Improvements connected with the Lamb Type of Knitting Machine.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with the Lamb Type of Knitting
Machine.
A communication from OTTO ALBERT PETSCHKE, of 28, Augustusburgerstrasse,
Chemnitz, in Saxony, Germany, Machine Maker.
I WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 will best be understood by the aid of the accompanying four
sheets of drawings, on which
Figure 1 shows a side view of the improved knitting machine:
Figure 2 is a plan view of the arrangement of the cams whilst Figure 3 is a front
view thereof,
Figures 4 and 5 are a plan and a front view respectively of the frame c and its
action on the upper cam & when the slide is shifted from right to left. Figures 6
and 7 are corresponding views, the carriage or slide having been shifted from left
to right.
Figures 8 and 9 are a plan and a front view respectively of the carriage and its
action on the lower cam a when the slide is shifted from right to left, and
Figures 10 and 11 are corresponding views when the slide is shifted from left to
right.
Figure 12 is a plan view showing the position of the cam parts and how the
needles are acted upon when the slide is shifted from right to left, as in the case
of flat web; Figure 13 is a corresponding view excepting that the slide is shifted
from left to right.
Figure 14 is a plan view showing the position of the cam-parts and how the
needles are acted upon when the slide is shifted from right to left as in the case
of plain web, whilst Figure 15 is a corresponding view when the slide is shifted
froin left to right,
Figure 16 shows the needles when moved down engaging the thread, and forming
the loops.
Figure 18 shows the needles when in their highest position in making loops,
Figure 17 shows how the needles alternately work on the front side, and
Figure 19 on the rear side in the case of plain tubular goods,
Figure 20 is a view showing the parts which go to form the carriage or slide
disconnected, whilst Figure 21 shows them connected.
Figure 22 shows the loops or meshwork being formed at the commencement of
the work:
Figure 23 the formation of raised stitches.
Figures 24 to 27 show in detail how the movement of the small part 6 of the
middle cam is brought about: Figure 24 being a plan view of the mechanism for
imparting motion to both the cams a and b, Figure 25 is a side view of the same
mechanism. Figures 26 and 27 show the two remaining positions of the cams a
and b.
The web in the Lamb knitting machine is produced in two ways; when the
carriage or slide is shifted, the one row a must by means of the two simultaneously

page_text: working rows of needles n and n¹ form double loops or meshes mo, Figures 16
and 18, whilst the other row a produces simple loops m¹; when the slide is next
shifted there must be double loops on and single ones on n. The double loops
are obtained either by the needles, as shown in Figure 22, not being drawn down
so low that the old loops m are struck off, but by the same only sinking so far that
the old loops still remain hanging upon the needles so that when the needles are
raised the loops m unite with the new loops o so as to form double loops, or else
by the needles, Figure 18, not being moved into the highest position but only so
far that the old loops m remain still hanging on the barbs or tongues of the needles
and the hooks of the latter take the new loops e so that when the needles sink the
double loops om, Figure 16, are then formed. This latter system is preferable to
the former one in that the threads are not so tightly stretched, and it permits the
working of loose yarn. In this latter system it is necessary that the middle
cam a (Figures 12 and 13) should at the one movement raise the needles into the
first or engaging position and at the next movement into the highest position.
Suitable and different arrangements of cams have ere now been constructed but
the same are not suitable for the production of plain tubular web since they do
not permit of the parts being so advanced that they can lock (as is shown at in
Figures 14 and 15) which should take place alternately in this class of work. The
new arrangement of the cam parts which is shown in the drawings is such that it
allows of a class of twisted goods being produced such as is shown in Figures 16
and 18 and morcover it is suitable for use in the production of all other kinds of
goods. Its novelty lies in the lower or middle cam which consists of two parts a
and, the upper part of which projects up out of the level into the plate k,
Figure 3, whilst the other part a (being arranged as just mentioned) can be
moved up against the side cams & so that the parts (Figures 14 and 15) can
become locked.
These movements are imparted to a and when the machine is at work by means
of the following simple appliances
:―
The upper part has a bolt e, Figures 2 to 7 and hangs by means of a
strengthened part el on the slide frame c. This frame has a bulge or swelling
and can be pushed with the same under e¹ (Figure 7) so that e and b become raised
and the part is consequently drawn up into the plate k. A lever of revoluble
at d'engages the slide at and has a pin at projecting into a slot in the
plate has in Figures 12 to 15. The plate is revolubly journalled on a slide
piece of Figures 1, 12, 20 and 21 and can be brought from the position into
the position, Figures I and 20, that is to say it could be either connected with d
or be moved away from it. The slide piece ƒ lies in a groove of the framework 1,
Figure 1, it is wedged therein by means of springs and can only be removed from
the groove by means of a certain amount of force which overcomes the friction
between and t.
If now the position of the parts be as in Figures 2 and 12, that is with the
slide frame the lever and the slide piece on the left side of the knitting
machine, and the slide parts that is to say the cam with the cam plate k, frame e
and lever d be moved to the right, the slide piece will remain held fast in its
seating by means of the friction; the lever d, which is fastened with its pivot d'
on the plate will consequently move to the right, its end however remains
hanging in, it will consequently turn out of the position in the lower part of
Figure 12 (or Figure 2) into the lower position 13, (or Figure 6) so that the slide-
frame e is pushed to the right, whereupon the latter with, Figures 6 and 7 draws
up the point of the middle cam into the plate k. If the lever d be turned, the
cam plate draws the slide piece by means of this along the row of needles to
the right. On being shifted to the right (see the lower part of Figure 13) the
front needles are simply lifted by means of a into the first position. The piece
has then been raised on the rear side (see the upper part of Figure 12) by means
of the same movement, the lever d so shifts its slide frame that becomes sunken
(see upper part of Figure 13) and that the rear needles on the movement to the

page_text: right are raised by means of a and ↳ into the highest position, and form loops.
The same operation only in a reversed direction takes place on the right side of
the machine when the carriage or slide returns; in the front row is sunk and
in the rear is raised so that now the first produce loops and the last double loops,
in this manner also the twisted goods shown in Figures 16 and 17 are produced.
When the machine works as has just been described, the lower part of the middle
cam has always remained in its place for the production of plain tubular web, it
can however be shifted, which is effected by means of the following appliances.
An ordinary bar or rail is adjustable to and fro on pins e and y which are
screwed into the plate k, Figures 2, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. A pin is
fastened in upon which pin a connecting piece can loosely turn, which latter at
the other end engages the pin 3 of the large middle cam a, this pin g³ extending
through the longitudinal slit of the plate k. If the bar or rail be therefore
pushed to and fro, the cam a becomes either so far raised that it rests against both
the side cams and by that means forms a lock or else it slides away and opens the
lock. The to and fro motion of the bar or rail z is effected by means of a forked
plate which grips the pin y of the rail, Figures 14 and 15. The plate
movable in like manner as the forked plate and is fastened together with the
latter of the same slide piece f.
is
While the foregoing work has been taking place h did not engage y³, that is to
say it had been brought into the position 2, Figure 1. If however h becomes
engaged (Figures 14 and 15) the same operation takes place between hand each
time the movement of the slide is changed as between and d, that is to say,
supposing, as in Figure 14, the cam parts have arrived at the left side of the
machine and they bave now again commenced moving to the right, will then
remain standing and will hang on h, consequently the bar or rail will be
pushed sideways to the left and will lift the middle cam a into such a position
that the parts are closed, that is to say, till it is close on the side cams s s.
The piece is simultaneously moved by means of d and consequently the
parts are entirely closed. The operation is repeated on the other side of the
machine in a reverse direction, the parts becoming open, and in a smaller manner
but in reverse order, the parts of the rear row of needles become open and
closed.
It
For this
It is in this way that the production of plain tubular web becomes possible, and
it is not necessary to make use of the adjustable cams and bolts which open aud
close the cam-parts, and which have hitherto been made use of, consequently it is
not necessary to shift the carriage or slide the entire length of the machine, and no
matter how narrow the goods may be it need only make a very small traverse.
will be quite understood that, with this new arrangement of parts, all other kinds
of goods can be produced according as the parts are moved into or out of
engagement so as to produce the raised patteru shown in Figure 23.
object, the front row of needles forms, with all the needles, the right loops ",
Figure 23, whilst in the rear row of needles, one needle works round the other and
forms the left loops u. On this rear row of needles, double loops are now formed
on one row of U-loops on four rows 1, 2, 3, 4. Each loop u has therefore four
joints by the operator moving out in the cam-parts of this row of needles, the two
parts and, and pushing forward the slide e so that the part bis raised, when
four rows are then completed. The frame e is then pushed back again when the
piece sinks and both the rows 5 and 6 are then worked, which receive loops in
and u, whereupon bis again moved out, and the work repeated with the row 1.
The little parts, which are along the four rows, then form the raised parts or
nap in the goods.
Figures 24 to 27 show a variation in the device for imparting motion to the
small part of the large middle cam in so far that the same has another direction
of movement and a correspondingly varied form of movement-mechanism which is
also much more simple.
The part of the middle cam is now no longer drawn up into the plate k but

page_text: shifts on the level, backwards and forwards on the same exactly as the part a does,
and exactly the same movement-mechanism is made use of to effect this as for the
part a. For this object, a second bar or rail c is adjustably arranged on the pins d³
and, which are screwed into the cam-plate k, and is operated by the pin d
screwed into a flat piece rivetted to the bar c. By the to and fro movement of the
bar it shifts the cam bas may be needed into the upper position as shown in
Figure 26, or into the lowest one as shown in Figure 27; this shifting is effected
by means of a connecting piece d movable round the pin d of the bar c and round
the pine of the cam b.
By this arrangement, a considerable simplification of the parts is effected, and
consequently a saving in the make, whilst the mode of working of the cams a
and, when making different kinds of goods, remains in so far the same as before
that, in all cases in which the part had been raised up in the cam-plate k
and was therefore brought out of action, the same is now simply moved into
the uppermost position, as in Figure 26, and will then also be brought out of
action.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A Lamb knitting machine which can work goods of the kind described without
the need of cam-bolts and of any width and with or without "nap" or raised work,
characterised by having the middle cam of each of its cam plates consisting of two
adjustable parts, one part (6) rising into the cam plate and the lower part (a)
advancing to the side cams.
2. In a knitting machine of the kind specified under Claim 1, changing the
upward and downward movement of the middle can (b) into a forward and receding
motion, characterised by the arrangement of a bar or rail adjustable on pins (d
and d) by means of the pin (2), and which bar or rail imparts the motion in
question to the middle cam (b) by aid of the connecting piece (d) revoluble round
the pins (d' and e¹).
All substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the accompanying
.drawings.
Dated December 20th 1802
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Applicant's Patent Agents.