Flat Machine Knitting and Fabrics

by H. D. Buck

Control of Fashioning Mechanism

Fig. 76.
Needles and Decker
Points Used on the
Automatic Narrowing
Machine.

The method of starting and stopping the narrowing or fashioning mechanism is quite a novel and ingenious arrangement. To explain it we will refer to Fig. 81. The number 4 indicates the bevel gear shown at 4 in Fig. 75, and 4-a is the small pinion a part of which may be seen in Fig. 75. The larger bevel gear 4 has a small space (three or four teeth) cut away so it acts somewhat on the principle of an intermittent gear. When the small pinion 4-a comes to this spot the large gear 4 will of course stop. This gear is mounted on the shaft 9, which may be seen under the same designation in Figs. 79 and 80, which is a continuation of this shaft. It (the gear 4) is shown in Fig. 81 in the position where it would be at rest as the small pinion 4-a would be turning free and clear on account of the teeth of the large gear being cut away at this point.

It will be noted that there is a pin extending from one side of the hub of the small pinion gear 4-a. On the back of gear 4 there is attached a box-like arrangement with the lever 4-b passing through it, which is pivoted at p and is held out in the position shown by a spring. Outside and near the outer end of this lever 4-b is another L-shaped lever 4-d, which is pivoted at m to the frame of the machine.

It is plain that when the lever 4-b is moved in the path of the pin 4-c, which is turning at all times with the pinion 4-a, by the right-angled lever 4-d, the gear 4 will be moved forward far enough for the teeth of the pinion to engage with the teeth of the large gear. Consequently, the gear 4 would turn one complete revolution, or until the place which has the teeth cut out is again adjacent to the pinion, and it would stop at this point. This one revolution of the gear 4 completes the execution of one narrowing operation or the narrowing down of one needle on each needle plate.

Fig. 77.
Top of Automatic Narrowing Machine.

Referring to Fig. 75, number 11 indicates the lever or slide which is the means provided to make the shift from fashioning to knitting, and vice versa. When this slide is at its furthermost position toward the back of the machine it is held there by a catch, and the knitting mechanism would be in operation while the fashioning mechanism would be at rest. But immediately the slide is released from the catch, which is done by a stud on the chain 12, a spring brings it forward and a release bar, by means of an inclined plane, is set to disconnect the large gear 3 (Fig. 75) from the crank wheel 5, when it gets to the point where the carriages are at the extreme right end of the needle plates as shown in Figs. 77 and 78. At the same time it raises up the right-angled lever 4-d (Fig. 81) which throws in the lever 4-b, and this of course starts the fashioning mechanism to work. Just as the gear 4 with the cam shaft 9 completes its one revolution the slide is set back again, which permits the gear 3 to connect with the crank shaft and the gear 4 stops as the cut out teeth come opposite the small pinion.

The several vertical straps which may be seen at or near the center of Fig. 75 are the mediums through which the automatic changes are made by studs coming under and raising them. These studs are attached in their several positions on the chain 12. We will not go into these further, for while the construction is somewhat different from what we have had, the principle is the same. As the studs on the chain come under the straps, they raise them up and this moves a stop in the path of the different slides which changes the locks, yarn carriers, etc.