Switch and operating mechanism for circular hosiery knitting machine speed control

In combination with a circular hosiery knitting machine, an improved cylinder speed control system of the type having lugs on the pattern chain and/or cams on the cam drum, a vertically reciprocal lever mechanism pivotally mounted to said machine in the path of said lugs and cams and activated in response to engagement by said lugs and cams, a switching mechanism in the path of and operated by said lever mechanism, and a speed control mechanism electrically connected to and operated by electrical pulses from said switching mechanism to shift a drive belt between a slow and fast pulley, wherein said switching mechanism comprises:

• a. a housing having an elongated chamber therein and pivotally mounted to said machine for arcuate reciprocal movement between a first position in which one end of said chamber is tilted downwardly and a second position in which said one end is tilted upwardly;
• b. a glass encapsulated mercury switch having leads extending therefrom and mounted in said chamber with said leads extending through the other end of said chamber opposite said one end, whereby, when said one end of the chamber is tilted downwardly, the mercury in said switch is out of engagement with the contacts of said leads, and when said one end is tilted upwardly, the mercury is in contact with said leads;
• c. said housing including an abutment means thereon, engaged by said lever during operation, for moving said housing between said first and second positions responsive to movement of said lever by said pattern chain and cam drum.