IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED FABRICS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Batkin Whitehall, of Goldsmith Street, in
the Town of Nottingham, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED
FABRICS."
Sealed the 1st June 1869, and dated the 16th January 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Batkin Whitehall
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 16th January 1869.
I, JOHN BATKIN WHITEHALL, of Goldsmith Street, in the Town of
Nottingham, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF LOOPED FABRICS," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in applying to the ordinary circular knitting
machine a toothed wheel, which is secured on the pipe of the head, and

page_text: turns with it and gears into a larger toothed wheel secured on the lower
end of a spindle, which is held in bearings lying clear of the circular
head. The upper end of the spindle is provided with a presser plate
which revolves once round during two revolutions of the circular head.
Above the first-named toothed wheel on the pipe of the head, and also
revolving with it, is another toothed wheel which gears into a smaller
wheel on the lower end of an axle turning in bearings carried by a
bracket which is secured to tho standards or framing of the machine.
The upper end of this axle has secured on it a similar wheel to that at
the lower end, and which upper wheel gears into a larger wheel which
revolves on a pipe which is supported by the upper part of the bracket
before named. By means of this arrangement the last-named larger
wheel, which lies vertically over the circular head, will revolvo at the
same time and speed as the circular head. Above the upper larger
wheel there is a ring of metal which may be placed on the outside or
inside of the pipe supported by the bracket. This ring of metals has
inclines upon it, or the pipe may be cast or otherwise formed with a
groove round it, with the necessary inclines either inside or outside; in
either case such inclines operate upon the upper end of a sliding piece
which slides in a slot in the wheel which revolves on the said pipe.
The lower end of the sliding picce carries a bearded needlo, which par-
takes of the up-and-down movoments of the sliding piece as operated
upon by the inclines. The circular head, in addition to the revolving
presser which operates upon the vertical sliding needle once in two
revolutions of the head, is provided with the usual loop wheel, dividing
wheel, landing wheel, presser wheel, knocking over wheel, and push
back, and also with a second push back, which lowers the work at such
times as the sliding needle is operated upon by the revolving presser
first named. To allow of the vertical movements of the needle carried
by the sliding piece above named a space is formed in the ring of needles
in the circular head. By one needle being taken out by the combined
operations of the above-described apparatus I can produce an imitation
seam in looped fabrics made on the ordinary circular-headed knitting
machine. The sliding piece carrying a needle, instead of being placed
upon a separate pipe lying above the circular head, may be arranged to
slide in a slot in the flange of the pipe of the circular head, and be
operated upon by suitable inclines placed below the needle heads; or,
instead of a bearded needle arranged in either of the above-described

page_text: arrangements, a bearded needle, a tumbler, or self-acting needle may
bo placed so as to slide horizontally and be operated upon by inclines.
(The novelty) consists in producing by the above means an imitation
scam or scams in looped fabrics made on the ordinary circular-headed
kitting machine carrying bearded needles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Batkin Whitehall in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BATKIN WHITEHALL, of Goldsmith Street, in the Town of Nottingham,
Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Batkin Whitehall, Her special
licence that I, the said John Batkin Whitehall, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Batkin
Whitehall, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
LOOPED FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Batkin Whitehall, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
samo to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
•
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Batkin Whitehall, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the samo

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
The Drawings shew four modifications of my Invention for producing
a seam or imitation seam or seams in looped fabrics made on the
ordinary circular machine.
In my first modification Fig. 1 is a front view of a set of my improved
apparatus applied to a circular head, part being shewn in section;
Figs. 2 to 11 shew separate views of some of the parts; my second
modification is shewn at Fig. 12, which is a front view with part shewn
in section; Fig. 13 shews a plan of the circular head and the apparatus
as arranged for the first and second modifications; Fig. 11 shews a front
view of a circular head and the apparatus I employ in my third and
fourth modifications for producing one or more seams without using the
upper vertical needle employed in my first and second modifications;
Fig. 15 is a plan of the third modification; and Figs. 16 and 17 separate
views of some of the parts.
My first improvement consists in applying to each head a toothed
wheel A which turns with the head and gears into a wheel B secured
on the lower end of an axle C, which is held in a bearing secured to one
arm of a standard D to the right of the head. The upper end of the
axle C carries a circular plate which is furnished on its lower side with a
presser plate E, which is shaped slightly excentric for the purpose of
adjustment. An under side view of this plate and presser is shewn at
Fig. 5; this presser revolves once round during two revolutions of the
circular head. Above the toothed wheel A on the pipe of the head and
also revolving with it is another wheel F which drives a wheel F" half its
size; this wheel F is held on the lower end of a short shaft F by a set
screw. The shaft F' turns in bearings screwed to a standard D at the
left side of the head. The upper end of the shaft carries a wheel F the
same size as the wheel F", which drives a wheel Fs twice its size, which
wheel is supported by a collar under it secured to the pipe of a circular
grooved cam G held by screws to an arm G' secured to the top of the
standard D at the left of the head. The cam and arm are shewn in plan
at Fig. 2, in section at Fig. 3, and the groove is shewn laid out flat at
Fig. 4. By the above arrangement the. wheel F will revolve at the same
speed as the circular head; this wheel has a slot in it vertically in which
slides a needle carrier H which has a stud, shewn by dotted lines in

page_text: Fig. 12, near its upper end, which sliding in the groove of the cam G
partakes of the rising and falling movements communicated by the said
cam. The needle is secured in the carrier by a scrow in its lower end
and has its beard pointing upwards, i.c., the reverse way to the beards of
the needles in the circular head; such reversed needlo when at its
lowest position is in a space formed in the circle of needles,. by lowering
one of the said needles into the position shown.at the right of the head.
The lowering of a needle is affected by the following means:-At two
opposito points in the circle of needles where it is required to form a scam
or imitation scam, first upon one side of the fabric and then upon the
other, I take away that portion of lead on each side in which the needles
are cast, and instead thereof I insert in each hinged pieces of brass M,
shown in front view at Fig. 6, the lower and upper parts being shewn
separately in sido viows at Figs.. 7 and 8. In the upper part a needle is
held by a small screw;. this upper part has two recesses in the lower sido,
in one or other of which a stud at the top of a small spring M³ secured in
the lower brass drops so as to hold the needle in its lowered position, as
seen at the right of the head, when a space is required in the circle of
needles to receive the vertical reversed needle, or to hold it in its raised
position, as seen at the left of the head, when such space is required to
havo a needle in it to correspond to the circle of needles. The push
back I instead of being attached to a bracket on the bracket platform is
securely fixed to the pipe of the grooved cam G; secured to the top of the
axlo of the head is an incline K, upon which the back of the vertical
reversed needle slides while it is being pressed by the presser E. Above
the ring of needles is a ring guide L, seen in plan at Fig. 9, which when
required will hold the fabric tight while the presser E operates. The
clearing, loop, dividing, presser, and knocking over wheels are of tho usual
construction and occupy the usual relative positions assigned them. The
toothed wheel F, shown in section at Fig. 10 and in plan at Fig. 11, has
part of its boss hollow to receive a clamping piece secured by a set scrow,
which arrangement upon the clamping piece being loosed allows of the
head being turned half round; the clamping picco being secured and the
previously depressed needle being raised, and the corresponding, needle
on the opposite side being lowered, the vertical reversed needle will then
form a scam or imitation seam on the opposite side to the one previously
formed. The two operations are performed in the following manner :-
For cach pair of stockings required to be made a piece of fabric is made

page_text: of the length required for one leg with a seam down one side of the
fabric; the head is then stopped from working, and the reversed vertical
needle in the carrier H is raised until its head will clear the top of the
incline K, and held in such position by the set screw until the lowered
needle in the circular head is raised; the head is then started to work a
length of fabric sufficient to form two stocking feet; it is again stopped,
and the needle opposite the previously raised needle in the circular head
is then lowered to form a space for the vertical reversed needle to work
in, the set screw of the wheel F" is loosed, and the head is turned round
until the space is exactly under the vertical reversed needle which is then
lowered and secured in its holder, as shewn at Fig. 1. The wheel F
being clamped the head is started and worked until a piece of fabric is
made of the same length as the stocking leg, but having the seam
reversed, i.e., on the opposite side of the fabric to the first seam; such
length of fabric being cut and stitched in the usual way will form one
pair of hose having a seam or imitation scam down the back of the leg
without any waste of material being made, such movements being
repeated for every pair of hose required. In making an imitation scam
or seams the movements of the vertical reversed needle operated by the
cam G is as follows:-Some work being run on the needles and the
reversed needle being at its lowest position previous to reaching the
clearing wheel will continue in that position until it has passed the
clearing, loop, dividing, landing, pressing, and knocking over wheels;
still continuing its circular course, it rises up, and during such rising up
it secures one loop under its beard; it then falls in the same ratio as the
work is lowered by the push back; it then suddenly rises and falls in
passing the portion marked G³ at Fig. 4 before reaching the clearing
wheel; such movements then again occur and the reversed needle
secures a second loop, the work run on being pressed over the beard of
the reversed needle as it passes between the excentric presser and the
most prominent part of the incline K, the two loops remaining under the
reversed needle beard until the needle is lowered and again suddenly
raised by the part G₁ of the grooved cam, such rising causing the two
loops on the needle to be drawn through the work run on as the said
work is lowered by the push back previous to reaching the clearing
wheel. The reversed needle continuing to revolve receives a third loop
as it rises between the knocking over wheel and the incline K, and in its
next revolution it receives a fourth loop as it again rises between the

page_text: knocking over wheel and the incline K, the first and second loops being
knocked over the third and fourth loops as the reversed needle passes
between the excentric presser and incline, such movements being suc-
cessively repeated for the length required, the thread being received by
and work produced on the other needles in the usual manner.
My second modification consists of apparatus applied to a circular-
headed knitting machine of the usual construction, but the said
apparatus produces a seam or imitation seam down one side only of the
fabric. A front view of such head and apparatus is shewn at Fig. 12,
where the circular head is shown in section, and is like unto that
described in my first modification, with the following exceptions, the
reversed needle in the holder H not being required to work in moro
than one space mado for it in the ring of needles no provision is
required to bo mado for lowering and raising a needle alternately on
opposite sides of the circular head, so that it is only necessary to
take away one or moro needles to form a space on one side of the ring
of needles for the reversed needle to work in, and the toothed wheel F',
instead of being provided with a clutch to allow of the wheel being
turned round, as above described, such wheel is secured in a set position
on its shaft, and the head continues working to produce any required
length of fabric with a scam or imitation scam down one side only. Thọ
standard D to the right of the head, besides affording support for the
bearing of the axle of the wheel B and excentric E, also carries tho
bearings for the shaft F of the next adjoining head, and to its top is
screwed an arm G' for a cam G. In the plan, Fig. 13, shewing the
arrangement of the wheels usually employed with a circular head, the
clamping plates for securing the needle leads are shewn five in number,
but the screws for holding them in place are not shewn in order that the
position of the wheels A, B, F, and F' may be more readily scon. Tho
alamping plates at Fig. 15 aro shewn six in number, the scrows for
holding them not being shewn, as the number of such plates may bo
varied at the option of the maker.
The apparatus I employ in my third and fourth modifications ard
shown by Figs. 14, 15, 16, and 17, and consist of the usual arrangement
of parts constituting a circular-headed knitting machine, as shown in
plan at Fig. 13, with the following exceptions, the push back I instead
of being scrowed to a cam G above the head it is held in the bracket

page_text: plato N in the usual way, and the incline K is taken away and a bracket
carrying a knocking over wheel is substituted for it. The additional
parts consist of the following:-Two portions of the flange of the head is
cut away,
and in cach space thus formed is placed a vertical bearing A
held to the flange by screws, seen at Figs. 14 and 15; in this bearing
slides a short rod B having a hole in its upper end in which a needle
with a shank or stem longer than those usually employed is capable of
adjustment by a set screw; this rod has a small flange at the top whichl
when the rod is lowered rests upon the top of the bearing A and holds
the needle at the same height as the rest of the needles in the circle;
when such an adjustment is required it is only necessary to undo the set
screw in the collar C on the bottom of the rod B, press the rod down
and the collar C up close to the bearing A; the needle in the rod B will
then revolve, receive the thread, and be pressed in its turn with the
other needles. When the set screw in the collar O is loosed the rod B
will not turn round, as a groove is cut in it, in which the point of the
set screw presses, so that the relative position of the needle beard and
the collar C will always be maintained. The collar C has a small hook
at one side, upon which is an elastic spring, which is also hooked on to
a stud at the outer end of a bracket E; and from the side of the collar C
projects a short lever D, which as the head revolves strikes against one
end of a bent rim G, which causes the rod B and the needle in it to bo
turned half round, continuing in such position until the lever has passed
over the inner face of the rim G to the other end of the rim, where the
rod and needle is turned back again by the operation of the elastic
spring; such turning of the needle causes the loop it receives to be
twisted. The rising and falling of the needle in the rod B is effected in
the following manner:-Surrounding the boss of the toothed bevel
wheel H is a cam ring F. The bottom of the collar C sliding on the cam
ring F when at its highest position, as seen at Fig. 14, has placed the
beard of the needle the rod B carries clear above the other needles with
its beard outwards, but when the needle has been lowered and still
revolving the lever D strikes the rim G the beard will be turned
towards the centre of the head, being so turned for the purpose of
pressing off the loops. The rim G, which is secured to the cam ring F,
is held in position by two screws passed through holes in two projections
forming part of the ring by which it is screwed to the bed of the
machine. The rim G is of such height that when the boss C is raised to

page_text: the under side of the bearing A the lever D instead of striking the rim
will pass clear over it, as seen by the position of the lover D'.
In making an imitation seam on either side of the fabric it is requisite
that the loops collected by the needle in the rod B should be pressed off
at every alternate course. This I effect as follows:-Tho wheel H on the
pipe of the head is made somewhat smaller than usual, and gears into a
wheel twice its size on the driving shaft, and works free on tho shaft,
except at such time as it is engaged with a toothed clutch boss which
slides on a key in the driving shaft. The larger wheel, scen partly in
sido view at Fig. 17, has two slots in it, which carry two screwed pins K,
either of which, when set by the thumb nut the farthest point from the
centre, will strike the lower end of a rocking lever L and slightly raise it,
and hold it so raised until it has passed the end of the lever, the upper
end of which lever being furnished with a circular presser wheel I such
wheel will be held in a position for closing the beard of the needle in
the rod B as such needle is lowered, as it passes between the usual
presser wheel and the presser H, so that a length of fabric having been
made with a seam or imitation seam down one side and then the
seaming needle being lowered a plain piece of fabric is made, and the
opposite needle to the lowered one being raised the pin K which
operated the lever L of the presser H is loosed and set nearer the boss of
the wheel, and the opposite pin is set nearer the rim of the wheel, a
length of fabric is made having a seam or imitation seam on the side of
the fabric opposite the first seam.
Fig. 15 shews the position of the presser H relative to the usual
pressing wheel when in the act of pressing the beard of the scaming
neadle inside the head, and Fig. 16 shews in plan the positions of the
cam ring F and rim G with respect to the wheel H, and also shows
the position of the lever D when the board of the seaming needle is
held outwards by the clastic spring.
Having described the several parts of the apparatus separately, I will
describe the movements of one of the seaming needles when at work.
Some work being run on the head and the scaming needle being at its
highest position with the beard outwards, as seen at Fig. 14, the head
being caused to revolve the needle is lowered until it is level with
the remainder of the needles in the head, which position it retains
until it has passed the loop wheel; it is then twisted half round the

page_text: 1rd, then facing the centre of the head; such twisting of the needle
twists the loop of thread it received from the loop wheel, and
loving passed the centre of the dividing wheel it is raised to its
highest point so as to throw the loop on the stem of the needle; after
passing the dividing wheel it is lowered previous to passing the centre
of the outside pressing wheel, in which position it continues until
it is raised again by its passing over the front incline, during which
passage the needle turns its beard to the front, and is then lowered and
continues to revolve until it has received a second loop, which it twists
in the same manner as the first loop; continuing its course it is again
raised to its highest point to throw the twist of the second loop on to
the stem of the needle; the needle then falls to its lowest position;
during such falling movement, the beard being inside is pressed to
allow the work that was run on the head to be pressed off by the
small presser II inside previous to the needle reaching the pres-
sing point of the outer presser, such movements being successively
repeated.
Referring to the above Drawings and description, it is evident that
when I wish to make a fabric with two scams or imitation seams in
the same length, i.c., one seam on one side of the shirt or vest, and
another scam on the opposito side of the shirt or vest, it is
When
only necessary to employ two seaming needles instead of one.
a scam or imitation scam is made on one side of the fabric only it can
only be used for stocking legs and requires cutting into lengths and
then footing on a flat or rotary frame, but my method of reversing
the seaming needlo from one side to the other enables me to produce
on the same circular head a pair of stockings with a seam down the
leg of each, the part to form the feet being made without a seam,
and cut up in the usual way; and therefore what I claim as new is,―
First. The making of a looped fabric having a seam or imitation
scam on one side the required length for the stocking leg, then a picco
of plain work without a seam to form the two stocking feet, then the
scam reversed to the other side of the fabric for the other leg, so as to
form a pair of stockings with a seam or imitation scam at the back of
cach leg, the feet being made on the same machine, instead of the
fabric being cut the required length for stocking legs and then footed
on the flat or rotary frame.

page_text: Secondly. The general arrangement and combination of parts of
machinery, or any modification thereof, as set forth, described, and
represented in the accompanying Drawings and Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Batkin Whitehall, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this Thirteenth day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
JOHN BATKIN WHITEHALL. (L.S.)