Patent GB-190003727-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Rotary or Flat-bar Knitting Machines.
Inventor: ALDRIDGE CHARLES HENRY
Filed: 1900-02-26
Granted: 1901-01-19
Abstract: 3727. Aldridge, C. H. Feb. 26. Straight-bar knitting-machines.-Relates to machines of the Cotton or other type, such as those described in Specifications No. 7252, A.D. 1896, and No. 2651, A.D. 1897, and relates to improvements in the means for operating the lace-point screw box when making openwork on fancy hose &c. The usual pin-wheel A<5> is operated by the usual ratchet pawls A<6>, A<7>. In order to put one or other, or both, of the pawls out of gear, levers B, pivoted to a fixed bracket at B', have pins B<3> bearing on the pawls and pins B<6> bearing on the edge of a cam B<4> pivoted at B<5> and having a pair of notches B<8>. The cam is moved in the direction of the arrow B<7> by a connecting-rod B<10>, acted on by studs D, D<1> on a pattern chain C<6>. When a low stud D is under the rod B'‹, the pawl A<6> is in action; when a high stud, the pawl A<7> is in action ; when no stud, the spring B<11> pulls the cam B<4> round until neither of the pins B<6> is in either of the recesses B<8>, and both pawls are out of action. There are two sets of studs like D, D', one for forming a bracelet or heading and the other for forming a repeating-pattern ; when the bracelet is made, a special stud on the main pattern chain, which controls the screw box during fashioning, and when the bracelet is being made, acts, through a bell crank and connecting-rod, on the rod F and moves the rod B<10> across the pattern chain into range with the other set of studs ; the rod B<10> may, however, be moved by a handle. The pattern chain C<6> is carried on a loose chain-wheel, to which is fast a ratchet C<5> ; the chain is pulled taut by a spring C<8> ; the chain-wheel is carried by a pivoted arm C, rocked by a cam ; an arm C<11>, pivoted at C<4>, carries a pawl C'‹ ; as the chain-wheel arm rocks, the arm C<11> comes in contact with a stud C<12>, and so racks the chain-wheel. When the special stud on the main chain moves the rod B<10> to the other set of studs, it may also put in action the pawl of the repeating pattern chain-wheel, and so start the chain which controls the screw box whilst the repeating-pattern is made. In a general way the pawls A<6>, A' rack the wheel B one tooth, and so move the points the distance of one needle ; it is desirable for one of the pawls, say A<7>, to be able to rack the wheel either one or two teeth as required. To effect this, the top tooth of the rack A<7> is filled up by a piece J pivoted at J<1> and having a side pin J<7>. A lever J<2>, pivoted to a fixed bracket at J<4>, has a tail J<3>, which can be acted on by a rod J<5> on the lever F ; when the lever F is moved to shift the rod B<10> on to the other set of studs, the lever J<3> is moved so that its upper end comes in range of the pin J<7>, and, when the pawl A' descends, the top tooth is unblocked, as shown in Fig. 2<A>, and so the wheel A<5> is racked two teeth. In a modification, either of the pawls A<6>, A' can be made to rack the wheel A<5> one or more teeth, as required, in any desired order. Instead of a lever J', a slide having two projections, which may be moved into or out of range of the pins J' on the two blocking-pieces J, is used. The slide is operated by a bell crank and by a rod, analogous to B'‹, which can be moved into or out of range of a third set of studs on the pattern chain by means controlled, through the lever F, from the main pattern chain.