Improvements in the Manufacture of Knitted Stockings or Hose having Thickened Portions, and in the Apparatus or Devices to be used in such Manufacture.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd June, 1892-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Knitted Stockings or Hose
having Thickened Portions, and in the Apparatus or Devices to
be used in such Manufacture.
A communication by AUGUST AUWÄRTER, of Schlierbach, near Göppingen, in
the Empire of Germany, Hosiery Manufacturer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 has for its object the manufacture of stockings or socks with
thickened soles and toes and extra thickened heels in smooth seamless goods by
means of the usual knitting machines employing in the same special devices for
the accomplishment of such object.
The process consists essentially in the arrangement by which at one turn of
the thread forming the hose in smooth seamless goods, a double (thickening)
thread is knitted in one half of the hose whilst it is omitted in the other half.
A peculiar and special device which is shown in Figures 1 to 3 on the two
sheets of accompanying drawings is necessary according to whether knitting
machines are employed which are to form at one stroke one or two rows of
stitches that is to say which are provided with one or two thread carriers.
Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings show an arrangement in which
by means of a revolving thread carrier only one row of stitches is formed at one
stroke, whilst the thickening thread in one circle of knitting is only knitted in
on one row of needles and on the other row remains loose between the knitted
circle, that is, it remains unknitted in and is subsequently cut out. The insertion
of this thickening thread is effected by means of a second thread carrier f¹ which
differs from the usual one f in the following manner: As the threads, as
mentioned, are only to be knitted in on one side, the thickening thread carrier 1
must with one stroke run about 10 to 15 millimetres behind the thread carrier.
bearing the ordinary knitting thread, in order that its thread shall no longer be
caught by the needles. At the other stroke, on the contrary, where the thickening
thread is to be knitted in, both thread carriers f and fi must be so near one
another that both threads are simultaneously engaged by the operating needles.
The thickening thread carrier f¹ must further sink so low down on the reversal
that its thread is engaged by the first needles, when this has taken place this
thread is retained by the needles during the whole movement, and the thread
carrier may immediately return to its normal vertical position.
The sinking of the thread carrier f¹ is brought about by the same being
movably placed in a pin z attached to the traveller A' and it is retained in its
normal position by means of a strong spring p. One end of fl has a roller r
which at the one change of stroke mounts on a projection 6 of the one disengager B
and depresses the end of the thread carrier f₁ bearing the spring so far that
the former needles rising up pass over the thickening thread which lies loosely
between the knitted part, and on their return engage the same and knit it in
together with the ordinary knitting thread.
In order that the thickening thread during the working of the other row of
needles, where it is not intended to be knitted in, shall no longer be engaged by
the needles, that is to say, that its thread carrier f' may run behind the thread
carrier f, the part a' (conveying projection) of the traveller A' for the thread.

page_text: carrier lies about 10 to 15 millimetres behind, as compared with the
projection a of the traveller A, in such a way that the conveyor only catches the
carrier about 10 to 15 millimetres later.
The special arrangement for a knitting machine which forms two rows of
stitches at one stroke and by which thicker places may be knitted on is shown
on the accompanying sheet of drawings in Figures 5 and 6 in general, and separate
important details (on a larger scale) in Figures 7 and 8. The special arrangement
necessary for knitting the stouter part consists in this case of double device S¹ S*
for the hinder row of needles, and a simple one S for the front row of needles
or vice versa (Figures 7 and 8). Both S¹ S2 and S are arranged in regard to each
other in such a way that one part of the double device always operates previously
to the simple device which stands opposite to it, whilst the other is at rest, so
that the needles in the commencing part of the double device have already
returned to their position of repose before those of the ordinary one begin to
work.
The lift of the working frame R must be therefore increased about half the
distance between the two devices S¹ S' in order that the part of the double
device which is not working and which after the change of stroke will again work
and lead, may pass over the whole row of needles. Further, two conveyors C² C³
are requisite for the double device in order to bring the respective thread
carrier always back into its normal position to the device which is working at
the moment.
It must also be stated in this case that it is especially essential that the front
thread carrier f3 shall work for the hinder row of needles, and the hinder thread
carrier for the front row of needles, by which means at each change of stroke
the threads in the knitting are intertwisted, whilst the hinder thread carrier again
precedes the former after each completed lift or course. One of the two thread
carriers 23 contains a simple knitting thread, the other a similar thread together
with the thickening thread. In contradistinction to the former arrangement, in this
case neither of the two thread carriers for f³ are automatically vertically adjustable.
In order that the alternate opening of each of the parts S' or S2 of the double device
which are to come into play on the change of stroke may take place, a pusher E,
Figure 8, is affixed for throwing in or out the middle lift of both devices which pusher
is composed of one piece having end slots opposed to each other. In Figure 5 of the
accompanying drawings, the positions of the two thread carriers f2 and ƒ³ on their
movement to left or right are particularly shown drawn in full or dotted lines.
The thread carrier f³ placed over the double device S¹ S² which works for the row
of needles actuated by means of S will always travel behind the carrier f which
works for the front row of needles operated by means of the double device S¹ S?
whilst the foremost of the two conveyors C2 or C³ always brings back the thread
carrier when the stroke is completed into its previous position opposite the
other thread carrier.
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. The improvements in the manufacture of knitted stockings and socks in smooth
seamless goods with thickened soles and toes and greatly thickened heels consisting
at each completion of a circle of knitting, in knitting in on each half a thickening,
thread but omitting such on the other half.
2. For producing stockings and socks such as described in Claim 1 in knitting
machines with a thread carrier which has a circular motion, the arrangement of a
second thread carrier f1 carrying the thickening thread which is lowered at the
commencement of the one stroke of the machine which operates the knitting-in of
the thickening thread and remains lowered until the first needles have passed:
above the thickening thread and on the return of the machine the thickening.
threads are engaged by the needles and knitted in together with the ordinary

page_text: knitting thread, whilst in the other stroke, the thickening thread carrier f¹
travels sufficiently far behind the usual thread carrier f so that its thread is not
knitted in.
3. For producing the stockings such as described in Claim 1 in knitting
machines with two thread carriers ƒ ƒ³ in which both rows of needles
simultaneously operate at each stroke, the arrangement of the double device S¹ S'
on one side of the machine, the front device of which at each stroke works and the
other is at rest, the transposition of both devices takes place by means of the
common pusher E, the thickening thread is carried by one of the two carriers f³
or f bearing the usual knitting thread, and the thread carriers work in such a way
that the one on the front side works with the hinder row of needles, and the one
on the rear side works with the front row of needles, whilst in consequence of the
thread carrier f* always preceding the thread carrier f³ (which is carried out by
the arrangement of two conveyors C³ and C³) at the end of each stroke a twisting
of the threads of the two thread carriers always takes place, and the two knitted
sides are thereby connected with one another to form a hose.
01
1
T1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.