MENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaiah Stubley at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th January 1881.
ISAIAH STUBLEY, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Mechanic.
MENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY."
"IMPROVE-
This Invention applies more particularly to what is known as the "plain jack
and sinker rotary knitting machine," and has for its object to enable that machine
to turn out fabrics which are thickened, or as it is termed spliced, in certain parts,
as, for instance, when it is required to give additional substance to the seats of
pants and other like purposes.
For this purpose I fit the above named machine with two extra thread carriers,
the working parts of which are below the row of needles, and which work from
or from near the selvedges of the fabric for a certain distance towards the middle,
or one extra thread carrier only may be employed working in the middle of the
fabric according to the situation of the part requiring to be spliced.
These extra thread carriers work in conjunction with, but independently of, the
main thread carrier, which traverses from selvedge to selvedge above the row of
needles as usual, all the thread carriers being what is known as pipe carriers.
The extra thread carriers consist of two guide bars, each of which is provided
with an arm carrying a short pipe or eye at its extremity through which the
thread is passed on its way to the needles; the guide bars are passed through
and enclosed by a small box which contains a spring bearing strongly upon
them.
Horizontal motion is imparted to the box by means of a suitable arrangement of
cams and levers, the box carrying the guide bars with it till one or both of the
latter are arrested by stops, the position of which can be changed according to the
length of traverse required; when the guide bars are thus stopped the box
completes its stroke, the above mentioned spring slipping over the bars.
The extra thread carriers have a vertical motion in addition to the horizontal
A

page_text: one above described which is imparted to them by suitable mechanical arrange-
ments, and by means of which the eyes or small pipes above mentioned can be
passed up and down through the needles.
The operation of the whole arrangement is as follows:-The main thread carrier
working from above traverses the whole width of the fabric from selvedge to
selvedge; as it approaches a selvedge it finds the pipe of one of the extra thread
carriers in its path; by the mechanical. contrivances above alluded. to this pipe is
then caused to drop through the needles, and passing to one side avoids the main
carrier; after the latter has passed it rises again through the needles, and then
moves for the required distance towards the middle of the fabric, and in the path
of the main carrier followed by the latter at the required place the pipe of the extra
thread carrier again drops through the needles and allows the main thread carrier to
pass to the opposite selvedge; when the latter has passed the extra thread carrier
rises again and returns to its original position; meanwhile the main thread carrier
has passed to the other selvedge when the same operations are repeated with the
other extra thread carrier.
In cases where one extra thread carrier only is used there will be only one
guide bar, and the eye of the extra thread carrier will pass through the needles at
the proper point for splicing the fabric in the required place.
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Isaiah Stubley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th July
1881.
ISAIAH STUBLEY, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Mechanic.
MENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY."
" IMPROVE-
This Invention applies more particularly to what is known as the "plain jack
and sinker rotary knitting machine," and has for its object to enable that machine
to turn out fabrics which are thickened, or as it is termed "spliced," in certain
parts, as, for instance, when it is required to give additional substance to the seats
of pants and other like purposes.
For this purpose I fit the above named machine with either one or two extra
thread carriers of the kind known as "pipe carriers," the whole of which work
below the row of needles except the pipe and the extremity of the arm which
carries it; these are sometimes above and sometimes below the row of needles.
The extra thread carriers (when there are two) work from the selvedges for a
certain distance towards the middle of the fabric, which distance can be regulated
according to the width of the portion requiring to be thickened or spliced; or in case
the fabric is to be spliced in the middle or in any other given place other than the
two edges, then one extra thread carrier only may be employed, placed wherever
the splicing is required.
The extra thread carriers work in conjunction with, but independent of, the
main thread carrier, which traverses from selvedge to selvedge above the row of
needles in the usual manner, and which is also a "pipe carrier.'
Fig. 1 is a partial front elevation of the knitting machine; the dotted line A, A¹,
is the row of needles; B is the main thread carrier which is of the usual con-
struction; c, c, and c¹, c', are the extra thread carriers; they consist of guide bars
C, C, and C¹, C¹, to which are attached arms d and d¹, carrying at their extremities
pipes e and e¹ through which the thread passes on its way to the needles.
Fig. 7 is a view of the arm d, the pipe e, and the row of needles from the end of
the machine on a larger scale, by which their relative positions will be clearly
seen.
Horizontal motion is imparted to the extra thread carriers in the following
manner :-
keyed a cam H of a
roller V and lever V¹
The lever K gives
Fig. 2, G is the draw shaft of the machine; upon this is
peculiar shape which acts through the intervention of friction
pivotted at V2 upon a lever K. working upon a pivot L.
motion to a connecting rod E¹ at the back of the machine which again moves
another connecting rod (Fig. 1) I at the front of the machine through the inter-
vention of a lever, shown in Fig. 3, F, F, working on a pivot U (which is a partial
end elevation of the machine). To the end of the connecting rod I, Fig. 1, is
jointed a small box E, through which the guide bars C, C, and C', C', of the extra
thread carriers pass; the effect of this arrangement is to give horizontal motion
to the extra thread carriers when the shaft G, Fig. 2, revolves.
There is,
however, no rigid connection between the box E and the guide bars, but the former
contains a friction spring, which may be flat or other convenient shape, and is not
shown in the Drawing, bearing strongly upon the latter, the pressure of which
enables the box to carry the extra thread carriers with it till the motion of the
latter is arrested in a manner shortly to be described.
.
The pressure of the spring upon the guide bars can be regulated by a set
screw g, and the pressure can be taken off the guide bars altogether by pulling
the lever h. This movement of the lever h has at the same time the effect of

page_text: releasing the box E from its connection with the rod I, and so throwing E out of gear,
this being effected by the action of the lever h upon the bolt P in the following
manner-R is a spring bolted at one end to the box E, and having at its free
extremity a flange or projection which falls into a groove p in the bolt P, which
position it occupies when E is in gear, but when the lever h is pulled forward
the projection is by means of an eccentric or equivalent upon the axis of h with-
drawn from the groove p, and the bolt P then slides freely to and fro in the box E
without moving it.
The cam H, Fig. 2, is thrown out of gear in the following manner:-In Fig. 3
S is a lever keyed or otherwise secured to a shaft T, also shown in Fig. 2, and to
the shaft T is attached another lever S¹, Fig. 2, which again bears upon a stud
fixed near the upper end of a third lever S" working upon a pivot Q; the lower
end of the lever S11 communicates with a friction roller V, upon which the cam H
works in such a manner that when the lever S is pulled over the friction roller V
is withdrawn from contact with the cam, which is thus thrown out of gear.
The traverse of the extra thread carriers can be regulated by means of two stops
fixed to the framework of the machine at or near each end, their action is shown
in Fig. 4, where W is the stop, C, C¹ are the guide bars of the extra thread
carriers, and X is a stud or stop plate fixed to the guide bar C by set screws, the
position of which on the guide bar can be altered at pleasure.
When the plate X strikes the stop W the motion of the extra thread carrier is
arrested, but the box E, Fig. 1, continues its motion to the end of the stroke, the
friction spring above mentioned slipping over the arrested guide bar C, but carrying
the other guide bar C¹ with it till the latter is in its turn stopped by striking the
stop at the other end of the machine, or when needful both guide bars can be fixed
to the stop plate X when they are both arrested together.
When the knitting machine is at work with the main thread carrier only in use
the extra thread carriers being out of gear there is a danger of the latter getting
into the path of the former, and of a collision and breakage ensuing. To obviate
this danger I adopt the simple contrivance shown in Fig. 4, where.D is a short
lever capable of moving into the position D¹ shown by dotted lines, which position
it occupies when the extra thread carriers are in gear; when they are out of gear
the lever is moved into the position D, the effect of which is the same as would
be brought about by moving the stop plate X nearer to the end of the guide bar;
the extra thread carriers are by this means prevented from accidentally coming
into position with the main thread carrier.
The extra thread carriers have a vertical motion in addition to the horizontal one
above described, by means of which the pipes can be passed up and down through
the needles at any required point. One method of imparting this motion to them
by an arrangement of cam and levers shown in Fig. 5, where Y is the main shaft of
the machine, to which is secured the cam J, which acts upon a lever Z working upon
the spindle bar M, Figs. 1 and 5. This lever gives motion in its turn to a second
lever, Figs. 1 and 5, which when set in motion by the cam A raises the frame
work N, N, N, which supports the extra thread carriers by means of bearings n, n,
through which the guide bars slide, the framework N, N, N, falls again by its own
weight as the cam J revolves, the pressure of the lever being withdrawn.
The working of the whole arrangement will be understood by reference to Fig. 6,
where A, A, is the row of needles seen endways, as in Fig. 1; B is the main thread
carrier, which is in the position it occupies when having reached the selvedge it has
just passed its pipe b. through the needles; cis the extra thread carrier in the
position it occupies at the same point of time. The pipe e of the extra thread
carrier then rises through the needles by the action of the mechanism above
described, and takes the path indicated by the dotted line; it is followed by the
pipe 6 of the main thread carrier as far as the point O; at this point C drops through
the needles, allowing b to pass on to the other selvedge; e then rises again through
the needles, and returns to its original position along the course shown by the dotted
line, travelling a short distance to the left, and making a detour at the point shown

page_text: by the arrows, in order to avoid a collision with b, which has meanwhile passed to
the other selvedge, and gone through the same operation with the other extra
thread carrier, and returning along its former path has followed e, and got back
to its first position; e by the detour above mentioned at the same time placing
itself above b ready to repeat the same series of movements.
The above mentioned movement of e indicated by arrows is brought about by
shaping the cam H, Fig. 2, in such a way as to cause it (the shape shown at H is
adapted to produce the movement desired, and this movement can be modified if
desired by altering the shape of H accordingly). In cases where one extra thread
carrier only is employed the pipe will be caused to pass through the needles at the
proper point to splice the fabric in the required place by a proper adjustment of
the mechanism to that end.
Having now described my Invention, and the method of performing the same, I
wish it to be understood that what I claim and desire to protect under the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,--
First. The splicing of knitted fabrics in the "plain jack and sinker rotary
"nitting machine" by means of one or more extra thread carriers working mainly
he row of needles in conjunction with a main thread carrier working mainly above
ue row of needles, all the carriers being pipe carriers, substantially as and for
he purposes set forth and shown.
Second. The above described arrangement of mechanism for causing the extra
thread carriers to travel over the course described, or in such modification of said
course as may be desired, and consisting essentially of the combination of cam H,
friction roller V, levers V₁ and K, rod E', lever F, rod I, and box E, with their
necessary pins and attachments, substantially as and for the purposes set forth and
shown.
Third. In a plain jack and sinker rotary knitting machine the employment of
box E and its attachments, bolt P, spring R, and lever h, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaiah Stubley, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty-one.
ISAIAH STUBLEY. (L.S.)