IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNITTED FABRICS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Josiah Cresswell, of Loughborough, in the County of
Leicester, Mechanic, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNITTED FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Josiah Cresswell at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd July 1880.
JOSIAH CRESSWELL, of Loughborough, in the County of Leicester, Mechanic.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNITTED
FABRICS."
In carrying out my improvements I form the sinkers of a segmental or curved
figure to travel in segmental or curved courses, and they are connected, by
preference, rigidly to lever arms or jacks, and these arms or jacks turn upon
centres of motion corresponding with the radius of the arc in which the sinkers
move.
When these sinkers are rigidly fixed to their arms or jacks, they are prevented
from wearing at their edges on the bottoms of the combs or the parts carrying
them.
Springs may be employed to be brought into position to act on the sinker arms
or jacks to aid in holding back these sinkers at the times for their operation for
"drawing" by the "slur cock," or the parts may be balanced for the like effect.
The catch bar operates as usual.
"
Similarly formed dividing sinkers may be employed when desired.
The "drawing" slide for operating the "slur cock" is placed somewhat centrally
of the machine, and is operated by a tappet applied to a vertical axis by which
counterweighting of the tappet is rendered unnecessary, and increased accuracy of
working is secured.
The "shogging" of the main shaft for change to and from "narrowing" is
effected by tappets on that main shaft acting direct to the "shogging wheel," or
to surfaces acting as such through a lever, forked at one end for double action at
that end, and another tappet on that main shaft also operates by a lever and

page_text: driver the rotation of the "narrowing" wheel by which direct action to these parts
is obtained.
"
A lifting or holding lever is applied to hold the operating parts of the
narrowing" apparatus out of gear until that apparatus is required to come into
operation, when a tappet on the main shaft by being "shogged" into position for
the purpose throws this lifting or holding lever out of that holding position when
the lever arm (to the narrowing apparatus) it held with the parts operated
thereby comes into position for effecting "narrowing," by which time is saved to
enable the "narrowing" apparatus to keep pace with the ordinary motions of the
machine, and increased accuracy of working is secured.
The axis of the sinker arms or jacks is, by preference, applied under the
segmental sinkers.
Knocking over bits are applied as in other frames.
By this combination of parts simplicity of action with economy of space is
secured, whilst increased facilities are afforded for the operations of the attendant.
For striping in various colors additional thread carriers may be employed
corresponding with the changes desired in the colors of the successive stripes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Josiah Cresswell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd January
1881.
JOSIAH CRESSWELL, of Loughborough, in the County of Leicester, Mechanic.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNITTED
FABRICS."
In carrying out the first part of my improvements I form the sinkers of a
segmental or curved figure to travel in segmental or curved courses, and they are
connected, by preference, rigidly to lever arms or jacks, and these arms or jacks
turn upon centres of motion corresponding with the radius of the arc in which the
sinkers move.
When these sinkers are rigidly fixed to their arms or jacks, they are prevented
from wearing at their edges on the bottoms of the combs or the parts carrying
them.
Springs may be employed to be brought into position to act on the sinker arms
or jacks to aid in holding back these sinkers at the times for their operation for
drawing" by the "slur cock," or the parts. may be balanced for the like effect.
The catch bar operates as usual.
"
The axis of the sinker arms or jacks is by preference applied under the seginental
sinkers.
Similarly formed dividing sinkers may be employed when desired.
The "drawing" slide for operating the "slur cock," according to the second part
of my improvements, is placed somewhat centrally of the machine and is operated
by a tappet applied to a vertical axis by which counterweighting of the tappet is
rendered unneccessary and increased accuracy of working is secured.
The "shogging" of the main shaft for change to and from "narrowing" is effected
by tappets on that main shaft acting direct to the "shogging wheel," or to surfaces
acting as such, through a lever forked at one end for double action at that end, and
another tappet on that main shaft also operates by a lever and driver the rotation
of the "narrowing" wheel by which direct action to these parts is obtained.
A lifting or holding lever, according to the third part of my improvements, is
applied to hold the operating parts of the "narrowing" apparatus out of gear
until that apparatus is required to come into operation, when a tappet on
the main shaft, by being "shogged" into position for the purpose, throws this
lifting or holding lever out of that holding position when the lever arm (to the
"Darrowing" apparatus) it held, with the parts operated thereby, comes into
position for effecting "narrowing," by which time is saved, to enable the
narrowing" apparatus to keep pace with the ordinary motions of the machine
and increased accuracy of working is secured.
"
Knocking-over bits are applied as in other frames.
By this combination of parts simplicity of action with economy of space is
secured, whilst increased facilities are afforded for the operations of the attendant.
But that the Invention may be the better understood I will, by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings, proceed to describe the same more in detail.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a section, Figure 2 an end view, and Figure 3 a longitudinal
section of parts of a knitting machine with adaptations thereto according to my
improvements. Figure 4 represents parts of the same shown by Figure 1 but
drawn to a full size scale. Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 show details

page_text: In each of the Figures the same letters are employed to indicate corresponding
parts wherever they occur.
a, a, represents portions of the main framing; b, the main or driving axis, upon
which is applied the usual drums or pulleys for driving the same by band or strap
from a steam engine or other power; and c, the hand axle for driving the machine
when required by hand. The dotted lines b, c, indicate the gear wheels connecting
these two shafts b and c for such hand motion. d represents the sinkers formed
according to the first part of my Invention, of a curved form, and each is affixed
to or forms part of the jack d', whilst d² represents the rod forming the axis of
these jacks, by which it will be seen that when moved the curved portions d or
the sinkers proper are caused to move in a curved direction. e are the combs for
these sinkers and their jacks to move in. They are set in leads e' applied to the
'bar e².
The front edges of these combs e are also let into saw cuts formed to receive
them in the back of the presser bar f, by which they are held steadily at those
parts, whilst the sinkers d are also guided in their motion by saw cuts formed in
the upper projecting part 1 of the presser bar f, as well as by saw cuts formed in a
projection from the underside of the slea bar f2. g is the faller bar, which is fixed
with capability of adjustment to regulate the extent of forward motion of the
sinkers d. Figure 15 shows one of the sinkers with its jack separately, and
Figure 16 a comb.
Correspondingly curve formed dividing sinkers may be employed when desired.
h, h, h, are thread carrier bars, which are supported and operated as is usual in
machines of the character commonly called "Colton's," and although I have shown
the parts for 3 thread carrier bars, this number may be varied. p is the catch bar.
For striping in various colors additional thread carriers may be employed
corresponding with the changes desired in the colors of the respective stripes.
I will now describe the second part of my improvements. is the drawing slide
bar which it will be seen, particularly by Figures 1, 3, and 14, is placed somewhat
centrally of the machine, and it is operated for its to and fro motions by means of
the cam or tappet applied to the short hollow axis 2, upon which is also affixed
the pinion, the teeth of which are taken into by the teeth of the smaller pinion i
affixed on the main shaft b, so as to be capable of revolving with that shaft and
yet of allowing of endway motion to that shaft without leaving connection with
the wheel 2³. This cam
or tappet in its rotation acts on the trucks or
bowls,, applied to revolve on studs 2 projecting up from the bar i. The bar i
is supported to traverse in fixed guides a¹, a¹, and at one end it is by the connecting
rod connected to the lever 18, one end of which is supported to rock on the fixed
stud 2, whilst the upper end is by pin joint connected to one end of the
connecting rod ", which at its other end is by a pin joint 12 connected to the
bar ¹³, connecting the series of slur cock carriers to give motion to them.
Figure 14 represents by plan view parts according to this part of the Invention
shown in Figures 1 and 3.
In machines of the character referred to, changes in the motions of some of the
parts have to be effected when producing "narrowing" operations from when
producing ordinary work, and additional movements have also to be brought into
operation for the purpose, and various means have been adopted to facilitate these
changes. I effect these changes by endway motions at the times desired to the
main or cam shaft b by the direct action of a "shogging" wheel, or by surfaces acting
as such on a lever peculiarly shaped, to act when required by tappet surfaces
affixed on such main shaft, to give the required endway motions to such shaft, first
in one, and then in the opposite direction, and to hold it in the required position
for the time desired. is the shogging wheel, represented by dotted lines in
Figure 2, and which is supported to rotate on the stationary stud j¹, and is at its
periphery cut into fine ratchet teeth, by which progressive rotary motion is given
to it by means of the click or driver, which is supported to turn on a stud j³,
carried by the lower end of the lever, and this lever j is supported to turn on a

page_text: fixed stud j³, and at its upper end it carries a bowl jº in position to be operated by
the tappet affixed on the main shaft b.
This wheel j is in use pierced with a series of holes adapted to receive and hold
by screw nuts in the positions desired a series of projections 1s; and these pro-
jections are.in position to act on a projection A¹, also capable of adjustment
applied to one side of one end of the lever . This lever is supported to rock on
the fixed stud 2, and at its other end it is forked into two parts or ends 3 and 4.
This end of the lever is also acted upon by spring to hold it with a tendency
upwards, and this lever is also held on its stud k², so that whilst it may freely rock
on that stud, it cannot move thereon end wise. The forked ends of this lever are
adapted to act with the peculiarly formed cam o. The form and action of these
parts will be better understood by reference to the separate parts, as indicated by
Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13. Figure 7 shows a side view, Figure 8 a plan
or edge view, and Figure 9 an end view of the lever / separately. Figures 10 and
11 shows a side and end view of the cam o separately, whilst Figures 12 and 13
show end views of the lever l with the shaft b and the cam o in the two positions
in relation one to the other. The cam o it will be seen is of the form of a partial
ring, the two ends o¹, o¹, of which are inclined; it is also formed with a broad
boss o² on one side of it, by which it may be firmly fixed to its shaft b, and with a
narrow boss or rim os on the opposite side, and at one part of of this narrow boss o³
it is cut away. or inclined, as will presently appear.
According to the arrangement of parts shown, when the shaft b is with its cams
in position for the formation of ordinary work, the end of the lever k will be
held upwards and be resting on the top or periphery of the ring o, whilst the other
end of that lever will be resting against the underside of the shaft b, and against
the edge of the narrow boss o³ of the cam o with a tendency to hold that shaft in
the direction for ordinary work, and as indicated by Figures 2 and 12. When it
is desired to move that shaft b endwise for the narrowing operations to be effected,
then the end of the lever k will be lifted at the time when the open part of the
ring o comes under the end k of that lever k, and then that end will fall on to
the boss o, and by the action of the inclined end of the lever k on an incline o¹,
and thence on the side of the ring o, the shaft b will be moved to the right to bring
the "narrowing" cams into operation, and the end of the lever le will then rise
up the incline o* and ride on the narrow boss o³, and the parts of the lever k be
retained in those relative positions, as indicated by Figure 13, until the shaft b is
required to be moved back again for the ordinary operations of the parts, and to
effect this change back again the end of the lever / will, at the time desired, be
allowed to slide up the incline o' on to the surface of the shaft b, and so as to bear
against the end of the boss o³, with the end of the lever & resting on the periphery
of the cam o.
I will now describe the third part of my Invention; 7 in Figure 4 shows one set
of covering points set in leads affixed to the bar 12, and 1s is another such bar as
is well understood; and these bars and are supported in arms from the
shaft, which is with the narrowing instruments operated for effecting the
operation of narrowing, as is well understood in such machines. n is the lifting
or holding lever for holding up the lever m operating the lifting and lowering
motions to the narrowing instruments. The lever m is applied to rock on the
shaft m¹, and at its other end it is connected by pin joint to the connecting rod m²,
which at its upper end is by pin joint connected to an arm 1, and each of such
arms to be operated by a rod m³ is elongated for that purpose. This lever m is
provided with a stud supporting the bowl m³ in position when the main shaft is
moved end wise for the narrowing operations to be effected, to bring the cam m
under the bowl m³, and at the same time a projection m' on that cam m³ acts on
the lifting or holding lever n, to knock it away from supporting the outer end of
the lever m, will fall with its bowl m³ on to the cam surface mo, until the
shifting back again of the main shaft b upon the completion of the desired narrowing
operations, when the cam m6 will be removed from under the bowl m³ of the lever m,
•

page_text: and that lever will drop again on to the adjustable end of the lever n, which will
then by its spring n¹ be drawn under the end of the lever m for the purpose of
supporting it, and consequently holding the narrowing instruments out of gear until
the next narrowing operations are required.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in carrying the
same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise arrangements of the several parts as shown and described, as the same may
be varied without departing from the peculiar character of my improvements. But
what I do claim is,-
Firstly. The use and application of sinkers of a segmental or curved form adapted
to travel in segmental or curved courses, and the connection thereof rigidly to lever
arms acting as jacks and parts connected therewith, operating substantially as
described.
Secondly. I claim the arranging or combining parts for operating the "slur-
cocks," substantially as described, and
Thirdly. I claim the arranging or combining parts for holding the operating
parts of the "narrowing" apparatus out of gear until that apparatus is required to
come into operation, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Josiah Cresswell, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of January, in the year One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
JOSIAH CRESSWELL, (L.S.)