IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PRODUCING KNITTED AND CROCHETED FABRICS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Whitehall, of the Town and County of the Town
of Nottingham, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PRODUCING KNITTED AND CROCHETED
FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Whitehall at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th March 1881.
EDWIN WHITEHALL, of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PRODUCING
KNITTED AND CROCHETED FABRICS."
My improved machinery and apparatus consists of two standards connected both
at the back and front by two rails and a tie bar. The standards and rails either
forms bearing for or bearings are secured to them to carry various parts of the
machine, consisting of a driving shaft carrying pulleys for a belt from any prime
mover and a toothed wheel, an intermediate wheel for operating a toothed wheel on
the end of a cam shaft, which at the opposite end is provided with a toothed bevel
wheel gearing into a similar wheel on the lower end of a vertical shaft carrying a
bevel wheel at its upper end gearing into a similar wheel on the end of a second
cam shaft above the standards.
Below the vertical is a horizontal shaft provided with a bevel wheel gearing into
a similar wheel on the first named cam shaft. The horizontal shaft carries cams
which communicate too and fro movements to a rack which operates a double ended
toothed segment lever, the upper toothed end of which gears into a spur wheel on
the drawing shaft provided with grooved pulleys, round which chains, cords, or belts
are passed to effect a traverse one way of the thread carrier or carriers, the reverse
traverse being effected by similar apparatus operated by a double ended toothed
segment lever connected to the segment lever above named.
Between the standards is a fixed hook bar, and two movable hook bars, one
movable point bar, and one movable presser point bar, and one movable jack bar,
the whole of which are moved as required by means of levers and connecting links
operated by the cams on the shafts before named.

page_text: Two of the hook bars before named are traversed to the right or left by levers
and links operated by cams on the vertical shaft.
In addition to the above I employ a slotted incline bar, to which the drawing
chains are attached to traverse the inclines for operating the jacks which lie in
suitable sleys, one length of loop being drawn during one traverse, and a different
length of loop being drawn the reverse traverse. There are two other bars, one
above and the other below the jacks, each capable of adjustment vertically; each
have separate independent movements to raise the jacks alltogether and to lower
them alltogether when required.
By means of machinery and apparatus constructed as above described I am
enabled to produce a fabric having a knitted stitch and a crocheted stitch with the
wale of the fabric lying in the direction of its width.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edwin Whitehall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
September 1881.
EDWIN WHITEHALL, of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PRODUCING
KNITTED AND CROCHETED FABRICS."
My improved machinery and apparatus consists of two standards connected both
at the back and front by two rails and a tie bar. The standards and rails either
form bearings for or bearings are secured to them to carry various parts of the
machine consisting of a driving shaft carrying pulleys for a belt from any prime
mover and a toothed wheel, an intermediate wheel for operating a toothed wheel on
the end of a cam shaft, which at the opposite end is provided with a bevel wheel
gearing into a similar wheel on the lower end of a vertical shaft carrying a bevel
wheel at its upper end gearing into a similar wheel on the end of a second cam
shaft above the standards.
Below the vertical shaft is a horizontal shaft provided with a bevel wheel gearing
into a similar wheel on the first named cam shaft. The horizontal shaft carries
cams which communicate to and fro movements to a rack which operates a double
ended toothed segment lever, the upper toothed end of which gears into a spur
wheel on the drawing shaft provided with grooved pulleys, round which chains,
cords, or belts are passed to effect a traverse one way of the thread carrier or
carriers, the reverse traverse being effected by similar apparatus operated by a
double ended toothed segment lever connected to the segment lever above named.
Between the standards is a fixed hook bar and two movable hook bars, one movable
point bar, and one movable presser point bar, and one movable jack bar, the whole
of which are moved as required by means of levers and connecting links operated
by the cams on the shafts before named. Two of the hook bars before named are
traversed to the right or left by levers and links operated by cams on the vertical
shaft.
In addition to the above I employ a slotted incline bar, to which the drawing
chains are attached to traverse the inclines for operating the jacks which lie in
suitable sleys, one length of loop being drawn during one traverse, and a different
length of loop being drawn the reverse traverse. There are two other bars, one
above and the other below the jacks, each capable of adjustment vertically; each
have separate independent movements to raise the jacks altogether and to lower
them all together when required.
By means of machinery and apparatus constructed as above described I am
enabled to produce a fabric having a knitted stitch and a crocheted stitch with the
wale of the fabric Iving in the direction of its width.
Figure 1 represents a view of the left end of the machine.
Figure 2, a sectional view looking from the right end with the right end standard
removed.
Figure 3, a view of the right end, and
Figure 4, a front view of the machine with portions broken away so as to shew
more fully certain other parts which lie behind the parts so broken away.
The whole of the remaining Figures are enlarged.
Figure 5 being a sectional view of the several instruments employed, shewing

page_text: the relative positions just before the thread carrier commences to traverse from the
left to the right.
Figure 6, a front view of the slur cock box and slotted bolt.
Figures 7 to 15, separate views of the operating instruments severally referred
to hereafter.
Figure 16, side views of the two drawing cams, which are secured on the back
end of the lower horizontal shaft at the left end of the machine.
Figures 17 to 19, side views of the cams on the upper cam shaft.
Figures 20 to 22, side views of the cams on the upper cam shaft.
Figures 23 and 24, views of the top side of the two cams carried by the vertical
shaft at the left end of the machine.
Figure 25, a front view of the thread carrier and box.
Figure 26, a back view of the carrier box, shewing the sliding notched bolt and
catches, the whole of which are separately referred to hereafter.
The corresponding parts in each Figure are indicated by the same letters where
necessary.
My improved machinery and apparatus consists of the following parts, two
standards connected both at the back and front by two rails and a tie bar.
The standards and rails either form bearings for, or bearings are secured to them
to carry various parts of the machine, consisting of a driving shaft or axle carrying
pulleys for a belt from any prime mover and a toothed wheel and intermediate
wheels for operating a toothed wheel on the end of a cam shaft. These wheels are
shewn at the right end of the machine; the cam shaft at the opposite end is
provided with a toothed bevel wheel gearing into a similar wheel on the lower edge,
of a vertical shaft carrying a bevel wheel at its upper end gearing into a similar.
wheel on the left end of a second cam shaft above the standards. Below the
vertical shaft is a horizontal shaft provided with a bevel wheel gearing into the
bevel wheel on the first named cam shaft. The horizontal shaft carries two cams,
shewn in side view at Figure 16, which communicate to and fro movements to a
rack, which operates a double ended toothed segment lever, the upper toothed end
of which gears into a spur wheel on the drawing shaft, which is provided with
grooved pulleys, round which chains are passed to effect a traverse one way of the
thread carrier K¹, the reverse traverse being effected by similar apparatus at the
right end of the machine operated by a double ended toothed segment lever before
named. The smaller cam, shewn at Figure 16, gives the left to right traverse,
and the larger cam the right to left traverse. Between the standards is a fixed
hook bar, on which a number of leads A are secured by screws; one such lead
of fixed hooks is shewn in plan at Figure 11; the bar is secured at each end
to bearings formed for it on the top of the cross castings A¹, the front ends of
which are attached to the top front rail and the back ends to the top back rail;
between the fixed hooks jack hooks B rise and fall to form loops of the thread
supplied to them by a thread carrier K¹; the jack hooks slide in a comb bar B¹
provided with comb plates B2; side views of one such jack hook and comb plate are
shewn at Figures 14 and 15. The comb plates are held in position on the comb
bar by two bars B³ on the front one, level with the top, and the other level with
the bottom of the comb bar; both being clamped firmly to the comb bar by screws
and nuts at each end. The rising and falling of the jack hooks is effected as
follows: Each end of the comb bar is firmly secured to and carried by a bracket C³
at each end; the front end of these brackets slide in bearings carried by the front
top rail near the back end; each bracket is provided with an axle pin carrying the
upper end of an arm secured to and rocking with an axle bar C4, lying in bearings
on the end standards; the axle bar is provided on its lower side with an arm
connected to the lower end of a slotted link, which slides on the lower cam shaft;
this link carries a truck which bears on a cam 10, seen at Figure 22, which gives a
nearly horizontal movement to the bracket C³, thereby alternately placing the jack'
hooks either between the fixed hooks A or between the sliding books H, hereafter

page_text: referred to, the jack hooks being successively lowered between the hooks by a
traversing incline bolt J', provided with a stud which slides in the slot of a bolt J,
which slides at a right angle to the bolt in bearings on an incline box which clips
and slides upon a bar J, which is secured at each end to the brackets C³, and
travels with them. The slot in the bolt J2, shewn at Figure 6, causes the incline
bolt to depress the jack levers C sufficient to lower the jack hooks B to form short
loops between the fixed hooks A when traversed from left to right, and longer
loops when traversed from right to left, the length of the right and left rims of
the slotted bolt depending upon the time required to complete each course before
the return traverse. There are two others bars, one E above the jack levers and
the other I below the jack levers;. the bar E carries a link at each end, having
their lower ends hinged to rocking levers E¹, secured on an axle lying in bearings
on the standards, the back end of one of which is connected to a link attached at its
upper end to a lever above the top cam shaft, which carries a truck operated by the
cam 5, seen at Figure 19, by which means the whole of the jack hooks are lowered
simultaneously, being raised simultaneously by means of a bar I, the ends of which
slide in bearings at the back of the brackets C³. The bar I carries a link near each
end, having their lowest ends hinged to short levers carried by a rocking axle
below the one just mentioned, also lying in bearings on the standard; this axle
carries a lever attached to a slotted link carrying a truck operated by the cam 8,
on the lower cam shaft, seen at Figure 21. The bar E slides in slotted bearings
near each end, the bearings being secured to the back of a sley bar C², carried by studs
in the back of a bar C, to the front of which sley leads are secured by screws; both
sleys are formed of steel or brass plates; the front sley plates are pierced with holes,
through which an axle rod is passed, upon which the broad ends of the jack levers C
rock; the bar C¹ is carried by and secured to studs projecting from the inside of the
bracket C³; thus the sley bars and brackets move together; a sley lead C¹ and portion
of the sley bar C² are shewn respectively at Figures 7 and 8. The brackets C³ have each
a slotted boss on the outer side, in which an axle pin carrying a truck is adjustable.
This truck runs on a plate secured to the standards, and thus prevents lateral
movement. Above the fixed hooks A is a bar to which point leads D are secured,
one of which is shewn in plan at Figure 12. The bar rocks in a bearing D¹ at
each end, and the lower end of these bearings rock upon axle pins secured in the
cross castings A'. The points D slide to and fro in the grooves of the fixed
hooks A, there being a link hinged near each end of the bar at the back. The
back ends of the links rock upon axles adjustable in the upper ends of arms, having
their lower ends secured to a square rocking axle bar carried by bearings on the
standards. The underside of the axle bar carries an arm bearing a truck operated
by the cam 7, seen at Figure 20. A rising and falling movement of the points D
is effected by an intermediate link at the back of the bar, being hinged to the
upper end of a rod, having its lower end rocking on an axle pin carried by a truck
bearing lever, the back end of which is adjustable in a bracket carried by the
lower back rail. The truck levers and rocking axles where requisite are each
provided with a spring to keep them in position. Below the fixed points A is a
rocking bar, to which presser point plates F are secured; one such plate is shewn.
in plan at Figure 13; the bar rocks in the upper end of bearing arms, having their
lower end carried by. an axle bar rocking in bearings F¹, secured to the cross
castings A¹, the bar being operated so as to move the presser points to and fro by.
an arm F2 secured to the back of the bar, and having its back end hinged to a
link, the upper end of which is carried by a truck bearing lever operated by the
cam 3, seen at Figure 18. The up and down movements of the presser points are
effected by an intermediate arm secured to the underside of the rocking bar. The
back end of the arm is attached to a rod, the upper end of which is carried by a
truck bearing lever operated by the cam 4, seen at Figure 18, both of the cams 3.
and 4 being upon the top cam shaft. Besides the above mentioned movements the
presser point bar has a lateral movement given it by a projection on the side of one:

page_text: of the cams on the bottom cam shaft striking a rocking lever F4 carried by an arm
secured to the under side of the back top rail, the upper end of the lever striking
a stud projecting from the back of the presser point bar.
In addition to the above there are two movable hook bars, the upper one
carrying hook leads G, one lead being shown in plan at Figure 9, the lower one
carrying hook leads H, one such lead being shewn at Figure 10. The upper hook
bar rocks in bearings on sliding bars G', the back ends of which slide in brackets
secured on the top back rail, the hooked bar being rocked by a lever at each end,
at the back being hinged to connecting links G2, hinged at the top to truck bearing
levers operated by cams like that marked I at Figure 17. The to and fro move-
ments of the hook bar are effected by the front end of the bars G¹ being hinged to
brackets carried by a rocking axle bar lying behind the front top rail carried by
bearings on the standards. To the bottom of the axle bar is an arm hinged to a
link connected at the back to a truck bearing lever swinging on an axle in the top
back rail, being operated by the cam 11 seen at Figure 22.
The lower hook bar rocks in bearings on sliding bars H¹, the front ends of which
slide in brackets secured on the top front rail, the hook bar being rocked by a
lever at each end at the back, being hinged to connecting links H². Hinged at
the top to truck bearing levers operated by cams like that marked 2 at Figure 17;
the to and fro movements of the hook bar are effected by the back end of the
bars H¹ being hinged to brackets carried by a rocking axle bar lying next but one
to the top back rail, and carried by bearings on the standards.
Besides the above mentioned movements of the bars carrying the hooks G
and H, they each have lateral movements communicated to them by cams on the
vertical shaft at the left end of the machine.
The cam shewn in plan at Figure 23 operating a truck bearing lever G³,
connected by a link hooked to the left end of the hook bar G, and the cam, shewn
at Figure 24, operating a truck bearing lever H³ connected by a link hooked to
the left end of the hook bar H, both bars being each provided at the right end
with a spring hooked on to a bracket secured to the right end standard.
The right and left traverses of the thread carrier K₁ is effected by the following
means: The carrier is capable of adjustment vertically on the front of a carrier
box K2, which slides upon a carrier bar K, being moved to and fro by means of
two chains, one end of each chain being hinged to a stud in the back of a sliding
bar K notched at each end to receive one or other of the catches K4, one of such
catches being raised at the completion of each course by an incline K³ near each
end of the bar K. When such catch is raised the sliding bar K³ continues its
course until the other catch drops into the other notch, when the carrier box
remains stationary until again moved by one of the central pulleys K° at each end
of the machine, winding up the end of the chain attached to it, and to the centre of
the sliding bar K³; this bar lies in bearings at the back of the carrier box K². A
front view of the thread carrier and box is shewn at Figure 25, and a back view
shewing the sliding bar and portions of the two chains at Figure 26, each chain
being passed over a pulley carried by an axle in the bar K before being secured to
its central pulley.
Having severally described the whole of the parts, and the movements they each
perform, I will now describe the movements of the whole as they successively occur,
which are as follows:-
To work a course, suppose the whole of the operating instruments being in the
relative position shewn in the sectional view, the thread carrier lays its thread
over the grooved hooks A as it passes from left to right, the jack hooks B are
lowered to form loops between the hooks A by the slur cock passing over the jack
hook levers C; the points then advance, being lowered into the recessed points of
the hooks A to secure the loops while the jack hooks B are lifted up and are taken
back clear of the loops. When clear of the loops the hooks are lowered by the
falling bar E pressing upon the jack hook levers C, the hooks B, passing beneath

page_text: the hooks A, rise up in front of the work. During the passage of the hooks B to
the front the presser points F move towards the front and knock over the previously
formed loops. The presser points are then traversed to the left in the loops to clear
the fixed hooks A, the hooks B still rising until they reach their highest position;
while doing so they pass towards the back between the hooks A, carrying the
work with them, and placing the loops on the points D, they having moved towards
the back in the grooved hooks A to receive them; then a right to left traverse of
the thread carrier is made.
The incline bolt bar sliding from right to left forces down the bolt so as
to form a longer loop, the hooks B operating as before to form the deeper loops ;
the points D slightly rise to clear the second row of loops, and while so raised the
hooks G are lowered and pass beneath the hooks A into the second row of loops
they hold, and while in the second loops the hooks are traversed to the left to clear
the hooks A. While so traversed the jack hooks B rise, and are taken back and
fall clear of the second loops; the hooks G then move towards the front the length
of the second loops. As the hooks G are moved towards the front they traverse to
the right to clear the loops off the points of the jack hooks; they are then traversed"
to the left to enable the jack hooks to clear the loops. As the hooks G move
towards the front the jack hooks also move towards the front, holding the loops
securely until the hooks G have secured the second loops; the jack hooks rise to
their highest position and fall clear of the second loops received by the hook G.
As the hooks are traversed to the left the points D are lowered into the recesses of
the hooks A, and as the hooks B fall the presser points F place the first loops on
the centre of the length of the second loops, the hooks G moving to the back,
while the presser points press the first loops down. The hooks G are then traversed
to the left to allow the hooks H to pass into the loops carried by the hooks G
and A. The hooks H are traversed to the left to pass between the hooks A; they
then rise and traverse to the right over the hooks A. The presser points F and
points D move back to allow the hooks H to receive the loops that were on the
hooks A, which they draw through the loops on the hooks G. As the hooks H
draw the loops towards the front the hooks G move towards the back, and traverse
to the right over the fixed hooks A and fall between them. The hooks H traverse to
the right to lay their loops on the next adjacent hooks A to the right, the hooks G
moving towards the front clear of the loops, the hooks H traversing still to the
right to pass clear of the loops by being lowered through the hooks A and traversing
to the left, the jack hooks rising up through the hooks H as they move to the front,
the jack hooks moving to the back to place the loops on to the points D; the jack
hooks then take the position as shewn in the sectional view ready to make a fresh
course and the movements are repeated.
By such means I am enabled to produce a fabric having a knitted stitch (or open.
knitted course) when the thread carrier is traversed from the left to the right; in
such course the fixed hooks, points, presser points, and jack hooks are employed;
and a crocheted (or raised rib course) when the thread carrier is traversed from
right to left; in such course the fixed hooks, points, presser points, jack hooks, and
the two sets of movable hook are employed.
I would have it also understood that the same effects may be produced by the
reverse traverses, that is to say, from right to left and then from left to right.
But in such case the whole of the cams would have to be reversed to produce the
requisite movements.
I thus produce a fabric shewing a wale across the width of the fabric, and also
shewing a ribbed surface upon one side, the other side having the appearance of
chain mail.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner of performing the same,-
I declare that I claim for the combination and arrangement of machinery and

page_text: apparatus, substantially as hereinbefore specified and illustrated by the accom-
panying Drawings, to produce the fabric described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Whitehall, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
H. W. GOUGH, C.E.,
Nottingham.
EDWIN WHITEHALL. (L.S.)
Witness,
H. W. GOUGH, C.E.,
Nottingham.