IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF KNITTING MACHINES."-A communication from abroad
by Henry Von Hartz and Julius Feiss, of Cleveland, State of Ohio,
United States of America.
Sealed the 12th July 1870, and dated the 4th February 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 4th February 1870.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "INPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF KNITTING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to simplify and improve the operation
of the knitting machine, making it more convenient and easy to control,
while it operates more rapidly, accurately, and effectually, and with less

page_text: completely.
.
In
The main parts of the machine are two stationary circular needle
plates having a row of needles extending about one-third of the distance
around them; two revolving cam rings that operate the two rows of
needles, said rings rotating in opposite directions by means of bevil gear
wheels and a crank; a vibrating thread guide which moves back and
forth along the points of the needles as the cam rings revolve; two
sliding rings, by turning which the needles can one after another be
thrown out of or into action, or, in other words, out of or into connection
with the cam rings; two movable "take-offs" which can be set at different
points along the rows of needles to change the thread from one set of
needles to the other when some of the needles are dropped or are taken
up for the purpose of "narrowing" or of "widening;" an adjusting ring
and worm screw by which the take-offs can be set at any desired point;
and an indicating apparatus for the purpose of registering and indicating
the number of times the machine has knitted across the work.
connection with these main features are several minor improvements
relating to the adjusting of the cams, needles, guides, take-offs, and other
working parts of the apparatus. The needle plates are made conical,
and their bases are brought near together and set vertically, a sufficient
space being left between them for the work to fall through. These cones
are grooved on the upper part of their periphery to receive each a scries
of needles which when projected cross the space between the needle
plates. The bases of these plates are undercut, and thus the grooved
extremities of the needle plates form hooks which serve the purpose of
the ordinary sinkers. The needles are advanced and drawn back by their
tail ends being operated upon by a rotary cam. When the work is
required to be narrowed the sliding rings before mentioned are caused to
throw one or more of the needles of each series out of reach of their
respective operating cams. The machine is intended to do tubular
work, and it is for this purpose that two series of knitting needles are
provided. These needles are brought into action in consecutive order,
and being all supplied with one continuous thread they will produce
scamless work. When the thread has been laid over one series of
needles by the traverse of the thread guide in one direction it is necessary
to throw over the thread to the opposite series in order that the back
traverse of the thread guide may lay the thread over the other scries of

page_text: needles. This is effected by the "take-off's" before mentioned, which
are mounted at opposite ends of the machine. These "take-offs”
severally consist of a sliding rod working in adjustable inclined guides
secured to the framing of the machine. The lower end of the split rod
| is provided with a shoulder to receive the thread which is to be lifted.
The rod is raised with the thread upon it at the proper moment by
means of a crank lever acted on by a cam projection which is fitted to
the cam for operating the needles. For releasing the thread a wedge-
shaped sliding piece is provided, which being also operated upon through
a cam piece and crank lever will move under the thread at the proper
moment and lift it off the shoulder. For adjusting the "take-offs " to
suit wide or narrow work a segment rack and worm are provided. A
similar arrangement is also used for moving the sliding rings which put
the needles out of position for work. The thread guide is mounted on a
rocking lever, the lower end of which is connected by jointed rods to a
counting apparatus; a bowle on this rock lever projects into a yoke
forming a portion of a sliding bolt, into which also projects a crank pin
carried by one of the cams that operate the needles. By the rotation,
therefore, of this crank pin the lever carrying the thread guide is thrown
from side to side of the machine, and its motions, which correspond to
the number of rows of stitches knitted, will be noted on the indicator.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th August 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence
that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree

page_text: with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereaftor
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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF KNITTING MACHINES," being a com-
munication to me from abroad by Henry Von Hartz and Julius Feiss, of
Cleveland, State of Ohio, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and scals, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained'
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings
*hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say) :—
The object of this Invention is to simplify and improve the operation
of the knitting machine, making it more convenient and easy to control,
while it operates more rapidly, accurately, and effectually, and with less
breakage of the yarn, and makes better work, and finishes a stocking
completely.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is an end view of the improved
machine, a portion having been broken away to shew the construction
more clearly; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a section
in line x, x, of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section shewing the cam that operates |
the needles; Fig. 5 is a detached view of the "take-off" apparatus;
Fig. 6 is a side view of a part of the apparatus shewn in Fig. 3, and
represents the take-off hook at the moment of operating upon the two
needles; Fig. 7 is a detached view of the registering apparatus or
indicator; Fig. 8 is a rear view of the dial standard scen in Fig. 7,
showing the construction and arrangement of the ratchets, springs,
pawls, arms, &c., constituting the operative parts of the indicator; Fig. 9
is a detached view of the ring R; Fig. 10 is also a detached view of the

page_text: ring R, representing a modification of its construction and its operating
device.
Fig. 11 represents a modification of the device for changing the
thread in the take-off apparatus; and Fig. 12 is a section through the
line ≈', ≈', of Fig. 10.
The main parts of the machine are two stationary conical needle
plates A, B, having a row of needles a, a², extending about one-third of.
the distance around them; two revolving cam rings C, D, that operate
the two rows of needles, said rings rotating in opposite directions by
means of bevel gear wheels b, b', 6², and a crank ³; a vibrating thread.
guide G, which moves back and forth along the points of the needles as
the cam rings revolve; two sliding rings R, R, by turning which the
needles can one after another be thrown out of or into action, or, in other
words, out of or into connection with the cam rings; two moveable
"take-offs " T, T, which can be set at different points along the rows of
needles to change the thread from one set of needles to the other when
some of the needles are dropped or are taken up for the purpose of
narrowing" or of "widening;" an adjusting ring E and worm screw EL
by which the take-offs can be set at any desired point; and an indicating
apparatus represented in Figures 7 and 8 for the purpose of registering
and indicating the number of times the machine has knitted across the
work. In connection with these main features are several minor improve-
ments relating to the adjusting of the cams, needles, guides, take-offs,
and other working parts of the apparatus, all which I will now proceed.
more particularly to describe.
"
"
The two conical plates A, B, being arranged as shewn in Figures 2
and 3 with the needles a, a, respectively lying in beds or grooves in
their outer sides, said needles will be operated by a cam c in the inner
side of the rings C, D, as will be fully understood by reference to Fig. 4,
and from a comparison of said Figure with the position of the cam rings.
and needles, as shewn in Fig. 2. The cams are so arranged upon the
two oppositely revolving cam rings as to operate the needles of each row
at the proper moment to produce the stitch. R is a ring working in a
groove on the outside of the needle plates, as seen in Figures 2 and 3,
and having a slot R' into which the needles will be forced as the ring is
turned, and which will lift them out of the way of the needle operating
cam one after the other, the part shewn at R³ being simply to indicato
by a suap when the ring lias been moved to the proper distance, and

page_text: them off.
Instead of the construction represented in Fig. 9 that shown in
Figures 10 and 12 may be employed, in which a segmental rack R*
is cast to one side of the ring, and is operated upon by means of a
segmental worm screw R³, having a shaft and handle by which it can
be moved at pleasure. The screw R³ is formed with three threads
having their pitch corresponding to the rack and the distance of the
needles, and its construction is such, as will be seen from Fig. 12, that
by turning it half way round one ring may be moved forward or back
independent of the other, and the needles brought out of or into work
as required. F is the frame of the machine, to which the needle plates.
are firmly fixed, as shewn at ff. To a lug on the under side of this
frame the long arm of the bent guide G is pivotted, as seen at g. Just
above the pivot is a pin g¹ projecting from the guide into the loop or
slot h of a plate H, so that as the latter plate is slid back and forth in
its guides h¹, h¹, it throws the guide G first to the right and then to the
left, carrying its upper end along back and forth over the needles. The
slide H is caused to reciprocate properly by the rotation of the rear bevel
wheel b', an excentric pin g² arranged on a bar ³ that spans the open
portion of the wheel playing in the slot / so as to move the plate or slide
in the proper manner. The sloth is slightly widened near the middle,
as seen in Fig. 7, so that while the excentric pin is moving through
that part it will not operate the slide H, but the latter will have two
dead points at cach revolution of the wheel b¹, during which the guide G
will be at rest at either end of the row of needles. At other times the
guide will keep along with the cams c, c; in fact it will always move
with cach cam as the two cams are moving the needles on one side or
the other. At the lower end of the back part of the guide G below the
pivot g the guide is jointed to a rod K, which it serves to vibrate. This
rod in turn moves a lever K' that runs up to the indicating apparatus,
and at every thrust starts a wheel L one notch. The wheel is connected
with a pointer P on the opposite side of the dial plate, which at every
second movement of the wheel passes over one degree marked on the
dial up to the number 10. The shaft of the wheel also has a crank k
attached to it, and at every revolution it thrusts forward a pitman or
lever and draws it back. The pitman or lever thus moved actuates a
second ratchet wheel L', and moves a second pointer P¹ that thus

page_text: indicates one degree on another dial for every ten on the lower dial
indicated by pointer P. The apparatus can be multiplied to any desired
extent for the purpose of noting the tens, hundreds, thousands, &c. of
rows of stiches made by the machine. Q is the rod on which the yarn
is wound or on which the bobbins are supported; q, q, q, are yarn guides
on the large guide G; and q' is a tension spring.
The general construction of the take-off's will be very clearly understood:
by reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 5. Their frame consists in a V shaped
plate T, T, attached to the ring E so as to be adjustable in position
along the line of needles, and further supported by an arm T inside of
the hollow needle plates, and pivotted to a journal or pin Ts supported by
lugs cast to one of the needle plates, or by a bar extending across the
opening in the end of said needle plate. The parts T, T¹, are therefore
guided in an arc concentric with the edge of the needle plates, and by
turning the worm screw E¹ may be set in any position at pleasure.
When the thread runs along with the guide G on one side during the
operation of one cam ring on the needles and comes to the end of the
row it is necessary that it should be changed over to the other needles
in order that it may return with the guide and the other cam ring to
the place whence it started. The apparatus connected with the V shaped
plates T, T, is the means by which this transfer is effected. This
apparatus consists of the following parts, viz'., a sliding hook t, which is
pushed down at the proper time by hand by means of the thumb piece A,
and which is divided or slotted to allow a lifting blade to run down
under its barb and lift the thread up over the same; the lifting.blade u,
which at the proper moment is moved in one direction by a lever 1³
operated by a cam u³ on wheel b', and at other times is kept drawn up
out of the way by the action of a spring on the rear side of the parts T
or T, any arrangement of spring that will answer being used for the.
purpose; a lever P, which at the proper moment is struck and moved
by a projection on the front side of cam above the rim of wheel V',
in order to throw up the hook and let the thread drop; a spring 8,
(Fig. 5,) which keeps the base plate of the thread lifter u down flat against
the face of the V shaped plate T or T; and another flat spring s¹ which
holds a stop v in under said base plate, so that one corner of it will come.
in the way of a shoulder on the shank of hook t and prevent the latter
from being thrown up only at the proper moment when the cam operates
the lever . The shoulder or offset on the side of the hook may be seen

page_text: at e, Fig. 5. By means of the apparatus here described the thread is
taken up on the hook and held until that needle which had held it
withdraws, which is done simultaneously with the first one of the
opposite row of needles présenting itself. At the instant the cam
operates the lever, drawing up the hook rapidly when the blade & runs
under the thread, lifts it, and allows the other needle to take it. The
thread then changes its direction of motion, passing back on the row of
needles opposite to that on which it came to the take-off.
Instead of the precise construction of the parts t, u, as here described,
there may however be employed a blade u articulated to a slide u², or to
lugs projecting therefrom, as seen in Fig. 11, and so operating that when
the slide is thrust forward by any suitable mechanism the end of the
blade will be forced through the slitted needle t, as shown by the
black continuous lines, and when drawn back will be withdrawn there-
from, as shown by the dotted lines of the same Figure.
In Fig. 1 is seen the device for adjusting the cam c so as to throw the
needles higher or lower and make a tight or a loose stitch. A lug c¹
from the cam projects through the rim of wheel b, and is provided with
an oblique groove or slot c³. Into this slot projects a spur o from a
longitudinally sliding plate O. O' is a lever by which to move the 2
plate O. This plate O and the cam c being held in fixed guides so that
they can slide only in a certain direction (the cam up and down and the
plate lengthwise), it follows that by adjusting the position of the plate
the cam may be raised or lowered at pleasure to make any kind of stitch
required. The cam not only operates to lift the needles at the
proper
2
point, but beneath it is a groove or track m which they can follow when
dropped, their spur or arm running altogether under the cam so as to
cscape its action. This will be fully understood from Figures 3 and 4.
M is a stop or deflector, which may be made to extend across the track m,
and causes the needles to rise out of said track when desired. In this 3
machine no sinkers are required, the edges of the needle plates being
cut or recessed on their under side, as shewn at n, Fig. 3, so that the
projecting part of said edge between any two needles forms a hook n¹
which catches the edge of the work and holds it in position without any
assistance from weights, springs, or other appliances.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements
in the Construction of Knitting Vankinna »
3

page_text: abroad, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim,―
First. In a knitting machine the combination of the two cam
'rings C, D, moving in opposite directions with the gear wheels b, b², b³,
for operating them, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Second. The rings R, R, constructed substantially as shewn and
described when applied to a knitting machine for the purpose of shifting
the needles in their grooves, and thereby narrowing or widening the
fabric.
Third. The V shaped take-off plates T, T", connected to a central axle
by the arm T, and adjustable by means of the ring E and worm screw E¹
when constructed and operating substantially as described and for the
purpose of supporting and adjusting the take-off device.
Fourth. The take-off apparatus (supported by said plates T, T',) con-
sisting essentially of the parts t, fª¹, f³, u, u², v, 8, 8, e, all constructed and
operating in connection with the cam u³ and needles a, a¹, substantially
as set forth and for the purpose of taking up the yarn after it has been
delivered to the last needle of one row and delivering it to the first
needle of the opposite row.
Fifth. The combination of split hook t and sliding thread lifter u when
constructed and operating as specified and for the purpose of seizing and
holding the yarn at the ends of one traverse of the yarn guide, and then
dropping it as the first needle in the opposite row is presented.
Sixth. In combination with cam rings C, D, revolving in opposite
directions and with the needle plates A, B, having needles arranged only
on one side, I claim a thread guide G reciprocating back and forth over
the needles, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
Soventh. The combination of the crank pin on the needle cylinder
with the sliding yoke H constructed as described and fitted in
bearings h, h¹, and with the yarn guide G, friction bowle g¹, rod K, and
pin g, substantially as described, for the purpose of operating the said
yarn guide and the indicator at the same time.
Eighth. The combination of the working parts of the indicator
substantially as described and represented, said working parts consisting
essentially of the rod K', wheel L, crank , lever or pitman A, wheel I,
and the usual pawls and springs to hold them against the ratchets, all
constructed, arranged, and operating as and for the purpose set forth.

page_text: .
Ninth. The hook n, n, formed or arranged along the edges of the
needle plates, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Tenth. The cam ring C having the groove m and the cam c adjustable
by means of the slide O and lever O', substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
Eleventh. In connection with said cam ring C the slide stop M
constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
Twelfth. The apparatus substantially as represented in Fig. 7 for the
purpose of operating said thread guide G and of operating the indicator
at the same time.
"
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hercunto set my hand and seal, the Fourth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.