Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1895-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1897
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of sufficient of a rib knitting machine to
illustrate my present invention.
Figure 2 is a plan view showing the cams of the dial cam plate, the dial needles
and the notched wheel for acting upon the latter, the outline of the dial cam
plate being shown by dotted lines.
and
Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a modification of the invention;
Figure 4 is a plan view showing the means employed for adjusting one of the
draw-in cams of the dial cam plate.
A represents part of the fixed circular bed of the machine and B, part of the
vertical needle cylinder secured to the said bed and having the usual grooves for
the vertical guidance of the needles a, which are vertically reciprocated in the
ordinary manner by means of cams carried by the cam cylinder D, the latter being
rotated from the driving shaft of the machine by appropriate gearing.
The usual circular needle dial is represented at G, this dial having radial
grooves for the reception and guidance of the dial needles c which are operated
by cams on the underside of the dial cam plate F, any of the ordinary means
being employed for locking the annular dial G to the vertical needle cylinder B
so as to prevent rotation of the said dial with the cam plate F, the latter being
secured to and rotating with the central spindle F which has operative connection
with the rotating cam cylinder D as usual in this class of machines.
Secured to and projecting from the cam cylinder D is a bracket H having at
the outer end a vertical spindle H' and upon this spindle is mounted, so as to
be free to turn, a spur wheel I which is adapted to mesh with teeth i projecting
from the needle cylinder B, there being by preference as many of these teeth i as
there are needles in the dial.
Secured to the hub of the spur wheel I is a disc J which has in its periphery
a series of notches a, the number and disposition of which will be dependent upon
the desired character of the pattern 10 be produced. As the cam cylinder D,
rotates the disc J is carried around with the saine and is at the same time caused
to rotate around its own axis by reason of the engagement of the spur wheel I
with the teeth i of the stationary needle cylinder, and the periphery of the disc is
so disposed in respect to the needles of the dial that it will push inward any
projected dial needles which may be subjected to its action, the notches in the

page_text: periphery of the disc J, however, being such that they will permit such projected
dial needles as enter the same to remain in the projected position.
The dial cam plate F has on the underside two projecting cams a' a', two draw-in
cams bb' and two guard cams d d', the projecting cams being preferably adjustable
so that when extended they will cause the dial needles to be projected to the
clearing point or when retracted, will permit the said dial ueedles to remain at the
tuck point.
The dial cam plate is provided with two thread guides occupying the usual
operative relation to the cams a' a', one of these guides, for instance, being located
at the point to and the other at the point w', Figure 2, heuce if all of the dial
needles are projected by the cam a' as the dial cam plate rotates in the direction
of the arrow y, Figure 2, certain of these needles will be pushed inward by contact
with the periphery of the disc J and certain of the said needles will be permitted
to remain in the projected position by entering the notches of the disc, the said
dise being carried around the dial in the direction of the arrow y' and being at the
same time caused to rotate around its own axis in the direction of the arrow y*.
Those needles which are pushed inward by the peripheral portion of the disc J will
come under the action of the draw-in cam and hence will occupy a different
relation to the thread guide w' than those needles which are permitted to remain
projected by entering the notches a of the disc, all of the needles being finally
retracted by the draw-in cam & preparatory to being again projected by the cam a
Provision is thus made for producing patterns in tuck work upon the needles and
owing to the fact that the pattern disc J is outside of the machine it can be made
of any desired size and is consequently capable of producing patterns of any desired
degree of elaboration.
By properly proportioning the number of teeth of the spar wheel I in respect to
the number of teeth of the needle cylinder B, the notches a of the pattern disc J,
may on each successive rotation of the said disc, receive different needles from
those received on the preceding rotation.
It is not essential to the proper carrying out of my invention that the pattern
disc and its spur wheel should be carried by the cam cylinder and operated by
engagement with teeth on the needle cylinder, nor that the pattern disc should act
upon the ends of the dial needles, for instance, in Figure 3 I have shown a
construction in which a pattern dise J is carried by a bracket K projecting
from the dial cam plate and acts upon the bits of the needle c instead of upon
their ends, this pattern disc J' having on the underside teeth m for engagement.
with a shouldered portion of the needle dial so as to cause rotation of the pattern
dise around its own axis as it is carried around by the dial cam plate.
It is preferable in many cases to make the draw-in cam 6 adjustable, so that it
may, if desired, he moved outward in order that its inner face will not further
depress the bits of the needles which are depressed by the pattern disc, so that plain
tuck work may be produced.
This I effect by mounting the cam upon a stud & which is carried by a lever b
pivotally mounted upon the dial cam plate.
The stud plays in a slot in the dial cam plate, Figure 4, and the lever
has a slot 6 for the reception of a screw stud 6 which limits the outward
movement of the cam b. The inward limit of movement of the said cam is
determined by a set screw b' on the lever b, the said set screw coming into contact
with the hub of the dial cam plate when the cam & has reached its proper inward
position.
By adjusting the screw b', therefore, the inner portion of the cam b can be
regulated as desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of the needle cylinder, the needle dial, the cylinder cam

page_text: box and the dial cam plate of a rib knitting machine, with an externally located"
and peripherally notched pattern disc carried by one of the rotative elements of the-
inachine, and combined with means whereby it is caused to turn around its own axis
as it is carried around with the said rotating element of the machine substantially
as hereinbefore described.
2. The combination of the needle cylinder, the needle dial, the cylinder cam:
box, and the dial cam plate of a rib knitting machine, with an externally arranged
and peripherally notched pattern disc carried by one of the rotative elements.
of the machine, and constructed to act upon the ends of the dial needles, the said disc
being combined with means whereby it is caused to turn around its own axis as it
is carried around with the said rotating element of the machine, substantially as
bereinbefore described.
3. The combination of the needle cylinder, the needle dial, the cylinder cam.
box, and the dial cam plate of a rib knitting machine, with an externally arranged
and peripherally notched pattern disc mounted upon and rotating with one of the
rotating elements of the machine, and combined with a spur wheel meshing with.
the teeth on the fixed element of the machine, whereby the said pattern disc is
caused to rotate around its own axis as it is carried around with the said rotating
part of the machine substantially as herein before described.
4. The combination of the needle cylinder, the needle dial, the cylinder cam.
box and the dial cam plate of a rib knitting machine, with an externally arranged
and peripherally notched cam disc, a spur wheel carrying the said disc and
mounted on a spindle carried by a bracket on the cam cylinder, the said spur wheel
gearing with teeth upon the needle cylinder of the machine, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
5. The combination of the peripherally notched pattern disc mounted and
operated as described, with a rib knitting machine having one of the draw-in cams
of the dial cam plate mounted so as to be moved into and out of operative position,.
substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents..