Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
I GEORGE SOWTER 88 Robin Hood Chase Nottingham in the Town and County
of Nottingham Hosier do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in circular knitting machines, to
enable a variety of shapes or fashionings in the heels and toes of socks or stockings
also the legs of pants, combinations and sleeves of shirts to be automatically made.
In my Patent 104934 the narrowings and widenings are limited to one half the
circle of the machine, so that in forming the heels of socks or stockings the instep
portion remains the same width on the needles as the heel, consequently is limited
in shape. I propose to use more fashioning needles in this invention that is if
136 needles are the number in the machine 60 needles for plain work and 76 needles
for fashioning or in proportion to the number of needles in the machine, the fashioning
needles being made with a lug at the lower end can be operated vertically as required
in or out of action.
For this purpose the needle cylinder is lengthened to carry the fashioning needles
extending through the bed of the machine. Vertical tricks are cut in the extended
portion of the cylinder, corresponding with ordinary needle tricks, to suport the
lower end lug of the fashioning needles. I provide tables or lifters on each side of
the machine to cover the lugs of the needles required to be thrown out of operation
the stems of the tables, has a vertical motion and are carried by brackets secured by
screws to the rings under the bed of the machine, the rings being suported as in my
Patent 10493% and operated by pauls and ratchett. wheels, alternately step by step,
at every other revolution of the cam shaft.
A pin is secured in the stem of the table in a suitable position, and is acted on by a
groved ring segment, which is secured to a stem fitted to vertically slide in a grove
in the central tube carried by the bed, a pin is secured to the stem of the ring
segment and extends through a slot in a lever centred on a shaft carried by each
standard. The lever carries a truck and is raised or lowered by a cam on the cam
shaft the truck is held in position on the cam, by a fork on a lever centred on a bar
extending, and secured by screws to each standard, a pin is secured to the other end
of the fork lever, and is thrown to the right and left by a cam secured by screws on
a wheel carried on a shaft suported by blocks on the standards The shaft being
rotated by a paul and ratchett wheel in a well known manner when the pin end of
the lever is moved to the left the fork traverses the truck on its axle in a line with the
raised part of the cam which revolves and lifts the truck and lever, consequently the
ring seginent, and sliding table rising the needles butts clear of the cams at any time
the needles are required out of action. To bring the fashioning needles into operation
as required, I provide hooks to cover one, two, or more needles with stems long
enough for the hooks to ride over the lugs on the end of the needles, the stem of the
hook is made to fit into the slide in the same bracket as the table stem, a pin is
secured in the stem of the hook in a suitable position and acted on by a groved ring
segment which is fixed to a stem fitted to slide in a vertical grove in the central tube
a pin is secured in the lower end of the stem of the ring segment, the end of the pin

page_text: extends through a slot in a lever carried on a shaft across the back of the machine,
the shaft being suported by each standard, the other end of the lever carries a truck
acted on by a cam on a second cam shaft having only one revolution to two of the
cam cylinder.
In consequence of the needles being brought into action alternately on each side of
the machine a second lever is used that is one for each hook.
The trucks on the levers are traversed on their axles by a double fork secured by
screws to a bar carried by two brackets secured on the bar at the back of the machine
a pin is secured in the bar carrying the forks and extends through a slot in the forked
lever which operates the truck for lifting the needles out of action, thus giving the
trucks a simultanious motion to the right and left either in or out of action.
I propose also to use, two guard cams in making, pants, or combinations, one at
each end of the top cam, which covers the stitch cams, in the cam cylinder so that
when the needles are raised, for the butts to pass over the top cam, the nose of the
guard cam being raised strikes the needle butts downwards into operative position,
for the return motion of the stitch cams, the guard cams, then being reversed, allows
the butt of the needle next raised, out of action, to pass over the first guard cam, and
lowered, by the nose of the second guard cam being raised, alternately.
When the fabric is required to be narrowed, and the stitch cast of the needle the
lever pulling down the hook and lug of needle, will lower the butt of the needle
below the stitch cam, out of operative position, the cams passing over the butts of the
needles.
I also automatically slacken the fabric and regulate the length of the loops by
connecting the arm attached to the slacken and stiffening cams. A screw passes
through a slot in the arm and is secured in a rod or link, the opposite end being
secured in the same manner to a lever carried by a stud on the side of the standard,
a stud axle is secured to the standard in a suitable position to carry a cam wheel and
ratchett, the paul acting on the ratchett rotates the cam wheel having a gradual
increasing circumference, and operates the lever attached to the link, slackening or
stiffening, as required, the paul is taken out or. put into action, by a lever and chain
in the usual manner.
COMPLETE SPECIF
UN.
Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
I GEORGE SOWTER of 88 Robin Hood Chase St. Anns Well Road Nottingham
in the Town and County of Nottingham, Hosier 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, reference being had to
the accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:-
This invention relates to improvements in power driven circular knitting machines,
and it has for its object to enable a greater variety of shapes or fashionings in the heels
and toes of hose and half hose, and in other knitted goods to be effected automatically;
in other words, to enable more courses to be made in the narrowing side of the work
than in the widening or vice versa, by causing a different number of needles to be in
operation when forming say the instep, than when producing the heel of hose or half
hose.
In circular knitting machines, as hitherto constructed, it has only been possible to
divide the heel by commencing the narrowing in the centre of the machine, that is to
say, by working with the same number of needles for forming the instep portion as
for the heel portion.

page_text: A machine with my improvements applied thereto, and having say 136 needles, can
produce the tubular part and the instep of hose, or half hose, with 60 needles,
leaving 76 for fashioning the heel. Again, I am enabled to reduce the number of
needles in forming the toe and so obtain any desired shape of toe.
My improvements comprise amongst others special fashioning needles which are
made considerably longer than the needles ordinarily employed, and which besides
the usual butt working in the cam race are provided with an additional butt at their
lower extremity.
I also lengthen the needle cylinder sc as to extend below the cylinder bedplate,
and I provide grooves or tricks on such extension or extensions to correspond with
those on the upper part of the needle cylinder for guiding the lower ends of the
fashioning neeilles.
Beneath the cylinder bedplate are arranged, as usual, two toothed rings adapted to
be rotated by pinions in opposite directions to each other, but instead of providing
cam grooves and operating levers and jacks for throwing the fashioning needles into
Each of the said
and ont of action, I prefer to use the following arrangement.
toothed rings has fixed to it a bracket carrying a hook and a lifting table.
Furthermore, I dispense with the usual gear and employ a pawl and ratchet device
in connection with the pinions for driving said toothed rings as hereinafter described.
The hooks or pullers down" act upon the butts at the lower ends of two adjacent
needles when moved through the action of grooved arcs or ring segmente. The
length of the table segment ring is equal to that of the two hook segment rings
added.
The lifting tables are made so as to cover any desired number of needles and
always lift the selvage needle, i.e. the one about to form the parting of the narrowings
or widenings. Every racking or movement of the toothed rings, one needle is
traversed. First one table traverses the needle for making the last stitch at one side
of the machine, then the other tables traverses the needle for making the last stitch at
the other side of the machine. If four or five needles are covered by the table by
racking in the rings previous to commencing the narrowing, the table will lift those
needles out of operation at the same time as it lifts the selvage needle. Each table is
caused to fall again before the hook or "puller down" begins to act on the same
needle and the one next to it. The stem of the hook or "puller down" is provided
with a stud or projection adapted to work in the groove of the puller down are or
ring segment, which latter is connected to a slide, sliding in a suitable groove on the
inner cylinder. The slide is operated by a cam, or cams, on a camshaft which makes
one revolution to two revolutions of the main cam shaft. The stom of the lifting
table is also provided with a stud or projection which enters and is operated by the
grooved lifter arc or ring segment, the latter being connected to a slide similar to the
one of the "puller down."
The brackets, one on each toothed ring, are fixed at opposite sides of the machine.
Furthermore, my improvements comprise an arrangement of point cams, two of
which are used when knitting pants and combinations, one at each end of the top
cam in the cam ring. By this ineans, when the butts of the needles are passing over
the top cam, on which one of the point cams has been raised, the latter causes the
needles to move downward, into their operative position. On the return motion of
the stitch cams, the point cams are reversed and the butts of the needles now pass
Said cams
over the first point cam and are moved down by the second point cam.
are raised and lowered alternately.
My invention will be clearly understood by referring to the accompanying
drawings in which so much of a power driven circular knitting machine is shown as
is necessary to explain the invention.
Figure 1 is an underside view of the cylinder bedplate of a power driven knitting
machine provided with my improved device for operating the fashioning needles.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the extension of the needle cylinder showing the position.
of the grooved arcs or ring segments in relation to the needle cylinder.

page_text: 65
Figures 4 and
are an end view, plan, and side view respectively of one of the
hook and lifter carrying brackets.
Figures 6 and 7 are elevations, taken at right angles to each other of the hook or
puller down."
Figure 8 is a sectional elevation on the line a a (looking in the direction of the
arrows) of Figure 1, showing part of the machine with my improvements and
illustrating the mode of operating the arcs or ring segments.
Figures 9 and 10 show two forms of my improved fashioning needles.
Figure 11 is a section on the line ß ß of Figure 8 of the mechanism for operating
the grooved ares or ring segments, the cylinder bedplate being omitted for greater
clearness in the drawings.
Figures 12, 13 and 14 are an elevation, a plan, and a side view, respectively, of the
clawker lever or double pawl lever, and its connected parts for communicating motion
to the toothed rings to which the hook and lifter carrying brackets are fixed.
Figures 15 and 16 are two views taken at right angles to each other of the cam
and toothed wheel, which latter gears with a pinion mounted on an additional cam
shaft.
Figure 17 shows an arrangement of point cams in connection with an ordinary
top cam.
a are the brackets carrying the lifter tables a', and the hooks or pullers down a³,
and which are shown in position ready for starting the fashioning, that is to say as
regards a stocking, after the tubular portion of the leg has been finished, and the
widening of the heel is to be commenced. The brackets a, together with the toothed
rings b, b, are ready to be moved in the direction indicated by the respective arrows,
by pinions 63, 63 in gear with the teeth of said rings and mounted on the ratchet
spindles b*, b.
When narrowing is commenced, the brackets traverse in the direction of
the arrows until they reach the back of the machine, or the extent of the fashioning
needles, first one bracket moving, then the other, a distance of one needle at a time.
When they have reached the back of the machine, or at any point before, they are
moved in the reverse direction to the arrows to their original position.
The toothed rings which are, as heretofore, arranged beneath the cylinder bedplate c
are kept in position by two keeper plates c' c¹ fixed by screws to the cylinder bedplate
as shown. The lower ring is partly cut away at its periphery from 6 to 7 for the
purpose of enabling one of the brackets a to be fixed to the ring 1, without interfering
with the movement of the ring b.
The stems of the hooks a', and the stems a¹ of the lifting tables as, slide in grooves
in the brackets a, which grooves are covered by a plate a so as to prevent said sliding
stems from falling out of such grooves. In the plates a* are slots ab and ax, through
which pass pins a, a' connected to the stems at a respectively. These pins extend
beyond the cover plate a', as shewn at Figure 3, and engage in the grooves of arcs or
ring segments d. d' at each side of the machine.
The segment d of which there is one at each side of the machine are of such
circumferential length as to always remain in engagement with the pins a
notwithstanding the altering position of the brackets a. The segment d', arranged
below the segments d, extends so far around the periphery of the inner cylinder e as
to cover both the segments d, and is in constant engagement with the two pins a².
The grooved segments d are provided with a slide d and d³, respectively, and the
grooved segment d' is carried on a slide d' all adapted to slide in suitable grooves cut
in the periphery of the inner cylinder e (Figure 1). d is the usual slide for lifting
the ordinary needles, as is well understood. The slides d², d³, d' are pivotally connected
at their lower ends to levers k, and i, respectively. These levers are mounted
loosely on a transverse bar j³, and are provided with studs 1, 1, 12 at their free ends to
receive anti-friction rollers or trucks h, k, j. The roller j on lever i runs on a cam j
mounted on the driving shaft 2, and the rollers 12, k, run on a double cam provided
with two rises 4, k and mounted on an additional cam shaft k adapted to make one

page_text: revolution to two of the shaft . The two rises and on the double cam are
arranged diametrically opposite one another but in different planes, so as to impart an
up and down movement alternately to the slides d², d³ which are attached to the
levers and k¹. The anti-friction rollers j, k, k³ move sidewise on their studs 1, 11, 12,
they are held between the prongs of shifting forks, or of a forked lever, and are
shogged at the required time by the following means. A lever m pivotted at m' to a
bar n forked at one end, and engages with the anti-friction roller j while its other
end is provided with a pin or projection adapted to be acted upon by a grooved cam p,
mounted on the ordinary cam or ratchet shaft q and which will cause the roller; either
to run smoothly on the circular part or to run on the rise of the cam i, and then
cause the bell crank lever i with its slide d+ to rise and fall. To the bar m is pivotted
a bar m* arranged at right angles thereto and sliding in guides on two arms or
brackets n' n'. This bar m is provided with two pairs of prongs between which are
held the rollers 2 and 3 of the lever k and k¹. Thus the shifting movement of the
bar m* will cause the said rollers k2, k³, to be moved either in or out of the path of
the cam faces 4 and 4 and thereby cause the slide bars and d³, connected to the
levers k and k¹ to rise and fall. When shogged off the cam-rises, the needles remain
stationary. The hooks are thus thrown out of action during the making of tubular
work in the machine.
The arrangement of the three additional slides with the grooved arcs in
conjunction with the two brackets with "puller down" bars and lifters or tables
enables the needles femployed in fashioning to be put in or out of action at any
desired point in the heel, or in the toe, by means of the hooks a², whose noses a³ act
on the additional or lower butts f¹ of two adjacent needles, namely, the needle called
the selvage needle and the one next to it.
The tables a³ (see Figure 5) push upward the needle on which the last stitch has
been made to its uppermost position, that it may, in due time, be acted upon in
conjunction with the one next to it by the nose as of the hook a², as above
described.
In Figure 8, the hooks a² are shown in their uppermost position and ready to pull
down the needles f while the tables are at their lowest position. The ordinary butts
of the needles when out of action are level with the top of the cam ring as usual.
The hooks a pull the needles down sufficiently far to bring the ordinary butts within
the cam race in the cam ring or cylinder g', both of which are of the usual
construction. The hooks a² then cease to act upon the needles and the ordinary
cam g now moves them to their lowest position. There is a space of about 3 c/m
(more or less according to the throw of the cam ring) between the nose a³ of the
hooks a² at their lowest position, and the tables a' at their lowest position in which
space the additional butts f¹ of the needles can move freely. The tables a' have a
stroke about 3 times that of the hooks, and they are thus enabled to return the needles
from the lowest to their original or uppermost position. The upper part h' of the
needle cylinder h is of ordinary construction, and carries the needles as usual. It
has downward extensions 2, provided with grooves or tricks (see Figure 2) for
spacing and supporting the ends of the fashioning needles.
In a machine having 136 needles, the slide d³ would be arranged to act upon the
desired number of needles at the front of the machine, say 56 needles, when producing
tubular work, or the instep of a stocking. Of the 8C needles used in making the
heel, 20 may be taken from the centre, at the back of the machine, thus leaving
30 needles at each side for fashioning.
I may find it advantageous in some cases, to use a cam, as shewn in Figure 17,
in lieu of the ordinary cam g. The point cams 93 and 9 are arranged to allow the
butts of the needles to pass over, say the cam g' and remain idle until it strikes
against the upturned cam g³ which switches them into the cam race g. The said
cams 93 and 9 can be moved in or out of action by their pins 9 and 9 provided
for this purpose.
The racking or movement of the toothed rings bb¹ is effected as follows.
The ratchets r, 1 and 2, 3 on the spindles 65 and 6, respectively, are actuated

page_text: intermittently and alternately by means of clawkers or pawls 5, 6, 7, 8, pivotted at s
and on the rocking levers which is mounted loosely on the stud or spindle s³.
A rollers, at the lower end of the rocking lever, is acted upon by the cam
surfaces s on the spur wheel s revolving on a stud s. This spur wheels receives
motion from a pinions on the main driving shaft and makes one revolution to two
of the shaft. The clawkers can be lifted alternately or simultaneously, so as not
to act upon the ratchet teeth, by pins t, t¹, 2, 3 on levers rocking on the shaft t5.
Said levers are provided at their outer ends with adjustable studs to adapted to take
into the pattern or clawking chain which is of the usual type known as the
"French chain" and is formed of wires entering notches in the end discs of the
chain drum t which rotates on the shaft t. The studs t are arranged to engage
with, or miss, the wires at the times desired.
For narrowing, the clawkers and would be dropped into action and consequently
when moved would act on the ratchets alternately. To commence widening, they
would be lifted out of the ratchets and 5 and 8 would be dropped into action,
the rocking lever causing them to act alternately on their respective ratchets.
For tubular work, all the clawkers would be lifted out of action. For instance, at
the conclusion of widening, and would be lifted out, the other two being
already out.
The above described improvements are particularly applicable to machines of the
Branson, Standard, Scott-Williams and Sowter types.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In power driven circular knitting machines, a needle cylinder having one or
more downward extensions which reach below the cylinder bedplate and provided
with grooves or tricks corresponding to those on the upper part of said cylinder,
substantially as, and for the purpose, herein before described.
2. In power driven circular knitting machines having a needle cylinder with a
downwardly projecting extension, or extensions, below the cylinder hedplate provided
with grooves or tricks, fashioning needles provided with an additional butt at the
lower extremity, substantially as, and for the purpose, hereinbefore described.
3. In power driven circular knitting machines provided with an extended needle
cylinder and with fashioning needles having extended shanks with additional butts,
additional needle pullers and lifters mounted in brackets on the toothed rings below
the bedplate and adapted to be operated in such a manner as to act upon each
fashioning needle separately and in succession as desired, substantially as, and for the
purpose hereinbefore described.
4. In power driven circular knitting machines the combination with fashioning
needles having additional butts on their extended shanks and pullers and lifters for
operating such needles, of grooved arcs connected to slide bars sliding in grooves on
the inner cylinder and operated by levers in connection with cams on an additional
cam shaft, and means for shogging said levers into and out of action with their cam
faces, substantially as, and for the purpose, herein before described.
5. In power driven circular knitting machines having fashioning needles provided
with extended shanks and additional butts at the lower extremity reaching below the
needle cylinder, the combination therewith of point cams adapted to be thrown into,
and out of, the path of the fashioning needles substantially as, and for the purpose,
herein before described.
6. In power driven knitting machines the improved means of racking the toothed
rings, consisting of clawkers, controlled from the pattern chain acting in connection
with ratchets upon the spindles of the pinions in gear with said toothed rings, as
hereinbefore described and shown.
7. The means of producing in power driven or other knitting machinery, knitted
articles having varying numbers of courses of stitches in the fashioned parts as
hereinbefore described.

page_text: 8. The improved knitting machine, substantially as hereinbefore described and.
shown with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Twelfth day of December 1896.
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 5ª, Market Street, Nottingham,.
Agent for the Applicant.