Improvements in and applicable to Knitting Machines, and in the Method of Working the same
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 1st July, 1895-Accepted, 17th Aug., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and applicable to Knitting Machines, and in the
Method of Working the same.
JOSEPH AUGUSTUS CLARING BURN Aberdeen Street, Nottingham Hosiery
Machinist and ALEXANDER BANKS Redcliffe, Leamington Spa Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
as
-
This invention relates to improvements in knitting machines of the kind known
This
"Bennor's" and described in Specification No. 19634, A.D. 1892.
invention also relates to the method of working such machines when fitted with
our improvements, the object of the invention being the provision of means, and
the method of working the same for enabling the Bennor knitting machine to make
fashioned tubular arms for vests or shirts, legs for pants and also means for or
method of changing the knitting cams during the formation of the first part of the
toe of a stocking or sock.
At the present time the "Bennor" machine is capable of automatically making
a seamless stocking or sock with a parallel tubular leg and a pocket heel and toc,
the latter being closed on the machine. For the shaping of the heel and toe, the
machine is fitted with an appliance for throwing in and out of action the needles
in one of the needle beds.
In
Now according to this invention the needles in both needle beds are so arranged
in conjunction with suitable appliances that they can be thrown in and out of action
as desired, the appliances comprising levers for acting on the needles in each bed,
and means
for traversing the levers to and fro across the needle beds.
addition, the thread carriers instead of being always moved the same distance,
have their motion varied according to the width of the fabric being made, this
being accomplished by attaching the thread carriers to friction clips which are
driven by an appliance so arranged that the thread carriers may be readily
connected to and disconnected from the driving mechanism by a stop which is
under the control of pattern mechanism fashioning screws or equivalent devices
which may also be used to control the movement of the levers used for throwing
the needles in and out of action.
When making a vest sleeve or a pant leg on a machine fitted with our improve-
ments we start the article at the narrowest part of the same, and at one side of
the needles, thus leaving all the additional needles in both beds available for
fashioning one side of the article. As the thread carrier supplies its thread, to
say, the back set of needles, the first fashioning needle is raised high enough to
receive the thread and is then withdrawn like the needles which have loops upon
them. Before the thread carrier reaches the first fashioning needle in the front
set of needles, that is during the return stroke of the carrier, that needle is raised
high enough to receive the thread and is then withdrawn like the other needles.
At the next traverse of the thread carrier, the thread delivered to the two
fashioning needles at the previous course is knocked over in the usual way and
loops formed on them. The remaining fashionings are produced in the same way
with preferably one or more unfashioned courses between each fashioned course, or
the work may be fashioned on one set of needles during the making of one course,
and on the other set of needles at the next or some other course, that is to say,
the work may be fashioned on each set of needles alternately. It will of course

page_text: be understood that although we have described the fashionings as being produced
by throwing the needles up into action, we may with equal facility bring the
needles into action by pulling them down.
The knitting cams are similar to those now used on the fashioning side of the
present machine (the side making the heel and toe) but are so arranged that they
do not act upon the fashioning needles until the latter are thrown into action.
This invention also relates to the means for, or the method of working or
changing the position of the kuitting cams or inclines during the formation of the
first part of the heel or toe of a stocking or sock, the particular object of this part
of the invention being the perfect formation of the first row of loops without the
risk of breaking the same during the knocking over process. To accomplish this
object the machine is fitted with additional movable cam stops, which replace the
fixed cam stops now used. These movable stops are connected by suitable means
to pattern mechanism which actuates the same so as to move the inclines in the
knitting cams to the desired positions at the requisite times.
Dated this 27th day of August 1894.
Improvements in and applicable to Knitting Machines, and in the
Method of Working the same.
JOSEPH AUGUSTUS CLARINGBURN Aberdeen Street Nottingham Hosiery
Machinist and ALEXANDER BANKS Redcliffe, Leamington Spa Gentleman, 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 knitting machines
of the kind described in Specification No. 19634 A D. 1892 and known as
"Bennor" knitting machines. The invention also relates to the method of
working this class of machine when fitted with the improvements herein described,
the principle object of this invention being the construction of a " Bennor "
knitting machine capable of producing tubular fashioned work such as arms for
vests, legs for pants and fashioned stockings. This invention further relates to
means for working the knitting cams during the formation of the first part of the
toe or stocking.
66
In carrying out the first part of this invention the machine is fitted with two
levers to each needle bed, these levers being hereafter referred to as pickers."
To enable fashioned tubular work to be produced it has been discovered that the
extra needles must be thrown into action on each bed alternately, and at opposite
ends of the machine. It is also necessary that the extra needles thrown into
action during the fashioning process, should be thrown out again at the completion
of the article, and that the machine should be capable of throwing the needles
out of, and into action during the formation of the heel and toe. For increasing
the number of needles in action, extra needles have to be raised from a position
below the knitting cam into the path of the same, and for making the heel
and toe, the needles have to be raised from the path of the cam above the
same and then returned. After the article has been completed the fashioning
needles have to be drawn down again below the cam.
The means employed for giving the needles the motions referred to comprise a
picker lever pivoted on the end of a screw and means for operating the picker and
the screw.
The screw is actuated by ratchet mechanism so timed in relation to

page_text: the movement of the picker, that the latter is first moved sideways to engage a
piece on the needle. It then moves the needle up or down and is afterwards again
moved sideways so that the picker can return between the needles to its starting
position. The pickers are oscillated by one of four cams which are moved on
their carrying shaft by pattern mechanism, while each ratchet clawker is actuated
by a separate cam and thrown in and out of action by pattern mechanism. The
screws are provided with two ratchet wheels and the clawker, which is double
ended, is arranged to act on either wheel so as to rotate the screw in opposite
The cams
directions and move the picker to or from the centre of the machine.
are carried by a hollow shaft capable of rotating on the main shaft of the machine
and it is connected and disconnected thereto by a clutch which is thrown in and
out of action from the main pattern chain. There is a separate picker, screw and
ratchet mechanism to each end of each needle bed, and the needles are moved in
or out of action after the knitting cam has passed the same this operation being
performed in the time taken by the end of the can box to travel from the end
needle in the machine to the end of its stroke, and to return to the end needle.
In
The second part of this invention refers to the knitting cams, and the object of
this part of the invention is the provision of means for enabling the first row of
loops to be formed in a better manner than has hitherto been possible, and to
enable such loops to be knocked over without the risk of breaking the same.
the cams as at present constructed the inclines are moved during the formation
of the first row of loops to the same position as for ordinary knitting. Now
according to this invention the stop used for moving the inclines on the return
stroke, of the cam box is instead of being fixed arranged to slide, and is so
graduated that the length of loop drawn on the first course is less than that
required for ordinary knitting.
The means for carrying out this invention are shown in the accompanying
drawings which are referred to in the following detailed description, the ordinary
parts of the machine being omitted.
Fig. 1. is a transverse section of the machine showing the needle beds and
pickers, and the means for actuating the same also the ratchet wheels on the
screws.
Fig. 2. is a half plan of the machine with the upper part removed.
Fig. 3. is a front elevation, half sectional, of the parts shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 4. is a front elevation of the cams and pattern wheel mechanism for
actuating the pickers and ratchet clawkers.
Fig. 5. is a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 4.
Fig. 6. is a cross sectional elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 5, and
Fig. 7 is a plan of tue improved knitting cam arrangement.
The needle beds a together with the needles a', plates a², and needle nibs a³ are
of the same construction as in the ordinary machine, except that the length of the
needles and the slots a' in the needle beds are increased, and the needles in both
beds are provided with inside nebs a while both beds are slotted for the same to
work ID.
The needles are actuated for knitting by the usual cams, and the
machines are provided with sinkers, thread carriers, stop mechanism and other
usual parts as in the ordinary machines.
For throwing the needles in and out of action pickers are used, there being an
independent picker arrangement at each end of each needle bed. These pickets
are of such a thickness that they can be moved between the needle pieces a and
are carried by levers b' fitted to oscillate on, and move longitudinally with the
Sciews c. On the underside of the lever is an arm made with a spherical
end which fits within a slot in a slide d by which the picker is oscillated
whatever its relative position with regard to the centre of the machine. The
slides d are guided in brackets, d' fitted with caps, and are actuated from the
shafts e through the lever and links d².
In the mechanism shown, the levers and the like at one end of the machine are
actuated from hollow shafts which are capable of oscillating upon shafts which

page_text: carry the corresponding levers at the other end of the machine, and in this
description when a hollow shaft and its attached levers are referred to by single
letters, the solid shafts and their attached levers, performing a similar operation at
the other end of the machine, are referred to by double letters, figures being
added in both cases when necessary.
The screws c, for moving the pickes to and from the centre of the machine,
are fitted to slide upon fixed shafts or rods c' but are prevented from rotating
thereon by means of keys. The inside end of each screw is provided with a fixed
collar and a loose collar c³, the space between the same forming an axle for the
lever b¹ to oscillate upon. The screw is moved by means of a nut c which has
two ratchet wheels and c upon it and is held from end movement by a glut c
fixed to a boss c and fitting within a groove c. The ratchet wheels c³ and have
their teeth placed in opposite directions so that the screw can be moved in either
direction, and the pitch of the screw and number of teeth in the ratchet wheels
are preferably so arranged that a movement of one tooth of the wheel, moves the
picker a distance equal to half the distance between any two needles. The ratchet
wheels are actuated by one of the ends of the clawker which is itself operated
by a lever from a shaft f3 which is actuated by means hereinafter described.
For selecting the clawker a lever o is employed; this lever is carried by a shaft o
which is oscillated from a pattern chain, and it will be seen that when the clawker
is raised the lower claw acts upon one ratchet wheel, and when the clawker is
lowered the upper claw acts upon the ratchet wheel.
The mechanism for operating the pickers and clawkers is shown in Figs. 4. 5.
and 6. The shafts e and f' are carried by bearings A¹ on the machine standards A
and the outer ends of the shafts e e, 112, are supported by similar bearings on an
extra standard A. In the case of the shafts ee and at the front of the
machine the end bearings are carried by a bracket A³ which also forms a bearing
for the driving shaft g. The outer end of this shaft is provided with pulleys and
a hand wheel, while the inner end is geared to the main shaft 93 by wheels g'
and g². On the shaft g³ is a mitre wheel gt from which motion is given to the
vertical crank shaft g, this shaft driving the cam carriages as in the ordinary
machine. The cams for operating the pickers and clawkers are mounted upon
a shaft which is fitted to rotate on the shaft g and driven through a sliding
clutch which is thrown in and out of action from the main pattern chain by
means of the lever 2 and link h³.
The ratchet clawker shafts are operated by cams on the shaft h, through
levers there being a separate cam for each clawker, thus giving greater facilities
for timing the action of these cams in relation to the action of the cams used for
the pickers.
The pickers are actuated by one of the four canis m, through levers m², and
it will be noticed that all four levers are actuated by the same
cam for the
same motion, this being possible because the pickers are moved when the knitting
cam is at either end of its traverse, and the shaft is driven at the same speed
as the crank shaft g³. The levers on the shaft e² are operated by the cams
during one half of their revolutions and the levers m' on the shafts ee by the
cams during the other half revolution while the links d d on the shafts e e are
connected to the slides d on the side of the machine opposite to that on which the
operating shafts are, that is to say the shaft e e at the front of the machine operates
the slide d at the back of the machine.
The four cams m are required to give the four different notions to the pickers,
by which the needles are moved up or down out of action, and down or up into
action, these notions having reference to a needle in its normal position. For
bringing any one of the four cams into action they are fitted to slide on the shaft h
and are moved thereon by a lever m² which is actuated by a pattern chain (not
shown) on the wheel n through levers m', m³, and m². The wheel n for driving
the chain is fitted to rotate on the shaft and is actuated by a ratchet wheel n¹ and
clawkers n³, the latter being driven from levers n³ on the shafts f² and arranged

page_text: to act on both sides of the wheel so that the pattern chain is moved one link for
cach to or fro traverse of the knitting cams. The pattern chain also throws the
clawkers fin and out of action through the levers o³, by which the shafts o' and o o¹
carrying the levers o are actuated.
In addition to the parts herein shown and described, it should be understood
that the levers are held in contact with the various cams by means of springs and
that the ratchet wheels are provided with spring claws to prevent over-running as
is usual in this class of machine.
In making a fashioned stocking by means of this invention, the first row of
loops is formed as in the ordinary machine. At the same time the clutch h¹
is thrown into gear, and the shaft starts to revolve and oscillate the pickers
and claw kers, but as the former work between the needles and the latter are held
clear of the ratchet wheels they produce no effect. The chain on the wheel n
then brings one of the cams m into action and the clawkers act on one of the
screws to move the picker sideways, so that next oscillation of the picker it throws
up a needle. The clawker then acts again and the picker is moved clear of the
needle so that it can return between the needles. These motions take place at each
side of one bed alternately until all the required needles have been thrown out of
action, after which another cam m is brought into action and the picker brought to
the top of its stroke, it then moves sideways, then down, to throw the needle into
action, then sideways clear of the needle and lastly returns to its top position for
the next needle, the screw being rotated so as to move the picker from the centre of
the machine. This completes the toe of the stocking, after which the foot is made,
and then the heel in the same way as the toe. The leg is then made and when
a set of fashionings are started a needle, at say the right hand end of the front
needle bed is thrown up over the knitting thread after the cam has passed the
end needle in action, so that at the return stroke of the cam the thread is laid in the
needle hook. At the next course the knitting thread is drawn through the thread
wrapped round the extra needle. The next fashioning is made at the left hand end
of the back needle bar, the next at the right hand end of the back needle bar;
and the last at the left hand end of the front needle bar.
This cycle of fashionings is repeated until the required width has been obtained
after which the top of the stocking is completed in the usual way. This method
of fashioning has been found to give the most satisfactory results and the
method of throwing up a needle in each bed and in the same course as referred
to in the Provisional Specification has been abandoned, also throwing the needles
down into action and driving the thread carriers by friction.
In machines which produce fashionings by the method herein described, the
thead from the end needle in, say the back bed, is laid within the hook of the
extra needle in the front bed, consequently the thread is not wrapped round
the extra needle and when this is knocked over at the next course the thread is
stretched between two loops instead of being a perfect loop.
The improved knitting cam arrangement is shown in Fig. 7. In starting a
stocking or sock both rows of needles are thrown into action during the traverse
of the cams from left to right and the thread is caught by the needles in each
bed alternately. At the return stroke of the cams the front cam is thrown out of
action and a row of loops formed on the back needles. With the usual cam
airangement the back needles during the knocking over of the first row of loops
pull up the front needles thus putting an increased strain upon the loops and making
the first row slacker than the others. To overcome this defect the sliding cam
piece is fitted with an additional up throw piece so that the needles instead of
being left in the knocking over position, or left in the position to which they might
be raised by the inclines are lifted by the piece to the position they were
previously pulled to by the back needles. By these means part of the thread on
the front needles is used for forming the first row of loops on the back needles and
less thread is left for the first row of loops on the front needles which are thus
made at the proper tension. To bring the piece r¹ into action, the piece has to

page_text: be raised for this particular stroke of the cam into a higher position which is
effected by using a sliding piece actuated by the pattern chain and brought into
the path of the pins between the end of the pin and the usual fixed stop. This
pushes the pins a greater distance and oscillates the segment piece through a
greater angle, and this by means of the pin t¹ and slot 3 raises the piece into
action. During the other courses the piece is raised by the segment until the
top of the same is in a line with the top of the inclines **.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare, that in combination
with the Bennor knitting machine, what we claim is :-
1. The picker for throwing the needles up or down into action mounted upon a
lever capable of being oscillated whatever its position with regard to the centre of
the machine and mounted upon or actuated by a screw for moving it to or from the
centre of the machine substantially as herein shown and described.
2. The combination with the picker mechanism referred to in the preceding
claim of the neans for actuating the picker lever and screw, and selecting the
particular picker and screw as herein described.
3. The general arrangement and combination of the mechanism herein shown
and described for the purpose set forth.
4. A knitting cam fitted with an extra incline for throwing up the front needles
during the formation of the first row of loops on the back needles, and the means
for bringing the same into action substantially as shown and in the accompanying
drawings and Specification.
Dated this 28th day of June 1895.
W. H. POTTER, M.I.M.E.,
Nottingham, Patent Agent.