Improvements in the Manufacture of Knitted Fabrics, and in Machinery or Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1895

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
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Improvements in the Manufacture of Knitted Fabrics, and in
Machinery or Apparatus therefor.
i
I HERMAN WILDT, of 7 Millstone Lane, Leicester, Hosiery Machinist 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 relates to improvements in the manufacture of knitted fabrics and
in machinery or apparatus therefor.
The invention has for its object the production of eyelet-hole or openworked
knitted fabrics upon the type of machine known, as the French circular loop-wheel
frame and of which the well-known "Terrot" frame is a good example.
Eyelet-hole fabrics sometimes also termed openworked or net fabrics are produced
by depriving certain needles of their loops as a result of which no stitches are
formed thereon and a hole or opening is produced.
The present invention consists of a novel method of depriving the required needles
of their loops and also of devices to be used for that purpose.
According to this invention and as hereinafter more fully described the needle
whose loop is to be removed to produce a hole in the fabric has moved underneath
it the next adjacent needle so that there are then two needles one above the other.
The loop on the upper needle when subsequently moved along the stem of the said
needles is also passed over the head of the lower needle so that the one loop is then
divided between the two needles and hangs partly over each.
Upon the upper needle being subsequently pressed the half-loop thereon is pushed
off the said needle thus producing a hole in the fabric and as the adjacent needle
was not pressed at the same time the loop still remains under the beard thereof and
has thus become transferred to the latter needle.
The invention will be fully understood from the following further description in
reference to the accompanying drawing in which
Figures 1. 2. 4. 5. 6. 7. are diagrammatic views of needles and the loops
thereon to illustrate the removal and transfer of the loops to form an openworked
fabric.
Figure 3 is a similar view of the devices employed to effect, the removal and
transfer of the loops.
The construction and operation of loop wheel frames of the character herein
before referred to are well understood so that no further description or reference
thereto will be hereinafter made or is illustrated in the drawing than is necessary to
elucidate the invention.
In Figure 1 are shown four bearded needles such as are employed in the loop
wheel circular knitting frame of the character herein before mentioned, the said
needles being arranged for the production of plain knitted fabric the build of the
mesh of which is illustrated in the said figure.
In Figure 2 the needle is shown as moved underneath the next adjacent
needle preparatory to the loop of the latter being moved partly also on to the
needle n³.
.
The moving of one needle, as n³, underneath the next needle n is effected" by
means of a wheel such as r Fig. 3.
This wheel can be cut to any desired pattern but for practical purposes the
number of niches or divisions therein must be divisible into the number of needles
in the frame.

page_text: r
The wheel shown in Figure 3 is cut for a 2 and I pattern, that is to say the
wheel is so cut that it pushes each third needle n³ under the preceding one n² as
shown in Figures 2 and 3.
While the needles are in this position the fabric moves past an ordinary push
back device as used in other parts of the frame and so well known as not to need
further description, whereby the loops are pushed along the stems of the needles to
the position indicated in Figure 4. Immediately the needle n³ passes from under
the influence of the said wheel it resumes nearly its original position as in Fig. 4
and the loop which previously hung solely upon the needle n' as most clearly
illustrated in Figure 1 has been pushed also over n³ and hangs partly over each of
the two needles n² n³.
The needles next come under the influence of a presser wheel p which should be
cut to press those needles only which at the time of arriving under its influence
have a half loop only thereon.
r
The presser wheel in this instance is cut to correspond with the wheel and is
arranged as will be noticed in Figure 3 to press every third needle which said
needles are those which were uppermost and upon which the half loop is hanging
as in Figure 4.
While the operation of pressing is taking place, the half loop, by means of a
usual knocking over device such as is used in the frame and sufficiently well known
as not to require further description, is moved first on to the beard of the needle n'
ns in Figure 5 and then completely knocked over the head of the needle and
cleared as in Figure 6.
The needle which was lowermost has now two full loops thereon which when
passed through the next loop-wheel are knocked over together to form a stitch as
in Figure 7 and immediately the subsequent course is formed a hole n in the
fabric is produced under each of the needles n' as in Figures 6 and 7.
Those needles (such as n¹) located between the needles (such as n² n³) con-
cerned in the operation of transferring the loops produce ordinary stitches in the
usual manner.
The wheels and p are mounted loosely on axles and are also rotated thereon by
the revolving motion of the needles in a similar manner to the other loop wheels of
the frame as will be readily understood by those acquainted with circular loop wheel
frames.
I wish it to be understood that I make no claim to an openworked knitted fabric,
as such a fabric was made and shown at the Paris Exhibition of 1867; the said
fabric is also described in Professor Wilkomm's treatise on framework knitting, and
is also known to the trade.
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) The manufacture upon circular loop-wheel knitting frames of eyelet-hole or
openwork fabric by transferring the loops from certain needles to adjacent needles
substantially in the manner, described.
(2) The manufacture upon circular loop-wheel kuitting frames of eyelet-hole or
openwork fabric by placing two needles together then moving the loop on one
needle partly also over the other needle and subsequently moving the said loop
completely from the one needle and onto the other needle so that the one needle is
vacated of its loop and the other needle has two loops thereon.
(3) The manufacture upon circular loop-wheel knitting frames of eyelet-hole or
openwork fabric by placing two needles one above the other moving the loop of the
upper needle partly also over the lower needle subsequently pressing the needle
which was uppermost and clearing the part loop therefrom so that the loop
becomes completely transferred to the needle which was lowermost substantially as
described.
(4) In a circular loop-wheel knitting frame the use or employment of a device

page_text: for bringing together two predetermined needles preparatory to the loop on the one
needle being transferred to the other needle substantially in the manner and for the
purpose described.
(5) In a circular loop-wheel knitting frame the combination with a device for
bringing together two predetermined needles one of whose loops is to be transferred
to the other needle of a device for pressing the beard of the needle when its loop is
partly transferred to permit of the said loop being completely cleared from its
needle and transferred to the other needle substantially as and for the purpose
described.
(6) In a circular loop-wheel knitting frame the combination of a device for
moving certain predetermined needles underneath the next adjacent needles means
for moving the loops of the uppermost needles partly over the lowermost needles
and means for pressing the beards of the needles that were uppermost and clearing
the part loops therefrom so that the loop becomes completely transferred to the
needle that was underneath substantially in the manner and for the purpose.
described.
(7) In a circular loop-wheel knitting frame the improved method of transferring
loops from certain predetermined needles to adjacent needles and means for that
purpose constructed, arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for
the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
HERMAN WILDT.
Witness-
E. N. LEWIS,
Berridge Street Chambers, Leicester.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.