IM- PROVEMENTS IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES AND IN THE FABRIC PRODUCED THEREON
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Rushworth, of Finkhill Street, in the
Parish of Saint Nicholas, in the Town and County of the Town
of Nottingham, Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Rushworth
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st June 1869.
I, ALFRED RUSHWORTH, of Finkhill Street, in the Parish of Saint
Nicholas, in the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham,
Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES AND IN THE FABRIC PRODUCED
THEREON," to be as follows:-
Heretofore to produce a tubular knitted fabric with an imitation seam
on a circular knitting machine the following methods amongst others
have been employed.
Les boom loft in the rivale of needles by one needle

page_text: being left out. In the space thus formed an extra thread has been
worked in, such thread being looped alternately with the usual thread on
one side changing from one to the other at every course, such extra
thread at each revolution of the circular head being looped upon and
in turn pressed off an inverted needle sliding in the space where the
needle was left out of the circle.
Secondly. A space has been left in the circle of needles by one needle
being left out and its place filled by a sliding inverted needle upon
which the thread of the fabric being made has been looped and in turn
pressed off, whereby an imitation seam has been made without the
employment of an extra thread, either arrangement necessitating the
employment of a quantity of apparatus fixed above the circular head to
operate the sliding needle and extra thread guide, or the sliding needle
without an extra thread, such apparatus working in conjunction and
revolving simultaneously with the circular head.
Now the object of the present Invention is to make an imitation scam
which will present a neater appearance than is usually accomplished by
mechanical means,
to effect which I employ a circular knitting
machine, which may be of the usual construction but in the circle of
needles form a space by taking away one needle and also the lead in
which it is cast, and instead inserting a piece of brass or other suitable
material with a slit cut in it or a hole drilled through it vertically, in
such wise that the stem of a needle is free to turn in this slit or hole,
such needle having its head or bearded end made of a shape and gauge
corresponding with the other needles, but the stem is made somewhal.
longer and is passed down the hole in the piece above named, and also
into a hole drilled to receive it in the upper end of a short rod, the needle
being held fast in the rod by means of a short screw so as to enable the
needle to be adjusted as required or a new one to be inserted. This needle
does not slide up and down or horizontally when at work, but revolves
one way during one revolution of the circular head and the reverse way
the next succeeding revolution. Such revolving of the needle is effected
in the following manner. The lower end of the short rod above named,
is formed with a screw having one complete turn, its lower end resting on
or in a bracket attached to the flange of the head, the twisted part of:
the rod lies between the forked end of a short lever, which lever has an
up and down motion communicated to it which causes the rod to turn
once round at each upward movement of the forked end of the lever, and

page_text: will be turned the reverse way once round at cach downward
movement of the forked end of the lever, the other end of the lever
projects a short distance beyond the pin or axis upon which, it rocks,
which axis is carried by a bracket screwed to the flange of the head.
Upon the bed of the machine is secured another bracket in which is a
pin on which a ratchet wheel revolves. This wheel has six teeth and is
furnished with a flat spring pressing upon each tooth in succession, and
lying parallel to one of the teeth is a double inclined piece one side of
which is struck by the inner end of the forked lover. During one
revolution of the head the lever by sliding up the incline has its forked
end raised; during such rising up the needle is turned once round; to
the flange of the head three projecting arms or drivers are secured, each
of which during one revolution of the head engage with a tooth of the
ratchet wheel, thus moving the said wheel one half round, thereby
reversing the position of the inclined piece at each revolution of the
head, so that the next time the rocking lever comes round the outer end
of the lever, that is the opposite end to the forked end, will strike the
reverse side of the incline and sliding up it will lower the forked end of
the lever and cause the needle to be turned once round the reverse way;
this movement of the needle may be effected during the working of the
head as the needle is passing any of the three spaces between the loop
wheel, and knocking over wheel. At each revolution of the head the
needle twists the portion of thread assigned it, and at the next succeeding
revolution of the head the twisted loop is knocked over the next
succeeding twisted loop, such movements occurring during cach revolution
of the head. It is evident that the alternately reversed revolution of
the needle may be effected by the vertical movement of the forked end
of the lever being obtained in a variety of ways, as for instance instead of
using a straight lever as above described a bell cranked or right angled
lever may be substituted, such lever would have one of its legs forked
and operate upon the screwed end of the needle rod in the manner above
described, but the other leg of the lever would be operated upon by a
double inclined two-ended lever in the following manner :-During one
revolution of the head the lower leg of the forked lever will strike the
inner side of the double incline, thereby forcing up the forked end of the
lever, and causing the needle to make one revolution, at the same time
the lower leg of the lever sliding on the side of the double incline will
force the said incline to be reversed, so that the next time the forked
lever comes round its lower leg will strike the outer side of the double

page_text: incline thereby forcing the forked end of the lever down and causing the
needle to revolve the reverse way, and restoring the double incline to its
first position previous to the movements being repeated. The alternate
movement of the double inclined two-ended lever above referred to is
restrained within a required space by two studs securel in the bracket
which carries the said lever, such lever being substituted for the ratchet
wheel, double incline, and three drivers first mentioned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Rushworth in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st December 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, †, ALPRED
RESHWORTH, of Finkhill Street, in the Parish of Saint Nicholas, in the
Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, Mechanic, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler
Letters Patent, hearing date the First day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Rushworth, Her special
licence that, the said Alfred Rushworth my executors; adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said Alfred Rushworth,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for In-
PROVEMENTS IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES AND IN THE FABRIC PRODUCED
THEREON." upon the condition (amongst others) that 1, the said Alfred
Rushworth, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Rushworth, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
Heretofore to produce a tubular knitted fabric with an imitation
scam on a circular knitting machine the following methods amongst
others have been employed.
Firstly. A space has been left in the circle of needles by one needle
being left out. In the space thus formed an extra thread has been,
worked in, such thread being looped alternately with the usual thread
on one side changing from one to the other at every course, such extra
thread at each revolution of the circular head being looped upon and in
turn pressed off an inverted needle sliding in the space where the needle
was left out of the circle.
Secondly. A space has been left in the circle of needles by one needlo
being left out and its place filled by a sliding inverted needle upon
which the thread of the fabric being made has been looped and in turn
pressed off, whereby an imitation seam has been made without the
employment of an extra thread, either arrangemont necessitating the
employment of a quantity of apparatus fixed above the circular head to
operate the sliding needle and extra thread guide, or the sliding needle
without an extra thread, such apparatus working in conjunction and
revolving simultaneously with the circular head.
Now the object of the present Invention is to make an imitation scam
which will present a neater appearance than is usually accomplished by
mechanical means, to effect which I employ a circular kuitting machine
which may be of the usual construction, but in the circle of needles
I form a space by taking away one needle and also the lead in which it is
cast, and instead inserting a piece of brass or other suitable material with
a slit cut in it or a hole drilled through it vertically, in such wise that
the stem of a needle is free to turn in this slit or hole, such such needle
having its head or bearded end made of a shape and guage correspond-
ing with the other needles, but the stem is made somewhat longer and
is passed down the hole in the piece above-named and also into a hole
drilled to receive it in the upper end of a short rod, the needle being
held fast in the rod by means of a short screw, so as to enable
the needle to be adjusted as required or a new one to be inserted, this
needle does not slide up and down or horizontally when at work but
revolves one way during one revolution of the circular head and the
reverse way the next succeeding revolution; such revolving of the

page_text: needle is effected in the following manner :-The lower end of the short
rod above-named is formed with a screw having one complete turn, its
lower end resting on or in a bracket attached to the flange of the head,
the twisted part of the rod lies between the forked end of a short lever
which lever has an up and down motion communicated to it which
causes the rod to turn once round at each upward movement of the
forked end of the lever, and will be turned the reverse way once round
at each downward movement of the forked. end of the lever, the other
end of the lever projects a short distance beyond the pin or axis upon
which it rocks, which axis is carried by a bracket screwed to the flange
of the head. Upon the bed of the machine is secured another bracket
in which is a pin on which a ratchet wheel revolves, this wheel has
six teeth and is furnished with a flat spring pressing upon ench tooth
in succession and lying parallel to one of the teeth is a double inclined
piece one side of which is struck by the inner end of the forked lever.
During one revolution of the head, the lever by sliding up the incline has
its forked end raised; during such rising up the needle is turned once
round; to the flange of the head three projecting arms or drivers aro
secured, each of which during one revolution of the head engage with a
tooth of the ratchet wheel, thus moving the said wheel one-half round,
thereby reversing the position of the inclined piece at each revolution
of the head, so that the next time the rocking lever comes round the
onter end of the lever, that is, the opposite end to the forked end will
strike the reverse side of the incline and sliding up it will lower the
forked end of the lever and cause the needle to be turned once round
the reverse way; this movement of the needle may be effected during
the working of the head as the needle is passing any of the three spaces
between the loop wheel and knocking over wheel. At each revolution
of the head the needle twists the portion of thread assigned it, and at
the next succeeding revolution of the head the twisted loop is knocked
over the next succeeding twisted loop, such movements occurring during
ench revolution of the head. It is evident that the alternately reversed
revolution of the needle may be effected by the vertical movement of
the forked end of the lever being obtained in a variety of ways, as, for
instance, instead of using a straight lever as above described a bell
cranked or right angled lever may be substituted, such lever would have
one of its legs forked and operate upon the screwed end of the needle
rod in the manner above described, but the other leg of the lever would
he operated upon by a double inclined two-ended lever in the following

page_text: is free to turn, this needle has its head or bearded end made of a shape
and guage to correspond with the other needles, but the stem is made
somewhat longer and is passed down the hole in the piece M and also
into a hole drilled to receive it in the upper end of a short rod N, the
needle being held fast in the rod by means of a screw the head of which
can be reached by the point of a screw driver being passed between the
ends of two of the holding plates, which ends are filed away for that
purpose so that the needle can be adjusted or a new one inserted as required.
The needle revolves one way during one revolution of the circular head
and the reverse way the next succeeding revolution, such revolving of
the needle I effect in the following manner :--The lower end of the short
rod N is made flat and is twisted one complete turn, and has its lower
end resting on or in a bracket N', which is attached to the flange of the
head, the twisted part of the rod lies in the forked end of a lever O, which
has an up and down motion communicated to it, cach upward motion
of the forked end of the lever causing the rod N and needle to be turned
once round, and each downward movement of the forked end of the
lever causing the rod and needle to turn once round the reverse way,
When the forked end of the lever is in the position seen at Figure 3
it is held up by a spring O' until it is forced down the next time it
comes round. The other end of the lever projects a short distance
beyond the axis upon which it rocks, which axis is carried by a bracket
screwed to the flange of the head. Upon the bed of the machine is
secured another bracket in which is a pin on which a ratchet wheel
Prevolves, this wheel has six teeth and a spring P pressing upou
cach tooth in succession to prevent the ratchet wheel from being over
driven; lying parallel to the side of one of the teeth is a double inclined
piece P³ one side of which is struck by the inner end of the forked
lever. During one revolution of the head, the lever by sliding up the
incline has its forked end raised to the position scon at Figure 3, the
needle being thereby turned once round. To the flange of the head are
secured three drivers Q, Q, Q, which at every revolution of the head
each engage with one tooth of the ratchet wheel, thus moving the said
wheel one-half round, thereby reversing the position of the inclined
piece at each revolution of the head, so that the next time the rocking
lever comes round the outer end will strike the reverse side of the
inclined piece P' on the ratchet wheel, and sliding up the incline will
lower the forked end of the lever to the position seen at Figure 4, and
cause the needle to be turned once round the reverse way. The upward

page_text: movement of the forked end of the lever causes the needle to revolve
from the left to the right, and its downward movement causes the needle
to revolve from right to left, the twisted loop at cach revolution of the
head lying inclined the reverse way to the one previously formed, pre-
senting the appearance of an imitation seam, having a flat and neater
appearance than can be obtained by using an extra thread, or by hand
scaming. The movement of the needle may be effected during the
working of the head as the needle is passing any of the three spaces
between the loop wheel and the knocking over wheel. But I prefer to
move the needle in the manner above described, so as to twist the
loop when the needle is passing the space between the dividing wheel
and the presser wheel, as then the loops are at their greatest slackness
and stand above the needle heads in a position favorable for twisting
the loop, such loop being knocked over the next succeeding loop made
on the same needle at each revolution of the head.
The Drawings above referred to represent one modification of the
apparatus I employ, a second modification being shewn at Figures 5
to 8 inclusive, Figure 5, being a side view and Figure 6, a plan of the
apparatus I use to alternately reverse the revolution of the needle;
Figure 7 is a plan of the forked lever and its bracket, and Figure 8, a
plan of the bracket carrying a double inclined two-ended lever here-
after referred to; A is a bracket secured to the lower side of the head
and from the lower side of this bracket two arms project downwards,
one of which carries a short pointed set screw, upon the point of which
rests the screw ended needle rod before referred to, the other arm is
slotted to receive a right angled lever B, which is held in it by an axle
pin. One arm of this lever is forked to receive the screwed end of the
needle rod, the other arm projects downwards, and is alternately moved
inwards or outwards by striking against one of the sides of a double
inclined two-ended lever E, whereby the forked end of the lever B is
alternately raised or lowered at each revolution of the head, the lever
remaining in the position it is placed until changed at the next revo-
lution of the head, the lever being held by a pointed stud taking into
either of two countersunk holes on the upper side of the lever B, the
stud being pressed down by a spring C, which allows the stud to rise
at every change of position of the lever. The stud and spring is con-
tained in a hole drilled to receive them in a projection on the upper side
of the bracket A. Secured to the framing of the machine is a bracket
D in which the axle of a double inclined lever E is free to turn; this

page_text: axle has two holes countersunk in it to receive the pointed end of a
stud, which stud is pressed by a spring capable of adjustment by a set
screw F, in a hole drilled to receive them in a projection at the side of
the bracket D. The double incline E is shewn at Figures 6 and 8 in
the two positions it occupies as it is alternately moved to either side
by being struck with the lower arm of the lever B, such lower arm
being reversed as it slides along either of the inclined sides of that end
of the lever I which lies between the studs G, G. The lever B in passing
the broad end of the lever E will reverse such lever at each revolution
of the head, thereby alternately raising and lowering the forked end of
the lever B and causing an alternately reversed revolution of the needle,
the twisted loop on such needle being knocked over at every revolution
of the head as described in my first modification.
Having thus described my Invention, I would have it understood
that what I claim is, the producing an imitation seam on looped fabrics
made on the circular hose frame by the employment of a revolving
needle, as above shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Rushworth, have set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
THOMAS FREDERICK JAMES.
ALFRED RUSHWORTH. (1.S.)