IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Wilson and George Wilson, of Nottingham,
Hosiery Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING
MACHINERY."
Sealed the 23rd February 1855, and dated the 14th September 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Wilson and George
Wilson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 14th September 1854.
We, ALFRED WILSON and GEORGE WILSON, of Nottingham, Hosiery Manu-
facturers, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
KNITTING MACHINERY" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in that class of knitting
machinery generally known as rotatory knitting or stocking frames, and one
part of our improvements consists in the application and adaptation of the loop
wheel and presser wheel, commonly used for making the loops on circular
machines; or when the needles are arranged in a circle, to the making of loops
over the needles of straight machines; or when the needles are arranged side
by side, in a straight row. By this arrangement of parts, the jack sinkers, the
lead sinkers, and the presser bar are dispensed with. The needles are carried
by slides, which move to and from the front of the machine in a sley or guide,
and they are capable of being selected or left out of the work where it may be

page_text: desired, spaces being left in the bars or instruments which move the needles to
the front of the machine, so as to leave any particular needles out, such bars
or instruments being controlled in their movement by suitably cut wheels.
The thread carrier is moved across the stems of the needles in front of the
loop wheel, and when it arrives at the selvage it is caused to descend below
the needles to allow the loop wheel to pass over it. The loop wheel is carried
by an axis fixed to an arm attached to a slide, which is caused to move to and
fro on a bar fixed to the framing. The presser wheel is also carried by a slide
moving on a bar in a similar manner, and they are so arranged that the loop
wheel immediately follows the thread carrier, the presser wheel, and the loop
wheel, their relative positions being changed at the selvages of the knitted
fabric as the loops are formed. The needles are pressed and drawn back in
succession, and the work is knocked over against a divided bar or instruments,
which acts as a substitute or substitutes for the ordinary sinker in knocking over
the work. This arrangement of the parts of knitting machines also admits of
a mode by which the work may be narrowed, or selvage loops shifted or trans-
ferred from one needle to another, without loss of time in the working of the
machine. This is accomplished by instruments carried by a bar at each side
of the machine, governed by suitable cut wheels, which instruments are caused
to receive the loops from the needles, and then have sideway movement given
to them to bring their loops opposite other needles, to which they are to be
transferred by the moving back of the work, aided by points, having movement
given thereto for that purpose, and this transferring of the loops may take
place alternately at each selvage whilst the other part of the course is being
worked; or the loops at each selvage may be transferred at the same time, if
desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Wilson and George Wilson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th March 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ALFRED 3
WILSON and GEORGE WILSON, of Nottingham, Hosiery Manufacturers, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of S
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto

page_text: us, the said Alfred Wilson and George Wilson, Her special licence that we,
the said Alfred Wilson and George Wilson, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Alfred Wilson and George
Wilson, our 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, excrcise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNIT-
TING MACHINERY," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Alfred
Wilson and George Wilson, by an instrument in writing under our hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 we, the said Alfred Wilson and George Wilson,
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 thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in that class of knitting
machinery generally known as rotatory knitting or stocking frames, and one
part of our improvements consists in the application and adaptation of the loop
wheel and presser wheel, commonly used for making the loops on circular
machines; or when the needles are arranged in a circle, to the making of loops
over the needles of straight machines; or when the needles are arranged side
by side, in a straight row. By this arrangement of parts, the jack sinkers, the
lead sinkers, and the presser bar are dispensed with. The needles are carried
by slides, which move to and from the front of the machine in a sley or guide,
and they are capable of being selected or left out of the work where it may be
desired, spaces being left in the bars or instruments which move the needles
to the front of the machine, so as to leave any particular needles out, such
bars or instruments being controlled in their movement by suitably cut wheels.
The thread carrier is moved across the stems of the needles in front of the
loop wheel, and when it arrives at the selvedge it is caused to descend below
the needles to allow the loop wheel to pass over it. The loop wheel is carried
by an axis fixed to an arm attached to a slide, which is caused to move to and
fro on a bar fixed to the framing. The presser wheel is also carried by a slide
moving on a bar in a similar manner, and they are so arranged that the loop
wheel immediately follows the thread carrier, and the presser wheel the loop

page_text: incline o' attached to the slide o, which serves to press the needles back, as
herein-after described. To the bar m is attached the plate m', having suit-
able openings for the passage through of the parts 7, 3, of the plates
, s', which are attached respectively to the loop wheel slider, and the
presser wheel slide; the presser wheel s is mounted on a bracket ³,
attached to the slides. The loop wheel is mounted on an arm 7³, and
revolves on a stud affixed thereto. The thread carrier t is mounted on a
bracket t', attached to the slide t, which moves to and fro on the bar w;
and there is a vertical slide, which extends upwards through an opening
formed for it in the arm t'; and there is a spring t*, which acts constantly to
press the slide t³ and the thread carrier upwards. At the upper end of the
vertical axis t' there is a pin fixed, which is acted on by inclines, hereafter
described. The slides 1, s², move by reason of their being connected with the
The slide o (which carries the incline o') is the means of working
the needles successively towards the back of the machine; it is connected
to the bar m by means of the connecting link n. The slide is connected to
the bar m by means of the plate m'. The slide s is also connected in a similar
manner, but the opening in the plate m' is so formed that the part of the
plate s', (and consequently the parts carried thereby,) is allowed to remaiu
stationary, so as to permit the loop wheel to travel a little in advance. To
the arm (which carries the loop wheel 7') there is a pin or projection 7º, the
sides of which are removed in order to form a shoulder, which comes against
either of the two spring catches (1) and (2), carried by the slide t.
bar m.
In working, it is necessary that all the slides and parts connected therewith
should commence to travel on their respective bars in the following order,
videlicit:-The thread carrier precedes the loop wheel, the loop wheel precedes
the presser wheel, and the presser wheel precedes the incline; and this order
prevails when starting in both directions. We will now explain the manner
in which this is effected. The slide t carries in front of it an apparatus,
consisting of a plate y, which carries two small moveable spring catches
(1) and (2), which move on centres (3) and (4), and are pressed upon by
springs (5) and (6), attached to the plate y, and the plate y hangs loosely
on a centre y'. The moveable catches (1) and (2) are supported on their
under sides on pins or projections (7) and (8) from the plate y. The pro-
jection, by coming against either of the catches (1) or (2), (according to
the direction in which it is travelling,) moves the slide & and parts carried
thereby. When the thread carrier arrives nearly at the end of its course, the
pins on the slide t³ comes in contact with one of the inclines, ¹, by which
the spiral spring t* is overcome, and the slide t³ (and the thread carrier

page_text: attached thereto) are depressed, to allow of the loop and presser wheels
to pass.
On the arrival of the thread carrier at the end of its course, the curved end
of the plate y nearest that end comes in contact with one of the pins w¹, w³,
on the bar w, and by reason of the peculiar form of the ends of the plate y,
it is caused to turn on its centre y', and thereby raise one of the catches
(1), (2), so that the projection may then be allowed to travel on without the
slide t. On the return of the projection it acts upon the other of the spring
catches, in order to move the slide t³ back again.
a² is a cam on the axis a, for giving motion to the bar a, which brings the
needles forward. The cam a' acts upon a truck a³ on the arm a³, fixed to the
axis a', which works in bearings a attached to the framing. The bar or
instrument a is attached to the axis a', by means of the arms a³, a. c is a
cam, which, by acting on the truck of the lever c³, causes it to vibrate on its
axis c'. The lever c' carries a clawker c', which works on a pin c³, attached to
the lever c, so that for every revolution of the cam c', the ratchet wheel c' will
be caused to travel on its axis one tooth forward, as indicated by the arrow,
or one-sixth of a revolution. On the one side of the ratchet wheel & there is
a pin or projection, which, at every sixth revolution of the cam c' and axis a,
comes against the tail end of the lever c, thereby causing the lever c¹º to
move on its centre c"; and the parts connected with the upper end of the
lever co move forward a short distance, in order that the points may receive
the loops from the needles to transfer them on to other needles for the
purpose of narrowing the work. is a cam on the axis a, which, by acting
upon the truck d² of the lever d³, causes that lever to move on its centre c'.
Upon the lever there is a pin or stud d', upon which the clawker d³
works, and once every revolution of the cam d' the clawker d³ takes hold of
a fresh tooth of the ratchet wheel de, which works on the axis c; and as there
are six teeth to the ratchet wheel do, the cam d' will make six revolutions
while the ratchet wheel d makes one. On the left side of the ratchet wheel d
there is formed or affixed an inclined projection or step d, which once every
revolution of the ratchet wheel de acts upon the tail end of the lever d,
thereby overcoming the pressure of the spiral spring & on the axis fs, herein-
after described, and causing the lever to move slightly on its centre do,
carried by the bracket attached to the lever c. There is a pin d" upon
the right-hand side of the ratchet wheel d, the object of which is to cause
the lever co to travel forward a second time when narrowing, as will be
understood by the explanations hereafter given. is a cam on the axis a,
for the purpose of acting upon the bar which brings the work on the needles

page_text: forward, by means of which the loops are landed on to the points when
narrowing. The cam e acts upon the truck
to which the arms of the bar is attached.
of the arme on the axis e',
is a cam which works the
bar , that pushes the work back upon the needles, and thus shifts the loops
off the points when narrowing. The cam 6' acts upon the truck 2 of the
arm on the axis 6', which turns in bearings , attached to the framing.
,, are arms on the axis b, to which is attached the bar 6, which extends
across the width of the work.
After a certain length of work has been made without narrowing, the appa-
ratus arranged for that purpose is caused to act in the following manner :-
The lever co and parts connected therewith are moved by the action of the
cam c. The points f', which are the means employed for transferring the
loops, are attached to an axis f, which works in bearings f³, fs, and is
capable of moving therein endwise. The points f¹ move to the needles which
are to have their loops removed. The bar then moves the work forward on
the needles. The points f' are caused to descend upon the beards of the
needles, and press upon them by the arm f*, attached to the axis f², coming in
contact with the incline f³, attached to the framing. The bar e brings the work
forward, and thus places the loops (which have to be removed) on to the
points f. The points f having thus received the loops, the lever co retires.
The projection on the side of the ratchet wheel do then acts upon the lever d',
as before explained, by which it is caused to move on its centre d¹º. At
the upper end of the lever is a moveable catch f, which is at all times kept
in one of the notches formed in the plate f", by means of the spring f. The
notched plate f (which is attached to the axis f) is caused by the catch fo
to move endwise in the direction that the narrowing is to take place. The
leverf (working on the centre f") enters a fresh notch in the plate f', and is
retained there by the action of the spring f; the points f' with the loops
thereon are then opposite to those needles on to which they are to be placed.
The pin d" on the ratchet wheel d³ then acts upon the lever co, causing it to
move towards the needles to deliver the loops which are on the points f¹,
and at the same time to push back those needles from which the loops were
taken, so that they may not again receive thread. The lever c¹ and parts
connected therewith then retire. The bar carries the work back upon the
needles, and the thread carrier is moved across to form a fresh course; those
needles from which the loops were taken having been pressed back by the
instrument attached to the axis f, and the needles which are thus put
back remain back by means of the apparatus which we will now describe.
The cam a, as before described, gives motion to the bar or instrument aº, which

page_text: is employed for bringing the needles forward. On one of the arms a' is a
bracket as, which carries a ratchet wheel a¹, having six teeth, and cach time
the bar a comes forward to move the needles forward, the pin a' upon the
lever a, which works on a centre attached to the framing, descend upon a
fresh tooth of the ratchet wheel a, and as the bar a retires by the action of
the spring a", the ratchet wheel a is caused to travel on its axis in the
direction indicated by the arrow one-sixth of a revolution; and every sixth
revolution of the main shaft or axis, the pin or projection a" of the ratchet
wheel comes in contact with the tail end as of the lever a" (shown best in
plan, Figure 3), and thereby causes it to move on its centre as*, and then the
upper part of the lever a moves forward the notched slide or plate as a space
or distance equal in extent to the space occupied by the needles whose loops
have been shifted, thereby reducing the length of the bar a to the extent of
narrowing that has taken place; so that when the bar a next travels forward, it
will leave behind such of the needles as have had their loops removed.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we make no claim to
any of the mechanical parts separately, nor do we confine ourselves to the
details herein described, so long as the peculiar character of the Invention be
retained; nor do we claim the arranging of the needles of knitting machinery
in such manner that they may be caused to recede; nor do we claim the
moving of the loops from the outermost needles by points; but what we
claim is, the combining of the wheel used for sinking the threads between the
needles and the wheel for pressing the beards of the needles with apparatus
for causing them to work to and fro on the needles of a needle bar, such
as herein described, and combined therewith the application of narrowing
apparatus, such as herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Alfred Wilson and George Wilson,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twelfth day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
FRED HARRIS.
ALFRED WILSON. (L.8.)
GEORGE WILSON. (L.B.)