Improvements in Knitting Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10th May, 1894-Accepted, 16th June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
JAMES HIGHAM 127 Stretford Road Hulme Manchester Manager do, hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to construct cams & mechanism to operate same
so as to obviate the necessity of having stops at each end of machine for operating
the centre or upthrow cam as usually used.
I preferably construct a cam to form a guard, on each side of this guard cam I
place a stitch cam which is adjustable for regulating the required length of loop, a
little distance below the guard cam I fix a cam which I call a lower cam, between
the guard cam & lower cam I fit a centre or upthrow cam allowing sufficient space
for the heels of needles to pass between the centre or upthrow cam & the guard
cam. When the centre or upthrow cam is raised the space above mentioned will
be closed & another formed between the centre or upthrow cam and the lower cam.
To operate the centre or upthrow cam I use a stud or pin which is operated upon
by a cam which slides in or on the rail at each side of machine this cam is adjustable
to the cam plate or carriage in any desired position.
Dated this Eleventh day of August 1893.
TELATE
MES HIGHAM.
SUUTTAL V
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
I, JAMES HIGHAM, of 127 Stretford Road, Hulme, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Manager, 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 the formation and arrangement of the cams in knitting
machines, and in combination therewith, the mechanism for operating said cams.
The object of this invention is to obviate the necessity of having stops at each
end of the machine such as are ordinarily employed for operating the centre or
upthrow cam.
I attain this object by the means hereinafter described and as illustrated in the
accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a parallel bed knitting machine with my invention
applied;
Fig. 2 is a plan view drawn to an enlarged scale, showing the cams constructed
and arranged according to my invention, with the cam carriage removed.
In these views the cams are represented in the positions they would assume
when knitting ribbed or Cardigan work, the needles in both beds being operated
simultaneously.
Figs. 3 and 4 are like views, but with the upthrow cam on the front bed A of the
machine in Fig. 3, and also in Fig. 4 represented in the position for allowing the
heels of the needles to have a free passage, the machine being thereby in operation
on one side only, when in certain parts of the work, as in the formation of the heels
of stockings and the like, the needles on one side of the machine are not required
to knit.
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are end, plan, and side views respectively of a device for
operating the upthrow cam.
In this invention, I construct a guard cam as g. On each side of said guard cam
I place a stitch cams and which are adjustable for regulating the required

page_text: length of loop. I fit a lower cam as in the centre below the guard cam 9, and
between said guard cam g and the lower cam l, I place an upthrow cam as u which
is operated by a cam c,. Figs. 3 and 4, that slides in or on the rail 6 upon which the
cam carriage d rests.
The upthrow cam u is recessed on the inclined surfaces and fits into the guard
cam g and against-the stitch cams and s³, when it is raised in its passage along the
needle bed by means of the stud v to which said upthrow cam is attached, passing
over the cam c.
I form projections at each end of the lower cam that will prevent the heels of
the needles catching the lower corners of the upthrow cam when travelling up the
inclined surfaces thereof.
The cam c is set according to the required action of the upthrow cam.
When it is required that the needles on either side of the machine shall remain
inactive, the cam c is secured in the position shown on the front side A of the
machine as in Fig. 3, and also in Fig. 4 on the drawing, where it is retained by the
stop v or an equivalent, the upthrow cam u being raised by the stud n to which it
is attached and resting on the highest part of the aforesaid cam c,-when a free
passage is left for the heels of the needles between the upthrow cam u and the
lower cam l.
When the needles are required to be alternately in action for knitting ordinary
circular work, the stop v¹ is raised on both sides of the machine by means of the
knob, which may be turned to the right or to the left and rest on the top of the
slide as in Fig. 3. The cams c are then free to be moved in the open space
between the points and f¹. The upthrow cams u are actuated alternately on each
side of the machine, by the cams c, which are carried forward by the cam
carriage d in its passage along the needle bed causing the stud on one side of the
machine to travel up the inclined surface and rest on the upper part of the cam c,
thereby raising the upthrow cam u and leaving a free passage for the heels of the
needles between the upthrow cam u and the lower cam 7, and on the opposite side
of the machine, causing the stud to descend the inclined surface of the cam c and
permitting the upthrow cam u to descend.
When the movement of the cam carriage is reversed, the cams c will not move in
either direction until the parts fand f¹ of the cam carriage alternately touch said
cams when the action is reversed.
The cams c are prevented moving too freely along the rail b by means of friction
springs.
In a modification of my invention, the cams u are raised by the action of the
cam c into a recess formed in the cam carriage d in lieu of the horizontal movement
herein before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. In a knitting machine, the use of a fixed guard cam as g, a fixed lower cam
as l, and a moveable centre or upthrow cam as u in combination with a cam as c and
mechanism for operating the same, in the manner and for the purpose substantially
as herein before described.
•
2nd. In a knitting machine, the formation and arrangement of the cams in
combination with mechanism for operating the same, for the purpose and in the
manner substantially as herein before described and as shown on the drawings.
* MAN
THOMAS PRESCOTT,
53, Arcade Chambers, St. Mary's Gate, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.