Improvements in and applicable to Circular Knitting Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Nov., 1899-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and applicable to Circular Knitting Machines.
HENRY CLARKE, of 12, The Chase, Nottingham, Hosiery Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in and applicable to circular knitting
machines fitted with latch needles and the usual knitting cams, and has for its
object the provision of means whereby fashioned articles or fabrics may be
produced on such machines, and also the provision of means whereby any part
of the article or fabric produced may be spliced.
According to this invention the machine has an oscillating notion instead of
being rotated and the article or fabric produced is fashioned by varying the
number of needles to which the thread is supplied.
In one arrangement the needle head remains stationary and the knitting cams
and thread carriers are oscillated partially round the same, means being provided
whereby the thread carrier may be thrown in and out of its feeding position at
any needle and such means are moved by ratchet mechanism or other means under
the control of pattern mechanism.
In another arrangement the knitting cam and thread carrier oscillate to and
fro a constant distance and the work is fashioned by varying the number of needles
operated upon by the knitting cam, and such needles may be raised and lowered and
tilted to and fro.
In another arrangement the head carrying the needles is oscillated and the
knitting cams and thread carriers are fixed. With this arrangement
the thread carrier is thrown in and out of its feeding position by
an incline or the like which moves with the head but it is so arranged that the
relative positions of the needle head and incline may be varied automatically.
For the purpose of this invention the thread carrier, when it has to be thrown in
and out of its feeding position, may be pivotted or fitted to slide in guides and
is operated by cams, inclines, or the like at each side of the centre of its move-
ment, such cams, inclines or the like having a step by step movement imparted
to them by seperate mechanisms so that the fabric can be fashioned at one or
both sides, or may be widened at one side and narrowed at the other. The cams
inclines or the like are actuated by ratchet or other mechanism and pattern
mechanism is employed for controlling the action of such mechanism.
For producing spliced work a splicing thread carrier is carried by the knitting
thread carrier or its bracket and is so arranged that it can be thrown in and out
of its feeding position with the knitting thread carrier, and also independently
of the same. For the latter motion seperate cams, inclines or the like are used,
and these are so fitted that they can be automatically moved into and out of their
operative position.
The machine may be arranged to knit one or more articles or fabrics at the same
time, the number of knitting cams and thread carriers being varied accordingly.
Dated this 31st day of December 1898.
W. H. POTTER,
Patent Agent, Brougham Chambers, Nottingham.

page_text: Improvements in and applicable to Circular Knitting Machines.
HENRY CLARKE, of No. 12, The Chase, Nottingham, Hosiery Manufacturer, 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 relates to improvements in and applicable to circular knitting
machines fitted with latch needles and the usual knitting cams and sinkers, the
object of the invention being the provision of means whereby fashioned articles
or fabrics may be produced on such machines, and also the provision of means
whereby any part of the article or fabric produced may be spliced.
According to this invention the needle head remains stationary and the knitting
cams, sinker cams and thread carriers are oscillated partially round the same,
and cams are provided whereby the knitting thread carrier and the splicing thread'
carrier are moved into and out of their feeding positions. To enable this to be
done the carriers are pivotted to a suitable bracket and the splicing carrier is
operated by coming into contact with a fixed cam or cams arranged according to
the splicing required. For operating the knitting thread carrier, the machine is
provided with two cams which are carried by rings and actuated by independent
ratchet mechanism so arranged and controlled by pattern chain mechanism that
cither cam can be moved in either direction independently of the other, and thus
enable the article or fabric to be widened or narrowed at either or both sides by
varying the number of needles to which the thread carrier delivers its thread.
The machine may be arranged to knit one or more articles at the same time, the
number of knitting cams, thread carriers and other mechanisms being varied
accordingly.
In the drawings which accompany this specification and are referred to in the
following description.
Fig. 1, is an elevation of the machine.
Fig. 2, is an elevation partly in section showing the cam cylinder-driving
mechanism with the cover over the gear wheels removed.
Fig. 3, is a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. is a side elevation of the thread carriers showing their relative position
to the needles.
Fig. 5, is a front elevation of the thread carrier arrangement.
Fig. 6, is an elevation of the knitting thread carrier cam.
Fig. 7, is an elevation of the splicing thread carrier cam.
Fig. 8, is an elevation of the thread take up device and connected parts.
Fig. 9, is a plan of the mechanisms, shown in Fig. 8, and
Fig. 10 is an elevation of the knitting thread carrier cam ring.
According to this invention a stationary needle cylinder is used and the knitting
cam is reciprocated instead of being revolved round the same. The thread carrier
is reciprocated with the knitting cam and is moved into and out of its feeding
position by cams which are carried by two rings and are automatically moved to
vary the number of needles fed by the thread whereby the article is made with
selvaged edges, each of which may be fashioned independently of the other. The
machine is also provided with splicing mechanism, take up devices, pattern
mechanism and other means for the efficient working of the machine.
The needle cylinder a is attached to a sleeve a¹ and is supported in a tube blon
the base plate b, so that it cannot turn but may be raised and lowered relatively
to the knitting cam for varying the tension of the work produced. The outer
surface of the cylinder a is cut to receive the needles a except the part between

page_text: the needles a³ or this portion of the cylinder may be cut but is without any needles
to allow of the movable parts of the knitting cam changing their position when
the direction of the motion of the knitting cam ring e is reversed. This ring
is fitted to reciprocate in a chamber or recess formed in the base plate 6 and
carries the knitting cams, which comprise a fixed upthrow cam el, fixed knocking
over cams 2, a horizontally sliding down throw cam c³, and two vertically sliding
switch cams c which lift the needles into position to receive the thread alternately.
These cams are fitted up in the usual manner and the position of the movable
parts is changed automatically by the needles when the direction of motion is
reversed. The outside of the cam ring is cut to form a gear wheel which meshes
with a wheel which is fastened to a pinion and fitted to revolve on a fixed
axle c. Gearing into the pinion is a wheel fastened to a vertical shaft
which has bearings in a bracket clo bolted to the underside of the base plate and
carries the rack pinion c. The rack 2 which gears into the pinion is fitted to
slide in a bracket and is actuated from the crank wheel through a link /
lever and link d³. At both ends of the bracket there are buffer springs ell
against which the rack abuts at the termination of its traverse in either direction,
the said spring minimising the effect of the inertia of the moving parts when the
direction of motion is reversed. The crank wheel has a short bearing in a
bracket on the standard and is driven by a pinion on the shaft which is
fitted at one end with fast and loose pullies and at the other end with a fly
wheel.
The machine is fitted with sinkers e which slide in tricks in a ring e¹ and are
actuated by a came on a ring e3 which has a bearing on a ring fixed to the
needle cylinder and is driven from the cam ring by a bracket e fixed thereto,
and adjustable driving lugs e on the ring e
The bracket carries the thread carrier bracket f upon which the knitting
thread carrier f¹ is pivotted at f and the splicing thread carrier f³ at ft. Both
carries have an outwardly projecting arm and these are fitted with cam trucks f.
The carrier f is provided with a friction washer f" or its equivalent so that it will
remain in or out of its feeding position as hereafter explained while the carrier f
is normally held in its feeding position by a spring f. The bracket f also carries
the necessary thread guides and the latch guard f which is slotted as shown in
Fig. 5 to permit of the carriers being raised out of their feeding position.
For automatically operating the splicing carrier f the machine is fitted with a
fixed cam f which is carried by brackets f10 from the base b. In the arrangement
shown the cam f is designed to throw the carrier 3 out of action at the central
portion of its traverse and splice the outer edges of the fabric but by varying the
size and position of the cam the article may be spliced at any portion, and by
removing the cam altogether the article may be spliced throughout.
a
The cams and gl for throwing the knitting thread carrier into and out of its
feeding position are carried by brackets from rings and g³ which are fitted to
move independently of each other in a recess formed in the base plate and are
provided with teeth on their outer circumferences. Gearing into these rings
there are pinions and g³ which are fixed to axles having a bearing on
bracket and fitted with ratchet wheels . Under the ratchet wheels and
fastened there to these are cut wheels working in conjunction with spring "
which serve to indicate the amount of movement: the ratchet mechanism being
so arranged that a movement of one tooth on one wheel represents an increase
or decrease of one needle at one edge of the fabric. Above the wheels g there
are bluffs go which are actuated from the pattern chain through links and
pattern levers. For rotating the ratchet wheels the bracket is fitted with a
slide 2 which is actuated at the termination of each reciprocation of the knitting
cam by a cam g3 on the crank wheel shaft through a bent lever g, which is
fulcrumed at g on an axle fixed to the standard, the lower end of the lever being
Tshaped and fitted with two adjustable cam trucks while the cam g3 is designed
to act as a cam and its own counter cam. The slide 12 carries two ratchet pawls

page_text: for each ratchet wheel and the action of these on the ratchet wheel is controlled
by the bluff from the pattern mechanism, this arrangement enabling either or
both wheels to be actuated in either direction, and by varying the positions of the
cams and vary the number of needles fed with the knitting thread and
consequently enable a fashioned fabric of any shape to be produced.
The knitting thread is drawn from a spool ¹ through a guide guide
channel under a pivotted shoe over the spring take up wire and through
guides he and h7 to the carrier. The splicing thread passes through parts which
are similar to the parts used for the thread and these parts are indicated by the
same reference numbers and the letters and respectively. In an ordinary
circular knitting machine the take up device is so fixed that the thread leaves
it over the centre of the needle cylinder, but in the machine herein described the
best results are obtained and there is the minimum amount of slack to be dealt with,
if the take up device is placed, as shown, with the guides perpendicularly over
the outside of the needle cylinder at the centre of the part of the cylinder devoid
of needles.
Under the bracket carrying the take up springs and connected parts there
is a fixed cutter and a movable cutter for severing the splicing thread. The
movable cutter is attached to a slide which is guided on pins and is held in
the position shown by a catch lever which is connected by a link to another
lever 18, and on the same axle as the lever there is a lever which is in position
to be actuated by the pattern mechanism. When the catch is raised the
spring comes into action, the movable cutter is actuated, and the splicing
thread is severed.
The belt fork rod 7 is fitted to slide in brackets on the machine standard and is
provided with a spring which acts upon the rod to move the belt on to the loose
pulley when the rod is released from its holding catch 7. This latter is in the
form of a lever which is pivotted at 17 and is held in position to enter a recess
on the edge of the rod by a spring . For operating the belt fork rod by hand
the machine is provided with a handle on a shaft which is carried by a
bracket and connected to the rod by a slotted lever and an axle on the rod.
For stopping the machine automatically the catch lever is connected by a
link to a lever o which is operated by the pattern chain as hereafter described.
For controlling the action of the various parts of the machine a pattern chain o
is provided. This is passed round a toothed chain wheel which is actuated
intermittently by a ratchet wheel and a pawl ³ from a lever of which is oscillated
by a cam o on the crank wheel axle. The chain in the arrangement shown is
provided with pattern bits of two different heights thus enabling a narrower chain
and a less number of pattern chain levers to be used. The chain is suitably
guided by pulleys and o, the latter being carried by arms from a rod o so
that their position can be varied according to the length of the chain and for
adjusting the tension of the same. The pattern chain levers are centred at 8 and
are held in position to be actuated by the chain pattern bits by suitable springs g16.
One pattern chain lever is double ended and its upper end is arranged to operate
the lever under the action of a short pattern bit, while the lower end of the
same lever operates the lever through the link 4, the end of which is slotted so
that the lever is not actuated unless the pattern chain lever is operated by a
long pattern bit, and so that the lever 1 may be operated by hand without
operating also the pattern chain lever g. The pattern levers for the bluff plates
when operated by short pattern bits allow one pawl to come into action, and when
operated by the long pattern bits allow the other pawl to come into action.
Above the pattern levers and resting upon the ends of the same there are
holding out levers 013 the ends of which are provided with two steps or catches.
These levers o¹3 are held in contact with the pattern levers by springs and when a
pattern lever is operated by a pattern bit the holding out lever falls into a posi-
tion to prevent the pattern lever returning to its normal position after the pattern
bit has been moved forward. When the pattern lever is operated by a short

page_text: pattern bit it is engaged by the first step on the holding out lever and when
operated by a long pattern bit, by the second step, and continuous fashionings
can thus be made without the use of separate pattern bits for each fashioning.
There is also a pattern lever provided with a handle and with an axle at o¹² which
passes under all the levers o¹³ and with a second axle at o¹¹ which passes under the
pawl and between the pattern chain drum and the pattern levers. On the
under side of the levers o there are cam surfaces so arranged in conjunction with
the axle at 2 that when the hand pattern lever is operated by the chain the
axle at 12 raises the levers 3, thereby releasing the pattern levers which are
then returned to their normal position by the springs . The hand pattern
lever may also be operated by hand to obtain the same result and when moved
by hand beyond the distance it is moved by the pattern chain the axle at " comes
into action, raises the pawl and moves all the pattern levers clear of the chain
so that the latter can be moved in either direction.
The machine herein described may be used for the manufacture of all kinds of
fashioned selvaged articles such as pant legs, shirt sleeves and the like. When
commencing to knit an article a rib fabric is run on the needles if desired, and
the cams g, gl are wound in by hand until the thread carrier is thrown in and
out of its feeding position at the selvage needle. The machine is then started and
a piece of parallel work knitted until the cams g g are moved to a different
position and the thread fed to a greater or lesser number of needles. When the
splicing is to be commenced the machine is stopped and the splicing carrier
threaded. The machine being restarted, the splicing thread carrier, the eye of
which rests upon the eye of the knitting thread carrier when both are in action, is
moved in and out of action by the knitting thread carrier at the selvages of the
article and also independently of the knitting thread carrier at the inside edges of
the spliced portion of the article by the fixed cam f, the splicing thread being
floated across the machine between the two inside edges of the spliced portion of
the fabric. When the splicing thread is put into work the cutter is opened, and
when the spliced portion of the article is completed, the splicing thread is auto-
matically severed without stopping the machine. By arranging the cams and gl
independently of each other they may be moved in any direction and the fabric
may be widened or narrowed simultaneously at both sides, or it may be widened
or narrowed at either sides or it may be widened at one side, and narrowed at the
other side.
The fashionings in this machine are made without transference of loops and
consequently without loss of time as the widenings are made by feeding the thread
to a greater number of needles and the narrowings by reducing the number of
needles to which the thread is fed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. A knitting machine constructed arranged and operating substantially as
herein described with reference to the accompanying, drawings and for the purposes
herein set forth.
2 In a knitting machine the construction, combination, and arrangement of the
parts or mechanisms as herein described with reference to the accompanying
drawings and operating as and for the purposes herein set forth.
Dated to tay
W. H. POTTER,
Patent Agent, Brougham Chambers, Nottingham.