IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS, IN KNITTING AND OTHER MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF KNITTED OR LOOPED FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS. EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Thacker, of the Town and County of the Town
of Nottingham, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF FABRICS, IN KNITTING AND OTHER MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF KNITTED OR LOOPED FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS.
EMPLOYED THEREIN."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Thacker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th April 1881.
WALTER THACKER, of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS IN KNITTING AND OTHER
MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNITTED OR LOOPED FABRICS,
AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
The Invention has for its object, firstly, improvements in the manufacture of
fabrics in knitting and other machinery employed in the manufacture of knitted
or looped fabrics, and relates to the manufacture of fabrics which may be used in
substitution for gauze, leno, bobbin-net, and other fancy fabrics, and buckram, and
such like, and other woven fabrics.
For this purpose I produce a fabric, the loops or stitches of which are first
formed in the ordinary manner so far as the direction of the thread and the inter-
looping of the loops or stitches are concerned, but instead of allowing the sides of
the loops or stitches to remain straight I, after they are formed, put a twist upon
the same, the amount of which twist will depend upon the character of fabric it is
desired to produce. In some cases I put on half a turn to such loops or stitches,
in others a whole turn, a turn and a half or more, as may be required.
The new loops or stitches are passed through the eyes of those previously formed
and twisted, and thereby retain the twist put on to such loops or stitches. After
removal from the machine the fabric is dressed and finished in suitable manner
according to the character of fabric it is desired to produce.
The Invention relates, secondly, to improvements in knitting and other
machinery employed in the manufacture of knitted or looped fabrics, to render the
same suitable to produce the description of fabrics above described.

page_text: For this purpose I use needles of various descriptions, such for example as hook
needles, bearded needles, and tumbler needles, but differing from them as follows:-
I form on the stem or shank thereof a worm or screw, and on the end of the stemn
or shank I form a head or pivot on which the needles are capable of revolving.
The needles are held in position in their sockets or recesses by a ring in circular
machines, or by a flat plate in straight machines.
The required movement or revolution of the needles for the purpose of putting a
twist upon the loops is effected by means of levers formed at one end to fit the
worm or screw on the needles; these levers are mounted on centre pins or axes,
or in guides, with capability of being moved up and down or to and fro by a cam
cams adjusted to give the necessary rotary movement or twist to the
needles.
or
By these means the needles can be caused to receive a greater or less rotation
according to the distance of traverse of the levers operating the same.
Other means may however be employed for giving rotary motion to said
needles.
When using hook needles in circular frames I dispense with the well known
feeder, landing, presser, and knocking over wheels, and introduce a new wheel for
making the loop, landing and knocking over the loop or stitch. This wheel I form
with fixed blades, each of which is formed with two nibs, the first of which is to
hold the thread and make the loop, whilst the second is to laud the loop or stitch
and knock it over the newly formed loop.
I would here remark that my Invention does not apply to the manufacture of
ordinary hosiery fabric, such as is used for gloves, stockings, pantaloons, or
drawers, nor to the manufacture of fabric to be used in substitution for ordinary
woollen fabric used in the manufacture of ladies' and gentlemen's outer
garments.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
3
by the said Walter Thacker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th October
1881.
WALTER THACKER, of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS, IN KNITTING AND OTHER
MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNITTED OR LOOPED FABRICS,
AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
The Invention has for its object, firstly, improvements in the manufacture of
fabrics in knitting and other machinery employed in the manufacture of knitted
or looped fabrics, and relates to the manufacture of fabrics which may be used in
substitution for gauze, leno, bobbin net, and other fancy fabrics, and buckram and
such like, and other woven fabrics.
For this purpose I produce a fabric, the loops or stitches of which are first
formed in the ordinary manner so far as the direction of the thread and the inter-
looping of the loops or stitches are concerned, but instead of allowing the sides of
the loops or stitches to remain straight I after they are formed put a twist upon
the same, the amount of which twist will depend upon the character of fabric it is
desired to produce. In some cases I put on half a turn to such loops or stitches, in
others a whole turn, a turn and a half or more, as may be required.
The new loops or stitches are passed through the eyes of those previously formed
and twisted, and thereby retain the twist put on to such loops or stitches. After
removal from the machine the fabric is dressed and finished in suitable manner
according to the character of fabric it is desired to produce.
The Invention relates, secondly, to improvements in knitting and other
machinery employed in the manufacture of knitted or looped fabrics, to render the
same suitable to produce the description of fabrics above described.
For this purpose I use needles of various descriptions, such for example as hook
needles, bearded needles, and tumbler needles, but differing from them as follows:-
I form on the stem or shank thereof a worm or screw, and on the end of the stem
or shank I form a head or pivot on which the needles are capable of revolving.
The needles are held in position in their sockets or recesses by a ring in circular
machines, or by a flat plate in straight machines.
The required movement or revolution of the needles for the purpose of putting a
twist upon the loops is effected by means of levers formed at one end to fit the
worm or screw on the needles; these levers are mounted on centre pins or axes,
or in guides, with capability of being moved up and down or to and fro by a cam
or cams adjusted to give the necessary rotary movement or twist to the
needles.
By these means the needles can be caused to receive a greater or less rotation,
according to the distance of traverse of the levers operating the same.
Other means may however be employed for giving rotary motion to said
needles.
.
When using hook needles in circular frames I dispense with the well known
feeder, landing, presser, and knocking over wheels, and introduce a new wheel for
making the loop, landing, and knocking over the loop or stitch. This wheel I
form with fixed blades, each of which is formed with two nibs, the first of which
is to hold the thread and make the loop, whilst the second is to land the loop or
stitch and knock it over the newly formed loop.
I would here remark that my Invention does not apply to the manufacture of
ordinary hoisery fabric, such as is used for gloves, stockings, pantaloons, or drawers,
nor to the manufacture of fabric to be used in substitution for ordinary woollen
fabric used in the manufacture of ladies and gentlemen's outer garments.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings,
more fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
In all the Figures like parts are marked with similar letters of reference.
Figure 1 is a section, and Figure 2 is a plan of parts of a straight bar knitting
machine, with my improvements applied thereto; and Figures 3 and 4 are sections
showing the different parts in different positions. A, A, is the top tie bar, which is
secured to the end standards B, B, and to a middle support not shewn in the
Drawings; C is the needle bar, which slides on the tie bar A, and is actuated by the
cam D working against trucks E, E, which are secured to a parallel slide G, G,
connected to a needle bar C.
Working in a guide carried by the needle bar C is a slide H, which carries
combs K that in their motion revolve the needles, and such slide is actuated by the
cam I through the connecting rod L and lever and truck M; a spring N connected
to the lever M at one end and to the standard B at the other keeps the truck M
always up against the cam I. Knocking over bits O are cast in leads in the
ordinary manner, and screwed to the tie bar A, through each of which is passed a
wire P, so that when the latch B of the needle passes over it it keeps it close over
the hook of the needle. The combs K work upon the twisted portions of the
needles R, and by their backward and forward motion cause the said needles to
revolve. Upon the needle bar C is fixed a bar S, which runs from end to end of
the machine, and is cut to form sockets or recesses to receive the needles to the
gauge as may be required for fine or coarse work. The end of the needle is formed
with an axis c and a head c¹ to prevent it from having any lateral movement. Tis
a cap to keep the needles securely in their sockets or recesses at this end; U is a
cap for the same purpose at the other end; V is the guide bar shaft, carrying
guides W, and worked in the same manner as in ordinary straight bar machines;
X are guides, which work between the needles to prevent the work from coming
forward when the needle bar advances; they are cast in leads, and mounted upon a
bar similar to the guide bar V.
The work Z is wound up on tension rollers, as in ordinary straight bar machines,
not shown in the Drawings.
The threads or yarns are worked from the ordinary warp beams or from spools,
also not shewn in the Drawings.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-Figures 1 and 2 show the position
when the guides are putting the yarns or threads Y round the hooks of the
needles.
Figure 3 shows the needle bar C and the slide H drawn into position for
knocking over, and just about to put the turn or twist upon the stitch or loop.
The guide X has come into position to prevent the work coming forward, as shewn
in Figures 3 and 4. Figure 4 shows the needle bar C and slide H as they are
coming back to the position shewn in Figure 1, and just before the slide H moves.
It will be seen that after the guides W have put the yarns or threads round the
needle hooks, the needle bar C and slide H travel in a backward direction and at a
uniform rate until they arrive at the position shewn in Figure 3, when the needle
bar cam D has nearly reached its back centre, the cam I having a sudden rise upon
it brings the slide H, upon which are fixed the combs K, into the position shewn in
Figure 4, thereby placing a complete turn or twist upon the stitch or loop, and at
the same time the stitch is being knocked over, as shewn in Figure 3. It will be
noticed in Figure 3 that the latch b of the needle is resting upon the wire P,
therefore holding it secure, and preventing it fouling the next needles. The
guide X remains in position until the needle bar has travelled nearly to the front
end of its stroke. The needle bar C and slide H travel forward at the same
uniform rate until the stitch passes the pivot upon which the latch 6 of the needle

page_text: turns, when the slide H, actuated by a rapid fall on the cam I, returns the comb K
to the position it occupied in Figure 1, and before the stitch has passed over the
point of the latch b, therefore preventing it fouling the needles on either side of it.
I have now described and illustrated the manner in which I put one whole turn
or twist upon the loops on a straight bar knitting machine, and will now proceed
to describe how I put one whole turn or twist upon the loops on a circular machine
with the ordinary hook needle. Figure 5 is an elevation of parts of a circular
machine; Figure 6 is a plan of the same; Figure 7 is a plan and elevation of
loop wheel; and Figure 8 is an enlarged section through line 1, 1, of Figure 6 of
levers, needles, and other parts.
The circular head B, B¹, and S, S, is mounted and driven in the ordinary way.
B' and S are brass circles shrunk on to B in the usual manner for the convenienco
of cutting and forming sockets or recesses to receive the hooks R and the levers K
which perform the same operation as the combs K in the straight bar machine,
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. U is a steel cap to hold the hooks in the upper sockets or
recesses. T is the lower cap for the same purpose.
The ends of the hooks are formed with axes c and heads c' that fit into a small
groove to prevent the hooks R from moving in a lateral direction. B¹ is cut to the
same gauge as the hooks to receive the levers K.
"
The levers K have at their inner ends a slot cut to fit upon the screw part of the
hooks for the purpose of turning the hooks or needles when depressed or raised by
the cams d¹, d², d³. The levers K work upon a small pivot e in a groove in the
brass ring B', and are prevented from coming out of position by a cap T'. fis a
putter back," carried by the supports g, g, from the outer ring h, h. This ring is
for the purpose of carrying the "putter back," the cams d², d², d³, and loop wheel ¿.
The loop wheel is, according to my Invention, formed of steel blades, upon which
nebs are formed, as shewn at Figures 7. The small neb or catch k is for forming
the loop, the groove is for receiving the work from the putter back f, and the
projection m is for landing and knocking over the work; n is a continuation of B
and finished smooth on the top for the work to pass over and through the hollow
space t down to the take up roller.
The ring h, loop wheel i, and the "putter back "f, are stationary. p, p, are
bevel wheels driven by the shaft r and the pulleys, carrying with them the
head B, B, S, S, and parts carried thereby, and the taking up rollers, which latter
are rotated in the usual manner. The operation is as follows:-The threads or
yarns Y are passed through the guide W, the circular head revolving in the
direction indicated by the arrow; the yarn or thread is formed into a loop by the
loop former k in the hooks; the last made loop or stitch being put into the groove
by the putter back fat the same time; when the levers K begin to pass over the
stationary cam d' the ends of the levers in which the slots are formed, and which
fit on the screwed part of the hook R, are caused to move downwards a sufficient
distance to cause the hooks to make half a turn, when the stitch or loop is knocked
over by the projection m on the loop wheel. And as the circular head B revolves
it brings the lever ends K in contact with the second cam d², which puts the
remaining half turn or twist upon the hooks and stitches, and the "putter back"
then puts the work Z on to the stem of the hooks, as shewn in Figure 8.
B, B', continues to revolve when the levers come into contact with the third
cam d³, which brings the hooks or needles into the same positions they occupied at
the commencement, the work is again put back and the operation repeated.
It will be observed that the hooks or needles have been restored to their first
position, whilst the loop or stitch was on the stem or lower part of the hooks or
needles, by this means the twist or turn put into the loop or stitch is retained, as
shewn in Figure 9.
Figure 11 is a plan, and Figure 12 is an elevation of parts of another circular
machine showing how I put a complete turn or twist and a half into the loop.
Figure 12 is an enlarged section, and Figure 13 an enlarged plan of parts of the
same.

page_text: The general character of the machine is the same as that above described with
respect to Figures 5, 6, 7, 8.
.
The taking up in the machine represented at Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13, is
performed over the needles instead of under, as above described. The ordinary
presser wheels b, b', and landing and knocking over wheels 1, 1, and m, m², are
used. The needles R are the ordinary bearded needles as far as the upper part of
the needle is concerned. The circular head B¹, B¹, and S are brass circles shrunk
on to B for the convenience of cutting and forming sockets or recesses to receive
the needles R and the levers K, which latter perform the same operation as the
combs K in the straight bar machine represented at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4. U is a steel
cap to prevent the needles from leaving their places, and T is a cap to keep the
needles securely in their sockets or recesses at this end. c¹ is a head formed at the
end of each needle to prevent them from having any lateral movement, and such
head fits in a small groove, as before described. B' is cut to the same gauge as the
needles to receive the levers K which work upon pivots e in a groove in the brass
ring B¹.
The lever has at its inner end a slot cut to fit upon the screw part of the
needle R for the purpose of turning the needle when depressed or raised by the
cams d and d².
<<
The cap T prevents the levers K. from coming out of their places when working.
f, f¹, are putter backs" carried by the outside ring h and the inside table h¹. The
ring h and table h¹ are for the purpose of carrying loop and presser wheels, landing
and knocking over wheels, and the "putter backs." The loop wheels i, i¹,
and pressers b, b', are the same as are used in ordinary hosiery machines, as are
also the landing and knocking over wheels, and their operation is precisely the.
same.
The twisted part of the needle stem R represents one complete turn or twist and
a half differing from those above described by half a turn or twist. Figure 12
shows the position of the needles working from the inside and outside feed. The
iuside loop wheel and presser wheels b' are fastened to the inside table h¹, as also
are the outside landing and knocking over wheels l, m. The table h' is fixed to
the frame A¹ of the machine. The outside loop wheel i, presser wheel b, "putter
back", and inside landing wheel 1, and knocking over wheel m³, are secured to
the outside ring h fastened to the frame A¹ of machine.
The operation is as follows:-The yarns or threads Y, Y¹, are passed through the
guides W, W¹, and put into the loop wheels i, i¹, and thereby placed under the
beards of the needles, and as the circular head B, B¹, S, S, revolves in the direction
of the arrow, Figure 10, the presser wheel b puts down the beards of the needles R
into their eyes, at the same time the landing wheel lands the stitch over the
beard, the knocking over wheel then knocks the stitch over the new loop. This
operation is precisely the same as in the ordinary circular knitting machines. The
head continues to revolve until the levers K come into contact with the cam d
which depresses the slotted end of the lever, thereby giving to the needle one and
a half turns. This one and a half turn or twist is conveyed to the stitch as
represented at Figures 14, and the stitch was completed in the ordinary way after
it had been knocked over.
It will be observed that the beards of the needles are now pointing to the inner
or centre of the revolving head B. The "putter back "f1 is so arranged as to take
the work now on to the outside of the needles, which offers facilities for the
introduction of an inside loop and presser wheel 1, 61, fastened as above described.
The thread or yarn Y¹ for the inside feed comes through the hole t provided for
that purpose in the centre of the table ', and passes through the guide Winto
the loop wheel 2, and is thereby placed under the beards of the needles; as the
circular head B revolves in the direction indicated by the arrow, Figure 10, the presser
wheel b¹ presses down the beards of the needles into their eyes at the same time
as the landing wheel lands the stitch over the beard, the knocking over wheel m'
then knocks the stitch over the new loop. The head B continues to revolve until
the levers K come into contact with the cam d², the slotted end of the levers K are

page_text: now raised, therefore giving the needles a turn or twist and a half in the opposite
direction to that just described, and bringing the levers into the same position they
occupied at the commencement. The head B continues to revolve when the
'putter back" f puts the work back ready for the next course. It will be
observed that in this machine two courses are performed during one revolution of
the head B.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode in which
I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not claim the
employment of rotating hooks or needles when such are rotated simply to retain
the new loops, and to permit the work to slip off or be knocked over when producing
plain or figured knitted or looped fabric with stitches or loops of the ordinary
character, but what I do claim is,―
First. The production of knitted or looped fabrics by first forming the loops or
stitches in the ordinary manner, and then putting more or less twist thereon,
substantially as herein shewn and described.
Second. The employment in the production of the improved fabrics herein
described of hooks or needles, which are caused to rotate for the purpose of putting
a twist or turn upon the loops or stitches of such fabrics, substantially as herein
shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Thacker, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
WALTER THACKER. (L.S.)