Improvements in Machinery and Apparatus Employed in the Manufacture of Knitted Fabrics.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1888
- Complete Specification Left, 18th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 18th Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery and Apparatus Employed in the
Manufacture of Knitted Fabrics.
I GEORGE SOWTER of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham Hosiery
Manufacturer 88 The Chase, St. Anns Well Road Nottingham, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improvement relates to Knitting Machines employed in producing articles
known as Hose, Socks, Pants, Vests or any similar articles in which widenings and
narrowings are required at any distance from the selvidge.
The usual mode of working the widening and narrowing instruments, which are
carried by rods or bars, is by attaching such rods or bars to the screw box, carrying
the selvidge stops, and moving them at the same time, by this mode only one uniform
set of widenings or narrowings can be made that is if the instruments are set to work
on 4 leads or 8 needles from the selvidge, they travase with the stops and remain at
one uniform distance on the selvidge of the fabric.
I propose to lengthen the bracket carrying the screw upon which stops for the
thread layers are travased to the right or left, and carry with these brackets a seperate
screw upon which a screw box with arm is attached to travase the points or instru-
ments to the right or left.
Independently of the selvidge stops by the following means, the outer end of the
axle of the top screw is provided with two ratchett wheels and clawkers, the clawkers
are fastened with bolts to the ordinary clawkers, which drives the screw upon which
stops for the thread layers are travased, thus giving a simultanious movement to
widen or narrow from the selvidge, in the usual manner a second pair of ratchett
wheels are placed on the axle of the top screw, inside the end bracket driven by
clawkers hinged to a lever rocking on an axle carried by the framing of the machine,
the lever having a rising and falling movement, given it by a cam, to travase the
instruments to the right or left, before the screw and stops for thread layers are put
in motion the axle for the cam moved by hand for narrowing or widening, between
the outside clawkers, made longer to carry a pentagonal cam and ratchett wheel
inside the bracket to throw the clawkers in gear on one side and out of gear on the
other, alternately by a small ratchett hinged to the outside lever, which has a rising
and falling movement, and is automatic in its action.
I also propose to use a wide set of points or instruments for transferring the loops
to the right or left as required, these leads and instruments are carried on a rod
attached to the narrowing machine and fitted up to the ordinary instruments or
coverers used on the selvidge, when in action by this arrangement the ordinary
instruments used on the selvidge can be travased by the top screw to the required
distance inside the fabric, from the selvidge and the wide set of instruments brought
down to the instruments used on the selvidge, to transfer the loops when widening or
narrowing is required at any distance from the selvidge of the fabric so as to form
pockets or gores without seams being required in Ladies Vests or forming heels of
Stocking without seams, or twisted ancles in pants and such like.
First: I claim for working the point or instrument bars automatically, without
being attached to the stops or selvidge box.
Secondly: To widen or narrow with the points or instruments without interfering
with the selvidge stops at any distance required from the outside of the fabric, also to
widen or narrow on the one needle at any distance the instruments are set to,
automatically.
Thirdly: To form a set of widenings or narrowings extending or contracting the
-ht and left of crab widenings or narrowings.

page_text: Fourthly For dividing the points from the filling up box when the filling up box
is required to work on the selvidge of the fabric.
Dated Fourteenth day of December 1888
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery and Apparatus Employed in the
Manufacture of Knitted Fabrics.
GEORGE SOWTER 88 Clarendon Villas Robinhood Chase Nottingham in the Town
and County of Nottingham, Hosiery Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
describe and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My improvement relates to Knitting Machines employed in producing articles
known as Hose, Socks, Pants, Vests or any similar articles in which widening and
narrowings are required at any distance from the Selvedge. The usual mode of
working the widening and narrowing instruments which are carried by rods or bars
is by attaching such rods or bars to the Screw box carrying the Selvedge Stops and
moving them at the same time by this mode only one uniform set of widenings or
narrowings can be made, that is if the Instruments are set to work on 4 leads or
8 needles from the Selvedge, they traverse with the Stops and remain at one uniform
distance from the Selvedge of the Fabric.
I propose to lengthen the Brackets carrying the Screw upon which Stops for the
thread layer are traversed to the right or left and carry with these Brackets a seperate
Screw upon which a Screw box with arm is attached to traverse the points or Instru-
ments to the right or left.
Independently of the Selvedge Stops by the following means the outer end of Axle
of the top Screw is provided with two Ratchett Wheels and Clawkers, the Clawkers
are fastened with bolts to the ordinary Clawkers which drives the Screw upon which
Stops for thread layers are traversed thus giving a simultanious movement to widen
or narrow from the Selvedge in the usual manner, a second pair of Ratchett Wheels
are placed on the axle of the top Screw, inside the end Bracket driven by Clawkers
hinged to a lever rocking on an axle carried by the Framing of the Machine the
lever having a rising and falling movement given it by a cam, to traverse the
Instruments to the right or left, before the Screw and Stops for thread layer are
put in motion, the axle for the cam for narrowing and widening moved by hand
between the outside Clawkers are made longer to carry a Pentagonal cam and
Ratchett Wheel, inside, to throw the Clawkers in gear on one side and out of gear
on the other, alternately, by a small Ratchett hinged to the outside lever which has
a rising and falling movement and is automatic in its action.
I also propose to use a wide set of points or Instruments for transfering the loops
to the right or left as required, these leads and Instruments are carried on a rod
attached to the narrowing machine and fitted up to the ordinary Instrument or coverer
used on the Selvedge when in action, by this arrangement the ordinary instrument
used on the Selvedge can be traversed by the top Screw, to the required distance,
inside the Fabric from the Selvedge, and the wide set of Instruments brought down
to the Instruments used on the Selvedge to transfer the loops when widening or
narrowing is required any distance from the Selvedge of the Fabric so as to form
pockets or gores without seams being required in Ladies Vests or forming the Heel
of Stockings without seams and such like articles.

page_text: Fig. 4. a front elevation of one set of needles, showing one set of points or instru-
ments attached to the Selvedge points or instruments and one set separated from the
Selvedge points or instruments.
A. Fig. 1. is the screw for working the Selvedge points as in the ordinary machine
with its box B ratchett wheels C and D, clawkers E and F, while I is part of machine
standard. For working my improvements I lengthen the brackets H. H. carrying
the screws A and L with its nut or box M. On the end of this screw are two pairs
of ratchett wheels N and O, and P and Q the latter being worked from the clawkers E
and F by attaching to them additional clawkers R and S, the other pair of ratchett
wheels I work from the clawkers T and U by means of a cam and lever Y similar to
those used for clawkers E and F.
I also lengthen the axle of the cam G. Fig. 3. and secure to it a cam V. Fig. 2.
with an odd number of faces and a ratchett wheel W having twice as many teeth as
the cam has faces, in the drawings they are shown as having 10 and 5 respectively.
On the lever K. Fig. 3. which operates the front clawkers E and F. I attach
another clawker X. Fig. 2. which works the ratchett wheel W thus ensuring the
automatic revolution of the cam V which throws the clawkers T and U in and out of
gear alternately and causes the screw box M to traverse inwards or outwards as
required.
The
In Fig. 4. a. a. are the needles on which the Fabric is made, b. b. the points or
instruments for narrowing or widening in the usual manner, in addition to these I
use a wider set of points or instruments c. c. at each end, which can be secured to b. b.
by screws d. so that they can both be moved as one piece from the top screw.
points or instruments c. on the right hand side of Fig. 4. are shown separated from
the Selvedge points or instruments, being partially revolved about the shaft e. but
I do not confine myself to any particular method of separating the points or
instruments.
Fig. 5. is a diagram of a pant, showing the two sets of widenings. 1. forming the
split Hips. 2. are the sets of narrowings forming the twisted Ankles. 3. are needle
narrowings which can be dispensed with if not required.
Having described the drawings of my apparatus which is applied to each end
of the Knitting machine I will proceed to explain the working of the same so that
it may be fully understood :-In making a Ladies Vest, fashioned gore or bosom,
without a seam in the gore, I make the bottom portion of the body in the usual
manner to the commencement, to widen and form the gore, the points or instru-
iments are traversed in 5 or 6 inches from the Selvedge as required, the wide
points or instruments c are then secured by the screws d to the points b. b.
Clawkers E and S. Fig. 1. acting on Ratchett wheels C and P attached to the
screws A and L traverses the box B and M and points c. b. simultaneously
extending the Selvedge and stops B one needle outwards, at the same time the
clawker X is acting on Ratchett wheel W on cam V throws in gear_clawker U
and clawker T. out of gear, I then draw 2 or more courses clawker U acting on
Ratchett wheel O traverses box M and points cb five needles inwards from the
last widening, Clawkers E and S come into operation again extending the Selvedge
and stops B one needle, at the same time clawker X acting on Ratchett wheel' W on
cam V throws in gear clawker T and clawker U out of gear, I then draw 2 or more
courses clawker T coming into action on Ratchett wheel N traverses box M and
points cb four needles outwards thus making two distinct rows of fashioning and
leaving the points one needle inwards from the Selvedge when 18 or any other
number of widenings required are made, I reverse the action of clawkers E and S and
narrow in the same manner the number of courses required, forming the gore without
a seam and leaving the Fabric the same width on the machine. I then disconnect
the points or instruments c traverse the points 6 on to the Selvedge and proceed to
make the remaining portion of the body in the usual manner.
To make a pant with what are known as Split Hips and Twisted Ankles without
any seam in the Hips or Ankles, I traverse in the points 66 or 7 inches secure
instruments c to points b by screws d and proceed to widen out the two Selvedges

page_text: same as in gore, six or seven leads as required, I then disconnect instruments c
traverse points b.on to the Selvedge widen out the pants in the usual manner to gusit
and narrow them down the thigh, make 5 or 6 inches. plain, traverses in the points b
on one side only 4 or more courses, secure instrument c to point and proceed to
narrow Ankle same as gore in Vest, for 10 or more leads as required. *
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
Firstly I claim for working the point or Instrument bars automatically, without
being attached to Stops or Selvedge box.
Secondly: To widen or narrow with the points or Instruments, without interfering
with the Selvedge Stops at any distance required from the outside of the Fabric, also
to widen or narrow on the one Needle at any distance the Instruments are set to.
Thirdly-To form a set of Widenings or Narrowings extending or contracting
the Fabric to the right and left of such widenings or narrowings.
Fourthly For dividing the points from the filling up box when the filling up
box is required to work on the Selvedge of the Fabric.
Dated this 18th day of September 1889.
GEORGE SOWIEK.