IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY."-A communication
from abroad by James Green Wilson, of New York City.
Sealed the 28th December 1860, and dated the 2nd August 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd August 1860..
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements on an Invention for which I have
obtained Letters Patent, bearing date the 18th day of February last, No. 452,
for improvements in knitting machinery. In such machinery a ring of vertical
knitting needles is used, the same being set around the upper edge of a
vertical cylinder, to which an axial motion is given for the purpose of bringing
any required number of needles into operation, according to the breadth of
work required. To obtain a backward and forward axial motion, for the
purpose of producing narrowed goods, the worm used for driving the cylinder

page_text: is provided with a switch, which, as its position is reversed, will reverse the
direction of rotation of the needle cylinder. Instead of driving the cylinder
through the agency of intermediate gearing, it is now proposed to put the
worm wheel into gear with the ring of teeth on the cylinder. The switch is
actuated by a rock lever, which is acted upon at its rear end by pins projecting
from a barrel, which has an endway motion on its shaft as well as a rotary
motion. Within the barrel are fitted right and left handed screws, into the
worm of one or the other of which a tooth is alternately,slidden by means of a
rock lever on the framing of the machine. Thus, as the barrel with the
screws rotates, an endway motion is given thereto in order to bring the pins of
the barrel to act on the rear end of the switch lever, and change the position
of the switch. The rear end of this switch lever is jointed to allow of its being
thrown up out of range of the pins of the barrel when the barrel is making its
back traverse. A spring attached to a part of the framing and pressing upon
the side of the switch lever holds the rear end of the lever in the raised
position. To effect its depression, after the barrel has returned to its first
position, a longer pin with which the barrel is provided presses back the side
spring, and allows a spring carried by the switch lever to press down the rear
end. The switch pins of the barrel then come again into operation, and by
pressing against a tooth on the rear end of the switch lever change the position.
of the switch, and consequently the direction of rotation of the needle cylinder.
The needles instead of having but one hook or beard as heretofore are provided
with a back and front hook. They are formed of strips of sheet steel split at
one end to form the hooks, and bent round to the shape of an open or
unclosed tube to form the stem. They are inserted into their sockets by
pressure, and are retained by the elasticity of the steel. When, therefore, a
needle is broken, it can be withdrawn and replaced by another without dis-
turbing the adjacent needles. "The use of the second or additional hook is to
retain the new loop upon the needles (without the aid of the pressers), while
the loop just previously formed is being lifted. By thus dispensing with the
use of the pressers at that stage of the operation work may be produced
on consecutive needles. The number of pressers used should somewhat
exceed the number of needles in operation. Thus, if the number of needles
in use be six, there will be six yarn conductors for throwing the threads
around six adjacent needles simultaneously, and six stitch hooks for lifting the
loops off the needles, but nine pressers should be used. The pressers have
simply a rising and falling motion, but the yarn conductors are carried by a
rocking frame, to which a lateral motion is given for ensuring the lap of the
yarn round the needles. The motions for driving the needle cylinder and

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd February 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such.
others as I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY," being a communi-
cation from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates more particularly to knitting machines of that kind
in which are used needles with short stiff hooks, from which the stitches after
they have been completed are taken off by means of what are known as stitch
hooks without any longitudinal movement of the needles. In those machines
it has been hitherto found impracticable to knit at the same time on needles,

page_text: immediately adjacent to each other, owing to its having been necessary for the
pressers to come between those needles on which the knitting. is in progress to.
hold down the new loops upon the needles while the preceding loops are being
drawn through them and off from the needles by the stitch hooks.
The principal object of this Iuvention. is. to enable the knitting. to be pro-
ceeded with at the same time on needles immediately adjacent to each other,
by which means from six to twelve needles and as. many threads may be used
at a time instead of only from two to four, as in the machines of similar
general character heretofore used. And to this end. the Invention consists
principally in the construction of the needles with two hooks upon the same
stem, viz., the usual hook on the front, and an additional hook on the back,
serving the purpose of confining the new loops upon the needles, while those
which have been last previously formed upon the same needles are being taken
off by the stitch hooks, and so dispensing with the action of the pressers
between the needles at that stage of the operation. .
.
The--Invention also consists in the construction of the needles- of knitting
machines with hollow round and laterally elastic stems for the purposes of
enabling them to be secured firmly in the machine by simply placing them in
holes provided for them in the needle ring, needle bar, or needle plate, and
of affording facility for removing them and replacing them by others when
injured.
And the Invention further relates to certain modifications in the mechanical
arrangements for bringing the operating instruments into action.
In the accompanying Drawing, which forms part of this Specification,
Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections of a circular knitting machine fitted-with
the improvements, the views being taken at right angles to each other through
the centre of the needle ring; Fig. 3 is a plan of the same with some of the
parts broken away to show the parts below them; Figures 4, 5, 6, 7; 8; 9;
10, 11, and 12 are views of some of the parts detached from the machine.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A, B, B, is the framing of the machine, consisting of a bed-plate A sup-
ported on standards B, B; C is the intermittently rotating needle ring in
which the needles D; D, are secured, the said ring being arranged horizontally.
and fitted and secured by pins c or other suitable means within a cogged
ring C', which is fitted to rotate freely in a circular opening in a horizontal
plate A¹ secured to the bed plate A. The circular opening in the said plate A'
has a raised rim d all around it, upon which rests the cogged flange e of the
ring C¹. The needles D, D, are best represented in Figures 7; 8, and 9; Fig. 7
being a vertical longitudinal section of a needle, and Figures 8 and 9, hori-

page_text: zontal or transverse sections; a is the usual hook, and b, the additional hook,.
which constitutes the principal feature of the Invention. The hooks-may be-
formed in various ways. The needles represented are made each of a piece-
of sheet steel, split at one end to form the two hooks a and b, and rolled up at
the other end nearly into the form of a tube, but in such manner as to leave.
its edges not quite close together, as shewn in Fig. 8, which exhibits a section
of the lower part of the stem, in order that it may constitute a spring socket,
and may by compression to bring its edges closer, be inserted very tightly into
one of a number of holes provided in the needle ring C, for the reception of the
needles, and may secure itself in the hole by its lateral elasticity. This method
of applying the needles in the ring enables them to be pulled out without
the application of much force, but yet keeps them secure during the operation
of the machine. The upper part of the exterior of the needle ring is cut
away or otherwise formed in such a manner as to leave parts of the needles
exposed below its upper edge and the whole or the greater portion of the
exposed part of the stem of the needle is cut away in a concave forin, as shown
in Fig. 9, which exhibits a section of a stem just above the needle ring. This
concave portion of the needle stem resembles the corresponding portion of the
stenis of the short hooked needles used in. connection with stitch hooks in other
machines, the concavity being to admit the points of the stitch hooks within
the loops, which are on the needles for the purpose of enabling the hooks to
take off the loops. The space left between the two hooks a and b formed of
the sheet metal, as above described, is filled up with solder or other metal;
as shown at f; in Fig. 7, to make the head of the needle solid and stiffen
the hook. The two hooks a and b may however be formed in other ways
than that above described if thought desirable.. The pressers v, v, operating
in combination with the double hooked needles above described may be a
féw.more in number than the number of needles 'used at the same time;
for instance, in. the machine represented six needles are to be used at once,
six yarn conductors u, u, and six stitch hooks a, a, being provided, but
there are nine pressers making two beyond the last needle at each end of the
number of those which are in operation, the said pressers being arranged to work
one between every two immediately adjacent operating needles. The pressers
are: attached rigidly to a horizontal bar R', which is secured rigidly to the
lower end of a vertical-slide R working longitudinally in a guide provided for.
it in a standard Q'erected upon the bed plate A. This slide is connected
with one end. of an elbow lever R, which works upon a fixed fulcrum R³
secured in the standard Q, and the opposite end of the elbow lever carries a
friction roller Rt, which is kept in contact with a cam Ro, on the main shaft E

page_text: of the machine by means of a spring R attached to the standard Q. This
cam and spring by their combined action on the said lever produce a downward
movement of the slide R, to make the pressers press the work down on the
needles preparatory to the operation of the yarn conductors u to place the
thread round the needles to form a new series of loops, followed instantly by
a quick upward movement to carry the pressers out of the way of the con-
ductors. As the hooks b, b, of the needles prevent the new loops being taken
off the needles by the action of the stitch hooks x, x, by which the latter
throw off the old loops, the compound or double movement of the pressers used
in other knitting machines of a similar class is dispensed with, and the above
described simple reciprocating rectilinear movement of the pressers is all that
is required of them. E is the main shaft extending horizontally all across the
machine behind the needle ring where it is supported in fixed bearings bolted to
the bed plate A. Directly opposite to the centre of the needle ring there is
secured to the main shaft the threaded switch wheel F precisely like that described
in the-Specification of the Letters Patent..(No. 452) granted. to me February
Eighteenth, 1860. This switch wheel gears with the cogs on the flange e of
the ring C¹, instead of as in the former arrangement driving the ring through
an intermediate wheel. The revolving buttons g, g, by which the switch G
of this wheel is shifted to reverse the direction of the rotary motion of the
needle ring are actuated by means of a forked lever I, I', (see plan view, Fig. 6)
substantially as described in the Specification of the Letters Patent above-
mentioned. This lever is arranged to work on a fixed fulcrum j, and is
operated by a revolving and reciprocating studded cylinder H, which is
arranged in rear of the shaft E. The lever I, I¹, is however arranged to work
over the top of the cylinder, instead of entirely in front of it, as in the former
arrangement, and is constructed with a joint k in rear of the fulcrum j, to
enable its rear end to be raised out of range of the pins h, h, of the said
cylinder, while the latter runs back automatically during the knitting of the
leg of a stocking.
.
:
The rear portion of the lever, that is to say, the piece I', back of the joint k
is made with a downwardly projecting tooth.20, which is of V-shape in its
horizontal section as shown in Fig. 12, which is an inverted plan view of the
said piece I'; and on one side of this tooth there is an inclined downward. pro-
jection 21 best shewn in Fig. 11, which is an opposite side view of the piece 1,
to that exhibited in Fig. 2. The opposite side of the said piece I' is bevilled
as shown at 22 in Fig. 2, and in the transverse section Fig. 10, and on the
same side of the lever as the bevil 22 there is attached to the fixed block As
in which the fulcrum j is secured, a strong spring M having on the side next

page_text: the lever a projection 23, which is bevilled on its under side to correspond with
the bevil 22 on the piece I'. The elasticity of this spring tends to force it
toward the piece I' when the latter is in a position for its V-shaped tooth 20.
to be acted upon by the pins h, h, of the cylinder in the revolution of the latter,
or to force it under the piece 1', when the latter is raised out of the way of
the pins. On the top of the front or principal portion I of the lever on which
is formed the switch fork, and which is only capable of a horizontal movement
on its fulcrum j, there is secured a spring N, which always presses on the top
of the piece I' in such a manner as to force it down toward the cylinder, and
this spring, except when the piece 12 is being raised by the action of a .pin
on the cylinder II, or is held up by the projection 23 on the spring M, either
keeps the tooth 20 in contact with the periphery of the cylinder, or as near
to it as the construction of the joint k will permit, and so near that the said
tooth 20 will be in range of the pins h, h, which operates first on one sidé,
and then on the other side of the said pin,, to move the lever to produce the
shifting of the switch G, and the reversal of the rotary motion of the needle
ring. The lower face of the projection 21 on the piece I' is so much higher
than the bottom of the tooth 20, that the pins h, h, can never touch it in their
revolution, but the pin is considerably longer than h,.h, and when it passes
under the said projection 21, while the piece I' is in its depressed condition
it comes in contact with the lower face of that projection, and by its action
upon it lifts up the piece I' high enough to pass the projection 23 on the
spring M, which by the action of its bevil 22 it pushes aside, but as soon as
the piece arrives above the projection 23, the spring M flies toward the
[ever, and brings the said projection under the said piece I¹ as shewn in red out-
line in Fig. 10, and so holds it up to such a position that the pins h will not
touch the tooth 20. The spring M is so situated, that the pins h, h, can never
touch it, but is so formed, that by the longer pin l in its revolution with the
cylinder passing against the side of it next the lever, it (the said spring) may
be pushed from under the lever, and thereby allow the piece I¹ to be forced
down again by the spring N. .The result produced by the action of the
throwing of the lever into and out of range of the pins h, h, will be better
understood after I have explained the manner in which the cylinder H is
applied and operated, which I will now proceed to do.
'
H' is a fixed horizontal shaft secured in the framing in a position parallel:
with, but some distance below and in rear of the main shaft E. To this shaft
the cylinder H is fitted in such a manner as to be capable of a rotary and a
longitudinal motion. This cylinder has formed round one end of it a com-
plete circle of cogs i, i, which goar with a pinion J'. The pinion is. keyed!

page_text: to a horizontal shaft J; which is arranged in bearings in hangers dependent from
the bed plate A, which has secured to it a spur wheel J. This spur wheel Jª
gears with a pinion K, which works; loosely on a fixed stud K; secured to the
framing attached to the pinion K' is a spur wheel K³, that gears with a pinion L
on the main shaft. This train of gearing between the main shaft and the
cylinder causes the latter to derive from the main shaft a slow rotary motion
on its fixed shaft H. The hub of the cylinder which is longer than the body,
has cut or otherwise formed upon one half of its length, a right-hand screw.
thread m, and upon the other half a left-hand screw thread n, and a stationary
bar As, which is secured to the framing in such a manner as to project into
the cylinder between the body and hub, has attached to it by a fulcrum pin p
a lever P of, the first class, which has connected with each end one of two
horizontal, pins 9,.9', which, work longitudinally through guides attached to
or formed upon the said bar. A³, one of the said pins being for the purpose of
entering the right-hand thread m, and the other for entering the left-hand
thread n, and the said pins being of such length, and so arranged that when
either enters: its respective screw thread to any considerable depth, the other
is just outside of its respective screw thread, and that by a very slight move:
ment of the lever. P,. one pin may be withdrawn from one thread, and the
other introduced into the other thread. Each pin has a notch 24 (see Fig. 2),
in its under 'side for the reception of one of two spring stops, r³, which are
attached to the bar A³ one below each of the pins q, q', the said stops being
so arranged that either one will enter the notch in its respective pin g or g',
when that pin is in gear with its respective screw thread, and so lock that
pin in gear and the other pin out of gear with the screw threads. As the
screw threads m, n, revolve with the cylinder, a longitudinal movement of the
cylinder is produced by the screw thread working on the pin which is in gear,
such longitudinal movement being in one direction or the other, according to
which pin is in gear, and such direction being changed by throwing one pin
into gear and the other out of gear, the cylinder rotating always in one direc-
tion indicated by the arrow upon it in Fig. 2 of the Drawing. The screw
thread m has projecting from it at contiguous points two cam-like pieces s
and. t, the former' for pressing down the stop r'to unlock the pin q, and the
latter for driving back the said pin out of gear with the screw thread as soon
as the said pin is unlocked, and so throwing the pin q' into gear, and the screw
thread n is furnished with two similar cam-like pieces s¹ and t¹, for unlocking
and throwing out of gear the pin q³, and so throwing into gear the pin g.
When, either pin comes into gear, its respective stop or immediately.
locks it.

page_text: It will be understood that while the main shaft E of the machine continues
in operation, the cylinder H derives through the means herein-above described,"
a continuous direct rotary and reciprocating longitudinal motion. The lon-
gitudinal movement in one direction takes place during the time of knitting the
toe, foot, and heel of the stocking, and during this movement the piece l' of.
the switch, lever is depressed, but at about the same time that this movement'
is reversed, the pin 2 comes into operation on the projection 21 of the piece I¹,
and throws the said piece up out of range of the pins h, h, where it continues.
during the whole time the cylinder is moving back, and while the knitting of
the leg is proceeded with. Just as the longitudinal movement of the cylinder/
is again reversed, the pin acts upon the spring M to remove the stop 23.
from under the piece I', and let it drop within range of the pins h, h, to.
commence knitting the heel of the same stocking or the toe of a new one..
By thus giving the cylinder a reciprocating motion, and providing for throwing
the switch lever out of range of the pins h, h, of the cylinder, the necessity of
stopping the machine to run back the cylinder it will be readily understood is.
obviated. Y is a stationary bar containing a series of holes 40, 40, which.
constitute yarn guides, through which the yarn passes to the conductors u,u,.
which place the yarn in the form of loops round the needles. These yarn.
conductors u, u, consist simply of a series of short tubes or thimbles attached.
to a bar Q, at distances apart corresponding with the distance between the.
needles, so that the said guides can pass between immediately adjacent needles. :
The bar Q is attached by two arms Q1, Q, to a horizontal rock shaft Q³, :
which works in a bearing in the standard Q. The rock shaft. derives the
oscillating motion necessary to produce the operation of the yarn conductors.
from a cam S on the main shaft E. This cam operates on the shaft through
a lever S¹, which works on a 'fixed fulcrum 25 secured to the standard Q, and.
which is kept in contact with the-cam-by a spring S³ connected by a slot and
pin connection 26 with 'an arm Q (Fig. 3) of the said rock shaft. This slot.
and pin connection is best shewn in Figures 4 and 5, the former of which is
a plan, and the latter a side view of the principal parts of the mechanism for>
operating the yarn conductors. The lateral movement of these conductors
which is necessary to place them in proper relation to the needles and stitch,
hooks every time the switch G is shifted to reverse the rotary motion of. the
needle ring is produced by means of a lever T, which works on a fixed fulcrium
27 secured to the standard Q. The upper part of this lever enters between>
the arm Q, one of the arms Q1 of the rock shaft, and-the lower part which is
forked has one prong of its fork on either side of the switch wheel F. Every:
time the switch is shifted, it, in passing through the fork of the lever, acts upon>>

page_text: one or other prong according to its previous position, and so moves the said
lever and causes the latter to give the rock shaft a longitudinal movement,
and the rock shaft carries with it the yarn conductors. The rock shaft is
prevented from moving longitudinally except at the proper time, by a spring 28
attached to the standard Q, such spring having a V-shaped projection on its
end (see Fig. 1) which presses against one side or other of a V-shaped collar
29 on the rock shaft and holds the rock shaft with one or other of two collars
30 with which it is provided in contact with its respective side of the standard
Q. This spring, though stiff enough to lock the rock shaft in either position,
will yield to the pressure of the collar 29 when the rock shaft is pressed in
one direction or the other by the lever T and slip over the said collar. U is
the stitch hook bar into which the stitch hooks x, x, are fitted and secured by
set screws y, y; this bar has at each end a curved slotted arm U', at the
lower end of which is a journal box to receive two crank pins or wrists z, z,
carried by. two spur wheels V', V', which are attached to two short horizontal
shafts..V, V.. These shafts are arranged in line with each other, and parallel
with the main shaft E in bearings in two standards W; W, erected upon the
bed plate A. The spur wheels V₁, V', gear with and derive rotary motion
from spur wheels X, X, of similar size on the main shaft E. The curved
slots in the arms U,-U', are fitted each with a block Us, which is bored to
receive one of two stationary pins 31, 31, which are held in line with each other
and parallel with the main shaft by hangers W', W', dependent from the
standards W, W. As the crank pins or wrists z, z, revolve with the spur
wheels V, V, the movement of the stitch hook bar produced by their revolu-
tion is so directed by the working of the curved slots in the arms U, U', of
the stitch hook bar U on the blocks U, and the pins 31, as to make the stitch
hooks take the loops from the lower parts of the needles, and carry them over
the hooks a, a, and b, b, thereof. The necessary lateral movement of the
stitch hooks is produced by two face cams 32, 32, which are provided around
the crank pins z, z, for the purpose of acting against the outer faces of the
arms U', U'.
•
The above described mechanism differs from, that described in the.Specifi-
cation of the before-mentioned Letters Patent, No. 452/, in having the crank
pins z, z, carried by separate shafts geared with the main shaft instead of
having the main shaft itself cranked; also in having the slotted arms U¹, U¹,
curved instead of straight. The object of the first change is to enable the
switch wheel on the main shaft to be geared directly with the needle ring or
with a toothed ring attached to and concentric with the needle ring, which
cannot be done when the stitch hook bar is operated by cranks on the main

page_text: shaft itself, and the object of the second change is to make the movements of
the stitch hooks conform to needles with straight stems which are stronger
and easier to construct than the curved needles heretofore 'used in knitting
machines of this class. Stockings may be knitted singly in this machine, or
a number may be knitted together in a continuous piece.
Having now explained the nature of the Invention of improvements in
knitting machinery, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood
that under the above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim,―
First, constructing the needles of knitting machines in the manner and for
the purpose herein specified.
Second, the combination of the yarn conductors, pressers, stitch hooks, and
needles, whereby I am enabled to knit on immediately adjacent needles sub-
stantially as herein described.
Third, the combination of a series of the hooked needles, with a system of
yarn guides, stitch hooks, and pressers, and their operating mechanism and
apparatus for producing and automatically controlling the movements of the
needles substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W: E. NEWTON. (L.S.)