AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING NEEDLE FOR KNITTING-MACHINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Friedrich Wilhelm Schwarzbach, of Naumburg-on-the-
Gaale, Prussia, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING NEEDLE
FOR KNITTING-MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Friedrich Wilhelm Schwarz-
bach at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th September
1880.
FRIEDRICH WILHELM SCHWARZBACH, of Naumburg-on-the-Gaale, Prussia. "AN
IMPROVED SELF-ACTING NEEDLE FOR KNITTING-MACHINES."
My Invention relates to an improved self-acting needle for knitting-machines.
In the self-acting needles used for knitting machines the cyc has heretofore been
formed either by the hook of the needle and a small catch-lever pivotted on the
bar of the needle, or by the said hook and a bar or rod sliding to and fro in a tube
or groove in the bar of the needle. These methods of construction are defective,
inasmuch as the durability of needles so made, especially of the finer sorts, is very
limited, and they are consequently expensive. Moreover, that kind of knitting-
machine-needles the hook of which is shut by means of a bar sliding in a tube
formed in the bar of said needle, or in a groove formed therein, cannot be used
for all kinds of knitting machines, and it is very difficult to manufacture them so
as to answer their purpose as required.
My improved needle, which is a self acting double knitting-machine-needle, is
formed of two separate parts. The lower part is formed of a flat or square bar of
metal and is provided with a hook at its forward end. This book is made longer
than its height. The forward end of the said lower part, which lower part I shall
herein term the "needle," is provided on its upper surface with a groove, the
forward end of which I, preferably, form rectangularly for the purpose hereinafter
specified. The other or upper loose part of my said double needle is arranged to
slide along the said lower part, and is also formed of a flat or square bar or rod of
metal, part of the lower surface of which is cut away in order to diminish or reduce
its sliding surface so that the same will touch the lower bar, that is to say, the

page_text: needle in-two places only, but I may remark here that this manner of diminishing
the sliding surface may be dispensed with. The forward part of said upper bar is
bent downward so that it will catch in the groove formed in the upper forward
surface of the needle, and when moved forward will strike against the angular
point of this groove. The upper surface of the front end of the straight part of the
said upper bar or slide is also formed with the ordinary groove for allowing the
taking off of a mesh. The front end of this groove is formed so as to allow the
point of the hook of the needle to enter smoothly into the same. The upper bar,
that is to say the slide, is held in position on the lower bar or needle by means of a
plate, rail, or similar contrivance. When the lower part is moved forward the
upper part will remain stationary until the foot or rear end of the lower part or
needle comes in contact with the slide or upper bar, when it will carry the latter
along with it. When the needle has arrived at the end of its forward movement
and commences to move backward, the upper bar will remain stationary again
until the point of its bent or inclined part strikes against the rectangular end of
the groove in the lower part or needle, the end of the hook of the latter entering
at the same moment in the front end of the groove formed in the straight forward
part of the said upper bar. The mesh held by the hook will slide upwards upon
the bent or inclined end of this bar, and will slide off the latter when the hook of
the needle has entered the said groove in the former.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Friedrich Wilhelm Schwarzbach in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th March 1881.
FRIEDRICH WILHELM SCHWARZBACH, of Naumburg-on-the-Gaale, Prussia.
IMPROVED SELF-ACTING NEEDLE FOR KNITTING-MACHINES."
"
"
AN
My Invention relates to improvements in self-acting needles for knitting
machines. In such self-acting needles the eye of the needle has heretofore been
formed either by the hook of the needlo and a small catch-lever pivotted on or in
the bar of the needle, or by the said hook and a bar or rod sliding to and fro in a
tube or groove formed in the bar of the needle; the latter cannot however properly
be called self-acting needles. These methods of construction are dofective,
inasmuch as the durability of needles so made, especially of the finer sorts, is
but very limited, and, consequently, the use of the same is rather expensive.
Moreover, with regard to knitting machine-needles the hooks of which are closed
and opened by means of a sliding bar reciprocating in a tube or in a groove
formed in the bar of the needle, it is exceedingly difficult to manufacture them
so that they will serve the desired purpose.
SE
I avoid all these difficulties by the construction of a needle which I term a
self-acting double knitting machino-needlo," the same being illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing, in which,
Figure 1 is a side view shewing one form of the lower part or body of the said
needle.
Figure 2 is a side view shewing one form of the upper part or closing slide of
the said needle.
Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 shew the parts combined, or the complete needle in
various positions.
Figure 8 is a section on the line x, y, Figuro 7, of the complete needle and
adjacent parts.
Figures 9 and 10 shew a modified form of my said complete needle.
Figuros 11 and 12 shew another modification of the said completo needle.
Figures 13 and 14 shew another modified construction of the said needle.
Figure 15 shews another modification of the same.
Figures 16, 17, and 18 shew another modified construction of the said combined
needle.
Figure 19 shews another modification of the same.
Figure 20 shews the needle combined for use as a triple needle, partly in
section.
The aforesaid needle, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, consists of
two solid parts A and B; the lower part or body A, which is provided with the
catch-hook a, is formed of a, preferably, flat or square bar or rod of metal, the front
end of the upper surface of which is provided with a short groove b which extends
longitudinally across the said body A from near the foot of the hook a throughout
a part of the length of the said body. The front end of the said groove b near the
foot of the hook a is, preferably, rectangular for a purpose hereinafter specified.
The upper part B of my said double needle, which part I shall herein term the
"closing slide" (slide or shutting bar) is also preferably formed of a square or flat
bar, or rod of metal, or other suitable material; part of its lower surface may be
cut away for the purpose of reducing its sliding surface, but this reduction of the
liding surface may be dispensed with if desired.
The inclined front end e of the closing slide B is made to enter the said groove b
when the said closing slide is in its position upon the smooth part of the body A,
nd to strike against the rectangular end of the groove b when the closing slide B

page_text: is moved in a backward direction. The said groove b and the point of the end e
should, in all instances, be made as broad as practicable, and the height and width
of the former should be filled up by the latter.
The upper surface of the straight part of the closing slide B is also provided with
the usual grooven for taking off a mesh or. loop. The front end of the said 5
groove n is enlarged to correspond with the point of the hook a so as to allow the
latter to enter smoothly into the same.
The operation of my improved self-acting double knitting machine-needle is as
follows, that is to say-The lower part or body A is placed in the sliding groove
of the needle bed or board of a knitting machine as usual. The closing slide B is 1
then placed loosely on the body A and is kept in its place by means of a plate.
rail, spring, or other convenient means.
Figure 3 shews the needle in its lowest position. A mesh or loop m is drawn
through the partition of the rim of the needle bed or board indicated by the dotted
line k; the said partition is omitted from the Drawing in order to shew more 1
clearly the details of my present Invention. The hook a is closed by the closing
slide B.
Figure 4 shews the position of the needle after the lock of the machine has exerted
pressure upon the foot f of the body A of the needle, which pressure has moved the
said body in an upward or forward direction for about the length of the hook. The
closing slide B. bearing-loosely upon the needle. A and producing therewith but little.
friction, and being held in position by means of the plate g, or other suitable contri-
vance operated upon by the machine, has not yet participated in the upward move-
ment of the needle A. But when its lower or rear end comes into contact with tho
-foot-f-of-the needle A-it-is-carried-upward by the latter. The-inclined-front end-e-of
the closing slide B sliding in the groove b of the needle A forces the mesh m to slide
upon the inclined plane until it rests on the straight part of the closing slide B, at
or near the point indicated in Figure 5. This Figure shews the needle in its
highest position. The needle is now forced down by the action of the lock, the
hook engaging with a new thread or mesh at the same time. The closing slide B
with the mesh m resting upon it does not yet partake in the downward movement,
being held in position either by means of the resistance offered by the machine or
by means of the plate g, a rail, spring, or similar contrivance, and by the weight of
the mesh m; when, however, its front or other end e strikes the angular end of the
groove b, as shewn in Figure 6, it is carried downward by the needle A. Simul-
taneously with the striking of the inclined end e against the end of the groove
the point of the hook a enters the suitably formed end of the groove n on the top
of the closing slide B, thereby forming the bridge across which the old mesh m can
slide over the new mesh held by the hook.
Figure 7 shows the old mesh m slipped off of the hook a.
b
The operation of the modified devices shewn in the other Figures of the Drawing
is substantially the same as that above described.
The foot of the closing slide shown in Figures 9 and 10 is provided with a
projection arranged to strike a projection s on the body of the needle, the closing
slide being thus carried along by the latter.
Figures 11 and 12 show another modification of the projection & formed on the
body of the needle for striking the inner ends of the bent part r¹ to ensure the
reciprocating action of the latter.
For some purposes it may be found desirable to allow the mesh to ascend on the
hook, or on the body of the needle, and to come to rest upon the closing slide.
This object is effected by means of the modifications shewn in Figures 13, 14, and 15.
The point of the closing slide enters a slot or hole v cut in the bent party of the
body of the needle. The mesh slides over the slot onto the slosing slido, and
the bridge is formed by the point of the closing slide resting upon the hook of
the needle; all of these operations are clearly illustrated in the Drawing. The
operation of the needle is the same as that hereinbefore described.
This likewise refers to the forms shewn in Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19. The

page_text: closing slide slides up and down on the inclined sides of the body of the needle,
and the bridge is formed by its point resting upon the upper surface of the book of
the needle. It will be readily understood by reference to the Drawing that the
rising slide catches and lifts the mesh upon the bridge during the downward move-
ment of the body of the needle, the lifting point of the closing slide being situated in
a groove in the body of the needle. The lifting slide may be held in position on
the body of the needle by deepening the guiding-groove of the needle-board, and
by causing a spring to bear slightly upon the said needle-body, or by other
convenient means.
Figure 20 shews a triple needle constructed in accordance with my present
Invention, the closing mechanism of which is formed by a complete double self-
acting needle, which may also be modified in the same manner as the double needle
hereinbefore described.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise
constructions illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, but that I may modify the
shape of the closing slide and needle in many different ways, always, however,
using two solid shafts or bars, one of which is carried along or reciprocated by the
other, and I claim,-
Firstly. In a knitting machine needle consisting of two or more separate parts
guided by the same groove in the needle board of a knitting machine, the
combination of two or more solid shafts or bars to form the needle and closing
slide, substantially as described.
Secondly. In knitting machine needles, the combination of two or more shafts or
bars, one of which is automatically carried along or reciprocated by the other for
the purpose of closing up and opening the eye or the hook of the needle, and
catching and delivering the old mesh, substantially as described.
Thirdly. In knitting machine needles, the combination with the needle of a
closing slide whose inclined front end extends into the eye or the inner space of the
hook of the needle for the purpose of sliding the old mesh upon the upper surface
of the said closing slide, substantially as described.
Fourthly. In knitting-machine needles, the combination with the closing slide of
a needle, the point of whose hook enters alternately a groove formed in the upper
surface of the front part of the said closing slide for the purpose of forming a
"bridge" whereon the old mesh can slide off, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Friedrich Wilhelm Schwarzbach, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
FRIENDICH WIL UIM
SOUTHA DZD CIT