important and this adjustment can be thrown out by little things such as lint, always abundant in a knitting room, even a thin film of oil, or the rough head of one of the screws used to hold the cams on which the ends of the adjustment screws ride. In the knitting of coarse gauge short length hose, such as mens half hose, the limited number of places that the stitch length could be adjusted and the difiiculty of a fine adjustment has not been too important, but the problem is greatly magnified when fine gauge ladies seamless hose are knit on machines having this same stitch length control. Where a small maladjustment of the stitch length in a mans half hose having an average of 175 courses will make only a slight difference in overall length, the same maladjustment of the stitch length in knitting ladies seamless hose having an average of 3,000 courses can make as much as four to six inches variation in overall length. Various other methods of adjusting stitch length have been used, but they all depend upon some existing drum on the knitting machine, and, as far as we know, this is the first time that the stitch length has been controlled from a separate control drum and a graduating cam provided for this specific purpose.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a separate control drum, mounted on and driven by the knitting machine, solely for the purpose of controlling the length of stitches drawn at any and all portions of the knitted article and which control drum is easily accessible to the knitting machine mechanic.

It is another object of this invention to provide an at tachment for changing the length of stitches drawn by the needles during different parts of the hose which will be economical to manufacture and which may be attached to present knitting machine without altering them. With this attachment on the knitting machine, it is possible to select stitch variation in 14 different positions during the knitting of the hose as well to change the length of stitch gradually by a graduating wheel which gives complete graduation from the shadow welt to the heel and thus provides a true fully fashioned circular knit seamless stocking.

It is another object of this invention to provide a stitch length control having its operating linkage designed so that the ratio from the adjustment point to the stitch adjusting point is at least ten to one. Thus, any discrepancy such as maladjustment, lint, or oil on the cams will effect the stitch length only one-tenth of the amount of the discrepancy. This will make minute adjustment of the length of stitch drawn at any point in the hose easier.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is an isometric view of the lower left hand corner of a knitting machine and showing this attachment in position thereon;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the lower portion of the knitting machine with the attachment in position thereon;

Figure 3 is a front view of the attachment, at an en larged scale, taken substantially along the line 33 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 in'Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, except showing the various parts in a different position; and

Figure 8 is-a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially alorn the line 88 in Figure 7.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the attach ment is shown in association with a circular knitting machine of the Scott and Williams type shown in a US. patent to R. W. ScottNo. 1,152,850, dated September 7, 1915. This is the type of knitting machine wherein the stitch cams are fixed on a stationary bed plate and wherein the needle cylinder is raised and lowered relative to the stitch cams in order to lengthen and shorten the length of stitch drawn by the needles as they pass these stitch cams. The needle cylinder is supported on and is raised and lowered by raising and lowering the cylinder raising tube indicated at 10, in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 5.

The cylinder raising tube It} is held in vertical align ment by and the lower end is slidably mounted in aring 11, one edge of which is fixed on a frame base 12 sup ported by machine legs 13. The machine base 12 sup ports a frame 15 in which a rotatable pattern shaft 16 is mounted. The pattern shaft 16 is driven, at times, by a racking pawl controlled by the pattern chain, not shown, which controls the movement of the pattern shaft 16 as well as a gear 17 fixed on one end thereof (Figures 2 and 5). The gear 17 meshes with and drives an inter mediate gear 18 rotatably mounted on the frame 15 and which in turn meshes with and drives a pattern drum gear 19 fixed on one end of the main pattern drum 20. The gear 19 and drum 20 are rotatable on a supporting shaft 21 fixed in the frame 15 and the shaft 21 also supports the conventional continuously oscillating segmental gear 22 which is provided for reciprocatory motion of the needle cylinder, not shown. All of the parts heretofore referred to are conventional parts of the standard Scott 8: Williams machine and it is with these parts that this at tachment is adapted to be associated.

The attachment includes a base member 3% fixed on the frame base 12 at 31 (Figure 3) having a pair of upstanding members 32 and 33 adjacent opposite ends thereof "and on which are mounted a pair of bearings 3 and 35 for supporting opposite ends of a longitudinally extending shaft 3'7. The shaft 37' supports a ength control drum 4%) which is fixed on the shaft as by a key 41 (Figure 8) and has a driving gear 43 to one end of the drum 4G. The gear 43 meshes with the gear 17 so that the stitch length control drum is driven in a stepby-step pattern controlled manner and in timed relationship with the main pattern drum 2'3, heretofore described. The drum 40 is provided with a brake band 4-2 which partially surrounds the drum 41) (Figures 3 and 4), one end of which is fixed to the base and the opposite end of which is held under tension, by one end of a tension spring 44-, the opposite end of which is fixed to the base 30. The brake band 42 is provided to prevent any overriding of the drum 40 and gear d3 and to prevent any movement of the drum 4% due to excess play between the gears 43 and 17. The control drum is provided with a plurality of rows of actuating earns 45 for purposes to be later described. The hub portion of the control drum .40, opposite the end to which the gear 43 is fixed, is reduced as at 4-6 (Figure 8) and is provided with an adjustably mounted graduating cam actuating bracket 50 having an adjustment screw 51 threadably mounted therein. The adjustment screw 51 is in radial alignment with a graduating cam pin 52 fixedly secured in the side of a graduating cam 54 fixed on one side of a rack wheel '6 having a space 57 provided on the outer periphery thereof, which is devoid of rack teeth. The graduating cam 54 is also provided with a notch 6t) and provides a raceway having a constantly varying outer diameter. The point of greatest diameter is indicated at 61 and the diameter of the raceway is decreased as the rack wheel 56 is moved in a clockwise direction, in Figure 7, until the smallest diameter is reached at the position indicated at 62.

The graduating cam 54 and the rack wheel 56 are rotatably mounted on a bushing 64- fixedly secured in the hub of the control drum 4%) (Figure 8). The rack wheel 56 has, on the side opposite the graduating cam 54, an annular and outwardly extending integral brake drum 65, partially surrounded by a brake band 66. One end of the brake band is fixed on the base 3-5? as at 67 and the opposite end of which is adjustably secured to one end of a tension spring 70, the opposite end of which is fixed on the bracket 30 (Figures 6 and 7). The brake drum 65 and the brake band 66 are provided to overcome any friction between the bushing 64 and the rack wheel 56 so that movement of the control drum 40 will not cause movement of the rack wheel 56. The rack wheel 56 is at times actuated by a pawl '75 fixed on one end of an actuating arm 76 (Figures 1, 2, 5 and 6). The actuating arm 76 is oscillatably mounted on one end of a rod 77 the opposite end of which is mounted in an operating lever 80, oscillatably mounted as at 81 on a bracket 32 fixed on the frame of the knitting machine. The operating end of the lever 86 is adapted to engage a boss portion 83 (Figure 2) on the segmental gear 22 to thus cause the operating lever 80 to rock and actuate the actuating lever 76 so that the pawl 75 will rack the racking wheel 56 one tooth at a time in a step-by-step manner until the portion 57 of the rack wheel 56 moves into position so that the pawl 76 will not engage teeth to rack the wheel 56 further.

It is thus seen that the shaft 37 supports the control drum 40 and the rack wheel 56 along with the graduating cam 54 and its rack wheel 56 may be operated independently of the control drum The rack wheel 56 and graduating cam 54 is actuated by movement of the segmental gear 22 through the lever and the actuating arm '76 while movement of the control drum 40 is under control of the pattern chain, not shown, and moved through movement of the pattern shaft 16, gear 17 and gear A pair of support arms 84 and 85 (Figure 5) are fixed at their inner ends to and adjacent opposite ends of the base 3%; and the outer ends of which support a longitudinally extending shaft 1 6. The shaft 86 supports a cast tubular portion 7 of a cylinder raising head member broadly referred to at 96 and includes a pair of upwardly extending integral arms 91 and 92 supporting a longitudinally extending head member 93. The head membe 93 is provided with a plurality of transversely oxten c slots 94. in this case, there are fifteen equally spaced slots in one group and one slot spaced apart from this group. The upper ends of the slots 94 are covered by a cover plate 95, the rear ends or left hand ends, in Figure 4, are partially covered by a plate 96 and the front or right hand ends of which are covered by a plate 97.

Each of the slots 94 in the group is provided with a slideably mounted stitch length adjusting finger 100 which is adapted to engage the earns 45 on the control drum 4G and a stitch length adjusting finger 101 in the slot spaced apart from the group which is adapted to engage the outer periphery of the graduating cam (Figures 4, 6 and 7). Each of the stitch length adjusting fingers 1%, as well as finger 161, is provided with a compression spring 163, one end of which is embedded in the adjusting finger and the opposite end of which bears against the plate as to normally urge the adjusting fingers 1% and the finger 101 rearwardly towards the plate 97. A plurality of adjustment screws 165 are threadably embedded in the plate 97 and their free ends engage the ends of the adjusting fingers 100 and the adjusting finger 161 and are locked in adjusted position by a plurality of locking screws 166 threadably embedded in the plate 97 and engaged the threaded shanks of the adjusting screws 105.

The tubular portion 87 of the head member 99 is also provided with an outwardly extending actuating arm (Figures 1, 2, and 4) which is slotted as at 111 for reception of a threaded adjustable hunter 112 the lower end of which is adapted to engage the tail portion 113 of a yoke member 114 oscillatably mounted at opposite sides thereof as at 115 and 115 in a pair of bearing blocks 117 and 118 suitably fixed on the upper side of a bearing plate 120. The bearing plate 129 is fixed at one side to the frame 12 and is spaced above and secured to the tube supporting ring 11 by a spacer block 121 (Figures 1 and 3). The inner ends of the yoke member 114 partially surround the cylinder raising tube 10 and are engaged by the lower end of a pair of threaded adjustable cylinder raising lugs 124 and 125 which threadably penetrate brackets 126 and 127 fixed on opposite sides of the cylinder raising tube 10.

In operation, during the knitting of a stocking, the control drum 40 would ordinarily start in a position so that the stitch length adjusting finger 10-0 which is marked make-up on the cover plate 95 is resting on a cam 45 is in alignment therewith. As the control drum 4) is rotated by the gear 17 and the pattern shaft 16 during the knitting of the stocking the stitch length adjusting finger 100 marked welt will engage a cam 45 on the control drum 4!) as the finger 100 marked make-up moves off of the cam Although all of the cams 45 on the control drum 40 are of the same thickness, by adjusting the screws behind the individual stitch length adjusting fingers 1%, it is seen that there can be as many as 14 different stitch lengths in one hose as well as a graduation of stitches from the position the main or body yarn is inserted until the heel pocket is made or started.

While only twelve of the adjusting fingers 100 are marked to indicate control of the stitch length in these parts of a hose, the remaining two unmarked adjusting fingers 100 may be used at any point during the hose in which it is desired to change the stitch variation. As a hose is knitted, the cams 45 are so arranged that as one of the fingers 10f moves off of one of the earns 45 another one of the fingers 100 moves onto another cam 45 and through adjustment of the screws 105 this action may raise, or lower or cause the cylinder raising tube to remain stationary, which results in either longer stitches, shorter stitches or the same length stitches being drawn by the needles. As indicated by the markings on the plate 95 (Figure the cylinder raising tube is supported by the finger 10% marked make-up engaging a cam 45 on the drum 40 during the first few courses of the hose, the next finger 1100 marked welt will support and determined the vertical position of the cylinder raising tube during the formation of the welt, the next finger 100 marked shadow welt will determine the length of a stitch drawn during the knitting of a shadow welt and the next finger 1% marked red stripe may be used to change the stitch length during the making of a stripe around the hose for identification purposes and which is commonly known as a red stripe. Since the welt and shadow welt are usually made of a heavier denier yarn than the body of the stocking, there is provided a finger 10G marked main yarn which may be used for introducing the main or body yarn after the shadow welt. As the finger 11% marked main yarn moves off its cam 45, a blank space is provided on the control drum 40 and the graduating cam 54 will be in substantially the position shown in Figure 7, having been moved to this position by the bracket 55 engaging the pin 52 as the control drum 40 is rotated by the gears 43 and 17 and the pattern shaft 16. Thus, the vertical position of the cylinder raising tube is then determined by the finger 161 engaging the graduating cam 54. The rack wheel 56 is then racked around by the racking pawl 75 and the actuating lever 80 through the actuating arm 76 t0 thus cause the finger 1191 (Figures 6 and 7) following the outer periphery of the graduating cam 54- and to thus gradually change the length of stitch being drawn from course to course as the finger 101 moves from the position shown in Figure 7 to the position shown in Figure 6, as the cam 54 is moved in a clockwise direction the finger 101 will move inwardly by the gradually decreasing diameter of the graduating cam 54 and to thus, through intervening connections, lower the tube 14 and gradually tighten the stitches and draw shorter stitches as the leg of the hose is made until the desired point above the heel is reached. As the finger 101 reaches the low point 62, the finger 1% marked heel will come in contact with a cam 45 and support the tube 10 as the graduating cam 54 moves further so that the notch 60 will be beneath the finger 151 and the racking pawl 75 will be at the smooth portion 57 of the rack wheel 56. After the heel, the finger 1W marked foot engages a cam 45 on the control drum 4!) for determining the length of stitch to be drawn during the foot, the finger 100 marked ring toe will engage a cam 45 to determine the length of stitches to be drawn in the few courses before the toe pocket which is usually known as the ring toe, the finger 151) marked toe next engages a cam 45 during the knitting of the toe, the finger 1490 marked looper line then engages a cam 45 to make unusually long stitches for a looper line, the finger 10%) marked ring toe next engages a cam 45 to make a few courses after the looper line line and called the ring toe and a finger 100 marked cotton may be used, if desired, during the insertion of the cotton yarn along with the regular body yarn to prevent raveling back from the time the hose comes off the machine and until the time the toe thereof is looped. The two fingers 100 having no marking on the plate 95 may be used at any other time during the knitting of the stocking that a special stitch length is required and desired.

It will be noted by observing Figure 2 that the distance from the reading end of the fingers to the shaft 86 is approximately two times the distance from the shaft 86 to the active end of the hunter 112 and the distance from the hunter 112 to the axis of the pivots 115, 116 of the yoke 114 is five times as great as the distance from said axis to the working end of the cylinder raising lugs 124 and 125. Thus, the ratio of movement from the fingers 100 to the lifting and lowering end of the yoke 114 is approximately ten to one. Of course, the ratio of movement of ten to one between the fingers 100 and the lifting and lowering end of the yoke 114 may be varied by longitudinal adjustment of the bunter 112 in the slot 111 (Figure 4), the ratio being decreased with movement of the hunter 112 toward the shaft 86 and increased with movement of the hunter 112 away from the shaft 86.

It is thus seen that we have provided stitch length control attachment for knitting machines which may easily be mounted thereon without necessitating any changes in the knitting machine and when attached to a knitting machine will provide a control drum which can vary the stitch length at a great many different places during the knitting of a single article as well as providing a graduating cam, mounted on the same shaft with the control drum, for graduating the length of stitch from one portion of the hose to another.

In the drawings and specifications there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

We claim:

1. In a circular independent needle hosiery knitting machine having individual needles vertically movable in a needle cylinder and means for drawing stitches with said needles upon rotation of said needle cylinder; the combination therewith of, a cylinder raising tube for changing the length of the stitches drawn by said needles, a pattern controlled drum, a graduating cam, said drum and cam mounted on a common shaft, and leverage means operatively engaged at one end by said pattern controlled drum and said graduating cam and at the other end by said cylinder raising tube, said leverage means having a mechanical operating advantage of substantially ten to one.

2. In a circular knitting machine having vertically movable stitch length control means for varying the length of stitches formed; the combination therewith of, a first pattern controlled drum driven from pattern controlled means on said knitting machine, cams on said drum, a graduating cam, a rack wheel fixed on said graduating cam, racking mechanism for racking said rack wheel, said pattern controlled drum and said graduating cam mounted on a common shaft, and pattern controlled drum controlling activation of said racking mechanism for racking said rack wheel and said grad uating cam, and leverage means operatively engaged at one end by said pattern controlled drum and said graduating cam and at the other end by said vertically movable stitch length control means, said leverage means having a mechanical operating advantage of substantially ten to one.

3. In a circular knitting machine having independently vertically movable needles in a needle cylinder and vertically movable stitch length control means for varying the length of stitches formed as an article is knit; the combination therewith of, a pattern controlled drum driven by said knitting machine, cams on said drum, a first braking means on said drum, a graduating cam having a con stantly varying diameter, a rack wheel fixed on said graduating cam, a second braking means on said rack wheel, racking mechanism for racking said rack wheel, said pattern controlled drum and said graduating cam mounted on a common shaft, said drum fixed on said shaft and said graduating cam rotatable on said shaft, said pattern controlled drum controlling activation of said racking t .echanism for racking said rack wheel and said graduating cam, a head member adjacent said control drum and said graduating cam, a group of stitch length adjusting fingers mounted on said head member and engageable with said cams on said control drum, a single stitch length adjusting finger mounted on said head member, said single finger being spaced from said group of fingers and engageable with said graduating cam, and leverage means operatively engaged at one end by said head member and at the other end by said vertically movable stitch length control means, said leverage means having a mechanical operating advantage of substantially ten to one.

4. In a circular knitting machine having independently vertically movable needles in a needle cylinder and vertically movable stitch length control means for varying the length of stitches formed as an article is knit; the combination therewith of, first lever means operatively engaged at one end by said vertically movable stitch length control means, a pattern controlled drum driven by said knitting machine, cams on said drum, a graduating cam having a constantly varying diameter, a rack wheel on said graduating cam and having a space devoid of racking teeth, a racking mechanism for racking said rack wheel, said pattern controlled drum and said graduating cam mounted on a common shaft, said pattern controlled drum controlling activation of said racking mechanism for racking said rack wheel and said graduating earn, a head member spanning said control drum and said graduating cam, a group of stitch length adjusting fingers adjustably mounted in said head member and engagable with said cams on said control drum, a single stitch length adjusting finger adjustably mounted in said head member, said single finger being spaced from said group of fingers and engageable with said graduating cam, and second lever means connected at one end to said head member and the other end operatively engaging the other end of said first lever means.

5. In a circular knitting machine having independently vertically movable needles in a needle cylinder and vertically movable stitch length control means for varying the length of stitches formed as an article is knit; the combination therewith of, a pivoted lever operatively engagcd at one end by said vertically movable stitch length control means, a pattern controlled drum driven by said knitting machine, cams on said drum, a graduating cam having a constantly varying diameter, a rack wheel fixed on said graduating cam and having a space devoid of racking teeth, a racking mechanism for racking said rack wheel, said pattern controlled drum and said graduating cam mounted on a common shaft, said pattern controlled drum controlling activation of said racking mechanism for racking said rack wheel and said graduating earn, a i' 'oted head member spanning said control drum and aid graduating at one end and operatively engaging ted lever at the other end, a group of stitch length n g ingers adjustably mounted in said head member and engageable 'th said cams on said control drum, e s ch length adjusting iii adjustably mounted in said he ember, said single finger being spaced from said grou or lin ers and engageabie with said graduatin earn, and the ratio of movement between said one end of said pivoted lever and said one end of said pivoted head member being substantially ten to one.

6. An attachment for circular kni machines having vertically movable independently operable needles, a needle cylinder, s drawing cams adjacent the needle cylinder for lowering and raising the needles to draw stitches or" a predetermined length and a cylinder raising tube for raising and lowering said needle cylinder relative to said stitch cams to cause said stitch cams to draw shorter or longer stitches, comprising; a yoke partially surrounding said cylinder raising tube, a pattern controlled drum driven by said knitting machine, cams on said drum, a graduating cam, a rack wheel fixed on said graduating cam, racking mechanism for racking said rack wheel, said pattern controlled drum and said graduating cam mounted on a common shaft, a space on said rack wheel devoid of teeth, a graduating cam actuating bracket mounted on said pattern controlled drum, a graduating cam pin mounted on said graduating cam and engageable by said graduating cam actuating bracket, 2. head member spanning said control drum and said graduating earn, a group of equally spaced stitch length adjusting fingers adjustably mounted in said head member and engageable with said cams on said control drum, a single stitch length adjusting finger adjustably mounted in said head member, said single finger being spaced apart from said group of fingers and engageable with said graduating cam, and leverage means operatively interconnecting said head member and said yoke.

7. An attachment for circular knitting machines having vertically movable independently operable needles, a needle cylinder, stitch drawing cams adjacent the needle cylinder for lowering and raising the needles to draw stitches of a predetermined length and stitch length con trol means for changing the length of stitches drawn by changing the relationship of said needle cylinder to said stitch cams to cause said stitch cams to draw shorter or longer stitches, comprising; a yoke partially surrounding said stitch length control means, a pattern controlled drum driven by said knitting machine, cams on said drum, a graduating cam, a rack wheel fixed on said graduating cam, racking mechanism for racking said rack wheel, said pattern controlled drum and said graduating cam mounted on a common shaft, a space on said rack wheel devoid of teeth, a graduating cam actuating bracket mounted on said pattern controlled drum, a graduating cam pin mounted on said graduating cam and engageable by said graduating cam actuating bracket, a head member spanning said control drum and said graduating cam, a group of equally spaced stitch length adjusting fingers adjustably mounted in said head member and engageable with said cams on said control drum, a single stitch length adjusting finger adjustably mounted in said head member, said single finger being spaced apart from said group of fingers and engageable with said graduating cam, and leverage means operatively interconnecting said head member and said yoke.

8. An attachment for circular knitting machines having vertically movable independently operable needles, a needle cylinder, stitch drawing cams adjacent the needle cylinder for lowering and raising the needles to draw stitches of a predetermined length and a cylinder raising tube for raising and lowering said needle cylinder relative to said stitch cams to cause said stitch cams to draw shorter or longer stitches, comprising; a yoke partially surrounding said cylinder raising tube, a pattern controlled drum driven by said knitting machine, cams on said drum, a graduating cam, a rack wheel fixed on said graduating earn, a continuously operating racking mechanism for racking said rack wheel, said pattern controlled drum and said graduating cam mounted on a common shaft, a space on said rack wheel devoid of teeth for stopping rotation of said racking wheel by said racking mechanism, a graduating cam actuating bracket mounted on said pattern controlled drum, a graduating cam pin mounted on said graduating cam and engageable by said graduating cam actuating bracket, a pivoted head bracket having a head end and a tail end, said head end spanning said control drum and said graduating cam, a group of equally spaced stitch length adjusting fingers adjustably mounted in the head end of said pivoted head bracket and engageable with said cams on said control drum, a

single stitch length adjusting finger adjustably mounted in said head end of said pivoted head bracket, said single finger being spaced apart from said group of fingers and engageable with said graduating cam, and said tail end of said pivoted head bracket operatively engaging said yoke for imparting movement therethrough and to said cylinder raising tube.

9. An attachment for circular knitting machines having vertically movable independently operable needles, a needle cylinder, stitch drawing cams adjacent the needle cylinder for lowering and raising the needles to draw stitches of a predetermined length and stitch length control means for a cylinder raising tube for changing the length of stitches drawn by changing the relationship of said needle cylinder to said stitch cams to cause said stitch cams to draw shorter or longer stitches, comprising; a pivoted lever one end of which operatively engages said stitch length control means, a pattern controlled drum driven by said knitting machine, cams on said drum, a graduating cam, a rack wheel fixed on said graduating cam, racking mechanism for racking said rack wheel, said pattern controlled drum and said graduating cam mounted on a common shaft, a space on said rack wheel devoid of teeth, a graduating cam actuating bracket mounted on said pattern controlled drum, a graduating cam pin mounted on said graduating cam and engageable by said graduating cam actuating bracket, a head member spanning said control drum and said graduating cam, a group of equally spaced stitch length adjusting fingers adjustably mounted in said head member and engageable With said cams on said control drum, a single stitch length adjusting finger adjustably mounted in said head member, said single finger being spaced apart from said group of fingers and engagable with said graduating cam, lever means connected at one end to said head member, the other end of said lever means operatively engaging the other end of said pivoted lever and because of the position of the pivotal axis of the pivoted lever and the position of the pivotal axis of the lever means, any given amount of movement imparted to the head member will be reduced to one tenth of said given amount at the stitch length control means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,569,632 Scott et a1 Ian. 12, 1926 2,369,780 Fregeolle Feb. 20, 1945 2,474,925 Williams et a1 July 5, 1949 2,685,786 Stack Aug. 10,1954

FOREIGN PATENTS 588,830 Great Britain June 4, 1947

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