Improvements in or relating to Knitting Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Knitting Machines.
I, PER PERSSON, Merchant of Drottninggatan 21, Stockholm, Kingdom of
Sweden, 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 :-
The improvements in knitting machines, which form the subject of this invention,
relate to an improved adjusting mechanism for the side needle drivers, an improved
device for indicating the closeness of the knitting and an improved form of the
needles.
Hitherto the adjustment of the side needle driver has commonly been performed
by loosening the screw, which holds the needle driver and passes through a slot in
This
the lock cover, by displacing the needle driver and by tightening the screw.
mode of adjustment is unsatisfactory, partly because the displacement in most cases
does not become exact, especially if the needle driver is under a pressure, caused
by the needles, and partly because it might happen that the needle driver changes
its position at the tightening of the screw. According to this invention, for
obtaining a more safe and easy adjustment, the screw is placed parallel with the
lock cover and connected to the needle driver, so that this latter slides when
turning the screw. In this manner the screw is made to form a real adjustment
screw, by means of which the needle driver can be adjusted most accurately.
The screw acts upon the needle driver by its nut, which may be firmly connected
to the driver or not. The latter case is to be preferred for reasons mentioned
below.
On the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 shows the lock cover in plan.
Figures 2 and 4 show a cross section and a longitudinal section respectively of
the lock mechanism, which is shown in plan in Figure 3, in which the plate,
covering the mechanism, is removed. The arrows in Figure 3 indicate the line
along which the slide (lock cover) moves to and fro on the needle bed.
Figures 5 and 6 show a vertical section and a plan respectively of the adjusting
mechanism when using a divided side needle driver.
Figures 7 and 8 show in plan and longitudinal section a modified form of the
adjusting mechanism.
Figure 9 shows from above the lock members in another position than in
Figure 6.
Figure 10 shows a needle.
With reference to Figures 2-4 a is the middle needle driver and b the side
needle driver. The latter is retained and guided by the plate c, provided with a
slot d, into which enters a stud e, mounted on the needle driver and overlapping
the borders of the slot. Parallel with the slot d and about in level with the upper
which can
side of the cover extends the adjusting screw f, provided with a nut
move in the opening h, in the cover and which enters between the two projec-
tions i and k on the stud e, without being fixed to said stud. The uit g is prevented
from turning as it is situated close to the stud e, but instead it is displaced when
the screw is turned, thereby carrying the needle driver along. In order to be able
to turn the screw it is provided with a rather large, milled head l, situated outside
627

page_text: the elevation m wherein the above mentioned opening is made. By not connecting
the needle driver directly to the nut the advantage is obtained that the screw need
not be quite parallel with the needle driver, which otherwise had been necessary
for avoiding strains. Further the distance between the projections i and k is
greater than the nut entering between them, and besides a spring n acts on the
inside of the projection k so as to pull the needle driver downwards in such a
position that the projection i rests on the nut. By turning the screw in the one or
the other direction the needle driver is thereby displaced to a corresponding degree,
without the driver being prevented from moving upwards, as is required in some
cases. By the described arrangement is gained the advantage that the index
indicating the nature of the knitting whether "hard or loose," which depends on
the position of the needle driver, can be arranged in a convenient manner.
The
index p moving over the cover plate o has on its shaft below the plate o an arm g
extending under a pin r on the nut g. A springs tends to turn the arm upwards.
The index P is thereby caused to move along the scale on the plate o according as
the nut 9 moves up or down on the turning screw.
In order that the screw may not turn in case of being acted upon unintentionally
a spring is fixed to the cover, said spring entering into the groove in
the head of the screw and pressing against the screw (Figure 2). The
screw is prevented from turning by the friction between the spring and the
head.
It is evident that when employing a side needle driver, divided into two parts a¹
and a (see Figures 5, 6 and 9), it is possible to employ such an adjusting mechanism
as the described one for each part, so that the parts can be adjusted independently
of each other by means of an adjusting screw for each part. According to the
drawing this is the case inasmuch as there are two adjusting screws & and b³, but
these are arranged in a particular manner for certain reasons with respect to the
adjustment as well as the knitting. The parts a' and a' are guided in the same
manner as described above, as they enter through slots and in the plate c by
means of studs ee³. The nut g' on the screw has an arm g on which rests the
projection on account of the pressure of the spring on the projection k³, and
another arm g on which rests the projection 3 ou the stud e on account of the
pressure of the spring n² on said projection. The nut on the screw 6 is also
provided with an arm & under which the arm g' can pass and which also acts on
the projection which is comparatively high, if said arm is caused to move towards
said projection when turning the screw. From the nut extends an index o
extending beyond the border of the plate o'. Therefore if the screw b' is turned,
the part a partakes in the movement of the part a¹. If the movement takes place
in the direction upwards, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 6, the projection
will finally stop against the arm b' and the part a stops. This may be made to
occur sooner or later by the adjustment of the nut (by turning the screw ).
Besides the part a¹ can more somewhat upwards independently of the arm gas
well as the part a³ can move somewhat downwards independently of the arm 93.
A displacement downwards of the part a' can moreover be made by means of the
nut as well as a displacement upwards of said part, so far as the arm g' will
permit of such a movement. If the parts a' and a' are to be displaced simultaneously,
which is the most common readjustment, as said parts together work as side needle
drivers, this may be performed, by turning only the screw b', but if required, the
parts a¹ and a may also be adjusted relatively to one another. Figure 9 shows
the parts a¹ and a in another position compared with Figure 6. The nut g¹ is
connected to an index mechanism, similar to that described above and shown in
Figures 1 and 2. A special scale for the index o is made on the cover
plate o¹.
One of the causes why the nut is not firmly connected to the needle driver is, as
mentioned above, to prevent a wedging taking place, in case the screw should not
be quite parallel with the sliding plane of the needle driver. This may evidently
also be attained by substituting the nut with a piece, firmly connected to the needle

page_text: driver and clasping the screw like a clamp or such like, in such a manner, that the
needle driver may be able to move a little towards or away from the screw. Such
a clamp, clasping the screw, can evidently also act as a nut so as to move on the
screw when this is turned.
Figures 7 and 8 show a modification wherein the nut can be turned on the
immovable screw, thereby taking along the needle driver. The nut o projects
somewhat above the upper side of the cover plate, so that it can be turned. It
enters between the projections d and d of the needle driver in such a manner,
that it takes along the needle driver, when it (the nut) is moved upwards or
downwards on the screw by turning. Instead of entering between projections
the nut may be provided with a groove, similar to the groove in the head of the
The
screw, and into which groove, enters a projection on the needle driver.
plate has for its purpose to cover the opening in which the nut moves.
The plate is displaceable and therefore partakes in movement of the nut,
projecting through an aperture in the same. The screws d serve to guide the
plate.
A more tight or loose knitting is obtained, as before known, by adjusting the
needle driver, which for this reason is combined with an index pointing on a scale.
In the hitherto known arrangement of said scale, consisting of simple division
lines, the index indicates the displacement of the needle driver, for instance in
millimetres, but it does not in fact give any information how tight or loose the
knitting will be, but this must be examined directly upon the fabric, which is
rather difficult, as the knitting is hidden by the needle beds. According to this
invention this inconvenience is avoided, as instead of the scale or together with it
there is a reproduction or a pattern of a knitting with loops from the smallest to
the largest ones. Figure 1 shows such a reproduction or pattern pl engraved or
made in any suitable way in the cover plate o. The pattern on which the index
is pointing consists of a series of loops of an increasing size, corresponding to the
larger or smaller loops, which are obtained by moving the needle driver in the one
or the other direction. If the needle driver is moved so as to make the knitting
tighter, the index moves along the scale to a point of the pattern, where this shows
a corresponding degree of tightness, and inversely, if the needle driver is moved
so as to make the knitting looser. It is evident that the pattern may easily
be altered, for instance consist of a series of circles having increasing diameters.
P
The needle (Figure 10) differs from the needles hitherto used by the shape of
its foot. Hitherto the wire, of which the needle is made, has generally been bent
towards the side so as to form an angle, and then back again for forming the foot a*
whereafter it has been bent downwards and upwards again so as to form an
extension below the foot. According to this invention the wire, after the bending
to an angle and the double bending for forming the foot at is directly bent upwards
at a without any bending downwards and its end is brought close to the needle.
Whereby some bends which weaken the needle are avoided. Immediately above
the bend at a the wire parts are not close together, but at its end the wire is bent
inwards towards the needle, so as to enter into the bay of the usual bend, at a
In this manner is obtained the recess a which is to be found on the under side, of
most needles and which serves to embrace a projection on the bottom of the needle
groove for preventing the needle from sliding. The wire end is cut off obliquely
so as to abut closely against the corresponding part of the needle at a³ as shown on
the drawing.
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. In a knitting machine the combination with adjustment screws such as fof
side needle-drivers placed parallel to the sliding plane, along which the needle
driver can move said screws being connected with the needle drivers in such
manner that the needle driver is displaced when turning the screw so that the screw

page_text: .
may form a real adjusting screw, serving to adjust the needle driver accurately
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a knitting machine the combination with adjustment screws such as f of
side needle drivers placed parallel to the sliding plane along which the needle
driver can move, said screws being provided with nuts such as g connected to the
needle drivers in such a manner that the needle driver is taken along by the nut
when this is turned and thereby moved on the screw substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a knitting machine provided with a device such as is claimed in Claim 1,
the arrangement of a threaded nut such as g mounted on a screw such as fand
taking along the needle driver when turning the screw or when turned itself so
that it is not firmly connected to the needle driver, but acts on an abutment such
as i on the driver in order that wedging may not take place if the screw should
not be quite parallel with the sliding plane of the needle driver, substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a knitting machine provided with a device such as is claimed in Claim 3,
the arrangement of a needle driver provided with two abutments such as i and k
projections, shoulders or the like, between which a nut such as g engaging with
the screw and taking along the needle driver, enters without being firmly connected
to the needle driver so that the space between the abutinents is only partly
occupied by said nut in the direction along which the adjustment of the screw
takes place a spring causing the needle driver to rest with its oue abutment against
the nut upon the screw in order that the needle driver may be movable within
certain limits, independent of the screw substantially as described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
5. In a knitting machine provided with a device such as is claimed in Claim 2,
the arrangement of the usual index situated above a plate such as o covering the
screw and indicating the position of the needle driver having below the plate an
arm projecting from the shaft of the index which by means of a spring is pressed
against a pin on the nut engaging with the screw and taking along the needle
driver substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. In a knitting machine provided with a device such as is claimed in Claim 1
and with a divided side needle driver the arrangement of each needle driver part
such as a a² having its special adjusting screw arranged either as claimed in
Claim 1 or Claim 2 substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
7. In a knitting machine provided with a device such as claimed in Claim 1 and
with a divided side needle driver, the arrangement of an adjusting screw such as b
common to the two needle driver parts said parts resting against a nut threaded on
the screw by means of abutments such as k₁ such as claimed in Claims 2 3 or 4
said abutments being formed as projections shoulders or the like substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
8. In a kuitting machine provided with a device such as claimed in Claim 1 and
with a divided side needle driver the arrangement of a common adjusting screw such
as b' for the two needle driver parts such as is claimed in Claim 7 and a special
adjusting screw such as 6 for the one part such as is claimed in Claim 3, substan
tially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
9. In a device such as is claimed in Claims 7 and 8 the arrangement of the
needle driver parts by means of springs or the like, acting against abutments on
said parts and pressing the one against the upper face of the nut of its adjusting
screw and the other against the lower face of said nut or the lower face of the nut
of its adjusting screw the nuts when meeting freely passing each other so that the
needle driver parts may move in the same or in opposite directions and beside
move freely the one in the one and the other in the other direction substantially
as described.
10. In a knitting machine provided with a device such as is claimed in Claim
the arrangement of a spring such as fixed to the cover plate and pressing

page_text: against the head of the screw so that the screw may be kept in its adjusted position
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
11. In a knitting machine the arrangement of a scale over which moves an index
acted upon by the needle driver consisting of a reproduction or pattern showing
a series of figures increasing in size and corresponding to the larger or smaller
loops which are obtained by the adjustment of the needle driver substantially as
described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
12. In a knitting machine a needle formed below in such a manner that the
wire of which the needle consists after having been bent at an angle and laid
double for forming the foot, is directly bent upwards, without any bending
downwards substantially as described with reference to Figure 10 of the accom-
panying drawings.
13. A needle such as is claimed in Claim 12 so formed that the wire end, which
is bent upwards and cut off obliquely has its extreme end bent inwards obliquely
towards that part of the needle which is above the foot, so that the said end
together with the usual bend on the needle body itself forms a recess on the under
side of the needle for embracing a projection or the like in the needle groove so as
to prevent the needle from sliding in this groove substantially as described with
reference to Figure 10 of the accompanying drawings..
Dated this 6th day of November 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.