IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Albert Corwin, of Newark, in the State of
New Jersey, United States of America, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY."
Sealed the 27th October 1854, and dated the 26th May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Albert-Corwin
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th May 1854.
I, JOSEPH ALBERT CORWIN, of Newark, in the State of New Jersey, United
States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY". to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of certain improvements in knitting machinery, and
the chief peculiarity thereof is in the method of forming the loops, whereby.I
am enabled to simplify very greatly the mechanism of the frame, and reduce
the cost of construction with increased amount of work done. In the old knit-
ting frames, the loops must all be formed for the course before those last laid
can be cast off, a series of motions having to be gone through at the end of
each traverse of the yarn guide before any new yarn can be laid on, and henco
there is a considerable loss of time. By my Invention, however, this is all
saved, as the loops are formed and cast off and the course completed as fast as
the yarn is laid on; hence, the yarn guide is ready to return the moment it gets
clear of the last sinker. This arrangement is not essential to my machine, for,

page_text: if preferred, the loops may all be formed for the course before being cast off
as in the old frame. This, however, will be pro-luctive of a slight loss of time,
although not as much as in the needle frame.
My machine consists of a scries of tools arranged in a row upon a suitable
frame for the purpose, each tool being by itself a complete knitting machine,
and capable alone of making a perfect loop. It is therefore in consequence of
this peculiarity that the loops may be cast off as fast as the yarn is laid, as
before remarked.
Figure 1 represents one of my loop-forming tools, drawn in perspective and
on an enlarged scale. The tool consists of two pieces which work in com-
bination, one piece being within the other. a is a sheath, which may be con-
veniently formed out of a piece of sheet metal, bent so that a deep and narrow
slot is formed, as seen in Figure 1. At each of the two uppermost corners
there is a sharp pointed hook, one of which is shown at b, the other being
hidden by the centre piece. That centre piece consists of a flat plate c, fitted
to play in the sheath a, and embraced by its sides, as shewn. On the upper
corner of this plate there is a peculiarly shaped horn, terminating in a barbed
head d. From the base of the head there projects a flange on cach side
of the plate and flush with its edge, as shewn at e, which flange serves an
important purpose in the working of the tool. It is by the combined operation
of the hook b and barb d that the loops are thrown off. In working, each of
these two pieces has a peculiar motion given to it; one has a play up and
down, and the other moves laterally. One piece is fixed to a permanent part
of the frame by the pin a', Figure 2, on which it has a slight vibratory
motion. In the present described machine the sheath a is the part repre-
sented as thus fixed, and the piece c as moveable vertically.
21
I will now describe what these movements are, as that will be necessary
before it can be made apparent how the loops are formed. The plate c is kept
within the sheath by the angular pull of a spiral spring i, Figures 2 and 3;
this keeps the plate always up, so that its top edge will bo flush with the top of
the sheath, a stop & being at the bottom to hold it. The down motion is given
by a lever f, secured to a projection f', Figures 2 and 3, the upward motion
being by the force of the spring i; when the pressure on the lever is released,
this upward motion is also further insured by a cam g' acting on the tail of the
lever. The lateral motion takes place during the up and down motions of the
piece c, and is caused by a cam o, Figure 3, cut on the inside of the plate,
which cam strikes against a pin put through the sheath at o', Figures 1 and 3.
I will now describe the method of forming a single loop by a single tool.
m, Figure 3, represents the loop of the previous course, and n that of

page_text: the last course, the yarn being shewn as if in section, and consequently
cut off at the front side of the machine. p is a sinker, around the end
of which the new loop is still held. The plate a is now to be depressed
against the face of the spring i; as it goes down, the loop m comes in con-
tact with the hook b, upon which it is taken, and the object of the flange e,
Figure 1, can now be seen; this flange being for the purpose of preventing
the yarn from lying too close to the sides of the horn; and thus in the
angle so formed there is a place left for the point of the hook to get by and
take up the yarn. The moment the lower loop m is fairly on the hooks b, the
cam o strikes the pin o', and forces the sheath a at its upper end backward
from the web, and at this moment also the barb & takes hold of the loop n,
and thus secures it on the horn. The loop m by this movement has been
taken away from under the loop n, and is now being carried past and clear of
the barb d, in order that it may be discharged over the horn. As the plate c
continues to descend, the barb d draws down the loop n, and causes it to slip
the yarn from the sinker p. The hooks on a are now brought into position
over the top of the horn, and as the cam o has cleared o', the sheath a has
fallen into its first place, by which means the hooks have been brought directly
over the barb. The plate c is now allowed to ascend, and the horn thuз strips
or discharges the loop which was held on the hook 6, the stitch being com-
pleted; meantime the loop n lies upon the lower part of the shank of the horn
in the place formerly occupied by m, and the yarn is now to be laid above for
the new course; the process thus being continued for any desired length of
web. To make a wide fabric or cloth, a number of the instruments or tools
just described are set upon a proper frame, in a straight line and at the right
distance for any given quantity of work. A, Figure 2, is the front plate of a
connected machine, having arranged upon its inner face a series of sheaths a
and plates c, before described; these stand in a vertical position, and to give
greater stiffness and accuracy to the movements of the plates c, they are sup-
ported in a comb or rack cut in the upper edge of the plate A. The plates c
are drawn down by a series of treadle levers f, and are operated by a traversing
cam or slur cock g, the cam being attached to a carriage B traversing in
guides across the frame. The sinkers lie horizontally, as shewn at p, and are
attached to the jack levers of common construction, standing vertically, how-
ever, as shewn at r. The sinkers are sent forward by a slur cock s fixed to the
carriage B, the slur cock being made adjustable to vary the depth of the loops
as usual. The sinkers are provided with recoil springs, which cause them to
return the moment the slur cock clears them; or a cam or other contrivance
may be used instead. This is because the whole of the operation of forming

page_text: the loop is effected while the slur cock passes along. Attached to the carriage
B there is a yarn guide C, affixed to a shifting plate D, in order to set the
guide before the slur cock, so that it may precede the action of the latter, in a.
manner well known. The carriage B, which effects the working of the whole
machine, is moved by any convenient dovice; thus, it may be propelled by a
cylindrical cam on the main shaft, which gives a vibrating motion to the lever
F, to which the carriage B is attached.
The operation of the machine will now be as follows:-Motion being given
to the cam, the carriage B will advance; the point of the yarn guide C will
pass just behind the horns and below the barb d, as shown in Figure 2. (It
is presumed that there is already a starting course on the horns). The slur
cock s now strikes against the jacks and pushes forward the sinkers p; these
sink the yarn into loops around the shanks of the horns, and so soon as there
is a sinker advanced on each side of a horn, the plate c may be depressed.
The cam or second slur cock g now strikes the end of the levers f, and effects
the depressing of the piece c; as it comes down, the barb d takes hold of the
loop last laid, and draws it downward through the loop of the previous course,
which latter loop has settled upon the hook b, by which it is carried back-
ward and away from the horn by the lateral motion of the sheath a, in order
to make room for the passage of the upper loop through; it is then allowed to
come forward and be in position for having the loop discharged, which is done
by the ascent of the horn in the manner. before described. The formation of
each loop is thus a distinct and separate operation, going on as fast as the yarn
is laid; thus is all that time saved which is required in the old mode, wherein
the whole row of loops must be laid first, the presser brought into play, the
sinkers raised, and the cast-off effected. The web hangs by the last course as
in the old mode, and is taken up by a take-up roller or other proper device.
Although I have described the arrangement of my loop-forming tools as
being in a straight frame, they are capable of other arrangements, and such I
contemplate. They may be arranged on a circular frame and a cylindrical
web woven by a rotary motion of the slur cock, and if so arranged they
would be capable of performing a much greater amount of work than on a
straight frame; for when so arranged, there may be many yarn carriers, laying
yarn for loops all at the same time; for so soon as one loop is cast off another
yarn may be immediately laid, and another loop formed, &c..
It will also be seen that great certainty is insured by the action of my.
machine; for while the loop is being formed, each part is grasped or held by
one of the loop-forming hooks, and cannot be let off until the proper time.
By it, therefore, other materials besides yarus may be worked, as wire and some

page_text: of the stiffer grasses; thus I contemplate forming fabrics by it which cannot be
worked on the old knitting frames.
It is evident that there may be modifications in the construction of the loop-
forming tools and the manner of working them; the plate c, for instance, may
be stationary and the sheath made to move; and instead of the sheath, a trip
lever with a hook at its end may be used to lift up and cast off the loops.
In a straight frame a plurality of yarn guides may also be used, and these
be all in operation at the same time; for so soon as the loop is cast off which
was laid by the first guide, a second may at once follow, and so on, as many as
may be found desirable.
In respect to some of the variations in the construction of the loop-forming
tools, Figures 4 and 5 are representations of such. In Figure 4, the hook d
and plate c are stationary, but receive the yarn in the same manner. The cast-
off is effected by the circular movement of the hook b, which is here cut on a
short curved arin centred in the plate c, while the lever f is connected to and
made to work by a bar x, as shewn, or the slur cock may traverse directly
under the end of the bar a. In Figure 5, the sheath a is made stationary, and
it has on it the supporting hook d, while the plate c has the cast-off hooks b.
In this latter arrangement the plate c performs both the vertical and lateral
motions, while the sheath is quite stationary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Albert Corwin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, JosЕРП
ALBERT CORWIN, of Newark, in the State of New Jersey, United States of
America, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joseph Albert Corwin, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Albert
Corwin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said,
Joseph Albert Corwin, 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,

page_text: the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
KNITTING MACHINERY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Joseph Albert Corwin, 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 Joseph Albert Corwin, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that
is to say:-
.
My Invention consists in certain improvements in knitting machinery, and
the chief peculiarity thereof is in the method of forming the loops, whereby I
am enabled to simplify very greatly the mechanism of the frame, and reduce
cost of construction with increased amount of work done. In the old knit-
ting frames the loops must all be formed for the course before those last laid
can be cast off, a series of motions having to be gone through with at the end
of each traverse of the yarn guide before any new yarn can be laid, and hence
there is considerable loss of time. By my Invention, however, this is all
saved, as the loops are formed and cast off and the course completed as fast as
the yarn is laid; hence, the yarn guide is ready to return the moment it gets
clear of the last sinker. This arrangement is not a necessity of my machine,
for, if preferred, the loops may all be formed for the course before being cast
off, as in the old frame. This, however, will be productive of a slight loss of
time, although not as much as in the needle frame. My machine consists of
a series of tools arranged in a row upon a suitable frame for the purpose.
Each tool is by itself a complete knitting machine, and will alone make a
perfect loop; it is therefore in consequence of this peculiarity that the loops
may be cast off as fast as the yarn is laid, as before mentioned. Fig. III.
represents one of my loop-forming tools, drawn in perspective and on a magni-
fied scale; and Figs. IV., V., VI., and VII. are various views illustrating the
process of forming the loops. The tool consists of two pieces which work in
combination, one piece being within the other. The letter (a) in the several
Figures represents a sheath, which may be conveniently formed out of a piece
of sheet metal, and bent, so that a deep and narrow slot is formed, as seen in
Fig. III. At each of the two uppermost corners there is a sharp pointed
hook, one of which is shown at (b), the other being hidden by the centre
piece. That centre piece consists of a flat plate (c), fitted to play in the

page_text: sheath (a), and be embraced by its sides, as shown in Fig. III. On the
upper corner of this plate there is a peculiarly shaped horn, terminating in a
barbed head (d). From the base of the head there projects a flange on each
side of the plate, and flush with its edge, and as shown at (e), in the last-
named Figure, which flange serves an important purpose in the working of
the machine. It is by the combined operation of the hook (b) and barb (d)
that the loops are thrown off. In working, each of these two pieces has a
peculiar motion given to it; one has a play up and down and the other moves
laterally. One piece is fixed to a permanent part of the frame by the pin (a'),
Fig. II., on which it has a slight vibratory motion. In the present described
machine the sheath (a) is the part represented as thus fixed, and the pin (c)
as moveable vertically.
I will now describe what these movements are, as that will bo necessary
beforo it can be made apparent how the loops are formed. The plate (c)
is kept within the sheath by the angular pull of a spiral spring, seen af (i),
Figs. II. & IV.; this keeps the said plate always up, so that its top edge
will be flush with the top of the sheath, a stop (i) being at the bottom
to hold it. The down motion is given a lever (f), Fig. II., secured to
a projection at (f¹) in same Figure, and seen also in Fig. IV., the upward
motion being by the force of the spring (i); and when the pressure on the
lever is released, this upward motion is also further insured by a cam acting on
the tail of the lever at (9'). The lateral motion takes place during the up and
down motion of the piece (c), and is caused by a cam cut on the inside of the
plate at (0), Figs. IV., V., VI., VII., which cam strikes against a pin put
through the sheath at (0'), shown in the same Figures. In Fig. IV., the cam
is shown just over the pin ready for action; in Fig. V. it is against the pin:
in Fig. VI. it has gone by, and the plate (c) has returned to its first position;
in Fig. VII. it is about to act again on the upward stroke of the plate (c).
I will now describe the method of forming a single loop by a single tool.
In Figs. IV., V., VI., and VII. is a view of the tool dissected from the
frame. (m) represents the loop of the previous course, and (n) that of the
last course, the yarn being shown as if in section, and consequently cut off
at the front side of the machine. At (p) is a sinker, around the end of
which the new loop is still held in Fig. IV. The plate (a) is now to be
depressed against the force of the spring (i); as it goes down, the loop (m)
comes in contact with the hooks (6), upon which it is taken, and the object of
the flange (e), Fig. III., can now be seen, said flange being for the purpose of
preventing the yarn from lying too close to the sides of the horn; and thus
in the angle so formed there is a place left for the point of the hook to get by,

page_text: and take up the yarn.
The moment the lower loop (m) is fairly on the hooks
(b), the cam (o) strikes the pin (o¹), and forces the sheath (a) at its upper end
backward from the web, as seen in Fig. V., and at this moment also the barb
(d) takes hold of the loop (n), and thus secures it on the horn. The loop (m)
by this movement has been taken away, from under the loop (n), and is now
being carried past and clear of the barb (d), in order that it may be dis-
charged over the horn. As the plate (c) continues to descend, the barb (d)
draws down the loop (n), and causes it to slip the yarn from the sinker (p),
as shown in Fig. VI. Here also it will be seen that the hooks on (a) are
now brought into position over the top of the horn, and as the cam (o) has
cleared (o'), the sheath (a) has fallen into its first place; by which means the
hooks have been brought directly over the barb, as shown in last-named
Figure. The plate (c) now is allowed to ascend, which it is shown in the act
of doing in Fig. VII., and the horn thus strips or discharges the loop which
was held on the hook (b), the stitch being completed; meantime the loop (n)
lies upon the lower part of the shank of the horn, in the place formerly occu-
pied by (m), and the yarn is now to be laid above for the new course; the
process thus being continued for any desired length of web. To make a
wide fabric or cloth, a number of the instruments or tools just described are
set upon a proper frame in a straight line and at the right distance for any
given quality of work. At A, Fig. I., is the front plate of a connected
machine, having upon its inner face arranged a series of sheaths (a) and
plates (c), before described. These stand in a vertical position, and to give
greater stiffness and accuracy to the movements of the plate (c), they are:
supported in a comb or rack cut in the upper edge of the plate A. The
plates (c) are drawn down by a series of treadle levers (f), and are operated
by a traversing cam or slur cock, shown at (9), Fig. II., said cam being.
attached to a carriage B, traversing in guides across. the frame. . The sinkers
lie horizontally, as shown in Fig. I. at (p), and are attached to the jack levers
of common construction; those standing vertically, however, as shown at (r).
The sinkers are sent forward by a slur cock, fixed to the carriage B, at (s),
Figs. I. and II., said slur cock being made adjustable to vary the depth of the
loops as usual. The sinkers are provided with recoil springs, which cause.
them to return the moment the slur cock clears them, or a cam. or other con-
struction may be used instead; this is because the whole of the operation of.
forming the loop is effected while the slur cock passes along. Attached to
the carriage B there is a yarn guide C, affixed to a shifting plate D, in order
to set the guide before the slur cock, so that it may precede the action of the
latter, in a manner well known. The carriage B, which effects the working of

page_text: the whole machine, is moved by any convenient device. It is represented as
being propelled by a cylindrical cam E on the main shaft, and this vibrates
the lever F, to which the carriage B is attached.
The operation will now be as follows:-Motion being given to the cam E,
the carriage B will advance; the point of the yarn guide C will pass just
back of the horns and below the barb (d), as shown in Fig. II. (It is pre-
sumed that there is already a starting course on the horns). The slur
cock (s) now strikes against the jacks and pushes forward the sinkers (p);
these sink the yarn into loops around the shanks of the horns, and so
soon as there is a sinker advanced on each side of a horn, the plate (c)
may be depressed. The cam or second slur cock (9) now strikes the end
of the levers (f), and effects the depressing of the piece (c); as it comes
down, the barb (d) takes hold of the loop last laid, and draws it downward
through the loop of the previous course, which latter loop has settled
upon the hook (b), by which it is carried backward and away from the horn
by the lateral motion of the sheath (a), in order to make room for the
passage of the upper loop through; it is then allowed to come forward, and
be in position for having the loop discharged, which is done by the ascent of
the horn, in the manner before described. The formation of each loop is,
therefore, a distinct and separate operation, going on as fast as the yarn is laid;
thus is all that time saved which is required in the old mode, wherein the
whole row of loops must be laid first, the presser brought into play, the sinkers
raised, and the cast-off effected. The web hangs by the last course as in the
old mode, and is taken up by a take-up roller or other proper device.
Although I have described the arrangement of my loop-forming tools as being
in a straight frame, they are capable of other arrangements, and such I con-
template. They may be arranged on a circular frame and a cylindrical web
woven by a rotary motion of the slur cocks, and if so arranged would be
capable of performing a much greater amount of work than on a straight
frame, for when so arranged there may be many yarn carriers laying yarn
for loops all at the same time; for so soon as one loop is cast off another yarn
may be immediately laid, and another loop formed, &c. It will also be seen
that great certainty is insured by the action of my machine; for while the
loop is being formed, each part is grasped or held by one of the loop-forming
hooks, and cannot be let off until the proper time. By it, therefore, other
materials besides yarn may be worked, as wire and some of the stiffer grasses;
thus I contemplate weaving fabrics by it which cannot be worked on the old
knitting frames.
It is evident that; there may be modifications in the construction of

page_text: the loop-forming books, and the manner of working them. The plate
(c), for instance, may be stationary and the sheath made to move, and
instead of the sheath, a trip lever with a hook at its end may be used to lift
up and cast off the loops. In a straight frame a plurality of yarn guides
may also be used, and these be all in operation at the same time; for so soon
as the loop is cast off which was laid by the first guide, a second may at once
follow, and so on, as many as may be found desirable.
In respect to some of the variations in the construction of the loop-forming
tools, Figs. VIII. and IX. are representations of such. In Fig. VIII., the hook
(d) and plate (c) are stationary, but receive the yarn in the same manner. The
cast-off is effected by the circular movement of the hook (6), which is here cut
on a short curved arm centred in the plate (c), while the lever (f) is connected
and made to operate by a post (r), as shown; or the slur cock may traverse
directly under the end of said post (r). In Fig. IX., the sheath (a) is made
stationary, and it has on it the supporting book (4), while the plate (c) has
the cast-off hook (b). In this latter place the plate (c) performs both the
vertical and lateral motions, while the sheath is quite stationary.
What I claim is, firstly, the tool on which the loops are formed and inter-
woven; consisting of two pieces, terminating in hooks or barbs, or other equi-
valent thereto, and so combined, that when motion is given to said pieces, one
of the hooks shall seize the loop last deposited and retain it, while the other
shall take up and cast off the loop of the previous course, whereby the two
become intertwined, and a netted fabric formed, substantially in the manner
described.
Secondly, the flange (e), or any equivalent, for making a recess or groove
upon the sides of the plate or shank of the horn, whereby a space is made
for the point of the take-up hook, to seize the loop, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Albert Corwin, have hereunto set
my hand and seal. this 11th day of September, A.D. 1854.
JOSEPH ALBERT CORWIN. (L.B.)
Taken and declared at Her Britannic Majesty's
Consulate at New York, this 26th day of
September, A.D. 1854, before me,
ANTH. BARCLAY,
Her Britannick Majesty's Consul at New York.