Improvements in Straight-bar Knitting Machinery.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 25th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 4th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Straight-bar Knitting Machinery.
I, JAMES HENRY WOODWARD, of Lee Works, Nottingham, Hosiery Machinist, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to improve the means used for automatically con-
trolling the traverse of thread-carriers and the automatically giving to narrowing
machine slides and sliding pressers the step by step and to and fro motions necessary
to produce various shapes and patterns of fabric produced upon straight bar knitting
machines.
For this purpose I employ an endless chain or Jacquard composed of narrow bars
jointed together side by side, and suspended upon a drum with a number of flat sides
upon it, upon each of the top sides of which drum rests one of the Jacquard bars or
links. At each end of the drum I have a toothed wheel containing as many teeth as
there are flats upon the drum and the bars at their ends have cylindrical pins
projecting from them to enter between the teeth of these wheels.
The drum also carries a ratchet wheel worked by a pawl.
When the drum is rotated by the action of the pawl on the ratchet wheel the
Jacquard is caused to revolve by the cylindrical pins at the ends of the Jacquard links
entering between the teeth of the toothed wheels. Upon the outer face of the links of
the Jacquard, I screw or cast other iron or steel plates of different lengths.
The Jacquard drum is mounted at the end of the knitting machine. One end of
each of the iron or steel plates is made with an incline upon it to act upon the carrier
rods or narrowing slides or sliding pressers as the case may be which are drawn
towards it by means of a spring or weight. One end of each plate may also be made
to project beyond the end of the link which carries it so that it may rest against the
face of a supporting plate at the time when the incline on its opposite end is acting
upon the carrier narrowing slide or sliding presser.
To insure accuracy the links of the Jacquard are also made to fit well between the
toothed wheels on the Jacquard drum.
Dated this 25th day of November 1889.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Straight-bar Knitting Machinery.
1, JAMES HENRY WOODWARD, of Lee Works, Nottingham, Hosiery Machinist, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention has for its object to improve the means used for automatically con-
trolling the traverse of thread carriers and the automatically giving to narrowing
machine slides and sliding pressers the step by step and to and fro motions necessary
to produce various shapes and patterns of fabric produced upon straight bar
knitting machines.
For this purpose 1 employ an endless chain or Jacquard composed of narrow bars
joined together side by side and suspended upon a drum with a number of flat sides
upon it, upon each of the top sides of which drum rests one of the Jacquard bars or
links. At each end of the drum 1 have a toothed wheel containing as many teeth as
there are flats upon the drum and the bars at their ends have cylindrical pins project-
ing from them to enter between the teeth of these wheels. The drum also carries a

page_text: ratchet wheel worked by a pawl. When the drum is rotated by the action of the
pawl on the ratchet wheel the Jacquard is caused.to revolve by the cylindrical pins
at the ends of the Jacquard links entering between the teeth of the toothed wheels.
Upon the outer face of the links of the Jacquard 1 screw or cast either iron or steel
plates of different lengths.
The Jacquard drum is mounted at the end of ithe knitting machine. One end of
each of the iron or steel plates is made with an incline upon it to act upon the carrier
rods or narrowing slides or sliding pressers as the case may be which are drawn
towards it by means of a spring or weight.
To ensure accuracy the links of the Jacquard are also made to fit well between the
toothed wheels on the Jacquard drum.
In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 to 3 shew an end-on-Jacquard constructed in accordance with my
invention Figures 4 to 6 illustrate the application of this end-on Jacquard to knitting
machines for the production of French feet and Figures 7 and 8 shew it adapted to a
Scotch bonnet frame.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the end-on Jacquard, Figure 2 an end elevation
and Figures 3 show one of the bars separately.
The apparatus consists of a series of iron bars A linked together by hinges H into
an endless chain. On these bars are screwed plates P varying in length and shape
according to the requirement of the work.
The chain is moved round by a drum D on which are flats D₁ D₁ and is kept
accurate as to position by pegs A' at the end of each bar falling into corresponding
notches in the toothed wheels or flanges D³ at each end of the drum.
The drum is itself driven by the ratchet wheel E and a pawl.
Above the drum and slightly on the leading side of it as shewn in Figure 2, is a
foot F fastened to the sliding bar S and this foot is bevelled on the side meeting the
plates as they come round so as easily to move away. Thus, on turning the drum
round in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2 the ends of the plates catching on the
bevelled foot drive it lengthwise and all connected with it.
The plates shewn in Figure 1 are of the form that would be required for making
the narrowings in a French foot.
The foot F is kept always in contact with tho Jacquard plates by means of a weight
attached to the sliding shaft S.
Figure 4 shews an end elevation of the apparatus applied to a French footing
frame.
Figure 5 is a plan of the apparatus in Figure 4, and
Figure 6 is a front elevation.
These figures shew the means whereby the motion of the sliding foot F is communicated
in a parallel direction to the narrowing slides. F is the foot shewn in Figure 1; and
S the shaft sliding in bearings B B. The shaft S is connected by the bracket G with
the shaft S' which moves parallel with it. V is an adjusting screw, for setting the foot
.accurately. K is a handle carrying a tongue, which engages with jaws J on the
shaft S³ when the handle is down, and leaves it free when drawn up. Y is a toothed
wheel gearing with the small racks R R on the shafts S and S so as to make them
slide in opposite directions. These shafts are connected through the jaw brackets
M and M with the narrowing slides N and N' respectively.
Qis a bluffing disk which only allows the pawl W to take one tooth of the ratchet
wheel for the shorter motion, but is moved by bits striking on the lever T- so as to
allow the pawl to take two teeth when the longer motion is required.
.
The motions are communicated as follows:-The paw! W driven from the main
shaft moves the ratchet wheel E and drum D carrying with it the chain A.
The foot F is driven end wise at each motion of the drum. The foot F, through the

page_text: ystem consisting of the bracket G, the handle K and the jaws J communicates
the motion to the shafts S and S³, and so, by the jaw brackets M & M to the
narrowing points N and N'.
Figures 7 and 8 are end and front views showing the end-on Jacquard apparatus
applied to the controlling of the pressure bars and thread carrier stops in a Scotch
bonnet frame.
B' is the sliding presser bar moved directly from the sliding bracket G and foot F;
B and B are thread carrier stops fixed to the bracket G which move along with
the presser bar. The whole is actuated as before from the chain A upon the
drum D, by its action upon the sliding foot F.
T is the lever moving the bluffing disc.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
In a straight bar knitting machine a Jacquard apparatus substantially as described
having a chain of narrow bars jointed together and passing around a drum ; such bars
carrying plates of different lengths with inclines acting upon a foot connected with
narrowing slides, sliding pressers or carrier rods in such manner as to impart to them
movement end wise in a direction parallel to the axis of the drum.
Dated this 23rd day of August 1890.