IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur William Lovell Reddie, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an
Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY." A communication
from abroad by William Henry McNary, of Brooklyn, in the State of New
York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur William Lovell
Reddie at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd Mareh 1880.
ARTHUR WILLIAM LOVELL REDDIE, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING
MACHINERY." [A communication from abroad by William Henry M°Nary, of
Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of America.]
This Invention relates principally to improvements in knitting machinery of the
class described in the Patent granted to William Henry MoNary, dated the
Fourteenth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine, No. 1932,
the principal characteristic of such machinery being that the yarn guides and
presser have a traversing step by step motion, while the needles have an up and
down motion only.
The main object of these improvements in such machinery is to simplify it, and
to enable it to run more smoothly and at a still higher speed.
My first improvement, which dispenses altogether with the complicated mechanism
for operating the wiper of such machinery, and may also dispense with the take
up rollers, besides producing a more effective operation, consists in a novel con-
struction of the stationary grooved-bar-over-which the work is drawn, and the
back of which is grooved to receive and guide the needles, and in a novel arrange-
ment of a toothed roller in relation to said bar, and in a peculiar motion of said
roller as follows:-The said bar is constructed with a concavity in its face to
conform to the periphery of the toothed roller; and the said roller is arranged in
such relation to the said concavity that there will be just room for the work to
pass between them as it is carried or drawn forward over the said bar by the teeth
Price To Adl

page_text: "
of the said roller. The said roller has given to it an intermittent rotary motion,
which may be always in a direction to wipe off the work, but it is preferable to
make such motion of such character that it first turns forward in a direction to
wipe" off the work after the completion of one stitch or course, and afterwards
turns back a little way to provide for the return movement of the work, which
permits the tightening of each stitch or course to be performed by the formation
of the next following stitch or course. The said rollor, which thus combines with
the said bar to perform the functions of a wiper, may be furnished with any
suitable means of producing a pressure between it and the concave face of the said
bar. The intermittent rotary movement of the said roller may be produced by
means of a threaded wheel having portions of its thread oblique in opposite
directions, and the said oblique portions of its thread may be formed on changeable
pieces, which are inserted into the said wheel, and which are so varied as to provide
for variations in the direct and return movements of the roller according to the
size of the stitches to be produced.
In some cases, as in machinery for knitting loose work, I propose to dispense
altogether with wiping apparatus, and to place take-up rollers as close as practicable
to the needles. The take up rollers so arranged may have such an intermittent
direct and return movement as has been just described as given to the toothed
roller. In such cases there may be arranged over the stationary bar through
which the needles work a stationary bar or guide to hold down the work and
prevent it from rising with the needles.
Another improvement in the aforesaid class of machinery has for its object the
lightening of the needle bar and consequent reduction of the weight to be moved
up and down in working the needles.
To effect this the needle bar and the stationary grooved bar in which the needles
move up and down are arranged face to face; the said stationary bar is made of
such depth that the needle bar always faces it, never passing entirely below it, and
the needles are made with flat bnks which work in the upright grooves of the
said stationary bar, and are provided with projections to enter a longitudinal
groove in the needle bar; thus the needle bar not having to sustain the needles,
but merely having to move them up and down and hold them in the grooved
stationary bar, may consist simply of a narrow bar with a groove in its face to
receive the projections of the needles.
Another improvement relates to the presser and the yarn guides. Instead of
the whole presser being made movable lengthwise of the machine, the greater
portion of the length of the presser according to this improvement is made
stationary, but a portion at each end, of a length equal to the greatest distance the
yarn guides will be required to traverse, is made of moveable sections which are
each of a width equal to one needle space. and which are capable of moving back-
ward out of the way of the needles. The yarn guide bar instead of being locked
to the presser bar, as described in the Specification of the Letters Patent herein
above referred to, is or may be locked in a similar or substantially similar manner
to a short sliding rack bar or plate, which is moved by the switch wheel and
intermediate gearing with a step by step motion like that given to the presser bar
therein described, and the said moveable sections of the presser are operated by
means of grooves in the yarn guide bar receiving projections on the said moveable
sections.
Another improvement relates to the locking device which locks together the
yarn guide bar and the aforesaid sliding rack bar, the object being to insure a
positive lock except when the yarn guide bar is required to move to change the
position of the yarn guides previous to the change of direction of the step by step
motion of the said rack bar or plate. This improvement is also applicable to the
locking together of the presser and yarn guide bar in case it should be desired to
make the presser movable longitudinally. A short shaft is carried in bearings
projecting from the back of the said rack bar or presser bar, and on this shaft is

page_text: mounted a disc, the edge of which, as rotary motion is given to said shaft, runs in
one of two or more notches in the back of the yarn guide-bar. In the edge of the
dise is cut a gap of sufficient length to liberate it from the notches in the yarn
guide bar during a sufficient portion of its rotation for the yarn guide bar to be
moved by the rack lever and bring another notch in line with the edge of the disc.
By its continued rotation the disc will enter the notch now presented to it, and
will lock the yarn guide bar and the rack bar or presser bar securely together until
the gap in the disc again comes round.
The shaft which carries the disc derives a continuous rotary motion from the
main shaft of the machine.
Another improvement relates to yarn guides of novel construction; these consist
of thin blade like pieces of metal set up edgewise and containing eyes, through
which the yarn passes in a direction parallel with the courses of knitting. These
yarn guides, which are of cheaper construction and take up less room than those
heretofore employed, may have a longitudinal motion towards and from the needles
to provide for laying the yarn close up against the needles, and they may be
arranged to turn over on their longitudinal axes preparatory to changing the
traverse, so that the yarn may always come out of the eyes of the guides on the
proper side relatively to the needles. In order to provide for properly presenting
the yarns to the needles, when yarn guides of the old kind, or of such kind as
cannot be brought very close to the needles, are used, I propose to use with such
yarn guides what may be termed "pushers," consisting of thin plates with notched
ends arranged side by side with and alternating with the yarn guides, the said
pushers" having a longitudinal motion towards and from the work, by which the
notched ends are caused to catch the yarns and place them so close to the needles
as to insure their being caught thereby.
"
Another improvement consists in a modification of machines of the class herein
above mentioned for the use of latch needles. In such a modification the presser
would be dispensed with altogether, but the number of yarn guides would have to
be increased by as many as will occupy the distance of the greatest length of
traverse which it is ever intended to give the yarn guide bar.
The Invention further relates to a mode of giving an extra thickness to the
knitted fabric in such parts as may be desired. This is effected by moving the
yarn guides two steps for every up and down movement of the needle, one step
being made while the needles are down, and the other while the needles are up.
The effect of this is to cause two thicknesses of yarn to be used in every stitch, one
thickness being looped and knitted in the ordinary way, and the other being laid
across the back of the needles.
Another improvement relates to pattern producing mechanism. Pattern pins are
arranged upon the horizontal sliding bar, which is used to change the direction of
the switch in the switch wheel.
These pattern pins operate on the switch lever which operates the switch as in
other machines. The switch wheel operates on the yarn guide bar through the
horizontal rock lever, and a series of moveable tappets on the said bar. The switch
lever acts upon these tappets through the medium of slides in such manner that
those of said tappets upon which the switch wheel is desired to operate through
the rock lever according to the arrangement of pattern pins on the sliding bar are
brought into operative positions, the other tappets being meanwhile kept in such
positions as to be inoperative.
The Invention also relates to a mode of giving greater compactness to the work
by the introduction into it of what may be termed warp yarns, such yarns being
inserted and-interlaced-into-the-fabric lengthwise thereof between the loops; this
is effected by the use of an additional set of yarn guides for supplying yarns
between the needles, and by a novel arrangement of the yarn guides which supply
the threads for forming the loops, the additional yarn guides being stationary, and
those which supply the threads for the loops, and which have a transverse motion,

page_text: being arranged alternately higher and lower than the said additional guides, so
that they will carry their threads alternately over and under the warp threads.
The delivery of these warp yarns to the fabric may be so controlled that they may
be brought more or less straight, and be thereby made to control the elasticity of
the fabric.
This part of the Invention is applicable to other kinds of knitting machinery
besides that of the class herein above particularly mentioned.
E

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Arthur William Lovell Reddie in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd September 1880.
ARTHUR WILLIAM LOVELL REDDIE, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING
MACHINERY." A communication from abroad by William Henry MoNary, of
Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates principally to improvements in knitting machinery of the
class described in the Patent granted to William Henry McNary, dated the
Fourteenth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine, No. 1932,
the communicant of the present improvement.
The principal characteristic of this machinery is that the yarn guides and presser
have a traversing step by step motion while the needles have an up and down
motion only.
The main objects of the present improvements are to simplify the construction of
the machine and to enable it to run more smoothly and at a still higher speed.
The first improvement, which dispenses altogether with the complicated mechanism
for operating the "wiper" of such machinery, and may also dispense with the
take up rollers, besides producing a more effective operation, is illustrated in Sheet I.
of the accompanying Drawings, where Fig. 1 is a cross section of so much of the
machine as will serve to explain the coustruction and mode of working of this
improvement. In this Figure, A is the bed plate of the machine; B is the needle
bar carrying as before a series of bearded needles b which work up and down in
vertical grooves c formed in the back of the horizontal bar C. This grooved bar C
is carried by brackets bolted to the bed plate A, and its face is hollowed out
longitudinally to conform to the periphery of a horizonal toothed roller G which
serves the purpose of the elastic "wiper" of the Patent above referred to. The
construction of toothed roller preferred is that illustrated in partial plan view at
Fig. 2, which represents the teeth as formed by grooving the roller longitudinally
and turning annular grooves in the periphery at right angles to the axis. It may
however be remarked that a plain roller covered with "card" filleting may be,
employed for this purpose. To facilitate the removal of this roller from the
machine (to permit of the inspection and adjustment of the work below it), it is
mounted in the following manner:-The bar C is formed with projecting ears c¹
which are notched to form bearings for the axle of the roller G. Overlying the
roller for the purpose of holding it down to its work is a series of pressing levers G',
which levers are pivotted to brackets G³ standing up from the bed plate A.
Fitted to the free ends of each of these levers is a small sliding frame G³ in which
is mounted a pair of pressing rollers G, which are fluted longitudinally to interlock
with the longitudinal grooves of the roller G. Standing up from the back of the
roller frame G³ is a rod which slides in a socket nut fitted in the lever G¹, and
surrounding this rod is a coiled spring G", the tendency of which is to force the
lever and the frame apart. Projecting laterally from each bracket G³ is a shoulder
that overlies its lever G³ to serve as a stop against the rising of the lever under
the pressure of the spring G³. The rollers G will thus be caused to press upon the
roller G and retain it in position, thereby enabling it to maintain a firm hold of
the work which is drawn down between the roller-and-the-grooved-bar C by the
rotation of the roller G. For adjusting the pressure upon this roller it is only
necessary to turn the socket nuts screwed into the levers G¹ to the right or left,
and as their lower ends overlie the coiled springs G³ they will compress or slacken
the springs as desired. For driving this roller G a peculiar arrangement of gearing
is employed, it being found desirable to give the roller not only a forward but

page_text: also a backward motion for the purpose to be presently explained. In some cases
however no back motion will be needed.
On the axle of the roller G is a bevil pinion g, into which gears a bevil pinion g¹
mounted on the lower end of an inclined short shaft g². This shaft is carried in adjust-
able bearings g³, the lower one of which is a swivel bearing, and is situate in the
line of the axis of the roller G to insure the bevil pinions remaining in gear what-
ever may be the position to which the shaft g² is adjusted. The upper bearing g³
is carried in a segment shaped slot of a bracket G bolted to the bed plate A. This
arrangement for adjusting the shaft 92 is to allow of its receiving various diameters
of worm wheels G7 at its upper end according to the rate the work is produced.
In gear with this worm wheel G7 is a worm G8 which receives rotary motion (one
rotation for each rotation of the main driving shaft) through a train of gearing not
shewn in the Drawing. By reference to the plan view of this worm, shewn at
Fig. 3, it will be seen that it is so formed as to drive the worm wheel into which
it gears, first, in one direction for a given distance, and then in the opposite
direction for a given shorter distance, thus the roller G will be caused to pull the
new row of loops over the heads of the needles and then to slacken the work, so
that a portion of the thread forming those loops may be taken back to form a
portion of the next row of loops. The result of this back motion of the roller G
will be to produce finer work on needles of a given gauge than has heretofore been
produced. The worm G8 is made with a changeable piece or section to provide for
a greater or less amount of forward and back motion being imparted to the roller G
to suit the various kinds of work in hand. Thus at Figs. 3* a section is shewn
detached which when applied to the worm will give to the roller G a different
amount of axial motion.
The arrangement of gearing just described for driving the roller G offers no
obstruction to the removal of that roller from the machine, it being only necessary
for this end to disengage the presser levers G¹ from the catches of their brackets G³
and to throw them back into the dotted position of Fig. 1. In some cases it may
be found desirable to employ in connection with the wiper roller G a pair of take
up rollers as indicated by dots H, H³, Fig. 1. The lower of these rollers may be
driven by spur gear from the axle of the roller G, as also shewn in Fig. 1.
In some cases, as in machinery for knitting loose work, it is proposed to dispense
altogether with wiping apparatus, and to place take up rollers as close as practicable
to the needles. The take up rollers so arranged may have the intermittent direct
and return movement described as given to the toothed roller G. At Fig. 4,
Sheet II. of the Drawings, I have shewn so much of a knitting machine in cross
section, with the take up rollers applied thereto, as will serve to explain this part
of the Invention. In this Figure C is the grooved bar in which the needles b work,
and H, H', are the take up rollers. These rollers are mounted in brackets H³ at
opposite ends of the machine. The lower roller H' is supported at intervals by
antifriction rollers h, mounted in standards h¹ affixed to the bed plate A of the
machine. The upper roller H is held down by spring pressing rollers pendent from
pressing levers, the whole being arranged substantially in the manner described
with reference to Fig. 1 for holding down the wiper roller G.
As these corresponding parts in Fig. 4 are lettered as in Fig. 1, no further
description of their construction and action will be required. It may however be
as well to remark that a pin is passed transversely through the sliding rods of the
roller frames to maintain the connection between the frames and their levers, when
the latter are raised to permit of the removal of the roller H from the machine;
C is a longitudinal bar overlying the grooved bar C, and serving to prevent the
lifting of the work as the needles rise. This bar is carried by the presser levers G',
it being provided with rods which pass through socket holes in the levers, and are
secured by nuts to the levers. These rods between the levers and the bar are
fitted with coiled springs, which will put a sufficient pressure on the bar to prevent
its yielding to any upward drag of the work. The work will however be free to

page_text: pass under the bar to the take up rollers, the nuts on the supporting rods of the
bar serving to prevent any undue pressure of the bar on the work. As the coiled
springs will yield when the levers G' are depressed to disengage them from the
catches on the standards G2, the guide bar C₁ will offer no obstruction to the
disengaging movement of the levers. The lower roller H¹ is the driven roller, and
it may receive motion through a similar arrangement of gearing to that described
with reference to Fig. 1 for driving the roller G, the direction of motion being
however reversed.
Another improvement in the aforesaid class of machinery has for its object the
lightening of the needle bar, and consequent reduction of the weight to be moved
up and down in working the needles.
To effect this the needle bar B and the stationary grooved bar C in which the
needles b move up and down are so arranged relatively to each other that the
needle bar C always faces the stationary bar, never passing below it. This is
effected by giving an increased depth to the bar C, as shewn in cross section at
Fig. 5, Sheet III., of the Drawings, where the two bars are represented in their
place in the machine. In this Figure it will be seen that the needles b are made
with flat blanks which are provided with projections b¹ that enter a longitudinal
groove in the needle bar. Thus the needle bar not having to grip the needles as
heretofore, but merely to move them up and down, and hold them in the grooved
stationary bar, may be made light as shewn in the Drawing, and will admit of
being driven more rapidly than heretofore.
The connection of this bar with the rock levers B* which impart the requisite up
and down motion thereto is by links B. The bar B (see the detached view
Fig. 6) is provided with tubular guides 63 to receive the vertical guide rods b*,
which stand up from the bed plate A and serve to maintain the parallelism of the
needle bar with respect to the grooved bar C.
Another improvement relates to the presser and the yarn guides. Instead of the
whole presser being made moveable lengthwise of the machine, the greater part of
the presser according to this improvement is made stationary, but a portion of each
end, of a length equal to the greatest distance the yarn guides will be required to
traverse, is composed of moveable sections, which are each of a width equal to one
needle space, and which are capable of moving backwards out of the way of the
needles. The yarn guide bar instead of being locked to the presser bar, as described
in the Specification of the Patent herein above referred to, is locked in a similar
or substantially similar manner to a sliding rack bar, which is moved by the switch
wheel and intermediate gearing with a step by step motion like that given to the
presser bar therein described, and the movable sections of the presser are operated
by means of grooves in the sliding rock bar receiving projections on the moveable
sections.
In Sheet IV. of the Drawings Fig. 7 is a plan view of so much of the machine
as will serve to explain this part of the Invention, and Fig. 8 is a vertical cross
section of the same; D is a fixed presser bar having sections d at its opposite ends
to lengthen it in both directions sufficiently to enable it to press a row of needles
equal in length to the length of the guide bar E plus its length of traverse. The
sections d are formed with vertical projections which enter slots formed in the
opposite ends of a longitudinal rack bar Y that overlies the presser bar. These
slots are so formed that when the projections of the sections d are in the part
marked y, they will be held back out of action, but when in the part y¹ which
stands in advance of the part y, the sections will be brought into line and form an
acting part of the presser bar.
The bar Y is provided at back with a rack, into which gears the spur wheel K
which receives an axial motion either to the right or left through the rotation of
the switch wheel L. According therefore as this wheel K rotates to the right or left
so will the sections d of the presser bar at the right or left hand end thereof be put
into or out of action by the endway motion imparted to the rack bar Y. This rack

page_text: '
:
bar serves also, as above stated, to give the requisite endway motion to: the thread
guide bar E by reason of its being locked to the guide bar, either by the means
described in the Specification of the above mentioned Patent, or by the means to
be presently explained. This locking device is illustrated at Figures 7 and 8, its
object being to insure a positive locking of the yarn guide bar, except when it is
required to move to change the position of the yarn guides with respect to the
needles they are intended to serve, previous to the change of direction of the step
by step motion of the rack bar. Y₁ is a short shaft carried in bearings projecting
from the back of the rack bar Y, and parallel therewith. On this shaft is mounted
a disc Y, the edge of which, as rotary motion is given to the shaft, runs in one of
two notches cut in the back edge of the yarn guide bar. In the edge of the disc is
cut a gap of sufficient length to give time during its rotation for the yarn guide bar
to be moved by the rock lever N and bring the other notch into line with the disc.
This lever N, it will be understood, receives a rocking motion from a cam on the
switch of the switch wheel L. The disc, by its continued rotation, will enter the
notch now presented to it, and it will thus lock the thread guide bar securely to
the rack bar, and retain it so locked until the gap in the disc again comes round.
A timed rotation given to the shaft Y¹ by the spur wheel I' on the cam shaft
through an intermediate wheel in gear with the broad spur wheel Y³ on the
shaft Y¹.
In place of the tubular thread guides e shown in Sheet IV. it is proposed to use
in some cases thread guides similar in construction to those employed in the ordinary
warp knitting machine, as these admit of the machine being constructed of a finer
gauge. In order however to prevent the beards of the needles from catching into
the threads on the entering sides of the guides the contrivance shewn in Sheet V.,
at Figures 9 and 10, is adopted. Fig. 9 is a partial plan view of the machine,
shewing the guides e mounted in bearings on the underside of the yarn guide bar E,
so as to be capable of rotating on their axis, and Fig. 10 is a cross section of this
part of the machine. The guides are formed as shewn best in the detached views,
Figures 11, that is to say, they are made of pinion wire, which is turned down to
form journals, and one end is flattened and pierced to form the eye of the guide.
The pinions e¹ gear into a rack y' formed in a recess on the face of the rack bar Y,
which recess is made of a width greater than the length of the pinion, to admit of
a forward and backwards motion being given to the yarn guides, for the purpose of
advancing them into the line of the needles and enabling them to lay their threads
around the stems of the needles. This advance motion is obtained through a link
connection from a cam I² on the main shaft, which connection admits of the yarn
guide bar moving freely endwise. When the thread guide bar is locked to the rack
bar, as explained with reference to Sheet IV., it will receive its step by step motion
from that bar through the action of the switch wheel, but before its direction of
traverse is reversed it will be necessary to shift the position of the guide bar upon
the rack bar, in order to place the thread guides in a proper position relatively to
the needles to lay the threads under the beards thereof. For this purpose the
thread guide bar is unlocked, and by means of the rock lever N, the nose of which
works between two tappets, the guide bar is shifted the distance of one needle in
the direction in which the traverse of the rack bar Y is to take place; this motion
is obtained from the switch wheel in the manner explained in the Specification of
the before mentioned Patent, but a new result is in this case secured. The inde-
pendent traverse of the thread guide bar causes the guides e, by reason of their
pinions gearing into the stationary rack y³, to make a half rotation, and thus the
delivery side of the guides will be reversed in position. The advantage of this axial
motion of the guides will be clearly understood on inspection of the plan view, Fig. 9,
and the diagram Fig. 12, which views shew the guides on opposite sides of their
respective needles, and advanced into the line of needles. When the guides are
travelling in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 9 the threads, by taking the direction
shewn in that Figure, will stand clear of the beards of their respective needles; and

page_text: the like remark applies when the guides take up a reverse position, as shewn at
Fig. 13, preparatory to the commencement of the traverse of the rack bar in the
direction of the arrow of that Figure. So soon as this traverse of the rack bar has
taken place the yarn guide bar will be advanced to the line of needles, as above
explained, and the guides will thus take the position shewn at Fig. 12.
In place of giving this forward and backward motion to the yarn guide bar it is
proposed in some cases to adopt the contrivance shewn at Figures 14, 15, 16, and 17,
Sheet VI. This will be specially suitable when yarn guides of the old kind, or of
such kind as cannot be brought very close to the needles, are used.
Fig. 14 shews in plan view a portion of a thread guide bar, with the means
applied thereto for pushing the threads up to or around the stems of the needles.
Fig. 15 is a cross section of the parts, and Fig. 16 is a partial front view of the
thread guide bar, shewing a peculiar construction of thread guide bar. This yarn
guide bar has saw cuts made at its lower edge to receive a series of pushers i, which
consist of thin plates with notched ends arranged side by side and alternating with
the yarn guides, the said pushers having a longitudinal motion towards and from
the work, by which their notched ends are caused to catch the yarns and place them
so close to the needles as to insure their being caught thereby.
The guides for the threads are formed by cutting vertical notches in the bar and
closing the lower part of these notches by cross wires, but other forms of thread
guides may be used in connection with the pushers i.
In order to actuate these pushers, they are attached at their rear ends by solder
to a bar which receives a forward and back motion from cams on the main shaft
with which it is connected in the manner described with reference to Figures 9 and
10, Sheet V., for actuating the thread guide bar.
A further improvement consists in adapting to knitting machines of the class
above mentioned, the knitting needle known as the "latch needle," which requires
no presser bar for closing the beards of the needle ready for the advancing formed
loop to pass off the needle. In adapting this class of needle to knitting machines
in which a set of thread guides receives a step by step traverse motion, the guide
bar is provided with such a number of guides in excess of the number of needles in
use as will admit of all the needles receiving threads from the guides, whatever
amount of endway traverse may be given to the yarn guide bar. Fig. 18, Sheet VII.,
illustrates this modification, in which it is assumed that the traverse of the thread
guide bar is limited to the width of three needles; its traverse may however be
enlarged to any desired extent. For the limit of traverse indicated at Fig. 18,
three thread guides beyond the number of the needles used will be required, and
this proportion of excess of thread guides to the needles will be maintained,
whatever may be the number of the needles past which the thread guides are
intended to traverse. The object of thus increasing the number of thread guides is to
prevent the dropping of the formed loops at the selvages of the work, which dropping
would occur if all the needles were not at the formation of every course supplied
with thread. It should be remarked that as the presser bar will be in this case
dispensed with, a rack bar similar to that described with reference to Sheet IV. for
traversing the guide bar must be employed.
The Invention further relates to a mode of giving an extra thickness to the
knitted fabric in such parts as may be desired. This is effected by moving the
yarn guides two steps for every up and down movement of the needle, one step
being made while the needles are down, and the other while the needles are up.
The effect of this is to cause two thicknesses of yarn to be used in every stitch, one
thread-being-looped-and-knitted-in-the-ordinary way, and the other being laid
across the back of the needles.
The mechanism for obtaining this result is illustrated in Sheet VII., where
Figures 19 and 20 represent the switch wheel L (which actuates the thread guide bar)
in two different positions, and the guide bar itself, the presser bar, the stationary
grooved bar, and the needle bar in cross section. There is no change in the

page_text: construction of any of these parts, except in that of the switch wheel which is now
provided with two switches 1, 12, at opposite sides of the wheel axle. The two
switches are similarly acted upon by tappets on a slide M through the intervention
of buttons as before. When the switch acts on the presser bar to impart
motion to the thread guides, the needles will be up, as shewn at Fig. 19, and the
threads will thus be laid in a position to be caught as usual under the beards of the
needles, but when the switch 3 comes into action, as shewn at Fig. 20, the needles
will be down, and the threads will, by the additional traverse of the thread guide
bar, be laid in such a position that on the rise of the needles' bar the threads will lie
at the back of the needles, and thus produce the additional thickness in the work.
The diagrams 21 and 22 shew these two positions of the threads in relation to the
needles, and will sufficiently explain to the practical knitter why each thread is
alternately knitted into the work and floated at the back of the work.
It may be as well to remark that the additional switch 12, as it is not intended
to act upon the rock lever N, will not be provided with a cam shaped projection
like that of the switch 11.
Another improvement relates to pattern producing mechanism, the object being
to vary indefinitely the amount of traverse of the thread guide bar, and thereby
to enable the machine to produce pattern work and shaped work. To this end the
horizontal sliding bar M. used to change the direction of traverse of the machine, as
explained in the Specification of the above mentioned Patent, is now fitted with
pattern pins which act through a sliding tappet upon a forked plate, to give the
switch a variable reversing motion, and also to give the thread guide bar a
corresponding variable shift preparatory to the change of traverse.
The mechanism for effecting this object is shewn in Sheet VIII. of the Drawings,
where Fig. 23 is a plan view of parts for actuating the thread guide bar, and
Fig. 24 is a cross section of the same.
In these Figures L is the switch wheel, M the horizontal sliding bar
fitted with pins m which constitute it a pattern plate. These pins are arranged
one in advance of the other, they being set up in parallel lines of holes formed to
receive them, and distributed over these lines so as to effect at the right moment
the reversal of the traverse of the thread guide bar E. Overlying the pattern plate
is a forked sliding plate Z, from the front edge of which project two prongs of
peculiar construction. These prongs embrace the switch wheel L, and serve by
means of internal projections which they carry to reverse the position of the switch
when the direction of the traverse of the thread guide bar is to be changed. The
switch wheel is connected through a spur wheel K with the rack bar Y, as explained
with reference to Sheet IV., and this rack bar is connected with the thread
guide bar so as to impart to it a step by step motion, and yet leave it free
to be traversed independently of the rack bar, as occasion requires. Fitted to the
thread guide bar is a series of vertically sliding tappets e³, which are thrown up at
the desired moment to receive the lateral pressure of the rock lever N, which serves to
shift the position of the thread guide bar upon its traversing rack bar Y. The
thread guide bar has drilled in it a line of holes corresponding to the teeth on the
pattern plate M. In these holes the tappets are so fitted that whether raised or
depressed they will have a tendency to retain a position into which they have been
forced. The tendency of the tappets to remain raised is produced by a slight
spring fixed in a recess in the bed plate A, and opposite to which the raised tappets
are brought. The rock lever N, the hinder end of which is forked to embrace the
switch wheel, is acted upon by cam tappets carried by the switch on every change
in the position of the switch. Thus preparatory to the reversing of the traverse
motion of the thread guide bar E by the shift of the switch, one of its cam pro-
jections will strike the rock lever N and cause it to slide the thread guide bar on
the rack bar the distance of one needle preparatory to the shifting of the traverse
motions of the rack bar, and that in the direction of the change of traverse to be
immediately effected. This shifting of the thread guide bar is produced by the

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rock lever N striking a raised tappet on the thread guide bar, which raised tappet
corresponds with the pattern pin that has produced the change in the position of
the switch. To provide for the raising of the tappets e³ there is mounted on either
side of the horizontal rock lever N a vertically rocking lever N'. These levers are
supported on the bracket which carries the lever N, and their near ends lie within
the path of the prongs of the slide Z, see Fig. 24°, which is a diagram shewing the
rear ends of the levers N', the slide Z being shewn by dots. These levers N' carry
at their rear ends inclines, which, when struck by either prong of the slide Z will rock
and raise their forward ends. The normal position of these vertical rock levers is
in a plane below the heads of the tappets of the thread guide bar when in their
lowest position. When these levers N¹ are quiescent the traverse of the thread
guide bar will cause the tappets to pass freely over the forward ends of the rock
levers. So soon however as it is required to shift the direction of traverse of the
thread guide bar one of the levers N₁ will be rocked and caused to lift a tappet,
which, at that moment, overlies it. The next forward movement of the thread
guide bar will advance the tappet into contact with the rock lever N, and following
this motion the rock lever will strike the raised tappet and force back the thread
guide bar the distance of one needle in the direction in which it is intended that
the rack bar shall begin to traverse back the thread guides. When this is done
the switch will operate the rack bar in the reverse direction to that in which it
last moved, and the raised tappet will be carried forward into contact with one of
a pair of fixed inclines et, e³, secured to the bed plate A. These inclines will be
be best seen in the sectional view, Fig. 25, where the incline e* is shewn as about
to engage with a rebate in the stem of a raised tappet, and thereby on the next
movement of the thread guide bar to draw it down to its normal position. The
traverse of the thread guide bar will now be continued until a pin on the pattern
plate causes a reversal of its movement by the means just described, at which time
the other rock lever N¹ will come into action and present a tappet to be struck by
the rock lever N when moved in the reverse direction.
Returning now to the forked sliding plate Z it will be necessary to explain how
that plate is actuated by the pattern plate M for the purpose of effecting the change
in the position of the switch and the rocking of the levers N¹. In this plate a
transverse slot z is cut to form guides for a slide z¹; pendent from this slide is a
square stem z³, against the back and front of which (see the detached views, Figs.
26) tappets 23,, slide. The stems of these tappets pass up through guides in the
alidez, and they are connected together by a rock lever, which has its fulcrum
on the pendent stem 23, and is intended to cause the depression of the one tappet
on the rising of the other so as to bring the same within reach of a pattern pin on
the plate M. Each tappet it will be seen is provided with a double vertical incline,
which, when pressed upon by a pattern pin, will cause the endway traverse of the
slide to bring the flat side of the stem 22 into line with the advancing pattern
pin. It is only when the tappet is in its depressed position that the advancing
pattern pin can reach it. When the pattern pin has struck the stem ² the shifting
of the switch will result therefrom, and the direction of the traverse of the pattern
3 plate being reversed, the next pattern pin in succession will act upon the incline on
the opposite side of the tappet, press forward the slide z' in its slot, and the pin
will then press on the flat face of the stem and shift the sliding plate as before, but
in the opposite direction, thereby reversing the position of the switch, the traverse
of the thread guide bar, and the traverse of the pattern plate.
When the last of the set of pattern pius has come into action that tappet of the...
sliding plate z which has been presented to those-pins-will-now, by reason of the
shifting of the slide-in-its-guide, be brought in line with a fixed double incline m¹
on the pattern plate M. The next advance movement of the pattern plate will
cause this incline to lift the depressed tappet, say, that at the front of the stem, as
at Fig. 24, and thereby to depress the corresponding tappet on the back of the
stem, and bring it into the requisite position for meeting the next advancing

page_text: '
pattern pin. The pins will now in succession act upon the inclines of this tappet
and force back the slide 2¹ until the tappet is brought into line with a second fixed
incline m³ on the pattern plate. This will cause a reversal of the movements above
mentioned, and thus the work will proceed, alternately commencing at opposite
ends of the pattern. For the purpose of retaining the slide ¹ in the position to
which it has been moved by the action of the pattern pin upon the incline of the
tappet the slide is fitted at its upper face with a snap bolt 26, which takes into a
series of V shaped notches cut in the edge of an overlying fixed bar.
Thus, if the
slide has not reached its exact position the tendency of the snap bolt will be to
advance it to that position, as well as retaining it until the slide is pressed further
forward by the pattern pin next brought into action.
The construction of the mechanism for giving the requisite motions to the thread
guide bar having been explained, it will only be necessary to a complete under-
standing of this part of the Invention to follow the course of action of the various
parts by which those motions are produced. Supposing the thread guide bar to be
moving in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 23, the pattern pin 1 of the plate M
having acted upon the tappet to bring the forked sliding plate into the position
shewn in that Figure, the reversal of the switch will have taken place to cause the
rack bar to move in the direction of the arrow. But previously to the rack bar
starting in this direction the thread guide will have been advanced a step in order
to bring the thread guides into the proper position for laying the threads at their
next movement under the beards of their adjacent needles. This movement is
effected by the rock lever N striking the raised tappet 1, such motion of the rock
lever being produced as heretofore by the cam projection on the revolving switch.
So soon, however, as the pattern pin 2 of the pattern plate M comes into action the
position of the forked slide Z will be shifted to the right. The rock lever N³ on
the right of the switch wheel will then be rocked, and the tappet which it at the
moment underlies will be lifted. By the continued rotation of the switch wheel
the forked plate Z will shift the position of the switch, and in doing so will cause
one of its cam projections to strike on the tail of the rock lever N and shift it into
the dotted position of Fig. 23. This movement of the rock lever will force the
thread guide bar backward a step, that is, in the opposite direction of the arrow,
the thread guide bar being at that moment unlocked from the rack bar. As,
however, the parts are again immediately locked the next movement of the rack
bar will cause the thread guide bar to move with it in the opposite direction to
the arrow, and so continue until a third pattern pin comes into action. A repetition
of these movements will bring all the pattern pins into use in turn until a second
double incline m² on the pattern plate is reached.
On the coming into action of this incline the reverse motions will be recom-
menced, the tappet being now brought into use, as also the rock lever on the left
hand side of the switch wheel.
The Invention relates, lastly, to a mode of giving greater compactness to the
knitted work by the introduction into it of what may be termed warp yarns, such
yarns being inserted and interlocked into the fabric lengthwise thereof between
the loops. This is effected by the use of an additional set of yarn guides for
supplying yarns between the needles, and by a novel arrangement of the yarn
guides which supply the threads for forming the loops, the additional yarn guides
being stationary, and those which supply the threads for the loops, and which have
a traverse motion, being arranged alternately higher and lower than the said
additional guides, so that they will carry their threads alternately over and under
the warp threads. The delivery of these warp yarns to the fabric may be so con-
trolled as to bring them more or less straight, and be thereby made to regulate the
elasticity of the fabric. This part of the Invention is applicable to other kinds of
knitting machinery than that of the class herein above particularly mentioned.
In Sheet IX. of the Drawings this part of the Invention is clearly illustrated,
Fig. 27 being a plan view on an enlarged scale of so much of the machine as will

page_text: serve to explain the nature of the improvement, Fig. 28 being a cross section of the
same parts, and Fig. 29 a front elevation illustrating also the character of the work
produced. In these views E is the thread guide bar fitted with thread guides e,
and carried by the rack bar Y. This rack bar, with its thread guide bar, has an
endway motion as usual. E¹ are brackets standing up from the bar E, and carrying
a second thread guide bar E* fitted with thread guides e³. This bar E is held at a
sufficient elevation to allow of a set of fixed yarn or thread guides e* (attached to
a bar E and carried by standards) lying between the planes formed by the lines of
thread guides e, e. The guides e and e³ alternate. Thus supposing a guide 1 to
be on the lower bar the guide 2 will be on upper bar, the guide 3 on the lower
bar, and so on, and with respect to the fixed guides e* these guides e, es, will alter-
nately underlie and overlie the fixed guides, the number of which latter will be
equal to the number of spaces between the needles.
By reference to Fig. 29 it will be seen that the warp threads led into the work
by the fixed guides will pass down between the knitted loops and lie as unconnected
threads in the fabric. The thread guide bar E is slotted longitudinally to allow of
the standards E** passing up through it, and that without interfering with the
traverse motion in either direction of the thread guide bar.
Having now explained the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in Knitting
Machinery," which has been communicated to me from abroad by my foreign
correspondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I
wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I
claim,
First. Adapting to straight knitting machinery a wiper" roller having inter-
mittent axial motion in one direction only, or in opposite directions, for the purpose
above set forth.
Second. In lieu of the wiper roller or its equivalent the arrangement of take-up
rollers in conjunction with a holding down bar, as described with reference to
Sheet II. of the Drawings.
Third. The mode above described with reference to Sheet III. of mounting the
needles.
Fourth. Adapting to a fixed presser movable sections for extending the length
of the same in opposite directions, and throwing these sections into and out of
action in the manner described with reference to Sheet IV. of the Drawings.
Fifth. Imparting the traverse motion to the thread guide bar through a rack bar,
to which it is temporarily connected by a locking apparatus, as described with
reference to Sheet IV.
Sixth. Giving to the thread guides a half turn at every reverse of the traverse
motion of the thread guide bar in the manner and for the purpose above set forth
with reference to Sheet V. of the Drawings.
Seventh. Giving to flat thread guides which have a turning or axial motion a
motion towards and from the needles, for the purpose above set forth.
Eighth. The use of "pushers" in combination with thread guides which have
no advancing motion towards the needles for the purpose of laying the threads
close up to or around the stems of the needles, as described with reference to
Sheet VI. of the Drawings.
Ninth. The means above described for enabling "latch needles". to be used in
conjunction with my improved knitting machinery.
Tenth. The arrangement of mechanism described with reference to Sheet VII.
whereby a floating thread is laid at the back of the work.
Eleventh. The arrangement of pattern mechanism described with reference to
Sheet VIII. of the Drawings, whereby an irregular traverse may be imparted to
the thread guide bar for the purpose of throwing patterns into the work, or of
fashioning or shaping the work.
And particularly I claim the means above described, or any mere modification
thereof, for enabling the rock lever N to act upon the thread guide bar preparatory
2

page_text: to the reversing of the motion of its driving bar when such reversals occur at
irregular intervals.
Lastly. The arrangement described with reference to Sheet IX. of the Drawings
for laying warp threads into the knitted work.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur William Lovell Reddie, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the First day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
ARTHUR W. L. REDDIE. (L.S.)