AN IMPROVED Apparatus FOR SEWING KNITTED FABRIOS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Alexandre Guivet, of the Firm Guivet
et C., of Troyes (France), Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED Apparatus FOR SEWING KNITTED FABRIOS."
Sealed the 2nd April 1875, and dated the 17th October 1874
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Alexandre
Guivet at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 17th October 1874.
I, JOSEPH ALEXANDRE GUIVET, of the Firm Guivet et C., of Troyes
(France), Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SEWING KNITTED FABRICS," to be
as follows:---
This Invention consists of an apparatus for sewing selvaged hosiery or
knitted fabrics in imitation of the hand sewing called English sewing or
couture Anglaise.
My apparatus has three distinguishing features, viz., the manner of
articulating or jointing the needle, the arrangement of the oscillating
lever which actuates the needle, and the movements of the hook.

page_text: The needle is carried by a hinged piece, the journal of which passes
transversely through a horizontal rod. This hinged piece is maintained
in a horizontal position, firstly, by a shoulder of the rod entering an
enlargement of the said piece, and, secondly, by a spring.
The oscillating lever which actuates the needle is carried by a pin
fixed to a support. It is formed at its upper end with a notch in order
to produce the upward movement of the needle. This lever is moved, in
order to raise the hinged piece, by a pin screwed into the face of a
toothed wheel. This wheel is so timed as to produce this movement
when the needle is presented at each interval between two pins or
points or leaf needles (poinçons) of a revolving cylinder herein-after
described.
The hook has nothing special as regards its form, but the movements
given to it are essentially new. It is worked by a wheel on the
driving shaft, both the face and periphery of which are excentric or cam
shaped.
When the needle in passing into the entrance of the pin or point
on the revolving cylinder has traversed the meshes of the fabric
and has reached the end of its course, the hook by means of the cam
wheel advances against the needle below a notch formed in the middle:
of the latter. Immediately the hook, by the action of its cam rises,
seizes the thread and retains it, then by the action of the cam it moves
further above the needle at the instant the latter retires, so that the
thread remains held in the bend of the hook.
When the needle in its second forward movement passes above the
fabric and engages in the loop of thread above the hook, the hook
releases the loop by a backward motion imparted by its cam, and at the
same time the hook descends, also by the action of the cam to its first
position. The book continues these movements indefinitely.
In order to sew a stocking, for example, by means of this apparatus I a
begin by placing each mesh or loop of the selvage on one side of the
stocking into the points or pins of the cylinder before named, and then I
do the same for the other selvage which thus becomes superposed on the
first. This cylinder turns intermittently on a vertical axis, and the
said points or pins stand out horizontally from the edge thereof all round &
at suitablo intervals apart. Tho apparatus being put in motion, the
cylinder turns with the fabric which it presents before the needle, and

page_text: as soon as the first mesh or loop of the fabric is opposite the needle, the
sewing begins and proceeds as already described. The needle receives
its to-and-fro horizontal motion by means of an excentric and connecting
rod, which impart motion to the horizontal rod to which the hinged
piece is attached. The ond of the needle pierced with a hole to receive
the thread advances first into the entrance of a pin of the cylinder, and
then traverses the meshes or loops of the two united selvages, imme-
diately the hook worked by its cam retains the thread on the passage of
the needle to form a loop of the thread while the needle effects its return
movement. The needle recommences its forward movement at the same
time that the cylinder turns a distance equal to half a division, so that it
is presented between two pins; it is lifted immediately by the aid of the
hinged piece and of the oscillating lever in order to pass above the
fabric, then it engages in the loop retained by the hook. The latter
releases the loop, again takes up the thread which the needle presents
to it to form a fresh loop, which in its turn disappears like the first to
give place to a third, and so on. By the continuance of this movement
the thread passes successively into each of the meshes or loops of the
two superposed selvages, thus constituting an interlaced sewing like
English hand sewing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Alexander Guivet in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
ALEXANDRE GUIVET, of the Firm Guivet et C., of Troyes (France),
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Alexandre Guivet,
Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Alexandre Guivet, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Joseph Alexandre Guivet, my executors, administrators, and assigns,

page_text: 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, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SEWING KNITTED
FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Alexandre Guivet, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 I, the said Joseph Alexandre Guivet, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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, refcrence being had to the accom-
panying Drawings that is to sav•.

page_text: toothed wheel H. This wheel is so timed as to produce this movement
when the needle is presented at each interval between two pins or
points or leaf needles (poinçons) of a revolving cylinder herein-after
described.
3rd. Movements of the Hook.-The hook has nothing special as
regards its form, but the movements given to it are essentially new. It
is worked by a wheel e on the driving shaft, both the face and periphery
of which are excentric or cam shaped.
First Movement of the Hook.-When the needle A in passing into
the entrance of the pin or point on the revolving cylinder has traversed
the meshes of the fabric and has reached the end of its course the
hook D by means of the cam wheel e advances against the needle A
below a notch formed in the middle of the latter. Immediately the
hook D by the action of its cam e rises, seizes the thread and retains it,
then by the action of the cam e it moves further above the needle at the
instant the latter retires, so that the thread remains held in the bend of
the hook D.
Second Movement of the Hook.-When the needle A in its second
forward movement passes above the fabric and engages in the loop of
thread above the hook D the hook releases the loop by a backward
motion imparted by its cam e, and at the same time the hook descends
also by the action of the cam e to its first position. The hook D
continues these movements indefinitely.
Mode of Operating with the Machine.-In order to sew a stocking,
for example, by means of this apparatus I begin by placing each mesh
or loop of the selvage on one side of the stocking into the points or pins
of the cylinder M before named, and then I do the same for the other
selvage which thus becomes superposed on the first. The apparatus
being put in motion by a belt passing round the pulley P the cylinder M
turns with the fabric, which it presents before the needle A, and as soon
as the first mesh or loop of the fabric is opposite the needle the sewing
begins and proceeds as already described. The needle A receives its
to-and-fro horizontal motion by means of an excentric E' and connecting
rod B which impart motion to the rod T. The end of the needle pierced
with a hole to receive the thread (indicated in red ink in Figure 1)
advances first into the entrance of a pin of the cylinder M and then
traverses the meshes or loops of the two united selvages; immediately

page_text: •
the hook D worked by its cam e retains the thread on the passage of the
needle to form a loop of the thread while the needle effects its return
movement. The needle recommences its forward movement at the same
time that the cylinder M turns a distance equal to half a division, so that
it is presented between two pins, it is lifted immediately by the aid of the
hinged piece C, F, N, and of the oscillating lever L in order to pass
above the fabric; then it engages in the loop retained by the hook D.
The latter under the action of its cam releases the loop, again takes up
the thread which the needle presents to it to form a fresh loop which
in its turn disappears like the first to give place to a third, and so on. :
By the continuance of this movement the thread passes successively into
each of the meshes or loops of the two superposed selvages, thus consti-
tuting an interlaced sewing like English hand sewing.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. Constructing apparatus for sewing knitted fabrics, substan-
tially as herein-before described and represented in the accompanying
Drawings.
Second. The mode or manner of articulating or jointing the needle,
substantially as described and shewn.
Third. The arrangement of the oscillating lever which actuates the
needle, substantially as described and shewn.
Fourth. The mode or manner of moving or operating the hook, sub-
stantially as described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Alexandre Guivet, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of March,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
OH. FROSSARD,
4, Rue des Carmes,
Paris.
J. A. GUIVET. (L.S.)