Year: 1888

page_text: I, HERBERT KIDDIER, of the Firm of John Kiddier and Son, of Globe Works,
Waterway Street, Nottingham, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
Below the tie bar carrying the jack bars in a straight bar knitting machine I
provide bearings in which an extra shaft is rocked by means of levers operated by a
cam or cams on the usual cam shaft, the rocking shaft carries one or more brackets
each provided with a set screw and lock nut to adjust a bar secured to the bracket or
brackets, the said bar has tricks cut in it in which straight springs are soldered, or the
springs may be secured to the bar by other equivalent means.
The jacks I employ bave each an arm projecting backward from their lower end.
When the jacks are moved back to allow the sinkers to clear the loops of the fabric
being made, the back end of the jack arms lie just below but clear of the upper ends
of the springs, the extra shaft being rocked by its cam or cams to place the springs
in such position, but as the slur cock throws the jacks forward the arms press back
the upper ends of the springs which successively fall under the arms and firmly hold
them in position, causing the upper ends of the jacks to hold the sinkers forward
until the catch bar advances with the dividing sinkers to divide the loops, the shaft
carrying the spring bar being then rocked out, so that the springs will clear the jack
arms as they are rocked back.
When employing the above described apparatus 1 am enabled to use a greater
variety of numbers and qualities of yarn, and produce better fabrics, at a greater
speed than heretofore.

page_text: Improved Apparatus Applicable to Straight-bar Knitting-machines.
I, HERBERT KIDDIER, of the firm of John Kiddier and Son, of Globe Works,
Waterway Street, Nottingham, 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 :-
My invention relates to straight-bar knitting-machines, and comprises improvements
whereby the machine is adapted to work with a greater variety of yarns and at a
greater velocity than heretofore and to produce a fabric having a better surface or
quality than that produced by such machines as heretofore constructed.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved apparatus viewed from the left hand
end thereof, the springs hereinafter described being shown in position to hold up the
jacks.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation showing some of the springs and jacks at the right
and left hand ends of one division of the machine.
Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 1, showing the springs in the position
which they occupy when rocked backward to permit the arms of the jacks
to move clear of the springs, when the jacks are brought back by the catch-bar
at each course.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
Below the tie-bar carrying the jack-bars, I provide brackets or bearings A in 1
which is supported an extra shaft B, this shaft has fixed thereon one or more
levers C each of which is provided with a roller or truck (3 and is operated by a
cam C on the usual cam-shaft. The rocking shaft B has fixed thereon a pair of
brackets B for each division of the machine; to these brackets is secured a bar B³
which is adjustable by means of set-screws B' passed through lugs on the brackets B₁
and provided with lock-nuts. The bar B³ has notches or tricks cut therein, in which
the lower ends of flat straight springs C are soldered. Each end of the bar B³ is
provided with an arm B* and to the upper ends of these arms is secured a bar B₁
upon which rest the springs 02 and which prevents undue vibration of the said
springs.
The jacks D which I employ have each a backwardly projecting arm D¹; and I
provide as many of the springs C as there are of the said jacks.
When the shaft B and its adjuncts are in the position shown in Figure 1, the jacks,
as they are successively drawn by the usual slur cock, are held up by the corresponding
springs C². When the jacks are moved back to allow the sinkers to clear the loops of the
fabric, the extra shaft is rocked by its cam and moves the springs into such a
position that the rear ends of the jack-arms D¹ lie just below but clear of the upper
ends of the said springs when the jacks are in the position shown in Figure 3.

page_text: The combined movements of the jacks and springs are as follows, viz :—
Before the commencement of the drawing of the loops between the needles in the
usual manner,
the cam C¹ rocks the shaft B so as to move the springs C² into the
position shown in Figure 1, so that they just touch the arms D¹ of the jacks D when
the latter are in the lowered position shown by the dotted lines. When the usual
slur cock drives the jacks towards the falling bar E to move forward the sinkers G,
as the said sinkers successively reach their destination, the corresponding springs (
are moved under the arms D of the jacks and remain in that position holding the
jacks and sinkers as they have been left by the slur cock, until the catch-bar advances
for the purpose of bringing back the sinkers to clear the loops of the fabric in the
usual manner. As the catch-bar advances, the cam ( rocks the shaft B so as to move
the springs C2 from under the arms of the jacks into the position shown in Figure 3,
to make room for the jacks, as the sinkers press the same back when operated by the
catch-bar. These movements are repeated at each course.
In straight-bar knitting-machines as heretofore constructed, after the slur cock has
operated the jacks to cause the sinkers to draw the loops, the sinkers rebound, thereby
leaving loops of irregular length as they are formed on the needles, such irregularity
rendering the fabric liable to be cut during the knocking over or narrowing processes.
By my improvements, I obviate this defect and am, therefore, enabled to work the
machine with a greater variety of yarns than heretofore. Moreover when my
improved apparatus is used, the machine may be driven at a greater speed than here-
tofore, and the surface or quality of the fabric is improved, as the sinkers cannot fly
back and produce irregular lengths of loops.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it understood
that I claim :-
The combination, with the jacks and sinkers in a straight-bar knitting-machine, of
straight springs attached to an adjustable bar which is secured to brackets fixed upon
a shaft arranged to be rocked or oscillated to move the said springs into and out of
their operative position, substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Witness,
H. W. GOUGH, C.E.,
Nottingham.
HERBERT KIDDIER.