Improvements in Knitting Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 10th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
I, GEORGE ARCHIBALD CARTWRIGHT of Limehurst Loughborough in the
County of Leicestershire Hosiery Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
:-
The object of my invention is to produce an automatic motion of the frame
needle bars so as to facilitate the introduction of an extra thread, known as the
splicing thread into the seats of quarter pants by effecting a slackening of the
loops during a portion only of draw or course corresponding with the width of
the splicing which effect may be produced at will on either side of fabric as may be
required.
66
To effect this, I use, in addition to the splicing tackle now used on quarter pant
frames known as Cotton's patent frames" three or more cams on the main cam
shaft of the frame, two of these cams adjustable on one boss-give by means of a
truck and suitable levers, the extra motion to the needle bars, during the portion
of the draw or course and for the purpose above referred to, the said truck being
automatically put into and out of working contact with the said cams by a truck
lever. In order to give the necessary lateral motions to the said truck lever there
are two sliding bars, moving in opposite directions to each other, which receive
their motion by suitable attachments at one of their ends to the ordinary draw
slide or levers of the frame, the opposite ends running in suitable slide boxes.
In order that these slide bars may act on the truck lever at the right instant and
for the period of time required they are automatically put into and taken out of
working contact with the said truck lever by the other cam or cams on the main
cam shaft (referred to above) and suitable trucks and levers.
The slide boxes referred to above as receiving one end of the sliding bars have a
rocking and also a vertical sliding motion and are connected to two lever handles ;
by depressing one or other of these lever handles the corresponding slide bar is
raised into position to allow the last mentioned cam or cams putting it into working
contact with the first mentioned truck lever at time required and for the purpose
specified.
Dated this Ninth day of February 1891.
GEORGE ARCHIBALD CARTWRIGHT.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
I, GEORGE ARCHIBALD CARTWRIGHT of Limehurst, Loughborough, in the
County of Leicester, Hosiery Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of my invention is to produce an automatic motion of the frame
needle bars so as to facilitate the introduction of an extra thread, known as the
splicing thread, into the seats of quarter pants, by effecting a slackening of the
loops during a portion only of a draw or course corresponding with the width of
the splicing, which effect may be produced at will on either side of fabric as may
be required.
"
To effect this, I use, in addition to the splicing tackle now used on quarter pant
frames known as "Cotton's patent frames, three or more cams on the main cam
shaft of the frame, two of these cams, adjustable on one boss, give, by means of a

page_text: truck and suitable levers, the extra motion to the needle bars, during the portion
of the draw or course and for the purpose above referred to, the said truck being
automatically put into and out of working contact with the said cams by a truck
lever.
In order to give the necessary lateral motions to the said truck lever there are
two sliding bars, moving in opposite directions to each other, which receive their
motion by suitable. attachments .at one-of their ends to the ordinary draw slide
or levers of the frame, the opposite ends running in suitable slide boxes.
In order that these slide bars may act on the truck lever at the right instant and
for the period of time required they are automatically put into and taken out of
working contact with the said truck lever by the other cam or cams on the main
cam shaft (referred to above) and suitable trucks and levers.
;
The slide boxes referred to above as receiving one end of the sliding bars, having
a rocking and also a vertical sliding motion, and are connected to two lever
handles by depressing one or other of these lever handles the corresponding slide
bar is raised into position to allow the last mentioned cam or.cams putting it into
working contact with the first mentioned truck lever at the time required land for
the purpose specified.
Figure 1 is a front clevation and Figure 2 a section, taken on the line a. a. of
Figure 1, of a knitting machine having my improved apparatus applied thereto,
only so much of the knitting. frame being shewn as is necessary to illustrate the
invention.
Figure 3 is a side elevation, Figure 4 a plan, and Figure 5 a back elevation of
some of the parts.
Figure 6 is a plan on the line of Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a back elevation of the draw slide, draw slide cam and its attachments,
and
Figures 8 and 9 are face views of the cams A¹ and U respectively.
To. carry out my invention. I mount on the cam shaft A two cams 'A' (Figure 8)
which act upon a truck B carried on the bracket B₁ connected by bolts B to the
rock shaft B33. This shaft also carries thereon a bracket C having a spindle C¹
(Figure 1) in contact with the lower end of the levers D on the, shaft D' and
connected by a pin D³ thereon and the lever E, and arm E' to the needle bar F
Upon the cams A' acting on the truck B the latter is moved backwards, this
causes the shaft B³ to rock slightly and the spindle C¹ to move the lever D out-
wardly thereby actuating the lever E and arm E to move the needle bar Fand
needles inwards thereby effecting a slackening of the loops, while the splicing
thread is being laid on to such needles as before described.
After the truck B and cams A¹ have passed out of contact, the spring A³ brings
the former to its original position and allows the needles to resume their ordinary
function.
The number of needles upon which the loops are slackened as described are
determined by the extent of each cam A.
These cams are equal and similar in every respect and are arranged so that
loops may be slackened and splicing thread laid into one side of the fabric or
during a portion of a course or draw, as desired, the particular side of the fabric to
be spliced or thickened being determined by depressing either of the handles R², S³,
and elevating the other as hereinafter described.
The cam shaft A as is well known makes a complete revolution during each
traverse of the thread carrier and while a row of loops is being formed.
At the desired point in the traverse of the thread carrier one of the cams Alis
brought into action and remains in that condition while the thread carrier finishes
its course and immediately it commences its return journey the other cam comes
into operation and continues in that state until the thread carrier has reached
the point where the splicing commenced in the previous course, when, the said
cam passes out of, action and ordinary knitting is resumed during the other parts
of the fabric..

page_text: In order to put the cams A¹ and the truck B into operation at the required
point in the draw or course, the said truck may be moved on the spindle. B*,
Figure 1, and for this purpose is engaged by a fork G¹ on the lever (+ fulcrummed
at G² to an arm G' on the framing G of the machine.
-
In order to move the lever G on its fulcrum so as to place the truck B in or
out of contact with the cams A! I employ two sliding: bars H J. (Figures 3.4.5.
and 6,) moving in opposite directions to each other, and operated by the ordinary
draw slide or levers of the frame.
The bar J, Figure 5, is connected at J to the ordinary draw slide K which is
moved to and fro by the usual draw slide cam K
The other bar H is also connected to the same bar K through the medium of
levers H Hand arm .H so that upon the draw slide being set in motion the two
bars H J will 'travel in opposite directions.
Each of the slide bars H-J at its opposite end passes through a sliding box L. M.
(Figure 6).
These slide boxes have a vertical movement by being connected at L'M' to
plates NO located within a recess or groove on each side of the bar P, and a
rocking motion on their centres L' M' necessary when either of the bars H J is
raised into its elevated or operative position as hereinafter described.
The plates NO are attached by means of connecting plates N₁ O' to rods N³ O'
pivotted at their upper ends to hand levers R S fulcrummed at R¹ S¹ to an arm T
in the framing.
The recessed bar P is also connected at its upper end to a lever P¹ furnished
with a truck or roller P' which is maintained in contact with a cam U (Figure 9)
on the cam shaft A by means of a spring P's attached at one end to the lever P¹
and at the opposite end to an arm P on the framing and operated thereby.
On it being required to effect a slackening of the loops during a portion of a
draw or course as hereinbefore described, one or other of the handles R³ S³ is
depressed, according to the side of the fabric it is desired to splice.
This operation will effect the raising of the slide box and slide bar connected
thereto as shewn by the bar R in Figures 3 and 5.
Upon the roller P' traversing the depressed portion of the cam U the lever P¹
and its attached bar P will be influenced so as to still further raise the slide
bar H so that the catch or projection H, Figure 2, thereon, will come into contact
with and move on its centre the lever G so as to place the truck B and cams A¹
into contact as before described, in which position they will remain until the thread
layer finishes the course and reaches a similar point in the return course when the
catch or projection H' will move the lever back to its former position thereby
moving the truck B and cams A¹ out of contact so that ordinary knitting will be
resumed.
Upon the cam U passing out of action with the roller P the sliding bar H
becomes lowered so that the catch or projection H* thereon passes underneath the
lever G.
In order to cause the slide bars HJ to be raised with the bar P the plates NO
to which they are indirectly attached are recessed to receive the toothed ends of
spring plates V V₁ connected by screws to the bar P so that upon one of the
sliding plates NO being raised the toothed spring will engage the recess therein
and be moved with it as in Figure 3.
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. In a rotary knitting frame the provision of mechanism for- automatically
effecting a movement of the needle bar to cause a slackening of the loops during
a portion of a draw or course for the purpose described.
2. In a rotary knitting frame the combination with cams such as A' of a truck B
carried on a bracket on a rocking shaft B' and capable when placed in contact with

page_text: each other of causing the needle bar to effect a slackening of the loops on a
portion of the needles substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a rotary knitting machine the employment of means for placing the
cams A¹ and truck B in and out of contact with each other substantially in the
manner and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 9th day of N
1301
GEORGE ARCHIBALD CARTWRIGHT.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.