Improvements in or relating to Knitting Machine Needles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 16th Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Knitting Machine Needles.
A communication from GUSTAV LOUIS OEMLER, of the Firm The Leipzig
Knitting Machine Manufactory, G. L. Oemler, Plagwitz-Leipzig, in the
Empire of Germany.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 invention represented in the accompanying drawings (Figures 1 to 16)
relates to needles as used in Lamb's knitting machine, the said needles being
specially designed so as to enable the thread to be caught up by the needle and
moreover to retain the latch of the needle before the loop is formed.
In order to adapt the needle to those conditions it is preferably constructed in
the following manner:
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings represent a side and a plan view
respectively of the needle provided with a spring shank which is slightly movable
towards the side to release the latch of the needle which latch may be
retained by the shank as shown in these Figures 1 and 2. Figures 3 and 4 are
similar views but showing the latch disengaged.
Figures 5 to 8 are side and plan views respectively of a needle provided with
another form of spring shank for retaining the latch of the needle, Figures 5 and 6
showing the latter disengaged while Figures 7 and 8 show the manner of retaining
it by means of the shank.
Figures 9 and 10 show a needle with a grooved shank o o¹ provided with a bend
or cam surface i.
Figures 11 to 13 show the working positions of a needle the shank A of
which is adapted to be moved sidewise as in the needles shown in Figures 1
to 4 while
Figures 14 to 16 show the working positions of a needle having as in the needle
illustrated in Figures 5 to 8 a spring shank B yielding in a vertical direction
to the needle which spring is operated by a presser D whenever the needle moves
over the incline i².
The main object of the said latch is to lay and secure the thread in the hook of
the needle.
In order to render the laying of the thread into the hook of the needle inde-
pendent of the latch and yet sure it is proposed to give the needles such a form as
to cause them to be raised vertically to the travel at the moment when the thread
is just being caught up by the needle as indicated in Figures 13 and 15. The
needle is for this purpose formed with a bend or cam surface i which travels over a
cam surface on the needle holder or guide and causes the hook of the needle to
be lifted towards the thread and to engage the latter.
Needles such as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 are also provided with a cam i which
travels as before over a fixed cam Figs. 11 to 16. This arrangement causes
the needle on its outward stroke to deflect slightly from the line of movement for
the purpose of rendering the slipping of the thread impossible.
In this last mentioned construction of the needle the latch E instead of being
in the form of a pivotted tongue as in the other examples is in the form of a bar or
bolt deflected at E' so that its end may engage with the point of the hook, said
end having a small recess to receive the hook point as shown in dotted lines.

page_text: O is a groove formed in the upper side of the needle shank O for accommodating
the deflected part E¹ of the bolt E when the needle hook is open for receiving the
thread or yarn.
In grooved needles such as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 the latch or bolt E is not
moved by the mesh or yarn, but when the needle is moved upward, remains in its
lowest position, on account of its friction in the groove of the needle bed and the
rapidity of motion, until it is pushed upwards by the shoulder o, which at the
proper time abuts against it. During this time the upper or deflected part E¹ of
the latch E is completely within the groove O' of the needle, and is now able to
slip into the mesh as soon as it has been elevated sufficiently, by means of the
shoulder o. In the backward motion of the needle the latch or bolt remains at
rest until its end is met by the needle hook, the deflected part E' of the latch or
bolt having in the meantime come out of the needle groove, the yarn lying on it
and only slipping down after the thread to be knitted has been inserted. After
the hook has been closed a new mesh or loop is formed by the continued downward
motion of the needle.
If the needle in question performed a truly rectilinear motion the thread or yarn
to be knitted could not be inserted with certainty and a very important object of
this application is the interrupted rectilinear motion by means of which a secure
insertion of the thread is effected.
Under the old construction of the needles the latch became damaged and bent
which is however prevented in the improved needle by providing the latter with
a new device for retaining the end of the latch after the loop has turned the said
latch back.
The device may either consist of a long flat arm A provided on one side with an
inclined cam surface a (see Figs. 1 to and 11 to 13) or of a spring arm B with an
inclined shaped depression (see Figs. 5 to 8 and 14 to 16).
The spring B is operated at a given moment by a suitable presser (D see Figs. 14
to 16).
The latch retainer A may either be moved by means of the inclined cam a
(see Figs. 4 and 114) as the needle moves along the needle bar or it may be
disengaged from the tumbler in a similar way to the spring B by means of a
presser D.
It is therefore obvious that the movement of the latch is a compulsory one and
the latch cannot possibly close at the wrong time upon the hook of the needle when
working at a comparatively great speed and thereby cause faulty knitting.
The action of the improved needle is sure and positive so that the goods produced
thereby are in every way perfect.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a knitting machine needle for use in connection with Lamb's knitting
machine whether of tubular type or provided with a latch the employment of a cam
surface such as i adapted to work over an incline or cam such as in the needle
bar or guide for the purpose of obtaining sure and positive laying of the thread
in the needle hook substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. The combination with a knitting machine needle having a pivoted latch of a
spring latch retainer arranged either to move sidewise or to be depressed at a
certain position of the needle in order to retain the latch after it has been
turned over by the loop substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. The complete knitting machine needle substantially as described and illus-
trated in Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The complete knitting machine needle substantially as described and illus-
trated in Figures 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 5. The complete knitting machine needle substantially as described and illus-
trated in Figures 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 26th day of August 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
London, Nottingham, Liverpool, and Manchester,
Agents for the Applicant.