Improvements in Machines for Seaming together Knitted or Looped Fabrics.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 9th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Seaming together Knitted or Looped
Fabrics.
I, WILLIAM CAMPION of Hockley Mill in the Town and County of the Town of
Nottingham Machinist do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The invention has for its object improvements in seaming machines, for knitted or
looped fabrics whereby a fast and elastic stitch is obtained by a simpler and more
convenient arrangement of apparatus than any heretofore in use.
For this purpose I employ a ring of grooved points on to which the work to be
seamed is run, a loop thereof being placed on each point, and the said ring of points
is racked the distance of one point for each stitch produced.
I according to my invention employ two threads and two needles for the pro-
duction of a stitch in which each needle in its turn passes through the loop of the
other needle. One of such needles is about the length of an ordinary sewing
machine needle and it is fixed in the end of a horizontal needle bar working in a
line radiating from the centre of the ring of points. This radial needle bar is con-
nected to a cross slotted driver, through the horizontal slot of which the driving
shaft passes and within the vertical slot of which moves a driving block fitting on
and operated by a crank pin carried by a disc on the driving shaft; by this means
the cross slotted needle driver is enabled to move to and fro across the driving
shaft. The second needle is much shorter than the radial needle, it is provided
with a thread eye near each end and it works just inside but slightly above the
ring of points in an arc across the path of the radial needle.
This second needle is fixed in the end of the longer arm of a crank lever working
on a vertical axis in the centre of the ring of points, the shorter arm of which is
connected to one end of an operating rod, the other end of which is sprung towards
a cam and such rod is guided so as to prevent the twisting thereof.
A depresser notched at its operating end working at an inclination from the
vertical, depressed by a lever acted upon by a cam and raised by a spring is employed
to act upon the thread of the shorter needle to depress it at the required time to
ensure the radial or longer needle passing through the loop thereof.
The method of working is as follows:-The looped or knitted fabric is run on to
the grooved points the radial needle passes with its thread through the loops on one
point and then the shorter needle carries its thread through the loop thrown out by
the radial needle, this latter then retires, the depresser then presses down the thread
of the shorter needle so that on the next advance of the radial needle the latter
shall pass with its thread through the loop of the shorter needle and so on.
The framing carrying the ring of points is supported from the upper part in such
manner as to allow the free rotation of the work with the points.
Don and 1000

page_text: Improvements in Machines for Seaming together Knitted or Looped
Fabrics.
I, WILLIAM CAMPION, of Hockley Mill, in the Town and County of the Town
of Nottingham, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
The invention has for its object improvements in seaming machines for knitted
or looped fabrics whereby a double and elastic stitch is obtained by a simpler and
more convenient arrangement of apparatus than any heretofore in use.
For this purpose I employ a ring of grooved points, on to which the work to
be seamed is run, a loop thereof being placed on each point, and the said ring of
points is racked the distance of one point for each stitch produced. I, according
to my invention, employ two threads and two needles for the production of a
stitch, in which each needle in its turn passes through the loop of the other needle.
One of such needles is about the length of an ordinary sewing machine needle
and it is fixed in the end of a horizontal needle bar working in a line radiating
from the centre of the ring of points. This radial needle bar is connected to a
cross slotted driver, through the horizontal slot of which the driving shaft passes,
and within the vertical slot of which moves a driving block fitting on and operated
by a crank pin carried by a cam disc on the driving shaft; by this means the cross
slotted needle driver is enabled to move to and fro across the driving shaft. The
second needle is much shorter than the radial needle; it is provided with a thread
eye near each end, and it works just inside, but slightly above, the ring of points
in an arc across the path of the radial needle.
This second needle is fixed in the end of the longer arm of a crank lever working
on a vertical axis in the centre of the ring of points, the shorter arm of which is
connected to one end of an operating rod, the other end of which is sprung towards
a cam, and such rod is guided so as to prevent the twisting thereof. A depresser,
notched at its operating end and depressed and raised by a lever acted upon by a
cam and spring, is employed to act upon the thread of the shorter needle to depress
it at the required time to ensure the radial or longer needle passing through the
loop thereof.
The framing carrying the ring of points is supported from the upper part in
such manner as to allow the free rotation of the work with the points.
And in order that my said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings, more fully
to describe the same.
Figure 1 is a plan, Figures 2 and 3 are two opposite side views, and Figure 4 is
a longitudinal section, of a seaming machine constructed according to my invention.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section, Figure 6 is a cross section, and Figure 7 is a
plan representing parts for operating the radial needle.
Figure 8 is a longitudinal section and Figure 9 is a plan of the depresser and
parts for operating the same.
Figure 10 is a sectional front view and Figure 11 is a sectional side view of the
depresser and its carrier drawn full size.
Figure 12 is a longitudinal section and Figure 13 is a plan partly in section
representing the transverse needle and parts for operating the same.
Figure 14 is a sectional rear view and Figure 15 is a sectional end view repre-
senting the transverse needle and part of its carrier drawn full size, and
Figure 16 is an elevation of the several cams drawn full size.
In all the figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
a represents the framing of the machine, which is fixed to its support by means
of bolts passing through the lugs a' a'. a², a² are standards, to which the arm a³
is fixed, which carries the dependent fixed shaft b, to which the disc or ring C is

page_text: fixed; on this fixed ring c is mounted, with capability of rotation thereon, a ring d
having a ring of grooved points a fixed thereon, and such ring d is held in position on
the ring c by a ring c
On these grooved points d the work to be seamed is run, each loop thereof
being placed on a separate point, as is well understood, and the ring d' is racked
the distance of one point for each stitch produced, in the following manner.
e is the main or driving shaft, which is mounted in bearings formed in one of the
standards a² and in a standard at, and such shaft e receives motion by means of a
gut or band running around a moveable grooved pulley f, which by means of a stud
or pin, is capable of engaging with a notched disc e¹ fixed on the shaft e; this
pulley is thrown into and out of connection with the disc e' by means of a crank
lever acting within a groove in the boss of such pulley f; on the main shaft e is
fixed a boss or disc g carrying a crank pin g', on which is mounted a driving lever
or pawl 2, which is guided in a vertical forked guide d³, and acts in connection with
the teeth of a ratchet wheel g³ to rotate the same the distance of one tooth for each
rotation of the shaft e; a stop pawl g mounted on a standard g fixed to a
bracket carried by the ring c is used to prevent any back motion of the ratchet
wheel g³.
On the axis g of the ratchet wheel 93 is fixed a toothed pinion g', which takes
into and gives motion to a ring of teeth d² formed or fixed on the ring d.
h is a needle mounted in the end of a horizontal sliding bar h¹ working in a line
radiating from the centre of the ring of points d, and capable of entering in succession
the groove of each of the points d as the latter are in succession presented thereto
by the driving means herein before described.
This needle bar is mounted in the standards a' a', and is connected to a cross
slotted driver 2, through the horizontal slot of which the driving shaft e passes,
and within the vertical slot of which moves a driving block h³ fitting on and
operated by a crank pin carried by the cam disc on the driving shaft e; by
this means the cross slotted driver 2, which is guided at its lower end in a slot aⓇ
in the frame a, is enabled to move to and fro across the driving shafte. The trans-
verse needle i is much shorter than the radial needle ; it is provided with a
thread eye near each end of its horizontal portion, and it works just inside of,
but slightly above, the ring of points d in an arc across the path of the radial needle h
This needle i is fixed in the end of the longer arm of a crank lever i working on
the vertical fixed axis b, the shorter arm of which is connected to one end of an
operating rod 2, a projection on which is, by the spring, kept against a cam i
which gives motion to the same, and such rod 2 has a downwardly projecting arm i³,
which, by working to and fro in a slot in the framing a, is prevented from twisting.
A depresser k, notched at its operating end, is mounted on an axis of motion k³,
on which is fixed a short arm 2, which is acted upon at the required times by a
link k³ fitting at one end on the upper end of such arm k2 and connected at its other
end to the upper end of a crank lever which is kept up to its operating cam k
by a spring k
This depresser k is employed to act upon the thread of the needle i to depress it
at the required time to ensure the radial needle passing through the loop thereof.
The thread for the needle / is contained on a bobbin l, whence it passes through
a guide eye at the upper end of a standard m; it thence passes between the
tension discs 12, around the pin 13, thence over a guide to a guide hole formed in a
pin 1, whence it passes through a guide hole in a thread handler lever 16, thence
through a guide hole formed in one of the standards as, thence through a guide hole
formed in the needle holder *, and thence to the eye of the needle h. The thread
handler is acted upon at the required times by a cam and spring 18. The
thread y for the needle i is contained on a bobbin 1*, whence it passes through a
guide at the upper end of the standard m; it thence passes between the tension
discs *, around the pin 13*, thence direct to the eye near the bend of the needle i
and thence out through the eye near the point thereof. A bar n lies over the rear
parts of the ring of points d at the part where the seaming is effected; such bar n

page_text: is provided at the end with a longitudinal slit or groove which acts as a guide for
the needle h, facilitates the formation of the loop thereof, and holds the said loop
upright until the transverse needle i is ready to pass through the same.
The bar n
has also a transverse groove within which the needle i works, and the extremity of
such barn is so made as to allow of the machine linking, that is, the operation of
continuing the stitch after it has done seaming.
The method of working is as follows: the pieces of looped or knitted fabric to
be seamed together are run on to the grooved points d, the radial needle h, with its
thread, passes into the groove of each point d in succession and through the loops
thereon, then the transverse needle carries its thread through the loop thrown
out by the radial needle h, this latter then retires, the depresser & then presses down
the thread of the transverse needle i, so that on the next advance of the radial
needle the latter shall pass with its thread through the loop of the needle i and
so on.
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 :-
1. The peculiar combination and arrangement of parts forming a two thread
seaming machine substantially as herein shown and described.
2. In seaming machines, the combination with a ring of grooved points, of a
radial needle on the exterior of such ring, a transverse needle acting within the
said ring at the rear of the grooved points, and a depresser acting upon the thread
of such transverse needle, the several parts being operated substantially as herein
shown and described and for the purpose stated.
Dated this 96th day of March 1901
WILLIAM CAMPION.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
WILLIAM CAMPION.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.