Improvements in and relating to Latch Needle Knitting Machines
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 24th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 30th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Latch Needle Knitting Machines,
I JOHN WILLIAM WATTS Hosiery Factory Manager of Countesthorpe in the
County of Leicester do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to latch needle knitting machines and comprises; First:
improved web or fabric holding devices, that are applicable to all kinds of latch
needle kuitting machines for preventing the fabric rising up the stems of the needles
while knitting is being done.
I use web holders made of sheet metal, wire, or other suitable material, their
upper ends are formed into hooks or other suitable shapes for penetrating or bearing
on the fabric near the top of the frame needle bed for the purpose of holding down
the fabric to the top of the needle bed. The lower or inner ends of the web
holders have projections or butts formed on them that are operated by suitable cams
attached to the sliding cam plate, or (if a circular machine) to the cam cylinder or
other suitable position. To make room for the web holders I may cut the grooves
deeper than usual in the frame needle bed so that the web holders can slide
longitudinally behind the frame needles their upper ends being kept apart by a
strip of sheet metal fit edgeways into a vertical groove cut in the upper edge of
the needle bed and at right angles to the needle grooves.
The cams for operating the web holders (working at the back of the needle
grooves) are preferably located underneath the cams that actuate the frame needles
and are arranged on the sliding plate (in flat frames) or on the cam cylinder (if
circular) so as to form two superposed raceways for the butts of the web holders
to work in. There may be as many web holders as there are frame needles or
there may be only sufficient to hold down the work say one web holder to every
four frame needles more or less. Whatever quantity of web holders are employed
in a machine they are arranged alternately in the grooves, so that the butts of the
odd numbers work in one raceway while the butts of the even numbers work in the
other. The web holders working in the upper raceway are shorter than those
working in the lower. Each raceway is fitted with upthrow and depressing cams
and are so located that when the upthrow cam of one raceway raises the web
holders to their higher position, the web holders in the other raceway are held in
their lower position and vice versa. It will thus be seen that when the odd numbers
of web holders rise to take a fresh hold of the fabric, the latter is prevented from
rising by the hooks of the even numbers of web holders. Then at another part of
the course the even numbered web holders are raised while the odd numbers hold
down the work.
Instead of deepening the grooves of the frame needle bed for the web holders to
slide in, I may cut grooves on the other side of the needle bed for them to work
in, and cutting vertical slots through the bed for the long butts of the web holders
to pass through into the aforementioned raceways. The said web holders being
held to their work by a suitable plate or cylinder. Or instead of these raceways
being located underneath the frame needle cams, I may arrange them on a cam
plate or cylinder located on the opposite, or inside of the needle bed thereby dis-
pensing with the vertical slots cut through the needle bed. The said plate or
cylinder carrying the raceways (in a circular machine) is operated backwards and
forwards by a bevel gear, one wheel being attached to the inner cam carrying
cylinder and the other wheel attached to the driving shaft. I can accomplish
similar results by having only a single wide raceway for the butts to work. In that
case I use web holders having two patterns of butts, the odd numbers being long

page_text: and shallow while the even ones are short and deep or vice versa. Two patterns of
upthrow cams are used in this modification and located at different parts of the
raceway one being fitted close to the needle bed so that it raises the short and deep
butted web holders, while the face of the other upthrow cam is set far enough
away from the face of the needle bed to miss the short and deep butts, but is so
arranged as to lift the long and shallow butted web holders. It will thus be seen
that while the odd numbered web holders rise to get a fresh hold of the fabric the
latter is held down by the even numbered web holders and vice versa. In applying
web holders to circular machines having a ribbing attachment I may locate them
in beds formed in, or attached to the ribbing attachment as shown in my drawings
and Specification of Patent No. 6235 of 1887. But instead of there being only
one raceway and one pattern of web holder to each modification as there shown I
arrange cach device to have two patterns of web holders and two raceways, one race-
way being for the odd numbered web holders and the other for the even numbered
so that while the fabric is being held by one pattern of web holders the other pattern
moves forward to get a better hold of the fabric and vice versa.
In certain classes of work I may construct the web holders so that the outer end
of each is formed into two branches. By so constructing the web holders it is only
necessary to have half the quantity of web holders as there are needles in the
frame cylinder.
The second part of my invention consists of improved apparatuses for auto-
matically fashioning heels and toes upon all kinds of latch needle knitting machines.
I will first describe how I apply my apparatus to plain circular machines. By these
improvements I am enabled to dispense with the levers as described in my
Specification of two former Patents No. 6235 A.D. 1887 and No. 9716 A.D. 1889.
Upon each side of the yarn carrier I form a vertical recess in the inner surface
of the cam cylinder, I also cut away a vertical section of the horizontal cam (the
horizontal cam is that which the needle butts rest upon after rising up the elevating
cams) opposite the vertical recess in the side of the cam cylinder. A cam plate
is fitted into each recess in the cylinder; a pin is attached to the back of each plate
that passes through a vertical slot in the said cylinder. The outer end of each pin
fitting loosely into the outer end of the longer arm of a bell cranked or other
shaped lever, the said lever being pivoted to a suitable part of the machine. To
each of the sliding plates is fitted two cams one above the other, the lower ones are
attached to the plate so that when the plates are in their lower positions the upper
points of the cams lie slightly below, the upper edge of the horizontal cams, these
upper or working edges of the lower cams are shaped so that when they are raised
the needle butts will slide up them and so raise the latter above the reach of the
knitting cams. The cam on the left side of the yarn carrier being shaped for
raising the needles when the machine is turned in one direction and the one on the
right side is shaped so as to raise them when the motion of the machine is reversed.
The upper cam is attached to each plate so that a passage way is left for the butts
of the needles to enter between the lower end of the upper cam and the
upper end
of the lower cam. The lower or working edge of the upper cam has its inclined
surface shaped the reverse way to the upthrow cam so that when the sliding plate
is in its lower position it will depress the needles into their working position.
Two bell cranked or other shaped levers are pivoted to the machine so that their
long arms lie at right angles or nearly so to the vertical sliding cam plates before
mentioned. A screw or suitable pin passes through each of the outer ends of the
long arms and through the vertical slots in the cylinder and are made fast to the
back of the sliding plates so that when the long arms of the bell cranked levers are
raised they lift the vertical sliding plates with them and if the machine is turned
while one of the cams is in its higher position, the whole of the needles would be
raised by one revolution of the machine from their working position into their
higher or idle position. By lowering the long arm of the lever the sliding plate and
its cams attached are depressed by a spring attached for that purpose, then by
turning the machine another revolution the whole of the needles are depressed into

page_text: their working position again. The short arms of the bell cranked levers are pre-
ferably jointed near their pivots so that they can readily be taken out of the way
of the actuating cams when the said levers are required to remain inoperative.
Two superposed cam wheels driven in opposite directions are fitted in suitable
bearings attached to the bed plate or frame work of the machine and located
around the cam cylinder above the revolving cog ring. They have ratchet teeth
formed around their periphery into which are fitted the outer ends of ratchet levers
that are operated by revolving wheels, sliding bars &c. in a similar manner to that
shown by me in my Specification and drawings of Patent No. 9716 of 1889. Each
superposed wheel has a cam attached to its upper surface one being attached
nearer the axis of the machine than the other, so that each cam moves in a different
circle to the other thereby allowing the two cams to be side by side, when they are
at rest, and rotary knitting is being done. When reciprocating knitting is being
done the wheels are moved alternately one tooth at a time, the number of teeth in
each wheel corresponding to the number of needles in the machine. The movement
of each wheel taking place near the termination of each course, that the machine
knits when reciprocating knitting is being done, the moving wheel being preferably
that as carries the cam that operates the bell cranked lever, upon that side of the
machine as the yarn carrier is when the machine is reversed. I can accomplish
similar results by another modification. Instead of arranging springs to depress
the long arms of the levers, and the vertical sliding plates as described above, I
arrange a spring to each lever or plate that will always raise the needles to their
higher position out of the reach of the knitting cams so that when the needles rise
up the elevating cams on to the top of the horizontal cam they are all raised into
the idle raceway, upon reversing the machine the short arm of the lever comes in
contact with a projection on the top of one of the superposed wheels, or other
suitable place, and instantly the long end of the bell cranked lever is depressed into
its lower position, while in that position it is held there by a suitable catch, when
the required number of needles have been depressed by the upper cam on the
sliding plate the catch is liberated by it coming in contact with the fore end of
the other cam on the superposed wheel and instantly the spring raises up the sliding
plate and cam the lower cam raising any needles that may have been only partially
depressed. Upon reversing the machine say from left to right it is the short arm
of the lever upon the right side of the yarn carrier that comes in contact with the
projection on the cam (of the superposed wheel) located upon the left side of the
machine therefore it is the advancing cam that depresses the needles into their
working position, when the catch reaches the fore end of the cam (of the super-
posed wheel) located upon the right side of the machine the long arm of the lever
is liberated, and the cams on the sliding plate passes under those needles already
raised, and when the last needle that has been knitting is raised into its idle race-
way the machine is reversed, and a projection on the cam (of the superposed
wheel) located on the right side of the machine comes in contact with the short
arm of the lever attached on the left side of the yarn carrier, when instantly the
sliding plate and cams upon the left side of the yarn carrier are depressed and
held there by the catch, by the time this catch is liberated by the fore end of the
cam (on the superposed wheel) located on the left side of the machine, the required
number of needles will have been put in the working raceway the cams then rise
up under those needles that are already raised, the motion of the machine being
continued until the elevated cam on the right side of the yarn carrier has raised
up the last needle that has been knitting into its idle position. Next the machine
is reversed and the same process is repeated until the heel or toe is finished.
The following is my device for raising the back half of the vertical needles (or
any given quantity) from their working raceway to their idle one and vice versa
when putting gussets in the fabric such as making heels and toes of stockings &c.
This part of my invention is applicable to all kinds of circular latch needle
machines but more especially to hand worked machines.-I pivot a switch cam to
the inner side of the cam cylinder the said pivot being long enough to pass through

page_text: the side of the cylinder and to have a lever attached to its outer end for
operating the cam. The pivot hole in the cylinder so arranged in relation to the
horizontal cam and the needle ring, that when the switch cam is placed in its lowest
position, and the machine turned one round the whole of the vertical needles will
run up the switch cam into their idle raceway. By turning the fore end of the
switch into its higher position and moving the machine one revolution the whole of
the needles will be put into action again. In making heels or toes of a stocking, it is
only necessary to raise one half the needles at once preferably the back half. It being
important that only certain needles should be raised it is necessary to have some
means of stopping the switch cam against two places in the circle of needles. I
therefore fit a spring bolt or spring lever to the bed plate of the machine, the fore
end of the bolt or lever lying free of the revolving cylinder. I also drill holes or
fit lugs to the cylinder in two opposite places so that when I press the said bolt or
lever their fore ends comes in contact with one of the holes or lugs on the revolving
cylinder, when instantly it is arrested, I then put the fore end of the switch cam in
its lowest position and turn the machine pressing on the spring bolt or lever.
The needles ascend into their idle raceway, when the other lug or hole in the
cylinder gets opposite the spring bolt the machine is again stopped. I next turn
the switch cam till its fore end lies midway between the needle ring and the
horizontal cam, half the needles will have been raised into their idle raceway.
The working half of the needles are then operated in the usual manner. When the
gusset is finished the fore end of the switch cam is put into its highest position.
The machine is started revolving the switch cam remaining in its highest position
thereby enabling the machine to be driven at a much greater speed without danger
of breakages of either needles, cylinder, or cams, there being no exposed corners for
the needles to catch against. Instead of only using one switch cam in each machine,
I may use two. One upon each side of the depressing cam. In that case I
dispense with the aforementioned vertical sliding cam plate for operating the
fashioning needles. Each switch cam is operated by the bell cranked or other
levers in a similar way to that previously described. In applying this part of my
invention to rectilinear or straight bar knitting machines I substitute two sliding
bars in place of the two superposed wheels before mentioned and fit a cam to one
for operating the bell cranked levers upon one side of the machine and a cam upon
the other bar for actuating the bell cranked lever upon the other side.
vertical sliding plates or the switch cams, the bell cranked or other shaped levers
are similarly constructed and arranged to those previously described. The two
sliding bars are moved alternately the distance of one needle during each course
that is knitted.
The
The machine may be constructed in two or more divisions and all be worked
by cams attached to a single pair of sliding bars.
Another part of this invention relates to an improved needle ring. I make
the said ring conical and fit it to the cam cylinder in sections, the inner edge of the
ring fits close up to the stems of the needles except under the yarn carrier where
the needles descend to form their loops. By having the ring conical I get more
room for my combination dial and cylinder needles to work in. I form a rib or
shoulder all round the ring on the underside so that when the vertical needles
are raised into their idle raceway the outer ends of the butts of the said needles rub
against the inner edge. The heads of the needles are thus prevented from falling
inwards. Another advantage this improved conical ring gives me is that I get
more room for the fore ends of my ribbing needles to work in without rubbing on
the top of the needle ring as they descend out of the conical needle bed to
throw off their loops on to the stems of the needles. One section of the ring is
pivoted at one end to form a gate the other being fastened by a spring bolt.
The next part of this invention relates to improved cams and means for operating
them and consists of the following.
First. Instead of cutting a vertical portion of the back of the horizontal cams
away for the upthrow cams to slide in as shown by Figs. 10 & 10^ in my drawings

page_text: manner.
and Specifications of Patent No. 9716 A.D. 1889, I form the vertical recesses in
the face of the horizontal cam by cutting the front half (more or less) of the cam
away leaving the back part for the purpose of holding up the needles when the
butts pass over the recesses. A stud or tang is rigidly attached to each upthrow
cam and passes through vertical slots in the side of the cam cylinder in the usual
To prevent the cam from rubbing on the needle cylinder I fit pipes or
collars on to the outer end of the studs that are of larger diameter than the slots in
the side of the cylinder. The pipe being held on the stud by a suitable fastening
so that when it is struck by the operating cam it may be made to revolve if
necessary. The advantage I gain by the above improvements is that the needles
are not so likely to twist in rising up the upthrow cam as when the said cams are
further away from the face of the needle cylinder.
Second. Improved depressing or outthrow cam for conical ribbing attachments.
Instead of shaping the cam so that it throws the needles out to their lowest point
opposite the gate where the needles are changed from one cylinder to the other.
I shape it so that it only depresses the needles (when passing the gate) sufficiently
far for the loops to turn back the latches thereby keeping the latches from falling
when the gate open. As soon as the needles have passed the gate they are
depressed to their lowest position their latches being guarded by my improved
latch guard and yarn carrier.
Third. Improved combined upthrow and knocking over cams for operating the
ribbing needles in a conical ribbing attachment by which I am enabled to make flat
or cylindrical ribbed fabric when reciprocating the machine or when turning it in
one direction only. The fore ends of the upthrow cams are pivoted to the cam
carrying cone while the other ends are each fitted with a tang or screw stud that
passes through a vertical slot in the said cone to the outer surface is fitted a slide
supported by two studs that fit into two horizontal slots in the slide. The said
slide has also two inclined slots through which the screw studs pass by moving the
slide horizontally the upper end of one elevating or stitch cam is raised and the
other is lowered according to which way the slide is moved. When it is in the
desired position it may be clamped to the surface of the cone by a suitable thumb
nut, by this arrangement I am enabled to make the ribbing needles draw their
share of the yarn alternately with the frame needles. Instead of rigidly clamping
the inclined slide to the cone I may fit the slide on loosely and operate it
automatically to the right or left by an arm attached whose lower end is actuated
by the revolving cam cylinder or cog ring. Where desirable I may rigidly fasten
the upthrow cam to the cone and fit the knocking over or stitch cam to slide in a
vertical recess cut in either end at the back or front of the upthrow cam.
A tang
or screw stud passing from the back of the knocking over cam through the vertical
slot in the side of the cone and into the inclined slot of the before mentioned slide
in a similar manner to how I construct the before mentioned upthrow cams in the
frame cam cylinder.
For the better production of fashioned or shapable fabric I adopt the following
improved devices viz.
First. If I use a conical ribbing attachment the tricks, posts, or partitions at the
top of the frame needle cylinder are made much thinner than usual i.e. the upper
parts of the needle grooves are made much wider and the widening is preferably
done on one side only of the vertical needles thereby leaving more room for the
ribbing needles to descend at the side of the frame needles, by this means I am
enabled to knit with needles in the whole of the grooves of the ribbing and frame
needle beds. If there are as many grooves in the ribbing cone as in the frame
cylinder then 1/1 pattern fabric is produced. To taper the fabric I remove some
of the ribbing needles hanging their loops on the adjacent frame needles. I then
knit on a few courses and remove other ribbing needles and so on until the fabric
is the desired width. If I wish to make a machine for producing 2/1 pattern I cut
half the quantity of grooves in the ribbing as there are in the frame needle beds
then fill all the grooves with needles and when sufficient of the maximum width of

page_text: fabric is knitted I commence to narrow the fabric by removing some of the frame
needles say two (one between each ribbing needle) which will alter the pattern
to 1/1 where the frame needles have been removed. I knit on a few courses and
again remove two more frame needles and so on until the minimum width of fabric
is produced. If the fabric is too tight i.e. if the loops are too small when the whole
of the grooves are filled with needles compared to what it is when and from where
a portion of the needles have been removed I then make the removable needles a
little shorter than the others which causes the fabric to be knitted looser or of the
same quality when the whole of the needles are at work as when a portion of them
have been removed.
Four and one pattern fabric can be produced in a similar manner to that just
described and the said fabric narrowed down to a 3/1 pattern either all round or at
any desired portion of the circle only. I cut the grooves in the frame and ribbing
needle beds of the same pattern as just described. But only put needles in every
alternate groove of the ribbing conc. To fashion or narrow the fabric I commence
removing some of the frame needles that work in the same grooves as the ribbing
needles thereby changing the pattern to a 3/1. The removable needles may be a
little shorter than the others for the purpose before mentioned.
To avoid shifting the ribbing needle bed when the pattern of fabric is changed
and to ensure the ribbing needles always working midway between any two frame
needles, I cut the needle grooves in the ribber slightly taper, the lower ends being
the wider and to ensure the ribbing needles remaining on either the right or left
side of the grooves as desired I fit studs in the centre of each needle groove. The
said studs being held in position by a ring attached to the lower edge of the needle
cone in a similar manner to that described by me in my Specifications of Patent
No. 15345 A.D. 1885.
I can accomplish similar results by the following improvement. I fit a ring to
the lower edge of the needle cone its external diameter being greater than the
diameter across the bottom of the needle grooves. Slots or nicks are cut in the
ring to the depth of the needle grooves on one side of the studs only so that
the needles will lie at the bottom of the grooves. But when the needles are put on
the other side of the studs their stems rest on the periphery of the ring when the
needles descend they do so in front of the grooves or the posts of the frame
cylinder thereby dispensing with the extra widened grooves at the top. By the
following device I make 4/2 pattern fabric and fashion it to 4/1 as follows. Suppose
I wish to make what is technically known as an eighteens 4/2 pattern fabric on a
machine having a conical ribbing attachment I use a frame cylinder having 90
needle grooves.
I preferably have very thin posts or tricks but in this modification
I have the grooves widened equally on each side of the vertical needles, 72 needles
are put in the cylinder in groups of four leaving every fifth groove empty.
Opposite each empty needle groove of the cylinder are cut two grooves in the
ribbing cone not radiating from the centre as usually but they are cut parallel to
each other being only the same distance apart at the bottom of the cone as they are
at the top. So that when knitting each two ribbing needles pass down the empty
widened grooves of the frame cylinder. In fashioning the fabric I remove some of
the ribbing needles say two (more or less) taking one from each pair. I then work
on a few courses and again remove two more and so on until there are only sufficient
needles left to produce the minimum width of fabric.
In applying this part of my improvement to a flat dial ribbing attachment it is
only necessary to cut the needle grooves parallel leaving the grooves the same
distance apart at their inner ends as at their outer because the frame needle
cylinder does not require any alteration from ordinary ones owing to the ribbing
needles working over the top of it.
The following improvements relate to plain fashioning. Instead of constructing
the cams for operating the fashioning needles as shown in my drawings and
Specifications of Patent No. 1836 of 1884 by which the fashioning needles only
received what yarn was laid across them by the vertical needles. I now arrange

page_text: the cams so that they draw back the fashioning needles alternately with the descent
of the vertical needles thereby drawing any required length of yarn direct from the
bobbin by which I am enabled to make looser fabric than I could formerly I may
use a latch guard for the whole of the fashioning needles but I preferably use a
guard for each needle in a similar manner to those shown in drawings and Specifica-
tions of my former Patent No. 8754 A.D. 1884.
Another part of this invention consists of an improved yarn carrier and fender
that is applicable to all kinds of knitting machines having a conical ribbing attach-
ment. It can be screwed to the cam cylinder in that class of machines where the
cog ring is integral with the said cylinder. Or it can be used in those machines
where the yarn carrier is attached to the cog ring and which moves in advance of
the cam cylinder. Instead of forming the carrier as shown in my drawings of
Patent 15345 A.D. 1885 I dispense with the fork on the right side and so reduce
the liability to bend the latches of the needles I either fix a sliding plate at the
back of the yarn carrier that can be slid horizontally or I slot the screw holes so
that the whole can be slid for the purpose of better regulating the fall of the
ribbing needle latches thereby avoiding carding or trapping the yarn between the
latches and the stems of the needles.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Latch Needle Knitting Machines.
1, JOHN WILLIAM WATTS of Countesthorpe in the County of Leicester
Manager of a Hosiery Factory 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 :-
This invention relates to knitting machines of the cylindrical class wherein the
needle. beds are stationary and the cams for actuating the needles are made to
revolve around the needle beds when knitting circular web, or made to reciprocate
about a portion of the needles for knitting a flat web or for fashioning a web.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a knitting machine with some of my improvements
attached.
One part of this invention consists of improved web or fabric holding devices,
for preventing the fabric rising with the needles when they are raised above the
top edge of the needle cylinder; the web holders may be wholly constructed of
wire, or sheet metal, or a combination of the two; their upper ends are either
shaped to penetrate the fabric holding it down by their hooks, or else they are
shaped for lying on the fabric, holding it down by pressing it between the web
holders and the inner face of the needle cylinder. The upper or outer ends of the
web holders may be covered with leather, india rubber, or other suitable material
to facilitate their holding down the fabric. To make room for the web holders,
I may cut vertical grooves in the inner surface of the needle cylinder, A. Fig. 1
and fit cams upon an annulus A' that is made to revolve around, and inside, the
needle cylinder A. This annulus is supported by its shoulder A² resting on the
bed plate A3 of the machine, to its lower end is fastened the bevelled tooth
wheel A which meshes into a similar wheel A³ on the driving shaft A°. The
bed plate A³ the cog ring A' the bevelled pinion A8 and the driving shaft AⓇ may
all be of the usual construction. The cams for operating the web holders are
arranged around the outer circumference of the annulus. so as to form two
raceways A and A10. These raceways are for the butts of the web holders to
work in, each raceway has an upthrow cam the said cams being located at two
different points of the circle, so that when the web holders in one raceway are
raised by their upthrow cam to get a fresh hold of the fabric the latter is held
from rising by the web holders in the other raceway remaining in their lower

page_text: position. Then when these latter are raised the fabric is held down by the former
web holders being in their lower position. I may have as many web holders as
there are needles in the vertical cylinder or only just sufficient to hold down the
fabric. Whatever quantity I use arrange them alternately in the two raceways
so that the butts of the odd numbers work in one, while the butts of the even
numbers work in the other, i.e., numbers one, three, five, seven &c. work in the
lower raceway A and the numbers two, four, six, eight &c. work in the upper A
or vice versa. The web holders working in the upper raceway are made shorter
than those in the lower to allow the hooks or outer ends to stand about the same
height when both sets are placed in their respective raceways. Instead of
arranging the cams on the inside of the needle cylinder for operating the web
holders, I may dispense with the annulus A¹ and the wheels A' and A' and
locate the cams for operating the web holders on the inner surface of the cam
cylinder E forming two raceways underneath the cams that actuate the vertical
needles. The two raceways for operating the web holders are similarly arranged
on the cam cylinder to that previously described. The butts of the web holders
are made of sufficient length to pass through the vertical slots cut through the
side of the needle cylinder and into the cam raceways. I can accomplish similar
results and dispense with the vertical grooves on the inner side of the needle
cylinder by cutting the frame needle grooves a little deeper than usual putting in
the web holders at the back of the grooves allowing the vertical needles to work
in the front of them. In applying this part of my invention (viz. the long and
short pattern web holders and the dual raceway for operating them) to circular
knitting machines having a ribbing attachment I may use a conical, a flat, or an
inverted conical web holding bed shaping the outer ends of the web holders and
actuating them as shown in the drawings of my Patent No. 6235 A.D. 1887.
But instead of shaping the outer ends of the web holders to penetrate the fabric,
I preferably shape them as shown at Fig. 2 of these drawings by which the fabric
is held down by friction, being impinged between the outer edges of the web
holders and the inner surface of the frame needle cylinder. My improved device
is shown at Fig. 2. C is the inverted web holding bed supported by the collar
or nut on the axle pin C.-C² are the grooves that the web holders slide in.
Cs are my improved web holders. C is the inverted cam cone that has the
double cam raceways attached to its inner surface the cam cone is rigidly attached
to the axle pin which is driven by the ribber arm in a similar manner to that
described and shown in the aforementioned Specification. The web holders of
two different lengths are alternately arranged in the grooves of the cone.
butts of the short ones fitting in the upper raceway and the butts of the long ones
fitting in the lower one. The upper ends of the web holders may be formed of or
covered by a suitable material such as india rubber, leather &c. that will bite or
hold down the fabric better than metal and will also guard the fabric from rust or
other injurious stains. I may arrange the web holding apparatus so that as the
web holders descend from their higher position the cams or cam plate presses the
web holders with sufficient force against the inner surface of the needle cylinder to
hold down the web but I find it better to arrange either a stationary or a revolving
ring to the web holding apparatus as shown at C' Fig. 2. If I use the stationary
ring it is of one uniform diameter and is attached to the web holding bed in such a
manner that when the web holders descend from their higher position the inner
edge of the web holders rub against the periphery of the ring which forces the
outer edge of the web holders against the fabric, clamping the latter between
them and the inner face of the needle cylinder A. If I use the revolving ring I
form two recesses or bays in its periphery one at each place where each set of web
holders ascend up their upthrow cam. Whilst the web holders are descending the
prominent part of the ring forces the web holders up to the fabric which is
clamped between them and the face of the cylinder. In small diameter machines
it is impossible to have as many grooves cut in a flat, conical, or inverted conical
bed as there are in the needle cylinder and it is also very difficult to form two
The

page_text: raceways for operating the web holders. In these cases I either form a single
raceway having two upthrow cams and use web holders with two patterns of butts
the odd numbers having long and shallow butts while the even numbers have
short and deep ones. The two upthrow cams are located at different points of the
raceways. One is fitted close to the needle bed so that it raises the short deep
butted ones.
And the other upthrow cam is set far enough away from the
circumference of the needle bed to miss the short deep butted ones but will lift
the long and shallow ones. As a guard to ensure the fabric from not drawing
back when the frame needles rise to cast off their loops I arrange a number of
web holding pins C around the inner upper bevelled edge of the frame cylinder
the inner ends of the pins are soldered or otherwise fastened into the cylinder the
outer ends are pointed and bent downwards so as to allow the fabric to draw off
them as it courses down from the machine.
The web holders in descending draw down the fabric until it passes onto the
stationary web holding pins where it is held until the next course is knitted when
the fabric is again drawn down and held by the pins and so the process is
continued.
Another part of this invention relates to improved apparatus for more readily
shifting the needles in, and out, of action of the knitting cams, when making
welts, heels, and toes of stockings. These improvements are applicable to either
automatic, or hand worked machines. 1 will first describe my devices for raising
and lowering one half of the needles (preferably the back half) during the
operation of making a heel or toe of a stocking, viz.: A switch cam El is pivoted
to the inner surface of the cam cylinder E Fig. 5. The pivot passing through the
side of the cylinder and overhanging its outer circumference. The cam may be
pivoted at various places in the cylinder, but I preferably arrange it to fit up to the
outer end of the guard cam E2. The outer end of the pivot E³ is preferably
square upon which is fitted the lever E Fig. 7, made of spring steel, or a spring
is added to it, so that its outer end is forced to the side of the cylinder, a stud E*
on the outer end fitting into one of three recesses E6, formed in the face of the
cylinder. A suitable knob or thumb and finger bit is attached to the outer end
of the lever, which serves to put the lever, in any one of its three positions, the
outer ends of the switch cam E' and the lever E move simultaneously. The outer
end of the switch cam E' occupies three positions, viz. when rotary knitting is
being done it is in its highest, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5 thereby leaving
no exposed end for the butts of the needles to jam against. Second when
reciprocating knitting is being done it is in its central position, as shown by dotted
lines in Fig. 6: and third when any desired number of needles are required to be
raised out of the working raceway into the idle onc, the cam is put in its lowest
position as shown by Fig. 6, I preferably make the heels and toes on the front
half of the needles of the frame cylinder. Having previously raised the whole of
the back half into the idle raceway.
It being important that only certain needles should be raised out of action before
commencing to knitt the heel, I adopt the following device for stopping the
switch cam El against two places in the circle of needles so that the same needles
are raised each time a heel and toe is made. To the bed plate of the machine is
pivoted the stop lever E so that its long end can move horizontally backwards
and forwards towards the axis of the machine Figs. 7 and 8. The spring E7
operates upon the short end of the stop lever forcing the long end outwardly.
Two stop lugs E and E' are attached to the circumference of the cam cylinder E
and are so arranged on the cylinder that when the stop lever is forced inwardly, its
long end comes in contact with one of the stop lugs, Es or E' when instantly the
machine is arrested. I will next describe how the switch cam &c. (or their
equivalents) are operated for raising and lowering the needles during the operation
of knitting a heel of a stocking &c. The machine is stopped, with the yarn
carrier in front. The splicing or thickening thread is tied. The machine is
turned from left to right while the long end of the stop lever is pushed inwardly.
B

page_text: When the stop lug E8 reaches the end of the lever E the machine is arrested.
The switch cam El is put in its lowest position as shown at Fig. 6. The stop
lever is liberated and the machine is again turned forward (the needles passing up
the cam E¹ into their idle pathway E) slightly pressing in the stop lever the
other stop E next strikes the end of the lever E and the machine is again
stopped.. The switch cam E' is next put in its central position as shown by dotted
lines Fig. 6 half the needles will then be raised out of the reach of the knitting
cams, and remain so until the heel is finished when that is done. The switch
cam E is then put in its highest position where it always (preferably) remains
whilst rotary knitting is being done. When I wish to make what are known as
long spliced or thickened heels (i.e. the stocking is spliced or thickened higher
up the back of it than by the method just described) I proceed as follows-I
stop the machine from rotary knitting earlier say twenty courses (more or less)
I then tie the splicing or thickening thread and raise the back half of the
needles as previously described, and knit 20 courses backwards and forwards
which makes a selvedge at the sides, I then fashion the heel in the usual manner.
When that is done the splicing thread is broken, the lever E is put in its higher
position which brings down the back half of the needles. When the last needle
is down the switch cam is put in its lowest position and the needles that have
been knitting the heel are next raised into the idle raceway, and kept there,
while the back half of the needles knit twenty courses to correspond with the
twenty knitted by the front half of the needles. The cam E¹ is again put in
its highest position and rotary knitting is proceeded with. When the stocking
is finished in the machine the two slits one upon each side of the heel are
selvedged seamed, in the usual manner. Spliced or thickened knees and bottoms
of feet of stockings &c. can all be made in a similar manner to that just described,
i.e. whilst one part of the needles are working a thicker thread the other portion
are at rest, and then the latter knit a corresponding number of courses with the
ordinary thread, while the former are at rest, afterwards the two selvedges require
seaming in the usual manner. Instead of raising and lowering the needles by
the switch cam E', I can accomplish similar results by the following arrange-
ments of cams, I either fit a switch cam F¹ in a recess, formed at the back of
the horizontal or rest cam F, as shown at Fig. 5, or else, I use a vertical sliding
cam, as shown at F2 of the same figure. If I use the switch cam I pivot it to
the inside of the cylinder, so that it occupies two positions, when at rest its
upper edge lies slightly below the upper edge of the horizontal cam, when in
action its fore end is raised as shown by dotted lines Fig. 5. It is operated and
held in its two positions in a similar manner to the switch cam as previously
described. These cams F1 and F2 are for only raising the frame needles from
their working to their idle pathway during the operation of making heels toes,
welts or knees to stockings &c. I may use another switch cam 13 to depress
the needles into the working pathway. (In that case I dispense with the switch
cam E¹.) This cam is operated by a lever &c. in a similar manner to the cam E¹
it occupies two positions, when at rest it lies slightly above the lower surface of
the needle ring and when in action its fore end passes through a slot in the
needle ring as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6 when in this latter position it
guards the needles from jamming on the exposed ends of the cams, in a similar
manner to the cam E¹ when that is in its highest position. When I wish to
raise the back half of the needles I put the cams For F2 and F3 in their highest
positions I may use the stop lever and lugs E and E & E⁹ as previously
described. Upon turning the machine the back half of the needles all run up
the cam For F2 into their idle pathway, when they are up, reciprocating knitting
is performed and when the heels &c. are finished the cam F³ is put in its lower
position as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6 remaining there while rotary knitting
is being done. If I use the cam F2 (I dispense with the switch cam F¹) for
raising the needles into their idle raceway. I may tap the outer end of the tang
or stud F Fig. 7 with a screw thread and fit on a thumb nut F when the cam

page_text: is in its higher position as shown at Fig. 6 it is clamped to the circumference
of the cam cylinder by the thumb nut F. It will thus be seen that when this
cam is in the position as shown at Fig. 6 the needles will ascend it into the idle
raceway from which they may be depressed by either of the cams E¹ or F3 as
previously explained. By the following arrangement I dispense with the afore-
mentioned lever E the thumb nut F³ the stop lugs E and E' and the lever E
and substitute the following device for raising the cams F1 and F2 to their higher
position. To the outer surface of the cam cylinder E I pivot a bell cranked (or
other suitable shaped lever) lever F Fig. 9 its long arm lying nearly at right
angles to the axis of the machine its short arm is preferably jointed at F'. The
end of the long arm fits on to the tang F4 of the cam F2. A stationary cam F8
is fastened to the bed plate of the machine which extends half round the machine.
While rotary knitting is being done the short arm of the lever is turned up as
shown by dotted lines in Fig. 9 the cam F2 being in its lower position. When
I wish to raise the back half of the needles the machine is stopped with the
bell cranked lever in front, the short arm is put down, the machine is turned and
when the lower end of the short arm strikes the end of the cam F8 the long arm
and the cam F2 are instantly raised to their higher position, after the short arm
has struck the cam, it mounts onto its upper surface, whereby the cam For F2
is held in its higher position, until the machine has made half a revolution,
i.e. until the short arm drops off the other end of the long cam F, while the cam
is in its higher position the needles keep ascending until the back half are raised
into their idle raceway-the short arm of the lever is again turned up and
reciprocating knitting is done, when the heel or toe is finished. The cams E'
or Fare put in position for depressing the back needles into the knitting
pathway again. I will next demonstrate the use of these switch cams in making
welts to the tops of plain, and ribbed stockings, &c. In making a welt or fast
course to the top of plain stockings I proceed as follows: viz. I use needles in
the frame cylinder, having two different lengths of butts, one half of them being
shorter than the other half: I will assume that there are sixty needles in the
frame cylinder, (thirty with long butts, and thirty with short ones) the long, and
short butts, being arranged alternately around the cylinder, i.e. numbers one, three,
five, seven, &c. may have the short butts, and numbers, two, four, six eight, &c.
have long ones, or vice versa. 1 may use the switch cam E¹ to raise and lower
the needles when making heels toes and welts to stockings.
I then form a
recess F in the inner face of the cam cylinder shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5
so that the cam E can be drawn back horizontally far enough from the needle
cylinder, as to entirely miss the short butted needles, while it will operate the
long butted needles as before mentioned. The cam E¹ is drawn back by inserting
a wedge shaped slide between the outer face of the cam cylinder, and the inner
side of the lever E, a suitable spring pushing the cam inwardly when the wedge
slide is removed. To make a welt on a plain stocking, 1 proceed as follows, I
knitt a few courses of cotton or splicing, next tie the legging yarn, when this
latter is near the needles, I draw back the switch cam E¹ by inserting the wedge
slide, putting the said cam into its lowest position, then on turning the machine,
the long butted needles, all ascend the cam into the idle pathway; whilst the
short butted needles will pass by the switch cam E' and enter the knitting path-
way E. Having knitted two or more courses with the short butted needles, the
slide is drawn away, and the switch cam E¹ is put into its highest position, when
on turning the machine the whole of the long butted needles are brought into
the knitting pathway again, when the whole of the needles (long and short butted
ones) have knitted one more course or round, a fast course, or welt is formed,
which will not unrove when the splicing or cotton threads are removed from the
top. Instead of raising the needles by the switch cam E¹ when making welts I
preferably use either the switch cam F', or else, the vertical sliding cam F²,
whichever of these I use, I make them. thin enough, to only reach far enough, to
raise up the long butted needles, leaving room enough between their inner surfaces

page_text: I use
and the circumference of the needle cylinder for the short butted needles to pass.
The long butted needles are raised by putting the cams For F2 in the positions
shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 5 the long butted needles being depressed by either
of the switch cams E or F3. Welts to the tops of 4/2, 4/1, 3/1, & 2/1, patterns
of ribbed hose, can be made in a similar manner to that just described, except that
in addition the ribbing needles, must be stopped from knitting, by altering the
welt cam in the ribber, in the well understood way, as when making a 1/1 welt. It
will thus be seen, that in addition to the usefulness of these cams in rapidly raising
and lowering the needles when desired; the switch cams E' and F³ are of great
service in conducting the needles, into the knitting pathway, in case any of them
should fly up during the rapid revolution of the machine, thereby preventing
breakages of needles, cylinder, or cams. In applying this part of my invention to
automatic circular knitting machines I preferably use the system of cams as shown
at Fig. 10, whereby the whole of the needles are raised every course by their
elevating cams G to their highest position, i.e., the needles are not left standing
on the horizontal cam F with their loops remaining on their latches but are elevated
sufficiently high, for their loops to pass off their latches on to their stems.
two switch cams E' and G¹ for depressing the needles, from their highest position,
both being pivoted to the inner face of the cam cylinder, their base fitting close
up to the outer ends of the guard cam E2. Instead of operating these cams by
their pivots as previously described, I fasten a stud or tang G² near to the pivot
of the cams, whose outer ends, pass through suitable slots H cut in the side of
the cylinder; these studs overhang the outer face of the cylinder so that they
can be raised, or lowered, by the two bell cranked levers H and H2 which are
pivoted at H to the cam cylinder E. Two superposed ratchet wheels H3 and H*
are fitted to move in an annulus formed in the bed plate, each wheel has as many
teeth in its periphery, as there are needles in the frame cylinder, when making
heels, or toes, these wheels are racked one tooth at each time the machine makes
a reciprocating course. They are moved by ratchet levers, sliding bars, &c. in
a similar manner to that described in my Specifications of Patent No. 9716
A.D. 1889. Each superposed wheel carries two cams H and H on wheel H,
and H and H8 on wheel H³. When the lower ends of the short arms of the
levers come in contact with the cams H and H' the long arms are depressed
thereby putting the outer ends of the switch cams E¹ and G¹ into their lowest
position and are held there by the catch levers H and H fitting on to the
studs Hand H12. The cams H3 and Hs are for liberating the catch levers from
the studs when instantly, the long arms of the levers, are raised by the springs H13
and H thereby, putting the outer ends of the switch cams into their higher
positions. To prevent the outer points of the switch cams from jamming against
the needle butts, I fit two cams G and G₁ to slide vertically in recesses formed
in the back of the upthrow cams. A stud, or tang G³ and G fastened to their
backs passes through a vertical slot in the cylinder. Two cams G and G6 are
attached to the upper surface of the cog ring A' when the motion of the machine
is reversed the first part to move is the cog ring A' Fig. 1 which carries the two
cams G³ and G consequently, either one cam, or the other passes under one of
the pins G³ or G* (according to which way the machine is turned), thereby,
raising the cam G or G¹ and the needles on it to its higher position, before the
other cams have commenced moving, thus guarding the needles lying in front of
the points of the switch cams, from jamming against it. Having given a description
of the levers, cams, &c., in Figs. 10, 11, and 12 I will next show how each part works,
when making a heel of a stocking. (The toes are made in the same way as the heels.)
To better illustrate the operations of the cams, levers, &c. when making a heel, or toe.
I will suppose there are sixty needles only, in the frame needle cylinder, and that the
numbering begins, at the first needle, of the front half, upon the left side of the
machine, and number thirty being the last needle, of the front half of the needles
on the right side of the machine, i.e. the needles numbered from one to thirty
are those upon which the heel or toe is knitted, while numbers thirty one, to sixty

page_text: are those at the back half of the machine which remain inoperative whilst the heel
is knitted. Assuming that the leg piece of a stocking is made down to the heel,
I will now proceed to describe the making of a heel. The machine is stopped,
with the yarn carrier in front. The short ends of the levers H¹ and H2 (which
are jointed at H and H16) are turned down into their working positions as shown
at Fig. 12. The machine is started knitting forwards, and backwards, across the
front half of the needles, (number one to thirty). By the time, the outer point
of the switch cam E¹ has got over No. 30 needle, the lower end of the short arm of
the lever H¹, will have struck the cam H6 of the superposed wheel H. The outer
end of the switch cam will be instantly depressed, taking with it No. 30 needle.
The machine still keeps moving onwards the back needles Nos. 31; 32 &c. passing
over the knitting cams, when the short arm of the lever struck the cam H6, th
end of the lever H¹ mounted upon the upper surface of the cam, the fore end. of
the lever being held down, by the catch device H and H". When the last
needle that was knitting, (i.e. No. 30) rises out of the knitting cams, the outer end
of the switch cam G¹, will have passed under some of the back needles viz. Nos. 31,
32, 33 &c. the motion of the machine is then reversed and the superposed wheel Hi
is racked one tooth which takes its cams H³ and H one needle nearer the cams
on the other superposed wheel. By the time the outer point of the cam G¹ gets
under No. 30 needle the catch lever H will have been knocked away from its
stud H2 by the cam H8 when instantly the spring H14 draws up the long arm of
the lever H2 and forces up the switch cam to its highest position. The outer
point of this cam passing over the butts of No. 29 to No. 1 needles. By the time
the outer end of the switch cam G' gets over No. 1 needle the lower end of the
lever H2 will have struck the cam H' when instantly the long end of the lever H²
and the outer end of the switch cam G₁ will be depressed allowing the back
needles No. 60, 59 &c. to pass over the knitting cams, at the same time the catch
lever H gets under the stud H12 and holds down the lever H2. When the last
needle that was knitting (No. 1) rises out of the knitting pathway the machine is
reversed (the superposed wheel H³ being racked one tooth carrying its cams H
and H one needle nearer the cams on the other superposed wheels). By the time
that the switch cam E' has got under No. 1 needle the clutch device H and H"
will have been liberated by the cam H on the superposed wheel H³ when instantly
the spring H draws up the lever H2 and the switch cam G¹ to their higher
positions the needles No. 2 to 29 passing down the knitting pathway. And so the
process is continued each course having one needle less at work until there are
only. one third left in action (viz. the central ten Nos. 11 to 20). The motion of
the superposed wheels is reversed cach course bringing one more needle into action
until the whole number from one to thirty are again knitting, the short arms of
the levers H' and H2 are turned up and rotary knitting of the foot is next done,
the cams being in the position as shown at Fig. 10. It will thus be seen that it
is the cams on the superposed wheels that govern the number of needles that are
brought into the action of the knitting cams. The next part of my invention
relates to an improved method of shaping the needle grooves in both the ribbing
and frame needle beds by which I am enabled to make fashioned or shapable
stocking legs &c. upon a knitting machine having a conical ribbing attachment
as well as upon a machine having a dial ribbing attachment. Instead of widening
out the needle grooves at the upper end of the vertical needle cylinder so that the
vertical needles work in the centre of the grooves as is usually done, I adopt the
following improved method of cutting them I leave the needle posts, tricks or
partitions much finer than usual and widen the upper ends of the needle grooves
more upon one side than the other preferably the right side by which I get plenty
of room for the lower ends of the ribbing needles to enter on the widened side of
the frame needles when they descend to cast off their loops from the latches on to
the needle stems, thereby enabling me to make knitted fabric with needles in every
groove of both the ribbing and frame needle beds. For instance suppose I wish
to make a fashioned one and one fabric I cut as many needle grooves in the ribbing

page_text: cone as there are grooves in the frame needle bed. I fill all the grooves with
needles and knit the desired length of the maximum width of fabric. I next fashion
the fabric by removing some of the ribbing needles hanging their loops upon the
adjacent frame needles then knit on a few more courses and remove more of the
ribbing needles, and so on, until the minimum width of fabric is produced. In fine.
gauge machines where the frame cylinders are made of cast iron or gun metal it is
not practical to make the needle posts out of the same casting as the other parts
of the cylinder by widening out the grooves as previously described because the
posts being so fine are very liable to get broken or bent. I therefore adopt the
following improvement. I reduce the external diameter at the upper end of
the cylinder until the outer circumference is level with the back of the needle
grooves. I next cut as many fine vertical slots in the upper edge of the cylinder
as there are needle grooves in the lower part taking care that the slots are cut
nearer the right needle groove than the left. Into these slots are soldered or
otherwise fastened bits of sheet metal preferably steel which may be hardened and
tempered. To ensure the ribbing needles always working midway between any
two frame needles whether the whole of the frame needle grooves have needles in
them or whether part of the needles have been fashioned out I cut the needle
grooves in the ribbing cone a little wider than usual I may make the grooves
parallel in width all their length but I preferably taper them leaving them a little
wider at the bottom than at the top. Fig. 13 represents a portion of a frame
needle cylinder. A" are the fine needle posts set more on one side of the needle
grooves A than the other. A13 are the widened grooves where the fore ends
of the ribbing needles descend when the frame needles are in the grooves A¹². To
ensure the ribbing needles working as desired upon either the right or left side of
the grooves in the cone D 1 fit movable studs D' Fig. 3 in the centre of each
needle groove as follows. I drill vertical holes in the lower edge of the cone D
parallel with each needle groove. I also cut horizontal slots D² in the edge of the
.cone at the bottom of each needle groove one end of the studs D¹ are put in the
holes the other ends fitting in the horizontal slots D². A ring D³ is screwed to
the lower edge of the cone to hold the studs D' in position. The slots D² are cut
the right depth and width to allow the outer ends of the studs D' a slight move-
ment laterally, so that when the ribbing needles are working on the right side of
the grooves they are held in that position by the stud on the left side of them, or
vice versa, in changing the needles to work on the left side of the grooves I lift
the outer or lower ends of the needles up and drop them on the left side of the
studs which forces the latter to the right side of the grooves and the needles work
freely between them and the left side of the grooves. Having given a description
of my improved frame cylinder and ribbing cone I will next demonstrate their use
by describing how I make various patterns of fashioned ribbed fabric such as
stockings legs &c. To make a 2/1 pattern and fashion it I proceed as follows-I
will suppose that there are 108 needle grooves in the frame needle bed cut equi-
distant apart all round the cylinder. And also that there are 54 needle grooves
cut in the ribbing needle cone also cut equi-distant apart. I fill all the frame needle
grooves with needles of one uniform length then set up the work on them and knit a
bit of plain fabric I then put on the ribbing attachment and transfer every alternate
needle from the frame cylinder into the ribbing bed. There will then be fifty four
needles in each bed (which is right for knitting a 1/1 pattern of fabric) I then add fifty
four more needles to the frame needle bed putting one in each of the grooves where the
fore ends of the ribbing needles descend on one side of them (preferably the right
side). These last fifty four needles I call the fashioning needles. They are made a
little shorter than the other needles in the machine so that they will draw a little
longer loop than the others whereby the fabric is knitted as loose when the whole
of the needles are in action as it is in those parts where the fashioning needles have
been removed. I next make a welt and then knit sufficient of the 2/1 pattern
to reach from the welt to the calf I then commence to fashion the back part of the
stocking.leg by removing two or more of the fashioning needles, hanging their loops

page_text: upon the adjacent frame needles. The two ribbing needles working in the same
grooves are raised over their studs and are put to work over the empty grooves
from which the two fashioning needles have been removed. I then knit on a few
more courses and remove two more fashioning needles one upon each side of those
previously removed. And so the process of narrowing is continued until the
minimum width of fabric is produced. I then knit the ankle piece the front part
being 2/1 pattern and the back part a 1/1 pattern. The heel and foot is next made in
the usual manner. Instead of the thin needle posts and widening the frame needle
grooves more upon one side of the frame needles than the other I can accomplish
similar results by the following improvements. I make the outer edge of the
ring D³ Fig. 4 a little larger than the lower edge of the cone so that when the
ribbing needles descend to throw off their loops from the latches the periphery of
the ring pushes the lower end of the needles over the front of the needle posts of
the frame cylinder whereby I can then work with the whole of the grooves filled
with needles as before mentioned. I cut as many recesses or nicks D4 in the ring D³
as there are needle grooves in the cone. The size of the nicks is such as to allow
the ribbing needles to slide freely in them when the said needles are at the bottom
of their grooves. The ring is screwed to the cone D after the movable studs D'
are put in so that the nicks are in a line with the left side of the needle grooves and
the ribbing cone is adjusted to the frame cylinder so that the left side of the needle
grooves lie over the needle grooves in the cylinder. It will thus be seen that when
the fashioning needles are removed the ribbing needles work in the nicks of the
ring, their lower ends passing over the empty grooves in the frame cylinder. But
when all the frame needles are in the cylinder the ribbing needles are raised out of
the nicks and are made to work on the right side of the ribbing grooves guided by
the studs D' their stems resting on the periphery of the ring and their fore ends
passing down in the front of the frame needle posts. My next improvement relates
to a novel way of cutting the grooves in the ribbing needle bed by which I am
enabled to make a 4/2 pattern fabric and fashion or narrow it to a 4/1 pattern.
This part of my invention is applicable to either a flat dial or a conical ribbing
attachment. Supposing I wish to make what is technically known as an eighteen 4/2
stocking leg and fashion to a 4/1 I proceed as follows I cut thirty six needle grooves
in the ribbing needle cone in pairs these grooves do not radiate from the centre as
as they usually do I cut the grooves of each pair parallel with each other i.e. they are
no wider apart at the bottom of the cone than they are at the top. The ribbing
cone is timed with the frame cylinder so that each pair of grooves in the cone are
in a line with each of the eighteen empty grooves in the frame cylinder. I then
fill all the 36 grooves in the cone and commence knitting 4/2 fabric. The fore ends
of each pair of ribbing needles passing down the empty grooves of the cylinder.
To narrow or fashion the fabric I remove some of the ribbing needles say two,
more or less, taking one from each pair, then work on a few courses, and again
remove two more, and so on until there are only sufficient needles left to produce
the minimum width of fabric. In applying this part of my invention to a flat dial
attachment it is only necessary to cut the ribbing needle grooves parallel to each
other, leaving the grooves the same distance apart at their inner ends as they are
at their outer. The needle grooves of the frame cylinder do not require any special
alteration, because, the ribbing needles work over the top of the posts.
The following improvement relates to plain fashioning machines. Instead of
constructing the cams for operating the fashioning needles as shown in my drawings
and Specifications of Patent No. 1836, A.D. 1884 by which the fashioning needles
only received what yarn was laid across them by the vertical needles-I now
arrange the cams so that they draw back the fashioning needles alternately with
the descent of the vertical needles whereby each needle draws a uniform length of
yarn from the bobbin and so produces a looser and a better class of fabric than I
could make formerly. I may use one latch guard for the whole of the fashioning
needles but I preferably use a guard for each needle in a similar manner to those
shown in Specifications of my former Patent No. 8754 A.D. 1884.
Another part

page_text: of this invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
the cams and the means for operating them, by which I am enabled to knit either
selvedged or cylindrical ribbed fabric. The cams for operating the ribbing needles
are constructed and arranged as shown at Fig. 14. J and J2 are the upthrow
cams J and J are the knocking over or stitch cams J is the horizontal or dwell
cam. J is the central depressing cam J' and J8 are the side depressing cams. J is
also the welt cam. Instead of shaping the depressing cams so that they throw
the needles out to their lowest point when opposite the gate where the needles are
changed from one needle bed to the other I shape the side depressing cams J7 and J8
so that the needles are depressed far enough for their loops to turn back their
latches, in which position they remain until they reach the central depressing can J
where they are depressed to their lowest position casting off their loops from the
latches on to their stems. Their latches being kept from falling by the fender or
the yarn carrier. My improved knocking over cams J³ and Jare made to slide
freely in vertical recesses formed in the back or front of the upthrow cams J¹ and J2.
These latter cams are rigidly fastened to the cam carrying cone J. Two studs or
tangs K' and K2 are fastened to the back of the cams J3 and J' their outer ends
passing through two vertical slots cut in the side of the cam cone J. Upon the
outer ends of the studs K' and K2 is fitted a slide K Fig. 15. This slide has two
slots K³ and K4 which fit on to the outer ends of the studs K' and K2 the slots are
cut partly horizontally and partly inclined. The slide K has also two other slots K³
and K that are cut horizontally they fit on to the two studs K' and K8 which are
rigidly fastened to the outer face of the cam cone J when the slide is moved to the
right or to the left one of the cams J³ or J' is raised and the other is lowered according
to which way the slide is moved. The slide is operated in either direction by its
upright arm K coming in contact with the projecting ends J and J¹ of the driving
washer J Fig. 1 or by an arm-whose lower end is attached to the cog ring. This
washer Jfits around the boss of the cam cone between the top of the said cone
and the underside of the boss of the ribber arm in a similar manner to that
described by me in Specifications of Patent No. 15,345 A.D. 1885, the only
difference being that it has a double driving end instead of only one as formerly.
There is also two lugs or washers having their edges at varying distances from their
pivots. They may have two or more sides (I preferably have six). Their pivots
are screwed into the upper surface of the cam carrying cone. These washer
lugs are for timing the ribbing cams to the frame cams so that the needles in
the ribber draw their lops alternately with the frame needles. Instead of the
slotted slide for operating the two cams J & J I may form a recess in the
outer face of the cam cone J that extends all round, into this recess is fitted a
ring K Fig. 1. To the outer surface of the ring is screwed two vertically adjustable
cams whose upper edges are shaped similarly to the lower edges of the inclined
slots K & K so that when the ring is moved horizontally in either direction
one of the cams J³ or J' is raised while the other falls by its own weight.
This ring is operated horizontally by a suitable arm whose lower end is attached
to the cog ring when the cog ring is reversed the arm is carried with it and
the cams or J is put in readiness for knitting before the cam cone is moved
at all. For certain classes of work I preferably make the knocking over cams
the same thickness as the other ribber cams fitting them to slide between the
cams J and J and J2 and J5. Instead of forming the ribbing cams into a
double working pathway as previously described I can accomplish similar results
by a single working pathway. The cams being constructed and arranged as
follows reference being made to Fig. 16. M and M2 are the elevating or
upthrow cams M³ and M are the stitch and knocking over cams M³ is the
horizontal or dwell cam. Me is the depressing cams M' is the welt cam and
MB is the movable guard cam. When rotary knitting is being done the machine is
preferably revolved from left to right. The needles passing through the ribbing
cams in the direction of the arrows. The opening M is where the ribbing and
frame needles are changed from one needle bed to the other. There is a gate M

page_text: for closing the opening to prevent the needles from falling when the machine is
working in either direction. The depressing cam M6 is shaped so that when
passing the gate (the machine being turned from left to right) it only depresses the
needles far enough for their loops to turn back their latches, thereby enabling the
operator to seize hold of those needles that are to be removed from the ribber whilst
the latches of those needles that are to remain in the ribber are held from falling
by their loops remaining on them. When the remaining needles in the ribber have
passed the opening M they are depressed to their lowest position, their latches
being kept from closing by a fender P¹ or P6 of the yarn carrier Figs. 17 and 18.
The pivot of the guard cam M8 passes through a hole in the side of the cam cone
to which is fitted a suitable light spring that always puts the outer point of the
cam M in the position shown at Fig. 16 whereby it conducts the needles into the
knitting pathway when the machine is turned from right to left. To make a welt
with the ribbing needles I put the cam M7 in the position shown by dotted lines
when the needles passing along the pathway Mo they turn down the guard cam M³
into the position shown by dotted lines. The cams M³ and M4 may be. adjustably
fastened to the cam cone, both remaining in the heightened positions shown by Mª
or be fitted with a slotted slide K that is moved horizontally by a suitable arm
attached to the cog ring whereby each of the cams M³ and M¹ are raised and
lowered alternately as previously described. An improved needle or cam ring N
Fig. 1 forms another part of this invention its upper surface may be conical or flat.
It is made in sections, and screwed to the cam cylinder, one section being pivoted at
one end forming a gate the other end is fitted with a spring bolt that fits into a
recess in the side of the cylinder when the said gate is closed. Extending all
round the underside of the ring is a rib or shoulder N' Fig. 1 & 10 which serves
as a stop to the ascent of the vertical needles when they are raised into their idle
pathway the upper edge of the needle butts rubbing on the underside of the
shoulder, thereby preventing the upper pointed end of the upper friction shoulder N
Fig. 1 from rubbing on the underside of the ring N, Fig. 1. A vertical recess N2
Figs. 10 & 11 is formed on the underside of the ring over each of the switch
cams E¹ and G. These recesses are for any of the needle butts to enter that may
be over the cams when they are raised into their highest positions.
When the
machine is turned the shoulders N³ Figs. 10 & 11 act as cams in depressing the
needles into the idle pathway again. Ån improved yarn guide and needle latch
fender forms another part of this invention. It is applicable to all kinds of circular
reversible knitting machines. It is screwed to the cam cylinder in that class of
machines where the cog ring is integral with the cam cylinder and is attached to
the cog ring in that class where the cog ring and yarn guide move in advance of
the cam cylinder.
The novelty of this part of my invention is in making a combination yarn
guide that will feed both the ribbing and frame needles with yarn when the
machine is turned in either direction and both the ribbing and frame needles are
in action. Second. It will guard the latches of both sets of needles from either
bending or closing. Third. It will regulate the falling or closing of the ribbing.
needle latches when they have passed the yarn guide hole and the yarn is laid
across them whereby the yarn settles into the hooks of the ribbing needles without
it getting trapped or carded between the inner edge of the needle latches and the
outer stems of the needles. When the ribbing needles are depressed sufficiently to
cast their loops off their latches on to their stems, the latches are prevented from
falling by the lower edge P¹ of the front end of the yarn guide or carrier P
Figs. 17 and 18, the upper end of the latches then pass over the thread guide
hole P as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 17. When the incline 13 arrives at the
needles P the upper part of the latches fall from the perpendicular_but is
prevented from trapping the thread by the upper edge of the incline P³.
the time the recess P₁ gets opposite the needles P the knitting thread will have
got into the hooks of the needles, and the ribbing latches will be closed, the butts
C
By

page_text: of the said needles passing up the knocking over cam M4 Fig. 16. The frame
needle latches are kept from closing by the outer ends P1 and P. When making
reciprocating knitted fabric on the ribbing needles I use the pattern of yarn guide
shown at Fig. 18, so that the latches of the ribbing needles are gradually lowered
by the inclined surfaces P3 and P7 thereby preventing the yarn thread from being
trapped or carded between the inner edges of the latches and the stems of the.
needles.
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:
In circular knitting machines.
1. Two patterns or two different lengths of web holders that are alternately
arranged in grooves around the frame needle cylinder. And are actuated vertically
by suitable cams so that when the web holders of one pattern are raised to get a
fresh hold of the fabric the latter is held from rising by the other pattern of web
holders substantially as shown and described.
2. A double cam raceway for actuating the two patterns of web holders. The
butts of the long web holders being operated by the lower raceway, while the butts
of the short ones are operated by the upper raceway substantially as shown and
described.
3. An annulus fitted with cams for operating the web holders that is made to
revolve or reciprocate around the inner face of the frame needle bed for the purpose
set forth.
4. The combination of the annulus, the cam raceways, the web holders, the web
holding beds, the bevelled pinion wheels, and the axle substantially as set forth.
5. The cams forming the double raceways for operating the web holders that are
attached to and carried by the frame cam cylinder substantially as shown and
described.
6. The combination of the web holding grooves, the web holders and the cam
raceways upon the cam cylinder substantially as set forth.
7. The combination of a flat or conical ribbing attachment, the web holders of
two different lengths, the double cam raceway for operating the web holders, the
web holding bed which may be either conical, flat, or conically inverted, substantially
as shown and described and for the purposes specified.
8. The frictional web holders formed of wire or sheet metal substantially as set
forth and for the purpose specified.
9. The combination of the frictional web holders, the web holding bed, the web
holding pins, the cams for operating the web holders, the stationary ring or its
equivalent, the axle pin, substantially as shown and described and for the purposes
specified.
10. The switch cam E¹ for putting in and out of action of the knitting_cams any
desired number of the frame needles substantially as shown and described.
11. The arresting of the frame cam cylinder and cams at two definite parts of
the circle for the purpose specified.
12. The combination for rapidly raising the frame needles out of action of the
knitting cams when making welts, heels, or toes, of stockings, consisting of the
switch cam E or its equivalent For F2 the lever E or its equivalent the stop
lever E, the stop studs Es and E' and needles with two lengths of butts substantially
as shown and described.
13. The combination for rapidly lowering the frame needles out of the idle into
the knitting pathway when making welts, heels and toes, of stockings consisting of
the switch cam E¹ or its equivalent F³ needles with two lengths of butts, the
lever E substantially as shown and described.
14. A bell cranked lever F constructed and arranged substantially as shown at
Fig. 9 and for the purpose specified.

page_text: 15. The combination for rapidly raising a portion of the frame needles out of.
action of the knitting cams consisting of the jointed lever F the sliding cam F2
the stud and the stationary cam F8 substantially as shown and described.
16. Two bell cranked levers H¹ and H2 pivoted to the outer surface of the cam.
cylinder substantially as shown and for the purposes specified.
17. Two switch cams E' and G¹ shaped and pivoted to the cam cylinder
substantially as shown and described.
18. The combination of the frame cam cylinder with fixed upthrow cam G G the
movable. switch cams E¹ and G¹ the rigid guard cam E², the movable guard
cams G and G the upthrow cams G and G substantially as shown and described
and for the purposes specified.
19. The combination for automatically making heels and toes of stockings &c.
consisting of the two bell cranked levers H' and H2, the lever clutch devices H³, H",
H", and H2, the springs H3 and H¼ the superposed wheels H3 and H4, the
cams H, H, H and H8, the cams E' and G' the upthrow cams G. G. the guard
cams G and G, the upthrow cams Gs and G6 and the recesses N2 in the needle
ring and the recesses in the upper edges of the cams G G substantially as shown
and described.
20. A frame needle cylinder having its needle posts, tricks, or partitions made
much finer than usual and arranged all round the top of the cylinder so that there
is more room between them and the vertical needles upon one side than upon the
other substantially as shown and for the purposes set forth.
21. The combination for fashioning ribbed stockings consisting of frame cylinder
having fine needle posts, the needle grooves widened more upon one side the vertical
needles, than the other, needles of two different lengths, the ribbing needle cone,
parallel or taper, widened needle grooves, guide studs D¹, the slots D2 and the
ring D³ for the purposes shown and described.
,
22. The combination for fashioning ribbed stockings consisting of an ordinarily
cut frame cylinder. The two lengths of needles, the ribbing needle cone having
parallel or taper widened needle grooves, the slots D2, the studs D' and the slotted
outthrow ring D3 substantially as shown and described.
23. A ribbing needle bed having its needle grooves cut in pairs and parallel to
each other being the same distance apart at their inner ends as they are at their
outer substantially as and for the purpose described.
24. The arrangement of cams in the plain fashioning machine so that each
fashioning needle draws its loop alternately with the vertical needle for the
purposes set forth.
25. Movable knocking over or stitch cams in ribber cam cone substantially as
shown and described.
26. The arrangement of cams and raceways substantially as shown in Fig. 14
and described in reference thereto.
27. The combination for producing selvedged or cylindrical ribbed fabric, con-
sisting of cam cone J, the upthrow cams J and J' the stitch cams J³ and J, the
depressing and welt cams J, J and J the slide K, or its equivalent the ring K
(Fig. 1) substantially as shown and described.
28. A. depressing cam M6 shaped and attached to the cam cone substantially as
shown and described.
29. The combination for producing selvedged or cylindrical ribbed fabric con-
sisting of the cam cone M, the upthrow cams M' and M², the stitch cams M and M',
the horizontal cam M³, the depressing cam M6, the welt cam M, and the guard
cam M substantially as shown in Fig. 16 and for the purposes set forth.
30. A needle or cam ring having recesses N2 formed in its under surface
substantially as shown and described.
31. A needle or cam ring having a shoulder or rib N' extending all round its
underside substantially for the purposes shown and described.
32. A combination yarn guide and needle latch fender for gradually lowering the

page_text: ribbing needle latches after they have passed the yarn guide hole substantially as
described and illustrated at Fig. 17.
33. A combination yarn guide and needle latch fender adapted to feed the
ribbing and frame needles when the machine is turned in either direction the
ribbing needle latches being gradually lowered after passing the yarn guide hole
substantially as described and illustrated at Fig. 18.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1891.
JOHN WILLIAM WATTS.