Patent GB-189815764-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Circular Spring Needle Rib Top Knitting Machines.
Inventor: HURLEY DANIEL
Filed: 1898-07-19
Granted: 1898-11-26
Abstract: 15,764. Hurley, D. July 19. Circular knitting- machines with two rotating needle cylinders 3, 6 and fixed pressers, cams, and f o u r looper feeding- wheels. The machine can be made to knit a welt, a slack course, or royal rib. A pattern chain 21 is constantly rotated by a ratchet-wheel 20 and pawl 19 operated through the arm 17, rock shaft 12, arm 11, and bowl and cam on the rotating cylinder 6. During ordinary knitting, a pattern cylinder having four sets of holes 41, 43, 45, 47 is at rest, a lever 30 resting on a pin in one of the holes 41 holding the pawl 38 out of gear with the ratchetwheel 39. When a slack course is to be made, a lug 24 rocks the arm 28, which rocks the lever 30 off its pin and allows the pawl 38 to drop into gear and move the cylinder ; a pin in one of the holes 43 now rocks the lever 52, which acts through levers to rock a switch plate 58, Fig. 10. As a support 8 is carried round with the cylinders, pins 81 on a slide are raised and the lower pin strikes against levers 122 and 155, and 106 moves outwards pins 130, 159, and 108 ; these act through various levers and raise a cam, which then does not depress the upper needles into action, and also cause a foot-piece to press the lower needles further into the feeder-wheel to lengthen the stitch. The long looped course is thus made on the lower needles only. The wheel 39, after being racked one tooth, is put out of action and the lever 52, moving off its pin, reverses the switch 58 and lowers the pins 81, which act on levers 123, 156, and 104, and brings back their connected parts to the position for ordinary knitting. To make royal rib, the pattern mechanism acts in a similar way, but a pin in one of the holes 45 acts on a lever 62 and moves the switch 67, which raises pins 82, Fig. 10. The lower pin 82 rocks a lever 168, which acts on a pin 176 and moves the presser out of range of the upper needles. The loops fed by alternate feeders are then not pressed off. The pattern chain regulates the number of courses of royal rib, and then causes the switch 67 and the various connected parts to be brought back to the normal position. To make a welt, the pattern cylinder is again rotated by means similar to those above described, and is kept rotating for a number of courses. Pins in the holes 47 act through levers 69 &c. to raise pins 83, Fig. 10. The lower pin 83 strikes against levers 85, 105, 121, 157, and 170, and through connected levers &c. (a) moves the cams on the upper cylinder out of action so that they do not depress the upper needles, (b) moves the foot-piece above mentioned so as not to press the lower needles so far into the feeder-wheel, and consequently sink shorter loops, and (c) moves the presser away from the upper needles and raises the cams on the lower needles so as to shorten the loops drawn. When the required number of welt courses on the lower needles has been made, the lever 69 drops off. its pin, the switch 74 is reversed, the pins 83 are lowered, acting on levers 87, 104, 120, 158, 171, which depress the cams on upper and lower cylinders and alter the footpiece, and the pattern mechanism comes to its normal position. Some of the mechanisms for altering the cams &c. are duplicated at the several feeders. A finger presses the fabric inwards when making the welt.