IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNITTED LOOPED FABRICS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert Kiddier of the firm of John Kiddier and Sons
of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham Hosiery Machine
Makers for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF KNITTED LOOPED FABRICS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert Kiddier at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th February 1883.
HERBERT KIDDIER of the firm of John Kiddier and Sons of the Town and
County of the Town of Nottingham Hosiery Machine Makers "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNITTED LOOPED FABRICS "
The improvements relate to that class of straight knitting frames which are
fitted with traversing thread carriers and they consist in improved means by which
the operations of the apparatus are facilitated
For this purpose I employ grooved or rim cams in place of plain surface cams
for operating certain of the moving parts whereby I am enabled to work with
greater speed and accuracy and greatly to increase the extent or quantity of fabric
produced.
When working so as at one time to be producing plain fabric and at another
time "narrowing" or widening I employ such grooved or rim cams in pairs with
the lever each pair is capable of operating placed between with a bowl for each of
a pair and these pairs of cams are capable of being moved with their shaft so as
to bring one or the other of them to operate on one or the other of the bowls and
this movement of the cam shaft is also operated at the times desired by grooved
or rim cams so that when and so long as plain fabric is desired to be produced one
of the pair of grooved or rim cams is brought into position to act on the bowl
on one side of the lever and when and so long as "narrowing" or widening is
desired to be produced the other of the pair of grooved or rim cams is brought
into position to act on the other bowl of the lever until another change is
required.
I do not confine myself to the movement of the cams to the respective bowls.
By these means the use of springs to the respective levers is rendered unnecessary
and quick positive action of the parts is secured
The wear of the parts is also reduced.

page_text: The to and fro motion to this needle bar c is obtained by arins co therefrom
the lower end of each of which is by pin joint c connected to one end of the
handle link which is formed with a notch cls to take hold of the pin c¹.
standing out from the arm c. These arms c¹ are affixed to the axis c¹e and at
their lower ends, carry each bowls. c17 and 18 operated by grooved or rim cams c¹
and co
The rim cams c¹19 are for operating arms c¹5 when producing narrowing and the
cams for operating those arms c15 when for producing plain work. These cams
are indicated at Figure 7. -
The link c is capable, as usual, of being released from the pin c¹ when desired
for manipulation with the needles c'.
d' is the main bar for carrying the narrowing instruments, and this bar is
operated from rocking arms d³ by connecting links as is well understood between
the arms d' and the bar d'. The arms d² being operated by grooved or rim cams d³
and d (shown separately by Figure 9) acting on bowls carried by those arms d*.
The cam being a plain ring cam to be used during the time of producing plain
work, and d being a rim cam for operating when narrowing.
The shaft b, carrying the respective cams, is capable of end way motion, for
effecting the desired change of motion, in the parts for effecting narrowing or
widening in the fabric being produced or for plain work and this endway motion to
the shaft b is effected, as desired, by the double faced cams h and i affixed to that
shaft band embracing between their surfaces a bowl j' or k¹ from one or the other
of the arms j, k, both of which arms are applied to the shaft or axis z.
For the purpose of these changes I employ a pattern wheel to which a step by
step rotary motion is imparted by means of the clawker acting in the teeth of
the ratchet wheel operated for the purpose by the arm 13 which turns upon the
fixed stud and at one end carries the bowl 5 operated by the cam 10 at the other
end; by the pin it carries the clawker . The chain of pattern surfaces passes
over the wheel is kept distended by the spring roller 18. 10 is a projection on this
chain for acting on the tail end of the clawker and throwing it out of gear
when desired, as for one set of narrowing.
These pattern surfaces may be arranged as required.
The pattern wheel carries a chain of surfaces 17 as is well understood such
surfaces for the desired selection acting on one or the other of projections m from
the lever arins m³ m² which are supported to turn at one end on a fixed stud m³
whilst the other end of the lever m' bears on the underside of an arm or
projection n¹ from the arm j to cause the bowl j' carried by that arm to be passed
in between the cam surfaces h h when the narrowing cams are to be selected for
operation.
When the cams for operating the parts to produce plain work are desired to be
brought into operation then the lever arm m³ will be caused to rise and by acting
on the arm or projection o of the arm k will cause the bowl k to that arm to pass
between the surfaces of the cam ii for the desired production of plain work, by
which operation whilst one arm j or k will be acted upon by its cam surfaces h or i
the other will be removed therefrom.
The to and fro motion to the catch bar f is effected by means of the arms fl
from the rocking shaft f' operated by other arms fa provided with bowls f* to
have motion given to them by suitable cams but, in carrying my improvements
into effect I provide a pair of grooved or rim cams f f such as already described
to act alternately as selected for the production of narrowing or plain work. The
outline of these cams are shown at Figure 8-f being that for narrowing and fe
that for plain work.
Having thus described my invention and means which I adopt in carrying the
same into effect, 1 would have it understood that what I claim is the arranging or
combining parts of apparatus employed in the manufacture of knitted looped fabrics
of the character referred to whereby changes in the character of the fabric from

page_text: "3
'narrowing' or "widening" to plain fabric being produced or the reverse may be
readily effected by the use of grooved or rim cams and parts acting therewith
substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said Herbert Kiddier have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Seventh. day of August One thousand eight hundred and eighty
three.
HERBERT. KIDDIER (LS.)