Year: 1886

page_text: I, BENJAMIN KERR, of 33, Havelock Street, Leicester, in the County of Leicester,
Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to circular knitting machines and its main object is to provide
for varying the tension of the thread so that the stocking or other article to be knitted
can be made of closer texture at one part than at another part thereof, without the
splicing" usually employed for this purpose.
"
In making a stocking, for example, it is desirable that the foot and the back part of
the leg, where the stocking is most liable to wear, should be firmer and of closer
texture than the other part of the stocking. This result has heretofore been accom-
plished by "splicing," that is to say, by combining an additional thread, usually of
cotton, with the woollen thread ordinarily used in the manufacture of knitted
stockings.
According to the present invention, the desired result is obtained as hereinafter
described, that is to say:-A lever is pivotted to the cross-head or support whereby
the thread is guided and conducted to the machine. This lever is arranged to bear
upon the thread to increase the tension thereof. The weight of the said lever is
increased or diminished according to the maximum degree of tension required.
Another lever is pivotted to the base-plate of the machine or to a post or standard
fixed therein, and a vertical bar is coupled at its lower end to this lever. The said
bar extends upward to the underside of the first named lever, which, for convenience
of description, is hereinafter termed the tension lever. Therefore, when the other
lever, which is hereinafter termed the operating lever, is raised, the tension lever will
also be raised thus diminishing the tension of the thread. The operating lever has
attached thereto a flat plate or bar having a curved edge which is concentric with the

page_text: geared reversing ring of the machine. This ring is provided with one or more
adjustable fingers, which in the rotation of the said ring, act upon the said plate or bar
and raise the operating lever, and thereby hold up the tension lever during a portion
of each revolution of the said ring. The said fingers are preferably pivotted to
brackets which can be secured in any desired position upon the said ring, so that the
said fingers can be raised or lowered, and, when raised, will not act upon the said
plate or bar. By securing the said brackets upon the said ring in the proper positions
the tension of the thread can be diminished during one portion and increased during
the remaining portion of each revolution of the said ring.
A lever pivotted to the base-plate, or any other suitable device is provided for
holding up the aforesaid levers when it is desired that the tension of the thread should
be uniform throughout each revolution of the said ring.
In some instances the tension lever is provided with a spring for increasing the
tension of the thread. This spring and the said tension lever may be advantageously
used when the machine is to be employed for splicing.
It is obvious that other means than those above described may be used for raising
the tension lever for the purpose of diminishing the tension.
Doted this 22nd day of Santamber 1886
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, BENJAMIN KERR, of 33 Havelock Street, Leicester, in the County of Leicester,
Mechanic, 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 :-
My invention relates to circular knitting machines and has for its main object to
provide means whereby the article being knitted can be made of closer texture at one
part than at another part thereof.
In making a stocking for example, it is desirable that the foot and the back part of
the leg, where the stocking is most liable to wear, should be firmer and of closer
texture than the other part of the stocking. This result has heretofore been accom-
plished by "splicing," that is to say, by combining an additional thread, usually
of cotton, with the woollen thread ordinarily used in the manufacture of knitted
stockings.
According to the present invention the desired result is obtained by intermittently
varying the tension of the thread, this result being effected as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a plan of so much of a circular knitting machine as is necessary to show
the application of my improvements thereto, and
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.
a is the bed plate or frame of the machine, 6 the rotary cylinder and c the thread
guide which is supported upon the standard d. These parts being of well known
construction require no description.
e is a lever pivotted at f to the guide c and arranged to bear intermittently with its
end g upon the thread as it passes to the needles, to increase the tension of the said
thread.
The end g of the lever e is normally held in contact with the thread by a spring h
secured at one end to the lever e and at the other end to the thread guide.
i is a lever pivotted at; to the base-plate of the machine and k is a vertical bar
coupled at its lower end to the lever i and at its upper end to the lever e.
When therefore the lever i is raised, the tension lever will also be raised thus
removing the lever e from the thread and allowing the latter to pass freely to the
needles.
As shown in the drawing the lever i has attached thereto a flat plate or bar / having
a curved edge which is concentric with the geared ring 6 of the machine but the said
curved plate may itself constitute the lever i. The ring or cylinder b carries one or
more fingers m which are secured to the said cylinder and adapted to be adjusted
thereon according to the part of the revolution of the cylinder during which the
tension is to be varied.
As shown in Figure 1 two of such adjustable fingers are provided.

page_text: During the rotation of the said cylinder the said fingers act upon the plate 1 and
raise the lever i thereby holding up the tension lever during a portion of each
revolution of the said ring.
The said fingers are preferably pivotted to adjustable brackets n n so that the said
fingers can be raised or turned aside, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 when they
are not desired to act upon the plate l. By securing the said brackets upon the said
ring in the proper positions, the tension of the thread can be diminished during
one portion and increased during the remaining portion of each revolution of the
said ring.
In order to adjust the tension I provide the set screw o which is inserted into the
plate and adapted to bear against the bed plate a. By varying the position of this
screw the lowest position which the lever i can assume can be regulated and con-
sequently also the position of the lever e and the pressure of its end g upon the
thread.
A lever p Figure 1 pivotted to the base-plate and adapted to be inserted between
the said lever and the base plate is provided for holding up the aforesaid levers e and i
when it is desired that the tension of the thread should be uniform throughout each
revolution of the cylinder. Any other suitable means may, however, be used for the
purpose. This spring and the tension lever e may be advantageously used when the
machine is to be employed for splicing.
It is obvious that other means than those above described may be used for raising
the tension lever for the purpose of diminishing the tension, or that the said tension
lever may be arranged to bear upon the thread at any other desirable point.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1 claim is :-
First. The combination with a knitting machine of means for automatically and
intermittently varying the tension of the thread for the purpose specified.
Second. The combination with a knitting machine of a lever adapted to bear upon
the thread at predetermined intervals during the operation of the machine for the
purpose specified.
Third. The combination with the rotating cylinder of a knitting machine of the
adjustable finger or fingers m, the lever i acted upon by said finger or fingers, and the
lever e connected with the lever i all substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of June 1887.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.