IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: We, JOHN HARRIS COOPER of Evington Hall in the County of Leicester and
Friars Causeway Leicester, Hosiery Manufacturer and WILLIAM JAMES FORD of
Humberstone in the County of Leicester, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES" to be
as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to improve that class of knitting machines in
which two straight rows of latch needles inclined to one another are used and in
which the mechanism is so arranged that the rows operate alternately one row
while the yarn or thread layer is passing in one direction and the other when it is
passing in the opposite direction so as thereby to produce a tubular fabric.
In these machines the needles work in grooves in needle plates inclined to one
another and between the upper ends of which is a space down through which the
work can pass.
The needles in each row are actuated by cams carried by driver
bars which are moved simultaneously to and fro along the rows and as the machines
are now commonly made the thread layer is capable of sliding to and fro along a
bar at the foot of one of the needle plates and is caused to move along this bar by
projections on one of the driver bars coming against it. These machines are also
often so made that by shifting the cams the needles may be made to produce a flat
piece of ribbed work or to produce a flat piece of plain work by setting one row of
needles entirely out of action.
According to our Invention we add to machines of this kind an additional thread
layer to lay a splicing or thickening thread into the work-this thread layer can be
slidden to and fro along a bar mounted above the top of the two rows of needles
and we give motion to it by an arm extending from the stem of the main thread
layer or from an arm carried by a block which can be slidden to and fro along a
bar at the foot of one of the needle plates just in the same way as the main thread
layer is slidden to and fro along a bar at the foot of the other needle plate and we
similarly give motion to the arin from projections on the driver bar which is on its
side of the machine so that the arm always maintains the same position relatively
to the main thread layer.
On the upper end of the arm we mount a spring latch or bolt to drop into a
uotch in the foot of the additional thread layer.

page_text: To release the latch or bolt from the notch at the times required or to lift or
draw back the latch or bolt to allow it to drop into the notch we fix inclines to the
bar along which the thread layer slides. These inclines we make moveable so that
they can readily be secured to the bar at any desired part of its length.
By these means a thickening thread can be applied at any desired part of the
work but at the end of such thickened part the additional thread would pass across
from one side of the tubular work which is being produced to the other and would
have to be subsequently cut.
In the same way two or more additional thread layers may be mounted on
the bar which is above the needles and may all be operated by the same arm.
In order to be able to stop the machine automatically after any given number of
courses to regulate the lengths of splicing we attach a second shaft to the driving
shaft of the machine. On the above shaft we place a pair of cone friction pulleys
for driving same. On this second shaft we fix a cam to act upon a lever and
thereby turn a catch toothed wheel which carries a chain on which we place one or
more studs. The studs we arrange to act upon a clutch lever to allow a spring to
move apart the friction cone pulleys after a given number of courses have been
completed.
For some purposes a number of such additional thread layers might be used
each having only a short traverse given to it and the additional threads so laid
into the work might be left uncut where they pass across from one side to the
other of the tubular work and would then serve to bind the two sides of the work
together and form a flat band.
When the machine is set to produce a flat piece of ribbed work or a flat piece of
plain work the work produced may similarly be thickened wherever desired.
To prevent the latches of the needles from flying up when the needles are pushed
forwards through the work we employ a guard plate with rounded ends extending
in both directions from the main thread layer in such a position that it does not
interfere with the action of the additional thread layer or layers.
Dadad thin On1 1
10Or
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: We JOHN HARRIS COOPER of Evington Hall in the County of Leicester and
Friars Causeway Leicester Hosiery Manufacturer and WILLIAM JAMES FORD of
Humberston in the County of Leicester Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature
of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES" and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
....
235
This invention has for its object to improve that class, of knitting machines in
which two straight rows of latch needles inclined to one another are used and in
which the mechanism is so arranged that the rows operate alternately one row
while the yarn or thread layer is passing in one direction and the other when it is
passing in the opposite direction so as thereby to produce a tubular fabric.
In these machines the needles work in grooves in needle plates inclined to one
another and between the upper ends of which is a space down through which the
work can pass.
The needles in each row are actuated by cams carried by driver
bars which are moved simultaneously to and fro along the rows and as the
machines are now commonly made the thread layer is capable of sliding to and fro
along a bar at the foot of one of the needle plates and is caused to move along this
bar by projections on one of the driver bars coming against it.
These machines are also often so made that by shifting the cams the needles
may be made to produce a flat piece of ribbed work or to produce a flat piece of
plain work by setting one row of needles entirely out of action.
According to our invention we add to machines of this kind an additional
thread layer to lay a splicing or thickening thread into the work this thread layer
can be slidden to and fro along a bar mounted above the top of the two rows of
needles and we give motion to it by an arm extending from the stem of the main
thread layer or from an arm carried by a block which can be slidden to and fro
along a bar at the foot of one of the needle plates just in the same way as the
main thread layer is slidden to and fro along a bar at the foot of the other needle
plate and we similarly give motion to the arm from projections on the driver bar
which is on its side of the machine so that the arm always maintains the same
position relatively to the main thread layer.
On the upper end of the arm we mount a spring latch or bolt to drop into a
notch in the foot of the additional thread layer,
To release the latch or bolt from the notch at the times required or to lift or
draw back the latch or bolt to allow it to drop into the notch we fix inclines to the
bar along which the thread layer slides. These inclines we make moveable so
that they can readily be secured to the bar at any desired part of its length.
By these means a thickening thread can be applied at any desired part of the
work but at the end of such thickened part the additional thread would pass
across from one side of the tubular work which is being produced to the other and
would have to be subsequently cut.
In the same way two or more additional thread layers may be mounted on the
bar which is above the needles and may all be operated on by the same arm,

page_text: In order to be able to stop the machine automatically after any given number
of courses to regulate the lengths of splicing we attach a second shaft to the
driving shaft of the machine. On the above shaft we place a pair of cone friction
pulleys for driving same-On this second shaft we fix a cam to act upon a lever
and thereby turn a catch toothed wheel which carries a chain on which we place
one or more studs. The studs we arrange to act upon a clutch lever to allow a
spring to move apart the friction cone pulleys after a given number of courses have
been completed.
For some purposes a number of such additional thread layers might be used each
having only a short traverse given to it and the additional threads so laid into the
work might be left uncut where they pass across from one side to the other of the
tubular work and would then serve to bind the two sides of the work together and
form a flat band.
When the machine is set to produce a flat piece of ribbed work or a flat
piece of plain work the work produced may similarly be thickened wherever
desired.
When the machine is adapted to introduce a thickening thread or threads as
above described a somewhat longer to and fro endway travel has to be given to the
needles. This renders the spring stops used for preventing the needles from
dropping out of the bottom of the tricks or grooves in the needle bars more liable
to be shifted or shaken out of place. If they do get shifted the needles which
they ' to hold up fall below the level of the cams and 'so lock the machine
and in consequo break or bend some of its parts. To remedy this we form the
spring stops as herein after described in such manner that they get a firm hold on
to the needle bars or plates.
The drawings hereunto annexed show a knitting machine having the improve-
ments above described embodied on it.
Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of parts of the same-and Figure 3 is a vertical
cross section of the parts shown in Figure 2.
In these figures A A are the two needle plates inclined to one another-A¹ are
the grooves formed in these plates in which the stems of the needles slide. These
stems and the needles carried by them are not shown in the drawings. B B are
the driver bars one lying over each needle plate-they carry the cams for acting
on the stems of the needles-At their ends they are connected together as shown
in the plan view Figure 1. One end has jointed to it a connecting rod C which
'passes to the pin of a crank D¹ on the driving shaft D. E is the main thread
layer-it can be slidden to and fro along a fixed bar F at the foot of one of the
needle plates B¹ B¹ are projections on one of the driver bars for sliding the thread
layer to and fro.
All the above parts A A¹ B B¹ C D D¹ E and F are constructed in the ordinary
well known manner. The manner in which the cams are formed is also well
understood so that we have not thought it necessary to show them in the
drawings.
G is a bar mounted horizontally above the top of the needle bars. H is a slide
capable of being slidden to and fro along one side of this bar and carrying a thread
eye H¹ for laying an additional or thickening thread on to the needles. I I are
blocks clamped to the opposite side of the bar-they carry stops I' which limit the
distance which the slide H can be moved to and fro. The blocks can be set at any
required distance apart along the bar according to the length of travel which it is
desired to give to the slide H.
The slide H is moved to and fro by a spring catch J carried by an arm K being
pressed by a spring into a notch in the top of the slide. The arm K extends from
a slide L which can be slidden to and fro along a bar M just in the same way as
the slide H is slidden to and fro along the bar G. One slide H only is shown in
the drawing but any desired number of such slides each carrying a thread eye may
be mounted on the bar G and all receive motion in succession from the spring

page_text: catch J.
When the additional thread eyes are not required to be brought into.
action the catch J can be turned back so as not to engage with the slides H.
The crank shaft can as usual be turned by hand by a crank handle on the
crank D¹. In order to allow of its also being driven by power we prolong the
crank shaft as shown in the plan view Figure 1 and mount upon it a loose driving
wheel N which can be driven by an endless driving band. In the side of this
wheel is a conical recess into which a cone O enters. The cone is carried by a
boss which can slide freely along the shaft but cannot turn around it. To the
driving of the shaft D by a loose driving wheel N and cone D we lay no separate
claim as friction driving apparatus of this kind has before been used for driving
the shafts of knitting machines. Around the boss of the cone O is a groove into
which two pins carried by a lever P enter. This lever at its end is jointed to a
sliding bar Q which is drawn endwise by a spring Q¹ in a direction to move the
cone O away from the recess in the driving wheel N. The sliding bar can be
drawn in the opposite direction by a lever R (see Figure 2) so as to force the cone O
into the recess of the driving wheel and cause the crank shaft to be driven by the
friction clutch so formed. When the slide bar Q has been moved into this position
it is held there by the end of a crank lever catch S coming behind a projection Qat
one side of the bar. The lever catch S is drawn into this position by a spring S¹.
When a desired length either of plain work or of thickened work has been
produced the lever catch S is turned on its axis to move its end away from the
projection Q2 of the bar Q so releasing this bar and allowing it be drawn endwise
by the spring Q'-the cone O is thereby moved away from the driving wheel and
the working of the machine stopped.
The stopping of the machine at the required times is controlled by studs T¹ on
an endless chain T-the endless chain passes over a toothed wheel U which has
fast with it a ratchet wheel V to which a step by step revolving motion is imparted
by a pawl V1 carried by a lever V-the lever can be rocked in one direction
around the axis of the wheels U and V by an eccentric V³ on the crank axis of
the machine and is drawn in the opposite direction by a spring V. In this way a
continuous step by step movement is given to the endless chain-and whenever
one or other of the studs T¹ comes against the end of the lever catch S it turns
this catch on its axis and releases the bar Q and causes the machine to be
stopped.
In order to allow of a long length of endless pattern chain being used without.
allowing it to extend downwards to an inconvenient extent we not only pass the
chain over the toothed wheel U but also as shown at Figure 2 over a guide
pulley W and over a pair of pulleys X to which a weight is attached-in this way
an endless chain of nearly twice the length which could otherwise be used can
be employed. Z is a guide bar for serving as a guide for the extremity of the
bar B.
The way in which we prefer to form the spring clips Y which serve as stops to
retain the needles within the tricks or grooves of the needle plates A is shown at
Figures 4 and 5. The way in which they have hitherto been formed is shown in
Figure 3. By making the under ends of the spring clips Y to spring into a groove
in the under side of the needle plates as shown at Figure 4 or to spring over a
projection upon the underside of the plates as shown at Figure 5 all risk of the
clips shifting their position and allowing the needles to descend too far is avoided
so that the machine can be safely driven by power as hereinbefore described with-
out risk of breakage.
With knitting machinery constructed as above described a thickening thread or
threads can be laid into any part or parts of the work not only when the machine
is set to produce tubular work but also when it is set to produce a straight piece
of ribbed work.
When the machine is set to produce tubular work and consequently when work
is being produced alternately first along one row of needles and then along the
other row it will be seen that whenever a thickening thread or threads are intro-

page_text: duced into the work and when the thread eyes which lay such additional threads
on to the needles have a shorter traverse than the main thread eye which lays in
the thread for producing plain work-the additional thread or threads will at the
ends of their traverse pass across from one side of the tubular work to the other
and would have afterwards to be cut where they so pass across. Except in the case
of the end of the traverse of the thread eye coinciding with the end of the traverse
of the main thread eye. Or as before stated if numerous additional thread layers
are used each having a short traverse the additional threads so laid into the work
may be left uncut and a flat band of work be so produced. Knitted pants or boys
knicker trousers can also be made without seam upon the machine by first making
a circular body piece with the main thread eye and then putting this thread eye
out of action and bringing into action two additional thread eyes giving to each
of them a traverse equal to one half of the traverse previously given to the main
thread eye.
•
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. The construction of knitting machines in which two straight rows of needles
inclined to one another are used and in which the work is led downwards through
a narrow space between the upper ends of the rows of needles with two or more
thread layers one carried by a slide which can be slidden by means of the driver
bar of such machine to and fro along a fixed bar at the foot of one of the rows of
needles the other or others carried by a slide or slides which can be slidden to and
fro along a bar fixed above the upper ends of the two sets of needles; this latter
slide or slides being driven by a spring catch on a slide driven to and fro by the
driver bar along a fixed bar at the foot of one of the rows of needles substantially
as herein before described.
2. The construction of knitting machinery substantially as herein before described
and illustrated in the drawing annexed.
3. The means substantially as described for arresting the working of the machine
when any desired length of work has been completed.
4. The construction in the above described machine of the spring clips Y
substantially in the manner herein before described and illustrated at Figures 4
and 5.
5. The means substantially as described for permitting a long length of pattern
chain to be used for controlling the working of the above described machine.
1885
Tin 04th day of l 1885
>
CARPMAEL & Co,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: We, JOHN HARRIS COOPER of Evington Hall. in the County of Leicester and
Friars Causeway Leicester, Hosiery Manufacturer and WILLIAM JAMES FORD of
Humberstone in the County of Leicester, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES to be
as follows:-
-
"
This Invention has for its object to improve that class of knitting machines in
which two straight rows of latch needles inclined to one another are used and in
which the mechanism is so arranged that the rows operate alternately one row
while the yarn or thread layer is passing in one direction and the other when it is
passing in the opposite direction so as thereby to produce a tubular fabric.
In these machines the needles work in grooves in needle plates inclined to one
another and between the upper ends of which is a space down through which the
work can pass. The needles in each row are actuated by cams carried by driver
bars which are moved simultaneously to and fro along the rows and as the machines
are now commonly made the thread layer is capable of sliding to and fro along a
bar at the foot of one of the needle plates and is caused to move along this bar by
projections on one of the driver bars coming against it. These machines are also
often so made that by shifting the cams the needles may be made to produce a flat
piece of ribbed work or to produce a flat piece of plain work by setting one row of
needles entirely out of action.
.
According to our Invention we add to machines of this kind an additional thread
layer to lay a splicing or thickening thread into the work this thread layer can be
slidden to and fro along a bar mounted above the top of the two rows of needles
and we give motion to it by an arm extending from the stem of the main thread
layer or from an arm carried by a block which can be slidden to and fro along a
bar at the foot of one of the needle plates just in the same way as the main thread
layer is slidden to and fro along a bar at the foot of the other needle plate and we
similarly give motion to the arm from projections on the driver bar which is on its
side of the machine so that the arm always maintains the same position relatively
to the main thread layer.
On the upper end of the arm we mount a spring latch or bolt to drop into a
notch in the foot of the additional thread layer,

page_text: To release the latch or bolt from the notch at the times required or to lift or
draw back the latch or bolt to allow it to drop into the notch we fix inclines to the
bar along which the thread layer slides. These inclines we make moveable so that
they can readily be secured to the bar at any desired part of its length.
.
By these means a thickening thread can be applied at any desired part of the
work but at the end of such thickened part the additional thread would pass across
from one side of the tubular work which is being produced to the other and would
have to be subsequently cut.
In the same way two or more additional thread layers may be mounted on
the bar which is above the needles and may all be operated by the same arm.
In order to be able to stop the machine automatically after any given number of
courses to regulate the lengths of splicing we attach a second shaft to the driving
shaft of the machine. On the above shaft we place a pair of cone friction pulleys
for driving same. On this second shaft we fix a cam to act upon a lever and
thereby turn a catch toothed wheel which carries a chain on which we place one or
more studs. The studs we arrange to act upon a clutch lever to allow a spring to
move apart the friction cone pulleys after a given number of courses have been
completed.
For some purposes a number of such additional thread layers might be used
each having only a short traverse given to it and the additional threads so laid
into the work might be left uncut where they pass across from one side to the
other of the tubular work and would then serve to bind the two sides of the work
together and form a flat band.
When the machine is set to produce a flat piece of ribbed work or a flat piece of
plain work the work produced may similarly be thickened wherever desired.
To prevent the latches of the needles from flying up when the needles are pushed
forwards through the work we employ a guard plate with rounded ends extending
in both directions from the main thread layer in such a position that it does not
interfere with the action of the additional thread layer or layers.
Dated this 2nd day of February 1885.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: We JOHN HARRIS COOPER of Evington Hall in the County of Leicester and
Friars Causeway Leicester Hosiery Manufacturer and WILLIAM JAMES FORD of
Humberston in the County of Leicester Manufacturer do hereby.declare the nature
of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES" and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention has for its object to improve that class of knitting machines in
which two straight rows of latch needles inclined to one another are used and in
which the mechanism is so arranged that the rows operate alternately one row
while the yarn or thread layer is passing in one direction and the other when it is
passing in the opposite direction so as thereby to produce a tubular fabric.
In these machines the needles work in grooves in needle plates inclined to one
another and between the upper ends of which is a space down through which the
work can pass.
The needles in each row are actuated by cains carried by driver
bars which are moved simultaneously to and fro along the rows and as the
machines are now commonly made the thread layer. is capable of sliding to and fro
along a bar at the foot of one of the needle plates and is caused to move along this
bar by projections on one of the driver bars coming against it.
These machines are also often so made that by shifting the cams the needles
may be made to produce a flat piece of ribbed work or to produce a flat piece of
plain work by setting one row of needles entirely out of action.
According to our invention we add to machines of this kind an additional
thread layer to lay a splicing or thickening thread into the work this thread layer
can be slidden to and fro along a bar mounted above the top of the two rows of
needles and we give motion to it by an arm extending from the stem of the main
thread layer or from an arm carried by a block which can be slidden to and fro
along a bar at the foot of one of the needle plates just in the same way as the
main thread layer is slidden to and fro along a bar at the foot of the other needle
plate and we similarly give motion to the arm from projections on the driver bar
which is on its side of the machine so that the arm always maintains the same
position relatively to the main thread layer.
On the upper end of the arm we mount a spring latch or bolt to drop into a
notch in the foot of the additional thread layer.
To release the latch or bolt from the notch at the times required or to lift or
draw back the latch or bolt to allow it to drop into the notch we fix inclines to the
bar along which the thread layer slides. These inclines we make moveable so
that they can readily be secured to the bar at any desired part of its length.
By these means a thickening thread can be applied at any desired part of the
work but at the end of such thickened part the additional thread would pass
across from one side of the tubular .work which is being produced to the other and
would have to.be subsequently cut.
In the same-way two or more additional thread layers may be mounted on the
bar which is above the needles and may all be operated on by the same arm,

page_text: In order to be able to stop the machine automatically after any given number
of courses to regulate the lengths of splicing we attach a second shaft to the
driving shaft of the machine. On the above shaft we place a pair of cone friction
pulleys for driving same-On this second shaft we fix a cam to act upon a lever
and thereby turn a catch toothed wheel which carries a chain on which we place
one or more studs. The studs we arrange to act upon a clutch lever to allow a
spring to move apart the friction cone pulleys after a given number of courses have
been completed.
For some purposes a number of such additional thread layers might be used each
having only a short traverse given to it and the additional threads so laid into the
work might be left uncut where they pass across from one side to the other of the
tubular work and would then serve to bind the two sides of the work together and
form a flat band.
When the machine is set to produce a flat piece of ribbed work or a flat
piece of plain work the work produced may similarly be thickened wherever
desired.
3
When the machine is adapted to introduce a thickening thread or threads as
above described a somewhat longer to and fro end way travel has to be given to the
needles. This renders the spring stops used for preventing the needles from
dropping out of the bottom of the tricks or grooves in the needle bars more liable
to be shifted or shaken out of place. If they do get shifted the needles which
they ought to hold up fall below the level of the cams and so lock the machine
and in consequence break or bend some of its parts. To remedy this we form the
spring stops as herein after described in such manner that they get a firm hold on
to the needle bars or plates.
The drawings hereunto annexed show a knitting machine having the improve-
ments above described embodied on it.
Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of parts of the same-and Figure 3 is a vertical
cross section of the parts shown in Figure 2.
In these figures A A are the two needle plates inclined to one another-A¹ are
the grooves formed in these plates in which the stems of the needles slide. These
stems and the needles carried by them are not shown in the drawings. B B are
the driver bars one lying over each needle plate-they carry the cams for acting
on the stems of the needles-At their ends they are connected together as shown
in the, plan view Figure 1. One end has jointed to it a connecting rod C which
passes to the pin of a crank D' on the driving shaft D. E is the main thread
layer it can be slidden to and fro along a fixed bar F at the foot of one of the
needle plates B¹ B' are projections on one of the driver bars for sliding the thread
layer to and fro.
All these parts are constructed in the ordinary well known manner. The
manner in which the cams are formed is also well understood so that we have not
thought it necessary to show them in the drawings.
G is a bar mounted horizontally above the top of the needle bars. H is a slide
capable of being slidden to and fro along one side of this bar and carrying a thread
eye H for laying an additional or thickening thread on to the needles.
I I are
blocks clamped to the opposite side of the bar-they carry stops I' which limit the
distance which the slide H can be moved to and fro. The blocks can be set at any
required distance apart along the bar according to the length of travel which it is
desired to give, to the slide H.
The slide H is moved to and fro by a spring catch J carried by an arm K being
pressed by a spring into a notch in the top of the slide. The arm K extends from
a slide L which can be slidden to and fro along a bar M just in the same way as
the slide H is slidden to and fro along the bar G. One slide H only is shown in
the drawing but any desired number of such slides each carrying a thread eye may
be mounted on the bar G and all receive motion in succession from the spring

page_text: catch J. When the additional thread eyes are not required to be brought into
action the catch J can be turned back so as not to engage with the slides H
The crank shaft, can as usual be turned by hand by a crank handle on the
crank D¹. In order to allow of its also being driven by power we prolong the
5 crank shaft as shown in the plan view Figure 1 and mount upon it a loose driving
wheel N which can be driven by an endless driving band. In the side of this
wheel is a conical recess into which a cone O enters. The cone O is carried by a
boss which can slide freely along the shaft but cannot turn around it. Around the
boss of the cone O is a groove into which two pins carried by a lever P enter,
This lever at its end is jointed to a sliding bar Q which is drawn endwise by a
spring Qin a direction to move the cone O away from the recess in the driving
wheel N. The sliding bar can be drawn in the opposite direction by a lever R (see
Figure 2) so as to force the cone O into the recess of the driving wheel and cause
the crank shaft to be driven by the friction clutch so formed. When the slide
bar has been moved into this position it is held there by the end of a crank
lever catch S coming behind a projection Q2 at one side of the bar. The 'lever
catch S is drawn into this position by a spring S¹. When a desired length either
of plain work or of thickened work has been produced the lever catch S is turned
on its axis to move its end away from the projection Q2 of the bar Q so releasing
this bar and allowing it to be drawn endwise by the spring Q¹-the cone O is
thereby moved away from the driving wheel and the working of the machine
stopped.
The stopping of the machine at the required times is controlled by studs Tou
an endless chain T-the endless chain passes over a toothed wheel U which has
fast with it a ratchet wheel V to which a step by step revolving motion is imparted
by a pawl V carried by a lever V-the lever can be rocked in one direction
around the axis of the wheels U and V by an eccentric V³ on the crank axis.of.
the machine and is drawn in the opposite direction by a spring V*. In this way a
continuous step by step movement is given to the endless chain-and whenever
one or other of the studs T¹ comes against the end of the lever catch S it turns
this catch on its axis and releases the bar Q and causes the machine to be
stopped.
In order to allow of a long length of endless pattern chain being used without
allowing it to extend downwards to an inconvenient extent we not only pass.the
chain over the toothed wheel U but also as shown at Figure 2 over a guide
pulley W and over a pair of pulleys X to which a weight is attached-in this way
an endless chain of nearly twice the length which could otherwise be used can
be employed. Z is a guide bar for serving as a guide for the extremity of the
bar B.
The way in which we prefer to form the spring clips Y which serve as stops to
retain the needles within the tricks or grooves of the needle plates A is shown at
Figures 4 and 5. The way in which they have hitherto been formed is shown in
Figure 3. By making the under ends of the spring clips Y to spring into a groove
in the under side of the needle plates as shown at Figure 4 or to spring over a
projection upon the underside of the plates as shown at Figure 5 all risk of the
clips shifting their position and allowing the needles to descend too far is avoided
so that the machine can be safely driven by power as hereinbefore described with-
out risk of breakage.
With knitting machinery constructed as above described a thickening thread or
threads can be laid into any part or parts of the work not only when the machine
is set to produce tubular work but also when it is set to produce a straight piece
of ribbed work.
When the machine is set to produce tubular work and consequently when work
is being produced alternately first along one row of needles and then along the
other row it will be seen that whenever a thickening thread or threads are intro-
duced into the work and when the thread eyes which lay such additional threads
on to the needles have a shorter traverse than the main thread eye which lays in

page_text: the thread for producing plain work-the additional thread or threads will at the
ends of their traverse pass across from one side of the tubular work to the other
and would have afterwards to be cut where they so pass across. Except in the case
of the end of the traverse of the thread eye coinciding with the end of the traverse
of the main thread eye. Or as before stated if numerous additional thread layers
are used each having a short traverse the additional threads so laid into the work
may be left uncut and a flat band of work be so produced. Knitted pants or boys
knicker trousers can also be made without seam upon the. machine by first making
a circular body piece with the main thread eye and then putting this thread eye
out of action and bringing into action two additional thread eyes giving to each
of them a traverse equal to one half of the traverse previously given to the main
thread eye.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
'
1. The construction of knitting machines in which two straight rows of needles
inclined to one another are used and in which the work is led downwards through
a narrow space between the upper ends of the rows of needles with two or more
thread layers one carried by a slide which can be slidden by means of the driver
bar of such machine to and fro along a fixed bar at the foot of one of the rows of
needles the other or others carried by a slide or slides which can be slidden to and
fro along a bar fixed above the upper ends of the two sets of needles; this latter
slide or slides being driven by a spring catch on a slide driven to and fro by the
driver bar along a fixed bar at the foot of one of the rows of needles substantially
as herein before described.
2. The construction of knitting machinery substantially as herein before described
and illustrated in the drawing annexed.
3. The means substantially as described for arresting the working of the machine
when any desired length of work has been completed.
4. The construction in the above described machine of the spring clips Y
substantially in the manner herein before described and illustrated at Figures 4
and 5.
5. The means substantially as described for permitting a long length of pattern
chain to be used for controlling the working of the above described machine.
Doted this 24th day of Jul 1885