IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Herbert John Haddan at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th April 1883. A communication
to him from abroad by Charles Young, of Chicago, State of Illinois, United
States of America
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of Kensington, Middlesex, " IMPROVEMENTS IN
KNITTING MACHINERY," a communication to me from abroad by Charles Young, of
Chicago, State of Illinois, United States of America,
The invention relates more particularly to flat-web or reciprocating knitting
machines.
The mechanism of the machine is secured to two standards or side frames, the
back edges of which have a slot for the reception of the edge of a bench, to which
the frame may be secured by set screws.
Between the standards rigidly screwed fast thereto and located a little above the
central line of a main shaft is placed a needle bed plate whose upper and lower
edges are square with its face surface. On its face surface from its top edge to the
bottom edge, is cut a series of grooves parallel with each other and an equal
distance apart for the reception of the shank of a latch bearing needle. The depth
of these grooves and the distance apart are regulated by the size of the needle used,
and the class of fabric made. Near the upper end of the bed plate is cut a dove-
tailed groove the lengthwise of said plate or at right angles with the grooves that
hold the needles, into which fits a catch bar piece of steel which holds the shank of
needles in the grooves.
Over the bed plate parallel with its length and resting on the front surface of
said plate is a stitch varying bar which is held against and slides up and down the
surface of the bed plate, in suitable guides or lips. On the back of the stitch
varying bar is a groove the lengthwise of the bar, in this groove the heels of the
needles are held and propelled up and down in the grooves of bed plate through the
action of the said bar and its connecting mechanism. Extending lengthwise of the
groove in the varying bar is a loose bar that rests against the heels of needles and
is adjusted to meet the different lengths of stitch in connection with arms.
the said arms are raised the loose bar is lowered, and when the arms are lowered
the bar is raised. In the rear of the standards is located a main shaft, held in its
proper place by bearings. On the main shaft are placed at different intervals from
each end fire cams and three gear wheels.
When

page_text: Between the standards and located at equal distance from their inner side are
placed two adjustable arms, whose lower ends encircle the shaft and whose upper
ends are rigidly fastened by set screws to the stitch varying bar. On the outer
surface of these arms and at their lower ends is pivoted an anti friction roller.
Between the standards and the lower ends of the adjustable arms fastened upon
the main shaft are two circular cam wheels whose inner surface rests against the
outer surface of that portion of the arms that hold the anti friction rollers. In the
diameter face of these cams is cut an irregular groove. The anti friction roller fits
into and engages the even and uneven surfaces of this groove. Two cams revolving
with the main shaft, causes the uneven surfaces of the grooves to act on the rollers,
which propels the arms back and forth, and with it carries the stitch varying bar,
with heels of needles attached, and altogether they are the means of communicating
a reciprocating motion to the needles in the bed plate. The said arms are adjustable
to meet the different lengths of stitch required.
• Two pinions are keyed to the main shaft and gear into opposite gear wheels
sustained by bearings or shafts, which are rigidly attached to the standards.
Fastened on the inner surface of the said gears are two horizontal adjustable arms
which in turn are fastened at their other ends to a movable plate. This plate
stands parallel with the top surface of the bed plate, and its action is to and from
the needles. The top of said plate is directly in front and a little below the direct
line of the movement of the needles. At either end of the plate is rigidly attached
a carriage which is provided with anti friction rollers. On the inner side of the
standards is cut a groove. In this groove is loosely pinioned a detent or pawl.
The rollers of the carriage fit into this groove and are propelled in and out by
action of the arms attached to the above named gears. On the front surface of the
movable plate and parallel with its length is fastened a bar in which is inserted a
series of pins at equal distances apart, which correspond with the grooves in the
needle bed. The top of the said pins project above the plate and are so placed that
the needles when they come out pass between the pins.
The bar and pins are so arranged that there is a space left between them and
plate for passage of fleece from floor to machine, the object of the said pins is to
assist in forcing the fleece on the hook of needles, when the plate is drawn
backward by its connecting mechanism to the bed.
As the movement of the plate is a regular one and the action of the thread
carrier is irregular and quick, to facilitate the movement of the plate in the
withdrawal from the needles and to prevent the pins from being touched by the
guides of the carrier, and so interfere with the stitch the carriage enters an
indenture of the groove (applied to the inside of the standard) in its forward
movement from needle bed by its rollers striking the point of the above mentioned
detent or pawl. A little below the bar and securely pinioned to the lower part of
plate is a thin sheet of tin or zinc, or any other flexible material; the lower end
of this sheet extends below the bottom of the device; the object of said plate is to
prevent the fleece from catching in any of the parts of the device.
On the side of the adjustable arms is placed a set screw by the loosening of
which I am enabled to put in or draw out on a projection the part of the arm
which is attached to the fleece plate thereby shortening or lengthening the
movement of the arms.
Next to and between the pinions and the standards rigidly secured to shaft are
two circular cani wheels, in whose outer diameter face is cut an irregular groove;
this groove is so constructed that the raised part or projection is one third the
entire revolution of the cams. An arm or lever pivoted to a bracket and secured
to the inner side of the standards is so arranged that its lower end will engage
with the projections and depressions of the groove in the said cams through an
anti friction roller. In the other end of these levers is cut a slot which fits upon
the edge of a sinker bar. The brackets have at their lower ends on the part that
is attached to the standards a slot for adjusting the said brackets.
Directly in front and a little above the needle bed parallel with its length is:

page_text: flat bar piece of steel, bent so that the top and front surfaces stand at right
angles with each other. On the lower part of this plate is fastened on the front
side a series of sinkers at equal distances apart, corresponding with the grooves in
the bed plate, and whose object is to feed the fabric downward as fast as made,
as well as to determine in connection with other parts of the device the length of
stitch. The bar is held at each end by a grooved guide way. At each end of the .
bar is fastened a flat piece of steel, wide enough to give solidity to the movement,
this piece fits into the guide way. The movement of the sinker bar is vertical and .
The sinkers are
is dependent upon the action of the levers, and its associate cains.
provided with a nose or point which retain the fabric until the needles discharge
the old and take up the. new stitch. A little above the point of the said nose is
inserted a circular bar which runs the entire length of the series of sinkers parallel
with the flat steel bar mentioned above whose use is to provide against the needles
losing a stitch.
Attached to and a little above the central line of the standards are adjustable
bearings, which support a carrier shaft; on this shaft is rigidly attached a thread
carrier bar, which bar is bent at right angles to its length, so as to have two
rectangular sides one back and the other above the shaft; in the side back of the
shaft are securely set a series of yarn guides of the usual form, corresponding
with the number of needles used, and the same distance apart. In the part of
the rod above the shaft are a number of holes for the yarn or other material
used.
The bearings are capable of being raised or lowered, moved backward or forward,
as the case demands, in regulating the distance the carrier shall oscillate to and.
from the needles, so as not to pass too far over the needles, and not so far back
as to interfere with the pins of the fleece plate. The carrier receives from its shaft
both an oscillating and a lateral motion. At the left of the standard the driving
shaft carries a cain, having on its diameter face edge a groove or indenture, that is
regular for about three quarters of its geometric radius, when it meets with a
projection, which projection presses on a roller of the lower end of the rocking
lever, whose motion is then quickened and after the roller reaches the highest
point of the projection, the pressure is gradually decreased until the roller strikes
the radius of the groove again when it is removed and the lever is at rest until the
revolution of the cam brings the projection again against the roller. This lever is
pivoted to a support or axis, which support is capable of adjustment to a standard,
by means of a slot. The object of said adjustment is the regulating of the length
of the oscillating motion of the carrier. If the lever is raised, the movement is the
reverse, which action has its effect on the carrier by means of a slot cut in the
upper end of the lever, in this slot moves a pin, of an adjustable arm set parallel
with the length of the carrier. Said arm is rigidly attached to the carrier shaft.
The pin is adjustable and is adjusted in connection with the adjustment of the
lever. On the main shaft at right of standard is keyed a pinion, the teeth of which
engage a whoel, whose centre is at an angle of forty-five degrees downward and
front of a vertical line of the main shaft. The wheel is pivoted to the standard.
Upon the outer face of the wheel is fastened by set screws a cylindrical rim or
disk the flange of which is cut into so as to form indentures which determine the
length and return of the lateral notion of the carrier, as acted upon by its
connecting lever. The depth of the depression of the cut on the rim determines
the extent of the movement lengthwise of the carrier, so as not to move more than
the width of the spaces in the needle bed, yet, still far enough to clear the needles
when the yarn guides swing between them. A little below a direct horizontal
line and in front of the main shaft is an adjustable bearing, which is fastened
to one of the standards, and holds on its front surface by set screw a lever which
stands at an angle of forty-five degrees to the horizon. At the lower end of
lever is pivoted a roller which engages with the projections and depressions into
the cam.

page_text: At the upper end of the lever, the shaft of the carrier presses against the lever
and is held there by a spring, at the left of device, one end of which is attached
to a set screw on the shaft, and the other end to the bearing. One side of the hub
of the driving pulley is constructed with a series of teeth. The teeth of a clotch
which is keyed to the main shaft fit into the teeth of the hub of the driving pulley,
and through them power is applied to the device. At one end of an arm encircling
the clotch is fastened a coiled spring which assists the arm by leverage to throw in
or out the teeth of the clotch.