IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY AND THE FABRICS PRODUCED THEREON
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Keywood of the town and county of the
town of Nottingham for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING
MACHINERY AND THE FABRICS PRODUCED THEREON
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Keywood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th December 1883.
FREDERICK KEYWOOD, of the town and county of the town of Nottingham,
"IMPROVEMENTS
THEREON,"
وو
IN KNITTING MACHINERY, AND THE FABRICS
PRODUCED
In carrying out my improvements I employ combinations of the following
parts namely;-rods, bars, plates or shafts fixed or movable and operated by cam and
levers or suitable sliding apparatus, or by the attendant to alter the working angle
and leverage of suitably shaped jacks, a moving falling bar or bars, bits, points,
plates or combs to produce varying lengths of loops, also operated as above described,
sinkers with an additional neb, each sinker producing two loops of varying length,
also sinkers with one neb and a wide catch, each kind of sinker having an opening
or openings in one or both edges to allow of the passage of thread carriers, which
have swinging, rising, falling and shogging movements communicated to them in
the usual way, also a bar or bars, rods or points actuated by a cam and levers to
operate jacks, and sinkers when required. And thread separators, having rocking,
sliding, rising and falling movements communicated to them by a narrowing
apparatus and cam and levers, a bar or bars carrying rigid or elastic points one to
each needle used in the full width of the machine." A toothed or plain bar or
bars, rods, combs or bits, either stationery or capable of being moved by a suitable
sliding apparatus, the whole or portion of them being operated by a cam or cams
and levers or by the attendant, to either press, elevate, support or select needles or
points as required.
By such means loops may be removed in any required part of the fabric, and the
stiffness or size of the loops is automatically regulated in any part, without
interfering with the stiffness of any other part of the fabric.
Thus I am able to use at the same time, different thicknesses of yarn, or to add
a splicing thread to any part, giving to each part, whether thick or fine, its proper
stiffness, and by avoiding undue slackness in the fine parts, and over stiffness in
the thick parts, I am able to produce goods properly strengthened in any part or
parts thereof. I am also able to produce fashioned articles on piled fabrics, hitherto
impracticable.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frederick Keywood in the Patent Office on the 28th June 1884.
FREDERICK KEYWOOD, of the town and county of the town of Nottingham
"IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY AND THE FABRICS PRODUCED
THEREON
13
In carrying out my improvements, I employ combinations of the following parts,
namely, rods, bars, plates or shafts fixed or movable and operated by cam and
levers or suitable sliding apparatus, or by the Attendant to alter the working angle
and leverage of suitably shaped jacks, a moving falling bar or bars, bits, points,
plates or combs, to produce varying length of loops, also operated as above
described; sinkers with an additional neb each sinker producing two loops of
varying length, also sinkers with one neb and a wide catch, each kind of sinker
having an opening or openings in one or both edges to allow of the passage of
thread carriers, which have swinging, rising, falling, and shogging movements
communicated to them in the usual way, also a bar or bars, rods or points actuated
by a cam and levers to operate jacks and sinkers when required. And thread
separators having rocking, sliding, rising, and falling movements communicated to
them by a narrowing apparatus and cam and levers, a bar or bars carrying rigid or
elastic points one to each needle, used in the full width of the machine A toothed
or plain bar or bars, rods, combs, or bits, either stationery or capable of being
moved by a suitable sliding apparatus, the whole or portion of them being operated
by a cam or cams and levers, or by the attendant to either press, elevate, support,
or select needles or points as required. By such means loops may be removed in
any required part of the fabric, and the stiffness or size of the loops is
automatically regulated in any part, without interfering with the stiffness of any
other part of the fabric. Thus I am able to use at the same time, different
thicknesses of yarn, or to add a splicing thread to any part giving to each part,
whether thick or fine, its proper stiffness, and by avoiding undue slackness in the
fine parts, and over stiffness in the thick parts, I am able to produce goods properly
strengthened in any part or parts thereof. I am also able to produce fashioned
articles on piled fabrics, hitherto impracticable

page_text: In Figures 1, 2 and my first modification of parts is shown as applicable to a
straight bar knitting machine, known as Messieurs Blackburn and Attenborough's
build of the Cotton type of machine, and consists in the addition of an extra
rocking axle shaft in bearings below, but at the back of the narrowing machine
rocking shaft, to the shaft A forked bearing arms B are secured in which two rods C
and C slide shown in plan at Figure 2, the rod C being actuated by the narrowing
screw at the right end of the machine, and the rod C¹ by the screw at the left end,
each rod carries a finger bit C, the front ends of which rest and slide upon the
upper verge edge of an L shaped projection B' in front of the forked arm B the
front ends of the finger bits and upper edge of the _ shaped projection lie directly
under the bottom of the jacks D, which are of the shape shown, and are driven on
to the jack sinkers in the usual way by the front of the slur cock D'. The
rocking of the shaft is effected by a cam E on the usual cam shaft operating a
truck carried by a lever E' secured on the shaft A. The cam and lever are shown
in plan at Figure 3, the back end of this lever carries an angle bit operated by an
eccentric E² rocking on an axle pin in an arm E³ secured to a back rail and having
a handle by which the attendant is enabled to regulate the height to which the
bearing arms lift the rods C, C', finger bits C³, and verge projection B¹ up to
regulate the height of the jacks D. The cam E while the truck is on its highest run
throws back the lever E' so as to lower the finger bits C² and verge B³, while the course
is being worked, after which while the truck is on the shortest and lowest run, the
angle bit rests upon the adjusted eccentric E². When only a straight line of longer
loops is required down the length of fabric, the finger bits may be dispensed with.
By such means longer loops are formed on the fabric, where the jacks are thrown
up by the finger bits and verge, thus the stiffness or size of the loops is automatically
regulated in any part without interfering with the stiffness of any other part of
the fabric. One of the movable falling bars I employ is shown in plan at Figure 4,
A being the top trick bar of the usual sinker bar, B the usual falling bar, screwed
on it, above which is secured a bar C having studs C on its under side, on which
a falling bar D slides, this bar has inclined slots shown by dotted lines, which
receive the studs C', the centre of the bar D carries a pin which projects through a
curved slot in the bar C which carries a spring D³ pressing on the pin, and thus
holds the bar D in the backward position shown, thus preventing the jack sinkers
from coming quite so forward as those which are held by the usual falling bar B,
thus the stiffness of the loops is automatically regulated in any part as before
described, when the bar D is placed in a forward position (ie at the opposite end
of the slots) its edge is clear of the edge of the usual falling bar. And when
slacker loops are required to be made it is only necessary to cut away the requisite
length of the back edge of the usual falling bar and adjust the back edge of the
moveable falling bar D, to the line of the uncut portion of the usual falling bar, then
when the movable falling bar is brought forward longer loops will be formed at that
part which has been cut away.
For producing straight piled fabrics I employ sinkers shewn in side view at
Figures 5, 6 and 7 in any build of Cotton's type of machine, Figure 5 shows a
double nebbed jack sinker for making two loops of unequal length, the lowest or
short catch produces a loop of ordinary length, and the highest catch a longer loop,
both combined making a plain faced fabric on one side and a looped pile fabric on
the other side.
Figure 6 shows a dividing sinker which I employ with the double nebbed jack
sinker, before described, having a wide catch, and both nebs of extra length.
Figure 7 shows a wide catch selvage sinker, one or more of which I employ at
each selvage to separate the threads so as to ensure them entering the two catches
of the jack sinkers previously described
Where the sinkers shown at Figures 5, 6 and 7 are employed portion of the
underside of the top trick of the sinker bar is cut away to leave the front top neb

page_text: of the sinkers clear of the trick, but covered as shown at Figure 5. Having left
the original selvage where the sinkers shown at Figure 7 are employed, I make use
of a thread separator shown at Figure 9, to lift the top thread into the top catch
of the first jack sinker, at work in the new selvage
In order to facilitate the making of fabrics less than the full width of the
division, I employ an additional sliding adjustable verge, covering portion of the
front verge of the usual catch bar shown in section at Figure 8, portion of such
front verge being cut away, is replaced by the additional sliding verge. At
Figure 8, A is the usual catch bar with portion of the front verge cut away, B the
additional sliding verge, which is adjusted by a plate or nut on the narrowing
screw at either end of the machine more particularly referred to hereafter
When working on less than the full width, the sliding verge being moved
inwards as far as necessary, the sinkers are left stationary in their forward position,
and the openings in the top edge of the sinkers shown at Figures 5, 6 and 7 are
for the purpose of affording room for the traverse of certain thread carriers referred
to hereafter
My second modification is shewn at Figures 9 and 10 as applicable to a Cotton's
build of machine for the purpose of producing straight or fashioned piled looped
fabrics for which purpose I employ a double nebbed jack sinker A and a wide
catch sinker B shown in side view severally at Figures 9 and 9ª which act upon
the threads the same as described in the first modification, and a thread carrier
needle C baving at its delivery end two thread pipes, the lower one supplies
thread to the lower catch of the jack sinkers, and the upper pipe supplies thread to
the upper catch as described in the first modification. I also employ thread
separator blades D to lift the top thread into the top catch of the first working
jack sinker at Figure 10 only one separator blade is shewn at the selvage, but I
may employ two or more, these blades are carried by a lever secured on rocking
axles D¹ which lies in bearings attached to the narrowing screw nut at each end
of the machine, each blade enters between the two needles of each lead wherever
employed, the rocking axles D' are traversed by the narrowing screws and are
rocked to lower the separator blades from the upper position shown at Figure 9
into the lower position between the needles and the two thread pipes as shown by
dotted lines at Figure 9, by the rising of a T headed rod D', which is actuated by
a link, lever, and cam in the usual way. To operate jacks and sinkers when
required for the purpose of affording a clear passage for the traverse of the peculiar
shape and altered position of the two piped thread carrier needle C, I employ a
catch bar shown in section at Figure 9, and in plan at Figure 11, the bottom verge
of which is divided, the lower half E sliding under and slightly overlapping the
upper half E¹ the front edge of each being in the same line, each division carries a
rod E2 sliding in a tubular bearing and provided at its outer end with lock nuts to
regulate the length, the outer nut being pressed up by a spring to the inner face of
a projection on the narrowing screw nut F. A catch bar so constructed for the
length of one division is shown in plan at Figure 11, the verge E¹ being regulated
by the nut at the right end of the machine, and the verge E by the nut at the left
end, the inward traverse of the nuts when narrowing moving the outer ends of
the verge E and E¹ clear of the back ends, of the sinkers, which are not required to
work, the upper front verge of the catch bar, operates in the usual way. Instead
of supporting the jacks by a jack wire in the usual way, I employ jacks G of the
shape shown at Figure 9 the bottoms of which when at work rest upon an angular
bar G' secured to the back flange of the main bearing angle bar, the back of the
jacks being held by an angle bar G³, carried by the brackets supporting the usual
slur cock bar, the front of the jacks when at work are held by two angle bars G³
which overlap at the centre of the division the one to the right is shown in section
at Figure 9, with the right end of the one to the left overlapping it, each bar is
secured to a boss fast on a rocking and sliding axle G4 carried by bearings secured
to the underside of the main angle bar at each end of each division, each axle G

page_text: has an arm secured on it, the boss of which projects in front and forms a clip for
the lower end of an arm G³ carried by the narrowing screw nut, which as it is
traversed inwards carries the axle G', and its angle bar G³, with it, leaving the
front of the jack last in operation, free on its front edge, its upper end being
secured by the point of a rod G7, entering the hole in the head of the jack, the
rod G7 is secured in and carried by the narrowing screw nut, the pointed end of the
rod being supported by and sliding in, a bearing secured to the back of the sinker
bar, the top of the jack being secured, its lower end is moved into the position
shown at Figure 9 by the traverse of the slur cock the arm of the clip boss as it is
traversed slides over the surface of an eccentric cam Go to which it is held by a spring
attached to its lower end, and to a convenient part of the machine framing When
the narrowings are completed, and a wider fabric is, required to be made, the
position of the eccentric cam Go is reversed by the Attendant so as to throw the
angle bars Go to the front, to enable the Attendant to place the jacks in their
working position previous to racking out the narrowing nuts. I also employ two
bars, each carrying elastic cover points, one point to each needle in each division,
the bar to the right is shown in front view at Figure 12, and in plan at Figure 13.
The bar A carrying the cover points is held by a bearing plate B, the pipe of which
is free to swing on the upper axle of the ordinary narrowing machine, being pressed
up to a collar at the right end by a spring coiled round the axle at its left end,
the bearing plate has an arm B¹ and a set screw, which is pressed up to a stop
plate B2 secured to one of the arms, which carry the narrowing machine axle by a
spring B³ screwed on the back of the bar B pressing on the underside of the
bearing (shown only at Figure 12). The requisite traverse of the points and
point bar is effected by a cam C on the back end of an axle rocking in a bearing
secured to the framing of the machine, the front end of the axle carries an arm
hinged to a link C₁ operated by a cam and lever in the usual way, the arm is
shown at Figure 12 in its highest position pressing on a projection from a flat
plate carried by a rocking arm C2 which is held to the cam by the coiled spring
the flat plate pressing upon the outer-end of a rod C³ carried by the bearing B and
having traversed the points two needles inwards, the flat plate following the
surface of the cam, until stopped by the collar before named. The bearing plate B
carries a stud B, inclined on its lower side, which as the cover point bar is first
lowered, is forced backward by the upper inclined surface of a rocking arm B³,
carried by a link operated by a cam in the usual way; the arın B is then lifted
up by its cam to be clear of the stud, when the point bar is lowered the second
time. When the point bar is first lowered and pressed back, those points which
are pressed forward, by presser plates hereafter described, have their pointed ends
pressed into the eyes of the needles in front of them, while those points which are
not pressed by the plates, cannot take the loops from the needles as the points do
not enter the eyes of the needles as shown at Figure 14.
The presser plates above referred to I arrange and operate as follows, I take away
the usual cover point brackets from the narrowing bars and substitute hinged
presser plates D and D₁ shown at Figures 15 and 16, the plates at the right of
each division, I secure to the lower narrowing bar and the plates at the left of
each division, I secure to the upper narrowing bar, these plates are hinged at the
top and are each provided with a stud at the back, the stud at the back of the
plate D¹ being slightly lower than the stud at the back of the plate D as shown at
Figure 16. At the bottom of the bearings carrying the narrowing bars are other
bearings in which a rod E rocks provided at one end with a catch bracket pressed
upon by a spring E', which holds it in the position it is placed by the Attendant,
the upper end of this spring is secured to one of the narrowing machine bearing
brackets. The rod E has a flat surface, the length of the width of the division,
when the studs at the back of the presser plates rest upon such flat surface, the
presser plates do not operate the points in front of them, but when the rod is.
turned by the Attendant, so that the studs bear on the circumference of the rod,

page_text: the plates hold forward the cover points to the needles in such part of the narrowing
operation as is required to receive the loops. Either presser plate being out of
work and the other in work, according to the position of the rod E as held by the
spring on the catch bracket. The cam to give the requisite backward and forward
movements to the needle bar is nearly of the usual form but communicating a
greater forward throw to the needle bar, the delivery of the loops is effected in the
usual way.
The cover points I employ differ from those usually employed being of the same
construction up to (a) which includes the usual point eye, and part of the stem
above which I form an eye either at the back or front, as shown at Figure 17 to
give lateral strength to the stem, upon this portion the presser plates D or D'
operate, above the second eye is a flat portion (b) to give elasticity, the rest of the
stem is round and bent at the top as usual. Cover points so constructed are
secured in the usual trick bars. For the purpose of selecting, supporting, and
pressing, certain needles in each division I employ one or more trick bars F shown
in front view at Figure 18, each plate being secured to a rocking shaft G, carried
by bearings secured to a fixed part of the machine, the axle is provided at one
end with an arm G¹, weighted so as to cause the trick plates to press upon the
back of the needle heads, the depth of the trick is shown by the dotted lines in
the figure, the pressure being regulated by an adjustable stop G2 under the arm,
where the trick plates operate upon the needles they are pressed towards the
sinkers which form a line of loops on the needles so pressed towards them longer
than the loops on the remaining needles.
At the end of the draw of the jacks, a link operated by a cam in the usual way
lifts the arm G¹³ to rock the shaft G so as to remove the trick plates, clear of the
needle heads until again required.
Thus by means of the apparatus shown at Figures 1, 2, 34 and 18, constructed
and operating as described for automatically regulating the length of loop in any
part without interfering with the stiffness of any other part of the fabric I am
enabled to use at the same time different thicknesses of yarn, or to add a splicing
thread to any part, giving to each part, whether thick or fine its proper stiffness,
and by avoiding undue slackness in the fine parts and over stiffness in the thick parts,
I am able to produce goods properly strengthened in any part or parts thereof
And by means of the parts and apparatus shown at Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
and 11 constructed and operating as described I am enabled to produce straight
and fashioned piled looped fabrics
By the employment of the parts and apparatus shown at Figures 12, 13, 14, 15,
16 and 17 constructed and operating as described I am enabled to remove loops
in any required part of the fabric
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that I claim-
First The production of fashioned and selvaged piled looped fabrics
Second The production of articles composed of lines of looped fabrics of unequal
stiffness (or length of loop), the direction of which lines corresponds to the motion
automatically given to the regulating apparatus
Third The removing of loops in any part of the width of the fabric, so that
each cover point shall only require to receive loops from one needle
Fourth The construction and employment of the new parts shown in the
sectional side view Figure 1, and in plan at Figures 2 and 3. The trick plates
shown at Figure 18 and the falling bar shown in plan at Figure 4
Fifth The sinkers shown at Figures 5, 6 and 7, and the additional sliding verge
shown at Figure 8.
Sixth The construction and employment of the new parts shewn at Figures 9,
10 and 11,

page_text: Seventh The construction and employment of the new parts shewn at Figures 12
13 14 15 16 and 17 substantially as described and illustrated in the drawings
annexed
In witness whereof I the said Frederick Keywood have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty-sixth day of June in the year of Our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty four
Witness
H. W. GOUGH CE
Nottingham
FREDERICK KEYWOOD (LS)