Improvements in Knitting Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1898-Accepted, 29th Oct.,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
GEORGE FREDERICK STURGESS, of the Ingle-nook, Leicester, in the County of
Leicester, Hosier's Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :--
The object of this invention is to provide a right and left transfer needle, that can
be used in ordinary needle grooves of any sliding needle knitting machine.
This invention is an adaption or developement of the right and left needle em-
bodied in Patent No. 23011, December 30, 1895, and in application No. 3749,
of 1897; wherein it will be seen the linking stem is inflexible, and the needle
consequently of too great a width to be admitted in needle grooves of ordinary
construction.
In adapting the right and left needle to existing machines, particularly to machines
of fine gauge, in which the want of sufficient space between adjacent grooves curtails
the width of the linking stem part of the needle, or otherwise interferes with the
working of the leading stem, I make the linking stem conformable to smaller
dimensions, and consequently to grooves of finer gauge, by forming it on the tail of
the needle, which by virtue of its length and gauge is flexible.
The tail of the needle is folded underneath the stem and pointed and cramped
into a linking stem, by which means the linking stem is rendered contractable, and
will consequently enter the ordinary needle groove, the whole of the needle taking
no more room than an ordinary needle.
When owing to the coarse nature of a machine, the distance of the adjacent needle
of the opposite set requires the linking stem (whether inflexible or flexible) to be the
usual width, and the needle groove to be under-cut, to admit the linking stem, I
avoid the compound or built up dial, shewn in the application referred to, and pro-
vide a bell-mouthed circular opening in the base of and in line with the needle
groove, of such depth and width to receive the full width of the right and left
needle.
Furthermore, in this method of opening the dial at an angle to the base, the top
of the needle grooves are left intact which gives support to the needle feet outward
to the extreme edge of the bed, as is desirable in small radial needle beds in which
the needles are necessarily very confined and small.
It will suffice to illustrate my invention as applied to sliding latch needles in a
radial needle bed, its adaption to sliding bearded needles being obvious.
The original drawings are on the full scale.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of a dial needle bed, shewing the
right and left needle adapted with the flexible linking stem.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 4 a plan view of a radial needle bed shewing
the right and left needle adapted with the flexible linking stem on one side, and the
usual inflexible linking stem on the opposite side, a form of the needle which is
desirable in some machines.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the needle is bevelled off at 1 to lead the needle hook
of the opposite set up between the needle stem 2 and the linking stem 3; the tail 4

page_text: is thinned and folded underneath the needle, and extends hookward underneath the
foot 5 to a point 6 and is bent to form a linking stem 3 outside the axis of the
needle, and beneath the needle proper. I prefer to set the fore part of the needle
stem 2 down to the same level as the tail 4, forming a loop shoulder 7. When this
is not desirable, the fore part of the needle is not set down but remains on a level
with the rear part 8 as the linking stem itself acts as a loop shoulder, in the case of
fine and tight fitting loops.
The dial 9 is opened out to admit the loops at 10, with a V-shaped rose tool at an
angle to the base of the groove. By this means clearance for the loop 11 is obtained
with a shallower opening, consequently the upper outer part of the tricks 12 are left 1
strong and over-hanging, the base of the needle bed and the needle feet can be
brought out farther, which is desirable in small dial beds.
The needle is operated by the foot 5, engaging cams, the construction of which
is so well known as not to require repetition here.
Referring to Figs. 3 and 4 the coarse gauged needle dial has the bell-mouthed
circular slot 14 cut in the base of the needle groove 15, to admit the broader linking
stem necessary in a coarse machine.
The usual inflexible linking stem 16, and the flexible linking stem as here applied,
specially facilitate the transfer of the loose and large loops of coarse machines.
In operation the right and left needle is thrown outward, the point 6 of the tail
piercing the loop which thereupon mounts the linking stem 3, and is diverted sideways
into line with the hook of the adjacent needle 13 of the other set, which being timed
to so act, slides upward between the knitting stem 2 and the linking stem 3, its hook
sliding off the bevel and penetrating the loop of the right and left needle, as seen on
the left side of Fig. 2, after which the right and left needle casts its loop or continues
knitting, according to the requirements of the fabric. When the right and left
needle draws its loop, the linking stem 3 yields laterally allowing the needle to
withdraw as seen on the right side of Fig. 2.
I am aware that springs on the side of the needle, and separate springs co-acting
with the needle, have been used for the purpose of transferring the loop, but they a
require needle beds, in which special provisions are made to accommodate the springs
which cannot be obtained in needle beds of fine guage.
So far as I an aware, I am the first to produce a right and left needle of such universal
adaptability, also the first to fold the needle tail underneath the stem to utilise it as
a linking stem. Such being the case it will be understood that my invention of a
flexible linking stem formed in the tail of a sliding needle, is in nowise restricted to
the specific construction and adaption shewn, it being necessarily varied to suit the
different styles of machines to which it is adaptable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A right and left slidable knitting needle having its tail end pointed, folded
backward and cramped into a linking stem, the knitting stem being on a level with
the linking stem, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. A right and left slidable knitting needle having its tail end pointed, folded
backward and cramped into a linking stem at the side of and parallel to the knitting
stem, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. A right and left slidable knitting needle having its tail end pointed, folded
backward and cramped into a linking stem located at the side of the knitting stem
below the needle, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. A right and left slidable knitting needle having its tail end pointed, folded
backward and cramped into a liuking stem parallel to and below the level of the
needle, the knitting part of the needle set down forward of and level with the linking
stem, forming a loop shoulder, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. A right and left slidable knitting needle having a cam foot rearward of the
knitting stem, its tail end being pointed, continued rearward of the foot, and folded

page_text: forward again to a point forward of the needle foot, sideways of the knitting stem and
outside the axis of the needle, adapted to allow an adjacent needle to pass through
the axis between the two stems, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth..
6. A right and left slidable knitting needle having a cam foot rearward of the
knitting stem, its tail end pointed, continued rearward of the foot, folded underneath
onto itself, carried to a point forward of and below the needle foot, and deviated
sideways, forming a linking stem parallel with and on the opposite side to the knitting
stem, leaving an intervening space to admit an adjacent needle, substantially as and
for the purposes set forth,
7. A right and left slidable knitting needle having a flexible linking stem located
below the needle, adapted to embrace the adjacent needle of the opposite set,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
8. A right and left slidable knitting needle having its tail end pointed and folded
in the direction of the hook, and disposed on a line outside the axis of the needle,
adapted to receive the adjacent needle of the opposite set, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
9. A right and left slidable knitting needle having a pointed tail end located
below the needle, outside the axis of the needle, bent across the axis to a line
on the opposite side of the axis, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
10. A right and left slidable knitting needle having a knitting stem diverted to a
line one side the axis, having a pointed tail end folded upon itself, and pointing in the
direction of the hook on the other side of the axis of the needle, adapted to receive
the adjacent needle of the other set, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
11. A needle bed adapted to receive sliding needles having V-shaped loop openings,
on a line at an angle to the base of the needle grooves, the needle tricks overhanging
the base of the bed and kept intact on their upper edge, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
12. A needle bed adapted to receive sliding needles having V-shaped loop openings,
on a line at an angle to the base of the needle grooves, the needle tricks overhanging
the base of the bed, the base of the needle grooves having a circular opening adapted
to receive a needle, having a linking stem or transferring device, substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
13. A needle bed having needle tricks intact at their upper edge and over-hanging
the base at their outer edge, the grooves of which have at their base, bell-mounted
circular openings or slots of such depth and width, as to receive a needle having a
linking stem or transferring device, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
Dated this Tozantinth daw at a
1000