IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Frith, of Leicester, Framework Knitter, for
"
the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Frith at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th February 1876.
SAMUEL FRITH, of Leicester, Framework Knitter. IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING
MACHINERY."
The Invention relates particularly to improved arrangements of parts for pro-
ducing-fashioned ribbed work, but is also applicable to the production of fashioned
plain work. For this purpose instead of placing the presser in front of the sinkers
I place it at the back thereof, and employ by preference a single presser to act upon
both sets of needles, although if desired a separate presser may be employed to act
in combination with each set of needles, but when employing two pressers I also
After the sinkers have fallen on the thread
place both of them behind the sinkers.
and the loops have been thereby gained the needle bar for the frame course recedes
and presses as it recedes.
The rib work is formed as follows:-The rib needles, which are carried by a bar
in the front of the machine in the usual manner, are depressed by a cam and suitable
connections, as will be well understood, and whilst held in a suitable position the
presser is caused to act upon them. The work is then knocked over by a slide and
the course.completed in the usual manner.
It is obvious that the needles can be operated against the presser or the presser
against the needles.
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"
For fashioning the frame course I place a "shifting machine" behind the sinkers.
The "points" or coverers are so placed and operated as to come forward beneath
the sinkers when the latter are raised and meet the receding needles and lift off the
stitches. The "shifting machine" is then "racked" in or out as may be required,
after which the needles come forward and take the stitches from the "shifters" or
The fashioning of the frame course is then completed.
"coverers."
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The rib course is fashioned in a similar manner, but the shifting machine for that
purpose is placed in front of the rib needles and in an oblique position so as to
remove the stitches as the rib needles descend.
The fashioning of frame and rib courses may be successive or simultaneous.

page_text: The mode of gaining the loops or pressing the same may be as above described
by me or otherwise so long as the presser or pressers are placed at the back of the
sinkers and there operate on both sets of needles.
For producing fashioned plain work I employ a similar arrangement of parts to
that above described, simply throwing out of action or dispensing with the parts
for producing and fashioning the machine courses.
I would here remark that the presser has heretofore been placed at the back of
the sinkers in producing plain work, but to the best of my knowledge the presser
or pressers has or have not been placed in such position in machinery for producing
ribbed work, in which class of machinery the so placing and operating the presser
or pressers leaves the space in front of the needles clear for the action of the
"fashioning machine."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Samuel Frith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th August
1876.
"
SAMUEL FRITH, of Leicester, Framework Knitter. IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING
MACHINERY."
The Invention relates particularly to improved arrangements of parts employed
in producing ribbed work whereby greater convenience is obtained for the applica-
tion of the fashioning apparatus than by the arrangements heretofore generally
adopted. For this purpose instead of placing the presser in front of the sinkers I
place it at the back thereof and employ by preference a single presser to act upon
both sets of needles, although if desired a separate presser may be employed to act
in combination with each set of needles, but when employing two pressera I also
place both of them behind the sinkers.
It is obvious that the needles can be operated against the presser or the presser
against the needles.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed aided by the accompanying Drawing more fully to
describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The Drawing represents a section full size through the working instruments of a
knitting frame for knitting ribbed work shewing my present Invention applied
thereto.
The arrangement of parts for getting the loops and their mode of operation are
similar to those described in the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to
me dated August Twenty-fourth, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five,
No. 2971, dispensing with the hooks j and other parts connected therewith, but
having other parts applied thereto for forming the rib.
Similar parts are marked with similar letters of reference to those employed in
my said former Specification.
hare the machine needles, which act in combination with the frame needles a to
form the rib, as will be well understood; these needles are cast in leads h¹ fixed in
a bar which is operated to give the required up-and-down motions to the machine
needles by means of suitable cams and connecting rods, as is well understood.
Instead of employing hooks j, as described in my said former Specification, for
knocking over the frame loops, I employ a slide k which is mounted with capability
of sliding within guides a* carried by the frame needle bar a³, but is prevented
moving backwards and forwards therewith by pins or studs ¹ working within slots
formed in fixed brackets 7 carried by the cross bar m.
In order to knock over the loops of the machine course I employ a slide which
is carried by arms n' pin-jointed to levers n fixed on a rock shaft n³, which by a

page_text: cam and suitable connections, as will be well understood, imparts the required
motions to the slide n.
The presser i, according to the arrangement shown, consists of a bar which is
mounted in guides and is operated by micans of cams and suitable connections at
the times required to cause it to remain stationary in the position shewn by the
full lines to act in combination with the frame needles a or to descend to the
position shown by the dotted lines to act in combination with the machine
needles h.
In order to press the machine needles forward at the times required to cause the
presser to act thereon a roller o mounted at the upper end of a bar o¹ is raised and
lowered at the times required, as will be well understood, by a cam and suitable
connections to cause it by running on to the fixed cam surface p to press the
machine needles forward against the presser i when the latter has descended to the
position shewn by the dotted lines.
After the sinkers b have fallen on the thread and the loops have been thereby
gained the frame needle bar a² recedes and presses as it recedes by tilting the
needles a against the presser i.
The rib work is formed as follows:-The machine needles h are depressed, and
whilst held in a suitable position are pressed against the presser i, the work is then
knocked over by the slide n and the course completed in the usual manner.
The mode of gaining the loops or pressing the same may be as herein shown and
described, or different arrangements of parts and modes of working may be adopted
without departing from the nature of my said Invention, so long as the presser or
pressers are placed at the back of the sinkers in rib frames and there operate on
both sets of needles, and although a different presser may according to my Inven-
tion be employed to act with each set of needles it is obvious that by the employ-
ment of only one presser to act upon both sets of needles a simpler and therefore
preferable arrangement of machinery is obtained.
I would here remark that I am aware that the presser has heretofore been placed
at the back of the sinkers in producing plain work, but to the best of my knowledge
the presser or pressers has or have not been placed in such position in machinery
for producing ribbed work, in which class of machinery the so placing and operating
the presser or pressers leaves the space in front of the needles clear for the action of
the "fashioning machine" which may be of any suitable description. And I would
further remark that the modes described in my Provisional Specification of
fashioning the frame and rib courses do not possess such an amount of utility as to
render it advisable to lay claim thereto, and for this reason I desire to disclaim, and
I do hereby disclaim such arrangements.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode in which
I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is,
placing the presser or pressers of rib frames at the back of the sinkers and operating
the same in manner and for the purpose substantially as herein shewn and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Frith, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand