Improvements in Warp Knitting Machines.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 10th June, 1887.
Improvements in Warp Knitting Machines.
I, JAMES BERRY of Stewarton in the County of Ayr, Frame work knitter, 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 knitting machines of the kind known as "warp" machines
in which a number of strands of yarn are employed and simultaneously operated on by
the needles to form knitted fabrics, and it consists of several mechanical combinations
hereinafter particularly set forth and claimed, the whole as organised constituting
an improved machine adapted for the production at a very rapid rate and con-
sequently of small cost of knitted fabrics such as Scotch Bonnets or caps and fashioned
hosiery or parts thereof.
с
As represented in back elevation at figure 1, in transverse vertical section at
figure 2, in front elevation at figure 3, in end elevation at figure 4 and in detail at
figures 5 to 14 of the accompanying drawings the improved machine constituting my
invention is composed of a framing A, carrying a needle bar or rail B, suitably
grooved for the reception of the knitting needles C, which as represented in detail at
figure 5, are of the type known as latch needles but have formed upon them at or near
their mid length projecting shoulders which extend into a reed or slay R, at the rear
and of the form shown by figures 6 and 7, serving to guide the needles and prevent
their turning in the grooves of the needle bar wherein they are retained by a
removable strip extending across the face of said grooves as shown in figure 8. The
needles are reciprocated vertically within the grooves by means of sliding bars D
も
and D, the former of which serves to raise and the latter to depress the needles, and
which are connected, so that they move in unison, by means of a link E, so bent as to
clear the main bar F, (as shown in figure 9) by which reciprocating movement is
communicated to said bars Dand D', the bar F, receiving its motion from eccentrics G,
on a rotating shaft H, through eccentric straps and connecting rods attached to
either end of said bar F. The sliding bars D and D1 lie in a space between the
grooved face of the stationary needle bar B and the main operating bar F, and they are
supported each upon carrier bars, one d, which is pinned to a part of the raising bar D,
being carried on the upper edge of the bar F, and the other being secured to straps/
at the upper end of the connecting rods g. The one carrier d whilst fitted to

page_text: reciprocate vertically is free to slide horizontally on the bar F, with the bar D, which
is secured to it, but the other carrier d being fixed to the straps, has no horizontal
movement the bar D', being fitted to slide on it.. Guides are provided to retain the
bars d, d, close to the needle har B'.
The bars D and D' which are of the form shown in front and back elevations at
figures 10 and 11 and in part at figure 12 are extensible and can be varied in length
so that a greater or less number of needles may be operated as the width of the fabric
may require. This variation of the effective length of the bars D, D', is obtained by
forming them each of two acting pieces D, D and D¹, D¹, upon the carriers d and d
one piece being removable from and secured to the other piece by pins passing
through two or more of a series of holes in them the parts being adjustable in
relation to each other by removing the pins which are refived after the adjustmoni, is
effected.
In the case of the upper bar D' the adjusting pins pass also through a slot in
the carrier bar d¹ and serve as a means of attachment whilst permitting of the free
sliding movement of the bar D¹ upon its carrier.
D¹,
The upper and lower edges respectively of the raising and depressing bars D,
act upon the needles only at the deeper and extensible parts, the carriers d, d¹, not
reaching the shoulders c of the needles in their movement; and as many needles as
are directly over the bar D and under the bar D₁ are raised and depressed at each
vertical reciprocation of the bars D, D¹. The hooks or barbs c' of the needles in
rising and descending each engage one of a series of strands of yarn Y, which pass
from a bank of bobbins, placed at the rear of the machine, to and through eyes, slots
or grooves i in a yarn carrier I, situated over the needles, and loops are thereby formed
in a well known manner. Before each ascent, the raising and depressing bars D, D¹,
are shifted laterally to an extent equal to the gauge (or a multiple of the gauge) of the
needles and at each reciprocation one or more needles at one end drop out of action
while a corresponding number of fresh needles are brought into action at the opposite
end of the bars D, D.
In order to permit of the end wise movement of the depressing bar D¹, while the end
of said bar bears against the projecting shoulder of the needle adjacent to the series
under it a spring piece d, fitted at each end of the bar D', is adapted to yield on said
movement taking place; and upon the bar D', ascending and clearing said shoulder
the piece is pressed out by the spring d³ so that it passes over the shoulder and at
the next downward movement acts upon it. To prevent lifting of the needles adjacent
to the ends of the raising and depressing bars wypers e which are fixed to and travel
with the raising and depressing bars but have no vertical movement, are provided for
preventing the lifting of the needles adjacent to the end of each bar. The lateral
movement of the raising and depressing bars D, D¹, and of the yarn carrier 1, (which
moves in unison with them but which may be separately actuated) is effected by means
of a bar J, connected by links to the carrier bar d, and operated by pattern
mechanism of any suitable kind adapted to impart the requisite to and fro movement
which may be regular or irregular and variable according as the same pattern or
varying patterns of fabrics is or are to be produced. The pattern mechanism in the
present instance consists of a sliding plate K, (see figures 1, 3, 13 and 14) having
formed in it a series of steps or notches k of a depth equal to the gauge of the needles
(or a multiple of such gauge). This plate K, has an intermittent movement to the
extent of the length of one notch at a time imparted to it by means of a bifurcated
escapement piece L, to which reciprocating motion is given by means of a cam or
eccentric M on a spindle m driven by gearing h from the eccentric shaft H, the cam M
being in contact with rollers m' on a slotted spear L', which embraces the spindle m
and is guided by a bracket m² on the machine frame and the escapement being jointed
to said spear. On each of its limbs the escapement piece L, has two bevelled prongs
one prong of each pair being inclined to one side and the other to the opposite side,
and according as the escapement is tilted on its centre or joint towards the right or
towards the left, as seen in figure 3, it moves the plate K towards the rear or towards
the front of the machine this movement being communicated by the action of the

page_text: Each
bevelled prongs upon pins & projecting from the underside of the plate K, and spaced
at distances apart corresponding to the lengths of the notches or steps. The tilting
of the escapement piece L, from side to side to reverse the direction of movement of
the plate K, is effected automatically by bell cranks and connecting rods ³ on each
side, the said hell cranks being tilted at the proper time by the upward movement of
adjustable blocks which are carried by rods or wires from the plate K, and in its
movement to the end of its travel are brought over vertically reciprocating spears 15
operated by cams or eccentrics on the spindle m, the block on one side of the
plate being used to determine the extent of travel of the plate K, in one direction and
that on the opposite side serving to limit the travel in the opposite direction.
movement or step of the plate K in one direction communicates through a roller j¹ on
a projection formed on the end of the bar J, a movement to the extent of one or more
loop widths to the right to the carrier bar and therethrough to the sliding
bars D, D; and the yarn carrier I, which in the present instance is connected by
links and guide bar I, to brackets J¹ on the bar J is traversed to the same extent.
Each step of the plate in the opposite direction communicates a like movement to the
left to the sliding bars and yarn carrier, and by suitably adjusting the blocks of the
pattern mechanism to regulate the to and fro movement of the pattern plate K; and
the sliding bars D, D¹, and yarn carrier I, the requisite fashioning of the fabric being
knitted is obtained.
The yarn carrier I, in which the grooves or eyes for the yarn or thread are spaced
to correspond to the spacing of the needles, has a back and forward movement
imparted to it, in order to bring the strands of yarn across the path of movement of
the needles, by means of two levers N, at the upper end of which it is carried the
said levers being centred on a shaft N and acted on at their lower ends by cams n on
the shaft H. A hooked comb or wyper O, provided with a series of horizontally
fitted hooks is carried at the upper end of two levers P', also centred on the
shaft N and operated by cams on the shaft H the movement of the hooked
comb being so timed that the hooks upon it pass through between the needles
and on returning draw off the loops as they are formed.
The yarn Y, in passing from the bank of bobbins to the yarn carrier is led
over a roller Q fitted in a trough Q containing an emulsion serving to oil and
damp the yarn as it passes over the roller which is caused to rotate by belts or
gearing in order to carry round upon its periphery a layer of the emulsion to be
applied to the yarn. The yarn thence passes through a reed or slay $, and
through weighted guide eyes or tumblers T, to the yarn oarrier. By the provision
of the rotating roller and trough containing the oiling and damping
emulsion the use of apparatus for oiling and damping the yarn before it is
wound upon the bobbins is dispensed with.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
Rotary motion being imparted to the main working shaft H, by means of
gearing U, from a tootlied wheel U¹, upon a shaft V, provided with belt pulleys VI,
the eccentrics G, communicate a vertical reciprocating movement to the bar F
and sliding bars D, D', whereby the needles C are alternately raised and depressed.
During the upward travel of the needles the yarn carrier is moved forward by
the action of the cams so that the needles engage the strands of yarn, and the
yarn carrier as also the sliding bars D, D' are moved endwise at the termination
of the downward movement by the bar J which is acted on by the plate K of
the pattern mechanism so that one needle drops out of action at one end and a
fresh needle is brought into action at the opposite end when after the bar D¹
has depressed the needles the next upward movement takes place. On the down-
ward movement of the needles the loops formed on the needles and which are
released by the closing of the latches are drawn off by the hooked comb.
A pair of rollers may be fitted in front of the machine to draw off the fabric
as it is knitted.
When the yarn carrier moves longitudinally with the raising bar as many
strands only need be employed as there are needles raised at each action and as

page_text: the needles towards the centre of the machine are thus oftener raised than those
iowards the ends a greater number of courses will be knitted off at or near the
central part of the length of the needle bar than at or near the ends which are
only reached once at every full to and fro movement of the raising bar D, and
a series of balloons" or cylinders with conical ends are produced which may be
cut transversely or otherwise to produce from each two complete caps. By
suitably setting the pattern mechanism however to impart a to and fro movement of
the yarn carrier I, to the extent only of the breadth of one needle and leaving the
raising and depressing bars unacted on by the pattern mechanism a continuous length
or web of plain knitted work will be produced. Any fashioned work intermediate
between the balloons and plain webs may be obtained by varying the action of the
pattern mechanism, variety in ornament and design of the work being also attainable
by the use of variously coloured strands of yarn.
In cases in which the same formation of fabric is to be regularly produced the
pattern mechanism may consist of stepped discs bearing on the ends of the bar J,
and actuated by ratchets in a manner analogous to that in which the pattern devices
in ordinary knitting frames are worked. Or the bar J, may be actuated by devices
controlled by jacquard apparatus of any well known kind; and as a further means of
varying the forms of the fabric produced the effective length of the raising and
depressing bars D, D', may be varied during the progress of the knitting by making
them of telescopic form and acting upon them by suitable pattern devices. By this
means a greater or less number of needles may be brought into operation at a time
and the lengths of the courses of knitting varied so that greater fullness will occur at
certain parts of the fabric than at others.
The machine as described and illustrated is provided with latch needles, but it may
be used with barbed needles by providing a presser bar to close the barbs and free the
loops, said presser bar being carried by and moving with the yarn carrier or by a bar
having a like endwise movement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination of parts constituting the improved warp knitting machine,
substantially as herein described.
2. In a warp knitting machine the combination with the needle bar B, and its
needles, of the raising and depressing bars and yarn carrier connected together and
having endwise movement imparted to them by means of pattern mechanism
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a warp knitting machine the combination of the raising and depressing
bars D, D¹, and pattern mechanism, substantially such as described for the purpose
set forth.
4. In a warp knitting machine the raising and depressing bars composed of sections
movable upon each other to vary the effective lengths of the hars, substantially as
described.
5. In a warp knitting machine the movable yarn carrier 1, constructed and operated
substantially as described.
6. In a warp knitting machine the pattern mechanism herein described and
illustrated at figures 13 and 14 of the drawings for operating the raising lar and
yarn carrier.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.