IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1888
Specification Accepted, 24th Feb., 1888
We, JOSEPH MELLOR and GEORGE ROWING PARKER, of Greaves' Factory, Station
Street Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Hosiery Machine Builders do hereby declare
the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
C
The object of this Invention is to modify the knitting machines known to the trade
as Scattergoods" so as to enable us to make or form the "welt" and to insert a
'slack course
and 'splicing thread'on rib tops automatically by the machine, to
obtain which heretofore, the various motions required had to be gone through by
hand.
:
In carrying our Invention into effect we provide the machine with an extra shaft,
which is fixed conveniently at the back of the machine, to this shaft are fixed the
various cams for obtaining the required results as hereinaftor described motion is
imparted to the said shaft from a cam fixed to the usual cam shaft by means of a
lever suitably fulcrumed, one end of which is provided with a truck which rides upon
the said cam, thereby causing the lever to oscillate, the other end of the lever is
provided with a paul or clawker which engages with the teeth of a ratchet wheel fixed
to the extra shaft.
The said extra shaft is held out of motion during the process of making the plain
fabric by a segmental cam which is secured to one of the wheels of the apparatus
ordinarily used for regulating the length of such fabric: the said cam when in
operation causes the aforesaid lever to lift out of contact with the cam, thereby
preventing it from oscillating. .
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood we will now proceed to
describe the Drawings hereto annexed which principally illustrate the various parts to
which our Invention particularly refers.

page_text: Fig. 2. (sheet 1) is right hand end view of cam and details for pressing forward
the machine bar and needles when passing the welt.
Fig. 3 (sheet 2) is back elevation of cam and appliances for shogging the knocking
over bar trucks off the cams and on to plain discs fixed to the sides of the cams in
_order to prevent the knocking over bar-being in operation during the formation of
the welt.
Fig. 4. (sheet 2) is right hand elevation of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5. (sheet 2) is right hand elevation of apparatus for regulating the length
of fabric.
Fig. 6 is plan of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 (sheet 3) is right hand end elevation of cam and levers for giving the
drawing bar more lead when making the slack course.
Fig. 8 (sheet 3) is end elevation of cam and apparatus for raising out of operation
the carrier lever of the ordinary work bar when the splicing thread bar is in
operation.
Fig. 9 (sheet 4) is side elevation of length regulating apparatus-full size-and
Fig. 10 (sheet 4) is end elevation of same.
A is part of machine rail to which are secured the brackets for carrying the extra
shaft. B is the extra cam shaft and C the ordinary cam shaft. D is the ratchet
wheel which imparts motion to the shaft B by means of the lever E which is caused
to oscillate by the cam F which is fixed to the shaft C. a is a truck supported on a
pin fixed to the lever E and is the paul or clawker which engages with the teeth of
the ratchet wheel D; the lever E is fulcrumed at c. G is a lever operated by the
segmental cam H (Figs. 1. 4. 6 and 9) for lifting the lever E above the rise of the
cam F when the shaft B is not required to be in work.
I is the machine bar and J the machine needles: K a bent lever fulcrumed at d;
during the process of making the welt-the courses for which are made on the frame
needles L the cam M which is secured to the ratchet wheel D causes the lever K to
lower the machine needles to the position shown in Fig. 1.
Before the welt is commenced to be formed, a half course is made on the machine
needles, the said needles being lowered sufficiently for the same by the step e of the
cam M. The welt may be made to consist of any number of courses as required by
lengthening or shortening the portion of the cam M.
The lever K is jointed to the lower end of the machine bar by the pin (g). When
the welt is completed the machine needles resume their working position thereby
lowering the loop or half course below the tumblers of the needles and completing
the course, thus binding the welt to the fabric.
The knocking over bar is held out of motion during the time that the welt is being
formed on the frame needles: this is effected by the nose of the lever N falling into
the recess on the face of the ratchet wheel D (Figs. 3 & 4 sheet 2): the said
lever N is secured to the axle O which is free to move in the bearing P to the other
end of the axle is secured the lever Q. A pin which is secured to the rod R passes
through the slot S of the lever Q: the said rod R may be bent or projections fixed
thereto for moving the knocking over bar cam trucks T along their axles: U is a
bracket fixed to the frame of machine for supporting the axle of the truck T.
V is
the knocking over cam and W the plain disc at the side.
It will be seen that when the nose or projection of the lever N falls into the
recess on the face of the wheel D it will cause the lever Q to move to the right
carrying with it the rod R and shifting the truck T on to the plain disc W, thus
preventing the knocking over bar being in operation during the formation of the
welt; the interval of rest can be regulated as required by employing more of the
sectors or removing them.
When passing the welt and loop the machine bar is pressed slightly forward in
order to clear the frame needles, this is effected by the projection X which is fixed
to the disc Y, the said disc being secured to the extra cam shaft B (Fig. 2 sheet 1).
The projection X forces the lug Z out, the said lug is fixed to the lever A' it being
fulcrumed at B1, the other end of the lever is provided with a truck C¹, which, when

page_text: the cam is in operation presses forward the bar D' which is secured to the machine
bar I thereby clearing the machine needles when passing the loop and welt.
:-
After the welt is completed a number of the ordinary courses as required are made
before inserting the slack course, or forming larger loops the object of making
which is to enable the fabric being afterwards easily fixed to the running-on machines,
or, circulars as the case may be, when attaching the fabric to other goods such as
pant bottoms, shirt cuffs, or half hose. This is effected by slightly moving in the
drawing bar: When the projection E (Fig. 7 sheet 3) which is fixed to the disc F'-
the said being secured to the extra cam shaft B-is moved so as to come on the inner
side of the rod G¹ which is connected to the short lever I by means of the pin Ju,
and the said lever I being fulcrumed at H' by means of the pin K" which is
supported in a bracket secured to the end of the machine stand, it will cause the
upper end of the said rod G¹ to move slightly in and press against the stop I' which
is attached to the drawing bar and reciprocates with it: by thus pressing the drawing
bar in it causes the slur cocks to draw a loop longer than that of the ordinary fabric,
or, what is commonly termed in the trade-a slack course with the object as herein-
before described. The apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2 (sheet 1) and hereinbefore
described, is also put in operation during the making of the slack course in order to
press the machine needles slightly forward.
A series of ordinary courses are made before inserting the splicing thread, which is
inserted in order that the fabric may be easily separated at this part. The projection J¹
on the disc K (Fig. 8 sheet 3) moves out the lever L' which is fulcrumed at and
jointed to the link M at m, the other end of the link M¹ is jointed to the short link N¹
one end of which is secured to the pin or fulcrum 0. A second link P₁ is also
secured to the pin 0₁ the link P' is provided with two rods of suitable length S¹
and T which are similarly secured at both ends: the said rods S¹ and T¹ are in
contact with the carrier levers W₁ and X', that is to say, the carrier levers W
and X reciprocate or move longitudinally along the said rods S and T', the said
rods S and T are stationary and only alter positions, or move about the axis O¹ when
the projection or cam J' on the disc K' movos out the lever L'.
Wis the carrier lever for the ordinary work bar Qor the bar which makes the
main fabric, and X' is the carrier lever for the splicing thread bar R¹, a¹ is a stop
or projection fixed on the ordinary work bar Q₁ and d¹ is a similar stop fixed
on the splicing thread bar R¹. The two carrier levers W₁ and X' are fulcrumed
on the pin eupon which they are free to move up or down as they reciprocate
or move longitudinally with the lever box U₁ which is secured to the slide or
drawing bar V, the said bar V₁ carries the ordinary work bar Q and the splicing
thread bar R¹.
When the carrier lever W₁ is lifted up as shown in the drawing (Fig. 8) above
the stop a¹ the ordinary work bar Q₁ remains out of work, and the splicing
thread bar R is in work, and as will also be seen in the same drawing the
carrier lever X' is in connection with the projection d' on the bar R. The
carrier lever X' which is shown on the front side of the stop d' will carry the
bar to the opposite end of its course, then the catch Y which are operatod in
the usual way, will cause the lever ✗which like the lever W¹ is free to move
about the fulcrum el in the box U as it reciprocates-to lift over the stop d'
on to the opposite side and bring the bar back again this operation takes place
at each end of the course or stroke.
The opposite ends of the carrier levers W1 and ✗¹ slide along the rods S¹
and Tas hereinbefore mentioned, and when the projection J' on the disc K' is
in operation it will move out the lever L' and through the connection M'
and NN being secured to the pin O'--will cause the said pin O¹ to move
about its centre: the link P¹ is also secured to the pin O' and will, when such
motion takes place assume the position of the dotted lines at Z' and the rod S¹
will press on the inclined end X" of the carrier lever X³, thereby lowering the
same at that end and consequently cause the opposite end to lift abovo the stop d,
the said lever X' as also the lever W being free to move about the pin or

page_text: fulcrum ell. The carrier lever W₁ being thus released from the rod T¹ the same
having moved away into the position shown at Z', the said carrier lever W¹ will
be brought down and into operation by the aid of its spring.
The splicing thread carrier bar is only used in this case for putting in a finer yarn
for cutting-off purposes commonly called a splicing thread; or if necessary to carry
threads of a different colour to those carried by the work bar Q' for the purpose of
making striped goods, this object would be effected by fixing more projections similar
to Jon the disc K¹.
After the welt, the slack course, and the splicing thread are each made or inserted
in their required order a length of the ordinary work, which length will vary
according to the nature and requirements of the fabric; this is effected by the
apparatus (common to the trade for similar purposes) illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6
(sheet 2) and at full size in Figs. 9 and 10 (sheet 4).
:
A is the cam which works the ratchet lever B C concentric slots in the
course pitch wheel D₁ for regulating the lever E" so as to obtain the required
length. is a stop fixed to the inner side of the wheel D" and G" is another
stop fixed to the finer pitch wheel H both wheels are free to move on the
axle I. Jis a friction spring pressing against the face of the wheel H".
His a segmental cam, which when in operation presses down the lever G which
is connected with the lever E (Fig. sheet 1 and Fig. 9 sheet 4) and thereby
raises the truck a above the cam F thus keeping the extra cam shaft B stationary
during the making of the ordinary work.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
The use and employment of the means herein before described for automatically
making a welt, slack course, and inserting a splicing thread in plain or ribbed
fabrics all substantially as set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of December 1886.
ALFRED H. DAVIES, M. Inst. M.E.,
Agent for the Applicants.