Improvements in Knitting Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 17th June, 1895-Accepted, 20th July, 1895
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
We, BENJAMIN KERR of 4 Moira Street, Belgrave in the County Borough
of Leicester, Machinist, and ISAAC LOVELL BERRIDGE of 11 Humberstone
Gate, Leicester, Hosiery Machinery Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to knitting machines of the straight bar type and
consists of improvements thereto having for their object the formation of patterns
in the fabric produced.
According to this invention there may be used in addition to the ordinary
thread carrier, one or more bars provided with a series of thread guides or thread
layers carrying the patterning threads.
The bar or bars having the thread guides have each at times a longitudinal
motion in front of or behind the needles and at other times a lateral motion,
i.e. between the needles, so that the threads carried thereby may be laid over or
under and pass between certain pre-determined needles, according to the pattern
or design in the fabric to be produced.
These longitudinal and lateral motions of the bar or bars carrying the thread
guides or layers may be obtained direct from studs and cams or their equivalents
on a pattern wheel or chain or from suitable mechanism intermediate of the
latter.
The pattern wheel or chain may receive its motion from a ratchet wheel
operated by mechanism on the driving shaft and a pawl and ratchet wheel
may also be employed to prevent any back movement of the pattern wheel or
chain.
Dated this 17th day of September 1894.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
We BENJAMIN KERR of 4 Moira Street, Belgrave in, the County Borough of
Leicester, Machinist, and ISAAC LOVELL BERRIDGE, of 11 Humberstone Gate,
Leicester, Hosiery Machinery Agent, 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 has reference to knitting machines of the straight bar type and
consists of improvements thereto having for their object the formation of patterns
in the fabric produced.
According to this invention there is used in addition to the ordinary thread
carrier upon a latch needle knitting machine one or more guide bars provided with
a series of thread layers carrying the patterning threads.
The guide bar or bars having the thread layers have each at times an endwise
1021

page_text: movement either in front of or behind the needles and at other times a movement
to permit the thread guides to pass between the needles so that the threads
carried thereby may be laid over or under i.e. at the front or back, and pass
between certain pre-determined needles according to the design or pattern in the
fabric to be produced.
These movements of the guide bar or bars and the thread layers are obtained
from cams and also from studs or their equivalents ou a pattern wheel or chain.
The pattern wheel or chain receives motion from a ratchet wheel operated by
mechanism on the driving shaft and a pawl and ratchet wheel may be also
employed to prevent any back movement of the pattern wheel or chain.
The invention will be fully understood from the following further description
having reference to the accompanying drawing wherein
Figure 1 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in longitudinal section on
the line A. B. of Figure 2, of a straight bar latch needle knitting machine
embodying our improvements.
Figure 2 is a plan of the said knitting machine with the bobbin supporting
framework removed.
Figure 3 is a detail view partly in end elevation and partly in transverse section
on the line C. D. of Figure 2 and looking towards the machine.
Figure 4 is a detail view showing a thread layer and its guide-bar.
Figure 5 is a detail view of the pattern wheel to show the method of fixing the
stops thereon.
Only so much of the kuitting machine is shown in the drawing and will be
hereinafter described as is necessary to illustrate the invention.
E represents the thread carrier, El the inclined grooved bed and E² the latch
needles therein of a straight bar knitting frame.
F is the box carrying the needle actuating cams and having a to and fro
motion over the needles communicated from a connecting rod (not shown in the
drawings) attached to the lever G the latter being connected to and actuated by
a lever G on the driving shaft G2 all of which are and may be of the usual well
known construction.
H represents the usual thread layers which are of ordinary construction and
soldered into bars H¹ hereinafter referred to as guide bars, shown as two in
number, having bearings in the upper ends of arms H2 bolted at H³ to the
framing.
In order to enable the thread layers to lay the threads sometimes at the front
and sometimes at the back of the needles according to the pattern desired and to
pass between the needles to change from front to back position or vice-versa, the
guide bars I carrying the thread layers H have an end wise to and fro motion for
the former operation and a rocking motion for the latter operation.
The to and fro motion is effected by a revolving pattern wheel J against which
the guide bars H' are kept in contact by means of springs J.
The pattern wheel is provided with studs or stops, Fig. 1. as hereinafter
described and when the ends of the said guide bars come against the larger studs K
they are pushed away from the pattern wheel thereby moving the thread layers a
distance equivalent to a certain pre-determined number of needle spaces alongside
of the needles to lay the thread at the back or front of the needles by which
they pass, but when the ends of the said guide bars pass out of contact with the
larger studs and come on to a smaller stud K' the springs J' draw the said guide
bars in the opposite direction i.e. towards the pattern wheel.
It is obvious that the number of needles over which the thread layers pass in
any one course is regulated by the amount of movement of the guide bars, the
said movement being determined by the size of the stops in the pattern wheel.
For instance the greatest amount of movement of the guide bars in the direction
either away from or towards the pattern wheel and consequently the largest number
of successive needles over which the thread layers will lay the thread, will take
place when a large stop and a small stop or vice-versa are placed in the pattern

page_text: wheel so that the one follows the other, and the smallest amount of movement of
the said guide bars and the fewest needles over which the thread layers lay the
thread occurs when two stops of nearly equal size are located next to each other.
The pattern wheel as indicated more clearly in Fig. 2. is provided with one or more
series of holes J* (one series for each guide bar) round its periphery for the
reception of stops. These stops which are removable are provided each with a
screw threaded opening into which is received the threaded shank K2 of a nut K'
previously passed through one of the holes in the pattern wheel and the said stops
are secured in position on the latter by the nut K³ being tightened against the
underside of the said wheel as shown in Figure 5.
As an alternative form of construction the stops may be provided with screw
threaded shanks to fit into threaded openings in the nuts K³. The pattern wheel is
mounted on a shaft L carried in bearings fitted in two arms L' bolted as at L2
Fig. 1. on each side of the end of the framing.
The pattern wheel receives its motion from a ratchet wheel M fast on the same
shaft Land operated by a pawl M' loosely connected at M* to a lever M³ movably
attached to an arm M* fastened by bolts Ms to the framework, the said lever being
furnished with a truck or roller M resting on a cam N on the driving shaft G³
and which truck when raised by the higher portion of the said cam causes the
pawl M to move the ratchet wheel Mone or more teeth forward as may be
arranged.
Any backward movement of the pattern wheel is prevented by a spring
detent in constant engagement with a ratchet wheel O fast on the same shaft L.
The detent is screwed to a cross bar 02 which stretches between and is attached
to the arms L¹.
The guide bars H₁ are connected to each other by pins H* passing through the
slots H therein and which permit the said bars to move endwise simultaneously or
independently of each other in the same or opposite directions for laying the threads
at either the back or front of the needles.
The said pins have each a washer H thereon and a cottar to prevent
displacement.
In order to enable the thread guides to pass between the needles to change from
the front to the back position or vice-versa the guide bars have a rocking motion
imparted thereto.
To effect this the front guide bar, by preference, has connected thereto by
screws H or other means a downwardly depending plate P a flat horizontal
projection P on which is embraced by the upper end of a rocking lever Q
tulerummed at Q' to an arm Q2 screwed to the framing and the lower end of which
lever is maintained in contact with a cam wheel, R by means of a spring R'
Fig. 3 attached thereto.
The lever Q may be connected to the guide bars in any other suitable manner
in order to communicate the rocking motion thereto.
As the lower end of the lever comes into contact with the cam plates R² on
the cam wheel R it is pushed outwardly thereby and the upper end thereof pushes
inwardly the plate P so as to cause the guide bars to rock in their bearings and
move the thread layers between the needles so that the next endwise movement of
the guide bars imparted by the pattern wheel L as herein before described will
cause the thread layers to lay their respective threads in front of and under the
latches of the needles.
Immediately the end of the said lever Q passes out of contact with the cam
plates R and on to the face of the wheel R the guide bars and thread layers
resume their former positions as indicated in Fig. 3, so that any end wise move-
ment thereof will cause the thread layers to lay the thread at the back of the
needles.
The fact of the two guide bars being connected together by the pins H* within
the slots H5 ensures any rocking action of the front guide bar by means of the
lever Q being communicated also to the other bar.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same, is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a straight bar latch needle knitting frame the combination with the needles,
needle-actuating cams, and thread carrier of one or more sets of thread layers and
a pattern wheel or chain with removable stops thereon for actuating the said thread
layers substantially in the manner and for the purpose described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
.
2. In a straight bar latch needle knitting machine the use or employment with
thread layers for laying knitting threads sometimes at the back and sometimes at
the front of the needles, of a pattern wheel having a series of openings in its
periphery for the reception of screw threaded stops which are fitted within the said
openings and operate substantially in the manner and for the purpose described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
3. In a straight bar latch needle knitting frame the combination with the thread
layers of a pattern wheel for actuating the latter, a ratchet wheel, operating
clawker for same, a cam wheel for imparting motion to the latter arranged and
operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawing.
4
4. In a straight bar latch needle knitting frame the combination with the
thread layers of a pattern wheel, a ratchet wheel and clawker for actuating same,
ratchet and detent in engagement therewith constructed, arranged and operating
substantially in the manner and for the purpose described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawing.
5. In a straight bar latch needle knitting frame the combination with guide bars
and attached thread layers of a pattern wheel for imparting endwise movement to
the said guide bars to cause the said thread layers to move alongside either the
front or the back of the needles, a lever and its actuating cams to cause the thread
layers to pass between the needles, arranged substantially in the manner and for
the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
6. In a straight bar latch needle knitting machine the combination of guide bars
and attached thread layers maintained in contact with a pattern wheel by which
said thread layers are moved to and fro either at the front or the back of the
needles mechanism for imparting motion to the said pattern wheel, cams and
mechanism interposed between them and the said guide bars to cause the thread
layers to pass between the needles constructed, arranged and operating substantially
in the manner and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawing.
7. The improved straight bar latch needle knitting frame consisting of the parts
constructed, arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 15th day of June 1895.
BENJAMIN KERR.
ISAAC LOVELL BERRIDGE.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicants.