KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Coltman at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th April 1880.
THOMAS COLTMAN, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester.
IN KNITTING MACHINES."
"IMPROVEMENTS
I employ a metal bed supported by suitable standards, which carry bearings for
a shaft at one end of the machine provided with driving pulleys and a plate or
wheel having an axle pin to receive one end of a connecting link for communi-
cating a reciprocating motion to cam plates. The bed has two bearings surfaces
lying at an angle to each other; each surface at the centre of its length has a sley
brass secured to it, and upon each side of the fixed sley is a sliding sley, cach of
which can be simultaneously adjusted to or from the fixed sley by double grooved
excentric cams, which when moved by the attendant operates studs attached to the
sley brasses, or to a connecting link hinged to the brasses, which are opened when
a needle bit is required to be taken out for narrowing the fabric, tho slcys being
then closed until the process is repeated. The sleys carry two rows of needles,
which cross each other at an anglo; each row of needles is supplied with a thread
from one of two traversing thread carriers. The cams I employ for operating the
needles are of such a form that one row of needles throws the loops over in the
centro of a number of needles in the other row that are out; those that throw
over rise again and remain out, and as they go in again on the return motion take
a thread with them, such movements being effected by two cams traversed in tho
usual way. One cam is constructed so as to draw the needles down and throw
them up, and the other cam throws the needles up and draws them down.
The first described cam is provided with three adjustable bits, which the
attendant can place in two positions; in one position the needles will make what
is known as the polka stitch, and in the other position the needles will make a one
and one stitch.
The needle bits which are taken out at cach narrowing lie in a peculiar shaped
sley formed in sections, each section of which can be withdrawn into a shallow
receptacle below the sleys which carry the needle bits when at work.
By such combination of parts I produce a machine of simpler construction than
heretofore, which makes the fabric at twice the speed, a complete course being made
at each right or left traverse of the cams.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Coltman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th October
1880.
THOMAS COLTMAN, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester.
IN KNITTING MACHINES."
"IMPROVEMENTS
1 employ a metal bed supported by suitable standards, which carry bearings for
a shaft at one end of the machine provided with driving pulleys and a plate or
wheel having an axle pin to receive one end of a connecting link for communi-
cating a reciprocating motion to cam-plates. The bed has two bearing surfaces
lying at an angle to each other; each surface at the centre of its length has a sley
brass secured to it, and upon each of the fixed sleys is a sliding sley, each of which
can be simultaneously adjusted to or from the fixed sley by double grooved
excentric cams, which when moved by the attendant operate studs attached to the
sley brasses or to a connecting link hinged to the brasses, which are opened when
a needle bit is required to be taken out for narrowing the fabric, the sloys being
then closed until the process is repeated. The slays carry two rows of needles,
which cross each other at an angle; each row of needles is supplied with a thread
from one of two traversing thread carriers. The cams I employ for operating the
needles are of such a form that one row of needles throws the loops over in the
centre of a number of needles of the other row that are out; those that throw
over rise again and remain out, and as they go in again on the return motion take
a thread with them, such movements being effected by two cains traversed in the
usual way.
One cam is constructed so as to draw the needles down and throw
them up, and the other cam throws the needles up and draws them down.
The first described cam is provided with three adjustable bits, which the
attendant can place in two positions; in one position the needles will make what
is known as.the polka stitch, and in the other position the needles will make a one
and one stitch.
The needle bits which are taken out at each narrowing lie in a peculiar shaped
sley formed in sections, each section of which can be withdrawn into a shallow
receptacle below the sleys which carry the needlo bits when at work.
By such combination of parts I produce a machine of simpler construction than
heretofore which makes the fabric at twice the speed, a complete course being made
at each right or left traverse of the cams.

page_text: end being carried by an axle pin capable of adjustment in a slot near the lower end
of one of a pair of parallel levers B³, which rock upon axles secured in the back
vertical flange of a tie bar C, the ends of which are attached to the standards. The
upper ends of the parallel levers each carry a stud or axle pin B' which is passed
through a hole in the sides of a vertically slotted four ended bracket D, such
arrangement ensuring the slot being always perpendicular during the to and fro
movements of the parallel levers. In the vertical slot a truck is free to rise and fall;
this truck revolves on an axle D¹ carried by the upper end of an arm secured to the
back vertical flange of a cam bearing saddle E, which is thus caused to slide nearly
from one end of the machine bed to the opposite end and back again at each
revolution of the toothed wheel B'.
The bed A has two bearing surfaces lying at an angle to each other, the lower
front edge of the bed has studs A' upon which a front sley bar F slides, a back sley
bar F¹ being secured to the bed, both bearing surfaces have a groove in which a
bar F slides, the upper face of each sley bar has a double V groove planed out its
whole length, in which reversely double V backs of sley brasses slide. Each sley
bar at the centre of its length has a sley brass F³ secured to it, and upon each side
of the fixed sley is a sliding sley F, each of which can be independently adjusted
to or from the fixed sley by a hand lever F which carries a stud on its top side
which takes into a short slot in the lower side of the sley F. The lever F³ has a
hole in its upper end to receive a stud or axle F', on which it turns, secured in the
lower side of the sley bar, each of which is planed out the shape shewn by dotted
lines at Figure 13 to allow of the to and fro movements of the lever. Figures 12
and 13 shew respectively a front edge view and plan of the bed A, sley bar F, the
sleys F, F, F, and the cams which operate them; at Figure 13 the upper portion
of the sley brass F to the right is broken away, portion only of the reversely
V back being seen above the sliding bar F. On each side of the sleys F' are the
sliding end sley brasses F³, each of which can be simultaneously adjusted to or from
the central sleys by a reversely grooved cam G, which is constructed as follows:-
Each sley bar F and F is square at one end, and at the other end stands up above
the double V groove, and forms a bracket bearing carrying an axle having its
lower end secured in the double grooved cam G before named, and its upper end
being provided with a handle operated by the attendant. The cam is shewn in
section at Figure 15, and in plan at Figure 14, the upper groove being shewn by a
black line, and the reverse lower groove by a dotted line; the upper groove receives
a stud secured in the underside of the right end sley brass F³, portion of tho
double of which is cut away to allow the end to pass onto the cam; the lower
groove receives a stud secured in the top side of the right end of a sliding bar F
before named, the left end of this bar carries a stud on the top which takes into a
hole in the end of the left end sley brass F5, by which means the end brasses can be
opened out for the withdrawal of a two needle sley brass (one of which is shewn
in plan and section at Figures 16) for narrowing the fabric, the end sleys being
then firmly closed upon the central sleys until other narrowings are required to be
made.
Both the front and back sleys each carry a row of needle bits and needles which
cross each other at an angle, each row of needles being supplied with a thread from
one of two traversing thread carriers hereafter described.
The cams I employ for operating the needle bits and needles in the front sley
brasses are carried by and traverse with the saddle E before named, which slides
upon two bars E³, one of which lies over the front sleys and one over the back
sleys, each bar having a shoulder at each end the depth of the sley by which they
are secured to the sley bars. Between the saddle and the bars E are brass friction
plates E' capable of adjustment by means of set screws, as shown at Figure 3. In
the edge view, Figure 12, one of the bars E is shewn lying over the sleys, but at
Figure 13 the ends only are shewn, the bar being broken away to shew the
arrangement of the sleys. The front angular flange of the saddle E is slotted and
carries three index plates shewn, at Figure 4. Through the slots are passed screwed

page_text: studs provided with thumb nuts Es, each having the shoulder which bears upon the
saddle straight on the side next the index. To ensure a vertical movement of the
stud it is square at the part which slides in the slot, and the lower end is secured
in its cam plate E*; an underside view of these cam plates is shewn at Figure 6;
they are secured in position according to the length of loop to be drawn which
can be regulated by the index plates by means of the thumb nuts.
The height to which the needle bits and needles are raised is governed by the
following means:-The studs of the cam plates E besides passing through slots in
the angular flange of the saddle also pass through corresponding slots in a plate E³,
the upper side of which is shewn at Figure 5 planed out to receive a bolt E° which
slides in it; the bolt has two slots, each of which slides on a stud E' secured in the
top side of a bolt which carries a cam bit E on its lower side, one such bit being
shewn up, and the other down at Figures 5 and 6, being placed in such positions
by the sliding of the bolt E which is moved to the right by it striking an
adjustable set screw E in a bracket secured to the left end of the front edge of the
bed A, shewn at Figure 2, as the saddle completes its traverse from right to left,
but upon the completion of the left to right traverse the bolt E strikes an
adjustable set screw E¹º in a bracket secured near the right end of the bed, and
slides to the left, thus roversing the cam bits E. The bolt E is held in position
either to the right or left by a spring pressing on it, the spring being secured to
the top side of the front angular flange of the saddle shewn at Figure 4, a front
end view of the spring being shown at Figure 44. When the cam bits Es are
traversing from left to right the needle bits are lifted up by the first bit but pass
under the second bit, the same movements taking place when the bits are
reversed for the right to the left traverse. The cams I employ for operating the
needle bits and needles in the sley brasses are also carried by and traverse with the
saddle E. The back angular flange of the saddle is slotted at an angle, and
carries two index plates, as shewn at Figure 7. Through the slots are passed screwed
studs provided with thumb nuts H, each having the side of the shoulder next the
index plate at a corresponding angle to the plate; the stud passes through the slot
in the flange and also through a slot in a plate H³, the lower side of which is
shown at Figure 8, the lower end of the stud being secured in a can plate Fl³,
which when placed in position to draw the required length of loop is securely
clamped by the thumb nut, the needle bits and needles being raised to a certain
height by a cam plate H³ secured on the lower side of the plate H', the needle
bits being raised to their highest position by a cam bit H which slides on
the top of the cam plate H³, and in a groove in the plate H', and operates as
fullows: As the saddle traverses from left to right the needle bits strike
the cam bit H* and slide it to the left, as shewn at Figure 8, they then rise
over it successively until the return motion, when the cam bit slides the reverso
way before the needles pass over it, the bits being held from rising too high by a
cam plate H³ rivetted to the plate H. The above described arrangement of cams I
employ when making what is known as the polka stitch. But when making a one
and one stitch, instead of employing the arrangement of cams shewn at Figure 8, I
employ a sliding clutch bolt H' carried by bearings secured on the back angular
flange of the saddle E; this clutch bolt has the same length of traverse as the cam
bit H' before described. The clutch bolt when in the position shewn at Figures 9
and 10 (which are respectively a view of the back angular flange, thumb nuts, etc.,
and a right end view of the same,) clips a stud H secured in the back of a sliding
cam bit H shewn at Figure 11, the stud passing through a slot in the plate H¹, and
also through a slot in the back angular flange of the saddle. The cam bit in this
arrangement instead of being slid from one end of its traverse to the other end by
the needle bits, as the saddle commences its right or left traverse the cam bit
remains fast, being held by a spring Ha bearing on the clutch bolt, each end of the
bolt striking a stud or adjustable set screw secured to the back of the bed, thus
causing a lead to be given to the cam bit at the completion of one traverse previous
to commencing the return traverse, causing the back needles to land the loops at

page_text: the same time as the front-needles, only one thread being employed to make the
one and one stitch instead of two when making the polka stitch. When making a
full width of fabric the cams G of both the front and back sleys are turned round
so as to open the sleys F³ to their full width to allow of the insertion of the
required number of sleys F carrying two needles, one of which is shewn in plan
and side view at Figures 16. These sleys may be inserted either between the fixed
sley F and the sliding sleys F", or between the sleys F and Fs, according to where
the narrowings are required. When the whole of the Bleys F7 are in place the
cams G are turned so as to securely clamp all the sleys together. The back sleys
always remain stationary, except when opened out to insert or withdraw a sley F.
Such sleys when taken out may be placed in a shallow receptacle F³ shewn at
Figures 1, 2, 12, and 13, forming a projection on the edge of the front sley bar F which
lies upon the front of the bed A and stud A¹. When a welt is required to be made
while the whole of the front needles are down clear of the back needles the bed A
and the whole of the sleys it carries is moved the distance of one needle to cross
the stitches by means of a handle I provided with an excentric cam which turns on
an axle secured in the left end standard, the excentric lying between two adjustable
set screws in a double ended bracket secured to the lower edge of the sley bed F at
the left end, shewn only in the front view, Figure 2.
Instead of sliding the cam bit H' by means of a sliding clutch bolt H', as shewn
at Figures 9, 10, 11, I substitute the apparatus shewn at Figures 20 and 21, the
cam plates H1, H3, H³, and H³ being arranged and operating as before described for
Figures 7 and 8, but in this case I employ two cam bits H each mounted upon a
sliding bolt; each bolt carries a stud on the opposite side at its lower end. Upon
these studs a reversely slotted bolt slides; the bolt lies in a slot in the upper side
of the cam plate H¹, shewn at Figure 20, the lower side of the plate next the needle
bits being shewn at Figure 21, each end of the bolt striking a stud or set screw
secured near each end of the bed at the back, each cam bit H* being alternately
raised and depressed by the traversing of the bolt, thereby causing the needles to
ride over one cam bit and under the other alternately.
The thread carriers I employ I arrange and operate in the following manner:-
To each end of the machine bed is secured a bracket J, shewn at Figures 1, 2, and 3,
below which brackets K are secured to each end standard, each bracket supporting
a cop pin bar, and outside each bracket J is secured a thread guiding bar bracket L.
The threads required are passed from the cops over the bar to and through holes in
the upper end of the brackets J to the thread carriers. Inside each bracket J is
secured a carrier-bar plate M to which four parallel bars are secured M', M³, M², M³,
two towards the front of the machine, and two towards the back; on the back pair
one carrier box slides, on the front pair two carrier, boxes slide, each constructed
and operating as follows:-
An enlarged view of the back carrier box 2 and one of the front carrier boxes 1
is shewn at Figure 17, an inside view of box 2 at Figure 18, and a right end
view at Figure 19, the right end of both boxes being shewn at Figure 3.
Each box N is held to two of the bars by slotted clips N' on the opposite side of
the bars, and is prevented from sliding too easily by a spring No pressing upon the
top bar. The box is grooved vertically to receive two bolts N, N³; to each bolt
one end of a spring is attached, its other end being secured to the inside of the box.
These springs pull the bolts up above the top bar M' or M², except when one is held
down by one of the inclines in a slotted bolt No which freely slides in the clips N¹.
The ends of this bolt project beyond the box, and at the end of each traverse one
end of the bolt comes against one or other of two stop plates O which causes the
bolt No to be reversed, one incline forcing down the previously raised bolt N' and
allowing the other bolt N to be raised by its spring, as shewn at Figure 18. To the
bolt No the back thread carrier N' is secured, the front carrier Nº being secured to
a bolt N³ adjusted on and secured to two clips and plates Nº.
There are two stop plates O on the back bars, and four on the front bars, each
of which can be adjusted the required distance apart by the attendant by means of

page_text: a tumbler lever P taking into the teeth of a rack P¹ on the inside of each bottom
bar, the racks are of such a length that the stops may be set to make the widest
width of fabric required.
Each front carrier box 1 and 3, in addition to the parts before mentioned, is
provided with a double slotted bolt N10 shewn at Figures 3 and 17; each bolt has
an inclined slot about the centre of its length, the incline in number 3 box being
reverse to the incline in number 1 box; the bolt on number 1 box being moved to
the right and the bolt on number 3 box to the left by the attendant will each
force down a stud secured in the driving bolt, the other bolt in each box being held
down by the incline in the bolt No, thus allowing a stud T secured in the top of
the saddle to pass clear of the boxes 1 and 3, a stud T¹ alternately striking one or
other of the bolts N' or N in the back box 2.
The action of each thread carrier box is as follows:-Before the saddle commences
to move to the right both carriers occupy the relative position shewn on number 2
box at Figure 17, the front carrier Nº covering the back carrier N7, which imme-
diately commences to lay its thread on the needles being driven by the back
stud T¹ in the saddle, which strikes the bolt No, shewn in a raised position, carrying
it to the right until it attains the position shewn on box 1, which having reached
the clip N to the right it takes the front carrier Nº along with it until the back
carrier bolt No striking the back stop plate O at the right end the incline in the
bolt draws down the driving bolt N allowing the saddle stud to pass over it when
the front carrier covers the back carrier, by which time the driving bolt N* is
pulled up by its spring ready for the right to left traverse. Such movements
produce a polka stitch the whole width of the machine at each traverso of the
saddle.
The front of each end standard has a bracket Q secured on it, each of which
carries an axle on which a double ended lever Q' rocks; this lever forms bearings
for each end of a roller Q under which the fabric as made passes up to and over a
roller Q carried by the brackets Q to and around the work roller Q, which winds
the work upon it by the following means, the greatest weight of the lever Q₁ being
behind the work roller descends as fast as the fabric is produced; the right end
is provided with a rocking lever R³, the lower end of which pressing upon a double
ended driver R² forces the driver in gear with one of the teeth of a ratchet wheel R
and partially revolves the work roller as the lever R¹ is raised by the upward
movement of a connecting link S attached to a crank pin on the front end of the
axle of the wheel B' before named, the work roller being retained as revolved tooth
by tooth by a stop pawl S¹ carried by an axle pin secured on the right end
standard.
Having described each part of my improved knitting machine separately and
their several movements I will now describe the combined movements thereof,-
Supposo a full width of fabric is required the whole of the two needle sleys are
inserted at the right and left of the centre where the narrowings are required to
be made both in the front and back sleys, and securely clamped by the double
grooved cams, and as the saddle moves to the right the inclines throw the front
needles up to the highest point to receive the thread from the back carrier N', and
as the needles fall they draw their loops on to the eyes of the back needles above
the previous loops on them, the back needles being raised by the back inclines
partially up for that purpose, but not sufficiently high to get the previous loops
under the latches of the needles, the back needles remain partly up until the front
needles have drawn their loops; the back needles are then raised to their highest
point by the sliding bit in the back inclines, and receive a thread from the carrier N°;
the back needles falling lay their loops on the eyes of the front needles above the
previous loops ou them, the front needles being raised by the front inclines partially
up for that purpose, but not sufficiently high to get the previous loops under the
latches of the needles. The front needles fall and retain two loops on each needle
while the back needles fall and retain one loop which completes a polka stitch
course. On the completion of the left to right traverse of the saddle the sliding
-

page_text: bolt F strikes the set screw at the right, which slides the bolt to the left, reversing
the inclines, and the threads are secured by the front and back needles in the
same way as described above for the reverse traverse, such movements being
repeated until the desired length of fabric has been made. The two back stop plates Ŏ
are then placed by the workman the required distance apart for the central width
of three separate widths, the central stop plates O being placed the required distance
apart to make the two outer widths by the front carrier boxes 1 and 3 being
traversed by the stud Tin the saddle the length required. When the back carriers
are making a full width of fabric without the front carriers the inclines N⁰ are
placed so as to hold down the driving bolts as before described.
Having thus described my said Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, I declare that I claim,―
First. For the sley bearing bars, sliding bars, and double grooved cams for
opening, closing, and securely clamping each set of needle bit sleys.
Second. For the cam plates and cam bits, carried by the sliding saddle for
operating the needle bits and needles.
Third. For the double action slide boxes for operating the thread carriers.
Fourth. For the bracket attached to the front sley bar carrying set screws, and
the excentric cam, to shog the sleys and needle bits and needles to cross the stitch
when making a welt.
Fifth. For the pair of parallel rocking lovers operated by a crank pin and
connecting rod, and carrying a vertically slotted four ended bracket for effecting
the traverse of the sliding saddle.
Sixth. The general arrangement and combination of parts, substantially as
described and illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Coltman, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
Witness,
H. W. GoυGH, C.E.,
Nottingham.
THOMAS COLTMAN. (L.S.)