Improvements in the Manufacture and Production of Knitted Socks and Stockings, and in Machinery adapted for Use in the said Manufacture.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1894-Accepted, 4th Aug., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture and Production of Knitted Socks
and Stockings, and in Machinery adapted for Use in the said
Manufacture.
We LOUIS NAPOLEON DEVON WILLIAMS and ROBERT WALTER SCOTT
both of 2077 E. Cumberland Street, in the City and County of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania one of the United States of America, Knitting Machine
Manufacturers, 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 :-
Our invention relates to knitting machinery for the automatic knitting especially
of what are known as "seamless" stockings or socks that is to say, stockings or
socks in which the heel and toe portions are formed by knitting a bag or pocket at
one side of a tubular web which constitutes the leg and foot of the stocking
or sock.
Our invention comprises, first, simple means for picking the fashioning needles
into and out of operative position; secondly, mechanism for effecting the production
of a series of complete tubular courses between the fashioning courses of the heel;
thirdly, means for effecting the automatic change from rotation to reciprocation
and vice versa, in the operation of the machine; fourthly, means for driving the
machine at higher speed when producing tubular work than when engaged in
fashioning the heel or toe; fifthly, means for readily varying the draft of the needles
so as to shape the fabric by tightening or slackening the stitches of the same;
sixthly, means for clamping and releasing the needle cylinder so that the same can
be readily inserted and removed in order to provide for the application of a section
of tubular ribbed fabric to the needles for forming the top of a sock; seventhly,
means for introducing a thickening thread during the fashioning operation and for
removing or partially removing the said thread during the production of tubular
fabric; and, eighthly, means for effecting the automatic stoppage of the machine
when a sock or stocking has been completed.
The invention also comprises the sock or stocking produced upon the machine
and the mode of knitting the same.
We will describe our invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
of which:-
Figure 1. is a front view of a machine constructed according to our invention.
Figure 2. is an end view looking in the direction of the arrow x. Figure 1.
Figure 3, is an end view looking in the direction of the arrow y. Figure 1.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the machine :
Fig. 5 is a transverse section on a larger scale through the needle and cam
cylinders showing some of the adjunctive devices in elevation.
Fig. 6. is a longitudinal section on the line to w Figure 4, also on a larger scale
and showing some of the devices in elevation;
Fig. 7. is a transverse sectional view of the lower portion of the cam cylinder
and of some of the parts operating in conjunction therewith;
Fig. 8. is a side view on an enlarged scale of the devices for controlling the
feeding of the extra or thickening threads to the needles;
Fig. 9. is a plan view of the same; and
Figs. 10 to 45 are views illustrating details of construction of parts of the
machine, or views of a diagrammatic character, intended to give a clear idea of
the operation of various parts of the machine as hereinafter described.
It may be best at the outset to give a brief description of the operation of
knitting a sock or stocking upon the machine, reference being had to the

page_text: =
disagrammatic view, Fig. 10, in which the circular series of small dots represents
the needles of the machine.
The needles may be said to be divided into sets, one set, namely, those inclosed
within the bracket a, extending say one half way around the machine, two sets bb
each extending about one-sixth or more of the way around the machine on opposite
sides of the same, and adjoining the ends of the set a and a set d extending between
and adjoining the sets b.
Supposing that the knitting of the sock or stocking is begun at the top of the
leg, a thread (which, however may be composed of more than one strand) is fed to
all of the needles and the machine is rotated so as to produce by round and round
knitting continuous circular courses of stitches until the desired length of
tubular fabric for the leg has been formed and it becomes necessary to form
the heel.
Here it may be stated that in knitting a sock the stitches of a short length of
ribbed tubular fabric may be applied to the needles of the machine before con-
mencing to knit the leg of the sock so that when the sock is completed the leg
will have a ribbed top, while in knitting long stockings where the ribbed top is not
required the needles may have greater draft while knitting the upper or calf part
of the leg than while knitting the lower or ankle part so as to shape the leg by
drawing longer stitches and making a tube of greater diameter in the calf portion
than in the ankle portion.
After the proper length of tubular fabric has been produced the needles of the
set a are, while still retaining their stitches, raised out of action that is to say they
are raised so that their bits will be above and free from the influence of the
knitting cams, these cams being those which effect the vertical reciprocation of the
needles at the proper time so as to cause them to catch the thread and draw
the stitches.
This leaves only the needles 6 and d in action and the motion of the machine is
then changed from a rotary to a reciprocating motion and at the same time the
extra or thickening thread (which also may be composed of more than one strand,
if desired) is introduced, the double thread being carried back and forth around
that part of the needle cylinder having the needles b and d so as to form stitches
upon said needles by to and fro knitting.. The needles 6 upon which the fashioning
of the toe or heel pocket is effected are termed "fashioning" needles.
At the end of each reciprocating motion a needle of one of the sets b at that end
of the set adjacent to the needles a is thrown out of action that is to say, is raised
so that its bit is free from the influence of the knitting cams, the needle thrown out
of action, however, retaining, the stitch. The end needle first of one fashioning
set b and then of the opposite fashioning set is thus thrown out of action so that
with each reciprocating movement the flat web produced is narrowed to the extent
of one needle first at one edge and then at the opposite edge of the said flat web, and
this narrowing operation is continued until all of the needles of both fashioning sets b.
have been thrown out of action.
It is now advisable to produce a series of say two or more courses of stitches
extending completely, around the cylinder so as to give greater depth or fulness to
the centre of the heel and prevent the stocking from binding at the instep. In
order to effect this result all of the needles a and b are temporarily lowered so that
their bits are again brought under the influence of the knitting cams and the motion
of the machine is changed from reciprocating to rotary until the desired number
of circular courses have been produced, the stitches carried by the needles a and b
joining those of the first of the circular courses. It is also advisable to remove
the thickening thread during the formation of that part of each circular course
which extends over the instep portion of the stocking. As soon as the circular
courses have been completed, all of the needles a and b are again raised out of action,
and the reciprocating motion of the machine is resumed.
As soon as this has been done needle after needle first a needle of one fashioning
set b and then a needle of the other fashioning set is brought into action by lowering

page_text: the same so as to bring its bit under control of the knitting cams the needles being
brought into action in the reverse order from that in which they were thrown out of
action that is to say, the needles are brought successively into action at the ends
of the fashioning sets adjacent to the set d. This operation results in the production
of a gradually widened flat web and in the uniting of the said gradually widened
web to the last of the circular instep courses, owing to the fact that each of the
fashioning needles 6 retained its stitch as it was thrown out of action after the
formation of the said circular courses and casts this stitch and catches the new loop
formed upon the needle in effecting the production of the widened web.
When all of the fashioning needles have been thus brought in action the thickening
thread is removed, the needles a are lowered so as to bring their bits under the control
of the knitting cams and the motion of the machine is again changed from reciprocating
to rotary.
The effect of the fashioning operations just described has been to produce a seamless
bag or pocket upon one side of the knitted tube, which bag or pocket constitutes the
heel of the finished stocking, as shown in Fig. 11 in which frepresents the narrowed
web, g the central circular courses, and the widened web. After the production
of this bag or pocket has been completed the production of the tubular web is
resumed and continued until the same is of the length desired for the foot of the
stocking, whereupon the operation resorted to in order to form the heel are repeated
for the production of the bag or pocket for the toe of the stocking, although the
introduction of the circular courses between the fashioning courses may in this case
be omitted.
In some cases also the circular courses may be omitted from the instep and
centre of the heel without departing from the main features of our invention, the
narrowed web fin this case being united directly to the widened web h or in other
cases, a series of courses extending around the entire heel but not over the instep
may be formed after the narrowing operation and before the widening operation,
the needles only in this case being thrown into action after narrowing and being
again thrown out of action after the desired full courses for the centre of the heel
have been produced.
After the completion of the bag or pocket for the toe, a few tubular courses are
knitted and if the socks or stockings are being produced singly the stitches may
then be cast off of the needles of the machine so as to free the web therefrom
preparatory to starting a new stocking or applying a new ribbed top, or if the
machine is intended to operate continuously and produce stocking after stocking in
succession, the production of tubular web may after the formation of each toe pocket
be continued to form the leg of the next stocking and so on, the web being after-
wards severed.adjacent to each toe pocket so that each stocking blank will present
the appearance shown in Fig. 11, the toe being completed by uniting the edges i i.
Having thus described the general operation of the machine we will now proceed
to describe iu succession the various parts of said machine to which our invention
particularly relates deferring the description of the general construction and minor
details of the machine to the final part of the Specification, and first we will describe
the means whereby the motion of the machine is changed from rotating to
reciprocating and vice versa.
1 represents the needle cylinder of the machine which, when the machine is in
operation, is rigidly mounted in a suitable clamping frame 2 supported upon the
fixed frame of the machine, as hereinafter described. Surrounding the lower portiou
of the needle cylinder is the cam cylinder 3 which is so mounted in the fixed frame
that it is free to turn therein, the said cam cylinder being vertically confined to the
fixed frame by means of a ring 4 overlapping a flange at the base of the cylinder as
hown in Figure 6.
Upon the lower portion of the cam cylinder is formed a bevel wheel 5 which
meshes with a bevel wheel 6 secured to a shaft 7 adapted to a bearing 8 on the fixed
frame of the machine and to a bearing in a tubular shaft or sleeve 9 which turns
freely in suitable bearings 10 and 11 on the fixed frame and has secured to it the

page_text: two belt pulleys 12 and 13 between which is interposed a pulley 14 turning loosely
on said tubular shaft or sleeve 9.
At the base of the machine is the shaft 15, and connected to this shaft by any
ordinary form of clutch is a pulley 16 which receives a belt from a pulley ou any
convenient line shaft, and secured to the said shaft 15 are two pulleys 17 and 18,
the latter being of greater diameter than the former.
The belt from the pulley 17 is intended to drive the pulley 12 and the belt from
he pulley 18 is intended to drive the pulley 13, these belts being controlled by a
double belt shifter 19 so that when the belt from the pulley 17 is shifted onto the
pulley 12, the belt from the pulley 18 will be shifted onto the loose pulley 14 and
consequently the tubular shaft 9 will be driven at slow speed, but when the position
of the belt shifter 19 is reversed the belt from the pulley 17 will be shifted onto the
loose pulley 14 and the belt from the large pulley 18 will be applied to the pulley 13
so that the said tubular shaft 9 will be driven at higher speed.
At its inner end the tubular shaft 9 has a projection 20 as shown by dotted lines
in Figure 6, this projection being adapted to a recess in the hub of a spur wheel 21
turning loosely on the shaft 7, and upon the latter also turns loosely a second spur
wheel 22, while between these two spur wheels is a clutch drum 23 secured to
the said shaft 7 by any suitable means, as for instance, by a set screw, as shown in
Figure 6.
The spur wheel 21 therefore receives a continuous rotary motion from the shaft 9,
this motion being fast or slow depending upon whether the pulley 13 or the pulley 12
is the driving pulley.
The spur wheel 21 meshes with a larger spur wheel 24 which turns upon a stud 25
secured to and projecting from the fixed frame of the machine and this spur
wheel 24 has a crank pin 26 which is connected by a rod 27 to the outer end of
an arm 28 hung to the fixed frame, the said arm 28 being also connected by
a rod 29 to an arm 30 on a toothed segment 31 on the same stud which carries the
spur wheel 24 (see dotted lines in Figure 3). The toothed segment 31 meshes
with the spur wheel 22, hence as the spur wheel 24 rotates, a rocking motion
is imparted to the toothed segment 31 and a back and forth movement to the spur
wheel 22.
Mounted upon the clutch drum 23 is a grooved and sliding collar 32 having a
pin 33 which passes through a slot 34 in the clutch drum 23 and carries at its inner
end, a sliding bolt 35 adapted to a transverse opening 36 formed in the said clutch
drum, as shown in Figure 6.
In that face of the spur wheel 21 which is adjacent to the clutch drum 23 is
formed an annular groove 37 and in this groove a projection or pin 38 (see
Figure 13) hence when the sleeve 32 is moved so as to project one end of the
bolt 35 into the groove 37, the projection or pin 38 will engage with the said bolt
and impart the rotating motion of the spur wheel 21 to the clutch drum and shaft 7
and thence through the bevel wheels 6 and 5 to the cam cylinder 3 of the machine.
In that face of the spur wheel 22 which is adjacent to the clutch drum 23
is formed a recess 40, as shown in Figure 12, and when the end of the bolt 35
is in engagement with the pin 38 of the spur wheel 21 its opposite end is
withdrawn from the spur wheel 22, but when it is desired to change the motion
of the machine from a rotary. to a reciprocating motion, the sliding collar 32 and
bolt 35 are shifted so as to project the end of the said bolt 35 into the opening 40
of the spur wheel 22 and thus impart reciprocating motion therefrom to the clutch
drum-23, shaft 7, and cam cylinder 3.
The movement of the sleeve 32 and bolt 35 towards the spur wheel 22 is
controlled by a spring, as hereinafter described, hence, if the opening 40 is not in
line with said bolt at the time such movement takes place, the movement of the
bolt will be arrested until such time as the opening 40 comes into line there-
with, whereupon the bolt will enter the opening and clutch the drum 23 to the
wheel 22. As it is advisable, however, always to effect this clutching operation
when the spur wheel 22 is travelling in one and the same direction we slot that

page_text: end of the bolt 35 which engages with the opening 40 and hang to the said
slot a pivoted toe 41, the action of which will be best understood on reference to
Figures 12 and 13.
When the spur wheel 22 is travelling in the direction of the arrow Figure 12,
the projecting end of the toe 41 will extend in the rear of the bolt 35, and will, by
its bearing upon the face of the spur wheel at the rear of the opening 40, prevent
the end of the bolt 35 from entering the said opening, any yielding movement of
the toe in the direction of the arrow shown upon it being prevented by reason of the
fact that the inner portion of said toe bears against the base of the slot formed in
the end of the bolt 35.
The projecting toe thus keeps the bolt 35 in the retracted position until its
forward end has passed beyond the front edge of the opening 40.
When, however, the spur wheel 22 is moving in the direction of the arrow in
Figure 13, the projecting portion of the toe 41 will as soon as it reaches the
opening 40, enter the same, the toe being free to move in the direction of the arrow
shown upon it, in the said Figure 13, hence by the time the bolt 35 is in line with
the opening 40 no portion of the toe 41 will project laterally beyond the bolt, hence
the latter is free to enter the said opening 40 and thus clutch the drum 23 to the
spur wheel 22.
We will now describe the devices for lifting out of action the needles comprising
the set a after the completion of a length of tubular web and before the formation
of a heel or toe pocket.
The knitting cams of the machine, which are carried by the upper portion of the
cam cylinder 3, are shown on an enlarged scale in Figure 14, and comprise a
central lift cam 42, drawing-down cams 43 flanking the said central lift cam, a
central pivoted toe cam 44 and a top cam 45, the latter extending in both directions
beyond the cams 43 and having at each end a lifting curve or incline 46 and a
depressing incline 47.
When the needles are at rest, and are depressed the bits of the said needles bear
upon the supporting shelf or shoulder 48 of the cam box, as shown in Figure 6, and
consequently the said bits will come under the influence of the knitting cams when
the cam cylinder is travelling in either direction, the toe cam 44 swinging first
against one draw-down cam 43 and thence against the opposite draw-down cam 43
when the cam box is being reciprocated, the said toe cam preserving its position
against one of the draw-down cams 43 during the time that the cam box is being
rotated. In order, therefore, to throw any needle out of action, that is to say, to
remove it from the influence of the knitting cams, it is only necessary to raise the
said needle until its bit is above the point of the advancing end of the top cam 45,
the bit being thereby caused to travel over the top of the said cam 45 instead of
passing under the same to be depressed by the action of the toe cam 44 and one of
the draw-down cams 45.
The needles are acted upon by spring bands 50 which encircle the series of
needles and press the same so firmly into the needle grooves that they will be
retained by friction when el evated, a slight bend or off-set, such as shown for
instance at 51, being, if desired, formed in the lower portion of the stem or shauk
of each needle, as shown in Figure 6, so as to insure this result.
In the grooves of the needle cylinder, beneath the needles comprising the set 2,
are guided jacks 52 which are likewise retained in any vertical position of adjustment
by means of an encircling spring band 53 and the lower ends of the said jacks are.
acted upon by a segment 54, the said segment having a depending stem 55 contained
within a shield or casing 56 depending from the underside of the table or bed upon
which the cam cylinder is mounted. The lower end of the stem 55 is acted upon
by a pin 57 carried by the inner end of a lever 58 to which vibrating motion is
imparted at the proper time by means hereinafter described, the pin 57 being backed
by a spring 59, as shown in Figure 15, so that in case the segment 54 is not free
to rise when the inner end of the arm 58 is raised, the pin can yield until such time
as the upward movement of the segment is not interfered with."

page_text: The stem of the segment 54 has a projecting lug or pin 60 which, when the said
stem is raised by the action of the pin 57, is brought into the path of a grooved
cam 61 contained in the lower portion of the cylinder 3, as shown in Figures 5 and 7,
the said cam serving to impart a further rise to the segment so that the latter will
lift the jacks 52 and raise all of the needles of the set a to such an extent that
their bits will pass above the top cam 45 and will be free from the influence of the
knitting cams, the segment 54 being restored by the cam 61 to its normal or
depressed position as soon as this operation has been completed.
The means employed for moving the needles of the fashioning set b successively
into and out of action are shown in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 6, and in detail in Figures 16
to 22, and are as follows:-
Mounted upon the cam cylinder 3 is a friction ring 62 and hung to the latter is
a lever 63 one end of which carries a pair of needle pickers comprising a lifter 64
and a depressor 65. The needle lifter 64 consists of a stem or shank passing
vertically through the lever 63 and bent inward at the upper end so as to overlap
and rest upon the top of the shoulder 48 of the cam cylinder, as shown in Figures 6
and 16, so that the inner end of the said lifter is in position to come into contact
with the bit of the needle resting upon the said cam shoulder, as shown in Figure 19.
That portion of the lifter which overlaps the shoulder 48 comprises a central
vertical lug 66 and opposite laterally projecting base flanges or fins 67 tapering to
a comparatively sharp edge as shown in Figures 19 and 22 so that when the lifter
is carried around by the friction ring 62 its lug 66 will strike the bit of the end
needle of each set b and its motion will be arrested thereby, the frictional hold of
the ring 62 upon the cam cylinder being so slight that this arrest of motion can be
very easily effected.
By imparting a slight upward movement to the vertical stem or shank of the
lifter 64 when its lug is thus in contact with the bit of a needle, one of the fius 67
which has been projected under the said bit will act upon the same to lift the needle
to the extent shown in Figure 17, that is to say, to such an extent that its bit will
clear the point at the forward end of the top cam 45 which will complete the lift
of the needle out of operative position, as shown in Figure 18.
As the cam cylinder is reciprocated, therefore, the lug 66 of the lifter strikes
first the end acting needle of one set of fashioning needles b, and then the end
acting needle of the opposite set of fashioning needles, it being understood that the
lifter and depressor are reciprocated around that portion of the cylinder containing
the inactive needles, that is to say, the needles of the set a and those of the sets b
which have been lifted out of range of the knitting cams.
The depressor 65 consists of a lever hung to a bracket on the lever 63 and having
at its outer end a pin 68 which is adapted to a slot 69 in the outwardly bent upper
end of a rod or bar 70 which is vertically guided in the forward end of the lever 63.
in the same manner as the stem or shank of the lifter 64, but in a position which
is somewhat further beyond the axis of the cam cylinder than the said shank.
The inner end of the depressor 65 occupies a position directly above the central
lug 66 of the lifter 64 and when all of the needles of both fashioning sets bb have
been successively raised out of action by the action of said lifter 64 the vertical
movement of the latter is arrested and vertical movement is imparted to the
operating rod or bar 70 of the depressor 65.
The central lug 66 of the lifter is so much wider than the gauge of the needles
that when it is in contact with the bit of one needle the inner end of the depressor
will be directly in line with the bit of the next adjoining needle hence when all of
the needles 6 have been lifted the contact of the lug 66 of the lifter with the bit of
the end needle of the acting set d as shewn in Figure 19, will bring the inner end
of the depressor directly above the bit of the adjacent inactive needle at the end of
the set b, as also shown in the said figure, hence, on the operation of the depressor
the said bit will be moved downward, as shown in Figure 20, this movement being
sufficient to carry it beneath the point of the advancing end of the top cam 45
hence the needle will be further depressed by the action of the said cam as shown

page_text: in Figure 21, and will be thereby thrown into action by being brought under the
influence of the knitting cams.
This action will be repeated at the end of each reciprocating movement until
all of the needles of each set 6 have been successively brought into action
again.
If desired, the complete upward or downward movement of the needles necessary
to throw them out of or into action, may be effected by the lifter or depressor,
without the co-operation of the cam 45, by simply increasing the throw of said
lifter or depressor to a slight extent.
The lifter and depressor are operated by segmental bars 72 occupying positions
in relation to the needle cylinder corresponding with the sets of fashioning
needles, and these segmental bars have stems 73, which, as shown in Figure 23, are
adapted to guides at the inner ends of a forked frame 74 to which vibrating
movement is imparted in the manner hereinafter described so as to give the
segmental bars the desired vertical reciprocating movement.
As it is desired that the bars 72 shall act first upon the stem of the lifter 64 and
then upon the operating rod or bar 70 of the depressor 65, the said bars 72 are
moved from one position to the other by means of arms 75 hung to the vibrating
frame 74, these arms being drawn inward by means of a spring 76 and being
separated by means of a wedge 77 which is operated at the proper time by
mechanism hereinafter described.
The inner ends of the arms 75 have pins connected to the stems of the segmental
bars 72 and the guides for the said stems are slotted for the passage of these pins,
as shown in Figure 23.
In order to depress the lifter 64 or depressor 65 when the segmental bar 72 is
lowered, a coiled spring 100 passes around a pulley 101 at the end of the lever 63,
the upper ends of this spring being connected to pins projecting upwardly from the
lifter 64 and the depressor operating rod or bar 70 (see Figures 1, 2 and 4).
After the narrowing operation has been effected' upon the fashioning needles b
and all of the said needles have been lifted so that their bits are out of range of the
knitting cams, it becomes necessary to restore these needles, as well as the needles
of the set a, to action again, in order to provide for the formation of the series of
circular courses at the centre of the heel and on the instep, as described in an
earlier portion of the Specification.
This result is attained by means of a primary draw-down cam 78, shown in
Figure 14, this cam occupying a position adjacent to one end of the top cam 45 and
during the narrowing operation, being retracted so as to fail to act upon the bits of
the needles.
When, however, it is necessary to throw the needles into action, the cam 78 is
thrust inward so that on the first movement of rotation of the cam box, the bits of
all of the needles will be thrust downward into the path of the knitting cams.
After the formation of the continuous circular courses of stitches at the centre of
the heel the cam 78 is again withdrawn and before the widening operation can
begin it is necessary to again move out of action the needles of the set a and also
the needles of the sets b. The needles a are lifted out of action by the operation
of the lever 58, segment 34 and cam 61, as before described, but in order to
likewise lift out of action the needles b, we employ a second segment 54 having a
shank 55" acted upon by a spring pin 57 on an arm 58", as shown in Figure 7, it
being understood that the needles of the sets b are provided with lifting jacks
beneath them in the same manner as the needles of the set a, but the needles of the
set d have no such lifting jack beneath them, hence the rise of the segment 54*
exerts no influence upon the said needles d, which, therefore, remain continuously
in action.
Variation in the draft of the needles so as to effect the formation of long or
short stitches is occasioned by raising and lowering the needle cylinder 1, it being
understood that the needles are always drawn down to the same point by the
knitting cams of the cam cylinder 3, hence a rise of the needle cylinder will cause

page_text: the needles to draw longer stitches than would be drawn by the said needles if the
cylinder occupied a lower position, in other words, when the cylinder is raised, the
hooks of the needles in their descent will be carried to a greater extent below
the top or web supporting edge of the cylinder than when the latter occupies the
lower position.
.
In order to effect such rise and fall of the cylinder 1 the clamp 2 which carries
it is free to slide vertically in an opening in the bed plate forming part of the fixed
frame of the machine and the said clamp has a tubular stem 80 guided in a boss 81
on the fixed frame and having at either or both sides a projecting pin 82 which rests
upon a cam ring 83 mounted upon the said boss 81 and having an outwardly
projecting arm 84 this construction being shown in Figure 6.
The outer end of the arm 84 is connected by a rod 85 (Figures 2 and 4) to a
slide 86 which is loosely mounted upon the outer end of a shaft 120 at the rear end
of the machine upon which shaft is also loosely mounted a ratchet wheel 89.
Secured to this ratchet wheel is a grooved or slotted cam 88 which acts upon a
pin 87 on the slide 86, hence as the cam is turned the slide will be moved back
and forth and the arm 84 will be operated so as to raise or lower the needle
cylinder.
Instead of using a slotted cam 88, as shown in Figure 2, a single acting cam can
be used, as shown in Figure 24, the pin 87 being held in contact with the cam by
means of a spring 90, acting upon the slide 86.
The clamp 2 is depressed so as to keep its pin or pins 82 firmly seated upon the
cam ring 83, by means of a spring 91 interposed between the bottom of the boss 81
and a lever nut 92 adapted to the threaded lower end of a rod 93 which has at the
upper end a wedge 94 adapted to the tapered upper end of a slot 95 formed in the
clamp 2, as shown in Figures 5 and 6.
The lever nut 92 bears against the lower end of the tubular stem 80 of the
clamp 2, hence if the said lever 92 is turned in one direction it will so act upon the
threaded rod 93 as to draw the same downward and thus cause its wedge 94 to
expand the clamp 2 and firmly grip the lower portion of the needle cylinder so as
to hold the same in place, but by turning the lever nut in the opposite direction,
the wedge 94 will be slackened and the clamp 2 will be permitted to contract (this
being its normal tendency) so as to release the. needle cylinder and permit the
removal of the same and the insertion of a new one.
Reliance may ordinarily be placed upon the frictional hold of the clamp 2 upon
the needle cylinder to prevent any rotating movement of the latter with the cam
cylinder, but as an additional safeguard we provide the clamp 2 with a projecting
lug 96 at one side, this lug being adapted to a recess 97 formed in the bottom of the
needle cylinder, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 6. This provision for the ready
application and removal of the needle cylinder is of importance in cases where the
stockings are knitted to tubular webs of ribbed fabric which constitute the ribbed
tops of the stocking legs. In such cases the stitches of the ribbed web are applied
to the needles of the cylinder before the latter is placed in the machine, and after
the knitting of the stocking with its heel and toe pocket has been completed, the
cylinder is removed and a second cylinder having a new tube of ribbed fabric upon
its needles is inserted in the machine, the tube of ribbed fabric being applied to the
needles of one cylinder while the knitting of the stocking.is being effected upon
the needles of the other cylinder.
The means for controlling the feeding of the thread or threads to the needles of
the machine are shown in Figures 8 and 9 ; a post 105 projects upwardly from the
rear portion of the fixed frame, this post having at the upper end a projecting
arm 106. To a projecting lug 107 on this arm is mounted a lever 108 one arm of
which has a jaw 109 constituting the moveable jaw of a clamp, the fixed jaw 110
of the said clamp being secured to and projecting from the arm 106 as shown in
Figure 9.
A spring 111 tends to draw the jaw 109 towards the jaw 110 and in order to
effect the separation of these jaws, whenever such separation is desired, the opposite

page_text: arm of the lever 108 is acted upon by a cam 112 carried by a lever 113 which is
bung to an upwardly projecting lug 114 on the arm 106 and is connected by a
rod 115 to a lever 116 which is connected to a rod 117 at the back of the machine,
and has a lug 118 acted upon at the proper time by a cam 119 which can turn upon
the shaft 120 mounted in bearings at the rear of the machine.
The main knitting thread m which is to be fed to the needles, passes first through
a guide eye 121 upon the arm 106, thence through an eye in a guide finger 122
projecting from the said arm, thence under the jaws 109 and 110, thence into and
through a guide tube 123 carried by a tubular stud 124 on the arm 106, thence
through an eyelet 125 carried by an elastic arm 126 and thence through a guide
eye 129 at the front end of the said arm 106 to the guide which feeds the thread
to the needles of the machine.
The elastic arm 126 forms one termination of a spring 127 coiled around a
pin 128 projecting from the arm 106 as shown in Figure 9.
The extra or reinforcing thread n which is only to be inserted at intervals, passes
first through a guide eye in a disc 130 carried by the lever 113, thence through
eyes 131 on the back of the said lever, thence through guide openings in a curved
arm 132 at the front end of said lever, thence over a guide wire 133 carried by the
lever 108 and finally between the jaws 109 and 110 and into the guide tube 123,
after which it follows the same course as the main or continuous knitting thread.
When, therefore, it is desired to feed the reinforcing thread to the needles of
the machine the parts are permitted to assume the position shown in Figures 8 and 9,
the lever 116 occupying its depressed position so as to lower the front end of the
lever 113 and cause its cam lug 112 to act upon the lever 108 so as to open the
jaw 109 and permit the extra thread to be carried along to the needles by contact
with the continuous knitting thread.
When it is desired to stop the feeding of the extra thread to the needles, the
arm 116 is lifted by the action of the cam 119 so as to raise the front end of the
lever 113, thereby withdrawing the cam lug 112 from contact with the lever 108
and permitting the spring 111 to draw the jaw 109 of said lever into contact with
the fixed jaw 110 so as to clamp and hold the extra thread, which will consequently
be broken off at a poind close to the needles. When the extra thread is again
released by the opening of the jaws 109 and 110 the said extra thread will be
again drawn in to the needles by contact with the main knitting thread.
In order to form slack in the extra thread n after the closing of the clamp jaws,
so that the said thread will for a time be free from tension when the jaws are again.
opened, and can thus be readily drawn forward by the main thread m, fresh thread
will be drawn from the bobbin on the rise of the forward end of the lever 113, and
lie along the curved arm 132 until the forward end of the lever 113 again
descends.
During the reciprocating movement of the machine, slack is formed in the
threads on each reversal of the direction of movement of the cam cylinder and
the thread guide carried thereby, but the elastic arm 126 carrying the eyelet 125
takes up this slack, the eyelet rising as the slack is formed and being drawn down
as the slack is taken up by the needles. By this means the thread is always kept
under the desired degree of tension during the knitting operation and the proper
feeding of the thread to the needles by the guide is insured.
Having thus described the construction and operation of the various special
features of novelty in the machine we will now describe the general mechanism
whereby these parts are operated at the proper times.
On the back of the bevel wheel 6 which drives the cam box of the machine are
two cams 135 and 136, shown in Figures 1 and 6, and also in Figure 25.
The cam 135 acts upon an antifriction roller 137 on an arm 138 secured to a
rock shaft 139 which is free to turn in a suitable bearing on the fixed frame, and
5 has another arm 140 provided with three pawls 141, 142 and 143, as shown in
Figures 2, 4 and 29, the pawl 141 engaging with a ratchet wheel 144 on a drum
which carries the pattern chain 145 shown in Figure 2 and the pawl 142 acting
B

page_text: upon a ratchet wheel 146 on a sleeve which carries two pattern chains 147 and 148
slown respectively in Figures 26 and 27, the,said sleeve also carrying the cam 119
which operates the extra thread feeding devices and two other cams 149 and 150,
as shown in Figures 28 and 284, both ratchet wheels 144 and 146 and the parts
connected therewith turning freely on the shaft 120.
The ratchet wheel 146 has three long teeth as shown in Figures 2 and 29, and
when the pawl 142 rests upon one of these long teeth the throw of the pawl is not
sufficient to clear the tooth, hence the ratchet wheel 146 and the parts operated
thereby remain stationary until a pin 151 (Fig. 4) on the face of the said ratchet
wheel is struck by a projection 152 upon a link of the pattern chain 145, there
being three pairs of these links, numbered respectively 153, 154 and 155, in
Figure 2, the said links being shown in side elevation in Figures 30, 31 and 32.
The pawl 143 acts upon the ratchet wheel 89, which operates the cam 88 for
controlling the arm 84 whereby the draft of the needles is regulated, as hereinbefore
set forth, the said ratchet wheel also having two long teeth as shown in Figure 29.
When the pawl 143 rests upon a long tooth of the ratchet wheel 89 the movement
of the latter is stopped until a pin 156 on the back of the ratchet wheel is struck by
a pin 157 on a link on the pattern chain 145, the said pin being long enough to
overlap the ratchet wheel 144 for this purpose. A side elevation of the link and
pin 157 is shown in Figure 33. The pin of the link 157 will temporarily lift out
of action the operating pawl 141 after starting the movement of the ratchet
wheel 89, hence the pawl 143 which acts upon the said ratchet wheel 89 has a wide
end overlapping the ratchet wheel 144 (see Figure 4).
As long as the end of the pawl 143 is resting upon the long tooth of the ratchet
wheel 89, it is beld clear of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 144 and the latter is
operated by its own pawl 141, but as soon as the wheel 89 has been moved by
contact of the pin of the link 157 with the pin 156, the end of the pawl 143 drops
from the long tooth of the ratchet wheel 89 and falls into engagement with the
teeth of both ratchet wheels 89 and 144 so that it serves to continue the movement
of the latter wheel when its own pawl is lifted out of engagement with it by the
passage of the pin of the link 157 beneath the same. This will be understood on
reference to Figure 29 in which the pin of the link 157 is shown as in the act of
lifting the pawi 141 in passing beneath the same after having started the movement
of the ratchet wheel 89. There is thus provided, at suitable intervals, a movement
of the arm 84 to effect, first, a rise of the needle cylinder and then a depression of
the same so as to draw longer stitches in the calf portion of the kuitted tube than
are drawn in the ankle and foot portions of the same. When this change is not
required, as for instance, in the knitting of socks, the automatic operation of the
draft changing mechanism may be arrested by removing the pawl 143.
The pattern chain 147 is composed mainly of low links as shown in Figure 26,
but there is one link 158 higher than these low links and a set of links 159 higher
than the link 158, and a lever 160 has a shoe resting upon the links of the
chain 146, the free end of this lever being connected by a link 161 to an arm 162
on a rock shaft 163, the said rock shaft having two cams 164 and 165, the cam 164
acting upon a notched portion of the arm 58, and the cam 165 acting upon a
notched portion of the arm 58°, as shown in Figure 34.
The cam 165 is set so as to act somewhat later than the cam 164, the latter
acting upon the arm 58 when the lever 160 is raised by the link 158, so as to throw
out of action the needles of the set a in starting to knit the heel, the movement of
the cam 165 at this time, however, not being sufficient to operate the lever 58, so
that the needles of the sets remain in operation. When, however, the lever 160
is acted upon by the high links 159, both levers 58 and 58 will be acted upon by
the cams 164 and 165, and both sets of needles a and b will be thrown out of
action at the completion of the circular courses at the centre of the heel.
The chain 148 has, besides the usual low links, other links 166 and 167, as shown
in Figure 27, the links of said chain 147 acting upon a shoe carried by a lever 168
which has at the free end a laterally projecting lug 169 (see Figure 35) extending

page_text: beneath a vertical stem 170 guided in a suitable bearing 171 on the frame of the
machine and provided at the upper end with two discs 172 and 173, as shown in
Figure 2.
-
The links 166 of the pattern chain 148 are not as high as the links 167, hence
the said pattern chain provides for such an operation of the lever 168 as to permit
of three vertical adjustments of the discs 172 and 173, that is to say, an extreme
lower position, an intermediate or partly lifted position and a high or fully lifted
position. The discs 172 and 173 act upon the means for operating the primary
drawdown cam 78, the needle lifter and depressor 64 and 65 and the clutch shifting
mechanism of the machine in the following manner, reference being had particularly
to Figures 23, 36, 37, 38, 39 and 40.
The needle lifted and depressor are, as before stated, carried by a lever 63 which
is hung to the friction ring 62 mounted upon the cam cylinder 3.
As shown in Figures 23, 36 and 37 the pivot of the lever 63 is in a lug 174
upon said friction ring 62, the front end of the lever being acted upon by a
spring 175 the tendency of which is to draw the said front end of the lever and
the parts carried thereby inwards towards the needle cylinder and thereby project
the rear end of the lever as shown in Figure 36.
Hung to a bracket 176 on the friction ring 62 is a lever 177 which acts upon
a pin 178 carried by the rear end of the lever 63, the said lever 177 occupying
a horizontal plane somewhat below that of the lever 63, as shown in Figure 1.
When the inner end of the lever 177 acts upon the pin 178, as shown in
Figure 37, it retains the rear end of the lever 63 in its innermost position and
consequently holds the forward end of said lever in the outermost position 80
that the lifter and depressor are outward beyond the shelf 48 of the cam cylinder.
and hence are not in position to act upon the needle bits.
When it is desired
to bring the lifter or depressor into action the rod 170 is raised to the inter-
mediate position; so that the disc 172 will act upon the lever 177 and withdraw
the same from engagement with the pin 178 of the lever 63, thus permitting the
forward end of said lever to be drawn inward by the spring 175 so as to move the
lifter and depressor into operative relation to the bits of the needles.
When it is desired to again move the said lifter and depressor out of operative
position, the rod 170 is lifted to its highest position, so that the disc 172 will
act upon the rear end of the lever 163 and will push the same inward until its
pin 178 is again engaged by the lever 177, a spring 179 moving the said lever
into engagement with the pin (see Figure 36).
The primary draw-down cam 78 is carried by a spring arm 180 mounted upon
the cam cylinder 3, the said cam 78 working through a slot in the cam cylinder.
Hung to a bracket 181 on the cam cylinder are two levers 182 and 183, the
lever 183 having a pin 184 adapted to a slot or opening in the lever 182 beyond the
pivot of the same, as shown in Figures 38 and 39.
When the machine is producing continuous tubular fabric the cam 78 is pushed
inward by the action of the inner end of the lever 182, as shown in Figure 39,
and when it is desired to withdraw the said cam 78 the rod 170 is partially
raised so as to bring the disc 173 into line with the lever 183 which, on being
struck by the disc, causes the retraction of the inner end of the lever 182 so
as to permit the spring arm 180 to effect the withdrawal of the cam 78, as
shown in Figure 38, this operation taking place immediately before the lever 177
is acted upon by the disc 172 so as to throw the needle lifter and depressor into
operative relation to the bits of the needles.
When it is desired to again push the cam 78 inward the rod 170 is lifted to its
highest position, so that the disc 173 will act upon the outer end of the lever 182,
thereby bringing forward its inner end so as to push the cam 78 inward and hold
it there, as shown in Figure 39, this operation being effected immediately before
the action of the disc 172 upon the rear end of the lever 63 so as to throw the
needle lifter and depressor out of action.

page_text: Connected to the inner end of the lever 182 is a link 184* which is also
connected to one arm of a bell crank lever 185 hung to the cam box, the other
arm of the said lever having a lug 186 .which projects beyond the cam box close te
the base of the same, as shown in Figures 6 and 40, and when this lug is lowered
it is adapted to strike a catch arm 187, and when raised, is adapted to strike one
arm of a lever 188, both catch arm and lever being suitably pivotted to the fixed
frame of the machine.
The sliding collar 32 of the clutch drum 23 is engaged by a fork 189 carried by
a rock shaft 190 and upon one end of this rock shaft is mounted a swinging
lever 191 (Figures 1 and 41) while the opposite end of the rock shaft is provided
with two arms 192 and 193 (Figures 1, 4 and 6) rigidly secured upon the said rock
shaft, the arm 193 being acted upon by a spring 194 (Figure 1) the tendency of
which is to so turn the rock shaft as to cause the grooved collar 32 of the clutch
drum to move towards the reciprocating spur wheel 22.
When the machine is rotating so as to produce continuous tubular work,
however, the collar 32 is moved in the opposite direction so that the sliding bolt 35
of the clutch drum 23 engages with the projecting pin of the rotating spur wheel 21
the parts being held in this position by the engagement of the free end of the catch
arm 187 with a lug 102 on the arm 192.
When, however, the lever 182 is moved so as to permit of the withdrawal of the
cam 78, the lug 186 of the lever 185 is thrown downward so as to be in position to
engage with the catch arm 187 and just as the cam box is completing its last
rotation before beginning the to and fro movement, the said lug 186 strikes the
catch arm 187 and pushes the same outward so as to withdraw its free end from
engagement with the lug 102 of the arm 192 and thus permit the spring 194 to
pull down the arm 193 and swing the rock shaft 190 so as to throw the grooved
clutch collar 32 over towards the reciprocating. spur wheel 22, as shown in
Figure 1, so as to provide for clutching the drum 23 to the said reciprocating spur
wheel thus causing back and forth movement of the cam cylinder.
Just before resuming the rotating movement, the lever 182 is moved so as to
throw the cam 78 again inward, and this movement is transmitted to the lever 185
so as to raise its lug 186 into line with the lever 188, and just before this cam box
completes its last reciprocation the lug 186 strikes the said lever 188 and moves
the same so as to cause a cam 103 forming part thereof to act upon the upper end
of the lever 191 thereby thrusting the same outward, and moving the lower end of
the lever inward where it comes into the path of a cam 195 secured to the spur
wheel 22, as shown in Figure 6, this cam acting upon the lower end of the lever 191
so as to move the same laterally and thus cause such a rocking of the shaft 190 as
will carry the grooved clutch collar 32 towards the rotating spur wheel 21 so as to
again effect the clutching of the drum 23 to the said spur wheel, (see Figure 41).
A stop lug 104 on the depending arm 189 of the shaft 190 prevents undue outward
movement of the lever 191.
When the machine is rotating the belt from the large pulley 18 is driving the
pulley 13 at high speed the belt from the small pulley 17 running to the loose
pulley 14 and hence being "dead" or inoperative.
Before effecting the change from rotating to reciprocating motion, it is advisabl
to shift the driving belt from the fast running pulley 13 onto the loose pulley 1+
and to carry the dead belt from the latter onto the slow running pulley 12 so as to
reduce the speed of the machine during the reciprocating movements, and when
the change is effected from the reciprocating movement to the rotating movement,
the position of the belts should be reversed, that is to say, the driving belt should
be shifted from the slow running pulley 12 onto the loose pulley 14 and the dead
belt should be shifted from the latter onto the fust pulley 13.
This operation is effected in the following manner:
The rock shaft 196 which carries the belt shifter 19 has an arm 197, shown by
dotted lines in Figure 1, which arm is acted upon by a spring 198 tending to

page_text: depress it and thus move the belt shifter to the position shown in said Figure 1,
that is to say, with the belts respectively upon the loose pulley 14 and slow
running pulley 12.
Hung to the arm 197, however, is a rod 199, the upper end of which is hooked
for engagement with the arm 193 on the rock shaft 190 of the clutch shifter, so
that when the said clutch is moved so as to cause the clutch drum to engage with
the rotating spur wheel 21, the rod 199 will be lifted by the arm 193 so as to
throw the belts respectively onto the loose pulley 14 and fast running pulley 13.
The upper end of the rod 199 is connected by a link 200 to an arm 201 on a
rock shaft 202 at the rear of the machine and the said rock shaft has at its other
end an arm 203 which carries a disc 204 adapted to be acted upon by the cam 150
before referred to, (see Figures 2, 3 and 4).
Just before the arm 192 of the clutch shifter is released by the withdrawal of
the catch arm 187, the rod 199 is withdrawn from engagement with the arm 193
by the action of the cam 150, thus permitting the spring 198 to act upon the
arm 197 of the belt shifter in order to throw the belts upon the loose and slow
running pulleys so as to reduce the speed of the machine prior to the starting of
the reciprocating movement, the belts being shifted back onto the loose pulley and
fast running pulley by the engagement of the rod 199 with the arm 193 on the
upward movement of the latter effected in shifting the clutch into engagement with
the rotating spur wheel 21 on the resumption of the rotating movement.
Downward movement of the arm 197 and rod 199 under the action of the
spring 198 is restricted by means of a stop pin 98 projecting from a collar secured
to a rod 99 forming part of the fixed structure of the machine, as shown in
Figure 3.
As before described, it is necessary to shift the segmental bars 72 from a position
beneath the stem of the lifter 64 outward to a position beneath the rod 70 which
operates the depressor 65 when all of the fashioning needles have been raised out
of operative position and it is desired to again restore them to operative position,
this outward movement of the bars 72 being effected by means of the wedge 77
thrust between the arms 75 which carry the said bars.
The operation of this wedge at appropriate times is effected by the cam 149
which acts upon an antifriction roller 205 carried by a lever 206 as shown by dotted
lines in Figure 3, the upper end of the said lever being so formed as to constitute
the separating wedge 77.
The rocking of the frame 74 which carries the segmental bars 72 is effected by
means of cams 207 carried by the innerside of the spur wheel 24, as shown in
Figures 1, 3 and 4, these cams acting upou a roller 208 carried by an arm 209
hung to the rock shaft 210 which carries the said vibrating frame 74.
The roller 208 is movable laterally on a pin projecting from the arm 209, the
inner flange of the said roller being engaged by jaws on an arm 240 depending
from the rock shaft 190 which shifts the clutch sleeve 23.
When the machine is rotating the roller 208 is moved outward on its pin and
the cams 207 then play in the groove of the roller, and do not impart any
movement thereto, but when the shaft 190 rocks so as to move the clutch
collar 32 over towards the reciprocating spur wheel 22, the roller 208 is moved
inwards on its pin, so that its outer flange is brought into the path of the
cams 207, and movement is therefore imparted to the roller by the said cams.
When it is desired to remove the needle cylinder from the machine, it is
necessary to raise one half of the needles until their bits are above the top knitting
cam 45, and also to withdraw the cam 78, the cam cylinder being then turned so
as to bring its cams underneath the bits of the raised needles, and thus permit of
the rise of the other half of the needles with the needle cylinder as the latter is
withdrawn.
In order to readily effect these results we hang to the frame of the machine at
one side of the cam box, a lever 211 which has at the front end a downwardly

page_text: projecting pin 212 and an inwardly projecting pin 213, and at the rear end an
upwardly projecting pin 214 (see Figures 2, 4 and 42).
Normally, the front end of the lever 211 is held in an elevated position by the
action of a spring 215 at the rear, but when the said front end of the lever is
depressed the pin 212 strikes a pin 216 projecting rearwardly from the jack lifting
lever 58, hence the jack lifting segment around the front half of the needle cylinder
is raised into the path of the cam, 61, and is thereby further raised so that the bits
of the needles are above the top cam 45.
When the cam cylinder has been turned so that the cams are directly under the
bits of the raised needles, movement of the said cam cylinder is arrested by the
contact of the lug 186 of the lever 185 with the inwardly projecting pin 213 of
the lever 211, and just before this stoppage of the movement of the cam cylinder
the pin 214 of the lever 211 struck the operating lever 183 of the cam 78 and
effected the withdrawal of the said cam.
On removing pressure from the forward end of the lever 211 the latter is restored
by the spring 215 to inoperative position, so that the machine can be started as
soon as a new cylinder has replaced the one which was removed.
When the heel of the stocking is being fashioned, the extra thread n is being
inserted the clamping jaws 109 and 110 being open and the forward end of the
lever 113 depressed as shown in Figure 8.
When, however, the narrowing operation has been completed and one half of
the heel pocket formed, and it becomes necessary to introduce the series of full
circular courses around the heel and instep, the extra thread must be broken out,
while the stitches are being formed upon the needles of the front half of the
machine, corresponding to the instep portion of the stocking, as the introduction of
the extra thread in the instep for these few courses would be objectionable.
In order to effect this result, therefore, we employ the mechanism shown in
Figures 2, 25, 43, 44 and 45, which we will now proceed to describe.
The cam 136 before referred to acts upon an antifriction roller 217 mounted upon
an arm 218 of a rock shaft 219 adapted to bearings on the fixed structure of the
machine, as shewn in Figure 2. This rock shaft 219 has another arm 220 and
pivotted to the latter is a rod 221 with a hook 222 at the upper end, the rod also
being provided with a spring arm 223.
On the lever 116 which operates on the extra thread feeding mechanism is a
pin 224 and a notched lug 225 as shown in Figures 43 to 45.
When the lever is elevated during the rotation of the machine to produce
tubular fabric, the pin 224 engages with the hook 222 of the rod 221 and lifts the
arm 220 so as to throw down the roller 217 of the arm 218 out of range of the
cam 136 as shown in Figure 43.
When, however, the lever 116 drops in order to permit of the feeding in of the
extra thread, the corresponding fall of the pin 224 and rod 221 permits the rise of
the roller 217 into range of the cam 136 so that a vertical reciprocating movement
is imparted to the rod 221, the latter, however, being held free from engagement
with the notched lug 225 by means of a spring 238.
The rod remains free from engagement with the notched lug 225 of the lever 116
during the formation of the first half of the heel,'as shown in Figure 44, but as soon as
the machine begins to rotate in order to form the continuous courses of stitches at
the instep, lugs 226 on the pattern chain 148 act upon the spring arm 223 and
push the rod 221 forward into position for engagement with the notched lug 225, as
shown in Figure 45, hence during part of each rotation of the cam box while the
continuous heel courses are being formed the lever 116 is raised so as to close the
jaws 109 and 110 and break out the extra thread, and during the remainder of
each rotation the lever 116 is permitted to drop so as to open the jaws and permit
the extra thread to be fed in.
It will therefore be seen that the stitches in one part of each of the continuous
circular instep courses will be formed by the main thread only, while the stitches in

page_text: the remaining portion of each of said circular courses will be formed by both the
main and supplementary threads, and the machine is, of course, so timed that these-
latter stitches are those around the heel.
The lugs 226 are not wide enough to act upon the shoe of the lever 168, hence
the position of the discs 172 and 173 is not affected by the said lugs 226.
When the socks or stockings are being formed independently upon the machine,.
it is usual to stop the machine after the completion of the toe pocket, a few circular
courses being, however, first knitted, so that in closing the toe, a continuous course
of stitches is presented to be looped together.
In order to effect the automatic stoppage of the machine we provide the pattern
chain 145 with a link having a lug 227 which at the proper time acts upon a
lever 228 which is connected by a chain 229 to a weighted lever 230.
When the.
weighted end of said lever 230 is depressed, it engages with a lever 231 adapted to
hold in action any suitable form of clutch whereby the belt pulley 16 is caused to.
drive the shaft 15.
When the weighted end of the lever 230 is raised, therefore, the lever 231 and
the clutch are released and the machine is stopped.
The use of the needle pickers constructed in such a manner that their movement
is arrested by the bits of the needles, may be resorted to in straight knitting
machines, as well as in circular knitting machines such as we have heretofore
described.
Figure 46 represents a section of part of a straight knitting machine, illustrating
the application of the pickers thereto, the straight needle bar or plate being shown
at 232 and the reciprocating cam box at 233.
The pickers are carried by a bar 234 which is slotted for the reception of
bolts 235 whereby it is supported on the cam box, and springs 236, interposed
between the heads of the bolts and the bar serve to press the latter into frictional
contact with the cam box, so that it will move with the same in the absence of any
obstruction to such movement, such as the contact of the lifter 64 with the bit of
a needle.
When the needles are to be thrown into and out of action only at one end of the
machine, one set of pickers only need be employed, but when the needles at both
ends of the machine are to be thrown into and out of action, two sets of pickers
one for each end of the machine, will be required. Of course, it will be understood
that in a machine of this class the picker actuating bar or bars 72 will be straight
instead of segmental.
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 automatic knitting machines means for moving the needles out of and into
operative positions in relation to the cams in narrowing and widening the fabric,
the said means comprising pickers mounted upon a frictionally operated ring or
bar, and adapted to be stopped by the bits of the needles, one of the said pickers
acting upon the bits of the needles to move them in one direction, and the other
acting upon the bits of the needles to move them in the opposite direction.
substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. Providing the pickers with operating stems or shanks located in different.
planes and combining therewith a bar or bars moveable into line with the operating
stem of either picker, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The means employed for operating the picker operating bars, the said means
comprising a vibrating frame, a pair of arms pivotted thereon and carrying the
picker operating bars, a wedge for separating the said arms and a spring for
drawing them together, substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. Mounting the pickers on the frictionally operated ring or bar so that they can
be moved in and out thereon, and thus carried into or out of range of the operating
bar or bars, substantially as herein before described.

page_text: 5. The means employed for moving a number of needles out of action simul¯
taneously, the said means comprising a series of jacks in line with the needles, a
segment for moving the said jacks, a cam for actuating the said segment, and
means for moving the segment into range of the cam, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
6. The means employed for moving different sets of needles into and out of
action simultaneously, the said means comprising the needle jacks, two segments
for acting thereon, a cam for operating the said segments, two notched levers for
moving the said segments into and out of range of the cam, two cams set so as to
follow each other in their action on the notched levers, a pattern chain having links
of different heights, and connections whereby the said pattern chain is caused to
operate the cams which act upon the notched levers substantially as hereinbefore
described.
•
7. The reversing clutch mechanism comprising a rotating wheel, a reciprocating
wheel, a clutch drum having a sliding bolt adapted to engage with either wheel,
and a pivotted toe on the said bolt adapted to project beyond the bolt on one side,
and thus prevent engagement of the bolt with the reciprocating wheel except wiren
the latter is travelling in one and the same direction, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
8. The means for shifting the position of the reversing clutch, the said means
comprising a rock shaft moved in one direction by a spring, an arm engaging with
a retaining catch for holding the said rock shaft in one position, a lever hung to
the rock shaft and adapted to be acted upon by a cam for moving the said shaft
against the action of the spring, a second lever for moving the said first mentioned
lever into the path of the cam, and a trip lug for engaging successively with the
said second lever and with the retaining catch substantially as herein before
described.
9. The speed changing mechanism comprising the fast and slow pulleys, the loose
pulley between them, the duplex belt shifter, a shifting rod constructed to engage
with an arm on the reversing clutch mechanism, and devices for releasing the
shifting rod from such engagement substantially as herein before described.
10. The means for varying the draft of the needles, the said means comprising a
cam lever for raising and lowering the needle cylinder, a cam and connections for
moving the said. lever to and fro, and ratchet and pawl mechanism for automatically
operating the said cam at intervals substantially as hereinbefore described.
11. The means for holding and releasing the needle cylinder, comprising the split
clamp, a threaded wedge bolt for expanding the same, and a lever nut applied to
the said wedge bolt substantially as hereinbefore described.
12. The extra thread controlling mechanism comprising a pair of clamping jaws
for the said extra thread, a lever having a cam lug for opening the moveable jaw,
and constructed so as to form slack thread after the jaws are closed, and devices
acted upon by a pattern chain for moving the said lever substantially as bereinbefore
described.
13. The extra thread controlling mechanism provided with means for operating
it, so as to release the extra thread on starting the heel, and to confine the said
thread in finishing the heel, and also with supplementary operating devices, whereby
the extra thread is released for but part of a course, in forming circular courses of
stitches at the centre of the heel, substantially as hereinbefore described.
14. The cam cylinder having a preliminary draw-down cam and a set of needle
pickers, both provided with levers, whereby they may be thrown into and out of
action, in combination with a double disc one part of which acts upon the lever
mechanism of the cam and the other upon the lever mechanism of the pickers,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
15. The lever 211 having three pins, the first for acting upon the mechanism for
raising half of the needles out of action simultaneously, the second for acting upon
the lever mechanism of the preliminary draw-down cam, and the third for acting as

page_text: a stop to prevent further rotation of the cam cylinder substantially as hereinbefore
described.
16. The mechanism for vibrating the frame carrying the bars for operating the
pickers, the said vibrating mechanism including cams which act upon a roller
controlled by an arm on the clutch shifting shaft, so that it is put out of range of
the cams when the machine is rotating, and into range of the said cams when the
machine is reciprocating, substantially as hereinbefore described.
17. The mode herein before described of forming a heel upon a sock or stocking,.
the said mode consisting in first forming a gradually narrowed web with main and
extra threads upon certain of the needles, then forming a series of continuous
courses of stitches upon all of the needles and stopping the feed of the extra
thread in that portion of each course which extends over the instep, and then
forming a gradually widened web with both threads upon the same needles upon
which the narrowed web was produced, substantially as herein before described.
18. A sock or stocking having a heel composed of main and extra threads, and
having a series of continuous circular course of stitches interposed between the
gradually widened webs which form and shape the heel, the extra thread being
removed from that portion of each of the interposed circular courses which extends.
over the instep.
Dated this 12th day of June 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents..