CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES."-A
communication from abroad by William Henry McNary, of Brooklyn,
in the State of New York, and James Green Wilson,. of the City of
New York both in the IInited States of America.
Sealed the 10th July 1860, and dated the 18th February 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 18th February 1860.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES,"
to be as follows:-
The principal object of this Invention is to knit a stocking complete, with a
properly shaped heel and toe, by the continuous operation of a knitting.
machine, without any or without the usual number of stoppages to adjust the
work in the machine, and to manufacture by knitting any other articles, parts
of which may be knitted of circular or tubular form, and other parts without
forming a complete circle or tube by a similar uninterrupted or almost unin-
terrupted operation, and the Invention consists in mechanism employed in

page_text: connection with a rotating series of needles to constitute a machine in which
this result is effected. It also consists in certain mechanism employed in
combination with a rotating series of needles to knit any number of complete
stockings, one after the other, in a continuous piece, without any stoppage,
except to adjust the work on the needles after the toe of each stocking has
been completed, to commence the knitting of the foot. It further consists in
certain improved modes of operating the stitch hooks, pressers, and thread
guides, which are applicable as well to circular knitting machines in which the
above-mentioned results are not sought to be obtained.
The principal features of novelty in the improved machine are, first, the use
of a wheel, with a snail or thread on its periphery, and provided with a
moveable switch. This threaded wheel gears into the toothed wheel, whereby
the needle ring is rotated, and by using this threaded wheel and switch in
combination with the needle ring, or other equivalent device carrying the
needles, a rotary or traverse movement of the needles in either direction, as may
he necessary, may be produced. By this arrangement the knitting operation
may be carried on round a portion only of the needle ring, and then. back
again in the opposite direction, and so on to and fro to the extent required, so
that the goods may be shaped, if required.
Second, the use of a revolving and longitudinally moving cylinder, provided
with studs or pegs, applied and combined with the moveable switch wheel, by
means of a vibrating forked lever and revolving buttons, or their equivalents,
for securing the same in any required position. This vibrating forked lever,
with its accessories, is employed for the purpose of shifting the switch as often
as is desired to reverse the rotary or traverse movement of the needles.
Third, the employment of a regulating wheel provided with adjustable arms,
applied and operating in combination with the needle ring, and with suitable
apparatus for throwing the studded cylinder into gear with the main shaft for
the purpose of regulating the length of the complete circular portions of the
work.
Fourth, combining the studded cylinder with a disengaging apparatus, by
which it is made to throw itself out of gear with the main shaft, when, the
knitting all round the whole series of the needles is required to be resumed
after knitting round a portion of the series only.
Fifth, combining a stitch-hook bar with the main shaft, or other rotary
shaft of the knitting machine by means of one or more cranks and controlling
the movement produced by such crank or cranks by means of a slotted arm
working on a fixed guide pin to produce the movement of the stitch hooks to
take off the loops from the needles.

page_text: Sixth, giving the stitch-hook bar the necessary lateral movement to com-
plete the throwing off of the loops from the needles, and to enable them to
pass the needles as they descend to take another loop by means of cams at the
sides of the wrists of its driving cranks.
Seventh, combining the rock shaft which carries the thread guides with
the switch wheel by means of a fork, or its equivalent, whereby the guides
may be moved so as to lay the threads round the needles:
The stockings may be made either singly or in lengths one after another,
and the operation of making may commence either at the top of the leg or at
the toe.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators,
and 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES," being a communication
from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to:

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is say) :-
This Invention as communicated to me from abroad relates to the knitting
of stockings complete with a properly shaped heel and toe, by the continuous
operation of a knitting machine, without any, or without. the usual number,
of stoppages to adjust the work in the machine, aud also to the manufacturé
by knitting of any other articles, parts of which may be knitted of circular or
tubular form, and other parts without forming a complete circle or tube, by a
similar uninterrupted or almost uninterrupted operation.
The Invention consists in a novel arrangement of mechanism employed in
connection with a rotating series of needles to constitute a machine in which
the above-named result is effected.
It also consists in certain mechanism employed in combination with a
rotating series of needles to knit any number of complete stockings one after
the other in a continuous piece without any stoppage except to adjust the
work on the needles, after the toe of each stocking has been completed to
commence the knitting of the foot..
It further consists in certain improved modes of operating the stitch hooks,
pressers, and thread guides, which are applicable also to circular knitting
machines, in which the above-mentioned results are sought to be obtained.
The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a plan of a knitting machine embracing most of the improvements;
Figure 2 is an inverted plan of the same, with the legs of the framing in
section; Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section of the same; Figure 4 is a
front view of some parts of the same; Figures 5 and 5*, are partial transverse
sections taken in different planes to Figure 3; Figures 6, 7 and 8, are views
of some of the details of the machine; Figures 9 and 10 exhibit the manner
in which a number of stockings are knitted in a piece. Similar letters and
numbers of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A is the framing of the machine, consisting of a horizontal plate supported
ón suitable legs, feet, or standards; B is the horizontal ring in which the
needles a, a, are secured, fitted tightly as shown in Figure 3, and secured by
spring catches b, shown in Figure 4, to a ring B, which is fitted to. revolve
freely within a circular opening in the framing A. The ring B', is formed
with a shoulder to rest upon the framing, and is confined in its place by means
of a ring B³, of larger external diameter, which is screwed to it underneath
the framing. The needles employed are of the well known kind represented
in Figures 3 and 4 of the Drawing, that is to say, consisting of short grooved

page_text: or concave-faced hooks without beards, and they are secured rigidly to the
ring B. The ring B', is toothed all round to gear with the horizontal spur
wheel C, which is fitted to turn freely on a stationary vertical stud C¹, secured
in the framing, and which gears with a threaded wheel D, of peculiar con
struction,, carried by the horizontal main shaft E, of the machine. This
threaded wheel D, gives an intermittent or step by step rotary movement to
the wheel C, which it transmits to the compound needle ring B, B', B, thus
leaving the needles stationary, during much the greater portion of the time
occupied in producing the stitches in order that the yarn guides c, c, pressers
d, d, and stitch hooks e, e, may effect their operation in a proper manner, as
will be berein-after described. The wheel D, has formed upon its circumference
two threads ff, of a width and depth to fit the spaces between the teeth of the
spur wheel C, such threads running about five-sixths of the way round the
circumference in planes parallel with its planes of revolution, and the remaining
sixth of the circumference being cut to receive a movable piece or switch D',
(see Figures 1 and 5,) on which is formed a thread f¹. The thread of this
switch is intended to form a connection in either direction oblique to the plane
of revolution between one and the other of the two threads f, f, the said
movable piece being fitted to turn on a pivot g, to permit of the direction of
its obliquity being reversed. The wheel C, remains stationary while the
threads f,f, are passing between its teeth, viz., during about five-sixths of
the revolution of the main shaft E, and is driven while the thread f', is
passing, viz., during about one-sixth of the revolution of the main shaft E.
The movement thus given to the wheel C is sufficient to cause the needles to
move a distance equal to the width of one stitch, and the movement of the
needle ring is caused to be in one or the other direction according as the
switch D', is set with its thread f', running in one direction or the other.
The switch thus enables the needles to be revolved in one direction continu-
ously for a given length of time for the purpose of knitting circular works, as
the legs or feet of hosiery, or to make part of a revolution in one direction, and
part of a revolution in the other alternately, when it is required to knit only a
part of the way round the circle, as in making the heels and toes of hosiery,
the change of direction being effected by shifting the switch. The switch is
locked with its thread in either position by means of one of two buttons h, h',
that are both attached firmly to the same pin i, running through the wheel D,
in a direction parallel with the shaft, and one of two stop pieces j, j', attached
to the switch itself. The stop pieces j, j; prevent the switch moving in either
direction further than is necessary to change the operative position of the
thread, and by bringing the button or ', on the opposite side of the

page_text: wheel to the stop j¹ or ;, that may be in contact with the wheel to bear
against the switch; the latter is locked.
In Figure 1 the switch is represented as locked by the stop and button h¹;
and Figures 5 and 6 present a corresponding position. The construction and
arrangement of the buttons is exhibited in Figures 1, 5, 6, and 7, Figure 6
exhibiting a section of the wheel D, and Figure 7 a perspective view of the
buttons and their connecting pin i, detached. The buttons aro arranged at
right angles to each other, and are bevelled, as shown at 11, in Figures 1, 6,
and 7, on the sides next the wheel, so that they serve as cams to effect the
shifting of the switch from one to the other of its two operative positions, a
quarter revolution of the pin i serving to move one button out of the way to
unlock the switch, to make one of the bevelled parts 11 of the other button
act upon one of the curved projections 12 on the corresponding side of the
switch to shift the switch, and to bring the latter button into a position to lock
the switch after it has been shifted. The movement of the buttons to unlock,
shift, and relock the switch, is effected by whichever one is free of the switch
coming in contact with one prong of a short forked lever G, which is secured
to an upright fulcrum pin k, fitted to turn in a bearing in the framing. The
buttons are locked in position to lock the switch by means of a small spring
dog 1, which is attached to one side of the wheel D, and which enters one of
four notches 13 in the button h. This dog is made with a taper tooth, so that
it slips out of the notches easily when force is applied to turn the button,
though it holds the button securely enough when no force is applied to turn it.
The forked lever G above described has the movement by which it is made to
present one or other of its prongs into an operative position to effect the shifting
of the switch produced by means of a long horizontal cylinder H, having a
number of studs on its circumference, fitted to a horizontal shaft I, in such a
manner as to be compelled to turn with it, but to be capable of sliding longi-
tudinally upon it. This shaft is made hollow throughout or for a portion of
its length, to receive the stem J' of a screw J, which is arranged in line with
the said shaft, and which fits a female screw thread provided in the centre of
one end of the cylinder. The end of the shaft I furthest from the screw J is
made with a journal to fit a bearing m on the top of the framing, and the head
of the screw J is fitted to a similar bearing m¹, in which it is capable of
turning freely, but confined longitudinally. The one bearing m for the shaft
is sufficient to keep it steady, as the stem of the screw enters it far enough to
prevent its getting out of line, and the cylinder being always partly on the
screw and partly on the shaft, tends to keep them in line. The screw is
provided with a crank J, which serves either to turn it by hand, to cause the

page_text: cylinder to move along the shaft while the latter is stationary, or to enter a
notch in a locking spring J³, attached to the framing, for the purpose of
holding the screw stationary, that the cylinder may be caused to move longi-
tudinally on the shaft by the rotation of the latter. In knitting partly round
the circle, as in making the heels and toes of hosiery, the cylinder is caused
both to rotate slowly with its shaft, and to move longitudinally upon it, and by
these movements its studs n, n, which are properly arranged for the purpose,
are caused to operate first upon one, then upon the other side of the rear arm
of the forked lever G, in such a manner as to shift the said lever as often as is
necessary to reverse the movement of the needle ring, that its prongs may be.
alternately brought into position for the buttons h, h', to strike them to shift
the switch D', the said buttons being operated upon each in turn, one by one
prong, and the other by the other prong of the said lever. During this part
of the operation the cylinder shaft I is geared with the main shaft by means.
of a small spur pinion o on the latter shaft, a spur wheel p on the cylinder
shaft, and a wheel 7 and pinion 7 on an intermediate shaft K. The spur
wheel p has a spring pawl p' applied, to prevent it turning the wrong way..
In knitting the circular portion of the work, as the legs and feet of hosiery,
the lever G and cylinder H remain stationary, the shaft I being out of gear
with the main shaft, the position of the cylinder during this part of the
operation being close up to the head of the screw J.
ungearing of the cylinder shaft I is effected by a limited
The gearing and
longitudinal move-
which throws the
ment of the intermediate shaft K in its bearing 2', q',
wheel p in or out of gear with o, and the shaft K is locked either in or out of
gear by means of a spring stop s, applied to act upon one side or the other of
a V-shaped collar s' on the shaft. The form of this collar enables it to push
aside the stops when considerable pressure is applied in a longitudinal
direction, and hence, though it prevents the shaft being thrown accidentally
in or out of gear, allows it to be thrown in or out when desired. The move-
ment of the lever G, produced by the studs n, n, of the cylinder H, is assisted
by the action of a spring P (Fig. 2), secured to the bottom of the horizontal
portion of the framing, upon an arın G', attached to the lower part of the
fulcrum pin, the said spring having an angular bend, as shown at 14, in
Figure 2, and the said arm G', carrying a pin 15, against which the spring
bears to press the arm in one direction or the other, according to which side
of the angle presses against it. When one of the studs of the cylinder II:
comes into action on the lever, it gives it a sufficient portion of the necessary
movement to carry the pin past the angle, and the spring completes the
movement. The spring is prevented throwing the lever too far by means of a

page_text: curb G, against one or the other side of which the arm G' is stopped in one of
its operative positions. The length of the circular portion of the work, as the
leg or foot of a stocking, is regulated by an upright toothed wheel L (shown in
Figures 1, 2 and 4), which may be termed the regulating wheel, fitted loosely
to a short shaft L', which is fitted to turn in a suitable bearing in the
framing A. This regulating wheel gears with a series of threads t, t, t¹, on
the ring B', such threads being precisely like the threads f. f, f, on the
wheel D, except that the oblique thread f, which moves the regulating wheel
one tooth during every complete revolution of the needle ring is not movable,
as the said wheel only requires to move in one direction. The shaft L' has
securely attached to it at the back of the wheel L' two arms M, M¹, and in
front of the wheel an arm M², through which and through one of a number of
holes u, u, made in the side of the wheel equal to the number of teeth, a pin u¹
is inserted, for the purpose of securing the arms M, M', in a fixed position
relatively to the wheel. The needle ring is so arranged in its bearing that the
oblique thread t¹ never comes into the wheel L in knitting partly round the
circle, and hence the wheel L is stationary during that time, but is moved tooth
by tooth in knitting round the circle. The arms M, M', M³, are so adjusted.
before the starting of the machine that by the time the leg of a stocking
is complete (supposing the stocking to be cominenced at the top), the arm M
will come in contact with the bent elastic arm of a horizontal lever N, which
works on a fulcrum pin v under the horizontal portion of the framing, and
force the said arm upward high enough to be struck by a pin w (Figures 2, 3,
and 4), that projects from the bottom of the ring B, and so moved in such a
direction and to such a distance that the other arm of the said lever, which is
forked and embraces the shaft K in a groove or between two collars, gives the
said shaft the necessary movement in the direction of the arrow shown upon it
in Figure 2, to bring it in gear, and thus cause the shaft I to be set in motion,
and the cylinder II to commence its rotary and longitudinal motion for the
purpose of shifting the forked lever G as often as is necessary to reverse the
motion of the needle ring to knit the heel of the stocking. The distance
between the arms M and M' should be such that after the cylinder shaft I has
been thrown out of gear again, and the movement of the needle ring again
proceeded with, the arm M' will operate in a similar manner to M, as above
described, when the complete circular knitting bas proceeded in far enough to
make the foot of the stocking for the purpose of starting the cylinder I again
to commence the knitting of the toe. In the machine represented the arms
M, M', are rigidly connected with each other; but as this does not allow the
length of the foot to be varied, it is preferable to have the said arms separate,

page_text: and to provide each with a separate arm like M, to secure it to the wheel L.
at such distance from the other as may be required according to the desired.
length of the foot. The throwing of the shaft K out of gear when the knitting:
of the heel is completed is effected by means of a lever Q (Figures 1, 2,
and 5), which is fitted to the said shaft between two collars, 16, 16, in such.
a manner as to be capable of working upon the said shaft as its fulcrum. The
rear end of this lever is fitted to slide up and down on a fixed .upright study.
that is secured to the bottom of the back part of the horizontal portion of the.
framing. This stud constitutes the fulcrum of the lever on which it is capable
of swinging horizontally. The front end of the lever is provided with a laterally.
bevelled upward projection Q', which stands up below the main shaft E of the
machine. Behind the shaft K, and directly under the shaft of the cylinder H,
this lever is furnished with an upward projection Q, and a coiled spring y is
applied round the fulcrum y in such a manner as to press the rear end of the
lever upward. One of the pins n on the cylinder H is made longer than the:
rest, and when the knitting of the heel is completed this pin arrives at the:
projection Q, and by its action thereon overcomes the pressure of the spring.
y, and depresses the portion of the lever which lies behind the shaft K, and.
throws up the front end far enough for its laterally bevelled projection Q¹ to.
be acted upon by the side of one of the two cranks,, that are provided on.
the main shaft E for the purpose of operating the stitch hooks. This crank by
its cam-like action on one side of the laterally bevelled projection gives the.
lever a horizontal movement sufficient to move the shaft K in the opposite.
direction to the arrow marked on it, in Figure 2, far enough to throw it out of
gear and stop the operation of' the cylinder, which remains stationary during.
the knitting of the foot, and until the arm M¹ of the regulating wheel L conies
into operation on the elastic arm of the lever N and causes the shaft K to be
thrown in gear again to commence the knitting of the toe. When the knit-:
ting of the toe is completed the machine is stopped by the disconnection or
uncoupling from the main shaft E of the pulley E¹, which receives the driving
power through a belt from a suitable motor. This pulley is connected by a
forked lever R¹ working on a fixed fulcrum 17 with a long rod R, which.
works, through a guide 18 attached to the framing, and which has a spring R.
applied to it in such a manner as to exert a constant tendency to move the
pulley along the shaft in the direction of the arrow shown upon it in Figure 2,
and so to disengage it from the shaft by moving the portion 19 of the clutch,.
which is secured to the pulley out of the way of the portion 20, which is
secured to the shaft; but this action of the spring is prevented and the pulley
kept in gear as long as necessary by. means of a stationary pin 21 (sec.

page_text: .
Figure 2) placed in the top of the interior of the guide 18 to engage in a hole
suitably arranged in the rod R. The guide 18 is deep enough to permit the:
rod R to have a sufficient downward movement to liberate it from the pin 21,"
and as the toe of the stocking is completed one of the pins 'n on the cylinder
II strikes a projection R³ on the top of the said rod, and depresses it suffi-
ciently to effect the above-named liberation and leave it under the control of the.
spring R², which at once effects the disengagement of the pulley by a move-
ment of the said rod in the direction of the arrow shown upon it in Figure 2.
Having now described fully the mechanism for effecting the operation of
the rotary series of needles, I will proceed to describe that by which the stitch
hooks e, e, yarn guides c, c, and pressers d, d, are operated; S is the stitch
hook bar represented in Figures 1 and 3, and separately in perspective in
Figure 8, having one or more arms S', S¹, according to the number of stitch
hooks employed, each having the stem of one stitch hook secured in it by, a
set screw, having a journal box 22 at each end, and at one end a long straight
slotted arm S. The journal boxes 22, 22, receive the wrist pins of the cranks
,, of the horizontal main shaft; and the slot of the arm S receives a square
block 23, which is bored to receive a stationary pin 24, which is supported in.
a position parallel with the main shaft, but at some distance therefrom by a
standard T. As the cranks z, z, revolve, the movement of the stitch hook bar'
produced by such revolution, is so directed by the working of the straight slot
in the arm S on the block 23 and pin 24 as to make the stitch hooks take the
loops from the lower parts of the needles, and carry them up over the hooks
thereof. As the stitch books descend after carrying the loops over the needles
they have to pass down between the needles, and hence they require a lateral
movement as well as the movement above described. . This lateral movement
is produced by means of two face cams 21, 1, which are formed on the cranks
around the wrist pins, one on each crank, said cams acting against the two
ends of the stitch hook bar S. The above described movements of the stitch
hook bar are the same as are commonly given to the stitch hook bar of knit-
ting machines which use a rotating or traversing series of needles from which.
the loops are taken off by hooks; but the above described means of obtaining
such movements is far more simple than those heretofore used for the
purpose. U is the bar which carries, the yarn guides by which the yarn
is laid round the needles to form the loops; said yarn guides corre-
sponding in number with the stitch hooks. This bar U is attached by.
two arms U, U₁, to a. rock, shaft U, which works in bearings 25, 25,
below the main shaft E, and it derives a simple swinging motion to carry
the yarn guides back and forth between the needles, for tlie purpose of

page_text: laying the yarn round them from the action of a groove 26 (Figure 3), in
the face of a cam V on the main shaft upon an arm U³ that is fast on the
said rock shaft. The yarn guides require to be shifted laterally every time
the direction of the revolution of the needles is changed, to make them always
lay the yarn on the proper side of the needles. This lateral movement is
produced by the cam-like action of the switch D' of the wheel D in a fork U,
attached firmly to the rock shaft U%, that side of the switch which projects
laterally from the wheel always; the first time the switch in its revolution
passes between the prongs of the said fork after the switch has been shifted,
pushing the fork in one direction or the other and thereby moving the rock
shaft longitudinally in its bearings. The rock shaft is prevented from being
accidentally moved longitudinally from either of its operative positions by means
of a spring stop 27, applied to bear upon one side or the other of a V-shaped
projection 28 on the rock shaft, and hold the rock shaft against the inner side
of one or other of its bearings 25; this stop, however, allows the shaft to
move endwise when considerable force is applied, as by the above described
action of the switch in the fork. W is the presser bar carrying the pressers
d, d, of which there are one more than the number of stitch hooks connected
by a strengthening piece d'. The presser bar is arranged to oscillate as a
rock shaft between centres 29, 29, and is furnished with an arm W', whose
end works in a groove in the cam V, by which the necessary movement to
carry the pressers down between the needles to press the work to its place
thereon, raise them up again while the loops are being taken from the needles
by the stitch hooks, carry them down again to press the work back to its place
on the needles, and lift them up from between the needles to allow the latter
to pass them is obtained.
The operation of the several parts of the machine represented in the
Drawing having now been described, I will briefly explain the operation of
knitting a stocking. The cylinder I having been run back to the head of the
screw J, and the screw secured by the spring J³, and the arms M, M', baving
been properly adjusted on the regulating wheel L for the length of the leg and
foot, and the yarn conducted through the guides C, C, the shaft K is placed
out of gear, and the pulley E in gear with the main shaft E, the needles at once
commence to revolve continuously, and by the operation of the yarn guides,
stitch hooks, and pressers in combination with them, the knitting of the leg
from the top downward in complete circular form is proceeded with, and
continues till the proper length of leg is produced, when, by the before-
described action of the arm M, the lever N is sprung up into the path of the
pin won the needle ring, and so caused to be operated upon by the said. piu

page_text: to throw the shaft K into gear and start the cylinder II. The pins 'n of this
cylinder now commence to operate on the forked lever G to shift the switch D!
at proper intervals, to cause the needles to traverse back and forth to produce
the heel without any stoppage of the machine. When the long pin », before
spoken of, strikes the projection Q on the lever Q (see Fig. 5), the front
end of the said lever is raised till the side of the crank acts upon the pro-
jection Q' of the said lever, and so throws the shaft K out of gear, and causes
the operation of the cylinder H to cease, and the knitting to proceed all round
the ring of needles again, and to continue till a sufficient length is knitted for
the foot. The armi M¹ of the regulating wheel L then comes into operation
on the lever N and springs it up for the pin, so to act upon it to throw the
shaft K into gear again, and start the cylinder H to repeat the backward and
forward traverse motion of the needles. The cylinder H now continues in
operation till the toe is completed, when the proper pin comes into action
on the projection R³ of the rod R; and disengages the said rod from the
pin 21, and allows the spring. R to act upon it to throw the pulley E out of
gear and stop the machine. The stocking is then taken from the machine,
and only requires the toe to be closed up to make it complete. The screw J
is now to be unlocked by drawing the spring J' out of the way of the crank Js,
and the screw turned by hand to run back the cylinder H to its head, and on
the shaft K being thrown out of gear and the pulley E¹ thrown in gear, and
the arms M, M, being readjusted, the machine is in condition to commence a
new stocking. Instead of commencing the stocking at the top of the leg, it
may, by a proper adjustment of the arms M, M', be commenced at the toe
and finished at the top of the leg, and by this mode of operation the stocking
may be finished in the machine without any consequent closing up of the toe.
The toe in this mode of operation is first knitted in the form of a bag on one
half the series of needles, and when it is completed with a number of loops
at its margin equal to the whole number of needles, the machine is stopped,
and those marginal loops equal to half the whole number which have been
left hanging loose within the circle of needles are placed on the other half of
the needles. The machine is then started again to commence the knitting of
the foot all round the toe, and the operation of the machine continues
automatically till the stocking is completed.
To knit a number of stockings in a continuous piece, as illustrated in
Figures 9 and 10, some changes in the machinery are necessary, the knitting
operation is commenced on each stocking at the toe, as above described, and
after having completed one stocking the machine is stopped to remove the
loops from one half of the circumference of the circular series of needles, and

page_text: commence operating again on the other half with a reciprocating rotary
movement to knit a bag to form the toe of the next. Figure 9 shows one
stocking completed, and the bag B for the toe of the next one knitted on
half of the loops of the upper margin of the leg of the first. This bag, when
completed by knitting on half the circle of needles, hangs down; along with
the completed stocking within the needle ring of the machine, the complete
stocking banging from the half 1, 2, 3, (Figure 9,) of the margin of said bag
which was commenced upon it, and the half 1, 4, 3, of said margin only
remaining on the needles. On the completion of the bag the machine is
again stopped, and the half 1, 2, 3, of its margin is placed on the half of the
needles from which the half 1, 5, 3, of the upper margin of the leg of the
completed stocking was removed before the commencement of the bag B*, and
after this has been done the machine is again started with a continuous rotary
motion of the needles to knit the foot all round the toe, and the stocking
completed in the same manner as when knitted singly. In this way any
number of stockings may be knitted in a continuous piece, as shown in
Figure 10, and separated by cutting the attached portion of the leg of each
close to the margin. The legs then require to be finished round their margins
by forming a selvage by hand, by sewing, or other means to prevent the
dropping of the stitches.
The changes from the machine represented which are necessary to the
above described operation of knitting a number of stockings in a piece, consist
principally in a novel mode of driving the cylinder H, which dispenses with
the regulating wheel L and all its appendages, and with the screw J. The
said cylinder H is made much shorter and of larger diameter, and geared to
rotate much slower, but fitted to slide along the shaft I which rotates con-
tinuously in the same direction. The said cylinder is furnished with studs
like n, n, only for a short distance from each end, and the middle is left plain,
and by a longitudinal movement back and forth along the shaft, acting in
combination with its continuous rotary motion with the shaft, the studs of the
said cylinder are caused to operate on a lever corresponding with the lever G
to control the operation of the switch D', and so control entirely the move-
ments of the needle ring. The longitudinal movement of the cylinder on its
shaft is produced by right and left-handed screw threads on a long hub or
sleeve secured to one end of the cylinder and surrounding its shaft, and two
fingers which are brought alternately to a stationary condition in position to
enter one or other of the scrow threads.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of certain improvements
in knitting machines, as communicated to me from abroad, and explained the

page_text: manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that
under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, the means herein-
before described for producing narrowed work in circular knitting machines.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)