Improvements in Knitting Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Apr., 1890-Accepted, 14th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
HENRY SLATER LONG, Machinist 2013 Coral Street, Philadelphia Pennsylvania,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to circular seamless machines. First, to the driving of said
machines by an antifriction chain gear and sprocket wheels made applicable to hand
or foot power stocking weaving machines and driven by a foot motor said motor
having a driving wheel, cranked shaft and treadle.
Second, to provide a yarn tension device to prevent the breaking of yarn and
stripping the work off the machine.
Third, to provide a convenient mechanism for automatically working the heels and
toes of seamless stockings in place of the known system of doing it by hand.
The Knitting Machine can be of any of the ordinary types of circular frames and
is provided with a pair of bevel wheels for driving in the usual manner.
Upon the
shaft of the second bevel wheel is mounted a fixed stud wheel. An endless chain
engages with the studs of the wheel and also with the studs of a second sprocket,
wheel mounted loosely on the main driving shaft, said sprocket wheel being made to
move in and out of action with a fixed disc mounted on the above mentioned shaft,
and made to drive Knitting Machine from said sprocket wheel by friction only, the
disc having a set screw in the hub in which hub is cut a keybed and a friction bar
inserted therein between the set screw and the shaft.
The loosely mounted sprocket is provided with projections adapted to enter depres-
sions in the face of the disc and an interposod spring tends to keep the sprocket
disengaged with the disc when not to be driven.
In the disc is screwed a crank pin in a slot on its outward face from the sprocket
and where the main shaft terminates, for the purpose of getting a reciprocating
motion when manipulating the heels. From the pins runs a sliding rod to a given
point in the endless chain so that when in engagement with the pin and chain gives
the required backward and forward motion in the knitting of the heels and toes.
An ordinary shifting lever is provided to control the movements of the stud wheel
said lever lying in a groove of the sprocket hub and pivoted at its extremity to the
framework, serves to throw the sprocket into and out of engagement with the disc.
The shifting lever referred to above is connected with an upright rod by an horizontal
slotted bar and stud, said upright rod hanging from a balance lover centered on the
shaft of knitter and kept in position by a socket on the floor said upright rod
having movable shelves to determine the length of the finished work so when work
weight descends on shelves of the rod the rod is depressed and shifting lever
relieved from said locking stud and the machine stops running.
The balance lever referred to above is connected to a scale beam attachment and
through a bend in one end of said lever attachment the yarn passes at quite an angle
on its way from the bobbin to the cylinder and from the other end runs a wire or
string to end of balance lever. The result of this mechanism is that when a knot or
lump occurs in the yarn the extra tension exerted by the catching of said knot in the
catcher provided with a smal! eyelet will depress one end of scale beam attachment
and will by means of the intermediate balance lever and upright rod relieve the
shifting lever from its locking stud so as to disengage the stud gear from the disc
and thus stop the machine.
The automatic heeling device consists in cutting two or four slots at quite an angle
and at convenient points on the cam cylinder of circular machine and inserting two
or four slides into said slots, two to pick up the needles one by one on opposite side of

page_text: cam cylinder and raising them out of action with the knitting cams; and two for
the purpose of taking down the thus elevated needles and putting them in action with
the knitting cains.
I obtain these movements by a system of shifting levers and tappets screwed to
outside of cam cylinder and connected with slides in order to move slides up and down
in their several slots at every movement of the cam cylinder, actuated by trip catches
centered in studs, screwed in body plate of machine and made to throw into action
with the shifting tappets when manipulating the heels and toes, and thrown out of
action with the tappets when on the tubular work of the stocking.
Said system of tappets and slides can be made to make two kinds of heels and toes,
according to choice of work, by using two slides only for one kind with double action
and flat spring tappets and trip catches or four slidos with single action for the other
kind.
The above mentioned driving gear to be actuated by a cranked shaft with fly wheel,
pitman and treadle, to be driven by foot to save the cost of steam or any other costly
agent.
Obviously some of the above described features are not confined to be used in con-
invention.
nection with a foot power machine, and I therefore, do not desire to so limit my
Dated this 26th day of June 1889.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
I HENRY SLATER LONG of 2043 Coral Stroet Philadelphia United States of America,
Machinist 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 :-
My invention also relates to improvements in knitting machines adapted for
automatically constructing the heels and toes of stockings to be applied in connection
with any of the well known circular headed machines and consists in providing
mechanism for raising and lowering the needles.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a circular knitting machine embodying
my invention, and shewing the needle cylinder removed.
Figure 2 represents a sectional elevation of part of a cylinder, shewing my now
slide in position to elevate a needle.
Figure 3 represents a side elevation of part of a cam cylinder, showing the new
slide, shifting lover or arin and the fixed stud.
Figure represents a transverse vertical section of
shewing the new needle returning slides.
part of the cam cylinder,
of figure 4.
Figure 5 represents a sectional view taken in the line
Figure 6 represents a detail perspective view of the connecting slide shewn applied
in figure 2.
Figure 7, represents a detail view in elevation of the tappet arm, shewn as
constructed with a joint.
Figure 81 and 8 represent detail views on an enlarged scale of the tappet arms and
attachments.
Figure 91 and 92 represent studs with trip catches.
Figure 10 is a side elevation of a double machine or two machines identical in most
parts and connected together to be driven by power applied between them.
Figure 11 is an elevation of the machine upon the right in Figure 10 seen from
the right.

page_text: Figure 12 is an elevation of the machine upon the left in figure 1 seen from the
left.
Figure 13 shews upon a larger scale and in plan the devices for throwing the
mechanism into and out of engagement with the lower or power shaft of figures 10
11 and 12.
Figure 14 is a partial vertical section through the axis of the shaft 13.
Figure 15 is a section on the line
Referring to the drawings on sheet 1
of figure 14 looking to the right.
A designates a revolving cam cylinder of a well known form having a needle race S
to keep the needles in position for the knitting cams. Two or more slots Care formed
in the cam cylinder beginning slightly below the needle rest and cutting partly
through the needle rest and through the wall of the cylinder to near the top of the
cam cylinder and close to knitting cams and arranged at any angle of inclination
slides B are mounted in the slots C, and consist of flat plates J, J provided with
pins I, I, on the upper and lower sides, adapted to be drawn into recesses J' formed in
the wall of the said cylinder and thereby form an unobstructed passage or slide way
for the needle hobs or flat sides of such needles V to the idle position in the needle
cylinder shown in figure 3.
Bowed
Tappet blocks E are held by screws G surrounded by springs F to the outer
surface of the cam cylinder said screws locking fast in cam cylinder and leaving
freedom for rocking action to said blocks, and fixed adjacent to the slot Cand
have lower projecting jointed arm H to move the slide down into position to take
a needle at the forward movement of the cylinder to the slide only and flap loose the
return action. A spring arm T is also attached to each of the said blocks E and
projects up through an opening formed in each of the slide plates B.
springs Dare attached to the cylinder in a line substantially parallel with the slots C
and bear against the arms T of the tappet blocks and have a tendency to draw the
plates B outwardly as herebefore referred to. The tappet blocks are also adapted to
be constructed with double depending arms made of spring steel as shown in
figure 8 and 82 to move slides B at both forward and backward movements of the cam
cylinder thereby making the same slides take the needles V down from the idle
position as well as put them up in place of the jointed arms B and extending
downwards from both sides of the blocks E. The arms Hand H being detachably
secured to each block E and extending therefrom at an angle a short distance bolow
the lower edge of the said block. Two of these blocks are mounted on each side of
the needle cams and adjacent to each other, at the front of the cam cylinder as fully
shewn in figure I where single acting slides are used. Studs W project outward
from the cam cylinder above the slots only when doublo action slides are used and
are adapted to be engaged upon either side by the spring arm T of the tappet blocks
for making a rigid stopping point for arm Tin both actions of the slide namely by
reversing from the under or rising action of the slide to the over and taking down
ction by adjusting the latter arin T, three studs are attached to the base ring in
proximity to the cam cylinder in about three equal divisions stud Q at the front; two
are provided with a spring arm projecting inwardly and against which strike the
rms H of the tappet blocks to lower the slides for engaging the needle hobs.
These two studs are arranged adjacent to the slides B located on each side of the
eedle cams viewed with the yarn carrier from you and on the front side is mounted a
tud provided with a hinged arm R as shown in figure 1.
A trough K figure 2 is formed at the lower end of the left slots C wherein the
ower end of the slide B projects in its lowest adjustment. When the slides B are
levated they break the continuity of raceway for the needle hobs V1 between
he race S and the idle position of the needles thereby allowing the active needles to
ass under the slides and take their place on the kuitting cams in order to provide for
ontinuous raceway when desired. For raising one half of the needles out of action
ith the knitting cams collectively, preparatory to making the heel and toe I construct
e slide M having a guide extension projecting through a vertical slot formed in the
m cylinder directly under the trough K. The said extension is adjusted by a

page_text: projecting screw threaded rod N engaged by a winged nut or hooked end P bearing
against a flat spring O that produces sufficient tension to hold the said connecting
slide in an elevated position while the back half of the needles are raised out of action
with the knitting cams and left there in the idle position shown at figure 3.
As shewn in figure 1 the left slide B is in position to receive the approaching t
hob V of the needle and when the cam cylinder is turned a half revolution forward
the needle hob is caused to be caught by pin I on the upper side of the left slide B for
example, and the needle hob moves the said slide upward until the pin on the upper
side thereof reaches the recess J when the spring D forces said slide outward and
allows the needle hob to pass and continue upward to the idle position A¹. The slides
operate in the same manner on each side of the knitting cams the one being lowered
while the other is raised to take one needle from each side of the gang of needles
employed at the time of forming the heel or toc. To return the needles to the
position from which they were first taken see Fig. 3 the upper arms T of the double
tappet blocks are sprung to the opposite side of the studs W and trip catch R thrown
into position to trip depending arm H¹ of both blocks forcing slide up to take a needle
and allow the needle hobs to pass down under the said slides one by one from the idle
position in which they were placed at each forward and backward movement of the
cam cylinder.
As herebefore referred to each of the said slides acts on opposite sides of the needle
cylinder and engages one needle at a time as the cam cylinder moves backward and
forward and the said slides are thrown out of action when the pocket is complete by
throwing catch R over on the outer side of stud Q.
The needle taking down slides B seen in the front part of fig. 1 are adapted to be
used with the other slides in the formation of a plain link or locking seam and are
operated in the same way as the slides just described. The slides are shown arranged
at an angle to each other or the position they will occupy with the slides first
described. These additional slides may or may not be used as found desirable ac-
cording to choice of work and when used each of the four slides will be provided
with a single jointed arm when the make of the machine requires it.
The connecting slide M is held in an elevated position while the cam cylinder is
moved half way round to raise the half of needles out of action with the knitting
cams and the needles are held there by spring bands around needle cylinder through
the manipulation of the heel and toe and then slide M is set down to its lowest
adjustment.
By this mechanism I can make two kinds of seamless heels and toes, one a rib
link or locking of double feeds of yarn and the other a plain link or locking seam in
the pocket of the stocking the rib link is obtained by using the two raising slides
only as referred to by giving them double action in the tappet block with double spring
arin operating in conjunction with flat spring trip catches as seen in fig. 8 and 9. By
this arrangement I can readily dispense with the use of four slides and when using two
only 1 employ said tappet blocks with double arms and bring the two arms into play
by shifting the upper arms or levers T thereof from the under side of stud W to the
upper in order to reverse the action of the slide thereby making said slides take the
idle needles down one by one into action with the knitting cam.
I do not wish to limit myself to either form of construction reserving the right to
use both as the different machines may require and also of any form of knitting cau
and any number of feeds; referring to drawings upon Sheet 2.
In figs. 10, 11 and 12 A' A³ are columns supporting a suitable bed or table A upo
which rests the rotating cylinders 3 of the knitting machines which offer in them
selves no novelty and which are therefore neither shown nor described in detail but ar
The cylinders are actuate
designated by the generic phrase "Knitting Mechanism."
by bevel gears 1 mounted riggidly upon shafts 4 which revolve freely in bearing
formed integrally with or rigidly attached to the frame of the knitter. Upon the oute
A sprock
end of these shafts are fixed crank wheels 5 provided with hand cranks 2.
wheel G is loosely mounted upon the shaft in proximity to the wheel 5 and this
connected by a chain belt H with a corresponding sprocket
upon a power shaft

page_text: mounted in suitable bearings upon the column A¹ A³. This
driven by a treadle E acting through a pitman har D and crank B₁, but may evidently
shaft is shown as
power
be actuated by gears, belts or the equivalent from any power driven shaft.
By means of mechanism shown in figs. 13, 14 and 15 either of the sprockets may be
disengaged from its shaft but I have shown the mechanism only upon the shaft 4 in the
machine a, fig. 10 and upon the shaft B in the machine b, Fig. 10. Upon the outer
face of the sprocket G. Fig. 14 are lugs 10 which fit corresponding recesses in the
inner faces of the wheels 5 or in the inner ends of the cranks 2 which pass through
the wheels and thus cause when in engagement the rotation of the shaft 4 simul-
taneously with the loosely mounted sprocket. A spring G coiled about the shaft 4
between the wheel and sprocket tends to press them out of engagement and this
tendency is overcome by a lever K which is first pressed against the sprocket over-
coming the force of the spring and then raised into the space between the sprocket
hub and a shoulder 19 upon the shaft bearing. In the drawings the outer end of the
shaft bearing is shown us of the same diameter as the outer end of the shaft itself so
that when out of engagement the sprocket may slide partially over the bearing and
the latter is notched upon its lower side to permit the lever K to be raised nearly to the
smaller part of the shaft 4. Disengagement may be effected by the depression of the
lever by the hand or automatically by unusual tension upon the thread 6 as it passes
from the bobbin 7 to the cylinder 3 Fig. 10" and Fig. 11 for in its course the thread
passes upward over the end of a lever L pivoted at its middle upon a support L'
and when the tension is for any reason increased the lever is drawn down and the
power is disconnected from the cylinder 3. This result is effected by means of a
wire rod L³, connecting the opposite end of the lever L with the corresponding end
of a second lever L' pivoted at 11 upon the column A² and engaging at its other end
a vertical rod L sliding in a bearing 12 upon the frame of the machine and secured
by a set screw 9 to the clutch lever K. The normal tension upon the thread is in-
sufficient to raise a weight L adjustably mounted on the lever L' and the tension
requisite to depress the clutch-lever K depends evidently upon the position of this
weight which is varied with the character of the thread employed.
The
The weight also serves to counterbalance or overbalance if desired the weight of the
rod Land its connections or attachments. Upon this rod L are adjustably affixed by
means of thumb screws N' and M' horizontal stops N. M. directly in the line of the
descent of the weight O' attached to the work as it comes from the knitter.
stop M is in many machines so placed that the weight O' strikes it the moment
when a certain part of the work is completed as for example when the leg of a
stocking has been formed to the point where the knitting of the foot should begin―
and the other stop N serves to mark similarly some other stage of the work When
the descending weight strikes either of these stops the rod L is depressed and the
shaft is thereby disengaged the sprocket G stopping the action of the cylinder
until the lever K is again raised.
The
In the machine Fig. 10 the devices just described are slightly modified the
weighted lever L being connected to the top of the rod Land pivoted upon the
shaft 4 and the rod being kept in position by a sleeve bearing 8 fixed upon the floor
while the disengagement from the power is effected upon the lower B shaft.
clutch for engaging the shaft B and sprocket F is seen in Fig. 15 and upon a smaller
scale in Fig. 10, a disk F' is secured by friction upon the shaft B by a set screw
passing through its hub see Fig. 10 and the adjacent face of the loosely mounted
procket is provided with projections adapted to enter depressions in its face and
s before an interposed spring tends to keep the sprocket disengaged from the
lisk.
A bent lever F Figs. 10. 12. and 13 lying in a groove of the sprocket hub and
ivotted at its extremity to the column A¹, serves to throw the sprocket into engage-
nent by sliding it upon the shaft B. The lever is secured in position by a bar F
xed to the rod L and provided upon its upper face with a retaining knob F
djustable longitudinally in a slot in the bar. Now the lever being fixed to the
ertical motion depresses the rod L, and its attached bar and knob releases the lever

page_text: and allows the spring to disengage the sprocket from the disk F stopping the
knitter. The means by which this rod may be depressed are precisely the same as in
the machine shown at Fig. 10 already described.
I have known the pitian bar D as perforated at several points to permit varying
the height of the treadle and have indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 12 that the treadlo
may be reversed and with the shaft B may be placed upon the opposite side of the
columns A A².
Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by
Letters Patent is in combination with knitting mechanism
1st. The double acting and single acting slides having a variable lateral movement,
substantially as described.
2nd. In combination with knitting mechanism two or more slides actuated by tappet
arms adapted to strike against trip catches substantially as described.
more slides actuated by
3rd. In combination with knitting mechanism two or
tappet arms adapted to strike against trip catches and a connecting slide substantially
as described.
4th. The combination with the knitting cylinder and its driving means of devices
providing for the engagement and disengagement of the driving connections a pivoted
lever having one arm adapted to engage the thread and deflect it from a straight
line between the bobbin and said knitting cylinder and devices intermediate between
the other arm of said lever and said provisions for engagement and disengagement,
whereby the knitting mechanism may be stopped by tension upon the thread before
such tension reaches the breaking point.
5th. The combination with the knitting mechanism of a knitting-machine and a
power shaft transmitting motion thereto through a clutch mechanism of the tension
lever L pivoted upon a fixed support and deflecting the thread in its course from
the bobbin to the cylinder the pivoted lever L' the rod L³ connecting corresponding
ends of the levers L L the vertically movable rod L attached to the opposite end of
the lever Land the lever K fixed to the said rod L and controlling the engagement
of said clutch mechanism.
6th. The combination of the knitting cylinder the centrally pivoted lever L' having
one end adapted to engage the thread and deflect it between the bobbin and the
knitting cylinder the similarly pivoted lever L' the weight L' adjustably mounted
upon the lever L' the rod L³ connecting corresponding ends of said levers, the
vertically-movable rod L jointed to the opposite end of the lever L' clutch mechanism
transmitting motive power to said cylinder and the lever K attached to the rod Land
normally holding said clutch mechanism in engagement but permitting its disengage
ment when the lever is depressed whereby unusual tension upon the threa
automatically stops the knitting cylinder.
Dalal Əlct Ancil 1890.
JOHN E. WALSH,
Crossley Street, Halifax, Agent for Applicant.