An Apparatus or Machine for Making French Knitting and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 21st Nov., 1892-Accepted, 7th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus or Machine for Making French Knitting and
the like.
I, JAMES WARDALL, of 22 Betts Street, Hucknall Torkard, in the County of
Nottingham, Grocer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to a machine, apparatus, or knitter for making materials,
such as that known as French knitting, and also wicking or similar round' knitted
cords.
The apparatus or machine consists of a cylinder or core carrying in grooves
formed therein a number of knitting needles, preferably four. The butts of these
needles project through holes or slots in a collar which is capable of sliding upon
the cylinder or core; or if preferred, the needles may be fixed to the sliding collar.
The said collar is held in position to enable the yarn to be fed to the needles by
means of a helical spring. A yarn guide or carrier is arranged above the said
collar, and the yarn is led to the needles through a hole in the before mentioned
carrier. The yarn carrier can be removed for the insertion of fresh needles.
The machine is operated as follows:-Yarn is taken through the hole in the
carrier and hooked to a wire, and is looped round this wire and round each needle.
After thus setting up the yarn, the carrier is moved round until the yarn bas
passed around the 4 needles. The collar, and consequently the needles, are then
depressed by pressure applied to the carrier, the helical spring returning the collar
to its original position after each depression of the needles, and in this manner the
work is continued. The work is preferably weighted.
Dated this 25th day of Felmuary 1892
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 6, Victoria Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus or Machine for Making French Knitting and
the like.
1, JAMES WARDALL, of 22, Betts Street, Hucknall Torkard, in the County of
Nottingham, Grocer, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :—
My invention relates to an apparatus or machine for making materials such as
that known as.
French-knitting, and also wicking or similar round or tubular knitted
cords.
The apparatus, machine, or knitter consists of a core or cylinder, preferably of
wood, or of some material of which it may be constructed without being weighty,
said cylinder being formed with grooves in which are arranged or set a number. of
knitting needles (preferably four) similar to those used in circular stocking knitters.
The butts of these needles may pass into or project through holes or slots in a
collar, barrel, or needle ring which is capable of sliding upon the cylinder. The
said needle ring is held in position to enable the yarn to be fed to the needles by

page_text: means of a helical spring, or its equivalent. A yarn guide or carrier is arranged
above the said collar or needle-ring and the yarn is led to the needles through a
hole in the bar, or holes in the bars, of the said yarn carrier.
And in order that my invention may be readily understood, I will describe the
same fully with reference to the annexed drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the apparatus or knitter as it appears when in use.
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of one of the bars of the yarn carrier.
Fig. 2 is a plan, and Fig. 3 a section of the collar or needle-ring with one of the
needles in position.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal and Fig. 5 an end view of the core or cylinder.
Fig. 6 shows a section of a collar or needle-ring, having needles fixed thereto by
soldering, or otherwise, and
Fig. 7 is a section of a needle ring made in two parts to facilitate the putting in
of fresh needles.
Fig. 8 shows the set-up.
a is the yarn guide or carrier, having, in a 4-needle knitter, two bars and b¹,
with holes c and c. This takes under the flange d of the core or cylinder e.
ff, are the grooves in the cylinder for the reception of the needles g. The collar
or needle-ring his provided with holes or slots i, i, for the bitts j of the needles,
and is held against the yarn carrier by the spring k. The core or cylinder e is
screwed into the base or stand 1, or is secured thereto in any other suitable manner,
so that said core or cylinder may be detached from it for the purpose of taking off
the needle-ring and yarn carrier and inserting fresh needles, when necessary.
A weight m is attached to the work for the purpose of putting the required tension
thereon, and making the work compact and uniform; and a box n is, by preference,
removably affixed, or attached by clips, or otherwise, to the yarn carrier to contain
the balls or bobbins of thread, or yarn, and prevent them from getting entangled,
or in the way of the operator.
Bags, scarves, rugs, and fancy articles, or articles of clothing, may be formed of
the knitted cord by employing it instead of yarn in their manufacture; or it may
be worked upon a cord or wire, or employed in the manufacture of tassels, or for
circular lamp-wicks, etc.
The manner of working the apparatus, machine, or knitter is as follows:-
For the production of knitted cord or web, or wicking, of one color, one end of
a length or ball of Berlin wool, cotton, cord, or any thread or yarn of suitable
strength is taken through the hole c, or c¹, in one of the bars of the yarn carrier
and is looped round each needle below the latches thereof. A wire hook or set-up
is then passed up the centre of the cylinder e and hooked to the end of the yarn.
After thus setting-up the yarn, the cylinder is moved round or rotated until the
yarn has passed around all the needles and lies above the latches. The needle
ring is then depressed, by pressure of the hand upon the yarn carrier a, until the
yarn fed to the needles has been carried through the loops previously formed upon
them, pressure is then removed from the carrier which is returned to its original
position by the helical spring k.
For the production of French knitting or knitted cord in two colors, one end
of a length or ball of yarn of one color is threaded through the hole in one bar of
the yarn carrier. A loop is made at the end of the yarn and placed over the needle
near the opposite bar. The end of another length or ball of yarn of the other
color is passed through the hole in the other bar of the yarn carrier and similarly
looped over the needle near the opposite bar. The wire hook or set-up is then
passed up the centre of the cylinder and hooked over the ends of the yarns, a
suitable weight being suspended at the other end of the hook or set-up. This pulls
the loops of yarn below the latches of the needles. The cylinder, or it may be the
yarn carrier, is now rotated sufficiently to pull the yarn into the needles, the yarn
of each ball supplying two of the needles, if there be four needles in the knitter,
above the latches. The carrier is then pressed down until the yarn in the needles
is carried through the loops previously placed over the needles. On removing the

page_text: band from the carrier it is returned to its original position by the spring and is
ready for rotating in a similar manner for the next series of stitches or loops. The
continuance of this intermittent rotary motion of the cylinder or yarn carrier, and
depression of the yarn carrier, produces the length of round or tubular web or
knitting in two colors. If it is desired to make French-knitting in more than two
colors, variegated or rainbow yarn must be employed, or a knitter having more
than four needles. The web or knitting may be made in two parts, or an opening
of any desired length may be formed in it, by giving an alternating reciprocating
or swinging motion to the yarn-carrier, that is to say, so that each yarn is fed into
the same two needles (in a 4-needle knitter) for the desired number of stitches or
length of web, the yarn-carrier being moved round about half the distance required
for a round or tubular web, and then back again the same distancç.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The apparatus or machine for making French-knitting and the like, cousisting
of a core or cylinder formed with grooves in which the needles are arranged or set:
of a sliding collar or ring working said needles as the collar or ring is reciprocated;
and of a yarn carrier or guide capable of rotary or oscillatory motion, and also
capable of being depressed and sliding over the core or cylinder, said collar or ring
and the yarn carrier, being returned to their original position by a spring, or its
equivalent, after the formation of each circular row of stitches or loops, substantially
as set forth and illustrated with reference to the annexed drawings.
2. The various constructions of sliding rings for holding the needles, in com-
bination with the cylinder or core having grooves for the reception of such needles,
substantially as described and shown with reference to the drawings.
3. My apparatus or machine for making French knitting, and the like, substantially
as described and illustrated in the annexed drawings.
Dind him i da
1002
ERNEST. DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 6, Victoria Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicant.