IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINE KNITTING NEEDLES, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING THE SAME
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINE KNITTING NEEDLES, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR MAKING THE SAME." -A communication from abroad by Thomas
Sands, of Gilford, in the State of New Hampshire, in the United States
of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th July 1868.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN. MACHINE KNITTING NEEDLES, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPA-
RATUS FOR MAKING THE SAME," & communication from abroad by Thomas Sands,
of Gilford, in the State of New Hampshire, in the United States of America,
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved, form of machine knitting needle, and
also to a peculiar construction and arrangement of machinery or apparatus for
making machine knitting needles, whereby the several operations of carrying
the steel wire forward to, the block, making the eye or depression, "slubbing"
down the wire, and cutting off the length suitable for a needle are all per-
formed automatically. In the improved knitting needle a protuberance or
thickened portion is formed on the straight stem before the barb is turned

page_text: down about midway between the point of the needle and the eye or depression,
for the purpose of rendering the needle inflexible at the bend where the barb
is turned down. The barb itself and a portion of the shank are elastic,
and when the tip of the barb is depressed into the eye no flexure occurs
at the thickened or enlarged part situate at the bend. By this construction
of needles the risk of breakage when in use is considerably reduced.
In the improved machine for making machine knitting needles either of the
ordinary description or of the improved construction herein-before referred to,
the steel wire which is contained upon a reel is first straightened by being
drawn through a "straightener," consisting of a short tube turning in bearings
and having at its central part a rectangular frame, across which extend a
series of bars having holes in them (placed out of line with each other) for the
passage of the wire through them, which issues therefrom perfectly straight.
The end of the wire, after being passed through the "straightener," is led to an
"eye block," where a punch is brought down upon it by the action of a lever
and cam and depresses the eye. This punch remains in the eye whilst the
lever and platform which carries the entire punching apparatus are slid
laterally a given distance according to the length of needle required, the
punching cam being broad enough to allow of the lateral traverse of the
punching lever along it, such lateral movement drawing a fresh length of wire
through the "straightener." A cylindrical grooved cam acting upon a hori-
zontally moving lever (the throw of which is adjustable according to the
length of wire to be drawn through the "straightener ") gives, motion to the
sliding plate which carries the punching apparatus, a link connecting such
plate with the horizontally moving lever above referred to. The eye having
been thus depressed and the fresh length of wire drawn out, a concave or
grooved "burr" or rotating file is gradually depressed on to the end of the
wire by a cam and lever working vertically, the lever containing within
it a rotating shaft having the cutter on the end of it. By this means
the end of the wire intended to form the barb is "slubbed "down to a
regular taper; or if the cam be suitably shaped the protuberance above
referred to in the improved needle may be formed. A wiper now comes in
contact with a horizontal sliding bar which carries a cutter on its extremity,
and by its forward motion the length of wire for the needle is cut off or
severed. The eye puncher is then elevated, and the partially formed needle is
dropped into a receptacle in readiness for the finisher, who polishes it and
bends the barb or hook to the required shape for use.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the. Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th January 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINE KNITTING NEEDLES, AND IN MACHINERY OR' APPARATUS FOR
MAKING THE SAME," a communication to me from abroad by Thomas Sands; of
Gilford, in the State of New Hampshire, in the United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal 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 Henry Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being bad to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
The said Invention relates to an improved form of machine knitting needle;
and also to a peculiar construction and arrangement of machinery or apparatus
for making machine knitting needles, whereby the several operations of
carrying the steel wire forward to the block, making the eye or depression,
"s!ubbing" down the wire, and cutting off the length suitable for a nee·lle are
all performed automatically.

page_text: In the improved knitting needle a protruberance or thickened portion is
formed on the straight stem before the barb is turned down, about midway
between the point of the needle and the eye or depression, for the purpose of
rendering the needle inflexible at the bend where the barb is turned down.
The barb itself and a portion of the shank are elastic, and when the tip of the
barb is depressed into the eye no flexure occurs at the thickened or enlarged
part, situate at the bend. By this construction of needles the risk of breakage
when in use is considerably reduced.
In the improved machine for making machine knitting needles either of the
ordinary description or of the improved construction herein-before referred to,
the steel wire which is contained upon a reel is first straightened by being
drawn through a "straightener," consisting of a short tube turning in bearings
and having at its central part a rectangular frame, across which extend a
series of bars having holes in them (placed out of line with each other) for
the passage of the wire through them, which issues therefrom perfectly straight.
The end of the wire, after being drawn through the "straightener," is led to
an "eye" block," where a punch is brought down upon it by the action of a
lover and cam and depresses the eye. This punch remains in the eye whilst
the lever and platform which carries the entire punching apparatus are slid
laterally a given distance, according to the length of needle required (the
punching cam being broad enough to allow of the lateral traverse of the
punching lever along it), such lateral movement drawing a fresh length of
wire through the "straightener." A cylindrical grooved cam acting upon a
horizontally moving lever (the throw of which is adjustable according to the
length of wire to be drawn through the "straightener ") gives motion to the
sliding plate which carries the punching apparatus, a link serving to connect
such plate with the horizontally moving lever above referred to. The eye
having been thus depressed, and the fresh length of wire drawn out, a concavo
or grooved "burr" or rotating file is gradually depressed on to the end of the
wire by a cam and lever working vertically, the lever containing within it a
rotating shaft having the cutter on the end of it. By this means the end of
the wire intended to form the barb is "slubbed " down to a regular taper; or
if the cam be suitably shaped the protruberanco above referred to in the
improved needle may be formed. A wiper now comes in contact with a
horizontal sliding bar which carries a cutter on its extremity, and by its
forward motion the length of wire for the needle is cut off. The eye puncher
is then elevated, and the partially formed needle is dropped into a receptacle
in readiness for the finisher, who polishes it and bends the barb or hook to
the required shape for use.

page_text: And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Fig. 1 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings represents a general plan of the
improved machine; Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are sectional elevations, showing different.
groups of the mechanism; and Fig. 5 represents views of a partially formed
and complete needle constructed according to this Invention. The power is
applied by a small pinion, which drives the large gear A, Figure I., and gives a
steady and uniform motion to the shaft B, which extends the whole length of
the machine, and revolves in the direction shown by the arrows in suitable
bearings placed on opposite sides of the frame. Attached to the horizontal
shaft B are three cams C, D, and E, their shape, as seen in the side views
Figures II., III., and IV., being such as to produce the required movements
of the three principal groups of mechanism. A horizontal counter shaft F
extends across the top of the machine, and is driven by a band from the
pulley Q on the main shaft. It carries a small grooved pulley G, which, by
means of the band H, drives the pulley I, and gives rotatory motion to the
wire straightener, which consists of a short tube J turning in the bearings N, N¹,
and having at its central part a rectangular frame K, K, L, L, across which
extend three bars having holes (placed out of line with each other) for the
passage of the wire O. When the machine is in action the steel wire passes
from the reel P into one end of the hollow shaft J; and issues at the other end
of the shaft perfectly straight, and in readiness to be formed into needles.
collar V, which
I will first describe the mechanism represented in Figures I. and IV. by
which the wire O is carried forward from the straightener to the part that
punches the eye, and is pressed down and cut off to the desired length of
needle. In the scroll cam E a recess or groove R is cut, in such a curved
form as will give lateral motion to the stud S, which plays within it, and is
attached to one end T of the horizontal arm or lever T, T. "Near the centre
of this arm there is a slot U, which receives the friction
accurately fills the breadth of the slot, and is firmly fixed to the part W. The
stud V', which forms the fulcrum of the lever T, T', is fixed to the top plate 41.
By means of the adjusting screws X, X', the lever may be set in any required
position within the slot U for the purpose of changing the distance traversed
by the end T. The position of the stand Y that supports these parts is also
adjustable by means of screws that attach it to the top plate 41 of the frame
of the machine. By this arrangement of the several parts the end T¹ of the

page_text: lever is made to communicate a greater or less traverse to the short attached
arm Z, which moves the sliding platform 1, being fastened to it by the pivot 2.
This platform slides upon the dovetailed rail or bar 3, the greatest length of its
traverse being equal to the length of the longest needle required to be made.
I will now describe the parts that are connected with the middle cam D
as represented in Figures I. and III. This cam is made broad in the direction
of the length of the shaft; its shape is shown in Figure III.; it is fixed to the
shaft B, and when turned raises and lowers the bent lever 4, 41, 4", 4", the
requisite distance to punch the eye or depression of the needle, and at the
proper intervals of time. This bent lever 4 has its fulcrum at the pin 5,
which passes through the lever, and the stand 6, the stand being supported by
the sliding platform 1, and moving with it. The vertical part 4 is always
over some part of the broad cam D, and the opposite end 4 is over the anvil
or block 61, upon which the needle wire O rests, being supported in a
longitudinal groove 7 upon its face. This block stands in a holding block 8,
and is kept firmly in place by the set screw 9, 9¹. The punch that forms the
eye is shewn at 48, the end being formed in the exact shape required for
the eye. A vertical stem 11 rises from it, and is very accurately fitted into
the enlarged head of the lever 4. Through the top of this head a screw 12
plays, by which the height of the punch is adjusted. A guide 18 is attached
to the top plate 41, and gives support to the wire O as it moves, from the
hollow tube J to the block 6.
The apparatus for cutting or "slubbing" the wire down to the proper size
and taper, and also for cutting off the length required for a needle, is shown
in Figures I. and II. The cam 16 is fastened to the shaft B, and revolves in
contact with the friction slide 17 that projects from one end of the lever 18.
This lever has the fulcrum 20 at its opposite end, where it is supported by
the stud 21, that is secured to the table or top plate 41. The friction slide 17
is held in contact with the cam by the spiral Spring 82. A pitman 22 is
connected by pivots 19 aud 23 with the lever 18 and knob 24, which is fixed
to the horizontal flat lever 25. A hole is bored through the centre of this
lever, within which the shaft 48 revolves, being driven by the counter shaft F,
and the mitre gear 26 and 27. The lever is hung on centres at 42, 42', and
its front end carries a small burr or rasp wheel 30, which is made fast to the
end of the shaft 43 by a nut 31. An upright stud 29 rises from the table of
the machine, and passes through a rectangular slot in the lever serving to keep
it steady as the cutter rises and falls. A small piece of iron 36 is fitted to a
bed piece that rests upon the table 41. A holo through one end of it steadies
the wire O, while the other is bevelled down to allow the cutter or burr wheel to

page_text: come in contact with the wire. The apparatus for cutting off the wire to the
proper length for a needle is constructed as described below. A cam C in contact
with the cam 16 is fixed to the shaft B, and carries a short projecting stud 15;
this comes in contact at each revolution with the part 38 that projects from the
vertical part 34 of the sliding bar 35. This bar is then moved forward hori-
zontally, traversing in guides 44, 45, 40, 46, and forces the cutter 89 against
the wire, cutting it off to the length required. The slide is brought back, and
held in contact with the cam by the spiral spring 28.
:: Having explained the several parts of my machine I will now describe the
operation of the same.
The steel wire is coiled upon the reel, and the free end of it is inserted
in the. tube of the wire straightener, and led through the bars, to the eye
block, where the punch is brought down upon it. The sliding platform 1,
upon which, the eye-making apparatus is supported is now at the left end of
the rail 3; as the cam E revolves the slot R moves the lever T, T, and the
connecting arm Z, which pushes the platform to the right and draws the.
wire O through the straightener. The part 4 of the eye-punch lever, travers-
ing at the same time across the breadth of the cam D. As the bent lever
falls into the cavity of the cam D the punch rises, but previous to this the
wire has been carried forward to the cutter 80, where it is "slubbed." or filed
down to the right taper by the part represented in Figure II. The cam 16
depresses the lever 18, and draws down the pitman or link and swing
lever 22, 25.. This brings down the circular cutter 30, which is constantly
rotating, and reduces the end of the needle to the desired shape, its section
being in most-pant nearly oval. The projection. 15 on the cam C now comes in
contact, with the slide. Bar, 34 moves the sliding plate 39, and cuts off the
length required for a needle. This length is fixed by adjusting the sliding
fulcrum of the lever T, so that it will give a greater or less traverse to the
sliding table. The needles are now in condition to go to the finisher, in whose
hands they are polished, and the hook bent to the required form for use in a
knitting machine. In Figure II., the curved red line is equidistant from
the centre, and the black line 49 shows the form of the face of the cam 16.
The distance of the face from the centre of motion being greatest at the
beginning of the stroke, this depresses the friction knob 17 in a decreasing
ratio, and brings the burr wheel 30 down upon the wire in such a manner as
to give the required taper to the needle. It will be perceived that by varying
the face of the cam the taper of the needle may be changed, or it may be
made to cut away the steel at any point to a greater or less depth as may
be required. The improved form of needle that may be thus produced is

page_text: shewn in Figure V., the protuberance 6 halfway between the point c and the
eye or depression d being made for the purpose of rendering the needle inflex-
ible at the bend 6. The barb 6, c¹, and a part of the shank are elastic, and
when used for knitting the barb point c is closed down into the eye d¹ without
causing any flexure at the thicken or enlarged part situated at the bend b¹.
The motion is thus distributed over a great length as compared with the short
bend of the common needle, and the number of needles broken is found by
actual use to be very considerably reduced.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st, the general construction, arrangement, and combination of machinery
or apparatus for making machine knitting needles, substantially as herein-
.before described.
2nd, the holding of the wire whilst it is being drawn through the straight-
ener by means of the punch which remains in the eye during the traverse of
the platform, as herein-before described."
3rd, the application and use of the concave or grooved "burr" or rotatory
file in the manufacture of knitting machine needles, as herein-before described.
4th, the combination of the moveable centre or fulcrum of the lever T, T,
with the traversing platform 1, for the purpose of determining the length of
wire to be cut off to form a needle, as herein-before described.
5th, the combination of the broad cam D, and eye punch 16, whereby
the eye punch is caused to retain its hold of the wire during its traverse
towards the cutter, as herein-before described.
6th, the peculiar construction of knitting machine needles, wherein such
needles are rendered rigid or inflexible at the bend, and flexible.either upon
the barb or shank, or upon both, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
J. HENRY JOHNSON.
(L.S.)