Improvements in Needle Bars or Cylinders for Knitting Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 9th May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Needle Bars or Cylinders for Knitting Machines.
I LOUIS NAPOLEON DEVON WILLIAMS of 2077 East Cumberland Street in the
City of Philadelphia State of Pennsylvania United States of America Manufacturer
of Knitting Machines 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 :-
My invention relates to that class of knitting machine bars or cylinders in which
the ribs or partitions separating the needle grooves are formed by means of
independent pieces or strips of sheet metal, the object of my invention being to so
construct such needle bars or cylinders as to provide for the true and accurate
adjustment and support of the said ribs or partitions.
This object I attain in the manner herein after set forth, reference being had to
the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1, represents a vertical section of part of a needle cylinder for knitting
machines constructed in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 2-2, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a detached view of one of the ribs or partition strips; and
Figure 4, is a vertical section illustrating a modification.
Ordinary needle cylinders or bars are formed by slotting or grooving the metal
of which the bar or cylinder is composed so as to form therein channels for the
reception and guidance of the needles, but irrespective of its expense, this is
an unsatisfactory method because the metal of which the cylinder or bar is
composed varies in hardness and thus leads to inaccuracy in the cutting and
unequal wear in use.
It has been proposed to overcome these objections by providing the bar or
cylinder with strips of sheet metal let into grooves in the said bar or cylinder and
suitably confined thereto, these strips constituting the ribs or partitions which
separate the needle grooves one from another, but in this case also the separate
strips rely for their accuracy largely upon the accurate cutting of the cylinder and
hence do not fully attain the object for which they are intended.
In carrying out my invention, therefore, I provide means for supporting the
sheet metal strips or bars independently of any seating of the same upon the bases
of the grooves formed in the needle bar or cylinder, hence any inaccuracy in the
latter cannot affect the true adjustment and support of the sheet metal strips.
In the construction shown in the drawing the cylinder is composed of three parts,
namely, the top A, body B, and base ring D, these parts being suitably secured
together by screws a and b, the body B having formed in its outer face the grooves
for the reception of the sheet metal strips F which constitute the ribs or partitions
between the needle grooves.
Each of these strips F, instead of having its sole rear bearing against the base of
the groove formed in the body B of the cylinder as heretofore, has at the top an
inner bearing face d and at the bottom an inner bearing face f, the face d seating
against a shoulder formed by a rib i projecting downwardly from the top part A of
the cylinder and the bearing face fat the bottom of the strip seating against the
front of the base ring D.
The underside of the rib i and the upper side of the projecting portion of the base
ring D are bevelled, as shown in Figure 1, and the rear portion of each strip F is
likewise bevelled at top and bottom for the reception of these bevelled portions of
the top and base ring of the cylinder, so that when the various parts of the cylinder
are properly arranged and secured together the strips F are not only rigidly

page_text: confined to the cylinder in a vertical plane but they are also drawn inward by the
bevelled portions of the top A and base D, hence the upper and lower bearing
faces d and f of each strip are seated firmly upon the front of the rib i and base D
respectively, the grooves in the body B of the cylinder being preferably cut
so deep that the inner edge of each strip F will but lightly, if at all, touch the base
of the groove.
As each of the strips F is accurately formed and as the bearing surfaces of the
top and base of the cylinder can be likewise accurately formed by turning, or in
case of a straight bar, by planing, it follows that accurate adjustment and support
of the strips F is provided for, irrespective of the accuracy of the grooves formed
in the body B of the cylinder, hence the objection to former needle cylinders or bars
having independent partition strips are effectually overcome.
Although I prefer to make the top A and base D both separate from the body B
of the cylinder, as shown, one or other of these parts may be formed in one piece
with the cylinder, if desired, and the means adopted for securing the parts together
may also be modified in various ways without departing from my invention.
The strips F shown in Figures 1 and 3, have their upper and lower bearing
faces d and f in planes in advance of the rear edge of the strip, but this is not
absolutely necessary to the proper carrying out of my invention, as the said upper
and lower bearing faces may be in the same plane as the said rear edge as shown
for instance at d¹ and f¹ in Figure 4, the top A¹ and base ring D¹ being properly
constructed to form bearings for these faces.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. A needle bar or cylinder for knitting machines having strips or bars of sheet
metal let into grooves in the said bar or cylinder the said strips having inner
bearings upon portions of the cylinder other than the bases of the grooves,
substantially as herein before described.
2nd. A knitting machine needle bar or cylinder having sheet metal bars or strips
let into grooves therein, the said bar or cylinder having, above and below its
grooved portion, shoulders presenting true faces serving as seats for inner bearing
faces formed upon the strips, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3rd. A knitting machine needle bar or cylinder having strips or bars of sheet
metal let into grooves therein, the said bar or cylinder having, above and below the
grooved portion thercof, shoulders presenting bevelled faces for engagement with
correspondingly bevelled portions of the strips, and seats for inner bearing faces
formed upon the strips, substantially as hereinbefore described.
4th. A knitting machine needle bar or cylinder having sheet metal strips let into
grooves therein, the said bar or cylinder having also upper and lower detachable
portions presenting shoulders which form seats for inner bearing faces formed upon
the sheet metal strips, substantially as hereinbefore described.
5th. The within described partition strip for knitting machine needle bars
or cylinders, the said strip having at top and bottom inner bearing faces in advance
of the rear edge of the strip, substantially as herein before described with reference
t. Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
6th. The within described partition strip for knitting machine needle bars
or cylinders, the said strip having at top and bottom bevelled portions for
engagement with retaining projections on the said needle bar or cylinder, and
inner bearing surfaces in advance of the rear edge of the strip, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
Dated this 9th day of April 1800
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.