Improvements in Straight Bar Knitting Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd July, 1895
Complete Specification Left 2nd Apr. 1896-Accepted. 2nd May. 1896
Date of Application, 2nd July, 1895
Complete Specification Left 2nd Apr. 1896-Accented. 2nd May. 1896
Improvements in Straight Bar Knitting Machines.
We, JOHN ARTHUR ALLEN BARFOOT, of Canning Place, in the Town and
County of Leicester, Hosiery Manufacturer and JOSIAH JOHNSON, Factory
Foreman, of 73 Harrison Street, Leicester, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to facilitate the production of tuck work on
straight bar knitting machines.
We employ a straight bar knitting machine of the "Cotton" type in which the
needle bar has a rising and falling and backward and forward motion given to it as
usual. The needles in place of being rigidly fixed to the bar as heretofore for the
most part usual have their stems attached to the upper ends of strips or bits which
at their lower end are jointed to the bar-so that any of the needles can be set
back a short distance out of line with the others in order that when the needle bar
moves back to cause the beards of the needles to be pressed against the presser bar
those needles which have been turned out of their ordinary acting position may
not have their heards closed by the presser.
To control which of the needles shall at any course be allowed to turn out of acting
position each strip or bit is formed with an arm extending from it and brought to a
point to rest on the circumference of a Jacquard barrel or pattern cylinder which
has longitudinal rows of holes formed in it.
When a hole in the. Jacquard or pattern cylinder is brought below any one or
other of the pointed ends of these lever arms the corresponding needle can turn
back out of acting position but when no hole is below it the needle cannot turn
back and its beard is closed when pressed against the presser.
The Jacquard or pattern cylinder is carried by the needle bar and moves to and
fro with it. Means are also provided for moving the barrel away from the points
so as to free it from them at the end of each course and for then turning the
barrel a distance and again moving it up to the points so that when the needles are
again moved back against the presser there may be a fresh row of holes below the
pointed ends of the lever arms.
The distance that the needles are allowed to turn back out of line with the
others is not enough to prevent the needles taking the thread that is laid on to
them and only enough to prevent their beards being closed when the needles are
moved towards the presser bar.
At the time that the needles are having thread laid on to them all the needles
may be held in line either by the turning movement of the barrel not being
completed at this time so that the pointed ends of all the lever arins then rest upon
an unperforated portion of the circumference of the pattern barrel or they may be
held in line by a separate har provided for the purpose.
In the same way the bits carrying the needles might be arranged to slide
end wise on the bar and be locked to the bar by lever or other catches acted on by
the Jacquard barrel or by other Jacquard mechanism at the time when they are to
move along with it to have old loops of work knocked off from them or be left
unlocked to the bar and be drawn down just after thread has been laid on to the
needles so that the newly laid on thread inay get under their beards just before the
beards of the remainder of the needles are pressed to allow of the old loops of work
on those needles being cast off.

page_text: If the needles selected for tucking are unlocked from the bar by the drum lifting
out the catches at the time when the needle bar is down, these needles may be
raised by a bar which will lift them to such a height that the thread may be laid
below the ends of their beards, the needles which are to complete their knitting
being lifted to their ordinary height by the catches. Another bar may then be
caused to come between the projections on the needle slides those belonging to the
needles which are intended to knit being above and those belonging to the needles
which are to tuck being below the bar-thus the needles may be kept in their
relative positions until as the needle bar descends the needles which had been
selected have been brought low enough for their beards to cover the old loops just
as the beards of the other needles are closed by the presser.
be withdrawn from between the projections on the needle slides to allow all the
The bar must then
needles to be again brought into line to be selected for the next course. Similarly
the improvements con be applied to rotary knitting machines with fixed
needle bars.
Dated this 1st day of July 1895.
JOHN ARTHUR ALLEN BARFOOT.
JOSIAH JOHNSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Straight Bar Knitting Machines.
We, JOHN ARTHUR ALLEN BARFOOT, of Canning Place, in the Town and
County of Leicester, Hosiery Manufacturer and JOSIAH JOHNSON, Factory
Foreman, late of 73 Harrison Street, and now of 9 Canning Place Leicester, 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:-
The object of this invention is to facilitate the production of tuck work on
straight bar knitting machines.
We employ a straight bar knitting machine of the "Cotton" type in which the
needle bar has a rising and falling and backward and forward motion given to it as
usual. The needles in place of being rigidly fixed to the bar as heretofore for the
most part usual have their stems attached to the upper ends of strips or bits which
at their lower end are jointed to the bar so that any of the needles can be set back
a short distance ont of line with the others in order that when the needle bar moves
back to cause the beards of the needles to be pressed against the presser bar those
needles which have been turned out of their ordinary acting position may not have
their beards closed by the presser.
To control which of the needles shall at any course be allowed to turn out of
acting position each strip or bit is formed with an arm extending from it and
brought to a point to rest on the circumference of a Jacquard barrel or pattern
cylinder which has longitudinal rows of holes or projections formed in or on it.
When a hole or open space in the Jacquard or pattern cylinder is brought below
any one or other of the pointed ends of these lever arms the corresponding needle
can turn back out of acting position but when no hole is below it the needle cannot
turn back and its beard is closed when pressed against the presser.
The Jacquard or pattern cylinder is carried by the needle bar and moves to and
fro with it. Means are also provided for moving the barrel away from the points
so as to free it from them at the end of each course and for then turning the barrel
a distance and again moving it up to the points so that when the needles are again
moved back against the presser there may be a fresh row of holes below the pointed
ends of the lever arms.
The distance that the needles are allowed to turn back out of line with the others

page_text: is only enough to prevent their beards being closed when the needles are moved
towards the presser bar.
At the time that the needles are having thread laid on to them all the needles
may be held in line either by the turning movement of the barrel not being
completed at this time so that the pointed ends of all the lever arms then rest upon
an unperforated portion of the circumference of the pattern barrel or they may be
held in line by a separate bar provided for the purpose.
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 illustrate the above arrangement.
A is the needle bar of a straight bar knitting machine of the "Cotton" type, it
is as usual supported by arms A from a rock shaft A2 and receives its up and down
movements from the working of this shaft and also receives its horizontal to and fro
movements from the arm A³ which descends from it.
B are the needles each carried by a separate bit or strip B', jointed to the needle
bar at B B is an arm extending forwards from the lower end of the bit B'.
C is the Jacquard or pattern barrel having rows of boles formed through it-its
axes are carried in bearings which can be moved up and down a short distance in
slots A formed in plates A which project forwards from the needle bar. D is an
arm on a rock shaft D' for giving a short lift to the barrel at the proper time.
E is a pawl engaging with the teeth of a ratchet wheel F which is fast with the
barrel the pawl is carried by a lever E' which is rocked to and fro by a cam on
the cam shaft of the machine and gives a partial turn to the barrel at the proper
time. G is a bar which can be moved towards and away from the needle bits B'
so as either to bring all the needles into line or allow them to move independently
one of the other. The bar may receive these movements either from arms acted
on by cams on the cam shaft or by arms moved to and fro by the up and down
movements of the barrel axes in the guide slots A*. H are the sinkers.
In Figure 1 the parts are shewn in the positions they are in just after thread has
been laid onto the needles-the needles at this time being all held in line by the
bar G, and the barrel raised into position for the pointed ends of the arms B³ of
the needle bits either to rest upon it or enter holes formed in it so soon as the bar G
ceases to hold all the needles in line.
In Figure 2 the parts are shewn in the positions they are in when the bar has so
moved away from the needle bits-the pull on the work then causes the pointed
ends of some of the arms B3 of the needle bits to rest upon the barrel whilst others
have been made to enter holes formed in it.
In Figure 3 the parts are shewn in the positions they assume when the beards
of those needles which are held back by the barrel are being pressed against the
presser bar.
In Figure 4 the parts are shewn in the positions they assume when the needles
are in their lowest position-they have all then been brought back into line by the
bar G and the barrel has been lowered away from the pointed ends of the arms of
the needle bits and is ready to have a partial turn given to it as the needle bar
rises. If desired the up and down movements given to the barrel relatively to the
needle bar might be omitted and the axes of the barrel be supported in bearings
fixed to the needle bar.
In Figures 5 and 6 we have shewn two ways of applying the improvements to
straight bar knitting machines having fixed needle bars.
In these figures A. is the needle bar. B the needles carried by bits B' jointed
to the bar at B. Bare pointed arins extending from the needle bits. H are the
sinkers. I is the movable presser bar. G is the bar for holding all the needles in
line at the the time when thread is being laid on to them. C is the Jacquard or
pattern barrel which may either be mounted in fixed bearings or be carried by
rocking arms D so that it may be moved towards or away from the pointed ends of
the arins of the needle bits. E is a pawl for giving a step by step turning
movement to the barrel.
In place of the needle bits being jointed to the movable needle bar of a straight
bar kuitting machine of the "Cotton" type they might be arranged to slide endwise

page_text: in grooves in the bar and be locked to the bar by lever or other catches throughout
the whole course when they are to have old loops of work knocked off from them
and when they are not to have old loops knocked off from them, be released from
the bar by a Jacquard barrel or other Jacquard mechanism acting on the catches
which retain them, and be then slidden end wise in the grooves either before or after
thread is laid on to the needles so that they may be brought into position for their
beards not to be pressed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. A straight bar knitting machine for producing tuck work, in which the
needles are carried by separate plates or bits jointed to the needle har, and in
which all needles are held in line at the time wheu thread is laid on to them and
remain held in this same line by the action of Jacquard or equivalent mechanism if
the old loops upon them are to be cast off, whilst others which are to tuck are
allowed to turn back out of this line so that their beards may not be acted on by
the presser substantially as described.
2. A straight bar knitting machine of the "Cotton" type for producing tuck
work in which the needles are carried by separate bits and in which all needles are
held fast with the needle bar at the time when thread is laid on to them and by the
action of Jacquard or equivalent mechanism some are allowed to remain fast with
the needle bar and are by the movements of the needle bar pressed against the
presser in the ordinary way whilst the remainder do not get pressed substantially
.as described.
3. A straight bar knitting machine of the "Cotton" type for producing tuck
work in which the needles are carried by separate bits and in which by the action of
Jacquard or like mechanism those needles only which are to have old loops of work
cast off from them are kept held fast with the needle bar throughout a course whilst
the remainder which are to tuck are not held fast throughout the course but are
moved relatively to the needle bar in such manner that when the needle bar
descends and those needles which remain fast with it during the course are by the
movements of the needle bar pressed in the ordinary way the others do not get
pressed, substantially as described.
4. Straight bar knitting machines for producing tuck work constructed substan-
tially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.
5. Straight bar knitting machines for producing tuck work constructed substan-
tially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 5 and 6.
Dated this 1st day of April 1896.
JOHN ARTHUR ALLEN BARFOOT.
JOSIAH JOHNSON.