Improvements in Rotary Knitting Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 18th Feb., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Knitting Machines.
We JAMES HEARTH and WALTER HEARTH of Church Gate, Leicester,
Hosiery Manufacturers 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 :-
This invention has reference to rotary knitting machines for the manufacture of
broad ribbed fabrics.
The present invention has for its object to improve the production of broad
ribbed fabrics upon rotary knitting machines and is also an improvement upon a
prior Patent granted to us No. 18091 of 1890 which includes a particular construc-
tion of needle for producing broad ribbed fabrics.
It is found that the needle therein described can only be used with advantage
in the manufacture of certain combinations of ribs whereas the object of the present
invention is mainly for an improved construction of needle whereby all combinations
of broad ribs may be made upon a rotary knitting machine wherein such needles
are employed as hereinafter described.
The invention relates also to improvements connected with the apparatus for
narrowing broad ribbed fabrics.
The invention will be understood from the following description in reference to
the accompanying drawings wherein Figures 1, 2, and 3 are sections of a "Cotton's"
rotary knitting machine adapted for the production of broad ribbed fabrics.
Figure 4, is a perspective view of a portion of the frame and machine needles
and sinkers.
Figures 5, 5, 6, 6ª are separate views of needles which form the loops for the
machine needles, together with two forms of sinkers to be used therewith.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 are vertical transverse sections of parts of the frame and
narrowing apparatus.
Figures 74, 7 are detail views.
Only such parts of the frame and narrowing apparatus are shown in drawings
as are necessary to illustrate our improvements.
In Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings the frame and machine needles are
disposed in such a manner as to produce a 10 and 3 rib fabric, but the disposition
of the needles can be varied to produce any desired combination of ribs.
A are the usual machine needles, B the usual frame needles, and C the twisted
bearded needles.
These latter are placed at intervals among the frame needles and the loops
formed thereon are subsequently cast off and transferred to the machine needles at
each course in the fabric as hereinafter described.
As will be noticed in Figures 5, 5ª the needles C are formed with short twisted
beards C approximately only about one-half the length of the beards of the
ordinary frame needles B.
In our former Patent the beards of the twisted needles are practically of the
same length as the beards of the ordinary needles, but we have found after
repeated experiments that while this particular kind of beard may be used in the
production of broad ribbed fabrics up to say a 5 and 2 rib, yet in still broader
ribs such as 6 and 3 or upwards it cannot be so successfully employed, as the
beards are constantly breaking or cutting the loops during the working of the
frame and imperfect fabric is the result.
We have now found after considerable experimenting that needles with beards
of the length and twisted in the manner as hereinafter described can be successfully
employed in the manufacture of all classes or combinations of broad ribbed fabrics

page_text: As will be most clearly seen in Figures 5, 54, the twisted beards C¹ of the
needles C are comparatively short as before stated and the points or ends of such
twisted beards terminate in a depression or crank in the stem of the needle, so
as to protect the beards from damage by colliding with the machine needles or
otherwise.
The use of needles with twisted beards such as before referred to render it
necessary to vary somewhat the ordinary motions of the frame or to provide for
certain slight extra movements thereof as hereinafter explained.
During the lecking of the loops on the frame needles the latter have an extra
backward movement so as to cause them to press rather more firmly than usual
against the loops so as to ensure the thread passing into the depression C and so
getting under the twisted beards, otherwise the loops would catch the points of
such beards and split thereon.
This additional movement is effected by the cam D (which is suitably shaped
for the purpose) through the usual truck bearing lever D and arms D² D³ as
shown in Figure 1.
In order to assist the loops to disengage the twisted beards of the needles C the
latter are cast rather higher in their leads as will be seen by comparing the needles
in Figure 4 and the frame needles when rising are elevated somewhat higher than
usual by the cam E and ordinary truck bearing lever E Fig. 2 and simultaneously
the machine needles are lowered by the cam F Fig. 3, through the medium of
the usual arms F1 and F2 and truck bearing lever F3 as is well understood.
The loops having been cast or discharged from the twisted bearded needles,
remain upon the machine needles only and are subsequently converted into stitchies
as hereinafter mentioned.
In making some combinations of broad ribs particularly in cases where the needles
in the machine are grouped together in larger numbers than twos, it is advantageous
to form loops of increased size on the needles C with the twisted beards.
This course is also advisable because as will be seen from Figure 4 there are
only two twisted bearded frame needles drawing loops for three machine needles.
This increase in the size of the loop may be formed in at least two ways as
follows (1) by constructing the needles with a bend or crank C³, as in
Figs. 4 & 5, directed towards the sinkers and lying in the path of the thread
carrier so that the thread in being drawn by the jack sinkers will wrap round
the cranked portion of the needles and commence to draw thread earlier than with the
straight stemmed needles and a larger loop is the result; (2) by dispensing with the
crank C³ and using the straight stemmed twisted bearded needles illustrated in
Figure 5A and jack sinkers G of greater length or increased stroke.
Such a jack sinker G is shown in Fig. 5 and 6 in comparison with an ordinary
sinker G.
It follows that as the length of the loop is regulated by the distance the jack
sinkers project between and from the frame needles, the use of longer jack sinkers G
or of jack sinkers having an increased outward stroke will draw extra thread and
form larger loops for the needles adjacent thereto.
The operation of the frame referred to having the before mentioned improve-
ments applied thereto is as follows:-
The jack sinkers draw the loops and the latter are divided on the frame needles
by the dividing sinkers in the usual way.
The frame needles are then sunk to get the loops under the beards and at the
same time they have a slight backward movement imparted thereto causing them
to press against the thread and thereby ensure the loops entering the depression C
and getting fairly under the twisted beards of the needles C and avoid being split
by the points thereof.
The frame needles are then pressed and sink still lower so that the loops on the
twisted bearded needles also hang over the machine needles but still remain under
the twisted beards of the frame needles. The machine needles are then pressed
and the frame needles commence to rise and simultaneously the machine needles

page_text: are lowered slightly to assist the loops to clear the twisted beards when they will
remain engaged only by the machine needles.
The loops on the machine needles are then knocked over by the slide in the
usual way, thus completing the movements for the production of one course in the
fabric.
Instead of a needle with a short twisted beard we may use needles H having
what may be termed a hooked beard as clearly illustrated in Figures 6 & 6ª.
The beard is turned over the end of the needle and terminates at the side thereof
so as to cast off the loop formed thereon after the pressing operation as herein-
before described with reference to needles shown in Figures and J.
These needles may also be provided with a crank H for increasing the length
of the loop formed thereon or be used with a sinker G of increased stroke as shown
in Fig. 6.
The invention also has reference to the narrowing apparatus and includes means
for rendering inactive at the will of the operator the points which pick up the loops
on the machine needles.
This is essential during the shifting of the loops in a narrowing course on the
frame needles only as if the machine points were allowed to remain in action at the
same time they would get under the knocking over slide and become damaged.
For this purpose the mechanism which imparts the usual to and fro motion to
the machine points is temporarily thrown out of action during a fraine course
narrowing.
The mechanism referred to for operating the machine points J Fig. 7 to pick up
the loops on the machine needles A and subsequently cast them off consists of a
cam Kacting on a truck L' on the end of a two armed lever L which raises and
lowers the rod M connected thereto. The latter when rising moves upwardly the
end of the spring controlled arm N mounted on the shaft O carrying also a lever N¹
provided with a rod P which when rocked moves the forked finger Q on its
axis Q and imparts a to and fro movement to the machine points J carried thereby
in the usual manner.
To render the machine points inoperative the rod M is shortened so that when
it rises to its full height it does not lift the arm N to operate the machine points
as before described, but when it is desired to bring the said points into action for
narrowing purposes a block N' Figs. 7, 74 is slid along the arm N to meet the
rod M as it rises and allow the said arm N to be lifted in the ordinary way.
The block N is provided with an opening through which the arm N passes and
can be moved into and out of operative position by a projecting pin N³ thereon or
equivalent means.
As an alternative method we may mount on the rod M a sleeve M' which can
be raised or lowered thereon and be fixed in position by a spring encircled pin M²
or equivalent connected thereto passing through one of the holes M as indicated
in Fig. 7B.
In order to ensure the machine points picking up the loops on the machine
needles we provide that the knocking over slide R Fig. 8 shall be moved forward
towards the heads of the machine needles and against the fabric thereon so as to
prevent the machine loops from slipping down the stems of the needles and out of
the reach of the points .J.
This is indicated most clearly in Figure 8, the machine points being shown as
pressing on the beards of the machine needles A and the knocking over slide R
moved near to the heads of the latter to prevent a backward movement of the
abric and so as to facilitate the picking up of the machine loops.
The knocking over slide R is operated at the desired time by a cam R' through
he medium of the usual truck bearing lever R and arm R³ mounted on the rock
haft R.
The same cam R¹ Fig. 9, is also so shaped as to subsequently move forward the
nocking over slide against the frame points S to draw the loops off the same on to
be frame needles to which they are to be transferred.

page_text: In one and one and two and one rib frames the machine needles are sufficiently
numerous and close to the frame needles to assist the frame points in delivering
their loops, but in broad ribbed frames the intervals between the sets of machine
needles are so great as to make it necessary to adopt some means to help the
frame points transfer their loops, otherwise when rising, instead of the loops
being left behind on the frame needles they would rise partly with the points
and become eventually dropped, thereby making it necessary for the attendant to
pick them up by hand and stop the working of the frame for that purpose.
To avoid this we provide for moving the slide R close up to the frame points S
so as to draw the loops off the latter when rising and leave them upon their
respective frame needles as before mentioned.
It will be understood that the frame points are arranged so as not to deliver any
stitches on to the needles with the twisted or hooked beards.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :——
1. The construction of rotary knitting machines for the manufacture of broad
ribbed fabrics in which the loops for the machine needles are primarily formed on
frame needles with short twisted beards such as C or needles with hooked beards
such as H substantially as described & illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. The construction of rotary knitting machines for the manufacture of broad
ribbed fabrics in which the loops for the machine needles are primarily formed on
frame needles such as C or H of means for elevating the frame needles and
lowering the machine needles substantially in the manner and for the purpose
described and illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The construction of rotary knitting machines for the manufacture of broad
ribbed fabrics in such a manner that loops of increased size are formed on the frame
needles which primarily form the loops for the machine needles substantially as and
for the purpose described.
4. The construction of rotary knitting machines for the manufacture of broad
ribbed fabrics in which the machine loop picking up points are rendered inopera-
tive during a narrowing course on the frame needles substantially in the manner
described and illustrated in Figures 7, 7ª, and 7" of the accompanying drawings.
5. The construction of rotary knitting machines for the manufacture of broad
ribbed fabrics so that the knocking over slide R may be moved forward at the time
when the narrowing points are picking up the loops on the machine needles and
also at the time when the narrowing points are delivering their loops on to the
frame needles substantially in the manner and for the purpose described & illus-
trated in Figures 8 and of the accompanying drawings.
6. The improvements in rotary knitting machines for the manufacture of broad
ribbed fabrics substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 17th day of January 1893.
JAMES HEARTH.
WALTER
HEARTH.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.