IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: We, JOHN HARRIS COOPER of Evington in the County of Leicester and Friars
Causeway Leicester Hosiery Manufacturer and WILLIAM JAMES FORD of Humber-
stone in the County of Leicester Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of our
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES" to be as follows:-
By this Invention we are enabled to make the leg heel and foot of à sock or
stocking upon knitting machines of the cylindrical or circular class wherein the
cylinder which carries the needles revolves whilst the cam which operates the
needles remains stationary and in which the fabric when produced is led away in
an upward direction and not only to make a sock or stocking upon such machines
but also to lay into it a splicing thread in and above the heel.
The requisite up and down movements we give to the needles by a single fixed
cain. In place of carrying the thread eye from the outer fixed cylinder in one
fixed position as is usual we mount it upon a ring or part of a ring which can be
turned around this cylinder.
The splicing thread we lead through the same eye or guide as the thread from
which the work is produced. At the top of the thread eye we keep the two
threads separate the one from the other by a division. We provide a clamping
plate carried by a small lever arm to grip and hold the splicing thread against the
stem of the thread eye at such times as the splicing thread is not required to be
laid on to the needles.
To the guide or thread eye we also attach a guard plate or cover extending
sidewise from it in both directions to keep the tumblers or latches of the needles
open when the needles rise and so prevent their being accidentally thrown upwards
and closed thus preventing any stitches from being thrown off from the needles.
When making the leg the cylinder of the machine is revolved continuously and
work produced in the ordinary manner. When a splicing thread is to be laid into
the work in the part which is to come just above the heel the clamp which holds
the splicing thread is made to open and the other thread draws the splicing thread
along with it and lays it on to the needles so that both threads go together onto
the needles until the splicing thread is again clamped and so made to break just at
the eye. It then goes out of action till the clamp is again opened.
The clamp may be made to open by a spring and be closed at the times required
by a cam on the revolving cylinder acting through interposed mechanism upon the
lever arm of the clamp.

page_text: During the time that plain work is being produced without a splicing thread
being laid into any part of it the clamp may be kept closed by a catch so as to
keep the splicing thread held back and out of action when however this catch is
released the clamp will be free to open and the splicing thread will then be laid
into the work at the part required.
When the heel is to be formed a certain number of needles at each end of the
row of needles upon which the heel piece is to be worked are raised and held up
out of action so that the work cannot escape from them the cylinder which carries
the needles is also disconnected from the driving mechanism and a to and fro
partial revolving motion is given to the cylinder by hand to produce work upon
those needles only upon which the heel is to be made. This to and fro motion we
give by a handle which when cylindrical work is being produced hangs down below
the cylinder out of action but when the heel is to be produced is turned up into a
horizontal position so that it may be used for turning the cylinder. When so
turned up it comes between pins at a distance apart from one another on the ring
which carries the thread eye.
In this way after any desired number of needles had been moved past the thread
eye and thread laid upon them from it the arm or handle comes against one of the
pins and turns the ring so moving the thread eye and carrying it round together
with the needles. In this way the clamp through which the splicing thread passes
is moved away from the mechanism employed for closing it so that the clamp
remains open and the thread eye is brought into position for again placing thread
on the needles to produce another course of spliced work when the cylinder which
carries the needles is turned in the opposite direction.
Other means than those above described might be adopted for giving a like
motion the guide or thread eye and clamp at the times required.
By these means any number of successive courses of work may be produced and
the heel may be fashioned by setting the end needles (of the row of needles upon
which the heel is being formed) in or out of work at the end of each course in the
same way as that in which heel pieces have before been formed in other classes of
circular knitting machines.
By making the thread guide moveable as above described and by providing this
thread guide with a guard extending from it sideways in both directions to prevent
the beards of the needles from accidentally closing we are able to produce the heel
pieces of stockings upon circular knitting machines having a single fixed 'cam
whereas heretofore when forming heel pieces upon circular knitting machines such
machines have had to be provided with double clearing cams and the work has
been conveyed away downwards whereas by our improvements the work can be
conveyed away upwards and greater accuracy of measurement and greater speed in
working can be attained.
The apparatus used for laying on the splicing thread can not only be used in
circular machines but also in flat or rotary machines and be acted upon by a
stationary slide or cam bar of the length of splicing required.
Dated this 10th day of January 1884
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: We JOHN HARRIS COOPER of Evington in the County of Leicester and Friars
Causeway Leicester Hosiery Manufacturer and WILLIAM JAMES FORD of
Humberstone in the County of Leicester Manufacturer do hereby declare the
nature of our Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES" and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
According to this Invention we construct circular knitting machines in such
manner that not only can a splicing thread be laid together with the other thread
on to any desired number of the needles in the circle of needles at the time when a
tubular piece of work is being produced by a continuous revolving movement so as
to thicken the tubular piece of work around part or the whole of its circumference
but also in addition we construct the machine in such manner that fashioned
thickened work can be produced with a reciprocating to and fro movement upon
part of the circle of needles whilst the other needles in the circle are kept out of
action but with the work remaining upon them.
In this way we are enabled to form a sock or stocking upon a circular knitting
machine with the work thickened at the knee and just above the heel and with the
heel also formed of thickened work knitted continuously without breakage of
thread and with the foot piece also thickened if desired on its under side.
We also form that class of cylindrical or circular knitting machine in which the
cylinder which carries the needles revolves whilst the cam which operates the
needles remains stationary and in which the fabric when produced can be led
away in an upward direction in such manner that a sock or stocking can be formed
upon it in the above mentioned manner whether a splicing or thickening thread be
laid into the work in the above described manner or not.
We also give the requisite up and down movement to the needles by a single
fixed cam and on either side of the thread eye we place a guard plate or cover to
keep the tumblers or latches of the needles open when the needles rise and so
prevent their being accidentally thrown upwards and closed at the time when the
needles are raised to bring the work on to the steins of the needles and below the
latches. In this way we obviate the necessity of using double clearing cams now
commonly used for effecting the same object in what are known as the Griswold
machines.
In Figures 1. 2. 3 and 4 of the Drawings we have shown a circular knitting
machine in which the circular head of needles revolves and which is adapted to
produce a sock or stocking in the above manner.
The machine is shown with the work being led away downwards but it might
In that case it would
be led away upwards whenever it was desired to do so.
only be necessary to carry a ring within the interior of the circle of needles to
hold down the end of the work to the level required as is well understood.
When long pieces of work are being produced it is generally desirable to
lead the work upwards but for short lengths it is convenient to lead it away
downwards.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine partly in section.
Figure 2 is a plan view.
Figure 3 a vertical section through the centre of the needle head.
Figure 4 a section through the outer fixed ring which carries the cam for
operating the needles.

page_text: D the revo:ving circular
ecules m
100
5140
wheel B* driven by other bevelled wheels as shown from a bevelled wheel C on a
driving shaft.
The wheel C can be moved by a clutch D as shown at Figure 2 to put it in or
out of gear as required.
E are the needles carried by the circular head B.
F is the cam acting upon the stems of the needles it can be raised or lowered as
shown at Figure 1 by means of a screw G so as to produce slacker or tighter work
as desired.
H is a ring capable of being turned around the fixed cylinder A; it has fixed
to it at one point of its circumference a block I which carries the thread eye J.
The block has also jointed to it a plate K-this plate has a rib K' standing up
vertically from it along its centre as shown in Figure 2.
The thread Y for producing the work is led to the thread eye along this plate at
one side of the rib and the splicing or thickening thread X is also led to the thread
eye along this plate on the opposite side of the rib and near the end of the plate it
is conducted down thrown a hole K' in the plate and then again upwards through
another hole K³ before passing into the thread eye J. A short length of the
thickening thread is in this way exposed below the under side of the plate. Below
it is a pad of leather L in order that when the forward end of the plate K is
pressed downwards the thread may be nipped and held between the under side of
the plate and the pad of leather and so be prevented from passing to the thread eye
consequently the thread will then be broken between the thread eye and the
needles.
In order to tighten up the thickening thread just at the time that it has to be
thus broken the outer end of the plate K has jointed to it a small lever M through
an eye in the upper end of which the thickening thread is led.
In the lower arm of the lever is a slot into which a fixed pin M* enters so that
when the outer end of the plate K is turned upwards the lever arm M is turned away
from the thread eye and the thread thereby tightened in the manner shewn by
dotted lines in Figure 1. When the reverse movement takes place and the outer
end of the plate K is lowered so that its forward end no longer nips and retains
the thickening thread, the lever M moves towards the thread eye and slackens the
tension on the thickening thread; the thickening thread will then pass with the
other thread on to the work.
The raising and lowering of the plate K at the times required is effected by a
lever N. On one arm of this lever is a truck N¹ which rests against a cam surface
on the under side of the circular head of needles. The other end of the lever N
has standing up from it an arm N* at the top of which is a pin which enters into
a slot in the projection on the under side of the plate K. In this way the plate K
will be turned upon this joint and made to nip and hold the thickening thread
during part of each revolution of the needle head so as to lay a thickening thread
around part only of the circular piece of work that is being produced.
When plain work is required without being thickened at any part of it an
inclined bolt O is pushed below the outer arm of the lever N so as to hold up this
arm of the lever and prevent the lever from being acted upon by the cam.
When it is required to produce a continuous length of spliced work without
breaking the splicing thread the inclined bolt O is withdrawn from below the
outer arm of the lever N and the arm N* is pressed inwards a distance to disengage
it from the plate K. The small pin N' upon it then passes from one curved bend
in the spring P into the other curved bend of the spring P which serves to hold
the arm Nin either one or other of its two positions as desired. In this way
the plate K remains unaffected by any movement of the lever N and the thickening
thread remains unbroken.
Q. Q. are guard plates one on either side of the thread eye they might be made
to extend from the thread eye but we prefer to affix them separately to the ring H
as shown at Figures 1 and 2.

page_text: The guard plates serve to keep the latches of the needles from flying upwards as
the needles rise after the work has been knocked over from them and when the
latches of the needles are so .lifted above the level of the loops of work which
remain upon the needles.
R is a handle which can be placed into a socket in the circular head of needles
whenever it is desired to give a reciprocating to and fro movement to the circular
head instead of a continuous revolving motion as is requisite when making the heel
piece of a sock or stocking upon a circular knitting machine.
Projecting upwards from the handle R is a peg R¹ which at each end of the
reciprocating movement of the circular needle head strikes against projections S
which stand out from opposite sides of the ring H and give to this ring a partial
turn first in one direction and then in the other.
A tubular piece of unthickened work for forming the leg piece of a sock or
stocking is first made to any desired length upon the machine, the slide O is then
withdrawn so that the lever N may be acted upon by the cam on the under
side of the needle head, any desired number of courses of tubular work are then
produced which will be thickened around that part of the circle which is to come
above the heel piece. So soon as the desired number of courses have been
completed the machine is stopped, the bevelled wheel C is thrown out of gear and
the arm R is inserted into the socket at the side of the needle head. The needles
which are not required to be in use during the time that the heel is being formed
and upon which unthickened work had previously been produced are now lifted
up so as to bring them into the position shown in dotted lines at Figure 1 in which
position they will not be acted upon by the cam F but the work will still remain
upon them.
A reciprocating movement is now given to the needle head by the arm R and
the arm N* is disengaged from the plate K by pressing the arm inwards.
At each end of the reciprocating movement the projection R¹ comes against one
of the pegs S which stand out from the sides of the ring H and give a partial turn
to this ring. The extent to which the ring H can be so turned is controlled by a
stop pin H* carried by the fixed ring A which enters a slot in the ring H as shewn
in Figure 1.
In this way the thread eye carried by the ring will be shifted from a position
just in front of the commencement of one of the downward inclines of the cam F
and brought just in front of the commencement of the other downward incline of
this cam so bringing it into position for laying thread on to the needles when the
needle head is turned back in the opposite direction. Any desired number of
courses are produced in this way, and at the end of each course, the end needle of
the set of needles upon which work is being produced is lifted, and so put out
of action, and a tapered piece of work is so produced.
Afterwards an equal number of thickened courses are produced in the same way,
but at the end of each course instead of putting the end needle out of action, one
of the needles which had previously been put out of action, is again brought into
action, until the whole of the needles, upon which thickened work was originally
being produced, have thus been brought again into work. The thickening thread
remains unbroken during the whole time that these several courses are being
produced.
When the heel has been finished the arm R is withdrawn from the socket in the
needle head; the needles, upon which unthickened work had previously been:
produced, are lowered so as again to bring them into work and the arm N* is
drawn forwards, so as to bring it into the position shown in Figure 1. .
A continuous revolving motion is then given to the machine by means of the
bevilled wheel C, so as to produce a tubular piece of work for forming the foot of
the sock or stocking. And this piece of work will be thickened around that part
of the circumference which is to come on the under side of the foot.
When sufficient thickened work has been produced, the inclined bolt O is pressed
under the lever .M, and the thickening thread is thereby continuously retained, so

page_text: '
that plain unthickened work is then produced until a sufficient length has been
made for forming the foot.
In making the next sock or stocking the foot would be produced first, then the
heel, and afterwards the leg piece.
To fashion or shape the toe piece at the end of the foot of each sock or stocking,
the work might be placed on to needles in a flat or rotary machine, and the toe
piece be formed upon them in such' machine as is usual, or for common work, the
end of the tubular piece of work forming the foot, might be cut to the shape
required, and the cut edges be then sewn together, or two tapered pieces of work
might be formed at the end of the foot piece in a similar manner to that described.
with reference to the formation of the heel piece and the two tapered pieces be
afterwards joined together at their edges by sewing.
At Figures 5 and 6 we have shown a circular knitting machine of that class in
which the inner cylinder carrying the circle of needles is fixed, adapted according
to our Invention not only for producing a thickened heel but also in addition
adapted for laying a splicing or thickening thread into the work above the heel
and it may be at the knee also.
The machine which we have shown in the Drawings as so adapted for producing
work of the kind above mentioned is what is known as a Griswold machine and
its general construction is similar to that described in the Specification of a Patent
granted to H. J. Griswold on the 21st day of August 1872 N° 2489. The yarn
carrier is carried by the driving ring or wheel the cams are carried by the outer
cylinder which can turn around the inner cylinder which carries the needles. The
outer cylinder is turned by the projecting base of the yarn carrier coming against
one or other of two stops which stand out from the cylinder so that in whichever
direction the driving ring or wheel is revolved the yarn carrier is brought into
proper position relatively to the cams to present the yarn to the needles just as
they descend to form the stitch whether the machine is revolved with a continuous
revolving movement to produce tubular work or with a reciprocating rotary
movement to produce the heel. The construction and action of these machines is
well understood so that we have not shewn in the Drawings the forms of the cams
for acting the needles.
Figure 5 is a side elevation partly in section and Figure 6 is a plan view of the
machine.
.
A is the fixed cylinder cut all round with vertical tricks or grooves for the
stems of the needles to slide in. B is the outer cylinder which carries the cams
for acting on the needles. C is the driving ring or wheel driven from a bevel
wheel on a driving shaft as shewn in Figure 6-D is a standard rising up from
the wheel C and carrying at its upper end a yarn or thread eye D*-EE are
projections standing out from the cylinder B the base of the standard D comes
against one or other of these projections when the wheel C is revolved and carries
the cylinder B round with it.
So far the machine is constructed in the usual well known way-we add to this
machine a fixed annular ring F concentric with the cylinders and carrying cam
surfaces F F to control the laying in of the splicing or thickening thread. We
also joint to the upper end of the standard D splicing mechanism similar to the
mechanism described and shewn in Figures 1 and 2.-We also affix to the
cylinder B a bracket B* which is bent as shewn in Figure 5 to carry a bobbin
above the circle of needles and concentrically with these needles. This bobbin
serves to carry the splicing or thickening thread-the other thread for producing
the bulk of the work is carried upon a bobbin mounted upon a fixed support at a
distance vertically above the machine. The splicing mechanism is composed of the
plate K which has a rib K' standing up vertically from it along its centre to form
a division between the yarn with which the bulk of the work is produced and the
splicing or thickening thread. The splicing thread X is as in the apparatus shown
in Figures 1 and 2 led downwards through a hole K₁ in the plate and then again
upwards through another 'hole Ķ³ before passing to the thread eye. Below it is a

page_text: pad L for the portion of thickening thread which is exposed on the underside of
the plate K to be pressed against whenever the thickening thread is to be broken.
The rear end of the plate K is bent or formed into an eye which embraces a pin at
the top of a slide M which can rise or fall vertically in guides on the standard D.-
The lower end of the slide M carries a roller N which can be made to rest upon
either one or other of the two cam surfaces F1 F2 one of which is somewhat nearer
to the centre of the cylinders than the other. In Figure 5 the roller is shewn to
be held in position over either one or other of these cam surfaces by being held in
either one or other of two notches in a spring 0-or the roller can be drawn
outwards away from the cylinders so as not to be held in either groove and would
then be entirely out of action-Other means than those shown in the Drawing
might be adopted for holding the roller in either one, or other of its three
positions.
For example it may be embraced at its circumference by a fork Z (as shewn in
Figures 7 and 8) which can be shifted endwise and locked in any desired position
by a binding screw to a fixed bar Z¹ which is made to stand out from the
standard D.
The plate K also instead of being made as shown at Figures 5 and 6 with a
rib K¹ standing up from it might be made without this rib and the thread Y be
led through a guide Y₁ at one side of the plate K as shown at Figures 3 and 4-
this will effect the same object of keeping the threads apart until just as they
enter the thread eye.
P is the lever for tightening the splicing thread at the time when this thread is
to be broken and for slackening this thread so soon as it is to be again laid on to
the needles. This lever is jointed to the standard D and is acted upon by a pin P*
which projects from the slide M as shown in Figure 5.
When the roller is in such a position as to be brought into contact with one of
the cam surfaces F¹ F? a thickening thread will be laid into the work at the front
of the stocking as is required when thickening the stocking at the knee-when the
roller is in position to be brought into contact with the other cam surface a
thickening thread will be laid into the work at the back of the stocking as is.
required when thickening the work above the heel and the heel itself and the
underside of the foot.
When a continuous length of unspliced work is to be produced the roller N is
drawn away from both cams and the slide M is held up by a sliding bolt Q in the
manner shewn at Figures 7 and 8. The bolt is formed with an incline on its end
which when the bolt is moved endwise comes against a pin which stands out from
the slide and so lifts the slide and holds it up.
In place of the slide M being made to rise and fall at the required times by a
roller carried by it being brought into contact with cam surfaces F¹ or F² the
slide M might be raised at the times required by means of pins carried by a
rotating wheel R mounted upon an axis carried by the standard D as shewn at
Figures 9. In this case the cam surfaces F¹ and F³ are done away with and are
replaced by two pegs Fx at opposite sides of the machine.
The wheel R is formed with four radial spokes as shown at Figure 6 and these
are in succession brought against the pegs Fx when the driving ring C is revolved
and each time that one or other of the radial arms comes against one of the pegs a
quarter turn is given to the wheel. Two opposite arms of the wheel have pins R
projecting from them and whenever one of these comes against a projection M¹
which stands out from the slide M the slide is raised whilst when one of the radial
spokes which does not carry a pin R¹ comes opposite to the slide M the slide
drops. The slide will thus be held up for one half of a revolution of the driving
ring C and lowered for the other half. The wheel R is prevented from turning
too freely by friction applied to it by a spring R² as shown.
When the pegs F* are not required to act upon the wheel R they may be
turned outwards upon hinge joints so that the wheel R shall not come into contact
with them.

page_text: It will be seen that by carrying the bobbin of splicing or thickening thread by
the cylinder B and by carrying it above the needle head and concentrically
there with that not only does the thread not get twisted by the revolution of the
cylinder but it is also always out of the way of the other thread with which the
body of the work is produced.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
First. The construction of circular knitting machines in such manner that not
only can the work be thickened around any desired portion of its circumference at
the time when the machine is being driven with a continuous revolving movement
and tubular work is being produced but also in addition in such manner that the
machine may be worked with a reciprocating rotary movement to allow of
fashioned work being produced on one part of the circle of needles whilst the
needles in the other part of the circle are out of action substantially as described.
Second. The construction of circular knitting machines substantially as
herein before described in such manner that not only may the heels of stockings
or socks be manufactured upon them as heretofore but also that the stockings or
socks may be thickened at will not only in the heel itself but also above the heel
and on the under side of the foot if desired.
Third. The constructing circular knitting machines in which the cylinder
which carries the needles revolves whilst the cams which operate the needles are
fixed, in such a manner that work may be produced upon the needles whether the
needle cylinder be revolved in one direction or the other so that socks or stockings
may be formed upon them substantially in the manner hereinbefore described.
Fourth. The construction of the mechanism for gripping and retaining. the
thickening thread substantially in the manner herein before described.
Fifth. The employment of guard plates one on either side of the thread eye to
keep the tumblers or latches of the needles open when the needles rise substantially
as described.
Sixth. The construction of knitting machines substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated at Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Seventh. The construction of knitting machines substantially as herein before
described and illustrated at Figures 5, 6 and 9.
Dated this 17th day of July 1884.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.