Improvements in Circular Ribbed Knitted Web and in the Machinery for Manufacturing the same.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 11th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1892
Improvements in Circular Ribbed Knitted Web and in the
Machinery for Manufacturing the same.
1 WILLIAM INGRAM JAMES of Green-end House, Stafford, in the County-of
Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to the manufacture of ribbed tops, cuffs, skirts, or other
circular ribbed knitted fabrics, requiring a welt and is applicable as well to seamless
stockings or socks made upon circular reversible knitting machines.
My improvements consist in knitting such articles in continuous lengths, but
partly severed just above the welt, so that they may be easily separated from cach
other, and without danger of cutting or otherwise injuring the well.
To carry my invention into practice I so modify an ordinary ribbing knitting
machine, constructed to make welts, in the fabric at pre-determined distances that
I may put the ribbing needles out of action just previous to commencing the welt,
while the cylinder needles continue to knit for 3 or 4 rounds. I then sever the yarn
or withdraw the yarn-guide so that yarn is not fed to the needles during one or
more revolutions of the machine by which the stitches are all run off from the
cylinder needles while the stitches are retained on the ribbing needles which are
out of action. The latches of the cylinder needles may be opened by a brush or
latch opener of usual construction.
The ribbing needles are now put into action and the yarn fed to the needles
while just one course is being knitted, which places loops on all the cylinder and
ribbing needles. The ribbing needles are then again put out of action and the
welt made in the usual manner, the tension being continued by means of the loops
which remained upon the ribbing needles. If welts of this description are required
upon 2 & 1-3 & 1 or other than 1 & 1 ribbed web, it will be necessary to put
every alternate cylinder needle out of action, or to shogg the ribbing needles
upon the cylinder needles during the first two courses of the welt in the usual
manner.
During the last course before I put the ribbing needles out of action, I may
introduce a strong linen or cotton thread which may be drawn out to sever
the articles one from the other, or they may be severed by simply cutting
through the row of loops that remained upon the ribbing needles as mentioned
above.
The 3 or 4 rows that were knitted by the cylinder needles while the ribbing
needles were out of action, prevent the work froin ravelling back after it has been
cast off from the cylinder needles.
Dated his 10th of a 1901
W. INGRAM JAMES.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Circular Ribbed Knitted Web and in the
Machinery for Manufacturing the same.
I, WILLIAM INGRAM JAMES, of Green-end House, Stafford, in the County of
Stafford, Engineer 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 :-
My invention relates to the manufacture of ribbed tops, cuffs, skirts or other

page_text: circular ribbed knitted fabrics requiring a welt, also to seamless stockings or socks
made upon circular reversible knitting machines.
By my invention I am able to produce a knitted fabric in continuous lengths but
partly severed in any desired place in such a way that the total severance at this
place can subsequently be easily performed without risk of cutting or in any way
injuring the knitted web on either side of the partial severance. In order to
produce such a partially severed fabric on an ordinary circular knitting machine
revolved by hand and of the usual well known construction, 1 cause the dial
needles to cease knitting during one revolution by throwing the welt cam out of
action. I then break off the yarn and give one or two turns to the machine, the
stitches on the cylinder needles are thereby thrown off and the webbing hangs only
on the dial needles which are out of action. I then again bring the yarn under the
hooks of the cylinder needles and put the welting cam again into action and
proceed as usual either with a welt if required or with ordinary webbing. At the
point where the yarn was broken off, a row of long ribbing stitches only will be
formed which are easily severed or drawn out and the fabric is thus separated at
this point without any difficulty.
To apply my improvement to automatic machines for the production of con-
tinuous web with welts at stated intervals, I make use of the mechanism described
in my Specifications No. 12528 A.D. 1890 and No. 18946 A.D. 1890.
In a rib-top machine constructed for the purpose of making continuous lengths
of rib tops, I do away with the cam which produces the second slack course
just previous to the formation of the welt and I substitute mechanism for
automatically producing the partial separation of the fabric as already described.
26
For this purpose 1 attach to the rib top machine an arrangement very similar to
the splicing "attachment as described in the aforesaid Specification No. 18946
of 1890. Instead however of using this "splicing"attachment to carry a "splicing"
yarn, as described in the aforesaid Specification, I cause it to carry the main yarn
from which the fabric is being knitted.
Instead of causing the splicer to break off and re-insert the yarn once at each
revolution make it to perform this operation once only during the formation of
one rib-top and just previous to the formation of the welf.
1 find a modified form of the alternative arrangement of splicer illustrated in
Figs. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and described at line 20 and onwards page 4 of my
Specification No. 18946, 1890 to be a convenient arrangement for the purposes of
my present invention.
In place of the pegs carried in the body of the machine, and by which the star
wheels which move the yarn carrier and shears are revolved, I provide an
additional hinged plate similar to those described in the Specification No. 12528
A.D. 1890 aforesaid actuated at the proper moment by a cam on the cam plate
which is revolved by the ratchet wheel under the influence of the pattern
chain.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.
Fig. 1. is an elevation shewing part of a circular knitting machine with my
improvements applied.
Fig. 2. is a plan of the same.
Fig. 3. is an elevation of the yarn carrier with parts of the machine in
section.
Fig. 4. is an elevation of the yarn shears and holder with parts of the machine
in section.
Fig. 5. is an elevation of the needle latch opening brush also with parts of
the machine in section.
Fig. 6. shews a portion of the knitted web.
23
A is a frame carrying the bed B," the gear ring "C" and the cam
sell "E" is the needle cylinder, “F” the cam cap and "G" the dial.
The yarn carrier " " is mounted so as to slide in a bracket "a" which is
attached to a revolving part of the machine as the cam shell "D."

page_text: tr
The shaft "a" is carried in the bracket "a" and has at the upper end a
crank and link "a" to actuate the yarn carrier "a." At the lower end of
the shaft "" is a pinion "a" gearing in a wheel "a" which is carried on a
shaft "a" in a bracket "a" and actuated by a star wheel "a" on the outer
end of the shaft "a" Revolution of the star wheel "a" causes the yarn
carrier "a" to move in and out so that the yarn eye "a10" is alternately behind
and in front of the hooks of the cylinder needles "." The latch fender is
carried on the bracket (C²."
*
The yarn shears "c" and holder "" are carried on a lever "" mounted
on a pivot in a bracket which is attached to the cam shell "D."
A cam
"mounted on a shaft "" in a bracket "" acts upon a sliding
rod carried in the bracket "c'," so as to move, up and down, the lever "
when the cam is revolved by turning the star wheel "" which is mounted
6610 "
on the outer end of the shaft "." A spring
serves to keep the lever ""
in contact with the sliding rod "e" and it in contact with the cam"." If desired
this arrangement may be so constructed that a spring shall close the holder ""
and the cam "shall open it.
The arrangement of the star wheel ""and connections which operate the slur
cock is exactly similar to that described in the Specification No. 12528, A.D. 1890)
before referred to.
The needle latch opening brush "" is carried in a bracket ""attached to the
cam shell "D." It is moved in and out, to and from the latches of the cylinder
needles by the bell crank "d" pivotted at "7/3" and actuated through a
sliding rod by means of the cam "" and star wheel "" which are
mounted on a shaft "d" carried in a bracket"." The spring "" maintains
the connection between the bell crank "d" and the cam
::
""
68
e1" and
The arrangement of the star wheel "/"and connections which operate the
outthrow cam (which actuates the ribbing needles) is the same as is described in the
aforesaid Specification No. 12528. A.D. 1890.
are mounted on a pivot
The hinged plates ".""""""
through the intervention of the sliding rods 8" are moved
up and down by the cam pieces """"""""
(suitably arranged at proper intervals round the cam plate "") when the cam
plate "" is revolved.
"
C
When the gear ring "C" and cam shell "D revolve they carry round with
them the whole of the star wheels """"and should either of
the hinged plates """"""""be raised its inner end would be placed in
the path of one or other of the star wheels which in passing would strike one of its
points upon the uplifted end of the plate and so receive a partial revolution.
r
The way in which the cam plate "" is caused to revolve by the ratchet wheels,
pawls, pattern chain, &c. as well as the method of reducing and increasing the
speed of the machine are all the same as described in the Specification No. 12528
A.D. 1890, previously referred to.
The action of the machine is as follows.
The ordinary knitting proceeds until the point is reached when the speed is
reduced.
The cam plate "g" revolving in the direction of the arrow the cam piece "f"
raises the hinged plate "e" which acting on the star wheel "h" (carried round by
the machine as shewn by the arrow) depresses the slur cock and forms a slack
course after which the star wheel "h" again striking the still uplifted plate "e
the slur cock is again raised and four or five courses of ordinary knitting are
20 "e" which
produced, then the cam pieces """" raise the hinged plates "e
act upon the star wheel" and move the outthrow cam so as to put the ribbing
needles out of action. When the machine has made one revolution the cam
piece will raise the hinged plate so as to act upon the star wheel "a"
and move inwards the yarn carrier "
until the yarn eye
through which
the yarn runs has carried the yarn behind the needle hooks out of their reach and
$
27

page_text: *
22
into the shears which through the star wheel striking on the still
uplifted plate then operate so as to cut off and hold the severed end of the
yarn. This same hinged plate "" is maintained by the cam piece "f" in its
raised position until the star wheel "7" has struck upon it and moved inwards the
brush so that as the cylinder needles ""rise through the brush "d" their
latches are brushed down. The cam piece "" then passes and two or three
courses are run whilst the yarn is cut off and the brush is in contact with the
needles "/" so as to ensure all the latches being opened. The hinged plate "3"
is then again raised by the cam piece "/" so as to act upon the star wheel "a
and bring forward the yarn so as to present it to the needle hooks. The yarn
holder is released by the star wheel and the brush "d" withdrawn by
the star wheel" At the same time the cam pieces "" "f" raise the
hinged plates into the path of the star wheel "which striking
thereon brings the outthrow cam into action while one row is knitted. The star
wheel then strikes again upon the hinged plates "e" "2" and withdraws
the outthrow cam, three or four courses are knitted, the cams "f" and "fa" raise
the hinged plates """" into the path of the star wheel "putting the
ribbing needles again into action and so finishing the welt.
The changes having all been made the machine increases its speed and proceeds
with the knitting of the top until the pattern chain or other device again causes
the above described series of operations to be gone through.
I thus obtain continuous web partially severed at given intervals.
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:
1. The manufacture of ribbed circular web which is partially severed into
lengths by withdrawing the knitting yarn from the needles and severing it whilst
at the same time the cylinder needles are made to throw off their loops.
2. In a circular knitting machine constructed for the purpose of making ribbed
circular web partially severed into lengths in the manner indicated in Claim !, the
mechanism consisting of the bevel gears and the crank for the purpose of actuating
a yarn carrier.
3. In a circular knitting machine constructed for the purpose of making ribbed
circular web partially severed into lengths in the manner indicated in Claim 1, the
mechanism whereby a yarn carrier is automatically moved by a star wheel with the
hinged plates taking into it in combination with a measuring device.
4. In a circular knitting machine constructed for the purpose of making ribbed
circular web partially severed into lengths in the manner indicated in Claim 1, the
use of a star wheel with the hinged plates taking into it in combination with a
measuring device for automatically actuating a yarn shears and holder for the
purpose of severing the yarn and holding the severed end.
5. In a circular knitting machine constructed for the purpose of making ribbed
circular web partially severed into lengths in the manner indicated in Claim 1, the
use of star wheels with hinged plates taking into them in combination with a
measuring device for the purpose of automatically moving a yarn carrier and
actuating a yarn shears and holder by which the yarn is withdrawn from the
needles and severed and subsequently again presented to the needles.
6. In a circular knitting machine constructed for the purpose of making ribbed
circular web partially severed into lengths in the manner indicated in Claim 1, the
use of a star wheel with a hinged plate for the purpose of automatically presenting
and withdrawing a brush which opens the needle latches.
Dated this 10th day of December 1891.
W. INGRAM JAMES.