Improvements in or relating to Circular Knitting Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1896.
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Feb., 1897-Accepted, 27th Mar., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Circular Knitting Machines.
We, WILLIAM BUCKLER and DEVAS, ROUTLEDGE & Co. LIMITED both
of 20 Cannon Street, London, Hosiery Manufacturers and OLIVER KERR of
South Wigston in the County of Leicester, Engineer do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relating to circular knitting machines especially of the type
in which a tubular or leg fabric is produced by a continuous rotary motion of the
machine and a shaped fabric, such as a heel or toe pouch, is produced by a
reciprocating action of the machine, has for its object to combine therewith
improved mechanism or apparatus for automatically feeding to certain of the
needles in each course, an additional or splicing thread so as to effect a corresponding
increased thickness in the fabric produced by such needles, and such as is required
to re-enforce or strengthen the backs of the heels and the soles or bottoms and
other parts of stockings.or socks, in which the wear is greatest.
According to this iuvention the main or principal knitting thread and the
splicing thread both pass through the same eye in the thread layer which feeds
the thread to the needles.
The splicing thread, which as herein before stated is only supplied to certain of
the needles in each course, is alternately gripped or trapped and thereby severed to
prevent it being taken by the needles and subsequently it is released and carried
under the needle hooks by frictional contact with the principal knitting thread.
For automatically trapping the splicing thread, which, according to this invention
takes place close against the eye in the thread carrier to always insure the splicing
thread commencing to feed immediately it is released, we fix near the eye of the
tbread carrier a preferably wedge shaped block the face of which inclines towards
the said thread carrier eye.
In front of the inclined face of this block the splicing thread passes on its way
to the needles and between this block and the trapping lever the splicing thread is
gripped during the time ordinary unthickened fabric is to be produced.
The trapping lever is formed with an inclined end to correspond with the face of
the block before mentioned, and is carried in the upper end of a bracket attached
to the carriage of the machine and revolving therewith.
In its normal position the trapping lever is, by a spring, maintained in contact
with the block before mentioned so as to arrest the movement of the splicing
thread which is held between them but when the splicing thread is to be fed to the
needles the trapping lever is withdrawn and thus leaves the splicing thread free to
be carried forward with the main knitting thread as hereinbefore described.
To enable the trapping lever to be thus withdrawn it has connected thereto one
end of a lever the other end being actuated by a segment or curved plate which
may be automatically moved to and from the path of the said lever so as to actuate
the latter or not as desired.
When the segmental plate is in its forward position it actuates the lever and
causes the trapper lever to be withdrawn and release the splicing thread.
When the segmental plate is in its normial position, in which it is maintained by
a spring, it misses contact with the said lever and the trapping lever being
uninfluenced thereby, remains in its normal position trapping the thread.

page_text: The movement of the segmental plate to its forward position is effected by an
arm of the latter being actuated by a vertical arm or rod raised into operative
position by studs, plates, or equivalent means connected to preferably the existing
chain of the machine.
The number of successive courses or the length of fabric into which the splicing
thread is inserted, is determined by the number of stops or the like on the chain
before referred to and the number of needles to which the splicing thread is
supplied is regulated by the length or extent in a circular direction of the
segmental plate.
It is obvious that in applying our improved splicing apparatus to the various
types of circular reversible knitting inachines now in the market, we may vary the
detail of our invention to suit the differing constructions of knitting machines.
Dated this 23rd day of May 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
improvements in or relating to Circular Knitting Machines.
We, WILLIAM BUCKLER and DEVAS, ROUTLEDGE & Co. LIMITED both
of 20, Cannon Street, London, Hosiery Manufacturers, and OLIVER KERR of
South Wigston in the County of Leicester, Engineer, 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 relating to circular knitting machines especially of the type in
'which a tubular or leg fabric is produced by a continuous rotary motion of the
machine and a shaped fabric, such as a heel or toe pouch, is produced by a
reciprocating action of the machine, has for its object to combine therewith
improved mechanism or apparatus for automatically feeding to certain of the
needles in each course an additional or splicing thread so as to effect a corre-
sponding increased thickness in the fabric produced by such needles, and such as is
required to re-enforce or strengthen the backs of the heels and the soles or bottoms
and other parts of stockings or socks, in which the wear is greatest.
According to this invention the main or principal knitting thread and the
splicing thread both pass through the same eye in the thread layer which feeds the
thread to the needles.
The splicing thread, which as herein before stated is only supplied to certain of
the needles in each course, is alteruately gripped or trapped and thereby severed
to prevent it being taken by the needles and subsequently it is released and carried
under the needle hooks by frictional contact with the principal knitting thread.
For automatically trapping the splicing thread, which, according to this invention
takes place close against the eye in the thread carrier to always insure the splicing
'thread commencing to feed immediately it is released, we fix near the eye of the
thread carrier a preferably wedge shaped block the face of which inclines towards
the said thread carrier eye.
In front of the inclined face of this block the splicing thread passes on its way
to the needles and between this block and the trapping lever the splicing thread is
gripped during the time ordinary unthickened fabric is to be produced.
The trapping lever is forined with an inclined end to correspond with the face of
the block before mentioned, and is carried in the upper end of a bracket attached
to the carriage of the machine and revolving therewith.
In its normal position the trapping lever is, by a spring, maintained in contact
with the block before mentioned so as to arrest the movement of the splicing thread

page_text: which is held between them, but when the splicing thread is to be fed to the needles
the trapping lever is withdrawn and thus leaves the splicing thread free to be
carried forward with the main knitting thread as hereinbefore described.
To enable the trapping lever to be thus withdrawn it has connected thereto one
end of a lever the other end being actuated by a segment or curved plate which
may be automatically moved to and from the path of the said lever so as to actuate
the latter or not as desired.
When the segmental plate is in its forward position it actuates the lever and
causes the trapper lever to be withdrawn and release the splicing thread.
When the segmental plate is in its normal position, in which it is maintained by
a spring, it misses contact with the said lever and the trapping lever being
uninfluenced thereby, remains in its normal position trapping the thread.
The movement of the segmental plate to its forward position is effected by an
arm of the latter being actuated by a vertical arm or rod raised into operative
position by studs, plates, or equivalent means connected to preferably the existing
chain of the machine.
The number of successive courses or the length of fabric into which the splicing
thread is inserted, is determined by the number of stops or the like on the chain
before referred to and the number of needles to which the splicing thread is
supplied is regulated by the length or extent in a circular direction of the
segmental plate.
The invention will be fully understood upon reference to the accompanying
drawing illustrating our invention.
Figure 1 is a plan and Figure 2 an elevation of our improved splicing
apparatus.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the mechanism for controlling the said apparatus.
Only so much of the knitting machine is illustrated in the drawing and will be
hereinafter described as is necessary to clearly explain the splicing apparatus and
its operation.
A represents a ring which fulfils the office of a combined thread carrier and
latch guard in the circular knitting machine known as the "Scott-Williains."
To the outer edge of this ring there is affixed a block B with an inclined face B¹
terminating near the usual eye A¹ in the thread carrier A.
C is the splicing thread trapper which has a movement to and fro in a track
formed between two guide plates D D' and on a plate E attached by a screw E' to
another plate F forming the upper part of the usual thread layer bracket G which
is connected in the well known manner to the cam cylinder H.
The splicing thread trapper is formed with an inclined end, the angle of which
corresponds to that of the block B and the said trapper is kept normally pressing
forwards against the said block by a spring J bearing on its end, and attached by
a screw J¹ to the bracket G.
Krepresents the splicing thread which on its way to the needles passes between
the inclined faces of the block and the trapper and when the latter is in its normal
position just described the said thread is pressed by it, against the block and held
so that it cannot feed to the needles.
When the splicing thread K is to be allowed to be taken by the needles the
trapper is withdrawn into the position indicated by the dotted line in Figure 1
whereupon the said splicing is then released and free to travel forwards to the
needles.
For the purpose of withdrawing the trapper it has on its side a pin C¹ which
enters a hole in the upper end of a vertical lever L fulcrummed at L¹ to the side
of the bracket G.
This lever is under the control of a segmental slide M which when moved
into the operative position indicated by the dotted line in Figure 1 presses
inwards the lower end of the said lever so that it withdraws the trapper C into
the position also shown in dotted line, and thereby causes it to release the splicing
thread.

page_text: The segmental slide is connected to a horizontal slide N. by an angle plate O and
screws O!..
This horizontal slide works in a shallow groove or track formed in the bed plate P
and the said slide has one end of a spring N¹ connected thereto, the other end of the
spring being attached to a pin on the bed plate P.
On the top of the said slide is a plate Qbaving a slot Qtherein and a screw Q2
passing through the latter and also through a slot in the slide N and into the bed
plate P ensures the slide moving only in a horizontal plane.
This slide has an angular end in contact with the similar end of a vertical slide R
secured by two screws R¹ to a depending part or downward extension P¹ of the bed
plate P or framing of the machine.
A spring R 2 connected one end to the said depending part of the bed plate and
the other end to the said vertical slide maintains the latter in contact with a chain S
which governs its action.
The chain may be mounted upon a sprocket wheel T of well known construction
and carries on part of its length a series of stops or dogs S' which when they pass
under the said slide R raise it as hereinafter described.
The sprocket wheel is mounted on a shaft U which may be driven by gearing
from the main shaft or in any convenient manner.
The splicing thread K after leaving the bobbin passes through two wire
thread eyes Ki K2 soldered to the plate F, and thence between the trapper C
and the block B and through the eye of the usual thread guide A' through
which also passes the main knitting thread V the latter also passing through
the tube E 2.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
Upon the stops of the pattern chain coming underneath the vertical slide R the
latter is raised thereby, as shown in dotted line and in doing so it moves forward
the horizontal slide N which shifts the segmental slide M into its operative position
shown by the dotted line in Figure 1.
When in this position the lever L at each revolution of the machine passes in
front of the said segment and withdraws the trapper C against the force of the
spring and releases the splicing thread which is thereupon carried to the needles
in frictional contact with the main or knitting thread.
Immediately the lever passes out of contact with the segmental slide, the
spring J returns the trapper to its normal position where it grips the splicing
thread against the block B and immediately becomes tensionally severed as is well
understood.
The number of needles in the circle which is supplied with the splicing thread is
governed by the length of the segmental slide which in most cases extends about
half round the kuitting machine, so that the heels, foot bottoms and toes of stockings
or socks may be thickened.
The number of consecutive courses into which the splicing thread is laid is
governed by the number of stops S' in the pattern chain placed thereon in close
succession as shown.
It is obvious that in applying our improved splicing apparatus to the various
types of circular reversible knitting machines now in the market, we may vary
the detail of our invention to suit the differing constructions of knitting
machines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In a splicing apparatus for circular knitting machines the combination of
trapper C lever L and slides N R under the governance of a chain S' wheel T or
equivalent pattern surface substantially as described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawing.

page_text: 2. The improved splicing apparatus for circular knitting machines consisting of
the parts constructed, arranged and operating substantially in the manner described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 19th day of February 1897.
WM. BUCKLER.
OLIVER KERR.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.
WM. BUCKLER.
OLIVER KERR.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants..