Figs. 79 and 80 are views of the back of the machine, both showing the same parts, but Fig. 79 is a view looking from the right end, or end upon which the driving mechanism is mounted, while Fig. 80 is a view from the other or left end looking toward the driving wheel.
Fig. 80.
Showing the Same Cam Shaft as Shown in Fig. 79 but from Left
End of the Machine.
Mounting of the Deckers
We will take up the manner of mounting the deckers and the auxiliary parts through the medium of which the narrowing is done. Referring to Fig. 77, the decker points may be seen at a, a, mounted in a clamp in much the same manner as the hand deckers were mounted. The decker points, however, are somewhat different from those used in the hand decker, these latter being solid, either flat or round, while those on the automatic machine are half-round or U-shaped, as shown in Fig. 76, to facilitate placing them on the hooks of the needles.
Fig. 81.
Gear Arrangement for Starting and Stopping the Narrowing Mechanism.
Before proceeding any further, it should be understood that the narrowing is done on both sets of needles, front and back, by two separate deckers, therefore most of the parts connected with this operation that are shown and described, except the cam shaft 9 and its appurtenances, are in duplicate on front and back of the machine. The decker point clamp is a part of a yoke which is clamped on the two rods b and c (Fig. 77) tight enough to permit no play, yet not so tight but that it will slide freely endwise on the two rods. There are four of these on each side, front and back, or two for each independent pair of plates and locks. The rods b and c run the whole length of the machine and have no end movement, but b is free to move up and down vertically, while c acts simply as a rocker shaft or pivot upon which to swing the rod b, together with the clamp and decker a. The rod c is mounted through and near the end of the arm d, which in its turn is mounted or pivoted on the rocker shaft 13, Fig. 78, where the whole arm may be noted. In Fig. 73 the whole five arms that are on the front of the machine may be seen. These arms are connected with a lever beneath the needle plates and frame by two flexible straps shown at f, Fig. 77. The lever to which the other end of these straps are attached may be seen at 1, Fig. 80, also the extension of the arm d, at d-1. The spring which is attached to this extension with the other end attached to a like extension on the opposite arm d, is shown at d-2. This spring provides the energy to return the arms to, and hold them in the position shown in Fig. 77, after the narrowing operation is completed.
To get the endwise movement of the decker, or the movement we have designated as 1 and 2 in Fig. 82, we will refer again to Fig. 80 and the lever 1. This lever is pivoted on the shaft 12 and passes under the shaft 9. At the point where it passes under to one side of the irregular cam d-3 there is a stud with a roller projecting from one side which comes under and in contact with the cam d-3. We have seen that there is always an upward pull on this lever 1 through the springs d-2, and the extension d-1, the arm proper d, and the straps f (Fig. 77), back down through the center of the machine to the inner end of lever 1, Fig. 80.
Now it follows, that if the periphery of this cam d-3 is irregular, and the spring d-2 always holds the pin with the roller on the side of lever 1, in close contact with the outside of this cam, then by having the periphery vary, or at different distances from the center at different points, the deckers may be moved to any point or held at any point in a line lengthwise with the decker points by making the irregularities at the proper place and at the proper distance from the center.