Improvements in or relating to Knitting Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 5th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 26th Feb., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Knitting Machines.
We, CHARLES SUDBURY and FRANCIS SUDBURY, of Market Street Works,
Ilkeston, in the County of Derby, Hosiery Manufacturers, and RICHARD JACKSON,
of 86, Nottingham Road, Ilkeston, aforesaid, Machinist, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to knitting machines and embodies improvements
thereto as hereinafter referred to, the object of which is to enable ornamental or
patterned fabrics and tuck or multiple loop fabrics to be produced thereon with
greater facility than is possible with some machines at present in use.
The invention is designed mainly though not exclusively as an improvement upon
those machines in which the patterning of the fabric or the multiple loop stitches
thereof is effected or obtained by means of a toothed or notched disc or wheel which
as will be readily understood has to be removed from the machine and another with
differently arranged notches, substituted for it when a change of pattern in the
fabric is desired.
It is proposed by the present invention to provide improved mechanism for the
purpose named, one result of the use of which is that the period of inoperation of the
machine while the change of patterning mechanism is taking place, is considerably
reduced and the productive capacity of the machine interfered with as little as
possible.
The essential feature of the present invention is a circular plate or dial furnished
with radial slots or grooves in which may be detachably inserted a series of needle
actuating or selecting devices adapted to press against the needles or their jacks,
which are to form the pattern or the multiple stitches.
In applying this invention to the type of knitting machine known as circular
ribbed heads having two sets of needles the one disposed at an angle to the other
so that they intercalate, the two sets of needles being furnished with swing jacks
and vertically movable jacks respectively. I prefer to arrange the herein before
mentioned radially grooved dial so that the needle selecting devices act on the jacks
of certain of the frame needles for the purpose hereinbefore referred to. The said
dial may be connected to a toothed wheel which is driven by gearing with an
existing toothed wheel on the said machine which indirectly drives the rib head
containing the machine needles. A circular wire may be interposed between the
dial and the toothed wheel and the tails of the needle selecting devices may be
notched to engage the said ring and be kept rigid thereby. A plate affixed over the
said devices prevents their accidental displacement during the time they are in
action.
As a modification of the invention, the needle selecting devices may be carried
on an endless chain passing round two sprocket or chain wheels (in substitution of
the dial) one of which may be driven by the toothed wheel herein before mentioned.
The invention may vary in details when applied to different types of knitting
machines but otherwise the essential features will remain the same.
Dated this 5th day of April 1807
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: We, CHARLES SUDBURY and FRANCIS SUDBURY, of Market Street Works, Ilkeston,
in the County of Derby, Hosiery Manufacturers, and RICHARD JACKSON, of 86,
Nottingham Road, Ilkeston, aforesaid, 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 :--
This invention has reference to knitting machines and embodies improved.
mechanism as hereinafter described, to facilitate the production of ornamental or
patterned fabrics thereon.
The invention will be understood from the following further description in reference
to the accompanying drawing in which,
:
Figure 1 is an elevation of sufficient of a knitting machine of the type known as a
circular ribbed. head, to illustrate this invention which is applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line X X of Figure 1 showing the patterning
mechanism and part of the needle and cam cylinders.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 are sections of fragments of the needle and cam cylinders,
showing the needle and its jack in different positions.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of a needle and its jack per se.
Figure 7 shows a needle actuating blade or device in perspective, side elevation
and plan respectively.
Figure 8 is a plan of the patterning mechanism per se, one half showing the locking
plate, the other half having the locking plate removed to expose the slotted dial and the
needle actuating devices carried thereby, the latter being shown straight for
convenience sake.
Figure 9 is a plan of a modification hereinafter referred to.
A represents the frame needle cylinder which is revolved by a bevel wheel A¹ on
the bottom of the same, B B¹ is the cam cylinder, B2 the cam groove therein for
imparting the requisite rise and fall to the frame needles, Ca frame needle, C¹ its
attached jack, D an existing spur wheel, from which the ribbed head (not shown) is
driven, E the bed plate all of which (with the exception of the jack Cas hereinafter
described) are and may be of the usual well known construction and operation..
Into the bed plate or a slide thereon there may be a screwed or otherwise
attached a vertical spindle F, over which is placed a cylindrical dial carrying plate G
the lower part of the edge of which is furnished with teeth G¹ thereon gearing into
the teeth of the wheel D so as to be revolved thereby on its spindle when the needle
cylinder is in motion.
Over the upper surface of this plate may be placed a thin washer of leather G2 or
other material and on the latter is placed the dial H.
This dial is furnished with a series of radial through slots H¹ of the same gauge as
the needle cylinder in which are placed the removable needle actuating blades or
devices J each of which is furnished with a notch J¹ to fit over a wire J2 located in
circular groove on the underside of the dial H so as to prevent any longitudinal
movement of the devices. A locking plate K placed over the dial and the devices as
shown and fixed in position by screws K₁ passing through it and the dial and into
the carrier plate G prevents the said devices rising or becoming displaced while
in action and causes the dial and locking plate to rotate with the carrier plate.
A washer K2 placed over the spindle F next to the locking plate K, and a
pin K³ passing through the spindle keeps the whole in working position by
preventing any upward movement of the complete device when in operation.
Crepresents the heel or butt of a jack, which rests and rides up and down in the
cam groove B2 to impart the up and down motion to the needle.

page_text: The said jacks are usually of rectangular shape but, as for purposes of the present
invention it is requisite, as will be hereinafter described, to push the said jack per se:
backwards in its groove in the needle cylinder, the said jack may be tapered on its
rear side C³ towards its lower end as shown, or the bottom part A² of each groove in
the needle cylinder may be widened or increased in depth as shown for this
purpose.
•
In the drawing both these methods are adopted.
The object of pressing backwards certain jacks to cause their butts to enter the.
low level auxiliary groove is to prevent the needles of such jacks rising sufficiently
high to take the thread and to clear their loops at that course, the result is
that the said needles clear at the next course or feeder and (in a two feeder frame
having a differently coloured thread at each feeder such as the frame shown in the.
drawing is supposed to be) show loops of a different colour on the face of
the fabric.
.
The heels of the frame needles in the ordinary course pass up the incline B³.
towards the clearance cam B* but the jacks of those needles whose loops are to
be retained, are, just as they are about to ascend the incline brought in contact.
with one of the needle actuating blades J which presses it backward in its groove
so that the heel gets at the back of the incline B3 as shown in Figure 4.
On the rear side of the part B3 of the eam ring, an auxiliary groove or track B5
is cut, and as the needle cylinder revolves the butts of these jacks pressed..
backwards immediately enter this groove (which, as shown in dotted line in :
Figure 1, is continued round the cam cylinder past the clearing cam) and remain
therein until they reach the end of the auxiliary groove which becoming increasingly
shallower towards its ends forces the jack butts out into the ordinary cam
groove B² again.
A narrow plate I is fixed by screws L¹ over the upper edge of the cam cylinder and
projects so as to be close against the stems of the needles as shown.
When the jacks are deflected as the result of their heels being pressed behind.
the cam cylinder into the position shown in Figure 4 the stem of each needle :
near its upper end is gripped between the said plate and the upper part of the
needle cylinder and the stein of the needle bent so that when the jack butts comes'.
opposite to the auxiliary groove B5 they enter it automatically.
The needle selecting or actuating devices J are slightly twisted or deflected at.
their forward ends J³, as shown most clearly in the perspective view of the same in
Figure 7 so that as the carrying plate and dial move in unison with the needle cylinder,
the actuating devices while pressing the jacks backwards in their grooves may do so :
smoothly and with a minimum of friction.
It is obvious that the pattern of the fabric is determined by the number and
relative positions of the needle selecting devices in the dial.
As shown in Figure 8 the said devices are fixed in every alternate five grooves so
that as the needle cylinder revolves the jack butts of every alternate five needles will
be pressed into the auxiliary groove as shown in dotted lines Figure 1 and the next
or intervening five needles will travel along their ordinary route and so on in
alternation round the complete cylinder.
In the resultant fabric, the loops of every alternate five needles will be of a different
colour from the loops produced upon the remaining needles, these being continued in
succession throughout the fabric.
In order to produce a different pattern the order or relative positions of the needle
actuating devices should be varied by removing the locking plate and altering the
number and positions of the blades as desired.
In the modification shown in Figure 9 the patterning is effected by means of a
travelling chain.
G¹ represents the toothed wheel in Figure 2 which gears with the tooth wheel D,
and F is the spindle screwed into the bed plate.
Over the said spindle and connected to the wheel so as to revolve therewith is a
chain wheel M around which a pattern chain N passes, the notches N¹ in the latter

page_text: engage the projections M' on the former, so that the chain is traversed by the motion
of the said wheel.
The said chain also passes around another similar wheel O which may or may not
be connected to a disc P on a spindle P¹ fixed in the bifurcated end of an arm R by a
set screw P².
The said arm has its other end passed over the spindle F and by means of a
screw R¹ or other means is connected to the bed plate E in such a position that the
links N2 of the chain press against those needles or their jacks which are to be pressed
into the auxiliary groove herein before described while the notches N³ in the said
chain permit the needles to pass without being pressed back. In some cases
projections N with inclined actuating faces may be attached to the chain so as to
actuate the needles or their jacks in the manner and for the purpose described.
The invention is applicable to other types of knitting machines than those in
which needles attached to jacks are employed, as will be obvious to those conversant
with the various types of knitting machines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is-
1. In a knitting machine the combination of a radially slotted or grooved dial, and
a series of needle actuating blades or devices detachably located therein, substantially
as and for the purpose described.
2. In a knitting machine the combination of a radially slotted or grooved dial, and
a series of needle actuating blades or devices detachably located therein, and means
for rotating the said dial substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. In a knitting machine the combination of a radially slotted or grooved dial, a
toothed wheel for revolving same and receiving its motion from a similar wheel on
the knitting machine, a series of needle actuating devices detachably located in the
said dial and a detachable locking plate for retaining the said devices in the said dial
substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. In a knitting machine the combination of a needle cylinder having grooves
deeper at their lower parts than at their upper parts or tapered needle carrying jacks
and a series of needle actuating devices, a slotted dial in which the latter are
detachably located and a locking plate and means for revolving the said dial for the
purpose described.
5. In a knitting machine the use or employment of a traversing chain, the links
(or projections thereon) of which are arranged to act upon certain of the needles in
the manner and for the purpose described.
6. In a knitting machine the combination of patterning mechanism consisting of
the parts constructed, arranged and operating substantially in the manner described
and illustrated in Figures 1 to 8 of the accompanying drawing.
7. In a knitting machine the combination of patterning mechanism cousisting of
the parts constructed, arranged and operating substantially in the manner described
and illustrated in Figure 9 of the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 30th day of December 1897.
CHARLES SUDBURY.
FRANCIS
SUDBURY.
RICHARD JACKSON.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.