Improvements in the Manufacture of Knitted Vests and in Machinery to be Used for the Purpose.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 26th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 25th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 2nd May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Knitted Vests and in
Machinery to be Used for the Purpose.
I, JAMES HENRY WOODWARD, of Lee Works, Nottingham, Hosiery Machinist,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In making vests on flat or rotary knitting machines the front and back are
ordinarily made in one continuous length-and in vests for women, in order to make
enlargements at the breasts a division or opening is made in the work where each
breast is to be formed and the section of work on each side of each opening is first
progressively widened on the edge next to the opening and afterwards narrowed.
The central section cannot therefore be made at the same time as the side sections.
Various ways of producing successively the section of work between the two
openings and the sections of work which are outside them have been devised but all
of them necessitate frequent running of parts of the work on to and off from the
needles.
According to my invention I form the vests in the following manner :—
The front above or below the breasts is first made in the ordinary manner with
a single thread carrier, being widened or narrowed on its outer edges as required.
When the point is arrived at where divisions in the work have to be formed for the
breasts three thread carriers are set to work for a few courses to continue the work
in three separate sections. The central section is then pressed off from the needles
and the formation of the two side sections is proceeded with each section being first
progressively widened on its inner edge and afterwards progressively narrowed
until it has been brought back to its original width. The loops of work of these
side sections which are upon the needles are then slipped down on the stems of the
needles so as to bring them close down on to the needle leads and below the
knocking over bits in order that the loops may not be knocked off from the needles
when the machine is continued to be worked.
The central section of work which had previously been run off from the needles
is again run on to the same needles from which it had previously been removed and
the completion of the central section is proceeded with it being first progressively
widened and afterwards progressively narrowed until it has been brought back to
its original width. When this has been done the loops of work in the side section.
needles are pushed upwards to bring them above the knocking over bits and the
formation of the remainder of the vest is proceeded with as heretofore with a single
thread carrier traversing over the whole of the needles.
In order to permit of the sections of work being widened either in the one
direction or the other as is required when making vests in the above manner I
provide filling up points on each side of each set of narrowing points the filling up
point on one side would be out of action when the point on the other side was in
action. I also provide for properly controlling the movement of the thread layer
bars and point bars by the ordinary screw boxes.
DLL: oh dan of Iuno 1890

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Knitted Vests and in
Machinery to be Used for the Purpose.
I, JAMES HENRY WOODWARD, of Lee Works, Nottingham, Hosiery Machinist,
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:-
In making vests or combination dresses on flat or rotary knitting machines the
front and back are ordinarily made in one continuous length-and in vests for
women, in order to make enlargements at the breasts a division or opening is made
in the work where each breast is to be formed and the section of work on each side
of each opening is first progressively widened on the edge next to the opening and
afterwards narrowed. The central section cannot therefore be made at the same
time as the side sections. Various ways of producing successively the section of
work between the two openings and the sections of work which are outside them
have been devised but all of them necessitate frequent running of parts of the work
on to and off from the needles.
According to my invention I form the vests in the following manner :—
The front above or below the breasts is first made in the ordinary manner with a
single thread carrier, being widened or narrowed on its outer edges as required.
When the point is arrived at where divisions in the work have to be formed for the
breasts three thread carriers are set to work for a few courses to continue the work
⚫ in three separate sections. The central section is then pressed off from the needles
and the formation of the two side sections is proceeded with each section being first
progressively widened on its inner edge and afterwards progressively narrowed
until it has been brought back to its original width. The loops of work of these
side sections which are upon the needles are then slipped down on the stems of the
needles so as to bring them close down on to the needle leads and below the
knocking over bits in order that the loops may not be knocked off from the needles
when the machine is continued to be worked.
The central section of work which had previously been run off from the needles
is again run on to the same needles from which it had previously been removed and
the completion of the central section is proceeded with it being first progressively
widened and afterwards progressively narrowed until it has been brought back to
its original width. When this has been done the loops of work on the side section
needles are pushed upwards to bring them above the knocking over bits and the
formation of the remainder of the vest is proceeded with as heretofore with a single
thread carrier traversing over the whole of the needles.
In order to permit of the sections of work being widened either in the one
direction or the other as is required when making vests in the above manner I
provide filling up points on each side of each set of narrowing points the filling up
point on one side would be out of action when the point on the other side was in
action. I also provide for properly controlling the movement or the thread layer
bars and point bars by ordinary screw boxes.
Figure 1 of the drawings annexed shows a section through the working parts of
the frame, with work being knitted in the ordinary way.
Figure 2 shews plan of same with the middle section of work pressed off, and
the side sections in course of widening.
Figure 3 shews a section through working part of frame when the side pieces
have been completed, and then slipped down below the knocking over bits and the
middle piece, having been run on its needles is being knitted.
Figure 4 shews plan of same, with the middle piece as far progressed in the
widening as the side pieces in Figure 2.
Figure 5 shews front view of Figure 3 with the narrowing brasses fastened to

page_text: their respective bars, and filling up points D and D on each side, for widening in
either direction.
Figure 6 shews a portion of a vest as it comes from the frame.
A represents a widened side of the middle section.
B represents the widening of a side section, and the pieces which correspond to
them in side and middle sections respectively are shewn in dotted lines underneath
them.
C are the narrowing points D the filling up points each carried by a separate
slide Dx which can be moved up and down between guides in the brasses C* which
carry the narrowing points C. E are the needles and F the knocking over bits.
GG are the bars to which the brasses C* which carry the narrowing and filling up
points are secured.
When in making a vest the front above or below the breasts has been made up
to the point where the breasts are to be commenced the three thread carriers are
brought into action as above explained and the narrowing points C which pre-
viously were used for making widenings or narrowings at the selvages are by
shifting the bars G endwise by turning the screws of the screw boxes used for
controlling their movements brought into a position for commencing to make the
narrowings or widenings at the breasts and the work is proceeded with as above
explained. Each set of narrowing points has therefore sometimes to be used for
making narrowings or widenings at one side edge of a portion of work and at
other times on the other side edge of a portion of work. If the same screw box
were used for controlling them at both these times there might be difficulty in
securing accuracy in working when the nut working on the screw of the screw box
became worn as at one time the thread layer bars would just before the coming
into action of the narrowing points have struck the nut in one direction and at
another time have struck the nut in the opposite direction.
In order therefore to ensure greater accuracy in working I preferably use an
extra screw box with narrowing screw at each end of the machine. By this means
I am enabled to stop the carriers with each separate screw box in one direction
only. The liability to inaccuracy through wear in the nuts being thus avoided and
the points and thread carriers can thus always be caused to work accurately with
the needles.
The filling up points placed one on either side of each set of narrowing points
can as shewn in Figures 1, 3 and 5 be put into or out of action independently one
of the other. When making the widenings on the middle section of the work the
filling up points on one side of each brass will have to be brought into action whilst
when making the widenings on the two side sections the filling up points on the
other side will be required.
The filling up points are arranged to be moved up and down by the rod H which
is itself moved up and down at the times required by its being carried by arms
from a shaft to which a rocking motion is imparted as is well understood.
In the arrangement shewn in the drawing the slide Dx which carries each filling
up point is connected by a link I to the rod H. This rod passes through a slot in
the link and is kept at one end of it by a hooked lever J. When the filling up
point is not required to be brought into action the hooked lever J is turned into a
position in which it no longer retains the rod at the upper end of the slot-the rod
can then move to and fro along the slot without giving any movement to the slide
which carries the filling up point and this slide is then held up and out of action
by a spring not shewn in the drawing.
The manner in which the filling up points operate when brought into action is
well understood so that it is unnecessary to give any description of it.
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 :-
:-
1st. The narrowing brasses containing 2 filling up points one on each side

page_text: of the narrowing points, arranged to narrow or widen and fill up in either
direction.
2. The method of working the breasts of ladies vests or combination dresses
substantially as described.
Dated this 94th 1. of M 1001
J. H. WOODWARD.