Improvements in the Manufacture of Knitted Ribbed Fabrics and in Machinery to be used for this Purpose.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 24th July, 1891-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Knitted Ribbed Fabrics and in
Machinery to be used for this Purpose.
We, LUKE WOODWARD, and CHARLES RICHARD WOODWARD, both of Lee
Works, Nottingham, Hosiery Machinists, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the production on knitting machines of continuous
ribbed fabrics in which the breadth of the ribs is automatically varied according to
requirement.
For this purpose we construct a knitting machine in which are 2 systems of
needles as ordinarily employed for the production of a ribbed fabric.
In these systems, the needle bits are of as many different patterns as there are to
be varieties of ribs.
>>
Supposing that our machine be filled with needles to make 3 × 2 rib, that is,
having alternately 3 needles in the frame, and 2 needles in the "machine
system; and it be required to proceed to 1 x 1 rib, and afterward to return
to 3 x 2.
In this case there are 2 distinct needle bits in the frame, that being the variety of
ribs required.
When the 3 x 2 rib is completed, the middle needle of the 3 is pressed off, and
put out of action.
In order to prevent these loops unroving when pressed off, before pressing off the
machine needles are held back for 2 or more courses, and the frame needles knit
alone, the machine needles are then brought again into action and the necessary
loops pressed off.
"
The whole of the needles are then " shogged or moved sidewise till the
remaining 2 needles in the frame come alternately with those in the "machine,"
thus rearranging the whole in order 1 x 1.
The "machine" needles are now kept back out of action, and the frame needles
knit alone during as many courses as desired; then the "machine" needles are
brought forward and 1 x 1 rib is made to any requisite length.
When 1 x 1 has been knitted long enough the "machine" needles are put back
out of action and "shogged" to their original position. While these are still held
from knitting, the middle of the 3 frame needles is brought into work again, and
during 1 or more courses the "frame" needles knit alone. Then the machine
needles are brought forward, and the work proceeds 3 x 2 as at first.
In this instance the operation of shogging is only rendered necessary by the
nature of the change required, and in order to bring machine and frame needles
alternate for the production of 1 x 1, but it need not be done where possible to
dispense with it.
By making 1 or more plain courses on the frame needles alone as above described
at the time of changing from the production of one kind of rib to another the
change is effected without any small holes being produced at intervals apart in the
work, such as are produced when the change is made by any of the ways heretofore
in use.
Dated this 93rd dar of Contember 1800
L. WOODWARD.
C. R. WOODWARD.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Knitted Ribbed Fabrics and in
Machinery to be used for this Purpose.
We, LUKE WOODWARD, and CHARLES RICHARD WOODWARD, both of Lee
Works, Nottingham, Hosiery Machinists, 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 :-
This invention relates to the production on knitting machines of continuous
ribbed fabrics in which the breadth of the ribs is automatically varied according to
requirement.
For this purpose we construct a knitting machine in which are 2 systems of needles
as ordinarily employed for the production of a ribbed fabric.
In these systems, the needle bits are of as many different patterns as there are to
be varieties of ribs.
Supposing that our machine be fitted with needles to make 3 × 2 rib, that is,
having alternately 3 needles in the frame, and 2 needles in the "machine"
system; and it be required to proceed to 1 × 1 rib, and afterward to return
to 3 x 2.
In this case there are 2 distinct needle bits in the frame, that being the variety of
ribs required.
When the 3 x 2 rib is completed, the middle needle of the 3 is pressed off, and
put out of action.
In order to prevent these loops unroving when pressed off, before pressing off the
machine needles are held back for 2 or more courses, and the frame needles knit
alone, the machine needles are then brought again into action and the necessary
loops pressed off.
The whole of the needles are then "shogged" or moved sidewise till the
remaining 2 needles in the frame come alternately with those in the "machine," thus
rearranging the whole in order 1 x 1.
The "machine" needles are now kept back out of action, and the frame needles
knit alone during as many courses as desired; then the "machine" needles are
brought forward and 1 x 1 rib is made to any requisite length.
When 1x1 has been knitted long enough the "machine" needles are put back
out of action and "shogged" to their original position. While these are still held
from knitting, the middle of the 3 frame needles is brought into work again, and
during or more courses the "frame" needles knit alone. Then the machine
needles are brought forward, and the work proceeds 3 x 2 as at first.
The operation of shogging is rendered necessary by the nature of the change
required, and in order to bring machine and frame needles alternate for the
production of 1 x 1 rib.
By making 1 or more plain courses on the frame needles alone as above described
at the time of changing from the production of one kind of rib to another the change
is effected without any small holes being produced at intervals apart in the work,
such as are produced when the change is made by any of the ways heretofore
in use.
The drawings represent apparatus arranged as above described for enabling a
change from 3 x 2 to 1 x 1 rib work and back again to be made whenever
required.
Figure 1. A and B shews the 2 sorts of frame needle jacks; A having a long
tail can be raised to press by a cam at the tail which will let the other jacks B pass
untouched, B having a long neb can be raised to press by a cam which will not
touch A.
In every set of 3 frame needles in the 3 × 2 arrangement as shewn at Figure 5,
the middle needle has a jack like A, the others like B.

page_text: Figures 2 and 3 shew sectional elevation of the cam slide and the development of
the whole cam sufaces.
When the
A'A' shews the extra pressing cam which when brought to its top position presses
the middle needle of the 3, (which has a long tail) but lets the others pass untouched.
B¹ B' shews the ordinary pressing cam with an internal sliding part C.
part C is let down by the bolt D, the needles with jacks A do not rise to take a
loop because their nebs are short; the needles with jacks B (Figure 1) are pressed
and take the loop in the ordinary way by means of the fixed cam B¹.
Figure 4 shews the arrangement applied to the ordinary shaft connecting.
"frame" and "machine" together, whereby the "shogging" is performed.
B is the ordinary shaft intermediate between "frame" and "machine." A is the
wheel gearing into frame. C is the wheel gearing with "machine."
The wheel A is not fastened directly to the shaft, but is only prevented from
moving vertically. On the wheel is fastened an incline piece D.
E is a disc which slides vertically on the shaft and drives it by the feather key F.
On its outer edge it is cut to correspond with the inclined piece of the wheel A.
The upright shaft is thus driven from the wheel A through the incline piece D, the
disc E, and the feather key F. G is a forked lever by which E is raised and
lowered. When the disc E is raised or lowered the incline piece D causes disc and
wheel to change position relatively to each other while the shaft as a whole is still
revolving; and this causes the frame and machine to change their relative position
or "to shog."
The lever G and the slide cams A and C (Figures 2 and 3) may be all
actuated and controlled from our usual well known vertical cam-shatt arrangement.
Figures 5 and 6 shew the 2 arrangements of the needles. Figure 5 shews the
arrangement 3 × 2. Figure 6 shews 1 x 1.
When it is required to pass from 3 x 2 to 1 x 1 the machine needles are held
back for 2 or more courses and the frame needles knit alone. Then the machine
needles are brought into action again and after one or more courses the slide
(Figure 3) is brought to the top with the result that the middle one of every set of
frame needles is pressed off. At the same time the extra slide C is put down, and
they are thus prevented from rising to take a loop again. The slide A' is then
allowed to fall again, the "machine" needles are held back and the disc E (Figure 4)
is raised. This rearranges the needles in the order of Figure 6. The middle
needle put out of action, is there shewn by dotted circles.
The machine needles still being held back, several courses are knitted on the
frame needles to form a welt, then the machine needles are brought in again and
work is made upon the 1 x 1 arrangement to any requisite length of rib top.
When it is required to revert to 3 × 2, the machine needles having been put back,
the lever G (Figure 4) is reversed causing the needles to "shog" back to their
original position.
While the machine needles are still held back, the sliding cam C (Figures 2 and 3)
is raised, thus bringing the middle frame needles into work again. The whole of
the frame needles then knit during one or more courses; then the machine needles
are again brought forward, and the work proceeds 3 x 2 as before.
66
The machine needles are actuated and held back in the manner common in all
welting" heads.
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. In the manufacture of ribbed fabric in which a change is made from one form
of rib to another, the making of one or more plain courses on the frame needles, to
fill up the hole which would occur by the bringing into action of fresh needles at
the one change, and the running down of stitches which would occur at the casting
off of loops when frame needles are taken out of action at the other change.
2. The construction of machinery for knitting ribbed fabrics in such manner that

page_text: the machine needles may be shogged relatively to the frame needles; and with the
frame needle stems formed with projecting bits of varying size in such manner that
the bits of one size may be acted on independently of the bits of another size by
cam pieces which can be moved into or out of action substantially as described.
3. The construction of machinery for knitting ribbed fabrics to operate substan-
tially in the manner hereinbefore described and permit of the production of one
form of ribbed work being changed for another whenever desired.
Dated this 24th day of July 1891.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.