Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1893--Accepted, 27th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
I, JOHN SMITH of Number 70 Nuttall Street, Accrington, Lancashire, Knitter
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows, that is to say :-
It relates firstly to the formation and arrangement of the parts for operating
the needles, whereby these said needles may be put into or taken out of operation
and made to maintain both of these positions as long as and whenever desired and
that without being taken out of the grooves in which they respectively slide in this
manner enabling the machine to produce any class or all classes of work within its
range without necessitating the detachment of any of its needles.
To attain this object in connection with the upper needles or those that are
placed and operate horizontally, radiating from the centre of their carrier plate, I
form a groove concentric with the centre of motion of said carrier plate and
preferably of less diameter than that of the cam on said carrier plate. An opening
is left which leads from the groove to the outer diameter or periphery of the
cam so that the tail-pieces of the needles which operate upon the periphery of
the cam may be made to enter the groove through this opening, on which, though
they may continue their rotary motion along with their carrier plate, yet by the
groove in which they move being concentric with that of the carrier plate, no
lateral motion is imparted to them and their hooked ends are kept well within
their radial grooves and out of operating position.
With respect to the vertically operating needles a groove is made in like manner
in their cylinder in which they are mounted, such groove being made to encircle
the entire inner surface and beneath the groove in which the tail-pieces of the
needles ordinarily operate and in which the cams are mounted. Again in like
manner an opening is made to lead from the cam groove to the groove beneath so
that on the tail-pieces being moved from the former to the latter they are rendered
inoperative by reason of the evenness of this second groove.
To guard the opening leading into these additional grooves above described, are
guide pieces which nicely fit therein and these guide pieces I preferably mount on
springs so that by forming inclined edges on them the tail-pieces of the needles
when pressed in the proper direction against them, by the fingers of the operative
or otherwise, will raise same and so allow the tail-pieces of the needles by this little
extra force to be placed into or out of operating position while the ordinary working
of the machine will not so move same.
By hinging additional cam slides in such a manner that their positions may be
adjusted relatively with the guide pieces filling the openings above described, the
tail-pieces of the needles may by these cam-slides, be automatically brought into or
taken out of operation while when a selection of needles has to be rendered
operative or inoperative they may be singly moved or pressed into the desired
position.
My invention relates secondly to the formation and arrangement of means for
use in connection with said circular knitting machines, said means being employed
for controlling the movements of the latches, in both of the series of needles for the
purpose of opening them and keeping them open at and for the duration of the
proper time thus enabling said needles at all times to perform their proper
functions.
In order to control the movements of the latches on both of the said series of
needles I mount two tufts of bristles in suitable proximity with them. The
bristles in one of the tufts being arranged to be upright to act upon the latches of

page_text: the upright needles while those of the other tuft are held in a horizontal position
for acting upon the horizontal needles.
The tuft which is in an upright position is held or gripped by a clamp operated
by a thumb-screw, and this clamp is hinged preferably upon a screwed supporting
pin so that while this screwed pin answers the purposes of a pivotal pin it also
enables the tuft to be raised or lowered to suit the requirements of the upright
needles.
Both the tufts of bristles are mounted in suitable proximity with the guide
through which the thread is fed to the needles and the horizontally disposed tuft is
adjusted in such a position relatively with the other tuft that provided it should be
the means of partly closing the latches on the upright needles the other will open
them in time to receive the thread which they have to lay hold of.
In an appropriate position relatively with these tufts is fixed a guide-piece which
serves as a guide for the horizontal needles when in their outwardly extending
positions, this guide is also formed, by having a suitable flange-part made on it,
together with a slot formed in it, so that after the vertical needles have passed the
upright tuft their latches are thereby prevented from being closed until the thread
being operated upon is properly laid hold of by the needles.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1893.
JOHN
SMITH,
Per Samuel Hey,
Agent.
1
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
I, JOHN SMITH of Number 70 Nuttall Street Accrington, Lancashire, Knitter, 2
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, that is to say :-
It relates firstly to the formation and arrangement of the parts operating the
needles whereby these said needles may be put into or taken out of operation and
made to maintain both of these positions as long as and whenever desired and that
without being taken out of the grooves in which they respectively slide in this
manner enabling the machine to produce any class or all classes of work within its
range without necessitating the detachment of any of its needles.
The second part of this invention relates to the formation and arrangement of
means for use in controlling the movements of the latches in both of the series of
needles for the purpose of opening them and keeping them open at and for the
duration of the proper time thus enabling said needles at all times to perform their
proper functions.
In the accompanying sheets of drawings
Figs. 1 and 2 are illustrative of the horizontal needle plate of a circular knitting
machine and parts in connection therewith as seen from above, Fig. 1 showing
certain parts in position when the machine is in or ready for effective operation and
Fig. 2 the same parts when the needles are to be withdrawn from operation.
Figs. 3 and 4 are illustrative of the cam plate for the horizontal needles and
HS seen from beneath with the parts in similar positions to Figs. 1 and 2
respectively.
Figs. 5 and 6 are edge views of parts shown by Figs. 1 and 2 respectively.
Fig. 7 is illustrative of a portion of the machine's framework in which the
cam groove is formed for operating the vertical needles, and as seen from within
the machine.
Fig. 8 shows the parts illustrated by Fig. 7 but as seen on the outside of the
machine,

page_text: Fig. 9 shows the parts illustrated by Fig. 7 but as seen from above.
Figs. 10 and 11 are sectional elevations of parts shown by Fig. 7 and illustrate
certain of the parts in their operative and inoperative positions.
Figs. 12 and 13 are side and front elevations enlarged scale of the latch
operating devices.
Fig. 14 is illustrative of same as seen from above.
To attain the object of the first part of my invention, as regards the
horizontal needles a which radiate from the centre of their carrier plate b, I
form a groove c concentric with the centre of motion of said plate b and less in
diameter than or within the cam d on said plate b. An opening e is left which
leads from the groove c to the outer diameter or periphery of the cam d so that the
tail-pieces a¹ (see Fig. 12) of the needles a may be made to enter the groove c
through the opening e on which though they may continue their rotary motion
along with the carrier plate b yet by the groove c being concentric with the
carrier plate 6 no lateral inotion is imparted to the said needles a and their hooked
ends a are kept well within the radial grooves b' and out of operating position.
Respecting the vertically operating needle ƒ a groove g is made in a similar
manner in the cylinder / in which they are mounted, such groove g being made to
encircle the entire inner surface and beneath the groove in which the needles f
ordinarily operate and in which the cams are mounted. Again in like manner an
opening is made to lead from the cam groove k to the groove g beneath so
that on the tail-pieces being moved from the former, to the latter they are
rendered inoperative by reason of the evenness of this groove g.
To guard the openings and e leading into the additional grooves a and c above
described are guide-pieces m m' which nicely fit thereon and these guide-pieces m m¹
I preferably mount on springs n n' so that by forming inclined edges on them the
tail-pieces and a' of the needles f and a when pressed in the proper direction
against said inclined edges by the fingers of the operative or otherwise, will raise
same and so allow the tail-pieces of the needles by this little extra force to be
placed into or out of operating position while the ordinary working of the machine
will not so move same.
By hinging additional cam slides o and p in such a manner that their positions
may be adjusted relatively with the guide-piece m in filling the opening above
described the tail-pieces a of the needles may by these cam-slides, be automatically
brought into or taken out of operation while when a selection of needles has to be
rendered operative or inoperative, they may be singly moved or pressed in the
desired position.
The can slide being for gathering and conducting the needles a into the
groove c when in the position shown by Figs. 2 and 4, while the cam-slide p, by
being brought into position shown by Figs. 1 and 3, moves and guides these said
needles out of said groove cinto position with the cam d in both cases when and as
the machine is moved or rotated.
My invention relates secondly to the formation and arrangement of means for
use in connection with circular knitting machines said means being employed for
controlling the movements of the latches in both series of needles for the purpose
of opening them and keeping them open at and for the duration of the proper
time thus enabling said needles at all times to perform their proper functions.
In order to control the movements of the latches a and f³ on both the said series
of needles a and I mount two tufts of bristles ov¹ in suitable proximity with them.
The bristles in the tuft being arranged to be upright to act upon the latches
while those of the other tuft v are held in a horizontal position for acting upon the
latches a'.
The tuft is held or gripped by the clamp w operated by the thumb screw a,
and this clamp is hinged preferably upon the screwed supporting pin y so that
while this screwed pin answers the purpose of a pivotal pin it also enables the tuft v
to be raised or lowered to suit the requirements of the upright needles.
Both the tufts of bristles vand v are mounted in suitable proximity with the

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guide through which the thread is fed to the needles a and f and the horizontally
disposed tuft v¹ is adjusted in such a position relatively with the tuft that provided
it should be the means of partly closing the latches the other will open them in
time to receive the thread which they have to lay hold of.
In an appropriate position relatively with these tufts v and v¹ is fixed the guide-
piece which serve as a guide for the horizontal needles a when in their outwardly
extending positions, this guide is also formed by having a suitable flange-part 2*
made on it, together with the slot formed in it, so that after the vertical needles f
have passed the upright tuft vtheir latches f³ are thereby prevented from being
closed until the threads being operated upon is properly laid of by the needles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination and arrangement of means whereby the horizontal needles
of a circular knitting machine are rendered operative or inoperative without
being detached from the said machine substantially as herein set forth and
described.
2. The combination and arrangement of means whereby the vertical needles of a
circular kuitting machine may be made to assume operative or inoperative positions
substantially as specified.
3. The combination of means whereby the horizontal needles of a circular
knitting machine are automatically taken out of or put into operating position
substantially as herein set forth and described.
4. The combination of brushes or tufts of bristles, screwed clamping devices for
holding these bristles and adjustable supports for these clamping devices this
arrangement of parts being for operating the latches of circular knitting machine's
needles substantially as herein specified.
Dated this 22nd dox of Decembar 1802
JOHN
SMITH,
Per Samuel Hey,
Agent.