IMPROVE- MENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY
Year: 1874

page_text: 'LETTERS PATENT to Charles Churchill, of Wilson Street, Finsbury, in
the County of Middlesex, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY."-A communication from abroad by
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Sealed the 1st June 1875, and dated the 15th December 1874..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Churchill at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 15th December 1874.
I, CHARLES CHURCHILL, of Wilson Street, Finsbury, in the County
5 of Middlesex, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY,” a communication,
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to circular knitting machines, and its primary
object is to produce a very cheap and effective machine for knitting very
O small tubular work or tubular cords, or tubular coverings upon cords,
strands, wires, and other cores or fillings.

page_text: One part of this Invention is designed to keep the latches of the
needles from being closed against their hooks at the points when the yarn
is fed into the needles, and this part of the said Invention consists in a
yarn-feeding guide so arranged in combination with the circular series of
latch needles, and the cam by which the needles are moved to and fro
endwise in the grooves of the needle cylinder to receive the yarn from
the yarn guide and form the stitches, and the end of the tubular needle
cylinder against which the old loops or stitches are cast off from the
sliding needles, that the loop on each needle shall remain around and
hold the latch of the needle wide open while the yarn for a new loop is
being laid by the yarn guide against the needle below its hook and above
the latch, consequently when the old loop shall release the end of the
latch the yarn for the new loop will be between the latch and the hook
of the needle, and hence if a latch shall fly up to or against the hook
upon being released from the old loop it cannot thereby prevent or
interfere with the proper feeding of the yarn into the needle.
Another part of this Invention consists in a hollow needle reciprocating
cam cylinder formed in one piece, and having therein a straight cam slot
extending through it in a plane inclined to its axis and to that of the
longitudinally slotted needle cylinder, from which the butts of the needles
project radially outward into the said cam slot, which divides the said
outer cylinder into two parts, that are united on one side only by a con-
nection outside of the cam slot, so that in constructing the said cam
cylinder the said cam slot can be easily formed by casting the cylinder
upon a flat edgewise removable core plate, or by cutting through the
cylinder from the outside by means of a reciprocating or rotary saw or
cutter, and so that in using the machine the butts of the needles will be
exposed to view, and can be freely lubricated in the said cam slot from
the outside; and the entire circuit of the said cam slot shall be actively
used in giving a constant and continuous to-and-fro movement to each
needle, consequently in knitting with considerable strain on the needles
the latter are casily reciprocated endwise in the slots of the needle
cylinder by the cam cylinder acting continuously on each needle even
when the said cylinder is very small in diameter, and therefore this part
of my Invention is of much importance in small circular- knitting
machines having only three, four, five, or six needles.
Another part of this Invention consists in a needle cylinder formed
with outside radial longitudinal grooves for sliding needles, and with the

page_text: part from which the butts of the needles project outward of larger
diameter than the other end portion, which has its outer surface flush
or even with the outer sides of the stems of the needles in the grooves in
combination with a removable spring ring which fits tightly around the
said smaller part of the needle cylinder, thereby keeping the stems
of the needles close against the bottoms of the grooves while the needles
are being moved to and fro in knitting, and the said spring ring can
be moved along and off from the said smaller end of the needle
cylinder and replaced thereon, to permit a needle or needles to be easily
and quickly removed from and reinserted in the needle cylinder.
Another part of this Invention consists in a wire holder bent at or near
both ends in opposite directions, and with one short end inserted from
the outside into a radial perforation in the bottom of a slot in the small
upper portion of the needle cylinder, and between any two of the needle
grooves therein, and at a distance above the top of the needle recipro-
cating cam cylinder around the needle cylinder, and with the straight
middle part of the said bent wire held in the said slot by means of the
removable spring ring that keeps the needles in their grooves in tho
needle cylinder, and with the long end of the bent wire extended outward
radially within the said slot in the larger lower part of the needle
cylinder and closely over the upper end of the cam cylinder; I thereby
retain the latter in its proper working position around the needle cylinder
with but very little friction, and the said bent wire holder and cam
cylinder can be readily removed from the needle cylinder in using the
machine.
Another part of this Invention consists in a needle cylinder which has
outside grooves for sliding needles, and has its lower portion fitted within
a cast iron or other hard metal needle reciprocating cam cylinder, and
larger in diameter than its upper portion. It is composed of a soft anti-
friction metallic alloy, of which the greater part is lead by preference
with a central tubular core of brass or other suitable hard metal
extending from within the upper part of the larger portion of the needle
cylinder through the smaller part thereof, and forming the end tube over.
and against which the stitches are cast off from the needles, and through
which the knitted work is drawn off. In this part of my Invention the
hard metal casting-off core tube insures sufficient strength in the small
upper portion of the needle cylinder, which can be cast of very cheap metal
upon the said core tube in a metallic mould at a slight cost, and the

page_text: needle grooves may be cut in the soft metal cylinder very cheaply, so
that the entire compound needle cylinder can be made at a cheaper rate
than if it was all made of brass or other hard metal suitable for the
casting-off end of the needle cylinder; and in knitting the anti-friction
quality of the body of the needle cylinder diminishes the friction and
wear between it and the sliding needles and surrounding hard metal cam
cylinder.
- Another part of this Invention consists in a grooved pulley fast on the
needle reciprocating cam cylinder with a removable ring of india-rubber
or other suitable elastic material fitting in the groove and projecting
beyond the edge of the pulley, in combination with a circular disc, which
has a crank handle, and is mounted to turn on an adjustable stud or axis,
its side bearing against the outer surface of the elastic ring in such
manner that by turning the said disc by its handle the said cam cylinder
will be revolved by the frictional contact of the disc and elastic ring,
and the elastic ring may be frecly removed from the groove in the pulley
and a driving band passed around the pulley in its groove, so that the
cam cylinder may be thereby revolved by power from a distant revolving
pulley if desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Churchill in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
CHURCHILL, of Wilson Strect, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex,
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Fifteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, givo
and grant unto me, the said Charles Churchill, Her special licence,
that I, the said Charles Churchill, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Churchill, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term

page_text: therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
KNITTING MACHINERY," a communication to me from abroad by Eli
Tiffany, of Bennington, Vermont, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, tho said. Charles Churchill, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Churchill, do hereby declare
the nature of the said 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
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
This Invention relates to circular knitting machines, and its primary
object is to produce a cheap and effective machine for knitting very small
tubular work, tubular cords, or tubular coverings upon cords, strands,
wires, and other cores or fillings.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in
which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed according to
my Invention and Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same. Like letters
indicate the same parts in both of these Figures.
A is a frame or bracket of cast iron or other suitable materials formed
with a jaw a, which is provided with a pinching screw 6 for securing
the said machine upon a table or board; c is the needle cylinder; dis
the cam for operating the needles e; f is a handle attached to a friction
wheel g, which runs in contact with the pulley or wheel h formed or
fixed on the bottom of the cam d.
One part of this Invention relates to means for preventing the
latches e¹ of the needles from being closed against their hooks at the
points where the yarn is fed into the needles, and this part of the said
› Invention consists in a yarn-feeding guide i so arranged in combination
with the circular series of latch needles e and the cam d by which the
needles are moved to and fro endwise in the grooves of the needlo

page_text: cylinder c to receive the yarn from the yarn guide and form the stitches,
and the end of the tubular needle cylinder against. which the old loops
or stitches are cast off from the sliding needles, that the loop on each
ncedle e will remain around and hold the latch e¹ of the needle wide
open while the yarn for a new loop is being laid by the yarn guide i
against the needle below its hook and above the latch; consequently
when the old loop shall release the end of the latch the yarn for the new
loop will be between the latch e¹ and the hook e of the needle, and
honce if a latch shall fly up toward or against the hook upon being
released from the old loop it cannot thereby prevent or interfere with
the proper feeding of the yarn into the needle.
Another part of this Invention consists in a hollow needle recipro-
cating cam cylinder & formed in one piece, and having a cam slot d¹
extending through it in a plane inclined to its axis and to that of the
longitudinally-slotted needle cylinder c wherefrom the butts e* of the
needles e project radially outward into the said cam slot which divides
the said outer cylinder into two parts, that are united on one side only
at d² by a connection outside of the cam slot, so that in constructing the
said cam cylinder & the said cam slot can be easily formed by casting
the cylinder upon a flat edgewise removable core plate, or by cutting
through the cylinder from the outside by means of a reciprocating or
rotary saw or cutter, and so that in using the machine the butts e³ of the
needles e will be exposed to view, and can be freely lubricated in the
said cam slot from the outside, and the entire circuit of the said cam
slot shall be actively used in giving a constant to-and-fro movement to
cach needle, consequently in knitting with considerable strain on the
needles the latter are easily reciprocated end wise in the slot of the
needle cylinder by the continuous action of the cam cylinder on cach
needle even when the said cylinder is very small in diameter, and there-
fore this part of my Invention is of much importance in small circular
knitting machines having only three, four, five, or six needles.
Another part of this Invention consists in a needle cylinder formed with
outside radial longitudinal groovesj for sliding needles, and with the end
or part c¹ from which the butts of the needles project outward of larger
diameter than the other end portion c², which has its outer surface flush
or even with the outer sides of the stems of the needles in the grooves,
in combination with a removable spring ring k, which fits tightly around
the said smaller part of the needle cylinder c, thereby keeping tho

page_text: stems of the needles close against the bottoms of the grooves while the
needles are being moved to and fro in knitting, and the said spring ring k
can be moved along and from the said smaller end or part of the needle
cylinder and replaced thercon to permit a needle or needles to be easily
and quickly removed from and reinserted in the needle cylinder c.
Another part of this Invention consists in a wire holder bent at both
ends in opposite directions as shown in Figure 2, and with one end
inserted from the outside into a perforation in the bottom of a slot in
the small upper portion c² of the needle cylinder c, and between any two
of the needle grooves therein, and at a distance above the top of the
needle reciprocating cam cylinder d, around the needle cylinder, and with
the straight middle part of the said bent wire held in the said slot by
means of the removable spring ring / that keeps the needles e in their
grooves in the needle cylinder, and with the lower end of the bent
wire extended outward radially within the said slot in the larger lower
part of the needle cylinder c and closely over the upper end of the cam
cylinder d; I thereby retain the latter in its proper working position
around the needle cylinder with but very little friction, and the said bent
wire holder and cam cylinder d can be readily removed from the needlo
cylinder c in using the machine.
Another part of this Invention consists in a needle cylinder, which
has outside grooves for sliding needles, and has its lower portion fitted
within a cast iron or other hard metal needle-reciprocating cam cylinder,
and larger in diameter than its upper portion, and which is composed of
q soft anti-friction metallic alloy, whereof the greater part is lead by
preference, with a central tubular core m of brass or other suitable hard
metal extending from within the upper part of the larger portion of the
needle cylinder e through the smaller part thereof, and forming the end
tube over and against which the, stitches are cast off from the needles,
and through which the knitted work is drawn off. In this part of my
Invention the hard metal casting-off core tube m insures sufficient
strength in the small upper portion of the needle cylinder, which can be
of very cheap metal, cast upon the said core tube in a metallic mould at
a slight cost, and the needle grooves j may be cut in the soft metal
cylinder c' very cheaply, so that the entire compound needle cylinder
can be made at a cheaper rate than if entirely made of brass or other
hard metal suitable for the casting-off end of the needle cylinder, and in
knitting tho anti-friction quality of the body of the needle cylinder

page_text: diminishes the friction and wear between it and the sliding needles e and
surrounding hard metal cam cylinder d.
Another part of this Invention consists in a grooved pulley h fast on
the needle reciprocating cam cylinder d, with a removable ring h¹ of
india-rubber or other suitable elastic material fitting in the groove and
projecting beyond the edge of the pulley, in combination with a wheel
or disc g, which has a crank handle f; and is fitted to turn on an adjust-
able stud or axis n, its side bearing against the outer surface of the
clastic ring h¹ in such manner that by turning the said disc by its handle
the said cam cylinder will be revolved by the frictional contact of the
said disc and elastic ring. The said elastic ring may be readily removed
from the groove in the pulley and a driving band passed around the said
pulley in its groove, so that the cam cylinder may be revolved by power
from a distant revolving pulley if desired.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Churchill, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-