Year: 1887

page_text: This Specification was, upon the 22nd day of January 1890, Amended under
Sections 18 to 21 of the Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Act, 1883.
We, JOSEPH JOHNSON ADGATE and SAMUEL PARKER KITTLE, both of 40 Kirby
Street, Hatton Garden London do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to the method of manufacture of knitted fabrics such as are
produced upon circular knitting machines; and it consists, first, in a mode of intro-
ducing an unknitted weft thread into the work and of securing it therein as the
knitting of the work proceeds, the weft thread so introduced being interwoven with
the knitted or looped yarn in such a way that it forms an integral part of the fabric
and binds the knitted work together in such way that it is less likely to ravel out
when cut.
For the purpose of introducing such weft thread, it is necessary that the knitting
needles (when in their highest position preparatory to receiving the knitting or warp
thread) should be temporarily separated into two rows, by certain of them springing
backwards out of line with the remainder, the needles which thus spring back being
either the alternate ones or otherwise, the number of needles in the two rows being
either equal or unequal, according to the class of fabric to be made, as to which there
may be considerable variation.
The means by which the motion of certain of the needles is produced, whereby
they are caused to temporarily take up a position to the rear of the line of knitting
for the purpose of introducing the weft, and whereby they are brought back to their
original position (after the weft is so introduced) for the purpose of receiving the
warp or knitting thread (with the loops of which the previously introduced weft
thread is to be interwoven) form no part of the present invention which relates
exclusively to the method of introducing the weft thread.
This method consists in entering or leading the unknitted weft thread between the
front and rear rows of needles, the direction in which the thread passes in, being a
gradual inclination from a point within or in rear of the line of knitting, downward
and outward or forward to the line of knitting, so that on the needles of the rear row
coming forward again into line with the others, the thread will lie in front of the
needles which were in the rear row and behind those of the front row. Consequently,
CD
27

page_text: the weft thread will lie across the root or base of the loops of previously knitted
yarn which are on the needles that were in the front row but will follow and merge
with the curve or bend of the loops of yarn on the needles that were in the back row,
so that when the loops which are crossed by the weft thread are cast off, they will he
thrown over or caused to make a half turn around the weft thread lying behind their
needles whilst when the loops which are on the needles in front of which the weft
thread passes are cast off, the weft thread will be cast over the heads of the needles
with them, whereby the weft thread will be brought alternately above and below the
row of knitted loops. The weft thread is consequently interwoven with and secured
into the knitted work.
Following immediately after the introduction of the weft thread, as above described,
the warp or knitting thread is introduced. in the usual way, into the hooks of the
needles, to form the succeeding course of loops, such warp or knitting thread being
preferably duplicated, as hereafter described, under the second head of invention.
The Invention relates, secondly, to the manufacture of knitted fabrics whether a
weft thread be introduced therein or not; and it has for its object to prevent the
formation of defective places, or to prevent dropping of the knitted work from the
needles, in consequence of the attendant omitting to immediately piece up the knitting
or warp thread should it happen to break.
The Invention consists in the use of a double or multiple warp thread, that is to
say, in supplying to the needles two or more warp threads instead of one single
thread, the two or more threads being together about equal in substance to the single
thread, the use of two or more fine threads in lieu of one coarse one producing work
of improved quality for most purposes. These double or multiple threads should pass
through separate yarn guides and be laid together in the hooks of the needles, and
would be looped thereby and knitted just as though they were a single thread. But
should one of the double or multiple threads break, the other or others will remain
intact and so, should the knitting be continued, the work although it may possibly be
locally weakened will not have an absolute hole as would be the case when the
warp thread breaks in its entirety as must necessarily be the case when a single warp
thread is used. The attendant will consequently be able to piece up a broken warp
thread at leisure, without causing a serious defect in the work.
The Invention relates, thirdly, to a mode of introducing into the fabric, an extra
warp or knitting thread or threads differing in material nature or color, from the
remainder and which are introduced in such a way as to form continuous or broken
parallel stripes running lengthwise of the piece, a result which has never heretofore
been practically accomplished.
This method of manufacture is carried on in a knitting machine such as that herein
described under the first head of invention that is to say-a machine in which the
heads of the needles are temporarily separated into two rows when in their highest
position by the heads of certain of them assuming, when rising, a position in rear of,
and out of line with, the remainder, but the present part of the invention is quite
independent of the first and second parts of this invention that is to say-it may be
employed whether or not a weft thread is introduced and whether or not double or
multiple warp threads are used, the disposition of the needles remaining unaltered in
either case.
This part of the invention consists in introducing the extra warp thread or threads
which is or are destined to form the stripe or other pattern, into the hooks of the rear
needles (that is to say-the needle or needles whose heads have moved backwards out
of line with the others, as aforesaid) and not into those of the front needles so that
it will be knitted on to the fabric by the rear needles only and not by the front ones.
This extra warp is taken by the hooks of the rear needles as they descend and come
forward into line with the remainder of the needles, such warp thread being led in
the proper direction by means of a suitable guide.
looped, may
The back row of needles by which such pattern or extra warp thread
or may not loop the warp thread forming the ground or body of the fabric—that is
to say if the heads of those needles are of the same shape as the heads of the front

page_text: needles, they will receive in their hooks first the pattern warp thread and afterwards
the warp thread or threads forming the body or ground of the fabric, so that each of
such needles will receive an additional warp thread and will have an additional loop
formed upon it, but this will not affect the working of the machine in any way, the
double or multiple loops upon each of those needles being formed and cast off simul-
taneously as though they were single loops like the remainder.
The fabric will, however, be thicker, where such extra warp threads are introduced,
and the extra or pattern warp threads may be obscured by the other warp threads;
and to avoid this, the rear needles may be made to receive only the pattern or extra
warp thread and not those forming the ground. This is done by making the hooks
of the rear needles longer than those of the front needles, so that the point of such
hooks will come below the ground warp threads which will consequently come against
the outside of the hooks of those needles, and will not be laid into or under those
hooks, but will skip them and will not, therefore, be looped thereby, but will only
enter and be looped by the hooks of the needles of the front row. In this case, it is
advisable also that the heads of those needles which are to receive only the extra or
pattern warp thread, should be formed with pointed instead of rounded hooks, so as
not to prevent the ground warp thread entering the hooks of the adjacent needles.
Dated this 18th day of May 1887.
J. J. ADGATE.
S. P. KITTLE.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: in the drawings accompanying the specification of another application for Letters
Patent dated May 10th 1887 No. 6880.
The first improvement consists, as above mentioned, in a mode of introducing an
unknitted weft thread a into the work as the knitting proceeds.
For this purpose the knitting needles (when in their highest position) are
temporarily separated into two rows, by certain of them moving backwards out of
line with the remainder, the needles which thus move back being either alternate ones
or otherwise. The number of needles in the two rows may be either equal or
unequal, according to the class of fabric to be made, as to which there may be
considerable variation.
The means by which the motion of certain of the needles (See specifications of our
previous Patents A.D. 1885 15th Decr. No. 15407. A.D). 1885 15th Decr. No. 15411.
A.D. 1887 10th May No. 6880.) is produced whereby they are caused to temporarily
take up a position to the rear of the line of knitting, for the purpose of introducing the
weft and whereby they are brought back to their original position (after the weft is so
introduced) for the purpose of receiving the warp or knitting thread forms no part of
the present invention which relates exclusively to the method of introducing the weft
thread. It will therefore, be sufficient to state that those needles which are intended
to take up a rearward position have reverse bends 6 b¹ in their shanks whereby the heads
of the needles when in their highest position, are caused to lean inwards over the
knitting ring. In the drawing, those of the needles c which have bent shanks and
which therefore take up a back-row position, are distinguished by odd numbers whilst
the front row needles are distinguished by even numbers.
This method consists in entering or leading the unknitted weft thread a between
the front row of needles c2 c c etc and the rear row of needles c¹ ca c³ etc whilst the
said needles are in their highest position the direction in which the thread passes in,
being a gradual inclination from a point d above and in rear of the line of knitting,
downward and forward to the line of knitting e e so that on the needles c¹ c³ etc of
the rear row coming forward again into line with the others (as from c to c) the
thread will lie in front of the needles which were in the rear row and behind those
which were in the front row. Consequently the warp or knitting thread which is
laid into the hooks of all the needles in the ordinary way (immediately after the weft
thread a has been laid between them as above described) will lie across the convolu-
tions of the said weft thread a where the latter passes between the needles when the
said warp is drawn down in the form of loops, and the previously knitted loops fare
cast off the needles. The part of the weft thread a which passes in front of the
needles c¹ cc etc, is thrown over the heads of those needles along with the previously
knitted loops f which are on the needles, but the part of the weft thread which passes
behind the needles c c c etc, is not thrown over those needles in the act of casting
the loops on those needles, the result being that the weft thread a will be caused to
make about half a turn around the warp thread wherever it crosses the latter. The
weft thread a is consequently interwoven with, and secured into, the knitted work, as
shewn in figure 2 which represents (on a greatly magnified scale) a portion of the
work as it hangs upon the shanks of the needles in the machine. The weft lies mainly
on the wrong or reverse side of the work. a represents the weft threads, f the knitted
or warp threads. ccc¹0 are three of the needles, and the broken line a* shows the
course which the next weft thread will take around and between the needles.
To prevent the formation of defective places, or to prevent dropping of the knitted
work from the needles in consequence of the attendant omitting to immediately piece
up the knitting or warp thread should it happen to break, it is preferred to use a
double or multiple warp thread-that is to say to supply to the needles two or more
warp threads ff instead of one single thread; the use of two or more fine threads
in lieu of one coarse one, producing work of improved quality for most purposes.
These double or multiple threads f₁f should pass through separate yarn guides and
be laid together in the hooks of the needlos and would be looped thereby and knitted
just as though they were a single thread. It will be observed that the warp thread,
whether a single or double warp thread be used, will pass into the hooks of all the

page_text: needles in succession whether they were back row or front row needles, the warp
thread or threads being laid in the needles after they have descended a little in their
guides, and consequently after the back row needles have come forward into line with
the front row needles.
The Invention relates secondly to a mode of introducing into the fabric, an extra
warp or knitting thread or threads differing in material, nature, or color, from the
remainder, and which are introduced in such a way as to form continuous or broken
parallel stripes running lengthwise of the piece, a result which has never heretofore
been practically accomplished.
This method of manufacture is carried on in a knitting machine such as that
herein described under the first head of invention- that is to say--a machine in which
the heads of the needles are temporarily separated into two rows, when in their
highest position, by the heads of certain of them assuming, when rising, a position
in rear of, and out of line with, the remainder; but the present part of the invention
is quite independent of the first part of this invention that is to say it may be
employed whether or not a weft thread a is introduced; the disposition of the needles
remaining unaltered.
This part of the invention consists in introducing the extra warp thread h
which is destined to form the stripe or other pattern, into the hooks of the rear
needles e cc etc (that is to say, the needles whose heads have moved backwards out
of line with the others, as aforesaid) and not into those of the front needles ²² etc,
so that it will be knitted into the fabric by the rear needles ca etc only,
and not by the front ones. This extra warp,h is taken by the hooks of the rear
needles c¹² etc as they descend and come forward into line with the remainder of
the needles, such warp thread h being led in the proper direction by means of a
suitable guide.
The back row of needles c¹ c* c etc, by which such pattern or extra warp thread is
looped, may or may not loop the warp thread or threads f¹ f' forming the ground
or body of the fabric.
In the example illustrated in Figure 1 the heads of the needles c³ ³ ³ etc, are of
the same shape as the heads of the front needles c c c etc, and they will consequently
receive in their hooks first the pattern warp thread h and afterwards the warp thread
or threads f¹f forming the body or ground of the fabric, (which as before inentioned
are looped by all of the needles both front and back) so that each of such
needles, c¹³ ³ etc will receive an additional warp thread and will have an additional
loop formed upon it, but this will not affect the working of the machine in any way,
the double or multiple loops upon each of those needles being formed and cast off
simultaneously, as though they were single loops like the remainder.
The fabric will however, be thicker were such extra warp threads are introduced,
and the extra or pattern warp threads may be obscured by the warp thread or
threads ffforming the ground or body of the fabric.
To avoid this, the rear needles c¹³c etc, may be made to receive only the pattern
or extra warp thread h and not the warp thread or threads forming the ground. This
is done by making the hooks of the rear needles longer than those of the front
needles as shown on a larger scale in Figure 3 so that the points of such hooks will
come below the warp threads ƒ ƒ³ which will consequently come against the outside
of the hooks of those needles instead of being laid into or under their hooks. The
warp thread or threads ff will consequently skip the hooks of the rear needles and
will not therefore be looped thereby, but will only enter and be looped by the hooks
of the needles of the front row. In this case it is advisable also that the heads or
hooks of those needles which are to receive only the extra or pattern warp thread h
should be less open, as shown in Figure 3 (which represents a few of the needles in
the position they occupy when the warp threads are being laid in) so that the long
points of the needles will not project so far forward as the short points of the
needles cc, etc, and will not therefore prevent the ground warp threads f¹ få
entering the hooks of the front row of needles c¹ cº, &c.
As before mentioned, the order in which the needles take up front and back row

page_text: positions, may be considerably varied and for the purpose of the second improvement
(viz. introducing a pattern warp thread forming longitudinal stripes in the fabric)
the order in which the needles take up front and back row positions would depend on
the distance desired between the stripes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we would observe that
we do not claim broadly introducing and interweaving a weft thread in a knitted
fabric, but that what we do claim is :-
1st. The particular method herein described of introducing and interweaving an
unknitted weft thread in a knitted fabric in course of manufacture, which method
consists in leading the weft thread between the knitting needles when the same are
in their highest position and are separated into two rows, the weft thread being led
in, in a gradually downwardly inclined direction, so that on the two rows of needles
coming again into one line, the weft thread will lie behind the needles of the front
row and in front of the needles of the back row, and will therefore be crossed between
the needles by the warp thread which is introduced immediately afterwards into the
hooks of the needles, so that on the casting off of the previously formed loops of warp
thread the weft thread will be entwined partially around the warp thread, substantially
as specified.
2nd. The herein described method of knitting a fabric with a striped pattern
running longitudinally of the piece, which consists in introducing an extra or pattern
warp thread between the needles when the same are separated into front and back
rows of needles, the thread being laid in the hooks of the back needles only so as to
be looped by the back needles and not by the front needles, as specified, whether the
warp threads forming the ground are or are not also looped by the same needles.
Dated this 8th day of February 1888.

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1887
Complete Left, 8th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 9th Mar., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Knitted Fabrics.
We, JOSEPH JOHNSON ADGATE and SAMUEL PARKER KITTLE, both of 40 Kirby
Street, Hatton Garden London do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to the method of manufacture of knitted fabrics such as are
produced upon circular knitting machines; and it consists, first, in a mode of intro-
ducing an unknitted weft thread into the work and of securing it therein as the
knitting of the work proceeds, the weft thread so introduced being interwoven with
the knitted or looped yarn in such a way that it forms an integral part of the fabric
and binds the knitted work together in such way that it is less likely to ravel out
when cut.
For the purpose of introducing such weft thread, it is necessary that the knitting
needles (when in their highest position preparatory to receiving the knitting or warp
thread) should be temporarily separated into two rows, by certain of them springing
backwards out of line with the remainder, the needles which thus spring back being
either the alternate ones or otherwise, the number of needles in the two rows being
either equal or unequal, according to the class of fabric to be made, as to which there
may be considerable variation.
The means by which the motion of certain of the needles is produced, whoreby
they are caused to temporarily take up a position to the rear of the line of knitting
for the purpose of introducing the weft, and whereby they are brought back to their
original position (after the weft is so introduced) for the purpose of receiving the
warp or knitting thread (with the loops of which the previously introduced weft
thread is to be interwoven) form no part of the present invention which relates
exclusively to the method of introducing the weft thread.
This method consists in entering or leading the unknitted weft thread between the
front and rear rows of needles, the direction in which the thread passes in, being a
gradual inclination from a point within or in rear of the line of knitting, downward
and outward or forward to the line of knitting, so that on the needles of the rear row
coming forward again into line with the others, the thread will lie in front of the
needles which were in the rear row and behind those of the front row. Consequently,

page_text: the weft thread will lie across the root or base of the loops of previously knitted
yarn which are on the needles that were in the front row but will follow and mergo
with the curve or bend of the loops of yarn on the needles that were in the back row,
so that when the loops which are crossed by the weft thread are cast off, they will be
thrown over or caused to make a half turn around the weft thread lying behind their
needles whilst when the loops which are on the needles in front of which the weft
thread passes are cast off, the weft thread will be cast over the heads of the needles
with them, whereby the weft thread will be brought alternately above and below the
row of knitted loops. The weft thread is consequently interwoven with and secured
into the knitted work.
Following immediately after the introduction of the weft thread, as above described,
the warp or knitting thread is introduced, in the usual way, into the hooks of the
needles, to form the succeeding course of loops, such warp or knitting thread being
preferably duplicated, as hereafter described, under the second head of invention.
The Invention relates, secondly, to the manufacture of knitted fabrics whether a
weft thread be introduced therein or not; and it has for its object to prevent the
formation of defective places, or to prevent dropping of the knitted work from the
needles, in consequence of the attendant omitting to immediately piece up the knitting
or warp thread should it happen to break.
The Invention consists in the use of a double or multiple warp thread, that is to
say, in supplying to the needles two or more warp threads instead of one single
thread, the two or more threads being together about equal in substance to the single
thread, the use of two or more fine threads in lieu of one coarse ono producing work
of improved quality for most purposes. These double or multiple threads should pass
through separate yarn guides and be laid together in the hooks of the needles, and
would be looped thereby and knitted just as though they were a single thread. But
should one of the double or multiple threads break, the other or others will remain
intact and so, should the knitting be continued, the work although it may possibly be
locally weakened will not have an absolute hole as would be the case when the
warp thread breaks in its entirety as must necessarily be the case when a single warp
thread is used. The attendant will consequently be able to piece up a broken warp
thread at leisure, without causing a serious defect in the work.
The Invention relates, thirdly, to a mode of introducing into the fabric, an extra
warp or knitting thread or throads differing in material nature or color, from the
remainder and which are introduced in such a way as to form continuous or broken
parallel stripes running lengthwise of the piece, a result which has never heretofore
been practically accomplished.
This method of manufacture is carried on in a knitting machine such as that herein
described under the first head of invention that is to say-a machine in which tho
heads of the needles are temporarily separated into two rows when in their highest
position by the beads of certain of them assuming, when rising, a position in rear of,
and out of line with, the remainder, but the present part of the invention is quite
independent of the first and second parts of this invention that is to say it may be
employed whether or not a weft thread is introduced and whether or not double or
multiple warp threads are used, the disposition of the needles remaining unaltered in
either case.
This part of the invention consists in introducing the extra warp thread or threads
which is or are destined to form the stripe or other pattern, into the hooks of the rear
needles (that is to say-the needle or needles whose heads have moved backwards out
of line with the others, as aforesaid) and not into those of the front needles so that
it will be knitted on to the fabric by the rear needles only and not by the front ones.
This extra warp is taken by the hooks of the rear needles as they descend and come
forward into line with the remainder of the needles, such warp thread being led in
the proper direction by means of a suitable guide.
The back row of needles by which such pattern or extra warp thread is looped, may
or may not loop the warp thread forming the ground or body of the fabric-that is
to say if the heads of those needles are of the same shape as the heads of the front

page_text: needles, they will receive in their hooks first the pattern warp thread and afterwards
the warp thread or threads forming the body or ground of the fabric, so that each of
such needles will receive an additional warp thread and will have an additional loop
formed upon it, but this will not affect the working of the machine in any way, the
double or multiple loops upon each of those needles being formed and cast off simul-
taneously as though they were single loops like the remainder.
The fabric will, however, be thicker, where such extra warp threads are introduced,
and the extra or pattern warp threads may be obscured by the other warp threads;
and to avoid this, the rear needles may be made to receive only the pattern or extra
warp thread and not those forming the ground. This is done by making the hooks
of the rear needles longer than those of the front needles, so that the point of such
hooks will come below the ground warp threads which will consequently come against
the outside of the hooks of those needles, and will not be laid into or under those
hooks, but will skip them and will not, therefore, be looped thereby, but will only
enter and be looped by the hooks of the needles of the front row. In this case, it is
advisable also that the heads of those needles which are to receive only the extra or
pattern warp thread, should be formed with pointed instead of rounded hooks, so as
not to prevent the ground warp thread entering the hooks of the adjacent needles.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Knitted Fabrics.
We, JOSEPH JOHNSON ADGATE and SAMUEL PARKER KITTLE both of 40 Kirby
Street, Hatton Garden London do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention relates to the method of manufacturing knitted fabrics, such as are
produced upon circular knitting machines; and it consists first in a particular mode
of introducing an unknitted weft thread into the work-and secondly in the intro-
duction of an extra warp or knitting thread for a purpose hereinafter described.
These two improvements may be used separately; but they are both represented
in the accompanying drawing which represents in figure 1, a perspective view of
one of the knitting places upon a circular knitting machine having a number of such
knitting places around it. Reference will be had to this drawing in describing the
several improvements of this invention. The remainder of the machine is illustrated.
in the drawings accompanying the specification of another application for Letters
Patent dated May 10th 1887 No. 6880.
The first improvement consists, as above mentioned, in a mode of introducing, an
unknitted weft thread a into the work as the knitting proceeds.

page_text: For this purpose the knitting needles (when in their highest position) are
temporarily separated into two rows, by certain of them moving backwards out of
line with the remainder, the needles which thus move back being either alternate ones
or otherwise. The number of needles in the two rows may be either equal or
unequal, according to the class of fabric to be made, as to which there may be
considerable variation.
The means by which the motion of certain of the needles is produced whereby they
are caused to temporarily take up a position to the rear of the line of knitting, for
the purpose of introducing the weft and whereby they are brought back to their
original position (after the weft is so introduced) for the purpose of receiving the
warp or knitting thread forms no part of the present invention which relates exclusively
to the method of introducing the weft thread. It will therefore, be sufficient to
state that those needles which are intended to take up a rearward position have
reverse bends 6 b in their shanks whereby the heads of the needles when in their
highest position, are caused to lean inwards over the knitting ring. In the drawing,
those of the needles c which have bent shanks and which therefore take up a back-
row position, are distinguished by odd numbers whilst the front row needles are
distinguished by even numbers.
This method consists in entering or leading the unknitted weft thread a between
the front row of needles c c c etc and the rear row of needles c¹ ca c etc whilst the
said needles are in their highest position the direction in which the thread passes in,
being a gradual inclination from a point d above and in rear of the line of knitting,
downward and forward to the line of knitting e e so that on the needles c¹ c³ etc of
the rear row coming forward again into line with the others (as from c to c) the
thread will lie in front of the needles which were in the rear row and behind those
which were in the front row. Consequently the warp or knitting thread which is
laid into the hooks of all the needles in the ordinary way (immediately after the weft
thread a has been laid between them as above described) will lie across the convolu-
tions of the said weft thread a where the latter passes between the needles when the
said warp is drawn down in the form of loops, and the previously knitted loops fare
cast off the needles. The part of the weft thread a which passes in front of the
needles e¹ ecete, is thrown over the heads of those needles along with the previously
knitted loops which are on the needles, but the part of the weft thread which passes
behind the needles c c c etc, is not thrown over those needles in the act of casting
the loops on those needles, the result being that the weft thread a will be caused to
make about half a turn around the warp thread wherever it crosses the latter. The
weft thread a is consequently interwoven with, and secured into, the knitted work, as
shewn in figure 2 which represents (on a greatly magnified scale) a portion of the
work as it hangs upon the shanks of the needles in the machine. The weft lies mainly
on the wrong or reverse side of the work. a represents the weft threads, f the knitted
or warp threads. ccc are three of the needles, and the broken line a* shews the
course which the next weft throad will take around and between the needles.
To prevent the formation of defective places, or to prevent dropping of the knitted
work from the needles in consequence of the attendant omitting to immediately piece
up the knitting or warp thread should it happen to break, it is preferred to use a
double or multiple warp thread-that is to say to supply to the needles two or more
warp threads ff instead of one single thread; the use of two or more fine threads
in lieu of one coarse one, producing work of improved quality for most purposes;
These double or multiple threads fif should pass through separate yarn guides and
be laid together in the hooks of the needles and would be looped thereby and knitted
just as though they were a single thread. It will be observed that the warp thread,
whether a single or double warp thread be used, will pass into the hooks of all the
needles in succession whether they were back row or front row needles, the warp
thread or threads being laid in the needles after they have descended a little in their
guides, and consequently after the back row needles have come forward into line with
the front row needles.
The Invention relates secondly to a mode of introducing into the fabric, an extra

page_text: warp or knitting thread or threads differing in material, nature, or color, from the
remainder, and which are introduced in such a way as to form continuous or broken
parallel stripes running lengthwise of the piece, a result which has never heretofore
been practically accomplished.
This method of manufacture is carried on in a knitting machine such as that
herein described under the first head of invention that is to say-a machine in which
the heads of the needles are temporarily separated into two rows, when in their
highest position, by the heads of certain of them assuming, when rising, a position
in rear of, and out of line with, the remainder; but the present part of the invention
is quite independent of the first part of this invention that is to say it may be
employed whether or not a weft thread a is introduced; the disposition of the needles
remaining unaltered.
.
This part of the invention consists in introducing the extra warp thread h
which is destined to form the stripe or other pattern, into the hooks of the rear
needles ccc etc (that is to say, the needles whose heads have moved backwards out
of line with the others, as aforesaid) and not into those of the front needles c² c¹³ etc,
so that it will be knitted into the fabric by the roar needles cl cc etc only,
and not by the front ones. This extra warp is taken by the books of the rear
needles c¹ cete as they descend and come forward into line with the remainder of
the needles, such warp thread being lod in the proper direction by means of a
suitable guide.
The back row of needles c¹ c³ c³ etc, by which such pattern or extra warp thread is
looped, may or may not loop the warp thread or threads f1f2 forming the ground
or body of the fabric.
In the example illustrated in Figuro 1 the heads of the needles c¹ c³ c³ etc, are of
the same shape as the heads of the front needles c c c etc, and they will consequently
receive in their hooks first the pattern warp thread / and afterwards the warp thread
or threads ff2 forming the body or ground of the fabric, (which as before mentioned
are looped by all of the needles both front and back) so that each of such
needles c¹³ etc will receive an additional warp thread and will have an additional
loop formed upon it, but this will not affect the working of the machine in any way,
the double or multiple loops upon each of those needles being formed and cast off
simultaneously, as though they were single loops like the remainder.
The fabric will however, be thicker where such extra warp threads are introduced,
and the extra or pattern warp threads may be obscured by the warp thread or
threads forming the ground or body of the fabric.
To avoid this, the rear needles c¹ cc etc, may be made to receive only the pattern
or extra warp thread and not the warp thread or threads forming the ground. This
is done by making the hooks of the rear needles longer than those the front
needles as shown on a larger scale in Figure 3 so that the points of such hooks will
come below the warp threads f¹f which will consequently come against the outside
of the hooks of those needles instead of being laid into or under their hooks. The
warp thread or threads ff will consequently skip the hooks of the rear needles and
will not therefore be looped thereby, but will only enter and be looped by the hooks
of the needles of the front row. In this case it is advisable also that the heads or
hooks of those needles which are to receive only the extra or pattern warp thread h
should be less open, as shown in Figure 3 (which represents a few of the needles in
the position they occupy when the warp threads are being laid in) so that the long
points of the needles will not project so far forward as the short points of the
needles cc, etc, and will not therefore prevent the ground warp threads f¹ƒ
entering the hooks of the front row of needles c¹ c, &c.
As before mentioned, the order in which the needles take up front and back row
positions, may be considerably varied and for the purpose of the second improvement
(viz. introducing a pattern warp thread forming longitudinal stripes in the fabric)
the order in which the needles take up front and back row positions would depend on
the distance desired between the stripes.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we would observe that
we do not claim broadly introducing and interweaving a weft thread in a knitted
fabric, but that what we do claim is :-
1st. The particular method herein described of introducing and interweaving an
unknitted weft thread in a knitted fabric in course of manufacture, which method
consists in leading the weft thread between the knitting needles when the same are
in their highest position and are separated into two rows, the weft thread being led
in, in a gradually downwardly inclined direction, so that on the two rows of needles
coming again into one line, the weft thread will lie behind the needles of the front
row and in front of the needles of the back row, and will therefore be crossed between
the needles by the warp thread which is introduced immediately afterwards into the
hooks of the needles, so that on the casting off of the previously formed loops of warp
thread the weft thread will be entwined partially around the warp thread, substantially
as specified.
2nd. The herein described method of knitting a fabric with a striped pattern
running longitudinally of the piece, which consists in introducing an extra or pattern
warp thread between the needles when the same are separated into front and back
rows of needles, the thread being laid in the hooks of the back needles only so as to
be looped by the back needles and not by the front needles, as specified, whether the
warp threads forming the ground are or are not also looped by the same needles.